Vitamin D has been linked to many health conditions before. A recent study links insufficient levels of the vitamin with the disabling condition depression

In a recent study performed by researchers from the National Institute of Aging in the United States, insufficient levels of vitamin D may be the reason why many individuals over the age of 65 are experiencing symptoms of depression.

Senior individuals often have low levels of the important vitamin because they tend to stay indoors more often, as opposed to younger, more sprightly individuals with more active lifestyles. The study was published in a medical journal on endocrinology this year.

According to Luigi Ferrucci, the lead researcher, the emerging link between vitamin D deficiency and the occurrence of depression must be further investigated.  The study involved a follow-up testing of nearly one thousand male and female respondents within a six-year period.

The researchers used a specialized scale that measured the symptoms of depression called CES-D.  The researchers discovered that those with lower levels of vitamin D in their blood tended to have poorer score in the CES-D test.  Those with higher vitamin D percentages in their blood scored better in the same test.

Alarming, global trend

Depression is fast becoming one of the leading causes of disability around the world, not just in the United States.  It is estimated that today, there are 120 million people afflicted with the condition.  Ferrucci’s study is not the first to point at the possible link between the vitamin and depression.

In an earlier study carried out two years ago, Dutch researchers reported that insufficient levels of the vitamin in the body resulted in a higher percentage of the parathyroid hormone.

This hormone, which is used by the body to regulate calcium loss, has been directly linked to a higher incidence of depression in some one thousand two hundred respondents in yet another independent study.  This is the reason why a causal pathway must be mapped out to determine just how this vitamin affects the human brain.

In a fourth related study, researchers McCann and Arnes noted that vitamin D is important for the proper functioning and health of the human brain.  The widespread presence of vitamin D receptors throughout the human brain is evidence of the vital role of the nutrient in brain health.

According to yet another scientific review, vitamin D has been associated with affecting proteins in the human brain that are responsible for governing the learning process and remembering.  If an imbalance occurs in these areas, you can just imagine a chain reaction occurring throughout the brain.

Benefits of vitamin D

There are several ways that you can get vitamin D: natural exposure to sunlight, food (like dairy products, e.g. yogurt, milk, etc.) and through vitamin supplementation.  The body only needs about 10 – 15 minutes of exposure to natural sunlight to produce vitamin D on its own.

If this is not possible, people with low levels of vitamin D should explore vitamin supplementation; this applies most especially to senior individuals who may not be eating well or are unable to engage in a more active lifestyle.  Instead of using sunscreen when going out to get your healthy dose of sunshine, you can protect your skin naturally by taking natural antioxidants like fresh wheatgrass juice and citrus fruits.

The usual recommended dose for adults is between 400 to 800 IU (international units) of vitamin D everyday. Pregnant women should be given a higher dose (800 IU) to ensure optimum bone health and proper development of the fetus.

And there are more reasons to love vitamin D! Here are some of the most important benefits:

1. It is needed for proper absorption and utilization of calcium and phosphorous.  It is needed for the proper maintenance and repair of the bones and skin.

2. It strengthens and helps maintain the immune function of the body. Conditions like flu and the common cold can be warded off more efficiently if the immune system is strengthened by vitamin D.

3. It is an important nutrient that prevents the occurrence of MS (multiple sclerosis).  According to researchers from the Oregon Health & Science University, MS is less frequent in tropical countries because there is more available sunshine in these places than in temperate regions.

4. Vitamin D has also been linked to the maintenance of normal body weight (according to research from the Medical College of Georgia).

5. Vitamin D is important for brain health in the later years (60 – 79 years of age).

6. In a recent study from the Harvard Medical School, vitamin D can also reduce asthma attacks in asthmatic individuals.

7. We are exposed continually to low levels of radiation.  The good news is vitamin D can also help protect us from such exposures.

According to US cancer researchers, people with adequate levels of vitamin D have a lower risk for many types of cancer than people with low or inadequate levels of the vitamin.

Sources:
nutraingredients.com
healthvitaminsguide.com
medicalnewstoday.com

Discuss this post in Frank Mangano’s forum!

Beta-glucan sourced from the barley plant and barley-based products can help improve the digestive tracts of people over 50 because of its probiotic potential.

Beta-glucan is a fibrous compound that naturally occurs in the cell walls of food such as the fiber of the barley plant and edible yeast.

