Cultures Around the World Show Us How Life Purpose Fuels Longevity

We know instinctively that meaning and purpose are necessary in order to live a fulfilling life, with those of us in a career we love often held in high regard. But regardless of how passionate you may be about your career, we all need a hobby – an interest outside of work that we truly love to do. The benefits of purpose and hobbies, however, go beyond quality of life.

Japanese culture has a concept called ikigai, which roughly translates to “purpose in life.” Ikigai has traditionally been associated with health and longevity. One study on over 4000 adults set out to determine if this theory was true.

All participants were over 65, with:

• More than 1800 identified as at high risk of death

• More than 1200 at high risk of losing ability to perform activities of daily living (ADLs)

• More than 1100 at risk of losing their ability to perform instrumental ADLs.

Data from February 2011 to November 2014 was used, which can be a long time when it comes to age-related disability. Compared to people who had both hobbies and an ikigai, having neither of these was associated with double the risk of mortality, close to triple the risk of losing ADL abilities, and almost double the risk of losing IADL abilities!

Therefore, hobbies and ikigai were linked to increased longevity and healthy life expectancy in older adults.

This was not the only study that found a link between purpose in life and longevity. Another study on 6000 adults with a 14-year follow-up time found that people who initially reported a strong purpose in life had a 15% lower risk of dying from any cause.

Other research found that those who described clear goals and purpose lived both longer and better than those who did not. In fact, other “Blue Zone” cultures (areas with a high prevalence of centenarians) besides the Okinawans of Japan value purpose, with the Nicoyan (Costa Rica) people calling it plan de vida.

Longevity Secrets: 6 Reasons Okinawans Live to Be Older than 100

How to Find Your Own Ikigai

So how can you find your own iikigai, or plan de vida, if you haven’t already? A great way to start is by doing an internal inventory.

Take a piece of paper, and for 20-30 minutes think of all your ideals, principles, standards, and morals, then think of your physical, mental, and emotional talents, strengths, and abilities.

It can take a while, maybe even a couple of attempts, to get an idea of what you really want, but you know you’re getting close if anything brings out a strong emotional reaction. And then…put your skills into action!

It’s also important to build relationships with people who can help you achieve your goals. Overall, longevity is for everyone, and it turns out that some of the best ways to extend your life also improve its quality.

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Mindful Eating Shown to Help People Lose Weight

If you mindlessly watch TV, you could easily wind up wasting the entire day. If you mindlessly drive, you could wind up getting lost, or worse. Likewise, mindlessly eating will cause you to gain weight, especially if the food is void of nutrition. The exact opposite is also true, a study found – giving your full attention to the food in front of you can lead to weight loss. [1]

Carolyn Dunn, a professor and nutrition specialist at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, and a team of colleagues evaluated the effectiveness of increasing mindful eating in an online weight loss program called Eat Smart, Move More, Weigh Less (ESMMWL).

The 15-week program, developed by NC State University and the NC Division of Public Health, uses the concept of “planned behavior” to help participants alter habits that are associated with weight management. Participants are invited to focus on their relationships and interactions with food, including paying attention to how it tastes, tuning into feelings of hunger and fullness, and planning mealtimes and snacks. [2]

Source: The Huffington Post

With mindful eating, participants don’t have to give up high-calorie foods. Instead, they are encouraged to take 2 or 3 bites, and “just savor the flavor.” You can eat whatever you want, but there’s one caveat: You must focus on nothing but enjoying your food. [1]

Read: Scientists Prove you can Think Your Way to Wellness

Dunn explained:

“For example, if one of us was going to eat a food that has very high calories, we would tell them to eat one or two bites, but to eat those one or two bites with awareness, so they are getting the most pleasure out of those one to two bites.” [2]

She went on:

“Mindfulness is paying attention to your surroundings, being in the present moment.

Mindful eating is eating with purpose, eating with awareness, eating without distraction, when eating only eating, not watching television or playing computer games or having any other distractions, not eating at our desks.”

Past research shows that the first 2 bites of food provide the most enjoyment, and eating more just leads to more calorie consumption, but not more enjoyment.

Really, mindful eating doesn’t begin at mealtime, it begins before you even start cooking. Mindfulness involves the way you shop for food, and the choices you make in restaurants.

Read: 5 Tips to “Trick Yourself” into Eating Less and Eating Healthier

Dunn said:

“Are you letting your emotions drive your eating? Are you eating out of fear or depression? Are you letting external cues drive your eating because you are in line in the grocery store and that food is being heavily marketed to us?”

To see what kind of impact mindful eating had on participants’ weight-loss efforts, researchers had them complete a questionnaire, called the Mindful Eating Questionnaire (MEQ), which assesses 5 different areas of mindful eating. [1]

Those who enrolled in the ESMMWL program were invited to participate in the randomized clinical trial portion of the study. Of the 80 people who agreed to participate, 42 were randomly assigned to the intervention group, and the remaining 38 people were assigned to the control group. [2]

The researchers found that participants who completed the program lost more weight than those in the control group. On average, the volunteers in the mindfulness group lost 4.2 lbs. compared to 0.7 lbs. in the control group – a result the team called “statistically significant.” [1]

After 6 months, about 75% of the participants had not regained the weight they lost in the program, and someone even lost additional weight. [2]

When the control group finally got the opportunity to participate in the program, they saw similar results.

