Rise of the Food Allergies: Gluten Intolerance

If you've ever seen a product in a grocery store with the label above on it, this means that the food you're about to consume is gluten free.  Why does that matter?  Because in the past couple of years, gluten allergies have been on the rise and have caused a gluten-free revolution.  Many companies have started making gluten-free products or have even completely stopped making products with gluten altogether.  Some people, though, are not so willing to jump on the gluten-free train and question if people really have gluten allergies or if they assume that cutting it out of their diets will make them healthy.

Celiac disease is/was the main reason why companies made gluten free foods.  Celiac disease is defined as a gluten-induced condition in which the small intestine because badly damaged by foods containing gluten.  About 1 in 100 people have Celiac Disease, yet millions of people have no idea they have this condition.  Many people have associated the gluten-free revolution with Celiac Disease and think that Celiac Disease is on the rise.

Though Celiac Disease is on the rise, many people are actually developing gluten intolerance and other conditions associated with gluten allergies.  What is gluten intolerance?  Gluten intolerance is similar to Celiac Disease in that gluten sits in the intestines and badly damages the intestines and can result in malabsorption because of blocking the intestines from doing their job.  1 in 133 people are gluten-intolerant nowadays, compared to 1 in a 2500 ten years ago.

What is causing gluten intolerance to be on the rise?  Doctors have speculations, such as high sugar content, GMOs, highly processed foods, and antibiotics.  All of these things and several more cause inflammation of the intestines, which can aid in the body developing a gluten allergy.  So far, though, nothing has been deemed as the exact cause of the intolerance as well as the increase in people with the intolerance.

If you think you have a gluten allergy or show some of the signs of a gluten allergy, it is in your best interest to go and get tested.  If you don't want to get tested, try taking gluten out of your life for a while and see if your stomach feels better.  If so, you may have a gluten allergy.  In a society where gluten intolerance is on the rise, it may be wise to "save yourself" and to give gluten free foods a try, you may actually like them and your body may actually feel better eating them.

Questions for Reflection

1) With little known about GMOs, would it be wise to cut these out of our diets to see if they are the cause of our gluten intolerance?

2) When people say they feel better eating gluten free, is that just the mind making the body think its better or is it really the body feeling better?

Sources
http://www.foodrenegade.com/the-rise-of-gluten-intolerance/
http://celiac.org/celiac-disease/what-is-celiac-disease/
http://thehealthreporter.tv/tag/gluten-free/

"Don't Forget About Me!"- Yours Truly, An Engineer

     I asked my friend what comes to her head when she thought of the health field. Her response included, hospitals, doctors, patients, medicines, ambulances etc. However the word engineer never came up. Personally, I never gave much credit to engineers when I thought about the health care field as well, but since joining The Health Science Scholars Program I am more aware of all the possible variety in the Health care field.

     Engineers create easier and more efficient ways for hospitals to function. Engineers have come up with inventions that allow for things such as an EEG ,or Electroencephalography, which detects electrical activity in the brain. One new breakthrough in medical technology is Robotic Check-Ups. These “medical robots” are quicker and more efficient in patrolling hospitals and making rounds, attending to other patients. Other inventions that engineers have created include the Sapien transcatheter aortic valve. This invention reduces the physical burden that a patient may undergo while having heart surgery. Another invention, the Cefaly, is a new piece of technology that treats migraines instead of using medication to relieve the pain. The innovative minds of engineers help create methods in the health care field that reduce cost, stress, and induce creativity for hospitals and for patients.

Engineers are huge for the structure in the health care field. They provide new and better methods of treatments and provide hospitals with more efficient care. Engineers are greatly needed to improve care later in the future. As technology improves, engineers are keeping the world to date through their inventions.

Questions to Think About: 

What future inventions are engineers proposing to institute into the future of health care? Are things such as cross species genetics in humans actually possible (Could you create an idea like Spider-Man?). Should there be more interaction with engineers and patients?

Sources:

https://www.asme.org/engineering-topics/articles/bioengineering/top-5-medical-technology-innovations

http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20860254_2,00.html

Vaccines For Children..Are They Really Needed?

