The Student Body Magazine May 2013

May 2013

TheStudentBody Student health magazine

the importance of breakfast

acancer village inChina benefits of a

gluten-free diet

BRAIN

Obama’s INITIATIVE Meet our new Editor!

Anushka Mehrotra, ‘16 1

The Student Body welcomes you to

Spring

edibles the benefits of a gluten-free diet

10 the importance of breakfast 11 healthy pleasures 12 Paige Kulling

Yoon Jo (Crystal) Chung

Mytien Nguyen

global a cancer village in china

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Judy Wang

discussions Obama’s BRAIN initiative EDITORIAL

06 religion and health 14 Sarah Parauda

Jodie Smith

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Introducing...

The Student Body t

e

a

m

2013-2014 Anushka Mehrotra, 2016 Editor 2012-present

Sarah Parauda, 2014 Editor-in-Chief 2011-present

Jimmy Guo, 2016 Copy Editor 2012-present

Jodie Smith, 2016 Structure/Content Editor 2012-present

Mytien Nguyen, 2014 Graphic Editor 2011-present Judy Wang, 2015 Copy Editor 2013-present

Yoon Jo (Crystal) Chung, 2016 Treasurer 2013-present

Thank you Helen & Susan for your hard work!

We will miss you on the team next year!

Ariel Wampler, 2015 Outreach Chair 2012-present

Alison Jarmas, 2014 Secretary 2012-present

Kathy Zhang, 2016 Assistant Graphic Editor 2012-present Helen Tian, 2014 Editor 2012-2013

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Š The Student Body 2013

Susan Duan, 2013 Treasurer 2010-2013 5

Smart Move Mr. President:

Obama’s

Figure 2. Incidence of traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) in armed force between 2000-2011.

Reproduced from

Figure 1. A biological network diagram of the brain’s frontal, parietal, occipital, and temporal lobes. Reproduced from [3].

BRAIN Initiative

By Sarah Parauda

T

he Student Body magazine would like to take a moment to applaud President Obama’s recent April 2nd launch of the BRAIN initiative (but not necessarily its redundant acronym for “Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies”). According to whitehouse.gov, the initiative will consist of an approximate $100 million investment from the government for the 2014 fiscal year along with solid support from the private sector “to give scientists the tools they need to get a dynamic picture of the brain and better understand how we think, learn, and remember.” National Institutes of Health Director, Dr. Francis Collins, will be the scientific head of the project, along with other prominent researchers in the field.

The Obama administration has spearheaded this initiative in a somewhat politically opportune moment, as we are currently facing a number of tangible, brain-related issues.

The U.S. is now welcoming home its soldiers from Iraq, an estimated 12-16% of whom will be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to recent Army studies. Thousands of these soldiers will also have traumatic brain injuries (TBI), which according to the U.S. Department of Defense

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website is “one of the signature injuries of troops wounded in Afghanistan and Iraq.”

This trend has been most noticeable in the Army branch, where the number of TBI sufferers has spiked from around 5,000 troops in 2000 to nearly 20,000 troops in 2011 (see Figure 2). While the Department of Defense has clearly picked up this trend and has played an important role in researching the nature and scope of these injuries, the BRAIN Initiative could incentivize neutral, third party researchers to pursue this line of study.

In addition, we have an aging baby-boomer population in the United States likely to present an avalanche of cases of neurodegenerative dementias such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease (PD), both known to manifest their symptoms late in life. If allocated wisely, the BRAIN Initiative funds could place emphasis on finding preventions and cures rather than treatments for these and many other age-related neurodegenerative disorders. But we stress the phrase “allocated wisely,” as $100 million can only go so far. We can no longer settle for symptom management alone, as it drains resources with little reward.

