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Brain regulates cholesterol in blood, study suggests
BBC ^ | June 06, 2010 | Emma Wilkinson

Posted on 06/27/2010 10:19:52 PM PDT by CutePuppy

The amount of cholesterol circulating in the bloodstream is partly regulated by the brain, a study in mice suggests.

It counters assumptions that levels are solely controlled by what we eat and by cholesterol production in the liver.

The US study in Nature Neuroscience found that a hunger hormone in the brain acts as the "remote control" for cholesterol travelling round the body.

Too much cholesterol causes hardened fatty arteries, raising the risk of a heart attack.

The research carried out by a US team at the University of Cincinnati found that increased levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin in mice caused the animals to develop higher levels of blood-circulating cholesterol.

Levels in the blood rise because signals from the brain prompt the liver to store less cholesterol, the researchers said.

It is known that ghrelin inhibits a receptor in the brain in its role in regulating food intake and energy use.

In a separate experiment, they found that blocking this receptor in mice also increased levels of cholesterol in the blood.

Potential treatment

The researchers said the finding needs to be replicated in humans but potentially opens up a new way of treating high cholesterol.

Study leader Professor Matthias Tschoep said: "We have long thought that cholesterol is exclusively regulated through dietary absorption or synthesis and secretion by the liver.

"Our study shows for the first time that cholesterol is also under direct 'remote control' by specific neurocircuitry in the central nervous system."

Fotini Rozakeas, cardiac nurse at British Heart Foundation, said: "This interesting study on mice shows for the first time that blood cholesterol levels can be directly controlled by signals transmitted from the brain to the liver where cholesterol is formed.

"This could potentially open up new forms of treatment to control cholesterol levels..."

.....

(Excerpt) Read more at news.bbc.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: brain; brainscan; cholesterol; health; liedetector; polygraph; vitamind; vitamins; vitd
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Mind over matter!
1 posted on 06/27/2010 10:20:00 PM PDT by CutePuppy
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To: CutePuppy

WHICH kind of cholesterol????


2 posted on 06/27/2010 10:22:01 PM PDT by goodnesswins (DEMOCRATS LOSE.....America WINS!)
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To: CutePuppy

I guess they aren’t satisfied with screwing up livers and muscles, now they want some new drug that messes with our brains.

This attack on cholesterol is a giant con job.


3 posted on 06/27/2010 10:23:14 PM PDT by Pining_4_TX
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To: CutePuppy

move over brain, Obama will be regulating cholesterol in blood from now on.


4 posted on 06/27/2010 10:23:17 PM PDT by RC one (WHAT!!!!)
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To: Pining_4_TX

diet and exercise would probably be healthier than zocor and lipitor.


5 posted on 06/27/2010 10:25:36 PM PDT by RC one (WHAT!!!!)
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To: CutePuppy
On the other hand...

Brain scans being misused as lie detectors, experts say - BBC, 2010 June 06, by Caroline Parkinson


6 posted on 06/27/2010 10:26:02 PM PDT by CutePuppy (If you don't ask the right questions you may not get the right answers)
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To: CutePuppy

Nolan Strong and The Diablos : Mind Over Matter , 1962 Fortune Records

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGko6th_7ko


7 posted on 06/27/2010 10:28:43 PM PDT by sheikdetailfeather (Who needs an enemy when we have Barack Obama?)
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To: goodnesswins
WHICH kind of cholesterol????

Since our brains are so powerful, then probably both HDL and LDL... As long as we know what the "good" numbers are, we tell the brain, brain tells the ghrelin gremlins, and they tell HDL to increase and LDL to decrease, to shape up or ship out.

Simple... once we know "who" is responsible for "what".

8 posted on 06/27/2010 10:35:20 PM PDT by CutePuppy (If you don't ask the right questions you may not get the right answers)
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To: CutePuppy

“Mind over matter!”

If you don’t mind it don’t matter!


9 posted on 06/27/2010 10:36:00 PM PDT by Lurkina.n.Learnin (Healthcare adds 16,000 new IRS agents and zero new doctors???)
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To: decimon; LucyT; JoeProBono; SunkenCiv; neverdem
Like, *PING*, dudes and dude-ettes.

Cheers!

10 posted on 06/27/2010 10:37:37 PM PDT by grey_whiskers (The opinions are solely those of the author and are subject to change without notice.)
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To: sheikdetailfeather
I suppose the phrase was popularized in the 1960s... though I was referring to the Twilight Zone episode.
11 posted on 06/27/2010 10:38:19 PM PDT by CutePuppy (If you don't ask the right questions you may not get the right answers)
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To: CutePuppy
Mind over matter!

Beyond wisdom of "you are what you eat" - have always added that as importantly; if not moreso; we are what we 'think' we eat/lol.

So what now; diet pills for cholesterol or hypnosis!

12 posted on 06/27/2010 10:39:00 PM PDT by cricket ('flies don't lie')
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To: Lurkina.n.Learnin
“Mind over matter!”
If you don’t mind it don’t matter!

I bet you say this to all the girls... ;-)
13 posted on 06/27/2010 10:40:44 PM PDT by CutePuppy (If you don't ask the right questions you may not get the right answers)
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To: CutePuppy
"The amount of cholesterol circulating in the bloodstream is partly regulated by the brain, a study in mice suggests."

Since I'm not a mouse I won't concern myself with this.

14 posted on 06/27/2010 10:41:17 PM PDT by blackbart.223 (I live in Northern Nevada. Reid doesn't represent me.)
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To: CutePuppy; All
Asphalt causes pot holes.

Dead doctors don't lie.

Is it so hard to study why the arteries get hard and crack despite low cholesterol intake, or why some folks don't get them at all, no matter what their diet is?

The cure is in the cause folks.

15 posted on 06/27/2010 10:41:49 PM PDT by PeaceBeWithYou (De Oppresso Liber! (50 million and counting in Afganistan and Iraq))
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To: sheikdetailfeather
That sucks.

No wonder I've never heard of it.

This is from the same era but much, much better.

Sea Of Love

16 posted on 06/27/2010 10:43:22 PM PDT by blam
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To: cricket
So what now; diet pills for cholesterol or hypnosis!

Now that we may have a "choice", I guess whatever tickles you the most. :-)

17 posted on 06/27/2010 10:43:22 PM PDT by CutePuppy (If you don't ask the right questions you may not get the right answers)
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To: RC one

YEP...what you said....I changed my diet to primarily CAVEMAN, heavy protein....watched my bad (small, dense, non bouyant) LDL improve.....I already exercise...


18 posted on 06/27/2010 10:46:26 PM PDT by goodnesswins (DEMOCRATS LOSE.....America WINS!)
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To: CutePuppy

It would be interesting to see the impact of a sedentary lifestyle with a diet high in processed sugars on the brain, especially the impact of repeated high/low blood sugar cycles.

I have a feeling the entire US population has become lab rats as we moved into the world of processed foods and universal car ownership.


19 posted on 06/27/2010 10:47:50 PM PDT by MediaMole
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To: MediaMole

The goal is for the entire population to be on medication....for life...


20 posted on 06/27/2010 10:48:39 PM PDT by Sacajaweau (What)
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