Insulin Nasal Spray Slows Down Alzheimer's

A special insulin delivery system may help to slow down the progress of Alzheimer's disease in some people, according to a new study from the University of Washington. Researchers have developed an insulin nasal spray that appears to improve memory and protect cognition in people with Alzheimer's or "mild cognitive impairment".

In recent years researchers have found a strong connection between insulin resistance (which causes type 2 diabetes) and the development of Alzheimer's disease. For some reasons the brains of Alzheimer's patients don't have enough insulin hormone or aren't able to metabolize insulin that is present. But giving insulin via the normal methods -- such as injection -- does not solve the problem and can actually be very risky.

The new spray delivers insulin close to the brain by inserting it into the sinus cavity. From there it is able to travel along nerve cells and reach the brain with 20 minutes. The researchers said they were surprised that so many study participants benefited from the medication (most Alzheimer's treatments only work for a small percentage of patients).

Experts warn, however, that it will take some time and much more research before a consumer product is available to the public.

Learn some mo': Insulin nasal spray may slow Alzheimer's

Study: Pesticides Cause Hyperactivity in Children

Ingesting pesticides may lead to your child developing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to a new US study. Research published in the journal Pediatrics showed that common pesticide chemicals found in food and also in the home significantly increases the risk of ADHD in kids.

The researchers concluded that parents should try to buy organic, pesticide-free foods for their children. Also, women who are trying to become pregnant should begin eating a mostly organic diet at least 6 months before conception, then throughout the pregnancy, continuing until the baby has stopped breast feeding.

According to public health expert Phil Landrigan, MD:

"It's mainly exposure through food. Diet is the driver... For most people, diet is the predominant source. It's been shown that people who switch to an organic diet knock down the levels of pesticide by-products in their urine by 85 to 90 percent."

Many experts believe it's also important to reduce or eliminate the amount of toxic pesticides in and around your home. That means using organic gardening and weed-control methods, as well as non-toxic bug/pest control methods.

We say: It's a damn shame that kids in in the United States -- and much of the world for that matter -- have to endure constant exposure to dangerous pesticides and other environmental chemicals. If we know that certain pesticides cause harm in kids -- especially those designed to alter the neurological systems of pests -- why are they still legal to be used in our food production systems??

Learn some mo': Pesticides in food linked to ADHD in kids

Weight Watchers Diet Works! (According to Weight Watchers-Funded Study)

According to a new study, people following the super-popular Weight Watchers dieting program for a year were able to lose 15 pounds -- two times as much as people who followed normal medical weight loss advice from a doctor or nurse. The research was funded by the Weight Watchers corporation. But it was published in a very well-respected medical journal called the Lancet... so it's probably not total BS!

Researchers followed nearly 800 obese and overweight people for 12 months. Half of them followed the Weight Watchers program and half attended special 1-on-1 "weight management" meetings with their doctor every month. About 60% of the Weight Watchers group stuck with the program for the entire year and lost 15 lbs. Even those who dropped out lost weight, about 11 pounds on average.

Experts believe that the social/group support/accountability aspect of Weight Watchers -- which includes weekly weight-ins to track progress -- is what makes it more effective than typical medical weight loss approaches. According to Dr. Michael Jensen from the Mayo Clinic:

"It's not terribly surprising that a group whose whole career is basically helping people with weight management would do a better job than a primary-care group that has a lot more responsibilities on top of that."

Other commercial weight loss programs -- like Jenny Craig, Nutrisystem, and other pre-packaged diet food programs -- have provided similar results in other studies. In fact, a 2010 study funded by Jenny Craig found that women were able to lose about 20 pounds in a year while using the program.

We say: We think weight loss and fitness programs that involve healthy amounts of social peer pressure are going to become more and more popular -- because they work. There's nothing worse than being the only person in a social support group who's actually getting fatter!

Learn some mo': Dieters in Weight Watchers study drop up to 15 pounds in a year

Video: Hurricane Irene from Space

Hurricane Irene is set to do some major damage to the east coast of the United States in the next couple of days. Astronauts sitting on the International Space Station got an interesting view of the monster storm barreling up the Atlantic ocean. Here's a great video of what they're seeing 220 miles above the Earth's surface:



We say: DANG that's a scary-looking storm! Glad we live in Nevada. Good luck New Jersey!

Learn some mo': Hurricane Irene 'Big, Scary Storm,' Astronaut Says

Fewer Debit Card Rewards Programs, More Fees Coming from US Banks

Paying for things with a debit card has become extremely common in the United States, but that may soon change. US banks are getting rid of popular debit card rewards programs and, in some cases, charging monthly fees to customers who use them.

Debit card rewards programs usually offer special "points" awarded every time a card is used to make a purchase. Sometimes points are also rewarded for making minimum monthly deposits or for carrying a high checking or savings account balance. Customers can redeem the points for gift cards, popular electronics, or even cash in many cases.

Wells Fargo, one of the country's biggest banks, has just announced that they will end their debit card rewards program for both existing and new customers in October. Several other banks will probably me taking similar steps in the near future.

Why is this happening? Because of new federal regulations that limit "swipe" fees banks charge retailers for processing debit card transactions. Banks claim the new laws force them to make up for lost "interchange-fee income", which is why they're ending debit card rewards programs and, in some cases, adding new fees to checking/debit card accounts. Banks claim that the new fees will not apply to ATM transactions.

We say: We already pay WAY more than enough for our Wells Fargo and Bank of America accounts here in Nevada, which just so happens to be one of the "test" states for the new Wells Fargo debit card fees. Looks like it's time to start paying for everything with cash... which sucks!! They better at least keep the new fees low... :P

Learn some mo': Banks Test Monthly Fees for Debit Cards