Archive by Author

The Most Important Principles for Staying Young: Veg Out to Keep Your Brain Young!!!

11 Jun

Our basic premise is that your body is amazing.  You get a do over. It doesn’t take that long, and it isn’t that hard if you know what to do.  In these notes, we give you a short course in what to do so it becomes easy for you and for you to teach others. We want you to know how much control you have over both the quality and length of your life.

In previous articles, I’ve told you that the only organ in your body where size matters is your hippocampus—the memory relay center in your brain.  For those of you who would simply like to improve your memory and keep your cognitive powers as sharp as possible, a study—across ten different countries where folks eat various diets—may offer a simple solution: eat a plant-based diet, starting at as young an age as you can.

Basically, it works like this… To recall information, your neurons need to communicate with each other.  When your neurons make a connection, it creates a bridge, so to speak. The more information travels on those bridges, the more robust they become, the bigger your hippocampus gets, and the better your mind works. On the other hand, if you don’t constantly send and receive messages, those bridges won’t get traveled on, nobody will maintain them, and they’ll eventually crumble and fall apart. (This is the main reason for the “use it or lose it” mantra you hear so much about. When you stop using your brain, your neural “muscles” atrophy.)

Here’s the other thing about those bridges of information: they can get enhanced—or compromised—by all kinds of elements and influences. That’s where this new study about food comes in.  The wrong kind of food can lead to your inflammatory mediators tearing the bridges down. The right kind of food, as you also might imagine, works as bridge-builders and bridge-protectors (like two coats of paint covering the bridge structures)—keeping your hippocampus big and working, and working faster.

We want to be clear here: We’re not suggesting that an apple a day will prevent Alzheimer’s (there are genetic and environmental predispositions and even lifestyle choices—like smoking—that can increase your risk), but the whole point of this column is that you can –and should—leverage food in your favor. In this case—and especially if you have a family history of memory problems or have genetic tests that indicate you are at increased risk of these problems—food is a great opportunity to have what goes into your mouth influence what goes on between your ears.

That’s where these new data reinforce prior data. Researchers, writing in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, found that “the most important dietary link to Alzheimer’s disease appears to be meat consumption, with eggs and high-fat dairy also contributing.”

So, to protect your brain and heart while slashing your risk of dementia, eat plenty of whole grains, legumes, and fresh produce—foods packed with polyphenols that help reduce inflammation. Add a healthy exercise routine of 10,000 steps a day or the equivalent.  And if you want to really rev-up your cognitive processing skills, practice the brain game Double Decision from BrainHQ. You can try it at no charge and then decide if you want to be a gamer.

Next month, we’ll talk about another choice that keeps your brain young:  don’t hold it in.

Thanks for reading. Feel free to send questions to: AgeProoflife@gmail.com

Dr. Mike Roizen

 

PS: Please continue to order the new book by Jean Chatzky and myself, AgeProof: Living Longer Without Running Out of Money or Breaking a Hip.

 

NOTE: You should NOT take this as medical advice.
This article is of the opinion of its author.
Before you do anything, please consult with your doctor.

You can follow Dr Roizen on twitter @YoungDrMike (and get updates on the latest and most important medical stories of the week).  The YOU docs have two newly revised books: The patron saint “book” of this column YOU Staying Young—revised and YOU: The Owner’s Manual…revised —yes a revision of the book that started Dr Oz to being Dr Oz.  These makes great gifts—so do YOU: ON a Diet and YOU: The Owner’s Manual for teens.  

 

Michael F. Roizen, M.D., is chief wellness officer and chair of the Wellness Institute at the Cleveland Clinic. His radio show streams live on http://www.radioMD.com Saturdays from 5-7 p.m. He is the co-author of 4 #1 NY Times Best Sellers including: YOU Staying Young.

What Isn’t Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

7 Jun

Numbness in the hand is a common problem that we’ve all had at one time or another, and unless it becomes frequent, we usually don’t worry too much about it. When it starts to wake us up at night, that SHOULD get our attention! Since carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is one of the most common causes of hand numbness, that must be it, right? Not necessarily!

CTS is caused by pinching of the median nerve as it travels through a sometimes too tight boney tunnel made up of the eight small carpal bones at the wrist. But there are two other nerves that arise in the neck and travel down the arm to the hand that may be the culprit, one of which is the ulnar nerve (the other is the radial nerve).

