Health & WellnessS


Question

Why do humans yawn?

Dr. Mercola
mercola.com
Sat, 29 Jul 2017 15:49 UTC
Yawning
© Michael Haegele/Corbis
Yawning starts before you're born and has often been associated with boredom or being tired. But, research now suggests there is more to this simple behavior than you may have imagined. It is as involuntary as breathing in many cases and likely has more than one trigger.

Scientists are split into two camps - one believes yawning has a physiological cause and physical benefit, while the other believes yawning is psychologically triggered and once was used as means of communication.1 What we do know is that all humans and most animals yawn for one reason or another.

One popular theory behind yawning is related to the shallowness of your breathing. In other words, the more shallow your breathing, the less oxygen enters your blood. In response, your body triggers a yawn that increases the amount of air you breathe in and increases your blood oxygen level.

However, a compelling theory explored by Princeton University researcher Andrew C. Gallup, Ph.D., and colleagues links yawning to sleep deprivation, tiredness and cooling your brain.2

Comment: More on yawning:

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Wolf

Healthcare for dogs is becoming more breed-specific


Natural Blaze
Fri, 28 Jul 2017 15:40 UTC
puppy
If you love dogs and have the chance of owning one yourself, then you quickly realize that - just like having a child - you have a life whose medical care is in your hands. Of course, you want the best care that money can buy and that starts with taking a proactive position on the subject.

But did you know that care of your dog has begun to shift throughout the veterinarian profession from one that relies on a general understanding of canine health problems to one that recognizes that each breed has its own peculiarities that are best served by breed-specific health care options?

We are a nation of specialists. When we have trouble with our eyes, we see an eye doctor - an ophthalmologist. When we have trouble with our feet, we see a podiatrist, and so on and so forth.

According to the website DogTime, there are more than 200 different breeds of dogs, a number that will change depending on what organization you consult, given they might have different criterion they use to define or recognize a breed. The American Kennel Club, which is frequency considered an authority on the subject, currently recognizes 189 different breeds of dogs, although their standards are considered relatively exacting and rigorous compared to others.
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Health

The fallacy of 'safe levels' of mercury and lead

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
Natural Blaze
Sat, 29 Jul 2017 15:32 UTC
heavy metal test
In our toxin-filled world, we often look to government agencies to tell us what levels of exposure we should consider safe or unsafe. If our exposure does not exceed an agency-determined threshold, we assume there is little cause for concern. How do regulatory agencies determine these thresholds? There is considerable evidence to suggest that safety limits are often arbitrary and do not accurately flag risks.

A new study published in Environmental Research by a group of researchers in upstate New York underscores this point. Lead author Dr. Brooks Gump of Syracuse University and coauthors call attention to problems associated with low levels of background exposure to lead and mercury, at concentrations notably lower than those deemed "elevated" by federal agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The authors report on results from the Environmental Exposures and Child Health Outcomes (EECHO) study, an ongoing study involving African-American and white children (ages 9-11) in low- and middle-income urban neighborhoods. Although the EECHO study's primary purpose is to investigate the influence of environmental toxicant exposures on cardiovascular risk indices, the Environmental Research paper focuses on interesting associations between environmental toxicants and neurodevelopmental outcomes.
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Info

Is fasting the Fountain of Youth?

Sara Burrows
Return to Now
Wed, 19 Jul 2017 20:21 UTC
Fasting
© Return to Now
The less you eat the longer you live, and the healthier you are, according to experts on aging and longevity, who've discovered fasting protects our genes and speeds up the regeneration of our cells.

"It's been known for a long time that one way to extend the lifespan of laboratory animals is simply to reduce their energy (calorie) intake," says
Mark Mattson, a neuroscientist at the National Institute on Aging and professor at Johns Hopkins University.

