Sarcopenia can also raise the risk of developing cognitive disorders. One study found people with sarcopenia were six times more likely to have cognitive impairments than those without the disease.

We know that exercise can help protect against age-related muscle loss and boost our cognitive health. But what about the role that nutrition plays?

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The power of blended antioxidants

Oxidative stress, which plays a significant role in age-related health issues, is the progressive cellular damage caused by free radicals.

The best defense against oxidative stress? Antioxidants. Consuming foods rich in antioxidants can reduce cell damage and slow down age-related health decline.

In a recent study, researchers gave aged mice a blended antioxidant supplement known as Twendee X (TwX). The supplement contains the following antioxidants:

• Vitamin C
• L-glutamine
• Niacin
• L-cysteine
• Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10)
• Vitamin B2

Results showed the mice experienced significant improvements in spatial cognition, short-term memory and muscle durability.

These results suggest that such antioxidant cocktails may benefit both memory and muscle strength in aging humans.

The right foods for antioxidants

Many foods are rich in antioxidants, but unfortunately, most of the foods highest in antioxidants are those that most of us don’t eat enough of.

If you’re ready to make an effort to improve your dietary antioxidant intake, look for these:

• Glutamine/l-glutamine: Beef, cabbage, cottage cheese, milk, pork, poultry, raw parsley, raw spinach, ricotta cheese and yogurt
• Niacin (B3): Bananas, beef, beef liver, brown rice, fish, fortified cereals and breads, legumes, nuts, pork, poultry and seeds
• Cysteine/L-cysteine: Beef, egg, poultry and whole grains
• CoQ10: oily fish (such as salmon and tuna), organ meats (such as liver) and whole grains
• Vitamin B2/riboflavin: Almonds, cheese, chicken breast, dairy milk, fortified cereals and breads, eggs, lean beef and pork, organ meats (such as beef liver), salmon, spinach and yogurt
• Vitamin C: bell peppers (all colors), broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cantaloupes, cauliflower, grapefruits, leafy greens (turnip, mustard, beet, collards), honeydew melons, kale, kiwi, lemons, oranges, papayas, snow peas, strawberries, sweet potatoes and tomatoes

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• Vitamin E: Almonds, avocado, leafy greens (beet, mustard, turnip), peanuts, red peppers, spinach (boiled), Swiss chard and sunflower seeds
• Carotenoids (including lutein and zeaxanthin): Apricots, asparagus, beets, broccoli, cantaloupes, carrots, bell peppers, kale, mangos, oranges, peaches, pink grapefruits, pumpkins, winter squash, spinach, sweet potatoes, tangerines, tomatoes, turnip and collard greens and watermelon
• Selenium: Barley, brown rice, Brazil nuts, fish, shellfish, beef and poultry
• Zinc: Beef, cashews, chickpeas, fortified cereals, lentils, oysters, poultry, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds and shrimp
• Phenolic compounds: Anthocyanins (blueberries, strawberries), catechins (berries, cocoa, tea), coumaric acid (berries, spices), quercetin (apples, onions, red wine), resveratrol (grapes, peanuts, and red wine)

Sources:

Blended antioxidant supplement improves cognition and memory in aged mice — ScienceDaily

A Blended Vitamin Supplement Improves Spatial Cognitive and Short-Term Memory in Aged Mice — International Journal of Molecular Sciences

Antioxidants — Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Glutamine — Mount Sinai

Niacin – Vitamin B3 — Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Dietary Cysteine and Other Amino Acids and Stroke Incidence in Women — Stroke

Coenzyme Q10: The essential nutrient — Journal of Pharmacy & BioAllied Sciences

Riboflavin – Vitamin B2 — Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

The post Why antioxidants are the answer for aging brains and muscles appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

But there’s more…

Research is revealing that one of our favorite types of drinks can counteract the effects of certain antibiotics, particularly against a specific bacterium responsible for some common and already difficult-to-treat infections.

And you know what happens when you take an antibiotic and it doesn’t fully kill the germ; it can supercharge the germ’s resistance even more.

Here’s what you need to know about which drink you should avoid when taking antibiotics. (Hint: it’s not alcohol).

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Re-think what you drink on antibiotics

After the examination of 94 different substances, researchers at the Universities of Tübingen and Würzburg were able to prove that everyday substances can influence how bacteria, such as E. coli, respond to antibiotics.

One of the worst offenders the researchers discovered when it comes to compromising the work of antibiotics is caffeine.

E. coli infections most often occur in your GI system or urinary tract, but can also migrate to cause infections in the bloodstream, prostate and gallbladder.

That means caffeinated drinks, like the coffee, tea and sodas (if you’re still drinking those) we rely on for a little extra energy, could decrease the power of antibiotics to help fight infections.

According to the scientists, that’s because caffeine triggers genetic regulators that control bacterial transport proteins. These transport proteins act as pores for the bacteria, determining what can and can’t get inside the cell.

Basically, caffeine closes down these pores to antibiotics like ciproflaxin, weakening their effectiveness.

“Caffeine triggers a cascade of events starting with the gene regulator Rob and culminating in the change of several transport proteins in E. coli, which in turn leads to a reduced uptake of antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin,” explains researcher Ana Rita Brochado.

The scientists say that this contributes to what’s called ‘low-level’ antibiotic resistance, which is not due to classic resistance genes, but to regulation and environmental factors.

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How not to make antibiotics useless

Clearly, if you’re taking antibiotics, avoiding caffeine is a must to help ensure they’re as effective as you need them to be. So, at least until you’re done with the medication, lay off the caffeinated drinks.

Additionally, there are a few ways to help antibiotics work as they should when you do have to take them:

• Taking omega-3s – Researchers at Flinders University discovered that omega-3 fatty acids, like those found in fish oil, can make germs’ membranes more permeable to antibiotics. This makes the bacteria less resistant to the medicine.
• Adding in cranberry – A Canadian study found that cranberry extract made it easier for antibiotics to enter the bacteria that cause UTIs, pneumonia, and gastroenteritis. It also disrupted the mechanism that bacteria use to eliminate the antibiotic.
• Drinking green tea – Research has shown that a compound in green tea — epigallocatechin (EGCG) – is capable of making an antibiotic called aztreonam work against a dangerous, resistant bacterium again. In fact, the two compounds together were far more effective at killing the bacteria than either was alone.
• Eating more fiber – Research has shown that dietary fiber plays a crucial role in preventing the overgrowth of harmful gut bacteria, including E. coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae.

Also, remember to support your gut microbiome when taking antibiotics. Probiotics help repopulate the gut microbiome after a round of antibiotics, but taking them regularly yields even better benefits…

Previous research shows that probiotics reduce the likelihood of getting common infections like respiratory infections and stomach bugs. They also reduce the duration and severity of these infections.

Sources:

E. coli infection – Cleveland Clinic

Your morning coffee could secretly be weakening antibiotics – ScienceDaily

The post The drink that makes antibiotics useless (and it’s not alcohol) appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Maybe it’s a car repair you keep putting off… or the health problems of aging parents weighing heavily on your mind.

Maybe you’re just stressed because you feel like you’re being pulled in too many directions.

Or, maybe, you’re just not drinking enough…

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Under-hydration over-amplifies your stress hormone

Even when you’re not thirsty enough to notice, being under-hydrated could be silently working against you — by intensifying your stress response and leading to trouble on the health front.

A study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology found that individuals who drank less than 1.5 liters of fluid – equivalent to seven cups of tea – per day had a cortisol response to stress that was over 50% higher than those who met daily water intake recommendations.

When the body senses it’s dehydrated, whether due to inadequate fluid intake or fluid loss, it triggers the release of the hormone vasopressin, that acts primarily on the kidneys to promote water reabsorption.

The sustained release of vasopressin strains the kidneys, which are working harder than usual to maintain blood volume and electrolyte balance.

But vasopressin also acts on the brain’s stress-response center—the hypothalamus — telling it to make the adrenal glands pump out more and more cortisol.

Professor Neil Walsh, a physiologist in LJMU’s School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, and lead researcher, said, “Cortisol is the body’s primary stress hormone and exaggerated cortisol reactivity to stress is associated with an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes and depression.”

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Easy and effective cortisol-reduction strategies

Being hydrated may help your body manage stress more effectively by preventing the release of excessive cortisol. But what happens if you drink enough and still feel like you’re on the stress struggle bus?

Look at your diet…

According to doctors at the Cleveland Clinic, foods that can slow the production of cortisol include:

• Magnesium-rich foods like bananas, avocados and dark chocolate
• Omega-3 foods, including salmon, anchovies and chia seeds
• Foods rich in probiotics for gut health, such as Greek yogurt, kombucha and sauerkraut

At the same time, avoid these foods known to increase cortisol release:

• Caffeinated drinks
• Alcohol
• High in sugar snacks
• Refined carbohydrates
• Unhealthy fats

For extra support, consider adaptogen herbs. They get their name because of their exceptional ability to help the body manage stress and restore balance.

They can also relieve adrenal fatigue. Your adrenal glands aren’t just home to cortisol. These tiny glands produce several hormones that impact metabolism, sugar levels, immune response, blood pressure, sexual function and more.

Here’s a list to get you started:

• Boswellia
• Holy Basil
• Ashwagandha
• Rhodiola
• L-Theanine

Sources:

How dehydration secretly fuels anxiety and health problems – ScienceDaily

Tips to Reduce Cortisol Levels and Dial Down Stress – Cleveland Clinic

The post The cortisol-link between stress and dehydration appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

And if you haven’t heard about it yet, you need the facts.

Known as metabolic syndrome, it’s actually a cluster of symptoms including high blood pressure and blood sugar, abdominal obesity and abnormal levels of triglycerides and cholesterol.

And once any of the symptoms gets supercharged, it tips you over into heart disease.

Now though, Brazilian researchers believe they have found a potent weapon in the fight against metabolic syndrome — an Amazonian fruit with a mouth-puckering taste that could put a halt to drivers of the condition.

Here’s what they found…

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The secret’s in the phenolic compounds and fiber

The fruit is known as the Jaboticaba berry, which is native to the Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest and is usually thrown away because the tannins in it make it too sour to eat.

However, the fruit is also rich in two things that make it a potential health powerhouse: phenolic compounds and dietary fiber.

So those Brazilian researchers decided to pit the fruit against metabolic syndrome in the bid to save hearts and lives.

And as it turns out, they got more than they ever hoped for.

After dividing 49 patients with metabolic syndrome and obesity into two groups — one where participants took jaboticaba peel powder for five weeks, while the other group took a placebo — there was a clear winner…

“The main benefits of taking the supplement were lower post-prandial glycemia (blood sugar after meals) and less inflammation,” said lead author and professor, Mário Roberto Maróstica Junior.

“Blood sugar typically rises after meals even in healthy people, although it soon returns to normal in these cases. Something that can lower blood sugar levels after meals is interesting because it helps people control this variable over time and live a healthier life.”

It also lessens the risk of developing insulin resistance, considered a driver of metabolic syndrome. When blood sugar spikes often, the pancreas produces too much insulin and the body stops responding to it. Type 2 diabetes isn’t usually far behind.

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A local source of phenols and fiber

The good news is that you don’t have to travel to the Brazilian rainforest to find a berry that’s packed with phenolic compounds and fiber like the Jaboticaba berry.

In fact, those compounds, including anthocyanins, and their rich levels of fiber is why other berries have a powerful effect on blood sugar and metabolism, including:

• Fermented Aronia Berry — shown to naturally lower the amount of sugar entering your bloodstream after you eat
• Blueberry — shown to provide support against insulin resistance
• Acai berry — shown to help provide free-radical protection and support normal blood sugar levels

Previous studies have shown people who consume the most anthocyanin-rich foods were least likely to have chronic inflammation — which has long been associated with metabolic syndrome and blood sugar problems.

Berries also contain flavones, also a phenolic compound, shown to improve levels of a protein (adiponectin) which helps regulate a number of metabolic processes including glucose levels.

This time of year you can find plenty of berries at your local farmer’s markets — along with plenty of other health-promoting fresh organic fruits and vegetables

Sources:

Jaboticaba peel reduces inflammation and controls blood sugar in people with metabolic syndrome — EurekAlert!

The post The Amazonian fruit ‘prescription’ that tames blood sugar appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

But there’s another significant reason to manage it, better yet, help it go into remission…

And that’s cancer.

Men with diabetes are 19 percent more likely to develop cancer. For women, the risk is 27 percent. If that weren’t bad enough, research has shown a link between diabetes and metastatic cancer. High concentrations of sugar in the blood encourages cancer cells to spread.

Researchers looking into the diabetes-cancer connection know how you can take both of these dangerous conditions down…

Can losing weight control diabetes AND cancer?

The Diabetes Remission Clinical Trial (DiRECT), a structured weight management program for people with diabetes, produced some amazing results…

Under the supervision of a dietitian, participants replaced their habitual diets with a prescribed diet. Foods not on the prescribed diet were slowly reintroduced.

After two years of this trial, 68 men and 53 women saw their type 2 diabetes go into remission, compared with only six men and five women in the control group.

When Emma Hazelwood of Bristol Medical School in England read these results, a bell went off…

She knew that people with type 2 diabetes also had an increased risk of developing certain cancers — including pancreatic cancer.

Had the trial participants who successfully lost weight and controlled their diabetes also reduced their cancer risk?

Nine cancer-related proteins reduced with weight loss

Previous studies have found that having increased body weight changed the level of certain proteins with a known link to cancer.

So, along with a team of researchers from Bristol Medical School, Hazelwood used data from 261 people with diabetes who were enrolled in the DiRECT trial.

The team analyzed blood samples from before and after weight loss and found that nine cancer-related proteins were reduced, compared with none in the control group, who had received standard diabetes care but not the prescribed diet.

“Results from this study help us gain insight into potential mechanisms linking type 2 diabetes and body fatness with cancer development.

“These findings offer encouraging evidence that the increased cancer risk seen in people with diabetes might be reduced with weight loss interventions. This has important implications for both diabetes treatment and cancer prevention.”

Do-it-yourself weight loss and disease prevention

Of course, not all of us can enroll in a trial that supervises our weight loss.

But that doesn’t mean there aren’t proven ways to do it yourself.

The Mediterranean diet is favored among people who are trying to lose weight and eat more healthfully. In fact, one study showed that people lost more weight and stuck to this diet more easily than either the Paleo or intermittent fasting diets.

Then there’s something known as mindful eating. It may sound like a New-age fad, but on the contrary, eating mindfully is a powerful way to control blood sugar.

But if you need a little guidance on your weight loss journey, consider Weight Watchers. The organization has been a leader in the weight loss industry for more than 50 years — and recognizing that weight loss is key for preventing type 2 diabetes, they’ve become a pioneer in helping people stop the disease progression in its tracks.

They’ve also got a reputation for helping people keep the weight off.

Sources:

Weight loss intervention in people with type 2 diabetes influences cancer-associated proteins — Eureka Alert

Impact of weight loss on cancer-related proteins in serum: results from a cluster randomised controlled trial of individuals with type 2 diabetes — eBioMedicine

Direct Clinical Outcomes at 24 Months — Diabetes Remission Clinical Trial

The post The diabetes-cancer connection and how to take both down appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

With its straightforward focus on a variety of fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats, and lean proteins, the Mediterranean diet helps lower inflammation that can drive diabetes and improves insulin sensitivity, making it a simple and effective choice for diabetes prevention.

Now, scientists have taken it a step further and discovered three simple tweaks, practiced along with the diet, can actually slash the risk of diabetes by a whopping 31%.

But first…

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How the Mediterranean promotes healthy blood sugar

Prediabetes is a stage people experience before they’re diagnosed with Type 2. During prediabetes, blood sugar can begin spiking, and inflammation can creep in.

Here’s why the Mediterranean diet can help:

Nutritional profile

On the Mediterranean diet, you’ll eat plenty of high-fiber veggies, legumes, whole grains, and nuts. Together, these foods work to slow your body’s glucose absorption and reduce post-meal blood sugar spikes.

Additionally, the low-glycemic carbs that are a hallmark of the Mediterranean diet, along with healthy fats from fatty fish, help balance blood sugar levels.

Polyphenols baby!

Traditional Mediterranean diet foods are vibrant in color, indicating their high polyphenol content. These polyphenols deliver antioxidant and anti-inflammatory powers to reduce the oxidative stress and inflammation that fuel insulin resistance.

Eating polyphenol-rich foods also populates your gut with bacteria that improve insulin sensitivity.

Some of the spices commonly found in the diet have been shown to decrease fasting glucose, improve A1C and reduce insulin resistance.

Appetite control

Thanks to its healthy fats and high fiber content, the Mediterranean diet is also naturally satisfying.

This means that you feel full for longer and are less likely to reach for high-sugar foods as snacks.

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3 ways to get more from the Mediterranean Diet

Scientists from 23 universities in Spain and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health followed almost 5,000 participants from Europe’s largest nutrition trial ever, the PREDIMED-Plus study, for six years.

The researchers divided participants into an intervention group and a control group. Both groups followed the Mediterranean diet, but the intervention group added three “tweaks” to their routine, including:

1. Reducing their caloric intake by about 600 calories per day
2. Engaging in moderate physical activity, such as brisk walking and strength and balance exercises
3. And receiving professional support for weight loss control.

