aging

This week on GNNW: BREAKING NEWS! Making love wards off dementia; Garlic cures bacterial infections; Marijuana is safer than cigarettes and alcohol.

This week on GNNW: BREAKING NEWS! Making love wards off dementia; Garlic cures bacterial infections; Marijuana is safer than cigarettes and alcohol.

Someday soon, a simple blood test may be able to predict a person’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
A new blood test has been developed that allows scientists to estimate how quickly someone is aging; they hope that it will eventually serve as a predictor of dementia. The test may also be able to determine the “youthfulness” of donated organs for transplant operations. [1]

If you like spicy food, then keep eating: recently released research shows that super-hot foods like chili peppers may help you live longer.

“There is accumulating evidence from mostly experimental research to show the benefit of spices or their active components on human health,” said Lu Qi, an associate professor at Harvard School of Public Health and co-author of the study published this week in the BMJ. [1]

When prepared right, artichokes can be delicious – this is no secret. But what many people aren’t aware of is that the spiny globes (actually called “globe artichokes”) pack quite a nutritious punch. Below you will learn of 8 artichoke health benefits that will keep you coming back for that delicious heart.

Evidence is mounting that humble little vitamin E plays a big role in keeping women safe from breast cancer. Several recent studies have shown it can inhibit the metabolism of cancer cells, leading to their death.
This is excellent news for women wanting to protect themselves against a diagnosis of breast cancer, for those now being treated for the disease, and for those who have had breast cancer and want to avoid a recurrence.

While far from being the worst effect of the aging process, the decline in skin quality resulting in issues such as wrinkles and uneven pigmentation is almost universally despised. Thankfully, recent research has found that natural substances such as maritime pine bark can reduce the damage caused by UV radiation, a major contributor to skin aging.

The fat you choose to use in cooking can make the difference between a meal that supports health and a meal that throws off free radicals (thought to be a primary cause of the degeneration we refer to as aging). The higher the cooking heat, the more likely you are to be bombarded with free radicals, set off by breaks in fatty acid chains. There are only a few fats that can defy oxidation and its cousin, rancidity. What’s the determining factor? It’s the stability of the fatty acid chain.

One of the most publicized nutrients in the media is the stilbene known as resveratrol. This organic compound has been found to cut down cardiovascular disease, prevent certain cancers, help slow aging, and possibly aid in weight control. It can even improve spinal bone density in men with metabolic syndrome and may be one reason why people belonging to wine loving cultures are often so healthy. However, scepticism abounds with many naysayers claiming that there is not enough evidence and that any purported benefits are just an excuse for red wine fans.