The team concluded:

“Results suggest that there is a beneficial association between mindful eating and weight loss. The current study contributes to the mindfulness literature as there are very few studies that employed rigorous methodology to examine the effectiveness of an intervention on mindful eating.” [3]

Sources:

[1] Medical News Today

[2] Pulse Headlines

[3] The Guardian

The Huffington Post

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About Julie Fidler:
	Julie Fidler is a freelance writer, legal blogger, and the author of Adventures in Holy Matrimony: For Better or the Absolute Worst. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and two ridiculously spoiled cats. She occasionally pontificates on her blog.

Studies Suggest Yoga Helps Depression Sufferers Feel Better

Can the slow, gentle ebb and flow of yoga help people suffering with depression feel better and even overcome unhealthy eating habits? Four separate studies presented in August, 2017 at the 125th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association suggest that the answer is “Yes.” [1]

Hatha Yoga

In one study, led by psychologist Lindsey Hopkins, PhD, of the San Francisco VA Medical Center, 23 male veterans with elevated depression scores who participated in hatha yoga twice a week for 8 weeks saw significant improvements in their symptoms. [2]

Hatha yoga zeroes in on physical exercises and meditative and breathing exercises.

According to The Sanatan (Yoga) Society, hatha yoga focuses on “concentrating on the practice of postures (asanas) and breath control (pranayama) to energize the subtle channels (nadis) in the body.” [3]

Bikram “Hot” Yoga

Another study involved Bikram or “hot” yoga, an offshoot of hatha yoga. Bikram yoga consists of 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises. It earned the nickname “hot” yoga because, unlike hatha yoga, Bikram is practiced in a room heated to 105 degrees Fahrenheit with 40% humidity. The steamy temperature helps maximize detoxification, helps oxygen travel to the tissues of the body, and protects the body through malleability (flexibility). [3]

For this study, Sarah Shallit, MA, from Alliant International University and co-author Hopkins divided a cohort of 52 women between the ages of 25 and 45 into two groups. Half of the women were able to take the Bikram classes right away, while the other half was placed on a wait-list. [4]

Not surprisingly, the group that was able to take the class reported sharply reduced symptoms of depression, compared to those on the wait-list. What’s more, the participants who took the yoga classes found that they had an easier time controlling discombobulated or emotional eating patterns that can trip up even the most health-conscious people.

Read: Yoga for Depression and Anxiety – Help Without Drugs

The third study, by Maren Nyer, PhD, and Maya Nauphal, BA, of Massachusetts General Hospital, was a similar experiment. It involved 29 adults, all taking Bikram classes twice weekly for 8 weeks. The researchers found that the participants’ depression symptoms improved and that the participants felt their quality of life had improved, including in optimism and mental and physical functioning. [1]

And in another study, conducted by Nina Vollbehr, MS, of the Center for Integrative Psychiatry in the Netherlands and colleagues, 74 mildly depressed university students were asked to follow a 15-minute instructional yoga video at home for 2 months. They, too reported a dramatic improvement in mood. [1] [5]

Hopkins said in a statement:

“Yoga has become increasingly popular in the West, and many new yoga practitioners cite stress-reduction and other mental health concerns as their primary reason for practicing. But the empirical research on yoga lags behind its popularity as a first-line approach to mental health.” [5]

She went on:

“At this time, we can only recommend yoga as a complementary approach, likely most effective in conjunction with standard approaches delivered by a licensed therapist. Clearly, yoga is not a cure-all. However, based on empirical evidence, there seems to be a lot of potential.” [2]

Sources:

[1] American Psychological Association

[2] HealthDay

[3] One Green Planet

[4] PopSugar

[5] The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

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About Julie Fidler:
	Julie Fidler is a freelance writer, legal blogger, and the author of Adventures in Holy Matrimony: For Better or the Absolute Worst. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and two ridiculously spoiled cats. She occasionally pontificates on her blog.

Survey: 42% of People Replaced Pharmaceuticals with Marijuana Compounds

In the largest survey to date on cannabidiol (CBD) usage, researchers found that nearly half of people using the products were able to quit using pharmaceutical drugs – something the pharmaceutical industry has long feared would happen.

The Brightfield Group and HelloMD – an online community that brings together doctors and cannabis patients – surveyed 2,400 people from HelloMD’s community of 150,000 members about their usage of CBD products and their effectiveness. [1]

Bethany Gomez, Director of Research for Brightfield Group, said:

“This study is exciting because it shows there is potentially a huge barely-tapped market for CBD products that could improve the lives of many people. With further research and public education, CBD could be an effective alternative treatment for many people, particularly at a time when our nation is in the midst of an opioid crisis.” [2]

Though the federal government has expressed wishes to crack down on medical marijuana, the facts show that CBD and other cannabis products are already helping people prevent and overcome opioid addiction. States with medical marijuana laws see decreased opioid use. A 2014 study found that cannabinoids may make it easier for the body and brain to detox from cocaine, amphetamines, and other hard-to-kick drugs.

