Soccer players who score using their head are more likely to suffer from cognitive impairments

( Natural News ) If you know anyone who plays soccer, tell them to stop using their heads to score a goal or intercept the ball. An American study warns that the impressive-looking practice of “ball heading” makes it more likely for soccer players to suffer cognitive problems, a Science Daily article states . Researchers from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine (Einstein) have found that deliberately using your head for soccer tricks is much worse than unintentionally getting hit on the skull during collisions. Study leader Dr. Michael Lipton is a professor at Einstein and the medical director of MRI Services at the university’s Montefiore Medical Center. He and his team published their findings in the science journal Frontiers in Neurology . Dr. Lipton says most experts believe unintentional head impacts are responsible for most cases of diagnosed concussions in soccer. The bulk of prevention efforts are directed towards reducing those collisions. However, soccer ball heading is not harmless to the player who practices it. An earlier study by Lipton’s team showed that frequent heading causes more concussion symptoms than previously realized. Their newest research indicates that the practice can also affect brain function for at least a short amount of time. (Related: Hardcore headbanging puts concert-goers at danger of possibly fatal cranial injuries .) Bouncing soccer balls off your head can impair brain function Other research efforts have already established a link between ball heading and short-term cognitive issues. The Einstein study, however, is the first to compare its cognitive effects to those experienced during collisions and other accidental head impacts. Support our mission and protect your health: Organic Seeds of Life combines Red Raspberry Seed Power, Black Cumin Seed Power and Red Grape Seed Powder into the most potent nutrient-rich supplemental superfood powder you’ve ever experienced. […]

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