Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez, D-N.M., speaks in favor of reauthorizing the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act in 2024. The legislation, which will benefit people sickened by radiation exposure in uranium mining and nuclear weapons testing, was included in the budget bill President Trump signed on July 4, 2025.
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Children who lived near a St. Louis creek polluted with radioactive atomic bomb waste from the 1940s through the 1960s were more likely to be diagnosed with cancer over their lifetimes than children who lived farther from the waterway, a new study has found.
The findings, published in JAMA Network Open, corroborate worries that neighbors of Coldwater Creek have long held about the Missouri River tributary where generations of children played.
“We actually saw something quite dramatic, not only elevated risk of cancer, but one that increased steadily in a sort of dose-response manner the closer the childhood residents got to Coldwater Creek,” said the study’s senior author, Marc Weisskopf, an epidemiology professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
As part of the Manhattan Project, Mallinckrodt Chemical Works processed uranium in St. Louis for the development of an atomic bomb. By the mid-1940s, according to historians, the company began to haul its radioactive waste north of the city, leaving it in open steel drums, unattended and exposed to the elements, next to Coldwater Creek.
The study’s release comes shortly after passage of the “One Big Beautiful Bill” which contained a little-known provision to help people sickened by exposure to nuclear waste in Missouri and elsewhere. It provides payments of $25,000 to families of people who died as a result of radiation-linked cancers in the St. Louis area and $50,000 to those who developed the cancers and survived.
Like the new study, the provision recognizes the potential health risks from lower radiation levels associated with the production of the atomic bomb. Previous legislation, the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, known as RECA, expired last year after paying out $2.6 billion to people who developed cancer after exposure to high-dose radiation from participating in onsite atomic weapon testing, mining or hauling uranium or being downwind of the Nevada test site.
U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Missouri, made sure the RECA reauthorization was included in the recently passed budget bill and that it included benefits for his constituents who lived near the contaminated creek.
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Sen. Josh Hawley, a Republican from Missouri, pushed to get a new version of RECA into the Trump budget bill. Hawley had been a vocal critic of the BBB’s $900 billion cut to Medicaid, but in the end voted for the massive package of tax and spending cuts. Hawley’s yes vote came after a $50 billion fund for rural hospitals was added to the BBB.
Research treasure trove: Decades-old baby teeth
Weisskopf and his research team had the addresses of 4,209 tooth donors from the St. Louis Baby Tooth Survey. Participants, born between 1945 and 1966, donated their baby teeth for science starting in 1958 and joined the new experiment between 2021 and 2024. Weisskopf initially planned to study cognitive decline, but after participants repeatedly mentioned Coldwater Creek, he pivoted to investigating proximity to the creek and cancer risk.
Almost one-quarter of the participants reported having cancer. Those who lived within one kilometer of the creek as children were 44% more likely to report having cancer than those who lived more than 20 kilometers away. Even more striking, those who lived within one kilometer of the creek were 85% more likely to have radiosensitive cancers, cancers believed to be caused by radiation.
Dr. Rebecca Smith-Bindman, a radiologist and epidemiology professor at the University of California, said she was impressed with the design of the study, with which she was not involved. “This study adds to our understanding that radiation is carcinogenic and that we have to be cautious to minimize exposures to radiation wherever possible,” she said. The main source of exposure today comes from medical imaging, she said.
The study also highlights the need to clean up areas, like shipyards, with radioactive waste, she said.
A behavioral difference for boys?
Male study participants were more likely than female participants to develop cancer, Smith-Bindman noted. She and Weisskopf hypothesized that the boys were more likely to play in Coldwater Creek in the aftermath of World War II.
In 1958, scientists at Washington University began collecting the baby teeth of children from St. Louis. The teeth were used in studies investigating possible links between cancer and the fallout from nuclear tests in the western U.S. St. Louis was chosen not because of its connection to uranium production but because milk in the Midwest had some of the nation’s highest levels of strontium-90, a radioactive isotope produced by nuclear fission.
High concentrations of strontium-90 found in donated baby teeth contributed to the adoption of the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty of 1963. A 2011 study found that men who were children in St. Louis in the 1960s and died of cancer by middle age had more than twice as much radioactive strontium in their baby teeth as men who grew up nearby and were still alive.
Though he did not use the baby teeth in his current study, Weisskopf would like to measure strontium-90 in the teeth in a future study to assess cancer risk and actual exposure.
“As boys, they might have played in the creek way more than girls, and so they got much more exposure,” he said. “If that were the case, then the radiation in the teeth should be higher in the boys than in the girls.”
Given that the half-life of strontium-90 is 29 years, Weisskopf is eager to begin work on a more detailed study while radiation remains in the baby teeth.
Over the years I’ve gone from using harsh, conventional skincare products to rubbing mud and avocado on my face! My current skincare routine is a little more in the middle of those two extremes. While I still love a good food mask, there are some really good pre-made skincare options now!
I still have high standards and don’t want anything going on my skin that has sketchy ingredients. Through trial and error I’ve found some skincare brands with clean ingredients that also perform well.
Here are some of my favorite skincare brands that I use and recommend! The moms behind the Wellness Mama team also use many of these products and they meet their approval too.
OneSkin
I had OneSkin’s co-founder Alessandra on the podcast and I’ve been intrigued by their products ever since. While I love a good skincare DIY, there are some products you just can’t replicate at home. OneSkin is unique because of their patented OS-01 peptide that you won’t find anywhere else. OS-01 has been scientifically shown to reverse skin’s biological age at a cellular level.
This means healthier skin with fewer lines, wrinkles, and sagging. I’ve noticed my skin feels more firm and supported when I use their products. I’m not a fan of using SPF everything every day and prefer to use other methods for safe sun exposure. So I don’t use OneSkin’s sunscreen products daily. However, I do love that all of their products are unscented.
You can read my full review on OneSkin’s products here, but for a quick overview, here are some of my favorites.
PREP Facial Cleanser
This facial cleanser helps exfoliate away dead skin cells and soothes even sensitive skin. Unlike a lot of other face washes on the market though, it has several highly effective botanical ingredients. You’ll find things like prickly pear, arnica, and Japanese honeysuckle. I also like that it works well with all skin types, from teenage acne, to dry menopausal skin and isn’t drying or harsh.
OS-01 FACE Lotion
As we age our skin gets thinner, more damaged, and not as smooth. The OS1 FACE moisturizer is lightweight so it doesn’t make my skin feel greasy, but it’s deeply nourishing. It includes their OS-01 peptide that helps our body create healthier skin at a cellular level. It increases skin thickness and stimulates collagen for smoother, firmer skin. OS-01 FACE features ingredients like pracaxi oil, andiroba oil, niacinamide, and hyaluronic acid.
OS-01 BODY Lotion
This is OneSkin’s body lotion and it has many of the same benefits as their face moisturizer. Studies show it improves skin barrier and elasticity by a large amount and helps protect the skin from damage. And with prebiotics, antioxidants, and other botanicals, it feels great on my skin.
I can’t say enough about how much I love all of Annmarie Gianni’s products! You can also buy a trial set and test out their products before buying full size. While I often vary my skincare products, I’ve been using a lot of Annmarie Gianni lately. They’re Made Safe approved, use wildcrafted and organic ingredients, are always non-GMO and made in the USA.
Here are some of my current favorites:
Aloe Herb and Phytonutrient Cleansers
The Aloe Herb cleanser is pH balanced, comes in several different sizes, and is infused with a variety of herbs. It feels great on my skin and not too drying since it’s a cream cleanser. Plus it doesn’t leave a weird, sticky feeling on my skin afterward. Annmarie’s Phytonutrient cleanser has so many active botanicals in it that it would be hard to list them all! You’ll find apple extract, aloe, calendula, chamomile, and many more.
Hydrate Hyaluronic Acid With Peptides
I love this elixir for whenever I have dry skin or the weather is really dry. It’s very concentrated so you just mix a little bit with your face lotion or oil and apply to thirsty skin. Hydrate uses hyaluronic acid and collagen peptides for firmer, more elastic, and more hydrated skin.
Anti-aging Serum
Again, this anti-aging serum is loaded with skin loving botanical ingredients. It’s an aloe-based serum that helps firm and tighten skin as it ages. You don’t need very much to see results. The serum uses ingredients like hyaluronic acid, rose hydrosol, and antioxidant buddleja extract to fight free-radical damage. You’ll also find rosehip, frankincense, myrrh, rhodiola, plantain, and many more!
Learn more about Annmarie Gianni and find all of their products here.
Alitura
I’m friends with Alitura’s founder Andy Hnilo and interviewed him about his amazing story on the podcast. Years ago Andy was in a terrible accident that should have left him with major facial scars. Instead, he created some pretty amazing skin rejuvenating products. I love so many of Alitura’s products and I love their backstory even more.
Clay Mask
This was Alitura’s original signature product and the first one I tried (and fell in love with). It has premium ingredients in a mask you won’t find anywhere else. The freshwater pearl powder restores damaged skin, along with grass-fed colostrum, ginseng, clays, and kelp. My skin feels amazing after I use it and it’s now a part of my regular routine.
Gold Serum and Moisturizer
Alitura’s superfood serum for the face helps skin cells regenerate, improves skin tone and elasticity, plus so much more. It includes antioxidant Co- Q10 and astaxanthin, marine collagen, bee propolis, alfalfa extract, and others. I’ve noticed it really helps soothe my skin, especially if I stay in the sun too long.
