Genetic Testing, Exercise, and Artificial Sweeteners

Genetic testing 101 

Genetic testing examines an individual's DNA to identify variations that may be linked to certain conditions or traits. Such testing requires a sample of blood, hair, skin, tissue, or amniotic fluid. The results inform care, diagnoses, and family planning. 

Genetic testing can confirm a suspected diagnosis or inform prospective parents about their child's disease risks based on changes in the genes or chromosomes of their fetus. It can help determine how often people should be screened for cancer or how to attack a specific tumor. It can also detect whether someone is a carrier of an autosomal recessive condition, such as sickle cell disease. Genetic testing can even examine how a person's individual genes may influence how they process medications, a field called pharmacogenetics. 

In recent years, polygenic risk scores for embryos have become a novel and controversial offering. These genetic estimates quantify the risk of developing traits determined by multiple genes—like high cholesterol or diabetes—and guide decisions about which embryo to implant during in vitro fertilization. The scores remain legal in the US, though they have been banned elsewhere, including in the UK. The first US embryo selected in this manner was born in May 2020.

Explore everything else we've found on Genetic Testing.

Also, check out ... 

> Spotify and AncestryDNA once launched a genetic music playlist. (Read)

> Many new prenatal genetic tests for rare genetic conditions are inaccurate. (Listen)

> How uploading your DNA could lead to a distant relative's arrest.  (Listen)

> See a timeline of landmark discoveries in the field of genetics. (Read)

In partnership with Particle

Confirmed: Men Age Worse

Men, you've been misinformed!

Men’s skin is about 25% thicker than women’s, but thicker skin doesn't mean better aging. It means delayed collapse. For years, men's skin looks resilient. Then collagen declines — and when it does, it drops harder: deeper wrinkles, heavier-looking under-eye bags, more dark spots. While women were taught prevention, most men were told to ignore the signs. Over time, the difference shows.

Particle Face Cream was built to correct this. One 6-in-1 formula engineered for men’s skin that reduces eye bags, dark spots, and wrinkles, helps to restore firmness, hydrates deeply, and revives dull tone, all without a complicated routine. Over 1,000,000 men trust Particle because it works with male biology, not against it. For a limited time, use code 1440 for 20% off, plus free shipping and a 30-day money-back guarantee. If you’re going to fix it, fix it properly.

Please support our sponsors!

Exercise, explained 

Humans have espoused the value of exercise for centuries, from ancient Greek gymnasiums and Roman military drills to the advice of Susruta of India, a physician who prescribed daily exercise to prevent and treat diseases around 600 BCE.

Today, modern science confirms what our predecessors long assumed: movement is a biological necessity for physical and mental well-being. Without it, nearly every organ and biological process in the body—muscle, heart, brain, metabolism—begins to decline.

Physical activity sets off a cascade of internal changes that begins with muscle contractions. This triggers the production of proteins called myokines, chemical messengers that are released into the bloodstream and travel to distant organs to reduce inflammation, improve insulin sensitivity, and promote brain development. Perhaps most remarkably, exercise doesn't just change how the body functions—it changes how genes express themselves. Through a process known as epigenetics, physical activity turns beneficial genes "on" and harmful genes "off" without altering the physical structure of DNA.

Explore everything else we've found on Exercise.

Also, check out ... 

> One minute of exercise can translate into roughly five minutes of extra life. (Listen) 

> Exercise causes diet-independent changes in the gut microbiome. (Read)

> The treadmill was invented as a machine for prison labor. (Listen)

> How astronauts exercise on the International Space Station. (Watch) 

What are artificial sweeteners?

Artificial sweeteners are sugar substitutes added to foods and drinks because they offer a sweet taste without the calorie load or cavity risk—and they generally don't raise blood sugar levels. Since these lab-produced substances are often hundreds of times sweeter than table sugar, they can be swapped in at low levels to achieve the same flavor. The six approved artificial sweeteners in the US include aspartame (NutraSweet and Equal), neotame (Newtame), sucralose (Splenda), saccharin (Sweet'N Low), advantame, and acesulfame potassium (Sweet One and Sunett).

