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Archive for the ‘Medical Benefits’ Category

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Cure For Failing Memory May Be The “Speed-Dial” Molecule

In Accelerated Learning, Medical Benefits, Mind-Body, Quality of Life on September 12, 2011 at 6:51 pm

Suppose scientists could erase certain memories by tinkering with a single substance in the brain. Could make you forget a chronic fear, a traumatic loss, even a bad habit.

The Speed-Dial Molecule

For all that scientists have studied it, the brain remains the most complex and mysterious human organ — and, now, the focus of billions of dollars’ worth of research to penetrate its secrets.

This is the first article in a series that will look in depth at some of the insights these projects are producing.

Researchers in Brooklyn have recently accomplished comparable feats, with a single dose of an experimental drug delivered to areas of the brain critical for holding specific types of memory, like emotional associations, spatial knowledge or motor skills.

The drug blocks the activity of a substance that the brain apparently needs to retain much of its learned information. And if enhanced, the substance could help ward off dementias and other memory problems.

So far, the research has been done only on animals. But scientists say this memory system is likely to work almost identically in people.

The discovery of such an apparently critical memory molecule, and its many potential uses, are part of the buzz surrounding a field that, in just the past few years, has made the seemingly impossible suddenly probable: neuroscience, the study of the brain.

“If this molecule is as important as it appears to be, you can see the possible implications,” said Dr. Todd C. Sacktor, a 52-year-old neuroscientist who leads the team at the SUNY Downstate Medical Center, in Brooklyn, which demonstrated its effect on memory. “For trauma. For addiction, which is a learned behavior. Ultimately for improving memory and learning.” Read the rest of this entry »

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Balance Your Brain For Better Health And Prosperity!

In Medical Benefits, Mind-Body, Prosperity, Quality of Life on July 20, 2011 at 10:39 pm

Want to have more energy, be healthier, more productive, have a better outlook on life in realizing your personal and financial goals? Maybe balancing your brain is the answer.

More specifically, balancing the left and right sides of your brain to produce harmonic brain wave activity that creates a synergy between perspectives in your internal world of thought and the outside world of materiality.

Centerpoint Research Insttitute lays claim to creating specialized sound technology, anyone can easily use, to electronically induce deep levels of meditation previously available to a only a very few highly trained and disciplined practioners.

The Well-Balanced Brain

Just as we exercise our bodies to feel better and improve our physical health, stimulating the brain in this manner “exercises” the brain, bringing better mental and emotional health and increased intellectual functioning.

Researcher Robert Cosgrove, Jr., Ph.D., M.D., and an authority in pharmaceutics and biomedical engineering, noted that technologies that alter brain wave patterns: Read the rest of this entry »

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Feed Your Brain To Live Longer And Feel Better

In Food & Drink, Medical Benefits, Mind-Body, Quality of Life on June 13, 2011 at 9:26 pm

Many people exercise to keep their muscles strong and healthy. However, with so much attention on keeping our bodies looking and performing their best, it’s easy to forget that the brain also needs to be protected from weakness and age.

Just like the human body, the brain also requires adequate nutrition to remain healthy and perform efficiently.

WILD SALMON

A source of high-quality animal protein, wild salmon is one of best foods to improve brain health. Omega-3 fatty acids provide the nutrients necessary for brain function, while also possessing anti-inflammatory properties. Wild salmon is low in saturated fat and has been praised for its cleanliness and abundance, as well as its low mercury levels, according to WebMD.

BLUEBERRIES

Researchers have discovered that a diet rich in blueberries protects the brain from age-related diseases, including Alzheimer’s and dementia, due to their ability to counteract stress. According to WebMD, one scientific study indicated that aging rats, when given a blueberry-based diet, demonstrated evidence of better motor skills and learning ability. Blueberries also contain antioxidants, which improve cognition while protecting the brain from aging prematurely. Read the rest of this entry »

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Want To Be Healthier – Give Yourself A Break!

In Food & Drink, Medical Benefits, Mind-Body, Quality of Life on June 1, 2011 at 11:19 pm

Do you treat yourself as well as you treat your friends and family?

That simple question is the basis for a burgeoning new area of psychological research called self-compassion — how kindly people view themselves. People who find it easy to be supportive and understanding to others, it turns out, often score surprisingly low on self-compassion tests, berating themselves for perceived failures like being overweight or not exercising.

The research suggests that giving ourselves a break and accepting our imperfections may be the first step toward better health. People who score high on tests of self-compassion have less depression and anxiety, and tend to be happier and more optimistic. Preliminary data suggest that self-compassion can even influence how much we eat and may help some people lose weight

This idea does seem at odds with the advice dispensed by many doctors and self-help books, which suggest that willpower and self-discipline are the keys to better health. But Kristin Neff, a pioneer in the field, says self-compassion is not to be confused with self-indulgence or lower standards. Read the rest of this entry »

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Laughter Is The Universal Healer

In Funny Stuff, Life, Medical Benefits, Mind-Body, Quality of Life, Zowie Fun Facts on April 29, 2011 at 9:19 pm

A man goes to a psychiatrist and says, “Doc, my brother’s crazy, he thinks he’s a chicken.” The doctor says, “Why don’t you turn him in?” The guy says, “We would. But we need the eggs.”

