Exercise can help people quit smoking

—and even a single workout may cut cravings fast

Largest review to date finds exercise improves quit rates, reduces cigarette use, and sharply lowers short-term cravings

Peer-Reviewed Publication

Journal of Sport and Health Science

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Physical activity helps reduce cravings, ease withdrawal symptoms, and support quitting when combined with other interventions.

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Credit: Dr. Ben Singh from the University of South Australia

Exercise may offer smokers a simple but effective additional tool when trying to quit, according to a new systematic review led by researchers from the Alliance for Research in Exercise, Nutrition and Activity (ARENA) at Adelaide University. The review found that structured exercise programs can modestly improve quit success, while even a single bout of exercise can rapidly reduce nicotine cravings.

Tobacco smoking remains one of the leading preventable causes of death worldwide, yet many people struggle to quit successfully. Existing cessation approaches, such as counseling, nicotine replacement therapy, and medications, can help, but long-term quit rates remain low, and many smokers relapse. The researchers argue that exercise may help fill an important gap because it is low-cost, widely accessible, and carries a range of additional physical and mental health benefits. Their study was available online in the Journal of Sport and Health Science on April 07, 2026.

The review is one of the most comprehensive to date on this topic. Researchers searched 11 databases up to March 2025 and included 59 randomized controlled trials involving 9,083 participants. Of these, 43 trials examined exercise training programs over time, while 16 assessed the immediate effects of a single exercise session. Importantly, the review included a broader mix of exercise approaches than earlier reviews, including aerobic exercise, resistance training, yoga, high-intensity interval training, and lifestyle-based physical activity interventions.

The findings showed that exercise training improved smoking abstinence outcomes. Across 23 trials involving 6,643 participants, people in exercise groups were 15% more likely to achieve continuous abstinence than those in control groups. Across 18 trials involving 4,455 participants, exercise also increased seven-day point prevalence abstinence by 21%. In addition, review of eight trials found that people in exercise programs smoked about 2.12 fewer cigarettes per day than controls.

The most immediate benefits were seen for cravings. In single-bout studies, exercise produced moderate-to-large reductions in nicotine cravings immediately after exercise, with benefits still evident 10, 20, and 30 minutes later. Higher-intensity exercise appeared especially effective, producing the largest drop in cravings. These short-term effects could be particularly useful during moments of strong urge, when relapse risk is highest.

The review also found that exercise type may matter. Aerobic exercise showed significant benefits for continuous abstinence in longer-term training studies, while higher-intensity exercise produced the strongest acute craving reductions in single-bout studies. That suggests both exercise mode and intensity may be important when designing smoking cessation programs.

However, the findings also highlight important limitations. Exercise did not significantly reduce long-term cravings in the exercise training studies, and the overall certainty of evidence for abstinence outcomes was rated as low due to issues such as heterogeneity, risk of bias, imprecision, and possible publication bias. The certainty of evidence was stronger—rated moderate—for reducing daily cigarette use and short-term cravings. The researchers say this means exercise should not yet be viewed as a standalone replacement for established smoking cessation treatments, but rather as a promising adjunct strategy.

Another major gap was the complete absence of vaping-specific trials. Although vaping and dual use of cigarettes and e-cigarettes are increasingly common, none of the included studies evaluated vaping cessation outcomes. The authors say this is now an urgent priority for future research, alongside studies testing the best exercise type, intensity, and delivery format.

Overall, the study suggests exercise could become a valuable addition to smoking cessation services. Because exercise can be self-directed, community-based, digitally supported, or integrated into existing health programs, it offers a practical option for people who want non-pharmacological support or an extra strategy alongside counseling and medication. While the effects on long-term abstinence were modest, the consistent reductions in cigarette use and acute cravings indicate that exercise could help more people make quit attempts, get through difficult craving periods, and reduce tobacco-related harm.

 

Reference
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jshs.2026.10113

Why older adults are using cannabis edibles

 

For adults over 60, cannabis use is increasing faster than in any other demographic.

But science has yet to keep up with why older adults are using cannabis products, which products they choose, and how they make decisions about which products to use.

