Taiwanese Chicken Recipe, Spotlight on Ginger, Toasted or Untoasted Sesame Oil, Why Being a Pet Person is Good for You and Why You Could Really Be As Young As You Feel
Part of my mission as the Olive Oil Hunter is to share recipes from all different cuisines and show how they can be made healthier and more flavorful with fresh-pressed olive oil. You might think that Asian stir-fries are synonymous with peanut oil, for instance, but olive oil lends itself beautifully to dishes cooked at high heat and works in perfect balance with traditional Asian ingredients. Case in point: delectable Taiwanese chicken, a one-pan wonder that’s as easy as it is delicious. I’m also sharing research on the health benefits of having a pet and news about a simple blood test that can reveal a person’s biological age, a more accurate health indicator than whatever the calendar says.
Looking for a midweek dinner recipe that’s high in flavor and short on time? This filling stir-fry is the answer. If leeks aren’t available, substitute a large yellow onion. Serve as is or over rice.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, more as needed
2 tablespoons untoasted sesame oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, sliced into thin strips
1-inch piece ginger, peeled and sliced into thin coins
12 garlic cloves, peeled
4 scallions, trimmed and cut on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces
2 large leeks, trimmed, triple-rinsed, and sliced into coins
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into slivers
8 ounces asparagus, trimmed and cut on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup Chinese rice wine
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Directions
Step 1
Heat a large wok or frying pan over high heat. When hot, add the olive and sesame oils and the chicken. Use tongs to turn the chicken pieces until they’ve browned on all sides and are just about cooked through. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the chicken to a large bowl.
Yields 4 servings
Healthy Ingredient Spotlight
Ginger
With origins in southern China, ginger (Zingiber officinale) has been cultivated for more than 5,000 years. It was—and still is—widely used as a medicinal, and it is a vibrant flavoring ingredient in cooking. Technically a rhizome (not a root) with a very knobby shape and multiple branches, fresh ginger has a sharp taste that can be too strong for some people, but in cooked dishes, it adds a unique layer of flavor.
Ginger has been used for thousands of years to treat upset stomachs, nausea, colds, and even arthritis. Research attributes its antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties to its hundreds of bioactive compounds like gingerol, the phytonutrient responsible for its distinctive taste.
When buying fresh ginger, look for a smooth peel—if it’s shriveled, it’s old! Store it wrapped in paper towel in the salad drawer, where it will stay fresh for about two weeks. Use a vegetable peeler or a spoon to remove the thin peel—each has its proponents. I’m partial to using a grapefruit spoon because its serrated edges and pointy tip make it easy to get around the nubs.
Quick Kitchen Nugget
Sesame Oil—Toasted or Untoasted?
If you already have a bottle of sesame oil in the fridge, do you know what type it is? It’s easy to miss that there are two kinds: untoasted sesame oil, made from raw seeds, and toasted (sometimes labeled roasted) sesame oil, made from toasted seeds. Each delivers a different kind of flavor and is used in different phases of cooking. Use untoasted sesame oil when first cooking foods and toasted sesame oil as a finishing oil—since the seeds were already cooked, you don’t want to cook them twice, which could impart unwanted bitterness to your dish.
For Your Best Health
Why Being a Pet Person is Good for You
The unconditional love of a pet is reason enough to have one in your life, but the rewards extend to physical as well as mental well-being. Pets help you ease stress and anxiety and can lower the risk for depression, according to experts at UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine in California, because they provide a calming presence. Caring for a pet also gives people a sense of purpose and adds structure to daily life.
Having a dog in particular helps keep you fit and lowers your risk of heart disease: Over 60% of dog owners meet the recommended weekly amount of exercise compared to just 24% of the general population. Pet owners typically have a lower resting blood pressure than people who don’t own pets and a better quality of life. If having a pet isn’t an option for you, consider other opportunities for animal interactions, like volunteering at a shelter or joining a friend on a walk with their dog.
Fitness Flash
Why You Could Really Be As Young As You Feel
A recent study from researchers at the Murdoch University Health Futures Institute in Australia found that moderate-intensity exercise can significantly influence appetite-related hormones and perceptions in obese men. It provides new insights into how exercise can aid appetite control and weight management.
According to one of the study authors, Timothy Fairchild, PhD, associate professor at Murdoch’s School of Allied Health, the study confirms their previous work showing the benefits of incorporating regular exercise into daily routines for individuals looking to manage their weight and improve their overall health.
