Newsletter #006: Sauna Bathing and Inflammation 🧖
Happy weekend, friends! Well, Dan made it to Maine and back in one piece after 20 hours of travel in two days. Greg brought us interesting research on the effects of chocolate compounds on cognition (and his illuminating personal experience with chocolate as he battled through his Ph.D.), and Ginny highlights some research describing a useful hack to reduce food intake without even knowing it. Greg and Dan also did some interviews that you should totally check out (preferably during a long walk early in the day with some sunshine). Lastly, happy 33rd-year wedding anniversary to the parents of our beloved powerhouse husband and wife programmers in Florida, Eric, and Chelsea! ❤
Us as Guests
- Dan Pardi: The Sneaky State of Food Science. Via Wellness Force.
- Greg Potter: The Links Between Sleep and Body Composition. Via Bodyshot Performance.
This Week’s Research Highlights
🩸 Turmeric consumption on glucose metabolism
The results of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) that investigated the effects of turmeric consumption on patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The results showed that taking 500mg capsules of turmeric six times daily for 12 weeks led to decreases in serum levels of glucose, insulin, HOMA-IR, and leptin. Specifically, there was a reduction of 1.22% in glucose levels, 17.69% in insulin levels, 19.48% in HOMA-IR (a measure of insulin resistance), and 21.33% in leptin levels. These findings suggest that turmeric consumption may have potential benefits for managing metabolic dysfunction in patients with NAFLD.
🧖 Reduction in inflammation may be one of the pathways linking sauna bathing with decreased risk of chronic disease.
An observational study found that people who had 4-7 sauna sessions per week had lower levels of hsCRP, a biomarker of systemic inflammation, compared to those who only had one sauna session per week. The difference in hs-CRP levels between the two groups was -1.66 mg/l. This suggests that frequent sauna sessions may have an anti-inflammatory effect, which could help to lower the risk of chronic diseases that are associated with chronic inflammation.
😞 Acetyl-L-Carnitine produces rapid antidepressant effects
A study found that Acetyl-L-Carnitine can have rapid antidepressant effects in an animal model of depression by inducing the expression of type 2 metabotropic glutamate receptors through epigenetic mechanisms. Acetyl-L-Carnitine is a compound that occurs naturally in the body and is involved in energy metabolism. The study also found that Acetyl-L-Carnitine administration significantly increased the levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein that is essential for the growth and survival of neurons, and plays a crucial role in long-term memory. These findings suggest that Acetyl-L-Carnitine may be a promising candidate for the development of new antidepressant drugs that work quickly and have fewer side effects than traditional antidepressants.
Podcasts We Loved This Week
- Sarah Myhill: Mitochondria And Fatigue: The Real Cause of Fatigue. Via Ari Whitten at The Energy Blueprint podcast.
- Shamini Bundell and Adam Levy: Magnetic animal migration, cold enzymes, and mouse memory. Via The Nature Podcast.
- Satchin Panda: The Power of Time-Restricted Eating. Via Max Lugavere at The Genius Life Podcast.
Products We Are Enjoying
SelfControl.
Greg Potter: Need to get things done but find yourself aimlessly perusing websites that aren’t actually improving your day? Block your access to them using SelfControl! (Note for Windows users: I used Anti-Social and Freedom for this purpose when I had a laptop with a Windows operating system.)
New Content by humanOS
- Blog: Does Chocolate Make You Smarter? By Greg Potter.
- FB: Eating the same volume of food - but divided into multiple smaller units - helps reduce food intake.
humanOS Catalog Feature of the Week
Wishing you the best,
