NPR health reporters delve into the latest research on brain health and stress management, highlighting surprising findings about the benefits of handwriting and the gut-brain connection.
NPR's health reporters followed the emerging science on what keeps our brains and our minds healthy. Here are highlights of the studies that piqued our readers' interest the most for 2024, and it's pretty much what it sounds like: a perceived mental decline from consuming too much online media. If just reading that definition has you worried about your gray matter, never fear! Researchers are finding promising — and surprising — ways to boost our brain health and de-stress our minds.
Here are nine stories on the topic that engaged our readers this year. One intriguing area is the power of handwriting. Brain imaging studies suggest it has to do with the fine-tuned coordination required between motor and visual systems, which deeply engages the brain. When we write out letters and words by hand, it can improve letter recognition and learning for kids, and when adults take notes by hand, it can lead to better conceptual understanding of material. Some artists even say writing by hand stokes their creativity. So if you're feeling stuck — can what you eat make you more resilient to stress? Maybe! A recent analysis found that the guts of people who handled stress better shared two patterns: Their microbiomes had more anti-inflammatory microbes and they had a strong'gut barrier,' which keeps toxins and pathogens out of the bloodstream. Scientists already know that our gut and brain talk to each other. (In fact the gut produces about 90% of serotonin and about 50% of dopamine.) So will eating fermented foods like kimchi or yogurt or taking probiotic supplements help you stay chill? It's not that simple, scientists say, because the gut microbiome is a complex ecosystem. Still, researchers are working on identifying biomarkers in gut bacteria that someday could help tailor decisions on how to use existing therapies — or develop new treatments
Brain Health Stress Management Handwriting Gut Microbiome Nutrition
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