How does your brain bounce back from intense stress? When is your subconscious brain going to start believing you should actually be that weight you desire? Any why is it you just can't seem to break that bad habit? The answer may lie in how flexible or "plastic" your brain structures are.
A new study shows that synaptic plasticity is a key feature of nerve architecture that enables your brain to tolerate stress, recover from trauma, and make actual changes.
Synaptic plasticity is based on having well-nourished and properly energized brain cells - compared to inflamed brain cells that have become damaged and "stuck in their ways."
Health & Wellness
A major breakthrough in our understanding of nerve cell function opens the door for strategies to improve learning. Central to the issue is the function of the glial cells within your brain (also called astrocytes). For the very first time bi-directional communication between glial cells and nerve transmitting cells has been identified, showing how glial cells regulate learning. This discovery is of extreme importance to everyone.
Getting information to flow along nerve cells is vital for making new connections, strengthening existing skills, and overall intelligence. The use of speed-like ADHD medication is to force such transmission to take place, regardless of what it is doing to the health of the phone poles and wires that are carrying the transmission. The new science readily predicts that such drugs are extremely harmful, due to their excitotoxic side effects on glial cell and brain structure, regardless of any learning problems they improve in the short term.
Scientists were extremely surprised to find that nerve transmitting cells send a message to glial cells asking for help, and these glial cells then directly increase the ability of nerve transmitting cells to transmit signals. In fact, glial cells are likely the overall managers of nerve transmission.
Getting information to flow along nerve cells is vital for making new connections, strengthening existing skills, and overall intelligence. The use of speed-like ADHD medication is to force such transmission to take place, regardless of what it is doing to the health of the phone poles and wires that are carrying the transmission. The new science readily predicts that such drugs are extremely harmful, due to their excitotoxic side effects on glial cell and brain structure, regardless of any learning problems they improve in the short term.
Scientists were extremely surprised to find that nerve transmitting cells send a message to glial cells asking for help, and these glial cells then directly increase the ability of nerve transmitting cells to transmit signals. In fact, glial cells are likely the overall managers of nerve transmission.
The recognition of Chi energy's role for good health and healing has emerged through acupuncture, Reiki, and Polarity Therapy. But all of these therapies require a practitioner. There is a method to generate and orient Chi or prana (life force) by yourself on a daily basis. It's known as Qigong (Chi-gong).
As the efforts to diminish access to supplements and herbs in Europe and within the States increase, you can still take charge of your health by practicing Qigong. With Qigong, you can influence the subtle life energies that affect your health.
Qigong History
The art of Qigong goes back 5000 years in China. The ancients were intuitively more aware of the subtle Chi energies and how they influence our bodies. Over the years, several forms of Qigong have emerged, all based on the same principles. Even Tai Chi, which the Chinese government considers a martial art, was developed from Qigong.
As the efforts to diminish access to supplements and herbs in Europe and within the States increase, you can still take charge of your health by practicing Qigong. With Qigong, you can influence the subtle life energies that affect your health.
Qigong History
The art of Qigong goes back 5000 years in China. The ancients were intuitively more aware of the subtle Chi energies and how they influence our bodies. Over the years, several forms of Qigong have emerged, all based on the same principles. Even Tai Chi, which the Chinese government considers a martial art, was developed from Qigong.
People with Asperger syndrome, a mild form of autism, dramatically improve their social learning skills and spend more time gazing at pictures of faces after inhaling a whiff of the social-bonding hormone oxytocin, researchers have found.
The study, published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academies of Science , is the first to show the effects of oxytocin, a hormone that promotes mother-infant bonding, socialization, trust and cooperation - in people diagnosed with Asperger's.
It led some experts to speculate that supplementing the normally low levels of oxytocin in people with autism spectrum disorders may help them to detect subtle social cues and engage in smoother social interactions.
The study, published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academies of Science , is the first to show the effects of oxytocin, a hormone that promotes mother-infant bonding, socialization, trust and cooperation - in people diagnosed with Asperger's.
It led some experts to speculate that supplementing the normally low levels of oxytocin in people with autism spectrum disorders may help them to detect subtle social cues and engage in smoother social interactions.
What causes the frequently diagnosed behavioral problem in children known as attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) that leads to countless youngsters being given side-effect laden stimulant drugs? Research has focused on genes and, more recently, on the idea that multiple environmental triggers could be the cause. For example, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a recent British study indicates that certain food additives like artificial colors or preservatives could cause ADHD symptoms in some children.
