That’s because not only is it challenging to treat, but also the fact that chemotherapy and targeted therapies can often only be used to control symptoms and slow the cancer progression, rather than cure it.

Unfortunately, rates of liver and bile duct cancer have skyrocketed in recent years, with one in 125 men and women expected to be diagnosed with hepatocellular cancer over the course of their lives.

Luckily, researchers at the University of Delaware may have just made a breakthrough in liver cancer care, using a molecule found in a tropical fruit that could provide a low-cost, powerful treatment.

Here are the details…

Pioneering new cancer treatment pathways

Guava may be tropical, but chances are you can find it in a local grocery store. It’s sweet or tangy, depending on ripeness, and even the seeds are edible.

But its real claim to fame is its anticancer potential…

In 2010 and 2013, studies found that guava extracts helped reduce tumor size in prostate cancer. In 2022, a study identified guava leaf extract as a potential candidate for liver cancer therapy.

But extracting enough of guava’s cancer-fighting molecules to mass-produce a treatment is no easy task.

“The majority of clinically approved medicines are either made from a natural product or are based on one,” explains associate professor William Chain, associate professor in the University of Delaware’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. “But there aren’t enough natural resources to make enough treatments.”

So, he and his team found a workaround that opens the door to more effective — and cheaper — treatments for liver cancer.

Using a process called natural product total synthesis, they have developed a pathway that utilizes widely available chemicals to synthesize the cancer-fighting molecules found in guava.

“Now chemists will be able to take our manuscripts and basically follow our ‘recipe’ and they can make it themselves,” Chain said.

And now, not only can guava molecules be synthesized to improve liver cancer treatment, the team is also working with the National Cancer Institute to pit the molecule against other types of cancers.

Guava’s secret: Powerful nutrition

When a food comes to the forefront in the fight against cancer, you can delve into its nutritional content and uncover chemopreventive clues as to why…

The leaves of the guava fruit contain potent polyphenols that exhibit strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The seed, fruit and leaves are also rich in vitamins, folic acid, fiber, carotenoids and fatty acids.

Known cancer-fighting nutrients found in guava include:

• Vitamin C — a potent antioxidant that acts upon free radicals and helps in body detoxification.
• Apigenin — reported to inhibit the cell proliferation of various cancer lines.
• Lycopene — a free radical scavenger, it also acts as an anti-proliferative, anti-metastatic and apoptotic agent. Guava contains more lycopene than watermelon.
• And Kaempferol, which possesses potential anti-carcinogenic and anti-proliferative properties.

Guava has been used medicinally in countries such as India, Malaysia and China. In those countries, it’s not uncommon to boil the leaves to create a liquid extract, also called a decoction. However, it may cause stomach upset and temporary pain and shouldn’t be taken in large quantities.

Eating a guava a day, even a few slices in yogurt or a smoothie, may be more enjoyable.

Sources:

Guava’s secret molecule could fight liver cancer – ScienceDaily

Antitumor effect of guava leaves extract on Ehrlich Ascites carcinoma in mice in vitro and in vivo — Biochemistry Letters

Guava: A potent anticancer fruit—ADMAC Oncology

Liver Cancer – Cleveland Clinic

The post Guava’s secret liver cancer-fighting molecule appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

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

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

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The power of blended antioxidants

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

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

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

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

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

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

The right foods for antioxidants

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

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

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

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

Sources:

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

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

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

Glutamine — Mount Sinai

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

But investigators have found that theory was wrong.

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

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The education of T cells

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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The care and feeding of this important gland

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

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

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

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

Sources:

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

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

What is the thymus gland? — Medical News Today

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

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

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

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The nitty-gritty on pickle nutrition

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

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

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

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

And that’s just in one pickle!

How pickles support your health

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

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

#1 – Better gut health and improved digestion

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

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

#2 – Disease-fighting power

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

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

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

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

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#3 – Blood sugar health

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

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

#4 – Muscle relief

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

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

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

#5 – Cell health and protection

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

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

 These include breast, lung and pancreatic cancers.

#6 – A slimmer you

Pickles could even offer help with weight loss.

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

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

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

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Pickles as part of a healthy diet

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sources:

What Pickles Can Do for Your Health — WebMD

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

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

Health Benefits of Beta Carotene — WebMD

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

Consuming too much salt (or not enough, surprisingly) can raise your blood pressure, as can drinking too much alcohol or caffeine or eating too little prebiotic fiber. Trans and saturated fats also aren’t good for your blood pressure.

So what foods should you eat instead?

There’s one food in particular that’s caught the attention of investigators due to its combination of heart-healthy nutrients that lowered blood pressure 36 percent in some people…

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Tomatoes can take high blood pressure down

Researchers in Spain studied more than 7,000 adults between the ages of 55 and 80 over the course of three years.

Just over 82 percent of the participants had high blood pressure at the beginning of the study, but all of them had factors that raised their risk for heart problems. Some of these factors include diabetes, smoking, high cholesterol, obesity and/or a family history of early-onset cardiovascular disease.

The American Heart Association (AHA) defines normal blood pressure as a reading of less than 120 systolic (the top number) and less than 80 diastolic (the bottom number). The researchers divided the participants with high blood pressure into three categories of hypertension:

• Grade 1 hypertension, systolic 140 to 159 mmHg and diastolic 90 to 99 mmHg
• Grade 2 hypertension, systolic 160 to 179 mmHg and diastolic 100 to 109 mmHg
• Grade 3 hypertension, systolic 180 mmHg or higher and diastolic 110 mmHg or higher

During the study, participants completed questionnaires about their diet and physical activity. The researchers paid particular attention to the amount of tomato products participants were consuming. They tracked daily consumption of raw tomato and tomato-based items like tomato sauce and the cold Spanish tomato soup known as gazpacho.

The researchers separated individuals into four groups based on daily tomato consumption, with the lowest group ingesting 1.5 ounces or less of tomato and the higher group eating 4 ounces or more.

Based on the results, the researchers found that eating the equivalent of one large 4-ounce tomato each day could slash the risk of high blood pressure by as much as 36 percent.

Additionally, those eating a medium amount of tomatoes also showed a significant drop in diastolic blood pressure compared with those consuming the lowest amount.

Interestingly, the reductions in systolic and diastolic blood pressure were only significant in those with grade 1 hypertension and not in the groups with higher blood pressure levels. The researchers attributed that to the elderly nature of the study population, most of whom had long-standing hypertension at the start of the study, as well as high cardiovascular risk factors.

“Tomato is one of the most consumed, widely available, and affordable vegetables worldwide, and it is an important component of the best diets, such as the Mediterranean diet,” writes study co-author Dr. Rosa Maria Lamuela-Raventós, a professor at the University of Barcelona. “Tomato consumption may play a favorable clinical role in the prevention and management of elevated blood pressure.”

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The magic ingredients: lycopene and potassium

The study authors speculate that the tomato’s impact on blood pressure is likely due to specific minerals like potassium and compounds such as lycopene that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Potassium’s effect on artery health and blood pressure is well-established, and at least one study has shown a link between lycopene and lower systolic blood pressure. The AHA already recommends tomatoes due to their combination of these nutrients.

There are limits to the study, including its observational nature and the fact that much of the data is self-reported. Further studies are needed to confirm these results.

Still, you may want to consider adding a daily dose of tomatoes to an already healthy diet rich in whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables. Like Lamuela-Raventós mentioned, the Mediterranean diet includes all these foods, especially tomatoes, so you may want to give that eating plan a try.

There is one thing you should bear in mind…

If you add tomato-based products like canned tomatoes, sauces or soups to your diet, make sure they’re low in sodium — or better yet, sodium-free.

And in case you’ve gotten hung up on whether tomatoes are a fruit or a vegetable, let me share this: According to the editors of the Encyclopedia Britannica, nutritionists consider tomatoes to be vegetables.

Sources:

Eating More Tomatoes May Help Lower Blood Pressure — Everyday Health

Association between tomato consumption and blood pressure in an older population at high cardiovascular risk: observational analysis of PREDIMED trial — European Journal of Preventive Cardiology

11 Foods That Increase Blood Pressure — Durham Nephrology Associates, PA

Lycopene Supplementation and Blood Pressure: Systematic review and meta-analyses of randomized trials — Journal of Herbal Medicine

How Potassium Can Help Control High Blood Pressure — American Heart Association

The post The vegetable that lowered blood pressure 36 percent appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

They say that one of the most impressive of these superfoods is a common fruit that’s not only readily available at your local grocery store, but also one that most people enjoy.

And if you need an excuse to enjoy it more often, consider the 1,600 health-boosting compounds that can improve your health status — starting with these six benefits…

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Your body on grapes

A study review by a leading cancer researcher at the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences at Western New England University scoured over sixty peer-reviewed studies on the health benefits of grapes.

According to those scientists, there are over 1,600 compounds fueling the health-boosting power of grapes. A significant advantage is that the compounds fall into the categories of antioxidants and polyphenols — both of which are considered bioactive compounds.

Bioactive compounds possess diverse biological activities and can interact with biological membranes, receptors and enzymes to influence cellular processes. According to the National Institutes of Health, bioactive compounds are strong enough to exert “changes in health status,” and help prevent myriad diseases.

Those 1,600 reasons make eating grapes a simple and effective way to support head-to-toe health, starting with these six health issues…

#1 – Improved heart health

The research revealed that the benefits grapes bring to cardiovascular health are well established. Grapes are known for promoting relaxation of blood vessels and healthy circulation (which supports blood pressure in the normal range), as well as modulating cholesterol levels.

#2 – Cognitive support

Beyond the heart, clinical trials have shown that grapes deliver powerful support for better brain health, promoting brain metabolism (energy production) and improving cognition. One study found that taking a small dose of resveratrol (found in the skin of grapes) regularly not only improves cognitive function but can also improve blood flow and brain health.

#3 – Beautiful skin

Compounds found in the skin of grapes enhance skin health by increasing resistance to UV radiation and DNA damage at the cellular level. Researchers believe polyphenols, natural antioxidant components found in grapes, are responsible for these beneficial effects.

#4 – Balanced gut microbiome

Grape compounds boost and support overall gut health. Eating grapes has been shown to increase the levels of a type of probiotic bacteria, an enzyme that promotes metabolic detoxification, and enhance the overall diversity of the gut microbiome.

#5 – Eye health

If that weren’t already enough, grapes also contain potent support for your eyes. Beneficial compounds promote retinal health by increasing the optical density of macular pigment (MPOD), a crucial factor in protecting the eyes from harmful blue light and oxidative stress.

#6 – Youthful muscles

Do you worry that family genes can set you up for sickness or early death? Grape consumption has been shown to alter gene expression in relevant body systems. According to leading resveratrol and cancer researcher John M. Pezzuto, Ph.D., D.Sc., Dean of the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences at Western New England University, it’s this ability to affect activities at the genetic level that is likely the driving force behind the health-boosting power of grapes.

For example, studies have shown that eating grapes can positively alter gene expression in muscle health. By promoting genes linked to lean muscle mass and reducing those associated with muscle degeneration, adding grapes to your diet could help counteract age-related muscle loss. This effect is especially pronounced in women.

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Great compounds in grapes

So what specific compounds fuel the incredible benefits attributed to grapes? Here are just a few of the special compounds you can fill your body with by eating grapes regularly — and how they promote health…

• Flavonoids – Responsible for the rainbow of colors found in fruits and veggies, these compounds boost the brain’s blood supply and slow its aging and offer blood pressure benefits to boot. Just be sure to diversify your flavonoids to ditch disease and live longer.
• Anthocyanidins – These pigments are known for their antioxidant properties and health benefits, like reducing inflammation, lowering blood pressure, and decreasing the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
• Catechins – Another type of antioxidant, catechins are also famously found in green tea. They’re known for their role in reducing inflammation, improving heart health and enhancing brain function. They may also aid in weight management.
• Phenolic acids – These acids are best known for their antioxidant properties and potent support for reducing inflammation, improving gut health and guarding against chronic diseases, including heart disease and diabetes.
• Resveratrol – A potent antioxidant from the skin of red grapes, resveratrol is a health-promoting powerhouse. It reduces brain aging and protects the brain’s barrier, fights muscle loss, promotes heart health and even combats the effects of a high-fat diet and Alzheimer’s.

Enjoy grapes daily to support your best health!

Sources:

This common fruit has over 1,600 compounds that boost brain, heart, and gut health — ScienceDaily

Scientists Discover Surprising New Benefits of Eating Grapes — SciTechDaily

WNE Research Finds Grape Consumption Enhances Muscle Health — WNE

The secret to lower blood pressure with flavonoid – Easy Health Options

Foods that slow brain aging by boosting its blood supply – Easy Health Options

Health benefits of anthocyanins against age-related diseases — Frontiers

Beneficial Properties of Green Tea Catechins — NIH

Phenolic Acids: Sources, Definition, and Health Benefits — Biology Insights

How resveratrol helps fight muscle loss and fatigue — Easy Health Options

Resveratrol fights effects of a high-fat diet and Alzheimer’s — Easy Health Options

The post 1,600 reasons to eat this underappreciated superfruit appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

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

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

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Aging’s dirty little secret

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

Sort of like an infection…

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

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

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

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

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

They also may have found a way to stop it…

Sending out the aging signal

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

Here’s how it works…

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

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

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

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

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

What does that mean for us?

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

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

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

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

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

Sources:

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

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

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

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

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

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 the most compelling reason has to do with one special nutrient…

Unlike fish oil, krill oil also contains astaxanthin, a powerful antioxidant that’s many times more potent than vitamin C, beta-carotene and vitamin E.

Astaxanthin not only pumps up the omega-3 benefits of krill oil, it gives the body’s aging processes quite a challenge, in part because of its powerful impacts on the body’s most vital systems and organs.

So let’s dive into what this amazing antioxidant is, where it comes from and what the research says about it…

What exactly is astaxanthin?

Astaxanthin is a red-colored ketocarotenoid first identified and isolated in 1938 by scientist Richard Kuhn, who discovered it while studying lobsters to find out what gave them their color. Kuhn won the 1938 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work on carotenoids and vitamins.

Astaxanthin is found mainly in the algae Haematococcus pluvialis and the yeast Xanthophyllomyces dendrorhous, both of which produce it naturally. The algae are a food source for a number of sea creatures, and astaxanthin is what turns their shells and flesh pink.

Because krill feed almost exclusively on these algae, they contain higher amounts of astaxanthin than other marine animals like shrimp, salmon, trout and lobster.

