Our metabolic pathway is astoundingly complex, many different pathways working together to have our metabolism working systematically. When working in proper order it provides our organism the energy needed. When laid out on a screen it seems easy for something to go wrong. When something changes in the environment often the metabolism will also change. Some instances this is positive, on other occasions it is the opposite and sometimes deadly. Organisms faced with predators often enter into a spontaneous fight or flight response. Oxygen consumption skyrockets and with it the metabolic rate increases. When the presence of the predator is constant the opposite reaction takes place, metabolic rates decrease [2]. Both responses of the prey could mean the difference between life and death.
In humans having properly functioning metabolic pathways are equally important. Many people are faced with a metabolic disorder, diabetes. Diabetes doesn’t just affect the insulin level of a person it leads to other unwanted issues. One in particular being peripheral artery disease, PAD [3]. PAD is the beginning step to many more issues, some can be poor blood circulation to the lower extremities. If untreated it may lead to visible conditions of disease ravaging the body. Known as critical limb ischemia, CLI, usually affects the lower extremities of the body and in many cases amputation is needed. Again, improper insulin levels are not limited to CLI, it can also cause increased heart problems, nerve damage and many a list that can extend a mile long, if formatted correctly. Those who live with diabetes but lack treatment would surely have a decreased life span.
Almost everyone in a first world country knows someone who has diabetes. This is due to many factors, including poor diets, more sedentary lifestyles and late intervention, in most cases the islet cell mass is only 25 percent of the original cell mass. If culture itself makes us “prime breeding grounds” for diabetes what is the solution?
Discussions between myself and a group of peers lead to the future possibility of growing a new pancreas which would be the ideal cure for diabetes. While that is not yet an option for all who deal with diabetes. Current treatments of insulin pumps and when needed special clothing for those who had PAD will have to suffice. But this disease can no longer be only viewed as the individual's problem when it has effects on the whole human race. Consistently diabetes and inactivity are the top killers of people in the United States. However, because the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, obesity tends to run in families. Not genetically but because the habits of the parents pass onto their children. By following ayurveda this may be possible. Ayurveda includes the healthcare practice of treating the whole body instead of only the symptomatic regions. Completed in a 4 part process of cleansing, reducing the intensity of the disease, rejuvenation, and mental nurturing and spiritual healing [1].
Cleansing may consist of higher health standards among the many organizations that give quick access to food. Reduction would consist of teaching and encouraging a healthier lifestyle, which could be combined with rejuvenation. A shift in our culture in promoting healthy bodies, not the current trend that “all bodies are beautiful.” Then mental nurturing and healing of mental disorders would help people be able to function and become healthier.
With the human body being so complex there are many other things that can affect both our mental and physical health. Starting toward the center and moving outwards. The human microbiome is a key factor to finding health in all areas of life. Within the first two to three years of life the microbiome is developed before it resembles that of an adult’s(4). Because of the symbiotic relationship our bodies have with the biomes, people throughout the world have tried to foster the good bacteria in their guts. There could be some flaw to this idea because our bodies need balance to function properly.
This can be an issue because those who are obese or have diabetes have different biomes than those of a healthy diseaseless adult. Those with type 2 diabetes have fewer bacteria with anti-inflammatory properties (4). While obese people have a less diverse microbiota. While it is well understood that a healthy gut includes a diverse microbiome. There are correlations of a healthy microbiota and some mental health, namely decreased anxiety.
If healthy human microbiomes can affect the human mind/emotions positively the opposite must also be true. What one could strongly argue to be the most important organ also has many problems. It is good to keep in mind, a healthy body can lead to a healthy mind.
However, when different parts of the brain are affected negatively by something it will have a different effect. These issues can be neurological, storage, personality or mood, developmental and prion diseases disorders. Neurological issues can often affect motor skills. Multiple Sclerosis (MS) causes demyelination of the brain and spinal cord in patches. For being such a widely known disease I find it strange we do not know the cause yet, just what happens. Most often it is seen between the ages of 20 to 40. During that time in life stress is at an all time high. Could that be the cause or is it caused by something else like an unhealthy microbiome.
Another disease, Tay-Sachs, also has adverse effects but it tends to be less lethal the older a person becomes especially after the age of 15. Because of the many issues of the brain, humankind has tried to find ways to overcome these through the use of modern medicine.
Drugs can mimic naturally occurring chemicals that are released in our brain that can cause activation of certain sites/ emotions or block the receptors for different sites. Once this finally happens it can cause a change in emotions, how we act, and even pain reception. What different drugs do is speed up or slow down the process of neurotransmitters. For example Antidepressants slow down the reabsorption of serotonin. This makes more serotonin to be in the brain's network(5). Then on the other hand pain killers increase the absorption of serotonin which inturn increases endorphin causing our pain reception to decrease. Like before, repeated use can cause permanently “rewiring” the networks in the brain.
Other issues can occur as well, every medicine also has its side effects. It can affect other parts of our body or the bacteria in our bodies. It seems that in the future there will be an increased partnership between modern and traditional medicine until we can figure out a better way to fight off disease and regulate the brains’ release of neuroreceptors. The farther we advance in medicine and understanding the human body the more we find the connections of body and mind, mental and physical health.
Citations
Jayasundar, R. (2010). Ayurveda: a distinctive approach to health and disease. Current Science, 908-914.
Steiner UK, Van Buskirk J (2009) Predator-Induced Changes in Metabolism Cannot Explain the Growth/Predation Risk Tradeoff. PLoS ONE 4(7): e6160. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0006160
Thiruvoipati T, Kielhorn CE, Armstrong EJ. Peripheral artery disease in patients with diabetes: Epidemiology, mechanisms, and outcomes. World J Diabetes. 2015 Jul 10;6(7):961-9. doi: 10.4239/wjd.v6.i7.961. PMID: 26185603; PMCID: PMC4499529
Ferranti, E, Dunbar, SB, Dunlop AL, Corwin EJ. 20 Things you Didn't Know About the Human gut Microbiome. J Cardiovasc Nurs. 2014 ; 29(6): 479–481. doi:10.1097/JCN.0000000000000166.
"How do drugs affect the brain?" YouTube, uploaded by TED-Ed, 29 Jun. 2017, www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qK0hxuXOC8.
No comments:
Post a Comment