Post Archive by Month

If you’d like your child to have a way with words, you could do worse than give them piano lessons. Playing the instrument for just six months can noticeably improve a youngster’s ­language skills, apparently. Compared to children who just … Read More

Boys who grow up healthy and are well looked after in a safe environment are likely to have healthier levels of testosterone. So a man’s testosterone levels are largely determined by his upbringing rather than his race or adult life. Scientists say … Read More

You’ll be glad to know there’s an upside to getting on. It seems we’re happier than at any other times in our lives. The annual wellbeing survey from the Office for National Statistics confirmed that contentment seems to rise with … Read More

The modern world is giving us reason to sleep more. Now sleep researchers are saying that we need to get eight-and-a-half hours of rest every night because we are so stressed out. Pennsylvania State University professor, study author and sleep … Read More

A drinkable cholera vaccine containing live bacteria – similar to a probiotic yoghurt drink – could potentially help save thousands of lives in disaster zones and possibly revolutionise how we vaccinate people. Conventional vaccination can take weeks to be effective … Read More

After every gym session, I used to do foam rolling, especially on my thighs, and it hurt like hell. I was told I was ironing out “knots” in my muscles but I was always sceptical about the good it was … Read More

Now here’s a conundrum. Are more years in education ­causing more and more short-sightedness? A recent study says they are. The myopia epidemic affecting 90% of pupils in East Asian countries is the consequence of more intensive education. Spending extra time studying … Read More

Way back in the day when I was having babies, eating for two was accepted as the norm. I indulged now and then myself having hot buttered toast for tea, something I never ­allowed myself. Not any more. “Eating for … Read More

It’s well-known leading a spiritual life promotes longevity, but now a team of academics reckon they have nailed just how much longer you could live. Analysis by researchers at Ohio University, US, has shown religious people live about four years … Read More

The debate about whether everyone should take folic acid has the whiff of draconian medicine – akin to putting fluoride in our drinking water to stop tooth decay. Would it be justified? A major study by the University of Toronto scientists says … Read More