And it paid off…

Not only did they lower their risk of diabetes by 31%, but they lost an average of 7.28 pounds and reduced their waist circumference by 1.4 inches — compared to just 1.3 pounds and 0.1 inches in the control group.

“We’re facing a global epidemic of diabetes,” said co-author Frank Hu, Fredrick J. Stare Professor of Nutrition and Epidemiology and chair of the Department of Nutrition. “With the highest-level evidence, our study shows that modest, sustained changes in diet and lifestyle could prevent millions of cases of this disease worldwide.”

So if you’re ready to slash your own diabetes risk to the bone, put the Mediterranean diet, plus these three simple tweaks, to work.

Sources:

Mediterranean diet & diabetes: Blood-sugar control backed by science — Mayo Clinic

Scientists found 3 simple tweaks that cut diabetes risk by 31% — ScienceDaily

The post 3 ‘add-ons’ that slash diabetes risk 31% appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Now, there are some organs we can continue on without. But the liver is not one of them.

The liver performs hundreds of vital functions, including regulating blood sugar and controlling blood clotting, metabolizing nutrients, and, of course, removing toxins and waste from the bloodstream.

We know that alcohol’s harm to the liver is a direct punch. However, new research has revealed that it’s actually a one-two punch…

What I mean is that, while alcohol is directly attacking the liver, it’s also opening the door to invaders that also play an active role in wreaking havoc on the liver.

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Alcohol lets bacteria into the liver

Let’s start with a primer on what alcohol does to the liver…

• Alcohol harms the liver by triggering inflammation and the buildup of fat, kickstarting fatty liver disease (not to be confused with NAFLD or MAFLD).
• The chemical acetaldehyde, which is produced when the liver metabolizes alcohol, accelerates this harmful process. It’s also considered a carcinogen.
• Continued drinking can lead to alcoholic hepatitis, characterized by inflamed and damaged liver cells.
• The most severe stage, irreversible cirrhosis, involves the formation of scar tissue that disrupts liver function and can end in liver failure. 

However, a study at UC San Diego has uncovered a previously unobserved series of events that causes even more damage to the liver…  

When scientists examined human liver biopsies, they found that chronic alcohol use impaired the production of a cellular signaling protein in the small intestine known as mAChR4.

When levels of this protein are lower, it interferes with the formation of cells known as goblet cell-associated antigen passages, or GAPs. These GAPs play a key role in teaching the immune system to respond to microbes that escape the gut.

Without this layer of protection, gut bacteria escape and enter vital organs, including the liver, where they compound the damage already being done by alcohol.

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Added protection for your liver

So when it comes to the liver, the best thing to do it avoid alcohol. But the researchers know that advice is not always easy for everyone.

They hope that by developing drugs that boost levels of mACHR, it may be possible to reverse the series of events that do so much harm to the liver and afford some level of protection.

But ultimately, alcohol is a toxin that directly damages the cells responsible for the tight junctures in the lining of the gut. Alcohol-induced inflammation makes the damage to the lining worse — increasing permeability.

Together, that creates a condition known as leaky gut, which allows bacteria of all sorts to not only reach the liver but also other organs.

The U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggest limiting alcohol to one drink per day for women and up to two drinks per day for men.

But it’s important to note that even low amounts are still associated with serious health risks, and for some individuals, especially those over 65, the recommended limit should be even lower. 

Sources:

Vicious Cycle Revealed: How Alcohol Helps Gut Bacteria Attack Your Liver — Science Alert

Alcohol Opens the Floodgates for Bad Bacteria — UC San Diego

The post Alcohol’s hidden partner in the attack on your liver appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Then and now, LSD is followed by controversy. Considered mind-altering, some proponents believe it lowers brain barriers and opens consciousness.

But, it’s illegal, and not without risk. It can cause hallucinations that can persist and may be linked to schizophrenia, rapid heart rate, increased body temperature, delusions and even psychosis.

That hasn’t stopped researchers from exploring the potential health benefits of the drug. It’s been tested as a treatment for stroke-related brain damage as well as for depression, anxiety and addiction — because it can shift blood flow in the brain, reduce negative emotions and induce blissful states.

Obviously, it would be great if there were a way to get the benefits of LSD without any of the risks. One research team may be onto how — and it’s literally as easy as breathing…

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Breathwork could reduce psychological distress

Use of breathwork as a therapeutic tool for psychological distress is becoming more popular because some versions of it can lead to altered states of consciousness (ASCs) similar to those evoked by psychedelic substances like LSD.

High-ventilation breathwork (HVB), which involves gradually increasing the rate and depth of ventilation, has strong potential as a non-pharmacological alternative for treating psychological distress.

However, the neurobiological mechanisms and subjective experience underlying HVB’s impact on taking the mind to an altered state haven’t been studied extensively.

To fill this information gap, Amy Amla Kartar of Brighton and Sussex Medical School in the United Kingdom and colleagues characterized ASCs induced by HVB in experienced practitioners. They did so by analyzing self-reported data from 15 individuals who participated online, eight who participated in the lab, and 19 who underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

They participated in a 20- to 30-minute session of cyclic breathing without pausing while listening to music. Then they answered a series of questionnaires within 30 minutes of finishing the breathwork session.

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The results were impressive. During all experimental sessions, participants reported reduced fear and negative emotions, with no adverse reactions. Across participants and experimental settings, HVB reliably enhanced ASCs dominated by Oceanic Boundlessness (OBN).

OBN is a term describing a set of feelings that include spiritual experiences, insightfulness, a blissful state, positively experienced depersonalization, and the experience of unity. It’s considered a defining aspect of ASCs evoked by psychedelics like psilocybin, the active ingredient in “magic mushrooms.”

The intensity of ASCs evoked by HVB caused a profound decrease in blood flow to parts of the brain implicated in representing the internal state of the body, including breathing, while increasing blood flow to brain regions involved in the processing of emotional memories. These blood flow changes correlated with psychedelic experiences, meaning they may be the source of the positive effects of the breathwork.

Interestingly, the intensity of HVB-induced ASCs was proportional to cardiovascular sympathetic activation, as indicated by a decrease in heart rate variability. This suggests a potential stress response, indicating that the positive changes induced by ASCs may occur even while the body’s stress response is activated.

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Getting started with breathwork

In short, this type of breathwork, combined with music, appears to induce altered states resembling those of psychedelics, calming negative emotions while reshaping brain activity.

The researchers caution that more research is needed. Still, the research—the first to use neuroimaging to map the neurophysiological changes caused by breathwork—indicates that breathwork may be a powerful tool in addressing psychological conditions.

You can find plenty of information online to practice breathwork. However, it’s not recommended to practice high-ventilation breathwork on your own, at least not until you have become adept at it.

It’s more intense, and without an experienced therapy guide during a session, you could experience dizziness, hyperventilation, fainting, or even become emotionally overwhelmed.

Seek a referral from a functional medicine clinic, specialist, counselor or wellness spa in your area to connect with a knowledgeable therapist  — and get ready to feel the bliss.

Sources:

Scientists reveal how breathwork unlocks psychedelic bliss in the brain — ScienceDaily

Neurobiological substrates of altered states of consciousness induced by high ventilation breathwork accompanied by music — PLOS One

LSD — Drugs.com

What is ‘breathwork’? And do I need to do it? — University of Wollongong Australia

High ventilation breathwork practices: An overview of their effects, mechanisms, and considerations for clinical applications — Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews

The post Unlock bliss to relieve anxiety, depression and more appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

For one thing, it may take us longer to prepare our meals. We may also develop health issues that interfere with our eating habits.

Both of these factors can influence when we eat, making it more likely that our meals will be delayed.

Our sleep patterns may change, too. Becoming something of a “night owl” can increase the likelihood of having a late breakfast.

Why does any of this matter?

Eating breakfast later and later can have a cascading effect on aging adults, leading to an earlier death…

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Breakfast timing provides clues about health status

Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital have found that breakfast timing may be a valuable tool in monitoring the health of older adults.

Led by Dr. Hassan Dashti, a nutrition scientist and circadian biologist at Massachusetts General, the research team analyzed data from 2,945 adults in the UK ages 42 to 94. They then followed these subjects for more than 20 years.

They found that as older adults age, there is a tendency to eat breakfast and dinner at later times, narrowing the overall time window in which they eat each day and having a significant impact on their health and well-being.

Eating breakfast later was consistently associated with having physical and mental health conditions, including depression, fatigue, sleep problems and oral health problems.

But most alarming, a later breakfast was also associated with an increased risk of death during the follow-up period.

“Up until now, we had a limited insight into how the timing of meals evolves later in life and how this shift relates to overall health and longevity,” says Dr. Dashti.

“Our findings help fill that gap by showing that later meal timing, especially delayed breakfast, is tied to both health challenges and increased mortality risk in older adults. These results add new meaning to the saying that ‘breakfast is the most important meal of the day,’ especially for older individuals.”

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The most important thing: Consistency

Dr. Dashti suggested that encouraging older adults to have consistent meal schedules could become part of broader strategies to promote healthy aging and longevity.

So if you tend to be a night owl and a late breakfast eater, take some steps to turn those habits around.

According to research from Harvard and MIT, pushing back your bedtime and wake time by just one hour can lower your depression risk by 23%.

And you’ll be doing yourself a favor in other ways, too. You’ll be reducing your risk of diabetes, heart disease and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

No matter what time you head off to bed, sticking to a regular sleep schedule is crucial — as well as aiming for 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night.

Duke University researchers found that going to bed and getting up at about the same time each day lowers your risk for obesity, hypertension, and stroke — even if your total sleep time is less than optimal.

Specifically, disrupted sleep has been shown to increase the number of white blood cells, known as monocytes and neutrophils, in the blood. These cells are known to contribute to the development of plaque inside the arteries and put individuals at risk for heart problems and strokes.

To improve your chances of being ready for bed in the evening…

• Try moving around during the day, taking short walks, preferably with friends or neighbors.
• Turn off electronics or TVs to reduce blue light, which can interfere with sleep.
• Aim for a consistent bedtime.
• Practice good sleep hygiene by avoiding falling asleep in a chair or on the couch.
• Stop drinking caffeine at least 6 hours before bed. Try some chamomile tea instead — but do so about 2 hours before bedtime to keep your bladder from waking you up.
• If needed, a bedtime snack of walnuts and cherries is a good source of natural sleep-promoting melatonin.
• Don’t forget to brush your teeth before bed.

Sweet dreams!

Sources:

Scientists reveal how breakfast timing may predict how long you live — Science Daily

Meal timing trajectories in older adults and their associations with morbidity, genetic profiles, and mortality — Communications Medicine

The post The clues breakfast timing holds about your longevity appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

If you haven’t, let me share a little about its appeal…

First off, it’s not just a drink. Some call it an experience — one that should probably be kept to a minimum, as it involves sugar, a variety of flavors and toppings.

But what really defines this drink sensation is the boba — chewy tapioca pearls swimming in your drink.

That means you can simultaneously sip your tasty tea and enjoy the “mastication pleasure” of smooth, soft beads bouncing around your mouth until you “pop” them, taking this sensory experience to the next level: chewy sweetness.

But as I mentioned, it’s not the healthiest of drinks, as most fad foods aren’t. But what if you could add beads or pearls to your drink that did more than give your mouth something tasty to chew on?

Like tiny green tea beads that trap fat and melt away pounds …

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Fat-absorbing microbeads without the nasty side effects

The quest for a magic weight loss pill is still alive and well.

However, today’s popular GLP-1 agonists, gastric bypass, and the gut-wrenching Olestra chips of the 90s, prove the journey to prevent dietary fat absorption is fraught with adverse side effects.

But there’s an interesting idea on the horizon…

A team of researchers led by Yue Wu, a graduate student at Sichuan University, was inspired to target the same sort of fat absorption without the negative side effects. “We want to develop something that works with how people normally eat and live,” Wu says.

They started by creating tiny plant-based spheres spontaneously formed through a series of chemical bonds between green tea polyphenols and vitamin E. These structures can form chemical tethers to fat droplets, serving as the “fat-binding core” of the microbeads.

The researchers then coated the spheres in a natural polymer derived from seaweed to protect them from the stomach’s acidic environment. Once ingested, the protective coating expands in response to the acidic pH as the beads travel towards the intestine. There, the green tea polyphenols and vitamin E compounds bind to and trap partially digested fats, which are ultimately eliminated.

Next, they tested the weight-loss treatment in rats…

The researchers divided the rats into three groups: those fed a diet of 60 percent fat with microbeads, those fed the same high-fat diet without microbeads, and those fed a normal diet of 10 percent fat. All the rats were fed these diets for 30 days.

The results were astounding. Rats fed the high-fat diet with microbeads lost 17 percent of their total body weight, while rats in the other groups didn’t lose weight at all.

Additionally, rats on the high-fat microbead diet exhibited reduced adipose tissue and less liver damage compared to those on the other two diets. They also excreted more fat in their feces compared to rats not given microbeads, and the extra fat had no apparent ill effects on their health.

Then, when comparing rats on the high-fat microbead diet with rats treated with orlistat, the researchers observed that the high-fat microbead rats showed similar intestinal fat excretion without the gastrointestinal side effects observed in the orlistat-treated rats.

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Safe weight loss inspired by boba tea

These preliminary results look promising…

The researchers say this microbead approach to weight loss may be safer and more accessible than surgery or pharmaceuticals.

“Losing weight can help some people prevent long-term health issues like diabetes and heart disease,” Wu says. “Our microbeads work directly in the gut to block fat absorption in a noninvasive and gentle way.”

The microbeads are nearly flavorless, and the researchers believe they can easily be integrated into people’s diets: for example, as small tapioca- or boba-sized balls added to desserts and bubble teas.

Wu and her team are collaborating with a biotechnology company to produce the plant-based beads using food-grade, FDA-approved ingredients.

The researchers have also initiated a human clinical trial in collaboration with the West China Hospital of Sichuan University.

“This represents a major step toward clinical translation of our polyphenol-based microbeads, following our foundational results,” Wu says. “We have officially enrolled 26 participants in our investigator-initiated trial, and we anticipate that preliminary data may become available within the next year.”

So if you’ve been waiting to jump on the bubble tea trend, you may be in luck, especially if the next generation can boast safe weight loss along with that “mastication pleasure!”

Source:

1. Tiny green tea beads trap fat and melt away pounds without side effects — ScienceDaily

The post Green tea beads: The next big thing in weight loss appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

It produces several hormones like thymulin and thymosin, which regulate immune cell production. It also synthesizes hormones such as insulin and melatonin.

But its central function is to produce and release powerful immune cells to help fight infection and disease.

Most experts believed, however, that the thymus’ contributions occurred in the womb and didn’t extend into adulthood.

But investigators have found that theory was wrong.

In fact, they believe the thymus may hold the secret to a lifetime of good health, thanks to a specialized kind of cell they hope to harness for future preventative treatments…

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The education of T cells

A team of Australian researchers examined thymus samples donated to the Melbourne Children’s Heart Tissue Bank from heart surgery patients up to 16 years old. They likely chose these samples because the thymus is most active in childhood.

The researchers looked at the role of gamma delta T cells within the gland and found for the first time how the organ produced these cells.

“We have large numbers of these specialized cells in our blood and tissues, which accumulate as we become adults,” says study co-author Dan Pellicci, a professor at the University of Melbourne. “Until our study, it was unclear how these cells develop in the body.

Similar to receiving an elementary, high school and college education, the T cells are trained over three stages and fully form in the thymus, Pellicci says.

“Following this education, the cells are ready to enter the rest of the body and are completely capable of fighting infections,” he adds.

Some previous studies suggested these immune cells were mainly derived in the liver and thymus during fetal development in the womb.

“Many experts assumed that after birth, the thymus played little role in the development of these cells as we age, but we now know this little unsung organ helps the body prepare for a lifetime of good health,” Pellicci says.

The hope is that through understanding their function, these T cells can be manipulated to help prevent cancer and highly infectious diseases such as COVID-19 and tuberculosis.

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The care and feeding of this important gland

It’s clear the thymus gland is a key part of our immune system. Unfortunately, the thymus tends to shrink with age, and by the time we hit the age of 65, it’s pretty much unable to produce any new T cells.

This explains why older people are at higher risk for a lot of diseases like cancer, and why they have a harder time fighting off infections.

The good news is there are a few things you can do to support it:

• Get more antioxidants. One study found that antioxidants — especially vitamin C — can protect the thymus from damaging free radicals and prevent some of that age-related thymus shrinkage.
• Cut down on wheat. Research has shown that a chemical in wheat called wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) contributes to a shrinking thymus.
• Get enough zinc. It’s the most important mineral your thymus needs to stay healthy. Correcting a zinc deficiency can prompt the thymus to grow and start generating T cells again.
• Don’t use artificial sweeteners. Studies have found artificial sweeteners like sucralose shrink the thymus gland in rats.
• Try tapping. It’s not scientifically proven (yet), but tapping your chest over your thymus gland can supposedly stimulate a sluggish immune system. Try tapping the center of your chest, below your collarbone, for 15 to 20 seconds several times per day. Hum as you do it for even better results.

