The hottest Health & Wellness Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Health & Wellness Topics

Bacterial Xanax

Eat Shit and Prosper • 519 implied HN points • 19 Nov 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health Neuroscience Pharmacology Gut Health
  1. The human brain has many neurotransmitters that affect how we feel, much like how different tastes shape our eating experience. Just as tasting food can change our mood, our brain's chemistry can influence our emotions.
  2. Benzodiazepines, like Xanax, were discovered to help with anxiety before scientists fully understood how they worked. They enhance the effects of a natural calming neurotransmitter called GABA, but researchers are still figuring out if our bodies have natural versions of these calming substances.
  3. Gut bacteria might play a role in anxiety by producing compounds that assist with brain function. If these helpful bacteria are reduced or absent, it could lead to anxiety disorders, suggesting that restoring these good bacteria could help some people.

Study Questions Supposed Link Between Being Higher-Weight and Cognitive Ability

Weight and Healthcare • 639 implied HN points • 26 Aug 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Weight Stigma Cognitive ability BMI Research
  1. The concept of 'cognitive ability' has been historically used to promote discrimination against various groups.
  2. BMI and definitions of 'obesity' are shaky concepts without clear health implications.
  3. Research questioning the link between higher weight and cognitive ability often still operates under the assumption that weight is a preventable health issue.

Reader Question: What is Relapsing Remitting Obesity

Weight and Healthcare • 639 implied HN points • 13 Sep 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Obesity Weight Loss Diet Industry Health Issues Body positivity
  1. Relapsing Remitting Obesity is a term used in the context of repeated weight loss attempts followed by long-term weight gain.
  2. This concept of weight cycling has been shown to have serious negative impacts on health outcomes, which may be wrongly attributed to body size.
  3. The re-branding of weight cycling as Relapsing Remitting Obesity by the weight loss industry serves as a marketing tactic to perpetuate the cycle of failed products and interventions.
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Hospitals, BA.2.86, schools, Twitter, teaching

Logging the World • 637 implied HN points • 24 Sep 23
🏥 Health & Wellness COVID-19 Mental health Teaching
  1. COVID optimism might be on the rise based on recent data trends like the BA.2.86 growth rates and hospital investigations.
  2. Studies show a concerning decline in mental health among school children during the pandemic, indicating the need for better support.
  3. Personal experiences such as being locked out of social media and starting a large teaching session can affect one's daily routine.

Alchemy of the Psyche: Exploring Shadow Work & Psychedelics

Tripsitter • 199 implied HN points • 01 Apr 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Psychedelics Shadow work Integration Therapy
  1. Shadow work involves acknowledging and integrating suppressed traits, desires, and emotions that influence our thoughts and actions.
  2. The human consciousness comprises layers including the ego, the persona, and the collective unconscious, each influencing our personality and interactions.
  3. Suppressing the shadow can lead to projecting undesirable traits onto others, disconnection, biases, impatience, victim mentality, and narcissism.

Three Common Statistics Snafus in Weight Science

Weight and Healthcare • 718 implied HN points • 19 Apr 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Weight Science Statistics Research Body Weight
  1. Repeated attempts at intentional weight loss can have decreasing odds of success, and weight cycling can lead to significant harm.
  2. Just because a study result is statistically significant doesn't necessarily mean the effect is important or impactful.
  3. Understanding the actual increase in risk percentage versus the absolute risk percentage is crucial in healthcare decision-making.

The Fasting-Feeding Reset

Harnessing the Power of Nutrients • 1158 implied HN points • 31 Jan 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Fasting Supplements Immune System
  1. The concept of a Fasting-Feeding Reset involves stacking supplements to optimize both fasting and feeding states for tissue health.
  2. Fasting is not suitable for everyone, especially pregnant/lactating women, children, or those with certain medical conditions.
  3. The fasting-feeding reset approach aims to clean up damaged tissue during fasting and rebuild healthy tissue during feeding for immune system improvements.

66. Snowfall, Shoveling, and Heart Attacks: A Hidden Winter Danger!

Spyderdoc Newsletter • 19 implied HN points • 25 Jan 26
🏥 Health & Wellness Cardiovascular Health Preventive Medicine
  1. Shoveling snow can suddenly overload the heart because it combines heavy arm work, breath-holding, and cold air that raise blood pressure and heart rate.
  2. Large studies link heavy snowfalls to spikes in heart attacks and cardiac deaths, especially in men and people with underlying risk factors.
  3. If you have heart disease or risk factors, arrange for someone else to remove the snow. If you must shovel, go slowly, dress warmly, push or use a snowblower instead of lifting, and stop immediately for chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, or other warning signs.

