Naturally, I’m conscientious about salt in my diet. I don’t even own a saltshaker! And I take a daily pill that keeps my blood pressure under control.

I’m one of the lucky ones. For many people with hypertension, medication is not effective. And until now, the reason for this was a mystery.

Science has always believed that hypertension begins in the kidneys, and medications are based on this assumption.

However, new brain imaging techniques are now proving that we’ve got it all wrong…

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Too much salt may inflame the brain

It’s commonly thought that hypertension begins in the kidneys, which filter blood to regulate the amount of sodium and water in the body.

When blood pressure rises, the kidneys excrete more sodium and water to reduce blood volume and lower pressure.

High blood pressure also damages the delicate blood vessels in the kidneys, triggering the release of the hormone renin, which in turn causes hypertension. Thus, a vicious cycle occurs.

But now we’re learning that when high blood pressure is resistant to treatment, it may be that the drugs are aimed at the wrong organ and the wrong hormone.

Researchers at McGill University in Montreal have discovered that cases of drug-resistant hypertension may originate not in the kidneys but in the brain.

They gave rats a solution of water and two percent salt. This is comparable to a daily diet high in fast food and processed foods like bacon.

The high-salt diet activated immune cells in a specific brain region, leading to inflammation and a surge in another hormone, vasopressin, which also increases blood pressure.

The researchers used rats instead of the more commonly studied mice because rats regulate salt and water more like humans. That makes the findings more likely to apply to people, noted lead author Prof. Masha Prager-Khoutorsky.

“This is new evidence that high blood pressure can originate in the brain, opening the door for developing treatments that act on the brain,” says Prof. Prager-Khoutorsky.

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Avoid triggers that raise blood pressure

Giving up salt can be difficult, but an alternative that most people don’t know about is potassium-enriched salt.

It looks the same as traditional salt (sodium chloride), except some of the sodium chloride has been replaced with potassium chloride.

Not only does this salt help reduce your sodium intake, but potassium also works to strengthen your heart muscles.

But in light of this new connection between the brain and inflammation, lowering inflammation should be addressed.

A safe and easy way to do that is by adding omega-3s to your diet by eating fatty fish weekly or supplementing.

An analysis published in the Journal of the American Heart Association has identified the optimal daily amount of omega-3s needed to lower blood pressure.

However, hidden sources of sodium can sabotage all of these efforts. Be sure to check labels, especially on condiments and processed foods.

Finally, another one that most people don’t know: not all hypertension triggers are edible. Other proven hypertension triggers include:

• Loneliness
• Sleep apnea
• Thyroid problems
• Antidepressants
• Holding on to a full bladder
• Cold and migraine medications

I hope the information I’ve given you here has provided some good ammunition against hypertension.

Sources:

Too much salt can hijack your brain — Science Daily

Microglia regulate neuronal activity via structural remodeling of astrocytes — Neuron

The post Resistant blood pressure linked to surprising cause of brain inflammation appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

But my favorite episode offers so much more than a few good laughs…

In it, Frasier’s brother Niles – who, with his fussy tendencies and idiosyncrasies, was always my favorite character – keeps complaining of a throbbing toothache.

His pain turns out to have nothing to do with his tooth itself — but is actually referred heart pain that lands him in cardiac surgery for blocked arteries.

I’m sure it seemed far-fetched to some viewers at the time, but in the years since, studies have demonstrated that certain species of bad bacteria in the mouth can increase inflammatory proteins that accelerate the deposition of buildup in the coronary arteries.

Now, research is revealing that while poor oral health can damage the heart and blood vessels, a focused dental care routine that’s easily accessible could actually reduce narrowing of the arteries over time.

Here’s what you need to know…

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How gum disease leads to thick arteries

Periodontists and cardiologists conducted a gold-standard randomized trial at a dental hospital in central London. They followed 135 people with severe periodontitis (also known as gum disease).

For each person, they took blood samples for markers of inflammation and oxidative stress. They also measured how much the arteries dilated when blood flow increased, a measure of blood vessel functioning, and measured the thickness of their artery walls via ultrasound — a key marker for cardiovascular disease risk.  

The participants were randomly split into separate groups to receive dental care — but it wasn’t the same old standard care for all participants…

• The first group received “intensive periodontitis treatment,” which included a thorough cleaning of the whole mouth and a deep cleaning below the gum line to remove plaque and tartar.
• The rest received a regular cleaning — with just a scale and polish — typical of a yearly dental visit.

Then, the participants were followed over the next two years, and each received further dental treatments at regular intervals throughout that time. Researchers also reassessed the carotid artery at the one-year and two-year marks, took blood samples and measured blood-vessel function at five different times.

The results spoke for themselves…

People who went through the intensive periodontitis treatment had:

• Carotid arteries with much lower thickness levels, indicating a lower risk for heart disease
• Better blood vessel function
• Lower levels of inflammatory and oxidative stress markers in their blood, which lead to atherosclerosis

In fact, the benefits patients received from deep gum treatment were “comparable to what has been seen with lifestyle interventions and some pharmacological agents in similar populations,” said Dr. Francesco D’Aiuto, a clinical research periodontist at University College London.

These findings suggest that oral health should be taken seriously as a contributing factor in cardiovascular disease, far more seriously than it has been considered previously, despite past research.

“For many, many years, dentists have been focusing on the teeth, forgetting the rest of the body, and physicians have been focusing on the body, forgetting that there are teeth,” said Dr. Maurizio Tonetti, a clinical and research periodontist. “They are really two worlds that have been separated and need to go back together for the benefit of patients.”

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Making oral health a priority

The good news is, this study proves that when you take care of your teeth and gums, you can support a healthy heart and blood vessels, along with a healthy mouth.

And in addition to seeing your dentist regularly, there are ways to do that at home.

First, be sure to take these six steps for fighting gum disease naturally. They include everything from diet and things to add to your toothpaste to supplements that can help.

I also highly recommend drinking matcha tea or using it in place of your usual mouthwash as it helps take down gum disease-causing bacteria.

I also practice oil pulling, specifically with coconut oil, to leverage a flavonoid known as prunin laurate or Pru-C12. Pru-C12 stops the growth of P. gingivalis, a bacterium frequently detected in deep periodontal pockets, considered to be the most critical bacterium in periodontal disease.

Keep your smile—and your ticker—in tip-top shape!

Sources:

Gum disease treatment slows the thickening of arteries, clinical trial shows – LIVESCIENCE

The post How your dentist can keep your arteries from narrowing appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Not only do they increase your risk of developing heart disease and 30 other health conditions and diseases, but they’re also behind the obesity epidemic.

In fact, I wrote about the research that confirmed it’s these foods, not lack of exercise — as previously thought — that’s fueling rising rates of obesity.

But what’s truly disturbing is their impact on reproductive and metabolic health…

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Weight gain is just the beginning

A 2025 study at the University of Copenhagen has confirmed that no matter how little of them you eat, ultra-processed foods lead to weight gain.

Researchers compared the health effects of an unprocessed vs. an ultra-processed diet on the same person, in order to get the most accurate results.

Forty-three men spent three weeks eating each of the two diets, with a cleansing period in between.

The unprocessed and ultra-processed diets had the same amount of calories, protein, carbs, and fats. But half the men were given an extra 500 calories per day.

Regardless of whether those extra 500 calories were involved, men on the ultra-processed diet gained about 1 kg (just over 2 pounds) more fat mass than those on the unprocessed diet.

But it doesn’t end there…

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“Our results prove that ultra-processed foods harm our reproductive and metabolic health, even if they’re not eaten in excess. This indicates that it is the processed nature of these foods that makes them harmful,” says Jessica Preston, lead author of the study.

Men on the ultra-processed diet showed:

• An increase in levels of phthalate cxxMINP, a hormone-disrupting chemical typically found in plastics.
• A decrease in testosterone and follicle-stimulating hormone, both essential for sperm production. In addition to affecting fertility, low sperm count impacts a man’s sex drive and can be a cause of erectile dysfunction.
• An increase in LDL (“bad” cholesterol) levels.
• Altered thyroid hormones.
• Altered markers of systemic inflammation and oxidative stress.

And in case you’ve forgotten, chronic inflammation causes the cellular damage behind a range of diseases from cancer to Parkinson’s disease to diabetes, not to mention an accelerated aging process that makes your body old before its time.

“We were shocked by how many body functions were disrupted by ultra-processed foods, even in healthy young men. The long-term implications are alarming and highlight the need to revise nutritional guidelines to better protect against chronic disease,” says the study’s senior author, Professor Romain Barrès.

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The choice is clear

I hope you don’t need any more convincing.

Whole foods are the best alternatives to ultra-processed foods. But for success, ease into eating more of them and fewer ultra-processed foods.

Ultra-processed foods are made to “hook” you, so don’t blame yourself if it’s hard to let them go. That being said, see about ditching the two ultra-processed foods considered the worst ASAP.

According to Heartfoundation.org, whole foods and minimally processed foods, like these, are what we all should be eating:

• Fresh, frozen and canned vegetables and fruit
• Dried, canned and frozen beans and legumes like lentils and chickpeas
• Whole grains like oats, brown rice, barley and quinoa
• Fresh and frozen poultry and meat
• Fresh, frozen and canned fish and seafood
• Milk and plain yoghurt (try sweetening with honey)
• Eggs
• Nuts and seeds.

An easy way to identify ultra-processed foods is that they are quick, easy, and require little to no preparation — the very definition of “convenience foods.”

They include foods like sweetened cereals, soda and white bread; frozen French fries, chicken nuggets and pizza; processed meats, like hot dogs and bacon; pre-packaged baked goods, like cookies and cakes; and microwaveable meals.

Make the choice today and start taking back your health and your longevity.

Sources:

Why ultra-processed diets make you gain fat even without extra calories — Science Daily

Effect of ultra-processed food consumption on male reproductive and metabolic health — Cell Metabolism

Here’s What Eating Processed Foods for Two Weeks Does to Your Body — Time

Five ways to eat less processed food — Heart Foundation

The post Ultra-processed foods: A metabolic and hormonal disaster for men appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

While she’s finally feeling better, she said that she was “surprised how much of a wallop that dang virus still packs.”

The truth is, though, a run-in with Covid-19 might put you out of commission for a week, thanks to the lingering cough, runny nose and sore throat, you may be left with an unexpected side effect.

That’s because research is revealing that suffering even a mild case of Covid-19 can actually age your blood vessels by five years.

Here’s what you need to know…

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Even worse in women

The research from Université Paris Cité, France, delved into the health data of almost 2,400 people from 16 different countries between September 2020 and February 2022. Each person was categorized according to whether they had never had Covid-19, had it recently but were not hospitalized, were hospitalized with it on a general ward or were hospitalized in an intensive care unit.

The researchers then measured each individual’s vascular age. The higher the measurement, the stiffer the blood vessels and the higher the vascular age of a person.

They found that anyone who had ever had Covid-19 were left with stiffer arteries that were aged years beyond their chronological age.

It was an effect that was even worse in women or those who lived with long Covid…

The researchers found that after a mild Covid-19 infection, women’s blood vessels had aged approximately five years. This is equivalent to a 3% increased risk of heart disease for a 60-year-old woman. And the worse the infection, the worse the blood vessel aged.

How the virus ages the blood vessels

According to the scientists, COVID-19’s effects on the vessels (especially in women) could be three-fold:

1. Blood vessel lining – Because the virus acts on specific receptors in the lining of the blood vessels to enter and infect cells, it can cause vascular dysfunction and accelerated vascular aging.
2. Inflammation – They also believe that the inflammation the virus triggers is a factor in the stiffening of blood vessels.
3. Women’s unique response – Additionally, because women’s immune systems mount a more rapid and robust response than men’s, it can lead to increased damage to blood vessels after the initial infection.

However, it’s important to note that Covid-19 isn’t the only virus where this happens…

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Flu ages blood vessels, too

The flu can be just as dangerous to your blood vessels and heart. You may remember that a bout with the flu can lead to a heart attack.

Houston Methodist Hospital points out that “The reason influenza stresses the heart and vascular system so much has to do with the body’s inflammatory response to the infection.”

The white blood cells that your body produces to protect you can also cause what they call “a traffic jam of sorts.” This can cause blood clots and high blood pressure, plaque ruptures in arteries and even scarring and swelling of your heart.

Research from The Texas Heart Institute Journal also states that, “There is mounting evidence in support of a significant role for influenza infection in the development of atherosclerosis (buildup of plaque and stiffening of the arteries) and the triggering of its complications.”

And it lists explicitly the pro-inflammatory and pro-thrombotic (clotting) effects of influenza infection as the cause of blood vessel damage.

Supporting healthy blood vessels

Don’t wait to start taking care of your blood vessels. Maybe you’ve been lucky enough to avoid Covid or the flu, but there’s no guarantee you’ll always be so lucky.

Besides, even factors like air pollution can accelerate the aging, stiffening and the buildup of unwanted plaque in arteries. When you inhale polluted air, your immune system sets off an inflammatory process similar to what happens when the immune system goes into overdrive when faced with a viral infection.

The best ways to support blood vessel health include:

• To support your arteries and douse inflammation, omega-3 fatty acids come out on top. For omega-3s, I stick to krill oil supplements due to their purity and high levels of astaxanthin. You can also get omega-3s in foods like salmon and walnuts.
• Folate is another supplement that’s crucial to the health of the blood vessels. Beans have the most folate. You can also get folate from veggies like asparagus, turnip greens and broccoli.
• Exercise is one of the best non-drug ways to reduce inflammation that can contribute to the aging of your blood vessels. It works by rendering pro-inflammatory molecules powerless.
• And don’t forget vitamin D. Not only can it support the immune system, but it also delivers powerful support for quelling the fires of inflammation.

Sources:

Even mild Covid may leave blood vessels five years older — ScienceDaily

Flu and Heart Disease: The Surprising Connection That Should Convince You to Schedule Your Shot — Houston Methodist

Influenza and Cardiovascular Disease — NIH

COVID-19’s effect on the brain looks like stroke damage — Easy Health Options

The post How viruses prematurely age your blood vessels appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

The argument? Seed oils contain high levels of omega-6 fatty acids, which some experts have suggested may contribute to inflammation — a condition considered a root cause of disease.

In fact, some research has shown these oils increase the risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes and obesity.

But what if everything we’ve been told about seed oils is wrong?

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Linoleic acid and cardiometabolic health

Linoleic acid is the primary omega-6 fatty acid consumed from vegetable oils, particularly seed oils.

“There has been increasing attention on seed oils, with some claiming these oils promote inflammation and raise cardiometabolic risk,” says Dr. Kevin C. Maki, a professor at the Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington and chief scientist at Midwest Biomedical Research.

Maki and other investigators analyzed data from almost 1,900 people in an observational cohort study. Their findings were surprising:

• Higher levels of linoleic acid in the blood were consistently associated with lower levels of biomarkers for risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.
• Specifically, participants with higher levels of linoleic acid demonstrated lower levels of glucose and insulin as well as HOMA-IR, a biomarker of insulin resistance.
• They also had reduced levels of inflammation biomarkers, including C-reactive protein, glycoprotein acetyls and serum amyloid A.

These results are consistent with those from observational studies that have found a link between higher intake of linoleic acid and lower risk for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular events such as heart attacks and strokes.

The findings of this latest study are believed to be even stronger because of the measurements taken…

“Although other studies have assessed relationships between linoleic acid and cardiometabolic risk factors, our study used objective biomarkers rather than diet records or food frequency questionnaires to assess linoleic acid intake,” Maki says. “We also measured a range of markers of inflammation and indicators of glucose metabolism.”

In summary, instead of fueling disease, linoleic acid may actually help protect against heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

“We saw consistent results across the different biomarkers measured,” Maki says. “People with higher levels of linoleic acid in their blood tended to have a healthier overall risk profile for heart disease and diabetes.”

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Should you eat more, less or seek balance?

The researchers say these results support the need for additional research. But one thing’s for sure: Since omega-6 fatty acids are found in popular vegetable oils like canola oil, sunflower oil, corn oil, and soybean oil, many of us already get a significant amount of them in our diet.

That means you don’t need to focus on getting more. Instead, balance may be what to aim for. Your ratio of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids should be 1:1.

In fact, the experts at Harvard recommend: Eat more omega-3s, not fewer omega-6s. But the American Heart Association reports that intake of omega-3s by US adults is “abysmally low.”

So, even though we’re discussing omega-6 fatty acids here, it’s important to consider the amount of omega-3s in your diet. Omega-3s help balance the possibility of inflammation connected to omega-6.

