Be it work, finances, relationships, or health issues, most of us experience stressful events at some point in our lives. But today, researchers are witnessing levels of stress that are virtually unprecedented.
Every morning, many of us sip our coffee with no real thought given to the beans behind the brew. But coffee beans are extra-ordinarily complex fruits containing over 1,000 compounds – only a handful of which have ever been individually investigated by scientists. Not only is coffee packed with antioxidants, but it is the greatest source of antioxidants in the American diet. The average American coffee drinker consumes about 3.1 cups of coffee a day,5 but extensive research has found that higher volumes – as much as 4 to 12 cups daily – can help prevent most major killers, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, liver disease, and Alzheimer’s disease. […]
A new research has found that having a diet low in calories can reduce the aging process. The study conducted by the researchers at the Neuroscientists at NYU Langone Medical Center on female mice, has shown that calorie-reduced diets stop the normal rise and fall in activity levels of close to 900 different genes linked to aging and memory formation in the brain. Senior study investigator Stephen D. Ginsberg, said that their study showed how calorie restriction practically arrests gene expression levels involved in the aging phenotype-how some genes determine the behavior of mice, people, and other mammals as they get old. Ginsberg […]
Although celery is often a complimentary addition to soups and dishes, its substantial health protection makes it a star player in any meal. Each stalk of celery, along with its seeds and leaves, contains vitamin K, folate, vitamin A, potassium, vitamin C, and molybdenum.
A study scheduled for publication in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology has found that consuming a Mediterranean-style diet is associated with a lower risk of chronic kidney disease, a progressive disease affecting over 20 million adults in the US. The diet is characterized by a high intake of vegetables, fruit, legumes, fish and healthy fats, and lower amounts of red meat, processed foods and sugar. “Many studies have found a favorable association between the Mediterranean diet and a variety of health outcomes, including those related to cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, and cancer, among others,” noted lead researcher Minesh […]
Manganese is an essential mineral needed in trace amounts by the human body. It’s involved in the production of energy, bone development, and the synthesis of collagen and protein. The mineral forms part of the antioxidant superoxide dismutase (SOD), an enzyme produced in the body that protects against oxidative stress and is necessary for life. Manganese Deficiencies May Cause Osteoporosis In addition to its vital role in the body’s antioxidant defense, manganese helps protect bones and joints. In the January 2012 issue of Frontiers of Bioscience, it was suggested that manganese deficiency, rather than calcium deficiency, could be the primary cause […]
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 […]
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 […]
Recent studies have led to an interesting correlation between diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease. One prominent study (published online by the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health) concluded that sugar consumption “correlated significantly” with diabetes, “independently of other socioeconomic, dietary and obesity prevalence changes.” In plain English, they found that the more sugar you consume and the longer you consume it, the higher your diabetes risk; and as sugar consumption drops, diabetes rates drop as well. Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), the most common form, is caused by insulin resistance in peripheral tissues and is most frequently […]
Toxic chemicals found at high concentrations in fried and grilled meats may raise the risk of diabetes and dementia, researchers say. US scientists found that rodents raised on a Western-style diet rich in compounds called glycotoxins showed early signs of diabetes, along with brain changes and symptoms that are seen in Alzheimer’s disease. The findings matched what the researchers saw in a small number of older people, where those with higher levels of glycotoxins in their circulation had memory and other cognitive problems, and signs of insulin resistance, which precedes diabetes. The results are tentative, but if confirmed by other […]