The Word Workout
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-power-of-words/202606/the-word-workoutExperts are worried that talking is declining as we focus more on our phones — and that loss of conversation may be quietly harming our brains.
#brainhealth #communication #screentime
The Word Workout
Did you know that talking is great exercise for your brain? Experts are worried that talking is declining as we focus more on our phones.
Popular Joint Supplement Could Speed Dementia. Regular consumption of glucosamines is ASSOCIATED with faster progression of Alzheimer’s disease.
#Alzheimers #BrainHealth #Glucosamine #DementiaResearch #HealthNews https://www.instagram.com/p/DZ16HR9ymr-/
Howard G. Smith MD, AM on Instagram: "Popular Joint Supplement Could Speed Dementia
Millions of Americans take glucosamine daily for the joint pain of arthritis. New research from University of Florida raises questions about its safety. Published in the journal Nature Metabolism, regular consumption of glucosamines is associated with faster progression of Alzheimer’s disease.
The researchers analyzed health records from thousands of patients using artificial intelligence. After accounting for factors such as age, sex, and demographics, they find that glucosamine users with mild cognitive impairment have a 25 percent higher likelihood of progressing to dementia compared with non-users. The study finds only an association and does not prove that glucosamine causes these outcomes.
To understand what could be happening, the scientists examined brain tissue and conducted experiments in mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease. They discovered that glucosamine appears to increase a biological process that adds sugar molecules to proteins. This sugar-tagging system is already overactive in Alzheimer’s brains, and accelerating it may contribute to disease progression with memory decline. When researchers reduce the activity of this pathway, memory performance improves. Similar abnormalities are also found in human Alzheimer’s brain tissue.
The investigators emphasize that people should not panic or stop medications based solely because of this study. Clinical trials will be needed to determine whether glucosamine truly contributes to Alzheimer’s progression or whether other factors are involved.
Still, the findings highlight how supplements that seem harmless may have unexpected effects in people with certain medical conditions. If you or a loved one takes glucosamine and has memory issues, this study may be worth discussing with a healthcare professional.
The references for this report are available on my website.
#Alzheimers #BrainHealth #Glucosamine #DementiaResearch #HealthNews"
0 likes, 0 comments - drhowardsmithreports on June 21, 2026: "Popular Joint Supplement Could Speed Dementia
Millions of Americans take glucosamine daily for the joint pain of arthritis. New research from University of Florida raises questions about its safety. Published in the journal Nature Metabolism, regular consumption of glucosamines is associated with faster progression of Alzheimer’s disease.
The researchers analyzed health records from thousands of patients using artificial intelligence. After accounting for factors such as age, sex, and demographics, they find that glucosamine users with mild cognitive impairment have a 25 percent higher likelihood of progressing to dementia compared with non-users. The study finds only an association and does not prove that glucosamine causes these outcomes.
To understand what could be happening, the scientists examined brain tissue and conducted experiments in mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease. They discovered that glucosamine appears to increase a biological process that adds sugar molecules to proteins. This sugar-tagging system is already overactive in Alzheimer’s brains, and accelerating it may contribute to disease progression with memory decline. When researchers reduce the activity of this pathway, memory performance improves. Similar abnormalities are also found in human Alzheimer’s brain tissue.
The investigators emphasize that people should not panic or stop medications based solely because of this study. Clinical trials will be needed to determine whether glucosamine truly contributes to Alzheimer’s progression or whether other factors are involved.
Still, the findings highlight how supplements that seem harmless may have unexpected effects in people with certain medical conditions. If you or a loved one takes glucosamine and has memory issues, this study may be worth discussing with a healthcare professional.
The references for this report are available on my website.
#Alzheimers #BrainHealth #Glucosamine #DementiaResearch #HealthNews".
Howard G. Smith MD, AM on Instagram: "Chemotherapy-Associated Brain Fog Can Be Prevented
A simple, home-based exercise program helps reduce the cognitive problems often called “chemo brain.” This according to new research from the University of Rochester’s Wilmot Cancer Institute published in the journal Cancer.
The problem is common. Brain fog symptoms affect up to 80 percent of people receiving chemotherapy and include memory lapses, trouble concentrating, and difficulty multitasking.
The researchers enrolled 86 cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and reporting cognitive difficulties. Participants were assigned to one of four groups: exercise plus placebo, exercise plus low-dose ibuprofen, ibuprofen alone, or placebo alone. The exercise program, called EXCAP, combined progressive walking with light resistance exercises that patients performed at home.
After six weeks, patients in the exercise group show significantly better attention on cognitive tests compared with those receiving placebo. Friends, family members, and coworkers also notice fewer cognitive problems among participants who exercised.
