Julia C et al. Does the Nutri-Score 2023 algorithm provide consistent classification across European food supplies? A cross-sectional study using branded food composition data from 14 countries. BMJ Public Health 2026;4(3).

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There’s now a new argument in favour of the ‘autumn excuse’. Researchers at the University of Edinburgh have investigated whether the amount of sunlight has a short-term effect on our mental performance. To do this, they linked data from two large British cohorts with the level of sunshine on the day of a cognitive test and the day before. Results from tens of thousands of adults and young people were included in the analysis.

Words: yes; numbers: no

When there was more sunshine on those two days, performance actually improved. In adults, this included, amongst other things, immediate and delayed recall of words, as well as verbal fluency. In adolescents, correlations were observed in reading comprehension and maths. Ironically, however, no effect was observed in adults when it came to number sequences. Apparently, at least this part of the brain is not affected by the weather.

The correlations were strongest when there was low levels of sunlight – as is typically the case in winter and, to some extent, in autumn. At higher levels, the curve levelled off. So more sunshine did not make the brain perform better indefinitely.

Light on for the brain?

And why does light help, then? It is possible that the circadian rhythm, mood and the release of nitric oxide – which also plays a part in regulating cerebral blood flow – all play a role. Vitamin D, on the other hand, is not a very plausible explanation for an effect occurring within a few days.

Please note: this is an observational study and does not prove that a walk in the sunshine immediately gets the brain working at full speed. However, it does provide a decidedly health-promoting working hypothesis for the autumn: if nothing is working out today, perhaps you should just get out for a bit. And then maybe check that last set of figures you typed up in the office one more time.

Stevenson A & Dibben C. Acute lack of sunlight exposure is associated with poorer cognitive test performance: evidence from two national cohorts in the United Kingdom. Photochem Photobiol Sci 2026.

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Researchers at the University of Nebraska have investigated how typical everyday conditions affect water in single-use polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles. To do this, they tested eight popular US brands and subjected the bottles to, amongst other things, high temperatures, movement and repeated temperature changes.¹

When heat meets movement

When heat and movement occur together, the effect is greatest. When shaken at a temperature of 60 °C, the concentration of nanoplastic particles in the water rose to more than nine times the initial level. The amount of microplastic particles also increased. However, it is not just heat that has an impact – in general, repeated temperature fluctuations over a period of 15 days led to an increased release of nanoplastics.

The plastic particles apparently did not originate solely from the PET of the bottle itself. The researchers also found evidence of other plastics, which may have come from the cap, for example.

Better to go thirsty than to drink?

Does this mean that, as a general rule, you should always pour away water from a PET bottle that has been left in a car for a long time? It’s not quite that clear-cut. Micro- and nanoplastics can now be detected in many foodstuffs and also in the human body. However, it is not yet sufficiently clear at what quantities they actually pose a health risk.

Nevertheless, the advice is: store single-use PET bottles in a cool place and protect them from direct sunlight. A car is not a particularly good place for this – neither on hot summer’s days nor for extended periods when temperatures fluctuate. If you’ve left a bottle in the car once, you don’t automatically have to throw it in the bin. However, you might want to reconsider keeping a permanent supply of water stored in the car.

Hussain KA et al. Everyday storage and handling of PET bottled water increase human exposure to nano- and microplastics: Influence of socio-economic factors. Water Res. 2026;295:125569.

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When the Body’s Internal Clock Comes into Play

After eating, energy expenditure temporarily increases: digestion, absorption, transport, and storage of nutrients all require energy. This diet-induced thermogenesis—DIT for short—apparently follows its own circadian rhythm.

This is demonstrated by a recent study involving 16 adults who were overweight or obese. To isolate the influence of the body’s internal clock as clearly as possible from sleep, exercise, light, and usual mealtimes, the participants spent 36 hours under strictly controlled conditions and were given identical meals every six hours. DIT peaked in the biological morning and reached its lowest point in the evening. The difference between the peak and trough values was initially 44 percent; after accounting for resting energy expenditure—which also fluctuates circadianly—the difference was reduced to about 29 percent.

Eating in the morning: a faster way to lose weight?

However, this effect is not a new finding. Earlier studies had already shown higher thermogenesis after identical meals in the morning compared to the evening. A 2020 study, for example, found that thermogenesis was 2.5 times higher.

Nevertheless, this is not exactly good news for those trying to lose weight: If you factor out the body’s energy expenditure—which is already dependent on the time of day—only about 7 kcal remain over a four-hour period—an amount so small it’s practically negligible on the scale. So a hearty breakfast alone is far from being a weight-loss booster. The results do, however, provide further evidence that when it comes to metabolism, it’s not just what and how much we eat that matters—but possibly also when. And they demonstrate once again just how many factors come into play when it comes to weight loss.

