Antioxidants could control Alzheimer’s

There is presently no treatment that alters the course of Alzheimer's disease (AD).

However, an increasing amount of evidence suggests that changes in the way the body handles iron and other metals like copper and zinc may start years before the onset of AD symptoms.

A new study shows that reducing iron levels in blood plasma may protect the brain from changes related to AD.

In the current study a group of investigators from led by Dr. Othman Ghribi, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Therapeutics, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, rabbits were fed a high-cholesterol diet which caused them to accumulate plaques of a small protein called beta-amyloid.

Read More:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health/Antioxidants-could-control-Alzheimers/articleshow/12622010.cms

Dr. Mercola - Is This FDA-Approved Sweetener Causing Brain Damage?

Aspartame is the most popular artificial sweetener in the United States, but I think a more apt description would be the most dangerous food additive on the U.S. market.

Used in more than 6,000 products (often sugar-free or "diet" versions), millions of people consume this toxin, believing it to be a healthy alternative to sugar.

But people would likely stop using it in droves if they only knew the truth, which is that since its discovery aspartame has been linked to brain tumors.ⁱ

And just this month, research was published in Drug and Chemical Toxicology showing yet another route by which aspartame damages your brain …

Read More:

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/03/24/aspartame-affects-brain-health.aspx

BPA Could Affect Reproductive Capabilities, Cause Infection of the Uterus

Researchers at the University of Cincinnati have found evidence that, in addition to affecting the heart, brain and nervous system, bisphenol A (BPA), could affect a mammal’s ability to reproduce by altering the structure of the uterus in ways that can progress to a potentially fatal infection.

These findings are published in March 9, 2012, advance online edition of the Journal of Reproductive Toxicology.

Infection and inflammation of the uterus, or pyometra, is most commonly seen in animals like dogs and cats but can also affect humans. It is a result of hormonal and structural changes in the uterus lining and can be deadly if left untreated.

Read More:

http://www.healthnews.uc.edu/news/?/15611/

Nasty People in the Media Prime the Brain for Aggression

Research over the past few decades has shown that viewing physical violence in the media can increase aggression in adults and children. But a new study, co-authored by an Iowa State University psychology professor, has also found that onscreen relational aggression -- including social exclusion, gossip and emotional bullying -- may prime the brain for aggression.

Douglas Gentile, an associate professor of psychology at Iowa State, was one of four authors of the study "'Frenemies, Fraitors, and Mean-em-aitors': Priming effects of viewing physical and relational aggression in the media on women," which was recently published by the journal Aggressive Behavior. The study of 250 college women showed that mean screens may also activate the neural networks that guide behavior.

"What this study shows is that relational aggression actually can cause a change in the way you think," said Gentile, who runs the Media Research Lab at Iowa State. "And that matters because of course, how you think can change your behavior."

Read More:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120307145428.htm

Robin McKie - Fasting can help protect against brain diseases, scientists say

Fasting for regular periods could help protect the brain against degenerative illnesses, according to US scientists. Researchers at the National Institute on Ageing in Baltimore said they had found evidence which shows that periods of stopping virtually all food intake for one or two days a week could protect the brain against some of the worst effects of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and other ailments.

"Reducing your calorie intake could help your brain, but doing so by cutting your intake of food is not likely to be the best method of triggering this protection. It is likely to be better to go on intermittent bouts of fasting, in which you eat hardly anything at all, and then have periods when you eat as much as you want," said Professor Mark Mattson, head of the institute's laboratory of neurosciences.

"In other words, timing appears to be a crucial element to this process," Mattson told the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Vancouver.

Read More:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/feb/18/fasting-protect-brain-diseases-scientists

How the Unconscious Mind Boosts Creative Output

Truly creative ideas are both highly prized and, for most of us, maddeningly elusive. If our best efforts produce nothing brilliant, we’re often advised to put aside the issue at hand and give our unconscious minds a chance to work.

Newly published research suggests that is indeed a good idea — but not for the reason you might think.

A study from the Netherlands finds allowing ideas to incubate in the back of the mind is, in a narrow sense, overrated. People who let their unconscious minds take a crack at a problem were no more adept at coming up with innovative solutions than those who consciously deliberated over the dilemma. But they did perform better on the vital second step of this process: determining which of their ideas was the most creative. That realization provides essential information; without it, how do you decide which solution you should actually try to implement?

