Studies Show Coffee Grows a Good Gut Bacteria
Good news: your morning coffee addiction is officially backed by science.
Researchers analyzed the poop of over 20,000 coffee drinkers and discovered something fascinating. Coffee doesn't just wake you up, it feeds a specific gut bacterium called Lawsonibacter asaccharolyticus which leads to healthy digestion and nutrient absorption.
Out of all the bacteria coffee affects, L. asaccharolyticus had by far the strongest response. The relationship was so strong that when scientists fed coffee directly to the bacteria in petri dishes, they grew significantly faster. "It's very unique that we found this very strong, very distinct one-to-one match," says Harvard epidemiologist Mingyang Song.
Decaf works too. So if you're avoiding caffeine, your gut still gets the benefits.
Scientists are now investigating whether L. asaccharolyticus is actually why coffee lowers risks for heart disease, colon cancer, and type 2 diabetes.
Quick poll - while reading this, are you (a) pooping (b) drinking coffee or (c) both? Jk!
Your Body Has Two Major "Oh Shit" Moments
Scientists tracked 108 people for up to 6.8 years, collecting blood, stool, skin swabs, and basically everything short of their childhood memories. They analyzed 135,239 biological features to answer one question: Does aging happen gradually, or does your body hit specific breaking points?
The answer: Two major breaking points
Your molecular profile changes dramatically around age 44 and age 60. These aren't gentle slopes—they're cliffs.
At 44, your body starts struggling with alcohol and lipid metabolism. That second beer hits different now, and your cardiovascular disease risk jumps. Your ability to metabolize caffeine also takes a hit (sorry, coffee addicts).
At 60, things get serious. Your immune system, kidney function, and carbohydrate metabolism all decline rapidly. Risk for heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and kidney issues skyrocket. Even your skin and muscle stability nosedive—the extracellular matrix (what keeps you from looking like a deflated balloon) starts breaking down.
Interestingly, only 6.6% of molecules change linearly with age. The other 81% follow these sharp, nonlinear patterns. Your body doesn't age like a Toyota; it ages more like a BMW - at 60k miles the doors start to fall off (if you get it, you get it).
However, there are things you can do to maintain your best self for longer. Studies show healthy habits in diet, exercise, and sleep can reverse biological age by 3+ years. Your body's shifting gears either way, you just get to choose the fuel.
How "Buy Now, Pay Later" Hacked Your Brain (And Your Wallet)
Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) exploded from a fringe checkout option to the default payment method for millions of consumers, especially younger shoppers. The market skyrocketed from $1.8 billion in 2018 to $12.5 billion in 2024, with companies like Affirm, Klarna, and Afterpay leading the charge.
However, BNPL didn't invent debt, it just reinvented how debt feels.
The psychology is simple but effective. When you see "Pay $29 now" at checkout, your brain locks onto that number before processing the $112 total you'll eventually owe. This is the same trick car salesmen use when they show you monthly payments instead of the out-the-door price. They mask the real cost by tampering with contract length and down payments.
Add in present bias, the human tendency to prioritize immediate gratification over future consequences, and you've got a recipe for impulse buying. You get the dopamine hit of a new purchase now and deal with the financial pain later.
Let’s compare it to credit cards. When you swipe a credit card for a $400 jacket, your brain screams "debt." You picture interest charges, minimum payments, mounting balances. But when Klarna offers "4 payments of $100"? That feels like logistics. You're still borrowing $400. The language changed, but the math didn't.
The results speak for themselves. Retailers using BNPL see conversion rates jump 30-45% at checkout. Average order sizes increase by 20%. Fewer customers abandon their carts.
For retailers, it's a goldmine. For consumers? A $29 decision that quietly adds up to thousands scattered across apps they'll forget about. Miss a payment and the late fees come calling.
Sources: Artezio Research | Primer.io Merchant Guide
Weekly Suck: Patient Zero at the Office
You feel that tickle in your throat. The sneeze is coming. You cup your hands over your mouth like you're trying to catch a butterfly and let it rip directly into your palms. The sink? Nah, too far.
Now you're touching door handles, keyboards, the coffee pot, and Greg's shoulder while asking if he's seen the analytics reports. You're basically a pandemic starter kit. (Greg died three days later)
And don't even get us started on the people who don't cover at all. Full open-mouth sneeze directly into a crowd on the subway like you're auditioning for a Mucinex commercial. Respiratory droplets loaded with the flu virus traveling at 100 mph, landing on every surface within a six-foot radius. Absolutely feral behavior.
But obviously this isn’t you, right?
🙏Your Feedback is Greatly Appreciated!
We’re still shaping this newsletter, and your perspective matters.
If you have 2 minutes, we’d love your feedback — what’s useful, what isn’t, and what you’d like to see more of.
Also please help forward to any friends who might be interested. They can subscribe here
