Last week, I discussed the effects fear and trauma have on children's brains.Specifically, exposure to trauma creates an imbalance in three neurotransmitters that are involved with mood, reward response, addiction and behavioral regulation. These brain chemicals are dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin.

Furthermore, prenatal and childhood stress sets up a child's nervous system to a heightened arousal state, even at rest. All these shifts in brain biochemistry negatively impact appropriate response patterns.

Gate' reports the connection of trauma on the brain to addiction behavior:

Rather than choice, chance or genetic predetermination, it is childhood adversity that creates the susceptibility for addiction (emphasis mine).

Humans and animals require nurturing from a caregiver in order to survive, when a child does not receive consistent, secure interactions, or experiences painfully stressing ones, maldevelopment results. In vivo studies have shown that marked alterations in neurotransmitter systems occur within one week of separation from the mother, whereas animals receiving various kinds of nurturing contact during their infancy have shown more efficient brain circuitry for reducing anxiety as adults. Moreover, in vivo studies have demonstrated that animals exposed to prenatal stress exhibit characteristics of drug addiction, alcoholism and increased risk of self-administration of drugs.

According to Gate', the brain's biochemistry is not the only thing affected. It experiences structural changes with trauma. Specifically, brain growth is stunted by adversity. This may in part explain why a child with a nervous disposition has a harder time being soothed and regulated (emphasis mine):

Maternal deprivation and other types of adversity during infancy and childhood result in chronically high levels of the stress hormone cortisol. In addition to damaging the midbrain dopamine system, excess cortisol shrinks important brain centres such as the hippocampus--a structure important for memory and for the processing of emotions--and disturbs normal brain development in many other ways, with lifelong repercussions.20,21 Another major stress chemical that is permanently overproduced after insufficient early maternal contact is vasopressin, which is implicated in hypertension.1

Dr. Amen has done substantial amounts of research on trauma and brain effects. His research in traumatic brain injuries, violence, and psychological disorders has led him to recognize specific patterns in how the brain functions with these exposures.

For example, he reports that those with impulse control issues usually have a combination of a genetic predisposition, prenatal stress exposure, and/or environmental triggers that contributes to this problem. All these factors combine creating an inability to modulate neurotransmitters or nutrients to specific regions of brain regulation.

On his webpage, Amen Clinic's, Dr. Amen has a wide variety of studies summarizing the research on violence effects on children's cognition.

Temperament interacts with all the environmental factors discussed to modify behavior.

On the Amen Clinic's website, Dr. Amen lists a 2005 study (Mathews, et al.) that linked environmental exposure to violence to brain changes. Specifically, 71 children who viewed violent programming had imaging of brain patterns that suggested this exposure may be associated with alterations in mental functioning related to violence, whether or not trait aggression is present.

It is with this interaction of environment that caring parents who are becoming more aware can intervene on their children's behavioral responses.

It's time to spread hope, healing, and shed light on health information to empower us vs. paralyze our actions! Let's let empowerment and breaking free from free be the new norm!

Sources:

Robin S. Rosenberg. Abnormal Is the New Normal: Why will half of the U.S. population have a diagnosable mental disorder? Slate: Medical Examiner. April 12, 2013. http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/medical_examiner/2013/04/diagnostic_and_statistical_manual_fifth_edition_why_will_half_the_u_s_population.html

Dr. Northrup. Yikes! I'm Becoming My Mother. Flourish. hayhouseradio.com. (Streaming Radio) May 1, 2013.

Mate', Gabor. Addiction: Childhood Trauma, Stress and the Biology of Addiction. Apr 29, 2013. Journal of Restorative Medicine.

Amen, D. Amen Clinic's. The Science: Violence Research. Amen Clinics. 2013 copyrighted. http://www.amenclinics.com/amen-home/25-the-science/research-tables/57-violence-research

Hyman, M. Why Friendship Can Save Your Life. Drhyman.com. May 2, 2013. http://drhyman.com/blog/2013/05/03/why-friendship-can-save-your-life/#close

Mercola, J. Top Three Sources of Toxic Exposures: Traffic, Personal Care and Plastic Products. Mercola.com. May 15, 2013. http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/05/15/toxic-chemical-exposure.aspx?e_cid=20130515IRG_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20130515IRG

By Sarah A LoBisco, ND

I discussed on my homepage blog this week the effects of chronic fear on our mental, emotional, and societal health.  Specifically, media, medicine, and marketing techniques aiming to increase sales by scare tactics are creating a pervasive new dis-ease of the brain causing our population to operate in a survival vs. thriving mode.

This chronic stress response inactivates access to the executive functioning of the prefrontal cortex and creates the release of biochemical mediators running amuck in their organs and mental functioning systems. Left unenlightened or empowered by how to re-mediate it, we are at risk for more and more diseases and societal violence, as evidenced by recent events.

One cannot ignore how this fear is trickling down into the mental health of our young generations. There is good news though; parents have the ability to stop this dis-ease process even before their child is born! My goal is to provide you all with information and healthy tactics to trump the dis-empowering ones.

I spoke in previous blogs about the health consequences of various prenatal environmental exposures and mom's dietary choices on baby's immune system and overall disease risk. These physical aspects are important in promoting children's health after they are born, but perhaps more powerful is the effect of nurturing and exposure to trauma and violence in early life.

These physical predispositions set up at birth are intermingling with heightened fear responses that, in my opinion, are perpetuating the mental and emotional disease outbreak in our youth.

As mentioned, anxious response means rash decisions and unbalanced brains in very early developing brains. The result is a sicker and sicker society.

According to the article, Abnormal Is the New Normal: Why will half of the U.S. population have a diagnosable mental disorder?:

Second, we really are getting "sicker." The high prevalence of mental illness in the United States isn't only because we've gotten better at detecting mental illness. More of us are mentally ill than in previous generations, and our mental illness is manifesting at earlier points in our lives. One study supporting this explanation took the scores on a measure of anxiety of children with psychological problems in 1957 and compared them with the scores of today's average child. Today's children--not specifically those identified as having psychological problems, as were the 1957 children--are more anxious than those in previous generations.

Dr. Northrup frequently discusses the environmental effect of children born to moms who are bathing their newborns nervous system with stress hormones from their own inability to modulate fear. She notes that when mom is calm, a surge in oxytocin and dopamine results and the baby will feel safe and protected. However, if it is exposed to constant surges of cortisol and other biochemical toxic stress chemicals, the nervous tone of that child is a predisposition to be over-responsive, nervous, and addicted.

Therefore, as moms and dad are being cognizant of diet, exercise, and sleep, stress response and parenting styles need to be considered as just as important. Dr. Gabor discussed this connection of childhood trauma and addiction patterns. In his recent article in the Journal of Restorative Medicine, he explains:

Early trauma has consequences for how human beings respond to stress. Trauma in children, such as sexual, physical or emotional abuse or abandonment alter the child's physical stress mechanisms and, as a result, the child is more reactive to stress throughout their adult life. Studies of drug addicts find high percentages patients have experienced childhood trauma of various sorts, including physical, sexual and emotional abuse.

The three dominant brain systems in all addictions--the opioid attachment-reward system, the dopamine-based incentive-motivation apparatus and the self-regulation areas of the prefrontal cortex--are all exquisitely fine-tuned by the environment. To various degrees, in all addicted persons these systems are not functioning properly

Accordingly, this article explores the relationship between childhood emotional loss or trauma and addiction, demonstrating a fourth brain-body system implicated in addiction: the stress-response mechanism.

