Classic Rhonda, haha.
The correlation also wouldn’t surprise me, since I’m sure that more caring parents who pay attention to nutrition and not feeding their kids junk is also correlated with less mental health issues.
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It could be deliberate, Rhonda’s posted before that P-values are arbitrary. At least we know the concept of p-hacking might not be that valuable to her.
Wait till she remembers the threshold for statistical significance once you adjust for multiple comparisons with the Bonferroni correction, lol, as 0.05 is so arbitrary to her.
The Bonferroni correction compensates for that increase by testing each individual hypothesis at a significance level of α / m
, where α
is the desired overall alpha level and m
is the number of hypotheses.[2] For example, if a trial is testing m = 20
hypotheses with a desired overall α = 0.05
, then the Bonferroni correction would test each individual hypothesis at α = 0.05 / 20 = 0.0025
. The method is named for its use of the Bonferroni inequalities.[3]
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Childhood oral health is associated with the incidence of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in adulthood
Highlights
• First nationwide cohort study linking childhood oral health to adult atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) incidence.
• Utilizing registry data from over 568,000 individuals spanning more than two decades.
• Poor oral health in childhood is associated with increased risk of adulthood ischemic heart disease, myocardial infarction, and ischemic stroke.
• Declining or persistently poor oral health trajectories across childhood is associated with higher ASCVD risk incidence.
https://www.internationaljournalofcardiology.com/article/S0167-5273(25)01194-5/fulltext
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Some early time sensitive experimental suggestions:
Whole genome sequencing at birth so early treatment can begin as soon as medically indicated.
Cord blood, cord and placental tissue storage at birth. Use a facility protected from floods, earthquakes, power outages, etc
Fecal matter storage before the baby is ever exposed to antibiotics
Early allergen exposure extrapolating LEAP study (Learning Early About Peanut Allergy) to other allergens
Begin introduction to multiple languages early to encourage fluency.
And of course the basics:
Follow all relevant breastfeeding, supplement, sleep, vaccine and (lack of) screen time recommendations.
Model healthy diet, exercise and relationships for your child
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Out of interest, a few days ago I met a paediatrician and biomedical researcher (MD PhD) and I asked her about this question. She said “listen to your kids” and “keep them away from phones and iPads for as long as possible”. She said she has frequently seen the adverse outcomes from both of those things.
I asked more about listening to your kids, and she said so many young adults basically have very poor sense of sense. They think their opinions and thoughts don’t matter, or they’re never understood. They’re constantly told what to do, and never asked how they feel about anything. Lots of parents dismiss emotions or tell kids to quash them (be quiet, calm down, etc).
And importantly, this makes them TRUST their parents. If you want your teenage daughter to be able to confide in you when she feels pressured about guys, or her body, etc, you have to actually listen to them as kids. Insecure attachment to parents is a massive risk factor for anxiety, depression and behavioural problems.
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When the kids come to me with just about anything, complaint, fear, worry, good news, the response is always some variation of “I’m so glad you told me.”
Keeping screens at bay is hard. We instituted once a week movie night and no screens the rest of the week. Total is less screen time and less whining about it.
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Early-life indoor mold linked to reduced childhood lung function, long-term study finds
Mold is a silent threat, often going unnoticed as it quietly harms health. What’s concerning is that exposure to mold during early childhood leaves its mark way into adolescence. In a study published in Environmental Research: Health, a team from the University of Bristol, UK, tapped into data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC)—a well-known birth cohort study also known as Children of the 90s—to explore how early-life exposure to indoor mold may affect lung function, its development over time, and the risk of doctor-diagnosed asthma.
The researchers analyzed medical data from nearly 14,000 children, whose health and development were followed closely from birth through to approximately 24 years of age, using information collected from clinic visits and questionnaires.
The data indicated that serious exposure to indoor mold at age 5 was associated with a nearly 6% reduction in lung function by age 15. There was also a strong association with asthma, with children exposed to serious mold by age 5 being 1.85 times more likely to have been diagnosed with asthma by age 8 compared to those with no mold exposure. This link, however, weakened as the child approached adulthood.
