Newsletter #93: The Best Way to Wake Up in the Morning ⏰
Hello Friends!
Welcome to the Valentine’s Day edition of the humanOS newsletter! ❤️ Below is our work, plus the assorted studies and media that captured our attention this week. 🤓
This Week’s Research Highlights
⏰ Your choice of alarm may influence how groggy or low alert you feel when you wake up.
Researchers had 50 subjects anonymously report attributes of their preferred waking sound, their feeling toward that sound, and perceived sleep inertia after waking. Researchers analyzed and compared the data. They found that a sound that is characterized as melodic by participants was linked to greater alertness, while harsh alarms were linked to greater perceived sleep inertia. Sleep inertia can impair performance for up to four hours, and has been linked to major accidents.
🧄 Garlic supplements may substantially improve cardiovascular health in vulnerable individuals.
A meta-analysis of 12 randomized controlled trials and 553 hypertensive participants found that garlic supplements lower systolic blood pressure by an average of 8.3±1.9 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure by 5.5±1.9 mmHg. This is a level of reduction that is comparable to standard anti-hypertensive medications and is associated with a 16-40% reduction in the risk of suffering from cardiovascular events. Furthermore, the review found that Kyolic aged garlic extract significantly lowered blood pressure, pulse wave velocity, and arterial stiffness. Finally, the aged garlic extract was also linked to improvements in the composition of the gut microbiota, evidenced by higher microbial richness and diversity, with a marked increase in the numbers of Lactobacillus and Clostridia species.
👁️ Consuming a Western diet pattern may increase risk of late age-related macular degeneration.
A subset of participants in the ARIC (Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities) study who showed changes in retinal lesions between images taken between 1993-1995 and 2011-2013 were graded to determine incident AMD. A 66-line item food frequency questionnaire, administered at several points, was used to identify 29 food groups and identify dietary patterns. The researchers determined that participants who exhibited a Western dietary pattern had a 3-fold higher risk of developing late AMD. The study’s findings support prior evidence suggesting that low intake of foods rich in nutrients like lutein, zeaxanthin (leafy and carotene vegetables), and long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids like EPA and DHA (seafood) increase risk of late AMD.
Podcasts We Loved This Week
- Stephan Guyenet: Obesity and Hunger. Via The Body Evidence Podcast.
- Chris Melby: Impact of Energy Flux on Weight Loss Maintenance. Via Sigma Nutrition.
- Allison Anacker: Scientists Study Vole Romance Under the Influence. Via Science Friday.
Products We Are Enjoying
Clif Energy Bars
These bars are inexpensive, easy to find at stores, and delicious. They have plenty of carbs for energy (40+ grams), and are pretty much perfect if you are looking for something light on the stomach to eat before working out. They also have zillions of different flavors. I’m personally a fan of Blueberry Crisp but they’re all pretty good - I haven’t had one that I didn’t like yet.
New humanOS Feature
- Course Enhancement: We have added Talking Points to the sixth course ( Sleep & Weight Control) in the Ideal Weight Program, created by Stephan Guyenet. 🙌🏽
FYI: Talking Points is a feature that is unlocked once you complete a course (just click on the achievement badge), and offers a useful recap of key takeaways from the lessons to aid memory retention, and hopefully enhance your ability to use that information and convey it to others. No point in studying something if you can’t use that info later, right?