A common vitamin found in everyday foods may play a role in how often people go to the bathroom, according to a large new study.
Researchers found evidence that vitamin B1, also known as thiamine, is linked to gut motility, which is the process that moves food through the digestive system.
The international team — led by Mauro D’Amato, a professor of medical genetics at LUM University and a research professor at CIC bioGUNE — analyzed genetic and health data from more than 268,000 people of European and East Asian ancestry, according to a press release.
Participants reported how frequently they went to the bathroom, which researchers used as a practical measure of gut motility.
“We used genetics to build a roadmap of biological pathways that set the gut’s pace. What stood out was how strongly the data pointed to vitamin B1 metabolism, alongside established mechanisms,” first author Dr. Cristian Diaz-Muñoz, a postdoctoral researcher in the Gastrointestinal Genetics Lab at CIC bioGUNE, located in the Bizkaia Science and Technology Park in Spain, said in the release.
Researchers found evidence that vitamin B1, also known as thiamine, is linked to gut motility, which is the process that moves food through the digestive system.(iStock)
B1, also known as thiamine, is linked to gut motility, which is the process that moves food through the digestive system. By scanning millions of genetic markers, the team identified 21 genetic regions tied to how often people had bowel movements, including several that had not previously been connected to digestive function.
Many of the signals pointed to pathways already known to be important for digestion, like bile acid metabolism and nerve signaling, which control the rhythmic contractions of intestinal muscles, the release stated.
The most unexpected finding involved genes linked to thiamine metabolism. Two genes in particular, which help to transport and regulate vitamin B1 in the body, showed strong associations with stool frequency.
The team scanned millions of genetic markers to identify DNA associated with differences in stool frequency. (iStock)
To explore whether this translated into everyday behavior, the researchers examined dietary data from nearly 100,000 participants in the UK Biobank.
They found that people who consumed higher amounts of vitamin B1 tended to have more frequent bowel movements.
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However, this relationship wasn’t seen in every case. The effect changed depending on a person’s genetic makeup, suggesting that genes are involved in the body’s processing of the vitamin.
Vitamin B1 plays a central role in energy metabolism and nerve function, including the nerves and muscles that coordinate movement in the gut, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Study limitations
The study, which was published in the scientific journal Gut, did have some limitations.
Frequency is an indirect measure of gut motility and does not capture stool consistency, discomfort or other symptoms relevant to digestive disorders, the researchers acknowledged.
Two genes in particular, which help transport and regulate vitamin B1 in the body, showed strong associations with stool frequency.(iStock)
The study also relied on self-reported dietary data, which can be imprecise.
Genetic associations do not prove cause and effect, the researchers noted.
The results do not conclusively show that taking vitamin B1 supplements will change bowel habits, nor do they establish the biological pathway through which thiamine might influence digestion.
People experiencing digestive issues should consult a doctor for guidance.
Khloe Quill is a lifestyle production assistant with Fox News Digital. She and the lifestyle team cover a range of story topics including food and drink, travel, and health.
Cruz Beckham is seemingly poking fun at family drama after his elder brother Brooklyn’s outburst on social media.
The youngest son of Victoria and David Beckham shared a pair of cryptic Instagram Stories on January 22, just days after Brooklyn publicly accused their parents of controlling him.
In the first post, the 20-year-old musician shared a photo of himself holding a can of Guaraná Antarctica, a Brazilian soft drink.
While the image itself seemed ordinary, the background music was a snarky choice, pairing it with I’m Not Such an Innocent Girl, a 2001 solo track by his mother.
The choice of song raises eyebrows due to its timing. Though Cruz offered no caption or explanation, followers gave it different meanings.
Some fans see the song as a subtle reference to the feud between Victoria and Brooklyn’s wife, Nicola Peltz Beckham, as Brooklyn did address the tension between the women over the wedding dress cancellation by the designer mom and her hijacking of the newly-married couple’s wedding day dance.
Others believe the post is an online effort to boost the song’s chart performance, as Victoria remains the only Spice Girl without a solo No. 1 single.
