Marijuana Use Linked to Changes in the Brain

Using marijuana daily for four years or longer may be related to certain changes in the brain, according to new research.

In the study, researchers used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to examine the brains of 48 adults who were chronic marijuana users, meaning they used the drug at least three times a day. Researchers also looked at 62 people who didn't use marijuana.

The investigators found that the people who had been smoking marijuana daily for at least four years had a smaller volume of gray matter in a region called the orbitofrontal cortex, which is commonly associated with addiction.

These users also showed greater connectivity between different parts of the brain, compared with nonusers. (Connectivity is a measure of how well information travels between different parts of the brain.)

"We found that there … not only is a change in structure, but there also tends to be a change reflected in the connectivity," said study author Francesca Filbey, an associate professor in the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences at the University of Texas at Dallas. [11 Odd Facts About Marijuana]

The lost brain volume could explain the increased connectivity found in marijuana users' brains, Filbey told Live Science. The brain's connectivity may increase "to compensate for the loss in grey matter volume in that region," she said.

But it also possible that these differences in connectivity and the size of the brain region were present in the people in the study before they started using marijuana, she noted.

"All we can say is that we do see these" differences in people who use marijuana, Filbey said.

Still, there is reason to think marijuana did cause the differences. "We also saw that the younger you are when you start using marijuana regularly, the greater the changes in the brain," she said. Interestingly, the increased connectivity was not seen in the people who had been using marijuana for six to 10 years, she noted.

The differences in the brains of the marijuana users may have something to do with THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), which is the main psychoactive chemical in marijuana. THC affects cannabinoid receptors in the brain, which are involved in regulating appetite, memory and mood, and the orbitofrontal cortex has many of those cannabinoid receptors, Filbey said.

"If someone smokes marijuana, this area is bound to be affected by it," she said.

The researchers suspect that the changes in the brain occur to adapt to the THC in a person's system, she said.

It is difficult to say what consequences these changes may have for users, Filbey said, as it likely depends on the individual. However, previous research has found that the orbitofrontal cortex is very involved in the addiction process and in how people respond to marijuana, Findley said.

"In our other studies, we did find that those who had worse problems with marijuana [addiction] had a greater response in that area," as the area was very hypersensitive to marijuana use, she said.

Source:The study was published Nov. 10 in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

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This Is What One Drink Of Soda Does To Your Body

Coke is the most valuable brand in history, and “Coca-Cola” is the world’s second-most recognized word after “hello.” However, the beverage itself is like a poison to the human metabolism. Coke is very acidic, it’s only one point higher on the pH scale than battery acid. Consequently it can clean surfaces equivalent to and often better than many toxic household cleaners.

It’s cheaper and easier to buy Coke in some third world countries than it is to access clean water. Coke uses “public relations propaganda” to convince consumers and entire nations that it is an “environmental company” when really it is linked to pollution, water shortages, and disease.

People who consume soft drinks such as Coke have a 48% increase in heart attack and stroke risk, compared to people who did not drink the sodas at all or did not drink them every day. A study published in the journal Respirology reveals that soft drink consumption is also associated with lung and breathing disorders including asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

On top of all of this, here is what coke does to the human body after you drink it.

The chemical that should be listed on this image is Bisphenol A, as there are two phenol groups in this chemical.

Source:CE

Cadmium Exposure and Incidence of Diabetes, Is There a Link Between Cadmium Exposure and Diabetes?

There is no need to sugarcoat anything when it comes to diabetics as they are naturally sweet. It is common knowledge that most of the food you eat turns into sugar or glucose which gives energy to your body. One of the organs near the stomach, called as pancreas, produces a hormone called insulin, which helps glucose to enter into different cells in your body. In a diabetic however, the body neither makes enough insulin nor uses its own insulin as well as it should which in turn causes sugar to build up in your blood.

The growing incidence of type 2 diabetes across the globe suggests that environmental toxins may cause diabetes. Researchers say that there could be a link between environmental heavy metal exposure and a number of chronic diseases such as depression, hypertension, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Cadmium is one such heavy metal and environmental nephrotoxic pollutant, which is known to cause pancreatic cancer. It is reported to accumulate in the pancreas and exert diabetogenic effects in animals.

The Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES 1988-1994) in the United States showed a link between cadmium exposure and pancreatic cancer and found some evidence that cadmium might be associated with increased risk of diabetes. The authors conducted a cross-sectional study to show that the urinary cadmium level was associated with impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and diabetes. There are a numerous physiological mechanisms by which cadmium could alter blood glucose levels. It could affect glucose metabolism by acting on a variety of different organs such as pancreas, liver, adipose tissue and the adrenal gland.

Another study was conducted by Yan Borne et al which was published in the journal Plos One. The purpose of their study was to explore if elevated blood cadmium levels are associated with increased incidence of diabetes in middle-aged, normal men and women. 4585 subjects in the age group of 46 to 67 years, who had no prior history of diabetes participated in the study. These participants participated in the Malmö Diet and Cancer study during 1991-1994. Blood cadmium levels were reportedly estimated from hematocrit and cadmium concentrations in erythrocytes.