However, there are still considerations when using seed oils for cooking…

Absolutely avoid partially hydrogenated oil, which is high in trans fats — the worst kind of fat for your health. That means avoiding them in ultra-processed foods, such as baked goods, fried foods and some shortenings, makes good sense.

And, if cooking with seed oils, choose cold-pressed seed oils rather than heat-processed ones. The cold-pressing process does not involve chemical solvents like hexane.

Hexane is used in the chemical extraction of refined or commercial oils. Though exposure in cooking oil is very low, hexane can cause symptoms ranging from mild dizziness to severe, potentially permanent nerve damage.

Best yet, look to whole-food sources of omega-6, like sunflower seeds, walnuts and pumpkin seeds as well.

Editor’s Note: You’re invited to join a tiny handful of Americans who enjoy rare, fresh-pressed olive oil all year long. Take my word for it, there’s a difference in taste, quality and benefit! Try it for $1! Click here to learn more…

Sources:

Myth-busting study shows controversial seed oils reduce inflammation — ScienceDaily

Are seed oils bad for you? A registered dietitian explains the facts — Colorado State University

The post Do seed oils really deserve their bad reputation? appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

There’s no doubt that caffeine can raise your blood pressure and heart rate.

But consuming moderate amounts of caffeine daily also has been linked to supple arteries and reduced risk of heart failure and atrial fibrillation.

Now there’s more good heart health news for those of us who love our coffee, tea and cocoa…

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Caffeine and your blood vessels

Vascular disease, damage of blood vessels and their resulting consequences — heart attack and stroke — are among the leading causes of death in the general population.

These risks are even higher in patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. This is due to the diseases themselves and some of their treatments, particularly derivatives of cortisone.

Until now, doctors have recommended avoiding risk factors to protect against vascular dysfunction. These recommendations included:

• Halting inflammation
• Decreasing cortisone medications
• Not smoking
• Reducing cholesterol
• Getting blood pressure under control

However, researchers from Sapienza University of Rome found suggestions that caffeine actively helps endothelial progenitor cells. This group of cells helps regenerate the lining of blood vessels and is involved in vascular growth.

A diet rich in vitamins D (found in oily fish and eggs) and A (found in many fruits), as well as polyunsaturated fatty acids, and low in sodium, appears to play a role in reducing the inflammatory burden. Scientists have been curious if caffeine belongs on that list.

Caffeine exerts its anti-inflammatory effect by binding with receptors expressed on the surface of immune cells.

The researchers studied 31 lupus patients who did not have traditional cardiovascular risk factors using a seven-day food questionnaire. After a week, the investigators took the patients’ blood to measure the health of their blood vessels. They found that patients who consumed caffeine had better vascular health, as measured by endothelial cells, which form the innermost layer of blood vessels.

“The present study is an attempt to provide patients with information on the possible role of diet in controlling the disease,” says Fulvia Ceccarelli, the paper’s lead author. “It will be necessary to confirm the results through a longitudinal study, aimed at assessing the real impact of coffee consumption on the disease course.”

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There is a daily limit

Keep in mind that most health agencies recommend you consume no more than 400 mg of caffeine a day. Given that a typical eight-ounce cup of coffee contains 95 mg of caffeine, that means limiting your intake to roughly four of these cups.

However, the smallest coffee size at many coffee shops is 12 ounces, and the largest can exceed 20 ounces. If you tend to get your coffee fix there or use an oversized mug at home, you need to bear the size in mind.

Also, if you’re a fan of espresso drinks, bear in mind that they contain a compound that can negate coffee’s heart benefits and are often loaded with added fat and sugar. You may want to stick with brewed coffee to reap the full benefits of caffeine.

If you want to moderate your caffeine consumption, a good way to do so is to replace a cup or two of coffee with black or green tea. A cup of black tea contains approximately 47 mg of caffeine, while a cup of green tea contains around 33 mg.

Sources:

Caffeine is a heart-healthy habit — EurekAlert!

Caffeine improves systemic lupus erythematosus endothelial dysfunction by promoting endothelial progenitor cells survival — Rheumatology

How Much Caffeine Is In a Cup of Coffee? — Food Network

How much caffeine is in tea? — GoodFood

The post The truth about caffeine and your blood vessels appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

It didn’t hurt, so I really didn’t think much of it. It’s a condition known as crepitus, and it usually just means there are air bubbles popping in the joint.

When air is the cause, crepitus is harmless. But I’m tempted to get my knee checked out anyway because I’ve discovered there are other causes of crepitus that aren’t as benign…

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Calcium crystals can damage cartilage

Knee osteoarthritis (OA), the most common form of arthritis, affects 34 million people in the U.S., and there are no available treatments to prevent its progression. Its symptoms include pain, inflammation, swelling, instability and weakness in the joint — and a crackling sound that’s been compared to Rice Krispies.

There’s another type of arthritis that causes symptoms similar to knee OA — calcium pyrophosphate deposition (CPPD). Also known as “pseudogout,” CPPD involves the formation of calcium pyrophosphate (CPP) crystals in the blood that then settle in joint cartilage. These CPP crystal deposits trigger an inflammatory attack in the joint, causing pain, stiffness, swelling and (you guessed it) a crunching or crackling sound.

Calcium crystals can also be found in the joints of people with knee OA. Until recently, they were believed to be harmless and potentially something that happens with old age.

But U.S. researchers using computed tomography (CT) found that calcium crystal deposits in the knee can contribute to the worsening of joint damage. The researchers are the first to use computerized X-ray imaging, which are more sensitive to detecting calcium crystals than regular X-rays.

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The study evaluated participants from the Multicenter Osteoarthritis (MOST) study for intra-articular mineralization (IAM) based on its location within the knee. They then examined the effect on cartilage via MRI over two years. The average age of the participants was 60.

With CT, the researchers were able to detect a higher amount of deposits than previously found by plain X-rays. Study results showed an increased risk of cartilage damage on follow-up, including in knees without any damage to begin with, supporting the theory that calcium crystal deposition in the joint was the cause.

“The cartilage damage is most likely to occur in the same locations where the crystals are deposited, suggesting a localized effect,” says corresponding author Dr. Tuhina Neogi, a professor at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine.

“We have also shown that these crystals can contribute to knee pain in another recently published paper,” Neogi says. “Taken together, these findings highlight the important role of calcium crystals in structural damage and symptoms in knee osteoarthritis.”

Neogi adds that with the identification of this link, researchers can focus on identifying ways to prevent these crystal deposits from occurring with the hope of relieving pain and limiting progression of joint damage in OA.

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What causes calcium crystal deposits?

While it’s not definitively known why CPP crystals form, there are theories. It’s believed excess iron or calcium, low magnesium, and an overactive or severely underactive thyroid gland may be contributing factors. A healthy functioning thyroid is important for mineral metabolism, especially bone tissue mineral density.

So if you’re looking to lessen the risk of these painful conditions, it’s a good idea to make sure your thyroid is functioning properly, your magnesium levels are optimal, and you’re not getting too much iron or calcium. You also want to check your levels of vitamins D and K2 (part of an emerging group of vitamins that fight a common contributor of unhealthy aging), both of which make sure calcium is being directed to the bones, where it’s most beneficial.

There are nutrients that support good thyroid function: iodine, copper, selenium and zinc. Iodine is particularly important, as the thyroid needs iodine to produce thyroid hormone. Some good sources of iodine include organic yogurt, cranberries, iodized salt, navy beans and sea vegetables like kelp and wakame.

Be aware that it gets more difficult for your body to absorb iodine as you get older, so you may need an iodine supplement to ensure you’re maintaining healthy levels of the nutrient. Also, you can increase thyroid hormone efficiency by combining iodine with the amino acid L-Tyrosine.

Sources:

Calcium crystal deposits in the knee found to contribute to joint damage — Medical Xpress

Intra-Articular Mineralization on Computerized Tomography of the Knee and Risk of Cartilage Damage: The Multicenter Osteoarthritis Study — Arthritis & Rheumatology

Calcium Pyrophosphate Deposition (CPPD) — American College of Rheumatology

Calcium Pyrophosphate Deposition — Arthritis Foundation

Knee, shoulder & elbow cracking or popping (crepitus) — Aurora Health Care

Common Knee Osteoarthritis Symptoms — American Knee Pain Centers

Snap, Crackle & Pop: Why Do My Knees Make Noises—And Should I See A Doctor? — Henry Ford Health

The post That snap, crackle and pop in your knee may start with your thyroid 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®.

“Good fat” is found in foods like olive oil and avocados (monounsaturated fats) as well as in fatty fish and walnuts (polyunsaturated fats). Eating these foods will actually help lower your risk of heart disease.

“Bad” fats, or triglycerides, are found in processed foods, fatty meats and fried foods.

The scientific community has considered having a high level of triglycerides to be a biomarker of risk for vascular disease and stroke.

But new research is sounding an alarm, finding that, in fact, high triglycerides play a direct role in causing a serious and potentially life-threatening condition…

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High triglycerides promote abdominal aortic aneurysm

A University of Michigan study has shown that high levels of triglycerides play a direct and pathogenic role in the development, growth, and rupture of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs).

An AAA is a bulge in the part of the aorta that travels through the abdomen. The bulge forms in an area where the aorta’s wall has grown weak, putting it at risk of bursting under the constant pressure of blood flow.

Signs of an AAA include abdominal pain, back pain, groin pain, and a pulsating feeling in the abdomen. If the aneurysm ruptures, massive bleeding can cause death within minutes.

The research at Michigan Medicine using three different mouse models demonstrated a triglyceride dose-dependent effect on AAA severity:

• Moderate elevations in triglycerides accelerated aneurysm formation, while higher levels led to aortic dissection.
• Mice with severely elevated triglyceride concentrations developed more severe complications consistent with aortic rupture.

The investigation also revealed that elevated triglycerides and related fatty acids, particularly palmitate, impaired the maturation and activity of lysyl oxidase. This critical enzyme maintains the structure and integrity of the aortic wall. The dysfunction caused by palmitate helped to weaken connective tissue and promote aneurysm progression.

Palmitate is the most common saturated fatty acid, found in both animals and plants, and is abundant in foods such as meat, milk, cheese, and particularly palm oil. It has some beneficial roles in cellular processes but is known to contribute to inflammation and insulin resistance.

Palm oil is a cheap substitute for butter or other refined vegetable oils, making it especially common in pastry dough and baked goods. These, along with other ultra-processed foods, have already been identified as drivers of disease.

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Lowering triglycerides could save your life

Abdominal aortic aneurysms are more common in men and among people age 65 and older — and are usually caused by atherosclerosis.

And if you haven’t guessed, high triglycerides are linked to the increased risk for atherosclerosis — or hardening of the arteries.

Of course, we know the best way to keep your arteries clear is to eat healthily. Start with avoiding ultraprocessed foods, like:

• Sweets and baked goods
• Refined grains
• Fried foods
• Unhealthy oils, including palm oil
• Fatty and processed meats, including bacon and sausage
• High-fat dairy
• Processed snacks like chips and crackers
• Alcohol

Instead, reach for:

• Leafy greens like kale and cruciferous veggies (broccoli and cauliflower)
• Black beans
• Fresh fruit on pancakes instead of syrup
• White meat chicken and fish, like salmon and cod
• Oils like olive oil, flaxseed oil and fish oil (canola oil can be a healthy substitution as well)
• Avocados, berries, citrus, apples, bananas and kiwi contain fiber and antioxidants that help lower triglycerides (avoid fruit juices high in sugar)

For more tips, see what cardiologist Dr. Elizabeth Klodas recommends for lowering triglycerides and how to know when high triglyceride levels are genetically driven.

Sources:

High triglycerides drive life-threatening aortic aneurysms, study in mice finds — Eureka Alert

Hypertriglyceridemia as a Key Contributor to Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Development and Rupture: Insights From Genetic and Experimental Models — Circulation

Lifestyle changes to reduce triglycerides — National Lipid Association

Foods to Avoid If You Have High Triglycerides — Web MD

The post High triglycerides linked to abdominal aortic aneurysm 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®.

While numerous studies have found a link between the toxic particles we breathe and cognitive decline, many weren’t large enough to be considered definitive, and some studies disagreed with their findings entirely.

Now, however, the debate has been settled for good, and science has shown that air pollution is a real and present danger to your brain.

Here’s what you need to know about the dementia triple-threat hidden in air pollution and what you can do to fight back…

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The culmination of more than four dozen studies

Unlike previous studies, which relied on data from a single population of thousands or tens of thousands, the University of Cambridge’s research combined a treasure trove of results from 51 studies and over 29 million participants.

They then carried out a systematic review and meta-analysis of the scientific literature to examine the link between Alzheimer’s and air pollution further to deliver “more robust overarching conclusions.”

Overall, the researchers found a positive and statistically significant association between three types of air pollutants and dementia…

• PM2.5 – This describes particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 microns or less, which means they are small enough to be inhaled deep into the lungs. Air pollution of this magnitude originates from various sources, including vehicle emissions, power plants, industrial processes, wood-burning stoves and fireplaces, and construction dust. The research showed that for every 10 micrograms per cubic meter (μg/m³) of PM2.5, the risk of dementia goes up by 17%. (PM2.5 air pollution is also linked to ischemic heart disease, heart failure and atrial fibrillation.)
• NO2 – Nitrogen dioxide is found in vehicle exhaust, especially diesel exhaust, and industrial emissions. Not only is it bad for your brain, it can irritate your respiratory system, bringing on and worsening conditions like asthma and even reducing lung function. It takes just 10 μg/m3 of NO2 to raise your cognitive risk by 3%.
• Soot – Soot, from vehicle exhaust and burning wood, was also found to damage the brain. It can also aggravate respiratory diseases and increase the risk of heart problems. It only takes 1 μg/m³ of the soot found in PM2.5 to increase your chances of developing Alzheimer’s by 13%.

Sadly, each of those levels of pollutants can be found every hour in average roadside measurements in cities across our country and the world.

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Your brain on air pollution

The good news is that when you know that pollution is a danger to your brain, you can take steps to lessen the impact.

The key lies in understanding how the toxic particles you breathe fuel the development of Alzheimer’s in the first place, which researchers say involves two mechanisms — inflammation and oxidative stress.

Both oxidative stress and inflammation play a well-established role in the onset and progression of dementia.

According to the scientists, air pollution triggers these processes through direct entry to the brain or via the same processes underlying lung and cardiovascular diseases. It also enters your bloodstream from your lungs, traveling to your organs (including your brain), and sets off local and widespread inflammation.

Additionally, further analysis revealed that while exposure to these pollutants increased the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, the effect seemed stronger for vascular dementia, a type of dementia caused by reduced blood flow to the brain.

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Brain-saving tips to fight pollution damage

So when you fight back against inflammation, oxidative stress and reduced blood flow to the brain, you fight back against the dementia dangers of air pollution.

Take these steps to just that…

1. Eat to douse the fires that fuel dementia – One study found that eating an anti-inflammatory diet can slash dementia risk by 31%.
2. Boost your brain’s blood supply– Plenty of fruits and vegetables are loaded with nutrients like flavonoids that support good brain function.
3. Add an antioxidant cocktail – Dementia research found that taking three specific antioxidants could be the secret to repelling dementia.

Remember, while the research is settled, proving that air pollution really does cause dementia, the fight for your brain health is far from over.

Sources:

Is the air you breathe silently fueling dementia? A 29-million-person study says yes — Science Daily

The post 29 million-person study finds 3 ways air pollution fuels dementia 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®.

But I can tell you from personal experience that this same term can describe Parkinson’s disease.

My father died of Parkinson’s when he was 83. We spent ten long years watching him slip away from us, first physically, then mentally.

There is no cure for Parkinson’s. But early detection allows for treatments that may slow the progression of the disease and interventions that can dramatically improve quality of life.

But right now, Parkinson’s is detected by using either clinical rating scales, which can be far from objective, or through neural imaging, which is extremely costly. And, on average, it takes close to three years to get a diagnosis.

I have a particular interest in any new developments that might save other people from what I went through, so I’d like to tell you about a recent study that may seem kind of strange at first, but that holds great promise.

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Using ear wax to detect Parkinson’s

Strange as it sounds, a person’s ear wax might reveal that they have Parkinson’s disease, even before any symptoms show up.

What, you may ask, could ear wax possibly have to do with detecting a neurological disease?

It all comes down to two things: volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, and sebum.

Sebum is a waxy, oily substance produced by the sebaceous glands in the skin. It’s what gives you oily skin, but it also hydrates the skin and forms a protective barrier.

Previous research has revealed that sebum from people with Parkinson’s may have a characteristic smell because VOCs released by sebum are altered by disease progression, including neurodegeneration, systemic inflammation and oxidative stress.

Sebum on the skin is exposed to the environment, making it unreliable. But the ear canal is one place where the skin is kept away from the elements — and could produce an accurate diagnosis.

