Happy Friday!
Juice is sunshine in a cup—and a new study suggests that adding a cup of fruit juice or a smoothie to your daily diet, along with more fruits and vegetables, may be linked to lower depression scores.
You might think of juice as a liquid blood-sugar spike, but researchers saw no downsides in the metabolic markers they measured. Either way, adding more vitamin C-rich whole foods—from pineapple, peppers, and oranges—would brighten any plate.
Today’s headlines:
Feeling stressed? Check your fingertip
Your aging dreaming brain
‘Poo pills’ for peanut allergy
Sit up, please!
Spotlight
This tiny sensor may catch your stress before you do
Your fingertip could reveal what's happening in your mind before you even find the words.
Written by: Rachel Rhee
In a new study in Communications Medicine, researchers found that shining a light into the skin of your fingertip could pick up on patterns linked to stress symptoms, which could offer a new way to manage mental well-being.
What researchers found
The international research team, led by Aston University, asked 132 adults of all ages to complete a standardized questionnaire about stress, anxiety, and depression.
Next, researchers tested whether fingertip readings could spot stress patterns in blood flow and tissue—including blood flow, cellular metabolism, skin temperature, and heart rate. A machine-learning tool helped determine which readings were the most accurate.
Blood flow and metabolic patterns were among the strongest signals linked to symptoms of stress. Age, sex, weight, and heart rate also contributed.
Why this matters: Mental health is still largely measured through conversation and questionnaires, which can be more difficult to trust as memory or willingness to communicate openly evolves. This early research hints that wearables could one day provide continuous data and objective check-ins (no blood draws required!).
The takeaway: The device is not ready to wear (yet!). But the study's actual output is promising, and the research is a public dataset that other researchers can use.
Feeling stuck?
Doing the same thing isn’t going to help you change. That’s why you should come to The Livelong Women’s Health Summit™.
100+ experts will guide you through the new science of living longer, untangling stubborn Menopause symptoms, gaining mental clarity, muscle, and energy, and empowering you to find your ideal routine to live longer.
Wellness watch
The dreaming part of your brain ages faster than you think
Written by: Rachel Rhee
A new study suggests it's not just how much you sleep that shifts with age; the patterns of rapid eye movement (REM) during sleep shift with age, which may signal brain-related changes over time.
The power of the dream phase
REM sleep is normally split into two phases: "phasic" REM (bursts of rapid eye movements, tied to vivid dreaming and memory processing) and "tonic" REM (quieter, steadier rhythm of sleep with no rapid eye movement). How these phases shift can affect brain function as we age.
Analyzing overnight brain-wave data from 627 adults, researchers found that phasic REM, the dream-heavy phase, progressively declined as we age. Women showed a steeper decline than men.
Why this matters: When phasic REM shrinks (the phase of sleep tied to memory processing and emotional regulation), tonic REM takes over. Tracking this ratio shift over time could be used one day to help flag signs of neurodegenerative or psychiatric conditions before other symptoms appear, but more science needs to be done.
The takeaway: Sleep isn't just getting shorter as you age. It's getting structurally different, especially if you're a woman. Scientists see this pattern as a promising early biomarker worth watching closely.
In other news
How a “poop pill” is treating peanut allergy
In a small but remarkable new study, six of 15 adults with peanut allergy could tolerate more peanuts a few months after swallowing ‘poop pills,’ or capsules carrying gut microbes from healthy, non-allergic donors.
The gut: Peanut butter to the immune system’s jelly
Ongoing research shows the gut microbiome is more than our digestive home.
In this study, the transplant seemed to tweak gut microbes' reaction to byproducts from bile acid (seen as a threat to the allergy sufferers’ gut) and boosted immune cells' tolerance of peanuts.
Researchers are basically testing whether changing gut microbes can make the immune system see peanuts as less of a threat.
What’s next: This is early and small research, but it points to the idea that the gut can reduce the danger of accidental exposure. It also emphasizes how important the gut is in shaping a healthy immune system, which then shapes how we age.
Scientists are now studying microbiome therapies for inflammatory bowel disease, cancer, and a range of other conditions.
Short longevity hits
Is Strava ruining your dating life? For some people, the uber-popular running app has created a “running ick.”
Prozac for PTSD: A small study found the antidepressant may reduce PTSD symptoms after a traumatic injury.
Skin fat fuels aging: Skin fats (the stressed—not supple—kinds) might affect nearly all the major hallmarks of skin aging, in a new study.
Long-levity
Feel proud. Sit up straight!
Teachers always scolded us: ‘Sit up straight!’ We’ve got a mood-boosting reason to listen now. A new McGill University study found that people who sit up straighter feel more pride (a feeling tied to a happier mood) and take more risks than those who hunch.
Sneaky posture shifts: Researchers asked people to play a game on a tablet, adjusting the screen’s position to make people subconsciously choose to sit upright or hunched.
And what do you know... the setup made people sit tall, feel better, and take more risks during the tablet game.
I don’t know if posture outright transforms personality, but it might put your mood in a positive place, which might just change your life.
Design your space to sit taller:
Raise your screen closer to eye level
Put both feet flat on the floor
Break up long sitting spells with brief walks
New at Livelong
Beyond HRT: Explore non-hormonal approaches to support hormonal health. RSVP here.
Ruck x Livelong Media x mindbodygreen: Join us Friday, August 21 at 9:00 AM for a women’s ruck hosted by our friends at YVO Hamptons. Sign up here
Earn CE credits: Members of the Livelong Women's Inner Circle™ can now earn 10 CE hours through Pinnacle Conference, LLC.
What we’re reading next…
Skip the cold plunge. Try this.
The best way to cook eggs for taste, texture, and health.
Reader response
Highlighting your responses to last week's question, featured in: Your bones need more than walking. We asked:
Which daily habit are you most consistent with?
Morning coffee won 60% of the votes, with a few tea drinkers chiming in too. One coffee drinker said they need to do better with their daily habits, but your morning brew may be that habit!
Coffee is rich in polyphenols that can support healthy aging, and it may help you think more clearly, lower the risk of dementia, and help your cells age more slowly.
I’d say they’re already doing one thing right!
Thanks for reading! Have a great week.
Erin
How did you like today's newsletter?
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.
