British neurophysiologists did not find any special differences in the level of intelligence of dogs and their closest relatives, which refutes the generally accepted notion that "human best friends" are smarter than other animals. Conclusions are presented in Learning & Behavior.

Scientists from Carroll University in the United States conducted a study in which they subjected about 600 respondents who called themselves dog or cat lovers to various tests. “Many of our colleagues, it seems, are not just studying the intelligence of dogs, but trying to prove how smart they are. They are often compared in a positive way to chimpanzees and say that they have some unique traits. However, it always turns out that many other species also have these abilities, "said Stephen Lea of ​​the University of Exeter (UK).

Recently, neurophysiologists have found that dogs can understand the intonations and meaning of the words of their owners. They communicate with people not for food but for attention and positive emotions, and that they can recognize emotions on the faces of friends and strangers. In addition, the dogs were able to memorize “unnecessary” information and use it later when communicating with the owner.

Dogs use facial expressions to communicate with people, scientists say. Such discoveries, as noted by Lee and his colleagues, make many neurophysiologists and zoo-psychologists believe that dogs are noticeably superior in intelligence to wolves, other predators, and sometimes higher primates. This is often associated with how the process of taming the dogs goes.

British researchers decided to check whether this is true. They analyzed the findings of over three hundred studies on animal intelligence and tried to understand how dogs differ from other mammals and “advanced” birds, such as New Caledonian crows.

It turned out that the intellectual abilities of dogs were very often overestimated by experimenters. For example, many scientists noticed that dogs were unusually good at solving simple physical puzzles, sometimes surpassing monkeys. At the same time, according to Lee, they did not pay attention to the fact that raccoons, hyenas, and some other relatives of dogs were no worse at coping with these tests.

Similarly, wolves, especially young individuals, coped with imitating human actions no worse than dogs; and dolphins, chimpanzees and some other animals surpassed them in this regard.

“We don’t help our pets in any way by overstating their abilities and expecting too much from them. The dog will always remain a dog, and we must understand what they can do and what they need in order to really treat them well,” concludes scientist.

A recent study published by Swiss researchers shows that a nap is good for the heart. This is another benefit added to the many others already discovered.

According to a scientific article published in the medical journal, napping would be beneficial for the heart. The article by four researchers at the University Hospital in Lausanne, Switzerland, says that one to two naps a week would reduce the risk of heart problems and stroke.

Their work is based on a recent study of 3,500 Swiss adults who provided a wealth of data on their nap and sleep habits.

In the sample, 155 people had a heart problem in the years following the study. The results indicate that the risk of cardiovascular disease is reduced by 48% among those who reported taking one to two naps a week, compared to those who do not take nap time.

Although the study does not confirm that napping promotes good heart health, it does provide additional information on the proven benefits of this brief sleep time.

Compensate for a lack of sleep

In 2015, a study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, showed that even short naps were beneficial to health.

The study, conducted on men who slept only two hours in the night, shows that a lack of sleep affects the levels of interleukin-6, a protein with antiviral properties and contained in saliva. "This hormone had fallen sharply after a very short night, but had returned to normal levels after a nap. This result is all the more telling when we know that it can help you keep up with your sleep deprived routine.

Fights stress and restores your immune system

In the same study, scientists also observed that napping time restores the levels of hormones and proteins needed in the body to combat stress and restore the immune system to function properly. “Just a thirty-minute nap can reverse the bad impacts of sleep deprivation, such as compromised immunity and stress" stated one of the authors of the study.

Exercising one's memory

In 2013, the German researchers demonstrated that napping supports memory consolidation.

To carry out the study, twenty-four volunteers had to memorize fifteen pairs of cards with symbols on them. A second series to memorize was then presented forty minutes later to half of the subjects who were kept awake, and twelve other volunteers who took a short nap. Results? They remembered on average 85% of the cards, against only 60% for those who remained awake.

The nap would make it easier to "download" the memories in an area of ​​the brain where "they could no longer be scrambled by the new information processed in the hippocampus," said Susanne Diekelmann, head of the study.

Improve your work performance

Still taboo in the US, napping at work would undoubtedly improve work performance. "Ten to thirty minutes of napping can enhance performance, decrease fatigue, and help improve alertness" according to Jamie Gruman, professor of behavioral organization at the University of Guelph (Canada) in an article. "Many companies, like Ben & Jerry's, Zappos and Nike, allow employees to take a nap at work," says the specialist, who finds that the practice is still absent in the US companies – in Japan and China, the professional benefits of taking a nap are really considered and recognized.

When you don’t put something to use for a long time, it eventually loses the ability to work. Same goes for your body – it has to adapt. Your body adapts just like your muscles do – if you exercise, they get stronger.

Cold therapy or Cryotherapy has recently gained popularity and has become an alternative to sauna. In the US, spas that offer this effective cold therapy is becoming more fashionable than saunas.

