🙌 Happy Friday!
As science evolves and trends shift, the staples for a healthy life don’t. They are more powerful than we ever thought, too, with a new study showing that just three routine lifestyle habits may cut the risk of cardiovascular events like heart attacks by 57%. ❤
Read next: Your brain influences heart attacks?
This week: Sleeping 💤 with no curtains using the “Dutch Method,” certain forms of bile may help you live longer, the Superhuman Pro, and San Francisco’s clean air wins.
Do you get morning sunlight?
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The Livelong Women’s Health Summit™ is just two weeks away, and we can’t wait to see you. Join 75+ of the world’s leading voices in longevity to understand how to optimize hormones, cognition, cardiovascular health, and more. 💫
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Spotlight
🌅 Is the viral Dutch Sleep Method worth trying?
This sunnier spin on sleep isn't for everyone.
Forget blackout curtains. The “Dutch Method” of sleep is a popular and brighter trend for achieving better sleep.
The concept embraces curtain-free windows, waking up to the morning sun, and a ‘nothing to hide’ mindset inspired by Dutch culture, but does the science really hold up?
🌞 Waking up with the sun
Exposure to morning sunlight can regulate your circadian rhythm, which helps you feel energized during the day and sleepy at night.
Morning light exposure is shown to improve cognition, metabolism, and mood, with one 2024 study noting that more bright light exposure is tied to fewer depression symptoms 😄 in menopausal women.
Rachel Wood, PhD, a researcher in Design Psychology, also tells Homes & Gardens that open windows can support connectedness and community with neighbors…. buuutttt most Americans might see it as crossing boundaries.
The dark(er) side: City dwellers may be more affected by light pollution outside, though any light at night can suppress melatonin and reduce sleep quality.
A 2022 Northwestern study suggests that even moderate light during sleep raises next-day insulin resistance, an early marker of metabolic aging. Poor sleep is also tied to faster aging, cognitive decline, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. 🥱
The key takeaways:
The Dutch Method might have benefits IF your nights are actually dark.
For city-dwellers, blackout shades + sunrise alarm clock can offer the best of both. 🌆
Dark, cold, and quiet are still viewed as optimal sleeping conditions.
Most people can benefit from morning sunlight, with general recommendations suggesting 5-10 minutes of direct sunlight within 30–60 minutes of waking.
Wellness watch
🥼 Superaging bile
Bile gets a bad rep, but certain forms of it may be linked to extreme longevity.
Boston University researchers discovered that centenarians have unusually high levels of bile acids—metabolites involved in breaking down nutrients—which could be linked to ‘extreme longevity’ 📉.
When they studied the blood of centenarians and their children, early data suggest that these metabolites could one day:
✔ Accurately estimate biological (cellular) age
✔ Flag risks of age-related decline
✔ Track how well lifestyle or drug interventions are working
Specifically, some of these metabolites may influence pathways associated with slower cellular aging, such as stress signaling.
💊 So, should you start supplementing?
Not yet. It’s interesting science, but it’s not proof. What is interesting is that certain gut microbes, including Lactobacillus—found in fermented food—may influence beneficial bile acid production.
Though too early to know the full connection, eating probiotics and fiber-rich food supports the gut microbiome and has other pro-healthy aging benefits.
The takeaway? With more research, metabolites could be another potential longevity bile-marker used to prevent age-related decline.
In other news: Ultrahuman Vs. Oura
New smart ring alternatives are challenging Oura’s cultural monopoly, and preorders for the Ultrahuman Ring Pro are now available to US buyers.
✨ The features: It may have comparable health tracking, plus, there are no subscription fees, and 15 days of battery life. The $479 smart ring also has heart rate monitoring, a year’s worth of offloaded data storage, and novel features such as caffeine and vitamin D optimization strategies.
⬇ The downsides: It’s rebuilding its reputation after a previous copyright dispute with Oura. The Ultrahuman also has a steeper upfront cost and less clout than Oura.
Though Oura still controls roughly 74% of the smart ring market, Ultrahuman hints at more widespread momentum in longevity tech. And as wearables evolve from basic trackers to metabolic and health span tools, the real winner might be users.
This week’s highlights
🥗 Same foods, different weight: What is the true impact of eating the same meals every day on weight?
🦠 The ‘green’ antibiotic: Salmonella is a public health threat — so are antibiotics. This ‘green’ antibiotic-free alternative could be the key to safer food.
👑 Your royal thymus: A healthy thymus may reduce the risk of death by more than 50%.
→ Ask LIV: Get personalized longevity insights with our updated AI feature.
Long-levity
😮💨 San Francisco is a global leader in air quality
From egg-scented smog to record-setting air, San Francisco is the only North American city to cut air pollution by at least 20% (data from 2010 to 2024). It’s also the only US city to be featured in the acclaimed Breathe Better report.
The victory was hard won but simple. Change the two industries that do the most damage: buildings 🏢 and transportation 🚗 .
Fun fact: more than 30% of the Bay’s vehicles are electric cars!
Air pollution remains one of the world’s deadliest threats, linked to millions of deaths annually. Yet, when cities prioritize cleaner air, it reduces hospitalizations, improves health, and extends life expectancy. 👵
San Fran is proving that health isn’t always breakthrough science. It’s about consistent effort, new policies, and a shared vision.
Read next: Do houseplants purify air? 🪴
Train to protect your body
Join Dr. Vonda Wright, an orthopedic surgeon and New York Times best-selling author, for a Livelong members-only CIRCLE community studio session to learn how to exercise to have strong muscles at 50 and beyond.
This event was originally scheduled for April 3, but it’s been updated to a new date of April 9. See you there!
Poll response
In last week’s newsletter, we focused on happiness and the biology of having strong, steady morals. We asked: Have your morals changed as you’ve gotten older?
Top three answers:
Not really (43%)
A lot (27%)
Only a little (27%)
Don’t miss: Four steps to declutter your supplement drawer
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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.
