St Raphael Holistic Center

11/02/2025

Studies find consistently ignoring a crying baby can negatively impact their brain development, increase stress hormones like cortisol and can even affect their future emotional health.

Babies communicate their needs by crying, and ignoring these cries can lead to prolonged periods of stress, causing a rise in cortisol levels. Elevated cortisol levels can negatively impact brain development, brain structure and a baby’s ability to regulate stress even later in life.

Consistent responsiveness to a baby’s cries helps them develop a sense of security and trust in their caregivers. This can lead to a more secure attachment, which is crucial for emotional well-being, healthy social relationships and brain development.

Babies are not trying to manipulate their parents when they cry, they are communicating their needs and attempting to establish a connection. Responding to these cries is critical for building a strong bond and promoting healthy development.

NO PMID AVAILABLE YET. SOURCE: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2010/apr/21/leaving-baby-to-cry-brain-development-damage

10/16/2025

Something new!

👂 A new drug developed from stem cell research can help your body *regrow* the cells needed for hearing.

A novel approach developed by researchers at the Harvard Stem Cell Institute may hold the key to restoring hearing lost due to common causes like aging, noise exposure, or viral infections.

Instead of removing and manipulating stem cells outside the body, Dr. Jeff Karp and collaborators at MIT and Harvard designed a method to reawaken dormant inner ear progenitor cells using a one-time, localized dose of small molecules. These progenitors, marked by the LGR5 receptor, have the latent potential to regenerate hair cells—the critical sensory cells responsible for hearing—but typically remain inactive in adult humans.

By borrowing insights from intestinal stem cell biology, Karp's team identified molecules capable of stimulating these inner ear cells to divide and mature into functional hair cells.

The breakthrough has advanced into clinical trials through a company called Frequency Therapeutics, co-founded by Karp. Their lead drug, FX-322, combines two compounds that together unlock and activate gene expression in progenitor cells. In trials, some patients with noise-induced or sudden sensorineural hearing loss experienced marked improvements in speech perception, with effects seen within 90 days and lasting over two years in some cases.

Unlike gene editing, the therapy reactivates natural processes without altering DNA, offering a potentially lifelong benefit from a single treatment. With over 200 patients enrolled in studies so far, and more trials underway, this regenerative medicine strategy could represent a paradigm shift not just for hearing loss, but also for other conditions like multiple sclerosis and vision disorders.

10/16/2025

Discovered in 2018!

For centuries, medical textbooks claimed we knew all the organs of the human body. But in a twist that has shocked the scientific world, researchers have now identified an entirely new organ hiding in plain sight: the interstitium. This discovery is not just a curiosity. It could rewrite what we know about how the body functions, fights disease, and even spreads illness like cancer.
The interstitium is a vast, fluid-filled network that runs throughout the body’s connective tissue. Unlike the solid tissues once believed to surround our organs and muscles, the interstitium is more like a sponge: a dynamic, springy mesh of collagen and elastin fibres filled with interstitial fluid. It acts as a shock absorber, helping to protect vital structures such as blood vessels, muscles, and organs from everyday impacts and pressure.
What makes this even more fascinating is how it went unnoticed for so long. Traditional microscopic slides drain fluids from tissue samples before examination. Because of this, the interstitium's spongy structure collapsed and appeared as dense, solid tissue under the microscope. Only with newer imaging techniques that preserve fluid in living tissue did scientists finally spot its true nature.
But the interstitium isn’t just about physical support. It may also be a key player in how diseases progress. Researchers now believe it could be a highway for cells, immune signals, and even cancer to move through the body. Understanding how this fluid network functions might open up new approaches for early diagnosis, drug delivery, and even stopping the spread of tumours.
We’re only beginning to understand the full implications, but one thing is clear: even in the age of advanced medicine, the human body still holds secrets. The interstitium is a vivid reminder that scientific curiosity continues to uncover surprising truths about who we are.
Want more fascinating insights into the human body, mind, and science? Follow Minds Canvas and explore the incredible wonders within us.

