Catching up with Nicole~
Reminder to self :)))
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ucsdhealthsciences:
Sweet science
Beatrice Golomb’s latest paper reporting that regular chocolate eaters have lower body mass indexes, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, has (not surprisingly) generated international headlines. The physician-scientist has been interviewed by media from around the world, from the Huffington Post and The BBC to the San Diego Union-Tribune.
To be sure, the healthful effects of chocolate aren’t exactly news. Dr. Golomb’s work builds upon a happily accumulating mound of scholarly work. To wit:
- A 2011 study in the Chemistry Central Journal reports that dark chocolate is richer in antioxidants than juices from blueberries, cranberries and other so-called “superfruits.” Antioxidants are substances that protect cells from damage caused by molecular “free radicals,” which have been linked to heart disease, cancer and other ailments. The research, it should be noted, was conducted by scientists at the Hershey Center for Health and Nutrition.
- A 2009 University of Oxford study, published in the Journal of Nutrition, found that elderly men and women performed better on cognitive tests if they consumed flavanoid-rich chocolate, wine and/or tea.
- A 2008 University of Illinois study, also published in the Journal of Nutrition, reported that daily consumption of dark chocolate reduced cholesterol levels among study participants.
- A 2008 Norwich Medical School study in the United Kingdom, which combined the results of 42 smaller clinical studies, found that dark chocolate consumption among 1,300 participants slightly reduced blood pressure and insulin levels, and produced small improvements in blood vessel function. Maintaining low blood pressure decreases a person’s chance of developing cardiovascular disease. The study was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
- A 2008 study of Catholic University in Campobasso, Italy found that people who ate a small amount of dark chocolate daily had lower levels of a blood protein associated with inflammation, a key risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
- A 2007 University of Sussex study found that melting chocolate in one’s mouth boosted brain activity and heart rate more intensely than passionate kissing. The effect also lasted four times longer.
- A 2005 German study found that phytochemicals known as flavanols, which are abundant in chocolate, fruits and vegetables, boost nitric oxide levels in the blood of smokers, reversing some of the smoking-related impairment in blood vessel function.
Breaking down the bean
Chocolate is derived from the beans of the cacao tree, which in their natural, unprocessed state are bitter and astringent. They’re also notably rich in nutrients, minerals and other healthful elements.
Dark chocolate (which has the highest concentrations of the cacao bean) is 10-15 percent protein by weight. Cocoa butter contains a mixture of saturated and unsaturated fats, making up about 50 percent of the beans’ mass. Much of the saturated fat in the butter comes in the form of stearic acid, which is converted to oleic acid by the body, which is associated with keeping cell membranes soft and reducing blood pressure levels.
Chocolate is high in the minerals copper and iron. Copper is used by the body for enzyme activity, iron absorption and glucose metabolism. Iron is a key constituent of red blood cells.
Chocolate has one of the highest concentrations of antioxidants of any food: 12 to 18 percent of the beans’ total weight.
There are also several substances that affect the human nervous system in chocolate. The most common is caffeine, though it is a fraction of what’s found in the coffee bean. Another psychoactive is theobromine, which occurs at 10 times the level of caffeine, but is a much weaker stimulant. (Theobromine is the substance that makes chocolate consumption dangerous to dogs, cats and other animals. They metabolize the akyloid much more slowly, resulting in accumulated poisoning that can result in death.)
The health benefits of chocolate: It’s not dark and white
If the latest report of chocolate’s healthfulness has you rushing out for a bar, remember not all chocolates are created equal. Much depends on the type of chocolate and the amount of post-harvest processing.
The more processing, the less healthy the chocolate will likely be. Organic cocoa products typically preserve higher natural high levels of healthy elements like flavanols. Dark chocolate contains more cocoa than milk chocolate. White chocolate is a confectionary derivative of chocolate, and does not contain any cocoa solids. Thus, it does not contain flavanols or any antioxidative properties.
