Dementia All Too Soon

The way you wear your hat
The way you sip your tea
The memory of all that
No THEY CAN'T TAKE THAT AWAY FROM ME - George And Ira Gershwin

They CAN take that away from me. According to the research published in the American Academy of Neurology entitled "Brain Exercises May Slow Cognitive Decline Initially, But Speed Up Dementia Later" states:

"...once they are diagnosed with dementia, people who have a more mentally active lifestyle are likely to have more brain changes related to dementia compared to those without a lot of mental activity. As a result, those with more mentally active lifestyles may experience a faster rate of decline once dementia begins." - Rush University Medical Center (Chicago)

There is hope from the same source that brought us the bad news. You aren't protected but you can find some protection. We talked about it before and we encourage you to do the right thing when it comes to hearing the news. We think the story is, again we haven't read the full research only the press release, that after age 65 your chances of suffering from Alzheimer is reasonably assured.

"The nearly 4,000 participants in this study included black and white adults aged 65 and older. They were given a battery of cognitive tests which were assigned scores and then a clinical interview. Those who ranked in the highest in terms of following such a Mediterranean-type diet were more protected from cognitive decline. The adults were given these cognitive tests every three years for 15 years." - RUSH University News (May 3, 2010) 

Cancer, AIDS, alzheimer are the "boogeymen's" diseases of the last few generations. Are they substantial killers? Yes, they are. Are there treatments for the diseases - yes but no real cures. Dementia and its affects are horrible - devastating on individuals and their families. When we read the top ten (10) signs of Alzheimer they read more like symptoms of old age. Before we get to those facts and figures, that haven't substantially changed. Let's look at the results of this latest research.

"...researchers evaluated the mental activities of 1,157 people age 65 or older who did not have dementia at the start of the nearly 12-year study. People answered questions about how often they participated in mental activities such as listening to the radio, watching television, reading, playing games and going to a museum; for this five-point cognitive activity scale, the more points scored, the more often people participated in mentally stimulating exercises" - American Academy of Neurology (AAN) 

In the study released in May the number of participants exceed the almost 1,200 people by more than three (3) times. While the information in the most recent research shouldn't be ignored it's not a cause for alarm. We've never been a big support of those mind games and brain trainers offered by hand held gamers and iPhone users. Obviously they offer some benefit but no where near the benefit provided by dietary changes.

"During the next six years, the study found that the rate of cognitive decline in people without cognitive impairment was reduced by 52 percent for each point on the cognitive activity scale. For people with Alzheimer’s disease, the average rate of decline per year increased by 42 percent for each point on the cognitive activity scale." -American Academy of Neurology (AAN) 

So were comparing the numbers from May to September from 4,000 compared to 1,200 participants and 3 to 15 years to 6 years. There are more key facts and figures courtesy of the Alzheimer's Association. Top Ten (10) Warning Signs as compared to symptoms of old age. All available at their website where they encourage you to join their Memory Walk and start a team. We're just surprised that they left the date of the "Walk" on the site or in their video. Which might just be because the walk never ends - much like the fight against the disease. They can't take that away from you but like the old Flip Wilson joke said: "Just leave that alone and it'll fail off by itself!"

Life By Chocolate

For valentine's day when you give your valentine life affirming chocolates and they wonder why you're eating them all, you can always say that you're feeling a little stroke-ish and you want to do more research on how much it takes to starve it off. Or you could admit you're busted and pull out that second box you got, just in case you got busted. The big news, just in time for the "candy and card created celebration" is chocolate "lowers stroke risk." However the researchers from north of the border said:

“More research is needed to determine whether chocolate truly lowers stroke risk, or whether healthier people are simply more likely to eat chocolate than others,” said study author Sarah Sahib, BScCA, with McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Sahib worked alongside Gustavo Saposnik, MD, MSc, where the study was completed at St. Michael’s Hospital and the University of Toronto. - American Academy of Neurology (AAN)

It's the sugar in candy that isn't healthy for us right? Chocolate is good. Chocolate is very very good. Now all we need is the chocolate with the most antioxidants but with our luck it'll probably be like Indian Pale Ale or wild blueberries. All the really good stuff is never local and generally unavailable locally.

"To maximize the protective effect chocolate has to offer, your best bet is to reach for dark chocolate when the craving hits. To make sure you are getting the highest concentration of flavonoids, read the list of ingredients and choose bars that list cocoa solids or cocoa mass first, not sugar. Alternatively, choose a bar with a high percentage of cocoa – 70 per cent or more. Beware of highly processed, sugar-coated chocolate bars - these are nothing more than empty calories and contain little in the way of cocoa or flavonoids." Canadian Broadcasting Centre (CBC)

The science is well established for the benefits of chocolate beating wine and tea as a historic health elixir. This is our kind of natural health treatment. A chocolate life seems like the best kind of life of all. However moderation in all things. The most recent research puts it in this technical fashion:

"Flavonoid-rich dark chocolate improves endothelial function and is associated with an increase in plasma epicatechin concentrations in healthy adults. No changes in oxidative stress measures, lipid profiles, blood pressure, body weight or BMI were seen." The Journal of the American College of Nutrition (JACN)

