Psychology Today, June 2016
“An Element of Protection”
Studies have begun to show that stardust could be the ticket to Alzheimer’s research.
This stardust, more commonly known as magnesium, is essential to the body’s functions.
Scientists are finding that magnesium is more important to the body than originally thought. It is important in protecting the brain and preventing the loss of connections between nerve cells.
Scientists in the United States and China are researching the effects magnesium has on the typical disorder. It has the ability to prevent the loss of nerve connections.
In studies on both young and old animals, injections of magnesium have shown promising effects. Magnesium has the ability to rescue transmission signals.
These lost signals are what cause the traditional effect of short-term memory loss. Magnesium can potentially repair the signals between nerve cells and slow or stop memory loss.
Nicely done, and it clocks in about the right length. (The reader also does a nice job.) The one question I have is about the connection between stardust and magnesium. Magnesium comes from the stars? Is that something I should know? Am I thinking too hard about this?
In your last graf you could emphasize the “so what” a bit harder. Recall the reference to Alzheimer’s earlier in the story.