Nov.17: AROUND THE WORLD
USA
Mere smell of food may make you fat
In a humorous vein, people often say that just smelling food makes them fat. Well, this may be true! A study, published in the journal Cell Metabolism, has discovered a link between the olfactory or smell system and regions of the brain that regulate metabolism.
The study found that obese mice with no sense of smell lost weight on a high fat diet while their counterparts with a strong sense of aroma became twice their normal weight. Apparently, since we are more sensitive to smells when we are hungry, a poor sense of smell may make you eat less as your body thinks you have already eaten.
USA
Buying time promotes happiness
Looks like money can buy happiness – especially if the money saves you time. People who spend on having a housekeeper, delivery services and taxis are happier than those who don’t, new research finds.
In a study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, participants were given money to buy something material in the first week. The next week, they paid to save themselves time. People said they felt happier in the second week. Earlier research has found that using money to help others or have good experiences – like a spa day or travel – also make people happier than buying things.
USA
Dietary supplements pose serious health risks
Dietary supplements may cause serious health issues and should be taken with caution, warn scientists. Research, published in the Journal of Medical Toxicology, found that poison control centres in the US received one call every 24 minutes on average regarding exposure to these products. Around 70% of calls occurred among young children and most exposures occurred at home where the child swallowed the substance.
The dietary supplements with the highest proportion of serious medical outcomes were energy products and botanical supplements. Exposure to such products caused heart and breathing problems and seizures. Findings support the need for improved energy product regulation and child-resistant packaging.