Whether or not a parent decides to vaccinate their new born children has become more of an honest question more than it has in the past. To a family physician, there is nothing more frustrating. They know and see first hand the effects these vaccines and immunizations can have. Even worse, what can happen when children to not receive them at a young age. There are a growing number of reasons that parents do not want their children getting these shots for. These include but are not limited to: too many vaccinations at one time, that the government has created some type of conspiracy about the vaccines, and even that they can take care of their children better than any shot could. So are these reasons worthy of consideration? A pediatrician at the Boston Hospital, Doctor McCarthy, says no. She believes that these are all myths and that every parent needs to be educated about them. Another doctor, Dr. Cronyn, says "It's important to keep in mind that parents really want what's best for their children." They are not at all trying to be problematic or a nuisance to their physicians. Doctors and parents all want the same thing and that is to get the best help for the children as possible. Many physicians blame the growing number of people who do not want to vaccinate their children on the advancement of technology. With the internet, it is very easy for someone who is uneducated on a subject to sound as if they have years of experience, without having to back up their words with credentials. People make up stories and bash the use of vaccines that make their way all over the internet. It's no wonder parents these days are having second thoughts. In the end, what most physicians would agree on would be that the parents make a full educated decision. If they are fully aware of the benefits vs. risks of vaccination and truly believe that their kid does not need them, then it is their choice. In the end the choice is really yours to make.

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/830705_5

Vegetarianism: Does a Meat-Free Diet Lead to Lower Incidence of Cancer?

The question "why did you choose to become a vegetarian?" is constantly proposed to vegetarians, and we are very happy to explain why we made the plunge into the non-meat world. We can speak for hours of animal mistreatment and hormone additions, yet you would almost never hear a vegetarian say that they changed their lifestyle in order to reduce their cancer risk. American society is centered around an addiction to meat, but it is also centered around the sad truth of an abnormally high incidence of cancer. Could the American addiction to meat be linked to the nearly 600,000 cancer deaths each year?

In a 2010 cohort study, the link between a carnivorous diet and cancer risk was interestingly found. Meat-eaters were not only found to have a higher relative risk of cancer: they were found to have lower survival and remission rates than their vegetarian counterparts battling the same cancer. Current science points out that the process of cooking meat imparts cancer-causing proteins into the body, and also that consumed meat essentially rots within one's colon which also increases cancer risk. Compounded with the fact that vegetarians have an average body weight 3-20% lower than that of meat-eaters when it is known that high body weight is directly proportional to increased cancer risk, the case for a vegetarian lifestyle is solidified.

Although there is solid evidence that a long-time vegetarian diet results in lowered cancer risk, it is easy to see how this fact would likely be downplayed and hidden by the media. The meat industry in this country is unbelievably large, and country-wide talk of any study that would discourage Americans from eating meat is considered taboo. With famous advertisements like "Where's the Beef?" ingrained in the minds of Americans, it is clear that progress toward a vegetarian society is relatively impossible.

Questions for Reflection:

Even though a meat-free society is highly idealistic and improbable, important questions can be made. Should cancer treatments include vegetarian diet restrictions, or is the damage already done? Also, what are the true motivations for people to buy meat instead of alternatives such as tofu and tempeh? Does the motivation lie deeper than the idea that meat tastes better than the alternatives? 

Sources:

Reduced cancer risk in vegetarians: an analysis of recent reports

http://www.cancer.org/acs/groups/content/@editorial/documents/document/acspc-044509.pdf

How Important is Sleep to Students?

How much sleep do you get a night? Chances are it is less than what you need. Students everywhere agree that they need more sleep. For many the problem is trying to fit classes, schoolwork, sports, and the other parts that make up a day, into a reasonable amount of time where there is enough left for sleep. Most students are well aware they need more sleep. They feel it in class when they have trouble focusing and keeping their eyes open. What is the underlying issue for why this is happening? School, work, sports, and social activities certainly take up a great deal of student’s time, but is it just a poor choice in prioritizing? It could be students aren't valuing the importance of sleep. 

When more time is needed, the quickest and easiest way to solve this issue is cutting out more from sleep. It's just a whole lot of time spent doing nothing right? But there are many negative side effects to not getting an adequate night of sleep. Sleep deprivation causes moodiness, increases risk of car and other related accidents, and decreases academic performance, which is probably one of the last things a student wants to do. How can we explain this lack of sleep besides not having enough time in the day? Is it that students have trouble sleeping? 

Irregular sleep patterns created from studying for exams or finishing projects may contribute to this. Equally a factor is when students attempt to cope with the tiredness experienced from not getting enough sleep and turn to caffeine from coffee and energy drinks to feel awake and energized. This however makes the following night of sleep even more difficult to obtain. Exercise during the day also promotes quality sleep, and many students spend their time sitting in class and studying. There aren't a lot of active periods in the day unless one specifically goes out of their way to create it. With all these causes, it is up to students to decide to make sleep a priority in order to gain the academic, as well as the physical and mental benefits. 

