Short Afternoon Naps Aid Learning

HEALTH NEWS

 

• Wild Blueberries May Benefit the Heart, Metabolism, and Microbiome

• Nitrate in drinking water linked to increased dementia risk while nitrate from vegetables is linked to a lower risk, researchers find  

• Afternoon naps clear up the brain and improve learning ability

• Screen time may increase body fat in children

• Simple dietary change may slow liver cancer in at-risk patients

Wild Blueberries May Benefit the Heart, Metabolism, and Microbiome

University of Maine & Florida State University, January 28, 2026 (SciTech Daily)

A newly published scientific review brings together a growing body of research on how wild blueberries may influence cardiometabolic health. This area of health includes measures such as blood vessel function, blood pressure, blood lipids (cholesterol and triglycerides), and blood sugar (glucose).

The review was developed following an expert symposium. Twelve specialists took part, representing fields that included nutrition, food science, dietetics, nutrition metabolism and physiology, cardiovascular and cognitive health, gut health and microbiology, and preclinical and clinical research models. 

The paper evaluates findings from 12 human clinical trials conducted over 24 years across four countries that examined the cardiometabolic effects of wild blueberries.

Across the clinical research examined, improvements in blood vessel function stand out as one of the most reliable findings. Studies included in the review suggest that wild blueberries may support endothelial function (or how well blood vessels relax and respond to stimuli). Some trials reported effects within hours of a single serving, while others observed benefits after consistent intake over weeks or months.

In one six-week clinical study highlighted in the review, adults who consumed 25 grams of freeze-dried wild blueberry powder each day showed increases in beneficial Bifidobacterium species. The authors identify the gut microbiome as a likely contributor to the cardiometabolic effects linked to wild blueberries.

The review also suggests wild blueberry intake may support certain aspects of cognitive performance. Improvements were observed in measures such as thinking speed and memory.

Several of the reviewed studies reported clinically meaningful improvements in blood pressure, blood sugar regulation, and lipid markers, including total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides, after weeks of wild blueberry consumption.

 

Nitrate in drinking water linked to increased dementia risk while nitrate from vegetables is linked to a lower risk, researchers find  

Edith Cowan University (Australia) &  Danish Cancer Research Institute, January 28 2026 (Eurekalert)

New research from Edith Cowan University (ECU) and the Danish Cancer Research Institute (DCRI) investigated the association between the intake of nitrate and nitrite from a wide range of different sources, and the associated risk of dementia. 

The research, which investigated the association between source-specific nitrate and nitrite intake and incident and early-onset dementia, followed more than 54,000 Danish adults for up to 27 years and found that the source of nitrate was of critical importance in a diet. 

The researchers found that people who ate more nitrate from vegetables had a lower risk of developing dementia, while those who consumed more nitrate and nitrite from animal foods, processed meats, and drinking water, had a higher risk of dementia. 

When we eat nitrate-rich vegetables, we are also eating vitamins and antioxidants which are thought to help nitrate form the beneficial compound, nitric oxide, while blocking it from forming N-nitrosamines which are carcinogenic and potentially damaging to the brain. 

Unlike vegetables, animal-based foods don't contain these antioxidants. In addition, meat also contains compounds such as heme iron which may actually increase the formation of N-nitrosamines. This is why nitrate from different sources may have opposite effects on brain health.  

This is the first time that nitrate from drinking water has been linked to higher risks of dementia. The study found that participants exposed to drinking-water nitrate at levels below the current regulatory limits, had a higher rate of dementia.  

Water doesn't contain antioxidants that can block formation of N-nitrosamines. Without these protective compounds, nitrate in drinking water may form N-nitrosamines in the body.  

Afternoon naps clear up the brain and improve learning ability

University of Freiburg (Germany) & University of Geneva, January 28 2026 (Eurekalert)

Even a short afternoon nap can help the brain recover and improve its ability to learn. In a study published  in the journal NeuroImage, researchers at the  University of Freiburg and the University of Geneva show that even a nap is enough to reorganize connections between nerve cells so that new information can be stored more effectively. 

The new study shows that a short sleep period can relieve the brain and put it back into a state of readiness to learn – a process that could be particularly beneficial for situations with high work load.

The study examined 20 healthy young adults who either took a nap or stayed awake on two afternoons. The afternoon nap lasted on average 45 minutes. 

The results showed that after the nap, the overall strength of synaptic connections in the brain was reduced – a sign of the restorative effect of sleep. At the same time, the brain's ability to form new connections was significantly improved. The brain was therefore better prepared for learning new content than after an equally long period of wakefulness.

Screen time may increase body fat in children

Ningbo University (China), January 15 2026 (News-Medical)

A study published in Frontiers in Endocrinology reveals that higher screen time is associated with higher levels of body fat accumulation and less favorable obesity-related metabolic indicators in school-aged children, and that cardiorespiratory fitness can significantly influence this association.

The study included a total of 1,286 third-grade students from six schools in Ningbo. Participants’ cardiorespiratory fitness was assessed using the 20-meter shuttle run test. Information on screen time, physical activity, and diet quality was obtained from self-reported questionnaires.

The study analysis indicated that higher screen time is significantly associated with increased visceral fat accumulation, body fat mass index, and body fat percentage, and with lower cardiorespiratory fitness and slightly lower blood levels of HDL-C.

The study found that participants with more than two hours of daily screen time exhibit significantly increased visceral fat, fat mass index, and fat percentage, and significantly reduced cardiorespiratory fitness compared to those with less than two hours of daily screen time.

Simple dietary change may slow liver cancer in at-risk patients

Rutgers University, January 29 2026 (Medical Xpress)

People with compromised liver function may be able to reduce their risk of liver cancer or slow its progression with a simple dietary change: eating less protein. A Rutgers-led study has found that low-protein diets slowed liver tumor growth and cancer death in mice, uncovering a mechanism by which a liver's impaired waste-handling machinery can inadvertently fuel cancer.

When people consume protein, the nitrogen can be converted into ammonia, a substance that's toxic to the body and brain. A healthy liver typically processes this ammonia into harmless urea, which is excreted via urine. The clinical observation that the liver's ammonia-handling machinery is usually impaired in liver cancer patients is decades old.

Zong's team utilized a technique to induce liver tumors in mice without crippling the ammonia-disposal system. The researchers then used gene-editing tools to disable ammonia-processing enzymes in some—but not all.

The results were striking: Mice with disabled enzymes and higher ammonia levels developed heavier tumor burdens and experienced a much faster rate of mortality than those with functioning systems.

The researchers then tested a straightforward intervention: reducing dietary protein. Mice fed low-protein food exhibited dramatically slower tumor growth and lived significantly longer than those that received food with standard levels of protein

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