The lifespan of lab rats has been increased by up to 40 percent by feeding them less. In a Ted Talk titled Why Fasting Bolsters Brain Power, Mattson suggests humans could do the same by adopting a lifestyle of intermittent fasting:
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Info

The epidemic of diseased ovaries - Polycystic ovarian syndrome

Marco Cáceres & Barbara Loe Fisher
The Vaccine Reaction
Sun, 30 Jul 2017 15:06 UTC
PCOS
While there are no studies to confirm a link between PCOS and certain drugs or vaccines, questions have been raised about girls who have received human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine Gardasil and developed symptoms of PCOS.
In an article in The Vaccine Reaction titled "Why are Americans So Sick?" journalist Rishma Parpia noted that the United States is experiencing an epidemic of autoimmune diseases. She listed several autoimmune diseases associated with chronic inflammation in the body that have become so "common" that they have come to be seen as normal, including celiac disease, lupus, multiple sclerosis (MS), and type 1 diabetes.1

There is another serious chronic health condition becoming more prevalent in the U.S. and other countries defined as an endocrine (hormonal) disorder, which some scientists suspect may also be an autoimmune disease. It is called polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).2,3,4 The U.S. Office on Women's Health estimates that one in 10 women between ages 15 and 44 in the U.S. have PCOS.5
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Bulb

The reasons why almost no children in France are medicated for ADHD: Ways in which they define and treat it

Kalee Brown
Collective Evolution
Sat, 28 Oct 2017 00:00 UTC
Franch children ADHD
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 11% of American children between the ages of 4 and 17 have been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) as of 2011. However, if you ask the American Psychiatric Association (APA), they maintain that even though only 5% of American children suffer from the disorder, the diagnosis is actually given to around 15% of American children. This number has been steadily rising, jumping from 7.8% in 2003 to 9.5% in 2007.

Big Pharma has played a significant role in manufacturing the ADHD epidemic in the U.S., convincing parents and doctors that ADHD is a common problem amongst children and one that should be medicated. However, many countries disagree with the American stance on ADHD, so much so that they have entirely different structures for defining, diagnosing, and treating it. For example, the percentage of children in France that have been diagnosed and medicated for ADHD is less than 0.5%. This is largely because French doctors don't consider ADHD a biological disorder with biological causes, but rather a medical condition caused by psycho-social and situational factors.
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Arrow Up

'Dirt is good': Why kids need exposure to germs

Lulu Garcia-Navarro
NPR
Sun, 16 Jul 2017 05:00 UTC
kids_dirt
© Elizabethsalleebauer/Getty Images/RooM RFJack Gilbert, co-author of the book "Dirt Is Good," says kids should be encouraged to get dirty, play with animals and eat colorful vegetables.
As a new parent, Jack Gilbert got a lot of different advice on how to properly look after his child: when to give him antibiotics or how often he should sterilize his pacifier, for example.

After the birth of his second child, Gilbert, a scientist who studies microbial ecosystems at the University of Chicago, decided to find out what's actually known about the risks involved when modern-day children come in contact with germs.

"It turned out that most of the exposures were actually beneficial," Gilbert says. "So that dirty pacifier that fell on the floor - if you just stick it in your mouth and lick it, and then pop it back in little Tommy's mouth, it's actually going to stimulate their immune system. Their immune system's going to become stronger because of it."

Gilbert is now the co-author of a new book called Dirt is Good: The Advantage of Germs for Your Child's Developing Immune System. Presented in a Q&A format, the book seeks to answer many of the questions Gilbert has fielded from parents over the years.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
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Life Preserver

Holistic medicine: A life without fear

Kelly Brogan, MD
kellybroganmd.com
Thu, 27 Jul 2017 14:45 UTC
holistic medicine
There is a radically different way to think about health. You may have heard about it, but are you clear on what it truly means, and the transformations it can yield in your mind, body and spirit?

You can fight or you can trust.

It's really that simple.

In conventional medicine, the body is a faulty machine that needs to be monitored, tinkered with, and saved from itself through chemical and surgical interventions, the avoidance of which could spell disaster. Through the conventional lens, for example, it's us versus the germs and if we get exposed to one, they get in and try to get us. Our only responsibility is to take antibiotics and symptom-managing over-the-counter drugs while we continue to punch the clock. If we choose not to take antibiotics, well then, infections can spread and even kill! It's all about FEAR. The unexpected, the devastating, the fatal.

But there's another story that you can ease into (or snap into in my case).