Their facial moisturizer also hydrates thirsty skin with ingredients like raw Christmas berry honey, blue chamomile, sea buckthorn, and wildcrafted vanilla to name a few.
Pearl Cleanser
Their pearl cleanser features wildcrafted and organic botanicals to help cleanse and renew skin. I use this one at night because it doesn’t leave any oily residue that can get on my pillow. It has cleansing clay, soothing rosewater, geranium hydrosol, and many more skin loving ingredients.
Learn more about Alitura Naturals and find all of their products here. And use the code wellnessmama for a discount.
Purity Woods
You might have heard me mention Purity Woods Dream Cream before as a natural face moisturizer. Not only does Purity Woods have all organic ingredients, but they feature some pretty unique plant extracts. I like using their moisturizer along with other products in my skincare routine.
They’re most well known for their daytime Dream Cream moisturizer, but I actually like their nighttime cream even better. It’s non-greasy, unscented, and my skin soaks it up with no residue after. It uses ingredients like maple leaf extract to keep elastin healthy for firmer skin, antioxidant Japanese knotweed and rosehip seed, and anti-inflammatory evening primrose oil.
When I use their nighttime moisturizer I feel like I don’t have anything on my face when I’m done.
I like that Made On keeps things simple and only uses natural ingredients. It’s one of the first natural skincare products I tried early on in my natural health journey. I make my own lotion bars sometimes, but Made On also has really good hard lotion. They now also have lip balm, muscle balm, rash cream, and other products.
If you’re not familiar with hard lotion or lotion bars, they’re oil based bars hardened with beeswax and natural butters. They’re a great option for travel or for little ones who want to “do it myself.”
Check out Made On and try their products here. Use the code wellnessmama for 15% off.
Toups & Co Organics
It can be hard to find healthy makeup options. It’s even harder to find healthy makeup options that actually work! That’s why I was so excited to find Toups & Co organic makeup. They partner with regenerative farms to source fair trade ingredients, including their grass-fed and finished tallow.
Toups has a wide variety of skincare products for all ages, including cleansers, serums, masks, deodorant, moisturizers, and soap. They even have a babycare line for the most sensitive skin.
I use their natural makeup the most often though. It has clean ingredients that nourish skin, lips, and eyes, without adding to our toxic burden. Conventional makeup can have lead, heavy metals, and other toxins that get absorbed into our skin and mucous membranes. The lipstick is vibrant and their foundation blends in well to match unique skin tones. Plus they have primer, eyeliner, mascara, blush, and more.
I still love my natural skincare DIY projects, but there are just some things you really can’t recreate outside of a lab. And having access to natural and organic skincare has never been easier or more convenient. There’s such a wide variety with really great ingredients to try now.
These companies have made their way into my skincare routine and onto my bathroom counter. I hope you’ll check them out if you haven’t already!
What does your natural skincare routine look like? Anything you’d like to try or add? Leave a comment and let us know!
Osteoarthritis affects more than 2.1 million Australians, and that number is rising fast.1 Joint pain, stiffness, and lost mobility are now routine problems for aging adults, but not all joint pain has the same cause. If you’re experiencing stiffness in the morning, pain in your hands, or swelling in your knees, it matters which kind of arthritis you’re dealing with.
Rheumatoid arthritis, though far less common, behaves very differently than osteoarthritis. It often strikes earlier, spreads faster and triggers symptoms beyond joint pain. Your immune system is the culprit, not aging or overuse. Too many people wait until the damage is done. That’s why this article breaks down exactly how to tell the difference between these two conditions — and more importantly, what to do about it.
What Sets Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis Apart
The root causes of these two conditions differ significantly. Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis and occurs when the protective cartilage that cushions the ends of your bones gradually breaks down. Rheumatoid arthritis, by contrast, is an autoimmune condition where your immune system mistakenly targets the lining of your joints, causing inflammation and joint damage.2
• They affect people at different life stages — Osteoarthritis usually shows up later in life, often after age 60. Rheumatoid arthritis tends to appear earlier, usually between ages 30 and 60, but it can strike at any age.
• Progression patterns vary widely — Osteoarthritis develops slowly over years, while rheumatoid arthritis tends to worsen rapidly over a matter of weeks or months.
• Affected joints aren’t the same — Osteoarthritis commonly impacts weight-bearing joints like your knees, hips, spine, and fingers. Rheumatoid arthritis often begins in small joints, such as those in your hands, wrists, and feet — and it’s usually symmetrical.
• One type stays local, the other systemic — Osteoarthritis pain is typically limited to the affected joint. Rheumatoid arthritis often causes fatigue, appetite loss, and low-grade fever — clear signs your entire immune system is involved.
• Diagnosis tools differ — Osteoarthritis is diagnosed primarily through clinical exams and history. Rheumatoid arthritis is often confirmed with blood tests detecting specific antibodies, in addition to imaging.
Osteoarthritis Isn’t Just ‘Wear and Tear’ — It’s a Whole-Joint Disease
An article from The Conversation explains that osteoarthritis is a complex condition that impacts cartilage, bones, ligaments, and joint lining, not just the cartilage cushion between bones.3
• Early symptoms don’t always show up on scans — Pain, swelling, and stiffness are often present even if your x-rays or MRIs look normal. Conversely, advanced structural damage doesn’t always correlate with severe pain, adding to diagnostic confusion. This mismatch between symptoms and imaging makes early diagnosis challenging, and it’s one reason osteoarthritis is often ignored until it becomes debilitating.
• Commonly affected joints are weight-bearing ones — Your knees, hips, and big toes carry the brunt of the condition, though fingers and thumbs are also common sites. These are the areas that take the most mechanical load and wear out faster.
Over time, joint shapes change, especially in your hands, where osteoarthritis often visibly distorts knuckles and limits hand function. For most people, these symptoms get worse with movement, though stiffness after inactivity is common too.
• Risk increases sharply with age and weight — One-third of adults over 75 have osteoarthritis. When you carry more weight than your joints are designed to handle, especially in your knees and hips, it increases wear on the joint structures. Obesity also drives systemic inflammation, which adds fuel to the fire and accelerates damage.
• Genetics matters — especially for hand osteoarthritis — If your family members have had it, your risk rises significantly. While injuries, surgery, and repetitive stress on joints increase your risk overall, genetic predisposition appears particularly strong for finger and thumb joints.
Why Osteoarthritis Diagnosis and Treatment Need a Smarter Approach
Osteoarthritis is often dismissed as a natural part of aging, but that’s misleading. This mindset is outdated and counterproductive.4 Osteoarthritis is a degenerative disease process driven by a combination of mechanical, inflammatory, and metabolic factors. Framing it as “just part of getting older” delays action, which is the exact opposite of what’s needed.
• Progression isn’t predictable — Some people live for years with minimal symptoms, while others rapidly deteriorate. Injuries or stress to a joint accelerate the damage.
• Scans often don’t match how you feel — One of the more confusing aspects of osteoarthritis is that severity on scans doesn’t always match your symptoms. You might have severe joint pain with little visible damage, or minimal pain despite major degeneration. Treatment should focus on your experience, not your imaging.
• Movement isn’t dangerous — it’s necessary — Exercise reduces stiffness, improves joint lubrication and strengthens the muscles that stabilize joints. It’s one of the most effective and safest tools for managing osteoarthritis.
• Every pound lost eases the burden — Shedding even 10 pounds reduces up to 40 pounds of stress on your knees. That change alone makes a major difference in pain and mobility.
How Your Symptoms Show Which Type of Arthritis You’re Facing
According to MyHealth.Alberta.ca, the Alberta Government and Alberta Health Services’ platform for health and wellness information, patterns help reveal the diagnosis.5 Rheumatoid arthritis tends to cause widespread, symmetrical pain that hits both wrists or both knees. Osteoarthritis usually starts in one joint and moves slowly.
• Onset speed and systemic symptoms matter — Osteoarthritis creeps in over years. Rheumatoid arthritis often escalates in a matter of weeks or months and is usually more aggressive early on. Fatigue and fever also signal rheumatoid arthritis. If you’re feeling rundown or losing your appetite alongside joint pain, it’s likely autoimmune-related. Osteoarthritis rarely affects the rest of your body.
• Morning stiffness is a major clue — One of the most telling differences between rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis lies in how your joints feel when you first wake up. Rheumatoid arthritis stiffness tends to last more than an hour and can leave you feeling locked up until your joints begin to loosen with movement.
In contrast, osteoarthritis-related stiffness usually fades in less than 60 minutes and tends to return after periods of rest or inactivity later in the day.
• Small joints vs. big joints — Rheumatoid arthritis commonly targets the small joints in your fingers, hands and feet before affecting larger areas like knees or elbows. Osteoarthritis shows up more often in places that bear the most mechanical load, like hips, knees, or your spine.
This pattern helps differentiate the two conditions before advanced testing is needed. If you’re feeling pain or swelling in the balls of your feet, knuckles, or wrists, and it’s happening on both sides of your body, that’s a red flag for rheumatoid arthritis.
• Inflammation and swelling tell the story — Inflammation and visible swelling are much more common in rheumatoid arthritis. Your joints often look puffy or feel hot to the touch. Osteoarthritis causes some tenderness or joint thickening over time, but doesn’t usually cause the pronounced swelling seen in rheumatoid arthritis flares. If swelling is your dominant symptom, especially if it’s sudden or painful, it’s worth checking for autoimmune involvement.