Vujović N et al. Constant-routine protocol reveals an endogenous circadian rhythm in diet-induced thermogenesis with a peak in the biological morning. Metabolism 2026;182:156655.

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The British chemist Kathryn Harkup has examined this background in greater detail. She shows that Christie did not usually invent her poisons, but instead drew on real medicinal substances and incorporated their mechanisms of action into her plots with astonishing accuracy.

From the medicine cabinet to the crime novel

One example is provided by the Miss Marple story ‘The Case of the Caretaker’. The murder weapon is strophanthin, a cardiac glycoside originally isolated from African arrow poisons. In therapeutic doses, it increases the heart’s contractile force; however, a high intravenous dose can trigger severe arrhythmias, even leading to cardiac arrest. Because strophanthin was poorly absorbed when taken orally, it usually had to be administered by injection – a detail Christie knew from her time working in a pharmacy and which her villain deliberately exploits.

She incorporates a similar trick in *The Chocolate Box*: there, the female culprit hides Trinitrin – that is, nitroglycerine, a heart medication – in chocolates. However, Christie’s plan does not quite work out. According to Harkup’s calculations, the described dose alone would hardly have been lethal. Alcohol might have intensified the blood-pressure-lowering effect – though Christie leaves it open as to whether the victim actually drank any.

But Agatha Christie also takes certain liberties

Not every detail stands up to modern knowledge. In *Death in the Clouds*, Christie uses the venom of the boomslang snake, but depicts the typical bleeding symptoms as unrealistically inconspicuous. The rapid identification of the rare poison also seems implausible from today’s perspective. This does not detract from the suspense – one would have to be very well-informed indeed to prove that Christie made a mistake at all.

Harkup K. The Science of Murder: Agatha Christie’s Deadly Poisons. Lecture; available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miVg3eiW_Rc

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Cooling with caution

Cool, damp compresses using a cotton cloth or a lukewarm shower help to soothe the burning sensation and pain. But be careful: do not apply ice or ice packs directly to the skin, as this can lead to cold damage. Also, make sure to drink plenty of fluids, as sunburn causes the body to lose a lot of fluid.

Aloe vera: plausible, but little evidence

Aloe vera gel is considered a classic remedy for sunburn. However, the scientific evidence is limited: whilst a 2023 review found indications of accelerated re-epithelialisation in thermal burns, robust clinical data on sunburn is largely lacking.

A chilled, fragrance-free and alcohol-free gel can still be soothing on intact skin and help calm irritated skin. If using fresh gel straight from the leaf, take care to remove as much of the yellowish plant sap (aloin) from beneath the skin as possible, as this can irritate the skin.

It’s best to steer clear of these home remedies

• Lemon juice: Can trigger a phototoxic reaction with blistering if followed by exposure to sunlight.
• Cooking oil or coconut oil: Does not cool the skin, has no proven benefits and leaves behind a greasy film that is difficult to remove. Immediately after a sunburn, oily products are also more likely to trap heat within the skin.
• Quark or yoghurt: The cooling effect comes mainly from the temperature, not from the quark or yoghurt itself. Furthermore, both pose hygiene risks on damaged skin.

And if it’s really bad?

In cases of severe pain, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may be appropriate, provided there are no contraindications. Blisters should be covered with a sterile dressing and not lanced. In the event of a fever, circulatory problems, extensive blistering or burns covering a large area, a visit to the GP’s surgery is essential.

Skowrońska W, Bazylko A. The Potential of Medicinal Plants and Natural Products in the Treatment of Burns and Sunburn – A Review. Pharmaceutics. 2023;15(2):633.

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Almost at the same time, the literary world was grappling with a similar question: the horror novel Shy Girl came under suspicion of having been partly created with the help of artificial intelligence. Readers analysed passages of text, discussed ‘typical AI patterns’ and employed AI detectors. Ultimately, the publisher withdrew the book.

Similar questions underlie both cases. Is it even possible to reliably determine whether a text was produced by AI? And, more fundamentally: is it equally important for every text to know who or what wrote it?

As for the first question, various AI detectors at least promise an answer. But this is precisely where the problem begins. Now a ‘black box’ – the AI detector – is supposed to identify the traces left in a text by another ‘black box’ such as ChatGPT or Claude.

