Science

Magnesium has become the trendy sleep supplement. This is what science really says

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It is undeniable that magnesium has reached a great fame among many people who see the need to take it absolutely every day as just another medication that their doctor has prescribed. And it is no wonder, since the great list of benefits that have been sold in recent months about magnesium invites anyone to take it because it supposedly improves everything. Although some of these benefits are really dubious, such as limprovement in sleep quality. The evidence. Right now science try to find the relationship that can justify that magnesium has an important role in our quality of sleep. In this case, observational studies suggest that good levels of this mineral are equivalent to better sleep, but clinical trials suggest that the benefits are barely noticeable. Especially when we talk about patients who have started magnesium supplementation. There are examples. A key systematic review of 2023 put the cards on the table after analyzing different studies, pointing out that people who themselves maintain a good level of magnesium snore less, suffer less daytime sleepiness and have a better sleep duration. The problem comes when controlled trials of supplementing magnesium to people who have sleep problems do not show a consistently good result. But they go further, seeing that the benefits depend mainly on two factors: Take high doses of magnesium with a daily intake of 500 mg. Previous status of the patient, since it works better if the patient previously had a magnesium deficiency proven by a blood test. Where is it most noticeable? Here a 2012 study with elderly people suffering from primary insomnia who took 500 mg of magnesium for eight weeks demonstrated a tangible change, as it not only improved sleep hours, but also increased efficiency. The physiological changes shown were an increase in melatonin, a reduction in serum cortisol, which is the stress hormone, and a reduction in latency, as it was confirmed that magnesium reduces the time it takes for an older person to fall asleep. There are many formulas. The interest in magnesium has led different companies to begin creating different presentations that improve its absorption. In this way, recent trials between 2024 and 2026 have evaluated doses of 1 gram daily (for periods of 3 to 6 weeks) in young and middle-aged adults. To measure the effect, here the researchers used rings like the Oura Ring to achieve a significant increase in deep sleep phases, and also a notable improvement in general efficiency. The small print. Given all this, we can conclude that, if you do not have a magnesium deficiency in your blood, supplementing it does not make any sense to improve sleep quality. This reminds us how important it is to follow medical advice and request an analysis to determine possible treatment and look for the reasons for poor quality sleep. This way, if you have a sleep deficit, you don’t have to go out and buy magnesium at the supermarket because someone has said on TikTok that its effect on our quality of sleep is almost miraculous. Images | Natali Hordiiuk Isabella Fischer In Xataka | There are people obsessed with consuming magnesium as a supplement when the best way is to put it in your diet

We have spent our entire lives blaming spring for our tiredness. Science has just shown that we have lived deceived