It was seen that a total of 622 individuals (299 men and 323 women) had diabetes during a mean follow-up of 15.2±4.2 years. It was also observed that baseline HbA1c was positively associated with cadmium (4.7% vs 4.9% for men and 4.7% vs 5.0% for women in the 1st compared to 4th quartile, p<0 .001="" span="">

The results of the study showed that blood cadmium was associated with HbA1c but there was no significant relationship between cadmium and levels of blood glucose and serum insulin. Elevated blood cadmium levels were not seen to be associated with increased incidence of diabetes. The positive association between HbA1c and blood cadmium levels are most likely related to erythrocyte turnover and smoking. Further study is needed in this field to conclusively prove Cd-induced changes in blood glucose levels, pancreatic β-cell damage.
 

Blueberry-Enriched Diet Can Improve Renal Function

Blueberry-enriched diet can be used as non-pharmacological therapy to delay the progression of Metabolic syndrome (MetS), a new research has shown.

 MetS, a group of risk factors that increases your risk for cardio-renal diseases and other health issues, such as diabetes and stroke, occurs in some 20-25% of the world population. 

It develops as a result of an imbalance among dietary intake, inactive lifestyle and glucose metabolism. Scientifically, all these factors play a vital role in proper functioning of the kidneys. 

Researchers tested the hypothesis that inflammation-induced renal damage is triggered by the activation of TLR4, and subsequent modulation of redox-sensitive molecules and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway. 

In the clinical trial, lean and obese Zucker rats (LZR and OZR) were randomly divided into four different groups, and two groups were fed blueberry-enriched diet and others with an isocaloric-controlled diet. 

All the rats were subjected to acute determination of renal plasma flow (RPF) and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) at the end of the 15th week feeding period. Rats were euthanized and kidneys were examined thoroughly. 

Control Zucker rats showed low glucose tolerance and increased oxidative stress. 

Gene and protein expression levels of TLR4 were higher and this was accompanied by increased renal pathology with extensive albuminuria and decline in antioxidant levels in OZR. 

In addition, the rats had increased phosphorylation (addition of a phosphate group to a protein or other organic molecule) of extracellular-signal-regulated kinases (ERK) and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases (p38MAPK). 

It is found that blueberry-fed OZR exhibited significant improvements in all these parameters compared to control rats. 

Researchers concluded that blueberries protect against chronic kidney disease in the rat model of metabolic syndrome by attenuating TLR4 expression and reducing oxidative stress in the kidney. 

"Though there are several pharmacological therapeutics to combat the factors that lead to MetS, most of them have serious side effects. Therefore, a non-pharmacological approach to delay MetS progression is most significant," researchers said. 

Health Facts of Blueberries

Blueberries offer many nutritional benefits. Low in calories and fat, blueberries are regarded as a super-fruit thanks to their levels of phytonutrients and antioxidants. 

From their rich color to their wonderful qualities, blueberries can provide you with brighter vision and healthy brain function. 

Take a look at the six exciting reasons below for the facts as to why you should include this powerful fruit in your daily diet.

1. Blueberries are very low in calories. One cup or 148 g fresh berries provide only 84.4 calories. They possess important plant-nutrients such as soluble dietary fiber, minerals, vitamins, and pigment anti-oxidants that contribute hugely towards the finest health and wellness. 

2. Blueberries are rich in anti-oxidants. The phyto-chemical compounds in the fruit help rid destructive oxygen-derived free radicals from the body, and thereby, protect the human body against cancers, aging and infections. 

3. The chlorogenic acid in the berry helps lower the blood sugar levels and control blood-glucose levels in type-II diabetes condition. 

4. Vitamin C, vitamin A and vitamin E in these berries work as potent anti-oxidants, which help limit free radical mediated injury to the body. 

5. Vitamins such as niacin, pyridoxine, folates and pantothenic acid in blueberries help the body metabolize carbohydrates, protein, and fats. 

6. The berry contains a good amount of minerals like potassium, manganese, copper, iron and zinc. Potassium helps control the heart rate and the blood pressure, Manganese is used as a co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase, Copper is necessary for the production of red blood cells and Iron is required for the red blood cell formation. 

 

Exposure to Peanut In Household Dust may Cause Peanut Allergies in Children

According to a study published today in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, exposure to peanut proteins present in household dust may be a trigger for peanut allergy.The study was conducted in 359 children aged 3-15 months taking part in the NIH-sponsored Consortium for Food Allergy Research (CoFAR) study. These children were at high risk of developing a peanut allergy based on having likely milk or egg allergy or eczema. The study found that the risk of having strong positive allergy tests to peanut increased with increasingly higher amounts of peanut found in living room dust. 

"The relationship was especially strong among children with more severe atopic dermatitis (eczema), suggesting that exposure to peanut in the environment through an impaired skin barrier could be a risk," said Hugh Sampson, MD, Professor of Pediatrics, Dean for Translational Biomedical Sciences at the Icahn School of Medicine, Director of the Jaffe Food Allergy Institute at The Mount Sinai Hospital, and the Principal Investigator for the CoFAR. 
Scott H. Sicherer, MD, a lead investigator for the study and the Elliot and Roslyn Jaffe Professor of Pediatrics at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, noted that it is too early to make recommendations based on these results and that more research is needed. "We need to see if early interventions, such as earlier food consumption, improving the damaged skin barrier, or reducing household exposure will counter the development of the allergy."