• Symmetry in joint pain is a hallmark of rheumatoid arthritis — If you have it in one wrist, you’ll likely have it in the other. Osteoarthritis doesn’t follow this rule. Instead, symptoms often appear in a single knee or hip and spread slowly, sometimes never reaching the opposite side. That symmetry versus asymmetry rule is one of the simplest self-checks to better understand what kind of arthritis you’re facing.
How to Reduce Inflammation and Protect Your Joints Naturally
If you’ve been living with joint pain or stiffness, whether it started suddenly or crept in over the years, it’s time to take steps that address the real root of the problem, not just mask it.
Whether your symptoms are from osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis, one thing’s clear: your joints are under attack, and ignoring it won’t stop the damage. You need to lower inflammation, protect the tissue that’s still healthy and help your body rebuild what it can. Here’s how to get started.
1. Cut out vegetable oils to stop feeding the inflammation cycle — Vegetable oils like soybean, canola, corn, safflower, and sunflower oil are loaded with linoleic acid (LA), which fuels oxidative stress and chronic inflammation. Eliminating these from your diet is foundational to calming joint inflammation. Switch to saturated fats like grass fed butter, ghee, or tallow.
2. Boost vitamin K2 to block cartilage damage and protect joints — Research confirms vitamin K2 helps keep your joints healthy by preventing cartilage cell death and stopping inflammatory damage.6 It works by increasing levels of protective proteins and blocking calcium from building up in your joints.
This helps reduce stiffness, maintain cartilage thickness, and slow the progression of osteoarthritis. The best sources are grass fed egg yolks, aged cheeses and fermented foods like natto or homemade sauerkraut. For added support, take 180 to 200 mcg daily of MK-7, a highly absorbable form of K2.
3. Start sipping real bone broth to repair your connective tissue — Homemade bone broth delivers collagen, glycine, glucosamine, and chondroitin — compounds that rebuild cartilage and soothe inflammation. Use grass fed, organic bones, and add cartilage-rich parts like chicken feet for best results. Sip slowly throughout the day for consistent absorption.
4. Drop excess weight if you’re carrying more than your frame supports — Every extra pound on your body adds 4 pounds of force on your knees, so shedding even a few pounds dramatically reduces joint stress. Focus on cutting LA, walking daily and getting morning sunlight to support your metabolism.
5. Support your mitochondria to calm autoimmune inflammation —Healthy mitochondria help regulate your immune system by producing superoxide — a molecule that triggers IL-10, your body’s “off switch” for inflammation.7
When mitochondria malfunction, IL-10 levels drop and inflammation spirals out of control. To keep them strong, eat fiber-rich foods like whole fruit that increase butyrate, move your body daily, get sunshine exposure and eliminate vegetable oils.
These steps help your macrophages control inflammation and reduce autoimmune flares. Research also shows that dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) increases joint flexibility in rheumatoid arthritis by 20 to 30 degrees in some cases, without relapse.8 That’s a simple, powerful tool worth considering.
FAQs About Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis
Q: How can I tell the difference between osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis?
A: Osteoarthritis typically develops gradually with age and affects weight-bearing joints like knees, hips, and your spine. It often causes stiffness that improves within an hour of waking and worsens with activity.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that progresses rapidly, often affects both sides of your body symmetrically, and causes systemic symptoms like fatigue and low-grade fever. Morning stiffness with RA usually lasts more than an hour and often includes joint swelling and warmth.
Q: What causes each type of arthritis?
A: Osteoarthritis results from wear-and-tear, mechanical stress, inflammation, and metabolic changes that damage joint cartilage and surrounding tissue. Rheumatoid arthritis is caused by an overactive immune response that mistakenly attacks joint linings, leading to inflammation and tissue destruction throughout your body.
Q: Why is early diagnosis important for both OA and RA?
A: Early detection helps limit permanent joint damage and guides appropriate treatment. Osteoarthritis doesn’t always show up clearly on early scans, making symptom awareness important. RA often shows up in blood tests before severe joint damage occurs. Knowing the difference allows for faster action and better outcomes.
Q: What natural steps help manage joint pain and inflammation?
A: Cutting out vegetable oils from your diet, increasing vitamin K2 intake, sipping bone broth, maintaining a healthy weight and supporting mitochondrial health all help reduce inflammation and protect joints. These strategies target the root causes, whether mechanical or immune-driven, rather than just masking symptoms.
Q: What are the early warning signs I shouldn’t ignore?
A: Persistent joint pain, especially if it’s symmetrical or accompanied by swelling, fatigue, or morning stiffness lasting more than an hour, signal rheumatoid arthritis. In osteoarthritis, watch for stiffness that eases with movement, joint tenderness after activity and gradual loss of flexibility. Visible joint changes, like enlarged knuckles or a shifting thumb joint, are also red flags.
IT leaders from across the country gathered at Cisco Live US 2025 to explore the latest innovations, strategies, and best practices in technology. The event featured tailored sessions and keynotes designed to address the unique challenges and opportunities facing manufacturing, transportation, utilities and other industrial organizations. Here are a few highlights from the week.
Modernizing Industrial Operations
The most innovative demonstration on the show floor at Cisco Live featured a guitar refurbishment factory illustrating how industrial networks are becoming the nervous system of modern manufacturing. In this advanced assembly line, guitars underwent meticulous inspection and tuning by AI-driven robotics, showcasing the wide-ranging capabilities enabled by sophisticated networking technology.
The demo featured AI-powered machine vision, virtualized programmable logic controllers, industrial visibility, network segmentation, secure remote access, data extraction, and more—highlighting how cutting-edge networking is fueling innovation and operational efficiency in industrial settings. Check out the below video to see the technology in action.
Cisco Customer Achievement Awards
The Cisco Customer Achievement Awards recognized outstanding Cisco customers who achieved exceptional results through innovative use of Cisco solutions. The awards celebrated excellence in areas such as AI-readiness, future-proof workplaces, digital resilience, and sustainability, highlighting transformative business outcomes and customer success stories. Winners were announced during the awards ceremony at Cisco Live San Diego 2025 and featured the below industrial customers.
Future-Proofed Workplaces
The Future-proofed Workplaces Awards honored customers modernizing work environments, ensuring secure access, immersive collaboration, hybrid work, and innovations in smart building tech and secure networking.
Fairlife – Modernized Infrastructure Maestro Award Winner
High Impact Sessions
There were numerous high impact sessions throughout the week including:
This session highlighted practical strategies for improving plant floor security and minimizing downtime in manufacturing settings. General Motors is tackling challenges like limited visibility into network traffic and endpoints, along with a shortage of skills and training, to secure its global plants. With the implementation of Identity Services Engine (ISE) for policy management and the deployment of Catalyst Industrial Ethernet (IE) solutions, IP67 switches, and Catalyst Center, GM is achieving increased efficiencies and a strong ROI.
This session explored the application of Software-Defined Access (SDA) technology in industrial automation environments. It featured Audi, showcasing their innovative approach to virtualizing Industrial Automation and Control Systems (IACS) hardware. By leveraging hyperconverged infrastructure and SDA, Audi is creating efficient virtual environments that connect seamlessly to the plant floor.
Explore Cisco Live US 2025 On-Demand Sessions
Don’t miss the opportunity to catch up on all the valuable insights and innovations shared at Cisco Live US 2025 by exploring the Cisco Live on-demand session library. Whether you want to revisit your favorite presentations or discover new topics relevant to your organization, the on-demand sessions offer flexible access to expert-led discussions, product demonstrations, and industry best practices.
Be sure to check out must-watch sessions such as Connecting and Protecting Manufacturing Organizations in the AI Era, for in-depth perspectives on how AI is transforming security and connectivity in manufacturing. It’s the perfect way to stay informed, inspire your team, and make the most of Cisco Live—anytime, anywhere.
Mitochondria, like the one seen in cutaway view, are the powerhouses inside cells.
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Scientists can protect children from being born with certain devastating genetic disorders by creating “three-parent” babies, according to the results of a landmark study released Wednesday.
British researchers used the experimental technique to help families have eight children who appear healthy. They now range in age from younger than 6 months to older than 2 years.
The families have been plagued for generations by rare but often fatal inherited mitochondrial disorders, according to twopapers published in The New England Journal of Medicine.
The four boys and four girls, including a set of identical twins, need to be followed longer to confirm the procedure is safe and effective, the researchers say. But the results are being hailed as a milestone in the quest to harness cutting-edge genetic technologies to enable more women to have healthy babies.
“Mitochondrial disease can be devastating for the family. It can be tragic,” says Doug Turnbull, a professor of neurology who is part of the team at Newcastle University that has been developing the technique for more than a decade. “This is an important breakthrough — a big step forward.”
The research is thrilling many families, doctors and other scientists.
“I think this is a landmark advance. It is pioneering work,” says Dietrich Egli, an associate professor of developmental cell biology at Columbia University who had been advocating for lifting federal restrictions on similar research in the U.S. “It is extraordinary — no question about it.”
Worries about risks temper hopes
But some critics question the approach. They worry about risks, and whether the approach will open the door to using genetic technologies to manipulate the genes in other ways to someday create “designer babies.” Moreover, genetic changes like this can be passed down for generations. So any mistakes could introduce deleterious mutations into the human gene pool, they say.