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March is coming, the days are getting longer, temperatures rise and suddenly our body begins to fill with a feeling tiredapathy and drowsiness that takes over us. Traditionally, this is considered ‘spring astheniaand people, logically, do not stop searching for their symptoms on the Internet and buying expensive vitamin complexes to compensate for the bad feeling that the change of season leaves. But… What is true in all this? A paradigm shift. Until recently, evidence on this phenomenon was scarce and contradictory; however, a key investigation published in the Journal of Sleep Research has recently come to shed light on the matter. The research, led by Dr. Christine Blume from the Center for Chronobiology at the Psychiatric University Hospital of Basel, followed 418 adults from Germany, Switzerland and Austria for more than a year, from April 2024 to September 2025. Every six weeks, participants answered questionnaires about fatigue, drowsiness, insomnia and sleep quality, and at the end of the research they only had to cross-check information to determine if there really was any interfering pattern. with our health. The results. Here what was seen is that a resounding 47% of the participants claimed to suffer from “spring asthenia”, but the reality is that when the information was cross-checked there was absolutely no seasonal or monthly variation in the levels of fatigue, daytime sleepiness or quality of sleep. And statistically the tiredness that people feel in spring is statistically identical to what they feel in autumn or winter. In fact, fatigue in daily activities tended to decrease slightly as the days had more daylight hours, without any specific “peak” of fatigue being recorded during the spring. In this way, the conclusion drawn is that the discrepancy between what people think they feel and what objective data shows suggests that we are dealing with a cultural phenomenon and not a genuine seasonal syndrome. Why do we believe it? This is where the study gets genuinely interesting, since the authors do not simply deny the phenomenon, but rather propose a psychological explanation for why we experience it so convincingly. Nocebo effect: if we expect to be tired in spring, we interpret any sign of fatigue as confirmation of what we thought was going to happen. Cognitive dissonance: good weather generates high social pressure to enjoy it with outdoor activities. The problem is that when the energy does not appear, saying that you have ‘spring asthenia’ is a good excuse to not feel guilty for not following the group. Labeling effect: Like wine tasting better when we’re told it’s expensive, knowing that “you get tired in spring” actively changes how we interpret our own physical sensations. What chronobiology says. It is a reality that we are not robots and that our body reacts to the environment, and this is where chronobiology confirms that there are seasonal variations in sleep linked to the number of hours of daylight we enjoy. Studies in pre-industrial populations in Tanzania, Namibia or Bolivia show that in winter they sleep approximately one hour more than in summer. Likewise, recent research on university students in Seattle confirms that exposure to daylight is vital for our circadian rhythm, however, none of these physiological changes translate into a “clinical picture” or a peak in fatigue in spring. In medicine. Nowadays, when you go to your primary care doctor, it is impossible to receive treatment for ‘spring asthenia’ because it is not included in any official classification. However, doctors warn that a patient who arrives with great fatigue for consultation should not be sent away, even though he relates it to the arrival of spring. It must be remembered that there are many diseases that can cause this condition, such as anemia, a severe allergy, an infection or even thyroid disorders, among others. A lucrative business. While science dismisses the existence of ‘spring asthenia’, the reality is that people’s sensation is the perfect breeding ground for private clinics and dietary supplement brands. When we feel bad, we want a quick solution with a pill, and this makes the sale of multivitamin complexes, caffeine pills and a host of products related to reducing fatigue increase their sales. Images | Vitaly Gariev Arno Smit In Xataka | Only one in four Spaniards has rested on vacation. The culprits: work anxiety and the inability to disconnect

You thought you went to the library for the silence, but science says that the “co-action effect” is responsible for your concentration.

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When teleworking or studying, you can live a very peculiar situation: Sit at your desk at home, open your laptop and suddenly feel the urgent need to tidy up the table, go to the refrigerator or check Instagram. In the end, do everything possible except do the tasks we have to do and be zero productive. But this is something that can change completely if we go to a library or the officewhere you can achieve three hours of absolute concentration. It has its explanation. It is not magic, nor is it coincidence, since the fact of being very more productive in libraries or in spaces of coworking responds to a fascinating combination of human psychology, interior design and social pressure. The psychology. The most powerful psychological factor operating in a library is what experts call social facilitation. This theory postulates that the mere presence of other people performing a task similar to ours improves our performance in routine or mechanized tasks, since we are forced to have to replicate them. Within this phenomenon, the “co-action effect” stands out, which is basically based on the fact that, when we see dozens of people around us immersed in their books or screens, our brain receives a very clear signal: It’s time to work. This behavioral contagion makes it much easier for us to stay focused and not get distracted. It’s a social comparison. Something that I myself have experienced in this sense is that the thought that one has in these situations is that “If everyone is focused, I should be too.” A simple social comparison that heightens our sense of responsibility and eliminates the temptation to procrastinate to spend some time watching TikTok. Decades of study. The neural bases of social facilitation have been the subject of different studies, highlighting a 2007 meta-analysis in different individuals that confirmed that the social context of “working” directly modulates our performance. Of course, science also suggests that this effect is wonderful for assimilating notes or advancing on known tasks, but it can be harmful if we face extremely complex mathematical or logical problems where the pressure of the environment can block us. The design of the space. Beyond psychology, modern libraries not only store books, but have been designed to have good cognitive comfort for those people who visit to work or study. This is something that evidenced in a 2024 study published in Social Sciences Communications which analyzed the environment of university libraries and how it directly influences student engagement. The conclusions drawn here were that environmental variables such as natural lighting, a controlled noise level, ventilation and the ergonomics of furniture favor positive emotional states that prolong our ability to concentrate. In addition, zoned design, such as absolute silence areas versus group work spaces or modern learning commons, allows the user to “customize” their level of isolation, significantly improving study habits, as supported by science itself. The silent pressure. If it crosses our mind to open a package of crispy chips in the reading or study room of a library, it seems like an easy task, but the pressure of the gazes of the rest of the people present makes us give up in three seconds. Libraries operate under a strict code of rules that act as firewalls against stimuli that can distract us. Being a public and academic space, study-oriented behavior is socially rewarded. On the contrary, activities that we would do at home without thinking, such as having the television on in the background, having the cell phone on, watching a video on YouTube or snacking, are perceived here as unacceptable. That is why these ecosystems force us to limit ourselves. The union in society. Finally, it should be noted that there is an identity component, since by feeling part of a temporary community of people who make efforts in the same physical space, our own academic or professional identity is reinforced. Interestingly, this phenomenon has been extrapolated to coworking spaces, and science has shown that working “alone but together” not only increases time structuring and perceived productivity, but also improves mental and physical health. Even moderate social interaction, such as a glance or a brief greeting at the coffee machine, gives us the necessary social support without becoming the constant source of interruptions that a traditional office or our own home is often. In Xataka | The great little gem of productivity is a very simple method: the “two minute” rule

