Posts Tagged ‘Health’
Draino For Your Arteries
- Image by bardgabbard via Flickr
One of the major health hazards that seniors face is clogged arteries that reduce blood circulation and can result in heart attacks. Relief may be available by adding a green vegetable to your diet to improve your cardiovascular health. In a recent study in London that was funded by a British Heart Foundation researchers discovered that a compound found in broccoli provided protection against clogging of arteries. The compound that protected arteries from clogging is called sulforaphane.
Sulforaphane is found naturally in boroccoli. It turns out that sulforophane is capable of activating a key protein that prevents clogging of arteries. In the absence of sulforophane the key protein, Nrf2, is inactive which allows the part of the arteries that are vulnerable to become clogged. The sulforophane used in the research was a purified form that allowed the researchers to highlight the protective effect on arteries. The next stage of the research will be focused on determining the effect of the sulforophane as it is found naturally in vegetables such as broccoli.
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Will Tart Cherry Juice Make Exercise Easier?
- Image by .Larry Page via Flickr
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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Enhance Your Immune System
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Our first defense against diseases and infections is our immune system. For seniors concerned about their health finding a way to boost their immune systems naturally would be very beneficial. A number of foods supply a compound that provides a natural immune system boost. Cereal grains such as barley, rye, oats, and wheat contain this compound as does baker’s yeast and shiitake mushrooms. The compound is beta glucans and we have to get it from outside sources, because our body does not make it. Extensive research has shown that beta glucans make the immune system more efficient. The beta glucans stimulate the two important defenders of the immune system including the immune cells called macrophages that attack invading pathogens and the lethal white blood cells the destroy tumors and viruses.
In one study the beta glucans from oats was used to test the efficacy of lowering cholesterol. The study showed significant reductions in total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein. The folks who had received the higher amount of beta glucans achieved greater reductions in the total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein. In several other studies the beta glucans were used successfully to prevent or mitigate the duration of upper respiratory infections. Finally, beta glucans have been used in Japan to reduce tumor activity in cancer. The particular beta glucan was found in shiitake mushrooms has been used as an immune system stimulant against cancer in Japan since the 1980s.
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Are Two Age-Related Diseases Linked?
- Image by Getty Images via Daylife
For seniors the leading cause of blindness is age-related macular degeneration. Recent research suggests that age-related macular degeneration may be tied to chronic vascular disease. Macular degeneration appears to be tied to the gradual degradation of blood vessels in the eye. A number of researchers investigated patients for any common risk factors for vascular disease and macular degeneration. They discovered that patients already suffering from macular degeneration had elevated levels of homocysteine. Elevated levels of homocysteine are known to be a marker for for cardiovasular risk. Additional studies verified that the higher homocysteine levels were a marker for increased risk of macular degeneration in seniors. In parallel studies researchers found that C-reactive protein inflamatory marker for cardiovascular disease was equally predictive as a marker for increased risk for macular degreneration in seniors.
The researchers next investigated the possible causes of the elevated homocysteine levels. They focused on the possible vitamin deficiences that might be contributing to the elevated homocysteine levels. They discovered that the seniors suffering from macular degeneration were deficient in levels of vitamin B6, B12, and B9 (folic acid). In a study of over 5,000 women over the age of 40 who were known to be a risk for cardiovascular disease, those who supplemented with the three members of the vitamin B family had their risk of macular degeneration reduced by over 40%. This is good news for seniors, because supplementing with three vitamin Bs and eating foods rich in those vitamins with promote health eyes that are necessary for senior health.
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Dynamic Duo for Brain Health
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Maintaining brain health in the senior years is a goal well worth achieving. Of the dreaded diseases that strike seniors the ones that incapacitate the brain are among the most cruel. Among the diseases of the brain, Alzheimer’s disease is one of the worst. Beta-amyloid deposits that cause the buildup of plaque are the precursor of oxidative stress and cell damage that leads to an increased risk for Alzheimer’s. Recent research in the laboratory using a combination of curcumin and vitamin D3 was shown to provide an immune system boost which would protect the brain against beta-amyloid.
The immune system is organized to protect the body against the precursors of diseases so the researchers investigated using either vitamin D3 or curcumin or both in their study for boosting the immune system. One of the tools that the immune system uses to absorb and eject unwanted visitors is the macrophages. In this case vitamin D3 apparently improves the macrophages’ ability to absorb the beta-amyloid. The other half of the dynamic duo, curcumin, apparently improves the macrophages’ ability to hold on to the beta-amyloid until it can eject it. Based on the lab results, the researchers concluded that the combination of curcumin and vitamin D3 may assist the immune system in clearing out the plaque that causes Alzheimer’s.
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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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Try Foods Before Moisturizers
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Every day we are bombarded with ads that promise to remove the wrinkles that typically accompany aging. These ads show the before and after pictures of folks who improved their skin’s appearance by using the vendor’s anti-aging moisturizer product. Unfortunately the same folks who pay top dollar for the moisturizing products typically sabotage their plan for younger looking skin by consuming foods that contribute heavily to causing the wrinkling of their skin. For example consuming products with refined sugar very often causes a sudden jump in blood sugar levels. These sudden increases in blood sugar levels induce inflammation and aging of skin. Simple carbohydrates convert easily to sugar and contribute their share of skin aging which includes adding deeper wrinkles and sagging skin to the detriment of senior health. Limiting consumption of simple carbohydrates and refined sugar must be the first step in promoting younger looking skin.
On the positive side folks can select from over seven different groups of tasty foods that promote healthy, younger looking skin by providing antioxidants. At the head of the list is the berry family whose members are loaded with antioxidants. They include blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, pomegranate, cherries, and acai berries. Next is the yellow and orange root vegetable family that includes sweet potatoes, carrots, squash, and pumpkins. Joining the healthy skin team are the red vegetables which include tomatoes, red and pink grapefruit, and watermelon that supply lycopene which provides the antioxidants to fight the free radicals. These vegetables inhibit sun-induced skin aging. The green vegetables spinach and kale provide antioxidants and enhance skin hydration. Onions, garlic, and scallions are good for your skin and they provide an immune system boost. The list would not be complete without including salmon that provides excellent protein and omega-3 oils. The texture of your skin will show the positive result of consuming salmon on a regular basis. Rounding out the healthy skin team remember to drink lots of green tea and water, but limit drinks with caffeine, because it tends to dehydrate skin. The water hydrates your skin and the green tea provides special antioxidants.
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What is the French Paradox about Cardiovascular Disease?
The people of France consume a diet high in fat, but they do not suffer from the consequences of cardiovascular disease that typically follow from consuming fatty foods. The French consume a lot of red wine when they are eating foods with a high fat content. The current scientific hypothesis proposes that a substance found in red wine known as resveratrol is responsible for neutralizing the usual negative cardiovascular consequences of consuming fatty foods.
Studies that used resveratrol in several animal species showed improved longevity. Laboratory studies and animal studies suggest that resveratrol may contribute greatly to reducing cardiovascular disease and cancer, too. Additional diseases associated with aging that may be mitigated or prevented include Alzheimer’s disease and inflammatory arthritis. The implication of these studies are very encouraging, because they show serious potential for improving health for seniors.
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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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