People with anxiety disorders have lower levels of choline in their brains, according to research from UC Davis Health. The study, published in the Nature journal Molecular Psychiatry, analyzed data from 25 studies. The researchers compared the levels of neurometabolites — chemicals produced during brain metabolism — in 370 people with anxiety disorders to 342 people without anxiety. They found the level of choline — an essential nutrient — was about 8% lower in those with anxiety disorders.

A physiology researcher believes a better understanding of the gut-brain connection can help explain dietary choices and lead to strategies for altering food preferences.

Obesity and cancer are two major health challenges of our time, yet the link between them remains only partially understood. New research now highlights a molecular chain of events in estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer, revealing how leptin, a hormone produced by fat cells, signals cancer cells to grow. This leads to increased activity of the enzyme stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD), which fuels the growth and motility of cancer cells. The findings from a study in The American Journal of Pathology, published by Elsevier, provides insights into the obesity–breast cancer link and identifies potential new therapeutic targets to counter obesity-driven breast cancer progression.