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13 Habits That Make Your Brain Age Faster

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It’s no secret that the brain ages with the body. Cognitive decline and all sorts of degenerative disorders can develop as you grow older. The brain, like any other organ in the body, needs to be taken care of. If we fail to do so, it can become sick – just like any other body part.

As you age, neuron communication may grow weaker. Additionally, you might not get as much flow of blood to your brain. You might deal with more inflammation. All these issues contribute to causing a brain to decline.

But did you know that there are things you may be doing to speed up this aging process? Certain bad actions may be responsible for early cognitive decline, and it’s imperative that you know what those actions are so you can avoid them!

Here Are 13 Habits That Make Your Brain Age Faster

1.    You Drink In Excess

If you’re a heavy drinker – or even a moderate one – you can damage the hippocampus in your brain. That part of the brain works by helping you learn and bolstering your knowledge. When you have a regular alcohol consumption schedule that puts you at a blood alcohol level of 0.08% or more, not as many nerve cells in this region are produced.

This doesn’t mean you can never enjoy a reasonable glass of wine with dinner, and it doesn’t mean you can never get tipsy on rare occasions ever again. What it does mean is that consuming too much alcohol can certainly cause your brain to suffer when it comes to memory and picking up new skills.

2.    You Live A Sedentary Life

If you spend most of your day sitting down and don’t make an effort to get any physical activity in, this sedentary lifestyle could put you at risk of developing dementia when you get older.

Studies have found that people who have good levels of cardiovascular fitness have an 88% lower chance of developing dementia than people who have moderate fitness levels. For those with high fitness who do develop dementia, they will do so more than a decade later, on average. That’s as good a reason to hit the gym as any!

3.    You Don’t Maintain Friendships

It’s not uncommon for friends – and even family – to drift apart from each other as time goes on. But when you lose those close relationships, it can grow even more difficult to build new ones as you age.

Studies have shown that senior citizens who regularly attend social activities have a much lower rate of declining cognitively than those who do not socialize. Activities include:

  • Visiting family
  • Meeting friends
  • Watching sporting events
  • Attending clubs
  • Indulging in social hobbies

This is likely due to the fact that the act of socializing can bring down stress levels, and stress can exacerbate cognitive and neurological problems of all kinds. As such, avoiding social contact is one of the habits that makes your brain age faster.

4.    You Neglect Your Heart

Your heart is responsible for keeping so many parts of your body alive and thriving. As such, it’s really not a surprise to state that its wellbeing is linked to the brain. According to Alzheimer’s Association’s Global Science Initiatives, James A. Hendrix, what is beneficial for the brain is the same as what is beneficial for the heart.

Studies have shown that if someone has diabetes, hypertension, or other potentially heart-harming conditions in their middle-aged years, they have a greater risk of developing dementia when they age.

5.    You Smoke

Smoking is a bad habit for many reasons, but one of them is the fact that smoking can increase Alzheimer’s disease risk. In fact, it almost doubles those chances.

You may have read studies funded by the tobacco industry stating that cigarettes do not increase this risk. Unfortunately, these pieces of research are highly inconsistent with all scientific findings from studies unaffiliated with the industry; as such, you’ll have better luck believing the unbiased reports.

6.    You Don’t Get Enough Sleep

The body requires between seven and nine hours of sleep per night; if you aren’t getting that, you’re doing your health a huge disservice. There are countless downsides that occur when you deprive your body of the rest it needs – and one of them is increasing the risk of cognitive decline.

This is especially true if you’re older. Brain scans and research have revealed that those who don’t sleep enough wind up with ventricle expansion at a quicker rate, as well as a faster downhill slide into cognitive decline. Seven hours a night is your best bet when it comes to resting for positive results.

7.    You Are Harming Your Hearing

Are you looking after your hearing? Or do you blast your headphones just a little too loudly? Studies have found that senior citizens who experience hearing loss have a higher chance of experiencing cognitive decline – specifically dementia – as they age. Researchers theorize that the loss of hearing could lead to the following problems:

  • Overly straining or focusing on sounds in an attempt to hear better
  • Social isolation, which can increase risk of dementia

Essentially, more studies do need to be conducted in order to fully understand the link between these two factors, but it’s safe to say that damaging your hearing will not have a positive effect on your brain.

8.    You Live Next To A Highway

Surprisingly, where you live can have an adverse effect on your health; if you live near a highway, for instance, you may want to consider moving. This is due to the high pollution levels around these locations, which cause you to be exposed to particulates that can damage your health.

Research has indicated that being exposed to bad, polluted air for long periods of time can alter the structure of your brain, leading to damage and impairment that constitutes cognitive decline. Your home is likely where you spend most of your time, and as such, residing near a source of pollution can be highly detrimental.

9.    You Don’t Relax Enough

Relaxation is crucial to health in the same way that too much stress is harmful to it. Those who deal with anxiety, chronic stress, and other areas that affect mood and positive thinking are more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease by:

  • 33% in those with mild anxiety
  • 78% in those with moderate anxiety
  • 135% by those with severe anxiety

People who suffer from anxiety must be extra-vigilant and communicative with their medical practitioners about memory issues and other signs of cognitive decline. Slowing down, practicing self-care, and taking time to do what you enjoy can help relieve your stress and keep your brain healthy.

