8 Tips for Herbal Medicines Consumption

Traditional medicines made ​​from herbs has long been part of the culture of Indonesian society. Alam Nusantara is very rich in herbal ingredients, even Indonesia called the third country in the world that has a diversity of plants in the world.
To increase the consumption of herbal medicines, Deputy Health Minister Ali Ghurfron Mukti had proposed that the herbal medicine is inserted into one of the treatment which is guaranteed in the National Social Security System.
However, herbal medicine is traditionally processed or home could not be ascertained precisely the amount of the ingredient, which can cause unwanted side effects if its use is not appropriate.


 To prevent this, consider the issue of safe consumption of herbal medicines according to Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
1. Do not take more than the dosage and use according to the rules stated on the packaging.
2. In the event of adverse effects, immediately discontinue use and consult a physician.
3. Inform the doctor who was treating you, because some of the ingredients in traditional medicines may interact with chemical drugs, which can cause unwanted effects.
4. Do not consume traditional medicines that contain ingredients that are known to cause allergies.
5. Liver-careful on sufferers hypertension, disorders heart function, kidney, and liver because of there are some ingredients which can aggravate circumstances.
6. Be careful if you are on a diet low in sugar, because in addition to containing ingredients nutritious, traditional medicine sometimes also contain ingredients such as sweeteners.
7. Be careful if you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, because some ingredients may affect the fetus.
8. Be careful for breastfeeding women because some of the ingredients can be excreted through breast milk is likely to cause unwanted effects in the baby.

Source : health.kompas.com

Health Benefits Of Celery Nutrition Facts

Health Benefits Of Celery & Nutrition Facts. Celery is a versatile plant, mainly as a vegetable and medicine. Nutrient content in celery is also very beneficial for health. Calories in celery every 100 gr is only 14 calories, so it doesnt have negative calories. The main content of celery is butilftalida and butilidftalida as the main carrier of aroma. There are also a number of flavonoids such as graveobiosid A (1-2%) and B (0.1 to 0.7%), and compound phenol group. Other components are apiin, isokuersitrin, furanokumarin and isoimperatorin. The main fatty acid content is petroselin acid (40-60%). Leaves and leaf stalks contain steroids such as stigmasterol and sitosterol.

Celery contains amino acids, boron, calcium, chlorine, essential fatty acids, folate, inositol, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, sulfur, zinc. Vitamins on celery are vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B3, vitamin B5, vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin E and vitamin K. Nutrient value of celery in full can be read in the following table.

Celery Nutrition Facts

Celery (Apium graveolens, raw) Nutrient value per 100 g
Source: USDA National Nutrient data base

 Energy : 16 Kcal 
 Carbohydrates : 2.97 g 
 Protein : 0.69 g 
 Total Fat : 0.17 g 
 Dietary Fiber : 1.6 g 
 Water : 95.43 g 
 Total sugar : 1.83 g 

 Vitamins 
 Folates : 36 µg 
 Niacin : 0.320 mg 
 Riboflavin : 0.057 mg 
 Thiamin : 0.021 mg 
 Vitamin A : 449 IU 
 Pyridoxine : 0.074 mg 
 Vitamin C : 3.1 mg 
 Vitamin D : 0 IU 
Vitamin E : 0.27 mg 
 Vitamin K : 29.3 µg 

 Minerals 
 Calcium : 40 mg 
 Iron : 0.20 mg 
 Magnesium : 11 mg 
 Phosphorus : 24 mg 
 Zinc : 0.13 mg 
 Sodium : 80 mg 
 Potassium : 260 mg 

 Lipids 
 Saturated fatty acids : 0.042 g 
 Monounsaturated fatty acids : 0.032 g 
 Polyunsaturated fatty acids : 0.079 g 
 Cholesterol : 0 

10 Celery Health benefits

1. Reduce the Risk of Cancer: Celery contains pthalides and polyacetylene. Anti-cancer components detoxify carcinogens. Celery also contains coumarin which increases the activity of white blood cells.


2. Lowering Cholesterol: Phthalide celery contained in vegetables may help lower blood cholesterol by increasing bile acid secretion.


3. Boost Immunity: Celery contains vitamin C which is known to be very useful to enhance the bodys immunity (immune system).


