hippocampus Archives - Amazing Health Advances

High Fructose Corn Syrup Damages the Brain Like Cocaine

AHA Publisher — Mon, 17 Jan 2022 08:00:25 +0000

Jonathan Landsman via NaturalHealth365 – The latest research shows that high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is not only addictive but can cause behavioral reactions similar to those produced by drugs such as cocaine. The results of these studies were presented by addiction expert Francesco Leri, Associate Professor of Neuroscience and Applied Cognitive Science at the University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada. These results clearly suggest that the current (global) obesity epidemic, violent crimes, and disease largely stem from poor quality food laced with HFCS, MSG, plus many other additive ingredients. Yet, the lame-stream media continues to focus on promoting greater governmental control over our lives to “save us.” How Does HFCS Alter (Damage) Brain Function? Did you know that drug addicts and high fructose corn syrup users – use the same (overused) brain circuits? There is significant activity in all areas of the brain, especially in the hippocampus, when consuming potent sweeteners. When addicted to powerful substances – you can literally burn out the brain from over-simulation. So, when you consider that a healthy brain is essential for learning, memory, and emotional wellbeing – it’s no wonder we have so many health problems from these unnatural sweeteners. Dr. Leri stated, “We have evidence in laboratory animals of a shared vulnerability to develop preferences for sweet foods and cocaine.” Dr. Leri investigated the behavioral, chemical, and neurobiological changes induced by the consumption of “addictive foods” in the body and brains of lab animals. Though we don’t always equate human studies with animal ones, there is one thing we surely have in common – humans (and animals) are being used experimentally. HFCS, aspartame, and GMOs do not have adequate safety testing – yet soulless politicians have approved them, and the health consequences are devastating. We Are What We Eat – Literally Our diet can modulate numerous pathways that can cause all types of inflammatory diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. And, let’s not forget, food significantly influences our moods and behavior. If you’re feeling a little depressed – clean up your diet! Food can switch critical genes off and on, modulate cell-signaling molecules and target different organs. When we consume unnatural (toxic) substances – we make it easy for the “wrong” message to get into our cells. What do you think – could all of this toxic food be causing the rise in autoimmune disorders? In a small human study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), scientists used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans to track blood flow in the brain of young normal-weight individuals. The scans showed that drinking plain glucose “turns off the areas of the brain that are critical for reward and desire for food,” according to Dr. Robert Sherwin, Chief of Endocrinology at Yale University School of Medicine. According to Dr. Sherwin, it also showed that with fructose, “we don’t see those changes” and “as a result the desire to eat continues – it isn’t turned off.” The researchers saw these changes in the hypothalamus, insula, and striatum, which are regions in the brain that regulate appetite, motivation, and reward processing, in addition to increasing connections in certain brain pathways linked to satiety. Clearly, multinational food producers are profiting from metabolic “dis-ease.” More and more people (literally) don’t know how to stop eating. Millions of people (aimlessly) purchase billions of dollars in processed foods, and it’s slowly killing off humanity. Is HFCS Worse Than Sugar? Researchers found that fructose was more potent than glucose in bringing about changes within the central nervous system. We all know that excessive sugar intake can produce opiate-like effects similar to psycho-stimulants. Well, HFCS is no different – causing all kinds of food cravings, binging, and withdrawal issues. High fructose corn syrup may take longer to produce a cocaine-like reaction – but it’s real and quite harmful. In addition, HFCS will cause you to experience less focus and mental clarity, more drowsiness, and a higher level of anxiety. If you’re having difficulty concentrating or being productive – remove processed sugar (and artificial sweeteners) from your diet. We all want the same thing for ourselves and future generations – freedom, great health, and happiness. If we really want to improve our society by eliminating senseless violence and avoiding disease, we must improve humanity’s diet. Our future depends on it. Sources for this article include: NIH.gov ScienceDaily.com NIH.gov To read the original article click here.

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Virtual Reality Boosts Brain Rhythms Crucial for Neuroplasticity, Learning and Memory

