
Can sound waves help you lose weight? This technique may trick fat cells
In a new study, Japanese researchers found that acoustic sound waves can influence how our cells behave — including halting fat development.
'Since sound is non-material, acoustic stimulation is a tool that is non-invasive, safe and immediate, and will likely benefit medicine and healthcare,' corresponding author Masahiro Kumeta said in a statement.
Advertisement
3 A discovery out of Japan could one day help people manage their metabolism in a noninvasive way.
JFontan – stock.adobe.com
Sound is more than just noise — it's made up of mechanical waves that create tiny vibrations traveling through the air, water or even tissue.
We've long known that animals use sound vibrations in their bones to communicate and gather important information about their surroundings, but scientists are only now beginning to understand how sound affects us on a deeper, cellular level.
Music for your cells
Advertisement
The new research builds on a 2018 study by Kumeta and his team that found that sound waves can influence genes involved in bone formation and wound healing.
'To investigate the effect of sound on cellular activities, we designed a system to bathe cultured cells in acoustic waves,' Kumeta said.
They tested three sounds on muscle cells taken from mice: white noise, a 440 Hz tone (the 'A' note on a piano) and a high-pitched 14 kHz tone (close to the highest pitch most people can hear).
3 Sound waves create tiny vibrations that can change cellular activity.
Creative Cat Studio – stock.adobe.com
Advertisement
The results were striking. After just two hours of sound exposure, 42 genes had changed. After 24 hours, an impressive 145 genes showed altered activity.
The way the cells responded depended on the frequency, intensity and pattern of the sound wave. The response also varied based on the type of cell.
The most significant finding of the study was that the sound waves stopped adipocyte differentiation — the process where preadipocytes (precursor cells) turn into mature fat cells that store fat.
Advertisement
When exposed to the sound vibrations, the researchers found that many preadipocyte cells didn't mature into fat cells as expected. Those that did mature contained about 15% less fat than normal.
This effect was seen whether the cells were exposed to continuous sound for three days or just two hours of sound each day over three days.
3 The new study suggests that sound waves can prevent fat cells from maturing.
Getty Images
Though still in its early stages, researchers said this breakthrough may one day lead to new non-invasive treatments that could aid with everything from managing metabolism to speeding wound healing.
Kumeta's team isn't alone in exploring the potential of acoustics for health. At Stanford University, researchers are using sound waves to rearrange heart cells that are too tightly packed, improving nutrient flow.
Meanwhile, acoustic wave therapy — which sends vibrations into our tissues — is already being used to treat conditions like chronic pain, erectile dysfunction and soft-tissue injuries by boosting circulation and reducing inflammation.
Next up, Kumeta and his team want to experiment with tuning sound waves to target specific cell types, opening the door for more tailored, non-invasive treatments.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Forbes
4 hours ago
- Forbes
Why Millions Of Managers Are Becoming Obsolete—It's Not Rocket Science
Halo neuroscience CTO Brett Wingeier talks about the science to optimize brain and muscle ... More connections Liz Hafalia/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images) Earlier this month, Steve Blank, adjunct professor at Stanford University, wrote a wonderful article, 'Blind to Disruption -- The CEOs Who Missed the Future,' It was about the thousands of carriage firms in the early 20th century that vanished almost overnight when new technology made their way of doing things obsolete. Today, millions of managers face similar risks of obsolescence as almost everything that they have been doing for the last hundred years is less and less relevant. Spoiler alert: the risk is not principally AI. A New Branch Of Expertise: Neuroeconomics? There are of course many voices offering help. You've probably heard of macroeconomists and microeconomists. Now make way for the latest group of economists. They call themselves neuroeconomists. They are performing sophisticated scientific studies of the human brain with the goal of enhancing the quality of managerial decision-making. They begin with a basic framework that sounds sensible. Take the one proposed by A. Rangel, C. Camerer, and P. R. Montague and published in the National Library of Medicine. It divides the process of decision-making into five stages. First, what is the problem to be addressed? Second, what are the values to be assigned to possible courses of action?. Third, what is the