Gut Bacteria Can Change the Way You Think and Feel
Following a healthy, fiber rich diet is good for you in a lot of ways, but recent research shows that encouraging good gut bacteria improves mood also. 2 cups of yogurt a day was shown to improve mood. Hard to know if the study was well done or not… When people eat a plant-heavy diet,…
Read MoreDon’t forget, you too can acquire a super memory
I’ve been interested in learning techniques for a few years now. I had to do a lot of memorizing in college (Biochemistry) and in Medical School and I had lots of tricks. But I’ve learned some new ones and can only wish that I had some of the resources available now. Memory castle, is the…
Read MoreEveryone Knows Memory Fails as You Age. But Everyone Is Wrong.
I have read this same take before. That we have more memories as we age, so we eventually get to the answers. I observe this in my 20 and 30 something children. They forget things every bit as much as I do. It’s hard to know about the ability to for pattern recognition, but I’ve…
Read MoreWhen Gut Bacteria Change Brain Function
There is intense interest in the effects of the gut microbiome on mood and even autism. The two strains highlighted below are part of the formulation I recommend for daily maintenance. Scientists have also gathered evidence that gut bacteria can influence anxiety and depression. Stephen Collins, a gastroenterology researcher at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario,…
Read MoreDoes Mindfulness Meditation Work?
For the record. The question is, as always, what is the risk/benefit assessment? I would assume the risk to be small, but that would probably depend on the “dosage” and individual’s mental make up. I’ve had a Vipassana practice off and on for decades, and have also done a lot of self-hypnosis and creative visualization. …
Read MoreSteroid Injections Not as Safe as Previously Thought
From Harvard Medical School blog Calling steroid injections into question Steroid injections can quickly relieve inflammation in the joints, and the effects may last from several weeks to several months. I’ve seen a number of patients who got significant relief from steroid injections every three or four months. But, a new report of one…
Read MoreDoes Intermittent Fasting Really Work?
An article from the New York times asks the question whether intermittent fasting really works. It is a bit vague in the article but intermittent fasting commonly refers to limiting your eating to a certain number of hours in a 24 hour period. A rigorous regimen is to limit your eating to 6 hours a…
Read MoreEffects of Hyperthermia on depression, sleep and heart rate variability in patients with depressive disorder
This study looks at hot baths given twice a week in depressed patients to see if they had improvement in their symtoms and HRV. In this pilot controlled study, patients with moderate depression improved by 3 points on the HAMD scale, or about the same amount as taking an anti-depressant. There was no perceptible difference…
Read MoreCervical Cancer Screening: The basics
This pdf of the presentation from last week’s conference on Controversies in Women’s Health. It’s hard to say if there is an upshot per se. In general, guidelines are getting much more nuanced and recognize the real harms of false positives.
Read MoreSympathetic Nerves Affect Inflammation More than Vagus N
According to this study. I have seen that sympathetic activity does seem to decrease in some patients more than vagal activity increasing with acupuncture and/or TAVNS. J Physiol. 2014 Apr 1;592(7):1677-86. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.2013.268573. Epub 2014 Jan 13. Reflex control of inflammation by sympathetic nerves, not the vagus. Martelli D1, Yao ST, McKinley MJ, McAllen…
Read More