So Chinese researchers Hao Dong, Danhua Zhu and colleagues focused their efforts at screening for Parkinson’s on the sebum in ear wax, which is also easier to sample than sebum elsewhere on the body.  

They collected samples from 209 subjects (108 of whom were already diagnosed with Parkinson’s) and analyzed the samples looking for VOCs unique to the Parkinson’s patients.

Sure enough, they found four VOCs that were only present in the ear wax of subjects with Parkinson’s: ethylbenzene, 4-ethyltoluene, pentanal, and 2-pentadecyl-1,3-dioxolane.

They concluded that the presence of these four VOCs is a potential biomarker for Parkinson’s disease.

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Catching Parkinson’s early: know the warning signs

More work needs to be done before the artificial intelligence olfactory (AIO) system developed by Dong and Zhu becomes a reliable and efficient tool for early prediction of Parkinson’s.

But there are early warning signs that people often ignore since they resemble signs of aging that we’ve been trained to accept as normal:

Loss of sense of smell. Years before any motor or neurological symptoms show up, sense of smell may begin to diminish. It’s the first sign of dopamine dying off, which happens in later stages of the disease.

Excessive sweating. Parkinson’s causes changes to the sweat glands. Women may mistake this for hot flashes. If your skin and hair are oily when they’ve never been before, it could be a sign.

Changes in handwriting. The slowing down and loss of spontaneous, routine movement is known as bradykinesia. In a person with Parkinson’s, their handwriting is often the first place this shows itself.

Stiff arm. Range of motion is decreased; you can’t swing your arm as much as before when you walk.

Orthostatic hypotension. Dizziness upon getting up too quickly. Again, take note if this is new for you.

Persistent neck pain. Women in particular have reported this as the third-most common warning sign they remember when asked how they first knew they had Parkinson’s.

If you suspect Parkinson’s, talk to your doctor. And don’t be tempted to grab a Q-tip to view your ear wax. You can’t tell anything from its appearance, and you could push ear wax further into your ear canal, causing impaction and potentially damaging the eardrum.

Sources:

Ear wax as a possible screening medium for Parkinson’s disease — Eureka Alert

An Artificial Intelligence Olfactory-Based Diagnostic Model for Parkinson’s Disease Using Volatile Organic Compounds from Ear Canal Secretions — Analytical Chemistry

10 Lesser-Known Parkinson’s Disease Symptoms — Michael J. Fox Foundation

The post The Parkinson’s clues found in ear wax appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

One source I’ve overlooked that is incredibly cheap is legumes, a category of foods that includes beans, chickpeas and lentils. Dried beans can cost as little as 10 to 20 cents a serving, and canned beans aren’t much more, coming in at about 25 to 40 cents a serving.

The protein content of legumes can range anywhere from 17.9 grams per cup of lentils to 14.5 grams per cup of chickpeas, which is roughly 29 to 36 percent of the recommended daily amount of protein. Not bad for such an inexpensive product!

And that’s not all — legumes have a healthy dose of fiber as well, with a cup of lentils containing 15.5 grams of fiber and a cup of black beans coming in at 15 grams of fiber.

People who eat more legumes have a lower risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes and a reduced risk of dying from a stroke.

And now it seems that two specific legumes may have even more health benefits in store…

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Chickpeas for cholesterol, black beans for inflammation

Researchers at Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago conducted a study of 72 people with prediabetes to see how they responded to the addition of certain legumes to their diet. One group consumed a cup of chickpeas, one group ate a cup of black beans, and a control group had a cup of white rice every day for 12 weeks.

The study was conducted in free-living conditions to increase its relevance to everyday life. Blood samples were taken at the beginning of the study and the six- and 12-week marks to track cholesterol, inflammation and blood sugar, and glucose tolerance tests were conducted at the beginning and the end of the study.

The results were impressive. At the end of the trial, those on the chickpea diet saw their cholesterol levels drop from an average of 200.4 to 185.8 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl). While seemingly a small change, it actually brings people into the normal range for cholesterol, which is considered any reading below 200 mg/dl.

And that’s not all. Those eating black beans experienced a drop in their average level of pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-6, a marker of inflammation. These levels dropped significantly, from 2.57 to 1.88 picograms per milliliter after 12 weeks.

No significant changes were observed in glucose metabolism markers.

“Individuals with prediabetes often exhibit impaired lipid metabolism and chronic low-grade inflammation, both of which can contribute to the development of conditions like heart disease and type 2 diabetes,” says Morganne Smith, a doctoral candidate at Illinois Institute of Technology and co-author of the study.

“Our study found that bean consumption helped significantly lower cholesterol and reduce inflammation in people with prediabetes, although glucose levels were not changed.”

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Incorporating disease-lowering legumes into your diet

Even though this study showed the benefits of eating beans for adults with prediabetes, the researchers emphasized they are an excellent option for anyone focused on preventing heart disease and diabetes.

“Just adding one cup of beans a day can make some big differences,” says Indika Edirisinghe, a nutritionist at Illinois Institute of Technology.

So, how can you add a cup a day of these legumes to your diet?

The researchers say swapping canned, dried or frozen chickpeas or black beans in place of less healthy options is a great way to start. Just be wary of any additional ingredients like salt or sugar — if the beans or chickpeas are canned, you’ll want to rinse away the excess salt before cooking.

“There are a lot of ways to incorporate beans into your regular diet as a cost-effective way to support overall health and reduce the risk of chronic diseases,” Smith says. “You can blend them to add some thickness to a soup base, add them as a salad topping or pair them with other grains like rice or quinoa.”

What about their gastrointestinal impact? I’m sure you’ve heard the poem, “beans, beans, the musical fruit…” The good news is that while some study participants noted gastrointestinal issues, their guts seemed to adapt over the course of the trial.

Sources:

A cup of chickpeas a day lowers cholesterol — ScienceNews

Study finds daily cup of beans boosts heart and metabolic health — EurekAlert!

Effects of Chronic Intake of Black Beans and Chickpeas on Metabolic and Inflammatory Markers in Adults With Pre-diabetes — Current Developments in Nutrition

The Cost of Beans vs. Meat — The Vegetarian Resource Group

Top 10 Beans and Legumes Highest in Protein — My Food Data

Chart of high-fiber foods — Mayo Clinic

The post The pennies a day cure for cholesterol and inflammation appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

But growing research shows a powerful connection: the same choices that protect your heart may also strengthen your bones — and vice versa.

Shared Risk Factors Across Systems

Osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease may seem like two completely different conditions, but they often share the same root causes. Poor diet, a lack of physical activity, smoking, and chronic inflammation can all increase your risk for both. 

Research has shown that people with low bone mineral density are more likely to experience heart-related events. Likewise, signs of atherosclerosis —hardening and narrowing of the arteries — are more common in individuals with weaker bones.

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Lifestyle and Fracture Risk

One large U.S. study looked at how cardiovascular health scores — based on the American Heart Association’s Life’s Essential 8 — related to fracture risk. These eight key health factors include diet, physical activity, sleep, smoking, body weight, cholesterol, blood sugar and blood pressure.

The study found that people with better scores had a significantly lower risk of bone fractures. Compared to individuals with poor cardiovascular health, those with moderate scores had a 22% lower fracture risk, and those with high scores had a 34% lower risk.

This tells us that small steps you take to support your heart — like going for a daily walk or choosing whole foods over processed ones — can also help keep your bones strong.

How Inflammation and Hormones Affect Both Heart and Bone Health

Research has shown that heart disease and osteoporosis often develop together, and inflammation and hormones are two key reasons why.

Chronic inflammation, which plays a major role in heart disease, also contributes to bone loss. When inflammation levels are high, the body produces chemicals that can weaken bone and damage blood vessels at the same time. This means that the same internal stress that leads to clogged arteries can also make bones more fragile.

Hormonal changes, especially in women, add another layer of connection. Estrogen helps protect both the heart and the bones. After menopause, when estrogen levels drop, the risk for both heart disease and osteoporosis accelerates. That’s why, later in life, women often experience both conditions.

The overlap goes deeper. According to research, calcium deposits found in arteries and bone loss seen in osteoporosis may actually be driven by some of the same biological processes. In other words, the breakdown of bone and the buildup of plaque in blood vessels may be two sides of the same coin.

It all serves as a reminder that the body works as an interconnected system. Supporting hormone health and reducing inflammation through healthy habits (and hormone replacement therapy when appropriate) can go a long way in protecting both your heart and your bones.

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Statins and Bone Health

Statins are best known for lowering cholesterol, but they could offer benefits for bones too. Although confounding variables may be at play, several studies suggest that statins can stimulate the growth of bone-forming cells and reduce bone breakdown.

Statins appear to increase levels of a key protein that helps bones grow, while also lowering inflammation and possibly enhancing estrogen activity. These effects have been linked to improved bone mineral density and a reduced risk of fractures, especially in older adults and postmenopausal women.

Having said that, it is possible that these findings are associations rather than causations. People who take statins may be under more regular medical care, might be more attentive to their health in general, and might be more likely to pursue an active lifestyle. The jury is still out on how helpful statins are to bone health. But while more research is needed to fully understand the best use of statins for bone support, these findings suggest that statins certainly do not promote bone loss!   

A Whole-Body Approach to Better Health

When it comes to protecting your health, there’s no need to compartmentalize. Your bones and your heart benefit from the same healthy habits:

• Eat a whole-food, anti-inflammatory diet, rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats.
• Get regular physical activity, including weight-bearing and resistance training, which supports both cardiovascular fitness and bone density.
• Don’t smoke, and take steps to manage blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol.
• Talk to your doctor about your risk factors and whether bone density testing is right for you. By the way, this last piece of advice applies to everyone. Although less likely, men with risk factors can get osteopenia and osteoporosis too.

The post The hidden link between heart health and bone strength appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

A severe injury like a car accident or a burn, a heart attack or stroke, or pneumonia is just a few of the ways you could land in the ICU.

Even the need for observation and monitoring after a complicated surgery could make you an ICU patient.

And statistically, the moment that happens, the more likely you are to die.

That’s because addressing the life-threatening conditions that arise in ICU patients has been a challenge.

That may be changing…

A new way to predict which critically ill patients are more likely to face a higher risk of death within the coming 30 days is a tool that could improve treatment and turn those odds to a higher rate of survival.

But the real chance of survival is up to you and starts way before you ever find yourself in an ICU…

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A sign your ICU stay could end in 30 days

A team of doctors from the University of Chicago and the University of Amsterdam has created an index of markers in a patient’s feces that can help gauge their risk of mortality within 30 days.

Dr. Alexander de Porto and his team have named this index the Metabolic Dysbiosis Score, or MDS. It can potentially help ICU doctors work around a diagnostic challenge they often face.

You see, patients admitted to an ICU often develop sepsis.

Let’s say you’re fighting pneumonia, or a kidney infection. Sepsis happens when your immune system goes into overdrive and starts killing things it shouldn’t, triggering body-wide inflammation and a real risk of organ failure and death.

But not everyone who develops sepsis does so in the same way, which means that two patients with the same syndrome may respond to the same treatment very differently.

According to Dr. de Porto and his team of researchers, one approach is to target specific traits rather than treating “sepsis” as a whole.

Knowing that critically ill patients often have reduced diversity in their gut microbiota (bacteria in the gut), the trait they focused on was dysbiosis, an imbalance in the gut bacteria where harmful bacteria outnumber beneficial bacteria.

The researchers studied fecal samples collected from 196 patients exhibiting respiratory failure or shock, using them to develop the MDS, based on concentrations of 13 distinct fecal metabolites.

“The MDS performed well in predicting mortality in the training cohort of medical ICU patients, with 84 percent accuracy, 89 percent sensitivity, and 71 percent specificity,” the researchers said.

They also noted: “The metabolites comprising the score, such as short-chain fatty acids, bile acids, and tryptophan metabolites, point to biological pathways that might be targeted therapeutically …”

Potential interventions may include dietary modifications and the use of probiotics.

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What does all this mean for you?

First and foremost, this data underscores the importance of maintaining a healthy and balanced gut microbiome as a primary defense against serious illnesses.

For example, the MDS linked an underproduction of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) to a higher risk of mortality.

So where do you get SCFAs? SCFAs are produced by the “friendly” bacteria in your gut when you eat fiber — a critical nutrient that the majority of Americans do not get near enough of.

When the fiber you eat reaches your large intestine, it ferments and releases three types of short-chain fatty acids when broken down by gut microbes:

• Butyrate. A key energy source for cells lining the large intestine, butyrate may play a role in mitigating inflammation and supporting immune function.
• Propionate. Besides preventing constipation, propionate supports brain health and may protect against neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s.
• Acetate. Not to be confused with the plastic chemical found in products like paint and packaging, the presence or absence of the SCFA acetate affects gene expression, metabolic regulation and enzyme activity.

The following fiber types can help you produce these valuable SCFAs:

Inulin – found in onions, leeks, wheat and asparagus.

Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) – also found in onions and asparagus, as well as in many other fruits and vegetables, especially bananas.

Pectin – good sources of pectin include apples, apricots, carrots and oranges.

Arabinoxylan – found in cereal grains, especially in wheat bran, making up about 70% of the total fiber content.

Hopefully, you won’t ever end up in an ICU, but if you do, you’ll want plenty of those SCFAs to help you get through it.

Sources:

Something in Your Poop May Predict an Imminent Death — Science Alert

Fecal metabolite profiling identifies critically ill patients with increased 30-day mortality — Science Advances

The post Forget reading tea leaves: How poop predicts mortality appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

And inflammation can lead to a host of problems, including metabolic syndrome, a group of cardiometabolic factors that can raise the risk of type 2 diabetes and lead to plaque buildup inside arteries, increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke.

What’s more, inflammation makes it more challenging to lose weight — and that creates a viscous cycle most of us know all too well.

One contributing factor to inflammation is an excessive amount of acid in the body. So you might wonder if there’s anything we can do to counteract this acidity. According to one team of researchers, there’s a specific diet that can help…

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The role of acid load

Researchers led by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine conducted an analysis of a study involving 62 overweight adults who were assigned to either a Mediterranean diet or a low-fat vegan diet for 16 weeks. They then had a four-week wash-out period, followed by an additional 16 weeks on the alternate diet.

The researchers used the participants’ dietary records to calculate their dietary acid load. This is commonly estimated by Potential Renal Acid Load (PRAL) and Net Endogenous Acid Production (NEAP) scores, with a higher score indicating a higher dietary acid load.

Animal products such as meat, fish, eggs and cheese — plentiful in the standard American diet — cause the body to produce more acid, which increases dietary acid load.

This increase in acid is linked to chronic inflammation that disrupts metabolism and can lead to weight gain. Plant-based diets, by contrast, are more alkaline and are associated with weight loss, improved insulin sensitivity, and lower blood pressure.

In the new analysis, both acid load and acid production scores declined significantly in the vegan group, but there were no significant change in the group on the Mediterranean diet.

The reduction in dietary acid load in the vegan group was associated with weight loss, and this association remained significant even after adjusting for changes in energy consumption.

That wasn’t the most dramatic part. The body weight in the vegan group decreased by about 13.2 pounds!

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Switching to a more alkalizing diet

The authors of the study say the alkalizing effect of a vegan diet increases the body’s pH level to make it less acidic and may help promote weight loss.

“Eating acid-producing foods like meat, eggs and dairy can increase the dietary acid load, or the amount of acid consumed, causing inflammation linked to weight gain,” says Dr. Hana Kahleova, director of clinical research at the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine and lead author of the study. “But replacing animal products with alkaline plant-based foods like leafy greens, berries and legumes can help promote weight loss and create a healthy gut microbiome.”

The original study fothat und a vegan diet also reduced insulin needs, improved insulin sensitivity and glycemic control and led to improved cholesterol levels and kidney function.

Some of the top alkalizing foinclude are vegetables, fruits, leg,umes and certain grains, all of which abundantance in a vegan diet. Examples of particularly alkalizing foods include:

• Asparagus
• Beets
• Broccoli
• Cabbage
• Carrots
• Garlic
• Leafy greens
• Apples
• Apricots
• Berries
• Cantaloupe
• Cherries
• Beans
• Chickpeas
• Lentils
• Peas
• Soy
• Millet
• Quinoa

If a complete switch to a vegan diet seems daunting, at least cut down on acidic foods. You could start by enjoying a plant-based breakfast rich in alkalizing foods. For instance, substitute millet with berries or a green smoothie with soy protein for your usual eggs or yogurt,.

Or if you really need that yogurt on occasion, go low-fat and incorporate lots of berries and flaxseed. Flax seeds contain fiber, which can further promote alkalinity by absorbing excess acid in the digestive tract. 

