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Brandon Luu, MD

@BrandonLuuMD

Mar 9 • 10 tweets • 3 min read • Read on X

💤 Want to lose weight? Prioritize sleep.

A randomized trial found that overweight adults sleeping <6.5h/night cut 270 calories/day—just by sleeping 1.2 hours more. No diet or exercise changes.

Let’s break it down 🧵 1/10

Researchers recruited 80 adults (ages 21-40, BMI 25-29.9) who habitually slept less than 6.5 hours per night.
Participants were randomly assigned to:
Sleep extension group: Received personalized sleep hygiene counseling to extend bedtime to 8.5 hours per night.
Control group: Continued usual sleep habits.
All participants kept their normal routines—no changes to diet or exercise. /2

The sleep extension group increased their sleep by 1.2 hours per night (95% CI: 1.0 to 1.4, P < .001). This increase was consistent on both workdays and free days and sleep efficiency didn’t change, meaning they truly slept longer. /3

The sleep extension group naturally reduced calorie intake by 270 kcal/day (95% CI: −393 to −147, P < .001).
For context:
Control group: Increased intake by 114.9 kcal/day.
Sleep extension group: Decreased intake by 155.5 kcal/day.
More sleep = fewer calories consumed. /4

📉 Each Extra Hour of Sleep = ~162 Fewer Calories
The study found a direct correlation between sleep duration and calorie intake (r = −0.41, P < .001).
For every 1-hour increase in sleep, participants consumed 162 fewer calories per day.
No dieting. No food tracking. Just more sleep. /5

Researchers measured total energy expenditure using the doubly labeled water method.
There was no significant difference in energy expenditure between groups.
This means weight changes were likely due to eating less, not burning more. /6

⚖️ Weight Loss Was Modest but Significant
In just two weeks:
Sleep extension group: Lost 0.48 kg (95% CI: −0.85 to −0.11 kg).
Control group: Gained 0.39 kg (95% CI: 0.02 to 0.76 kg).
A net difference of 0.87 kg (P = .001), purely from sleeping more. /7

Possible mechanisms:
✔️ Less time awake = fewer eating opportunities.
✔️ Better hunger regulation (ghrelin & leptin).
✔️ Lower cravings for high-calorie foods.
More research is needed to confirm the biological pathways. /8

Limitations to Consider
🔹 Small sample and short duration (2 weeks)—longer studies needed to assess sustainability.
🔹 Only included overweight adults (BMI 25-29.9)—results may not apply to those with other metabolic conditions. /9

In summary, prioritizing sleep can naturally reduce calorie intake and support weight loss. If you're trying to lose weight, getting enough sleep may be just as important as diet and exercise. /10
jamanetwork.com/journals/jamai…

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More from @BrandonLuuMD

Brandon Luu, MD

@BrandonLuuMD

Mar 10

🧠Chewing gum boosts cerebral blood flow and can activate key brain regions linked to focus.

Over a 30-minute task, chewing gum sustains focus, slows performance decline, and speeds up reaction time.

Let’s break it down 🧵 1/9

40 participants completed a 30-minute auditory vigilance task, detecting specific number sequences. Half chewed gum, half didn’t. Researchers measured accuracy (target detections), reaction time, and self-rated alertness before and after the task. /2

Key Findings
Without gum, focus declined over time—fewer targets detected and slower reaction times. The gum-chewing group maintained focus longer, had faster reaction times in later stages, and reported higher alertness after the task. /3

Read 9 tweets

Brandon Luu, MD

@BrandonLuuMD

Mar 9

🧠 Want to protect your brain? Cutting back on ultra-processed foods might help.

A study tracking 10,775 adults over 8 years found that higher intake was linked to:
📉 28% faster decline in global cognition
📉 25% faster decline in executive function

Let's break it down 🧵 1/8

UPFs like processed snacks, sugary drinks, and frozen meals can make up nearly 50% of daily calories in the U.S. and UK.
Researchers wanted to know:
Does a high-UPF diet accelerate cognitive decline over time? /2

📊 Study design:
10,775 adults (ages 35-74) from Brazil
Tracked UPF consumption & cognitive performance over 8 years
Measured memory, verbal fluency, and executive function
Compared lowest UPF consumers (<19.9% of daily calories) to higher intake groups /3

Read 8 tweets

Brandon Luu, MD

@BrandonLuuMD

Mar 8

🏥 A window might speed up hospital recovery.
A study from 1984 found that surgical patients with a view of trees recovered faster than those facing a brick wall:
🌿 Shorter hospital stays (7.96 vs. 8.70 days)
💊 Less need for pain meds
📝 Fewer negative nurse notes

🧵 1/9

Surgery is stressful, and hospital stays can be isolating. Researchers wanted to know:
Does a natural window view help patients recover faster?
Since patients spend most of their time indoors post-surgery, even a small environmental change could have a big impact. /2

🔬 Study design:
46 patients recovering from gallbladder surgery
Two groups:
🌿 A room with a tree view
🏢 A room with a brick wall view
Matched for age, sex, health history, and other factors
Tracked hospital stay, pain medication use, and nurse observations /3

Read 9 tweets

Brandon Luu, MD

@BrandonLuuMD

Mar 6

💪 Want to lift heavier and push harder? Swearing might help.

Research shows that swearing during exercise can boost strength, power, and endurance—with gains up to 22%.

Why does it work, and do the effects wear off? Let’s dive in 🧵 1/8

A mini-review has reported that swearing enhances physical performance in tasks like grip strength, push-ups, and wall sits. In some cases, swearing led to a 9% increase in strength and a 22% improvement in endurance. /2

In one study, participants who swore during a grip strength test saw an 8% increase in force output. Another study found that repeating a swear word during a Wingate cycling test boosted peak power by 4.5%. /3

Read 8 tweets

Brandon Luu, MD

@BrandonLuuMD

Mar 5

A new twin study has strengthened the link between tattoos and cancer risk.

For tattoos larger than a palm:
🔺 137% higher risk of skin cancer (HR = 2.37)
🩸 173% higher risk of lymphoma (HR = 2.73)

Let’s break it down 🧵 1/11

Tattoo ink doesn’t just stay in the skin—it can migrate to the lymph nodes and other organs. Some ink components, like carbon black and azo compounds, contain potentially carcinogenic substances.
This study examined whether tattoo exposure is linked to cancer risk. /2
nature.com/articles/s4159…

Researchers analyzed data from 2,367 twins in a cohort study and 316 twins in a case-control study.
Twin studies help control for genetic and environmental factors, providing a stronger assessment of risk. /3

Read 11 tweets

Brandon Luu, MD

@BrandonLuuMD

Mar 4

🧠 Testosterone may promote honest behaviour.

A randomized study found that men who received testosterone were less likely to lie for financial gain compared to those who didn’t.

Let’s break down what happened—and why it matters 🧵 1/8

Researchers conducted a double-blind, placebo-controlled study with 91 young men. Half received 50 mg of testosterone, while the other half received a placebo.
The next day, participants played a game where they could lie to increase their earnings. /2

In the game, participants rolled a die privately and reported the result. Higher numbers earned more money—but there was no way to verify if they were telling the truth.
This setup allowed researchers to measure dishonesty at the group level. /3

Read 8 tweets

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