The hottest Physiology Substack posts right now

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Top Science Topics

How Our Gut Microbiome Can Drive Sugar Cravings

Ground Truths • 15222 implied HN points • 26 Jan 25
🏥 Health & Wellness Microbiome Nutrition Psychology Diabetes Physiology
  1. Our gut bacteria can influence our cravings for sugar. Specific bacteria in our gut send signals to our brain that can make us want more sweets.
  2. The molecule Ffar4 in our gut plays a big role in how much we like sugar. When this is less active, we might crave sugar more.
  3. A certain type of gut bacteria, called Bacteroides vulgatus, is linked to an increased desire for sugar. Understanding this can help us figure out how to control cravings better.

Some ants can choose to live 5x as long

Trevor Klee’s Newsletter • 746 implied HN points • 11 Feb 25
🔬 Science Biology Physiology Longevity Insulin
  1. Some ants, like Indian jumping ants, can live much longer lives if they become a pseudoqueen. They can live about five times longer than their worker counterparts after winning a duel for queen status.
  2. The lifespan of these ants can actually change based on their circumstances. If a gamergate is placed in a new colony with an active queen, they revert back to being a normal worker with a shorter lifespan.
  3. This interesting case suggests a different relationship between reproduction and lifespan. In these ants, becoming a reproductive figure seems to extend their life instead of shortening it like it does in many other species.

If langurs can drink seawater, can humans do so as well?

Trevor Klee’s Newsletter • 895 implied HN points • 14 Nov 24
🔬 Science Biology Zoology Evolution Physiology Genetics
  1. Cat Ba langurs can drink seawater and survive in dry conditions due to their diet and unique adaptations. They mainly get water from the leaves they eat, which helps them thrive on an isolated island.
  2. Humans cannot drink seawater without serious health issues. Consuming saltwater leads to dehydration because our bodies can't remove the excess salt fast enough.
  3. Research suggests that Cat Ba langurs have special genetic traits that allow them to manage salt and calcium better than most mammals. This helps them live in their harsh environment.

What Makes Men and Women Different?

Uncharted Territories • 2162 implied HN points • 04 Sep 23
🔬 Science Evolution Gender Physiology Psychology Sexuality
  1. Women and men think differently due to biological differences like having a uterus, leading to significant psychological variations.
  2. Men and women face different stakes in relationships and reproduction, with women having higher commitments and limitations due to their reproductive capacity.
  3. Evolutionary factors have shaped men to compete for access to females, leading to traits like dominance, aggression, physical strength, and risk-taking behavior.
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Questions on Protein and Longevity, SHBG, and Trouble Hydrating

Harnessing the Power of Nutrients • 519 implied HN points • 23 Aug 22
🏥 Health & Wellness Longevity Hydration Nutrition Physiology Membership
  1. Cycling between fasting and feeding states may provide benefits similar to protein or calorie restriction for longevity.
  2. Several factors like vitamin K2, insulin sensitivity, thyroid hormone, and fasting physiology influence levels of SHBG.
  3. When salted water doesn't hydrate as effectively as an IV, it might be due to poor salt absorption, which could be helped by consuming glucose, starch, or a meal alongside.

The Nose Knows

Weekly Wisdom • 159 implied HN points • 08 Dec 22
🏥 Health & Wellness Breathwork Science Techniques Physiology Mind-Body Connection
  1. Breathwork is essential since the breath is a constant companion, affecting both body and mind.
  2. Various breathing techniques can be used for specific effects like calming the nervous system, increasing alertness, or improving oxygen absorption.
  3. Understanding the different elements of breathing, such as nostrils, lungs, and techniques like Breath of Fire, can lead to improved well-being and mind-body connection.

Short Thoughts on Bile

Autoscriptorium • 39 implied HN points • 27 Apr 23
📚 Literature Metaphor Physiology Medical History
  1. Bile is described as irritability and prickliness, associated with making choices and rejecting alternatives.
  2. In American business culture, showing bile or criticism is often viewed negatively, seen as a flaw in character.
  3. The theory of temperament based on humours, like black bile and yellow bile, influences personality traits and physical symptoms.

Yes, You Have a Homeostat

The Heart Attack Diet • 19 implied HN points • 02 Sep 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Nutrition Fitness Physiology Well-being Weight management
  1. Animals need to maintain the right amount of stored fat for survival; too little makes them vulnerable, too much impairs movement and fighting abilities
  2. Having a homeostat helps animals regulate their fat levels and stay at their optimal weight consistently without much effort
  3. Different animals have different ideal fat percentages based on their needs and roles, and the homeostat system ensures they stay within these ranges

It's Not You. It's Your Biochemistry

Neuro Athletics • 17 implied HN points • 11 Mar 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Biochemistry Physiology Performance Nutrition Recovery
  1. Your physiology and biochemistry, not your circumstances, play a key role in determining your potential and performance.
  2. Optimizing recovery is crucial for reaching peak performance, reducing risks of burnout and enhancing physiological resilience.
  3. Personalized approaches that consider unique biochemical and physiological profiles are vital in unlocking individual potential for peak performance.

