A Short List Of Dopamine Functions (Far More Than Motion), and Action Thoughts - Part I: Brain / Head

It donned on me that in order to really understand the problem of proper dopamine balance, it would first be really useful to sit down and tabulate all of the things that dopamine does, both inside the brain and head and throughout the rest of the body.  Having achieved that, then one can deduce the relationships with anatomy, other chemicals and hormones, behaviour, environment, and strategy.

So I begin with this table of dopamine in the brain and head, along with my initial thoughts:

Dopamine Functions / My Initial Thoughts
Dopamine Function	Area	/My Initial Thought(s)
In Brain / Head:
- Motor Function	Nigrostriatal	Boost Dopamine: Nicotine, Caffeine Tryosine
		Protect Neurons:
		Antioxidants, Chelators, Build Reserves, Increase Circulation & Waste Elimination.
		Eliminate sugar, eat healthy fat, protein, and veggies.
		Minimize PD meds.
- New Learning	Nigrostriatal	Boost Dopamine: Nicotine, Caffeine Tryosine
		Protect Neurons:
		Antioxidants, Chelators, Build Reserves, Increase Circulation & Waste Elimination.
		Eliminate sugar, eat healthy fat, protein, and veggies.
		Minimize PD meds.
- Motivation	Mesocorticolimbic	Boost Dopamine: Nicotine, Caffeine Tryosine
		Protect Neurons:
		Antioxidants, Chelators, Build Reserves, Increase Circulation & Waste Elimination.
		Eliminate sugar, eat healthy fat, protein, and veggies.
		Minimize PD meds.
- Focus	Mesocorticolimbic	Boost Dopamine: Nicotine, Caffeine Tryosine
		Protect Neurons:
		Antioxidants, Chelators, Build Reserves, Increase Circulation & Waste Elimination.
		Eliminate sugar, eat healthy fat, protein, and veggies.
		Minimize PD meds.
- Decision Making	Mesocorticolimbic	Boost Dopamine: Nicotine, Caffeine Tryosine
		Protect Neurons:
		Antioxidants, Chelators, Build Reserves, Increase Circulation & Waste Elimination.
		Eliminate sugar, eat healthy fat, protein, and veggies.
		Minimize PD meds.
- Spatial Working Memory	Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex	Boost Dopamine: Nicotine, Caffeine Tryosine
		Protect Neurons:
		Antioxidants, Chelators, Build Reserves, Increase Circulation & Waste Elimination.
		Eliminate sugar, eat healthy fat, protein, and veggies.
		Minimize PD meds.
- Modulates Daytime Pineal / Pituitary Function, Inhibits Daytime Melatonin, Balances Circadian Rhythm	Pineal / Pituitary	Get Exercise and Sunlight Daily.
		Get Sleep at Night.
		Balance with continuously adjusted melatonin supplement.
- Converted to Dopachrome for Neuromelanin	Whole Dopaminergic System	Get Exercise and Sunlight Daily.
		Get Sleep at Night.
		Balance with continuously adjusted melatonin supplement.
		Build Reserves.
- Stored for Reserve in Neuromelanin	Whole Dopaminergic System	Get Exercise and Sunlight Daily.
		Get Sleep at Night.
		Balance with continuously adjusted melatonin supplement.
		Build Reserves.
- Enables Proper Leg Function Through Hypothalmus	Posterior Hypothalmus	Boost Dopamine: Nicotine, Caffeine Tryosine
		Protect Neurons:
		Antioxidants, Chelators, Build Reserves, Increase Circulation & Waste Elimination.
		Stretching.
- Activates Body Cooling When Hot	Hypothalmus	Stay comfortably warm.
		Avoid rapid heating or cooling.
		Regularly consume spicy food.
- Activates Body Heating When Converted to Norephinephrine	Hyypothalmus	Stay comfortably warm.
		Avoid rapid heating or cooling.
		Regularly consume spicy food.
- Inhibits Prolactin (and Lactation)	Pituitary	Get Exercise and Sunlight Daily.
		Get Sleep at Night.
		Balance with continuously adjusted melatonin supplement.
		Build Reserves.
- Affects Gonadotropin Production	Zona Incerta	Too old to affect puberty now J
- Enhances Daytime Color Vision and Vision Contrast In Bright Light	Eye, Amacrine cells	Explains, in part, why my vision improved! Nasunin took it into my eyes J
Glen J. Pettibone
3/9/2015

Sorry For The Delay

I've been having trouble posting images to Blogger.  It gives me a "lost connection to server" error no matter what computer/ connection I use.  So while I sort this out I apologize for the hiatus in posting. I both learn and teach visually so I am remiss to post without images.  I do have a few interesting nuggets to share though so stay tuned.