How To Submit a Public Comment Re: Sars-CoV-2 Fall 2023 Updated Booster

LIL Science • 628 implied HN points • 07 Sep 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Public Health Disease Prevention Vaccination Immune System Health Advocacy
  1. Public comments about Sars-CoV-2 Fall 2023 Updated Booster must be submitted by September 8th, 2023, 11:59 EST.
  2. To submit a public comment, go to the CDC website, find the Public Comments tab, follow the link to the Federal eRulemaking Portal, and search by docket number CDC-2023-0060.
  3. Advocates believe the booster should be widely available due to limited protection from existing vaccines, risks of reinfection, and potential long-term health impacts.

Can Dietary Supplements Do Harm?

Are You Okay? • 619 implied HN points • 07 Aug 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Nutrition Supplements Well-being Medicine Lifestyle
  1. Nature is beneficial, but not all solutions come in pill form. Many health issues can be addressed by examining and adjusting everyday habits.
  2. Be cautious with dietary supplements and always consider potential interactions with medication. Speak to your doctor about all the supplements you are taking.
  3. Check the credibility of information sources when considering supplements. Not all supplements are regulated closely, so it's important to seek certified products and reliable sources.

OMG Are We Masking Again?

Are You Okay? • 619 implied HN points • 09 Jun 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Air Quality Safety measures Chronic Conditions
  1. Increased wildfire activity due to climate change is causing a rise in toxic particulate pollution in the air, impacting everyone's health but particularly risky for those with chronic conditions.
  2. Wildfire smoke contains harmful PM2.5 particles that can lead to respiratory issues, trigger asthma flares, and increase the risk of viral infections.
  3. To protect yourself from wildfire smoke, monitor air quality, keep windows closed when AQI is high, use air purifiers with HEPA filters, avoid outdoor exercise in hazy air, and consider wearing a KN95 or N95 mask if at high risk.

Exercise Machines are Not Fraud

Yung’s Substack • 616 implied HN points • 02 Jul 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Fitness Exercise Equipment Injuries Stability
  1. Exercise machines and free weights each have their advantages and disadvantages, and the choice between them depends on factors like goals, training stage, and personal preferences.
  2. Machines do not necessarily isolate muscles, but they can provide stability and offer different resistance profiles compared to free weights.
  3. Safety is not a deciding factor between machines and free weights, and injuries in weight training are more commonly related to using free weights.

Op-Ed in Today's Daily Beast

Ladyparts • 539 implied HN points • 05 Nov 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Healthcare Government
  1. Caretaking in America is a critical part of healthcare but is often overlooked or undervalued.
  2. The government is failing to adequately address the cost and challenges associated with caretaking.
  3. The author highlights the need for more awareness and support for caretakers and emphasizes the importance of discussing this issue.

Why Identity in Healthcare Sucks

Health API Guy • 609 implied HN points • 03 Aug 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Healthcare Identity Privacy Technology Modernization
  1. Identity in healthcare is facing challenges in the digital era, with traditional methods like access codes and knowledge-based questions showing flaws.
  2. Healthcare organizations need to modernize their identity verification processes to provide a low-friction, secure, and private user experience.
  3. Increasing digital engagement through improved identity flows can benefit both patients and healthcare providers, leading to higher satisfaction and improved access to healthcare data.

Weight Loss Industry Big Think - Expanding the Market -Part 2

Weight and Healthcare • 459 implied HN points • 02 Dec 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Weight Loss Weight Stigma Research Methods Insurance Coverage
  1. The weight loss industry strategically turns existing higher body weights into disease diagnoses to expand its market.
  2. They aim to exploit insurance coverage and exaggerate risks associated with higher weights to increase profits.
  3. The industry targets all age groups and sizes, pushing for wider definitions of overweight and obesity to sell interventions and expand its customer base.

Bicycle Day (April 19): The First Acid Trip in Human History 🚲 🍄

Tripsitter • 159 implied HN points • 19 Apr 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Psychedelics Mental health Substance Use Self-Exploration
  1. Bicycle Day commemorates the first intentional dose of LSD by Albert Hofmann in 1943, marking a significant event in the history of psychedelics.
  2. Psychedelics like LSD are celebrated on Bicycle Day for their mind-opening capabilities and not just for their euphoric effects.
  3. People celebrate Bicycle Day by consuming psychedelics responsibly, learning about psychedelics, engaging in psychedelic-inspired art, music, and nature activities.

