No revolutionary new health research reported in the last few weeks ( except maybe involving beer – see below) confirming health activities I already pursue.
Most comprehensive and compelling was a Vitamin D research summary:
On issues ranging from the health of your immune system to prevention of heart disease and even vulnerability to influenza, vitamin D is now seen as one of the most critical nutrients for overall health. But it’s also one of those most likely to be deficient.
Vitamin D can be obtained from the diet, often through supplemented foods such as milk, but those sources are rarely adequate, experts say. Most people get the bulk of this fat-soluble vitamin from the UV-B radiation in sun exposure, which naturally causes the skin to produce it. However, people with dark skin, infants and almost anyone living north of about 40 degrees latitude which is a huge portion of the U.S. population are often deficient after months of inadequate winter sunshine.
Among the values and observations about vitamin D that are outlined in the new report:
” Low levels of circulating vitamin D are associated with increased risk and mortality from cancer.
” Vitamin D deficiency is a risk factor for tuberculosis
” Epidemiological studies show a link between vitamin D deficiency and increased rates of respiratory infection and influenza, and it has been hypothesized that flu epidemics may be the result of vitamin D deficiency.
” Higher levels of a protein linked to vitamin D have been associated with reduced infections and longer survival of dialysis patients.
” Vitamin D has important roles in reducing inflammation, blood pressure and helping to protect against heart disease.
One compelling new study just done by researchers at the Intermountain Medical Center in Utah, and presented at a meeting of the American Heart Association, followed for more than a year nearly 28,000 patients ages 50 or older with no prior history of cardiovascular disease. It found that in patients with very low levels of vitamin D compared to those with normal levels77 percent were more likely to die, 45 percent were more likely to develop coronary artery disease, and 78 percent were more likely to have a stroke.
There is more evidence explaining how aspirin can prevent a first heart attack or a first stroke. But aspirin (and Tylenol) may decrease vaccines’ effect.
I have been screened for C Reactive Protein, at my own request: I’m clear:
New research shows a long-term benefit in screening people for C Reactive Protein, CRP, a marker for inflammation, even if they have normal levels of bad cholesterol, because of increased long-term risk for heart attack, stroke and death.
Men get breast cancer, too. I try to eat some soy:
Soy Decreases Breast Cancer Recurrence and Death
but Alcohol may increase breast cancer recurrence risk:
Moderate consumption of alcoholic beverages (at least three to four drinks per week, no matter the type of alcohol) is associated with a 30 percent increased risk of breast cancer recurrence, according to a new Kaiser Permanente study. Post-menopausal or overweight women may be most susceptible to the effects of alcohol on recurrence, according to the researchers.
I don’t take selenium anymore because of other risks associated with it, but I’m very big on Fish oil and some soy, so I’m in good shape colon wise (as confimed with a colonoscopy:
Selenium May Help Fight Colon Cancer
Omega-3 Fatty Acids=Reduced Risk of Colon Cancer
http://healthnewsreport.blogspot.com/2009/11/soy-component-may-be-key-to-fighting.html
I don’t drink coffee, and I’ve mostly given up beer for red wine, but I’m big on exercise so I should be OK prostate cancer , stroke and aging wise( I hope):
Coffee Consumption Associated with Reduced Risk of Advanced Prostate Cancer
Beer May Prevent Prostate Cancer – I love it
Exercise Reduces Prostate Cancer Death Rate
Men who participated in moderate-to-heavy intensity activities were 63 percent less likely to have a stroke than people with no physical activity. The baseline risk of ischemic stroke over five years in the entire group was 4.3 percent; among those with moderate-to-heavy intensity activities the risk was 2.7 percent, and among those with no activity it was 4.6 percent. Taking part in moderate-to-heavy intensity physical activity may be an important factor in preventing stroke.
Long-term physical activity has an anti-aging effect
But Too much physical activity may lead to arthritis, which with my bad knees is almost a certainty.
But while I never add salt to anything, I’m sure there’s a lot of it in almost everything I eat:
High salt = strokes and cardiovascular disease:
Eating high amounts of salt is linked to a significantly higher risk of strokes and cardiovascular disease.
The study provides unequivocal evidence of the direct link between high dietary salt intake and increased risk of stroke and cardiovascular disease. A 5 g lower daily salt intake would reduce stroke by 23% and total cardiovascular disease by 17%, thus averting 1.25 million fatal and non-fatal strokes, and almost 3 million vascular events worldwide each year. The effect is greater, the larger the difference in salt intake and increases with time.
Most of the salt we eat comes from that added to food in the manufacturing process.
I’m nuts about nuts (in moderation):
Pistachios (And Other Nuts) May Reduce Lung Cancer Risk
Because epidemiologic studies suggest gamma-tocopherol is protective against prostate cancer, pistachio intake may help. Other food sources that are a rich source of gamma-tocopherol include nuts such as peanuts, pecans, walnuts, soybean and corn oils.
But I avoid fatty foods:
Fatty food can weaken the immune system
High-fat Low-carb Diets=Heart Risk
New scientific research has shown that low-carbohydrate high-fat diets, made popular by the likes of the Atkins diet, do not achieve more weight loss than low-fat high-carbohydrate diets. Worryingly, the research also shows significantly increased risks of cardiovascular disease for people following low-carbohydrate high-fat diets.
The research shows that the risks of low-carbohydrate high-fat diets far outweigh the potential benefits gained by overweight and obese people through weight loss, including improvements in blood pressure and risk factors for coronary heart disease.
If I do CPR I’ll be sure to check that the air passage-way isn’t obstructed:
CPR WORKS W/0 M-TO-M BUT NOT W/O OXYGEN:
People can survive cardiac arrest if they receive only chest compressions during attempts to revive them as advised by the current American Heart Association guidelines. But they cannot survive without access to oxygen sometime during the resuscitation effort, research suggests.
