Many of us believe that we are great drinkers and that alcohol does not affect us as much. People who are able to drink without showing any sign of inebriation are known as social drinkers. In short, they are not addicted to alcohol but will not turn down the opportunity to have a good time! While it may seem like it doesn’t affect you, new studies suggest that it is just an illusion, even if you have high tolerance, alcohol affects your cognitive and motor functions more than you think.

The study reveals the below implications and techniques:

• Researchers used a new MRI technique to precisely measure brain electrical activity.
• By comparing brain scans before and after drinking, scientists identified specific areas affected by alcohol and how much brain activity slowed down.
• Participants were chosen to be regular social drinkers without alcohol addiction, ensuring the study focused on the effects of alcohol alone.
• MRI technology provided reliable data on brain activity changes caused by alcohol consumption.

How does the brain react to alcohol?

Think of it as the foundation for your brain's performance. When brain conductivity is high, information flows smoothly, and that helps your brain in rapid processing and response. On the other hand, low conductivity can hinder cognitive function, leading to slower thinking, impaired memory, and difficulties with coordination.

A study conducted at the Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA) and UNSW Science unveiled a startling connection between alcohol consumption and brain conductivity.

What is the connection between alcohol consumption and brain activity?

While many people brush off the effects of alcohol as temporary changes in behaviour, the reality is much more complex. Beyond the obvious impacts on coordination and judgment, alcohol significantly alters brain function. Alcohol dramatically slowed down brain activity, especially in areas responsible for decision-making, planning, and physical coordination. This decline was so significant that it resembled the brain changes seen in normal ageing. This means even one drink could temporarily accelerate the ageing process of your brain.

Alcohol and Brain activity: What does the study Imply?

The implications of this research are far-reaching. It provides compelling evidence that alcohol consumption has a direct and measurable impact on brain function. The discovery that alcohol can significantly reduce brain conductivity opens new avenues for understanding the neurocognitive effects of alcohol abuse and dependence. While you may not feel like alcohol is affecting you and you have a high tolerance, it most definitely changes and affects your decision-making abilities and impulse control.

Furthermore, the MRI technique employed in the study could be a valuable tool for assessing the impact of other substances on the brain and for developing interventions to mitigate alcohol-related brain damage.

Manila is witnessing a sharp rise in leptospirosis cases, with infections now crossing the city’s epidemic threshold following widespread exposure to floodwaters in August.

Nearly 1,000 cases have been reported in Manila this year, with the number rising rapidly over the past two weeks, Manila City health officer Grace Padilla told ABS-CBN News.

Padilla said the city’s attack rate has reached three, signaling a high level of transmission in the affected population.

Health officials expect cases to continue rising as more residents who came into contact with floodwater in late August seek medical attention.

Hospitals Face Growing Pressure

The surge in cases has also put additional pressure on hospitals across Manila. The city is also providing post-exposure prophylaxis at 44 health centers to people considered at risk following exposure to potentially contaminated floodwater, the report said.

The situation extends beyond Manila. Metro Manila has recorded at least 1,961 cases, with Manila and Quezon City reporting the highest cumulative numbers, followed by Caloocan and Taguig.

Philippines Records Hundreds of Deaths

The outbreak is part of a wider national burden. From January 1 to August 29, the Philippines recorded 6,253 leptospirosis cases and 378 deaths, according to the health department’s epidemiology bureau.

Why Floodwater Raises Leptospirosis Risk

Leptospirosis is one of the most prevalent zoonotic diseases worldwide, often linked to poor sanitation and agricultural practices that involve contact with animals or contaminated water.

The bacteria can survive in contaminated water or soil for weeks to months, primarily spreading through the urine of infected animals. Humans can contract the disease through direct contact with infected urine or through contaminated food, water, or soil.

Flooding can increase the risk of exposure by spreading contaminated water through homes, streets and communities.

What Are Symptoms Of Leptospirosis?

Symptoms typically develop 2 to 30 days after exposure and can range from mild to severe. Initial signs often include high-grade fever, red eyes (conjunctival suffusion), calf tenderness, headache, dry cough, nausea, and diarrhea.

In more serious cases, the infection can lead to complications such as jaundice, kidney or liver damage, meningitis, respiratory issues, and hemorrhages.

The health authorities in Manila shared that people who have recently been exposed to floodwater should watch for symptoms such as fever, headache, muscle pain and joint pain and seek medical attention if they develop them.

The infection can be treated with antibiotics, including doxycycline, when prescribed by a doctor.

What Precautions Should Be Taken?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it is essential to avoid wading through dirty rainwater, especially during the rainy season, and to wear gumboots in such conditions.

Proper care of any injuries or cuts is crucial, and frequent handwashing, particularly after handling food or working in potentially contaminated environments, is highly recommended. Additionally, individuals should avoid contact with animals that appear sick or are known carriers of the bacteria.

Weight loss surgery may do more than help women living with obesity lose weight. A new study has found that metabolic bariatric surgery can improve menstrual cycles and several reproductive symptoms linked to Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, now renamed as Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome (PMOS).

Researchers from the University of Surrey followed 84 women aged 18 to 45 who underwent bariatric surgery, including 49 gastric bypass and 35 gastric sleeve procedures, for 24 months. Another 18 women with obesity who did not undergo surgery were included for comparison. The findings were published in Obesity Surgery.