“People understand that exercise helps burn energy. A lot of people assume that exercise also increases hunger and energy intake afterwards,” said Dr. Fairchild. “We have previously shown, using high-intensity exercise, that this is not the case. This latest study shows that even moderate-intensity exercise can have immediate and beneficial effects on appetite control in males with obesity.”
The study not only assessed food intake and appetite but also measured changes in hormones, which help regulate appetite. “Despite a strong focus on weight loss drugs in society at present, this study shows that lifestyle factors still have a strong and relevant role in helping people to live their healthiest life,” Dr. Fairchild added. “In fact, the hormones which have been shown to increase after exercise are the same hormones which the most successful weight loss drugs are mimicking. The added benefit of exercise is that you also receive the physical and mental health benefits of exercise.”
Bountiful Bean and Corn Salad Recipe and The Importance of Protecting the Brain’s White Matter
I travel to the four corners of the globe to find the freshest olive oil not only for its exquisite taste but also for its powerful polyphenols, which contribute to better health in so many ways. I also aim to share the latest studies on the benefits of olive oil and the Mediterranean diet with you as soon as they’re released so that you too can be aware of them. In February of this year, preliminary findings of a study focused on the Latino and Hispanic communities—both underrepresented in research—were presented at a major conference on stroke. This study on the Mediterranean diet and brain health is so important because dementia affects this group at much higher rates than it does white people. And it demonstrates just how far-reaching the benefits of this diet can be. The corn salad recipe that follows melds together many foods common to the Mediterranean diet and is universally delicious.
Looking for a fast meal with layers of flavor? This dish has it all. What’s more, you can make it your own by adding other veggies or a protein, like poached shrimp or grilled chicken. Need it “to go”? Use a whole wheat or corn tortilla to turn it into a wrap. Note: If using canned corn, rinse and pat dry; if using frozen corn, defrost, rinse, and pat dry.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
2 cups corn kernels, fresh, canned, or frozen
3-ounce slice feta cheese, crumbled
Two 15.5-ounce cans black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1 large bell pepper, diced
1 small red onion, diced
Coarse sea salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
Step 1
Heat a wok over medium-high heat. When hot, add 2 tablespoons olive oil and the corn kernels. Cook until the corn gets a slight char. Add the feta crumbles and stir until they melt. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl.
Step 2
Fold in the beans, tomatoes, bell pepper, and red onion. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then drizzle with more olive oil.
Yields 4 servings
For Your Best Health
The Mediterranean Diet: Protecting the Brain’s White Matter
The Research: “Association of the Mediterranean Diet with White Matter Integrity Among Hispanics/Latinos—Final Results from the Study of Latinos-Investigation of Neurocognitive Aging-MRI (SOL-INCA-MRI) Ancillary Study.”
Background: Hispanic/Latino people are the fastest-growing minority in America’s aging population.They’re also more likely to suffer the brain-wasting effects of Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias compared with white people of similar age. The Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL) is a representative, community-based study of Hispanics and Latinos across the US undertaken to better understand health disparities within this population. SOL-INCA MRI is an ancillary MRI study to HCHS/SOL, focused on the genetic influence and cognitive impact of age- and disease-related brain measures.
Study Details:
SOL-INCA MRI included approximately 2,800 participants aged 18 to 74 years old, 45% men, 55% women.
Participants completed 24-hour dietary recalls when they started the study. A second dietary recall was conducted roughly 30 days later. Dietary intake was determined for participants with two dietary recalls by calculating the average of both recall questionnaires to calculate the Mediterranean diet score. Adherence to Mediterranean diet intake was measured at baseline, and each participant received a score between 0 and 9, with higher scores indicating higher adherence. The average Mediterranean diet score was 5.01.
The researchers used specialized imaging techniques to investigate the microscopic and the visible changes in the brain.
Cardiovascular health was assessed using the American Heart Association Life’s Simple 7 score components: exercising regularly, eating a healthy diet, not smoking, avoiding excess weight, and keeping blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels within a healthy range. Note: In June 2022, the Association updated Life’s Simple 7 to Life’s Essential 8, adding sleep.
Findings: Preliminary study results, presented at the American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference 2025, held in February, found that closely following a Mediterranean-style diet provides benefits that extended beyond heart health: It was associated with improved brain health in this population. In general, a Mediterranean-style diet includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, and seeds with olive oil as a primary fat source and low-to-moderate amounts of dairy products, eggs, fish, and poultry.
