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Youth Drinking, Mouth Bacteria & Magnesium Types
Young Americans are skipping booze, mouth bacteria might trigger heart attacks, and magnesium comes in more flavors than ice cream. Plus: the truth on testosterone maxxing.
Tash Jamieson
September 05, 2025
🧠 Superpower Signals — 5 September, 2025
Hope you had a restful long weekend 😌 This week: young Americans are skipping drinks, how mouth bacteria might trigger heart attacks, plus the who's who of magnesium (and which type you should take).
One number:
New research in Nature Aging shows aging isn’t a steady decline but occurs in two sharp biomolecular shifts — the first around age 44 and the second around age 60 (PMID: 39143318).
🍻 Young Americans drinking less.
For the first time, a majority of Americans (53%) now say even “moderate” drinking (one or two drinks a day) is bad for health. Gallup’s new poll shows alcohol use has fallen to an all-time low of 54%, down 6 points from 2023 [the poll]. Interestingly, marijuana use has not increased to fill the gap (at least not in the past 4 years), suggesting this might be more about health awareness than substitution.
Our take: I recently joked on a podcast that there might be an argument for binge drinking [the podcast]. Do I stand by it? Not really. Drinking anything more than a small amount of alcohol is bad for health. But if you enjoy a half glass of wine, the health effect is likely trivial. Timing and dose matter most [the research].
🦷 Heart attacks linked (again) to mouth bacteria.
A new study suggests a link between your oral microbiome and heart attacks. Researchers found that oral bacteria (particularly the common Streptococcus viridans) can embed in arterial plaques as biofilms, where they evade the immune system, fuel chronic inflammation, and potentially trigger plaque rupture [the study].
Our take: We’ve long known bacteria like Strep viridans can travel from the mouth to the heart and cause endocarditis (a bacterial infection of the heart's inner lining or valves) [the science]. But finding oral bacteria sitting inside arterial plaques? That’s new — and wild. It adds another layer to why brushing, flossing, and dental care aren’t just cosmetic, they’re heart health essentials [more info].
💪🏻 T-Maxxing: Is the trend risky?
A growing online movement urges young men to “max out” their testosterone, with videos promoting #testosteronemaxxing racking up millions of views. A recent article discovered that while some chase it naturally through diet and exercise, many are turning to black-market hormones or shady clinics [the article]. Experts warn this can suppress natural testosterone, harm fertility, strain the heart, and even expose users to contaminated products.
Our take: The t-maxxing trend seems to be pushing people to extremes. But that doesn’t mean testosterone isn’t worth paying attention to, it absolutely is (especially for women, too!). Yesterday the Superpower Science Team published a comprehensive Guide to Sex Hormone Biomarkers showing how markers like testosterone, estradiol, and SHBG don’t just affect muscle or libido, they influence metabolism, bone, brain health, and even longevity [the blog]. Skip the risky quick fixes, and get the real data on your hormones instead.
“Our take” is a quick, off-the-cuff perspective on the health trends catching our eye this week. It might be a personal anecdote, a gut-check, or a philosophical lens. It’s not medical advice, just our two cents. Read with nuance.
Superpowered by you: Magnesium.
Most of us need more magnesium, whether that comes from diet, supplements, or (ideally) both.
The tricky part? There isn’t just one kind. There’s a whole lineup, each with slightly different health benefits.
Lucky for us friend of Superpower Dr. James DiNicolantonio got out his whiteboard marker to create a “Magnesium Cheat-Sheet,” breaking down the key differences between glycinate, malate, taurate, threonate, acetyl-taurinate, chloride, orotate, citrate, and sulfate (yeah, there’s a lot of them).
And I hope you were taking notes, given that about half of U.S. adults are deficient in magnesium [the stats]!
P.S. Dr. DiNicolantonio himself takes a combination magnesium glycinate and malate.
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Have a fantastic weekend.
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DISCLAIMER: The information provided in this newsletter is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your healthcare provider before making any changes to your health or wellness routine.