Your Health

Get those neurons working in your brain and gain a new perspective on cool ways to have fun

Sometimes getting lost is entertaining! And there’s no better way to get disoriented than to step into a maze. As the weather changes in the fall, opportunities abound for this out-of-the-ordinary activity, with seasonal mazes popping up throughout the Bay Area. So gather the crew and check out some of these local mazes, which are sure to pose a challenge for kids and adults alike.

Quick, how many glasses of water should you drink in a day? If the number eight came to mind—as in eight, eight-ounce glasses—then you’ve heard of one of the most common health myths. “There isn’t a specific recommendation for water intake,” says dietitian Ruth Frechman, founder of "On the Weigh." “Everyone has different needs depending on body temperature and level of activity.” (The Institute of Medicine recommends about 9 cups of total fluid a day for women and 13 cups for men, but much of this fluid is absorbed from drinks other than water and food.)

High blood pressure (hypertension) doesn’t just increase your risk of heart attack and stroke. It could also dull your memory, according to research published in the journal Neurology. Scientists compared the blood pressure of more than 4,000 people in Reykjavik, Iceland, which was taken when they were in their 50s, with readings taken again in their mid-70s. Brain scans showed that those who had hypertension in middle age had less gray matter and got 10 percent lower memory scores. Those who developed hypertension at an older age were at risk for brain lesions.

Researchers say the answer lies in the genes. Can humans devise a similar solution? 

Elephants can boast a long list of credits to their fame: They’re the largest land-based animals on Earth; their memory rivals that of dolphins, apes and humans; and most intriguingly, they rarely get cancer. This last fact has puzzled scientists for decades, but now, they might have an answer.

According to a study published in JAMA, elephants have 20 copies of a tumor-suppressing gene called TP53. By comparison, humans have only one copy of the gene.