September 9, 2014

Higher Potassium Intake: Lower Risk of Stroke

The finding of a reduced risk of stroke and premature mortality among women with a higher intake of potassium was reported in an article published on September 4, 2014 in the AHA journal Stroke. “Previous studies have shown that potassium consumption may lower blood pressure,” commented senior author Sylvia Wassertheil-Smoller, PhD, of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. But whether potassium intake could prevent stroke or death wasn’t clear.” The current investigation utilized data from 90,137 postmenopausal women who had no history of stroke upon enrollment in the Women’s Health Initiative Observational Study. Dietary questionnaire responses were analyzed for potassium […]
August 26, 2014

The Real Spice of Life

The modest ginger root, curcumin, is demonstrating in the lab exactly why traditional healers have used it for thousands of years. Curcumin, an ancient spice in the ginger family, also known as turmeric root, is gaining plenty of attention for its positive impact on a number of ailments. It is shining as an antioxidant, for example, as well as for its beneficial effects in prohibiting tumors, for its anti-inflammatory properties, and even for its ability to retard some of the progress of the virus that causes AIDS. This sounds like a lot of claims for a seemingly unpretentious kitchen spice. But, […]
August 26, 2014

Pomegranate Promising for Inflammatory Conditions

Researchers at England’s University of Huddersfield and the University of Freiburg in Germany report that punicalagin, a polyphenol compound occurring in pomegranate, inhibits damaging neuroinflammation activated by brain’s microglia:  central nervous system immune cells that play a role in Alzheimer’s disease. The findings, which could be utilized in the treatment of other types of inflammation, including that which occurs in Parkinson’s disease, were described in an article published on July 28, 2014 in the journal Molecular Nutrition & Food Research. In a series of experiments, pretreatment with varying concentrations of punicalagin significantly inhibited the production of the inflammatory compounds tumor necrosis factor […]
August 19, 2014

Are We All Pre-Diabetic?

Even if a doctor assures you that your blood sugar is “normal,” alarming evidence documents that you are at significant risk of premature death unless you achieve optimal 24-hour-a-day glucose control. Life Extension® long ago warned of the silent dangers when fasting blood sugar exceeds 85 mg/dL. New scientific studies validate this position. Even more insidious are data showing that blood sugar “spikes”that occur after each meal dramatically increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, retinal damage, and cancer. Unless steps are taken to suppress after-meal sugar surges, every large meal you eat can trigger a dangerous metabolic cascade that results in cell damage and accelerated aging. Fortunately, proven methods exist to support optimal […]
August 12, 2014

Health Benefits of Folate

Folate is a member of the B complex family. It was first discovered in 1931. The vitamin got its name from the Latin word folium, which means leaf. This is directly attributed to its abundance in leafy green vegetables. Folate, also known as vitamin B9, is essential for the formation of red blood cells and DNA. It’s also crucial for normal fetal development. Folate Prevents Pregnancy Complications and Birth Defects Because the Western diet is high in processed foods, folate deficiencies are relatively common in the U.S. In 1960, it was discovered that folate is needed to prevent neural tube defects in […]
August 12, 2014

Double Your Fruit and Veggie Intake

A new study has revealed that majority of adults’ worldwide need to increase their fruits and vegetables intake in order to get vital nutrition benefits. The research found that the majority of adults worldwide would have to at least double their current consumption of fruits and vegetables to meet the World Health Organization’s minimum recommendation of five servings (400 grams) per day. Additionally, the vast majority of adults worldwide, 60 to 87 percent across 13 geographic diet regions, are falling short of this recommendation and missing out on crucial nutrition and health benefits. The gap between the recommended amount of fruits and […]
August 5, 2014

Glucose: The Silent Killer

The deadly effects of even slightly elevated glucose are fatally misunderstood. One reason for this calamity is physicians who continue to rely on obsolete blood glucose ranges. These doctors fail to recognize that any excess glucose creates lethal metabolic pathologies that are underlying factors behind multiple age-related diseases. People today thus suffer and die from diabetic-like complications without knowing their blood sugar (glucose) levels are too high! Life Extension® long ago argued that most aging people have elevated blood glucose. Our controversial position has been vindicated as mainstream medicine consistently lowers the upper-level threshold of acceptable (safe) fasting blood glucose. As new evidence accumulates, it has become abundantly clear that maturing individuals need […]
August 5, 2014

African Plant Reveals Possible Treatment for Aging Brain

The Salk Institute for Biological Studies issued the following news release: For hundreds of years, healers in Sao Tome e Principe–an island off the western coast of Africa–have prescribed cata-manginga leaves and bark to their patients. These pickings from the Voacanga africana tree are said to decrease inflammation and ease the symptoms of mental disorders. Now, scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have discovered that the power of the plant isn’t just folklore: a compound isolated from Voacanga africana protects cells from altered molecular pathways linked to Alzheimer’s disease (http://www.salk.edu/ra/alzheimers_and_aging.html), Parkinson’s disease and the neurodegeneration that often follows a stroke. “What this provides us with […]