In recent years, Reishi has also attracted international attention as scientific studies have investigated its potential health-promoting properties. 
 
A systematic review of 5 randomized controlled trials found that reishi may help lower blood pressure and improve cardiovascular health. Another review of 13 studies showed that reishi may be helpful in improving immune function and modulating the immune system. 
 
A third systematic review of 4 randomized controlled trials found that reishi may help relieve asthma symptoms. Another study showed that Reishi may be helpful in reducing sleep disturbances and improving sleep quality. 
 
In addition, some in vitro studies have shown that Reishi may have antitumor and antiviral properties, although further research is needed to confirm the clinical relevance of these findings. 
 
Overall, these studies suggest that reishi may be a promising adjunct to traditional medicine and may be helpful in treating various diseases. However, further studies are needed to determine the exact effect and dosage of reishi in the treatment of diseases.
 
**Guest post by:**

- [MIND&MATTER](https://www.mindandmatter.io/?lang=de)

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Vitalpilz Reishi: Was die Forschung sagt

Vital mushroom Reishi: State of research

Tyrosine is a non-essential amino acid that is found in our natural foods and plays an important role in our body. It is found in spinach, cheese, fruits and many other foods that we eat every day. Tyrosine increases the production of dopamine, the happiness chemical in our brain. This promotes some important functions of our thinking such as the ability to concentrate, solution orientation and our focus.

Three researchers from the University of Leiden in the Netherlands wanted to take a closer look at the amino acid L-tyrosine and its influence on our brain. As part of a study that looked at food and its influence on creativity, they examined whether tyrosine is an influencing factor on creative thinking.

They investigated whether the amino acid L-tyrosine (TYR) promotes creativity in convergent and divergent brainteasers. The basic assumption was that tyrosine, as a biochemical precursor of dopamine, is able to promote cognitive control and creativity in humans.

Colzato and his team recruited a total of 32 subjects to take part in the study. They should come to a test laboratory in two rounds of examinations and drink orange juice both times. In the first round of the study, the orange juice was supplemented with tyrosine; in the second round, the researchers used a placebo. The subjects were then given the task of solving various puzzles that addressed two main aspects of creative thinking:

-   Divergent thinking: This is about finding solutions to simple problems. For example, the idea of ​​what you could do with a pen.
-   Convergent thinking: This is about long and complex thinking. For example, thinking about a connection between three words that at first glance have nothing to do with each other.

It was found that there is no clear evidence that tyrosine actually has a positive influence on divergent thinking, in this case brainstorming. However, support for convergent and deeper thinking through tyrosine could be determined. The researchers went on to say that convergent thinking may require greater cognitive control, and that tyrosine may facilitate control of the brain's creative processes.

It can thus be concluded that tyrosine is able to support these processes. Basically, the researchers concluded that the food we eat can actually affect the way we think.

**Citation**
- Colzato, Lorenza S. et al. “Food for creativity: tyrosine promotes deep thinking.” _Psychological Research_ 79 (2015): 709-714.

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L-Tyrosin unter Beobachtung- Der Effekt der Aminosäure auf unser Denken

L-tyrosine under observation- The effect of the amino acid on our thinking

A group of researchers conducted a study in 2005 on the medicinal plant Cat's Claw. Cat's claw is said to have certain healing properties for use against a variety of diseases, providing long-term symptomatic relief and eliminating discomfort.

In the study, the researchers wanted to determine how a mineral supplement called Sierrasil performed alone and in combination with the medicinal plant cat's claw (Uncaria guianensis) in the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee.

For this purpose, a total of 107 patients with mild to moderate osteoarthritis of the knee were divided into four groups. This was done as part of a randomized study, i.e. the patients were randomly assigned to one of the groups. In addition, this was a double-blind study; none of the study participants or physicians knew which of the participants received which active ingredient and who received the placebo.

