#i strongly associate weight loss with poor health for a number of reasons

[fatgirlsguidetodating]

Blog: why women are under more pressure to lose weight than men.

Think about it- women have always been under more pressure to lose weight than men. And men are less likely to seek help for it. But why should that be the case? After all the health complications that come with being overweight (risks of heart disease and stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, some cancers, gallbladder disease and gallstones, gout, osteoarthritis, breathing problems like sleep apnoea and asthma) apply to both sexes. Stats from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare show that 70.8 per cent of men are considered overweight or obese compared to 56.3% of women. (1)

Yet if you google weight loss and have a look at the articles and images that pop up most are about females. Have a look at products for weight loss and almost all feature women or are focussed on women. Jump online social media and see how important looks are to women and what an impact this has on younger women. Look at the most popular actresses and see that most of them are slim. And the fact is that, historically, conversation about weight has been perceived as more of a feminine than masculine thing. But the times they are a changin’ (slowly) and body-image anxiety is becoming equal opportunity.

Professor Dixon, head of clinical research at the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, has an opinion on why men are less likely to attend weight loss programs or buy weight loss products or visit dieticians compared to women. The fact that weight loss programs are more focussed on women than on men means men can be reluctant to attend. Women are most likely to say they are attending because of body image, embarrassment over their body or social stigmatisation. Men are more likely to say that they are there because they’ve been diagnosed with heart disease or diabetes or are worried about their fitness rather than say anything about body image or being unhappy with the way they look when they look in the mirror. (2)

Another reason starts from early on where men grow up wanting to not be the wimpy, weedy guy, but rather the big, strong, bulky (but not fat) guy. We assume men aren’t fazed by body image because it’s usually women we see who freak out about their looks and weight but that’s not true. Research has shown that 11% of men in Australia over 15 years have dieted to lose weight in the last year. (3) Furthermore there are increasing numbers of teenage boys and men engaged in muscle building to achieve the male muscular ideal through body-building and/or the use of protein supplements and, worse, steroids. In recent years men have worried less about going bald than getting “man boobs” or “beer bellies” (aka dad bods which I personally prefer over muscly men). In fact a study in The Guardian a couple of years ago said that 38% of men would sacrifice a year of their life to have a better body. (4) [NB: If that was actually a thing you could do I would sacrifice 5 years for a great body.]

Alan White, a professor of men's health at Leeds Metropolitan University, said: "These findings are worrying but not surprising. There's been a big increase in the numbers of British men having cosmetic procedures such as a nose job or removal of breast tissue; that's gone from almost nothing to quite a significant industry over the last 10 years. All this fuels the idea of the body beautiful and encourages a quick fix rather than appropriate diet and physical fitness levels." (4)

Dr. Phillips Diedrichs, from the centre of appearance research at the University of the West of England completed a study of 394 men which was commissioned by the Central YMCA and Succeed Foundation- an eating disorders charity. And she reported some very interesting findings around men, body image and dieting. Such as 80.7% talked about their own or others' appearance in ways that draw attention to weight, lack of hair or slim frame. And 63% thought their arms or chests were not muscular enough. Whilst 29% thought about their appearance at least five times a day. And 18% were on a high-protein diet to increase muscle mass, and 16% on a calorie-controlled diet to slim down. (4)

The major difference in the way women and men see their body-image is that women are more about being thin and toned and men, as I mentioned earlier, have been conditioned from a younger age to want to be muscular and strong. An American study published in the Jan issue of JAMA Pediatrics, revels that nearly 18% of boys (I.e under 18) are very concerned about their weight and physique. (5) Dr Alison Field, an associate professor of pediatrics at Boston Children’s Hospital and the lead of the study says this trend among [younger] boys towards weight obsession is a major cause for worry. She explained that these boys were more likely to be depressed and more likely to engage in high-risk behaviors such as binge drinking and drug use.

Dr. Raymond Lemberg, a clinical psychologist and expert on male eating disorders says in terms of media portrayals we used to really discriminate—and we still do—against women. Dr Raymond Lemberg, a Prescott, Arizona-based clinical psychologist and an expert on male eating disorders says, “If you look at the Miss America pageant winners or the Playboy centerfolds or the runway models over the years, there’s been more and more focus on thinness.” (4)

A disturbing study by the Girl Guides has found that girls as young as seven want to lose weight. The Girls’ Attitudes Survey, completed by 1288 women aged seven to 21, found 87 per cent of girls between 11 and 21 thought women were judged more on their appearance than their ability – and one in five girls between seven and 11 said they had been on a diet. (6)

Nonetheless at the end of the day women are the ones most pressured to lose weight and judged more harshly than overweight men. And the majority of those ideals come from social media, and magazines or advertising. Social media is an important part of the lives of young people around the world. In Australia, approximately 72% of people actively use social media (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2014). The most popular social media platforms for young people are Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Youtube (ACMA, 2013, Pew Research, 2015; Sensis, 2016), and these platforms are predominantly or entirely imaged-based. (7) Research undertaken by Jennifer Mills, an associate professor in the Department I’d Psychology at York University Toronto and Jacqueline Hogue, a Ph.D student in the departments clinical program, about the effects of social media on the self-perceived body image of young woman was published in the journal Body Image. The study found that “[the participants] felt worse about their own appearance after looking at social media...of someone that they perceived to be more attractive.” (8) This went for both those with poor self-perception of their body image as well as those with a healthy one.

Magazines and advertising also have a huge impact on how one views their body image. Consider the fact that magazines are almost always photoshopped and almost always use exclusively thin models regardless of the products they are selling. The same images are on buses, billboards, and in shopping centres so there is no real escape. There has been a progression towards thinner and thinner models in ads and magazines: twenty years ago, the average model weighed 8 per cent less than the average woman – but today’s models weigh 23 per cent less. Even models who are considered underweight or dangerously underweight by the medical profession are still heavily photoshopped. Furthermore the advertising I diary is so strongly associated with creating insecurities that when women are shown images of products like shoes, perfume or deodorant in the context of these ads they are more likely to answer questions such as how satisfied are you with your body or how attractive do you consider yourself more negatively than if they had, for instance, seen the same photos in a neutral context. (9)

The Girl Guides study mentioned earlier found that one in five 7-11 year old girls had been on a diet. (6) Susan Jack from Glasgow Women’s Aid pointed out that young women are very critical of each other and oftentimes much harder on each other than boys are. As a result if you feel you don’t look like you should it can negatively effect your confidence leading to an impact elsewhere in your life such as “You might not do as well at work or not stand up for yourself. In an abusive relationship, that lack of self-confidence can be used to keep women down.” (6)

So why is it that women are judged more harshly for being overweight than men? One such reason is that while there is a socio-economic divide between women’s weights there is not such an issue for men. In fact while the more wealthy and educated a woman is the more the social pressure on them increases compared to men who are likely to be accepting of having a few extra kilos on them regardless of whether they are wealthy or not. (2) Another possible reason could be that women care more about their appearance because looks are more consequential for them. I’m not going so far as to suggest this is a reflection of the continuing power imbalances favouring men in our society though. These worried about body image are not because of a general lack of confidence as a 2011 study from the University of Basel based on over 7,000 respondents of both sexes young woman now had as much self esteem as young men but rather this disconnect in how women view their appearance can be attributed, in part, to concerns over body image. The evolutionary process of sexual selection- whereby we are changed so as to attract mates- is also a factor. As is the depiction of women with hour glass figures over the centuries. (10)

Sources:

1.) http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/diet/overweight-men-are-judged-less-harshly-than-women/news-story/f1e67f057968257a428ce3b438d2c3a2

2.) http://www.abc.net.au/news/health/2017-01-26/men-losing-the-battle-of-the-bulge/8213070

3.) https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/body-image-and-diets

4.) https://www.google.com.au/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2012/jan/06/body-image-concerns-men-more-than-women

5.) https://www.google.com.au/amp/s/www.theatlantic.com/amp/article/283897/

6.) https://www.google.com.au/amp/s/www.dailyrecord.co.uk/lifestyle/local-lifestyle/young-women-girls-under-more-3209721.amp

7.) https://nedc.com.au/research-and-resources/show/issue-46-social-media-and-body-image

8.) https://www.google.com.au/amp/s/www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/amp/323725

9.) http://mediasmarts.ca/body-image/body-image-advertising-and-magazines

10.) https://www.google.com.au/amp/s/www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-human-beast/201305/why-women-feel-bad-about-their-appearance%3famp

[gethealthy18-blog]

I stopped dieting 6 years ago and this happened…

New Post has been published on http://healingawerness.com/metabolism/i-stopped-dieting-6-years-ago-and-this-happened/

I stopped dieting 6 years ago and this happened…

I’m here today to talk about dieting. Or more accurately — how I STOPPED dieting, and how that affected my body and my mind.

In a world of low calorie this and diet resolution that… I’ve decided to check out. I’m walking away.

Or rather, I walked away a long time ago. And never looked back.

You see, way back in 2012 I hopped right off the diet train. I was so, so, so tired of watching that scale hop up and down like a deranged bunny — losing 10 lbs only to gain 15 back (rinse, repeat). (And I learned that those 10 lbs lost probably weren’t “real” anyway.)

Maybe you know the feeling?

I was so, so, so tired of being obsessed with calories or carbs or pick-your-poison.

So, so, so deeply exhausted needing to know what number was on the scale so I could decide what I was “allowed” to eat that day.

And just plain sick of linking my self-worth to the size of my jeans.

So I decided to do something absolutely insane: I stopped dieting. Completely.

I vowed to never go on a diet again.

At first, I made the decision that I wanted to learn how to maintain my weight for a while. Sure, I wasn’t at my “goal” weight, but that wasn’t the point.

The point was every time I dieted, I ended up gaining more weight than I lost. My “starting” weight kept going up. It wasn’t hard to see where this trend could potentially lead.

It came to a point where I was more scared of what might happen if I didn’t stop dieting.

My whole life I was either losing weight or gaining it back. I’d never maintained my weight for more than a few months. The scale was always going up or coming down (and then back up again).

What if I just stopped?

Stopped pretending dieting was the answer. Stopped believing that the most important thing I could control was what went on my fork. Stopped playing like food deserved to be the first and last thing I thought about each and every day.

I never made a New Year’s resolution not to diet. It wasn’t a bold declaration to the world.

It was more like a quiet knowing that crept up on me slowly over the years — and then became completely obvious:

Not dieting was the answer I’d been looking for.

Related: How I Finally Stopped Binge Eating

Table of Contents

Dieting sucks. Here’s why:

Research shows that weight fluctuations are more dangerous than carrying excess weight. A history of weight cycling via dieting is strongly associated with an increased risk for developing metabolic diseases like diabetes, hypertension and heart disease. This is independent of weight (so it applies whether you’re a dieter who is skinny or one who’s heavy). This evidence strongly suggests that dieting affects you on more than a body fat level: dieting affects you–and can harm you–on a metabolic level.

One study showed that obese women who diet are far more likely to have high blood pressure than obese women who do not have a history of dieting–more evidence that demonstrates the dangers of dieting on the entire metabolism.

Weight loss that comes through dieting (especially extreme dieting) always risks losing lean body tissue in addition to fat. This robs your muscles, bones and organs of the material they need to function properly. While some diets increase this risk more than others, it is a risk with all diets that restrict calories.

Our eating habits are passed on to our children. Kids pick up on our obsessions about weight and our eating habits. Whether we realize it or not, we often project our own insecurities about our weight and our restrictive eating habits onto our kids. It’s hard not to. But research shows that parents who impose restrictive eating habits only encourage further weight gain in their children. Stopping this vicious cycle in its tracks is reason enough to swear off dieting forever, in my opinion.

Dieting distorts our natural relationship with hunger and food. When food becomes “good” and “bad,” eating becomes a moral issue rather than an issue of nourishment. When we deny our hunger, we forget how to eat for natural reasons and instead develop habits of emotional eating and experience guilt when we eat the “wrong” food. Basically, we forget how to eat. This can result in eating disorders, distorted body image and poor health in long run.

I Stopped Dieting: Here’s What Happened

I was terrified of the same thing most women are when they stop dieting: uncontrollable eating followed by uncontrollable weight gain.

It never happened.

It just didn’t. I stopped putting the focus on the scale, and — almost miraculously — my obsessive habits with food and my body started to melt away.

I’ll admit I wasn’t starting from scratch. For a few years I’d been coming to the realization that balance, moderation, and loving your body were key ingredients for a healthy, happy life.

But even so, it was almost surreal to me. It was actually working. And for the next three or so years, I maintained my weight (up and down about 5lbs, which is pretty normal).

Then something crazy happened… but more on that in a minute.

No, My Food and Body Issues Didn’t Disappear…

Maintaining my weight was a good plan. But just saying that makes it sound a whole lot simpler than it actually was.

The truth is, when I stopped dieting, it was — at least at first — a constant battle in my head.

I was tempted to diet all the time. Every time I gained a pound. Or felt bloated after a meal. Or saw a picture of someone thinner than me in a bikini. Or found a pair of too-small jeans in my dresser (I eventually donated them).

There was always the pressure to get wrapped up in food issues and body hate. To complain about my thighs. To participate in conversation when everyone started talking about getting a “beach” body or doing a 30-day detox in January.

My mind was a messy place. It took some time to untangle the web. And there’s no perfectly happy ending, either.

Sure, some things became positive, healthy habits. But every day I face decisions about how I want to think about my body and my food. It’s ongoing work.

As cliche as it sounds, it’s true: loving yourself is definitely a journey, not a destination.

RELATED: 7 “Healthy” Habits that Stress Your Metabolism

Six Years In… Where am I now?

This year something strange happened — at least strange for me. Remember how I said I was always dieting or gaining weight?

Well, the one thing that never, ever, ever happened to me was “automatic” weight loss.

You know, the kind where weight just “falls off” without dieting. To me, that was the mystical rainbow unicorn — I heard stories, but of course it never really existed (not for me, at least).

This spring I realized that I needed to become more active for my long term health. Working at the computer all day was keeping me pretty sedentary.

I grabbed a FitBit and started becoming aware of my daily activity. I loved it. For the first time in my life, being active was fun. For real.

It wasn’t something I had to force myself to do. It wasn’t punishment for eating the brownies. It wasn’t about what the scale said the next day. I was being active because I loved my body and I wanted to take care of it.

(Read more about my FitBit story here.)

And, for the first time ever, I lost weight without dieting.

It happened slowly. Like snail-crawl slow. Over a period of about 6 months, I lost 10 lbs. I ate normally during this time (normal for me is 2000-2500 calories every day). I never restricted any food types — I generally eat a balance of protein, fat and carbohydrates. I never followed a plan. I just used some common sense, a little moderation, and made the choices I felt worked for my body (with plenty of treats of course!).

After that, my weight continued a slow downward trend. I would gain a few pounds now and then, and then later lose a few. But these were just natural swings of 3-5 pounds because of, well, real life. Sometimes I ate more, sometimes I was more active. Life isn’t stagnant – it’s always changing.

Over the next two years, I lost another 8 lbs. So six years into this no-dieting journey, I’ve lost almost 20 lbs.

If you’d asked me six years ago if I thought this was possible, I probably would have laughed in your face. I was just hoping to stop dieting without gaining a ton of weight.

I didn’t realize that choosing my health and peace of mind over my weight would actually lead to the result I’d been looking for anyway. It was a long road, but a happy one.

It’s Not About the Weight…

But it’s not the “what” that’s important – it’s the “how” and the “why” of this weight loss that’s important to me.

The thing is, I learned to be happy with my size before. And I’m still happy with it now. It’s not an “I-can-only-be-happy-at-a-certain-size” thing. It’s not an either/or. It’s an and.

I was happy with myself then and I’m happy with myself now.

And that’s the whole point.

Why do you want to lose weight?

Think about it for a minute and let’s dig deeper into why you want to lose weight in the first place. Maybe one of these resonate:

I want to feel fit and healthy.

I want to be confident in myself.

I want to be respected.

I want to be appreciated.

I want to be loved.

I want to wear clothes I love.

I want to get a better job.

Honestly, these all sound pretty great, right?

But when you add weight into the equation, the water starts to get muddy. Because here’s what you’re REALLY thinking:

When I lose 10 lbs, I’ll feel fit and healthy.

When I lose 10 lbs, I’ll be confident in myself.

When I lose 10 lbs, I’ll be respected.

When I lose 10 lbs, I’ll be appreciated.

When I lose 10 lbs, I’ll be loved.

When I lose 10 lbs, I’ll wear clothes I love.

When I lose 10 lbs, I’ll get a better job.

And after a while, it actually starts to sound like this:

If I don’t lose 10 lbs, then I CAN’T feel fit and healthy.

If I don’t lose 10 lbs, then I CAN’T be confident in myself.

If I don’t lose 10 lbs, then I CAN’T be respected.

If I don’t lose 10 lbs, then I CAN’T be appreciated.

If I don’t lose 10 lbs, then I CAN’T be loved.

If I don’t lose 10 lbs, then I CAN’T wear clothes I love.

If I don’t lose 10 lbs, then I CAN’T get a better job.

All the sudden you’ve turned a few positive aspirations into a BIG and OVERWHELMING blockade in your life. You feel trapped by your weight. It feels like you can’t enjoy any part of your life until you see X number on the scale.