Read More:

http://www.miller-mccune.com/culture/how-the-unconscious-mind-boosts-creative-output-38841/?utm_source=Newsletter198&utm_medium=email&utm_content=0131&utm_campaign=newsletters

Given the value of discerning truly fresh ideas, “we can conclude that the unconscious mind plays a vital role in creative performance,” a research team led by Simone Ritter of the Radboud University Behavioral Science Institute writes in the journal Thinking Skills and Creativity.

Study: The Brains of Storytellers And Their Listeners Actually Sync Up

You may be talking and I may be listening, but our brains look strikingly similar.

That’s the conclusion of a study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences this week. After conducting brain scans of a woman telling a story off the cuff and then of 11 people listening to a recording of her, researchers Greg Stephens and Uri Hasson say they found that the same parts of the brains showed activation at the same time, suggesting a deep connection between talker and listener.

Graduate student Lauren Silbert was the team’s storytelling guinea pig. She recounted tales of high school, like deciding whom to take to prom, while undergoing an fMRI scan.

Read More:

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2010/07/27/study-the-brains-of-storytellers-and-their-listeners-actually-sync-up/

10 Ways to Help Your Brain

Getting healthy is a top New Year's resolution. But keeping your brain healthy as you age also should be a top priority.

Dr. Wes Ashford, an Alzheimer's Disease expert and creator of the consumer memory screening test MemTrax, offers these 10 tips to on keeping your brain healthy:

- EXERCISE YOUR MIND: Education is associated with decreased Alzheimer's risk. So try taking a class, learning a new language or working math or word puzzles to keep your mind stimulated. There also are personalized brain-train programs, like those at HAPPYneuron (www.HAPPYneuron.com).

- GET PHYSICAL: Physical exercise is an important part of keeping your mind healthy. Adopt a regular exercise program, incorporating both aerobics and strength training – and don't forget to stretch.

Read more:

http://www.nola.com/newsflash/index.ssf/story/10-ways-to-help-your-brain/9f1c411c767d71c81f7f13f2b935168c

Carol M. Ostrum - Study: Brain injury from high-fat foods may be why diets fail

SEATTLE — You've heard "a minute on the lips, years on the hips," or some variation. But did it make you put down that frosted butter cookie?

No? OK, here's another bit of research to snack on: After humans and rodents eat a high-fat diet, their brains begin to show evidence of injuries in just 24 hours. If they keep eating that yummy fatty stuff continuously, the area of their brains that regulates weight - the hypothalamus - will show evidence of serious inflammation and structural damage.

Researchers at the University of Washington and other institutions say they've found the first evidence that "hypothalamic neuron injury" is associated with obesity caused by a high-fat diet in rodents and humans.

Read More:

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2011/12/30/134511/study-brain-injury-from-high-fat.html 

John Phillip - Resveratrol and nuts team to protect the brain and boost cognitive function

by John Phillip

http://www.naturalnews.com/034503_resveratrol_nuts_cognitive_function.html

(NaturalNews) Nuts, especially walnuts, almonds and hazelnuts, combined with the potent polyphenol resveratrol team, together improve mood and protect the aging brain, thus helping to maintain memory and cognition. Researchers reporting in the New England Journal of Medicine have found that nuts consumed over a period of years not only help with weight management issues, but also can reduce systemic inflammation to improve spirits and prevent cognitive decline.

Resveratrol has long been associated with brain health. The Journal of Pineal Research reports that resveratrol demonstrates anti-aging properties in the brain necessary for energy production and optimal brain function. Combining these two natural agents together as part of your healthy diet can improve mood, help retain memories and preserve youthful thought patterns.

Researchers determined to validate the health-promoting capacity of nuts provided test participants with a diet of walnuts, almonds and hazelnuts for a period of 12 weeks. The volunteers for this study were sex and age-matched individuals given a control diet, and were compared to a group not receiving the nut mixture. All participants exhibited symptoms of metabolic syndrome, increasing risk for developing diabetes, heart disease, mood disorders and loss of cognition.

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