Music is key to mental health
A new study has revealed that the risk of mental decline through age or illness, is less in people, who play one or more musical instruments. Researchers at St Andrews University found that musicians have sharper minds and they are able to pick up and rectify mistakes quicker than their non-musician counterparts, News.com.au reported. For the research, led by psychologist Ines Jentzsch, scientists compared the behavioural and brain responses of amateur musicians with non-musicians when performing simple mental tasks. The results showed that playing a musical instrument, even at moderate levels, improves a person’s ability to detect errors and adjust responses more successfully. Jentzsch said that the study shows that even moderate levels of musical activity can benefit brain functioning. She asserted that the findings could have important implications as the processes involved are amongst the first to be affected by ageing, as well as a number of mental illnesses such as depression. She added that the research suggests that musical activity could be used as an effective intervention to slow, stop or even reverse age or illness-related decline in mental functioning. The study was published in the journal Neuropsychologia. (ANI)
Texting hinders exercise time
Texting seems to be one of the prime reasons why women complain of lack of time to exercise. A new survey, commissioned by new High Intensity Interval Training fitness system, Tabata shows that three quarters of Britain’s women want to get fitter, but 40 percent of these women say that they don’t have the time. According to the survey, over half of the women respondents, spend 30-60 minutes a day texting, while 47 percent of them spend 30-60 minutes using Facebook. Izumi Tabata, former researcher at the National Institute for Health and Nutrition, is not surprised as to why people don’t find the time to exercise. “It’s not surprising to hear that people feel their lives are too busy to exercise,” femalefirst.co.uk quoted Tabata as saying. (IANS)
Scientists 95 percent sure global warming caused by humans
Climate scientists believe it is “extremely likely” that human activity is to blame for the bulk of global warming since the 1950s, the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)has said. IPCC experts are now 95 percent certain about the preponderant role of humans in climate change, compared with the 90-percent certainty the panel cited in its previous report, issued in 2007, a report released Friday said. “Observations of changes in the climate system are based on multiple lines of independent evidence,” Qin Dahe, co-chair of IPCC Working Group I, said during the presentation in Stockholm. “Our assessment of the science finds that the atmosphere and ocean have warmed, the amount of snow and ice has diminished, the global mean sea level has risen and the concentrations of greenhouse gases have increased,” he said. Acknowledging that the pace of warming slowed during the period 1998-2012, the IPCC attributed the phenomenon to the presence of volcanic ash in the atmosphere and to a cyclical reduction in the energy from the sun. The 2013 report stresses the unequivocal evidence of decade-to-decade warming since the mid-20th century and describes the interval from 1983-2012 as probably the warmest 30-year period in the Northern Hemisphere in the last 1,400 years. Absent significant reduction in emissions of greenhouse gases, temperatures will climb by more than 1.5 C (2.7 F) above pre-industrial levels by the end of this century, according to the report. (IANS)
Eating fish, nuts does not boost the brain!
Scientists have found that foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon and nuts, may not benefit thinking skills, as some earlier studies have suggested. Previous research has indicated that omega-3 fatty acids can reduce the risk of mild cognitive impairment. “There has been a lot of interest in omega-3s as a way to prevent or delay cognitive decline, but unfortunately our study did not find a protective effect in older women. In addition, most randomised trials of omega-3 supplements have not found an effect,” said study author Eric Ammann of the University of Iowa in Iowa City. “However, we do not recommend that people change their diet based on these results. Researchers continue to study the relationship between omega-3s and the health of the heart, blood vessels, and brain. We know that fish and nuts can be healthy alternatives to red meat and full-fat dairy products, which are high in saturated fats,” Ammann said. (PTI)
The 4 superfood diet that’s bound to keep you healthy
Autumn is here and that means a new crop of seasonal nutrient-dense fruit and vegetable “superfoods”, that increase our overall wellness and nutrition and help support a healthy lifestyle, will be harvested soon. Kari Kooi, registered dietician at Houston Methodist Hospital, said superfoods are brimming with nutrients and antioxidants. The benefits of adding them into your everyday meals are numerous, as a nutritious diet can really have a positive impact on both your physical and mental health. Kooi suggested top four superfoods that you can incorporate into your daily meals. The researcher said that Pumpkins are rich in beta-carotene which turns into vitamin A, also known as the vision vitamin. They are versatile and can be added into just about anything. If you like pumpkin pie, stir a little pumpkin puree into your oatmeal and add some pumpkin pie spice for a healthier alternative. (ANI)