Whether Sitting is Actually the New Smoking + Other Stories
We’ve corralled all the best wellness reads from around the internet—just in time for your weekend bookmarking. This week: how personality changes over time, a groundbreaking new study on autism, and a deep-dive into the research on too much sitting down.
Biologists Are Figuring out How Cells Tell Left from Right
It’s not news that our bodies are asymmetrical (particularly on the inside), and scientists are starting to understand more about how cells know where to develop, and the impact that knowledge has had on our very evolution.
Are the Dangers of Sitting Overhyped?
Spoiler alert: They’re not. But it’s still worth reading Alex Hutchinson’s deep-dive into the research, which helps unpack the difference between a frequent exerciser with a desk job and a pure couch potato, and how much we still don’t know.
You're a Completely Different Person at 14 and 77
According to the longest personality study ever, our personalities may actually change over time—with correlation decreasing as we age.
Preschool Can Provide a Boost, but the Gains Can Fade Surprisingly Fast
Researchers are finding that the short-term effects of preschool may be overstated, though research still shows that the long-term effects lead to lower incarceration levels and other quality of life measures.
Vitamin D Protects against Colds and Flu, Finds Major Global Study
We’ve spent a lot of time thinking about Vitamin D lately, so this study (which was sent to us by Dr. Steven Gundry) felt particularly timely.
Autism Predicted by Infant Brain Changes, Study Says
Preliminary research suggests that doctors might be able to detect autism as early as in the womb. While the information is not clinically useful yet, it could lead to much earlier (and by extension more successful) behavioral interventions in at-risk babies.