Category: Aging and Lifestyle

Maintain longevity by a staple weight.

  • In a study on longevity in women, researchers from the University of California San Diego (UCSD) examined the benefits of keeping a stable weight for older women.
  • The scientists studied data from thousands of women to determine the likelihood of reaching the ages of 90, 95, or 100, which they called “exceptional longevity.”
  • Their data analysis showed that older women who maintained a stable weight may be 1.2 to 2 times more likely to reach ages 90 to 100.
  • While maintaining a stable weight provided benefits toward reaching exceptional longevity, unintentional weight loss was associated with a decrease in the likelihood of reaching 90.

Older women looking to extend their lifespan to the age of 90 or beyond should focus on maintaining a stable weight.

A recent multi-institutional study found that older women who maintained a stable body weight after 60 were more likely to reach their 90th birthdays.

The study involved 54,437 women from the Women’s Health Initiative. The researchers looked at short-term and long-term weight changes in women and compared that to the age they reached.

The researchers found that women who experienced unintentional weight loss had 51% lower odds of reaching 90.

While weight loss was associated with decreased longevity, a weight gain of 5% or more did not contribute to exceptional longevity, which points toward the importance of maintaining a stable weight.

The study was published in the Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences.

Weight loss vs. weight gain vs. stable weight 

This study aimed to analyze any associations between weight changes (intentional or unintentional) and exceptional longevity in older women.

The authors noted that prior studies analyzed the effects of weight loss in early to middle adulthood, such as shifting from being a person with obesity to being overweight, but that these studies had not considered whether the weight loss was intentional.

The UCSD study included nearly 55,000 postmenopausal women who participated in the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) study, which began in 1991. The WHI study focused on health issues in postmenopausal women, such as heart disease and cancer.

The authors chose to use data from women who were ages 61 to 81 at the time of enrolling in the study. The women provided information, including their weight, medical conditions, alcohol consumption, and smoking status.

The researchers looked at weight changes from the beginning of each participant’s enrollment and later at the 3-year and 10-year marks. They categorized the women into one of three groups:

  • Stable weight (less than 5% change from starting weight)
  • Weight loss (more than 5% decrease from starting weight)
  • Weight gain (more than 5% increase from starting weight)

The authors also classified the women into “intentional weight loss” or “unintentional weight loss groups” at the 3-year weigh-in, depending on whether they reported losing more than 5 pounds on purpose.

https://bffc11acfe5cf7650f33e8fa5c73382e.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-40/html/container.html

Unintentionally losing weight hurts chances of reaching 90

After excluding any women who died within the first year of the 3-year weigh-in (to avoid pre-existing health conditions impacting results), the researchers found that 56.3% of women who maintained a stable weight lived to be at least 90 years old.

Women who experienced unintentional weight loss of 5% or more were less likely to reach the age of 90.

According to the authors, women who had weight loss (for any reason) of more than 5% at the 3-year checkup had 33% lower odds of reaching 90, 35% lower odds of reaching 95, and 38% lower odds of reaching 100.

They also looked at whether the weight loss was intentional or unintentional, and the women who tried to lose weight had 17% reduced odds of reaching 90. Some reasons for intentionally losing weight included diet changes and an increase in exercise.

The women who did not lose weight on purpose had 51% reduced odds of reaching 90. Some reasons the women reported for unintentionally losing weight include illness and stress.

Alternatively, a weight gain of more than 5% at the 3-year weigh-in was not associated with increased chances of survival.

“It is very common for older women in the United States to experience [being overweight or having obesity] with a body mass index range of 25 to 35. Our findings support stable weight as a goal for longevity in older women,” says Professor Aladdin H. Shadyab, the study’s lead author and professor at UCSD’s School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science.

Working for an extension of a Healthy Lifespan

What are the Blue Zones?

Introduction How Did the whole Blue Zone Concept Develop?

