When 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 MoreMigraine Supplements: New Study Shows Magnesium, Vit B2 Shown to Be Helpful
Daily Supplements for Migraine Of the supplements, Magnesium (600 mg), and Riboflavin (400 mg) per day are and .5 to 1 mg Melatonin before bed are the ones that I feel ready to recommend. We’ve discussed this topic before here and a previous list here According to the following study, Vitamin D is not supported…
Read MoreStents and Bypass Surgery No Better than Medications for Narrowed Arteries in Patients Without Angina
” This is far from the first study to suggest that stents and bypass are overused. But previous results have not deterred doctors, who have called earlier research on the subject inconclusive and the design of the trials flawed. Previous studies did not adequately control for risk factors, like LDL cholesterol, that might have…
Read MoreDavid Sinclair on the Potential for Reversing Aging: Hormesis Revisited
The Biochemistry of Longevity is Discussed in this video For any readers who are interested in some of the biochemistry behind the latest science on strategies to age more slowly. Many of the strategies we’ve discussed before, as well as the concept of hormesis. Basically, the current thinking is that we are too comfortable. Never…
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