by imavexadmin | Feb 4, 2019 | Today's Information
It’s possible to slow down the aging process!
Much more is known, day by day, about the biochemical mechanisms that make up our being. The biochemistry and biophysics involved is basic, but the appreciation of the importance of certain reactions and how they can be enhanced is new.
Aging is an unclear term that really refers to deterioration of our optimal biochemistry.
We have always known that some persons age more quickly than others. One of the extremes of this proves the rule. Individuals with the Progeria condition have rapid deterioration of biochemical mechanisms due to their DNA composition. (See Drill down 1 below)
One of the keys to this is the NAD-NADH reaction basic to our system.
The more poor, lonely unpaired electrons circulating in our bodies, the greater the deterioration of our system. The more NAD (electron paired molecules) the better.
More of the building blocks, such as pterostilbene and forms of Vitamin B3, result in more NAD and slower deterioration or “aging.”
More of these building blocks can be taken in through food with high amounts of the proper nutrients.
Pterostilbene is found in almonds, blueberries and grape leaves.
Niacin is the food source of the building blocks and in found in sweet peppers, portabella mushrooms, apricots, sesame seeds, ginger, tuna, venison and pork among many others.
A somewhat easier way for those of us whose nutrition habits are lacking is to take purified forms of these nutrients so that the optimal effect can be achieved.
(Drill Down 1)
This is called the Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome. Like many medical conditions, the name says nothing about the actual root cause or remedies for the condition. The DNA in these persons is degraded rapidly such that at ages less than 10 years they have physical characteristics of the average elderly person. Certainly this is a brave group of resilient individuals, relatives and friends who work to improve this condition all the while embracing the remarkable life the present situation offers.
by imavexadmin | Feb 4, 2019 | Today's Information
Picking our poison?
WHITE RICE IS HIGH IS SUGAR. EXCESSIVE SUGAR, A PRIMARY VILLAIN IN THE HEART DISEASE STORY, PROMOTES OBESITY AND HEART DISEASE.
ON THE OTHER HAND, BROWN RICE CONTAINS THE HUSK WHERE DAMAGING LECTINS LURK. LECTINS ARE CARBOHYDRATE-BINDING PROTEINS PRESENT IN MANY PLANTS AND ARE IMPOSSIBLE TO AVOID ENTIRELY IN THE DIET. THEY ARE PARTIALLY NEUTRALIZED BY COOKING.
LECTINS ARE HIGHLY INFLAMMATORY. CHECKING OUR hsCRP LEVEL AND KEEPING IT LOW GIVES OF A MEASURE OF HOW WE ARE DOING IN HEART DISEASE PREVENTION.
LESS THAN 1.0 IS GOOD, LESS THAN 0.5 BETTER AND LESS THAN 0.1 BEST.
DON’T CONFUSE LECTIN (AN INFLAMMATORY FOOD COMPONENT) WITH LEPTIN (A HORMONE IN OUR BODY THAT REGULATES OUR APPETITE AND FAT.)
DISCOVERED IN 1994, LEPTIN IS A HORMONE WHICH IS MADE IN OUR FAT CELLS. IT GOES THE HYPOTHALAMUS PART OF OUR BRAIN AND USES VAGUS NERVE PATHWAYS TO TELL US WHEN WE ARE FULL. ONE EFFECT OF LECTIN IN OUR FOOD IS TO MAKE US RESISTANT TO THE HORMONE LEPTIN’S MESSAGE THAT WE’VE EATEN ENOUGH. ULTIMATELY, LEPTIN CONTROLS OUR APPETITE AND OUR FAT.
SIMPLY IT APPEARS BEST TO US TO CONTINUE WITH WHOLE FOODS AND A PLANT BASED MATRIX WHILE BEING AWARE THAT EXCESSIVE LECTIN CAN BE A CULPRIT IN OBESITY AND CHRONIC DISEASE. SOME COOKED BROWN RICE IS NOT A BAD CHOICE AS PART OF WHOLE FOOD NUTRITION WITH LOTS OF FIBER. LIMITING SUGAR, FOODS THAT GO TO SUGAR, AND PROCESSED FOODS ARE GOOD CHOICES.
DRILL DOWN:
Miyake K, Tanaka T, McNeil PL, 2007 Lectin-Based Food Poisoning: A New Mechanism of Protein Toxicity. PLoS ONE 2(8): e687. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0000687
“The Plant Paradox” Steven Gundry, MD
by imavexadmin | Feb 4, 2019 | Today's Information
How does Nitric Oxide contribute to heart health, and 5 Ways To Increase Nitric Oxide levels!
Nitric oxide is a major key to heart health. It expands blood vessels, increases blood flow and keeps blood pressure normal. Nobel prizes have been awarded for its discovery and it has been designated as a “molecule of the year.” (1)
A major pathway for its production uses L arginine and an enzyme called eNOS.
To optimize this biochemical pathway, eight or so other “cofactors” are required. So getting enough L arginine won’t help as much if the other ingredients of this recipe are deficient.
These include folic acid and some others, all of which we can get from eating real whole foods.
6 SIMPLE WAYS TO INCREASE NITRIC OXIDE:
- Eat beet root, arugula, spinach, radishes, carrots and greens.
- Eat dark chocolate. Who said healthy foods aren’t the most enjoyable to eat??
- Maintain an optimal vitamin D3 level. We feel taking supplemental vitamin D3 is safer than a lot of sun exposure because of the risk of skin cancer.
- Drink pomegranate juice. We can reduce artery blockage to a degree with this. DRILL DOWN
- Take grape seed extract. This is concentrated enough to give a meaningful increase in nitric oxide. It also helps maintain the optimal testosterone levels needed by both men and women.