How astaxanthin works in the body

As a carotenoid, astaxanthin is fat-soluble and has antioxidant properties that help protect your cells from free radicals and oxidative stress.

Astaxanthin acts by neutralizing reactive oxygen species (ROS) on the inner and outer layers of cell membranes. This keeps ROS from doing damage to the basic building blocks of the cell including DNA, protein and lipids.

Here are some specific ways astaxanthin supports your overall health….

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Astaxanthin and inflammation

Like many antioxidants, astaxanthin may help to reduce inflammation. But astaxanthin’s specific ability to neutralize ROS helps reduce proteins that can cause inflammatory diseases such as celiac disease, rheumatoid arthritis, heart disease and diabetes.

Not only does astaxanthin fight inflammation, it also assists our mitochondria, the energy powerhouses located in our cells. Having mitochondria functioning at their best gives our bodies optimal energy and helps it operate at peak performance.

By reducing inflammation, astaxanthin supports improved mitochondrial performance, as well as providing antioxidant support to ward off free radical damage.

Studies show astaxanthin’s anti-inflammatory capabilities can help with exercise recovery by protecting the body from overproduction of free radicals, inhibiting the production of excess lactic acid in the muscles, reducing fatigue and improving muscle strength.

Astaxanthin and immune system health

Along with fighting inflammation, astaxanthin can boost your immune system by helping to activate white blood cells known as T-cells as well as natural killer cells. T-cells attack malicious cells based on antigen markers, while natural killer cells work even faster to stop foreign invaders from harming your health.

But as important as it is for an immune system to be reactive — it’s just as important not to be overactive to avoid an autoimmune response. Astaxanthin’s anti-inflammatory properties help modulate a balanced immune response.

Astaxanthin and brain health

Carotenoids like astaxanthin help support good brain health by reducing the risks for neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and cognitive impairment.

But one advantage astaxanthin has is that its molecular structure is small enough to allow it to cross the blood-brain barrier. This gives it added ability to protect the brain and possibly even slow the onset rate of cognitive disorders.

Astaxanthin may also literally grow your brain. According to one study, astaxanthin can promote the growth of new brain cells in the hippocampus, the area of the brain responsible for learning and memory. Researchers also found that those new cells had even greater learning and memory capacity.

Astaxanthin and heart health

Like omega-3s, astaxanthin has great benefits for your heart, including blood pressure. In one double-blind placebo-controlled study, postmenopausal women who took astaxanthin experienced a 7 percent reduction in systolic blood pressure (the top number) and a 4 percent reduction in diastolic pressure (the bottom number).

Astaxanthin can also help reduce LDL, the “bad” kind of cholesterol, and raise HDL, or “good” cholesterol. And since astaxanthin works in tandem with omega-3s in krill oil, you get a greater cholesterol-lowering benefit than with regular fish oil.

Results of one study showed patients who took 1 to 1.5 grams of krill oil a day showed a significantly higher decrease in bad cholesterol than patients who took three times that dose in fish oil.

Astaxanthin and blood sugar problems

Astaxanthin could be useful in preventing diabetic nephropathy, a disorder of the kidneys. According to one study in mice, the antioxidant activity of astaxanthin helped lower blood sugar, reduce stress on the kidneys and prevent renal cell damage.

Another study showed astaxanthin protected cells against the oxidative damage caused by high blood sugar levels. This damage can cause several complications in diabetics, including kidney disease, nerve damage (neuropathy) and vision problems (retinopathy).

Astaxanthin and eye health

While chemically astaxanthin shares some similarities with other carotenoids (like beta-carotene), it’s more closely related to oxygenated xanthophylls like lutein and zeaxanthin, both known for improving eye health. And like these two nutrients, astaxanthin can also help protect your vision.

But here astaxanthin has an extra edge, like it does in the brain…

Not only can the antioxidant cross the blood-brain barrier, but the same process holds for the retinal barrier.

In studies of patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD), supplementing astaxanthin and other carotenoids were found to significantly improve retinal electrical outputs, which helps slow AMD damage.

Glaucoma involves an increase in the pressure of fluid inside the eyeball that causes oxidant damage and loss of blood flow and eventually results in retinal cell death. In eyes with experimentally induced glaucoma, astaxanthin restored these retinal parameters to normal.

Another study showed that astaxanthin supplementation resulted in a 46 percent reduction of eye strain caused by visual display terminals.

Astaxanthin and skin health

Astaxanthin appears to act as a sort of natural internal sunscreen by helping to protect your skin from damage by the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays. The nutrient builds up in the top two layers of skin, helping to block UV penetration and reduce existing sun damage like wrinkles and lack of elasticity.

Astaxanthin and longevity

Researchers have found that astaxanthin can significantly increase the activation of the so-called “longevity gene” located in our heart tissue. In fact, animals in one study that were fed large amounts of astaxanthin had a 90 percent increase in the activation of this gene.

Healthy aging is a hot topic in discussions surrounding lifespan. This is the intersection referred to as healthspan. Numerous studies have shown that supplementing astaxanthin appears most beneficial for many of the aging processes and organs most challenged by aging including the brain, eyes and skin, not to mention energy levels.

To supplement or not to supplement

There’s no doubt that seafood is a rich source of astaxanthin — but it has to be the right kind. Wild salmon contains between 26 and 38 mg of astaxanthin per kilogram, while farmed salmon only contains 6 to 8 mg per kilogram.

Some experts recommend getting about 3.8 mg of astaxanthin a day, the amount found in roughly 5.8 ounces of salmon. However, others say a therapeutic dose of astaxanthin is anywhere from 4 to 12 milligrams a day, which makes it difficult to get through diet alone.

That’s why supplementing with astaxanthin-rich krill oil is a great alternative. Just remember, because it’s a fat-soluble carotenoid, take it after a meal for best absorption in the body.

Sources:

Health Benefits of Astaxanthin — Nourish by WebMD

Health effects of astaxanthin have been long studied — Natural Products Insider

Beneficial and Detrimental Effects of Reactive Oxygen Species on Lifespan: A Comprehensive Review of Comparative and Experimental Studies — Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology

Biological and neurological activities of astaxanthin (Review) — Molecular Medicine Report

Astaxanthin: Sources, Extraction, Stability, Biological Activities and Its Commercial Applications—A Review — Marine Drugs

Clinical Applications of Astaxanthin in the Treatment of Ocular Diseases: Emerging Insights — Marine Drugs

The Microalgae-Sourced  Carotenoid That Delivers Broad Spectrum Antiaging Benefits — Clinical Education

The post Astaxanthin: The antioxidant that challenges aging appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

One reason is because it’s easy to stick to. In fact, it’s not really a “diet” at all, but more like a lifestyle choice that‘s more about choosing the right foods than restricting what you eat.

But in all of this, there’s more talk about the food and very little about the spices that are typical of Mediterranean cooking, like black cumin, garlic, rosemary, cinnamon, ginger, and fennel.

Rosemary is my personal favorite. But it’s not one of the three that have recently been found to play a powerful role in the fight against diabetes…

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Free radicals 101

You’ve probably heard of free radicals (also known as reactive oxygen species, or ROS), those pesky, unstable molecules that a lot of us carry around due to exposure to cigarette smoke, air pollutants and other toxins.

Free radicals are also an unavoidable result of certain metabolic processes, like those involved in energy production.

That’s why a balance between free radicals and antioxidants is necessary. If free radicals overwhelm the body’s ability to regulate them, a condition known as oxidative stress occurs.

Many diseases can result, or become worse if oxidative stress goes uncontrolled.

Type 2 diabetes is one of them.

Antioxidant spices win at managing blood sugar and A1C

A group of Spanish researchers conducted a meta-analysis (an examination of 77 existing studies) to determine which Mediterranean spices are most beneficial for people with type 2 diabetes in terms of their glycemic profile.

A glycemic profile is like a “snapshot” of a person’s blood glucose fluctuations throughout the day. It shows how well (or poorly) their insulin is working to control their blood sugar.

Reactive oxygen species can compromise a glycemic profile in two ways: they can lead to insulin resistance (insulin is produced but the body does not respond to it as it should), as well as to β-cell dysfunction (insulin secretion is impaired).

“As far as we are aware, this is the first systematic review and meta-analysis aiming to evaluate the effect of aromatic herbs and spices included in the Mediterranean Diet, such as black cumin, clove [and others], on the glycemic profile of individuals with type 2 diabetes,” the study noted.

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The analysis focused on cinnamon, curcumin, ginger, black cumin, saffron, and rosemary.

But three stood out for their powerful effects on different aspects important for blood sugar management:

• Only ginger and black cumin were associated with a significant improvement in A1c (a blood test that measures your average blood sugar levels over the past three months)
• Only cinnamon and ginger were associated with a significant decrease in insulin values (cinnamon is already well-known for keeping blood sugar in check).
• Ginger was the only spice associated with a significant decrease in fasting glucose, A1c, and insulin.

What’s behind these spice benefits?

Spices are at the top of the ORAC (oxygen radical absorbance capacity) scale. The NIH’s National Institute on Aging developed ORAC to quantify a food’s total antioxidant capacity (TAC) — which equates to it strength in fighting off free radicals.

So there you have it. Spice things up and reap the benefits!

Sources:

Ginger, Cinnamon, Cumin Improve Glycemic Control — Medscape

Effect of Aromatic Herbs and Spices Present in the Mediterranean Diet on the Glycemic Profile in Type 2 Diabetes Subjects: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis — Nutrients

Free radicals, antioxidants and functional foods: Impact on human health — Pharmacognosy Reviews

The post 3 spices that tackled A1C, fasting glucose, insulin and won 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®.

However, the way those fats contribute to weight gain is more complex than we think…

The problem isn’t just the fat being added to your body as pounds. It’s what those fats do to your ability to lose weight in the first place and the metabolic dysfunction that leads to disease.

Here’s some research that has broken it all down for us — and a secret weapon to combat it…

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Dysregulation associated with weight gain

Dr. Tigist Tamir is an assistant professor of biochemistry and biophysics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine and a former postdoctoral researcher at MIT.

Along with Dr. Forest White of MIT’s Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Dr. Tamir is working on a new study that digs deep into how fatty foods disrupt our metabolism and cause weight gain that’s so hard to lose.

The doctors observed that many enzymes involved in the metabolism of fats and sugars are known to undergo phosphorylation, or the addition of a phosphate group.

This is all chemistry talk, I know, but stick with me here…

In mice that ate a high-fat diet, the phosphorylation of two specific enzymes, IDH1 and AKR1C1, rendered the enzymes dysfunctional, in a manner that impacts weight gain…

The two enzymes usually play a role in breaking down sugar and metabolizing fat, but the dysfunction interfered with their ability to do that. It caused an increase in insulin resistance and an accumulation of damaging molecules called reactive oxygen species (R.O.S., also known as free radicals). This caused the mice to gain weight and experience metabolic dysregulation, while mice on a healthier diet did not.

Antioxidants counter R.O.S. and fat

But here’s the good news: When the unhealthy mice were fed an antioxidant called BHA, the adverse effects were reversed, and the mice began to lose weight.

Mice who were treated with BHA showed a significant decrease in weight gain and did not become prediabetic, unlike the other mice fed a high-fat diet.

Dr. Tamir says, “They’re experiencing a lot of metabolic dysfunction, but if you co-administer something that counters that, then they have enough reserve to maintain some sort of normalcy.”

In other words, the damage done by a high-fat diet was undone by adding a powerful antioxidant to the mouse diet.

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A safer, natural antioxidant

The antioxidant used in this study was butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA). BHA is a man-made, synthetic chemical often used as a food preservative in the U.S.

It’s been restricted or banned in some countries because of health concerns that it is carcinogenic and an endocrine disruptor. However, you can find supplements that contain low doses of it. Still, prolonged exposure carries those risks I mentioned.

But don’t get disappointed yet. Resveratrol is a powerful antioxidant that has also been shown to have a significant impact on fat metabolism.

Researchers at Washington State University, who also studied mice, found that resveratrol stimulates white fat to turn “beige” for enhanced sugar and fat-burning power.

The researchers simply gave the mice resveratrol supplements (equal to eating 12 fruits per day) and found that they gained 40 percent less weight than control mice who didn’t receive the supplements.

Professor of animal sciences Min Du, lead author of that study said, “Polyphenols in fruit, including resveratrol, increase gene expression that enhances the oxidation of dietary fats so the body won’t be overloaded. They convert white fat into beige fat which burns lipids off as heat — helping to keep the body in balance and prevent obesity and metabolic dysfunction.”

As far as safety, supplementing resveratrol gets a thumbs up. It’s also available in more than 70 plant species, especially the skins and seeds of grapes. Berries are also polyphenols and antioxidant-rich. Acai berries contain antioxidant levels so high, they can only be estimated.

Sources:

A high-fat diet sets off metabolic dysfunction in cells, leading to weight gain — Eureka Alert

Structural and systems characterization of phosphorylation on metabolic enzymes identifies sex-specific metabolic reprogramming in obesity — Molecular Cell

The post How antioxidants reverse the damage of a high-fat diet appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

With age, our blood vessels begin to stiffen. This hinders circulation throughout the body and increases blood pressure, which can lead to a heart attack and stroke.

Most often, atherosclerosis is to blame. Plaque builds up in the arteries, causing them to stiffen or harden, hence its other name — hardening of the arteries — and heart disease can be just around the corner.

Research into heart disease suggests that adopting a heart-healthy lifestyle (the familiar mantra) is our best hope for keeping it at bay or at least mitigating the damage.

However, there is now evidence that intestinal bacteria and their metabolites (byproducts of metabolism) can accelerate the aging of our blood vessels and trigger cardiovascular disease.

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The gut’s influence on blood vessel aging

Scientists have discovered a fascinating connection between gut health and blood vessel function.

You may have heard of the gut-brain axis, a bidirectional communication network that sends messages between the brain and the gut, influencing the nervous, endocrine, and immune systems.

Now researchers are exploring its impact on our heart and blood vessels too…

A team led by Soheil Saeedi at the University of Zurich studied over 7,000 healthy individuals aged 18 to 95, as well as older mice, to investigate how gut bacteria change with age and how this might impact our cardiovascular health.

They found that a substance called phenylacetic acid, derived from the common amino acid phenylalanine, accumulates as we age. This buildup can lead to problems in the cells lining our blood vessels. Essentially, these cells begin to age and function less effectively, causing the blood vessels to stiffen, which can ultimately lead to heart issues.

