Dr. Howard Smith Reports

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/e4ZbolZk2_g

Eating foods high in antioxidants will lower your risk of developing age-related cataracts.  This is the conclusion of a meta-analysis from Australia and China recently published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

The investigators reviewed 20 studies from as many world nations.  Their data indicates that eating citrus fruits, carrots, tomatoes, and dark green vegetables suppresses the development of cataracts.

The only definitive treatment for cataracts is extraction and lens replacement, and these operations, where they are available, have racked up a $5.7 billion price tag.  For those without access to the surgery, cataracts cause 35% of all blindness around the world.

Prevention is far better than treatment, and now you know exactly what to do.

 Hong Jiang, Yue Yin, Chang-Rui Wu, Yan Liu, Fang Guo, Ming Li, Le Ma. Dietary vitamin and carotenoid intake and risk of age-related cataract. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2019; 109 (1): 43 DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/nqy270

#Cataracts #fruits #vegetables

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/e4ZbolZk2_g

Eating foods high in antioxidants will lower your risk of developing age-related cataracts.  This is the conclusion of a meta-analysis from Australia and China recently published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

The investigators reviewed 20 studies from as many world nations.  Their data indicates that eating citrus fruits, carrots, tomatoes, and dark green vegetables suppresses the development of cataracts.

The only definitive treatment for cataracts is extraction and lens replacement, and these operations, where they are available, have racked up a $5.7 billion price tag.  For those without access to the surgery, cataracts cause 35% of all blindness around the world.

Prevention is far better than treatment, and now you know exactly what to do.

 Hong Jiang, Yue Yin, Chang-Rui Wu, Yan Liu, Fang Guo, Ming Li, Le Ma. Dietary vitamin and carotenoid intake and risk of age-related cataract. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2019; 109 (1): 43 DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/nqy270

#Cataracts #fruits #vegetables

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/gBkcwslZo1w

Tired of shelling out 3 bucks for that Starbucks Latte.  You might just derive some of the same emotional and psychological effect by looking at a picture of it.

Management researchers at the University of Toronto’s Rotman Management School studied responses to seeing even glimpses of coffee-related images.  Called priming, such images caused the subjects to think more precisely and to sense a shorter than actual time scale loosely mimicking the effects of caffeine.

The effect was definitely stronger in Westerners for whom coffee has a strong tradition than it was for those accustomed to Eastern culture and drinking tea.  

This priming effect apparently also works for fast food logos.  Seeing them prevented viewers from relaxing and enjoying a pleasurable experience.

Eugene Y. Chan, Sam J. Maglio. Coffee cues elevate arousal and reduce level of construal. Consciousness and Cognition, 2019; 70: 57 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2019.02.007

#Coffee #caffeine #priming #arousal

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/gBkcwslZo1w

Tired of shelling out 3 bucks for that Starbucks Latte.  You might just derive some of the same emotional and psychological effect by looking at a picture of it.

Management researchers at the University of Toronto’s Rotman Management School studied responses to seeing even glimpses of coffee-related images.  Called priming, such images caused the subjects to think more precisely and to sense a shorter than actual time scale loosely mimicking the effects of caffeine.

The effect was definitely stronger in Westerners for whom coffee has a strong tradition than it was for those accustomed to Eastern culture and drinking tea.  

This priming effect apparently also works for fast food logos.  Seeing them prevented viewers from relaxing and enjoying a pleasurable experience.

Eugene Y. Chan, Sam J. Maglio. Coffee cues elevate arousal and reduce level of construal. Consciousness and Cognition, 2019; 70: 57 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2019.02.007

#Coffee #caffeine #priming #arousal

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/EyLBqke2qcI

Here’s a quickie exercise routine that can lower your blood pressure, reduce your risk of heart attack, boost your fitness, and sharpen your brainpower.  The best part is that there is no weight lifting, jogging, or sweating involved.

Integrative physiologists at the University of Colorado reported to the recent Experimental Biology scientific meeting that exercising your muscles of breathing just 5 minutes a day with an inhalation device that can vary the resistance you breathe against has all of these beneficial effects.

Inhalation exercise devices are available on Amazon for $30 to $50.  You may want to try using this so-called Inspiratory Muscle Strength Training (IMST) using your blood pressure and level of fitness for aerobic exercise as outcome measures to see how it is working for you.

Buffing up your respiratory muscles is a wonderful idea, but it is no substitute for consistent, aerobic exercise.  I highly recommend stationary recumbent cycling as a form of aerobic exercise that is oh so easy on your joints and back.

University of Colorado at Boulder. "Novel 5-minute workout improves blood pressure, may boost brain function." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 8 April 2019. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/04/190408161643.htm.

#Inspiratorymuscletraining #IMST #aerobics #respiratorymuscles

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/EyLBqke2qcI

Here’s a quickie exercise routine that can lower your blood pressure, reduce your risk of heart attack, boost your fitness, and sharpen your brainpower.  The best part is that there is no weight lifting, jogging, or sweating involved.

Integrative physiologists at the University of Colorado reported to the recent Experimental Biology scientific meeting that exercising your muscles of breathing just 5 minutes a day with an inhalation device that can vary the resistance you breathe against has all of these beneficial effects.

Inhalation exercise devices are available on Amazon for $30 to $50.  You may want to try using this so-called Inspiratory Muscle Strength Training (IMST) using your blood pressure and level of fitness for aerobic exercise as outcome measures to see how it is working for you.

Buffing up your respiratory muscles is a wonderful idea, but it is no substitute for consistent, aerobic exercise.  I highly recommend stationary recumbent cycling as a form of aerobic exercise that is oh so easy on your joints and back.

