Welcome back to your weekly dose of science-backed health and wellness insights from Wise & Well, to help you make tomorrow a little better than today.
Before we get into this week’s stories, a quick note: As a publisher and writer, I’m making a visible commitment to real stories by real writers on Wise & Well via the creation and display of a NO-AI logo, which I’ve released into the public-domain. You can read about it here.
And now, for some of those real stories written by real humans. The links below are “friend links” to Medium stories, as always, so you’re free to enjoy the entire stories even if you’re not a Medium member.
Why Do People Hate People?
One might hate broccoli or hurricanes. But hating people because they're different from us or we disagree with them? This sort of hate arises when we let our biases get the better of us. And while hate can result in extreme acts of violence, the under-the-breath reactions matter, too. The authors of this piece explain how any of us can become an "upstander," helping to break the cycle of hate that has so consumed our culture.
Pay attention to what is being said around you. If the people you spend a lot of time with are saying hateful things about other groups, consider speaking up or changing who you hang out with and where. Be an upstander — sit with someone who is being targeted and report when you see or hear hate incidents.
—By Kristine Hoover and Yolanda Gallardo
Why You Should Eat an AGE-less Diet
We often hear that too much meat is bad for us. But this doctor explains an aspect I knew nothing about. When animal products are cooked—be it bacon, butter or brisket—a thing called the Maillard reaction creates advanced glycation end products (dubbed AGEs for us jargon-challenged normal humans), which over time damage our cells, harden our arteries, and fuel arthritis. This writer, a doctor, still loves a grilled burger, but his knowledge of AGEs has him leaning into a diet based more on plants.
When I think of summer, I think of grills. Nothing beats the smell of meat getting crispy on a grill. That process even has a name: the Maillard reaction. It happens in any food that contains sugars and proteins cooked at a high temperature, usually above 350° Fahrenheit (176° Celsius).
—Dr. Julian Barkan
Wrestling with Restless Legs Syndrome
Restless leg syndrome doesn't get the respect it deserves among people who have not experienced it's debilitating effect on sleep. And a lot of people don't even realized they have it, or they think their sleep problems owe to other causes. Unfortunately, common treatements often don't work as many believe they will, and the condition remains mysterious. This doc explains it all, so we can at least understand what we're dealing with.
Several medications approved for treating RLS activate dopamine receptors and effectively suppress symptoms in the short term. Many medical websites simplify that the condition arises from a dopamine deficiency, making these drugs sound like an ideal fit. But the available evidence suggests a more complicated situation, with at least initially, too much dopamine being the problem.
—John Kruse MD, PhD
Alcohol Causes Breast Cancer (But Most Women Don’t Know That)
Just one drink a day can raise a woman's breast cancer risk by 5% to 9%. Yet a recent survey finds only 1 in 4 women know alcohol is a risk factor for breast cancer. Experts argue for more education and less glamorization of alcohol in ad campaigns aimed at women.
Compared to those who don’t drink, just one drink a day can bump up your breast cancer risk by 5% to 9%.
—Monica Swahn and Ritu Aneja
When Childhood is So Safe it Backfires
Kids these days. They're soft in many ways. And that is not just "I walked 6 miles to school uphill both ways in the snow" projection by grown-ups. Obsession with absolute safety often backfires, the writer argues.
Fostering independence and resilience in children has not always been optional, it used to be a minimum requirement. 21st Century childhood has changed, and perhaps it’s strayed too far in the process. Today, for much of the developed world, a molly-coddled childhood is standard.
—Richard Gordon
Out There: Beyond Wise & Well
Oldest US Man Dies at 110. His Secret? “innate curiosity about everything” (LA Times)
Gen X (born 1965-1980) Gets More Cancer than Older Gens (Science News)
New test may predict dementia up to 9 years before diagnosis (Medical News Today)
Health questions emerge on yet another sugar substitute Xylitol (NY Times)
Do You Dig Science?
If you enjoy learning about amazing stuff in our world, check out my new Substack Newsletter: Aha! Science. The mission: Celebrating science by revealing amazing discoveries and images from our world and beyond and exploring life’s most intriguing, strange and unexpected questions.
Cheers,
Rob