James Kesby, The University of Queensland This is part of our series on Changing the Brain, about what’s happening in our brain in various mental states and how we can change it for the better and worse. You can read the other articles here. Every…
Tinnitus is an extremely annoying affliction to have to live with. While it can be caused by many different things such as extremely loud noises, stress, anxiety, medical conditions, and medications, treating it is not so easy. In fact, at this point, there are no…
By Amy Reichelt, UNSW The mere sight of a slice of gooey chocolate cake, a cheesy pizza, or a sizzling burger can drive us to eat these foods. In terms of evolution we show preference for high calorie foods as they are an important source…
By Jessica Bowser Nelson, Special guest to Natural Blaze So you decide to workout at home. You buy some equipment, find a workout video, and write your goals down. But after a week or two of your routing, you start losing steam. After all, there are…
Eric Bowman, University of St Andrews Most researchers agree that the key difference between human brains and those of other animals is the size and complexity of our cerebral cortex, the brain’s outer layer of neural tissue. We therefore tend to focus our attention on…
By Alex Pietrowski In recent years we’ve learned a great deal about the dangers of sugars, even finding out that research was compromised in the 1970s, misleading the world about its dangers. It is as addictive as cocaine, it is linked to diabetes, and many…
Frank T. McAndrew, Knox College In the 1990s, a psychologist named Martin Seligman led the positive psychology movement, which placed the study of human happiness squarely at the center of psychology research and theory. It continued a trend that began in the 1960s with humanistic…
By Rosanne Lindsay, ND Spring has sprung! Tis the season for rebirth and regeneration. Spring is ruled by the wood element which is associated with the liver and its complementary organ, the gallbladder. What better time to reset and rejuvenate body, mind, and spirit than through the liver,…
By Anika Knüppel, UCL The thought of a cupcake, skillfully frosted with fluffy vanilla icing, may put a smile on your face, but research suggests that, in the long term, a sweet tooth may turn that smile into a frown – but not for…
By Richard G. “Bugs” Stevens, University of Connecticut A new scientific study shows that bright electric light exposure of preschool children in the evening suppresses melatonin production almost completely, an important addition to the growing body of research in this area. Melatonin suppression is a…
The article below is a sponsored review for the BetterMe Fitness App We’re on a quest to find the fitness app – an app with excellent reviews and excellent features that is actually good for you. Well, BetterMe reviews suggest that everything is okay in…
By Barry Brownstein Seeking advice about the qualities he should look for in a mate, an unmarried man in his 30s posted at the online sports forum of my alma mater. He invited comments on his list of top attributes: looks, camaraderie, cooking ability, love of…
By Kristen Knutson, Northwestern University and Malcolm von Schantz, University of Surrey Do you wake up bright eyed and bushy-tailed, greeting the sunrise with cheer and vigor? Or are you up late into the night and dread the sound of your alarm clock? We call…
By University of Michigan via Natural Blaze Physical activity has long been known to reduce depression and anxiety, and is commonly prescribed to prevent or cure negative mental health conditions. However, less is known about the impact of physical activity on positive mental health conditions,…
By Heather Callaghan, Editor A small study compared school-based yoga/mindfulness to typical school methods of dealing with anxiety in children. Typical methods of school-based help for anxiety include speaking to a counselor and other activities guided by a social worker. A Tulane University study published in the…
By Alex Pietrowski The study of gut health and the microbiome is on the cutting edge of wellness, and people are returning to diets that include fermented, probiotic foods. Kombucha is massively popular today, as is kefir, sauerkraut, yogurt and other natural homemade foods, and…
By Josh Richardson Gains in the ability to sustain attention developed through intensive meditation training are maintained up to seven years later, according to a new study published in the Journal of Cognitive Enhancement. Several previous studies have supported the hypothesis that meditation training improves practitioners’…
By Josh Richardson Decades of research continue to unravel the relaxation response–the physiological and psychological opposite of the well-known fight-or-flight stress response that can be achieved through relaxation techniques like yoga or mediation–can reduce blood pressure in people with hypertension. High blood pressure, or hypertension,…
By ANH-USA An FDA supplement policy infringes on free speech and makes it more difficult to study the health benefits of food and food supplements. Help us fight back! Action Alert! For years, ANH has fought against the federal government’s censorship of free speech about the benefits…
By Alex Pietrowski We’ve known for a very long time that watching television has a profound effect on brainwaves and states of consciousness, and that the more television people watch, the more likely they are to be obese, unhealthy and dumbed down. This is how…