Survey Findings

Before we go into the results of the survey, let’s have a crash course (or a refresher course) on cannabinoids and what they do.

Of the many cannabinoids found in marijuana, there are 2 primary ones taking the spotlight – CBD and THC. Both have medicinal qualities. THC, the psychoactive compound in cannabis that gives users a feeling of being “high,” is an analgesic. By comparison, CBD does not have psychoactive qualities, but has anti-inflammatory, anti-anxiety, anti-psychotic, and anti-convulsive properties.

Of the community members who participated in the survey, vaping was the preferred method of CBD consumption. The majority of CBD-only users were women (58%), and women accounted for 55% of CBD users, overall. It was the men who favored THC-dominant products. [3]

The conditions most commonly treated with CBD were depression, insomnia, anxiety, and joint pain. Participants also listed muscle tension or strain, migraines or tension headaches, severe or chronic pain, arthritis, and nausea as conditions they eased with CBD.

CBD worked so well for these conditions, in fact, that 42% said they were able to quit using traditional medications. Participants were able to kick to the curb prescription drugs like Vicodin and Ambien, as well as over-the-counter (OTC) meds including Tylenol (70%), Bengay, and even certain herbal and other natural remedies.

Unsurprisingly, 90% of respondents said they would purchase cannabis products again.

Moreoever, slightly more than 40% of those surveyed said the CBD product they used was “much more effective” than OTC products, and about 30% said the same of CBD’s efficacy compared with prescription products.

Dr. Perry Solomon, Chief Medical Officer of HelloMD, said:

“We are seeing an exponential rise in the interest of CBD products from our patient community—particularly among women. While we still have much to learn about CBD, we cannot ignore this one fact; the majority of those using CBD product today receive great benefit. This has the potential for far-reaching consequences.” [2]

Supporting Past and Other Current Findings

Earlier this year, a survey showed that 63% of respondents said they had replaced their pharmaceuticals with cannabis. This poses a clear and present danger to drug companies, which is why so many are helping to fund anti-legalization efforts.

One such company is Insys Therapeutics. The company fought medical marijuana in Arizona, and the drug maker received DEA approval early in 2017 for a synthetic marijuana drug.

Help me figure this one out, readers: Marijuana is a Schedule I substance, but Insys’ synthetic THC drug, Syndros is only a Schedule II – the federal government’s way of deeming Syndros less dangerous than the actual plant you grow, pick, dry, and smoke. [4]

I think we need to re-evaluate our collective stance on this much vilified plant.

Sources:

[1] Forbes

[2] The Fresh Toast

[3] Understanding Cannabidiol

[4] The Washington Post

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About Julie Fidler:
	Julie Fidler is a freelance writer, legal blogger, and the author of Adventures in Holy Matrimony: For Better or the Absolute Worst. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and two ridiculously spoiled cats. She occasionally pontificates on her blog.

A “Coffee Nap” Could Help You Have The Most Amazing Snooze Ever

Coffee and naps: a couple of the most glorious things on Earth for many people. You don’t really associate the 2, but they both share 1 thing in common – each can give you an energy boost. Combine them and you might just have the most amazing snooze of your life. Coffee nap here we come.

A coffee nap is when you drink a cup of coffee, then immediately take a nap. It sounds crazy, but it takes about 30 minutes for caffeine to hit your system. That means you could take a power nap and wake up with double the energy! Ideally, you’d sleep for 30 minutes and emerge from your slumber just as the caffeine is kicking in. [1]

Dr. David Dinges, Ph.D., Professor and Chief, Division of Sleep and Chronobiology at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, told The Huffington Post in 2014:

“If you can fall asleep in your nap before caffeine does that, when it’s time to wake up, you’re getting the benefits of the caffeine perfectly timed with the nap sleep benefit.”

Read: Napping Could Improve Your Memory Fivefold

Man, if only you could do this at the office. You’d probably wind up being so much more productive.

Coffee Naps!

There has been a little bit of research into coffee naps. One study published in 1997 in the journal Psychophysiology found that sleepy adults who combined 200 mg of coffee (twice the amount you’d find in a 9 oz cup of joe) then napped did better on a simulated driving test compared to those who only got the caffeine or a placebo. [1]

The people in the napping group were less likely to display dangerous behavior on the road, such as drifting in and out of their lanes, compared to participants who just drank coffee or drank decaffeinated coffee. [2]

In another study, published in 2003 in Clinical Neurophysiology, 10 young adults were divided into 5 groups, and each group attempted 1 of 5 interventions in the middle of completing computer tasks:

• A 20-minute nap


• 200 mg of caffeine, plus a nap


• A nap, followed by the participants washing their faces


• Exposure to bright light immediately after waking


• Resting

Read: Brain Foods: 5 Natural Cognition And Brain Boosters

Like the first study, caffeine plus a nap was the most effective performance-booster.

