Clipmarks | Brain food Clips

'Some concern' still tied to chemical found in plastics

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 11:53:50 GMT

clipped by: A53GG4

'Some concern' still tied to chemical found in plastics

A government agency Wednesday said there's "some concern" that a controversial ingredient in plastic alters behavior and development of the brain and prostate gland in children and babies, both before and after birth.

The National Toxicology Program's final ruling on bisphenol A, or BPA, contradicts a Food and Drug Administration report issued two weeks ago.

The toxicology program rates its concerns on a five-point scale, from "negligible" to "serious," based on the strength of scientific evidence. It expressed "some concern" — a middle level — that BPA affects development at levels to which people are exposed everyday. The program has "minimal" concern — its second-lowest level — that BPA affects the breast or causes early puberty in girls and "negligible" concern that it causes birth defects, fetal or newborn death or reproductive problems in adults.

Tags: health

Thinking makes us pig out

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 20:16:26 GMT

clipped by: thekay

Clip Source: news.yahoo.com

Food for thought: Intellectual activities make people eat more than when just resting, according to a study that sheds new light on brain food.

This finding might also help explain the obesity epidemic of an increasingly sedentary society in which people still have to think now and then.

The scientists had determined beforehand that the thinking sessions consumed only three calories more than resting. After the sessions, the participants were invited to eat as much as they pleased.

The students who had done the computer tests downed 253 more calories, or 29.4 percent more than the couch potatoes. Those who had summarized a text consumed 203 more calories than the resting group.

Blood samples taken before, during, and after revealed that intellectual work causes much bigger fluctuations in glucose levels than rest periods, perhaps owing to the stress of thinking.

Various studies in animals have shown that consuming fewer calories overall leads to sharper brains and longer life

BPA and monkey health probs

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 15:25:01 GMT

clipped by: chipperdean

Clip Source: www.washingtonpost.com

Chemical in Plastic Is Connected to Health Problems in Monkeys

By Lyndsey Layton

Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, September 4, 2008; Page A02

Researchers at the Yale School of Medicine have linked a chemical found in everyday plastics to problems with brain function and mood disorders in monkeys -- the first time the chemical has been connected to health problems in primates.

The study is the latest in an accumulation of research that has raises concerns about bisphenol A, or BPA, a compound that gives a shatterproof quality to polycarbonate plastic and has been found to leach from plastic into food and water.

The Yale study comes as federal toxicologists yesterday reaffirmed an earlier draft report finding that there is "some concern" that bisphenol A can cause developmental problems in the brain and hormonal systems of infants and children.

Tags: health - animal research

Brain Tumor Blasting Laser

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 16:02:27 GMT

clipped by: papananook
clipper's remarks: Now if Medical science could just give me a new back...

Clip Source: www.dailygalaxy.com

In a world first, a man was strapped to a bed in Paris and had laser beams fired into his brain. He not only survived but, amazingly, wasn't James Bond.

The revolutionary surgery was carried out at Pitié-Salpêtrière hospital to destroy a brain tumor that wasn't responding to conventional treatment. Drilling a hole in somebody's skull and piping laser destruction into it, on the other hand, definitely counts as "unconventional treatment" and destroyed the tumor.

Unbelievably, this incredible example of genuine Mad Science converted to humanitarian efforts is running out of funding. Apparently people think "curing brain cancer" isn't important enough for a few million dollars of funding. (Note: America alone spends four billion dollars a year on cat food.)

We can only hope that somebody official gets their act together and budgets for some more research

Steve, don't eat it!

Mon, 01 Sep 2008 04:30:47 GMT

clipped by: Sheroug

Clip Source: www.thesneeze.com

Potted Meat Food Product

Clip Source: www.thesneeze.com

Pickled Pork Rinds

These are not the crunchy pork rinds you'll often see over by the chips. These are their grosser, soggier, potentially botulism-ier cousins

Clip Source: www.thesneeze.com

Breast Milk

Clip Source: www.thesneeze.com

Natto

fermented-on-purpose soybeans from Japan. That's what Natto is.

Clip Source: www.thesneeze.com

Cuitlacoche

Cuitlacoche is a black fungus that infects corn fields, making the kernels bulbous and swollen as they fill with spores.

Clip Source: www.thesneeze.com

Silkworm Pupas

Clip Source: www.thesneeze.com

The Tree Brain

Over the last 4 years we've tracked the annual growth of fungus on the trees in front of my house, but the time for tracking was over. The time for chewing was here.

Sweet Misery: A Poisoned World [Aspartame documentary]

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 19:01:43 GMT

clipped by: Spiritualmonkey
clipper's remarks: That diet soda is probably destroying your brain. If you don't want to get overweight, drink water and get more movement into your life.

But please, STOP DRINKING THIS CANCEROUS CHEMICAL THAT THE CORPORATIONS MAKE SO MUCH MONEY OFF!

