Staying Younger

"Some groups of veggies stood out. Cruciferous vegetables (such as broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts,) leafy greens (like kale and spinach), and red/yellow vegetables (including tomatoes, carrots, and yellow bell peppers) were particularly associated with slower cognitive decline and lower risk for loss of cognitive function."

“What we know now is that the appendix isn't just a troublesome piece of worthless flesh. Instead, it may act as a safe house for friendly gut bacteria and a training camp for the immune system. It also appears to play a role in several medical conditions, from ulcerative colitis and colorectal cancer to Parkinson's disease and lupus. The roughly 300,000 Americans who undergo appendectomy each year should be made aware of this, some experts say. But the frustrating truth is, scientists are still trying to figure out in which cases having an appendix is protective and in which we may be better off without it.”

Excerpt from Medscape Medical News: The 'Useless' Appendix Is More Fascinating Than We Thought by Marta Zaraska, June 10, 2024

Half a tablespoon is the needed research amount!

Dementia: How daily doses of olive oil can help lower mortality risk Researchers say people who consume a half tablespoon of olive oil per day have a lower risk of dementia-related death. The study is in line with previous research that has indicated that olive oil can help improve heart health.

“The children with diets high in calories, fat and sugar and low in fibre at ages seven and 10, had stiffer arteries aged 17 compared to children who had eaten less calorific, fatty and sugary foods in childhood. In previous research on these children, this calorie-dense dietary pattern was associated with excess weight in childhood and adolescence.

Some of the other dietary patterns investigated were also linked to blood vessel health. Seven-year-olds who had a more Mediterranean-style diet – which includes fruit and vegetables, beans and lentils, fish and unsaturated fats, and less meat and meat products – had reduced arterial stiffness at 17.

Similarly, eating a diet with more anti-inflammatory nutrients at the age of 10 was associated with reduced arterial stiffness at 17. Foods considered to be anti-inflammatory include fruit and vegetables, particularly berries and a variety of brightly coloured vegetables, as well as nuts, seeds, spices and seafood. “

Diet in childhood linked to blood vessel damage in teenage years Diets high in calories, fat and sugar in childhood can cause damage to blood vessel function, known to heighten the risk of early heart attacks and strokes, as

Worth a read for those of us with children or grandchildren.

TV exposure may impair toddlers' world processing, suggests new data TV exposure linked to atypical sensory behaviors in babies and toddlers, per Drexel study.

Will this push for net-zero carbon emissions further harm women and children? Sigh…

Excerpt…
Pregnant women are not getting the essential nutrients they and their babies need from modern diets say scientists, who have warned that the situation will likely worsen as more people turn to plant-based foods.

A study looking at the health of expecting mothers from high-income countries, including the UK, New Zealand and Singapore, found that 90 per cent were lacking key vitamins necessary for healthy pregnancies and the wellbeing of unborn infants.

Scientists from the University of Southampton, working with experts worldwide, surveyed more than 1,700 women and found most were missing essential nutrients found in abundance in meat and dairy products.

These included vitamins B12, B6 and D, folic acid and riboflavin which are essential for the development of foetuses in the womb.

Lead author and Professor of Epidemiology Keith Godfrey, from the University of Southampton, said the prevalence of vitamin deficiencies among women attempting to become pregnant in wealthy countries is a serious concern.

He added: “The push to reduce our dependence on meat and dairy to achieve net-zero carbon emissions is likely to further deplete expecting mothers of vital nutrients, which could have lasting effects on unborn children.

“Our study shows that almost every woman trying to conceive had insufficient levels of one or more vitamin, and this figure is only going to get worse as the world moves towards plant-based diets.
…

Results showed that nine out of ten women had marginal or low levels of folate, riboflavin, vitamins B12 and D around the time of conception, and that many developed vitamin B6 deficiency in late pregnancy.

Pregnant women lack essential nutrients for themselves and babies, worsened by plant-based diets. Scientists warn pregnant women lack vital nutrients; situation may worsen with increased plant-based diets.

With colorectal cancer being the 3rd most common type of cancer, this is a valuable study!

“…the researchers identified eight foods that were shown to influence CRC risk…The first two, alcohol and white bread, were found to increase the risk, regardless of genetic factors.”