This isn’t something you want to try too late in the day, mind you. Most experts recommend cutting off caffeine 6 hours before bedtime. Drinking a cup of coffee at 8 p.m. could keep you up till early the next morning and keep you from getting a good night’s sleep. [3]

Some experts say you should quit caffeine even earlier than that.

Sources:

[1] Health

[2] Australian Broadcasting Corporation

[3] Metro

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About Mike Barrett:
	Mike is the co-founder, editor, and researcher behind Natural Society. Studying the work of top natural health activists, and writing special reports for top 10 alternative health websites, Mike has written hundreds of articles and pages on how to obtain optimum wellness through natural health.

Study: One of the Keys to a Happy Life is Being a Generous Person

Let’s be honest for a moment. You’d probably be thrilled to have a cool million or 2 in the bank. Money can’t buy happiness, as the saying goes, but what you do with your money (as well as time and talents, for that matter) might have an awful lot to do with your quality of life. Sure, doing something nice for someone else feels nice, but a recent study suggests that generosity has a positive biological effect on the brain.

For the study, published in Nature Communications, researchers at the University of Zurich in Switzerland told 50 people they would receive $100 over a few weeks. The team asked 25 of the individuals to use the money only on themselves, and asked the other 25 participants to spend it on someone they knew.

The researchers wanted to know: Would the mere promise to spend the money on someone else be enough to make people happier?

Before handing out the first batch of cash, the researchers brought those in the give-away group into the lab and asked them to think about a friend they’d like to give a gift to and how much they would hypothetically spend. Then, the participants underwent functional MRI scans so researchers could measure activity in 3 regions of the brain associated with social behavior, generosity, happiness, and decision-making.

Those who had pledged to spend the money on other people were more likely to make generous decisions throughout the duration of the experiment, the team found, compared to those who had pledged to spend the money on themselves.

The group’s MRI’s showed more interaction between the parts of the brain associated with altruism and happiness, and the participants expressed higher levels of happiness after the study ended.

Furthermore, it didn’t matter how generous people were. Even giving away a small amount of cash impacted the participants’ happiness in the same way.

Lead author Philippe Tobler, associate professor of neuroeconomics and social neuroscience, said:

“At least in our study, the amount spent did not matter. It is worth keeping in mind that even little things have a beneficial effect – like bringing coffee to one’s office mates in the morning.”

He added:

“You don’t need to become a self-sacrificing martyr to feel happier. Just being a little more generous will suffice.” [2]

Co-author Soyoung Park says many questions remain unanswered. [3]

“There are still some open questions, such as: Can communication between these brain regions be trained and strengthened? If so, how? And, does the effect last when it is used deliberately, that is, if a person only behaves generously in order to feel happier?”

Earlier studies have shown that older people who are generous tend to be in better physical shape. Some research has even suggested that spending money on other people is as effective as medication or exercise for lowering blood pressure. [1]

So the next time you feel like treating yourself, consider treating someone else instead. It might make you feel even better.

Tobler said:

“It is worth giving it a shot, even if you think it would not work. In order to reap health benefits, repeated practice is probably needed so that giving becomes second nature.”

Sources:

[1] Time

[2] U.S. News & World Report

[3] Science Daily

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Could Boosting the Immune System Halt Autism and Schizophrenia?

Scientists have for years theorized that the immune system and the brain are more interconnected than previously thought, with findings of recent studies backing this hypothesis. For example, researchers recently discovered there is a physical connection between the immune system and the brain’s blood supply. Now, researchers have recently begun to find out that there may be a more psychological connection.

According to researchers at the University of Virginia (UVA) and the University of Massachusetts (UMass) Medical School, the immune system may directly affect social behavior in certain animals, such as mice. The finding could have enormous implications for people with autism-spectrum disorders or with schizophrenia. [1]

Jonathan Kipnis, professor of neuroscience at UVA in Charlottesville, said:

“The brain and the adaptive immune system were thought to be isolated from each other, and any immune activity in the brain was perceived as sign of a pathology. And now, not only are we showing that they are closely interacting, but some of our behavior traits might have evolved because of our immune response to pathogens.

“It’s crazy, but maybe we are just multicellular battlefields for two ancient forces: pathogens and the immune system. Part of our personality may actually be dictated by the immune system.”

Kipnis and his colleagues found that blocking one particular kind of immune molecule in a mouse’s brain caused abnormal behavior that vanished after restoration of the molecule. [2]

When this molecule, called interferon gamma, was genetically blocked, the rodents’ brains became hyperactive and specific areas of the brain that govern social interaction were unable to function properly. The affected mice – normally highly social creatures – interacted significantly less with the other mice.

The researchers say this means that the immune system, along with controlling whether or not we get sick, also appears to control our desire to interact with others.

