Does Junk Food Change Your Brain's Function? Studies Say Yes.

Recent studies find that Trans-Fats and Simple Sugars change the way your brain functions, leading to anxiety and depression.

from HuffingtonPost:

Eating junk food can actually change the brain, spurring symptoms of anxiety and depression if you stop consuming it, according to a new study in mice.

Researchers from the University of Montreal found that mice fed diets high in sugar and fat had different chemical activity in their brains and exhibited more signs of withdrawal if they stopped eating it, compared with those fed more healthy foods.

"The chemicals changed by the diet are associated with depression," study researcher Dr. Stephanie Fulton said in a statement. "A change of diet then causes withdrawal symptoms and a greater sensitivity to stressful situations, launching a vicious cycle of poor eating."

The study, published in the International Journal of Obesity, included mice that were fed a diet low in fat for six weeks (where fat comprised 11 percent of calories in the food), and mice that were fed a diet high in fat for six weeks (where fat comprised 58 percent of calories in the food).

By the end of the study, those fed the high-fat diet experienced an 11 percent increase in waist size (but in mouse terms, this was still not enough to actually cause obesity in the mice). Researchers then analyzed the brains of the mice, as well as their emotions and behaviors, after having been on the diet.

They found that the mice fed the high-fat diet were more anxious at the end of the study, and also had higher levels of the CREB molecule, which is known to play a role in dopamine production (dopamine helps promote feelings of reward).

"CREB is much more activated in the brains of higher-fat diet mice and these mice also have higher levels of corticosterone, a hormone that is associated with stress. This explains both the depression and the negative behaviour cycle," Fulton said in the statement.

"It's interesting that these changes occur before obesity. These findings challenge our understanding of the relationship between diet, the body and the mind," Fulton added.

New "Talk Treatment" or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy gains following, shows results.

The treatment of talking, or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. 

LONDON, Dec 7 (Reuters) - Patients with depression who fail to benefit from antidepressant drugs may do better if they are also treated with a type of "talking" psychotherapy called CBT, according to new research published on Friday.

In the first large-scale trial to test the effectiveness of cognitive behavioural therapy, or CBT, alongside medication for depression, scientists said they found that the combination works where drug treatment alone fails.

Nicola Wiles of Bristol University's school of social and community medicine, who led the study, said the findings underline the need to increase the availability of therapy for depressed patients.

"While there have been initiatives to increase access to CBT in both the UK and Australia, worldwide initiatives are rare," she said in a statement.

Wiles and colleagues recruited 469 adults from across Britain who had not responded to at least 6 weeks of treatment with an antidepressant. For the study, 235 patients continued with their usual antidepressant medication, while 234 patients got their usual care plus CBT and were followed up for 12 months.

The results, published in The Lancet medical journal, showed that after 6 months, 46 percent of those who got CBT as well as their usual care had improved - reporting at least a 50 percent reduction in their depressive symptoms. This compared to 22 percent of those who did not get CBT.

Marijuana and Cancer: Scientists find compound that stops spread of aggressive cancers.

From Huffington Post 

A chemical derived from Cannabis stops spread of certain aggressive cancers: but cannot be effective by just smoking the herb.A pair of scientists at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco has found that a compound derived from marijuana could stop metastasis in many kinds of aggressive cancer, potentially altering the fatality of the disease forever.

"It took us about 20 years of research to figure this out, but we are very excited," said Pierre Desprez, one of the scientists behind the discovery, to The Huffington Post. "We want to get started with trials as soon as possible."

The Daily Beast first reported on the finding, which has already undergone both laboratory and animal testing, and is awaiting permission for clinical trials in humans.

Desprez, a molecular biologist, spent decades studying ID-1, the gene that causes cancer to spread. Meanwhile, fellow researcher Sean McAllister was studying the effects of Cannabidiol, or CBD, a non-toxic, non-psychoactive chemical compound found in the cannabis plant. Finally, the pair collaborated, combining CBD and cells containing high levels of ID-1 in a petri dish.

