Archive for the ‘Health’ Category
Why is the Omega-6 GLA Good for Seniors?
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The health news reports are full of glowing accounts of the health benefits of the Omega-3 fatty acids especially the EPA/DHA from fish and other foods. In parallel many health reports point out that the typical American diet is unbalanced, because it contains too much omega-6 fatty acids. It turns out that most vegetable oils including corn, soybean, and safflower provide an excess of omega-6 fatty acids. Eggs and poultry are additional sources of excess omega-6 fatty acids in the typical American diet. The one exception to this general rule is the omega-6 fatty acid known as gamma linolenic acid (GLA), because research has shown this nutrient has the power to combat atherosclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, obesity, diabetes and cancer. As we age our bodies begin to stop producing GLA and most folks do not get enough from their diet. The latest research is providing very strong evidence that GLA can contribute to preempting a wide range of typical age-related disorders by itself and together with EPA/DHA. Many of these disorders are caused by inflammation that senior bodies can not moderate because of the breakdown of of the aging bodies ability to produce the anti-inflammatory enzyme. This enzyme produces anti-inflammatory molecules from dietary fats. Taking supplemental GLA derived from Borage can substitute for this defect in senior bodies, in order to reduce inflammation. The health results can be substantial particularly in regard to promoting cardiovascular health.
Blood Sugar Control On Your Kitchen Shelf
- Image by AndyRob via Flickr
Reading the reports in the health news a number of articles are promising to control your blood sugar which is of considerable importance to seniors who are concerned about fostering their senior health. A number of articles promise that they can control your blood sugar provided that you purchase their supplement with all the right ingredients at a price that benefits the seller. It turns out that seniors can access some common inexpensive items typically found on the selves in their kitchens that will assist in lowering blood sugar. It seems hard to believe, but cinnamon and vinegar can both be taken separately in the manner appropriate for each, so that they can produce the desired effect of lowering blood sugar levels. Seniors who take both of these common kitchen items will be taking preemptive aging steps to promote their senior health. The appropriate manner recommended for cinnamon is to add a half a teaspoon of it to tea or coffee before brewing. Vinegar is best taken right before a high-glycemic meal in this way. Mix two tablespoons of vinegar in water with a sweetener other than sugar such as stevia or xylitol. An alternate way is to put it on a salad.
The Dynamic Duo of Vitamin E for Seniors
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Today most multivitamin supplements contain vitamin E, but seniors need to read the small print. The small print says the vitamin E in most multivitamins is just the alpha tocopherol component. It turns out that nature provides all the components of vitamin E. Our human bodies evolved using the natural vitamin E from nuts and certain fruits and vegetables, so we will not be as healthy getting only part of the whole vitamin E. Seniors who are concerned about fostering their senior health need to get another component of vitamin E, the gamma component. It is called gamma tocopheral and it is very important that seniors get enough of the gamma if they are taking a multivitamin with just the alpha tocopherol. This is certainly true for senior men and is probably true for senior women. Studies have shown that senior men who do not get the gamma component, but only the alpha component are at risk for their prostate health, because their bodies require a balance of both the gamma and alpha components of vitamin E. Further studies have shown that the gamma component provides protection against cancer and cardiovascular disease. The alpha component provides powerful antioxidant for the body. The gamma component provides superior anti-inflammatory and gene regulatory activities. The good news for seniors is that certain tasty foods such as sunflower seed kernels, avocado, and asparagus provide both all the components of vitamin E which include both the alpha and gamma components. Special supplements are also available that contain multiple components of vitamin E.
Lowering Blood Glucose Protects Senior’s Hearts
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The general news and the health news publications are full of articles recommending ways to deal with diabetes, but most of them do not make the connection between high blood glucose and cardiovascular disease. Many of the news articles address what folks can do to relieve their diabetic symptoms, but not too many provide preemptive remedies to prevent diabetes. They are following a ‘fix the sick’ approach or what has been called ‘sick care’ versus genuine health care which initially provides preemptive steps to prevent diabetes and other diseases. It turns out that the current medical standard used for deciding whether or not a person’s fasting blood glucose level is too high is about 15% higher than it should be according to a report in the one of the American Diabetes Association’s journals. In addition the report found that older men with glucose levels above the lower number of 80-85 mg/dL were predictably on a path to cardiovascular death. For senior men and most probably for senior women who are concerned about taking preemptive steps to foster their senior health it turns out that there is a solution that can provide a preemptive remedy against the dangerously high blood sugar. This remedy can provide a preemptive remedy against diabetes and promote the cardiovascular health of seniors. The remedy includes a water-soluble extract of cinnamon, chromium, and nutrients from seaweed and bladderwrack.
Eat Dark Chocolate for a Healthy Heart
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The typical recommendations from the health experts tell us to exercise more and eat healthy foods such as whole grains, but one of the results of recent medical research comes to an unexpectedly happy conclusion. The conclusion of that research revealed that eating dark chocolate is very good for our heart’s health. This is very good news for seniors who are concerned about taking preemptive aging steps to foster their cardiovascular health. More recently, some medical researchers in Sweden discovered why consuming dark chocolate is so good for our hearts. They found that folks who consume dark chocolate benefit from its effect on an enzyme that helps to regulate blood pressure and the body’s fluid balance. The dark chocolate inhibits the activity of that enzyme which is nicknamed ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme). In this way the dark chocolate achieves the same effect as the drugs that are designed to lower blood pressure. The tests used to determine the effect that dark chocolate consumption has on the enzyme were performed on volunteers. The researchers measued the activity level of the ACE enzyme in the volunteers before and after eating the chocolate. The volunteers consumed about 2.5 ounces of 72% dark chocolate in the tests. After eating the chocolate the blood tests showed that the ACE activity was nearly 20% lower which is similar to the level achieved by taking the drugs that are designed to lower blood pressure.
