Fish. Choose it carefully

This is not for the faint of stomach. OK, we know that fish is good for us. And in the previous post, I wrote about how the Omega-3 in fish helps our brain (as well our bodies). But some of the fish in your supermarket or fish store is really not good for your health. [...]

Read Full Post »

Why are we so smart? It’s the fish, stupid.

Want the good news or the bad news first? OK, this post covers the good news. The next post, the bad news. The good news is fish makes us smart. At least that’s what Taras Grescoe says in his new book, Bottomfeeder: How to Eat Ethically in a World of Vanishing Seafood. “It is likely [...]

Read Full Post »

115-year-old’s brain worked perfectly

Do you think your brain isn’t what it used to be? Here’s some promising news to keep in mind as you get older. Henrikje van Andel-Schipper, at 115 years old, was listed at the time of her death in 2005 as the world’s oldest person. After she died in Dutch city of Hoogeveen post-mortem brain [...]

Read Full Post »

Want to save some money on coffee? Don’t drink it, smell it.

Who needs to drink those expensive lattes anymore? If coffee stresses you out (or the cost of a grande) then you might be able to derive some benefits from simply smelling the coffee according to a recent study. The lead author of the study, Han-Seouk Seo of Seoul National University, found evidence that simply inhaling [...]

Read Full Post »

What’s makes us fat? It ain’t the ice cream.

OK, the ice cream helps. But we may store fat based on what the chemical serotonin is telling our body to do. Serotonin does a lot of stuff Serotonin is a nerve-signaling chemical we create that is linked to our mood and appetite. Serotonin also plays a role in the modulation of anger, aggression, body [...]

Read Full Post »

You might call it an Alzheimer’s breakthrough

An injection is having a huge effect on Alzheimer’s symptoms. Researchers at a private clinic in Los Angeles have been injecting an anti-arthritic drug into the spinal column of Alzheimer’s patients and have seen remarkable improvements in their symptoms. Scientists at the Institute for Neurological Research have treated around 50 patients by injecting an anti-arthritic [...]

Read Full Post »

We are smart enough to plan for the future but dumb enough to forget our plans.

For example, why are you playing “Halo 3” instead of doing your income taxes? Human beings are the only species smart enough to plan systematically for the future. But we often scrap our carefully made plans in favor of short-term gratification. Gary Marcus, a professor of psychology at New York University, recently wrote and entertaining [...]

Read Full Post »

Is that computer reading my mind?

An MRI that can predict word associations. Cool. Scientists are using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) techniques to predict how people respond to certain words. Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh were able to use MRI scans to prove a 72 per cent accuracy rate in predicting which verbs the brain would associate with [...]

Read Full Post »

Deadly brain tumors and a common virus

Is it possible to stop brain tumor growth by attacking a common virus? Those deadly brain tumors known as glioblastomas are particularly difficult to treat with surgery because their position deep in the brain carry a significant risk of brain damage. Since Sen. Ted Kennedy was recently diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor of this [...]

Read Full Post »

Take your brain for a walk

Even a few brisk walks every week can have a big effect. That’s advice from Sue Halpern in her book “Can’t Remember What I Forgot.” Why? Because exercise stimulates the creation of new neurons in the hippocampus, which is crucial for forming new memories. And exercise counters the shrinking of the prefrontal cortex which is [...]

Read Full Post »