In 2020, a scoping review by K. Ahern and team found that low protein intake and unstable blood sugar from high-carb diets worsened anxiety by 20-30%, as they disrupt serotonin production and spike stress hormones like cortisol. A 2016 study by K. M. Whitaker showed skipping breakfast raised cortisol levels in women by 15-25%, increasing morning stress and anxiety.

In 2023, Daniel P. Windred and a team studied sleep patterns in thousands of adults across multiple cohorts, finding that sleeping in on weekends, called social jetlag, disrupts your body’s internal clock. Each hour of jetlag raises heart disease risk by 11% and worsens mood, obesity, and unhealthy habits like smoking or poor diet. A 2019 study by C.M. Depner showed that catching up on sleep after five short nights still caused 10-15% worse insulin sensitivity and higher calorie intake, leading to weight gain risks.

In 2023, Ben Singh and a team reviewed 97 meta-analyses covering 1,039 trials with 128,119 adults to compare exercise against psychotherapy or medications for mental health issues like depression and anxiety. They looked at various workouts—brisk walking, weights, yoga—measuring effects on mood, stress, and brain chemicals.

In 2025, M. Khanani and a team reviewed studies on how excessive screen time affects kids and teens. They found that spending too long on devices like phones, tablets, or TVs—especially since the COVID-19 pandemic—hurts physical, mental, and developmental health.

In 2023, Hao Li and a team from China reviewed 22 randomized trials with 1,537 people battling substance use disorder. They explored how light, moderate, and high-intensity workouts like walking, jogging, or weight lifting reduce withdrawal symptoms such as cravings, depression, anxiety, and insomnia during detox.

In 2025, T. Iwabe and team studied 17 healthy adults using slow-paced breathing (4-second inhale, 6-second exhale) versus normal breathing. They measured anxiety, brain activity, and heart rate variability before and after stressful images, using the STAI-S scale and EEG.

According to a report from Dr. Mark Hyman’s website, caffeine is the most widely used psychoactive compound on Earth and can be both a friend and foe to your health.

UCLA researchers uncovered four distinct “roadmaps” leading to Alzheimer’s by analyzing longitudinal health records from nearly 25,000 patients and validating findings in the All of Us cohort. These sequential diagnostic patterns predicted dementia better than any single risk factor.

A growing body of research from 2020 to 2025 shows that religion and spirituality offer powerful protection against depression, anxiety, and even chronic illness.

A 2025 pooled cohort study of 1.56 million UK adults found that those diagnosed with autoimmune or chronic inflammatory conditions had a 86% higher likelihood of experiencing affective disorders (depression, anxiety, bipolar) compared to people without these conditions.

A 2024 systematic review in BMC Public Health found that children with higher screen use were more likely to develop depressive symptoms later, especially between ages 9 to 12—or teens who spend much time on screens showing increased depression, anxiety, inattention, and aggression.

A 2025 study from Shanghai Jiao Tong University showed that food allergies don’t just cause rashes or stomachaches—they can lead to anxiety, depression, attention issues, and social withdrawal. In this mouse model, food allergy triggered brain inflammation, impaired behavior, and disrupted the gut microbiota.

A 2025 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial published in Nutrients found that supplementing with 100 mg each of vitamin B1 (thiamine) and B2 (riboflavin) daily for four weeks significantly reduced perceived stress and improved sleep quality in young adults.