Archive for the ‘Vitamins’ Category
Save Your Senior Skin
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As we age some changes in our skin are inevitable, but if we learn to take care of our skin we can maintain a more optimum skin function as well as appearance. Seniors definitely need to protect their skin from the sun between the hours of 10 AM and 3 PM standard time, because that is when the ultraviolet radiation from the Sun is the most intense. It is during those hours when exposed skin will suffer additional damage even if it is already spotted or wrinkled due to aging. Exposure between 10 and 3 increases the risk of developing skin cancer, too.
Several means can be used to protect the skin during that time; wearing protective clothing and applying sunscreen with a high sun protection factor (SPF) at least 30 will help. Exposure to the Sun before 10 AM and after 3 PM for about 20 minutes will allow our bodies to generate vitamin D the ‘sunshine vitamin’ that we need for our good health. For some seniors this type of brief expose may not be effective, but they can check with their physicians about supplementing with vitamin D3, in order to maintain a healthy level of that vitamin. Vitamin D is needed to promote senior health by providing preemptive aging support against more than 25 age related diseases.
Seniors can take additional steps to protect the condition of their skin. Gentle washing with warm, not hot water is important. Using a mild soap like a glycerin soap is very helpful, too. Finally after bathing and patting the skin dry, apply a moisturizing lotion to the skin. The final word about taking care to save senior skin is to drink lots of water.
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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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Will Tart Cherry Juice Make Exercise Easier?
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One of the pillars supporting healthy living is exercise for seniors, but many seniors find difficulty practicing the rule of frequent exercise. When folks were younger they found that they could exercise regularly without unpleasant consequences such as aching muscles. Muscles that are still aching from the last period of exercise tend to weaken the will to initiate a new round of needed exercise. A report this year from a meeting on sports medicine provides some very encouraging information for seniors in terms of a means to take the edge off aching muscles after exercising.
In two different tests folks who exercised by running and others that engaged in arm exercises were given tart cherry juice or a placebo for several weeks before their event. The exercisers who received the tart cherry juice reported significantly less pain following their long distance running event. The other group that engaged in arm exercises suffered from fibromyalgia showed better muscle strength and less pain after their exercise. The pain reduction due to consuming tart cherry juice could well be due to the well known anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of tart cherries. Seniors who consume tart cherry juice before exercising may find that it reduces their muscle pain after exercising. Taking the edge off post exercise muscle pain will foster regular exercise and promote senior health.
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Can Vitamin B6 Lower Heart Attack Risk for Women?
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In a recent ongoing study of woman’s health the effect of vitamin B6 or the lack of it in the blood stream was found to correlate with heart attacks or myocardial infarctions. The study took into consideration age, smoking status and other factors. The blood tests of the women in the study revealed higher levels of the form of vitamin B6 found in circulation for those that did not have heart attacks. A quarter of all the women in the study that high the highest level had their risk of suffering a heart attack reduced by more than 75%. In the case of women over 60 years of age with the highest level their risk was reduced by more than 60% which is very encouraging for promoting cardiovascular health for senior women.
The researchers who conducted the study noted that their findings are consistent with previous studies that showed that vitamin B6 was a cofactor in converting homocysteine to cysteine. Reducing levels of homocysteine is known to be critical in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. This study is apparently the first to research the relationship of vitamin B6 levels with the risk of heart attack in postmenopausal women.
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Can Vitamin D Bind the H1N1 Flu?
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By all indications the H1N1 Flu is already beginning to pay a return visit to the Northern Hemisphere. In the USA the Government is promising that a vaccine will be ready in time to head off the H1N1 and protect us from the consequences of this disease this fall of 2009. Due to the short time required to prepare the new, H1N1 vaccine we do not know how well it will work in the general public. The second issue that has been raised concerns the availability of and accessibility to the vaccine by the general public. Putting all our hope on this new, H1N1 vaccine to provide protection from the H1N1 flu is like putting all our health protection in one basket. Common sense says that we should have a layered defense in place that will preempt the H1N1 flu. The key to such a layered defense will be to take steps that will strengthen a weakened immune system.
Taking the path to boost immune system has strong support from diverse groups that are concerned about preventing the spread of the H1N1 flu. An agency of the Canadian Government is studying the role of vitamin D in preventing the onset or mitigating the severity of the flu infection. 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.
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Avoiding Malnutrition the Healthy Way
Many of today’s older Americans are malnourished, and the reasons are rather obvious upon closer inspection. The same medications that so many elderly people take to live healthy lives have a detrimental side effect: they limit appetite. That means that the older generation is trying to function without all of the vitamins and minerals recommended by doctors and nutritionists.
We also need vitamins to boost immune system function. In order to create effective antibodies that fight off germs and disease, we need a full complement of Vitamin D and calcium. These vitamins work in tandem to strengthen the immune system. Vitamin D is especially important for those senior citizens with mobility issues who might not get all of the sunlight they need.
Build Immunity Against Flu Viruses.
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The H1N1 flu virus did not infect many people on its first visit this year, but it may cause many more infections this autumn if it returns. This was exactly the pattern that played out during the Influenza Pandemic in 1918. The current H1N1 virus is a member of the same flu family as the 1918 flu. In the Southern Hemisphere where people are experiencing their winter weather the H1N1 is currently causing havoc. We have time to make the necessary preparations that will build up our immunity before the onset of our flu season beginning in autumn.
In addition to some well known natural substances that have been proven to boost immunity, such as the vitamins C and D, a number of new arrivals have entered the immunity field. When coupled with the old standbys vitamin C and D, these new arrivals can form a strong, synergistic immunity team to fight the H1N1 flu virus and any other virus. Several new arrivals on our immunity team are resveratrol and Green Tea extract. Substances in the Green Tea extract act in a way similar to the substance in the flu drugs Relenza and Tamiflu that fight the flu. Complementing the Green Tea extract, resveratrol interfers with the path the flu infection follows in the cells of our body. Using all the members of the immunity team will provide an immune system boost.
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Do Aging Individuals Have Weakened Immune Systems?
The history of immunology goes back to ancient Greece. The earliest known mention of immunity was during the plague in Athens around 430 BC. Thucydides noted that people who had recovered from a previous bout of the disease could nurse the sick without contracting the illness a second time. But it would not be until 1891 that microorganisms were confirmed as the cause of infectious disease.
A progressive decline in hormone levels with age is in part responsible for a weakened immune system in aging individuals. The immune system is enhanced by sleep and rest, and is impaired by stress.
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