Healthy Aging: Body, Mind & Spirit

New ways to repair severed nerves

A “miniature honeycomb” – or scaffold – could one day be used to encourage damaged nerves to grow and recover, according to an international group of researchers.  The scaffold can channel clusters of nerves through its honeycomb of holes, eventually healing a severed nerve.  The findings of their study on mouse nerves are published in the journal Biofabrication.

Academics hope to one day treat spinal cord injuries with the scaffold.  When nerves are severed, such as in car accidents, it can result in a loss of feeling and movement.  Repairing this damage can be a challenge – but nerves outside of the brain and spinal cord can repair themselves, if only over short distances.

One technique to improve this repair is to use tubes.  Either end of the severed nerve is placed in a tube and the two ends of the nerve should grow and join in the middle.  Researchers at the University of Sheffield and Laser Zentrum Hannover, Germany, investigated using a honeycomb structure.

Dr Frederik Claeyssens, from the department of materials science and engineering at Sheffield, told the BBC: “That is much more like the structure of the nerve itself.  “The nerve has small regions of ‘cable’ that go through from one end to the other end, you have a whole bunch of little cables inside a larger cable, that’s what we tried to reproduce with this type of scaffold.”

The honeycomb is made from photopolymerizable polylactic acid, which biodegrades once the nerve has repaired.  The researchers showed nerve cells could grow on the scaffold and are now testing it in mice to see if it can fully repair the damage.  Dr Frederik Claeyssens said: “This technology could make a huge difference to patients suffering severe nerve damage.”

Scaffold technology is used in a range of “regenerative medicines”.  Building a scaffold and then coating it with human cells has, for example, been used to give patients new windpipes and bladders.

Lifestyle choices and Alzheimer’s

Alzheimer’s disease already affects 4.5 million Americans, more than twice the number that were affected in 1980–but that number is expected to grow significantly. By the year 2050, it’s estimated that 11.3 million to 16 million Americans may develop the disease, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.

Alzheimer’s disease affects the brain, progressively destroying a person’s ability to learn and reason, make judgments and carry out daily activities. The majority of people with Alzheimer’s are over the age of 65 — an age after which the chances of developing the disease double every five years.  But, of course, just because you age does not mean that you will develop Alzheimer’s, and there are, in fact, known methods to prevent this epidemic disease.

Eat healthy. Your best defense against this disease appears to be in the food you eat.  A recent study published in Alzheimer’s and Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association found that people who eat the recommended amount of folate have a much lower risk of developing the disease.  Folates are B-vitamins found in leafy green vegetables, oranges, legumes and bananas.

But, “Although folates appear to be more beneficial than other nutrients, the primary message is that an overall healthy diets seems to have an impact on limiting Alzheimer’s disease risk.  Antioxidant-rich foods are also extremely important.

Lead a healthy lifestyle. Things like avoiding tobacco and excess alcohol, exercising and staying socially active all are linked to a healthy brain, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.  “The major way we’ve reduced the death rate from heart disease is through lifestyle changes: eating better, exercising more, smoking less,” said David A. Bennett of Rush University in Chicago. “It would require a lot of people to change the way they live, but there’s no reason to think we can’t have the same impact on Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.”

Exercise your body. As mentioned above, regular exercise is important for your brain health.   “Walking 45 minutes three times a week for six months significantly improved mental ability of older adults with no dementia; a randomly selected control group that did stretching and toning had no change,” says Arthur Kramer, a psychologist at the University of Illinois.

Exercise your mind. “Just keeping busy seems to tune the brain,” says neuropsychologist Yaakov Stern of Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.   In a seven-year study of 1,800 older adults, Stern found that the more “leisure pursuits” a person had, the lower their risk of developing Alzheimer’s.  Leisure pursuits included visiting friends, playing cards and going to the movies

The key is to keep your brain engaged as you age.   Try crossword puzzles, games like chess and checkers,reading, attending a lecture, volunteering or taking a class that interests you.

Avoid head injuries. Research has uncovered a strong link between serious head injury and Alzheimer’s.  You can reduce your risk of head injury by always wearing a seat belt while driving, wearing a helmet on a motorcycle or bicycle and making sure to remove tripping hazards around your home.

Try to relax and stay positive. According to the Center for Healthy Minds, elderly people who experience a lot of psychological distress (worrying, feeling insecure or nervous) are more likely to show signs of mental decline.   In fact, one study found that people prone to high levels of distress were twice as likely to develop symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease after five years than those who were prone to low levels of distress.

Happiness and Heart Disease

I know in the past I wrote about dying of a broken heart…

New research now shows a sunny, optimistic outlook can protect your heart from attacks and strokes!

