DAILY HEALTH UPDATE: Thursday, February 13, 2014 Dr. Jeff Allyn, Berkley Chiropractic Clinic

“Death is not the opposite of life, but a part of it.” ~ Haruki Murakami

Mental Attitude: Brain Structure Differences Determine Pain Sensitivity. Differences in brain structure may be the reason why all people do not experience pain in the same way. Using MRI scans, researchers found that people with more gray matter in parts of the brain associated with focus and attention had a reduced sensitivity to the pain sensation. This findings may lead to new strategies for managing chronic pain. Pain, December 2013

Health Alert: Drinking the Legal Limit of Alcohol Impairs Vision. It is known that alcohol affects motor skills and decision making skills, but what about vision? A new report states that vision is impaired up to 30% before an individual hits the legal limit for drinking in the United States (.08% blood-alcohol concentration by volume). This visual impairment makes distinguishing differences between objects based on lightness and darkness much more difficult. Researcher Dr. Brian Timney writes, "This is obviously important when you are driving at twilight, when objects are more difficult to see and more difficult to discriminate, even without alcohol. It's at those times when you are going to be most affected, and impaired." Perception, October 2013

Diet: Fiber-Rich Diet Protects Against Obesity and Diabetes. Foods high in fermentable fiber, such as cabbage, beans, and most fruits and vegetables are not directly digested by the intestine. Researchers found that intestinal bacteria ferment these fibers into short-chain fatty acids, including butyrate and propionate. These components actually increase glucose producing activity in the intestine which protects against obesity and diabetes by releasing glucose into the blood stream between meals and during sleep. Cell, January 2014

Exercise: Mild Cold Good for Weight Control? Losing weight could be as easy as lowering the thermostat. Dutch researchers claim that lowering indoor temperatures to 15 degrees Celsius (59 degrees F) for six hours a day forces the body to expend energy (burn calories) in order to stay warm. Experts believe extended exposure to slightly cooler temperatures could increase a person's resting metabolic rate, thus assisting in weight loss. Cell Press, January 2014

Chiropractic: Improve Quality of Life for Post-Stroke Patient. Four years after suffering a stroke, a 31-year-old male saw quality of life improvements in both balance and movement after completing a 32-week rehabilitation program that included chiropractic care. Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, January 2014

Wellness/Prevention: Managing Chronic Illnesses Saves Companies Money. Large companies like PepsiCo have discovered that investing in improving the health of employees with chronic illnesses, such as diabetes and heart disease, is good for their bottom line. In fact, for every dollar spent on managing their workforce’s chronic illnesses, these large companies saw a $3.78 savings in health care costs. RAND Corporation, January 2014

For More Information on Back Pain, Neck Pain, Headaches, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, and Whiplash, and To Sign Up For Our Daily Health Update Emails, Go To:www.DrJeffAllynBlog.com or our website at:www.berkleychiropracticclinic.com 

(This information is solely advisory, and should not be substituted for medical or chiropractic advice. Any and all health care concerns, decisions, and actions must be done through the advice and counsel of a health care professional who is familiar with your updated medical history.)