Anti Aging
Blueberries May Boost Memory in Older Adults, According to New Study
Naturally-rich source of key Antioxidants, Flavonoids and Phytonutrients beneficial to cognitive and mental function...
Supplemental blueberries for only 12 weeks may boost memory in older people with early memory problems, says a new study from the University of Cincinnati Academic Health Center.
Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia and currently affects over 13 million people worldwide. The direct and indirect cost of Alzheimer care is over $100 billion in the US alone.
"These preliminary memory findings are encouraging and suggest that consistent supplementation with blueberries may offer an approach to forestall or mitigate neurodegeneration" reported the researchers from the University of Cincinnati Academic Health Center.
Blueberry consumption has previously been linked to reduced risk of Alzheimer's, with reports leading to a boom in sales.
The beneficial effects of the blueberries are thought to be linked to their flavonoid content... In particular anthocyanins and flavanols. The exact way in which flavonoids affect the brain are unknown, but they have previously been shown to cross the blood brain barrier after dietary intake.
It is believed that blueberries may exert their effects on learning and memory by enhancing existing neuronal connections, improving cellular communications and stimulating neuronal regeneration.
Study details:
The researchers recruited nine older people (average age of 76.2 ) and an average educational level of 15-16 years. Subjects were assigned to receive a daily dose of blueberry juice equivalent to between 6 and 9 mL per kilogram of body weight per day.
Results showed significant improvements in improved learning and word list recall. There was also a trend towards reduced depressive symptoms and lower glucose levels. The researchers further expressed that it would be interesting in future studies to examine if changes in cognitive function are associated with metabolic improvements.
"Replication of the findings in a larger, controlled trial will be important to corroborate and amplify these data," wrote the researchers. "On balance, this initial study establishes a basis for further human research of blueberry supplementation as a preventive intervention with respect to cognitive aging," they concluded.
The other researchers were affiliated with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging and Tufts University.
Source: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry Published online "Blueberry Supplementation Improves Memory in Older Adults"
Grape Juice May Boost Memory in Elderly According to New Study
More Important News About How Antioxidants and Phytochemicals Support Cognitive and Menta Function
Daily consumption of Concord grape juice may enhance memory in older people with mild impairment in the brain function, says a new study conducted by scientists from the University of Cincinnati Academic Health Center
Improved verbal learning and enhanced verbal and spatial recall were observed following a 12 week randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial with Concord grape juice.
The researchers from the University of Cincinnati Academic Health Center, and the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging and Tufts University report their findings in the British Journal of Nutrition.
The researchers are careful to note that results from their small study, only 12 older adults with memory decline but not dementia were studied. It should "establish a basis for more comprehensive investigations to evaluate potential benefit and assess mechanisms of action."
Concord grape juice is a rich source of polyphenols, potent antioxidants that act to "mop up" harmful reactive oxygen species that have been identified as key to the aging process. Previous research has linked polyphenols, such as catechins, epicatechins, and anthocyanins to protecting against various cancers and heart disease.
A previous study by Tufts researchers reported that Concord grape juice appeared to reverse the course of neuronal and behavioural aging in laboratory mice (Nutrition, 2006, Vol. 22, pp. 295-302). The new study reports similar findings in ageing humans.
"We observed significant improvement in a measure of verbal learning and non-significant enhancement of verbal and spatial recall," reported the team of scientists.
"These preliminary findings suggest that supplementation with Concord grape juice may enhance cognitive function for older adults with early memory decline," they concluded.
Source: British Journal of Nutrition
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Omega-3 Linked to Younger Biological Age Reports A New Study
High Bood Levels of Omega-3 Fatty Acids May Slow Cellular Aging in People With Coronary Heart Disease...
Researchers from the University of California, San Francisco looked at the length of telomeres, DNA sequences at the end of chromosomes that shorten as cells replicate and age.
The ageing and lifespan of normal, healthy cells are linked to the so-called telomerase shortening mechanism, which limits cells to a fixed number of divisions. During cell replication, the telomeres function by ensuring the cell's chromosomes do not fuse with each other or rearrange, which can lead to cancer. A simple analogy is comparing telomeres to the ends of shoelaces, without which the lace would unravel.
With each replication the telomeres shorten, and when the telomeres are totally consumed, the cells are destroyed (apoptosis). Previous studies have also reported that telomeres are highly susceptible to oxidative stress. Some experts have noted that telomere length may actually be a marker of biological aging.
"Among patients with stable coronary artery disease, there was an inverse relationship between baseline blood levels of marine omega-3 fatty acids and the rate of telomere shortening over 5 years," wrote the researchers.
"These findings raise the possibility that omega-3 fatty acids may protect against cellular aging in patients with coronary heart disease," they added.
The research adds to a large body of science supporting the potential health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids, particularly in relation to heart health.
Several studies have shown increased survival rates among individuals with high dietary intake of fish oil omega-3 fatty acids and established cardiovascular disease.
The mechanisms underlying this protective effect are not well understood, according to background information in the article.
The UCSF researchers looked at telomere length in blood cells of 608 outpatients with stable coronary artery disease. The length of telomeres was measured in leukocytes at the start of the study and again after 5 years.