The researchers identified a specific type of bacteria, Clostridium sp.ASF356, which aids in the production of this phenylacetic acid. When they introduced this bacteria to young mice, they noticed higher levels of phenylacetic acid and signs of aging in their blood vessels. However, when they used antibiotics to eliminate the bacteria, the levels of the acid decreased.

The team also found that healthy gut bacteria can produce beneficial compounds for our blood vessels, such as short-chain fatty acids from dietary fiber. These compounds appear to help maintain the youthful state of our blood vessels. They even saw that adding sodium acetate, a type of short-chain fatty acid, helped improve the function of older blood vessel cells.

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A blood vessel’s ‘fountain of youth’

In simple terms, the health of our cardiovascular system can be influenced by the microbes in our gut. The researchers are now investigating which types of diets can positively impact this relationship.

So far, they’ve found that eating more fiber and foods rich in antioxidants can help maintain the health of our blood vessels, almost like a “fountain of youth.” Food that fits the bill includes:

• Tomatoes
• Olive oil
• Legumes
• Whole grains
• Green leafy vegetables such as spinach, kale and collard greens
• Fruits such as strawberries, blueberries, cherries and oranges
• Nuts like almonds and walnuts
• Fatty fish, including salmon, mackerel, tuna and sardines 

On the other hand, they suggest limiting foods high in phenylalanine, such as red meat and certain dairy products, to help slow down vascular aging.

They’re also experimenting with ways to lower phenylacetic acid levels, including the use of genetically modified bacteria, which show promise in their early tests. While you’re waiting on that, don’t forget to support your gut microbiome with probiotics and prebiotics.

Sources:

Intestinal bacteria influence aging of blood vessels — EurekAlert!

Gut microbiota-dependent increase in phenylacetic acid induces endothelial cell senescence during aging — Nature Aging

The post How your gut could be aging your blood vessels 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®.

Making matters worse, very few things work reliably to eliminate back pain, especially lower back pain, the most common complaint of all.

The thing is, much of our back pain is self-inflicted. And since there’s no reliable fix for back pain, the best thing you can do is to avoid movements and activities that cause it in the first place.

I recently came across an article describing some of the most common movements that tweak our backs. Here’s what to avoid, what to do instead and how to support your muscles and ease the pain…

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Ditch these habits that hurt

The B.L.T.  No, not the sandwich. This B.L.T. stands for “bend, lift, and twist.”

Doing all three at once “maximizes stress on the disc, making it more likely to rupture,” says Dr. Arthur Jenkins, a New York neurosurgeon who specializes in spinal surgery.

And it doesn’t take something as strenuous as snow shoveling to injure yourself this way. Something as simple as twisting around to grab shopping bags from the back seat of your car can do it.

One way to avoid this injury is to take a few seconds to recognize the moves you are about to make and do them separately, rather than doing them all at once.

Warm up before playing. You may not think of golf or table tennis as high-risk activities. But they often involve sudden twists that can be jarring on the spine.

Flexibility is key. Warming up and stretching before and after your game will keep your spine flexible enough to avoid injury.

Don’t overload your carry-on bag when traveling. Lifting a heavy bag over your head is not a motion you do every day. Your back is not used to it, and injury can occur easily.

Before leaving home, see if you can easily lift your bag to waist level. If not, unload a few items. On the plane, lifting your bag to your waist and then up over your head should be a two-step process because the muscles that lift the bag from floor to waist are stronger than those that take it from waist to overhead.

Remember this as well when you go to store a box of seasonal decorations or clothes on a top shelf of your storage closet.

Avoid sit-ups. According to Harvard Health, sit-ups push your curved spine against the floor and work your hip flexors, the muscles that run from the thighs to the lumbar vertebrae in the lower back. When the hip flexors are too strong or too tight, they tug on the lower spine, creating lower back discomfort.

If you want to strengthen your core, exercises such as planks, Plates, swimming, yoga and the elliptical machine “are a lot healthier for your back in general,” says Dr. Jacob Joseph, a neurosurgeon at the University of Michigan Health specializing in spinal injuries.

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Nutrients that support your aching back

No matter how careful you are, anyone can overdo it and experience back pain. But the more active you are, especially working to strengthen your core to support your back, the stronger you are.

That added strength and flexibility could mean fewer injuries and quicker healing. The right nutrition can also help in this department…

A study into nutritional considerations for injury prevention and recovery suggests promoting injury-healing amino acids and protein intake, antioxidants, creatine and omega-3s.

For muscle injury.:

• Creatine is an amino acid that can boost muscle strength and endurance. It can keep your back (and other) muscles from atrophying if you’re immobilized due to a back injury.
• Omega-3s help prevent muscle loss while recovering from an injury and can help with pain.
• Resveratrol is an antioxidant that has been found to help astronauts maintain their muscle strength on long missions.
• Vitamins C and E, also antioxidants, fight against the increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) after muscle injury. ROS will damage the cell’s basic building blocks, including DNA, proteins, and lipids.

For joint and tendon injury:

• Collagen is a natural protein in your body that gives your cartilage its strength. Hydrolyzed collagen powder is a great choice.

For bone injuries (and pain):

• Vitamin D and calcium support bone health, and healthy bones heal better.

Previous research has also linked low vitamin D levels to back pain. Women who were deficient in vitamin D reported more cases of severe back pain, more fractures, disc degeneration and greater limitations in performing activities of daily living than women with adequate levels of vitamin D.

Research has also indicated that vitamin D affects the body’s inflammation response in a way that lowers the sensation of pain, so it’s not only helpful in supporting your bones but also in alleviating pain.

Sources:

The worst habits for your back, according to spine surgeons — NY Times

Chronic Back Pain — Health Policy Institute

Want a stronger core? Skip the sit-ups — Harvard Health

Back, Lower Limb, and Upper Limb Pain — CDC

Nutritional Considerations for Injury Prevention and Recovery in Combat Sports — Nutrients

The post 4 common movements that cause back pain & what helps appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Toxins in our air, water and food can lead to conditions ranging from type 2 diabetes to thyroid dysfunction. In fact, toxic metal pollution has been deemed worse on the heart than smoking or high cholesterol.

Now researchers are examining whether substances in the environment could be triggering and exacerbating a debilitating disease that affects more than 10 million people worldwide…

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Toxic triggers for Parkinson’s could originate outside the brain

For decades, scientists have been debating where alpha-synuclein, a protein that plays a crucial role in Parkinson’s disease, comes from. Over time, the protein accumulates in the brain in clumps called Lewy bodies, causing progressive nerve cell dysfunction and death.

The leading theory has been that this neurodegenerative disease originates within the brain. However, in 2003 it was first proposed that Parkinson’s may actually begin outside the brain.

That theory has received possible reinforcement from a study that argues Parkinson’s is the result of processes that start either in the brain’s smell center or the body’s intestinal tract and are triggered by — you guessed it — environmental toxins.

“In both the brain-first and body-first scenarios the pathology arises in structures in the body closely connected to the outside world,” says Dr. Ray Dorsey, a professor at the University of Rochester Medical Center and co-author of the study.

“Here we propose that Parkinson’s is a systemic disease and that its initial roots likely begin in the nose and in the gut and are tied to environmental factors increasingly recognized as major contributors, if not causes, of the disease,” Dorsey says. “This further reinforces the idea that Parkinson’s, the world’s fastest growing brain disease, may be fueled by toxicants and is therefore largely preventable.”

Which comes first, brain or body?

One theory is that an unidentified pathogen, such as a virus, may be responsible for Parkinson’s. But this more recent study pinpoints four environmental factors — the dry cleaning and degreasing chemical perchloroethylene (PCE), also known as tetrachloroethylene, the weed killer paraquat, and air pollution — as possible causes of the formation of toxic alpha-synuclein.

Thousands of former industrial, commercial and military sites are contaminated with PCE. Paraquat is one of the most widely used herbicides in the U.S. despite being banned for safety concerns in more than 30 countries, including the European Union and China.

The nose and the gut are both lined with soft, permeable tissue and have well-established connections to the brain. In the brain-first model, the chemicals are inhaled and may enter the brain through the nerve responsible for smell. From that smell center, alpha synuclein spreads to other parts of the brain, including regions with concentrations of dopamine-producing neurons. The death of these cells is a hallmark of Parkinson’s.

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When these chemicals are ingested, they pass through the gastrointestinal tract’s lining, potentially sparking initial alpha synuclein pathology in the gut’s own nervous system. From there, it can spread to the brain and spinal cord. This body-first pathway is often linked with Lewy body dementia, a disease in the same family as Parkinson’s.

Dorsey notes that the timing, dose, and duration of exposure, as well as genetic interactions and other environmental factors, are likely key to determining who develops Parkinson’s. “In most instances, these exposures likely occurred years or decades before symptoms develop,” he says.

What to do about exposure

Given the growing body of research connecting environmental exposure to Parkinson’s, the study authors believe these new models may “explain many of the mysteries of Parkinson’s disease and open the door toward the ultimate goal — prevention.”

If you’re like me, you may feel despair at the thought that you’ve been breathing in and ingesting these toxic chemicals for potentially years now. The best first step is to limit further exposure.

• Avoid purchasing clothes that require dry cleaning to reduce exposure to PCE.  
• Avoid golf courses and parks where paraquat is commonly used.

I’ve shared before that chelation can help remove toxic metals from the body. Chelators bind to metal ions, so for toxic metal exposure that we know exists in air pollution, it’s a helpful detox route.  

PCE does not contain metal ions. Instead, the best bet here is to boost the natural stores of your body’s master antioxidant, glutathione. Glutathione can break down PCE, allowing them to be eliminated through urine.

Also, consider supplementing CoQ10 and PQQ. Together, these two enzymes help protect the brain’s neuron cells (the cells that pollution particles hitch a ride on to get directly to your cerebellum) by boosting mitochondria and reducing oxidative stress.

Sources:

New hypothesis emerges on Parkinson’s disease’s origins and spread — Medical Xpress

The Body, the Brain, the Environment, and Parkinson’s Disease — Journal of Parkinson’s Disease

Statistics — Parkinson’s Foundation

The post Parkinson’s toxic triggers and how they enter the brain 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®.

That’s why their nickname is the “powerhouses of our cells.”

And as mighty power generators, mitochondria are associated with longevity — as long as they’re functioning optimally.

But when they aren’t, cellular energy production wanes, oxidative stress runs rampant, mitochondria become prone to DNA mutations, and the cellular processes that normally regulate programmed cell death and stress response become dysfunctional.

All this eventually leads to cellular decline and ultimately what we know as the aging process.

But if mitochondria eventually fail, why are they linked with longevity?

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The key to age reversal

Aging may be inevitable, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing we can do to slow it and enjoy more healthy years — especially now that we know mitochondria are the key.

In studies using C. elegans, a worm model often used in research, scientists saw that interventions could improve mitochondrial function — and extend lifespan.

In other words, our mitochondria could be revived — or motivated to keep churning out that good old ATP,  and that’s made it a prime target for longevity research.

In fact, scientists believe mitochondria are behind the life-lengthening effects of calorie restriction, which has been proven to slow the pace of aging in humans.

Thankfully, eating less isn’t our only option to support mitochondria’s healthy aging effects…  

Pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) is a micronutrient found in some foods like natto, parsley and green tea, that helps mitochondria produce ATP. But it also increases the number of mitochondria, an important benefit since our bodies produce less as we age.

But longevity is just one part of aging research where mitochondria are breaking ground…

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Mitochondria and skin aging

Experts have begun to explore the mitochondria’s role in cellular rejuvenation and the direct impacts that can have on the visible signs of aging.

“Mitoscientist” Dr. Keshav K. Singh is a world leader in mitochondrial health and disease and founder of the Mitochondria Research and Medicine Society in the US and India.

His research at the University of Alabama in Birmingham includes how mitochondria can slow, potentially even reverse, the signs of skin aging, opening promising avenues for therapeutic development.

Currently, that involves developing strategies to prevent, slow and treat skin wrinkles and hair loss in mice — and translating those benefits to humans.

Similar to the research I mentioned earlier using a worm model, Dr. Singh’s research involves a mouse whose age can be manipulated at will — actually made older and then, younger again — providing an unprecedented opportunity to understand tissue-specific aging.

It may be years before Dr. Singh’s research translates to products or procedures that change how our skin ages, but a prescription for healthy mitochondria may already exist…

10 micronutrients that support your mitochondria

Experts in aesthetic medicine in France are already working on a prescription for healthy mitochondria to support healthier aging.

Their answer is micro nutrition, consisting of PQQ and nine other ingredients, that protects mitochondria from oxidative damage and stimulates the growth of new mitochondria.

Their suggestions include:

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), which helps mitochondria make ATP, the fuel that powers most cellular functions. CoQ10 is also a powerful antioxidant that helps control oxidative stress.

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) is a form of vitamin B3 very popular in regenerative medicine. It’s an essential coenzyme in regulating metabolism, longevity, DNA repair and producing energy.

Erythrothioneine is an amino acid present in high quantities in mushrooms and is called a “longevity vitamin” by some. It guards mitochondria from free radical damage. It can also be applied to the skin to reduce signs of aging and sun damage.

Alpha-lipoic acid is an antioxidant that increases cellular levels of NAD. It may also enhance the anti-aging activity of sirtuins, genes that are involved in the regulation of metabolism and longevity.

The B vitamins, known as “respiratory’ vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B6 and B12) help balance magnesium in the body. Magnesium helps transport ATP.

Acetyl-L-Carnitine increases overall cellular respiration, and with D-ribose and N-acetylcysteine (NAC) optimizes respiratory chain activity — a process involved in generating power to synthesize ATP.

Lastly, omega-3 fatty acids, because they support the structure and function of mitochondrial membranes.

Sources:

The Mitochondrial Basis of Aging — Journal Molecular Cell

The Mitodesign Lab — keshavsingh.org

Exploring the role of mitochondria transfer/transplant and their long-non-coding RNAs in regenerative therapies for skin aging — Mitochondrion

The mitochondria at the very heart of the anti-aging medicine — Anti-Age

The post 10 micronutrients that turn the key on age reversal 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®.

Eating with the seasons isn’t just good for variety — it also ensures access to the freshest, tastiest and most nutrient-packed produce typically at a lower price point. 

