The crazy factor that predicts whether you’ll stick to your diet

pulse

February 23, 2017 2:01 PM

Here’s your daily dose of the latest discoveries from journals, research institutions, and news outlets from around the world.

Weight loss post online

Welcome to your daily roundup of important health news

Every day, anestimated6,800 new peer-reviewed academic articles are published. That’s a whole lot of science to wade through—but don’t fret. We’ll do the legwork for you, each and every morning.

Stick To Your DietHow you post online seems to predict how successful your weight-loss efforts may be, researchers from Georgia Tech suggest.

People who use upbeat and self-reflective language on Twitter were more likely to adhere to their set dieting goals than those who write negatively or fearfully—think “Train smart like a trainer…win like 6 time champion [sic]” instead of “Feel rough as old boots this morning :/ Ankle hurts, shin hurts, chest hurts, head hurts.”

Stop PainPeople suffering from chronic pain may have a new weapon: venom. Researchers from the University of Utah discovered that snail venom contains a compound that can provide long-lasting pain relief, BBC reports.

So far, the compound has only been tested in rats, but the application was found to be effective in them for up to three days.

Hear ClearlyHair cells in your ear detect sound waves, allowing you to hear. But when they’re damaged, the nerve signals are disrupted. And problem is, once damaged, those nerve cells can’t regrow.

Now, researchers from MIT have developed a combination of drugs that can provoke progenitor cells, or supporting cells, to become hair cells.

They believe human trials, by simple injection into the year, can begin within 18 months.

Fall Asleep FasterA new study found that you can help relieve insomnia simply by thinking you’re doing something to prevent the problem, new research from Austria suggests.

In the study, researchers determined that neurofeedback training—a direct training of brain functions thought to help sleep problems—and a sham treatment were equally effective at relieving participants’ sleep complaints.

Prevent HeadacheA few pricks may hold the key for migraine prevention.

Researchers from China discovered that migraine sufferers who received acupuncture treatments experienced fewer headache attacks than those given a sham treatment or no treatment at all.

The acupuncture also reduced pain intensity, the researchers report.

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