In my upcoming blogs, on this site and my homepage, I will be discussing in more detail the changes in brain patterns that result from this fearful and traumatized society in our children. Finally, I will give tools and techniques in mind-body medicine to calm our bodies and brains down and allow us to make choices from a mammalian brain perspective vs. a reptilian survival instinct.

Can you imagine the implications this would have on our children?

What are your thoughts on this topic?

I'd like to hear from you.

Stay tuned for the next installments and be sure not to miss this important topic by subscribing to my blog.

Sources:

April 29, 2013 Life's Operating Manual with Tom Shadyac. I Can Do It Hour. hayhouseradio.com April 29, 2013.

Robin S. Rosenberg. Abnormal Is the New Normal: Why will half of the U.S. population have a diagnosable mental disorder? Slate: Medical Examiner. April 12, 2013. http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/medical_examiner/2013/04/diagnostic_and_statistical_manual_fifth_edition_why_will_half_the_u_s_population.html

Dr. Northrup. Yikes! I'm Becoming My Mother. Flourish. hayhouseradio.com. (Streaming Radio) May 1, 2013.

Mate', Gabor. Addiction: Childhood Trauma, Stress and the Biology of Addiction. Apr 29, 2013. Journal of Restorative Medicine.

Amen, D. Amen Clinic's. The Science: Violence Research. Amen Clinics. 2013 copyrighted. http://www.amenclinics.com/amen-home/25-the-science/research-tables/57-violence-research

Hyman, M. Why Friendship Can Save Your Life. Drhyman.com. May 2, 2013. http://drhyman.com/blog/2013/05/03/why-friendship-can-save-your-life/#close

By Sarah A LoBisco, ND

It's almost May!

On the 2^nd of this month, I'll be speaking at the Holistic Mom's Network Meeting in Saratoga. How exciting it will be to discuss topics in health with empowered caregivers who understand the importance of diet and lifestyle choices on their children's health.

The topic we will discuss is "Gut Health and Nutrition." It will be an open forum on the importance of gastrointestinal health in the growing baby and child. As mentioned in previous blogs, the Gut's role in health is not just related to digestion and elimination. The health of this organ system is vital in growth, development, and overall wellness due to its impact on our immune function, mood balance, hormonal regulation, assimilation of nutrients, inflammation, and bio-transformation ("detoxifying").

Breastfeeding, Obesity, and Maternal Nutrition

For example, one major component in healthy childhood outcomes is breastfeeding. I wrote about this important link on this blog a few weeks back. Below is some more evidence on the link between the health of mom's breast milk, her diet, and her baby's health.

This article also supports how a healthy microbiome in the gut can be transferred by mom to baby from her long term lifestyle and food choices. These choices affect how her offspring deals with unhealthful environmental triggers or how it assimilates beneficial compounds.

According to Green Med Info (emphasis mine):

Breast milk contains numerous bacterial strains, which colonize the infant's gut. The bacteriological composition of breast milk seems to be directly related to the mother's lifestyle, as it is indicated by her weight and Body Mass Index (BMI). An interesting study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, in 2010 has shown that maternal BMI influences the relative presence of beneficial bacteria in breast milk, which is subsequently reflected in the infant's gut microbes. The study found that milk from overweight mothers had consistently lower numbers of beneficial bacteria (Bifidobacteria) and higher numbers of potentially pathogenic bacterial strains.

It confirms that during the first 6 months of their life, the gut of infants from overweight mothers (pre-pregnancy BMI bigger than 25) has already been extensively colonized by potential pathogens, such as Staphylococcus, Clostridium, Bacteroides and Akkermansia muciniphila. Several studies have found that breast milk from overweight mothers also has different composition in immunological compounds, such as TGF-β2, sCD14, interleukin - 6. Given the fact that certain gut microbiota and immunological  profiles are associated with obesity and metabolic disease, the above data suggest that mother's weight and lifestyle affect the quality of breast milk and the baby's gut flora, but it may also increase the child's risk for obesity.

Breastfeeding is not simply a source of nutrients for the newborn. The mother, through her breast milk quality, programs critical immunological, metabolic and microbiological aspects of the baby's physiology that will determine greatly his/her health status, even as an adult.

Eleni Roumeliotou. How Maternal Diet and Lifestyle Affects the Nutritional Value of Breast Milk. GreenMedInfo.com. April 8, 2013. http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/how-maternal-diet-and-lifestyle-affects-nutritional-value-breast-milk?utm_source=GreenMedInfo+Weekly&utm_campaign=6d8cd6279d-Greenmedinfo&utm_medium=email

Collado MC, Isolauri E, Laitinen K, Salminen S. 2010. Effect of mother's weight on infant's microbiota acquisition, composition, and activity during early infancy: a prospective follow-up study initiated in early pregnancy. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 92(5):1023-30. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20844065

Junk Food Addiction Starts in Utero

Not only what we feed our children prior to and after they are born will affect their resilience and vitality, but mom's food choices prenatally have an influence on what health choices they make later on in life.

For example, recent research is indicating that what a mom eats in pregnancy has powerful impact in how her baby's brain is wired toward food addiction or on healthy food selection. According to an article in Green Med Info (excerpted from Nutrition):

What neuroscience is only now starting to understand and elucidate, food companies knew it all along. And they have capitalized hard on it by selling processed food especially designed to bypass appetite control and neurological security valves of any unsuspected victim. Due to the complexity and interconnectedness of the biological functions in the human body, the overall impact of processed food on human physiology, health, life expectancy and quality of life in this generation is still hard to estimate.

But again the full extent of this slow, but efficient, genocide cannot be not fully appreciated if the impact on the future generations is not assessed as well. Latest research shows that the diet during pregnancy has a significant impact on the nutritional choices of the offspring. It is now confirmed that when the expectant mother follows a high-fat diet, her baby shows a measurable preference for sugar. However, this is not just a behavioral trait casually passed on to the next generation by means of mimicking the behavior of adults. On the contrary, as a result of the maternal diet, the DNA and subsequent expression of genes encoding opioid and dopamine receptors in the brain of the child is altered in a manner that promotes addiction.

This is no surprise, since repeated use of certain drugs has been well documented to cause enzymatic DNA modifications (epigenetic changes) which disrupt neuronal gene programs and support addictive behavior. This scientific fact explains why the kids of obese mothers are heavier with increased fat mass and have elevated insulin and glucose levels in their blood in comparison with control groups. Experiments show that the genetic disruption induced by maternal junk food consumption during pregnancy has long-term effects on the child's behavior and neurological responses.

In a twisted way, the new generation is genetically pre-programmed to be addicted to junk food, even before they are born. This perfect self-feeding loop guarantees long-term profits for the food corporations and chronic debilitating disease for humans, for generations to come. By designing and selling addictive, low quality and disease-promoting products, Big Food has achieved the unthinkable: to create a dedicated army of health-compromised, addicted fans, whose cognitive, biochemical and even genetic potential to break free of their addiction is hijacked before birth.

Eleni Roumeliotou. Addiction To Junk Food: More Than Meets The Eye. GreenMedInfo.com. April 7, 2013. http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/addiction-junk-food-more-meets-eye?utm_source=GreenMedInfo+Weekly&utm_campaign=6d8cd6279d-Greenmedinfo&utm_medium=email

Avena N., Gold J., Kroll c., Gold M. 2012. Further Developments in the Neurobiology of Food and Addiction: Update on the State of the Science. Nutrition. 28(4): 341-343. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3304017/

Think Twice Before Choosing That "Comfort Food"

Comfort foods might not even benefit mom's mood!!?

