PROTIME-FITNESS HOLISTIC HEALTH AND WELLNESS

 IMPROVE MOOD AND HEALTH WITH THIS ACTIVITY It turns out one of the easiest ways to protect yourself from depression might be as simple as putting down the remote. New research suggests that trading just an hour of TV time each day for something more active—think sports, a walk, or even a little extra sleep—can make a real difference, especially if you’re in your forties or fifties. The numbers are hard to ignore. In a massive Dutch study tracking more than 65,000 people for four years, swapping out an hour of TV for another activity cut the risk of major depression by 11%. And the effect was even bigger in middle-aged adults: nearly a 19% drop. The more time you trade, the better. For those who replaced two hours of daily TV, the risk of depression plummeted by up to 43%. What’s going on here? According to lead researcher Rosa Palazuelos-González, it’s not just about moving more or sitting less. The study actually looked at what happens when you take TV time and actively replace i...

  SPINAL CORD REPAIR IN THE LAB Fluorescent micrographs showing increased neurite outgrowth from a human spinal cord organoid treated with fast-moving “dancing molecules” (left) compared to one treated with slow-moving molecules (right) containing the same bioactive signals. Credit: Samuel I. Stupp/Northwestern University Scientists at Northwestern University have just pulled off something that, until recently, would’ve sounded like pure science fiction: they grew a mini human spinal cord in the lab, smashed it up (in the name of research), and then coaxed it to heal itself using a fascinating new molecular therapy. The team built these tiny spinal cords—organoids, to use the technical term—from human stem cells. Think of them as miniaturized, simplified versions of the real thing. But what’s remarkable is how closely these organoids copy what happens to actual spinal cords when they’re injured. The researchers simulated trauma, and sure enough, the organoids responded with all the...