“The findings of this study reaffirm the well-established connection between lifestyle and dietary choices and the prevention of colorectal cancer…These findings emphasize the critical importance of adopting a healthy lifestyle and dietary habits, which include limiting alcohol consumption and choosing a diet rich in high-fiber foods to mitigate the risk of cancer.”

Cancer risk could increase with consumption of certain foods and drinks, study finds Consuming certain foods and drinks could put people at a higher risk of developing colorectal cancer (CRC), according to a new study published in the journal Nutrients.

"Our body systems are all interconnected. When one system is malfunctioning, it impacts other systems. When that dysfunction isn’t addressed, it can create a waterfall of consequences for the rest of the body,"

Reduction in Gut Bacteria Tied to Elevated AD Biomarkers A study has uncovered an association between elevated levels of two Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers and reduced levels of neuroprotective bacteria in the digestive system.

For all you kombucha lovers…the group was statistically small…but still interesting!

Kombucha Benefits Type 2 Diabetes, Study Suggests The popular fermented tea reduced blood glucose levels, although the study was underpowered for definitive conclusions.

Whose “all in” for more sleep on a consistent basis?

Heart health: Weekend rest no buffer for work week sleep loss A small study in healthy young men suggests that playing 'catch-up' on sleep at weekends does not make up for the impact that work week sleep loss has on cardiovascular health.

Did you eat your strawberries today?

Hypertension: How strawberries can help heart and brain health Consuming strawberries daily may help improve cognitive function, lower blood pressure, and increase antioxidant capacity, a clinical trial shows.

Another reason to significantly reduce added sugars in your diet!

“Consuming added sugars may increase risk of kidney stones”

Newswise Latest News: news and press releases in science, medicine, life, and business Newswise Latest News: up-to-the-minute news, press releases, and expert sources for journalists in science, health, medicine, life news, and business

I’ve been making kombucha for ten years and find this preliminary study interesting.

Kombucha Benefits Type 2 Diabetes, Study Suggests The popular fermented tea reduced blood glucose levels, although the study was underpowered for definitive conclusions.

“The rate of missed obesity diagnoses was highest among all women, with a 59% prevalence of obesity by DEXA among women with a normal-range BMI.”

Two simple suggestions for more accurately measuring body fat were given: 1) waist circumference or waist-to-height ratio 2) “bathroom scales that record both weight and body fat percentage using a small electric current to make a bioelectrical impedance measure of adiposity.”

BMI 'Vastly Underestimates' True Obesity Body mass index missed half of US adults with obesity identified by body fat percentage in DEXA scans, strengthening the case that obesity assessment must be based on more than BMI alone.

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/992660?ecd=WNL_trdalrt_pos1_230604&uac=16370BT&impID=5495439

Flavanol Supplement Restores Memory in Adults With Poor Diets Taking a daily flavanol supplement improves hippocampal-dependent memory in older adults who have a relatively poor diet, results of a large new study suggest.

This is not the first time we’ve heard this? How about you?!

Alzheimer's disease: How sugar consumption may impact the risk Researchers found that increased sugar intake and elevated blood glucose levels can trigger the accumulation of amyloid plaque in the brain linked to heightened risk of Alzheimer's disease.

Now all we need to do is remember to take them!

Multivitamin Improves Memory in Older Adults, Study Finds Taking a daily multivitamin may help slow age-related memory decline, a study has found.

Are you exercising?

Exercise boosts cancer-fighting immune cells Two new Finnish studies show that short bouts of light or moderate exercise can increase the number of immune cells in the bloodstream of cancer patients.

It shouldn’t be a surprise that sugar would increase cyst growth in PKD.

Polycystic kidney disease: How sugar may be a factor Researchers say sugar may contribute to the development of fluid-filled cysts that are characteristic of polycystic kidney disease

Cognitive Function: Can cinnamon improve learning and memory? Researchers analyzed 40 studies to investigate how cinnamon affects cognitive function. They found that consuming cinnamon may improve learning and memory.

So what classifies an ultra-processed food? Keep reading…

Ultra-processed foods may increase ovarian and brain cancer risk Eating ultra-processed foods was linked to a greater risk of developing cancer as well as dying from cancer, most notably from ovarian and breast cancers.

