By MrBacha · Updated November 10, 2026 Key takeaways Physical hunger builds slowly, shows up in your body, and almost any food will satisfy it. Emotional hunger comes on suddenly, targets specific comfort foods, and often leaves guilt behind. Everyone eats for comfort sometimes. It becomes a problem when it's your main way of coping. Pausing, naming the feeling and having a few non-food options ready can break the automatic link. If you often feel out of control around food, that's worth talking to a professional about — it's common and treatable. It's 9 p.m. You ate a decent dinner two hours ago, and yet here you are, standing in front of the open fridge or halfway through a packet of biscuits you don't remember opening. Your stomach isn't really asking for anything. Something else is. That something is often emotion — stress, boredom, loneliness, tiredness, or even a good mood you want to stretch out. Learning to tell physical hunger from emotional...

By MrBacha · Updated November 10, 2026 Key takeaways A large share of the immune system lives in and around the gut, where it constantly interacts with gut microbes. People with autoimmune diseases — such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes and IBD — often have different gut bacteria from healthy people. Scientists don't yet know whether these differences help cause autoimmune disease, result from it, or both. "Leaky gut" is real as a research concept, but it isn't a recognised standalone diagnosis, and tests sold to consumers are unreliable. A fibre-rich, Mediterranean-style diet supports gut and overall health, but no diet has been proven to cure autoimmune disease. Keep taking prescribed treatment. Autoimmune diseases happen when the immune system mistakenly attacks the body's own tissues. They're becoming more common, and researchers are searching for environmental triggers. One of the most promising areas of rese...

By MrBacha · Updated November 10, 2026 Key takeaways This article covers what's new in cholesterol and blood pressure care. For the basics, see our practical guides to lowering cholesterol and high blood pressure . Testing is getting smarter: ApoB and a one-time lipoprotein(a) test can reveal risk a standard panel misses. Newer cholesterol medicines — injections given once or twice a year, and non-statin tablets — help people who can't reach targets with statins. For blood pressure, 2025 US guidelines lowered the target to under 130/80 for most adults and endorse potassium-based salt substitutes. Several new blood pressure drugs and procedures are emerging for people whose blood pressure stays high despite treatment. Heart disease remains the world's leading cause of death, and high cholesterol and high blood pressure are two of its biggest drivers. The good news is that prevention and treatment are advancing quickly. Here's a clear, up-to-date look at the ...

By MrBacha · Updated November 10, 2026 Key takeaways Your body runs on a roughly 24-hour internal clock (circadian rhythm) that controls sleep, hormones, temperature and appetite. Light is its strongest signal: bright light in the morning sets it, darkness at night lets melatonin rise. Modern life — indoor days and bright evenings — can push your clock later, making it harder to fall asleep and wake up. Getting outside in the morning, dimming evening light and keeping regular sleep and meal times can reset your rhythm within days to weeks. Shift workers and people with persistent sleep timing problems may need tailored advice. Do you feel groggy for hours after waking, get a second wind at 11 p.m., or struggle through mid-afternoon slumps? Your internal clock may be out of sync with your daily life. The fix is often simpler than you'd think — and mostly involves light. How your body clock works A tiny region in the brain called the suprachiasmatic nucleus acts as your...

By MrBacha · Updated November 10, 2026 · Includes 2026 phase 3 cancer vaccine results Key takeaways mRNA vaccines give cells temporary instructions to make a protein that trains the immune system. The mRNA breaks down within days and doesn't change your DNA. In August 2026, a personalised mRNA cancer vaccine for melanoma became the first of its kind to succeed in a phase 3 trial, reducing the risk of cancer returning or death by 42% when added to immunotherapy. It isn't approved yet, but regulatory decisions could follow. Researchers are also testing mRNA for other cancers, infections (like flu and RSV), and rare diseases. Claims that mRNA will soon reverse ageing or cure autoimmune disease are far ahead of the evidence. The COVID-19 pandemic made mRNA vaccines famous, but scientists had been working on the technology for decades. Its speed and flexibility mean the same basic platform can be pointed at very different targets — including cancer. 2026 brought the fiel...

By MrBacha · Updated November 10, 2026 · Includes the 2026 Cochrane review Key takeaways Intermittent fasting (IF) means cycling between eating and not eating — for example, eating within an 8-hour window, or eating very little on two days a week. It works for weight loss mainly because it helps people eat less overall. A major 2026 Cochrane review found IF leads to about the same weight loss as standard healthy-eating advice — not more. So the "best" method is the one you can stick to comfortably. For some people that's IF; for others it isn't. IF isn't suitable for everyone, including pregnant women, children and teens, people with a history of eating disorders, and people on certain diabetes medicines. Intermittent fasting has gone from niche biohacking to something your neighbour, your colleague and half of social media seem to be doing. Supporters credit it with everything from effortless weight loss to longer life. Critics call it just another die...