Dopamine

Jenny Smiechowski

The best feel-good foods by age group

Have you ever woken up feeling irritable or down for no apparent reason? Scientists are learning that some foods can set you up for a happy, positive mood, while others leave you feeling depressed, anxious and irritable. And these foods and feelings change with age…

Carolyn Gretton

Matcha tea: Nature’s antidepressant in a cup

It’s not uncommon to feel down on occasion. But persistent feelings of sadness that impact daily life could indicate depression. Even with treatment, up to a third feel left out in the cold. With those odds, it’s helpful to know a warm cup of the right tea could help.

Joyce Hollman

10 neurotoxic pesticides linked to Parkinson’s

A cure for Parkinson’s has been elusive. But one thing’s for sure: the death of dopamine-producing neurons is a hallmark of the disease. Research has identified 10 commonly used pesticides toxic to those neurons linked directly to Parkinson’s development.

Joyce Hollman

The brain-changing effects of one more fatty, sugary treat

Sugar and fat. These ingredients are the fuel behind diabetes, fatty liver disease and heart disease. Yet we crave them, so much so that you might even think that sugar hijacks your brain, causing you to eat more and more of it. According to the research, you’d be correct.

Virginia Tims-Lawson

The vitamin deficiency behind restless legs

Being plagued by restless legs can make a good night’s sleep more than difficult. For far too long, RLS has been a miserable and poorly understood condition. But a link between a common vitamin deficiency and a neurotransmitter that may kick off the RLS cycle is stacking up…

Joyce Hollman

The ‘invisible’ chemical increasing Parkinson’s diagnoses

Trichloroethylene is a chemical used in manufacturing as a solvent and degreaser. Up until the 1970s, it was used to decaffeinate coffee, of all things. Now, there’s a strong possibility it’s increasing cases of Parkinson’s disease…