Source:Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology

UTMB scientists find marker that predicts changes in cholesterol levels as people grow older

It’s known that cholesterol levels typically rise as people age and that high cholesterol levels are associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease. What’s less known is that cholesterol levels begin to decline the more a person ages. Recently, researchers from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston and the University of Kentucky found that differences in one gene can influence a person’s cholesterol levels from midlife to late life.

The study analyzed data from the blood samples of more than 590 people from the Framingham Heart Study Original Cohort. The specific gene, APOE, encodes proteins involved in maintaining cholesterol levels. People have different alleles, or variations, of APOE. Three of these alleles are APOE e2, APOE e3 and APOE e4. The APOE e4 allele is associated with an increased risk for several aging-related diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease and cardiovascular diseases such as stroke and coronary heart disease. The APOE e2 allele, on the other hand, is associated with a decreased risk for these diseases.

“The increased risk for cognitive and cardiovascular diseases among older adults who carry an APOE e4 allele may be due, in part, to the fact that these individuals are predisposed to having higher total cholesterol and lower HDL cholesterol from midlife through late life, compared to people with the APOE 3 variant,” said Brian Downer, lead author and UTMB Sealy Center on Aging postdoctoral fellow. “The decreased risk for these diseases associated with the APOE e2 allele may be due to the lower total cholesterol and higher HDL cholesterol across the life span. Further research is needed to determine if reducing total cholesterol and increasing HDL cholesterol decreases the risk for cognitive and vascular diseases among adults who carry APOE e4 alleles.”

Another surprising finding of the study is that higher cholesterol in older adults may be associated with longevity. The researchers observed that adults who lived past 90 years of age had higher total cholesterol during late life compared to adults who did not live past 80 or 90 years of age. This may have important implications for continuing the practice of prescribing cholesterol-lowering medications to older adults.

“The relationship between APOE, cholesterol and longevity is complex and it is important to continue conducting research in this area so that older adults know how to appropriately manage cholesterol levels during old age,” said Downer. One could argue that it may be harmful to prescribe medications to lower cholesterol based on evidence that low cholesterol and a decline in cholesterol in older adults is associated with increased mortality. However, further research will be needed to confirm whether a decline in cholesterol plays a direct role in mortality or if this decline is a result of changes that occur during the period of terminal decline prior to death.

“The findings from this study have important implications to public health,” said Downer. “To efficiently modify cholesterol, and as a result, disease risk, it is important to consider how APOE allele status influences cholesterol levels from midlife through late life.”

The other authors of this paper include Steven Estus, Yuriko Katsumata and David Fardo from the University of Kentucky.

Source:This paper was supported by the National Institutes of Health.

Soy spells fewer hot flashes for certain women

 The key is their bodies' ability to produce equol from soy

CLEVELAND, Ohio (November 17, 2014)--Does soy in the diet help with hot flashes? It does, but only for women whose bodies can produce the soy metabolite equol, reports a study of American women just published online inMenopause, the journal of The North American Menopause Society. About 20% to 50% of North American and European women have this ability.
The researchers surveyed women from age 45 to 55 in a Seattle, Washington-area healthcare system to find study participants who weren't using hormone therapy and ate soy foods at least three times a week. The participants recorded how many and how severe and bothersome their hot flashes and night sweats were and also had their hot flashes measured with a skin monitor. Urine tests showed which women produced equol, which is metabolized from the soy isoflavone diazden by bacteria in the gut.
Of the 357 participants, 34% were equol producers. And among the equol producers, those who had the most soy in their diet were 76% less likely to report a higher than average number of hot flashes and night sweats than those who had the least soy in their diet. But for the women who did not produce equol, soy made no difference. Soy intake didn't affect how severe or bothersome the hot flashes and night sweats were for either group.
Measuring equol in urine is a test that's only done in research centers, so it's not realistic for women who are not participating in studies to be tested. And the effect of soy for women who do produce equol needs to be confirmed in controlled, randomized studies, so making a definite recommendation to women on soy and hot flashes is premature, said the authors.
"Women who are interested in trying dietary soy for their hot flashes can do their own experiment by incorporating it as a healthy food in their diet. If it doesn't help in four to six weeks, they can assume it probably won't and can try other lifestyle or medical therapies for their hot flashes," says NAMS Executive Director Margery Gass, MD, NCMP.
That may be what some women in this study did. The clue is that about the same proportion of Caucasian and Asian women in this study were equol producers (36% and 38%, respectively), although it's known that a much higher proportion of Asian women can produce equol. So it may be that the Caucasian women who found soy foods helped regularly included these foods in their diet.
An approach that could help more women reduce hot flashes--whether they can produce equol or not--is to use supplemental equol. A supplement of equol for hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms is being studied now in the United States by Otsuka Pharmaceutical Company, Ltd, which sponsored this study, and its subsidiary Pharmavite LLC, the supplement manufacturer.
Source:Menopause

Suffering from constipation? Self-acupressure can help

UCLA Center for East-West Medicine research shows how Eastern and Western medicine can blend to find solutions to this common problem

