The Case For Saunas! Role of Heat shock proteins in cardiac and neuroprotection
As a sort of periodic public service announcement I like to plug saunas. We all know exercise is good for us, but part of the reason why is that we produce heat shock proteins when we exercise. Not all of us can exercise as much or as intensely as we would aspire to, so as…
Read MoreWine: Healthy for you or not?
Keeping in mind that there is no minimal recommended daily dose of alcohol, where the safest risk/benefit calculation is to not drink at all, people do like to drink! So with that in mind… I bring this up because in my writing project I mention this theoretical health advantage of fruits and vegetables as well…
Read MoreChronic Pain and Heart Rate Variability in a Cross-Sectional Occupational Sample: Evidence for Impaired Vagal Control
In this article, the researchers measure Heart Rate Variability as a function of pain levels in 647 subjects. They found that parasympathetic activity was lower in patients with chronic pain. This is not at all surprising, but we can wonder if we improve HRV we can also improve patients pain. Again, autonomic balance influences so…
Read MoreThe Link Between Autonomic Nervous System and Rheumatoid Arthritis: From Bench to Bedside
As patients and readers of my blog know, I focus on the autonomic nervous system in my acupuncture practice. Autonomic balance has now been implicated in many different diseases, an important one is Rheumatoid Arthritis. Acupuncture improves autonomic balance and so does direct vagal stimulation. Both of these interventions improve autonomic balance and lower inflammatory…
Read MoreElectroacupuncture at ST25 for Parkinson’s disease constipation
I have treated many patients in the clinic who suffer from constipation and it really helps. This study investigated the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) at ST 25 on constipation in Parkinson’s disease (PD) rats. The researchers found that EA intervention relieved constipation symptoms and reversed the down-regulation of colonic autophagy markers in PD rats. The relationship…
Read MoreScience behind Acupuncture: Andrew Huberman Podcast with Rick Rubin
Please click on my photo for a short video explaining the importance of the subject of this blog post. thanks!! The reason that I’m writing a book about the science behind acupuncture, the validity of acupuncture is that it doesn’t seem that people really understand how much science there really is. But, not only that,…
Read MoreMediterranean Diet: No Nonsense and Healthy
This article lays out the basics of the Mediterranean Diet. I like it because it’s a middle ground diet with lots of healthy elements and avoids foods that we don’t need. Easy to follow, sustainable, and realistic. The diet prioritizes whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, herbs, spices and olive oil. Fish rich in omega-3…
Read MoreLongevity Science: Potential Drugs
This article from Wired magazine takes a look at the recent research on drugs aimed at aging. I’m not advocating any sort of drug against aging yet, since we actually have some good preventatives already! Acupuncture for one, saunas for another and, of course, exercise. Also, remember to take L-Serine for brain health, and Astra…
Read MoreAcupuncture for Patients With Chronic Tension-Type Headache
A recent study found, in the prestigious journal Nature, that acupuncture may be effective in reducing the frequency of chronic tension-type headaches. The study included 218 participants who received either true acupuncture or a sham treatment for eight weeks. The group receiving true acupuncture had a higher responder rate and a greater reduction in monthly…
Read MoreAltered HRV in Adolescent Girls: A Cause of Anxiety?
This study sought to determine whether HRV measures, a measure of autonomic balance. corresponded to “internalizing symptoms” found in adolescents. Their conclusion was “Results suggest that reduced HRV should be considered as a potential contributor to exacerbating internalizing symptoms in adolescence. Girls with reduced HRV and CC might be prone to the development of internalizing…
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