Sunday, January 4, 2009

Cell Phones and Brain Cancer


Cell Phones and Brain Cancer
There are a lot of people who are concerned with how our health will be affected by cell phones. Since the cell phone is so convenient and easy to use, a lot of people have them. Sometimes, we use it to a fault, causing us to get into car accidents more and more often. This is an obvious health detriment that’s directly caused by cell phones. Most of us have seen people driving with cell phones in hand, and even been victim to it ourselves, and realize that once your attention is focused away from the road for whatever reason, it can be hard to avoid accidents.

There are frequent cases of people experiencing near-misses because one person wasn’t paying attention while on their cell phone. As a result, you should beware of cell phone-holding drivers. Whatever vehicle you drive, make sure that you have a functioning horn - you might need it when you least expect it. While there is a large threat from people not paying attention to the road as they talk on their cell phones, but that’s the only way in which cell phones can hurt you, right? On the contrary! The NCI, or National Cancer Institute, has a study that says otherwise.

Link Between Cell Phones and Brain Tumors
According to several scientists, cell phones can dramatically affect your health due to the RF radiation that it emits, which can cause cancer in a lot of people, making them quite dangerous. The amount of radiation that the human body can safely handle is a subject that’s still debatable. Wireless technology hasn’t been around for awhile, so there’s not a lot of research about the effect of cell phones on the body. In short, we haven’t had cell phones long enough to observe the long term effects on humans.

Studies Reporting Cell Phones and Brain Tumors Non-Conclusive
With that in mind, how is brain cancer connected to cell phones? You can find an explanation here. The NCI states that radio frequency radiation from Radio Frequency waves, are transmitted by cell phones, and that’s how they operate. When your RF exposure gets high enough, your body tissues can heat up - this is evidenced by the increase in heat that you experience when you talk on your phone for a long time. The NCI study claims, however, that a cell phone can’t produce enough RF radiation to damage your brain tissues sufficiently to cause cancer.

Saturday, January 3, 2009

Brain Function Vitamins

To aid us in cleansing our neural networks, antioxidants have characteristics that protect us at a cellular level. They stimulate healthy development of brain cells, and have an active role in disease prevention, too. A diet rich in antioxidants (such that includes things like spinach, blueberries and eggs - read more about good brain foods and more brain food) can significantly improve memory function and increase balance and motor skills. One particular berry with tons of antioxidants that has great flavor is the Acai berry. Not only are they highest in antioxidants, but they have plenty of protein and are rich in essential fatty acids.

These omega-3’s also help reverse memory loss and generate a greater overall functioning of the brain. It has also been said that they may link neuron centers which make for a better mood and general brain function. Mackerel, walnuts, flax oils, salmon, sardines, and herring all are examples of foods that contain Omega-3 fatty acids. For healthy growth and development, it is necessary to get enough fatty acids. Also, they have anti-inflammatory traits to help make circulation of the blood easier, prevent depression, and even build up your mood.

Some of the Best Brain Vitamins
A mind also needs vitamin B to remain healthy. You must have vitamin B6 for the brain’s chemistry to be balanced. B6 is in foods such as beef, organ meats, bananas, broccoli, spinach, pork, and veal. It aids in the production of all amino acid neurotransmitters (serotonin, dopamine, et al.). Adding to the management of nerve cells and red blood cells, along with DNA synthesis, is vitamin B12. Without it, impaired mental function and depression can result as time passes. Cereals you eat for breakfast contain B12. Poultry, shell fish, legumes and legume products also have it.

Other Brain Nutrition Vitamins Information
Also, for the body to sustain healthy life, it must have complex carbs. These carbohydrates can be found abundantly in various foods such as bran oats, most yogurts, breads, and types of nuts. A drastic and sudden increase in your blood sugar can be avoided by using more lemon juice or vinegar with the carbs you’re eating. Another essential mineral is selenium - in such foods as garlic, meats, grains, Brazil nuts, tuna, oysters, and swordfish. Lab tests reveal that people who have used selenium have experienced more fortitude, happiness, energy, and greater presence of mind.

Vitamin E has been show to be beneficial in promoting healthy blood circulation. When the mind gets enough blood circulation it simply performs better. Vegetable oils, leafy green veggies, and nuts are high in vitamin E. Many people have found that taking Ginkgo Biloba can slow the process of memory loss associated with aging. Ginkgo is also said to eliminate free radicals, and improve blood circulation, thereby adding to the brain more oxygen. You should know that there is no “magic bullet” of a brain vitamin out there, so be sure to read research and don’t be afraid to try something new to see if it helps improve your overall mental functioning.