10. You Don’t Wear A Helmet

If you go skiing, biking, skating, or another similar sport and don’t wear a helmet, you’re putting yourself at the risk of a serious head injury in the event of a fall. Traumatic brain injuries, known simply as TBIs, can cause serious harm to you and your brain, speeding up the aging process.

Hold your positive thinking, though. You can get better and heal from TBIs; however, you still have a 24% higher risk of developing dementia. Even mild injuries can have these results. Getting a brain injury early in life is even worse – a TBI in your twenties can lead to a 60% increase in dementia risk by the time you turn 50.

11. You Don’t Eat Well

Eating well can prevent countless different kinds of diseases, including cognitive ones that come about with age. Those who eat healthy diets can decrease their Alzheimer’s disease risk by an impressive 53%, while those who eat relatively well can enjoy a 35% risk decrease. Some examples of the best kinds of food to keep your brain young are:

  • Berries (especially blueberries)
  • Vegetables (especially leafy greens)
  • Fish
  • Nuts
  • Beans
  • Healthy fats
  • Poultry
  • Wine (yes, but in moderation)

Remember to speak to a doctor before making any changes to your regular diet, especially if the change will be relatively drastic.

12. You Don’t Exercise Your Brain

Yes, brains need to work out, too. Without regular mental training, it’s easy for the brain to lose its sharp thinking skill. Those who regularly train their minds are 29% less likely to develop dementia than those who don’t.

Some research also suggests that those who regularly work out their brains after the onset of cognitive decline can potentially slow the process down, or even bring it to a halt. Still, more studies are needed before a conclusive finding can be drawn.

There’s nothing home with needing to just unwind and veg out, so to speak, after a long day. But your default free-time activity shouldn’t be something that involves little to no thinking skills of any kind. Here are some ideas:

  • Playing chess
  • Doing word puzzles (like crossword)
  • Doing number puzzles (like Sudoku)
  • Learning new skills

13. You Stop Learning

Not everyone enjoys studying, but learning in itself can be a wonderful thing. You can expand your horizons and, more importantly, keep your brain in good working order.

When you take the time to learn new skills and acquire more knowledge, your brain grows stronger and more resilient. It adapts to the process of learning and gets the exercise it needs to stay strong, flexible, and healthy.

Research also suggests that those who have reached higher education levels tend to experience lower risks when it comes to developing dementia and other cognitive issues. However, it could be a case of correlation instead of causation, as those with higher education levels can often afford a higher standard of living.

stress

Final Thoughts On Some Habits That Make Your Brain Age Faster

Cognitive decline is often considered part and parcel of growing older – but it doesn’t have to be. By steering clear of these negative habits and ensuring that you maintain positives ones, you will likely be able to negate a lot of the risk of developing disorders like Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

Keep in mind that your brain needs exercise and health to stay young and fit, just like the rest of your body. After all, it is responsible for all your bodily functions. If you want to live a happy, healthy life, we can think of no better place to start than with your brain.

Science Explains How Virtual Reality Is Used For Pain Management

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Ever have your back go out? You can’t sit, stand, lie down, or walk for any significant period. The pain doesn’t let you rest or relax. Your muscles spasm if you move the wrong way. To put it mildly, it is not pleasant.

To achieve pain management and break the cycle, you need to decrease the pain so your muscles can relax and stop biting into your spinal nerves. The side effects of pain killers can be almost as welcome (read: unwelcome) as the pain. Your brain is fuzzy, you’re tired and can’t focus, and your mouth is dry.

For many of us, painkillers do the trick, and we are up and functioning within a week or a month. Take a moment and imagine having to live that way. Imagine having pain every day of your life.

The Problem of Pain

Whether it is caused by a disease or an accident, chronic pain is a legitimate problem for many people. In 2016, approximately 20% of the U.S experienced chronic pain, and about 8% had that pain decrease their ability to do at least one significant life activity. This study from the National Health Interview Survey was analyzed by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute of Health, Kaiser, the Stanford Division of Pain Medicine, and Yale University.

Chronic pain leads to restricted mobility, anxiety, depression, and decreased quality of life. Opioid dependency connects to chronic pain, which adds to the $560 billion in annual medical expenses and disability programs and loss of productivity in the United States.

The effects of chronic pain on individuals, their families, and the added government financial burden leads companies to seek alternative methods of treatment. One such alternative is virtual reality. Science explains how virtual reality proves useful for pain management.

What is Virtual Reality?

The definition of virtual reality means “near-reality,” referring to how it is a sensory representation of reality through a computerized environment.

Our daily experience of life is based on our senses: the ordinary five senses we first think of and other senses that are considered more automatic. Combined with our brain processing information, these senses create an in-depth amount of data.

The knowledge of how our senses and brain create reality as we know it is the premise behind virtual reality. If we can present different sensory information to the brain, our perceived reality can change. This change in sensory input is achieved through various tools such as headsets, special gloves, and omnidirectional treadmills.

Creating a fully immersive environment requires full synchronization of the material in conjunction with understanding how our physiology works. For example, we see things at 180 degrees. Therefore, any headset must accommodate that to ensure that we do not pick up any discrepancy. When everything is implemented correctly, it creates a sense of presence or the sensation that you are genuinely in the designed environment.

Everything should be happening in real-time and within the expected field of vision. The person’s actions must be happening according to their reactions to a sensory stimulus. For example, if they touch something which appears to be a flame, they should be able to jerk their hand back immediately. Without this, the sensation of immersion is lost because the brain understands it is false. This changes how the person responds.

