Meditation and Yoga Change Your DNA to Reverse Effects of Stress, Study Shows

The best way to address the stress in your life is with consistent mind-body interventions.

Source: Meditation and Yoga Change Your DNA to Reverse Effects of Stress, Study Shows – Waking Times

With permission from

Waking Times

Anna Hunt, Staff Writer

July 21, 2017

 

 

Many people participate in practices such as meditation and yoga because they help us relax. At least those are the immediate effects we feel. But much more is happening on a molecular level, reveal researchers out of Coventry University in England.

Published in the journal Frontiers in Immunology, this new research examined 18 studies on mind-body interventions (MBIs). These include practices such as mindfulness meditation and yoga. Comprehensively, these studies encompassed 846 participants over 11 years. The new analysis reveals that MBIs result in molecular changes in the human body. Furthermore, researchers claim that these changes are beneficial to our mental and physical health.

Body’s Response to Stress Causes Damage

To elaborate, consider the effect that stress has on the body. When we are under stress, the body increases the production of proteins that cause cell inflammation. This is the natural effect of the body’s fight-or-flight response.

It is widely believed that inflammation in the body leads to numerous illnesses, including cancer. Moreover, scientists also deduct that a persistent inflammation is more likely to cause psychiatric problems. Unfortunately, many people suffer from persistent stress, therefore they suffer from pro-inflammatory gene expression.

Meditation and Yoga Reverse this Damage

But there is good news! According to this new analysis out of Coventry, people that practice MBIs such as meditation and yoga can reverse pro-inflammatory gene expression. This results in a reduced risk of inflammation-related diseases and mental conditions.

Lead investigator Ivana Buric from Coventry University’s Centre for Psychology, Behaviour and Achievement stated:

“Millions of people around the world already enjoy the health benefits of mind-body interventions like yoga or meditation, but what they perhaps don’t realise is that these benefits begin at a molecular level and can change the way our genetic code goes about its business.

These activities are leaving what we call a molecular signature in our cells, which reverses the effect that stress or anxiety would have on the body by changing how our genes are expressed. Put simply, MBIs cause the brain to steer our DNA processes along a path which improves our wellbeing.

More needs to be done to understand these effects in greater depth, for example how they compare with other healthy interventions like exercise or nutrition. But this is an important foundation to build on to help future researchers explore the benefits of increasingly popular mind-body activities.”

To conclude, the best way to address the stress in your life is with consistent mind-body interventions. You can begin with these simple practices:

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Read more articles by Anna Hunt.

About the Author

Anna Hunt is the founder of Awareness Junkie, a community paving the way to better health, a balanced life, and personal transformation. In addition, she is the proprietor of OffgridOutpost.com, an online store offering GMO-free healthy storable food and emergency kits. Anna is a certified Hatha yoga instructor and founder of Atenas Yoga Center. She enjoys raising her children and being a voice for optimal human health and wellness. Visit her essential oils store here.

This article (Meditation and Yoga Change Your DNA to Reverse Effects of Stress, Study Shows) is copyrighted by Awareness Junkie, 2017, and is reposted here with permission. 

Source:

http://www.coventry.ac.uk/primary-news/meditation-and-yoga-can-reverse-dna-reactions-which-cause-stress-new-study-suggests-/

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Moreover, views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of Awareness Junkie or its staff.

How Physical Exercise Prevents Dementia

Researchers discover physical activity has an influence on brain metabolism, preventing an increase in choline. A new Translational Psychiatry report suggests physical exercise may help protect neurons and reduce symptoms of dementia in older people.

Source: How Physical Exercise Prevents Dementia – Neuroscience News

Neuroscience News

July 21, 2017

Summary: Researchers discover physical activity has an influence on brain metabolism, preventing an increase in choline. A new Translational Psychiatry report suggests physical exercise may help protect neurons and reduce symptoms of dementia in older people.Source: Goethe University Frankfurt.SMART study reveals changes in brain metabolism.

Numerous studies have shown that physical exercise seems beneficial in the prevention of cognitive impairment and dementia in old age. Now researchers at Goethe University Frankfurt have explored in one of the first studies worldwide how exercise affects brain metabolism.