What Are the Blue Zones? Why are they called “blue”?
An epidemiologist, Pes from Sardinia, Italy began to study centenarians, he denoted those areas that appeared to be long-lived on a map He noted these areas with blue markers on a map, thus the Blue Zones. He used dietary surveys from the last century and noted that from the late 20th century, certain areas in the world had diets and similar social patterns that consisted primarily minimally processed plant foods-i mostly whole grains, greens, nuts, tubers and beans. Most people ate meat on average only five times a month They drank mostly water, herbal teas, coffee, and some wine. They drank little or no cow’s milk; sweetened sodas and fast foods. were largely unknown.

Processed foods began to penetrate these areas as well as animal products and fast foods began to invade the cultures. Not surprisingly, chronic diseases began to appear on their menus.

Sardinia, Italy: Home to the World’s Highest Concentration of Male Centenarians.
In the Years after WW2, 38 people the village of Arzana in Sardinia’s Gennargentu mountains – one out of every 100 of their peers- have reached a century

To illustrate, short bios or vignettes that describe how several members of the Blue Zones have lived and practiced the ways of the centenarians they have become. Each glimpse of them is reflected in the habits they swear have contributed and shown us the way that their lifestyles may contribute to their longevity. The purpose of this is to show how they lived in their culture with a hope that we as Americans can learn how to adapt to or adopt some of the components of this way of living and show us how to adopt them to the “American” way of life. It is also important to realize that it’s not always what we eat, but how to eat”. The information is based on a real life experiment called The Blue Zones by Dan Buettner or the Blue Zones Solution: Eating and Living Like the World’s Healthiest People are excellent EXAMPLES OF HOW TO USE THESE PRINCIPALS IN THE BLUE ZONES to adapt to American ways.

For example, Carbohydrates from Sardinian sourdough bread enter the bloodstream at a slower rate than those from plain white bread.”

“ Traditional diets with whole grains, greens, nuts and beans offer the promise of eluding disease and staying healthy.”

In the kitchen, ninety-year old Assunta Podda flashes a toothy smile while she vigorously stirs an earthen pot of the melange of beans, carrots, onions, garlic, tomatoes, fennel, kohlrabi, and various herbs – all of which had been doused with olive oil. On the table next to her sits the staples the evening meal: some sourdough loaves, forage greens, and a carafe of garnet red wine. With the steady hand of a younger woman, she pours wine into stout glasses and ladles the steaming soup into dishes. “Now eat”, she says with a grin.”

Bread making in Sardinia is a community affair. Women can be seen making the traditional bread served at most meals. In one village bakery. the octogenarian senior baker named Regina Boi had provided the starter dough that her family had cultivated for generations. The starter contains yeast and native Lactobacillus bacteria. From these ingredients carbon dioxide leavens the bread and the lactobacilli also break down the carbohydrates to produce lactic acid that provides tthe traditional sour taste of sour dough bread.

As Podda’s family dinner ends, a spirited exchange ensues with the local village gossip, Pes, one of the guests raises his glass in a sense of revelry and expresses the signature toast of the island, “a kent annos”. May you live to 100”. The remaining guests respond, “And may you be here to count the years”.

Nicoya, Costa Rica: Adults Here have the Longest Life Expectancy in the Americas.

Excess access to fruits such as pineapple and papayas from home gardens extends this plant-based diet year around.
Costa Rica’s blue zone is a roughly 30-mile long strip that runs along the spine of the Nicoya Peninsula; it doesn’t include the tourist resorts on the coast.

Surveys show that previous to the late 20th century, these diets consisted primarily of minimally processed foods – mostly whole grains, greens, nuts, tubers and beans. They ate meat on average only five times a month. They drank water, herbal teas, coffee, and some wine. They drank little cow’s milk and sweetened drinks was largely unknown. As processed foods became available, they ate more processed animal products, and began to eat fast foods. Not surprisingly, chronic diseases have been on the rise.

“A healthy diet is part of the practice that can support longevity, e.g. having a circle of friends, and a strong sense of purpose. Every morning, Maria Elena Jimenez, Rojaz in Santa Cruz gathers to make the perfect tortilla. Three women mix black beans with onions, red peppers, and herbs. The beans will cook until tender and then be nixed with rice and sauteed peppers, onions and garlic to produce a uniquely Costa Rican version of gallo pinto.

