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IS YOUR GUT KEY TO CHRONIC FATIGUE?

Thursday, February 15, 2024

In today’s newsletter, we pursue a clue to a mysterious ailment, learn how psychedelics might treat PTSD, muse on who the real Merlin was … and stress the importance of healthy bones.

A hand-colored scanning electron micrograph revealing the large number and variability of bacteria present in human excrement

PHOTOGRAPH BY MARTIN OEGGERLI, MICRONAUT. KINDLY SUPPORTED BY UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL BASEL AND SCHOOL OF LIFE SCIENCES, FHNW

A mysterious ailment with no known treatments may begin with a problem in your gut.

Two new studies have found a lack of certain gut bacteria (illustrated above) in people with chronic fatigue syndrome, suggesting the microbiome plays a major role. The work could lead to new ways to diagnose and treat the illness, which is common in people with long COVID. What's the next step?

HERE’S WHAT WE KNOW

STORIES WE’RE FOLLOWING

Psilocybin mushrooms stand ready for harvest in a humidified "fruiting chamber" in Connecticut.

PHOTOGRAPH BY JOHN MOORE, GETTY IMAGES

Psychedelics may help treat PTSD—and the VA is intrigued (Pictured above, psilocybin mushrooms ready for harvest in a humidified ‘fruiting’ chamber.)

Which animal is a better spy—a pigeon or a cat? We actually know the answer.

It's the deadliest form of skin cancer. And it is overdiagnosed to ‘alarming’ levels.

Everything you don’t know about hyenas

Why is plague still found in U.S. wildlife? Related: How we found a cure for one of history’s deadliest diseases

What happens to your body when you’re in love—and when you’re heartbroken

Does this ‘secret’ room contain Michaelangelo’s lost drawings?

What your biological age can reveal about your health

WHO IN THE WORLD?

In exchange for using his magic to help lustful King Uther to seduce a nobleman’s wife, Merlin asks the monarch to give him their son, Arthur, at birth. He holds him while on top of a horse in this oil painting by Emil Johann Lauffer.

FINE ART/ALBUM

Who was Merlin? While many great tales through time have highlighted wizened old men with magical powers, only one serves as the inspiration for them all. Merlin the Great (pictured above, depicted holding Arthur) has served as the heart of Arthurian legend as one of its most compelling characters, but the very first Merlin was not a wizard at all. What was he?

A. A mortician
B. A blacksmith
C. A medicine man
D. A poet

CLICK HERE FOR THE ANSWER

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

An x-ray of an arm pouring milk into a glass

PHOTOILLUSTRATION BY NICK VEASEY, SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

The importance of healthy bones: While many are aware of they key role that calcium (pictured above, an x-ray arm pouring milk into a glass) and Vitamin D play in keeping your bones healthy, there is something to be said for the importance of vitamins A, B, C, E, and K for your bones too. In recent years, researchers have documented the supporting roles of an alphabet of other vitamins in bone health. Which of these is NOT a benefit of healthy bones?

A. Osteoporosis prevention
B. Improved bone development and repair
C. Increased energy
D. Fewer fractures

CLICK HERE FOR THE ANSWER

PHOTO OF THE DAY

Hippopotamuses wallow at sunrise in a river in the Masai Mara. They spend up to 16 hours a day in rivers and water holes, where they sleep together in pods of 10 to 30 to protect their young, which are especially vulnerable to crocodiles. At night they graze, traveling as far as six miles and consuming about 80 pounds of grass. The dung they produce is rich in nutrients that maintain the health of African rivers and benefit many species.

PHOTOGRAPH BY CHARLIE HAMILTON JAMES

Today is World Hippo Day … and we are exploring their crucial role in the Serengeti. Spending up to 16 hours a day wallowing in rivers and waterholes, they graze primarily at night and travel as far as six miles while consuming 80 pounds of grass. Hippo dung is rich in nutrients that maintain the health of African rivers and benefit many other species that live in the diverse array of ecosystems that make up the Serengeti.

Related: Could Pablo Escobar’s escaped hippos help the environment?

Today’s soundtrack: Deeper Well, Kacey Musgraves

We hope this newsletter brightened your Thursday! It was curated and edited by David Beard, Nancy San Martín, Jen Tse, and Nishita Naga. Know someone who might want our newsletter in their inbox? Here’s the signup. See you tomorrow!

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