Get acquainted:

The digestive system is endowed with its own, local nervous system referred to as the enteric or intrinsic nervous system. The magnitude and complexity of the enteric nervous system is immense - it contains as many neurons as the spinal cord.

A Scientific Overview:

Conventional medical treatment for neurological disorders such as epilepsy, migraine, and autism focuses on the brain. Although standard medical treatment is often helpful, the underlying causes of these disorders are not well understood. Furthermore, some individuals respond poorly, or not all to regular medicine. Evidence is accumulating in the medical literature that the enteric nervous system (ENS) - that part of the nervous system associated with the alimentary canal - also plays a role in these disorders. Historically, the concept of an autonomous abdominal nervous system was advocated by Byron Robinson, Johannis Langley, and Edgar Cayce. The work of these three prominent historical figures is considered along with modern viewpoints on the abdominal nervous system. Complementary therapies that address the nervous system of the abdomen hold potential as useful adjuncts to conventional treatment for certain neurological disorders.

Now let’s see why this is important:

As light is shed on the circuitry between the two brains, researchers are beginning to understand why people act and feel the way they do. When the central brain encounters a frightening situation, it releases stress hormones that prepare the body to fight or flee. The stomach contains many sensory nerves that are stimulated by this chemical surge - hence the “butterflies”. On the battlefield, the higher brain tells the gut brain to shut down. A frightened running animal does not stop to defecate, according to Dr. Gershon.

Fear also causes the vagus nerve to “turn up the volume” on serotonin circuits in the gut. Thus over stimulated, the gut goes into higher gear and diarrhea results. Similarly, people sometimes “choke” with emotion. When nerves in the esophagus are highly stimulated, people have trouble swallowing.

Vipassana meditation thickens parts of the brain responsible for awareness and sensation:

Our data suggest that meditation practice can promote cortical plasticity in adults in areas important for cognitive and emotional processing and well-being,” says Sara Lazar, leader of the study and a psychologist at Harvard Medical School. “These findings are consistent with other studies that demonstrated increased thickness of music areas in the brains of musicians, and visual and motor areas in the brains of jugglers. In other words, the structure of an adult brain can change in response to repeated practice.”

Global warming responsible for less sex in the desert:

American prostitutes are offering free fuel after finding that high petrol prices were keeping customers away.

In the Nevada desert, where it is legal to run brothels, truck drivers make up a significant proportion of the men who like to pay to stay awhile.

But with bowser prices making filling the tank of the big rigs which ply their trade on America’s highways almost prohibitively expensive, something has had to give.

The Nevada Brothel Owners Association claim they are bearing the brunt, with revenue in some establishments dropping by up to 45 per cent since the oil crisis began.

Depression and anxiety are two of the most common mental disabilities afflicting mankind. The current scientific position tells us that the most likely cause of these conditions is a combination of both a genetic predisposition along with acute environmental stress (such as the consumption of harmful junk food, or the ordeals of a divorce). Whatever the actual reasons for a certain episode of melancholy, there are several known brain mechanisms that engage in the regulation of mood, stress, and motivation. I can assume most of us have heard of the infamous neurotransmitters Serotonin, Dopamine, and Norepinephrine. Taking antidepressants (such as Prozac) affect the receptivity of our nerve cells to these molecules, and by doing so these drugs reprogram our brain to behave differently — hopefully, in a more healthy manner.

Recently, other mood-regulating neurotransmitters have been discovered. One of them is Orexin, a peptide which was traditionally mentioned in the field of hunger-regulation. It’s also important in maintaining a state of wakefulness, as can be evidenced by a drug called Modafinil that is used to increase brain levels of Orexin in order to treat people with narcolepsy.

Later this month, a group of researchers in Israel will pronounce the discovery of yet another mood-regulating neurotransmitter. It is called IA (Incensole acetate), and it activates an ion channel named TRPV3. Ion channels are specially-designed proteins that sit on the membrane (the outer layer) of nerve cells, and control the flow of electrically charged particles into and out of the cell — a process that determines whether a certain nerve cell is activated at a certain moment, or not. In other words, molecules (neurotransmitters) that can alter the function of TRPV3 channel change the patterns of our brain activity — and as just mentioned, cutting-edge research from Israel indicates that this pattern of change adjusts the levels of mood and stress.

More specifically, a group of scientists from The College of Judea and Samaria in Ariel, led by Prof. Ester Fride, conducted experiments with the Boswellia plant, which contains the IA molecules. They’ve discovered that this plant does indeed reduce anxiety, without all the pesky side effects of ordinary antidepressants, such as sexual dysfunction and weight gain.

