HealthHacks

I knew this would be a reality one day, but it appears closer than I ever imagined…

Scientists are trying to develop an industrial process that grows meat tissue from a few cells in a lab – or even at home, in a device like a bread maker.

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The first attempts by scientists who grow animal muscle tissue in the lab have been small in scale. But researchers are looking forward to the day when meat could be cultivated in industrial bioreactors or even in a device sitting on a kitchen counter.

I love this time of year: winter is quickly receding as spring bursts on to the scene with its bright sunshine and warmer temperatures. It’s the perfect time break out the grill.

I find grilling makes eating healthy so much easier. It brings out the flavor in lean meats and vegetables in ways indoor cooking can’t. But, like anything, there are risks.

Cooking meats for long periods on high heat can produce carcinogenic compounds known as HCAs or heterocyclic amines. Science News reports on some preventative measures people can take to avoid HCAs.

Typically, the longer meat cooks at a high temperature, the greater the buildup of the carcinogens. Low-temperature cooking or a quick searing at high temperature won’t usually generate the chemicals.

Turning grilled meats frequently so that the heated surface doesn’t char is one way to limit the chemicals’ formation. Other tactics include adding a little starch to ground meats (see How Carbs Can Make Burgers Safer), marinating meats before cooking, and precooking meat in a microwave oven for a few minutes prior to grilling.

The article reports that genetic differences may make some people more susceptible to the chemicals than others, and that genetic tests are available to identify those people.

More here.

[tags]spring, grilling, cancer, carcinogens, HCAs, cooking tips [/tags]

Those wacky Mayo Clinic docs are at it again. Last week, they unveiled their first salvo in the war against obesity: the school without chairs. This week, they introduce the treadmill cubicle.

Motivated by research that shows a substantial cumulative effect of long-term low-impact movement on weight control, Levine is bringing optional exercise not just into the workplace but into the workspace.

A year ago, he rigged his desk so he could stand and walk slowly on a treadmill as he reads e-mail, takes calls, and works on his computer.

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Treadmill workstations cost $1,100 compared with a standard cubicle price of $2,000, Levine said. He’s working with companies to develop a product that could be mass-produced. He said several Minnesota-based employers are interested in the idea, but he declined to name them.

I have a hard time seeing the treadmill desk catching on, but I can see some of the ideas from the school without chairs being implemented. There is nothing worse for a student than being stuck for hours in a desk when they really would rather be moving about. Besides the physical benefits, I have no doubt they would learn better in a more active environment.

[tags] exercise, treadmill, cubicle, desk, school, learning, obesity[/tags]

I’ve written previously on the connection between the brain’s own insulin and Alzheimer’s disease. Today more evidence that the disease may be a type of diabetes — sometimes called Type III:

“We have demonstrated that a loss of insulin in the brain triggers the onset of Alzheimer’s, probably because as the brain loses insulin, the cells that require insulin to function and survive also eventually die. The consequences are increased oxidative stress, brain deterioration, loss of cognitive function, and a buildup of plaques and tangles in the brain – all hallmarks of Alzheimer’s, says senior author Suzanne M. de la Monte, MD, MPH, a neuropathologist at Rhode Island Hospital and a professor of pathology and clinical neuroscience at Brown Medical School in Providence, RI.

Link to full story.

Link to previous story.

[tags]studies, Alzheimer’s disease, insulin, diabetes [/tags]

If not, you may be suffering from a condition known as dysthymia…

“Any person with a chronic sense of unhappiness or dissatisfaction in spite of the success and happiness in his life almost always has a mood disorder and often has dysthymia,” says Dr Richard Shelton, a professor of pharmacology and psychiatry. “The condition is grossly under-recognised and undertreated, especially among men.”

According to the National Institutes of Mental Health, 5.4% of adults will suffer from the disease sometime in their lifetime.

You can read more about the condition here.

[tags]depression, happiness, dysthymia, mental health [/tags]