Dopamine May Be Willfully Controllable
Razi Berry From the thrill of hearing an ice cream truck approaching to the spikes of pleasure while sipping a fine wine, the neurological messenger known as dopamine has been popularly described as the brain’s “feel good” chemical related to reward and pleasure. A ubiquitous neurotransmitter that carries signals between brain cells, dopamine, among its […]
Eating to Ease Anxiety
Nicola Dehlinger, ND As the days start to shorten and an autumn chill comes back into the evening air, many people start to experience an uptick in feelings of anxiousness. Anticipating dark cold days, returning to school, and letting go of the “freedom” of summer can cause us to worry more, and feel less at […]
Matcha May Reduce Anxiety
Razi Berry Many different countries have a tea culture, and Japanese Matcha tea is growing in popularity around the world. In Japan, Matcha has a long history of being used for various medicinal purposes. It has been suspected to have various beneficial effects to health, but relatively little scientific evidence supported that claim. A group […]
Gang’s all here: The benefits of the synergy of the essential oil in cannabis (Part 2)
Sarah LoBisco, ND, IFCMP (licensed in VT) In the first part of this article, I discussed the concept of the entourage effect of cannabis. This is reference to the fact that the synergy of all its components acting together has different and enhanced effects than any of its isolates. In this post, I will expand […]
Why Are Some People More Vulnerable to Hunger?
Razi Berry It’s next to impossible to avoid occasions where the smells and sights of food will tantalize and torment us. Part of the difficulty in resisting these delicious items is a hormone found in the stomach that signals hunger – ghrelin. This hormone is currently being studied as a factor in overeating and obesity. […]
MDMA Found to Increase Cooperation With Others
Razi Berry A new study from England suggests that MDMA may increase people’s willingness to cooperate with each other.1 A lot of interest has been given to MDMA, a commonly used street drug called ecstasy or molly. Pure MDMA is currently being heavily researched for its potential in treating mental health conditions such as PTSD and […]
Love at First Sight: It Only Takes One-Fifth of a Second to Fall in Love
Razi Berry I’d been hit! And then everything went silent; Love at first sight It’s 1988 and just past lunchtime on campus of my suburban high school. My jeans probably had zippers on the ankles and my bangs were probably curled under and fluffed. I was probably wearing puffy sleeves. The final bell began to […]
How to self-love your way to long-term health
Dr. Sarah Zadek (nee King) There are many ways we can interpret, and act, on self-love. Sometimes our choices seem to help our emotional or mental state, but could work against our bodies physically; For example, indulging in comfort foods, or sweets when we’re feeling low. While other choices and actions may seem more challenging […]
Regulate Brain’s Dopamine System with Exercise to Treat Addiction
Node Smith, ND A recent study looks at how exercise may regulate neural pathways that are altered and dysfunctional in addiction. Specifically, the research has identified a mechanism in which aerobic exercise can impact treatment and prevention strategies. Exercise proven to be a vital tool in the treatment of many mental illnesses Exercise has shown […]
Oxytocin and Dopamine: The Rewards of Sociability
Node Smith, ND “With so much hatred and anger in the world, what could possibly be more important than understanding the mechanisms in the brain that make us want to be friendly with other people?” Robert Malenka, MD, PhD This quote came from an interview with Robert Malenka, MD, PhD, professor and associate chair of psychiatry […]