4. Preventing High Blood Pressure: Celery contains a substance called phthalide that are known to help lower blood pressure by relaxing the muscles around the arteries, and helps the dilation of blood vessels. Selendri also contains calcium and magnesim that play a role in regulating blood pressure.


5. Diuretics: Celery has been used as a diuretic since hundreds of years ago. Diuretic effect is derived from the balance of potassium (potassium) and sodium (sodium) which helps remove excess fluid from the body.


6. Anti-inflammatory: Polyacetylene contained in celery help relieve different types of inflammation such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, joint pain gout, asthma, and bronchitis.


7. Helps Kidney Function: Celery improve kidney health and normal kidney function by helping to eliminate toxins from the body. Therefore, it reduces the risk of kidney stones.


8. Keeping Healthy Nerve System: Organic alkaline minerals contained in celery helps calm the nervous system, helping to sleep for people with insomnia (insomnia).


9. Helps Eliminate Pouch Gall Stones: Diuretic effect of celery helps to solve and remove gallbladder stones.


10. Helps Digestion: Celery contains fiber foods help smooth bowel movement. Therefore, celery is a natural laxative that helps to cure constipation.

Peroxisome proliferator activated receptors and your ticker

Everyone knows by now that having diabetes raises the risk for heart disease in various forms. Wouldnt it be interesting to understand the biological reasons for this connection? Well, it turns out that various factors seem to be relevant, and one of them involves a variety of paths that all pass through the territory of a rather interesting protein called PPAR-γ.

Not only is PPAR-γ implicated in processes related to both diabetes and heart disease, but it turns out that some drugs used to control diabetes also affect the risk of heart disease – because of PPAR-γ.

Well begin the discussion by looking at recent research on how PPAR-γ affects heart function.

First, of course, we should explain what a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor is. The name is somewhat off-putting, and nowadays most people just write PPAR. Its also a bit of a historical artifact, in that this class of proteins was first investigated in connections with peroxisomes, which are cellular organelles that participate in the metabolism of fatty acids. Thats an important clue right there, because if we are dealing with fat metabolism, there may well be connections with conditions such as obesity and cardiovascular disease.

It turns out that is only a part of what PPARs are connected with.

A PPAR is not a cell surface receptor. Instead it is a nuclear receptor, meaning that its a protein found in the interior of cells that (like a surface receptor) is activated when it connects with hormones and similar molecules. Such molecules that bind to a receptor are called ligands.

Initially, the ligands in question were known to cause proliferation of peroxisomes, but now many other kinds of ligands that activate PPARs have been identified.

Once a PPAR has been activated it can affect the expression of many different genes, because it acts as a transcription factor.

Three important PPARs are known: PPAR-α, PPAR-β (also called PPAR-δ), and PPAR-γ. Its the last of these well be concerned with here. In fact, PPAR-γ seems to affect many cellular processes related to metabolism and other things. Recent research that we may discuss another time (see here) has shown that there are about 5300 sites in the DNA of a fat cell that PPAR-γ can bind to, and hence potentially affect the expression of nearby genes. So its not surprising that PPAR-γ is involved in quite a lot of cellular business.

Incidentally, all three PPARs are produced from the same gene, with the variant forms being due to alternative splicing.

The research we want to highlight here deals with how PPAR-γ is linked with the daily rise and fall of heart rate and blood pressure. Such things that are part of the normal circadian rhythm, in animals, are usually regulated from the central nervous system. But that doesnt seem to be the only regulator:

What Makes The Heart Tick-tock (12/2/08)

Researchers have new evidence to show that the heart beats to its own drummer, according to a report in the December issue of the journal Cell Metabolism. Theyve uncovered some of the molecular circuitry within the cardiovascular system itself that controls the daily rise and fall of blood pressure and heart rate. The findings might also explain why commonly used diabetes drugs come with cardiovascular benefits, according to the researchers.

"This is the first study to demonstrate that a peripheral clock plays a role in the circadian rhythm of blood pressure and heart rate," said Tianxin Yang of the University of Utah and Salt Lake Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

While much progress has been made over the years in understanding the bodys master clock in the brain, the new study offers one of the first glimpses into the biological function of peripheral clocks in maintaining the circadian rhythms of tissues throughout the body, the researchers said.