Beyond Red Wine and Green Tea
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The health news reports are full of the health benefits that come from drinking red wine and green tea that are loaded with powerful antioxidants in the form of flavonoids and phenols that benefit cardiovascular health and can apparently provide some preemptive aging support for senior health in terms of preempting some cancers. If you like drinking green tea and drinking red wine for the good taste and their health benefits, then you should also consider another drink that contains more phenols and flavonoids per serving than both red wine and green tea. The third member of the healthy triumvirate is none other than cocoa, because it contains chocolate which is rich in antioxidants, but without the the saturated fats.
This is very good news for seniors who are trying to foster their senior health by taking preemptive aging steps to assist in preventing the onset of cancer and to support their cardiovascular health. They can add the consumption of cocoa to their diet which will complement the health benefits they gain by drinking green tea and red wine. All three are good tasting foods that can be purchased in supermarkets and are easy to prepare for consumption.
Vitamins Make Senior Brains Healthy
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Many supplements claim to increase the power of our brains, but they do not always provide the details. Seniors who are concerned about fostering their senior health especially in regard to their brains need to know the details. Every year research has been providing additional data that vitamins perform a vital part in maintaining memory and brain function in mature adults which certainly includes seniors. For some time it has been known that the B vitamins and folate that are found in green leafy vegetables, legumes, and other foods have attracted special attention. For example a folate deficiency has been implicated in depression and various forms of dementia in seniors. Combined deficiency in folate, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 appear to raise the level of homocysteine which may be linked to the development of AD. Elevated levels of homocysteine are certainly known to be a marker for decreasing cardiovascular health.
It turns out that one of nutrients that is very healthy for the heart, omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, provides a key element for defending the brain against brain aging. The other elements that assist in defending the brain include the antioxidants such as vitamin C and vitamin E. Seniors need to be aware that they need to consume some of the foods that provide the full spectrum of vitamin E such as nuts and avocado, because the vitamin E typically found in multivitamin supplements contains only one of the components, the alpha component, of vitamin E.
Can Testosterone Help Prevent Obesity in Senior Men?
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Currently many articles on health are raising serious concern about the number of Americans who are not just overweight, but who are obese. The concern is based on the observed rapid progression from overweight to obese and then to conditions such as type 2 diabetes, artherosclerosis and cancer. It turns out that as testosterone levels decrease as men age that the markers of inflammation rise. One of the markers of inflammation is the C-reactive protein (CRP). Rising inflammation due to lowering testosterone levels contributes to the development of obesity and its related conditions including cancer and artherosclerosis. Much of the obesity in senior men is centered in the abdominal region. When this occurs the fat, which is deposited because of the testosterone deficiency, adds to the inflammation in the body and a vicious circle is initiated. For senior men who are concerned about promoting their senior health by taking appropriate preemptive aging steps to reverse testosterone deficiency is a large, important one. The first item on the agenda for senior men is to have their doctor perform the test to check their testosterone level. In the event that it is low, then testosterone replacement therapy is available from qualified physicians. For those senior men who need to raise their testosterone levels doing so will improve their cardiovascular health and help them avoid cancer.
Seniors Need This DNA Friendly, Anti-Aging Compound
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This super anti-aging compound is found in every cell in our bodies. Maintaining high levels of this compound is required in order to maintain excellent health and genuine longevity. The name of this compound which was discovered back in 1888 is glutathione, but its importance for senior health was not appreciated for nearly a hundred years. The earliest studies in the 1920′s and 1930′s focused on its role in protecting the eyes of seniors from cataracts, macular degeneration, and a host of other eye diseases. Later in the 1980′s research in the United States established the link between high levels of glutathione in the blood and tissue with folks who experienced robust health and extreme longevity.
The following items provide very good news for seniors who are concerned about taking preemptive aging steps to foster their senior health. In terms of aging, damage to DNA is one of the causes of accelerated aging, but glutathione assists strongly in DNA repair. When it comes to cardiovascular health, one of the major causes of cardiovascular disease is oxidation of fats in the blood which can be greatly reduced by glutathione. The damage to DNA strands has been linked to cancer; glutathione has the ability to prevent DNA damage and repair damage after it has occurred which makes it one of the most powerful cancer preventers known to modern medicine.
Seniors can increase their intake of glutathione by consuming cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage. In addition they can take the supplement N-acetylcysteine (NAC) which is broken down in our bodies into glutathione.
Tea Party Can Boost Senior Cardiovascular Health
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In a recently published report from Europe, researchers reported some very good news for folks who drink lots of tea. The good news they report concerns how much tea drinking lowers the risk of dying from coronary heart disease. The researchers followed their clients over a thirteen year period. The number of folks in the study exceeded 35,000. During that time folks who consumed between 3 – 6 cups of tea per day lowered their risk of dying from cardiovascular disease by more than 44%. The people involved in the study were screened prior to initiation in the study and monitored during the next thirteen years in order to check for any developing cardiovascular conditions or deaths due to cardiovascular disease. The report did not identify the tea as either black tea or green tea, but given the history of black tea consumption in Europe black tea was probably provided the majority type of tea consumed by the participants. It turns out that both black tea and green tea contain compounds that have been linked in previous studies with lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease. What is significant about this European study is the large number of pre-screened participants and the length of time they participated in the monitored study. This is very good news for seniors who are concerned about taking preemptive aging steps to foster their senior health by boosting their cardiovascular health.
