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The Health Review
Welcome to this week's edition of The Health Review newsletter!
We're diving into a range of topics this week:
🦷 Top Health News: Scientists take a major step toward growing teeth in the lab — could this be the end of fillings?
🏃♀️ Guest Feature: Chelsea Little shares how running helped heal her heartbreak, just in time for London Marathon inspiration.
🎙️ Podcast Episode: Katie Taylor talks menopause, misdiagnosis, and midlife empowerment — a must-listen for every woman.
Hope you enjoy!
Emily x
Top Health News
Here’s what’s been trending in the health world:
🦷 Scientists take major step towards growing teeth in a lab
A breakthrough in dental science could one day spell the end of fillings. Researchers at King’s College London have successfully recreated the conditions needed to grow real teeth in the lab — a development that’s been decades in the making.
The team, working alongside Imperial College London, used a newly developed material that encourages cells to "talk" to each other and transform into tooth tissue. If successful in clinical settings, it could pave the way for growing bespoke replacement teeth for people with dental damage or decay. The next phase? Moving from petri dish to patient.
🌫️ London's clean air zones linked to fewer sick days and better health
London’s bold efforts to reduce air pollution are paying off — in both public health and economic terms. According to new research from the University of Bath, the capital’s low-emissions policies have led to a sharp drop in respiratory illness and workplace absences.
Since the introduction of the Low Emissions Zone (LEZ) in 2008 and the Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) in 2019, sick leave has fallen by 18.5% and respiratory issues by 10.2%. The study estimates these improvements are saving the NHS at least £37 million per year. As Professor Eleonora Fichera put it: “Clean air makes for healthier, happier, more productive communities.”
👩⚕️ Women’s Health Initiative funding reinstated after backlash
Following an outcry from the scientific community, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has reversed its decision to cut funding for the Women’s Health Initiative — a landmark, decades-long study into women’s health.
Researchers had warned that discontinuing the programme could jeopardise progress in understanding diseases that disproportionately affect women. The funding U-turn is being hailed as a major win for evidence-based health policy and gender equity in medicine.
🩹 Smart bandage tracks wounds in real time
A next-generation bandage could soon change how we care for chronic wounds. The "iCares" bandage, developed by researchers, uses microfluidics, advanced sensors, and AI to provide real-time updates on wound healing.
This tech-infused dressing can monitor temperature, moisture, and pH — key markers of infection or inflammation — giving clinicians and patients the data they need to make timely care decisions. A small patch with big potential.
🐚 Shellfish fibre shows promise in flushing out microplastics
A simple dietary fibre could help your body rid itself of microplastics. A new study found that rats fed chitosan — a compound extracted from shellfish shells — excreted significantly more microplastics than those who weren’t.
While the research is still in its early stages, the findings suggest that chitosan could eventually play a role in reducing the buildup of microplastics in the human gut. Given the growing concern over plastic exposure and long-term health effects, this natural fibre could become one to watch.
😌 Weekly sex may protect your mental health, says study
A little bedroom time might be good for your brain. Researchers at Shantou University Medical College found that adults in their 20s and 30s who had sex at least once a week were 24% less likely to experience depression.
The researchers believe the mood-boosting effect comes from the release of feel-good hormones like dopamine and oxytocin, both of which are known to support emotional wellbeing and connection.
Guest Article:
Running Saved My Broken Heart – Here’s Why
Chelsea Little: Freelance Journalist, Presenter & Wellness Enthusiast
Running Saved My Broken Heart, and Here’s Why
I have never been a runner. Don’t get me wrong, I love fitness. Having trained as a dancer for over two decades, the short interval training of a dance routine was nothing compared to the vigorous endurance and mental stamina required to consistently put one foot in front of the other. I used to get a stitch just thinking about it. So, you can imagine my shock when a seven-minute phone call ending a relationship led me to reach for my Asics running trainers, which were collecting dust under my bed. What a plot twist!
But what drove me to run all things? Especially considering I hated it so much. Full transparency, I think that was a huge part of it. I was just a heartbroken girl needing to channel that frustrated energy somewhere, and my normal Pilates class wasn’t quite cutting it. I needed a challenge. Like many running newbies, I downloaded the “Couch to 5k” app and chose Sarah Millican to laugh me along the kilometres. (That’s the problem with the Newcastle accent; it sucks you in with effortless charm every time.) The app is undeniably brilliant! It removes the typical barriers to entry, such as the program structure (how far to run and how frequently) that I would typically overthink, along with a plethora of other excuses to stay in bed and binge-watch Friends for the 87th time. It’s simple, achievable, and has become an integral part of my routine. My consistent pounding of the pavement quickly propelled me to a 5k in under 30 minutes, thanks to my tri-weekly vent session with a Geordie.
