Research Desk
Health Research
Evidence-backed reports on clinical and consumer health topics, assessed against primary research and regulatory guidance.
What Is Candida auris? Why the Drug-Resistant Fungus Can Hide in Hair Follicles and Keep Spreading Through Hospitals
A 2026 Science study found that Candida auris persists in mouse hair follicles by exposing chitin and triggering an immune response that suppresses normal antifungal skin defenses. The discovery helps explain one biological mechanism behind persistent colonization, the reason this drug-resistant fungus keeps circulating through healthcare networks even when carriers show no symptoms.
Rhonda Patrick Says Creatine Is More Than a Muscle Supplement. What the Brain Research Actually Shows
Dr. Rhonda Patrick has spent years drawing public attention to creatine's possible effects on brain energy, cognition, sleep deprivation and mental health. Human trials now support several parts of that argument, but the evidence does not show that creatine replaces sleep, works as a universal nootropic or should be used at research-level doses without medical context.
Does Ozempic Cause Muscle Loss? What the 2026 Research on GLP-1 Drugs and Lean Mass Actually Shows
Semaglutide, tirzepatide and other incretin-based weight-loss treatments can reduce lean mass along with fat. However, lean mass is not the same thing as skeletal muscle, most of the weight lost is still fat, and new 2026 research shows that strength and muscle health can behave differently from a DXA lean-mass measurement.
Plasmalogens, APOE4 and Alzheimer's: What the New 2026 Brain Lipid Research Actually Shows
Plasmalogens are important membrane lipids that are depleted in Alzheimer's-affected brain tissue, and new 2026 research has linked lower plasmalogen carriage directly to the APOE4 genetic risk variant. However, evidence that oral supplements can rebuild brain white matter, prevent Alzheimer's disease, or reverse neurodegeneration in humans has not yet been established.
Can Scientists Really Rejuvenate Zombie Cells? What the AP2A1 and IU1 Anti-Aging Studies Actually Found
Scientists have discovered new ways to change features associated with cellular aging and improve cellular cleanup systems, but no study has shown that humans can currently rejuvenate zombie cells or dramatically extend lifespan. Two discoveries involving AP2A1 and IU1 are real. The viral story created by combining them is not.