Cruz followed up with a second Instagram Story showing a sheet of paper labeled “Loneliest Boy,” with “Verse 1” written beneath it. Again, no context was provided. Fans speculated the image could hint at Brooklyn’s estrangement from the family.
Cruz also drew attention at another instance for liking a video that mocked Brooklyn’s wedding claims.
An Oklahoma teenager is behind bars after allegedly calling 911 to tell authorities he stabbed his brother to death after becoming “enraged” over a video game.
Oklahoma City police were called to the scene of a domestic stabbing at Southeast 44th Street and Bryant Avenue around 8:30 p.m. on Sunday, according to FOX 8.
When they arrived, officers learned two brothers, 19-year-old William Spencer and 25-year-old Nicholas Spencer, were reportedly playing video games when William Spencer became angry and allegedly stabbed his brother.
William Spencer, 19, is charged with first-degree murder in the alleged killing of his brother in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (Oklahoma County Detention Center)
“The calling person called in and said they had just stabbed their brother, officers got here and found a male with serious stab wounds,” Oklahoma City Police Master Sgt. Rob Robertson said, according to FOX 8.
The Oklahoma County Detention Center is pictured in Oklahoma City on Oct. 3, 2023. (Nathan J. Fish/The Oklahoman via USA Today)
Paramedics transported Nicholas Spencer to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
“Very tragic story,” Master Sgt. Gary Knight said during a news conference, according to Law & Crime. “Two brothers who were playing video games. One became enraged over the game, got mad at the other and simply stabbed him to death.”
Authorities with the Oklahoma City Police Department reportedly responded to a 911 call regarding a domestic stabbing incident in an Oklahoma City suburb on Sunday, January 18, 2026.(iStock)
Immediately following the incident, William Spencer “stayed at the scene,” and was later “taken into custody, interviewed and then also booked into the Oklahoma County Detention Center,” Knight reportedly said.
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William Spencer allegedly admitted to his role in the killing and was transported to the Oklahoma County Jail and booked on a charge of first-degree murder, Law & Crime reported. He remains in custody on $10 million bond.
Julia Bonavita is a U.S. Writer for Fox News Digital and a Fox Flight Team drone pilot. You can follow her at @juliabonavita13 on all platforms and send story tips to julia.bonavita@fox.com.
F/A-18F aircrafts are seen on the deck of USS Abraham Lincoln in the Gulf of Oman near the Strait of Hormuz July 15, 2019. Picture taken July 15, 2019. — Reuters
USS Abraham Lincoln moves from Asia-Pacific: US officials.
Say other assets to arrive in ME in coming days.
Trump says Iran ‘can’t do the nuclear’.
WASHINGTON: A US military aircraft carrier strike group and other assets will arrive in the Middle East region in the coming days, two US officials said on Thursday, even as President Donald Trump voiced hopes of avoiding new military action against Iran.
US warships, including the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, several destroyers and fighter aircraft, started moving from the Asia-Pacific last week as tensions between Iran and the United States soared following a severe crackdown on protests across Iran in recent months.
One of the officials said additional air defence systems were also being considered for the Middle East. The United States often increases troop levels in the region at moments of heightened tension, something experts note can be entirely defensive in nature.
However, the US military staged a major build-up last summer ahead of its June strikes against Iran’s nuclear programme, and later boasted about how it kept its intention to strike a secret.
Trump had repeatedly threatened to intervene against Iran over the recent killings of protesters there, but demonstrations dwindled last week and Trump’s rhetoric on Iran has since eased. He has shifted his focus to other geopolitical issues, including his pursuit of Greenland.
On Wednesday, Trump said he hoped there would not be further US military action in Iran, but said the United States would act if Tehran resumed its nuclear programme.
“They can’t do the nuclear,” Trump told CNBC in an interview in Davos, Switzerland, referring to major US air strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities in June 2025. “If they do it, it’s going to happen again.”
It has now been at least seven months since the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, last verified Iran’s stock of highly enriched uranium. Its own guidance says such checks should be carried out monthly.