Finally, chocolate’s health benefits are measured modestly. In most studies, healthy consumption of chocolate was found limited to just a few grams per day – a tiny fraction of a typical candy bar. For all of its benefits, chocolate is high in calories and fats. A serving of nine Hershey’s dark chocolate kisses, for example, contains 230 calories, 117 from fat. Total fat is 13 grams, or 20 percent of the recommended daily value. Eight of those 13 grams are saturated fat.
ucsdhealthsciences:
Genetic studies find dysregulation in pathways that govern development of the prefrontal cortex in young patients with autism
A study led by Eric Courchesne, PhD, director of the Autism Center of Excellence at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine has, for the first time, identified in young autism patients genetic mechanisms involved in abnormal early brain development and overgrowth that occurs in the disorder. The findings suggest novel genetic and molecular targets that could lead to discoveries of new prevention strategies and treatment for the disorder.
The study to be published on March 22 in PLoS Genetics uncovered differences in gene expression between brain tissue from young (2 to14 years old) and adult individuals with autism syndrome disorder, providing important clues why brain growth and development is abnormal in this disorder.
Courchesne first identified the link between early brain overgrowth and autism in a landmark study published by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) in 2003. Next, he tested the possibility that brain overgrowth might result from an abnormal excess of brain cells. In November 2011, his study, also published in JAMA, discovered a 67 percent excess of brain cells in a major region of the brain, the prefrontal cortex – a part of the brain associated with social, communication and cognitive development.
“Our next step was to see whether there might be abnormalities of genetic functioning in that same region that might give us insight into why there are too many cells and why that specific region does not develop normally in autism,” said Courchesne.
In the new study, the researchers looked towards genes for answers, and showed that genetic mechanisms that normally regulate the number of cortical neurons are abnormal. “The genes that control the number of brain cells did not have the normal functional expression, and the level of gene expression that governs the pattern of neural organization across the prefrontal cortex is turned down. There are abnormal numbers and patterns of brain cells, and subsequently the pattern is disturbed,” Courchesne said. “This probably leads to too many brain cells in some locations, such as prefrontal cortex, but perhaps too few in other regions of cortex as well.”
In addition, the scientists discovered a turning down of the genetic mechanisms responsible for detecting DNA defects and correcting or removing affected cells during periods of rapid prenatal development.
More here
ucsdhealthsciences:
Chronic Stress Spawns Protein Aggregates Linked to Alzheimer’s
Repeated stress triggers the production and accumulation of insoluble tau protein aggregates inside the brain cells of mice, say researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine in a new study published in the March 26 Online Early Edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The aggregates are similar to neurofibrillary tangles or NFTs, modified protein structures that are one of the physiological hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease. Lead author Robert A. Rissman, PhD, assistant professor of neurosciences, said the findings may at least partly explain why clinical studies have found a strong link between people prone to stress and development of sporadic Alzheimer’s disease (AD), which accounts for up to 95 percent of all AD cases in humans.
“In the mouse models, we found that repeated episodes of emotional stress, which has been demonstrated to be comparable to what humans might experience in ordinary life, resulted in the phosphorylation and altered solubility of tau proteins in neurons,” Rissman said. “These events are critical in the development of NFT pathology in Alzheimer’s disease.”
The effect was most notable in the hippocampus, said Rissman, a region of the brain linked to the formation, organization and storage of memories. In AD patients, the hippocampus is typically the first region of the brain affected by tau pathology and the hardest-hit, with substantial cell death and shrinkage.
More here
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lulz-time:
What did I honestly just watch…?
Follow this blog, you will love it on your dashboard
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fantsupantsu:
<33333
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(Source: just20secondsofcourage, via psychsquirrel)
chibird:
You know… along with real human friends. :>
chibird:
Just a fun spin (haha, get it?) on the usual love themed drawing. It’s not supposed to be pessimistic or optimistic or even realistic- just interesting and fun to watch (it’s too slow to really offer up a good game). ^u^ <3
Psst… so yeah, you guys can close your eyes and drag the picture to see what it lands on, but there’s a really good chance you’ll land on forever alone/something you don’t want. D:
chibird:
Just a fun spin (haha, get it?) on the usual love themed drawing. It’s not supposed to be pessimistic or optimistic or even realistic- just interesting and fun to watch (it’s too slow to really offer up a good game). ^u^ <3
Psst… so yeah, you guys can close your eyes and drag the picture to see what it lands on, but there’s a really good chance you’ll land on forever alone/something you don’t want. D:
chibird:
Do not over-analyze this picture: laughter is totally good for you all the time, and I am in no way trying to give you medical advice. It’s just some light-hearted humor. c;
(Source: fuckyeapsychmajorrat)
(Source: fuckyeapsychmajorrat)