“It’s dangerous,” says Stuart Newman, a professor of cell biology and anatomy at the New York Medical College. “It’s biologically dangerous. And then it’s dangerous culturally because it’s the beginning of biological manipulation that won’t just end with preventing certain diseases, but will blossom into a full-fledged eugenics program where genes will be manipulated to make designer babies.”
Current U.S. regulations would prevent the procedure from being used in this country to produce children. But a New York doctor reported in 2016 that he had created a three-parent baby for a Jordanian family in Mexico. Australia has legalized it.And doctors in some other countries, including Greece and Ukraine, have used the technique to try to help infertile women have babies, even though it’s unclear the method works for that purpose.
“I think it will normalize the fact that it’s appropriate to take this material and to tinker with it, all in the pursuit of the perfect baby, whatever somebody happens to think that is,” says Francois Baylis, a distinguished research professor emerita at Dalhousie University in Canada.
Defective cellular powerhouses
Mitochondrial disorders can cause serious health problems, including paralysis, heart failure, brain damage, strokes and blindness. Children born with one of these disorders often live short, painful lives. The disorders are caused by defects in mitochondrial DNA. The genetic material is the blueprint for structures called mitochondria, which provide energy to cells. This DNA is passed only from mother to child.
The fix tested by the British scientists is sometimes called “mitochondrial donation.” It involves removing the genes from the nucleus of the fertilized egg of a couple who wants to have a healthy baby. Those genes represent the majority of genetic material in eggs and are responsible for most of a person’s traits, such as their appearance. The defective mitochondrial DNA is left behind.
The genes from the nucleus of the egg are then injected into a fertilized egg from a healthy woman that has had all of its DNA removed except for the donor’s healthy mitochondrial DNA. This is called pronuclear transfer. The resulting embryo can then develop with the healthy donor mitochondria and later be implanted into the womb of the woman who wants a healthy, genetically related baby.
As a result, the baby has all the DNA responsible for the main traits of the two parents trying to have a healthy baby along with a small amount of mitochondrial DNA from the woman who donated the egg. That is why they are sometimes referred to as “three-parent” babies.
Early results are encouraging
In the new study, the babies were born to seven women at high risk of transmitting serious, disease-causing mitochondrial DNA mutations to their offspring. Their mother’s disease-causing mitochondrial DNA mutations were either undetectable or present at levels that are unlikely to cause disease, the researchers reported.
“A child with one of these conditions can be in a lot of pain, suffer all sorts of problems and die. It’s truly horrible to have to watch your child slowly die of something that bad. It’s heartbreaking,” says Robin Lovell-Badge, a developmental biologist at the Francis Crick Institute in London who wrote an editorial accompanying the papers. “So for women at risk of having children with serious mitochondrial diseases, this provides them with an option to have children without suffering. It’s very encouraging.”
“All the children are well and continue to meet their developmental milestones,” Newcastle University’s Turnbull says.
Baylis, at Dalhousie University, and others worry about risks that may not yet be apparent, to the babies themselves, the women having the babies and the women donating the eggs, such as a dangerous hyperstimulation of their ovaries.
“There are risks to the women who are going to be receiving the embryo and there are risks to the women who are the donor of the eggs that will be providing the mitochondria, Baylis says. “We don’t know the future.”
She’s also worried about putting so much importance on the need by couples to only have children with their own genes.
“What you’re seeing is this sense that, ‘My genes are very valuable. My genes are the only ones worth reproducing.’ And I think that’s always worth questioning,” Baylis says.
Women at risk of having children with a mitochondrial disorder have other options, including adoption, she argues.
Turnbull acknowledges the research remains at a relatively early stage, requiring additional follow-up research and monitoring. “The results so far are very encouraging,” he says.
Turnbull argues reproductive technologies are highly regulated in Britain and many other countries: “I think there are enough checks and balances in the system to prevent this from becoming a slippery slope to designer babies.”
Others stress that the technology is distinct from gene-editing techniques like CRISPR, which have also raised fears about designer babies.
“This is totally different,” Lovell-Badge says. “This is using a method that is avoiding a serious disease. If you care about peoples’ health, peoples’ desire to have genetically related children, then I see no reason why you should not accept these methods.”
Walking is one of those things that most of us do every single day, but don’t think much about. It’s not just a way to get us from point A to point B, but it can also be a powerful health tool. More recently, I’ve been intentionally incorporating more walks into my day, and here’s why.
The (Many) Benefits of Walking
Walking isn’t just a casual form of movement, but a research-backed, restorative practice that can have a profound impact on nearly every area of our health. That is, if we choose to make it a daily habit.
And I say “choose” because walking is one of those things that’s so simple, we often dismiss its potential benefits. It doesn’t come with fancy gear, flashy gym memberships, or complex routines. Yet it’s often the simple things that can be the most impactful.
I recently shared a post about wearing a weighted vest while walking, a habit I’ve adopted more recently. It got a lot of questions and responses, which made me realize this topic deserves a deeper dive. In this article, we’ll cover what the science has to say about walking benefits and how to practically make it a regular part of your routine.
We’re Meant to Move
As humans, we’re biologically wired to walk. For most of our history, walking wasn’t an exercise, but how we survived. From foraging to hunting to living our daily lives, it’s estimated that our ancestors walked anywhere from five to ten miles each day.
Today? Most of us are lucky if we get a mile in between our cars, screens, and schedules.
This disconnect between where we came from and how we live now contributes to what some researchers call “Nature Deficit Disorder.” And while we can’t all go live barefoot in a forest, we can bring elements of natural movement back into our lives. A simple daily walk is a great way to start doing that.
The Science Backed Benefits of Walking
There are so many areas of our health that are positively impacted by walking. Here are some of the most compelling reasons to lace up your shoes. Better yet, go for a walk barefoot on the grass!
Boost Mental Health
Research shows walking helps reduce anxiety and depression symptoms. That might not be surprising if you’ve ever taken a walk to clear your head or felt better after a stressful day just by getting outside.
But it’s not just anecdotal. Studies show walking can increase levels of serotonin and dopamine, the “feel good” neurotransmitters we’re often told we need more of. One study even showed that 30 minutes of walking led to significant changes in brain activity associated with relaxation and positive mood. And when over 15% of women in the US take a prescription antidepressant (twice as many as men), that’s a big deal!
Support Metabolic Health
Less than 10% of Americans are considered metabolically healthy. That means over 90% of us could benefit from blood sugar support. And here’s the great news: walking is one of the most accessible tools we have.
A study in Diabetes Care found that just a 10-minute walk after meals can reduce blood sugar spikes by up to 12%. I often take short post-meal walks to help my body process food more efficiently. If I’m not in a place where I can really do that, then even a few dozen air squats will do the trick. I’ve seen the difference firsthand in my blood sugar readings while wearing a continuous glucose monitor.
It’s Great for Your Heart
Want a healthier heart? Get walking! A meta-analysis found that walking for just 30 minutes a day can reduce the risk of heart disease by 19%.
Unlike high-intensity workouts, walking is gentle on the body. That means you can do it daily without spiking cortisol or overly stressing your system. When I was healing from Hashimoto’s and intense nervous system dysregulation, walking (not running or weightlifting) was my movement of choice. It was restorative instead of depleting.
Regulate the Nervous System
One of my favorite benefits of walking is how it supports nervous system health. Especially when done in nature, walking stimulates the vagus nerve and helps shift the body into a parasympathetic (rest-and-digest) state.
You may have seen those powerful before-and-after brain scans showing how even 30 minutes of walking can reduce stress activity in the brain. Nature walks and forest bathing can also reduce cortisol levels and promote feelings of calm.
Enhance Lymphatic Flow and Joint Health
Walking is a full-body activity that helps boost our lymphatic movement and circulation. Since the lymphatic system doesn’t have a pump like the heart, it relies on muscle movement. Walking is a perfect way to keep things flowing. This can support immune function, detoxification, and even reduce puffiness and inflammation.
Walking also supports joint health through regular, low-impact movement. Unlike more intense workouts, walking can actually lubricate and hydrate joints. As my friend Hunter Cook teaches with CARs (controlled articular rotations), consistent joint movement is key to long-term mobility.
Do You Really Need 10,000 Steps?
You’ve probably heard the “10,000 steps a day” mantra. But did you know that number actually came from a Japanese marketing campaign in the 1960s, not from science?
The truth is, studies show that benefits really start around 7,000 to 8,000 steps per day. Even that might sound like a lot, but it breaks down to about 30 to 60 minutes of walking, spread throughout the day. And every step counts.
The goal isn’t perfection, but consistency. Whether you take one long morning walk or three short ones after meals, the benefits add up.
How to Upgrade Your Walks
Once walking becomes a regular habit, you can layer in some optional (and fun) upgrades to boost the benefits.
1. Add a Weighted Vest
Wearing a weighted vest can increase calorie burn, core engagement, and bone density. It’s important to start light, 5% of your body weight or less, and build up slowly if desired. I’ve worn vests from 30 to 60 pounds, depending on the terrain. On soft ground like sand, I stick to lighter weights or skip it altogether.
A quick note here: Someone once asked if wearing a weighted vest is like being overweight. The answer is… kind of, but with important differences. Carrying extra weight does stress the bones (which can strengthen them), but chronic inflammation or poor metabolic health can negate some of those benefits. With a vest, you get the bone benefit without the systemic stress.
I love barefoot walking when possible, on sand, dirt trails, or grass. It strengthens the feet, improves balance, and may help reduce inflammation through grounding or earthing (contact with the Earth’s natural electric charge). My oldest son regularly takes barefoot runs on concrete and has slowly worked his way up to having the proper form to do that safely. Myself? I’m not a fan of how the concrete feels barefoot, and I definitely wouldn’t recommend starting there!
