Elysium Health, New York, NY (2025)

09/23/2025

🇫🇮 Could Finland have a new Blue Zone?⁠
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A Blue Zone is a region where people live significantly longer, healthier lives than average, often thanks to strong social connections, daily movement, and plant-forward diets.⁠
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Researchers from Åbo Akademi University say Ostrobothnia, Finland, might qualify. Residents there live longer (83.1 years vs. 81.6 nationally), enjoy better overall health, and follow the key Blue Zone principles. The twist? Nearby communities with similar lifestyles don’t see the same benefits, suggesting culture itself may be the secret ingredient.⁠
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Study: Åkerman, S., et al. “Searching for a Potential Blue Zone in the Nordics: A Study of Swedish-Speaking Ostrobothnia.” Journal of Aging Research, vol. 2025, Article ID 5535904, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1155/jare/5535904

09/06/2025

September is Healthy Aging Month! ⁠
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For many, the start of a new school year is also a prime time to begin a new fitness routine. Whether you’re on a new health journey or you’re an established athlete, experts say there are four key tests to measure your fitness level, according to a recent article in The New York Times:⁠
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✅ YMCA 3-Minute Step Test: Measures cardio fitness, leg strength, balance, and coordination. Step on and off a 12-inch step or block for 3 minutes to a steady beat (96 bpm). Each beat should correspond to one step: Up left, up right, down left, down right is one step, or four beats. ⁠
After, take your pulse for 60 seconds. Check the YMCA standards chart to see where you stand.⁠
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✅ Push-Up Test: Indicates upper-body endurance and push strength. See how many you can do before your muscles fatigue or form fails. According to the American Council (ACE) on Exercise,13 to 16 is good for men ages 40 to 49, while 25 and over is excellent. For women in the same age group, 11 to 14 is good, and 24 or more is excellent. Search up the ACE Push-Up Assessment Protocol to see where your score falls. ⁠
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✅ Single-Leg Calf Raise: Measures leg strength, endurance, and balance. Standing on one leg, slowly rise up and stand on the ball of the foot and toes. Slowly roll down onto the entire foot. Do as many reps as you can off a step with good form. Lightly hold a wall or chair for balance if needed. For men 40–49, 28 is ideal; for women of the same age, 24 is good.⁠
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✅ The Old Man Test: Developed by endurance coach Chris Hinshaw, this tests balance. Stand on one leg and pick up one sock, put on, and then put on one shoe, tie laces, then switch legs. Touching the ground more than three times signals your balance could use improvement.⁠
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Use your scores as benchmarks—see where you’re strong, where you can improve, and then level up your workouts. 💪

08/30/2025

Can you read the faint letters? Comment with the last row you can see. 👀⁠
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This is from the Pelli-Robson Test for contrast sensitivity, which measures how well your eyes can detect subtle differences in shades of gray. Strong contrast sensitivity is key for seeing details clearly, such as reading street signs at dusk, spotting steps to your porch at night, or distinguishing objects in dim lighting. ⁠
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Contrast sensitivity declines with age, but with Vision, you can support healthier eyes. Vision has many evidence-based benefits for your eyes, including increasing contrast sensitivity, vision in glare and low-light conditions, and improving blood flow to the retina.

08/20/2025

Brain scans aren’t just for injuries.⁠
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They may also reveal how fast you’re aging, according to a recent study published in Nature Aging.⁠
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Scientists analyzed over 50,000 MRI scans and used AI to spot patterns that reflect biological brain aging—not just chronological age. ⁠
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Features such as the thickness of the cerebral cortex, an area that controls language and thinking, and the volume of gray matter can predict the rate at which a person’s ability to think and remember will decline, as well as risk of frailty, disease, and death. ⁠
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“Imaging offers unique, direct insights into the brain’s structural aging, providing information that blood-based or molecular biomarkers alone can’t capture,” Mahdi Moqri, a computational biologist at Harvard Medical School, told Nature. ⁠
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The research is still in its early stages—it’s not ready for clinical use yet. But this breakthrough could help identify who is at risk for age-related cognitive decline and dementia years before symptoms appear. ⁠
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Study: Ledford H. How fast are you ageing? Ordinary brain scans reveal the pace. Nature. 2025 Jul;643(8071):314-315. doi: 10.1038/d41586-025-02086-9. PMID: 40594931.

