Nature Knows and Psionic Success

Motoring on: UCC gut-health expert looks forward to new challenges Professor Ted Dinan, UCC, with his Honda CBF 1000cc motorbike, outside the Biosciences Building, UCC, Cork. Picture: Jim Coughlan. As he prepares to leave UCC, Prof Ted Dinan recalls the early-morning moment he coined the word psychobiotics, a term describing how bacteria in the stomach can influence our mood, writes Helen O’Callaghan TED Dinan was due to give an 8am lecture at a symposium in Dublin. It was a Sunday in 2012 and he wished he could be anywhere else. But in those moments of musing on what else he could have been doing, a word flashed into his mind. The word was ‘psychobiotic’ — Dinan had just coined a term to describe mood-improving microbes or bacteria. Professor of psychiatry and a principal investigator in the APC Microbiome Institute at UCC, Dinan will retire from academic medicine this autumn. He was previously chair of Clinical Neurosciences and professor of Psychological Medicine at St Bartholomew’s Hospital, London. His 16-year stint at UCC has been his longest job. “I’ve never stayed anywhere very long. It’s important to move out of your comfort zone intermittently. I’ve stayed here because it’s been very productive and I enjoy the people I work with.” Chief among these is John Cryan, professor and chair of the Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences at UCC and also a principal investigator at APC Microbiome, a leading-edge institute researching the role of microbiome in health and disease. “The primary focus of research in our labs — the core of what we do — is how microbes in the gut influence the brain and influence behaviour,” says Dinan. “Ten years ago we weren’t aware that gut microbiota [community of microbes living in our gut] is part of our stress system. Now […]

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When you say, ‘I’m stressed out’, what exactly do you mean? Stress , generally speaking, is the feeling of overwhelming mental or emotional pressure. It’s pressure with a side order of prang – a voice inside your head that says ‘this is too much, you can’t cope’. People have different ways of reacting to excessive pressure – one man’s motivator may be the upper limit of another man’s stress threshold – but regardless of the root cause, 74 per cent of UK adults have felt so stressed at some point over the last year they felt overwhelmed or unable to cope, according to the Mental Health Foundation. It seems that for many of us, the motivating kind of stress is in short supply. Related Story 6 Signs That Show You’re Seriously Stressed Out There are three distinct types of stress , according to the American Psychological Association (APA), and they affect your mental and physical health in slightly different ways. Acute stress The most common variety, acute stress, stems from “demands and pressures of the recent past and anticipated demands and pressures of the near future”. It’s thrilling in small doses – the APA uses a fast run down a challenging ski slope as a prime example – but ultimately draining. It’s a tight deadline or a traffic jam or an argument with your girlfriend. Episodic acute stress When acute stress occurs on a fairly regular basis, it becomes episodic acute stress. We all have that one mate who’s always late, always in a hurry, and always has “too much on”. If something can go wrong, it usually does. They may also be perpetual worriers , forecasting catastrophe around every corner and blaming any setbacks on external events or other people. Chronic stress If acute stress is a stubbed […]

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Whether you have sore joints or poor circulation, there’s a tea for that, says medical herbalist Katie Pande A cup of tea makes everything so much better – well it does if you’re British. From a morning pick me up to a soothing bed time relaxer, there is a tea for every occasion – and every ailment. The problem: sore joints and arthritis The tea: Turmeric The spice turmeric has received its fair share of column inches over the last five years. And indeed, there is good evidence showing its star quality lies in its ability to reduce inflammation throughout the body, including, as shown in this 2013 study , in people with osteoarthritis. According to some other studies , curcumin (the active ingredient found in turmeric) can help ease inflammation and swelling in people with arthritis. Studies have also shown the protective anti-oxidant effects of turmeric on liver cells, acting as a natural support to the body’s cleansing and detoxification processes. This is a herb that can help screen us from the damaging free radicals we are exposed to in a heavily polluted modern world. The easiest way to get turmeric into your life? Trade in that mid-afternoon coffee for a turmeric tea pick-me-up. Try: Pukka Turmeric Gold The problem: blood sugar problems The tea: Nettle Herbs like nettle have been used traditionally to help balance blood sugar and small studies have found it could mimic the hormone insulin and aid blood sugar control while you’re fasting. Plants such as nettle are also naturally high in the green pigment chlorophyll and are powerful anti-inflammatories that have been shown to protect skin cells and aid natural detoxification in the body. Traditionally nettle has also been used to help various gastroinstestinal ailments such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), constipation, diarrhoea […]