And that, in turn, could mean that immune system problems might play a role in one’s inability to have normal social interactions. [2]

Read: Autistic Children Found to Have Fewer Healthy Gut Bacteria

Kipnis said:

“Whether we like it or not, there is a piling up of evidence that the immune system has a major impact on brain function: The brain is not isolated from the rest of the body.”

Fascinatingly, researchers say proof that immunity and social interaction are closely related lies in the fact that infections spread rapidly when animals are in close contact. The immune system-social interaction theory has been tested in mice, rats, flies, and fish using publicly available gene-expression data.

Fascinatingly, the researchers theorize that immunity and social interaction are closely related due to the fact that infections spread rapidly when animals are in close contact. Using publicly available gene-expression data, the immune system-social interaction theory has been tested in mice, rats, fish, and even flies.

When mice or rats are housed together, for example, there is an increase in the genes that interferon gamma activates, whereas those same genes are decreased in socially isolated rodents.

Zebrafish and flies exhibited a similar pattern.

Tony Filiano, a postdoctoral associate in Kipnis’ lab, said:

“Our hypothesis is that interferon gamma might have evolved as an efficient way to control the anti-pathogen response when organisms are social.”

If the immune system and social behavior evolved alongside each other, this could explain the results of other autism studies. Earlier this year, one such study showed that some pregnant women with elevated blood levels of interferon gamma went on to have children with autism and intellectual disability.

While interferon gamma is needed for social behavior, the study suggests that too much of the molecule might shut off its activity.

The findings might also explain why some children with autism seem to become more social when they have a fever, as elevated levels of molecules such as interferon gamma accompany fevers.

Kipnis says that understanding the link between the immune system and social behavior might help scientists find drugs that treat autism. Clinicians might be able to administer the medication in the cerebrospinal fluid, rather than via the brain. [3]

Sources:

[1] Gizmodo

[2] RT

[3] Scientific American

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About Julie Fidler:
	Julie Fidler is a freelance writer, legal blogger, and the author of Adventures in Holy Matrimony: For Better or the Absolute Worst. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and two ridiculously spoiled cats. She occasionally pontificates on her blog.

Anti-Anxiety Drug Overdoses are on the Rise – Leaving Many Questions

When you hear about prescription drug overdoses, you tend to think about opioid painkillers. But you may be surprised to find out that deadly overdoses from anti-anxiety drugs are on the rise, leaving many mental health professionals wondering what is causing the increase.

A new study published in the American Journal of Public Health shows more Americans are overdosing on common benzodiazepine anti-anxiety medications, such as Valium and Xanax. The quantity of prescriptions filled tripled between 1996 and 2013, and the number of overdoses quadrupled during the same time period.

Dr. Marcus Bachhuber of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, who helped lead the study, said:

“Overdoses from benzodiazepines have increased at a much faster rate than prescriptions for the drugs, indicating that people have been taking them in a riskier way over time.”

Each year more than 5% of U.S adults fill a benzodiazepine prescription. These highly addictive drugs which treat anxiety, mood disorders and insomnia killed 23,000 people in 2013.

Photograph: National Institute on Drug Abuse

When benzodiazepines are abused or combined with other drugs and alcohol, they can depress the respiratory system sometimes fatally, Bachhuber explained.

For the new study Bachhuber’s team looked at large health surveys to find trends in the abuse of benzodiazepines. They wrote:

“The rate of overdose deaths involving benzodiazepines increased more than four-fold from 0.58 per 100,000 adults to 3.07 per 100,000 adults. However, this rate appeared to plateau after 2010. Between 1996 and 2013, the number of adults filling a benzodiazepine prescription increased 67 percent, from 8.1 million to 13.5 million.”

The researchers also found a similarly large increase in the number of pills each person was prescribed.

Said Bachhuber:

“If we’re going to address the prescription drug crisis, we can’t just focus on opioids. We need to think more broadly about other drugs, like benzodiazepines.”

The study’s authors warn anti-anxiety drugs are being over-prescribed and suggest doctors investigate alternative drugs or treatments, such as talk therapy.

Read: 7 Natural Anti-Anxiety Herbs to Reduce Stress

We reported earlier that public health directors and academics are pressuring the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to put a “black box” warning on benzodiazepines, the agency’s strongest warning, because of the drugs’ addictiveness and the danger posed by combining these drugs with other medications.

Sources:

NBC News

The New York Times

Newsmax

National Institute on Drug Abuse

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About Julie Fidler:
	Julie Fidler is a freelance writer, legal blogger, and the author of Adventures in Holy Matrimony: For Better or the Absolute Worst. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and two ridiculously spoiled cats. She occasionally pontificates on her blog.

Could Umbilical Cord Blood Rejuvenate Brains’ Memory Functions?

When a baby comes into the world, the umbilical cord usually gets thrown away. But now scientists have discovered that they can reverse memory and learning problems in mice by using infusions of a protein found in human umbilical cord blood.