Beta-glucan is also present in food mushrooms, such as the maitake mushroom.  Since it is nearly everywhere, eating food that has lots of beta-glucan may improve digestion, new study says.  Better digestion results from its seemingly probiotic effect, which is more noticeable in individuals fifty years old and above.

The study was published this year in Food Research International and is led by Adamantini Kyriacou, a researcher from the Harokopio University, which is based in Athens, Greece.

There should be no confusion with the term “probiotic”. According to Gibson et.al. in a related study on the human digestive process, probiotics is defined as non-digestible materials that have a positive or beneficial effect on the metabolism of the whole digestive tract.

Beta-glucan from oats & barley

The most widespread form of beta-glucan is found in oats. For many years now, this type of beta-glucan has already been associated with lower bad cholesterol (low-density lipoproteins) and has been tagged as a potential preventive for coronary heart disease.

The US Food and Drug Administration has already declared the link between specific oat products and better heart health.  More than a decade ago, the FDA established that a person only needs 3 grams of the compound to help lower cholesterol.

The Greek study endeavored to find out if beta-glucan derived from the barley plant produced the same positive effects.  The randomized study that involved more than fifty individuals (between the age of thirty-nine and seventy-two) showed that the positive probiotic effect was more apparent in the individuals over the age of fifty.

Some positive effects were also seen in younger respondents, but their response to the beta-glucan was not as statistically significant as the response of the fifty-plus year old respondents.

Other benefits of beta-glucan

Beta-glucan has also other established health benefits:

1. It binds to low-density lipoproteins (“bad cholesterol”) and removes them from the body, effectively reducing the cholesterol level in the body.
2. Beta-glucan has also been used to support the medical treatment of diabetes and obesity.  It may have some positive effects on weight loss efforts because it reduces cholesterol and improves heart health.
3. Beta-glucan can also be used as an immunostimulant.
4. For cancer patients, the addition of beta-glucan may help improve the digestive process and strengthen the immune system.
5. Beta-glucan is also capable of reducing the blood sugar level of diabetics.

Sources:
nutrasanus.com
nutraingredients.com
naturalmedicine.about.com

Discuss this post in Frank Mangano’s forum!

Ten minutes of exercise produces benefits that can last for up to one hour. Exercise also has endless benefits that makes it the most natural anti-aging activity around.

In a recent study performed by researchers from the Massachusetts General Hospital, it was found that ten minutes worth of real exercise (jogging, walking, etc.) produced positive changes in a person’s metabolism that last for at least one hour.

This means that the more you exercise, literally, the more calories and fat your process and burn.  So in a way, exercise can create that very healthy addiction: the more you exercise, the more benefits you get on an exponential rate.  It’s a healthy cycle that everyone should adapt for a healthier, more vibrant life.

The study involved 70 participants who engaged in exercise and were measured based on their speed, oxygen intake and general fitness profile.  It was found that thinner people were generally more able to handle the exercise and produce more metabolites associated with calorie and fat-burning.  Inversely, heftier individuals showed signs of possible heart problems such as shortness of breath – a dire reminder what excess weight could do to the heart.

Why exercise is good for you

We all know that exercise is good for us, and here’s why:

1.  Exercising lifts depressive moods and improves your mental outlook, instantly. - exercise activates the production of chemicals in the brain that allows you to feel better.  It’s the body’s natural means of rewarding the body for a hard day’s work.

In addition to this, exercise reduces the total fat percentage in the body, which makes you look more fit and healthy – this always gives people reasons to smile and feel good about themselves.

Think of exercise as a cost-effective way of gaining more self confidence and becoming healthier over the long term.  This type of investment requires nothing but your willpower and time.

2.  Exercise keeps your heart healthy - regular exercise (at least 30 minutes everyday) lowers your blood pressure, burns excess fat, improves your circulation, lower bad cholesterol and makes you look younger, too!

3.  Exercise – the only weight loss tool you will ever need –forget all those fad diets. Exercise is the real deal. Exercise directly burns fat, controls your appetite and increases your metabolism naturally – no pills, fad diets or special supplements needed.

4.  Who needs energy bars when you’ve got exercise? - people experience low energy levels even if they eats lots of calories. So forget about energy bars and sugar & sodium-packed energy drinks. Instead of buying another energy bar, start walking daily for extra energy throughout the day.