Another political tie-in to the BRAIN Initiative is perhaps a bit more abstract. Amid the ongoing debates on gun control, mental illness and our current methods of treatment have become hot button topics. In search of a motive, the press has clumsily attempted to draw connections between Sandy Hook Elementary School shooter Anthony Lanza’s diagnosis of Asperger’s syndrome and his ability to commit such a horrific crime, despite the fact that Aspberger’s is a brain development disorder on the autism spectrum not normally associated with violence.

The recent Boston marathon bombings have prompted the media to discuss the 19-yearold suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s frontal lobe and how its slow development in all teenagers often leads to risky decision-making and lack of foresight. In any event, our brains and behavior are inextricably linked, and such extreme instances of violent behavior remind us of this connection and probe us to ask what went wrong in mission control.

With any luck, the BRAIN Initiative could help make disorders of thought and behavior more transparent, removing stigmas and false assumptions from popular understanding.

the [4].

picture of the underlying brain activity.

However, the government’s investment will in many ways remove the risk for researchers associated with tackling difficult research questions, allowing for more creativity in designing experiments and the technologies that facilitate them.

The BRAIN Initiative arises from a long precedent of U.S. government investment in science and technology, one that has given us computers, landed men on the moon, and mapped the human genome. Of course, with these advancements, ethical dilemmas inevitably arise, so the Obama (and future) administrations should prepare to deal with them appropriately. But at the very least, the Student Body staff remains cautiously optimistic about the future of this BRAIN Initiative and what it will contribute to the current knowledge of neuroscience.

Unfortunately, questions regarding normal and pathological thought processes could be the most difficult to answer. Unlike neurodegenerative disorders, they rarely leave markers that our current technologies can pick up aside from behavioral and imaging evidence—and these can only give a rough

Reproduced from [5]

© The Student Body 2013

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Reproduced from [6-12]

Judy Wang

ACancerVillageinChina

“..the effect of contaminated water supplies has such a pronounced effect on the health of people that areas around the polluted waterways became known as “cancer villages”...regions where rates of cancer are abnormally high. In a study conducted by researchers of Dezhou University, “cancer villages” can include up to 80-100 deaths from cancer in a population of 1200.”

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“D

evelopment first. Environment later.” This Chinese government statement from more than a decade ago, has demonstrated the striking transformation of the People’s Republic of China from a closed agricultural economy into the biggest economic powerhouse of the world. But the “later” environmental aftermath is catching up. The “later” is driving up the risk of lung cancers, respiratory diseases (number one killer in China), and cardiovascular diseases. According to World Health Organization, seven of ten of the earth’s most polluted cities are in China. In fact, in 2010 alone, China’s air pollution has contributed to more than 1.2 million deaths. The Chinese government was reluctant to release information about the air pollution, but recently suggested a staggering 30% increase in air pollutants since 2012.

If the alarming statistics do not demonstrate the gravity of this environmental concern, just take one look outside the skies of a city in China. One of the most visible signs of environmental pollution is the dim haze cast in cities all over the country. According to Barbara Finamore, the director of the Natural Resources Defense Council’s China Program in Beijing, “There are many days where we cannot see the building across the street…It’s a pea soup of pollution.”

The sad reality is that her statement was not exaggerated in any sense. According to the World Bank in 2007, only 1% of China’s urban population breathed air considered safe by European Union standards.

Breathing in air on the polluted streets of China is equivalent to smoking packs of cigarettes daily. © The Student Body 2013

As China accelerated to the second largest energy producer and one of the highest industrialized nations worldwide, the environment not only shouldered the burden of pollution, but also land degradation, forest depletion, and water pollution. Land degradation is caused by soil erosion, desertification, deforestation and salinization. More than one-third (3.56 million square kilometers) of China’s land is eroded while 27% (2.64 million square kilometers) is desertified. Desertification continues to spread and extend its influences on the ecosystems of the world. In the mountain forests of Sichuan and Yunnan, sensitive species of orchid, insect, and reptile were dying out as the temperature warmed. Off the coasts of Liaoning, striped seal populations were declining along with the icebergs (Watt, 218). Damage to the ecosystem and land degradation has profound influences on the world’s biodiversity and human health.

where rates of cancer are abnormally high. In a study conducted by researchers of Dezhou University, “cancer villages” can include up to 80100 deaths from cancer in a population of 1200.

