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June 17, 2016

Strange But True!

Q. Can the mind heal the body? What do today's scientists have to say on the matter?

A. “Inflammation, blood sugar and breathing rate can all influence mood and it seems mood may influence those processes right back,” argues Jo Marchant in her book, “Cure: A Journey into the Science of Mind and Body,” as reported to Laura Sanders in Science News magazine. As evidence, consider the placebo effect. In the case of Parkinson's disease sufferers, a placebo can mimic a drug's effects, flooding the brain with the chemical messenger dopamine. Intriguingly, “placebos can help even when people know they're taking a fake.”


 
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