Sources:

Discovery could lead to more treatments to prevent cancer and infectious diseases — ScienceDaily

A three-stage developmental pathway for human Vγ9Vδ2 T cells within the postnatal thymus — Science Immunology

What is the thymus gland? — Medical News Today

The post The little gland that’s key to a lifetime of good health appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

In fact, several studies have shown that consuming beet juice can lower blood pressure in both healthy individuals and those with high blood pressure.

One reason is that beets are loaded with nitrates. The body converts nitrate into nitric oxide (NO), a signaling molecule that’s vital for the healthy functioning of blood vessels and, in turn, the regulation of blood pressure.

However, new research suggests there may be a caveat to this effect — particularly in younger adults…

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The role of the oral microbiome

A study by researchers at the University of Exeter in the U.K. recruited 39 adults under the age of 30, as well as 36 adults in their 60s and 70s. For two weeks, each group took a concentrated “shot” of beet juice twice a day. After a two-week reset period, participants consumed a placebo version of beet juice with the nitrate removed twice daily for two weeks.

The results were surprising. While the older adults saw a noticeable decrease in blood pressure after drinking the nitrate-rich beet juice for two weeks, the younger adults did not. No change was observed in either group after drinking the beet juice with nitrate removed.

“We know that a nitrate-rich diet has health benefits, and older people produce less of their own nitric oxide as they age,” says study author Anni Vanhatalo, a professor at the University of Exeter. “They also tend to have higher blood pressure, which can be linked to cardiovascular complications like heart attack and stroke.”

It’s known that an imbalance between beneficial and harmful oral bacteria can reduce the conversion of nitrate to nitric oxide. This prompted the researchers to use a gene sequencing method to analyze which bacteria were present in the mouth before and after each two-week period.

They made a fascinating discovery…

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While there were significant changes in the oral microbiome in both groups after drinking the nitrate-rich beet juice, the changes differed between the younger and older groups.

The older age group showed a notable decrease in the mouth bacteria Prevotella after drinking the unaltered beet juice with nitrate, as well as an increase in the growth of beneficial bacteria such as Neisseria. The younger group showed an increase in some beneficial bacteria, including Neisseria, but not to the same extent as the older group.

In short, the blood pressure-lowering effect of nitrate-rich beet juice in older people may be enhanced due to specific changes in their oral microbiome.

“This study shows that nitrate-rich foods alter the oral microbiome in a way that could result in less inflammation, as well as a lowering of blood pressure in older people,” says co-author Andy Jones, a professor at the University of Exeter. “This paves the way for larger studies to explore the influence of lifestyle factors and biological sex in how people respond to dietary nitrate supplementation.”

A previous study by the University of Exeter found that beet juice promoted healthier aging in just 10 days.

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Make the most of what beet juice can do

Dr. Lee Beniston of BBSRC says the study “opens up new opportunities for improving vascular health through nutrition.”

“Encouraging older adults to consume more nitrate-rich vegetables could have significant long-term health benefits,” Vanhatalo says. “The good news is that if you don’t like beetroot, there are many nitrate-rich alternatives like spinach, rocket, fennel, celery and kale.”

While it’s true that you can get nitrates from these other vegetables, you would have to eat a significant amount of them to obtain the same benefits as you would from a glass of beet juice.

That’s why most studies on dietary nitrate and heart health have used beet juice and beet powders, which are popular among athletes.

I’m not a big beet fan, but there are ways to make them more palatable. For instance, if you make your own beet juice with a blender or juicer, you can add celery, cucumber or apple for additional flavor. But nothing is easier than a pre-made beet powder you can mix with water or juice.

It’s essential to note that certain dental hygiene habits can affect the natural processes that facilitate the conversion of nitrates to nitric oxide.

Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and the University of Texas found that antiseptic mouthwash, particularly that containing chlorhexidine, interfered with that conversion process and led to a significant increase in systolic blood pressure in a group of 26 study participants.

Sources:

Beetroot juice lowers blood pressure in older people by changing oral microbiome — University of Exeter

Ageing modifies the oral microbiome, nitric oxide bioavailability and vascular responses to dietary nitrate supplementation — Free Radical Biology and Medicine

The post The missing link for lowering blood pressure with beet juice appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

In fact, in the U.S. alone, more than 2.8 million antibiotic-resistant infections occur every year, with new forms of resistance emerging at an accelerated pace.

You probably already know that the antibiotics used to fight bacterial infections can actually contribute to this resistance over time, especially when taken too frequently, when not finished as directed by a doctor, or when taken for conditions where antibiotics have no effect — viruses, for example.

But what you may not know is that other common medications are fueling the problem.

Two of the worst are likely in your medicine cabinet right now…

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The perfect conditions for resistant bacteria to thrive

Researchers from the University of South Australia have demonstrated that ibuprofen and acetaminophen not only drive antibiotic resistance when used individually, but also amplify it when used in combination.

In fact, their research showed that when taking these medications, along with the broad-spectrum antibiotic ciprofloxacin for E. coli (a common bacterium that causes gut and urinary tract infections), the drugs made the bacteria highly resistant to the antibiotic.

“When bacteria were exposed to ciprofloxacin alongside ibuprofen and acetaminophen, they developed more genetic mutations than with the antibiotic alone, helping them grow faster and become highly resistant. Worryingly, the bacteria were not only resistant to the antibiotic ciprofloxacin, but increased resistance was also observed to multiple other antibiotics from different classes,” observed lead researcher and associate professor, Rietie Venter.

According to scientists, taking Tylenol or ibuprofen actually activates the bacteria’s defenses, allowing them to expel the antibiotic and creating conditions that enable the bacteria to thrive.

Combat antibiotic resistance through wellness

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As the researchers point out, “Antibiotic resistance isn’t just about antibiotics anymore.”

And considering this is just one more antibiotic resistance threat in what seems to be an ever-growing list, it’s also one more reason why it’s vital to support your body’s natural immune response.

The key is to make sure that the response is balanced.

I say that because an immune response can be a double-edged sword. While an underactive response leaves the body open to illness, an overactive immune system cannot distinguish between the body’s own systems and invaders.

There are a few ways to help support your immune system so it’s up to the task…

Vitamin D3: A study published in the Frontiers of Immunology confirmed significant differences between the two types of vitamin D, with vitamin D2 having a questionable impact on human health. However, the study found that vitamin D3 could balance people’s immune systems by tamping down inflammatory response, and help strengthen defenses, even against viral infections.

Black seed or black seed oil: The black seeds of the Nigella sativa plant contain a compound called thymoquinone, considered to be an “immune system modulator,” meaning it promotes a balanced response.

Exercise: A 2005 study published in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise revealed that walking briskly for 30 minutes increased the number of natural killer cells, white blood cells and other important immune cells circulating in the body.

Thymus gland support: This gland is a key part of our immune system. Unfortunately, the thymus tends to shrink with age, and by the time we reach the age of 65, it’s largely unable to produce new T cells. But you can find ways to support it here.

When you do get a sickness that requires antibiotics, consider taking fish oil supplements with them. Research led by Flinders University discovered that omega-3 fatty acids, like those found in fish oil, can break down the ability of superbugs to become resistant to antibiotics.

Sources:

Common painkillers like Advil and Tylenol supercharge antibiotic resistance – ScienceDaily

Antimicrobial Resistance Facts and Stats – CDC

The post Over-the-counter drugs that supercharge antibiotic resistance appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Then I’d venture to guess chicken is one of your go-to protein sources.

One of the healthiest diets around — the Mediterranean diet — encourages people to get most of their protein from lean sources like chicken and fish. So, chicken finds its way onto the plates of health-conscious people.

The problem is, chicken isn’t just a healthy source of lean protein. It’s a breeding ground for bacteria.

You probably know that you have to be extra careful when handling raw chicken — even more cautious than when you handle other types of meat.

Part of the reason is that dangerous bacteria like Salmonella, Campylobacter and E. coli are present in chicken while they’re alive, and stick around even after the bird is processed for sale in a supermarket.

If chicken is cooked at a high enough temperature, that should be enough to ensure your chicken is safe to eat.

However, it appears that even if you think you’re cooking your chicken thoroughly and don’t end up with food poisoning, these dangerous bacteria can still find their way into your body and cause an extremely uncomfortable, and often resistant, health problem…

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E.coli: The cause of resistant and recurrent urinary tract infections

A few years ago, researchers from the University of California, Berkeley and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had a nagging suspicion about the poultry on our plates.

They thought it could be bringing dangerous bacteria into our bodies that eventually end up in the urinary tract and potentially the bladder, too.

They first began piecing together the connection between chicken and urinary tract infections (UTIs) after noticing that, in previous research, antibiotic-resistant UTIs were typically caused by a particular strain of E. coli related to the E. coli found in chicken.

“When we compared the fingerprints of the E. coli from the poultry and the human UTI cases, we found there’s an overlap of some genotypes,” said study author Dr. Lee Riley, a professor of infectious disease at Berkeley’s School of Public Health.

Since those findings in 2017, the treatment of UTIs has become complicated. Today, many of the E. coli strains behind UTIs have become resistant to multiple drugs, including fluoroquinolones like ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin.

A 2024 study found that patients with recurrent UTIs had higher rates of resistance and noted that resistance increases with subsequent infections.

It’s an uncomfortable and dangerous situation… one that could put your life in jeopardy. An untreated UTI, after all, can spread to your kidneys and even your bloodstream.

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How E. coli infects the urinary tract, and how to avoid it

It’s not an uncomfortable conversation, but we need to talk about how E. coli from chicken can make it into someone’s urinary tract.

They suspect that people who end up with these infections are either eating chicken that hasn’t been handled correctly in the kitchen or cooked thoroughly enough to kill the bacteria.

Of course, washing hands is paramount before cooking or handling food, but washing them after handling raw meat is just as important. When cooking chicken, ensure the meat has no pink tint (use a food thermometer to verify the chicken’s internal temperature is at least 165°F).

Still, how does the E. coli make it to the urinary tract?

Anatomy is the reason women are more prone to UTIs — though men have plenty of ways to end up with painful UTIs, too. But in women, the urethra, which carries urine from the bladder to exit the body, is typically shorter — and it’s in very close proximity to the anus.

This is the reason women grow up hearing the mantra “wipe front to back.” If you don’t wipe front to back, and you’ve ingested E. coli, it’s possible to bring the bacteria up from the anus to the urethra, where they can invade the urinary tract.

Prevention is the best medicine when it comes to antibiotic-resistant infections. Cranberry juice, already popular as a remedy, recently had its credibility backed by science. That’s why it’s included in this three-part system my friend Dr. Adria Schmedhorst shared, that could help you keep the threat of recurrent UTIs at bay.

The post The food that may give you an antibiotic-resistant UTI appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

But there’s another measurement of age that has a far bigger impact…

Known as epigenetic or biological age, it presents a more accurate picture of how well your body’s cells and tissues are functioning. That makes it a more precise measure of age and risk for age-related disease.

The good news is that there are ways to slow down the epigenetic aging process and push back the onset of aging-related diseases, potentially increasing both your healthspan and lifespan.

And research has revealed one of the simplest and most effective ways to reverse your body’s aging clock is something you can do right now…

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Delivering measurable reductions in biological age

In research from Tohoku University, scientists reviewed existing evidence from studies showing that regular exercise, physical activity and fitness may influence epigenetic aging and potentially reverse it.

The results were compelling enough that you may just want to get up and dance — or walk, run, lift weights, go swimming, or engage in any type of exercise that floats your boat.

That’s because the deep dive into study after study revealed the incredible benefits of staying active for reducing epigenetic aging, including:

• A study in mice that demonstrated that endurance and resistance training reduced age-related molecular changes in muscle tissue.
• A human study that found exercising reduced biological age markers in blood and skeletal muscle.
• Research that revealed that sedentary middle-aged women could reduce their epigenetic age by two years after just eight weeks of combined aerobic and strength training.
• Another study that found older men with higher oxygen uptake levels, a key measure of cardiovascular fitness, had significantly slower epigenetic aging.

According to the scientists, “These findings suggest that maintaining physical fitness delays epigenetic aging in multiple organs and supports the notion that exercise as a geroprotector confers benefits to various organs.”

Considering all that can go wrong without exercise, I’m not really surprised.

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Which organs benefit most?

The research also was able to show that while exercise is excellent for slowing aging across your entire body, specific organs grab even bigger benefits.

Obviously, exercise offers benefits for your skeletal muscles, which are used to move your body as you exercise, allowing them to stay strong and healthy.

However, beyond muscle, regular physical training may also slow the aging process in your heart, liver, fat tissue, and even your gut (which controls a significant portion of your immune system).

The scientists do say, though, that if you want to experience the anti-aging benefits of exercise to the fullest extent, the key is to leverage a structured exercise routine that is planned, repetitive, and goal-directed.

That’s because regular exercise, like riding an exercise bike, playing tennis, going for a jog or lifting weights, appears to have more potent effects on slowing epigenetic aging than general physical activity, such as walking or doing household chores.

In addition to exercise, restricting calories can also help reduce aging and even mortality risk. So you have choices. Do what feels right for you.

Sources:

Exercise may actually reverse your body’s aging clock – ScienceDaily

The post Doing this regularly could help you age in reverse appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

They can also deliver a power-packed punch of vitamins and minerals to your diet that can help you get your health back on the right track.

In fact, while the humble pickle isn’t typically considered a superfood, these six reasons for eating a pickle a day could be one of the easiest and tastiest “self-health” hacks around…

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The nitty-gritty on pickle nutrition

The secret behind the pickles’ powerful health benefits is all in their vinegary brine.

That’s because the salt that’s used to enhance the flavor, help in preservation and support the growth of beneficial bacteria during the fermentation process, also draws out water from the pickle, concentrating its vitamins and minerals.

To give you just a little taste, let’s take an approximate look at what a single whole dill pickle can deliver nutritionally:

• 20% of the vitamin K you need each day to support healthy blood clotting and bone strength.
• 6% of the calcium that’s essential for nerve function, strong bones and teeth.
• 2% of the potassium necessary for muscle contractions, nerve signals and better blood pressure.
• 3%-4% of the daily vitamin C you need for antioxidant protection and to keep your immune system healthy.
• 1% of the vitamin A your body needs on a daily basis to keep your vision sharp, your immune system strong and your skin and other cells in optimal shape.

And that’s just in one pickle!

How pickles support your health

With all of those vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, you’re probably starting to see why pickles really can be an essential part of a healthy diet.

But let’s break down exactly what health benefits pickles offer. These include:

#1 – Better gut health and improved digestion

While not all pickles are fermented, you can find brands that are. They’re easy to pick out as their label will say ‘naturally fermented.’

The advantage of this type of pickle is the good bacteria, or probiotics, which support bacterial diversity and the balance of your microbiome. This can help support your digestion, regularity, immune function and more.

#2 – Disease-fighting power

In addition to the vitamins and minerals we already talked about, pickles are also packed with other nutrients that can help support a healthy body.

These include phosphorus, which helps your body produce energy and is essential for cell growth and repair, and folate, which may help reduce heart disease risk.

Finally, pickles also contain beta-carotene, which your body needs for healthy vision as it helps reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration. This common eye disease affects the macula, the part of the retina responsible for central vision. It can lead to blurred or distorted vision.

Beta-carotene may even lower your risk of chronic diseases, including respiratory diseases, cognitive decline, heart disease, stroke — and may even slow aging.

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#3 – Blood sugar health

Pickles are also good for your blood sugar thanks to a combination of that beta-carotene plus the vinegar used to brine them.

Beta-carotene plays a preventive role in the development of type 2 diabetes, improving glucose metabolism. And the vinegar in pickle juice can help curb blood sugar spikes, to help you maintain steady blood glucose.

#4 – Muscle relief

Pickle juice, which is rich in electrolytes, may even help alleviate muscle cramps by replenishing sodium lost during exercise.

Additionally, some experts believe that the vinegar itself might fight cramps by triggering the ‘gag reflex’, resulting in the muscles in the throat contracting and the muscles in the rest of the body relaxing.

According to Madison Shaw, RDN, a registered dietitian and personal trainer, “It basically disrupts that signal that’s being sent by the central nervous system to the muscles and tells the body, ‘All right, stop cramping.”

#5 – Cell health and protection

Because pickles deliver so many antioxidants, they can also help reduce free radical damage to your cells that accelerates aging and disease.

Research has shown that antioxidants can help maintain skin health, guarding against UV radiation, reduce the symptoms of Alzheimer’s and cognitive decline, prevent eye disease and even reduce certain cancer risks.

 These include breast, lung and pancreatic cancers.

#6 – A slimmer you

Pickles could even offer help with weight loss.

Not only are they a low-calorie food, but pickles also have the power to help you feel full longer due to their high water content.  

And thanks to the vinegar in pickles, you could grab two weight loss benefits for the price of one.

That’s because not only does vinegar help decrease appetite, it also slows the absorption of other carbohydrates from the foods you eat, which can reduce the insulin spikes that cause your energy and mood to fluctuate and contribute to insulin resistance and diabetes.

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Pickles as part of a healthy diet

So it seems that pickles might join the apple in the ‘one a day to keep the doctor away’ mantra.

Just be aware that if you have blood pressure, kidney or liver concerns, the high levels of salt found in many pickles might not be for you. In this case, you can always opt for a low-sodium option.

Also, when incorporating pickles into your healthy diet, be sure to get enough calcium daily, as sodium can bind and leach the calcium you need to keep your bones strong.

