A finding that free radicals promote longevity in the roundworm challenges the theory that free radicals (oxidants) are damaging and cause aging.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2014-05/mu-wdk050714.php
Oxidants not all bad?
Related News
Calorie restriction in monkeys does lengthen life
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A 25-year study of diet and aging in 76 rhesus monkeys shows a significant reduction in mortality and in age-associated diseases among those on calorie-restricted diets.
Supplements don’t reduce risk of cardiovascular disease in elderly
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Data from AREDS2, involving 4,203 older adults with age-related macular degeneration, has found that daily dietary supplements of either omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (also found in fish) or lutein and zeaxanthin (nutrients found in green leafy vegetables) were not associated with reduced risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD).
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2014-03/tjnj-sna031414.php
Calcium and vitamin D improve cholesterol in postmenopausal women
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A new study from the Women's Health Initiative has found that calcium and vitamin D supplements after menopause can improve women's cholesterol profiles, with much of that effect tied to raising vitamin D levels. Taking the calcium and vitamin D supplements was especially helpful in raising vitamin D levels in women who were older, women who had a low intake, women who had levels first measured in the winter, and women who didn’t smoke and who drank less alcohol.
Why dark chocolate is good for your heart
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A study involving 44 middle-aged overweight men who consumed 70 grams of dark chocolate per day over two periods of four weeks, has found that dark chocolate helps restore flexibility to arteries while also preventing white blood cells from sticking to the walls of blood vessels. Both arterial stiffness and white blood cell adhesion are known factors that play a significant role in atherosclerosis.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2014-02/foas-wdc022714.php
Poor breakfast in youth linked to metabolic syndrome in adulthood
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A Swedish study has found that those who ate poor breakfasts as year 9 students had a higher incidence of metabolic syndrome 27 years later, compared with those who ate more substantial breakfasts.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2014-01/uu-pbi012914.php
Moderate alcohol consumption boosts immune system
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A study involving 12 rhesus macaques, of whom some were given access to alcohol, has found that those who drank moderately showed enhanced responses to a smallpox vaccine (compared with the control group of monkeys who drank sugar water), indicating a bolstered immune system, while heavy drinkers showed greatly diminished vaccine responses.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-12/ohs-sma121713.php
More evidence for a link between type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer’s
Glucose levels linked to cognitive decline in those with MCI
A study involving 264 older adults with mild cognitive impairment has found that those with normal glucose levels (167; 63%) had less cognitive decline over 2 years than those with impaired (high) glucose levels (97; 37%). They also showed less brain shrinkage and were less likely to develop Alzheimer’s. The fasting glucose levels were classified according to the American Diabetes criteria.
Being overweight linked to poorer memory
A small study involving 50 younger adults (18-35; average age 24) has found that those with a higher BMI performed significantly worse on a computerised memory test called the “Treasure Hunt Task”.
The task involved moving food items around complex scenes (e.g., a desert with palm trees), hiding them in various locations, and indicating afterward where and when they had hidden them. The test was designed to disentangle object, location, and temporal order memory, and the ability to integrate those separate bits of information.
Choline linked to better memory & healthier brains
Dietary choline linked to reduced dementia risk & better cognition
Data from a large, long-running Finnish study, involving some 2,500 men aged 42-60, has found that dietary intake of phosphatidylcholine was associated with a reduced risk of dementia (the risk was 28% lower in men with the highest intake compared to the lowest). Men with the highest intake of dietary phosphatidylcholine also excelled in tests measuring their memory and linguistic abilities.
The key sources of phosphatidylcholine in the study population's diet were eggs (39%) and meat (37%).
Healthy lifestyle associated with lower dementia risk regardless of genes
Data from 196,383 older adults (60+; mean age 64) in the UK Biobank found that a healthy lifestyle was associated with lower dementia risk regardless of genes.
Both an unhealthy lifestyle and high genetic risk were associated with higher dementia risk.