Meanwhile enjoy the sixty or so posts here, read the book as you are able,  and I look forward to your questions.

I'd especially like to hear if this info has helped you!

Advice on my Blogger problem appreciated :-)

God Bless

Glen

Fava Bean / Anti-Parkinson's Food Booklet By My Friend Aunt Bean

My friend Aunt Bean from Tennesse has done great work developing ways to exploit fava beans (which contain a natural, more friendly L-Dopa), and other anti-Parkinson's foods.

Since she introduced solanaceous veggies and other foods mentioned in the book (and as we've talked about our diet approaches) this past summer, I gather she's cut her fava tincture consumption by something like 50%.  She says this helps, especially since she can only cultivate and manufacture so much of the tincture.

Below, with her permission, I'm attaching a link to her booklet.  It is fantastic! Like me she wants to get the word out that foods CAN help you if you have PD!

http://www.favabeans.parkinsonsrecovery.com/

Enjoy, and God Bless,

Glen

February Marks Two Years Since I Reversed My Parkinson's

I began changing my diet and exercise program in February 2013.  By April 2013, I spent 3 months with no medication.  In June of 2013, I added back about 5% of my peak dosages and my medication has been flat ever since.  I think my condition is slowly, slightly continuing to improve.

God is good.

Glen

Mmmm ... Fresh Turmeric Root

I've been finding and buying fresh turmeric root at Sprout's farmer's market in northern California where I live.  Just crunching on a half-inch sprig twice daily (chewing like a carrrot) clears the head, calms to tremor, and reduces my daily need for eggplant juice by about 20-25%.

I have also been grating it and sprinkling it on nachos, stew, beans, rice - almost everything.

Works great!

Turmeric stops the misfolding of alpha-synuclein (ala PD), inhibits MAO (sustaining dopamine), and check out all the other benefits outlined in this paper:

http://repository.ias.ac.in/5196/1/306.pdf

Let It Burn - Nuero Nachos

Tried this tonight with great success:

Select organic gluten-free corn tortilla chips, plate on microwaveable plate.

Sprinkle sharp, whole fat cheddar cheese over chips, melt in microwave 30 seconds.

Spread sliced pickled jalapeño peppers heavily over chips. Pour several heaping tablespoons of your favorite low sugar salsa over chips.

Top the pile with whole fat, low sugar, sour cream.

Grate fresh turmeric heavily over sour cream.  Sprinkle turmeric powder,  nutmeg, and Ceylon cinnamon over top.  Pour a little MCT oil or coconut oil at the peak of the pile.

Don't rush to the glass of water.  Let it burn for awhile :-)

I
Enjoy!

God bless
Glen

Peppers Trick Your Brain Into Thinking Your Tongue Is Above 109F ... Dopamine?

As a followup to my December 1 post on body temperature (cooling) regulation by dopamine, it occurred to me that this may explain in part why peppers work as well as they do (apart from the nicotine, solanine, and chaconine previously explained).

The following article explains that peppers fool your brain into thinking your tongue is above 109 degrees Fahrenheit.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2014/02/24/281978831/sriracha-chemistry-how-hot-sauces-perk-up-your-food-and-your-mood

So I think it likely then that peppers trigger a dopamine release in order to initiate cooling, and that when in reality cooling is not actually demanded (because you're not actually hot) - then there is a dopamine surplus for awhile.

So with peppers you've got:

Nicotine - triggering dopamine
Solanin & Chaconine - inhibiting acetylcholinesterase (thereby sustaining acetylcholine)

-- and --  a false hot signal triggering more surplus dopamine.

And with hot sauce you add acetic acid (vinegar) which can produce more acetylcholine when combined with a dietary choline source (soy lecithin, eggs, shrimp).

I'm still trying to determine how dopamine might help control body heating, since I have a bit more tremor when cold.  I'll post on this when I have that epiphany.

Shrimp Tacos, Corn Tortilla, Hot Sauce

PS - I'm still about the same. 

Cheers,

Glen