Clarity on staying healthy and happy arrives every day, from all corners of the globe. The Plunge brings you the information you always wanted: current, clear-cut answers from the world's leading scientists and creators.

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Making old monkeys smarter

In a landmark study published this week, Rhesus macaques given a dose of klotho protein showed improved cognition. The monkeys (average age ~20 y.o., equivalent to ~65 y.o. humans) are the first primates to exhibit these improvements, a promising step toward human application. Klotho affects insulin sensitivity and is known to play a key role in aging. People with higher levels, due to genetic mutation or otherwise, have improved cognitive abilities and a lower risk of developing dementia associated with aging and Alzheimer's. Following only a single injection, the monkeys showed increased performance within four hours and were still exhibiting improvement after two weeks. It's been known that klotho injections can help mice battle aging but monkeys are far more similar to humans in their higher-order processing and age-related cognitive decline. It may be only a matter of time before it ends up in the doctor's medicine kit. (Nature - 15 mins)

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Resting has gotten easier

Since the late '80's the obesity epidemic has grown to unthinkable numbers: over 1 billion people today are classified as obese. Weight gain is caused by an imbalance of energy (calories in vs calories out), and over the last 30 years we've been outputting far less. Surprisingly, it's not from a decrease in activity. Researchers at University of Aberdeen saw that energy expenditure from physical activity has actually increased, while basal or resting energy expenditure, what we expend when resting in a warm environment and not digesting food, has gone down. It comes as a surprise and lead researcher John Speakman believes there could be a number of causes. Less disease, lower smoking rates, and better climate control may be making life less of a battle. Or, one of the many changes in nutrition from the last three decades may play a role. Regardless, our rest lives are getting easier. Just don't forget to keep up the exercise! (Technology Networks - 7 mins, Nature - 24 mins)

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Scrap it all: a digital reset

Disconnecting from the enticing, often addictive pull of the digital world isn't easy. Cal Newport, best-selling author of Deep Work, walks through his prescription for actually releasing yourself from the void. Becoming a digital minimalist, where the only tech tools in your life exist to help you, only happens through a fresh start. Tactics like blocking notifications and removing the phone from the bedroom cannot be the starting point. Rather, pause for 30 days from social media, online videos, and news, all while focusing on reflection, experimentation, and socializing (in real life). After a month, identify tech that will be useful and define exactly how it should be employed. Cal is the leader in this space for a reason. If your internet habits have you feeling grimy, take 8 minutes and watch this video. (Youtube - 8 mins)

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Ketone supplements hurt performance

On a ketogenic diet, low carbohydrate and high fat consumption force the body to use ketones for energy. Supplemental ketones can kickstart that process and have been used by endurance athletes to get an edge on the competition. A recent study will have them thinking otherwise. A team at McMaster University in Canada ran a double-blind study on well-trained endurance cyclists with consistent training performance. The athletes taking ketones cycled slower than their placebo counterparts, potentially due to increased cardiorespiratory stress, one of the findings from the team's previous work. They may help ketosis get started, but if it's speed you're after, avoid the supplements. (Health News - 2 mins)

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