You may also be interested in incorporating sparkling water into your routine. It helps reduce acid in the bloodstream, which may improve metabolism.

As you become accustomed to this routine, you can try incorporating more plant-based alkalizing foods into your lunches and dinners. Before you know it, you’ll see the benefits around your waist!

Sources:

Acid-busting diet triggers 13-pound weight loss in just 16 weeks — ScienceDaily

Dietary acid load on the Mediterranean and a vegan diet: a secondary analysis of a randomized, cross-over trial — Frontiers in Nutrition

Obesity and inflammation: the linking mechanism and the complications — Archives of Medical Science

Metabolic syndrome is an inflammatory disorder: A conspiracy between adipose tissue and phagocytes — Clinica Chimica Acta

Associations between dietary acid load and obesity among Iranian women — Journal of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Research

The post The alkaline secret to losing 13 pounds in 16 weeks appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

But did you know that with obesity also comes an increased risk for cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease?

That’s right. All those fast-food meals can cause brain inflammation that leads to cognitive impairment and memory loss.

But is obesity the cause, or is it the food itself?

Well, it takes some time to become obese, no matter how bad a person’s diet. So, if obesity were the main factor, it stands to reason that it would take that same amount of time before cognitive deficits start to appear.

However, new research presents evidence that the effects of a high-fat diet on the brain show up in as little as three days.

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High-fat eating creates cognitive changes in just 3 days

A few years ago, researchers at Ohio State University showed that just one meal high in saturated fat (like the kind you’d get in a fast-food drive-thru) is enough to mess with your mental performance and focus.

These researchers didn’t investigate the “why” of this, but a more recent study has.

“We’re really looking for the effects of the diet directly on the brain. And we showed that within three days, long before obesity sets in, tremendous neuroinflammatory shifts are occurring,” says senior study author Dr. Ruth Barrientos.

Dr. Barrientos is an investigator in the Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research at Ohio State University.

This study investigated the impact of a high-fat diet in rats after three months (to model diet-induced obesity) as well as after just three days (to model the rapid changes that occur when we eat fatty foods).

After just three days, the rats showed negative inflammatory changes in the brain and two types of memory impairment common in older people with dementia:

• Contextual memory is the ability to remember emotional or social circumstances related to an event and is controlled by the hippocampus, the primary memory center of the brain.
• Cued-fear memory (recalling a stimulus that has signaled danger in the past) originates in the amygdala, the fear and danger center of the brain.

“The results dispel the idea that diet-related inflammation in the aging brain is driven by obesity,” says Dr. Barrientos.

“Unhealthy diets and obesity are linked, but they are not inseparable. We’re really looking for the effects of the diet directly on the brain. And we showed that within three days, long before obesity sets in, tremendous neuroinflammatory shifts are occurring.”

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Preserving your brain power

The MIND diet was created by researchers from Rush University Medical Center and is based on decades’ worth of brain health research.

In a 12-year study, people who ate a diet that resembled the MIND diet reduced their risk of being diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (the precursor to dementia) or dementia by 19 percent.

Another study indicated that, when it’s strictly adhered to, it can reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease by 53%.

So, what can you eat on the MIND diet?

• Berries are emphasized over other fruits due to their high antioxidant content.
• Eating fish, a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, is recommended at least once a week.
• Leafy greens are especially emphasized. Compared to other vegetables, they are especially linked to reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and cognitive decline.
• A daily 5 oz. serving of red wine.

Are you surprised by the red wine? There’s certainly science there…

Barcelona-based researchers discovered that the antioxidant resveratrol, found in the skin of grapes, protected mice against memory loss induced by a high-fat diet and prevented memory loss in mice altered to have Alzheimer’s. The antioxidant also reduced amyloid plaques and tau neurofibrillary tangles, both of which are manifestations of Alzheimer’s disease.

Other foods allowed on the MIND diet include whole grains, poultry, beans, lentils, soybeans and olive oil.

The MIND diet does include a few “unhealthy” foods that you’ll need to limit. You can only eat ½ teaspoon of butter a day and not more than one serving of fried food or pastries per week.

If this sounds like a plan you can stick to and you want to save your brain, then give it a try.

Sources:

Memory is impaired in aged rats after 3 days of high-fat eating — Eureka Alert

Obesity-associated memory impairment and neuroinflammation precede widespread peripheral perturbations in aged rats — Immunity and Ageing

The MIND Diet — Barrow Neurological Institute

The post What a high-fat diet does to the brain in just 3 days appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

It’s a diagnosable condition that can make even the simplest of tasks feel like a monumental effort.

If you think you might have CFS, don’t let anyone tell you it’s “all in your head.” There are answers to be had. And research is uncovering more of them every day.

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What is chronic fatigue syndrome?

It’s a complicated disorder where you experience debilitating fatigue for at least six months, fatigue that can’t be explained by any medical condition.

Mental or physical effort increases this fatigue, but rest just doesn’t seem to make it any better. You wake up from sleep feeling just as tired as when you went to bed.

On top of the fatigue that makes it difficult to perform even basic tasks, a person with CFS may also live with:

• Memory and concentration problems
• Sore throat
• Headache
• Enlarged lymph nodes
• Unexplained muscle or joint pain
• Dizziness, especially when going from lying down to sitting or standing (known as orthostatic hypotension).

What causes chronic fatigue syndrome?

The cause of CFS is unknown. Most experts think that it is triggered by a combination of factors, which could include viral infections and psychological stress.

Some experts believe that a person could be born with a predisposition for CFS and that it is triggered by any number of factors, including immune system problems, hormonal imbalances and emotional trauma.

But a common deficiency is beginning to make itself known among those with CFS…

Chronic fatigue patients have low CoQ10 blood levels

Research has shown that patients diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) have abnormally low levels of CoQ10 in plasma and muscle tissue.

A Belgian study measured levels of the antioxidant CoQ10 in the blood plasma of 58 people diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome, and compared it with levels in the blood of 22 healthy participants.

Plasma levels of CoQ10 were significantly lower in people diagnosed with CFS. Nearly half of them (44 percent) had CoQ10 plasma levels lower than the lowest level found in the healthy group.

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CoQ10 depletion activates inflammation

Also, people with extremely low plasma levels of CoQ10 suffered the most from memory and concentration issues.

Research into fibromyalgia, another condition that brings debilitating fatigue, has shown that a CoQ10 deficiency is strongly associated with the activation of pro-inflammatory cytokines.

Neither of these findings is surprising when you consider that CoQ10 can help protect our brains from the oxidative stress caused by environmental pollutants.

Patients with chronic fatigue syndrome who were given a daily combination of 200mg of CoQ10 and 20mg of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) for eight weeks reported significantly less fatigue than those who did not take the supplements.

NADH is a natural supplement that boosts energy in our mitochondria and is known to improve mental clarity, concentration and memory.

How to get more CoQ10

CoQ10 is often taken in supplement form. Here are a few things you should know when choosing a CoQ10 supplement.

But CoQ10 is also found in many foods, in a natural form that your body can absorb easily. These foods include:

• Soybeans
• Sesame seeds
• Pistachios
• Sardines
• Mackerel
• Peanuts
• Liver
• Spinach
• Cauliflower
• Broccoli
• Canola oil

Sources:

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Patients Benefit from CoQ10 — Pharma Nord

Chronic fatigue syndrome —Mayo Clinic

Inflammation Causes Memory Loss and It Starts Sooner Than We Thought —The Ultrawellness Center

Systemic inflammation during midlife and cognitive change over 20 years — Neurology

The post Is CoQ10 the answer to chronic fatigue syndrome? appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Unfortunately, there is currently no better way to save a damaged or infected tooth than to undergo a root canal. So, it’s best to do everything you can to avoid having one in the first place.

Of course, good dental care is your first line of defense against the kind of tooth infection that leads to a root canal. But who couldn’t use an edge to stay out of the dentist’s chair…

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Exercise, omega-3 and tooth health

Caries, or tooth decay, can cause inflammation at the tip of the tooth’s root, or apex, and its surrounding area. If left untreated, the bacteria can reach the root canal and pass through it to the apex, causing an infection known as apical periodontitis. A form of gum disease, this condition can lead not only to tooth loss but also to bone loss.

“It’s a condition that patients may not even know they have because of its chronic nature, but which can evolve and lead to bone destruction and tooth mobility,” says Rogério de Castilho of the Araçatuba School of Dentistry at São Paulo State University (FOA-UNESP) in Brazil. “In addition, in specific situations, such as a drop in immunity, it can become acute, so the patient starts to feel pain, pus forms at the site, the face can become swollen.”

There’s also a two-way relationship between specific health conditions that can worsen apical periodontitis, including diabetes, metabolic syndrome, arteriosclerosis and kidney disease. At the same time, infection in the apex can exacerbate these diseases.

Castilho supervised a study in which researchers at FOA-UNESP induced apical periodontitis in 30 rats and divided them into three groups. The first group was left alone. The second and third groups underwent a 30-day swimming regimen. The third group also received dietary supplementation of omega-3, a polyunsaturated fatty acid that has proven therapeutic effects on chronic inflammation and associated diseases.

“In rats, physical exercise alone brought about a systemic improvement, regulating the local immune response,” says Ana Paula Fernandes Ribeiro, the first author of the study, carried out during her doctorate at FOA-UNESP. “In addition, when combined with supplementation, it further reduced the destructive condition caused by endodontic pathology.”

Benefits to bone and tissue

The study is the first to show that a combination of moderate physical exercise and omega-3 supplementation significantly reduces the inflammation caused by apical periodontitis. The combination of these activities:

• Limited bacterial progression.
• Reduced bone tissue loss.
• Regulated the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines.
• And stimulated the activity of fibroblasts, the cells that create and maintain tissue.

The authors note that the study provides new evidence of the benefits of exercise and omega-3 fatty acids for the immune system and oral health. Next, they would need to conduct a large clinical study to see if the same would be true in humans.

However, this study reinforced the findings of previous research that indicate omega-3 fatty acids could help fight off periodontitis and protect against the tooth pulp infection and loss that lead to root canal.

Keeping your teeth healthy could be the nudge you need to exercise regularly and add healthy omega-3s to your diet. Make sure you take a high-quality fish or krill oil supplement, or if you’re a fan of fish, eat at least two servings weekly.

Here are a few fish that are rich in omega-3:

• Mackerel
• Salmon
• Herring
• Oysters
• Sardines

Sources:

A combination of exercise and omega-3 reduces the severity of tooth root infections — Agência FAPESP

Physical exercise alone or combined with omega-3 modulates apical periodontitis induced in rats — Scientific Reports

What is a Root Canal? — American Association of Endodontists

The post The edge that could keep you out of the dentist’s chair appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Research has pointed to the possibility that the keto diet could calm the overactive immune system responsible for these diseases.

Now, we have reason to believe this could be true.

And, like so many crucial things in our bodies, it comes from the gut.

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An important way keto changes the gut

On the Keto diet, carbohydrate-rich foods like bread, pasta, fruit and sugar are severely restricted, but you’re allowed unlimited fat consumption.

Without carbohydrates to use as fuel, the body breaks down fat instead, producing compounds called ketone bodies. Ketone bodies provide energy for cells to burn.

They can also change the immune system.

Researchers at UC San Francisco found that the keto diet attenuated symptoms of multiple sclerosis in experiments involving mice. The key was the production of two factors in the guts of the mice.

One of these is a ketone body called beta-hydroxybutyrate (βHB).

The researchers found that mice that produced more βHB had less severe disease.

But βHB alone didn’t cause the improvement. It merely set off a chain reaction that ended with fewer symptoms.

The presence of βHB triggered the bacterium Lactobacillus murinus, already present in the gut, to produce a metabolite called indole lactic acid (ILA).

In turn, ILA blocked the activation of T helper 17 immune cells, which are involved in MS and other autoimmune disorders.

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Supplementing with BHB may be the answer

So, if βHB is the key to blocking immune cells from triggering autoimmune symptoms, what happens if your body can’t produce βHB?

The UCSF researchers have answered that question, too.

Some mice on the keto diet were unable to produce βHB in their intestines. Their inflammation was more severe. But when their diets were supplemented with βHB, the mice got better.

“What was really exciting was finding that we could protect these mice from inflammatory disease just by putting them on a diet that we supplemented with these compounds,” says Dr. Peter Turnbaugh, a UCSF Professor of Microbiology and Immunology.

But he cautions that the supplement approach still needs to be tested in people.

“The big question now is how much of this will translate into actual patients. But I think these results provide hope for the development of a more tolerable alternative to helping those people than asking them stick to a challenging and restrictive diet.”

Want to give the keto diet a try?

It’s not for everyone. But it is, at its core, an anti-inflammatory diet, and that could benefit pretty much anyone. You can find specifics about the keto diet here. Other anti-inflammatory diets include the Green Mediterranean diet and the Alkaline diet.

Beta-hydroxybutyrate supplements are readily available and WebMD reports they are typically used for dry eye, athletic performance, migraine, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson.

However, side effects may include stomach upset, diarrhea, constipation, especially if high doses are used.

Lactobacillus murinus isn’t typically found in probiotics, but a diet that includes fiber and prebiotics should help the amount already in your gut thrive.

Sources:

How the Keto Diet Could One Day Treat Autoimmune Disorders — UC San Francisco

A diet-dependent host metabolite shapes the gut microbiota to protect from autoimmunity — Cell Reports

Ketogenic diets alter gut microbiome in humans, mice — Medical Express

Ketogenic Diets Alter the Gut Microbiome Resulting in Decreased Intestinal Th17 Cells — Cell

The post How the Keto diet may help treat Autoimmune Disorders appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

But is it true?

Well, it’s not called the middle-age spread because there’s not some truth to it.

But the more we understand about how that fat gets there, the better our chances are of doing something about it…

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What’s really behind middle-age spread

City of Hope® is one of the largest and most advanced cancer research and treatment organizations in the United States. But few of us know it’s also a leading research center for diabetes and other life-threatening illnesses.

Their researchers recently discovered exactly why we tend to lose muscle and gain body fat as we age — even when our body weight remains the same.

They began with a well-known fact: that fat cells grow larger with age. But they suspected white adipose tissue (WAT), commonly known as white body fat, also expanded by creating new fat cells.

If true, that means it could have an unlimited potential to grow, something none of us wants to hear.

To test their hypothesis, the team transferred adipocyte progenitor cells (APCs), a group of stem cells in WAT that evolve into fat cells, taken from young and older mice, into a group of young mice.

The result? The APCs from the older animals began generating massive amounts of new fat cells rapidly. But that’s not all…

Using RNA sequencing, they compared the activity of the APC gene in young and old mice. The APCs were barely active in the young mice, but in middle-aged mice, the APCs began pumping out new fat cells as if there was no tomorrow!

“While most adult stem cells’ capacity to grow wanes with age, the opposite holds true with APCs — aging unlocks these cells’ power to evolve and spread,” said Adolfo Garcia-Ocana, Ph.D., the Ruth B. & Robert K. Lanman Endowed Chair in Gene Regulation & Drug Discovery Research and chair of the Department of Molecular & Cellular Endocrinology at City of Hope. “This is the first evidence that our bellies expand with age due to the APCs’ high output of new fat cells.”

It gets worse… the research also discovered that aging transforms APCs into a new type of stem cell called committed preadipocytes, age-specific (CP-As). Starting in middle age, CP-A cells begin churning out new fat cells that lead to weight gain.

The good news? The scientists plan future research in hopes of developing new strategies that could eliminate or block the cells to prevent age-related fat gain.

Until then, we’re all on our own to do something about that middle-aged spread.

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Going after WAT to beat middle-age spread

We already have a few tricks up our sleeves to fight the battle of the belly bulge. And that’s to shift the makeup of fat in our bodies from WAT (which is made to be stored) to a form of fat the body burns for energy — brown fat.

You know diet is important, and exercise can burn fat. But at middle age, we need a little extra help.

I’ll discuss what I think are the two best ways to get that…

The first is called BAT (brown adipose tissue) activation. Your body can activate white fat to turn into brown fat when it gets cold enough. One study showed that up to 30 percent of your white fat cells can switch to brown fat when exposed to cold.

BAT activation can happen with the help of cold water immersion, cold showers and keeping the temperature in your home cooler. However, for BAT activation to work, you also have to combat inflammation. My second recommendation does that and more…

Black seed oil (from the Nigella sativa plant) is a natural anti-inflammatory. But a study on mice found that when used in combination with omega-3 fatty acids, white fat cells were reprogrammed to beige cells, which turn brown much more easily than WAT. Obesity-related inflammation was also mitigated.

So who says that middle-age spread has to be inevitable?