There has already been reason to suspect that PPAR-γ is involved in this:

Earlier studies suggested a role for the nuclear receptor called peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPAR-γ) in clock function. PPAR-γ is perhaps best known as the molecular target for a class of widely prescribed and effective diabetes drugs called thiazolidinediones (TZDs), including rosiglitazone (trade name Avandia) and pioglitazone (trade name Actos). Those diabetes drugs are known to come with a side benefit: they have protective effects on the cardiovascular system.

The new research shows that the circadian variation in heart rate and blood pressure is disrupted simply by eliminating PPAR-γ from cardiovascular cells. The elimination was effected by working with two strains of mice in which suitable genes had been knocked out:

The researchers found that both knockout strains showed a significant reduction of circadian variations in blood pressure and heart rate. .... The mice also showed declines in variation of norepinephrine/epinephrine in their urine—a measure of activity of the sympathetic nervous system, which plays a key role in heart rate and blood pressure.

The animals had impairments in the rhythmicity of the major clock genes, including Bmal1, a transcription factor that controls the activity of other core clock components, they report. By treating the mice with the diabetes drug rosiglitazone, they were able to increase the activity of Bmal1 in the animals aortas, the largest artery of the body that issues blood from the heart, and further study showed that the core clock gene is directly controlled by PPAR-γ.

What, more precisely, is the role of PPAR-γ in affecting rhythmicity? Apparently the effect is indirect, due to its abillity to activate Bmal1, which is known to be an important clock protein. This is indicated because rosiglitazone seems to be able to compensate for missing PPAR-γ.

Interestingly, other recent research has shown that the sirtuin protein SIRT1 also affects Bmal1. (See here.) this may be significant, since SIRT1 has gene-silencing effects that depend on nutritional factors.

What other processes is PPAR-γ involved with? Better-known than its effect on cardiovascular circadian rhythm is its role in fatty acid storage and glucose metabolism, and hence its connection with diabetes. But well have to look at that another time.

Further reading:

Protein Found to Set the Hearts Cadence (12/2/08) – Science News article

Tags: circadian rhythm

benefits and functions of vitamin

Vitamins are a group of organic amine compounds which have vital functions in the metabolism of living things. Vitamins can not be produced by the body, and if living things (humans, animals and plants) vitamin deficiency, then adversely affect the bodys metabolism and growth and are vulnerable to disease.
Vitamin derived from the Latin: vita (life) and amine / amine refers to an organic group having a nitrogen atom (N), because at first vitamin considered so. Later known that many vitamins are devoid of atoms N. Viewed from the side enzimologi (the science of enzymes), vitamins are cofactors in the chemical reactions catalyzed by enzymes. Basically, this vitamin compound used by the body to be able to grow and develop normally.

knowledgemention

Vitamin A
Green vegetables and beans are good sources of vitamin A and B are high
Vitamin A, also known as retinol, a vitamin that plays a role in the formation of the sense of sight is good, especially at night, and as one of the components of the pigment in the retina of the eye. In addition, this vitamin also plays an important role in maintaining healthy skin and immunity. This vitamin is easily damaged by exposure to heat, sunlight and air. Food sources of vitamin A, such as milk, fish, vegetables (especially green and yellow), and fruits (especially red and yellow, such as red pepper, carrot, banana, and papaya) .
If there is deficiency of vitamin A, the patient will experience night blindness and cataracts. In addition, patients with vitamin A deficiency may also experience respiratory infections, immune deficiencies, and skin conditions that are less healthy. Excess intake of vitamin A can cause toxicity in the body. Diseases that can be caused, among other headaches, hair loss, dry scaly skin, and fainting. Moreover, when it is in a state of acute, excess vitamin A in the body can also cause myopia, inhibition of growth of the body, swelling of the liver, and skin irritation.

Vitamin B
In general, group B vitamins play an important role in the metabolism in the body, especially in terms of energy release during the move. [18] It is related to its role in the body, which is a coenzyme compounds that can increase the rate of metabolic reactions to various types of energy sources . Some types of vitamins are classified in the group of B vitamins also play a role in the formation of red blood cells (erythrocytes). The main source of vitamin B derived from milk, wheat, fish, and green vegetables.

