serotonin news stories on Newser

Gene Mutation May Turn Men Into Vicious Drunks

Mary Papenfuss — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 03:07:00 CST

Scientists believe they've discovered a genetic mutation that may turn usually mild-mannered individuals into obnoxious, violent brutes once they get drunk. The mutation is linked to a brain abnormality that may contribute to violently impulsive behavior under the influence of alcohol, reports the Telegraph . The mutation interferes with a gene,...

Atkins Will Make You Thin —but Miserable

Kevin Spak — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 10:20:52 CST

You may lose weight on the Atkins diet, but you’ll be a really crabby thin person, a new study finds. OK, few dieters have truly sunny dispositions, but Australian researchers have found that the problem’s especially bad for those on low-carb diets. In a recent study, they split 100 people...

Mediterranean Diet Beats the Blues

Rob Quinn — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 08:05:18 CDT

The Mediterranean diet has been shown to cut the risk of cancer and heart disease and researchers now say it can help prevent depression as well. Spanish researchers followed 10,000 subjects for nearly 5 years and found that, even when personality traits and other factors were taken into account,...

Big Differences Found in Male, Female Brains

Peter Fearon — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 10:28:35 CDT

The brains of men and women are so physically different they amount to different organs and may have developed from distinct genetic blueprints, new research shows. Distinct anatomical differences between male and female brains likely explain many well-established differences of perception and behavior between the sexes, from problem-solving strategies to...

Time to Stop Blaming the Turkey

Matt Cantor — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 15:22:14 CST

It's time to stop blaming the tryptophan for your post-feast snooze, says LiveScience Bad Medicine columnist Christopher Wanjek. The chemical, found in turkey, does affect sleep, but cheddar cheese is also packed with it and doesn't get the same bad rap. The real Turkey Day culprit is the "combination of...

Study: Dark Chocolate Aids Chronic Fatigue

Colleen Barry — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 03:58:17 CDT

A daily dose of dark chocolate noticeably improves symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome, researchers have discovered. Scientists speculate that the chocolate may boost brain serotonin levels in sufferers, who reported significantly less fatigue when they ate 45 grams a day of chocolate high in cocoa content.

Bacteria Battle Depression

Sarah Levy — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 08:55:49 CDT

Clinical depression may be treatable with bacteria, doctors at Bristol University posit. They got the idea when they observed lung cancer patients inoculated with harmless Mycobacterium vaccae who showed reduced symptoms and improved mental health. The brain produces serotonin as an immune response, the docs hypothesized, raising the low serotonin...