Month: November 2007

WASHINGTON: Using a mouse model, researchers at the University of North Carolina have reported that a fat hormone which causes changes in the metabolism may increase life span.

Terry Combs and colleagues demonstrated that long-lived Snell dwarf mice burn less glucose and more fatty acids during periods of fasting, and as a result produce fewer free radicals.

The key to this switch may be adiponectin, a hormone produced by fat cells that helps lower glucose production and stimulates cells to use fat for energy instead.

Researchers discovered that Snell mice had three times as much adiponectin in their blood as control mice; Snell mice also had fewer triglycerides in their cells, indicative of higher fat metabolism.

The advantage of burning fats instead of glucose for energy is that it produces fewer oxygen radicals, which can damage cells and exacerbate the effects of aging.

Confirming this, researchers found far less free radical damage, measured as the frequency of a chemical modification on protein known as carbonyl groups, in Snell mice than controls.

Sources:The Times Of India

Chronic headache sufferers may soon have some new alternatives. The active ingredient in cayenne peppers, capsaicin, is believed to bring headache relief by depleting Substance P, a neurotransmitter that helps send pain signals.

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Although some are still skeptical, a number of studies have tested the claim, and most have found evidence to support it. One prominent study on capsaicin for pain relief was published back in 1998 in the Clinical Journal of Pain. Their review of 33 previous studies found that capsaicin worked better than a placebo for cluster headaches.

Most studies suggest that the capsaicin needs to be applied topically, such as swabbing the inside of your nose, in order for it to be effective.

What Is Capsaicin? What Are Scoville Heat Units?

Sinus Buster Capsaicin Headache Nasal Spray Works Fast

UCSF STUDY SUGGESTS CAPSAICIN SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCES
DEBILITATING NERVE PAIN

Sources:

New York Times October 30, 2007
Clinical Journal of Pain June 1998;14(2):97-106

LONDON: If you are worried that your mental power will decline as you age, there’s some good news — a relatively brief flurry of brain exercises can improve your memory by a considerable period.

A team of international researchers has carried out a study and found that doing the right kind of brain exercises can slow down the mind’s deterioration by about a decade, The Daily Telegraph reported on Tuesday.

“Doing the properly designed cognitive activities can actually enhance abilities as you age,” lead researcher Dr Elizabeth Zelinski of the University of Southern California Andrus Gerontology Centre was quoted as saying.

The researchers came to the conclusion after analysing a group of 65-plus people who exercised their mind with a brain revitalisation computer programme. Half of the more than 500 participants in the study completed up to 40 hours of the computer-based brain fitness programme. The other half completed up to 40 hours of a computer-based educational training programme.

“The group that relied on cranial calisthenics showed significantly superior improvements in standardised clinical measures of memory gains of approximately 10 years. The changes we saw in the experimental group were remarkable and significantly larger than the gains in the control group.

“From a researcher’s point of view, this was very impressive – people got better at the tasks trained, those improvements generalised to various standardised measures of memory, and people perceived improvements in their lives,” Zelinski was quoted as saying. Earlier studies have shown that people who solve puzzles and jigsaws keep their brain agile.

Sources: The Times Of India

NEW YORK: Captain gets it to ease his arthritis and it helps Mishaka’s bad back, but with fangs and claws they are not your typical acupuncture patients – they’re dogs.

The ancient Chinese system of therapy that has helped to soothe the aches, pains and ailments of people for thousands of years is now doing the same for canines.

“She is so happy, she relaxes, her tail wags and she just plops herself down to get her treatment. She likes it,” said New York resident Sissy Stamm, about 12-year-old Mishaka.

The Caucasian Ovcharka, who tips the scales at about 120 pounds and was bred to guard sheep, doesn’t seem to mind having needles inserted into her limbs during her weekly acupuncture sessions in Stamm’s apartment. The traditional medicine treats a wide range of illnesses, from skin problems to heart conditions, according to Vikki Weber, the executive director of the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society in Fort Collins, Colorado.

At least 2,000 vets in the United States practice acupuncture, although no official statistics exist on how many animals undergo the procedure. Prices for the average visit for a cat or dog run around $50 to $85, added Weber, whose group runs courses for vets around the world. The treatment, which vets can study at schools such as Colorado State University and the Chi Institute in Gainesville, Florida, is also very popular in the horse racing industry.

Captain, a 10-year-old Dalmatian, enthusiastically greeted Dr Jeffrey Levy, the New York vet who treats him for arthritis. His owner turned to acupuncture for her pet after two anti-inflammatory drugs and a cortisone shot failed to help. When scheduling problems halted his acupuncture treatment Captain grew worse, she said.

Sources: The Times Of India