Not ready for full barefoot walks? There are great minimalist shoe options like Earth Runners and Groundies that offer flexibility and grounding without sacrificing protection.
3. Try Incline or Hill Walks
Want to increase the intensity without adding weight? Find a hill or set your treadmill to an incline. This targets the glutes and hamstrings more, elevates heart rate, and boosts the metabolic impact. Overall, it’s still low impact.
The Best Times to Walk (And Why)
If you’re wondering when to walk, here are a few times that offer extra benefits:
Morning: Walking in early daylight helps regulate your circadian rhythm, supports hormone balance, and boosts mood. Try combining it with a morning gratitude or meditation practice to habit stack even more benefits.
After Meals: A short walk after eating (even just 10 minutes) supports digestion and stabilizes blood sugar. This is one of my favorite health habits.
Evening: Gentle movement in the evening helps wind down the nervous system and supports better sleep. Bonus if you walk at sunset and get some free red light!
Make Walking a Daily Habit
The biggest takeaway here isn’t about how long or intense our walks are. It’s all about getting started and being consistent. Here are a few ways to make walking an easy, enjoyable habit:
Track It: I use an Oura ring, but you don’t need anything fancy. A simple step counter or app can help you stay mindful.
Make It Enjoyable: Listen to audiobooks or podcasts, or just enjoy the quiet. Whatever helps you look forward to it. Sometimes I’ll reserve a favorite audiobook to listen to only while I’m on a walk.
Walk with Others: Social walks are one of my favorite ways to connect. Meet up with a friend and walk instead of sitting at a coffee shop.
Habit Stack: Pair it with an existing habit, like your morning tea, your lunch break, or your evening wind-down.
Start Small: Even five to ten minutes a day is enough to get started. It’s about building the habit, not winning a marathon.
Final Thoughts on the Benefits of Walking
Walking might be one of the most common human activities, but that doesn’t mean it’s ordinary. In my humble opinion, walking is one of the most overlooked tools we have for healing, regulating, and thriving. It supports everything from our mental health and metabolism to our bone strength, brain health, and longevity.
If you’re simply looking to start getting healthier or you’ve been on this path for a while, I’d encourage you to try adding walking to your routine. See how it affects your energy, your mood, and your stress levels. Over time, you may just notice that you crave walking more, especially when it’s out in nature!
Do you make walking a habit? Have you ever tried upgrading your walk? Leave a comment and let us know!
Between 2010 and 2019, the number of people with atrial fibrillation (AFib) rose from 33.5 million to nearly 60 million.1 AFib is a type of cardiac arrhythmia that affects the upper chambers of the heart, disrupting the normal heartbeat and increasing the risk of stroke, heart failure, and other cardiovascular complications.2
Age, high blood pressure, and metabolic issues are well-known risk factors, but the steady rise in cases suggests that traditional risk models could be missing an important piece of the puzzle. One such piece lies well outside the boundaries of the heart itself — specifically, in the mouth.
A recent study published in the journal Circulation found a direct connection between periodontal infection and atrial fibrillation, implicating oral bacteria in the development of cardiac fibrosis and electrical dysfunction. This raises pressing questions about how a routine dental checkup might influence your cardiovascular health.3
How Gum Disease Triggers AFib and What the Science Now Shows
For years, doctors have noticed that people with gum disease seem more likely to develop heart problems, including AFib. While the link was often attributed to general inflammation, the exact mechanism remained unclear.
This led researchers at Hiroshima University to trace the path of infection from the gums to the heart and test whether Porphyromonas gingivalis, a key bacterium in gum disease, directly contributes to the structural and electrical changes seen in AFib.4
• Oral bacteria reached and embedded in heart tissue — To find out how P. gingivalis affects the heart, the team studied what happened after it entered the bloodstream. In mice with long-term gum infections, they found the bacterium embedded in the tissue of the left atrium, a part of the heart involved in controlling rhythm.
In comparison, the uninfected mice showed no signs of tooth damage and no detectable traces of the bacterium in their heart tissue. This discovery provided concrete evidence that oral pathogens don’t just circulate — they lodge in cardiac tissue and alter its function.
• Bacterial infection triggered scarring and electrical disruption — The heart tissue where P. gingivalis was found became fibrotic, meaning it had started to stiffen with scar-like material. This kind of scarring disrupts how electrical signals move through the heart and is a known risk factor for AFib. Previous research has shown that galectin-3 and TGF-beta1, which are both well-known drivers of scarring, were significantly elevated in the P. gingivalis group.5
• Damage worsened with continued exposure — The findings showed that the longer the bacteria remained, the more pronounced the damage became. By week 18, mice with P. gingivalis had developed 21.9% fibrosis in their left atria, compared to 16.3% in uninfected mice, an increase that couldn’t be explained by aging alone. The bacteria appeared to be directly accelerating structural damage inside the heart.
• Bacterial exposure made the heart more prone to misfire — Using a technique called intracardiac stimulation, researchers tested how easily each heart could be pushed into AFib. Early in the study, both groups responded similarly. But by the end, the mice exposed to P. gingivalis were six times more likely to slip into arrhythmia, which means bacteria actively made their heart more unstable.
• Human heart tissue confirmed the pattern — The researchers also examined heart tissue from 68 patients undergoing surgery for atrial fibrillation. Before surgery, each patient had a dental exam to assess gum inflammation and periodontal disease severity. What they found mirrored the animal results — P. gingivalis was present in the hearts of many patients, especially those with more advanced gum disease.
• More gum disease meant more bacteria and more damage — The study revealed a step-by-step connection: periodontal inflammation increased bacterial load in the atrial tissue, and higher bacterial load led to more damage. This was the first time that the link had been clearly demonstrated in both animal models and human hearts.
• A new pathway to AFib, bypassing traditional risk factors — Shunsuke Miyauchi, the study’s lead author and assistant professor at Hiroshima University’s Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, explained:
“P. gingivalis invades the circulatory system via the periodontal lesions and further translocates to the left atrium, where its bacterial load correlates with the clinical severity of periodontitis.
Once in the atrium, it exacerbates atrial fibrosis, which results in higher AFib inducibility. Therefore, periodontal treatment, which can block the gateway of P. gingivalis translocation, may play an important role in AFib prevention and treatment.”6
Large-Scale Data Confirms That Chronic Gum Disease Raises AFib Risk
While the Circulation study demonstrated how specific oral bacteria infiltrate the heart and directly alter its structure, broader population-level research offers additional perspective. A large-scale epidemiological study from South Korea followed over 1.2 million adults for 14 years to explore whether changes in gum disease status affect the risk of developing AFib.7
• The worse the gum health, the higher the AFib risk — Of the 1.25 million individuals tracked, 25,402 developed AFib during the study period. Those with chronic gum disease had a 4% higher risk, followed by a 3% increase in those who developed it later during the study. People who recovered had a 3% lower risk than those with persistent disease, and those who never had gum disease had the lowest risk overall.
• Lifestyle factors influenced outcomes but did not fully explain them — People with chronic periodontal disease were more likely to smoke, drink alcohol, and have other health complications such as hypertension and metabolic disorders. While these patterns contributed to some of the risk, the association between gum disease and AFib persisted even after adjusting for all lifestyle and clinical variables.
• Reversing gum disease makes a big difference — People who healed from gum disease had about the same risk of developing AFib as those who never had gum disease at all. This suggests that reversing gum inflammation may restore cardiovascular stability, highlighting the importance of treating gum disease before it becomes chronic or leads to irreversible tissue damage that continues to influence systemic risk.
• Oral hygiene may offer a viable form of cardiac prevention — The authors note that recovery from gum disease through professional scaling or consistent hygiene practices lowers systemic inflammation and bacterial load. Previous trials have shown that periodontal treatment reduces inflammatory biomarkers, suggesting a direct therapeutic avenue for AFib risk reduction.
Protecting Your Oral Health Early Is the Best Strategy
Gum disease often progresses silently, with few visible symptoms until it reaches more advanced stages.8 According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly half (42%) of adults aged 30 and older show signs of gum disease, and 9% have a severe form of the condition.9
• Establish consistent oral hygiene habits — Protecting your heart and reducing systemic inflammation starts with your mouth. Prioritize regular brushing, flossing with chemical-free dental floss, tongue scraping, and professional cleanings from a mercury-free biological dentist. These habits are essential for maintaining healthy gums and preventing long-term disease.
• Try oil pulling with coconut oil — Coconut oil offers antibacterial and antiviral benefits that make it ideal for oil pulling. Studies show that this practice reduces plaque and gingivitis, lowers plaque index scores, and decreases bacterial colony counts in saliva.10 To learn more, read “Why Is Oil Pulling Suddenly All the Rage?”
• Focus on a nutrient-dense, whole-food diet — A diet rich in fresh vegetables, fruits, healthy fats, and high-fiber whole foods supports your oral microbiome and strengthens your immune defenses. Refined sugar and processed foods, on the other hand, fuel harmful bacteria that cause plaque buildup, decay, and gum disease.
• Address sleep and stress to support immune resilience — Chronic stress and inadequate sleep weaken your immune system, making it harder for your body to fight off oral infections. If you’re dealing with recurring gum issues or inflammation, take a close look at your sleep quality and stress load as part of your prevention plan.