Iran must file a report to the IAEA on what happened at the sites struck by the United States and on nuclear material believed to have been there, including an estimated 440.9 kg of uranium enriched to up to 60% purity, close to the roughly 90% weapons-grade level. That is enough material, if enriched further, for 10 nuclear bombs, according to an IAEA yardstick.
It remains unclear whether protests in Iran could surge again. The demonstrations began on December 28 as modest protests in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar over economic hardship and quickly spread nationwide.
Scarlett Johansson & Cate Blanchett call out tech companies for exploiting their work
Scarlett Johansson, Cate Blanchett, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt are among 700 artists, writers, and creators who are calling out tech companies for training their AI systems on their creative work without, in return, paying them or asking for their permission to use it.
Their anti-AI campaign argues that “Stealing our work is not innovation. It’s not progress. It’s theft – plain and simple.”
In the wake of some lawmakers mulling regulations on AI training data, the group’s statement highlights the dangers AI poses to the industry.
“They also want to protect the U.S. creative sector as a whole, spanning film, television, music, publishing and digital media, which supports millions of jobs, fuels economic growth, and projects cultural power globally.“
Beyond criticism, the statement also has a solution: strike deals or partnerships with the tech companies.
“A better way exists,” the message shares, adding that licensing deals are a possible way forward. “It is possible to have it all. We can have advanced, rapidly developing AI and ensure creators’ rights are respected.”
Meanwhile, Johansson, who is part of the anti-AI campaign, has once again underlined the dangers of AI. A deepfake video went viral a few years ago, leading her to issue a strong statement condemning it.
The Baltimore Ravens’ replacement for John Harbaugh is someone who was once on his staff.,
Former Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, who has been working alongside Harbaugh’s older brother, Jim, since their days at Michigan, is signing a five-year deal to be the team’s next head coach, the Ravens announced on Thursday.
This is a breaking news story. More to come.
Scott Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.
The athletic apparel company told The Independent in a statement Wednesday that it “temporarily paused sales online” in North America of the Get Low leggings collection to “better understand some initial guest feedback and support with product education.”
However, one day later, Lululemon is already selling the leggings online again — but this time, with fitting and sizing guidelines for customers.
“To experience this tight’s best performance during your workout, we recommend sizing up. Not sure of your size? Check out our size guide or try it on in store,” the updated product description guidelines read.
In an apparent attempt to address customers’ complaints about see-through fabric, Lululemon also recommended pairing the leggings with “skin-tone, seamless underwear.”
Lululemon urges customers to wear its leggings with ‘skin-tone, seamless underwear’ after customers complained it was ‘see-through’ (Getty Images)
The Independent has contacted a representative for Lululemon for comment.
The high-rise training tight leggings, with a 25-inch inseam, are being sold on Lululemon’s U.S. website for $108. New, darker colors were made available, including Deep Sea Blue/True Navy, Berry Rumble/Black Plum, Black/Graphite Grey, and Sequoia/Twig. The description of the leggings notes that when stretched, “the loops in an engineered knit naturally flex apart at key tension points, unlocking an uninhibited feel.”
When Lululemon paused online sales of the collection Tuesday, the company issued a statement about the look and feel of the leggings.
“Our Get Low collection is designed to support our guests as they train and features seamless technology to provide a sculpted look and feel in a weightless, fast-drying fabric,” a spokesperson told The Independent. “We expect to bring the collection back to our North America e-commerce channels soon and the collection continues to be available in other markets.”
The company was forced to take action after customer criticism of the leggings quickly spread online. In a Reddit forum, one shopper said the Get Low leggings were “absolutely see-through when you squat or bend over,” regardless of the color.
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“I 100 percent did not like the leggings. Completely see through, no compression, and weird color blocking,” another agreed in the comments. “Tried them yesterday. Total fail on the design,” a third commented. “There’s no compression!!!”
Known for its chic and comfortable athleisure, including soft-yoga pants, tank tops, fitted leggings, and fanny packs, Lululemon takes pride in the originality of its products. In July, the company sued Costco, claiming the wholesaler sold knockoffs of the brand’s popular hoodies and pants.
