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3 Myths about Brain Health…

Posted on by Lenny Variano

  • We use only 10% of our brain.  If this were true, brain injuries would not be so devastating. In fact, brain scans show that a good portion of the brain is used for even the simplest tasks.
  • We are dominated by either your left or your right brain.  It is true that most people receive language skills from the left part of the brain and experience special and emotional abilities from the right. However, Brain scanning technologies have shown that both hemispheres work together when it comes to complex processing.
  • We have only five senses.  Along with our sense of touch, smell, sight, hearing and taste we possess much more. Proprioception is our relation to where our body parts are and what they are doing. Nociception is our ability to feel pain. Thermoception enables us to sense temperature changes. Chronoception allows us to sense the passage of time. Interoception provides us with awareness of our internal needs such as hunger and thirst.

Islet Cell Transplant…

Posted on by Lenny Variano

Islet cells are found in the pancreas. They are composed of alpha and beta cells. The beta cells are those that make insulin and help us properly use glucose for energy. With Type 1 diabetes the beta cells no longer make insulin. There is a new experimental treatment in which healthy beta cells from a donor are transplanted to a patient with Type 1 diabetes. The hope is, in the future, a person with Type 1 diabetes will be able to make their own insulin and not rely on taking daily injections. At present transplants are available in Canada, United Kingdom and Australia. This is still in the experimental stages in the US because of concerns about its effectiveness as well as the possibility of rejection. In a recent study performed by The National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Disease, 43 participants who had highly unmanageable Type 1 diabetes received the transplant. One year later 43% of the participants still did not need to take insulin. The new transplanted islet cells are infused into the bloodstream where they find their new home in the liver instead of the pancreas which decreases the possibility of complications. At present the cells last 3 to 5 years and the recipient must take immune suppressing drugs just like any donor recipient. It does however open the possibility of a more carefree life for a person who must be at all times aware of their blood sugar levels. These transplants are getting more and more refined.

Cicadas and a 17-year Gestation Period…

Posted on by Lenny Variano

Their sound is so much a part of an August evening. A gradual hum that breaks out into a roar. They break through the ground and head in groups for the nearest tree. The nymphs remain underground for 17 years feeding on tree roots. Their number is so great that they provide an unending meal for turtles, racoons and birds. Every year a new group emerges in some area of the US, which is the only country where they are found. Only the males are capable of their unique sound which is used to attract females. Eric Day, an entomologist, recommends frying them in sake and garlic because of their high protein content. They are not poisonous and will do no harm to humans. They are a bit clumsy and will slam into you when you least expect it. Cicadas are extremely vulnerable to predators while they are waiting for their wings to dry after they emerge, but in spite of this, billions manage to survive, mate and die off leaving their nymph eggs to settle underground for another 17 years.

Are We Getting Cooler?

Posted on by Lenny Variano

In 1851 the standard for a normal body temperature was set at 37 degrees Celsius or 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. Now it seems that we are getting cooler. Researchers verified this by studying three databases. 1) 23,710 veterans of the civil war from 1862-1930. 2) 15,301 national health records from 1971-1975. 3) 150,280 Stanford University records from 2007-2017. The results were that our body temperature seems to be decreasing 0.05 degrees Fahrenheit for each decade. Although more sophisticated equipment is now being used, the consistencies were constant within each time period. Scientists suggest that improvements in sanitation as well as dental and medical care may be reducing inflammation in the body causing this drop of temperature. This along with controlled heating and air conditioning may be lowering our metabolic rate. However, the normal temperature for an individual may be closer to 97.5.