Study Shows Water Has Memory. German Scientists Expand On Dr. Emoto’s Work (VIDEO)

I remember sitting in the car driving into downtown Toronto with this really odd feeling in my gut — a mix of excitement and curiosity. We were heading to an interview that I had been looking forward to for a long time. Of course, finding parking in Toronto is always an interesting challenge. Row after row, street after street, trying to find a spot that isn’t a one week walk away from your destination (and that also doesn’t cost you an arm and a leg) to leave your car for a few hours is, to put it mildly, pretty difficult.

After an exhaustive search, we found that elusive not-too-far and not-too-costly spot. We got out of the car and began walking under the grey, cool sky towards the hotel where we were going to be interviewing Dr. Masaru Emoto — the man who claims that water contains memory and that our consciousness can impact it. He was in town for a speaking event and we had the chance to privately interview him for a couple hours, offering us the amazing opportunity to hear about his work firsthand. At this time, his research was finally being recognized in a big way by the mainstream and he was going to be having some very interesting high level conversations about it to move it forward. He was right on the verge of taking his work to a whole new level.

Just a few short weeks later, he passed away, on the cusp of his success.

Having sat with him in what very well may have been his last interview, I later thought to myself how disheartening it was that he died just before seeing his work truly flower. I really wanted to see his work fully explored at an openminded level which would allow for wonder and intrigue to exist in a study that could transform the way we view our reality.

You see, the scientific world has a culture which, inherently, has a difficult time accepting work like this. Why? Because things like this are hard to measure, and when we can’t fully measure and understand something in our modern scientific world, we are often afraid to study it and put our names on it. The unfortunate reason for this is that materialistic science has simply become the new religion of today, in a number of ways. While that has provided a plethora of amazing insights and wisdom, it also limits our understanding of our world by disregarding things that may exist that we simply don’t understand yet or can’t access physically.

Emoto shared his thoughts on all of this as we interviewed him. Although he had received much ridicule from mainstream science for his work, the deeper spiritual understanding that came from his research helped him to stay humble and open to the transformation in the way people viewed his work as an inevitable part of the future. And he was right there… it was ready to take off for him.

Thankfully, people have been inspired by his work and have expanded upon it to find some amazing things about the data and information water carries.

New research from the Aerospace Institute of the University of Stuttgart in Germany supports the theory that water has a memory. This idea was first coined by French immunologist Dr. Jacques Benveniste in a controversial article published in 1988 in the journal Nature as a way of explaining how homeopathy works. Later, others, including Dr. Emoto, took their hands and theories to this idea, all of which also proved controversial.

But recently another breakthrough has been brought forth and it comes with very interesting, reproducible results. The video clip below, from the Oasis HD Channel, shows some fascinating recent experiments involving water and memory. It comes from the Aerospace Institute of the University of Stuttgart in Germany. Although all aspects of the research you are about to see are intriguing, one thing that really struck me is the bit about different types of flowers being immersed in water and how the water keeps memory of that. Would this perhaps lend credence to the homeopathy theory?

More On Emoto’s Work

This is an excerpt taken from an article we published on Dec. 1st 2013 by Arjun Walia titled “If Human Thought Can Do This To Water – Just Imagine What It Can Do To Us.”

“The experiment I’m using in this article was conducted by Dean Radin, Ph.D., who is the Chief Scientist at IONS and Adjunct Faculty in the Department of Psychology at Sonoma State University.(1) The experiment was done to measure how intention alone affects water crystal formation. Co-Investigators were Masaru Emoto, a Japanese energy scholar and author, along with a few other researchers and scientists.

The experiment tested the hypothesis that water exposed to distant intentions affects the aesthetic rating of ice crystals formed from that water. Basically, it tested whether intentions could influence the physical structure of water (as mentioned earlier). Over a period of three days, approximately 2000 people in Austria and Germany focused their intentions towards water samples that were placed inside an electromagnetically shielded room in California. Other samples were located outside of the shielded room so that they could act as a distant control. Ice drops formed from multiple samples of water in different treatment conditions were photographed by a technician. Each image was assessed for aesthetic beauty by over 2,500 independent judges and the results of the data were analyzed by individuals who were blind with respect to the treatment conditions.

Results showed that the test was consistent with a number of previous studies suggesting that intention may be able to influence the structure of water.”

The post Study Shows Water Has Memory. German Scientists Expand On Dr. Emoto’s Work (VIDEO) appeared first on The Sleuth Journal.

