Study: Long-Term Success of Weight Loss Drugs Depends on Exercise

Study: Long-Term Success of Weight Loss Drugs Depends on Exercise An important, new study (by the University of Copenhagen, published in The Lancet) of people who used and then quit a weight loss drug revealed that those who exercised while using the drugs kept off far more weight after quitting the medication than people who didn’t work out. Those who had taken the drug without…

Heat Therapy May Lead to Better Outcomes in Treating Depression than Cold Exposure

A new study from the University of California San Francisco (20,000 participants in 106 countries) found that people with depression have higher body temperatures. The researchers believe these findings indicate the potential for depression treatments focused on lowering body temperature—and ironically, how temporarily heating people up (hot yoga, saunas, infrared saunas, hot water treatments), could lead to rebound body temperature lowering that lasts longer than…

“Sleep Regularity” Matters More Than How Long You Sleep

Sleep science has long focused on the number of hours, and how that impacts health and lifespan. But a 2023 study from Harvard and Monash University researchers found that going to bed and waking up at consistent times with few mid-slumber interruptions matters even more than how long you sleep. Sleeping six hours every night on a consistent schedule was associated with a lower risk of…

Sitting All Day Increases Dementia Risk—Even If You Work Out

A 2023 study published in JAMA used data from roughly 50,000 UK adults aged 60+ who wore activity trackers to minutely record their movement (and lack thereof) throughout the day. They then used AI to interpret the results and tracked people’s medical status over the next seven years. They found a very strong correlation between long hours of sitting and dementia: Those who sat at…

One Dose of Psilocybin Showed Lasting Effects on Major Depression

A Phase 2 randomized clinical trial published in the prestigious JAMA found that a single dose of psilocybin (accompanied by psychotherapy) resulted in a rapid, robust and sustained reduction in depressive symptoms for people with major depressive disorder. Earlier studies have suggested that psilocybin may be a promising treatment for depression for people for whom antidepressants and therapy haven’t proven effective, but those studies focused…

Exposure to Natural Fragrances During Sleep Dramatically Boosts Cognitive Function

Good-quality studies on aromatherapy are rare. One 2023 randomized trial from the University of California, Irvine had “astonishing” findings. One group of study participants aged 60 to 85 used a diffuser every night for six months (two hours of exposure to natural oil infusions of rose, orange, eucalyptus, lemon, peppermint, rosemary, and lavender), while the other received a sham treatment (trace scent amounts). Participants then underwent…