Health & Fitness

Focus on form as you try this 18 minute EMOM with Under Armour trainer Jennifer Rochon.

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Alcohol has been accepted as part of nearly all societies for ages. When many people think of socializing and entertainment, it's often with a drink in hand. While most are familiar with excessive alcohol use and alcoholism, it's not usually considered a dangerous drug. But nothing could be further from the truth.

In the U.S., approximately 88,000 people die each year from alcohol-related causes.¹ As of this writing, that is far more than flu or COVID-19. Underage drinking may interfere with normal brain development and can contribute to risk-taking behaviors that may result in injury, sexual assault and death.

Alcohol is addictive and it’s a known cytotoxic agent. Chronic, excessive alcohol consumption is known to cause neuronal dysfunction and brain damage.² Studies also confirm that drinking small amounts of alcohol, such as 1 gram, is enough to accelerate brain aging.³

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 86.3% of adults ages 18 and over answered a survey reporting they had consumed alcohol during their lifetime. Another 70% had alcohol in the past year and 53.3% had a drink in the last month. In addition, it was noted that according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA):^4,5

“In 2018, 26.45 percent of people ages 18 or older reported that they engaged in binge drinking in the past month; 6.6 percent reported that they engaged in heavy alcohol use in the past month.”

The rate and amount of alcohol consumption has led to the proliferation of a hangover remedies industry aimed at assisting those who over-imbibe. The unpleasant symptoms of a hangover can include excessive thirst and dry mouth, headaches and muscle aches, nausea and vomiting, and an increased sensitivity to light and sound.⁶

More severe symptoms occur with heavy drinking and may indicate alcohol poisoning. This is a life-threatening emergency and may be accompanied by confusion, seizures, low body temperature and slow or irregular breathing.

Early Work Shows Hangover Supplement Protects the Brain

One popular supplement designed to help reduce the effects of hangovers was the result of a 2012 landmark study⁷ in which scientists studied the active ingredient in the fruit of the Japanese Raisin Tree (Hovenia dulcis). Researcher Jing Liang, Ph.D., discovered dihydromyricetin (DHM) helped reduce hangover symptoms and appeared to protect the liver.

Liang was also interested in studying the effects it might have on the brain, including neurodegenerative diseases and aging. She theorized that just as DHM stops alcohol from affecting gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the brain, it might also help restore functionality.

Liang joined the University of Southern California (USC) School of Pharmacy in 2014.⁸ During her research she identified a receptor pathway that may be a target for DHM in the treatment of Alzheimer's.

Daryl Davies from the same school shared that Liang has anecdotal evidence that DHM is effective against Parkinson's disease. The team is also addressing a known limitation to studies involving traditional Chinese medicines, Davies explains:⁹

“A weakness of Chinese traditional medicines is that they’re hard to replicate. People understand that the location where wine grapes or coffee beans are grown makes a difference in flavor and quality, but they don’t seem to understand the concept when it comes to medications.

They think, ‘I can get DHM from China and put it into anything. Or I can grow Hovenia anywhere.’ But you have to understand how and where it was grown, how it was harvested, and then ensure quality and batch-to-batch consistency. What are the active ingredients and how are they administered?”

Recent Results Show Pathway DHM Uses Protects Liver

The most recent study¹⁰ built on the knowledge that DHM has liver protective properties. Researchers sought to understand the mechanism of action that appeared to ease hangover headaches, knowing that DHM increases the metabolism of alcohol. Liang found that “it activates a cascade of mechanisms that erase alcohol from the body very quickly.”¹¹

The researchers say that when it comes to helping those with alcohol use disorders, there’s no known effective therapeutic agent that doesn’t come without major side effects. Their hope was to help those affected by diseases linked to alcohol consumption, which the World Health Organization¹² estimates accounts for 5.1% of disease worldwide.

The researchers gave alcohol to 36 mice every day for two months.¹³ The doses were gradually increased until each mouse was consuming 30% of their total food from ethanol. The researchers then evaluated their livers for markers of stress.

Liang explained that as alcohol circulates throughout the body it affects the brain but is primarily metabolized in the liver. High levels of alcohol consumption over long periods of time are believed to cause significant liver damage. Davies, another researcher on the study, continued:¹⁴

“It’s like stepping on a tack; your brain says it hurts. During a hangover, the fogginess in your brain is an acute reaction to what’s going on in your body.”