And The Nation That 'Cannot Live Without The Internet' The Most Is...

Have you ever thought about what life would be like without the internet?

Given the volume of time people spend immersed in their smartphones, iPads and laptops, an unconnected life is pretty hard to imagine these days. For the majority of millennials, the time before the world wide web is now nothing more than a distant memory, a memory that"s been eviscerated by the ubiquity and life-changing impact of connected technology.

Interestingly, Statista"s Niall McCarthy notes that it isn"t just millennials who are losing touch with a world without smartphones, emails and social media. Research from Ipsos has found that society in general just can"t live without the internet.

You will find more statistics at Statista

18,180 people were surveyed across 23 countries, with more than two thirds of them saying they cannot imagine a life that isn’t prefixed by www dot.

While 73 percent of Americans said they cannot imagine an unnconnected life, the highest share was recorded in India at 82 percent.

Air Pollution May be to Blame for 20% of Dementia Cases

A new study in Translational Psychiatry suggests that women who are exposed to air heavily polluted by vehicle exhaust and other sources of fine particulate matter have a significantly higher risk of developing dementia.

For the new study, researchers tracked the cognitive health of 3,647 women ages 65-79 for 10 years. All of the women were dementia-free at the beginning of the study. As part of the Women’s Health Initiative Memory Study (WHIMS), researchers assessed the participants’ cognitive function annually.

The researchers used EPA data to estimate the women’s daily particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) where they lived. PM2.5 are fine particles that are up to 2.5 micrometers in diameter. They are made up of solid and liquid droplets which are emitted from power plants and motor vehicles, and other sources of combustion.

Read: Toxic Nanoparticle Air Pollution Found in Human Brain Tissue

The miniscule size of PM2.5 makes them easy to inhale, and inhalation of the particles can increase the risk of heart disease, asthma, reduced lung function, and other health problems.

High Levels of Pollution, High Levels of Risk

The team found that women who live in areas exposed to high PM2.5 levels had an 81% increased risk of global cognitive decline and a 92% increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias compared to women who live in areas with low PM2.5 levels.

Researchers also looked at the brain tissue of lab mice and discovered amyloid beta protein clumps – the hallmark signature of Alzheimer’s disease – and the die-off of cells in the brain’s hippocampus, where memories are formed.

Air pollution was also shown to affect a woman’s cognitive abilities even more dramatically if she carries APOE-e4, a gene variant which puts them at higher risk for Alzheimer’s disease.

Using air pollution standards set by the EPA, researchers found major differences on all those measures between those who breathed clean air and those exposed to pollution levels deemed unsafe.

In the lab mice, breathing air collected over the 10 Freeway in Los Angeles led to denser brain concentrations of amyloid protein which were more likely to form dangerous clumps than breathing air that met EPA standards pre-2012.

Read: Toxic Air Affects 90% of World’s Population

Are we seeing this in real-time in China?

Approximately 54% of the world’s population lived in urban areas as of 2014, according to the United Nations. In China, where air pollution is extreme, more than 55% of the population live in the city.

Interestingly, a 2013 study published in the Lancet showed that the number of people in that country with Alzheimer’s disease soared from 3.7 million in 1990 to 9.2 million in 2010. These are eclipsing figures from the 2012 World Alzheimer’s Report, which predicted an estimated 5.4 million dementia cases in China in 2010.

Potential Legal Ramifications?

The authors of the study, geriatric and environmental health specialists at USC, estimate that prior to the 2012 air pollution standards set by the EPA, about 21% of new cases of dementia and of accelerated cognitive decline could likely have been the result of exposure to air pollution.

Here’s where things get tricky.

When the EPA devises its pollution standards, the agency is required to consider the impact they will have on the health of “vulnerable populations.” The EPA is also tasked with using its regulatory authority to protect those populations. The standards set in 2012 clearly do not adequately protect women (and mice) who are genetically predisposed to developing Alzheimer’s disease.

Though air pollution has been decreasing since 2012, Dr. Jiu-Chiuan Chen, an environmental health specialist at USC’s Keck School of Medicine and the study’s senior author, said it’s not clear that even current standards are safe for aging brains, or for brains that are genetically vulnerable to Alzheimer’s.

It would behoove the Trump administration to look over this latest study, as President Trump has indicated that it will either trash or overhaul Obama administration regulations that tightened emissions from power plants and established tougher fuel efficiency standards for cars in an effort to fight climate change and cut air pollution.

