Singers at free weekly workshops in Norfolk say they are given a sense of belonging.
Daily Archives: 20/12/2017
Maternity mistakes: 276,000 incidents logged in two years
Thousands of cases of harm linked to lapses in care emerge, as a charity says the system is in crisis.
Electron microscope images reveal how cells absorb a vital mineral
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Political instability and weak governance lead to loss of species, study finds
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Giant bubbles on red giant star’s surface
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When being treated for an eating disorder treatment means leaving home
People battling an eating disorder in Northern Ireland face having to travel hundreds of miles to get treatment.
‘Longest-frozen’ embryo born 24 years on
US mother who gave birth to the child was herself only one year old when the baby was conceived.
US lifts ban on lethal virus experiments despite security risks
Scientists can apply to make lethal strains of illnesses despite fear of accidental outbreaks.
Health24.com | 15 weirdest stories on Health24 in 2017
Let’s take a look at the top 15 weirdest stories that made the news in 2017. Highlighting the content that made you squirm and gasp in disbelief – we have it all.
Be warned, some of the content is graphic!
1. This woman has the world’s longest fingernails
Would you take up the challenge to grow your nails for more than 20 years?
2. Rare condition makes 5-year-old boy ‘look 9 months pregnant’
Mckenzie Watson’s family initially thought he was just getting fatter, but his mom knew something wasn’t right when her son looked nine months pregnant and about to pop.
3. Rush for ‘Barbie’ vagina has experts stunned
‘Labiaplasty’ usually involves trimming back the inner ‘lips’ or labia minora flanking the vaginal opening – in a procedure that is also known as nymphoplasty.
4. How could a five-year-old possibly fall pregnant?
Most children experience puberty during their late tween or early teen years, but what do you do when your toddler starts going through puberty?
5. GRAPHIC: Flesh-eating maggots dig into woman’s arm
After 10 days in pain, she went to the hospital to get her sores checked out. Warning: This video might upset sensitive viewers.
6. Meet the boy who can’t feel pain
Could you imagine living your entire life feeling no pain at all? Meet the boy who doesn’t feel anything when he gets injured.
7. Man has bladder stone the size of an ostrich egg removed
Bladder and kidney stones can affect anyone, but what would you do if you were carrying a bladder stone as big as an ostrich egg?
8. SEE: Meet the man with the largest number of teeth in the world
Vijay Kumar from India has 37 teeth in his mouth – five more than the average person.
9. This 2-year-old ‘Hulk girl’ has a 3kg arm
The toddler struggles to walk or even stand up straight.
10. SEE: Eating snot is good for your child
You might think eating boogers is disgusting, but there are surprising health benefits…
11. SEE: Why people are freaking out about pictures of holes
For trypophobes, the sight of clusters of holes arranged in different formations can cause intense psychological or even physical reactions.
12. 2-year-old girl with Alzheimer’s may soon forget her parents
Marian McGlocklin’s parents noticed something wasn’t right with their little girl, but they never suspected it could be a form of Alzheimer’s.
13. GRAPHIC: Beware of this flesh-eating superbug
We don’t want to alarm you, but this bacterium can enter your body through even the smallest wound. Not for sensitive viewers.
14. Meet the man who can’t stop laughing once he starts
What would you do if you had a fit of laughter at a funeral and couldn’t contain your hysterical laughter?
15. The town where you cannot be buried
If you wish to stay in this town, be warned that death takes a different course.
Images: iStock
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Health24.com | Cardio sessions may literally make your brain bigger
When you hit the gym, chances are you’re thinking more about how your body will benefit rather than how your brain will.
But as it turns out, all that time spent on the treadmill is doing your noggin a serious favour.
Read more: How eating avocados may help slow down your brain’s ageing
New research from Australia’s National Institute of Complementary Medicine (NICM) at Western Sydney University and the Division of Psychology and Mental Health at the University of Manchester in the UK shows that aerobic activity can improve your memory and overall brain health as you age.
The study, published in NeuroImage, looked at brain scans of 737 people who were either totally healthy, had mild brain deterioration (like Alzheimer’s) or had a diagnosed mental illness like depression or schizophrenia. Their ages ranged from 24 to 76 years old (the average being 66).
Read more: The treat that raises your Alzheimer’s risk
Participants in the study did all types of cardio – the stationary bike, walking and running – two to five times a week for anywhere between three months and two years.
By the end of the 14 clinical trials, researchers found that even though exercise didn’t have an impact on the overall size of the hippocampus (the part of your brain that controls memory), the left region of it actually did get bigger.
“Our data showed that, rather than actually increasing the size of the hippocampus per se, the main ‘brain benefits’ are due to aerobic exercise slowing down the deterioration in brain size,” Dr Joseph Firth, research fellow at NICM, said in a statement.
“In other words, exercise can be seen as a maintenance program for the brain.”
Read more: 8 cardio exercises that burn more calories than running
This is all due to a chemical your brain creates when you do any type of aerobic exercise called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), Dr Firth says.
As we’ve reported in the past, adding 30 to 45 minutes of cardio into your weekly workout routine can also help you build muscle and burn fat.
“There is also evidence that at the right intensity and duration, cardio can build the aerobic capacity of your fast-twitch muscle cells, the ones needed to produce raw strength and power,” Dr Chris Frankel, exercise physiologist and Director of Human Performance at TRX, told Men’s Health in 2015. “That can potentially improve your lifting performance.”
So the next time you’re heading to the gym, think about how much cardio you’ve gotten in lately. Your brain will thank you.
This article was originally featured on www.mh.co.za
Image credit: iStock
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