"What we found was that his Cannabidiol could essentially 'turn off' the ID-1," Desprez told HuffPost. The cells stopped spreading and returned to normal.

"We likely would not have found this on our own," he added. "That's why collaboration is so essential to scientific discovery."

Desprez and McAllister first published a paper about the finding in 2007. Since then, their team has found that CBD works both in the lab and in animals. And now, they've found even more good news.

"We started by researching breast cancer," said Desprez. "But now we've found that Cannabidiol works with many kinds of aggressive cancers--brain, prostate--any kind in which these high levels of ID-1 are present."

Desprez hopes that clinical trials will begin immediately.

"We've found no toxicity in the animals we've tested, and Cannabidiol is already used in humans for a variety of other ailments," he said. Indeed, the compound is used to relieve anxiety and nausea, and, since it is non-psychoactive, does not cause the "high" associated with THC.

While marijuana advocates will surely praise the discovery, Desprez explained that it's not so easy as just lighting up.

"We used injections in the animal testing and are also testing pills," he said. "But you could never get enough Cannabidiol for it to be effective just from smoking."

Read more and watch video here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/19/marijuana-and-cancer_n_1898208.html

George Christy talks about his personal experience with homeopathy.

Columnist George Christy talks about his own experience with homeopathy and also that of other celebrities. 

Odd.  Sometimes it takes someone from elsewhere to lead you to what you’ve missed in your own backyard.  As happened when a New York friend with the same health issue as we had suggested we visit a homeopathic pharmacy. Checking the Internet, she e-mailed us an address.   The Santa Monica Homeopathic Pharmacy at 7th Street and Broadway in Santa Monica.  A brief stroll from the Pier.

We asked why doctors pooh-pooh homeopathy, and she responded that it was her doctor who directed her to a homeopathic consultant, believing there would be help.   And there was.  “Never knock it,” she said, “until you have the experience.”

How right she was, and is.

Our curious nature stalked the Internet.  We discovered that Queen Elizabeth II and the royal family have practiced homeopathy with homeopathic doctors for three generations (the Queen Mum lived to 101).   Whenever she travels, the Queen’s massive luggage includes dozens of vials of homeopathic remedies.

We learned that homeopathy dates back as far back as the 19th century.  Today, it’s frequently referred to as “alternative medicine,” involving lifestyle changes, diet considerations, exercise and natural remedies.  A strong supporter has been the prolific author Dr. Andrew Weil.

After visiting the Santa Monica location, we were blown away with its history and diehard regulars.    First known as the Santa Monica Drug Store, the pharmacy was founded in 1944 by pharmacist Norman Litvak and wife Mary, whose parents immigrated from the Ukraine to Buffalo, New York.  “As our homeopathic remedy shelves increased,” says Norman’s son Bob Litvak, who owns the pharmacy with brother Don, “we found the dispensing of prescription drugs decreased.   Norman and Mary acknowledged that while prescription drugs are needed, some are prescribed unnecessarily.

“We’re proud to be a family pharmacy, and never charge for our consultations.   Don manages the business end, and I’m at the store, with Don’s son Steve, who departed a successful ownership of a restaurant to became one of our popular consultants for nigh on thirty years. Don’s daughter Debbie soon came aboard. Additionally, we’re proud that our visionary founder Norman was awarded an honorary degree by the acclaimed British Institute of Homeopathy in 1992.”

Among the pharmacy’s practitioners are Olympic gold and bronze medalists, MBA champs, NFL players, Miami Heat coach Pat Riley and wife Chris, nurses and doctors and pharmacists, acupuncturists and chiropractors, superstars from Fiona Apple to Angela Lansbury, Sly Stallone, Lee Ann Rhimes, Pierce Brosnan, Whoopi Goldberg, Robert Wagner, Jill St. John, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jackson Browne, Carl Weathers, Mark Harmon, Goldie Hawn, Randy Newman, Herb Alpert, Mel Gibson, Sally Field, Reba McIntire, Blythe Danner, Lauren Bacall, Neil Simon, chefs Rafael Lunetta of Giraffe and Border Grill’s Mary Sue Milliken.   Plus other notables and, of course, just us folks.

