The Sweet Tooth

Senses are vital components of human beings that can affect their quality of life. One of the senses that we took a closer look at is the sense of taste. We have countless taste buds that decrease and become less active as we age. Food begins to lose its taste, and the elderly do not have a motivation to eat as much as they regularly did before. However, I discovered that many older people, especially people over 70 years old, have an excessive longing for sweets (“The Senior Sweet Tooth: Why Do So Many Seniors Crave Sweets?”). “Sweet” is the first taste bud humans are exposed to as newborns, so caregivers believe that the elderly’s excessive longing for sweets is plausible. In addition, “sweet” is the taste bud that the elderly have enjoyed for the longest time. I think this piece of information is intriguing, on account that I have witnessed elderly prefer sweets over other variety of foods. I have visited and interned at the nursing home from back home, and many times, patients and clients would want dessert or sugar with their meals. It is probable that their “sweet” taste bud is the one that is most active, but I am not sure if that is the case. Also, I am skeptical if the level of activity in the taste buds are affected by excessive exposure to foods that tap into those taste buds. In other words, as a 20 year-old who usually consumes sweets, would my “sweet” taste bud decrease, while the other taste buds I don’t use often would increase with age?

Hope you liked this food for thought!

http://www.eldercareteam.com/public/397.cfm

What You Didn't Know About Muscle Cramps...

I learned about muscle cramps. Muscle cramps occur often, especially to the elderly population. The elderly are more vulnerable to muscle cramps because of atrophy (OrthoInfo). Muscle loses its strength, so it is more difficult for people to be as active as they were before. A few factors can cause cramps, such as insufficient circulation of blood, inadequate blood levels of sugar, sodium, and calcium, and a few other factors. Exercising in sweltering weather can contribute to muscle cramps because sweat uses up bodily essentials, as mentioned above. Muscle cramps are benign, but if occurred frequently, it might be due to metabolism, nutrition, and a variety of other reasons. Above all, you should always consider consulting a doctor. People can alleviate muscle cramps by resting and stretching muscles before they use their muscles for action. Several people suggest stretching three times a day while others recommend stretching before heading to bed (Muscle Cramps). In addition, placing a pillow to have the foot raised while sleeping is recommendable for people who have muscle cramps.

I never thought that exercising in hot weather plays as an important factor in getting cramps. Learning this helps me to be aware of the amount of water I drink and the length of time I would be outside jogging. All of us need to take heed of our own actions because they can determine our health state later that day. Although it is tempting to jog everyday when the sun is at its highest, it is crucial to maintain your health and avoid getting cramps. It is unlikely to live life without muscle cramps, but you can minimize the frequency of them.

http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=a00200

http://www.patient.co.uk/doctor/Muscle-Cramps.htm

PET Scans and Increasing Dopamine

In class, I learned that Parkinson’s disease is a brain disorder that leads to tremors, difficulty in movement, coordination, and numerous other affects in bodily functions. Dopamine, a neurotransmitter, becomes less active. Dopamine is involved with muscle control. Due to this, Parkinson’s disease is likely to occur because there is loss of neurons that produce dopamine.  I was wondering if increasing dopamine in the nervous system can prevent the disease, but it was difficult to find information on this matter. However, I did find that there is no scientific advancement at this moment to avert Parkinson’s disease. Researchers are currently examining any common abnormality that all diagnosed people have to determine people who are apt in obtaining Parkinson’s disease. In the meantime, there are technological advances that have an impact on the understanding of the disease. For example, Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scans the brain to identify visuals of chemical changes as they take place (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke). The PET provides a way to examine dopamine receptors to observe if the failure of dopamine activity comes before or after the deterioration of neurons that create dopamine.
 I think this scrutiny is very much needed because it sounds more like “chicken or egg” situation. Do the neurons that produce dopamine causes loss of dopamine or does dopamine level drop before the neurons fail? For this reason, I was interested to explore the significance of dopamine and its effect, in terms of Parkinson’s disease.


 I also found that increasing antioxidant intake can be a safeguard for neurons that produce dopamine, so they are less prone to be affected by free radicals. On the other hand, foods that are high in fat and cholesterol can cause dopamine level to be low (Integrative Psychiatry). I think maintaining a good amount of dopamine as we age might avert the likelihood of Parkinson’s disease. Given that dopamine levels are reduced by stress, some antidepressants, bad nutrition, and a few other factors, it might be highly necessary to maintain a feasible amount of dopamine to age well.

http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/parkinsons_disease/detail_parkinsons_disease.htm
http://www.integrativepsychiatry.net/dopamine.html