Recent research confirms that social support benefits the body and brain in profoundly positive ways. The Journal of American Medical Association published an article in Neurology which examined the connection between social support and cognitive function. “The results of this cross-sectional cohort study suggest that social support in the form of supportive listening is associated with greater cognitive resilience.”
The effects of chronic stress on the memory center of the brain can be reduced by running. Researchers at Brigham Young University investigated the impact of stress on the connections between neurons in groups of mice who were either sedentary or who ran 5 km per day on a running wheel. The mice who ran every day did not have weakened synapses despite being subjected to stress.
According to just-published research in the Journal of Communication, “flow” refers to the neurological phenomenon of being deeply engaged in a challenging activity such that distractions are barely disturbing and focus is maintained without frustration. Flow happens when task difficulty and personal skill intersect.
A new study conducted in the UK evaluated the difference a vegetable can make for almost 9000 middle-school and elementary-school children. Not surprisingly, the kids with higher intake of fruits and vegetables fared much better on mental well-being scores than those who at little or no fruits and vegetables on a daily basis.