Lululemon claimed these knockoffs, including the ones Costco is selling, infringe on the company’s intellectual property rights and damage its “hard-earned” reputation. The company specifically names its Scuba hoodies and sweatshirts, Define jackets, and ABC pants in the lawsuit. The Scuba hoodie retails for around $118, while the Define jacket and ABC pants cost about $128 each.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Missouri gambling regulators on Thursday rejected a request from the NCAA to restrict bets on the performance of college athletes in response to recent scandals but left open the possibility of revisiting the issue as the state’s fledgling sports betting market gets better established.
The action by the Missouri Gaming Commission came just a week after the NCAA sent a letter to state gambling oversight boards asking them to ban college athlete prop bets — a popular type of wager focused on what individual players will do in a game, such as scoring a certain amount of points in basketball or surpassing a particular passing yardage in football. The NCAA also urged states to ban certain other specialty bets, such as wagers on whether a team will trail by a particular point spread at halftime of a game.
The NCAA contends such bets are ripe for manipulation by athletes facing pressure, harassment or bribes from gamblers. It pointed to last week’s federal indictment of more than two dozen people for alleged bribery, wire fraud and conspiracy in a scheme that involved more than 39 players on more than 17 NCAA Division I men’s basketball teams attempting to rig more than 29 games.
But Missouri gambling regulators said they didn’t want to change the state’s rules less than two months after legal sports betting launched in the state. Missouri became the 39th — and latest — state to allow sports betting Dec. 1 under a state constitutional amendment that narrowly won voter approval.
“I just don’t feel that I have enough information to grant a request by the NCAA to prohibit this type of sports wagering because I don’t know enough yet,” commission chair Jan Zimmerman said.
Legal sports betting has spread quickly across the U.S. since the Supreme Court cleared the way for states to adopt it in 2018. Through the first 11 months of 2025, legal sportsbooks generated $15 billion in revenue, up over 17% from the same period a year earlier, according to the American Gaming Association. Missouri has not yet reported its initial sports betting revenues.
State prop bet rules vary greatly
Prop bets on professional athletes are currently allowed in every state that has legalized sports betting. But states have widely differing rules for bets on college athletes.
More than a dozen states place no limits on collegiate prop bets while nearly an equal number prohibit all such bets. Missouri is among several states that fall somewhere in between. It prohibits prop bets on athletes playing in games involving Missouri colleges and universities but allows them for all other collegiate games.
The NCAA in 2023 began encouraging states to adopt restrictions on bets involving college athletes. Since then, Louisiana, Maryland, Ohio and Vermont have joined the ranks of states banning individual prop bets on college athletes.
NCAA president Charlie Baker said in his recent letter to state gambling regulators that his office “regularly hears concerns from schools and student-athletes across the country on the impacts of sports betting,” including about prop bets.
Sports betting firms oppose restrictions
In written comments to the Missouri Gaming Commission, a sports betting industry group said its members played an integral role in detecting and disclosing to authorities the unscrupulous betting involved in last week’s indictment.
Rather than providing grounds to restrict bets on college athletes, the Sports Betting Alliance said the case highlights how legal sportsbooks can help catch instances of wrongdoing that might otherwise go undetected if people placed prop bets through unregulated bookies.
The alliance — which includes Bet365, DraftKings and Fanatics Betting & Gaming — argued that the NCAA’s request didn’t meet Missouri’s criteria for regulatory revisions and “should not trigger a radical change” to the state’s new sports betting industry.
Others also expressed opposition to the betting limits backed by the NCAA.
Restricting prop bets on college athletes would drive gamblers to “offshore and illegal operators” with fewer consumer protections, Kansas City sports wagerer Chuck Kucera said in written comments to the commission.
“The NCAA’s efforts would be better directed toward player education, internal compliance, and enforcement of its own rules,” Kucera wrote.
