The January 2026 Lung, Heart & Brain Health Newsletter

A monthly collection of research, patient wisdom, and lived experience from people navigating life with lung disease.

This month’s topics:

  1. 1)Muscle movement and the aging brain article

  2. 2)Burping your home before bedtime for lung health?

  3. 2)When to take supplements and vitamins that should be taken “with food”

  4. 4)Links for curated videos on lung health during cold and flu season

**A Note Before We Begin

This newsletter is for educational purposes only. It is not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment and should never replace guidance from your physician.

Most physicians must follow strict guidelines based on approved diagnostic tests and FDA-approved medications. Approaches outside of that regulated universe — including exercise, nutrition, and non-pharmaceutical strategies — may fall outside their scope of practice.

Here, we share patient experiences, insights from research, and practical strategies people with chronic lung disease have tried with varying degrees of success. These are not recommendations, but they may offer ideas to discuss with your care team.

1)Muscle, Movement, and the Aging Brain: One Conversation, Not Two

Healthy aging is not just about preserving brain cells—it’s about preserving muscle. The brain and body are in constant communication, and muscle plays a central role in that dialogue. As we age, this relationship becomes even more important. With lung disease patients we have seen ample information on the value of maintaining muscle strength which contributes to better breathing and higher lung function.

Muscle is not merely tissue for movement; it is a powerful signaling organ. When muscles contract, they release myokines—chemical messengers that improve blood flow, reduce inflammation, and stimulate brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a key driver of neuroplasticity. In simple terms, muscle contraction helps the brain adapt, learn, and stay resilient.

You cannot separate cognition from circulation. Strength training and purposeful movement increase cerebral blood flow, delivering oxygen and nutrients essential for memory, attention, and executive function. This is why resistance training has been shown to support brain volume, processing speed, and cognitive performance across the lifespan.

You also cannot talk about neuroplasticity without movement. Challenging the muscles—especially through progressive strength training—signals to the brain that the environment is active, demanding, and worth adapting to. In contrast, muscle loss (sarcopenia) sends the opposite message: decline, vulnerability, and reduced need for adaptation.

The takeaway is clear:

Training muscle supports the signals that protect the brain.

Movement reinforces the brain’s ability to rewire and adapt.

The body and brain are not separate systems—they are one continuous conversation. And with aging, that conversation is shaped by how often, how well, and how intentionally we move.

Bottom line: Strength training isn’t just about staying strong—it’s about staying sharp.

References

Voss, M. W., Nagamatsu, L. S., Liu-Ambrose, T., & Kramer, A. F. (2011). Exercise, brain, and cognition across the lifespan. Journal of Applied Physiology, 111(5), 1505–1513.

Phillips, S. M., & Winett, R. A. (2010). Uncomplicated resistance training and health-related outcomes. Sports Medicine, 40(9), 773–788.

Pedersen, B. K. (2019). The role of myokines in muscle–brain crosstalk. Nature Reviews Endocrinology, 15, 537–549.

2)Lüften for Lung Health? (TikTok calls it burping)

Copied from From the Nice News Daily email:

It’s that time of year when there’s nothing more appealing than snuggling under a blanket, ideally with a fire going and a warm beverage in hand. But even on the coldest nights, many Germans practice a simple ritual that doubles as a wellness hack: lüften, which roughly translates to “airing out.”

In Germany, it’s common to crack open every window in your home for five to 10 minutes each day — or to put it in TikTok speak, “burp” your home. The practice, which has been making waves on social media, comes with some solid health perks, according to Time.

Letting fresh air in can reduce air pollutants, mold, odors, and humidity, and thus improve indoor air quality, which can be worse than the outdoors due to contaminants from cleaning products, gas stoves, dust, and more. Fresh air is also associated with sharper cognition, mindfulness, and better sleep.

So when should you practice lüften? Lynelle Schneeberg, a sleep psychologist at Yale University, advises letting in the air right before bed for a refreshing reset: “You know that feeling when you’ve washed your sheets and they’re so clean and fresh?” she said. “[With lüften], it’s almost like you’re giving yourself that feeling on a daily basis. So I think it’s really a great idea.”

Since my homes have been pretty airtight I was concerned about a buildup of stale, high CO2 air so I’ve been opening several windows most days for an hour and also sleeping with a window slightly open to ensure fresh air circulates. Over the last several years this has definitely improved my sleep.

Source: Nice News. subscribe at Home – Nice News

3)”Take with food” tip for vitamins and supplements where it is recommended to take with food

When taking vitamins and supplements that can or should be taken with food, is it best to take them with water just before eating or during the meal or at the end of the meal?

