HealthHow to Know Which Supplements You Need
(This month FoodTrients writer and nutritionist Ginger Hultin continues her four-part series on vitamins and supplements. Part 3 explores vitamin deficiencies and what you can do.) Despite what the supplement industry may have you believe; in a balanced whole food-based diet you will get most of the vitamins and minerals your body needs. You’ll also get other health boosting ingredients such as phytochemicals, fiber, and antioxidants. However, there are times that supplementation can be beneficial but how to tell what you need can be confusing and complex. Overt signs of deficiency can be hard to assess without lab testing and […]READ MORE
February 19, 2019
Published by Life Extension
A study reported on January 9, 2019 in the journal Nutrients revealed a protective role for supplementation with vitamin C, a well known antioxidant, in mice exposed to D-galactose, a sugar that occurs in some foods which has been shown to induce brain aging via the accumulation of oxidative stress. One hundred-eight mice were divided to receive subcutaneous D-galactose or no D-galactose for 10 weeks. Beginning in the seventh week, half of the animals in each group were given a high oral dose of vitamin C for four weeks. While mice that received D-galactose experienced a reduction in cognitive function and decreased neurogenesis in […]
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February 5, 2019
Published by Life Extension
A hormone released during exercise may protect the brain against Alzheimer’s disease, research suggests. Irisin is a messenger protein generated by muscle tissue that is carried around the body in the bloodstream. The new evidence indicates that it may be behind the known positive effects on mental performance of taking exercise. US and Brazilian scientists found lower levels of the hormone in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients compared with healthy individuals. The same was true for the precursor protein from which irisin is derived, FNDC5. In tests on genetically engineered mice, the scientists induced learning and memory deficits by cutting […]
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February 5, 2019
Published by Life Extension
Fiber up, blood pressure down “You are what you eat” is an old saying originally penned in 1826 by the gastronomic food-wizard Anthelme Brillat-Savarin in his essay on the physiology of gout. He wrote, “Dis-moi ce que tu manges, je te dirai ce que tu es” [Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are]. The same could be said for the trillions of bacteria in your guts: You are what they eat. Researchers have known for a while that the gut biome needs to be fed soluble fiber found in grains, veggies and fruits for […]
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January 29, 2019
Published by Life Extension
Those who follow a Mediterranean diet have an increased quality of life with a lower mortality rate. The Mediterranean diet consists of a low intake of red meat and sweets with greater emphasis on fish, vegetables, mixed nuts, whole grains, wine (moderate consumption), and olive oil. Unrefined extra virgin olive oil, a chief component of the Mediterranean diet, has been given significant credit for the diet’s health-promoting ability, especially with its rich polyphenol content. Today, substantial new findings further validate extra virgin olive oil’s benefits for cardiovascular, bone, and brain health. Several of these studies were large-scale clinical trials on humans. One study in particular caught mainstream media attention. This study, […]
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January 29, 2019
Published by Life Extension
The March 2019 issue of NeuroImage published findings from researchers at the University of Illinois of an association between higher plasma levels of specific nutrients and improved brain connectivity and cognitive performance in older individuals. The study included 116 participants aged 65 and 75 years. Plasma samples collected from the subjects were analyzed for 32 nutrients that are present in significant amounts in a Mediterranean diet. Subjects underwent tests of general intelligence, executive function and memory. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain assessed brain network efficiency within seven connectivity networks. “The basic question we were asking was whether diet and nutrition are […]
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January 29, 2019
Published by Dr. Mark Rosenberg
As a young man, I remember my grandmother trying to give me sauerkraut for dinner once and making the worst face possible in response to which my grandmother laughed and said, “Sauerkraut is not only good, it’s good for you!” When I tell my patients about sauerkraut as a health food, they make almost that same funny face! Recently, however, it turns out that grandma’s words were correct – sauerkraut has a surprising health benefit to it as do other fermented foods. In fact, a group of Polish women were recently studied for their rates of breast cancer. The group […]
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January 29, 2019
Published by Life Extension
Add a modest amount of zinc in your diet to reduce ‘wear and tear’ on DNA, suggests a study. The study has been published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Researchers from the UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Research Institute (CHORI) show that a modest 4 milligrams of extra zinc a day in the diet can have a profound, positive impact on cellular health that helps fight infections and diseases. This amount of zinc is equivalent to what biofortified crops like zinc rice and zinc wheat can add to the diet of vulnerable, nutrient deficient populations. CHORI Senior Scientist Janet […]
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January 23, 2019
Published by Amy Sawelson Landes
LOS ANGELES ( January 23, 2019)–What if your pain and lack of mobility isn’t due to your age, but your habits? What if changing how you move can change how you feel, no matter your age? Author Katy Bowman’s Dynamic Aging: Simple Exercises for Whole-Body Mobility, is an exercise guide to restoring movement, especially for healthy feet, better balance, and the activities of daily life. Biomechanist and movement teacher Katy Bowman shares exercises and habit modifications for varying fitness and mobility levels. Bowman teaches people new ways to move their bodies. She has worked with groups of competitive athletes, young […]
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January 22, 2019
Published by Life Extension
Drinking coffee has been linked with a decrease in the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease. An article appearing on December 3, 2018 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences could help explain it. Researchers at the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School report the ability of two compounds occurring in coffee to help prevent the accumulation of harmful proteins associated with Parkinson’s disease and Lewy body dementia, the second most common type of progressive dementia after Alzheimer’s disease. “Hyperphosphorylated alpha-synuclein in Lewy bodies and Lewy neurites is a characteristic neuropathological feature of Parkinson’s disease and dementia with Lewy bodies,” write M. Maral Mouradian […]
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January 22, 2019
Published by Ginger Hultin, MS RDN CSO
As cold and flu season approaches again, ways to support the immune system are top of mind. Aside from healthy lifestyle habits, there is evidence that some herbal preparations can ward off viruses that commonly occur in winter months. Important factors for supporting the immune system and avoiding viruses this winter season: Exercise regularly Focus on sleep Manage your stress Consume alcohol in moderation Wash your hands often Eat a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains If you have the foundation of these healthy practices down, you may be wondering what else you can do to support […]
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January 15, 2019
Published by Life Extension
If you are feeling blue, fatigued or having trouble remembering things and you think it’s just winter doldrums-think
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January 8, 2019
Published by FoodTrients
If you are feeling sad, stressed, exhausted, hangry, or bored, it’s comforting to eat dishes you love and crave. But Lindsey Smith shows how simple it is to make those same meals and snacks with mood-boosting ingredients that will physically nourish instead of processed foods. In Eat Your Feelings: The Food Mood Girl’s Guide to Transforming Your Emotional Eating With Recipes, Lindsey Smith, the Food Mood Girl, will look at ways to eat healthy food based on what people tend to crave the most during heightened emotional states, introducing recipes with crunchy, cheesy, creamy, sweet, and salty themes and drink […]
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January 8, 2019
Published by Life Extension
In an article published on November 21, 2018 in the Journal of Applied Physiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center researchers reported the outcome of a study which suggests that curcumin, a compound occurring in the spice turmeric, could help heart failure patients with exercise intolerance. “We hypothesized that reduced expression of nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) in skeletal muscle contributes to impaired exercise performance,” explain Ahmed M. Wafi and colleagues. “We further hypothesized that curcumin, a Nrf2 activator, would preserve or increase exercise capacity in heart failure.” “Although curcumin has been evaluated in several clinical trials for multiple diseases, its therapeutic potential […]
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