So, what should you keep on hand this spring? Here are the foods I turn to now…

The season’s best

1. Leafy Greens: The Ultimate Spring Superfood

Spinach, kale, arugula, and Swiss chard are loaded with heart-protective nutrients like vitamin K, folate, and nitrates, which help improve circulation and lower blood pressure. I like to use them in salads, toss them into smoothies, or sauté them with olive oil and garlic for an easy side dish.

2. Asparagus: A Springtime Must-Have

Asparagus is packed with fiber, folate, and antioxidants that help lower homocysteine levels — a marker linked to heart disease. It’s also a natural diuretic, helping to reduce bloating and excess sodium in the body. Roast it, steam it, or grill it for a delicious spring side. I love asparagus with fish or as part of a roasted mixed vegetable main course.

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3. Avocados: Healthy Fats for a Healthy Heart

While avocados are available year-round, they’re especially delicious in spring. They’re rich in monounsaturated fats, which help lower bad cholesterol (LDL) while raising good cholesterol (HDL). Mash them onto whole-grain toast, mix them into salads, or blend them into a creamy dressing. My typical approach is to cube the avocado and add it to a salad. I could easily eat an avocado a day.  

4. New Potatoes: Nutritious and Filling

Potatoes in spring are simply the best. Small and flavorful, they’re packed with vitamin B6, vitamin C and potassium, all important for blood vessel function and blood pressure control. In fact, one serving of potatoes can deliver a quarter of your day’s requirement of these nutrients. They’re also versatile and filling. Because the potato peel is the repository of much of this vegetable’s benefit, just wash and cook whole — and eat with the peel. No problem with new potatoes and their delicate and mild-tasting skins. I especially love spring potatoes dusted (OK, doused) with chopped dill.

5. Citrus Fruits: Vitamin C for Vascular Health

Grapefruits and kumquats are at their best in early spring. And they’re high in vitamin C and flavonoids, which help reduce inflammation and improve blood vessel function. You can eat kumquats whole — rind and all — just pop them in your mouth like grapes. Adding grapefruit slices to salads or just peeling and eating like you would an orange can add a quick nutrient boost to your day. My favorite is the Ruby Red.

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6. Rhubarb: Fiber Goodness

Besides being a good source of vitamin C and other antioxidants, rhubarb is brimming with fiber. Chop and cook with a bit of water and sugar to taste and get a beautiful topping for yogurt or even pancakes. I love the sourness of rhubarb, but I also don’t shy away from adding enough sugar to make it palatable. After all, it’s hard for me to realize the health benefits of any good-for-you food if I can’t stand to eat it!

7. Kiwis: Carotenoids and Beyond

Kiwi fruit are available year-round, but they’re at their best in spring – and might be one of your best food-based weapons against colds and flu. Just one kiwi delivers almost an entire day’s worth of vitamin C.  Kiwis are also packed with carotenoids like lutein and beta carotene, that are important for heart — and general — health. I have to admit that peeling a kiwi is not always my favorite task, but experiencing the beautiful color and flavor of the fruit is definitely worth it.

8. Berries: A Heart-Boosting Powerhouse

Strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries finally arrive late spring. They’re rich in antioxidants, fiber, and polyphenols that help lower inflammation and improve blood vessel function. These delicious fruits are naturally sweet and perfect for topping oatmeal, blending into smoothies, or enjoying as a snack. As you may already know, my go-to breakfast consists of a bowl of berries topped with yogurt, Anytime Sprinkle and a spoonful of orange marmalade. Yum!

Step Into Better Health This Spring 

Spring is the season of renewal and the perfect time to renew our commitment to health. And if your resolve slipped a little during winter, prioritizing fresh, whole foods — especially spring’s bounty of vibrant fruits and vegetables — will get you back on the right path in no time, one delicious bite at a time!

The post Spring into heart health: A cardiologist’s list of the season’s best appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Some are intentionally produced, such as microbeads, plastic pellets, and microfibers, while others result from the breakdown of larger plastics due to wear and tear.

Regardless, microplastics have been found throughout the human body, breaching the blood-brain barrier in seconds, lodging in blood clots and arterial plaques, and taking up residence in organs like the liver and kidneys.

But they’re not just piling up. They contain endrocrine-disrupting chemicals that wreak havoc on our hormones and their functions.

Thankfully, an international team of researchers has made an exciting discovery about how we protect ourselves from some of the harms…

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The secret lies in potent polyphenols

Antioxidants such as polyphenols are the substances that give fruits, vegetables and flowers their vibrant colors. Anthocyanins, a particularly potent group of polyphenols, are abundant in red, blue, and purple produce, as well as some nuts.

Previous research shows eating foods high in anthocyanins can lead to drastic reductions in acute inflammation and oxidative stress — two hallmarks of disease.

The team of researchers from Finland, China and Canada conducted a review of scientific literature to determine the impact of anthocyanins on microplastic-induced hormone dysfunction.

They found encouraging evidence that anthocyanin consumption can protect against a range of microplastic-induced effects on hormones, reductions in testosterone and estrogen, decreased sperm counts, lower sperm quality, erectile dysfunction and ovarian damage.

Microplastics have been found in the testicles and semen of males and ovarian tissue, placenta and breast milk of females. They also have been found in fetuses.

Some anthocyanins have demonstrated the ability to protect the integrity of the blood-testis barrier, which prevents microplastics from entering the tissue.

In another study, mice exposed to the same substances in microplastics that cause diseases were treated with anthocyanins. They showed increased sperm count and motility and an overall reduction in testicular damage.

Research also indicates anthocyanins can help restore testosterone production by protecting the cells responsible for producing it.

In women, anthocyanins could mitigate microplastics’ impact on fertility and sexual development. When rats with health issues that can be caused by microplastic exposure were treated with anthocyanins, they protected the ovarian tissue and normalized levels of estrogen and other hormones.

In essence, anthocyanins hold the potential to significantly reduce the toxic impact of microplastic consumption, offering a beacon of hope in the face of this environmental health crisis.

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Anthocyanins against microplastics

While the research reviewed in this study focused on reproductive issues, the hormone disruption caused by microplastics can also impact heart and brain health.

Previous studies investigating anthocyanins show their mighty antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties promote heart and brain health.

“The search for natural compounds to counteract these harmful effects is ongoing, with anthocyanins emerging as a promising candidate,” the study’s authors write.

The best sources of anthocyanins include:

• Blue, purple or red-skinned berries such as blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, elderberries, cranberries and bilberries
• Dark cherries
• Purple grapes (which also contain the powerful antioxidant resveratrol)
• Red cabbage (which contains over 36 different kinds of anthocyanins)
• Eggplants
• Purple asparagus
• Pomegranates

Keep in mind that anthocyanins can be degraded through high-temperature cooking methods. If you want to preserve the anthocyanin content of these foods, it’s best to consume them raw or gently steam or boil them.

Sources:

Antioxidants in fruits and flowers seem to counteract harmful effects of microplastics, study shows — The Guardian

Exploring the potential protective role of anthocyanins in mitigating micro/nanoplastic-induced reproductive toxicity: A steroid receptor perspective — Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis

Anthocyanins keep heart disease, diabetes and obesity away — Easy Health Options

The post How potent antioxidants protect your hormones against microplastics appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Thankfully, I’ve maintained my natural color through the magic of hair dye for decades. But I’m a little less eager to visit the hair salon because of evidence linking regular use of hair dye with an increase in breast cancer risk.

Wouldn’t it be great if all those messy, expensive and potentially toxic trips to the hair salon or the hair dye aisle of the drugstore to cover those grays weren’t necessary?

Luckily, researchers in Japan may have hit upon a solution — and unlike hair dye, this one is all-natural, offering a safe and effective alternative.

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The anti-graying power of luteolin

A study led by researchers at Nagoya University explored the effects of three antioxidants — luteolin, hesperetin and diosmetin — on black-furred mice bred to experience graying similar to humans.

The results surprised the researchers. Of the three, only luteolin — found in vegetables such as celery, broccoli, carrots, onions and peppers — appeared to have any impact on the graying effect.

Mice given luteolin retained their black fur, while their untreated counterparts turned gray. The effect was observed regardless of whether the antioxidant was administered internally or externally.

“While we expected that antioxidants may also have anti-graying effects, only luteolin, not hesperetin or diosmetin, demonstrated significant effects,” says study lead Dr. Masashi Kato of Nagoya University. “This finding suggests that luteolin may have a unique medicinal effect that prevents graying.”

The researchers observed a close link between luteolin’s effectiveness and its influence on endothelins, which are proteins that play a crucial role in cellular communication. The study found luteolin treatments preserved the expression of endothelins and their receptor. This action means that the signaling pathways remain healthy, which prevents the decline in melanocyte activity that typically leads to graying.

“Interestingly, luteolin had limited effects on hair cycles, indicating that its primary impact is on pigmentation rather than hair growth or shedding,” Kato says. “This targeted action makes luteolin a particularly intriguing candidate for addressing age-related hair graying.”

These findings and the similarities between the graying processes in the mouse models and humans open the door for potential applications in human hair care.

Given these promising results, study lead Dr. Takumi Kagawa of Nagoya University believes there will be broader applications in age-related research.

“It would be interesting to investigate whether luteolin’s anti-aging effects could also be applicable to other age-related changes, including balding,” Kagawa says.

In fact, luteolin’s potential in age-related research extends beyond hair graying. It could also be beneficial in addressing other age-related issues, such as skin aging and cognitive decline. Further research in these areas could open up new possibilities for its use in anti-aging treatments.

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Where to find the anti-graying antioxidant

As research progresses, luteolin could become a key ingredient in hair care regimens, helping individuals preserve their natural hair color as they age.

Until then, if you’re experiencing graying hair and are reluctant to hit the salon, you may want to try eating more luteolin-rich foods like the ones mentioned above. Not only will you potentially preserve your hair color, but you will also reap the anti-inflammatory and memory-boosting benefits of this powerful antioxidant. It can also help with pain relief.

In addition to vegetables, luteolin is found in many herbs used in Chinese traditional medicine, including ginkgo nut, horny goat weed, chrysanthemum, red sage, skull cap and wormwood. It is also available in my favorite healthy oil — olive oil — and peppermint, rosemary and thyme.

The study notes that luteolin is already available as a supplement for both topical and oral use. If you decide to take it as a supplement, make sure it’s of high quality, as some luteolin supplements do not contain the amount they do.

If you are on blood thinners or have kidney disease or type 2 diabetes, it’s probably best to get luteolin from food sources.

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:

Luteolin May Prevent Hair from Graying, Study Finds — Integrative Practitioner

Anti-Graying Effects of External and Internal Treatments with Luteolin on Hair in Model Mice — Antioxidants

Luteolin as a modulator of skin aging and inflammation — Journal Biofactors

Luteolin: A promising natural agent in management of pain in chronic conditions — Frontiers in Pain Research

Luteolin supplements: All that glitters is not gold — BioFactors

The post Luteolin: The antioxidant that kept hair from graying appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

But you may not know that there is more than one type of body fat, and they are not created equal…

White fat, or adipose tissue, is the kind that stores energy and becomes problematic when there’s too much of it in the body. However, the other type of fat, brown adipose tissue (BAT), actually burns energy and boosts metabolism.

This thermogenic process may help protect against health conditions such as obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. And recent research indicates BAT may do even more…

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Brown fat for endurance and healthy longevity

Researchers at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School decided to evaluate the impact of this calorie-burning brown fat on exercise endurance and healthy aging.

So, they extracted BAT from mice genetically modified to live longer lifespans and transplanted it into a group of normal mice. Within only three days of the transplant, the normal mice showed improved running endurance. By contrast, however, regular BAT took much longer to produce similar improvements.

“Our hypothesis is that BAT protects against impaired healthful longevity, i.e., obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disorders, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and reduced exercise tolerance,” the researchers write in the published study.

Most studies have shown that exercise regulates BAT activation and increases BAT density. However, the Rutgers team’s research demonstrated that BAT can significantly improve exercise performance, inspiring us to push our limits. But that’s not all it can do…

Aside from its thermogenic properties, the researchers emphasized BAT’s potential to improve blood circulation and reduce cellular stress. This promising aspect of BAT may help combat age-related muscle loss, fatigue, and metabolic decline, giving us hope for a healthier and more active future.

Continued research into the effects of BAT could lead to the development of promising therapies to help older adults live more active lives while reducing the risk of chronic age-related conditions.

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Treatments designed to mimic the benefit of BAT could also lead to innovative approaches for improving energy levels, maintaining a healthy weight and supporting heart health.

“​​In view of the ability of BAT to mediate healthful longevity and enhance exercise performance, it is likely that a pharmaceutical analog of BAT will become a novel therapeutic modality,” they write.

How to get BAT working for you

As promising as this research is, it will be years before it results in readily available therapeutic options. It’s also important to note that the prevalence of BAT decreases with age.

That means while you’ve still got it — put it to work…

You can do things you can do to activate the BAT in your body, as well as convert more white fat into brown fat. One way is through cold exposure: things like taking cold showers, turning down the thermostat in the winter and soaking your feet in an ice bath.

You can also rev up BAT through exercise. One study shows that during exercise, brown fat signals the muscle to take up more fatty acids to use as fuel. And irisin, a hormone released during exercise, can help white fat cells turn beige.

There are foods and specific nutrients that can also help stoke the BAT furnace:

• A combination of black seed oil and omega-3 fatty acids can help white fat convert to brown.
• Flavanols have the power to activate fat browning via the sympathetic nervous system.
• Coffee can stimulate the activity of brown fat cells.
• Vitamin A, when combined with cold, can convert white fat into brown.

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One final note: It’s crucial to control inflammation in your body, as it can block BAT activation. You can take steps to reduce inflammation, such as maintaining a healthy weight and consuming anti-inflammatory foods, empowering yourself to optimize your BAT function for healthier aging.

Luckily, some of the aforementioned methods for activating BAT also help reduce inflammation, like exercise and fish oil, which is a great source of omega-3s.

You can also retool your diet to include more anti-inflammatory foods like fatty fish, nuts and seeds, whole grains, Mediterranean spices, tomatoes, olive oil, green leafy vegetables and fresh fruit. All of these foods are great sources of anti-inflammatory antioxidants!

Sources:

Brown fat boosts exercise performance and promotes healthy longevity — EurekAlert!