A new paper by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) suggests that positive psychological well-being may reduce the risk of heart attacks, strokes and other adverse cardiovascular events.  Although many previous studies have shown that negative mental states, like depression, anger and hostility, can be harmful to heart health, this new report which analyzes studies from the past 15 years, is the first large, systematic review of data on positive mood and cardiovascular outcomes.

After reviewing more than 200 studies published in two scientific databases, PubMed and PsycINFO, the authors found that optimism, life satisfaction and happiness were associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and its progression.  The most optimistic individuals had an approximately 50% reduced risk of experiencing an initial cardiovascular event compared to their less optimistic.

This association remained true regardless of factors like age, socioeconomic status, smoking and body weight. “Even if a person is overweight, smokes a lot and has high cholesterol, they can still benefit from positive emotions. It is something unique about well-being itself,” says one of the researchers.

Why exactly positivity may benefit the heart isn’t clear, but the researchers suggest that optimistic people may be more motivated to treat their bodies well.   Having a purpose in life motivates people and gets them thinking about the future and how they can structure their lives.  They want to get out and do things.  They are not sitting at home watching TV.

They found that if you have a positive disposition you’re more likely to exercise, eat well and get enough sleep at night.  This can have positive biological effects in terms of inflammation, cholesterol, blood pressure and lipids.  Engaging in healthier behaviors can lead to healthier body functions.

New prostate cancer treatment reduces side-effects

A new technique to treat early prostate cancer may have far fewer side-effects than existing therapies.   A 41-patient study in the journal Lancet Oncology suggests targeted ultrasound treatment could reduce the risk of impotence and incontinence.   Researchers say it could transform future treatment if the findings are repeated in larger studies.   The Medical Research Council (MRC), which funded the study, welcomed the results, which it said were promising.

Each year 37,000 men in the UK are diagnosed with prostate cancer.   Many face a difficult dilemma: the disease kills about 10,000 men every year, but for some it may not get worse if left untreated.   Standard treatment with surgery or radiotherapy involves treating the whole prostate gland, and can harm surrounding tissue, with a serious risk of side-effects, including urinary incontinence and impotence.

Targeted treatment

Doctors at University College Hospital in London have carried out the first trial using high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) aimed at small patches of cancer cells on the prostate. This was a “proof of concept” study involving 41 patients.

They used a probe, placed close to the prostate, which emits sound waves that heat the targeted cells to 80C, while causing minimal damage to surrounding nerves and muscles.   Hashim Ahmed, a urological surgeon at the trust who led the study, says the results, 12 months after treatment, are very encouraging.

“We’ve shown in this study that focal therapy – by targeting the individual areas of cancer – can avoid the collateral damage.   In nine out of ten men no impotence or incontinence resulted.

Mr Ahmed says the early evidence on cancer control is also very good, but this needs to be evaluated in much larger studies.

How bad are plastic water bottles for you?

In just one year, Americans drank nearly 9 billion gallons of bottled water, which is second only to soft drinks as the largest beverage type in the U.S. market, according to the Beverage Marketing Corporation.

What are You Really Drinking When You Drink Bottled Water?

Plastic water bottles have come under scrutiny in recent years for both their environmental and health effects, including those surrounding the chemical bisphenol-A (BPA).   BPA can leach out of plastic during everyday use, causing health problems.  It’s now widely known that BPA mimics the female hormone estrogen and may affect fertility and promote cancer.  And just last year it came out that BPA may also lead to heart disease, diabetes and liver problems.

Studies have shown that detectable levels of BPA exist in more than 90 percent of the U.S. population, but exposure has been blamed on not only drinking water and food, but also on dental sealants, dermal exposure and inhalation of household dusts.

How much BPA are we exposed to when drinking from a plastic bottle?

A new study from the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) found out.   Researchers recruited Harvard College students for a study in April 2008, and all 77 participants then began a seven-day “washout” during which they drank all cold beverages from stainless steel bottles in order to minimize BPA exposure.  For the next week, participants were given two polycarbonate bottles and asked to drink all cold beverages from them.

Urine samples were taken at the end of each week-long period, and the results that came back were shocking!  Levels of BPA rose 69 percent after just one week of drinking out of plastic bottles.

“We found that drinking cold liquids from polycarbonate bottles for just one week increased urinary BPA levels by more than two-thirds. If you heat those bottles, as is the case with baby bottles, we would expect the levels to be considerably higher. This would be of concern since infants may be particularly susceptible to BPA’s endocrine-disrupting potential,” said Karin B. Michels, associate professor of epidemiology at HSPH and Harvard Medical School and senior author of the study.

While previous studies have found that BPA could leach from polycarbonate bottles into their contents, this study is the first to show the corresponding increase in BPA levels in humans.

The end result is this, if you drink out of plastic water bottles, you can pretty much guarantee that you’re increasing your levels of BPA, which is very risky for your health.

