Cognitive abilities linked to diet and nutrients

Elderly people who had diets higher in levels of vitamins B, C, D & E and Omega-3 fatty acids did better on mental acuity tests and showed less brain shrinkage than those who ate a diet consisting of junk food, according to research by scientists from the Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, Ore., and the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University.

Brain shrinkage is typical of Alzheimer’s disease. Previous studies hinted at the role that nutrition may play in staving off the disease, but this study, the first of its kind, measured 30 different blood nutrient levels, reflecting a much wider range of nutrients, and adds specificity to the findings.

“This approach clearly shows the biological and neurological activity that’s associated with actual nutrient levels, both good and bad,” said Maret Traber, a principal investigator with the Linus Pauling Institute and co-author on the study.

“The vitamins and nutrients you get from eating a wide range of fruits, vegetables and fish can be measured in blood biomarkers,” Traber said. “I’m a firm believer these nutrients have strong potential to protect your brain and make it work better.”

The study group included elderly people with an average age of 87 with no special risk factors for memory or mental acuity.

The most favorable cognitive outcomes and brain size measurements were associated with two dietary patterns – high levels of marine fatty acids, and high levels of vitamins B, C, D and E. Trans-fatty foods were associated with the worst cognitive performance.

Apples linked with keeping muscles strong into old age

A component of apple peels just might keep the doctor away. Ursolic acid, a natural compound found in the peel, is believed to correct gene signatures that lead to muscle atrophy, according to findings from the University of Iowa.

When ursolic acid was added to the food of normal mice for a period of weeks, their muscles grew. The animals also became leaner and had lower blood levels of glucose, cholesterol, and triglycerides.

“Muscle wasting is a frequent companion of illness and aging,” said Christopher Adams of The University of Iowa, Iowa City. “It prolongs hospitalization, delays recoveries and in some cases prevents people from going back home. It isn’t well understood and there is no medicine for it.”

It has not been determined whether the findings in mice will happen the same effect in human patients, Adams says, but his goal now is to “figure out if this can help people.” If so, the next step is determining how much needs to be consumed to have the same health benefits.

Regular exercise provides anti-aging effect

In a study conducted by researchers from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, genetically-disadvantaged mice that were forced to run a treadmill for 45 minutes several times a week were noted to be more youthful and healthier than a control group of mice that didn’t exercise.

The startling anti-aging effects on the mice were noted in every part of the body, including the hair, skin, ovaries, testicles, spleen, kidneys, and liver. The control group had damaged musculature but it appeared normal in the exercising mice.

Both groups of mice were genetically engineered to age faster due to a defect in a gene; however, despite this genetic defect, the mitochondria – the part of the living cell which has its own DNA and is thought to accumulate mutations that lead to aging – appeared young and healthy in the exercise group.

“Many people falsely believe that the benefits of exercise will be found in a pill,” said Dr. Tarnopolsky, principal investigator of the study and a professor of pediatrics and medicine of the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine. “We have clearly shown that there is no substitute for the “real thing” of exercise when it comes to protection from aging.”

Adeel Safdar, lead author and a senior PhD student working with Tarnopolsky said: “I believe that we have very compelling evidence that clearly show that endurance exercise is a lifestyle approach that improves whole body mitochondrial function which is critical for reducing morbidity and mortality. Exercise truly is the fountain of youth.”

Optimism may ensure good health later in life

The notion that having a positive outlook can manifest long-lasting changes is often rejected as wishful thinking, but observations by one developmental expert are making it clear that optimism does have at least a positive effect on how we age.

“We all age. It is how we age, however, that determines the quality of our lives,” said Anthony Ong of Cornell University, author of a recent article that describes his review of data suggesting positive emotions may be a powerful preventive to stress, pain, and chronic illness later in life.

Ong says that people with a positive attitude tend to make healthier choices, such as sticking with an exercise regimen, getting adequate sleep, and avoiding unhealthy habits, such as smoking.

Stress, a common risk factor for many chronic diseases that develop as we age, can be avoided by having an optimistic attitude — studies have found that people with stronger positive emotions have lower levels of chemicals associated with inflammation related to stress. Also, by adopting a positive attitude people may even be able to undo some of the physical damage caused by stress.

Grape compound resveratrol increases beneficial fat hormone

Intake of resveratrol has been found to increase the beneficial hormone called adiponectin, a hormone derived from cells that manufacture and store fat, according to researchers at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio.

Both adiponectin and resveratrol display anti-obesity, anti-insulin resistance and anti-aging properties.

Other recent positive studies of resveratrol show that it has anti-inflammatory properties and suppresses free radicals, may prevent some blinding diseases, and may neutralize the toxic effects of proteins linked to Alzheimer’s disease.

