We have all had those moments where we crave a certain food and find yourself thinking about how and when you can satisfy this craving. Known as comfort food, you are aware this specific food will make you feel instantly good, even though it might not be great for your long-term health.

In 1999, an article was published in the Public Health Nutrition journal explaining that said foods prompt the body to release endorphins, triggering positive feelings throughout the brain and body. But that is just a temporary satisfying reaction because the real effect of food on mood happens over time. Because of our internal organs needing nutrients to function properly, we need to create a steady flow of nutrients within our diets to maintain good health ultimately resulting in  good moods.

In a 2009 study, researchers found that as many as 38 percent of adults with depressive disorders were low or deficient in folate, which is found in fruits and vegetables. Researchers reported that the deficiency might impair the body’s ability to produce neurotransmitters that act as vital mood stabilizers.

Eating good food promotes overall health and fitness, but what you choose to eat also impacts the way you feel and your attitude/mood. Research states that not only can the food affect your mood, but also the mood you’re in can influence the kind of foods you crave and consume. Avidly including a wide variety of vegetables, fruits, wholegrain cereals, low-fat dairy, lean meat and oily fish in your daily diet, can cause a reduction in mood swings, depression and anxiety. Basically, the nutrients found in healthy foods work together to produce the “feel-good” hormone serotonin in your brain, which is proven to improve mood and feelings of relaxation.

There are several aspects to explore in an attempt to prove that food affects our moods. Researchers should not just solely become fixated on the nutritional characteristics of foods. Within these studies, I think the researchers need to include more complex studies directly correlating to the relationship between food and frame of mind. For example, including the time of day, the amount of food consumed, or the age and dietary history of the participants, could help to go more in depth regarding the correlation between food and moods.

In 1983, a study was performed on 184 adults. They either consumed a protein-rich meal or a carbohydrate-rich meal. Two hours later their mood and performance were assessed. Surprisingly, the effects of the meal differed for female vs. male subjects and for younger vs. older participants. For example, females resulted in greater sleepiness after a carbohydrate meal whereas males reported greater calmness.

Through research studies, we can confidently conclude that eating a well-balanced diet will improve not only physical health, but also mental health through improved moods and attitudes.

http://dujs.dartmouth.edu/fall-2010/you-are-what-you-eat-how-food-affects-your-mood#.VmFQ5oQk_ww

http://www.livescience.com/36098-food-affect-mood-nutrients.html

http://m.livescience.com/46256-health-check-how-food-affects-mood-and-mood-affects-food.html

The closer the average person gets to death, the more they tend to try and fight to stay healthy and active. Whether that is through excessive exercise, keeping up with daily vitamins, or strict diets, humans are constantly trying to better their health through simple daily life fixes. But, one thing that seems to slip older adults mind is sex! As people grow older, it seems they tend to have sex less and less.

In the words of Joy Davidson, a New York psychologist and sex therapist, “Of course, sex is everywhere in the media, but the idea that we are vital, sexual creatures is still looked at in some cases with disgust or in other cases a bit of embarrassment. So to really take a look at how our sexuality adds to our life and enhances our life and our health, both physical and psychological, is eye-opening for many people.”

These health benefits are not simply a result of speculation or hypothesis, but are backed up by scientific scrutiny. Sex has a number of benefits to both ones mental and physical health. Mentally, sex boosts ones self-esteem and strengthens their overall well-being. Results of this is not only seen through a more positive connection between the two participating in sex, but also through their relationships with their family, friends, and peers. Although benefits such as these are only recorded through observation by sex therapists such as Gina Ogden, there are many physical benefits much more testable and scientifically proven.

A huge health benefit of sex is its positive impact on the immune system. Researchers at Wilkes University of Pennsylvania discovered that students who had sex once or twice a week had higher levels of certain antibodies ,than students who don’t, which defend the body against germs, viruses, and other intruders. Simply put by sexual health expert, Yvonne K. Fulbright, “Sexually active people take fewer sick days.”

Another huge benefit of sex is its close correlation with lowered blood pressure. Joseph J. Pinzone, MD, CEO, and medical director of Amai Wellness, has preformed many studies involving the benefits of sexual intercourse on the human body. He states, “One landmark study found that sexual intercourse specifically (not masturbation) lowered systolic blood pressure.” Systolic blood pressure was the first number on the pressure test.

 

Besides being a great way to raise your heart rate, sex helps keep your estrogen and testosterone levels in balance. “When either one of those is low you begin to get lots of problems, like osteoporosis and even heart disease,” Pinzone says. His studies have shown that men and women involved in sex one to two times a week are half as likely to die of heart disease.