Finally, if you decide to can pickles at home rather than using store-bought options, always follow all boiling and canning instructions carefully to prevent harmful bacteria from taking hold.

My favorite is to make fermented pickles with garlic and dill.

They’re crispy, crunchy and flavorful. And they get their delicious tanginess from light fermentation rather than vinegar.

Sources:

What Pickles Can Do for Your Health — WebMD

β-Carotene: Preventive Role for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Obesity: A Review — NIH

Does Drinking Pickle Juice Actually Help With Cramps? Here’s What Science Says — Good Housekeeping

Health Benefits of Beta Carotene — WebMD

The post 6 reasons to eat a pickle a day appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

But they’re also poisoning us.

Because their use is so widespread, they’re practically impossible to avoid, and even harder to eliminate — hence their nickname, “forever chemicals.”

According to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, PFAS molecules have a chain of linked carbon and fluorine atoms. Because the carbon-fluorine bond is one of the strongest, these chemicals do not degrade easily in the environment, your home or your body.

“Every person in the United States, essentially, is walking around with PFAS in their body,” says Dr. Jennifer Schlezinger, a Boston University School of Public Health professor of environmental health.

Except now, purely by happenstance, Dr. Schlezinger may have found a ridiculously easy way to start ridding our bodies of these chemicals…

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Lowering cholesterol and cleansing PFAS

Perfluoroalkyl substances, better known as PFAS, are used to make coats waterproof, pans nonstick and furniture stain-resistant.

You’ll also find PFAS in food wrap and containers, cosmetics and personal care products, increasing the ways we are exposed.

Some research shows PFAS are excreted in urine, but it takes nearly four years for levels to drop by half. So, they build up in concentration. Continuous exposure ensures a cycle in which they are never entirely removed from your body.

The damage they do to our health is linked to breast and testicular cancer, the death of our brain cells and the destruction of our immune systems.

Dr. Schlezinger has long studied the role of environmental toxins in disease development and adverse health effects. But it was a personal quest to lower her cholesterol levels that inadvertently led to a solution to remove forever chemicals from our bodies — and it’s something anyone can do.

Taking a drug-free approach, Dr. Schlezinger discovered that cholestyramine, a gel-forming dietary fiber, could help reduce her cholesterol.  

When taken with meals, cholestyramine binds to bile acids, eliminating them from the body through normal digestive processes. The body has to replace the lost bile acid, so it draws cholesterol from the blood to do so, thus reducing cholesterol levels.

Bile acid and PFAS are both surfactants. They are built to stick to fiber. Dr. Schlezinger wondered if gel-forming fibers could help expel PFAS just as they do with bile acids.

In clinical trials using an oat beta-glucan supplement (a gel-forming fiber), Dr. Schlezinger indeed found a statistically significant effect on PFAS levels.

She is continuing her work to find the optimal gel-forming fiber to decrease PFAS levels.

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A healthy step in the right direction

Despite the success of her initial trials, Dr Schlezinger wants to be clear about a few things…

One, she is not recommending a high-fiber diet to lower cholesterol or to remove PFAS. A supplement is much more accessible. For example, she’s testing a fiber known as psyllium, the key ingredient in Metamucil.

Second, she’s not implying that taking a fiber supplement for a few months will eliminate PFAS from your body. It’s unclear how long it could take.

But it appears to be a step in the right direction. The vast majority of Americans consume nowhere near the recommended daily fiber intake.

Dr. Schlezinger has been taking a scoop of oat beta-glucan in pomegranate juice before meals, and her cholesterol is back to normal.

But if gelled fiber is not appealing to you, there is another option that holds promise…

Probiotics. Research has shown that some gut bacteria have a remarkably high capacity to soak up PFAS from the gut environment at a range of concentrations and store these in clumps inside their cells.

Mice with these bacteria had more PFAS in their stool, meaning they were able to help it exit their bodies.

Staying regular may also reduce the amount of time PFAS spend in the gut, where they can leak through the gut barrier into the bloodstream.

Regardless of how effective these methods are, they also offer other health benefits and may be our best chance to reduce our PFAS exposure somewhat.

Sources:

Supplement could help remove forever chemicals from the body — Futurity

An oat fiber intervention for reducing PFAS body burden: A pilot study in male C57Bl/6 J mice — Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology

The post The cholesterol fix that sweeps forever chemicals away appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

I’ve written about it often, including how to know if your immune system isn’t working properly, how to slow immune system aging and how inflammation can turn your immune system harmful.

And when it comes to the involvement of blood cells, I’m quite familiar with the immune system’s first line of defense: white blood cells that help fight infection and disease, including “killer T cells” that help fight cancer.

However, there are more kinds of white blood cells than I’d known about. And not all of them are “good guys.”

In fact, some of them support the growth of cancer — but you’re not helpless to take them down…

Just 30 minutes can destroy cancer-causing cells

Tiia Koivula is a doctoral researcher at the University of Turku in Finland. She is the lead author of a study that alerted me to the fact that, while some white blood cells support our immune system and fight disease, just as many are busy promoting disease.

Including cancer.

“The balance of different types of white blood cells determines whether the immune system works to destroy cancer or to support it. If there are more cancer-destroying cells than cancer-promoting cells in the tumor area, the body is more capable of fighting cancer.”

Her study looked at twenty newly diagnosed breast cancer patients who had not yet started treatments.

During the study, these patients pedaled a stationary bicycle for 30 minutes. Three different blood samples were taken: before they started pedaling, during the exercise, and after they’d finished the exercise.

The blood samples showed that cancer-killing cytotoxic T cells and natural killer cells increased the most. On the other hand, the number of cancer-promoting regulatory T cells and myeloid-derived suppressor cells did not change.

The researchers also looked at the proportion of different types of white blood cells relative to the total white blood cell count. The proportion of natural killer cells increased significantly, while the proportion of myeloid-derived suppressor cells decreased.

But you might be wondering: do those new cancer-killing cells stick around?

“In this study, it was seen that the number of almost all white blood cell types decreased back to resting values one hour after the exercise,” says Koivula.

“With the current knowledge, we cannot say where the white blood cells go after the exercise, but in preclinical studies, cancer-destroying cells have been seen to migrate into the tumor area.”

The evidence for cancer-slaying exercise piles up

Exercise fighting cancer? It’s not nearly as farfetched as it seems…

Edith Cowan University showed that men with advanced prostate cancer could increase levels of proteins called myokines by engaging in six months of exercise training. Myokines suppress tumor growth and fight the growth of new cancer cells.

Even better, in a follow-up study of a similar group of men, those same anti-cancer molecules increased in a single bout of vigorous exercise.

But exercise shouldn’t be something we only turn to after a cancer diagnosis…

When researchers in Tel Aviv found high-intensity exercise starves cancer cells of glucose preventing spread or metastasis, they suggested regular exercise could provide permanent cancer protection because it changes the tissue of internal organs to become similar to muscle tissue.

That means exercise will make your organs burn glucose like muscles do leaving less fuel for glucose-loving cancer cells.

And it doesn’t end there…

A team of scientists from The MD Anderson Cancer Center pitted exercise against a genetic cancer predisposition known as Lynch Syndrome — and found it resulted in statistically significant changes in gene expression. That’s epigenetics at work!

So the Finnish study isn’t really that much of a leap.

It’s just the latest in a growing collection of data pointing to the importance of regular exercise to avoid or beat cancer.

Sources:

Already 30 minutes of exercise increases the proportion of tumor-killing white blood cells in blood — Eureka Alert

The effect of exercise and disease status on mobilization of anti-tumorigenic and pro-tumorigenic immune cells in women with breast cancer — Frontiers

The post Boost your cancer-killing white blood cells in 30 minutes appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

You might feel fatigued after a long day of activities or a long night of poor sleep.

But if daily fatigue is your constant companion, the cause may be a condition that’s zapping your energy or a vitamin deficiency — or both.

There’s a large amount of research on the connection between vitamin D and fatigue — particularly, how low vitamin D levels can bring on the debilitating fatigue that is part of a range of conditions — including aging.

For that reason, a group of Italian researchers decided to dig into it and shed light on the mechanisms behind vitamin D’s connections to fatigue…

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The energy vitamin

Vitamin D is not a cure. But a growing body of evidence has emerged indicating the vitamin’s involvement in various processes in the body.

So it’s not surprising that hypovitaminosis D — a deficiency or insufficiency of vitamin D — has been previously linked to heart trouble, neurodegeneration, rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes.

The Italian researchers accessed scientific studies in the databases of PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science and reviewed factors that play a role in the genesis of fatigue, where the influence of vitamin D has also been demonstrated. 

Here are some of their findings…

Fibromyalgia. There’s no proof of a causal link between low vitamin D levels and the debilitating fatigue of fibromyalgia. Conversely, though, studies have shown a significant improvement in fatigue with higher vitamin D levels.

Autoimmune disorders. Studies offer mixed results regarding whether vitamin D improves fatigue in autoimmune disorders. However, researchers advocate testing their vitamin D levels since low blood levels are frequent among them, and treatment has resulted in a significant decrease in fatigue severity.

Most of the studies on vitamin D and autoimmune conditions have been on reducing the occurrence of autoimmune diseases.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). Most of the research for review on CFS focused on reducing pain and that presented a challenge during the review. However, a meta-analysis revealed low blood levels of vitamin D present in patients with fibromyalgia, and another study clearly demonstrated that correcting the deficiency improved the fatigue symptom.

Multiple Sclerosis (MS). The researchers noted that a good response against fatigue in multiple sclerosis patients when supplemented with vitamin D has been documented.

Aging. This review uncovered a significant body of research supporting a correlation between correcting low levels of vitamin D and the improvement of fatigue in elderly patients. In fact, this correlation was greater than in any of the other conditions examined.

That may be due in part to vitamin D’s role in regulating the development of an anti-aging protein known as klotho. When we’re young, our kidneys produce lots of this protein. But as we age, that production slows.

Klotho exerts anti-aging effects by increasing oxidative stress tolerance and preventing ROS overproduction.

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Can vitamin D help your fatigue?

To sum up the review’s findings, Vitamin D affects fatigue through three main methods:

• it reduces the oxidative stress that’s associated with conditions like chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia and even aging.
• it regulates fatigue-related neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine.
• it reduces levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (small proteins that signal the immune system to produce inflammation)

Could vitamin D help fight fatigue levels if you’re relatively healthy? That’s an easy one…

Apparently, a lot of us complain about feelings of fatigue when we see our primary care physicians. So one such group was put to the test.

One hundred and seventy-four adult patients, who presented in a primary care office with fatigue and stable chronic medical conditions completed fatigue assessment questionnaires.

Low vitamin D levels were discovered in 77.2 percent of the patients who complained of fatigue. Those patients received supplement therapy for 5 weeks.

After their levels were normalized, their fatigue symptoms improved significantly!

Your doctor can check your levels if you’re unsure of your D status, but you should know that insufficiency is prevalent in about 45 percent of the adult population. Supplementing vitamin D, or vitamins in general, is effective and safe as long as you don’t take more than directed.

Sources:

Association between vitamin D supplementation and fatigue — News Medical Life Sciences

Vitamin D and Its Role on the Fatigue Mitigation: A Narrative Review — Nutrients

Effect of vitamin D3 on self-perceived fatigue — Pub Med Central

Correction of Low Vitamin D Improves Fatigue: Effect of Correction of Low Vitamin D in Fatigue Study (EViDiF Study) — National Library of Medicine

The post Vitamin D’s ties to autoimmune and age-related fatigue appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Your heart? Your lungs?

Nope. It’s your brain.

Your brain accounts for only 2 percent of your body’s weight, but it uses 20 percent of your body’s total energy.

The energy that fuels the brain is produced by mitochondria, organelles located inside every cell in the body, commonly known as “the powerhouse of the cell.”

Unfortunately, quite a few things can mess with our mitochondria and keep them from producing the energy the brain needs, like environmental toxins, physical inactivity, poor nutrition and aging — all of which lead to oxidative stress.

When this happens, the result can be neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and dementia.

These conditions have always been considered irreversible — they only get worse with time.

But for the first time, thanks to a groundbreaking study, there’s hope of reversing memory loss.

And it all comes back to that “powerhouse of the cell” — the mitochondria.

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Boosting mitochondria can restore memory

A group of Canadian researchers has found that mitochondrial dysfunction can cause the cognitive symptoms of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s.

This is a really big deal. Using a new tool, these researchers have shown that not only are dysfunctional mitochondria associated with these diseases — they’ve established a “causal link,” a term you rarely hear in research.

The tool is an artificial receptor that activates specific proteins within the mitochondria, which stimulates mitochondrial activity.

In the Canadian research, the activation of these proteins in the brain cells of mouse models of neurodegenerative diseases successfully increased their mitochondrial activity.

More importantly, it restored their memory performance. In other words, the study linked impaired mitochondria to dementia symptoms and showed that boosting mitochondrial activity can restore memory in animals.

“This work is the first to establish a cause-and-effect link between mitochondrial dysfunction and symptoms related to neurodegenerative diseases, suggesting that impaired mitochondrial activity could be at the origin of the onset of neuronal degeneration,” explains Dr. Giovanni Marsicano, co-senior author of the study.

And according to Dr. Étienne Hébert Chatelain, another co-senior author of the study, “Ultimately, the tool we developed could help us identify the molecular and cellular mechanisms responsible for dementia and facilitate the development of effective therapeutic targets.”

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How to support your mitochondria

These findings confirm older research that links impaired mitochondrial activity with Alzheimer’s.

A 2017 study found that by stimulating the natural self-protective mechanisms of mitochondria, amyloid plaque (a hallmark of Alzheimer’s) was reduced and cognitive decline reversed in mice.

So, it’s pretty clear that we should support our mitochondria… but how do we do that?

CoQ10 (Coenzyme Q10) is a vitamin-like compound produced by the body. PQQ (pyrroloquinoline quinone) is a natural enzyme similar to CoQ10 and found in tofu, green tea, and spinach. Both of these have been shown to support and even replenish mitochondria, which naturally decrease in production after age 40.

It isn’t easy to get a therapeutic dose of PQQ from food. The best thing is to supplement with at least 5 to 20 mg per day of PQQ, and/or 50 to 100 mg of CoQ10.

An anti-inflammatory diet rich in probiotics goes a long way toward protecting your mitochondria. Eating probiotic-rich foods like yogurt (or taking a supplement) as well as adding green leafy veggies, blueberries, salmon and avocado to your diet will help.

Aside from your diet, the usual candidates for promoting wellness will also help strengthen your mitochondria…

Avoid stress. Chronic stress leads to chronic inflammation. Meditation, massage, aromatherapy, or a hot bath… find the relaxation technique that works for you.

Get enough sleep. Getting less than six hours of restful sleep a night has been linked to markers of chronic inflammation.

Exercise. No need to join a gym. A brisk walk every day will do the trick and help you slash your risk of inflammation.

Sources:

Scientists reversed memory loss by powering the brain’s tiny engines — Science Daily

Potentiation of mitochondrial function by mitoDREADD-Gs reverses pharmacological and neurodegenerative cognitive impairment in mice — Nature Neuroscience

Healthy mitochondria could stop Alzheimer’s — Science Daily

The post Reviving the brain’s energy can reverse memory loss appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

But there is no question that our bodies are left different. Weight gain is easier. Wrinkles appear out of nowhere. Bones become brittle. Cholesterol shoots up.

Having said all that, it is a misconception that postmenopausal women have no influence over our outcomes or our overall sense of well-being.

The previous four blogs dealt with our main pharmacologic option, hormone replacement therapy (HRT). And there is plenty of evidence that HRT would likely be a net positive for many more women than are being offered this intervention today.  If you missed those blogs, you can find them here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4.  

However, there is much more we can do than just demand to be placed on drugs! We can also help ourselves get through this period and set ourselves up for better health long term through the way we live.

Spoiler alert: If you’re a regular reader of our blogs, you will see a striking similarity to advice I have given many times before…

Turns out, eating right and exercising regularly has a positive impact, regardless of what we are trying to impact positively.

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Mediterranean Diet and Menopausal Symptomatology

The Mediterranean diet, characterized by high consumption of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and olive oil, has been associated with reduced severity of menopausal symptoms.

A study involving more than 6,000 postmenopausal women over nine years found that higher adherence to the Mediterranean Diet correlated with a lower incidence of hot flashes and night sweats.

Phytoestrogens: Plant-Derived Estrogenic Compounds

Phytoestrogens, particularly isoflavones found in soy products, have been investigated for their potential to mitigate menopausal symptoms due to their structural similarity to estradiol.

Randomized studies have shown that phytoestrogen-based treatments may reduce the frequency of hot flashes and night sweats. However, efficacy varies among individuals, possibly due to differences in gut microbiome composition affecting isoflavone metabolism. 

By the way, the idea that phytoestrogens increase breast cancer risk has been summarily debunked. Even women who have gone through breast cancer treatment can enjoy soy products.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Mood Regulation

The decline in estrogen during menopause is associated with an increased risk of depression. Omega-3 fatty acids, like those found in Step One Foods, are known to have positive effects on mood, and higher dietary intake of omega-3 fatty acids has been inversely associated with depression prevalence in postmenopausal women.

