Saturday, June 2, 2012

Jon's Health Tips

Lots of research the past two weeks confirming what I already knew:

1. Exercise is good for me:


A. High levels of activity aid arterial functioning

"Oddly, women, particularly the inactive women, show the greatest risk for cardiovascular disease as compared with other groups," Holland wrote in her research report. "Thus, conversely, habitually high levels of physical activity may pose a greater benefit for women than for men." This may have been because the inactive women were more sedentary than the men classified as inactive.



B. Exercise reduces neuropathic pain and inflammatory mediators

C. Exercise and a healthy diet of fruits and vegetables extends life expectancy in women in their 70s

Researchers found that the women who were most physically active and had the highest fruit and vegetable consumption were eight times more likely to survive the five-year follow-up period than the women with the lowest rates.


D. Exercise Reduces Risk Of Psoriasis

E. Regular Exercise May Increase Pain Tolerance


2. Vitamin D Is Good For Me,

    But (new)


A. Older adults who don't get enough vitamin D - either from diet, supplements or sun exposure - may be at increased risk of developing mobility limitations and disability

B. Vitamin D3 supplements are better


Vitamin D is important for bone and muscle health and there is concern that we don't get enough of the 'sunshine' vitamin through exposure to sunlight or through diet. As a result, some foods are fortified with vitamin D. Fortification is usually with vitamin D2, as this is not derived from animals. However this new research suggests that vitamin D3 is the more beneficial of the two types of vitamin D in raising the vitamin D levels in our blood when given as a supplement.

The research clearly showed that vitamin D3, the type of vitamin D found in foods including eggs and oily fish, is more effectively converted by the body into the hormone responsible for health benefits in humans.


C. Too much vitamin D can be as unhealthy as too little


Vitamin D is instrumental in helping calcium reach our bones, thus lessening the risk from falls and the risk of broken hips. Research suggests that vitamin D is also beneficial in combating cardiac disease, depression and certain types of cancers. The results from a study conducted by the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences now support the benefits of vitamin D in terms of mortality risk. However, the research results also show higher mortality in people with too high levels of vitamin D in their bloodstream:




3. Fish : Good For Me But

A. Omega-3 prevents age-related vision loss

B. Fish Consumption - Risks and Rewards Are Unclear< /strong>



The public receives fish consumption advice from a variety of perspectives, including toxicant, nutritional, ecological, and economic viewpoints. For example, U.S. federal and state agencies that are concerned about exposure to toxicants in fish, such as methyl-mercury (MeHg) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), have issued fish consumption advisories recom-mending that at-risk groups limit consumption of fish [U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 2004]. However, national organizations of physicians and nutritionists encourage fish consumption for the entire population as a way to increase dietary intake of the n-3 (omega-3) long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs) that may prevent cardiovascular disease and improve neurological development


4. What you eat affects your health and cognitive functioning

A. Low-fiber diet puts adolescents at higher risk of cardiovascular disease

B. The Mediterranean diet is definitively linked to quality of life

The Mediterranean diet, which is characterized by the consumption of fruit, vegetables, pulses, fish, olive oil and nuts, has been proven to be beneficial to the health in terms of a lesser chance of chronic illness and a lower mortality rate.


C. Dietary Fat Types And Cognitive Change


The outcome of the study showed that women who admitted to eating high amounts of "bad fats" did not have as healthy of a cognitive function as the women who did not consume a lot of saturated fats. In contrast, the women who ate high amounts of monounsaturated fats had much healthier cognitive outcomes over a long period of time.


Examples of foods that are high in saturated fats include:

* Meat products, such as fatty beef, pork, lamb and poultry with skin

* Dairy products, such as cream, butter and cheese.

Examples of foods that are high in Monounsaturated fats include:

* Avocados/Guacamole

* Olive/Canola Oil

* Nuts


E. Dark Chocolate May Reduce Cardiovascular Events

Good news for chocolate lovers! Eating dark chocolate on a daily basis can reduce cardiovascular events, including heart attacks and strokes in people with metabolic syndrome, i.e. a combination of factors that increase the risk of developing heart disease and diabetes.


F. Exercise and a healthy diet of fruits and vegetables extends life expectancy in women in their 70s

Researchers found that the women who were most physically active and had the highest fruit and vegetable consumption were eight times more likely to survive the five-year follow-up period than the women with the lowest rates.


5. Statins Are Good For Me:

Statins may slow prostate growth

6. I avoid Tylenol:

OTC acetaminophen (Tylenol) overdose risk


A significant number of adults are at risk of unintentionally overdosing on over-the-counter (OTC) pain medication, according to a new study. Worryingly, acetaminophen overdose is the leading cause of acute liver failure.



7. Aspirin Is Good For Me

Aspirin May Guard Against Skin Cancer





Aspirin and other commonly used painkillers may help guard against skin cancer, according to a new study . Previous studies have already suggested that NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) such as aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen, and other prescription and over the counter drugs, can reduce people's risk of developing some cancers. For example, earlier this year, three studies in The Lancet bolstered the evidence that a daily low dose of aspirin may protect people in middle age against cancer, particularly those at higher risk. And in another recent study in the British Journal of Cancer, researchers from Leiden University Medical Centre in the Netherlands reported that colon cancer patients who take aspirin regularly shortly after diagnosis tend to live for longer.




8. Light-to-moderate alcohol consumption is good for me

Light-to-moderate alcohol consumption, in comparison with abstinence, was associated with approximately 35-45% lower risk of cognitive decline or dementia


And some things I did not know:

1. Bananas Are as Beneficial as Sports Drinks

“We found that not only was performance the same whether bananas or sports drinks were consumed, there were several advantages to consuming bananas.” The bananas provided antioxidants not found in sports drinks as well as a greater nutritional boost, including fiber, potassium and Vitamin B6, the study showed. In addition, bananas have a healthier blend of sugars than sports drinks.




2. Calcium Supplements May Increase Heart Attack Risk

An analysis of data on nearly 24,000 people followed for over a decade suggests taking calcium supplements may increase the risk of having a heart attack. This is the main finding of a study published online this week in the journal Heart that also concludes boosting overall calcium intake through dietary sources brings no significant benefit in terms of reducing risk of heart disease or stroke. The researchers say calcium supplements, which are often recommended to the elderly and women after the menopause to protect against bone thinning, should be "taken with caution".


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