Monthly Archives: May 2011

I don’t really understand the appeal of tough love. It’s the principle behind three of my least favorite TV shows:

• Dr. Phil

• Judge Judy

• The Biggest Loser

These shows all revolve around criticizing people who are genetically and environmentally predisposed to act in certain ways. The shows’ hosts provide superficial explanations that will probably be forgotten. The people who appear on the shows will revert to their old habits. Behavioral change can happen, but it needs to take place in scientifically validated and evidence-based ways. Medications change the brain and therapy can also change the brain.

I’d be more comfortable with the idea of tough love if there was any evidence behind it. People have different brains and are motivated in different ways. The only people who are able to thrive under adversity are probably already better off in terms of their neurochemistry and genetics. They have higher levels of neuropeptide Y.

The type of commentators and trainers who endorse tough love may actually be mentally ill themselves. Tough love may relate to a personality disorder known as sadistic personality disorder. It was originally in the DSM-III but was removed in the DSM-IV. The disorder was probably removed due to redundancy since it shares many similarities with antisocial personality disorder. It’s discussed in the book Personality Self Portrait by psychiatrist John Oldham. People with sadistic personality disorder believe that weakness should be punished. They take pleasure in humiliating others as a way of expressing dominance.

Telling people to shape up may also backfire anyway due to the principle of psychological reactance. People will often do the opposite of what they’re ordered to as a means of preserving their perceived independence.

Healing Spices is an excellent book written by Dr. Bharat Aggarwal (Professor of the Department of Experimental Therapeutics at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center) with Debora Yost (former vice president of Prevention Magazine). I totally recommend buying this book. It’s the definitive guide to the medicinal benefits of culinary spices. Spices fight oxidation and inflammation, the processes behind most chronic diseases. The book has fifty sections that discuss some of the most powerful healing spices in the world. Each section in the book includes:

• description of the spice

• a list of conditions that the spice can prevent or treat

• tips for buying the spice

• how to cook with the spice

• recipes that incorporate the spice

First, one brief caveat. Some of these results are from animal trials or studies in test tubes. More human trials are needed, but the book clearly describes which results are from studies in humans.

Here are some notes on the health benefits of the spices:

Ajowan:

• has analgesic effects

• improves breathing ability in asthmatics

• decreases blood pressure

• suppresses coughing

• kills drug-resistant bacteria

Allspice:

• has analgesic, anesthetic, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory properties

• lowers high blood pressure

• helps relieve the symptoms of menopause

Almond:

• lowers the risk of heart disease

• reduces symptoms of metabolic syndrome

• allows diabetics to reduce their medications

Amchur:

• contains lupeol which blocks DNA mutation

• reduces enlarged prostate

• normalizes blood sugar

• reverses gum disease

• slows the rate of bone loss

• protects liver cells against pollutants

• strengthens thyroid

• slows the development of heart disease

Aniseed:

• increases relaxation

• improves digestion

• has anti-inflammatory properties

• relaxes the respiratory muscles in asthma

• inhibits ulcer formation

• treats constipation

• helps prevent dehydration

Asafoetida:

• kills swine flu

• slows the formation of cancer

• relieves symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome

Basil:

• has anti-stress effects

• reduces triglycerides and LDL cholesterol

• kills the bacteria that cause acne

• may block or suppress liver, stomach, and lung cancer

• lowers blood sugar

• relieves eye problems when added to eye drops

• pain relief

• speeds wound healing

• reduces uric acid that causes gout

• inhibits the formation of stomach ulcers

• relieves malarial symptoms

Bay Leaf:

• lowers blood sugar

• lowers LDL cholesterol

• inhibits the growth of cancer

• alleviates the pain and swelling of arthritis

• prevents stomach ulcers

• improves digestion

• fights bacterial infection

• kills the SARS virus

• speeds wound healing

Black Cumin Seed:

• strengthens the immune system by increasing the activity of natural killer cells

• prevents heart disease

• stops cancer proliferation, metastases, and angiogenesis and triggers the death of cancer cells

• reduces the symptoms of asthma and allergies

• reduces the development of stomach ulcers

• offers protection against flare-ups in ulcerative colitis

• reduces pain and inflammation

• slows the progression of multiple sclerosis

• treats contact dermatitis

• decreases frequency of seizures in epileptic patients

Black Pepper:

• improves digestion

• enhances the effectiveness of medications

• prevents and treats cancer

• reduces arthritis symptoms

• prevents Alzheimer’s disease and cognitive decline

• lowers the risk of falling in the elderly

• improves the ability to swallow in people who suffered a stroke

• stimulates the appetite of neurologically damaged children on feeding tubes

• helps with smoking cessation

• lowers high blood pressure

• prevents heart disease

• treatment for overactive thyroid

• prevents hearing loss

• reverses vitiligo

Caraway:

• reduces gastrointestinal pain

• normalizes blood sugar levels

• contains limonene which can stop the growth of cancer

• prevents food poisoning

• reduces triglycerides

• relieves constipation

• enhances the absorption of anti-tuberculosis drugs

Cardamom:

• improves digestion

• slows or stops the development of stomach ulcers

• prevents colon cancer

• lowers blood pressure

• prevents blood clots

• eases symptoms of asthma

• clears up sinus infections

Celery Seed:

• prevents gout

• fights inflammation

• reduces the intensity and duration of menstrual cramps

• lowers high blood pressure

• decreases LDL cholesterol and triglycerides

• treats and prevents liver diseases

• kills the bacteria that causes stomach ulcers

• stops the growth of the fungus that causes yeast infections

Chile:

• has anesthetic effects in skin cream

• increases levels of synovial fluid that lubricates joints

• reduces chronic nerve pain

• provides relief from postherpetic neuralgia in shingles

• reduces symptoms of diabetic neuropathy

• treatment for chronic neck pain

• benefits fat loss by increasing metabolism, decreasing appetite, increasing fat burn during exercise, dissolving fat cells

• reduces insulin resistance

• prevents fatty liver disease

• prevents blood clots

• increases resistance to oxidized blood fats

• leads to lower resting heart rate

• prevents arrhythmias

• reduces damage after a heart attack

• causes death to tumor cells

• protects the gastric lining and prevents stomach ulcers

• reduces symptoms of functional dyspepsia

• reduces the redness and itching in people with psoriasis

Cinnamon:

• helps control blood sugar in type 2 diabetes

• decreases triglycerides and LDL cholesterol

• lowers levels of oxidation

• fights metabolic syndrome

• stops spikes in blood sugar after a meal

• controls polycystic ovary syndrome

• fights fungi and bacteria

• slows tumor angiogenesis

• protects brain cells from damage caused by a stroke or hepatic encepahlopathy

• improves wound healing

Clove:

• has anesthetic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial effects to treat toothaches and oral diseases (such as gingivitis, periodontitis, stomatitis)

• fights bacteria such as heliobacter pylori, E. coli, staphylococcus, proteus, klebsiella, enterobacter, and pseudomonas

• strengthens the effectiveness of acyclovir against herpes simplex and protects against infection by the virus that causes genital herpes

• inhibits the hepatitis C virus

• stops blood clots

• stops cancer cells from multiplying

Cocoa:

• protects arterial health

• decreases LDL cholesterol and LDL oxidation

• lowers high blood pressure

• improves coronary circulation

• reduces the tendency of the blood to form clots

• lowers the risk of heart disease

• improves survival after a heart attack

• lowers the risk of stroke

• increases cerebral blood flow to potentially treat dementia and strokes

• reduces mental fatigue

• improves insulin sensitivity

• increases resistance to UV-caused skin damage

• leads to softer skin

• lowers the risk of preeclampsia

• increases endurance

Coconut:

• reduces abdominal fat

• kills disease-causing bacteria like staphylococcus aureus, streptococcus, enterobacter, and enterococcus

• kills the bacteria that cause acne

• kills candida albicans, the fungus that causes yeast infection

• reduces the development of colon cancer

• may prevent Alzheimer’s disease and dementia

• may fight Chron’s disease

• relieves pain

Coriander:

• soothes irritable bowel syndrome

• eases chronic constipation

• stops intestinal spasms

• protects against stomach ulcers

• reduces redness in inflammatory skin diseases

• decreases blood sugar levels and increases insulin

• relieves anxiety and insomnia

• blocks the development of colon cancer

• protects the liver from damage

• limits the growth of yeast infection

• reverses damage from lead exposure

Cumin:

• lowers triglycerides

• lowers blood sugar

• delays the progression of cataracts

• cuts the formation of advanced glycation endproducts

• increases bone density

• prevents the formation of cancers

• suppresses convulsions in seizures

• prevents food poisoning

• improves the effectiveness of rifampicin in fighting tuberculosis

Curry Leaf:

• reduces blood sugar

• improves memory

• reduces the number of tumors in colon cancer

Fennel Seed:

• relieves menstrual pain

• helps eliminate colic

• helps reduce cognitive disorders such as dementia and Alzheimer’s disease

• inhibits the formation of tumors

• decreases swelling and pain in arthritis

• lowers high blood pressure

• treatment for inflammatory bowel disease

• decreases intraocular pressure in glaucoma

Fenugreek Seed:

• regulates blood sugar

• reduces insulin resistance

• can slow or stop the growth of cancer cells

• can prevent or reverse fatty liver disease

• prevents the development of cataracts

• prevents the development of kidney stones

• reverses and prevents gallstones

• increases activity of white blood cells in the immune system

Galangal:

• treatment for arthritis and osteoarthritis

• turns off cancer genes

• lowers blood sugar

• inhibits stomach ulcers

• reduces allergies and congestion

Garlic:

• protects against atherosclerosis

• lowers high blood pressure

• thins blood to protect against heart disease

• reduces risk of heart attack

• prevents multiple cancers

• prevents infections and colds

• lowers blood sugar

• helps prevent enlarged prostate

• improves skin health

• clears up oral candidiasis

• decreases the number of damaged red blood cells in sickle cell anemia

• improves treatment for alopecia areata

Ginger:

• remedy for nausea

• reduces symptoms of osteoarthritis

• suppresses cancer

• treatment for migraine

• helps control asthma

• helps heartburn and stomachaches

• reduces heart attack and stroke

Horseradish:

• fights infections and as effective as antibiotics

• decreases activity of cancer cells

Juniper Berry:

• battles bladder and urinary tract infections

• prevents organ rejection in kidney transplants

• treats indigestion

• has diuretic effects for controlling high blood pressure and congestive heart failure

• treats inflammatory conditions and infectious diseases (bronchitis, colds, cough, fungal infections, hemorrhoids, gynecological diseases, wounds, rheumatoid arthritis, menstrual pain)

• lowers high blood sugar

• decreases the growth of breast cancer cells

• helps prevent liver damage in alcoholism

• inhibits the virus that causes cold sores

Kokum:

• an aid for fat loss

• kills cancer cells

• inhibits the formation of gastric and peptic ulcers

• promotes the growth of neurons and may be neuroprotective

Lemongrass:

• stops the oxidation of LDL cholesterol

• kills cancer cells

• reduces anxiety

• induces sleep

• reduces the number of seizures

• fights yeast infections

Marjoram:

• slows the progress of Alzheimer’s disease

• stops the growth of leukemia cells

• prevents heart attacks and strokes

• improves digestion

• protects against organ damage from lead toxicity

• prevents ulcers

• kills disease-causing fungi and bacteria including Candida albicans, Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus

Mint:

• eases the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome

• reduces indigestion

• reduces GI spasms during colonoscopy and endocopy

• reduces congestion and respiratory discomfort

• relieves pain in postherpetic neuralgia

• improves attention and performance

• treatment for hirsuitism in PCOS

• reduces stress, anxiety, and nausea when inhaled

• improves effectiveness of treatment for tuberculosis

• lessens hot flashes in chemotherapy

• slows and kills a variety of cancers

• decreases inflammation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

• kills the bacteria that cause tooth decay and stops plaque buildup

• alleviates allergic rhinitis

Mustard Seed:

• prevents and slows the growth of a number of cancers

• lowers the risk of heart disease

• normalizes glucose and insulin levels

• helps prevent benign prostatic hypertrophy

• improves symptoms in people with bronchitis

• improves brain health

Nutmeg:

• kills leukemia cells

• has antiaging effects on human skin

• alleviates symptoms of anxiety

• reduces depression

• improves learning and memory

• increases libido

• helps prevent seizures

• kills rotavirus that causes diarrhea

Onion:

• prevents cancer and kills cancer cells

• reduces heart disease

• lowers high blood pressure

• has beneficial effects on bone density

• improves appearance of surgical scars when used in a gel

• therapy for allergies

• lowers the risk of enlarged prostate

• lowers blood sugar

Oregano:

• kills parasites

• fights food poisoning

• heals ulcers

• reduces colitis

• strengthens and heals the liver

• inhibits yeast infections

• helps alleviate metabolic syndrome

• slows or kills various cancers

• as potent as drugs used to treat Alzheimer’s disease

• reverses the hyperpigmentation that causes age spots

• kills Staph infections

Parsley:

• fights cancer

• prevents heart disease

• lowers blood sugar

• treats constipation

• prevents stomach ulcers

Pomegranate:

• reverses arterial plaque

• repairs the heart by increasing blood flow

• reduces angina

• keeps arteries flexible

• lowers high blood pressure

• controls and reverses diabetes

• stops the growth of cancers

• reduces dental plaque

• improves erectile function

• reduces skin damage

• improves sports recovery

• slows the development and reduces the severity of arthritis

• prevents Alzheimer’s disease

• kills flu viruses

• reduces inflammation in ulcerative colitis

Pumpkin Seed:

• improves prostate health

• reduces heart disease

• treatment for iron deficiency anemia

• reduces swelling in arthritis

Rosemary:

• decreases levels of carcinogenic heterocyclic amines

• reduces levels of the stress hormone cortisol

• reduces radiation sickness

• protects the skin from damage and treats dermatitis

• reduces the growth of melanoma

• improves memory recall

• suppresses and kills cancer cells

• prevents liver damage

• improves blood flow

• reduces pain and inflammation in arthritis

• lowers blood sugar

• may treat peptic ulcer

• increases urine flow in urinary tract infections

• treatment for depression

Saffron:

• as effective as antidepressant medication

• decreases atherosclerosis

• effective as donepezil at slowing mental decline

• reduces menstrual pain

• relieves the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome

• treats infertility in men

• improves erectile function

• prevents and treats cancer

• reduces anxiety

• improves sleep

• improves memory

• treatment for age-related macular degeneration

• helpful in preventing Parkinson’s disease

• relieves symptoms of multiple sclerosis

Sage:

• improves memory recall

• improves mood

• treatment for Alzheimer’s disease

• eases sore throat

• treatment for cardiovascular disease

• clears up skin rashes

• prevents skin cancer

• stabilizes blood sugar

• kills the herpes virus

• protects against the development of stomach ulcers

Sesame Seed:

• lowers high blood pressure

• may prevent Alzheimer’s disease

• has anticancer potential

• prevents loss of muscle control and mental decline in Huntington’s disease

• speeds up wound healing

Star Anise:

• fights viral and bacterial infections including the flu, Epstein-Barr, septic shock, E. corrodens, Herpes simplex 1, HIV, hepatitis B, Streptococcus mutans

• kills cancer cells

• reduces damage to brain cells

Sun-Dried Tomato:

• helps prevent and treat prostate cancer

• reduces the risk of other cancers

• reduces the risk of heart disease

• lowers high blood pressure

• increases bone density

• protects against dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease

• improves fertility in men

Tamarind:

• provides relief from dry eye syndrome, bacterial keratitis, pink, eye, and age-related macular degeneration when used in eye drops

• diminishes the risk of atherosclerosis

• reduces the risk of kidney stones

• slows the growth of colon cancer

• lowers blood sugar in type 1 diabetes

Thyme:

• fights acute bronchitis

• prevents tooth decay

• protects neurons

• fights cancer

• reduces the formation of blood clots

• stops the herpes simplex 1 virus

• fights antibiotic-resistant bacteria

• lessens the severity of colitis

• prevents stomach ulcers

• protects the liver and brain from alcohol-related damage

Turmeric:

• as effective as prescription drugs for reducing inflammation

• as effective as defeating breast cancer cells as tamoxifen

• inhibits 22 different types of cancer

• inhibits the toxicity of environmental chemicals

• prevents Alzheimer’s disease

• slows the progression of Parkinson’s disease

• alleviates symptoms of arthritis

• prevents clogged arteries

• reduces the size of blood clots

• reduces the risk of cerebral vasospasm

• lowers triglycerides

• regulates blood pressure

• reduces damage from a heart attack

• cleanses and rejuvenates the liver

• remedy for skin ailments (acne, blemishes, itching, rashes, contact dermatitis, psoriasis, scleroderma)

• makes wounds heal faster

• fights inflammatory bowel disease

• prevents cystic fibrosis

• reduces depression

• controls blood sugar levels

• treats eye conditions such as uveitis, conjunctivitis, dry eye, and postoperative cataract care when included in eye drops

• reduces the formation of gallstones and improves gallbladder health

• helps prevent age-related macular degeneration

• protects against cataracts

• reduces pain

Vanilla:

• kills cancer cells, limits metastasis, inhibits angiogenesis, and has antimutagenic effects

• potential treatment for sickle cell anemia

Wasabi:

• stops tumor cell growth and kills cancer cells

• defends against bacteria that cause food poisoning

• kills the bacteria that cause stomach ulcers

• prevents tooth decay

• prevents blood clots and thus protects against heart attack and stroke

• increases bone density

• treatment for eczema

The psychology of religion, the study of neurotheology, and the genetics of religious belief are fascinating areas of research. Both believers and nonbelievers can find information that leads to greater self-awareness. You can believe in both God and evolution, which is the approach taken by people like Dr. Francis Collins and Dr. Ken Miller. I believe in God, but I don’t believe in holy texts or other religious practices. The evidence indicates that religious ceremonies don’t have magical powers and aren’t beneficial beyond the basic social benefits such as relief from loneliness. Instead of having special supernatural benefits, religious traditions provide opportunities for socialization among people who share common moral beliefs and personality types due to genetic and environmental influences.