A new study by researchers from University of Utah Health and University of Colorado Boulder reveals that many older adults start cannabis seeking more effective or non-pharmaceutical options to manage sleep, pain, or mental health, and that many people base their decisions on word of mouth rather than discussions with health care providers.

The results are published in JAMA Network Open.

Many seek more effective options to manage common health conditions

The researchers interviewed 169 adults over 60 who were about to purchase cannabis for the first time to identify common motivations.

“Overall, they really wanted better quality of life, reducing their pain, getting better sleep, and being able to enjoy time with family and friends a little bit more,” says Rebecca Delaney, PhD, assistant professor of population health sciences at U of U Health and first author on the study.

“For the most part, we found that these folks aren’t really interested in getting high. They just want to feel better,” adds Angela Bryan, PhD, professor of psychology and neuroscience at CU Boulder and senior author on the study.

Many participants had heard positive anecdotes about product usefulness from friends or family members, which tended to influence decisions. “They brought a lot of feedback from other people to inform their opinions,” Delaney says. “Word of mouth has a really big impact.”

Discussions with medical providers were rarely part of the picture, suggesting that better informational materials for patients and providers could be needed to drive conversations and help people make informed decisions about their health.

To CBD or to THC, that is the question

Older adults also faced the question of which products to use. Edible cannabis products may contain tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, the main psychoactive component of cannabis), cannabidiol (CBD), or both, and it was unclear what motivated and informed their decisions about which to purchase.

Many people perceived CBD-only products as therapeutically beneficial, which was often driven by anecdotal claims. People tended to perceive THC as offering benefits like improving mood. But most people chose combination products containing both, seeing them as a “Goldilocks option” that gives the best of both worlds.

Toward better decision-making

An important caveat is that the survey was conducted in Colorado, where recreational cannabis is legal. For older adults in Utah and other states where only medical use is permitted, the decision-making process may look different. But Delaney suspects that people’s core motivations—using cannabis to attempt to treat chronic pain, poor sleep, or mental health concerns—are probably the same.

Delaney says that the results help show people’s baseline understanding of using cannabis to address health concerns, providing a foundation to develop better informational tools and clinical support.

“The ultimate goal is to develop resources to help people make decisions and find products that meet their needs, and to figure out how we can distill information to patients and physicians,” Delaney says. “We would really love to see more of these conversations happening between physicians and patients to make sure that people feel supported and informed when seeking alternative ways to address their pain.”

Psychedelic substances: Who can they help – and who might they harm?

 

Psychedelic-assisted therapy is the subject of renewed focus. It involves using psilocybin – a substance found in psychoactive fungi – or LSD to treat mental disorders. Numerous studies are currently underway, with talk rife of a “revolution in psychiatry”. However, doubts also persist. While some patients benefit from this therapy, others do not, and some patients even deteriorate as a result. Scientists led by Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin have now collated experiences from therapists around the world in an effort to identify suitable patients more precisely in the future. The researchers have described for the first time the profile of a good candidate for psychedelic-assisted therapy in an article published in Nature Mental Health*.

“Treating patients with psychedelic substances is akin to using a sharp blade. With that in mind, it’s very important to know when to use it – and when not to,” says PD Dr. Felix Betzler, who led the study. Betzler is also Head of the Recreational Drugs research lab at the Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences on Campus Charité Mitte. There are patients like the middle-aged woman. When she first came to the clinic, she had already been suffering from depression for years.To the point she was no longer able to feel happiness. All medication-based treatment attempts had failed to improve her symptoms, as had years of psychotherapy. She said that her friends, her partner and her dog kept her going. She had been unfit for work for some time. Prior to the therapy, she had no experience with the mind-altering substance psilocybin.

However, she agreed to a session in a controlled study setting. It proved a very intense experience for the patient, who felt her emotions break through. She later described the experience as simultaneously painful and healing, as though she had been sailing through a storm when, suddenly, the sun pierced through the clouds. Six weeks after the treatment, her depression lifted for the first time in over a decade. A recognized depression test identified no measurable signs of the disorder whatsoever.