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-early-life-indoor-mold-linked.html
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Same. My daughter tells me about her petty squabbles with classmates over all sorts of things, but I do my best to listen and encourage her to share. And we do the same with screens. Got rid of them entirely, and everything has been better. No more fighting over the TV remote or what to watch on Netflix. No more damn americanisms creeping into their vocabulary. And I would like to believe it makes them more creative, since now they need to kinda invent their own fun sometimes. Sometimes when I sleep longer on a Saturday morning I go downstairs and they’ve got out a whole bunch of paper, pens, crayons, glue, and they’re furiously working away trying to make stuff. Before we disabled the TV, they’d just be on the sofa staring at it.
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Early Life Diets Quietly Shape IQ Years Later
Summary: The food on a two-year-old’s plate may cast a long shadow over their future academic performance. A longitudinal study following thousands of children in Brazil has found that toddlers who habitually consume “unhealthy” diets—characterized by ultraprocessed foods like instant noodles, candies, and processed meats—score significantly lower on IQ tests by ages six and seven.
Interestingly, the study found that while unhealthy foods actively hindered cognitive development, a “healthy” diet of fruits and vegetables didn’t necessarily boost IQ above average, largely because these foods are already so common in early childhood. This research highlights a “cumulative disadvantage,” where poor nutrition combined with early biological vulnerabilities (like low birth weight) creates a permanent gap in a child’s cognitive potential before they even start school.
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Cannabis is detrimental to sperm: even if they can fertilize, there can be DNA damage.
Cannabis is detrimental to sperm: even if they can fertilize, there can be DNA damage. Many miscarriages and (in the case of IVF) “day 3 crashes” which is when paternal DNA normally kicks in, are cannabis related. Dr Natalie Crawford on the Huberman Lab.
Source: https://x.com/hubermanlab/status/2043696336567222393?s=20
The research behind this is wild. Your sperm carries a set of instructions that tell your genes when to turn on and off. A Duke University study found that THC rewrites those instructions. The more weed in your system, the bigger the changes. It goes straight for the genes your future embryo needs in its first week of life. I had to read the “day 3 crash” part twice. For the first three days after fertilization, an embryo runs entirely on the mother’s DNA. Day 3, the father’s genes switch on. If those genes carry cannabis damage, the embryo just stops growing. Fertility doctors see this happen in their labs: embryos that fertilized fine and looked healthy on day 2 go completely still by day 5. Boston University tracked 1,535 couples trying to have a baby. Men who smoked weed once a week or more doubled their partner’s miscarriage risk. That number held up even when the woman herself never touched cannabis. And the miscarriages clustered in the first 8 weeks, right when the father’s damaged DNA would be doing the most harm. Duke also found that the specific genes THC alters in sperm overlap with genes linked to autism. One of those genes, called DLGAP2, helps brain cells communicate with each other. It was changed in cannabis users’ sperm. When researchers bred THC-exposed male rats and checked their offspring, the same altered gene pattern showed up in the pups’ brains. The damage crossed a generation. Weed has gotten way stronger over the last 30 years. THC content was about 4% in the 1990s but nearly quadrupled to 15% by 2018, and modern dispensary strains regularly sit at 20-30%. Concentrates go up to 95%. Quitting for about 11 weeks (one full cycle of sperm production) reverses some of the DNA changes. Not all of them. Duke’s lead researcher says men should stop at least 6 months before trying for a baby. Half of your kid’s genetic blueprint comes from you, and right now, THC is editing that blueprint before conception even happens.
Source: https://x.com/anishmoonka/status/2043873122395533525?s=20
Google Gemini 3 Pro Summary of the related research:
The research detailed in the text is grounded in several recent, high-impact empirical studies, primarily driven by epigenetic researchers at Duke University and epidemiologists at Boston University.
Below is the verified source material supporting each claim, alongside an analysis of the data and current scientific knowledge gaps.
1. Epigenetic Reprogramming of Sperm
Claim: THC alters epigenetic instructions, correlating with dosage, and targets genes needed in the first week of embryonic life.