Most scriptural writings were probably created to spread rules that would promote good hygiene, both in a physical sense and in a moral sense. There weren’t antibiotics (aside from scattered reports of natural antibiotics in fermented drinks) in the time periods in which religions first developed. Therefore, preventing the transmission of pathogens was an important goal for human tribes. Religious beliefs also bind people into a common group. Groups needed a codified set of rules that would promote survival and keep societies from collapsing.

People don’t choose to be believers or nonbelievers in religion or evolution, since free will doesn’t exist. People are predisposed to develop certain beliefs due to genes, family environment, and culture. Ego displays by religious leaders and skeptics alike are pointless so long as they don’t actually improve the lives of their followers. With that said, I still think Living Scientifically is the best way to live. I’ve thought about unifying science and spirituality, as described in the post Science and Spirituality. I’ve also criticized paranormal research, as described in Why the Paranormal Doesn’t Matter. Cognitive dissonance is good.

In this post, I link to studies that discuss the genetic, neurobiological, and environmental influences that determine whether someone becomes a believer or a nonbeliever. These studies were found using this linked PubMed search. The religion[mh] is also an extensive and useful search for finding information on the science of religion. An extensive number of studies exist on the role of religion in health and life satisfaction. In contrast, this post tends to focus more specifically on the relation of religion to the brain.

The following two blogs are also useful sources for finding news on the science of religious behavior:

Biology of Religion

Epiphenom

Now on to some of the studies:

A gene X environment interaction between DRD2 and religiosity in the prediction of adolescent delinquent involvement in a sample of males. (Link)

A terror management analysis of the psychological functions of religion. (Link)

An fMRI study measuring analgesia enhanced by religion as a belief system. (Link)

An investigation of religiosity and the Gastaut-Geschwind syndrome in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy. (Link)

Analytic cognitive style predicts religious and paranormal belief. (Link)

Analytic thinking promotes religious disbelief. (Link)

Association of religion with delusions and hallucinations in the context of schizophrenia: implications for engagement and adherence. (Link)

Assortative sociality, limited dispersal, infectious disease and the genesis of the global pattern of religion diversity. (Link)

Authoritarianism, religious fundamentalism, and the human prefrontal cortex. (Link)

Being human: Religion: bound to believe? (Link)

Beliefs about God, psychiatric symptoms, and evolutionary psychiatry. (Link)

Cerebral blood flow during meditative prayer: preliminary findings and methodological issues. (Link)

Cognitive and neural foundations of religious belief. (Link)

Contribution of religiousness in the prediction and interpretation of mystical experiences in a sensory deprivation context: activation of religious schemas. (Link)

Damage of left temporal lobe resulting in conversion of speech to Sutra, a Buddhist prayer stored in the right hemisphere. (Link)

Delusional ideation in religious and psychotic populations. (Link)

Delusions with religious content in patients with psychosis: how they interact with spiritual coping. (Link)

Differential diagnosis between non-pathological psychotic and spiritual experiences and mental disorders: a contribution from Latin American studies to the ICD-11. (Link)

Disorganized attachment, absorption, and new age spirituality: a mediational model. (Link)

Divine intuition: Cognitive style influences belief in God. (Link)

Does religious belief enable positive interpretation of auditory hallucinations?: a comparison of religious voice hearers with and without psychosis. (Link)

EEG activity in Carmelite nuns during a mystical experience. (Link)

Examining the links between spiritual struggles and symptoms of psychopathology in a national sample. (Link)

Executive functions in morality, religion, and paranormal beliefs. (Link)

Experiences of spiritual visitation and impregnation: potential induction by frequency-modulated transients from an adjacent clock. (Link)

Experimental Findings on God as an Attachment Figure: Normative Processes and Moderating Effects of Internal Working Models. (Link)

Exploring the existential function of religion: the effect of religious fundamentalism and mortality salience on faith-based medical refusals. (Link)

Exploring the natural foundations of religion. (Link)

Fiery tongues and mystical motivations: glossolalia in a forensic population is associated with mania and sexual/religious delusions. (Link)

For God (or) country: the hydraulic relation between government instability and belief in religious sources of control. (Link)

Functional brain mapping during recitation of Buddhist scriptures and repetition of the Namu Amida Butsu: a study in experienced Japanese monks. (Link)

Genes encoding for AP-2beta and the Serotonin Transporter are associated with the Personality Character Spiritual Acceptance. (Link)

Genetic and environmental influences on multiple dimensions of religiosity: a twin study. (Link)

Genetic and environmental influences on religiousness: findings for retrospective and current religiousness ratings. (Link)

God is watching you: priming God concepts increases prosocial behavior in an anonymous economic game. (Link)

Guilt, discord, and alienation: the role of religious strain in depression and suicidality. (Link)

Highly religious participants recruit areas of social cognition in personal prayer. (Link)

Hypothalamic digoxin, hemispheric chemical dominance, and spirituality. (Link)

“I would kill in God’s name:” role of sex, weekly church attendance, report of a religious experience, and limbic lability. (Link)

Ictal kissing and religious speech in a patient with right temporal lobe epilepsy. (Link)

Immigration, parasitic infection, and United States religiosity. (Link)

Individual differences in adolescent religiosity in Finland: familial effects are modified by sex and region of residence. (Link)

Intrinsic and extrinsic religiousness: genetic and environmental influences and personality correlates. (Link)

Is our brain hardwired to produce God, or is our brain hardwired to perceive God? A systematic review on the role of the brain in mediating religious experience. (Link)

Is thought-action fusion related to religiosity? Differences between Christians and Jews. (Link)

Losing the big picture: how religion may control visual attention. (Link)

Mating Competitors Increase Religious Beliefs. (Link)

Moral thought-action fusion and OCD symptoms: the moderating role of religious affiliation. (Link)

Neural consequences of religious belief on self-referential processing. (Link)

Neural correlates of a mystical experience in Carmelite nuns. (Link)

Neural correlates of religious experience. (Link)

Neural markers of religious conviction. (Link)

Neural substrates of self-referential processing in Chinese Buddhists. (Link)

Neuroanatomical variability of religiosity. (Link)

Neurobiology of spirituality. (Link)

Neurocognitive processes of the religious leader in Christians. (Link)

Neurological aspects related to altered consciousness states associated with spirituality. (Link)

Neurological motor disorders experienced as religious phenomena: role of abnormal movement monitoring. (Link)

Numinous-like auras and spirituality in persons with partial seizures. (Link)

Obsessive-compulsive disorder with predominantly scrupulous symptoms: clinical and religious characteristics. (Link)

OCD cognitions and symptoms in different religious contexts. (Link)

On the perception of religious group membership from faces. (Link)

Paranormal and religious beliefs may be mediated differentially by subcortical and cortical phenomenological processes of the temporal (limbic) lobes. (Link)

Parasite-stress promotes in-group assortative sociality: The cases of strong family ties and heightened religiosity. (Link)

Partial epilepsy with “ecstatic” seizures. (Link)

Personality traits in adolescence as predictors of religiousness in early adulthood: findings from the Terman Longitudinal Study. (Link)

Preadolescent religious experience enhances temporal lobe signs in normal young adults. (Link)

‘Psychic sensitivity’, mystical experience, head injury and brain pathology. (Link)

Reflecting on God: religious primes can reduce neurophysiological response to errors. (Link)

Religion–an evolutionary adaptation. (Link)

Religion and brain functioning (part 1): are our mental structures designed for religion? (Link)

Religion and psychosis: a common evolutionary trajectory? (Link)

Religion and the attentional blink: depth of faith predicts depth of the blink. (Link)

Religion as a means to assure paternity. (Link)

Religion as attachment: normative processes and individual differences. (Link)

Religion, evolution, and mental health: attachment theory and ETAS theory. (Link)

Religion in the face of uncertainty: an uncertainty-identity theory account of religiousness. (Link)

Religion is natural. (Link)

Religion priming differentially increases prosocial behavior among variants of the dopamine D4 receptor (DRD4) gene. (Link)

Religion, fertility and genes: a dual inheritance model. (Link)

Religion, morality, evolution. (Link)

Religion, psychopathology, and substance use and abuse; a multimeasure, genetic-epidemiologic study. (Link)

Religion replenishes self-control. (Link)

Religiosity and agency and communion: their relationship to religious judgmentalism. (Link)

Religiosity as self-enhancement: a meta-analysis of the relation between socially desirable responding and religiosity. (Link)

Religiosity is associated with hippocampal but not amygdala volumes in patients with refractory epilepsy. (Link)

Religious attendance and frequency of alcohol use: same genes or same environments: a bivariate extended twin kinship model. (Link)

Religious attitudes and obsessional personality traits among UK adults. (Link)

