Going vegetarian could make you happier and less stressed, according to new research in Nutrition Journal. Thirty-nine meat-eating participants were assigned to one of three diets: Eating meat, fish or poultry daily; consuming fish 3 to 4 times a week but no meat; or eating a strict vegetarian diet. After two weeks, mood scores were unchanged for the fish- and meat-eaters, but vegetarians reported significantly better moods and less stress. The reason may come down to fatty acids: Diets that include meat and fish are higher in arachidonic acid (AA), an animal source of omega-6 fatty acids, and previous research links high levels of AA with mood-disturbing brain changes. Raising A Glass A Day May Keep The Doctor Away [Time] Good news for women who like a drink with dinner: Light to moderate drinking is associated with lower stroke risk, finds a new study from Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Researchers looked at 26 years of data on more than 83,500 women and found that those who consumed low to moderate amounts of alcohol had a lower risk of stroke than women who never drank. Researchers say that alcohol has components that prevent blood clots and promote HDL (good) cholesterol, and fewer blood clots could mean fewer strokes. Moderate drinking for women means no more than one drink a day, according to the American Heart Association. Order Matters In Diabetes And Exercise [Reuters] People with type 1 diabetes may have better blood sugar control during workouts if they lift weights before cardio, finds recent Canadian research. Low blood sugar is a risk for those with type 1 diabetes, a condition about 1.3 million Americans have in which the body doesn’t produce its own insulin, a hormone needed to convert food into fuel. Researchers found that when study participants did aerobic exercise first, blood sugar dropped closer to dangerous levels and remained lower for the rest of the workout, compared to when they lifted weights first and ran second. Add Spice To Negate The Effects Of A High-Fat Meal [NPR] Researchers from Penn State have discovered that a spicy meal—like curry with lots of turmeric, or a dessert heavy on the cinnamon—may do the heart good, even when the meal is rich in oil-based sauces and high in fat. Adding lots of spices was shown to cut levels of triglycerides in study participants’ blood by one-third, compared to people who ate the same meal but without the spices. Over 45? You Should Be Happy About That! [Daily Mail] The older we get, the happier we are, say researchers from the University of Warwick who analyzed the health information of more than 10,000 people in the US and UK. Although the physical quality of life goes down past middle-age, mental satisfaction increases. The study backs up previous research showing that happiness levels form a U-curve, with the low point hitting around age 45 but then increasing over the years. Happiness may go up with age because we develop better coping abilities to deal with hardship than younger people, suggest researchers. How To Set Boundaries [Jezebel] Sometimes you need a little space, even from loved ones. But these people—family, partners, friends—can be the hardest to set boundaries with. Check out six tips to help you set healthy boundaries without pushing people away, from figuring out exactly what you need to finding the right time and place to talk. A Gorilla And Her Bunny [The Washington Post] An elderly gorilla named Samantha has been on her own at the Erie Zoo in Pennsylvania ever since the death of her companion in 2005. At age 47, officials say she’s too old to be paired with another gorilla, but a girl needs a friend. So they opted to introduce her to Panda, a Dutch rabbit. One month later, the gorilla and bunny are fast friends, with Samantha sharing her food and even gently scratching under the bunny’s chin.
