Men's Health

Ingredients for Healthy Vision Help You See Clearly into the Golden Years

Most people view changes in vision as inevitable parts of aging. However, there are natural ingredients for healthy vision that may be able to protect against, slow or even reverse certain age-related vision problems.

We depend on our vision for a variety of tasks and may even take it for granted. From driving to shopping to enjoying artwork, our eyes are in many ways the unsung heroes of modern life. However, many people do not take steps to protect their vision and eyesight until it is too late. If you are interested in maintaining your vision for a lifetime, there are a few ingredients for healthy vision that should be a part of your diet or supplement regimen. It is possible to enjoy good eyesight over a long and healthy life with the right nutrition and preventative care.

Natural Building Blocks and Ingredients for Good Vision

Exactly what nutrients and vitamins help to sustain good vision? Several research studies have given us a solid idea about which natural ingredients work best. Macular degeneration is one of the major causes of vision loss associated with aging. Over years and decades, most people develop yellow deposits in their maculae, that are called drusen. We know from several studies that antioxidant vitamins can protect against much of the damage from macular degeneration by preventing these deposits of drusen. These antioxidants include vitamins such as vitamin C, vitamin E, beta carotene, zinc and copper. In fact, when these vitamins are taken together, they have been found to reduce rates of macular degeneration by around 25 percent, in addition to their other health benefits.

Resveratrol, an antioxidant naturally found in red wine and red grapes, also appears to help preserve vision by helping to protect against macular degeneration. However, this compound attacks the problem in a different manner—by working to prevent the abnormal growth of blood vessels that often accompanies macular degeneration. When cells in the eye begin to degenerate, the body compensates by forming new blood vessels to supply nutrients. However, these vessels themselves end up blocking vision. Resveratrol and other antioxidants appear to stop the new blood vessels from forming as quickly, reducing long-term damage to vision. As a benefit, antioxidants are also good for heart health and have a wide range of other health benefits as well.

Supplements for Eye Health and Good Vision

In addition to antioxidants, there are a wide range of supplements that can be taken to promote good vision for a lifetime. The combination of lutein and zeaxanthin also appears to protect against age-related damage to eyes. Because both lutein and zeaxanthin compounds filter out wavelengths of light that are most damaging to eyes, they can help to protect against the development of cataracts in addition to reducing the risk of macular degeneration. For this reason, they have long been included in supplements intended to support good eye health.

Lycopene and bilberry are two other supplements that have been found to prevent damage to eyes and preserve healthy vision. Lycopene, a compound naturally found in tomatoes and tomato products, has antioxidant benefits that can prevent aging in eyes. Bilberry is a more recent discovery. This small fruit, also known as the Chinese blueberry, has been found in studies to improve visual acuity and even night vision, two types of vision that often deteriorate as we age. It also may protect vision in people with glaucoma.

This is Workplace Eye Wellness Month, Take Care of Your Vision

Why all this focus on vision? Most people wish to keep clear eyesight as long as we can. In addition, March is Workplace Eye Wellness Month, a time to focus on preventing eye damage and preserving good vision. In addition to taking ingredients for healthy vision listed above to help protect against age-related damage, there are several things you can do to preserve your vision in the workplace and beyond. These include:

Visit your eye doctor annually for a dilated eye exam to identify and treat early vision changes.
Change lighting on computers and other devices to reduce glare. Glare filters also can be helpful.
Place screens 20 to 26 inches away from the eyes, the distance that generally reduces strain.
Take 20-second breaks to look at an object 20 feet away after every 20 minutes of reading. This is called the 20-20-20 rule.
Use correct eye protection gear as required by the standards of your profession.

By following these recommendations, you can help prevent the damage that a lifetime of work and artificial lighting can do to the delicate tissues of your eyes. We depend on our eyes not just for work, but for leisure as well. Vision is too important to take for granted.

These ingredients for healthy vision and eye preserving tips should help you to keep your eyesight as clear as possible for decades to come. While some age-related damage cannot be avoided, we can do many things to slow or stop the sands of time.

Muscle Injuries in Athletes Could Be Caused by Low Vitamin D

Mar 23 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

Many people take vitamin D to encourage strong, healthy bones. New research on vitamin D and muscle function suggests that it may be a major contributor to building and maintaining healthy muscles as well.

Vitamin D is an important cofactor in metabolism, bone building and more. However, many people in northern latitudes suffer from a deficiency of this important nutrient. While vitamin D is present in a variety of foods, sunlight is needed to convert this to an active form of the vitamin.

What are some of the consequences of low vitamin D? Fatigue and sleepiness have both been linked to vitamin D deficiency. In addition, decreasing bone strength is more common in people who are low on this vitamin. According to new research on vitamin D and muscle injury, it may also be crucial in promoting muscle strength, healing and resilience as well.

