TIME Health is reporting on several key health developments, including a Cyclospora outbreak affecting lettuce, insights on reducing worry, and shifting substance use trends in the United States.
The publication is reporting that lettuce has been in headlines due to a Cyclospora outbreak. It said plant breeder Bill Waycott described the situation as "disastrous" and noted the rapid mutation of diseases affecting crops. Waycott, who is developing "lettuce of the future" with enhanced nutrition, expressed alarm at the increasing number and speed of new plant diseases.
TIME Health also highlighted advice from Karl Pillemer, a gerontologist at Cornell University. It said Pillemer, after interviewing more than 1,000 older individuals, found a common regret was wishing they had worried less about uncontrollable events. Angela Haupt, TIME's Health & Wellness Editor, shared her own experience with chronic worrying, emphasizing that older people often advise against "mindlessly worrying."
Additionally, TIME Health is reporting on a new Gallup poll revealing changes in American smoking habits. It said 17% of U.S. adults now smoke marijuana, tying a record high for Gallup, while 11% smoke cigarettes, a record low. Public-health policy expert Traci Toomey told TIME it is not yet clear if marijuana use is substituting for alcohol consumption, but it is a question that requires further investigation.
Other reports noted by TIME include Colossal Biosciences' ongoing efforts to de-extinct the woolly mammoth, which are proceeding slower than anticipated. The Associated Press is reporting on the realities of postpartum psychosis through a mother's experience and examining what viral mobility tests can indicate about healthy aging.