Sources:

Why our waistlines expand in middle age: Stem cells — ScienceDaily

The effects of temperature and seasons on subcutaneous white adipose tissue in humans: evidence for thermogenic gene induction — The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism

The post The stem cell secret behind middle-age spread appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Sadly, the incidence of the early-onset form of the disease, which occurs in people aged 50 and younger, is expected to rise by more than 140% by 2030.

The good news is that death rates in people diagnosed with colon or rectal cancer have fallen, as screening and treatment have improved. But survivors still have a shorter life expectancy than their peers in the general population.

However, researchers at the Colon and Rectal Cancer Center at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute believe they’ve identified a simple daily activity that not only helps survivors live longer, but potentially even longer than someone who has never had cancer.

Why just survive when you can live longer

Movement is life. Previous research indicated that exercise could increase the lifespans of survivors even in the advanced stages of cancer.

But the Dana-Farber researchers wanted to take it a step further to find out if regular exercise had the power to help colon cancer patients boost their survival rates beyond people who’d never had cancer.

To find out, they delved into the exercise habits — both before and after treatment — of nearly 3,000 colon cancer patients. And the results were clear…

To remain cancer-free, even three years out from treatment, exercise is key.

According to the researchers, the magic number for survival comes down to physical activity, equivalent to walking about an hour a day at a 2- to 3-mile-per-hour pace, at least 6 days a week.

“Those patients not only had a better overall survival if they were more physically active, they actually looked like they had a slightly better overall survival compared to the general population,” says senior researcher, Dr. Jeff Meyerhardt.

In fact, even patients who suffered a cancer recurrence increased their survival chances if they stayed physically active.

Making healthy changes to your cell soup

According to cancer researchers, multiple mechanisms make exercise one of the most potent tools for not only surviving colon cancer but also preventing it in the first place.

Dr. Kathryn Schmitz, an exercise oncology researcher at the University of Pittsburgh, likes to describe the mechanisms this way…

“What you might think of is that all of our cells are bathed in a soup of sorts, and the constituents of that soup change as a result of being more physically active,” she explains.

If you spend most of your time sitting, your immune system suffers, inflammation flares up and your cells can start to change and grow uncontrolled. However, when you get the regular activity your body needs, the fires of inflammation are quenched and your immune system kicks into high gear.

Then, as Dr. Schmitz explains, “The soup in which your cells are bathed is healthier in a way that will tamp down any cancer development or cancer progression.”

In a previous study that linked exercise to reducing the odds of 13 different cancer types, researchers at the National Cancer Institute identified three factors that could be responsible for the cancer-preventing properties of exercise: its ability to reduce hormones like estrogen, its ability to lower insulin levels and its ability to quell inflammation.

So, if you’ve survived colon cancer (or simply want to make sure you do everything possible to prevent it), exercise is a must.

Also, don’t be intimidated by this study’s findings that you need to walk an hour a day, six days a week. Other studies have found that short, high-intensity sessions can also reduce the growth of colon cancer.

Sources:

Survival Rates for Colorectal Cancer — American Cancer Society

How common is colon cancer? — Fight Colorectal Cancer

Key Statistics for Colorectal Cancer — American Cancer Society

Colon cancer survivors who exercise regularly live longer — NPR

The post The habit that helps cancer survivors live like they never had cancer appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Yet half of those people don’t even know they have it.

COPD isn’t necessarily a death sentence. It all depends on how early it’s diagnosed and how quickly lung inflammation progresses.

And now, once again, a simple vitamin may be the answer.

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COPD: a quick overview

COPD is an umbrella term for a group of incurable inflammatory lung disorders, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema. It usually comes from long-term exposure to cigarette smoke and air pollution.

As lung inflammation increases, so does air flow in and out of the lungs. Your tissues are absorbing less and less oxygen. Aside from shortness of breath, people with COPD have a higher risk of developing heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.

People with COPD have an increased risk of respiratory infections and pneumonia. Influenza in particular can lead to serious lung infection and, at worst, death.

The potential of vitamin B3

Discovering the potential of vitamin B3 to combat lung inflammation is a ray of hope for COPD patients. According to a study from the University of Copenhagen, vitamin B3 could improve the quality of life for people with COPD.

“In the study, we show that nicotinamide riboside, also known as vitamin B3, can reduce lung inflammation in COPD patients,” says Associate Professor Morten Scheibye-Knudsen, the study’s co-author.

“This is significant, because inflammation can lead to reduced lung function in these patients,” he says.

In this study, 40 patients with COPD received either a placebo or vitamin B3 in doses of 2 grams per day. Those taking vitamin B3 showed a significant decrease in interleukin 8 (IL-8), a marker indicating the presence of inflammation.

After just six weeks, the researchers observed a 53 percent drop in IL8 in those taking B3. This increased to 63 percent after another twelve weeks!

In other words, the group treated with vitamin B3 experienced reduced lung inflammation during the study.

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Getting more B3 in your diet

Prof. Scheibye-Knudsen cautions that larger studies are needed.

“Only through thorough research will we be able to offer the best and most effective treatment to people suffering from this difficult disease,” he says.

But there’s no harm in adding more B3 to your life now…

In fact, the researchers also found that COPD patients have lower levels of NAD, a coenzyme, in the blood, which is associated with accelerated ageing based on DNA methylation levels. Treatment with vitamin B3 resulted in higher NAD levels and showed signs of delaying cellular aging!

To most of us, vitamin B3 is known as niacin. Your body needs it for proper metabolism, nervous system function and antioxidant protection.

What’s more, it’s an essential nutrient. Your body can’t produce it, so you need to get it from your diet.

Fortunately, that’s not hard. There are plenty of niacin-rich foods, including:

• Liver
• Chicken
• Tuna
• Turkey
• Salmon
• Peanuts
• Avocado
• Brown rice
• Whole wheat
• Mushrooms
• Green peas

Cereals and juices are also fortified with niacin. Make sure to include these foods in your diet regularly.

Sources:

New study shows promising results for COPD treatment — Eureka Alert

Effect of nicotinamide riboside on airway inflammation in COPD a randomized placebo controlled trial — Nature Aging

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) — Cleveland Clinic16 foods that are high in niacin (B3) — Healthline

The post The vitamin treatment for COPD that delays cellular aging appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

From food to books and everything in between, you can learn a lot about your family, friends and even yourself by their answers.

It’s why just the other day, I asked myself that same question when it came to supplements. I take several, so if I could only choose one, the answer, for me, is really quite simple…

If I were stuck on a desert island, the supplement I could not do without would be an omega-3. Preferably krill oil (fish oil gives me fish burps), but I digress…

If you’re down to just one choice, you want the nutrient science has consistently demonstrated can fight all inflammatory and metabolic disorders.

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#1 – Inflammation

Doctors now consider inflammation to be “the root of disease.” The good news is that we already have omega-3s to yank out that root and preserve our health.

That’s because studies have shown that the unsaturated fatty acids in these omegas act to directly resolve inflammation. In addition to this direct action, they provide the additional bonus of competing with omega-6s (the kind found in refined oils) in your diet. This action inhibits the synthesis of pro-inflammatory prostaglandins and shifts the balance toward a more anti-inflammatory state.

#2 – Obesity

Obesity, while usually seen through the lens of weight alone, is actually an inflammatory condition that kicks off a multitude of other dangerous diseases. But omega-3s can once again come to the rescue with their potent anti- inflammatory and adipogenic effects that occur right inside the fat tissue itself.

It’s no wonder, then, that studies have found that even mice fed an obesogenic (obesity-inducing) diet benefit from reduced fat mass accumulation when taking omega-3s. To top it off, researchers also discovered that a higher proportion of omega-3s in red blood cell (RBC) membranes has been associated with a lowered fat mass index.

#3 – Heart Health

As with their effects on obesity, larger amounts of omega-3s in RBC membranes support heart health by reducing inflammatory markers and lowering triglycerides.

Numerous prospective and meta-analytic studies have concluded that supplementing with omega-3s in your daily diet substantially reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease by 15 to 25%.

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#4 – Blood Sugar

In addition to their anti-inflammatory properties, omega-3’s also have potent abilities in the fight against metabolic dysfunction, including blood sugar issues. In fact, research has revealed that these fatty acids improve insulin sensitivity by increasing adiponectin secretion, enhance glucose uptake through an increase in GLUT-4 content, and support pancreatic β-cell function, enhancing their insulin secretion capacities.

#5 – Liver Health

Fatty liver disease may also be no match for omega-3s. These fatty acids work to guard liver health by:

• Inhibiting the NF-κB pathway, leading to decreased transcription of pro-inflammatory cytokines and reduced liver inflammation
• Reducing neutrophil infiltration and enhancing the clearance of apoptotic cells to resolve liver inflammation
• Blocking NLRP3 inflammasome activation and the inflammation that comes with it and preventing the progression from simple steatosis (fat buildup) to steatohepatitis (with associated inflammation and liver damage)
• Inducing mitophagy of damaged liver mitochondria and reducing oxidative stress

A comprehensive cohort study even found that taking omega-3s regularly resulted in a 28% reduced risk of liver inflammatory disease, including alcoholic or non-alcoholic liver disease and liver failure.

#6 – Kidney Health

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is another downstream effect of obesity-mediated inflammation. Luckily, supplementation with omega-3s has been shown to increase the production of pro-resolving mediators, like RvE1 and RvD5, that result in an improvement in inflammatory markers and renal function.

Omega-3s also help improve renal hemodynamics and significantly reduce proteinuria in patients with CKD.

#7 – Autoimmunity

• Inflammatory bowel diseases – Omega-3s have been shown to reduce colitis-associated disease severity, colonic mRNA expression of inflammatory cytokines and macrophage infiltration of the tissue.
• Psoriasis – In psoriatic skin, omega-3s work to reduce inflammatory cell infiltration and skin thickening, with improvements in redness, scaling and itching.
• Rheumatic diseases – Omega-3s also provide powerful joint support by inhibiting IL-1β, one of the most active cytokines that leads to cartilage destruction and loss of collagen.
• Multiple sclerosis – Because omega-3s can cross the blood–brain barrier, they have been shown to directly impair neuroinflammatory processes. Research also shows they may decrease the activity and production of matrix metalloproteinase-9, which is implicated in blood–brain barrier breakdown in MS, while upregulating the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) to enhance neuronal survival and synaptic plasticity.

Research has even shown that supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids alone can reduce autoimmune disease rate by 15%.

Putting omega-3s to work for your health

Clearly, whether you end up marooned on a desert island or just want to stay healthy and keep inflammatory and metabolic disease at bay, omega-3s are a must-have in your diet.

So, what’s the best way to ensure you’re getting enough?

One solution is to adopt the Mediterranean diet. Not only is this diet packed with polyphenol-rich fruits, vegetables, and olive oil, but it is also rich in seafood, providing you with those essential omega-3s.

However, if you’re not able to reach the recommended two to three servings of fatty fish weekly, go easy on yourself and reach for a safe, sustainably sourced omega-3 supplement.

Sources:

Beneficial Effects of Omega-3 Fatty Acids on Obesity and Related Metabolic and Chronic Inflammatory Diseases — MDPI

How do Omega-3 and Vitamin D Play a Role in Autoimmune Disease? — Omegaquant

The post The ONE nutrient to fight inflammatory and metabolic disorders appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Yes, fiber keeps us regular. But it does SO much more than that! Fiber is an essential nutrient needed to prevent disease and dysfunction.

It’s well-known that eating the recommended amount of fiber supports heart health.

Why is that?

Science has finally found the answer…

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How fiber protects your heart

Fiber is good for heart health because it:

• Lowers blood pressure and the risk of hypertension.
• Helps manage cholesterol (especially soluble fiber found in fruits, grains, nuts and seeds.
• Promotes a healthy weight by helping you feel full longer.
• Improves the gut microbiome by feeding beneficial gut bacteria.
• Reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes, a condition often linked to an increased risk of heart disease.
• May reduce inflammation — studies have linked fiber intake to lower levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of inflammation associated with an increased risk of heart attacks.

But the ‘secret weapon’ behind all these health benefits is something called short-chain fatty acids — or SCFAs.

When the fiber you eat reaches your large intestine, it releases three types of short-chain fatty acids when broken down by gut microbes:

• Butyrate. A key energy source for cells lining the large intestine, butyrate is also linked to a reduced risk of colon cancer and may play a role in mitigating inflammation and supporting immune function.
• Propionate. Besides preventing constipation, propionate supports brain health and may protect against neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s.
• Acetate. Not to be confused with the plastic chemical found in products like paint and packaging, the presence or absence of the SCFA acetate affects gene expression, metabolic regulation and enzyme activity.

However, some people have a rare genetic mutation, which prevents them from reaping the benefits of SFCAs from fiber — regardless of how much they consume. That isn’t very reassuring for them, but it provided an opportunity to prove how SFCAs and fiber truly benefit the rest of us…

Research by Monash University, for the first time, compared the effects of fiber and SCFAs on a cohort of people with the rare gene mutation against outcomes for people without the mutation.

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Consistent with their hypothesis, the prevalence of hypertension was significantly higher in the gene mutation cohort, even when they consumed a diet rich in fiber, thus demonstrating the importance of SCFA signaling in cardiovascular protection.

The gene mutation occurs in less than 1% of people, which means that, for most of us, eating the recommended amount of dietary fiber can support heart health, lowering the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, or stroke by up to 20%, according to the researchers.

How much fiber does your heart need

Experts recommend that we get between 25 and 30 grams of fiber daily from food.

Currently, the average dietary fiber intake among adults in the United States is only about 15 grams per day. That’s about half the recommended amount.

So, how can you work more fiber into your diet?

Prioritize whole grains. Choose whole grains over refined versions. Oatmeal is also a great source of whole grains.

Increase fruit and veggie intake. Aim for at least five servings daily. Eat fruits and vegetables with skin whenever possible for maximum fiber.

Legumes. Add beans, lentils and chickpeas to stews, salads, and soups.

Snack smart. Choose high-fiber snacks like popcorn, nuts, seeds and fruit.

To avoid digestive discomfort, increase your fiber intake gradually and drink plenty of water throughout the day to help it move through your system.

If you’re looking for a diet recommendation, you might be excited to know that SCFAs are key mediators of the favorable health effects of the Mediterranean diet.

It’s also important to know that SFCAs are produced by gut bacteria through the fermentation of dietary fiber. Probiotics can ensure an army of microbes that are up to that task!

Sources:

Heart disease risk is reduced by up to 20% just from eating fiber — New Atlas

Rare pathogenic variants in G-protein-coupled receptor genes involved in gut-to-host communication are associated with cardiovascular disease risk — Cardiovascular Research

The post The protective ‘signal’ fiber sends your heart appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

And I’m not the only one who places them in this order. When AARP and National Geographic asked this question of 2,580 adults, ranging in age from 18 to 90 and older, they found that memory loss remained a top concern across all age groups.

Meanwhile, loss of strength and mobility weren’t significant concerns for younger respondents, but became top concerns for those aged 50 and older.

But here’s the thing… neither frailty nor dementia is part of normal aging. And if you intervene early enough, you could stop one from leading to the other and prevent them both…

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Frailty increases dementia risk

Frailty is not a normal part of aging. Although the risk of developing it increases with age, frailty is a geriatric condition characterized by an age-related decline in normal function.

It equates to loss of muscle, stamina, endurance, sometimes weight and general fitness. Low grip strength is considered a measure of frailty, and sarcopenia is a condition commonly associated with it. Frailty also makes it hard to recover from illness or injury.

As if all that’s not bad enough, previous research indicates that frailty can make you 2.5 times more likely to develop dementia. And in people who are both frail and are genetically predisposed to dementia, the risk of dementia is six times higher.

Queensland researchers have confirmed that link — but learned something no one had noticed before…

They tracked data on nearly 30,000 participants of four longitudinal studies in the United Kingdom and the United States. They were able to note changes in the participants’ health and function, including the accumulation of age-related conditions linked to frailty — two decades before they were diagnosed with dementia.

Their findings were sobering. Frailty was found to accelerate up to nine years before a dementia diagnosis. And with every four to five additional health problems, the risk for developing dementia was about 40 percent higher.

“This suggests frailty is not merely a consequence of undetected dementia but contributes to its onset,” says Dr. David Ward of the University of Queensland in Australia.

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Early intervention could be key: Start here

According to study co-author David Llewellyn, a professor at the University of Exeter Medical School in the United Kingdom, “This study is crucial because it identifies frailty as a significant predictor of dementia risk, offering a potential pathway for early intervention to improve health outcomes,” adding that the findings are likely to shape prevention strategies.