5.  Quality sleep – if you schedule your exercise in such a way that you have cooled down sufficiently at bedtime, you will get better sleep.

6.  More loving with exercise – having problems with lovemaking? Exercise may be the key. Exercise naturally energizes you, even after a hard day’s work. A run on the treadmill just might be the key for better lovemaking.

7.  Exercise is fun! - why do people run or walk everyday? Well they are doing it not just for the benefits. They do it because it is fun! Try to find an exercise or sport that fits your needs. Find something that entertains you as well. Dancing, stretching and even Olympic wrestling can make you very fit.

8.  Exercise calms you down – when you exercise, the body’s core temperature is increased. When you cool down, the natural cooling process relaxes the whole body and allows your body to de-stress at its own pace.

9.  Better immune system – exercise increases your body’s natural defense system. Even cancer survivors will attest to the vibrancy they felt after engaging in a specially-tailored exercise regimen, which helps them cope with the side effects of cancer treatment.

Sources:
news.yahoo.com
mayoclinic.com
mayoclinic.com
mayoclinic.com

Discuss this post in Frank Mangano’s forum!

Lifelong exposure to air pollution can increase a person's risk for type 2 diabetes.

In a new study that will appear in the journal Environment Health Perspectives, air pollution was linked to increased incidence of diabetes 2 or adult-onset diabetes.  The study involved respondents in Germany who lived in heavily polluted industrial areas.

The study was first initiated in the eighties.  After sixteen years, researchers made a follow-up study and found out that many of their original respondents (many aged fifty and up) now have type-2 diabetes.  Out of 1,775 of the total number of respondents in the long-term study, it was found that 187 of the respondents (all women) developed the degenerative condition by late 2006.

How did it happen?  Researchers are still non-conclusive, but there are many solid theories surrounding the phenomena.  Many doctors agree that lifelong exposure to pollutants can set off a biological chain reaction in the body, which produces chronic inflammation that affects many of the body’s organs and functions.

Many doctors agree that inflammation is a significant contributing factor to the development of type 2 diabetes.  According to Rashmi Gulati MD of New York City, breathing in polluted air does not help prevent type 2 diabetes.  Couple this with the Couch Potato syndrome and unhealthy eating patterns and a person is at higher risk for many health conditions, not just diabetes 2.

Type 2 diabetes

What is type 2 diabetes? Type 2 diabetes occurs when one or both of these happen: the body does not produce enough insulin to break down the blood sugar or the body’s cells are no longer sensitive to the natural insulin produced by the body.

When either of these happen, the sugar in the body accumulates, leading to damage to many of the body’s organs over the long term.  Diabetics are at higher risk for heart diseases and stroke, as well.  Slow wound healing and gangrene are also potential risks that face the type 2 diabetic.  Type 2 diabetes is not limited to adults.  Increasingly, this disease has manifested in overweight children.

The most common treatment for type 2 diabetes is insulin shots and medication like metformin, which is used to control blood sugar levels and bring down blood sugar levels to normal.  If left untreated, diabetics can suffer from neuropathies and even vision loss as well.

Protect yourself from air pollution

There are several steps to avoid the hazards of air pollution:

1. Air pollution can adversely affect your respiratory tract.  If you live in a heavily polluted area, make sure that you get more than enough water everyday.  Water helps carry away toxins and also keeps your respiratory system working efficiently.
2. Avoid areas that have declared high ozone levels.
3. If you have to go out near heavily polluted areas, wait until sunset before going out.  The higher the sun is up in the sky, the higher the ozone content of the air.
4. If there is a wildfire near your neighborhood, close your doors and windows and seal any cracks or openings with tape.  This will create a limited ‘clean zone’ that prevents most of the smoke from outside from entering your home.
5. Invest in vitamin supplements – especially those that are high in easily-absorbed vitamin C.  Vitamin C strengthens the lungs and protects you from the harsh effects of air pollution.
6. Exercise regularly so your body can naturally detoxify. Many toxins are stored in the body’s tissues.  When you exercise, these toxins are transported outside of the body.  With regular exercise, you will feel lighter and more energized because you have less toxin load in your body.
7. If you live in a highly polluted area and you need to use your bike or motorcycle, do wear a dust mask.

Sources:
aolhealth.com
sixwise.com
fitness.ygoy.com
iqair.com

Discuss this post in Frank Mangano’s forum!

