Can Vitamin D Assist in The Rescue?
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In the case of a diagnosis of lymphoma standard medical treatments are available and are generally successful provided the type of lymphoma is correctly diagnosed and treatment initiated as soon as the disease is diagnosed. At a recent conference researchers reported on finding that vitamin D blood levels appeared to be predictive of survival by individuals who were being treated for lymphoma. In the study over 350 patients who had been diagnosed with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma had their blood levels of vitamin D measured. About half the patients had levels below the minimum level for good health.
The group with the deficient levels of vitamin D showed a risk of disease progression that was 1.5 times greater than those patients with optimal levels of vitamin D. The patients with optimal levels had a 50% reduced risk of dying during the study compared with those with deficient levels. These results were reported for one study and one type of lymphoma which means that more research needs to be performed to validate these findings over a broader range of lymphomas. The good news for folks who are concerned about their senior health is that building up their vitamin D levels will probably insure that an optimal level of vitamin D will assist and complement any medical treatment that may be needed in the event that they contract a lymphoma. Optimal levels of vitamin D have already been shown to assist in the prevention and reduction of cancers other than lymphoma, so it is very probably that the same would apply in the case of lymphoma.
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Breast Cancer Prevention by A Dynamic Team
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The diagnosis of breast cancer is always dreaded, because it often results in death or severe disfigurement of the patient. Once breast cancer gets a foothold, it becomes very difficult to treat without negative side effects. Recent research at an American university has found a way to prevent breast cancer from developing and spreading the way its typically does. In lab tests they tried varying the concentrations of curcumin applied to cultured breast cells and compared the results against untreated cultured breast cells. They found that even at the lowest levels of curcumin the number of stem cells was reduced. The reduction in stem cells meant that the cancer could be prevented.
The researchers doubled the concentration of curcumin and achieved complete inhibition of the stem cells. In further tests they tried varying concentrations of piperine and achieved lower reductions in stem cells compared with curcumin. Finally they combined curcumin and piperine and achieved a reduction in the stem cells that was greater then that resulting from either piperine or curcumin alone. The combination of curcumin and piperine did not affect the normal development of the cells, but it reduced the stem cells that fuel breast cancer. Curcumin and piperine combine to form a dynamic team against breat cancer. These results are very encouraging, because they have opened a path to possibly preventing breast cancer without serious negative side effects. This is very good news for senior women who are concerned about fostering their senior health by taking preemptive measures against breast cancer.
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Will Coffee Reduce the Risk of Prostate Cancer?
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One of the leading causes of death among senior men is prostate cancer. Taking preemptive steps to prevent or at least reduce the risk of contracting prostate cancer has a high priority for senior men who are seriously concerned about safeguarding their prostate health. A number of foods have previously been identified that provide a reduction in the risk of prostate cancer. Among the foods that reduce the risk are cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower, green tea and tomato products containing lycopene. Recently another food was identified as providing a reduction in the risk of prostate cancer.
In a large scale study of about 50,000 participants that was conducted over a period of twenty years, coffee consumption was shown to have a modest effect in protecting against prostate cancer. More significantly, when the researchers studied how much the effect of coffee consumption reduced the risk of advanced and aggressive prostate cancer they found that it reduced the risk by more than 55% for men who drank the most coffee. This latter result has not been confirmed by additional studies, but it suggests that drinking coffee in large amounts may very well reduce the risk of advanced and aggressive prostate cancer.
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Chemopreventive Spice for Prostate Cancer!
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Recent cancer researchers in Europe ran tests that used curcumin that is derived from the well known spice turmeric. They tested curcumin in order to discover how efficacious it would be as part of a chemopreventive regimen for prostate cancer. The spice turmeric is used extensively in India and curcumin is the main curcuminoid found in turmeric. Curcumin is a natural compound that appears to interfere with the proliferation of prostate cancer and its metastasis.
The researchers also found that by using curcumin, they were able to regulate the inflammatory response by inhibiting pro-inflammatory mediators and the signaling pathways. Their results are consistent with curcumin’s known ability to induce pro-apoptotic proteins and to reduce the the anti-apoptotic counterparts. Other reports confirm that curcumin is effective in promoting the death of prostate cancer cells by apoptosis. In their study the researchers summarized the results of their work by affirming that curcumin appears to be an effective alternative for for the prevention and treatment or co-treatment of prostate cancer. This is very good news for senior men who are concerned about taking preemptive steps against prostate cancer or finding alternative treatment or co-treatment for prostate cancer.
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Seniors Can Preempt Winter Colds & Flu.
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As seniors age the strength of their immune systems begin to decline from a number of causes including chronic stress, poor nutrition, and previous illnesses. A weakened immune system can render seniors susceptible to coming down with simple colds, but these colds can progress to more serious illnesses such as full-blown pneumonia. For example, pneumonia and influenza continue to be one of the leading causes of death among Americans 65 years of age and older. Along the same line a weakened immune system will make a senior over 60 years of age very susceptible to suffering from outbreaks of shingles. Suffering from shingles is not life threatening like pneumonia, but it is very painful while it is active so that it deprives seniors of the enjoyment of their senior years.
