Diabetes and Ayruveda

The Relationship Between Ayurveda and Diabetes

    Our body, as a whole, is complex and full of intertwining connections. When linking the metabolic pathways, we find that these connections are what keep the body functional and healthy. We learn in the early years of our education that the body sought after homeostasis. So what happens when the is body misaligned and in need of balance? When we fall sick we tend to go to the doctor and pursue more westernized medicinal treatments. 

    When compared to Eastern medicine, Western medicine is in its early stages. Prior to the invention of the technological advances of Western medicine, holistic medicines were commonly used. Types of treatments in Eastern countries, such as acupuncture or Tai chi, can be referred to as the oldest codified system of medicine. In India, the idea of Ayurveda originated from one of the holistic medicines of India. Ayurveda is constructed upon five key essential elements. The elements can be translated from Sanskrit which includes Prithvi (Earth), Apas (Water), Tejas or Agni (Fire), Vayu (Air), and Akasha (Ether/Space). In Sanskrit, Ayurveda can be translated to “ the knowledge of life”. This idea of Ayurveda is established from the idea that disease can be attributed to an improper balance or complete stress in a person’s consciousness. The concept promotes interventions of certain “unhealthy” lifestyles and logical therapies to recover the needed balance between the mind, body, spirit, and the environment. The balance can be regained by the start of a purification process which is then followed by either herbal remedies, yoga, meditation, therapy, and/or special diets. The goals for Ayurvedic treatment consists of symptom reduction, resistance to certain simple diseases, and the elimination of impurities. Many plants (herbs and spices) and oils are used in Ayurvedic treatment. The gap between Eastern and Western Medicine widens the bridge of medicinal treatments and preventative procedures for a variety of illnesses. The connection between the two could lead to a deeper understanding of how to prevent and treat diseases.

    Ayurvedic medicine has several applications to today's common illnesses and diseases, like diabetes. Diabetes can be broken down as the imbalance between cells and organs within the human body. Oxford languages define diabetes as a condition in which the body's capacity to generate or respond to the hormone insulin is compromised, resulting in improper carbohydrate metabolism and high glucose levels in the blood and urine. This can occur in either type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Both type one and type two diabetes can be caused by different non-modifiable and modifiable risk factors. They could be caused by endocrine diseases, hereditary predisposition, virus and infection, physical inactivity, high blood pressure, etc. Knowing that I have a family history of diabetes that runs in my family I need to be sure that I can eliminate the main modifiable risk factors for type two diabetes. Growing up I never realized how severe the consequences are when you don’t commit to treatment or the stigma on diabetes.  Obesity is huge throughout the world but is mainly prevalent in the United States. Over the past decade, self-reported obesity among U.S adults has risen tremendously. Obesity and physical exercise are seen as modifiable risk factors. While there are many causes of diabetes, there are always effects.

    The main major complications of diabetes can be segmented into microvascular and macrovascular. Microvascular complications hurt the eyes, kidneys, and neuropathy. Macrovascular complications of diabetes impact the brain, heart, and extremities. This is why some patients with diabetes lose their arms and legs. It is a chronic disease and has severe tolls on both emotional, economic, and the health of those who suffer from this disease. The issues that arise from having the imbalance not only affect metabolism but other parts of the body. Diabetes has a disruption within the interconnections of the bodily systems of the body. This will then disrupt the balance of the body. Because the body is unable to merge the glucose into the cells, it attempts to compensate through alternative channels, resulting in a slew of complications. This causes an imbalance in the body's primary autonomic systems. 

   The costs of having diabetes can be very frustrating for many families and can leave a deep hole in their pockets. Over the years the price for insulin has skyrocketed due to the ever-growing need and demand for insulin. Taking care of those who have diabetes is about 2.3 times more expensive than other patients. The direct costs are more towards the actual need of the patients (i.e insulin). According to the American Diabetes Association, every year the estimated cost of someone diagnosed with diabetes increases. From 2007-2012 there was an outstanding 41% cost increase. In the span of five years, the estimated total economic cost of diagnosed diabetes rose by 71 billion dollars (14.2 billion per year).

    The indirect costs could be due to hospitalizations, loss of work, loss of productivity among many other indirect costs. The social factors that contribute to diabetes are where the individual grew up, treatments, physical and social influences, and that they are labeled. In places where there is a low-income, poor diet, high crime obesity is more prevalent which negatively affects diet and exercise. Diabetes is more than just biology, societal factors among other things can also lead to a greater risk of “catching” this disease. 