In order to further advance current state of knowledge on the positive influence of physical activity on the brain, gerontologists and sports physicians at Goethe University Frankfurt have examined the effects of regular exercise on brain metabolism and memory of 60 participants aged between 65 and 85 in a randomised controlled trial. Their conclusion: regular physical exercise not only enhances fitness but also has a positive impact on brain metabolism.

As the researchers report in the current issue of the medical journal Translational Psychiatry, they thoroughly examined all the participants in the SMART study (Sport and Metabolism in Older Persons, an MRT Study) by assessing movement-related parameters, cardiopulmonary fitness and cognitive performance. In addition, magnetic resonance tomography (MRT) and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) were used to measure brain metabolism and brain structure. Following this examination, the participants mounted an exercise bike three times a week over a period of 12 weeks. The 30-minute training sessions were individually adapted to each participant’s performance level. The participants were examined again after the end of the programme in order to document the effects of this physical activity on brain metabolism, cognitive performance and brain structure. The researchers also investigated to what extent exercise had led to an improvement in the participants’ physical fitness. The study was conducted by the Gerontology Department of the Institute of General Medicine (headed by Professor Johannes Pantel) and the Department of Sports Medicine (led by Professor Winfried Banzer).

As expected, physical activity had influenced brain metabolism: it prevented an increase in choline. NeuroscienceNews.com image is for illustrative purposes only.

As expected, physical activity had influenced brain metabolism: it prevented an increase in choline. The concentration of this metabolite often rises as a result of the increased loss of nerve cells, which typically occurs in the case of Alzheimer’s disease. Physical exercise led to stable cerebral choline concentrations in the training group, whereas choline levels increased in the control group. The participants’ physical fitness also improved: they showed increased cardiac efficiency after the training period. Overall, these findings suggest that physical exercise not only improves physical fitness but also protects cells.

About this neuroscience research article

Funding: The study was sponsored by the Else Kröner-Fresenius Foundation, the Cronstetten Foundation and the Schambach Family Foundation.

Source: Silke Matura – Goethe University Frankfurt
Image Source: NeuroscienceNews.com image is in the public domain.
Original Research: Full open access research for “Effects of aerobic exercise on brain metabolism and grey matter volume in older adults: results of the randomised controlled SMART trial” by S Matura, J Fleckenstein, R Deichmann, T Engeroff, E Füzéki, E Hattingen, R Hellweg, B Lienerth, U Pilatus, S Schwarz, V A Tesky, L Vogt, W Banzer & J Pantel in Translational Psychiatry. Published online July 18 2017 doi:10.1038/tp.2017.135

Nine lifestyle changes could cut dementia risk: Lancet

Source: Nine lifestyle changes could cut dementia risk: Lancet | News | Al Jazeera

http://www.aljazeera.com

July 20, 2017

Maintaining good hearing, exercise, education and social activity among ways to prevent memory loss, study finds.

Nearly 50 million people around the world suffer from dementia and Alzheimer’s [Matt Rourke/AP]

One third of dementia cases could be prevented with some basic lifestyle changes and better education during childhood, researchers have found.

The nine factors which damage the brain notably include hearing loss, obesity and smoking, according to the study published in The Lancet on Thursday.

Nearly 50 million people around the world suffer from dementia and Alzheimer’s, according to the latest estimates.

This figure could balloon to 132 million by 2050.

READ MORE: Scientists link dementia risk to living near busy roads

Dementia, which is caused by physical changes in the brain, leads to memory loss and hampers other mental abilities. 

Nine ways to reduce dementia

1. Maintain good hearing 2. Complete secondary education  3. Stop smoking  4. Reduce depression 5. Exercise  6. Social activity  7. Treat high blood pressure  8. Healthy weight 9. Treat Type 2 diabetes

“Our results suggest that around 35 percent of dementia is attributable to a combination of the following nine risk factors: education to a maximum of age 11-12 years, mid-life hypertension, mid-life obesity, hearing loss, late-life depression, diabetes, physical inactivity, smoking, and social isolation,” the study said.