Vitamin B1
Vitamin B1, also known as thiamine, is one type of vitamin that plays an important role in maintaining healthy skin and help convert carbohydrates into energy needed for the bodys daily routine. In addition, vitamin B1 also helps metabolize protein and fat. When there is deficiency of vitamin B1, the skin will experience a variety of disorders, such as dry and scaly skin. The body can also suffer from beri-beri, digestive disorders, heart and nervous system. To prevent that, we need a lot of eating lots of wheat, rice, meat, milk, eggs, and legumes. Foodstuff is a proven contains vitamin B1.



Vitamin B2
Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) plays an important role in the metabolism of many in the human body. In the body, vitamin B2 serves as a coenzyme flavin mononucleotide kompenen (flavin mononucleotide, FMN) and flavin adenine dinucleotide (adenine dinucleotide, FAD). Both of these enzymes play an important role in the regeneration of energy for the body through the process of respiration. This vitamin also plays a role in the formation of steroid molecules, red blood cells, and glycogen, as well as support the growth of various organs, such as skin, hair, and nails. Sources of vitamin B2 are found in fresh vegetables, soybeans, egg yolks, and milk. Defisiensinya can cause immune deficiencies, dry flaky skin, dry mouth, chapped lips, and mouth sores.

Vitamin B3
Vitamin B3 also known as niacin. This vitamin plays an important role in the metabolism of carbohydrates to produce energy, fat metabolism, and protein. In the body, vitamin B3 has a major role in maintaining blood sugar levels, high blood pressure, cure migraine and vertigo. Different types of toxic compounds can be neutralized with the help of this vitamin. Vitamin B3 is one type of vitamin that is found in animal foods, such as yeast, liver, kidney, meat, poultry, and fish. However, there are several other food sources that also contain high levels of this vitamin include wheat and sweet potatoes. Lack of this vitamin can cause the body to experience spasms, muscle cramps, gastrointestinal upset, vomiting, and nausea.


Benefits and Functions of Folic Acid (Vitamin B9)

Benefits and functions of vitamin B9 folic acid enough. Benefits and functions are functions of red blood cells, the function of the DNA, the benefits for pregnant women, menstrual symptoms, body tissue growth, prevention of birth defects, brain function, heart, hair growth. With regular consumption of folic acid means preventing hair loss. For example, the old man who had experienced hair loss on the head, hair loss on the body, can be treated with the use of folic acid in their daily consumption. The recommended amount of folic acid 400 mcg per day. Can be obtained on cereals, vegetables, and fruits. If you already ate those still experiencing hair loss, you can take folic acid supplements are directly listed more than 400 mcg pertablet / capsule.

Benefits of Vitamin Biotin (B7) In Hair

Benefits enough biotin for health and beauty in cosmetic products in the community. Benefits such as biotin too much energy metabolism, hair growth, nail growth, lose weight, regulate blood sugar levels, maintain a healthy male sex organs, and helps the formation and circulation of red blood cells in the spinal cord.
Vitamin B7 is contained in the type of natural food sources such as chicken liver, egg yolks, and yeast. So also found in cheese and salmon. For the chicken liver vitamin B7 to 200 mcg per 100 grams. To the yolks contain vitamin B7 of 60 mcg per 100 grams. For yeast containing vitamin B7 of 200 mcg per 100 grams. For fish itself contains 3 to 24 mcg of vitamin B7 for each dish 100 grams.

Vitamin C (All Things Women Need to Know About Vitamin C Skin Lightening)

One of the beauty that is highly desired by women were white.
Whiten skin in a natural way to the synthesis of materials that were encountered. Use of vitamin C injection for skin whitening has been widely proven and is already very popular.

Understanding How it Works Vitamin C in Skin Whitening

- Effects of Skin Color Pigments In.
One major cause is the amount of dark skin pigment melanin in the skin. Melanin is a dark color so that more numbers will make the skin darker.
- Reduce the amount of Vitamin C in Skin Pigment.
Vitamin C has the ability to reduce the amount of pigment in the skin. So that a regular intake of vitamin C can make skin more white.
- Exposure to Sunlight Increases Number of Pigments in Skin.
The more exposed to sunlight, the pigments in the skin will increase. Use sunblock to protect the skin from the sun can cause vitamin D deficiency that results in bone health. So the consumption of vitamin C could be a solution.
- Skin Color Real.
The actual color of our skin can be seen on the inside of the upper arm. This section is rarely exposed to sunlight so it still has the original white color. With regular consumption of vitamin C, can whiten the skin on the inside of the arm like this. This is made possible with the white level of vitamin C.