Micronutrients: Calcium and Vitamin D

Postmenopausal women are at increased risk for osteoporosis, and adequate intake of calcium and vitamin D becomes crucial for bone health. For women over 50, the recommended daily allowance includes 1,200 mg of calcium and 600–800 IU of vitamin D. Individual vitamin D requirements may be higher in order to keep vitamin D levels in the normal range. You can have your vitamin D level assessed through a simple blood test. 

Dietary sources of calcium include dairy products, leafy greens, and fortified foods, while sunlight exposure facilitates endogenous vitamin D synthesis. It is typically difficult to get adequate amounts of vitamin D through diet alone, although eating mushrooms can help.

Exercise: Bone Strength and Beyond

If there was any time in a woman’s life when staying physically active was critical, it’s after menopause. We can take all sorts of calcium supplements, but unless we engage in weight-bearing and resistance training, all that calcium will just go toward making kidney stones. And unless we expend more energy, the slowdown in metabolism most women experience during this time will yield progressive weight gain. The good news is that we don’t need to engage in extreme or exceedingly strenuous routines to see meaningful health gains.

For optimal metabolic health, spending the majority of our time in Zone 2 is ideal. This exercise level helps build aerobic capacity, increases mitochondrial efficiency, burns fat for energy, increases insulin sensitivity, and helps lower blood pressure. Interspersing short, high-intensity intervals is also a good idea to help build cardiovascular fitness.

And how do you know if you’re in Zone 2? To estimate your Zone 2 heart rate range, subtract your age from 220 (this estimates your maximum predicted heart rate), and then multiply that number by 0.6 to get the lower range (60%) of Zone 2, and by 0.7 to get the upper range (70%). You can also know that you’re in Zone 2 by using the talk test: your exercise intensity is low enough that you can carry on a conversation, but high enough that you’re somewhat breathless and can’t sing.

And what about resistance training? Do that at least a couple of times a week for 30 minutes at a time. You can get fancy and work with a trainer at a gym — or make a minor investment in resistance bands and follow a do-it-yourself program at home.

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We Have the Power!

Menopause is a time of tremendous change — physically and psychologically. But it’s definitely not a time to suffer in silence or simply accept our fates.

Helping ourselves through nutrition and physical activity (the EXACT SAME interventions as the ones that yield cholesterol improvements) will go a long way to maximizing overall health outcomes, especially after our estrogen is gone. And, for most women, HRT — whether systemic or local — can be considered a safe, effective and in many ways proactive step to ensuring a smoother transition to the second half of our lives. 

The WHI deprived too many women of quality of life for too long. 

It’s time to move on.

The post Menopause and the big lie: You’ve got choices appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

We spend half our lives dealing with the pain and hassle of a menstrual cycle, and just when that comes to an end — the celebration is cut short thanks to a whole new set of “gotchas.”

One of the worst, and sometimes most embarrassing, is bladder trouble.

You cough, sneeze, laugh or simply try to do something good for your body, like exercise, and your bladder betrays you faster than you can say “depends.”

Or you might be fine one second, but the next you have a sudden, intense urge to ‘go’ — followed by panic because a bathroom is nowhere in sight.

As many as 72% of us between the ages of 40 and 65 have these experiences — thanks to pelvic floor changes, overactive bladders or weak muscle control. We chalk it up to childbirth, aging and going through menopause.

But now, researchers in Finland say they’ve found one of the most surprising contributors to these problems — one that you could turn around with a few simple diet changes…

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The diet that leads to pelvic floor disorders

In researching the health and diet data of over 1,000 women between the ages of 47 and 55, the Finnish scientist found that pelvic floor disorders and poor nutrition go hand-in-hand.

As expected, they saw that rates of pelvic floor disorders increased as women reached menopause due to estrogen deprivation.

However, they found strong evidence that nutrition could have a significant effect on the mechanisms of pelvic floor disorders that lead to bladder leaks.

For example, higher consumption of highly processed ready-made foods and fast food increased the risk for experiencing stress incontinence (like when sneezing) and urge incontinence (that sudden urge to go NOW).

On the other hand, higher consumption of fruits and an overall higher-quality diet decreased the risk for stress incontinence.

Diet habits, like overeating and extreme dieting or alternating between the two behaviors, also seemed to exacerbate pelvic floor problems and carry a higher risk of bladder leaks.

Put simply, if you need help warding off or improving incontinence trouble in middle age, focus on eating a nutritious diet.

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The recipe for a lock-tight bladder

Diet as a tool to improve bladder function isn’t as far-fetched as it may seem…

Native Americans, for example, knew certain foods should be part of their daily diet, not just for nutrition, but as traditional medicine. One such food was pumpkin seed, revered for supporting bladder, kidney and digestive health.

They contain potassium, magnesium and zinc, which help calm and relax bladder muscles, reducing that desperate urgency to urinate. But what does the science say?

A 12-week study found that pumpkin seed oil extract significantly reduced overactive bladder symptoms. Other studies have shown it helps support prostate health and relieves BPH symptoms, like frequent nighttime urination.

In ancient China, healers used soybeans medicinally to support the kidneys and ease the afflictions of aging, such as hormonal changes.

Nowadays, we know how valuable soy is at supporting balanced hormones — and understand the roles of estrogen and testosterone for sustaining the strength of bladder muscles and the pelvic floor.

Soy contains phytoestrogens, plant-based compounds that have similar chemical structures to the hormone estrogen, which can also be found in flaxseeds and whole grains.

In a Korean study reported by the American Pharmacists Association, 120 women aged 35-70 years used a combo of pumpkin seed extract and soy, and reported a statistically significant improvement in daily urination, urgency and incontinence frequency compared with baseline. They also experienced fewer nighttime trips to the bathroom.

So if you need extra help taming your bladder, try to avoid the ultra-processed foods and snacks. Reach for pumpkin seed, flaxseed (great in yogurt) and whole grains. Your bladder will thank you.

Sources:

Disordered eating and certain foods linked to higher risk for urinary incontinence in middle-aged women – ScienceDaily

Prevalence Of Incontinence In Middle Age Women – National Association for Continence

The post How your diet can cause your bladder to leak appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Some people seem more prone to them, while others, like me, eat well and brush and floss, but still have a collection of teeth that have fillings.

Well, I’ve recently read about an astounding discovery that could reverse the deterioration of tooth enamel that leaves our teeth open to decay.

There aren’t many bodily processes that are truly reversible, so this is pretty amazing.

And what’s more, this discovery could be translated into products that will help prevent tooth decay — within just a few years!

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Keratin could save tooth enamel

Researchers from King’s College London say keratin, a protein found in hair, skin and wool, can repair tooth enamel and stop the early stages of decay.

Unlike hair or bones, tooth enamel does not regenerate.

“Once it’s lost, it’s gone forever,” notes Dr. Sherif Elsharkawy, senior author of the study.

Right now, the best we can do to protect our tooth enamel is to use fluoride toothpaste that may slow the loss of enamel.

But Dr. Elsharkawy and his colleagues had a different idea…

They extracted keratin from wool fibers and mixed the keratin with water, where it formed a thin film.

They applied this film to a tooth sample, and when it came in contact with the minerals in saliva, it formed a strong, crystal-like coating similar in structure to natural tooth enamel.

What’s more, the longer it remained there, the more it attracted calcium and phosphate ions, forming a hard, protective layer over the tooth.

“Keratin offers a transformative alternative to current dental treatments,” says first author Dr. Sara Gamea.

“Not only is it sustainably sourced from biological waste materials like hair and skin, it also eliminates the need for traditional plastic resins, commonly used in restorative dentistry, which are toxic and less durable.

“Keratin also looks much more natural than these treatments, as it can more closely match the color of the original tooth.”

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Protect your smile for years to come

Keratin toothpastes for daily use or professional coatings applied at a dentist’s office could be available within the next few years.

But until then, there are plenty of things you can do to protect your tooth enamel and prevent tooth decay.

Avoid eating and drinking acidic foods and drinks between meals. Even “healthy” drinks like fruit tea with lemon is a “double whammy” – the acid and the heat are both destructive to tooth enamel.

Additionally, some fermented foods can also cause harm, such as kombucha or the hot apple cider vinegar you take for a cold.

But there’s a way around that…

Avoid sipping, swishing, holding, or rinsing drinks in your mouth before swallowing to decrease the amount of time those acids are touching your teeth. Wine tasters who swish acidic wines around in their mouths before swallowing, for example, have a high risk of enamel erosion.

Drink acidic drinks cold. Again, heat and acid are a bad combination. If you can drink your fruit tea iced, you’ll protect your enamel. Or try using a straw to keep it from touching your teeth.

Choose green tea. Studies show that green tea can actually protect you from losing tooth enamel — even if you are a fan of sugary drinks!

Sources:

Keratin extracted from sheep’s wool repairs teeth in breakthrough — Live Science

Biomimetic Mineralization of Keratin Scaffolds for Enamel Regeneration — Advanced Healthcare Materials

Toothpaste made from hair provides natural root to repair teeth — Eureka Alert

The post Weird toothpaste ingredient regenerates tooth enamel appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Walnuts, for example, are great for the heart and contain neuroprotective compounds that support brain health and motor function. And almonds have a reputation for being the world’s most nutritious nut, with cholesterol-lowering benefits and more.

Then there’s my favorite nut, the pistachio. This tree nut doesn’t get quite as much attention, and that’s a shame because it also packs a health punch…

A serving of pistachio nut kernels has almost as much protein (5.7 grams) as an egg (6 grams). They’re high in the amino acid arginine, which improves blood flow by boosting nitric oxide. And they’ve been shown to lower cholesterol.

But one of the pistachio’s biggest benefits over other nuts is that it’s the only one that contains the two phytonutrients lutein and zeaxanthin — both of which protect eye health.

Now, research suggests that eating pistachios may be a key factor in protecting against age-related damage that can lead to vision loss…

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Pistachios and MPOD

Macular pigment optical density (MPOD) is an essential factor in eye health. Not only does it protect the retina, but it also reduces the risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). And that’s all thanks to lutein.

However, even though plenty of foods contain lutein, like bell peppers, parsley, eggs, kale and spinach, most Americans only get between 1 mg and 2 mg of lutein in their diets.

Enter pistachios…

Researchers at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University selected a group of participants whose baseline intake of lutein was low.

They had them consume two ounces of pistachios per day, equivalent to about 1.6 mg of lutein — enough to double the average daily lutein intake in U.S. adults.

In just six weeks, lutein levels in the participants rapidly increased. But that’s not all…

The researchers observed that consuming two ounces of pistachios daily for 12 weeks resulted in a significant increase in MPOD levels among the participants — an effect that was sustained throughout the 12-week study period.

This suggests that regularly eating pistachios could offer a natural dietary approach to reducing the risk of AMD, a leading cause of blindness in older adults.

“Our findings enhance our understanding of the link between nutrition and eye health,” says Dr. Tammy Scott, a research and clinical neuropsychologist and lead author of the study. “This is especially important as people age and face higher risks of vision impairment.”

Scott adds that pistachios provide a source of healthy fat, potentially enabling the body to absorb the lutein from pistachios better.

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Lutein could also protect cognitive function

The lutein found in pistachios filters blue light and acts as an antioxidant in the eye. But that’s not all lutein can do. Beyond supporting eye health, the lutein found in pistachios may also benefit brain function.

“Lutein crosses the blood-brain barrier, where it may help reduce oxidative stress and inflammation,” notes Dr. Elizabeth Johnson, a co-investigator on the study.

As is the case in the eye, lutein selectively accumulates in the brain and may play a role in reducing cognitive decline. Previous studies have suggested that higher lutein levels are linked with better cognitive performance, including memory and processing speed.

Taken together, these findings indicate pistachios are a valuable addition to a diet intended to support overall healthy aging.

It’s never been easier to add pistachios to your diet. You can buy them unshelled or shelled at pretty much any grocery store. Aim for a quarter cup of shelled pistachios a day, which equals the two ounces administered in the study cited above. Eat them as a snack, mix them with your morning oats, cereal or yogurt, or add them to a salad. This way, you’ll be protecting both your brain and your vision as you get older.

Sources:

Pistachios may help improve eye health, new study finds — EurekAlert!

Pistachio consumption increases Macular Pigment Optical Density in healthy adults: a randomized controlled trial — The Journal of Nutrition

The post The nut that defends against age-related vision loss appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Unfortunately, in addition to a possibly slimmer body, those who take them have been confronted with unexpected (and “out there”) side effects.

From rebound weight loss that can only be avoided by staying on the drugs indefinitely — to pancreatitis, gastroparesis and intestinal blockage, it seems these medications might do more harm than good.

And that’s before you consider the reports that GLP-1 drugs also cause a loss of skeletal muscle mass, which makes it harder to keep the weight off, shrink cardiac cells and the heart itself and may cause vision loss.

However, as if that weren’t enough, it’s now being reported that there’s one more warning for anyone considering taking one of these drugs…

And this time, the danger is in your mouth…

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Oral health problems abound

These weight loss drugs are now being linked to cases of what’s being called “Ozempic mouth” or “Ozempic teeth.”

The most common oral problems people who take them are noticing include inflammation affecting the gums, tooth decay and even bad breath.

And doctors point out that all of these complaints can stem from one thing: dehydration, leading to a dry mouth.

“All of the GLP-1 agonists that we use now cause changes in how everything is secreted in your GI tract,” explains Ann Marie Defnet, MD, an obesity medicine physician and bariatric surgeon.

According to Dr. Defnet, this “definitely has an impact on saliva.” Although it might not be immediately apparent why these drugs would cause saliva to decrease, the process is actually pretty simple…

Basically, because GLP-1 agonists dramatically decrease hunger and often cause nausea, people taking them may also drink far less than usual, without even realizing it.

“I have patients all the time that [say], ‘Oh yeah, I can tell I’m dehydrated,'” Defnet says.

This can lead to complaints of a dry mouth and, over time, can result in periodontal disease and gingivitis.

Check your breath

Dehydration and dry mouth can also cause bad breath — an issue that can be made worse by the fact that people taking these drugs may eat little if any fat, putting their body into ketosis.

This can cause the breath to have a “fruity smell.”

To top it off, the nausea that comes with GLP-1 agonists can cause vomiting, which exposes the teeth to acid, which can wear down tooth enamel. It’s a downhill slide from there — which makes diligent oral care especially important.

“I think all of these sorts of symptoms, especially those in the mouth, are signs that you just need to take a little bit better care of yourself while taking these drugs,” Defnet said. “They’re definitely not completely benign. They have side effects.”

Her recommendation?

Anyone taking the drugs should do two things religiously: drink water even if you don’t think you’re thirsty, and pay close attention to your oral hygiene routine — which includes seeing a dentist regularly.

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Weight loss without the Ozempic teeth

For me, that list of side effects tied to these medications goes far beyond anything I would be comfortable risking.

Especially when there are many healthier weight loss practices shown to work, without nasty side effects, such as…

• Eating more oats – Oats contain a type of fiber that mimics how Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro work. Where do you think the drug manufacturers got their ideas? Oats are Mother Nature’s way of slowing digestion and helping you feel fuller longer.
• Ditching ultra-processed foods to lose twice as much without eating less – It’s easy! You can still eat moderately processed foods and experience decreased cravings and weight loss.
• An alkaline diet – Researchers led by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine analyzed a study in which adults lost 13 pounds in 16 weeks on one such diet.

There’s also been a lot of discussion about “Nature’s Ozempic” and the combination of omega-3 fatty acids and black seed oil. You can read up on them before you decide if they’re right for you.

Sources:‘Ozempic Teeth’: Another Effect of GLP-1 Agonists? – MEDPAGE TODAY

The post ‘Ozempic teeth’: Another weight loss wonder drug side effect appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

They were a huge part of the drug culture of the 1960s and were especially known for psychedelic or hallucinogenic effects.

Who would have thought that the same chemical that produced powerful hallucinations might one day be found to help you live a longer and healthier life?

Not me, that’s for sure.

But ongoing research is showing this to be the case.

“Magic mushrooms” might just be the next weapon in the ongoing effort not just to live longer but to ensure those extra years are healthy ones…

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Psilocybin reduces oxidative stress and slows aging

“This study provides strong preclinical evidence that psilocybin may contribute to healthier aging — not just a longer lifespan, but a better quality of life in later years,” says Dr. Ali John Zarrabi, co-investigator of a study at Emory University in Atlanta.

Psilocybin is the active compound found in psychedelic mushrooms. When it is consumed, it forms a metabolite called psilocin.

Emory University researchers dosed 19-month-old mice — an age that in human years would correspond to between 60 and 65 — with psilocybin doses that ranged from 5mg to 15 mg over a 10-month period.

The treated mice lived 30% longer than untreated mice and also experienced better aging — including healthier physical traits like better fur condition and hair regrowth.

Psilocybin is known for its psychological effects, especially in regard to relieving depression and boosting the feel-good hormone, serotonin. But this research indicates that it also targets several key biological markers of aging, including reducing oxidative stress, enhancing DNA mechanisms and maintaining telomere length.

According to the researchers, these underlying cellular processes play a critical role in both aging and disease onset.

How do we explain this?

“Most cells in the body express serotonin receptors, and this study opens a new frontier for how psilocybin could influence systemic aging processes, particularly when administered later in life,” says Louise Hecker, PhD, senior author of the study and former associate professor at Emory University, where the work began and was funded.

