Manchester Peppermint Comes to the Aid of Cognition & Appetite Regulation!
Peppermint candy canes...don’t these just bring back childhood holiday memories?! Amazingly, peppermint is being found today to in fact benefit memory and cognition (as well as appetite control). The aroma of peppermint pervades holiday décor, stockings, cocoa, and more! Manchester Chiropractic & Sports Injuries hopes for a peppermint-filled holiday for our Manchester chiropractic patients that will make their journey to Manchester 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 hope for effective, simple, safe-to-use-long-term therapies. Essential oils are possibly just such treatments. Essential oils are extracted from nature’s herbs of which there are many sources low in toxicity. Researchers propose that these function by lowering the neurotoxicity of amyloid beta (Aβ), anti-oxidative stress, containing 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 mice experiment, researchers tested how smelling peppermint essential oil improved the ability to learn as well as retain memory as evidenced by hippocampal CA1 region neurons reverting back to normal and Aβ deposition decreasing among other changes that may enhance cognitive function in Alzheimer’s disease. This study also inserted 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 Manchester Chiropractic & Sports Injuries found these quite interesting!
PEPPERMINT, BRAIN, APPETITE
Much like cognition and memory are linked to the brain, so too is appetite. Issues like obesity, diabetes, anorexia, bulimia nervosa are a few issues linked to appetite dysregulation. An assessment of published studies, many of which were mice studies, regarding essential oils or fragrant compounds that were said to control food intake and energy. Their findings: 11 essential oils and 22 fragrant compounds intenisified appetite; 12 essential oils and 7 fragrant compounds shrank appetite. How? Several processes involving the sympathetic/parasympathetic nerves, leptin protein hormones, and more. They added that fragrance memory and cognitive processes may also play a role in appetite regulation. Nonetheless, they exposed hope for appetite regulation and eating disorders control using essential oils and fragrant compounds. (3) (We all know that being a bit overweight isn’t good for us, particularly not for those of us with Manchester back pain even though Manchester Chiropractic & Sports Injuries is quite good at managing that!) Manchester Chiropractic & Sports Injuries would think our Manchester chiropractic patients may be more motivated to enjoy peppermint throughout this year’s holiday season!
CONTACT Manchester Chiropractic & Sports Injuries
Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Rudy Kachmann, a neurosurgeon, on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he describes 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 presented at conferences on The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management.
Make your Manchester chiropractic appointment now. Want to share a peppermint candy cane at your next appointment?!