    Before researching this topic of Ayurveda I never gave a second thought to the other practical medical treatments other than westernized medicine or took my time to research preventative treatments. I never thought that Eastern or Western medicine was “superior” over the other. Reading different research articles and understanding the benefits of Ayurvedic treatments opened my view towards other important outlooks of medicine. I do believe that there is a connection between parts of the body or even between out of the body and the environment. In my opinion, there has to be somewhat of a connection between the environment and the body due to the advancement of medicine. Before the invention of medicine, early humans would use different remedies to help cure diseases that were connected to the environment. Modern medicine provides a wide range of medicines to treat symptoms and prevent additional problems, but Ayurveda places a greater emphasis on nutrition and lifestyle to avoid disease. While there is a prevalent disconnect between Eastern and Western medicine, both approaches to health are critical in illness prevention and treatment. 

Work Cited

        American Diabetes Association (2013). Economic costs of diabetes in the U.S. in 2012. Diabetes care, 36(4), 1033–1046. https://doi.org/10.2337/dc12-2625

        Wang, D. Z. (n.d.). How Combining Eastern and Western Medicine Makes You a Better Oriental Medicine Practitioner. The Future of Integrative Health. https://blog.nuhs.edu/the-future-of-integrative-health/how-combining-eastern-and-western-medicine-makes-you-a-better-oriental-medicine-practitioner. 

Optimizing Medical Care

             The Oxford Dictionary defines “medicine” as: “the science or practice of the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease (in technical use often taken to exclude surgery).” By this definition, doctors, practitioners of medicine, should be in the business of not only treating disease, but preventing it. Currently in our world there is a large debate in the medical field about the balance and incorporation of western and eastern medicine. Eastern medicine has been practiced for centuries in Asia, Europe, and even Africa. Western medicine is a relatively new practice here in the United States and Europe. Although these two systems have highly different techniques and routes, they have a similar goal: optimize the health of the patients. If both systems have a common goal, why can they not work in tandem?

            To understand how these systems can be integrated, we must first understand the differences between the two systems. Let us begin with the system we are more familiar with, western medicine. Western medicine is known as a reactive system. The focus is to find symptoms in a patient and treat them. In recent years, prevention has earned a larger spot in western medicine, but only when we have an intimate understanding of a disease and its causes. The western medicine field prioritizes the production of drugs for treating disease and neutralizing symptoms. This process has proven to be useful in treating and even eradicating several diseases.

            On the other hand, is eastern medicine. Before there was a deep understanding of germ theory and disease, medicine employed a concept called “Ayurveda.” Ayurveda is Sanskrit for “knowledge of life.” It is the core concept of many wholistic medicines. The concept at its core is a treatment of the entire person. It prioritizes balance in a person’s physical, mental, and spiritual health. The thought is that when these three aspects of health are balanced, a person remains healthy. Beyond that, the approach gets a little less practical, but the core concept is of great importance in my opinion.

            Even though these practices both bring much good to the table, they also carry with them their own unique dangers. As with just about any concept, too much can be detrimental. As you can imagine, simply throwing pills into a patient’s mouth every time they are sick isn’t the most effective method of treatment. Similarly, telling someone their chakras are out of alignment and they need to eat a root isn’t the best method either. Like anything, there is a wide array of misinformation on the internet about eastern medicine. Western medicine is highly controlled, and claims must be extensively verified before they are made. However, in eastern medicine, you can encounter some pretty outlandish claims of efficacy on the internet. From reports of curing autoimmune diseases to claiming that it can cure cancer. The attitude that this system can cure anything is a danger to vulnerable persons searching for answers.    Understanding the extremes helps us to see that neither option is the answer in and of itself. But, what if we use the benefits of each to create a newer, all-encompassing medicinal practice? If we bring the scientific understanding of western medicine, and the proactivity and balance of eastern medicine, will our practice become perfect? No. There will always be room to grow and learn more in the medical field. It is an ever-evolving system as the diseases we combat evolve. My father is a practicing anesthesiologist and I thought I could gain some insight from him. I called him and asked if he had ever heard of ayurveda. He said he hadn’t, so I went on to share my findings thus far. He seemed to agree with my viewpoint that a middle ground should be found between ayurvedic and western medicine. My favorite quote from him was that “we would be arrogant to think we have it all figured out and that another opinion couldn’t benefit us.” Being a practitioner in western medicine I expected a harsh criticism of the system, but he seemed to have an open mind to it. He believes that although it sounds great, there should be research done before we simply accept an anecdotal medicine. His biggest warning in this conversation was, “the hardest thing is that when people buy all in to one thing, they tend to completely forget the other side.” He sees the value in the system but believes that a middle ground needs to be reached for it to be useful and not harmful.