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I’m closer to 63 than I am to 62. And believe me, when I tell you, I’m not a lover of exercise. But now that warm weather is here, I’m feeling a little more motivated. I’m getting ready to start a daily exercise routine that I hope will last into next winter. What will this routine consist of, you may ask? What it will NOT consist of is sweating, grunting, bench pressing or running miles a day. I’ve been looking at some recent research that’s convinced me that this is not at all necessary. More importantly, it’s convinced me that even though I feel stiffer and less balanced than I used to, I can begin this routine and see almost immediate results. Not in weight loss or rock-hard muscles. That’s not what I’m looking for. The research shows that a certain type of exercise will not only make me stronger and more capable as the years go on, but will improve my mental and emotional life as well. And, I’m all for that. Resistance training: start now, benefit later There’s a ton of evidence that resistance training (also known as strength training or weight training ) makes older adults stronger. For seniors, the expression “use it or lose it” becomes very real and urgent. The loss of muscle mass due to the natural aging process is known as sarcopenia . By age 50, as our body becomes less able to form muscle from protein, we’re losing 1 percent to 2 percent of our muscle mass every year . Related: 7 simple tips to feel, look and age better Dr. John Morley, a geriatrician at St. Louis University School of Medicine, tells us that “sarcopenia can be considered for muscle what osteoporosis is to bone.” Although I am generally healthy, […]

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The coffee tasted bad. Acrid and with a sweet, sickly smell. The sort of coffee that results from overfilling the filter machine and then leaving the brew to stew on the hot plate for several hours. The sort of coffee I would drink continually during the day to keep whatever gears left in my head turning. Odours are powerfully connected to memories. And so it’s the smell of that bad coffee which has become entwined with the memory of my sudden realisation that we are facing utter ruin. It was the spring of 2011, and I had managed to corner a very senior member of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) during a coffee break at a workshop. The IPCC was established in 1988 as a response to increasing concern that the observed changes in the Earth’s climate are being largely caused by humans. The IPCC reviews the vast amounts of science being generated around climate change and produces assessment reports every four years. Given the impact the IPPC’s findings can have on policy and industry, great care is made to carefully present and communicate its scientific findings. So I wasn’t expecting much when I straight out asked him how much warming he thought we were going to achieve before we manage to make the required cuts to greenhouse gas emissions. “Oh, I think we’re heading towards 3°C at least,” he said. “Ah, yes, but heading towards ,” I countered: “We won’t get to 3°C, will we?” (Because whatever you think of the 2°C threshold that separates “safe” from “dangerous” climate change, 3°C is well beyond what much of the world could bear.) “Not so,” he replied. That wasn’t his hedge, but his best assessment of where, after all the political, economic, and social wrangling we will end […]

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( Natural News ) Physical exercise is not just good for building up muscles and endurance. Studies show that working out also improves your brain in many ways. Many of the positive effects of exercise also extend to the brain. For example, physical activity speeds up the heart rate to deliver more oxygen throughout the body. The brain is one of the parts that benefit from that increase in oxygen levels. Exercise also spurs the release of beneficial hormones that support the growth of brain cells. A UCLA study held in 2006 showed that physical exercise raised the levels of growth factors in the brain. The growth factors made it easier for neurons to form new connections with each other. It also improves brain plasticity by encouraging the formation of new links between neurons in critical regions. Meanwhile, a different experiment – this one conducted by researchers at the Karolinska Institute in 2005 – showed connections between the improvement in mood associated with running and a drop in stress hormone levels. Furthermore, the “runner’s high” feeling encouraged the growth of neurons in the hippocampus, the region of the brain that governed learning and memory. (Related: Physical exercise reduces severity of Alzheimer’s symptoms .) Physical activity can improve various brain functions The hippocampus also reacts strongly to aerobic exercise. Understandably, people who did cardio workouts to improve their cardiovascular health also experienced sharper memories. Separate Dutch and American studies showed that exercise improved concentration . Aerobic workouts increased attention spans, while daily sports classes enhanced multitasking, helped ignore distractions, and made it easier to understand complicated information. Mother Nature’s micronutrient secret : Organic Broccoli Sprout Capsules now available, delivering 280mg of high-density nutrition, including the extraordinary "sulforaphane" and "glucosinolate" nutrients found only in cruciferous healing foods. Every lot laboratory tested. […]