• Quit vaping and smoking — Whether it’s from cigarettes or e-cigarettes, every puff introduces compounds that inflame tissue, impair blood flow, and accelerate gum destruction, including nicotine, artificial flavorings, and chemical aerosols.11 The only way to fully protect yourself from the damage is to quit completely.
If quitting immediately feels overwhelming, start by gradually cutting back on how often you smoke. Replace the habit with constructive activities or restorative practices. Tools like the Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) also help manage cravings and emotional stress during the quitting process.
• Schedule regular dental cleanings and evaluations — Even with consistent brushing and flossing, plaque and tartar still accumulate in areas that are difficult to reach. Professional cleanings help remove hardened buildup that contributes to gum inflammation and periodontal disease.
Regular evaluations also allow early detection of gum recession, pocket formation, or other signs of gum degeneration that may go unnoticed at home.
For more comprehensive care, consider working with a biological dentist. This holistic approach to oral health takes into account how your gum health influences your entire body, not just your teeth. To find a biological dentist near you, explore the directories linked below:
Small, daily actions compound over time, and taking your oral health seriously is one of the most effective ways to support your overall well-being. For more insight into how your habits shape oral microbiome health, see “Your Lifestyle Plays a Role in Your Oral Microbiome Composition.”
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Gum Disease and AFib
Q: What is the link between gum disease and AFib?
A: Research shows that chronic gum disease, especially when caused by bacteria like Porphyromonas gingivalis, increases your risk of heart problems. These bacteria travel through the bloodstream, settle in heart tissue, and trigger inflammation and scarring that disrupt normal heart rhythm, raising the risk of atrial fibrillation.
Q: Does treating gum disease lower your risk of AFib?
A: Yes. A large South Korean study of over 1.25 million people found that those who recovered from gum disease had a lower risk of developing AFib compared to those with ongoing periodontal inflammation. In fact, their risk was nearly identical to people who never had gum disease.
Q: How common is gum disease and who is most at risk?
A: According to the CDC, about 42% of U.S. adults aged 30 and older have some form of gum disease, and 9% have severe periodontitis. Risk increases with age, poor oral hygiene, smoking, stress, and chronic illnesses like diabetes.
Q: Can gum disease affect other parts of the body besides the heart?
A: Yes. Gum disease has been linked to a wide range of systemic conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease, Type 2 diabetes, and rheumatoid arthritis. The same bacteria and inflammatory signals that damage oral tissue can travel through the bloodstream and trigger immune responses in distant organs, making oral health a key part of overall wellness.
Q: What lifestyle habits can protect against both gum disease and AFib?
A: A few key habits include avoiding smoking and vaping, eating a nutrient-dense diet, managing stress, getting quality sleep, and maintaining consistent oral hygiene. These steps support immune function and help control inflammation throughout the body, including the gums and the heart.
The advent of quantum computing represents a fundamental shift in computational capabilities that threatens the cryptographic foundation of modern digital security. As quantum computers evolve from theoretical concepts to practical reality, they pose an existential threat to the encryption algorithms that protect everything from personal communications to national security secrets. Post-quantum cryptography is changing cybersecurity, exposing new weaknesses, and demanding swift action to keep data safe.
The quantum threat is not merely theoretical; experts estimate that cryptographically relevant quantum computers (CRQCs) capable of breaking current encryption may emerge within the next 5-15 years. This timeline has sparked the “Harvest Now, Decrypt Later” (HNDL) strategy, where threat actors collect encrypted data today with the intention of decrypting it once quantum capabilities mature. The urgency of this transition cannot be overstated, as government mandates and industry requirements are accelerating the timeline for post-quantum adoption across all sectors. The US government has established clear requirements through NIST guidelines, with key milestones including deprecation of 112-bit security algorithms by 2030 and mandatory transition to quantum-resistant systems by 2035. The UK has similarly established a roadmap requiring organizations to complete discovery phases by 2028, high-priority migrations by 2031, and full transitions by 2035.
The Quantum Threat Landscape
Understanding Quantum Computing Vulnerabilities
Quantum computers operate on fundamentally different principles than classical computers, utilizing quantum mechanics properties like superposition and entanglement to achieve unprecedented computational power. The primary threats to current cryptographic systems come from two key quantum algorithms: Shor’s algorithm, which can efficiently factor large integers and solve discrete logarithm problems, and Grover’s algorithm, which provides quadratic speedup for brute-force attacks against symmetric encryption.
Current widely-used public-key cryptographic systems including RSA, Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC), and Diffie-Hellman key exchange are particularly vulnerable to quantum attacks. While symmetric cryptography like AES remains relatively secure with increased key sizes, the asymmetric encryption that forms the backbone of modern secure communications faces an existential threat.
Impact on Cryptographic Security Levels
The quantum threat manifests differently across various cryptographic systems. Current expert estimates place the timeline for cryptographically relevant quantum computers at approximately 2030, with some predictions suggesting breakthrough capabilities could emerge as early as 2028. This timeline has prompted a fundamental reassessment of cryptographic security levels:
Algorithm
Based On
Classical Time (e.g., 2048 bits)
Quantum Time (Future)
RSA
Integer Factorization
~10²⁰ years (secure)
~1 day (with 4,000 logical qubits)
DH
Discrete Log
~10²⁰ years
~1 day
ECC
Elliptic Curve Log
~10⁸ years (for 256-bit curve)
~1 hour
*Note: These estimates refer to logical qubits; each logical qubit requires hundreds to thousands of physical qubits due to quantum error correction.
Current Security Protocols Under Threat
Transport Layer Security (TLS)
TLS protocols face significant quantum vulnerabilities in both key exchange and authentication mechanisms. Current TLS implementations rely heavily on elliptic curve cryptography for key establishment and RSA/ECDSA for digital signatures, both of which are susceptible to quantum attacks. The transition to post-quantum TLS involves implementing hybrid approaches that combine traditional algorithms with quantum-resistant alternatives like ML-KEM (formerly CRYSTALS-Kyber).
Performance implications are substantial, with research showing that quantum-resistant TLS implementations demonstrate varying levels of overhead depending on the algorithms used and network conditions. Amazon’s comprehensive study reveals that post-quantum TLS 1.3 implementations show time-to-last-byte increases staying below 5% for high-bandwidth, stable networks, while slower networks see impacts ranging from 32% increase in handshake time to under 15% increase when transferring 50KiB of data or more.
Advanced Encryption Standard (AES)
Quantum computers can use Grover’s algorithm to speed up brute-force attacks against symmetric encryption. Grover’s algorithm provides a quadratic speedup, reducing attack time from 2ⁿ to roughly √(2ⁿ) = 2^(n/2).
AES Key Size
Grover’s Effective Attack
Effective Key Strength
AES-128
~2⁶⁴ operations
Equivalent to 64-bit key
AES-256
~2¹²⁸ operations
Equivalent to 128-bit key
The practical implication is that quantum computers effectively halve the security strength of symmetric encryption algorithms.
IPSec and VPN Technologies
IPSec protocols require comprehensive quantum-resistant upgrades across multiple components. Key exchange protocols like IKEv2 must implement post-quantum key encapsulation mechanisms, while authentication systems need quantum-resistant digital signatures.
Cisco Secure Key Integration Protocol (SKIP) represents a significant advancement in quantum-safe VPN technology. SKIP is an HTTPS-based protocol that allows encryption devices to securely import post-quantum pre-shared keys (PPKs) from external key sources. This protocol enables organizations to achieve quantum resistance without requiring extensive firmware upgrades, providing a practical bridge to full post-quantum implementations.
SKIP uses TLS 1.2 with Pre-Shared Key – Diffie-Hellman Ephemeral (PSK-DHE) cipher suite, making the protocol quantum-safe. The system allows operators to leverage existing Internet Protocol Security (IPSec) or Media Access Control Security (MACsec) while integrating post-quantum external sources such as Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC), pre-shared keys, or other quantum-secure methods. Cisco supports SKIP in IOS-XE.
Vulnerable Cryptographic Algorithms
RSA Encryption
RSA security relies on the difficulty of factoring large semiprime integers (products of two large primes). It is widely used for secure web communication, digital signatures, and email encryption. Asymmetric key exchange systems face significant risk from future quantum threats, as a quantum computer with sufficient quantum bits, along with improvements in stability and performance, could break large prime number factorization. This vulnerability could render RSA-based cryptographic systems insecure within the next decade.
Diffie-Hellman (DH) / DSA / ElGamal
These algorithms are based on the hardness of the discrete logarithm problem in finite fields using modular arithmetic. They are used in key exchange (DH), digital signatures (DSA), and encryption (ElGamal). Shor’s algorithm can break discrete logarithm problems as efficiently as integer factorization. Current estimates suggest that DH-2048 or DSA-2048 could be broken in hours or days on a large quantum computer using approximately 4,000 logical qubits.
Post-Quantum Cryptography Standards
NIST Standardization Process
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has finalized three initial post-quantum cryptography standards:
FIPS 203 (ML-KEM): Module-Lattice-Based Key-Encapsulation Mechanism, derived from CRYSTALS-Kyber, serving as the primary standard for general encryption. ML-KEM defines three parameter sets:
ML-KEM-512: Provides baseline security with encapsulation keys of 800 bytes, decapsulation keys of 1,632 bytes, and ciphertexts of 768 bytes
ML-KEM-768: Enhanced security with encapsulation keys of 1,184 bytes, decapsulation keys of 2,400 bytes, and ciphertexts of 1,088 bytes
ML-KEM-1024: Highest security level with proportionally larger key sizes
FIPS 204 (ML-DSA): Module-Lattice-Based Digital Signature Algorithm, derived from CRYSTALS-Dilithium, intended as the primary digital signature standard. Performance evaluations show ML-DSA as one of the most efficient post-quantum signature algorithms for various applications.
