January 15, 2014

Short and Sweet

Sugary sodas and other treats appear to cause brain damage:  A new study suggests too much sugar can shrink the brain areas linked to memory and emotional processing. According to Dr. Cherbuin, an epidemiologist and neuroscientist at the prestigious Australian National University in Canberra, the best way to reduce the likelihood of this happening is adopting a healthy lifestyle and avoiding eating high amounts of sugar.

Migraines link to plastic cups and bottles: New research shows that a controversial ‘gender-bending’ chemical in synthetic packaging may trigger migraines. Researchers urge sufferers to cut their potential exposure to BPA by not using plastic microwave trays, bottles and office water coolers. Bisphenol A (BPA) has already been linked to a range of heath problems including obesity, infertility and heart attacks. 
Pharmaceutical firms paid for privilege to attend meetings of panel that advises FDA: A scientific panel that shaped the federal government’s policy for testing the safety and effectiveness of painkillers was funded by major pharmaceutical companies that paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for the chance to affect the thinking of the Food and Drug Administration, according to hundreds of e-mails obtained by a public records request.

'Food fraud' a growing problem in grocery stores: If you are what you eat, you could be having an identity crisis. Foods we eat every day could include ingredients that aren't supposed to be the there. It's called "food fraud" and its a growing problem. Fish, honey, milk, orange juice, and olive oil - what do they all have in common? They top the list when it comes to food fraud. Cheap imitations are filling up grocery store shelves. 

Is Chicken Pox Vaccine to Blame for Shingles Outbreak?: Nationally recognized health authority and neurosurgeon Dr. Russell Blaylock says that older people develop shingles because their cellular immunity is suppressed: "The answer to this problem is not to add one more vaccine—it is to boost cellular immunity by replacing deficient vitamins and minerals and using specific cellular immune stimulants, such as beta-glucan," says Dr. Blaylock. "Cleaning up the immune-suppressing American diet is also essential.” 

Research uncovers the "gut-brain axis": It has long been established that our gut acts as a second nervous system and is capable of functioning without input from the brain.
Nevertheless, the brain and gut are still intimately connected through a process called "the gut-brain axis", and changes to either system can have dramatic effects on the other. Recent findings highlight the important role of bacteria in the communication between the gut and the brain. Our increasing knowledge of how human mental illnesses – such as autism, anxiety, and depression – are linked to gut flora may lead to future treatments of mental illness.