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Going days without sleep will eventually leave the strongest of night owls wondering: “Can you die from lack of sleep?” Everyone experiences sleeplessness at some point. Who hasn’t attempted to pull an all-nighter during slumber parties or in college? Chances are you’ve laid awake at night tossing and turning a handful of times. But when does constant sleeplessness become a serious problem? What kinds of health issues can eventually arise? Here are seven facts you need to know. 1. Can You Die from Lack of Sleep? In short, not sleeping won’t kill you. But the effects of sleep deprivation can deteriorate your health in major ways. Most adults need seven to nine hours of sleep per night – but everyone is different. Some adults can function on six hours of sleep, while others may need ten. If you’ve ever felt the need “to catch up on sleep”, there’s a reason for that. Every hour of sleep you lose adds up into something known as “sleep debt”. Until your body catches up on its sleep debt, you’ll feel tired and generally unwell. 2. The Effects of Sleeplessness Are Immediate How long does it take for the effects of sleep deprivation to kick in? It varies for everybody. Some people can go up to twenty hours without sleep and feel fine. Others may begin to feel the effects around the fourteenth or sixteenth hour. Generally speaking, the immediate effects of sleeplessness are the same. You’ll begin to feel groggy. You might have trouble concentrating or remembering things. Your mood will likely a take turn for the worse, as well. Those who’ve gone days without sleep can experience auditory or visual hallucinations. Delirium can also occur. 3. Your Immune System Crashes When You Don’t Sleep Everyone catches the occasional cold or stomach […]

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Before the rise of patented chemical medicines, natural remedies were used in North America as the standard of care. Previously, Slate reported on this amazing map of ‘Herbal Cures’ from 1932 of the medicinal plants in common use among pharmacists and the public back then. The map itself states under the heading ‘The Service of Pharmacy’: "It is important that the public does not lose sight of the fact that the professions of Pharmacy, Medicine, and Dentistry, each give an essential service, which must not be impaired or destroyed by commercial trends. The public and the professions will suffer equally if these services are allowed to deteriorate. In pharmacy the public should understand something of the breadth of knowledge required of the pharmacist. Few people realize the extent to which plants and minerals enter into the practice of pharmacy, and how vital they are to the maintenance of the public health. It has been stated that upwards of 70 percent of all medicines employed are plant products." Flash forward 80 years and we have a medical system which relies almost entirely on patented chemicals and/or biologicals that are far removed from anything resembling the ‘back yard farmacy’ of yesteryear. The FDA’s very definition of a drug now precludes the use of natural substances , and drug-based medicine has become a form of human sacrifice , on a scale that may exceed previous civilizations sacrifice of their population for ostensibly religious reasons. This map should be shared far and wide and hopefully will shed light on the massive, emergent database of natural substances (there are about 1700 indexed on our website alone ) that can be used to treat a staggeringly wide range of health conditions (over 3,000 indexed on our site alone ). Note: Amazingly, you will find the […]

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With NeoLife Nutritional Whole-foods Supplements, your Infertility Worries are OVER! Infertility is usually defined as the failure to conceive after a year or more of regular sexual activity during the time of ovulation. Infertility arises from different factors such as; (A) Thick mucus in the Fallopian Tubes. (B) Damaged Fallopian Tubes. (C) Ovaries fails to release Eggs, because of adhesions. (D) Uterus contain Fibroid, its lining may be affected by Endometriosis. (E) Failure to Ovulate, due to Hormonal Imbalance caused by Cyst or effect of Radiation treatments. (F) Sexually transmitted Infections like; Syphilis, Gonorrhoea, Chlamydia. (G) Progesterone becomes Imbalanced. Causing miscarriages as fertilized eggs can not survive due to Imbalanced hormones. (H) Birth Control Pills and Injections, can also lead to Infertility in women. Correct your body metabolism with our GNLD NEOLIFE Nutritional Supplements! Are you keen of conception this year? You’ll need to thoroughly engage yourself in routine purification of your Hormonal System with these GNLD NEOLIFE Supplements; (1) Feminine Herbal Complex in 60 Tablets • Balances and regulates woman’s monthly cycle. • Increases fertility chances, eradicates P.M.S. • Regulate heavy menstrual flow. • Prevent premature menopause. SPECIALTY HERBAL FOR OPTIMAL WELLNESS Contains 10 herbs in a delicate, balanced mix to help women achieve a state of optimal health, comfort, calmness, and vitality St. John’s Worth, shown to help support calmness, boost spirits, and promote positive mental attitude* Vitex and Red Sage, Support normal female physiology and function. Benefits: Reduces inflammation. Relaxes muscle spasms. Promotes vitality. Supports normal female function. Reduces excessive sweating. Reduces menstrual cycle irregularities. Relieves mild depression. Overcomes heavy menstrual flow. Relieves irritability and anxiety. Assist in excretion of excess fluid. Reduce nervous tension. Relieves urine retention. It gives stamina and endurance. It reduces abdominal bloating. It is good for swollen fingers/ankles and legs. It […]

