Listening to music stimulates brain cell growth, reduces neuroinflammation and improves anxiety & depression, as shown in a new study. The study used a well established model of postpartum depression, with some animals listening to music for 2 hours per day. The music was "a comprehensive range of musical styles spanning various historical periods, including the Baroque, Classical, and Romantic eras." Every single metric of depression anxiety measured improved. ◇ Increased open field center time & travel distance → reduced anxiety ◇ Decreased immobility in forced swim test → less depression-like despair ◇ More entries into open arms in elevated plus maze → reduced anxiety ◇ Higher sucrose preference → less anhedonia (antidepressant effect) ◇ Shorter latency to eat in novelty-suppressed feeding → reduced anxiety/motivation restored ◇ Less immobility in tail suspension test → less behavioral despair But it wasn't just a subjective assessment - the brains of the animals listening to music improved in biochemical metrics. Notably, in measures of oxidative stress and energy production. ◇ Reduced NO & MDA → less oxidative damage ◇ Normalized SOD & CAT activity → restored antioxidant defense ◇ Preserved GSH levels → protection against ROS ◇ Maintained T-AOC → overall antioxidant capacity preserved ◇ Higher ATP → better mitochondrial energy metabolism ◇ Lowered glutamate → less excitotoxicity / stress signaling Markers of inflammation in the brain also normalized with music. This is one of the key drivers of not just depression anxiety, but tons of other mental / cognitive disorders. ◇ Lower TNF-α, IL-1β, iNOS expression → reduced neuroinflammation ◇ Fewer activated microglia → the key immune cells of the brain I've written here about how neuroinflammation contributes to brain fog and fatigue as well. What is really crazy about this is that music prevented brain cells from dying. It improves the brain's structural integrity: ◇ Preserved MAP2 neurons in hippocampus & prefrontal cortex → less neuronal loss ◇ Maintained dendritic spine density → synaptic plasticity preserved ◇ Preserved DCX neurons → ongoing neurogenesis (new brain cells) ◇ Lower Bax & higher Bcl-2 expression → reduced apoptosis (cell death) Music altered the expression of THOUSANDS of genes within the brain. Some of these genes encode key proteins essential for the health, function and development of cells in the brain. In the hippocampus (main memory storing region): ◇ Wnt6 ↑ → supports synapse formation & plasticity, limits inflammation ◇ Sele ↓ → less immune cell adhesion / neuroinflammation ◇ Sfrp5 ↓ → removes brake on Wnt, boosts neurogenesis & repair ◇ Nupr1 ↑ → stress-response, protects against oxidative stress In the cortex (higher thinking brain region, consciousness, complex problem solving): ◇ Eya4 ↑ → aids synaptic repair & plasticity ◇ Lhx8 ↑ → regulates cholinergic neurons & synaptic function The research on the benefits of music are accumulating. ➥ Better pain tolerance ➥ Lower stress hormones ➥ Better cognitive function Are all being noted in the research. While most studies are done on classical music, this study has shown that a wide range of genres has powerful benefits. So, get to listening. 🎵

SHOCKING NEW STUDY: Sunscreen USERS Face DRAMATICALLY HIGHER Skin Cancer Risk A massive UK Biobank analysis of 470,000 people just revealed: - Invasive Melanoma: 292% higher risk - Basal Cell Carcinoma: 140% higher risk - Squamous Cell Carcinoma: 126% higher risk These alarming signals held strong even after adjusting for age, sex, skin type, tanning ability, sunburn history, sunlamp use, and time spent outdoors. You slather on hormone-disrupting chemicals that get absorbed into your bloodstream… block vitamin D (your body’s #1 cancer shield)… and end up with*triple the melanoma risk? Sunburns are bad — but this “protection” is making things far worse. Time to ditch the chemical cocktails. Sensible sun mineral zinc if needed. Your skin deserves better.

A daily multivitamin can reduce brain aging and modestly slow down epigenetic aging clocks. In the COSMOS trial, older adults who took a standard Centrum Silver multivitamin daily for about 4 years performed better on cognitive tests and showed the equivalent of ~2 years less brain aging compared with those taking a placebo. The multivitamin also slowed epigenetic aging clocks, with an effect equivalent to about 2.7 to 5 months of slowed biological aging. That may sound modest, but I don’t think it’s trivial, and @prof_horvath says that effects from safe, low-cost interventions can matter if they’re sustained over years to decades—2 months of slower biological aging could translate to 2.5 years if a good habit is maintained. These data push back on the idea that multivitamins are “completely useless.” If you’re filling nutritional gaps consistently over time, even a small benefit to cognition and biological aging could become meaningful. From the latest episode of the FoundMyFitness podcast.