Happy Friday!
Did you know San Francisco was ranked as the healthiest city in the U.S. this year?! It comes as no surprise, what with its steep rolling hills, large parks, and easy access to blue space (the Bay!) It’s the perfect backdrop for our next Livelong Women’s Health Summit. Early bird pricing is still available, so grab your spot while it lasts!
In today’s issue, we learn about the effects olive oil might have on blood sugar, the role the APOE gene really has on Alzheimer’s outcomes, your dog vs. you in bed, and the case for smelling more dark chocolate.
Today’s headlines:
Have an Alzheimer’s gene? Your habits still count.
The olive oil trick for blood sugar spikes
The case for letting your dog sleep with you
Smelling chocolate = lifting more??
Who’s really ruining your sleep?
Spotlight
Healthy habits might help Alzheimer’s gene carriers more than non-carriers
A family history of Alzheimer’s can feel scary, but that does not make a diagnosis inevitable.
New research suggests that older adults who carry an APOE4 allele—a version of the APOE4 gene which may be linked to a higher risk of developing the most common form of Alzheimer’s—can gain meaningful brain benefits from healthy lifestyle changes.
The study tracked thinking skills rather than Alzheimer’s diagnoses, but it’s an encouraging sign for anyone with a family history.
What researchers found
Researchers analyzed data from three clinical trials studying the effects of healthy-living programs on executive function in adults aged 60-85 who were at higher risk of memory and thinking problems.
The programs focused on eating well, moving more, doing brain-training activities, and tracking blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol.
Among higher-risk adults, healthy habits made the biggest positive difference in executive function (planning, juggling tasks, and staying focused) in APOE4 carriers specifically.
Why this matters
Genetic risk can feel like the ultimate verdict, but this research suggests that it simply acts as a signal to you so you can act early. Researchers now call carriers of APOE4 a top priority for prevention. Ideally, carriers start these preventative actions before memory problems begin, or while they’re still mild.
The takeaway: Move more, eat well, keep learning, and watch your blood pressure are all healthy habits to integrate into your lifestyle whether you have the gene or not.
Early Bird Pricing is Here for San Francisco!
Join us March 5-6 at Marriott Marquis for The Livelong Women’s Health Summit in San Francisco.
Two days of evidence-backed conversations about the health decisions that shape how women live, feel, and age. From hormones and menopause to strength, brain health, fertility, longevity, prevention, nutrition, and more.
Come with questions. Leave with better answers, practical strategies, and a clearer understanding of your health and what's possible in the years ahead.
Wellness Watch
Can a spoonful of olive oil blunt a blood sugar spike?
In a study done on mice, consuming olive oil before glucose made the blood sugar spike smaller and slower post-meal, according to a new study in Diabetes.
What researchers found
When researchers at Kyoto University gave mice 5 ml of olive oil per kilogram of body weight (or a roughly human equivalent dose of 2 tbsp for a 150-pound person), 15 minutes before a dose of sugar, their blood sugar rose less than in mice who took the oil 15 minutes later.
The mechanism
Study authors explain that oil slows how fast the stomach empties.
Oil triggers the release of GLP-1, GIP, and glucagon, which are natural hormones.
The vagus nerve helped coordinate this, carrying signals between the gut, brain, and digestive organs. Both processes led to slower stomach emptying and a smaller early glucose rise.
In other words, oil helped sugar trickle into the bloodstream vs. flooding it.
Why this matters
Managing your blood sugar after meals is a big part of metabolic health, especially if you have pre-diabetes or diabetes.
You might have heard that “food order” can slow the rise in glucose levels: eating veggies first, then protein or fat before carbs. Though more human trials still need to be done, this research suggests that blunting glucose spikes might be possible with small dietary modifications.
The takeaway: This study does not prove that taking olive oil before carbs will lower blood sugar in people, but starting a meal with fat, vegetables, or protein may be a meal-sequencing approach to manage post-meal glucose.
Sponsored by: Siemens
What would you tell your younger self?
When Natalie was diagnosed with breast cancer, she came away with one message: don't wait to prioritize your health. Hear her story and learn why regular screening matters.
In other news
It’s OK to let your furry friend sleep with you
It might be time to apologize to Fido. In a small study, people who shared their bed with a dog did not experience worse sleep.
In fact, owners are often the ones who wake their dogs first.
What researchers found
Researchers at the University of Toronto put activity trackers on 25 people and their 38 dogs for four weeks. Even when dog owners swore their dogs kept them up all night, the researchers found that sharing a bed with a dog didn’t meaningfully change how long or how well people slept.
Though humans and dogs tended to move around the same times, people usually moved first, suggesting that we’re more likely to wake our dogs than they are to wake us.
Why this matters
As we age, sleep naturally gets lighter, which makes it easy to blame any movement from our furry friends as the cause of a rough night of sleep. But this study suggests otherwise.
The takeaway: The sample is small, and researchers plan to test further with specific breeds. Until then, your four-legged friend can probably stay nice and cozy right next to you.
Short longevity hits
Vanilla for wound repair: This sweet pantry staple contains a bioactive compound that may support wound healing at every stage.
Kudzu for longevity: This traditional Chinese herb contains a compound that extends lifespan in worms, a new study shows.
Sleep less, feel hungrier: Sleeping five hours or fewer a night can elevate hunger hormones and silence satiety hormones.
Long-levity
Don’t want to work out? Try sniffing chocolate
Dark chocolate really is a superfood. A sweet study found that sniffing it before and during exercise made strength training feel easier, and it led to more reps.
Among 23 healthy, strong men, those who smelled 90% dark chocolate completed 18 more leg extensions than those who smelled water, and milk chocolate added nine reps!
Work hard, play hard: What’s neat is that the extra dark chocolate-inspired reps didn’t feel any harder. The dark-chocolate sniffers also felt fuller before exercise.
Researchers think chocolate’s scent makes us think we’re going to get a satisfying treat, which can both reduce hunger and boost motivation.
Chocolate is life! This is early research and limited by a few factors, but it suggests that the way to more gains might be in the nose.
Still, whatever helps you show up consistently is a win for your mood, muscles, heart, and more. I’m just happy it means more chocolate.
New at Livelong
Join us for one of our upcoming Studio Session virtual events
📆 Monday, Oct 19 at 12:00 PM ET/9:00 AM PT: Calm Heart, Sharper Brain: How Stress Regulation Supports Brain Health as We Age with HeartMath’s Medical Director, Dr. Jorina Elbers.
What we’re enjoying
Don’t Google your symptoms
The sleep stage that might matter most for healthy aging.
Reader response
Highlighting your responses to last week's question, featured in How much scrolling is too much. We asked:
How much time do you spend on social media?
Most respondents cap their time on social media at 1-2 hours, which is considered a healthy amount (per this new study)! For our more frequent users, no sweat. Social media can be beneficial if used actively, and with intention.
Question: One user included AI scrolling as social media, and that fascinates me. Do you think AI platforms have become a new form of social media? Email [email protected] if you have any thoughts on this.
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.