the science of “chrononutrition” is solving them

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If there is one food that has polarized nutritionists, doctors and diet enthusiasts, it is undoubtedly breakfast. Indeed, for years we have been told the mantra that it is “the most important meal of the day”, conceived above all by companies that sell cereals. But then this went to the opposite side, driven by the popularity of intermittent fasting which pointed out that skipping it was not only bad, but could be beneficial. Then the trouble is over. Many doubts. The logical thing to do here is to ask yourself many questions: Is it good or bad? What happens to our body if we eat breakfast at 7:00 versus having it at 11:00? The answer to this great debate is not only in that we eat, but in when We do it, and it is where one of the most fascinating areas of research in recent years comes into play, which is chrononutrition. An internal clock. Our body does not process food in the same way at 8 in the morning as it does at 3 in the afternoon, nor does it do so at night, where digestion slows down. Everything is mediated in detail by our circadian clock, controlled in part by the famous melatonin, and also by hormones such as cortisol, which is popularly known as the stress hormone. Here we have seen how the human body experiences a natural peak of cortisol between 8:00 and 9:00 in the morning to help us wake up and activate. The problem arises when we delay breakfast beyond 9:00, since by not receiving food, the body interprets this lack of energy with food intake as a situation of stress and artificially prolongs the cortisol spike. The consequences. Here a process called gluconeogenesis is activatedwhere the body begins to make its own glucose and insulin sensitivity worsens. On the contrary, a classic trial showed that eating breakfast reduces cortisol levels after an episode of stress compared to fasting, improving the endocrine response. Breakfast time. Beyond the hormonal theory, large population studies are providing compelling figures. If morning intermittent fasting had its defenders, large-scale epidemiology is beginning to tip the balance towards early risers. This is what he pointed out a great study led by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health that analyzed data from more than 103,000 people. In these cases they concluded that eating breakfast after 9 in the morning increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 59% compared to those who eat breakfast before 8:00. And all due to the action of insulin. And it agrees. With previous meta-analyses that integrate the routines of thousands of patients, such as the one published in the British Journal of Nutrition that confirm that systematically skipping breakfast increases the risk of diabetes by between 21% and 48%. That is why desynchronizing our meals profoundly alters the hormones and normal lipids in our body and that is why eating breakfast irregularly or even not eating it favors the storage of abdominal fat. Not anything is worth it. Knowing that we should have breakfast early is only half of this equation, since sending that metabolic “safety” signal to the body requires quality fuel. In this way, an optimal breakfast should represent between 20 and 30% of our daily caloric intake, and science has an idea of ​​what feels best. What they suggest should be prioritized are high-quality proteins, eggs, Greek yogurt, cheese, fish or legumes. And it is very important, since morning protein stabilizes blood glucose, reduces cravings during the rest of the day and modulates cortisol. Although it should not be taken in isolation, it should be combined with healthy fats and fiber. To avoid. On the other side of the scale we can find simple and ultra-processed sugars that make up the classic industrial pastries, cookies or sugary cereals. These foods cause an immediate glucose spike followed by a sudden drop, which triggers cortisol again and leaves us without energy and hungry in the middle of the morning, which leads to eating more food and giving in to cravings. Fasting is not bad. The great debate that is on the table right now is the one that seeks to maintain a balance between the currents of fasting and those of five meals a day. That is why chrononutrition does not rule out the benefits of stopping the digestive system from resting, but it proposes displacing that fast. In this way, what is proposed here is that it is advisable to maintain a 12-hour overnight fast, having dinner early and also having breakfast first thing in the morning. Images | Rachel Park In Xataka | We’ve gone from “breakfast is the most important meal of the day” to “I grab something quick and stick with it.” And that has problems

