Pharmacy Daily | DISPENSARY CORNER 23 Feb 16

DO SWEATY strangers gross you out more than sweaty friends? There’s actually a scientific reason for that. Research by the University of Sussex has shown people are less disgusted by the bodily secretions of people close to them. Psychologists found a person’s ‘core’ disgust response is reduced if the source is within their own social group. The study looked at the reactions of students to sweaty t-shirts with the logo from their own university compared to one from a separate school. When handling the shirt with their uni’s own logo participants walked slower to wash their hands and pumped the soap dispenser fewer times. Apparently a lack of disgust is essential for social cohesion and enabling select groups to work together effectively. So, if someone’s smell disgusts you maybe science is telling you to keep away! IT’S the research we had been waiting for - regular chocolate consumption is good for our cognitive function “irrespective of other dietary habits”. More frequent chocolate nibbling was “significantly associated” with better performance on cognitive testing, according to the recent Maine- Syracuse Longitudinal Study published in the Appetite journal. We’ll take any excuse for guilt-free chocolate indulgence.

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