Intoxicants deployed as therapeutics

The positive effects of both natural and synthetic psychoactive substances have long been known. Psychedelic substances can influence a person’s perception, emotional experiences and state of consciousness, and have a long history of use as intoxicants. Such substances have also been the subject of scientific research for more than 70 years, not least with a view to developing new treatment methods. Hallucinogens such as psilocybin and LSD have yielded success, especially when used to treat severe therapy-resistant depression not alleviated by conventional medications, as well as anxiety disorders, addiction and other mental disorders. It is possible that this exceptional, artificially induced state promotes the formation of new connections between nerve cells, making the brain more “flexible”. The fundamental mechanisms are not yet understood in detail. However, even one or two guided sessions usually achieve a significant impact.

Nevertheless, the treatment outcomes vary significantly, as another example illustrates. Once again, the patient was a middle-aged woman. She received the same diagnosis, had experienced similar symptoms and found herself in similar personal circumstances. Unlike the first patient, however, she experienced the session as a sort of inner torture. There was no breakthrough; she was simply happy once the session was over. Her depression did not lift. Quite the opposite, in fact: after the therapy session, she felt even an even stronger sense of hopelessness, with another straw less to clutch at.

Predicting treatment success

Two seemingly similar patients, yet two treatment outcomes that could hardly be more different. How is this possible? Could demographic or health-related factors that determine treatment success? Might other influences indicate less favorable outcomes, such as severe fear responses, sleep disorders or even a deterioration in depression symptoms? In pursuit of answers, Felix Betzler and his team worked with researchers in Germany, France and the USA to survey therapists around the world who regularly conduct psychedelic-assisted therapies.

In addition to the therapist’s professional experience, therapy approach and therapy context, the comprehensive index of questions developed by the researchers also examined numerous potential characteristics of patients who underwent psychedelic-assisted therapy, including their personal circumstances, aspects of their personality, and the duration and severity of their condition. Their research also scrutinized the therapy setting, the intensity of supervision, and the administered dosage of psychedelic substances. They collected responses from a total of 158 therapists, regardless of whether they worked within a regulated statutory framework – with legal approval based on clinical studies – in countries where the use of these substances is permitted, or whether they provide therapy “underground”, outside the law.

“The most important outcome is the overall patient profile as such because, from a therapist’s perspective, this provides an indication of a good treatment response,” explains Betzler. “We identified a number of pronounced characteristics that the respondents agreed on.” In addition to a stable environment and support from family and friends, certain personality traits also appear conducive to treatment success. “An openness to new experiences, the ability to come to terms with certain circumstances, accept them and let them go, and the ability to form secure attachments are all decisive factors,” says Grace Viljoen, a junior research at the Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, and the paper’s lead author. Prior experiences with altered states of consciousness, including through meditation and special breathing techniques, also prove helpful. By contrast, the use of other substances such as cocaine, amphetamines, alcohol and cannabis exerts a negative influence.

The surveyed therapists also believe that personality type has a role to play. Patients with avoidant, dependent or compulsive personality types are particularly well suited to psychedelic-assisted therapy. Caution should be taken with patients who have paranoid, schizoid and schizotypal personal types. Narcissistic and antisocial personality types and emotionally unstable borderline personalities proved more difficult to categorize. “The knowledge of which patient profiles are fundamentally suited to this form of therapy, and the profiles that can be harmed, will enable us to better control who receives such therapy. It represents a further step toward precision psychiatry in a highly dynamic field,” underscores Betzler.

The right setting

The study emphasized another point: psychedelic-assisted therapy is far from an easy “miracle cure”. Instead, treatment success depends to a significant extent on careful preparation, professional guidance during the session, and diligent follow-up care to process the experience. Prior to the therapy, patients should have the opportunity to build trust with their therapist, formulate clear objectives and state their fears. It is also advisable to undergo therapy exclusively at specialized centers and within the context of clinical studies. This is the only way to ensure that therapists operate on a scientific basis and take decisions accordingly.