The specifics of the research continued to say:

"Chocolate is rich in antioxidants called flavonoids, which may have a protective effect against stroke, but more research is needed. The first study found that 44,489 people who ate one serving of chocolate per week were 22 percent less likely to have a stroke than people who ate no chocolate. The second study found that 1,169 people who ate 50 grams of chocolate once a week were 46 percent less likely to die following a stroke than people who did not eat chocolate." American Academy of Neurology (AAN)

While the Mayo Clinic can continue to find studies they can review to disprove alternative and naturopathic remedies all they want. History and canadian researchers will continue to prove their effectiveness. From the same sources that brought us the chocolate news comes:

The yogurt, containing live bacteria or yeasts, appears to prevent stress-induced skin inflammation and hair loss. It works in mice, and researchers at the Brain-Body Institute at St. Joseph's Healthcare want to test whether it helps humans. "That is the hope," said lead researcher Dr. Petra Arck, Canada Research Chair in Neuroimmunology. "When they are experiencing stressful periods in their life ... (eating probiotic yogurt) could be a way of dealing with this." (The Spec)

The canadian researchers don't just tell us how to survive our heart attacks they've also go the cocktail for staying young. Their suggestions won't reverse the ravages of time but they can "forestalls aging."

The study found that a complex dietary supplement powerfully offsets this key symptom of ageing in old mice by increasing the activity of the cellular furnaces that supply energy - or mitochondria - and by reducing emissions from these furnaces - or free radicals - that are thought to be the basic cause of aging itself.- McMaster (Daily News)

Did you think we wouldn't tell you the secret formula? Who do you think we are the nightly news. If we know you know. Forget the Mayo Clinic when they're only reviewing research. This is the real scientific and tested deal.

Ingredients consists of items that were purchased in local stores selling vitamin and health supplements for people, including vitamins B1, C, D, E, acetylsalicylic acid, beta carotene, folic acid, garlic, ginger root, ginkgo biloba, ginseng, green tea extract, magnesium, melatonin, potassium, cod liver oil, and flax seed oil. Multiple ingredients were combined based on their ability to offset five mechanisms involved in aging. Daily News

We say take your anti-aging cocktail with some hot black tea with a single serving of chocolate or an unsweeten biscuit with bits of chocolate to start a day that could last for the rest of your healthy life.

The antioxidant catechin content of chocolate is four times that of tea. Chocolate contributed 20% of the catechin intake in a representative sample of the Dutch population, and tea contributes 55%. Epidemiological assessments of health effects of tea should include other foods that are sources of catechins. (Lancet)

Hopefully you'll live a very very long time or it might just seem like a long life. The problem with anti-aging instead of reverse aging is that you'd better love the age you are because you ain't getting any younger. Don't like your age - aww poor baby! Too bady if you're lucky you get to stay this age forever. Or it might just seem like forever.

Green Tea Catechin Consumption Enhances Exercise-Induced Abdominal Fat Loss in Overweight and Obese Adults - These findings suggest that green tea catechin consumption enhances exercise-induced changes in abdominal fat and serum TG. The American Society for Nutrition (ASN)

Chocolate solves the known green tea reactions that individuals on some high blood pressure medications can suffer from their use - without any of negative side effects associated with green tea. Chocolate is the "couch-er" final solution. Chocolate - the weight loss answer that we've waited a lifetime to receive. You don't have to be a researcher to reach that conclusion.

Oh, by the way, don't just dump your chocolate drops in your blender and hope for the best. Nuke 'em in your microwave until their soft enough to dissolve and be digested. Learn from our mistakes!

Give Me 5...

...for stroke.

Hi, I'm Morgan Fairchild. "Morgan Fairchild and Dr. Diana Fite joins the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) and the American Stroke Association (ASA) to educate the public about stroke symptoms." The American Academy of Neurology (AAN) 

Okay we're not Morgan Fairchild but we loveeeeee her! We'll this editor loves her and when you edit. You rule! You can watch the video that Miss Morgan Fairchild recorded for the campaign. You might not like her performances but we like her characters she makes us laugh and watch. We also created the graphic to operate like it does on the Give Me 5 website. There are more than one "Give Me 5" website which was extremely confusing but - Hey! It's a busy Internet and everybody and their momma appears to be on it. At least it's a family friendly site though it's not health related at all. You can view the Morgan Fairchild which our editor watches just to see her lips move. He's got it bad!

There is some information that anyone can use that we thought we'd share that's available at the Give Me 5. The definition of a stroke beyond the Walk, Talk, Reach, See and Feel.

A stroke occurs when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain is either blocked by a clot or bursts. When that happens, part of the brain cannot get the blood (and oxygen) it needs, so it starts to die. Stroke is the third-leading cause of death in the United States and a leading cause of disability. However, research shows the public remains unaware of stroke's warning signs and the need for immediate medical attention, even if the symptoms subside. Call 9-1-1!  (Give Me 5)

 And now ladies and gentlemen, it is our honor to present to you Miss Morgan Fairchild...