A recent study discovered the benefits of the food that can boost alertness
A recent scientific study has found that eating or smelling a certain type of food may help you feel less tired and more awake thanks to boosting alertness, which may be helpful for many this weekend. On Sunday (October 26), the clocks will go back an hour at 2am, marking the end of British Summer Time.
At 2am, Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), all digital clocks will switch back to 1am, giving people an extra hour in bed. All analogue clocks, such as those on ovens and physical clocks, will need to be manually adjusted.
This time change, which began during World War I, is intended to save energy by using daylight hours more effectively. The saying “spring forward, fall back” reminds us to change the clock for each season.
Although plenty of people will enjoy an extra hour of sleep, for many others, it will leave them feeling more tired and sluggish as their bodies won’t be prepared for the change. Numerous people may experience fatigue after the clocks are set back, as their internal body clocks, also known as circadian rhythms, are still getting used to the shift.
Although you get an extra hour of sleep, the change in your routine can result in feelings of sluggishness, grogginess, and tiredness for several days until your body adjusts. Some steps people can take to help feel less tired in the days that follow include creating a relaxing pre-sleep routine to help signal to their body that it’s time to sleep and getting as much natural light as they can during the day to help regulate their circadian rhythm.
What sweet helps you feel more alert?
For anyone keen to get fairly quick results, there is another option, and it involves getting your hands on a packet of sweets. According to a recent study, consuming or inhaling peppermint can enhance alertness, especially for people who are feeling under the weather with a cold or dealing with mental fatigue.
There are various ways to consume peppermint, whether in a packet of sweets, cup of tea, desserts, or over salads. You can buy it from most supermarkets and health stores. Tesco, for instance, is selling an 80p packet of Trebor Extra Strong Peppermint Mints, which has approximately 17 sweets per roll, which breaks down to about 5p per sweet.
Research indicates that peppermint can enhance psychomotor speed and reaction times, and its scent might also improve memory and focus. The findings come after a team of experts at Cardiff University went on a mission to discover whether consuming peppermints could enhance people’s mood and alertness, especially when they were feeling unwell.
What did the study discover?
Over ten weeks, the team monitored 81 students, during which 17 of them came down with a cold. Six of the students who were feeling unwell received peppermints, six were given butterscotch, and five weren’t given anything.
At the same time, those who didn’t come down with a cold and remained healthy were also given peppermint. Out of all of them, 21 did not receive any sweets, while another 22 were administered a placebo, which is a fake treatment. Both the healthy and unhealthy participants underwent tests to assess their mood, performance, and reaction times.
The findings showed that having a cold genuinely slowed the participants down. Their eye movements and reactions were slower, and they reported feeling less alert.
The study also revealed that peppermint helped to boost people’s alertness, regardless of whether they were ill or not. Yet, despite the increase in alertness, the evidence did not suggest that it actually enhanced their work performance.
Leader of the research team, Dr Andy Smith, said having a cold can negatively affect a person’s performance and reduce their level of alertness. He added: “Vapours are known to have therapeutic benefits – and aromatics, such as mint, have been shown in previous research to have an impact on our wellbeing when ill and in perfect health.
“We thought it was plausible that peppermints might help… These results show that, with the right understanding, simple things can be done to improve our wellbeing when unwell – and that includes eating a peppermint to help with a cold.”
What else is peppermint good for?
Peppermint is beneficial for easing digestive problems such as bloating, indigestion, and stomach cramps, and it can also assist with nausea and headaches. Furthermore, it can help clear blocked airways, freshen your breath, and might enhance focus and cognitive abilities. Peppermint also possesses antimicrobial qualities and can be used for household chores like cleaning and keeping rodents away.