Comparing levels of omega-3 fatty acids, EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) with subsequent change in telomere length, the researchers found that individuals with the lowest average levels of DHA and EPA experienced the most rapid rate of telomere shortening, while people with the highest average blood levels experienced the slowest rate of telomere shortening.
"Each 1-standard deviation increase in DHA plus EPA levels was associated with a 32 per cent reduction in the odds of telomere shortening," wrote the authors.
Commenting on the potential mechanism, they noted that this may be linked to oxidative stress, known to drive telomere shortening. Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to reduce levels of F2-isoprostanes, a marker of systemic oxidative stress, as well as increasing levels of the antioxidant enzymes catalase and superoxide dismutase, thereby reducing oxidative stress.
Another possible mechanism may involve the enzyme telomerase. The enzyme works to maintain telomere length, and omega-3 may increase its activity.
Multivitamins and Green Tea, too...
The work of the UCSF scientists was limited to people with CHD, thereby limiting how general the results may be. Other studies in healthy people have already linked specific nutrients to telomere length, and subsequently a younger 'biological age'.
Recently, researchers from the US National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences reported that telomere length was longer in regular multivitamin users in their cohort of 586 women aged between 35 and 74. The subjects did not have coronary heart disease.
Writing in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the researchers noted that theirs was the first epidemiologic study of multivitamin use and telomere length.
"Regular multivitamin users tend to follow a healthy lifestyle and have a higher intake of micronutrients, which sometimes makes it difficult to interpret epidemiologic observations on multivitamin use," they said.
An association between Green Tea drinkers and telomere length was also reported by scientists from the Chinese University of Hong Kong last year. The telomeres of people who drank an average of three cups of tea per day were about 4.6 kilobases longer than people who drank an average of a quarter of a cup a day, reported the researchers in the British Journal of Nutrition..
This average difference in the telomere length corresponds to "approximately a difference of 5 years of life", wrote the researchers in China. "Our data showed that majority of Chinese tea consumed by our subjects were of green tea" they added.
Source: Journal of the American Medical Association 2010, Volume 303, Issue 3, Pages 250-257 "Association of Marine Omega-3 Fatty Acid Levels With Telomeric Aging in Patients With Coronary Heart Disease"
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ANTIOXIDANTS . . . The “Anti-Aging” Nutrients Boost The Immune System and Have Powerful Anti-Cancer Activity . . .
Health and nutrition experts have increasingly come to recognize the value of taking a synergistic blend of potent antioxidants, the cancer-fighting, health-promoting nutrients that help boost the immune system naturally. Here’s a summary of major antioxidants that should be considered for daily intake . . .
Researchers analyzed data from the Beta-Carotene and Retinol Efficacy Trial (CARET). They focused on blood samples from 278 subjects with prostate cancer and 483 matched subjects without cancer. They analyzed blood levels of several carotenoids, including lutein vitamin A and vitamin E (alpha and gamma tocopherols), then identified correlations between those levels and the risk of lung and prostate cancer.
Results:
- In the overall population, the highest intakes of lutein, zeaxanthin and alpha-tocopherol were associated with a significantly lower risk of lung cancer.
- Women with the highest blood levels of lutein, zeaxanthin and beta-cryptoxanthin had the lowest risk of developing lung cancer. The risk reduction associated with these nutrients was 69% for lutein zeaxanthin.
- Men with the highest blood levels of vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) were 41% less likely to develop prostate cancer.
Firstly, for a good, all-around antioxidant boost, everyone can benefit from daily vitamin C, vitamin E, and Selenium.
Other antioxidants that may be worth including in your antioxidant mix – depending on your individual health concerns – are carotenoids, ginkgo biloba, and proanthocyanidins. Glutathione, an amino-acid like antioxidant, is very important for immunity and proper liver function.
Taking these additional antioxidants boosts your body’s natural production of valuable glutathione.
High Levels of Vitamin D in Older People Can Reduce Heart Disease and Diabetes
Middle aged and elderly people with high levels of vitamin D could reduce their chances of developing heart disease or diabetes by 43%, according to researchers at the University of Warwick.
A team of researchers at Warwick Medical School carried out a systematic literature review of studies examining vitamin D and cardiometabolic disorders. Cardiometabolic disorders include cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome.
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that is naturally present in some foods and is also produced when ultraviolet rays from sunlight strike the skin and trigger vitamin D synthesis. Fish such as Cod, Salmon, Tuna and Mackerel are good sources of vitamin D, and readily available as dietary supplements.
Researchers looked at 28 studies including 99,745 participants across a variety of ethnic groups including men and women. The studies revealed a significant association between high levels of vitamin D and a decreased risk of developing cardiovascular disease (33% compared to low levels of vitamin D), type 2 diabetes (55% reduction) and metabolic syndrome (51% reduction).
The literature review, published in the journal Maturitas, was conducted at Warwick Medical School. The researchers reported "We found that high levels of vitamin D among middle age and elderly populations are associated with a substantial decrease in cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome.
"Targeting vitamin D deficiency in adult populations could potentially slow the current epidemics of cardiometabolic disorders." All studies included were published between 1990 and 2009 with the majority published between 2004 and 2009. Half of the studies were conducted in the United States, eight were European, two studies were from Iran, three from Australasia and one from India.