Vitamin D and Muscle Strength

Vitamin D has long been suspected to play a role in building healthy muscle. Several studies have found a link between vitamin D and higher muscle mass. However, correlation is not always causation. In other words, researchers had no way of determining whether vitamin D helps to build muscle or if a third factor were at play. Vitamin D plays a role in a variety of biochemical reactions. It is also crucial in building strong bones and teeth. It reduces depression and keeps energy levels high. Because it is such a “multi-purpose” nutrient, it is difficult to tell when a deficiency is directly causing a physical problem. However, new research definitively points to low vitamin D as a direct cause of increased muscle injury.

Low Vitamin D in College Athletes

We tend to think of athletes as people who get plenty of time in the sunshine. However, over half of all college athletes have low vitamin D. A new study suggests that these athletes, who are otherwise in prime health, are more at risk of muscle injury as a result. Researchers looked at the rates of muscle injuries such as sprains and hernias in a population of college athletes. They also measured vitamin D levels in the blood of these young people. The resulting pattern was clear: Athletes with low vitamin D were more likely to experience an injury and especially more likely to have an injury that reduced their ability to play their chosen sport.

What does this mean for people who are not high-performance athletes? You may be having trouble building muscle mass or suffering more soreness than usual because of not getting enough of this important vitamin. Even in people who had no other health effects, the lack of vitamin D manifested itself in a higher rate of muscle injuries. Taking vitamin D may be as important to building strong muscles as eating enough protein.

Active and Inactive Vitamin D

This is not the only study to link vitamin D levels and muscle function. However, not all kinds of vitamin D are equal in their effects on human health. Vitamin D exists in several forms in the human body. Inactive and active vitamin D are two of these forms. Vitamin D that is ingested from foods must be activated in a complex system involving sunlight on bare skin, but also the kidneys and the liver. However, active vitamin D3 can be taken in supplements, thus bypassing this convoluted activation system.

People who have high levels of lean muscle mass have been found to have higher blood levels of active vitamin D. Active vitamin D is also linked to greater muscle strength. On the other hand, high levels of inactive vitamin D seem to be linked to higher levels of body fat. Many people who think they are getting enough vitamin D in their diet may need a supplement to increase levels of the active form.

Getting More Vitamin D in Your Diet

Vitamin D is only present in a small number of foods, and many of these are foods that most people do not routinely eat in large amounts. These include fatty fish oils and eggs. In addition, activating this dietary vitamin D requires an extensive process and ample exposure to sunlight. In an age of sunscreen, many people are deficient in active vitamin D, even if they actually enjoy cod liver oil. To ensure that there is always enough of the active form, an increasing number of people are taking a supplement with active vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol). Doctors once recommended doing this to increase energy and bone strength, but we now know that a great deal more is at risk.

Getting enough vitamins and nutrients is crucial to leading a long and healthy life, but research on vitamin D and muscle suggests that it is much more important than previously thought. If you are trying to gain more muscle but struggling, low levels of active vitamin D may be partially responsible. Consider taking a comprehensive supplement that contains vitamin D today to maintain the energy and strength that you need to enjoy optimal health.

Red Wine Compound Resveratrol May Protect Lungs and Respiratory Health

Mar 15 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

Many people struggle with respiratory concerns as they age. New research on resveratrol lung benefits suggests that this compound found in red wine may help protect the lungs against premature aging and disease.

Respiratory concerns are some of the most serious causes of death on the globe, killing around three million people a year and affecting many times more. These include common health problems such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer. These conditions are especially common and more serious in children and the elderly. While there are treatments that can reduce symptoms, there are currently no cures for most serious lung problems. However, several recent studies on resveratrol lung benefits suggest that a simple natural remedy may be able to help many.

What Is Resveratrol?

Resveratrol has recently become popular due to its many reported health benefits. Naturally produced in the skins of grapes as well as being present in peanuts and pistachios, this antioxidant is the result of plants’ exposure to stressors such as drought, ultraviolet light and fungal infections. Besides protecting plants from external stressors, it appears to act as an antioxidant in the human body as well. Recent studies have found that resveratrol may have cardiovascular benefits, help maintain healthy cell growth and function and even promote healthy aging. According to new studies, it may also promote healthy aging in the lungs and help to protect against respiratory concerns.

Lungs and the Aging Process

We may not notice deterioration in our respiratory tracts the way we notice new wrinkles or a change in vision, but our lungs indeed change as we age. Our alveoli become enlarged and less elastic, making them less able to exchange gases. In addition, the tissues that make up the lungs deteriorate and lose functionality over time. As lungs lose the ability to breathe effectively, cells become inflamed, which causes even more damage. The result is a gradual loss of function and the eventual onset of diseases such as COPD and emphysema.

Age-related lung concerns take a huge toll on people who suffer from them and on the nation as a whole. They can make it difficult for people to work, exercise or even to perform simple tasks such as walking to the mailbox. These are very expensive conditions, with COPD alone costing $36 million a year just in health costs. Preventing or even slowing the progression of lung concerns can lead to higher quality of life, fewer deaths and nationwide economic savings.

