
Scientists gave ants caffeine—what happened next would blow your mind
They're not just in your kitchen—they're everywhere.
One of the worst offenders is the Argentine ant (Linepithema humile). It's only about one-tenth of an inch long, but it builds massive colonies that stretch for thousands of miles, especially along the U.S. and Mediterranean coasts.
These ants can:
Push out native insects
Rob hummingbird feeders
Even cause electrical problems by crawling into wires
People often try to get rid of them using poison baits.
But the problem is: the ants lose interest in the bait too quickly. They don't take enough of it back to the colony to kill the others.
So scientists asked a weird but clever question: What if we gave ants a little bit of caffeine? Could it help them remember where the bait is? The study, published in the journal iScience, says yes, caffeine can help—but only in small amounts.
How the experiment worked
The scientists built a tiny 'ant course' using Legos and a plastic platform.
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Each ant walked across the platform to find a drop of sugar water. Some sugar drops had no caffeine, while others had low, medium, or very high levels of caffeine.
They watched 142 ants, and each one did the course four times.
Without caffeine, the ants walked around slowly and didn't improve.
With a small or medium dose of caffeine, the ants remembered where the sugar was. They walked straighter and found it faster each time.
'We found that intermediate doses of caffeine actually boost learning – when you give them a bit of caffeine, it pushes them into having straighter paths and being able to reach the reward faster,' Galante said.
Here's what they found:
At 25 parts per million (ppm) of caffeine, ants got 28% faster on return trips.
At 250 ppm, they got 38% faster.
For example, if an ant took 300 seconds to find the sugar the first time, it could take only 54 seconds by the fourth time if given the right amount of caffeine!
But they didn't walk faster—just more directly.
That means they were focused and remembered the way. 'They're not moving faster, they're just being more focused on where they're going,' Galante explained.
What about too much caffeine?
At the highest dose (2,000 ppm), the ants didn't improve at all. In fact, it might even be dangerous to helpful bugs like bees.
So the key is using just the right amount—not too much, not too little.
'The lowest dose we used is what you find in natural plants, the intermediate dose is similar to what you would find in some energy drinks, and the highest amount is set to be the LD50 of bees, where half the bees fed this dose die,' Galante said.
Ants use chemical trails to lead their nest-mates to food. When one ant finds bait and remembers the way quickly, it lays a stronger trail, and more ants follow. The team is already testing caffeinated bait in Spain. They also plan to see how it works with regular poisons like spinosad and hydramethylnon.

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The Hindu
8 hours ago
- The Hindu
‘Mind' diet is good for cognitive health – here's what foods you should put on your plate
There's long been evidence that what we eat can affect our risk of dementia, Alzheimer's disease and cognitive decline as we age. But can any one diet actually keep the brain strong and lower dementia risk? Evidence suggests the so-called 'Mind diet' might. The Mind diet (which stands for the Mediterranean-Dash intervention for neurocognitive delay) combines the well-established Mediterranean diet with the 'Dash' diet (dietary approaches to stop hypertension). However, it also includes some specific dietary modifications based on their benefits to cognitive health. Both the Mediterranean diet and Dash diet are based on traditional eating patterns from countries which border the Mediterranean sea. Both emphasise eating plenty of plant-based foods (such as fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds), low-fat dairy products (such as milk and yoghurts) and lean proteins including fish and chicken. Both diets include very little red and processed meats. The Dash diet, however, places greater emphasis on consuming low-sodium foods, less added sugar and fewer saturated and trans-fats to reduce blood pressure. Both diets are well-researched and shown to be effective in preventing lifestyle-related diseases – including cardiovascular disease and hypertension. They're also shown to help protect the brain's neurons from damage and benefit cognitive health. The Mind diet follows many of the core tenets of both diets but places greater emphasis on consuming more foods that contain nutrients which promote brain health and prevent cognitive decline, including: flavonoids and polyphenols found in fruit, vegetables, tea and dark chocolate folate found in leafy greens and legumes N-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids found in oily fish, nuts and seeds. Numerous studies have been conducted on the Mind diet, and the evidence for this dietary approach's brain health benefit is pretty convincing. For instance, one study asked 906 older adults about their usual diet — giving them a 'Mind score' based on the number of foods and nutrients they regularly consumed that are linked with lower dementia risk. The researchers found a link between people who had a higher Mind diet score and slower cognitive decline when followed up almost five years later. Another study of 581 participants found that people who had closely followed either the Mind diet or the Mediterranean diet for at least a decade had fewer signs of amyloid plaques in their brain when examined post-mortem. Amyloid plaques are a key hallmark of Alzheimer's disease. Higher intake of leafy greens appeared to the most important dietary component. A systematic review of 13 