Looking at past research, there are a few strategies you could get started on right away…

One study found that people over the age of 90 who strength-trained, lifting weights twice a week for three months, experienced increases in muscle mass, strength, and power. Participants who were unable to stand up or get out of a chair at the start of the study were able to walk by the end.

Another study showed people following a Mediterranean diet slashed their risk of frailty by more than 50 percent over four years.

But don’t stop there…

An emerging theory suggests that inflammation and the possibility of immune system activation are contributors to frailty. Laboratory tests have linked markers of inflammation, including the elevation of interleukin (IL)-6 (a mediator of immune response and inflammation) and the stress hormone cortisol, to frailty.

Additionally, the hormonal changes that occur with age are also suspected causes of some of the problems associated with frailty. Estrogen loss in women and testosterone loss in men can lead to a decline in muscle mass associated with sarcopenia.

And lastly, don’t fall victim to vitamin D deficiency. A shortage of that nutrient has been linked to the development of frailty and higher dementia risk.

Make healthy aging a priority to avoid the consequences of frailty and dementia.

Sources:

Age related health decline a predictor of future dementia risk — EurekAlert!

The Biology of Aging and Frailty — Clinics in Geriatric Medicine

Frailty Trajectories Preceding Dementia in the US and UK — JAMA Neurology

Second Half of Life Study — AARP

Frailty: A New Predictor of Outcome as We Age — MUSC Health

The post It’s not normal aging: Dementia and a surprising driver appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

When functioning normally, it efficiently defends against harmful invaders, such as bacteria and viruses. However, there are instances when the immune system becomes overactive or misdirected, leading it to attack healthy tissues and organs.

This misguided attack can result in autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and multiple sclerosis (MS), among others.

Recent research has shed light on a fascinating connection between the brain and the immune system.

Scientists discovered that the brain and spinal cord produce special proteins known as “guardian peptides.” These peptides help regulate the immune response, ensuring that it remains balanced and does not harm the body’s own tissues.

This discovery opens up intriguing possibilities for treatment …

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‘Guardian’ peptides help manage the immune system

There’s a constant conversation between the brain and the immune system to ensure adequate defense against threats while protecting healthy tissue.

Researchers from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis studied this relationship in mice and made significant findings regarding how these guardian peptides interact with the immune system.

According to Dr. Jonathan Kipnis, one of the leading researchers, guardian brain peptides actively monitor the immune system. They help to prevent potentially destructive immune responses by providing signals about threats.

For instance, when an immune cell detects danger, it displays a small protein fragment from that danger on its surface. This fragment serves as a warning to T cells, which evaluate whether the threat is significant enough to warrant an immune attack.

However, guardian peptides come into play to help regulate this process, attracting a subset of T cells that serve to calm down the immune response and prevent it from turning against the body.

The researchers found that in healthy mice, these guardian peptides were abundant and effectively managed the immune responses. However, in mice with multiple sclerosis, these protective proteins were significantly diminished. When the researchers introduced the missing brain-derived peptides into the spinal fluid of mice with MS, something remarkable happened…

It led to an increase in a type of T cell that suppresses immune reactions, resulting in improved motor function and a slowdown in the progression of the disease compared to untreated mice.

This research highlights an important discovery…

“We have found guardian brain peptides that actively engage with the immune system to keep it in check, possibly preventing destructive immune responses,” said Dr. Kipnis.

More research may lead to identifying protein signatures of other neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases that could lead to early diagnosis and potential treatment.

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Support can start with a common denominator

These findings may also provide reason to acknowledge the communication between the brain and another body part linked with autoimmune and neuroinflammatory diseases…

You may have heard of the gut-brain axis, also referred to as the gut-brain-immune axis in the scientific community. The immune system represents a key pathway of communication along this axis with the microbiome implicated in neuroinflammation.

A healthy gut microbiome helps orchestrate this connection and is involved in the production of neurotransmitters and other chemicals, including neuropeptides, that influence the immune system.

An imbalance in the gut microbiome can disrupt communication along the gut-brain axis, leading to the increased neuroinflammation that contributes to MS, Parkinson’s and even Alzheimer’s.

An example came to light in a study that found lactobacillus reuteri triggered lupus in mice and stimulated immune cells to worsen the disease process.

The benefits of probiotics are transmitted via the gut-brain axis. A healthy and balanced gut could support the gut-brain axis and immune response.

Sources:

Healthy brains suppress inappropriate immune responses — EurekAlert!

Endogenous self-peptides guard immune privilege of the central nervous system — Nature

The enteric nervous system is a potential autoimmune target in multiple sclerosis — Acta Neuropathologica

The Role of Gut Microbiota in Neurodegenerative Diseases: Current Insights and Therapeutic Implications — Cureus

Microbiota and gut neuropeptides: a dual action of antimicrobial activity and neuroimmune response — Psychopharmacology

The gut microbiota-immune-brain axis: Therapeutic implications — Cell Reports Medicine

The post The ‘guardians’ that balance immune system response appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

That can leave families feeling pretty lost and overwhelmed. But here’s the good news: researchers are making strides in catching the early signs of Alzheimer’s.

A recent study even found a marker that could predict the disease up to 20 years before symptoms show up — and the best part? It’s something we can actively work on.

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Visceral Fat and Its Impact

One thing research has shown is that a diet high in saturated fats can lead to changes in the brain that resemble those seen in Alzheimer’s. This includes the buildup of beta-amyloid plaques and tau proteins, not to mention inflammation in the brain.

In a new study examining lifestyle factors like obesity and metabolic health, researchers assessed 80 cognitively healthy people in midlife, exploring how their body fat and overall health might relate to the disease. They found that about 57.5% of participants were obese, with an average BMI of 32.31, which is a pretty big concern.

Participants underwent brain PET scans, body MRIs, and various health assessments. Researchers focused specifically on visceral fat — that pesky fat that surrounds our organs — and how it impacts brain health.

What they discovered was pretty eye-opening. People with higher levels of visceral fat had more amyloid buildup, which accounted for an astonishing 77% of the effect attributed to high BMI. Dr. Mahsa Dolatshahi, the lead author of the study, pointed out that this is a big deal: “Our study showed that higher visceral fat was associated with higher levels of those two key proteins linked to Alzheimer’s disease.”

These findings, while a bit alarming, actually give us a chance to make positive changes. It highlights the importance of tackling obesity and related health issues to lower Alzheimer’s risk. Knowing that there’s something we can do can be really encouraging.

Results also showed an association between higher insulin resistance and lower HDL and high amyloid levels in the brain. Interestingly, the impact of visceral fat on amyloid was partially reduced in people with higher HDL levels (the good cholesterol).

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Cerebral Blood Flow Matters

In a follow-up study, the researchers took a closer look at how blood flow in the brain differed between people with high and low levels of visceral and subcutaneous fat.

They found that those with obesity and a lot of visceral fat had reduced blood flow in areas of the brain crucial for memory and processing sensory information.

That’s definitely something to be aware of, especially when combined with the fact that there were no major differences found among groups with varying levels of subcutaneous fat.

Both studies indicate lifestyle modifications aimed at reducing visceral fat could influence the development of Alzheimer’s disease by preventing or delaying its onset. And the earlier you begin, the better.

Changes that may save your brain

What all this means is that making lifestyle changes to reduce visceral fat could really help delay or even prevent Alzheimer’s down the line.

If you’re thinking about making some positive changes, consider swapping out processed foods and unhealthy trans fats for a Mediterranean-style diet that focuses on fish, lean meats, fruits, and veggies. Even something as simple as adding a daily avocado could help reduce visceral fat — plus, they’re delicious!

You might also want to incorporate foods that are rich in resveratrol, like berries and grapes. Resveratrol has shown a lot of potential in helping counteract some negative effects of high-fat diets, so it could be a great addition to your meals.

In a nutshell, understanding how visceral fat, obesity, and Alzheimer’s risk are connected can empower us to take charge of our brain health. It might feel a bit overwhelming at times, but with the right knowledge and support, we can make choices that help protect our minds for the future.

Source:

1. Hidden fat predicts Alzheimer’s 20 years ahead of symptoms — EurekAlert!

The post A hidden cause of Alzheimer’s that starts 20 years early appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

According to Alzheimer’s Disease International, someone develops dementia every three seconds.

Based on their projections, while there are currently more than 55 million people worldwide living with dementia, that number is expected to reach 78 million by 2030, and it will top 139 million in 2050.

Sadly, it often feels like the pharmaceutical companies are looking in the wrong places for cures. You might remember the drug lecanemab, which the FDA fast-tracked for treating early Alzheimer’s, was linked to stroke. A similar drug, aducanumab, was not without concern and was eventually discontinued.

Luckily, though, there’s news on the horizon that focuses on a known contributor to dementia…

Research published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society provides evidence that we might have everything we need to ward off the disease at our fingertips…

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The Alzheimer’s-inflammation connection

Several studies have found a link between Alzheimer’s dementia and high levels of inflammation in the body.

Research has even shown that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) medications may help protect against dementia due to their anti-inflammatory effects.

However, scientists have not been able to pinpoint whether the key to dementia prevention lies in an all-out push to reduce inflammation in the short term by taking high doses of anti-inflammatories or if focusing on long-term inflammation reduction is necessary.

So researchers at the Erasmus MC University Medical Center Rotterdam, in the Netherlands, set out to close that knowledge gap by following 11,745 adults for an average of 14.5 years.

Their conclusion?

“Our study provides evidence on possible preventive effects of anti-inflammatory medication against the dementia process,” said corresponding author M. Arfan Ikram, MSc, MD, PhD.

In fact, they found that long-term NSAID use was associated with a 12% reduced risk of developing dementia. On the other hand, short- and intermediate-term use offered no benefits.

Results also showed that the cumulative dose of NSAIDs was not associated with decreased dementia risk. In other words, high doses didn’t matter. What was important was sticking to a regimen of inflammation reduction.

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A ‘cure’ with significant risks

Before you call your doctor to ask for an NSAID prescription — or head out to the pharmacy to pick up an over-the-counter option, you should know one more thing.

These medications are linked to GI bleeds, acute kidney injuries and bronchospasm — a condition known as “aspirin-induced asthma” that is potentially fatal.

Studies have also found that NSAIDs increased heart attack risk by an astonishing 20 to 50 percent. And they can even drain your life force by attacking your mitochondria.

I’m not sure those risks are worth a 12% reduction in dementia risk when an anti-inflammatory diet can slash dementia risk by as much as 31% — according to research by the Aging Research Center at Karolinska Institute involving 9,000 participants followed for 14 years.

An anti-inflammatory diet focuses on whole, unprocessed foods, like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds and legumes. It emphasises healthy fats, like olive oil and omega-3s, found in fatty fish. It makes good use of naturally anti-inflammatory spices, including turmeric, ginger and cinnamon, and limits inflammatory foods like red meat, unhealthy fats and sugary drinks.

In addition, there are plenty of ways to lower inflammation without turning to potentially dangerous medications, including:

• Fasting – Scientists have found that restricting calories significantly raises the level of a lipid known as arachidonic acid. This molecule reduces the activity of the NLRP3 inflammasome, which in turn reduces inflammation.
• Stress reduction – By controlling stress, you reduce the production of a molecule called nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kB) in your body to block the formation of pro-inflammatory cytokines.

Editor’s Note: You’re invited to join a tiny handful of Americans who enjoy rare, fresh-pressed olive oil all year long. Take my word for it, there’s a difference in taste, quality and benefit! Try it for $1! Click here to learn more…

Sources:

Can long-term use of anti-inflammatory medications prevent dementia? – EurekAlert

Dementia Statistics – Alzheimer’s Disease International

Fasting’s inflammation-fighting trigger may work like aspirin – Easy Health Options

4 big ways NSAID pain relievers can hurt your body – Easy Health Options

Omega-3 Fatty Acids And Inflammation – You Are What You Eat! – NIH

The post Are anti-inflammatories the secret to dementia prevention? appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

With each serving comes a green blob of wasabi. I do NOT allow it to touch my sushi. I simply can’t tolerate the heat it gives off — especially what people refer to as “wasabi brain burn.”

If you know, you know… but I’m beginning to think about training myself to tolerate wasabi. It seems that it can do more than just spice up my sushi…

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How it works

A new study shows that wasabi can improve certain areas of cognition in people over the age of 60.

The key to this ability is the compound 6 methylsulfinyl hexyl isothiocyanate (6-MSITC), which has been previously linked to anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities shown to protect cells and slow cell damage.

In the present study, 72 healthy participants aged 60 to 80 took either 100mg of wasabi extract or a placebo before bed for a period of 12 weeks.

At the end of the experiment, those who had taken wasabi tablets showed significantly better performance in their episodic memory (recalling events from the past) and working memory (holding information temporarily) based on a series of cognitive tests.

Why does the green stuff improve memory?

While the study did not really look at the biological mechanisms behind the improvements, the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of 6-MSITC are thought to play a critical role.

These properties may help protect against brain damage and enhance neural functions in key areas of the brain like the hippocampus, which is vital for memory.

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Wasabi supplements and other ways to protect memory

So do you have to learn to endure the high-intensity, eye-popping heat you get from eating wasabi in order to protect your brain?

Absolutely not! There are already plenty of wasabi supplements on the market, which means it’s already well-known for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

You’d have to eat a LOT of wasabi to even come close to getting the benefits described here. And, unfortunately, in the US often what we’re served with our sushi is actually what’s known as “western wasabi” — or horseradish.

Of course, it can never hurt to get more anti-inflammatory and antioxidant-rich foods into your diet on a consistent basis.

And there are so many of them to choose from…

• Berries
• Broccoli
• Dark, leafy greens
• Nuts
• Whole grains
• Dark chocolate
• Beans

All of these foods and more are included in the MIND diet, which consists of foods with proven brain benefits.

If you’re at all concerned with protecting your memory as you get older and preventing dementia, what better way to get started on prevention right now?

Sources:

Wasabi Compound Enhances Memory — Neuroscience News

Benefits of Wasabi Supplements with 6-MSITC (6-Methylsulfinyl Hexyl Isothiocyanate) on Memory Functioning in Healthy Adults Aged 60 Years and Older: Evidence from a Double-Blinded Randomized Controlled Trial — Nutrients

Japanese Condiment, Wasabi, Boosts Memory — Healthnews

Anti-Oxidant and Anti-Hypercholesterolemic Activities of Wasabia japonica — Hindawi

The post This Japanese spice turns up the heat on brain power appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Even if its manufacture ends tomorrow, plastic waste can take anywhere from 20 to 500 years to decompose. As it does, it breaks down into tiny bits that make their way into our bodies.

That’s where we are today. We don’t feel or taste it in the food or water we consume, or in the personal care products that permeate our skin.

And we certainly don’t feel it coursing through our veins. But it’s there.

The truth is microplastics and even tinier nanoplastics have not only been building up in organs, like the brain, but are also turning up in blood clots. They are contributing to artery plaque and creating an environment ripe for heart attack and stroke…

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How much plastic is really in your arteries?

Dr. Ross Clark, a University of New Mexico medical researcher, presented findings of a study he led at a meeting of the American Heart Association. The study sought to connect the dots between microplastics, heart attacks, and stroke.

“There are some microplastics in normal, healthy arteries,” Clark says. “But the amount that’s there when they become diseased — and become diseased with symptoms — is really, really different.”

Previous research showed that people with microplastics in their arterial plaque were more likely to have a heart attack or stroke or die.

To find out why, Clark studied samples from 48 people’s carotid arteries, which channel blood to the brain. When fatty plaque builds up in these arteries, it can block blood flow and cause strokes or heart attacks.

By measuring the level of microplastics and nanoplastics present in the plaque from the samples, Clark and his team saw:

• In people who didn’t have symptoms, plaque buildup contained 16 times more plastic compared to the walls of healthy, plaque-free arteries.
• Even more terrifying, the plaque contained an astounding 51 times more plastic in people who had experienced stroke, mini-stroke or vision loss.

That’s not all the researchers found concerning…

Cells within the plaque that contained high levels of microplastics showed different gene activity than plaque with low amounts of plastic.  

One group of immune cells had switched off a gene associated with turning off inflammation. They also made changes to stem cells that normally help prevent heart attack and stroke by reducing inflammation and stabilizing plaque.

By influencing genes that regulate inflammation, the microplastics, in essence, promoted an environment ripe for heart attack and stroke.

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Reducing plastic and the sticky plaque it binds to

Clark notes there’s much more research needed to determine whether “microplastics are somehow altering… gene expression.”

“We just don’t know,” he says, “Almost all of what we know about microplastics in the human body, no matter where you look, can be summed up as: It’s there, and we need to study further as to what it’s doing, if anything.”