Researchers found if people stayed in school until the age of 15, the benefits of education and socialisation would help reduce the cases of dementia by eight percent.

“Although dementia is diagnosed in later life, the brain changes usually begin to develop years before,” said lead author Professor Gill Livingston, from University College London.

“Acting now will vastly improve life for people with dementia and their families and, in doing so, will transform the future of society.”

The researchers said maintaining good hearing between the ages of 45 and 65 reduces the number of cases by nine percent.

Quitting smoking could reduce the number of cases by five percent, it said.

WATCH: The cost of treating dementia

Other factors contributing to the risk include depression (four percent), physical inactivity (three percent), social isolation (two percent), high blood pressure (two percent), obesity (one percent) and type 2 diabetes (one percent).

The study said the global cost of dementia in 2015 was estimated to be $818bn, and that this figure would continue to rise.

It said nearly 85 percent of these costs were “related to family and social, rather than medical, care”.

The researchers noted, however, that the study was limited.

“We have not incorporated other potential risk factors, such as diet, alcohol, living near major roads, or sleep, which could be relevant,” it said. “Therefore, the potentially preventable fraction of dementia might be underestimated in our figures.”

Source: News agencies

Extra-virgin oil may hold the key to preventing the Alzheimer’s disease, exciting new research discovers

Source: Extra-virgin oil may hold the key to preventing the Alzheimer’s disease, exciting new research discovers – NaturalNews.com

With permission from

NaturalNews.com

by: Frances Bloomfield

Tuesday, July 18, 2017

 (Natural News) According to new research, consumption of extra-virgin olive oil may reduce the likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The researchers behind the study, which was published in Annals of Clinical and Transitional Neurology, singled out this key component of the Mediterranean diet as an effective preventative measure against the neurological disease.

Led by Dr. Domenico Praticò, the team of researchers carried out their study by utilizing a transgenic mouse model. The mice had been genetically modified to possess the three main characteristics of the disease, namely neurofibrillary tangles, amyloid plaque formation, and memory impairment. Additionally, the team made sure to use mice who were six months old as the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease had yet to manifest in these mice.

Researchers then split the mice into two groups: one that was fed a standard chow diet, and another group that was fed a chow diet with extra-virgin olive oil from the Apulia region of Italy. After three months then six months of treatment, the two groups underwent tests that measured their learning abilities, working memories, and spatial memories.

The group that had been fed extra-virgin olive oil did better on all the tests. When the researchers studied the brain cells of the mice from the olive oil group, they found healthier brain cells with reduced levels of amyloid plaque formations and neurofibrillary tangles, as well as better synapse integrity.

Amyloid plaques are the buildup of toxic proteins in the spaces between neurons. Neurofibrillary tangles, on the other hand, are abnormal masses of twisted protein — tau, to be precise — fibers within nerve cells. Both amyloid plaque formation and neurofibrillary tangles are believed to contribute to Alzheimer’s disease.

The researchers believe that the promising results can be attributed to extra-virgin olive oil inducing autophagy, which is the natural process of cell destruction. Apart from destroying cells, autophagy also eliminates any toxic debris that accumulated between cells. The subsequent boost in autophagy lead to the disintegration and removal of amyloids and phosphorylated tau, reported MedicalNewsToday.com.

“This is an exciting finding for us,” stated Praticò. “Thanks to the autophagy activation, memory, and synaptic integrity were preserved, and the pathological effects in animals otherwise destined to develop Alzheimer’s disease were significantly reduced.”

As part of their continuing research, Praticò and his colleagues intend on introducing olive oil to mice who’ve already begun displaying symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.

“Usually when a patient sees a doctor for suspected symptoms of dementia, the disease is already present. We want to know whether olive oil added at a later time point in the diet can stop or reverse the disease.” explained Praticò. (Related: Alzheimer’s and dementia rates rise as nations adopt the westernized diet of burgers, fries, steaks and fried chicken)

A brief rundown of Alzheimer’s disease

Alzheimer’s disease is a chronic neurodegenerative disorder caused by brain cell death. Since Alzheimer’s disease is chronic, it only worsens over time. Symptoms associated with the disease include: impairments to reasoning and judgment, worsened ability to take in and retain new information, and changes in behavior and personality.

