Head-scratching health studies of 2012

scientist, research, skull, prehistoric, neanderthal, stock, istockphoto, 4x3 — istockphoto

Scientists report links between a lot of different things, such as sugar intake and obesity, but some of the conclusions reached by researchers this year just make us scratch our heads. Here are some of our favorites from 2012...

Beer can prevent cold, flu in kids

A study conducted by Japanese brewery Sapporo determined that a compound called humulone found in beer may help cure a virus that causes the common cold in adults and bronchitis and pneumonia in children. Just how much beer would you have to consume? According to AFP, one would have to drink 30, 12-ounce cans to get the virus-fighting properties. But, Dr. Sonu Ahluwalia, clinical chief of orthopedic surgery at Cedars Sinai Medical Center, said that even if beer did have this curing effect, that amount needed is not advised. Not only does the virus in question rarely cause serious complications in children, but giving alcohol to children could have some very dangerous side effects. "Alcohol is a toxin," he explained to CBSNews.com. "While the brains are being formed and while things are in development, why would feed someone a toxin? We strongly discourage anybody to feed alcohol to any child."

Women with cats face higher suicide risk

Scientists blamed a parasite found in some cats' feces called "Toxoplasma gondii" to explain their findings that women with cats were 1.5 times more likely to commit suicide.

Eunuchs outlive male counterparts

This historical study showed that Korean eunuchs lived longer than other Korean men who grew up in the same era, but we highly doubt people will take this measure just to ensure a longer lifespan.

Facebook can cause stress

Attractive woman holding her head — iStockphoto

The more friends you have on Facebook, the higher your stress levels, according to a study released this year. Scientists at the University of Edinburgh Business School in Scotland said this phenomenon is observed because having more friends online gives people a greater chance to offend someone. No word if spending less time checking your Facebook can help alleviate some of that stress.

Drinking lots of wine can boost seniors' balance

Red wine can make you tipsy. However, according to a a study presented at the American Chemical Society national meeting in 2012, a compound in red wine called resveratrol can help elderly people with their balance. The researchers said the compound may help with motor skills in addition to having anti-aging properties. However, to get the amount of reservatrol needed for the benefits, a senior would have to drink 700 bottles of wine.

Secret to sexual orientation in the eyes

Pupil dilation may reveal a person's sexual orientation -- if you can get that close to someone without creeping them out. Researchers reached that conclusion after measuring pupil dilation while study subjects -- who had previously answered questionnaires about their sexual orientation -- watched erotic videos. However, results were a bit dubious for women, who were observed with similar pupil dilation when they saw pornographic materials featuring either men or women, so take this study with a grain of salt.

Magic mushrooms can treat depression

magic mushroom, mushrooms, stock, 4x3 — istockphoto

Two small studies released in Jan. 2012 found taking psilocybin, the active ingredient in psychadelic mushrooms, may result in brain changes that could mimic effects caused by antidepressants. "We're not saying go out there and eat magic mushrooms," Professor David Nutt, a neuropsychopharmacology researcher at Imperial College London and senior author of both studies, told Reuters. "But...this drug has such a fundamental impact on the brain that it's got to be meaningful - it's got to be telling us something about how the brain works." Studies this year also reported depression-fighting abilities from the illicit drug ketamine, or "special K."

Shoes reveal who you really are

shoes, dress shoes, tapping feet, tap, stock, 4x3 — istockphoto

Looking at someone's footwear may be able to reveal key data about a person's personality, attachment style, political stance and demographic measures such as age, gender, and family income, according to this 2012 study. However, we would caution you not to judge others solely on their shoes.

Marriage drives women to drink

According to research published in 2012, women increase their alcohol consumption after they get married not because of stress caused by their partner but because they want to keep up with their husbands.

Simple test can predict mortality

A Brazilian study showed that a simple sitting and standing test may be an accurate predictor of whether a person will die an early death. While the majority of subjects who died scored low on the physical challenge, only 7.9 percent of the total study pool passed away. Still, the numbers were still great enough to be statically significant -- but just because you can't stand up on your own doesn't mean you should fear the Grim Reaper is about to call.