Resveratrol is a compound produced naturally by several plants when under attack by pathogens such as bacteria or fungi, and is found in the skin of red grapes and red wine. It also is produced by chemical synthesis derived primarily from Japanese knotweed and is sold as a nutritional supplement.

Polyphenols in green tea protect against degenerative brain diseases and cancer

The polyphenols found in green tea have recently been shown to provide protection against Alzheimer’s, dementia, and cancer. They do so because of their neuroprotective properties, in which they bind with the toxic compounds, such as hydrogen peroxide and a protein known as beta-amyloid, and protect  brain cells.

“What was really exciting about this study was that we found when green tea is digested by enzymes in the gut, the resulting chemicals are actually more effective against key triggers of Alzheimer’s development than the undigested form of the tea,” explains Dr. Okello, based in the School of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development at Newcastle University.

They also found the digested polyphenols to be effective in stunting the development of tumor cells.

Dr. Okello explained how crucial it is to understand if compounds even work within the body once digested. “Just because the food we put into our mouths is generally accepted to contain health-boosting properties, we can’t assume these compounds will ever be absorbed by the body.”

Closing in on controlling the anti-aging process

Scientists are now that much closer to reversing the aging process in human tissue. At the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, Massachusetts, laboratory experiments recently performed on mice included a technique to switch off then switch back on the anti-aging process in chromosomes.

Telomeres, the caps of DNA which protect the ends of chromosomes, shorten every time cells divide. When telomeres drop below a critical length, the cell can no longer divide properly and eventually dies. The enzyme telomerase slows this degradation by adding fresh DNA to the ends of telomeres.

When the enzyme was turned off in the mice, they developed experienced shorter telomeres, and subsequently experienced degeneration of organ tissues and decreased brain size. Once the enzyme was switched back on, the mice began to live longer with rejuvenation of organs and development of new brain cells.

Psychological benefits from meditation are linked to greater health and longevity

Crystal structure of parallel quadruplexes
from human telomeric DNA

Some of the psychological benefits that come from meditation include increased feelings of well-being and the heightened ability to deal with stress. Now those psychological changes are being linked to improved cellular health in the form of greater telomerase activity. Telomerase is an enzyme important for the long-term health of cells in the body by rebuilding and lengthening telomeres, sequences of DNA at the end of chromosomes that tend to get shorter every time a cell divides. When telomeres drop below a critical length, the cell can no longer divide properly and eventually dies.

A group of researchers at the University of California, Davis, and the University of California, San Francisco, are conducting a long-term study on groups of meditators called The Shamatha Project, led by Clifford Saron, associate research scientist at the UC Davis Center for Mind and Brain. It is one of the most comprehensive longitudinal study of intensive meditation yet undertaken.

The intensive meditation retreat took place at the Shambhala Mountain Center in Red Feather Lakes, Colo., which included 30 participants each in the retreat and control groups. Participants received ongoing instruction in meditation techniques from Buddhist scholar, author and teacher B. Alan Wallace of the Santa Barbara Institute for Consciousness Studies.

“The take-home message from this work is not that meditation directly increases telomerase activity and therefore a person’s health and longevity,” Saron said. “Rather, meditation may improve a person’s psychological well-being and in turn these changes are related to telomerase activity in immune cells, which has the potential to promote longevity in those cells. Activities that increase a person’s sense of well-being may have a profound effect on the most fundamental aspects of their physiology.”

Can we reverse the aging process?

Newton.tv: An intensive study of a thousand people in Britain over 85 years old may provide the key to new treatments for diseases of old age and perhaps even a cure for aging itself.

B-complex vitamins may help slow progression of dementia

The Methodist Hospital System: Large doses of B-complex vitamins could reduce the rate of brain shrinkage by half in elderly people with memory problems and slow the progression of dementia.

A two-year clinical trial in England has shown that B vitamins, including B-6, B-12 and folic acid, slow down mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a condition which is a major risk factor for Alzheimer disease and other forms of dementia.

Dr. Gustavo C. Román, medical director of the Alzheimer & Dementia Center at the Methodist Neurological Institute in Houston, said that patients who already exhibit signs of dementia and test positive for high levels of homocysteine are more likely to respond well to the large doses of B vitamins. Homocysteine is an amino acid in the blood, and high blood levels are linked to an increased risk of developing Alzheimer disease.

Román has seen the impact of these B vitamins in his patients and found that injections of B-complex vitamins are more effective than oral supplements.

“I’m not saying that everyone who takes B vitamins will prevent dementia,” Roman said. “But in the right dosage and for the appropriate patients, the vitamin B-12 treatment could be a step toward modifying disease progression.”

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