Social Media's Impact on Teen Sleep | #26
Plus: More on the Mediterranean diet, ultra-processed foods, and red light therapy for TBI
Greetings!
A lot of my patients at Dignity Integrative struggle with chronic fatigue, and this month we’ve published a comprehensive guide that takes an integrative approach to treating it, focusing on lifestyle modifications.
It’s a problem that affects more than 3 million Americans, so it’s important we address it thoughtfully—if you’re one of them, take a read here.
Meanwhile, summer is here, and so is the heat. Stay cool, stay hydrated, but stay active! An evening walk once the sun goes down can still work wonders.
And now, on to this month’s recommendations for reading:
#1: Mediterranean diet tied to one-fifth lower risk of early death in women
Yet another study demonstrates the benefits of the Mediterranean Diet. This one followed 25,000 women over a 25-year period and showed a 23% reduction in all-cause mortality. The Mediterranean Diet is the most studied diet in history.
While I am not a fan of focusing on particular diets, I do suggest following the principles of the Mediterranean Diet: primarily plant-based foods, fish as the primary protein, and olive oil as a healthy fat.
The researchers found evidence of biological changes that may help explain why it’s so effective: they detected changes in biomarkers of metabolism, inflammation, insulin resistance, and more.
#2: “Deny, denounce, delay”: The battle over the risk of ultra-processed foods
This is a very nice article whose title says it all. Americans consume 60% of their total food intake as ultra-processed food. For most of us, this means consuming, on average, 500 calories per day more than a whole food-based diet.
Those 500 extra calories a day translate to 1 extra pound of fat per week, or 52 pounds per year that your body needs to metabolize. This leads to insulin resistance, increased cardiovascular disease, and cancer.
#3: Like to bike? Your knees will thank you and you may live longer, too
Biking is one of my favorite activities. It gets you out in nature, clears the mind, and generates huge cardiovascular benefits. It also has a low impact on your joints. According to this article, biking lowers your risk of osteoarthritis.
If it weren’t for the occasional car you need to dodge, it would be a perfect activity. Exercise is the best longevity drug available. Use it frequently.
#4: Social Media's Impact on Teen Sleep is a Growing Concern
Social media’s harms have been getting a lot of attention lately—just last week the Surgeon General called for warning labels on social media platforms, and last month he issued a warning about the effects on youth mental health.
Now comes a study showing that teens who use more social media sleep less. As others have noted, we are running the largest social experiment ever conducted on our children. With rising rates of anxiety and depression in young people, the impact of social media on sleep can only continue this negative trend.
I advise all of my patients, both teens and adults, to stop using cell phones and other electronic devices at least 30 minutes before bed.
Meanwhile, new research shows one in 9 children are diagnosed with ADHD in the US (7.1 million children)—approximately one million more children (aged 3-17) than in 2016. Is the endless scroll a factor? I would think almost certainly yes.
#5: Low-level red light therapy for traumatic brain injury
In this small study, 38 patients who received low-level light therapy showed a greater change in resting-state connectivity in seven brain region pairs during the acute-to-subacute recovery phase compared to the control participants.
It’s interesting to note that low-level red light therapy readily passes through the skull via the helmet-type device used in this study. This is a potential low-risk / high-reward therapy for a very common brain injury.