It is interesting to note that the ancient Israelites burnt incense made of the Boswellia plant in the Temple in Jerusalem, since it created a relaxing atmosphere, suited for prayer and rituals. Perhaps as we revert back to ancient remedies, we’ll discover healthier - more organic - solutions to modern maladies.

Picture by Garnet’s Book of Shadows

Synsepalum Dolcificum, Miracle Fruit, Magic Berry, Flavor Berry — all these names refer to the same olive-sized fruit, indigenous to West Africa. This tiny fruit contains a unique chemical substance, known as Miraculin, which interacts with the taste buds on our tongue, and temporarily deactivates our sour and bitter tastebuds! In other words, after chewing this fruit, one could drink beer and experience a taste that resembles ice coffee much more than it resembles… well, beer.

It was already known in the 70’s, but rumors have it that the FDA refused to approve it back then due to the Sugar Industry exerting considerable pressure to prevent the fruit from entering the market and damaging their profits.

Nevertheless, the fruit has gained growing popularity in Europe recently, and is used by some to avoid the harsh taste of many kinds of medicines.

In San Fransisco and New York some folks even arrange “flavor tripping” parties, in which the participants lick magic berries and go around tasting all kinds of everyday food in order to attain a mind-boggling experience.

When science finally succeeds at mass-producing Miraculin, it should radically change our culinary lifestyle.

Picture by The Banana Tree

We are all familiar with the RDA column on the side of our food packages. RDA means “Recommended Daily Allowance” and it is the daily amount of each nutritional element that the FDA recommends us to consume each and every day. Nowadays, RDA has changed its name to RDI (Reference Daily Intake).

But in recent years new research has dicovered that the RDI figures represent the very minimal amount of nutrients our body needs — if it is completely healty. However, almost no one is constantly in optimal health, and as we grow older, our body’s ability to absorb nutrients from within the digestive system decreases.

The outcome of these outdated RDI figures is that most of us don’t consume enough vitamins and minerals to keep our body fit and healthy. To be able to meet these minimal requirements, most of us would have to take supplements.

Therefore it is important to undertake regular blood checks to see if we have a good balance of nutrients in our bodies. Remember, having too much can also be dangerous, as especially is the case with minerals and certain vitamins (such as Vitamin A).

Last but not least, when we add vitamin supplements to our diet, it is important to pick those with a high bio-availability — i.e, those formulas that have been proven to be more easily digested and absorbed within the body.

Stay well and have a splendid weekend!

Hyperthyroidism is an over activity of the thyroid gland that can result in a number of unpleasant symptoms and can even result in death. The condition is present in at least 13 million Americans and probably in at least that many others living in Europe. The condition is caused by the thyroid gland overproducing certain “free thyroid” hormones known as thyroxin (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) which result in an over stimulus of certain body functions, including heartbeat and the digestive and bowl functions. The result can be fast heart palpitations, increased blood pressure, vomiting and diarrhea. If left untreated, hyperthyroidism can eventually result in heart attacks and strokes with fatal results.

In addition to the previously mentioned symptoms, there are also several rather ambiguous indications for hyperthyroidism, such as sudden weight gain and difficulty in losing body fat, severe constipation, fatigue and depression, hair loss, menstrual period irregularities with severe bleeding, and dry itchy skin. While many of these symptoms can be attributed to a number of conditions, if you or someone you know suffers from three or more of these concurrently, it’s a good chance the cause is an overactive thyroid gland.

There are a number of ways to treat hyperthyroidism, ranging from drugs known as thyrostatics (drugs which inhibit the production of thyroid hormones) beta blockers (drugs which reduce symptoms such as heart palpitations and accelerated pulse rates); to more permanent treatments such as surgery to remove the entire thyroid gland, or treatments such as radioiodine or iodine 131 therapy. Removal of the entire thyroid gland will require the patient to take medications which substitute the effects of hormones secreted by the thyroid gland. Radioisotope therapy (involving iodine 131) may not be advisable to some people, especially those allergic to iodine.

It is therefore advisable for people suffering from the above mentioned symptoms to be examined by a qualified endocrinologist who can afterwards determine what treatments are best suited for dealing with a hyperactive thyroid. An under-active thyroid gland, hypothyroidism, is also a cause for concern as it often results in heart attacks – especially in women over age 50.

In any event, it is recommended to consult with a qualified physician if you have any concerns in the matter, since attempting self-diagnosis is never a good idea.

Picture by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation

It’s Sunday again, which means it’s time for….

Today’s post is going to focus on biological energy — namely, “Bio Juice”. By using this term I refer to the chemical energy produced by organic tissues that can be converted into heat or directly into electricity.