When the ulnar nerve is entrapped near the humorous, it creates a condition called cubital tunnel syndrome (CuTS). It’s during the examination that a doctor of chiropractic can determine if the culprit behind a patient’s hand symptoms is the median nerve, the ulnar nerve, or even both nerves.

Diagnosis can become tricky, as there are other causes of whole hand numbness such as diabetic neuropathy or an injury to a network of nerves closer to the neck called the brachial plexus. More commonly, cutting off the blood supply in the upper, inner arm will make the whole arm (not just the hand) numb and feel “dead” until it “wakes up,” which may take a few minutes for the blood to percolate back into the arm and hand.

CuTS can occur from repeatedly applying pressure to the pinky-side of the elbow, such as leaning on the elbow against a hard surface, keeping the elbow bent too long (such as talking on a cell phone), resting the arm or elbow on the sill of a car door with driving, and/or maintaining prolonged awkward positions, like playing a musical instrument such as a flute or violin. Baseball pitchers throwing too many sliders and curve balls are also at increased risk of developing CuTS.

Like with CTS, the longer you wait before seeking treatment for CuTS, the longer it may take to recover (or in some cases, full recovery may not be possible) so if you’re feeling numbness, tingling, or pain in one or both hands, please consult with a doctor of chiropractic right away!

This information should not be substituted for medical or chiropractic advice. Any and all healthcare concerns, decisions, and actions must be done through the advice and counsel of a healthcare professional who is familiar with your updated medical history.

Low Back Pain: Who Will Respond Best to Care?

4 Jun

Is it possible to identify which low back pain patients might experience the most benefit from spinal manipulation combined with exercise? In a 2011 study, researchers identified which patients might respond best to this combination of care and which patients might need a more aggressive approach.

Directional preference (DP) describes a situation in which it feels better for the patient to move in one direction versus another. For example, if a patient feels worse bending forwards (which is quite common) and feels better bending backwards, then “extension-biased exercises” are preferred.

If leg pain is present, the DP that reduces or eliminates the leg pain (called centralization, or CEN) is the exercise-biased direction, and it’s important to avoid any exercise that increases leg pain (peripheralization).

In the study, which involved 584 patients with low back pain, the researchers found that 60% of the participants had a DP and of those patients, 60% had CEN. The researchers found that the patients with a DP that reduced CEN responded the best to care (in this case, spinal manipulation combined with exercise) in regards to improved pain and function. On the other hand, the patients who had no DP experienced the least overall improvement.

The value of using a classification system like this allows a doctor of chiropractic to determine which exercises will help each individual LBP patient the most.  It also provides them with the ability to identify those most likely to respond favorably and those patients who may need a more comprehensive treatment.

So, if you feel best bending backwards and/or leg pain lessens, the preferred exercises include bending backwards (extension) from standing, prone press-ups (“saggy” push-ups) or hugging a gym ball, and/or extending your back over a gym ball or a stack of large pillows. Of course, there are many additional exercises but ANY position that reduces LBP and/or leg pain will help.

This information should not be substituted for medical or chiropractic advice. Any and all healthcare concerns, decisions, and actions must be done through the advice and counsel of a healthcare professional who is familiar with your updated medical history.

Are Probiotics Necessary? (PART 1)

28 May

We all know that bacteria can cause disease, so it makes sense to be at least a little leery about taking a supplement that is loaded with bacteria. There is however, a growing volume of scientific support that probiotics (PBs) can both treat as well as prevent quite a few illnesses.

Probiotics literally means “for life” (pro biota), which suggests these must be “good” bacteria and indeed, our digestive system’s health depends on maintaining a balance between the good and bad flora. Since the 1990s, clinical studies have shown that PBs can effectively treat a number of condition such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, H. pylori (causes ulcers), bladder cancer recurrence, C-Diff (Clostridium difficile)—a dangerous gut infection associated with antibiotics, pouchitis (post-surgical complication after colon removal), eczema in children, and more.

Probiotics are not all the same, as different strains of bacteria have different functions and therefore, help us in different ways. For example, some organisms protect our teeth from getting cavities but can’t survive in the highly acidic environment of the stomach.

Solid evidence exists for probiotic therapy in the treatment of diarrhea. Lacotbacillu GG can shorten the course of infectious diarrhea in infants and children (but not adults). The Harvard.edu website describes two large review studies that suggest PBs can reduce antibiotic-associated diarrhea by 60% when compared with a placebo.