Researchers continue to dig into the connection between psychological stress and telomere length: "Exercise can buffer the effects of stress-induced cell aging, according to new research ... A growing body of research suggests that short telomeres are linked to a range of health problems, including coronary heart disease and diabetes, as well as early death. ... Telomere length is increasingly considered a biological marker of the accumulated wear and tear of living, integrating genetic influences, lifestyle behaviors, and stress. ... Results support [the] discovery six years earlier in premenopausal women that psychological stress has a detrimental effect on immune cell longevity, as it relates to shorter telomeres. The new study showed, however, that when participants were divided into groups - an inactive group, and an active [group] - only the inactive high stress group had shorter telomeres. The active high stress group did not have shorter telomeres. In other words, stress predicted shorter telomeres in the sedentary group, but not in the active group."

View the Article Under Discussion: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-05/uoc--ber052510.php

Read More Longevity Meme Commentary: http://www.longevitymeme.org/news/

A general interest article on the aging of blood vessels from the Wall Street Journal: "Over time, however, the effects of high blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar and tobacco smoke provide a toxic milieu that injures the endothelium. That causes an inflammatory response intended to heal the artery wall, but that in the face of continuous injury only makes things worse. The progressive result is an accumulation of fatty deposits called plaque that can rupture or have their caps shear off, causing clots that lead to heart attacks. In addition, artery walls can stiffen, transforming compliant arteries into conduits like 'Styrofoam tubes' [that] increase both blood pressure and the workload on the heart. ... Both high body mass, particularly belly fat that accounts for a person's bulging waist line, and diabetes have a pernicious effect on the health of adult blood vessels. ... Even if your weight is under control, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, smoking, sedentary living and stress all are culprits that can accelerate vascular age."

View the Article Under Discussion: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703406604575278713597433300.html

Read More Longevity Meme Commentary: http://www.longevitymeme.org/news/

The results of this study make for an interesting comparison with research that demonstrates lack of blood vessel dilation in muscles to be a root cause of age-related loss of muscle mass, or sarcopenia: researchers "have determined that moderately and temporarily restricting the flow of blood through muscles - a practice adopted by bodybuilders who noticed that it made light weights feel heavier - can be combined with low-level resistance exercise training to produce muscle-mass increases in older men. ... investigators studied changes in the thigh muscles of seven older men (average age 70) when they performed four minutes of low-resistance leg extension exercises both with and without inflatable cuffs that reduced blood flow out of the muscles. Muscle protein synthesis was measured in each of the men by monitoring changes in a chemical tracer infused into the bloodstream. In addition, a series of biopsies yielded muscle samples that were analyzed to track alterations in biochemical pathways critical to muscle growth. ... We saw that when we put the cuffs on, they responded similarly to young people doing traditional high-intensity resistance exercise."

View the Article Under Discussion: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100514151926.htm

Read More Longevity Meme Commentary: http://www.longevitymeme.org/news/

From Life Extension Magazine: "the name 'regenerative medicine' came from Bill Haseltine, then of Human Genome Sciences, one of the early leaders in genomics and DNA technology. Back in the 1990s, Bill learned that researchers in aging were making important progress on turning back the clock of aging in human cells through cloning, and then creating young cells that could potentially regenerate or repair all the tissues of the aged human body. And so, upon hearing of that realistic prospect, he christened the field 'regenerative medicine' in the belief that it would one day become a major part of medical practice. So, based on its origins, I would define regenerative medicine as that collection of technologies that utilizes embryonic pluripotent stem cells and their derivatives to regenerate tissues in the body ravaged from disease, primarily degenerative disorders associated with aging. ... The problem with human biology is that the immortal reproductive cells that built you and me develop into differentiated cells within our bodies and as a result, lose the capacity to proliferate (divide) forever. So, the cells of the body are mortal, meaning they have a finite life span, and as our tissues age, or deteriorate from disease, our body has a finite capacity to regenerate and repair those tissues. As a result, we suffer progressive declines in function that lead to our death." There is more to aging than this, however.

