PROTIME-FITNESS HOLISTIC HEALTH AND WELLNESS

MOST POTENT ANTIBIOTIC SO FAR, UNCOVERED A team of chemists stumbled on a game-changing antibiotic hiding in a place no one expected: inside a familiar bacterium that scientists have studied for decades. This molecule is 100 times stronger than existing antibiotics, shows no signs of resistance so far, and could finally turn the tide against superbugs like MRSA and VRE. Old Bacteria, New Tricks The breakthrough, led by researchers from the University of Warwick and Monash University, was made possible through creative thinking. Instead of searching for exotic microbes, the scientists looked more closely at Streptomyces coelicolor, a “model” bacterium famous for producing antibiotics and a familiar presence in labs since the 1950s. Buried in its regular antibiotic production line, they found a chemical intermediate named pre-methylenomycin C lactone. Nobody had ever tested it for antibiotic properties before. And that’s where things got interesting. According to Professor Greg Challis, ...

 EXCESSIVE SCREEN TIME NEGATIVELY IMPACTS CHILDREN'S HEALTH Kids and screens go hand in hand these days, but new research from Denmark suggests that those hours spent in front of TVs, tablets, or phones might be setting them up for future heart and metabolic problems. Researchers found that with every extra hour of recreational screen time, children and teenagers faced a higher risk of trouble: things like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and signs their bodies aren't handling sugar as well as they should. Looking at over a thousand Danish kids and teens, the study found a clear pattern—more screen time meant higher chances of early warning signs for heart disease and metabolic issues. And when those late-night gaming sessions or binge-watch marathons robbed kids of sleep, the risk grew even worse. It’s not just guesswork; the scientists could actually see the impact in kids' blood, spotting a kind of “screen-time fingerprint” that hints at changes long before disease...

  EXERCISE DOES NOT SHORTEN LIFESPAN It’s time to toss out the idea that working out “spends” your heartbeats and shortens your lifespan. Thanks to new research out of Australia, we now know the opposite is true: physically fit people actually use up fewer heartbeats per day—even when you count all those sweaty workouts. This isn’t just a technicality. According to the study, athletes clock in with an average heart rate of just 68 beats per minute. Sedentary folks? They're up at 76. Multiply that out and you get a huge difference: over 11,000 fewer heartbeats every day for those who keep fit. That’s nearly 10 percent less work for your heart, every single day. Professor La Gerche, who leads the HEART Laboratory at St Vincent's Institute and the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, sums it up like this: “Athletes’ hearts work harder during exercise, sure, but their lower resting rates more than make up for it. Over 24 hours, fit people’s hearts are actually doing less total ...

 LYMPHEDEMA: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW Lymphedema isn’t just about swelling — it’s a chronic, often frustrating condition that can reshape daily life. At its heart, lymphedema is what happens when the body’s lymphatic “drainage system” gets blocked or breaks down. Fluid starts to build up where it shouldn’t, usually in the arms or legs, and that swelling won’t go away. Sometimes, people are born with faulty lymphatic vessels (that’s called primary lymphedema). More often, it shows up after something damages the lymph system, like surgery, radiation, infection, or injury — especially in people who’ve had cancer treatments involving their lymph nodes. What’s really going on beneath the surface? When the lymphatic system can’t keep up, protein-rich fluid seeps into the tissues. The body tries to fix it, but that triggers a chain reaction: inflammation, fat deposits, and eventually scar-like tissue that makes the swelling even harder. The skin can become thick or leathery, increasing the r...

 Lead in Protein Supplements: Why It’s Still a Problem It's surprising that we still need to discuss heavy metals in our health products, but here we are. Recent research keeps turning up the same uncomfortable truth: some protein powders—plant-based, whey, or blends—contain traces of lead. In a few cases, those levels are high enough that, if you’re using these powders every day, you could be putting your health at risk. How Does Lead Get In There? It starts with the ingredients. Plants like rice and peas can soak up lead from soil or water, especially in areas where pollution is an issue. But even dairy-based proteins like whey and casein aren’t off the hook. Contamination can sneak in through water, ingredients, or even the machinery used in production. Recent studies (like one in the Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology, 2024) have found lead in both plant and dairy protein powders—though the plant-based ones tend to be worse. What’s the Risk? There’s really no saf...

NEW PAIN MED IS AS EFFECTIVE AS OPIOIDS   Cannabis-based pain medications are starting to make real waves as alternatives to the usual painkillers, especially opioids.  One name you might hear more about soon is MIRA, a compound pulled from cannabis that’s getting a lot of interest for how it handles pain differently. MIRA-55, in particular, stands out—it isn’t just another version of THC (the stuff in cannabis that gets you high). Its structure is unique, and it works in a completely different way. Instead of hitting the CB1 receptor hard like THC does (which is what causes that classic cannabis “high”), MIRA-55 targets pain without leaving patients feeling out of it. That’s a big deal for people who need relief but don’t want the head rush or mental fog that can come with medical cannabis (mirapharmaceuticals.com). What’s really interesting is what the research is starting to show. People with chronic pain who try cannabis-based treatments often report not just less pain, bu...

  HAIR LOSS PILL LINKED TO DEPRESSION AND SUICIDE It’s a pill millions have taken for the promise of a fuller head of hair. But for years, warnings about finasteride—the go-to treatment for male pattern baldness—have quietly grown louder. Now, a sweeping review by Prof. Mayer Brezis at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem is shining a harsh light on the drug’s hidden side: a long, troubling link to depression, anxiety, and even suicide. The evidence isn’t just a few scattered stories. Brezis’s analysis pulls together two decades of health records and adverse event reports from around the world, revealing a pattern that’s hard to ignore. Men who use finasteride are far more likely to struggle with mood disorders and suicidal thoughts than those who don’t. These trends appear in national databases across various countries, including Sweden, Canada, Israel, and the United States. So why hasn’t anything changed? Despite mounting reports and years of scientific concern, both Merck (the dr...