Virtual reality helps train surgeons, fighter pilots, and more. There has been a lot of discussion about using VR for education, testing products, and even more field training areas.

Virtual Reality as a Pain Blocker

Do you remember when you hurt yourself as a child, and your parent or friend distracted you by making you laugh or by talking? For the time you felt distracted, you didn’t feel the pain.

That is the premise behind using In-home therapeutic Virtual Reality to block pain. Part of healing an injury requires physical therapy or movement. That movement feels more difficult for the patient because it hurts a lot. This limits the motion and limits how often you do the activity and your mental bias towards doing it.

Pain also inhibits a person’s ability to retain information and learn new techniques.

Through Virtual Reality, the subject fully immerses in another world where their senses flood with different stimuli. This flooding of stimuli doesn’t allow room for the brain to also perceive the sensation of pain. This method of blocking pain has proven so helpful for everything from giving a child an IV to helping burn victims and those who have had spinal damage from an accident.

Larry Benz, a physical therapist, and chief executive of Confluent Health, made it clear that VR does not completely cure pain. It is to be used adjacent to treatments which help patients learn how to handle and decrease the level of pain. These additional treatments take months before the benefits are noticed. Dr. Benz clarifies that VR can help the patient retain information and engage and comply with the lesson.

The VR Program for Pain Management

Dr. Hoffman was one of the first to create a VR program. He created it to make it more comfortable for pain victims to have their bandages changed. He stated, “Using VR as an adjunct, we can teach coping skills, techniques patients can use on their own that will help diminish chronic pain.” He added, “Learning changes the brain and gives patients something that continues to work when they take the helmet off. When patients realize their pain isn’t inevitable, they’re more receptive to doing physical therapy exercises and more likely to move on their own.”

VR and the use of hypnosis were pioneered by David R. Patterson of the University of Washington. He says that the combination of hypnosis and VR can increase a person’s mindfulness. This mindfulness allows you to focus on the moment rather than focusing on the pain. Being able to teach mindfulness can teach one’s brain not to react to painful thoughts or emotions. Mindfulness can also help to quiet the body and the nervous system, as in meditation.

Some of the programs educated the patients about how the nervous system works and about how pain affects the body. This education, combined with using VR to teach meditation and breathing methods, can create an effective means for patients to help themselves cope. The VR program shows the patient the physiological changes your body undergoes as you alter your breathing and calm your nervous system. It positively reinforces new skills.

VR Program and Physical Therapy

nerve pain

Being able to use virtual reality to calm yourself makes physical therapy more accessible. Physical therapy is important to bring mobility back to the joints, increase blood flow, and improve range of motion. This activity also helps the body kickstart its natural healing process. Physical therapy even aids in allowing patients to sleep better. A lack of sleep contributes to the sensation of pain and decreases your ability to cope. Many people who live in chronic pain are resistant to physical therapy due to the initial increase in pain. Using VR takes the pain and stress element out of it so they can begin to improve.

In a study published in 2016, one five-minute virtual reality experience decreased chronic pain by an average of 33 percent. Yet, many doctors advise that VR is not yet ready for the mainstream treatment of chronic pain. Thus, it cannot replace medication. Hopefully, through coping skills and physical therapy made easier through VR, patients will reduce pain medication or at least decrease the time they must take them.

Josh Sackman, president of AppliedVR, stated that VR had decreased the number of painkillers needed and the number of hospital stays. Since anxiety and pain interconnect, diminishing the anxiety one feels before a procedure and using it again afterward speeds up one’s recovery time.

Summary

Pain has several effects on those who are experiencing it. Unfortunately, those effects tend to be cyclical. As the patient is feeling pain, they simultaneously have emotions of anger, frustration, stress, and anxiety – which causes the muscles to tighten up or spasm. This tightening only increases pain.

The pain also prevents adequate sleep, which decreases your tolerance to pain, making the pain feel worse. As the pain continues over time, it affects one’s sense of self and control over their life. This is what generally leads to depression and further anxiety.

The key to pain management lies in breaking the cycle of pain.

The use of virtual reality has begun breaking the cycle of pain – whether used proactively before surgery, after an unfortunate accident or with the diagnosis of a disease. It helps patients learn pain-reducing or coping methods and decrease pain during physical therapy to enhance healing. The results can then improve the quality of life for those suffering and their families, decrease drug dependency, and reduce medical bills by shortening hospital stays or having fewer visits.

Researchers Reveal Supercharged Plants That Can Reduce Global Warming

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Concerns about global warming occurring due to climate change have not only been a discussion in the 21st century.  I can remember being told about carbon in our atmosphere, and how plants and forests exchange it for oxygen when I was in grade school decades ago.  Even then, there were discussions regarding our need to decrease waste and our carbon footprint on this planet.  At the same time was the discussion of how we were still very carbon dependent in our daily lives through our consumption of gasoline, oil, and coal.  That consumption has strong political and financial ramifications which have continued to create strife in discussions regarding global warming.

This has led to our continued debates as to what actions to take.  Essentially, the entire structure of major players in our economy would be devastated, and consequently our economy, if we drastically reduced our carbon usage in a sudden wide sweep. Millions of families whose livelihoods depend upon these resources would be negatively affected.  Granted, compared to maintaining our planet, that does seem inconsequential.  Unfortunately, the solutions are not that simple.