Chen said:

“If people in the current administration are trying to reduce the cost of treating diseases, including dementia, then they should know that relaxing the Clean Air Act regulations will do the opposite.”

Sources:

[1] Medical News Today

[2] Los Angeles 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.

The Link Between B-12, Brain Function and Memory

Due to vitamin B-12’s association with energy metabolism, you might wonder what purpose it serves in your brain’s health and memory. There are a few complex roles that this B vitamin participates in—beyond releasing energy—that play a role in neurological function. This article will shed light on the primary reasons B-12 is indispensable to healthy brain aging.

Vitamin B-12 primarily functions as an enzyme cofactor. This role includes the production of red blood cells, the synthesis of myelin (a protein that coats nerves), genetic expression, amino acid balance, and the detoxification of hormones, neurotransmitters, and other chemicals. These activities are essential to maintaining brain function and preventing memory loss and cognitive decline.^[1, 2]

B-12 Deficiency and Cognitive Impairment

A number of brain diseases are associated with low B-12 status, particularly conditions characterized by cognitive difficulties like muddled thinking and forgetfulness. But the precise mechanism wasn’t identified until relatively recently. Researchers and doctors are beginning to see that cognitive issues associated with advanced age might be due, at least in part, to undiagnosed low B-12 status.^[1, 3]

Brain atrophy is a normal part of the aging process, but years of unhealthy diet and lifestyle choices can worsen the decline. Nearly 23% of Americans who reach their 70s will develop at least some degree of cognitive impairment. For far too many, this is an irreversible, progressive decline that requires specialized care by family members or costly facilities.^[4, 5]

One study found that low B-12 status was associated with poor memory. Remarkably, older adults with insufficient B-12 had structural anomalies in the region of the brain most associated with memory, the hippocampus.^[2] Emerging research has found that B vitamin supplementation—specifically with folate, B6, and B-12—slows the progression of brain tissue loss and cognitive impairment. These benefits are limited to those with a low B vitamin status. If you already have normal serum levels of these B-vitamins, adding extra doesn’t seem to have any beneficial effects on brain health.^[3, 6] That said, a variety of factors increase the likelihood of poor nutritional status in aging populations.

A Primer on B-12 Absorption

From food to cell, B-12 meanders through a complicated, multi-step route, meaning that adequate intake isn’t the only factor that determines whether you have enough in your body. Your B-12 status is determined by how much you get in your diet, how well your digestive system frees the vitamin from food, how much you can absorb from your small intestine, and how easily you can convert dietary B-12 to an active form your cells can use.^[7]

B-12 attaches and detaches itself to and from several carrier proteins along this route with the aid of digestive juices. Essentially, it needs to catch several different buses to reach its destination, i.e., before it can be absorbed from the digestive tract into your body. It first attaches to R-factor (haptocorrin) in your saliva and is then cleaved from this complex by the hydrochloric acid in your stomach. From here, B-12 binds to intrinsic factor (IF) at the beginning of the small intestine. The last stretch of the small intestine absorbs the IF/B-12 complex, transporting it across the intestinal wall and inside the body. Before the vitamin circulates in your blood, it has to decouple from IF and join another carrier protein called transcobalamin. Once attached to transcobalamin, it travels to where it’s needed in the body. Once it makes its way inside individual cells, it may require further processing if it’s not in its active form.^[7]

Absorption of B-12 in Older Adults

As we age, we begin to slow down in more ways than one. Organ function becomes less efficient, a consequence that extends to the stomach. As many as 30% of older adults develop a condition called atrophic gastritis, or achlorhydria. This condition means that the stomach secretes less acid with which to digest food. Without gastric acid, B-12 is not able to separate from R-factor and bind to IF for absorption, preventing B-12 absorption despite sufficient dietary intake. To analogize, the B-12 you ate can’t get off the bus (R-factor), as it drives past the exit for the airport and misses its flight from the digestive system into the blood.^[8, 9]

Elderly populations also manifest a lifetime of damage and immune and organ decline that leads to decreased B-12 absorption. The specific health issues that contribute to low B-12 status include intestinal inflammation, autoimmune disorders that prevent the production of B-12 carrier proteins, damage to the wall of the intestine, hostile gut organism overgrowth, pernicious anemia, and certain medications.^[9]

Age-associated Factors That Affect B-12 Status

With age, the body’s ability to absorb and use vitamin B-12 can change. Below are common, age-associated factors that affect B-12 status.