Vaginal health is also improved by PB use, as it can reduce and/or eliminate recurring yeast infections. Lactobacilli can help treat bacterial vaginosis, which can potentially complicate pregnancies and lead to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). This bacteria can also be used to treat UTIs, especially in women.

Come back next month for more much-needed information regarding probiotics…

This information should not be substituted for medical or chiropractic advice. Any and all healthcare concerns, decisions, and actions must be done through the advice and counsel of a healthcare professional who is familiar with your updated medical history.

Whiplash and Concussion – Important Nutritional Considerations

21 May

Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is one of the many conditions that can accompany a whiplash injury. The term is often used interchangeably with concussion, while “post-concussion syndrome” and TBI (without the word “mild”) refer to long-term residual symptoms. Symptoms associated with mTBI initially include dizziness, nausea, and headaches followed by slow cognition—difficulty processing thought, losing one’s place during discussions, difficulty with verbal expression, and more. Many mTBI sufferers describe this as “mental fog.”

Following mTBI, the brain releases various chemicals that help repair damaged neurons and reduce the risk of neurodegeneration. One such chemical is brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and one of the best methods for increasing BDNF levels is intense exercise. However, because patients are advised to rest and slowly return to their normal activities following an mTBI, proper nutrition and supplements are necessary to boost BDNF levels. This can include consuming protein-rich foods such as a daily shake made of whey protein or pea and rice protein with added branched chain amino acids. Research has shown that combining this with 10 grams of creatine monohydrate is important for energy production in the brain. A recommended daily dose of 5000 IU of vitamin D can also assist in raising BDNF levels.

The research shows that a high-quality fish oil of up to 4000 mg/day in the first three weeks followed by 2000 to 4000 mg/day for three months can aid recovery. Omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) can help reduce inflammation from mTBI. The DHA in fish oil helps improve the strength and flexibility of the cell membranes of neurons, while EPA suppresses the production of pro-inflammatory chemicals such as prostaglandins and others.

Studies also support administering glutathione (an antioxidant normally found in our cells), as it reportedly reduces brain tissue damage by an average of 70%. Other helpful options include vitamin C, selenium, niacinamide or B3, N-acetyl-L-cysteine (750-1000mg), broccoli extract, magnesium, curcumin (found in turmeric), and green tea extract.

Your doctor of chiropractic can help guide you in managing your nutritional program following a concussion.

 

This information should not be substituted for medical or chiropractic advice. Any and all healthcare concerns, decisions, and actions must be done through the advice and counsel of a healthcare professional who is familiar with your updated medical history.

Are Neck Pain and Dizziness Related?

17 May

According to the Vestibular Disorders Association, there is a classification of dizziness called “cervicogenic dizziness”, or dizziness resulting from neck pain. Published reports have linked the influence of head position on equilibrium as far back as the mid-1800s, but it wasn’t until 1955 when researchers coined the term “cervical vertigo” to describe a clinical condition relating neck pain and/or injury to dizziness and disequilibrium. These days, cervicogenic dizziness (CD) is considered the more accurate diagnosis for this syndrome.

There are a number of neck-related diagnoses that can cause dizziness or disorientation including cervical spondylosis (spurs), cervical trauma (like whiplash), and cervical arthritis (osteoarthritis being the most common).

Unfortunately, there is no “gold-standard” test to confirm or rule out that the neck is the cause of one’s dizziness. A physical examination in a chiropractic clinic will seek to eliminate other causes of dizziness such as inner ear dysfunction (labyrinthitis or vestibular dysfunction) and/or other nervous system problems. Your doctor of chiropractic will also examine the eyes by carefully looking for oscillating eye motion (called nystagmus) in six different positions of end-range gaze. A diagnosis of CD is then made once all other causes of dizziness have been ruled out.

Symptoms of CD usually occur after the onset of neck pain. They’re often described as a sensation of movement that worsens with head movement or after prolonged time in one position. Such dizziness can last minutes to hours. A general sensation of imbalance occurs with head movement and/or with movement in the environment (like looking out of window of a fast-moving train, plane, or vehicle). Headache may accompany the dizziness and neck pain. Generally, as neck pain reduces so does the dizziness.

Because CD can result from trauma such as whiplash or head injury, treatment aimed at resolving the patient’s neck pain will usually resolve their symptoms of dizziness as well.

 

This information should not be substituted for medical or chiropractic advice. Any and all healthcare concerns, decisions, and actions must be done through the advice and counsel of a healthcare professional who is familiar with your updated medical history.
← Older Entries
Newer Entries →