Happy Friday!
Last week, we said goodbye to Sir Patrick Stewart, who died at 86 after going through a short battle with Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia. He passed near the start of Alzheimer’s Awareness Month.
Stewart spent six decades entertaining global audiences, and his iconic role as Captain Picard inspired a generation, and then some, to propel space travel and explore new worlds.
Channel your inner Picard this week by reading something that stretches your mind. Or hop on Paramount+ and binge all 7 seasons of Star Trek: The Next Generation. 🖖
In today’s issue, we’re discussing whether B12 supplements can protect your heart, energy drinks and heart health, and the fiber hiding in your trash.
Today’s headlines:
What a B12 pill can’t fix
The “clean” energy drink catch
The fiber hiding in your trash
Sardinia’s new dining experiment
What’s your go-to afternoon pick-me-up?
SPOTLIGHT
A B12 supplement might not protect your heart as much as you think
You might have heard that B12 is good for your heart. But if you already have heart disease, a B12 supplement might not do much to protect it, a new review suggests.
What researchers found
When researchers reviewed decades of studies for Nutrition Journal, they found that low B12 levels were linked to a higher risk of heart disease.
But when researchers gave B12—alongside folic acid and B6—to people who’d recently had a heart attack, or people who already had blood vessel disease, heart attacks and heart-related deaths didn’t drop.
While the combination of B12, folic acid, and B6 reduced homocysteine levels (homocysteine is a blood marker that can damage blood vessels at high levels), it didn’t lead to meaningful heart benefits in at-risk patients.
Why this matters: Low homocysteine levels don’t automatically mean a healthier heart if heart disease has already developed. But B12 is not rendered completely useless. Since B12 supplements are formulated in an unbound state (this is unlike B12 in food), they’re better able to treat a true B12 deficiency that could protect your blood and nerves before heart disease develops.
The takeaway: Know why you’re taking B12. Consider it for B12 deficiency, but protect your heart by moving daily, sleeping well, and watching your blood pressure.
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WELLNESS WATCH
Is your “clean” energy drink hard on your heart?
The energy drink you think is “clean” and good for you might carry more heart risk than its “natural” label leads you to believe, according to early research presented at the American Heart Association’s annual meeting.
What researchers found
When University of Virginia researchers analyzed over 28,000 reports of health problems linked to food and supplements, reports of cardiac arrest events were 11x higher among people who consumed caffeine or stimulant-containing products than among protein bars, smoothies, or vitamins. Approximately 45% of those reports came from adults ages 18 to 34.
Importantly, drinks marketed as “clean” might not get a pass, since the researchers grouped green tea extract, guarana, and yerba mate alongside plain caffeine in their energy drink ingredient analysis.
Why it matters: Some energy drinks pack three times more caffeine per ounce than coffee, and the FDA doesn’t safety-test them like it would medications. The American Heart Association also considers up to 400 mg of caffeine a day (about five 8-ounce cups of coffee) safe for most adults, and one or two cans of energy drinks plus your morning coffee can easily surpass that.
Caffeine limits don’t necessarily change with age, according to the AHA, but heart risk climbs as we get older, and people with severe high blood pressure may face more risk at higher doses. It’s always best to monitor your individual sensitivity, any changes in sleep patterns, or heart palpitations and adjust according to your own personal health needs.
The takeaway: Add up every source of caffeine and ensure you stay within the AHA and your doctor’s recommendations. And if you’re looking for natural ways to boost your energy, try to:
Move for 10 minutes
Get daylight early
Pair protein with fiber at meals
Keep a routine sleep schedule
Join us in San Francisco
We’re coming back to San Francisco on March 5-6 for The Livelong Women’s Health Summit!
Two days of evidence-backed conversations on hormones and menopause, strength, brain health, fertility, longevity, prevention, nutrition, and more, focused on what the research actually means for how you live, feel, and age.
Come with questions. Leave knowing what the science says, what it doesn’t, and how to put it to work in your everyday life.
IN OTHER NEWS
Are you tossing the most important parts of your produce?
This Thanksgiving, before you scrape those squash seeds into the trash, you might want to roast them instead. The peels, skins, seeds, and stalks of many plants often have more fiber than the parts we usually eat, according to new research. Here’s which scraps made the cut.
Fiber improves digestive health, regulates blood sugar, lowers chronic disease risk, amongst many other benefits. According to the AMA, 95% of Americans are deficient in it, on average consuming only 10- 15 grams a day, when the recommendation is 25-30 grams per day.
Tips to eat more fiber: Use more of the whole plant, from peel to stalk. This not only adds more fiber to your plate but also cuts food waste.
Butternut squash skin and seeds are packed with about 9 grams of fiber per 100 grams (about 3.5 ounces, roughly the size of a small apple), which is close to a bowl of bran flakes.
Cauliflower stalks had about twice the fiber of the florets, and bell pepper seeds with the membranes had more than three times the fiber of the pepper walls themselves.
Try it: Scrub produce well, roast the seeds, cut up the stalks, leave the skin on your kiwi. If the fuzz bugs you, toss it in a smoothie, where no one will notice.
SHORT LONGEVITY HITS
Probiotics work…but? Depending on your gut, new research suggests probiotics’ benefits aren’t consistent.
The test(es) of aging: What causes testicles to age? A better question might be: do they cause aging?
Alzheimer’s breakthrough? London scientists discovered an experimental drug that reduces inflammation and DNA damage linked to the disease.
LONG-LEVITY
From blue zone to no phone zone
In Sardinia, Italy, a blue zone with multiple longevity hotspots, 15 restaurants are testing a new no-phone zone initiative.
A tavola senza schermi (‘At the table without screens’) is a one-month pilot project to reignite connection amongst diners. Tables come with “reunion kits” of games and drawing activities so that no one has an excuse to reach for a screen.
Come together, intentionally: Years of research link close relationships to greater happiness, life satisfaction, and longevity. This naturally thrives in Blue Zones (its lifelong friendship circles (moais) in Japan, shared meals by Adventists in Loma Linda…), but in a screen-filled world, we must intentionally create environments for connection to thrive.
So consider creating your own phone-free tavola! Have question cards and games at the ready, and prepare for the inevitable connection.
NEW AT LIVELONG
Join us for one of our upcoming Studio Session virtual events
MON, NOV 9 · 11:30 AM ET/8:30 AM PT
Longevity Supplements: Separating Hope From Hype
with Dr. Leena Pradhan-Nabzdyk
What we’re enjoying:
Four drugs to increase lifespan: Why 75% are for diabetes.
What happens when women don’t sleep enough? Read here.
READER RESPONSE
Highlighting your responses to last week's question in our Halloween issue. We asked:
Are you dressing up this Halloween?
Livelong readers are an authentic bunch, because the top answer was Halloween isn’t my thing. Costumes can shape how you think and act, but even if you’re not a fan of playful getup, pretending to be someone else is shown to help you get motivated to take action and may improve other aspects of health.
Thanks for reading! Have a great weekend.
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The information provided about wellness and health is for general informational and educational purposes only. We are not licensed medical professionals, and the content here should not be considered medical advice. Talk to a doctor before trying any of these suggestions.
