Every baby needs a sugar mama

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

We believe what we need to believe

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

Your need to feel important will run your life, and you’ll never feel satisfied

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

Do we need to study the brain to understand the mind?

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?

Publicly-funded researchers need to provide unqualified free access to their studies

Starting the second year of this blog with 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, … Continue reading Publicly-funded researchers need to provide unqualified free access to their studies

The need for a mother’s love

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”

Week 148 of Changing to a youthful phenotype with sprouts

Ending the week with a thorough 2023 study of microwaving broccoli in a bag: “Appropriate processing and cooking technologies can effectively improve the content of bioactive compounds in vegetables. Effects of microwave bag cooking on broccoli floret quality attributes, glucosinolates (GLSs) content and hydrolysate production were investigated in this study. Microwave bag cooking preserved the … Continue reading Week 148 of Changing to a youthful phenotype with sprouts

Broccoli sprout beer?

This 2023 study investigated supplementing broccoli into beer: “The objective of this work was to evaluate alternative broccoli materials (sprouts and by-products powder), which could be a sustainable dietary source of bioactive sulforaphane (SFN). Results showed high concentrations of SFN in beers supplemented with broccoli sprouts and powder (5.00 and 2.54 mg/L, respectively, previous to … Continue reading Broccoli sprout beer?

Do broccoli sprouts treat gout and kidney stones?

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?

All about walnuts’ effects

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

An inflammation clock

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

Eat broccoli sprouts for your offspring

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

Is boron important to health?

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?

The goddess of rainbows

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

Eat broccoli sprouts for your gut

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