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The regulation of air pollution has reduced its toll on heart and lung diseases. For example, the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 helped avert an estimated 160,000 deaths and 86,000 hospitalizations in 2010 alone. 1 However, a growing body of research suggests that polluted air also puts our brain in harm’s way. Chronic exposure to traffic-related pollutants may increase the risk of neurological disorders. 2 Both short- and long-term exposures have been associated with reduced human capital, including the academic performance of schoolchildren 3 and the productivity of workers across the adult lifespan. 4 As Matthew Neidell of Columbia University and Joshua Graff Zivin of the University of California, San Diego, wrote in 2018, “The ubiquity of these less lethal impacts, revealed by emerging economic research on labor productivity and human capital accumulation, … can add up to considerable, society-wide impacts across the globe.” 4 Components of Outdoor and Indoor Air Pollution Estimating the subtle effects of air pollution requires long-term air quality data. The Clean Air Act has made much of this information available to researchers and the general public through an extensive monitoring network for selected outdoor air pollutants. Today, this national network 5 contains more than 4,000 monitoring stations operated mainly by state environmental agencies. These agencies send hourly or daily measurements of pollutant concentrations to a central database maintained by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The U.S. EPA defines and monitors six “criteria pollutants” in ambient air: particulate matter (PM), ground-level ozone, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, and lead. PM includes a variety of tiny airborne solids and droplets emitted by vehicles, factories, wildfires, and other anthropogenic and natural sources. Additional pollutants from outdoor sources include methane, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), pollen, metals, and other sulfur and nitrogen oxides. Pollutants generated outdoors […]

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“Grow old along with me! The best is yet to be.” – Robert Browning Older adults should be enjoying their so-called “golden years,” yet too many are beset with mental health issues that, in addition to other medical conditions they may have, contribute to a decline in their mental health. There is hope to help counter this, however, and new research points to innovative, as well as common sense, approaches on how to improve the mental health of older adults. Learn How to Cope with Anger Research from the American Psychological Association shows that anger is more harmful to the health of older adults than sadness. The effects of anger experienced daily was related to higher inflammation levels and chronic illness for study participants 80 years old and above, but not for younger seniors, while sadness wasn’t relate to either inflammation or chronic illness. Researchers noted that not all negative emotions, including anger, is bad, saying anger is an “energizing emotion that can help motivate people to pursue life goals.” With younger seniors, anger may be useful to help them overcome challenges in life and newly-developing age-related losses so that they can be healthier. On the other hand, once older adults reach the age of 80, since many of them begin to experience “irreversible losses and some of life’s pleasures fall out of reach, “ that’s when anger becomes problematic. Education and therapy , suggest the study authors, may help older adults reduce their anger by regulating their emotions, or by offering better strategies to cope with anger and manage inevitable age-related changes. Finding Ways to Age Gracefully Getting older doesn’t have to mean precipitous decline. Aging gracefully is more than a feel-good concept. Researchers from University of Alberta have identified different factors that help individuals over the age […]