Brown adipose tissue enhances exercise performance and healthful longevity — Aging

The post How to activate brown fat for endurance and longevity appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

One claims that drinking cough syrup increases your fertility because it thins out the cervical mucus, making it easier for sperm to pass into the uterus. Another involves wearing rose quartz, a crystal thought to increase fertility and boost conception rates.

There is no evidence to support most of these claims. However, one recommendation that proved somewhat true in a study is eating a hearty breakfast.

A group of women who ate their largest meal at breakfast began to ovulate more regularly, improving their fertility. The theory is that the nutrients in the meal probably caused the effect. However, there was no breakdown of which nutrients might be responsible.

Now, a systematic review of two dozen studies has pinpointed one plant-based nutrient that could actually help aid female fertility…

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The fertility benefits of resveratrol

Resveratrol is a natural polyphenol compound found in many plants, most notably grape skins. It is known for its anti-inflammatory, antiaging and antioxidant properties. It has been shown to prevent the inflammation that can lead to heart disease and other chronic conditions.

An international team of researchers reviewed 24 in vitro and in vivo studies focused on resveratrol and female reproductive health. In doing so, they found evidence suggesting resveratrol may improve the quantity and quality of egg cells known as oocytes.

There are a couple of possible explanations for that benefit…

• One is resveratrol’s antioxidant activity, which reduces oxidative stress and helps protect mitochondrial DNA from damage.
• Another is that resveratrol also activates sirtuin 1 (SIRT1), a molecule typically reduced in aged oocytes, and this activity is thought to potentially slow cell aging and extend ovarian lifespan.

The review also revealed the potential use of resveratrol in the treatment of endometriosis-related infertility and obesity-related infertility. In addition to resveratrol’s anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits, it inhibited pathways involved in androgen production. Too much androgen can reduce fertility.

However, it is important to note the review found mixed results regarding miscarriage and pregnancy. Out of five studies reporting on pregnancy rates, two indicated an increase, two found no difference, and one reported a decrease among those taking resveratrol. The same study that found a decline in pregnancy rates also noted an increase in miscarriage rates, though a second study found no difference.

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“Our systematic review on resveratrol and female fertility is a comprehensive overview of all current research, and it highlights the compound’s potential to improve reproductive outcomes and possibly pave the way for new, less invasive treatments, using natural substances,” says Lee Smith, professor of public health at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) in Cambridge, England and senior author of the paper.

“Therefore, there is a need for further clinical trials, involving human participants, in order to translate these promising results into practical recommendations for women looking to improve their fertility, including guidance on the safe and effective dosage of resveratrol.”

Great sources of resveratrol

Resveratrol can be found in higher amounts in specific foods, most of which might appear as part of a healthy diet. Those include:

• Grapes, especially black grapes.
• Red wine (in moderation)
• Peanuts
• Berries
• Peanuts
• Dark chocolate
• Cacao

Supplementing resveratrol is considered safe. But it’s always wise to follow the manufacturer’s recommendations when taking a supplement. At doses over 2.5 grams or more per day, side effects such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and liver dysfunction have been reported. During pregnancy, it’s wise to consult with your doctor about any supplement.

Resveratrol is rapidly absorbed by the body. Unfortunately, the flip side is that the body quickly metabolizes resveratrol. So whatever your favorite source may be, consider spreading them out throughout your day.

Sources:

Study shows potential of resveratrol to aid fertility — EurekAlert!

Resveratrol and Female Fertility: A Systematic Review — International Journal of Molecular Sciences

Which fertility old wives’ tales are actually true? — The Fertility and Gynaecology Academy

11 Old Wives’ Tales About Trying to Conceive That We Should Banish for Good — Yahoo!Life

Showing all foods in which the polyphenol Resveratrol is found — Phenol-Explorer

The post Resveratrol: Longevity antioxidant to fertility booster appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

But unless you have a medical condition like chronic hypertension and have been warned to stay away from caffeine, it shouldn’t be an issue.

In fact, I’ve got more good news for you: not only isn’t coffee bad for you, but it could keep colon cancer from coming back…

Coffee may prevent bowel cancer recurrence

Recently, I shared some great news about how coffee can help post-menopausal women keep their bones strong.

Now, there’s research showing that coffee drinking can also be a life-saver.

Right now, 30 percent of patients treated for colorectal cancer (bowel cancer) experience a recurrence of cancer.

But an international team of scientists in the Netherlands discovered that coffee seems to improve the odds of staying cancer-free longer…

They looked at 1,719 patients with colorectal cancer and found that those who drank at least two cups of coffee a day were less likely to relapse.

In fact, patients with stage I, II or III bowel cancer who drank at least five cups of coffee a day had a 32 percent lower chance of the cancer returning over the following six years.

Recurrence was defined as recurrence in the same segment as the primary tumor, in the lymph nodes of the same segment or in the draining lymph nodes — or distant metastasis.

The Dutch researchers also saw a noticeable link between how much coffee a patient drank and their risk of dying from any cause.

Three to five cups seems to be the “sweet spot.” People who drank that much saw about a 29 percent reduction in all-cause mortality. But drinking more didn’t make that number go up.

What is it about coffee?

Stacks of research show the health benefits of coffee are many — and some have begun to look at the components in coffee that could be responsible for those benefits — including caffeine.

In fact, there’s been indication that decaff isn’t as potent against cancer as regular caffeinated coffee — at least for breast cancer.

Then there’s the sheer amount of antioxidant content in coffee. Not only that, some reports suggest that Americans get more of their antioxidants from coffee than any other dietary source.

And one of those powerful antioxidants is a polyphenol known as chlorogenic acid (CGA).

CGA is known to fight inflammation in fat tissue. That’s important because inflammation is also a hallmark of cancer and is widely recognized to influence all cancer stages from cell transformation to metastasis.

Some experts suggest around 35 percent of Americans live in a state of chronic, systemic inflammation — and that more than 50 percent of deaths worldwide are attributed to chronic inflammatory diseases, like cancer, heart disease and diabetes.

The Dutch researchers noted that because CGA improves endothelial and vascular function by increasing the availability of nitric oxides — important for maintaining cardiovascular health — the antioxidant could be key to the decrease in all-cause mortality their study found.

What if you’re not a coffee drinker?

So, you’re not a coffee drinker…

Well, it is possible to get your antioxidants elsewhere, though we’re not 100 percent sure yet what other substances in coffee may be responsible for its impact on cancer.

But if you don’t drink coffee, you’re likely falling short on antioxidants anyway and should certainly boost your intake from other sources.

A popular fruit that’s high in antioxidants has been shown to fuel cancer-fighting cells against colorectal cancer. So consider trading a coffee cup for a pomegranate smoothie.

Some berries are outstanding sources of CGA.

Need more suggestions? Check out the antioxidant diet on easy ways to add more to every meal.

Sources:

Drinking Coffee Dramatically Lowers The Risk of Bowel Cancer Coming Back — Science Alert

Coffee consumption is associated with a reduced risk of colorectal cancer recurrence and all-cause mortality — International Journal of Cancer

Ageing: from inflammation to cancer — Immunity and Aging

Chronic inflammation: Why it’s harmful, and how to prevent it — Novant Health

The post The drink that helps keep cancer from coming back appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

I’m talking about a brain aneurysm (more about what that means below).

According to both the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Cleveland Clinic, about 6 percent of us in the United States are living with an unruptured brain aneurysm. In other words, we have no clue it’s there.

If a brain aneurysm ruptures, you may only have minutes to prevent permanent disability or death.

Fortunately, there’s a wealth of information out there, including how to know if you’re at risk for an aneurysm and how to strengthen your blood vessels to decrease the risk of developing one.

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Risks and signs of brain aneurysm

A brain aneurysm is different from a blood clot, which blocks blood flow due to a buildup inside a blood vessel.

In the case of an aneurysm, a bulge forms in a weak area of a blood vessel in or around your brain. The constant blood pressure pushes the weakened section outward, creating a blister-like bump.

When blood rushes into this bulge, the aneurysm stretches even farther. Think of a balloon that’s over-filled with air. As it gets thinner, it is more likely to burst.

Menopausal women have a greater risk of brain aneurysms because of changes in estrogen levels. So do people with high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, diabetes, GI conditions and chronic kidney disease.

Other risk factors include smoking, alcohol consumption, head trauma and certain genetic disorders. And they’re most likely to affect people between the ages of 30 and 60.

Some studies show a strong association between decreased vitamin D levels and an increase in aneurysm rupture. Vitamin D receptors in the endothelial cells of arteries have a protective effect against aneurysm rupture.

An unruptured brain aneurysm may have symptoms, but not always, including pain behind one eye, a dilated pupil, a change in vision or numbness on one side of the face. A leaking one may present as a headache that lasts several days.

When a brain aneurysm ruptures, there may be bleeding between your brain and the thin tissues that cover and protect it (a subarachnoid hemorrhage) or in the space between your skull and your brain (a hemorrhagic stroke).

A ruptured brain aneurysm is a life-or-death emergency. Minutes can count in saving your life or preventing permanent brain damage.

Symptoms of a ruptured brain aneurysm include:

• thunderclap headache (sudden onset and severe, often described as “the worst headache of my life”)
• nausea and vomiting
• stiff neck
• blurred or double vision
• sensitivity to light (photophobia)
• seizures
• drooping eyelid and a dilated pupil
• pain above and behind your eye
• confusion
• weakness and/or numbness
• loss of consciousness

Call 911 or get to the nearest emergency room as soon as possible if you have these symptoms.

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Inflammation’s connection to aneurysms

Preventing inflammation is at the heart of strengthening blood vessels and preventing aneurysms.

Inflammation starts with oxidative stress, an imbalance of free radicals and antioxidants in the body that damages tissue and cells — including the endothelial cells that line blood vessels in the brain and elsewhere.

Ensuring you get enough antioxidants is crucial to preventing oxidative stress and inflammation.

So, where do you find all these antioxidants?

Fruits and vegetables. The most important fruits and vegetables and bioactive compounds to prevent endothelial diseases are berries, apples, virgin olive oil, tomatoes, soybeans, and polyphenols, carotenoids and unsaturated fatty acids like you find in walnuts.

The reason vitamin D is helpful is because it improves antioxidant capacity. That means if you bring antioxidants into your body via your diet, vitamin D supports them in doing their job because of vitamin receptors throughout the body. It also inhibits inflammation and regulates nitric oxide bioavailability and endothelial function.

It may seem an aneurysm is a roll of the dice. But that’s not necessarily true. Staying on top of any risk factors, like high blood pressure and diabetes, avoiding lifestyle risk factors for aneurysms, including inflammation, and eating nutrition (particularly fruits and vegetables) that supports your blood vessels can go a long way in reducing that risk.

You Have a 3% Risk of Getting a Brain Aneurysm And Will Probably Never Know — Science Alert

Vitamin D and Endothelial Function — Nutrients

Vitamin D deficiency promotes intracranial aneurysm rupture — Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism

Brain aneurysm — Cleveland Clinic

Mechanisms of Endothelial Protection by Natural Bioactive Compounds from Fruit and Vegetables — Annals of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences

The Role of Oxidative Stress in Cerebral Aneurysm Formation and Rupture — Current Neurovascular Research

The post Brain aneurysm: A not-so-uncommon risk appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

So it’s not at all surprising to hear that ginkgo could help people who’ve suffered a stroke recover their cognitive abilities.

In fact, research is stacking up that this ancient herb could be the difference between stroke sufferers keeping their cognitive abilities or losing them permanently…

Ischemic stroke and brain damage

Almost 800,000 people in the United States have a stroke every year. Most of these are ischemic strokes caused by a blocked artery in the brain.

Preventing brain damage from these strokes has always been a challenge.

Some damage occurs as soon as blood stops reaching brain cells. But even when a clot is cleared and blood supply returns, free radicals can continue to cause brain cell damage.

According to a preliminary study presented at the American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference 2024, ginkgo may hold hope for patients recovering from ischemic stroke, particularly when it comes to recovering their cognitive ability.

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Using ginkgo in the hopes of reversing cognitive damage

Researchers assessed the cognitive recovery of 3,163 survivors of mild to moderate ischemic stroke, using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale, or MoCA, a screening test of cognitive performance often used with stroke survivors.

Most patients’ cognitive status was moderately impaired — an average score of 17 out of 30 items.

Then, within just 48 hours of their stroke, about half the patients were randomly chosen to receive daily intravenous injections of ginkgo diterpene lactone meglumine (GDLM), a combination of the biologically active components of ginkgo biloba. The other half of the group received placebo injections.

The intravenous treatment was repeated at 14 and 90 days post-stroke.

By day 14, patients who had received the ginkgo injections had improved their cognitive scores by an average of 3.93 points. Those who received a placebo improved by only 3.62 points.

And by day 90, the difference was even greater. Those who had received the ginkgo biloba injections showed an average of 5.51 point improvement in cognitive scores, compared with 5.04 points for those on the placebo.

Anxin Wang, Ph.D., an associate professor of clinical epidemiology at the Beijing Tiantan Hospital of the Capital Medical University in Beijing, explained that GDLM’s neuroprotective effects can be attributed to multiple mechanisms, including:

• Expanding brain blood vessels and improving brain cells tolerance to hypoxia (inadequate oxygen);
• Increasing cerebral blood flow;
• Neuroprotective antioxidation;
• Anti-inflammation and anti-apoptosis (cell death) properties.

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Ginkgo’s long history and modern use

What makes this research especially exciting is that it is not the first to show ginkgo’s potential for brain recovery after stroke…

Back in 2012, laboratory tests at Johns Hopkins demonstrated that daily doses of a standardized extract from the leaves of the ginkgo tree can prevent or reduce brain damage after a stroke.

The scientists involved in that study claimed their observations indicated that the antioxidants in ginkgo get the credit for protecting brain cells.

Ginkgo biloba is one of the most commonly used herbal supplements in the world and has been a staple of Traditional Chinese medicine for centuries, used for circulatory problems and senility.

So it’s not at all surprising that IV preparations of ginkgo biloba’s active ingredients are widely used in China as a complementary treatment for ischemic stroke.

However, it may be quite a while before the FDA is ready to greenlight similar treatment options in the U.S.

Ginkgo is thought to be safe in moderate amounts, but side effects can include an upset stomach, headaches, skin reactions, and dizziness.

But blood thinners, NSAIDs (Ibuprofen) and SSRIs (antidepressants like Zoloft and Prozac) may interact badly with ginkgo. See your doctor before using ginkgo with any of these medications.