Almost every pain medication, from over the counter to prescription drugs, comes with danger of misuse, abuse, and liver damage, so why not just have sex? “Orgasms can block pain,” says Barry R. Komisaruk, a distinguished service professor at Rutgers at the State University of New Jersey. It releases a hormone in your brain that helps to significantly raise your pain threshold.

Sheenie Ambardar, MD, says that touching and hugging can release your body’s natural “feel-good hormone.” Sexual arousal releases a brain chemical that revs up your brain’s pleasure and reward system countless times during sex. This could possibly be the most significant benefit of sex because this means that by having sex it can help with stress and negative emotions. Although stress may not seem as significant as heart disease or a weak immune system, according to http://www.statisticbrain.com/stress-statistics/, 77 percent of U.S. citizens suffer from physical symptoms of stress and 48 percent report that these symptoms play a negative role in their personal or professional lives.

Effects of stress on the brain:

• Anxiety
• Restlessness
• Lack of motivation or focus
• Irritability or anger
• Sadness or depression

Effects of stress on behavior:

• Overeating or under eating
• Angry outbursts
• Drug or alcohol abuse
• Tobacco use
• Social withdrawal

Human stem cell research has become an extremely controversial topic. In 1998, James Thomson from the University of Wisconsin-Madison created the first human embryonic stem cell line. Reported by the National Institutes of Health, stem cells are different from any other kind of cell in the body. They have the ability to divide and renew themselves for long periods of time, they are unspecialized, and can give rise to specialized cell types. Because of the unique nature of stem cells, they have become of massive importance within medical research, potentially used for curing life-threatening diseases.

Especially in the case of embryonic stem cell research, extreme ethical concerns have occurred. Because of these concerns, legislation providing the use of stem cells in medical research has faced serious disapproval and hostility. With all the controversy surrounding stem cells, the public doesn’t have the knowledge about the many benefits for the health and medical fields. Their potential to treat many diseases in the future have scientists working hard to learn about these stem cell functions and how they can apply and treat some of the many serious diseases killing people everyday.

There are many potential applications of stem cells in the medical field. Stem cells have the ability to form cells and tissues to be used as organs in replace of damaged or dysfunctional ones. Unfortunately, the number of people on the transplant list is much higher than the number of available organs. Many people die while awaiting a transplant and if scientists could create these stem cell based made organs, it could save the lives of hundreds of people. Areas that stem cells can benefit include Parkinson’s disease, Type I diabetes, Arthritis, Burn victims, and cardiovascular diseases.

Dr. Marcelo Rivolta from the University of Sheffield’s Department of Biomedical Science, has spent 10 years researching how to separate human embryonic stem cells into the two types of cells that are crucial for hearing: auditory neurons and the inner-ear hair cells that translate sound into electrical signals. His research team conducted a study on deaf gerbils, injecting them in the inner ears with self-created spiral ganglion neurons. These neurons are the nerve cells, which pass sounds into the brain. On average, the gerbils recovered 46 percent of there hearing about 4 weeks after being injected with the cells.

The current benefits of stem cell practices are already well recognized and is expected that continued research will continue to bring up new treatments for diseases. Stem cells offer hope to suffering patients, providing optimism for effective treatment or maybe even a reversal of the disease.

http://www.explorestemcells.co.uk/benefitsofstemcells.html

https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/ourplan/guiding-principles/case-studies-archive/stem-cell-deafness-cure-1.254363

There have been a multitude of studies down on the affects of background music while studying, and how it affects introverts and extraverts differently. The affects of background music on task performance have been of interest to many scientists and psychologists concerned with whether or not productivity is increased by playing music while studying or working. Cognitive psychologists are primarily interested in how music affects attention and processing in various specific tasks, while personality theorists are more interested in how individual differences in arousal affect cognitive task performance while in the presence of musical distractions.

Many college students, in an attempt at isolating themselves in a loud library or from conversations in a study area, put in headphones and listen to music. Music has a powerful impact on our state of being, shifting everything from mood to heart rate. Studies have shown that the lyrics specifically are what cause the distractions and interferences. At the University of Toronto, Glenn Schellenberg is a professor in the psychology department who published a study indicating that fast, loud background music hinders reading comprehension and the ability to be attentive.

