Easley Peppermint Comes to the Aid of Cognition & Appetite Regulation!
Peppermint candy canes...don’t these just bring back holiday memories from youth?! Remarkably, peppermint is being shown in today’s research to in fact benefit memory and cognition (and appetite control). The whiff of peppermint fills holiday décor, stockings, cocoa, and more! Young Chiropractic wishes our Easley chiropractic patients and their families a peppermint-filled holiday that will make their journey to Easley 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 treatments. Essential oils are taken from nature’s herbs of which there are many sources that have low toxicity. Researchers offer that these work by lowering the neurotoxicity of amyloid beta (Aβ), anti-oxidative stress, managing the cholinergic (the part of the nervous system that processes acetylcholine) system, and improving neuroinflammation involving microglia (brain and spinal cord immune cells). (1) In a lab experiment with mice, researchers tested how smelling peppermint essential oil enhanced the ability to learn as well as retain memory as seen in hippocampal CA1 region neurons returning to normal and Aβ deposition falling among other changes that may improve cognitive function in Alzheimer’s disease. This experiment 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 Young Chiropractic found these quite fascinating!
PEPPERMINT, BRAIN, APPETITE
Much like cognition and memory are linked to the brain, appetite is, too. Diseases like obesity, diabetes, anorexia, bulimia nervosa are a few issues associated with appetite dysregulation. An assessment of published studies, many of which were mice studies, concerning essential oils or fragrant compounds that were said to influence food intake and energy. Their findings: 11 essential oils and 22 fragrant compounds increased appetite; 12 essential oils and 7 fragrant compounds decreased appetite. How? Numerous processes involving the sympathetic/parasympathetic nerves, leptin protein hormones, and more. They also stated that fragrance memory and cognitive processes may also contribute to appetite regulation. Nonetheless, they revealed hope for appetite regulation and eating disorders control using essential oils and fragrant compounds. (3) (We all know that carrying extra weight around is not good for us, especially not for those of us with Easley back pain even though Young Chiropractic is quite good at managing that!) Young Chiropractic would think our Easley chiropractic patients may be more motivated to enjoy peppermint throughout this year’s holiday season!
CONTACT Young Chiropractic
Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Rudy Kachmann, a neurosurgeon, on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he illustrates the connection between diabetes and back pain as well as a variety of other conditions like inflammation, back surgery, etc. He mentions the beneficial role chiropractic has in healthcare and back pain care. Dr. Kachmann has spoken at conferences on The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management.
Schedule your Easley chiropractic appointment today. Want to share a peppermint candy cane at your next appointment?!
