The Longevity Meme — live healthily - fight aging - extend your life
Characterizing Inflammaging (Saturday December 23 2006)
From the open access journal Immunity & Aging: “The term “Inflammaging” has been coined by Claudio Franceschi to explain the now widely accepted phenomenon that ageing is accompanied by a low-grade chronic, systemic up-regulation of the inflammatory response and that the underlining inflammatory changes are also common to most age-associated diseases … [researchers] postulate that both the ageing process and age-associated diseases are late consequences of evolutionary programming for a pro-inflammatory response mainly selected to resist infections and for a successful response to wound healing in early age, a view that has been discussed in the light of the antagonistic pleiotropy theory. Such a theory on the evolution of aging postulates that senescence is the late deleterious effect of genes that are beneficial in early life. Evolutionary programming of the innate immune system may act via selection on these genetic traits.”
‘Use-it-or-lose-it’ brain theory put to the test - Aging - MSNBC.com
Brief sessions of brain exercise can have long-lasting benefits for elderly people, helping them stay mentally fit for at least five years, one of the most rigorous tests of the “use-it-or-lose-it” theory suggests.For people age 73 on average, just 10 sessions — less time than it takes to stay physically fit — helped keep their brains sharp.
The brain training involved hour-long classes and included exercises done on a computer. While it is uncertain if similar results would occur with mental exercise done at home, other research has shown that intellectual tasks such as crossword puzzles and reading can help keep the brain sharp as people grow old.
Even if it doesn’t make perfect, practice at least appears to help us keep sharp.
Technology Review: Longevity Gene Keeps Brain Agile
The genetic variation causes people to produce less of a protein called cholesterol ester transfer protein (CETP). Barzilai says that CETP has two functions: it helps move cholesterol from the arteries to the liver, and it helps control the size of cholesterol particles circulating in the blood. People with the protective gene variant have higher levels of “good” HDL cholesterol and also produce bigger cholesterol particles, which scientists believe may not stick to blood-vessel walls as easily as small particles do.
Living longer and smarter could be due to the way the genes process cholesterol. Which just goes to show that for those who don’t have the lucky genes watching cholesterol could be especially important.
Yesterday we noted that low-fat diets may help stave off cancer. Today, we give the twist.
Olive oil may hinder cancer process - Yahoo! News
People who use plenty of olive oil in their diets may be helping to prevent damage to body cells that can eventually lead to cancer, new research suggests.
Once again, we see that not all fats are created equal.
Reduced Levels of Fat in the Diet May Decrease the Risk of Breast Cancer Recurrence According to New Clinical Trial, December 19, 2006 News Release - National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Postmenopausal women who reduce their consumption of dietary fat and have been treated for early-stage breast cancer may reduce their chances for breast cancer recurrence or a second breast cancer, according to results from the Women’s Intervention Nutrition Study (WINS). WINS was the first large-scale randomized trial to show that a change in diet can improve breast cancer outcomes in women who are receiving conventional treatment for early-stage breast cancer. Results of this study, which was sponsored by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health, appear in the December 20, 2006, issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute* along with an editorial on the findings by NCI scientists**. This report is based on an interim analysis of the trial data.
Disease Proof: Gut Bugs Again
This is interesting but nothing new. Antibiotics have been used in farm animals for years to promote rapid weight gain, so they can be slaughtered quicker. We also already know that when people eat a healthy diet, rich in natural plant materials the bacteria in the gut are different from those eating refined sugars and refined flours. So to peg the difference only on being fat or thin is a little bit misleading. It is all in the slant of how they reported the findings. They could have also found that a diet rich in junk food promotes different bacteria than a diet rich in vegetables. If you note, as the participants ate healthier the bacteria quality changed.
So apparently a healthy diet is also good for your stomach bacteria. I… uh… guess that’s good.
Weight Loss Cuts Prostate Cancer Risk
Men who lose weight may be less likely to get aggressive prostate cancerprostate cancer, while obesityobesity may increase a man’s risk.So say researchers, including Carmen Rodriguez, MD, MPH, of the American Cancer Society.
As if you really needed another reason.
Apparently it is not just what you dring but how you drink it. Drink, eat and live longer:
Men live longer with a “modest” consumption of two to four glasses of wine or beer a day, says a controversial study from Italy, a country that knows its wine. But wait before you head for the bar: The Italians warn that how you drink is as important as how much.And they say North Americans are doing it all wrong, and losing the potential health benefit.
The benefit only works if you drink exclusively at meal time, and only at one meal a day they say _preferably while following a Mediterranean diet of fish, tomatoes, veggies and olive oil.
Fortunately we are more or less in line with the recommendation.
How to Take Off 10 Years And Look and Feel Better Than Ever | Rejuvenate Feel Great
It turns out that 70% of the factors influencing life expectancy are due to good choices and good luck–not good genes.What are the moves that will peel off the years? Prevention asked dozens of scientists studying aging, exercise, nutrition, and related fields which changes deliver the biggest payoff.
Read on for their picks–powerful enough to make these researchers adopt them in their own lives.
The top 3 were return to your weight at age 18, take 800 mg of alpha-lipoic acid and 2,000 mg of acetyl-L-carnitine daily, and reduce calorie intake.
To us, it sounds like two of the top 3 are cut calories.
Disease Proof: The Pros and Cons Our “Natural Sweet Tooth”
Regrettably, our human desire for sweets is typically satisfied by the consumption of products containing sugar, such as candy bars and ice cream—not fresh fruit. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration estimates that the typical American now consumes an unbelievable 32 teaspoons of added sugar a day.5 That’s right, in one day.We need to satisfy our sweet tooth with fresh, natural fruits and other plant substances that supply us not just with carbohydrates for energy but also with the full complement of indispensable substances that prevent illness.
Great advice!