Archive for the ‘Cardiovascular’ Category
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.
Seniors Need Full Spectrum Vitamin E
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The health news regularly includes articles that claim that vitamin E is very good for our health, but the articles tend to be a little slim on providing the details that can make a real difference in getting the form of vitamin E that is genuinely healthful for seniors. Seniors who are concerned about taking preemptive aging steps to benefit their senior health require more than the typical form of vitamin E found in most supplements. Many multivitamins contain vitamin E, but typically they contain only the form known as alpha tocopherol. This alpha tocopherol is the principal component in vitamin E that supports our health, but it is not the only form that is necessary for senior men and most likely for senior women, too. The vitamin E found in foods such as sunflower seed kernels, avocados, and asparagus contains all the components of vitamin E which number at least eight. For senior men research has found that in addition to the alpha component they need the gamma component, in order to ensure their prostate health. It would not be surprising to discover that senior women need the gamma component to insure the health of their breasts and reproductive organs. It turns out that for senior men the lack of the gamma component of vitamin E can have a very negative effect on their prostate health.
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.
Seniors Need Immune Defense Against the Return of the H1N1 Virus
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Last winter we were fortunate that the H1N1 virus did not claim as many lives as it might have claimed had it blossomed into a pandemic such as the 1918-19 flu virus. Back in 1918-19 the H1N1 flu virus killed at least 50 million worldwide. What needs to be noted is the sequence of the assaults on the human population in those two flu seasons. During the first year not many people died of the virus, but the next year it returned with a vengeance and killed most of the folks included in the 50 million deaths due to the flu. The second round was deadlier, because it had mutated. Similarly last year saw fewer deaths due to the H1N1 flu virus than had been expected, so this winter if the H1N1 flu virus returns it may mutate and result in the large number of deaths that occur when a flu pandemic strikes. Fortunately there is good news for seniors who want to take preemptive aging steps to protect their senior health against winter flu viruses such as the H1N1 virus by building up their immune system. Numerous studies have shown that a deficiency of vitamin D is linked to influenza infections. The Harvard Medical School, that normally recommends getting vitamins through food, makes an exception for supplementing with vitamin D. The good news is that the vitamin D supplements that duplicate the form D3 made by our bodies in sunlight are very inexpensive. The D3 form that is more readily absorbed by our bodies is preferred over the less potent form D2. Together with eating a healthy diet and getting enough sleep, supplementing with vitamin D3 will support a layered defense against infection by the H1N1 flu.
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.
Preemptive Aging Foods for Seniors
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Seniors who are concerned about taking preemptive aging steps to safeguard their senior health need to take the first step and choose foods that promote senior health. The foods at the top of the preemptive list are the foods that preempt cancer which is one of the leading enemies of senior health. The good news for seniors is a follows. Foods that preempt cancer are some of the tastiest foods around. In the first place are all the colorful berries that include blueberries, blackberries, cranberries, raspberries, strawberries, and so on. Most of the berries contain tumor fighting compounds such as polyphenols and ellagic acid which are the enemies of cancer. Another winner is chocolate as long as it is 70% cocoa which is true for some of dark chocolate bars. It turns out that cocoa contains polyphenols similar to the berries and it also contains antioxidants. As an added bonus, cocoa contains a class of chemicals known as catechins that offer protection against cancer and heart disease. Finally seniors can moderately choose daily to imbibe a glass of red wine for its high concentration of resveratrol content that is provided by the grape skin. The resveratrol contributes in some unknown way to suppress metabolites associated with cancer growth. In summary, drinking a daily glass of red wine, eating some dark chocolate, and consuming a variety of berries throughout the week can provide an array of preemptive aging foods for seniors who are concerned about protecting their senior health against cancer.
Vitamins D and K Combine for Heart & Bone Health
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For seniors who are concerned about fostering their senior health avoiding the age-related diseases of artheriorsclerosis and osteoporosis are important goals. For many years the role of vitamin D in promoting healthy bone structure has been well known. Only recently has vitamin D’s role in assisting cardiovascular health been established. In 2009 a nationwide health survey reported that vitamin D deficiency was linked to cardiovascular disease in a large sample of the folks in the USA.
In parallel with vitamin D, vitamin K contributes to the replenishment and formation of bone tissue. A vitamin K deficiency will interfere with the formation of bone tissue. Replenishing bone tissue requires both vitamin K and vitamin D, because they work synergistically to optimize bone mineralization. Similarly, a deficiency of vitamin K and vitamin D can lead to arterial calcification which leads to cardiovascular disease. This dual deficiency appears to explain the ‘calcification paradox’ seen in seniors who suffer a loss of calcium from their bones and an abnormal increase in calcium in their arteries. The dynamic duo of vitamin D and vitamin K operate together to to prevent calcium deposits in vascular tissue and to optimize bone mineralization. There is good news for seniors who are concerned about avoiding the age-related diseases of artheriorsclerosis and osteoporosis. Seniors who want to foster their senior health can supplement with vitamin D and vitamin K to prevent both osteoporosis and artheriorsclerosis, because both vitamins are now available in supplement form.
Seniors Can Eat Healthier Fruits & Vegetables
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Lately, every publication that comments on eating healthy foods stresses the importance of eating organic fruits and vegetables. Granted the arguments for eating organic foods are very strong the question can be asked is this true in the case of all fruits and vegetables. Might it be possible to find some common, popular fruits and vegetables that are very healthy, but not necessarily organic? This possibility is very important to seniors who are concerned about their senior health, but who are watching the cost of food as a large part of their budgets, because organic foods are generally considerably more expensive than non-organic foods.
It turns out that there is some good news for seniors who are concerned about taking preemptive aging steps to foster their senior health. A number of fruits and vegetables qualify as healthy, because they are not covered with harmful pesticide residue. Seniors can eat these fruits and vegetables in place of organic ones and use the money they save to buy the other vegetables and fruits in the organic category. Among the vegetables that qualify as healthy in the non-organic category are: Sweet corn, sweet peas, asparagus, cabbage, eggplant and sweet potatoes. The fruits that meet the healthy criteria are honeydew melon, watermelon, cantaloupe, pineapple, avocado, and kiwifruit. Seniors can afford to eat non-organic fruits and vegetables from the above lists and foster their senior health.