Parents already have the option of donating their child’s cord blood to blood banks. The stem cells are frozen for future use in treating various types of cancer and genetic disorders; but the liquid portion of the blood, the plasma, gets discarded. Neuroscientist Tony Wyss-Coray, however, thought that there had to be some redeeming value in the plasma. [1]

How Umbilical Cord Blood Could One Day Heal the Brain

As it turns out, a component of young blood might be the fountain of youth for aging brains that are losing their ability to create and retain memories. Wyss-Coray, along with his team of neurosurgeons at Stanford University Medical Center, say that cord blood rejuvenates the hippocampus in the brains of old mice. The hippocampus is a brain area that is vital for learning and memory.

However, Wyss-Coray says using actual cord blood plasma “is not something you’d ever want to develop as a treatment” because it’s “very cumbersome and difficult to collect.” But by identifying specific beneficial molecules in the plasma, Wyss-Coray hopes to be able to develop treatments for Alzheimer’s and other memory-loss diseases. The team has already identified one potentially useful protein called TIMP2. [1]

When older mice were given the umbilical cord blood treatments, they acted like younger mice in a series of behavioral tests – they escaped a maze faster than before the treatments, had better memories, and started building nests again – something the rodents typically stop doing as they grow old. [2]

Read: Cord-Blood Transplants Provide Fresh Hope for Leukemia Patients

The discovery was made when Wyss-Coray and his colleagues noticed that there were unusually high levels of TIMP2 in cord blood compared with blood from older people. When they injected TIMP2 into the older mice, they saw amazing results.

The other researchers say the results of the study, published in Nature, should be interpreted with caution. Rob Howard, professor of old age psychiatry at University College London, says that Alzheimer’s research shows that everything works in mice, but so far scientists haven’t had any luck replicating results in humans. He explains:

“Having taken that on [sic] board, this is a really interesting way to understand how we might help people who are aged or in the early stages of the disease.” [2]

But even if the protein therapy using umbilical cord blood doesn’t reverse aging or stop Alzheimer’s, scientists are hopeful that it may boost what’s left of the remaining healthy brain and perhaps offset age-associated decline.

Sources:

[1] The Atlantic

[2] The Guardian

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About Julie Fidler:
	Julie Fidler is a freelance writer, legal blogger, and the author of Adventures in Holy Matrimony: For Better or the Absolute Worst. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and two ridiculously spoiled cats. She occasionally pontificates on her blog.

Walking Beats Caffeine for Temporarily Boosting Energy

I am not a morning person, and coffee is my best friend. Sometimes afternoons don’t work for me either, so it’s back to the coffee pot. Some of you are probably the same way. But a new study shows that 10 minutes of walking could be more effective than caffeine at perking you up … at least temporarily.

Researchers from the University of Georgia (UGA) tested the effects of a simple exercise that can be done in an office setting, where workers have only a few minutes for breaks. Their results are published in Physiology and Behavior. [1]

For the study, 18 female college students – all chronically sleep-deprived – were asked to participate in workplace simulations for three days. One group of students took capsules containing either 50 mg of caffeine (about the equivalent of a can of cola) or a placebo. The other group spent 10 minutes walking up and down stairs at a low-intensity pace.

After the simulations, the researchers conducted verbal and computer-based tests on the participants to determine their mood and ability to complete certain cognitive tasks. Neither exercise nor caffeine significantly improved their attention or memory. However, after walking up and down the stairs, the students saw a small improvement in alertness. Caffeine also increased alertness, but to a smaller degree.

Source: The Blaze

Co-author Patrick J. O’Connor, a professor in UGA’s department of kinesiology, said:

“It was a temporary feeling, felt immediately after the exercise. But with the 50 milligrams of caffeine, we didn’t get as big an effect.” [1]

So, although walking for 10 minutes might not keep you energized and alert all day, a stroll up and down the stairs during your break might perk you up when you’re starting to feel drained. It’s encouraging to know that even lesser amounts of light exercise can be beneficial.

Related: How Walking – Power Walking – Can be so Beneficial

Consuming too much caffeine can cause you to “crash” and feel even more exhausted than you were when you brewed that first pot, whereas walking releases endorphins, a type of hormone which helps you de-stress and become less anxious. [2]

Source: Develop Good Habits

Said O’Connor:

“Office workers can go outside and walk, but weather can be less than ideal. It has never rained on me while walking the stairs. And a lot of people working in office buildings have access to stairs, so it’s an option to keep some fitness while taking a short break from work.” [2]

A study published in August 2016 found that you would have to exercise for one hour a day to make up for all the time you spend sitting all day. Might as well get started while you’re at work!

Sources:

[1] Real Simple

[2] Medical Daily

The Blaze

Develop Good Habits

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About Mike Barrett:
	Mike is the co-founder, editor, and researcher behind Natural Society. Studying the work of top natural health activists, and writing special reports for top 10 alternative health websites, Mike has written hundreds of articles and pages on how to obtain optimum wellness through natural health.

