18 interiors finds under €50 to refresh your home this spring
18 interiors finds under €50 to refresh your home this spring

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This Co Meath self-build blends with its rural surroundings, and has a clean and modern interior
This Co Meath self-build blends with its rural surroundings, and has a clean and modern...

Megan Burns

5 ways to style a beige trench coat
5 ways to style a beige trench coat

Sarah Finnan

WIN a €250 shopping spree at Kildare Village
WIN a €250 shopping spree at Kildare Village

IMAGE

Scars of Divorce: ‘The suitcase was empty; I was just teaching you a lesson’
Scars of Divorce: ‘The suitcase was empty; I was just teaching you a lesson’

Sarah Gill

These gorgeous tiny homes are made by a Co Clare social enterprise
These gorgeous tiny homes are made by a Co Clare social enterprise

Amanda Kavanagh

March 27: Today’s top stories in 60 seconds
March 27: Today’s top stories in 60 seconds

Sarah Finnan

Has being a mum changed me? Yes.
Has being a mum changed me? Yes.

Dominique McMullan

Niall Horan’s €1.5k grooming regimen puts Bella Hadid’s to shame
Niall Horan’s €1.5k grooming regimen puts Bella Hadid’s to shame

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This incredible waterfront home in West Cork is on the market for €1.1 million
This incredible waterfront home in West Cork is on the market for €1.1 million

Sarah Finnan

Image / Editorial

Do You Suffer From Extreme Shyness?


By Jennifer McShane
14th Jun 2015
Do You Suffer From Extreme Shyness?

Anyone who suffers from shyness will tell you that it’s no easy thing to cure. Some people are just naturally shy in certain situations, which is fairly common. However, if it starts to seriously debilitate your life and becomes extreme, then it’s something that needs to be dealt with for your own sake. If you’re one who suffers from a case of extreme shyness, new research has revealed that eating certain foods could help to ease your symptoms.

Scientists in the United States have found that that probiotic bacteria could help those suffering from social anxiety. Social anxiety is defined as ?a persistent and overwhelming fear of social situations, and as one of the most common anxiety disorders.?

ICYMI: Overcoming Anxiety

Women are twice as likely than men to suffer from the disorder that can interfere with work, school and relationships, according to statistics. The recent study, which was published in the journal Psychiatry Research, is one of the first of its kind to specifically explore the issue of social anxiety.

The research was conducted at the University of Maryland and the College of William and Mary in Virginia, where a total of 710 subjects were monitored to see if any common denominator could be found when it came to the symptoms of social anxiety.

People who ate more probiotic-rich fermented foods such as miso soup, sauerkraut, yoghurt and fermented milks had fewer symptoms of social anxiety, according to the researchers.

?It is likely that the probiotics (friendly bacteria) in the fermented foods are favourably changing the environment in the gut, and changes in the gut in turn influence social anxiety,? the researchers added.

ICYMI:10 Ways To Ease Your Anxiety Today

They concluded that, while further research was needed, the results of the study ‘suggest that consumption of fermented foods that contain probiotics may serve as a low-risk intervention for reducing social anxiety.?

It’s an interesting theory. Would you try it?

@Jenny_McShane

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