Here are this week's reading diversions for your personal enlightenment. Have a terrific weekend!
Lifelong musicians 'have better hearing'
The researchers suggest that lifelong musicianship mitigates age-related changes in the brain, probably due to musicians using their auditory systems at a high level on a regular basis.
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Low-fat yoghurt 'child asthma risk' during pregnancy
Pregnant women who ate low-fat yoghurt with fruit once a day were found to be 1.6 times more likely to have children who developed asthma by age seven, compared with children of women who did not eat low-fat yoghurt.
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David Valdes Greenwood: 5 (More) Shocking Side Effects Of Becoming A Dad
In case you missed it, researchers at Northwestern University have spent 26 years measuring testosterone in a group of Filipino men, and have come to two conclusions: becoming a new father dramatically lessens a man's testosterone levels and staying involved as a parent reduces it even more. According to the study's authors, these decreased levels of testosterone are nature's way of making a new dad less likely to go rutting about while his spouse stays at home in fat pants. Alas, the study contains no evidence that this effect endures.
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Yawning Cools Down The Brain, Study Finds
Researchers at Princeton University and the University of Arizona found that people are more likely to yawn in the wintertime, since the temperature of the outside air is cooler than their internal body temp. That's because when you yawn, you bring outside air into your body -- and when you yawn to bring in cold air, it cools down your brain.
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Diabetes Doubles Alzheimer's Risk, Study Finds
Diabetes could contribute to dementia in several ways, which researchers are still sorting out. Insulin resistance, which causes high blood sugar and in some cases leads to type 2 diabetes, may interfere with the body's ability to break down a protein (amyloid) that forms brain plaques that have been linked to Alzheimer's. High blood sugar (glucose) also produces certain oxygen-containing molecules that can damage cells, in a process known as oxidative stress.
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Six supplements to help you get a good night...
If you're having trouble sleeping, first have a look at your diet and exercise routine. If after doing that, you still need a bit of herbal help, you can try one or more of these natural sleep aids:
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When Cheaper Isn't Always Better
Switching from brand name to generic drugs is an easy way to slash your monthly medical budget—but keep in mind that there actually can be a difference in formulations from the brand name to generic versions when it comes to some prescription products. If you are taking a generic antibiotic, it's probably a relatively safe move to make the switch to generic, but other medicines, like a generic low dose birth control pill, for example, might actually produce a different reaction in your body if you've become accustomed to a specific name brand formulation. (That doesn't mean you can't or shouldn't make the switch—just be sure that you address the potential causes for concern with your doctor).
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Building and maintaining excellent vision isn't something that happens without effort. Even if you believe nothing can be done to help your vision, taking steps to improve nutrition can go a long way toward preserving, or even improving, the health of your eyes.
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How Parents Can Deal With Having A Favorite Child
According to Edwards, one reason a parent might get along with one child more than another stems from temperament -- if your child is similar to you, you're more likely to feel compatible and want to spend time with that child, she said. A parent might also favor one child if he or she was born after lots of trying, if the child is the only girl or boy in the family, or if the child is easy to discipline. Birth order plays a role too, she said. For example, if you're a first child and your daughter is as well, you might relate to her more easily than you do to a second or third child
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We All Get Shorter As We Age, Research Confirms
After age 40, it's not uncommon to start getting just a little bit shorter. But shrinking too much or too fast could be a sign of health problems, research shows.
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