How You Breathe Affects Memory and Fear
Node Smith, ND The Rhythm of Breathing, Your Memories, and Emotional Judgements An interesting study on breathing was recently conducted by researchers at Northwestern Medicine. The study looked at how breathing affects memory and emotional response.1 The findings showed that the rhythm of breathing can impact neural activity and actually enhance memory as well as […]
Breastfeeding May Lower Risk of Mother Later Developing Hypertension
Node Smith, ND American Journal of Hypertension Supports Breastfeeding A recent study in the American Journal of Hypertension supports breastfeeding. Why? Because it has been linked to a lower risk of developing hypertension after menopause.1 The study associates women who breastfed more children, and for longer periods of time, as having a decreased risk of developing […]
Are Atheists Really Smarter Than Religious People?
Node Smith, ND A Topic Worthy of Contention or Content Not Worthy of Worry? It’s a very contentious topic, and generally atheists have been shown to outperform religious individuals in intelligence tests. However, a recent study uncovered whether or not this holds true over various types of intelligence, and theorized what could account for this […]
Having Trouble Sleeping? Make a To-Do-List to Help Catch Some Zzzzz’s
Node Smith, ND Could Writing a “To-Do” List at Bedtime Help You Sleep? There are many reasons why people have trouble sleeping. But one thing is for sure, people have trouble sleeping. A current estimate from the National Sleep Foundation states that 40 percent of Americans struggle with sleep. Always being “On” and Available 24/7 […]
Connecting Depressed Patients to Their Emotions Using Psychedelics
Node Smith, ND Two New Studies Using Psilocybin in the Treatment of Depression Two new studies add to the growing body of research supporting the use of psychedelic substances in mental health. Both studies are from the Imperial College London and are specific to using psilocybin in the treatment of depression.1,2 The studies suggest that […]
Callousness in Boys Linked to Brain Structural Differences
Node Smith, ND Interesting Study on the Difference Between Brain Structures in Boys and Girls An interesting study confirms that callous-unemotional traits in boys are linked to certain brain structures not found in girls.1 This comes from a team of European researchers at the University of Basel and the University of Basel Psychiatric Hospital. The […]
Millennials More Likely to be Perfectionists
Node Smith, ND First Study to Look at Generational Differences in Perfectionism According to a new study by the American Psychological Association, today’s college students are more likely to push themselves to be perfect in mind, body, and career than in past generations.1 This inclination may have consequences on the mental health of this younger […]
Science Supports Loving-Kindness
Node Smith, ND It’s Positively Science It’s always great to read scientific research that is being done on positive emotions, treating people with kindness and compassion and other socially enhancing factors. A recent study1 has looked at the genetic differences of how people experience positive emotion based on oxytocin signaling in the body. As it […]
This Disease Could be Confused with Schizophrenia or Bipolar Disorder
Node Smith, ND Research Study on Better Testing for Autoimmune Disease Disorder A research study is currently being conducted to help develop better testing for an autoimmune disease disorder which could be commonly misdiagnosed as bipolar disorder or schizophrenia.1 This is a major finding from researchers at Houston Methodist that suggests that an immune condition […]
Later School Start Times = More Teen Sleep
Node Smith, ND Teens Need more Sleep There is a debate in education regarding whether school (especially high school) should start later. If you are a parent, you likely have opinions on this matter, and may even be involved in campaigns to change current start times. The support for extending school start times stems from […]