08/19/2025

Can magic mushrooms slow aging?

A new npj Aging study reports that psilocybin, best known for its psychedelic properties and promise in treating mental health conditions, may also slow aspects of biological aging.

In human cell culture models, its active metabolite psilocin conferred a variety of benefits:
🍄 Extended cellular lifespan by up to 57%
🍄 Preserved telomere length
🍄 Reduced markers of senescence and oxidative stress
🍄 Boosted SIRT1—a protein associated with longevity

In aged mice, monthly psilocybin treatment improved survival (80% vs. 50% in controls) and appeared to enhance fur quality late in life. The findings suggest psilocybin could act on multiple hallmarks of aging, raising the possibility of its use as a longevity intervention.

Here’s what the study authors had to say: “Psilocybin may represent a ‘disruptive’ pharmacotherapy as a novel geroprotective agent to promote healthy aging and/or as a potential therapeutic intervention for age-related diseases.”

08/01/2025

Your brain may be getting older, but it’s not done growing!⁠
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A landmark study just confirmed what scientists have been debating for decades: Adults do make new neurons.⁠
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In a study published in Science, researchers at Sweden’s Karolinska Institute studied postmortem brain tissue from young children and used advanced tools to look at the activity inside over 100,000 individual brain cells. By analyzing the cells’ RNA—the genetic instructions cells use to function—they were able to spot patterns that showed whether a cell was young, developing, or fully mature. They then looked for those same markers in brain tissue from teens and adults up to age 78.⁠
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All but one adult brain still had immature neurons, and more than 63% had neural precursor cells, which can develop into new neurons.⁠
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"Although the precise therapeutic strategies in humans are still under active research, the very fact that our adult brains can sprout new neurons transforms how we think about lifelong learning, recovery from injury, and the untapped potential of neural plasticity,” said co-lead study author Marta Paterlini, a researcher at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm.

08/01/2025

Many women don’t think about bone health until menopause or later, but women can reach peak bone mass by age 18!

A recent Women’s Health article highlights how more women in their 20s, 30s, and 40s are taking charge of their bone health, getting early bone density scans, lifting heavy weights, and paying close attention to nutrition and hormones to build a stronger bone foundation before age-related loss begins.

“We’ve really come around to recognize that younger adulthood is an important time in health,” says Taylor Wallace, Ph.D., an adjunct clinical associate professor at George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. “You can think of your bones like a Roth IRA, or a retirement account.” The more you can build up in bone health when you’re young, the bigger the return later on.

With nearly half of women over 50 expected to break a bone due to osteoporosis, experts say early awareness and action can make all the difference.

07/13/2025

Small daily habits = big yearly wins for your longevity. ⁠
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It’s easy to underestimate the power of small actions, but when practiced consistently, they lay the foundation for healthy aging. These aren’t just wellness buzzwords—they’re science-backed habits that compound over time to support your body and brain. ⁠
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Here are the habits and why they’re worth focusing on every day: ⁠
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🚶Walking: Boosts brain health, lowers the risk of chronic disease, supports mood and mobility. ⁠
🏋️Strength training: Preserves muscle mass, bone density, and metabolic resilience as you age. ⁠
💧Water: Supports cellular health, kidney function, and metabolic waste removal. ⁠
💤Sleep: Critical for immune function, brain detox, and metabolic repair. ⁠
👪Connection: Strong social ties are linked to reduced mortality risk and longer healthspan. ⁠
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Are you building a recipe for longevity?

