Research Round-Up
The Hidden Cost of Weight Loss Drugs
GLP-1 medications like Semaglutide (Ozempic and Wegovy) are common medications now being used for an increasing number of reasons behind weight loss including non alcoholic fatty liver disease and Type 2 Diabetes, but there's a tradeoff which is not being talked about: muscle loss.
According to a new study presented, approximately 40% of the weight lost on Semaglutide comes from lean mass, including muscle—and older adults and women are especially at risk.
That matters because muscle isn't just about strength or aesthetics. It supports metabolic health, blood sugar control, and bone density—all critical for healthy aging.
For further long term risks associated with GLP-1 medications check out our article here.
Birth control pills alter teenage brains during critical development
A landmark Danish study of over 1 million women revealed what the pharmaceutical industry had hidden: all forms of hormonal contraception increase depression risk, with adolescents showing 80% higher vulnerability than adults.
Teenage girls on the contraceptive patch face triple the depression risk, while those using hormonal IUDs - marketed as acting "only locally" - show 2.2 times higher risk. These findings shatter the myth of IUD safety, revealing systemic hormone effects despite supposedly local action.
Brain imaging studies document structural changes within just three months: decreased gray matter volume in the amygdala, cortical thinning in emotional processing regions, and altered connectivity in the default mode network.
The timing is catastrophic - the adolescent brain continues developing until the mid-20s, and hormonal contraceptives disrupt this critical period by suppressing natural hormone cycling, reducing prefrontal GABA, altering serotonin receptor binding⁴⁶, and blunting stress responses.
Ohio State research found disordered signal transmission in the prefrontal cortex of young rats given hormonal contraceptives, suggesting permanent alterations to brain architecture.
The neurotransmitter disruption is comprehensive: reduced GABA in prefrontal regions, lower serotonin receptor binding, decreased striatal dopamine, and elevated stress hormones. A single-subject longitudinal study tracking the same woman through natural versus contraceptive cycles found completely different brain network organization on hormonal contraception - the absent hormonal cyclicity fundamentally rewires brain connectivity.
With depression risk peaking at six months after initiation and persisting even after discontinuation, millions of young women are unknowingly altering their brain development during the most vulnerable neurological period of their lives.
For natural contraception alternatives check out this wonderful interview by FNTP Katy Smith, NTA Vodcast: What is a Functioning Menstrual Cycle
Beta-blockers may not help (and may cause harm)
What are Beta Blockers?
Beta blockers are a type of medicine that can make the heart beat more slowly and lower blood pressure.
Beta blockers are commonly used for heart conditions such as coronary heart disease, heart failure and arrhythmias (irregular heartbeat).
Beta blockers are also sometimes used for other conditions, including migraine, glaucoma, anxiety and some types of tremors.
For decades, beta-blockers have been a mainstay of cardiovascular treatment, especially after heart attacks. But a new study is calling that long-held belief into question. Researchers analysing data from nearly 180,000 patients found no mortality benefit from beta-blockers in those with stable coronary artery disease and preserved heart function.
Even more concerning, they found a 20% higher risk of hospitalization for heart failure and similar increases in adverse cardiac events among beta-blocker users.
This challenges the assumption that beta-blockers are universally beneficial and underscores the need for more personalized approaches in cardiovascular care. It's another example of how medical dogma can persist long after the evidence changes.
Learn more about how to restore blood pressure and cardiovascular function naturally.
Why so many toddlers are on ADHD meds—and what we can do instead
According to a new report, tens of thousands of children under age 5 are being prescribed ADHD medications—despite the lack of long-term safety data for this age group and guidelines that caution against it in kids this young.
In fact, only 1 in 5 children who received these prescriptions had even seen a behavioral therapist first. This is deeply concerning but unfortunately not surprising.
In this wonderful podcast with Dr. Jim Greenblatt and Dr. Chris Kresser, they explore how nutrient imbalances, gut-brain axis dysfunction, blood sugar dysregulation, and environmental toxins often underlie attention and behavior issues in kids.
A Functional Nutrition approach can often help address these root causes without immediately reaching for pharmaceuticals.
While meds may have a place in certain cases, jumping to them as a first line of treatment—especially in toddlers—isn't just premature, it's potentially harmful.
The latest health research news from around the world, compiled by Lead Instructor and Program Director Leanne Scott, FNTP.