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/low-carb-diet-reverses-type-2-diabetes-in-51-of-participants-to-new-study?utm_source=Sailthru%20Email&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=dedicated&utm_content=2023-01-15&apid=32378940&rvid=775963788436e42ec2b4f6bd9bc8b7be8448203623ef5e5d0317dabd2784f26e

Type 2 diabetes: Low-carb diet can help achieve full remission A new study involving 186 patients with type 2 diabetes suggests that a low-carbohydrate diet helped over half of the participants achieve remission.

Other research indicates that carotenoids are linked with reduced oxidative stress (see below). Would carotenoids protect against stress accelerating aging of the eye?

New UCI-led study shows repeated stress accelerates aging of the eye New research from the University of California, Irvine, suggests aging is an important component of retinal ganglion cell death in glaucoma, and that novel path

"Fungal infections are an emerging global threat

Fungi are microorganisms found abundantly in nature. They include yeasts, molds, mushrooms and more. While most fungi are harmless to humans, some can cause diseases (known as mycoses) that could wreak havoc on patients and the health system.

Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) released its fungal priority pathogens list, identifying the most concerning fungi that can cause infections for which drug resistance or other treatment challenges exist. These pathogens are projected to lead to even more problems over the next decade."

Physicians urged to consider fungal infections as possible cause for lung inflammation UC Davis Health infectious diseases expert George Thompson warns of the rising threat and apparent spread of disease-causing fungi outside their traditional hot

Morning physical activity is associated with the lowest risk of heart disease and stroke

Source Newsroom: European Society of Cardiology

Newswise — Morning physical activity is associated with the lowest risk of heart disease and stroke, according to a study in more than 85,000 individuals published today in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, a journal of the ESC.1 The findings were consistent regardless of the total amount of daily activity.

“It is well established that exercise is good for heart health, and our study now indicates that morning activity seems to be most beneficial,” said study author Ms. Gali Albalak of Leiden University Medical Centre, the Netherlands. “The findings were particularly pronounced in women, and applied to both early birds and night owls.”

The study used data from the UK Biobank. It included 86,657 adults aged 42 to 78 years who were free of cardiovascular disease at baseline. The average age was 62 years and 58% were women. Participants wore an activity tracker on their wrist for seven consecutive days. Participants were followed for incident cardiovascular disease, which was defined as the first hospital admission or death related to coronary artery disease or stroke.

During six to eight years of follow up, 2,911 participants developed coronary artery disease and 796 had a stroke. Comparing peak activity times across a 24 hour period, being most active between 8 am and 11 am was linked with the lowest risks of both heart disease and stroke.

In a second analysis, the investigators divided participants into four groups based on the peak time of physical activity: 1) midday; 2) early morning (~8 am); 3) late morning (~10 am); and 4) evening (~7 pm). The categories were selected according to peak times of activity in the study population, rather than being predetermined before the study began. Associations between peak time of activity and incident cardiovascular disease were analysed using midday as the reference group.

After adjusting for age and s*x, participants who were most active in the early morning or late morning had 11% and 16% lower risks of incident coronary artery disease, respectively, compared to the reference group. In addition, those who were most active in the late morning had a 17% decreased risk of incident stroke compared with the reference group.

The findings were consistent regardless of the total amount of daily activity, and whether participants described themselves as a morning person or an evening person. When the results were analysed separately according to s*x, the investigators found that the results were particularly prominent in women but no longer significant in men. Women who were most active in the early morning or late morning had 22% and 24% lower risks of incident coronary artery disease, respectively, compared to the reference group. In addition, women who were most active in the late morning had a 35% decreased risk of incident stroke compared with the reference group.

Ms. Albalak said: “This was an observational study and therefore we cannot explain why the associations were more marked in women. Our findings add to the evidence on the health benefits of being physically active by suggesting that morning activity, and especially late morning, may be the most advantageous. It is too early for formal advice to prioritise morning exercise as this is quite a new field of research. But we hope that one day we can refine current recommendations simply by adding one line: ‘when exercising, it’s advised to do so in the morning’.”