Separately, the US Food and Drug Administration allows other plant- and fruit-based sweeteners to be used in food, including stevia-derived substances (Truvia and PureVia), which are highly processed and purified but come from plant leaves. 

Use of sugar alternatives has risen in recent years, even as ongoing research investigates how these substances affect gut health and glucose tolerance. Recent research has also linked certain sugar alcohol sweeteners (erythritol and xylitol) to elevated risks of heart attack and stroke. 

Though research in the 1970s linked multiple artificial sweeteners to cancer in lab rats, subsequent studies concluded that those risks didn't hold true in humans, and the US Food and Drug Administration-approved compounds are now generally regarded as safe at moderate levels. The World Health Organization labeled aspartame as "possibly carcinogenic" in 2023 based on limited animal and human evidence, but the agency and US regulators both say that the substance remains safe at typical levels of daily consumption. A person weighing about 132 pounds would need to have 75 packets daily to reach an unsafe level, according to the US Food and Drug Administration.

Explore everything else we've found on Artificial Sweeteners.

Also, check out ... 

> See how sugar stacks up against the sweetness of sugar alternatives. (Read)

> The ancient Romans invented the first known artificial sweetener. (Read)

> Monsanto got its start producing saccharin. (Read)

> Multiple sugar alternatives were accidental discoveries. (Watch)

 Medical Developments Spotlight 

We love spending time learning about the latest medical breakthroughs and spotlighting research that piques our interest, may influence future research directions, or inform healthcare conversations. Here's what we found this week.

> COVID-19 shots during pregnancy protect infants

NPR | Tara Haelle. A large study of more than 140,000 infants in Norway found that when mothers receive a COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy, they pass antibodies to their newborns. That's good news—and aligned with existing medical recommendations—since babies under 6 months old still have one of the highest rates of hospitalization from COVID-19 infections. (Read) 

> Iowa is one of the few states where cancer numbers are climbing

Inside Climate News | Anika Jane Beamer. A new report suggests that environmental exposures at least partly explain why Iowa has one of the top rates of cancer diagnoses in the country. The analysis suggests that toxic pesticides used in the corn-producing state, "forever chemicals" called PFAS in the water, and radon levels in its soil and water are driving this troubling trend. (Note: Free, but readers must provide an email.) (Read)

> Are microplastics being overestimated in our environment? 
The Conversation | Anne McNeil and Madeline Clough. Laboratory gloves—de rigueur for most scientific work—may transfer particles to microplastic sampling materials, potentially contaminating them and leading to overestimates of microplastic abundance. A team of research chemists drew this conclusion after investigating why their own readings were much higher than expected. (Read) 

In partnership with Particle

The Eye-Bag Fix Men Will Regret Not Using

Reduce eye bags, dark spots, and wrinkles with the first-of-its-kind all-in-one anti-aging solution for men. Based on advanced dermatological research, Particle Face Cream is engineered to keep your skin healthy and youthful-looking. That's why over 1,000,000 satisfied customers use it daily to look and feel their best.

Don't wait until the mirror stops being kind. Use the exclusive discount code 1440 for 20% off and free shipping, plus get a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Please support our sponsors!

Best of the Week

We curate hundreds of resources into 1440 Topics each week. Here are some of our favorites from the world of health and medicine.

> Why so many teen girls are tearing their ACLs—and how to fix it.

> Your sleep may be better with these bedtime exercises.

> Watch how fighting cancer works with CAR-T cell therapy. 

> What type of alcohol you drink seems to matter, not just how much.

> Meet the "GLP-1-friendly diet" and how companies are identifying it.

> China has approved its first brain implant for commercial use.

> Could supplements one day help with disease-causing microbes in our mouths?

> How some no-burpers are treating their inability to burp—with Botox.

> Explore dozens of 3D organ images in the Human Organ Atlas. 

> Ozempic is going generic in many parts of the world, including Canada. 

Join 4.7+ million insatiably curious news readers:

1440 Daily Digest (Monday-Saturday)

The "1440 Explores" podcast: 

Apple, Spotify, YouTube

Weekly 1440 Topics newsletters: 

Science & Technology (Tuesday)

Business & Finance (Thursday)

Society & Culture (Saturday)