Category: Research (Page 80 of 93)

Healthy Habits May Not Be the Secret to Longevity

August 3, 2011 / Staff

In fact, the secret to living to 100 or more may be all in the genes.

New research suggests that your life choices might not be the crucial factor in determining whether you make it to 95 or beyond; it finds that many extremely old people appear to have been as bad as everyone else at indulging in poor health habits during their younger years.

This is not an excuse to make unhealthy diet choices or to skip regular exercise.

You may be genetically blessed with long lived genes but the quality of your life may be impacted by your environment and habits.

A long life can still be plagued with chronic illness or debilitating ailments.

A healthy lifestyle is still the best defense against disease.

Research, Wellness

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Pecans are the “Wonder Nut” for Your Brain

August 2, 2011 / Staff

It even looks like a brain!

Help protect your brain health with antioxidant rich pecans.

Eating a handful of pecans will also provide you with more than 19 vitamins and minerals, including vitamin A, folic acid, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc and several B vitamins, Hubrich said. Pecans are naturally cholesterol-free and sodium-free.

Researchers suggest vitamin E – a natural antioxidant found in pecans – may provide a key element to neurological protection shown in the study.

Antioxidants are nutrients found in foods that help protect against cell damage, and studies have shown, can help fight diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, cancer and heart disease.

Pecans are the most antioxidant-rich tree nut and are among the top 15 foods to contain the highest antioxidant capacity, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Nutrition, Research, Wellness

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A Slower Metabolism May Lead to a Longer Life

July 22, 2011 / Staff

A slow metabolism may not be the worst thing for your health.

A fast metabolism may be credited for keeping you slim but it may also be responsible for speeding up the aging process.

A review published in the Journal of Nutrition evaluated studies on daily energy expenditure, calorie restriction, and variations in metabolism and lifespan. Researchers discovered a strong negative relationship between residual longevity and residual daily energy expenditure. Higher daily energy expenditure in this review was associated with a shorter lifespan. As we metabolize food for energy, metabolic waste is produced that can cause free radical damage to the body. The higher the metabolism, the greater the metabolic waste produced. This scenario can lead to increased oxidative damage, accelerated aging and earlier natural mortality.

Nutrition, Research, Wellness

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Getting Enough Vitamin D Helps Lower Men’s Risk of Heart Attack and Stroke

June 24, 2011 / Staff

Spending a few moments in the sun may get you a bit more than just a tan.

By spending no more than 15 minutes in the sun with arms and legs exposed your body will produce over 10,000 IU of necessary vitamin D.

The sun is the major natural source of vitamin D, since sunlight triggers vitamin D synthesis in the body.

Food sources are relatively few and include fatty fish like salmon and mackerel, and fortified dairy products and cereals.

Studies have found that this vital vitamin may help reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in men.

After accounting for a range of factors — like age, weight, exercise levels and other diet habits, such as fat intake – Sun’s team found that men who got at least 600 IU of vitamin D from food and supplements had a 16 percent lower risk of heart attack and stroke compared to men who got less than 100 IU of vitamin D per day.

Nutrition, Research, Wellness

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New Guidelines for Breast Cancer Screening Considered Unsafe By Women

May 30, 2011 / Staff

Breast Cancer Guidelines are being amended and there is some concern.

The greatest health fear for many women is breast cancer disease.

One in eight women do develop breast cancer, however, women perceive the risk to be much higher.

So much so, as a matter of fact, that they are concerned about the new guidelines limiting early cancer screening for breast cancer.

More than eight out of 10 women say new guidelines recommending against routine breast cancer screening of women under 50 are “unsafe,” according to a small survey.
But most of the women also grossly overestimate their risk of developing the disease, researchers from the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester found.