Taraji P. Henson gives fans glimpse behind ‘Masked Singer’ magic
Taraji P. Henson recently brought energy and fun to TV show The Masked Singer behind the Scarab costume.
The 55-year-old actress said that she’s now even thinking about getting friends like Viola Davis to join the show, joking that she might try to “convince” her.
Taraji loved listening to the judges guess her identity with some some guessing, like Viola Davis and Angela Bassett, made her laugh, while she admitted feeling a little frustrated when Rita Ora guessed her correctly.
However, she said that she would have done some things differently under the mask to stay hidden, showing her playful side.
For Taraji, joining the show wasn’t about fame or trends as she shared that she just does what excites her and what inspires her, trusting that her fans will follow her wherever she goes.
Moreover, the star even joked that people could tell it was her from her gestures and the way she was talking, proving her natural style.
Her time on The Masked Singer showed a lighter, joyful side of Taraji as it also highlighted her love for friends and fun.
A version of this article first appeared in the CNBC Sport newsletter with Alex Sherman, which brings you the biggest news and exclusive interviews from the worlds of sports business and media. Sign up to receive future editions, straight to your inbox.
The future of the Warner Bros. Discovery company — its iconic movie studio, HBO Max and its cable networks, including CNN, TBS, TNT, Discovery and HGTV — may come down to what European regulators think about Netflix.
That’s a pretty crazy twist for a deal that will dictate the future of many valuable American sports rights — assets that, for the most part, have very little to do with Europe.
A quick refresher: WBD owns many live U.S. sports rights, including those to March Madness, Major League Baseball, the National Hockey League, NASCAR, the French Open, All Elite Wrestling, the College Football Playoffs and others. But those rights wouldn’t go to Netflix under WBD’s agreed-upon deal to sell some of its assets to the streaming giant.
Netflix has agreed to pay $27.75 per share for the WBD movie studio and streaming business, but not the cable networks, which own the sports rights. If the deal is approved, those networks would get spun out into a separate publicly traded entity called Discovery Global, which would also own Bleacher Report, House of Highlights and WBD’s other digital assets.
If WBD shareholders accept a hostile takeover attempt from Paramount Skydance, however — and if that deal is approved — the cable networks and associated sports would all fall under the Paramount umbrella. Paramount has bid $30 per share for the entirety of WBD — an offer it has taken directly to shareholders after the WBD board rejected it.
Paramount on Thursday extended the deadline on its tender offer — which expired Wednesday — giving WBD shareholders more time to weigh the option.
WBD responded with a statement noting that less than 7% of all shareholders have tendered their shares thus far to Paramount.
“Once again, Paramount continues to make the same offer our Board has repeatedly and unanimously rejected in favor of a superior merger agreement with Netflix. It’s also clear our shareholders agree, with more than 93% also rejecting Paramount’s inferior scheme,” WBD said. “We are confident in our ability to achieve regulatory approval for the Netflix merger and look forward to delivering the tremendous and certain value our agreement will provide to Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders.”
Most media attention has focused on what President Donald Trump might think about a Netflix-WBD deal. Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos met with Trump ahead of the deal to gauge his sentiment on a transaction. The Department of Justice — theoretically a body independent from the presidency — will ultimately decide whether or not the deal presents antitrust problems, and if those issues can be ameliorated with conditions or if they’re simply too big for a deal to go through.
There’s been far less attention paid to Europe, which will also need to approve a deal. And that’s where either deal could fall apart.
Netflix is a global company, generating about $14.5 billion in revenue in the so-called EMEA region, or Europe, the Middle East and Africa, last year, or about 32% of total sales.
WBD feels confident its Netflix deal will win EU approval, according to people familiar with the matter. A WBD source said there was a “95% certainty” that Europe would approve the transaction, though the person did acknowledge Netflix may need to agree to certain conditions, such as agreeing to produce a certain amount of local content in Europe and promising to release movies into theaters. The EU’s Audiovisual Media Services Directive already mandates that video-on-demand streaming services ensure at least 30% of programming in EU countries qualify as European works.
