There’s a growing appetite to jump the line when it comes to cutting-edge drugs, with some people buying unapproved “research chemicals” from overseas sellers before the medications have finished clinical trials. The temptation is understandable when early results look transformative, but researchers still need time to determine whether a drug works, which doses are safe, and what side effects it may cause. One striking example is retatrutide, an experimental weight-loss drug already being sold online despite not yet being approved. Here’s what you should know before buying into the hype.
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Supplements
Could Melatonin Ease Your Chronic Pain?
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Zzz: Melatonin is a crucial hormone for sleep, helping to regulate our circadian rhythm so we can fall asleep and wake up on a regular cycle. Melatonin supplements are common remedies for jet lag and insomnia. A new review from the University of Sydney points to another ailment melatonin may aid: chronic pain.
The Study: Researchers reviewed the results of 23 clinical trials on melatonin’s effect on chronic joint and muscle pain and post-operative pain. Melatonin improved sleep quality and lowered pain scores on a 0-100 scale by nine to 10 points (about the same as NSAIDs). There was no significant improvement for pain or sleep in post-surgery participants.
The Takeaway: Pain and sleep are closely linked. Poor sleep can make pain worse, but pain can make it hard to sleep. Researchers say melatonin has potential to be an alternative for prescription (and dangerously addictive) pain medications.
Keep In Mind: Most of the participants had existing sleep issues, so it’s unclear if people without sleep problems would experience similar relief. Plus, the timing and doses ranged from 1 mg to 10 mg, so researchers couldn’t pinpoint exactly how much you’d need to take (and when) to get the most benefit.
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Courtesy: Zenni
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Personal Growth
Cancer Is Rising Among Young People — Doctors Discover a Clue as to Why
Midjourney
The Trend: Cancer is increasingly showing up earlier in life. Globally, the number of cancer cases diagnosed before age 50 increased by 79.1% between 1990 and 2019, according to a study analyzing data from the Global Burden of Disease study. Certain cancers, including colorectal cancer, lead the increase: people born in the 1990s have at least a fourfold higher risk of early-onset colorectal cancer than people born in the 1960s, across Australia, Canada, England and the U.S. Other cancers, including uterine, lung, and gastrointestinal, are also being diagnosed earlier.
What People Are Saying: Theories range from microplastic poisoning to air pollution to ultra-processed food consumption. The reality is less tidy: Researchers suspect a combination of exposures and lifestyle changes, but no single culprit has been identified. A new Nature Medicine study offers a biological clue. Researchers analyzed more than 154,000 people and found that newer generations showed greater “biological age acceleration” — meaning their bodies appeared older than their chronological age.
What to Know: The research in Nature Medicine suggests that people are aging faster, and this remained the case even after the scientists accounted for established cancer risk factors, like smoking cigarettes. What still remains a question, however, is the driver (or drivers) behind this accelerated aging.
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Nutrition
TikTok's 3-Color Rule Actually Has Science Behind It
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Rule of Three: Every once in a while, the TikTok kids get something right. One of the latest wellness trends making the rounds on social media is the “3-color rule,” which involves piling colorful vegetables onto your plate at every meal to boost weight loss instead of counting calories or macros. Yes, it may sound like another passing trend, but it draws on decades of research, some dating back to the late 1990s.
How to Do It: The hard part is keeping your fridge stocked with produce, so reach for some fruits and vegetables next time you’re at the store. After that, putting it into practice is easy: sprinkle blueberries and walnuts onto your oatmeal or add tomatoes and carrots to a salad of leafy greens.
The Benefits: Eating more colorful plant foods is a no-regret move supported by strong evidence from a 2022 umbrella review covering 86 studies and over 37 million people. Colorful plant pigments were linked to improvements in body weight and cholesterol. Carotenoids, found in red and orange produce like carrots and cantaloupe, were shown to affect waist size and total cholesterol. And flavonoids, common in foods like onions and berries, were tied to lower blood pressure.
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Quick Picks
Workout Math — How many exercises you actually need per workout to make progress.
Home-Court Advantage — Cooking at home may be one of the easiest swaps for a healthier heart.
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What We're Cooking
Pasta Salad
Courtesy: Food52
Serves: 8-10 | Cook Time: 35 minutes
A punchy red wine vinaigrette is what sets this pasta salad apart, coating every bite with garlic, herbs, and just a hint of heat. Twirls of fusilli catch the dressing alongside crisp vegetables, hearty chickpeas, savory Genoa salami, and two kinds of Parmesan, creating plenty of texture and flavor in every bite. Make it ahead to give the ingredients time to mingle, and you’ll have a crowd-friendly side that’s just as welcome at a backyard barbecue as it is at a potluck.
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This, Not That
Protein Punch-Up
THIS
NOT THAT
Anna Jakutajc Wojtalik/Unsplash, Vu Nghi Thai/Unsplash
This: Add protein to your snack Not That: Eating carbs alone and hoping for the best
There’s nothing wrong with crackers, fruit, or toast. But pairing carbs with protein can make a snack more satisfying. Try apples with peanut butter, crackers with tuna, fruit with yogurt, or toast with eggs. It’s a small tweak that can help you stay full longer.
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HEALTHY HABIT
Add a “Fresh Thing” to Leftovers
Leftovers are convenient, but they can start to feel a little sad by day two. Revive them with something fresh: herbs, greens, avocado, lemon juice, chopped vegetables, salsa, or a quick side salad. It makes the meal feel new without requiring you to actually cook again.
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Final Thought
Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts.”