An estimated 5.3 million Americans from all age groups are afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease, making it the most common type of dementia, or loss of mental ability.

Age, family history, and genetics are all unavoidable risk factors of Alzheimer’s disease; potentially avoidable risk factors for the disease include but aren’t limited to prior head injury, sleep disorders, and factors that increase vascular risk, such as diabetes and high blood pressure.

Visit HealingArts.news for similar stories.

Sources include:

MedicalNewsToday.com 1

MedicalNewsToday.com 2

OnlineLibrary.Wiley.com

Stressful Life Events Can Cause Early Onset Dementia (Video)

 

Source: Stressful Life Events Can Cause Early Onset Dementia (Video) | The Daily Sheeple

www.TheDailySheeple.com

Joe Joseph

July 18, 2017

In this News Shot, Joe Joseph discusses new research findings that suggest stressful life experiences can age the brain by several years. The research team found that even one major stressful event early in life may have an impact on later brain health.

Watch on YouTube

Source: Stressful Experiences Can Age Brain ‘by Years’, Alzheimer’s Experts Hear

Magnesium to make depression drugs obsolete? New science finds magnesium safer, more affordable and more effective than SSRIs

Source: Magnesium to make depression drugs obsolete? New science finds magnesium safer, more affordable and more effective than SSRIs – NaturalNews.com

With permission from

NaturalNews.com

by: Isabelle Z.

July 11, 2017

(Natural News) More than 350 million people on our planet suffer from depression, and it also has a profound effect on their loved ones. One of the most popular treatments, SSRI antidepressants, is risky, expensive, and not terribly effective. This has prompted some scientists to look for alternatives, and it appears they may have found a good solution in the form of magnesium.

This mineral is vital for many of our body’s functions, including our blood pressure, heart rhythm and bone strength. It also helps fight inflammation in the body. Now, scientists from the University of Vermont’s Larner College of Medicine have found promising results after a clinical trial involving the use of over-the-counter magnesium tablets in depressed patients.

In the blocked and randomized crossover trial of 126 adults using outpatient primary care clinics, participants with mild to moderate depression were studied over the course of 12 weeks. Some participants were given 248 milligrams of magnesium each day for the course of six weeks followed by six weeks without it, whereas those in the control group received no treatment for six weeks followed by six weeks of magnesium. All participants were given biweekly assessments of their depression symptoms.

Those who took the elemental magnesium chloride noted clinically significant improvements in anxiety symptoms and measures of depression. On the Patient Health Questionnaire 9, which asks patients nine questions to diagnose and then classify depression, participants scored six points lower on average during their time taking magnesium.

Best of all, they experienced these improvements after just two weeks of taking the magnesium. In addition, patients of all ages and depression types tolerated the supplements well and noted similar levels of effectiveness.

Connection between magnesium and depression has already been established

This appears to support another study in a Croatian psychiatric hospital that discovered that many patients who had attempted suicide suffered from dangerously low levels of magnesium. In fact, depression can be a sign of magnesium deficiency, as can ringing in your ears, muscle cramps, kidney stones, and abnormal heart function.

More than 60 percent of the participants said they planned to use magnesium in the future to manage their depression. Life Extension reports that 68 percent of people in the U.S. are not consuming the recommended daily requirement of this vital mineral, while 19 percent don’t even manage to get half of the amount they need.

Magnesium can be found in fruits like organic oranges, bananas, pineapples, avocados and cherries. You’ll also find it in seafood like mackerel and shrimp, yogurt, dark chocolate, legumes, leafy greens, spirulina and chlorella.

Further research needed

Next, the researchers would like to see if they can get the same results using an even bigger and more diverse population. It is hoped that magnesium and other safe alternatives could eventually replace antidepressants entirely, given their extremely dangerous side effects like seizures, suicidal behavior, and other serious health problems.

