This 2021 in vitro study examined butyrate producers: “Butyrate produced by gut microbiota has multiple beneficial effects on host health. Oligosaccharides derived from host diets, and glycans originating from host mucus, are major sources of its production. Butyrate is the major energy source for epithelial cells in the distal colon, induces differentiation of colonic regulatory … Continue reading Every baby needs a sugar mama
While getting ready for bed tonight, I mused about how my younger brother had such an idealized postmortem view of our father. As he expressed six years ago in an obituary for our high school Literature teacher: “I’ll remember my favorite teacher and how much he’s meant to my life. My father and Martin Obrentz … Continue reading We believe what we need to believe
Yesterday’s team meeting at work provided one display after another of a person’s need to feel important. These eye-openers were the reason the scheduled 30-minute meeting lasted 45 minutes. Although half of the forty or so attendees are under the age of 40, curiously, only two of them spoke during the meeting. I wasn’t among … Continue reading Your need to feel important will run your life, and you’ll never feel satisfied
A coauthor of the studies referenced in: Advance science by including emotion in research; and Empathy, value, pain, control: Psychological functions of the human striatum offered an opinion piece in A Paper a Day Keeps the Scientist Okay entitled “Do We Need To Study The Brain To Understand The Mind?” “The emerging consensus appears to … Continue reading Do we need to study the brain to understand the mind?
A magazine article New Clues to How the Brain Maps Time reviewed the findings of a 2015 Boston rodent study During Running in Place, Grid Cells Integrate Elapsed Time and Distance Run. The article’s information was mixed such that when the reader arrived at this phrase: “Moreover, time cells rely on context; they only mark … Continue reading Publicly-funded researchers need to provide unqualified free access to their studies
This 2014 wild chimpanzee study demonstrated how necessary it was to have a mother’s “nourishment, transportation, warmth, protection, and socialization,” in other words, a mother’s love, during infancy and early childhood. http://www.pnas.org/content/111/51/18189.full “Early social exposure in wild chimpanzees: Mothers with sons are more gregarious than mothers with daughters”
This 2022 rodent study investigated glucoraphanin’s effects on reducing uric acid: “Hyperuricemia is a chronic disease characterized by abnormally elevated serum uric acid levels. Sulforaphane could lower uric acid by decreasing urate synthesis and increasing renal urate excretion in hyperuricemic rats. A hyperuricemia model was established by administering feedstuffs with 4% potassium oxonate and 20% … Continue reading Do broccoli sprouts treat gout and kidney stones?
Five 2022 papers focusing on walnuts, starting with a comparison of eight tree nuts: “The aim of the present study was to examine 8 different popular nuts – pecan, pine, hazelnuts, pistachio, almonds, cashew, walnuts, and macadamia. Total content of phenolic compounds in nuts ranged from 5.9 (pistachio) to 432.9 (walnuts) mg/100 g. Walnuts had … Continue reading All about walnuts’ effects
Here are six 2022 papers that either cited the second study of Variable aging measurements, or provided further evidence for its findings. Let’s start with a citing study: “This study aimed to investigate expression patterns and prognostic values of the inflammatory aging clock (iAge) in glioblastoma (GBM), and its relations with stem cells. Similar to … Continue reading An inflammation clock
This 2022 rodent study investigated effects of glucoraphanin supplementation during pregnancy and lactation: “We investigated whether dietary intake of sulforaphane glucosinolate (SGS [properly termed glucoraphanin]) during pregnancy and lactation influenced composition of gut microbiota in offspring: Dietary intake of SGS during pregnancy and lactation caused significant changes in diversity of gut microbiota in 3-week-old offspring … Continue reading Eat broccoli sprouts for your offspring
Three papers on boron, starting with a 2022 review: “Boron-containing compounds (BCC) have effects in the metabolism of living organisms. Information regarding effects and interaction of these compounds was compiled, and potential applications for treating human metabolic disorders was suggested. Dietary boron supplementation affects metabolism of calcium, magnesium, triglycerides, glucose, amino acids, reactive oxygen, nitrogen … Continue reading Is boron important to health?
Two 2022 papers, starting with a review of irisin: “This article is an overview of irisin generation, secretion, and tissue distribution. Its targeting of tissues or organs for prevention and treatment of chronic diseases is systematically summarized, with discussion of underlying molecular mechanisms. Irisin is an exercise-induced myokine expressed as a bioactive peptide in multiple … Continue reading The goddess of rainbows
Two 2022 papers, starting with a review of sulforaphane’s effects on intestinal inflammation: “This review summarizes characteristics of intestinal inflammation, the anti-inflammatory mechanism of sulforaphane (SFN) and its various protective effects on intestinal inflammation, and possible future applications of SFN for promoting intestinal health. SFN is an effective agonist of Nrf2, and it is also … Continue reading Eat broccoli sprouts for your gut
Two 2022 papers investigated taurine’s effects in blood, starting with a review of platelets: “Taurine is the most abundant free amino acid in the human body, with a six times higher concentration in platelets than any other amino acid. It is highly beneficial for the organism, has many therapeutic actions, and is currently approved for … Continue reading Taurine week #5: Blood
Two 2022 stachyose papers to follow on to Don’t take Beano if you’re stressed, which studied raffinose. Stachyose is in the raffinose oligosaccharide group with similar characteristics, and its content is usually larger in legumes. First is a rodent study: “Stress can activate the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis and elevate glucocorticoids in the body (cortisol in … Continue reading The oligosaccharide stachyose
Surface Your Real Self 