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With the dark days of winter often comes the blues, and the American Psychological Association concluded that this kind of seasonal stress can contribute to health issues such as obesity, high blood pressure and depression. Almost 15 million Americans are affected by depression each year, which can interfere with everything from school to work to social activities, and you may feel hopeless, exhausted, lackadaisical or indecisive. The exact cause of depression is complicated, and it can be any combination of several known factors, including genetics, traumatic events, hormone imbalances and biochemical reactions in the brain. The good news is you can do something about it. The Endocannabinoid System As you know, the brain is the control center of your body, and several neurological systems assist in sending messages to and from this hub. One of these is the endocannabinoid system (ECS). The ECS is responsible for maintaining homeostasis — internal balance from constant pressure of external stimuli — and affects nearly every biological process in your body, including memory, appetite and sleep, as well as mood, pain and stress. Here’s the deal: In response to negative stimuli, the ECS produces cannabinoids that bind to particular brain cell receptors, causing the release of serotonin, improving mood and reducing stress. The ECS is also responsible for that “runner’s high” and exercise euphoria you feel after training . Are you addicted to chocolate? It’s no wonder: The cacao in chocolate interacts with your ECS, boosting mood and simulating feelings of love. Faulty Wiring The trouble comes when your ECS is not functioning properly or is not making adequate levels of cannabinoids. Your brain chemistry begins to change, and research has linked ECS decline with a number of diseases, including irritable bowel syndrome, fibromyalgia and depression. Stress reduction is one of the ECS’s […]

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With NeoLife Nutritional Whole-foods Supplements, your Infertility Worries are OVER! Infertility is usually defined as the failure to conceive after a year or more of regular sexual activity during the time of ovulation. Infertility arises from different factors such as; (A) Thick mucus in the Fallopian Tubes. (B) Damaged Fallopian Tubes. (C) Ovaries fails to release Eggs, because of adhesions. (D) Uterus contain Fibroid, its lining may be affected by Endometriosis. (E) Failure to Ovulate, due to Hormonal Imbalance caused by Cyst or effect of Radiation treatments. (F) Sexually transmitted Infections like; Syphilis, Gonorrhoea, Chlamydia. (G) Progesterone becomes Imbalanced. Causing miscarriages as fertilized eggs can not survive due to Imbalanced hormones. (H) Birth Control Pills and Injections, can also lead to Infertility in women. Correct your body metabolism with our GNLD NEOLIFE Nutritional Supplements! Are you keen of conception this year? You’ll need to thoroughly engage yourself in routine purification of your Hormonal System with these GNLD NEOLIFE Supplements; (1) Feminine Herbal Complex in 60 Tablets • Balances and regulates woman’s monthly cycle. • Increases fertility chances, eradicates P.M.S. • Regulate heavy menstrual flow. • Prevent premature menopause. SPECIALTY HERBAL FOR OPTIMAL WELLNESS Contains 10 herbs in a delicate, balanced mix to help women achieve a state of optimal health, comfort, calmness, and vitality St. John’s Worth, shown to help support calmness, boost spirits, and promote positive mental attitude* Vitex and Red Sage, Support normal female physiology and function. Benefits: Reduces inflammation. Relaxes muscle spasms. Promotes vitality. Supports normal female function. Reduces excessive sweating. Reduces menstrual cycle irregularities. Relieves mild depression. Overcomes heavy menstrual flow. Relieves irritability and anxiety. Assist in excretion of excess fluid. Reduce nervous tension. Relieves urine retention. It gives stamina and endurance. It reduces abdominal bloating. It is good for swollen fingers/ankles and legs. It […]

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Every decade has seen a different set of health trends. This depended on the latest research results of the previous year that helped in determining what the world went gaga for in the health industry. It depends on the individual how they perceive a particular trend – as a beneficial one or as something bizarre. There was a time when the whole world was going crazy on the concept of exergaming – that has its own intention of combining gaming with exercise. The world then shifted focus to the low carb dieting that introduced many useful and strange ones at the same time. For instance, the Atkins Diet which focused on the fewer carbs more proteins mantra or the Tapeworm Diet that made people swallow an egg of a tapeworm for various reasons. The world then saw a shift towards technological advances in the field of healthcare. This paved the path for body monitoring devices and fitness apps that completely transformed the way the world looked at fitness and health. People started taking their health seriously and began taking steps to maintain their health. The idea of “Drugs kill Drugs”, can be perceived in so many ways. But you won’t have to think about it any differently. Our perception of the same has been revolving around the idea of how some drugs that have been affecting people adversely in terms of overconsumption have already provided remedial benefits for easing their addiction for the same. Marijuana is one such herb which contains a chemical called delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and effects psychoactivity due to which it acts primarily upon the host’s central nervous system where it alters brain function, resulting in temporary changes in perception, mood, consciousness and behavior. The same Marijuana, also known as Cannabis sativa, is remedial in nature in […]

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