Views 2011
December 24, 2011: How does Christmas smell like? Like cinnamon! So say studies by European scientists. And even though the smell of cinnamon is described as "pungent" (besides "warm", 'sweet", and "spicy"), it fires up our brains, evoking a joyful Christmas mood and making us more generous. Cinnamon is classified as a stimulant. Smelling and tasting cinnamon could enhance attention and virtual recognition memory, at least in comparison to smells of peppermint, jasmine or cherries.
December 9, 2011: Can Software help Health care? Apps, apps and more apps. Software is everything and everything runs on software. Almost every industry in the U.S. has been disrupted by software. The health care field is not one of them. Easily accessible consumer information makes everyone a little bit doctor. Emerging portable diagnostic devices will strengthen the transition. Are we up to it?
December 6, 2011: The Road to Ammonia Why do I smell like Ammonia? This question, in thousands of variations, has been asked over and over again at every major question/answer site, especially teen, bodybuilding and athletic forums. The Internet provides plenty of opinions. Medical sites talk about diseases like chronic kidney failure, hepatic cirrhosis or H. pylori infection. Fitness sites recommend drinking more water, reevaluating protein sources and eating more carbohydrates. What are these diet-odor links?
November 12, 2011: Adding red to your diet A number of studies have suggested that a higher intake of lycopene-containing foods decreases the risk of heart disease, prostate cancer, other cancers and infections, even cataracts and asthma. What are the potential side effects?
August 14, 2011: Hold the Starch? Starch is that stuff that stiffens your shirts. It's also what most people eat for fuel. Wheat, rice, corn, oats, potatoes are all very starchy foods. Many popular diet plans call starch a second-rate food that should be avoided at all costs. No-starch and low starch diets are favored by irritable bowel communities, while former Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig and Atkins enthusiasts love the new Carb Lovers Diet praising starch. Yet, there may be something good about starch even for those with sensitive stomachs.
May 30, 2011: Tryptophan in food: Will it make you happy, sleepy or smelly? And the answer is ... either or all of the above. And this is not a complete list of all that can happen. In some rare conditions, for example, tryptophan could also make your pee purple.
April 4, 2011: Much Ado About Bowel Movement Want to manage your toilet metrics? There's an app for that. Actually, multiple apps - like this one recording precise GPS location of bowel events along with their shapes and odors or IBS symptom tracker and GI monitor, approved and designed by gastroenterologists. Yet, the lists of metrics provided by these applications are not complete.
April 1, 2011: The FODMAP diet "Functional gut" symptoms (bloating, wind, abdominal distention, discomfort, pain, altered bowel habits) can be controlled by diet, but most theories of how exactly food components are linked to symptoms are lacking consistency.
February 2, 2011: Colonoscopy for everyone! ..or Gonna Buy Me A Dog New research from Japan brings good news: dogs can be almost as accurate as a colonoscopy exam.