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Research Digest

Health research,
filtered for you.

Every two weeks I read the new health research so you don't have to, and tell you what's solid, what's hype, and what's different for someone like you.

Most health advice is written for an average person who doesn't exist. Studies often find different effects by sex, age and life stage, and those details rarely make the headlines. This digest puts them first.

How every finding is rated

  • Solid — Consistent, replicated findings. Reasonable to act on.
  • Promising — Interesting but early. Worth watching, not acting on yet.
  • Hype — The claims go well beyond what the study shows.

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Research often differs by sex and age, so this decides which findings you see first.

What are you most interested in?

Every two weeks. Your answers are only used to choose which findings you receive, and are never shared. You'll confirm your email first, and you can change topics or unsubscribe anytime. Educational content, not medical advice.

A sample finding

“Your coffee isn't the same as his.”

Solid · For readers using hormonal contraception

Oestrogen-containing contraceptives slow down the liver enzyme that breaks down caffeine. In a classic study, women on low-dose pills took about 7.9 hours to clear half their caffeine, compared with about 5.4 hours for similar women not on the pill. A 2022 systematic review describes the effect as consistent across decades of research.

What this changes for you: if your sleep is worse than you'd expect, try moving your last coffee earlier and watch your sleep data for two weeks.