FIPS 205 (SLH-DSA): Stateless Hash-Based Digital Signature Algorithm, derived from SPHINCS+, providing a backup signature method based on different mathematical foundations. While SLH-DSA offers strong security guarantees, it typically involves larger signature sizes and higher computational costs compared to lattice-based alternatives.
Implementation Challenges and Considerations
The transition to post-quantum cryptography presents several significant challenges:
Performance Overhead: Post-quantum algorithms typically require more computational resources than classical cryptographic methods. Embedded systems face particular constraints in terms of computing power, energy consumption, and memory usage. Research indicates that while some PQC algorithms can be more energy-efficient than traditional methods in specific scenarios, the overall impact varies significantly based on implementation and use case.
Key Size Implications: Many post-quantum algorithms require significantly larger key sizes compared to traditional public-key algorithms. For example, code-based KEMs like Classic McEliece have public keys that are several hundred kilobytes in size, substantially larger than RSA or ECC public keys. These larger key sizes increase bandwidth requirements and storage needs, particularly challenging for resource-constrained devices.
Integration Complexity: Implementing post-quantum cryptography requires careful integration with existing security protocols. Many organizations will need to operate in hybrid cryptographic environments, where quantum-resistant solutions are integrated alongside classical encryption methods during the transition period.
Tired of eggs for breakfast? You don’t have to resort to highly processed baked goods to have a yummy treat in the morning. These almond flour muffins are a delicious option for breakfast, snacks, or dessert. Plus, you can add your favorite mix-ins for a customizable muffin.
Most of the time I have eggs, fermented veggies, and even fish for breakfast. While my breakfast choices are a little unconventional at times, I stick with high protein options. Healthy fats for blood sugar regulation are a must too.
Almond Flour Muffins
Not all of my kids are on board with sardines for breakfast, so they prefer to throw in some gluten-free muffins too. We’ve made plenty of coconut flour muffins over the years. These almond flour muffins are also grain-free, paleo, refined sugar-free, and dairy-free.
You can make them low-carb and keto-friendly if you omit the arrowroot powder and coconut sugar. Swap out the bananas for yogurt if you’re looking for keto muffins.
Use either blanched almond flour or almond meal, depending on what you have. I really like adding the arrowroot powder to give these a texture similar to regular wheat flour muffins. Even better, they can be customized to create all sorts of flavors. Check out the list of optional flavors below the recipe for some ideas! Our favorite so far are the carrot cake almond flour muffins.
I don’t like my baked goods really sweet, so this recipe is mildly sweet. If you prefer your muffins sweeter, then taste and adjust the sweetener in the batter as necessary.
Fluffy Almond Flour Muffin Recipe
These delicious muffins can be customized with your favorite ingredients. Great as a snack, dessert, or even a quick breakfast!
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-count muffin pan with silicone muffin liners, parchment paper liners, or grease lightly with coconut oil.
In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, arrowroot, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
In a separate mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, mashed banana, coconut sugar, melted butter or oil, milk, and vanilla. Add lemon juice or ACV here if using.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir gently until just combined. Fold in any add-ins (berries, chocolate, nuts, etc.).
Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. Bake for 20–22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. They should be lightly golden brown.
Let cool in the pan for 5–10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. They’re extra good warm with a smear of grass-fed butter
Nutrition Facts
Fluffy Almond Flour Muffin Recipe
Amount Per Serving (1 muffin)
Calories 229 Calories from Fat 153
% Daily Value*
Fat 17g26%
Saturated Fat 5g31%
Trans Fat 0.004g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.3g
Monounsaturated Fat 1g
Cholesterol 42mg14%
Sodium 168mg7%
Potassium 115mg3%
Carbohydrates 15g5%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 6g7%
Protein 7g14%
Vitamin A 83IU2%
Vitamin C 2mg2%
Calcium 75mg8%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Freezer Tip: Let muffins cool completely, then store in an airtight container or reusable bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat in the toaster oven or oven for a quick snack.
You can also use lemon juice instead of ACV if desired.
Almond Flour Muffin Variations
You can add whatever mix-ins you like to the base muffin recipe above. Try dried or fresh fruit, nuts, chocolate chips, or shredded coconut. Here are some more ideas for different flavors:
1. Chocolate Almond Flour Muffins
Add to the base recipe:
Replace cinnamon with 2–3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
Use ½ cup dark chocolate chips or chunks
Add 1–2 TBSP maple syrup if you like them sweeter
Tip: Sprinkle a few chocolate chips on top before baking for that bakery-style look.
2. Carrot Cake Muffins
Add to the base recipe:
Add ¾ cup finely grated carrots
Add ¼ cup raisins (optional)
Add ½ tsp nutmeg + ½ tsp ginger
Swap bananas for 1/3 cup applesauce for a smoother texture
Stir in ¼ cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
3. Savory Cheddar & Herb Muffins
Remove: coconut sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and banana Add:
¾ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 TBSP chopped fresh chives or green onions
½ tsp garlic powder
Optional: pinch of red pepper flakes or cooked, crumbled bacon
Tip: Great served warm with soups, or as a breakfast sandwich base!
4. Almond Flour Blueberry Muffins
Add:
Lemon zest from 1 lemon + 1 TBSP lemon juice
½ cup fresh or frozen blueberries (toss in almond flour before adding to batter)
Optional: drizzle a simple lemon glaze after baking with lemon juice + powdered coconut sugar
5. Zucchini Almond Flour Banana Muffins
Add:
½ cup grated zucchini (squeeze out moisture first)
Stick to bananas as your sweetener
Add a dash of cinnamon + nutmeg
Optional: ¼ cup chopped walnuts or mini chocolate chips
Healthy Muffin Recipes
Want some more healthy muffin ideas? These healthy recipes are a hit in our house! Most of them are made with coconut flour, and they’re all refined sugar free.
What are your favorite muffin flavors? Leave a comment and let us know
A single protein, klotho, extended the lifespan of healthy mice by 20% in a study from Molecular Therapy.1 In addition to longer life, these mice also moved better, thought faster and resisted age-related breakdown in muscles, bones, and brain function. Aging brings more than wrinkles. It weakens bones, shrinks muscle, blunts cognition and raises your risk of disease. Klotho works differently than any single drug or supplement.
It doesn’t just address one symptom; it improves how your body handles stress, repairs damage, and maintains organ function across multiple systems. As your klotho levels drop with age, your ability to regenerate tissues declines, your inflammation rises and your risk for conditions like osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s disease, and frailty climbs.
Klotho is a protein your kidneys and brain naturally produce, but only if you’re living in a way that supports that internal machinery. The good news? Your habits — what you eat, how you move, how well you sleep and even how connected you feel to others — all influence your body’s klotho production.
Researchers are calling klotho a “longevity switch,” and one of the most promising ways to measure how well your lifestyle is working. To understand why this matters so much for your long-term health, and what it looks like in practice, let’s break down the latest findings from the gene therapy experiment that helped klotho-deficient animals move, think and live like younger ones.
A Single Injection Extended Lifespan and Rewired Aging from the Inside Out
The Molecular Therapy study tested whether long-term exposure to a specific form of the klotho protein, known as secreted klotho, or s-Klotho, could slow down the aging process in healthy mice.2 Scientists used a specialized virus to deliver the gene that makes s-Klotho directly into the animals’ bloodstream and brain. Unlike many antiaging strategies that target one system, this method aimed to affect multiple organs at once.
• Mice with boosted klotho lived longer and aged better — Treated animals lived longer than untreated mice, but longevity wasn’t the only improvement.3 They also showed fewer signs of age-related decline. Their muscles stayed stronger, their bones remained denser and their brains showed more activity related to regeneration and memory. This suggests klotho extends quality of life, which is what matters most.
• Muscle strength and bone health improved — In strength tests like grip performance and bar hanging, klotho-treated mice performed better, especially when treated during adulthood rather than earlier life. Muscle tissue under the microscope revealed larger fibers and far less scar tissue. After simulated injury, their muscles rebuilt more like those of younger mice.
Bone health improved too. Males who received treatment at middle age had thicker, denser bone structure and smaller gaps in their spongy bone. Females, on the other hand, benefited more when treated earlier, before bone degeneration was advanced. Gene expression testing confirmed more activity in the genes that form strong, mineral-rich bone.
• Brain resilience increased through stem cell activity and immune cleanup — Klotho helped regenerate brain tissue by increasing the number of maturing neurons and maintaining supportive cells called astrocytes. The treated mice also showed more brain immune cells responsible for removing damaged proteins and debris. These were not inflamed cells but highly functional ones, associated with better memory and less age-related inflammation.
• Muscle and brain benefits were linked to reduced inflammation and better cell signaling — Klotho blocked specific age-related pathways known to cause tissue scarring and interfere with stem cell repair. In muscles, it preserved mitochondrial function and kept stem cells capable of rebuilding tissue. In the brain, it promoted neurogenesis — your brain’s ability to grow new neurons — and kept immune cells working efficiently.
