healthbriefs


Does Yawning Cool the Brain?


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hen we feel the urge to yawn in cool- er weather, we should succumb—it might do us good. New research sug- gests that beyond signaling fatigue or boredom, yawning might be a physical reaction to cool an “overheated” brain. A study at Princeton University is


the first to show that the frequency of yawning varies with the season and that people are less likely to yawn when the heat outdoors exceeds body temperature. The research monitored 160 people, 80 per season, during winter and summer in Tucson, Arizona. According to the researchers’ theory, it is possible that yawning in cooler temperatures works to cool the brain, while yawning in warmer condi- tions appears to provide no similar relief. Research associate Andrew Gallup remarks, “The ap- plications of this research are intriguing… for better under- standing diseases and conditions such as multiple sclerosis or epilepsy, which are accompanied by frequent yawning and thermoregulatory dysfunction.” Excessive yawning may prove a helpful diagnostic tool.


Meditation Boosts Brain Power


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niversity of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) researchers first dis- covered that specific regions in the brains of long-term medita- tors were larger and contained more gray matter than those of a non-meditating control group; that was in 2009. Now, a follow-up study by the UCLA Laboratory of Neuro Imaging suggests people that meditate regularly also display stronger neuronal connections between brain regions and less age- related atrophy (shrinkage) in all areas of the brain. The study comprised 27 active meditation practitio-


ners (average age 52) and 27 control subjects, matched by age and sex. The number of years of meditation ranged from five to 46 and included various styles. Using a type of brain imaging known as diffusion ten- sor imaging, or DTI—a new imaging mode that provides insights into the structural connectivity of the brain—the researchers found that long-term meditators have white matter fibers that are either more numerous, more dense or more insulated, throughout the brain. Although such tissue tends to decline with age, the study suggests that it can be preserved through active meditation practices. Researcher Eileen Luders remarks, “If practiced


regularly and over years, meditation may slow down aging-related brain atrophy, perhaps by positively affecting the immune system. Meditation appears to be a powerful mental exercise with the potential to change the physical structure of the brain.”


VITAMIN C HELPS US SEE S


cientists at Oregon Health & Science University recently identified yet another benefit provided by vitamin C. In a study published in the Journal of Neuroscience, co-author and senior scientist Henrique von Gersdorff, Ph.D., says nerve cells in the eye require C to stay healthy—the vitamin bathes the cells of the retina and contributes to their proper functioning.


10 Northern & Central New Mexico NewMexico-NaturalAwakeningsMag.com


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