Peach vs Papaya – Which is Healthier?
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Our Verdict
When comparing peach to papaya, we picked the peach.
Why?
It was close!
In terms of macros, there’s not much between them; they are close to identical on protein, carbs, and fiber. Technically peach has slightly more protein (+0.4g/100g) and papaya has slightly more carbs and fiber (+1.28g/100g carbs, +0.2g/100g fiber), but since the differences are so tiny, we’re calling this section a tie—bearing in mind, these numbers are based on averages, which means that when they’re very close, they’re meaningless—one could easily, for example, pick up a peach that has more fiber than a papaya, because that 0.2g/100g is well within the margin of variation. So, as we say: a tie.
When it comes to vitamins, things are also close; peaches have more of vitamins B1, B2, B3, and E, while papaya has more of vitamins A, B6, B9, and C. This is a 4:4 tie, but since the most notable margin of difference is vitamin C (of which papayas have 9x more) while the others are much closer, we’ll call this a tie-breaker win for papaya.
The category of minerals sets things apart more: peaches have more copper, iron, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, and zinc, while papaya has more calcium, magnesium, and selenium. That’s already a 6:3 win for peaches, before we take into account that the numbers for papaya’s calcium and selenium are tiny, so adding this to the already 6:3 win for peaches makes for a clear and easy win for peaches in this category.
Adding up the sections is 1W/1D/1L for both fruits, but looking at the win/loss for each, it’s clear which won/lost on a tiebreaker, and which won/lost by a large margin, so peaches get the victory here.
Of course, enjoy either or both, though! And see below for a bonus feature of peaches:
Want to learn more?
You might like to read:
Top 8 Fruits That Prevent & Kill Cancer ← peaches are high on this list! They kill cancer cells while sparing healthy ones 🙂
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How Much THC Is Safe?
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It’s Q&A Day at 10almonds!
Have a question or a request? We love to hear from you!
In cases where we’ve already covered something, we might link to what we wrote before, but will always be happy to revisit any of our topics again in the future too—there’s always more to say!
No question/request too big or small 😎
❝What dose of THC is safe, is there a safe limit or is it more about using it too frequently?❞
Fantastic questions, and science is starting to catch up on these things! We say “catch up”, as research in the US in particular was held up for a long time due to the “war on drugs”, which didn’t really reduce drug usage, but it sure did cramp science.
Now, bad news first:
❝Although the only way of ensuring no harm from cannabis is to not use at all, people who use cannabis could benefit from accurate information regarding their risk❞
For more on that, see: Lower-Risk Cannabis Use Guidelines (LRCUG) for reducing health harms from non-medical cannabis use: A comprehensive evidence and recommendations update
This is a little similar the World Health Organization’s declaration that the only safe amount of alcohol is zero: WHO: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health, and for more on the relative risks of alcohol vs THC, see our previous article on that topic:
More recently, researchers (Dr. Rachel Thorn et al.) have proposed cannabis “units” based on THC content, similar to alcohol units, to help people monitor use and reduce harm.
- How the unit works: one standard THC unit equals 5 mg of THC, shifting focus from how often cannabis is used to how much psychoactive substance is actually consumed.
- Safer-use threshold for adults: the study suggests adults shouldn’t exceed 8 THC units per week.
- Please note that this does not say “safe”, it says “safer”, i.e. it is relatively less unsafe than…
- Higher-risk levels: risk of more severe cannabis use disorder, which rises above about 13 THC units per week in adults.
This numbers are based on a longitudinal study that followed 150 cannabis users over 12 months, and in the study sample…
- 80% of adults using below 8 THC units did not meet criteria for cannabis use disorder
- 70% of adults using above this level did meet the criteria for cannabis use disorder
That’s not an arbitrary distinction; cannabis use disorder is characterized by impaired control, cravings, and interference with work, family, or social functioning, and affects an estimated 22% of regular users.
You can read more about that, here: What is cannabis use disorder? And how do you know if you have a problem?
And, for that matter: Cannabis & Mental Health: Good Or Bad?
As for the study itself, here it is for you: Estimating thresholds for risk of cannabis use disorder using standard delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) units
So, what does this mean for medical usage?
There can be tradeoffs.
For example, another team of researchers (Dr. Danielle Haley et al.) found that states legalizing cannabis for both medical and adult recreational use saw a 9-to-11-percentage-point decline in daily opioid use.
