What Creeps Us Out? Study Has Surprising Answers
What makes someone creepy? Unbelievably, science has never asked this question — until now. “I was absolutely amazed that there had never been a single study about this,” considering how often people refer to being “creeped out” or “creepiness” in everyday conversation, said Frank McAndrew, a professor of psychology at Illinois’ Knox College. So he decided to find out. The result: The first “empirical study of creepiness,” published last month in the journal New Ideas in Psychology. His study used …
Strawberries Top ‘Dirty Dozen’ List for Pesticides
And the winner — or maybe we should say, loser — this year is … strawberries. For the first time in five years, the popular berry has ousted apples from the number one spot on the Environmental Working Group’s annual report of the produce with the most pesticide residue — aka “The Dirty Dozen.” The nonprofit group also included a “Clean 15” list of produce lowest in pesticides. After strawberries, apples are number two, followed by nectarines, peaches, celery, grapes, …
Panel Adds Colon Cancer Protection to Benefits of Low-Dose Aspirin
Many Americans take a daily low-dose aspirin to protect against heart disease and stroke, but for the first time a federal advisory panel says taking it can also protect adults in their 50s and 60s against colon cancer. The new recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force — first proposed last September — find that the benefits of taking a low-dose aspirin (81 mg) to prevent a first heart attack are strongest for those ages 50 to 59 who …
What’s the Secret to a Happy Life? It’s Not What You Think
When you’re in your 20s and just starting out, money and fame may seem the key to a happy life. But as you age, that viewpoint changes considerably. The real secret, according to a Harvard study that’s been going on since the 1930s, has nothing to do with your bank account or your career. “The clearest message that we get from this 75-year study is this: Good relationships keep us happier and healthier. Period,” the study’s current director, Robert Waldinger, …
Yoga’s Popularity Spreads Among 50+ and Men
The popularity of yoga continues to grow, not only in the sheer numbers of people doing it, but also among older adults and men, according to a new national survey. The survey, conducted for Yoga Alliance, an international yoga teachers group, and the magazine Yoga Journal, interviewed 3,700 people to get a better idea of how much yoga has spread, who is practicing it, and the benefits they hope to gain. Among the biggest trends the survey revealed is that …
7 Surprising Ways to Reduce Your Risk of Colon Cancer
En español | The recent death from colon cancer of Cornell University president Elizabeth Garrett, just eight months after she became the first woman to hold the post, is a tragic reminder of the country’s second most deadly cancer. Garrett, who was 52, died just a month after announcing she was undergoing aggressive treatment for colon cancer. This year, an estimated 95,000 Americans will be diagnosed with colon cancer and nearly 50,000 will die from it. While the death rate …