The hard part about microplastics is that they’re almost impossible to avoid. You can take steps to minimize your exposure such as ditching plastic water bottles and cups, plates, utensils or food storage containers made from plastic. Swap them out for glass, metal or ceramic products. Above all, avoid heating foods in plastic, making it easier for more microplastics to leach into the food or drink.

But that’s only going to help so much. I’m sure you notice that when you bring fresh meat or a head of lettuce home from the grocery store, it’s wrapped in plastic. So are your favorite frozen vegetables, pizzas and fish fillets.

That means, besides cutting down on plastic, you must work on keeping your arteries as plaque-free as possible. Plaque is made up of fatty substances, including cholesterol, and binds with calcium, fibrin and cellular waste. The less of it there is, the less there is for microplastics to stick to.

Two or more servings daily of Brassica or cruciferous vegetables can reduce the amount of sticky plaque buildup in your arteries. One study found that women who ate a lot of cruciferous vegetables had thinner artery walls than women who didn’t.

Cruciferous vegetables may also bind to some of the chemicals in microplastics and remove them from the body in a process called chelation. Green leafy vegetables are also a staple in anti-inflammatory diets.

Plastic is everywhere, but if you can at least cut down on your exposure and make lifestyle changes to reduce the buildup of artery plaque, you could stay ahead of it.

Sources:

Study Reveals a Shocking Amount of Plastic in The Arteries of Stroke Patients — Science Alert

Microplastic Removal from Drinking Water Using Point-of-Use Devices — Polymers

Study: Plastic Baby Bottles Shed Microplastics When Heated. Should You Be Worried? — NPR

The post Microplastics in your artery plaque may be the final straw appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

While many individuals are preoccupied with protein intake, a significant number are neglecting a vital nutrient — fiber.

Despite its essential role in maintaining overall health, fiber doesn’t receive nearly the attention it deserves.

The Truth About Fiber Intake

According to a comprehensive study on fiber intake, less than 5% of Americans meet the recommended daily intake for dietary fiber. That’s a 95% deficiency rate for a nutrient proven time and time again to reduce the risk of chronic disease.

As a point of contrast, the statistics are almost exactly flipped for protein:  more than 92% of women consume enough protein to meet their estimated average requirements, resulting in an 8% deficiency rate. Many of us consume more than double the protein we need!

The minimum recommended daily intake for fiber is 25 grams for women and 38 grams for men, but the average adult only gets about 15 to 16 grams per day. 

This shortfall, often referred to as the “fiber gap,” has significant health implications.

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Fiber Matters More Than You Think

Fiber is not just about keeping you regular. It’s a key regulator of metabolism, inflammation, appetite, and immune function, that facilitates superior  cardiometabolic outcomes, including:

• Lower all-cause mortality
• Reduced risk of cardiovascular disease
• Improved lipid profiles (lower total and LDL cholesterol)
• Better  blood pressure regulation
• Reduced incidence of type 2 diabetes
• Lower weight 

All from getting more fiber. Oh, and if that’s not enough, you also get decreased risk of colorectal and breast cancer!

The GLP-1 Connection: Fiber and Appetite Regulation

One of the most fascinating insights from current research is fiber’s impact on GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1), a hormone that helps regulate insulin secretion, blood sugar, and satiety.

When we eat fiber, particularly soluble and fermentable types found in foods like oats, flaxseeds, legumes, and berries, it feeds our gut bacteria. In return, these microbes produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) that trigger the release of GLP-1. This hormonal cascade slows digestion, curbs appetite, and helps prevent overeating.

This is why so many Step One customers report feeling fuller longer and experiencing fewer cravings. It’s all that whole-food fiber at work, activating a powerful metabolic feedback loop.

By the way, if “GLP-1” seems familiar, it’s because this is the hormone that is delivered by drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound.  And in case you’re wondering why we are injecting artificial GLP-1 into people in the setting of near universal fiber deficiency — instead of first making sure that fiber gap is closed so that GLP-1 levels can go up naturally — welcome to my indignation.

The Fiber Gap and Chronic Disease

Low fiber intake is a public health crisis. It’s directly linked to:

• Obesity and weight gain
• Elevated cholesterol levels
• Hypertension
• Insulin resistance
• Inflammation and oxidative stress

Is it any wonder our society is awash in heart disease, pre-diabetes and diabetes, obesity, and chronic pain? And why are we seeing more colorectal cancer in younger and younger people? While medications can address some of these issues, fiber works upstream, ultimately helping prevent these problems from occurring in the first place.

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Bridging the Gap with Step One Foods

This is exactly why I created Step One Foods. 

Two daily servings of our products deliver at least 10 grams of fiber, using only whole food ingredients like chia seeds, oats, and walnuts. These foods naturally provide the types of fiber (soluble, insoluble, and fermentable) that your body and microbiome need to function optimally.

If the average person is missing about 10 grams of fiber per day, two servings of Step One get you there, closing the fiber gap. All without supplements or drastic diet changes.

Our foods are also backed by clinical data. In a Mayo Clinic-led randomized controlled trial, participants who consumed Step One Foods twice daily saw rapid, significant reductions in LDL cholesterol, providing yet another proof point regarding the health-building properties of our foods.  

It’s Time to Focus on Fiber

We’ve spent decades worrying about fat, carbs, and most recently, protein. But if I could get every patient to focus on one nutrient starting today, it would be fiber.

The science is clear. The benefits are vast. And the solution is simple: eat more real, whole, plant-based foods.

And let Step One help. We’ve done the heavy lifting by creating delicious, clinically supported options that make meeting your fiber goals easy and enjoyable.

Your body will thank you. So will your heart.

The post Focus on protein? The fiber gap matters most appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Wouldn’t it be great if there were just one thing we could do (or take) that could grant us complete health and well-being?

The unfortunate truth is that no such “magic bullet” exists. But there is one thing that comes close… fermented foods.

Foods like yogurt, kefir, kimchi, miso and even coffee (yes, it’s fermented to a degree) have been linked to lower rates of diabetes and heart disease, as well as a reduced risk of depression, anxiety and obesity. They also help blood pressure, cholesterol, osteoporosis and digestion. They can even help fight the flu!

These benefits are unique to fermentation, which produces bioactive compounds, including friendly bacteria that help support our gut microbiome. In turn, the gut microbiome is linked to the health of many other body systems.

As this pathway to health has become known in wellness circles, there has been a trend toward fermented health foods. But there’s an old-fashioned, fermented “condiment” that can be just as good for your gut…

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Sauerkraut benefits support intestinal cells

A team of researchers from the University of California, Davis, examined how the metabolites in sauerkraut — a popular American hot dog topping — compared with those in the raw cabbage it’s made from.

They compared raw cabbage, sauerkraut and the liquid brine left behind from the fermentation process to see whether sauerkraut’s nutrients could help protect intestinal cells from damage related to inflammation, that can disrupt the intestinal barrier.

The results showed that sauerkraut helped maintain intestinal cell integrity, while raw cabbage and brine did not. The researchers noted that they found no noticeable difference between store-bought sauerkraut and the “homemade” version they produced in the lab.

“Some of the metabolites we find in the sauerkraut are the same kind of metabolites we’re finding to be made by the gut microbiome, so that gives us a little more confidence that this connection we found between the metabolites in sauerkraut and good gut health makes sense,” says study author Maria Marco, a UC Davis professor. “It doesn’t matter, in a way, if we make sauerkraut at home or we buy it from the store; both kinds of sauerkraut seemed to protect gut function.”

When performing a chemical analysis, the researchers discovered fermentation changes the nutritional profile of the cabbage, increasing beneficial metabolites such as lactic acid, amino acids and plant-based chemicals linked to gut health. These changes help explain why fermented foods are connected with digestive benefits.

The findings also revealed that intestinal barrier-protective compounds are consistently enriched during cabbage fermentations, irrespective of the scale or microbial additions.

“Along with eating more fiber and fresh fruits and vegetables, even if we have just a regular serving of sauerkraut, maybe putting these things more into our diet, we’ll find that can help us in the long run against inflammation, for example, and make our digestive tract more resilient when we have a disturbance,” Marco says.

Marco says she and fellow author Lei Wei, a postdoctoral researcher in her lab, identified hundreds of different metabolites produced during sauerkraut fermentation. They are now working to determine which ones play the most significant role in supporting gut health in the long term.

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How to add sauerkraut to a healthy diet

According to Marco, the researchers’ next step is to conduct human trials to see if the protective metabolites found in sauerkraut can have the same positive effects shown in the lab when included in everyday diets.

“A little bit of sauerkraut could go a long way,” she said. “We should be thinking about including these fermented foods in our regular diets and not just as a side on our hot dogs.”

Hot dogs, sausages and Reuben sandwiches are all made with processed and red meats, which are strictly verboten for a healthy diet.

It’s also important to know that not all store-bought sauerkraut is created equal. Canned or shelf-stable brands have been heat pasteurized and may contain additives. Pasteurization can kill the probiotics. So look for store-bought saurkraut in the refrigerated section. Making it at home is also pretty easy and recommended.

So, what’s the best way to add sauerkraut to your diet? You can put a scoop on the side of pretty much any meal, but if you really want to jazz things up, try the following:

• Top your morning eggs with sauerkraut
• Add it to your breakfast or lunch burrito
• Mix it with a smashed avocado to create a dip
• Blend it with hummus as a substitute for the acidity of lemon juice
• Chop it into your salsa
• Sprinkle it over a salad
• Combine it with tuna or chicken salad for a tasty sandwich
• Add it to your grilled cheese sandwich on whole-grain bread

Sources:

The gut health benefits of sauerkraut — EurekAlert!

The fermented cabbage metabolome and its protection against cytokine-induced intestinal barrier disruption of Caco-2 monolayers — Applied and Environmental Microbiology

20 Ways To Eat Sauerkraut — Fermented Food Lab

The post The fermented, gut-loving benefits of sauerkraut appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

I’ve read article after article talking about the connection between the health of my mouth and the health of other parts of my body. As weird as it may seem, fending off gum disease can have a direct impact on your heart, lungs and brain — and that’s just the start.

Now it looks like we can add another organ to that ever-growing list…

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The road from your mouth to your liver

Gum disease, also known as periodontitis, is a widespread chronic inflammatory condition caused by bacterial infections in the gum tissue of the mouth. Its severity tends to increase with age, smoking, alcohol use and poor dental care.

Not only can it wreck your dental health, leading to bleeding gums, bad breath and tooth loss — but it’s also linked to several other severe conditions, like heart disease, diabetes, dementia and maybe even cancer.

People with liver disease are already at higher risk for these dangerous conditions. So, for them, getting gum disease compounds those threats. But it gets worse…

An international team of researchers discovered multiple ways that periodontitis may directly aggravate liver disease — starting with the “oral-gut-liver axis”…

The bacteria that cause periodontitis can be swallowed or enter the bloodstream during activities like chewing or brushing and make their way to the gut. Once there, they can cause dysbiosis, an imbalance between good and bad microbes, and leaky gut, a condition that makes the gut lining permeable. Endotoxins — byproducts produced by bacteria — can then easily make their way to the liver, triggering inflammation and causing the type of damage that leads to liver fibrosis.

Previous studies have shown that bacteria such as the one that causes bad breath and gingivitis can exacerbate inflammation and a buildup of fat in the livers of mice with pre-existing metabolic diseases. These microbes or their byproducts have even been found in liver tissue, suggesting that movement from the mouth to the liver is not uncommon.

Next, the immune system gets involved: Chronic periodontal inflammation leads to the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-alpha and IL-6, which have been long associated with the progression of liver disease. In addition, the review highlights Th17 cells, a type of immune cell activated by oral pathogens that may travel to the liver and worsen metabolic dysfunction.

The bottom line: These pathways form a terrible merry-go-round of liver disease-impairing oral health and inflammation that drives liver damage.

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Human studies reinforce the connection

Data from human studies support this association. Patients with cirrhosis consistently demonstrate worse oral health than the general population, with higher rates of gingival overgrowth, tooth loss and bone loss. In fact, the prevalence of periodontitis among patients awaiting liver transplants can be as high as 72 percent!

Other studies have found links between severe periodontal disease and increased death risk in cirrhosis patients — and that people with advanced periodontitis are much more likely to have metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), the most common form of chronic liver disease. This was true even after adjusting for risk factors like obesity and diabetes.

One small trial showed that periodontal treatment led to a short-term improvement in liver enzyme levels, indicating that oral health interventions may influence liver function.

The review authors caution that this research is still in the early days. However, the review calls for better collaboration between specialists who manage liver disease and dental professionals who manage oral healthcare.

In the meantime, it’s clear that oral hygiene is paramount, especially for those with chronic liver conditions, as well as twice-yearly dental visits. Take note of any changes to alert your dentist to — like persistent bad breath and red, swollen, tender or bleeding gums.

A dental probiotic can boost the oral microbiome. You’ll want the dental probiotic to be in a form that allows it to stay in the mouth for enough time to be absorbed by the microbiome. Some good delivery forms are lozenges, drinks, mouth rinses or chewable tablets.

If you have liver trouble, ask your doctor about supplements. Omega-3s have been shown to support liver health and guard against gum disease.

Sources:

Bad breath, bad news: how gum disease could worsen liver conditions — EurekAlert!

Periodontal disease and cirrhosis: current concepts and future prospects — eGastroenterology

The post Why bad breath is a red flag for liver trouble appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

That’s the mantra we’ve heard since childhood, and the advice most of us follow when it comes to our oral health. But something is missing in that advice.

That’s because if you’re not also cleaning your tongue, you’re not getting rid of smelly bacteria that still produce bad breath. But there’s another significant reason to make a clean tongue a habit…

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Your tongue: a window to your health

When your doctor asks you to stick out your tongue and say “ahhh,” there’s plenty he can see beyond signs of a sore throat, issues with tonsils, drainage or infection.

They’re also looking at your tongue itself, which can offer insight into your overall health, including nutritional deficiencies, oral cancer or underlying conditions that the color and surface of your tongue can reveal.

Your doctor also looks closely at the direction of your tongue when you stick it out. They’re looking for deviations to one side, which can signal a brain lesion, stroke or carotid dissection.

What does that stuff on your tongue indicate?

Luckily, cleaning your tongue is an easy way to do a quick health assessment and sweep away the plaque and microbes that can lead to bad breath.

Be sure to note any changes in how it looks or feels so you can talk to your doctor as needed.

Some signs you might see include:

• White coating – A white coating is standard and usually not something to worry about. This change generally occurs if you’ve skipped out on your regular oral health routine due to plaque buildup, food debris and microbes. It’s your body telling you to get back to brushing!
• Yellow coating – If you see a yellow coating on your tongue, it could be time to see your doctor since this color indicates a fungal infection, such as oral thrush, which is common among older people and diabetics. It can also develop due to antibiotic use, which kills off the good bacteria in your oral microbiome.

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• Red tongue plus yellow coating – Research has even shown that your tongue can reveal heart failure. Normal tongues are pale red with a pale white coating. Heart failure patients have a redder tongue with a yellow coating, and the appearance changes as the disease progresses.
• Black coating – A black, hairy-looking tongue is often due to a combination of poor oral hygiene and smoking, drinking lots of coffee or tea or taking certain medications. Most of the time, you can get rid of this coating by simply improving your oral hygiene at home. However, in some cases, the coating can result from an overgrowth of bacteria or fungi, which requires antibiotics or antifungal medications.
• Pink patches – Patches that are smooth and red, often with slightly raised borders, that make your tongue look like a map are called geographic tongue. It’s an inflammatory but generally harmless condition.
• White or red patches – On the other hand, if you have patches that are either white or red, which cannot be scraped off, have been there a long time or have grown, be sure to see your doctor or dentist, since these could be a sign of cancer.

Other issues to note include dry mouth, which can be caused by certain medications, including antihistamines, antidepressants, muscle relaxants and more.

And be aware of any pain or inflammation, since a sore, red tongue could be due to a lack of vitamin B12 or folic acid, ulcers or injuries.

Cleaning your tongue each time your brush your teeth gives you the chance to proactively get ahead of health conditions you may need to alert your doctor about.

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How to clean your tongue

To clean your tongue, you can either use a plastic or metal tongue scraper or gently scrub your tongue with a regular toothbrush.

For the freshest breath, you’ll probably want to choose a tongue scraper. Research that assessed two separate studies found that they are more effective than toothbrushes in reducing the volatile sulfur compounds that cause breath odors.

To use a tongue scraper:

1. Stick out your tongue.
2. Place the scraper at the back of your tongue and slowly pull forward, applying gentle pressure.
3. Spit out excess saliva and rinse your mouth and tongue scraper with warm water.
4. Repeat two to three times.