Therapists who offer psychedelic substances in other settings not subject to clinical controls or regulation view the prospects of success more optimistically across the board. “Analysis of data for this sub-group showed that, whether among older people, those with severe illnesses or those with limited social support – and even putting aside previous negative experiences – reservations about using substances in underground settings were significantly lower than in legal settings,” says Betzler. “In an ideal scenario, the parameters we have identified as being decisive will be used in patient selection in the future.” Support could also come in the form of a digital tool, which the study team hopes to develop with the data collected to help forecast the probability of success of psychedelic-assisted therapy.

Higher dietary soy and legume intake linked to lower high blood pressure risk

 

A higher dietary intake of soy and legumes is linked to a lower risk of high blood pressure, finds a pooled data analysis of the available evidence, published in the open access journal BMJ Nutrition Prevention & Health.

 

And the optimal daily amount may be around 170 g of legumes, which include peas, lentils, chickpeas and beans, and 60 to 80 g of soy foods, examples of which include tofu, soy milk, edamame, tempeh, and miso, the findings indicate.

 

Legumes and soy foods have been associated with an overall lower risk of cardiovascular disease, but the evidence on their potential for lowering high blood pressure is mixed and needs to be systematically quantified, explain the researchers.

 

To explore this further, the researchers scoured databases for relevant studies published up to June 2025, and found 10 publications that included data from 12 prospective observational studies.

 

Five studies were from the USA, 5 from Asia (China, Iran, South Korea and Japan), and 2  were from Europe (France and the UK). Nine studies included both men and women, 2 included only women, and 1 included only men.

 

The number of study participants ranged from 1152 to 88,475 and the number of cases of high blood pressure ranged from 144 to 35,375.

 

Pooled data analysis of the study findings showed that higher daily intake of legumes and soy foods was associated with a lower risk of developing high blood pressure.

 

Compared with those with a low intake of legumes, those with a high intake were 16% less likely to develop high blood pressure. Similarly, those with a high intake of soy foods were 19% less likely to develop the condition than those with a low intake.

 

When assessing the association between quantity and lower risk, a linear reduction (30%) emerged for legumes up to around 170 g/day, while most of the reduction in risk (28-29%) for soy foods was observed at between 60 and 80 g/day, with no further reduction in risk at higher intake.

 

One hundred grams of legumes/soy is equivalent to a serving size of about one cup or 5–6 tablespoons of cooked beans, peas, chickpeas, lentils, soybeans or a palm-size serving of tofu, explain the researchers.

 

Using World Cancer Research Fund evidence grading criteria for evaluating the likelihood of causality, the researchers consider the overall evidence to indicate a probable causal relationship between both legume and soy intake and a reduced risk of high blood pressure.

 

There are plausible explanations for the findings, they say. Legumes and soy are high in potassium, magnesium, and dietary fibre, all of which are known for their blood pressure lowering properties.

 

And recent research has suggested that the fermentation of soluble fibre from legumes and soy produces short-chain fatty acids that influence blood vessel dilation, while the isoflavone content of soy also seems to help lower blood pressure, they explain.

 

The researchers acknowledge various limitations to their findings, including the variability of the studies in the pooled data analysis. This included differences in legume types, levels of intake, preparation methods, dietary contexts, and the definition of high blood pressure.

 

“Despite these limitations, the findings of this meta-analysis have major public health implications, given the alarming global increase in hypertension prevalence,” they point out.

 

“Current legume consumption across Europe and the UK remains below dietary recommendations, with average intakes of only 8–15 g/day, far below the recommendations of 65 to 100 g/day recommended for overall cardiovascular health,” they add.

 

“Although further large-scale cohorts are needed for confirmation, these findings provide further evidence in support of dietary recommendations to the public to prioritise and integrate legumes and soy foods as healthy protein sources in the diet,” they conclude.

 

“This research strengthens the evidence base for the cardioprotective benefits of plant-based diets. The authors have significantly added to the case for using legumes and soy as primary dietary strategies to mitigate the global burden of hypertension,” comments Professor Sumantra Ray, chief scientist and executive director of NNEdPro Global Institute for Food, Nutrition and Health, which co-owns BMJ Nutrition Prevention & Health.