• Insufficient gastric acid output


• Chronic H. pylori overgrowth


• Imbalance of the gut microbiota


• Taking medications such as proton pump inhibitors and Metformin


• Folate deficiency


• Decreased production of intrinsic factor (IF), usually associated with autoimmune disorders


• A prolonged history of inflammation in the intestine


• Decreased appetite associated with aging or illness

How Low B-12 Status Harms Brain Health

B-12 status intersects with brain health a few different ways. Inadequate B-12 in the body promotes brain shrinkage and atrophy (similar to muscle wasting), harms cardiovascular health, and decreases your brain’s ability to break down hormones and neurotransmitters.

The Neurological Effects of B-12 Deficiency

According to the NIH, B-12 deficiency manifests as the following neurological symptoms:^[2]

• Difficulty balancing


• Unhappy mood


• Confusion


• Poor memory


• Developmental delays in infants

Accelerates Brain Aging

Low B-12 status accelerates mental decline by inhibiting the methionine cycle, a process that converts the essential amino acid methionine into other amino acids to build proteins. You need folate, B6, and B-12 to convert the nonessential amino acid homocysteine into methionine. Homocysteine is a normal metabolic product, but it also comes from diets that contain excess animal protein. With inadequate B-12, the homocysteine levels build up in your blood and brain, leading to nerve damage, delayed communication between nerves, and brain shrinkage.^[4, 10]

Low B-12 status also decreases the production of a prolific detoxifier called SAMe (S-adenosylmethionine), a cosubstrate involved in the modification of other molecules. SAMe donates a piece of itself, its methyl group, to other molecules. Estrogen, neurotransmitters, and other chemicals require this methyl group to break down into safer molecules for recycling or elimination. When you don’t have adequate B-12, you cripple the production of SAMe; impeding this detoxification process contributes to a buildup of unnecessary molecules in the brain and degraded neural tissue.^[10]

Inhibits Production of Neurotransmitters

Low B-12 status appears to significantly depress production of neurotransmitters such as norepinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine. It acts as a coenzyme during the synthesis of these neurotransmitters, so a deficiency limits your brain’s ability to produce these important chemical signallers. This effect disrupts emotional stability and can affect your sleep quality.^[1, 11]

Reduces Blood Flow to the Brain

As if homocysteine didn’t cause enough damage to your brain, it also targets your vascular health. Elevated levels of homocysteine contribute to arterial thickening, stiffness, and the development of atherosclerosis. All of these effects reduce blood flow to the brain and contribute to stroke risk, which compounds damage to the brain.^{[12, 13, 14]}

Healthy Brain Aging With Adequate B-12

B-12 supplementation offers promise for supporting normal brain health and may even lead to limited cognitive improvement in B-12 deficient older adults. One Oxford study on older adults found that B vitamin supplementation over the course of two years slowed brain atrophy by an astonishing 30% compared to the group that didn’t receive any vitamin supplementation. Participants with the highest levels of homocysteine responded with a remarkable 53% reduction in brain atrophy, compared to their placebo-controlled counterparts.^[3, 4]

Staying Sharp at Any Age

Taking your B vitamins isn’t the only way to keep your brain healthy throughout your lifetime. A healthy diet and regular exercise keep your arteries strong and flexible so that they can carry necessary nutrients to your brain. If you smoke, keep in mind that you’re not only harming your lungs; the effects of smoking also extend to your brain. One study found that smoking has debilitating effects on memory, processing speed, and general brain function.^[15]

You can also try a low methionine diet, a plant-based diet that specifically limits methionine intake to prevent high homocysteine levels before they cause any damage. Consuming animal protein contributes to high homocysteine levels, along with the additional deleterious effects of a high meat diet.

Meditation and stress management are—pardon the pun—a no-brainer when it comes to your cognitive health.^[16] I also highly recommend lifelong learning as another way to delay age-associated cognitive decline. Challenging your mind, even well into adulthood, forms new neural connections in the brain that safeguard against these kinds of difficulties.^[17]

Do you have any suggestions for protecting your brain? Share your tips in the comments!

References (17)

1. Gröber, Uwe, Klaus Kisters, and Joachim Schmidt. “Neuroenhancement With Vitamin B12—Underestimated Neurological Significance.” Nutrients 5.12 (2013): 5031-5045. Web. 31 May 2017.


