Mindfully Healing

Intelligence was rated the second most attractive trait in a person. The most attractive IQ for people is 120, new research finds. An IQ of 120 means that a person is more intelligent than 90% of the population. A higher intelligence than 120, though, started to become less attractive, the researchers also found. In ranking the most attractive traits overall, intelligence came behind being kind and understanding and ahead of having an exciting personality and being easy-going. The results come from a survey of 383 people aged 18 to 35

It provides an extra layer of protection against dementias like Alzheimer’s disease. Being married or in a close relationship almost halves the risk of developing dementia, new research finds. It is likely because those in close relationships have an extra layer of protection against depression. Depression is a known risk factor for dementia. Professor Eef Hogervorst, who led the study, explained it could also be down to a healthier lifestyle: “It might be because other studies often found that married men on average have healthier lifestyles than single men –

Being a loner for the right reason can have surprising advantages. Spending time alone is linked to increased creativity among some people, research finds. Not all forms of social withdrawal are unhealthy, it seems. However, it depends on the reason for the withdrawal. Social withdrawal related to anxiety and fear is linked to negative outcomes, but social withdrawal without this feature is linked to creativity. Dr Julie Bowker, the study’s first author, said: “Motivation matters. We have to understand why someone is withdrawing to understand the associated risks and benefits.

Some video games can act like an IQ test. Certain strategy games can act like an IQ test, according to new research. People who perform well at the two games also did better at standard paper-and-pencil intelligence tests. One of the video games is called ‘League of Legends’, a popular game which has millions of players around the world. The second game is called Defence of the Ancients 2 (DOTA 2). Professor Alex Wade, who led the study, said: “Games such as League of Legends and DOTA 2 are complex,

The more of the foods they consumed, the higher their IQs. A diet low in sugars, fats and processed foods consumed at a young age may increase your intelligence, research finds. Children under 3-years-old fed diets that are packed full of nutrients and vitamins have higher IQs. The more healthily they eat, the higher their IQ. The study followed the wellbeing and health of 14,000 children born between 1991 and 1992 in the UK. What they ate was tracked up to the age of 8, when they were given an

Without stem cells, new brain cells cannot be produced. Alcohol kills stem cells in the brain, new research finds. Stem cells are responsible for making new cells — known as neurogenesis — and are key to maintaining normal cognitive function. Females are particularly vulnerable to the effects of alcohol, the study on mice found. Chronic alcohol abuse is known to cause severe brain damage and neurodegenration. It was thought for a long time that the body did not produce any new brain cells after early life, but relatively recently it

How parents raise narcissistic children. A permissive upbringing is one way parents raise narcissistic children, research finds. Two other important factors are lack of affection from parents and exposure to violence in the home. The conclusions come from a Spanish study of 591 adolescents. Narcissistic children were likely to be aggressive towards parents when they didn’t get what they wanted. Dr Esther Calvete, the study’s first author, said: “On occasions adolescents assault their parents because the parents themselves have been violent towards the children or among themselves. Through exposure to

Strangely, there’s no evidence narcissists use the word “I” more often. Narcissists tend to use more sexual language and swearing to grab attention, research finds. Other signs of narcissism include acting more extraverted, being less agreeable and expressing negative emotions loudly. The conclusions come from a study that tracked the everyday behaviour of 80 undergraduate students. The study’s authors explain their results: “…narcissism was associated with more extraverted behavior (e.g., talking about friends), more disagreeable behavior (e.g., swearing), and more sexual language use (e.g., “nude”). Furthermore, exploitativeness/entitlement—the most maladaptive facet