Dr. Amen discusses how unhealthy "comfort" foods have negative impact on one's own brain and body. Furthermore, he links the power of probiotics and gut health with brain health (emphasis mine). Therefore, eating junk foods (beyond moderation) prenatally won't help anyone:

Interestingly, these so called "comfort foods" - according to research at Penn State -  are directly correlated to a worsened state of mood. These women in the study did not have eating disorders but were concerned about their eating habits and body image. Here's the twist - this study showed that the participants that noted to be in a good mood prior to eating unhealthily had no change in their mood after eating. On the other hand, those that were in a bad mood and ate unhealthily were in an even worse mood after eating. In summary, when you eat junk food to try to calm your emotions you are actually more likely to increase the emotion that you are trying to counteract with food. This is especially true with depression.

What are the real comfort foods in times of emotional stress? What I have found is that adding certain supplements - probiotics, fish oil, vitamin D - can help bring a person who is prone to anxiety and depression out of that state. Using this approach, the emotional eating cycle that leads to weight gain and associated health risks can be avoided.

Next time you are feeling anxious have some probiotics. A recent study I wrote about in my book, Unleash The Power of the Female Brain, found that seventy three percent  of subjects that took probiotics experienced an increase in levels of good bacteria in the gut, which corresponded with a significant decrease in anxiety symptoms. Feeling depressed and upset over weight gain? Add some fish oil to your diet. Diets rich in omega-3 fatty acids help promote not only good weight control but a healthy emotional balance and positive mood in later years. Lastly, to prevent the onset of numerous diseases take a walk outside on a sunny day. Unfortunately, vitamin D deficiencies are becoming more and more common, in part because we are spending more time indoors and using more sunscreens. Low levels of vitamin D have long been associated with a higher incidence of depression, cancer, and auto-immune disease. Supplementation of vitamin D is often necessary and has been shown to improve moods.

Amen Clinics. Food to Fuel Your Mood. Dr. Amen's Blog. 4/22/13. http://www.amenclinics.com/?p=6702&option=com_wordpress&Itemid=204&inf_contact_key=19269db269e896228aa1542bd0f6bdd61f255b7a21240a239c1ad2253e71e8ba

The Importance of Quality and Type of Food

In this week's Top Holistic Health Reads on my homepage, I highlight the different environmental triggers in our food supply and the various mechanisms of how they affect our health (via nutrigenomic or epigenomic mechanisms).

In other words, the healthy components in our foods or various contaminants flood our body and interact with our cells at the level of our genes. This can cause positive or negative changes in how our cells function. In fact, even conventional medicine is recognizing and warning us about the importance of our food quality.

Pediatric Association Warns of Pesticide Risks

The American Academy of Pediatrics issued a sweeping policy statement warning of the dangers of acute and chronic exposure to pesticides for children.

It outlined powerful evidence linking childhood pesticide exposure to pediatric cancers, decreased cognitive function, asthma and such behavioral problems as autism. It suggested revamping medical training and called for public-health tracking, regulatory action and continuing research on the long-term effects associated with pesticide exposure.

Yet, chances are many parents haven't heard much about it from their children's' health-care providers.

Muldoon, K.Pediatrics group cautions against pesticide use in homes and gardens. Oregon Live. April 17, 2013. http://www.oregonlive.com/health/index.ssf/2013/04/post_62.html

Read more about the power of food on our gene expression as well as the top health and drug updates of this month at my homepage blog (www.dr-lobisco.com)

By Sarah LoBisco, ND

There are two types of hormonal replacement therapy, bio-identical and synthetic hormone replacement therapy.

Most studies available today on bio-identical hormonal replacement aren't made generally available to the public domain. However, most integrative practitioners believe hormonal supplementation with hormones that are biochemically similar to our own, are safer.

 Furthermore, there are ways to measure these hormonal metabolites (how the body utilizes and excretes them) which can guide dosage, additional supplementation and reduce the risk for resultant downstream inflammatory effects. Using this guidance and individualizing a unique and integrative program for a specific woman's need are the keys to finding a protocol that is less likely to cause tumor growth.

Synthetic hormonal replacement can be 16x more potent than natural hormones and the most common, Premarin, is formed from horse urine metabolites of estrogens.

There is evidence that synthetic hormonal replacement therapy (HRT) and hormonal contraceptives are linked to a higher risk in some cancers. The National Cancer Institute has a great summary at the links below on the various risks of certain cancers with hormonal replacement.

Probably the most confusing information is hormonal replacement and breast cancer risk studies. There are conflicting results from various studies on breast cancer risk and death with hormone replacement therapy explained below:

The study, published Friday by the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, concludes that the prognosis for cancers related to hormone replacement therapy is just as dire as for other breast cancers. As a result, women who turn to the treatment are more likely to die of breast cancer than their peers who don't take hormones. . . .

Nearly 70,000 postmenopausal women participated in randomized clinical trials as part of the Women's Health Initiative project. The study participants who took estrogen plus progestin had higher rates of breast cancer diagnoses and of breast cancer deaths.

At the same time, more than 90,000 additional women took part in a related observational study that tracked details about their health and hormone use over an average of 11 years. Along with many other observational studies, this one found that women who took hormones to treat menopause symptoms and got breast cancer were less likely to die from the illness than women who got breast cancer without taking hormones.

Chlebowski, an oncologist based at the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute in Torrance, suspected that the discrepancy could have resulted from key differences between the women in the randomized trial and the women in the observational study.

So he and his team identified a subset of more than 41,000 women from the observational study who more closely matched the women who took part in the randomized trial. In doing so, the researchers set aside data on women who were not using hormones when they participated in a study but had taken them in the past -- a factor that had the potential to complicate the findings.

The new results fell more closely in line with the findings from the original randomized trial: Survival after breast cancer was similar for both hormone users and non-users. Tumors that arose in women who took hormones were no less deadly.

They had appeared to be, however, because women who had taken hormones years before might have already developed aggressive cancers and would not have been able to participate in the study in the first place. Because of the study design, they had been selected out, Chlebowski said.

Therefore, I always urge women to try lifestyle and supplemental changes first. These should be individualized and not based on manipulating symptoms with hormones.

More information on specific and general guidelines for hormonal health will be found on my homepage this week (Natural Hormonal Health Updates for Women), as well as the topic of mammograms.

References:

Brown, E. Study Upholds Breast Cancer Mortality For Hormone Replacement. Los Angeles Times (latimes.com). March 30, 2013. http://articles.latimes.com/2013/mar/30/science/la-sci-hormone-replacement-therapy-cancer-20130330

National Cancer Institute. Oral Contraceptives and Cancer Risk. NCI. 4/22/13 accessed. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/oral-contraceptives

National Cancer Institute. Hormone Replacement Therapy and Breast Cancer Relapse. NCI. http://www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials/results/summary/2004/hrt-and-breast-cancer0204

National Cancer Institute. NCI. Menopausal Hormone Therapy and Cancer. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/menopausal-hormones

Jonathan V. Wright, M.D. with contributions by Christa Hinchcliffe, N.D. and Wendy Ellis, N.D. Taking The Fear Out of Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Therapy - One Urine Test at a Time. AHHA.org. December 2007. http://ahha.org/BHRT-Article.htm

http://www.worldlinkmedical.com/blog/hormones-and-cancer-dr-neal-rouzier-md/

By Sarah A LoBisco, ND

Ahhh-choooo.

Sniffle...

Wipe.

Yuck.

Tis the allergy time again, another change in seasons, more pollen.

Not fun for most.

The good news is, allergies don't have to rule you!

I assist those who have allergy symptoms with the same method I use with any health concern. I look at the individual and their unique specific causes, contributors, and genetic susceptibilities in order to find what will work best for them in an integrative wellness program (http://dr-lobisco.com/functional-medicine-testing-why-test/).