09/29/2025

🌞🐶🫂

09/29/2025

09/13/2025

How validating to have evidence of what we've known to be true: Counterstrain is fast, effective, and long lasting. It WORKS.

Read the full study 👉 https://bit.ly/fcs-ptsd-study

Get started with FCS 👉 https://jicounterstrain.configio.com/go/foundations

09/05/2025

Human Lungs Are More Than Just Breathing Organs

In 2025 scientists made a surprising discovery that reshapes our understanding of the human body. The lungs, long thought to serve primarily as organs for breathing, have been found to play a major role in blood production. Researchers discovered that human lungs produce millions of platelets every hour—far more than previously believed, making them a critical site for maintaining healthy blood and supporting the immune system.

This breakthrough changes how scientists view the circulatory system and hematopoiesis, the process by which blood cells are formed. Previously, the bone marrow was considered the main site for platelet production. Now, the lungs are recognised as a vital contributor, ensuring the body can efficiently respond to injury, infection, and other medical conditions.

The implications are profound. Understanding the lungs’ role in blood production could lead to improved treatments for blood disorders, better management of clotting diseases, and innovative approaches to regenerative medicine. It also highlights the interconnectedness of bodily systems, revealing that organs often have multiple, unexpected functions that work together to sustain life.

This discovery reminds us that even the organs we think we know well can still hold secrets. As research continues, the lungs may emerge not just as a symbol of life-giving breath, but also as a key player in the body’s intricate blood-making machinery, inspiring new medical possibilities for the future.

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09/04/2025

Keep the heart healthy with Counterstrain

Scientists discovered that the heart has over 40,000 neurons, creating its own neural network that communicates directly with the brain. In fact, around 80% of vagus nerve signals go from the heart to the brain, influencing thoughts, emotions, and decisions. This field, known as neurocardiology, shows the heart is more than just a pump—it’s an intelligent organ shaping human choices for millions of years.

08/30/2025

🧠✨ What’s the Difference Between Head Scans?
Medical imaging can feel like alphabet soup — X-Ray, CT, MRI, MRA, PET. Each one shows something different about the head, and together they give doctors a complete picture. Here’s the simple breakdown 👇
🔹 X-Ray – Fast, basic, and best for bones. It shows fractures in the skull but not the brain itself.
🔹 CT Scan – Quick and powerful. Like an advanced X-ray that shows the brain, but in less detail than MRI. Great for spotting big issues fast: strokes, bleeds, or large tumors.
🔹 MRI – The deep dive. Takes longer but gives highly detailed images of the brain, picking up small strokes, bleeds, lesions, or tumors that a CT might miss.
🔹 MRA – Think of it as an MRI for the blood vessels. It shows how blood is flowing in the brain and reveals if arteries are blocked or narrowed.
🔹 PET Scan – Looks at function, not structure. It tracks how much sugar each part of the brain uses, lighting up the most active areas in color. Because cancer cells use huge amounts of energy, they glow brightest — making PET scans powerful tools for detecting cancer.
✨ In short:
X-Ray = Bone
CT = Quick brain snapshot
MRI = Detailed brain view
MRA = Blood flow
PET = Brain activity & cancer detection
Each tool sees what the others can’t — and together, they save lives.

08/30/2025

Yes!

AbstractIntroduction. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with hyperactivity of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and elevated levels of

06/26/2025

Yep, everything is connected and each body is different based on the physical and emotional trauma of their lifetime

Have you ever thought about how your tongue could be affecting your posture even all the way down to your feet?

What if something as simple as where your tongue rests in your mouth could influence your body’s alignment, balance, and even breathing?

The tongue is more than just a muscle for speaking and eating, it’s deeply connected to the body through fascia, an intricate web of connective tissue that links the tongue to the feet.

When your tongue isn’t positioned correctly due to mouth breathing, it can disrupt this entire system, leading to imbalances in posture, spinal alignment, and even how much energy your body uses throughout the day.

Could improving tongue posture be the missing key to better posture, core strength, and overall movement efficiency?

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