How to (and not to) detox in the New Year

Your Local Epidemiologist • 850 implied HN points • 10 Jan 25
🏥 Health & Wellness Nutrition Detox Fitness Mental health Public Health
  1. A balanced diet with good nutrition helps your body detox naturally. Eating healthy foods supports your organs and keeps everything working well.
  2. Staying hydrated is important. Drinking enough water helps your kidneys and digestive system do their job of removing waste.
  3. Many trendy detox methods, like extreme diets or detox drinks, are not proven to work and can sometimes be harmful. It's better to focus on healthy habits like regular exercise and reducing alcohol.

Friday Q&A: silent spread of COVID; full body MRI; Ambien risks; & quantifying risk

Are You Okay? • 599 implied HN points • 29 Sep 23
🏥 Health & Wellness COVID-19 Risk Assessment Symptoms Preventive Care
  1. Some studies suggest that asymptomatic individuals with COVID-19 may have low viral infectivity, meaning they are less likely to spread the virus.
  2. Having a full-body MRI has benefits like early cancer detection, but it may not always be necessary for everyone and should be evaluated based on individual health considerations.
  3. Ensure to stay informed about current health topics and consult healthcare professionals for personalized advice and guidance.

Friday Q&A: COVID, masks, boosters & testing

Are You Okay? • 599 implied HN points • 08 Sep 23
🏥 Health & Wellness COVID-19 Masks Vaccines Public Health Medical Advice
  1. High-grade, well-fitted, consistently-worn masks can help protect the individual against infection, but mask mandates have not shown to slow the spread of COVID.
  2. The Cochrane review published in January 2023 concluded that wearing masks 'probably makes little or no difference' to COVID outcomes on a population level.
  3. While masks can offer personal protection, mask mandates in 2023 may not be effective without evidence to support their impact and considering they are not a harm-free intervention.

Could Used Coffee Grounds Protect Brain Cells?

Ladyparts • 479 implied HN points • 21 Nov 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Research Prevention Brain health
  1. A new study suggests that a substance from used coffee grounds could help prevent neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
  2. Current neurodegenerative disease research often focuses on drugs for symptoms after diagnosis, rather than preventing degeneration of brain cells.
  3. Research at the University of Texas at El Paso found that compounds in coffee grounds might protect brain neurons from degeneration.

Nahid De Belgeonne on tackling a midlife identity crisis

The Shift With Sam Baker • 219 implied HN points • 14 Mar 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Self-discovery Body awareness
  1. Feeling lost in midlife is common due to various life changes like career peaking, children growing up, and menopause. It's natural to question who we are at this stage of life.
  2. Our self-image involves more than just physical appearance. It's about understanding our physical sensations, emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. True self-discovery comes from listening to your body, not external pressures.
  3. Instead of chasing external ideals or expecting constant happiness, focus on connecting with your body to navigate your identity crisis. Embrace changes and listen to what your body is telling you.

How Psychological Distress Globally Accelerated Among Youth During the COVID-19 Pandemic

After Babel • 691 implied HN points • 19 Feb 25
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health Youth Issues Crisis response Global trends
  1. Youth mental health issues have greatly increased since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Many more young people are reporting feelings of anxiety and depression now than before.
  2. The rise in mental health complaints among adolescents has been particularly high for girls. Almost 60% of girls experience mental health complaints regularly.
  3. Different countries show varying levels of mental health issues among youth. Cultural and societal factors play a big role in how these problems are experienced in different places.

It’s Okay to Not Be Okay

Are You Okay? • 878 implied HN points • 10 Jan 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health Self-care Nutrition Exercise Well-being
  1. Health is more than just physical metrics like blood pressure; it also encompasses how we feel, think, and behave in our daily lives.
  2. Being healthy involves honesty, asking for help, and building structure and support where needed, rather than quick fixes or fad diets.
  3. Prioritize four key elements for health: Sleep, Talk, Eat, Move, remembering that self-care is about meeting basic needs and nurturing a foundation for overall well-being.

Mixing antidepressants and psychedelics: 5 Questions for psychopharmacologist Kelan Thomas

The Microdose • 589 implied HN points • 05 Jun 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Medication Psychedelics Therapy Treatment Safety
  1. Psychedelic clinical trials often exclude participants taking SSRIs to isolate the effects of the single drug being studied.
  2. The main risk of mixing SSRIs and psychedelics is serotonin toxicity, but in healthy volunteers, the risk seems low.
  3. Tapering off SSRIs can have risks, including the return of depression or anxiety symptoms and serotonin discontinuation syndrome.