Feelings of self-loathing, stress, and panic are right around the corner. You start feeling obsessed about what you’re eating and how much you’re exercising. You binge because you’re starving and you starve yourself because you binge. It’s a vicious cycle that goes around and around… all because of all the things you tell yourself you CAN’T do UNTIL you lose the weight.

It’s time to unravel this mess and separate your weight from everything else you want in life. It’s a simple process, but these thought patterns can be hard habits to break.

Let’s go back to our original list of reasons to lose weight:

I want to feel fit and healthy.

I want to be confident in myself.

I want to be respected.

I want to be appreciated.

I want to be loved.

I want to wear clothes I love.

I want to get a better job.

Now, instead of connecting all of these to a goal of losing X number of pounds, keep them separate.

For instance, how might you feel fit and healthy right now, regardless of your weight? Is eating out a lot making you feel sluggish? Are you stuck at a desk all day, and doing a few sets of squats or pushups throughout the day might help you feel more energized? Are you getting enough sleep to feel focused during the day?

These are all areas you can examine and improve–making changes in these areas might, in fact, lead to a little weight loss… or it might not. But it can sure make you feel better either way.

One important thing: losing weight does NOT guarantee you’ll reach any of these goals. There are plenty of people who are thinner than you who don’t feel confident or loved or respected, who have jobs they hate, or feel like they can’t find clothes that look good on their bodies. These issues aren’t tied to weight alone–they have a lot more to do with the way you think about yourself and your life.

The important thing here is to remember not to allow your reasons and goals in life to be tied solely to your weight–as if that number on the scale determines the joy you can have in life. It’s not true.

You can be miserable and thin (trust me) and you can be overweight and happy (also trust me). Weight is a piece of the puzzle, sure, but it’s just one piece. Don’t let everything hinge on it.

Life without dieting… should you try it?

Should you try life without dieting?

I don’t know. I don’t have the answers for everyone. I can only tell you my story and hope that it helps in some way.

For me, breaking up with dieting was my way of letting go of a lot of negative behaviors and mental patterns I’d built up over the years. So I stopped dieting, but I also did a lot of inside work so I could stop doing a lot of other things, too (like hate-talking to myself in the mirror, ugh).

So, really, what I’m really asking you to do is start the journey.

Make a commitment to be kinder to yourself. To consider this: changes made out of love and respect last longer and work better than changes made out of hate. Work on bringing more joy and positivity into your life.

Then see what happens.

Tell me about your journey in the comments below!

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You can also read more about how I learned to eat and exercise in a way that nourished my metabolism (without stressing about it!) in my book The Nourished Metabolism. No gimmicks or magic pills, just a balanced perspective on how you can improve your metabolic health with simple changes to your diet and lifestyle. Click here to check it out.

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Elizabeth is the founder of The Nourished Life and has been writing about natural living for 12 years. Her work has been featured at Shape, Bustle, and Mother Earth Living. Her mission is to help you lower your stress levels and find fun ways to become happier and healthier. Read more about Elizabeth here.

Source: https://livingthenourishedlife.com/i-stopped-dieting/

[freeforex20-blog]

The Framing Effect and Confirmation Bias

The framing effect describes our tendency to react to, judge, or interpret the exact same information in distinctly different ways depending on how it is presented to us, or “framed” (most commonly, whether the information is framed as a loss or as a gain). Building off of the previously discussed concepts of loss aversion and Prospect Theory, people tend to avoid risk when information is presented in a positive frame but seek risk when information is presented in a negative frame.

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The most commonly cited example of this is a 1981 Tversky and Kahneman study that asked participants to choose between two treatments, A and B, for 600 people affected by a deadly disease. Treatment A was predicted to result in a guaranteed total of 400 deaths, while treatment B had a 33% chance that no one would die but a 66% chance that everyone would die. The same two alternatives were then presented to the study's participants either under a positive frame (how many peoples' lives would be saved) or under a negative frame (how many people would die).

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 When the alternatives were framed positively, 72% of participants chose Treatment A (“saves 200 lives”). When the exact same alternatives were framed negatively, however, only 22% of participants chose Treatment A (now presented as “400 people will die”). Saving 200 of the 600 lives is the exact same outcome as letting 400 of the 600 die, but the manner in which this identical treatment option was framed resulted in a massive decrease in the number of participants who chose it. Under the positive frame, the majority of participants avoided risk by choosing the treatment that resulted in a sure saving of 200 lives. Under the negative frame, however, the majority of participants sought the riskier alternative treatment that offered a 33% chance of saving all 600 lives.

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Another famous example that demonstrates the impact of framing is a study that found 93% of PhD students registered for classes early when a penalty fee for late registration was emphasized, but only 67% did so when the same number was presented as a discount for early registration.

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It is no secret that investors in the financial markets are under a constant barrage of information from all different sides - bullish, bearish, and everything in between. The exact same information can be framed by multiple sources in many different ways, biasing your interpretation of it. As you filter the stream of news and financial data that comes your way, consider the manner in which those numbers, statistics or reports are framed and think about the impact that their presentation has on the opinions they lead you to form.

Confirmation Bias and Forex Signals

Confirmation bias is the tendency to overweight, favor, seek out, exaggerate or more readily recall information or alternatives in a way that confirms our preconceived beliefs, hypotheses or desires, while simultaneously undervaluing, ignoring or otherwise giving disproportionately less consideration to information or alternatives that do not confirm our preconceived beliefs, hypotheses or desires. This inherent flaw in our cognitive reasoning leads to misconstrued interpretations of information, errors in judgment, and poor decision making. The effects of confirmation bias have been shown to be much stronger for emotionally-charged issues or beliefs that are deeply entrenched. In addition to overvaluing information that confirms our preexisting beliefs, confirmation bias also includes our tendency to interpret ambiguous evidence as supporting existing positions, even if no true relationship exists. In short, this concept says that individuals are biased towards information that confirms their existing beliefs and biased against information that disproves their existing beliefs, leading to overconfidence in our opinions and our decisions even in the face of strong contrary evidence.

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As an investor in the financial markets, it can be difficult to maintain a separation between informed estimates or expectations and emotional judgments based on hopes or desires. By causing us to overweight information that confirms such hopes or desires, confirmation bias can affect our abilities to make sound assessments and form well-reasoned opinions about, for example, a stock's upside potential. Awareness of our natural biases towards confirming information and, perhaps more importantly, our biases against disproving information is the first step in combating the unwanted effects of confirmation bias.

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Hindsight Bias and the Availability Heuristic

Hindsight bias describes our inclination, after an event has occurred, to see the event as having been predictable, even if there had been little to no objective basis for predicting it. This is the psychological tendency that causes us, after witnessing or experiencing the outcome of even an entirely unforeseeable event, to exclaim “I knew it all along!”

 The discovery of hindsight bias emerged during the early 1970s as the field of psychology witnessed an expansion of investigations into heuristics and biases, largely led by Amos Tversky and Daniel Kahneman. Along with the uncovering of tendencies such as the hindsight bias came the discovery of the availability heuristic, a common mental shortcut that causes individuals to rely on immediate information or examples that come to mind first when evaluating a specific topic, concept, method or decision. According to the cognitive reasoning behind the availability heuristic, if something can be recalled, it must be important, or at least more so than alternatives that are not as readily recalled. As a result, individuals tend to more heavily weight recent or immediately-recalled information, creating a bias towards the latest news, events, experiences or memories.

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The Sunk Cost Fallacy

The sunk cost fallacy rests on the economic concept of a sunk cost: a cost that has already been incurred and cannot be recovered. While theoretical economics says that only future (prospective) costs are relevant to an investment decision and that rational economic actors therefore should not let sunk costs influence their decisions, the findings of psychological and behavioral finance research show that sunk costs do in fact affect real-world human decision making. Because of our tendencies towards Loss Aversion and other cognitive biases, we fall victim to the sunk cost fallacy, which describes our irrational belief that sunk costs should be considered a legitimate factor in our forward decision making when, in fact, their consideration often leads us towards inefficient outcomes.

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For example, let's say a gentleman named Fred is concerned about his weight and decides to go on a diet. As part of his cleanse, he empties his fridge of all tasty temptations. When he comes across an unopened tub of ice cream, however, he falls victim to the Sunk Cost Fallacy. Even though the $15.00 Fred spent on the ice cream is a sunk cost that has already been incurred and cannot be recovered, Fred convinces himself that he cannot let the ice cream go to waste because he previously spent his hard-earned dollars to buy it. Eating a full tub of ice cream is in no way in line with his current weight-loss objectives, as the calories he will take in by consuming it are many times the daily total target of his new diet. Still, despite the adverse consequences for his health goals, Fred is swayed into eating the ice cream because of the Sunk Cost Fallacy.

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In an investment setting, the consequences of the sunk cost fallacy can be much more severe than some unwanted calories. As the share price of a security falls, investors often begin to employ the logic that “I've already lost $XXX, it's too late to sell now.” As prices keep falling further and losses grow, the investor's commitment to the sunk cost continues to escalate. “Now I’ve lost $XXXXX, there's no way I can sell now. It has to come back eventually. I'll just hold on to it.” Improper or irrational considerations of sunk costs can lead to poor decisions that continue to spiral out of control, simply because of an incorrect perception of an expense that is irrecoverable.

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 The Gambler's Fallacy

The gambler's fallacy, also known as the Monte Carlo Fallacy, is the mistaken tendency to believe that, if something happens more frequently than “normal” during a period of time, it must happen less frequently in the future, or that, if something happens less frequently than “normal” during a period of time, it must happen more frequently in the future. This tendency presumably arises out of an ingrained human desire for nature to be constantly balanced or averaged. In situations where the event being observed or measured is truly random (such as the flip of a coin), this belief, although appealing to the human mind, is false.

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The gambler's fallacy is, rather obviously, most strongly associated with gambling, where such errors in judgment and decision making are common. It can, however, arise in many practical situations, including investing. Winning and losing trades are in many ways similar to the flip of a coin and thus subject to the same psychological biases. If an investor has a series of losing trades, for example, he or she can begin to erroneously believe that, since the statistics feel unbalanced, his or her probability of making a profitable trade increases. In reality, the probability of his or her next trade being profitable is unaffected by previous losses.

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[food012]

ddddddddddddddddddd

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Brainy Dose Presents:

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14 Signs Of Vitamin D Deficiency

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Vitamin D is an extremely important nutrient that has powerful effects throughout the body.

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But despite its importance, many people just don’t seem to get adequate amounts.

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In fact, over 40 percent of American adults, as well as approximately 1 billion people

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worldwide, are vitamin D deficient!

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Why is that?

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Well, very few foods contain vitamin D; and most of it is actually produced in your skin

00:36

in response to UV rays from the sun - which is why it’s sometimes called the ‘sunshine

00:42

vitamin’.

00:43

Another reason for vitamin D deficiency is that it can be difficult to identify.

00:47

It’s hard to know if certain symptoms are actually a result of low vitamin D levels

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or something else.

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If you’re concerned whether you’re getting enough vitamin D, here are some signs suggesting

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that you probably need more!

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Number 1 - Aching Muscles

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Vitamin D plays an important role in the support of muscle function.

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When metabolized, vitamin D enters your muscles and ensures proper muscle contraction.

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This is also vital for building muscle strength.

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However, if you’re experiencing muscle pain that is not due to exertion, it may be due

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to insufficient levels of vitamin D. In fact, research has established that chronic

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muscle pain that is unresponsive to treatment is often due to vitamin D deficiency.

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Number 2 - Painful Bones

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Your bones stop growing once you’ve reached adulthood, but old bone tissue is regularly

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replaced by new tissue.

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Vitamin D is vital for ensuring bone tissue replacement, and a serious deficiency can

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cause bones to soften.

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This condition is known as Osteomalacia or ‘Adult Rickets’, and can lead to Osteoporosis.

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Since muscle pain and bone pain often resemble each other, it’s important to know how to

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differentiate one from the other.

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Muscle pain is usually concentrated in one specific location and is aggravated by physical

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activity.

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Aching bones, however, are often felt as a penetrating and broadly spread pain.

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Number 3 - Fatigue

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This symptom is often overlooked, because we tend to attribute fatigue to a number of

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different things.

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That said, your body needs vitamin D to produce energy, and a lack of it can make you feel

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tired and sluggish throughout the day.

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This lack of energy can also cause you to adopt negative behaviors that can have an

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adverse effect on your health.

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So, listen to your body.

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If you notice that you are feeling sluggish and can’t figure out why, you may just need

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to get some more vitamin D.

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Number 4 - Reduced Endurance

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If you are physically active but you notice that your endurance is decreasing for no apparent

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reason, low levels of vitamin D may be the cause.

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As I mentioned in the previous point, vitamin D plays a vital role in maintaining and increasing

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energy - and this is especially true for endurance.

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Physically active people can also experience reduced endurance, even if they are getting

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enough sunlight every day.

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Fortunately, if a deficiency of this vitamin is the culprit, your endurance will quickly

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improve once your levels return to normal.

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Number 5 - Low Moods

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Vitamin D is not only an important factor in your brain’s health, it also affects

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your mood.

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The areas of your brain that are associated with mood, have vitamin D receptors.

03:31

Low vitamin D levels can therefore significantly affect your brain cells.

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While research is still being conducted, there is evidence to suggest that vitamin D can

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increase certain neurotransmitters in the brain called monoamines.

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These include “feel-good” substances like serotonin and dopamine.

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Not having enough of these chemicals in your brain can cause you to feel low, and even

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depressed.

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This is also why many people experience low moods in the winter - a condition called Seasonal

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Affective Disorder - which is at least partly caused by the relative lack of sunshine during

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the winter months.

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Number 6 - Problems Sleeping Well

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It’s been discovered that vitamin D also plays a role in getting good sleep at night.

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The precise relationship between sleep and vitamin D is not yet certain, but research

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seems to associate the quality of your sleep with vitamin D levels.

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This association may have something to do with the vitamin D receptors in the brain

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that control sleep.

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Receptors that receive insufficient amounts, work less efficiently than they should.

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And this can lead to poor sleep quality.

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Number 7 - Sweaty Head

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When your body temperature exceeds 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit or 37 degrees Celsius, you perspire

04:45

in order to lower your body temperature.

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This usually is entirely natural.

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Perspiration even serves to eliminate toxins that gather in fat cells under your skin.

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However, if your head is sweating while the rest of your body is not, it could be an indication

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that you may not be getting enough vitamin D.

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Number 8 - Losing Hair

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Hair follicle growth is stimulated by vitamin D.

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When they are healthy, hair follicles maintain hair volume.

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It is, of course, natural to lose hair as you get older.

05:17

But people can also suffer from hair loss due to a deficiency in vitamin D.

05:22

This is especially true for women.

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Research also suggests a connection between low vitamin D levels and Alopecia - which

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is an autoimmune disease that results in bald patches.

05:33

Number 9 - Wounds Heal Slowly

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If you get injured and it takes a long time for your wounds to heal, a lack of vitamin

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D in your body might be the cause.

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Vitamin D plays a vital role in rebuilding skin, thus, if you don’t get enough, healing

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will occur at a much slower pace.

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This can be especially problematic after a surgery and can also result in more pronounced

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scarring.

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Number 10 - Dizziness

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Vitamin D plays an important role in the proper functioning of your ears.

06:05

Research has demonstrated that there are vitamin D receptors in the calcium channel transport

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systems located in the inner ear.

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These serve in maintaining a proper balance of calcium.

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When calcium crystals located in your inner ear are dislodged, you can experience sudden

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bouts of dizziness or a spinning sensation, as well as nausea - among other unpleasant

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symptoms.

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This condition is called Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo, and there is ample evidence

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linking it to low levels of vitamin D.

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Number 11 - Heart Problems

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Perhaps one of the most underestimated risk factors for heart disease is vitamin D deficiency.

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However, mounting evidence seems to indicate that insufficient levels of it can drastically

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increase the likelihood of heart disease.

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There also seems to be a connection with high blood pressure.

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According to a number of large research studies, low levels of vitamin D can double the risk

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of having a stroke, heart attack, or other heart complications.

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Number 12 - Excessive Body Weight

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Vitamin D is believed to optimize your body’s ability to absorb important nutrients - such

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as calcium - which is essential not only for bone health, but also for a healthy metabolism.

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It helps your body burn calories.

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Research suggests that obesity increases the body’s need for the vitamin because of the

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higher amounts of fat tissue.

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Moreover, people with larger waistlines have trouble converting vitamin D to a more usable

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form, and may need up to 3 times the amount than people of average weight - in order to

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maintain healthy levels.

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Number 13 - Recurring Infections

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Vitamin D levels have a direct effect on the health of your body’s immune system.

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When your body can process sufficient levels of it, your immune system remains strong and

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is able to combat infections and diseases as it is meant to do.

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Not getting enough of this crucial vitamin can result in serious consequences.

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It can drastically weaken your immune system - leaving you vulnerable to recurring infections

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and chronic diseases.

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Number 14 - Reduced Cognitive Function

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Vitamin D’s biologically active form has been shown to have neuroprotective effects.

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This means that the vitamin actually helps in the preservation of nerve function - which

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is very important for your brain to work properly.

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Research strongly suggests that a deficiency of this vitamin is a significant factor in

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reduced cognitive ability.

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In fact, there are clear indications that low levels of vitamin D are connected to Dementia

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as well as Alzheimer’s.