How does our fondness for a particular type of music affect performance? A new study from Applied Cognitive Psychology has shown that listening to music that one finds favorable while performing a serial recall task does not increase performance any more than listening to music that one dislikes and doesn’t listen to often. During a serial recall task, participants are presented with numerous items, often letters, in which they must remember in the correct order to test adult verbal short-term memory. During the study performed by the Applied Cognitive Psychology research team, participants were required to recall a list of 8 consonants in order within 5 different sound environments. Participants were tested in quiet settings, liked music, disliked music, changing-state, and steady state environments. The most accurate recall occurred within the quiet settings, and the poorest recall occurred while listening to music whether it was liked or disliked. In conclusion, they concurred that regardless of liking or disliking music, it impaired their ability to recall accurately proving that studying in quiet atmospheres creates the ability for people to better obtain information.

One exception of this is listening to classical music while studying. A number of academic studies recently stated that listening to classical music benefits the brain, sleep patterns, the immune system and stress levels- all of which are helpful when concurring important exams. A study done at a University in France found that students who listened to classical music in the background of a one-hour lecture scored significantly higher on quizzes and tests compared to a similar group of students who heard the lecture with no background music. The researchers believed that classical music put students into a heightened emotional state, causing them to become more receptive to information.

For students and employees wanting to maximize their work potential, listening to music is definitely not the best idea for executing excellent work and performances. Although music can have an extremely positive effect on our overall mental health, in creates a negative effect on our cognitive performances.

Click to access 0c9605302086208d79000000.pdf

https://news.usc.edu/71969/studying-for-finals-let-classical-music-help/

From the elderly, to men with erectile disfunction, to college boys who’ve had a few too many drinks, the drug Sildenafil, better known as Viagra, is used and abused. This seemingly harmless drug which hit the market in 1998, and until recently was believed to have little to no side effects. However, recent studies, such as the one published in JAMA Internal Medicine, have shown a shockingly strong correlation between the regular use of Viagra and contraction of the deadly skin cancer Melanoma. According to JAMA, Viagra may have nearly doubled melanoma risk in an estimated 45 million men who opted to take the drug since it hit the market.

The Melanoma Research Foundation describes melanoma as usually, however not always, skin cancer that begins in melanocytes, pigment-producing cells in the skin, that synthesize melanin, which is the pigment that gives skin its color. Melanocytes are the cells responsible for the formation of moles, which is a hub where melanoma often develops. Melanoma can even rarely develop in mucus membranes or eyes, rather than the skin. How can this effect you or I? An estimated 77,000 cases of melanoma die each year, and the disease causes nearly 10,000 deaths in the US alone. This adds up to one person dying every hour of every day all from this terrible disease. While this is one of the fastest growing cancers in the U.S. as well as around the world, and affects people of all ages, melanoma is seen mostly in men over the age of 50.

Viagra is the most common, but not only, phosphodiesterase type 5(PDE5) inhibitor. PDE5 inhibitors cause vasodilation in the penis and lung by blocking the breakdown of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) which results in prolongation of the action of mediators of vasodilation including nitric oxide (NO). Until 2008, there was zero known correlation between PDE5 inhibitors and the disease melanoma until Qing Li’s research which began in 1986 came to a conclusion and the data from 51,000 males from ages 40 to 75 was released showing this shocking correlation. (Studies were not preformed on younger specimen because the vast majority of the products users are middle-aged and elderly men.)

As this research became more prevalent starting around 2000, bi-annual surveys have been taken all around the US. The final report of which was published in the June, 2014 edition of JAMA International Medicine, based on survey responses from 25,848 men averaging 64 years of age. Of those 25,848 men, 6.3 percent reported use of Viagra and 5.8 acknowledged recent use of the drug. During the study period, 142 malignant melanomas were diagnosed. Although this may not seem like a significant number, it is scaled at an 84% increase in risk of contracting melanoma compared to if 25,848 men with no contact to Viagra were observed. Watch out next time you need a boost in bed, you might be risking your life. 

Sources:

http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/erectile-dysfunction-drugs-skin-cancer-worry-201406057197

http://www.drugwatch.com/viagra/melanoma/

In light of recent events in the U.S. the gaming community has been under close speculation. Not only is video game content under scrutiny, but how this content affects the over all attention span and focus of youth who play has also become an area of concern. There is just about no evidence, however, proving that gaming can cause attention disorders, mainly ADHD. While there have been studies which correlate hyper vigilance and ADHD-like behaviors to excessive video game use, there is no concrete evidence to prove ADHD is caused by too much gaming.

