The New Yorker
These days, a “very unhealthy” designation for outdoor air is rare. After the passage of the Clean Air Act, in 1963, and the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency, in 1970, the chemical composition of outdoor air became federally regulated, with penalties for polluters. But this victory may be less significant than we assume, because, in … Continue reading The hidden air pollution in our homes
Medium
Around the country, and especially in certain hipster-ish social circles, sobriety is getting rebranded. Interest in more informal sobriety experiments?—?Dry January, Sober October, One Year No Beer?—?has reached a new peak, with Google Trends reporting that the number of searches for “Dry January” in January 2019 was nearly double what it was two years ago. Is this just … Continue reading The rise of elective sobriety
BBC
For decades, we’ve been told that weight gain, together with associated diseases such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease, are a simple matter of the quantity and type of food we consume, balanced with the number of calories we expend through exercise. But mounting evidence suggests that timing is also important: it’s not just … Continue reading How meal timings affect your waistline
New York Times
What does the immune system do when it’s not properly trained? It can overreact. It becomes aggrieved by things like dust mites or pollen. It develops what we called allergies, chronic immune system attacks — inflammation — in a way that is counterproductive, irritating, even dangerous.
Wall Street Journal
Thanks to CBD’s popularity, consumers are realizing that not all cannabinoids—the active chemical compounds in marijuana and hemp—get you stoned. Research suggests that some cannabinoids may, in fact, increase focus, suppress appetite and keep users awake. The steady wave of legalization has been thrilling for cannabinoid scientists, who say these compounds could help treat a … Continue reading Not everybody must get stoned: pot’s nonintoxicating future
Outside
Meanwhile, that big picture just keeps getting more interesting. Vitamin D now looks like the tip of the solar iceberg. Sunlight triggers the release of a number of other important compounds in the body, not only nitric oxide but also serotonin and endorphins. It reduces the risk of prostate, breast, colorectal, and pancreatic cancers. It … Continue reading Is sunscreen the new margarine?
New York Times
We don’t often think of a diet as being unsafe, but the wrong foods can be dangerous for people with certain risks or conditions. I’ve had two bouts of kidney stones. To avoid a third, I need to stay away from foods high in oxalate, a naturally occurring molecule abundant in plants.
ScienceDaily
Sleep disruptions are associated with many brain disorders, including anxiety, dementias, and traumatic brain injury. While these disruptions are sometimes viewed as a side effect of brain disorders, new findings presented today suggest that aberrant sleep-wake cycles can also drive brain pathology.
InterestingEngineering
Senescent cells are classified as cells that are not older and deteriorated but also compromise the function of cells around them. Studies in animals have shown that the removal of these particular cells can improve some of the effects of aging; including delaying the onset of cataracts.
STAT
It is easier to move health care to a phone than it is to move hospitals to remote communities. In fact, I believe we must get care to where patients are instead of getting patients to where care is located. That is a revolution that is starting now. To help power this new disruptive platform … Continue reading Dispatch from Davos: Hospitals of the future will not be traditional hospitals
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