Over 50's should curb iron and copper intake

Although copper and iron are essential nutrients scientists writing in the ACS Journal warn that steps should be taken to limit intake of both for consumers over age 50. Copper and iron that builds up in the body as we get older could contribute to a variety of age related diseases.

The scientists say most consumers are unaware of copper and iron toxicity, as are most physicians. The study authors also note that large populations are at risk for Alzheimer's disease, heart disease, and other age-related disorders from buildup of iron and copper in the body.

In the report, George Brewer states, "This story of copper and iron toxicity, which I think is reaching the level of public health significance, is virtually unknown to the general medical community, to say nothing of complete unawareness of the public. It seems clear that large segments of the population are at risk for toxicities from free copper and free iron, and to me, it seems clear that preventive steps should begin now."

The author cites a study showing “that in the general population those in the highest fifth of copper intake, if they are also eating a relatively high fat diet, lose cognition at over three times the normal rate.”

To lower the chances of age related diseases, Brewer suggests against vitamins containing copper or iron for consumers over age 50. He also suggests avoiding water that comes through copper pipes, reducing meat intake and regularly donating blood to reduce iron levels. After age 50, copper and iron excess can lead to oxidative stress, contributing to Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative diseases, vascular disease, diabetes mellitus, and possibly more. The study author says older consumers should take steps to avoid intake of each.

So why am I taking Ginkgo biloba?

Elderly people who took Ginkgo biloba every day for six years had as many difficulties with recall as those who took a fake supplement, the largest study of its kind has shown.

At least 100,000 people in Britain are thought to regularly take the supplement, which has been widely credited with improving memory and concentration.

Made from the leaves of the Ginkgo tree, the Chinese herbal remedy has been used as a traditional medicine for centuries.

It is thought to contain chemicals which help the flow of blood around the body, which advocates believe will help protect the brain against decline.

But the researchers who carried out the latest study warned that the supplement appeared to have no effect on warding off age-related memory problems.

Beth Snitz, from the University of Pittsburgh, who led the study, said: “Ginkgo biloba is marketed widely and used with the hope of improving, preventing, or delaying cognitive impairment associated with ageing and neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease.

“We (found) no evidence that Ginkgo biloba slows the rate of cognitive decline in older adults.”

For the study the team followed 3,069 volunteers, all of whom were aged between 72 and 96 years old and were given either a dose of the herbal supplement or a placebo twice a day for more than six years.

The findings are published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

Earlier studies have suggested that Ginkgo biloba could have other health benefits apart from memory, including reducing damage to the brain during a stroke.

Sex really is good for you!

Caroline Jones has an excellent piece on this topic which I am sure all of visitors will want to peruse. Highlights are:

• having sex three times a week could halve your risk of heart attack or stroke.

• having sex once or twice a week has been found to raise your body’s levels of an antibody called immunoglobulin A which can protect you from viral and bacterial infections.
  

• During sex, the natural steroid DHEA is secreted throughout the body and after an orgasm the level in the bloodstream soars to five times its normal amount. Known as the anti-ageing hormone, high levels of DHEA are thought to keep your body fitter and disease-free, helping you to live longer.

• An Australian study found that people who had an orgasm at least three times a week had a 50% lower chance of dying from any medical reason than those who only climaxed once a month.

• Couples who have sex at least three times a week look more than a decade younger than people who make love less often.

• Thirty minutes of sex burns up to 150 calories per half-hour, which is equivalent to a small glass of wine. If you have moderately active sex twice a week, you’ll burn an extra 15,600 calories a year!
• It also helps you sleep better, reduces stress, eases depression, boosts self esteeem and reduces pain.

So why are you wasting time reading this!

Bingo is good for you!

As someone still suffering with bruised ribs from my fall in last weekends Leeds 10k I am wondering if I should be rethinking my leisure time pursuits. Some new research from Rush University Medical Centre in Chicago claims that playing bingo and having an active social life in old age can help stave off disability and even death.By up to two thirds.

Even just chatting regularly with friends can slow down the rate of decline in motor function which comes as people grow older, the study found. Maybe I should just mix in with the crowds in future and chat! Actually I am planning to run the first Jane Tomlinson 10k in York on August 2 - assuming I can breathe again by then.....

Regular running is good for you

More research from the Stanford University School of Medicine that has tracked 500 older runners for more than 20 years. Elderly runners have fewer disabilities, a longer span of active life and are half as likely as aging nonrunners to die early deaths, the research found. I am a regular runner of course but the study fails to point out that you also get more injuries! Said with feeling after falling over 100 yards before the end of the Jane Tomlinson 10k at the weekend. Most embarrassing as 11,000 runners and about a thousand people and TV cameras at the finish line! That is me minus glasses (shattered), blood gushing over the steps and bruised ribs. I did finally finish before the chicken and 2 Gorillas..

