HDFC Bank_YW August-2018 Dummy

8 wellness
news
Birds Migrate
Away From
Diseases
In a unique study, researchers at Lund
University in Sweden have mapped the origins
of migratory birds. They used
the results to investigate and
discover major differences
in the immune systems of
sedentary and migratory
birds. They observed that
migratory species benefit
from leaving tropical areas
when it is time to raise
their young. Moving away from diseases in
the tropics enables them to survive with a
less costly immune system. According to the
researchers, dealing with pathogens is most
difficult for the birds the first time they are
exposed to them. All vertebrates, including
human beings, have an immune system built
up in a similar way to that of birds. The Lund
biologists therefore believe their findings could
also be significant in a broader perspective.
- Joseph Addison
Health and cheerfulness
naturally beget each other.
Later School Start
Times Really
Help Students
A new study in the journal ‘Sleep’ indicates that
delaying school start times results in students
getting more sleep, and feeling better. The
study aimed to investigate the short and longerterm
impact of a 45-min delay in school start
time on sleep and well-being of adolescents.
They found that an increase in time-in-bed on
weekdays led to gains in mental health, prosocial
behaviour, better
attentiveness in class and
peer relationships.
However, the researchers
also noted that the gains
may not be sustained if
students gradually delay
their bedtime.
Smokers
Vulnerable To
Hearing Loss
According to a study of over 50,000
participants over 8 years in ‘Nicotine &
Tobacco Research’, published by Oxford
University Press, smoking is associated with
increased risk of hearing loss.
Researchers examined the effects of
smoking status (current, former, and never
smokers), the number of cigarettes smoked per
day, and the duration of smoking cessation on
the extent of hearing loss of the participants.
They found that even
after adjusting for factors
including occupational
noise exposure, there was
a 1.2 to 1.6 increased risk
of hearing loss among
current smokers compared
with never smokers.
A Dark
Bedroom Could
Beat A Dark
Mood
Researchers from Nara Medical University
in Japan have discovered that light
pollution in the bedroom at night could
increase depression. This light pollution
can come from many sources such as light
through the window, a nightlight or even
your smartphone’s display. This is because
being exposed to light when we should
be sleeping has a disruptive effect on the
body clock.
The team looked at over 800 adults
who did not show depressive symptoms
at the start of the study. They measured
the light levels in the bedrooms of each
participant, exposing some to light at night
while the others slept in a completely dark
room. At the end of
the two-year study,
the researchers found
that those who had
slept in total darkness
had fewer depressive
symptoms than
those who had been
exposed to light.
yourwellness.com • Volume VII • Issue III • August 2018