Posts Tagged ‘Vegetable’
Try Mediterranean Diet for Longevity
- Image by leoniewise via Flickr
For seniors who are looking for a longevity diet the Mediterranean diet is a sure fire answer. It has been used to preempt aging in the Mediterranean world for centuries. Recent European studies have confirmed what the ancients already knew and practiced successfully. A US-based study has confirmed the proven life-extension benefits that were known in the ancient world and confirmed by the recent European studies. The US researchers were from a cancer institute, but they tracked the diets of over 375,000 men and women between the ages of 50 to 71. The researchers particularly tracked who would die from cancer and cardiovascular disease.
The folks who scored 66% or higher on a nine point system based on the elements of the Mediterranean diet had a much greater chance of living over ten years after the start of the study compared with those who scored below 44%. The elements in the Mediterranean diet included fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish, legumes, nuts and seeds, fats such as olive and canola oil, small amounts of red meat and alcohol. The study did not measure any dairy products, but the Mediterranean diet usually includes small amounts of dairy products typically cheese and yogurt.
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Seniors Can Reduce the Risk of Diabetes
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A recent study in Europe reported that folks who had a higher level of vitamin C in their systems had a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The study included more than 21,000 participants who began the study as nondiabetic participants. At the start of the study their vitamin C levels were measured and they answered dietary questionaires. At the end of the study which lasted lasted 12 years slightly more than 300 woman and 400 men had developed diabetes. In terms of the levels of risk of developing diabetes, those participants who ranked in the top 20% of the vitamin C levels had more than a 60% lower risk of developing diabetes when compared with those in the lowest 20%. In addition those with the higher intakes of fruits and vegetables showed lower risks of developing diabetes compared with those with the lower intakes of vegetables and fruits. The researchers concluded that the results of this study provides strong evidence of the benefits of vitamin C along with a high intake of fruits and vegetables for lowering the risk of developing diabetes. This is wonderful news for seniors who are concerned about fostering senior health by lowering their risk of developing diabetes.
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Olive Oil Completes the Mediterranean Diet
- Image via Wikipedia
The health benefits of the Mediterranean diet are well known and many folks have adopted the foods that are the basis for it. We know that it is loaded with fruits, vegetables, and omega-3 fatty acids that contribute to cardiovascular health. The Mediterranean diet is probably the ultimate diet necessary to benefit preemptive aging. What is not as well known is that the component that together with the other foods is the source of many of the Mediterranean diet’s health benefits. It turns out that particular compounds in olive oil, namely the olive oil polyphenols, contribute greatly to the diet’s health benefits.
The history of the Mediterranean diet stretches back thousands of years and its health benefits are well documented. This diet is rich in fresh vegetables and fruits, fish, wine, lean meat, whole grains and especially olive oil. The benefits have been documents over many years up to the present time. The health benefits include a reduction in the risk of cardiovascular disease, lower incidences of cancers, and neurological disorders. Recent research has verified that the polyphenols in olive oil, combined with the omega-3 from fish and resveratrol from red wine work synergistically to produce the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet.
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Why Increase Your Potassium Intake?
- Image by feministjulie via Flickr
Recent studies of the typical American diet revealed that most Americans are consuming only 50-70% of the amount of potassium recommended by the Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine. The recommended amount of potassium is 4.7 grams/day. This is amount of daily potassium is supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, but most Americans are not getting even this minimum amount. Most Americans are nutritionally deficient in potassium. One result of this potassium deficiency is that the same folks are inverting the potassium/sodium ratio in their diet. This inversion of the potassium/sodium ratio can have negative consequences for senior living.
Seniors who increase the potassium intake in their diet by consuming potassium rich foods can usually preempt the decreased muscle strength that is typically observed in older women and men. Maintaining muscle performance is vital for senior health, in order for seniors to enjoy their golden years. Restoring the dietary potassium/sodium ratio by increasing the potassium intake to at least the minimum level recommended level of 4.7 grams/day will contribute to enhanced muscle performance in seniors.
Seniors can increase their potassium intake by consuming potassium rich foods such as fruits, leafy green vegetables, vegetable fruits, and roots.
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