This is important, because as she points out, increased access to regulated cannabis allows for substitution away from an unstable and toxic opioid supply, lowering overdose risk in a population where opioids account for more than 75% of fatal overdoses in the US.
Further,
❝The magnitude of decrease in opioid use that we observed among a population that is experienced with opioid use and likely to experience unpleasant withdrawal symptoms after reducing this use is very profound and important❞
Here’s a pop-science article about that, and you can also click through to the study itself:
Cannabis legalization may lead to a decline in daily opioid use
Want to learn more?
Check out:
Take care!
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Genetic Risk Factors For Long COVID
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Some people, after getting COVID, go on to have Long COVID. There are various contributing factors to this, including:
- Lifestyle factors that impact general disease-proneness
- Immune-specific factors such as being immunocompromised already
- Genetic factors
We looked at some modifiable factors to improve one’s disease-resistance, yesterday:
And we’ve taken a more big-picture look previously:
Beyond Supplements: The Real Immune-Boosters!
Along with some more systemic issues:
Why Some People Get Sick More (And How To Not Be One Of Them)
But, for when the “don’t get COVID” ship has sailed, one of the big remaining deciding factors with regard to whether one gets Long COVID or not, is genetic
The Long COVID Genes
For those with their 23andMe genetic data to hand…
❝Study findings revealed that three specific genetic loci, HLA-DQA1–HLA-DQB1, ABO, and BPTF–KPAN2–C17orf58, and three phenotypes were at significantly heightened risk, highlighting high-priority populations for interventions against this poorly understood disease.❞
For those who don’t, then first: you might consider getting that! Here’s why:
Genetic Testing: Health Benefits & Methods
But also, all is not lost meanwhile:
The same study also found that individuals with genetic predispositions to chronic fatigue, depression, and fibromyalgia, as well as other phenotypes such as autoimmune conditions and cardiometabolic conditions, are at significantly higher risk of long-COVID than individuals without these conditions.
Good news, bad news
Another finding was that women and non-smokers were more likely to get Long COVID, than men and smokers, respectively.
Does that mean that those things are protective against Long COVID, which would be very counterintuitive in the case of smoking?
Well, yes and no; it depends on whether you count “less likely to get Long COVID because of being more likely to just die” as protective against Long COVID.
(Incidentally, estrogen is moderately immune-enhancing, while testosterone is moderately immune-suppressing, so the sex thing was not too surprising. It’s also at least contributory to why women get more autoimmune disorders, while men get more respiratory infections such as colds and the like)
Want to know more?
You can read the paper itself, here:
*GWAS = Genome-Wide Association Study
Take care!
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Counterclockwise – by Dr. Ellen Langer
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We’ve written previously about Dr. Langer’s famous “Counterclockwise” study that saw reversals in biological markers of aging after a one-week intervention that consisted only of a (albeit rather intensive) mental reframe with regard to their age.
This book, as you might expect from the title, refers to that experiment a lot—but it doesn’t stop there. While the Counterclockwise experiment remains Dr. Langer’s most well-known, it’s not her most recent, and she draws from a wealth of research (her own and that of her colleagues in the field) to show the extent and limit of psychosomatic effect on aging.
Note:
- psychosomatic effect does not mean: “imagining it”
- psychosomatic effect means: “your brain regulates almost everything else in your body, directly or indirectly, including your autonomic functions, which includes immune function, tissue replacement, and more”
And as for when it comes to aging? Aging, like cancer, is in large part a problem of immune dysfunction; in both cases cells (be they senescent or cancerous, respectively) are not being killed when they are supposed to be, and in both cases, better instructions will improve the matter.
Many larger-scale markers of aging, such as mobility, are a case of the body only being able to do what the tissues allow, and the tissues are being constantly rebuilt (for better or for worse) according to autonomically-implemented specifications, and cells’ ability to carry out those orders.
Beyond the cellular physiology, this book discusses (a lot) the brain-down mechanisms by which the most powerful organ in our body can tell the rest of the body how old to be.
Dr. Langer also discusses the matter of “priming”, that is to say, how external factors prime us to believe certain things about our age and, with it, our health. These things can include popular media, conversations with friends and family, and healthcare providers’ framing of certain issues.