University of Colorado at Boulder. "Novel 5-minute workout improves blood pressure, may boost brain function." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 8 April 2019. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/04/190408161643.htm.

#Inspiratorymuscletraining #IMST #aerobics #respiratorymuscles

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/B8MTjm8lgMQ

Building on increasing evidence that the bacteria residing in our gastrointestinal system influence our brain function, a team of biotechnologists at Arizona State University report beneficial effects of gut bacterial manipulation on the behavior and GI symptoms of autistic subjects. Their latest report in the journal Scientific Reports catalogs the long-term success of Microbiota Transfer Therapy that is essentially the transfer of highly selected GI bacteria from healthy donors.

Autistic persons typically have not only behavioral issues but also gastrointestinal issues.  The Arizona group conducted longitudinal studies of 18 subjects who had undergone an intense regimen of gut bacteria transfer, known as microbiota transfer therapy or MTT, two years previously.

The results show that the MTT therapy course was associated with a continuing improvement in both psychological and gastrointestinal symptoms.  The 2 year post-therapy assessment showed a 47% reduction of autistic symptoms and a 58% reduction of gastrointestinal symptoms.  The data revealed a correlation between improvement in both spheres for any given patient.

These results are indeed exciting, and more studies are underway to define the best sources for the transferable bacteria.  Once a supply of such bacteria are available, this promising technique will surely spread.

Dae-Wook Kang, James B. Adams, Devon M. Coleman, Elena L. Pollard, Juan Maldonado, Sharon McDonough-Means, J. Gregory Caporaso, Rosa Krajmalnik-Brown. Long-term benefit of Microbiota Transfer Therapy on autism symptoms and gut microbiota. Scientific Reports, 2019; 9 (1) DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-42183-0

#autism #MTT #microbiome #fecaltransplant

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/B8MTjm8lgMQ

Building on increasing evidence that the bacteria residing in our gastrointestinal system influence our brain function, a team of biotechnologists at Arizona State University report beneficial effects of gut bacterial manipulation on the behavior and GI symptoms of autistic subjects. Their latest report in the journal Scientific Reports catalogs the long-term success of Microbiota Transfer Therapy that is essentially the transfer of highly selected GI bacteria from healthy donors.

Autistic persons typically have not only behavioral issues but also gastrointestinal issues.  The Arizona group conducted longitudinal studies of 18 subjects who had undergone an intense regimen of gut bacteria transfer, known as microbiota transfer therapy or MTT, two years previously.

The results show that the MTT therapy course was associated with a continuing improvement in both psychological and gastrointestinal symptoms.  The 2 year post-therapy assessment showed a 47% reduction of autistic symptoms and a 58% reduction of gastrointestinal symptoms.  The data revealed a correlation between improvement in both spheres for any given patient.

These results are indeed exciting, and more studies are underway to define the best sources for the transferable bacteria.  Once a supply of such bacteria are available, this promising technique will surely spread.

Dae-Wook Kang, James B. Adams, Devon M. Coleman, Elena L. Pollard, Juan Maldonado, Sharon McDonough-Means, J. Gregory Caporaso, Rosa Krajmalnik-Brown. Long-term benefit of Microbiota Transfer Therapy on autism symptoms and gut microbiota. Scientific Reports, 2019; 9 (1) DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-42183-0

#autism #MTT #microbiome #fecaltransplant

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/3YqEXRoSpzw

Usin whitening strips to wipe away those coffee and nicotine stains from your dental enamel makes your teeth sparkle.  But…..the chemical reactions that occur beneath the surface could trigger a time bomb.  

This warning comes from biochemical studies at New Jersey’s Stockton University that were presented last week to the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

All commercial whitening strips contain hydrogen peroxide.  After it whitens the surface enamel, the peroxide penetrates deeper into the protein-rich dentin layer that makes up most of your tooth.  These new studies show the that hydrogen peroxide fragments the dentin collagen explaining why previous studies detected a diminution in the total amount of dentin collagen present.  The concentration of hydrogen peroxide in the whitening strips is sufficient to totally destroy the dentin collagen.

There are no studies to indicate whether dentin collagen can regenerate.  Until such information surfaces, the smart money is on avoiding use of whitening strips so that you don’t find your teeth crumbling.

Experimental Biology. "Teeth whitening products can harm protein-rich tooth layer: Researchers show active ingredient in whitening strips damages dentin." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 9 April 2019. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/04/190409135928.htm.

#Whiteningstrips #dentalenamel #dentin #collagen 

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/3YqEXRoSpzw

Usin whitening strips to wipe away those coffee and nicotine stains from your dental enamel makes your teeth sparkle.  But…..the chemical reactions that occur beneath the surface could trigger a time bomb.  

This warning comes from biochemical studies at New Jersey’s Stockton University that were presented last week to the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

All commercial whitening strips contain hydrogen peroxide.  After it whitens the surface enamel, the peroxide penetrates deeper into the protein-rich dentin layer that makes up most of your tooth.  These new studies show the that hydrogen peroxide fragments the dentin collagen explaining why previous studies detected a diminution in the total amount of dentin collagen present.  The concentration of hydrogen peroxide in the whitening strips is sufficient to totally destroy the dentin collagen.

There are no studies to indicate whether dentin collagen can regenerate.  Until such information surfaces, the smart money is on avoiding use of whitening strips so that you don’t find your teeth crumbling.

Experimental Biology. "Teeth whitening products can harm protein-rich tooth layer: Researchers show active ingredient in whitening strips damages dentin." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 9 April 2019. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/04/190409135928.htm.

#Whiteningstrips #dentalenamel #dentin #collagen