The low-dose ibuprofen produces benefits as well. Patients taking ibuprofen alone show improvements in attention compared with placebo. However, these benefits are less consistent, and researchers find that some measures of short-term verbal memory improve less among ibuprofen users.
The bottom line: the strongest overall benefits come from exercise. This finding is particularly encouraging because physical activity already provides many other health benefits for people undergoing cancer treatment and recovery.
Larger Phase III trials will be needed to confirm the results. Even now, though, the findings suggest that something as simple as regular walking and light resistance exercise may help protect brain function during chemotherapy.
The references for this report are available on my website.
#CancerResearch #ChemoBrain #CancerSurvivor #BrainHealth #ExerciseMedicine"
0 likes, 0 comments - drhowardsmithreports on June 21, 2026: "Chemotherapy-Associated Brain Fog Can Be Prevented
A simple, home-based exercise program helps reduce the cognitive problems often called “chemo brain.” This according to new research from the University of Rochester’s Wilmot Cancer Institute published in the journal Cancer.
The problem is common. Brain fog symptoms affect up to 80 percent of people receiving chemotherapy and include memory lapses, trouble concentrating, and difficulty multitasking.
The researchers enrolled 86 cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and reporting cognitive difficulties. Participants were assigned to one of four groups: exercise plus placebo, exercise plus low-dose ibuprofen, ibuprofen alone, or placebo alone. The exercise program, called EXCAP, combined progressive walking with light resistance exercises that patients performed at home.
After six weeks, patients in the exercise group show significantly better attention on cognitive tests compared with those receiving placebo. Friends, family members, and coworkers also notice fewer cognitive problems among participants who exercised.
The low-dose ibuprofen produces benefits as well. Patients taking ibuprofen alone show improvements in attention compared with placebo. However, these benefits are less consistent, and researchers find that some measures of short-term verbal memory improve less among ibuprofen users.
The bottom line: the strongest overall benefits come from exercise. This finding is particularly encouraging because physical activity already provides many other health benefits for people undergoing cancer treatment and recovery.
Larger Phase III trials will be needed to confirm the results. Even now, though, the findings suggest that something as simple as regular walking and light resistance exercise may help protect brain function during chemotherapy.
The references for this report are available on my website.
#CancerResearch #ChemoBrain #CancerSurvivor #BrainHealth #ExerciseMedicine".
A Brain Chemical Helps Us Break Bad Habits. Involved in learning, memory, and decision-making, and it helps us abandon old habits and adapt.
#BrainHealth #Neuroscience #Acetylcholine #MentalHealth #ScienceNews https://www.instagram.com/p/DZ14xIxpKpJ/
Howard G. Smith MD, AM on Instagram: "A Brain Chemical That Helps Us Break Bad Habits
That neurotransmitter is acetylcholine according to new research from Japan’s Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology. It is involved in learning, memory, and decision-making, and it helps us abandon old habits and adapt when things don’t go as expected.
In a their study published in Nature Communications, researchers trained mice to navigate a virtual maze where they learned which path led to a reward. Once the mice became comfortable with the routine, scientists suddenly changed the rules and removed the expected reward. When mice experience this disappointment, researchers observe a surge of acetylcholine in key brain regions.
This spike appears to trigger behavioral flexibility. Mice with larger increases in acetylcholine are more likely to stop repeating an old strategy and try a new one. In other words, disappointment seems to activate a brain signal that encourages change instead of repetition.
To test the idea further, researchers reduced the mice’s ability to produce acetylcholine. The result was striking. The animals become less flexible and are more likely to stick with outdated choices even when those strategies no longer work.
This discovery helps explain why some conditions make it difficult to break habits. Disorders such as addiction, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and Parkinson’s disease are often characterized by behavioral inflexibility. Understanding how acetylcholine helps the brain adapt could eventually lead to new treatment approaches for these disorders.
The next time something doesn’t go your way, know that your brain may already be using that disappointment as a signal to explore a better path.
The references for this report are available on my website.
#BrainHealth #Neuroscience #Acetylcholine #MentalHealth #ScienceNews"
0 likes, 0 comments - drhowardsmithreports on June 21, 2026: "A Brain Chemical That Helps Us Break Bad Habits
That neurotransmitter is acetylcholine according to new research from Japan’s Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology. It is involved in learning, memory, and decision-making, and it helps us abandon old habits and adapt when things don’t go as expected.
In a their study published in Nature Communications, researchers trained mice to navigate a virtual maze where they learned which path led to a reward. Once the mice became comfortable with the routine, scientists suddenly changed the rules and removed the expected reward. When mice experience this disappointment, researchers observe a surge of acetylcholine in key brain regions.
