It takes about 7 minutes for the average person to fall asleep. A “gut feeling” is a chemical signal that your stomach creates to warn the brain of danger. Fast food restaurants use yellow, red, and orange because those are the colors that stimulate hunger. In the next 30 seconds, you will, on average, produce 72 million red blood cells, shed 174,000 skin cells, and have 25 thoughts. Studies show those who don’t eat breakfast, or eat it only sometimes,…
Six months later, 80% had recovered from depression, researchers found. Rumination — thinking about the causes and consequences of depressing events — is common in depression. However, simply realising that you don’t have to ruminate can be liberating, new research suggests. When people learned to reduce how much they ruminated, 80% had recovered after six months (including 10 weeks of therapy). Professor Roger Hagen, who led the research, said: “Anxiety and depression give rise to difficult and painful negative thoughts….
BDNF, or brain-derived neurotrophic factor, is a protein produced inside nerve cells. The reason why it is so important to a healthy brain is because it serves as Miracle-Gro for the brain, essentially fertilizing brain cells to keep them functioning and growing, as well as propelling the growth of new neurons. Although neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin are important in helping the brain function because they carry the signals of neurons, the protein BDNF build and maintain the brain circuits…
Chips, chocolate, cheese. There are some foods we simply can’t get enough of. And turns out there’s good reason why we’re hooked. Why we can’t get enough What is it about the three Cs: Chocolate, cheese, and chips? For some reason, we can never get enough of them. But wanting to chow on a particular food is one thing, being addicted to it is another. Fact is, you can become addicted to a certain food, and you can blame your…
In children with a common condition that causes them to periodically stop breathing during sleep, areas of the brain involved with thinking and problem-solving appear to be smaller than in children who sleep normally, a study finds. Researchers can’t say the brain changes actually cause problems for children at home or school, but they do say the condition, known as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), has been tied to behavior and cognitive problems. “It really does seem that there is a…
Happiness can be hard to feel at times Sometimes the quest for happiness can be as confounding as Indiana Jones looking for lost treasure. Just when you think you have a clue, some giant boulder comes rolling toward you. Here are some tips to help you find some joy. Reach out to others. You may have good people in your life but have been out of touch. Picking up the phone and giving old friends a call can brighten both…
Canada loses 80,000 working days a year to lack of sleep, and sleep deprivation costs the economy $21B More than a quarter of Canadians get fewer than seven hours of sleep every day, and it’s harming their health and the economy as a whole. According to a report published Friday by the Rand Corporation, the situation isn’t as dire in Canada as it is in some other developed economies, but it’s nonetheless a matter of public concern. Health experts recommend…
Coffee improves short term memory, creativity and alertness. Bees are directly responsible for the production of 70% of fruits, vegetables, seeds, and nuts that we consume on a daily basis. Faking a smile will actually boost your mood. Chocolate, sex and laughter are all key to a healthy brain. North American school buses are yellow because humans see yellow faster than any other color, which is important for avoiding accidents. Eating strawberries can improve vision and also help to…
Giving vitamin D supplements to mice during pregnancy prevents autism traits in their offspring, researchers have discovered. The discovery provides further evidence of the crucial role vitamin D plays in brain development. In human studies, researchers recently found a link between pregnant women with low Vitamin D levels and the increased likelihood of having a child with autistic traits. Giving vitamin D supplements to mice during pregnancy prevents autism traits in their offspring, University of Queensland researchers have discovered. The…
Diet could be a powerful mode of prevention. A new study suggests that a gut-healthy diet may play a powerful role in preventing one of the most feared diseases in America. Mounting research continues to show the links between the health of the gut and that of the brain. Now, a new study from Lund University in Sweden finds that unhealthy intestinal flora can accelerate the development of Alzheimer’s disease. The report, published Feb. 8 in the journal Scientific Reports,…