Scientists Have Discovered Why Your Appetite Suddenly Disappears When You’re Sick

Anyone who has had a severe stomach illness recognizes the pattern. Even after the worst symptoms fade, appetite often disappears and can take time to return. This same effect is experienced by millions of people worldwide who live with long-term parasitic worm infections. Despite how common it is, scientists have struggled to pinpoint exactly what causes this loss of appetite. Now, researchers at University of California San Francisco have identified the biological pathway that links the gut’s immune response to the brain during a parasitic infection. Their work shows how signals from the immune system can actively reduce the desire to eat. Appetite loss during sickness is a purposeful gut-to-brain survival mechanism, rather than just a symptom. Immune system messengers or intestinal cells detect infections and trigger signals that inhibit hunger, directing energy away from digestion to combat pathogens. While this loss of appetite helps fight infection, it’s usually temporary. Experts advise staying hydrated and eating small, gentle meals to support immune function during recovery.

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New Study Says Forgiveness Is Good for Your Health

If just hearing your old boss’s name triggers you, or you lie in bed each night agonizing over a friend who stole your boyfriend back in high school, you’re well aware of how hard it is to shake a grudge. Holding onto a grievance can even feel good, in a perverse sort of way. However, a new study has found that you’re not doing yourself any favors hanging on to old hurts. In fact, being the forgiving kind may be good for both your body and mind. Practicing forgiveness can lead to greater well-being over time, as it reduces the negative effects of stress hormones. Brain imaging studies show that letting go of an offense activates pathways and parts of the brain that improve resilience and social bonds. In other words, by forgiving, you’re building a buffer against life’s hardships. When it comes to relationships, forgiveness is one of those hidden qualities that's like WD-40 for improving interaction with friends and family. To move forward from hurt, you have to flip the script from victim to hero, which frees you from the prison of unforgiveness. That doesn’t mean you have to continue a relationship with someone who has hurt you, but you do have to forgive if you want to move forward.

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Animals are Streaming into 400 Children’s Hospitals From San Diego Zoo’s Dedicated 24-hour Channel

For most kids, you can’t beat a trip to the zoo, but for those unfortunate kids whose immune systems are too weak to endure such an excursion, that’s an impossibility. Now, thanks to a clever partnership involving the San Diego Zoo’s 24/7 streaming service, those kids have the chance to experience it from their hospital beds. The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance’s Wildlife Explorers Channel streams around-the-clock animal encounters and educational programming in hospitals, bringing the joy of the zoo into patient rooms. What started locally at Rady Children’s Hospital and the Ronald McDonald House Charities of San Diego has grown into a global network now reaching more than 400 hospitals and medical facilities across 48 states and 12 countries besides, with an estimated 25 million viewers annually.

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12 Tons of KitKat Bars Stolen in Europe

A massive 12-ton shipment of Nestle's crunch KitKat bars was stolen in a chocolaty heist that risks causing a shortage in stores right before Easter. A truck transporting 413,793 units of its new chocolate range disappeared last week while heading between production and distribution locations. "We've always encouraged people to have a break with KitKat, but it seems thieves have taken the message too literally and made a break with more than 12 tons of our chocolate,” said a company spokesperson. The company said the stolen truck had left a factory in central Italy and was making its way to Poland when it was stolen, adding that the vehicle and its contents remain unaccounted for. Investigations are ongoing in close collaboration with local authorities and supply chain partners. The chocolatier warned that the missing chocolate bars may lead to a shortage of KitKats appearing on shelves. Nestle also said it was possible to trace the stolen goods by scanning the unique batch codes found on each bar. "If a match is found, the scanner will be given clear instructions on how to alert KitKat, who will then share the evidence appropriately,” the company said.

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