Sources:

Active components of ginkgo biloba may improve early cognitive recovery after stroke  — Eureka Alert

Stroke facts — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Ginkgo biloba may aid in treating type 2 diabetes — Medical Express

The post The ancient herb that could reverse brain stroke damage appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

One method measures biological age, or how old your cells are, by using so-called epigenetic clocks. These clocks track chemical changes in your DNA that occur naturally as you age.

Epigenetic clocks can better predict both your health and your lifespan in ways that go beyond chronological age, or the number of years you’ve lived.

There are a few conditions that can affect your epigenetic clock. Obesity, for one, can induce epigenetic changes that may accelerate tissue aging and make the liver age faster. Stress can also speed up the aging process as measured by your epigenetic clock.

Now, researchers have discovered there’s another condition that could send your epigenetic clock into hyperdrive…

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The aging effects of atherosclerosis

Since 2010, the PESA-CNIC-SANTANDER study has been analyzing the progression of subclinical atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) in more than 4,000 Santander Bank employees. Subclinical atherosclerosis is atherosclerosis that hasn’t yet progressed to a symptomatic stage.

Dr. Enrique Lara Pezzi, an author on the study, says the research has helped them learn more about the causes and consequences of subclinical atherosclerosis and provide key information for more personalized treatment in the early disease stages.

But they also stumbled across a link between atherosclerosis and accelerated aging…

Employees participating in the joint venture were between the ages 40 to 54 at the start of the study, with no history of cardiovascular disease. Data on the progression of atherosclerosis was collected using advanced imaging techniques, detailed information on participants’ lifestyles and molecular omics studies. Omics is the comprehensive study of molecules such as DNA, RNA, metabolites and proteins.

During 3-year follow-up examinations, the researchers found that low-grade systemic inflammation spiked in participants with a high burden of atherosclerotic plaques, accelerating epigenetic aging in otherwise healthy adults.

In other words, long before the appearance of symptomatic cardiovascular disease, atherosclerosis is harming our health.

Lead author and General Director at Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares Carlos III (CNIC), Dr. Valentín Fuster emphasized the benefits of reducing low-grade chronic inflammation by adopting a healthy lifestyle or taking specific medications like cholesterol-lowering statins, “that can block, or at least slow, the transition from the subclinical phase of atherosclerosis to the appearance of severe cerebrovascular events, like myocardial infarction or stroke,” he says.

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Winding back your epigenetic clock

Lara Pezzi notes that it is possible to “slow down” our epigenetic aging. Luckily, the steps to slow your epigenetic clock are similar to the steps for lowering chronic inflammation in the body, which helps to protect against atherosclerosis.

Because science isn’t new to the inflammation theory of disease, much research has looked into how to tamp it down…

The Mediterranean diet, which focuses heavily on plant-based foods, healthy fats and fish, has been shown to reduce subclinical inflammation. That’s a great start.

But it gets better…

The fruits and vegetables consumed as part of the Mediterranean diet contain plenty of inflammation-fighting antioxidants called carotenes — bioactive compounds found in yellow, orange and green fruits and vegetables, that have the potential to check atherosclerosis. One study found the greater the concentration of carotenes in the blood, the lesser the atherosclerotic burden.

Add in a little exercise and you could be all set…

Studies have shown endurance sports like cycling, swimming and running and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) both slow signs of aging on the cellular level. If that seems like too much, don’t worry — even getting 20 minutes of moderate exercise a day can go a long way toward lowering inflammation.

Sources:

Atherosclerosis accelerates aging — EurekAlert!

Subclinical atherosclerosis and accelerated epigenetic age mediated by inflammation: a multi-omics study — European Heart Journal

The post The common condition aging you before you know you have it appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

It can help you lose weight and belly fat. It’s linked to slower aging and lower disease risks for diabetes, heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer’s. And a lot of experts say it’s a sure way to lengthen lifespan.

How exactly can the simple act of timing your meals so you may go hours without eating, or even skipping a few meals, have so many benefits?

Well, not to diminish any of the benefits associated with intermittent fastings, there’s one thing that might be a deal breaker for you…

If you’re worried about thinning hair, time-restricted eating might not be the right choice.

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Super slow hair regrowth

A warning that impacts hair growth comes from researchers at Westlake University in Zhejiang, China who, knowing how fasting improved the stress resistance of stem cells associated with blood, intestinal and muscle tissue, hoped to see the same remarkable effects in skin and hair tissue.

To check it out, the scientists started their study in mice that were shaved and then subjected to different intermittent fasting regimes. While some mice ate during an 8-hour period and fasted 16 hours a day, others underwent alternate-day fasting (ADF).

But instead of seeing improvements in hair stem cells, the results brought up concerns…

The scientists discovered that instead of improving hair regeneration, fasting inhibited it. While the control mice with unlimited access to food had regrown most of their hair in just 30 days, mice on both intermittent fasting regimens experienced only partial hair regrowth after 96 days.

And mice weren’t the only ones adversely affected…

The team studied the effects of fasting in 49 healthy young adults and found that 18 hours of fasting per day for 10 days reduced the average speed of hair growth by a full 18%.

“We don’t want to scare people away from practicing intermittent fasting because it is associated with a lot of beneficial effects — it’s just important to be aware that it might have some unintended effects,” said senior author, Bing Zhang.

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Follicle cells on fasting

So why would fasting cause hair thinning?

According to the scientists, it’s all because when you’re fasting, your body has to switch from burning glucose to burning fat — something that’s great for your waistline but not so much for your scalp.

That’s because hair follicle stem cells (HFSCs) aren’t able to cope with the oxidative stress associated with this change, which keeps them dormant instead of actively growing hair.

In fact, the research showed that while the control mice’s follicles began to become active around day 20 post-shaving and remained active until their hair had regrown, the hair follicles of fasting mice underwent apoptosis (programmed cell death) due to a build-up for free radicals.

The same thing happened in human in vitro testing.

“During fasting, adipose tissue starts to release free fatty acids, and these fatty acids enter the HFSCs that were recently activated, but these stem cells don’t have the right machinery to use them,” explained Zhang.

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Supporting hair growth during fasting

So do you have to give up fasting if you want to keep your hair thick and full?

Not necessarily…

The research also resulted in some good news for those of us who want to get all of the benefits of time-restricted eating without hair loss worries.

Because free radicals in the follicles were the culprit behind hair regrowth issues, the team decided to see if antioxidants, which neutralize free radicals, could mitigate their effects.

And sure enough, they found that both topical application of vitamin E and increasing antioxidant capacity helped hair follicles survive fasting and become active again.

This means that if you do decide to use intermittent fasting to improve your overall health, you can support your hair health by rubbing vitamin E into your scalp and getting more antioxidants into your diet in the form of food and supplements.

Sources:

Intermittent fasting inhibits hair regeneration in mice — Science Daily

The post The ‘superhealthy’ diet that can halt hair growth appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

But just like on the football field, you have your MVPs — and you have those players that, if they spent the entirety of the game on the sidelines, the season would go on.

Your appendix might be a bench sitter. Even your spleen and gallbladder could sit the game out. And it’s even possible to continue without a stomach, a kidney or a colon. It’s certainly not optimal by any means, but it’s possible.

Your liver, though, is no bench-sitter.

It’s responsible for performing hundreds of functions… from breaking down fat for energy and metabolizing nutrients and medications so your body can use them — to creating and regulating several hormones… as well as enzymes and proteins necessary for digestion and even blood clotting.

But your liver is also your body’s main detoxifying organ. To say the least, that’s a lot of pressure.

Under a constant assault by chemicals, toxins and a diet heavy in processed foods — a tired, overworked liver can struggle to do it all.  It will switch to “life support mode” and put housekeeping on the back burner.

The toxins and fat begin to build, and your liver is no longer playing like an MVP. The result? Up to 100 million Americans with undiagnosed non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, for starters.

Luckily, your liver has a teammate whose main goal is making sure it’s up to sacking those inescapable threats…

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Your liver’s best friend

N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is derived from an amino acid in the body that is essential for producing antioxidants. Without NAC, you’d have difficulty refilling your stores of glutathione, the body’s master antioxidant.

NAC activates glutathione, which “primes” the function of T cells and natural killer cells, making them better able to deal with viruses and bacteria. A big deal, right? But that’s not all…

NAC is a powerful detoxifier. In fact, if you are ever rushed to the ER for an acetaminophen (Tylenol) overdose, doctors will immediately administer an I.V. dose of N-acetylcysteine.

Acute threats aside though, with NAC, your liver gains a powerful ally, capable of tackling multiple health threats, including those that come with age.

Previous research has shown that because NAC can help the body maintain adequate glutathione levels, it may help prevent the routine metabolic decline associated with aging.

According to the author of that study, “I’m optimistic there could be a role for this compound in preventing the increased toxicity we face with aging, as our abilities to deal with toxins decline. We might be able to improve the metabolic resilience that we’re naturally losing with age.”

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Getting NAC on your team

NAC is a free agent. In other words, providing your body with NAC is as simple as finding the right supplement.

That’s because NAC isn’t found in any food sources. However, eating high-protein foods provides your body with cysteine, which is a precursor to NAC.

For that reason, some health practitioners will tell you it’s not necessary to supplement NAC. However, the study I referenced above found that in mice experiencing toxic stress, the cells of older mice were depleted of glutathione, and they died twice as fast as younger mice.

NAC has also been around for a long time and has been used as a medication, so it’s considered quite safe. But always choose supplements from a reputable manufacturer and never take more than is recommended.

If you bleed easily, have cystinuria (a condition that causes kidney stones) or take nitroglycerine, don’t supplement NAC without talking to your doctor first.

The post NAC: The liver’s ally for healthy aging appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

To win that battle, you need as many helpers in your corner as possible. But while many people are reaching for GLP-1 drugs, better known by brand names like Ozempic and Wegovy, you may want to think twice about reports of serious side effects that are stacking up.

Luckily, scientists have identified one more helper in the weight loss battle — an anti-obesity antioxidant that actually blocks fat accumulation and can keep even a high-fat, high-calorie diet from packing pounds onto your body.

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PQQ: an antioxidant powerhouse

The antioxidant is known as pyrroloquinoline quinone or PQQ for short.

It’s one that’s been found to lower heart failure risk and help rescue a fatty liver.

It’s also known as a “longevity” nutrient due to its ability to improve the function of the body’s cellular powerhouses — mitochondria.

And that effect on the mitochondria is just one of the ways scientists say PQQ can help you slim down.

Battling the bulge

The scientists pitted PQQ against a high-fat or high-calorie diet in a mouse model.

They found that PQQ:

• Significantly attenuated (reduced) both the total body fat and visceral fat volume in the abdominal region of the mice.
• Blocked body fat accumulation under both high-fat and high-calorie consumption conditions.
• Suppressed lipogenesis (the process by which fat forms) in adipocytes, the body’s fat cells.
• Promoted mitochondrial biogenesis (in other words stimulated the body to produce more mitochondria).

So what does that all mean?

PQQ actually kept fat from being formed (even during consumption of what amounts to a fast food diet).

It stopped pounds from being packed on around the middle and kept visceral fat low. That’s the kind of fat that is stored in your abdominal cavity, wraps around your organs and raises your risk of serious disease.

In fact, in a follow-up paper published in 2023, the same researchers stated that PQQ has the potential to treat numerous metabolic disorders including diabetes. PQQ influences insulin signaling via multiple pathways and increases glucose absorption.

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Boosting your PQQ

I don’t know about you, but my immediate thought was “Give me some PQQ.”

So where can you get the antioxidant? PQQ is found in a number of fruits and veggies, such as:

• Spinach
• Celery
• Green peppers
• Papaya
• Kiwi

And if you like liver, it’s also a good source of PQQ.

However, the truth is that PQQ is one of those nutrients that can be a challenge to get enough of through diet alone.

That’s why I mentioned supplementing earlier. Fortunately, it’s become popular in the supplement industry where its strong potential as a potent therapeutic nutraceutical has been recognized.

Supplementing PQQ is considered safe and, as an ingredient, it meets all the USA-FDA “generally regarded as safe” (GRAS) requirements.

Sources:

Pyrroloquinoline Quinone Attenuates Fat Accumulation in Obese Mice Fed with a High-Fat Diet, Daphnia magna Supplied with a High Amount of Food, and 3T3-L1 Adipocytes – ACS Publications

Pyrroloquinoline-quinone to reduce fat accumulation and ameliorate obesity progression – Frontiers Journal Molecular Biosciences

Pyrroloquinoline-Quinone Is More Than an Antioxidant: A Vitamin-like Accessory Factor Important in Health and Disease Prevention – Journal Biomolecules

The post PQQ: The antioxidant that fights the most dangerous fat appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

And unfortunately, the problems caused by periodontitis don’t stop in your mouth.

In fact, gum disease has been linked to heart disease, cognitive decline, reduced respiratory function, and even lung cancer.

It’s clear oral hygiene is important not only to the health of your mouth but your whole body.

However, experts warn that most over-the-counter oral hygiene products are disinfectants that can be highly irritating to the sensitive tissue of your mouth and gums. They can also kill of bacteria necessary for the production of nitric oxide for healthy arteries.

So how can you care for your mouth and ward off periodontitis, without causing more harm?

Researchers at Osaka Metropolitan University believe they’ve found the answer hidden in two tasty fruits…

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The flavonoid secret for a healthy mouth

Initially, the team set out to test seven natural flavonoids against a bacteria called Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis). Because P. gingivalis is frequently detected in deep periodontal pockets, it is considered to be the most critical bacterium in periodontal disease.

But why flavonoids?

Research has shown they possess various physiological activities, including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The seven chosen to tackle P. gingivalis also demonstrated antimicrobial properties, meaning they could reduce or fight infection.

Yet, when it came down to it, a single one stood out.

Known as prunin laurate or Pru-C12, it’s a compound found in grapefruit peel and coconut.

And while previous studies had already shown it to be antimicrobial, no one knew just how effective it could be against P. gingivalis to ward off gum disease.

In in vitro and mouse studies, the Osaka scientists found that Pru-C12:

1. Stopped the growth of P. gingivalis
2. Blocked biofilm formation (bacterial communities that form a sticky network on the surfaces of your teeth and gums)
3. Inhibited alveolar bone resorption (bone destruction that’s a hallmark of periodontitis progression)

And Pru-C12 was non-cytotoxic — meaning it wasn’t irritating.

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A natural way to care for your mouth

So how can you put the results of this research to work to improve your oral health?

