Archive for the ‘Senior’ 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.
Seniors Need Vitamin D In Darker Winter Days
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When we head into the winter the hours of daylight shorten. The amount of sunlight decreases and our senior bodies do not synthesize as much vitamin D as we did during the sunny summer months. The flu and cold viruses that our senior immune systems easily resisted during the summer months become more difficult to resist. Before the winter arrives is the time for seniors who are concerned about taking preemptive aging steps to safeguard their senior health to take action to increase the vitamin D in their senior bodies. Increasing the amount of vitamin D is critically important for seniors who want to build up their immune system against the flu viruses during the dark, gray winter months. The good news for seniors is that they can supplement with vitamin D in the form of vitamin D3 which is the type that our bodies synthesize when our skin is irradiated by the ultraviolet light from the Sun. It turns out that vitamin D3 is easier for our bodies to absorb than the D2 type which is often found in multivitamins and fortified milk.
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.
Selenium Lowers Prostate Cancer Risk.
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During the last few years researchers have been debating the value of achieving higher serum selenium levels in order to lower the risk of prostate cancer. Earlier research did not find any benefit in reducing the risk of prostate cancer as a result of attaining higher serum selenium levels. A very recent publication in a journal devoted to cancer this September detailed results that were obtained by comparing the serum selenium levels of men with prostate cancer and those who were free of that cancer. The study included more than 490 men without prostate cancer and more than 240 men with prostate cancer. The researchers grouped the men into four different groups based on their serum selenium levels. The men with the higher serum selenium levels showed a measurable reduction in prostate cancer risk. Men who were in the third highest group in terms of serum selenium levels showed a 39% reduction in the risk of prostate cancer. This is good news for senior men who are concerned about taking preemptive aging steps to foster their prostate health. Foods that supply selenium include wheat germ, bran, tuna fish, onions tomatoes, and broccoli.
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.
Seniors Can Reduce Risk of Colorectal Cancers
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For seniors who are concerned about taking affordable, preemptive steps to promote their senior health, here are five steps that, if taken, can greatly reduce the risk of contracting colorectal cancer. The results are from a study in Europe that were recently published in a medial journal in Britain. The researchers found that folks who lost weight, limited their consumption of alcoholic beverages, stopped smoking, maintained a healthy diet and exercised about 30 minutes a day reduced their risk of colorectal cancer by more than 20%. This was the first study that combined all five factors, because earlier studies had considered these factors individually in isolation from the others. It is not certain why following these recommendations helps to prevent colorectal cancer, but suffering from high insulin and diabetes are known risk factors for colorectal cancer. Lack of physical activity and obesity lead to high insulin states, that typically lead to the growth of cancer cells. The European study found that women who lost weight sufficient to reduce their waist size to 35 inches and men to reduce their waist size to 40 inches were in the healthy zone. In terms of alcohol consumption men who consumed no more that 14 drinks per week and women no more than 7 were also remained in the healthy zone. In summary seniors who want to take preemptive aging steps to foster their senior health would be well advised to implement these five lifestyle recommendations.