It’s hard to imagine why anyone would want to take these dangerous drugs when there are safer choices. Of course, Big Pharma will do their best to make sure the public doesn’t hear about alternatives, with the global market for these drugs expected to exceed $13 billion by the year 2018.

Depression is a serious condition and it’s perfectly understandable for sufferers and those around them to want to find a way to control it, but many who take SSRIs and live to tell the tale regret it. Thankfully, it looks like magnesium can be added to other natural forms of relief like yoga, meditation, exercise, and vitamin D. Why turn to drugs when you can give your body what it needs to heal itself?

Sources:

ScienceDaily.com

NaturalNews.com

DailyMail.co.uk

NaturalNews.com

SICK: Children under six are being prescribed antidepressants by doctors

I have to say this. Yes, pharmaceuticals are evil and stuff, but when I was working in the social work sphere I did come across a few young people, (and yes the majority of damaged people are adults) I would have not only have prescribed antidepressants, I would have prescribed cyanide. Some humans can’t be helped. That’s where compassion comes in. After everything fails compassion is there.

Source: SICK: Children under six are being prescribed antidepressants by doctors – NaturalNews.com

NaturalNews.com

by: Frances Bloomfield

June 22, 2017

 What sort of world are we living in when children below the age of six are being given antidepressants? A rather sordid one if the National Health Service (NHS) figures are anything to go by. Of the 198,906 prescriptions of antidepressants handed out to those under 18 in the UK, a shocking 12,756 of those were children between the ages of seven and 12, while 617 of them were aged six and younger. Even more disturbing is that these statistics covered the period between April 2015 to September 2016, so those figures may have only inflated since then.

According to the organization Young Minds, that may very well be the case. The rates of anxiety and depression among teenagers have grown a staggering 70 percent in the last 25 years. Further statistics from the charity paint more disturbing picture: three in four children with a diagnosable mental health condition are unable to access the support they need.

This support, of course, being psychological therapy, which should be given to them in the first place instead of antidepressants like setraline and fluoxetine, more commonly known as Zoloft and Prozac. As per the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), children under 18 should be prescribed antidepressants only if they suffer from moderate or severe depression. And even then, these should be given alongside psychological treatment. Among children between the ages of five and 11, they should be given antidepressants only when therapy has failed them.

“The rise in the number of children and young people being prescribed antidepressants is worrying,” Marc Bush, senior policy adviser at Young Minds, told the DailyMail.co.uk. “Long waiting times and high thresholds for treatment mean that [general practitioners] may feel under pressure to prescribe antidepressants to children. There can be a place for medication in treating young people’s mental health problems, but it shouldn’t be used as a sticking plaster for poor access to talking therapies.” (Related: Antidepressant drugs may cause aggressive, violent behavior in youth)

Indeed, the sheer volume of antidepressant prescriptions may speak loudly about the state of healthcare more than anything else.

“There is no doubt a significant link between the growing use of antidepressants and the immense pressure children’s mental health services are under,” said Norman Lamb, health spokesman for the Liberal Democrat party. “Children’s mental health services are in desperate need of more resources. The Conservative government has failed to invest properly and has failed to make good on the funding promises we made in the coalition. Money isn’t getting through to the frontline, and now we are seeing the consequences of this neglect.”

Yet as disconcerting as these figures are, the UK isn’t the first country to have them. In 2009, five deaths have already been linked to antidepressants in Australian children aged 10 to 19; moreover, 89 recorded adverse reactions in children under nine were associated with antidepressants. Dr. Joe Tucci, Chief Executive of the Australian Childhood Foundation, said: “I cannot think of a good reason why any six-year-old, or younger, should be treated with antidepressants. I think it’s gone up because medication is being used to treat the symptoms and not the cause.”

Whatever the case, antidepressants should only be prescribed when all other options have been thoroughly exhausted. They are temporary fixes for children, not solutions.

For other stories about mental health, visit Psychiatry.news.

Sources include:

DailyMail.co.uk
YoungMinds.org.uk
DailyTelegraph.com.au
TheGuardian.com