The first group received high-dose Sierrasil in the form of 3 g per day, while the second group was treated with a low-dose Sierrasil (2 g/day). The third group was given 2 g of Sierrasil per day in combination with 100 mg of cat's claw extract per day, and the last group received a placebo. This medication was administered to the patients for a period of 8 weeks. 

The success of the different therapies was measured using two units of measurement. Primary efficacy variables were the so-called WOMAC scores. Secondary variables were the visual analog score (VAS). Pain, consumption of emergency medication (paracetamol), and tolerability of the agents were recorded. For safety, patients' vital signs were regularly observed as well as laboratory tests of certain values.

The observation period ended with 91 of 107 patients completing the protocol. An improvement in WOMAC and VAS scores (p < 0.001) was observed in all study participants from the four groups after 8 weeks. In all three groups receiving Sierrasil, the magnitude of benefit was greater than placebo (WOMAC Total 38-43% vs. 27%). No significant benefit was seen in those treated with placebo at 4 weeks (11% decrease in WOMAC Total).

After only 1-2 weeks, the scores of study participants taking the drug Sierrasil alone and that in combination with the herb cat's claw improved. This suggests that cat's claw is a good treatment option for osteoarthritis. However, further studies are needed to determine the full potential of the natural remedy.

**Citation**
- Miller MJ, Mehta K, Kunte S, Raut V, Gala J, Dhumale R, Shukla A, Tupalli H, Parikh H, Bobrowski P, Chaudhary J. Early relief of osteoarthritis symptoms with a natural mineral supplement and a herbomineral combination: a randomized controlled trial \[ISRCTN38432711\]. J Inflamm (Lond). 2005 Oct 21;2:11. doi: 10.1186/1476-9255-2-11. PMID: 16242032; PMCID: PMC1276811.

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Katzenkralle im Einsatz gegen Arthrose Erkrankungen- Eine kontrollierte Studie

Cat's claw in use against arthritis diseases - a controlled study

Everyone knows such situations. You're sitting in front of an important paper on your laptop, you need to study for an exam, or you're actually concentrating on a mountain of work, but constantly get distracted. And that is from push notifications on the mobile screen. A message from your girlfriend, a hint from an app, the latest news of the day - the notifications that pop up constantly interfere with what's important. A 2017 U.S. study conducted research on the effects of not receiving push notifications for 24 hours. The results are close, yet stunning.

Researchers hypothesized that not receiving notifications would have positive effects on subjects, making them feel less distracted and more productive. Previous studies showed that sudden absence can have negative effects. People felt less connected to others and even more anxious because they were no longer able to adhere to social norms regarding responsiveness. 

Notifications on electronic devices are therefore said to have such negative effects, as they have been shown to trigger stress. In particular, notifications on multiple devices at the same time led to increased stress levels in subjects.

The researchers of the U.S. study asked 30 volunteers to turn off the notification function on all their devices for 24 hours. They compared the self-reported feedback of that day without notifications with that of a normal day. It turned out that notifications put participants in a dilemma. On the one hand, they felt less distracted and were more productive without notifications. On the other hand, they also felt less responsive as expected, which made some participants feel insecure. In addition, they felt less connected to their own social group. Following this experiment, two-thirds of the participants announced their intention to reduce their consumption of notifications and keep them turned off.

This study shows that the notification feature is not quite as harmless as it may seem. Such a self-experiment cannot hurt to test one's own dependence on notifications!

**Citation**
- Pielot, Martin, Rello, Lutz (2017). Productive, Anxious, Lonely - 24 Hours Without Push Notifications. _MobileHCI ’17, September 04–07, 2017, Vienna, Austria._ [https://arxiv.org/pdf/1612.02314.pdf](https://arxiv.org/pdf/1612.02314.pdf).

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Bitte nicht stören- Auswirkungen von Push Benachrichtigungen auf die Konzentration

Do Not Disturb- Effects of Push Notifications on Concentration

Researches

All Articles