Researchers noted that the positive impact of the Mediterranean diet on brain health is not entirely influenced by cardiovascular risk factors such as blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and blood sugar, nor by behavioral risk factors such as smoking and physical activity, all known to affect brain health.
“We have observed that cardiovascular health directly impacts brain structures; the effect of the Mediterranean diet on communication between regions of the brain remains somewhat independent of cardiovascular health,” said lead researcher Gabriela Trifan, MD, assistant professor of neurology at the University of Illinois in Chicago. “Even when considering age and cardiovascular health in people who ate a Mediterranean diet, the brain demonstrated improved organization of the fibers connecting different brain regions and enhanced communication, known as white matter integrity. Other studies have shown that adherence to the Mediterranean diet is associated with less brain shrinkage, called atrophy. This is the first large study focused solely on Hispanics/Latinos, who are projected to be the fastest-growing ethnic group in the US.”
After considering other factors that could affect brain health, the analysis found that for each point increase in the Mediterranean diet score there was an improvement in white matter integrity and less evidence of structural damage in the brain, as assessed by the “white matter hyperintensity burden,” an important marker of small vessel brain disease.
“This suggests that even small improvements in diet improved brain integrity,” Dr. Trifan said. “It has been suggested that healthy diets, and particularly the Mediterranean diet, improve white matter integrity by reducing inflammation, reducing oxidative stress, and through maintaining the health of the brain’s blood vessels’ function and stable blood sugar levels, all important factors for optimal brain health.”
Real-World Applications
“Many Mediterranean diet components are already staple Latin foods (beans, corn, tomatoes, peppers, avocado, and fish). Our study will help guide Hispanic/Latino individuals toward consuming more of the beneficial dietary components of the Mediterranean diet without significantly altering their already established diet,” Dr. Trifan said.
“These results matter because many health care professionals may not know about the eating habits of Hispanic/Latino adults, who consume many foods from the Mediterranean diet. The findings support the American Heart Association’s advice to follow this diet as one of the dietary plans that may help prevent strokes and potentially avoid cognitive issues,” said Philip B. Gorelick, MD, MPH, FAHA, immediate past chair of the American Heart Association’s Stroke Brain Health Science Subcommittee and professor of neurology in the Ken & Ruth Davee Department of Neurology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago (he was not involved with the research). “The study suggests that the Mediterranean diet can benefit brain health and integrity, specifically concerning white matter. White matter is a crucial part of the brain that connects different areas and networks, helping us to function effectively. However, we still need to learn more about brain health and the Mediterranean diet, as the positive effects were only partly related to vascular risk factors.”
Among the study’s strengths are its focus on the largest, diverse group of middle-aged and older Hispanics/Latinos living in the US. The study’s limitations include the fact that many variables were self-reported with possible recall bias. Also, as MRI measurements were collected between 2017 and 2022, individuals may have adopted new dietary and lifestyle habits that may have altered the association documented at baseline.
Note: The study is a “research abstract.” Abstracts presented at the American Heart Association’s scientific meetings are not peer-reviewed, and the findings are considered preliminary until published as full manuscripts in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.
Avocado Tuna Salad Recipe, Spotlight on Canned Tuna, Safer Avocado Slicing, HDL Cholesterol and Brain Health, and Moderate Exercise and Appetite
Move over avocado toast—avocado tuna salad is the new must-have dish. My recipe incorporates olive oil and cannellini beans for even more toothsome goodness. In fact, it’s loaded with ingredients that help boost good HDL cholesterol, which has many health benefits. For one, HDL may protect the brain’s gray matter, according to new research done at UT Southwestern Medical Center. I’m also sharing a finding from Murdoch University in Australia that moderate-intensity exercise may help decrease appetite in people trying to lose weight.
This twist on tuna salad forgoes mayo for creamy, nutrient-dense avocado (the avocado should be ripe but still somewhat firm). This recipe is also great made with grilled tuna—the next time a fillet is on the dinner menu, consider making a little extra to enjoy this dish for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 Hass avocado, cut into chunks
One 5-ounce can chunk light tuna, drained and flaked, or the equivalent amount of grilled tuna
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
3/4 cup canned cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons minced red onion
4 cups mixed spring greens, arugula, and/or baby spinach
Directions
Step 1
In a large bowl, whisk the olive oil and lime juice. Whisk in the parsley, salt, and pepper. Place half the avocado chunks in the bowl and mash them into the dressing. Gently fold in the rest of the chunks, the tuna, tomatoes, beans, and red onion.
