West Des Moines Peppermint Comes to the Aid of Cognition & Appetite Regulation!
Peppermint candy canes...what lovely childhood memories they bring! Amazingly, peppermint is being found today to actually be beneficial for memory and cognition (and appetite control). The whiff of peppermint fills holiday décor, stockings, cocoa, and more! Executive Chiropractic of Iowa hopes for a peppermint-filled holiday for our West Des Moines chiropractic patients that will make their journey to West Des Moines back pain relief and neck pain relief more pleasant!
PEPPERMINT, BRAIN, COGNITION
Researchers and healthcare professionals taking care of Alzheimer's disease and cognitive impairment welcome effective, simple, safe-to-use-long-term treatments. Essential oils are potentially just such therapies. Essential oils are extracted from nature’s herbs of which there are many sources that have low toxicity. Researchers offer that these act by lowering the neurotoxicity of amyloid beta (Aβ), anti-oxidative stress, containing the cholinergic (the part of the nervous system that processes acetylcholine) system, and enhancing neuroinflammation involving microglia (brain and spinal cord immune cells). (1) In a lab experiment with mice, researchers tested how smelling peppermint essential oil improved learning and memory ability as seen in hippocampal CA1 region neurons going back to normal and Aβ deposition lowering among other changes that may enhance cognitive function in Alzheimer’s disease. This study also shared a new term – metabolomics, the study of chemical processes involving metabolites (small molecules). In this study, such metabolites included arginine, proline, inositol phosphate, cysteine, and methionine. (2) We at Executive Chiropractic of Iowa found these quite fascinating!
PEPPERMINT, BRAIN, APPETITE
Much like cognition and memory are linked to the brain, so too is appetite. Diseases like obesity, diabetes, anorexia, bulimia nervosa are a few issues linked to appetite dysregulation. An assessment of published studies, many of which were studies done with mice, regarding essential oils or fragrant compounds that were said to control food intake and energy. Their findings: 11 essential oils and 22 fragrant compounds increased appetite; 12 essential oils and 7 fragrant compounds diminished appetite. How? Several processes involving the sympathetic/parasympathetic nerves, leptin protein hormones, and more. They also noted that fragrance memory and cognitive processes may also contribute to appetite regulation. Nonetheless, they uncovered hope for appetite regulation and eating disorders control employing essential oils and fragrant compounds. (3) (We all realize that being a bit overweight isn’t beneficial for us, particularly not for those of us with West Des Moines back pain even though Executive Chiropractic of Iowa is quite good at managing that!) Executive Chiropractic of Iowa would think our West Des Moines chiropractic patients may be more inclined to enjoy peppermint this holiday season!
CONTACT Executive Chiropractic of Iowa
Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Rudy Kachmann, a neurosurgeon, on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he describes the connection between diabetes and back pain as well as many other conditions like inflammation, back surgery, etc. He mentions the beneficial role chiropractic has in healthcare and back pain care. Dr. Kachmann has presented at conferences on The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management.
Make your West Des Moines chiropractic appointment today. Want to share a peppermint candy cane at your next appointment?!