• Klotho’s effects showed up in gene expression tied to longevity — Animals that received treatment showed higher expression of genes that build collagen in bone and drive bone formation. They also had lower levels of a gene that typically rises with aging and contributes to poor bone mineralization. In the brain, there was an upregulation of repair pathways and immune functions that target malfunctioning cells.
Your Daily Habits Control Your Body’s Antiaging Switch
A comprehensive review published in Metabolites explored how everyday choices, like how you eat, sleep, move, and manage stress, directly influence your body’s production of klotho.4 The paper proposed using klotho levels as a real-time biomarker to track whether your lifestyle is truly improving your long-term healthspan.
• Klotho tracks with overall well-being, not just disease — Most medical markers only flag disease after it’s already taken hold. But klotho is different; rather than being a disease marker, it’s a health marker. Your levels rise with good habits and fall with harmful ones, making it one of the few tools that could give you feedback on whether your habits are actually helping you age well.
• Moderate, consistent exercise is one of the best ways to raise klotho — Even light daily movement significantly boosted klotho levels, while extreme workouts or stressful conditions — like military training in high heat — lowered them. A 12-trial meta-analysis confirmed that aerobic and resistance training both worked, but overtraining reversed the benefits.
• A healthy diet is directly tied to higher klotho expression — Diets rich in fruits, vegetables, fermented foods, and antioxidants — like vitamin A, C, E, zinc, and selenium — were consistently linked to higher klotho levels.
The Mediterranean-style diet, with a focus on minimally processed foods, stood out in large-scale data, while low-carb diets didn’t help and sometimes made things worse. Vitamin D and curcumin (from turmeric) also triggered klotho production in lab studies.
• Poor sleep, loneliness, and chronic stress all push klotho down — Klotho responds to psychological load. Short sleep (under 5.5 hours) and excessive sleep (over 7.5 hours) both lowered levels. Chronic stress reduced klotho in women caring for sick children and in soldiers under high pressure. Social connection, especially emotional closeness, was correlated with better klotho status, even in middle age.
• Risky habits blunt klotho’s protective effects — Smoking, alcohol, and cannabis all showed negative or inconsistent relationships with klotho. In some cases, the body responded to inflammation by temporarily increasing levels, but this wasn’t protective, it was compensatory. Over time, the cumulative damage from these habits appeared to wear down klotho’s regenerative capacity.
Klotho Is Your Brain and Body’s Aging Thermostat
Published in the Clinical Kidney Journal, a comprehensive review examined how klotho influences aging, cognition, inflammation, and longevity through its effects on phosphate metabolism, vitamin D regulation and multiple molecular signaling pathways.5 The authors pulled together decades of preclinical and clinical evidence to outline how declining klotho levels are tightly linked to both chronic diseases and neurodegeneration.
• Lower klotho levels are consistently tied to shorter lifespan, poor memory, and cognitive decline — Mice that lack the klotho gene show signs of accelerated aging, including cognitive impairment, vascular disease, infertility, and early death. Humans with low klotho levels face higher risks for kidney disease, heart problems, and frailty.
One large national cohort study of 10,069 people found that adults with the lowest serum klotho levels had a 31% higher risk of dying from any cause compared to those with higher levels.
• Your klotho levels drop with age, but not just because you’re getting older — Inflammation, poor diet, and chronic illness all contribute to a decline in klotho expression. For instance, diabetic kidney disease, high blood pressure, and even low oxygen levels reduce klotho.
• Klotho helps your brain clear toxins and protect memory — Soluble klotho is produced in brain regions involved in memory and learning. Studies show it reduces oxidative stress, supports nerve cell repair and protects against damage from Alzheimer’s-related proteins.
Even when administered outside the brain, klotho fragments have been shown to boost synaptic plasticity and learning in mice, suggesting it activates neural repair pathways without needing to cross the blood-brain barrier.
• Klotho blocks the destructive pathways that fuel aging at the cellular level — This includes suppressing a pathway that promotes fibrosis and scarring, damping down signaling that raises inflammation and regulating intracellular calcium to maintain healthy cell function. Klotho also helps manage energy metabolism, antioxidant defense, and tissue regeneration, making it a master regulator of healthy aging.
Klotho Decline Reflects Aging and Disease Severity
Research published in Ageing Research Reviews analyzed klotho levels across 65 studies and confirmed that this antiaging protein consistently decreases with age, even in otherwise healthy people. The decline is more severe in those with kidney, metabolic, or endocrine disorders. Researchers tracked klotho in blood, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), urine and tissue samples, reinforcing its usefulness as a biomarker for both aging and chronic disease progression.
• Klotho loss accelerates disease — Low klotho levels in the brain have been linked to reduced white matter integrity and greater oxidative stress, according to studies on aged rhesus monkeys.
In both animal and cell models, klotho deficiency led to increased susceptibility to inflammation and neurodegeneration. Restoring klotho, on the other hand, improved cell maturation and reduced inflammation in models of Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
• Baseline klotho levels are essential for future therapies — Because levels of klotho vary so widely by age and disease status, researchers emphasize the importance of establishing personal klotho baselines. Understanding what’s normal at different life stages helps doctors better assess risk and tailor future interventions.
• What this means for you — Monitoring your klotho levels could one day be as routine as checking blood pressure. If this protein turns out to be as central to healthy aging as the evidence suggests, it could help detect early signs of degenerative conditions and open the door to customized, preventative therapies. In short, klotho appears to be key to measuring, and maintaining, your body’s biological resilience over time.
Simple Ways to Activate Your Longevity Switch
If you want to increase your klotho levels and keep them high as you age, you need to focus on the lifestyle habits that trigger its natural production in your body. This isn’t about expensive treatments or supplements — it’s about addressing the root causes of accelerated aging: low cellular energy, chronic stress, poor diet, inactivity, and inflammation.
Klotho doesn’t show up when your system is overloaded. It rises when your body feels safe, nourished, and supported. Here’s what I recommend if you want to tap into the same antiaging system that helped mice live 20% longer and thrive in old age:
1. Move your body, but don’t overdo it — Klotho increases with daily movement, especially moderate aerobic activity like walking, cycling, or light resistance training. But if you push too hard, it reverses the benefit. If you’re sedentary or struggling with energy, start with 20 to 30 minutes of brisk walking each day and build up to an hour daily from there. The goal is consistency, not exhaustion.
2. Eat like your life depends on it, because it does — Choose foods that nourish your cells. If you’re still eating low-carb, you’re working against klotho. Build your meals around whole foods like fresh fruit, root vegetables, fermented foods like raw grass fed yogurt or kefir, and minerals like copper and magnesium. I recommend whole-food carbs first, along with collagen-rich protein and tallow, ghee, or grass fed butter as your fats of choice.
3. Give your gut a reason to heal —Fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, and kefir support gut integrity and encourage healthy klotho levels. If you’re dealing with digestive issues, don’t jump straight to fiber-heavy foods. Start with healing carbs like whole fruit and white rice, and slowly build up. Your gut flora is part of the communication loop that regulates your aging proteins.
4. Soak in sunshine and get your vitamin D naturally — Vitamin D directly triggers the klotho gene, so if you’re inside all day, you’re missing a key switch. Aim for regular daily sunlight with no sunscreen, but avoid exposure during peak hours (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) until you’ve eliminated vegetable oils from your diet for at least six months.
The linoleic acid in vegetable oils makes your skin more susceptible to damage from the sun. If you’re vitamin D deficient or are unable to get regular sun exposure, use a vitamin D3 supplement, but always check that it’s balanced with magnesium and K2.
5. Stop doing things that age you faster —Smoking, loneliness, and chronic stress send klotho in the wrong direction. Start by building real social connections, creating a wind-down routine for sleep and learning to recognize the signals that your body needs rest, not stimulation.
FAQs About Klotho and Aging
Q: What is klotho, and why is it so important for aging?
A: Klotho is a protein your body makes naturally, mostly in your kidneys and brain. It helps protect against the effects of aging by reducing inflammation, supporting brain function, and preserving muscle and bone health.
Low klotho levels have been linked to shorter lifespans, memory loss and age-related disease. Research now shows it may act as a “longevity switch” that reflects how well your body is aging — more accurately than conventional disease markers.6
Q: Does boosting klotho actually extend your lifespan?
A: Yes, at least in animal studies so far. A 2025 study published in Molecular Therapy found that raising klotho levels in healthy mice extended their lifespan by 20%.7 But it didn’t just help them live longer. They stayed stronger, sharper, and showed fewer signs of age-related decline in muscle, bone, and brain function.
Q: How do I increase my klotho levels naturally?
A: Daily habits play a powerful role. Research in Metabolites shows moderate exercise, a whole-food diet rich in antioxidants, restful sleep, sunlight exposure for vitamin D, and emotional connection all raise klotho levels.8 On the flip side, stress, poor diet, smoking, and sleep issues cause levels to drop.
Q: Is klotho something to take as a supplement or drug?
A: No, klotho isn’t available as a pill or over-the-counter treatment. Current experiments use gene therapy to increase klotho production inside the body, but these methods are still in early stages and not approved for humans. For now, your best bet is creating the right conditions for your body to make more of it on its own.
Q: Could klotho be used as a routine health test someday?
A: Yes, since klotho levels drop with age and illness, scientists believe it could become a future biomarker, like blood pressure, to assess how well your body is aging. One review of 65 studies confirmed that klotho declines with chronic disease, especially in the brain, kidney, and metabolic systems. Tracking it could help predict disease risk and guide early intervention.9
