Helping You Navigate the Complex and Confusing Evidence on CBD The esteemed WellnessEvidence.com portal just added CBD to its growing list of wellness approaches with the aim of empowering consumers to make more informed decisions. Evidence on CBD is the latest addition to the WellnessEvidence.com portal, created by the Global Wellness Institute (GWI) to provide wellness seekers with independent scientific research on 30+ popular wellness…
A new study from Newcastle University-UK found that heart attack patients treated with a compound derived from a plant long used in traditional Chinese medicine, astragalus, experienced significantly reduced inflammation (up to 62%, and 30% more than with traditional anti-inflammatory medications.) Patients also experienced less chest and joint pains. Unlike current post-heart-attack treatments, the herbal treatment not only did not compromise patients’ immune systems, it actually…
A small new study from the University of Victoria compared the impact of “green exercise” vs. the same exercise done indoors (in this case, a short walk). Using electroencephalography to measure the impact on cognitive function across almost all brain measures, exercise in nature proved the winner. It had a significantly bigger impact on memory, concentration and thinking speed. The researchers concluded that with growing…
In the most comprehensive review (2023) of global studies to date (1,097 trials, 128,000+ participants), University of South Australia researchers found that exercise should be the “first choice treatment” for depression, anxiety and psychological distress, as it improves symptoms 1.5 times better than both leading medications and talk therapy. Every type of exercise—from walking to resistance training to yoga—proved beneficial. The benefits were seen in every…
A new study from Stanford University compared different stress reduction techniques (each was done five minutes a day for a month): mindfulness meditation and three types of breathwork (cyclic sighing, with its greater focus on exhaling; box breathing, where inhaling and holding are done for an equal time; and one focusing on longer inhalation). They found that all three types of breathwork had a faster,…
A first-ever study (just published in JAMA Psychiatry) compared medication to meditation for generalized anxiety disorder, finding the two methods work equally well at reducing symptoms. Half of the study participants were given an antidepressant commonly prescribed for anxiety (Lexapro), while the other half participated in a mindfulness-based stress reduction program. Both groups reported a 20% reduction in symptoms. Side effects were far more common…