Sources:
http://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/01/15/what-do-students-need-most-more-sleep/?_r=0
http://www.apa.org/topics/sleep/why.aspx
http://www.aasmnet.org/articles.aspx?id=659
http://www.educationconnection.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/sleep-student.jpg

Adderall: Is it a problem?

As second semester moves past syllabus week, the workload from lectures, discussions, tests, research, jobs, extracurriculars, and other resume-builders increases. Many students feel that they are drowning in their commitments and that they simply do not have the time or energy to accomplish it all. This becomes especially true for upperclassmen who often have the added stresses of applying for further schooling, finishing graduation requirements, or simply being burned out. With not only the pressure to succeed, but also the pressure to outdo fellow classmates due to curves or limited spots open in post-grad opportunities, it is no wonder that students look for any way to get an advantage over their peers. 

"It helps me stay focused and be more efficient, which is very helpful with the chaos of college," stated one college student who found just that advantage: Adderall. Adderall is a prescription ADHD medicine that is extraordinarily common at universities across the nation with the University of Michigan as no exception. Students find that it allows them to stay focused for longer allowing them to finish their schoolwork and achieve better grades. There also is little visible damage to a person taking Adderall beyond possible signs of an “all-nighter.” This sounds like a perfect fix for the student with lofty goals and little time, but what is the catch?

Some would argue that it is cheating as it certainly violates the definition given by psychcentral.com: “to act dishonestly or unfairly in order to gain an advantage, especially in a game or examination.” However, with only 41% of students definitively agreeing with this concept in a study of Ivy League students, who is to say that taking Adderall is acting “dishonestly?” Possibly the strongest argument against Adderall use are the side-effects associated such as sleep problems, headaches, depression and dependence with dependence being one of the foremost issues. It is possible that individuals who depended on Adderall to achieve their professional position may also depend on Adderall to complete tasks in their profession. Would you want to have your operation done by a surgeon who could crash any moment from his Adderall addiction? With the workload and stress college students bare, it is difficult to condemn their desire for a reprieve, but for the health of these students and those who they affect in their future careers, should something be done? Do the possible health risks outweigh the knowledge-cramming benefits?

http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/17/health/adderall-college-students/

http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2014/05/02/is-taking-adderall-to-boost-college-brain-performance-cheating/

https://www.google.com/search?q=college+student+adderall&espv=2&biw=1280&bih=637&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=DRDBVLvBLM_kaouIgJAJ&sqi=2&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAg#imgdii=_&imgrc=bGvUHGEQ100PKM%253A%3BMbgqLj1-KZQOfM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.hercampus.com%252Fsites%252Fdefault%252Ffiles%252F2014%252F04%252F20%252Fh_1.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.hercampus.com%252Fschool%252Funco%252Fadderall-american-student-s-new-frenemy%3B1024%3B683

Mentally Ill Mice?

       Unlike their less liked cousins who dwell in your basement, laboratory mice have long been the favorites of psychiatric researchers. In fact, an estimated twenty to thirty million of these unsung heroes donate their "lives" to science every year in America. The laboratory mice are either selectively bred or genetically modified to exhibit symptoms of human psychological illnesses such as depression, anxiety and schizophrenia. Developing drugs are tested on the supposedly mentally deranged mice to assess the drugs' efficacy and side effects. Millions of dollars and years of painstaking work are poured into this stage of the research before human trial can be carried out and the drug be approved by the FDA. The use of mice in psychiatric research has become conventional since the 1980s, with only one simple problem: mice and human have fundamentally different behavioral traits and psyche.

       If you have a pet hamster or have handled mice in labs, you probably know that small rodents like mice are extremely sensitive and fragile. An unfamiliar scent of the handler, a shake on their cage, and even a change in lighting would throw them into a spell of panic. Therefore, we cannot be sure if the mice's "erratic" behaviors that researchers identify as signs of mental illness are just natural signs of the animal being under stress. Even if we assumed that mice can actually manifest identifiable symptoms of psychotic diseases, who is to say with absolute confidence that they know exactly how to translate the mice's conditions and reactions into human equivalents?

       And mice do not just "act" differently from humans: the chemistry of their brains works differently as well. Even if a drug were perfected on mice, it might not have the intended results on humans. A few lucky strikes such as Ambien (that treats insomnia) are eventually found to have alternative uses in human, but many others end up having major side effects, and a lot more simply have to be discarded because they do not work on humans at all. Scientists are now exploring alternative research methods, one of which is to switch from mice to rats, small rodents that, to my surprise, are different from mice.

