Great News for Your Body: The Top 10 Health Tips of 2010
(From O: The Oprah Magazine, December 2010)
Every so often, medical researchers hit upon a scientific truth that makes us smile. Here, our 10 favorite studies from 2010.
Good Luck Charms Actually Work
Lucky pennies, four-leaf clovers, horseshoes—it turns out believing in them isn’t totally kooky. In a study at Germany’s University of Cologne, researchers asked superstitious participants to play a computer game; half got to keep their charms, half had to play without them. The participants who played with their jujus performed better than the others. The simple, non-hocus-pocus explanation: confidence. Your charm makes you believe you’ll do well, and believing improves your game.