ADHD is short for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. This means individuals with this disorder not only have a hard time maintaining concentration, but also struggle with sitting still for long periods of time. Because video games provide constant stimulation, it is no wonder people with ADHD have increased focus while playing; there is no opportunity left for distraction of any sort. The debate begins here because children who struggle with concentrating become hyper focussed when gaming. This combined with the tendency for those with ADHD to lack self regulation leads to far too much screen time in youth with this condition. This may be why people are so quick to jump to the conclusion that video games cause ADHD and attention deficit behaviors.

Although the majority of studies pertaining to video games and ADHD lean towards the idea that excessive gaming can cause ADHD, the article on “learnignworksforkids.com” suggests that in the right amount, video gaming can actually decrease the effects of ADHD. Because of the stimulation the brain receives from gaming, it can actually be altered as a visual attention treatment. In current and recent research, it has become known that exercising the brain in a particular activity for long periods of time can change how the brain works and grows. Frequent video game use does just that when done is a monitored practice. This being said, there is no evidence that going on a video game playing bender will alter the brain’s growth and development. However playing a game to cater to a specific area of the brain when done with a purpose.

in conclusion, ADHD is not caused by over playing video games. The disorder may be influenced by too much gaming, but there is no evidence proving cause. There is proof that video games can be used as a method of treatment for ADHD by use of brain conditioning. By learning which method works best and not over using video games, a child can develop particular areas of the brain without developing ADHD.

Sources:
http://learningworksforkids.com/2012/07/video-games-and-adhd-a-cause-or-a-cure/http://www.childmind.org/en/posts/articles/adhd-and-video-games

Cholesterol and obesity is one of the leading medical issues in our country. Often we see commercials and ads of foods to help with the lowering of cholesterol, offering to solve this problem before reaching the point of needing medication. As this becomes a leading health concern in the U.S., we have looked to the French who naturally have lower cholesterol and cases of heart disease. Their response: drink plenty of red wine and eat dark chocolate. This sounds like a pleasant (and very French) way to prevent heart disease, but with further research debate has been raised in the actual effectiveness of this method.

I’m sure most of us have heard the rumors that a glass of wine a day will prevent heart cancer, but this is the first time I have heard dark chocolate supposedly has a similar effect. After a little research I actually discovered that dark chocolate with cocoa has many health benefits from healthy compounds inside of solid cocoa called flavonols. These flavonols contain antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits Researcher, Mee Young Hong, performed an experimental trial where Hong’s team assigned 31 men and women to eat about 1.7 ounces (a standard-size chocolate bar is about 1.5 ounces) of dark, white, or ”bloomed” dark chocolate every day for 15 days. Before and after the study, Hong’s team measured blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol. Their findings showed lowered blood sugar levels, improved LDL (bad) cholesterol as well as improved HDL (good) cholesterol.

Similar to chocolate, red wine (in moderation) has potential for lowering cholesterol. Alcohol in general can be beneficial to heart in the same way as chocolate, the raising of HDL and lowering of LDL. Red wine, though, particularly stands out because of it antioxidant and resveratrol contents due to its being made by grapes. Grapes and grape skin are a particularly high source of resveratrol which is a chemical found in plants as an injury response. Because red wine is fermented longer than other wine, the antioxidant properties of the grapes stay more in tact, thus contributing to the cholesterol lowering factors. This being said, it is still not wise to drink an excess amount of red wine to claim it is for heart health; over-consumption of alcohol will have the opposite effects. However, a glass or two of red wine may boost the resveratrol in your system and be excused as a heart healthy endeavor.

In conclusion, moderate chocolate and red wine consumption helps to prevent high cholesterol by means of antioxidants and flavonols. This is by no means a treatment, but an indulgent and fairly natural way to help heart health.

http://www.webmd.com/diet/20120424/pick-dark-chocolate-health-benefits

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-disease/in-depth/red-wine/art-20048281?pg=2

Recent studies conducted by scientists have concluded that oxybenzone, a chemical in sunscreen, is drastically harming coral reefs.  Oxybenzone does not only kill coral, but it also disrupts DNA patterns, causing harm to the future generations of the coral.  This disallows coral from developing properly.  If the chemical continues to reach areas such as the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii and the Caribbean Sea it could mean serious trouble for coral reefs.

Coral reefs are absolutely vital for marine life.  They provide habitats and shelter for many marine organisms and animals all throughout the world.  They also support more species than any other marine environment.  However, what is often overlooked is their importance to humanity.  Coral reefs support fisheries, tourism, and diving tours, which accounts for plenty of money for some markets and firms.  In addition, the reefs protect shorelines from storm surge, which is crucial for areas bordering bodies of water.

