Objective: Mates high in physical attractiveness are in short supply, which means that not all people are able to find mates who are sufficiently attractive. Threshold models of mate preferences suggest that when physical attractiveness minimums are not reached, other traits possessed by a potential partner may play a lesser role in mate choice. However, few studies have sought to understand mating decisions when those minimums are not met. Methods: In this experiment (N = 186), participants rated images of (pre-rated) unattractive opposite-sex others for long-term and short-term relationships after learning dealbreaker or dealmaker information. Results: While participants did not find targets highly desirable or physically attractive (as a stimulus check), men were more willing than women to have casual sex, and that men and women reported similar desirability ratings towards long-term partners. Learning dealbreakers was associated with less desire for the targets than dealmakers, but women’s lack of interest was insensitive to mating context, whereas men found the target especially undesirable in the long-term context. Additionally, men were willing to consider a long-term relationship with a physically unattractive partner who possessed dealmakers, but not one who possessed dealbreakers. Conclusions: Our discussion focuses on men and women’s mating decisions when potential partners fail to meet minimum thresholds for physical attractiveness. Future research is needed to explore the magnitude of the effect of meeting or failing to meet one’s minimum thresholds for physical attractiveness.

Background/Objectives: Anxiety and stress are interrelated and connected to reduced health-related quality of life. Botanicals such as Apocynum venetum L. (A. venetum) have been shown to improve health outcomes. No human studies have been conducted in a diverse large group of healthy adults in the US. The purpose of this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was to evaluate the effects of Venetron^® Rafuma (A. venetum leaf extract) on self-reported anxiety levels and overall health outcomes compared to placebo. Methods: Healthy adults (N = 476) seeking improvement in self-reported anxiety and stress were randomly assigned to receive 50 mg of A. venetum (n = 234) or placebo (n = 242) for 6 weeks. Feelings of anxiety were assessed at baseline and weekly using Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS™) Anxiety 8A. Perceived stress, sleep quality, and cognitive function were evaluated at baseline and weekly using validated assessments. A linear mixed-effects regression model was used to compare the change in health outcome scores between active and placebo groups. Results: A total of 370 participants completed at least one additional assessment and were included in the analysis: 179 in the active arm and 191 in the placebo arm. There was a significant difference between the groups in the rate of improvement in perceived stress and sleep disturbance. The active group was significantly more likely to experience a Minimal Clinically Important Difference (MCID) in their perceived stress and marginally significantly more likely to experience an MCID in their feelings of anxiety. Participants who reported experiencing side effects did not significantly differ between arms. Conclusions: Venetron^® may be safe and effective therapy for stress and sleep disturbance among those suffering from feelings of anxiety.

Background/Objectives: Anxiety and stress are interrelated and connected to reduced health-related quality of life. Botanicals such as Apocynum venetum L. (A. venetum) have been shown to improve health outcomes. No human studies have been conducted in a diverse large group of healthy adults in the US. The purpose of this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was to evaluate the effects of Venetron® Rafuma (A. venetum leaf extract) on self-reported anxiety levels and overall health outcomes compared to placebo. Methods: Healthy adults (N = 476) seeking improvement in self-reported anxiety and stress were randomly assigned to receive 50 mg of A. venetum (n = 234) or placebo (n = 242) for 6 weeks. Feelings of anxiety were assessed at baseline and weekly using Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS™) Anxiety 8A. Perceived stress, sleep quality, and cognitive function were evaluated at baseline and weekly using validated assessments. A linear mixed-effects regression model was used to compare the change in health outcome scores between active and placebo groups. Results: There was a significant difference between the groups in the rate of improvement of perceived stress and sleep disturbance. The active group was significantly more likely to experience a Minimal Clinically Important Difference (MCID) in their perceived stress and marginally significantly more likely to experience an MCID in their feelings of anxiety. Participants who reported experiencing side effects did not significantly differ between arms. Conclusion: Venetron® may be safe and effective therapy for stress and sleep disturbance among those suffering from feelings of anxiety.

Subjective cognitive difficulties are common in midlife and later life, and flavonoid-rich foods may support everyday cognitive function. Tartary buckwheat ( Fagopyrum tataricum ) sprouts are rich in rutin and other flavonoids, but their cognitive effects have not been tested in humans. In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, US adults with self-reported cognitive difficulties received 18 g per day of Himalayan Tartary buckwheat (HTB) sprout powder or matched placebo for 12 weeks. Of 848 randomized participants, 662 were analyzed. While the rate of change in the primary outcome, PROMIS Cognitive Function, did not differ between arms (contrast = 0.03, 95% CI −0.07 to 0.13; p = .59), PROMIS Cognitive Abilities improved nominally faster with HTB (contrast = 0.12, 95% CI 0.00 to 0.24; p = .046), but not after Bonferroni adjustment. Among participants with final-week data (n = 296), more HTB than placebo participants achieved a meaningful (≥0.5 SD) improvement in Cognitive Abilities (68.7% vs 52.5%; RR = 1.32, 95% CI 1.10 to 1.59; p = .003). Fatigue, sleep-related impairment and depressive symptoms did not differ between arms. In exploratory computerized testing (n = 512), HTB participants had faster reaction times on the Flanker and Stroop tasks, without loss of accuracy. Exploratory epigenetic analyses (n = 34) identified hypothesis-generating signals in epigenetic age and immune-cell composition, none surviving multiple-testing correction. Side-effect rates were similar between arms. HTB sprout powder did not improve the primary outcome, but findings for perceived cognitive abilities and processing speed warrant confirmation in adequately powered trials. Trial registration: NCT07245784 .

In recent years, researchers have discovered much about how disgust works, its neural basis, its relationship with immune function, its connection with mating, and some of its antecedents and consequents. Despite these advances in our understanding, an under-explored area is how disgust may be used to serve a communicative function, including how individuals might strategically downplay or exaggerate the disgust display in front of different audiences. Here, we generated two hypotheses about potential communicative functions of disgust, and tested these hypotheses in four countries (Turkey, Croatia, Germany, and Norway). We found no evidence in support of either hypothesis in any country. Discussion focuses on the likely falsity of the two central hypotheses, alternative interpretations of our findings, and directions for future research.