Feeling a little stressed lately? If I were to give you a penny, would that make it all better? You're probably thinking that I'm crazy to even suggest that your stress can be reduced for a mere penny, but I beg to differ. It turns out that copper may counteract the negative effects of stress, something that I'm sure your heart would appreciate over time.

A recent study, published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, revealed that copper deficiency can increase a person's risk of ischemic heart disease. Moreover, in a test on lab mice, researchers discovered that administering a daily dose of copper to mice with stress-induced heart disease caused their hearts to pump normally again. Evidently, dietary copper offsets stress by promoting the growth of new blood vessels and keeping an over-taxed heart from enlarging.

Now if gas could only cost a penny per gallon -- that would be a sure-fire way to reduce some stress in people!!