Step 2
Divide the greens between two bowls and top with equal amounts of the tuna and drizzles of olive oil.
Yields 2 servings
Healthy Ingredient Spotlight
Update on Tuna
Because of its availability and low price, canned tuna is the most consumed fish in the US. But recent recalls (due to defects in the cans themselves) and concern over mercury levels in fish may have you wondering how safe it is to eat tuna and how often.
The type of tuna matters. When Consumer Reports (CR) analyzed popular brands, their scientists found that chunk light and skipjack tuna have roughly a third of the mercury found in albacore, with some even greater variations by brand. Bumble Bee, Chicken of the Sea, StarKist, and Safe Catch Wild Elite had the lowest amounts of mercury and were deemed safe to eat up to three times a week, compared with albacore that on average should be limited to once a week.
Where the tuna was caught matters too. CR reported that “experts who study mercury contamination in fish have found that levels of it in different oceans appear to be linked to different practices and policies in the nations nearby. For instance, mercury contamination in tuna caught in the Pacific Ocean is on the rise, but levels are dropping in tuna from the Atlantic Ocean,” said Nicholas Fisher, PhD, a distinguished professor in the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences at Stony Brook University in New York. “In China and India, they burn a lot of coal for electricity, and when you burn coal, you release a lot of mercury into the air, which eventually rains down; so mercury levels have been increasing somewhat in the Pacific,” Dr. Fisher added. “Whereas in the Atlantic, we’ve shown that the levels have declined a little bit, primarily because of efforts made in North America … to sort of scrub the mercury from coal-fired plants in the US and Canada.”
Quick Kitchen Nugget
Safer Avocado Slicing
You’ve probably seen chefs on TV piercing an avocado pit with the tip of a knife and then twisting it out. As impressive as this maneuver might look, it’s extremely dangerous, for fingers and the palm of your hand. According to a study published in The American Journal of Emergency Medicine, there were an estimated 50,413 avocado-related knife injuries from 1998 to 2017 in the US. An analysis of data from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission found there are roughly 24 avocado-related hospital visits per day!
There’s even a name for this common injury: avocado hand. It happens when the knife slices through the fleshy part of the avocado and into your hand or fingers. This can lead to tendon, nerve, blood vessel, or muscle injury that could permanently affect the ability to use your hand. According to experts at University of Utah Health, here’s the right way to cut an avocado and remove the pit:
Choose a ripe avocado and place it on a cutting board.
Use a butter knife and cut it in half lengthwise.
Twist the avocado to pull apart the halves.
Remove the pit by putting your index and middle finger between the pit and flesh and placing your thumb on the back to push and pop out the pit.
Remove the flesh from the skin with a spoon.
For Your Best Health
HDL Cholesterol and Brain Health
High-density lipoprotein (HDL), or good cholesterol, may play a vital role in conserving healthy brain matter in middle-aged adults, according to the first study to investigate a potential link between HDL function and brain volume. The research was done at UT Southwestern Medical Center and published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine.
“Our study has identified a novel role of HDL cholesterol function in maintaining gray matter volume in the brain, which is important for cognitive function in middle-aged adults,” said the study’s first author, John Giacona, PhD, assistant professor of applied clinical research and internal medicine in the School of Health Professions at UT Southwestern.
The research involved 1,826 participants between the ages of 35 and 70 enrolled in the multiethnic, population-based Dallas Heart Study, a longitudinal study now in its 25th year. First, fasting lipoprotein concentrations were assessed using nuclear magnetic resonance. Participants were then tested for cognitive function, and their brain matter volume was measured using brain magnetic resonance imaging. Initial assessments took place between 2000 and 2002, and participants were reassessed between 2007 and 2009.
Professor of internal medicine in the division of cardiology Anand Rohatgi, MD, and his team at UTSW’s Clinical Heart and Vascular Center measured HDL function in this study. Their findings revealed that higher concentrations of small-particle HDL—but not larger particles or total HDL concentration—were linked with greater gray matter volume and higher cognitive capacity.
“Previous research has shown conflicting evidence regarding the concentration of HDL cholesterol in development of dementia or brain atrophy,” said senior author Wanpen Vongpatanasin, MD, professor of internal medicine and director of the hypertension section in the division of cardiology at UTSW. “However, the concentration of HDL cholesterol may not reflect their function.”
