September 28, 2016
Story at a Glance. Scientists have studied mice to observe if the maternal microbiome affected their offspring’s immune system during gestation. Offspring born to the infected mothers had increased numbers of innate lymphoid and mononuclear cells in their intestines and different patterns of gene expression in their guts. The study concluded that maternal microbiota shapes the immune system of her offspring. We used to call it gut flora but now it’s referred to by the very scientific name of microbiota. We’ve been researching the role of microbiota and its connection with our immune system since the late 1990’s. If the […]
September 23, 2016
Story at a Glance. Whilst there is no doubt that water consumption is imperative for the survival of the human body, there are some well-ensconced myths about water consumption. Your thirst will be your best gauge as to whether you require more water. Tea and coffee add to your water tally, not take away. Dehydration from caffeine is one of the biggest myths It’s a regular sight these days to see the ubiquitous water bottle carried around like a second limb. It’s almost the accessory du jour. Supermarket shelves are stacked with a plethora of option; spring water, sparkling water, […]
September 22, 2016
Story at a Glance. Once you are asleep your body experiences sleep paralysis. Scientist believe that as you fall asleep your waking brain battles with your asleep brain and fights the paralysis, causing your muscles to jerk. People who drink too much alcohol or coffee and who are stressed or very tired tend to jerk more as they fall asleep. It’s an interesting question. Most of us, actually up to 70% of us have experienced twitching or sudden jerking movement as we’re falling asleep. Sometimes that happens as a result of dreaming we are falling, or tripping over, and other […]
September 21, 2016
Story at a glance. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends at least 600 metabolic equivalent (MET) minutes a week of activity. The researchers from the University of Washington have found it’s five times more than WHO recommends in order to lower the risk of disease. The recommended amount is about 3,000 to 4000 MET minutes per week to reduce the risk of disease. We all know exercise is important. It’s not just good for our waistline but health benefits abound, it’s good for your heart, your brain and your general emotional health. But how much is the right amount? And […]
September 16, 2016
Story at a Glance. Overweight grandfathers impact the health of their grandsons. Grandsons given junk food negatively responded quite rapidly to the exposure of junk food showing fatty liver disease and pre-diabetic symptoms within a few weeks. The study showed a paternal link only. Epigenetics is the study of how inherited genes switch themselves on and off due to internal or external environments. And it’s in this area of science that has been looking at the harmful legacy parental obesity can pass on to future generations. With over 14 million Australians now obese, it’s food for thought.Blame it on the […]
September 15, 2016
Story at a Glance In a new study, people who weren’t physically active in their midlife had brains smaller than their peers twenty years later. As we age our prefront cortex and hippocampus get smaller, but exercise may make the brain bigger. People who had lower cardiovascular fitness and higher blood pressure and heart rate response to fitness had small brains nearly two decades later. Just when you thought pumping iron was only good for giving you big guns, science goes and gives us yet another reason to hit the gym. The benefits of exercise just seem to keep on […]
September 15, 2016
Story at a Glance. There are three types of tears. Psychic tears, the ones we use when we cry, have an inbuilt painkiller. Tears also release the chemical build-up of stress and toxins related to stress. It’s not just for babies, we all do it. Some of us do it more than others, some of us stay strong and refuse to do it unless under formidable circumstances. Women do it more than men, on average 50 times a year, compared to the stalwart male who on average only cries 10 times a year. Children do it when they don’t get […]
September 8, 2016
Story at a Glance There are genetic causes of infertility that you can pass on through IVF. It means that the next generation may be infertile as well. Intra-Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) is a treatment for infertile men in which an individual sperm is selected and injected directly into an egg. Some studies suggest that IVF children born from ICSI may be at higher risk of medical problems, as they grow older, including male infertility. Infertility affects 1 in 6 Australian couples. 40 percent of those problems will be due to sperm issues, 40 per cent will be because […]
September 6, 2016
Interest in the role stress plays with the dynamics of health has resulted in a proliferation of strategies designed to minimise or “manage” stress. [1] To many people, the very term “stress” elicits a negative response. Yet, the notion that stress is an enemy we must resist or manage betrays a widespread misunderstanding of the nature of stress and how it affects our lives. Indeed, it is adaptation to changes in the environment that differentiates the living from the non-living. Hans Selye Hans Selye pioneered investigations of the biological effects of stress in 1936 with the publication of his […]
September 6, 2016
