Non-nutritive Sweeteners and Weight Gain

I have been wary of artificial sweeteners for decades. A recent study in Cell, Personalized microbiome-driven effects of non-nutritive sweeteners on human glucose tolerance , examines one potential mechanism how artificial sweeteners paradoxically cause weight GAIN, mediated through the microbiome. Sucralose and saccharine had the most harmful impact on the glycemic index (a measurement of the sugar in your blood). Read a summary article here: Non-nutritive sweeteners affect human microbiomes and can alter glycemic responses. I also found this excellent, recent overview of artificial sweeteners-especially their impact on inflammation: Artificial Sweeteners: History and New Concepts on Inflammation

Knocking Down Publisher's Paywalls

It's nice to see some real momentum in making science freely accessible. This week, the White House pushed journals to drop paywalls on publicly funded research. Naturally, the multibillion-dollar publishers are pushing back. Back in 2016, I wrote Thoughts on Open Access and Traditional Publication.. We published the manuscript I mentioned in my blog in the open access journal Frontiers in Public Health: A Novel Multiplayer Screen-Based Simulation Experience for African Learners Improved Confidence in Management of Postpartum Hemorrhage.

"Bud"wieser - Cannabis-Infused Beverages

With the rapidly expanding legalization of recreational marijuana and THC comes a bevy of products seeking to capitalize on the new trend financially. The article, Are Weed Drinks Safe? What to know About THC and Alcohol discusses the issues associated with these new products

How to Meditate when you Can't Sit Still

Meditation has many health benefits, but many people have difficulty getting a practice started. If this sounds familiar, How to Meditate When You Can't Sit Still was written for you. More information on meditation: Meditation - HealthHippieMD

Fiber, Phytonutrients, and Healthy Soil

The People's Pharmacy had an excellent discussion this week on the microbiome and regenerative farming. Show 1312: Fiber, Phytonutrients, and Healthy Soil If you're interested in regenerative agriculture, don't miss the beautiful documentary, The Biggest Little Farm.

Time-Restricted Eating / Intermittent Fasting

I found an article on intermittent fasting for weight loss, a quick overview of a subset of recent research. Does Time-Restricted Eating Help With Weight Loss?. If you're interested in this topic, Michael Greger at NutritionFacts.org has a great series of videos on the topic: Fasting For Health and Weight Loss.

+Another article on fasting (and inflammation): One form of fasting may be best to fight inflammation. In this study, individuals fasted for 24 hours once a week. People followed a regimen of "low-frequency" intermittent fasting, fasting for 24 hours once a week. The result was a higher galactin-3 in those that fasted. Galactin-3 aids in cellular repair and decreases systemic inflammation. The authors opined this regimen might have similar effects to SGLT-2 inhibitors, the newer diabetes pharmaceuticals.

"Post-Pandemic" Thoughts

Another opinion piece on the discomfort of integrating back into society without a healthy immune system: The covid pandemic has 'ended,' but I'll keep my mask on, thanks

The Benign Masochism of Spicy Foods

Quick--what animal other than humans has a preference for spicy foods? Give up? Did you have the Chinese Tree Shrew on your bingo card? Me either. An article in the Big Think covers the phenomenon of human enjoyment of spicy foods, A pleasure to burn: Why do people like spicy foods?

Neurologist's Tips for Fighting Memory Loss and Staving Off Alzheimer's

A recent Lancet commission on dementia suggested that up to 40% of Alzheimer's cases could be prevented or delayed. The article, Stop drinking, keep reading, look after your hearing: a neurologist's tips for fighting memory loss and Alzheimer's has some helpful advice, no matter your age.

Psilocybin therapy reduces heavy drinking

This week, I saw plenty of news about a manuscript published in JAMA Psychiatry, Percentage of Heavy Drinking Days Following Psilocybin-Assisted Psychotherapy vs. Placebo in the Treatment of Adult Patients With Alcohol Use Disorder. The article, Psilocybin therapy reduces heavy drinking by up to 83 percent in landmark trial, summarizes the study. Although the cohort was small (96 subjects), and the control group had a significant response - 51% abstaining from alcohol during the study period, the study is still quite interesting. This report will be another brick in the wall in the psychedelic industry's quest to legalize and use psychedelic compounds medically.

+An interesting article on how psychedelics and near-death experiences change core beliefs in similar ways: Psychedelic trips and near-death experiences result in strikingly similar shifts in mindset.

Attachment Style and Friendship

I read the book Attached a couple of years ago, and it left quite an impression. Unsurprisingly, attachment style influences many types of relationships, not just romantic: How Your Attachment Style Shapes Your Friendships

+What are the most valued traits we look for in friends? The most valued trait in a friend will surprise you

Embracing Idleness

Another excellent article in How to Build a Life series at the Atlantic. How to Embrace Doing Nothing, touches on the importance of leisure time. See my article, Time Poverty: a significant threat to wellness.

Quote of the Week

Knowledge is power. The real test of knowledge is not whether it is true but whether it empowers us. Scientists usually assume that no theory is 100% correct. Truth, consequently, is a poor test for knowledge. The real test is utility. A theory that enables us to do new things constitutes knowledge. - Francis Bacon

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