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Furthermore, adults with serious vitamin D deficiencies are four times more likely to

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suffer impaired cognitive function.

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While vitamin D deficiency is a common issue worldwide, there are some factors that can

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lead to an even greater risk of having low vitamin D levels.

08:51

As you already know, the body produces vitamin D when exposed to sunlight.

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This means that you are at risk of having low levels if you spend too much time indoors

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(whether at home or at work), live in extreme Northern or Southern latitudes, or wear unnecessarily

09:06

concealing clothing.

09:08

Those with darker skin naturally produce less vitamin D, because the higher levels of melanin

09:12

in their skin is actually meant to protect against excessive exposure to ultraviolet

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light.

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Nevertheless, if you suspect that you may be lacking vitamin D, it’s important to

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get your blood levels checked.

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The good news is that a vitamin D deficiency is usually easy to fix.

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You can expose yourself to sunlight more often; include more foods rich in vitamin D in your

09:33

diet - such as fatty fish; or fortified foods - like cereal; or simply take a supplement.

09:40

It can do wonders for your health!

09:42

If you found this video helpful, give it a thumbs up, and share it with your friends.

09:46

For more videos like this, hit the subscribe button, and remember to click on the notification

09:50

bell.

09:51

Also, be sure to check out our other videos as well.

09:57

Thanks for watching!

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[ellymackay]

5 Key Connections Between Sleep And Cancer

5 Key Connections Between Sleep And Cancer is republished from The Elly Mackay Blog

In the first part of my series on sleep and cancer, I talked broadly about the risks that poor quality and disrupted sleep can have on our risk for the disease. Here, I’ll dig in a little deeper, to look at some of the different pathways and mechanisms by which sleep might affect our risk for developing cancer. Some of these may surprise you. For example, a lot of my patients are startled to learn that melatonin, a hormone that’s so strongly aligned with sleep, has an impact on how cancer cells grow.

Cancer remains one of the most frightening and difficult diseases of our time. Sleep can play a powerful and protective role in helping us manage and even reduce our cancer risk. It’s my hope that the more you understand about the different the ways sleep may affect cancer, the more attention you’ll give to your sleep every day.

Let’s jump in and explore the connections between sleep and some of the major underlying factors that drive cancer development. 

Circadian rhythms

How circadian rhythms relate to sleep: Sleep is one of the many physiological functions that’s regulated by circadian rhythms, the 24-hour daily bio rhythms that govern so many of our physiological processes. When people experience trouble with sleep—in particular, when sleep disruptions are chronic—often, circadian rhythm disruption in an underlying cause. Our circadian rhythms and the clocks that regulate them are sensitive and finely tuned. Our bio clocks are affected most significantly by exposure to light (and to its absence, darkness). But circadian rhythms are also affected by our eating patterns, and as research suggests, by the makeup and activity of our gut microbiome. Other factors that affect circadian rhythms include stress and environmental factors such as toxins and pollutants.

When we sleep on irregular schedules—going to bed and waking up at drastically different times from one day or one week to the next, it can contribute to strain and disruption on our circadian clocks. Light exposure at the “wrong” times, particularly in the evening and overnight hours when we’d naturally be immersed in darkness, also pushes circadian rhythms out of sync. When we’re active at times when the body is biologically programmed to sleep—such as overnights, evenings, and early mornings—that also disrupts circadian function. Disrupted circadian rhythms don’t only make sleep harder to get and less refreshing. They affect a whole range of biological functions.

How circadian rhythms relates to cancer: Circadian rhythms are governed by a master circadian clock that’s located in the brain, which in turn coordinates the timing of “peripheral” circadian clocks throughout the body, including in every one of our cells. Among the responsibilities of our circadian system is to regulate cellular function, including cell repair, growth, and division. Several genes—including the PER 1, 2, and 3 genes and CRY 1 and 2 genes—work to regulate the synchronicity and activity our circadian rhythms and of cell behavior itself. Among other factors, sleep deprivation has been shown to alter the activity of circadian clock genes.

Research strongly indicates that disruptions to circadian rhythms cause abnormal behavior in cells that can lead to the development of cancer, and to more aggressive growth in cancer cells. Dysfunction in the behavior of key circadian genes appears to be one possible root cause of this abnormal cellular behavior, driving abnormal cellular activity that can lead to cancerous cell proliferation. Changes to the activity of circadian genes has been linked to breast, prostate, brain, leukemia and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, as well as other forms of cancer. Circadian rhythm disruptions are thought to be one reason why shift workers are at greater risk for cancer, and why shift work has been identified as a likely carcinogen by the World Health Association.

Circadian rhythm dysfunction may affect cancer risk through a number of mechanisms. Our bio rhythms govern immune function, metabolism, hormone activity and other key biological processes that affect cell function and potential development of cancer. There’s a tremendous amount still to learn about the relationship between circadian function and cancer, but we may discover it is a fundamental

Melatonin

How melatonin relates to sleep: Melatonin is often referred to as “the sleep hormone” or “the darkness hormone,” and is probably best known as a natural promoter of sleep. (Many people use supplemental melatonin to help sleep; I’ve written about melatonin, and its effectiveness as a supplement, here.) Like many of the body’s hormones, melatonin follows a daily circadian rhythm, adhering to a 24-hour cycle of rising and falling production. Melatonin doesn’t only follow circadian rhythms—its daily rise and fall also help to keep circadian clocks in sync. Melatonin delivers important cues to circadian clocks that keep them functioning properly. This sleep- and circadian-rhythm-regulating hormone is naturally suppressed by light and triggered by darkness. Melatonin production naturally increases in the evenings and levels typically hit a peak around 3-4 a.m., before falling to their daily lows around midmorning. The evening rise in melatonin makes us feel less alert, more relaxed, and more inclined for sleep.

Healthy sleep habits and routines include practices that keep melatonin production in sync and on schedule, and avoid outside influences that throw natural melatonin’s daily cycles off course. Avoiding light exposure in the evenings is the biggest step we can take to prevent suppression of melatonin, and disruptions to sleep and circadian rhythms.

How melatonin relates to cancer: Though best known as a sleep promoter, melatonin has many functions in the body beyond facilitating sleep.  And many of these functions have implications for cancer. Melatonin keeps circadian rhythms functioning well. It helps to regulate the immune system. Melatonin acts as an antioxidant. It helps to control and to inhibit cell division. It also inhibits the growth of new blood vessels (including in cancer cells). Melatonin is now recognized as having significant protective effects against cancer. Research indicates that melatonin is an inhibitor of cancer cell growth. Studies show that low levels of melatonin are associated with increased risk for several different types of the disease, including prostate and breast, endometrial, and ovarian cancers. One recent study found men with low melatonin levels had a four times greater risk of prostate cancer. Melatonin has anti-estrogenic effects—it is involved in lowering estrogen levels and reducing estrogen-related activity in the body. Estrogen is involved in the development of some forms of breast cancer, as well as ovarian and endometrial cancers.

Melatonin is being investigated and used in the treatment of several forms of cancer. I’ll talk more about how melatonin is being used as a cancer fighter in an upcoming article.

Immune health and inflammation

How sleep relates to immune health and inflammation: Sleep and circadian rhythms have a tremendous impact on our immune health and function. Sleep strengthens the natural defenses of the immune system, reinvigorating its ability to adapt and respond to different potential threats to health. Sleep is a rejuvenating time for the immune system—and it’s also a time when our natural immune activity increases, as our internal defense system goes to work to fight illness and disease. Immune activity follows circadian rhythms. When sleep and circadian rhythms are disrupted, immune activity is altered, compromised and suppressed. Our immune system becomes less effective at regulating itself and at defending against threats to health. Both acute and chronic lack of sleep reduce the effectiveness of immune function.

Chronic sleep loss in particular leads to a damaging, disease-producing change in immune response: increased, systemic inflammation. I wrote recently about the relationship between sleep and inflammation. Not getting enough sleep, sleeping poorly, sleeping too much—all can contribute to heightened inflammation. Inflammation, like sleep itself, is regulated by circadian rhythms. Dysfunction in the timing of circadian rhythms creates problems with immune function that include excessive, chronic inflammation.

How inflammation relates to cancer: Our immune system’s inflammatory response sends white blood cells and other chemicals to repair cells, ward off infection, and fight disease. We need inflammation to help us heal. But when inflammation is chronic—existing in the body all the time, even when there’s no pathogen to fight—it causes damage to cells and mutations to DNA. That cellular damage and those DNA mutations can lead to the development of cancer cells. Too much inflammation also feeds the growth of cancer, contributing to faster-growing, more aggressive cancers. We’ve learned a lot in recent years about the specific inflammatory pathways that may cause cancer growth. As many as 1 in 5 cancers develop at least in part from chronic inflammation, according to scientific estimates. We can’t control all the factors that cause unhealthful, systemic inflammation. For example, our individual genetics play a role in how vulnerable we each may be. But many lifestyle factors contribute to inflammation, and those are in our control, including diet, maintaining a healthy weight, and exercise. Sleep is another factor – a sometimes-overlooked one—that we can adjust to lower our inflammation risk.

Psychological stress

How stress relates to sleep: The connection between stress and sleep has been extensively studied and well documented. (That’s not to say there isn’t more to discover—with sleep, there always is!) Stress presents both mental and physical obstacles to sleep: increasing heart rate, creating physical tension and pain in the body, elevating alertness-producing hormones including cortisol and adrenaline, triggering agitated, uncomfortable thoughts and emotions. When under stress, it’s much more difficult to fall asleep and to sleep soundly throughout the entire night. Psychological stress is a major contributor to insomnia.

The relationship between stress and sleep is also bi-directional. When we don’t get enough restful sleep, we’re more prone to the effects of stress. New research shows that a night of sleep deprivation triggers a big jump in next-day anxiety. In that study, brain scans revealed heightened activity in regions of the brain that produce fear (and the stress-induced “fight-or-flight” response). Less active after a night of no sleep? The areas of the brain that help us calm ourselves and keep negative emotions in check.

How stress relates to cancer: There is a lot of interest in the relationship between psychological stress and cancer development. Research establishing a direct link between emotional distress and cancer is mixed, with some studies demonstrating a connection, and others not. There are significant indications that stress can play a role in the development of cancer and in the progression of the disease. Psychological stress contributes to chronic inflammation, which is a risk factor for cancer. Chronic stress has negative effects on immune function more broadly, impairing its ability to effectively repair cells and DNA, and suppressing its ability to kill cancer cells. Research indicates stress contributes to more aggressive cancer growth and metastasis. And psychological stress can exacerbate other behaviors, including excessive drinking, smoking, and unhealthful eating habits, that in turn increase cancer risk.

Obesity and other metabolic problems  

How obesity relates to sleep: I’ve written extensively about the connections among sleep, weight, and metabolic health, including in my books, The Power of When, The Sleep Doctor’s Diet Plan and Good Night. Poor sleep and disrupted circadian rhythms are a contributor to weight gain and increase risk of obesity. How? Changes to the timing and production of hormones that affect appetite and metabolism, changes to energy expenditure, and changes to eating habits (including what we eat, how much we eat, and when we eat) all make weight easy to gain and hard to lose. Sleep and circadian rhythm disruption are also significant risk factors in the development of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. Poor sleep and out-of-sync circadian rhythms interfere with the production of insulin and insulin’s effectiveness in regulating blood sugar.

How obesity and diabetes relate to cancer: There’s a complex relationship among obesity, metabolic health and cancer that scientists are still working to understand. However, there’s much that we already know about the links between obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cancer. Obesity is a well-documented risk factor for several types of cancer, including breast, colorectal, kidney, pancreatic, gallbladder, and endometrial cancers. A 2015 study estimated that in a single year in the U.S., roughly 3.5 percent of new cancer cases in men and 9.5 percent of new cancer cases in women were attributable to obesity. How may obesity contribute to cancer? Being obese is often accompanied by chronic inflammation, which can cause cell and DNA damage that leads to cancer cell growth. Having higher amounts of fat tissue leads to a greater production of estrogen and other hormones, which can elevate risks for breast, endometrial, ovarian, and other forms of cancer. Fat cells also alter the production of hormones and proteins that are involved in regulating cell growth, making us more vulnerable to cell proliferation that leads to cancer cells.

Studies show that people with type 2 diabetes are at significantly higher risk for developing cancer, and of dying from the disease. Insulin resistance and high blood sugar—the factors that lead to prediabetes and type 2 diabetes—have been shown to affect cancer growth and development. High levels of insulin and of a protein called insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) have been connected to several types of cancer, including colorectal, kidney, prostate and endometrial cancers.

Ready for some good news about sleep and cancer? In the next installment of this series, I’ll tell you about the cutting-edge ways scientists and physicians are using the power of sleep and circadian rhythms in cancer therapy.

Sweet Dreams,

Michael J. Breus, PhD, DABSM

The Sleep Doctor

www.thesleepdoctor.com

from Your Guide to Better Sleep https://thesleepdoctor.com/2019/01/22/5-key-connections-between-sleep-and-cancer/

from Elly Mackay - Feed https://www.ellymackay.com/2019/01/22/5-key-connections-between-sleep-and-cancer/

[battybat-boss]

Stress Shrinks Your Brain and Impairs Memory

Studies have found strong links between acute and/or chronic stress and a wide variety of health issues, including your brain function and risk for dementia. For example, animal research1 published in 2014 reported that elevated levels of stress hormones can speed up short-term memory loss in older adults by inducing structural changes in the brain.

The findings indicate that how your body responds to stress may be a factor that influences how your brain ages over time. Previous research has also linked chronic stress with working memory impairment2 and an increased risk for early onset of Alzheimer's disease.3

Fortunately, there's compelling research showing your brain has great plasticity and capacity for regeneration, which you control through your diet and lifestyle.

Based on the findings linking dementia with chronic stress, having effective tools to address stress can be an important part of Alzheimer's prevention, not to mention achieving and maintaining optimal health in general.

Stress Impairs Cognition and Memory, Recent Research Shows

Most recently, researchers warn that having elevated blood levels of the stress hormone cortisol can impair your thinking skills and memory over time.4,5,6,7 The researchers used the government-sponsored Framingham Heart Study database to identify more than 2,200 people who did not have any signs of dementia, and followed them for eight years. As reported by The New York Times:8

"Researchers gave tests for memory, abstract reasoning, visual perception and attention to 2,231 people, average age 49 and free of dementia. They recorded blood levels of cortisol and did MRI examinations to assess brain volume.

The study,9 in Neurology, controlled for age, sex, education, body mass index, blood pressure and many other variables, and found that compared with people with average levels of cortisol, those with the highest levels had lower scores on the cognitive tests.

In women, but not in men, higher cortisol was also associated with reduced brain volume. There was no association of the lowest cortisol levels with either cognitive test scores or brain size."

A significant limitation of the study is the fact that blood levels of cortisol were only checked once, at the end of the study, and may therefore not be representative of people's long-term exposure to this stress chemical.

Still, a number of other studies have reported similar findings, so the link between stress and cognitive decline certainly appears to be real. Lead author Dr. Justin Echouffo-Tcheugui, assistant professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, commented on the findings:10

"Our research detected memory loss and brain shrinkage in middle-aged people before symptoms started to show in ordinary, daily activities.

So, it's important for people to find ways to reduce stress, such as getting enough sleep, engaging in moderate exercise, incorporating relaxation techniques into their daily lives, or asking their doctor about their cortisol levels and taking a cortisol-reducing medication if needed. It's important for physicians to counsel all people with higher cortisol levels."

Stress Hormones Have a Corrosive Effect in Your Brain

When you're stressed, your cortisol rises and, together with adrenaline, triggers your body's fight-or-flight response. Cortisol also increases the glucose level in your bloodstream and temporarily enhances your brain's use of that glucose, while simultaneously suppressing bodily functions deemed irrelevant during an emergency, such as digestion.

While this cascade of biochemical effects is beneficial when you're in immediate physical danger, cortisol has a corrosive effect that, over time, actually wears down the synapses responsible for memory storage and processing. This was demonstrated in the 2014 animal study11 mentioned earlier.

According to that study,12 elevated levels of cortisol affect your memory by causing a gradual loss of synapses in your prefrontal cortex, the brain region associated with short-term memory. As noted by the authors:

"Short-term increases in cortisol are critical for survival. They promote coping and help us respond to life's challenges by making us more alert and able to think on our feet.

But abnormally high or prolonged spikes in cortisol - like what happens when we are dealing with long-term stress - can lead to negative consequences that numerous bodies of research have shown to include digestion problems, anxiety, weight gain and high blood pressure."

While the authors of the Neurology study state that it is "premature to consider intervention" based on their findings,13 they suggest that lowering your cortisol may be a beneficial first step. The 2014 study authors also suggested you may be able to protect your future memory function by normalizing your cortisol levels.

Such intervention would be particularly beneficial for those who are at high risk for elevated cortisol, such as those who are depressed or are dealing with long-term stress following a traumatic event.

Stress May Trigger Clinical Onset of Alzheimer's

Other scientific findings have linked stress and severe dementia. Argentinian research14 presented at the World Congress of Neurology in 2013 suggests stress may actually act as a trigger for the onset of Alzheimer's disease, as nearly 3 in 4 Alzheimer's patients (72 percent) had experienced severe emotional stress during the two years preceding their diagnosis.

