[Examine Newsletter] April 2022 Updates

See what's new on Examine for the past month!  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ [Examine](=) [View in browser](=) Hello! Here’s your recap of Examine's April 2022 updates. 📧 Reminder: If you would like to switch back to weekly emails instead of a monthly newsletter — just [click here](=). --------------------------------------------------------------- April 28, 2022 🐟☀️💊 Autoimmune disease, fish oil, and vitamin D In the field of nutrition, randomized trials are typically small. A few dozen participants is the norm. A few hundred is considered big. This beastly trial enrolled 25,871 people. Whoa! [Study Summary: Autoimmune disease, fish oil, and vitamin D](=) The participants were followed for years to see if they developed autoimmune diseases. During those years, they were given one of the following pairs of pills to take on a daily basis: - Vitamin D and placebo - Fish oil and placebo - Vitamin D and fish oil - Placebo and placebo The vitamin D capsule contained 2,000 IU of vitamin D3. The fish oil capsule contained 1 gram of fish oil, which contained 460 mg of EPA and 380 mg of DHA. This is a huge and potentially important trial, so make sure to give our summary a look if you or anyone you know is interested in autoimmune conditions. [Read on Examine]( --------------------------------------------------------------- April 21, 2022 🥛 Is kefir good for you? Kefir is milk fermented with kefir grains, a symbiotic culture of yeast and bacteria. It is similar to (and tastes like) liquid yogurt. Kefir is touted as a “supercharged probiotic” and “microbiome balancer” — but what does the evidence say? [Kefir: Benefits, dosing, and side effects](=) The lead researcher for this page was [Natalka Roshak](), one of the three core members of Examine’s Gut Gang (the two others being [Dr. Gabrielle Fundaro](=) and myself). Outside of Examine, our gang isn’t very popular. When a new gut-health study comes out and health gurus start shouting, “Look at this amazing probiotic/supplement/diet!”, we go into critical-analysis mode. We’re not fun. Not exciting. We dig for the truth, and simply share it with you. And the truth is that many gut-health studies are flawed, and that those that are solid are often misinterpreted by the mainstream media. So what’s the truth here? Is kefir healthy? The answer isn’t a simple yes or no. Kefir may be good for some people, bad for others, and so we carefully present you with the evidence for various scenarios: [Read on Examine]() --------------------------------------------------------------- April 14, 2022 Top 5 Study Summaries for April 📚➡️📑 Every month, we summarize 150+ new studies for our [Examine Members](=). You can read five of this month’s most favorited Study Summaries for free by clicking on the links below. The Study Summary marked with is an Editor’s Pick: It provides more details about the study, mentions related studies, and includes helpful graphics. While our focus is on recent studies, we sometimes stumble upon older studies that are simply too interesting not to share with our Members. We summarize them and mark them with ⏪ (the rewind symbol). [Cardiometabolic benefits of fasting](=) This narrative review suggests that intermittent fasting can decrease body weight, blood pressure, insulin resistance, oxidative stress, and lipids. The decrease in lipids is especially variable and may be especially dependent on how much weight was lost. [Addictive attributes of food]( ⏪ This cross-sectional study suggests that food is more addictive when it’s more processed, has a higher glycemic index, or contains more added fat or added refined carbs. [Better sleep with the MIND diet]( This cross-sectional study of 400 men found that the participants with higher adherence to the MIND diet were less likely to have insomnia, poor sleep, or daytime sleepiness. [Taking zinc can alleviate PMS]( In this 6-month randomized controlled trial, zinc supplementation improved various aspects of premenstrual syndrome. [Taking 4,000 IU of vitamin D daily seems safe]( This randomized controlled trial followed 2,423 adults with overweight and prediabetes for a median of three years. It found that a daily dose of 4,000 IU of vitamin D3 (the official tolerable upper intake level in the U.S. and the E.U.) did not increase the risk of adverse events. You can also check out the [most-favorited summaries from previous months](.