Questions for reflection:

Mice and human share about 99% of their genes. Mice eat little, reproduce very quickly, and are easy to keep in confined spaces. So far, no other species can replace mice in the research process with a significant improvement in its accuracy and efficiency. Instead of changing the animal we use in lab, we should put more resources and energy into researching the behavior traits and brain chemistry of mice.  By understanding more about mice and their similarities and differences with humans, we can hope to better the psychiatric research process. What are some bioethical questions psychiatric experiments on mice may raise? What does testing on mice mean to the human subjects in later parts of the researches? Are we being irresponsible by subjecting our human subjects to treatments we know might not work at all?  

Sources:

http://discovermagazine.com/2011/nov/11-of-mice-and-men-and-medicines

Are energy drinks boosting your energy or declining your health?

 

                                       

            Energy drinks are now becoming a popular drink option among adults and young adults around the country.  These types of drinks are thought to boost energy in ways similar to coffee, soda, and other caffeinated drinks. Studies have found that energy drinks are, in fact, more harmful than coffee or soda. Statistics collected from the U.S. poison control centers reveal that there were more than 5,000 cases of people who got sick from energy drinks between 2010 and 2013. According to Eric Schumaker of the Huffington Post, canned energy drinks do not come with health warnings. Energy drink companies are able to leave out health warnings, because they contain plant and herbal extracts along with caffeine. The inclusion of plant and herbal extracts allows energy drink companies to label their products as dietary supplements.

            What is the big deal you still ask? Since energy drinks are labeled as a dietary supplements the Food and Drug Administration does not evaluate energy drinks because they do not considered them a food. This can be a serious issue, because those who consume energy drinks are not aware of the amount of caffeine that they are consuming. Even more problematic, if an adult is not aware of the amount of caffeine that is in their drink they may assume there is less caffeine in the drink than there actually is. Along with excessive amounts of caffeine, the plants and herbs that are in energy drinks contain natural energy boosters. The effects of combining natural energy boosters and caffeine are unknown, but combining these two could be potentially dangerous.  This is because many of the natural ingredients placed in these drinks have not been studied in depth.

            Why should you care? Not only have over 5,000 people become sick from the consumption of energy drinks, but many have also been sent to the hospital. In an effort to try to reduce the amount of people becoming sick and being sent to the hospital it is best know what is in your beverage. Also, since the amount of caffeine in energy drinks is unknown people should limit their consumption of energy drinks to one per day.

Questions:

How many energy drinks do college students usually consume in a day? What are the effects that young adults are experiencing after drinking energy drinks?  

Source(s):

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/23/just-how-dangerous-are-energy-drinks_n_5515647.html

http://www.livescience.com/48765-energy-drinks-side-effects.html

Paying to Pass Your Classes?

Compared to twenty years ago, the stress levels of teens and young adults has sky rocketed. The competiveness of college admission, as well as the new found pressure to receive a respectable career could attribute to that. With all these new added expectations, many students have found a new way to cope with the pressure: Adderall.

            If you or someone you know suffers from A.D.D, you are no stranger to Adderall, a drug commonly used to help improve attention span and impulsive behavior of those who suffer from hyperactivity. However, if one does not suffer from A.D.D. Adderall has the opposite effect; it instead causes the individual to steadily focus on one given task. In today’s society, many non-prescribed college and high school students abuse this drug in order to study for an exam, write an essay or complete a difficult project. The dependence of Adderall is growing daily on college campuses. 

According to the 2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, over 11 percent of people ages 12- 25 reported using prescription drugs for non- medical reasons. Moreover, full-time college students ages 18- 22 were twice as likely to abuse Adderall compared those of the same are who not in college. In addition, a 2008 study of 1,800 college students showed that 81 percent of college students do not believe that Adderall is dangerous or slightly dangerous. This, however, is false. In fact, Adderall can cause low blood pressure, depression, irritability, rapid mood swings and insomnia. Moreover, it also provides students with a feeling of dependency. As if they cannot perform to a certain standard without the use of the drug. This dependency can lead to addiction. Conclusively, the abuse of prescription drugs, specifically Adderall, on college campuses is a growing problem that so far, has no signs of stopping.

             In sports, the use of drugs to enhance athletic performance is seen as cheating. Many people argue that the use on Adderall in the academic setting is also a form of cheating. Would it be fair to ask students for perform drug tests before exams? Should the use of “study drugs” even be considered as cheating?