In the control group, only 26 percent, or 1 in 4, had undergone major stress or grief. Most of the stresses encountered by the Alzheimer's group involved:

Bereavement - death of a spouse, partner, or child

Violent experiences, such as assault or robbery

Car accidents

Financial problems, including "pension shock"

Diagnosis of a family member's severe illness

According to lead author Dr. Edgardo Reich:15

"Stress, according to our findings, is probably a trigger for initial symptoms of dementia. Though I rule out stress as monocausal in dementia, research is solidifying the evidence that stress can trigger a degenerative process in the brain and precipitate dysfunction in the neuroendocrine and immune system. It is an observational finding and does not imply direct causality. Further studies are needed to examine these mechanisms in detail."

Vision and Hearing Problems Also Linked to Dementia

Aside from managing daily stresses, protecting your vision and hearing are other important factors that can influence your dementia risk. In fact, recent research16 suggests you can actually slow down cognitive decline by restoring your hearing and/or vision, and by a significant degree.

Lead author Dr. Asri Maharani, a researcher at the University of Manchester in the division of neuroscience and experimental psychology, told NPR,17 "We found the rate of cognitive decline was slowed by 75 percent following the adoption of hearing aids. It is a surprising result."

While the researchers were surprised by the findings, it does make sense. As noted by Dina Rollins, an audiologist who was not involved in the study, "Stimulating your ears stimulates the nerves that stimulate your brain," so by restoring hearing, you're "giving your brain what it needs to make sense of what you're hearing."

Another possible reason for this link has to do with the fact that hearing loss leads to social isolation, which has also been shown to speed cognitive decline and raise your risk of dementia. A related study18 by the same research group shows cognitive decline is also slowed by restoring vision. Here, Maharani's team found that cataract surgery slowed the rate of cognitive decline by 50 percent.

Ketogenic Diet Protects Against Dementia

As mentioned, there's good news in all of this, and it's that your brain has a natural capacity for regeneration and rejuvenation. Among the most valuable dementia prevention strategies is a cyclical ketogenic diet described in my book, "Fat for Fuel" and many other articles. If you're new to this topic, see "Burn Fat for Fuel" or "A Beginner's Guide to the Ketogenic Diet" for an introduction.

In short, a ketogenic diet, being high in healthy fats and low in net carbohydrates, allows your body to start burning fat as its primary fuel and results in the creation of ketones. And, compared to glucose, ketones:

Burn more efficiently

Are a superior fuel for your brain

Generate fewer reactive oxygen species and less free radical damage

Influence DNA expression to increase detoxification and antioxidant production

Inhibit inflammation

Recent research19,20,21,22,23 shows a ketogenic diet improves neurovascular integrity and function and clearance of amyloid-beta (a main component of the plaque that accumulates in the brains of those with Alzheimer's disease) - in part by improving the gut microbiome - and neurovascular function plays a major role in cognitive capability.

More specifically, poor neurovascular function is strongly associated with loss of language, memory and attention, while reduced cerebral blood flow raises your risk for depression, anxiety and dementia. Impaired blood-brain barrier function has also been linked to brain inflammation, dysfunction of synapses, impaired clearance of amyloid-beta plaques, psychiatric disorders and dementia.24

According to the authors, "Our findings suggest that ketogenic diet intervention started in the early stage may enhance brain vascular function, increase beneficial gut microbiota, improve metabolic profile, and reduce risk for Alzheimer's disease."

High-Sugar Diet Is a Recipe for Dementia

It's important to realize the adverse impact sugar has on your brain. A high-sugar diet triggers insulin resistance, and there's a very strong link between insulin resistance and Alzheimer's.25 For example, a longitudinal study26 published in the journal Diabetologia in January 2018, found that the higher an individual's blood sugar, the faster their rate of cognitive decline.

Even mild elevation of blood sugar and mild insulin resistance are associated with an elevated risk for dementia.27,28 Research29 published in 2013 showed that sugar and other carbohydrates disrupt your brain function primarily by shrinking your hippocampus, a brain region involved with the formation, organization and storage of memories.

The authors suggest that “strategies aimed at lowering glucose levels even in the normal range may beneficially influence cognition in the older population.” A similar study30 published in 2014 found that Type 2 diabetics lose more gray matter with age than expected, and this brain atrophy also helps explain why diabetics have a higher risk for dementia, and have earlier onset of dementia than nondiabetics.

As noted by Dr. Sam Gandy, director of the Center for Cognitive Health at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, these findings “suggest that chronic high levels of insulin and sugar may be directly toxic to brain cells” and that “this would definitely be a potential cause of dementia."31

Perhaps one of the most striking studies32 on carbohydrates and brain health revealed high-carb diets increase your risk of dementia by 89 percent, while high-fat diets lower it by 44 percent.

Sleep, Exercise and EMF Avoidance Are Other Key Dementia Prevention Strategies

Aside from stress and diet, three other lifestyle areas that play important roles in the development of dementia are sleep, physical fitness and exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMFs), the influence of which are summarized below.

• Sleep - Wakefulness is associated with mitochondrial stress. Without sufficient sleep, neuron degeneration sets in, which can lead to dementia.33,34,35 In fact, sleep deprivation is a risk factor for severe dementia, and animal research36 reveals inconsistent, intermittent sleep results in considerable and irreversible brain damage.

Research published in the journal Neurobiology of Aging37 suggests people with chronic sleep problems also develop Alzheimer's disease sooner than those who sleep well.

Your blood-brain barrier becomes more permeable with age, allowing more toxins to enter.38 This, in conjunction with reduced efficiency of the glymphatic system due to lack of sleep, allows for more rapid damage to occur in your brain and this deterioration is thought to play a significant role in the development of Alzheimer's.

• Exercise - Recent research39 found women with the highest cardiovascular fitness had an 88 percent lower risk of dementia than those with moderate fitness. Even maintaining average fitness is worthwhile, as women with the lowest fitness had a 41 percent greater risk of dementia than those of average fitness.

• Electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure - Microwaves emitted from cellphones, Wi-Fi routers, computers and tablets (when not in airplane mode) harm your brain by increasing intracellular calcium through the voltage gated calcium channels (VGCCs) in your cells.

The tissues with the highest density of VGCCs are your brain, the pacemaker in your heart and male testes. Once VGCCs are stimulated, they trigger the release of neurotransmitters, neuroendocrine hormones and highly damaging reactive oxygen species, significantly raising your risk of anxiety, depression and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's.40

Basic prevention strategies include turning your Wi-Fi off at night, not carrying your cellphone on your body and not keeping portable phones, cellphones and other electric devices in your bedroom. To learn more, see my interview with professor Martin Pall. A more extensive list of prevention strategies to minimize your EMF exposure can be found in "Electromagnetic Radiation Specialist Reveals the Hidden Dangers of Electric Fields."

While I believe these are among the most important prevention strategies, there are of course many other factors that can come into play. To learn more about the prevention and reversal of cognitive decline, see my interview with Dr. Dale Bredesen, director of neurodegenerative disease research at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Medicine, whose unique ReCODE (Reversal of Cognitive Decline) program offers hope for many.

Download Interview Transcript

In 2014, Bredesen published a paper that demonstrates the power of lifestyle choices for the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's. By leveraging 36 healthy lifestyle parameters, he was able to reverse Alzheimer's in 9 out of 10 patients. This included the use of exercise, ketogenic diet, optimizing vitamin D and other hormones, increasing sleep, meditation, detoxification and eliminating gluten and processed food.

In all, Bredesen has identified 150 different variables that can have a significant influence on Alzheimer's, but at the heart of it all is mitochondrial dysfunction, and one of the pronounced health effects of a cyclical ketogenic diet is the optimization of mitochondrial function. Not surprisingly, Bredesen's ReCODE Protocol also includes nutritional ketosis. You can download Bredesen's full-text case paper41 online, which details the full program.

[jerrytackettca]

Stress Shrinks Your Brain and Impairs Memory

Studies have found strong links between acute and/or chronic stress and a wide variety of health issues, including your brain function and risk for dementia. For example, animal research1 published in 2014 reported that elevated levels of stress hormones can speed up short-term memory loss in older adults by inducing structural changes in the brain.

The findings indicate that how your body responds to stress may be a factor that influences how your brain ages over time. Previous research has also linked chronic stress with working memory impairment2 and an increased risk for early onset of Alzheimer's disease.3

Fortunately, there's compelling research showing your brain has great plasticity and capacity for regeneration, which you control through your diet and lifestyle.

Based on the findings linking dementia with chronic stress, having effective tools to address stress can be an important part of Alzheimer's prevention, not to mention achieving and maintaining optimal health in general.

Stress Impairs Cognition and Memory, Recent Research Shows

Most recently, researchers warn that having elevated blood levels of the stress hormone cortisol can impair your thinking skills and memory over time.4,5,6,7 The researchers used the government-sponsored Framingham Heart Study database to identify more than 2,200 people who did not have any signs of dementia, and followed them for eight years. As reported by The New York Times:8

"Researchers gave tests for memory, abstract reasoning, visual perception and attention to 2,231 people, average age 49 and free of dementia. They recorded blood levels of cortisol and did MRI examinations to assess brain volume.

The study,9 in Neurology, controlled for age, sex, education, body mass index, blood pressure and many other variables, and found that compared with people with average levels of cortisol, those with the highest levels had lower scores on the cognitive tests.

In women, but not in men, higher cortisol was also associated with reduced brain volume. There was no association of the lowest cortisol levels with either cognitive test scores or brain size."

A significant limitation of the study is the fact that blood levels of cortisol were only checked once, at the end of the study, and may therefore not be representative of people's long-term exposure to this stress chemical.

Still, a number of other studies have reported similar findings, so the link between stress and cognitive decline certainly appears to be real. Lead author Dr. Justin Echouffo-Tcheugui, assistant professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, commented on the findings:10

"Our research detected memory loss and brain shrinkage in middle-aged people before symptoms started to show in ordinary, daily activities.

So, it's important for people to find ways to reduce stress, such as getting enough sleep, engaging in moderate exercise, incorporating relaxation techniques into their daily lives, or asking their doctor about their cortisol levels and taking a cortisol-reducing medication if needed. It's important for physicians to counsel all people with higher cortisol levels."

Stress Hormones Have a Corrosive Effect in Your Brain

When you're stressed, your cortisol rises and, together with adrenaline, triggers your body's fight-or-flight response. Cortisol also increases the glucose level in your bloodstream and temporarily enhances your brain's use of that glucose, while simultaneously suppressing bodily functions deemed irrelevant during an emergency, such as digestion.

While this cascade of biochemical effects is beneficial when you're in immediate physical danger, cortisol has a corrosive effect that, over time, actually wears down the synapses responsible for memory storage and processing. This was demonstrated in the 2014 animal study11 mentioned earlier.

According to that study,12 elevated levels of cortisol affect your memory by causing a gradual loss of synapses in your prefrontal cortex, the brain region associated with short-term memory. As noted by the authors:

"Short-term increases in cortisol are critical for survival. They promote coping and help us respond to life's challenges by making us more alert and able to think on our feet.

But abnormally high or prolonged spikes in cortisol — like what happens when we are dealing with long-term stress — can lead to negative consequences that numerous bodies of research have shown to include digestion problems, anxiety, weight gain and high blood pressure."

While the authors of the Neurology study state that it is "premature to consider intervention" based on their findings,13 they suggest that lowering your cortisol may be a beneficial first step. The 2014 study authors also suggested you may be able to protect your future memory function by normalizing your cortisol levels.

Such intervention would be particularly beneficial for those who are at high risk for elevated cortisol, such as those who are depressed or are dealing with long-term stress following a traumatic event.

Stress May Trigger Clinical Onset of Alzheimer's

Other scientific findings have linked stress and severe dementia. Argentinian research14 presented at the World Congress of Neurology in 2013 suggests stress may actually act as a trigger for the onset of Alzheimer's disease, as nearly 3 in 4 Alzheimer's patients (72 percent) had experienced severe emotional stress during the two years preceding their diagnosis.

In the control group, only 26 percent, or 1 in 4, had undergone major stress or grief. Most of the stresses encountered by the Alzheimer's group involved:

Bereavement — death of a spouse, partner, or child

Violent experiences, such as assault or robbery

Car accidents

Financial problems, including "pension shock"

Diagnosis of a family member's severe illness

According to lead author Dr. Edgardo Reich:15

"Stress, according to our findings, is probably a trigger for initial symptoms of dementia. Though I rule out stress as monocausal in dementia, research is solidifying the evidence that stress can trigger a degenerative process in the brain and precipitate dysfunction in the neuroendocrine and immune system. It is an observational finding and does not imply direct causality. Further studies are needed to examine these mechanisms in detail."

Vision and Hearing Problems Also Linked to Dementia

Aside from managing daily stresses, protecting your vision and hearing are other important factors that can influence your dementia risk. In fact, recent research16 suggests you can actually slow down cognitive decline by restoring your hearing and/or vision, and by a significant degree.

Lead author Dr. Asri Maharani, a researcher at the University of Manchester in the division of neuroscience and experimental psychology, told NPR,17 "We found the rate of cognitive decline was slowed by 75 percent following the adoption of hearing aids. It is a surprising result."

While the researchers were surprised by the findings, it does make sense. As noted by Dina Rollins, an audiologist who was not involved in the study, "Stimulating your ears stimulates the nerves that stimulate your brain," so by restoring hearing, you're "giving your brain what it needs to make sense of what you're hearing."

Another possible reason for this link has to do with the fact that hearing loss leads to social isolation, which has also been shown to speed cognitive decline and raise your risk of dementia. A related study18 by the same research group shows cognitive decline is also slowed by restoring vision. Here, Maharani's team found that cataract surgery slowed the rate of cognitive decline by 50 percent.

Ketogenic Diet Protects Against Dementia

As mentioned, there's good news in all of this, and it's that your brain has a natural capacity for regeneration and rejuvenation. Among the most valuable dementia prevention strategies is a cyclical ketogenic diet described in my book, "Fat for Fuel" and many other articles. If you're new to this topic, see "Burn Fat for Fuel" or "A Beginner's Guide to the Ketogenic Diet" for an introduction.

In short, a ketogenic diet, being high in healthy fats and low in net carbohydrates, allows your body to start burning fat as its primary fuel and results in the creation of ketones. And, compared to glucose, ketones:

Burn more efficiently

Are a superior fuel for your brain

Generate fewer reactive oxygen species and less free radical damage

Influence DNA expression to increase detoxification and antioxidant production

Inhibit inflammation

Recent research19,20,21,22,23 shows a ketogenic diet improves neurovascular integrity and function and clearance of amyloid-beta (a main component of the plaque that accumulates in the brains of those with Alzheimer’s disease) — in part by improving the gut microbiome — and neurovascular function plays a major role in cognitive capability.

More specifically, poor neurovascular function is strongly associated with loss of language, memory and attention, while reduced cerebral blood flow raises your risk for depression, anxiety and dementia. Impaired blood-brain barrier function has also been linked to brain inflammation, dysfunction of synapses, impaired clearance of amyloid-beta plaques, psychiatric disorders and dementia.24

According to the authors, "Our findings suggest that ketogenic diet intervention started in the early stage may enhance brain vascular function, increase beneficial gut microbiota, improve metabolic profile, and reduce risk for Alzheimer's disease."

High-Sugar Diet Is a Recipe for Dementia

It's important to realize the adverse impact sugar has on your brain. A high-sugar diet triggers insulin resistance, and there's a very strong link between insulin resistance and Alzheimer's.25 For example, a longitudinal study26 published in the journal Diabetologia in January 2018, found that the higher an individual's blood sugar, the faster their rate of cognitive decline.

Even mild elevation of blood sugar and mild insulin resistance are associated with an elevated risk for dementia.27,28 Research29 published in 2013 showed that sugar and other carbohydrates disrupt your brain function primarily by shrinking your hippocampus, a brain region involved with the formation, organization and storage of memories.

The authors suggest that “strategies aimed at lowering glucose levels even in the normal range may beneficially influence cognition in the older population.” A similar study30 published in 2014 found that Type 2 diabetics lose more gray matter with age than expected, and this brain atrophy also helps explain why diabetics have a higher risk for dementia, and have earlier onset of dementia than nondiabetics.

As noted by Dr. Sam Gandy, director of the Center for Cognitive Health at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, these findings “suggest that chronic high levels of insulin and sugar may be directly toxic to brain cells” and that “this would definitely be a potential cause of dementia."31

Perhaps one of the most striking studies32 on carbohydrates and brain health revealed high-carb diets increase your risk of dementia by 89 percent, while high-fat diets lower it by 44 percent.

Sleep, Exercise and EMF Avoidance Are Other Key Dementia Prevention Strategies

Aside from stress and diet, three other lifestyle areas that play important roles in the development of dementia are sleep, physical fitness and exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMFs), the influence of which are summarized below.

• Sleep — Wakefulness is associated with mitochondrial stress. Without sufficient sleep, neuron degeneration sets in, which can lead to dementia.33,34,35 In fact, sleep deprivation is a risk factor for severe dementia, and animal research36 reveals inconsistent, intermittent sleep results in considerable and irreversible brain damage.

Research published in the journal Neurobiology of Aging37 suggests people with chronic sleep problems also develop Alzheimer's disease sooner than those who sleep well.