View the Article Under Discussion: http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2010/jun2010_Immortal-Stem-Cells-for-Anti-Aging-Therapies_01.htm

Read More Longevity Meme Commentary: http://www.longevitymeme.org/news/

A lot of work has taken place in recent years on killing cancer cells by heating targeted nanoparticles. Here is an example of the present state of the art: "When irradiated with light, gold nanoparticles become hot quickly, hot enough to generate explosive microbubbles that will kill nearby cancer cells ... To boost this approach, researchers [have] developed a method for creating supramolecular assemblies of gold nanoparticles that function as highly efficient photothermal agents of a size designed to optimize their delivery to tumors. ... They first took gold nanoparticles, 2 nanometers in diameter, and decorated the nanoparticles' surface with adamantane. They then added two other constructs: cyclodextrin attached to a biocompatible polymer known as polyethylenimine, and adamantane linked to polyethylene glycol, another biocompatible polymer. When combined in various ratios, these three constructs quickly assemble into nanoparticles with well defined sizes ranging from 40 to 118 nanometers in diameter. Once the complexes were purified, the researchers then attached a tumor targeting molecule to the surface of the resulting supramolecular complexes. ... when irradiated with a laser beam, the temperature of the assemblies rapidly soared above 374 C, the temperature at which explosive microbubbles form."

View the Article Under Discussion: http://www.physorg.com/news194078270.html

Read More Longevity Meme Commentary: http://www.longevitymeme.org/news/

Another step forward for tissue engineers: "scientists have created an eight-layer, early stage retina from human embryonic stem cells, the first step toward the development of transplant-ready retinas to treat eye disorders such as retinitis pigmentosa and macular degeneration that affect millions. ... The retina is the inside back layer of the eye that records the images a person sees and sends them via the optic nerve from the eye to the brain. Retinal diseases are particularly damaging to sight. More than 10 million Americans suffer from macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in people over 55. About 100,000 have retinitis pigmentosa, a progressive, genetic disorder that usually manifests in childhood. ... To mimic early stage retinal development, the researchers needed to build microscopic gradients for solutions in which to bathe the stem cells to initiate specific differentiation paths. ... creating transplantable retinas from stem cells could help millions of people, and we are well on the way. ... researchers are testing the early-stage retinas in animal models to learn how much they improve vision. Positive results would lead to human clinical trials."

View the Article Under Discussion: http://today.uci.edu/news/2010/05/nr_retina_100526.php

Read More Longevity Meme Commentary: http://www.longevitymeme.org/news/

CNN Money is running a longer piece on calorie restriction mimetic research and the goal of slowing down aging to extend healthy life: "In early 1934, Depression-weary Americans were beginning to see tendrils of hope poking out of the bleak landscape. ... But one of the new year's most promising developments passed almost unnoticed. ... researcher Clive McCay was nearing the end of a four-year study that showed that rats' life spans were greatly extended when they were put on near-starvation diets. To many of his scientific peers, McCay's data made no sense at all. A glorious new chapter in nutrition science had been opened not long before by the discovery of dietary deficiencies behind scourges such as rickets, pellagra, and beriberi. In the wake of such progress, it seemed almost subversive to suggest that a bunch of rodent Oliver Twists, raised on such short rations that their growth was stunted, could live radically longer than well-fed ones. ... Over the next several decades, his discovery was all but forgotten outside of the back halls of science - a laboratory curiosity that didn't actually spark much curiosity. Most scientists were reluctant to risk wasting time probing an anomaly that seemed as baffling as aging itself. Calorie restriction (CR), as it's now called, eventually was shown to extend many species' life spans by a third or more. Now that anti-aging research is hot, it seems bizarre that CR spent decades on science's back shelf."

View the Article Under Discussion: http://money.cnn.com/2010/05/24/retirement/retire_rich_anti_aging.fortune/

Read More Longevity Meme Commentary: http://www.longevitymeme.org/news/

A review paper: "The definition of sarcopenia continues to evolve, from an observational phenomenon to a differential diagnostic approach. Clinical relevance for sarcopenia is defined by a loss in lean muscle mass and impairment of functional status. A therapeutic approach to the loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength in older persons depends on correct classification. The term sarcopenia is reserved for age-related decline in muscle mass not attributable to the presence of proinflammatory cytokines. For persons with sarcopenia, the primary intervention should include resistance exercise. An improvement in muscle mass and strength has been demonstrated with resistance exercise, even in the very old. Targeting the hormonal changes with aging is an attractive intervention. However, testosterone replacement in elderly hypogonadal men has demonstrated only modest increases in muscle mass and strength. Administration of growth hormone in pharmacologic doses increases muscle mass but not muscle strength. Nutritional therapy is promising, but the effects in clinical trials have been small."