Water pollution and scarcity are other problems posed by China’s industrialization. Coal washing plants would turn rivers completely black for a period of days or even weeks. Not only are 60% of China’s 669 cities experiencing water shortages, but also river water and ground water sources are both polluted. In fact, the effect of contaminated water supplies has such a pronounced effect on the health of people that areas around the polluted waterways became known as “cancer villages”. The government defined Cancer villages as regions

Currently, China’s Ministry for Environmental Protection has announced its plans to track 58 possibly carcinogenic chemicals with a registry. The government proposed to use the data in order to eliminate/reduce chemicals that are causing such an increase in cancer prevalence.

The key to ending this significant concern depends on whether the Chinese government follows through with its promise to take steps in cleaning the air and waterways and starts being responsible to the wellbeing of its people.

We live in an interconnected world; China’s environmental problems also spell trouble for the rest of the world. For one, it can lead to global warming that will affect everyone on earth. Its problems are “regional”, as we can see from the increases in the percentage of acid rain in Japan, Korea, and other international countries. While it is easy to think that as Cornell students, we are far removed from this problem in Ithaca, in fact, smog from China reaches to even faraway places like the United States, threatening the wellbeing of many citizens. Evidently, we see that pollution problems faced in China are not confined to its borders, but rather that these are poised to become international issues.

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A Key to Academic Succes

e live in a world of gluten. Most baked goods, including bread, cake, muffins, and cookies, contain gluten.

Pretzels, crackers, and other snacks are gluten culprits as well. Soy sauce, certain gravies and salad dressings have gluten. Even beer and whiskey contain gluten! Gluten essentially is everywhere. What is gluten? Gluten is a protein that is found in wheat, rye, and barley. Flour, malt, and oats also contain gluten. Gluten is often used as a thickener in dressings and sauces.

I was diagnosed with Celiac disease, a genetic autoimmune disease, in June 2012. Celiac disease is a result of the body attacking itself when gluten is consumed. The consumption triggers the autoimmune response in the small intestine, causing a malabsorption of nutrients. Celiac disease can have a wide range of symptoms that vary person to person but can include migraines, diarrhea, bloating, abdominal pain, and nutrient deficiency. If left untreated, malnutrition, cancer, or infertility may result.

The prevalence in society of celiac disease is estimated to be 1 in 133. There is no cure for Celiac disease.

The only treatment for celiac disease to give up gluten.

Faced with the difficulty of not being able to eat gluten myself, I question why anyone would voluntarily give up this protein found in so many delicious culinary delights. I have to fight the urge to eat cookies and free pizza at all the undergraduate events. Why would someone do this willingly?

However, people are joining the gluten free bandwagon, both for health and weight loss reasons. Lady Gaga is on the gluten free diet. Chelsea Clinton even had gluten free cake at her wedding. But what are the benefits of giving up gluten?

If you experience bloating, fatigue, or stomach problems after eating, you may want to consider giving up gluten temporarily to see if that alleviates your discomfort.

Many people, who do not have Celiac disease, do suffer from some degree of gluten intolerance. By ridding gluten from their diets, many people feel more energized, experience less stomach problems, and suffer from fewer headaches. Decrease in acne breakouts is also correlated with giving up gluten.

As for using gluten free diet to lose weight, if the gluten free diet is followed, most processed foods and junk foods are given up. By doing so, people tend to pay more attention to what they are eating and eat healthier foods.

Since a large chunk of junk foods are gluten containing, junk food intake is minimized. People tend to snack less at social events where only cookies and pizza are offered.

This tends to lead to weight loss.