studies on the Mind diet has also found a positive association between adherence to the Mind diet and cognitive performance and function in older people. One paper included in the review even demonstrated a 53% reduction in Alzheimer's disease risk in those that adhered to the diet. It's important to note that most of this research is based on observational studies and food frequency questionnaires, which have their limitations in research due to reliabiltiy and participant bias. Only one randomised control trial was included in the review. It found that women who were randomly assigned to follow the Mind diet over a control diet for a short period of time showed a slight improvement in memory and attention. Research in this field is ongoing, so hopefully we'll soon have a better understanding of the diet's benefits – and know exactly why it's so beneficial. Mind your diet UK public health guidance recommends people follow a balanced diet to maintain good overall health. But the Mind diet offers a more targeted approach for those hoping to look after their cognitive health. While public health guidance encourages people to eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables daily, the Mind diet would recommend choosing leafy green vegetables (such as spinach and kale) and berries for their cognitive benefits. Similarly, while UK guidance says to choose unsaturated fats over saturated ones, the Mind diet explicitly recommends that these fats come from olive oil. This is due to the potential neuroprotective effects of the fats found in olive oil. If you want to protect your cognitive function as you age, here are some other small, simple swaps you can make each day to more closely follow the Mind diet: upgrade your meals by sprinkling nuts and seeds on cereals, salads or yoghurts to increase fibre and healthy fats eat the rainbow of fruit and vegetables, aiming to fill half your plate with these foods canned and frozen foods are just as nutrient-rich as fresh fruits and vegetables bake or airfry vegetables and meats instead of frying to reduce fat intake opt for poly-unsaturated fats and oils in salads and dressings – such as olive oil bulk out meat or meat alternatives with pulses, legumes chickpeas or can easily be added into dishes such as spaghetti bolognese, chilli, shepherd's pie or curry use tinned salmon, mackerel or sardines in salads or as protein sources for meal planning These small changes can have a meaningful impact on your overall health – including your brain's health. With growing evidence linking diet to cognitive function, even little changes to your eating habits may help protect your mind as you age. Aisling Pigot is a lecturer, Dietetics, Cardiff Metropolitan University. Sophie Davies is a lecturer in Nutrition & Dietetics, Cardiff School of Sport and Health Sciences, Cardiff Metropolitan University (This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here )
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Business Standard
a day ago
- Business Standard
Mind diet boosts brain health: What foods should you put on your plate
The Mind diet follows many of the core tenets of both diets but places greater emphasis on consuming more foods that contain nutrients which promote brain health and prevent cognitive decline The Conversation There's long been evidence that what we eat can affect our risk of dementia, Alzheimer's disease and cognitive decline as we age. But can any one diet actually keep the brain strong and lower dementia risk? Evidence suggests the so-called 'Mind diet' might. The Mind diet (which stands for the Mediterranean-Dash intervention for neurocognitive delay) combines the well-established Mediterranean diet with the 'Dash' diet (dietary approaches to stop hypertension). However, it also includes some specific dietary modifications based on their benefits to cognitive health. Both the Mediterranean diet and Dash diet are based on traditional eating patterns from countries which border the Mediterranean sea. Both emphasise eating plenty of plant-based foods (such as fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds), low-fat dairy products (such as milk and yoghurts) and lean proteins including fish and chicken. Both diets include very little red and processed meats. The Dash diet, however, places greater emphasis on consuming low-sodium foods, less added sugar and fewer saturated and trans-fats to reduce blood pressure. Both diets are well-researched and shown to be effective in preventing lifestyle-related diseases – including cardiovascular disease and hypertension. They're also shown to help protect the brain's neurons from damage and benefit cognitive health. The Mind diet follows many of the core tenets of both diets but places greater emphasis on consuming more foods that contain nutrients which promote brain health and prevent cognitive decline, including: flavonoids and polyphenols found in fruit, vegetables, tea and dark chocolate folate found in leafy greens and legumes N-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids found in oily fish, nuts and seeds. Numerous studies have been conducted on the Mind diet, and the evidence for this dietary approach's brain health benefit is pretty convincing. For instance, one study asked 906 older adults about their usual diet — giving them a 'Mind score' based on the number of foods and nutrients they regularly consumed that are linked with lower dementia risk. The researchers found a link between people who had a higher Mind diet score and slower cognitive decline when followed up almost five years later. Another study of 581 participants found that people who had closely followed either the Mind diet or the Mediterranean diet for at least a decade had fewer signs of amyloid plaques in their brain when examined post-mortem. Amyloid plaques are