Chronic exposure to very low levels of BPA, such as might occur when drinking bottled water, is potentially very harmful.

“An expert panel of scientists has concluded that exposure to extremely low doses of bisphenol A is strongly linked to diseases such as breast cancer, prostate cancer, and diabetes, and to reproductive and neurological development,” the Sierra Club reported.  And single-serve bottles are not the only ones to be concerned about.   Consumer Reports found in 2000 that eight of 10 5-gallon water jugs they tested contained residues of BPA.

While the use of BPA in polycarbonate baby bottles was banned in Canada in 2008, and some manufacturers have voluntarily eliminated the chemical from their bottles, this is not yet widespread in the United States nor have recent U.S. regulatory laws been passed.   In fact, BPA is so widely used that it may be nearly impossible to avoid exposure entirely, however you can greatly reduce your exposure by avoiding BPA-containing products as much as possible, including one of the biggest BPA predators: plastic water bottles.

Plastic containing BPA may be called: Polycarbonate, Lexan, and Polysulfone.

Faster treatment for stroke victims

Treating stroke in specialized ambulances en route to the hospital could boost the number of patients who can receive life-saving therapy.   Mobile stroke units can halve the time it takes a patient to get clot-busting drugs, a small German trial found.  These drugs only work if given within four and a half hours of stroke onset.

Since not all patients are suitable candidates, a rapid assessment is critical, The Lancet Neurology reports.  Clot-busting drugs (thrombolytics) can be effective if the stroke is caused by a blood clot (the cause in about 80% of cases), but not if it is due to a bleed.   The faster an eligible patient receives clot-busting treatment, the better their chances are of surviving thus reducing long-term disabilities.

The latest trial, which involved 100 patients in Germany, found treatment decision times were reduced by equipping ambulance staff with the necessary tools, including CT scanners, to diagnose and manage stroke immediately.  In the study, thrombolysis was given within 35 minutes, on average, for those patients treated by mobile stroke units.   In comparison, those sent to hospital for treatment in the usual way waited 76 minutes.

Patient outcomes did not differ significantly between the two groups but the researchers point out that the study was not designed to evaluate this and that the number of patients involved in their trial was small. The follow up was also short – a week.   Experts say larger studies are needed to explore what impact earlier treatment will have on prognosis, and to confirm whether mobile stroke units would also work in other geographical regions, not just in urban areas with short journey distances.

What’s up with dental x-rays and cancer?

Previously, Dr. Oz already cautioned us that too many dental x-rays can lead to thyroid cancer.

Now a new study out of Yale University suggests that those who developed meningioma, the most commonly diagnosed brain tumor in the U.S., recall having three times as many bitewing x-rays and panorex films taken as those without cancer.  Remember this data is based on past exposure levels, and past levels were much higher than today, according to Dr. Elizabeth Claus, the study’s lead author and a professor at the Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut.

Regardless of the age when the x-rays were taken, those who had them yearly or more frequently were at between 40 percent and 90 percent higher risk at all ages to be diagnosed with a brain tumor.

I have done EXTENSIVE research on the history of x-ray and radiation exposure levels for previous writing projects. Check out my story called GLOW IN THE DARK TRAGEDY which appeared in American History Magazine in 2007.  The “Radium girls” were young women who applied radium paint to watch faces and instrument panels to make them “glow in the dark” during WWI, until they all started developing horrible tumors and dying a few years later.

We in America have a long history of underestimating how deadly radiation overexposure can be.  Remember the “Pedoscope”?   Ask Madame Curie, who died from overexposure to her famous discovery.

All you really need to know about radiation is that there is no level of human exposure which is safe.  Even the slightest exposure has some effect on the behavior and mutations within the human cell.

I personally see NO reason to have dental x-rays on any pre-set schedule or more than every few years.   I believe dental insurance and greedy dentists who love to bill you for extra tests, have led to this growing problem.   Not to mention radiation exposures at an ever younger age!

Put “overuse of x-rays” into Google and read more!

You are in charge of your health, not your doctor OR your dentist.  YOU decide which tests you want performed on you!  And you choose everyday how much radiation exposure you will receive… cellphones anyone?

What you eat and how you feel

What you eat does effect your mood.

Take just a moment now to think about what you eat and how it makes you feel.  Or better yet, do an experiment on yourself.  Spend a few days eating lots of high quality proteins, veggies and fruits, and see if you don’t feel more energetic and hopeful.  Cut the starch and sugar and replace them with good food, and you will soon begin losing pounds.  When you finally find the discipline to eat right, you will soon feel better!

Omega-3 fatty acids, magnesium, tryptophan, folate and other B vitamins, low glycemic foods, and chocolate have all been studied, and results show an association between these foods and improved mood.  Of course, these nutrients are all part of a healthy diet, and when you eat healthy, your body reaps the benefits!