The region’s Chorotega people have influenced the food supply by simply eating the same food for a millennia. This may be partly the reason adults there have the longest life expectancy for Americans and men older than 60 have the lowest reliably measured rate of mortality for their age group in the world.

Corn tortillas might affect longevity. The wood ash the women add when they soak the corn breaks down the cell walls of the kernels and releases niacin which helps to control cholesterol. Black beans contain the same pigment-based antioxidants found in blueberries. They are also rich in colon-cleansing fiber. The secret is pairing corn with beans the beans that then can contribute all nine essential amino acids to make muscle in addition to less cholesterol and saturated fat. as meats.

By the way, Paulina serves this breakfast so typical in the Nicoya region to her 102 – year old father, Pachito and her nephew, Sixto every day. The meal includes coffee, eggs, rice and beans, and those famous tortillas cooked on a tradition wood-fired stove known as a fogon. By the way, this adds up to a relatively high carbohydrate diet.

How is Longevity Studied? A common way if possible is to use a little genetic science.
Telomeres are protective “caps”on the ends of DNA strands, which wear down over time. This effect becomes a marker of biological age. Research has shown us Nicoyans have longer telomeres (a good thing) on average than Costa Ricans overall. (Stanford Social epidemiologist, David Rehkopf and Costa Rican demographer Luis Rosero-Bixby).

Rehkopf has reported that Nicoyans seem to be up to a decade younger biologically than their chronological age.

Olive Oil : Mediterranean Style?

Kristen Rogers, CNN

Thu, July 27, 2023 at 10:45 AM EDT·4 min read

Sign up for CNN’s Eat, But Better: Mediterranean Style. Our eight-part guide shows you a delicious expert-backed eating lifestyle that will boost your health for life.

Including olive oil in your regular diet offers several benefits — such as protecting heart health or cognitive function.

The Mediterranean staple might also reduce your risk of dying from dementia by 28% if you eat just a spoonful every day.

This new finding is according to research presented Monday in Boston at Nutrition 2023, the annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition.

Whether olive oil is linked with risk of dementia-related death had never been studied until now, according to the authors.

“Our study reinforces dietary guidelines recommending vegetable oils such as olive oil and suggests that these recommendations not only support heart health but potentially brain health, as well,” said Anne-Julie Tessier, a coauthor of the research and postdoctoral fellow at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, in a news release. “Opting for olive oil, a natural product, instead of fats such as margarine and commercial mayonnaise is a safe choice and may reduce the risk of fatal dementia.”

Research participants included nearly 60,600 women who had participated in the Nurses’ Health Study from 1990 to 2018, and nearly 32,000 men who had been in the Health Professionals’ Follow-Up Study during the same time period. The former study investigated risk factors for major chronic diseases among women in North America, whereas the latter is looking into the same topics but for men.

The authors of the latest research assessed the diet of the participants — who were age 56 on average at the start of the study — every four years via a questionnaire. The team also reviewed diet quality using the Alternative Healthy Eating Index, which assigns ratings to foods and nutrients predictive of chronic disease. The higher people score on this index, the better.

Over a follow-up period of 28 years, regardless of diet quality, eating more than half a tablespoon of olive oil per day was associated with a 28% lower risk of dying from dementia, compared with participants who never or rarely consumed olive oil.

Additionally, replacing a daily teaspoon of mayonnaise or margarine with the same amount of olive oil was correlated with an 8% to 14% lower risk of dementia-related death, the authors found.

However, this research is early, so some experts uninvolved with it urge caution.

“These findings are simply being reported at a conference and have not undergone peer-review so there has been no examination of the study by independent experts,” said David Curtis, honorary professor at the UCL Genetics Institute at University College London, in a statement. “We do not know whether the results will end up being published in a journal. If the study does eventually result in a published paper, we do not know whether the published results will be the same as those now being presented.”

The 4,749 participants who died from dementia were more likely to have APOE e4 — the strongest known genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease — according to analysis of DNA from participants’ blood or mouth cells. But having the gene doesn’t mean a person will certainly develop the disease, and the authors’ findings were still consistent after taking this factor into account, they said.