🔥 – So, did you find something of interest? If not, please reply to this email to let me know which topics you’d like us to tackle. And if you’re ready to stay on top of the latest research, consider becoming an [Examine Member (with a two-week free trial)](=). --------------------------------------------------------------- April 7, 2021 🩸📉 Can you lower blood pressure without drugs? If you have hypertension (high blood pressure), like almost 30% of Americans, is there something you can do — aside from medicating? [Deep Dive: The best non-drug ways to lower blood pressure](=) Various lifestyle interventions can lower blood pressure, so for many people, medicating isn’t necessary. But to be safe, follow these three steps: - Select an evidence-based lifestyle intervention that fits your schedule and preferences. - Run it by your physician, especially if you’re currently taking blood-pressure medication. - Regularly measure your blood pressure, so you can assess the efficacy of your current strategy. Fortunately, blood-pressure self-monitoring — which was the topic of my [second published meta-analysis](), 10 years ago! — is relatively easy. And selecting an evidence-based lifestyle intervention has become easier, thanks to the study we analyzed for you: [Read on Examine]() For some people, of course, lifestyle interventions won’t be enough; medication will still be necessary — but often at a lower dosage. --------------------------------------------------------------- Latest on Social Media [🐟☀️💊 Autoimmune disease, fish oil, and vitamin D In the field of nutrition, randomized trials are typically small. A few dozen participants is the norm. A few hundred is considered big. This beastly trial enrolled 25,871 people. Whoa! The participants were followed for years to see if they developed autoimmune diseases. This is a huge and potentially important trial, so make sure to give our summary a look if you or anyone you know is interested in autoimmune conditions.]() [🐟☀️💊 Autoimmune disease, fish oil, and vitamin D In the field of nutrition, randomized trials are typically small. A few dozen participants is the norm. A few hundred is considered big. This beastly trial enrolled 25,871 people. Whoa! The participants were followed for years to see if they developed autoimmune diseases. This is a huge and potentially important trial, so make sure to give our summary a look if you or anyone you know is interested in autoimmune conditions.]() [ Previous Next Probiotics and depression The influence of the gut on emotions has been captured in our language for decades. In fact, the term “gut reaction” first appeared in a newspaper in 1928, and the term “bust a gut” dates back to the 19ᵗʰ century.⁠In fact, this connection is so robust that altering your gut microbiota can affect your cognitive reactivity to rumination, aggression, and other thought and emotional patterns that predict future depression. How does this work – and what does it mean for you? Read the full Examine Deep Dive into a study that covered this topic.](=) [ Previous Next Probiotics and depression The influence of the gut on emotions has been captured in our language for decades. In fact, the term “gut reaction” first appeared in a newspaper in 1928, and the term “bust a gut” dates back to the 19ᵗʰ century.⁠In fact, this connection is so robust that altering your gut microbiota can affect your cognitive reactivity to rumination, aggression, and other thought and emotional patterns that predict future depression. How does this work – and what does it mean for you? Read the full Examine Deep Dive into a study that covered this topic.](=) [Do you warm up before lifting weights? Do you stretch?⁠]() [Lifespan vs Healthspan The concept of the 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐧, as opposed to 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐧, deals with the 𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 of your years rather than just their quantity.⁠The graphic shows the average number of years people live before they contract a debilitating condition: 66.1 years. It also shows the average age at which various life-threatening diseases develop (so, for instance, it doesn’t show that most people will get COPD by age 45; rather, it shows that people who get COPD get it at age 45 on average).⁠⁠Modern medicine can often extend life long past the onset of a disease, but that “extra time” usually involves pain and various impairments. Moreover, many chronic conditions can be debilitating even when they’re not life-threatening — osteoporosis (bone loss), sarcopenia (muscle loss), cognitive decline, reduced immunity, and loss of libido, for instance, are all common in older age.⁠⁠⁠As we’re not getting any younger ourselves, we parsed the literature to determine which supplements were most likely to help us maintain our quality of life as we aged. And since we’d done the work anyway, we decided to share our findings with you, for free. Click through to pick up our Healthy Aging Supplement Guide.](=) follow us on: [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [LinkedIn]( [Instagram](=) [About Examine]( | [Careers]( | [Member’s Area]() [Free 2-week Membership trial]( PO Box 592, Station-P, Toronto, Ontario M5S 2T1 [Switch to weekly emails]( | [Opt-out of all emails](