Sugar can make you dumb, US scientists warn

Here’s a interesting study done on the effects of high – fructose on ones brain.

Sugar can make you dumb, US scientists warn
AFP – Tue, 15th May 2012 08:39 PM

Eating too much sugar can eat away at your brainpower, according to US scientists who published a study Tuesday showing how a steady diet of high-fructose corn syrup sapped lab rats’ memories.

Researchers at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) fed two groups of rats a solution containing high-fructose corn syrup — a common ingredient in processed foods — as drinking water for six weeks.

One group of rats was supplemented with brain-boosting omega-3 fatty acids in the form of flaxseed oil and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), while the other group was not.

Before the sugar drinks began, the rats were enrolled in a five-day training session in a complicated maze. After six weeks on the sweet solution, the rats were then placed back in the maze to see how they fared.

“The DHA-deprived animals were slower, and their brains showed a decline in synaptic activity,” said Fernando Gomez-Pinilla, a professor of neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.

“Their brain cells had trouble signaling each other, disrupting the rats’ ability to think clearly and recall the route they’d learned six weeks earlier.”

A closer look at the rat brains revealed that those who were not fed DHA supplements had also developed signs of resistance to insulin, a hormone that controls blood sugar and regulates brain function.

“Because insulin can penetrate the blood-brain barrier, the hormone may signal neurons to trigger reactions that disrupt learning and cause memory loss,” Gomez-Pinilla said.

In other words, eating too much fructose could interfere with insulin’s ability to regulate how cells use and store sugar, which is necessary for processing thoughts and emotions.

“Insulin is important in the body for controlling blood sugar, but it may play a different role in the brain, where insulin appears to disturb memory and learning,” Gomez-Pinilla said.

“Our study shows that a high-fructose diet harms the brain as well as the body. This is something new.”

High-fructose corn syrup is commonly found in soda, condiments, applesauce, baby food and other processed snacks.

The average American consumes more than 40 pounds (18 kilograms) of high-fructose corn syrup per year, according to the US Department of Agriculture.

While the study did not say what the equivalent might be for a human to consume as much high-fructose corn syrup as the rats did, researchers said it provides some evidence that metabolic syndrome can affect the mind as well as the body.

“Our findings illustrate that what you eat affects how you think,” said Gomez-Pinilla.

“Eating a high-fructose diet over the long term alters your brain’s ability to learn and remember information. But adding omega-3 fatty acids to your meals can help minimize the damage.”

The study appeared in the Journal of Physiology.

Zig Ziglar – Evaluate Where You Are

Zig Ziglar – Evaluate Where You Are

Thanks Zig Ziglar for sharing your great wisdom with the world.

Muscle Mass Made Simple

Muscle Mass Made Simple

Increasing muscle mass requires an increase in protein consumption and overall calories. Weight lifting alone will help build some muscle, but you need to follow a few simple tips in order to really increase your muscle mass.

While trying to build muscle mass, you must increase the amount of calories you consume. Building, repairing and rebuilding muscle require a high consumption of protein. The amino acids in protein are the building blocks for muscle tissue. Your diet should also include a large amount of fruits and vegetables, complex carbohydrates, water and whole grain foods. Consuming a healthy diet is the best way to get the proper amount of vitamins and minerals but you may need to supplement your diet with high-protein drinks. Try to eat six meals per day, spaced evenly so that you are eating every three hours.

Cardiovascular exercises will burn the extra calories you are consuming in an attempt to build muscle mass. Many weight lifters find it difficult to consume the additional calories necessary to build muscle. Adding in fat and calorie burning cardio workouts will only increase the amount of calories you need to consume.

It is important to stretch each of your muscle groups before and after lifting weights. This will warm up the muscles and loosen up ligaments to prevent injuries. Pulled muscles and strained ligaments are painful and may take quite a while to heal, during which time you will not be able to increase your muscle mass.

Your body position is extremely important when you are lifting weights. You need to avoid swinging weights around and allowing momentum to do most of the work. Controlling your movements ensures that your muscles are doing all of the work. It is important to perfect your posture before lifting your weights. Bad posture and improper techniques can also lead to unnecessary injuries. If you have someone to spot you, have that person assist you with your body position as well. This can help you improve your form and build muscle mass more effectively.