action to be taken? Fourth, how valuable was the decision taken? Finally, what lessons are there for the future? The Key Problem Is What Is The Problem Most of the available work of neuroeconomics is so far focused on highly technical neurological analysis of steps 2-5. But guess what? The principal problem in management today lies elsewhere. It concerns the first step: what is the problem to be addressed? For more than a century, the central problem addressed by management has been how to maximize profits by cutting costs. That's the basis of mainstream economics. It's the reason Ronald Coase won the Nobel Prize in Economics in 1991: firms exist to reduce transaction costs and enhance profits. You can read almost any introductory economics textbook and see that this insight is still so obvious that alternatives are not even considered. Management theory has been on a similar track for at least the last half century. Management has been principally focused on increasing profits to maximize shareholder value. That was the official position of the U.S. Business Roundtable for decades. Business schools still teach it. Most of the processes, systems, and mindsets of traditional management are still in place in big firms. So that is the problem that managers are required to solve, whether they like it or not. The Shift From Cutting Costs To Creating Value For Customers Just as in the early 20th century, the world has changed. The primary dynamic of a business has shifted from increasing efficiency by cutting costs to expanding demand by creating more value. Value creating enterprises emerged from the combination of two elements: first, entrepreneurs began using digital technology and AI to deliver exponentially more value than traditionally-managed firms; and second, digital technology gave customers the power to demand more value from businesses. The killer insight: value-creating enterprises not only satisfy customers: they make much more money than firms focused on making money. As a result, the primary goal of fast-growing businesses has shifted from cost-cutting and profits to value creation for customers. Because the potential gains from value creation dwarf any potential gains from efficiency, value creation for customers has become the primary goal of fast-growing businesses today. Meanwhile, profit-seeking firms that still focus primarily on improving efficiency and cost-cutting generate below-average value and are having difficulty in surviving. Two-thirds of the famous blue=chip firms in the Dow Jones Industrial Average are now performing below average (See the table below) Why AI Will Make The Divide Even More Dire In one sense, the explosion of AI represents a massive opportunity for management. Those firms already focused on delivering more value to customers will likely use AI to increase the benefits for customers and heap further riches on their firms. By contrast, AI will likely be used by managers still operating in a traditional mode as a way to cut costs even faster. The approach will likely aggravate the obsolescence of traditional managers and the firms that they manage. The difference in outcomes of the two groups of managers is largely unrelated to different neurological circuits in the brain. It's not rocket science or even neuroscience that's at stake here. The traditional managers are simply trying to solve the wrong problem. If these budding neuroeconomists would focus their research on the central challenge today, namely, the goal of the firm, their work could move from merely 'interesting' to profoundly 'useful'. And read also How Value Creation Resolves The Contradictions Of Running A Business Millions Of Managers Are Becoming Obsolete: Master Value Creation Now Table: 5-year total returns of firms in the Dow Jones Industrial Average: July 9, 2025 Five-year total returns of firms in the Dow Jones Industrial Average


CNET
9 hours ago
- CNET
Understanding the Caffeine Intake in Drip Coffee vs. Espresso
A great cup of coffee can vary widely depending on how it's made and which roast is used. Getting that caffeine fix you need in the morning can be done in so many ways. But there are two preparation styles that are all too popular: the traditional drip-style brew and the quick-fix espresso. If you've been wondering which might be the right fit for you, here's a useful breakdown to help you understand how much caffeine you might be consuming -- and where to draw the line. Espresso packs more caffeine despite its small size Espresso shots may be small but ounce-for-ounce they pack a bigger punch of caffeine than drip coffee. Getty Images The simple answer is that espresso contains more caffeine per ounce than a standard drip coffee, which means you'll get a much bigger burst of energy from sucking down a shot of the stuff. The difference between drip coffee and espresso beans comes down to how each is brewed. Espresso beans are brewed using intense pressure