Unusual Diet Tips from the World's Oldest Person

Here's a real Great-Grandmother:

From Dr. Weil.com

Just over 11 years ago, on Aug. 4, 1997, Jeanne Calment died at age 122. Born Feb. 21, 1875, the lifelong resident of Arles, France, was the oldest person who ever lived whose birth date was reliably confirmed.
Her quick wit, lifetime of exercise (she rode a bicycle until she was 100), and cheerful disposition - “I will die laughing,” she once said - all played a part in her longevity, but two of her dietary habits stand out: She reportedly ate nearly two pounds of chocolate a week, and was “devoted” to port wine.
I do not recommend eating so much chocolate (the caloric load could lead to obesity in many people), nor do I suggest “devoting” yourself to serious wine-drinking. But I will say that Dr. Weil’s Anti-Inflammatory Food Pyramid is, I believe, the only food pyramid in wide circulation that includes both chocolate and red wine as health-promoting, antioxidant-rich food sources. I make no promises that these additions to an optimal diet will result in such remarkable longevity for everyone, but in moderation they are indeed healthy, and will possibly make a long life more enjoyable as well!

Dr. Weil's Anti-Inflammatory Pyramid

Dr. Andrew Weil has been, and continues to be, a strong advocate of a great-grandmother-approved lifestyle. He has created an anti-inflammatory food pyramid. Eating according to the principles outlined in the pyramid should help you reduce inappropriate inflammation, which is a major contributor to many chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease, cancers and Alzheimer’s disease. Check out his excellent website for more: drweil.com.

Buy in Glass Whenever You Can

Common Chemical Linked to Metabolic and Cardiovascular Disorders

Exposure to a chemical commonly used in food packaging materials may be putting millions at an increased risk for cardiovascular disorders, diabetes, and liver abnormalities, researchers here said. Urinary levels of bisphenol A (BPA) were significantly higher in people with diagnoses of angina, coronary heart disease, and diabetes, those who had suffered heart attacks, and those with elevated liver enzymes, reported David Melzer, M.B., Ph.D., of Peninsula Medical School, and colleagues in the Sept. 17 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. BPA is a component of epoxy resins used to line food and beverage containers and in polycarbonate plastics contained in many consumer products. It is also present in drinking water and in household air, in the form of dust. Dr. Melzer and colleagues cited data suggesting BPA is detectable in the urine of 90% of adult Americans.

For more, go to http://www.medpagetoday.com/PublicHealthPolicy/EnvironmentalHealth/tb/10924

Ah, the Beautiful Mediterranean -- Diet, That is

People who kept to a full Mediterranean diet had lower overall mortality as well as lower mortality from several major chronic diseases, a meta-analysis found.

Greater adherence to the diet was associated with a 9% lower overall mortality, a 9% lower cardiovascular mortality, a 6% lower incidence of or mortality from cancer, and a 13% lower incidence of Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease, Francesco Sofi, M.D., of the University of Florence, and colleagues reported online in the British Medical Journal.The Mediterranean diet, widely reported to be a model of healthy eating, is rich in vegetables, fruits, legumes, cereals, fish, nuts, olive oil, and a moderate intake of red wine during meals, but is low in red meat, dairy products, and alcohol.

For more on this go to: http://www.medpagetoday.com/PrimaryCare/DietNutrition/tb/10887

Yay for Yoghurt

Health Benefits Of Probiotic Could Extend To The Entire Body According To New Study

Probiotics: Data from a recent study demonstrate the anti-inflammatory and pathogen protection benefits of Bifidobacterium infantis 35624 -- a probiotic bacterial strain of human origin. Gastrointestinal benefits of probiotics have been well-documented, but more and more research is revealing that probiotic benefits extend to the entire body. The report was published in the August issue of the Public Library of Science (PLoS) Pathogens.

The inflammatory response is a key part of the immune system's battle against invaders. The normal response to infection is rapid and effective, however, the immune response may occasionally cause inflammation and damage to healthy tissue.

"Inflammation is a major factor in a number of chronic diseases affecting millions of people and can cause an unwanted impact on healthy tissue," said Dr. Liam O'Mahony, lead investigator. "Past research has shown that the probiotic Bifidobacterium infantis 35624 can positively impact the body's immune defense3, and this most recent data suggests that its benefits are not restricted to the gastrointestinal tract."

Inflammation is associated with a wide range of conditions, such as inflammatory bowel disease, arthritis, bacterial-induced colitis, type I diabetes and organ transplantation. Bifidobacterium infantis 35624 has previously shown ability to modulate the inflammatory response in a clinical trial of patients with irritable bowel syndrome.

Prebiotics too. As probiotics have grown popular, prebiotics have emerged as another category of so-called functional food. Recent studies support the idea that certain compounds—the nondigestible carbohydrates inulin (also known as oligofructose), galactooligosaccharide, and lactulose—can stimulate the growth of friendly bugs in the gut. Prebiotics might have health benefits similar to probiotics, and they're easier to incorporate into one's diet: Consumers can get prebiotics without even buying special products, because many fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and other high-fiber foods naturally contain the stuff.