Scientists warn that over 80% of the coral reefs in the Caribbean have been lost already, and that number can only increase unless people become more conscientious about the environment.  While scientists continue to search for an alternative to oxybenzone, it is very important for all people to avoid applying sunscreen when going anywhere near coral reefs.  This is essential to ensure that future generations of humanity can see the marvelous marine structures and so marine life can continue to thrive healthfully.

Sources:

http://www.scienceagogo.com/news/20150920172625.shtml

http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/kits/corals/coral07_importance.html

Scientists in Jacksboro recently released their discovery of a fossil of the “Texas supershark.”  The supershark lived up until the Carboniferous period, but soon thereafter went extinct.  It was believed to be alive even before dinosaurs roamed our planet, dating back to about 300 million years ago.  The unearthing of this fossil represents a huge discovery for the scientists, as sharks were only thought to be dated back to about 130 million years.

The supershark was measured in at a heaping 26 feet; such a length would double most sharks in the ocean today.  While not nearly as big as the megalodon, which was believed to be 60 feet long, the supershark is still a massive step up from what we are used to seeing on Shark Week or any documentary on the apex predators of the ocean.  To put their size into perspective, the supershark is about one and a half times larger than a school bus.  Such a size puts our modern-day sharks, such as the great white shark, to certain shame.

While the scientists are very happy about this find, they know there is still much uncertainty, not only about this species, but with marine life as a whole.  They are even unsure if this species represents a variation of an already-known species.  Nonetheless, the discovery is a crucial step to learning more about ocean life, which is still a generally bare understanding to humanity even at this point in time.

Sources:

http://www.sharksavers.org/en/education/biology/450-million-years-of-sharks1/

http://www.livescience.com/52506-texas-supershark.html

In one of the latest blockbusters to hit the box office, “The Martian,” an astronaut has to sustain life on Mars and, while attempting to do so, finds a way to plant and maintain potatoes.  However, the scientific aspect of this simply does not add up.  There are several components to Mars that will not allow for the plants to be grown there any time soon.

The first point is that the plant would need certain chemicals that Martian soil is devout of.  This problem is actually solved by the astronaut, though, as he uses his own waste as a source of nitrogen.  This also helps many other issues that could pertain to produce on Mars, as it could also add bacteria to the soil.  In addition to this and a few more, it would also make the soil more firm, allowing for it to catch water for the plants as well.  While the astronaut is able to grow the potatoes, he really should not have been able to.  Perchlorates are ridden all throughout the Martian soil, making it impossible to sustain produce.  This chemical would simply kill all the roots of the plant.

Another argument to make is that the lack of sufficient gravity would harm plants.  This claim is absolutely true, although not for all plants.  While the potatoes that the astronaut grows would struggle with the lessened gravity, studies conducted by astronauts on the International Space Station concluded that tomatoes and wheat (among others) actually grew better than they would on Earth.

There are plenty of other variable to consider as well.  The plants would need the perfect blend of carbon dioxide, pressure, heat, light, and nutrients in order to successfully thrive on the red planet.  This would mostly depend on the atmosphere of Mars, which all but seems to be unable of supplying the proper quantities of all these variables.

While scientists believe that humans will begin to be able to live on Mars by the 2030’s, there are still substantial steps that need to be taken to make this possible, such as sustaining the life of produce.  While this was made out to be relatively easy by the astronaut in “The Martian,” humanity still has a long way to go before turning life on Mars from a fantasy movie scene to reality.

Sources:

http://www.livescience.com/52444-growing-food-on-mars.html

http://www.windows2universe.org/kids_space/lifeonmars.html

Hi my name is Brandon Steidley and I’m from San Diego, California. My major is business, at the Smeal college, and I am in this class because I have never enjoyed science and was told that this class would give me a whole new outlook on the world of science and how to look at the world through the eyes of a scientist. I am not only coming into this class open minded, but the east coast as well. Considering that the majority of the students here are from this side of the country, no one realized how different of a world it is from the west, where I was born and raised.

To be specific, I am from a city called Carlsbad about 20 minutes north of downtown San Diego, 5 minutes from the coast with dozens of beaches ranging from tourist hot spots, to local surfing beaches, to dog only beaches. Although sports are huge where I am from, I have quickly realized how much more emphasis is put on their importance out here and how much more energy and school spirit is found on the east and at Penn State in particular. I am already growing to love this school and the people in it, and am excited for the next 4 years here!

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http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/411WVq8cp8L.jpg

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