You should have several different exercises to target each muscle group. This will prevent you from getting bored with your workouts. More importantly, it will keep your muscles from becoming accustomed to the exercise and refusing to add mass. Anyone who begins an exercise routine eventually hits a plateau so do not worry too much about it. Just make changes to your workouts and make sure you separate your workouts so that you are targeting different muscle groups each day you train.

In order for your muscles to develop properly, you need to allow them to rest. You also need to get enough sleep every night. During intense workouts, you stretch and tear the tissues that make up your muscles. They repair themselves and rebuild while your body is at rest.

Building muscle requires a targeted exercise routine, adequate rest and a high-protein, high-calorie diet. It will not happen overnight but you can increase your muscle mass with these simple tips and a lot of hard work.
Reduce your workout recovery time dramatically with most powerful body alkalizer and PH neutralizer – Click Here Now.

Seven Steps of Affiliate Marketing Success

Seven Steps of Affiliate Marketing Success

When you’re attempting to work from home, the number-one thing you should be looking for in order to make money is simplicity. That means no hidden secrets or tactics or no special funding necessary. That means something that’s straightforward and self-explanatory; something like affiliate marketing. Continue Reading

Shane & Shane – Psalm 145 In Song

Shane & Shane Performing Psalm 145.  If you ever get a chance I highly suggest you see these guys live.

Seven Tips To Help You Lose Weight

Seven Tips To Help You Lose Weight

Weight loss is something many people dream about. However, not many people know exactly what they need to do to lose weight. Below are seven tips that will get you on your way to losing weight and looking amazing.

Make sure you’re not starving yourself. Contrary to popular belief, starving yourself is not an effective way to lose Continue Reading

Success Through Proper Time Management

Success Through Proper Time Management

Proper time management techniques are essential to successful self improvement. There are only so many hours in the day, and efficient use of one’s time is a big factor in personal success, however you define it. This article presents some time management tips to help you use your time in better, more productive ways.

To get started on a better time management strategy, it is a good idea to keep a daily journal for a week or so. This will help you to understand how you presently spend your time and shed some light on what activities are nonproductive. Just carry a small notepad in your purse or pocket, and jot down all the things you do throughout each day, paying special attention to the duration of each activity and the time of day. Make each entry short, this need not be a big chore. Just cover as much of each day’s activities as you comfortable can. Continue Reading

Becoming a Better You

Becoming a Better You

In order to start becoming a better you you need to refocus on your life. This is going to take time, but once you take the time to change you can become a better person in the end. It just takes dedication in order to improve yourself, remember this. So start taking ideas with this article and see how much you can learn on how to change yourself into a new and better person.

You have to start sooner rather than later in order to improve yourself as a person. The biggest problem a lot of people face when they try and develop is that they do not take steps today. You have to start taking steps towards growing as a person as soon as you can, it is the only way you are going to see any real progress. You have to make moves in order to see change, keep that in mind.

Think about all of your goals and break them down into Continue Reading

How to Create Great Unique SEO Content

How to Create Great Unique SEO Content

After you put aside all of the logistics of search engine optimization (SEO), all you have left is the most important component of SEO, and that is content. Having great content that can appeal to many people is the number one way to tell when your SEO efforts will be successful. Use the information in the following article as a guidebook that will show you how to be a success.

One thing that many people forget when they are creating a site is the fact that the users are the most important part of any site, and that no search engine robot is more important than that. While a robot might look at a site and think that it is perfect and it has all of the keywords needed to boost it up in the rankings, a user might see the site and think that the content has no value to them. You need to put the needs of your customer first and your need for bots to like your site second. Continue Reading

Making Money With Your Blog

Making Money With Your Blog

Do you have a blog? You could start to generate an income if you take the time to monetize your blog. Read this article to find out about the best money making techniques for your blog.

Joining an affiliate marketing program is probably the best way to make money with your blog. There are many different programs you can join, but make sure you do some research first. I suggest something likeLook for a program that allows you to sell quality products at an affordable price and high commissions. Find out how much you will get paid and make sure you are joining a program with a good reputation. Your next step is to find products your audience would be interested in and to feature them in your articles or on a specific page of your blog. Write interesting reviews and create content that will make your readers want to buy these products. Do not push these products too hard; focus on the quality of your blog first and mention a product whenever it is appropriate. Continue Reading

 Page 1 of 5  1  2  3  4  5 »
Plugin from the creators of Brindes :: More at Plulz Wordpress Plugins