Comment: Read more about the differences between holistic and conventional medicine:

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Info

Sleeping less than 7hrs a night may contribute to a larger waistline and risk of heart disease, study finds

Daniel Steingold
Study Finds
Fri, 28 Jul 2017 00:00 UTC
Sleep
A new study finds that people who don’t get enough sleep regularly are more likely to have larger waistlines and at a greater risk of heart disease.
A night of poor sleep can make you bleary-eyed the next day, but when it happens regularly, it may also contribute to making you fatter. A new study finds people who lack sufficient shut-eye - particularly those who sleep less than seven hours a night - are at a greater risk of obesity, along with a host of other maladies linked to heart health.

Researchers at the University of Leeds studied 1,615 adults, all of whom reported their sleep and eating patterns. Participants also had their weight, waist circumference, and blood pressure levels recorded, as the researchers looked at how these variables were affected by a night's rest.

Comment: Read more on diet and sleep: Why You Need To Learn About Leptin If You Are Overweight
Snippet from the above article:
Not Only Diet: Sleep and Leptin Resistance

As I mentioned above, leptin resistance isn't only a result of a poor diet. Lifestyle factors like stress and poor sleep play a huge role.

To fix leptin resistance you must improve your sleep.

Poor sleep contributes to fat gain. This is why I put so much emphasis on sleep in The Program.

Let's take a quick look at how leptin, sleep and fat loss are interconnected.In a healthy body, the following happens at night:
  1. After 4 hours of sleep in darkness (you shouldn't be able to see your hand in front of your face when sleeping), melatonin is produced.
  2. When this happens, leptin creates a surge of fat reserves to be released for energy. Your thyroid is up-regulated, boosting your metabolism. At the same time, your mitochondria start burning this fuel to maintain a stable body temperature throughout the night. All this fat mobilization and burning happens effectively when you are sleeping a solid 7-9 hours a night. Elevated insulin (from big meal too close to bed) can shut down this process, along with exposure to artificial light at night.
  3. Meanwhile, lack of sleep (7 hours or less, or interrupted poor quality sleep):
  • Produces ghrelin, which stimulates appetite and down regulates the feeling of fullness. Making you overeat the next day.
  • Increases stress hormone cortisol
  • Decreases testosterone (testosterone burns fat in both men and women)
  • Lowers sensitivity to dopamine, serotonin, and neurotransmitters (less 'feel good' feelings), leading to depression. Also, when you are low in these hormones, the body craves junk foods for a 'pick me up' dopamine boost. Eating these foods when you don't need them contributes to leptin resistance.
  • Decreases reaction time, strength, and power
Hence why prioritising and fixing your sleep is a crucial step to addressing leptin resistance issues.
More information on Leptin can be found here: As mentioned in the original article, leptin is tightly regulated by the circadian rhythm. Anyone who is finding it difficult to lose weight may benefit from taking appropriate precautions to optimise circadian rhythmicity:

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Syringe

Biopersistence - Study finds vaccine ingredient aluminum travels to organs and the brain

Arjun Walia
Collective Evolution
Sat, 29 Jul 2017 14:28 UTC
Aluminum
When it comes to the most widely used adjuvant ingredient found within vaccines, aluminum, many questions have yet to be answered, particularly when it comes to where the aluminum goes after injection, an issue known as biopersistence.

One reason this question arises is because a causative role has been established in what's known as macrophagic myofasciitis (MMF) lesion in patients who have myalgic encephalomyelitis, or brain inflammation. Myalgia, arthralgia, chronic fatigue, cognitive dysfunction, dysautonomia, and autoimmunity have been temporally linked to aluminium adjuvant-containing vaccine administration (Gherardi and Authier, 2003; Authier et al., 2003; Exley et al., 2009; Rosenblum et al., 2011; Santiago et al., 2014; Brinth et al., 2015; Palmieri et al., 2016).
"Evidence that aluminum-coated particles phagocytozed in the injected muscle and its draining lymph nodes can disseminate within phagocytes throughout the body and slowly accumulate in the brain further suggested that alum safety should be evaluated in the long term." (source)
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