CHELSEA LITTLE
But it wasn’t just about the kilometres I added to my Strava (yes, I am one of those people with a consistently charged fitness watch now). It was the mental clarity and metaphorical weight lifting from my shoulders. As though with every minute of the run, my emotions became less overwhelming and easier to digest. Not only was I allowing myself space to process my heartbreak, but three times a week I was committing time to myself and, most importantly, my wellbeing. Also, there’s something fabulously cathartic about running in the rain, cosplaying a main character in a movie, being dumped by the protagonist, and about to embark on a seismic life journey.
Whatever your age, there’s strong scientific evidence that being physically active can help you lead a healthier and happier life. The NHS recommends we aim for 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week, split across four or five sessions (i.e., 30 minutes). This could easily translate to a regular running program. Runner’s World states that the average 5k run takes 29 minutes for men and 38 minutes for women. The physical benefits are then coupled with the mental benefits of being outside in nature, making it a cheap, accessible tool for your wellbeing in a space that can often feel quite esoteric.
@dottiefitness, Co-Founder of wellness company True Collective and wellness retreats True Escapes, and trainer at Barry’s Fitness, is no stranger to running. She recently completed an ultramarathon as the ultimate test of her abilities, but even she began as a novice like myself and is keen to demystify the obstacles that prevent people from popping on a pair of trainers and stepping outside. Dottie stated, “In terms of running for mental health, it’s enforced mindfulness. You are forced to connect with your body, connect with your breathing, and connect with your thoughts, even when you have music on or are listening to a podcast.” In a world that is constantly “on” and contactable, the breath of fresh air isn’t just in being outside but in having the freedom to exit the hamster wheel and control the pace of life—even if you’re initially fighting for oxygen. Dottie went on to say, “You are forced into a situation where you can’t be on your phone or be distracted; you are encouraged with mindfulness by default. This makes it a huge tool when dealing with mental health, whether that be dips, lows, or even highs.”
DOTTIE FILDES
For now, I’m happy with my 5k. I’m not interested in running ultramarathons, but a pocket of peace in the form of a 30-ish minute run is doable in my working week. Running, like all forms of exercise, requires consistency. It is undoubtedly humbling to go back to it after a few weeks off. But in 2025, where the cost of living crisis is pushing a healthy lifestyle further down the priority list, could running be the solution to making a wellness promise to yourself and sticking to it without breaking the bank? Like any habit, it’s about small, sustainable changes that you can stick to, relying on discipline rather than motivation, because we all have those days where a cosy, warm bed feels far more inviting. But the reward is incomparable. Even on the days when running feels like climbing Mount Everest, there’s nothing like the endorphin high of beating your own mental barriers and managing even ten minutes outside.
So, as someone who would’ve rather shaved her eyebrows off than go for a run, here’s a little nudge to give it a go, just to see. Whether you join a running club, enabling you to build a community and utilize that group accountability, or start Couch to 5k and have a friendly voice cheering you on, here I am as a formerly heartbroken “non-runner,” fluffy brows intact and running vest ready to go.
Chelsea x
The Health Review Podcast
Have You Checked Out The Podcast This Week?
The Truth About Menopause & What Every Woman Needs to Know about Midlife with Katie Taylor
Katie Taylor - founder of The Latte Lounge and author of the empowering new book Midlife Matters - joined me to share her extraordinary story of navigating a misdiagnosed perimenopause that left her physically drained and mentally lost.
After years of debilitating symptoms and countless referrals, it took a family member - her own father, a professor - to finally uncover the real cause: her hormones were "on the floor."
In this deeply personal and practical episode, Katie opens up about the impact of those lost years, her decision to start The Latte Lounge community, and her campaigning work to help bring menopause awareness into government and workplaces.
We also dive into her new book, which features expert insights from leading voices in medicine, and acts as a compassionate, comprehensive guide for every woman going through midlife.
Topics include:
-Katie's personal story and misdiagnosis
-The reality of perimenopause and its lesser-known symptoms
-Mental health, HRT, and finding yourself again
-How to embrace the next chapter with confidence
- What workplaces must do to better support midlife women
-A behind-the-scenes look at Midlife Matters and the experts who helped shape it
-Whether you're in midlife, approaching it, or supporting someone through it - this is a must-listen.
If you love the episodes, please do subscribe and give the show a rating! 😊