Your blood-brain barrier becomes more permeable with age, allowing more toxins to enter.38 This, in conjunction with reduced efficiency of the glymphatic system due to lack of sleep, allows for more rapid damage to occur in your brain and this deterioration is thought to play a significant role in the development of Alzheimer's.

• Exercise — Recent research39 found women with the highest cardiovascular fitness had an 88 percent lower risk of dementia than those with moderate fitness. Even maintaining average fitness is worthwhile, as women with the lowest fitness had a 41 percent greater risk of dementia than those of average fitness.

• Electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure — Microwaves emitted from cellphones, Wi-Fi routers, computers and tablets (when not in airplane mode) harm your brain by increasing intracellular calcium through the voltage gated calcium channels (VGCCs) in your cells.

The tissues with the highest density of VGCCs are your brain, the pacemaker in your heart and male testes. Once VGCCs are stimulated, they trigger the release of neurotransmitters, neuroendocrine hormones and highly damaging reactive oxygen species, significantly raising your risk of anxiety, depression and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's.40

Basic prevention strategies include turning your Wi-Fi off at night, not carrying your cellphone on your body and not keeping portable phones, cellphones and other electric devices in your bedroom. To learn more, see my interview with professor Martin Pall. A more extensive list of prevention strategies to minimize your EMF exposure can be found in "Electromagnetic Radiation Specialist Reveals the Hidden Dangers of Electric Fields."

While I believe these are among the most important prevention strategies, there are of course many other factors that can come into play. To learn more about the prevention and reversal of cognitive decline, see my interview with Dr. Dale Bredesen, director of neurodegenerative disease research at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Medicine, whose unique ReCODE (Reversal of Cognitive Decline) program offers hope for many.

Download Interview Transcript

In 2014, Bredesen published a paper that demonstrates the power of lifestyle choices for the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's. By leveraging 36 healthy lifestyle parameters, he was able to reverse Alzheimer's in 9 out of 10 patients. This included the use of exercise, ketogenic diet, optimizing vitamin D and other hormones, increasing sleep, meditation, detoxification and eliminating gluten and processed food.

In all, Bredesen has identified 150 different variables that can have a significant influence on Alzheimer's, but at the heart of it all is mitochondrial dysfunction, and one of the pronounced health effects of a cyclical ketogenic diet is the optimization of mitochondrial function. Not surprisingly, Bredesen's ReCODE Protocol also includes nutritional ketosis. You can download Bredesen's full-text case paper41 online, which details the full program.

from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2018/11/15/stress-shrinks-brain-impairs-memory.aspx

source http://niapurenaturecom.weebly.com/blog/stress-shrinks-your-brain-and-impairs-memory

[jakehglover]

Stress Shrinks Your Brain and Impairs Memory

Studies have found strong links between acute and/or chronic stress and a wide variety of health issues, including your brain function and risk for dementia. For example, animal research1 published in 2014 reported that elevated levels of stress hormones can speed up short-term memory loss in older adults by inducing structural changes in the brain.

The findings indicate that how your body responds to stress may be a factor that influences how your brain ages over time. Previous research has also linked chronic stress with working memory impairment2 and an increased risk for early onset of Alzheimer's disease.3

Fortunately, there's compelling research showing your brain has great plasticity and capacity for regeneration, which you control through your diet and lifestyle.

Based on the findings linking dementia with chronic stress, having effective tools to address stress can be an important part of Alzheimer's prevention, not to mention achieving and maintaining optimal health in general.

Stress Impairs Cognition and Memory, Recent Research Shows

Most recently, researchers warn that having elevated blood levels of the stress hormone cortisol can impair your thinking skills and memory over time.4,5,6,7 The researchers used the government-sponsored Framingham Heart Study database to identify more than 2,200 people who did not have any signs of dementia, and followed them for eight years. As reported by The New York Times:8

"Researchers gave tests for memory, abstract reasoning, visual perception and attention to 2,231 people, average age 49 and free of dementia. They recorded blood levels of cortisol and did MRI examinations to assess brain volume.

The study,9 in Neurology, controlled for age, sex, education, body mass index, blood pressure and many other variables, and found that compared with people with average levels of cortisol, those with the highest levels had lower scores on the cognitive tests.

In women, but not in men, higher cortisol was also associated with reduced brain volume. There was no association of the lowest cortisol levels with either cognitive test scores or brain size."

A significant limitation of the study is the fact that blood levels of cortisol were only checked once, at the end of the study, and may therefore not be representative of people's long-term exposure to this stress chemical.

Still, a number of other studies have reported similar findings, so the link between stress and cognitive decline certainly appears to be real. Lead author Dr. Justin Echouffo-Tcheugui, assistant professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, commented on the findings:10

"Our research detected memory loss and brain shrinkage in middle-aged people before symptoms started to show in ordinary, daily activities.

So, it's important for people to find ways to reduce stress, such as getting enough sleep, engaging in moderate exercise, incorporating relaxation techniques into their daily lives, or asking their doctor about their cortisol levels and taking a cortisol-reducing medication if needed. It's important for physicians to counsel all people with higher cortisol levels."

Stress Hormones Have a Corrosive Effect in Your Brain

When you're stressed, your cortisol rises and, together with adrenaline, triggers your body's fight-or-flight response. Cortisol also increases the glucose level in your bloodstream and temporarily enhances your brain's use of that glucose, while simultaneously suppressing bodily functions deemed irrelevant during an emergency, such as digestion.

While this cascade of biochemical effects is beneficial when you're in immediate physical danger, cortisol has a corrosive effect that, over time, actually wears down the synapses responsible for memory storage and processing. This was demonstrated in the 2014 animal study11 mentioned earlier.

According to that study,12 elevated levels of cortisol affect your memory by causing a gradual loss of synapses in your prefrontal cortex, the brain region associated with short-term memory. As noted by the authors:

"Short-term increases in cortisol are critical for survival. They promote coping and help us respond to life's challenges by making us more alert and able to think on our feet.

But abnormally high or prolonged spikes in cortisol — like what happens when we are dealing with long-term stress — can lead to negative consequences that numerous bodies of research have shown to include digestion problems, anxiety, weight gain and high blood pressure."

While the authors of the Neurology study state that it is "premature to consider intervention" based on their findings,13 they suggest that lowering your cortisol may be a beneficial first step. The 2014 study authors also suggested you may be able to protect your future memory function by normalizing your cortisol levels.

Such intervention would be particularly beneficial for those who are at high risk for elevated cortisol, such as those who are depressed or are dealing with long-term stress following a traumatic event.

Stress May Trigger Clinical Onset of Alzheimer's

Other scientific findings have linked stress and severe dementia. Argentinian research14 presented at the World Congress of Neurology in 2013 suggests stress may actually act as a trigger for the onset of Alzheimer's disease, as nearly 3 in 4 Alzheimer's patients (72 percent) had experienced severe emotional stress during the two years preceding their diagnosis.

In the control group, only 26 percent, or 1 in 4, had undergone major stress or grief. Most of the stresses encountered by the Alzheimer's group involved:

Bereavement — death of a spouse, partner, or child

Violent experiences, such as assault or robbery

Car accidents

Financial problems, including "pension shock"

Diagnosis of a family member's severe illness

According to lead author Dr. Edgardo Reich:15

"Stress, according to our findings, is probably a trigger for initial symptoms of dementia. Though I rule out stress as monocausal in dementia, research is solidifying the evidence that stress can trigger a degenerative process in the brain and precipitate dysfunction in the neuroendocrine and immune system. It is an observational finding and does not imply direct causality. Further studies are needed to examine these mechanisms in detail."

Vision and Hearing Problems Also Linked to Dementia

Aside from managing daily stresses, protecting your vision and hearing are other important factors that can influence your dementia risk. In fact, recent research16 suggests you can actually slow down cognitive decline by restoring your hearing and/or vision, and by a significant degree.

Lead author Dr. Asri Maharani, a researcher at the University of Manchester in the division of neuroscience and experimental psychology, told NPR,17 "We found the rate of cognitive decline was slowed by 75 percent following the adoption of hearing aids. It is a surprising result."

While the researchers were surprised by the findings, it does make sense. As noted by Dina Rollins, an audiologist who was not involved in the study, "Stimulating your ears stimulates the nerves that stimulate your brain," so by restoring hearing, you're "giving your brain what it needs to make sense of what you're hearing."

Another possible reason for this link has to do with the fact that hearing loss leads to social isolation, which has also been shown to speed cognitive decline and raise your risk of dementia. A related study18 by the same research group shows cognitive decline is also slowed by restoring vision. Here, Maharani's team found that cataract surgery slowed the rate of cognitive decline by 50 percent.

Ketogenic Diet Protects Against Dementia

As mentioned, there's good news in all of this, and it's that your brain has a natural capacity for regeneration and rejuvenation. Among the most valuable dementia prevention strategies is a cyclical ketogenic diet described in my book, "Fat for Fuel" and many other articles. If you're new to this topic, see "Burn Fat for Fuel" or "A Beginner's Guide to the Ketogenic Diet" for an introduction.

In short, a ketogenic diet, being high in healthy fats and low in net carbohydrates, allows your body to start burning fat as its primary fuel and results in the creation of ketones. And, compared to glucose, ketones:

Burn more efficiently

Are a superior fuel for your brain

Generate fewer reactive oxygen species and less free radical damage

Influence DNA expression to increase detoxification and antioxidant production

Inhibit inflammation

Recent research19,20,21,22,23 shows a ketogenic diet improves neurovascular integrity and function and clearance of amyloid-beta (a main component of the plaque that accumulates in the brains of those with Alzheimer’s disease) — in part by improving the gut microbiome — and neurovascular function plays a major role in cognitive capability.

More specifically, poor neurovascular function is strongly associated with loss of language, memory and attention, while reduced cerebral blood flow raises your risk for depression, anxiety and dementia. Impaired blood-brain barrier function has also been linked to brain inflammation, dysfunction of synapses, impaired clearance of amyloid-beta plaques, psychiatric disorders and dementia.24

According to the authors, "Our findings suggest that ketogenic diet intervention started in the early stage may enhance brain vascular function, increase beneficial gut microbiota, improve metabolic profile, and reduce risk for Alzheimer's disease."

High-Sugar Diet Is a Recipe for Dementia

It's important to realize the adverse impact sugar has on your brain. A high-sugar diet triggers insulin resistance, and there's a very strong link between insulin resistance and Alzheimer's.25 For example, a longitudinal study26 published in the journal Diabetologia in January 2018, found that the higher an individual's blood sugar, the faster their rate of cognitive decline.

Even mild elevation of blood sugar and mild insulin resistance are associated with an elevated risk for dementia.27,28 Research29 published in 2013 showed that sugar and other carbohydrates disrupt your brain function primarily by shrinking your hippocampus, a brain region involved with the formation, organization and storage of memories.

The authors suggest that “strategies aimed at lowering glucose levels even in the normal range may beneficially influence cognition in the older population.” A similar study30 published in 2014 found that Type 2 diabetics lose more gray matter with age than expected, and this brain atrophy also helps explain why diabetics have a higher risk for dementia, and have earlier onset of dementia than nondiabetics.

As noted by Dr. Sam Gandy, director of the Center for Cognitive Health at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, these findings “suggest that chronic high levels of insulin and sugar may be directly toxic to brain cells” and that “this would definitely be a potential cause of dementia."31

Perhaps one of the most striking studies32 on carbohydrates and brain health revealed high-carb diets increase your risk of dementia by 89 percent, while high-fat diets lower it by 44 percent.

Sleep, Exercise and EMF Avoidance Are Other Key Dementia Prevention Strategies

Aside from stress and diet, three other lifestyle areas that play important roles in the development of dementia are sleep, physical fitness and exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMFs), the influence of which are summarized below.

• Sleep — Wakefulness is associated with mitochondrial stress. Without sufficient sleep, neuron degeneration sets in, which can lead to dementia.33,34,35 In fact, sleep deprivation is a risk factor for severe dementia, and animal research36 reveals inconsistent, intermittent sleep results in considerable and irreversible brain damage.

Research published in the journal Neurobiology of Aging37 suggests people with chronic sleep problems also develop Alzheimer's disease sooner than those who sleep well.

Your blood-brain barrier becomes more permeable with age, allowing more toxins to enter.38 This, in conjunction with reduced efficiency of the glymphatic system due to lack of sleep, allows for more rapid damage to occur in your brain and this deterioration is thought to play a significant role in the development of Alzheimer's.

• Exercise — Recent research39 found women with the highest cardiovascular fitness had an 88 percent lower risk of dementia than those with moderate fitness. Even maintaining average fitness is worthwhile, as women with the lowest fitness had a 41 percent greater risk of dementia than those of average fitness.

• Electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure — Microwaves emitted from cellphones, Wi-Fi routers, computers and tablets (when not in airplane mode) harm your brain by increasing intracellular calcium through the voltage gated calcium channels (VGCCs) in your cells.

The tissues with the highest density of VGCCs are your brain, the pacemaker in your heart and male testes. Once VGCCs are stimulated, they trigger the release of neurotransmitters, neuroendocrine hormones and highly damaging reactive oxygen species, significantly raising your risk of anxiety, depression and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's.40

Basic prevention strategies include turning your Wi-Fi off at night, not carrying your cellphone on your body and not keeping portable phones, cellphones and other electric devices in your bedroom. To learn more, see my interview with professor Martin Pall. A more extensive list of prevention strategies to minimize your EMF exposure can be found in "Electromagnetic Radiation Specialist Reveals the Hidden Dangers of Electric Fields."

While I believe these are among the most important prevention strategies, there are of course many other factors that can come into play. To learn more about the prevention and reversal of cognitive decline, see my interview with Dr. Dale Bredesen, director of neurodegenerative disease research at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Medicine, whose unique ReCODE (Reversal of Cognitive Decline) program offers hope for many.

Download Interview Transcript

In 2014, Bredesen published a paper that demonstrates the power of lifestyle choices for the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's. By leveraging 36 healthy lifestyle parameters, he was able to reverse Alzheimer's in 9 out of 10 patients. This included the use of exercise, ketogenic diet, optimizing vitamin D and other hormones, increasing sleep, meditation, detoxification and eliminating gluten and processed food.

In all, Bredesen has identified 150 different variables that can have a significant influence on Alzheimer's, but at the heart of it all is mitochondrial dysfunction, and one of the pronounced health effects of a cyclical ketogenic diet is the optimization of mitochondrial function. Not surprisingly, Bredesen's ReCODE Protocol also includes nutritional ketosis. You can download Bredesen's full-text case paper41 online, which details the full program.

from HealthyLife via Jake Glover on Inoreader http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2018/11/15/stress-shrinks-brain-impairs-memory.aspx

[easyweight101]

Prodroxatone Review: Don’t Buy Before You Read This!

What is it?

Prodroxatone is a skin care product that says it is a daily moisturizer with anti-aging effects. Their website promotes it as a wrinkle-releaser and color corrector that is useful for restoring skin texture and tone. It is recommended by their advertising as an alternative to Botox in terms of its effects, but without the invasiveness of the injection procedure.

Our panel of beauty and wellness experts suggest that our users try Kremotex for their daily skin care needs. Its blend of traditionally successful ingredients combined with new skin care innovations has shown the most results during our experts’ tests. Click here to learn more about its proprietary formula.

Do You Know the Best Anti-Aging Creams of 2017?

Prodroxatone Ingredients and Side Effects

Prodroxatone does not offer their complete ingredients list on their website. Instead they mention that it only has three active ingredients, and it lists them as:

Vitamin C Aloe Vera Glycerin

 Vitamin C: One of the most effective skin care ingredients on the market due to its integral role in the formulation of new skin. Vitamin C is a key part of the immune system, of our body’s ability to process carbohydrates and other basic food elements, and it is the main reactive agent that begins the collagen synthesis process.

Collagen is the fundamental material that skin, bones, and other bodily tissues are composed of. Many successful skin care products focus on getting the body to produce new collagen because that is what keeps skin tone even and smooth, prevents dryness and wrinkling, and in general keeps the skin looking younger and healthier.

Vitamin C is safe for the majority of humans if taken in reasonable quantities. There are not thought to be any serious side effects related to vitamin C usage in either the short- or the long-term.

Aloe Vera: A traditional skin care ingredient that is derived from a plant native to the hot, arid areas of North America. The gel from its branches has been said to have antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory properties.

The derivatives of aloe plants have been used for a number of different purposes and can be either derived or applied to the skin. Conditions that topical aloe usage may possibly be effective for include:

Acne

Burns

Genital herpes

Lichen planus

Psoriasis

Aloe products are generally considered safe for most users, however individuals that have displayed aloe sensitivities in the past that may have an allergic reaction to Prodroxatone. There are no known serious side effects related to the topical usage of aloe, however if parts of the plant are consumed they can be toxic to humans.

Glycerin: A common skin care ingredient that is used for its ability to help moisturize the skin and promote cell maturation. Glycerin is derived from vegetable oils and is popular because of its humectant and emollient effects and its mildness on sensitive skin.

Glycerin is frequently used in the treatment of psoriasis due to its ability to help stop the over-shedding of skin cells that psoriasis promotes, and it has also shown some application in speeding up the healing cycle of skin injuries. It is also used to treat conditions like hyperkeratinitis, hyperpigmentation, an eczema that involve the over-hardening of the skin and excessive density of some forms of cells.

