Papaya is sometimes called pawpaw, but that’s not the fruit we’re talking about here. Pawpaw fruits, like soursop, guanabana, sweetsop, sugar apple, cherimoya, and custard apple, contain neurotoxins that may cause a neurodegenerative disease. They’re found and eaten in many regions of the world, including parts of the US.
Pawpaws have a custard-like texture and taste like a mixture of bananas, mangos, and pineapples. They’re found in temperate forests in the Eastern US, and they even have their own pawpaw festivals.
Unfortunately, they contain three types of neurotoxins that can make you very sick. They are all linked to a neurodegenerative disease which is like a treatment-resistant Parkinson’s with hallucinations, widespread brain atrophy, and dementia.
Spread the word if you know anyone who eats this deceptive fruit. Not everything that tastes good is good.
“Do Not Eat Pawpaws,” Nutritionfacts.org, July 28, 2025.
Keeping your heart healthy can start as soon as you get out of bed and step into the shower if you belt out a few musical numbers while you’re washing!
That’s according to several studies, including research by the Medical College of Wisconsin that found singing for 14 minutes a day could have a similar positive impact on your heart rate variability (HRV) as light exercise. HRV—the variation in the time between heartbeats—is one of the key hallmarks of cardio health.
“Physiologically, singing involves controlled diaphragmatic breathing and sustained exhalation, which improve respiratory function. Singing mimics exercise by increasing oxygen consumption and heart rate while fostering synchronization between heart rhythms and respiration,” says Ragavendra Baliga, a cardiologist and professor of internal medicine at Ohio State University.
A positive outlook on life may protect against memory loss in middle age, according to a recent 16-year-long study by researchers in the UK, US, and Spain. The study suggests that well-being is significantly associated with better memory recall.
In the research, 12,099 people over the age of 50 were studied over a 16-year period in nine biannual sessions. They completed tests of immediate and delayed memory using word lists and filled out well-being questionnaires. In the study, well-being was defined as a combination of emotional health (e.g., happiness, confidence) and effective functioning (e.g., control over life, sense of purpose).
The researchers found that higher well-being was consistently associated with higher immediate and delayed memory scores. The results were consistent with previous research, which has shown that well-being is significantly associated with better mental processes.
Fast walking for just 15 minutes a day could significantly reduce the risk of early death—especially for low-income and Black/African-American populations—according to a major new study published in the July 2025 American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
Drawing on data from nearly 80,000 participants, researchers found that brisk walking was linked to a nearly 20% reduction in all-cause mortality.
“While the health benefits of daily walking are well-established, limited research has investigated the effects of factors such as walking pace on mortality, particularly in low-income and Black/African-American populations,” said lead investigator Dr. Wei Zheng of Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
By contrast, slow walking for over three hours a day was only linked to a modest 4% reduction, suggesting intensity matters more than duration.
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