            Among some of the claims made by ayurvedic enthusiasts is that eastern medicine has cured autoimmune diseases like diabetes. Diabetes has become an increasingly more concerning issue in the world today, especially in the United States. Diabetes comes in two forms: Type I and Type II. Although these diseases both involve an imbalance in the concentrations of glucagon and insulin, they have very different causes and effects. Type I diabetes (T1DM) is an impossible to prevent autoimmune disease. This occurs when the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks itself. In this case, the body destroys its own beta cells, the cells which produce insulin. As a result, the body no longer produces enough, if any, insulin. This prevents the cells from being able to efficiently take up sugar that’s surrounding it in the blood, for all intents and purposes: dying of hunger surrounded by food. In contrast, Type II diabetes (T2DM) is a relatively preventable chronic illness. In this case, the body’s cells either become resistant to insulin, or the beta cells don’t produce enough insulin.

T2DM usually presents itself later in life and is much more common. T2DM accounts for 90-95% of the diabetes cases in the US. Obviously, T1DM typically presents itself at earlier ages as it is caused by the body attacking itself, as is the case with most autoimmune diseases. T2DM is often called “adult-onset diabetes” because it presents itself later in life. Although T2DM also has some unpreventable risk factors like a genetic predisposition to it, type II diabetes is often caused by a sentient lifestyle. Obesity and lack of activity are the two most common causes of this disease, making it fairly preventable. If this is the case, why is it such a terrible issue in the US?

            Long story short, diabetes is a complex disease with many causes, symptoms, and treatments. However, it is not something we can CURE, especially T1DM. Type I diabetes is a result of a malfunction of a cell’s metabolism, as is the case with any autoimmune disease. This mistake cannot simply be corrected yet. We don’t have the means currently to change this immune response. Claims that this can be reversed are completely bogus. That’s why I was so angered to find a blog by one, “Doctor” Mark Hyman. This man claims to, through “holistic medical approaches,” have cured a man of a chronic autoimmune disease and numerous other diseases that western medicine had no hope against. I’ll spare you the details but will link his blog below for you to experience the entire misinformation of it. He claims to have simply “reversed” this man’s autoimmune disease, whatever that means, and healed him of all ailments. It should be noted that Dr. Hyman has previously lost his license to practice medicine in California for misconduct and that he has repeatedly been cited as someone to avoid when looking for professional medical advice. He has claimed that not only do vaccines cause autism, but that autism can be cured by oil from a cod-fish’s liver. Anyone with any kind of biological or medical education will immediately spot him as a hack (treating drug resistant bacterial infection with antibiotics??). The concerning thing is that this man has the internet to use. He is able to mislead those who are looking for answers and trying to hold on to something that isn’t there. This kind of preying on vulnerable and naïve individuals has built a misplaced distrust for eastern medicine. As we have already discussed, the core principles of ayurveda are solid. They can be incorporated into western medicine and used in tandem.

            Recently we had an opportunity to read an article about the financial impact of diabetes in the United States in 2012. The article was completely eye opening to me. I knew that diabetes was a pandemic that affected millions of people nationwide, but I never knew how much of a financial burden the disease was! $245 BILLION annually?! That’s incredible! With 7% of the population diagnosed, that’s an estimated cost of nearly $11,000 per year for each diabetic. As stated, only a percentage of this cost is from direct costs, 72% to be exact. That’s still an estimated cost of about $8,000 per person annually. In 2012, this cost was about 15% of the median household income! That’s an even more embarrassingly large percentage of my income. I can’t imagine needing to spend $8000 every year on medication and other things. That’s just the financial costs too! Unbelievable. 

            We know that as much as “Dr” Hyman would like us to believe so, eastern medicine isn’t enough to treat diabetes. We also see that western medicine, although allowing us to manage symptoms, albeit expensively, isn’t enough by itself either. The treatments taken individually are underwhelming for this complex disease, but what could we do with an incorporation of the two ideas? Hopefully time will tell.

            In conclusion, the human body is complex. Mind, spirit, and body all have impacts on our health. If these three factors are keys in other forms of medicine, why shouldn’t they be keys in western medicine? Diseases like diabetes and cancer are not going to be cured by doing what we are already doing, we need to start trying new things. As previously stated, disease is an ever-evolving foe. We need to continue to grow with it, or we will be outmatched.

 

 

 

References:

How to Stop Attacking Yourself: 9 Steps to Heal Autoimmune Disease. Dr. Mark Hyman. (2019, December 19). https://drhyman.com/blog/2010/07/30/how-to-stop-attacking-yourself-9-steps-to-heal-autoimmune-disease/.

Economic Costs of Diabetes in the U.S. in 2012. (2013). Diabetes Care, 36(4), 1033–1046. https://doi.org/10.2337/dc12-2625. 

 

Brain and Drugs

    The brain is such a complex organ that many of its functions and processes are still unknown to the scientific community. For example, brain diseases are very common despite physicians and researchers knowing what the metabolic pathways affected are. Any attempt to “fix” it could end up being more hazardous than beneficial. Additionally, these disorders can be difficult to navigate and classify due to the variety of signs and symptoms. It’s only in the past few decades where mental health conditions have finally gained enough attention from medical professionals and now those who suffer from them can get better diagnosis and treatment. 

