subject: Is It Really That Easy? [print this page] Not lying can improve your healthNot lying can improve your health. A study presented to the American Psychological Association included 110 participants, ages 18-71. Each week they filled out health and relationship measures and had a polygraph test to assess how many lies they'd told. However, for the 10-week study half the group was told not to lie. Interestingly, the pattern was similar for big lies and white lies. Health went down when lies went up and vice versa, but the link between less lying and improved health was significantly stronger for those in the no-lie group. Americans average 11 lies weekly - not counting politicians.
Closing your eyes can improve your memory. In a study published in Psychological Science, a group of normally aging, elderly men and women were asked to remember as many details as possible from 2 stories. After the first story the participants closed their eyes for 10 minutes in a dark room. After the second story they were distracted by a task. Overall, the participants remembered many more details when they closed their eyes; and their memory boost lasted a week after the experiment. Hopefully, closing your eyes for 10 minutes in a dark room also helps you remember to stay awake.
Daily doses of dark chocolate may reduce blood pressure. A review by the Cochrane Collaboration included 20 studies varying from 2 to 18 weeks in which volunteers consumed 3 to 100 grams of dark chocolate or cocoa powder daily. Overall, reductions in blood pressure averaged 2-3 millimeters of mercury. These aren't big reductions. Nevertheless, the flavanols in dark chocolate help make nitric oxide, which relaxes blood vessel walls; and this could reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Although small doses of chocolate may be as effective as larger doses, a little of the "pressure is off" about eating chocolate.
Smiles - even fake smiles - reduce your heart rate in stressful situations. In another study published in Psychological Science, 169 college students held chopsticks in their mouth to form a neutral face or a smiling face; and half of the smiling-face students were told they were smiling. During and after the students' participation in stressful situations their heart rate was recorded. Those holding their chopsticks in a smile had lower heart rates and those who were told they were smiling had even lower heart rates. Happily, this stress reducer will work anywhere because a smile is the same in any language.