2. Köbe, T., et al. “Vitamin B-12 concentration, memory performance, and hippocampal structure in patients with mild cognitive impairment.” Am J Clin Nutr. 2016 Apr;103(4):1045-54. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.115.116970. Epub 2016 Feb 24.


3. Smith, A. David, et al. “Homocysteine-Lowering By B Vitamins Slows The Rate Of Accelerated Brain Atrophy In Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Randomized Controlled Trial.” PLoS ONE 5.9 (2010): e12244. Web. 31 May 2017.


4. Vogiatzoglou, A., et al. “Vitamin B12 Status And Rate Of Brain Volume Loss In Community-Dwelling Elderly.” Neurology 71.11 (2008): 826-832. Web. 31 May 2017.


5. Plassman, Brenda L., et al. “Prevalence of Cognitive Impairment without Dementia in the United States.” Annals of Internal Medicine 148.6 (2008): 427–434. Web. 31 May 2017.


6. Douaud, Gwenaëlle, et al. “Preventing Alzheimer’S Disease-Related Gray Matter Atrophy By B-Vitamin Treatment.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 110.23 (2013): 9523-9528. Web. 31 May 2017.


7. Stanger, Olaf. “Water Soluble Vitamins.” 1st ed. Dordrecht [etc.]: Springer, 2012. Web.


8. Russell, Robert M. “Gastric Hypochlorhydria And Achlorhydria In Older Adults.” JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association 278.20 (1997): 1659. Web. 31 May 2017.


9. “Office Of Dietary Supplements – Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Vitamin B12.” Ods.od.nih.gov. N.p., 2017. Web. 31 May 2017.


10. “Vitamin B12.” Linus Pauling Institute. N.p., 2017. Web. 31 May 2017.


11. Valizadeh, Nasim, and Maryam Valizadeh. “Obsessive Compulsive Disorder As Early Manifestation Of B12 Deficiency.” Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine 33.2 (2011): 203. Web. 31 May 2017.


12. Woo, Kam, Timothy Kwok, and David Celermajer. “Vegan Diet, Subnormal Vitamin B-12 Status And Cardiovascular Health.” Nutrients 6.8 (2014): 3259-3273. Web. 31 May 2017.


13. Haynes, William G. “Hyperhomocysteinemia, Vascular Function And Atherosclerosis: Effects Of Vitamins.” Cardiovascular Drugs and Therapy 16.5 (2002): 391-399. Web. 31 May 2017.


14. Saposnik, G., et al. “Homocysteine-Lowering Therapy And Stroke Risk, Severity, And Disability: Additional Findings From The HOPE 2 Trial.” Stroke 40.4 (2009): 1365-1372. Web. 31 May 2017.


15. Durazzo, Timothy C., Dieter J. Meyerhoff, and Sara Jo Nixon. “Chronic Cigarette Smoking: Implications for Neurocognition and Brain Neurobiology.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. Molecular Diversity Preservation International (MDPI), Oct. 2010. Web. 15 June 2017.


16. Gard, Tim, Britta K. Hölzel, and Sara W. Lazar. “The Potential Effects of Meditation on Age-related Cognitive Decline: A Systematic Review.” Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. U.S. National Library of Medicine, Jan. 2014. Web. 15 June 2017.


17. Antoniou, Mark, Geshri M. Gunasekera, and Patrick C.M. Wong. “Foreign Language Training As Cognitive Therapy For Age-Related Cognitive Decline: A Hypothesis For Future Research.” Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews 37.10 (2013): 2689-2698. Web. 31 May 2017.

1 Gram Of Turmeric Boosts Working Memory In Just 6 Hours

Need a caffeine-free, memory-boosting alternative to coffee? Just one dose of turmeric powder (1 gram) was found to improve working memory in pre-diabetics in hours. 

Interest in turmeric as a tonic and regenerative agent for brain conditions is growing rapidly. Given the increased prevalence of neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, as well as an alarming uptick in brain cancer and the cognitively impairing metabolic dysregulations associated with type 2 diabetes.

Turmeric and its primary polyphenol curcumin hold great promise as an alternative to pharmaceuticals, none of which have been shown to address nor resolve the root causes of disease.

A recent study published in the Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition titled, “Turmeric improves post-prandial working memory in pre-diabetes independent of insulin“, reveals the unique therapeutic profile of this ancient Indian spice in preventing cognitive impairment linked to pre-diabetes and dementia.

