Archive for the ‘Brain Health’ Category
Prevent Brain Aging with Omega-3 Fatty Acids
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For seniors who are concerned about maintaining their senior health brain aging is one of the major fears, because of the debilitating consequences of age related cognitive decline which is caused by Alzheimer’s and other chronic diseases. As we age the amount of omega-3 in brain cell membranes decreases in the critical memory-processing areas of the brain. Similarly in some chronic brain disorders the amount of omega-3 decreases in the brain cell membranes. Before it declines due to the effects of aging up to 8% of our brain’s weight is composed of omega-3 fatty acids. The omega-3 fatty acids are composed of both DHA and EPA. They are found naturally in cold water fish such as salmon.
In recent laboratory and animal research the researchers found the omega-3 fatty acids halted the age-related loss of brain cell receptors essential to memory production. In addition these studies suggested that supplementing with omega-3 may enhance brain function. This is very promising news for seniors who are concerned about taking preemptive anti-aging steps to maintain their senior health against brain aging. Provided these results hold up in trials with human subjects, then it will mean that seniors can supplement with omega-3 fatty acids to preempt or to halt the age-related loss of brain cell receptors which are essential to memory production.
Will Grapefruit Juice Improve Absorption of CoQ10?
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The warnings against drinking grapefruit juice if folks are taking certain drugs have been known for a number of years. Certain compounds in grapefruit inhibit the normal absorption of drugs such as the statins, antidepressants and many other drugs. The absorption of these drugs is increased when they are taken along with grapefruit juice which makes the concentrations absorbed dangerous, because the doses are too high. Seniors who are concerned about fostering their senior health need to take heed of these warnings about mixing these drugs with grapefruit juice. By way of contrast drinking grapefruit juice when taking supplements may be beneficial.
It turns out the drinking grapefruit juice when taking the supplement CoQ10 can actually improve the absorption of CoQ10 by nearly 50%. Researchers in the Far East verified that the absorption of CoQ10 is improved this much by drinking grapefruit juice. This is very good news for seniors who are taking CoQ10 for their cardiovascular health, because it means that they will be increasing the absorption of this vital heart healthy supplement. The main caution concerns drinking grapefruit juice would be for seniors who are taking drugs under a doctor’s care. They need to check with their doctor before drinking grapefruit juice or eating grapefruit.
Is Folate or Folic Acid Good for Seniors?
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In the popular media and even some health media folic acid is treated as being equivalent to folate. Results from recent research show that folate is not interchangeable with folic acid in terms of health benefits for folks and this is especially applicable to seniors who are concerned about fostering their senior health. It turns out that folic acid is actually an oxidized vitamin that can initiate cognitive decline in some seniors. It can can raise the risk of some cancers such as colon and rectal and can also speed up the growth of existing cancers. By way of contrast the folates are found in green and leafy vegetables such as asparagus, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, spinach, romaine, and lettuce. No folic acid is found in any of these foods, because folic acid is a single molecule that was crystalized back in the 1940’s by a patent medicine company.
Folic acid is a relatively stable and patentable substance that is low cost compared with folate which has a very short shelf life, is expensive and can not be patented. Back in the 1940’s companies chose to promote folic acid over folate for the above reasons. For younger folks folic acid can be a healthy supplement, because their bodies can convert it into the folates that their bodies need. For older folks such as seniors it turns out that their bodies can not convert folic acid into folates very efficiently. Current research has uncovered cases of cognitive decline in seniors that appears to be due to supplementing with folic acid instead of folate. This is good news for seniors who are concerned about seeking preemptive aging information, in order to promote their senior health.
Another Longevity Gene Activator?
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The longevity that results from caloric restrictions in diet have been studied for about seventy years. Caloric restrictions really extend longevity in all forms of life. Except for the difficult issue of trying to eat like folks at a monastery, this would be good news for seniors who are concerned about their senior health. It turns out that the folks who research new nutrients have discovered a set of nutrients that can safely stimulate the effects of caloric restriction. These nutrients mimic the the effects of caloric restriction. In addition to the previously known caloric restriction mimetics of resveratrol, pterostilbene, grape seed extracts, quercitin and black tea, researchers have discovered the flavonoid fisetin which is found in strawberries.