Ageist youths more likely to have heart probs in old age

An extraordinary longitudinal study has identified a link between people's belief in age stereotypes when they're younger and their likelihood of suffering a cardiovascular illness when they get older. Becca Levy and colleagues used data collected from 1968 onwards from 386 people regarding their belief in age stereotypes. The participants, who were aged 36.5 years on average when first approached, had stated their agreement with views like "old people are helpless". Levy's team then looked to see which participants had suffered a cardiovascular illness such as heart attack or stroke between 1968 and 2007. There were 89 such cardiovascular events in total. Amazingly, participants who earlier held negative views about older people were subsequently more likely to suffer a cardiovascular illness over the next 38 years, than were the participants who had held more positive views about ageing. For example, 30 years after the questions about ageing, 25 per cent of those who'd espoused negative views had suffered an illness compared with just 13 per cent of those who'd held positive views. Crucially, this association held even after controlling for a raft of other factors that might have explained the link, including health at baseline, family medical history and body mass index at baseline. "This finding suggests that programmes aimed at reducing the negative age stereotypes of younger individuals could benefit their cardiovascular health when they become older individuals," the researchers said. In the Rainbow Years we quote the research that shows that a positive attitude towards ageing can add 7.5 years to your life. This research says that these attitudes begin early so get working on the younger members of your family.

Resistance training does more than build strong muscles -- it can turn back the clock

As someone who owns up to using a personal trainer and has done so for 18 months now and felt a huge difference I was intrigued to see an article this morning that produces significant evidence fro the value of resistance training especially the use of weights in combating osteoporosis in men and women. A 2007 study conducted by McMaster University in Hamilton concluded that resistance training can dramatically alter "genetic fingerprints" (DNA). Researchers recommended weightlifting as a means of improving health and reversing the ageing process itself, giving credence to the fact that even moderate resistance training improves our well-being as we get older. Most people believe the best exercise for long term fat-loss is aerobics. Weight loss and fat loss shouldn't be confused. Research has repeatedly demonstrated that a restricted caloric diet, combined with too much cardio in the absence of resistance training can be detrimental to long-term fat-loss, and may lead to long-term weight gain. Excuse me while I go off to do my thrice weekly resistance training!

Men 'will close life expectancy gender gap by 2035'

The death gap is closing between men and women. An article in the Telegraph reported that US researchers are predicting that within two generations husbands can expect to die at the same age as their wives.

Women have traditionally outlived men due in part to the increased mortality rates of "masculine" careers like the military and mining.But with the West at peace, dangerous careers on the decline and men increasingly willing to improve their diets and seek early medical advice, male life expectancy is increasing at a faster rate.

Scientists at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta in the US said that the gender gap for life expectancy will have vanished for children born in 2035, if current trends continue. One explanation is that men have reduced their smoking a lot and women, particularly young women, have been more resistant. Any other thoughts??

Be Positive in 2009

Having had some media interviews recently it is revealing just what the interviewers highlight and what they remember later. One quote that was repeated consistently on a radio programme was the point that of all of the people on this planet who had ever lived to the age of 65 half of them were alive today.

The other statistic that had impact was the 7.5 years that you can add to your life by simply having a positive attitude towards ageing and life in general. This is especially intriguing when you compare it to the extra 4 years one can expect if you have low blood pressure and cholesterol levels or the 1-3 additional years from exercise and giving up smoking. I was also interested to see that the Times on Saturday was quoting this research as part of its tips on getting the most out of the New Year. Why this works is less clear so we were interested to read of a recent Harvard Medical School study of 670 men which found that the optimists have significantly better lung function. The lead author, Dr Rosalind Wright, believes that attitude somehow strengthens the immune system. “Preliminary studies on heart patients suggest that, by changing a person's outlook, you can improve their mortality risk,” she says.

So now you know what your No 1 New Years resolution needs to be!

Work is Good For Your Health

Mike and I write about this topic in The Rainbow Years but we now have even more evidence to make the point that staying in paid work of some kind keeps you healthier. An Australian Bureau of Statistics report published in August 2008 found that workers aged between 45 and 74 were less likely to have a chronic health condition, including obesity, than people who had retired. They have lower rates of heart disease, diabetes and arthritis. Cardiovascular disease and arthritis each affect about 25% of older workers whereas 50% of those who do not have paid work are affected. So now you know!