The study enrolled 48 60-year olds with newly recognized yet untreated pre-diabetes. They were randomized to receive either a placebo, turmeric (1,000 mg), cinnamon (2,000 mg) or both (1,000 mg & 2,000 mg respectively), ingested at a white bread (119 g) breakfast.

The researchers observed the participants’ metabolic responses over a 6 hour period for the following parameters:

·      Pre- and post-working memory (WM),

·      Glycemic and insulin responses

·      Biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease (AD)(measured at 0, 2, 4 and 6 hours):

o   amyloid precursor protein (APP),

o   γ-secretase subunits presenilin-1 (PS1),

o   presenilin-2 (PS2),

o   glycogen synthase kinase (GSK-3β).

The study results were reported as follows:

“We found that a modest addition of 1 g turmeric to a rather nutritionally-bland breakfast of white bread improved working memory (WM) over 6 hours in older people with pre-diabetes. This was not the case for 2 g cinnamon.”

Moreover, they observed that body fatness and insulin resistance modulated the effect that turmeric had on improving working memory, “suggesting that the benefits of turmeric might be enhanced where these characteristics were less abnormal.”

While the study found the Alzheimer’s biomarkers “showed active correlations among themselves during the 6 hour study, these did not account for the link between turmeric and WM.” In other words, the researchers surmised that while the spice components access and modulate traditional Alzheimer’s biomarker pathways, no definitive mechanisms of action explaining how they affect working memory could be discerned in the study.

Interestingly, the study intentionally selected whole turmeric powder instead of extracts of curcuminoids, as is normally the case, in order to simulate real-world culinary exposure to the spice:

“We deliberately used whole turmeric rather than curcuminoids or turmeric extracts. We wanted to examine the commodity used in daily life and with which there are generations of experience and presumptive safety across Asian food cultures – south, north-east and south-east Asia, albeit in a range of cuisines. The amounts used were also within the usual household range.”

This study adds to a growing body of literature showing that turmeric/curcumin is both an excellent intervention for pre-diabetics (with up to a 100% prevention rate, according to a Diabetes Care study published two years ago), as well as anti-dementia agent, as evaluated in greater detail in previous reports we have done on the subject:

Learn more by visiting the world’s largest turmeric database on Greenmedinfo.com: Turmeric Health Guidetionally recognized as the largest and most widely referenced health resource of its kind.

© July 1, 2017 GreenMedInfo LLC. This work is reproduced and distributed with the permission of GreenMedInfo LLC. Want to learn more from GreenMedInfo? Sign up for the newsletter here http://www.greenmedinfo.com/greenmed/newsletter.

Avoid These Drinks to Help Prevent Brain Shrinkage, Dementia, and Strokes

One of the keys to keeping your brain nice and plump and in proper working order is avoiding soda – and not just the sugar-sweetened kind, either. Drinking sodas, whether regular or diet, is bad for brain health, 2 recent studies show. [1]

One study showed that people who drank diet soda every day were three times more likely to have a stroke or develop dementia over 10 years compared with those who didn’t consume any diet soda.

The second study showed that people who drank at least one diet soda daily had smaller brain volumes than people who didn’t drink any diet soda. The same study found that people who consumed more than two sugary beverages a day, such as soda or fruit juice, had smaller brain volumes and worse memory function compared with non-sugary beverage drinkers.

Study #1

For the first study, researchers interviewed about 43,000 people, age 45 and older, three times over seven years, and asked them whether they drank any diet or sugar-sweetened beverages. Toward the end of the study, the researchers started tracking the participants’ health for cases of stroke and dementia. This monitoring continued for 10 years.

During the monitoring period, 97 people had a stroke, and 81 developed dementia. Sixty-three of the 81 had dementia consistent with Alzheimer’s disease.

Read: How Diet Sodas Mess with Your Brain (video)

The scientists concluded that diet beverage consumption – but not sugary drink consumption – was associated with a higher risk of stroke and dementia over a 10-year period.

It’s not clear why; however, diet drinks have been linked in past studies to obesity and diabetes, which might also be linked with poor blood circulation. Circulation problems may increase a person’s risk of stroke or dementia because a constant flow of blood is necessary for proper brain functioning.

Source: The Washington Post

Study #2

In the second study, researchers looked at brain scans and results of cognitive tests conducted on about 4,000 people. Participants self-reported whether they drank any diet or sugary beverages, and if so, how much.