to force out a couple of ounces of concentrated coffee. Drip coffee results from hot water moving through ground beans at the speed of gravity. The slower brewing process creates a more diluted drink, but one that is often consumed in higher volumes. On average, an espresso contains around 63 milligrams of caffeine per ounce. Starbucks serves 75 milligrams of caffeine in each of its .75-ounce espresso shots. Dunkin Donuts claims a hefty 118 milligrams per shot. In comparison, drip coffee ranges from around 12 to 16 milligrams of caffeine per ounce. How much caffeine is in your morning cup is more complex. After all, when was the last time you sipped a thimble-sized cup of java? Caffeine content depends on the volume and style of bean Arabica coffee has roughly half the amount of caffeine as robusta. Tyler Lizenby/CNET The actual amount of caffeine in an espresso or drip coffee varies depending on the type of bean used. The majority of the coffee sold and consumed around the world is arabica coffee -- regardless of the roast or style -- and is said to contain half the amount of caffeine as the heartier robusta coffee bean. Most brands use arabica beans, but sometimes they'll blend both types together to gain that extra kick of energy. It's also common for lattes and cappuccinos to include two shots of espresso in a 12-ounce drink. You can count on about 126 to 150 milligrams of caffeine if sipping a double shot. Starbucks is an exception since two espresso shots are reserved for 16-ounce Grande and 20-ounce Venti-sized drinks unless you specify otherwise. A 10-ounce drip coffee at most retailers will pack between 180 and 240 milligrams of caffeine. Boy_Anupong/Getty Images Espresso is notorious for offering an almost instant jolt, but the amount of caffeine in drip coffee easily overpowers espresso in a single serving. A 10-ounce small coffee at Dunkin Donuts jumps to 180 milligrams of caffeine. A robust 12-ounce cup of Starbucks Pike Place roast offers 235 milligrams. Based on how much coffee is served by volume, a cup of coffee has much more caffeine than a couple of shots of espresso in a latte or cappuccino. Comparing caffeine in drip coffee or espresso isn't an exact science, but you should always consider volume to limit or maximize your caffeine allotment. FAQs Does espresso have more caffeine than drip coffee? Espresso has more caffeine per ounce than drip coffee. But factors like the bean blend and serving size mean a full cup of drip coffee usually contains more total caffeine than a single shot of espresso. Choosing one type of coffee over the other will depend on how quickly you want that jolt of energy, as well as how much you're looking to drink overall. How much caffeine is in lattes and cappucinos? When you order a latte or a cappucino, there are usually two shots of espresso in each product. That means you're imbibing somewhere between 120 and 150 milligrams of caffeine in each drink. Which has more caffeine, espresso or tea? We already know that an espresso has more caffeine per ounce than drip coffee, however this equation changes when you consider a mug of drip coffee. But if you bring an eight ounce cup of black tea into the conversation, a single shot of espresso will still be more potent with its caffeine kick.


National Geographic
9 hours ago
- National Geographic
Forest bathing is the secret to feel-good travel. Here's where to try it.
Bluebells bloom across a small forest in Shaftesbury, Dorset, United Kingdom. Studies show that forest bathing in woodlands such as this can boost physical and mental health. Bluebells bloom across a small forest in Shaftesbury, Dorset, United Kingdom. Studies show that forest bathing in woodlands such as this can boost physical and mental health. Bluebells bloom across a small forest in Shaftesbury, Dorset, United Kingdom. Studies show that forest bathing in woodlands such as this can boost physical and mental health. Bluebells bloom across a small forest in Shaftesbury, Dorset, United Kingdom. Studies show that forest bathing in woodlands such as this can boost physical and mental health. These five destinations maximize the health benefits of the Japanese art of forest bathing. Forest bathing is the secret to feel-good travel. Here's where to try it. Forest bathing emerged in Japan in the 1980s as a physiological and psychological exercise called shinrin-yoku, meaning 'forest bathing' or 'taking in the forest atmosphere.' Now this type of walking is a fitness trend and a mindfulness practice for better mental health. The original purpose was two-fold: to offer an antidote to tech-boom burnout and inspire people to reconnect with and protect the country's forests. The Japanese quickly embraced this form of 'ecotherapy.' In the 1990s, researchers began studying the health benefits of forest bathing, providing the science to support what we innately know: spending time in nature is good for us. While Japan is credited with