Glycerin is safe for the vast majority of users, however in some rare cases people have experienced mild allergic reactions. There are no side effects associated with its usage in either the short- or the long-term.

Follow this link to find out more about which skin care products our experts believe are the most effective for encouraging collagen production.

EDITOR’S TIP: Combine this product with a proven anti-aging cream such as Kremotex for better results.

Prodroxatone Quality of Ingredients

It is impossible to properly analyze the quality of a product if you do not know what is in it. Prodroxatone highlights their main active ingredients, however they make no mention of their inactive ingredients, which is a significant issue.

Ingredients are labeled as inactive only because they are not thought to contribute to the advertised effects of any product, not because they do not have an impact on the body. Many dishonest skin care companies use will use poor quality ingredients in their blends and call them inactive ingredients so that they do not have to disclose their effects.

Many inactive ingredients, like simple alcohols, help products appear as though they are initially very successful, however in the long term they can dry and age skin worse than doing nothing at all. Some, like lye, C13-14 Isoparaffins, and some types of artificial colors and fragrances, can even have serious long-term health consequences for users. Consumers have a right to know what they are and are not putting on their bodies and should not trust any product that does not clearly display its entire ingredient list.

Beyond this omission, however, there is very little about the ingredients that Prodroxatone uses that would make someone think it would be more effective than another product. These are three of the most basic skin care ingredients on the market, and some derivation of the three is bound to be found in almost every blend on the market.

There is nothing in Prodroxatone that would recommend it to users above any other product, so our team would always recommend choosing the product that is confident enough in the quality of their ingredients that they publish all of them.

Click here to see which brands of skin care products our team believes are the best at restoring youthful glow to dull and saggy skin.

The Price and Quality of Prodroxatone

Unlike most trustworthy companies, Prodroxatone does not publish the price of their product. Instead they encourage interested customers to sign up for their free trial offer which actually carries with it a number of stipulations that mean the product will never actually be free.

Signing up for the offer enrolls users in their monthly automatic payment plan which charges an unusually high amount of $94.11 per order – at least four or five times the market value of their product. There are also hidden fees for cancelation, restocking, and for not returning the free product.

To learn more about which over the counter skin care products are the safest for sensitive skins, click here.

Business of Prodroxatone

Prodroxatone is one of a network of products that all use the same business model. They try hard to obscure the name of their parent company, which is sometimes listed as Skin Technologies, Coal Cosmetics, or Essence Skin Care. The contact information that is listed in the terms and conditions of the free offer is:

Phone Number: (888) 440-8969

Address: 1909 US Highway 82 W, Suite 9, PMB #48

Tifton, GA 31793

Email: cs@essencehealthyskin.com

There are hundreds of formal complaints filed against this organization, and they have been issued demands by the FTC and the Better Business Bureau, however there is no evidence that they have complied.

To see which brands of skin care products are the best at reducing the effects of UV damage, follow this link.

EDITOR’S TIP: For the best results, our experts recommend using anti-aging creams for at least 3 months. Save your money by buying a few bottles at once.

Customer Opinions of Prodroxatone

The majority of the reviews of Prodroxatone are customers complaining about feeling taken advantage of by their dishonest business model. When they do discuss the product itself, they reviews are similar to these:

“I tried Prodroxatone for a week and I kept breaking out. I thought it was a coincidence, but I stopped and it went away, then restarted and it came back.”

“Is a face cream supposed to burn when you apply it? Is it supposed to make your skin dry, red, and cracked? If so, then I guess Prodroxatone is a great face cream.”

“THIS IS NOT A REAL SKIN CREAM. DO NOT LET IT TOUCH YOUR SKIN.”

When customers did choose to focus on the product they described a skin cram that was ineffective, unpleasant to use, and induced a number of unpleasant side effects.

Click here for the most up-to-date information about the safest and most effective skin care products on the market today.

Conclusion – Does Prodroxatone Work?

Our team of researchers has spent enough time covering this industry that they are well aware of organizations like Prodroxatone and the specific scam that they are trying to get away with.

Their organization has no interest in providing a quality product or helping people get the skin care that they deserve, they just want to get people to sign up for their bogus free trial program so that they can hit them with a bunch of hidden fees. Some users were charged for months and ended up paying hundreds of dollars to Prodroxatone before discovering the swindle.

Our team cannot encourage our users strongly enough to stay away from Prodroxatone, Coal Cosmetics, DermEssence, L’Amoure, PureJuve, and all other associated products and companies. Instead, find a product that has a reliable track record with customers, that publishes their ingredients, and that is direct and up front about their pricing structures.

Our experts recommend Kremotex to our users for their daily skin care needs. It has been proven reliable on all skin types and they have all of their ingredients listed online and on their packaging, Click here to find out what makes Kremotex so much more effective than the other brands on the market.

from Easy Weight Loss 101 http://ift.tt/2ihCpYC via The Best Weight Loss Diet In The World

[food012]

trreeeee fggggggggggggggggggggg

00:06

Brainy Dose Presents:

00:08

14 Signs Of Vitamin D Deficiency

00:12

Vitamin D is an extremely important nutrient that has powerful effects throughout the body.

00:17

But despite its importance, many people just don’t seem to get adequate amounts.

00:21

In fact, over 40 percent of American adults, as well as approximately 1 billion people

00:27

worldwide, are vitamin D deficient!

00:30

Why is that?

00:31

Well, very few foods contain vitamin D; and most of it is actually produced in your skin

00:36

in response to UV rays from the sun - which is why it’s sometimes called the ‘sunshine

00:42

vitamin’.

00:43

Another reason for vitamin D deficiency is that it can be difficult to identify.

00:47

It’s hard to know if certain symptoms are actually a result of low vitamin D levels

00:51

or something else.

00:53

If you’re concerned whether you’re getting enough vitamin D, here are some signs suggesting

00:57

that you probably need more!

00:59

Number 1 - Aching Muscles

01:02

Vitamin D plays an important role in the support of muscle function.

01:06

When metabolized, vitamin D enters your muscles and ensures proper muscle contraction.

01:11

This is also vital for building muscle strength.

01:14

However, if you’re experiencing muscle pain that is not due to exertion, it may be due

01:19

to insufficient levels of vitamin D. In fact, research has established that chronic

01:24

muscle pain that is unresponsive to treatment is often due to vitamin D deficiency.

01:29

Number 2 - Painful Bones

01:32

Your bones stop growing once you’ve reached adulthood, but old bone tissue is regularly

01:37

replaced by new tissue.

01:39

Vitamin D is vital for ensuring bone tissue replacement, and a serious deficiency can

01:43

cause bones to soften.

01:45

This condition is known as Osteomalacia or ‘Adult Rickets’, and can lead to Osteoporosis.

01:52

Since muscle pain and bone pain often resemble each other, it’s important to know how to

01:56

differentiate one from the other.

01:59

Muscle pain is usually concentrated in one specific location and is aggravated by physical

02:04

activity.

02:05

Aching bones, however, are often felt as a penetrating and broadly spread pain.

02:10

Number 3 - Fatigue

02:13

This symptom is often overlooked, because we tend to attribute fatigue to a number of

02:17

different things.

02:19

That said, your body needs vitamin D to produce energy, and a lack of it can make you feel

02:24

tired and sluggish throughout the day.

02:27

This lack of energy can also cause you to adopt negative behaviors that can have an

02:31

adverse effect on your health.

02:33

So, listen to your body.

02:35

If you notice that you are feeling sluggish and can’t figure out why, you may just need

02:40

to get some more vitamin D.

02:42

Number 4 - Reduced Endurance

02:46

If you are physically active but you notice that your endurance is decreasing for no apparent

02:50

reason, low levels of vitamin D may be the cause.

02:54

As I mentioned in the previous point, vitamin D plays a vital role in maintaining and increasing

02:59

energy - and this is especially true for endurance.

03:03

Physically active people can also experience reduced endurance, even if they are getting

03:07

enough sunlight every day.

03:10

Fortunately, if a deficiency of this vitamin is the culprit, your endurance will quickly

03:14

improve once your levels return to normal.

03:17

Number 5 - Low Moods

03:20

Vitamin D is not only an important factor in your brain’s health, it also affects

03:25

your mood.

03:26

The areas of your brain that are associated with mood, have vitamin D receptors.

03:31

Low vitamin D levels can therefore significantly affect your brain cells.

03:36

While research is still being conducted, there is evidence to suggest that vitamin D can

03:41

increase certain neurotransmitters in the brain called monoamines.

03:45

These include “feel-good” substances like serotonin and dopamine.

03:49

Not having enough of these chemicals in your brain can cause you to feel low, and even

03:53

depressed.

03:54

This is also why many people experience low moods in the winter - a condition called Seasonal

03:59

Affective Disorder - which is at least partly caused by the relative lack of sunshine during

04:04

the winter months.

04:06

Number 6 - Problems Sleeping Well

04:08

It’s been discovered that vitamin D also plays a role in getting good sleep at night.

04:14

The precise relationship between sleep and vitamin D is not yet certain, but research

04:19

seems to associate the quality of your sleep with vitamin D levels.

04:23

This association may have something to do with the vitamin D receptors in the brain

04:26

that control sleep.

04:29

Receptors that receive insufficient amounts, work less efficiently than they should.

04:33

And this can lead to poor sleep quality.

04:36

Number 7 - Sweaty Head

04:39

When your body temperature exceeds 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit or 37 degrees Celsius, you perspire

04:45

in order to lower your body temperature.

04:48

This usually is entirely natural.

04:50

Perspiration even serves to eliminate toxins that gather in fat cells under your skin.

04:55

However, if your head is sweating while the rest of your body is not, it could be an indication

05:00

that you may not be getting enough vitamin D.

05:04

Number 8 - Losing Hair

05:07

Hair follicle growth is stimulated by vitamin D.

05:10

When they are healthy, hair follicles maintain hair volume.

05:13

It is, of course, natural to lose hair as you get older.

05:17

But people can also suffer from hair loss due to a deficiency in vitamin D.

05:22

This is especially true for women.

05:25

Research also suggests a connection between low vitamin D levels and Alopecia - which

05:29

is an autoimmune disease that results in bald patches.

05:33

Number 9 - Wounds Heal Slowly

05:36

If you get injured and it takes a long time for your wounds to heal, a lack of vitamin

05:41

D in your body might be the cause.

05:44

Vitamin D plays a vital role in rebuilding skin, thus, if you don’t get enough, healing

05:49

will occur at a much slower pace.

05:52

This can be especially problematic after a surgery and can also result in more pronounced

05:56

scarring.

05:58

Number 10 - Dizziness

06:01

Vitamin D plays an important role in the proper functioning of your ears.

06:05

Research has demonstrated that there are vitamin D receptors in the calcium channel transport

06:09

systems located in the inner ear.

06:12

These serve in maintaining a proper balance of calcium.

06:15

When calcium crystals located in your inner ear are dislodged, you can experience sudden

06:20

bouts of dizziness or a spinning sensation, as well as nausea - among other unpleasant

06:25

symptoms.

06:26

This condition is called Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo, and there is ample evidence

06:31

linking it to low levels of vitamin D.

06:34

Number 11 - Heart Problems

06:37

Perhaps one of the most underestimated risk factors for heart disease is vitamin D deficiency.

06:43

However, mounting evidence seems to indicate that insufficient levels of it can drastically

06:48

increase the likelihood of heart disease.

06:50

There also seems to be a connection with high blood pressure.

06:54

According to a number of large research studies, low levels of vitamin D can double the risk

06:58

of having a stroke, heart attack, or other heart complications.

07:03

Number 12 - Excessive Body Weight

07:07

Vitamin D is believed to optimize your body’s ability to absorb important nutrients - such

07:11

as calcium - which is essential not only for bone health, but also for a healthy metabolism.

07:17

It helps your body burn calories.

07:20

Research suggests that obesity increases the body’s need for the vitamin because of the

07:24

higher amounts of fat tissue.

07:26

Moreover, people with larger waistlines have trouble converting vitamin D to a more usable

07:31

form, and may need up to 3 times the amount than people of average weight - in order to

07:35

maintain healthy levels.

07:38

Number 13 - Recurring Infections

07:41

Vitamin D levels have a direct effect on the health of your body’s immune system.

07:46

When your body can process sufficient levels of it, your immune system remains strong and

07:51

is able to combat infections and diseases as it is meant to do.

07:55

Not getting enough of this crucial vitamin can result in serious consequences.

07:59

It can drastically weaken your immune system - leaving you vulnerable to recurring infections

08:04

and chronic diseases.

08:06

Number 14 - Reduced Cognitive Function

08:10

Vitamin D’s biologically active form has been shown to have neuroprotective effects.

08:15

This means that the vitamin actually helps in the preservation of nerve function - which

08:19

is very important for your brain to work properly.

08:22

Research strongly suggests that a deficiency of this vitamin is a significant factor in

08:26

reduced cognitive ability.

08:28

In fact, there are clear indications that low levels of vitamin D are connected to Dementia

08:34

as well as Alzheimer’s.

08:35

Furthermore, adults with serious vitamin D deficiencies are four times more likely to

08:40

suffer impaired cognitive function.

08:43

While vitamin D deficiency is a common issue worldwide, there are some factors that can

08:47

lead to an even greater risk of having low vitamin D levels.

08:51

As you already know, the body produces vitamin D when exposed to sunlight.

08:56

This means that you are at risk of having low levels if you spend too much time indoors

09:00

(whether at home or at work), live in extreme Northern or Southern latitudes, or wear unnecessarily

09:06

concealing clothing.

09:08

Those with darker skin naturally produce less vitamin D, because the higher levels of melanin

09:12

in their skin is actually meant to protect against excessive exposure to ultraviolet

09:17

light.

09:18

Nevertheless, if you suspect that you may be lacking vitamin D, it’s important to

09:22

get your blood levels checked.

09:24

The good news is that a vitamin D deficiency is usually easy to fix.

09:29

You can expose yourself to sunlight more often; include more foods rich in vitamin D in your

09:33

diet - such as fatty fish; or fortified foods - like cereal; or simply take a supplement.

09:40

It can do wonders for your health!

09:42

If you found this video helpful, give it a thumbs up, and share it with your friends.

09:46

For more videos like this, hit the subscribe button, and remember to click on the notification

09:50

bell.

09:51

Also, be sure to check out our other videos as well.

09:57

Thanks for watching!

from quality food https://ift.tt/2ZJ3Bqw via IFTTT

[food012]

trreeeee

00:06

Brainy Dose Presents:

00:08

14 Signs Of Vitamin D Deficiency

00:12

Vitamin D is an extremely important nutrient that has powerful effects throughout the body.

00:17

But despite its importance, many people just don’t seem to get adequate amounts.

00:21

In fact, over 40 percent of American adults, as well as approximately 1 billion people

00:27

worldwide, are vitamin D deficient!

00:30

Why is that?

00:31

Well, very few foods contain vitamin D; and most of it is actually produced in your skin

00:36

in response to UV rays from the sun - which is why it’s sometimes called the ‘sunshine

00:42

vitamin’.

00:43

Another reason for vitamin D deficiency is that it can be difficult to identify.

00:47

It’s hard to know if certain symptoms are actually a result of low vitamin D levels

00:51

or something else.

00:53

If you’re concerned whether you’re getting enough vitamin D, here are some signs suggesting

00:57

that you probably need more!

00:59

Number 1 - Aching Muscles

01:02

Vitamin D plays an important role in the support of muscle function.

01:06

When metabolized, vitamin D enters your muscles and ensures proper muscle contraction.

01:11

This is also vital for building muscle strength.

01:14

However, if you’re experiencing muscle pain that is not due to exertion, it may be due

01:19

to insufficient levels of vitamin D. In fact, research has established that chronic

01:24

muscle pain that is unresponsive to treatment is often due to vitamin D deficiency.

01:29

Number 2 - Painful Bones

01:32

Your bones stop growing once you’ve reached adulthood, but old bone tissue is regularly

01:37

replaced by new tissue.

01:39

Vitamin D is vital for ensuring bone tissue replacement, and a serious deficiency can

01:43

cause bones to soften.

01:45

This condition is known as Osteomalacia or ‘Adult Rickets’, and can lead to Osteoporosis.

01:52

Since muscle pain and bone pain often resemble each other, it’s important to know how to

01:56

differentiate one from the other.

01:59

Muscle pain is usually concentrated in one specific location and is aggravated by physical

02:04

activity.

02:05

Aching bones, however, are often felt as a penetrating and broadly spread pain.

02:10

Number 3 - Fatigue

02:13

This symptom is often overlooked, because we tend to attribute fatigue to a number of

02:17

different things.

02:19

That said, your body needs vitamin D to produce energy, and a lack of it can make you feel

02:24

tired and sluggish throughout the day.

02:27

This lack of energy can also cause you to adopt negative behaviors that can have an

02:31

adverse effect on your health.

02:33

So, listen to your body.

02:35

If you notice that you are feeling sluggish and can’t figure out why, you may just need

02:40

to get some more vitamin D.

02:42

Number 4 - Reduced Endurance

02:46

If you are physically active but you notice that your endurance is decreasing for no apparent

02:50

reason, low levels of vitamin D may be the cause.

02:54

As I mentioned in the previous point, vitamin D plays a vital role in maintaining and increasing

02:59

energy - and this is especially true for endurance.

03:03

Physically active people can also experience reduced endurance, even if they are getting

03:07

enough sunlight every day.