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Not a fan of shrooms? You have choices

Dr. Zarrabi emphasized the importance of further research in older adults, as well as the well-documented overlap between physical and mental health.

“My hope is also that if psilocybin-assisted therapy is approved as an intervention for depression by the FDA in 2027, then having a better quality of life would also translate into a longer, healthier life.”

But until then, how do we increase our chances of living a long and healthy life?

For starters, just move. Switching to an active lifestyle at any point in adulthood has been shown to extend lifespan. And you control the dial on effort and benefits. The plan you’ll stick to is the one that will bring you results.

Eat the rainbow. This term was coined for a good reason: Colorful foods are rich in flavonoids that are linked to a disease-free, longer life.

Avoid foods that send aging into overdrive. Certain foods accelerate aging. You’ll find which ones here.

Take advantage of shortcuts that research shows can have a powerful effect on aging, including:

• Coffee: the healthy aging secret under our noses
• The vitamin that slowed biological aging 3 years
• Conquer inflammation, the link between unhealthy aging and a shorter lifespan

Lastly, just in case you need more convincing about the importance of movement, here’s a list of 40 things that can go wrong with your body and health if you don’t exercise at all.

Dr. Jesus Peteiro, the author of a 2019 Spanish study on exercise capacity (how long and how hard you can work out), sums it up for us: “Exercise as much as you can. Fitness protects against death from any cause.”

Sources:

Natural Compound Found in Mushrooms Delays Aging and Extends Lifespan, Study Suggests — SciTech Daily

Psilocybin treatment extends cellular lifespan and improves survival of aged mice — Nature Partner Journals’ Aging

The post The magic mushroom secret for slower aging, longer life appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Yet, what might be most impressive of all is the effect exercise has on cancer.

But if you have to choose between a long, brisk walk and a faster, more intense exercise session, which one delivers the best cancer defense?

Well, I’ll answer that question this way…

Got 30 minutes?

One bout of exercise slashes cancer

Research out of Edith Cowan University has revealed that even a single vigorous 30-minute workout could be the key to slashing cancer cell growth in breast cancer survivors.

To prove this, the scientists measured myokine levels before, immediately after, and 30 minutes following a single bout of either resistance or high-intensity interval training in breast cancer survivors.

But first: Why myokines — and why breast cancer survivors?

Myokines are proteins produced by muscles and have known anti-cancer properties.

But while myokines are significantly produced during exercise in healthy people, the researchers weren’t sure if the same would hold true for breast cancer survivors.

To their delight, the team found that both sets of exercise led to a potent increase in myokine levels for the breast cancer survivors, which could reduce cancer growth by 20 to 30%!

“The results from the study show that both types of exercise really work to produce these anti-cancer myokines in breast cancer survivors. The results from this study are excellent motivators to add exercise as standard care in the treatment of cancer,” says researcher Francesco Bettariga.

Body composition tames inflammation

The reason exercise proved so powerful against cancer in this study wasn’t limited to the significant myokine boost gained from a quick 30-minute workout.

The same researchers delved into how improving body composition through regular physical activity could reduce the inflammation that drives cancer, and plays a key role in breast cancer recurrence and mortality by promoting tumor growth.

The team demonstrated that reducing fat mass and increasing lean mass, through consistent and persistent exercise, significantly improved cancer survivors’ ability to reduce inflammation.

In fact, they found that using exercise to change body composition was the way to go compared to other fat loss strategies, pointing out that, “You never want to reduce your weight without exercising, because you need to build or preserve muscle mass and produce these chemicals that you can’t do through just diet alone.”

Building a cancer-fighting body

So if you want to grab all the cancer-reducing benefits that exercise has to offer, be sure to set up a regular, long-term exercise program that can improve your body composition and decrease inflammation over time.

If you’re recovering from cancer, talk to your doctor about getting started. You may need to start slowly before easing into the 30-minute sessions that were shown to be effective in the study.  

But previous research has shown exercise can even make cancer treatments, like chemotherapy, more bearable.

If you’re on medication, also check with them about taking a creatine supplement. It shouldn’t interfere with anything, but if you’re a cancer survivor, it’s always good to let your physician know these things.

Why creatine?

Dr. Richard Kreider, professor and director of the Exercise and Sport Nutrition Lab at Texas A&M University, has spent over 30 years investigating the effects of creatine.

He says, “When the body is stressed, like in exercise or under metabolic conditions like some diseases, creatine phosphate is needed to maintain energy in the cell, and therefore has a lot of protective and health benefits, in addition to the exercise performance effects that have been seen.”

Creatine also protects against the loss of muscle mass, decreases markers of inflammation and possibly attenuates cancerous tumor growth progression.

Sources:

The 30-minute workout that could slash cancer cell growth by 30% — ScienceDaily

Anti-Inflammatory and Anti-Catabolic Effects of Creatine Supplementation: A Brief Review — Journal Nutrients

The post How to slash cancer growth 30% in 30 minutes appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

But what would be even better is if we could do the same thing for our brains.

After all, the accumulation of damaging amyloid proteins in our brains is what leads to memory problems and puts us on the path to severe cognitive decline.

Now, researchers are discovering how to scrub our brains clean with the power of two natural compounds that, when combined, reverse age-related cellular deficits and improve the brain cells’ ability to clear away damaging buildup.

Here’s what you need to know…

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Energy decline equals protein buildup

According to the researchers, the problems with aging in our brains are due to a lack of energy. That’s probably not a surprise to any of us who have found it more challenging to concentrate and focus with every passing year.

Lead author Gregory Brewer explains that, “As people age, their brains show a decline in neuronal energy levels, which limits the ability to remove unwanted proteins and damaged components.”

A contributor to this buildup is declining levels of guanosine triphosphate, an essential energy molecule for mitochondria — your brain’s energy hubs.

Think of it this way…

Your brain has a natural system that acts like a vacuum cleaner, sucking up and getting rid of amyloid proteins. But it has to have the energy available to power that vacuum.

The solution? Reinstate youthful levels of guanosine triphosphate — and that’s what Brewer and his team are working on…

The supplements that provide the solution

They discovered that a combination of naturally occurring compounds — nicotinamide (a form of vitamin B3) and epigallocatechin gallate (a green tea antioxidant) — restored brain energy levels in aged neurons to those typically seen in younger cells in just 24 hours.

And this revival triggered a cascade of benefits, including improved energy metabolism and efficient clearance of amyloid beta aggregates — hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease.

According to Brewer, “We found that restoring energy levels helps neurons regain this critical cleanup function.”

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To top it off, restoring brain energy levels also reduced oxidative stress, which leads to neurodegeneration in the brain.

Past research has shown that limiting oxidative stress can reduce the damage typically caused by beta-amyloid.

As Brewer points out, “By supplementing the brain’s energy systems with compounds that are already available as dietary supplements, we may have a new path toward treating age-related cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease.”

It seems then that the one-two supplement punch of nicotinamide and epigallocatechin gallate could be the start to revving up mitochondrial energy in the brain and cleaning out cognitive decline for better brain health — no matter what your age.

However, we’re not there yet…

He cautioned, “More work is going to be required to find the best way to administer this treatment, since a recent clinical trial involving UC Irvine researchers showed that oral nicotinamide was not very effective because of inactivation in the bloodstream.”

Until then, you can read here about how to start supporting your power-generating mitochondria today.

Sources:

UC Irvine researchers find combination of natural compounds for brain cleaning — EurekAlert!

The post Researchers find ‘cleaning combo’ clears brain buildup appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

But what if it’s really more akin to an infection?

That’s what researchers say advanced genetic sequencing science is revealing — along with potential treatments capable of targeting the protein behind senescence (the process of deterioration) to stop aging’s “spread.”

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Aging’s dirty little secret

Past research has shown that aging isn’t limited to one area of the body. Instead, when it starts, it begins to diffuse throughout the body.

Sort of like an infection…

One day, usually after the age of 40, you may start feeling arthritis-like issues in, say, your knee. By the following year, not only is your knee aching and stiff, but your back, neck and other areas have joined in.

Before you know it, each year you’re suffering from another sign of aging in another part of your body. But your best friend seems to be doing just fine.

While researchers have been well aware of the spreading effects of aging throughout the body, the mechanisms of how exactly it happens haven’t been so easy to nail down.

Cue a team of researchers from Korea University College of Medicine…

They were able to prove that cellular aging (a process known as senescence) begins due to a protein known as HMGB1 — we’ll call it “aging’s dirty little secret” — that potentially accelerates the aging process as it spreads from one part of the body to another.

They also may have found a way to stop it…

Sending out the aging signal

Their research, published in the journal Metabolism, revealed that this protein acts as an “aging messenger” that carries signals from cell to cell, transforming otherwise healthy cells into aged and dysfunctional ones.

Here’s how it works…

When HMGB1 is in an oxygen-rich environment, it functions normally. However, when there is a lack of oxygen in the cellular environment that surrounds the protein, it becomes reduced — and that’s when things go bad.

HMGB1 then binds to cellular receptors, activating the JAK/STAT and NF-κB pathways in the cells, which are known to promote inflammation and cue the cells to age.

This triggers a molecular signaling cascade: Aging cells produce more HMGB1, which spreads to other cells, activating their senescence pathways as well — in effect causing aging to spread like a virus from cell to cell.

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Putting an aging ‘do not disturb’ sign on your cells

The good news in all of this is that when the scientists treated mice with antibodies that block HMGB1 from activating the JAK/STAT pathway, they were able to reduce age-related dysfunction.

What does that mean for us?

Well, they hope that in the future, a drug treatment can be developed using a class of medications, known as JAK2 inhibitors, to essentially keep HMGB1 from activating the pathways it used to spread its dirty work — otherwise known as aging.

I’m excited about that news — but even more excited about all the natural compounds already known to be JAK2 inhibitors. And many of them are already compounds associated with healthy aging.

I’m sure you’ll recognize a few of these, and may already be up to speed on their anti-aging reputations:

• Resveratrol –A potent antioxidant found in the skin of red grapes, and responsible for widespread interest in the field of anti-aging research, made popular by Dr. David Sinclair and colleagues in the early 2000s.
• Curcumin – The active component of turmeric that offers potential anti-aging effects due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that may combat age-related disease and promote healthy aging.
• Bergamottin –  A natural antioxidant phenol found in the peel of the bergamot orange, grapefruit and lemon, with anti-senescence, anti-aging and immune-modulating effects.
• Garcinol –  Extracted from Garcinia indica fruit, peel and leaves, and is a powerful antioxidant.
• Quercetin – A flavonoid found in fruits and vegetables that shows promise for anti-aging due to its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and senolytic properties.

They won’t stop aging, but I have my doubts that any drug would ever be able to do that either. But they can certainly help you age more healthily.

Sources:

Aging Spreads Through The Body Like An Infection, And This Protein Could Be To Blame — Study Finds

Propagation of senescent phenotypes by extracellular HMGB1 is dependent on its redox state — Metabolism

The Role of Natural Products as Inhibitors of JAK/STAT Signaling Pathways in Glioblastoma Treatment — NIH

Quercetin as a JAK–STAT inhibitor: a potential role in solid tumors and neurodegenerative diseases — BMC

The post The protein that causes aging to spread like an infection appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

It includes recommended amounts of fat, saturated fat, protein, carbohydrates, salt, and fiber, as well as recommendations on the intake of fruits, vegetables, grains, and protein sources.

In the United Kingdom, My Plate’s counterpart is known as The Eatwell Guide.

But there’s a catch with guides like these: they leave it up to us to decide where we get these dietary building blocks from. And the choices run the gamut, from processed, ultra-processed or minimally processed foods to whole foods.

This choice is significant if you’re trying to lose weight.

A British study has proven that one option is twice as effective as the other when it comes to meeting that goal. I’ll give you one guess…

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The foods that won’t help with weight loss

A clinical trial led by researchers at University College London and UCL Hospital found that people eating minimally processed foods lost twice as much weight as those on diets eating ultra-processed foods.

This real-world study is the longest experimental study of an ultra-processed diet to date.

In it, 55 adults were split into two groups. One group started with an eight-week diet of MPF, such as overnight oats or homemade spaghetti Bolognese. After a four-week ‘washout’ period during which participants went back to their regular diet, they switched to a diet of UPF, such as breakfast oat bars or a lasagna ready meal. The other group completed the diets in the opposite order. 

Both diets adhered to the Eatwell Guide in terms of intake of fat, protein, salt, fiber, etc., and both groups could eat as much as they wanted of fruits and vegetables.

At the end of the eight weeks, the MPF group lost twice as much body weight (2.06%) as the UPF group (1.05%).

And in case you’re thinking, “Oh, they probably lost muscle, not fat,” think again. The greater weight loss experienced on the MPF diet came from reductions in fat mass and total body water, with no changes in muscle mass.

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Minimally processed foods for the win

Before I get into how to help you determine the differences between UPF and MPF, I want to share some other interesting findings from this study…

If you’ve ever dieted to lose weight, you know cravings alone can sabotage your best efforts. But MPF actually squashed cravings.

The participants completed several questionnaires during the study. When all the results were tallied, there were significantly greater improvements in the number of cravings and ability to resist them (craving control) on the MPF diet than on the UPF diet.

Specifically, on the MPF diet, participants reported:

• A two-fold greater improvement in overall craving control;
• A four-fold greater improvement in craving control for savory food;
• And an almost two-fold greater improvement in resisting whichever food they most craved.

If you read my recent article on The Food That Won’t Let You Outrun Obesity, you may already know that UPF has the opposite effect. Researchers surmise that the energy density, nutrient composition and appearance of UPF disrupt hunger hormone signals and actually encourage over-eating.

But that’s not all…

UPF calories are absorbed into the body quickly, where they can be stored as fat. These foods lack fiber and contain additives that may disrupt the normal digestive processes. They also have an obesogenic effect: obesogens are chemicals that disrupt the endocrine system and lead to weight gain.

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Identifying MPF and UPF: Which is which

Food experts are still trying to classify the level of processing in foods so we can have an easier time understanding what we’re eating.

I have seen MPF described as foods that are cut, washed, peeled, shredded and packaged. That would describe a bag of salad, apple slices or chopped nuts.

I’ve also read that frozen or canned fruits and vegetables are considered minimally processed — as long as when you open the package, you recognize the food. Canned fruit should be packaged in natural juices, though, not syrup. And no breading on those vegetables.

The easiest way to recognize a UPF is to simply read the label. If you see ingredients listed that are hard to pronounce or require a Google search to know what they are, that’s a UPF. They also bear very little resemblance to real food.

The best rule of thumb? Include as many whole foods as possible. That means consuming foods that look like the real thing, versus a stick of fish. Following an eating plan like the Mediterranean diet is a great way to ensure your diet consists mainly of whole, unprocessed or minimally processed foods.

Sources:

This diet helped people lose twice as much weight, without eating less — Science Daily

Ultraprocessed or minimally processed diets following healthy dietary guidelines on weight and cardiometabolic health: a randomized, crossover trial — Nature Medicine

Effect of a high-fat Mediterranean diet on bodyweight and waist circumference: a prespecified secondary outcomes analysis of the PREDIMED randomised controlled trial — The Lancet

The post How to lose twice as much without eating less appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Hearing loss can result in isolation, communication difficulties and reduced alertness, among other impacts. And all of this can lead to greater feelings of loneliness, something more than a third of seniors have reported experiencing.

What’s worse, research shows this combination of hearing loss and loneliness can open the door to one of the most frightening age-related ailments….

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Loneliness and hearing loss accelerate memory decline

Researchers from the University of Geneva (UNIGE) analyzed data from 33,000 older European adults participating in the large-scale Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) to study the combined impact of hearing loss and loneliness on memory.

Since 2002, participants have been surveyed every two years on various aspects of their daily lives, including activities, social connections and perceptions. They also undergo tests on cognitive function.

Using the data, the researchers identified three profiles based on the degree of social isolation and perceived loneliness:

• Individuals who are socially isolated and feel lonely
• Individuals who are not socially isolated but still feel lonely
• Individuals who are socially isolated but do not feel lonely

Then, the researchers examined whether these different profiles experienced cognitive decline differently, depending on the type of perceived isolation and the degree of hearing loss. Previous research has linked hearing impairment to as much as a two to three times higher risk of cognitive decline.

The results were sobering. ‘‘We found that people who were not socially isolated but who felt lonely saw their cognitive decline accelerate when they were deaf,’’ says Matthias Kliegel, a UNIGE professor and co-author of the study.

In other words, the findings show hearing loss speeds up cognitive decline particularly among individuals who feel lonely — regardless of whether they’re socially isolated.

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Addressing hearing loss and loneliness

The study results support the importance of addressing both hearing loss and loneliness in efforts to prevent cognitive decline. This is particularly critical for people who are not socially isolated but still feel lonely. In such cases, a simple intervention like using a hearing aid may be enough to help them engage more fully socially.

“These individuals are already socially integrated, so it’s a matter of removing a sensory barrier in order to reinforce their engagement and protect their cognitive health,” says Charikleia Lampraki, postdoctoral researcher at UNIGE and first author of the study.

If you find yourself experiencing hearing impairment and feeling lonely as a result, talk with your doctor about getting a hearing aid. Once you’re able to hear better, it can really help with interacting with people socially.

