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New Theories / How wrong is the Serotonin theory of depression?

« on: 30/06/2023 15:26:29 »

With even more fresh doubt being raised among experts concerning the theory linking lack of serotonin with depression can I put forward an alternative hypothesis.
Carbon dioxide blood levels.
In days gone by we used to be more active, for example we would walk a lot more and carry out manual work. Our bodies had a natural breathing rhythm which was much deeper than our current day breathing rhythm. The deeper breathing would expel more carbon dioxide from our bodies, wheras today's shallower breathing allows a build up of carbon dioxide.
Any excess carbon dioxide is dissolved in water and enters the bloodstream as carbonic acid. This reduces the PH  and turns the blood acidic. The homeostatic PH control should kick in and release bicarbonate ions and increase the depth of breath to expel more carbon dioxide.
However, what if the amygdala has reacted quicker to the PH threat and gone into fight or flight mode?
Your kidneys have turned off, so do not release any bicarbonate ions and your alveoli have gone into maximising oxygen mode meaning more carbon dioxide is being reabsorbed into the bloodstream multiplying the amygdala response.
Fight or flight response would logically lead to a panic or anxiety attack where the body will eventually recover naturally. Thus we can link carbon dioxide to panic and anxiety attacks.
If the blood levels of carbon dioxide are constantly heightened but not enough to go into a full panic attack then the brain can be under a threat of constant low level anxiety, which can be a classic symptom of depression.
Thus my alternative hypothesis indicates poor carbon dioxide clearance sets off an amygdala response leading to a variety of mental health symptoms which may include depression. If we can sequester the carbon dioxide (or carbonic acid) we may reduce the amygdala response and resolve the depression.

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Physiology & Medicine / Can taking a pint of blood off the body reduce your blood pressure?

« on: 26/03/2023 14:31:55 »

A friend had a stroke and the hospital struggled to reduce her blood pressure of 200+/100+.
As the body contains around 10 pints in a closed system would it not be logical to remove a pint to reduce the pressure by 10%?

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New Theories / Is there a biological explanation for depression, as opposed to chemical?

« on: 04/02/2023 17:17:10 »

With some doubt on the current chemical hypothesis of depression I would like to offer an alternative biological hypothesis; Worms.
In 2021 the ship 'Ever Given' got stuck in the Suez Canal for a week and created chaos throughout the world for many months. What if worms are getting stuck (maybe deliberately) in the channels between synapses and getting high on the 'free' serotonin in the neighbourhood?
A lack of serotonin has been the current hypothesis for a generation or more but current research casts some doubt on the theory. Most serotonin is protein bound and the only 'free unbound' serotonin is found in the brain where it is a neurotransmitter passing messages by diffusion across the synaptic gap.
Our biome is coming more under scrutiny in all fields of illness. It is important to remember that this includes other organisms as well as bacteria which get most headlines. There are over 300 species of worms known to inhabit the human gut, and, as we have never really looked, no doubt numerous unknown species. Worms use serotonin to aid their motility. (however, I suspect they use it as a drug, get high and dance). As there is little free serotonin in the area they migrate to the brain via the vagus nerve
In the brain they occupy the synapses and bathe in free serotonin. This dilutes the happiness message in the brain and makes the human miserable and depressed.
SSRIs will increase the free serotonin allowing some happiness message to spread as the worms can only absorb a finite amount. Thus, SSRI treatment does have some success.
As the worms die off in their natural cycle the channel blockage will fluctuate naturally.
Worm treatments are cheap and effective. We worm our animals regularly but not ourselves.
 There is no money in this theory for big pharma so do not expect any research, but there is little to stop any GP running a small trial among his depressed patient cohort and all the drugs needed are well known so can be used freely.
Thoughts please?

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Technology / Electricity Generation via treadmill. Can one person generate enough?

« on: 19/01/2023 22:58:28 »

Could one person on a treadmill supply a worthwhile amount of electricity to the grid?

5

The Environment / Can we turn dog poo into a resource?

« on: 16/06/2022 21:41:33 »

We traditionally use animal manure as a natural fertiliser, yet reject dog poo used in the same way.
I understand some of the drawbacks but surely there are some work arounds that would turn muck into money?

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COVID-19 / Covid / vaccine related heart problems - anecdotal or proven?

« on: 22/03/2022 23:11:25 »

Are stories of Covid / vaccine related heart problems simply anecdotal or are there any statistics to prove or disprove this growing belief.

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New Theories / Is this why Ivermectin appeared to be the answer to Covid?

« on: 12/03/2022 21:56:26 »

How did Ivermectin trick us into believing it was a cure for Covid?
An alternative theory.
Searching for relief of my own depression I theorised that one (or more) of the many human parasitical worms were responsible for depleting the amount of serotonin available to the host (me). Subsequently, taking the worm medicine Mebendazole improved my mood tremendously.
Around the same time, Ivermectin was being promoted as the cure for Covid.
Using my research on worms and depression I propose that Ivermectin was simply killing off any undiagnosed worm infection and allowing an increase in serotonin levels leading to an improved mood.
At the time there was a collective mass hysteria that if you did not feel well you must have Covid. Thus if you felt well you did not have Covid.
My theory is that the Ivermectin was killing any worm infection leading to an increase in serotonin levels and an increase in good mood which was misinterpreted as being Covid free.
From this theory I also postulate that worms are responsible for low mood in humans and anti parasitic worm medicine should be investigated as a novel anti-depressant.

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New Theories / Can we freeze carbon dioxide and send it into space?

« on: 09/11/2021 23:04:12 »

We can freeze carbon dioxide.
Can we not produce a propulsion system to send it into space like a home grown comet?

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Plant Sciences, Zoology & Evolution / Can we grow Walnuts in the UK?

« on: 24/06/2021 23:54:41 »

Can we grow walnut trees and harvest walnuts in the UK?
A healthy superfood growing in everyones back garden/town park? Free pick your own food?
If we cannot grow them in our climate could they be a valuable cash crop in many countries just getting by with subsistence farming?

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The Environment / Is it safe to dispose of dog poo down a street drain?

« on: 21/12/2020 20:42:56 »

If everyone disposed of dog poo down a street drain would this cause problems at the sewerage works? Would this be better for the environment than disposing of it in plastic bagged household waste.?

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Plant Sciences, Zoology & Evolution / Can we use Japanese Knotweed to green the deserts?

« on: 18/12/2020 23:12:29 »

Could we use the invasive nature of Japanese knotweed to turn areas of desert into useful arable land?

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Physiology & Medicine / If sugar is more addictive than Heroin can we use Glucose injection as treatment

« on: 19/11/2020 23:50:03 »

Sugar intake is responsible for the country's obesity problem.
 Research indicates sugar is as addictive as Heroin and stimulates the same pleasure pathways in the brain.
Therefore why do we not use Glucose injection as an addiction treatment?

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New Theories / How homeopathy works??

« on: 30/09/2020 23:31:44 »

We spend billions colliding atoms to see what happens. We discover the smallest of particles and research them for the advancement of mankind. Let's say we discover that the Higgs boson could be harnessed as a superior particle beam treatment for cancer, we would consider this to be the medical discovery of the century.
What if Homeopathy worked via this same principle?
When a substance is diluted in homeopathy succussion is part of the process, traditionally the dilution was potentised by violent tapping on a leather bound book. What if this process collides the atoms of the remedy into sub atomic particles that exert the claimed effects at currently known scientifically impossible dilutions?
Obviously nobody would spend billions trying to find these sub atomic particles and if it were true everyone would treat themselves and medicine would be exiled to the history books.
Thoughts?