If you just laughed out loud, or even released an involuntary chuckle, you probably experienced a surge of endorphins that increased your energy levels, boosted your mood and may have even decreased any aches or pains in your body. These effects are all part of laughter’s positive impact on our daily lives.

“A sense of humour allows us to cope with stress. If we’re able to see the funny side of life’s problems, we are less likely to become distressed, overwhelmed, anxious and depressed by them,” says Rod Martin, a professor at the University of Western Ontario whose research focuses on the psychology of humour.

Although much has been made of laughter’s healing properties, less is known about what actually makes us laugh. Read the rest of this entry »

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The Strange World Of Dream Sleep

In Dreams, Medical Benefits, Mind-Body, Quality of Life, Science, Sleep Therapy, Wild Stuff on April 20, 2011 at 8:00 pm

What happens when we go to sleep and begin to dream? Why do some people sleepwalk? Where are they really? Why do we need to sleep at all? These are some of the fascinating questions scientists are starting to answer through sleep research. Their discoveries are changing the way we view the simple act of sleeping.

French and Swiss researchers caught on tape what other studies have deduced through brain recordings and memory tasks: as we sleep, our brains seem to replay what we learned during the day. They recruited 19 sleepwalkers and 20 people with sleep behavior disorder, who physically act out their dreams, plus 18 people without any sleep disorders.

All the subjects learned a physical skill: hitting particular buttons arrayed around them in response to different prompts from a computer. The researchers then videotaped each person as they slept. One of the sleepwalkers lifted her arms during REM sleep and started moving her hands in a familiar pattern: an “obvious and accurate re-enactment of a short fragment of the recently learned sequence of movements,” the researchers wrote. Read the rest of this entry »

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Positive Thinking Is Powerful Medicine

In Medical Benefits, Mind-Body, Quality of Life, Science on April 14, 2011 at 3:03 pm

Positive thinking and a positive attitude may indeed have power. That belief has long been conjecture, but in recent years scientists studying the mind-body connection are finding that an optimistic outlook can improve more than just mental health.

Christopher Reeve’s death last year, nine years after being paralyzed in a horseback riding accident is, to some researchers, an example of just how Reeve’s positive attitude during his post-accident life surely contributed to an improved physical state.

“There is no doubt in my mind his positive attitude extended his life — probably dramatically. The fact that it didn’t allow him to recover function of all limbs is besides the point,” said Carol Ryff, a psychology professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who has been studying whether or not high levels of psychological well-being benefit physical health.

“There is a science that is emerging that says a positive attitude isn’t just a state of mind,” she says. Read the rest of this entry »

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The Health Benefits Of Drinking Wine Revealed

In Culture, Food & Drink, Life, Medical Benefits, Quality of Life, Zowie Fun Facts on March 16, 2011 at 10:15 pm

Is there any evidence that drinking wine can be good for your heart and general health? What about claims of positive effects on longevity? Looks like we’re in luck.

Every year, there is a flurry of headlines about the health benefits of wine. But can drinking wine really make a difference? Here is the news—very good news, indeed—from the latest studies. Note: The health benefits come from moderate wine consumption, defined by the American Heart Association as one to two four-ounce glasses a day.

Read the rest of this entry »

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Why Do We Need So Much Sleep?

In Culture, Medical Benefits, Quality of Life, Zowie Fun Facts on March 9, 2011 at 10:46 pm

In today’s hectic world, trying to fit in eight hours of sleep a day is a big bummer. It’s not so much that people dislike sleep as a general rule. It’s just competing with too many things we need to do, or prefer to do instead. And that’s becoming a bigger problem now in our ultra-fast paced society.

So do we really need a lot of sleep and is it important to try and get at least 8 hours a night?  Daniel Kripke, co-director of research at the Scripps Clinic Sleep Center in La Jolla, California, puts it to us straight: you don’t live as long if you don’t get enough sleep. Okay, that’s pretty plain. But how much is enough? Read the rest of this entry »

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Is Chocolate Really Good For You?

In Food & Drink, Medical Benefits, Quality of Life, Zowie Fun Facts on March 1, 2011 at 9:42 pm

Chocolate, or by its botanical name: Theobroma cacao,  literally means “food of the gods”. But can anything that tastes that sinfully delicious really be good for you? Rejoice chocoholics of the world – in fact it is also rich in health benefits!

According to WebMD: “Research has shown that when dark chocolate is part of a healthy lifestyle, it can improve heart health, blood pressure, reduce LDL “bad” cholesterol, and increase blood flow to the brain. It may also improve blood sugar and insulin sensitivity, reducing diabetes risk.”

The darker, richer and more naturally chocolate ingredients the better. Though there can be some health benefits to having any chocolate ingredients in your desert, obviously the less sugar and the fewer preservatives the better. Stay away from chewy, marshmallow, caramel and cream centered chocolates and stick to the simpler, solid dark chocolate.

But beware of the side effects. Drat, there’s always a catch right? Cheer up though. It turns out the only major side effect is the calories. There are approximately 531 calories in a standard sized dark chocolate Hershey’s bar. But you should be satisfied with just an ounce of chocolate when you feel the urge, with only 150 sinless calories in roughly 6 Hershey’s Kisses. You get the health benefits without slapping the extra inches on your hips.

So indulge yourself. And just remember the 3 rules to safer living: drink, drive and eat chocolate responsibly.

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