Due to the fact that most of our immune system is actually found in our gut, that's one of the first places I start! The balance of good and bad bugs in the colon is important to assess as a major contributor to an immune deregulation.

As I wrote in a previous blog:

Good microflora has the following roles:

They manufacture B-vitamins, such as biotin, niacin (B3), pyridoxine (B6) and folic acid.
They act as anti-carcinogenic (anti-cancer) factors, with powerful anti-tumour potentials.
They act as 'watchdogs' by keeping an eye on, and effectively controlling, the spread of undesirable microorganisms (by altering the acidity of the region they inhabit and/or producing specific antibiotic substances, as well as by depriving rival unfriendly bacteria of their nutrients). ... lactobacilli is"Candida albicans," now implicated in many health problems in people who are malnourished or whose immune systems are depleted.
They effectively help to control high cholesterol levels, thereby affording us protection from the cardiovascular damage which excessive levels of this nevertheless important substance can create.
They sometimes act to relieve the symptoms of anxiety
They play a role in protecting against the negative effects of radiation and toxic pollutants, enhancing immune function.
They help considerably to enhance bowel function. Where bowel bacteria are absent, the function of peristalsis is impaired, and the amount of time it take for food to pass completely through the system is much increased.
60 percent of the circulating female hormones such as estrogen are excreted into the GI tract in the bile. (That is, probiotics help remove inflammatory hormones and prevent their recirculation)
Source: Leon Chaitow, N.D., D.O. and Natasha Trenev. Probiotics. Thorsons Publishing Group, Northamptonshire England, c1990 ISBN 0-7225-1919-2 http://www.holisticmed.com/detox/dtx-probio.txt

Therefore, I usually recommend a specific probiotic for allergies, depending on the factors that contributed to a deregulated buggie-gut. :)

The Components that Play In Allergies

So, what are some factors that play in the allergic response? According to Dr. Johnson's research, how the baby is born is one factor on if Fido is welcome at home (emphasis mine):

But what causes one person to become sensitive to these indiscriminate antigens floating through the air, while another sails through life with dry eyes and clear sinuses?

Scientists aren't exactly sure, but they have a few ideas.

Dr. Christine Cole Johnson has been studying allergies since the early 1980s. Her research team at Henry Ford Hospital was the first to show that having a pet in the house during your child's first year of life may protect him or her from developing allergies -- a finding that's since been duplicated in other studies.

Her latest research suggests allergy development starts even before that.

Johnson analyzed data from a group of more than 1,200 newborns who were born in Michigan between 2003 and 2007, and have been evaluated by researchers at 1 month, 6 months, 1 year and 2 years old.

She found that babies born by cesarean section are six times more likely to be sensitive to dust mite allergens than babies born naturally. The researcher found similar results for exposure to cat- and dog-hair allergens.

Babies who are born via C-section have a different microbiome in their gastrointestinal tract, Johnson said. A microbiome is what scientists use to describe the bacteria communities that reside in humans, whether it's in our mouths, on our skin or in our digestive system.

Wilson, J. Where do allergies come from? CNN Health: Living with Allergies. March 26, 2013. http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/26/health/what-causes-allergies/index.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_health+%28RSS%3A+Health%29

Allergies and Hyper Cleanliness

Here's another behavioral and cultural component to our allergic, over-responsive sinuses. We are clean freaks:

Here's what researchers do know: Our immune systems need bugs. They rely on early encounters with germs to learn how to protect our bodies.

"Bacteria, fungi, lots of these things we think of as bad -- they're all part of our environment, and we evolved to live with them," says Michael Zasloff, an immunologist and physician at Georgetown University Medical Center. Through exposure to these microbes early in life, your immune system learns what's harmful and what isn't, he says, and that readies the immune responses you'll have for the rest of your life.

"The body has got to know friend from foe," Zasloff says. If your body learns that a specific microbe or substance -- any antigen, or visitor to the body -- is a foe, it will send immune system cells to destroy it. If it recognizes the antigen as a friend, the immune system will leave it alone. "Exposure tells the immune system, 'These are the things you're going to run into all the time, so you don't need to worry about them.' "

According to the hygiene hypothesis, bad things can happen if this early exposure doesn't take place or if it doesn't include the right microbes. The immune system can become overly sensitive, overreacting to non-threats such as pollen or dander as if they're potentially harmful. When combined with certain genetic traits, this process can lead to conditions such as asthma and allergies, says Kathleen Barnes, an immunogeneticist at Johns Hopkins University who specializes in the genetics of asthma.

Hypercleanliness may be making us sick. Washington Post: Health & Science. March 26, 2013. http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/hypercleanliness-may-be-making-us-sick/2013/03/25/9e6d4764-84e9-11e2-999e-5f8e0410cb9d_story.html?wprss=rss_health-science

Seven Immune Busters!

Other interesting factors that could be causing allergic responses is our environment. Below is one example from Dr. Amen on one factor, but be sure to check out his blog on some other components that you may be sensitive to.

4. You drink well water

Surprisingly, the cleanliness of your drinking water can play a role in whether or not you get sick. As many as 25 million Americans drink well water that contains more than the safe levels of arsenic determined by the EPA. Arsenic has been linked to several different cancers, and affects the immune response to swine flu as well. When researchers from Dartmouth Medical School inoculated two groups of mice with the H1N1 virus, the group that had spent 5 weeks drinking arsenic-tainted water developed suppressed immune systems, and many died. The mice that didn't drink the water got the flu but recovered completely. If your well water tests high, consider switching to bottled water or investing in a remediation system that will remove the arsenic.

Amen Clinics. How Strong is Your Immune System? Dr. Amen's Blog. 2/19/13. http://www.amenclinics.com/?p=6511&option=com_wordpress&Itemid=204&inf_contact_key=5d4c348aebffab5c1c12d35889a263c992d2ccecf2a8bd9f6d1ad0c4959b9d25

There are many powerful herbs and supplements, such as Vitamin C and Quercetin, that are beneficial in addressing the histamine response to allergies, but getting to the root cause of why one is making histamine can save a lot of future sniffles.

Who would have thought, the answer to allergy relief may not start in your head, but in your gut bugs!

Links:

Dr. LoBisco. Functional Medicine: Why Test? http://dr-lobisco.com/functional-medicine-testing-why-test/

Dr. LoBisco. Probiotics: Supplementing Your Diet with Bugs. http://dr-lobisco.com/probiotics-supplementing-your-diet-with-bugs/

By Sarah A LoBisco, ND

The Meat Risk of Heart Disease?

By Sarah A. LoBisco, ND

Yet another media controversy and medical debate is at full force (beyond the autism debate I discussed on my homepage at http://dr-lobisco.com/kids-vaccines-autism-risk/ ).

Recently, there has been much publication on the link between meat eaters and cardiovascular disease. Sounds fishy to me!

Why--we have another cholesterol controversy on our hands. This means that the good guy is getting blamed for a response in the body, not the other way around.

Heart Risk Tied to a Gut Bacteria's Favorite, Meat-Derived Metabolite

The excerpt below explains the study that found a link between meat lovers and increased risk of heart disease. This was due to their gut bacteria burping up a nasty metabolite of an amino acid in protein, carnitine, and this in turn clogging their arteries:

It turns out that a compound that's unusually abundant in red meat promotes atherosclerosis (hardening/clogging of the arteries).

The Cleveland Clinic group found that certain gut bacteria feed on an essential natural metabolic compound called carnitine ... and break it down into a metabolite previously linked to atherosclerosis in people (Koeth R et al. 2013).