Sources:

http://www.healthline.com/health/adhd/adderall-effects-on-body

http://www.drugwatch.com/students/

http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/17/health/adderall-college-students/#

The Decision To Combat Stigma, The Next Step For Pro-Choice

Perhaps one of the most defining issues of the last era in American society has been the issue of abortion. Ever since 1973, the Roe v. Wade decision has, depending on your opinion, either empowered women or legalized infant murder. Regardless of your stance, however, the Pro-Choice faction had made significant strides since then, with more and more women turning to abortion.

However, the results of the general election concerning both the House and Senate leaves the legislation branch within the hands of the GOP. Even with a Democratic White House, there is only so much the Democrats can do to halt the passing of Pro-Life Legislature. Since the election, the "new congress is introducing anti-women's health bills at a rate of one per day" with a goal to "ban abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy on the day of the Roe v. Wade anniversary".

As a result, Pro-Choice have copied a move out of the LGBT movement's playbook: increasing awareness and tolerance. Many movement leaders hope that the increased awareness for the number of women engaging in abortion currently would help the general populace gain sympathy and tolerance for the cause, in essence: combat the stigma rather the law. Therefore, many women have been encouraged to come out with their experiences on abortion and how it helped them throughout life whether through stability or timing.

By fighting the stigma, the Pro-Choice faction hope to help women feel comfortable talking about their choices as well as gain momentum in the wake of an impending legislative downpour.

Question for Reflection

While the decision to attack stigma rather the law seems rather effective, as seen in the LGBT community, it ignores the root complexities of the abortion controversy in which caused the toxic division in the first place. By adding more individuals to the conversation, will it gain sympathy as predicted or generate more opposition?

Sources

http://kaiserhealthnews.org/news/next-goal-for-abortion-rights-backers-reducing-stigma/

Coping with stress: What does how we cope with stress say about ourselves?

The new semester has begun, and new stresses are flooding student's lives. As homework, exams, and social drama begin to consume the students' lives once again, they must continue coping with the strains being presented in their lives. We all have different ways to cope, but how healthy are our various methods? How does the way we cope and our personalities influence our interactions with our fellow students? 

These issues were examined in a study performed by the University of Missouri-Columbia. Dr. Gustavo Carlo examined 1557 students between 12 and 15 years of age, examining past behaviors, feelings, emotional stability, and stress-coping strategies. Two methods of handling stress were examined: problem-focused and emotion focused coping. Problem-focused coping involves trying to diminish or purge the origin of the stress. Emotion-focused coping, on the other hand, consists of venting, avoiding the issue, or distracting oneself. Emotion-focused coping was also linked to emotional instability and more frequent aggressive behavior. However, the subjects who relied on problem-focused coping where characterized as being more empathetic and patient. These children had greater control over their feelings. The more emotional subjects, on the other hand, were more invested in themselves and had greater difficulty focusing on eliminating the source of their stress. 

Questions for Reflection:

We see that adolescents with greater control of their emotions demonstrated more effective stress-coping tactics. However, why is it that some children can control their emotions better than others? What influences one's personality? How difficult would it be for one to learn to control their own emotions?

Sources:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/08/120801154845.htm

Can Eating a Donut Affect your Memory?

Have you ever eaten a donut or perhaps a bag of chips? What if someone told you that eating that donut or that bag of chips probably had an affect on your precious memory. Donuts and chips contain a high amount of trans fats, which are apparently causing problems with memory. According to the American Heart Association, a person should only have about 2 grams of trans fat, but the average American adult is eating 5.6 grams of trans fat a day. 

A study that was recently presented at the American Heart Association’s conference has found evidence that trans fat can actually affect a person’s memory. In this study 1000 healthy men were used. The men were shown 104 cards with words on them and were asked if any of the words were repeated or new. Blood tests were done and the men who had a higher concentration of trans fat in their blood did not remember as many words compared to the men who had less trans fat in their blood.

Will you stop eating donuts or chips because of this study? Probably not. Although there is strong correlation between these two factors, it is hard to prove causation in this experiment. Future studies might be able to prove causation between trans fat and memory. It is important to find the problems associated with trans fats so that people can avoid eating foods that contain large amounts of trans fats. Trans fats are already associated with other problems like heart disease and obesity. The more we learn about trans fats the better we can protect ourselves from avoidable medical problems.

Do trans fats have any permanent affect on memory? Is there a way to remove trans fats from the foods that Americans commonly eat? What other affects do trans fats potentially have on the human body? What types of foods can we eat so that we can avoid eating foods with trans fats?

Sources:

http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/26/health/trans-fat-memory/index.html

http://cspinet.org/transfat/about.html

http://media.moddb.com/images/groups/1/7/6544/auto/chocolate-frosted-sprinkles-HI.JPG