Hey readers,

The FDA is adding warnings, statins are catching side effects, and science has officially weighed in on dad bods.

This week:

• A serious new label on a widely used birth control

• Attraction, jawlines, and what bodies signal about health

• New data linking statins to muscle decline

FDA adds brain tumor warning to popular birth control

The FDA has approved a new warning linking long-term use of the birth control shot Depo-Provera to meningioma brain tumors. More than 2,000 lawsuits allege Pfizer knew about the risk for years and failed to warn U.S. users, with cases now moving through federal court [the news].

For many women, this update will feel like long-overdue validation — an explanation for neurological symptoms that were minimized or dismissed. European regulators have carried meningioma warnings for certain high-dose progestins for years, shaping a very different informed consent.

The signals were all here. Meningiomas are well known to be hormone-sensitive tumors, expressing progesterone receptors and are often positive for estrogen receptors as well¹²³. Chronic exposure to a potent synthetic progestin like medroxyprogesterone acetate creates a very biologically plausible pathway for tumor growth over time, particularly with long-term, high-dose use⁴ .

What you can do:

• Hormones are among the most powerful biological signals with system-wide effects that accumulate. Track them - and your cumulative exposure which may be higher than you think!

• Advocate for yourself. If symptoms are minimized or dismissed, push for further evaluation

• Revisit contraceptive choices periodically. Hormonal needs and risk tolerance change over time; alternatives exist and should be discussed openly.
  

The male body women find most attractive

Using real DXA scanned male bodies across three countries, researchers found women consistently prefer men around 13–14% body fat with a moderate V shape, not dad bods or extreme leanness [the study].

This finding points to something deeper than abs. Moderate body fat, balanced proportions, and facial features like jawlines and symmetry⁵ reflect how the body developed early, not just how it was trained later. Many of these signals are shaped in childhood, when diet, breathing, and feeding patterns influence jaw and airway growth, with downstream effects on cardiometabolic and cognitive health. What we often call “attractive” may simply be the brain recognizing a body that developed under the right conditions, with a better chance at long term health.

What you can do:

• Adults and kids: Address airway blockers, support nasal breathing, and consider myofunctional therapy when needed.

• For kids: Encourage real chewing, introduce solid whole foods safely around 6 months, support bone growth with adequate nutrition, breastfeed when possible, and aim to wean off pacifiers by age 2.

Statins tied to faster muscle loss

In nearly 300,000 adults, long term statin use was linked to weaker grip strength and accelerated loss of muscle mass over time, regardless of genetic risk [the study].

Lower cholesterol does not automatically equal better health. Muscle is the limiting tissue of aging, and statins interfere directly with the biology that sustains it. By inhibiting the mevalonate pathway⁶, statins reduce not only cholesterol synthesis but also downstream compounds essential for muscle energetics — including CoQ10, a key component of mitochondrial energy production. The result is increased oxidative stress and a gradual compromise in muscle performance and recovery over time⁷ .

What you can do:

• Statins need context. Go beyond “bad cholesterol” and test lipid fractions, ApoB, and Lp(a).

• Protect muscle proactively. Resistance training is non-negotiable.

• Support energetics. Consider CoQ10, magnesium, and adequate protein intake.

• Talk to your PCP about dosing, more hydrophilic statins, or non-statin alternatives, particularly if muscle-related side effects or functional decline emerge.

Superpowered by You: Film your LEDs

Here’s a 30 second experiment that might just save your sleep.

Open your phone camera, switch to slow motion, and film the lights in your home.

Even when you cannot see it with the naked eye, LED flicker and excess blue light at night can suppress melatonin, fragment sleep, and contribute to headaches, eye strain, and fatigue⁸.

If your lights flicker on slo-mo, consider replacing those bulbs with incandescent, halogen, or low-flicker LEDs.

This tip came from Lightwork Home Health. Want to go deeper? We break down how your home environment affects sleep and performance in our full webinar:

The lab note:

Most people with elevated liver enzymes feel nothing at all.

ALT and AST rise when liver cells are under stress, but early signs like fatigue or brain fog are easy to brush off without testing. But these markers are not just about the liver. Even levels considered “normal” are linked to metabolic dysfunction, cardiovascular risk, and chronic inflammation. That is why aiming for optimal, not average, matters for long-term health.

Until next week.