Further, the Cleveland researchers found that a diet high in carnitine - mostly obtained from red meat - promotes the growth of bacteria that metabolize carnitine into an artery-clogging compound. ...

The researchers' theory, based on earlier laboratory studies in animals, is twofold. First, TMAO facilitates the infiltration of oxidized cholesterol into artery walls ... an essential part of the atherosclerosis process and cardiovascular disease.

And TMAO prevents the body from excreting excess cholesterol.

Weatherby, C. The Real Heart-Attacker in Red Meat? Vital Choice Newsletter. April 8, 2013. http://www.vitalchoice.com/shop/pc/articlesView.asp?id=2015&utm_source=bronto&utm_medium=email&utm_term=The+Real+Heart-Attacker+in+Red+Meat%3F&utm_content=04%2F08%2F2013&utm_campaign=Stunning+Meat-Heart+News+%E2%9C%AF+FREE+Bonuses+%E2%9C%AF+Recipe%3A+Roasted+Spot+Prawns+and+Greens+%E2%9C%AF+MORE

What the study fails to highlight, that in those deficient in carntitine, namely vegetarians, the link is not found, even after eating meat! This means the issue isn't with the substance, it's with the person's digestive milieu.

Dietary Patterns not Meat contribute to Metabolite Breakdown

"The bacteria living in our digestive tracts are dictated by our long-term dietary patterns," Hazen said. "A diet high in carnitine actually shifts our gut microbe composition to those that like carnitine, making meat eaters even more susceptible to forming TMAO and its artery-clogging effects. Meanwhile, vegans and vegetarians have a significantly reduced capacity to synthesize TMAO from carnitine, which may explain the cardiovascular health benefits of these diets."

Prior research has shown that a diet with frequent red meat consumption is associated with increased cardiovascular disease risk, but that the cholesterol and saturated fat content in red meat does not appear to be enough to explain the increased cardiovascular risks. This discrepancy has been attributed to genetic differences, a high salt diet that is often associated with red meat consumption, and even possibly the cooking process, among other explanations. But Hazen says this new research suggests a new connection between red meat and cardiovascular disease.

"This process is different in everyone, depending on the gut microbe metabolism of the individual," he says. "Carnitine metabolism suggests a new way to help explain why a diet rich in red meat promotes atherosclerosis."

Cleveland Clinic (CC). Cleveland Clinic researchers discover new link between heart disease and red meat. April 7, 2013. Accessed at http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-04/cc-ccr040513.php

Graham M, Crooke R, Edwards PA, Hazen SL, Lusis AJ. Trimethylamine-N-oxide, a metabolite associated with atherosclerosis, exhibits complex genetic and dietary regulation (abstract). Cell Metab. 2013 Jan 8;17(1):49-60. doi: 10.1016/j.cmet.2012.12.011.

Treat the Gut, Modulate Heart Disease Risk

Cure the Bacteria Burp and Liver yuck (emphasis mine):

Then researchers gave meat eaters doses of antibiotics to wipe out almost all of their gut bacteria. After that, they no longer had TMAO in their blood either after consuming red meat or carnitine pills. That meant, he said, that the effect really was because of gut bacteria.

Researchers then tried to determine whether people with high blood carnitine or TMAO levels were at higher heart disease risk. They analyzed blood from more than 2,500 people, asking if carnitine or TMAO levels predicted heart attacks independently of traditional risk factors like smoking, high cholesterol and blood pressure. Both carnitine and TMAO did. But upon further analysis, they discovered that the effect was solely because of TMAO.

The researchers' theory, based on their laboratory studies, is that TMAO enables cholesterol to get into artery walls and also prevents the body from excreting excess cholesterol.

But what is it about carnitine that bacteria like? The answer, Dr. Hazen said, is that bacteria use it as a fuel.

He said he worries about carnitine-containing energy drinks. Carnitine often is added to the drinks on the assumption that is will speed fat metabolism and increase a person's energy level, Dr. Hazen said.

Kolata, G. Study Points to New Culprit in Heart Disease. NY Times: Health. April 8, 2013. http://mobile.nytimes.com/2013/04/08/health/study-points-to-new-culprit-in-heart-disease.xml#.UWKhLybhJ_c.facebook

Bottom line:

Carnitine is needed for fuel for mitochondria (cellular energy), heart efficacy, and muscle strength, just to name a few functions.

So, don't go tossing your supplements with carnitine out just yet. Consider your overall dietary patterns and check with a medical detective, i.e. functional medicine doctor or naturopathic Doctor, to determine your specific dietary needs.

By Sarah LoBisco, ND

I recently posted a blog on brain health. In it, I provided evidence that our genes aren't the main determinants of our health. It is their interplay with the environment that results in symptoms and diseases.

This is exciting news. It means that lifestyle factors such as diet, exercise, and supplements can empower our health by how our genes are expressed!

This is especially true in relation to cognition and brain health. Various lifestyle factors, supplements, and foods have been linked to memory, mood, and overall brain functioning (including dementia prevention).

Examples include:

1. The links between cognitive power and protein breakfasts and how cognitive decline is associated with high sugar, soft drinks, and gluten.

2. How high quality fish and krill oil, with omega 3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) impact memory and brain health

3. Olive oil for dementia prevention

4. N-Acetyl Cysteine, an amino acid supplement, was found beneficial in alleviating schizophrenia symptoms vs. controls in one study!

Below are the abstract specifics for your reading pleasure (bold emphasis mine). Enjoy!

Fish Oil on the Brain

Encouragingly, the very first trial to test omega-3 capsules in younger healthy adults detected real brain benefits ... see "Omega-3s Boosted Young Adults' Brains", from the Omega-3s & Brain Health section of our news archive.

Now, UK scientists report the results of a similar trial, with similarly positive outcomes (Stonehouse W et al. 2013). Few Americans consume enough omega-3s, and most consume far too many omega-6s from vegetable oils, which compete for space in our cell membranes.

If the new findings prompt more people to take healthy daily doses of fish oil, that could yield broad, substantial societal and personal benefits. ...

There were some gender-specific variations in the outcomes:

Women improved more than men did on tests of episodic memory.
Men improved more than women did on tests of working memory reaction time.
Weatherby, C. Fishy Omega-3 Boosted Younger Brains. VitalChoice Newsletter. March 28, 2013. http://www.vitalchoice.com/shop/pc/articlesView.asp?id=2011&utm_source=bronto&utm_medium=email&utm_term=Fishy+Omega-3+Boosted+Younger+Brains&utm_content=03%2F28%2F2013&utm_campaign=Omega-3+Boosted+Younger+Brains+%E2%9C%AF+FREE+Bonuses+%E2%9C%AF+Recipe+Video%3A+Triple-Citrus+Ginger+Sablefish+%E2%9C%AF+MORE

Krill Oil's Brain Boosting Power

In this study we tried to confirm the effect of an astaxanthin-rich Haematococcus pluvialis extract on cognitive function in 96 subjects by a randomised double-blind placebo-controlled study. Healthy middle-aged and elderly subjects who complained of age-related forgetfulness were recruited. Ninety-six subjects were selected from the initial screen, and ingested a capsule containing astaxanthin-rich Haematococcus pluvialis extract, or a placebo capsule for 12 weeks. ... In conclusion, the results suggested that astaxanthin-rich Haematococcus pluvialis extract improves cognitive function in the healthy aged individuals.