Oatmeal has been “removed” to being the queen of breakfasts. Science believes it is more beneficial at dinner

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One of the great nutritional dilemmas is undoubtedly at dinner timesince we want to eat something that is quick, satisfying and that does not make us go to bed with a distressing heaviness. And this is where oats can come into play, a food that has been relegated to breakfast territory by associating with cereals, but scientific evidence suggests that we are wasting all your potentialsince we can take it to the last meal of the day. His secret. To understand why oatmeal is ideal for dinner, you have to look at a microscopic level. And the reason is that oats are rich in beta-glucana type of soluble fiber that generates high viscosity in the intestine. In this way, when oats are eaten, this beta-glucan forms a kind of viscous gel in the digestive tract that achieves dramatically delay gastric emptying and glucose absorption. Unlike classic refined grains that cause a sugar spike followed by a crash, which can lead to midnight hunger, oats offer a slow release of energy to stabilize blood levels after a meal. Goodbye to snacking night. If you’ve ever had a light dinner and two hours later you were raiding the refrigerator, oatmeal has the solution here, since several randomized clinical studies support its amazing satiating capacity. one of them was published in 2016 in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition and focused on analyzing 48 healthy adults who were given a serving of hydrated oats of just 250 kcal. The results showed that the feeling of fullness was significantly increased and hunger was reduced for up to four hours, compared to classic ready-to-eat cereals. This satiety, mediated by the high molecular weight and viscosity of beta-glucan, caused the subjects to reduce their energy intake by 85 kcal on average at the next meal. A better sleep. Going to bed with sky-high sugar levels is not the best idea, neither for our metabolism nor for the quality of our rest. Again, our great ally here is beta-glucan, since the EFSA endorses that consumption of four grams of beta-glucan per meal significantly reduces glycemic responses without disproportionately raising insulin. This is something that was confirmed by a study in 2021where it was seen that doses of four grams or more of beta-glucans for every 30 grams of available carbohydrates are the key to avoiding the dreaded nocturnal glucose peaks. The impact. To all this, and although there are no studies designed exclusively to measure the impact of oats at dinner, we know that their glycemic index is low, which ensures fairly smooth digestion. This is in addition to the fact that it contains tryptophan, an essential amino acid that our body uses to produce melatonin and serotonin, the hormones responsible for regulating and improving the sleep cycle. His presence at dinner. Keep in mind that not all oats are the same. The first thing to keep in mind is that you should avoid ultra-processed foods, avoiding instant oatmeal versions that are loaded with added sugars or artificial flavorings. Furthermore, since at night we look for a complete meal, the best way to prepare it is by combining it with a good source of protein. Images | micheile henderson In Xataka | We have been believing for years that intermittent fasting is the definitive weapon to lose weight. Science has another idea

Magnesium has become the star supplement for constipation. Science is clear about how it works

