Making Tomorrow Better than Today
Wise & Well Weekly: The health and wellness newsletter
Welcome back to your weekly dose of wisdom and wellness, with science-backed insights you can use to improve your physical, mental and emotional well-being. Our mission is to help you make tomorrow a little better than today, and we invite you to subscribe to this newsletter so you never miss a story. We’ve got several intriguing and actionable new health and wellness articles below. But first, this week’s spotlight:
More Reasons to Avoid Ultraprocessed Food
Packaged and processed foods that contain gobs of sugar, salt, fats and unpronounceable preservatives and other non-nutrient stuff have long been known to be awful for health. Much of this ultraprocessed “food” is barely food, yet it makes up more than 50% of calorie intake in the US and many other countries. We’re talking about snacks and sodas, but also common cereals and ready-to-eat frozen meals. Collectively, all this junk food is formulated and marketed creatively to get you addicted, as I’ve written before, while being largely bereft of actual nutrition.
A new analysis reviewed the existing research on the subject and weighted the credibility of various studies on the quality of their methodology and findings. The results, published Feb. 28 in the journal BMJ:
“Convincing evidence showed that higher ultra-processed food intake was associated with around a 50% increased risk of cardiovascular disease related death, a 48–53% higher risk of anxiety and common mental disorders, and a 12% greater risk of type 2 diabetes.”
Normally I’d wax on about such stark findings and the need for many of us to lean into better eating patterns, about reading labels and avoiding anything with more than a handful of recognizable ingredients, about loading up on fruits and vegetables. But I’ve written that story many times, and so today I’d like to just leave you with this:
“Overall, the authors found that diets high in ultra-processed food may be harmful to most — perhaps all — body systems,” researchers not involved in the study wrote in an accompanying editorial in the journal.
If you’d like to explore more, check out Wise & Well’s topic page on Nutrition, Diet and Healthy Eating, or see these in-depth articles:
- Why It’s So Hard to Know What to Eat
- How to Eat: Facts and Fallacies about Healthy Food
- The Majority of Food We Eat is Surprisingly Addictive and Deadly
Now let’s what our Wise & Well writers have been up to this week…
HEALTHY READING
A selection of this week’s informative and insightful Wise & Well articles:
The Music is in You. Are You Listening?
We’re born with music in us. It even affects us before we’re born. But somewhere along the way, we might develop negative self-perceptions of our musical abilities, or have a bad experience that turns us away from music. We forget (or ignore) how to truly listen to music and enjoy the many ways it can enhance life. Learn several practical ways to get back into the groove, to enhance (or even reclaim) your connection to music.
— By Gail Post, PhD
Is There an LGBTQ-ADHD Connection?
The term neurodivergent has been applied to conditions like autism, ADHD, and even sexual orientation and gender identity, to acknowledge that differences in brain structure may lead to differences in behavior, thinking, or feeling, that are not particularly pathological. Being different doesn’t mean that one is necessarily ill. This psychiatrist and neuroscientist explores the many nuances of the topic.
— By John Kruse MD, PhD
New Marijuana Risks Revealed
Few recreational drugs seem to generate as much conjecture, confusion and controversy, over so many decades, as marijuana. Some see it as a remedy for just about every ailment under the sun. Others deem it the devil’s weed, a gateway to heavier drug use. Lots of folks in the middle just wanna have fun. New research links smoking pot to substantially higher risk of heart attacks and strokes, and other recent studies document long-term negative effects to the brain for any method of marijuana consumption, especially when consumption begins early in life.
—By Robert Roy Britt
Chronic Pain and the Kratom Controversy
Used to battle pain or opioid addiction, the supplement kratom is banned in several states. Does it work? Is it safe? A pharmacologist explains the controversy and sorts through the promises, realities and risks of this product sold widely in gas stations and convenience stores.
— By C. Michael White
And from our sister publication, Aha! …
Is Frozen Fruit as Good as Fresh?
Frozen food often gets a bad rap. But not all frozen food is equal. The technique of flash freezing offers fruit that’s often tastier and more nutritious than the stuff picked way in advance for “fresh” delivery to the produce section. But isn’t organic or locally produced fruit better? And what about veggies? Here’s everything you need to know.
— By Denny Pencheva, MD
Will the World’s Population Rise Forever?
The global population is 8.1 billion, a colossal increase since the 18th Century, when it was less than 1 billion. The surge has had tremendous societal implications. But extensive data now reveals a burgeoning society of retirees, a dearth of children, and a looming reversal of fortunes. What will that mean for humans as individuals?
—By Richard Gordon
If you appreciate highly curated, professionally edited articles, please subscribe to this newsletter. — Rob