About 19 percent of North Americans suffer from constipation, with the digestive condition being more common among women, non-whites, people older than 60, those who are not physically active and the poor.
The costs are significant. Hospital costs to treat the condition were estimated at $4.25 billion in 2010 alone. Constipation can also lead to depression, lower quality of life and a drop in work productivity. Treatments include use of laxatives, increased intake of dietary fiber and fluid, and exercise.
But new research from the UCLA Center for East-West Medicine published online in the Journal of General Internal Medicine shows how Eastern and Western medicine can blend to find solutions to this common medical problem. In a randomized clinical trial, 72 percent of participants said that perineal self-acupressure, a simple technique involving the application of external pressure to the perineum -- the area between the anus and genitals -- helped them have a bowel movement.
The research suggests that all primary care and general internal physicians should consider this technique as a first line intervention together with conventional treatment, said Dr. Ryan Abbott, the study's principal investigator and a visiting assistant professor of medicine in the division of general internal medicine and health services research at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.
"Constipation is very common and can have debilitating symptoms," said Abbott, who is also a researcher and educator with the East-West center. "But patients can perform this simple intervention themselves to treat their own constipation and improve their quality of life. It can also help to limit health care costs and excessive medication use."
The researchers recruited 100 patients, nine of whom dropped out during the trial, age 18 and older whom met the established criteria for functional constipation. Among these criteria are that they have fewer than three defecations per week and that for at least 25 percent of the their bowel movements they:

• Strain during defecation
• Have lumpy or hard stools
• Experience a sensation of incomplete evacuation
• Experience a sense of obstruction or blockage
• Use manual maneuvers such as digital evacuation

After researchers gave patients just three to five minutes of instruction, patients were encouraged to perform the exercises on their own for four weeks when they felt the urge to defecate. Patients reported using the technique three to four times a week on average. The self-acupressure broke up hard stools, relaxed muscles and stimulated nerves responsible for bowel movements.
Among the other findings:

• 72 percent said the technique helped them break up, soften or pass stools
• 54 percent claimed it helped avoid hemorrhoids or lessen the severity of existing hemorrhoids.
• 82 percent said they would continue using the technique
• 72 percent said they would recommend the technique to family and friends

"This unique self-administered acupressure treatment for constipation is just one example of how an integrative approach to medicine helps patients and is cost-effective, too," said Dr. Ka-Kit Hui, Wallis Annenberg Endowed Chair in Integrative East-West Medicine at UCLA and founder and director of the UCLA Center for East-West Medicine. "Utilizing both Eastern and Western approaches helps create a new paradigm of medicine that combines the best of both worlds."
There are some limitations to this study, the authors write. For instance, like all trials of behavioral interventions, this was not a blinded trial. The sample size was also relatively small, with fewer than 100 patients completing the study. Also, the researchers were uncertain whether the technique could prevent constipation or whether similar techniques would result in comparable improvements.
But the study does provide evidence that the technique could be useful in tandem with other treatments.
"As a non-invasive, non-pharmacological treatment intervention for constipation, perineal self-acupressure likely carries a lower risk for side effects and complications than commonly used medications such as stool softeners, fiber supplements, stimulants, laxatives and lubricants," the researchers write. "In addition, perineal self-acupressure may help to control treatment costs because it only requires a brief, initial period of training. Furthermore, not all patients respond favorably to existing treatment options, and perineal self-acupressure may represent an effective alternative to conventional treatment options."
Source:Journal of General Internal Medicine

India Sees Opportunities in Global Demand for Ancient Remedies

A drive to promote India's ancient therapies has been launched by the government as it seeks to cash in on the multi-billion dollar global market for holistic medicine.

 India claims to have natural remedies for everything from cancer to the common cold, but ministers say it has failed to capitalise on its traditions as the world has woken up to alternative medicine. 

Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a teetotal vegetarian who practices yoga daily, has said he wants the world to make Ayurveda "a way of life" -- and in doing so expand India's share of the growing global market for holistic medicine. 

Earlier this month he appointed India's first minister for Ayurveda, yoga, naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and homeopathy -- known as the AAYUSH ministry -- and has also called for an international yoga day. 

"Call it whatever -? Ayurvedic medicines or herbal medicines or traditional medicines ?- the global market is estimated at about $100 billion today," former health minister Harsh Vardhan told a recent conference on Ayurveda in New Delhi. 

"India's share in this is negligible because quality standards are not maintained to international specifications. The government has decided to address this lacuna." 

Ayurvedic medicine -- which means the "science of life" in Sanskrit -- treats the physical and mental sources of illness through, for example, prescribing herbs in conjunction with yoga or massage. 

Much of the knowledge has been passed on through the generations by word of mouth and predates written records, but two volumes of remedies and prescriptions have survived, called the Charaka Samhita and the Sushruta Samhita. 

- 'High priority' - 

Critics say that Ayurvedic remedies have no proven curative properties for disease, and instead work as a placebo. 

"It's like superstition -- it's in your head that it helps. But in real life, you need actual pharma drugs," said P.K. Goyal, a Delhi-based physician. 

But Modi, who as a young man wandered the Himalayas on a spiritual quest, said Ayurvedic remedies should be seen as complementary to modern medicine. 

"If a person adopts Ayurveda, he can protect himself against various infections," said the 64-year-old. 

"(Formerly) health was a part of life. But today we have outsourced health... we consult one doctor and then the other." 

In India, domestic companies such as Dabur, Emami and the Himalaya group have pioneered herbal products, combining ancient traditional medicine with cutting-edge technology to make pills, creams and oils. 

Ayurvedic centres and clinics have also sprung up in Europe and the United States in recent years, and global chain The Body Shop has created its own range of Ayurvedic products. 