If your hearing has been corrected but you’re still experiencing loneliness, here are some steps you can take to engage more socially:

• Mindfulness and tai chi: Meditation and tai chi practices have both led to significant improvement in loneliness scores. Other studies have found tai chi can be effective in relieving symptoms of depression in older adults. (Not to mention it’s great exercise!)
• Pets (real or robotic): Having a pet has been proven to reduce loneliness in seniors. If you can’t have a flesh-and-blood pet, even a robotic pet has shown to be just as effective at alleviating those lonely feelings.
• Talking about art (or making it): Simply describing a painting and the feelings, memories and thoughts it evokes, was found to lower loneliness scores. And I know from my own mother’s experience that she feels a lot less lonely when she creates art — especially as part of a class at her senior center.
• Indoor gardening: Caring for plants can be just as rewarding as caring for pets or people. A study of an indoor gardening program in a nursing home showed a decrease in loneliness scores among residents who participated.

Sources:

The silent threat: How hearing loss and loneliness are fueling memory decline — ScienceDaily

Profiles of social isolation and loneliness as moderators of the longitudinal association between uncorrected hearing impairment and cognitive aging — Communications Psychology

Addressing Hearing Loss May Reduce Isolation Among the Elderly — NYU Langone Health

The post How loneliness and hearing loss accelerate cogntive decline appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

According to cardiologist Dr. Elizabeth Klodas, during sleep, your heart rate and blood pressure drop, reducing the workload on your cardiovascular system. This nightly “reset” allows your heart to recover and prepare for the next day. The body also regulates stress and hunger hormones during sleep.

So it’s no wonder poor sleep is linked to increased risks for heart attack, stroke, diabetes, dementia, hypertension, depression, respiratory disease and more.

It can be tempting turn to sleep aids, but there are many reasons we shouldn’t…

For starters, they can keep the glymphatic system from doing an important job: Clearing waste from the brain while you sleep.

And for people over 65, who have slower metabolisms, both OTC and prescription sleep aids pose unique dangers, including upping their fall risk.

Luckily, there is a natural way to boost your sleep that researchers say rivals pills in effectiveness — yet comes with zero unwanted side effects.

Thanks to its benefits and its safety, they’re calling for it to be “the primary treatment strategy for poor sleep.”

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Taking an exercise-based approach

The findings of their research show that the use of certain exercises restores healthy sleep patterns by altering brain activity and hormonal levels, improving relaxation, curbing inflammation and more.

They say these exercises may not only work as well as pills, but also as effectively as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) — which is considered a gold-standard insomnia treatment, but can be difficult for patients to access and pay for.

So which exercises can help you get the ZZZ’s you need to take back your life and your health?

Here’s the list, along with the sleep results they can offer:

1. Yoga – The results showed that practicing yoga could help boost your sleep time by nearly two hours and improve your sleep efficiency (the ratio between the time you spend asleep and the total time dedicated to sleep) by nearly 15%. Yoga has the added benefit of reducing the amount of time spent awake after falling asleep by nearly an hour, and shortening sleep latency (the time it takes to fully fall asleep) by around half an hour.
2. Walking or jogging – Engaging in physical activity, such as taking a walk or increasing it to a jog, was shown to reduce insomnia severity by nearly 10 points.
3. Tai Chi – The practice of Tai Chi was found to be especially powerful for sleep, reducing poor sleep quality scores by more than four points, increasing total sleep time by more than 50 minutes, and reducing time spent awake after falling asleep by over half an hour. It also shortened sleep latency by almost 25 minutes. Tai Chi was even shown to work better for sleep for all outcomes than existing treatments, including prescription sleep aids and cognitive behavioural therapy, for up to two full years!

I don’t know about you, but after reading those results, I’m already Googling Tai Chi YouTube videos.

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The biology behind the benefits

So, how does exercise work to improve sleep? Here’s what the researchers say is the secret sauce…

For yoga, they say that it helps to alleviate the anxiety and depression that can keep you from getting a good night’s sleep by focusing your attention on body awareness and controlled breathing.

Walking or jogging offers benefits like increased calorie burn, lowered stress hormones and improved emotional regulation. It can also enhance the production of melatonin, your body’s natural sleep hormone. (Keep in mind your body requires adequate levels of vitamin D to produce melatonin.) All of this can mean more time spent in the deep sleep you need to feel truly rested.

Finally, like yoga, Tai Chi emphasizes breath control and relaxation. These actions calm sympathetic nervous system activity and the hyperarousal levels that can keep you tossing and turning in bed. Additionally, the gentle, low-impact exercise combines meditative movement and mindfulness to promote emotional regulation, deactivate ‘mental chatter’ and reduce anxiety.

And my favorite benefit of Tai Chi is how it can help to “curb the production of inflammatory chemicals over longer periods.”

That could benefit not only your sleep, but your overall health, since chronic inflammation is a known disease trigger.

Clearly, if you want to sleep better, choosing one of these exercises should be your #1 choice of “prescription.”

You might not notice improvements immediately, but keep at it. Anything worthwhile takes time and practice.

Sources:

Tai chi, yoga, and jogging rival pills for beating insomnia — ScienceDaily

Why you should take sleep as seriously as nutrition and exercise — Easy Health Options

The post The sleep solution that rivals pills to tackle insomnia appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Nearly 1 in 4 American adults don’t get the weekly two days of muscle training and 150 minutes of moderate exercise recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And only 1 out of every 10 adults knows how much and what kinds of exercise they need to get to protect against health ailments.

It’s having a big impact on our health. Physical inactivity is at the root of an estimated 3.2 million deaths every year.

If you are one of those who mean to get regular exercise but never quite manage it, today may be a good day to start — especially if you want to live longer….

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It’s never too late to move more

An international team of researchers sought to find out if differing patterns of physical activity, as well as its cumulative impact during adulthood, might be linked with a lower risk of death from all causes, as well as specifically from cardiovascular disease and cancer.

They dug into research databases for relevant studies that assessed physical activity at two or more points in time. Their review ultimately included 85 studies published in English up to April 2024, with sample sizes ranging from 357 to 6,572,984 participants. To overcome the challenges of different analytical methods, the researchers carried out separate analyses for each study.

Overall, pooled data analysis of the study results showed that a higher level of physical activity was connected with lower risks of all the included outcomes.

When looking deeper, the results were even more impressive. Consistently active people had an estimated 30-40 percent lower risk of dying from any cause. And those who increased their levels of activity from below those recommended for good health had a 20-25 percent lower risk of death from any cause.

More specifically, participants who switched from being physically inactive to being more active were 22 percent less likely to die from any cause than those who remained inactive. In comparison, those who increased their leisure-time physical activity levels had a 27 percent lower risk of all-cause death.

As expected, swapping an active lifestyle for an inactive one wasn’t associated with a lower risk of death from any cause.

The bottom line: switching to a more active lifestyle at any point in adulthood may extend lifespan, and it’s never too late to start.

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Cardiovascular risk was the big winner

Generally, the associations between a high level of physical activity and a lower risk of death were more evident for cardiovascular disease than for cancer, though both showed benefits.

Compared with consistently inactive participants, those who were consistently active overall or were active only in their leisure time were around 40 percent less likely to die from cardiovascular disease and 25 percent less likely to die from cancer.

Despite these findings, in general, the evidence for the connections between physical activity patterns and death from a specific cause remained inconclusive, especially for cancer death.

According to the pooled data, people who were consistently active or who became active had lower risks of death from any cause, and specifically death from cardiovascular disease, when they met the recommended weekly physical activity levels.

However, those who were consistently physically active and performing more than the recommended maximum weekly amount of moderate to vigorous intensity exercise only saw a slight additional reduction in risk.

In other words, don’t sweat it if you can’t go harder.

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The researchers note that maintaining or increasing physical activity at levels below the recommended amount was linked with appreciable health benefits. This suggests that even minimal physical activity is better than none, they say.

Despite the limitations, including the subjective nature of the physical activity assessments, the researchers say the findings have significant health implications for starting and maintaining regular exercise.

So what does this mean for you? If you’re already exercising regularly, keep it up. And if you’re not, try easing into an exercise regimen by adding a brisk 30-minute morning or evening walk to your daily routine at least a few times a week. Walking doesn’t require a gym, and the only equipment you’ll need is a pair of sneakers.

If motivation is a problem, do what my husband does and take your phone with you so you can listen to music, an audiobook or a podcast while you walk. It really helps give you something to look forward to.

Sources:

It’s never too late: Just moving more could add years to your life — ScienceDaily

Physical activity trajectories and accumulation over adulthood and their associations with all-cause and cause-specific mortality: a systematic review and meta-analysis — British Journal of Sports Medicine

The Truth About Exercising and Aging — WebMD

How physical inactivity impacts you as you age — Northwell Health

The post Just ‘move more’ to lower disease and lengthen lifespan appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Some of these differences can be attributed to physical size. But others can actually be indicators of your physical and mental well-being.

Here’s what your walk may say about your health….

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Walking at a slow pace

Unfortunately, if you’re naturally a slow walker, it could spell trouble for your health. In one study, researchers found that slow walkers at age 45 are more likely to show both accelerated signs of aging and decreased cognitive function. This is especially true when it came to their lungs, teeth and immune system.

If you find you’re walking slower than you used to, it could be another signal of cognitive trouble. Scientists say changes in the speed of your walk over time may be one way to predict Alzheimer’s disease or other memory problems. If Alzheimer’s is the cause, your walk will continue to slow as the disease progresses.

Veering left while walking

As strange as this may seem, veering to the right when you walk may actually be a sign of anxiety. When researchers tracked individuals’ movements as they walked blindfolded, they found the more stressed the participant felt, the farther to the left they strayed from a straight-ahead target. They theorized this could be because the right side of the brain is hard at work handling the individual’s doubts and worries instead of their balance.

A swaying walk

Rocking from side to side as you walk could mean you’ve suffered a mild brain injury. A blow to the head could cause temporary brain damage that causes you to sway while you walk. If you play contact sports, you’ll want to be especially aware of this particular change in your walk.

Limping

Limping while you walk could be because of an injury to your hip, leg, ankle or foot. But it could also signal a deeper underlying condition: osteoarthritis. If you favor one leg over the other, or if your legs seem to buckle occasionally when you walk, you could be suffering from this type of arthritis, which wears away your joints over time.

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High, slapping steps

When you walk, your gate should be smooth and even. If instead, it looks like you’re trying to climb an invisible staircase, this could signal foot drop, a condition that causes your toes to drag as you walk. With foot drop, you tend to step higher to make up for the dragging toes. This can affect one or both of your feet, though one foot is more common.

Foot drop indicates muscle weakness and may mean you’ve injured a nerve in your leg. Or it could be a sign or something more serious — a nerve, muscle, brain or spinal disorder like muscular dystrophy or multiple sclerosis.

A stiff, unsteady gait

Several specific weaknesses in the way you walk can also indicate multiple sclerosis. You could move with stiff, swinging steps with toes pointed inward. You might lose your balance more often. Your knees may cross when you walk, a phenomenon known as “scissoring.” Or you could lose feeling in your feet, making it difficult to tell where the floor or ground is and causing a hesitancy and irregularity in your gait.

Moving one side all at once

Moving one side of your body as a whole while you walk could signal a bad back. When someone has pulled a muscle or has a herniated disc in your lower back, they tend to turn the chest and shoulders in the same direction as the hips when walking to avoid twisting the back. So instead of the opposite hand and foot being ahead of you when you stride, your left arm will sway with your left leg and vice versa.

Dragging your feet

If you walk with slow, scraping steps, it could indicate Parkinson’s disease. Men over 60 are more likely to develop Parkinson’s and should let their doctor know if they walk this way. This type of foot-dragging walk is a sign your brain is having difficulty communicating with your leg muscles to get them to move. In fact, shuffling steps in a bent-over posture with little to no arm motion is often called the “Parkinson’s gait” because it’s so common with the disease.

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Plodding steps

If you have depression, it can manifest itself in the way you walk. Depressed people often appear to plod along with slow, short steps. This is usually temporary, and once the depression lifts your stride will become longer and your pace more brisk. It’s important to note that your mental state also affects the pace of your aging.

A fast walking pace

Now for some good news…

Walking at a fast clip may indicate a longer lifespan. Studies on people over the age of 65 revealed a naturally fast pace of walking tended to mean they would live longer.

In fact, one study indicated that walking at a brisk pace was associated with longer telomeres, the caps on the ends of your chromosomes that protect them from damage. That study found a fast walking pace to be the equivalent of turning your biological clock back 16 years.

Consult with your doctor

If you’re a fast walker, pat yourself on the back, but if you notice any of the other traits in how you walk, it’s important to see your doctor.

They can help you determine if a temporary injury causes them, or if they’re an indicator of an underlying health condition.

If you don’t have a condition, you may just need to improve your mobility. A physical therapist can help, and your doctor may advise that.

To avoid mobility problems with age, work at maintaining a strong and supple spine and strengthen your legs to keep moving.

Source:

1. What Does Your Walk Say About You? — WebMD

The post 12 conditions signaled by the way you walk appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

So, when I heard that a particular compound already known for supporting healthy blood vessels and blood pressure was making waves in anti-aging skincare — I had to tell you about it.

Pterostilbene is an antioxidant produced by plants to protect themselves against viruses, bacteria and fungi. It’s found in abundance in blueberries, and it’s a cousin to resveratrol.

You may already know about the anti-aging potential of resveratrol. It enhances skin elasticity by stimulating collagen production and protecting against oxidative damage.

But here’s why pterostilbene may have resveratrol beat…

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Significant breakthrough in just 28 days

One area where pterostilbene outperforms resveratrol is in “bioavailability” — a term that refers to the amount of a substance that enters the bloodstream after it’s introduced into the body and can have an active effect.

Resveratrol’s bioavailability is about one percent (though pairing it with grape seed extract can improve that significantly). But from the get-go, pterostilbene’s bioavailability is estimated to be around 80-95%!

When pterostilbene is consumed from foods or supplements, it’s absorbed through the stomach lining and cell membranes to reach the bloodstream. But what happens when it’s applied to our skin?

To find out, researchers in China had participants apply an emulsion containing it on one side of their face and a control cream on the other.

After just 28 days, the scientists had this to say: “Our results indicated that the pterostilbene emulsion remarkably improved skin elasticity, firmness, and reduced wrinkles, such as forehead, undereye, and Crow’s feet wrinkles.”

It also:

• Increased the thickness of the epidermis layer
• Enhanced collagen and elastic fibers
• And minimized skin pores

In fact, the improvements seen in the skin were so significant that the researchers say pterostilbene “may change the way we approach anti-aging skincare formulations.”

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From youthful skin to youthful blood vessels

If your goal is healthy, younger-looking skin, leveraging the power of blueberries to turn back the hands of time could be the key.

But that’s not the only benefit you can expect…

As I mentioned earlier, pterostilbene is also known for promoting healthy blood pressure. Here are just a few of the mechanisms of action supported by research:

Antioxidant activity. Oxidative stress interferes with the normal function of the endothelial cells that line artery walls. By inhibiting damage induced by oxidative stress, pterostilbene helps alleviate hypertension.

Anti-inflammatory activity. Pterostilbene can successfully reverse the elevation of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Not only does this help relieve inflammation of the endothelial lining of the arteries, but it also exerts anti-atherosclerotic activity. Atherosclerosis is a condition that can age you before you even know you have it.

And that’s the connection between skin aging and blood pressure — youthful arteries.

Blood vessels harden with age, poor habits and exposure to environmental toxins, oxidative stress and inflammation. That results in loss of elasticity and changes in blood pressure. And when blood vessels lose their firmness, the walls of your arteries become prone to injury.

Those same saboteurs and those same changes to the tissue that make up your skin contribute to visible signs of aging.

So, from the inside out, it makes sense to include pterostilbene in your anti-aging routine, not only to help maintain the youthfulness of your skin, but of your blood vessels as well!

Sources:

Natural Molecule Shows Remarkable Anti-Aging Results After Just 28 Days — SciTechDaily

Bioavailability of resveratrol — Annals of the New York Academy of Science

Effects of Pterostilbene on Cardiovascular Health and Disease — Current Issues in Molecular Biology

The post The breakthrough that reversed skin aging in 28 days appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Most people know that when they’ve been eating poorly, there’s a good chance they’ll put on some weight.

No big deal. To outrun the effects of a bad diet and lose those extra pounds, just ramp up the exercise.

Burn those extra calories, and you can avoid gaining or take off any extra weight that may have come from your “cheat days,” as we used to call them.

But in reality, that turns out to be almost impossible. Here’s the reason for that..

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Lack of exercise is not the cause of obesity

Over the last century, obesity has become as common as the common cold and lots of research has looked in potential causes. For decades it’s centered around taking calories in and the expenditure of energy to burn those calories.

So it makes sense that physicians and fitness experts alike blame weight gain and obesity on our increasingly sedentary lifestyles. But that’s just not the case…

An international team of researchers compared the daily amount of calories burned by people from 34 different countries and cultures worldwide, including hunter-gatherers and farming populations with low obesity rates, as well as people in sedentary jobs in places like Europe and the U.S., where obesity is widespread.

Dr. Herman Pontzer, a professor of evolutionary biology and global health at Duke University, led the research. And he and his team have debunked the idea that living a sedentary lifestyle leads to obesity.

