Men’s brains wired differently: Study
Men aren’t from Mars and women aren’t from Venus, but their brains really are wired differently, a new study suggests. The research, which involved imaging the brains of nearly 1,000 adolescents, found that male brains had more connections within hemispheres, whereas female brains were more connected between hemispheres. The results, which apply to the population as a whole and not individuals, suggest that male brains may be optimized for motor skills, and female brains may be optimized for combining analytical and intuitive thinking. “On average, men connect front to back more strongly than women,” whereas “women have stronger connections left to right,” said study leader Ragini Verma.
Meat good for brain development
The deficiency of Asparagine synthetase caused by rare genetic disorder affects normal development of the human brain, researchers at the University of Montreal have discovered. This synthetase is naturally found in meat, eggs and dairy products. As Asparagine is naturally produced by the human body, it was considered non-essential until now. However, researchers at the University of Montreal and its affiliated CHU Sainte-Justine Hospital have made a startling discovery that the amino acid plays a key role in normal brain development. “The cells of the body can do without it because they use Asparagine provided through diet components including meat, eggs and dairy products. But it is not well transported to the brain via the blood-brain barrier,” co-author of the study Jacques Michaud stated.
slim recipeIJ Don’t worry about cake
Next time when you eat your favourite chocolate cake, make sure you feel good about it, as psychologists have found people who see treats as something to celebrate are much more likely to stay slim. However, chocolate eaters who find themselves wracked with guilt afterwards are inclined to pile on the pounds. The study showed the way we perceive tasty treats is just as important as the calorie count when it comes to expanding waistlines. Researchers at New Zealand’s University of Canterbury, who quizzed almost 300 volunteers aged 18 to 86 on their eating habits, revealed that feeling guilty is likely to prompt us to abandon diet plans and adopt unhealthy eating habits, but considering chocolate as a reward gives us a better chance of sticking to long-term weight-loss goals.