By Yoon Jo (Crystal) Chung

However, people also tend to mistake the words gluten free to mean automatically healthy. Even if a piece of cake is gluten free, it is still a piece of cake. In fact, many gluten free foods are higher in calories and sugar than their non-gluten free substitutes. If someone eats a ton of gluten free cake, they will probably gain weight.

One of the disadvantages of the gluten-free diet is that going gluten-free is very difficult. Every ingredient list needs to be carefully examined. Those who strictly follow the gluten free diet may be at risk for not getting enough nutrients. By giving up whole wheat bread, fiber may be lost. Eating out at restaurants is also a problem.

Cross-contamination is very common and the knowledge of the gluten free diet ranges between restaurants.

The gluten free diet is not the Atkins diet, although some people confuse the Atkins diet with the gluten free diet. Atkins eliminates carbs altogether while the gluten free diet allows carbs as long as they do not contain gluten.

Rice and corn, two huge components of the gluten free diet, are carbs. Gluten free does not mean carbohydrate free.

Even though I felt like I had to sacrifice the majority of my favorite foods, I feel healthier and lost over 10 pounds in 5 months. I have more energy and have been eating more fruits and veggies while avoiding processed foods. Because most gluten free foods are antibiotic free, I have educated myself on eating meat that was not treated with antibiotics, while also reducing my MSG intake. For me, giving up gluten was a necessity, but I am starting to enjoy how much better I feel.

The bottom line is: if you have symptoms of celiac disease or gluten intolerance, it would not hurt to try giving up gluten. If you want to eat healthier and think gluten free diet is the way to go, just make sure you are getting your nutrients and are really eating healthy foods like lean meats and fresh fruits and veggies, not just gluten free cookies. The gluten free diet is hard to follow, but, depending on the person, the results may be worth it.

the gluten free

CRAZE

By Paige M Kulling

© The Student Body 2013

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M

y mom has lectured me about breakfast ever since I was little. I was never good at waking up early, so I often got cranky whenever she woke me up for some toast and juice. I would tell her that I didn’t have time, and that it wouldn’t hurt if I just missed one meal. But she never once let me go to school on an empty stomach. Interestingly, studies have shown that kids who don’t eat breakfast are actually more likely to be late or absent from school than kids who regularly eat breakfast.

my morning lectures. I felt weirdly exhausted and spent a lot of time thinking about what I wanted to have for lunch.

Breakfast influences us a lot more than we think.

Studies have shown that breakfast provides students with energy they need for memory, concentration, attention, and productivity. Breakfast keeps us healthy by providing important nutrients, vitamins and minerals. It also affects our mood. I’m sure you have found that small situations are more likely to irritate you when you’re hungry than when you’re full and satisfied. So in theory, breakfast can help us behave better and get along with each other.

“Studies have shown that breakfast provides students with energy they need for memory, concentration, attention, and productivity”

After a few weeks into Cornell, I quickly learned to prioritize. I realized that I was never going to have time to do everything I wanted. So I did what was the unthinkable to my mom--I gave up breakfast.

To me, giving up such a meal in exchange for twenty more minutes of sleep was worth it. Additionally, I learned that this was not an uncommon practice for college students. However, I soon observed that I had difficulty paying attention and learning in

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The Importance of BREAKFAST:

Some people believe that skipping a meal can help you lose weight, which is a complete myth. Breakfast does the opposite--it helps you control your weight. You gain more fat when you skip breakfast.

This counterintuitive phenomenon occurs because your body thinks that you’re fasting, so it stores the next meal as fat, thinking you might need it for later.

Additionally, if you skip breakfast, you are prone to making worse meal choices because you are more hungry by lunch time.

A lot of us probably don’t have time to cook a whole meal or go to the dining hall every morning, but we should all at least grab a bar or get a bite of fruit before we run out to class. There are so many options for a quick breakfast these days, from cereal, to oatmeal, to fruit, to even smoothies. Studies say that a healthy breakfast consists of milk, fruit and cereal.

Although it has taken me way too long, I now understand the value and importance of breakfast.