A healthy tongue after cleaning should be dark pink. If it’s not, bring it up to your dentist or doctor.

Sources:

Yes, you do need to clean your tongue. Here’s how and why — StudyFinds

Black Hairy Tongue — Cleveland Clinic

Geographic Tongue — Mayo Clinic

The post Need an excuse to clean your tongue? Try these alarming conditions appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

However, once you have Alzheimer’s, there’s precious little you can do to stop the damage it does to your brain.

Researchers are working feverishly to change that dynamic…

One such team of California-based researchers has hit upon a natural compound found in two common herbs that could transform the Alzheimer’s treatment field…

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Rosemary, sage and Alzheimer’s relief

Past research has linked rosemary and sage oils with improved memory. In one study, researchers put subjects in a room with an essential oil diffuser containing rosemary oil. These participants were better able to remember events and more likely to remember to complete future tasks.

These herbs both contain antioxidants with anti-inflammatory effects, but it hasn’t been clear exactly which properties in the herbs were responsible for impacting memory — until now.

A team from the Scripps Research Institute analyzed rosemary and sage and isolated a compound known as carnosic acid found in both.

Then, they used that compound to create a drug, diAcCA, that they administered to mice bred to develop Alzheimer’s-like symptoms, including memory loss and brain damage, by the time they’re about five months old.

Once the mice reached the five-month-old mark, the researchers gave them either diAcCA or plain olive oil three times a week for three months. They tried 10-, 20- or 50-milligram doses to see which worked best.

After three months, the scientists ran cognitive tests on the mice. One test involved a water maze where the mice swam in a pool to find a hidden platform they could stand on. Healthy mice improved their ability to locate the platform over time, but the Alzheimer’s mice struggled with this task.

Another memory test involved inducing fear so that mice learn to freeze when they hear a sound linked to a mild shock.

To say the results were astounding is putting it mildly…

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In the water maze test, mice given diAcCA, especially at higher doses, swam to the platform faster and spent more time where it used to be, showing they remembered its location better than the untreated Alzheimer’s mice. They also froze more often in the fear test, proving their memory was better.

Their brains looked healthier as well and exhibited more brain connections…

“By combating inflammation and oxidative stress with this diAcCA compound, we actually increased the number of synapses in the brain,” says senior author and professor Stuart Lipton, MD, PhD, the Step Family Foundation Endowed Chair at Scripps Research and a clinical neurologist in La Jolla, California.

“We also took down other misfolded or aggregated proteins such as phosphorylated-tau and amyloid-β [plaques], which are thought to trigger Alzheimer’s disease and serve as biomarkers of the disease process.”

Towards reversing Alzheimer’s

Even better? Lipton said, “…it didn’t just slow down the decline; it improved virtually back to normal.”

Until now, it’s been tough to use carnosic acid as a drug or supplement in its pure form. But the Scripps team’s derivative of carnosic acid proved capable of reaching the gut before breaking down, so it could be absorbed into the bloodstream.

In fact, the mice in the study absorbed 20 percent more carnosic acid through diAcCA than they would have from ingesting pure carnosic acid. This allowed more of the compound to pass through the blood-brain barrier.

Another interesting property of diAcCA is that it’s only activated by the inflammation it’s trying to fight. This means its activity will be limited only to those areas of the brain suffering from inflammation, limiting any possible side effects involving damage to healthy tissue.

The researchers believe not only will diAcCA potentially save lives, it shouldn’t cause any major side effects. Moreover, since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration already considers carnosic acid a “safe” substance, it likely will fast-track any new treatment based on the compound, getting it to Alzheimer’s patients more quickly.

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In addition, diAcCA could help existing Alzheimer’s treatments work better by eliminating the additional brain inflammation that usually blunts their effectiveness.

It could be years before any treatments come out of this research, given that the drug still needs to be tested in humans. In the meantime, adding more rosemary and sage to your cooking certainly couldn’t hurt if you’re looking to slash your Alzheimer’s odds.

You can even get both herbs in the form of tea to increase the amount you ingest. Given how strong the scent of rosemary tends to be, you would think the tea would be just as pungent. But I found it to be quite gentle on both my taste buds and my stomach. Look for it in the tea aisle at your local grocery store or online.

Some people do need to practice caution in regard to increasing consumption of rosemary, according to Web MD, for the following reasons:

Aspirin allergy. Rosemary contains a chemical that is very similar to aspirin, which could cause a reaction in people who are allergic to aspirin.

Bleeding disorders: Rosemary might increase the risk of bleeding and bruising in people with bleeding disorders. Caution is advised.

Seizure disorders: Rosemary might make seizure disorders worse. Don’t use more than amounts found in foods.

Sources:

Compound found in common herbs inspires potential anti-inflammatory drug for Alzheimer’s disease — Scripps Research

Ingredient hidden in your spice rack could reverse Alzheimer’s disease — Daily Mail

diAcCA, a Pro-Drug for Carnosic Acid That Activates the Nrf2 Transcriptional Pathway, Shows Efficacy in the 5xFAD Transgenic Mouse Model of Alzheimer’s Disease — Antioxidants

Preventing or Slowing Down Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia — HelpGuide.org

What are the Causes and Risk Factors of Alzheimer’s and Other Dementias? — Alzheimer’s Association

The post The herbal compound that could reverse Alzheimer’s appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

It exposes our bodies to hormone-disrupting heavy metals, including arsenic and lead. It can raise the risk of certain cancers, like non-Hodgkin lymphoma — by 41 percent. Its harm can even be passed down to future generations, including our kids and grandkids.

But it seems those worries were just the tip of the iceberg…

Research is now revealing that not only can the poison cross the blood-brain barrier, but glyphosate exposure can lead to neuroinflammation, anxiety, accelerated Alzheimer’s disease-like pathology, and even premature death.

Even worse, the study warns that the presence and impact of glyphosate’s byproducts in the brain last long after exposure ends, posing harm to the brain.

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Three serious glyphosate warnings

In a groundbreaking study, Arizona State University researcher Ramon Velazquez and his colleagues at the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), part of City of Hope, revealed for the first time that even brief contact with glyphosate can cause persistent and lasting damage.

Their experiments exposed mice to glyphosate for over 13 weeks, followed by a six-month recovery period, to determine whether or not a brain can heal from exposure to the so-called “safe” herbicide.

The researchers even tried to make the test as fair as possible, trying out two levels of glyphosate exposure. The first was a high dose used in earlier research that concluded glyphosate was dangerous, and the second was a low dose similar to the limit the EPA says is acceptable in humans.

So, how did the glyphosate rate on the safety scale?

Here’s what the scientists say happened:

#1 – Lasting brain inflammation

Exposure to the poison increased inflammatory markers in the brain and blood that remained even after six months with no further contact with glyphosate. This is especially concerning since the scientists say that this brain inflammation could drive the progression of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.

#2 – Byproduct accumulation

The results also showed that the main byproduct of glyphosate in the body, aminomethylphosphonic acid, built up in the brain tissue of the mice exposed to the herbicide. This occurred in mice with previously healthy brains and mice with a genetic predisposition to Alzheimer’s.

#3 – Anxiety and death

Finally, the scientists say that glyphosate exposure in mice even resulted in premature death and anxiety-like behaviors. Seems like it’s the gift no one ever wanted that just keeps on giving.

Tests of randomly selected foods have found that about 96 percent of domestic food samples and 90 percent of imported samples have pesticide residues below the levels the E.P.A. considers safe.

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Dangers persist at low levels of exposure

What may be even more concerning is that it didn’t take a high level of exposure for these dangers to take effect.

The research determined that even the lower, ‘safer’ dose resulted in harmful effects in the brains of mice, even after exposure ceased for months.

“Our work contributes to the growing literature highlighting the brain’s vulnerability to glyphosate,” says researcher Ramon Velazquez. “Given the increasing incidence of cognitive decline in the aging population, particularly in rural communities where exposure to glyphosate is more common due to large-scale farming, there is an urgent need for more basic research on the effects of this herbicide.”

So, just say no to using glyphosate on your yard and ask your friends and neighbors to do the same. If you frequent parks and golf courses, be aware that those are places of exposure, too.

Tests of randomly selected foods have found that about 96 percent of domestic food samples and 90 percent of imported samples have pesticide residues below the levels the E.P.A. considers safe.

I highly recommend buying only organic fruits, vegetables and grains. One study found that opting for organic foods could lower glyphosate levels by 70% in as little as a week and significantly lower the levels of a handful of other pesticides.

Certain supplements can also help with detox. N-acetylcysteine (NAC) helps remove heavy metals and herbicides and supports the liver, your body’s primary detox organ.

Sources:

Glyphosate triggers generational toxicology that could harm your family line — Easy Health Options

Alarming: Common Herbicide Linked to Lasting Brain Damage — SciTechDaily

Is Glyphosate in the Food Supply Harming Your Health? — The New York Times

The post The longlasting harm of brief glyphosate exposure appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

If you recognize the signs early enough, insulin resistance can be halted before you get labeled with a chronic disease. It usually precedes the onset of type 2 diabetes by 10 to 15 years, which is plenty of time to reverse that trajectory.

But that’s not your only risk. Insulin resistance is also linked to obesity, cardiovascular disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), metabolic syndrome and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

Lifestyle modification is key to improving insulin resistance, with diet being a common starting point. But recent research indicates one food may be especially beneficial at controlling this modern-day scourge…

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Mangoes mangle insulin resistance

Researchers at the Illinois Institute of Technology studied 48 adults ages 20 to 60 to determine how eating fresh mangoes compared to a calorie-matched portion of Italian ice affected inflammation and insulin sensitivity in overweight and obese adults with chronic low-grade inflammation.

According to Wikipedia, Italian ice is a semi-frozen treat made of finely granulated ice and fruit concentrates, juices or purees. Sounds healthy enough, right?

One group of participants ate two cups of fresh mango, or about 100 calories worth, daily. In contrast, the other group ate 100 calories of Italian ice.

Beyond the mangoes or Italian ices, participants were instructed to follow their regular diet and lifestyle. Study tests and food pick-up occurred five times throughout the four-week study, and compliance was monitored through participants’ three-day food records.

What happened next was astonishing…

The participants who ate mangoes experienced significant reductions in HOMA-IR-measured insulin resistance. Not only that, they showed a substantial improvement in beta-cell function, the ability of the pancreas to produce and release insulin to manage normal glucose concentrations. Beta-cell function was measured using the disposition index (DI), a marker of how effectively the body regulates blood sugar levels.

After four weeks, the mango group also had significantly lower insulin concentrations in response to an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) compared to their levels at the beginning of the study. No changes were observed in the control group.

“Managing blood glucose isn’t just about monitoring blood sugar levels — it’s about improving insulin sensitivity,” says Dr. Indika Edirisinghe, a professor at the Illinois Institute of Technology.

“Our study suggests that adding fresh mangos to the diet can be a simple, enjoyable way for people who are overweight or have obesity to support better insulin function and reduce type 2 diabetes risk.”

Interestingly, despite eating foods with the same amount of calories, body composition remained stable in the mango group, while the control group experienced a slight but significant weight increase. The findings also show markers of inflammation and glucose levels weren’t significantly different between the two groups at the end of the study. This indicates that mangoes are a heart-healthy swap for calorically comparable sweet treats.

“The improvement in insulin sensitivity in the mango group, without changes in body weight, is noteworthy — which counters misconceptions about mangoes’ natural sugar content and impact on obesity and diabetes,” Edirisinghe says.

“These findings support previous research showing that eating mango does not lead to weight gain, and while the exact mechanism is still unknown, the role of improved antioxidant status from mango consumption may be the mediating factor on blood glucose control.”

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Enjoying mangoes and good health

The results of this study further reinforce the importance of fresh fruit, particularly mangoes, as part of a heart-healthy lifestyle that supports blood sugar control, weight management and overall wellness.

Previous research has delved into the differences between consuming sugars in whole fruit versus fruit juices, which is ultimately the comparison this study made by pitting Italian ice against mangoes.

In one such study, the researchers stated, “As well as being high in vitamins and minerals, fruits are a great source of phytochemicals which may increase insulin sensitivity, and fiber which helps regulate the release of sugar into the blood and also helps people feel fuller for longer.”

Additionally, most fruits typically have a low glycemic index, meaning the fruit’s sugar is digested and absorbed into the body slower.

If you want to swap out mangoes for less healthy sweet treats, the first step is to learn to tell when a mango is ripe. Here are some tips from Mango.org:

• Don’t focus on color. Because mango varieties come in several colors, shapes and sizes, color is not the best indicator of ripeness.
• A ripe mango will give slightly when you squeeze it gently. A medium-ripe mango will be somewhat firm, and an unripe mango will be very firm to the touch. You can enjoy unripe mangoes, but their flavor will be more sour-tart than sweet.
• Sometimes, you can tell a mango is ripe by smelling the stem. If there’s a fruity aroma, your mango is ready to enjoy.

Cutting up mangoes can be tricky. Follow this tutorial here for tips to make it easy. Enjoy your mango as-is or mix them in a fruit salad, smoothie or yogurt. They also make a delicious addition to fish or chicken dishes.

Sources:

New study: Eating mangos daily shown to improve insulin sensitivity and blood glucose control — EurekAlert!

Mango Consumption Is Associated with Increased Insulin Sensitivity in Participants with Overweight/Obesity and Chronic Low-Grade Inflammation — Nutrients

How To Choose A Mango — Mango.org

The post The fruity swap that beats back insulin resistance appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

You can be feeling good, but suddenly, your symptoms flare up. Maybe you experience abdominal pain. But what if you know diarrhea is next?

There are times when this can be more than just inconvenient.

What if there were a way to predict your next flare-up so you don’t find yourself in that situation?

That’s the promise of a study by researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, who found that wearable devices may help sound the warning on IBD flares up to seven weeks in advance.

Getting ahead of uncomfortable situations and IBD flares

The researchers followed over 300 adults with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, who were equipped with wearable devices – including Apple Watch, Fitbit or the Oura Ring.

The devices certainly proved their value far beyond counting steps!

By measuring signals in the body associated with an imminent flare, the devices helped predict an IBD flare 7 weeks out. These signs included:

• Longitudinal heart rate (or changes in heart rate over time)
• Resting heart rate (the number of times your heart beats per minute at rest)
• Heart rate variability (the variation in time between  each of your heartbeats) or regularity
• Number of steps  (an indication of the amount of daily physical activity)
• Oxygenation (also known as pulse ox, which indicates how much oxygen the hemoglobin in your blood is carrying)

According to Rudolph Bedford, MD, a board-certified gastroenterologist, these findings provide hope for IBD control, since up to this point, there has been no way to predict symptom flare-ups, unless you just so happened to get a stool or blood test right before one occurred.

But by leveraging these easy-to-use devices, “(IBD patients) may be able to make some changes in what they’re doing before that occurs, whether that’s an adjustment of medication or an adjustment of diet.”

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Improvements for the long haul

Knowing when your next flare could occur could certainly help keep you from ending up in an uncomfortable situation. But let’s take it further…

Inflammation is a hallmark of irritable bowel disease. That means learning to lessen its grip could be a better tool for managing flares and improving your health over the long haul.

Following the autoimmune disease protocol (AIP), a diet focusing on foods that help tamp down inflammation, is a good place to start.

Begin with a six-week elimination phase, removing grains, legumes, nightshades, dairy, eggs, coffee, alcohol, nuts and seeds, refined sugars, oils and food additives from your diet. These foods are considered triggers for intestinal inflammation, microbiome imbalances and food intolerances.

In addition to avoiding these gut-irritating foods, choose more gut-supporting foods like fresh, nutrient-dense foods, bone broth and fermented foods.

After the elimination phase, you can add back foods one at a time to determine which ones adversely affect your

Finally, I recommend taking a krill oil supplement daily to provide your gut with the omega-3s it needs to douse inflammation without the stomach upset that comes with fish oil.

Research has demonstrated that higher levels of essential fatty acids can help guard against chronic or uncontrolled inflammation through two important mechanisms.

• First, high levels of omega-3s in cell membranes trigger the release of an elevated level of omega-3-derived metabolites. This helps switch off the inflammatory response and switch on the body’s natural healing powers.
• Second, these fatty acids positively influence the types and amounts of microorganisms that live in the gut, called the gut microbiota.

It’s a one-two punch to help knock out symptoms and avoid flares.

Sources:

Wearable devices like Fitbit can predict IBD flares 7 weeks in advance — Medical News Today

How can you tell if your IBD is getting worse? — UchicagoMedicine

Omega-3 Fatty Acids And Inflammation — You Are What You Eat! – NIH

The post Wearable devices help predict IBD flare-ups appeared first on Easy Health Options®.