Under pressure and gobbling pizza or chocolate? It may not be your fault, according to Japanese researchers who have isolated the neurons that drive a craving for carbs. The team at Japan’s National Institute for Physiological Sciences found that activating neurons known to respond to social stress increased the appetite in mice for carbohydrates. Rodents with the neurons activated ate Read More

Is there such a thing as ‘healthy alcohol’? If certain individual studies on the effects of tequila are to be believed, then there sure is! The Mexican alcoholic drink is touted to be healthier than other drinks like whiskey or vodka because of some supposed health benefits that it has. That seems extremely odd because the drink has got a Read More

Ginger is a long established medicine which is loaded with essential nutrients. Its healing properties have been known since ages and have been adapted by numerous cultures. Ginger roots are powered with vital minerals like manganese, copper magnesium and potassium. Apart from this, it is also rich in vitamins such as E,C and A. Ginger not only increases the body’s metabolism, but also improves Read More

Mushrooms are packed with many essential vitamins and minerals that are quite healthy for the body. They are an excellent source of vitamins like D, B1, B2, B3, B5 and B9. These healthy vitamins are found in other vegetables as well but after cooking, these vitamins tend to disappear. Since mushrooms are rarely prepared with boiling water, these vitamins tend to stay Read More

Junk food advertisements (ads) shown during programmes that are popular with young people, such as talent shows and football matches, drives youngsters to snack more on unhealthy food. Curbing these ads may help decrease the risk of rising obesity, which is a key factor in the development of deadly illness such diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer among others, suggests a Read More

Children who experience abuse and neglect early in life are more likely to have problems in social relationships and academics as adults, a study has found. Maltreatment experienced before age five can have negative effects that continue to be seen nearly three decades later, researchers said. “It is not a controversial statement to say abuse and neglect can have harmful Read More

Smoking cannabis to feel less depressed is a well-known phenomenon- but does it actually work? A study has recently warned that the teenagers who begin smoking pot early are at an increased risk of depression and heightened feelings of negative emotionality. According to researchers, young people with cannabis-dependence have an altered brain function that may be the source of emotional Read More

We all know about the difficulties the NHS faces with regard to funding. The health service is expected to do more and more with less and less cash and not a day goes past without this strain making headlines. Sooner or later the only answer becomes making serious changes to the way that healthcare is delivered, resulting in a system Read More

Want to be happy? Heading on a night out with friends or going on holiday should do the trick. But there are many different routes to achieving happiness and some of them are so simple you’ll wonder why you haven’t done them before! We take a look at 10 unexpected, evidence-based ways of injecting more happiness into your life… 1. Read More

1. Fruit juice Despite what the packaging may tell you, this does NOT provide an easy and convenient way to get in one or two of your 5-a-day. Most shop-bought fruit juices are pasteurised (essentially boiled), which destroys a lot of the valuable nutrients, whilst concentrating the sugars. The juice is also extracted from the whole fruit, leaving behind the Read More