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Healthy Pleasures

By Mytien Nguyen

Imagine a life without indulging yourself once in a while. The perfect healthy person would never drink alcohol or grab that spontaneous cookie bite. In today’s society, an ideal individual is healthy and productive. Current research trends places high importance on preventive measures, controlling your diet and habits to avoid future diseases. We are living in constant fear of developing heart disease or cancer. People have come to avoid the small pleasures in life, even feeling guilty when they do indulge. However, research has shown that indulging yourself in healthy pleasures is a key factor in boosting your mental and physical health.

the z’s pill As college students who are mentally active on a daily basis, we often wrongfully view a good night’s rest as an indulgence, rather than a necessity. In fact, getting enough sleep is important not only for our neural functionality, but also our overall health. Sleep deprivation could lead to depression, difficulty in making decisions, and hypertension. Taking a 30-minute nap every day has also been shown to decrease your risk of suffering a heart attack by 30%.

take time off Giving yourself a break from obligations and your schedule could greatly improve your mental health. Boosting mental health relieves stress and lowers blood pressure, a preventive form of medicine in itself. In addition, studies have shown that taking a break also promotes creative thinking. So if you’re stuck with a paper or find that you can’t focus, close that book and give yourself a couple of hours of unscheduled fun time.

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© The Student Body 2013

those fats You know those fatty foods that you always feel guilty about eating? They are not as bad as you might think. Eating a small portion of monounsaturated fats (found in avocados and vegetable oils) every day could reduce risk of heart disease and stroke. In addition, because fatty food tastes better, you feel more satisfied after a meal.

would you like it dark or light?

Coffee not only keeps your eyes open, but also it has been linked with fighting cancer and lowering your risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s. In addition, a recent study has shown that moderate-coffee drinking lowers your risk of developing Type II diabetes. For coffee lovers, a maximum of two cups of coffee a day should do the job.

wine The antioxidants in wine have shown to keep blood vessels flexible, improve cardiac health. Extremely moderate consumption of wine could also boost your HDL (good) cholesterol level. The key word however is moderate—no more than 5 ounces a day.

Over consumption of wine could leads to high blood pressure and weight gain.

In truth, pleasures vary between individuals. As final exams and projects are rolling around the corner, remember to indulge yourself in your couple weeks of work. I challenge you to find what you enjoy most, and treat yourself to whatever it is regularly. Though these pleasures seem unproductive, taking a break and indulging could contribute to better productivity and health. In addition, elevating your mood has been shown to improve immune system function, keeping you in good health for the important days ahead.

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Can Keeping the Faith Keep You Healthy?

By Jodie Smith

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rowing up, we’ve always been told, “An apple a day will keep the doctor away.” Typically, we associate our health with the external factors of our lifestyle, such as what we put into our bodies, the amount of rest we get, how much we exercise we get, etc. However, it’s common for us to neglect another part of our lifestyle – spirituality.

Dr. Breslow, a public health leader for over seventy years, was the coauthor of the twenty-five year study group of California Mormons, alongside Professor James E. Enstrom of the University of California, Los Angeles. The study was conducted assessing the characteristics of active Mormons through a four-page UCLA lifestyle questionnaire to approximately California High Priest households in December of 1917. The subjects answering the questionnaire were 9,815 people aged from 25 -99 years, including 5,223 High Priests and 4,592 wives. The Cancer Risk Factor Supplement, Epidemiology Study of the 1987 National Health Interview Survey was used to examine those of other religions. The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) provided the health and lifestyle data collected in 1987 on 22, 080 NHIS respondents and the information about 2617 deaths through December 31, 1997. It was discovered that life expectancy of Mormon men was about ten years longer than that of the general population of white American males. Indeed, the longevity effect was seen in those who were not overweight, got plenty of sleep, and exercised. However, it was seen mostly in those who never smoked, went to church weekly, had at least twelve years of education, and were married. Breslow and Enstrom credited the added years

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Thank you for reading The Student Body!