The liver analysis revealed that the mice that consumed DHM demonstrated¹⁵ “reduced liver steatosis, liver triglycerides, and liver injury markers.” In a press release, the researchers wrote that the data also showed the intervention:¹⁶

• Produced more “ethanol-gobbling enzymes” in the liver, including alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and acetaldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH)
• Boosted the efficiency of ADH and ALDH
• Reduced lipid (fat) accumulation in liver tissue
• Reduced inflammatory agents, called cytokines

These findings may help with finding ways to prevent liver damage and potentially extend the life of those with alcohol use disorder. The researchers also hypothesize DHM may be able to extend liver function as an individual is waiting for a transplant and that it may help those who have received a transplant by improving their liver performance.

How Alcohol Damages the Liver and Brain

Alcohol has a significant impact on the entire body. While drinking, your body is forced to metabolize alcohol immediately as it doesn't have a way to store it like proteins, carbohydrates and fats.¹⁷ It is the liver's job to convert vitamins, nutrients and other substances into compounds the body can use. Alcohol is not different.

It takes about one hour to metabolize one alcoholic drink.¹⁸ However, the time frame extends with each subsequent drink. When the body reaches the maximum amount it can metabolize, the alcohol is left to circulate in the bloodstream, which affects the heart and brain.

Chronic use will destroy liver cells, resulting in scarring and cirrhosis of the liver. This can also lead to alcoholic hepatitis and liver cancer. The progression usually begins with fatty liver disease leading to alcoholic hepatitis and then cirrhosis. Common symptoms of liver damage include loss of appetite, abdominal tenderness and fatigue and weakness.¹⁹

In the USC study,²⁰ researchers evaluated 17,308 human brain scans from people between 45.2 years and 80.7 years. They were interested in RBA, which is a measure of an individual's brain age in relationship to their peers.²¹ Using the data from this study, drinking 12 ounces of beer daily, or almost daily, would increase the relative brain age by 0.28 years or 102.2 days. The researchers wrote:²²

"Our analyses of alcohol intake frequency and RBA indicated that subjects who drank daily or almost daily had a significantly higher RBA compared to those who drank less frequently. Our finding was consistent with previous studies, which showed that heavy alcohol consumption was detrimental to the brain."

Even Moderate Drinking Has Negative Effects

While the USC study team evaluated the effects of daily alcohol intake, even smaller amounts have a negative effect on your health. In one study²³ from Seoul National University College of Medicine, researchers evaluated 414 middle-aged and older adults who were free from dementia and did not have an alcohol-related disorder.

They found that those who drank a moderate amount over the course of decades had a reduction in beta amyloid deposits in their brain compared to those who did not drink.

The reduction in amyloid deposits were only found in those who had been drinking for decades and not those who started drinking moderately more recently. However, the authors only looked at beta amyloid deposits and not whether the individuals had a lower risk of Alzheimer's disease.

They also did not measure any other changes in the brain or other organs. While these limited study findings were positive, I do not recommend chronic drinking, regardless of the amount. Even within guidelines, drinking tends to cause far more harm than good. For more information see “Can Moderate Drinking Decrease Alzheimer's Brain Proteins?”

Are We Minimizing the Risk of Alcohol?

Despite the high number of people who die from alcohol-related deaths every year, an increased risk of breast cancer,²⁴ violence and relative brain aging, you don't have to look far to find reports that alcohol may be healthful and moderate drinkers live longer lives.

In 2015, Anheuser-Busch launched its Global Smart Drinking Goals Campaign and debuted the Ab Inbev Foundation. The company, who endeared themselves to Americans using their famous team of giant Clydesdale horses, says that “The Foundation works through a collaborative model, with our staff, the City Pilot Steering Committees, and our partners.”²⁵

A commentary in the British Journal The Lancet²⁶ proposes the foundation has no different intent and no less hypocrisy than the Philip Morris International Foundation for a Smoke-Free World. In other words, a company divided against itself will not stand.

One arm of the company cannot realistically propose that people drink less while the advertising department woos customers with young Clydesdales and puppies. The Lancet says the Ab Inbev Foundation openly demonstrates unabashed conflicts of interest:²⁷

"In fact, the foundation attracts senior UN and former US government officials to its board and funds and engages in policy making processes. Despite obvious conflicts of interest, the Anheuser-Busch InBev Foundation sponsors a US National Academies of Science forum on global violence prevention."

Discover more about the deception, partnerships and conflicts of interest that led to most of society accepting alcohol in their daily lives in my previous article, “Why We Minimize Risks of Alcohol.”

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Remarkably, prominent physicians have been paraded in the media saying it's impossible to strengthen your immune system to beat the SARS-CoV-2 virus. It’s hard to understand this kind of ignorance still pervades the conventional medical system — and that they can get away with criticizing people who offer proof to the contrary.