03:10

Fortunately, if a deficiency of this vitamin is the culprit, your endurance will quickly

03:14

improve once your levels return to normal.

03:17

Number 5 - Low Moods

03:20

Vitamin D is not only an important factor in your brain’s health, it also affects

03:25

your mood.

03:26

The areas of your brain that are associated with mood, have vitamin D receptors.

03:31

Low vitamin D levels can therefore significantly affect your brain cells.

03:36

While research is still being conducted, there is evidence to suggest that vitamin D can

03:41

increase certain neurotransmitters in the brain called monoamines.

03:45

These include “feel-good” substances like serotonin and dopamine.

03:49

Not having enough of these chemicals in your brain can cause you to feel low, and even

03:53

depressed.

03:54

This is also why many people experience low moods in the winter - a condition called Seasonal

03:59

Affective Disorder - which is at least partly caused by the relative lack of sunshine during

04:04

the winter months.

04:06

Number 6 - Problems Sleeping Well

04:08

It’s been discovered that vitamin D also plays a role in getting good sleep at night.

04:14

The precise relationship between sleep and vitamin D is not yet certain, but research

04:19

seems to associate the quality of your sleep with vitamin D levels.

04:23

This association may have something to do with the vitamin D receptors in the brain

04:26

that control sleep.

04:29

Receptors that receive insufficient amounts, work less efficiently than they should.

04:33

And this can lead to poor sleep quality.

04:36

Number 7 - Sweaty Head

04:39

When your body temperature exceeds 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit or 37 degrees Celsius, you perspire

04:45

in order to lower your body temperature.

04:48

This usually is entirely natural.

04:50

Perspiration even serves to eliminate toxins that gather in fat cells under your skin.

04:55

However, if your head is sweating while the rest of your body is not, it could be an indication

05:00

that you may not be getting enough vitamin D.

05:04

Number 8 - Losing Hair

05:07

Hair follicle growth is stimulated by vitamin D.

05:10

When they are healthy, hair follicles maintain hair volume.

05:13

It is, of course, natural to lose hair as you get older.

05:17

But people can also suffer from hair loss due to a deficiency in vitamin D.

05:22

This is especially true for women.

05:25

Research also suggests a connection between low vitamin D levels and Alopecia - which

05:29

is an autoimmune disease that results in bald patches.

05:33

Number 9 - Wounds Heal Slowly

05:36

If you get injured and it takes a long time for your wounds to heal, a lack of vitamin

05:41

D in your body might be the cause.

05:44

Vitamin D plays a vital role in rebuilding skin, thus, if you don’t get enough, healing

05:49

will occur at a much slower pace.

05:52

This can be especially problematic after a surgery and can also result in more pronounced

05:56

scarring.

05:58

Number 10 - Dizziness

06:01

Vitamin D plays an important role in the proper functioning of your ears.

06:05

Research has demonstrated that there are vitamin D receptors in the calcium channel transport

06:09

systems located in the inner ear.

06:12

These serve in maintaining a proper balance of calcium.

06:15

When calcium crystals located in your inner ear are dislodged, you can experience sudden

06:20

bouts of dizziness or a spinning sensation, as well as nausea - among other unpleasant

06:25

symptoms.

06:26

This condition is called Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo, and there is ample evidence

06:31

linking it to low levels of vitamin D.

06:34

Number 11 - Heart Problems

06:37

Perhaps one of the most underestimated risk factors for heart disease is vitamin D deficiency.

06:43

However, mounting evidence seems to indicate that insufficient levels of it can drastically

06:48

increase the likelihood of heart disease.

06:50

There also seems to be a connection with high blood pressure.

06:54

According to a number of large research studies, low levels of vitamin D can double the risk

06:58

of having a stroke, heart attack, or other heart complications.

07:03

Number 12 - Excessive Body Weight

07:07

Vitamin D is believed to optimize your body’s ability to absorb important nutrients - such

07:11

as calcium - which is essential not only for bone health, but also for a healthy metabolism.

07:17

It helps your body burn calories.

07:20

Research suggests that obesity increases the body’s need for the vitamin because of the

07:24

higher amounts of fat tissue.

07:26

Moreover, people with larger waistlines have trouble converting vitamin D to a more usable

07:31

form, and may need up to 3 times the amount than people of average weight - in order to

07:35

maintain healthy levels.

07:38

Number 13 - Recurring Infections

07:41

Vitamin D levels have a direct effect on the health of your body’s immune system.

07:46

When your body can process sufficient levels of it, your immune system remains strong and

07:51

is able to combat infections and diseases as it is meant to do.

07:55

Not getting enough of this crucial vitamin can result in serious consequences.

07:59

It can drastically weaken your immune system - leaving you vulnerable to recurring infections

08:04

and chronic diseases.

08:06

Number 14 - Reduced Cognitive Function

08:10

Vitamin D’s biologically active form has been shown to have neuroprotective effects.

08:15

This means that the vitamin actually helps in the preservation of nerve function - which

08:19

is very important for your brain to work properly.

08:22

Research strongly suggests that a deficiency of this vitamin is a significant factor in

08:26

reduced cognitive ability.

08:28

In fact, there are clear indications that low levels of vitamin D are connected to Dementia

08:34

as well as Alzheimer’s.

08:35

Furthermore, adults with serious vitamin D deficiencies are four times more likely to

08:40

suffer impaired cognitive function.

08:43

While vitamin D deficiency is a common issue worldwide, there are some factors that can

08:47

lead to an even greater risk of having low vitamin D levels.

08:51

As you already know, the body produces vitamin D when exposed to sunlight.

08:56

This means that you are at risk of having low levels if you spend too much time indoors

09:00

(whether at home or at work), live in extreme Northern or Southern latitudes, or wear unnecessarily

09:06

concealing clothing.

09:08

Those with darker skin naturally produce less vitamin D, because the higher levels of melanin

09:12

in their skin is actually meant to protect against excessive exposure to ultraviolet

09:17

light.

09:18

Nevertheless, if you suspect that you may be lacking vitamin D, it’s important to

09:22

get your blood levels checked.

09:24

The good news is that a vitamin D deficiency is usually easy to fix.

09:29

You can expose yourself to sunlight more often; include more foods rich in vitamin D in your

09:33

diet - such as fatty fish; or fortified foods - like cereal; or simply take a supplement.

09:40

It can do wonders for your health!

09:42

If you found this video helpful, give it a thumbs up, and share it with your friends.

09:46

For more videos like this, hit the subscribe button, and remember to click on the notification

09:50

bell.

09:51

Also, be sure to check out our other videos as well.

09:57

Thanks for watching!

from quality food https://ift.tt/2QdTk2I via IFTTT

[food012]

00:06

Brainy Dose Presents:

00:08

14 Signs Of Vitamin D Deficiency

00:12

Vitamin D is an extremely important nutrient that has powerful effects throughout the body.

00:17

But despite its importance, many people just don’t seem to get adequate amounts.

00:21

In fact, over 40 percent of American adults, as well as approximately 1 billion people

00:27

worldwide, are vitamin D deficient!

00:30

Why is that?

00:31

Well, very few foods contain vitamin D; and most of it is actually produced in your skin

00:36

in response to UV rays from the sun - which is why it’s sometimes called the ‘sunshine

00:42

vitamin’.

00:43

Another reason for vitamin D deficiency is that it can be difficult to identify.

00:47

It’s hard to know if certain symptoms are actually a result of low vitamin D levels

00:51

or something else.

00:53

If you’re concerned whether you’re getting enough vitamin D, here are some signs suggesting

00:57

that you probably need more!

00:59

Number 1 - Aching Muscles

01:02

Vitamin D plays an important role in the support of muscle function.

01:06

When metabolized, vitamin D enters your muscles and ensures proper muscle contraction.

01:11

This is also vital for building muscle strength.

01:14

However, if you’re experiencing muscle pain that is not due to exertion, it may be due

01:19

to insufficient levels of vitamin D. In fact, research has established that chronic

01:24

muscle pain that is unresponsive to treatment is often due to vitamin D deficiency.

01:29

Number 2 - Painful Bones

01:32

Your bones stop growing once you’ve reached adulthood, but old bone tissue is regularly

01:37

replaced by new tissue.

01:39

Vitamin D is vital for ensuring bone tissue replacement, and a serious deficiency can

01:43

cause bones to soften.

01:45

This condition is known as Osteomalacia or ‘Adult Rickets’, and can lead to Osteoporosis.

01:52

Since muscle pain and bone pain often resemble each other, it’s important to know how to

01:56

differentiate one from the other.

01:59

Muscle pain is usually concentrated in one specific location and is aggravated by physical

02:04

activity.

02:05

Aching bones, however, are often felt as a penetrating and broadly spread pain.

02:10

Number 3 - Fatigue

02:13

This symptom is often overlooked, because we tend to attribute fatigue to a number of

02:17

different things.

02:19

That said, your body needs vitamin D to produce energy, and a lack of it can make you feel

02:24

tired and sluggish throughout the day.

02:27

This lack of energy can also cause you to adopt negative behaviors that can have an

02:31

adverse effect on your health.

02:33

So, listen to your body.

02:35

If you notice that you are feeling sluggish and can’t figure out why, you may just need

02:40

to get some more vitamin D.

02:42

Number 4 - Reduced Endurance

02:46

If you are physically active but you notice that your endurance is decreasing for no apparent

02:50

reason, low levels of vitamin D may be the cause.

02:54

As I mentioned in the previous point, vitamin D plays a vital role in maintaining and increasing

02:59

energy - and this is especially true for endurance.

03:03

Physically active people can also experience reduced endurance, even if they are getting

03:07

enough sunlight every day.

03:10

Fortunately, if a deficiency of this vitamin is the culprit, your endurance will quickly

03:14

improve once your levels return to normal.

03:17

Number 5 - Low Moods

03:20

Vitamin D is not only an important factor in your brain’s health, it also affects

03:25

your mood.

03:26

The areas of your brain that are associated with mood, have vitamin D receptors.

03:31

Low vitamin D levels can therefore significantly affect your brain cells.

03:36

While research is still being conducted, there is evidence to suggest that vitamin D can

03:41

increase certain neurotransmitters in the brain called monoamines.

03:45

These include “feel-good” substances like serotonin and dopamine.

03:49

Not having enough of these chemicals in your brain can cause you to feel low, and even

03:53

depressed.

03:54

This is also why many people experience low moods in the winter - a condition called Seasonal

03:59

Affective Disorder - which is at least partly caused by the relative lack of sunshine during

04:04

the winter months.

04:06

Number 6 - Problems Sleeping Well

04:08

It’s been discovered that vitamin D also plays a role in getting good sleep at night.

04:14

The precise relationship between sleep and vitamin D is not yet certain, but research

04:19

seems to associate the quality of your sleep with vitamin D levels.

04:23

This association may have something to do with the vitamin D receptors in the brain

04:26

that control sleep.

04:29

Receptors that receive insufficient amounts, work less efficiently than they should.

04:33

And this can lead to poor sleep quality.

04:36

Number 7 - Sweaty Head

04:39

When your body temperature exceeds 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit or 37 degrees Celsius, you perspire

04:45

in order to lower your body temperature.

04:48

This usually is entirely natural.

04:50

Perspiration even serves to eliminate toxins that gather in fat cells under your skin.

04:55

However, if your head is sweating while the rest of your body is not, it could be an indication

05:00

that you may not be getting enough vitamin D.

05:04

Number 8 - Losing Hair

05:07

Hair follicle growth is stimulated by vitamin D.

05:10

When they are healthy, hair follicles maintain hair volume.

05:13

It is, of course, natural to lose hair as you get older.

05:17

But people can also suffer from hair loss due to a deficiency in vitamin D.

05:22

This is especially true for women.

05:25

Research also suggests a connection between low vitamin D levels and Alopecia - which

05:29

is an autoimmune disease that results in bald patches.

05:33

Number 9 - Wounds Heal Slowly

05:36

If you get injured and it takes a long time for your wounds to heal, a lack of vitamin

05:41

D in your body might be the cause.

05:44

Vitamin D plays a vital role in rebuilding skin, thus, if you don’t get enough, healing

05:49

will occur at a much slower pace.

05:52

This can be especially problematic after a surgery and can also result in more pronounced

05:56

scarring.

05:58

Number 10 - Dizziness

06:01

Vitamin D plays an important role in the proper functioning of your ears.

06:05

Research has demonstrated that there are vitamin D receptors in the calcium channel transport

06:09

systems located in the inner ear.

06:12

These serve in maintaining a proper balance of calcium.

06:15

When calcium crystals located in your inner ear are dislodged, you can experience sudden

06:20

bouts of dizziness or a spinning sensation, as well as nausea - among other unpleasant

06:25

symptoms.

06:26

This condition is called Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo, and there is ample evidence

06:31

linking it to low levels of vitamin D.

06:34

Number 11 - Heart Problems

06:37

Perhaps one of the most underestimated risk factors for heart disease is vitamin D deficiency.

06:43

However, mounting evidence seems to indicate that insufficient levels of it can drastically

06:48

increase the likelihood of heart disease.

06:50

There also seems to be a connection with high blood pressure.

06:54

According to a number of large research studies, low levels of vitamin D can double the risk

06:58

of having a stroke, heart attack, or other heart complications.

07:03

Number 12 - Excessive Body Weight

07:07

Vitamin D is believed to optimize your body’s ability to absorb important nutrients - such

07:11

as calcium - which is essential not only for bone health, but also for a healthy metabolism.

07:17

It helps your body burn calories.

07:20

Research suggests that obesity increases the body’s need for the vitamin because of the

07:24

higher amounts of fat tissue.

07:26

Moreover, people with larger waistlines have trouble converting vitamin D to a more usable

07:31

form, and may need up to 3 times the amount than people of average weight - in order to

07:35

maintain healthy levels.

07:38

Number 13 - Recurring Infections

07:41

Vitamin D levels have a direct effect on the health of your body’s immune system.

07:46

When your body can process sufficient levels of it, your immune system remains strong and

07:51

is able to combat infections and diseases as it is meant to do.

07:55

Not getting enough of this crucial vitamin can result in serious consequences.

07:59

It can drastically weaken your immune system - leaving you vulnerable to recurring infections

08:04

and chronic diseases.

08:06

Number 14 - Reduced Cognitive Function

08:10

Vitamin D’s biologically active form has been shown to have neuroprotective effects.

08:15

This means that the vitamin actually helps in the preservation of nerve function - which

08:19

is very important for your brain to work properly.

08:22

Research strongly suggests that a deficiency of this vitamin is a significant factor in

08:26

reduced cognitive ability.

08:28

In fact, there are clear indications that low levels of vitamin D are connected to Dementia

08:34

as well as Alzheimer’s.

08:35

Furthermore, adults with serious vitamin D deficiencies are four times more likely to

08:40

suffer impaired cognitive function.

08:43

While vitamin D deficiency is a common issue worldwide, there are some factors that can

08:47

lead to an even greater risk of having low vitamin D levels.

08:51

As you already know, the body produces vitamin D when exposed to sunlight.

08:56

This means that you are at risk of having low levels if you spend too much time indoors

09:00

(whether at home or at work), live in extreme Northern or Southern latitudes, or wear unnecessarily

09:06

concealing clothing.

09:08

Those with darker skin naturally produce less vitamin D, because the higher levels of melanin

09:12

in their skin is actually meant to protect against excessive exposure to ultraviolet

09:17

light.

09:18

Nevertheless, if you suspect that you may be lacking vitamin D, it’s important to

09:22

get your blood levels checked.

09:24

The good news is that a vitamin D deficiency is usually easy to fix.

09:29

You can expose yourself to sunlight more often; include more foods rich in vitamin D in your

09:33

diet - such as fatty fish; or fortified foods - like cereal; or simply take a supplement.

09:40

It can do wonders for your health!

09:42

If you found this video helpful, give it a thumbs up, and share it with your friends.

09:46

For more videos like this, hit the subscribe button, and remember to click on the notification

09:50

bell.

09:51

Also, be sure to check out our other videos as well.

09:57

Thanks for watching!

from quality food https://ift.tt/2ub3hFx via IFTTT

[food012]

00:06

Brainy Dose Presents:

00:08

14 Signs Of Vitamin D Deficiency

00:12

Vitamin D is an extremely important nutrient that has powerful effects throughout the body.

00:17

But despite its importance, many people just don’t seem to get adequate amounts.

00:21

In fact, over 40 percent of American adults, as well as approximately 1 billion people

00:27

worldwide, are vitamin D deficient!

00:30

Why is that?

00:31

Well, very few foods contain vitamin D; and most of it is actually produced in your skin

00:36

in response to UV rays from the sun - which is why it’s sometimes called the ‘sunshine

00:42

vitamin’.

00:43

Another reason for vitamin D deficiency is that it can be difficult to identify.

00:47

It’s hard to know if certain symptoms are actually a result of low vitamin D levels

00:51

or something else.

00:53

If you’re concerned whether you’re getting enough vitamin D, here are some signs suggesting

00:57

that you probably need more!

00:59

Number 1 - Aching Muscles

01:02

Vitamin D plays an important role in the support of muscle function.

01:06

When metabolized, vitamin D enters your muscles and ensures proper muscle contraction.

01:11

This is also vital for building muscle strength.

