Nobody likes the feeling of being left out, and when it happens, we tend to describe these experiences with the same words we use to talk about the physical pain of, say, a toothache.

"People say, 'Oh, that hurts,' " says Nathan DeWall, a professor of psychology at the University of Kentucky.

DeWall and his colleagues were curious about the crossover between physical pain and emotional pain, so they began a series of experiments several years back.

In one study, they found that acetaminophen (the active ingredient in Tylenol) seemed to reduce the sting of rejection that people experienced after they were excluded from a virtual ball-tossing game.

The pain pills seemed to dim activity in regions of the brain involved in processing social pain, according to brain imaging. "People knew they were getting left out [of the game], it just didn't bother them as much," DeWall explains.

As part of the study, participants were given either acetaminophen or a placebo for three weeks. None of the participants knew which one they were given. Each evening, participants completed a Hurt Feelings Scale, designed as a standardized measure of emotional pain. They were asked to rank themselves on statements such as: "Today, being teased hurt my feelings." It turned out that the pain medicine reduced reports of social pain.

The emotional dampening documented in these experiments is not huge, but it appears significant enough to nudge people into a less-sensitive emotional state.

Tylenol Might Dull Emotional Pain, Too

Since that study was published in Psychological Science back in 2010, a body of evidence has accumulated that points to a range of subtle psychological effects attributed to acetaminophen. For instance, a study published in 2015 found that the pain medicine seems to diminish our emotional highs and lows. Another study pointed to a reduction in empathy among people taking acetaminophen.

And a study published in October suggests the drug may dampen the tendency to distrust in people with borderline personality disorder.

"Through reducing our attention to the outside world, acetaminophen appears to nudge us into a more psychologically insulated state," says Todd Handy, a psychology professor at the University of British Columbia in Canada.

Handy also studies mind-wandering. In one recent experiment, published in Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, he and his collaborators found that acetaminophen seemed to make people care less about the mistakes they made when they zoned out. During the experiment, participants were asked to sit in front of a computer screen and complete a repetitive task. "Once every couple seconds, something flashes on the screen and you have to hit a button," Handy explains. "We try to bore people so they will actually mind wander."

Handy found that people taking the painkiller mind-wandered at about the same rate as people on the placebo, but their reactions were different. "When people on Tylenol mind-wander, they're shutting stuff out more effectively than people who aren't on Tylenol."


FDA Asks Doctors To Stop Prescribing High-Dose Acetaminophen

Now, whether these subtle effects are good or bad depends on the context. Baldwin Way, a professor of psychology at Ohio State University who has also published on the effects of acetaminophen, says that in some instances, the emotional dampening could work against us.

"If you're speaking to your romantic partner and their emotions are blunted," Way says, "and they react blunted and less emotional, that can probably have a negative effect."

On the other hand, say you're anxious about an upcoming medical procedure, social situation or a job interview, "maybe having blunted emotions can help you perform more effectively," Way says.

But no one is recommending that people start popping the over-the-counter medication regularly to protect against social pain. Though it's among the most common drugs in Americans' medicine cabinets, it can be risky. Taking acetaminophen can cause gastrointestinal problems and taking large doses increases the risk of liver failure. People often don't realize that acetaminophen is an ingredient in many different products, so they can inadvertently take too much.

Allison Aubrey NPR Original Story 

By Malia Frey | Reviewed by a board-certified physician    

Dieters should eat salad to lose weight, right? Wrong! Many people eat salad for weight loss and gain weight instead. Why? Because many of the salad ingredients they add are full of fat and calories. And worse, the weight loss salad they create isn't big enough or satisfying enough to keep them full. So they eat again soon after and they don't lose weight.

Replacing a high calorie, heavy meal with healthy salad is a great way to slim down. But you have to use diet-friendly salad ingredients. Those are salad toppings that are packed with nutrients, full of flavor and naturally low in fat and calories. Use this list to choose your favorite salad ingredients, then experiment at your next meal.

1. Choose the Best Salad Greens
The base of your diet-friendly salad should be salad greens. Salads made with pasta and potatoes tend to be higher in calories and fat. Beans can make a great salad base as well and they are packed with protein. But most dieters will choose different types of lettuce as a salad base because they are so low in calories.

So which salad greens are best? There are so many to choose from and everyone prefers a different style. My recommendation is to choose a few fresh spring greens for flavor and then bulk up your salad with milder, crispy greens to add crunch and volume.
Softer, flavorful spring greens: Arugula, spinach, chard, watercress, mustard greens, mache, beet greens Crisp, low-calorie greens: Iceberg, bibb, romaine, radicchio, escarole, endive, leaf lettuce, and frisee. You can also save time and throw a handful of pre-mixed cabbage into your salad bowl to add crunch without calories.