While eating more grapefruit and coconut might seem the way to go, I’m doing something a bit different.

Oil pulling is an alternative recommendation by holistic dentists for oral healthcare and is super easy to incorporate into your daily life.

After brushing, simply put one tablespoon of coconut oil in your mouth and gently work it around, swishing or pulling it between your teeth. Do this for at least 10 minutes and up to 20, with practice.

When done, simply spit it out and rinse your mouth with warm water containing a little sea salt. You might want to run a little hot water down the sink to keep oil from building up in your plumbing or spit it into a cup to dispose of elsewhere.

You can even buy coconut oil with grapefruit essential oils already added. Some people have to avoid grapefruit due to medications. If that sounds like you, ask your doctor what he thinks about swishing with it. If it’s a no-go, stick to just the coconut oil.

For even more help in the battle against gum disease, consider fish oil supplements. Researchers believe it could be a less invasive periodontal therapy for reversing the damage it does.

Sources:

Protect your teeth with fruit: antimicrobial effects found in biomass compounds — ScienceDaily

Prunin Laurate Derived from Natural Substances Shows Antibacterial Activity against the Periodontal Pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis — MDPI

The strong link between gum disease and heart failure — Easy Health Options

2 more ways gum disease can kill you — Easy Health Options

A fresh mouth can give you high blood pressure — Easy Health Options

The post The antimicrobial fruit combo that fights gum disease appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

There’s the bone density berry that beats back bone loss…

There’s the one that works for a better brain and blood pressure…

And the berry that improves heart and blood vessel function — in 30 days!

Then there’s the elderberry — best known as a natural flu remedy.

The secret to the elderberry’s anti-viral power lies in its high concentration of anthocyanins, a group of deep red, purple, and blue pigments that give berries their rich colors.

They also contain quite a lot of vitamin C — just one cup accounts for 57% of the recommended daily value.

The anthocyanins in elderberries work to fight free radical damage and boost your immune system in two ways:

• They shield your immune cells so that they can protect you
• They promote white blood cell production to fight off infection

And now a Washington State University-led study says elderberries have powerful benefits for weight management and metabolic health — thanks to those very same anthocyanins…

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Elderberries improve metabolism and burn fat

“Elderberry is an underappreciated berry, commercially and nutritionally,” said corresponding author Patrick Solverson, an assistant professor in the Washington State University Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine’s Department of Nutrition and Exercise Physiology. “We’re now starting to recognize its value for human health, and the results are very exciting.”

In a clinical trial published in the journal Nutrients, Prof. Solverson and team found that drinking 12 ounces of elderberry juice daily for a week causes positive changes in the gut microbiome and improves glucose tolerance and fat oxidation.

A group of 18 overweight participants consumed either elderberry juice or a placebo with similar coloring and taste, specially designed by North Carolina State University’s Food Innovation Lab, while maintaining a standardized diet.

Those who drank the elderberry juice saw the following health benefits:

• Improved gut microbiome. There was a significant increase in the amounts of beneficial gut bacteria, including firmicutes and actinobacteria, and decreased amounts of harmful bacteria, such as Bacteroidetes.
• Improved metabolism. There was a reduction in blood glucose levels by an average of 24%, indicating a significantly improved ability to process sugars following carbohydrate consumption. Insulin levels also decreased by 9%.
• Enhanced fat burning. There was a significant increase in fat oxidation, or the breakdown of fatty acids, after a high carbohydrate meal and during exercise.

“Food is medicine, and science is catching up to that popular wisdom,” Prof. Solverson says. “This study contributes to a growing body of evidence that elderberry, which has been used as a folk remedy for centuries, has numerous benefits for metabolic as well as prebiotic health.”

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How to get your elderberries

Elderberries are easily found in various forms: juice, powder (which can be added to tea, smoothies, or oatmeal), lozenges and elderberry tea.

It’s important to note that you shouldn’t eat elderberries whole when raw since they contain the toxic compounds, lectin and cyanide (primarily found in the seeds, stems, and leaves), which can cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

You can cook them or buy products with cooked berries instead, including elderberry juice, tea, lozenges, syrup, or powder that can be added to foods like oatmeal.

Because elderberry may stimulate the immune system, it could interfere with medications taken to suppress the immune system. These medications include corticosteroids (prednisone) and medications used to treat autoimmune diseases. People with organ transplants should also avoid elderberry.

Sources:

Elderberry juice shows benefits for weight management, metabolic health — Eureka Alert

A one-week elderberry juice intervention augments the fecal microbiota and suggests improvement in glucose tolerance and fat oxidation in a randomized controlled trial — Nutrients

Elderberry — mtsinai.org

The post The berry that boosts metabolism, burns fat and fights flu appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

I don’t worry too much about these habits. My husband takes his coffee black, so there’s no added sugar or calories to worry about. And I like my tea with a splash of unsweetened plant milk, which only adds a few calories and no extra sugar.

Plus, a ton of health benefits are associated with both coffee and tea — including reducing the risk of some types of cancer. And recent research has added this seventh most common cancer to that list…

Coffee, tea and head and neck cancer

Rates of head and neck cancer are rising in low- and middle-income countries, causing investigators to explore ways to combat that increase. Many studies have been conducted to assess whether coffee or tea is linked with head and neck cancer, but results have been inconsistent — until now…

One team of international researchers analyzed more than a dozen of these studies, pooling information on 9,548 patients with head and neck cancer and 15,783 controls without cancer — and what they found was encouraging.

Compared with non-coffee drinkers, people who drank more than four cups of caffeinated coffee daily had a 17 percent lower risk overall of contracting head and neck cancer. They also had 30 percent lower odds of having cancer of the oral cavity and 22 percent reduced odds of having throat cancer.

Drinking three to four cups of caffeinated coffee was linked with a 41 percent lower risk of having hypopharyngeal cancer, a type of cancer that affects the bottom of the throat. Drinking decaffeinated coffee was associated with a 25 percent reduced risk of oral cavity cancer.

As for tea, the news is good too…

Drinking tea was connected with a 29 percent lower risk of hypopharyngeal cancer. Drinking one cup or less of tea daily was linked with a 9 percent lower risk overall of head and neck cancer and a 27 percent lower risk of hypopharyngeal cancer. Interestingly,  drinking more than one cup of tea was associated with 38 percent higher odds of laryngeal cancer.

“While there has been prior research on coffee and tea consumption and reduced risk of cancer, this study highlighted their varying effects with different sub-sites of head and neck cancer, including the observation that even decaffeinated coffee had some positive impact,” says senior author Dr. Yuan-Chin Amy Lee of Huntsman Cancer Institute and the University of Utah School of Medicine.

The power of polyphenols

People around the world consume coffee and tea, and the beverages contain bioactive compounds with potential antioxidant, anticancer and anti-inflammatory effects. These compounds may be key to the anti-cancer benefits.

“We have looked at the literature, and we suspect that perhaps bioactive compounds other than caffeine contribute to this potential anticancer effect of coffee and tea,” Lee says. “Polyphenols found in caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee and tea have exhibited anti-oxidative and anticancer properties that contribute to inhibition of angiogenesis, cell proliferation, cell invasion and metastasis of cancer cells. This bioactive capability of coffee has also been found in lab studies of human cancer cell lines.”

The researchers say their findings support the protective effects of coffee and tea consumption on head and neck cancer risk. They note further studies should determine the effects of coffee and tea consumption in regions beyond North America and Europe, particularly in low- and middle-income countries burdened by head and neck cancer. They should also include different coffee and tea types and processing styles.

To that end, Lee and colleagues hope to extend their research into areas such as the temperature of the beverage, as well as additives such as cream, sugar and milk and the way coffee beans are prepared.

What does all this mean for you? If you’re a coffee or tea lover, this is further proof that your habit is doing you good health-wise. So, you can keep indulging, though you may want to do it without adding tons of milk or sweeteners.

You might want to give your hot tea or coffee time to cool, also. A study from a few years ago found that these drinks consumed at high temperatures were linked to an increase in esophageal cancer.

Sources:

1. Can drinking coffee or tea help prevent head and neck cancer? — EurekAlert!

2. Coffee, Tea Tied to Lower Risk of Head and Neck Cancer — MedPage Today

3. Coffee and tea consumption and the risk of head and neck cancer: An updated pooled analysis in the International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology Consortium — Cancer

The post Coffee and tea’s connection to head and neck cancer appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

In fact, my husband jokes that without my coffee I wouldn’t be able to survive.

As it turns out, his little joke might not be too far off the mark…

That’s because a comprehensive review of coffee research has revealed the popular drink could be the secret to healthy aging that’s been under our noses the whole time…

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Health that adds up to more years

Researchers at the University of Coimbra in Portugal combed through 85 previous studies involving hundreds of thousands of participants to determine how drinking coffee affects health and lifespan.

Altogether, they found that drinking approximately three cups of coffee a day is associated with an extra 1.84 years of life tacked onto a healthier lifespan.

Those extra years are most likely the result of lowering the risks of several chronic diseases typically seen in older age, including:

• Cardiovascular diseases and stroke – These included hypertension, arrhythmia and ischemic brain diseases, along with metabolic risk factors for cardiovascular diseases, such as metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes and obesity.
• Respiratory diseases – Coffee consumption was inversely associated with mortality from respiratory diseases.
• Cognitive decline – The majority of the studies concluded that the regular consumption of coffee is inversely associated with the risk of developing dementia, particularly Alzheimer’s disease.
• Depression – Drinking two to three cups of coffee per day was associated with the lowest risk of depression and anxiety.
• Vision deterioration – The caffeine in coffee was also found to bolster dynamic visual acuity and increase reading rate and tear film quality while preventing neurodegeneration in the eye.
• Frailty – Coffee consumption is also linked to improved physical functioning and reduced frailty. It also affords protective effects against osteoporosis/osteopenia, the risk of falls and the risk of fractures in the elderly.

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Coffee’s special ingredients get the credit

According to the researchers, in addition to preventing the most common diseases we face with age, coffee consumption also helps preserve muscular, cardiovascular, mental and immune system functions.

“Traditional clinical recommendations have at times overlooked coffee’s role in healthy aging,” says Rodrigo Cunha, principal investigator in the Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology and professor at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Coimbra.

“Our review underlines the role regular, moderate coffee consumption can play in mediating against the biological mechanisms which naturally slow or fail as we get older — triggering a range of potential health issues and comorbidities.”

Those biological mechanisms he’s referring to are known as the 7 pillars of aging and include:

• Genomic instability
• Shortening of telomeres
• Epigenetic alterations
• Loss of proteostasis
• Deregulated nutrient sensing
• Mitochondrial dysfunction
• Cellular senescence

Cunha explained that it’s the molecular constituents of coffee that get the credit for attenuating these aging processes…

“In simple words, chlorogenic acids are antioxidants that can attenuate the chemical deterioration of our cells and allow for better cell recovery after exposure to noxious stimuli.

“In parallel, caffeine refrains the activation of receptors signaling stress and/or danger prompting a reorganization of resources for optimal and more constant function, thus preserving the quality of our cells despite recurrent challenges.”

So don’t feel guilty for enjoying your morning coffee.

Sources:

Impact of coffee intake on human aging: Epidemiology and cellular mechanisms — ScienceDirect

Giant Study Links Drinking Coffee With Almost 2 Extra Years of Life — Science Alert

Coffee may help prolong lifespan by almost 2 years, on average — Medical News Today

The post Coffee: The healthy aging secret under our noses appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Even if the antidepressant does provide relief, it often comes with its own set of problems: nausea, weight gain, fatigue, constipation, irritability, anxiety and low sex drive.

So what can you do? With a little effort, depression can be managed naturally. And as with many conditions, it all starts with what you’re eating…

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Foods with a major impact on depression

Previous studies have shown that following healthy eating plans like the heart-healthy DASH diet can help reduce the odds of developing depression. Now, a new and particularly strong study sheds light on why that may be true…

The study, led by the University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney’s Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA), involved 3,483 twins ages 45 and up from Australia, Denmark, Sweden and the U.S.

Twins, according to the MSU Twin Registry, are a valuable source for health and psychological research because their unique relationship allows researchers to pull apart and examine genetic and environmental influences.

The twins’ fruit and vegetable intake was followed for over 11 years — and low intake of fruit was measured as 0.3 servings on average per day, and low intake of vegetables was measured as 0.5 servings per day. By contrast, 2.1 servings a day was considered high fruit intake and 2.0 servings a day was considered high vegetable intake.

The study results found that higher intakes of both fruit and vegetables were linked with lower symptoms of depression over time.

Interestingly, the high category still fell well below the dietary recommendations of most countries. In one example, the American Heart Association recommends four to five servings each of fruits and vegetables each day.

“We found that fruit and vegetable consumption in the two large Scandinavian studies were particularly low, with the average for both being less than half the World Health Organization recommended intake of at least five serves per day,” says lead author and postdoctoral fellow Dr. Annabel Matison.

“We are unclear what the reduction in depression scores would be if intakes were increased to recommended levels,” Matison adds.

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Powerful nutrients are key

The researchers believe the beneficial relationship between fruits and vegetables and depression is most likely the result of higher levels of dietary fiber, vitamins and micronutrients — namely antioxidants.

That’s because those with major depression show lower levels of antioxidant markers when compared with healthy people.

Berries top the list of antioxidant-rich fruits. One landmark study showed just one cup of berries provided an entire day’s worth of disease-fighting antioxidants.

And dark, leafy greens and citrus fruits contain plenty of folate (vitamin B9), which plays an important role in the synthesis of serotonin and other neurotransmitters involved in mood regulation.

Consumption of fiber-rich fruits and vegetables also positively impact the gut-brain axis…

“The importance of the gut microbiome and its potential influence on depression as a result of inflammation, both systemic and neuroinflammation, is becoming increasingly well understood,” Matison says.

Getting the recommended daily amount of fruits and vegetables — four to five servings — may sound like a lot, but it’s easy to spread that across each meal.

You don’t have to rely solely on fresh produce, even though a daily salad is a great habit. Frozen produce is typically minimally processed (picked, cleaned, cut and frozen), making it a healthy choice.

Of course, a cup of berries could satisfy your fruit requirement. But it’s also good to mix it up and follow the “eat the rainbow” rule.