The good news for seniors is that there are ways to achieve an immune system boost against colds, flu and cold facilitated pneumonia. Unlike the flu vaccines that target specific flu viruses, other means are available for building immune system that can defend against any cold or flu virus. A polysaccharide called beta-glucan that is derived from yeast can provide a powerful immune system boost. Similarly vitamin C is one of the vitamins to boost immune system, because it replaces the vitamin C typically lost during infections. The mineral zinc is needed for building the immune system.
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Why Is Oatmeal So Good for Your Heart?
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Over ten years ago the FDA affirmed that consuming oatmeal may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, but recent research confirms that conclusion and actually amplifies it. The health benefits of consuming wholegrain oats are even greater than originally discovered. In a recent article researchers point out that in the years since the FDA granted a ‘heart healthy’ claim for oats, new research has shown that consuming oats and oat-based products reduces total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL). Consumption of oats does not produce adverse effects on the high density lipoprotein (HDL) or on the triglycerides.
When consumption of oats and oat-based products is combined with a healthy lifestyle-management program the results in terms of health benefits can extend beyond just reducing total cholesterol and LDL. These extended benefits may include a reduced risk of diabetes, a decreased trend to obesity, and a reduced risk of atherosclerosis. The way that oats might reduce the risk of atherosclerosis would be by favorably modifying the subclass and particle number of LDL. This is excellent news for seniors who are concerned about taking preemptive aging steps against age-related diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
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Can Green Tea Extract Provide Dual Anti-Aging Protection?
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Recent British research has shown that consuming green tea extract greatly increases the burning of fat and it additionally benefits insulin sensitivity in healthy men. In the study the men engaged in half an hour of moderate intensity exercise before and after taking the green tea extract or a placebo. In the case of the men who took the green tea extract their fat oxidation was more than 15% greater compared with the men who took the placebo. For the men who took the green tea extract their fat burning proved to be a larger contributor to their total energy expenditure.
In the second half of the study the researchers measured the subjects’ glucose tolerance before and after they consumed the green tea extract. The researchers found that after consuming the green tea extract the subjects showed improvements in insulin sensitivity. A similar study in Japan reported that adults suffering from visceral-type obesity showed reductions in body fat, blood pressure, and low density lipoprotein (LDL) after consuming a high-catechin green tea extract. The results of these two studies indicate that consuming green tea extract can provide anti-aging effects against both cardiovascular disease and diabetes. This is good news for seniors who are concerned with taking preemptive anti-aging steps to improve their senior health.
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Is Magnesium Deficiency Linked to Aging?
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Recent estimates of magnesium deficiency in the United States put the number of folks in that category to be about 50% of the total population. The reason for concern about this magnesium deficiency that is spread across half the folks in the United States follows from the links to a number of major age related diseases. Seniors especially need to be concerned, because the diseases that have been linked to magnesium deficiency include cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, osteoporosis and even some cancers.
In laboratory studies performed at the cellular level, cells that were cultured with normal levels of magnesium were compared with those that were not. The cells that were cultured without the normal level of magnesium manifested accelerated aging compared with the cells that were cultured normally. The researchers suspect that magnesium deficiency over the long term can damage the health of the cells and may very likely be promoting long term chronic disease. This is good news for seniors who are searching for information to help them take preemptive anti-aging steps to foster their senior health. Natural sources of magnesium include figs, lemons, grapefruit, yellow corn, almonds, dark green vegetables and apples.
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Seniors Live Longer & Healthier with Vitamin D
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The benefits of achieving adequate blood levels of vitamin D, which is often called the ’sunshine vitamin’, have been documented in numerous health research reports. Lack of sufficient blood levels of vitamin D have been implicated as contributing to the development of over 25 age related diseases. By one estimated at least 50% of seniors in the United States to not have adequate blood levels of vitamin D. In a recent study that involved more that 3,000 participants over an eight year period, those with the highest blood levels of vitamin D were compared with those that had the lowest levels. The participants with the lowest blood levels of vitamin D were much more likely to die of cardiovascular disease compared with those who had the highest levels.
The same research study performed additional analysis of the data from the study of the participants and found additional negative health effects in the participants with the lowest blood levels of vitamin D. Typically those with the lowest levels manifested a greater increase in the incidence of cancer, stroke, sudden cardiac death, and death due to heart failure. This is good news for seniors who are concerned about seeking preemptive aging information to avoid these type of negative effects on their health. The informed seniors can increase their vitamin D blood levels by taking vitamin D supplements, in order to protect their senior health.
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Too Many Or Too Few White Blood Cells?
White blood cell count plays an important role in the building immune system foundations and maintaining proper function. The white blood cells are usually accounted for in any blood assessment. A high white blood cell count may mean a patient has an infection, hyperslenism, a bone marrow disease or heavy metal poisoning.
A low white blood cell count could also indicate infection and can increase an individual’s likelihood of contracting an infection. A low white blood cell count may also mean that the body’s immune system has been compromised by a serious disease, a viral infection, alcoholism, drug use, hormone imbalances and anaphylactic shock.