A digital lottery of opinions rather than definitive proof

AI detectors that promise to identify machine-generated texts are already being used by schools, universities, publishers and businesses. In practice, however, their judgements are often alarmingly contradictory. If you run the same text through several detectors, it is not uncommon to receive completely different assessments.

We have tested various popular detectors on different types of text. Of course, this is not a scientific study. However, this small practical test illustrates very clearly just how cautiously one should treat the results.

These results clearly illustrate why reputable articles that refer to the findings of AI detectors always phrase their conclusions with caution. A medical text written entirely by a human was classified by one tool as having a 93 per cent probability of being AI-generated. At the same time, song lyrics created entirely by ChatGPT were deemed predominantly or entirely human-written by all three detectors tested.

It becomes completely absurd when someone tries to conceal the use of AI by using AI itself: so-called ‘humanisers’ are designed to rephrase AI texts so that they appear more human and are no longer detected by the tools. In our experiment, however, the result was by no means more reliable. In some cases, the detectors even classified the edited text as AI-generated more frequently.

At this point, at the very latest, the question arises as to whether the effort involved isn’t greater than simply editing the text carefully oneself from the outset.

Not every use of AI should be judged in the same way

But should every use of AI be viewed as fundamentally negative?

In a novel, readers expect not only a plot but also an individual voice, creativity and the author’s personal choices. The person behind the novel is, in a sense, part of the product.

Consequently, reactions are particularly sensitive whenever there is a suspicion that AI might be behind large sections of a literary text.

In the case of political speeches, the situation is more complicated. It is nothing new that leading politicians often do not write their own speeches. Nevertheless, a speech should convey the speaker’s stance, position and personality. The crucial question is therefore not so much who formulated each individual sentence. What is more important is whether the speaker stands by the content and takes responsibility for what is said. And when it comes to commemorative speeches, most people would probably find the words of an AI out of place.

Schools and universities face a different problem. If a written assignment is specifically intended to assess a student’s independent ability to research, structure and formulate ideas, AI support alters the assessment outcome. This gives rise to far-reaching problems.

With many non-fiction texts, however, the focus lies elsewhere. A medical background article, a press release or a user manual should, above all, be factually correct, comprehensible and precise.

Here, AI can certainly be a helpful tool: in structuring information, in translations, summaries, suggested headings or formal checks. Many writers are likely to have been using such tools as aids for some time now.

The crucial factor is who takes responsibility

However, this is precisely where problems arise if AI-generated results are actually adopted without being checked. The potential for AI to generate errors or ‘hallucinations’ and present them with the utmost conviction is almost limitless.

At the end of the day, it comes down to professional oversight. What matters is who takes responsibility for the result. There is no doubt that AI can support research, structuring and text editing. However, it cannot replace specialist knowledge, experience, critical thinking and careful quality control.

And for those who are curious: for this article, the following applies

ZeroGTP: 100% written by a human

AI Detector: 90% confident that it’s original

Pangram: 100% Human Written

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Bear in mind: The gut is not a drainpipe, but an ecosystem. And anyone who “cleanses” this ecosystem with Glauber’s salt, Epsom salt, enemas, or colon hydrotherapy isn’t just getting rid of supposed waste—they’re also disrupting the microbial infrastructure that’s essential for health, immune modulation, and metabolism.

The Underestimated Player in Metabolism

Short-chain fatty acids, vitamins, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory substances—the intestinal microbiome produces all of these. Butyrate, in particular, is considered a metabolically interesting candidate: it stabilizes the intestinal barrier, has anti-inflammatory effects, and is associated with beneficial effects on body weight.

A diverse microbiome is thus not merely a decorative accessory to a healthy diet, but an important functional player. Fasting can have a beneficial effect on the microbiome. Studies suggest that intermittent fasting and fasting periods lasting several days can increase microbial diversity and promote beneficial bacteria. However, what happens during the eating windows is crucial: Combining intermittent fasting with a low-fiber diet quickly undermines the concept.

Colon Cleansing: An Old Tradition, a Newly Recognized Problem

Many classic fasting protocols are from a time when the microbiome was not considered scientifically significant. Nowadays, some aspects of these protocols seem outdated. A study on the ten-day Buchinger fasting regimen—which traditionally begins with a bowel cleansing—shows where this can lead: pro-inflammatory proteobacteria increased, while important fiber-metabolizing bacteria such as Ruminococcaceae decreased, an effect that only returns to normal after about three months (Mesnage et al. 2019). Since fasting and bowel cleansing are inextricably linked in the Buchinger protocol, the study leaves open which of the two factors was actually the driving force—one more reason to at least skip the bowel cleansing as a precaution. A bowel cleanse isn’t effective as a “detox” anyway: detoxification is the job of the liver, the kidneys—and also an intact microbiome.