HDL decreases the amount of low-density lipoprotein LDL, or bad cholesterol, in blood vessels by transporting the excess to the liver, where it gets broken down. “In addition, HDL particles exist in many sizes, which may be linked to their function,” Dr. Vongpatanasin said. “We now need to understand exactly how the small HDL particle, which can cross the blood-brain barrier, may have a beneficial role in maintaining brain health.”
This finding led the researchers to note that HDL cholesterol function or levels of small HDL particles may be used as markers for a population at risk of developing cognitive decline, though additional studies would be required to confirm the connection.
According to the UMass Chan Medical School Center for Applied Nutrition, to increase your HDL you should increase the amount of physical activity you do, lose weight if needed, quit smoking if you smoke, and aim to increase omega-3 fatty acids in your diet with foods like fatty fish (such as light tuna, salmon, trout, and sardines), freshly ground flaxseed, walnuts, and dark, leafy greens.
Fitness Flash
Moderate Exercise and Appetite
A recent study from researchers at the Murdoch University Health Futures Institute in Australia found that moderate-intensity exercise can significantly influence appetite-related hormones and perceptions in obese men. It provides new insights into how exercise can aid appetite control and weight management.
According to one of the study authors, Timothy Fairchild, PhD, associate professor at Murdoch’s School of Allied Health, the study confirms their previous work showing the benefits of incorporating regular exercise into daily routines for individuals looking to manage their weight and improve their overall health.
“People understand that exercise helps burn energy. A lot of people assume that exercise also increases hunger and energy intake afterwards,” said Dr. Fairchild. “We have previously shown, using high-intensity exercise, that this is not the case. This latest study shows that even moderate-intensity exercise can have immediate and beneficial effects on appetite control in males with obesity.”
The study not only assessed food intake and appetite but also measured changes in hormones, which help regulate appetite. “Despite a strong focus on weight loss drugs in society at present, this study shows that lifestyle factors still have a strong and relevant role in helping people to live their healthiest life,” Dr. Fairchild added. “In fact, the hormones which have been shown to increase after exercise are the same hormones which the most successful weight loss drugs are mimicking. The added benefit of exercise is that you also receive the physical and mental health benefits of exercise.”
Olive Oil and Lemon Pancakes Recipe, Spotlight on Lemons, Heating Your Griddle, The Downside of Perfumed Products, and Your Brain on Exercise
If you love fluffy flapjacks, you’ll be over the moon about these olive oil and lemon pancakes, packed with flavors as well as nutrients. Boxed mixes can’t hold a candle to them! Speaking of candles, you’ll want to read about discoveries from researchers at Purdue who found that scented products, including wax melts that are flame-free, are creating indoor toxins that can harm respiratory health. I’m also sharing a study on a brainy benefit from exercise.
Pancakes from scratch take breakfast (or brunch) to a whole new level. These are so tasty that you don’t need any syrup to enhance their flavor. If you want a nutritious garnish, top each serving with mixed berries.
Ingredients
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
3 tablespoons sugar or equivalent
2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
4 large or extra-large eggs
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided use
1-1/3 cups milk or non-dairy alternative
1 cup ricotta cheese
2 teaspoons vanilla
Zest of one large lemon
4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Directions
Step 1
Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Step 2
In a separate bowl, beat the eggs until frothy, then add 3 tablespoons olive oil, the milk, ricotta, vanilla, and lemon zest. Whisk well, then fold in the lemon juice.
Step 3
Using a large spatula, scrape the liquid mixture into the bowl of dry ingredients and blend thoroughly, being sure to incorporate all the flour into the batter.
Step 4
Heat a griddle over medium heat. When ready, brush the griddle with the final tablespoon of olive oil. Use an ice cream scoop to make as many 4-inch pancakes as will fit without crowding. Cook for about 3 minutes, until the edges start to firm, then flip the pancakes and continue cooking for another 3 minutes. Repeat until you’ve used up all the batter.
Yields 20 pancakes
Healthy Ingredient Spotlight
Keeping Lemons Fresh Longer
A squeeze of lemon adds freshness to so many dishes that I always have a few on hand. And to make sure they stay fresh until I use them, I don’t keep them in a bowl on the counter, but rather in the fridge. This can extend their shelf life from about one week to three or four weeks.
When you get home from the store, rinse the lemons under cold water and dry them thoroughly. Then place them in an airtight container in a crisper drawer.