On Tuesday the new AAYUSH minister, Shripad Yesso Naik, said he would make promoting Ayurveda a "high priority" as he began his newly-created role. 

"We will do whatever it takes to make India a healthy India in the days ahead," he said, praising the preventive qualities of yoga and Ayurveda. 

According to the World Health Organization, 65 percent of India's rural population uses Ayurvedic remedies, mostly due to poor access to modern health facilities. 

Modi has vowed to provide affordable healthcare to India, where nearly 25 percent of the population lives on less than $1.25 a day and more than 40 million people have been pushed into poverty because of the cost of medical treatment. 

His Hindu nationalist government, which swept to power in May on a promise to revive India's flagging economy, has already announced plans to establish a state-funded Ayurvedic research centre and hospital. 

And many are already converted to the drive. One fan at the conference -- where everything from massage chairs to digestion and blood pressure pills were on display -- needed no further persuading. 

"It's natural, so no side effects, and it's cheap," said 20-year-old Delhi student Ashima Beri. 

"Honestly, these worked on my acne better than any other cream or drug."
 Source:Desk

Time to Invest in Youth power to reap Economic Benefits in Developing World: UN

The growing young population of the world could herald a fast economic growth in the world, but problems of poor healthcare access and lack of education in developing countries are coming in the way of utilising the youth power, said the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in a report.

 

In its annual State of the World Population report, the UNFPA said the number of working-age population is more than the people of non-working age. Thus, children and elderly are posing less economic burden. This shift has been possible due to low fertility rates and mortality rates.

"We have an unprecedented 1.8 billion young people, the largest the world has ever known and the largest the world will ever know," UNFPA Executive Director Babatunde Osotimehin told Thomson Reuters Foundation. "We have an opportunity, particularly the developing world, to take advantage of their energy, their creativity and innovation - to develop their economies and societies," he added.

The report said governments in rapidly developing countries must invest in their growing youth populations to keep away problems such as unemployment, political unrest and alcohol and drug abuse.

Investment is needed in health and education sectors for proper socio-economic development. The less-developed countries can harness ways to create new jobs and remove poverty from the country, but a well-thought development strategy is needed for these youth.

In many poor countries, the increasing number of youth is not able to contribute to the growth of the economy and institutions responsible for providing basic services such as education and access to the job market are not able to cater to this huge number, the UNFPA report said.

Some 89 per cent of the world's youth live in less developed countries. The report said the share of population is also growing. In Afghanistan, East Timor and 15 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, 50 per cent of the population is under 18 years of age, the report said. 

In less-developed countries, youth face a lot of problems. Nearly 200 million cannot read a full sentence, according to the UNFPA. In less-developed countries, out of 15 million young people who enter the job market each year, over 50 per cent can't get employment or are partially employed.

The situation for girls and young women is worse. One in three girls is married before they reach the age of 18 years, said the UNFPA. Some 12 per cent are married off before 15 years.

The report recommended that 'governments focus on increasing gender equality, including by stopping child marriages and increasing access to birth control, as well as expanding access to education for all'. The UNFPA said some Asia countries have set a good example regarding plans for a growing youth population.

In Thailand, the government's emphasis on birth control reduced the average number of children birthed per woman from 5.5 to 2.2 in mere 20 years. In India, the government plan to improve education has brought in tech jobs and service work to the country.

"Recent shifts in the age structure towards younger populations present an unprecedented opportunity to catapult developing economies forward. The 'economic miracle experienced by East Asian economies could become a reality for many of today's poorer countries," the report said. 
 Source:Thomson Reuters Foundation

This Fungus Is Known As “The Mushroom Of Immortality” & “The King Of All Herbs”

Chaga is a non-toxic fungal parasite that grows on birch trees (as well as a few other types) in Northern climates. It is far from your typical soft and squishy mushroom, it actually looks and feels like burnt wood or charcoal. Chaga is known by the Siberians as the “Gift From God” and the “Mushroom of Immortality.” The Japanese call it “The Diamond of the Forest,” and the Chinese refer to it as the “King of Plants.” The Chinese also regard it as an amazing factor in achieving longevity. Chaga does grow in North America, but most Americans have no clue of its existence, let alone amazing healing properties, which will be listed below.

This mushroom of immortality is said to have the highest level of anti-oxidants of any food in the world and also, the highest level of superoxide dismutase (one of the body’s primary internal anti-oxidant defenses) that can be detected in any food or herb. The active constituents of Chaga are a combination of: amino acids, beta glucans, betulinic acid, calcium, chloride, copper, dietary fiber, enzymes, flavonoids, germanium, iron, lanosterol, manganese, magnesium, melanin, pantothenic acid, phenols, phosphorus, polysaccharides, potassium, saponins, selenium, sodium, sterols, trametenolic acid, tripeptides, triterpenes, triterpenoids, vannillic acid, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B3, Vitamin D2, Vitamin K and zinc. Phew.

Chaga is extremely powerful because it contains within it, the actual life force of trees -the most powerful living beings on this Earth. Trees can live for as long as 10,000 years with some even surpassing that. Chaga concentrates this power, and we can harvest it as well. One of the most important properties of Chaga is betulinic acid, however, in order for chaga to be beneficial, it has to be harvested from birch trees only. Birch trees are the only trees that contain this amazing compound. Betulinic acid has a wide range of biological effects including potent antitumor activity.

