Health News

A roundup of discoveries, updates, and advice to keep you living (and feeling) your best.

- Julia Savacool

A Case for Jogging

Strava lovers, some news: Not everyone feels the way you do about running. If you’re not a fan of pavement pounding, don’t hang up your sneakers— step on the brakes. National Taiwan University researchers have dubbed jogging—a pace slower than 10-minute miles— the best exercise to thwart obesity in people predisposed to weight gain. “Jogging is a full-body exercise,” says Wan-Yu Lin, epidemiology and preventive medicine professor. And it’s a better calorie burner than, say, an elliptical, since the body has to create enough force to carry its weight without being too jarring on joints. You don’t even need to go far; a study from Copenhagen found that jogging as little as 20 minutes three times a week can prolong a man’s lifespan by an average of 6.2 years. If you’re bummed by the slow pace, the fix is simple—just don’t track it.

TO FEEL HAPPIER, A DAILY DOSE OF CHOCOLATE

You already know that dark chocolate, with its minerals and antioxidants, is good for you. But researchers at University College London have added one more boon to the list—it might get you high. OK, that’s not precisely true. But dark chocolate contains psychoactive ingredients that produce feel-good vibes akin to cannabis use, as well as phenylethylamine, a neuromodulator that helps regulate mood. In the study of 13,626 people, those who ate just half an ounce of dark chocolate were 70 percent less likely to report symptoms of depression. And, unlike pot, you don’t have to stash it in your sock drawer.

NIGHT OWLS CAN THANK THEIR GENES