Religious belief as compensatory control. (Link)

Religious beliefs influence neural substrates of self-reflection in Tibetans. (Link)

Religious delusion 13 years after brain injury. (Link)

Religious delusions: finding meanings in psychosis. (Link)

Religious experiences in epileptic patients with a focus on ictus-related episodes. (Link)

Religious factors and hippocampal atrophy in late life. (Link)

Religious involvement and obsessive compulsive disorder among African Americans and Black Caribbeans. (Link)

Religious obsessions and compulsions in a non-clinical sample: the Penn Inventory of Scrupulosity (PIOS). (Link)

Religious obsessions and religiosity. (Link)

Religious thought and behaviour as by-products of brain function. (Link)

Religious upbringing and neuroticism in Dutch twin families. (Link)

Religiousness and obsessive-compulsive cognitions and symptoms in an Italian population. (Link)

Religiousness, antisocial behavior, and altruism: genetic and environmental mediation. (Link)

Religiousness as a cultural adaptation of basic traits: a five-factor model perspective. (Link)

Rewarding prayers. (Link)

Schizotypy, delusional ideation and well-being in an American new religious movement population. (Link)

Scrupulosity: a unique subtype of obsessive-compulsive disorder. (Link)

Scrupulosity and obsessive-compulsive symptoms: confirmatory factor analysis and validity of the Penn Inventory of Scrupulosity. (Link)

Scrupulosity disorder: an overview and introductory analysis. (Link)

Scrupulosity in islam: a comparison of highly religious Turkish and canadian samples. (Link)

Scrupulosity in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder: relationship to clinical and cognitive phenomena. (Link)

Self-transcendence as a measure of spirituality in a sample of older Australian twins. (Link)

Sequence of a trance: psychopathological disorders following religious experiences. (Link)

Social identity and the true believer: responses to threatened self-stereotypes among the intrinsically religious. (Link)

SPECT neuroimaging in schizophrenia with religious delusions. (Link)

Spiritual disciplines, modern brain research and Bosch’s psychological model of human dysfunction. (Link)

Spirituality and complex partial epileptic-like signs. (Link)

Spirituality and religion in epilepsy. (Link)

St Theresa’s dart and a case of religious ecstatic epilepsy. (Link)

Striking EEG profiles from single episodes of glossolalia and transcendental meditation. (Link)

Subsistence and the Evolution of Religion. (Link)

The correlation between thought-action fusion and religiosity in a normal sample. (Link)

The correspondence between attachment to parents and God: three experiments using subliminal separation cues. (Link)

The DRD4 gene and the spiritual transcendence scale of the character temperament index. (Link)

The etiology of stability and change in religious values and religious attendance. (Link)

The influence of cultural factors on obsessive compulsive disorder: religious symptoms in a religious society. (Link)

The interface between religion and psychosis. (Link)

The measurement of regional cerebral blood flow during glossolalia: a preliminary SPECT study. (Link)

The Need to Belong Can Motivate Belief in God. (Link)

The neural correlates of religious and nonreligious belief. (Link)

The neural substrates of religious experience. (Link)

The origin and evolution of religious prosociality. (Link)

The origins of religion: evolved adaptation or by-product? (Link)

The pharmacotherapy of moral or religious scrupulosity. (Link)

The power of charisma–perceived charisma inhibits the frontal executive network of believers in intercessory prayer. (Link)

The price of your soul: neural evidence for the non-utilitarian representation of sacred values. (Link)

The relationship between religion and thought-action fusion: use of an in vivo paradigm. (Link)

The role of prejudice and the need for closure in religious fundamentalism. (Link)

The role of the extrapersonal brain systems in religious activity. (Link)

The role of the medial prefrontal cortex in human religious activity. (Link)

The “sensed presence”: an epileptic aura with religious overtones. (Link)

The serotonin system and spiritual experiences. (Link)

The spiritual brain: selective cortical lesions modulate human self-transcendence. (Link)

Thinking of God moves attention. (Link)

Toward an alternative evolutionary theory of religion: looking past computational evolutionary psychology to a wider field of possibilities. (Link)

Turning to God in the face of ostracism: effects of social exclusion on religiousness. (Link)

Understanding biological and social influences on religious affiliation, attitudes, and behaviors: a behavior genetic perspective. (Link)

Vectorial cerebral hemisphericity as differential sources for the sensed presence, mystical experiences and religious conversions. (Link)

When god sanctions killing: effect of scriptural violence on aggression. (Link)

Why are religious individuals more obsessional? The role of mental control beliefs and guilt in Muslims and Christians. (Link)

Wrath of God: religious primes and punishment. (Link)

Updated 8/11/2012

Last December, transhumanist philosopher Max More became CEO of the Alcor Life Extension Foundation. Alcor is the world’s leading human cryopreservation organization. The organization has nearly a thousand people signed up for its emergency responsibility list and over one hundred patients already in cryopreservation.

Dr. More joins other life extension researchers like Dr. Michael Rose in endorsing paleolithic nutrition and the paleo diet. In a recent interview on the site Singularity Symposium, the Alcor CEO described his change of mind when it comes to maintaining health. Max More used to believe in following a low fat diet with lots of whole grains. New research convinced him that the human genome operates best when the body lives in the way that early humans did.

Here is the relevant section of the interview with Dr. More:

The Eye Care Revolution is a book by ophthalmologist Dr. Robert Abel. It includes an endorsement by Dr. Robert Atkins, the famous pioneer of low carb nutrition and complementary medicine. The book is a great addition to any family’s medical library. It discusses natural recommendations for preventing and treating a variety of eye disorders. The book has many useful pages of information about medications and surgical procedures. My notes focus primarily on supplements for eye conditions, along with some other general tips. As always, talk with your doctor if you have questions about eye health.

Advice for eye health:

• For avoiding light toxicity: Avoid gamma rays and X rays. Use sunglasses to protect against ultraviolet rays. Use protective eyewear around infrared rays. Don’t stand around a microwave.

• Avoid rubbing the eyes, since it can cause inflammation.

• Wear polycarbonate plastic safety glasses when participating in dangerous sports or doing home improvement work.

• Staring off into the distance may slow down the development of nearsightedness.

• Instead of relying on supplements alone, it’s important to get vitamins and nutrients from foods like fruits and vegetables.

• Allergic reactions can be caused by soaps, cosmetics, shampoos, eyedrops, chemicals, dirty air vents, dust, molds, food preservatives, and pesticides.

• Transiently preserved tears are less toxic than other artificial tears.

• It’s important to use therapies for relaxation, since stress can lead to elevated eye pressure.

• Improving digestion is important to ensure that the body can extract nutrients from food. Supplements to improve digestion include lipases, amylases, proteases, cellulases, bromelain, elastases, lactobacillus acidophilus, fiber, betaine, inulin, aloe vera, apple cider bitters, cayenne pepper, licorice root, comfrey root, fennel, ginger and garlic.

• Repairing leaky gut syndrome is also important for digestion. Supplements to heal the intestines include glutamine, gamma-linolenic acid, acidophilus, vitamin A, N-acetyl-D-glucosamine, phosphatidylcholine, and gamma-oryzanol.

• Drinking two glasses of wine daily can halve the risk of developing macular degeneration.

• Chelation therapy may improve the vision of macular degeneration patients.

• Avoid sugar and artificial sweeteners since they can damage eye health.

• To prevent dry eyes, blink regularly and completely and make sure that your eyes are really closing.

• Try giving up the following allergy-inducing foods to prevent dry eyes: milk, wheat, nightshade plants (eggplant, peppers, potatoes, cucumbers, tomatoes)

• Try giving up the following foods to prevent migraine headaches: alcohol, bananas, cheese, chocolate, eggs, milk, preserved meats, tomatoes, yeast, yogurt, and foods containing nitrites or monosodium glutamate.

• Drink lots of water to prevent dry eyes.

• Prevent and treat viral eye infections with: L-lysine, selenium, Juglans rogia, and olive leaf extract

• Prevent and treat styes with: chamomile echinacea, garlic, and goldenseal.

• Good eye exercises include focusing on the tip of a pencil at arm’s length while bringing it toward your nose, switching from looking at a distant target to looking at a near target, tracing the outline of an object with your eyes, and looking off into the distance.

Supplements:

• Alternative migraine therapies include magnesium, 5-HTP, cayenne pepper, quercetin, vitamin C, feverfew, and stinging nettle.

