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Insulin Resistance At The Root Of Most Chronic Diseases

December 14, 2024

(This is one of three Health Insight blogs based on the three parts of Dr Benjamin Bikman’s book: Why we get sick.  The three blogs are: INSULIN RESISTANCE AT THE ROOT OF MOST CHRONIC DISEASES, INSULIN RESISTANCE CAUSES, and INSULIN RESISTANCE CURES.) Insulin resistance is an epidemic most people have never heard of and the overwhelming majority of people with insulin resistance are unaware that they have this condition.  It is estimated that more than half of the populations in America, China, and India are known to be insulin resistant, and that 80% of individuals with insulin resistance live in developing countries.  The role of insulin in the body: Insulin is a hormone made in the pancreas and is well

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Insulin Resistance Causes

December 14, 2024

(This is one of three Health Insight blogs based on the three parts of Dr Benjamin Bikman’s book: Why we get sick.  The three blogs are: INSULIN RESISTANCE AT THE ROOT OF MOST CHRONIC DISEASES, INSULIN RESISTANCE CAUSES, and INSULIN RESISTANCE CURES.) Insulin plays a vital role in the harmony in which some of the biochemical processes in the body work.  For example, when you eat carbohydrates, it gets converted into dietary sugars (called glucose) which end up in the bloodstream to act as fuel for the cells in the body.  Easier said than done, as blood glucose needs to be partnered by insulin to be able to enter the cells in the body.  Insulin is a hormone released by

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Insulin Resistance Cures

December 14, 2024

(This is one of three Health Insight blogs based on the three parts of Dr Benjamin Bikman’s book: Why we get sick.  The three blogs are: INSULIN RESISTANCE AT THE ROOT OF MOST CHRONIC DISEASES, INSULIN RESISTANCE CAUSES, and INSULIN RESISTANCE CURES.) What is insulin resistance?  When glucose from sugar and other carbohydrates in the diet enters the bloodstream, it signals the pancreas to release the hormone insulin, which acts as the key to open the “doors” to cells and to escort glucose into cells, where the mitochondria process glucose to produce energy.  In this way insulin helps to restore blood glucose levels to its normal range.   Insulin resistance refers to the inability of cells (resistance) to respond properly to

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Melatonin’s Potential Against Alzheimer’s Disease

November 19, 2024

Alzheimer’s disease is a chronic neurodegenerative disease affecting the brain and the leading cause of dementia.  It starts with mild cognitive impairment and over time deteriorates into an ever-worsening loss of memory and other brain functions.  Melatonin, well known for regulating the body’s sleep-wake cycles, is a naturally occurring hormone and a robust antioxidant.  Accumulating evidence suggests that melatonin shows promising neuroprotective activity against Alzheimer’s disease. What is Alzheimer’s disease? Alzheimer’s is not a single disease but results from a wide range of different biochemical processes that cause the loss of brain cells and synapses over time, resulting in cognitive decline and dementia. The brain of an Alzheimer’s patient displays tangles (tau protein tangles) and plaques (amyloid-beta plaque) that affect

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Olive Oil And Dementia Risk

October 13, 2024

People who consume at least half a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil daily have a 28% lower risk of dying from dementia-related causes, the seventh highest cause of death world-wide. Findings from a 28-year study amongst more than 92 000 American adults by Harvard Medical School suggest that olive oil represents a potential strategy to reduce the risk of mortality due to dementia. The Harvard study, published in 2024: A higher olive oil intake is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality, but its association with dementia-related mortality was previously unknown.  As olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fats and contains compounds with antioxidant activity, it was suspected to play a protective role in the brain.

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Nac

October 1, 2024

In health circles, NAC is the internationally recognized abbreviation for N-Acetylcysteine, which is quite a mouthful to say, read, or write.  NAC is an important and low-cost supplement that has been used in medicine for years, when treating a wide range of acute and chronic conditions.  Although well known for the treatment of excessive mucus production in respiratory conditions and to treat toxicity due to a paracetamol overdose, ongoing research shows promising results for NAC to aid treatment in a wide range of medical conditions.  Dietary protein is broken down during digestion into amino acids, which are small molecules that combine to make the various proteins that the cells in the body need.     Twenty different naturally occurring amino acids are

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The Oral Microbiome

September 6, 2024

When waking up in the morning, many of us yearn for that first cup of coffee, not only for the caffeine kickstart, but also to tame the worst of the morning breath.   Contributing to the foul taste in your mouth, no doubt, were the activities of more than 700 species of microorganisms in your oral cavity.   Microorganisms in the mouth? Sharing our body space are microbes more or less equal to the number of cells in the body.  This vast community of microorganisms that are resident in the body is called the microbiome.  The human microbiome consists of a core microbiome that is common to all individuals, and a variable microbiome that is unique to individuals, depending on physiological

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Glycine

September 5, 2024

Once eaten and digested, dietary protein is broken down into individual amino acids, which are then absorbed into the blood stream and transported around the body.  Amino acids are small molecules that combine to make the various proteins that the cells in the body need.   Twenty different naturally occurring amino acids are required by the body for these processes, consisting of non-essential amino acids which the body produces, and essential amino acids that must come from food.  Glycine is one of these 20 individual amino acids that the body needs to function properly, and these amino acids combine in different ways to make proteins, the building blocks of the body.  The basic structure of a single protein is a chain

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When To Eat For Weight Loss

August 23, 2024

Excess body fat elevates the risk for a number of health issues, such as insulin resistance, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.  Obesity has been linked to several cancers, including esophageal, kidney, pancreatic, post-menopausal breast cancer, colorectal, and uterine cancers.  Weight loss interventions largely focus on reducing dietary energy intake and increasing energy expenditure through increased physical activity.  However, a complex array of factors, beyond diet and exercise, can affect energy balance in the body and contribute to obesity. An emerging field of research, known as chrono-nutrition, has found that timing of meals can have wide implications on your health.  In terms of weight loss, when you eat has been shown to be just as important as what you eat.    Background

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