In our family medical practice in Loveland, we see entire families and grow with us as they age. We perform anything from sports physicals and preventative exams to treating strep throat and ear infections. Being a primary care physician and practicing family medicine is a wonderful way to serve the Loveland community, and as modern medicine continues to develop it continues to amaze us with what is possible. Follow along as we bring you the best of modern medicine and what’s happening in the medical discovery space.
Health and Wellness Medical News
Looking to Lose Weight? A Big Breakfast Could help!
The old adage that “breakfast is the most important meal” may now be supported by science, even suggesting for people to eat a bigger breakfast while reducing the size of their lunch and dinner meals. This approach could be beneficial for those who are looking to support healthy blood sugar levels and lose weight. In a study conducted by Tel Aviv University, it was found that obese adults with type II diabetes lost more weight when incorporating a denser, high-energy breakfast over a three month period. The takeaway — eat more of your calories in the morning with breakfast and eat smaller lunch and dinner meals for an improved blood sugar level and to support your weight loss goals.
Artificial or Low-Calorie Sweeteners May Have a Role in Metabolic Syndrome
Metabolic syndrome can be a precursor to many health issues related to high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high blood sugar, and an increased amount of abdominal fat. People with this condition are more likely to develop type II diabetes and heart disease. Recently a study at George Washington University looked at the interaction of low-calorie sweeteners and adipose (fat) tissue. What was found was that the fat tissue exposed to an obesity-promoting environment while consuming an excess of low-calorie sweeteners, increased fat production and systemic inflammation. The takeaway — while low-calorie sweeteners carry no nutritional value, they seem to increase glucose entry into the body and cells through their glucose transporters. So, if you’re consuming a good amount of low-calorie sweetener coupled with a highly processed diet, the sweetener allows for additional glucose to be absorbed, causing a spike in blood glucose levels.
How Your Brain Triggers A feeling of Satiety: It’s Complicated
It’s been known that the brain mechanisms involved in feeling hungry are very complicated. In a new study, researchers have composed data that links the neurons involved in signaling that fullness is the same neurons that tell us to flee from danger. The study was conducted in a lab with mice that allowed them to stimulate the region and controlling whether it was “on” or “off” and discovered cells they termed as SF1, act as a control switch for the “feed-or-flee” mechanism. The SF1 cells are active in a state of anxiousness and when they begin to feed this state subsides. The takeaway — this study may suggest that obesity and anxiety may somehow be linked and that stressful emotions can be quieted with food. Targeting and controlling this response could help those who suffer from both psychological disturbances and obesity, manage and lose weight more efficiently.
Modern medicine is fascinating in what researchers continue to discover on a daily basis. Today we’ve learned a big breakfast can support weight loss and healthy blood sugar levels, while an excess of low-calorie sweeteners is linked to metabolic syndrome. We’ve also looked at how researchers may have found a link between obesity and anxiety.
While you’re navigating through the marvels of modern medicine and need to schedule an appointment, contact us here at Huneycutt Family Medicine, for innovative family medical care.