Ray Kurzweil Predicts Humans Will Merge with Computers by 2029

Technological singularity – humans becoming one with computers – will morph us into “super humans” by the year 2029. Fake news? A new science fiction novel? TV show? Nope. It’s a prediction made by Google’s Director of Engineering, Ray Kurzweil. He’s made 147 predictions since the 1990’s, and he has an 86% success rate. [1]

Source: International Business Times

A few of Kurzweil’s predictions that came true:

• In 1999, Kurzweil predicted that “personal computers are available in a wide range of sizes and shapes, and are commonly embedded in clothing and jewelry such as wristwatches, rings, earrings and other body ornaments” by 2009.

• Also in 1999, Kurzweil foresaw that “individuals primarily use portable computers” by 2009.

• In 2000, Kurzweil said that by 2010, “[Computers] will tap into the worldwide mesh of high-speed communications and computational resources.” [2]

Many of Kurzweil’s technology predictions didn’t come to pass, but he has a pretty good track record.

According to Kurzweil, we live in a cybernetic society and we will eventually have computers in our brains, and machines will be more intelligent than humans. And, he says, it’s already happening. He points to people’s addictions to their smartphones as proof, and believes that wiring this technology into our brains will be the next step in the progression. [1]

Read: Top Transhumanism CEO Says AI Singularity Will Go ‘Very Badly For Humans’

The scientific explanation of “singularity” is when carbon and silicon-based intelligence will merge to form a single global consciousness.

Kurzweil says:

“By 2029, computers will have human-level intelligence. That leads to computers having human intelligence, our putting them inside our brains, connecting them to the cloud, expanding who we are.

Today, that’s not just a future scenario. It’s here, in part, and it’s going to accelerate.” [1]

This might sound like a frightening scenario to you or me, but Kurzweil sees this as a positive thing that will only make us better humans.

“We’re going to get more neocortex, we’re going to be funnier, we’re going to be better at music. We’re going to be sexier. We’re really going to exemplify all the things that we value in humans to a greater degree.” [1]

Read: Many Brits Believe Technology Could Take Over Humanity by 2036

Kurzweil’s AI vision occurs nearer in the future than those of theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking and Softbank CEO Masayoshi Son. Hawking has said he believes singularity may occur by 2045, and Son has said he thinks we’ll have computers in our brains in the next 30 years. [3]

At an October press conference discussing details of his upcoming $100 billion investment fund, Son said:

“I think a big paradigm shift is coming. The biggest theme in my view is the Singularity. I think it is coming into reality in the next 30 years. For that vision, I am exercising that strategy. $100 billion is an interesting size of ammunition. In my view, that is the beginning. My passion is bigger than many people think.” [3]

But billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk, of SpaceX and Tesla fame, is terrified that AI will be the end of humanity, and warns that people might one day be ruled by robots. Musk believes artificial intelligence could be a bigger threat than nuclear weapons, and has likened improving AI to “summoning the demon.” If humans don’t merge with machines, Musk warns, they will become irrelevant. [4]

Source: Daily Mail

Stephen Hawking shares similar concerns. He once wrote:

“If a superior alien civilisation sent us a message saying, ‘We’ll arrive in a few decades,’ would we just reply, ‘OK, call us when you get here—we’ll leave the lights on’? Probably not—but this is more or less what is happening with AI.” [5]

Read: Top Transhuman CEO Says AI Singularity Will Go “Very Badly for Humans”

Singularity has the potential to boost the human race or destroy it, depending on whom you ask. The question is, is that a risk humans should take?

Sources:

[1] Daily Mail

[2] Business Insider

[3] Fox News

[4] Time

[5] The Independent

International Business Times

Daily Mail

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About Julie Fidler:
	Julie Fidler is a freelance writer, legal blogger, and the author of Adventures in Holy Matrimony: For Better or the Absolute Worst. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and two ridiculously spoiled cats. She occasionally pontificates on her blog.

Are You Impulsive? A New Study Says You Might be Selfish

Do you regularly drop $200 on shoes? Is your spouse mad at you for buying a sports car? Do you make 5 trips to the all-you-can-eat buffet? Well, you’re probably selfish. At least, that’s what a new study says.

Neuroscience researchers from the University of Zurich say if you’re the impulsive type, you probably have difficulty walking in somebody else’s shoes, figuratively speaking. Impulse control, they claim, is rooted in a region of the brain called the posterior tempero-parietal junction (pTPJ), which helps you better see the world from someone else’s perspective. [1]

Co-author Christian Ruff says:

“It’s not that surprising when you consider you can see yourself as another person in the future.”

In other words, self-control isn’t a matter of being able to resist an immediate temptation through “impulse control processes that dampen the desire”; rather, the mechanism in a particular region of the brain promotes self-control by making you consider how your future self will feel — “by allowing a focus on the perspective of one’s future needs.” [2]

That money would be nice now, but won’t you be glad you later on that you helped out a friend?

So how did Ruff and his colleagues figure all of this out? They offered study participants between $75 and $155 they could keep or $150 they could split, with either loved ones or strangers. (As you might have guessed, most people were willing to share with people they cared about, but not with strangers.)