“Regulars fly in from Europe, Africa, Australia and Asia to buy our products and for continuing consultations with our nutritionists, herbalists, pharmacists Pam and Harlan.   All are certified and licensed by the State of California.  Surprising that for a small and local neighborhood pharmacy, we’re on the international circuit.”

“The United States today consumes 40 percent of all drugs produced in the world, yet ranks 42nd in life expectancy,” writes Dr. W. Clifford-Jones in his article in The Epoch Times titled “What I Learned Recently at Harvard Medical School.”   Dr. Clifford-Jones is a medical journalist with a private medical practice in Toronto. “North Americans have become conditioned by the billions spent by pharmaceutical companies into believing there is a prescription pill for every common ache and disease.  In effect, the public is being sold sickness night after night on TV screens, with disastrous results.

“How ill are North Americans?  Statistics show that the average person over the age of 55 is taking eight or more prescription drugs at any one time and that much of this medication is either questionable or harmful.”

Dr. Clifford-Jones continues:  “Another instance, 70 percent of patients with chronic headaches are actually suffering from drug-induced headaches.  Not many know that nonsteroidal drugs, such as aspirin and ibuprofen, used for arthritis, can cause joint destruction … my Harvard classmates and I deplored the lack of preventive medicine for many chronic diseases …”

Bob Litvak agrees about America’s abusive use of painkillers through the decades.   “We believe that numerous prescription drugs are not only questionable, but many have accidental consequences.  Our goal is to detox.  We suggest natural homeopathic remedies.

“Anxiety problems, depression, allergies, sleep deprivation, hormonal issues are among the common confrontations.  Our qualified staff’s helpful with injuries, colds, flu, pink eye, problems ranging from chemotherapy to radiation.   We address the needs of pregnant and nursing mothers, month-old infants and nonagenarians who keep fit and live an active life.  Truth is that people have to want to get healed, and not blame parents for their problems.”

Steve Litvak, who’s Bob’s nephew and a great communicator, received his diploma in homeopathy from the British Institute, as did his wife Kim.

“We are knowledgeable and successful,” adds Steve, “with inflammations, fibromyalgia, osteoporosis, cholesterol, constipation and intestinal problems, bone disorders and joint afflictions, ulcers, GERD (acid reflux), gas, hypertension and, at times, cancer.”

Nor should we overlook the staff’s success with pets.

“Our motto,” affirms Bob, “is Knowledge, Care, Integrity and Service.”

Read the original article HERE 

Using Qi gong to counteract negative stress, and boost immune function.

In a recent lecture in Phoenix, AZ at the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M) Fellowship, integrative medicine pioneer Isaac Eliaz, M.D., L.Ac. discussed how negative emotions hinder immune response and fuel cancer formation and metastasis. He followed by sharing research on mind-body therapies such as meditation, yoga and Qigong which work to counteract the negative effects of stress and boost health in numerous ways. Highlighting an array of published studies, Dr. Eliaz showed how chronic stress can be deadly to lymphocytes and DNA integrity, and conversely, how mind body therapies and emotional support can ramp up immunity and provide numerous health benefits.

"The contrasts are amazing," says Dr. Eliaz. "Chronic stress significantly reduces the immune response, while something as simple as family support or mindful meditation can boost it just as dramatically."

The negative effects of stress have been studied in a variety of cancers including breast, ovarian, and digestive tract. In one study cited by Dr. Eliaz, breast cancer risk doubled for women after a divorce, separation or the death of their spouse.

In addition to reducing our body's resistance to cancer, stress, depression and isolation also increase metastasis and tumor vascularization. While these facts may be daunting, there are solutions that can make a substantial difference.