When you eat fruits, vegetables and whole grains throughout the day you keep your body fueled and your blood sugar on an even keel.   You’re also getting the vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phytonutrients you need to function properly.  Combining carbohydrates and proteins also enhances the availability of serotonin to your brain, a neurotransmitter which has a calming effect and helps you have good sleep.

In addition, simply knowing you are taking care of yourself can boost your mood.   We’re all familiar with the power of comfort foods.   For example, drinking a glass of milk before bedtime can trigger a comforting memory of your childhood.

Eating healthy has improved my life is so many ways, and helped me lose 50 pounds in the past ten months!   I got on Slimgenics, which helped me to FINALLY begin to eat like I knew I should be: out with all of those mass quantities of starch like potatoes, rice, pasta, and bread, and in with 6-8 servings of veggies and fruits plus over 60 grams of PROTEIN each day.

Improve your diet and see if that doesn’t improve your mood!  Then go take a long walk in the springtime weather…now you’re starting to feel much better!

New study on breast cancer reoccurence and diet

For the nearly 12 million cancer survivors in the US, the toughest part after initial diagnosis and treatment is dealing with fears of recurrence.   New research findings presented this week at the American Association of Cancer Research’s annual meeting in Chicago provide some reassuring news for cancer survivors — and ways to lower their risk of having a relapse.

1.  Nearly half of all cancer survivors do not die of cancer. They instead die of unrelated conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, or stroke.   Based on a population study of 1,807 cancer survivors followed for 18 years, the longer cancer patients survive after initial diagnosis, the more likely they are to die from other disease.

Cancer was the cause of death in about two-thirds of the study participants who died within five years of diagnosis, but cancer was the cause of death in only one-third of those who survived for 20 years or longer after their original cancer diagnosis.

It was found that after the detection of cancer, clinicians and cancer survivors pay too little attention to the prevention and treatment of other chronic diseases and complications.  Do not neglect other aspects of your health as you focus on future cancer prevention.

2. Cruciferous vegetables lower risk of recurrence in breast cancer patients. Breast cancer survivors should add more broccoli, cauliflower, and bok choy to their diet.   A Vanderbuilt University study of nearly 5,000 Chinese breast cancer patients found that those who ate the most cruciferous vegetables had the lowest risk of recurrence and of dying of breast cancer over a three year period.

The benefits were modest: a 21 percent decrease in recurrence risk for those who ate one or two servings a day of cruciferous vegetables and a 35 percent decrease for those who ate more.   Still, it’s impossible to say whether the vegetables, themselves, or some other factor led to the reduced risk.

“Breast cancer survivors can follow the general nutritional guidelines of eating vegetables daily and may consider increasing intake of cruciferous vegetables, such as greens, cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli, as part of a healthy diet,” said study author Sarah Nechuta in a statement.

3. Common diabetes drug may improve prognosis for several cancers. It is possible that metformin — a popular first-line drug to treat Type 2 diabetes — can improve cancer prognosis and lower the risk of relapse.  As of now, this is just a hypothesis being investigated in several studies that were presented at the AACR meeting.

The initial results were positive: A study from MD Anderson Cancer Center that examined medical records from 302 pancreatic cancer patients who also had diabetes found that those who were taking metformin had a three-month longer survival time on average compared to those who were not. At one year, the researchers found that 64 percent of the patients prescribed metformin were still alive, compared to 46 percent of the group not prescribed metformin.

Other studies presented at the meeting found that metformin appears to slow prostate cancer growth in those who were randomly given the drug instead of a placebo in a small clinical trial.   This drug also protected against liver cancer and oral cancers in two studies conducted in mice.

Why sugar is bad for your body

I liked the explanation offered by CBS News this morning.  It’s simple and straight forward.

Think of your blood as water and then imagine pouring sugar into it while stirring.  The water or your blood will thicken up much like syrup, making your heart work harder and your blood pressure to go up as you add more and more.

I also think the description by Dr. Oz is correct.   Too much sugar is like razor blades in your blood stream for your vascular system.

Why do I believe this?  Because I have suffered from the most direct disease created by too much sugar, Candida, which caused awful bubbles of staph infection on my skin a few years ago.  The simple solution?   I stopped eating most sugar for a while, especially sweet drinks.  Instead I used stevia, and consumed sugar only in the form of blueberries and apples, because they deliver so much fiber with their sugar.

Changing my diet improved my health DRAMATICALLY.  Candida on your skin is so itchy and every time I ate sugar I itched even more.  I knew when the Candida fungus was feeding!

It is true that sugar is VERY addictive to your brain, but stevia can help you cut back TODAY!