A major 2019 analysis of 15 studies (229,391 participants) found that people ranking high in optimism were much less likely to have a heart attack or other cardiovascular event and had a lower mortality rate from any cause than did pessimistic participants. Across all data, there was a strong relationship between optimism and a lower risk of disease, with optimists having a 35 percent lower…
A new study from the University of Otago, New Zealand, on the Mediterranean, paleo and intermittent-fasting diets compared how well people were able to stick to them and each diet’s outcomes for weight loss and overall health. Less than a third of people stuck to paleo, 57 percent stuck to a Mediterranean diet, and 54 percent stuck to intermittent fasting over the year-long study. The…
A new study from Sweden’s Uppsala University found that the loss of just one night’s sleep in young, healthy individuals significantly increased the level of tau protein (up 17 percent) in the blood, which is strongly associated with the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. ACCESS STUDY
Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) has not been used in clinical guidelines for interventions in depression because of the perceived lack of evidence. To remedy this, Edge Hill University, UK, undertook a systematic review of high-quality studies and found that DMT—in every study—was found to be an effective therapy for the treatment of adults with depression. ACCESS STUDY Read Quartz’s important, new article about the powerful…
A new study from Boston University indicated that yoga, combined with breathing exercises, really improves symptoms of major depressive disorder. It was the first study to try to identify the optimal “dose”/duration of yoga practice. Participants were split into two groups: one did three 90-minute Iyengar yoga classes and four 30-minute breathwork sessions per week, while the other did two 90-minute Iyengar yoga classes and three 30-minute breathwork sessions…
A new, large meta-review of 60 clinical trials (6,400 participants) showed that mind-body approaches, such as meditation, guided imagery, hypnosis and cognitive behavioral therapy, improved pain in people who have been taking prescription opioids and led to reductions in the drug’s dose. ACCESS STUDY
