Wellness

A new study from University of California, San Francisco and Imperial College London researchers (on 28 healthy participants who had never taken psilocybin) found that a single high dose of the mushroom caused anatomical and functional changes in brain structure still visible a month later—a finding that researchers called “remarkable.” Special scans indicated that some brain nerve tracts had become denser and more robust after the drug was taken. Although the findings are preliminary, the scientists noted the opposite changes in…

A large 2026 study from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (30 years’ worth of data about the exercise habits of more than 147,000 men and women), identified how many minutes per week of resistance training/weightlifting leads to the biggest longevity gains, whether people did cardio or not. First, any strength training/resistance exercise, even a few minutes a week, was associated with a lower risk of premature death,…

A 2012 meta-review from Penn State and Harvard researchers, examining studies on the health effects of music therapy, visual arts therapy, movement-based creative expression and expressive writing, found clear indications that creative engagement and arts therapy can decrease anxiety, stress and mood disturbances. Access the study Curious for more? Explore the evidence behind wellness here.

Three related 2026 studies from UK researchers (including University of Oxford and University of Greenwich) showed that regular sauna use was linked to improved physical and mental wellbeing in UK users. Weekly sauna use—but not monthly—predicted higher physical wellbeing, while monthly use was linked to higher mental wellbeing, weekly sessions showed a bigger impact. Key finding: the social connection and ritual aspects of sauna-going may be as…

A large study (2026) in JAMA Network (on 5,472 women aged 63 to 99 years) found that muscle strength was associated with significantly lower mortality risk in women—even for those not meeting guideline-recommended activity levels. The researchers noted that the findings were a surprise, as strength in older women turned out to be a key—and unique—factor in longevity, reducing the risk for early death by a third…

A 2026 study from Harvard, analyzing 30 years of data from 100K+ Americans, found that diversifying your movement may have a big impact on your lifespan. The researchers found that people that did the highest variety of exercise––whether walking, gardening or weightlifting––had a 19% lower risk of premature death compared to those who engaged in the lowest variety, even when total physical activity was held constant.…