Change Your Mind with New Scientist25 Kesä

Microplastics - Are Tiny Plastics Harming Our Brains?

Microplastics can be found everywhere from freshly falling Antarctic snow to the bottom of the Mariana Trench and our brains are no exception. In this episode of Change Your Mind with New Scientist, Health Journalists Cat de Lange and Helen Thomson trace the origins of microplastics and nanoplastics to tell the story of how they end up in the food we eat, the water we drink and the air we breathe. There’s no question that these tiny plastic particles are in all of our bodies, but are they causing any harm there? With the help of “godfather of microplastics” Professor Richard Thompson, they explore what decades of animal studies really show about development, fertility, behaviour and brain health and why it’s so hard to get definitive answers in humans. Are microplastics really building up in our brains, and if so, what might that mean for memory, mood or dementia risk? Should you be worried about your non-stick pans, plastic water bottles or synthetic clothes? Produced by Emily Bird We want to hear your thoughts, leave a comment or send in your ideas for future episodes to ⁠⁠⁠changeyourmind@newscientist.com⁠ Find out more about the microplastics at New Scientist: https://www.newscientist.com/article-topic/microplastic/ Learn more about our sponsor Alzheimer’s Society: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.newscientist.com/alzheimers-society/⁠⁠⁠⁠ Sources: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adr8243#sec-3 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36867907/ https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/924520 https://www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMoa2309822 https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1120173 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-026-04324-7

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Adolescence - How to support teenage mental health

Is now really the worst time in history to be a teenager? This week, health Journalists Cat de Lange and Helen Thomson take on a topic that worries many parents: teenage mental health. Helping them w...

24 Syys 38min

The Vagus Nerve - Could this be the key to reducing your inflammation?

Feeling tempted by social media tips to “reset” your vagus nerve, fix your anxiety and banish inflammation? In this episode, Health Journalists Cat de Lange and Helen Thomson dig into the science behi...

17 Syys 41min

Blue Spaces - How Spending Time Near Water can Boost your Mental Health

Why do so many of us feel calmer, clearer and more creative by the sea, a river or a lake? In this episode, Cat de Lange and Helen Thomson dive into the science of blue spaces. Picking apart the theor...

10 Syys 46min

Eco-anxiety - How to Cope with your Stress about Climate Change

If after a record-breaking summer of heatwaves our warming planet is weighing heavily on your mind, you are not alone. Climate anxiety is on the rise, especially among young people, but what makes it ...

3 Syys 49min

Cognitive Reserve - How to Future-Proof your Brain

In this episode of Change Your Mind, Health Journalists Helen Thomson and Cat de Lange explore the science of cognitive reserve, the brain’s hidden resilience that can help delay the symptoms of demen...

27 Elo 40min

Ozempic: Could Weight-Loss Drugs have Surprising Brain Benefits?

In this episode of Change Your Mind with New Scientist, Health Journalists Helen Thomson and Cat de Lange dive into the headline grabbing class of drugs behind the Ozempic boom to ask what these medic...

20 Elo 47min

Rest - How Taking a Break Can Boost Your Brain

Are you getting enough rest? In this episode of Change Your Mind, health journalists Helen Thomson and Cat de Lange dive into the psychology and neuroscience of rest to find out how we can make the m...

13 Elo 43min

Caffeine - Could Your Morning Coffee be Protecting Your Brain?

Can your daily coffee actually be good for your brain, or should we be listening to the influencers who claim we need to cut it out? In this episode of Change Your Mind, Health Journalists Helen Thom...

6 Elo 36min