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Kamis, 03 Januari 2013
Extreme Flu Activity in the US
A friend of mine came down with a nasty flu recently. I checked Google Flu Trends, and found that flu activity is currently at "intense" levels throughout the US. This is the highest flu activity Google Flu Trends has recorded in the last six years (image from Google Flu Trends 1/3/12).
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Sabtu, 22 Desember 2012
Why Do We Eat? A Neurobiological Perspective. Part VI
In previous posts in this series, I explained that the brain (primarily the mesolimbic system) integrates various factors to decide whether or not to drive food seeking and consumption behaviors. These include homeostatic factors such as hunger, and non-homeostatic factors such as palatability and the social environment.
In this post, I'll examine the reward system more closely. This is the system that governs the motivation for food, and behavioral reinforcement (a form of learning). It does this by receiving information from other parts of the brain that it uses to determine if it's appropriate to drive (motivate) food seeking behavior. I covered its role in motivation in the first post of the series, so in this post I'll address reinforcement.
Behavioral Reinforcement
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In this post, I'll examine the reward system more closely. This is the system that governs the motivation for food, and behavioral reinforcement (a form of learning). It does this by receiving information from other parts of the brain that it uses to determine if it's appropriate to drive (motivate) food seeking behavior. I covered its role in motivation in the first post of the series, so in this post I'll address reinforcement.
Behavioral Reinforcement
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Rabu, 19 Desember 2012
The Potato Diet
In 2010, I wrote a series of blog posts on the health properties of potatoes (1, 2, 3). The evidence showed that potatoes are non-toxic, filling per calorie, remarkably nutritious, and can be eaten as almost the sole source of nutrition for extended periods of time (though I'm not recommending this). Traditional South American cultures such as the Quechua and Aymara have eaten potatoes as the major source of calories for generations without any apparent ill effects (3). This is particularly interesting since potatoes are one of the highest glycemic and most insulin-stimulating foods known.
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Kamis, 13 Desember 2012
Is it Time to Re-write the Textbooks on Insulin and Obesity? Part II
A new paper published on December 6th in the journal Science once again tackles the question of whether elevated insulin drives the development of obesity (1). Mice were generated that lack Jun kinases 1 and 2 specifically in immune cells, impairing their ability to produce inflammation while having very few off-target effects. These mice do not become insulin resistant when placed on a fattening diet, and their insulin levels do not increase one iota. Are they protected from obesity? People who read the last post should know the answer already.
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