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Daily Edition • Thursday, May 28

The Less Fit You Are, the More Exercise You May Need To Protect Your Heart

Participants in a yoga class are stretching in various poses on colorful mats outdoors, with people and a sign in the background.

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More Is Better: In order to achieve “substantial protection” (a 30% risk reduction) against cardiovascular health events like stroke, at least 560 minutes — more than 9 hours — per week of moderate to vigorous exercise are needed, per a new study. That’s a big ask considering most of the population doesn’t meet the current recommendation of 2.5 hours per week.

The Study: More than 17,000 adults completed cycling tests to find their VO2 max and wore a fitness tracker to record activity levels. Participants were tracked for about eight years, during which cardiovascular events like strokes and heart attacks were recorded. The findings were twofold: Those who exercised the most experienced the greatest risk reduction; and those with the lowest VO2 max required more exercise for the same risk reduction.

The Takeaway: Meeting the minimum recommendation of 150 minutes of cardio exercise is a good start, but more reduces your chance of deteriorating heart health. And if you’re not very fit to start, you may need more exercise than someone who is fitter than you — for the same level of protection.

Keep in Mind: The research is, as some experts put it, “misguided.” Performing 9 to 10 hours of exercise per week “is not a sensible public health message,” a biomedical informatics professor told The Guardian.

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The Anti-Aging Step Most Men Leave Out

A person dispensing face cream into their hand from a tube, with the text "FACIAL CREAM" visible on the packaging.

Courtesy: Particle

You watch what you eat, never skip a workout, and prioritize your sleep to look and feel your best. But when it comes to the anti-aging puzzle, there’s another piece: skincare. Most men overlook it because they think it requires an extensive 5-step routine. Enter Particle, skincare designed specifically for men.

Particle’s 6-in-1 anti-aging face cream diminishes eye bags, reduces wrinkles, and fades dark spots using handpicked premium ingredients like hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, and vitamin E. Dead sea minerals complete the formula to moisturize and nourish the skin. You get all the benefits, without the hassle. Particle completes your anti-aging routine so you look and feel even better.

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Sleep & Recovery

What Chiropractic Care Can — and Can’t — Fix

Chiropractic treatment room featuring a plinth, anatomical charts, a spine model, and a chair.

Stuart Poulton/Unsplash

You Should Know: Some people swear chiropractic adjustments are the best fix for back pain, neck pain, and other ailments. Others regard the practice as pseudoscience. There is solid science backing up spinal manipulation’s benefits for back pain, but critics say the problem is that some chiropractors offer treatments for health problems that aren’t evidence-based, such as ear infections and allergies.

Going Deeper: Chiropractic care focuses on the spine, joints, and muscles, primarily through hands-on adjustments meant to improve mobility, reduce tension, and relieve pain. The “cracking” sound often associated with adjustments is usually just gas releasing from joints. Chiropractors are licensed health care professionals and must pass national board exams, though their education and scope of practice differ from those of medical doctors and vary by state.

Takeaway: The strongest evidence in support of chiropractic manipulation is for back pain, and there’s also some research that backs up its effectiveness in treating neck pain and non-migraine headaches. The American College of Physicians suggests spinal manipulation as a first-line, low-risk treatment option for low back pain. And while injuries linked to chiropractic adjustments can happen, serious complications appear to be very rare.

Bottom Line: A chiropractor may make your sore back feel better, but if they claim to offer a miracle cure for conditions beyond musculoskeletal ones, be very skeptical.

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Vitamins & Supplements

Kratom Use Among Americans Is at an All-Time High

A person stands at a colorful kiosk surrounded by tropical plants under a blue sky with fluffy clouds.

Midjourney

The Trend: Maybe you've stopped into a gas station or convenience store recently and seen kratom for sale in pill or powder form. The plant from Southeast Asia has stimulant effects at low doses and provides some pain relief at higher doses, which is why it has gained traction in recovery and rehabilitation communities. But now it's reached a much broader audience, particularly among younger adults. A recent national study found more than 5 million Americans have tried it, with adults ages 21-34 reporting the highest use, up from 1.6% of Americans in 2021 to 1.9% in 2024.

What People Are Saying: People who use it say it's relatively safe and far less euphoric than classic opioids, and some research supports that. But the aforementioned national study found that most kratom users also had a substance use disorder, which has experts calling for more caution.

What to Know: Part of what's driving some alarming recent headlines about kratom is a synthetic derivative called 7-OH, which is far more potent and linked to a 1,200% spike in poisonings over the last decade. The two products are very different, even when sold side by side. 7-OH carries some of the dangers of opioids, including addiction.

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Quick Picks

UPFs Strike Again — Cookies, candies, and processed meats are linked to binge eating disorder.

Skincare Shakeup — Loofahs might be bad for your skin.

15 Minutes — That's all it takes to feel more joyful, one happiness researcher says.

Sugar Rush — These “healthy” breakfast foods might spike your blood sugar.

Curious Connection — Here's how the climate crisis is fueling antibiotic resistance.

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All Healthy + Better Plates

Introducing Better Plates

Penne pasta with roasted cherry tomatoes, dollops of cheese, and fresh herbs in a white bowl.

AnnaPustynnikova/ iStock

Simple, healthy recipes shouldn’t feel overwhelming. That’s why we created Better Plates, our new daily recipe newsletter designed to make eating well easier.

Each day, Better Plates sends you one healthy recipe that’s easy to make, nourishing, and actually delicious. Think high-protein dinners, better-for-you comfort foods, and simple meals you’ll genuinely look forward to.

If you’re trying to cook more at home or just want fresh ideas that don’t overcomplicate healthy eating, Better Plates is here to help.

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What We're Cooking

Tuscan Pappa al Pomodoro

A pot of vibrant red soup with green herbs and spices, held by hands wearing a cozy sweater. Bread is scattered nearby.

Courtesy: Serious Eats

Serves: 4 | Cook Time: 40 minutes

This recipe for Tuscan pappa al pomodoro turns simple pantry staples — tomatoes, stale rustic bread, garlic, olive oil, basil, and vegetable stock — into a thick, comforting soup with a rich, velvety texture. The bread is simmered directly in the tomato broth until it breaks down and absorbs the flavors, creating a hearty dish that’s somewhere between soup and stew. It’s a classic example of Tuscan “cucina povera,” using leftover bread to make an inexpensive but deeply flavorful meal.

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Upgrade Your Skincare for Simple Anti-Aging Benefits

Skincare routines don’t have to be complicated to be effective. Particle’s 6-in-1 face cream for men is the skincare upgrade that simplifies your routine while delivering real anti-aging results. Premium ingredients work together to reduce eye bags, wrinkles, and dark spots, making your skin look healthy and youthful. Adding this one simple step into your routine is all it takes to feel a difference.

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HEALTHY HABIT

Open the Loop Later

When a thought or task pops into your head mid-work, jot it down instead of acting on it. Keep a small “later list” nearby and return to your main task. This habit protects your focus while still capturing what matters. You’ll feel less scattered — and finish more.

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Final Thought

A climber stands on a snow-covered peak at sunset, with a large moon rising against a colorful sky.

I attribute my success to this — I never gave or took any excuse.”

– Florence Nightingale, The Life of Florence Nightingale

Joshua Earle/Unsplash