If we don’t expose our body to temperature variations, it could turn our immune system into a weak, no-good mechanism – that’s why nature has different seasons throughout the year for us to benefit from these changes. As we are warm blooded beings, temperature is something that regulates every single chemical reaction in our body.

Cold therapy aids in improving immunity

There are many advantages of cold therapy. It boosts immunity by activating the lymph nodes. Cold water contracts the lymph nodes – as a result, lymphocytes flow out from them throughout our body, clearing the vessels off of any harmful toxins. In a study, volunteers who were told to spend two hours in a chamber at 5 degrees after exercise or a hot bath. The researchers monitored these participants and noted that the number of "killer cells", that protect us from diseases, increased in the blood.

Prevent DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness)

Ever wondered why athletes love bathing in a tub full of ice? It’s because the extreme cold helps in lowering the temperature of the damaged and constricts the blood vessels. It reduces inflammation and brings immediate relief to the over worked muscles.

Testimonial that cold therapy is effective

Wim Hof, a 58-year-old energetic Dutchman, traveled to the North Pole to beat the world record by holding his breath under the ice for six minutes and 20 seconds. He argues that we are not made for comfort. Our ancestors were hungry, cold and suffered during long walks outdoors, but they lived longer. Today, while we spend each day living in a perfect temperature, our immune system runs out of work to do – as a result, it goes crazy sometimes, attacking our healthy tissues with autoimmune diseases and chronic inflammation.

Good news for coffee addicts! According to a recent study, their favorite drink would reduce their risk of developing the metabolic syndrome (type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disorders, stroke). Drinking up to 4 cups of coffee a day would reduce the risk of having type 2 diabetes by 26%.

According to another study, there would be a link between coffee consumption and metabolic syndrome that increases the risk of cardiovascular problems, heart attacks, and long-term strokes. The antioxidant-filled polyphenols that coffee contains cuts down the risk of having this syndrome.

Researchers have discovered that coffee helps reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and even heart diseases. After examining several cases, they found that for each additional cup of coffee (up to six or eight cups a day), the risk of suffering from this type of illness decreases (up to 25%) despite what previous studies had concluded.

According to the authors, people drinking between 3 or 4 cups of coffee a day would see their risk of developing type 2 diabetes drop by 26% compared to those who drink less than two coffees a day. Also, they found this protective link between the drink and the reduced risks of metabolic syndrome in both men and women.

Coffee: beneficial effects up to 4 cups of coffee per day

This protective effect, presented at the 13th European Nutrition Conference organized by the Federation of European Nutrition Societies (FENS) in Dublin, would also be observed among decaffeinated drinkers.

Coffee and diabetes: polyphenols could be the cause of protective effects

After studying Polish and Italian cohort data, Professor Giuseppe Grosso of the University of Catania (Italy) considers that the polyphenols and antioxidants contained in coffee play a role in the prevention of the metabolic syndrome. It mainly puts forward phenolic acids and flavonoids.

The reviewed work also allows the scientist to make a connection between moderate consumption of coffee and reduced risk of developing cardiovascular disease, cancer, and type 2 diabetes.

Long-term coffee consumption is also associated with a lower risk of hypertension.

Several studies show that moderate coffee consumption is associated with reduced risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. In short, drinking caffeinated or decaffeinated coffee is beneficial to health.

Currently, Iceland occupies the first place in the European countries for adolescents with a healthy lifestyle. The percentage of boys between 15 and 16 who had taken a binge the previous month plummeted from 42% in 1998 to 4% in 2019. The percentage of teens using cannabis has ever decreased from 17% to 7%, and that of daily cigarette smokers has fallen from 23% to just 3%.

The country has managed to change the trend in a radical and empirical way, but it has been based largely on what we might call nothing short of a miracle. "It's the most extraordinarily intense and profound study of the stress in teenagers' lives I've ever seen", praises Milkman, a PhD in medical science. "I am very impressed with how well it works".

If adopted in other countries, he argues, the Icelandic model could be beneficial for the general, psychological and physical well-being of millions of young people.

“In the early 1970s, when I was working as a resident at the Bellevue Psychiatric Hospital in New York, LSD was already in vogue, and many people smoked marijuana; there was a great interest in why people took certain drugs”. Only recently, people started shifting from these extremely dangerous drugs to relatively safer alternatives, such as CBD Oil.

Milkman's doctoral thesis concluded that people chose heroin or amphetamines depending on how they wanted to deal with stress. Heroin users preferred to numb themselves, while people taking amphetamines preferred to actively confront it. When his work was published, Milkman joined a group of researchers recruited by the National Institute on Drug Abuse in the United States to answer questions such as why people start using drugs, why do they keep doing it, when it reaches the threshold of abuse, when they stop using them and when do they fall.