Healthy Salad Hint: 

Don't be afraid to experiment with the way that you chop your salad greens and other ingredients. Some people don't like the mess of eating large leaves drenched in salad dressing. So make a chopped salad instead and cut each ingredient into easy-to-eat 1/4 inch squares. Some chefs even cut herbs and other ingredients into elegant ribbons for a more sophisticated look.

2. Choose Colorful Vegetables
In addition to greens, vegetables should be the most abundant ingredient in your diet-friendly salad. The best vegetables for a healthy salad will come in a wide range of colors. To make sure I'm getting a variety of tastes and healthy nutrients, I add roasted or raw vegetables from each color category.

Red: Chopped or sliced tomato, shredded or sliced radishes, chopped red onion, sliced red peppers, cubed beets, cold sliced red potato

Orange: Shredded or thinly sliced carrots, slivered orange peppers, cold cubed squash, heirloom orange tomato, cold diced sweet potato

Yellow and White: Diced sweet onion, cooked fresh corn kernels, quartered yellow tomato, sliced yellow beets, cubed jicama, quartered or sliced mushrooms, finely chopped shallots, cauliflower, white asparagus

Blue or Purple: Diced purple potatoes, shredded purple cabbage, slivered purple peppers, eggplant

Green: Thinly sliced green onion, chopped green tomato, quartered artichoke hearts, chilled peas, broccoli, seeded and sliced cucumber (skin removed), Brussels sprouts, diced celery.

Healthy Salad Hint: 

Venture outside of your comfort zone when you choose vegetables. Sometimes the combinations that you never think will taste good turn out to be your favorites. And don't worry too much about calories when you add veggies. Most veggies are low in calories and high in nutrients. If you are concerned about the sugar or starch content of some veggies (like beets or potatoes) simply add them in moderation.

3. Choose Healthy Fats for Your Salad
Your salad probably won't be satisfying unless you add a source of healthy fat. Of course adding fat to your diet-friendly salad will boost the calorie count. Remember that even healthy fats are a significant source of calories. So smart dieters add them in moderation. Listed below are reasonable serving sizes of popular healthy fat sources for salads:
Avocado: 1- 2 tablespoons
Olives: 5 -10 olives
Olive Oil: 1-2 tablespoons
Nuts (almonds, pine nuts, walnuts, etc): 10-15 nuts depending on size
Seeds (sunflower seeds, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds): 1-2 tablespoons

Healthy Salad Hint: 

Measure your fat source before you throw it in the bowl! It's easy to mindlessly add calories to your salad bowl when you add food right from the bottle or the box. Keep a digital scale and some measuring spoons handy to get the best measurements.

4. Add Protein to Your Salad
If salad is the main course of your meal, you should add a lean source of protein to get the important muscle-building benefits that it provides. You'll also find that salads with protein keep you satisfied for a longer period of time after you eat.
Many smart eaters chop deli meats and add them to their salads. But be advised that not all deli meats are good choices if you're trying to lose weight. Stick to turkey, lean roast beef, or chicken when you visit the deli counter. You can also choose from these protein sources
Meat: Leftover lean steak, grilled chicken or turkey, shredded roast pork, seasoned extra lean ground turkey, sliced deli roast beef
Seafood: Salmon, tuna (fresh or canned), shrimp, sardines, anchovies,
Grains: Quinoa, wild rice, brown rice, barley

Healthy Salad Hint: 

Remember that a single serving of protein is usually about 3-4 ounces. If you add a large 6-8 ounce chicken breast you'll need to account for the extra (albeit healthy) calories that you add. Adding more protein will also mean adding more salad dressing which can also boost the calorie and fat content of your salad.

5. Herbs for Your Salad
One of the best ways to add flavor to your salad is to add chopped herbs. Of course, you can toss dried herbs onto your salad, but chopped fresh herbs are a flavorful and healthy addition to any diet-friendly meal. Try any of these herbs that you'll find in your grocer's produce section.

Tarragon
Chives
Basil
Cilantro
Parsley
Dill
Thyme
Chervil

Healthy Salad Hint: Most salad dressings are made from herbs and some kind of oil. So you may find that adding fresh herbs to your salad eliminates the need for salad dressing - further reducing the calorie and fat count of your salad.

6. Salad Dressing
If you've filled your bowl with delicious and healthy ingredients, the last step is to add salad dressing. Unfortunately, most dressings are full of fat and calories. Some store-bought products (often the ones that claim to be diet-friendly) are also full of sugar. So what's a dieter to do?

You may find that you don't even need salad dressing when you fill your bowl with flavorful and savory ingredients. In fact, I generally just sprinkle a little bit of salt and pepper and measure just a tablespoon of olive oil then toss my salad without any other topping. Some dieters add a spritz of citrus.

If you absolutely love salad dressing, consider making your own. I make my own low-fat and low-calorie ranch-style salad dressing. You can also find recipes for healthy salad dressings online.

Whatever salad dressing you choose, be sure to measure it carefully. Even if you have a salad bowl full of healthy ingredients, adding too much dressing can turn your meal into a high-fat nightmare.