Some Other Medicinal Properties Of The Chaga Mushroom Include:

• Anti-HIV – a study published in The Pharmological Potential of Mushrooms demonstrated chaga’s potential to lessen symptoms of HIV.
• Antibacterial – Chaga kills or inhibits growth or replication by suppressing or destroying the reproduction of bacteria.
• Anti-Inflammatory – Chaga is known to be a powerful anti-inflammatory and pain reliever, which makes it excellent for conditions such as arthritis.
• Anti-Candida – Because chaga promotes and protects the liver, candida toxins are processed efficiently.
• Adaptogen – Chaga is an adaptogen. Its compounds can increase the body’s capability of adapting to stress, fatigue and anxiety. (Something most Americans can definitely benefit from.)
• Many other potential benefits include the treatment of asthma, hair loss, allergies, boosting the immune system, diabetes, crohn’s disease, psoriasis, anti-aging and literally hundreds of others.

How To Prepare Wild Chaga Mushroom Tea

Chaga mushrooms grow wild in forests in Northern climates on birch trees. If you are lucky enough to find one, you’ll want to harvest it, as chaga can be quite expensive to purchase. DO NOT cut into the tree to retrieve the chaga, doing so could kill the tree. If retrieved correctly the chaga will continue to grow and will be ready to harvest every four years or so, and the tree will continue to thrive.

To make the tea, cut a few small pieces off the chaga and place it in a pot. Pour in about 2 liters of filtered water and cover with a lid. Bring the pot to a boil for a minute or so, then reduce the heat to a simmer and keep the lid off. Let this simmer for about an hour and then add in another liter of water and continue to simmer with the lid on for another hour. This will make approximately 1 liter of chaga mushroom tea. It is a time consuming process, but I think that the amazing benefits justify the process, plus it tastes great! It tastes like a nice vanilla flavored black tea. You can add honey or sweetener if you wish, but I think it tastes surprisingly delicious on its own.

 Source: http://www.keystoneherbs.com/how-to-use

Taking antibiotics during pregnancy increases risk for child becoming obese

 A study just released by Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health found that children who were exposed to antibiotics in the second or third trimester of pregnancy had a higher risk of childhood obesity at age 7. The research also showed that for mothers who delivered their babies by a Caesarean section, whether elective or non-elective, there was a higher risk for obesity in their offspring. Study findings are published online in theInternational Journal of Obesity.
Although previous studies have shown that antibiotics administered early in life may be associated with increased risk of obesity in childhood, this is the first study reporting that maternal antibiotic use in the second or third trimester of pregnancy increases the risk of offspring obesity. Antibiotics affect microbes in the mother and may enter fetal circulation via the placenta. Researchers are beginning to understand that the bacteria that normally inhabit our colon have important roles in maintaining our health and imbalances in these bacterial populations can cause a variety of illnesses. Disturbances in the normal, transmission of bacteria from the mother to the child are thought to place the child at risk for several health conditions, including obesity.
The study is based on data of healthy, non-smoking, pregnant women who were recruited for the Northern Manhattan Mothers and Children Study from prenatal clinics at New York-Presbyterian Hospital and Harlem Hospital Center between 1998 and 2006. Of 727 mothers enrolled in the study, 436 mothers and their children were followed until 7 years of age. Of these 436 children, 16 percent had mothers who used antibiotics in the second or trimester. This work is part of the Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health's efforts to understand how to promote healthy growth and development through out childhood and adolescence.
The children exposed to antibiotics in this timeframe had an 84-percent higher risk of obesity, compared with children who were not exposed.
"Our findings on prenatal antibiotics and risk for offspring obesity are novel, and thus warrant replication in other prospective cohort studies," said Noel Mueller, PhD, postdoctoral research fellow at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health and Institute of Human Nutrition. "If these findings hold up, they suggest new mechanisms through which childhood growth trajectories are influenced at the earliest stages of development. Our findings should not discourage antibiotic use when they are medically needed, but it is important to recognize that antibiotics are currently overprescribed."
Independent of prenatal antibiotic usage, delivery by Caesarean section was also associated with a 46-percent higher risk of childhood obesity. The researchers controlled for maternal age, ethnicity, birth weight, sex, breastfeeding in the first year, and gestational antibiotics or delivery mode.
"Our findings are consistent with a series of papers that looked at data on Caesarean section. While earlier studies suggested that childhood outcomes differ by whether the Caesarean section was elective or non-elective, we did not observe such evidence," said Andrew Rundle, DrPH, associate professor of Epidemiology at the Mailman School of Public Health. "Thus, our findings provide new evidence in support of the hypothesis that Caesarean section independently contributes to the risk of childhood obesity."
Similar to antibiotic use during pregnancy, Caesarean section birth is thought to reduce the normal transmission of bacteria from the mother to the child and to disturb the balance of bacteria in the child. "Strategies to reduce medically unnecessary C-sections and to provide the infant with health promoting bacteria after C-section need to be researched," noted Dr. Mueller.
"Further research is needed on how mode of delivery, antibiotic use during pregnancy and other factors influence the establishment of the ecosystem of bacteria that inhabit each of us," said Dr. Rundle. "This research will help us understand how to create an early platform to support the healthy growth and development of children."
Source:International Journal of Obesity

Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease Get Clear Benefits With Exercise

Studies that will be presented at ASN Kidney Week 2014 November 11¬16 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, PA say that simple exercises can help improve the health of patients with kidney disease.