Source: Cannabinoid exposure and altered DNA methylation in rat and human sperm (Epigenetics, 2018)
Analysis: The Murphy lab at Duke University identified altered DNA methylation at 3,979 CpG sites in the sperm of human cannabis users compared to non-users. The magnitude of these methylation changes correlated directly with the concentration of THC metabolites in the subjects’ urine. Pathway analysis revealed that the affected genes are heavily enriched in pathways critical for early embryonic development and organogenesis.
Knowledge Gap: While the alteration of the sperm epigenome is clear, it remains unproven how many of these specific methylation signatures survive the global epigenetic reprogramming (rapid demethylation and remethylation) that naturally occurs immediately after fertilization in humans.
2. The “Day 3 Crash” and Embryonic Arrest
Claim: Embryos rely entirely on maternal DNA for the first 3 days; paternal genetic damage triggers growth arrest by Day 5.
Source: Paternal contributions to offspring health: role of sperm small RNAs in intergenerational transmission of epigenetic information (Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology, 2019) & standard embryological data on Zygotic Genome Activation (ZGA).
Analysis: The “Day 3 crash” refers to the maternal-to-zygotic transition (MZT). For the first 72 hours (cleavage stage), embryonic development is driven exclusively by maternal RNA transcripts loaded into the oocyte. Around the 8-cell stage (Day 3), the embryo’s own genome—including the paternal contribution—activates. If the paternal genome is highly fragmented or epigenetically compromised by factors like THC or oxidative stress, the embryo fails to negotiate ZGA. Clinically, this presents as IVF embryos that divide normally on Days 1-2 but arrest and degenerate by Day 5 (blastocyst stage).
3. Preconception Exposure and Miscarriage Risk
Claim: Male weekly cannabis use doubles the risk of early miscarriage, clustering in the first 8 weeks.
Analysis: Researchers at Boston University tracked 1,535 couples. Male cannabis use of ≥1 time per week during the preconception window resulted in an adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of 2.0 for spontaneous abortion.This doubled risk persisted even when strictly controlling for female cannabis use. The highest clustering of pregnancy loss occurred before 8 weeks of gestation, which perfectly aligns with the critical window of paternal gene transcription and early placental development.
4. DLGAP2 Alterations and Intergenerational Transfer
Claim: THC alters the DLGAP2 gene in sperm, which is linked to autism; damage transfers to offspring in animal models.
Analysis: Duke researchers isolated significant hypomethylation in the DLGAP2 gene—a locus essential for synapse organization and heavily implicated in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and schizophrenia. In a parallel in vivo rat model, adult males exposed to THC exhibited altered DLGAP2 methylation in their sperm.Crucially, their offspring subsequently exhibited corresponding epigenetic alterations in the nucleus accumbens of the brain.
Knowledge Gap: Translating rodent neurobehavioral and epigenetic models directly to human ASD is complex. Definitive proof of intergenerational transfer of ASD phenotypes in humans requires longitudinal, multi-generational cohort studies, which are currently underway but incomplete.
5. The Escalation of THC Potency
Claim: THC concentrations rose from ~4% in the 1990s to >15% by 2018, with concentrates reaching 95%.
Source: National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA): Cannabis Research Report
Analysis: Federal confiscation data confirms a rapid, systemic escalation in THC potency. Average flower potency was <4% in the early 1990s and exceeded 15% by 2018. Modern dispensary data indicates commercial flower frequently exceeds 20-30% THC, while extracted concentrates (shatter, wax, oils) sit between 80-95%. This dose-escalation fundamentally alters the toxicological and epigenetic impact of modern cannabis compared to historical baseline data.
6. The Reversibility Window and Abstinence Protocol
Claim: An 11-week cessation reverses some, but not all, DNA changes; a 6-month abstinence is advised.
Analysis: Human spermatogenesis requires approximately 74 days (roughly 11 weeks). Duke researchers found that a 77-day abstinence period successfully mitigated the most severe methylation changes seen in the active-use baseline. However, residual epigenetic anomalies remained. Lead author Dr. Susan Murphy clinically advises abstaining for “multiple spermatogenic cycles” to achieve a complete epigenetic washout.