Your immune system is your first line of defense against all disease, especially infectious disease, and there are many different ways to boost your immune system and improve its function. One nutrient that plays a very important role in your immune system’s ability to ward off viral infections is zinc.

In the MedCram video above, Dr. Roger Seheult reviews compelling evidence suggesting the reason the antimalarial drug chloroquine appears so useful in the treatment of COVID-19 is in fact because it improves zinc uptake into the cell. (Hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil) uses the same pathway as chloroquine, but has a safer side effect profile.¹)

While the antimalarial drugs chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine act as a zinc ionophore (zinc transport molecule) in that they facilitate zinc absorption in your body, other natural compounds can have the same effect.

Zinc Binding Compounds Boost Immune System

Zinc may be a vastly underrated player in the COVID-19 pandemic. It is vital for healthy immune function² and a combination of zinc with a zinc ionophore (zinc transport molecule) was in 2010 shown to inhibit SARS coronavirus in vitro. In cell culture, it also blocked viral replication within minutes.³

In an April 6, 2020, article,⁴ consumer advocate, investigator and author Bill Sardi highlighted this decade-old evidence, suggesting conventional medicine could have prevented quite a few COVID-19 cases had everyone put into practice what was already known about zinc and zinc ionophores. Sardi writes:⁵

“The long-standing bias against natural over patentable synthetic molecules in the practice of medicine has now resulted in the avoidable premature death of thousands of the most vulnerable individuals and the abrupt and near-complete economic collapse of modern society due to an unwarranted over-response by health authorities, political overseers and sensationalist news media.

The narrow and archaic vaccine-only paradigm to treat infectious diseases has left human populations vulnerable to a highly transmissible … virus … This unprecedented man-made chaos could have been avoided by putting into practice a remedy described … a decade ago.

In 2010 … researchers … reported that the combination of … zinc plus a zinc transport molecule (ionophore) that facilitates zinc’s entry into cells effectively impairs the replication of RNA viruses, like the newly mutated COVID-19 coronavirus, to affect a cure …

This prior discovery appears to validate the recent report⁶ of Vladimir Zelenko MD, a New York-based physician who has treated 699 consecutive cases of COVID-19 … with complete 100% success. His treatment protocol includes oral zinc, chloroquine as a zinc ionophore and an antibiotic (azithromycin).”

COVID-19 and Zinc Deficiency Share Many Symptoms

As noted by Sardi, a majority of the symptoms of COVID-19 — 18 symptoms in all — are near-indistinguishable from those of zinc deficiency.⁷ Symptoms shared by both include but are not limited to:⁸

Dry cough	Nausea
Fever	Back pain
Abdominal discomfort or cramping	Loss of smell
Atrial fibrillation	Lowered immune function
Reduced lymphocytes (white blood cells)	Increased interleukin-6, indicative of inflammation
Pneumonia	Elevated iron storage

“This calamity could have been avoided without the aid of public health agencies,” Sardi writes, adding:⁹

“In the present COVID-19 coronavirus epidemic the zinc + ionophore combination could have been employed in a targeted fashion for high-risk groups (elderly, diabetics, smokers, alcohol abusers, immune suppressant and illicit-drug users) as prevention and for curative purposes among patients with severe lung disease.

The family of RNA viruses also includes poliovirus and influenza virus. In other words, zinc therapy would also simultaneously address the seasonal flu viruses also in circulation, something public health authorities strangely paid no attention to this flu season.”

Facilitating Zinc Entry Into Cells Is a Crucial Component

Importantly, zinc alone is not capable of fully stopping viral replication, Sardi notes. The reason for this is because zinc is largely insoluble and cannot easily enter through the fatty wall of your cells. Getting all the way into the cell is crucial, as this is where the viral replication occurs.

“[This] makes the discovery of an ionophore as important as zinc’s primary role in infection control,” Sardi points out, adding,¹⁰ “Such a discovery, if put into practice, would have upset the reigning vaccine paradigm that now predominates in modern medicine. Research dollars would evaporate as a cure for seasonal influenza and coronaviruses … would have been found.”

Other Natural Zinc Transporters — Quercetin and EGCG

The good news is drugs like chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine probably would not be necessary either (except for perhaps the most serious cases), as other natural compounds can do the same job.

A comparative study¹¹ published in 2014 looked at two zinc ionophores: quercetin and epigallocatechin-gallate (EGCG found in green tea), noting many of the biological actions of these compounds may in fact be related to their ability to increase cellular zinc uptake. As explained by the authors:

“Labile zinc, a tiny fraction of total intracellular zinc that is loosely bound to proteins and easily interchangeable, modulates the activity of numerous signaling and metabolic pathways. Dietary plant polyphenols such as the flavonoids quercetin (QCT) and epigallocatechin-gallate act as antioxidants and as signaling molecules.