“Any kid of the faculty could answer the question of why it starts, and it’s that drugs are easy to get and young people like taking the risk. There is also isolation and maybe some depression playing a part”, he says. “But why do they continue to consume?”.

At Denver State Metropolitan University, Milkman developed the idea that the origin of addictions was in brain chemistry. The "combative" children were looking for something to get "high," and could get them by stealing hubcaps, radios, and later, cars. Of course, alcohol also alters brain chemistry. It is a sedative, but the first thing that it gets is the control of the brain, which can reduce anxiety at limited doses.

"People can become addicted to drinking, cars, money, sex, calories, cocaine ... anything," says Milkman. "The idea of ​​behavioral addiction became our hallmark."

In 1992, his Denver team had obtained a grant of $1.2 million from the Government to create the Self-Discovery Project, which offered teenagers natural ways to get high that are alternative to drugs and crime. They asked the teachers, as well as the nurses and therapists of the schools, to send them students who had problems with drugs or misdemeanors. This program helped them turn their lives around and it soon took over the entire country, fixing thousands of young people.

Social media influencers are living a life most of the young people wish to have. According to a study, 86% of the Gen Z respondents don’t just follow these influencers, they also wish to be like them.

Social media offers several ways to make money online – it’s a powerful tool to connect employees with the employers. For young people, the main reasons to open an account on social networks were to contact and communicate with friends and family (66%), be up to date with their interests (57%), find interesting and entertaining content (45%) and strengthen their professional network (40%).

The study highlighted that 76% of respondents follow a company, brand or influencer from their social media accounts. What attracts respondents most in the profile of a company in social networks is the job offers (73%). 78% of the candidates has ever sought employment through a social network.

Another study highlighted that 8 out of 10 people once in their lives looked for a job on social network.

LinkedIn is the favorite social network to communicate openly for potential employment, followed by Facebook, Google+ and Twitter. 65% of the candidates said that they look for work every day on social networks. 77% of candidates who have sought employment through social networks send their CVs. Around 50% of the respondents even claimed to receive a job offer after applying through social media.

Young people tend to apply discreetly as they consider their social network profiles a personal business. Majority of them inspire to make money out of posting quality content on the social media as an influencer.

Your success in this business depends on your number of followers – the more followers you have, the higher potential there is for you to make money.

A study highlighted that you can make as much as $1,026 for a single post if you are an Instagram influencer with around 50,000 followers.

This trending career is not just a side hustle for young people – it’s giving birth to some of the finest “thought leaders” that people around the world follow religiously.

2019 has been a revolutionary year in the health and well-being market. Ever since the Farm Bill 2018 was released, Cannabidiol or CBD has been a buzzword in the entire US market. By the end of this year, it has been named the 2019 well-being product. A study on NY Times highlights the amazing potential of CBD in the wellbeing market.

The evergreen product has been in the news forever, but there has always been some controversy around it. Why and how to use cannabidiol to benefit from it? Let’s find out.

More commonly known as CBD, this hemp extract overshadows the benefits of all plants together. From our bottles of anti-aging cream to our vegan plates, the CBD is everywhere. In California as well as Canada, the CBD has clearly stolen the show from its twin sister marijuana.

Moreover, in the face of the legal vacuum that surrounds it, the CBD should be able to be legally consumed in many countries. For better or for worse, the wellness market has found its new favorite.

CBD in alternative medicine

The therapeutic power of the CBD is now well established and even exceeds expectations. According to a study, the World Health Organization had already announced in 2018 a very important medical potential of the molecule, without it inducing a dependence or addiction. In fact, a study noted that it is even a great way to overcome drug addiction, such as opioids, cocaine and heroin.

Remember that the CBD is not a plant but a molecule from it without any psycho-activity or intoxication. Analysis of scientific research showed that CBD has a potential for Alzheimer’s, diabetes, insomnia, Crohn's disease, epilepsy, schizophrenia, psychotic disorders, pain and inflammation, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, addiction and depression – the list of diseases that can be treated through cannabidiol is already long and further studies are being conducted.

We all know how regular physical exercises positively affect the body. It’s amazing for our mental, emotional and physical health.

Yet, most of us knowingly take walking and exercise for granted.

Professor Sanjaya Sharma from St. George's Hospital in London explains: “None of us can escape old age – this is the law of life. But each of us can push back the time when old age knocks on our door. We can look 50 at 70 years old and easily live up to 90 years and longer.

Exercise can prolong our life by 3-7 years. And believe me, this is a lot! Exercise is the best antidepressant and it significantly improves cognitive function. I'm not talking about what scientists have long proved: physical activity significantly slows down the development of dementia".

So, we’ve put together some of the indisputable advantages of daily walks!

1. Daily walks reduce the risk of developing diabetes.

A study by Harvard scientists confirmed that the risk of developing diabetes in women who walked for at least 30 minutes a day was 30% lower than the women who didn’t.

