Muscle Signals are Important to a Healthy Brain
Razi Berry How do different parts of the body communicate? Scientists at St. Jude are studying how signals sent from skeletal muscle affect the brain. The team studied fruit flies and cutting-edge brain cell models called organoids. They focused on the signals muscles send when stressed. The researchers found that stress signals rely on an […]
Stress Connected to ‘Broken Heart’
Razi Berry Heightened activity in the brain, caused by stressful events, is linked to the risk of developing a rare and sometimes fatal heart condition, according to research published in the European Heart Journal. The study found the greater the activity in nerve cells in the amygdala region of the brain, the sooner the condition […]
Factors that Influence Resilience Under Stress/Trauma
Razi Berry The unpredictable nature of life during the coronavirus pandemic is particularly challenging for many people. Not everyone can cope equally well with the uncertainty and loss of control. Research has shown that while a large segment of the population turns out to be resilient in times of stress and potentially traumatic events, others […]
Less Stress, Better Eating Habits
Razi Berry Overweight low-income mothers of young kids ate fewer fast-food meals and high-fat snacks after participating in a study — not because researchers told them what not to eat, but because the lifestyle intervention being evaluated helped lower the moms’ stress, research suggests. The 16-week program was aimed at preventing weight gain by promoting […]
Why Stress Causes Cold Sores to Resurface
Razi Berry Researchers at the University of Virginia School of Medicine have shed light on what causes herpes simplex virus to flare up, explaining how stress, illness and even sunburn can trigger unwanted outbreaks. The discovery could lead to new ways to prevent cold sores and herpes-related eye disease from reoccurring, the researchers report. “Herpes […]
Adverse Childhood Upbringing Changes Later Opportunities
Razi Berry An adverse upbringing often impairs people’s circumstances and health in their adult years, especially for couples who have both had similar experiences. This is shown by a new study, carried out by Uppsala University researchers, in which 818 mothers and their partners filled in a questionnaire one year after having a child together. […]
An Interesting Twist on Mindfulness Research
Razi Berry If dispositional mindfulness can teach us anything about how we react to stress, it might be an unexpected lesson on its ineffectiveness at managing stress as it’s happening, according to new research from the University at Buffalo. When the goal is “not to sweat the small stuff,” mindfulness appears to offer little toward […]
Post-COVID Stress Disorder
Sarah Cimperman, ND The COVID-19 pandemic has caused nearly 1.5 million deaths worldwide as of late November 2020.1 It’s also been the source of considerable suffering as people struggle with economic devastation, food insecurity, unemployment, workplace safety concerns, the loss of loved ones, and social isolation. Even after individuals infected with coronavirus recover, the psychological […]
Stress Management: 6 Strategies Just for Kids
Sarah Cimperman, ND Students, teachers, and parents have had an unprecedented start to the new school year as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. Everyone is facing new challenges and new sources of stress. Some kids are struggling with distance learning and separation from friends while others are adjusting to social distancing inside schools, wearing masks all […]
What Happens in the Brain to ‘Disconnect’ During Sleep?
Razi Berry During sleep and under anesthesia, we rarely respond to such external stimuli as sounds even though our brains remain highly active. Now, a series of new studies by researchers at Tel Aviv University’s Sackler Faculty of Medicine and Sagol School of Neuroscience find, among other important discoveries, that noradrenaline, a neurotransmitter secreted in […]