Regardless, “it is important to note that this is not causal, as the authors point out, only an association,” said registered dietitian Duane Mellor, a senior teaching fellow at Aston Medical School of Aston University in England. “More research is needed.”

Olive oil and dementia risk

The potential benefits of olive oil for brain health could be due to antioxidant compounds that can cross the blood-brain barrier, directly affecting the brain, Tessier said.

“It is also possible that olive oil has an indirect effect on brain health by benefiting cardiovascular health,” she added.

Though participants’ overall diet quality didn’t make a difference in the findings, those who consume olive oil may have overall healthier lifestyles.

“There are many, many differences between people who consume olive oil and those who do not, and it is never possible to fully account for all possible confounding factors,” Curtis said.

Another important point to keep in mind is that about half of dementia cases are caused by vascular disease, Curtis added.

“Anything which improved cardiovascular health, such as not smoking, would be expected to reduce dementia risk,” he said. “It has been shown that olive oil consumption is associated with better cardiovascular health, so one would expect that it would also be associated with lower dementia risk.”

Olive oil is a staple of the Mediterranean diet, which has been found helpful for health of the brain, heart, bones and more. Besides cooking with olive oil, you can also use it to make salad dressings or vinaigrette, mayonnaise, pesto or bread dip. And people should also remember that when it comes to food and brain function, it’s not just about what we eat, but how we eat, Mellor said. We see examples of longevity when we study the populations living in the Blue Zones. (SJF).

“Remaining sociable around mealtimes and eating with others can benefit our mental health in the short term and cognitive function as we age,” he added.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com

Mediterranean Diet and Dementia?

“There are around 50 million dementia cases globally, with around 10 million new cases discovered by doctors every year. Alzheimer’s disease makes up 50 to 70 percent of those cases. Its development and progression have links with both genetic and environmental factors, including diet and lifestyle.”

The Mediterranean Diet scores have high marks again when assessed for dietary effects on dementia.

https://studyfinds.org/mediterranean-diet-dementia-alzheimers-disease/

Why Is Epigenetics Important?

“The epigenome is a network of compounds surrounding our genes, which interacts with our environment, altering gene expression to external influences.”

“Although our DNA code does not change, the epigenome is flexible and reacts to our environment. Beyond helping cells know what to do, the epigenome also responds to things like diet, stress, toxins, behavior, and lifestyle. Our experiences help shape how genes are expressed. It is often referred to as an “on and off switch” that turns on or off certain genes. It is what makes even identical twins different over time.”

CLICK HERE.

Vitamin D and Mortality – In the News

Improving vitamin D levels in Older Age is Linked to Lower risk of all-cause Mortality

Sources: BMC Geriatr 22, 245 (2022)
LIfe Extension, Feb. 2023

Judith E. Brown. Nutrition Now, 7th Edition

The participants in this study included 1,362 individuals in the Chinese Longitudinal and Health Longitudinal Survey, aged 60 to 113 whose serum vitamin D levels were measured in 2012 and 2014. Mortality data were collected in 2018.

Deficient vitamin D levels were detected in 67.5% of the participants in 2012 and 68.4% in 2014.

During follow-up, 420 deaths occurred. Individuals who were deficient in vitamin D in 2012 and 2014 had more than twice the mortality risk than those who maintained higher levels.

Among participants who maintained sufficient vitamin D were deficient in 2012 and not deficient in 2014, the risk of dying was 30% and 53% lower, respectively, compared to participants who were deficient at both points in time.

This highlights the need to address vitamin D deficiency in older individuals to support longevity and healthy aging.

Editor’s Note: The greatest benefit associated with improved vitamin D status was found among women and those people who were 80 years of age or older.

What are the primary functions of vitamin D? This fat-soluble vitamin is needed for absorption of calcium and phosphorus needed for bone formation and muscle activity. It inhibits inflammation and is involved in insulin secretion and blood glucose level maintenance. It can be toxic with the long term use of 10,000 IU daily. The RDA is 600 IU for adult women and men; the Upper Tolerable Intake (UL) is 4,000 IU.s or 100 ug.

