Advertise | Give Feedback

Together with

"Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts." - Winston Churchill

The Daily Tonic is a two to five minute read sharing science backed health news and tips, all while getting you to crack a smile or even lol on occasion.

Tuesday. If you thought things were getting bad here, at least we’re not in Italy. The Italian government has scheduled crisis talks for this week to address the soaring cost of noodles. Can you imagine that? Having crisis talks over the price of spaghetti. Let’s just say that if the cost of orecchiette (🤌) is the biggest crisis you are dealing with as a country, you are doing okay. Here in the U.S., we have plenty of crises to worry about. Which one should we talk about today? What about the latest addiction big industry is exploiting for big profits? Let’s dive in.

Our Newest Addiction

Legal sports betting has taken the United States by storm since it was made legal in 2018, and for countless Americans, it's changed everything. In the old days of illegal gambling, the worst that could happen was a loan shark might have your legs broken. But now, Americans can lose staggering amounts of money just by downloading an app.

Want to get into hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt? Oh, there is an app for that. Actually, there are a bunch of apps for that.

This piece from The Free Press documents the story of Brian, a network engineer from Queens whose life changed when sports betting became legal. “I was 300k in debt not too long ago,” he said. “I was up 200k just last month, but I lost it all, and now I’m over 100k in debt again.”

And Brian's story is not unique. Legal sports betting is now available in 33 states and Washington, D.C., with four more to follow soon. Six additional states are debating legislation to make it legal, and a host of betting apps has sprung up to meet the new demand.

Once dead against sports betting, professional sports leagues have also come around to it, anxious to cash in on advertising revenue and betting partnerships. I mean, come on — who can say no to that many dollar signs?

But the ease with which gamblers can place bets has led many Americans into severe financial difficulties. These apps are incredible at drawing you in. But therein lies the problem. Gambling can be very addicting, and the low barrier of entry combined with how good these new apps draw people in has become a perfect storm tearing through the country.

It is a wave that has been compared to the opioid crisis. Brian Hatch, a recovering gambling addict who is now an addiction counselor in Hartford, Connecticut, told The Free Press: “This industry is profiting off of people with an addiction the same way the Sackler family profited off of opioids. Opioids were pushed by the drug companies and doctors relentlessly. Gambling is pushed by the industry and state governments.”

Legal sports betting can be traced back to May 2018, when the Supreme Court overturned a law banning it. But the marketplace of online bettors and sportsbooks (people or companies that accept bets from individual bettors) didn’t really take off until the next month when Delaware became the first state to legalize it.

Since then, sports betting has become a billion-dollar industry, with an array of betting apps available to meet the new demand. To ensure that potential gamblers know it’s now easier than ever to win (or lose) heaps of cash, gambling app ads have flooded the cable airwaves. Turn on the TV, and you’ll get inundated with ads for Big Pharma and, now, online gambling.

Despite the obvious risks of legalizing gambling, elected officials across the country who have welcomed legal sports gambling into their states choose to ignore the money bettors are losing and the impact gambling has on their mental health. Instead, they focus on the revenue flowing into state coffers because, well, of course.

Who cares if Brian is now 200k in debt, suffering from crippling anxiety and depression, and has ruined his relationship with friends and family because of his addiction? At least the state is bringing in some additional revenue for them to mismanage.

The key takeaway? No surprise here, but addiction isn’t good for our health. The stress that comes from extreme financial hardship is also not going to help anyone feel their best. Legal gambling isn’t helping any of that, yet it is now a massive industry in the United States. And now, with the rise of gambling apps, it's never been easier to lose vast sums of money.

While some people can gamble responsibly, others can't, and it's easy to see how legal sports betting could become a significant problem for us as a society. So, while the government may be happy to take its cut of the profits, it's important to remember that for many people, gambling can be a dangerous and life-changing addiction.

Together with KIND

Feel good about your snack!

KIND has been on a mission to make the world a little kinder, one snack and act at a time.

Its recipes use nutrient-dense, premium ingredients and all snacks are gluten free. Take 15% off single purchases and first subscription orders with code KIND2023 today!

Michelle Versus Big Sugar

Speaking of addiction, many of our kids are addicted to sugar. Luckily, someone is doing something about it.

Former First Lady Michelle Obama has partnered with PLEZi Nutrition to tackle the sugar problem in the food industry and provide healthier food options for kids. The company's first launch is a line of fruit drinks containing only 6g of sugar per serving and no added sugar.

Although the drinks contain stevia and monk fruit extract, which some consider controversial sweeteners, the goal is to gradually wean kids off their reliance on sugar.

*golf clap*

With 20% of American children facing obesity, the food industry needs to step up its game and provide healthier options. In the meantime, parents can educate themselves on nutrition labels and hidden sources of sugar to make better food choices.

Tonic Shots

• Are you a “skip breakfast” or a “most important meal of the day” type of person? Here are some important nutrients to remember when building your first meal of the day. Learn more!

• Do you use the sauna to detox? It turns out your sweat contains a tiny number of toxins. Researchers found that if you sweat a total of 2 liters each day (that’s a lot of sweat!), it would contain less than 1/10th of a nanogram of pollutants. Check out the study.