The flavonoid fisetin in a somewhat rare nutrient found in very small quantities in plants. In terms of benefiting senior health it is fosters senior health in a least six ways. It maintains healthy levels of the our cells’ internal antioxidant, glutathione. Fisetin is the only polyphenol that induces antioxidant activity with a two-fold benefit, because it protects against cancer and cardiovascular disease. It inhibits glycation in humans that would over the long term can result in Alzheimer’s disease and other types of cognitive deterioration. Among the flavanoids, fisetin holds a very high rank in terms of preventing DNA damage. Fisetin very effectively suppresses inflammatory responses that would otherwise open the door to cancer proliferation. Finally, fisetin provides mitochondrial support to the cells of our bodies and protects them against oxidative stress. This is very good news for seniors who are seeking preemptive aging information to promote their cardiovascular health and avoid cancer, because all of these nutrients are currently available in supplement form.
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What Makes Sweet Potatoes A Super Food?
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For many folks sweet potatoes are a food for the Thanksgiving season and usually no other time. It turns out that sweet potatoes provide an impressive array of nutrients, despite the fact that they are not really potatoes. They are members of the Convolvulaceae family which are plants with trumpet shaped flowers. Sweet potatoes come in 400 different varieties and range in skin color from white to yellow to orange to red to purple. The typical sweet potato has orange flesh and is sometimes called a yam. Folks have been consuming sweet potatoes for about 8,000 years. They were introduced in Europe by Christopher Columbus when he returned from the New World after 1492.
The good news for seniors is that sweet potatoes provide large amounts of the vitamins A and C and the minerals potassium and manganese. To top it off they deliver lots of fiber. Additional nutrients found in sweet potatoes include beta-carotene, copper, and vitamin B-6. Sweet potatoes hold special interest for senior men who need to supplement with beta-carotene, because consuming them on a regular basis may support cognitive function. Sweet potatoes have shown to provide significant support in reeling in some of the markers for diabetes, particularly improved insulin resistance. Finally in a cancer risk study that compared folks in Asia with those in North America and Northern Europe, the folks in Asia who regularly consumed sweet potatoes had a much lower risk of cancer compared with the folks in Northern Europe and North America who did not. For all these good healthy results that come from consuming sweet potatoes the conclusion for senior health is that sweet potatoes really are a super food.
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Weakened Immune System Promotes Infection
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As seniors age their immune systems decline leaving them more susceptible to a host of infections including those from viruses, fungi, and bacteria. In the case of cancer cells unless the immune system inactivates them or kills them, they will spread and develop into a fully developed malignant tumor. Studies of the pathology of free radicals has shown the link between the damage caused by free radicals and the weakened immune system in aging seniors. For example between 1982 and 1992 deaths due to infectious diseases increased by 22% according to a report in a major American medical publication. The same publication laid much of the blame for this increase on lack of preventative health care.
The good news that seniors can take from this report is that they can take preemptive steps about how to boost immune system. The lack of preventative health care can be reversed by taking simple preemptive aging measures for building immune system. One of the most important steps that seniors can take is to follow a daily antioxidant regimen that includes fruits, vegetables, vitamins, and minerals that protect against free radical pathologies that suppress the immune system. It turns out that free radical pathologies have been implicated in most of the disease processes of aging. The main disease processes of aging include cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, atherosclerosis, and cataracts as well as other degenerative diseases.
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Games To Keep Seniors Healthy
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Regular physical exercise is typically recommended to seniors, in order to promote senior health. In addition to the obvious forms of exercise that involve the entire body there are other types of exercise that do not require total body participation. It turns out that one of these forms of exercise is actually a game, so it tends to be fun. The exercise in this case is provided by playing video games. The Wii video game system that was introduced by Nintendo in 2006 was the first interactive video game, but other major corporations like Microsoft and Sony are planning to enter the field with similar systems.