Actionable Insights for Reproductive Longevity
- Paternal Preconception Protocol: Male reproductive fitness is highly dynamic. For optimal epigenetic integrity, males must cease THC consumption an absolute minimum of 74 days prior to conception. To minimize residual epigenetic anomalies and allow for a complete cellular washout, a 6-month (roughly 2.5 spermatogenic cycles) cessation protocol is the evidence-based standard.
- Systemic Epigenetic Defense: THC operates as an epigenetic modifier. Those optimizing for longevity and healthy offspring should treat frequent, high-potency THC consumption as a vector for accelerated cellular aging and DNA damage, mechanically similar to the impacts of high ambient oxidative stress.
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Nearly half of U.S. kids are breathing unhealthy air, report says. These are the cleanest and most polluted cities.
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To avoid mental illness in children / adults… as much as possible help your kids avoid trauma:
Genetics Loads the Gun, Early Trauma Pulls the Trigger in Psychosis Risk
The long-standing debate over “nature vs. nurture” in mental health has moved into a more complex phase: understanding how they collaborate to produce specific symptoms. A massive study of 163,704 individuals from the UK Biobank, published in 2026, has mapped how genetic predisposition and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) jointly influence the landscape of psychopathology.
The researchers from the Karolinska Institute found that while both genetics (measured by Polygenic Risk Scores, or PRSs) and childhood trauma are independent drivers of psychosis, their interaction is not uniform across different symptoms. For “non-specific” domains like anxiety and depression, the risk is largely additive: having both high genetic risk and a history of trauma simply piles on the danger. However, for “core” psychotic symptoms like hallucinations or mania, a multiplicative interaction occurs—where the presence of one factor significantly modifies the impact of the other.
Crucially, the study revealed that ACEs—ranging from emotional neglect to physical abuse—frequently exert a more prominent influence on adult mental health than common genetic variants. This aligns with the Stress-Vulnerability Model, suggesting that environmental insults during critical developmental windows can override or amplify genetic blueprints. One of the most striking findings was a “ceiling effect” in cognitive impairment: individuals with a high genetic burden for schizophrenia already face such significant cognitive challenges that additional childhood trauma does not worsen their cognitive scores to the same degree as it would for those at low genetic risk.
This research shifts the focus from broad clinical diagnoses like “Schizophrenia” or “Bipolar Disorder” to a more granular, symptom-centered perspective. By identifying which symptoms are most sensitive to environmental trauma versus genetic liability, clinicians can better tailor psychological care and preventative strategies.
Actionable Insights
The primary takeaway for those optimizing for long-term psychological health and neurological longevity is the dominant role of the early environment. Because Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) demonstrate a dose-response relationship with severe adult psychopathology, early intervention is the most effective lever for maintaining psychological resilience.
-
Prioritize Trauma Resolution: Since ACEs can be stronger predictors of adult symptoms than common genetic variants, resolving the psychological and physiological impacts of early trauma is essential for long-term health, regardless of genetic “luck”.
-
Targeted Monitoring: Individuals with a family history of psychosis who also experienced ACEs should be hyper-vigilant for symptoms in the “additive” domains—specifically anxiety and depression—as these are the most likely to manifest early and synergistically.
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Cognitive Buffering: Given that genetic risk for schizophrenia impacts longevity through cognitive-relevant pathways, engaging in cognitive-enriching activities may help mitigate some of the “ceiling effects” seen in the interplay between genetics and environment.
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Acknowledge Help-Seeking Barriers: Recognizing that both genetics and environment influence the likelihood of seeking professional help can empower individuals to proactively bypass these internal “biases” and seek care earlier, which leads to significantly better long-term clinical outcomes.
Source
- Paywalled Paper: Joint effects of childhood adversity and genetic risk for psychosis on psychopathology in the UK Biobank
- Institution: Karolinska Institute
- Country: Sweden
-
Journal Name: Psychological Medicine
Impact Evaluation The impact score of this journal (CiteScore/JIF) is approximately 9.4, evaluated against a typical high-end range of 0–60+ for top general science, therefore this is a High impact journal in the fields of psychiatry and psychology.
