Each month our editorial team sifts through hundreds of papers and curates notable findings—for practitioners and informed readers who want to stay current with the evidence. Subscribe to the monthly Research Digest for expert analysis and concise summaries of key papers.
23 papers
Hepcidin is a small hormone made in the liver that helps control how the body absorbs and moves iron. It lowers iron flow into the blood by blocking ferroportin, the only known iron exporter on intestinal cells, macrophages (immune cells), and liver cells. Hepcidin levels rise when iron is high…
This paper is a 2015 review that brings together many studies about the lion’s mane mushroom (Hericium erinaceus). It describes the mushroom’s chemical makeup, nutrients, food uses, and about 70 identified bioactive compounds. The review reports many claimed health effects seen in cell, animal, and some human studies—such as anti-inflammatory…
This laboratory study found that cannabidiol (CBD), a non‑psychoactive compound from Cannabis sativa, reduced fat production and inflammation in human sebaceous (oil) gland cells. The effects were seen in cultured human sebocytes and in human skin organ cultures, where CBD blocked the fat‑making (lipogenic) actions of several compounds. These results…
This paper reviews the recent comeback of psychedelic research and points out that much of that work borrows from indigenous healing traditions. The authors say Indigenous people, ethnic and racial minorities, women, and other marginalized groups are often left out of research and the mainstream story about psychedelic medicine. The…
This review surveys the chemical and biological literature dealing with the isolation, structural elucidation and bioactivity of hericenones and erinacines from the fruiting body and mycelium of Hericium erinaceus, concentrating on work that has appeared in the literature up to December 2009.
This study tested Δ9‑tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (Δ9‑THCA), the acidic form of THC, in lab cells and in mice. The researchers found that Δ9‑THCA activates the nuclear receptor PPARγ more strongly than neutral cannabinoids, increased mitochondrial mass in neuroblastoma cells, reduced cell damage caused by mutant huntingtin in cell models, and improved…
This review paper suggests that problems in body-based senses — especially the vestibular system (balance/motion) and the somatosensory system (touch and body position) — may help explain many symptoms of trauma-related disorders. The authors propose that trauma can disrupt low-level, brainstem sensory processing and that this disruption can cascade into…
Researchers studied 32-day-old juvenile rats that were allowed 30 minutes of rough-and-tumble play. Right after play, the rats showed higher levels of BDNF messenger RNA in the amygdala and dorsolateral frontal cortex, measured with in situ hybridization. The authors suggested this could mean play helps shape brain areas tied to…
This 2013 review explains how physical and psychological stress change the brain and body. It describes how stress activates the HPA (hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal) system and alters brain chemicals such as GABA, dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin. The paper also covers short-term memory effects, animal models used to study chronic stress, and both…
In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, people took supplements containing the mushroom Hericium erinaceus for 12 weeks. The researchers gave three mental tests and found that only the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) showed a statistically significant improvement and less decline in the group taking the mushroom. The authors say compounds…
In this rat study, animals got a single injection of ibogaine at 20 mg/kg or 40 mg/kg and the researchers measured three neurotrophic factors (GDNF, BDNF, NGF) in four brain regions (VTA, prefrontal cortex, nucleus accumbens, substantia nigra) at 3 and 24 hours. The main changes appeared at 24 hours:…
Researchers had 13 healthy adults take Hericium erinaceus powder every day for seven days. They tested blood with routine blood and serum chemistry tests and checked gut bacteria using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. After the week, the gut bacterial community showed higher within-sample diversity and higher levels of several bacteria…
