Mental Attitude
Fear is Processed by Different Parts of the Brain. Research on mice has found that certain fears (such as exposure to physical pain, aggressive approaches from same species, or the presence of a predator) activate different brain circuits, even though the mice react the same way to all threats. If confirmed in humans, this finding could help scientists develop treatments for certain phobias simply by targeting the relevant region/s of the brain.
Nature Neuroscience, November 2013
Health Alert
Possible New Treatment for IBD Sufferers. Japanese researchers may have found a potential therapy for patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), such as Crohn's disease. Previous research has shown that IBD sufferers have low levels of the fatty acid butyrate in their guts. Butyrate promotes the increase of Regulatory T Cells in the digestive tract. When butyrate was added to the diets of mice with colitis (an IBD), their Regulatory T Cells levels increased and their symptoms improved. According to lead author Dr. Hiroshi Ohno, "Regulatory T cells are important for the containment of excessive inflammatory responses as well as
autoimmune disorders. Therefore these findings could be applicable for the prevention and treatment of inflammatory bowel disease
(IBD), allergy, and autoimmune disease… Butyrate is natural and safe as a therapy and in addition to that, it is cheap, which could
reduce costs for both patients and society."
Nature, November 2013
Diet
Vegetable Oils May Actually Increase Risk of Heart Disease. The promotion of polyunsaturated vegetable oils to help prevent heart disease has been a common practice for several years; however, these oils may actually increase the risk of heart disease.
Most seed oils like corn, sunflower, and soybean oil are rich in omega-6 fatty acids and contain almost no omega-3 fatty acids. Recent research does not show that omega-6 fatty acids provide any beneficial effects to the heart.
CMAJ, October 2013
Exercise
Walking Cuts Stroke Risk in Older Men. British researchers report that men may reduce their risk of stroke by taking a daily stroll. Walking for an hour or two daily may lower the risk of stroke by as much as one third and walking for three hours daily may reduce the risk by two thirds. Lead researcher Dr. Barbara Jefferis adds, "Stroke is a major cause of death and disability and it is important to find ways to prevent stroke, especially in older people who are at high risk."
Stroke, November 2013
Chiropractic
Pediatric Care Safety. A review of the chiropractic literature on pediatric care suggests a rate of 1% or less for mild adverse events associated with chiropractic manipulation. For comparison, osteopathic manipulation performed on children carries a 9% risk for mild adverse events and medical manipulation carries a 6% risk. No serious adverse event has been reported in the literature since 1992 and no deaths possibly associated with chiropractic pediatric manipulation have been reported for over 40 years.
Clinical Chiropractic, September 2011
Wellness/Prevention
New Breathalyzer Monitors Blood Sugar. A scientist from Western New England University in Springfield, Massachusetts, has created a breathalyzer that can monitor blood glucose levels in diabetics. This device works by detecting acetone levels in the breath, which in turn reveals glucose levels in the blood. The device's inventor, Dr. Ronnie Priefer, adds, "Breathalyzers are a growing field of study because of their potential to have a significant positive impact on patients' quality of life and compliance with diabetes monitoring. What makes our technology different is that it only accounts for acetone and doesn't react with other components in the breath."
American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) Annual Meeting and Exposition, November 2013
Quote
“The foundation of success in life is good health:
that is the substratum fortune;
it is also the basis of happiness.
A person cannot accumulate a
fortune very well when he is sick.”
~ P.T. Barnum
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