AHA Publisher — Wed, 14 Jul 2021 00:50:23 +0000

University of California – Los Angeles Health Sciences via EurekAlert – A new discovery in rats shows that the brain responds differently in immersive virtual reality environments versus the real world. The finding could help scientists understand how the brain brings together sensory information from different sources to create a cohesive picture of the world around us. It could also pave the way for “virtual reality therapy” for learning and memory-related disorders ranging including ADHD, Autism, Alzheimer’s disease, epilepsy and depression. Mayank Mehta, PhD, is the head of W. M. Keck Center for Neurophysics and a professor in the departments of physics, neurology, and electrical and computer engineering at UCLA. His laboratory studies a brain region called the hippocampus, which is a primary driver of learning and memory, including spatial navigation. To understand its role in learning and memory, the hippocampus has been extensively studied in rats as they perform spatial navigation tasks. When rats walk around, neurons in this part of the brain synchronize their electrical activity at a rate of 8 pulses per second, or 8 Hz. This is a type of brain wave known as the “theta rhythm,” and it was discovered more than six decades ago. Disruptions to the theta rhythm also impair the rat’s learning and memory, including the ability to learn and remember a route through a maze. Conversely, a stronger theta rhythm seems to improve the brain’s ability to learn and retain sensory information. Therefore, researchers have speculated that boosting theta waves could improve or restore learning and memory functions. But until now, nobody has been able to strengthen these brain waves. “If that rhythm is so important, can we use a novel approach to make it stronger?” asks Dr. Mehta. “Can we retune it?” Damage to neurons in the hippocampus can interfere with people’s perception of space – “why Alzheimer’s disease patients tend to get lost,” says Dr. Mehta. He says he suspected that the theta rhythm might play a role in this perception. To test that hypothesis, Dr. Mehta and his colleagues invented an immersive virtual reality environment for the rats that was far more immersive than commercially available VR for humans. The VR allows the rats to see their own limbs and shadows, and eliminates certain unsettling sensations such as the delays between head movement and scene changes that can make people dizzy. “Our VR is so compelling,” Dr. Mehta says, “that the rats love to jump in and happily play games.” To measure the rats’ brain rhythms, the researchers placed tiny electrodes, thinner than a human hair, into the brain among the neurons. “It turns out that amazing things happen when the rat is in virtual reality,” says Dr. Mehta. “He goes to the virtual fountain and drinks water, takes a nap there, looks around and explores the space as if it is real.” Remarkably, Dr. Mehta says, the theta rhythm becomes considerably stronger when the rats run in the virtual space in comparison to their natural environment “We were blown away when we saw this huge effect of VR experience on theta rhythm enhancement,” he says. This discovery suggests that the unique rhythm is an indicator of how the brain discerns whether an experience is real or simulated. For instance, as you walk toward a doorway, the input from your eyes will show the doorway getting larger. “How do I know I took a step and it’s not the wall coming at me?” Dr. Mehta says. Answer: The brain uses other information, such as the shift of balance from one foot to the other, the acceleration of your head through space, the relative changes in the positions of other stationary objects around you, and even the feeling of air moving against your face to decide that you are moving, not the wall. On the other hand, a person “moving” through a virtual reality world would experience a very different set of stimuli. “Our brain is constantly doing this, it’s checking all kinds of things,” Dr. Mehta says. The different theta rhythms, he says, may represent different ways that brain regions communicate with each other in the process of gathering all this information. When they looked closer, Dr. Mehta’s team also discovered something else surprising. Neurons consist of a compact cell body and long tendrils, called dendrites, that snake out and form connections with other neurons. When the researchers measured activity in the cell body of a rat brain experiencing virtual reality, they found a different electrical rhythm compared with the rhythm in the dendrites. “That was really mind blowing,” Dr. Mehta said. “Two different parts of the neuron are going in their own rhythm.” The researchers dubbed this never-before-seen rhythm “eta.” It turned out this rhythm was not limited to the virtual reality environment: with extremely precise electrode placement, the researchers were then able to detect the new rhythm in rats walking around a real environment. Being in VR, however, strengthened the eta rhythm – something no other study in the past sixty years has been able to do so strongly, either using pharmacological tools or otherwise, according to Dr. Mehta. Previous studies have shown that the precise frequency of the rhythm makes a big difference to neuroplasticity, he says, just as the precise pitch of a musical instrument is critical for creating the right melody. This opens up an unprecedented opportunity to design VR therapy that can retune and boost brain rhythms and as a way to treat learning and memory disorders. “This is a new technology that has tremendous potential,” he says. “We have entered a new territory.” To read the original article click here.

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Free Radicals May Be Important for the Brain to Remain Adaptable

AHA Publisher — Tue, 15 Dec 2020 08:00:33 +0000

DZNE – German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases via News-Medical Net – Reactive oxygen molecules, also known as “free radicals”, are generally considered harmful. However as it now turns out, they control cellular processes, which are important for the brain’s ability to adapt – at least in mice. Researchers from the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) and the Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD) at TU Dresden published the findings in the journal Cell Stem Cell. The researchers focused on the “hippocampus”, a brain area that is regarded as the control center for learning and memory. New nerve cells are created lifelong, even in adulthood. This so-called adult neurogenesis helps the brain to adapt and change throughout life. It happens not only in mice, but also in humans.” Prof. Gerd Kempermann, speaker of the DZNE’s Dresden site and research group leader at the CRTD A Trigger for Neurogenesis New nerve cells emerge from stem cells. “These precursor cells are an important basis for neuroplasticity, which is how we call the brain’s ability to adapt,” says the Dresden scientist. Together with colleagues he has now gained new insights into the processes underlying the formation of new nerve cells. The team was able to show in mice that neural stem cells, in comparison to adult nerve cells, contain a high degree of free radicals. “This is especially true when the stem cells are in a dormant state, which means that they do not divide and do not develop into nerve cells,” says Prof. Kempermann. Current study shows that an increase in the concentration of the radicals makes the stem cells ready to divide. “The oxygen molecules act like a switch that sets neurogenesis in motion.” Free radicals are waste products of normal metabolism. Cellular mechanisms are usually in place to make sure they do not pile up. This is because the reactive oxygen molecules cause oxidative stress. “Too much of oxidative stress is known to be unfavorable. It can cause nerve damage and trigger aging processes,” explains Prof. Kempermann. “But obviously this is only one aspect and there is also a good side to free radicals. There are indications of this in other contexts. However, what is new and surprising is the fact that the stem cells in our brains not only tolerate such extremely high levels of radicals, but also use them for their function.” Healthy Aging Radical scavengers, also known as “antioxidants”, counteract oxidative stress. Such substances are therefore considered important components of a healthy diet. They can be found in fruits and vegetables. “The positive effect of antioxidants has been proven and is not questioned by our study. We should also be careful with drawing conclusions for humans based on purely laboratory studies,” emphasizes Kempermann. “And yet our results at least suggest that free radicals are not fundamentally bad for the brain. In fact, they are most likely important for the brain to remain adaptable throughout life and to age in a healthy way.” To read the original article click here.

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