Mikiyuki Katagiri, Akira Satoh,2Shinji Tsuji,& Takuji Shirasawa. Effects of astaxanthin-rich Haematococcus pluvialis extract on cognitive function: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. J Clin Biochem Nutr. 2012 September; 51(2): 102-107. Published online 2012 March 30. doi: 10.3164/jcbn.11-00017

NAC and Schizophrenia

Brain glutathione levels are decreased in schizophrenia, a disorder that often is chronic and refractory to treatment. N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) increases brain glutathione in rodents. This study was conducted to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of oral NAC (1 g orally twice daily [b.i.d.]) as an add-on to maintenance medication for the treatment of chronic schizophrenia over a 24-week period.

METHODS: A randomized, multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. The primary readout was change from baseline on the Positive and Negative Symptoms Scale (PANSS) and its components. Secondary readouts included the Clinical Global Impression (CGI) Severity and Improvement scales, as well as general functioning and extrapyramidal rating scales. Changes following a 4-week treatment discontinuation were evaluated. One hundred forty people with chronic schizophrenia on maintenance antipsychotic medication were randomized; 84 completed treatment.

RESULTS: Intent-to-treat analysis revealed that subjects treated with NAC improved more than placebo-treated subjects over the study period in PANSS total [-5.97 (-10.44, -1.51), p = .009], PANSS negative [mean difference -1.83 (95% confidence interval: -3.33, -.32), p = .018], and PANSS general [-2.79 (-5.38, -.20), p = .035], CGI-Severity (CGI-S) [-.26 (-.44, -.08), p = .004], and CGI-Improvement (CGI-I) [-.22 (-.41, -.03), p = .025] scores. No significant change on the PANSS positive subscale was seen. N-acetyl cysteine treatment also was associated with an improvement in akathisia (p = .022). Effect sizes at end point were consistent with moderate benefits.

CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that adjunctive NAC has potential as a safe and moderately effective augmentation strategy for chronic schizophrenia.

Berk M, Copolov D, Dean O, Lu K, Jeavons S, Schapkaitz I, Anderson-Hunt M, Judd F, Katz F, Katz P, Ording-Jespersen S, Little J, Conus P, Cuenod M, Do KQ, Bush AI. N-acetyl cysteine as a glutathione precursor for schizophrenia--a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Biol Psychiatry. 2008 Sep 1;64(5):361-8. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2008.03.004. Epub 2008 Apr 23.

One of My Favorite Herbs and Brain Health

In a laboratory study using human brain cells at the pharmacy college of Thailand's Naresuan University, researchers duplicated the scenario of beta-amyloid-induced damage of Alzheimer's disease among brain cells.

When the researchers treated the brain cells with tested Bacopa monnieri, the beta-amyloid-induced Alzheimer's damage was halted. The researchers observed that, "Brahmi-treated neurons expressed lower level of reactive oxygen species suggesting that Brahmi restrained intracellular oxidative stress which in turn prolonged the lifespan of the culture neurons. Brahmi extract also exhibited both reducing and lipid peroxidation inhibitory activities."

Sources:

Adams, C. Ayurvedic Herb Improves Memory, Cognition and Alzheimer's. GreenMedInfo.com. 2/13/13. http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/ayurvedic-herb-improves-memory-cognition-and-alzheimers?utm_source=GreenMedInfo+Weekly&utm_campaign=4f6c698277-Greenmedinfo&utm_medium=email

Calabrese C, Gregory WL, Leo M, Kraemer D, Bone K, Oken B. Effects of a standardized Bacopa monnieri extract on cognitive performance, anxiety, and depression in the elderly: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. J Altern Complement Med. 2008 Jul;14(6):707-13.

Peth-Nui T, Wattanathorn J, Muchimapura S, Tong-Un T, Piyavhatkul N, Rangseekajee P, Ingkaninan K, Vittaya-Areekul S. Effects of 12-Week Bacopa monnieri Consumption on Attention, Cognitive Processing, Working Memory, and Functions of Both cholinergic and Monoaminergic Systems in Healthy Elderly Volunteers. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2012;2012:606424.

The Olive and Brain Connection

Extra-virgin olive oil-derived oleocanthal associated with the consumption of Mediterranean diet has the potential to reduce the risk of AD or related neurodegenerative dementias," the report concludes.

Meanwhile, earlier this month, another study found that olive oil is an effective way of satiating hunger pangs and curbing the munchies. For their research, Austrian researchers fed participants yogurt enriched with lard, butterfat, rapeseed oil or olive oil.

The result? Olive oil had the biggest satiety effect.

AFP Relax News. Olive Oil Helps Protect Brain From Alzheimer's And Related Dementias. Daily News (nydailynews.com), March 25, 2013. http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/olive-oil-helps-protect-brain-alzheimer-study-article-1.1298436#ixzz2OhRM9JPh

By Sarah A LoBisco, ND

A few weeks ago, at my homepage blog, I highlighted the benefits of breastfeeding on baby's health(http://dr-lobisco.com/breastfeeding-and-healthy-america-epigenetics-in-children-ii/). This week continues this topic of the power of food and lifestyle choices on the health outcomes of our future generations.

Below are some articles summarizing the power of choice on our health and our children's:

How Baby is Born and Breastfeeding Effects Gut Health

We now know that the majority of the immune system and neurotransmitters are located in the gut. How the baby is born, as well as if the child is breastfed, has lasting health effects reported below (emphasis mine):

Infants may fail to develop a healthy mixture of intestinal bacteria if they are delivered by Caesarean section or do not drink breast milk, researchers are reporting.

Previous studies have linked the presence of certain gut microbes to healthy digestion, bowel regulation and stimulation of the immune system. When those microbes are missing or disrupted, people are more likely to suffer ailments like inflammatory bowel disease, asthma, cancer and allergies.

Seeking to understand how the microbes are developed in early life, a team of Canadian researchers collected samples (dirty diapers, frozen) from newborns at birth and again at 3 months. They found that many children who were delivered by C-section all but lacked a group of critical bacteria found in those who were delivered vaginally. The gut bacteria in children who were fed only formula, rather than breast milk, was also significantly different from those who were given at least some breast milk.

The results were published in CMAJ, the journal of the Canadian Medical Association.The presence of gut microbes "serves a very important function during infancy" by "telling the immune cells not to overreact to certain bacteria but to react to others," said an author of the study, Anita L. Kozyrskyj, an associate professor at the University of Alberta. When those microbes are not present, the immune system is more likely to overreact to something benign, like food or dust.

DOUGLAS QUENQUA. Healthy Bacteria in Babies. NY Times: Science. February 25, 2013. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/26/science/breast-milk-promotes-healthy-gut-bacteria-in-babies-study-says.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=2&

Mom's Diet and Breastfeeding

Mother's obesity can predispose her fetus to heart attacks by causing the first clinical sign of cardiovascular disease before birth. Diet during pregnancy and early childhood have lifelong health effects on children.

A third of a newborn baby's blood is outside his body in the umbilical cord. Routine cord clamping deprives neonates of their birthright to their own lifesaving blood.

Routine caesarian deliveries and umbilical cord clamping are depriving children of the edge that can mean life or death.

Suboptimal breastfeeding may be responsible for taking the lives of tens of thousands of infants each year. Along with perfect nutrition, mother's milk provides life-saving antibodies and immune system factors to newborns

Mercola, J. Why Is a Child's Health Often Damaged at Conception? Mercola.com. March 21, 2013. http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/03/21/baby-health-during-pregnancy.aspx

Magnesium Links to Testosterone

Diet and lifestyle of dad supports healthy baby too! In one study, dads who exercised and supplemented with magnesium had increased levels of testosterone than controls (emphasis mine)!