View the Article Under Discussion: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20497850

Read More Longevity Meme Commentary: http://www.longevitymeme.org/news/

A brace of popular science books on gerontology and engineered longevity have been written in past years - one of the many signs that the field is growing in profile in the public eye, an important step on the way to obtaining funding for more rapid progress. Here the Village Voice notes an irreverent forthcoming addition to the portfolio. Per the article, we probably shouldn't take it seriously as anything but a sign of the times: "Along with the origin of life and the nature of consciousness, why and how we age is one of the weightiest questions out there. It's one Weiner tackles in his new book Long for This World, a brilliant and improbably funny look inside the mind-bending science of immortality ... These people are asking what makes us mortal. It's something everyone's curious about, whether they're scientists or not. ... Human life expectancy has doubled over the past 200 years, Weiner writes, thanks primarily to advancements in medicine. And while prominent gerontologists argue that we can expect another seven years fairly soon, the most fervent members of the field are gunning for the total eradication of death. Chief among the latter is Aubrey David Nicholas Jasper de Grey, Weiner's arch protagonist."

View the Article Under Discussion: http://www.villagevoice.com/2010-05-25/books/jonathan-weiner-follows-search-for-immortality/

Read More Longevity Meme Commentary: http://www.longevitymeme.org/news/

From Impact Aging earlier this year, an open access paper on some of the mechanics of hormesis: a little stress on your system improves longevity. "Oxidative stress constitutes the basis of physio-pathological situations such as neurodegenerative diseases and aging. However, sublethal exposure to toxic molecules such as reactive oxygen species can induce cellular responses that result in stress fitness. Studies in Schizosaccharomyces pombe have recently showed that the Sty1 MAP kinase, known to be activated by hydrogen peroxide and other cellular stressors, plays a pivotal role in promoting fitness and longevity when it becomes activated by calorie restriction, a situation which induces oxidative metabolism and reactive oxygen species production. Activation of the MAP kinase by calorie restriction during logarithmic growth induces a transcriptional anti-stress response including genes essential to promote lifespan extension. Importantly enough, the lifespan promotion exerted by deletion of the pka1 or sck2 genes, inactivating the two main nutrient-responsive pathways, is dependent on the presence of a functional Sty1 stress pathway, since double mutants also lacking Sty1 or its main substrate Atf1 do not display extended viability. ... We propose that moderate stress levels that are not harmful for cells can make them stronger."

View the Article Under Discussion: http://www.impactaging.com/papers/v2/n4/full/100133.html

Read More Longevity Meme Commentary: http://www.longevitymeme.org/news/

Some people do have better genes than others when it comes to a long life, though lifestyle choices do still seem to play a greater role. Here, researchers were looking to "determine whether offspring of parents with exceptional longevity (OPEL) have a lower rate of dementia than offspring of parents with usual survival (OPUS). ... [Participants were a] volunteer sample of 424 community-residing older adults without dementia aged 75 to 85 recruited from Bronx County starting in 1980 and followed for up to 23 years. ... Epidemiological, clinical, and neuropsychological assessments were completed every 12 to 18 months. OPEL were defined as having at least one parent who reached the age of at least 85. OPUS were those for whom neither parent reached the age of 85. ... The OPEL group had a lower incidence of Alzheimer's disease. After adjusting for sex, education, race, hypertension, myocardial infarction, diabetes mellitus, and stroke, results were essentially unchanged. OPEL also had a significantly lower rate of memory decline on the Selective Reminding Test (SRT) than OPUS. ... OPEL develop dementia and Alzheimer's disease at a significantly lower rate than OPUS. Demographic and medical confounders do not explain this result. Factors associated with longevity may protect against dementia and Alzheimer's disease."