But what if we found a way to decrease our atmospheric carbon and increase carbon in the ground without adding to our atmosphere?  What if that method could buy us time to ease into less carbon use without devastating our economy and millions of families’ lives?  Researchers have revealed the possibility of creating super plants which could reduce global warming.

Climate vs Weather

In the discussion regarding global warming and climate change, there have been repeated questions about how we can have the worst blizzards in the northeast of the United States while simultaneously being threatened by global warming.  The answer lies in understanding there is a difference between climate and weather.

Weather refers to short-term atmospheric conditions that can occur in a multitude of areas.  On a daily basis, we check what the weather will be like in our area.  Perhaps it will be raining, snowing, or windy for part of the day or a few days before it stops and the sun shines again.

Climate refers to long-term regional or global averages of temperature, humidity, and rainfall over seasons, years, or decades.  For example, the Southern California climate is recognized as being usually warm and dry with few bouts of rain throughout specific months of the year.   The fluctuations for the seasons are not that severe in their differences.  The temperature differences between winter months and summer months are only about 50 degrees. The weather is relatively consistently warm and sunny.

On the other hand, the northeast states like New York are known for higher humidity, higher rain and snowfall, and clearly defined seasons. Their summers can be 90 – 100 degrees with high humidity while winters are -20 degrees with a lot of snow.  There is a very clear difference between their seasons.

Put simply, we can predict the range of weather in a region based on the type of climate there and what time of the year it is.

Global Warming vs Climate Change

How do global warming and climate change differ?

Global warming refers to a warming of the Earth’s surface over a long period of time.

Climate change refers to the events that happen due to heat-trapped gases in the Earth’s atmosphere which, in turn, increase the heat of the Earth’s surface.   Those events can include a decrease in ice mass and glaciers which eventually raises the sea level, changes the blooming patterns of plants, and alters the migration of certain creatures and extreme weather events.

Essentially, climate change is a chain reaction of events due to global warming demonstrated in part by changing climates and weather patterns.

The differing climate changes per region are dictated by a multitude of forces including the proximity to a large body of water, its location relative to the poles or the equator, water temperatures, water circulation, wind currents, rising ocean levels, and the further releasing of  Co2 due to the rocks weathering.  These all play a role in determining if New York City will become a frozen wasteland while California will become the next Sahara Desert.

The Earth’s surface warming does not necessitate that all of the planet will have warm weather. Our weather and climate changes are dictated by the varying reactions the forces of nature have to each other. Continued changes interrupt and alter the normal flow. These forces will struggle to return Earth’s cycle to equilibrium because of the ongoing contribution of carbon to an already over-saturated atmosphere.

These natural corrections do not take into account how the creatures on the planet will be affected.  It only focuses on correcting the problem. A hurricane will not stop to ask you to get out of the way; neither does a blizzard, earthquake, tsunami, or volcano.  Creatures, including humans, are left to their own methods of survival.

Research points toward plants – supercharged plants

plants

Scientists and researchers have been looking at ways we can both decrease the amount of carbon in our atmosphere and maintain lower levels.

For centuries, plants have been the natural instrument to balance Co2, or carbon mixed with oxygen, in our atmosphere. This gas is more commonly known as carbon dioxide.  We need a certain level of Co2 in our atmosphere to trap the heat around the surface of our planet. This creates a temperature we can handle under most circumstances.

This trapping of heat is referred to as the greenhouse effect.  Without this effect, the average temperature of the planet would be below freezing.  Unfortunately, too much Co2 results in increasing those temperatures. This sets off a chain reaction of other natural forces.

In 2017, the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere was 405.0 parts per million(ppm) +/- .1 ppm.  These levels have not been this high in over 3 million years. Co2 levels at the time of the Revolutionary War in the mid-1700s were at 280ppm.  When we started consistent monitoring in 1950, levels were at 315ppm.  By 2013, we had exceeded 400 ppm globally.

In comparison, the effect plants can have on Co2 is amazing.  Through the process of photosynthesis, or pulling CO2 out of the air to use as fuel for plant growth, plants can increase their growth in relation to an increase in CO2.  An example of this happened 4 million years ago when the planet was yet to be inhabited by humans.  The atmosphere was CO2 rich due to constant volcanoes, trapped greenhouse gases, high radiation, and extremes in temperature.  Land plants grew to the size of trees, dropping the CO2 levels tenfold and increasing oxygen levels to make way for the first spread of forests, making the planet inhabitable for land animals.

The Proposed Method

Joanne Chory, a plant biologist, believes she can utilize this system and not only decrease carbon in the atmosphere but also put it back into the soil to further crop growth.  According to Salk University, photosynthesis captures 746 gigatons of CO2 and then releases 727 gigatons of CO2 back. Sadly, humans contribute an additional 37 gigatons of CO2 into the atmosphere yearly. This creates 18 gigatons of excess, which compounds yearly.

Joanne Chory believes that if engineering plants can suck up a bit more CO2 and retain it longer, they may aid in a solution.  She is currently experimenting with suberin, which is found in cork and cantaloupe rinds.  Suberin is an incredible carbon capturer and is resistant to decomposition.  Joanne Chory theorizes that if she can engineer plants which have roots comprised of suberin, then they will grow bigger and deeper. This, in turn, will fool the plants into storing more CO2 in the roots. The substance will remain in the soil after harvest time.   Currently, most plants absorb 20 times more CO2 than we put into the atmosphere. Upon their decomposition, however it all goes back up as CO2.  Therein lies part of the problem of capturing the CO2.

