Weekly Blog

Feb 20

Sometimes we have to dig deep to find an interesting new wrinkle or twist in our ongoing story of "future thriving in present hands". This week was different; a rare scenario where each of the 5 ELEMENTS: MOVE, FUEL, RECOVER, ENDURE, CONNECT was represented in the health headlines, sometimes stand-alone, other times stacked together.

First up, in an ELEMENT stack that we've seen before: MOVE + CONNECT in order to ENDURE, a new study, given its size and scope, brought things to a whole new level. A massive "umbrella review" of 63 studies dove into exercise's impact on mental health (specifically depression and anxiety) and showed, again, that it may be our most consistent and powerful lever to help manage the conditions, precursors, and associated risks. With reductions in symptoms similar or better than what might be expected with medication and psychological interventions generalized as "talk therapies", the authors concluded that exercise prescription should be among the first treatments prescribed. The fine print suggested that aerobic exercise was the most powerful mode and that exercise done with others in a group was particularly potent, but all exercise types worked, especially when tailored to an individual's needs. The authors were quoted as saying "exercise effectively reduced depression and anxiety symptoms across all age groups, comparable with, or exceeding, traditional pharmacological or psychological interventions. Group and supervised formats gave the most substantial benefits.". Powerful stuff.

Next, under the header of FUEL, a trio of studies helped drive home the fundamentals that we so often talk about. The first was another enormous study which tracked the diets of nearly 200,000 individuals over decades (more than 5M "person years" in total) in hopes of settling the "Low carb" vs. "Low fat" debate. Ironically, as the Harvard research team found out, the answer was neither and both...because when it came to diet's role in future health, it was more than macros that mattered, with food quality proving most important. Individuals who consistently consumed diets made up of high-quality foods with an emphasis on whole plants, whether low-fat or low-carb, were far more likely to avoid heart disease. Unfortunately, individuals who consumed lower-quality foods didn't enjoy the same benefit. The editor of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, where the study was published, made it very clear: "Whether a diet is lower in carbohydrates or fat, emphasizing plant-based foods, whole grains, and healthy fats is associated with better cardiovascular outcomes." To make the good news even better, in a first report-out on recent Nordic nutrition recommendations, which attempted to account for both human health and planetary health, foods similar to those above appear to yield a win-win, including a 23% lower risk of dying in those who adhered most closely. The final study in the FUEL category this week may explain why. 

When a research team compared 3 dietary approaches, each known to lower inflammation, it was a combination of probiotics (healthy bacteria) and fiber (a prebiotic that feeds those healthy bacteria) that did best. Specifically fermented kefir mixed with diverse fiber outperformed omega-3 supplementation and fiber alone. To be clear, all three were effective, but the combination worked best at lowering markers of inflammation...just not right before bedtime.

The last study of the week, under the header of RECOVER, reinforced a habit we hold in high regard and talk about any time we can - going to bed empty. This time, it was work done at Northwestern University's medical school that showed that cutting off consumption at least 3 hours before bedtime significantly improved sleep restfulness. As evidenced by improvements in blood pressure (3.5%) and resting heart rate (5%), each a critical marker of whether we are "revved up" or "well recovered", those who shut down earlier did better. The lead of the study said: "Timing our fasting window to work with the body's natural wake-sleep rhythms can improve the coordination between the heart, metabolism, and sleep, all of which work together to protect cardiovascular health." 

There's no single perfect formula that works for everyone, but there definitely is a pattern that appears to work for most. If you're not leveraging the ELEMENTS as an investment in the future, it's a great time to start.

Have a great weekend,

Mike E.