Our body is an amazing machine. It is capable of miraculous doings that science can only dream of. Even the most sophisticated mega-computers of our day can’t compete with the human brain in many everyday activities, such as social learning or decision-making in conditions of uncertainty. In addition, our body is able to comprehend different forms of energy coming from our surroundings — light, sound waves, mechanical pressure on our skin, food intake, oxygen, and more — and to convert it into other forms of energy, whether chemical, thermal or electrical.

What happens when we digest food? Isn’t it amazing that we are able to convert a tasty chunk of apple into the energy that powers us up? What is the magic this apple holds? Well, nothing special really; it is simply an organic compound, consisting mainly of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. During the process of internal digestion, our body is able to extract the matter it needs for self-construction and also for the production of intra-cellular energy. To put it simply, a large part of the carbohydrates in our food is diverted, following several chemical alterations, into an organelle called Mitochondrion, which extracts from the certain carbohydrates an amount of 30.6 kilojoules per mol (units of energy produced per a certain amount of mass).

There are countless Mitochondria in our body, many of them inside our cells, although these organelles are abundant in the inter-cellular space as well. These Mitochondria have their own DNA, and are believed to be the result of a prehistoric symbiosis with a certain type of prokaryotes (bacteria is one type of a prokaryote). In plain words, we all have billions of bacteria-like “creatures” inside our body which absorb sugar (carbohydrates) and extract energy. Sweet, isn’t it?

The energy produced inside of the Mitochondrion is stored in molecules known as ATP, which then travel around the cell and release their chemical energy in the form of heat. Our car’s engine — mind you — is functioning as a result of heat generated in the combustion tank; and the giant dynamos situated inside a power plant revolve as a result of heat generated via the combustion of coal. However, to operate both the car’s engine and the giant dynamos, we use fossil fuels, since fuel is a relatively pure agglomeration of carbohydrates, and thus it releases high amounts of energy during combustion.

Long story short: Our body is burning up carbohydrates to produce energy, in a similar manner our car is burning up fuel. But while we couldn’t digest fuel, our car can’t operate on apples.

Or can’t it?

Our body is using enzymes and probiotic bacteria inside our stomach to disintegrate the food into manageable molecules. This way, we can extract the sugar from the juice and burn it up inside our Mitochondria. The process is quite feasible — We wouldn’t be here otherwise!

What we can expect to see in the coming years is the development of organic devices, where billions of enzymes could digest our everyday garbage and extract most of its “Bio Juice”. Can you imagine our garbage bin being a digestive tract, connected directly onto the power grid? Can you picture the sewage system directing all its flow into the local power plant? This is indeed extreme recycling.

Microwave ovens are an important cooking and food heating tool in many modern homes. Many people may not be aware, however, just how dangerous these gadgets are to human health. For those who are not aware, microwave produce similar electronic frequencies as those who are found in cellular phone relay towers which are now being found to be very dangerous to human health and the cause of a number of types of cancer. It’s not only the type of utensil that holds the food (such as those made from polymer plastics) but the actual appliance itself that is so dangerous that some countries, including Russia, have banned its sale for health reasons.

An example of how dangerous microwaves really are can be seen in a very simple test of placing water in a glass bowl inside a microwave and heating it to boiling (like many people do when heating soup or warming their favorite hot beverage in the morning. When the water cools, place some seeds in two pots and water one pot with the micro-waved water along with similar amount of water straight from the kitchen sink in the second pot. What is really startling is that the seeds in the pot with the “micro-waved” water will not sprout!

There is apparently some chemical reaction occurring in the micro-waved water that will not allow the seeds to grow. This kind of example is also evident when warming up food in a microwave oven as well as heating milk (including human milk) to feed to infants and babies The heating of the milk in a microwave actually destroys much of the milk’ s nutritional value; and in human milk in particular, the milk’s natural immunity and disease fighting attributes. Heating food items, especially on high heat, also severely alters the bio-chemistry composition of the food, which can have a negative affect on humans, including changes in the body’s blood chemistry.

Other negative effects from microwave ovens include brain damage by causing electrical impulses in the brain to simply “short out”, reducing or altering the nutritional content of ingested food. Eating micro-waved foods also have been found to cause heart attacks and cancers, and can result in memory loss, lack of concentration, and even lower intelligence.

The connection to microwaving foods in plastic containers has been known for some time, and even though many plastic containers are noted to cause cancers, using a microwave has now been found to cause cancer cells to increase in the human blood.

So, taking all of the above into account, there are many reasons for “retiring” your microwave oven before it is too late!

