St Peters Peppermint Comes to the Aid of Cognition & Appetite Regulation!
Peppermint candy canes...what lovely childhood memories they arouse! Amazingly, peppermint is being shown in today’s research to actually benefit memory and cognition (and appetite control). The aroma of peppermint permeates holiday décor, stockings, cocoa, and more! Old Mill Chiropractic wishes our St Peters chiropractic patients and their families a peppermint-filled holiday that will make their journey to St Peters back pain relief and neck pain relief more pleasant!
PEPPERMINT, BRAIN, COGNITION
Researchers and healthcare professionals immersed in the care of Alzheimer's disease and cognitive impairment welcome effective, simple, safe-to-use-long-term treatments. Essential oils are potentially just such therapies. Essential oils are extracted from nature’s herbs of which there are many sources that have low toxicity. Researchers propose that these function by lowering the neurotoxicity of amyloid beta (Aβ), anti-oxidative stress, managing the cholinergic (acetylcholine processing in the nervous system) system, and boosting neuroinflammation that involves microglia (brain and spinal cord immune cells). (1) In a mice experiment, researchers tested how smelling peppermint essential oil improved learning and memory ability as seen in hippocampal CA1 region neurons returning to normal and Aβ deposition decreasing among other changes that may improve 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 Old Mill Chiropractic found these so fascinating!
PEPPERMINT, BRAIN, APPETITE
Much like cognition and memory are linked to the brain, so too is appetite. Diseases like obesity, diabetes, anorexia, bulimia nervosa are a few issues associated with appetite dysregulation. A review of published studies, many of which were mice studies, regarding essential oils or fragrant compounds that were said to manage food intake and energy. Their findings: 11 essential oils and 22 fragrant compounds boosted appetite; 12 essential oils and 7 fragrant compounds diminished appetite. How? Several processes engaging 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 employing essential oils and fragrant compounds. (3) (We all know that carrying extra weight around is not beneficial for us, especially not for those of us with St Peters back pain even though Old Mill Chiropractic is quite good at managing that!) Old Mill Chiropractic would think our St Peters chiropractic patients may be more inclined to enjoy peppermint this holiday season!
CONTACT Old Mill 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 talks about the beneficial role chiropractic plays in healthcare and back pain management. Dr. Kachmann has presented at conferences on The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management.
Schedule your St Peters chiropractic appointment soon. Want to share a peppermint candy cane at your next appointment?!
