ScienceDaily: Living Well News


Exposure to great outdoors boosted mental health during pandemic

Posted: 02 Mar 2022 12:03 PM PST

New research has found that people who spent more time in green spaces reported less anxiety and depression during the first year of the pandemic. Merely having abundant green space nearby, as measured by satellite images, was associated with lower depression scores.

Cocoa does not appear to reduce exercise-related digestive distress

Posted: 02 Mar 2022 08:06 AM PST

Impressive athleticism was on display during the Winter Olympics, but being at the top of one's game doesn't necessarily protect against digestive distress resulting from exercise. Surprisingly, some people are adding cocoa to their diets to reduce these symptoms. Now, researchers report that long-term daily consumption of cocoa doesn't appear to improve exercise-related digestive issues in male athletes and induces only minimal changes to their gut microbiomes.

Mindfulness therapy reduces opioid misuse and chronic pain in primary care, according to new research

Posted: 01 Mar 2022 04:24 PM PST

Results from a new clinical trial demonstrate that an eight-week mindfulness-based therapy decreased opioid use and misuse while reducing chronic pain symptoms, with effects lasting as long as nine months.

Study finds lower oxidative stress in children who live and study near green spaces

Posted: 01 Mar 2022 10:11 AM PST

A study has analyzed the relationship between exposure to different green spaces and oxidative stress in children. The study concluded that greater exposure to vegetation is associated with lower levels of oxidative stress and that this association is observed regardless of the children's physical activity.

Why exercise gets harder the less you do

Posted: 28 Feb 2022 04:10 PM PST

Doing less exercise could deactivate a vital protein in the body, causing further inactivity and making exercise more difficult, new research suggests.  Deactivating the Piezo1 protein, a blood flow sensor, reduces the density of capillaries carrying blood to the muscles.  This restricted blood flow means activity becomes more difficult and can lead to a reduction in how much exercise is possible. This helps to explain the biology of why exercise becomes harder the less you do.

Your lunchtime walks in the summer could be making you less productive

Posted: 28 Feb 2022 08:44 AM PST

Researchers discovered that a brief 15-minute walk in a hot outdoor environment impairs cognitive function. Moreover, this effect was most pronounced in sleep-deprived men and could negatively impact the productivity and learning of workers and students in urban cities in the summer months.