Abstract

This study was performed to assess how 4 weeks of magnesium supplementation and exercise affect the free and total plasma testosterone levels of sportsmen practicing tae kwon do and sedentary controls at rest and after exhaustion. The testosterone levels were determined at four different periods: resting before supplementation, exhaustion before supplementation, resting after supplementation, and exhaustion after supplementation in three study groups, which are as follows: Group 1--sedentary controls supplemented with 10 mg magnesium per kilogram body weight. Group 2--tae kwon do athletes practicing 90-120 min/day supplemented with 10 mg magnesium per kilogram body weight. Group 3--tae kwon do athletes practicing 90-120 min/day receiving no magnesium supplements. The free plasma testosterone levels increased at exhaustion before and after supplementation compared to resting levels. Exercise also increased testosterone levels relative to sedentary subjects. Similar increases were observed for total testosterone. Our results show that supplementation with magnesium increases free and total testosterone values in sedentary and in athletes. The increases are higher in those who exercise than in sedentary individuals.

Vedat Cinar, Yahya Polat, Abdulkerim Kasim Baltaci, Rasim Mogulkoc. Effects of Magnesium Supplementation on Testosterone Levels of Athletes and Sedentary Subjects at Rest and after Exhaustion (abstract). Biological Trace Element Research. April 2011, Volume 140, Issue 1, pp 18-23. http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12011-010-8676-3

Drugs in Pregnancy

A consideration for mom's on antidepressants (emphasis mine):

Consider antidepressants, used by about 5 percent of pregnant women. Certain brands are suspected of a small risk of heart defects. Studies suggest a version called SSRIs may increase risk of a serious lung problem at birth - from 1 in 3,000 pregnancies to 3 in 3,000 pregnancies, Chambers said. Also, some babies go through withdrawal symptoms in the first days of life that can range from jitteriness to occasional seizures.

Women have to weigh those findings with the clear risks of stopping treatment, she said.

"The time to be thinking about all this is when you're not pregnant," when your doctor can consider how to balance mom's and baby's health and might switch brands, Chambers said.

That's what heart attack survivor Kelli Tussey of Columbus, Ohio, did. The 34-year-old takes a variety of heart medications, including a cholesterol-lowering statin drug that the government advises against during pregnancy.

Neergaard, L. Hard to find good info on drug safety in pregnancy. The Seattle Times: Health. March 12, 2013. http://seattletimes.com/html/health/2020540079_apusmedhealthbeatpregnancydrugs.html?syndication=rss

I will be posting my March 2013 Top Holistic Health Reads shortly. Make sure to check out my homepage (www.dr-lobisco.com) to learn about the headliners:

Mediterranean Diet Impact on Heart Health

The Updated Hormone Replacement Guidelines

Important Drug Updates!

By Sarah LoBisco, ND

Just as many are confused about diet and nutrition, fitness and exercise can be just as confounding.

My home page blog discussed how technology overload can affect our brain and health and gave some individualized solutions.

I've written in the past about movement (see links below).

Recently, a new study spurred my interest in the importance of movement:

Decreasing the Risk for Colon Cancer and Re-occurrence with Walking

According to an article in Medscape, patients with colon cancer needed a minimum of about 150 hours of recreational activity a week for benefit.

Dr. Marshall explains:

So, I often prescribe a dog for patients because they will have to walk their dog. Insurance won't cover that, by the way. We have tried.

If you engage in that much physical activity before and after [a colon cancer diagnosis] the risk reduction [in all-cause mortality] is 0.58. That is better than any chemotherapy we have ever given to anyone. Physical activity after diagnosis, and certainly pre- and post-, is better, but even if you just pick it up afterwards, you will have a significant improvement in outcome. If you are a couch potato and do not exercise, your risk goes the other way, to risk escalation, with a 1.36 hazard ratio [for all-cause mortality].

Marshall, J. Walking Improves Cancer Outcomes. Medscape Oncology > Marshall on Oncology. March 15, 2013. http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/780807_3

Furthermore, exercise can affect your brain:

Exercise & Alzheimer's

Medscape News also reported on the connection of physical activity and those at risk for Alzheimer's through measurement of a risk factor, Apo-E.

"You could look at these results and rightfully say physical exercise neutralizes your risk for developing Alzheimer's disease if you're ApoE positive," Dr. Noordsy said.

...

But although ApoE-positive individuals (n = 39) had values that were substantially higher, the ApoE-positive patients who exercised (n = 13) had values similar to those who did not carry the gene ( Arch Neurol 2012;69:636-643).

Mellvile, N. Exercise Gains Momentum as Psychiatric Treatment. Medscape Medical News: Psychiatry. 11/16/12. http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/774639

Smart Moves

Dr. Amen further supported the study  above with another report on the protective effect on exercise on Alzheimer's:

If you want to have a healthy brain and body, you've got to get off your butt and move!  Physical activity is the single most important thing you can do to enhance brain function and keep your body looking young.

In a study out of UCLA, a friend and colleague of mine found that physical activity led to 5% more gray matter.  The study looked at 876 elderly individuals from the Cardiovascular Health Study and measured the number of kilocalories per week expended from a series of 15 physical activities in an active lifestyle. The activities were:  swimming, hiking, aerobics, jogging, tennis, racquetball, walking, gardening, mowing, raking, golfing, bicycling, dancing, calisthenics, and riding an exercise cycle.

Researchers then analyzed gray matter volume based upon MRI scans of the brain of each of these subjects.  Gray matter volume is an important metric of brain health because it shrinks during neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and is larger in a healthier brain.

Amen Clinics. An Active Lifestyle Builds a Better Brain. Dr. Amen's Blog. January 2, 2013. 

Note on Alzheimer's:

New estimates suggest that there were 4.7 million individuals aged 65 years or older with Alzheimer's disease dementia in the US in 2010 and that this number will triple to 13.8 million by 2050. These latest estimates, published online February 6 in Neurology, were devised by a team from the Rush Institute for Healthy Aging, Chicago, Illinois.

"These are staggering numbers," coauthor Jennifer Weuve, MPH, ScD, commented to Medscape Medical News. "The ramifications for society and family caregivers in particular are huge."

Hughs, S. Alzheimer's Cases to Triple by 2050. Medscape Medical News > Neurology. Feb 07, 2013. http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/778941?src=wnl_edit_medn_wir&spon=34

What to Choose?

Below are some recent findings of mine on the benefits of different types of movement.

The bottom line is that all are good and a combination of a routine of stretching (such as yoga) ,burst training, and strength training is optimal. Cardio alone may be counter effective.

Benefits of Yoga

    Type 2 Diabetes:  Yoga has been found to reduce blood sugar and drug requirements in patients with type 2 diabetes.[ii] [iii]  Additional benefits for type 2 diabetics include the reduction of oxidative stress,[iv] improved cognitive brain function,[v] improving cardiovascular function,[vi] and reducing body mass index, improved well-being and reduced anxiety.[vii]

    Asthma: There are now four clinical studies indicating that yoga practice improves the condition of those with bronchial asthma.[viii] [ix] [x] [xi]

    Elevated Cortisol (Stress):  Yoga practice has been found to decrease serum cortisol levels which have been correlated with alpha wave activation.[xii]  Yoga also compares favorably in this respect to African dance, the latter of which raises cortisol.[xiii] Women suffering from mental stress, including breast cancer outpatients undergoing adjuvant radiotherapy, have been found to respond to yoga intervention with lowered cortisol levels, as well as associated mental stress and anxiety reduction.[xiv]  [xv]

    Fibromyalgia: There are three studies indicating that yoga improves the condition of patients suffering from fibromyalgia.[xvi] [xvii] [xviii]