And for HEAVEN'S SAKE, please don't give this stuff to your kids. That's borderline abuse.

Clip Source: video.google.com

Sweet Misery - A Poisoned World.avi - 90 min - May 26, 2007
Sound and Fury Productions Inc.

(779 Ratings) Rate:

Excellent documentary showing how dangerous artificial sweetner Aspartame is. From its history, to its effects this video is enough to shock...all » Excellent documentary showing how dangerous artificial sweetner Aspartame is. From its history, to its effects this video is enough to shock anyone into really looking at there food labels next time they shop. Aspartame is a toxic food that came into the world as an investment By Donald Rumsfeld, while ignoring the deadly effects the tests showed. Take a good look at this video, it could save lives.«

Embed video

[Video]

Tags: food, health, cancer, aspartame, corporations, diet soda, the brain

Are chat room conversations trendy or risky?

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 07:44:23 GMT

clipped by: anelly85

Clip Source: www.all-spy.com

Now all I know is that she’s coming home from school and refugees in her room where she’s spending all the afternoon. Well, she might get out for some food but quickly turns back. People, this is what I don’t understand: does her brain need no air? When I was like her, I was going out to meet friends face to face not meeting them through a 19 inch monitor! Every time I entered the room I found her doing the same thing: chatting online (I don’t know how many are friends from real life), using social networking sites (Facebook and Hi5) and sometimes playing or searching for something really informative.

Tags: protect child online, spy chat conversations, chat rooms conversation

Food for the brain

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 20:39:49 GMT

clipped by: dollface701
clipper's remarks: I did the quiz and didn't do as well as I thought..eek

Clip Source: www.webmd.com

Results: Brain Food: How Much Do You Know?

Which fats may pump up your brain's gray matter?

Omega-3 fatty acids, such as those found in fatty fish (like salmon and sardines), appear to have many health benefits. New research shows they may even build the brain's gray matter. In one study, healthy adults who ate the most omega-3 fatty acids had the most gray matter in three brain areas that regulate mood. How do omega-3 fatty acids help the brain? Scientists are still studying the connection. But they do know this: The omega-3 fatty acid DHA, is the major polyunsaturated fatty acid found in the brain, and is important for brain development and function.

Tags: brain health, healthy foods

Brain Food

Sat, 23 Aug 2008 00:11:01 GMT

clipped by: fruit123grl

Clip Source: www.prevention.com

Ever envy someone who can think on her feet? Or recall in-depth conversations? Or read maps? That brainiac could be you if you make fish oils a regular part of your brain food regimen, say British researchers.

They found that sixty 64-year-olds who'd taken daily fish-oil supplements for at least 6 months scored higher on tests of all those functions than sixty others who hadn't taken these brain food supplements, confirming several other recent studies.

Getting enough of two fish oils' components--DHA and EPA--seems to strengthen brain cell membranes and enhance cell-to-cell communication. The researchers advise focusing on fish in middle age to prevent mental decline, as well as heartbeat irregularities and joint inflammation, which the fish oils also help avert. Aim for one of these:

Two to four meals a week of oily fish, such as wild Pacific salmon.

Daily fish-oil capsules (500 mg EPA, 500 mg DHA).

Crunchy Brain Food

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 23:59:25 GMT

clipped by: fruit123grl

Clip Source: www.prevention.com

Snacking on celery and green bell peppers may help keep your mind sharp. Luteolin, a plant compound abundant in these two green veggies, can prevent inflammation in the brain linked with aging and diseases such as Alzheimer's and multiple sclerosis, according to researchers at the University of Illinois. The scientists studied the compound's effect on human brain cells in a test tube and on mice, and in both cases found that it decreased inflammation.

Try dipping celery and green bell pepper slices in hummus, or chop and mix with tuna, herbs (like parsley or chives), and a dollop of plain yogurt for a healthy tuna salad.

SUCKING THE BOTTLE FOR LIFE WHILE BOTTLE SUCKS LIFE !

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 20:29:12 GMT

clipped by: jt3600
clipper's remarks: BIG PLASTICS PAYING THE FDA TO SUCK THE LIFE OF YOUR BABY

Clip Source: greenopolis.com

Did Big Plastic Pay Off The FDA???

One dangerous, widely used and well researched chemicals that is found in many plastics is called Bisphenol A, or BPA for short. This chemical is found in sippy cups, the epoxy linings of canned food, baby bottles and countless other items. The organisations producing these products have fought hard and must have somehow bought out the FDA. It is obviously clear through years of research that the hormone disrupting chemical is dangerous, but through aggressive Search Engine Marketing, the creation of websites such as bisphenol-a.org, by employing their own scientists and lobbyists, and possibly buying out the FDA, Big Plastic has triumphed as the FDA has given their ruling that BPA is not dangerous. This has outraged the scientific community, including scientists, doctors and politicians with half a brain.

