Per the CDC, heart disease is the leading cause of death for men in the US, causing 1 in every 4 male deaths. The American Heart Association states that 1 in 9 men, compared to 1 in 30 women, will experience sudden cardiac death. Half of the men who die suddenly of coronary heart disease have no previous symptoms.
Half of Americans have at least 1 of the top 3 risk factors for cardiovascular disease: high blood pressure, ...
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By Edison de Mello, M.D., Ph.D.
Co-authored by David Laramie, Ph.D.
You know that stress is supposed to be bad, but do you know what to do about it? To make this even more complicated, did you know that all stress is not bad and that it can even be helpful? A number of recent news stories have seemingly turned the conventional narrative on its head and suggested that we should ...
Continue Reading →Posted by: cwullimann
By Edison de Mello, MD, PhD, DAD (3)
As we evolve past the stereotype of the traditional meaning of fatherhood – breadwinner, strong, hard working, man-of-the-house – we have come to understand that being a great father is so much more than that. It is having the ability to realize how as fathers, father figures, and male role models, we can help shape a child’s life. Taking an active role in a child’s physical, emotional, and spiritual development allows the child to feel secure, thus strengthening confidence ...
Continue Reading →Posted by: Vikram Chacko
By Bren Boston, MD
May is National Physical Fitness and Sports Month. Our bodies can be molded to a certain degree by the foods we choose to put into our bodies combined with the targeted exercise we do centering on specific muscles. Our skeletons were not designed to have a sedentary lifestyle. Our bodies thrive with a steady exposure to different types of activity, including aerobic exercises (like jogging, biking, hiking or swimming), resistance exercises (like free weights, weight machines, body-weight ...
Continue Reading →Posted by: Vikram Chacko
THE BASICS
WHAT ARE GENES?
Our genes are in our chromosomes. They contain instructions on how to build every cell in our body. There are thousands of proteins coded by these genes. Each gene has a code (made of bases/ letters). The millions of possible variations that can occur makes your genetic code unique when compared to another individual. Our genetic code gives the instructions to make the proteins required for proper development and function.
WHAT ARE GENE VARIANTS/MUTATIONS?
All ...
Continue Reading →Posted by: Vikram Chacko
Pregnancy is a magical time when women get to experience their day-to-day life while amazing changes are constantly happening within their body. I have three beautiful and healthy girls and loved being pregnant. I feel honored to help support women in my practice have healthy and joyful pregnancies. Being pregnant presents an exciting opportunity where women (and their partners) can feel extra motivated to take the very best care of their bodies. This is not a ...
Continue Reading →Posted by: Vikram Chacko
May 08, 2017
“UVA REVERSES DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS IN MICE USING PROBIOTICS,” screamed the headlines on March 7, 2017. It seems that everywhere we look for answers as to why so many of us are getting more and more tired, bloated, overweight, anxious and overly stressed, we find the microbiome listed as a possible top cause. The microbiome, that beehive-like agglomeration of bacteria, good and bad, in our gut plays a very complex and important role ...
Continue Reading →Posted by: Vikram Chacko
Contrary to how it looks, “MTHFR” is not an abbreviation for a curse word, but a shortened form of MethyleneTetraHydroFolate Reductase…
The MTHFR gene provides instructions for making an enzyme called MethyleneTetraHydroFolate Reductase. This enzyme plays a role in processing amino acids, the building blocks of proteins. Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase is important for a chemical reaction involving forms of the vitamin folate (also called vitamin B9). Natural sources of folates are uncooked green leafy vegetables. Synthetic forms ...
Continue Reading →Posted by: Vikram Chacko
QUESTION: In layman’s terms, what are telomeres, i.e., what’s an easy-to-understand analogy for what they are and how they work? How do short and long telomeres affect health and lifespan?
Answer:
Telomeres are specialized protein structures attached to the end of chromosomes that provide essential protection from enzymatic end-degradation (due to metabolic and environmental toxins) and help maintain chromosomal and gene stability.
They are a nucleotide (protein) sequence repeated thousands of times in our genetic code. Their ...
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Is it possible you read that title thinking it must be miswritten? Facebook seems to do the opposite for a lot of people. With over a billion accounts, Facebook seems to be a part of most everyone’s lives these days. Unfortunately, many find themselves feeling depressed or anxious about how others’ lives look better and they are missing out. Or, there is so much that is negative in the world. Or, one ends up arguing in ...
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In a health care landscape marked by harried doctors, defensive medicine, insurance company vetted treatments, and mis-managed care, the Akasha Center is an oasis of…
