The Verdict is In: Feel-Good Exercise Hormone Irisin Is Real

August 19, 2015 | by Eliza Berlage

Scientists in the US have found that a feel-good exercise hormone called irisin does indeed exist in humans, putting to bed long-disputed claims that it is a myth.

The research team, led by Bruce Spiegelman from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, used mass spectrometry to look for irisin in blood samples of individuals after exercise, finding that these people had released the exercise hormone from their body, which activates fat cells to increase energy turn over.

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Losing muscle power as we age: A fat molecule may be a factor in the decline of strength

by Julie Flaherty
August 12, 2013

As people get older, fat tissue inevitably takes up residence in their muscles, but some of that fat may be particularly damaging. A small study conducted at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (HNRCA) suggests that buildup of a fat molecule known as ceramide might play a leading role in muscle deterioration in older adults.

The study enrolled 10 men in their mid-70s and nine men in their early 20s. None was overweight, and none had exercised in six months. The researchers, including first author Donato Rivas, an HNRCA scientist, took muscle biopsies before and after the participants performed a single round of leg exercises to examine how the workout affected muscle growth. Their analysis showed that two types of ceramide molecules were higher in the older men.

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Inflammation the New Silent Killer Learn How to Stop it Dead in it’s Tracks

High blood pressure has always been known as the silent killer, but inflammation is steadily becoming the new kid on the block with regard to serious underlying health conditions. Conditions caused singlehandedly by lifestyle that can be silent but deadly, affecting every facet of our health, leading to the development and progression of many diseases. Inflammation, at its core, is the body’s effort to fight infection. In an acute situation, this is Mother Nature at her finest, protecting your body from bacterial and viral invaders. After the “war” is won, your body goes back to its normal state of affairs and the inflammation subsides. However, when we continually expose our bodies to injury through stress and foods that our bodies were never designed to process (trans-fats, sugar, refined grains, etc.), chronic inflammation occurs.

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Bio-identical vs synthetic hormones

The Bioidentical Hormone Debate: are Bioidentical Hormones (estradiol, estriol, and Progesterone) safer or More efficacious than Commonly used synthetic Versions in Hormone replacement therapy? Abstract Background: The use of bioidentical hormones, including progesterone, estradiol, and estriol, in hormone replacement therapy (HRT) has sparked intense debate. Of special concern is their relative safety compared with traditional synthetic and animal-derived versions, such as conjugated equine estrogens (CEE), medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA), and other synthetic progestins. Proponents for bioidentical hormones claim that they are safer than comparable synthetic and nonhuman versions of HRT. Yet according to the US Food and Drug Administration and The Endocrine Society, there is little or no evidence to support claims that bioidentical hormones are safer or more effective.

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