In his presentation, Dr. Eliaz discussed a variety of mind-body techniques, including meditation, yoga and Qigong -- an ancient Chinese system of mindful exercises -- that can calm stress and restore the body's healthy balance. In particular, meditation reduces cortisol levels, pro-inflammatory cytokines, systolic blood pressure, anxiety, depression and stress. It also has been proven to increase multiple areas of cognitive function, including information processing, memory and decision making.

"Study after study shows that reducing stress, and its associated negative effects, boosts the immune system and enhances brain function," says Dr. Eliaz.

Read more here: 

http://www.lef.org/news/LefDailyNews.htm?NewsID=13390&Section=DISEASE

For More information about Qi Gong classes in the Tampa Bay Area contact Classical Medicine 

Scared of the dentist? New acupuncture study shows cure for phobia.

 Acupuncture may well be the new cure for patients who are scared of going to the dentist. A new study carried out by experts at the Medical University of Vienna, Austria has revealed significant evidence that traditional Chinese medicine could help to relax nervous patients prior to dental treatment.

"The aim of the study was to analyse whether acupuncture in the outer ear could reduce fear of dental treatment," wrote Andrea Michalek-Sauberer and her co-author from the clinical department for special anaesthetic and pain therapy at the AKH (Allgemeines Krankenhaus) in Vienna.

The research was carried out on 182 randomly selected patients whose fear of the dentist was measured before the therapy with a psychological test created by the experts. The patients then underwent either acupuncture carried out on the specific parts of the outer ear which help to calm and relax, fake acupuncture on fingers or shoulders or no therapy at all. The psychological test was then repeated 20 minutes later just before the dental treatment itself.

The results of the test revealed that those who received some form of therapy before dental treatment were significantly less anxious than those who did not. The patients who received the real acupuncture in the outer ear scored 7.9 points less on the scale of the chosen psychological test than the group who received no treatment. The group who received the fake acupuncture scored only 3.7 points less.

"Aurikular (outer ear) acupuncture could be an option for dental patients, who suffer from severe fear and want urgent therapy," concluded the author of the report.

Magnesium intake helps relieve feelings anxiety and fear.

12-06-11

 A new study shows that increased magnesium intake is a key to helping the brain naturally reduce anxiety and stress, reducing fear response and helping with socail anxiety disorder, PTSD and panic phobias. 

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 5, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- A supplemented intake of magnesium is found to enhance the brain's ability to reduce fear and anxiety responses, making way for a possible supplemental treatment for many anxiety disorders such as social anxiety disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), panic disorder, specific phobias and others. In the October 2011 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience, top neuroscientists at Tsinghua University in Beijing, University of Texas, and University of Toronto revealed that by increasing the extracellular magnesium concentration in the brain through a new magnesium compound called Magtein(TM), the cognitive ability - an essential facility that controls fear and anxiety - is enhanced. This development becomes extremely significant considering anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in America, affecting 18% of the population(1).

Anxiety disorders can be triggered by fear and thus, affect cognitive functioning. When in danger, fear is essential for survival. This fear triggers the brain to respond with many split-second changes in the body to prepare to defend against the danger or to avoid it. This response is a healthy reaction meant to protect a person from harm.

But in anxiety disorders this reaction is enhanced so that the fear memory continues even when one is no longer in danger, affecting cognitive ability on a daily basis.

"Through our study, we found that increasing brain magnesium with Magtein enhances not only the learning and memory ability, but also top-down inhibition of fear memory of rats," explains Dr. Guosong Liu, one of the study's principal scientists. "When the cognitive ability is enhanced, fear responses such as anxiety-like and PTSD-like behaviors, are controlled."

According to Liu, the use of a high magnesium treatment induces a unique pattern of action on brain regions involved in and responsible for the body's emotional processes. It heightens the function of the prefrontalcortex, a brain region involved in controlling fear responses, without affecting the function of amygdala - the brain's evolutionary conserved region involved in fear memory formation and storage. "By increasing brain magnesium through Magtein, cognitive ability goes up, fear memory remains unchanged".

http://www.lef.org/news/LefDailyNews.htm?NewsID=11979&Section=NUTRITION