    High Blood Pressure: Yoga has been found to reduce blood pressure in patients with prehypertension to stage 1 hypertension.[xix] Yoga has also been found to reduce blood pressure in more severe conditions, such as HIV-infected adults with cardiovascular disease.[xx] Yogic breathing is one of the most effective forms of yoga for this health condition, with both fast and slow-breathing exercises having value.[xxi]

    Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Yoga has been found to be efficacious in improving obsessive-compulsive behavior.[xxii]  [xxiii]

    Computer Eye Strain: Yoga practice reduced visual discomfort in professional computer users.[xxiv]

Ji, S. Modern Science Confirms Yoga's Many Health Benefits. 12/29/12. GreenMedinfo.com. http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/modern-science-confirms-yogas-many-health-benefits

Yoga and Heart Health

Yoga training has always been thought of as a healthy activity, but now a study has the scientific findings to prove it. In a first-of-its-kind study, doctors at The University of Kansas Hospital evaluated the role of yoga in the management of atrial fibrillation - a common heart rhythm disorder that is a leading cause of stroke. The study, published in this week's Journal of the American College of Cardiology, found that rigorous practice of yoga can help reduce episodes of irregular heartbeat and improve the symptoms of anxiety and depression often associated with atrial fibrillation. On average, yoga was found to cut patients' episodes of atrial fibrillation in half and significantly improve quality of life.

University of Kanas Hosptial. First-Ever Yoga Study Published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology Finds Yoga to be a Safe, Effective Therapy for Heart Patients. PR Newswire. January 30, 2013. (http://s.tt/1zaCz) 

Weatherby, C. Yoga as Heart Therapy. Vital Choice Newsletter. 2/14/13. 

Strength-Training Exercise and Heart Health with Anti-Aging Boost

According to Tanner, strength training may be of particular benefit for those with heart disease, and here's why:

"Chronic congestive heart failure is the inability of your heart to supply your body with a sufficient amount of blood... [In one study] they put these individuals on a leg press [and] inserted the central catheter to measure exactly what was going on, on a moment-by-moment basis.

What they found was that at the highest intensities on a leg press, over 80 percent of their one rep max... the more the vascular system opened up and allowed for blood flow to occur.

Biomarkers of aging are determinants of aging that you are capable of controlling. They're things that tell you how old you would be if you didn't know how old you were. This includes but is not limited to the following--all of which strength training has a beneficial impact on: strength and muscle mass, body composition, blood lipids, bone density, cardiorespiratory fitness, and gene expression

Mercola, J. How Strength Training Can Help You Live a Longer, Healthier Life. Mercola.com. March 15, 2013

Tanner, S. Strength Training and the Biomarkers of Aging. February 10, 2013. YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=NFswpRSXxjA#!

Therefore, today make a commitment to put down your smart or dumb phones for 30 minutes, move your butt in a fun way, have a nice conversation with something other than your thumbs, and your brain will thank you.

Helpful Links by Dr. Sarah:

Information Overload and Brain Effects. http://dr-lobisco.com/information-overload-and-brain-effects/.  3/21/13.

Releasing Yourself From Movement Mania. http://dr-lobisco.com/215/. 1/11/12.

Whole Food, Whole Body, Whole Mind Stress Busting Tips. http://dr-lobisco.com/whole-food-whole-body-whole-mind-stress-busting-tips/. 9/11/12.

By Sarah A LoBisco, ND

· Are you feeling low? Having mood swings? Anxious?

· Are you gaining or losing weight without a major change in diet or exercise?

· Are your hair, nails, and skin dry and brittle?

· Do you feel like your hormones are all wonked out?

· Is your sex drive non-existent?

· Are you "normal" by conventional lab testing but know something is off because of how you feel?

· Are you holding fluid, constipated, and feeling just plain "not-pretty" or "unhandsome"

· Are you overly tired, exhausted, or get crazy energy changes?

· Do you experience sleep disturbances?

All of the above can be signs of an imbalance in hormones. Whenever an imbalance in one hormone occurs, all others become derailed.

You may want to do your mind and body a favor and become knowledgeable about different methods to support yourself (I love dealing with informed clients!):

Send an hour of your time listening to a powerful interview with Dr. Sara Gottfried:

The Epidemic of Undiagnosed Thyroid Problems with Actress Gena Lee Nolin & Thyroid Expert Mary Shoman at http://www.saragottfriedmd.com/digital-prescriptions/

In this interview you'll learn:

1. How thyroid health is the "canary in the goldmine" for the body. It will signal when something is array in many seemingly unconnected symptoms. These symptoms include those listed above: mood changes, anxiety, fatigue, low sex drive, weight changes, hair and skin changes, digestive issues, and fluid retention.

2. That low thyroid function is not just a disease for the overweight, mid-40-year-old female. It can encompass a range of ages and sexes including thin young females and athletic teenage men. Someone who looks healthy can really be quite thyroid sick!

4. Other factors such as stress, digestive issues, and hormonal imbalances of estrogen, insulin, and progesterone can impact thyroid. (I wrote about some of these factors in "Mood Imbalances Part III: The Thyroid-Depression Connection").

5. How your immune function can contribute to thyroid symptoms and the connection to virus infections and thyroid fatigue.

6. In keeping with my topic with children how a women's thyroid health in pregnancy affects the development of her child!

Thyroid symptoms often wax and wane. This is due to the intricate and delicate balance of hormones in the body. A minuet dose in one can create powerful downstream effects in others. Working with an understanding doctor who is knowledgeable is imperative to assisting well-being.

Although the interview above advocates one direction for medication, I've found in practice that individualized approaches are vital! Taking care of the thyroid is multidimensional and involves the art of practicing medicine and looking at each individual. Knowledge on the part of the practitioner (and you) in all the factors involved in balance is critical.

For example, many of my clients diagnosed with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis (autoimmune thyroid disorder) have different responses to medications and supplements. This is because the cause of the thyroid imbalance may differ. One may have history of cancer and the issue is with balancing immunity, another may have environmental exposures which depletes the adrenal glands and creates liver stagnation for proper hormonal elimination.

Without balancing out all factors one will never get to the root CAUSE of thyroid imbalances and be chasing symptoms with more extreme swings in disease manifestations.

To read about breastfeeding, visit my home page at www.dr-lobisco.com.

Links:

Dr. Sara Gottfried. The Epidemic of Undiagnosed Thyroid Problems with Actress Gena Lee Nolin & Thyroid Expert Mary Shoman at http://www.saragottfriedmd.com/digital-prescriptions/

Dr. Sarah: Epigenetics: The Power of Health Choices in Children. http://dr-lobisco.com/epigenetics-the-power-of-health-choices-in-children/

Dr. Sarah: Breastfeeding and Healthy America: Epigenetics in Children II
http://dr-lobisco.com/breastfeeding-and-healthy-america-epigenetics-in-children-ii/

Dr. Sarah: For the Sake of Our Children: Childhood Obesity Part II: http://dr-lobisco.com/for-the-sake-of-our-children-childhood-obesity-ii/

Dr. Sarah: Mood Imbalances Part III: The Thyroid-Depression Connection: http://dr-lobisco.com/mood-imbalances-part-iii-the-thyroid-depression-connection/

Environmental Impacts: Children More At Risk. 12/5/12. http://www.saratoga.com/living-well/2012/12/environmental-impacts-children-more-at-risk.html

Protecting our Children's Heath & Their World. 12/5/12. http://dr-lobisco.com/protecting-our-childrens-heath-their-world/

Putting our Children's Future First: The Environmental Impacts on Development. 12/14/12. http://dr-lobisco.com/putting-our-childrens-future-first-the-environmental-impacts-on-development/