Catechins are a type of polyphenol found in abundance in green tea and are also the principal component of its astringent taste. Green tea has been regarded as good for one's health for centuries. Recent studies have scientifically demonstrated the powerful antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antiviral properties of catechins, and they have come to be used in a diverse array of medical treatments. Various other efficacies have also been reported, such as demonstrating anti-arteriosclerotic properties, improving lipid abnormalities, reducing visceral fat, and inhibiting rises in blood glucose levels and blood pressure. As such, they seem likely to be effective in preventing lifestyle diseases. One cannot help but say that green tea is a genuine superfood.

Less than 10% of polyphenols are absorbed in the small intestine, with the vast majority moving into the colon. The potential for polyphenols to have a direct effect on metabolism is therefore low; scientists think that gut bacterial activity changes the structure of polyphenols, turning them into potent active substances with new functions. At the same time, scientists have discovered that polyphenols also have an effect on gut bacteria. Phenols produced by gut bacteria are the root cause of diseases including uremia, diabetes, and diabetic kidney disease, but scientists say polyphenols can regulate them. Attention is now focusing on the interaction between polyphenols and gut microbes.

Polyphenols have been attracting attention in recent years due to their beneficial effects in such areas as lowering blood pressure and improving glucose tolerance. In fact, however, virtually all the polyphenols we consume are excreted without being absorbed into the body. In other words, unlike micronutrients and pharmaceutical products, the bioavailability of any polyphenols consumed is extremely low. So, why have so many health benefits from their consumption been reported? Scientists say that, activated by polyphenols, the nervous system reduces the risk of chronic disease and sensory function loss. This effect is a completely new mechanism that cannot be explained via pharmaceutical analysis.

Polyphenols are chemical substances that plants produce in order to survive in their surrounding environment, from which they cannot move. Although polyphenols are known to have beneficial physiological effects for humans, with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, their mechanisms of action are, for the most part, a mystery. Their most reliably established property is their protective effect on blood vessels. Scientists say polyphenols act to prevent the onset of cardiovascular disease by curbing arteriosclerosis. If efforts to shed light on their effects progress, polyphenols might one day be classed as the “seventh nutrient,” alongside protein, fat, carbohydrates (also known as the three major nutrients), vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber.

Hospital facility dogs are a special type of companion animal that are hand-picked while they are puppies and undergo two years of advanced training at a dedicated facility. Only then can they carry out their role. Working at hospitals and the like, hospital facility dogs provide comfort to everyone at the facility, especially to the patients. Providing support in situations involving a particularly substantial psychological burden is an important job that only hospital facility dogs can do, and the positive effects they have are steadily increasing. However, as only a very limited number of Japanese hospitals have introduced hospital facility dogs to date, more widespread support is needed.

While chronic kidney disease is highly prevalent in cats, its precise cause is not known and scientists had believed it to be incurable. However, it has now been discovered that a protein called apoptosis inhibitor of macrophage (AIM) holds the key to a remedy for this disease. Functioning in many animals, AIM's role is to make phagocytic cells called macrophages consume dead cells and other waste in the body. However, for some reason, the cat family is the only one in which AIM is consistently inactive, with the result that waste builds up in the kidneys, causing kidney disease. Administering AIM causes macrophages to consume this waste and improves kidney function.

Food is a very important part of ensuring that pets lead healthy lives. However, their feeding behaviors vary, with dogs being omnivores or carnivorous omnivores, whereas cats are obligate carnivores, so meticulous attention must be paid to what they are fed. Today, one can get by without worrying about it too much, because optimized pet foods are readily available at supermarkets and convenience stores. However, fresh concerns have surfaced, as cases of metabolic syndrome are even being seen among cats and dogs. Just as with humans, we need the correct dietary knowledge to ensure that our precious pets can live long, healthy lives.

Many people have experienced how interacting with animals makes them feel calmer and more positive. For animal lovers, keeping a pet has a special significance beyond simply rearing an animal. Research is progressing in other countries, investigating the commonly accepted view that pets affect people's emotions and positively affect their health. This was previously understood from experience, and solid evidence is beginning to emerge. The benefits of pets demonstrated scientifically in this way are now contributing to people's health.

Newts are renowned for their outstanding regenerative capability, which allows them to repair damaged tissue, but the mechanism behind this ability had long remained unexplained. However, studies using the latest genome analysis techniques have revealed a regeneration gene that is specifically expressed in certain red blood cells. Accounting for around 25% of all red blood cells, these cells circulate throughout the body alongside the other red blood cells. Red blood cells —— also known as erythrocytes —— play a part in gas exchange by transporting oxygen to body tissues and receiving carbon dioxide in return. Scientists are achieving progress in research into newt-type regenerative medicine, which will facilitate human regenerative medicine through the application of this mechanism.

2023 saw the first use in clinical practice of anti-amyloid drugs, which inhibit the worsening of Alzheimer's disease symptoms by acting on the substance that causes the disease. While the move was reported as offering a long-awaited ray of hope in regard to dementia, for which there is no effective cure, one has to consider the fact that these drugs are indicated solely for mild, early-stage Alzheimer's disease. Accordingly, scientists are making haste to develop biomarkers that will enable the disease to be diagnosed accurately at an early stage. In particular, hopes are high that an efficient, noninvasive, and cheap blood biomarker could be put to widespread use in routine medical checkups and the like.