• Alpha-lipoic acid – can help some people avoid cataracts, supports nerve function in patients with diabetic neuropathy, helps prevent glaucoma, helps prevent macular degeneration

• Bilberry – improves night vision, prevents inflammation in the eye, works with vitamin C to strengthen collagen in the eye, reduces eye bleeding in patients with diabetic eye disease

• Coleus forskohlii – lowers eye pressure

• Curcumin – treats chronic iritis

• Flavonoids – lower the risk of developing macular degeneration

• Garlic – helps supply the eye with nutrients

• Ginkgo biloba – helps prevent or reverse macular degeneration, helps treat chronic cerebral retinal insufficiency syndrome

• Glucosamine – treatment for dry eyes when taken with chondroitin

• Glutathione – can prevent cataract formation

• Lutein – protects against damage caused by UV light, inhibits the development of macular degeneration, treats retinitis pigmentosa

• Lycopene – important in preventing macular degeneration

• Magnesium – lowers high eye pressure, prevents dry eyes, reduces the chances of developing diabetic retinopathy

• Morita luaha – stops damage from eye bleeding, prevents recurrence of diabetic eye disease

• MSM – helpful for eye conditions like conjunctivitis, red eyes, and eye injuries

• Multivitamin – stabilizes macular degeneration

• Omega 3 essential fatty acids – may be important in preventing or treating cataracts, lower the risk of glaucoma, protect the retina’s photoreceptor cells, help prevent and treat diabetic eye disease, relieve dry eyes

• Pine bark – may restore sight to diabetics with retinopathy

• Pyruvate – may block the formation of cataracts

• Quercetin – helps stop cataracts, treats itchy eyes, counters diabetic retinopathy

• San qi – can reduce bleeding

• Selenium – protects against damage from UV light, protects against cataracts, protects against macular degeneration

• Superoxide dismutase – helps prevent macular degeneration

• Taurine – protects against UV light, protects against toxic substances, may help prevent diabetic retinopathy, may help prevent the development of age-related macular degeneration

• Trifola – reduces intraocular pressure

• Vitamin A – can help improve night vision, protects retinal receptors, prevent dry eyes, treats retinitis pigmentosa, helps prevent age-related macular degeneration

• Vitamin Bs – protect the optic nerve and retina from toxins, prevents cataract formation, treats retinitis pigmentosa

• Vitamin C – reduces the incidence of cataracts, lowers elevated eye pressure, treats corneal burns, speeds up recovery from cataract surgery, protects against damage from UV light, protects against diabetic retinopathy, may prevent corneal warpage, helps heal the cornea

• Vitamin E – reduces cataract risk by as much as 50 percent, speeds up recovery from cataract surgery, maintains retinal health, protects against UV light

• Zeaxanthan – important for macular health, helps protect the retina

• Zinc – assists retinal function, improves wound healing, stabilizes macular degeneration

Chinese Herbs for Eye Conditions:

• Buddelia flower bud – treats sensitivity to light, excessive tearing, red eyes, swollen eyes, or painful eyes

• Celosia 10 – used to treat retinitis, retinal diseases, and eye bleeding

• Celosia seeds – improves vision, used for red/painful/swollen eyes and cataracts

• Chen-Li tablets – helps treat cataract or clouding of the vision

• Chinese wolfberry fruit – corrects blurred vision and diminished visual acuity

• Chrysanthemum flower – used for red eyes, painful eyes, dry eyes, floaters, or blurry vision

• Cicada moulting – used to treat blurry vision, red eyes, painful eyes, or swollen eyes

• Pagoda tree flower – used to treat red eyes

• Pseudoginseng root – stops eye bleeding

• Salvia Shou Wu – improves blood flow to the eyes

Experienced low carb blogger and author Jimmy Moore traveled to the 2011 Nutrition and Metabolism Symposium. It was a gathering of physicians and biologists who research reduced carbohydrate nutrition. Summaries of the conference presentations are located at this link:

• Take-Home Messages from the 2011 Nutrition & Metabolism Society Symposium in Baltimore

The section of the blog post that I found most fascinating is the summary of the presentation by Dr. Thomas Seyfried. Seyfried found that a ketogenic diet that restricts calories is a one-two punch for killing brain tumors. Restricting calories leads to a reduction in tumor weight. The ketogenic diet reduces the levels of glucose, which further impairs the tumor. A ketogenic diet is a high-fat low-carb diet. In ketosis, the body switches from running on glucose to running on ketones. Tumor cells are able to feed on glucose, but they are unable to utilize ketones.

The summary of Dr. Eugene Fine’s presentation is also very useful. Dr. Fine spoke about a clinical trial that uses a reduced carbohydrate diet to inhibit cancer growth and fight aggressive and resistant tumors. Hyperinsulinemia is a cancer risk factor. Low carb diets prevent insulin levels from becoming too elevated.

All forms of cancer are frightening, but glioblastoma is especially terrifying because of its rapid growth rate. Any area of research that could slow it down and increase the effectiveness of existing therapies is worth pursuing. A paper by Dr. Seyfried provides more details about this treatment:

• Metabolic management of brain cancer

Every year I read tens of thousands of articles about a variety of scientific topics. These are some of the most impressive findings I’ve ever seen. Researchers need to continue to pursue high tech treatments like gene therapy and nanoparticle drug delivery as well, but this could help give cancer patients some extra time until those treatments become available. It could also increase the effectiveness of existing treatments.

Many of the top software companies like Google and Facebook hire experienced computer scientists who have extensive knowledge of algorithms and data structures. These areas are also a topic in software development interviews at both startups and large companies.

This post has some links to helpful references about algorithms and data structures.

Lists and Directories:

• Algorithmist – an algorithm wiki

• AlgoViz – an algorithm visualization portal

• Ambesty – has tutorials on algorithm design

• Dictionary of Algorithms and Data Structures – a reference guide from the National Institute of Standards and Technology

• List of Algorithms – a list of algorithms on Wikipedia

• List of Data Structures – a list of data structures on Wikipedia

• Quora Algorithms – questions and answers about algorithms on Quora

• Scriptol – has a list of algorithms

• TopCoder Algorithm Tutorials – a collection of guides to using algorithms

Lecture Notes and Videos:

• Advanced Data Structures – lecture notes from a class at MIT

• Advanced Data Structures – video lectures from a class at the University of Florida

• Algorithms – online lectures and notes from Ars Digita University

• Algorithms – lecture notes from a course at National Taiwan University

• Algorithms Course Materials – over 800 pages of information from Professor Jeff Erickson of UIUC

• Analysis of Algorithms – an introduction to algorithm analysis from Stanford University

• Data Structures – lecture notes from a class at UC Berkeley

• Data Structures – notes from a class on data structures at the University of Sussex

• Data Structures – video lectures from UC Berkeley

• Data Structures and Algorithms – lecture videos from Dr. Naveen Garg of IIT Delhi

• Design and Analysis of Algorithms – video lectures from Stanford

• Design and Analysis of Algorithms – lecture notes from Professor Rashid Muhammad at Kent State University

• Introduction to Algorithms – lectures and notes from MIT OpenCourseWare

• Introduction to Algorithms – notes from a course from MIT

• Introduction to Algorithms and Computational Complexity – a three part video from computer scientist Yuri Gurevich

• Introduction to Data Structures and Algorithms – a video lecture series from Richard Buckland of UNSW

• Princeton University – Princeton lectures on algorithms at Google Code University

• Skiena’s Algorithms Lectures – lectures from Professor Steven Skiena of Stony Brook University

• Theory of Algorithms – lecture slides from a course at Princeton University

Software:

• Algolist - implementations of algorithms in C++ and Java

• Collected Algorithms - algorithms from the ACM

Free Books:

• Algorithms – a book by Dasgupta, Papadimitriou, and Vazirani

• Clever Algorithms – a book about 45 algorithms from artificial intelligence

• Data Structures and Algorithm Analysis – a free textbook in Java and C++

• Data Structures and Algorithms – an annotated reference with examples

• Data Structures with Java – has free PowerPoint slides based on the book

• Graphbook – a book on algorithmic graph theory

• Handbook of Algorithms and Data Structures – a book by Gonnet and Baeza-Yates that has chapters online

Other Books:

To find these books, I used Amazon’s advanced search feature to find books with the words “algorithms” or “data structures” in the title. To filter the search results, I found books that had a three star rating or above.

