Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Fast Food Addiction?
Fast Food
Hamburgers and French fries could be as addictive as heroin, scientists have claimed. Researchers in the United States have found evidence to suggest people can become overly dependent on the sugar and fat in fast food. The controversial findings add weight to claims that over-eating is simply down to a lack of self-control. It may also explain soaring rates of obesity in the western world.
Dr John Hoebel and colleagues at Princeton University in New Jersey based their theory on a study of rats.
'Cold turkey'
They found that rats fed a diet containing 25% sugar are thrown into a state of anxiety when the sugar is removed. Their symptoms included chattering teeth and the shakes - similar to those seen in people withdrawing from nicotine or morphine, according to researchers. Dr Hoebel said he believed high-fat foods stimulate opioids or 'pleasure chemicals' in the brain. "The implication is that some animals - and by extension some people - can become overly dependent on sweet food," he said.
Further studies published in New Scientist magazine back up this theory.
Ann Kelley, a neuroscientist at the University of Wisconsin Medical School, studied the behaviour of rats after the were given sweet, salty and fatty foods. She found a link between the brain's pleasure chemicals and a craving for this type of food. She stimulated the rats' brains with a synthetic version of the natural opioid enkephalin. This caused rats to eat up to six times their normal intake of fat. In addition, Dr Kelley identified long-lasting changes in rats' brain chemistry - similar to those caused by extended use of morphine or heroin. Dr Kelley said: "This says that mere exposure to pleasurable tasty foods is enough to change gene expression and that suggests that you could be addicted to food."
However, other experts expressed doubts over whether people can become addicted to food.
Michael Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a nutrition lobby group in Washington DC, said there was a lack of evidence. "I think the burden is on advocates of the addiction argument to provide evidence of addiction," he said.
Dr Jeane Randolph, from the University of Toronto, dismissed the theory. She said fast food causes blood sugar to peak and then plunge, creating a natural desire for another snack. "It's a set-up for a late-afternoon binge rather than addiction," she said.
Hamburgers and French fries could be as addictive as heroin, scientists have claimed. Researchers in the United States have found evidence to suggest people can become overly dependent on the sugar and fat in fast food. The controversial findings add weight to claims that over-eating is simply down to a lack of self-control. It may also explain soaring rates of obesity in the western world.
Dr John Hoebel and colleagues at Princeton University in New Jersey based their theory on a study of rats.
'Cold turkey'
They found that rats fed a diet containing 25% sugar are thrown into a state of anxiety when the sugar is removed. Their symptoms included chattering teeth and the shakes - similar to those seen in people withdrawing from nicotine or morphine, according to researchers. Dr Hoebel said he believed high-fat foods stimulate opioids or 'pleasure chemicals' in the brain. "The implication is that some animals - and by extension some people - can become overly dependent on sweet food," he said.
Further studies published in New Scientist magazine back up this theory.
Ann Kelley, a neuroscientist at the University of Wisconsin Medical School, studied the behaviour of rats after the were given sweet, salty and fatty foods. She found a link between the brain's pleasure chemicals and a craving for this type of food. She stimulated the rats' brains with a synthetic version of the natural opioid enkephalin. This caused rats to eat up to six times their normal intake of fat. In addition, Dr Kelley identified long-lasting changes in rats' brain chemistry - similar to those caused by extended use of morphine or heroin. Dr Kelley said: "This says that mere exposure to pleasurable tasty foods is enough to change gene expression and that suggests that you could be addicted to food."
However, other experts expressed doubts over whether people can become addicted to food.
Michael Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a nutrition lobby group in Washington DC, said there was a lack of evidence. "I think the burden is on advocates of the addiction argument to provide evidence of addiction," he said.
Dr Jeane Randolph, from the University of Toronto, dismissed the theory. She said fast food causes blood sugar to peak and then plunge, creating a natural desire for another snack. "It's a set-up for a late-afternoon binge rather than addiction," she said.
Friday, July 13, 2012
Thursday, July 12, 2012
The Toxins In Our Drinking Water
The Importance of Water
If you don't drink enough water, you
can't properly flush your kidneys or liver, the colon can't properly
move your bowels, and this allows your body to retain the unhealthy
toxins it takes in. As the waste remains too long in your body, you give
your body more time to reabsorb the toxins back into your bloodstream
and thus circulate these harmful chemicals to every organ in your body.
Water is required for digesting and expelling everything, including the
alternative beverages you choose to drink.
Is Your Water Safe?
Some people actually do drink enough water.
However, they may not be drinking the right water. Tap water is safe
because the government is watching it, right? No. There are more than 80
"regulated" contaminants and more unregulated toxins, like the rocket
fuel component perchlorate which are present in most tap water.Some people feel safe because they drink bottled water. It's not that simple though. You still have to read the fine print. Deceptive labeling goes on even in the bottled water industry. If you're going to drink the bottled water, then you have to do the research. Review the label closely, and check out the manufacturer as well. Do your best to find out if they have satisfactory standards.
What's So Bad about Our Drinking Water?
Most water contains
arsenic, fluoride, chlorine and a host of other unhealthy toxins. So
when we drink it we are actually imbibing water that contains a mixture
of toxic, poisonous chemicals that spells danger and at the very least
overburdening work for our colons.
Arsenic
Arsenic is a very toxic heavy metal classified by the
International Academy for Research on Cancer (IARC) as a Category I
carcinogen, which means it is definitely a cancer causing agent. Arsenic
occurs naturally in the environment but humans have a hand in its
presence as well. The EPA set the acceptable standard for arsenic at 10
parts per billion in tap water. Several US states in the Midwest, New
England and western area exceed this standard from time to time.
Fluoride
One of the most toxic substances we know of is fluoride
and yet it is found in almost all brands of toothpaste. It's added even
though there is no data to support its effectiveness in the fight
against tooth decay. Today you can find fluoride in bottled water, and
even baby formula. Tap water is actually fluoridated, meaning it's added
to water deliberately, notwithstanding it's almost as poisonous as
arsenic is, and more toxic than lead. This substance is so toxic until
the fluoridation process has been banned in several countries. Even some
U.S. cities have caught on and started rejecting the process of
fluoridation since 1990.
Chlorine
Chlorine is added to water to kill certain bacteria.
This chemical can be inhaled in gas form and absorbed through the skin
and therefore presents a danger even if you're present in the room with
it, to say nothing of drinking it. Once in the human body, it bonds with
other compounds to form Trihalomethanes (THMs). These byproducts
trigger the production of free radicals in the body and cause serious
cell damage. In one research study, chlorine and chloramine was added to
rats' water supply and as a result the rats developed tumors in the
liver kidneys and intestines. Even after this study which shows some of
the dangers possible, the government continues to provide chlorinated
drinking water to the public.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)