There are several types of food sources that contain high vitamin C content. The most popular are orange with a content of 30-50 mg per 100 g of fruit juice. However, there are several other sources that have a higher content of guava include abortion twice richer than oranges. Even red peppers four times more than oranges. Other rich sources of vitamin C include kiwi fruit, longan fruit, papaya, broccoli

Other Benefits of Vitamin C for Skin

Consumption of vitamin C can increase collagen synthesis in the body. Which of these collagen can tighten the skin. Whereby the consumption of vitamin C may indirectly keep the skin taut.

Benefits and Functions of Vitamin B Complex

Benefits and Functions of Vitamin B Complex are:
- Energy Production For Body
- Hair, Nails, and Skin
helps in cell regeneration and growth of body tissues is vitamin B2, vitamin B3, vitamin B5 and vitamin B7. Vitamin B2 function in the growth of nails and hair. Vitamin B3 to make the skin look healthy and beautiful. Vitamin B5 serves to help the healing process in injured skin (repair damaged skin cells). Last vitamin B7 is used in beauty cosmetics beauty care not medical as well as help in maintaining the health of the babys scalp.
- Assist in the process of controlling the cholesterol in the body
- Growth and Production Cells (Vitamin B complex is a specific type was able to function as cell regeneration.)
- Immune System and Disease Prevention
- Helping to improve the function of the nervous system
- Cancer Prevention
- Overcoming Stress

Benefits and Functions of Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin)

- Vitamin B12 also plays a role in the metabolism of the human body. Vitamin B12 plays a role in normalizing the function of the nerves and the brain, in addition to the formation of red blood cells in the body
- Manufacture of DNA and RNA
- Protecting the Nervous System
- Latest facts stated by consuming vitamin B12, folate, and vitamin B6 at doses high enough to prevent someone from developing AMD. What is AMD? AMD is a disease of the eye that can lead to someone losing their sight.
- Vitamin B12 prevents you from premature aging is characterized by hair loss

Provitamin B5 (Panthenol): Benefits For Skin and Hair

Provitamin B5 there are many benefits for humans. One of the benefits is for your skin and hair. Vitamin B5 has a function as a helper in the formation of the bodys energy and promote eye health of organs, liver, hair and skin. Besides its function as well as an aide in the production of red blood cells, encouraging sexual needs, and reduce stress hormones.
Use of provitamin B5 is commonly used for beauty products and hair care products. Both in body care, and hair is because provitamin B5 can bind water longer so it can be used as a moisturizer or for no limp or dry hair. Aside from being a moisturizer, now provitamin B5 as a skin protector and healer. So the health products now have many containing provitamin B5.

a. Hair Care Products
In hair care products that use this panthenol, which provitamin B5 able to penetrate into the hair shaft and moisturize hair longer. It makes the hair become more shiny shape and expand. Then also help in the repair process of damaged hair. Then can help you comb your hair when wet though.

b. Skin Care Products
Skin care products are now also contains vitamin B5 today. Even better that you buy on cosmetic products, skin care clinic or to the doctor. Provitamin B5 is used in skin care products due to be able to stabilize the metabolism of the skin surface, provitamin B5, which is applied to the body can penetrate into the deeper layers of the skin and helps in the formation of pigment in the skin. This is why provitamin B5 able to guard the natural moisture balance of the skin and make the skin look smoother and softer.
c. Provitamin B5: Healer and Protector
elain as Hydrator, provitamin B5, also serves as a natural skin healer and protector. When applied to the skin itchy, red and sore, provitamin B5 can be overcome. Then, when the skin is injured and smeared by provitamin B5, provitamin B5 regenerate the skin tissue more elastic and dense that the creation of natural healing. Skin irritation, inflammation of the skin, can cause skin lesions can be cured with a smear of provitamin B5.