Researchers uncovered a link between the consumption of both sugary and diet drinks and smaller brain volumes. An additional link between the consumption of sugary beverages and poorer memory was found. All are considered risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease, according to the researchers.

Read: Diet Soda Increases Risk of Heart Attack and Stroke

The team controlled for cholesterol, smoking, diabetes, blood pressure, and various other health and behavioral factors. [2]

As in the first study, the mechanisms behind the decline in brain volume and memory may be tied to poor circulation, as previous research has linked high sugar intake with diabetes and high blood pressure. Both conditions are linked to compromised blood circulation that may negatively affect brain health. [1]

Lead author Matthew P. Pase, a senior research fellow at Boston University, says of the results of the second study:

“Although we can’t prove cause and effect, these data suggest that we should be cautious about drinking sugary beverages. They’re empty calories that contribute to weight gain and metabolic disease.” [2]

Sources:

[1] Live Science

[2] The New York Times

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.

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.

Daily Dose of This Plant Could Reverse Age-Related Decline in the Brain

The findings of a Yahoo News/Marist poll show that people over the age of 69 generally don’t have positive views of marijuana. While the majority of younger Americans increasingly view marijuana as a legitimate medication and relatively acceptable recreational substance, the older crowd has been slower to adopt these views. In a twist of irony, a recent study shows that a daily dose of cannabis could reverse age-related brain decline in older people.

In the study, using mice, researcher Andreas Zimmer of the University of Bonn in Germany gave low doses of THC, the main psychoactive compound in marijuana, to young, mature, and aged mice. The young mice performed slightly worse on memory and learning tests – no one was shocked by that result. The rodents took longer to find a safe platform hidden in a water maze, and had a more difficult time recognizing another mouse they’d previously “met.” [1]

Before receiving THC, the mature and aged mice performed worse on the tests than the younger mice did. Once they received the compound, however, the elderly mice’s performance improved so much that their test scores matched those of their younger counterparts.

Zimmer says:

“The effects were very robust, very profound.”

The changes were also visible in the mice’s brains. The researchers noticed that the critters’ hippocampus – the area of the brain that is critical for learning and memory – had grown more synaptic spines, the points of contact for communication between neurons. Furthermore, radical changes were seen in the gene expression pattern in the hippocampi of the aged mice treated with THC, rendering their brains completely different from those of the young, untreated mice.

Zimmer explains:

“That is something we absolutely did not expect: the old animals [that received] THC looked most similar to the young, untreated control mice.”

The researchers have a theory as to why marijuana rejuvenates aging mice brains. Marijuana stimulates the endocannabinoid system, a biochemical pathway that slows with age in mice, humans, and other animals. But there is no guarantee that these results can be replicated in humans. [2]

Source: Collective Evolution

David Nutt, the former government drugs adviser and professor of neuropsychopharmacology at Imperial College London, says:

“The key question now is does the same apply to humans? Clearly this needs to be tested, but it will not be possible in the UK due to the ridiculous restrictions on cannabis research occasioned by its being a schedule 1 drug.”

Related: 4 Studies Proving That Marijuana Can Treat Brain Cancer

Michael Bloomfield, a clinical lecturer in psychiatry at University College London, notes:

“What is particularly exciting about this research is that it opens up a whole new chemical system, the endocannabinoid system, as a potential target for new avenues of research, which could include illnesses like dementia. However, we are still in very early days and further research is needed.”

Source: Herb.co

Cannabis hasn’t been intensely studied for medical purposes for very long, and it’s going to be tricky teasing out details, like how much of a dose is considered ideal. According to Bloomfield, THC sometimes has the opposite of the desired effect on people, depending on the dose, the patient’s age, and how often it is administered.

“This means that the possibility of doctors potentially prescribing cannabis, THC or similar compounds for memory problems in older people is still a long way off.”

So, it will likely be years before doctors are able to accurately prescribe marijuana for aging brains, but it’s an exciting possibility that could make the Golden Years much happier for senior citizens.

Andreas Bilkei-Gorzo, a researcher at the University of Bonn, is hopeful that marijuana can help people squeeze more years out of their life. [3]

“If we can rejuvenate the brain so that everybody gets five to 10 more years without needing extra care then that is more than we could have imagined.”

The study is published in the journal Nature.

Sources:

[1] Scientific American

[2] The Guardian

[3] Daily Caller

Collective Evolution

Herb.co

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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.