HEALTH NEWS

• Choline intake in pregnancy linked to lower inflammation
• Fatty acids found to influence immune defense during chronic infections
• Online shopping and social media use linked to higher stress levels
• Scientists Discover Natural Compounds With Unexpected Benefits for Skin, Anti-Aging, and Heart Health
• Discrimination damages the body—and makes victims age faster

Choline intake in pregnancy linked to lower inflammation

Cornell University, February 5 2026 (Eurekalert)

A new Cornell University study suggests that choline, a nutrient many pregnant people consume too little of, may play an underappreciated role in keeping inflammation in check during pregnancy.

Choline is an essential nutrient involved in many biological processes, including cell membrane structure, neurotransmitter production, methylation, immune cell receptor agonism, and fetal brain development, and some of these biochemical processes play a role in the regulation of inflammation. It is found primarily in eggs, meat, fish, dairy and some legumes and cruciferous vegetables.

Researchers analyzed data from more than 1,300 pregnant participants enrolled in the Alberta Pregnancy Outcomes and Nutrition (APrON) cohort, one of the most detailed long-running pregnancy nutrition studies in North America. They found that higher recent dietary choline intake was associated with lower levels of inflammation in the third trimester.Most strikingly, participants with the highest choline intakes had dramatically lower odds of having clinically elevated inflammation than those with the lowest intakes.The current recommendation for choline during pregnancy is 450 mg, but there’s some evidence that that may not be enough.

Fatty acids found to influence immune defense during chronic infections

University of California at San Diego, February 5 2026 (Medical Xpress)

Our immune system implements an array of strategies to combat threatening infections. White blood cells called cytotoxic T lymphocytes or “CD8 T cells” are soldiers of the immune system, serving as defensive agents that fight invading pathogens. When CD8 T cells reach the point of exhaustion, their protective capabilities decline and the immune system is much less effective.

University of California San Diego immunologists have now studied the influences related to metabolism and the environment surrounding CD8 T cells. Their study led to intriguing new insights on the role of fatty acids in chronic infections and other persistent conditions, such as tumors.

The research focused on metabolites, including small molecules such as amino acids, sugars, and lipids, in mice that play key roles in metabolism and its many functions and pathways. The study examined how such metabolites circulating in the blood change during short-lived or long-lasting viral infections.

They discovered that an ongoing viral infection causes a brief but striking shift in the availability of nutrients in the early stages after infection. They saw levels of fatty acids increase during the first week after infection, associated with infection-induced changes in eating behavior and fat breakdown.

At the same time, a special group of exhausted CD8 T cells with stem-like properties was found to absorb and store more fat than other T cells. These cells were able to use fatty acids as an energy source to power their mitochondria, the cell’s energy producers. When fatty acids were provided later during chronic infection, the number of stem-like T cells expanded.

Online shopping and social media use linked to higher stress levels

Aalto University (Finland), January 9 2026 (News-Medical)

Planning to save time by doing your shopping online? If so, it’s possible you’re not doing your well-being any favors. A study from Aalto University in Finland has found that online shopping is more strongly linked to stress than reading the news, checking your inbox or watching adult entertainment. 

Previous studies have shown that social media and online shopping are often used to relieve stress. However, the new results show that a rise in social media use or online shopping is linked to an increase in self-reported stress across multiple user groups and across devices.

The study found that users of YouTube and streaming services, as well as online gamers, also reported increased stress levels. For people experiencing high-stress, time spent on social media was twice more likely to be linked to stress as compared to time spent on gaming.

Somewhat surprisingly, people who spent a lot of time on news sites reported less stress than others. On the other hand, those who already experienced a lot of stress didn’t spend much time on news sites.

Overall, the study found a strong connection between internet use, in general, and heightened stress, especially among those who already experienced a lot of stress in daily life. Women reported more stress than men, and the older and wealthier the participant, the less stress they experienced.

Scientists Discover Natural Compounds With Unexpected Benefits for Skin, Anti-Aging, and Heart Health

Meijo University (Japan), February 5, 2026 (SciTech Daily)

Scientists have found that certain natural compounds produced by algae and cyanobacteria may offer benefits beyond sun protection, including support for skin health and cardiovascular function. In lab experiments, two mycosporine-like amino acids were found to do more than soak up ultraviolet light.

They also slowed down a major enzyme tied to blood pressure control, while showing antioxidant and anti-aging activity.

One enzyme, Porphyra-334, is abundant in edible seaweed, which is already consumed widely in many countries. This raises the possibility that everyday foods may contain underappreciated bioactive compounds worthy of further health-related research.These compounds, called mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs), are produced by seaweeds and other tiny organisms that spend their lives exposed to intense light. MAAs work like built in sun filters by absorbing ultraviolet (UV) radiation before it can harm cells.

One of the most notable findings came from experiments on the inhibiting the angiotensin-converting enzyme ACE, a key regulator of blood pressure. Many widely prescribed hypertension drugs work by blocking ACE. Both compounds reduced the activity of this enzyme in laboratory tests, marking the first report of such an effect for MAAs. Although the observed effects were moderate and measured outside the human body, the discovery opens a new direction for future research.

Discrimination damages the body—and makes victims age faster

University of Montreal, January 19 2026 (Medical Xpress)

Has being discriminated against as an LGBTQ+ person been so bad, the stress so heavy, that the victim can literally feel it in their bones? Well, it turns out that’s exactly what happens: discrimination damages the body and brain.

That’s the conclusion of a new study by researchers at Université de Montréal, who found that discrimination against sexually and gender-diverse people leaves measurable biological traces in the body—so much so, it should be considered a chronic health burden.

Published in Psychoneuroendocrinology, the study was done on 357 Montreal adults aged 18 to 79: They included 129 cisgender sexual minority men and women, 96 transgender and non-binary people, and 72 cisgender heterosexual men and women.

UdeM researchers measured the participants’ allostatic load, the cumulative biological wear-and-tear associated with chronic stress. They looked at 16 biomarkers affecting the subjects’ cardiovascular, metabolic, neuroendocrine and immune systems.Results show that major life experiences of discrimination and daily microaggressions were positively associated with allostatic load. This means that these two types of discriminatory events independently contribute to physiological dysregulation, creating a cumulative health burden and accelerated aging.

The study revealed significant disparities: people on the male spectrum (cisgender and transgender men) had the highest levels of allostatic load, while sexual minority men (bisexual and gay) also showed high levels of biological stress.

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