Paramount disagrees and believes a Netflix deal has very little chance of making it past European regulators, according to people familiar with the matter. At the same time, it’s working its own EU regulatory angles for its proposed takeover.
It would be unusual but not unprecedented for European regulators to block a deal between two U.S.-based companies. Adobedropped its $20 billion acquisition of cloud software company Figma in December 2023 after deciding there was “no clear path” to gaining antitrust approval in Europe and the U.K. The U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority also forcedMeta’s Facebook to sell Giphy, the largest supplier of animated gifs to social networks, in 2022.
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It’s also worth noting the European Commission allowed Amazon to acquire MGM, perhaps the closest comparison in terms of comparative businesses to this deal.
Paramount’s confidence stems from the Continent’s track record of being tough on tech companies, with antitrust crackdowns and penalties targeting Meta, Microsoft, Google,Apple and Amazon in recent years. Paramount executives believe EU regulators view Netflix similarly, based on recent conversations they’ve had with European officials, according to people familiar with the matter. Given the chance to stop a Big Tech company from gaining even more market power, Paramount executives believe Europe will take it.
The EU may also be more parochial in how it treats movie theater owners, viewing them as essential to culture and art. Both U.S. and European trade associations for the cinema industry have publicly expressed their displeasure with a Netflix-Warner combination.
This week, Sarandos reiterated that Warner Bros. films will be released in theaters with a 45-day window — as they always have.
“We’re working closely with WBD and the regulatory authorities, including the U.S. Department of Justice and the European Commission. We’re confident we’re gonna be able to secure all the approvals,” Sarandos said Tuesday during Netflix’s earnings conference call. “When this deal closes, we will have the benefit of having a scaled, world-class theatrical distribution business with more than $4 billion of global box office. And we’re excited to maintain it and further strengthen that business.”
The WBD board viewed two movie studios coming together — Paramount and Warner — as a bigger regulatory hurdle than any issue presented by Netflix, according to people familiar with the matter. Still, WBD’s lawyers have determined both deals – Netflix-WBD and Paramount-WBD — would likely gain approval.
“The WBD Board carefully considered the federal, state, and international regulatory risks for both the Netflix merger and the [Paramount tender] Offer with its regulatory advisors,” WBD said in a December corporate filing. “The WBD Board is of the view that each transaction is capable of obtaining the necessary U.S. and foreign regulatory approvals and that any difference between the respective regulatory risk levels is not material.”
On the movie theater issue, a Warner source told me WBD actually views Paramount as a potentially bigger issue than Netflix. That’s because WBD’s board and executives aren’t sure Paramount will have the money to produce 30 or more movies a year (a Paramount CEO David Ellison promise) while also paying down billions of dollars in debt and targeting $6 billion in cost savings.
This is why the structure of the Paramount deal is so important to WBD. To create a superior deal for WBD, Larry Ellison, David’s father and one of the world’s wealthiest men, would need to put up more money in equity to lower the leverage ratio of a combined company. The board doesn’t trust Paramount can deliver on its synergies while also meeting its aggressive theatrical goals and moving forward with a leverage ratio over seven times estimated 2026 EBITDA.
This week, Netflix changed its offer for WBD’s assets from mostly cash to all cash. Simplifying the bid allows WBD to move its shareholder meeting to approve the Netflix offer earlier — possibly as early as March, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Paramount is still considering if it wants to raise its bid or change the capital structure to reengage the WBD board, according to people familiar with the matter. It could also do nothing and wait to see if it’s right about regulators — either European or American — blocking a Netflix deal.
With so much attention on the importance of live sports to the TV industry, it’s unusual to see them as such an afterthought. Paramount executives have argued the value of Discovery Global should be $0 based on its high leverage ratio and the early valuation of Versant, the parent company of CNBC, which has traded down almost 30% since it debuted on the public markets this month.
In a corporate filing released Tuesday, WBD argued Discovery Global should be valued between $1.33 per share and $6.86 per share, depending on estimates.
Correction: This story has been updated to correct that Adobe dropped its $20 billion acquisition of cloud software company Figma.
