Flowers’ smell really can soothe stress

Wondering how to de-stress yourself? Well, then try savour the smell of flowers, lemon or mango, for a new study has revealed that inhaling certain fragrances alter gene activity and blood chemistry in ways that can reduce stress levels.

According to lead researcher Akio Nakamura, people have inhaled the scent of certain plants since ancient times to help reduce stress, fight inflammation and depression, and induce sleep.

Aromatherapy, the use of fragrant plant oils to improve mood and health, has become a popular form of alternative medicine today.

And linalool is one of the most widely used substances to soothe away emotional stress.

During the study, the scientists exposed lab rats to stressful conditions while inhaling and not inhaling linalool.

The findings showed that linalool returned stress-elevated levels of neutrophils and lymphocytes — key parts of the immune system — to near-normal levels.

Inhaling linalool also reduced the activity of more than 100 genes that go into overdrive in stressful situations.

The researchers hope that the findings could form the basis of new blood tests for identifying fragrances that can soothe stress.

The study appears in ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, a bi-weekly publication. - Indian Express

Eat oily fish to keep brain healthy

Good morning friends. Some people a don’t want to eat fish. I know it’s a healthy food, but If they will be given a chance, they will not choose a fish to eat. But as per reference of The Times of India fish can help our brain to be healthy, specially oily fish. It will help our brain.

Eating oily fish, rich in vitamin D, may be vital in keeping your brain healthy as you age, according to a new study.

University of Manchester scientists and other researchers have found that higher levels of vitamin D, synthesized in the skin following sun exposure, is also found in oily fish. The study assessed the cognitive performance of more than 3,000 men aged 40 to 79 years at eight test centers in Europe. It was found that men with higher levels of vitamin D performed consistently better in a simple and sensitive neuro-psychological test that assesses an individual's attention and speed of information processing.

"Previous studies exploring the relationship between vitamin D and cognitive performance in adults have produced inconsistent findings. But we observed a significant, independent association between a slower information processing speed and lower levels of vitamin D," said study author David Lee of Manchester's School of Translational Medicine.

"The main strengths of our study are that it is based on a large population sample and took into account potential interfering factors, such as depression, season and levels of physical activity," Lee said.