For example, a person just under a certain age and a person just over a certain age could both go to the doctor with the same complaint—a pain in a certain joint, let’s say. The doctor may refer the slightly younger patient for an x-ray because “let’s see what’s going on here”, and prescribe the slightly older patient some painkillers because “this is perfectly normal at your age”. One resultant problem is obvious: a difference in the standard of care. But the other resultant problem is less obvious: the older patient has now been primed to believe, by a confident authority figure, “it is natural for my body to be in a state of decline now, and this is what to expect”.
Thus, Dr. Langer prescribes mindfulness, not in the mindfulness meditation sense (though sure, do that too), but rather in the sense of consciously interacting with the world and making our own decisions about our own health and, yes, our own age. Because after all, our body neither knows nor cares how many times it has flown around the sun, and merely responds to physiological stimuli—including those we can influence with psychological reframing.
The book is not, per se, a “how-to” guide, rather it is an explanatory treatise, but it contains more than enough information to put it into practice, and indeed, she does also provide some exercises to do along the way.
The style is… Vivacious, without being especially upbeat. Dr. Langer is enthused about her work, yes, but she’s also angry at how many people are having their health sabotaged on the daily, and calls for a more health-first approach (as opposed to illness-first).
Bottom line: this is the book on our brain’s power over aging, so if that topic interests you, this book absolutely belongs on your bookshelf. Well, in your hands, and then on the bookshelf, and then back in your hands from time to time.
Click here to check out Counterclockwise, and age counterclockwise as her experimental subjects did!
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How Ultra-Processed Foods Diminish Your Ability To Focus
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Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) have a well-earned bad reputation. And yet, most of us still consume at least some, and many people meet the criteria for ultra-processed food addiction.
Now, some UPFs are healthy in moderation. See for example: Not all ultra-processed foods are bad for your health, whatever you might have heard
But we said the bad reputation was well-earned, and that was true. For example: How Likely Is It That Ultra-Processed Foods (UPFs) Will Kill You?
…which is quite dire.
So what’s this about ultra-processed foods stealing our focus?
The other kind of “brain drain”
The good news: based on recent research (by Dr. Barbara Cardoso et al.), ultra-processed food intake doesn’t seem to affect memory.
The bad news: it (adversely!) effects every other measure of cognitive function tested, and most of all, diminishes focus.
Dr. Cardoso and her team followed 2,192 people aged 40–70 without dementia to examine the impact of diet on cognitive performance.
The main finding: increasing intake of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) was linked to a measurable decline in attention span, even when overall diet quality was otherwise healthy.
In particular, a 10% increase in UPFs was associated with noticeably poorer performance on tests of visual attention and processing speed.
❝To put our findings in perspective, a 10 per cent increase in UPFs is roughly equivalent to adding a standard packet of chips to your daily diet.
For every 10 per cent increase in ultra-processed food a person consumed, we saw a distinct and measurable drop in a person’s ability to focus.
In clinical terms, this translated to consistently lower scores on standardised cognitive tests measuring visual attention and processing speed.❞
~ Dr. Barbara Cardoso
As for how this happens, Dr. Barbara Cardoso explained that ultra-processing can damage the natural structure of food and introduce additives or chemicals, suggesting cognitive effects go beyond simply lacking “healthy” nutrients. We’ve covered that idea before at 10almonds*, too, so it’s nice to see such a lot of new data backing it up as well.
For example:
- The Preservatives That Increase Diabetes Risk
- The Common Food Preservatives That Are Linked To Cancer
If you’d like to read Dr. Cardoso’s paper in full, here it is: Ultra-processed food intake, cognitive function, and dementia risk: A cross-sectional study of middle-aged and older Australian adults
Want to improve your own dietary habits?
First, it’s good to be well-informed. Reading 10almonds is a great start! Of course, we can’t cover every product in your local supermarket though, so check out this:
How Processed Is The Food You Buy, Really? ← includes a huge, free database!
If you prefer a short hit-list, then here you go: Top 10 Unhealthy Foods: How Many Do You Eat?
And if you know which UPFs you want to cut out, but knowing isn’t the problem, then here’s our main feature on how to do that: When It’s More Than “Just” Cravings: How To Beat Food Addictions!
Want to learn more?
You might like this book we reviewed a little while back:
Ultra-Processed People: The Science Behind The Food That Isn’t Food – by Dr. Chris van Tulleken
…and/or as a next step,
Unprocess Your Life: Break Free From Ultra-Processed Foods For Good – by Rob Hobson ← Rob Hobson is not a doctor, but he is a nutritionist with half the alphabet after his name (BSc, PGDip, MSc, AFN, SENR) and decades of experience in the field.