Remarkably, the activities of numerous enzymes that are targeted by polyphenols are dependent on zinc. We have previously shown that these polyphenols chelate zinc cations and hypothesized that these flavonoids might be also acting as zinc ionophores, transporting zinc cations through the plasma membrane.

To prove this hypothesis, herein, we have demonstrated the capacity of QCT and epigallocatechin-gallate to rapidly increase labile zinc in mouse hepatocarcinoma Hepa 1-6 cells as well as, for the first time, in liposomes … The ionophore activity of dietary polyphenols may underlay the raising of labile zinc levels triggered in cells by polyphenols and thus many of their biological actions.”

Quercetin is also a potent antiviral in its own right, and both quercetin and epigallocatechin gallate also have the added advantage of inhibiting the 3CL protease¹² — an enzyme used by SARS coronaviruses to infect healthy cells.¹³ As explained in a 2020 paper in Nature, 3CL protease “is essential for processing the polyproteins that are translated from the viral RNA.”

And, according to another 2020 study,¹⁴ the ability of quercetin, epigallocatechin gallate and certain other flavonoids to inhibit SARS coronaviruses “is presumed to be directly linked to suppress the activity of SARS-CoV 3CLpro in some cases.”

‘Poor Man’s Coronavirus Defense’

In closing, Sardi proposes imitating Zelenko’s COVID-19 protocol using natural remedies if you have symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 infection and cannot obtain a prescription for chloroquine/hydroxychloroquine and a Z-Pak:

• A natural antibiotic such as cinnamon extract or oil of oregano
• Quercetin as a zinc ionophore (to enhance zinc entrance into cells)
• Zinc, up to 30 milligrams per day
• Vitamin B6 (niacin), 25 to 50 mg per day, and selenium to further boost bioavailability of zinc

Should zinc turn out to be in short supply, consider eating more zinc-rich foods.¹⁵ Examples include hemp, sesame and pumpkin seeds, cacao powder, cheddar cheese, and seafood such as oysters, Alaskan crab, shrimp and mussels.

Zinc + Niacin + Selenium Is a Winning Combo

The addition of niacin and selenium appears to be good advice, considering both play a role in the absorption and bioavailability of zinc in the body. For example, a study¹⁶ published in 1991 demonstrated that when young women were on a vitamin B6-deficient diet, their serum zinc declined, suggesting B6 deficiency affected zinc metabolism such that “absorbed zinc was not available for utilization.”

A more in-depth exploration and explanation of both niacin and selenium’s relationship to zinc is provided in the 2008 paper, “Zinc, Metallothioneins and Longevity: Interrelationships With Niacin and Selenium”:¹⁷

“Ageing is an inevitable biological process with gradual and spontaneous biochemical and physiological changes and increased susceptibility to diseases.

Some nutritional factors (zinc, niacin, selenium) may remodel these changes leading to a possible escaping of diseases, with the consequence of healthy ageing, because they are involved in improving immune functions, metabolic homeostasis and antioxidant defense.

Experiments … show that zinc is important for immune efficiency (both innate and adaptive), metabolic homeostasis (energy utilization and hormone turnover) and antioxidant activity (SOD enzyme).

Niacin is a precursor of NAD+, the substrate for the activity of DNA repair enzyme PARP-1 and, consequently, may contribute to maintaining genomic stability. Selenium provokes zinc release by metallothioneins (MT), via reduction of glutathione peroxidase.

This fact is crucial in ageing because high MT may be unable to release zinc with subsequent low intracellular free zinc ion availability for immune efficiency, metabolic harmony and antioxidant activity.

Taking into account the existence of zinc transporters … for cellular zinc efflux and influx, respectively, the association between zinc transporters and MT is crucial in maintaining satisfactory intracellular zinc homeostasis in ageing.

Improved immune performance, metabolic homeostasis, antioxidant defense occur in elderly after physiological zinc supplementation … The association ‘zinc plus selenium’ improves humoral immunity in old subjects after influenza vaccination.”

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Using magnetic nanoparticles, scientists stimulate the adrenal gland in rodents to control release of hormones linked to stress.

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Researchers are developing new 'gene promoters' - which act like switches to turn genes on - for use with gene therapy, the delivery of new genes to replace ones that are faulty. The new promoters work especially well for brain and other neurological disorders and provide longer-lasting functionality compared to other promoters.