Goal creates the functioning

The Nature of Training • 1 HN point • 06 Jul 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Physiology Complex Systems Training
  1. Biomimetics uses natural organisms as inspiration to create innovative technology, like airplanes inspired by bird wings and Velcro by burdock seeds.
  2. The traditional view of organisms as machines with replaceable parts is being challenged, with organisms seen as complex systems that self-organize to maintain equilibrium and adapt to their environments.
  3. Understanding an organism's purpose and stimuli is more important than focusing on its individual parts, allowing for better responses to training and health needs.

020: Insulin Resistance Isn’t All About Carbs and Insulin

Harnessing the Power of Nutrients • 59 implied HN points • 24 Aug 16
🏥 Health & Wellness Nutrition Physiology Strategies Research
  1. Insulin resistance is not solely related to carbs and insulin, but also influenced by responses to obesity, exercise, and diet choices.
  2. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play a central role in the physiology of insulin resistance.
  3. Practical strategies to prevent and reverse insulin resistance include focusing on nutrient density, body composition, and considering long-term effects of low-carbohydrate diets.

Repeat After Me: The Liver Is Not a Filter!

Harnessing the Power of Nutrients • 19 implied HN points • 17 Mar 19
🏥 Health & Wellness Physiology Detoxification Nutrition
  1. The liver does not filter toxins, but helps in eliminating them through bile, feces, and urine
  2. Hepatic detoxification occurs in three phases, modifying toxins to make them less toxic and water-soluble
  3. It's important to correct the misunderstanding that the liver is a filter by educating others at different levels of scientific understanding

What Makes a Good Marker of Nutritional Status?

Harnessing the Power of Nutrients • 39 implied HN points • 26 Jan 16
🏥 Health & Wellness Biochemistry Physiology Podcasts Vitamins
  1. Good markers of nutritional status should be understood in terms of biochemistry and physiology.
  2. Validating markers against changes in nutritional status is crucial for their reliability.
  3. Markers need to be sensitive, specific, and interpreted within the broader context of health history, symptoms, and lifestyle.

036: Is Insulin Really a Response to Blood Glucose?

Harnessing the Power of Nutrients • 19 implied HN points • 30 Jul 17
🏥 Health & Wellness Nutrition Metabolism Physiology Energy metabolism
  1. Insulin serves more functions beyond regulating blood glucose, such as affecting energy use and metabolic pathways.
  2. Insulin release is tied to total energy supply and energetic versatility, not solely blood glucose levels.
  3. Understanding the complex processes of insulin signaling sheds light on how different nutrients impact the body's energy metabolism.

035: The Biochemistry of Why Insulin Doesn’t Make You Fat

Harnessing the Power of Nutrients • 19 implied HN points • 22 Jul 17
🏥 Health & Wellness Nutrition Biochemistry Physiology Weight Loss Metabolism
  1. Insulin doesn't directly make you fat; it's regulated by energy needs and availability at a biochemical level.
  2. All biochemical pathways, including the storage of fat by insulin, are influenced by cellular energy levels.
  3. Although insulin promotes fat storage, it also boosts glucose oxidation, leading to no net change in caloric balance.

013: Wait a Second, Is Glycation Actually GOOD For You?

Harnessing the Power of Nutrients • 19 implied HN points • 09 Jun 16
🏥 Health & Wellness Nutrition Physiology Biochemistry Metabolism Research
  1. Glycation may play essential roles in the body as part of a regulatory system and energy metabolism.
  2. Methylglyoxal produced during glycolysis can prevent dangerous buildups of compounds and help preserve glucose and convert fat to glucose.
  3. The rise of methylglyoxal during carbohydrate restriction is a stress response that should not be constantly activated.

009: Balancing Calcium and Phosphorus in the Diet, and the Importance of Measuring Parathyroid Hormone (PTH)

Harnessing the Power of Nutrients • 19 implied HN points • 11 May 16
🏥 Health & Wellness Nutrition Biochemistry Physiology
  1. Balancing calcium and phosphorus in the diet is crucial for maintaining a healthy balance in the body.
  2. Measuring parathyroid hormone (PTH) can be used to assess if the dietary balance of calcium and phosphorus is working for an individual.
  3. Understanding the roles of calcium and phosphorus, distribution among foods, and the physiological principles behind their balance is important for overall health.

003: The Sugar Conspiracy — Trading One Nutritional Boogeyman for Another

Harnessing the Power of Nutrients • 19 implied HN points • 28 Apr 16
🏥 Health & Wellness Nutrition Obesity Physiology History Insulin
  1. Move beyond labeling nutritional boogeymen like sugar or saturated fat and aim for a nuanced understanding of their roles in our diets.
  2. Understand the historical context of figures like Ancel Keys, the process of de novo lipogenesis, and the complex relationship between insulin and fat storage when considering dietary villains.
  3. Avoid simplifying complex nutritional concepts and acknowledge the need for a more sophisticated view of nutrition and health.