The benefit of playing interactive video games is due to the fun factor which makes the game a pleasant form of physical rehabilitation for seniors who are afflicted with disease induced disabilities. For example folks who suffer from Parkinson’s disease have regained some of their lost physical abilities after playing interactive video games. People who have suffered strokes or who suffer from diabetic neuropathy have been aided in their recovery by engaging in these interactive video games. Finally, patients with Parkinson’s who suffered from depression had it lifted by participating in the video games. This is good news for seniors who either suffer from such physical disability or who know a senior who does. The path is clear for these seniors to take advantage of this new technology to improve their senior health and enjoy their senior living.
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Spice For Fostering Seniors’ Memory
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This spice has been used medicinally throughout history in China and India. Both its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects are well known. The folks in India have used it for centuries as both a spice and food preservative. This spice which is a member of the ginger family is the well known spice with the deep-yellow color called turmeric from which curcumin is derived. Curcumin is a multitalented healthy spice because of its many “anti” properties that include antimicrobial, antitumoral, and anticoagulant to mention just a few. In India the seniors who live in the rural districts have the lowest rates of Alzheimer’s disease in the world which is of particular significance for senior health. Recent medical research in America showed in animal tests that those on diets with curcumin showed large reductions in amyloid and other markers for inflammation of the brain.
At the present time while drugs are being developed to combat Alzheimer’s disease seniors can chose to follow the example of the seniors in rural India and add turmeric to your foods. It will spice up your meals and you might find that you develop a taste for Indian curry and dishes prepared with turmeric. Alternately supplements are available with curcumin extracted from tumeric. The better supplements include bromelain or piperine to assist in absorption of curcumin.
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Get Protection Against Senior Depression
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Several deteriorating health conditions tend to plague seniors over 65 and rob them of the enjoyment of life in their retirement. The nasty twins that are the enemies of senior health are dementia and depression. This is particularly the case for seniors 65 years of age and older. Both of these conditions have been traced to common vascular risk factors. In a recent study in Europe, over 1,000 elderly persons in that age group were studied over a four year period.
Particular attention was paid to examining them for dementia and depression. After four years about 5% of the elderly had developed dementia. The 95% of the elderly that were free of dementia were tested and found to have higher blood levels of EPA which is an omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid that is found in fish.
Continuing the study the researchers looked for an association between dementia and depression. In their research they were able to confirm that there is indeed an association between depression and dementia. They identified a common cause of both conditions, because they both share similar vascular risk factors. The good news for seniors looking for ways to preempt aging is that eating fish that are high in EPA content will simultaneously reduce the vascular risk factors for both dementia and depression. Getting sufficient EPA will decrease the risk of depression and dementia and promote senior health.
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Seniors Need More Vitamin B-12
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Recent research has identified a serious vitamin B-12 deficiency among many seniors. The researchers estimated that as many as 40% of Americans have low levels of vitamin B-12. Making matters worse some of the drugs used to reduce stomach acid tend to increase the deficiency. In fact more than 20% of seniors over the age of 65 suffer from severe B-12 deficiency. Unfortunately the symptoms of B-12 deficiency may go undetected, because they are subtle. B-12 deficiency has been identified as a link to age-related dementia, cognitive impairment, and depression. Even mild B-12 deficiency may be a contributor to Alzheimer’s disease. Getting adequate B-12 in their diet is obviously a preemptive aging measure that will contribute to senior health.
On the positive side B-12 plays a critical role in breaking down homocystene that contributes heavily to the development of a number of chronic diseases including heart disease, stroke, and rheumatoid arthritis. It turns out that B-12 works synergistically with folic acid to reduce high levels of homocystene. Getting absorption of adequate amounts of B-12 can be a problem for seniors, because of changes in the stomach linings of seniors. This absorption problem means that eating foods that contain B-12 such as meat, milk, and eggs will not help. Taking oral supplements of B-12 may not succeed either, because it is not adequately absorbed. Taking B-12 by injection has its own limitations. Two other approaches offer hope for achieving adequate absorption by seniors. B-12 can be taken sublingually or by one of the newer oral supplements.
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