Research from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai revealed that human beliefs can modulate brain activity in a dose-dependent manner, akin to drugs. The study, which specifically examined beliefs about nicotine, carries implications ranging from understanding addiction’s neural mechanisms to enhancing treatment strategies by harnessing the power of … Read More
Sometimes, in chronic pain, the pain-signaling neurons become hyperexcited and continue to fire despite the absence of the cause of injury. For example, with the herpes-zoster infection (shingles), the rash disappears, leaving no evidence of the virus in the bloodstream, but the damaged nerves continue to fire, causing continuous debilitating … Read More
Don’t you love a juicy fruit platter, a refreshing berry smoothie, or adding fresh berries to yogurt or cereal? Berries are not only a naturally sweet treat, but they are loaded with nutrients. Polyphenols, such as flavonoids and anthocyanins, and other potent antioxidants account for the vast health benefits of … Read More
For most individuals, an Alzheimer’s diagnosis will begin with a visit to your primary care provider. Your doctor will review your personal and family medical history, ask you about any symptoms you’ve experienced, review your medications, and give you a physical exam. He or she will likely administer a simple … Read More
As technology advances, the world continues to search for ways to make life just a little more convenient for the next generation. And over the past century, food has been at the center of this mission. From canned and frozen foods in the 1920s to frozen pizzas in the 1980s, … Read More
The ancient Olmec, Mayan, and Aztec peoples were onto something about the benefits of chocolate when they began consuming it, mostly in the form of cocoa beverages, some 3,500 years ago. Today science is finding that phytochemical compounds called flavanols found in dark chocolate—the darker, the better—and cocoa have cardiovascular … Read More
It’s no surprise that fruits and vegetables play a dominant role in brain-healthy patterns of eating, just as they do in healthy diets for your body as a whole. But it may be that eating fruits and vegetables helps protect your brain beyond general health benefits. Specific types of produce … Read More
One-third of all American adults are not getting enough sleep, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But why does it matter so much? Well, simply put: Inadequate sleep is bad for your health. It's linked to chronic conditions and illnesses like diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and depression. … Read More
"What causes depression?" is a question many of us have asked. Responses are all over the map, but it’s fair to say that depression is a disease. Research supports this by demonstrating key differences in the brains of those who are depressed and those who are not. The Effects of … Read More
There may be a scientific reason why some people are night owls: delayed sleep phase syndrome. It’s a sleep disorder in which your body’s clock tells you to fall asleep a few hours later than most people hit the sack. The problem is that this delayed bedtime makes it difficult … Read More
