HEALTH NEWS Study links low vitamin C levels in the blood plasma to reduced brain connectivityStudy: Tart Cherry Supplementation Alters Muscle Protein Profile After ExerciseSocioeconomic factors may leave more lasting imprint on children's brains than IQ or parenting styleFasting-mimicking diet reduces gum disease inflammationLow blood pressure shows strongest link to Alzheimer's disease Study links low vitamin C levels in the blood plasma to reduced brain connectivityHirosaki University (Japan), June 10 2026 (News-Medical)Previous research has uncovered associations between diets higher in vitamin C and lower risk of cognitive impairment in older adults. However, few studies have looked directly at vitamin C levels in blood plasma and potential associations with brain structure and connectivity within brain networks. To help fill that gap, Nagaya and colleagues analyzed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans and plasma vitamin C levels of 2,044 adults over the age of 64.Specifically, they measured the volume of each participant's gray and white brain matter (accounting for individual differences in total brain volume between participants). They also evaluated connectivity within the default mode network, which is associated with several cognitive functions, such as attention and autobiographical memory.After statistically accounting for other factors the researchers found that participants with lower plasma vitamin C levels tended to have lower gray matter volume, as well as lower connectivity within the default mode network.These findings suggest the possibility that optimal levels of vitamin C in blood plasma could potentially support cognitive function and counteract cognitive decline. However, the findings do not confirm any such cause-effect relationship between vitamin C levels and brain health. Study: Tart Cherry Supplementation Alters Muscle Protein Profile After ExerciseUniversity of Exeter (UK), June 11 2026 (Natural News)Researchers recruited 34 healthy, recreationally active young men and assigned them to receive either a placebo, a low-dose tart cherry concentrate, or a high-dose tart cherry supplement, according to the study report. Participants consumed their assigned supplement for seven days before completing a muscle-damaging workout and continued supplementation for three days afterward, for a total intervention of 10 days.The study found that tart cherry supplementation significantly altered the muscle's protein profile following exercise-induced damage. Changes were observed in proteins involved in muscle structure, contraction, cellular repair processes, and immune-cell activity within muscle tissue. These findings suggest that tart cherry polyphenols may influence the way muscles respond to and recover from the stress of exercise.Researchers also detected significant increases in hippuric acid, a compound produced when gut microbes break down polyphenols from tart cherries and other plant foods. Participants with higher levels of hippuric acid tended to maintain better muscle function following exercise-induced damage. Socioeconomic factors may leave more lasting imprint on children's brains than IQ or parenting styleWashington University in St. Louis, June 11 2026 (Medical Xpress)After analyzing hundreds of biological, psychological, social and environmental factors related to children's development, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis found that a family's financial situation and the resources and opportunities in a child's neighborhood had the strongest connection to brain development.Socioeconomic factors accounted for about 16% of the variability in measures of children's brain function—far more than IQ, parenting style and health history.  As part of the study, the researchers analyzed brain scans from nearly 12,000 children ages 9 to 10 to see how a child's environment, health and regular activities are related to