Now two studies -- one published in the January issue of the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and the other published in the February issue of the journal Current Directions in Psychological Science -- provide the best evidence yet that lead could be one of the biggest culprits behind ADHD.
At very high levels, lead poisoning can cause seizures, coma, and even kill. But it is chronic, long term exposure that is the more common health threat, especially for children. Researchers have previously linked elevated blood levels of lead in kids to problems ranging from mental retardation to learning disabilities. In a statement the media, Oregon Health and Science University researcher Joel Nigg, who co-authored both of the new studies, pointed out that almost all Americans have a low-level exposure to lead, a well-known neurotoxin, making the metal an ideal candidate for causing ADHD.
Now two studies -- one published in the January issue of the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and the other published in the February issue of the journal Current Directions in Psychological Science -- provide the best evidence yet that lead could be one of the biggest culprits behind ADHD.
At very high levels, lead poisoning can cause seizures, coma, and even kill. But it is chronic, long term exposure that is the more common health threat, especially for children. Researchers have previously linked elevated blood levels of lead in kids to problems ranging from mental retardation to learning disabilities. In a statement the media, Oregon Health and Science University researcher Joel Nigg, who co-authored both of the new studies, pointed out that almost all Americans have a low-level exposure to lead, a well-known neurotoxin, making the metal an ideal candidate for causing ADHD.
Tablets and chewing gum that contain fluoride are to be banned in Belgium over fears they might increase the risk of brittle bone disease.
The Belgian health ministry confirmed on Tuesday it was considering the plan - thought to be the first such ban in the European Union.
However, a spokesman said there was no plan to ban toothpaste containing fluoride because it protects against teeth decay.
Some countries, including the UK, add fluoride to domestic water supplies as a means of improving dental health.
The Belgian health ministry confirmed on Tuesday it was considering the plan - thought to be the first such ban in the European Union.
However, a spokesman said there was no plan to ban toothpaste containing fluoride because it protects against teeth decay.
Some countries, including the UK, add fluoride to domestic water supplies as a means of improving dental health.
A recent study conducted by researchers from Saarland University in Germany has found that engaging in long-term physical activity results in an anti-aging effect. Telomeres, the protective caps found on the ends of cell chromosomes that gradually shorten with age, were found to shorten more slowly in athletes who exercise regularly.
Every time a cell divides, its telomeres get a little bit shorter and the cell becomes slightly more susceptible to dying. Telomeres have been compared to the plastic ends on shoelaces that prevent them from unraveling. Recent telomere research has discovered that the shortening of telomeres is directly correlated to the aging process as cell integrity slowly degrades over time.
In the study, researchers evaluated two groups of healthy, non-smoking people and two groups of professional athletes. The one athletic group was composed of athletes averaging 20 years old who were members of the German national track and field team while the other athletic group was composed of middle-aged runners who had been training since they were young.
Every time a cell divides, its telomeres get a little bit shorter and the cell becomes slightly more susceptible to dying. Telomeres have been compared to the plastic ends on shoelaces that prevent them from unraveling. Recent telomere research has discovered that the shortening of telomeres is directly correlated to the aging process as cell integrity slowly degrades over time.
In the study, researchers evaluated two groups of healthy, non-smoking people and two groups of professional athletes. The one athletic group was composed of athletes averaging 20 years old who were members of the German national track and field team while the other athletic group was composed of middle-aged runners who had been training since they were young.
As many as 50 percent of all prostate cancer diagnoses may be cases of over-diagnosis, according to a study published in the British Medical Journal.
Over-diagnosis refers to the detection of a cancer that, if left untreated, would never have any negative effects on a person's life. This happens with cancers that grow slowly and do not spread to other organs, so that a patient dies of other causes before ever experiencing any symptoms.
Because prostate cancers tend to be very slow growing, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has recommended against screening men over the age of 74 for prostate cancer. Treatments for the disease can have severe side effects, including impotence and incontinence, and may even increase the risk of early death.
Over-diagnosis refers to the detection of a cancer that, if left untreated, would never have any negative effects on a person's life. This happens with cancers that grow slowly and do not spread to other organs, so that a patient dies of other causes before ever experiencing any symptoms.
Because prostate cancers tend to be very slow growing, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has recommended against screening men over the age of 74 for prostate cancer. Treatments for the disease can have severe side effects, including impotence and incontinence, and may even increase the risk of early death.
Comment: See other articles on Glia:
White Matter
Glia: The Other Brain
Glia Play an Important Role in Circadian Timing