 

“The strengths of the study lie in its rigorous dose-response analyses, which offer practical dietary targets for use in public health guidelines and clinical practice. But we can’t entirely rule out the influence of unmeasured influential factors. And the plateauing of benefits for soy at 60–80 g/day warrants further investigation, as it remains unclear if this reflects a true biological limit or is a byproduct of the smaller number of studies available for analysis.”

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Journal

BMJ Nutrition Prevention & Health

DOI

10.1136/bmjnph-2025-001449 

Older adults experiencing loneliness: Nature-based group activities improve wellbeing

 Nature-based group activities can reduce loneliness, improve sleep and cognition, and increase a sense of connection to nature in older adults living in care homes.

Focusing on nature, including outdoor excursions and contacts with the natural world, the activities boosted wellbeing and health through peer support and activity content.

“Group activities once a week over just a nine-week period can already reduce loneliness in research subjects and improve their sleep and memory, as well as their sense of connection to nature. Our study also highlighted the need for older adults in care homes to visit outdoor environments and nature more often,” says Professor Kaisu Pitkälä, Director of the Department of General Practice and Primary Health Care at the University of Helsinki.

Frail and lonely older adults benefitted from natural environments

The researchers were surprised by the good results despite that the subjects had multiple diseases and that the conditions for nature-based activities were sometimes challenging, in terms of both weather and transport, as all subjects travelled to the excursions in wheelchairs and by accessible taxis. According to Pitkälä, activities over a longer duration would only have bolstered the outcome.

The researchers trained 52 group instructors in Helsinki-based care homes, which have subsequently disseminated the nature-based practices.

“Frail older adults have a great deal of resources, and by boosting those we support their wellbeing and health. More than half of care home residents experience loneliness, a risk factor comparable with tobacco and obesity for health and memory. Loneliness is not something you can see on the outside, you have to ask older adults about it,” Pitkälä notes.

Limit ultra processed foods to lower risk of heart disease

 People who eat more ultra processed food (UPF) have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease and death, according to a report published in the European Heart Journal [1] today (Thursday). The report, by a group of cardiology experts from across Europe, brings together the results of all research on UPFs and cardiovascular disease that has been published to date.

 

It highlights the risks of obesity, diabetes, hypertension, chronic kidney disease and death from cardiovascular that have now been linked to eating large amounts of UPF.

 

The authors of the report are calling on doctors to talk to their patients about how much UPF they are eating and give advice on how to reduce UPFs.

 

The clinical consensus statement is from the European Society of Cardiology’s Council for Cardiology Practice and the European Association of Preventive Cardiology, together with a group of topic expert, led by Professor Luigina Guasti from the University of Insubria, Varese, Italy; Dr Marialaura Bonaccio, IRCCS NEUROMED, Pozzilli, Italy; Professor Massimo Piepoli, University of Milan, Italy; and Professor Licia Iacoviello, LUM University, Casamassima, Italy.

Professor Guasti said: “UPFs, made from industrial ingredients and additives, have largely replaced traditional diets. Research suggests these foods are linked to several risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure, and to the risk of developing and dying from heart disease. However, this evidence has not yet made its way into the advice we give to patients on healthy eating.

 

“We hope that this consensus statement from the European Society of Cardiology will help doctors recognize UPFs as a potential risk factor and provide clear guidance to their patients on limiting UPFs to prevent cardiovascular risk factors, disease and death.”

 

Key findings of the expert consensus report:

• Adults with the highest UPF consumption have up to a 19% higher risk of heart disease, a 13% higher risk of atrial fibrillation, and up to a 65% increased risk of cardiovascular death, compared with those with the lowest consumption.
• These foods also worsen key risk factors, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and the build-up of unhealthy fats in the blood stream.
• Consumption of UPF is increasing in Europe with the percentage of calories from UPF ranging from 61% in the Netherlands and 54% in the UK, to 25% in Spain, 22% in Portugal and 18% in Italy.
• Most national dietary guidelines prioritise nutrient-based recommendations and do not address the issue of food processing.

 

The report’s authors call for:

• Better public understanding of UPFs through food labelling, food regulation and updated guidelines.

