Nashua Peppermint Comes to the Aid of Cognition & Appetite Regulation!

Peppermint candy canes...don’t these just bring back childhood holiday memories?! Remarkably, peppermint is being found today to actually be good for memory and cognition (as well as appetite control). The hint of peppermint pervades holiday décor, stockings, cocoa, and more! Moriarty Chiropractic wishes our Nashua chiropractic patients and their families a peppermint-filled holiday that will make their journey to Nashua back pain relief and neck pain relief more pleasant!

PEPPERMINT, BRAIN, COGNITION

Researchers and healthcare professionals taking care of Alzheimer's disease and cognitive impairment hope for effective, simple, safe-to-use-long-term therapies. Essential oils are possibly just such therapies. Essential oils are taken from nature’s herbs of which there are many sources that have low toxicity. Researchers offer that these act by lowering the neurotoxicity of amyloid beta (Aβ), anti-oxidative stress, managing the cholinergic (acetylcholine processing in the nervous system) system, and boosting neuroinflammation involving microglia (brain and spinal cord immune cells). (1) In a lab experiment with mice, researchers tested how smelling peppermint essential oil improved learning and memory ability as evidenced by hippocampal CA1 region neurons going back to normal and Aβ deposition falling among other changes that may enhance cognitive function in Alzheimer’s disease. This study also shared a new term – metabolomics, the study of chemical processes encompassing metabolites (small molecules). In this study, such metabolites included arginine, proline, inositol phosphate, cysteine, and methionine. (2) We at Moriarty Chiropractic found these quite fascinating!

PEPPERMINT, BRAIN, APPETITE

Much like cognition and memory are linked to the brain, so too is appetite. Diseases like obesity, diabetes, anorexia, bulimia nervosa are a few diseases associated with appetite dysregulation. An assessment of published studies, many of which were studies done with mice, regarding essential oils or fragrant compounds that were reported to manage food intake and energy. Their findings: 11 essential oils and 22 fragrant compounds intenisified appetite; 12 essential oils and 7 fragrant compounds shrank appetite. How? Several processes involving the sympathetic/parasympathetic nerves, leptin protein hormones, and more. They also stated that fragrance memory and cognitive processes may also contribute to appetite regulation. Nonetheless, they exposed hope for appetite regulation and eating disorders control using essential oils and fragrant compounds. (3) (We all realize that being a bit overweight is not beneficial for us, particularly not for those of us with Nashua back pain even though Moriarty Chiropractic is very good at managing that!) Moriarty Chiropractic would think our Nashua chiropractic patients may be more inclined to enjoy peppermint throughout this year’s holiday season!

CONTACT Moriarty Chiropractic

Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Rudy Kachmann, a neurosurgeon, on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he describes the connection between diabetes and back pain as well as many other conditions like inflammation, back surgery, etc. He mentions the beneficial role chiropractic has in healthcare and back pain management. Dr. Kachmann has spoken at conferences on The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management.

Schedule your Nashua chiropractic appointment today. Share a peppermint candy cane with us at your next visit!