The Gary Null Show - 10-15-26
HEALTH NEWS Study reveals how different plant saponins alleviate ischemic stroke The bacteria on your tongue could be linked to your brainpower Staying Active Could Have Two Major Benefits for People With Parkinson’s, Scientists Find How spinach protects the brain while tap water may pose a hidden risk Frequent and unintentional daytime napping linked to higher dementia risk in older adults Study reveals how different plant saponins alleviate ischemic stroke Zheijiang University (China), October 12 2026 (News-Medical) Ischemic stroke accounts for approximately 85% of all strokes and remains a major cause of death and long-term disability. Current treatments can restore blood flow in eligible patients, but therapeutic options remain limited, particularly for protecting threatened brain tissue and supporting recovery. Two types of ginseng -- Panax notoginseng and Panax ginseng have long been used in traditional Chinese medicine and are commonly associated with "activating blood" and "replenishing qi," respectively. Modern studies have reported anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-apoptotic effects for their saponins. A study published in Targetome reports that the two saponin preparations alleviate ischemic brain injury through shared neuroprotective effects but preferentially regulate vascular-cytoskeletal and mitochondrial-metabolic pathways, respectively. The researchers established permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion in male C57BL/6 mice and administered low or high doses of P. notoginseng saponins (PNS) or P. ginseng saponins (PGS), with edaravone serving as a positive control. Twenty-four hours later, they assessed neurological deficits, infarct volume, tissue damage, neuronal integrity, and apoptosis; a separate experiment monitored survival for seven days. At 200 mg·kg, PNS and PGS lowered neurological scores from 3.67 in untreated model mice to 2.00 and 2.17, respectively. PNS reduced average infarct volume from 30.73% to 11.70%, comparable to the drug edaravone, while PGS reduced it to 13.33%. Seven-day survival increased from 25% in model mice to 75% with PNS and 50% with PGS. The bacteria on your tongue could be linked to your brainpower University of Exeter (UK), October 12 2026 (Medical Xpress) Whether you're a quick or slow thinker depends on several factors, such as the efficiency of the brain's wiring and the amount of gray matter in specific control centers. But there may be another, rather surprising influence, and that's the bacteria in your mouth. Scientists have found an association between the mix of microbes on your tongue and how well the brain performs cognitive tasks as we age. Previous studies have shown that poor oral health and gum disease are linked to cognitive impairment. Other research has found that nitrate from the food we eat can influence blood flow to the brain and cognitive performance. The research team recruited 15 younger adults and 15 older adults. Each volunteer completed a set of 10 tests that assessed memory, processing speed and focus. The researchers collected tongue swabs and blood and saliva samples. They then sequenced the DNA in the swabs to identify which bacteria were present. People with higher levels of Prevotella histicola in their mouth showed faster reaction times on different cognitive tasks. But the results for another microbe, Haemophilus parainfluenzae, were mixed. Older adults had higher levels of bacteria tied to gum disease, such as Treponema and Tannerella. Staying Active Could Have Two Major Benefits for People With Parkinson’s, Scientists Find University of Cincinnati, October 13 2026 (SciTech Daily) People with Parkinson’s disease who stay more physically active may experience slower declines in memory, thinking, and movement abilities, according to a study that followed participants for up to seven years. Researchers found that greater activity was consistently associated with more favorable