It was also found that daily walks significantly reduce the risk of abdominal fat, which often leads to diabetes.

2. Reduces the risk of Alzheimer's.

Scientists at the Department of Health at the University of Virginia found that men aged 71 to 93 who walked at least a quarter of a mile daily were twice as likely to suffer from Alzheimer's disease than those who preferred to doze off in front of a television or relax on a bench in the garden.

3. Normalizes blood pressure.

Researchers have proven that daily walks help normalize blood pressure.

4. Contributes to better digestion.

Tara Aleichem, a physiotherapist from the Cancer Center in the United States, claims that daily walking promotes good digestion.

5. Reduces pain and improve coronary artery disease.

The American Association of Cardiology has published studies that prove that daily walks improve mobility in people with coronary artery disease.

6. Strengthens the skeletal system.

People who stroll regularly have healthier teeth. Exercise strengthens the joints and significantly reduces the risk of osteoporosis, fractures and spinal diseases.

7. Improves cognitive abilities.

Long-term studies have shown that regular walks increase cognitive abilities, both in adults and in children.

8. Promotes longevity.

Numerous experiments have proved that walks contribute to the duration and quality of life.

9. Enhances mood and optimism.

Studies were conducted that proved that daily walks for at least 20 minutes increase self-confidence, promote mindfulness and improve concentration. It’s also a great way to improve your mood and reduce irritability.

We’re inspired by the two techniques used by the Navy SEALs, the main special operations force of the US Navy, to keep your body relaxed in high pressure situations. The first is called the tactical breathing, which is applied during the stressful moments of struggle or flight. It involves all respiratory muscles, from the chest to the belly.

We exhale deeply while placing the right hand on the belly. Then we inhale through the nose, slowly dragging the breath from the belly to the upper chest. Pause and exhale from the chest descending to the belly, imagining that the navel touches the spine. Keep repeating – exhale twice as long as you inhale.

The second technique proposed is called box breathing and elite soldiers use it to sharpen their concentration and remain calm in a stressful state. It involves inhaling, retaining, exhaling and retaining while following the same time pattern every time. It starts by breathing the air out of the chest and keeping the lungs empty while counting to four. Then the breathing begins, inhaling through the nose while we count to four and then drawing the air from the belly to the chest. The movement must feel fluid and free. In five minutes, the author assures that you will increase the strength of the breath by putting all the muscles involved in shape.

Controlling breathing is the fastest and most effective way to trigger a relaxation response, allowing us to think more clearly and perform better under pressure. We take better care of our phones than ourselves. If the battery turns red, we immediately stop and recharge; when our body that turns red, we keep pushing it. Living in the red zone means living in a state of exhaustion that makes us vulnerable to anxiety or depression. These little breaks to breathe help us recharge ourselves with energy.

When you go to sleep, something much deeper happens than closing your eyes. The brain, through the glymphatic system, eliminates toxins a deep cleaning process. This cleaning could be the key to avoiding mental illness or cognitive impairment. Let’s look more into these interesting findings by some scientists from the Rochester Medical Center in the United States.

Sleep is one of the great pleasures of life and a necessity. Resting well every night is essential to live, replenish energy and give your body a chance to heal. Several studies have highlighted how sleep is important for memory, stress management, heart health, diabetes control, weight control and a beautiful skin.

Scientists have spent many years analyzing what happens when we close our eyes and temporarily disconnect from this world. A very interesting finding is a group of researchers from the Rochester Medical Center in New York – they discovered that during sleep the space between brain cells increases. This would allow a washing mechanism in the brain to eliminate toxins that accumulate during the hours we stay up.

The study, published in the journal Science and conducted in mice, shows the existence of a brain cleaning system and evidences the change in the brain's cellular structure during sleep.

When we sleep, we activate a kind of hydraulic system, which controls the flow of cerebrospinal fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord. This system, as observed in the experiment, triggers during sleep to allow fluid to circulate rapidly in the brain.

The research was conducted in a group of rats who had a dye injected into the fluid in the brain cavity to see how it circulated in the brain. Simultaneously, they monitored the brain’s electrical activity. The authors were surprised to see the difference in dye circulation during sleep. Specifically, it was found that the liquid circulated rapidly during the sleep phase.

Likewise, brain monitoring showed that the space between brain cells increased by 60 percent when the rats slept.

Previous studies have suggested that toxic molecules that play a determining role in the development of degenerative disorders of the brain accumulate in the space between brain cells. Interested in knowing what the role of the glymphatic system is in this process, the researchers studied mice with Alzheimer's disease to measure how long it lasted in the brain while they were asleep and awake. It was observed that the protein disappeared quickly in the mice when they were asleep, which suggests that sleep cleans toxins from the brain while resting.