This highlights the need to address vitamin D deficiency in older individuals. Based on the evidence for bone benefits, however, a nutrition panel recently increased the RDA for vitamin D to 600 IU for people up to age 70 and to 800 IU for those over 70. That’s a fairly sizable boost over the previous recommendations of 200 IU per day through age 50, 400 IU for ages 51 to 70, and 600 IU for ages over 70. They also raised the safe upper limit of daily intake for most age groups from 2,000 to 4,000 IU. to support longevity and healthy aging. 1 microgram vitamin D = 40 IU as both terms are used on supplement labels. It is primarily found only in vitamin D-fortified milk, cereals, and other foods such as fish.

The best way to measure effects of supplemental intake or vitamin D status is by a blood test. Vitamin D3 is the most active form and is made from a form of cholesterol in the skin cells upon exposure to ultraviolet rays from the sun. See your doctor for guidance.

Protection against memory loss?

Source: Medical News Today.

By Katharine Lang, Dec. 13, 2022.

Fact Checked by Hannah Flynn

A healthy diet and lifestyle

“Keeping physically healthy can help protect against memory loss and dementia. The NIATrusted Source recommends regular aerobic exercise, and a healthy diet with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables.

In addition, getting the right amount of sleep, socializing, minimizing stress, and keeping health conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes under control will help reduce the risk of cognitive decline.

Dr. MacSweeney reiterated this advice:

“It has been shown that as a population we can reduce risk of cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer’s by adhering to healthy lifestyle habits including exercise, diet (Mediterranean diet high in fish oils) and keep[ing] sugar intake low — the brain hates sugar. High levels of mental and social activity. The brain needs to be exercised just like our bodies to stay in good condition. Avoid excess alcohol and smoking.”

A new studyTrusted Source has also highlighted the importance of vitamin D in preserving cognitive function. In this study of postmortem brains, the brains of people with higher cognitive function before death contained higher levels of vitamin D.

The researchers found that although the higher levels of vitamin D were associated with up to 33% lower odds of dementia symptoms, they were not associated with any decrease in post-mortem dementia neuropathologyTrusted Source.

Therefore, they could not suggest a mechanism for the potentially protective effect of vitamin D, or show a causative link.

They advised that ensuring you get sufficient vitamin D from sunlight and from foods such as oily fish might be beneficial. However, they warned against taking high doses of the vitamin to try and prevent dementia, as this can cause other health problems.

Exercise the brain

“Engaging in cognitively stimulating activities is also beneficial. We also know that depression and anxiety can negatively impact cognition, so it is important to treat those conditions if present. Maintaining social connections, engaging in meaningful activities, and exercising also help mood, which in turn, can impact cognition. It is not only your body that benefits from exercise, keeping the brain exercised can help preserve your mental abilities well into older age.”

– Dr. Miriam Weber

“Although keeping active and engaged as you age may not prevent dementia, mentally stimulating activities, such as volunteering, reading, playing games, or learning new skills could help lower the riskTrusted Source.

Doing word games, such as crosswords, has long been advocated in the popular press as a means of keeping yourself sharp, but until recently, there has been little evidenceTrusted Source in peer-reviewed journals.

Now, a new study published in NEJM Evidence has demonstrated their efficacy in a small group of people with MCI.

The participants, who had an average age of 71, and some degree of mild cognitive impairment, did either intensive crossword puzzle training or intensive cognitive games training on a computer for 12 weeks. They continued with booster sessions to 78 weeks.

At 78 weeks, crossword puzzles had improved both a primary cognitive outcome measure (ADAS-Cog) and a measure of daily functioning more than cognitive games. More strikingly, brain shrinkage — measured using MRITrusted Source — was less in those who did the crossword training.”

Can memory loss be reversed?

“So, you can reduce your risk of memory issues, but once the memory starts to fail, can the problem be reversed?”So, you can reduce your risk of memory issues, but once the memory starts to fail, can the problem be reversed?

There is some evidence that it may be possible. In a mouse study,Trusted Source researchers managed to reverse memory loss using chondroitin-6-sulphate, a substance that has also been shown to increase lifespan in the nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans. It might have similar effects in people, but has yet to be tested.

