Newsletter #118: Light at Night, Psychedelics, & Hormone Therapy ✨
Hello Friends!
Welcome to the latest edition of the humanOS newsletter! Below, as usual, is a roundup of the various studies and other media that we came across. 🤓
This week, we learned that artificial light at night may be linked to cancer; higher body mass index is associated with decreased blood flow to the brain; testosterone therapy can dramatically improve glycemic control and insulin resistance in diabetic men with hypogonadism; psychedelic drugs may help alleviate PTSD and depression in vulnerable people (check out this past blog for some insight into how that might work); and that money, contrary to the popular aphorism, might actually buy happiness after all. Also, we have a free product from our friends at Go Condition below.

Scroll down to learn more, and stay safe everyone. 👇
This Week’s Research Highlights
💊 Psychedelic drugs show promise as a treatment for PTSD, depression, and anxiety in vets.
Fifty-one US Special Operations Forces veterans received psychedelic treatment at a clinical program in Mexico between 2017 and 2019. Over the 3-day treatment, participants were given three to five doses of 5-MeO-DMT (a psychedelic tryptamine) and a single dose of Ibogaine (a psychoactive indole alkaloid). In 2019, the 51 veterans completed a retrospective survey that asked them to rate various aspects of their mental health one month before the treatment and one month after. The results revealed major decreases in symptoms of PTSD, depression, and anxiety, as well as a drop in reports of suicidal ideation and cognitive impairment. The majority of participants reported that the program was “one of the top five most personally meaningful (84%), spiritually significant (88%), psychologically insightful (86%), and psychologically challenging (69%) experiences of their entire lives.”
💡 Night-time exposure to artificial light at night may be linked to colorectal cancer.
Researchers examined data from 661 verified colorectal cancer cases and 1322 controls, all of whom had never worked at night. They determined outdoor artificial light at night exposure through images from the International Space Station. They found that subjects who experienced the highest exposure to blue light spectrum at night had a 60% higher risk of developing colorectal cancer, compared to the lowest tertile of exposure. This lines up with previous research connecting circadian misalignment to breast and prostate cancer.
🧠 Higher BMI is linked with decreased blood flow to the brain.
Scientists analyzed over 35442 functional neuroimaging scans using single-photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT) from 17721 adults to measure blood flow and brain activity. The images were performed both at baseline and while subjects performed a cognitive test meant to assess attention and focus. The researchers found that higher BMI correlated with reduced cerebral blood flow, both at rest and while doing the concentration task. In particular, brain areas that are known to be vulnerable to Alzheimer's disease, including the temporal and parietal lobes, hippocampus, posterior cingulate gyrus, and precuneus, showed reduced blood flow. The most significant declines in cerebral perfusion were found in morbidly obese subjects.
💉 Testosterone therapy can improve or even reverse diabetes in hypogonadal men.
Researchers recruited 356 patients with type 2 diabetes who had total testosterone levels ≤12.1 nmol/L (350 ng/dL). All patients received standard diabetes treatment, but 178 patients additionally received parenteral testosterone undecanoate 1000 mg every 12 weeks following an initial 6‐week interval. A control group comprised 178 hypogonadal patients who opted not to receive the treatment. Subjects were followed for up to eleven years. The patients receiving testosterone showed significant and sustained improvements in glycemic control and insulin resistance. Among the patients treated with testosterone, 34.3% achieved remission of their diabetes and 46.6% of patients achieved normal glucose regulation. 83.1% reached the HbA1c target of 47.5 mmol/mol (6.5%). In contrast, no remission of diabetes or reductions in glucose or HbA1c levels were noted in the control group. There were fewer heart attacks, strokes, and deaths in the experimental group.
💵 Higher-income is linked to greater happiness - perhaps more now than ever before.
Researchers analyzed data from 44198 adults, from 1972 to 2016, derived from the General Social Survey, one of the longest-running surveys of adults in the United States. They determined that, on average, the more money someone makes, the happier they are, with no plateau at higher levels of income. This diverges from past studies, which have suggested that happiness levels off once someone achieves an income of around $75000 per year. Furthermore, the researchers found that happiness is more strongly related to income now than it was in the 1970s and 1980s, perhaps due to a growth in income inequality.
Podcasts We Loved This Week
- Anastasia Suraev: Cannabis and sleep: from prehistory to the 21st century. Via Sleep Junkies.
- Ben Cohen and Zachary Binney: What’s The Game Plan For A COVID-19 Outbreak In Pro Sports? Via Science Friday.
- Corinna Hawkes: Food Policy, Food Systems & Public Health. Via Sigma Nutrition Radio.
New Course
Products We Are Enjoying
Co Condition - Science-backed cognitive support
As mentioned above, our friends over at Go Condition are running a deal this weekend to promote their awesome product. You can get a free bottle ($59.00 value before tax) without having to put in a credit card.
I have been using the product now for about two months and I really like it. This product can have a valuable place for many who want to take something to promote better mental performance and smoother energy over the day. That is why I take it and that is what I experience. If you have been following us for a while, you’ll know we love discussing the powerful influence that plant phytochemicals can have on our health and thinking. These powerful and positive effects are the real deal, and this product gives you a great option to help you benefit from these effects.

From their website, you can see this quote from the creator of the product, Dr. David C. Neiman, Dr.PH, professor and the Director of the Human Performance Laboratory at the North Carolina Research Center.
“Flavonoids from fruit and other plant foods are imperative to long term health in humans. I recommend GO CONDITION to anyone, but especially those looking for an effective all-natural health sports and performance supplement.”
Ingredient List
See nutritional information on their website for more specific info
- Vitamin C
- Wild Bilberry
- Green Tea
- Quercetin
- Natural Caffeine (like the amount in a cup of black tea)
- Fish oil powder
Dosing
I personally take one pill twice a day (which is how they recommend using the product). I take the first pill at 7a and then the second pill at 12:30p. If I miss my second dose, I don’t take it later, I just skip that dose on that day and resume with my normal schedule the next day.