A large British biobank analysis involving over 500,000 participants suggests that this is not only unpleasant in the short term but may also have long-term implications: Those who regularly took osmotic laxatives such as Glauber’s salt or Epsom salt had a significantly increased risk of dementia (Yang et al. 2023, Neurology). Whether the laxatives are the direct cause remains unclear—but it’s one more reason not to voluntarily subject your gut to this procedure.

In practical terms, this means: fasting, yes; “slash-and-burn,” no. More sensible approaches include plant-based eating windows, prebiotic fiber, probiotics, and—contrary to old fasting folklore—coffee.In a large Dutch cohort study conducted by the University of Groningen, coffee—along with wine and tea—was among the beverages that most strongly promoted the diversity of gut bacteria (Zhernakova et al. 2016, Science). Your gut flora will likely be grateful.

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A recent study in Genome Medicine provides a possible genetic explanation for this. The focus is on the PAM gene, which encodes peptidyl-glycine alpha-amidating monooxygenase.

This enzyme is involved in the amidation of numerous bioactive peptides—including GLP‑1. Two hypomorphic PAM variants studied, p.S539W and p.D563G, are associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes; combined, they are carried by about one in ten people.

More GLP‑1 does not mean increased effectiveness

In the study, PAM activity was significantly reduced in carriers of these variants: by about 52% for p.S539W and by about 20% for p.D563G.

Interestingly, carriers also had elevated circulating GLP‑1 levels. While this may initially sound like an advantage, it does not translate into a stronger effect. Reduced endogenous GLP‑1 sensitivity was particularly evident with p.S539W—consistent with the concept of GLP‑1 resistance.

The mouse data also fit this picture: Pam knockout mice exhibited accelerated gastric emptying, responded less well to exendin‑4, and showed attenuated signal transduction via the GLP‑1 receptor in the pylorus.

So what does this mean for treatment?

Clinically, the effect was measurable: In a meta-analysis of three cohorts with 1,119 participants, the reduction in HbA1c under GLP-1RA therapy was lower in p.S539W carriers than in non-carriers. This difference was not observed for metformin, sulfonylureas, and DPP‑4 inhibitors.

This does not yet change any guidelines. But PAM could help identify GLP-1RA non-responders earlier —and make treatment decisions less based on the principle of “let’s see if it works.”

Umapathysivam MM et al. Type 2 diabetes risk alleles in peptidyl-glycine alpha-amidating monooxygenase influence GLP‑1 levels and response to GLP‑1 receptor agonists. Genome Medicine (2026).

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Asymptomatic for years

Infection usually goes unnoticed. The parasite’s tiny eggs can be ingested via contaminated soil, unwashed berries, or contact with infected animals. In the human intestine, small larvae hatch from the eggs, migrate through the intestinal wall, and enter the bloodstream. The larvae then preferentially settle in the liver and grow there in an infiltrative manner—almost like a malignant tumor.

The symptoms are nonspecific: years later, complaints such as fatigue, upper abdominal pain, weight loss, or jaundice may appear. It is precisely these nonspecific symptoms that make diagnosing the disease so difficult. It is not uncommon for the condition to be discovered by chance—for example, during an ultrasound or CT scan.

Difficult Differential Diagnosis

Radiologically, the disease can indeed quickly resemble a tumor. This is precisely why the fox tapeworm is gaining importance in clinical practice. Especially in southern Germany, doctors should also consider the fox tapeworm when faced with unclear liver findings.

The good news: When detected early, the disease can be treated much more effectively today than in the past. Curative resection is performed, supplemented by benzimidazoles such as albendazole—sometimes for life.

Prevention remains crucial

The fact that the fox tapeworm is spreading increasingly is also changing perceptions of the disease. What was long considered a rare zoonosis is becoming more relevant to human and veterinary medicine.

While widespread panic is unwarranted, vigilance is certainly called for. Simple measures—thorough handwashing, cleaning food grown close to the ground, or regular deworming of pets—can already significantly reduce the risk.

The fox tapeworm remains rare. Nevertheless, it should not be underestimated. Therefore:

· Wash hands after gardening or contact with animals

· Clean berries, mushrooms, and windfall fruit before consumption

· Have dogs and cats dewormed regularly

Casulli, Adriano et al. Unveiling the incidences and trends of alveolar echinococcosis in Europe: a systematic review from the KNOW-PATH project. The Lancet. Infectious Diseases vol. 26,1 (2026): e49-e61.

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