View the Article Under Discussion: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20487085

Read More Longevity Meme Commentary: http://www.longevitymeme.org/news/

Raised levels of heat shock proteins can protect against sarcopenia, age-related loss of muscle mass and strength: "HSP10 (Heat Shock Protein), helps monitor and organise protein interactions in the body, and responds to environmental stresses, such as exercise and infection, by increasing its production inside cells. Researchers [found] that excessive amounts of HSP10 inside mitochondria - 'organs' that act as energy generators in cells - can [preserve] muscle strength. ... We studied the role of HSP10 inside mitochondria, as it is here that unstable chemicals are produced which can harm parts of the cell. The damage caused by this is thought to play an important part in the ageing process, in which skeletal muscle becomes smaller and weaker and more susceptible to stress damage. In response to these stresses HSP10 increases its levels and helps cells resist damage and recover more effectively. Our research is the first to demonstrate that age-related loss of skeletal muscle mass is not inevitable." The article is sadly sensationalist, overhyping a slowing of muscle loss as "halting the aging process" when it is of course no such thing. It is unfortunate that university publicists feel the need to do this - it only makes them and the researchers they promote look foolish.

View the Article Under Discussion: http://www.physorg.com/news193913231.html

Read More Longevity Meme Commentary: http://www.longevitymeme.org/news/

Sulforaphane, an active compound extracted from broccoli, offers hope to breast cancer sufferers as it is capable of killing off cancer stem cells.

According to new research from the US, a compound found in the popular vegetable broccoli is capable of targeting and killing off cancer stem cells.  According to the research, which was published recently in the journal Clinical Cancer Research, the compound sulforaphane was capable of killing off cancer stem cells and prevented new cancerous growths from emerging.

Broccoli vs. cancerous tumors

Collating their data with other earlier studies on the subject, the US researchers noted that sulforaphane was able to reduce the resistance of cancerous tumors to conventional treatment.  Since the compound reduces tumor resistance, a second theory arose: the compound may be the key to solving the problem with relapses, or recurring cancer.

The researchers further noted that people who consumed more broccoli tend to have less risk of breast cancer.  Since the compound is derived naturally from the vegetable, it has very low toxicity and can be utilized by the body easily (high bioavailability).

Bioavailability is an important concept in medical treatments because if a drug has low bioavailability, it becomes less effective and the patient would eventually need to take higher doses of the drug to get the desired results.  To date, sulforaphane has already been marketed as a food supplement.  However, the amount of sulforaphane in supplements is not being regulated.

Broccoli vs. diabetes

It seems that like a few other organic compounds like resveratrol, sulforaphane is enjoying widespread popularity because it provides so many benefits.  In another study published in the medical journal Diabetes, it was found that the same compound may be helpful in reducing the vascular damage associated with long-term diabetes.

As you may know, diabetes causes a lot of problems to diabetics, including damage to blood vessels.  This damage to blood vessels may even cause blindness if the diabetes is not treated and monitored correctly.

Sulforaphane, according to the study in Diabetes, was capable of reducing the damage to body’s blood vessels by activating enzyme production.  The enzyme produced protects the blood vessels from the ravages of diabetes.

The compound also helped the body by helping produce enzymes that disabled free radicals in the body.  In yet another study, the compound offered hope to family lines with histories of cancer.

It appears that the compound was also capable of preventing cells from passing on damaged or corrupted genetic information to the next generation of cells.  In another study (this is the fourth!) sulforaphane was also linked to reducing the chances of aggressive prostate cancer in men by more than forty-five percent.

Sources:
mayoclinic.com
nutraingredients.com

Discuss this post in Frank Mangano’s forum!

Resveratrol, a naturally-occuring compound in wine, may help reduce cardiovascular disease and prolong life, new human study states.

Resveratrol is a naturally-occurring compound found in wines fermented from grapes.   This compound is a polyphenol and has been studied for many decades primarily because of the French Paradox: there is a low incidence of heart disease in France even though the French generally indulge in high-fat diets.

The French also smoke and drink a lot of wine throughout their lives.  One would expect that cardiovascular problems would be common, given the circumstances; however, something is keeping the French heart strong and healthy.  And according to Dr. Renaud, a French doctor from Bordeaux University, it was resveratrol that was to be given the credit.

Blood flow boost

In the United Kingdom, a human study (note – they used live human subjects for the test and not animals) researchers found out that 250 milligrams of resveratrol can help increase the blood flow to the brain, without producing any negative effects to a person’s cognitive capacity.  This fact alone, according to Dr. David Kennedy, signals a renewed interest in resveratrol and how it can affect vascular activity in the brain.

Another study from Harvard University showed that resveratrol was able to prolong the life of yeast cultures.  This study was done back in 2003, which actually helped increase resveratrol’s popularity with the media as a potential “eternal youth” pill.