07/10/2025

Let’s talk about a popular myth: "Sunscreen causes cancer.”⁠
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The truth? There’s no credible evidence to suggest that sunscreen increases your risk of cancer. In fact, studies show that regular use of sunscreen prevents skin cancer by protecting against UV radiation, a known carcinogen. ⁠
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Where does the suspicion come from? ⁠
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A 2020 randomized clinical trial found that six FDA-approved UV filters in sunscreen (avobenzone, oxybenzone, octocrylene, homosalate, octisalate, and octinoxate) can be absorbed into the bloodstream. In lab and animal studies, some of these filters have been linked to potential hormone disruption, which raised public concern. Absorption, however, doesn’t equal harm, and there’s currently no conclusive evidence showing these ingredients cause health issues or cancer in humans.⁠
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In 2021, a third-party lab detected benzene—a known human carcinogen—in some sunscreens. It’s important to note that this was due to contamination during the manufacturing process; benzene is not an intentional sunscreen ingredient. The contaminated products were recalled and the FDA continues to monitor for safety. ⁠
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The FDA has called for more research on sunscreen ingredients, but continues to recommend sunscreen to prevent skin cancer. ⁠
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Mineral UV filters zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are considered safe, effective, and are not absorbed systemically. But whether you choose a mineral or a chemical sunscreen, the consensus is clear: ⁠
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The risk comes from unprotected sun exposure, not from sunscreen. ⁠
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Studies: Gordon L, Olsen C, Whiteman DC, Elliott TM, Janda M, Green A. Prevention versus early detection for long-term control of melanoma and keratinocyte carcinomas: a cost-effectiveness modelling study. BMJ Open. 2020 Feb 26;10(2):e034388. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-034388. PMID: 32107270; PMCID: PMC7202703.⁠
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Matta MK, Florian J, Zusterzeel R, et al. Effect of Sunscreen Application on Plasma Concentration of Sunscreen Active Ingredients: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA. 2020;323(3):256–267. doi:10.1001/jama.2019.20747

07/01/2025

A landmark study in PNAS of 19,000+ people suggests brain aging doesn’t follow a slow, steady decline—it follows an S-curve.⁠
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Degeneration begins around 44, peaks at 67, and plateaus by 90. The culprit? Neuronal insulin resistance, which limits the brain’s ability to use glucose for energy.⁠
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But there’s good news: Researchers found that ketones—an alternative fuel that bypasses insulin—can help stabilize brain function, especially during the midlife “metabolic stress” window (ages 40–59), when neurons are vulnerable but not yet irreversibly damaged.⁠
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“This represents a paradigm shift in how we think about brain aging prevention,” said lead author Botond Antal, Ph.D.

05/08/2025

70 is the new 50! No, it’s not a headline after a red carpet event. It’s a science-backed finding! ⁠
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The International Monetary Fund (IMF) analyzed surveys from one million people aged 50 and older, living in 41 countries, that looked at memory, orientation, and basic math skills. The researchers found that someone aged 70 in 2022 had the same cognitive function as the average 53-year-old in 2000.⁠
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The IMF also found that grip strength and lung function has also improved in older people. A 70-year-old person in 2022 had the same fitness level as the average 56-year-old 25 years ago.⁠
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These findings suggest that older people can also work past the typical retirement age, adding to what the IMF calls “the rise of the silver economy.”⁠
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Source: https://www.thetimes.com/business-money/economics/article/boomers-urged-keep-working-70-new-50-s669hbkw7

05/07/2025

May is Women’s Health Month, and researchers have been delving into women’s strengths—literally.⁠
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In a recent large-scale study, Cedars-Sinai and other global researchers looked at data from 400,000 people to compare the effects of exercise in women and men. They found that women who strength train two to three times a week are more likely to live longer and have a 30% reduced risk of death from heart disease compared to women who don’t do strength training at all.⁠
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The study also revealed that women derived greater gains than men from equivalent physical activity. Women who did moderate intensity exercise such as brisk walking five times a week (300 mins /week) lowered their risk of premature death by 24% compared to 15% for men. ⁠
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Add these stats to your list of reasons to hit the gym today! ⁠
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Study: https://www.jacc.org/doi/10.1016/j.jacc.2023.12.019

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