Science Weekly - 30122019

Holiday seems to have hit the science world as you will see. This week's round-up includes papers on aging, how the brain's reward system works when we're eating, that sugar-sweetened soft drinks may increase the risk of kidney disease and you can show your personal training clients what happens in their body when they exercise that results in losing belly fat.

How skin ages, loses fat and immunity

Some dermal fibroblasts can convert into fat cells that reside under the dermis, giving skin a youthful look and producing peptides that fight infections. Researchers show how this happens and what causes it to stop as people age.

Resource: University of California - San Diego

Your brain rewards you twice per meal: When you eat and when food reaches your stomach

We know a good meal can stimulate the release of the feel-good hormone dopamine, and now a study in humans suggests that dopamine release in the brain occurs at two different times: at the time the food is first ingested and another once the food reaches the stomach.

Resource: Cell Press

Sugar-sweetened beverage pattern linked to higher kidney disease risk

In a study of African-American men and women with normal kidney function, a pattern of higher collective consumption of soda, sweetened fruit drinks, and water was associated with a higher risk of developing kidney disease.

Resource: ​American Society of Nephrology

How exercise reduces belly fat in humans

Some of you may have made a New Year's resolution to hit the gym to tackle that annoying belly fat. But have you ever wondered how physical activity produces this desired effect? A signaling molecule called interleukin-6 plays a critical role in this process, researchers report.

Resource: Cell Press