This spike appears to trigger behavioral flexibility. Mice with larger increases in acetylcholine are more likely to stop repeating an old strategy and try a new one. In other words, disappointment seems to activate a brain signal that encourages change instead of repetition.
To test the idea further, researchers reduced the mice’s ability to produce acetylcholine. The result was striking. The animals become less flexible and are more likely to stick with outdated choices even when those strategies no longer work.
This discovery helps explain why some conditions make it difficult to break habits. Disorders such as addiction, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and Parkinson’s disease are often characterized by behavioral inflexibility. Understanding how acetylcholine helps the brain adapt could eventually lead to new treatment approaches for these disorders.
The next time something doesn’t go your way, know that your brain may already be using that disappointment as a signal to explore a better path.
The references for this report are available on my website.
#BrainHealth #Neuroscience #Acetylcholine #MentalHealth #ScienceNews".
Nasal Spray Rejunvenates Brains. Two sprays of a nasal spray developed by Texas A&M University neuroscientists reverses some signs of brain aging.
#BrainHealth #HealthyAging #Neuroscience #DementiaResearch #Memory https://www.instagram.com/p/DZ1zfXYsAn2/
Howard G. Smith MD, AM on Instagram: "Nasal Spray Rejunvenates Brains
Two sprays of a nasal spray developed by Texas A&M University neuroscientists reverses some signs of brain aging. And the effect lasts for months. Their studies appear in the Journal of Extracellular Vesicles.
The nasal spray contains biological particles called extracellular vesicles which transport microRNAs. In mouse studies, this treatment reduces chronic brain inflammation, restores the mitochondrial energy sources inside brain cells, and improves memory and recognition abilities. The therapy appears to reactivate the brain’s natural repair systems and helps neurons recover their ability to process and store information.
This brain inflammation and declining cellular energy are linked to memory loss, brain fog, dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease. If future human studies confirm these findings, a simple nasal spray could someday become a noninvasive way to help maintain cognitive health as people age.
On the other hand, this therapy has not yet been tested in humans. When it is, controlled clinical studies are needed before it could become approved and acceptable therapy.
The references for this report are available on my website.
#BrainHealth #HealthyAging #Neuroscience #DementiaResearch #Memory"
0 likes, 0 comments - drhowardsmithreports on June 21, 2026: "Nasal Spray Rejunvenates Brains
Two sprays of a nasal spray developed by Texas A&M University neuroscientists reverses some signs of brain aging. And the effect lasts for months. Their studies appear in the Journal of Extracellular Vesicles.
The nasal spray contains biological particles called extracellular vesicles which transport microRNAs. In mouse studies, this treatment reduces chronic brain inflammation, restores the mitochondrial energy sources inside brain cells, and improves memory and recognition abilities. The therapy appears to reactivate the brain’s natural repair systems and helps neurons recover their ability to process and store information.
This brain inflammation and declining cellular energy are linked to memory loss, brain fog, dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease. If future human studies confirm these findings, a simple nasal spray could someday become a noninvasive way to help maintain cognitive health as people age.
On the other hand, this therapy has not yet been tested in humans. When it is, controlled clinical studies are needed before it could become approved and acceptable therapy.
The references for this report are available on my website.
#BrainHealth #HealthyAging #Neuroscience #DementiaResearch #Memory".
Oh, the irony! 🧠 A groundbreaking revelation on slow breathing, but first, jump through digital hoops just to read it. Because, of course, your brain can't modulate risk behavior without
#JavaScript and
#cookies. 🍪😂
https://www.cell.com/neuron/fulltext/S0896-6273(26)00339-9 #slowbreathing #digitalhoops #irony #brainhealth #HackerNews #ngatedCreatine: Brain & Body Booster for Women 40+!
Creatine isn't just for muscles! Iits amazing benefits for cognitive function, especially for women over 40, and how it combats sleep deprivation.
Follow @biohackingpathway for more
#Creatine #WomensHealth #BrainHealth #CognitiveFunction #Supplements #SleepDeprivation #Fitness #HealthTips #AntiAging #Wellness
Oh no,
#AI is supposedly turning our brains to mush 🧠➡️🥤, but fear not: the true villain here is clearly Internet Explorer, still lurking in 2023! 🚫📅 Nature.com wants you to solve the world's tech problems by... updating your browser. 🌐✨
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-01947-1 #InternetExplorer #TechUpdate #BrowserUpgrade #BrainHealth #HackerNews #ngated
Is AI ruining our skills? Early results are in — and they’re not good
Reliance on artificial-intelligence tools degrades the abilities of physicians and software engineers, studies show.
FediBoard Wellness
Econopass
Biohacking Pathway
Howard Smith MD, AM
N-gated Hacker News