When passing by the confectionery department in a supermarket, have you more than once “swallowed your mouth” and cursed the abundant calories in your favorite delicacy? But it turns out that cakes and other sweets can be not only tasty, but also healthy. Balm for the soul, isn't it?
Champagne improves memory and brain activity
American scientists from Duke University argue that people need to indulge themselves with sweet treats more often. People who have learned to abstain from eating sweets are said to have the most powerful willpower and self-discipline. And self-discipline turns out to undermine our ability to remember critical information.
During the study, experts gathered a group of volunteers and showed them 120 male and female faces. At the same time, participants in the experiment were asked to press a button whenever they saw a male face in front of them on the computer screen, but not to press it when looking at a female one.
Also after this, all volunteers took a memory test, during which they were tasked with remembering the faces they saw. The result showed that they remembered men's faces much better than women's faces, the viewing of which was associated with a reaction of restraint, that is, precisely a manifestation of willpower. Scientists have done brain scans and determined that self-discipline affects and weakens the part of the brain associated with memory.
“Memories are worse stored in our minds if we demonstrate self-control, thereby suppressing any natural reactions,” comments professor of psychology and neuroscience Tobias Egner.