Bariatric Surgery Improved PMOS Symptoms

Women who underwent surgery lost more than 30 kg on average at both 12 and 24 months after the procedure. But researchers also observed improvements in reproductive health. Women who had previously experienced irregular periods reported more regular menstrual cycles after surgery. The number of women with polycystic ovaries also fell significantly, with the condition persisting in only 10% of those affected after 24 months.

Another common PMOS symptom, hirsutism or excessive facial and body hair, had resolved in the women reporting the condition by 12 months.

Obesity and PMOS can team up in a way that worsens metabolic and reproductive problems. Insulin resistance and hormonal changes associated with excess weight can contribute to irregular ovulation, menstrual irregularity and difficulty conceiving.

Also read: PCOD vs PCOS vs PMOS: Why The Condition’s Name Has Changed Over Time

Weight Loss Could Improve PMOS Symptoms

The researchers suggest that reducing obesity may help correct some of the hormonal and metabolic disturbances affecting reproductive health.

Dr Kathryn Hart, co-author of the study and Associate Professor in Nutrition and Dietetics at the University of Surrey, said: “Dysregulated hormone levels, irregular periods and conditions such as polycystic ovaries are impacted by obesity. By reducing this, what we have seen is that it can lead to improvements without the need for medication,” she added.

Despite promising results, this does not mean bariatric surgery is a treatment that every obese woman with PMOS should undergo.

The procedure is generally considered for people with obesity who meet a certain clinical criteria. Also it carries its own risks and nutritional considerations that are important.

Also read: From Insulin Resistance to Fertility: Understanding the Metabolic Side of PCOS

Fertility May Return Quickly After Surgery

The researchers also highlighted an important finding for women who may be planning pregnancy. Seventeen women in the study had healthy pregnancies following surgery.

The researchers said reproductive counselling and preconception care should be incorporated into care after bariatric surgery, particularly because fertility can improve as menstrual cycles and ovulation become more regular.

Professor Martin Whyte, co-author and Professor of Metabolic Medicine at the University of Surrey, said many people undergoing bariatric surgery are women of reproductive age who may be considering pregnancy.

“So much remains unknown about the impact of this type of surgery on women who are planning to have children,” he said, highlighting the need to understand when the ideal time to conceive may be after surgery.

Importance Of Combating PMOS-Related Obesity

The study adds to growing evidence that treating obesity can improve some reproductive symptoms of PMOS.

A 2026 systematic review and meta-analysis also found that bariatric surgery was associated with reductions in menstrual irregularities, hirsutism and several reproductive hormone abnormalities.

But bariatric surgery is not a cure for PMOS. PMOS is a complex hormonal and metabolic health condition and its symptomscan vary considerably between women.

Amino acids are known for their role in brain function, energy, and overall health. But a new study has raised questions about tyrosine, an amino acid that occurs naturally in high-protein foods. It is also sold separately as a supplement as it helps in improving focus and overall mental performance.

Researchers analysing health and genetic data from more than 270,000 people found that higher tyrosine levels were linked with a shorter lifespan in men.

Additionally, genetic analysis suggested that higher tyrosine levels could cut life expectancy of men by nearly one year. No such significant association was found in women.

More About The Study

Researchers from the University of Hong Kong and the University of Georgia examined data from participants in the UK Biobank to investigate whether two amino acids, phenylalanine and tyrosine, were associated with lifespan.

Initially, higher levels of both amino acids appeared to be linked with a greater risk of death. However, when researchers accounted for the relationship between the two, tyrosine consistently stood out.

Using Mendelian randomisation, a genetic method that can help investigate causal relationships, the researchers found that genetically higher tyrosine levels were associated with approximately 0.91 fewer years of lifespan in men.

Also read: The New Nutrition Gap: Why Knowing What To Eat Doesn't Mean We Actually Eat It

Role Of Tyrosine When It Comes To Brain Health

Tyrosine is an amino acid that the body uses to make proteins as well as important neurotransmitters, including dopamine, norepinephrine and epinephrine.

Dopamine plays a role in motivation, mood and thinking, which is one reason tyrosine supplements are marketed as products that may support focus and mental performance.

However, tyrosine is not something people get only from supplements. It is naturally present in foods like meat, dairy products, eggs, soy, beans, nuts and seeds. This means the study does not suggest that people should stop eating protein-rich foods.

Also read: Protein Is In Everything, But Is Every Source Actually Healthy? Experts Explain

Are Tyrosine Supplements Dangerous?

One of the most important points about the research is that scientists did not conduct a clinical trial in which people were given tyrosine supplements and followed to see how long they lived.

Instead, researchers studied circulating tyrosine levels and used genetic data to investigate whether naturally occurring differences in tyrosine might influence lifespan.

Therefore, the findings cannot establish that taking a tyrosine supplement will shorten a man's life by nearly one year.

The researchers also said more research is needed to understand why the association appeared stronger in men and what biological mechanisms may be involved.

The study raises the possibility that tyrosine may be connected with biological pathways involved in ageing and metabolism. Previous research has also linked amino-acid metabolism with conditions such as insulin resistance, but whether this explains the association with lifespan remains uncertain.

The researchers also found an apparent sex difference, with the association between tyrosine and shorter lifespan being significant in men but not women.

The findings must be best viewed as an observation rather than a reason to panic about tyrosine supplements. The study suggests that tyrosine may need closer investigation in longevity research. Further studies are needed before doctors can recommend reducing tyrosine intake or avoiding supplements.