Gentlemen, In addition to the women, You need to get healthy well before having kids…
Sweat of the Father: How Paternal Exercise Reprograms Offspring Metabolism
For decades, the burden of “preconception health” has rested almost exclusively on mothers. Science is now correcting this imbalance, revealing that a father’s lifestyle choices are etched into his sperm long before fertilization occurs. A recent analysis in Nature Reviews Urology highlights a breakthrough study by Yin and colleagues, demonstrating that paternal endurance exercise acts as a powerful epigenetic modifier, gifted to the next generation via microRNA (miRNA) signatures.
The “Big Idea” centers on molecular cargo. Sperm do more than deliver DNA; they transport a complex payload of small RNAs that influence the earliest stages of embryonic development. When a father exercises, he triggers a specific “fitness signature” in his sperm—a group of ten miRNAs. One specific molecule, miR-148a-3p, serves as a master switch. Upon entering the egg, it suppresses a protein called NCOR1, which normally acts as a brake on mitochondrial biogenesis. By silencing the silencer, paternal exercise effectively “primes” the offspring’s cells for enhanced energy production and oxidative metabolism.
In mouse models, the results were striking: male offspring of exercised fathers showed superior glucose tolerance, higher endurance capacity, and more robust muscle mitochondria. Perhaps most significantly, this isn’t just a rodent phenomenon. Researchers found that seven of these key “fitness miRNAs” were also significantly elevated in the sperm of endurance-trained men compared to their sedentary counterparts. This suggests a deeply conserved biological mechanism for transmitting aerobic advantages across generations.
However, the “dosage” of exercise is a critical variable. While 3 to 8 weeks of moderate paternal training yielded metabolic benefits, excessively long-duration voluntary wheel running (12 weeks) in some studies actually led to offspring with increased obesity risk and reduced energy expenditure. This “Goldilocks” effect emphasizes that the germline is highly sensitive to the duration and intensity of physical stress. For the modern male, the message is clear: your gym sessions are not just for your own longevity—they are a biological legacy that could determine your children’s metabolic health.
Actionable Insights
The primary takeaway for men in the preconception window—defined as the months leading up to conception—is that moderate endurance training is a viable epigenetic intervention. To optimize the metabolic health of future offspring, fathers should aim for consistent, structured aerobic exercise (e.g., treadmill or cycling) rather than extreme, high-volume overtraining, which has shown potential for adverse “programming” in mouse models.
Identifying miR-148a-3p as a causal factor provides a specific target for future longevity-focused diagnostics. While commercial sperm miRNA testing is not yet standard, the correlation between high peak oxygen uptake (VO2 peak) and the presence of these beneficial miRNAs suggests that improving one’s own aerobic fitness is the most direct way to ensure a healthy epigenetic payload. Clinically, urologists and fertility specialists should treat the preconception period as a critical “window of opportunity” to modify the father’s metabolic risk profile, as these benefits appear to be conserved between mice and humans.
Source:
- Paywalled Paper: Beyond maternal exercise: paternal exercise adaptations mediated by sperm microRNA signatures
- Primary Institutions: University of California Irvine (USA), Edith Cowan University (Australia), and Universidad Europea de Madrid (Spain).
- Journal Name: Nature Reviews Urology.
- Impact Evaluation: The impact score (JIF) of this journal is approximately 15.3 (based on 2024-2025 trends), evaluated against a typical high-end range of 0–60+ for top general science. Therefore, this is a High impact journal.
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As suggested by @L_H (there), I’m starting this thread for parents.
First question asked by @relaxedmeatball (there):
On a related note - what are your opinions about EPA/DHA in children? There are various supplements specifically marketed for parents to give children for neurodevelopment and cognition, ADHD and behaviour, visual development, allergy/asthma, etc. They are extremely popular, and just in my kids playground, I’ve heard parents discussing it. I assume that most of the claims are bullshit, or at least highly speculative, but you’ve definitely read more about this than I have. Any thoughts?
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2 portions of salmon or sushi a week probably mean supplementation has no extra benefit. But if fish not on the weekly diet for your kids, this is a Gemini response to get the discussion going:
Recent large-scale systematic reviews and meta-analyses provide clearer, more grounded context regarding how omega-3s impact childhood ADHD and behavior.