Benefits and Functions of Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine)

- Pyridoxine is used for the prevention of heart disease
- Vitamin B6 can also be used to expedite the menstrual cycle for women
- Increase Energy and Strengthen the bodys immunity against disease
- Vitamin B6 is able to optimize brain development.
- Keeping the Immune System
- Assist in the development of nerve
- Maintain Blood Sugar Levels


Vitamin D
Vitamin D is also one kind of vitamin that is found in animal foods, such as fish, eggs, milk, and other dairy products, like cheese. Parts of the body most affected by this vitamin is bone. Vitamin D can help calcium metabolism and bone mineralization. Skin cells quickly produce vitamin D when exposed to sunlight (ultraviolet rays). When low levels of vitamin D the body will experience an abnormal growth of the foot, where the foot shank to form the letter O and X. [24] In addition, the tooth will easily be damaged and will experience muscle spasms. Other diseases are osteomalacia, namely the loss of the element of excessive calcium and phosphorus in bone. The disease is usually found in adolescents, whereas in the elderly, is a disease that can be induced osteoporosis, the brittle bone as a result decreased bone density. Excess vitamin D can cause the body to experience diarrhea, weight loss, vomiting, and excessive dehydration.

Vitamin E
Vitamin E plays a role in maintaining health of various tissues in the body, from the skin tissue, the eye, the red blood cells to the liver. In addition, this vitamin can also protect human lungs from air pollution. The value of work-related health vitamin E in the body as a natural antioxidant compound. Vitamin E is found in fish, chicken, egg yolk, yeast, and vegetable oils. Although only needed in small amounts, vitamin E deficiency can lead to fatal health problems for the body, such as infertility in both men and women. In addition, the nerves and muscles will experience prolonged disruption.

Vitamin K
Vitamin K has played a part in the formation of good blood circulation system and wound closure. Deficiency of these vitamins can lead to bleeding in the body and blood clotting difficulties during injury or bleeding. In addition, vitamin C also acts as a cofactor for the enzyme catalyzing carboxylation reaction of the amino acid glutamic acid. Therefore, we need to consume a lot of milk, egg yolks, and fresh vegetables are a good source of vitamin K to meet the needs of the body.
By knowing the types of vitamins and their functions in the body, as well as foods that contain these vitamins, it is easy to manage and control the intake of vitamins for your body and your health.

Source : wikivitamin & knowledgemention

Mistakes Women When Exercising

Many women exercise regularly in order to have the ideal body shape and fit, but many are often unaware of their mistakes when exercising.

Due to time constraints, many women hurry to finish this exercise and make exercise without proper heating. In fact, the warm-up session to help warm the blood stream so that a person avoid muscle injury.

pic : thechive.com

Make sure you stretch before exercising, yatu basic exercises are very simple. Just like warming up, stretching can make a person avoid injury, quotes Boldsky.

Another mistake is to practice in the center kebugaan with an empty stomach. This is very risky, because when you exercise your body will break down and use food as fuel during exercise.

Make sure you consume healthy foods contain carbohydrates and a little protein. Give 30 minutes for the body to digest food, and start exercising.

Women most often make this mistake, using new shoes for exercise.

Sports shoes does help a person while exercising so take comfortable shoes and supple.

New shoes sometimes still a little stiff and your feet are still adapting to the shape of the shoe. It can make your feet blisters and pain in the knee and back

Sugar can be addictive

And you may well have noticed this addictive characteristic if you overindulged in sugar over the recent holidays. Turns out, the neurotransmitter dopamine plays a big role here. Theres a lot of research on dopamine coming out these days. The research discussed here is just one example.

We last dealt with dopamine back in November: here. One could paraphrase the conclusions of that research as suggesting that genetic problems with a dopamine receptor lead to reduced sensitivity to dopamine, which leads to stronger than normal craving for food, leading to overeating and obesity.

The research in question here looks at a special case of this in an animal model, involving rats and sugar. In this case, reduced sensitivity to dopamine isnt a consequence of a variant allele for a dopamine receptor. Instead, it seems to result from excessive intake of the addictive substance (sugar), resulting in fewer brain receptors for dopamine.