    Probably one of the most feared mental conditions due to its dramatic symptomatology is Alzheimer’s disease. A prevalent disease that lacks a clear understanding of its cause. Growing up, I remember seeing both of my parental grandparents suffering from it. I remember the immense toll it took not only in them but also on the entire family. Certainly, all chronic conditions affect the lifestyle of patients and their families, but this experience taught me how much dementia could disturb relationships and change the dynamics of a family. Some characteristics of the condition that we know are its genetic component, degeneration of brain cells, and the failed Acetylcholine metabolism. A better understanding of its molecular basis has caused the development of drugs that can be effective depending on the stage the patient is on. 

    But cells in most organs constantly deteriorate and die. What’s the difference? Many injuries can potentially be healed by our own bodies by mechanisms that ensure a full recovery. The cellular functions division and proliferation are amplified when tissues suffer damage, guaranteeing to heal. However, the brain is a unique type of tissue. The nervous system cellular components don’t possess this feature, thus traumatic or cognitive brain damages cause a permanent condition. Many examples of sports injuries are examples of this. Professional boxers suffered the loss of normal brain functions at a very young age. “Despite the comparable amount of sports training (both groups were professional) and the similar age of the athletes, the results suggest a specific deterioration of executive processing in boxers. We interpret these results as a consequence of repetitive head blows associated with professional boxing.” (Di Russo and Spinelli, 2010). 

    A similar instance that caused controversy in the sports world was born after a study that explained concussions in professional football players and their decline in mental and cognitive abilities. To cite an example, one study “found that retired NFL players with at least three concussions are three times more likely to be diagnosed with depression compared to players that do not report any concussions during their playing career. This suggests that those players with a greater number of concussions are more likely to be diagnosed with depression.” (Thomson et al. 2020) A popular case of the potential risks of contact sports occurred when New England Patriot’s player Aaron Hernandez was convicted for murder despite having a promising career. After committing suicide, he was diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a neurodegenerative disease that includes irreparable brain damage, aggressive impulses, lack of self-control and rage behaviors. How might have his condition influenced the crime he committed? 

    The authors of Frequency and Outcomes of a Symptom-Free Waiting Period After Sport-Related Concussions explain how “the passing of state laws related to youth concussion management. These factors, as well as increased media attention to concussions, have increased public awareness of concussion and changed the culture of reporting and managing injuries for many groups of athletes, further allowing recommendations to be realized in practice”. These new understandings will hopefully create a change of behavior and even rules for contact sports such as professional football or boxing. As a life-long soccer fan, I can understand the motivations behind people rejecting the idea of changing the game, but adjustments seem to be on the horizon in order to maintain a safe place for athletes and children who practice those sports. 

    Knowing the severity of the neurodegenerative conditions previously explored, the motivation behind developing medicine to ease the symptomatology of such diseases is understandable. Drugs can potentially alleviate many brain conditions such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s diseases. For many decades, the solutions had been pain management and end-of-life support, but promising drugs have been developed to replace either the affected neurotransmitter themselves or intermediates that participate in their metabolism. 

    However, exploring the utility of drugs is much more complex because they fulfill other purposes, not only as medication. In the same way drugs can offer mitigation to cognitive diseases, they can also alter the nervous system for worse. For example, we observe the effect of multiple illicit drugs on the brain functioning. Some exert their effect by activating reward pathways or inhibiting pain, thus provoking an artificial sense of joy or happiness. This, however, is not without harmful consequences. The long-term effects of such drugs impede or diminish natural effects in our intrinsic reward pathways by interfering with the feedback mechanisms in place. The consequence is seen when more substances are needed in order to create the same response after using it for a while. 

    One common example of an alteration in the regular function of neurons is caused by cocaine. This illicit drug performs its function by interfering with the regular metabolism of Dopamine, which is not recycled back to the presynaptic neuron and it remains in the synaptic gap activating postsynaptic receptors. No wonder why Cocaine and similar molecules create cravings, dependence and powerful addictions difficult to overcome thanks to the significant changes it provokes in the biochemistry of the brain. 

    Another idea to consider is how much we know about the mechanisms and influence of drugs. The secondary effects caused in our brain and other organs can be unknown depending on the dose, clinical history, and other social determinants of health. We know that both illegal and therapeutic drugs cause changes in the physiology of the brain, and many times that is the goal of their use. But how much do we know about the long-term alterations? The plasticity of the brain is what allows us to learn and become who we are, but this same adaptability also means that this organ will malleate if the biochemical conditions change. 

    Lastly, two people can react to the same stressor or traumatic event in two opposite ways. One medication can alter the mind of one person while not provoking the same effect on the next one. We may never completely understand how the brain works, but its beauty relies on the complexity and how it can respond differently depending on the individual. 

