Mindfully Healing

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

Certain hairstyles made people look more sexy, others more good-natured or even more narrow-minded. Medium-length casual-looking styles are judged as making women look more intelligent, a survey finds. These styles are also linked to being good-natured. Shorter, highlighted hairstyles on a woman make them look more outgoing and confident. However, in one of those inevitable and irritating trade-offs, shorter hair is seen as less sexy on women. The hairstyle that gives an intelligent sheen to a man was medium-length side-parted hair. The bad news for men with these haircuts is

The most well-known effect of this drink confirmed by research. Alcohol produces the neural and molecular changes of a rapid antidepressant, new research concludes. The drug lifts depression for up to 24 hours due to its effect on the brain’s chemistry. Naturally, the study’s authors were quick to warn against self-medication. Dr Kimberly Raab-Graham, the study’s first author, said: “Because of the high comorbidity between major depressive disorder and alcoholism there is the widely recognized self-medication hypothesis, suggesting that depressed individuals may turn to drinking as a means to treat

Sleep pattern lowered levels of an antioxidant that helps fight cellular damage, such as that caused by Alzheimer’s. Sleep disruptions similar to jet lag could cause memory problems linked to Alzheimer’s disease, new research finds. It’s well-known by scientists that there’s a link between Alzheimer’s and sleep, but not what causes what. Professor Gregory Brewer, who led the research, said: “The issue is whether poor sleep accelerates the development of Alzheimer’s disease or vice versa. It’s a chicken-or-egg dilemma, but our research points to disruption of sleep as the accelerator