• Doctors treating people with cardiovascular disease, or at risk of cardiovascular disease, should ask about UPFs when assessing their patients’ diets.
• Doctors should discuss reducing UPF to lower risk – alongside other advice on diet, physical activity, smoking and drinking – including explaining that foods marketed as ‘healthier’ can often be ultra processed.

 

The authors say that evidence on the risks of UPF is consistent across large, diverse populations and holds true across different cardiovascular risks, diseases and death. However, they caution that most of the research is made up of observational studies, with few long-term interventional trials.

 

Dr Bonaccio adds: “The associations between UPF and heart disease are consistent and biologically plausible. UPFs raise cardiovascular risk mainly by promoting obesity, diabetes, hypertension and the build-up of unhealthy fats in the blood. UPFs tend to be high in sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats. They also have additives, contaminants and an altered food structure, which may trigger inflammation, metabolic disruption, gut microbiome changes and overeating.

 

“We need long-term intervention trials to test whether reducing UPFs improves cardiovascular health. More research is also needed to understand the effects of specific additives, processing compounds and food structures on heart health. Future studies could focus on implementing UPF-focused dietary interventions in clinical practice.

 

“The research on UPFs has been accumulating for a decade, and it highlights the risks of high UPF consumption and the benefits of choosing whole or minimally processed foods. This emphasizes that disease prevention should not focus solely on nutrients, but also on the degree of food processing. Even foods with good nutritional profiles can be harmful if highly processed. Integrating UPF awareness into routine medical care could improve patient’s health without adding significant cost or time.”

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Journal

European Heart Journal

DOI

10.1093/eurheartj/ehag226 

Egg consumption is associated with a lower risk of Alzheimer’s Disease

 Consumption of eggs is associated with a lower risk of being diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease for those 65 years and older, according to researchers at Loma Linda University Health

Eating one egg per day for at least five days a week reduces risk of Alzheimer’s by up to 27%, researchers found.

“Compared to never eating eggs, eating at least five eggs per week can decrease risk of Alzheimer’s,” said Joan Sabaté, MD, DrPH, a professor at Loma Linda University School of Public Health and the study’s principal investigator.

Even less frequent consumption of eggs significantly reduced the risk of Alzheimer’s. Researchers found that eating eggs 1 to 3 times per month had a 17% decrease in risk, while eating eggs 2 to 4 times per week had a 20% decrease in risk, Sabaté said.

The study, Egg intake and the incidence of Alzheimer’s disease in the Adventist Health Study-2 cohort linked with Medicare data, was published last week in the Journal of Nutrition.

Researchers said they embarked on the study because of a substantial knowledge gap in the relationship between modifiable dietary factors and risk of Alzheimer’s disease risk.

Eggs are known to be a source of key nutrients that support brain health. Sabaté said. Eggs provide choline, a precursor to acetylcholine and phosphatidylcholine, both of which are critical for memory and synaptic function, the study stated. Eggs also contain lutein and zeaxanthin—carotenoids that accumulate in brain tissue and are associated with improved cognitive performance and reduced oxidative stress. Eggs also contain key omega-3 fatty acids, and yolks are particularly rich in phospholipids, which constitute nearly 30% of total egg lipids and are essential for neurotransmitter receptor function.

Researchers said they studied the consumption of eggs in visible ways — such as eating eggs in various forms, like scrambled, fried, boiled, etc. — and hidden ways, such as eggs included in baked goods and packaged foods.

The cases of Alzheimer’s Disease in the Adventist Health Study 2 cohort were diagnosed by physicians, according to Medicare records, among the study population of 40,000 subjects. Eligibility was determined using the Medicare Master Beneficiary Summary Files. The average follow-up period was 15.3 years.

The team emphasized that moderate egg consumption should be  part of a balanced diet.

“Research supports eggs as part of a healthy diet,” said Jisoo Oh, DrPH, MPH, an associate professor of epidemiology at Loma Linda University School of Public Health and the study’s lead author. “Seventh-day Adventists do eat a healthier diet than the general public, and we want people to focus on overall health along with this knowledge about the benefit of eggs.”

Some fund