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to the Mormons’ longevity of their lifespan to the benefits of practicing in their faith.

The fact the religious beings tend to have a longer life expectancy may be due to the multiple aspects that come with religion, for instance, the practices. There are many meditative services that are associated with religion that can lower stress levels. Oftentimes, religion forces its followers to reflect upon his or her activities, both bad and good. The process of reflection allows one to identify all of the deeds he or she partakes in. Through reflection, one picks on the negative things being done to the body.

Religion also advocates optimism – preaching to foster a positive outlook on life, which leads to better emotional health. Services promote love, hope, and forgiveness. In keeping a positive and pure state of mind, one lives without emotional burden, which may lead to health issues.

In times of need, religious leaders counsel the worshipers and constantly remind them of the importance of gratitude, another aspect of good mental health.

We often believe that if we follow the apple a day routine, the doctor will stay away. We can make changes to our lifestyles in many ways, for instance, exercise and diet.

However, we often to forget about how our minds, the way we think, impacts our health as well. Studies have shown that spirituality keeps us in touch with body. Being reminded to remain positive, always love, and “let go and let God” correlates to better mental health while promoting us to lead a healthier lifestyle. Keeping the faith might in fact help keep you healthy. © The Student Body 2013

Look forward to our next issue:

October 2013

Photo References 1. h t t p : / / w w w . f l i c k r . c o m / p h o t o s / s e r g i u _ b a c ioiu/4383669505 2. h t t p : / / w w w . f l i c k r . c o m / p h o t o s / s e r g i u _ b a c ioiu/4381745986 3. h t t p : / / w w w . f l i c k r . c o m / p h o t o s / a r e n a m o n t a nus/6335024542/ 4. http://www.defense.gov/home/features/2012/0312_ tbi/chartaf_hires.jpg 5. http://www.flickr.com/photos/lapolab/5140120870 6. http://www.flickr.com/photos/desdegus/3122549784 7. h t t p : / / w w w . f l i c k r . c o m / p h o t o s / s y l v a i n k a lache/3515381454 8. h t t p : / / w w w . f l i c k r . c o m / p h o t o s / s y l v a i n k a lache/3514616443 9. http://www.flickr.com/photos/heroiclife/8499918903 10. h t t p : / / w w w . f l i c k r . c o m / p h o t o s / d a i n i s m a t i sons/6265691659 11. h t t p : / / w w w . f l i c k r . c o m / p h o t o s / d a i n i s m a t i -

sons/6130792616 12. h t t p : / / w w w . f l i c k r . c o m / p h o t o s / d a i n i s m a t i sons/5920779179 13. h t t p : / / u p l o a d . w i k i m e d i a . o r g / w i k i p e d i a / c o m mons/3/39/Supreme_pizza.png 14. http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8311/7957380230_ d8f084d404_o.jpg 15. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/ b9/Chocolate_Chip_Cookies_-_kimberlykv.jpg 16. http://fc04.deviantart.net/fs36/i/2009/183/4/6/ Cake_8___Stock_by_Sassy_Stock.jpg 17. http://www.flickr.com/photos/mytudut/5208476408/ 18. ttp://pixabay.com/en/black-food-bowl-white-cartoon-32143/ 19. h t t p : / / w w w . f l i c k r . c o m / p h o t o s / t r a v i s j m a d i son/7852338032 20. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Creation_of_ the_Sun_and_Moon_face_detail.jpg

Be Heard.

Write or design for The Student Body.

Contact: Sarah Parauda (scp69) Mytien Nguyen (mtn29)

The Student Body is an undergraduate student organization affiliated with Gannett University Health Services. Publication of The Student Body is funded by SAFC. The contents of The Student Body are the works of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views or beliefs of the organization, its affiliates, advisers, or Cornell University.

This issue was produced by:

Mytien Nguyen, Becky Roh, Ali Soong, and Kathy Zhang

The Student Body Š 2013