Story at a glance Coffee is a highly complex beverage with hundreds of compounds; caffeine only makes up 2% of the coffee bean. Cholorogenic Acid (CGA) is a phenolic compound found in coffee that makes up about 12% of the bean. CGA has been shown to lower the risk of type 2 diabetes as well as having antibacterial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic properties. Caffeine is the drug of choice for anyone wanting to get out of bed in the morning without feeling like Grumpy from The Seven Dwarfs. It’s the nectar that makes our mornings worthwhile and our mid-morning slump […]
September 1, 2016
Cesarean births have long been the subject of debate and concern, from the potential complications in the mother to the long-term health outcomes of the child. The C-section birth can’t always be avoided, with medical emergencies often making such deliveries life-or-death necessities in many cases. However, the data points to decreased health outcomes for Cesarean babies, who are more likely to have respiratory complications in those critical first days. Later on in life, they are more at risk of developing asthma and Type 1 diabetes, and are more likely to suffer from obesity than vaginal births [1]. The big question […]
August 30, 2016
Dr Mark Charrette (chiropractor) has been a busy man. Over the course of his chiropractic career, he has notched up nearly 1,800 seminar speaking appearances. It’s an impressive number, all in service of an area of chiropractic that he is passionate about – extremity adjusting. According to Dr. Mark, it’s an area that shouldn’t be an add on or an extra. Rather, it should be part of the everyday protocol for chiropractors. Since the mid-1990’s, Dr. Mark Charrette has been immersed in the research, neurology and teaching of extremity adjusting. This has lead him to a firm, research-based conclusion on […]
August 30, 2016
The neuroskeleton is a unique chiropractic model developed by DD Palmer. In 1995, Gaucher, Wiese, and Donahue acknowledged that Palmer was one of chiropractic’s greatest theorists and yet the profession has never made use of his concept of the neuroskeleton as a regulator of tension and of the subluxation as “a mishap that interferes with such regulation and requires an adjustment.”[1] Few chiropractors have read Palmer’s writings and fewer understand his central ideas. Thus, we should probably assume the profession doesn’t really know what he meant by the term. Chiropractors today could easily include Palmer’s model of the neuroskeleton. This […]
August 25, 2016
The concept of adaptation is one that is central to health and indeed to the chiropractic profession. We know the human body adapts to survive on a daily basis. We see this when we encounter a virus and the body adapts to shut it down. It also occurs when we have a fever and the body adapts to take care of it, thus returning the system to homeostasis. We even adapt when we eat, by extracting the nutrients from our food and expelling the toxins and waste products. When the body is unable to adapt to both the internal and […]
August 23, 2016
Story at a glance New studies suggest fidgeting is actually good for us. Fidgeting while sitting can protect the veins in the leg and possibly help in the prevention of vascular disease. Keeping in mind that fidgeting, whilst enormously valuable if you can’t walk around, is no substitute for standing or walking which produce a more overall cardiovascular benefit. We’ve all done it, tapped our toe in frustration, eager to be gone and off doing something more interesting. We’ve crossed our legs and moved our foot in timing with the music appreciating the beat as tho through the sole […]
August 23, 2016
Story at a glance 1. New advances in MRI scanning reveal the level of intelligence in the brain. 2. The more that different parts of the brain frequently connect with each other the higher the person’s level of IQ and creatively is. 3. This has the capacity to markedly advance the technology of Artificial Intelligence. It used to be that the only way you could work out if you qualified for a MENSA membership was by filling out a complicated IQ test, but not anymore. These days there’s a far more effective and simpler way of working out if you’ve […]
August 18, 2016
Story at a glance By combining four different scanning technologies researchers have been able to ascertain an unprecedented level of precision in identifying areas of the brain Whilst different scanning techniques show different sections, say connectivity or specialisation, what we haven’t been able to do up until now is to accurately compare the scans This mapping has allowed these scientists to increase the number of known areas in the cortex from 83 to 180, enabling them to add different areas to the brain that we previously thought had already been classified This means that we now have the opportunity […]
August 18, 2016
Story at a glance 1. Extracurricular activities may be depriving your children of using their innate imagination and intelligence. 2. Psychologists are suggesting that over scheduling kids is unnecessary and ultimately a disservice to them. 3. Boredom is crucial for developing internal stimulus, which then allows for true creativity. “Mum I’m bored!” It’s probably the catch cry of the school holidays, not to mention the weekends and anytime after school that your kids are not booked into some sort of extracurricular class. Particularly in our middle class world, there’s a propensity towards over committing our children to a rigorous engagement […]