Participants in the worldwide study included more than 4,200 adult men and women who drank a special water containing isotopes. These isotopes, tracked in participants’ urine, allowed the scientists to get an exact read on how much energy the subjects used.

They measured energy expenditures not just from movement and exercise but from vital processes and functions the body performs — including the energy it takes to keep the heart beating or the nervous system functioning — just to stay alive.

Surprisingly, they found that people from populations with high obesity rates burned only slightly less energy than those from populations without an obesity problem.

Dr. Pontzer says that this fits with what we already know about how the body burns calories.

“Surprisingly, what we find is that actually, the total calories burned per day is really similar across these populations, even though the lifestyle and the activity levels are really different,” he says.

In other words, someone foraging for berries all day may burn the same amount of calories as someone at a desk all day. But why?

“So if we burn more of our energy every day on physical activity, on exercise, after a while our bodies will adjust and spend less energy on the other tasks that we sort of don’t notice going on in the background.”

This finding is strong evidence that obesity doesn’t occur from lack of physical activity. It’s because of food… one kind in particular.

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Ultra-processed foods are the culprit

“It’s 100% diet,” says Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, director of the Food is Medicine Institute at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University. “And I think then the question is, what is it about the diet?”

Dr. Mozaffarian was not involved in the research, but has shared insights pointing out that the modern diet has become dominated by ultra-processed foods (UPF), and that these are the drivers of weight gain.

“For decades, we’ve been telling Americans that you’re lazy, it’s your fault, you’re not moving enough, you’re eating too much,” he says. “And I think what this study shows is that there’s a really complicated biology happening and that our food is driving this.”

The researchers of the study listed several ways, in addition to long shelf lives and increased availability, that UPF contributes to obesity, including:

• The hyperpalatability, energy density, nutrient composition and appearance of UPF might disrupt satiety signaling and encourage overconsumption. (Remember the adage, “you can eat just one”? UPF, from snacks to quick breakfast foods, to frozen pizzas and more, are designed to hook you and make you crave more.)
• Processing has also been shown to increase the percentage of calories consumed that are absorbed into the body rather than excreted. (UPF has low fiber content, is absorbed by the body quickly and has additives that potentially disrupt normal digestive processes.)
• They also found data that supports the obesogenic effects of UPF. (Obesogens are chemicals, often involved in ultra-processing and packaging, that can disrupt the endocrine system and lead to weight gain and obesity.)

Avoiding obesity isn’t the only reason to avoid UPF…

The more UPF in your diet, the higher your risk of dementia, colorectal cancer, and at least 30 other health conditions, ranging from diabetes to Crohn’s disease to asthma.

Make every effort to stick to a healthy, whole foods diet that includes plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, and you’re well on your way to keeping control of your weight.

Of course, there are other good reasons to get regular exercise — but if losing weight is among your reasons, you’ve got to examine your diet and move away from UPF.

Sources:

You can’t outrun a bad diet. Food — not lack of exercise — fuels obesity, study finds — NPR

Energy expenditure and obesity across the economic spectrum — Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS)

The post The food that won’t let you ‘outrun’ obesity appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Most hotels with hot tubs also have saunas, but I prefer the hot, bubbling water of the tub. The combination of heat and water soothes my body and relaxes my mind like nothing else can.

As it turns out, the time I’ve spent in hot tubs has provided me with more than just an hour or so of relaxation. Research shows that the heat of a hot tub or sauna stimulates all sorts of beneficial health effects.

And just in case you’re considering installing one or the other in your home, research also shows that the tub wins out hands down in terms of therapeutic value, especially when it comes to blood pressure and immune system response.

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Hot tubs beat saunas for lasting benefits

Both hot tubs and saunas are great for soothing aching muscles and providing welcome warmth, but hot tubs might offer greater health benefits.

That’s what researchers at the Bowerman Sports Science Center at the University of Oregon found in a study involving ten men and ten women who exercised regularly, ranging in age from 20 to 28 years old.

The researchers monitored their body temperature, blood pressure, heart rate, cardiac output (the amount of blood the heart pumps per minute) and immune cell populations, as well as blood biomarkers of inflammation.

This data was collected before, during, and after subjects soaked in a hot tub and sat in both a dry heat and infrared sauna.

Their findings showed that hot water immersion raised core body temperature more than dry sauna, which in turn caused an increase in blood flow and immune system response.

“We saw that hot water immersion was the most impactful in increasing core body temperature, which is the main stimulus for these subsequent responses,” Atencio said. “Increasing body temperature causes an increase in blood flow, and just the force of blood moving across your vessels is beneficial for your vascular health,” says lead study author Jessica Atencio

Need more good news? They say the benefits can last beyond the minutes spent directly in the hot tub.

This isn’t the first study to imply the benefits of hot water on heart health, either. And how to get them without a hot tub.

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A safe option for those who can’t exercise

“We always say that exercise is the primary nonpharmacological treatment that people should be doing to promote health, but some people can’t or just won’t exercise,” says Atencio. “Heat therapy is good supplementation.”

In other words, for those people who can’t or won’t exercise, time spent in a hot tub can provide some of the same benefits.

But just as with exercise, hot tub time must be done in moderation.

“We want people to be smart and safe about it,” says Prof. Christopher Minson, in whose lab the study was conducted.

“We need to make sure that they are cleared by their physicians or others for heat therapy or for exercise, whether it’s mild to moderate walking or jogging or strength training. Then they’ll be fine to do heat therapy.”

Some general hot tub safety rules:

Always check the temperature before entering the hot tub. The maximum safe temperature for a hot tub is 104°F (40°C).

Limit soaking time to 15-20 minutes, especially at higher temperatures.

Hydrate adequately to prevent dehydration and overheating.

Avoid alcohol and drugs before or during hot tub use, as they can increase the risk of drowning and other accidents.

Shower before and after using the hot tub to remove sweat, dirt, and personal hygiene products.

Sources:

Hot tubs outperform saunas in boosting blood flow and immune power — Science Daily

Comparison of thermoregulatory, cardiovascular, and immune responses to different passive heat therapy modalities — American Journal of Physiology

The post Hot tub time improves blood pressure and immune response appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Maybe it’s because women cross a proverbial threshold — menstruation — that eventually opens a door for young women to begin regular gynecological checkups. Along with those yearly visits come screenings for female-specific cancers.

This kickstarts a habit of regular preventive care that becomes ingrained. But for men, it’s a different story…

Our culture gives men the message that they need to “be strong” and “handle things.”

This message makes a lot of men — especially young men — reluctant to take care of their health, and it’s a habit that’s slow to change.

A new study shows just how big an impact this is having on the health of men, and the news isn’t good…

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An ounce of prevention = a pound of cure

It’s not just a saying. Preventing disease really is a much easier route than curing one. But it’s not a message men have gotten — and it shows…

Last year, Harvard researchers shared that the life expectancy gap between men and women had grown to as much as six years. Sadly, experts say it’s due in part to preventable deaths.

“When you’re in your 20s, 30s, you’re indestructible, you’re Superman,” says Scott Stephens, a 62-year-old who never thought about his health care until he was in his 40s and his father developed prostate cancer.

“It’s also a badge of courage; why should I go? I don’t need to call my doctor.”

A new survey by the Cleveland Clinic looked at members of Gen Z (born 1997-2005), Millennials (born 1981-1996), Gen X (born 1965-1980) and Boomers+ (born before 1965).

They grouped Gen X and Boomers together and Millennials and Gen Z together. Then they compared their survey answers to some specific questions:

• Get a yearly physical (61% Gen X and Boomers+ vs. 32% Millennials and Gen Z men)
• Avoid smoking/vaping (60% Gen X and Boomers+ vs. 43% Millennials and Gen Z men)
• Address mental health (53% Gen X and Boomers+ 59% Millennials and Gen Z men)

Additional revelations from the survey were:

• Most men fear getting cancer (74%), but rates of screenings and cancer awareness remain low.
• One-third of Gen X and Boomers+ who are eligible for colorectal cancer screening have not been screened or are not sure if they’ve been screened.
• A quarter of men with an average risk of prostate cancer (50+) have not been screened or are not sure if they’ve been screened.

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What men should do to protect their health

There’s a clear generational divide in how men approach health. But if we jumped back in time 30 years or so, we’d likely find the exact same habits playing out.

In other words, Gen Z isn’t the first generation of young men to place a low priority on their health. It seems that it’s just a matter of getting older before men begin to take health seriously — when symptoms crop up that require attention.

But regardless of age, there are steps men should be taking at each stage of life to safeguard their health:

In your 20s or 30s. Stop relying on the Internet. Make an appointment and get a handle on how healthy (or unhealthy) you are.

“Men should first come around age 21 for general health maintenance,” says Dr. Messmer. It’s also a good time to start measuring cholesterol, especially if there’s a family history of heart disease.

In your 40s. Colon cancer screening should start when men are in their 40s and then repeat every 10 years. If you have a family history, screening should start five years earlier than the age at which the relative was diagnosed and be repeated every five years.

Prostate, bladder, and kidney cancer screening should also begin in a man’s 40s.

In your 50s or 60s. This is the time when urologic issues tend to crop up. Many men come in with erectile dysfunction but discover they have a more serious prostate problem. Besides the standard PSA test, doctors now have other ways to gauge a man’s risk.

Finally, Dr. Ryon McDermott of the University of South Alabama points out, “The brain and the body are obviously very connected.” It’s never too late to start taking care of your mental health.

Sources:

National Cleveland Clinic Survey Examines Generational Divide in Men’s Health — Cleveland Clinic

It’s Time to Man Up and See a Doctor — Web MD

Widening Gender Gap in Life Expectancy in the US, 2010-2021 — JAMA Internal Medicine

Mars vs. Venus: The gender gap in health — Harvard Medical School

The post The unnecessary reason for men’s increasingly shorter lifespans appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

If you said, “My skin,” good for you!

Most people don’t think of their skin as an “organ,” like their heart, liver or kidneys — but it absolutely is. What’s more, it’s the most vulnerable.

Think about it: your skin is like a shield between you and the pollutants, ultraviolet radiation, pathogens and toxins you encounter daily. But that’s not all…

When you sweat, that’s your skin regulating your body temperature and excreting waste products. Your skin also synthesizes vitamin D from exposure to sunlight — and that’s the only way to get this essential vitamin other than supplementing.

And what do you do for your skin in return? You might moisturize it during the winter and protect it from the sun during the summer — paying most of that attention to your face or exposed areas.

But if you had a serious skin problem, would you recognize it or know what to do? Here are seven unusual but significant skin symptoms that dermatologists say always warrant a visit to your doctor…

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7 skin changes that require attention

A pimple that bleeds and won’t go away

You’ve had a small bump on your face for several months. It looks like a pimple, only without a head, and it bleeds without being touched. Never let something like this linger for months. It should be biopsied to make sure it’s not skin cancer.

If it is cancerous, Mohs micrographic surgery only removes a layer at a time, so you don’t end up looking disfigured. Each section removed is examined under a special microscope. A dermatologist will stop removing skin when the last piece excised shows no sign of “roots.”

But be warned: if it is a skin cancer, the longer you wait, the deeper the “roots” can go. It’s crucial to remove every bit of it, and if it’s been allowed to grow unchecked, that could definitely leave a scar.

Veins you can see

Factors like hot weather, tight clothing and strenuous exercise can make your veins more noticeable. But if you previously couldn’t see your veins and now they’re prominently noticeable, have your doctor take a look. It could be a sign of deep vein thrombosis. Other key signs include pain, swelling and warmth in the affected body part.

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Strange marks on your nails

Believe it or not, your fingernails are often the best indicators that something is going wrong in your body. Here are three examples:

• Splinter hemorrhages. These crooked red lines resemble splinters under the nail bed and may indicate endocarditis (an often misdiagnosed heart infection that inflames the heart). Splinter hemorrhages occur when tiny blood clots associated with endocarditis damage the small blood vessels under the nail.
• Small red spots under the nail bed. These can be a sign of the autoimmune disease lupus.  
• Also, a dark line running from top to bottom of the nail could be a sign of melanoma of the nail. Check the thumb, index finger, or big toe for this, and get a biopsy if you see any changes.

Skin changes that feel like velvet

Dark, velvety patches of skin might be a condition called acanthosis nigricans, which is often caused by insulin resistance that can lead to type 2 diabetes if left unchanged.

It often shows up in skin creases and folds on the neck, in the armpits, inside the elbows, behind the knees, and on knuckles–and is evidence that elevated insulin levels are speeding up skin cell reproduction.

Skin that glows or shines

A sudden, unnatural sheen to the skin could indicate hormonal changes, skin infections, or even skin cancer. Basal cell carcinoma usually appears in areas exposed to sunlight. It appears as a tiny translucent bump with blood vessels on the surface that may bleed. Basal cell carcinoma is highly curable if detected early. An Australian study found that supplementing niacinamide reduced basal and squamous cell carcinoma risk.

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Itchy palms

If not due to dry winter skin, and if they flare up at night and are not accompanied by a rash, your itchy palms could signal gallbladder issues. To rule this out, it’s important to get blood work done to check your liver function and bile acids. Sometimes itchy palms may be a warning sign of pancreatic cancer.

Skin changes that feel like sandpaper

If your skin is so dry that it’s full of small, rough bumps like sandpaper, you could have a condition called keratosis pilaris, also called “chicken skin.”

The condition is not dangerous and can be treated with moisturizers and prescription creams. However, it could be an indication that you’re predisposed to atopic dermatitis, asthma, and seasonal allergies, so it’s good to identify it early.

Other conditions to watch out for include slow-healing wounds and new sensitivities to products that didn’t cause problems before.

When in doubt, always go to your doctor. “Better safe than sorry” is the rule of thumb here.

Sources: 

12 Weird Symptoms Dermatologists Say You Should Never Ignore — Time

The post 7 skin changes that should never go unchecked appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Despite efforts to find alternatives, PFAS are still present in all kinds of products we use and consume — new clothes, takeout containers, cosmetics, personal care products, nonstick cookware and stain-resistant furniture and rugs, just to name a few.

PFAS are linked with numerous health impacts, including celiac disease, liver damage, certain types of cancer, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and decreased fertility. They’re also linked to higher risks for diabetes, obesity, asthma and thyroid disease.

So, what can be done? Even if we stopped using all products containing PFAS today, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, PFAS are detectable in nearly all people living in the United States.

Luckily, a recent discovery points to a possible solution — and it’s one that already resides in your body….

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Gut bacteria help remove PFAS

Bacteria that encounter chemicals like pesticides have mechanisms to deal with them. For example, studies have already seen that gut bacteria can pick up and store unintended targets such as pharmaceuticals. But it wasn’t known if the same could happen with pollutants like PFAS.

To find out, an international team of researchers exposed human gut bacteria to two common forms of PFAS and other pollutants. And the results were encouraging…

Multiple bacterial strains, including E. coli, absorbed PFAS in lab dishes, storing the chemicals in clumps inside their cells, according to Dr. Kiran Patil, a molecular biologist at the University of Cambridge and senior author of the study.

“We found that certain species of human gut bacteria have a remarkably high capacity to soak up PFAS from their environment at a range of concentrations, and store these in clumps inside their cells,” Patil says. “Due to aggregation of PFAS in these clumps, the bacteria themselves seem protected from the toxic effects.”

Even better, the gut bacteria of so-called “humanized” mice, whose intestines have been cleared of existing microbes and replaced with nine kinds of microbes that live in human guts, had more PFAS in their poop than microbe-free mice. This suggests that gut bacteria can carry forever chemicals out of the body in feces.

The researchers also discovered that as the mice were exposed to increasing levels of PFAS, the microbes worked harder, consistently removing the same percentage of the chemicals.

Within minutes of exposure, the bacteria absorbed between 25% and 74% of the PFAS.

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Could probiotics flush out PFAS?

The results are certainly promising. Next, researchers could track differences in gut microbiomes and PFAS levels in people from the same place, to see if the same method is just efficient at clearing these chemicals from our bodies

They are already planning to use these findings to create probiotic dietary supplements that boost the levels of these helpful microbes in the gut to protect against the toxic effects of PFAS.

In the meantime, the researchers suggest several actions we can take to protect ourselves against PFAS, including avoiding PFAS-coated cookware and using a good water filter. While it’s challenging to remove PFAS from your drinking water, some filtration techniques are more effective than others. Granular activated carbon absorption filters, ion exchange resin filters and reverse osmosis filters work the best.

Keeping your gut healthy by promoting a balanced microbiome is always a good idea, if for no other reason than to avoid leaky gut. Over time, the gut lining can become permeable and allow chemicals that would normally be excreted in waste to find their way into the bloodstream.

If you have problems with constipation, be sure to address them. Slow motility — which references the amount of time it takes for waste to leave your body — allows the bad stuff to sit in your colon long enough to be absorbed into your colon walls, where it also can make its way into the bloodstream. To test your motility speed, try this at-home test.

Sources:

Gut microbes may flush ‘forever chemicals’ from the body — ScienceNews

Gut microbes could protect us from toxic ‘forever chemicals’ — University of Cambridge

Human gut bacteria bioaccumulate per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — Nature Microbiology

The post Could we actually poop out ‘forever chemicals’? appeared first on Easy Health Options®.