June 28, 2018

Probiotics Can Prolong Your Bones

In a first, Swedish researchers have discovered protective effects for probiotic supplementation against the loss of bone that occurs in aging humans. The study was reported on June 21, 2018 in the Journal of Internal Medicine. In a randomized trial, 90 women with low bone mineral density who were between the ages of 75 to 80 years were given a placebo or the probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri 6475 for 12 months. Tibial bone mineral density was assessed at the beginning and end of the study. “When we finished the study after a year, we measured the women’s bone loss in their lower legs with a CT […]
June 20, 2018

Liver Recovers Faster On Low-Sugar

Liver damage caused by diet high in fat, sugar and cholesterol may be difficult to reverse even if the diet is generally improved, a new study shows. The damage can also lead to more serious health problems, such as cirrhosis or even cancer, the study says. For more significant liver recovery, the intake of sugar has to come down, probably along with other improvements in diet and exercise, said Donald Jump, a professor at Oregon State University in US. Researchers found that diets low in fat and cholesterol could, in fact, help with weight loss, improved metabolism and health. But, […]
June 20, 2018

Eat Early and Fast Late to Improve Blood Pressure

A pilot study conducted at LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center shows that eating all your meals by midafternoon and fasting the rest of the day improves blood sugar control, blood pressure and oxidative stress, even when people don’t change what they eat. “Ours is the first study in humans that shows consuming all of your calories in a six-hour period provides metabolic advantages compared to eating the exact same amount over 12 hours or more, even if you don’t lose weight,” said study co-author Dr. Eric Ravussin, Pennington’s associate executive director and director of the Nutrition Obesity Research Center. “Our data also indicate that our […]
June 12, 2018

Potassium Helps Lower Your Blood Pressure

Most people you talk to about high blood pressure say, “I know, I know. I need to cut back on salt.” That’s correct. Few, however, are aware that potassium also plays a key role in the fight against high blood pressure. Who cares? We should, says the American Heart Association (AHA). High blood pressure is a major risk factor for stroke — sometimes called a heart attack in the brain — that can lead to serious disabilities or death. We could prevent 80 percent of strokes, says the AHA, primarily by keeping our blood pressure in check. A normal blood pressure (now […]
June 12, 2018

5 Steps to Lengthening Lifespan

Americans don’t live as long as people in most other high-income countries, but modest lifestyle changes could increase their lifespan by as much as 14 years, according to a new study. The study, published Monday in the American Heart Association journal Circulation, examined how lifestyle factors like regular physical activity, not smoking, moderate drinking and a healthy weight and diet might raise life expectancy among Americans. Although the U.S. is one of the world’s wealthiest nations, it ranks 53rd in the world for life expectancy at birth, according to 2015 data from the World Health Organization. Researchers at Harvard University studied data from 123,219 patients compiled during […]
June 5, 2018

The Power of Calcium

Of all of the minerals required by your body, its need for calcium is the greatest. Interestingly, calcium is the fifth most abundant mineral in the human body and in the earth’s crust. Calcium, an electrolyte, is best known for its role in bone health, but it’s also necessary for circulation, nerve transmission, hormonal secretion and muscle function. For these processes, only a small amount of calcium is needed, and it’s obtained from your body’s largest reservoir: bone. You Really Do Need Calcium for Your Bones Calcium is a major component of bones and teeth. A deficiency can result in osteopenia […]