Joanne Chory has created a possible solution for halting the release of CO2 from the plants.  Her plan is that by keeping the roots in the soil, they will decompose into the earth rather than into the atmosphere.  Carbon is one of the essential nutrients for crop growth.  Essentially, the roots will enrich the soil with carbon, allowing it to be more fertile and preventing carbon being released into the air.   She believes that these engineered plants can increase the reduction of carbon emissions by 20-46% yearly.

Closing Thoughts

Currently, this project is still in the beginning phases.  They plan on combining the three essential components: increasing suberin, enlarging the root system, and growing deeper roots,  into a model plant.  Eventually, the plan is to incorporate this technique into corn, soybean, and rice.

Over the last 5 years, multiple companies have been researching various ways of using plants to help either decrease the carbon emissions or reduce the amount of carbon in our atmosphere.  They are still in the experimental stages but have gathered strong support from various organizations and agriculture companies.

In no way does this mean we should ignore our responsibility in contributing to the carbon footprint of our planet.    These methods can aid in buying us time to make other more planet-conscious decisions, like consuming a plant-based diet.  We may not ever get 100% away from using carbon-based products, but we can certainly help the planet by balancing our own excess.

Researchers Reveal 6 Differences Between Artificial Sweeteners and Real Sugar

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The introduction of artificial sweeteners seemed to sweep through American society like an angel here to answer our prayers.  Touted as the “no calorie” alternative to sugar, they became highly recommended by doctors as a healthy substitute in our diets for ourselves and our children.   With an increasing number of people becoming obese and developing heart disease or diabetes in our society, artificial sweeteners appeared to be the miracle to decrease the number of these conditions and possibly save lives.

Any questions about how they were made and any side effects on the body were swept under the rug as more doctors, dietitians, and nutritionists recommended them as a dietary change whose benefits far outweighed any possible negatives.

Increasingly over the years, there have been reports and rumors addressing potential consequences to our health due to artificial sweeteners. At the very least, they are proving to be less beneficial than originally thought.   As our society is moving to more earth-friendly, natural, and organic foods, more questions have arisen about their safety.  Additionally, more time has passed since their use became mainstream.  This has allowed scientists to observe and study the effects over time.

Although real sugar and artificial sweeteners are both sweet and can be substituted for each other in a variety of ways, their differences show in what they are made of, how the body reacts to each, and the consequences of those reactions.   Researchers reveal six differences between artificial sweeteners and real sugar.

What are artificial sweeteners?

Artificial sweeteners fall under the category of sugar substitutions.  According to Segen’s Medical Dictionary, artificial sweeteners are considered to be any group of substances with a taste similar to the usual dietary sugars, glucose, and sucrose that are metabolized incompletely or not at all, resulting in a minimal gain of calories.

Not all sugar substitutions are artificial sweeteners. Honey, corn syrup, stevia leaf (Truvia, Pure Via) or agave are considered natural sugar substitutes.  Aspartame (Equal, Nutrasweet), neotame, saccharin, and sucralose (Splenda) are synthetic substances commonly recognized as artificial sweeteners.

Sugar, or sucrose, comes from sugar cane or sugar beets.

How were artificial sweeteners discovered?

Artificial sweeteners have had a rather haphazard method of discovery.

Saccharin

Saccharin was discovered in 1897 by a scientist who had been researching new uses for coal tar derivatives at John Hopkins University.  Neglecting to wash his hands prior to lunch, he accidentally tasted something sweet on his hands. After sampling everything in the lab, he narrowed the source down to benzoic sulfimide.

Benzoic sulfimide is a coal tar derivative that turns out to be 300 times sweeter than sugar.  It had been banned in 1912 but the ruling was reversed during WWII when sugar rationing made it necessary to find a substitute.

Cyclamate

This artificial sweetener is best known by the old pink packets of Sweet n Low.  It was discovered in 1937 as a grad student of the University of Illinois was working on a fever reduction medication.  Coincidentally, he also happened to taste something sweet on his fingers.

Cyclamate is approximately 30-50 times sweeter than sugar.  It had its greatest boon in the 1950s when Tab and Diet Pepsi were the craze.  This is also when Sweet n Low went into production.  By 1968, Americans were consuming 17 million pounds of it a year.

Later, it was discovered that cyclamate caused bladder cancer in rats, resulting in the FDA banning it immediately.  At that point, Sweet n Low switched to using a saccharin-based product.

Aspartame

Aspartame didn’t make its debut until about a decade after cyclamate.  It too was another unexpected, finger-licking discovery.  While developing a new ulcer drug in 1965, James Schlatter, a research chemist, licked his fingers and tasted something sweet.  He isolated it to be an amino compound of aspartic acid and phenylalanine.  It is 200 times sweeter than sugar.

It failed to hit the market until 1981 due to suspicions of it causing brain tumors.  Yet in the 1980s it replaced more than a billion pounds of sugar in the American diet.

Sucralose

Splenda, as it’s more commonly known, was another accidental discovery.  Scientists were working on a way to molecularly bond sucrose molecules with chlorine.  One of the scientists misheard a direction to test the substance.  Instead, he tasted it.  Luckily, it didn’t cause any harm and that led to the creation of sucralose.