Other studies showed that this polyphenolic compound was also capable of prolonging the life of other species such as mice and even nematodes.  What’s amazing about this compound is that it produces so many benefits and yet it’s just one type of molecule. It is as if Mother Nature designed resveratrol as a ‘heal-all’ for all living beings.

How much can you safely take?

It’s good to be always cautious and careful with anything that we ingest or consume.  Regular doses of resveratrol should not be given to children (that usually means kids below the age of 12) and pregnant or lactating women.  This is a general caution because there are still no conclusive studies done on the potential effects of this compound.

However, many researchers disagree with the warning about the dose.  According to James Betz, MD, tests show that at 1,000 mg of reseveratrol the polyphenolic compound failed to produce any significant negative effects to the test subjects.  Could it be possible that nature’s heal-all also doesn’t produce any side effects?

We leave this question open for the time being – it is up to medical researchers to prove or disprove.  But what we know now is this: resveratrol has a very big potential in prolonging the life of humans by protecting people’s hearts.  That is the main benefit and it is still the most interesting advantage to people who ingest resveratrol supplements.

Other benefits of resveratrol

This tough molecule does more than just protect the heart:

1. Resveratrol reduces inflammation in the body, which might benefit a lot of people in the long term because many medical conditions produce inflammation in the skin, joints, muscles and other body tissues.
2. Resveratrol reduces the incidence of blood clots, which may cause heart attacks, stroke, thrombosis, embolisms, etc.
3. Resvertarol is a natural anti-oxidant that can rid the body of harmful free radicals.
4. Resveratrol may also help in controlling cholesterol levels in the body (LDL cholesterol or bad cholesterol is its main target).

Having a hard time with high blood pressure? This polyphenol has been associated with lower blood pressure, too!

Sources:
nutraingredients-usa.com
mayoclinic.com
mayoclinic.com

Discuss this post in Frank Mangano’s forum!

Cutting back on soda directly improves a person's blood pressure. Over time, the benefits of this practice will also continue to increase.

Today, the average American consumes 28 fl. oz. of sodas and other sugary drinks everyday – an alarming fact considering that new research has discovered the vital link between these sugary drinks and blood pressure.

According to research done by Dr. Liwei Chen from the Louisiana State University, cutting back on your consumption of sugary beverages has a direct impact on your blood pressure.

The 3-point difference

In the randomized study involving 810 adult Americans (aged twenty five to seventy nine), Dr. Chen observed that halving the usual consumption of sodas produced a 3-point reduction in blood pressure. What does this mean?  Well, a 3-point reduction in blood pressure also reduced the incidence of a heart attack by a hefty eight percent.

Mortality associated with cardiovascular incidents was also reduced by five percent.  During the study, the 810 respondents were given beverages that had been sweetened with corn syrup – the most common sweetener used in the beverage and food industries today.

According to Dr. Chen, if a person were to gradually reduce his or her soda consumption over a long period of time, then the benefits to a person’s heart is also for the long term.  And that’s not all, a person who reduces his consumption of soda also protects himself more efficiently from stroke – one the greatest silent killers in medical history.

Soda & blood pressure?

But many people are still wondering: what does soda consumption really have to do with blood pressure?  There are two theories supporting the move to reduce the intake of sodas and sugary drinks: the sodium theory and the uric acid theory.

You see, many commercial beverages are loaded with sodium, the same stuff that we use to season food. Sodium has the capacity to directly raise a person’s blood pressure.

Also, the sweetener used for these beverages also contributes to the increase of a person’s uric acid, which is also directly associated with high blood pressure.  In addition to high blood pressure, increased uric acid can also contribute to a higher probability of developing gouty arthritis – a very painful form of arthritis.

Tips for lowering your blood pressure

1. Avoid eating too much fast food and processed food – foodstuffs developed by most food sectors are loaded with at least 40% more sodium than what is considered safe by the US FDA.

2.If you can, use spice substitutes when cooking. Avoid using too much salt when cooking.  Your blood pressure can progressively increase through time.

3. You don’t have to spend a cent to exercise – start getting fit today.  Five minutes of brisk walking, done everyday, can do wonders for your blood pressure.

4. Cut down on smoking – cigarettes and cigars have been shown to raise blood pressure.  If you stop smoking for just 1 to 2 hours, your blood pressure begins to go down.

References:
webmd.com
disease/article32650.html
rd.com
rd.com