Sources:

Link between low fruit and vegetable intake and depression shown in twin studies — Scimex

Longitudinal associations between fruit and vegetable intakes and depressive symptoms in middle-aged and older adults from four international twin cohorts — Scientific Reports

Treatment‐resistant depression: definition, prevalence, detection, management, and investigational interventions — World Psychiatry

When the first antidepressant doesn’t work: What’s next? — Vital Record

What Are Recommended Servings of Fruits and Vegetables? — Scripps

Fruits and Vegetables Serving Sizes Infographic — American Heart Association

The post Twins help reveal powerful reason diet links to depression appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

People have used it to fight everyday respiratory infections like colds and flu. And though it’s a proven champion of respiratory health, it’s often overshadowed by vitamin C.

Those in the know swear by its ability to ease the coughing, wheezing and phlegm that make you so miserable when you’re sick. And at least one study shows that taking 600 mg of NAC twice daily reduces the likelihood of getting the flu by more than 50 percent.

Other studies show that NAC can help people with serious respiratory issues too, like acute respiratory distress syndrome, chronic bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma.

So NAC is worth having in your medicine chest for its respiratory benefits alone. But new research shows it has another surprising but super helpful skill that makes it a must-have in your household — it starves cancer cells.

NAC cuts off cancer’s food supply

A clinical trial published in the journal Seminars in Oncology shows that NAC stops a group of cells (known as tumor stroma) that contribute to the spread of cancer.

Based on the results of this study, researchers believe NAC stops these cancer-spreading cells by halting the production of MCT4, a protein that feeds cancer cells. MCT4 feeds cancer cells by bringing them lactate from nearby cells, which gives them energy.

Previous research in cell cultures showed that NAC got rid of this cancer-feeding protein almost completely. Researchers confirmed that it works in living, breathing people with cancer too…

They gave NAC to 12 people with breast cancer awaiting surgery, and they found that it slashed the amount of MCT4 in their tumors by 80 percent. Without that protein, these patients’ cancer cells would have a hard time feeding off nearby cells, which means they aren’t as likely to spread.

“High levels of stromal MCT4 are extremely worrying, as they are linked to aggressive cancer behavior and poor overall survival, so this is a very encouraging result,” said study researcher Professor Michael Lisanti. “To be able to inhibit MCT4 protein expression, in a non-toxic way, is a huge step forward.”

But why can NAV help fight everything from colds to cancer?

Well, when you pop an NAC supplement, your body uses it to make an amino acid called cysteine, which your body eventually converts into a powerful antioxidant called glutathione, that resists age-related decline. Antioxidants protect cells and DNA from free radical damage. Scientists believe this may be why NAC can help with colds, cancer and many conditions in between.

Even more benefits of NAC

Now, this was a small study, so it’s too soon to say if NAC will work for people with other types of cancer or even other people with breast cancer. But one thing is for sure, NAC has a lot of proven benefits that may inspire you to add it to your supplement collection regardless…

I already told you how NAC can ease short-term and long-term respiratory problems, but that’s only a small piece of the NAC puzzle…

It also detoxifies the body and may help prevent liver damage by increasing cellular antioxidant levels. It’s used in high doses in hospitals for acetaminophen overdose and exposure to toxic heavy metals.

It’s also been around for a long time and has been used as a medication, so it’s considered quite safe. But always choose supplements from a reputable manufacturer and never take more than is recommended.

So if you want to try N-Acetylcysteine, you’ll most likely reap some benefits — not only during cold and flu season but year-round considering its tremendous scope of benefits.

Sources:

1. Decongestant ‘highly effective’ at starving cancer cells — MedicalXpress. Retrieved December 5, 2017.
2. Monti, et al. “Pilot study demonstrating metabolic and anti-proliferative effects of in vivo anti-oxidant supplementation with N-Acetylcysteine in Breast Cancer.” — Seminars in Oncology, 2017. DOI: 10.1053/j.seminoncol.2017.10.001.
3. The Overlooked Compound That Saves Lives: N-acetyl Cysteine — Life Extension Magazine. Retrieved December 5, 2017.
4. “Improvement by N-acetylcysteine of acute respiratory distress syndrome through increasing intracellular glutathione, and extracellular thiol molecules and anti-oxidant power: evidence for underlying toxicological mechanisms” — Human & Experimental Toxicology. 2007 Sep;26(9):697-703.
5. Cysteine — University of Maryland Medical Center. Retrieved December 5, 2017.
6. NAC (N-acetylcysteine) — Whole Health Chicago. Retrieved December 5, 2017.

The post The flu-fighting supplement that starves cancer appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Illness, medications, loneliness and physical changes that limit mobility are some of the things that can cause depression.

But one of the biggest contributors is poor nutrition. Surprised?

We already know that the antioxidants found in certain fruits can protect the brain from age-related changes linked to Alzheimer’s and depression.

But what if you got a head start?

I mean, what if you started loading up on these vitamin-rich foods now, to avoid depression as a pitfall of old age?

That’s just what some new research suggests you do…

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Loading up on fruit in midlife pays off later

Researchers at the National University of Singapore’s Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine set out to answer this question: could specific diet or food items consumed earlier in life have an impact on mental well-being in later years?

Their longitudinal study followed 13,738 people from around age 45 to age 74. Participants filled out a periodic food frequency questionnaire to report their fruit and vegetable consumption.

At the end of the study, those who had regularly consumed higher amounts of fruit earlier in life were less likely to experience depressive symptoms when they were older.

Vegetables eaten over the same time period, though, had no association with the likelihood of depressive symptoms.

As for the reasons behind the connection between eating fruit and lower depression risk, the researchers offered no hard and fast conclusions.

But it seemed evident to them that the high levels of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory nutrients found in many fruits had to have something to do with it…

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Which fruits top the list for best depression fighters?

In the study, oranges, tangerines, bananas, papayas, watermelons, apple and honey melon were the fruits most consumed by those whose depression risk was lowered.

The researchers believed the association could be the high levels of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory micronutrients in these fruits — including vitamin C, carotenoids and flavonoids — which have been shown to reduce oxidative stress and inhibit inflammatory processes in the body that may affect the development of depression.

Antioxidants are instrumental in helping the body break down and utilize tryptophan effectively — a process that contributes to inflammation if it goes awry.

When everything goes right, tryptophan, an amino acid available in common foods, like milk, chicken, turkey and oats, works as a precursor to produce serotonin — a “happiness” hormone. Many anti-depressant medications aim to raise serotonin levels.

Most fruits will help you get your fill of antioxidants. Blueberries top the list of antioxidant-rich fruits, followed closely by raspberries, strawberries, and blackberries. Apples, peaches, mangos, melons, cranberries, cherries, and red grapes are also great choices.

How much fruit to do the trick?

Professor Koh Woon Puay from the Healthy Longevity Translational Research Programme at NUS Medicine and Principal Investigator of the study, said, “In our study population, participants who had at least 3 servings of fruits a day, compared to those with less than one serving a day, were able to reduce the likelihood of aging-related depression significantly by at least 21 percent. This can be achieved by eating one to two servings of fruits after every meal.” 

To further boost serotonin production, consider vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids. In a paper published in FASEB Journal, researchers suggest that optimizing intakes of these two nutrients would optimize brain serotonin concentrations.

Sources:

Boosting fruit intake during midlife can ward off late-life blues: NUS study — Eureka Alert

Association between consumption of fruits and vegetables in midlife and depressive symptoms in late life: the Singapore Chinese Health Study — Science Direct / The Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging

Antioxidants in Fruits — Web MD

The post Eat this now to avoid depression pitfall of aging appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

But they do a lot more than give foods like red peppers and orange carrots their bright colors…

According to scholars, aging is defined as the progressive impairment of physiological integrity over time. The biggest contributors to that destruction are reactive oxygen species (ROS) — the catalysts at the core of the “Theory of Free Radical Aging.”

Lucky for us, carotenoids are powerful antioxidants with a serious capacity to scavenge free radicals and protect the body’s cells and tissues. And that means that they provide an amazing array of health benefits.

Hopefully, you’re already working to get plenty of carotenoids into your diet to protect your eyesight and keep your brain sharp as you age.

If not, then here’s yet another great reason to start eating carotenoid-rich foods now…

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Anti-aging at the cellular level

Getting more carotenoids is a powerful way to help your body age more slowly.

The anti-aging power of carotenoids comes from their ability to help nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor (Nrf2) migrate into the nuclei of cells.

Once that happens, detoxifying antioxidants and enzymes can be “written” into those cells.

Another way carotenoids slow aging has to do with telomeres.

You can think of telomeres like the tips on the ends of your shoelaces. As a cell divides, its telomeres shorten until it dies. This is the natural course of things, but free radicals and inflammation can accelerate this process and make your cells age faster.

Carotenoids can offer protection against the shortening of telomeres. For example, research has shown that beta-carotene (think carrots!) is associated with longer telomere length.

How carotenoids promote youthful skin

Your skin is an organ, just like your heart or liver. In fact, it’s the largest and most exposed organ in your body.

As we age, our skin becomes less able to defend itself against changes that come from poor nutrition, hormonal factors, and exposure to pollutants. It also becomes less able to repair itself if damaged by UV radiation.

Your skin is also the barrier between the outside world and your internal organs, so it’s important to maintain its ability to keep bacteria and other threats from entering your body.

That’s where carotenoids help.

There are seven major carotenoids:

• beta-carotene
• alpha-carotene
• beta-cryptoxanthin
• lutein
• zeaxanthin
• astaxanthin
• lycopene

Each provides its own benefits to skin health:

• lycopene can reduce skin pigmentation and increase skin thickness and density
• astaxanthin inhibits oxidative damage and acts as an anti-photoaging agent
• astaxanthin also adds to skin moisture and reduces age spots and wrinkles
• lutein has been shown to increase antioxidant levels and skin moisture and make skin more elastic
• zeaxanthin in the diet and applied topically has been shown to improve hydration and treat wrinkles

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How to get more carotenoids in your diet

Just head for the produce section and fill your cart with brightly colored fruits and vegetables.

The top ten carotenoid-rich foods are:

• carrots
• tomato
• pumpkin
• kale
• vegetable juice
• collards
• spinach
• sweet potatoes
• turnip greens
• apricots

Lycopene is a red pigment that’s especially abundant in tomatoes.

Red bell pepper is an excellent choice as well. One pepper has 253 percent of your daily vitamin C requirements. Vitamin C plays a central role in making collagen, the main structural protein found in skin.

There’s no better time now to load up on these fruits and veggies for healthier aging, inside and out.

Sources:

A Narrative Review: The Effect and Importance of Carotenoids on Aging and Aging-Related Diseases — International Journal of Molecular Sciences

The post Colorful carotenoids: Foods that fight aging inside and out appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Dad’s progression from being slightly clumsy, to having tremors, a shuffling gait and the “mask face” that Parkinson’s stiff muscles can cause, took about ten years.

In 2008, shortly after dad passed, a flurry of research began into the true origins and causes of this devastating disease.

Today, that research continues…

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The neurology of Parkinson’s

Before we go on, it will be helpful if you understand what’s going on “behind the scenes” in the nervous system of someone with Parkinson’s disease.

Parkinson’s is caused by the loss of neurons that produce dopamine, a neurotransmitter involved in motor control and cognitive function.

In Parkinson’s disease, free radicals produced by excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) molecules, damage the neurons that produce dopamine.

Environmental factors, such as neurotoxins, pesticides, insecticides, dopamine (DA) itself, and genetic mutations contribute to mitochondrial dysfunction which precedes the formation of these reactive oxygen species.

So it’s not surprising that pesticides have been linked to the onset of Parkinson’s. In 2006, a Harvard study found a 70 percent incidence of Parkinson’s among farm and non-farm workers exposed to pesticides. Studies in 2011 and 2014 came up with similarly disturbing results.

And in previous research involving Harvard, UCLA and Mt. Sinai Hospital, researchers saw that neurons that closely resembled dopaminergic neurons, when damaged by certain pesticides, resulted in the motor symptoms of Parkinson’s: the shuffling gait, uncontrollable tremors and rigid facial and body muscles.

This means that suppressing the creation of reactive oxygen species could be one way to prevent Parkinson’s, or at least slow its progression.

This is the line of research that a group of Japanese researchers have pursued, taking a close look at rotenone, an insecticide that inhibits the energy-producing mitochondria in our cells and is capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier. It’s also commonly used in home gardens and golf courses.

Seaweed antioxidants fight the effects of pesticides on nerves

Associate Professor Akiko Kojima-Yuasa of Osaka Metropolitan University led a research group that has verified the physiological effect of Ecklonia cava polyphenols — seaweed antioxidants — on the prevention of Parkinson’s disease.

In this study, a group of mice with Parkinsons-like symptoms were fed seaweed antioxidants every day for a week. Then they were given rotenone.

Rotenone decreased motor function in the mice, but it was restored in the mice that had consumed the seaweed antioxidants.

Closer investigation showed that the antioxidants inhibited the production of reactive oxygen species that cause neuronal cell death.

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Other ways to fight Parkinsons

Although there is no true cure for Parkinson’s disease, research has given us important insights into steps we can take to reduce our risks.

The most obvious is to avoid environmental toxins linked to the disease. Exposure can happen anywhere grounds are maintained with pesticides or insecticides — think golf courses and public parks.

Supplementing resveratrol, a powerful antioxidant, could offer double the benefit in this situation. Not only can it fight free radicals, but it acts as a chelator to help remove some toxins from the body.

As far as food goes, there have been quite a few promising leads on how to eat (and drink) to ward off Parkinson’s:

• A few years ago, a large, long-term study was completed that provided evidence that drinking more coffee could be protective against Parkinson’s, to the tune of up to 70 percent!
• Another study found that sesamol, a naturally occurring chemical in the shells of sesame seeds, has the power to not only guard the body’s motor neurons but also help maintain elevated dopamine levels.

And here’s something interesting: the motor and cognitive skills involved in playing table tennis (ping pong) seem to improve many of the issues experienced by people with Parkinsons including facial expression, speed of movement, hand tremors, speech and walking.

It’s also possible to help protect your mitochondria against assault by free radicals. You can read more about that here.

Sources:

Preventing Parkinson’s disease may lie in seaweed antioxidants — EurekAlert

Ecklonia cava Polyphenols Have a Preventive Effect on Parkinson’s Disease through the Activation of the Nrf2-ARE Pathway — Nutrients

Free radicals vs. reactive oxygen species: what’s the difference? — Cell Guidance Systems

New evidence that higher caffeine and urate levels are protective against Parkinson’s — EurekaAlert

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