We're learning more about COVID-19.
People feel alone, more and more. The 13 % of the Italians, in fact, indicate that they have no one to ask for help. One-fifth of older men in Canada say they feel lonely at least once a week. The same as a quarter of Australians. In Japan, more than one million adults fit the official government definition of “social secluded” (hikikomori).
Evolution has not made us social creatures. We need to be with others, make alliances, gossip, see ourselves reflected in the eyes of others. However, just in times where we could do that more than ever, the opposite seems to be happening.
Together
These are some of the topics it explores Together. The power of human connection, written by Vivek H Murthy, who was nominated by President Joe Biden in December 2020 for the position of 21st Surgeon General of the United States, a position he had previously held in the Obama administration.
Together: The power of human connection (Ares and Mares)
A book, which in addition to functioning as a wake-up call, proposes some strategies to reduce our intergroup tribalism, and is committed to a technology that does not isolate us, but rather connects us more and more. The future of our species depends on it.
At the bottom of our loneliness is the innate desire to relate to others because the human being is a social creature. We have evolved to participate in a community, to forge lasting bonds with others, to help each other, and to share life experiences. This book is a powerful wake-up call and in it there are many strategies that can help us connect because, simply, we are better off if we are together.
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The news
Books that inspire us: 'Together. The Power of Human Connection' by Vivek H. Murthy
was originally published in
Xataka Science
by
Sergio Parra
.
If you are receiving one of the vaccines to combat Covid-19, there are some things you can do to give the vaccine a better chance of working, according to the evidence we have in the research of other vaccines.
Here There are five tips in this regard.
Five things to do
These factors could be so important that some scientists believe ignoring them could reduce the overall success of the Covid-19 vaccine rollout:
- Avoid stress. Many studies have found that people who experience stress have weaker antibody responses to vaccines, and positive mood on the day of vaccination is linked to a more robust response.
- Sleep well. Studies report that people who get enough sleep the nights before vaccination have stronger antibody responses than those who get less sleep.
- Connect with family and friends. Research suggests that having better social support improves the chances of a strong response, while loneliness is linked to lower antibody responses.
- Avoid alcohol. Drinking heavily before and after a vaccine disrupts immune cell function, which can decrease the body's ability to defend itself against a virus.
- do exercise. Studies have found that an active lifestyle, or a 15-minute workout before the jab, is associated with stronger immune responses to vaccines.
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The news
Five things we can do to try to boost our immune response by getting vaccinated
was originally published in
Xataka Science
by
Sergio Parra
.
According to a new study, frequent consumption of chocolate in women is linked with a lower interest in sex (self-rated).
The study involved 723 men and women in Southern California, ages 20 and older, who completed surveys reporting frequency of chocolate consumption (pieces per week) and interest in sex (rated from 0 to 10).
Chocolate and sex
For sexual interest, participants were asked to rate “interest in sex” (past two weeks), on a scale from 0 to 10, with 0 defined as “not present” and 10 defined as “most present.” For chocolate frequency, participants were asked “how many times a week do you consume chocolate?” LDL cholesterol and glucose were also assessed based on sexual interest and chocolate.
The frequency of chocolate consumption was the strongest evaluated predictor of sexual interest in women. No relationship was seen in men, although a trend was seen in younger men.
Popular representations in which chocolate is represented as a substitute for sex and "satisfying" the need for sex in women represents a possible explanation for these findings.
One might speculate that the differential effects on men versus women align with observations that chocolate consumption activates and inhibits different regions of the brain: In men, there is increased taste activation in the ventral striatum, insula, and orbitofrontal and medial orbitofrontal cortex and decreased taste activation in somatosensory areas; in women, increased taste activation in the precentral gyrus, superior temporal gyrus, and putamen and decreased taste activation in the hypothalamus and amygdala.
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The news
Women who eat more chocolate have less interest in sex
was originally published in
Xataka Science
by
Sergio Parra
.