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Constipation is undoubtedly one of those silent problems that many people carry inside with a lot of suffering due to the symptoms it generates, such as abdominal distention. And in search of different remedies to be able to go to the bathroom regularly, magnesium It has positioned itself as one of the star supplements, whether in the form of pills, powders or even mineral waters. And here the question is clear: does it really work? The engine of the intestine. We know that magnesium acts in our digestive system fundamentally as an osmotic laxative. This means that, by not being completely absorbed in the intestine, it attracts water from the walls into the intestinal lumen. And in the end, this extra hydration softens the stool and increases its volume, which in turn stimulates colon movements that facilitate evacuation. Something very similar to what happens when you consume fiber. The use of magnesium. The most compelling evidence about its proper functioning comes from Japan, where magnesium oxide is a historically used first-line treatment for this problem. Here the science wanted to put it to the test in a group of adult patients with functional chronic constipation, and the results showed that magnesium oxide not only significantly improved stool frequency, but also stool shape and colonic transit time. The most revealing data is the overall response rate, since 70.6% of those treated with magnesium oxide saw their periods of constipation reduced compared to 25% of the control group. But beyond this, patients reported an improvement in their quality of life, demonstrating that magnesium goes beyond simple punctual symptomatic relief. Natural prevention. It is not always necessary to resort to supplementation in pills, since intake through food also plays a fundamental preventive role. Analysis of the NHANES database in American adults reveals a clear correlation: increased consumption in the diet Magnesium is associated with a lower prevalence of being constipated, which is an effect that is very marked in men. This is also adds the power of mineralized waters rich in magnesium and sulfate that have been seen to have a real therapeutic impact. The data suggests that a dose of 20 mmol per day is sufficient to increase the number of bowel movements and improve the consistency of the stool from the second week of consumption, making these waters a very important dietary tool that should always be present in cases of constipation. The pediatric dilemma. In the case of children, everything changes, and it forces us to be very careful because what may be good for an adult does not have to be transferred to the little ones. And, although science suggests that at a physiological level, frequency and consistency are improved and abdominal pain is reduced, it has an important problem: taste. Here studies suggest that a good part of children can reject magnesium oxide orally. Likewise, in the pediatric field it is always better to avoid supplementation and consult a specialist in order to receive the best possible treatment and under strict control by doctors. Your fine print. Magnesium is a priori natural, but this is not synonymous with ‘harmless’. The B side of magnesium supplementation lies in the possibility of having an excess of magnesium in the blood in cases where it is thought that the more, the better. An excess of magnesium in the blood due to self-medication can directly affect the kidneys, which are ultimately responsible for filtering and excreting this excess, so those people who already have an underlying kidney problem should be very careful about overdoing it with this ‘natural’ remedy. In Xataka | There are people obsessed with consuming magnesium as a supplement when the best way is to put it in your diet

We thought matcha tea was just an internet fad. Science has seen that it “hacks” our brain against allergies

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He matcha tea is beginning to be a standardized drink among many people who need get up with one in your handslike those of us who need coffee to wake up. Something that has also been accompanied by the opening of a large number of establishments specialized in its production. And although for many people it may seem like a joke or an expensive fad promoted by internet gurus and people closest to Eastern countries, the truth is that it has a large number of benefits that do not stop growing. Its component. Matcha tea hides a biochemical profile that far exceeds that of conventional green teaand the key lies in how it is grown and consumed. Precisely by ingesting the whole powdered leaf, we get a very high concentration of EGCG (epigallocatechin gelato), L-theanine and caffeine. Its benefits. One of the most important is that we are facing a great antioxidantand in this way studies suggest that matcha drastically reduces oxidative stress and key inflammatory markers such as IL-6. In fact, in some trials, its ability to restore cellular homeostasis exceeds that of vitamin C. Additionally, the synergy between caffeine and L-theanine is the real productivity “trick.” Daily consumption has been shown to moderate fatigue and improve spatial learning and, in addition, upregulates the brain-derived neurotrophic factorwhich enhances memory without altering the sleep cycle. Metabolic impact. In high-fat diet models, matcha suppresses weight gain and fat accumulation in the liver. In humans, trials show better glycemic control and an improvement in the lipid profile, lowering ‘bad’ cholesterol (bad in many quotes) and raising good cholesterol. Its role in allergies. As if all this were not enough, a recent study published at the beginning of this month of March has put an unexpected finding on the table: matcha can be an ally against allergic rhinitis. Something that is welcomed with open arms right this spring where a very tough allergic season is expected. In this case, the team led by Osamu Kaminuma, from Hiroshima University, administered oral doses of matcha of 250 mg/kg to sensitized mice. The result was a significant suppression of allergen- and histamine-induced sneezing. Its mechanism. Here matcha did not alter the traditional immune system, which is the one that detects an allergen as an ‘enemy’ and wants to eliminate it at all costs. What it did was suppress neuronal activity in the brain stem, directly blocking the sneeze reflex on a neurological level. Although confirmatory trials in humans are still lacking, and it opens the door to fascinating non-pharmacological clinical use. There are several types. Not all matchas are the same, and you should always opt for the ceremonial quality grade, since it is first harvest, stone ground, bright green in color and with a large amount of antioxidants. In addition, authentic Japanese origin guarantees quality, and you should also avoid those that have been industrially processed. Images | Jason Leung In Xataka | The tea that was born to stop time now runs against it: the matcha crisis in Japan

