Mindfully Healing

Poor parenting still resonating with people now in their 60s as much as the death of a loved one. Children of parents who are warmer and less controlling grow up happier, a new study finds. In contrast, parents who are overly controlling tend to bring up children with worse mental well-being. Dr Mai Stafford, one of the study’s authors, said: “We found that people whose parents showed warmth and responsiveness had higher life satisfaction and better mental wellbeing throughout early, middle and late adulthood.” The study tracked 5,362 people from

Some foods can keep your brain young. Blackberries, blueberries and strawberries all reduce cognitive decline related to age, research finds. All three fruits contain high levels of flavonoids. Flavonoids are powerful antioxidants that can also help reduce inflammation in the brain and body. The research was carried out on data from 121,700 women, who were followed up over decades. Dr Elizabeth Devore, the study’s first author, said: “As the U.S. population ages, understanding the health issues facing this group becomes increasingly important. Our study examined whether greater intake of berries

Make others empathise more with this really strange method. Having people touch rough sandpaper makes them more empathetic, a new study finds. Being in a small amount of discomfort helps people empathise with others in pain. Other ways of putting people in a small amount of discomfort may also work in a similar way. The study was looking at ways to increase donations to charity. Dr Chen Wang, the study’s first author, said: “We found that when people were experiencing mild discomfort as a result of touching a rough surface,