References 

Di Russo, F., & Spinelli, D. (2010). Sport is not always healthy: Executive brain dysfunction in professional boxers. Psychophysiology, 47(3), 425–434. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-8986.2009.00950.x 

Pfaller, A. Y., Nelson, L. D., Apps, J. N., Walter, K. D., & McCrea, M. A. (2016). Frequency and Outcomes of a Symptom-Free Waiting Period After Sport-Related Concussion. The American journal of sports medicine, 44(11), 2941–2946. https://doi.org/10.1177/0363546516651821 

Thomson, R., Carabello, D., Mansell, J., & Russ, A. (2020). Depression Following Concussion in Retired Professional Football Players. International Journal of Athletic Therapy & Training, 25(2), 54–56. 

 Curated Paper 2

The brain serves as a great intersection between how biology, including genetics, and our experiences sculpt each of our own worlds. It is arguably the most complex organ and exhibits some very unique characteristics compared to other organs found within the body. A single neuron within the brain can make upwards of tens of thousands of connections to other neurons which drives our minds to continually update its connections and adapt. Because of this, structures within the brain are highly susceptible to change, even by outside influence. Through the lens of disorder and damage, we have an opportunity to better learn how the brain functions from the biochemical level of neurotransmitters to the complex processes of body regulation and thought formation. Conversely, with such a complex organ, the dysfunctional possibilities are immense and cause great affliction to individuals and society.

As scientific knowledge grew about brain anatomy and psychological activity, the debate between holism and localism became elevated. Through the work of brilliant researchers, like Paul Broca, and the use imaging technology, the argument for localism looks to have taken first place in many scientific spheres. Classic cases, such as Phineas Gage, demonstrate how specific brain structures are responsible for certain behaviors and skills. Additionally, genetic related disorders give us invaluable knowledge on how neural signals are propagated through the brain and throughout the rest of the body. These pathway disruptions give us motivation to explore pathways and the interconnections between different mental processes.  

Neurodegenerative diseases and their pathologies are quite fascinating to me. From a biochemical standpoint, it is makes a lot of sense that mutated, dysfunctional proteins can cause such destruction. Yet, I am astonished that small changes, even in post-translational protein modifications, can become completely debilitating for someone’s cognitive function and overall life. In recent years, the prevalence of neurodegenerative diseases have increased. In particular Alzheimer’s disease has seen an increased death rate of 145% between 2000 and 2017 and has become the sixth-leading cause of death within the United States. Additionally, longer life expectancies paired with the large baby boom cohort is leading to an increase in Alzheimer’s dementia diagnoses which is predicted to grow to 13.8 million by the year 2050 ("2019 Alzheimer's disease facts and figures", 2019). Today, the burden of care associated with Alzheimer’s disease is already high and will only continue to worsen.

 From a 2018 study, over 16.2 million unpaid caregivers, including family members, “provided an estimated 18.5 billion hours of care to people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias,” which is valued at nearly $234 billion. Though this monetary cost is quite staggering, it is limited and does not consider the “caregivers’ increased risk for emotional distress and negative mental and physical health outcomes”, actual paid care costs, and the institutional pressures healthcare systems, particularly long-term care facilities, face ("2019 Alzheimer's disease facts and figures", 2019). Having worked as a caregiver in skilled nursing facilities and memory-care units, I can honestly report that it is exhausting work caring for people who are experiencing significant cognitive declines. Beyond the physical labor, the emotional impact is great. In my experience, I take on the worry of each resident’s wellbeing; it is on me to keep the twenty-two residents safe, to comfort them in their moments of great confusion or moments of devastating clarity, and to become a broken record answering their repeated question of “When are we having breakfast?” when it is 3:30 in the afternoon.

Currently, there is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease, but there are opportunities for better outcomes. Early detection is key to minimizing the detrimental medical, emotional, and financial costs on impacted families and society as a whole. Cognitive assessments are the main and most easily accessible form of early detection for Alzheimer’s disease, yet there is limited use of these tools. Physicians across the country report that they are important, but only half of seniors have ever received any type of assessment ("2019 Alzheimer's disease facts and figures", 2019.) Tests like the MoCA or the Mini-cog test can be easily integrated into primary care visits. By working with insurances and altering yearly physical examination standards, the implementation of quick, in-office or at home cognitive tests could be quite promising. Within the US healthcare system, there needs to be increased advocacy for early detection or else our society is going to be overwhelmed by the burden of this disease and other dementias.