"Worldshift"

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 19:00:14 GMT

clipped by: cakebelly
clipper's remarks: http://www.realitysandwich.com/worldshift_our_unsustainable_world_will_change

Clip Source: www.realitysandwich.com

WORLDSHIFT!

Erwin Laszlo

This article summarizes the author’s forthcoming book, Quantum Shift in the Global Brain, to be published by Inner Traditions.

The production of essential biological and physical resources has already peaked. Forests, species of fish, and coral reefs are damaged and disappearing, soils are impoverished by overcropping and by chemicals; diversity is reduced by genetic manipulation. More than half the world’s population faces water shortages whilst climate change threatens to make much of the planet unsuited for food production and habitation.

With this comes growing insecurity within and between countries, and greater propensity to resort to terrorism and war. Fundamentalism and fanaticism are spreading and the gap is widening between rich and poor. Eighty percent of the world’s wealth belongs to one billion people while the rest is shared by five-and-a-half billion. One in three urban dwellers live in slums, shantytowns and urban ghettoes.

Dr. Perricone's 10 Superfoods

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 03:49:07 GMT

clipped by: melissah

Clip Source: www.oprah.com

Dr. Perricone's 10 Superfoods

The 10 featured here were chosen because of their direct link to the Brain-Beauty Connection. These foods (listed here in alphabetical order) are rich in either the Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs), antioxidants or fiber, and as in the case of açaí—all three!

In addition, we have included foods that have been proven to lower or help regulate blood sugar levels—an extremely important factor for all of those concerned with slowing the aging process and preventing diabetes, obesity, wrinkles and a host of degenerative diseases.

Learn More About Dr. Perricone's Superfoods:

Tags: health, food, nutrition

Cooking and Cognition: How Humans Got So Smart

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 21:55:09 GMT

clipped by: Silkweaver
clipper's remarks: We started innovating. We tried different materials, such as bone, and invented many new tools, including needles for beadwork. Responding to, presumably, our first abstract thoughts, we started creating art and maybe even religion.

To understand what caused the cognitive spurt, Khaitovich and colleagues examined chemical brain processes known to have changed in the past 200,000 years. Comparing apes and humans, they found the most robust differences were for processes involved in energy metabolism.

The finding suggests that increased access to calories spurred our cognitive advances, said Khaitovich, carefully adding that definitive claims of causation are premature.

The research is detailed in the August 2008 issue of Genome Biology.

Clip Source: www.livescience.com

After two tremendous growth spurts — one in size, followed by an even more important one in cognitive ability — the human brain is now a lot like a teenage boy.

It consumes huge amounts of calories, is rather temperamental and, when harnessed just right, exhibits incredible prowess.

The brain's roaring metabolism, possibly stimulated by early man's invention of cooking, may be the main factor behind our most critical cognitive leap, new research suggests.

About 2 million years ago, the human brain rapidly increased its mass until it was double the size of other primate brains.

"This happened because we started to eat better food, like eating more meat," said researcher Philipp Khaitovich

For a long time, we were pretty dumb. Humans did little but make "the same very boring stone tools for almost 2 million years," he said. Then, only about 150,000 years ago, a different type of spurt happened — our big brains suddenly got smart.

Tags: brain, culture, intelligence, nutrition

'Where Was God?' - Refugees Ask

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 11:17:01 GMT

clipped by: birdie-brain
clipper's remarks: the family found a military convoy that helped get them to the convent, which has provided food and medicine to refugees. Thirty tons of supplies have poured into the convent from the Russian Orthodox Church alone.

"We are working around the clock," Mother Nonna said. "We drowned in the flood of refugees."

Recently washed children's clothing is strewn across the railings outside the convent, which functioned as a summer camp for the Communist youth group during the Soviet era and now includes a special rehabilitation center for children who survived the 2004 terrorist siege of a school in nearby Beslan.

Dzara Kumeritova, an assistant at the convent, said that the refugees from South Ossetia all arrived terrified, most of the children too scared to eat for the first day or two.

"Somebody slammed the door and the crowd shivered," she said.

The article continues... http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26206516/

Clip Source: www.msnbc.msn.com

Russia - Sarmat Kapisov ran all night through the forest with his family, fleeing the fighting in South Ossetia and headed for the Georgia-Russia border. On his back, the 17-year-old carried his brother, who has cerebral palsy.

The convent director

said thousands have passed through since the bloodshed began one week ago in the pro-Russian separatist province claimed by Georgia

The most difficult thing was to answer their question: Where was God?

she said

100,000 people the U.N. refugee agency says have been uprooted by the conflict, an estimated 30,000 have fled across the border into Russia

twice as many have gone the other direction, toward the Georgian capital

Kapisovs spent days hiding in the basement of their home in South Ossetia

mother and eight children fled. The father and two oldest brothers stayed behind to fight the Georgians alongside the Russian military

The most horrible thing was when the tanks arrived

she said

After walking for a night

Tags: georgia, russia, conflict, refugees, war