Wellness

A new metareview of 1,000 scientific studies published over the last three decades by the John W. Brick Mental Health Foundation provides conclusive proof of the link between exercise and mental wellness. Overall, roughly 90% of all peer-reviewed published research reports a significant relationship between physical activity and mental health. The 80-page report is filled with findings, from how there is strong evidence for cardiovascular/aerobic exercise in reducing depression (especially high-intensity versions) to…

The largest randomized, controlled, double-blind trial of psilocybin ever (from Compass Pathways) found that a single higher dose led to a rapid and long-lasting decrease in depression symptoms; patients given the highest dose (25 mg) had a significant decline in depression compared to those receiving a microdose of 1 mg. 29% of patients in the highest-dose group were free from depression three weeks after treatment (compared to 7.6% in the control group), and…

A new study from Germany’s Max Planck Institute showed that daily meditation training for 3 to 6 months significantly reduces the long-term stress load of healthy adults. The study was unique for measuring the levels of cortisone (the cortisol–stress hormone–accumulation in hair)–and found that after 6 months, the amount of cortisol in participants’ hair dropped 25%. The study also provides evidence that the typical 8-week training period of Western…

A large new study from Northwestern and the University of Illinois shows that people who eat breakfast before 8:30 AM had lower blood sugar levels and less insulin resistance than those that ate their first meal later in the day—meaning a lower risk for developing type 2 diabetes, others metabolic disorders, and being overweight. Access this study

A new study from Harvard Medical School indicates that reducing carbs and increasing fats is good for your cardiovascular health–and it’s one of the largest, most rigorous trials on this topic. The group that got 21% of their calories from saturated fats (twice the government guidelines) saw no negative impact on cholesterol levels, a 15% reduction in fatty particles in the blood linked to heart disease/strokes, and lower risk measures…

A new study from the Institute for Systems Biology compared people who lost 1% or more of their weight each month on a weight loss diet, compared with those whose weight didn’t budge–finding that the groups had different microbial DNA and bacteria in their microbiome. Those that lost weight had microbial DNA that allowed bacteria (especially Prevotella) to grow fast (these bacteria ate more sugar/nutrients before the body could absorb them), while the weight-loss-resistant group had…