The current scientific consensus relies on a few critical, high-impact meta-studies that redefine how clinicians view fatty acid therapy.
1. The Real-World Impact Shift (The Liu Meta-Analysis)
A large-scale meta-analysis evaluated 22 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) covering more than 1,500 children aged 7 to 12 years to see how omega-3s affect core ADHD symptoms over time.
- The Timeline Threshold: The researchers found that short-term trials often yielded flat results. However, subgroup analysis of trials lasting longer than 4 months showed a statistically significant improvement in core symptoms.
- The Takeaway: Fatty acid turnover in the central nervous system’s neuronal membranes is a slow, structural process. Parents and clinicians shouldn’t judge the efficacy of omega-3s until a child has consistently taken a therapeutic dose for at least 16 weeks. Even then, the study notes the overall reduction in symptoms is mathematically modest.
2. Redefining “Behavioral Support” (The Raine Meta-Analytic Review)
A major meta-analytic review shifted the conversation from purely academic focus (like reading or math scores) to emotional and behavioral regulation.
- The Finding: This analysis aggregated data across multiple pediatric trials and found that omega-3 supplementation significantly and reliably reduces aggressive, disruptive, and externalizing behaviors in children.
- The Takeaway: Omega-3s appear to have a more profound, consistent impact on a child’s nervous system capacity for emotional regulation and impulse control than they do on baseline intelligence metrics or raw cognitive capacity.
3. The Multi-Target Literature Reviews
Comprehensive reviews across major databases (including PubMed and the Cochrane Library) evaluated both marine-sourced supplements and omega-3-enhanced foods to map out overall pediatric development.
- Broad Brain Support: The evidence firmly reinforces that DHA and EPA are foundational for executive function (the brain’s ability to plan, focus, and remember instructions) and lipid profile modulation.
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The Caveat on Heterogeneity: These large umbrella reviews consistently warn that “mixed results” in past literature are almost always driven by three confounding variables:
- Vastly different baseline nutritional statuses (children who already eat fish see zero change).
- Inadequate dosing (using low-dose commercial gummies).
- Variations in the structural form of the fatty acids (such as standard triglycerides vs. highly bioavailable phospholipids).
Summary of Modern Clinical Directives
If you look across all of these current meta-studies collectively, the medical guidance for utilizing omega-3s boils down to three strict criteria:
| Clinical Variable | Modern Meta-Study Directive |
|---|---|
| Duration | Must be administered continuously for at least 4 months to observe structural neuronal change. |
| Dosing | Must hit a therapeutic threshold (typically \ge 500mg–1,200mg of combined EPA/DHA) rather than token dietary amounts. |
| Expectation | Should be viewed as a foundational, complementary therapy to support behavior and focus, rather than a standalone clinical cure for neurodevelopmental conditions. |
Ha, I already made an ongoing thread about parenting for longevity. Enjoy!
Oops. Merging them then.
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Ha, you’ll see my first very post is saying that we give the kids 250mg DHA per day. And my wife took fish oil right through the whole pregnancy and while breast feeding.
Argument/logic is/was: DHA is the predominant lipid in a child brain (15% of all fatty acids apparently), particularly in grey matter of the prefrontal cortex. It’s in breast milk. It’s compulsory to be included in infant formula in the EU. The developing brain rapidly accumulates DHA, especially through the first 2 years of life. Interestingly, children with ADHD also have lower O3 levels. So you have all this rationale saying that DHA is important for development etc. Plus, the western diet means that most children do not even come close to daily targets. However, it doesn’t necessarily mean they are O3 deficient, since they likely do consume ALA.
However, after looking into it some more, the evidence in favour of supplements is weaker than I thought. A couple trials have shown moderate benefits in asthma, but most of the big ones have failed. One study showed an IQ increase, but a followup found no changes in behaviour, performance etc.
The end conclusion is that maybe there are some benefits in people who are deficient or in the lowest percentage of intake. For otherwise healthy kids, I have no idea. Luckily my kids do eat plenty of fish, so I think based on our chats and the report below, I will stop buying DHA supplements for them.
I had Claude write a deep research report which I attach here:
Research Report.pdf (89.5 KB)