The Gary Null Show - 10-26-26

HEALTH NEWS Fermented tea kombucha shows promise in reducing depression-like behaviors, animal study reveals Brief self-care meditation delivers body confidence boost, study shows Researchers Discover What Reading for Pleasure May Be Doing to Your Brain Popular sports supplement may help shield the brain from damage linked to gut inflammation The Gut-Muscle Connection: Fermented Foods May Influence Muscles Via Gut, Review Says Fermented tea kombucha shows promise in reducing depression-like behaviors, animal study reveals University of Minnesota, October 20 2026 (Natural News) Researchers found kombucha consumption linked to fewer depression-like behaviors in mice across different diets. The fermented tea altered gut bacteria composition, affecting pathways involved in tryptophan metabolism and serotonin production. Behavioral benefits varied by diet type, with Western-diet mice showing additional anxiety reduction and brain chemistry changes. Mice on standard diets experienced increased short-chain fatty acids, supporting gut barrier function. Brief self-care meditation delivers body confidence boost, study shows La Trobe University (Australia), October 18 2026 (Eurekalert) A three-week online self-compassion meditation program can produce improvements in body appreciation and positive wellbeing, while reducing body dissatisfaction. Australian adults who completed the self-compassion meditation training reported significantly increased body appreciation, positive wellbeing and lower self-judgement. The benefits were still evident six weeks after the program concluded and frequency of practice alone did not drive the size of change. The randomised controlled trial, published in the journal Mindfulness, involved 227 people, aged 18 to 39 years. Participants in the intervention group undertook 20 minutes of daily self-compassion, while those in the control group remained on the waitlist. Many body image interventions focus directly on appearance concerns, but the study found that simply encouraging people to treat themselves with greater kindness and understanding can improve how they feel about their bodies. Fostering self-compassion, which encourages individuals to respond to personal difficulties with greater kindness and mindful awareness rather than harsh self-criticism, may be key to enhancing body appreciation rather than mindfulness practice alone. Researchers Discover What Reading for Pleasure May Be Doing to Your Brain University of Cambridge, October 19, 2026 (Scitech Daily) Reading for pleasure may do far more than provide entertainment. A scientific review published in Psychological Medicine links the habit to better mental health, stronger cognitive abilities, and a lower risk of dementia. Research also suggests that reading is associated with measurable differences in brain structure, although scientists are still investigating whether reading directly causes these changes. Researchers from the University of Cambridge examined evidence spanning childhood through old age. Their findings suggest that reading for enjoyment, whether alone or with others, may support brain health in several ways, with some benefits potentially appearing after just a few minutes. Reading may also provide psychological benefits throughout adulthood. Surveys associate reading for enjoyment with lower stress, greater relaxation, stronger empathy, and more openness to different perspectives. In one survey, nearly two in five adults (38%) identified reading as their preferred way to unwind. A neuroscience study reported that just five minutes of reading fiction could reduce stress by up to 20%. The potential benefits of reading extend into later life, when preserving memory and thinking abilities becomes increasingly important. In a study of nearly 5,500 adults aged 55 and older, participants who frequently engaged in mentally stimulating activities,