Cold Plunges Produce Cellular Changes, Improving Autophagic Function Linked to Longevity A small 2024 study from the University of Ottawa (ten young males) closely examined how seven days of one-hour cold plunges affected cells at the molecular level, looking at its impact on autophagy (the body’s cleaning out of damaged components) and apoptosis (programmed cell death). They found that repeated cold exposure significantly enhanced autophagic…
The Silver Tsunami Making Healthy Aging an Economic Imperative By Thierry Malleret, economist The world is aging at an historic rate: By 2050, there’ll be more than twice as many people aged 65-plus as children under five and seniors will represent 16% of the global population, up from 10% in 2022. With aging, of course, comes disabilities and chronic disease. The only way to prevent…
Wellness Policies Can Help More of Us Experience Nature’s Benefits By Tonia Callender, GWI research fellow Earth Day on April 22 was an opportunity for people around the globe to reflect on our planet and the joy of spending time in nature. Nature benefits our health in a variety of ways. Empirical evidence indicates that experiencing nature not only keeps us physically active, but it…
A large new study has reexamined the longstanding environment-vs-heredity debate, and came down firmly in the environment camp. Based on robust medical data from 490,000-plus people, all registered with the UK Biobank, the researchers studied the influence of genetics and over 100 environmental and lifestyle factors on the risk of 22 diseases that make up most of the major causes of death. They analyzed 25 environmental and behavioral…
Study: Being in Shape is Far Better for Longevity than Being Thin A new study from the University of Virginia examined the relationship between aerobic fitness, body mass and longevity. It was the largest, most thorough study on the issue to date, analyzing a vast amount of earlier research. It found that being out of shape doubled or tripled the risk of dying prematurely, whatever…
Too often, calls to improve global health and wellbeing fail to lead to concrete actions. GWI seeks to improve global wellness by both inspiring and facilitating meaningful change. The Wellness Policy Series aims to spark conversations about promoting wellness, and to provide specific guidelines for achieving this goal. The Policy Toolkits are roadmaps with detailed directions for bringing wellness to all communities. They present the…
