Over the years, we’ve been exposed to many different medical studies that were conducted to help us take care of our bodies, and the conclusions of these studies have helped many of us make positive lifestyle changes. This progress hasn’t stopped for even a second and recently there have been new scientific discoveries that disprove some older ones.
For example, researchers have found that drinking hot tea can endanger one’s health rather than help eliminate bacteria as previously thought, as well as new and surprising discoveries, such as which places have more bacteria than public restrooms. After reading the conclusions of these new studies you will be able to make much better choices about your health and get to know your body much better!
Aging of the brain is a natural process that causes a decrease in its functioning, as well as in the functioning of other parts of the body. In the past, it was thought that this process began after the age of about 40, but a recent study by scientists from the University of Gdansk in Poland and Lancaster University in England led to a different conclusion. The scientists found that the human brain starts aging at a younger age than previously thought, and in their opinion, it is recommended to learn all the time to try to preserve normal brain activity. According to them, learning is "the healthiest exercise" for this vital organ and should be practiced throughout our adult lives.
When talking about a place full of germs and bacteria we usually picture a public restroom. We’ve always been taught that most of the bacteria that cause many diseases are found in this polluted area more than anywhere else, but surprisingly, different areas of certain gyms hold many more. According to a study conducted by Fitrated.com, some of the gyms tested had nearly 326 times more germs than on a toilet seat. The bacteria found are harmful bacteria that can cause colds and skin diseases.
The results showed that weights and treadmills are the most germ-infested items in gyms, and that locker rooms also have a very high amount of bacteria. To reduce the risk of infection, experts recommend taking very simple precautions such as using antibacterial wipes, avoiding walking barefoot in dressing rooms and showers, and avoiding touching your face with your hands after using the equipment.
It’s well known that good and sufficient sleep is very healthy and effective in preventing many negative phenomena such as obesity, insulin resistance, extreme mood swings, and more. In addition, in a study conducted at King's University in London, scientists found that there is a connection between the number of hours a person sleeps and their sugar consumption. The study involved 42 perfectly healthy weight volunteers divided into two groups.
Participants in the first group were instructed to add an hour and a half of sleep daily, which stood at 6 hours before the experiment, while participants in the second group were asked to continue their normal daily routine, which included little sleep. After about a month, volunteers from the first group were reported to have improved their lifestyle, stuck to healthier food intake, and experienced a significant decrease in sugar consumption. Conclusion - If you want to avoid eating tons of sugar get more sleep!
One of the things we all like, especially on colder nights, is drinking hot, soothing drinks. However, we sometimes may even drink it on warmer days just for enjoyment. If you drink your tea scalding, you should know that a study conducted in China on about 500,000 people aged 30-79, found that drinking drinks at temperatures higher than 65 degrees could damage the body's internal organs and cause esophageal cancer. So if you're among those who drink their tea lukewarm and at a temperature below 65 degrees you can be calm, and if you don’t then you should change this harmful habit quickly.
Many studies have shown that staying in darkened or dimmed rooms makes people depressed. However, in a new study conducted at the University of Michigan, researchers found that a prolonged stay in ambient light also negatively affects spatial ability and causes memory loss. According to the study, rodents trained to perform a spatial action and then exposed to dim lighting for 4 weeks lost 30 percent of the hippocampus, the brain region responsible for learning, memory, and navigation.
These results led the researchers to conclude that dim light causes damage to intelligence and weakens neuronal activity in the brain. The good news in the study shows that our brain can recover completely after a lack of exposure to light through renewed and controlled exposure.
I would bet that there aren’t many people who aren’t afraid of shots, as just the thought of a needle piecing our flesh can cause us real pain, even though it would only be imaginary... According to psychologist Kaya Peerdeman of Leiden University, who conducted a placebo effect study, if a person imagines that nothing can hurt them they may feel a lesser degree of pain or even no pain at all.
The intensity of the effect of our imagination may vary according to what we are told. For example, if the doctor says, "It's going to be a bit more painful than usual," the brain will experience more pain than it should, however, if they say the opposite - that it won’t be painful – the brain will react accordingly and the extent of the pain will be limited. Conclusion – thoughts are powerful, therefore, imagination can be used to overcome pain and hardships.
Although exercise and proper nutrition can slow down this process, as we age, the muscles lose strength and become more vulnerable to injury. In a study conducted at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, researchers found that the culprits were muscle stem cells rather than the muscles themselves.
These stem cells are usually inactive and "wake up" from their coma only when we start exercising or when they are injured. In such cases, they begin to divide and regenerate damaged muscle cells, to the point where, at around the age of 70, each stem cell undergoes more than 1,000 mutations. Their ability to perform this reconstructive procedure decreases over time until muscle cells can hardly be regenerated and as a result, the muscle condition deteriorates gradually.
Balding is most common among men and usually begins at the age of 40. When hair starts to fall out later in life it is considered normal, however, if one starts to bald at a younger age they should be wary, as premature balding can indicate a health problem such as heart disease. In a study conducted in India on more than 2,000 young people, of whom 790 had heart disease and arterial disease, and 1,270 were completely healthy and used as the control group, the group with the ill participants experienced balding at an earlier age than the control group. The researchers also found that young male adults with heart problems have a higher chance of developing gray hair than healthy young men.
As you may know, older people often fall and stumble for various reasons, such as vision loss, motor impairment, and physical inactivity. When an elderly person falls, the resulting injury can be very dangerous and may even lead to death, however, for many seniors the worst consequence is the loss of pride and self-esteem which leads to a feeling of dependence. A team of researchers from Sterling and Aberdeen Universities has tested the theory that the more a senior refuses help and the more self-reliant they are, the less likely they are to fall.
To this end, they studied more than 6,400 adults over age 60 who were asked about their level of pride with a series of different questions, as well as whether they had fallen over the last two years. The results showed that those who had self-confidence and pride experienced about 19% less falling incidents than their peers who said they had low self-confidence. The findings led researchers to understand that, contrary to the old saying “pride comes before a fall,” it seems that pride is actually the protective factor against the fall.