01:14

However, if you’re experiencing muscle pain that is not due to exertion, it may be due

01:19

to insufficient levels of vitamin D. In fact, research has established that chronic

01:24

muscle pain that is unresponsive to treatment is often due to vitamin D deficiency.

01:29

Number 2 - Painful Bones

01:32

Your bones stop growing once you’ve reached adulthood, but old bone tissue is regularly

01:37

replaced by new tissue.

01:39

Vitamin D is vital for ensuring bone tissue replacement, and a serious deficiency can

01:43

cause bones to soften.

01:45

This condition is known as Osteomalacia or ‘Adult Rickets’, and can lead to Osteoporosis.

01:52

Since muscle pain and bone pain often resemble each other, it’s important to know how to

01:56

differentiate one from the other.

01:59

Muscle pain is usually concentrated in one specific location and is aggravated by physical

02:04

activity.

02:05

Aching bones, however, are often felt as a penetrating and broadly spread pain.

02:10

Number 3 - Fatigue

02:13

This symptom is often overlooked, because we tend to attribute fatigue to a number of

02:17

different things.

02:19

That said, your body needs vitamin D to produce energy, and a lack of it can make you feel

02:24

tired and sluggish throughout the day.

02:27

This lack of energy can also cause you to adopt negative behaviors that can have an

02:31

adverse effect on your health.

02:33

So, listen to your body.

02:35

If you notice that you are feeling sluggish and can’t figure out why, you may just need

02:40

to get some more vitamin D.

02:42

Number 4 - Reduced Endurance

02:46

If you are physically active but you notice that your endurance is decreasing for no apparent

02:50

reason, low levels of vitamin D may be the cause.

02:54

As I mentioned in the previous point, vitamin D plays a vital role in maintaining and increasing

02:59

energy - and this is especially true for endurance.

03:03

Physically active people can also experience reduced endurance, even if they are getting

03:07

enough sunlight every day.

03:10

Fortunately, if a deficiency of this vitamin is the culprit, your endurance will quickly

03:14

improve once your levels return to normal.

03:17

Number 5 - Low Moods

03:20

Vitamin D is not only an important factor in your brain’s health, it also affects

03:25

your mood.

03:26

The areas of your brain that are associated with mood, have vitamin D receptors.

03:31

Low vitamin D levels can therefore significantly affect your brain cells.

03:36

While research is still being conducted, there is evidence to suggest that vitamin D can

03:41

increase certain neurotransmitters in the brain called monoamines.

03:45

These include “feel-good” substances like serotonin and dopamine.

03:49

Not having enough of these chemicals in your brain can cause you to feel low, and even

03:53

depressed.

03:54

This is also why many people experience low moods in the winter - a condition called Seasonal

03:59

Affective Disorder - which is at least partly caused by the relative lack of sunshine during

04:04

the winter months.

04:06

Number 6 - Problems Sleeping Well

04:08

It’s been discovered that vitamin D also plays a role in getting good sleep at night.

04:14

The precise relationship between sleep and vitamin D is not yet certain, but research

04:19

seems to associate the quality of your sleep with vitamin D levels.

04:23

This association may have something to do with the vitamin D receptors in the brain

04:26

that control sleep.

04:29

Receptors that receive insufficient amounts, work less efficiently than they should.

04:33

And this can lead to poor sleep quality.

04:36

Number 7 - Sweaty Head

04:39

When your body temperature exceeds 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit or 37 degrees Celsius, you perspire

04:45

in order to lower your body temperature.

04:48

This usually is entirely natural.

04:50

Perspiration even serves to eliminate toxins that gather in fat cells under your skin.

04:55

However, if your head is sweating while the rest of your body is not, it could be an indication

05:00

that you may not be getting enough vitamin D.

05:04

Number 8 - Losing Hair

05:07

Hair follicle growth is stimulated by vitamin D.

05:10

When they are healthy, hair follicles maintain hair volume.

05:13

It is, of course, natural to lose hair as you get older.

05:17

But people can also suffer from hair loss due to a deficiency in vitamin D.

05:22

This is especially true for women.

05:25

Research also suggests a connection between low vitamin D levels and Alopecia - which

05:29

is an autoimmune disease that results in bald patches.

05:33

Number 9 - Wounds Heal Slowly

05:36

If you get injured and it takes a long time for your wounds to heal, a lack of vitamin

05:41

D in your body might be the cause.

05:44

Vitamin D plays a vital role in rebuilding skin, thus, if you don’t get enough, healing

05:49

will occur at a much slower pace.

05:52

This can be especially problematic after a surgery and can also result in more pronounced

05:56

scarring.

05:58

Number 10 - Dizziness

06:01

Vitamin D plays an important role in the proper functioning of your ears.

06:05

Research has demonstrated that there are vitamin D receptors in the calcium channel transport

06:09

systems located in the inner ear.

06:12

These serve in maintaining a proper balance of calcium.

06:15

When calcium crystals located in your inner ear are dislodged, you can experience sudden

06:20

bouts of dizziness or a spinning sensation, as well as nausea - among other unpleasant

06:25

symptoms.

06:26

This condition is called Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo, and there is ample evidence

06:31

linking it to low levels of vitamin D.

06:34

Number 11 - Heart Problems

06:37

Perhaps one of the most underestimated risk factors for heart disease is vitamin D deficiency.

06:43

However, mounting evidence seems to indicate that insufficient levels of it can drastically

06:48

increase the likelihood of heart disease.

06:50

There also seems to be a connection with high blood pressure.

06:54

According to a number of large research studies, low levels of vitamin D can double the risk

06:58

of having a stroke, heart attack, or other heart complications.

07:03

Number 12 - Excessive Body Weight

07:07

Vitamin D is believed to optimize your body’s ability to absorb important nutrients - such

07:11

as calcium - which is essential not only for bone health, but also for a healthy metabolism.

07:17

It helps your body burn calories.

07:20

Research suggests that obesity increases the body’s need for the vitamin because of the

07:24

higher amounts of fat tissue.

07:26

Moreover, people with larger waistlines have trouble converting vitamin D to a more usable

07:31

form, and may need up to 3 times the amount than people of average weight - in order to

07:35

maintain healthy levels.

07:38

Number 13 - Recurring Infections

07:41

Vitamin D levels have a direct effect on the health of your body’s immune system.

07:46

When your body can process sufficient levels of it, your immune system remains strong and

07:51

is able to combat infections and diseases as it is meant to do.

07:55

Not getting enough of this crucial vitamin can result in serious consequences.

07:59

It can drastically weaken your immune system - leaving you vulnerable to recurring infections

08:04

and chronic diseases.

08:06

Number 14 - Reduced Cognitive Function

08:10

Vitamin D’s biologically active form has been shown to have neuroprotective effects.

08:15

This means that the vitamin actually helps in the preservation of nerve function - which

08:19

is very important for your brain to work properly.

08:22

Research strongly suggests that a deficiency of this vitamin is a significant factor in

08:26

reduced cognitive ability.

08:28

In fact, there are clear indications that low levels of vitamin D are connected to Dementia

08:34

as well as Alzheimer’s.

08:35

Furthermore, adults with serious vitamin D deficiencies are four times more likely to

08:40

suffer impaired cognitive function.

08:43

While vitamin D deficiency is a common issue worldwide, there are some factors that can

08:47

lead to an even greater risk of having low vitamin D levels.

08:51

As you already know, the body produces vitamin D when exposed to sunlight.

08:56

This means that you are at risk of having low levels if you spend too much time indoors

09:00

(whether at home or at work), live in extreme Northern or Southern latitudes, or wear unnecessarily

09:06

concealing clothing.

09:08

Those with darker skin naturally produce less vitamin D, because the higher levels of melanin

09:12

in their skin is actually meant to protect against excessive exposure to ultraviolet

09:17

light.

09:18

Nevertheless, if you suspect that you may be lacking vitamin D, it’s important to

09:22

get your blood levels checked.

09:24

The good news is that a vitamin D deficiency is usually easy to fix.

09:29

You can expose yourself to sunlight more often; include more foods rich in vitamin D in your

09:33

diet - such as fatty fish; or fortified foods - like cereal; or simply take a supplement.

09:40

It can do wonders for your health!

09:42

If you found this video helpful, give it a thumbs up, and share it with your friends.

09:46

For more videos like this, hit the subscribe button, and remember to click on the notification

09:50

bell.

09:51

Also, be sure to check out our other videos as well.

09:57

Thanks for watching!

from quality food https://ift.tt/37tigZP via IFTTT

[food012]

bbbb

00:06

Brainy Dose Presents:

00:08

14 Signs Of Vitamin D Deficiency

00:12

Vitamin D is an extremely important nutrient that has powerful effects throughout the body.

00:17

But despite its importance, many people just don’t seem to get adequate amounts.

00:21

In fact, over 40 percent of American adults, as well as approximately 1 billion people

00:27

worldwide, are vitamin D deficient!

00:30

Why is that?

00:31

Well, very few foods contain vitamin D; and most of it is actually produced in your skin

00:36

in response to UV rays from the sun - which is why it’s sometimes called the ‘sunshine

00:42

vitamin’.

00:43

Another reason for vitamin D deficiency is that it can be difficult to identify.

00:47

It’s hard to know if certain symptoms are actually a result of low vitamin D levels

00:51

or something else.

00:53

If you’re concerned whether you’re getting enough vitamin D, here are some signs suggesting

00:57

that you probably need more!

00:59

Number 1 - Aching Muscles

01:02

Vitamin D plays an important role in the support of muscle function.

01:06

When metabolized, vitamin D enters your muscles and ensures proper muscle contraction.

01:11

This is also vital for building muscle strength.

01:14

However, if you’re experiencing muscle pain that is not due to exertion, it may be due

01:19

to insufficient levels of vitamin D. In fact, research has established that chronic

01:24

muscle pain that is unresponsive to treatment is often due to vitamin D deficiency.

01:29

Number 2 - Painful Bones

01:32

Your bones stop growing once you’ve reached adulthood, but old bone tissue is regularly

01:37

replaced by new tissue.

01:39

Vitamin D is vital for ensuring bone tissue replacement, and a serious deficiency can

01:43

cause bones to soften.

01:45

This condition is known as Osteomalacia or ‘Adult Rickets’, and can lead to Osteoporosis.

01:52

Since muscle pain and bone pain often resemble each other, it’s important to know how to

01:56

differentiate one from the other.

01:59

Muscle pain is usually concentrated in one specific location and is aggravated by physical

02:04

activity.

02:05

Aching bones, however, are often felt as a penetrating and broadly spread pain.

02:10

Number 3 - Fatigue

02:13

This symptom is often overlooked, because we tend to attribute fatigue to a number of

02:17

different things.

02:19

That said, your body needs vitamin D to produce energy, and a lack of it can make you feel

02:24

tired and sluggish throughout the day.

02:27

This lack of energy can also cause you to adopt negative behaviors that can have an

02:31

adverse effect on your health.

02:33

So, listen to your body.

02:35

If you notice that you are feeling sluggish and can’t figure out why, you may just need

02:40

to get some more vitamin D.

02:42

Number 4 - Reduced Endurance

02:46

If you are physically active but you notice that your endurance is decreasing for no apparent

02:50

reason, low levels of vitamin D may be the cause.

02:54

As I mentioned in the previous point, vitamin D plays a vital role in maintaining and increasing

02:59

energy - and this is especially true for endurance.

03:03

Physically active people can also experience reduced endurance, even if they are getting

03:07

enough sunlight every day.

03:10

Fortunately, if a deficiency of this vitamin is the culprit, your endurance will quickly

03:14

improve once your levels return to normal.

03:17

Number 5 - Low Moods

03:20

Vitamin D is not only an important factor in your brain’s health, it also affects

03:25

your mood.

03:26

The areas of your brain that are associated with mood, have vitamin D receptors.

03:31

Low vitamin D levels can therefore significantly affect your brain cells.

03:36

While research is still being conducted, there is evidence to suggest that vitamin D can

03:41

increase certain neurotransmitters in the brain called monoamines.

03:45

These include “feel-good” substances like serotonin and dopamine.

03:49

Not having enough of these chemicals in your brain can cause you to feel low, and even

03:53

depressed.

03:54

This is also why many people experience low moods in the winter - a condition called Seasonal

03:59

Affective Disorder - which is at least partly caused by the relative lack of sunshine during

04:04

the winter months.

04:06

Number 6 - Problems Sleeping Well

04:08

It’s been discovered that vitamin D also plays a role in getting good sleep at night.

04:14

The precise relationship between sleep and vitamin D is not yet certain, but research

04:19

seems to associate the quality of your sleep with vitamin D levels.

04:23

This association may have something to do with the vitamin D receptors in the brain

04:26

that control sleep.

04:29

Receptors that receive insufficient amounts, work less efficiently than they should.

04:33

And this can lead to poor sleep quality.

04:36

Number 7 - Sweaty Head

04:39

When your body temperature exceeds 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit or 37 degrees Celsius, you perspire

04:45

in order to lower your body temperature.

04:48

This usually is entirely natural.

04:50

Perspiration even serves to eliminate toxins that gather in fat cells under your skin.

04:55

However, if your head is sweating while the rest of your body is not, it could be an indication

05:00

that you may not be getting enough vitamin D.

05:04

Number 8 - Losing Hair

05:07

Hair follicle growth is stimulated by vitamin D.

05:10

When they are healthy, hair follicles maintain hair volume.

05:13

It is, of course, natural to lose hair as you get older.

05:17

But people can also suffer from hair loss due to a deficiency in vitamin D.

05:22

This is especially true for women.

05:25

Research also suggests a connection between low vitamin D levels and Alopecia - which

05:29

is an autoimmune disease that results in bald patches.

05:33

Number 9 - Wounds Heal Slowly

05:36

If you get injured and it takes a long time for your wounds to heal, a lack of vitamin

05:41

D in your body might be the cause.

05:44

Vitamin D plays a vital role in rebuilding skin, thus, if you don’t get enough, healing

05:49

will occur at a much slower pace.

05:52

This can be especially problematic after a surgery and can also result in more pronounced

05:56

scarring.

05:58

Number 10 - Dizziness

06:01

Vitamin D plays an important role in the proper functioning of your ears.

06:05

Research has demonstrated that there are vitamin D receptors in the calcium channel transport

06:09

systems located in the inner ear.

06:12

These serve in maintaining a proper balance of calcium.

06:15

When calcium crystals located in your inner ear are dislodged, you can experience sudden

06:20

bouts of dizziness or a spinning sensation, as well as nausea - among other unpleasant

06:25

symptoms.

06:26

This condition is called Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo, and there is ample evidence

06:31

linking it to low levels of vitamin D.

06:34

Number 11 - Heart Problems

06:37

Perhaps one of the most underestimated risk factors for heart disease is vitamin D deficiency.

06:43

However, mounting evidence seems to indicate that insufficient levels of it can drastically

06:48

increase the likelihood of heart disease.

06:50

There also seems to be a connection with high blood pressure.

06:54

According to a number of large research studies, low levels of vitamin D can double the risk

06:58

of having a stroke, heart attack, or other heart complications.

07:03

Number 12 - Excessive Body Weight

07:07

Vitamin D is believed to optimize your body’s ability to absorb important nutrients - such

07:11

as calcium - which is essential not only for bone health, but also for a healthy metabolism.

07:17

It helps your body burn calories.

07:20

Research suggests that obesity increases the body’s need for the vitamin because of the

07:24

higher amounts of fat tissue.

07:26

Moreover, people with larger waistlines have trouble converting vitamin D to a more usable

07:31

form, and may need up to 3 times the amount than people of average weight - in order to

07:35

maintain healthy levels.

07:38

Number 13 - Recurring Infections

07:41

Vitamin D levels have a direct effect on the health of your body’s immune system.

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When your body can process sufficient levels of it, your immune system remains strong and

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is able to combat infections and diseases as it is meant to do.

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Not getting enough of this crucial vitamin can result in serious consequences.

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It can drastically weaken your immune system - leaving you vulnerable to recurring infections

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and chronic diseases.

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Number 14 - Reduced Cognitive Function

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Vitamin D’s biologically active form has been shown to have neuroprotective effects.

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This means that the vitamin actually helps in the preservation of nerve function - which

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is very important for your brain to work properly.

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Research strongly suggests that a deficiency of this vitamin is a significant factor in

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reduced cognitive ability.

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In fact, there are clear indications that low levels of vitamin D are connected to Dementia

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as well as Alzheimer’s.

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Furthermore, adults with serious vitamin D deficiencies are four times more likely to

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suffer impaired cognitive function.

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While vitamin D deficiency is a common issue worldwide, there are some factors that can

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lead to an even greater risk of having low vitamin D levels.

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As you already know, the body produces vitamin D when exposed to sunlight.

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This means that you are at risk of having low levels if you spend too much time indoors

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(whether at home or at work), live in extreme Northern or Southern latitudes, or wear unnecessarily

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concealing clothing.

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Those with darker skin naturally produce less vitamin D, because the higher levels of melanin

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in their skin is actually meant to protect against excessive exposure to ultraviolet

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light.

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Nevertheless, if you suspect that you may be lacking vitamin D, it’s important to

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get your blood levels checked.

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The good news is that a vitamin D deficiency is usually easy to fix.

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You can expose yourself to sunlight more often; include more foods rich in vitamin D in your

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diet - such as fatty fish; or fortified foods - like cereal; or simply take a supplement.

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It can do wonders for your health!

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