Sugar Can Be Addictive: Animal Studies Show Sugar Dependence (12/10/08)

"We have the first set of comprehensive studies showing the strong suggestion of sugar addiction in rats and a mechanism that might underlie it," [principal investigator Bart] Hoebel said. The findings eventually could have implications for the treatment of humans with eating disorders, he said.

Lab animals, in Hoebels experiments, that were denied sugar for a prolonged period after learning to binge worked harder to get it when it was reintroduced to them. They consumed more sugar than they ever had before, suggesting craving and relapse behavior. Their motivation for sugar had grown. "In this case, abstinence makes the heart grow fonder," Hoebel said.

The rats drank more alcohol than normal after their sugar supply was cut off, showing that the bingeing behavior had forged changes in brain function. These functions served as "gateways" to other paths of destructive behavior, such as increased alcohol intake. And, after receiving a dose of amphetamine normally so minimal it has no effect, they became significantly hyperactive. The increased sensitivity to the psychostimulant is a long-lasting brain effect that can be a component of addiction, Hoebel said.

The research investigated the physiological changes responsible for this addictive behavior:

Hoebel has shown that rats eating large amounts of sugar when hungry, a phenomenon he describes as sugar-bingeing, undergo neurochemical changes in the brain that appear to mimic those produced by substances of abuse, including cocaine, morphine and nicotine. Sugar induces behavioral changes, too. "In certain models, sugar-bingeing causes long-lasting effects in the brain and increases the inclination to take other drugs of abuse, such as alcohol," Hoebel said.

Hoebel and his team also have found that a chemical known as dopamine is released in a region of the brain known as the nucleus accumbens when hungry rats drink a sugar solution. This chemical signal is thought to trigger motivation and, eventually with repetition, addiction. ...

Hungry rats that binge on sugar provoke a surge of dopamine in their brains. After a month, the structure of the brains of these rats adapts to increased dopamine levels, showing fewer of a certain type of dopamine receptor than they used to have and more opioid receptors. These dopamine and opioid systems are involved in motivation and reward, systems that control wanting and liking something. Similar changes also are seen in the brains of rats on cocaine and heroin.

Its interesting that overstimulating with an addictive substance (sugar) not only reduces the number of dopamine receptors but also increases the number of opioid receptors. Whats not so clear is the relationship between the dopamine and opioid systems. Having more opioid receptors would appear to increase cravings for substances that stimulate them, which is the opposite of what happens with dopamine receptors. Hypothetically, perhaps, opioid stimulation is able to substitute for reduced dopamine sensitivity.

Research in this area may have even wider implications than behavior linked to overconsumption, as there is other recent research that suggests addictive behavior related to other kinds of stimulation, such as gambling and risk-taking.

Watch for a lot more discussion of this line of inquiry.

Tags: dopamine, addiction

Side Effects Wear Braces Or stirrup

Braces or often called stirrup is already familiar among the people, who memfunyai function for after finish his teeth had not neatly be neat to a specific period.

In Indonesia, the use of braces began in 1980 and the increasingly popular idea in the early 2000s to the present. but in practice the installation of braces or stirrup is very dangerous if not done by the specialists but furthermore gigi.Untuk builders please see the side effects of braces or stirrup.

Use Side Effects stirrup

1. Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Wire attached to the teeth often collide and can cause small sores on the lips and the inside of your cheek, Well, when you engage in sexual activities such as oral sex or even kissing, small cuts in your mouth will provide the entrance to the disease, including hepatitis and HIV, enters your bloodstream.

2. Allergy
Metal braces contain a variety of metals, including nickel, copper and chromium. Approximately 30 percent of orthodontic patients of all orthodontic patients allergic to other metals which can cause ear pain and congestion.


In addition, patients who did not have allergies before they wear braces potentially developing allergies after they use it. Fortunately, allergies to nickel, copper and cadmium were generally mild and easily treated by changing the type of metal used in braces.

3. Tartar
Since the area under and around the metal brackets and wires that are difficult to clean, the leftovers can be trapped in areas difficult to reach toothbrush, which leads to the buildup plek.

This results in people with metal braces can be high risk for tooth decay and gum disease. To avoid this problem, you must use a special brush to clean your teeth.

And thats some of the side effects wear braces so make you use stirrup if your teeth are not neat, tidy but do not already wear stirrup just to join the trend only. may be useful.