Depression affects the stomach… Studies have long shown the interconnection between mental disorders and physical diseases. However, it is for the first time that psychologists have identified temporal patterns in young people: arthritis and diseases of the digestive system are more common after depression, while anxiety disorders tend to be followed by skin diseases. Researchers noted that some physical diseases tend to occur more frequently in children and adolescents if they have previously suffered from certain mental disorders. Likewise, certain mental disorders tend to occur more frequently after the onset of particular physical diseases. Affective disorders such as depression were frequently followed by arthritis and diseases of the digestive system, while the same relationship existed between anxiety disorders and skin diseases.
Are you on a yo-yo diet?
If you answered ‘yes’ to the above question, you might take comfort from the fact thatresearchers are now attributing the so-called ‘yo-yo effect’ or the inability to maintain long-term weight loss, to gut microbes. Adopting a healthy diet is, of course, considered a key weight loss strategy for individuals who are overweight or obese, but very few people are able to achieve long-term weight loss. This could cause ‘yo-yo effect’ or ‘weight cycling’, where weight loss and regain can occur in cycles, leading to health issues. New research has now suggested that it may be down to changes in the gut microbiome – the abundance of microorganisms in the intestine – in response to dieting.
Android Vs. iPhone users
‘Are there any personality differences between Android and iPhone users’ – that was the crux of a psychological research conducted by researchers in the UK. The study asked 500 participants to answer a set of questions about themselves and their attitude towards their smartphone. The comparison showed that iPhone users are more than twice as likely to be female; they are more concerned about viewing their iPhone as a status object than their Android counterparts. The study noted key differences in personality, with iPhone users showing lower levels of honesty and humility, and higher levels of emotionality. iPhone users were also more extroverted than Android users. In contrast, Android users were more likely to be male, older, and less interested in wealth and social status; they displayed more honesty and agreeability.
Weight gain from diet soda sweetener
Diet soda guzzlers may need to rethink their reasons for consuming the drink. New research has suggested that aspartame, a common
sugar substitute used as a sweetener in many ready to consume foods and beverages, particularly diet soda, may be ineffective for weight loss, and may even have the opposite effect. According to the research, even acceptable daily intakes of aspartame, as regulated by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), might make you hungrier and lead to weight gain. Other studies in rodents have shown that compared with sugar, sweeteners like saccharin and aspartame causes weight gain instead of weight loss.
Turmeric to treat Psoriasis
Turmeric, whose medicinal values have been endorsed on various platforms for its potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties in combating many diseases, might prove effective in treating psoriasis. Curcumin, the active compound in turmeric, is where many of the spice’s health benefits stem from. While the research is not conclusive, current evidence suggests that this spice may help in the management of certain skin disorders like psoriasis. It is a skin disorder marked by inflamed, scaly skin. Researchers have investigated the use of turmeric in preventing and managing a range of conditions, particularly those that involve inflammation. It may help to relieve psoriasis and other inflammatory-related skin conditions, say researchers.
‘Old-age’ conditions among the young
More young people are contracting ‘old-age’ conditions, including varicose veins, haemorrhoids, back pain and knee joint problems due to bad postures and sedentary lifestyles, states a study. It found that treatment traditionally offered to older generations was increasingly being sought by younger people, aged mainly between 25 and 45, which it attributed to time spent sitting at desks, watching television and using smartphones and tablets. Removal of haemorrhoids and varicose veins were two of the most common procedures in the heart and circulatory diseases category for both 26 to 35-year-olds and 36 to 45-year-olds. And arthroscopic knee operations were one of the five most common procedures among 16 to 25-year-olds.
Eat ice cream for breakfast and become more intelligent
People who eat ice cream when they wake up have faster reaction times and are better at processing information, according to an experiment carried out by Yoshihiko Koga, a professor at Kyorin University in Tokyo. His subjects had to eat three spoons of ice cream first thing in the morning and then use a computer to complete a number of mental exercises. He found that people who had eaten ice cream had faster reaction times and were better at processing information than a separate group that didn’t eat any breakfast. Professor Koga then tried the same experiment with cold water to check if the ice cream’s temperature was simply shocking the subjects awake. But while people who had drunk the cold water did show some level of increased mental performance and alertness, the effect was not as pronounced as with the ice cream.
Paternal bond and behavioural problems in children
Fathers who are emotionally involved with their children and feel confident as a parent are less likely to raise offspring with behavioural problems, suggests a research. A study of over 6,000 children found that a father’s emotional attachment and strong bond with a child – as opposed to how much practical childcare they carried out – had the strongest effect on whether a child suffered problems. Experts looked at markers of involvement such as fathers being confident with their child, forming a strong bond, feeling fulfilled and parenthood making them feel closer to their partner.