Eat Your Way to Good Vision

Study Reveals How Diet, Antioxidants Prevent Blindness In Aging Population

A new study reveals part of the magic behind a diet rich in antioxidants, showing how artichokes, blueberries and pecans can hold at bay the leading cause of age-related blindness in developed countries.Researchers discovered a link between two processes in the retina that, in combination, contribute to a disease called macular degeneration. They found antioxidants disrupt the link and extend the lifetime of irreplaceable photoreceptors and other retinal cells."The implication is that people at risk of macular degeneration could help prevent the disease by consuming antioxidants," said Heidi Vollmer-Snarr, a Brigham Young University chemist who earned a doctorate from Oxford and began work on this disease as a postdoctoral researcher at Columbia.The study is online and will be published in an upcoming issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry. Vollmer-Snarr collaborated with researchers at Weill Medical College of Cornell University.Age-related macular degeneration affects more than 1.75 million people in the United States. With a rapidly aging population, that number will rise to 3 million by 2020. People struck with the disease first lose central vision and temporarily adjust by relying more on peripheral vision. Some eventually lose their vision entirely.Dr. Paul Bernstein of the University of Utah's Moran Eye Center says understanding the exact mechanisms of macular degeneration has remained elusive. Bernstein was not involved in the study."This work by Dr. Vollmer-Snarr and colleagues ties these two damaging processes together and demonstrates the harm they cause in combination is much more than would be expected," Bernstein said. "This new knowledge suggests the possibility of interventions which could prove to be powerful ways to prevent or delay age-related macular degeneration."The new study finds a destructive synergy between the buildup of a compound called A2E and damage to cellular "power plants" called mitochondria. A2E is a natural byproduct of cellular activity that, unlike other compounds, won't break down or be disposed by the body.A problem occurs when A2E encounters oxidative stress created by light exposure. In these circumstances, A2E disrupts energy production in mitochondria. The resulting energy shortage pulls the plug on daily cleaning and maintenance of photoreceptors and another type of retinal cell.The result is more A2E buildup, and the cycle of destruction hastens the death of these vital visual cells, which are not replaced when they die. The experiments performed with visual cells from rats, cows and humans showed that antioxidants could completely counter the damage.Seeing this process play out in the retina has given Vollmer-Snarr a novel idea for attacking harmful growths in the body. The strategy would involve delivering potentially disruptive compounds like A2E to the target and then using light to trigger the damage."Why not take a page out of one disease's book in the fight against other diseases?" Vollmer-Snarr said.

Gold standard

Microwaves. Air-conditioning. A computer. Must-haves, now, luxuries, then. An article in MSN Finance tells how to be a great-grandmother with your finances and save big with the flashback budget.

The only part of the article I found silly was the idea of cutting back to one car per family. Maybe that was OK back when women didn't work outside the home. These days, with the exception of a few major cities (San Francisco, New York, Chicago) and those few people who telecommute every day, each working adult in a family needs a vehicle to get to a job.

I found other parts of the article delightfully time-synchronous -- for example, smaller homes are certainly more possible now that we have flat-screen TVs and flat-screen computer monitors. Now if those high-tech items just cost smaller dollars....

Your Brain on Chocolate

Good news chocolate lovers! And that includes everyone except for maybe five people on the planet. A new study shows that cocoa flavanols may help to keep our brains in good shape.

Here's some info from the study:

Cocoa flavanols, the unique compounds found naturally in cocoa, may increase blood flow to the brain, according to new research published in the Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment journal. The researchers suggest that long-term improvements in brain blood flow could impact cognitive behavior, offering future potential for debilitating brain conditions including dementia and stroke. In a scientific study of healthy, older adults ages 59 to 83, Harvard medical scientists found that study participants who regularly drank a cocoa flavanol-rich beverage made using the Mars, Incorporated Cocoapro® process had an eight percent increase in brain blood flow after one week, and 10 percent increase after two weeks. In this first-of-its-kind study, the researchers found both short and long-term benefits of cocoa flavanols for brain blood flow, offering future potential for the one in seven older Americans currently living with dementia. When the flow of blood to the brain slows over time, the result may be structural damage and dementia. Scientists speculate that maintaining an increased blood flow to the brain could slow this cognitive decline. "The totality of the research on cocoa flavanols is impressive. This is just one more study adding to an increasing body of literature connecting regular cocoa flavanol consumption to blood flow and vascular health improvements throughout the body," said Harold Schmitz, Ph.D., chief science officer at Mars, Incorporated, which has supported research on cocoa flavanols for more than 15 years. "Though more research is needed, these findings raise the possibility that flavanol-rich cocoa products could be developed to help slow brain decline in older age."

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/118581.php

Ashwagandha Can Boost Immunity

If your great-grandmother is from India, she probably knows this:

Oriental medicine practitioners have long known that Ashwagandha, an herb used in the 5,000-year old practice of Ayurvedic medicine, helps fight disease when used with anupana. Anupana may be derived from many different substances, from olive oil, to beer, to ghee. Researchers examined whether consuming whole cows’ milk with the herb can increase the body’s white blood cells, which help boost immunity. They have found that it does.

For more click here: http://www.newswise.com/p/articles/view/543415

Some Fruits and Vegetables Absorb More Pesticides Than Others

We all want to eat organic when we can, to minimize the amounts of pesticides we ingest. But did you know that some fruits and vegetables absorb more pesticides than others? Here’s an alphabetical list of items that are consistently highest and lowest.

High Pesticide Produce:
Apples
Bell peppers (sweet)
Celery
Cherries
Grapes (imported)
Lettuce
Nectarines
Peaches
Potatoes
Spinach
Strawberries

Low Pesticide Produce:
Asparagus
Avocados
Bananas
Broccoli
Cabbage
Corn (sweet)
Eggplant
Kiwi
Mangos
Onions
Papaya
Pineapples
Peas (sweet)

*Adapted from data gathered by the Environmental Working Group.