Sucralose is slightly different than the other artificial sweeteners in that it is partially metabolized by the body and, therefore, has a few calories.  The other benefit of it is that it can be cooked with.

Neotame

This is the newest sweetener, having hit the market in 2002.  It is a derivative of aspartame.  Neotame claims to be 7,000 to 13,000 times sweeter than sugar.  It is quickly metabolized and fully eliminated by the body through our natural processes.   This is the only one of the sweeteners discovered intentionally.

How are artificial sweeteners different than sugar?

Ingredients

This difference is in the contrast of the labeling:  artificial sweeteners vs sugar.  As described above, artificial sweeteners are synthesized ingredients which created a sweet taste.  Sugar is gathered from the natural plants of sugar cane and sugar beet.  Additionally, the artificial sweetener is hundreds to thousands of times sweeter in taste.

Evidence is showing each artificial sweetener affects different areas of the body.

Historically, we have researched artificial sweeteners as if they all act the same upon the body.  In other words, to test the effects of artificial sweeteners on obesity, we ran studies on only one of the sweeteners and assumed the result would be the same for the others.  In a video posted in The Atlantic magazine from Gastropod.com, scientists have discovered that may not be the case.

Studies have found that each sweetener lights up different areas of the brain. Additionally, as we have different sweet receptors in our body other than the taste buds on the tongue, each sweetener affects different receptors throughout the body.

Sugar vs artificial sweetener affects weight differently

In the same video, Rick Mattes, a scientist from Purdue University, and his colleagues, spoke of a small study they performed.  They gave a group of people drinks sweetened with sugar; other control groups consumed drinks sweetened with aspartame, saccharine, stevia, and sucralose, respectively.

The findings were unexpected.  The group who drank sugar-sweetened drinks gained weight, as was expected.  Interestingly, so did those who were drinking saccharin-supplemented drinks.  Saccharin is reported to have no calories.  Those who drank the Splenda drinks lost the most weight while those who used aspartame or stevia remained the same.

Some artificial sweeteners change your gut microbiota

In another study, at the Weizmann Institute in Israel, Eran Elinav was researching how blood sugar is affected by artificial sweeteners.  Their initial studies showed some people appeared to get a sugar spike after consuming diet soda.  This warranted further study using rats.

They found that the number of gut microbia for the rats changed after consuming certain artificial sweeteners.  The type of microbes affected seemed to be determined by whether or not they consumed more calories from the food on its way through the body.

Artificial sweeteners overstimulate our sweet receptors

Our sweet receptors have adapted to the sweetness of sugar without necessarily altering our ability to taste sweet products.  Artificial sweeteners are several times sweeter than sugar to our receptors.  This then alters the level of sweetness our receptors expect to receive.  Therefore, if you become accustomed to artificial sweeteners, then other foods sweetened with just sugar, or even fruits, won’t taste as sweet.

Possibly more addictive

In one study, rats were given cocaine and then later given the choice between cocaine and saccharine.  The rats chose saccharine.

Other studies have shown similarities between sugar and artificial sweeteners.  Ironically, the very diseases that artificial sweeteners were intended to help guard against are now substances added to the list of contributors.

A European study of artificial sweeteners vs sugar as contributors toward Type II diabetes demonstrated that either group was at risk if a person drank just one sweetened soda a day. It made no difference as to whether the sweetener was artificial sweetener or real sugar.

Another study has demonstrated that women over the age of 50 were significantly at risk for coronary heart disease if they consumed more than two artificially sweetened drinks a day or more than two drinks with sugar.

Artificial sweeteners have been added to several products that we don’t even think of as containing sugar: canned foods, dairy products, powdered drink mixes, and soups.   Any product that claims it has “no added sugar” or is “lite” probably has artificial sugar added.  A consumer would need to educate themselves on all the different names artificial sweeteners can be labeled with in order to identify which products contain them.

Final Thoughts

While artificial sweeteners have a reputation for causing cancer, currently, there isn’t any concrete evidence to that claim.  The one sweetener that was proven to cause cancer, cyclamate, was removed from the shelves and is no longer sold.  There was a fear regarding aspartame back in the 1970s, but it was shown to be erroneous.  Current artificial sweeteners on the market have been FDA approved after various tests and they strongly stand by their conclusion.

There are many studies being done on artificial sweeteners and the results have yet to reach a definitive conclusion.  Tentatively, researchers have discovered six differences between sugar and artificial sweeteners.  One fact remains true for both sugar and artificial sweeteners:  Both should only be used in moderation.

15 Photos That Perfectly Capture The Love Between Babies and Their Dads

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Babies and their dads love spending more time together than ever before. That’s mostly because societal views on gender roles changed drastically over the past few years. Nowadays, women contribute to the household income as well as men. Thus, both parents help out with chores and raising their children. In fact, we no longer view males as the sole breadwinners anymore. And that’s probably a good thing.

Children benefit greatly when both parents are around to give them love, support, and important life skills. According to a survey, 75% of dads view raising their children as their most important job.

So because of these changes, we want to show you some heartwarming photos of babies and their dads that confirm this rising trend.