However, when the team “silenced” pTPJ, and offered participants a small, variable sum upfront, or a larger amount in 3-18 months, suddenly the participants became less charitable and more impatient with waiting.

Again, that money would be nice now, but won’t your future self be glad you held out for the bigger sum?

Participants also struggled to perceive objects from an avatar’s point of view, and those who had the hardest time also had less self-control and were stingier with others. [3]

Here’s where it gets almost existential. According a 2009 study, delaying gratification was shown to require that one took the perspective of his or her future self, and many people view their future self as a complete stranger, it seems.

OK, so if you lack self-control to some extent (and believe me, I do), how do you fix the problem? The answer: start being more focused on others. Yup, stop being so dang selfish.

This is a pretty good life lesson right now, isn’t it? Nowhere is impulsiveness and self-centeredness more apparent than on social media. Hopefully, some of that will go away November 9. Instead of fighting on Facebook about politics, maybe go out and do something nice for someone else? You might be less likely to post that nasty meme you have stashed away on your smartphone that makes your mother cry and your cousin ignore you at Thanksgiving.

Hey, I’m right there with you. No judgement.

Here’s how Ruff puts it:

“The main implication of our finding is we shouldn’t just focus on interventions that control our impulses, but we should perhaps think about interventions that actually foster our ability to take the perspective of others.”

By the way, this applies to addiction, too. Addicts are very much prone to impulsivity. Ruff says:

“If we were trying to really speculate wildly, you could say perhaps there is a bit of a vicious circle.

Once you actually start becoming addicted, you do focus a lot more on your own impulses and feelings and disengage from the social world. This disengagement from having the focus and perspective of others makes it harder to control yourself.”

It makes sense now, from a scientific perspective, why recovery groups like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) are so vital to helping recovering addicts stay clean, and why recovery programs and groups emphasize service to others.

So, go give someone $100! Or, at least, hold a door open for somebody.

Sources:

[1] Newser

[2] Medical Daily

[3] LiveScience

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About Julie Fidler:
	Julie Fidler is a freelance writer, legal blogger, and the author of Adventures in Holy Matrimony: For Better or the Absolute Worst. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and two ridiculously spoiled cats. She occasionally pontificates on her blog.

How Yoga, Acupunture, and Tai Chi Show Promise in Relieving Pain

It’s so cool when science backs up something you’ve known for so long. In this case, a new study by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NICCIH) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) shows that yoga, acupuncture, and tai chi can be effective at relieving certain types of pain, such as headaches, back pain, and arthritis. [1]

Richard L. Nahin, Ph.D., NCCIH’s lead epidemiologist and lead author of the analysis, says:

“For many Americans who suffer from chronic pain, medications may not completely relieve pain and can produce unwanted side effects. As a result, many people may turn to nondrug approaches to help manage their pain.

Our goal for this study was to provide relevant, high-quality information for primary care providers and for patients who suffer from chronic pain.”

He went on:

“Back pain, joint pain, neck pain, and headaches are among the most common types of pain experienced by U.S. adults.

National surveys going back more than 25 years have consistently found that these complementary approaches are used by about 30 percent to 40 percent of the U.S. public in a given year.” [2]

Read: 10 Really Amazing Health Benefits of Yoga

Nahin and his colleagues reviewed 105 U.S.-based randomized controlled trials encompassing the past 50 years, which were relevant to pain patients in the U.S. and met inclusion criteria. [1]

The review looked at 7 approaches used for 1 or more of 5 painful conditions – back pain, osteoarthritis, neck pain, fibromyalgia, and severe headaches and migraine.

The researchers found that:

• Acupuncture and yoga showed promise in treating back pain


• Acupuncture and tai chi showed promise in treating osteoarthritis of the knee


• Massage therapy was shown to help neck pain in the short-term


• Relaxation techniques soothed severe headache and migraine pain

There was also evidence, though it was weaker, to suggest that massage therapy, spinal manipulation, and osteopathic manipulation may provide some help for back pain, and relaxation approaches and tai chi might help people with fibromyalgia.

NCCIH deputy director David Shurtleff said more research is needed, but the findings provide patients and healthcare providers with other, natural alternatives for treating pain. [3]

“These data can equip providers and patients with the information they need to have informed conversations regarding non-drug approaches for treatment of specific pain conditions.

It’s important that continued research explore how these approaches actually work and whether these findings apply broadly in diverse clinical settings and patient populations.”

Read: Acupuncture for Pain Competes with Morphine in Shock Study

Americans spend more than $14 billion of their own money on complementary treatment for pain – something the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends, along with traditional at-home treatment methods, such as using ice to numb pain and reduce swelling, before turning to medication, especially opioids.

The report appears in Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

Sources:

[1] National Institutes of Health

[2] NBC News

[3] Tech Times

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About Julie Fidler:
	Julie Fidler is a freelance writer, legal blogger, and the author of Adventures in Holy Matrimony: For Better or the Absolute Worst. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and two ridiculously spoiled cats. She occasionally pontificates on her blog.