• A Concise and Practical Introduction to Programming Algorithms in Java

• A Laboratory Course in C++ Data Structures

• A Practical Guide to Data Structures and Algorithms Using Java

• ADTs, Data Structures, and Problem Solving with C++

• Advanced Data Structures

• AI Algorithms, Data Structures, and Idioms in Prolog, Lisp, and Java

• Algorithm Design

• Algorithms

• Algorithms

• Algorithms

• Algorithms + Data Structures = Programs

• Algorithms and Data Structures: The Science of Computing

• Algorithms and Data Structures in C++

• Algorithms, Data Structures, and Problem Solving with C++

• Algorithms for Image Processing and Computer Vision

• Algorithms in a Nutshell

• Algorithms in C

• Algorithms in C++

• Algorithms in Java

• Algorithms of the Intelligent Web

• Algorithms on Strings, Trees, and Sequences

• An Introduction to Bioinformatics Algorithms

• An Introduction to Data Structures and Algorithms

• An Introduction to the Analysis of Algorithms

• Analysis of Algorithms

• Applied Cryptography: Protocols, Algorithms, and Source Code in C

• Applied Data Structures with C++

• Beginning Algorithms

• C and Data Structures

• C++ Object-Oriented Data Structures

• Classic Data Structures in Java

• Computer Animation: Algorithms and Techniques

• Computer Vision: Algorithms and Applications

• Core Techniques and Algorithms in Game Programming

• Data Structures: A Pseudocode Approach with C

• Data Structures: Abstraction and Design Using Java

• Data Structures, Algorithms, and Software Principles

• Data Structures, Algorithms, and Software Principles in C

• Data Structures and Abstractions with Java

• Data Structures and Algorithm Analysis in C

• Data Structures and Algorithm Analysis in Java

• Data Structures and Algorithms

• Data Structures and Algorithms for Game Developers

• Data Structures and Algorithms in C++

• Data Structures and Algorithms in Java

• Data Structures and Algorithms in Java

• Data Structures and Algorithms in Java

• Data Structures and Algorithms Made Easy

• Data Structures and Algorithms Using Java

• Data Structures and Algorithms Using Python and C++

• Data Structures and Algorithms Using Visual Basic .NET

• Data Structures and Algorithms with Object-Oriented Design Patterns in C++

• Data Structures and Other Objects Using C++

• Data Structures and Other Objects Using Java

• Data Structures and Problem Solving Using C++

• Data Structures and Problem Solving Using Java

• Data Structures and the Java Collections Framework

• Data Structures and Their Algorithms

• Data Structures for Game Programmers

• Data Structures in Ansi C

• Data Structures in Java

• Data Structures in Java: A Laboratory Course

• Data Structures in Java: From Abstract Types to the Java Collections Framework

• Data Structures Outside in with Java

• Data Structures Through C

• Data Structures Using C

• Data Structures Using C++

• Data Structures Using C and C++

• Data Structures Using Java

• Data Structures via C++

• Data Structures with C++ Using STL

• Data Structures with Java

• First Course: Data Structures and Algorithms Using Java

• Foundations of Algorithms Using C++ Pseudocode

• Foundations of Algorithms Using Java Pseudocode

• Foundations of Multidimensional and Metric Data Structures

• Fundamentals of OOP and Data Structures in Java

• Fundamentals of Program Design and Data Structures with C++

• Fundamentals of Python: From First Programs Through Data Structures

• Genetic Programming and Data Structures

• Geometric Data Structures for Computer Graphics

• Graphics and Visualization: Principles and Algorithms

• Handbook of Data Structures and Applications

• How to Think About Algorithms

• Information Theory, Inference, and Learning Algorithms

• Introduction to Algorithms

• Introduction to Computing and Algorithms

• Introduction to Data Structures and Algorithms with C++

• Introduction to Distributed Algorithms

• Introduction to the Design and Analysis of Algorithms

• Java: A Framework for Program Design and Data Structures

• Java: Data Structures and Programming

• Java Foundations: Introduction to Program Design and Data Structures

• Java Programming: Program Design Including Data Structures

• Java Software Structures: Designing and Using Data Structures

• Java Structures

• Machine Vision: Theory, Algorithms, Practicalities

• Mastering Algorithms with C

• Mastering Algorithms with Perl

• Nonlinear Programming: Theory and Algorithms

• Object-Oriented C++ Data Structures for Real Programmers

• Object-Oriented Data Structures Using Java

• Objects, Abstraction, Data Structures, and Design Using C++

• Pearls of Functional Algorithm Design

• Practical Algorithms for Image Analysis

• Practical Genetic Algorithms

• Purely Functional Data Structures

• Python Algorithms

• SAMS Teach Yourself Data Structures and Algorithms in 24 Hours

• Selected Papers on the Analysis of Algorithms

• Starting Out with Java: From Control Structures Through Data Structures

• Synchronization and Algorithms for Concurrent Programming

• The Algorithm Design Manual

• The Art of Computer Programming, Volume 1: Fundamental Algorithms

• The Tomes of Delphi: Algorithms and Data Structures

Updated 5/10/2012

Transcend is the second book collaboration between Ray Kurzweil and Dr. Terry Grossman after their success with Fantastic Voyage. It updates some of the recommendations in their first book and adds new guidance. The goal of this book is to help people become healthy enough to survive up to the point where new medicines, stem cell treatments, gene therapy, and replacement organs are widely available to help further extend lifespans.

Brain and Sleep:

• Find mental exercises that require problem solving.

• Use behavior change and medications to avoid addictions.

• Supplements for brain health include vinpocetine, phosphatidylserine, acetyl-l-carnitine, ginkgo biloba, EPA & DHA, phosphatidylcholine, and SAMe

• Sleep improves brain health. Some strategies for getting a good night’s sleep include following the nutrition recommendations in the book, exercising during the day, reducing stress, practicing good sleep hygiene, avoiding caffeine, and visiting a sleep clinic if necessary.

• Supplements to improve sleep include L-theanine, GABA, and melatonin.

• Lucid dreaming can enhance creativity and problem solving abilities.

How to Keep Your Heart Beating:

• A noninvasive procedure known as enhanced external counterpulsation is more effective than angioplasty or coronary artery bypass grafting.

• It’s good to reduce inflammation, since inflammation underlies every stage that leads to a heart attack.

• Good heart-related blood tests include a vertical auto profile lipid panel, a Hemoglobin A1c measurement, a high-sensitivity C-reactive protein test, and a homocysteine test. If a person has multiple risk factors, it’s useful to get a coronary artery calcium score, an intima-media thickness measurement, peripheral arterial disease screening, and a graded exercise stress test.

• Risk factors for heart disease include genetics, age, smoking, weight, triglycerides, homocysteine, high-sensitivity CRP, elevated fasting glucose, high blood pressure, stress, and a sedentary lifestyle.

• Supplements for heart health include red yeast rice, plant sterols, policosanol, vitamin E, garlic, curcumin, niacin, phosphatidylcholine, and coenzyme Q10.

• Supplements to lower high blood pressure include Uncaria-6, magnesium, garlic, L-arginine, coenzyme Q10, fish oil, vitamin C, vitamin E, calcium, alpha-lipoic acid, potassium, green tea extract, and hawthorn.

• Other strategies for improving heart health include stress reduction, exercise, treating sleep apnea, reducing levels of iron in the blood, maintaining proper dental hygiene, and repairing thyroid function.

Digestion:

• Relax, slow down, sit down, savor your food, and chew thoroughly to optimize the digestive process.

• Avoid alcohol, caffeine, NSAIDs, and other foods and medicines that can irritate the intestine. Avoiding allergenic foods (such as wheat, dairy, or citrus) can improve intestinal health.

• Supplements to improve digestion and heal the intestinal lining include probiotics, fructooligosaccharides, enzymes, garlic, bioflavonoids, and aloe vera.

• Hair mineral analysis and a comprehensive stool analysis can be used to diagnose digestive problems.

Hormone Optimization:

• Check for thyroid function with the TSH, free T3, and free T4 tests.

• Keep cortisol production under control by supplementing with DHEA, natural licorice, and ashwaganda.

• Maintain insulin sensitivity to improve health.

• DHEA reduces cardiovascular disease in men, increases libido in women, burns excess fat, lowers levels of chemicals that trigger inflammation, improves immune response, and may help prevent cancer.

• Before taking DHEA, have your current DHEA-S level tested to prevent potential side effects.

• Deep sleep, exercise, protein consumption, amino acid supplementation, and DHEA can increase growth hormone production.

• Test for your blood level of IGF-1 before trying to raise your growth hormone level.

• Melatonin has anti-aging properties.

• Bioidentical formulations of estrogen and progesterone are useful for improving women’s health.

• Isoflavones and black cohosh can reduce menopausal symptoms.

• Testosterone treatments are useful for both men and women who need it.

• Regular sexual activity has benefits for both sexes that include stress reduction, increased intimacy, improved immune function, prostate cancer prevention, and pain reduction.

• Early detection tests for osteoporosis include NTX testing and hair minerals analysis.

Metabolic Processes:

• The Hemoglobin A1c test detects the amount of cellular glycation.

• Ways to assess a person’s level of chronic inflammation include the high-sensitivity C-reactive protein assay and essential fatty acids testing.

• Steps to control inflammation include increasing consumption of fish oil, avoiding arachidonic acid, exercising, weight loss, treating gum disease, treating arthritis, spending more time in deep sleep, and taking curcumin supplements.

Cancer:

• The Mediterranean diet reduces incidence of cancer by 24 percent.

• Anticancer foods include olive oil, tomato sauce, soy foods, green tea.

• Limiting sugar and starch intake can help prevent cancer.

• Lifestyle strategies to reduce cancer risk include losing excess weight, exercising, reducing stress, avoiding sunburn, avoiding smoking and secondhand smoke, avoiding agricultural chemicals, and using nontoxic cleaning products.

• Supplements that can help prevent cancer include vitamin C, selenium, coenzyme Q10, curcumin, melatonin, EPA/DHA, vitamin D, and folic acid.

• Periodic physicals should check for skin abnormalities, oral cavity abnormalities, breast abnormalities, assessment of the lymph nodes, genital exam, and evaluation of the thyroid.