Friday, January 2, 2009

What Causes Brain Freeze?

What Causes Brain Freeze?
But do we even know how the brain freeze happens? Studies have shown that it can happen as a result of the body is stimulated by intense cold, nerve-ending in the roof of the mouth freeze up, and warm blood rapidly circulates to the brain. Too much coffee colatta or Popsicle consumption in a hurry can make things much worse. Your palate meeting the tasty frozen snack is actually the culprit that put your brain freeze into action.

Is Your Brain Really Frozen?
The hard palate (which is just to say the roof of your mouth) took on the massive amount of super cold slushy when you gulped it in. There’s a cluster of nerves just behind that plate that helps protect your brain from certain temperature changes. The primary nerve in this bundle is known as the sphenopalatine nerve, and it is able to detect and adapt to heat and cold. So, that means if you eat ice cream or any other cold food, then your sphenopalatine nerve will send out shockwaves to warn other nerves in its cluster. Your nerves have basically just told the rest of your brain to get ready for a major freeze.

When you get a brain freeze, your brain doesn’t actually freeze, but your sphenopalatine nerve can’t recognize the difference between extreme cold temperatures, and eating a spoonful of ice cream. It’s actually the shrinking of the blood vessels around the brain in reaction to the cold stimuli that cause you problems. This nerve shrinkage is behind your eyes (e.g. your nasal area) is what gives you the pounding headache that brain freezes are known for. Although, the pain isn’t necessarily caused by your blood vessels shrinking, more than the flow of blood that forces them to open up again.

Why You Feel “Brain Freeze”
In all the hullabaloo of shrinking and reopening blood vessels, your nerves are also causing you some pain. Pain receptors that are positioned closely to your sphenopalatine nerve will sense that the palate has encountered something frozen, but the pain it causes will be sent into an area deeper inside your skull. That’s why you think your brain is freezing instead of the top of your mouth and jaw area.

The fastest way to stop a brain freeze, or shorten it, is to stick your warm tongue to the roof of your mouth - it’ll warm your palate back up again. And once your palate’s all warmed up, your nerve clusters will call off the hounds, and your brain freeze will come to an end. You may also want to consider taking sips of warm water while you eat your frozen treats, and don’t allow them to come in contact with the top of your mouth; this should help you minimize the “brain frozen” feeling that you may have otherwise had to deal with.

Thursday, January 1, 2009

What To Know About An Infants Brain Development

DHA consumption is now recognized, by scientists, to be what separates modern humans from our early ancestors. Many years ago our primitive ancestors began adding DHA into their diets, and the developing of our human brains was the product. This can begin to give you an impression of how closely brain growth is linked to omega 3 oils with DHA.

A diet that contained an inadequate amount of DHA, has been shown in our early cro-magnon ancestors to lead to a remarkable decline in brain capacity. A prompt growth in brain capacity took place when they relocated from desert areas to coastal areas, where they had access to an abundance of fish.

Infant Brain Development Research
The addition of DHA from fish oil is believed, by scientists, to be the basis of human brain evolution. Our astonishing ability to reason, communicate, learn, and create the wonderful things around us are all because of our large brains. The brain of the embryo is where this all starts. A baby begins to use its brain and nervous system to control many bodily functions before week 30 of pregnancy when many quick changes take place. In order for a pregnancy to be full term and the baby to be fully grown it needs to last another 10 weeks.

Understanding Infant Toddler Brain Development
Vital to ensuring a pregnancy goes full term, and for the brain and nervous system to grow are omega 3 fatty acids. We really have come a long way all thanks to ocean fish. Having them included in our diets has literally transformed out brains and helped keep us healthy. There is are a lot of studies that are currently being conducted in the area of brain development in infant and toddler children. In order to stay up to date, you can check out various psychological journals; they will talk more in depth about the subject. Mothers who are insufficiently nourished during pregnancy tend to have babies with low birth weights, according to researchers at the Institute of Brain Chemistry and Human Nutrition in London. An inadequate amount of DHA has been observed in these infants.

A good pregnancy nutrition plan should include a vast amount of omega 3 oils with DHA because brain development disorders can be ever-lasting. To do this it is important to eat enough fatty fish or take high quality, pure fish oil capsules, or both. A mother needs to consume omega 3 fish oil every day for the highest levels of brain development. We all wish for our future children to be healthy and intelligent. If you want more information on brain supplements and brain vitamins that you can be taking, be sure to do some research to make sure that they are healthy.