WEIRD STUFF

'Universal Vaccine' could protect millions

A single nasal spray vaccine could soon shield people from colds, flu, COVID-19, and even allergies.

Researchers at Stanford University, California, have developed what they call a "universal vaccine," which has already been tested on mice.

The trials showed broad lung protection lasting three months. The rodents were not only protected from illnesses such as pneumonia and COVID-19 but also from allergic reactions to dust mites, a common trigger for asthma.

Human trials are the next step, and scientists suggest the vaccine might need to be inhaled through a nebuliser to reach the lungs effectively. If successful, it could represent a "major step forward" in preventing future pandemics.

Professor Bali Pulendran, a microbiology and immunology expert at Stanford, told BBC News:

"This vaccine, what we term a universal vaccine, elicits a far broader response that is protective against not just the flu virus, not just the COVID virus, not just the common cold virus, but against virtually all viruses, and as many different bacteria as we've tested, and even allergens. The principle by which this vaccine works is a radical departure from the principle by which all vaccines have worked so far."

The research team is planning human trials where one person will be vaccinated and another deliberately exposed to infection, to test how the immune system responds. They note that while the vaccine boosts immunity, it is intended to complement, not replace, existing vaccines.

Professor Pulendran believes the vaccine could be available within five years.

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Intermittent fasting fall short for weight loss

Despite its popularity, intermittent fasting may not be the weight-loss miracle it's made out to be.

A comprehensive review from the Cochrane Institute, often called the "gold standard" for evidence-based medicine, found that the fasting approach performs no better than traditional calorie-cutting. Researchers analysed 22 studies involving nearly 2,000 overweight or obese adults from around the globe.

Overall, participants practising intermittent fasting lost roughly three per cent of their body weight over 12 months, below the five per cent threshold doctors consider clinically meaningful.

Compared with standard dieting, the additional weight loss was just 0.33 per cent--a difference deemed statistically insignificant.

Dr Luis Garegnani, who led the review, said:

"Intermittent fasting just doesn't seem to work for overweight or obese adults trying to lose weight."

The findings echo a separate 2025 Harvard-led review of 99 trials with more than 6,500 participants, which concluded that fasting offered only "trivial" benefits over standard diets.

Dr Eva Madrid cautioned:

"With the current evidence available, it's hard to make a general recommendation. Doctors will need to take a case-by-case approach when advising an overweight adult on losing weight."

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Milk after gym could be your secret weapon

Drinking milk after resistance training could help older adults protect their bones and boost muscle strength.

A new study in the Journal of Nutrition, Health and Ageing tracked 82 adults aged 60+ through an eight-week exercise programme combining resistance and balance training. Participants were divided into four groups: exercise alone, exercise plus nutrition education, or exercise with either cow's milk or soy milk immediately after workouts.

Those drinking 240ml of low-fat cow's milk--providing 7-8g of protein--showed the greatest gains. Researchers said:

"This indicates that combining exercise with milk supplementation may be more beneficial for muscle function than soy milk supplementation."

The milk group improved hand-grip strength, chair-rise speed, and walking tests--key markers for mobility and overall health. Participants who only received nutrition classes without changing their diet improved less, highlighting that information alone isn't enough.

The team concluded: "This study suggests that combining resistance exercises with immediate post-exercise supplementation of protein-rich whole foods, particularly milk, may improve bone health and physical function in community-dwelling older adults."

Stronger muscles also reduce fall risk, a leading cause of fractures among people with osteoporosis. While short-term, the study provides promising evidence that a simple combination of milk and exercise can help ageing adults stay stronger for longer.