Because citrus fruits more easily release their juices at room temperature, take lemons out of the fridge about an hour before using.
Quick Kitchen Nugget
Heating Your Griddle
Members of the Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club know that I’m a stickler when it comes to heating a pan before adding olive oil. This is especially true for a stovetop pancake griddle because this cookware needs a long preheat to create uniform temperature and avoid hot spots that can burn your pancakes.
Place your griddle on the stovetop over medium heat and give it 5 to 10 minutes to heat up. Test it with a drop of water—the water should sizzle and evaporate quickly. Then pour a tablespoon of olive oil on the griddle and use a silicone brush to spread it across the surface.
If you’re unsure whether the pan is hot enough, test with a small spoonful of batter. The bottom should brown evenly within a minute or two. If browning happens too quickly and you see dark spots when you flip it, lower the heat a notch before proceeding. If the tester doesn’t brown nicely, turn the heat up a notch.
For Your Best Health
The Downside of Perfumed Products
Do you find the scent of a pine forest or a rose bush so pleasant that you use products with the fragrance indoors? Problem is, simulating natural aromas with chemicals, like those found in air fresheners, wax melts, floor cleaners, and room deodorants, rapidly fills your inside environment with nanoscale particles, invisible to the naked eye and small enough to penetrate deep into your respiratory system and spread to other organs, according to research done at Purdue University. These nanoparticles form when fragrances interact with ozone, which enters buildings through ventilation systems, triggering chemical transformations that create new airborne pollutants.
“A forest is a pristine environment, but if you’re using cleaning and aromatherapy products full of chemically manufactured scents to re-create a forest in your home, you’re actually creating a tremendous amount of indoor air pollution that you shouldn’t be breathing in,” said Nusrat Jung, DSc, an assistant professor in Purdue’s Lyles School of Civil and Construction Engineering.
Dr. Jung and her colleague Brandon Boor, PhD, Purdue’s Dr. Margery E. Hoffman Associate Professor in civil engineering, have been the first to study nanoscale airborne particle formation indoors and compare it to outdoor atmospheric processes. “To understand how airborne particles form indoors, you need to measure the smallest nanoparticles—down to a single nanometer. At this scale, we can observe the earliest stages of new particle formation, where fragrances react with ozone to form tiny molecular clusters. These clusters then rapidly evolve, growing and transforming in the air around us,” said Dr. Boor.
In a “tiny house lab,” a dedicated residential lab space for indoor air quality research, Drs. Jung and Boor are using the latest industry-developed air quality instruments to track how household products emit volatile chemicals that evaporate easily and generate the tiniest airborne nanoparticles. Called the Purdue zero Energy Design Guidance for Engineers (zEDGE) lab, the tiny house has all the features of a typical home but is equipped with sensors for closely monitoring the impact of everyday activities on a home’s air quality. Dr. Jung led the design of the lab, which was built in 2020 as the first of its kind. With this unprecedented level of detail and accuracy, Drs. Jung and Boor have made discoveries suggesting that many everyday household products used indoors may not be as safe as previously assumed.
Even though it’s yet to be determined how breathing in volatile chemicals from these products impacts your health, newly formed nanoparticles are particularly concerning because they can reach very high concentrations, potentially posing risks to respiratory health. Both professors believe these findings highlight the need for further research into indoor nanoparticle formation triggered by heavily scented chemical products. “Our research shows that fragranced products are not just passive sources of pleasant scents—they actively alter indoor air chemistry, leading to the formation of nanoparticles at concentrations that could have significant health implications,” Dr. Jung said. “These processes should be considered in the design and operation of buildings and their HVAC systems to reduce our exposures.”
The two researchers also specifically found that scented wax melts, typically advertised as nontoxic because they are flame-free, actually pollute indoor air at least as much as candles. Wax melts and other scented products release terpenes, the chemical compounds responsible for their scents. Since wax melts contain a higher concentration of fragrance oils than many candles do, they emit more terpenes into indoor air. These terpenes then rapidly react with ozone, triggering significant nanoparticle formation. In fact, the nanoparticle pollution from wax melts rivals that of candles, despite the absence of combustion. They also found that essential oil diffusers, disinfectants, air fresheners, and other scented sprays generate a significant number of nanoscale particles.