• Routine chest x-rays are a good idea for people who have been exposed to environmental pollutants and chemicals. Spiral computed tomography can detect early lung cancer in former and current smokers. Blood markers that can be used to detect early lung cancer include carcinoembryonic antigen, retinol-binding protein, alpha-1 antitrypsin, and squamous cell carcinoma antigen.

• Methods of screening for colon cancer include high-sensitivity fecal occult blood testing, sigmoidoscopy, colonoscopy, virtual colonography, or fecal DNA testing.

• Testing for the BRCA1 and BRCA2 breast cancer genetic markers can be used for women at high risk of breast cancer.

• Thermography measures the temperature of breast regions and can detect breast cancers and precancerous tumors.

• Measuring the 2:16 estrone ratio can provide information on whether a woman has an increased cancer risk.

• The use of birth control pills has been shown to decrease ovarian cancer risk.

• Finasteride can lower prostate-specific antigen.

• Blood tests used to detect testicular cancer include alpha-fetoprotein, beta-human chorionic gonadotropin, and lactate dehydrogenase.

Genomics:

• Lifestyle changes can upregulate disease-preventing genes and downregulate genes that promote heart disease, cancer, inflammation, and oxidative stress.

• The APO E2 SNP dramatically reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and is associated with increased longevity.

Talk With Your Doctor:

• Prevention and early detection are important parts of medical treatment.

• A thorough physical examination looks at the following criteria:

1. general appearance

2. head, eyes, ears, nose, and throat

3. cardiovascular

4. lungs

5. breasts

6. abdomen

7. genitourinary

8. pelvic exam (women)

9. rectal

10. neurological

11. musculoskeletal

12. skin

13. extremities

14. spine (back and neck)

• Total body ultrasounds and thermograms are part of a comprehensive evaluation.

• SPECT scanning can detect brain problems.

• A comprehensive health evaluation includes blood tests, urinalysis, hair analysis, saliva analysis, stool analysis, x-rays, mammograms, CT scans, MRI scans, endoscopies, electrocardiograms, percentage body fat, percentage muscle mass, exercise capacity, digestive function tests, mineral analysis, vitamin and free radical levels, neurotrasmitter levels, coronary artery calcium screening, carotid intima-media thickness, and genomics testing.

Relaxation:

• Cultivate challenge, commitment, curiosity, and creativity.

• Learn time management and set priorities.

• Close interpersonal relationships help protect against the negative effects of stress.

• Massage therapy relieves emotional and physical stress.

• Mindfulness meditation helps reduce the negative health effects of stress.

• The AlphaStim device can help treat chronic stress, depression, and insomnia.

• Reduce anger, cynicism, suspicion, hostility, compulsive eating, and drug abuse.

• Buspirone, GABA, and L-theanine are safer than benzodiazepines for the treatment of stress.

Assessment:

• The five risk factors that influence mortality from all causes (and especially cancer and cardiovascular mortality) include smoking, low physical activity, overweight, poor diet, and alcohol (either no intake or excess amounts).

• Important tests include:

1. breast self-exams (in women) or testicular self-exams (in men)

2. heart rate

3. blood pressure

4. breathing rate

5. temperature

6. body composition (body fat and waist-to-hip ratio)

7. exercise and fitness testing (upper body strength, core body strength, flexibility, and aerobic conditioning)

Nutrition:

• Damage to the arteries occurs after just one unhealthy meal but the body begins to repair that damage after just one healthy meal.

• Filtering tap water is important to avoid environmental toxins.

• Avoid sugar and refined carbohydrates. Addiction to sugar will dissipate after a week or two of giving it up.

• Eat low glycemic load foods.

• If you have to use sweeteners, sucralose and stevia are the best options.

• Excessive red meat consumption leads to high levels of arachidonic acid and inflammation.

• Oleic acid (found in olive oil, avocados, and nuts) has anti-inflammatory properties.

• Some saturated fat consumption is helpful since saturated fats provide support to cell membranes and serve as precursors to hormones and hormonelike substances.

• Avoid all trans fats.

• Lean beef and buffalo are good since other red meats can accumulate pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, and industrial chemicals.

• Eat fish that has high levels of EPA and DHA.

• Eat organic whole foods whenever possible.

• Eat locally grown fresh produce whenever possible.

• Eat a variety of vegetables and fruits of many colors.

• Don’t overcook foods.

• Use medicinal spices like cinnamon and curcumin.

• Vinegar dramatically reduces the rise in blood sugar and insulin after eating.

• Eating several smaller meals and snacks instead of one or two large meals puts less strain on the digestive system and decreases insulin spikes.

Supplements:

• Deficiencies of vitamins C/B6/B12, folic acid, iron, and zinc can lead to DNA damage and cause cancer.

• Supplementation with beta-carotene slashed heart attack risk 45 percent.

• Supplementation with vitamin E decreased deaths from heart disease 47 percent.

• Calcium and vitamin D supplementation can help prevent the bone loss of osteoporosis.

• Men with higher blood levels of selenium have half the risk of developing advanced prostate cancer.

• Intravenously administered high-dose Vitamin C may help treat many different types of cancer.

• High-dose vitamin C may be a possible treatment for hepatitis C.

• Supplements recommended for everyone over the age of 30 include a multivitamin, fish oil, vitamin D.

• Other beneficial supplements include coenzyme Q10, grape seed extract, alpha-lipoic acid, resveratrol, acetyl-l-carnitine, and acetyl glutathione.

• Supplemental hydrochloric acid can be used as a treatment for gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Calorie Reduction:

• The basis of weight loss involves avoiding sugar and refined carbohydrates and instead eating low-starch vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats.

• Consume as many calories each day as you would if you were already at your goal weight.

• Gradual fat loss is healthier and more sustainable.

• Exercises that strengthen muscle tissue are much more effective at burning calories.

• Eat until 80 percent full to get many of the benefits of reducing calories without pursuing an extreme calorie restriction plan.

Exercise:

• Exercise decreases the risk of death by 50 to 70 percent, lowers the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, decreases the risk of heart attack by 50 percent (when combined with moderate alcohol consumption), and increases leukocyte telomere length (associated with increased longevity).

• Three recommended kinds of exercise include aerobic exercise, strength training, and flexibility training.

• Interval training leads to greater fat loss, faster cardiovascular conditioning, and fewer injuries.

• Strength training increases bone mass and increases levels of anabolic hormones.

• Exercises with resistance bands include chest press, triceps kickback, overhead press, upright row, bent-over one-arm row, biceps curl, seated leg extension, standing leg curl, outer-thigh lift, and inner-thigh lift.

• Core body exercises include abdominal crunches and the side plank.

• Flexibility exercises include neck stretch, lower-back stretch, abdominal stretch, calf stretches, ankle stretches, hamstring stretch, anterior-thigh stretch, buttocks stretch, groin stretch, chest stretch, upper-back stretch, shoulder stretch, deltoids stretch, triceps stretch, and biceps stretch.

New Technologies:

• RNA interference can turn off genes associated with diseases and aging.

• Biological simulators can test drugs and other interventions at a much faster pace.

• Stem cells can rejuvenate a variety of body tissues.

• Telomerase can extend the life of certain cells and blocking telomerase can help stop the growth of malignant cells.

• Dr. Aubrey De Grey is developing strategies to repair the body by fixing chromosomal mutations, toxic cells, mitochondrial mutations, and cell loss.

• Biological microelectromechanical systems can be used for a wide range of diagnostic and therapeutic applications.

Detoxification:

• Use nontoxic cleaners and pest control products.

• Use air filters that remove both large particles and microscopic particles.

• Houseplants are useful for reducing airborne toxins that air filters can’t remove.

• Keep printers, copiers, and fax machines away from your workspace and ventilate the area where they are used.

• Wear water-washable clothing instead of using dry cleaning.

• Use a gas fireplace instead of wood-burning or coal-burning fireplaces or stoves.

• Install a radon mitigation system if at risk.

• Avoid venues where smoking is allowed.

• Use water filtration systems to avoid contaminants.

• Avoid jobs that involve contact with pesticides, fungicides, herbicides, fertilizers and petroleum-based products.

• Eat organic food whenever possible.

• Reduce exposure to electromagnetic radiation.

• Avoid exposure to toxic heavy metals.

• Cruciferous vegetables help remove accumulated toxins.

• Garlic, onions, lemon, rosemary, and green tea help the liver eliminate heavy metals.

• Cilantro is a natural chelator of heavy metals.

• Milk thistle, alpha-lipoic acid, N-acetylcysteine, and supplementary glutatione strengthen liver function.

• Vitamin C, magnesium, selenium, and B vitamins help optimize detoxification enzymes.

• A sauna may help excrete heavy metals and fat-soluble toxins.

• If hair mineral analysis indicates significant accounts of toxic heavy metal accumulation, chelation therapy can be helpful.

Head First Python is a book on Python programming written by Paul Barry and published by O’Reilly. This post has some notes from the book. The book itself has much more information as well as helpful examples.

Meet Python:

• The application IDLE lets you write and run Python code.

