Knowledge is power, and boosting your brain gives you more knowledge, right? But how much do you really know about boosting your brain? Have you fallen prey to some of the most common brain myths? Read on and see how you fare.
Mozart (or classical music in general) boosts brain power.
True or false? FALSE. I am sorry to say that there is no scientific evidence that supports this idea. I do have to say that I like writing or studying with classical music in the background. It seems to me that I am more productive and receptive (whichever the case may be) when I have classical music playing in the background. Unfortunately, the benefits may all be in my head (no pun intended).
What is true, however, is that playing a musical instrument for ...
The human brain is considered to be the last frontier to unlock the utter complexity of the human body. It is the most studied yet most puzzling part of our bodies due to a complexity that cannot be rivaled by today's super-computers pound for pound. The human brain is a compact supercomputer that has an area that is larger than you think is in the human skull. The complex inner workings of the
human brain has baffled scientists who know what it is made of but how it works is still a big puzzle. Today's advanced
imaging sciences and devices have allowed the unlocking of some of its
secrets and the
information they gather is proving to be a huge benefit to those who suffer from disease. Studies with stem cells, the body's super-cells, are giving clues ...
Tags: Amazing Human Body, Human Brain, Imaging Technology, Supercomputer
I might be a prime candidate for Alzheimer’s Disease! This is what I found out from a report that Reuters recently published. They quoted a study conducted by Swedish researchers which stated that there is a link between eating fast food and the disease. If you know me, I tend to eat McDonald’s a lot. If not McDonald’s then KFC or some other fast food meals. This is because a lot of times, I find myself short on time and cooking becomes a non option.
The Reuters report states that:
Mice fed junk food for nine months showed signs of developing the abnormal brain tangles strongly associated with Alzheimer's disease, a Swedish researcher said on Friday.
The findings, which come from a series of published papers by a researcher at Sweden's Karolinska Institutet, show how a ...
I once heard that any ailment can be cured by something that can be found in
nature. Now I do not know if there is any truth to this but it does seem that there are many things from nature that can benefit us humans health-wise. As for Alzheimer’s, researchers have not yet found the main reason nor a cure for it. However, there are a lot of findings that just might help in preventing or alleviating the disease.
I recently read
a study about grape seeds having the potential to combat Alzheimer’s Disease. This study was conducted by a team of researchers from the Flinders University in Australia. The basic idea of the study was to use grape seed extract to see what it would do to help boost brain function. ...
So now we know that there is no known cause for Alzheimer’s Disease. Just like other conditions, however, researchers have learned about risk factors, or things that may increase one’s risk of developing the
disease. Let us take a look at some of these.
Age
This is the greatest known risk factor. As one ages, the risk for Alzheimer’s Disease increases as well. As I mentioned in my previous post, most people who have the condition are 65 years and above. In fact, the chances of a person getting Alzheimer’s doubles every 5 years after the age of 65.
Genetics and family history
The chances of getting Alzheimer’s are higher if there is someone in the family who has (or had) the condition. The genes also matter a lot – there are some genes that have ...
If October was the month for breast cancer awareness, November is the month for
Alzheimer’s Disease awareness. A lot of people know about this disease, or at least have heard about it. But what do you really know about it?
I tried asking different people what they know about Alzheimer’s and I got different answers. Most of them – from young to old – have an idea of what Alzheimer’s is all about and the general consensus is that is has something to do with the brain and memory. This is true but let’s go into the details a little more.
Alzheimer’s Disease is described by MSN Health as:
Alzheimer's disease damages the brain. It causes a steady loss of memory and how well you can speak, think, and carry on daily activities.
Alzheimer's disease always gets ...
I don’t know about you but with
all the things going on in the financial world, I can’t help but be stressed out. It’s not that I have huge investments – my investment activities are merely drops in a bucket. However, other activities plus the fact that prices are not as they used to be have really taken their toll on my finances. I have to be honest with you – sometimes I cannot get a good night’s rest because of this!
It is good to know that I am not alone in this kind of situation, though. It is good to know that experts actually acknowledge that there is a connection between mental health and the current economic crisis.
Dr. Gail Saltz writes:
Following the recent financial roller coaster ride most people are ...
YOU THINK??? I really do NOT need any scientific evidence to believe in this. Both personal experience as well as vicarious experience have attested to this fact over and over again. Still, we can’t really stop others if they want to conduct polls or studies regarding this issue.
I read about a poll that Associated Press-AOL Health undertook early this year. They surveyed about a thousand respondents in all the American states with the exception of Alaska and Hawaii.
The results? Read for yourself:
27 percent had ulcers or digestive tract problems, compared with 8 percent of those with low levels of debt stress.
23 percent had severe depression, compared with 4 percent with low debt stress.
6 percent reported heart attacks, double the rate for those with low debt stress.
Ok, I take my statements back – maybe we do NEED ...
As if having
asthmatic attacks was not difficult enough, a new study shows that
people with asthma have increased risk for suicidal thoughts and attempts. Research done at the Johns Hokpins University School of Public Health examined more than 5,000 people:
They found that about 12 percent had a history of asthma. Estimates of lifetime prevalence for suicidal thoughts and attempts without and with asthma were 8.7 percent, 4.2 percent and 12 percent, respectively, and occurred more frequently in women than in men.
Cigarette smoking and concurrent mental health conditions may independently account for a large part, but not all, of the association between asthma and suicidal thoughts with attempts, said the study authors.
After they adjusted for cigarette smoking, concurrent mental health conditions and common sociodemographic factors, they found there was still a significant association between asthma and suicide thoughts and attempts.
I have not ...
Party people may be familiar with a nightclub drug called Special K. This drug is actually a horse tranquilizer also known as Ketamine. Researchers have published their findings in the Archives of General Psychiatry and claim that Special K could actually help treat people who suffer from depression.
How does the drug work?
Reuters reports:
Ketamine restores to normal the orbifrontal cortex, an area of the brain located above the eyes that is overactive in depressed people.
The area is believed to be responsible for feelings of guilt, dread, apprehension and physical reactions such as a racing heart, said Bill Deakin, who led the study.
"The study results have given us a completely novel way of treating depression and a new avenue of understanding depression," said Deakin, a neuroscientist at the University of Manchester.
I would say that this is heartening news, especially to ...
