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Hormones / Endocrine

Cold Water Immersion: Is It Worth Doing?

Besh.ca INTRODUCTION Cold water immersion (fancy way of describing being in cold friggin’ water) is a form of bathing that has gained popularity in recent years, thanks to researchers and popular public figures (i.e., Dr. Andrew Huberman, Wim Hof, Brent Beshara). Cold water immersion (CWI) can be defined by exposing the body to water temperatures…

Mitochondria and Relationships to Health

INTRODUCTION Mitochondria are organelles (subcellular structures conducting specific tasks) found within the cells of our bodies. Such organelles are involved in several critical processes to include reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, cell survival, cell signalling, apoptosis (cell death), several metabolic pathways, and energy production via adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthesis; its most widely known contribution.1,2 As…

Plastics and Negative Health Impacts

PLASTIC BASICS Plastics tend to constitute an estimated 10% of total household waste, most of which are disposed of in landfills.1 Plastics are made of a wide variety of synthetic and semi-synthetic organic substances, which allow for various molded objects and shapes. Due to the multiple uses and durability of plastic, production is high; in…

Hyperparathyroidism, Kidney Stones, and Early Detection

Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is a common aberration in endocrine function, which negatively impacts calcium homeostasis.1 Due to its commonality, approximately 20-30 new cases, per year, are identified for every 100,000 people in the United States.1(564) Furthermore, PHPT is the leading cause of chronic hypercalcemia and has long term negative effects upon bone, cardiovascular, kidney health,…

Sleep Quality, Sleep Hygiene, and Insulin Resistance

Research has suggested that genetics, and poor lifestyle choices, can both become an impetus behind chronic conditions like type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance.1Considering the influence of environmental factors upon genetic expression, which was covered in this author’s previous posts, the following will explore another relevant measure that could help nutritionists and researchers determine another…

Inadequate Sleep and Health Outcomes

Sleep is a vital, yet greatly overlooked, component to health. In many industrialized societies, there is a trend towards less hours of sleep per night (Gallicchio & Kalesan, 2009). Losses in sleep of seven hours or less are attributed to factors such as longer work schedules, and greater time associated with leisure activities (Gallicchio &…

Biomarkers of Metabolic Syndrome

Metabolic syndrome (MS) is a term that identifies an aggregate of physiological abnormalities which increases the risk of liver disease, type 2 diabetes (T2D), and cardiovascular disease (Agyemang-Yeboah, Eghan, Annani-Akollor, Togbe, Donkor, & Afranie, 2019). Physiological abnormalities that constitute MS include dysregulated glucose metabolism, high blood pressure, abdominal obesity, and abnormal lipid profiles (Agyemang-Yeboah et…

Saunas, Detoxification, and Managing Cardiovascular Disease

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a condition accounting for 30% of all cause mortality and 10% disability worldwide (Zhang & Chang, 2019). Underlying causes of CVD can include congenital abnormalities, infectious agents, nutritional, and environmental factors (Reisner & Reisner, 2017; Sears, Kerr, & Bray, 2012). As such, interventions to manage said factors are paramount in maintaining…

Cannabis and Sleep

Canada has now legalized the sale and use of cannabis. As time passes and proper education and public awareness is provided regarding medical application, some individuals may consider using said plant derivatives to mitigate the effects of insomnia. It is possible that, in conjunction to addressing micronutrient deficiencies and improving sleep hygiene (developing a consistent…

Environmental Pollutants, Sweating, and Detoxification

Sears, Kerr, and Bray (2012) indicated that several elements exist in the environment that provide no known benefit, physiologically. Such elements include arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), and mercury (Hg) (Sears et al., 2012). However, said elements have the capacity to bioaccumulate in the body producing aberrations in multiple regions to include the cardiovascular,…