Here are 15 photos that perfectly capture babies and their dads bonding:

1. There’s nothing like getting a milkshake to bring a smile to your face!

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by indaddit

2. Babies and their dads cuddling is one of the cutest things ever.

 

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A post shared by LUCKY BLUE SMITH (@luckybsmith) on

3. Please tell us if you have ever seen anything more adorable than this. We’re waiting …

 

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A post shared by Samuel Taipale (@eljackson) on

4. Like father, like son!

I don’t think I’ll need a paternity test
byu/NotFoolishYet inaww

5. These two are definitely peas in a pod.

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by indaddit

6. Fatherhood definitely looks good on this guy.

Can you tell I’m happy?
byu/WillForgetThisAgain indaddit

7. So if this doesn’t make you smile, we don’t know what will.

First smile in her life! Less than an hour after being born!
byu/thespoodlez indaddit

8. Nap times with dad are the best!

 

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A post shared by Ned Fulmer (@nedfulmer) on

9. Babies and their dads should spend time having fun together, like these two!

War faces
by indaddit

10. Wonder if he’ll grow up to have a great beard just like his daddy…

He makes the BEST face when being burped!
byu/SportingClubBANG indaddit

intelligence

11. Kids definitely miss their dads when they go off to work. So this little one wanted to come along for the ride!

Second one hid in my bag hoping to come to work with me.
byu/CowmanSmithers indaddit

12. Yep, our hearts definitely just melted all over the floor.

 

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A post shared by LUCKY BLUE SMITH (@luckybsmith) on

13. These two make such a cute pair.

My son and my beard are both three months old
byu/I_speak_Australian indaddit

14. These two are practically twins!

Laying around, watching pretty lights, listening to Radiohead and talking an everything and nothing.
byu/zCYNICALifornia indaddit

15. Babies and their dads who snuggle together, grow together.

 

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A post shared by LUCKY BLUE SMITH (@luckybsmith) on

That guy sure knows how to make the ladies swoon, we must say! In today’s world, both moms and dads are sharing more of the responsibility when it comes to raising their children. Dads might have more flexible work schedules to spend more time with their kids while moms may work while dad is at home.

These are beautiful times to live in because people are less concerned with gender roles. Indeed, today’s parent gives more focus on raising their kids in a healthy, happy environment.

Of course, no parents are perfect. But as long as your children feel loved and supported, that’s all that really matters in the end. Indeed, any parent can do is try to love their child the best way they can. We hope you enjoyed these adorable photos of babies and their dads! If so, please share and comment!

5 Habits That Make You Lose Sleep Quality

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You get enough rest. You sleep between 7 and 9 hours every night. You make sure you keep a regular sleep schedule. But, for some reason, you still wake up feeling exhausted.

This is, sadly, not an uncommon phenomenon. Many people seem to be ticking all the boxes for good sleep quality, but don’t wake up feeling rested. This can be highly detrimental to daily tasks, causing a lack of focus and productivity.

But that doesn’t make sense, right? Surely getting sufficient hours of sleep is all it takes to wake up energized and ready to take on the day?

What you don’t realize is that there may be things you are doing that are causing your sleep quality to suffer. Things that seem harmless could actually be responsible for the exhaustion you are experiencing.

Here Are 5 Habits That Are Actually Ruining Your Quality Of Sleep

1.    Your Bedtime Activity Habits

Having a set bedtime routine can be extremely helpful in winding down and getting drowsy, as your body associates these routines with sleep. But if you’re picking the wrong habits, you could actually be doing the opposite. Here are some bedtime activities and routines to avoid.

a)    Exercising

If you don’t make time for exercise during the day, or you have trouble falling asleep at night, it can be easy to assume that working out before bed is a good idea. After all, you’ll feel more tired, right?

Here’s the problem. Exercising releases positive hormones called endorphins, and they essentially keep you feeling pumped up before bed. This can cause you to feel more awake and even disrupt your sleep.

Your best bet is to exercise in the morning or afternoon. Of course, if you absolutely cannot do anything to find time to work-out during the day, it’s better to do so before bed than not at all.

b)    Using Your Phone

The body’s internal clock is largely dictated by light – and guess what has a lot of light? That’s right – it’s your smartphone. It shines its light on your face, which can trick your brain into thinking that its 24-hour cycle needs a little more stretching out.

When the sun sets, your body produces a neurotransmitter called melatonin, which is responsible for regulating and inducing sleep. Unfortunately, your brain is unable to determine whether light comes from a TV screen, a phone, or the sun, so it assumes all light means it is daytime. Lights that are too bright can also have this effect.

c)    Reading

If you can’t use your phone, you likely thought that reading would be a good option for a bedtime activity. Sadly, it isn’t. Reading, like most activities, is something you’ll still do more of when you’re fully awake during the day; therefore, it makes your body feel more alert.

Plus, a particularly gripping or interesting book might also make it more difficult to fall asleep. If you really have to read at night, though, don’t worry, and stick to positive thinking! Just use a soft light that shines from behind you instead of in your face.

d)    Brushing Teeth

This one might be quite a surprise to you, but brushing your teeth right before bed – especially when you already feel drowsy – can make you go back to being awake.

The lights in your bathroom are likely quite bright, so they can simulate daytime for your brain, halting melatonin production. Peppermint – the taste you’ll get from most toothpaste – can also be quite a refreshing flavor, so it may cause you to feel alert after brushing your teeth.

Of course, we aren’t saying you should stop brushing your teeth at night! Instead, move the tooth-brushing time earlier – maybe about an hour or two before bedtime. As an added bonus, this will deter night snacking.

2.    Sleeping In (Even To Manage Sleep Debt)

If you haven’t been getting sufficient sleep on weekdays, it can be very tempting to sleep in when the weekend comes around. You’ve likely wracked up a good amount of sleep debt and just want to pay it off. Unfortunately, according to Charlottesville Neurology and Sleep Clinic president W. Christopher Winter, this is not the way to go.

When you sleep in, you’re setting yourself up for a more difficult sleep later in the night. Your body will feel well-rested from the extra hours and consequently not feel like going to bed for that many hours later than usual. It’s a surefire way to wake up exhausted on your next workday.

But there’s more to these downsides. Not only will it make it hard for you to fall back asleep, but it will also cause your internal clock to be thrown off. When you sleep and wake at different times every day, your body’s clock isn’t able to adapt to the constant changes. This can make you feel more tired overall every day.

So, what should you do if you have a sleep debt to work off? Don’t try and pay it back all in one lump sum. Go slowly, and carefully choose your days for sleeping in.

3.    Food Habits

Bad food habits could have a negative effect on your sleep without you realizing it. Believe it or not, what you consume as early as at lunchtime can mess up your sleep quality when it’s time to hit the sack. Here are some food habits to avoid.

a)    Drinking Nightcaps

Many people indulge in a glass of some alcoholic beverage or other before bed, claiming that it helps them fall asleep more quickly. This is definitely true – alcohol can relax you and lull you to sleep – but it also means your overall sleep quality will be much worse.

In simple terms, alcohol acts as a sedative – not as a tool to improve sleep. It can cause you to skip over the REM cycle of your sleep, which is the deep sleep portion that has restorative properties. Without that, you won’t be able to feel rested when you wake up.

You might be a positive thinking sort of person and therefore be saying, “Alright, then I just won’t drink right before bed!” Unfortunately, alcohol can affect your sleep as much as five hours before you hit the sack, so you’ll want to steer clear of it from the evening onwards.

b)    You Drink Coffee In The Evening

It’s safe to say that you don’t down coffee right before bedtime. But even consuming caffeine four hours prior to turning in for the night can actually be enough to keep you up, tossing and turning.

This isn’t just about coffee, either; it extends to sodas and teas, or anything at all with a decent caffeine content. Different people also react to caffeine differently, so some burn through the caffeine more quickly, and others can’t drink any coffee at all if they want to enjoy their night’s rest. Your best bet is to stop drinking coffee after lunch.

c)    You Eat Before Bed

We all know what it’s like to struggle with a rumbling stomach right before bedtime. It’s okay to have a quick bite so you can fall asleep in the first place, but you have to make sure not to overdo it. Eat light snacks, not full meals.

On top of that, eating at night could lead to potential weight gain. That’s why you need to stick to healthy foods that are good for calming you down. Here are some examples:

  • Nuts
  • Fresh fruit
  • Greek yogurt
  • Eggs
  • Peanut butter and whole wheat bread
  • A glass of almond milk
  • Cheese and crackers
  • Trail mix

4.    Your Room Is Too Warm

Remember how we said that the brain responds to light? It can become confused about whether it is night or day if you’re around too much light. Well, the same goes for temperature. The body naturally begins cooling itself as night arrives, and your brain and body know what temperature this is supposed to be.

So if you crank up the heat at night, your body may begin to make the mistake of thinking it’s not yet time for bed. It’s better for you to load up on blankets than to keep the heat at too-high a level. (Similarly, if you have trouble sleeping, turning the temperature down may help.)

In addition, many people sleep warm, meaning the body rises in temperature as they sleep. If this is the case for you, then you may start the night feeling cozy, but have your sleep quality negatively impacted when you start sweating halfway into the night.

The best temperature for you to sleep in for the most positive results is between 65°F and 72°F. When in doubt, always go for the cooler choice!

As an added disclaimer, your choice of pajamas can affect your perceived temperature, too. Sure, flannel is cozy, but because this material is also very warm, it can make your body feel like it’s still daytime. If you really need your comfort, again, opt for blankets and keep your nightwear light and/or thin!

5.    You Take Pain Medication

natural-remedies-painkillers

If you deal with pain issues that make it hard to fall asleep, you may be taking some form of pain medication to help manage them. Sadly, these meds provide sedative qualities that can cause you to skip out on REM sleep, leading to worsened sleep quality and less restorative bedtimes.

  • Take a look at what causes your pain.
  • Do you deal with back pain, neck pain, or something similar?
  • It may be your mattress or pillow that is to blame.
  • Look up better bedding options based on the pain you experience.
  • You’d be surprised how many sleep products out there cater to those with some form of chronic pain!

Is your pain from a condition that can’t be improved by a better bed? Talk to your doctor about alternative medications if you feel that this is affecting your sleep. Remember not to stop taking prescribed medication unless told to or given the okay by a doctor.

Final Thoughts On Some Habits That Are Actually Ruining Your Quality Of Sleep

Good sleep is necessary for positive health and daily function. That’s why it’s so important that you truly make sure that you’re getting the best possible quality of sleep. By avoiding these 5 habits that are actually ruining your quality of sleep and replacing them with healthier ones, you’ll never have to worry about waking up exhausted again.

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