Drs. Jung and Boor use the tiny house lab to study how a range of other everyday household activities, such as hair care routines, could impact a home’s air quality. Dr. Jung and her students have found that several chemicals, particularly cyclic volatile methyl siloxanes, ubiquitous in hair care products, linger in the air in surprising amounts during and after use. In a single hair care session at home, a person can inhale a cumulative mass of 1 to 17 milligrams of these chemicals.
Toxicologists will need to build upon these studies to find out exactly how harmful it could be to inhale complex mixtures of volatile chemicals and nanoscale particles indoors. As their research continues, Drs. Jung and Boor also hope their findings will improve how indoor air quality is monitored, controlled, and regulated. “Indoor air quality is often overlooked in the design and management of the buildings we live and work in, yet it has a direct impact on our health every day,” Dr. Boor said. “With data from the tiny house lab, we aim to bridge that gap, transforming fundamental research into real-world solutions for healthier indoor environments for everyone.”
Fitness Flash
Your Brain on Exercise
A study led by scientists at Rutgers University-New Brunswick has shown that specialized cells involved in how the body responds to insulin are activated in the brain after exercise, suggesting that physical activity may directly improve brain function. The research, published in Aging Cell, a journal focused on the biology of aging, indicates that therapies targeting this insulin action may be developed to offset or even prevent dementia progression.
“We believe this work is important because it suggests exercise may work to improve cognition and memory by improving the abilities of insulin to act on the brain,” said Steven Malin, PhD, an associate professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Health in the Rutgers School of Arts and Sciences and lead author of the study.
Conducted in collaboration with the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute on Aging, the researchers focused on the role of neuronal extracellular vesicles, specialized cells released by the brain. Extracellular vesicles, once dismissed by researchers as “cell dust,” have in the past 15 years grown exponentially in recognition as important players in the microscopic world of the human body, facilitating transport of key molecules such as proteins between cells. For this study, the scientists targeted vesicles produced in the brain that ferry several proteins involved in insulin sensitivity, one of which is called Akt.
Insulin sensitivity is a measure of how well the body responds to insulin, a hormone that controls blood sugar levels. People with high insulin sensitivity can use blood glucose more effectively in the body, such as in the muscles, which reduces blood sugar. People with type 2 diabetes, with its key symptom of low insulin sensitivity or insulin resistance, have brain cells that are less responsive to insulin. This can have negative impacts on cognition.
Researchers were able to study the vesicles by isolating them in the blood of participants in an experimental study. The trial, conducted over two weeks, included a group of 21 volunteers who had an average age of 60 and had prediabetes. Over the course of the study, they engaged in 12 individual, supervised, 60-minute exercise sessions of moderate to high intensity. The participants ingested a glucose drink before and after training, and researchers collected blood samples from them at the start and end of exercise training. The blood samples showed that the number of neuronal vesicles carrying the proteins involved in insulin sensitivity increased after each training, with Akt being most notable.
“We showed for the first time that exercise impacts insulin signaling from neuronal extracellular vesicles in relation to clinical improvements in blood sugar,” Dr. Malin said. “And we use these neuronal extracellular vesicles as an indicator of brain insulin sensitivity.” Exercise, therefore, is potentially able to improve the brain’s capacity to respond to insulin for neuronal function, he said.
Insulin is a hormone increasingly recognized to regulate cognition, the mental process of acquiring knowledge through thought, experience, and the senses. Prediabetes is a serious health condition that occurs when blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be diagnosed as type 2 diabetes. Those with prediabetes run the risk of having insufficient levels of insulin in their bodies, particularly the brain, which increases the chances of developing diseases of dementia such as Alzheimer’s, Dr. Malin said.
Insulin also plays a crucial role in memory formation, recall, processing speed, and the functioning of synapses, structures that allow brain cells to communicate with one another. “If insulin is insufficient in the brain, that means not only will brain cells become potentially dysfunctional, but also they may fail to interact with each other properly,” Dr. Malin said. “It’s like playing the game telephone…At some point the message gets lost when the brain becomes insulin resistant.”
Exercise has long been believed to improve cognition, but the mechanisms involved have been unclear. Past studies have uncovered evidence that high blood sugar contributes to a decrease in the brain’s ability to recall information and learn new information. Dr. Malin said that insulin, which is produced by the pancreas and travels to the brain to perform its functions, plays a central role in promoting brain blood flow and neuronal functioning for cognition. “Our work suggests that therapies that target brain insulin action may be able to ward off dementia,” he added.
Future plans are to conduct a long-term exercise training study that assesses brain insulin sensitivity improvements in relation to cognition in older adults.
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