In a more recent studyTrusted Source, researchers improved memory function in adults aged between 65 and 88 years using electrical stimulation via a wearable cap.

The researchers found that giving 20 minutes of electrical stimulation on 4 consecutive days led to an improvement in both working memoryTrusted Source and long-term memory for at least 1 month. They could focus the stimulation to affect different types of memory.

Dr. Robert Reinhart, of Boston University, corresponding author on the study, explained: “We developed two brain stimulation protocols — one for selectively improving short-term memory via low-frequency parietal stimulation, and another protocol for selectively improving long-term memory via high-frequency prefrontal stimulation.”

However, the improvement was only tested over one month, so the researchers call for further investigation into whether similar treatments might have a long-term benefit.”

The bottom line

“As we age, many of us will find we experience more frequent memory lapses, but unless these start to interfere with daily functioning, they are unlikely to be a sign of impending dementia.

To minimize the occurrence of memory issues, the advice is to keep active, eat well, look after your health, and stay engaged in lots of social and stimulating activities. And remember, like any part of the body, the brain will function better if it is exercised.

So keep up the daily word puzzle, and for even greater benefit tackle it with a friend. It could well be doing you more good than you realize.”

Do Seniors Need a Daily Boost?

Daily multivitamins help keep seniors’ brains sharp, may ward off dementia

September 14, 2022

by John Anderer

“WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Could the secret to a sharp brain in old age be as simple as taking a daily multivitamin? New joint research from Wake Forest University and Brigham and Women’s Hospital suggests as much. Scientists conclude that multivitamins can improve thinking skills in older individuals and help stave off cognitive decline.

Study authors note that the findings are still preliminary and require further confirmation before any concrete health recommendations can be made. Nonetheless, establishing a new, affordable such as taking a daily multivitamin way to fight cognitive decline and dementia in old age could potentially benefit millions. Today, over 6.5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease (the most common form of dementia), and a staggering one in three senior citizens pass away with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia.

“There’s an urgent need for safe and affordable interventions to protect cognition against decline in older adults,” says Dr. Laura D. Baker, a professor of gerontology and geriatric medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine and co-principal investigator of the trial, in a statement. Baker worked alongside Dr. Mark Espeland, also a professor of gerontology and geriatric medicine at Wake Forest.

Multivitamins versus cocoa extract

This project, named the COcoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcomes Study for the Mind (COSMOS-Mind), was funded by the National Institute on Aging of the National Institutes of Health. Participants include 21,442 men and women living all over the United States.

Researchers investigated if taking either a daily cocoa extract supplement or a daily multivitamin-mineral supplement would influence health outcomes and risk profiles in relation to heart disease, stroke, cancer, and other health issues. Why cocoa extract? Prof. Baker explains cocoa extract is rich in compounds known as flavanols. Prior research suggests flavanols may have a positive influence on cognition. Moreover, deficiencies in several essential micronutrients and minerals among older adults may increase the risk for cognitive decline and dementia.

The research team tested the daily intake of a placebo versus a cocoa extract supplement, as well as the daily intake of a multivitamin-mineral versus a placebo. Over 2,200 participants, all aged 65 years and older, were tracked for a period of three years. Additionally, subjects completed memory and cognition tests over the phone at baseline and on an annual basis.

‘First evidence of cognitive benefit in large longer-term study’

“Our study showed that although cocoa extract did not affect cognition, daily multivitamin-mineral supplementation resulted in statistically significant cognitive improvement,” Prof. Baker explains. “This is the first evidence of cognitive benefit in a large longer-term study of multivitamin supplementation in older adults.”

Study authors estimate taking a multivitamin for three years roughly translates to a “60 percent slowing of cognitive decline (about 1.8 years)”. They also note the benefits were especially pronounced among those with significant cardiovascular disease.

“It’s too early to recommend daily multivitamin supplementation to prevent cognitive decline,” Baker concludes. “While these preliminary findings are promising, additional research is needed in a larger and more diverse group of people. Also, we still have work to do to better understand why the multivitamin might benefit cognition in older adults.”

The study is published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association.