028 - Immunometabolism, MusicLM, and Chatting with the Dead - HealthHippieMD Week In Review
How to Live to 100
Want to live to one hundred? Doing so combines luck, hard work, and a good social network: How do you live to be 100? Good genes, activity, and friends. (gift article)
Canine Healthspan and Longevity
I first mentioned scientists and start-ups trying to decode the aging process by studying dogs in 017 - Ganzflicker, Misinformation, Canine Cognition, and Happiness — HealthHippieMD. Here is another article, this time in National Geographic: Could dogs be our best hope to reverse aging in humans?
How Long Does it Take to Get Fit After an Exercise Hiatus?
How Long Does It Take to Get Fit Again? (gift article) has the answers and suggestions on how to slow decline when you take a break.
Extending the Functional Life of Immune Cells
An interesting article was published last week in Nature about scientist's success (in mice) in enhancing the functional life of T-cells-one of the body's front-line defenses against disease: Functional T cells are capable of supernumerary cell division and longevity "It's probably one of the most extraordinary papers in immunology that I've seen, easily in the past decade...." Read the summary article: The Case of the Incredibly Long-Lived Mouse Cells
Doctors and Artificial Intelligence in Medicine
AI will have a profound impact on medicine. Doctors, Get Ready for Your AI Assistants | WIRED discusses a few ways AI will change medical practice.
Coffee
The Atlantic linked to many articles on my favorite beverage, coffee. Why Americans Love Coffee So Much
Generative AI for Music
Google has developed a generative AI (like ChatGPT and DALL-E) for music. You type the text for what you want to hear, and MusicLM generates music on the fly. The problem? Copyright. About 10% of MusicLMs songs would infringe on others' copyright. Nevertheless, I'd love to try this tech out. Google created an AI that can generate music from text descriptions, but won't release it
Microbes in Food Alter Cancer Defense
Food is medicine. Here is a brief overview of how the gut microbiome alters the immune system to fight or allow cancer growth: Microbes in your food can help or hinder your body's defenses against cancer – how diet influences the conflict between cell 'cooperators' and 'cheaters'
Rick Rubin on Creativity
It seems everywhere I look, I see the iconic music producer Rick Rubin. He was recently featured on 60 minutes. Here are some thoughts and excerpts from his upcoming book: Creative wisdom from Rick Rubin.
What you Eat and How you Feel
What you eat affects how you feel, mediated by the microbiome. Recent publications attempt to unravel the mechanism: The link between our food, gut microbiome, and depression (gift article) (Thanks, Jenny!)
How to Stop Ruminating
Are you stuck in a mind loop of worries that never seem to end? Here is some valuable advice from the New York Times: How to Stop Ruminating
"Chatting" with the Dead
The fast-moving development of chatbots like ChatGTP has accelerated the ambitious goal of having conversations with the dead: Founder: You'll Soon Be Able to Talk to Your Dead Mom In the Metaverse Thanks to ChatGPT ^
The Microbiome Could Be Contagious
A recent Nature study documented that individuals who spend time together share similar microbial species. The Human Microbiome Might Be Contagious, Scientists Say. The news clip made me think of this NEJM study that showed obesity was more common in groups of people that spend time together (like close friends and family): The Spread of Obesity in a Large Social Network over 32 Years,
Ultra-Processed Food and Cognition
This article is an excellent overview of the effects of dietary choices on brain health: Ultra-processed foods – like cookies, chips, frozen meals, and fast food – may contribute to cognitive decline
Ultra-processed Food and Cancer
A recent study demonstrated that the higher one's intake of ultra-processed foods, the higher the cancer incidence. "For every 10 percent increase in ultra-processed food in a person's diet, there was an increased incidence of 2 percent for cancer overall, and a 19 percent increase for ovarian cancer specifically...." Ultra-processed foods may increase ovarian cancer risk, U.K. study warns. (gift article)
Are Some Foods Addictive?
Not only are ultra-processed foods bad for us, but it is also possible they are addictive: Are Some Foods Addictive? (gift article)
Immunometabolism
Lots of interesting articles on the role of food on health. This article in The Atlantic discusses recent findings of food's impact on immunity and infection: Someday, You Might Be Able to Eat Your Way Out of a Cold.
Remodeling the Brain
Psychedelics remodel the brain. That can be either good or bad: Psychedelics open your brain. You might not like what falls in.
Latest on Long Covid
Opinion | Three important studies shed light on long covid (gift article) opines on recent publications focused on Long Covid.