- Eat omega 3’s. Small fatty fish, nuts, seeds and olive oil all help. A fish oil or EPA/DHA supplement. Fish oil, krill oil and particular algae are convenient sources.
1.https://science.sciencemag.org/content/258/5090/1861.long
DRILL DOWN
Pomegranate is an excellent way to increase nitric oxide. It has other beneficial effects on heart health as well.
Pomegranate juice consumption for 3 years by patients with carotid artery stenosis reduces common carotid intima-media thickness, blood pressure and LDL oxidation https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15158307
Pomegranate is an excellent way to increase nitric oxide. It has other beneficial effects on heart health as well. Pomegranate juice consumption for 3 years by patients with carotid artery stenosis reduces common carotid intima-media thickness, blood pressure and LDL oxidation.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15158307
by imavexadmin | Feb 4, 2019 | Today's Information
2 Tablespoonful’s of Extra Virgin Olive Oil per day can improve our heart health!
It’s simple to keep it handy and use it in or on our food. We have a flavor we like and keep the bottle on the countertop for use on salad, vegetables, and many other foods. It’s amazing how that bottle is gone in a week or two.
The first pressing of olives (extra virgin olive oil or EVOO) produces a liquid rich in beneficial phenols. Refined olive oils do not have this property.
We currently use the commonly available and reasonably priced Olive Ranch brand from Southern California. Different flavors are available and begin to rival the nuances of wine tasting.
Why do we feel this is beneficial to our heart health? Studies have demonstrated that Extra Virgin Olive Oil:
- Decreases Inflammation
- Increases not only the level of beneficial good cholesterol (HDL) in the blood but quite importantly also increases its functionality.
- Lowers blood pressure
- Makes us feel full
- Decreases harmful oxidation
- Lowers blood sugar
- Increases the body’s sensitivity to insulin
What an easy and tremendous way to improve our HeartHealthToday.
Further Reading:
Fits M, Cladellas M, de la Torre R, et al. Antioxidant effect of virgin olive oil in patients with stable coronary heart disease: a randomized, crossover, controlled, clinical trial. Atherosclerosis. 2005;181(1):149-158.
R Madigan C, Ryan M, Owens D, Collins P, Tomkin GH. Dietary unsaturated fatty acids in type 2 diabetes: higher levels of postprandial lipoprotein on a linoleic acid-rich sunflower oil diet compared with an oleic acid-rich olive oil diet. Diabetes Care. 2000;23(10):1472-1477
Bes-Rastrollo M, Sanchez-Villegas A, de la Fuente C, de Irala J, Martinez JA, Martinez-Gonzalez MA. Olive oil consumption and weight change: the SUN prospective cohort study. Lipids. 2006;41(3):249-256
Estruch R, Ros E, Salas-Salvado J, et al. Primary prevention of cardiovascular disease with a Mediterranean diet. N Engl J Med. 2013;368(14):1279-1290.
Babio N, Toledo E, Estruch R, et al. Mediterranean diets and metabolic syndrome status in the PREDIMED randomized trial. CMAJ. 2014;186(17):E649-657.
Salas-Salvado J, Bullo M, Babio N, et al. Reduction in the incidence of type 2 diabetes with the Mediterranean diet: results of the PREDIMED-Reus nutrition intervention randomized trial. Diabetes Care. 2011;34(1):14-19.
by imavexadmin | Feb 4, 2019 | Today's Information
“You take two bodies and you twirl them into one; their hearts and their bones. And they won’t come undone Hearts and bones” Paul Simon, 1983
Following the direction of Paul Simon’s 1983 album title song, the latest biological science has uncovered still another strong connection between our hearts and our bones.
Mutated stem cells deep in our bone marrow can produce a variety of white blood cells which have a particularly inflammatory effect. As they enter the plaque in our blood vessels in an attempt to do their repair job they may well cause increased plaque growth and rupture. Remember that it is the breaking open of a plaque in our blood vessels that causes the sudden heart attack or stroke.
The practicality of this is that it reinforces our conviction that we must keep unnecessary inflammation to a minimum.
We should strongly consider avoiding foods that produce inflammation. These are not the same for everyone. Some have trouble with dairy, others shellfish,and some others gluten. Excess sugar in its many forms can be inflammatory for most.
Whole food plant based diets are likely one of the most effective ways, but not the only way, to keep inflammation under control.
Certain foods that fight inflammation include blueberries, green tea, beets, the broccoli family, and our favorite, extra virgin olive oil. Ginger and turmeric are well known for their property of decreasing inflammation. The most active ingredient of turmeric in this regard appears to be curcumin.
What causes the mutations of these stem cells in the first place? Toxins such as certain chemicals and smoke are among the likely culprits.
These new discoveries have of course produced yet another acronym (C.H.I.P.) standing for –get ready for this one–Clonal Hematopoiesis of Indeterminate Potential. New CHIP societies and CHIP clinics are already forming and are not to be confused with the kid’s CHIP– Children’s Health Insurance Program.
The studies to date are impressive and may help explain why some of us with few or none of the traditional “risk factors” of high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes and high cholesterol still have heart attacks and strokes.
We continue to advocate the I CAN DO acronym. The I is for reducing unnecessaryInflammation to improve our Heart Health Today.
Further Reading:
- Jaiswal, S., Natarajan, P., Silver, A. J., Gibson, C. J., Bick, A. G., Shvartz, E., et al. (2017). Clonal hematopoiesis and risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. N. Engl. J. Med. 377, 111–121. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1701719
- Jaiswal S, Fontanillas P, Flannick J, et al. Age-related clonal hematopoiesis associated with adverse outcomes. N Engl J Med 2014;371:2488-2498
3. Is Coronary Atherosclerosis One Disease or Many? Circulation. 2017;135:1005–1007. DOI: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.116.02
