More Than Just Muscles! How Creatine Supports Memory – Invite Health Podcast, Episode 7
Creatine is not just for your muscles and it’s not just for gym lovers! Research explained in Episode 7 takes a deep dive into it’s brain health benefits.
Tag: brain
New Study: Drinking Tea Improves Brain Health
A recent study led by researchers from the National University of Sinapore revealed that regular tea drinkers have better organized brain regions associated with healthy cognitive function, compared to non-tea drinkers. Here’s what you need to know.
More Motivation! Exercise Improves Brain Function, Study Reports
Having some trouble turning off Netflix and finding the motivation to work out? Well, this should do the trick! New findings of a recent study show that, on top of its benefits for metabolism, mood, and general health, exercise also improves brain function.
The Study on Exercise and Brain Function
Researchers from the University of Tübingen set out to investigate whether or not exercise can improve insulin sensitivity in the brain and improve cognition in overweight individuals.
The study, led by Dr. Stephanie Kullmann, involved 22 sedentary adults who were overweight or obese (an average BMI of 31), who underwent two brain scans before and after an 8-week exercise intervention that included cycling and walking. Brain function was measured before and after using an insulin nasal spray to record insulin sensitivity of the brain. Researchers noted the participants cognition, mood, and peripheral metabolism.
The Results are In!
Though the intervention only resulted in marginal weight loss, brain function important for metabolism “normalized” after only 8-weeks. Increases of regional brain flow in areas of the brain important for motor control and reward processes, which depend of the neurotransmitter dopamine, were shown. Dopamine is important for learning new motor skills and in reward-related learning. This study shows that exercise significantly improves dopamine-related brain function.
Kullman explains, “The bottom line is that exercise improves brain function. And increasing insulin sensitivity in dopamine-related blood regions through exercises may help decrease the risk of a person to develop type 2 diabetes, along with the benefits for mood and cognition.”
Source: Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior. “Exercise improves brain function in overweight and obese individuals.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 9 July 2019. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/07/190709171815.htm>.
Questions about this study? Motivated to start exercising but don’t know where to start? Leave a comment below to speak with a certified healthcare professional!
NADH – The *New* Health Trend (That We’ve Utilized For Years)
Photo by SmartTribes Institute Aging is inevitable. We are all looking for that magic switch to slow down aging, boost energy levels, and keep your memory sharp. Unfortunately, that switch does not exist. The good news is that we have science on our side, specifically …
All About Cognition: Superior Nutrients For Your Brain Health Needs
Photo by Alina Grubnyak on Unsplash Cognition is a mental action that allows the acquiring of knowledge and understanding. These actions include reasoning, attention, memory and processing. As we age, cognitive decline can settle in, causing impairment, especially in those 65 years old and older. …
Study: EGCG May Alleviate Insulin Resistance and Cognitive Impairment
Photo by Rawpixel on Unsplash
A new study involving mice, suggests that EGCG (epigallocatechin-3-gallate), the most abundant catechin and biologically active component in green tea, could alleviate high-fat and high-fructose (HFFD)-induced insulin resistance and cognitive impairment.
What is EGCG?
After water, green tea is the most consumed beverage in the world; and there’s good reason for it! The tea plant is rich in valuable antioxidants that tout numerous health benefits from immunity to oral health to weight management. And the evidence is very impressive
The tea plant is rich in valuable antioxidants known as polyphenols. The polyphenols in green tea are called catechins, of which EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate) is the most active and well known.
The Study
Xuebo Liu, Ph.D., a researcher at the College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University, in Yangling, China, reports, “”The ancient habit of drinking green tea may be a more acceptable alternative to medicine when it comes to combating obesity, insulin resistance, and memory impairment.”
Liu and colleagues divided 3-month-old male mice into three groups based on diet:
1) a control group fed with a standard diet,
2) a group fed with an HFFD diet, and
3) a group fed with an HFFD diet and 2 grams of EGCG per liter of drinking water.
For 16 weeks, researchers monitored the mice and found that those fed with HFFD had a higher final body weight than the control mice, and a significantly higher final body weight than the HFFD+EGCG mice. In performing a Morris water maze test, researchers found that mice in the HFFD group took longer to find the platform compared to mice in the control group. The HFFD+EGCG group had a significantly lower escape latency and escape distance than the HFFD group on each test day. When the hidden platform was removed to perform a probe trial, HFFD-treated mice spent less time in the target quadrant when compared with control mice, with fewer platform crossings. The HFFD+EGCG group exhibited a significant increase in the average time spent in the target quadrant and had greater numbers of platform crossings, showing that EGCG could improve HFFD-induced memory impairment.