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Using magnetic nanoparticles, scientists stimulate the adrenal gland in rodents to control release of hormones linked to stress.

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New research suggests that non-traditional social strategies, which can include so-called ''guilty pleasures,'' are just as effective at fulfilling critical social needs as family connections, romantic relationships or strong social support systems. The study represents the first time researchers have empirically combined the traditional and non-traditional for comparative purposes to simultaneously test their relative effectiveness.

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A team of researchers has found that turning off a stress signaling system in a single specific brain area can reduce harmful binge drinking. This finding brings researchers one step closer to understanding which signals in the brain drive individuals to consume alcohol excessively and put them at risk for developing an alcohol use disorder.

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A recent study shows that less than one-third of the world's population could currently meet their demand for food produced in their local vicinity.

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Diseases with a genetic cause could be treated by supplying a correct version of the faulty gene. However, in practice, delivering new genetic material to human cells is difficult. A promising method for the delivery of such genes involves the use of DNA/lipid complexes (lipoplexes). Scientists have now used advanced simulations to investigate how these lipoplexes deliver DNA fragments into cells. The results can be used to improve their efficiency.

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The point when human embryonic stem cells irreversibly commit to becoming specialized has been identified by researchers.

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With nowhere to go and hours spent inside, it's easy to be sedentary while in self-isolation. To make sure you're keeping fit and healthy, dietitian Melissa Meier shares 5 weight loss tips. 

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No reformer machine? No problems.

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Wind down the week with a 25 minute mediation with Luke McLeod from Soul Alive.

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It’s the cardio workout where less really is more. Kayla Itsines shows you how to master a LISS workout from the comfort of your home.

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Staying active is the lifehack you need to stay healthy during iso. Osteopath Fiona Hooper breaks down her 6 simple exercises for keeping pain at bay.

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Bored of avo toast? This quick and healthy plant-based meal is packed with flavour and brain-boosting nutrients to keep you happy and healthy while at home in self-isolation.

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For your busy WFH days, here are 7 budget-friendly lunch ideas approved by dietitian Melissa Meier, that you can make in less than 5-minutes. Save yourself time and calories.

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Co-founder and director of yoga at Flow Athletic Kate Kendall takes us through a dynamic but grounding yoga flow sequence, as part of the body+soul LIVE @ home online workout series. Press play to get started!

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Face of F45 Australia Cory George takes us through a 30-minute, 'gravity' workout to jumpstart your entire body, as part of the body+soul LIVE @ home online workout series. Press play to get started!

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The Myer Ambassador, TV host, model, entrepreneur, author, certified health coach and PT talks all things health and wellbeing.

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While we discover more about COVID-19, the list of unexpected symptoms seems to be growing daily. Here are 6 common, but surprising, symptoms of coronavirus that have been reported by health professionals so far. 

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It's not a typical warm-up, and will give your body an extra boost of energy.

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Once a cancer patient's tumors develop resistance to chemotherapy, the prognosis can be poor. However, inhibiting a key gene involved in multidrug resistance, MDR1, has not improved outcomes. A new study offers a reason, revealing unintended downstream effects on immune system cells.

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Inspired by how human bone and colorful coral reefs adjust mineral deposits in response to their surrounding environments, researchers have created a self-adapting material that can change its stiffness in response to the applied force. This advancement can someday open the doors for materials that can self-reinforce to prepare for increased force or stop further damage.

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In the world of allergy diagnostics, the familiar blood samples and unpleasant skin prick procedures for testing allergen tolerance may soon be a thing of the past. A team of researchers has demonstrated that sufficient quantities of allergy antibodies for a diagnosis can be effectively measured in nasal secretions.

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So far, it has been difficult to analyze the functions of lipid molecules in living cells. Researchers have now developed chemical tools that can be activated by light and used to influence lipid concentration in living cells. This approach could enable medical doctors to work with biochemists to identify what molecules within a cell do.

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In the first study of its kind, researchers provide evidence that an alternative imaging technique could someday replace current methods that require potentially harmful radiation.

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Researchers have discovered the function of a special group of nerve cells which are found in the eye and which sense visual movement. The findings give us a completely new understanding of how conscious sensory impressions occur in the brain.

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Infectious disease scientists report early development of a potential universal vaccine for Ebola viruses that preclinical tests show might neutralize all four species of these deadly viruses infecting people in recent outbreaks, mainly in Africa. Although still in early preclinical testing, researchers report that their data indicate that the prospective vaccine has potential to be a stand-alone protection from Ebola.

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We're living in a time of heightened uncertainty, and this woman's touching Tweet proves why we need to be more considerate of others, now more than ever before.

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