“Laughing Zebra” by August Jennewein
Emotions: Laughter is a universal language, according to new research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The study, conducted with people from Britain and Namibia, suggests that basic emotions like fear, anger, sadness and amusement are shared by all human beings. Conventional wisdom dictates that, while we all communicate, people from different cultures may not understand the same words, phrases or body language. In spite of this, the researchers discovered that emotions like laughter and anger are easily recognizable despite cultural differences, suggesting that these emotions and their vocalizations are similar across all cultures. Laughter was probably the best recognized among the positive emotions, which should not come as a surprise, as researchers have seen this with other primates such as chimpanzees, and other mammals, too. While previous studies have indicated that smiling is also universal, laughter is special because it symbolizes playfulness, probably one of the first steps in communication between children and their mothers. Read More…
Blueberries by HLife Photography
Memory: Scientists are reporting the first evidence from human research that blueberries – one of the richest sources of healthful antioxidants and other phytochemicals – improve memory. previous studies in laboratory animals suggest that eating blueberries may help boost memory in the aged, but until now there had been little scientific work aimed at testing the effect of blueberries on memory in people. The research, published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, found that participants who drank blueberry juice showed significant improvement on learning and memory tests. “These findings are encouraging and suggest that consistent supplementation with blueberries may offer an approach to forestall or mitigate neurodegeneration,” said the authors of the report. Read More…
Cells: Vitamin C, what a wonder. The antioxidant found in citrus fruits and in particular abundance in red bell peppers (more than in oranges!) is famous for its role in tissue repair, helping get over colds and even in beneficial for cancer patients, but now it can add helping the generation of stem cells from adult cells to its repertoire. Adult cells can be reprogrammed into cells with characteristics similar to stem cells, which have tremendous potential for regenerative medicine. Now, a study published in the journal Cell Stem Cell, indicates that Vitamin C, enhanced the transition to a reprogrammed cell state. Vitamin C was the only antioxidant to accomplish this. “It is also of interest that a vitamin with long-suspected anti-aging effects has such a potent influence on reprogramming, which can be considered a reversal of the aging process at the cellular level,” said Dr. Duanqing Pei, senior author of the study. Read More…