It’s science and that’s why they sleep worse than men

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When sharing a bed with another person, there is a chance that there will be an eternal nighttime thermal war, with one person roasting in the heat and pulling the duvet down, while the other freezes and seeks refuge under the covers. For years, this has been treated as a simple couple anecdotebut the truth is that it has a physiological reason behind it. And something that has been seen is that women, statistically, sleep worse than men, with the thermostat being the culprit. Sleeping differently. To understand this phenomenon, we must first know how our body works when it prepares to rest. In this case, in order for us to fall asleep and enter the deeper phases, our core temperature must drop. However, during the REM phasethe body needs this temperature to rise slightly again. This is where the biological conflict comes in, as is exposed in the podcast Sleep is a Skillwhere a specialist explains how women generally tend to have less muscle mass and a lower basal metabolism than men. This translates into a skin temperature between 3 and 4 degrees colder, meaning that, with colder extremities, women prefer warmer environments to be able to reach that optimal temperature that induces sleep. Something that opens up many anecdotes, like how in a couple women need a sheet to sleep in in the summer. Their differences. In general terms (which is not universal), while men need the room and bed to be cold at the beginning of the night to lower their core temperature quickly, Women require a warmer environment to compensate for colder skin. and not suffer alterations in your sleep architecture. What science says. In the literature, there are multiple studies that confirm these gender differences in thermoregulation. One of these was published in 2023, where it was shown that women recorded higher skin temperatures than men during the sleep phase where there is higher quality. That is, it requires a warmer microenvironment to have a much more adequate sleep. Furthermore, several studies published in Journal of Sleep Research reveal that women reach nocturnal body temperature minimums earlier than men. But also, its temperature drops are less pronounced, which directly affects the quality of continuous sleep. The use of technology. Given this problem, there are companies that have set to work to do something that would a priori solve this problem for couples: use smart mattress covers to regulate the temperature on each side of the bed so that women sleep better. It is true that the data they rely on internally to sell their mattresses still has to be validated. Even so, the pre-existing scientific evidence is robust. Women are not “chilly” on a whim, but their biology requires a different thermal environment to be able to rest properly. Perhaps the definitive solution to disputes over the duvet is not by giving in, but by dividing air conditioning technology in the bed. Images | Vitaly Gariev In Xataka | We thought insomnia was just not being able to sleep. Now we know that there are five different disorders

Science is clear that being a good person gives happiness. The problem is the hidden cost of “overdoing it”

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Since we were little, society has bombarded us with a very clear message: you have to be good people. It’s a moral imperative, yes, but over the past few decades science has attempted to answer a much more pragmatic question: does being kind to others have a real impact on our happiness? This is where A group of researchers wanted to give an answer. What we know. The answer to this question is ‘yes’ according to the latest articles that have been published on the matter. But we must keep in mind that taking kindness to the extreme, leaving our ‘skin’ for others without attending to our own needs, has a real impact that translates into burnout and also in a great emotional exhaustion. And surely, some people can see themselves very reflected in these concepts of literally being very ‘burned out’ for being very kind to others and attending to all the favors they ask of you without thinking about oneself. The positive part. The idea that “good people are happier” is not a simple phrase of Mr. Wonderfulbut it is a conclusion with solid empirical support, especially in the field of positive psychology. Here the researchers were able to see, for example, in a Japanese sample that happier people performed more daily acts of kindness. What’s more, they found that forcing people to simply “count” their own kind acts for a week measurably increased their happiness. There are more studies. Beyond this case, which is very classic, the bibliography leaves us with a great meta-analysis that reviewed decades of research to conclude that help, donate or support others is consistently associated with persistently higher well-being, even if modest in some cases. Something that was also demonstrated in the experimental works of Sonja Lyubomirskywhich made it clear that assigning a group of people the task of “performing acts of kindness” significantly increases their well-being compared to control groups. The negative part. If being good is so positive… Should we give ourselves to others without limit? The answer here is a resounding ‘no’. As has always been heard, the middle ground is where virtue lies, since reaching absolute altruism causes compassion fatigue and burnout. And it is no wonder, because altruism taken to the extreme, especially in highly demanding contexts, is dangerous. The studies on health professionals and caregivers clearly show that high exposure to the suffering of others, combined with a strong compassionate orientation but without clear limits, triggers the risk of psychological collapse and, therefore, serious problems such as anxiety. Its consequences. An empirical study on altruism that exists among co-workers revealed that, although constantly helping colleagues encourages cooperation, in the long term it is associated with great emotional exhaustion and depersonalization of the relationship. That is, the system collapses if aid becomes chronic and absorbs own resources. And the problem is that when people are very compassionate with the rest of the world, they are usually incapable of being very compassionate with themselves and have much greater wear and tear. Here empathy needs a protective shield that is nothing more nor less than a series of limits regarding interpersonal relationships. Although logically there are cases that are difficult to mark because we tend to be too kind. The society. To fully understand the picture of human goodness, one must do zoom out since it is not about what we do individually, but about the ecosystem where we are living. Here the World Happiness Report 2025 dedicate an entire chapter to analyze on a global level how kindness and happiness interact. And their conclusions are revealing, since they point out that the greatest predictor of individual happiness is not the frequency with which we do good acts, but the expectation that others will do good things too. In this case, the report gives a very illustrative example: the expectation that, if you lose your wallet, a stranger will return it to you. Here, believing in the goodness of others has a brutal impact on reducing inequality of happiness within a country, and as the SDSN network points out In their adaptation of the data for Spain, “believing in the goodness of others is much more related to happiness than previously thought.” Images | Brooke Cagle In Xataka | If the question is “where is the secret to happiness,” an expert believes it is hidden in these 15 statements