the term shinrin-yoku, the concept at the heart of the practice is not new. Many cultures have long recognized the importance of the natural world to human health. Forest bathing is not just for the wilderness-lover. The practice can be as simple as walking in any natural environment and consciously connecting with what's around you. For a more structured experience, you can join trained guides for a meditative two- to three-hour ecotherapy excursion. Here are five places to practice forest bathing. (This is what happens to your brain when you're in nature) Sunrise at Lake Colden in Adirondack High Peaks, New York Photograph by Posnov, Getty Images Forest bathers will find ample room to roam in the Adirondack Park. Stretching across more than six million acres of New York State and home to more than a hundred peaks and some 2,000 miles of hiking trails, it's the largest protected area in the contiguous United States. Native evergreens are both aromatic and release a high concentration of phytoncides, airborne essential oils that provide a natural immunity boost. The health benefits of this phytoncide 'shower' can last for weeks. Evergreen needles are rich in antioxidants and vitamin C and some—such as spruce, eastern hemlock, balsam, and pine—can be steeped and sipped as a tea. Certified forest therapy guides Helene Gibbens and Suzanne Weirich of Adirondack Riverwalking offer guided forest bathing year-round in Lake Placid, Saranac Lake, and the Wild Center, an award-winning natural science museum of the Adirondacks. Local tip: seeing the fall foliage and snowshoeing in winter are peak experiences. (Here's why shouldn't skip the Adirondacks, the birthplace of the American vacation) Sunset over the rainforests of Rio Sarapiqui in Costa Rica Photograph by Peter R. Houlihan About 60 percent of Costa Rica is covered by forest, making it a forest bathing paradise. Nearly six percent of the world's biodiversity is found here, so you'll have countless opportunities to observe wildlife and activate your senses. Wander through a misty cloud forest in Monteverde or hike across hanging bridges suspended amidst the canopy near Arenal Volcano. Stroll a lowland rainforest trail along the Sarapiqui River, or explore a protected forest reserve just outside San Jose city center. Guided forest bathing walks are available through Sentir Natural and led by local naturalist Manuela Siegfried, the first Association of Nature and Forest Therapy–certified guide in Costa Rica. (Find five of the best adventures in the shadow of this Costa Rica volcano) Stand in the presence of living legends in the North Island's Waipoua Forest, where the oldest and largest kauri trees in the world live. Sacred to Māori people, kauri are considered 'protectors of the forest.' The transition from daylight to night is accompanied by Māori songs and storytelling. Footprints Waipoua organizes walks among the kauri trees including the Twilight Encounter, led by Māori guides. 18:29 You may not immediately associate this East African nation with forest bathing. But the Matthews Range, in the Laikipia district of the Rift Valley, are filled with ancient forest environments that are home to endemic plants, wild orchids, more than 350 bird species, elephants, and one of the only populations of de Brazza monkeys in the country. All make a sensory immersion excursion. Guided forest walks from Kitich Forest Camp are led by local Samburu trackers with intimate knowledge of the sounds, scents, and sights of the forest. (You've heard of forest bathing, now try forest therapy) Related: serene pictures of forest bathing 1 of 11 When photographer Tali Kimelman returned home after a full day in the forest, a pervasive sense of bliss would linger until night fell. 'I went to bed with such a nice feeling, calm, happy, and I didn't even know why… It really effects how you feel," she says. Photograph by Tali Kimelman A deep connection to the`aina (land) is central to Hawaiian culture. Forests here are traditionally revered as life-giving for the natural materials they provide and the spiritual needs they satisfy. It's easy to see how the abundance of aromatic flowers, medicinal plants such as māmaki, and 175 types of native trees—the majority of which are found only in this remote island chain—inspire travelers and locals to stop and smell the tuberoses. In Hawaii, opportunities to bathe in nature are boundless. Pick a spot under a banyan tree and enjoy the salty sea breeze. Pause by a plumeria plant and inhale the sweet scent. Or join a guided walk with Forest Bathing Hawai`i, led by local Phyllis Look, the first guide in the state to be certified by the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy. Sunny Fitzgerald is a freelance writer, sustainable travel specialist, and a regular contributor to Kama`aina Magazine. You can follow her on Instagram This story originally published on October 18, 2019. It was updated on July 24, 2025.