Why do I crash at 3pm? The science behind the ‘afternoon slump’

Images Products/ Shutterstock You’ve just finished eating lunch and you’re back at your desk, ready to dive into the rest of the day’s work. Yet by 3pm, you find your eyes starting to droop. Before long, the only thing you can think about is how much you’d like to take a nap. The “afternoon slump” […]

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Body size cannot tell you how fit someone is, but it shapes how people are judged

DexonDee/Shutterstock US defence secretary Pete Hegseth has been criticised after sharing a photograph of two people in uniform from a Canadian youth cadet programme with the caption “this is real”. The image showed a teenage cadet receiving a medal from someone reported to be a volunteer instructor. The post was widely interpreted as mocking their […]

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Eating a handful of nuts each day is linked with lower risk of high blood pressure, our research shows

Ahmet Misirligul/ Shutterstock More than 1.4 billion people worldwide live with high blood pressure (hypertension). It’s the single biggest metabolic risk factor for early death – driving diseases such as heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure and dementia. Most of these cases of high blood pressure are shaped by how we live and what we eat. […]

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A mosquito that can transmit Zika has bred in London – but that doesn’t mean the virus is spreading in people there

khlungcenter/Shutterstock The discovery that a mosquito species capable of transmitting the Zika, dengue and chikungunya viruses is breeding in east London may sound alarming, particularly to people living nearby. Yet finding the species is several steps removed from finding evidence that any of these viruses are circulating locally. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has […]

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The workout recovery techniques backed by science – and the ones that are just hype

GBJSTOCK/ Shutterstock Finishing a tough workout always feels good. That is, until a few hours later when those uncomfortable muscle aches start setting in. This discomfort can linger for days – making easy, everyday tasks a challenge. In search of relief, some recreational gym-goers are adopting the kind of recovery techniques once reserved for elite […]

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The pastry paradox: why are the Danes slimmer than Britons?

Picture a cosy Danish living room. Candles flicker, soft music plays and friends and family gather around a table laden with pastries – flaky, buttery and gloriously calorific. This is hygge in action, and it seems almost tailor made to give any health conscious Briton a mild panic attack. While Britons have spent decades being […]

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Brazilian meat, antibiotics and superbugs: what you need to know

Andrzej Rostek/Shutterstock From 3 September 2026, Brazilian beef, poultry and other animal products will no longer be authorised for import into the European Union (EU) or Northern Ireland. England, Scotland and Wales will continue accepting them during a separate UK assessment. The split concerns how antibiotics and other antimicrobial medicines are used in farm animals. […]

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How a little stress may help our cells protect themselves

NRF2 helps control genes involved in protecting cells against stress and damage. vetre/Shutterstock The cells of our body are frequently exposed to hazards that can cause them to be damaged, malfunction or die. Yet they have defence systems that can sometimes be strengthened by small doses of stress, a phenomenon known as hormesis. Scientists are […]

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What is post-workout fatigue – and can you prevent it?

PeopleImages/ Shutterstock You finish a workout feeling pleased with yourself. But an hour later, your legs feel heavy, climbing the stairs seems impossible and all you want to do is sit down. The feeling of being drained after a tough working is often described as “post-workout fatigue”. You might feel low on energy, while your […]

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How damaged teeth can reinforce stigma and disadvantage: conversations with street sex workers

The Belle statue is a bronze monument at Oudekerksplein in Amsterdam. Unveiled in March 2007 by artist Els Rijerse, it honors sex workers worldwide. Its plaque reads, "Respect sex workers all over the world." Bumble Dee/Shutterstock For women involved in street sex work who took part in our research, damaged or missing teeth were more […]

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