On a very different note, use of psychoactive drugs and the corresponding substance use disorder can cause great strain on individuals and community wellbeing. In general, drugs seem to walk a very fine line; they can be upheld as miracles and life-saving, but are often blamed for destroying lives. Drugs are powerful and highlight the chemistry that truly drives life and function. Though often contained in a small pill, there is nothing small or insignificant about how drugs act within our bodies to alter our condition. With technological advances and the ability to make large monetary gains, some miracle drugs have been developed while creating a society that is over-medicated and dependent on drugs whether illicit or not.

Growing-up in Idaho, methamphetamine was the main drug that was talked about and that I would see many PSAs against its use. “Not even once” was the phrase that was implanted into my mind about meth. I think this narrative is talked about with other drugs, but with meth it is very true, as people experience tolerance immediately. This characteristic makes it so very addictive and harmful. For Idaho, methamphetamine was the biggest drug problem the state faced for years. The trafficking networks were quickly established throughout the state because of the immediate addictions that wanted to be fed. Additionally, there is very little success on treatment/sobriety on methamphetamine use, which is so devastating for individuals who have used it and their loved ones. In the book Beautiful Boy: A Father’s Journey Through His Son’s Addiction, David Sheff, the father, wrote, “I tried everything I could to prevent my son’s fall into meth addiction. It would have been no easier to have seen him strung out on heroin or cocaine, but as every parent of a meth addict comes to learn, this drug has a unique, horrific quality. In an interview, Stephan Jenkins, the singer in Third Eye Blind, said that meth makes you feel “bright and shiny.” It also makes you paranoid, delusional, destructive, and self-destructive. Then you will do unconscionable things in order to feel bright and shiny again.” This quote colors in the detail the devastating nature of methamphetamine use. Though not all drug use darkens an individual’s future as much as meth, it is a problem that is plaguing the US. It is obviously not an easy fix, but maybe we should start examining our society for why many people are medicating and abusing drugs. Additionally, we can work to establish research-backed methods in social and justice systems to better address mental health disorders and give aid to those who suffer from substance abuse disorder.

In conclusion, our minds are vulnerable to a broad spectrum of disorders that require more attention and adherence to proven methods of treatment and prevention.

References

2019 Alzheimer's disease facts and figures. (2019). Alzheimer's & Dementia, 15(3), 321-387.      doi:             10.1016/j.jalz.2019.01.010

BIOL 4500 - Curated Paper 2

Riley Williams

Karpel

BIOL 4500 

Curated Paper 2

It is a defining characteristic of humans to want to fit in and be accepted. Throughout our lives we try to fit into society and make sure that we are not that different from most other people. While it is true that there are some people who value societal acceptance more than others, everyone to a degree wants to feel like they belong. Diseases affect how we function, and in a similar sense, drugs do the same things to humans as well. When our normal state is altered, we might not be able to still fit into what society deems normal. This can have drastic effects on a person’s mental and emotional state, which is why it is important to look at how these things can impact a person. 

Even though bacteria are microscopic, they create one of our most important biological systems, our microbiome. Our microbiome is all of the microbes that live in and on us. We have only recently researched the effects our microbiome, especially our gut microbiome, has on our overall health and behavior. Since the knowledge of our gut microbiota is so new, a vast amount of research has come out in the last few years. One of these new findings is the ability of our gut microbes to communicate with the brain. This is very important to understand because that means that our behavior is influenced by the microbes we have in our microbiome. Even though everyone has their own distinct microbiome, there are some microbes that are shown to be more beneficial than others. If someone has many undesirable microbes then problems can arise in their gastrointestinal, neuroendocrine, or immune relationships which can eventually lead to a disease or a problem. By performing research on mice, we have come to the conclusion that by altering what bacteria someone has in their gut, we can improve not only diseases that affect the gastrointestinal tract, but stress related diseases too. This goes to show that if someone’s gut microbiota is not in balance, then they can have elevated stress levels. Prolonged stress can lead to numerous different issues, but one of the main ones is depression which definitely puts a major toll on someone’s mental health and makes it so they feel like they might not fit in. 

An imbalance in our gut microbiota can not only cause us to have prolonged periods of stress, but it can also cause gastrointestinal cancers. Evidence shows that intestinal bacteria have an effect on oncogenes, tumor progression, and how people respond to therapy. Cancer is a very prevalent issue in our society, and whenever we can find new links about the different causes, it is important to try and understand them. When someone is diagnosed with cancer, they not only have to deal with the disease, but the social and emotional side effects of it as well. Once again, a side effect of cancer is also depression. According to the National Cancer Institute, about every 2 in 10 people with cancer will suffer from depression. Not only is depression a major side effect, but people with cancer also sometimes feel a sense of loneliness and have trouble finding meaning in their life. Both of these effects have big impacts on someone’s state of being. If they feel like they are separated from the rest of society and cannot find ways to reconnect, they can greatly suffer since humans are meant to find connections with others. 