Take care!
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Tartar Removal At Home & How To Prevent Tartar
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Three things to bear in mind:
- Tartar is hardened plaque.
- Plaque is an infected biofilm that expands the natural thin film on teeth.
- Healthy biofilm resists plaque and tartar formation.
Therefore, the recommended approach is a multistep program:
The Complete Mouth Care System
Dr. Phillips recommends to use these five products in this order twice daily:
- Zellie’s Mints & Gum: having 6–10 grams of xylitol daily will help to loosen plaque on teeth so that the following program is more effective. Xylitol protects from mouth acidity and help to remineralize teeth.
- CloSYS Prerinse: CloSYS will prepare your teeth for brushing. This pH neutral rinse ensures that brushing teeth does not occur in an acidic mouth and therefore easily damage teeth.
- Crest Cavity Protection Regular Paste: has an active ingredient of sodium fluoride at optimal concentration (not stannous fluoride). This paste has the proper abrasion and no glycerine.
- Listerine: is an effective rinse that targets the bacteria that cause plaque build up and gingivitis with three active ingredients: eucalyptus essential oil, menthol essential oil, and thymol essential oil. As such, unlike many mouthwashes, listerine does not harm the mouth’s diversity of good bacteria or the mouth’s production of nitric oxide.
- ACT Anticavity Rinse: ACT is a very dilute but extremely effective sodium fluoride solution. It helps prevent and reverse cavities, strengthen teeth, reduce sensitivity, and leaves your breath fresh.
She advises us that by doing this twice-daily over 6 months, we can expect significant tartar reduction, and indeed, that dental appointments may reveal minimal or no need for tartar removal.
For more on all of this, enjoy:
Click Here If The Embedded Video Doesn’t Load Automatically!
Want to learn more?
You might also like to read our own three-part series:
- Toothpastes & Mouthwashes: Which Help And Which Harm?
- Flossing Without Flossing?
- Less Common Oral Hygiene Options ← we recommend the miswak! Not only does it clean the teeth as well as or better than traditional brushing, but also it changes the composition of saliva to improve the oral microbiome, effectively turning your saliva into a biological mouthwash that kills unwanted microbes and is comfortable for the ones that should be there.
Take care!
Don’t Forget…
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What’s Really Keeping You Awake? The Brain’s Role in Sleepless Nights
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Dr. Tracey Marks, psychiatrist, explains:
All in your head (which is the least helpful place for it to be when trying to sleep)
Why You Can’t Sleep: sleeplessness often stems from a conflict between your brain’s sleep drive (powered by adenosine and melatonin) and wake drive (powered by orexin and serotonin), which are normally balanced by your circadian rhythm.
About that tech: blue light gets a bad reputation, and indeed it suppresses melatonin, but this is quickly resolved once you turn it off. However, being accustomed to constant notifications triggers dopamine, keeping your brain in a heightened state of alertness, even if you’ve now put your phone aside, if you’re still expecting notifications.
About your worries: worrying at night activates the brain’s stress response (HPA axis), releasing cortisol and adrenaline that override sleep signals—especially when you miss your natural sleep window and are trying to sleep at a slightly different time than you normally do.
This can then become a self-perpetuating cycle, because after poor sleep, your brain can start associating your bed with stress, reinforcing insomnia through classical conditioning.
Some advices that Dr. Marks gives include:
- Follow natural sleep rhythms where possible, rather than trying to force something different.
- Use paradoxical intention (stop trying so hard to sleep).
- Practise calming techniques like box breathing (4 seconds breathing in, 4 seconds holding, 4 seconds breathing out, 4 seconds holding)
Chronic insomnia (3+ nights/week for 3+ months) with significant daytime effects may require treatment like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I), so that’s a thing to bear in mind too.
In short: sleep isn’t just about being tired—it’s about working with your brain’s systems, not against them.
For more on all of this, enjoy:
Click Here If The Embedded Video Doesn’t Load Automatically!
Want to learn more?
You might also like:
How to Fall Asleep Faster: CBT-I Treatment For Insomnia
Take care!
Don’t Forget…
Did you arrive here from our newsletter? Don’t forget to return to the email to continue learning!
Learn to Age Gracefully
Join the 98k+ American women taking control of their health & aging with our 100% free (and fun!) daily emails:
