Articles

Take a Walk in The Park

04/28/2013

Walking improves stamina, energy, heart health, strength, and balance. As a form of exercise walking may even alter the physical and brain changes that occur with Parkinson’s over time.  Walking can also help the mind and the soul.   Research tells us that exercise including simply just walking, can protect our thinking abilities as we get older and protect from disease…

·        Reduce cognitive decline that can happen with aging

·        Reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease a form of dementia that attacks memory and thinking skills

·        Reduce the decline executive function in Parkinson’s.  (Learn more about executive function.)

Walking can also be good for our emotions and our soul. We have long known that exercise can help our mood and treat depression.  A walk in the park is like getting a double dose of therapy.

John Muir, a naturalist and nature lover once wrote,

“In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.”

In a time when many of us are flocking to gyms, joining exercise classes or getting on the treadmill to get in ‘their exercise’, we may be missing an opportunity to move and feel well. Researchers evaluating the effect of walking on our mood showed that a walk in the park improved mood more than a similar walk in the shopping mall.  Our environment affects how we feel, think, move and behave.   Think about a walk in the park on a beautiful sunny day and the feeling and experience that comes to mind

·        The fresh air sharpens the senses and clears the mind of clutter

·        The marvel and good natured fun of watching nature

·        The stress dissolving effect of the peaceful calm of a gentle breeze

·        The sense of hope and anticipation that comes with the first spring buds.

·        The reflection of days past and what brings joy to us in life as we watch the sun set

·        The challenge and sure footedness of walking that is gained from walking on uneven ground

·        The chance to slow down, share your walk and connect with a loved one

·        The energizing feel of the sun

·        The joy and reminder that little things like a bird’s song or child’s laughter are important in life

·        The soothing effect of the sun’s warmth on our back

The benefits of nature are available to us all.  The power of exercise in Parkinson’s, healthy aging and emotional wellbeing are undisputed. Enhance this power by taking your next exercise activity outdoors.  Whether you take a stroll in your wheelchair in the park, take a walk around the block or a short stroll in your backyard, the benefit of nature is priceless.

Author: Monique Giroux, MD 

Copyright 2013 Northwest Parkinson's Foundation Wellness Center

Effect of Anti Parkinson drug HP-200 (Mucuna pruriens) on the central monoaminergic neurotransmitters.

Manyam BV, Dhanasekaran M, Hare TA.

Source

Department of Neurology, Scott & White Clinic and Texas A & M University System Health Science Centre College of Medicine, Temple, TX 76508, USA.

Abstract

HP-200, which contains Mucuna pruriens endocarp, has been shown to be effective in the treatment of Parkinson's disease. It has also been shown to be more effective, compared to synthetic levodopa in an animal model of Parkinson's Disease.

The present study was designed to elucidate the long-term effect of Mucuna pruriens endocarp in HP-200 on monoaminergic neurotransmitters and its metabolite in various regions of the rat brain.

HP-200 at a dose of 2.5, 5.0 or 10.0 g/kg/day was mixed with rat chow and fed daily ad lib to Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 6 for each group) for 52 weeks. Controls (n = 6) received no drug. Random assignment was made for doses and control. The rats were sacrificed at the end of 52 weeks and the neurotransmitters were analysed in the cortex, hippocampus, substantia nigra and striatum.

Oral administration of Mucuna pruriens endocarp in the form of HP-200 had a significant effect on dopamine content in the cortex with no significant effect on levodopa, norepinephrine or dopamine, serotonin, and their metabolites- HVA, DOPAC and 5-HIAA in the nigrostriatal tract.

The failure of Mucuna pruriens endocarp to significantly affect dopamine metabolism in the striatonigral tract along with its ability to improve Parkinsonian symptoms in the 6-hydorxydopamine animal model and humans may suggest that its anti Parkinson effect may be due to components other than levodopa or that it has a levodopa enhancing effect.

Berries

(NaturalNews) Positive health benefits abound in the multi-colored flavonoids found in all berries, especially blueberries and strawberries. Nutrition experts and a wealth of scientific reports show that berry consumption lowers levels of dangerous inflammation within the trillions of cells throughout our body, and can lower the risk of developing vascular disorders, diabetes and metabolic syndrome.

Alzheimer's disease is one of the most feared and devastating illnesses that plague aging adults today. New research posits that eating berries regularly can help clear the protein tangles that exhibit frequently with many dementias as well as other chronic brain diseases. A research team from the Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University provides evidence to demonstrate how diets supplemented with blueberries and strawberries improve behavior and cognitive functions in a well established animal model known to parallel human metabolism.

Berries lower inflammation and oxidative stress to help preserve cognitive function

Releasing findings detailing their work to the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, the study team fed rats a berry diet for two months and then looked at their brains for signs of brain dysfunction after irradiation, a model designed to accelerate the aging process. The animals were divided into two groups; one was evaluated after 36 hours of radiation and the other after 30 days. The scientists looked for neurochemical changes in the brain, particularly through a process called autophagy which can regulate the synthesis, degradation and recycling of cellular components.

Autophagy is also the primary means utilized to clear dangerous amyloid beta protein tangles from the brain before they deteriorate synaptic function resulting in cognitive decline and advancing dementia. Lead study author, Dr. Shibu Poulose concluded "After 30 days on the same berry diet, the rats experienced significant protection against radiation compared to control... we saw significant benefits to diets with both of the berries, and speculate it is due to the phytonutrients present."

Researchers determined that flavonoids from the berries promote autophagy, the brain's natural housekeeping mechanism, and thereby reduces the toxic accumulation of protein clumps most frequently seen in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease cases. Berries may provide a powerful preventive shield against brain function deterioration when included as part of a healthy diet, regular physical activity and brain exercises designed to stimulate the brain through new learning experiences.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/259489.php

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/04/130421153459.htm

About the author:
John Phillip is a Certified Nutritional Consultant and Health Researcher and Author who writes regularly on the cutting edge use of diet, lifestyle modifications and targeted supplementation to enhance and improve the quality and length of life. John is the author of 'Your Healthy Weight Loss Plan', a comprehensive EBook explaining how to use Diet, Exercise, Mind and Targeted Supplementation to achieve your weight loss goal.

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/040208_berries_Alzheimers_disease_brain_health.html#ixzz2SaWS3CnP