science details that it completely changes how we digest it

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White bread is one of the star foods of our gastronomy, since many people almost need it to have some lentils or in the morning. to make some toast. The ‘problem’ is that for many people it is a prohibited food due to its high glycemic index, which causes a very pronounced sugar spike after taking it. Although There are options to have less impact. Your metabolism. Our body, due to the refined flours used, causes its carbohydrates to be digested quickly, causing a blood glucose spike. However, for some time now a ‘biohack’ has been circulating on the internet that promises to change this with a simple gesture: put the bread in the freezer and toast it before eating it. Something that can be ideal especially for diabetics. Here the question is almost obligatory: is it an urban legend? What happens to the bread? To understand why bread changes its properties when cooled or heated, we must look at its main component, which it’s starch. In these cases, when the bread is baked, the starch gelatinizes, becoming easily digestible for our enzymes, and this causes the sugar to quickly pass into the blood. However, when we subject that bread to an extreme cooling process, such as freezing, and subsequently toast it, the molecular structure of the starch changes. What occurs here is a physical-chemical phenomenon known as retrogradation, which has as its final result the formation of type 3 resistant starch. A new starch. Type 3 resistant starch lives up to its name, as it resists digestion in the small intestine. The result is that, instead of being broken down into glucose quickly, it passes intact to the large intestine, where it acts in a similar way to dietary fiber, serving as food for our intestinal microbiota. What does science say? This mechanism is something that already It was tested in 2008 with the publication of an article that measured the glycemic response in healthy volunteers after consuming white bread subjected to different processes: Fresh white bread: 259 mmol min/l. Just toasted white bread: 193 mmol min/l. White bread frozen and then toasted: 157 mmol min/l. The important thing here is that frozen and then toasted white bread shows a significant drop in the glycemic index. That is, the simple act of freezing the bread and putting it through the toaster reduced the glucose spike by almost 40%. There is more evidence. In addition to this, there are other published studies that showed that frozen and reheated white bread generates a much lower glycemic response at all times measured after ingestion. In fact, already in 1988, another study showed that roasting reduces the degree of digestion, and subsequent work confirms that leave it frozen for a long time The amount of resistant starch progressively increases. It’s not magic. Although science suggests that toasted and frozen bread is metabolically better at keeping glycemic spikes at bay, there is fine print to keep in mind. One of these important points is that, in healthy people, reducing the glycemic index is interesting on a physiological level, but its impact on general health or weight loss is minimal if it is not accompanied by a healthier diet. Additionally, toasting bread increases its palatability. That is, it is richer, crunchier and not as filling as fresh bread, which can lead us to eat more, canceling out any benefits of resistant starch. The alternatives. If you want to continue eating bread but with a lower impact on your health, one of the options is to opt for whole grain bread that is 100% whole grain or made with long-fermented sourdough, since they have an inherently lower glycemic index thanks to their high fiber content. But we must also remember that the glycemic load of a meal does not depend on a single food. Combining bread with good sources of protein, healthy fats, such as extra virgin olive oil, and fiber flattens the glucose curve much more forcefully than the best toasted bread. In Xataka | Bread has always been a pillar of the Spanish diet. Now it is suffering a historic crisis and no one knows why

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