• Create a list by:

1. converting names into strings by surrounding the data with quotes

2. separating each of the list items with a comma

3. surrounding the list of items with opening and closing square brackets

4. assigning the list to an identifier using the assignment operator: =

• You can display list items with print()

• Use remove() and insert() to remove and add data items to specific locations in a list.

• Python lists can contain data of mixed type (strings, numbers, etc).

• Python’s “for” and “while” statements are useful for processing lists and other iterations.

• Lists can be stored within lists.

• With repeating code, it’s good to create a reusable function that you can invoke whenever you need instead of copying and pasting code over and over again.

• The def statement is used to define a Python function.

Sharing Your Code:

• A module is a text file ending in .py that contains Python code that can be shared with others.

• Use a triple quote for multiple-line comments in Python code.

• Prepare a distribution by:

1. creating a folder for your module

2. creating a file with metadata about your distribution

3. building a distribution file

• Use the import statement to include a module in your program.

• Qualify the names of functions with the correct namespace so Python knows to look in the correct place.

• The PyPI community site has many useful modules available to download.

• Python has over 70 built in functions that provide solutions to common problems.

• You can turn a required argument to a function into an optional argument by providing the argument with a default value by specifying the default value after the argument name.

Files and Exceptions:

• Two potential ways of dealing with runtime errors:

1. adding extra logic that’s required

2. identifying that an error occurred and then recovering from it

• The traceback tells you that something unexpected occurred during runtime.

• Python’s exception handling lets the error occur and then gives you an opportunity to recover.

• The try statement is a way to catch exceptions and errors at runtime.

• The pass statement is a way to handle exceptions.

• The os module has ways to determine whether a data file exists.

Persistence:

• When you use open() to work with a disk file, you can specify an access mode to use (reading or writing)

• Use out.close() when you’re done to ensure all of your data is written to disk.

• print() displays your processed data on the screen.

• When an error occurs at runtime, Python creates an exception object.

• The with statement makes it so that you no longer have to worry about closing any opened files.

• Python ships with the pickle library, which can save and load Python data objects.

Comprehending Data:

• The sort() method is used for in-place sorting.

• The sorted() function supports copied sorting.

• The list comprehension tool reduces the code needed when transforming one list into another.

• The set data structure can be used to remove duplicate data items.

Custom Data Objects:

• The Python dictionary lets you associate data with keys instead of numbers.

• You can define the code and the data it works on as a class. You can then use the class to create data objects.

• Each class has a method called _init_() that lets you control how objects are initialized.

• Python arranges for the first argument of every method to be the invoking object instance.

• When you invoke a class method on an object instance, Python arranges for the first argument to be the invoking object instance, which is always assigned to each method’s self argument. This fact alone explains why self is so important and also why self needs to be the first argument to every object method you write.

• Python’s class lets you either create a class from scratch or create a class by inheriting from any other existing class, including Python’s built-in data structure classes.

Web Development:

• The Model-View-Controller pattern helps divide a webapp’s code into manageable components.

• An example of a MVC pattern in Python includes data in a pickle file (model), a template engine that generates HTML (view), and controller code.

• Python comes with a built-in web server.

Mobile App Development:

• Scripting Layer for Android lets you run Python on any Android device.

• To get started:

1. configure the Android SDK and emulator

2. install and configure Android Scripting

3. add Python to the SL4A installation

• You can request data using Python in an Android app by using JSON.

Manage Your Data:

• Use the <FORM> and <INPUT> tags within an HTML web page or use a call to the dialogGetInput() function on a mobile device to get input from users.

• Avoid race conditions by using a database management system.

• Python 3 comes preinstalled with SQLite, a SQL-based data management system.

• Steps for using a database with Python:

1. Connect to the database back end.

2. Create a cursor to communicate with your data.

3. Manipulate your data using SQL.

4. Commit the data or rollback the data.

5. Close the connection to the database back end.

Scaling Your Webapp:

• Google App Engine lets you host your webapp on Google’s servers.

• An App Engine-enabled webapp uses a datastore based on Google’s BigTable NoSQL technology.

• Google App Engine includes Django’s forms-building technology.

• Data items stored within the App Engine datastore are referred to as properties.

• You can use the SELECT/OPTION HTML tag pairing to restrict the data that can be used for fields on your form.

Dealing with Complexity:

• When it comes to linking two data items with each other, the Python dictionary is the data structure of choice.

The Neuroscience of Clinical Psychiatry is an excellent book by Dr. Edmund Higgins and Dr. Mark George. It also has many fascinating illustrations. The brain is involved in everything a person does. The condition of a person’s brain determines whether he or she will be mentally healthy or not. Following are some of my notes based on the book. As with most of my notes on books, I try to find information that is directly applicable to improving the lives of people:

• Identical twins raised apart share more personality characteristics than fraternal twins reared together.

• Neuroanatomical areas that are involved in disorders:

1. Brodmann’s Areas – schizophrenia

2. Prefrontal Cortex – depression, schizophrenia, anxiety, ADHD, anger, violence

3. Hippocampus – PTSD, major depression

4. Amygdala – anxiety, anger

5. Hypothalamus – eating, drinking, sleeping, temperature regulation

6. Autonomic Nervous System – anxiety

7. Cerebellum – sensation, cognition, memory, impulse control, autism, ADHD, schizophrenia

• Stem cells that produce GDNF could reduce parkinsonian symptoms and treat neurologic diseases such as MS and ALS.

• Dendritic branching with multiple connections is a sign of a healthy brain.

• Treatments that increase GABA could be used to treat anxiety, ADHD, pain, insomnia, seizures, and mania.

• Failure in myelination could play a role in schizophrenia.

• Treatments that calm astrocytes could prevent seizures.

• Too much glutamate is toxic to nerve cells and is a possible cause in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia.

• Branches to the nucleus accumbens are involved in substance abuse.

• Branches to the prefrontal cortex are impaired in patients with ADHD.

• Problems with the mesolimbic system may cause the positive symptoms of schizophrenia while problems with the mesocortical system may cause the negative symptoms of schizophrenia.

• Modulating the locus ceruleus and the noradrenergic system (such as with vagus nerve stimulation) could be used to treat anxiety, PTSD, and depression.

• Blocking the histamine neurons leads to sedation.

• Activating the histamine neurons is a treatment for narcolepsy, excessive sleepiness, and ADHD.

• Activating cannabinoid receptors leads to calming effects and may provide treatments for pain, anxiety, and nausea.

• Nitric oxide may restrain aggressive and sexual behavior.

• Blocking certain receptors may alleviate symptoms related to anxiety, migraines, and other brain problems.

• Stimulation of the a2 (adrenergic) receptors can suppress the heightened sympathetic state for patients in opiate withdrawal.

• Blocking the beta (adrenergic) receptors can reduce anxiety and antipsychotic-induced akathisia.

• Exposure therapy plus a partial NMDA agonist reduces anxiety.

• Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation can alter the function of the cortex without breaching the blood brain barrier.

• Blocking corticotropin-releasing hormone receptors may help treat anxiety.

• Glucocorticoid receptor antagonist blockers (like mifepristone) can reduce symptoms of psychotic depression.

• Stress has an inhibitory effect on neurogenesis.

• Enhancing neurogenesis or retarding apoptosis are potential targets for treating depression and Alzheimer’s disease.

• Neurotrophins could be used to treat depression, ALS, and MS.

• Selectively deleting C fibers is a potential treatment for chronic pain.

• Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor can prevent the development of neuropathic pain.

• Activation of the PFC with transcranial magnetic stimulation can decrease pain perception.

• Tetrohydrocannabinol is useful for treating anorexic conditions such as AIDS-related wasting syndrome.

• Vasopressin receptor blockers decrease aggression.

• Lithium decreases violent behavior and suicide.

• SSRIs reduce aggression.

• Melatonin promotes sleep in people with delayed sleep onset.

• Hormone replacement protects against the development of Alzheimer’s disease.

• Successfully treating mothers with depression improves the psychiatric condition of their children, while untreated mothers had children with psychiatric problems, indicating changes to DNA.

• Nerve growth factors are activated when people experience romantic feelings.

• Adopted children have almost zero correlation between them and their adopted parents on measures of verbal and spatial abilities, whereas their cognitive skills more closely match their biologic parents.

• Amphetamines, methylphenidate, modafinil, caffeine, and nicotine improve cognitive performance.

• Interventions that increase BDNF levels are associated with relief from depression.

• Antidepressants may protect the brain from the effects of depression and stress.

• Reducing amygdala activation with therapies such as cognitive-behavioral therapy and citalopram leads to a reduction in social phobia.

• The anterior cingulotomy procedure can treat chronic pain.

• Reducing abnormal DNA methylation and restoring normal DNA methylation could prevent and treat schizophrenia.

• A potential way to treat neurodegenerative diseases is using retroviral vectors to hijack the DNA in autologous fibroblasts to express nerve growth factor.

• Limiting oxidative stress, reducing DNA damage, and increasing BDNF production may slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.