Source: Natural News

Plastic nursing bottles are now being seen to have similar health hazards to infants and young children as plastic drinking water bottles are to older persons. Studies made by U.S. and other laboratories are linking chemicals found in the plastic material in nursing bottles to be instrumental in causing various forms of cancer later in life, including breast and prostate cancer. In addition, these chemicals, including some known as BPA or Bisphenol-A may also affect a child’s reproduction capabilities later in life.

BPA is defined as an organic compound containing two phenol functioning groups which have a semblance to estrogen hormone. BPA is an important ingredient in the polycarbonate plastic and epoxy resins used to make the strong, shatter-proof plastic bottles that people rely on to heat up baby formula. The plastic material in itself is relatively safe when only water or juices at room temperature are poured inside. The problem arises when the formula is heated to a high temperature prior to being given to a baby; as well as when the bottle is washed at a high temperature, as in an automatic dishwasher. The heating process causes the chemicals in the plastic to be released into the fluid inside the bottle which then enter the child’s body and bloodstream. The chemical reactions are similar to what occurs to water inside plastic water bottles which are exposed to high temperatures (when left in a car, etc.)

Warnings of the possible dangers of BPA chemical reactions in infant feeding bottles are now being issued by U.S. government agencies such as the National Toxicology Program. Their findings indicate that these chemical reactions may cause harm to humans, especially children, and result in problems such as early puberty, reproductive problems and even neurological problems.

BPA is found in a number of plastic containers as well as in the coatings often used in a number of soft drink products. Although tests are still being conducted, the main concern is that continuous exposure to BPA could result in a chronic toxicity which will result in the aforementioned health problems.

Plastic infant feeding bottles have been in use for decades, and mothers rely on them to nourish their babies. The dangers of chemical toxicity are now becoming more publicized, and some countries, including Canada, are planning to declare that Bisphenol-A is a toxic substance. Some American states, including California, are also considering the banning of products containing BPA.

As for an alternative to BPA, perhaps the old adage that “breast is best” is in the end the best and safest infant feeding method.

Literally millions of people in North America, the U.K. and other western countries are taking daily vitamin and mineral supplements, as well as nutritional supplements containing vitamins. This phenomenon is not new, and many large companies producing these products are not only very rich but getting richer by feeding on the “hype” that people are receiving concerning the need for these supplements, which often cost hundreds of dollars per month.

Both family physicians and professional nutritionists are now agreeing that too many vitamin supplements are not only non-effective, but may actually be damaging to a person’s health. In an article that came out in the New York Times a few years ago, prominent research physicians, such as Dr. Annette Dickson, president of the Council for Responsible Nutrition, noted that more than 70% of all Americans take some kind of vitamin supplement which come in many forms; including fortified cereal, bread products, and other types of food. When combined with a ’super fortified’ multi-vitamin product, the result, according to these health experts, can not only accomplish little or nothing towards maintaining good health, but can also be a cause of serious and often fatal health problems.

A few types of vitamins that people appear to be overtaking include Vitamins A, C, and E. Vitamin C, for example, is often recommended to be taken in high daily doses to either prevent or reduce the symptoms of a common cold. What usually happens, according to these doctors, is that the excess vitamin C is simply excreted by the person’s urine. Other vitamins, particularly those such as vitamin A and E, are stored in organs like the liver and can even result in conditions such as heart attacks and strokes.

Many take vitamin D supplements, often found in fortified milk and other dairy products, due to not being outdoors enough to let their bodies synthesize it. It has been pointed out however as people grow older, their skin looses the ability to synthesize this vitamin, and taking supplements containing vitamin D do not help to manufacture it.

While it was once thought that taking large amounts of vitamin supplements helped prevent the risk of cardio-vascular conditions, it is now being found that the opposite often takes place. And older people who take increased doses of vitamins A and D to decrease the risk of osteoporosis, usually prescribed as around 1,500 micrograms per tablet or capsule, are actually taking twice as much as what is actually needed, resulting in an even greater risk of having this condition.

Many doctors, however, are still convinced that taking multiple vitamins is essential to maintaining good health. These include Dr. Joann e. Manson, Chief of Preventive Medicine at Brigham and Woman’s Hospital in Boston, Mass. Dr. Manson said, however, that taking these vitamins are only recommended if a person has severe diet deficiencies and must augment their diets by taking supplements.

But doctors and nutritionists alike agree that proper nutrition, including eating healthier diets, may reduce or even eliminate the need to take vitamin supplements. This is especially true for people whose diets are high in so called “junk foods”. There is no ‘magic bullet’ to cure an unhealthy diet, most health professionals agree.