Furthermore, another major thing that can greatly impact someone’s mental and emotional state are mental disorders. There are so many mental disorders that exist. The brain is very intricate, and small changes such as just one misfolded protein can drastically affect someone’s cognitive function. People can be living their normal life until one day they recognize a new symptom, and then their entire lifestyle will have to change. A lot of my family members have mental disorders, such as Alzheimer’s and dementia. My mom is really worried about having early onset Alzheimer’s and she went through a period of time where she was doing memory training in order to help improve her brain function. Now wherever she forgets something she worries that it is Alzheimer’s. If only the thought of having one of these diseases affects someone’s mental state that much, I can only imagine how much someone who actually is suffering from the disease is affected. Alzheimer’s causes someone to suffer from many different cognitive difficulties, which can directly lead to people feeling numerous different emotions such as anger, depression, fear, and loneliness. This loss of cognitive ability and the effects that accompany it can cause someone to find it exponentially harder to be able to fit in with the rest of society because how they lived their life for decades now has to change. 

There are numerous types of traumatic brain disorders, and each one of them has detrimental effects on a person. However, mental disorders are not the only thing that can affect someone’s brain and therefore their behavior and thinking. Drugs are another thing that does this since they work by changing how our brain cells interact with each other. When drugs enter our bloodstream, they make their way towards our brain to produce their desired effects. Drugs can actually change our neural network and how our brain is wired, which changes how a person thinks and acts. This is especially dangerous since this can cause addiction due to how humans function biologically. Our bodies are based off of a reward system, and the primary neurotransmitter that is responsible for us feeling this reward is dopamine. Some drugs work by increasing dopamine. This would then cause our brains to begin to decrease our natural dopamine if there is continued use of the drug. Our brain is then tricked into thinking that the drug is necessary for our survival because it is the only thing left supplying our brain with dopamine. This causes cravings of the drug to occur and eventually dependence and addiction. Addiction is tied greatly to a myriad of negative emotions such as depression, anger, and loneliness. These effects are an even bigger issue for people who suffer from addiction because in some cases, people revert back to the drugs to overcome these emotions, which just in turn leads to a vicious cycle of them continuing to use drugs. 

 If someone uses a drug for a long period of time, this would also change their neural network which affects learning. This is a big issue for adolescents because how their brains develop during adolescence is crucial in determining the overall structure of their brain. Therefore, if teens are using drugs for long periods of time they can drastically change the wiring of their brain. This can create numerous developmental issues, such as problems learning and handling impulses and emotion. If these adolescents are altering how their brain functions early on in development, they can create a big gap between how they think and function versus how the rest of society does. This can further separate them from the rest of society which would cause them to also feel negative emotions, such as depression, which could also cause them to increase their drug usage. Therefore, whenever someone takes drugs, especially adolescents, they need to carefully monitor themselves and make sure they do not become dependent on those drugs. 

Overall, it is important to understand what things can cause people to feel separated from society. Things such as mental disorders, imbalances, cancer, and drug use are all things that can cause this. Humans need to feel a sense of community and when their lives are impacted by one of these things, it can cause a multitude of different mental and emotional effects. These mental and emotional side effects put a great toll on a person’s overall well being, which is why it is very important to understand all of these concepts. 

Hunter Jansson

Protect Your Mind

    The brain is such an important organ in our bodies, yet we still don’t know too much about it. Don’t get me wrong we know a lot, but it is only a small percentage to what is still unknown. When the brain is not performing at its best, the body can’t either, and vise versa, which is greater evidence that our bodies as a whole must be in synch to be able to live our best lives. This teaching follows the practice of Ayurveda which teaches us that as our body and mind are in balance, the rest of our life begins to fall in place as well. As we seek to obtain harmony with ourselves, our bodies will naturally respond in a way that is copacetic of a healthy lifestyle. When we are not in balance with all aspects of our lives in our mind, body and spirit, one of the three parts begins to fail the rest and eventually our whole system is off balance and can’t perform as desired. The body can’t act the way we desire when certain things begin to affect our lives. Things such as unhealthy diets, inactivity, and mental disparages can shift us out of equilibrium. But some of the most damaging, and irreversible, things to our bodies and especially our brains are injury, or drugs. 

