| The Monday Edition | November 17, 2008 |
Overeating Can Cause a Chemical Overload in Your Brain!
With more than 1.8 billion people worldwide estimated to be overweight or obese, researchers are hard at work to discover ways to reduce the number of individuals who suffer from these disorders.
And it may come as no surprise that overeating can have a substantial effect on your health… packing on the pounds… lead to diabetes-related diseases… and put added pressure on your heart. What’s more, new research finds that overeating can also cause a communication meltdown in your brain!
A study team lead by Dongsheng Cai, M.D., at the University of Wisconsin-Madison found that when mice were fed a high-fat diet, their hypothalamus gland at the base of their brain became extremely active. Once this activity occurred, the brain ignored the release of the substance leptin—which tells the brain you’re full.
The researchers also noticed during the heightened activity, high levels of a compound know as IKKbeta/NK-kappaB were also secreted from the hypothalamus. The more of this compound that was released, the more the mice ate. If the researchers reduced the amount of the compound, then the mice ate less.
In a press release, Cai and his team concluded that the compound is essentially the “master switch” that causes overeating. If this compound could be eliminated, then your brain might not ignore the signs to help regulate your appetite.
Genetic engineering can solve the problem in the mice, but not in humans. Cai and his colleagues are working on possible treatment options, with a focus on gene therapy.
The results of the study were published in the journal Cell.
Posted in General Health, Monday Edition Archive, Poor Diet, Weight Loss.
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| The Monday Edition |
Fast Fact
If you have brittle fingernails, you may need to include more whole grains, soybeans, leafy greens and alfalfa sprouts in your diet. These foods contain plenty of silicon—a mineral that helps your body produce collagen. And that’s just what your skin, hair and nails need for strength and flexibility!
Posted in General Health, Monday Edition Archive.
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| The Monday Edition |
Health E-Hint: A Warm Bath Could Be Your Best Prescription Therapy!
Many folks find a warm bath can help them unwind after a long, hard day. But you might not realize that you can reap greater health benefits—just by adding a few natural ingredients!
Dian Dincin Buchman, Ph.D., author of The Complete Book of Water Healing suggests these natural remedies:
- Apple cider vinegar—add a cup to bathwater to refresh and invigorate tired skin; the vinegar also helps restore the proper acid balance to your skin.
- Bran—helps ease itching and soothe skin irritations; soak a cloth pouch filled with wheat or oat bran in hot water—then add it to your tub water.
- Pine extract—one capful helps open clogged pores… relieve muscle fatigue… and even speed healing of skin rashes!
These simple solutions for your daily bath water can help relieve stress and fatigue—and keep you energized all day!
Posted in Energy, General Health, Monday Edition Archive, Skin Problems, Stress.
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| The Thursday Edition | November 13, 2008 |
Study Links Inflammatory Bowel Disease to Depression
A new study shows the cause of your worries… anxiety attacks… mood swings… depression… and other emotional conditions could be directly linked with two serious digestive diseases. New studies link Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis—collectively known as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)—with increased risk of depression and other mental disorders.
Researchers from the University of Manitoba in Canada conducted the Manitoba IBD Cohort Study on two groups of patients—those suffering from IBD and those who did not.
The results? Lead researcher Charles N. Bernstein, M.D., and colleagues established that the IBD patients had “higher rates of panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and nearly double the rate of major depression.”
These results were published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology.
“Almost one-third of those who had an anxiety disorder or mood disorder had new [symptoms] around the time of IBD diagnosis,” Bernstein said in a Reuters health report. “This needs to be addressed with all patients.”
Besides the emotional and mental side effects, physical symptoms associated with IBD include:
- Abdominal pain
- Bloating
- Persistent diarrhea
- Loss of appetite
- Rectal bleeding
- Plus eye irritations, anemia, fever, skin irritations, weight loss and MORE!
Although the two diseases—Crohn’s and colitis—have similar symptoms, treatment can vary widely based on the severity of symptoms. The symptoms could also be a sign of a lesser condition, known as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
It’s recommended you speak with your healthcare provider, and a colonoscopy or other tests may be necessary to determine to the best course of action.
In terms of the link between IBD and depression, Bernstein added, “We are going to continue to explore the interplay between anxiety, mood disorders and stress and their impact on IBD incidence and flare of IBD once diagnosed.”
Posted in Constipation, Depression, Digestive Health, General Health.
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| The Thursday Edition |
Improve Your Outlook After Stroke With Exercise
A new study focused on stroke patients determined that those who got out of bed during the 24-hour period following the attack improved their mental well-being and overall mood.
The researchers stated the standard of care is to keep a stroke patient in bed. But the new findings suggest patients who are able to move around could benefit greatly from light exercise.
In the study named “A Very Early Rehabilitation Trial (AVERT),” Tony B. Cumming of the National Stroke Research Institute in Melbourne, Australia examined 71 stroke patients. He wanted to see how early and frequent movement affected their levels of depression and anxiety.
Cumming and his colleagues found that in the group that got out of bed at least twice a day within 24 hours of the stroke were found to be less depressed and less anxious than those who remained immobile for periods longer than 30 hours.
In their report published in the Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine, Cumming stated that post-stroke depression is a “major concern” and is associated with “less participation in rehabilitation, poorer rate and extent of recovery and increased mortality.”
Posted in General Health, Stroke.
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