 

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Because exercise capacity is significantly reduced in CKD patients, Sharlene Greenwood, MD (King''s College Hospital, in London) and her colleagues examined the effect of 12 months of exercise training on kidney function and measures of heart disease risk in patients with progressive CKD stages 3-4. For the study, 20 patients were randomized to a rehabilitation group (REHAB, n = 10) that received exercise training (3 times per week) or standard care (UC, n = 10). A total of 18 participants completed the study (8 from the REHAB group and 10 from the UC group). 

The researchers found that 12 months of exercise-based rehabilitation significantly slowed the rate of kidney function decline and improved cardio-respiratory fitness compared with standard care. "Exercise-based rehabilitation has the potential to be a kidney-protective therapy for patients with progressive stages 3-4 CKD, and larger studies are planned," said Dr. Greenwood. "Exercise, besides protecting the kidneys, also will improve fitness, general health, and quality of life and has the potential to reduce cardiovascular risk, a major cause of mortality and morbidity in patients with CKD." 

In another study, Francesca Mallamaci, MD (National Research Council Institute of Clinical Physiology, in Italy) and her colleagues tested the effectiveness of a low-intensity, easy-to-implement, home exercise program on physical performance in dialysis patients. For the EXCITE trial, 151 patients were instructed to follow the cadence of an inexpensive metronome while walking, while 146 patients maintained their normal physical activity. 

After 6 months, performance in a 6-minute walking test improved in the exercise group (with participants walking 41 meters more in that amount of time), but remained unchanged in the control group. A 'sit to stand'' test also improved in the exercise group but not in the control group. "A personalized, low-intensity home exercise program improves physical performance in dialysis patients," the investigators concluded. "The simplicity and adaptability of the program make it suitable to the needs of a high-risk population such as the dialysis population." 

Studies: 
"Exercise Training Improves Kidney Function, Cardiovascular Health, and Cardio-Respiratory Fitness in Patients with Progressive Stage 3-4 Chronic Kidney Disease: A Randomised Controlled Study" (Abstract TH-PO722) 

"A Personalized, Low-Intensity, Easy to Implement, Home Exercise Program Improves Physical Performance In Dialysis Patients: the Exercise Introduction to Enhance Performance in Dialysis (EXCITE) Trial" (Abstract FR-OR049) 

Disclosure information is available at www.asn-online.org/education/kidneyweek/2014/program-faculty.aspx. 

ASN Kidney Week 2014, the largest nephrology meeting of its kind, will provide a forum for more than 13,000 professionals to discuss the latest findings in renal research and engage in educational sessions related to advances in the care of patients with kidney and related disorders. Kidney Week 2014 will take place November 11-16, 2014 in Philadelphia, PA.

The content of this article does not reflect the views or opinions of The American Society of Nephrology (ASN). Responsibility for the information and views expressed therein lies entirely with the author(s). ASN does not offer medical advice. All content in ASN publications is for informational purposes only, and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, drug interactions, or adverse effects. This content should not be used during a medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. Please consult your doctor or other qualified health care provider if you have any questions about a medical condition, or before taking any drug, changing your diet or commencing or discontinuing any course of treatment. Do not ignore or delay obtaining professional medical advice because of information accessed through ASN. Call 911 or your doctor for all medical emergencies. 

Founded in 1966, and with more than 15,000 members, the American Society of Nephrology (ASN) leads the fight against kidney disease by educating health professionals, sharing new knowledge, advancing research, and advocating the highest quality care for patients.
 Source:ASN Kidney Week 2014 

Complementary and alternative medicine for veterans and military personnel -- update from Medical Care

Special issue reports progress, but more work needed to incorporate CAM into military health settings

November 17, 2014 - A growing body of research evidence shows that complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has health benefits for US military veterans and active duty personnel, according to a special December supplement to Medical Care. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.
The special issue presents new studies and commentaries on the benefits and increasing use of CAM techniques in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and other military health settings. "The papers in this supplement represent promising steps to improve the health of veterans and active military personnel," according to an introductory article by Guest Editors Stephanie L. Taylor, PhD, of Greater Los Angeles VA Healthcare System and A. Rani Elwy, PhD, of Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital, Bedford, Mass. "They mirror the countless stories we hear from veterans and their providers about the positive effect that CAM is having on their lives."
Studies Show Value of CAM for Improving Health of Military Personnel
The supplement presents 14 original studies reporting on specific CAM therapies and on the current use, perceptions, and acceptance of CAM in veterans and current military personnel. The special issue of Medical Care is sponsored by the VHA's Office of Patient Centered Care and Cultural Transformation.
Complementary and alternative medicine therapies are increasingly available, used, and appreciated by military patients, according to Drs Taylor and Elwy. They cite statistics showing that CAM programs are now offered at nearly 90 percent of VA medical facilities. Use CAM modalities by veterans and active military personnel is as at least as high as in the general population.
Previous systematic reviews have reported benefits of CAM treatments for many of the important problems seen in military populations, including chronic pain, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and depression. Those prior results suggest that CAM therapies are "moderately effective" for these conditions--although these conclusions must be weighed against the weaknesses of the evidence base.
Highlights of the research included in the special issue include:

• Studies reporting benefits of specific types of meditation practices. One study finds that a mindfulness-based intervention reduced depression and improved psychological well-being in veterans with PTSD. A study of mindfulness-based stress reduction for veterans shows reductions in anxiety and depression, as well as suicidal thoughts.
• A report showing beneficial effects of acupuncture for veterans with PTSD. In addition to reduced severity of PTSD symptoms, the study shows improvements in depression, pain, and physical and mental health functioning. Another study finds that most veterans use vitamins and nutritional supplements, often substituting them for prescription drugs.
• Studies showing high rates of use and favorable perceptions found of CAM modalities among veterans of the Gulf War and Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom. Veterans with PTSD are more likely to be accepting of CAM therapies.
• Reports describing the rates and preferred types of CAM mind-body and other modalities among military members and veterans, as well as on health care providers' attitudes toward CAM. While VA providers vary in their knowledge of CAM, many perceive benefits for their patients.

A commentary by Laura P. Krejci, MSW, and colleagues of the VA's Office of Patient Centered Care & Cultural Transformation discusses the role of CAM in meeting the "number one strategic priority" of providing "personalized, proactive, patient-driven health care to veterans." Dr Wayne B. Jonas and colleagues of the Samueli Institute, Alexandria, Va., draw attention to several bodies of research on CAM in the US military. They conclude that current policy and priorities leave "the majority of active duty service members, veterans, and their families to fend for themselves, to pay for or go without the beneficial effects of CAM and integrative medicine practices."
While the studies in the special issue show progress, Drs Taylor and Elwy stress the need for additional rigorous research to better understand CAM's potential for managing important conditions seen in military populations. They conclude, "It is time for more funding to be awarded to CAM ...to improve the capacity of the field to carry out rigorous CAM research, which in turn will benefit veterans and military personnel, as well as the general population."
Source:Medical Care

Imperfect system is all that protects you from genetic parasites out to destroy your genes

The PIWI pathway only does so much to keep transposons in check

We like to think of evolution as a fine-tuning process, one that whittles away genetic redundancies. The only problem is, we are not fine-tuned machines. Our bodies are chock-full of parts that either don't work anymore or are so buggy that our biology has Macgyvered a way to make it work.
Take our DNA. No, seriously, take our DNA. It's mostly garbage anyways. Fifty percent of our genome is comprised of genetic parasites, called transposable elements or transposons, that usually lie dormant. When they are allowed to move around the genome, they can wreak havoc on our genes. These bundles of rogue DNA sequences, nicknamed jumping genes, can hop into an essential gene and interrupt it, leading to a variety of mutations that cause conditions like infertility.
Our reproductive cells, called germ cells, are particularly sensitive to transposons, so they rely on a system called the PIWI pathway to keep the transposons in check. Scientists have long wondered how the pathway works and why, despite its checks and balances, do transposons still make up such a large portion of our genome. Understanding the system would help scientists demystify human infertility and other diseases that result when transposons run amok.
Brandeis biology professor Nelson Lau and his lab recently published two studies on the PIWI pathway, short for P-element Induced Wimpy testis. When the pathway is blocked in fruit flies, it results in small, infertile testes and ovaries.
The pathway's main weapons against transposons are PIWI proteins and small RNA molecules called piRNAs.
Think of PIWI proteins as transposon bounty hunters and piRNAs as the wanted posters that provide vital information about the outlaw DNA. But the piRNAs don't offer a complete picture. "Germ cells do something very weird by shredding that wanted poster into a lot of small pieces," Lau says. "Instead of carrying the whole poster, piRNAs carry what might look like part of a nose, half of an eye or a sliver of a lip."
Just as a shredded wanted poster could match many faces, those small piRNAs could match many good genes, so how do PIWI proteins track down and silence transposons without silencing good genes in the process?
In a study published in RNA, Lau and his team, led by graduate student Josef Clark and former technician Christina Post, observed that PIWI proteins are careful. The proteins waited until they had a good composite picture from enough piRNAs before they clamped down on the transposon
But that doesn't mean the system is flawless. Far from it, Lau's team discovered.
In a second study published in Genome Research, Lau and postdocs Yuliya Sytnikova, Reazur Rahman and bioinformatician Gung-wei Chirn observed new transposable elements in the fruit fly cells moving to different areas of the genome, affecting nearby genes. "We all knew that the PIWI pathway was continuously active, so the conventional wisdom was that it was doing a decent job keeping these transposons under wraps," Lau says. "We stood corrected."
It turns out transposons are not so easily subdued. Many slipped past the PIWI system, landing on new genome spots and impacting surrounding genes. Some transposons could even make disguises -- long non-coding RNAs that Lau thinks are meant to trick the PIWI proteins.
This may explain why transposons continue to make up such a large part of our genome, Lau says. "The PIWI pathway works just well enough to allow our germ cells to develop, but not well enough to keep all of the transposons fully redacted," he says.
This may seem an ineffective way to protect our genome -- our body's most important artifact -- but there may be a method in PIWI's madness. After all, transposons have evolved with every member of the animal kingdom, from sponges to humans -- there must be some reason they're tolerated.
Perhaps, Lau says, a bit of genetic mischief, in the right places, is good. It ensures genetic variation and diversity, which is important for a species to reproduce and evolve.
Like so much of our biology, it's not pretty but it is effective -- for the most part.
Source:Genome Research