a key hallmark of Alzheimer's disease. Higher intake of leafy greens appeared to the most important dietary component. A systematic review of 13 studies on the Mind diet has also found a positive association between adherence to the Mind diet and cognitive performance and function in older people. One paper included in the review even demonstrated a 53% reduction in Alzheimer's disease risk in those that adhered to the diet. It's important to note that most of this research is based on observational studies and food frequency questionnaires, which have their limitations in research due to reliabiltiy and participant bias. Only one randomised control trial was included in the review. It found that women who were randomly assigned to follow the Mind diet over a control diet for a short period of time showed a slight improvement in memory and attention. Research in this field is ongoing, so hopefully we'll soon have a better understanding of the diet's benefits – and know exactly why it's so beneficial. Mind your diet UK public health guidance recommends people follow a balanced diet to maintain good overall health. But the Mind diet offers a more targeted approach for those hoping to look after their cognitive health. While public health guidance encourages people to eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables daily, the Mind diet would recommend choosing leafy green vegetables (such as spinach and kale) and berries for their cognitive benefits. Similarly, while UK guidance says to choose unsaturated fats over saturated ones, the Mind diet explicitly recommends that these fats come from olive oil. This is due to the potential neuroprotective effects of the fats found in olive oil. If you want to protect your cognitive function as you age, here are some other small, simple swaps you can make each day to more closely follow the Mind diet: upgrade your meals by sprinkling nuts and seeds on cereals, salads or yoghurts to increase fibre and healthy fats eat the rainbow of fruit and vegetables, aiming to fill half your plate with these foods canned and frozen foods are just as nutrient-rich as fresh fruits and vegetables bake or airfry vegetables and meats instead of frying to reduce fat intake opt for poly-unsaturated fats and oils in salads and dressings – such as olive oil bulk out meat or meat alternatives with pulses, legumes chickpeas or beans. These can easily be added into dishes such as spaghetti bolognese, chilli, shepherd's pie or curry use tinned salmon, mackerel or sardines in salads or as protein sources for meal planning. These small changes can have a meaningful impact on your overall health – including your brain's health. With growing evidence linking diet to cognitive function, even little changes to your eating habits may help protect your mind as you age.


Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
Can eating these foods heal stomach ache?
The harsh summer weather, often leads to bloating, indigestion, and stomachache. Most people rely on medications to fix sudden stomach aches, but there are certain age-old remedies that can naturally treat stomach aches and other issues associated with them. So, if you too suffer from stomachache during this season, here are six easy methods to help relieve the discomfort: Ginger Ginger is a powerful natural remedy for stomach aches, known for its anti-inflammatory properties. It helps soothe nausea, reduce bloating, and improve digestion. You can consume it as ginger tea or chew on ginger slices to alleviate discomfort. Bananas Bananas are gentle on the stomach and easy to digest. They are rich in potassium, which helps replace electrolytes lost due to diarrhea or vomiting. Bananas also help neutralize stomach acid, making them an ideal food to eat when experiencing indigestion or mild stomach pain. There's something magical about the morning. The sun's barely up, your phone hasn't exploded with messages yet, and your tummy's already asking, What's for breakfast? But before you grab the first thing you see, here's a little heads-up. Not all foods play nice with an empty stomach. In fact, a few of them can cause more harm than good if eaten right after you wake up. Here are some common ones you might want to skip until your belly has had a gentler start. Peppermint tea Peppermint tea/leaves have menthol, which relaxes the muscles of the digestive tract and can relieve symptoms of bloating, cramps, and indigestion. Drinking peppermint tea or sucking on peppermint candies can help soothe an upset stomach and reduce nausea. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Secure your family's future! ICICI Pru Life Insurance Plan Get Quote Undo by Taboola by Taboola Boiled apple Boiled apple is easy on the stomach and contains pectin, a soluble fiber that helps absorb excess stomach acid. It's a great option for calming nausea or easing digestive discomfort. Just boil an apple with ¼ cup of water or simply steam it; eat this as a meal. This helps in keeping the hunger pangs satiated without aggravating the condition. Plain Rice Plain white rice is bland and easily digestible, making it a go-to food for calming an upset stomach. It helps absorb stomach acid and provides a gentle source of energy without irritating the digestive system. Pair it with other mild foods like boiled potatoes for comfort. These fruits are healthy but high in fructose and sorbitol—natural sugars that can ferment in the gut. Eating them first thing in the morning may lead to gassiness in sensitive individuals. Bone Broth Bone broth is rich in nutrients, including collagen, which supports gut health and digestion. It's soothing and easy to digest, making it an excellent remedy for stomach aches. Drinking warm bone broth can help replenish lost fluids and provide relief from discomfort caused by indigestion.