DAILY HEALTH UPDATE: Thursday, January 30, 2014 Dr. Jeff Allyn, Berkley Chiropractic Clinic

“The only man who never makes mistakes is the man who never does anything.” ~ Theodore Roosevelt

Mental Attitude: Discovery Provides Clues to Cause of Schizophrenia. A research team has discovered that autophagy, the clearance of dysfunctional cell components, is reduced in the brain of schizophrenics. This may be due to the decreased presence of a protein called beclin-1 that plays an important role in the autophagic process. Because there is surprisingly little known about the underlying cause of schizophrenia, this finding could enable a better understanding of the disease and how to best treat it. Molecular Psychiatry, December 2013

Health Alert: Hypertension More Dangerous in Women than Men. A new study suggests that women with high blood pressure have 30-40% more vascular disease than men with high blood pressure. Lead author Dr. Carlos Ferrario explains, "Our study findings suggest a need to better understand the female sex-specific underpinnings of the hypertensive processes to tailor optimal treatments for this vulnerable population." Therapeutic Advances in Cardiovascular Disease, November 2013

Diet: Food Choices are Influenced by Social Norms. A meta-analysis of 15 studies finds that our food choices can be affected by social identity and norms. According to lead author of the study, Dr. Eric Robinson, "If a person's sense of self is strongly guided by their identity as a member of their local community and that community is perceived to eat healthily, then that person would be hypothesized to eat healthily in order to maintain a consistent sense of social identity."  Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, December 2013

Exercise: Standing May Prolong Your Life! An Australian study involving 194,545 men and women over age 45 finds that sitting less appears to decrease the risk of diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, breast cancer, and colon cancer. Sitting for prolonged periods of time, when the muscles in the body are primarily inactive, shuts off a molecule called lipoprotein lipase (LPL) that helps the body metabolize fat. According to study co-author Dr. Sara Rosenkranz, "We're basically telling our bodies to shut down the processes that help to stimulate metabolism throughout the day and that is not good… Just by breaking up your sedentary time, we can actually up-regulate that process in the body." Dr. Rosenkranz recommends office workers try a sit/stand desk in order to decrease sitting time and increase physical activity throughout the day. BMC Public Health, November 2013

Chiropractic: Adjustments and the Immune System. A review of literature on the nervous and immune systems reveals that there are numerous modes of communication between the two. The authors of the study note that dysfunction in the nervous system may consequently cause dysfunction in the immune system and chiropractic adjustments that benefit the function of the nervous system may also improve the function of the immune system.  Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research, September 2008

Wellness/Prevention: Vitamin E May Combat Alzheimer's Disease. New research reveals that a 2000 IU daily dose of vitamin E in patients with Alzheimer’s disease reduced functional decline by 19%. This represents a six month delay in the progression of the disease. JAMA, December 2013

For More Information on Back Pain, Neck Pain, Headaches, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, and Whiplash, and To Sign Up For Our Daily Health Update Emails, Go To:www.DrJeffAllynBlog.com or our website at:www.berkleychiropracticclinic.com 

(This information is solely advisory, and should not be substituted for medical or chiropractic   advice. Any and all health care concerns, decisions, and actions must be done through the advice and counsel of a health care professional who is familiar with your updated medical history.)