    Before we can discuss damages to the brain we first must understand the layout of the brain and how each part is an essential piece of the puzzle. Our brain is split up in two sides, the right and the left side. The right side of the brain seems to process artistic behaviors and capabilities and focus on our creativity, while the left side of the brain processes the written word, analytics, methodology and logic (Pietrangelo, 2019). The wrinkles the we see in the cerebrum are correlated with one’s intelligence. The more wrinkles there are seems to indicate greater intelligence. This is believed due to the fact that as wrinkles form along the cerebrum, more surface area of the brain is being created and fit inside the allotted space. The increased surface area of the brain is linked with more storage of knowledge and more space for synaptic pruning. The cerebrum is subdivided into four different lobes. The first lobe, located at the forehead area, is called the frontal lobe. It is in charge of problem-solving, attention, judgment, behavior, and muscle movement. The second is the parietal lobe, located on the top back of the brain. Its functions consist of sensing pain, and understanding statements when reading. The third is the temporal lobe, located on the side of the head near the ears. This is where visual and auditory memory are stored. The last lobe on the lower back of the brain is the occipital lobe. This helps with recognition of color, words and movement. The cerebellum at the back bottom of the brain is referred to as the small brain and is as well split into two halves. Its role is controlling essential bodily functions like balance, coordination, and posture.

    Knowing where parts of the brains are situated and what roles each has allows us to better track the effects of injury in our brain. Some of the most surprising differences that occur due to brain injury are changes in behavior and personality. A young man in 1848, Phineas Gage, got a metal rod shot through his left cheek and his brain in a working accident. Even though he was able to physically recover from his injury, he appeared to become a totally different person. Before the accident many people described Mr. Gage as a hardworking and pleasant man (Kendra, 2020). But soon after, the reports changed to label Mr. Gage as a surly and aggressive person. Things such as automobile accidents, assault, falls, and sport related injuries can cause changes in behavior like was seen in 1848. Some studies have shown that 57% of people have changes in personality, 38% have recurrent outbursts of anger or aggression, and 49% develop instability. 

    An important aspect to understanding effects of injuries is to understand the recovery and repair phases that follow. What physicians are seeing is that the more brain injuries a person sustains, the greater the effects of depression, personality changes, anxiety, and other long-term changes. Right now, there are not a lot of ways to heal the brain once it has been damaged, but what physicians are focusing on is preventing further injury from happening to the person in their future. One of the reasons that there is such a struggle to find solutions to the damage of the brain is that no two cases are exactly the same, just like a fingerprint. The best theory we have decided on at the moment is a difference in nurture vs. nature in each situation. In the nurture, or environmental realm, this has more of an effect on the mind. The mind is characterized by how one thinks and acts due to ever present influences. While the nature portion, has more of an effect on the brain and how it forms due to genetics and heredity. No two cases are the same because no two people grow up with the same experiences and gene pool and then sustain the exact same cerebral injury.

    Not only do serious injury cause long term changes in personality in behavior due to the way the they damage the brain, but so can harmful and addictive chemicals called drugs. The purpose of our brain and all its many functions and abilities is to increase our survival. When we make good decisions that benefit us, our brain releases a strong chemical called dopamine, this is our feel-good reward for doing something to increase our survival value. The reason for the chemical release is to get us “addicted” to the reward which enhances our desires to complete such actions over and over. Things like food, water, safety, and other natural stimuli gives us that dopamine response driving us to continue eating, drinking, and seeking shelter. Drugs perversely trigger dopamine release in the brain, tricking it to think that what was just ingested has survival value. But the continued use of drugs habituates its effects and to keep up with the desire of the brain, greater doses or higher concentrations are sought after to fulfill the need. The brain eventually moves from a craving of the drug to eventually a dependence on the drug due to the insidious effects on our brains. Alterations to our chemical systems in our bodies can cause a paradigm of shifts in personality as well as negative impacts on the acquisition of anterograde knowledge and accurate recall of retrograde memories (Juarez-portilla, et al. 2017).

    Our brains run our body in such a way that injury and improper use of drugs ,whether they be legal or illegal, can have long term detrimental effects that even with modern medicine and technology, we are most likely unable to reverse back to a native or natural state. It is important that we are conscious of what we intake in to our body and what activities we participate in to avoid an injury that could change the rest of our lives. Eating healthy, exercise, avoidance of impure substances and lower risk activities are worth retaining what we have already. As we take simple steps to maintain balance between the body, mind, and spirit, we will indulge in much more prolific lifestyles that bring happiness and a peace of mind every day. 

Citations

Cherry, Kendra. “The Famous Case of Phineas Gage's Astonishing Brain Injury.” Verywell Mind, 2 Apr. 2020, www.verywellmind.com/phineas-gage-2795244. 

Juárez-Portilla, Claudia, et al. “Influence of Drugs on Cognitive Functions.” IntechOpen, IntechOpen, 20 Dec. 2017, www.intechopen.com/books/health-and-academic-achievement/influence-of-drugs-on-cognitive-functions. 

Letstute. Human Brain | Parts & Functions | Cerebrum & Cerebellum | Biology | LetsTute, Youtube, 27 Mar. 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=HieUJTLaOZY. 

Pietrangelo, Ann. “Left Brain vs. Right Brain: What's the Difference?” Healthline, Healthline Media, 8 Mar. 2019, www.healthline.com/health/left-brain-vs-right-brain.