The Amazing Health Benefits Of Eating a Pickle a Day According To a New Study
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Pickle lovers everywhere can rejoice and dive deep into a jar of the yummy, salty, sour tasting cucumbers because it turns out that they’re better for us than previously thought! It’s not only pickles that do a body good, but all fermented foods and drinks can boost our health. So the next time you get a craving for something crisp and salty, snack on a few pickles and improve your social life in the process.
You’re probably wondering exactly how can a pickle make my life better and the explanation to that end can be found in a number of relatively new studies that have come out in recent years. In one study, completed by researchers at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada, hard evidence was found that the bacteria living in our digestive systems is directly linked to our brain chemistry and behavior. That means the trillions of bacteria in our guts can have a noticeable effect on our mental health and wellness.
Furthermore, researchers at the College of William and Mary found that young adults who ate a diet rich in fermented foods, such as kimchi, sauerkraut, other pickled veggies, kefir, kombucha and more, experienced lower levels of social anxiety than those who did not eat fermented foods. According to Matthew Hilimire, an assistant professor in the department of psychology who co-authored the William and Mary study, the fermented foods had an “anxiolytic effect” on subjects, which in layman’s terms means that they reduced anxiety.
The findings of these two studies can be linked because fermented foods are a major source of probiotics, which help stimulate the growth of healthy, beneficial bacteria in our intestines. That means pickles and other types of fermented foods can work wonders at balancing the bacteria found in our digestive systems. In turn, this can have a profound impact on our overall mood and state of mind because we now know that our gut health is essential to our overall mental health and wellness.
The brain-gut link boils down to this basic premise; a healthy stomach and brain leads to mood stability and therefore less anxiety, depression, and irritability. By simply eating more fermented foods you can positively boost your mental health and improve your social life. You’re less likely to feel so shy, self-conscious, embarrassed, or anxious around others, and that can only be a good thing.
The research into fermented foods is ongoing and scientists are looking at alternative ways to help treat anxiety disorders by ways other than medication. Perhaps in the future we will pop a pickle instead of a pill and that’s awesome!
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Can Your Brain Pass This Optical Illusion Test?
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Give your eyes and brain a mental work out by testing your powers of perception with these seriously tough optical illusions. If you can’t believe what you’re seeing or get stumped by them it’s because you’re looking at a compilation of some of the top-most confusing and hard to distinguish ones out there.
Over the years they have managed to stump practically everyone who tries to figure them out and even the smartest brains have found them to be quite difficult.
Optical illusions are, by definition, images and sights which strongly disagree with physical reality. Our brains light up when we suddenly realize that not all is as it appears to be, and force us to pay extra attention to whatever it is that seems to be playing tricks on our eyes. When it comes to interpreting and making sense of incoming sights and visuals, it’s our brains that do all the hard work.
That’s part of the reason why people love looking at optical illusions so much because they’re new challenges for us to figure out and wrap our brains around. Research on the topic backs this belief up and according to Aude Oliva, a cognitive research scientist at MIT, “Anything that is new and surprising is something we naturally like because it means that we may learn something from it.” It’s no wonder so many of us enjoy illusions, and the tricky ones here are no exception!
While there are many different types of illusions it’s optical ones, which are also known as visual illusions, that happen to be the most well known sub-category. To experience some right now work your way through this quiz and see whether or not your brain can pass the test! It’s a fun way to keep your brain strong while challenging your mind and fooling your senses, so have fun and enjoy!
Did you pass? Let us know in the comments below
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Having Trouble Remembering Things? These Are The Top 10 Foods That Will Improve Your Memory.
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Food is our best medicine; it is the source of nutrients that help to not only maintain, but improve our memory in our youth and as we age. It is so important to introduce these foods into our diet, because they can make a vast difference in keeping our brains supple and functioning at a high level.
The VIDEO you are about to watch below discusses the TOP 10 FOODS that science has shown to improve your memory. It does a great job of explaining how to prepare each food to optimize the nutritional benefits that actually will ENHANCE MEMORY.
THE TOP 10 FOODS THAT IMPROVE MEMORY ARE:
1. ALMONDS: It is best to eat almonds in their raw form. Studies show that they contain: Vitamins E, B-6, Zinc and Protein. Together they play a significant role in brain cell repair and improved cognitive function, including memory.
2. ROSEMARY: This Herb, in a 2013 study discussed in the following footage, was found to improve weak memory by ingesting and surprisingly by INHALING it’s aroma!
3. BLACK SEED (NIGELA SATIVA): contains anti-oxidants, anti-inflammatory and neuron-protecting properties that have the potential to maintain the sharpness of brain functioning, and prevent deterioration and cancers from growing.
4. INDIAN GOOSEBERRY (AMLA): the footage below cites a 2007 study that found an Ayurvedic preparation that not only can improve memory, but help in the management of Alzheimer’s disease. The video will explain TWO PREPARATIONS of how to prepare this, for optimal memory impact.
5. BRAHMI (BACOPA MONNIERI): a leaf and herbal extract that naturally revitalizes nerve and brain cells in certain forms of dementia, and increases the effect of SEROTONIN which is vital to improving mood.
6. FISH OIL: while you can take supplements, recent studies have found that getting the brain benefits of fish oil by eating FATTY FISHES is the best means of aiding memory.
7. COCONUT OIL: A study in 2004 in the Journal of Neurobiology of Aging showed immediate improvement in Alzheimer’s patients short term memory when given coconut oil, as compared to placebo subjects. Coconut oil enhances the brain’s ability to absorb glucose and convert it to energy, which is key in maintaining and improving long and short-term memory. Dosage and best ways to ingest it are in the footage below.
8. CINNAMON AND HONEY: Cinnamon boosts brain activity by helping the body to regulate blood sugar. When combined with honey it not only increases memory, but reduces stress; they are a potent combo for fighting memory loss and increasing cognitive skills.
9. ASIAN GINSENG: Traditionally used in Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine as a memory enhancer; western medicine has been studying it’s impact. Studies showed evidence that Panax ginseng root daily for 12 weeks improved performance in Alzheimer’s patients (Dept. of Neurology at the Clinical Research Institute in South Korea).
10. GINGKO BILOBA: By improving blood flow to the brain it helps functioning; significant improvement has been found in those suffering from dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
For each of these 10 FOODS that have shown to IMPROVE MEMORY, it is important to watch the following footage, which explains how often and how much of each natural remedy should be used.
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