Short answer:

For supplements that are meant to be taken “with food,” taking them during the meal or immediately after finishing is generally best. That timing most reliably improves absorption and reduces stomach irritation.

Here’s why, broken down clearly:

Why “with food” matters physiologically

Taking supplements with food helps in three main ways:

1. Improved absorption

• Food stimulates stomach acid, digestive enzymes, and bile release, all of which enhance nutrient breakdown and uptake.

• Fat in a meal is especially important for fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K).

2. Reduced gastrointestinal side effects

• Minerals like iron, zinc, magnesium, and calcium can irritate the stomach lining if taken on an empty stomach.

• Food buffers this irritation.

3. More consistent blood levels

• Slower gastric emptying during meals can improve bioavailability and reduce spikes or losses.

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Best timing options (ranked)

✅ Best: During the meal

• Taking supplements midway through eating ensures:

• Digestive processes are already activated

• Fat-soluble vitamins have dietary fat available

• Especially helpful for:

• Multivitamins

• Fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K)

• Omega-3s

• Curcumin, CoQ10

✅ Very good: Immediately after the meal

• Still effective because:

• Food is present in the stomach

• Bile and enzymes remain active

• Often preferred by people who forget mid-meal

⚠️ Less ideal: Just before eating (with water)

• Works sometimes, but less reliably because:

• The supplement may hit the stomach before digestive signals are fully activated

• Fat-soluble nutrients may miss the presence of dietary fat

• Better than taking supplements on an empty stomach—but not optimal

Practical rule of thumb

If the label says “take with food”:

Take it during the meal or right after the last bite—ideally with a meal that contains some fat.

That approach maximizes absorption, minimizes GI upset, and is easiest to be consistent with.

Of course, certain supplements and vitamins are best taken on an empty stomach for best absorption. I take nattokinase and NAC in the morning several hours before any food with 12 oz of water.

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Sources

• National Institutes of Health (NIH), Office of Dietary Supplements – Dietary Supplement Fact Sheets

• Institute of Medicine. Dietary Reference Intakes (National Academies Press)

• Gropper SS, Smith JL. Advanced Nutrition and Human Metabolism, 7th ed.

• Heaney RP. “Factors influencing the measurement of bioavailability.” Am J Clin Nutr.

4)Links to additional videos on lung health:

Each day I read articles and watch videos from healthcare practitioners on topics of general health, aging and lung health. I curate these into various categories and credibility ratings.

I have my own rating system where I rate the videos based on credible scientific data supporting them. If a video or an article is sponsored by a supplement company or is mostly just an infomercial to sell supplements, I will rarely rate it very high nor recommend it to others. However, there’s very little “free” information on the Internet, even Medical Doctors and research scientists must pay their bills and so occasionally a good video may have a link to a particular supplement, and I’m OK with that, provided it is not an overt blatant advertisement for some supplement that they are using very thin pseudo science to sell.

As anyone knows most natural methods for addressing health issues are never going to be FDA approved and supported by a double blind placebo trial to demonstrate efficacy. That is simply because no one is going to fund a $5 -$10 million study for a natural supplement that can be purchased at pennies per dose— they can’t earn money to offset that cost. Pharmaceutical companies fund extensive research because their research and discoveries will lead to a drug that will generate billions of dollars of revenue. That’s their business model.

Here are a few of my favorite informational videos this month:

  1. Lung health of exercise and deep breathing

https://youtu.be/Vpph4mGMx2k?si=MX2KwBphpex8djjR

  1. The best Remedy for lungs during cold and flu season by Dr. Berg

https://youtu.be/09RHUN1az2w?si=_DViPCfb-kOcdvTA

  1. How to evaluate medications efficacy based on clinical trials data. Ensure you understand NNT and ARR. Don’t be tricked by the marketing brochure statements of RRR quoted by the majority of prescribing physicians, and be sure to note the number of patients experiencing unwanted side effects.

https://youtu.be/WR3AhJpFzDg?si=vzZRyRIi7z3j2n8B

  1. Three tips to help pneumonia and bronchitis:

https://youtu.be/IU5VqpFLYiY?si=zEcio4w7ZWwZdJ90

Thank you for reading. If you are a an interstitial lung disease patient and would like to join a free patient support group that meets weekly on video calls with 8-10 other patients, send an email through our website:

Pulmonary Success Circles – Supporting each other in the living vibrant and meaningful lives while having an illness