Resveratrol Lung Benefits

How can a simple grape extract help promote healthy respiratory aging and protect against certain lung concerns? The antioxidant effects of resveratrol are believed to be one of its major benefits. In one study, when mice were given inhaled resveratrol, they saw less of the alveolar changes that underlie aging in the lungs. They experienced less lung cell damage, fewer DNA mutations and better lung function. These resveratrol lung benefits were measurable after just three months of the treatment.

In addition, resveratrol appears to promote healthy cellular inflammatory processes and have an effect on inflammation that causes the progression of respiratory illnesses such as COPD. When COPD patients are given resveratrol, they show lower cytokine levels in their lung fluids. This is significant because cytokines released by lung macrophages produce much of the inflammation associated with respiratory disease. People also had a more than 50 percent reduction in other known mediators of inflammation.

Resveratrol, Curcumin and Lung Cancer

Do resveratrol lung benefits extend to deadly diseases such as lung cancer? A recent study suggests that this plant antioxidant may at least be beneficial—likely by promoting healthy DNA—which is sometimes responsible for the uncontrolled growth of unhealthy cells. This effect is especially strong when resveratrol is combined with curcumin, a compound found in spices such as cumin. These two natural remedies appear to act synergistically, with far more benefit when used together than when either is used alone.

Natural Remedies for Lifelong Health

While pharmaceuticals will always be necessary for many people with respiratory concerns, these studies suggest that others may be able to derive some relief with natural remedies such as resveratrol. In fact, resveratrol is believed to be responsible for many of the purported health benefits of red wine, which contains high levels of this antioxidant. In many ways, natural remedies can be superior when it comes to keeping people healthy. As the old saying goes, “Prevention is the best cure.”

There is still a great deal of research to be done on resveratrol lung benefits. However, these studies add to a growing body of evidence suggesting that this plant compound may have a positive effect on whole-body health by promoting healthy cellular inflammatory processes and protecting against tissue damage. A glass of wine, handful of grapes or resveratrol supplement just may bring you one step closer to healthy aging.

New Research Indicates Omega-3 for Asthma Could Help You Breathe Easier

Feb 17 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

Are you one of the millions of people who struggle with respiratory concerns? New research on omega-3 for asthma suggests this natural remedy may make a huge difference.

Asthma is a common disease, affecting around one of out every 12 people. Overall, asthma costs the United States alone around $56 billion a year in medical costs, lost work productivity and other expenses. While modern medicine offers a variety of treatments for this and other inflammatory respiratory conditions, there are few ways to actually prevent it. However, new research on omega-3 for asthma suggests that in addition to the myriad of other health benefits this fatty acid provides, taking in sufficient amounts could be effective as a treatment for this devastating health concern.

What Causes Asthma?

People with asthma have chronic inflammation and narrowing of their airways that interferes with their breathing on a daily basis. In addition, this inflammation and narrowing can lead to asthma attacks, which is when the muscles that make up airways narrow and can even prevent breathing. People with asthma also tend to have mucus build up in airways from the inflammation, which can further compromise breathing. Over time, the airway inflammation can lead to permanent damage to the airways and chronic obstruction.

Modern medicine offers a variety of treatments that can reduce and slow the damage caused by asthma. Beta-agonists such as albuterol can immediately open airways that are constricted by tight muscles. Steroids such as cortisol and prednisone are also used because they reduce inflammation. However, many people still suffer—and sometimes die—from asthma every year, even in developed countries with excellent medical care. Many people have begun trying alternative remedies in addition to traditional medicines as a way to breathe a little easier.

Asthma and the Circadian Rhythm

Research on the circadian rhythm of asthma has offered a great deal of promise for people looking to overcome this condition. Our respiratory tracts have a distinctive circadian rhythm. People who have a dysregulated circadian rhythm, such as those with insomnia, are more likely to develop asthma. In addition, they are more likely to have severe asthma instead of a milder form. While most people think of asthma as a childhood disease, these findings indicate that adults who do not sleep well are also at risk.

How can sleep affect asthma? First, sleep affects the immune system. People who do not get enough high-quality sleep are likely to suffer from dysfunction of the immune system, which can lead to an autoimmune attack on airways. Second, our respiratory systems, and thus conditions affecting these systems, follow a circadian rhythm. Timing daily medications to coincide with the times when asthma sufferers are most at risk for an attack may be beneficial.

Omega-3 for Asthma: A New Treatment Option

There are several natural supplements that also may be beneficial for people who suffer from asthma and other respiratory concerns. Omega-3 fatty acids are currently the supplements with the most evidence backing them. Research on omega-3 for asthma suggests that these fatty acids have a regulatory effect on B cells, the type of immune cell that governs IgE reactions such as asthma attacks. People who are suffering from regular asthma attacks may see the frequency and severity lessened if they get more omega-3 fatty acids, either from diet or from a supplement.

Women who are pregnant may even be able to lower the chances of their offspring having asthma by taking one of these supplements. A recent study found that women who took 2.4 mg of omega-3 fatty acids in their third trimester of pregnancy were almost a third less likely to have babies who grew up to have asthma. Supplementing with omega-3 fatty acids when pregnant may not only remove the burden of chronic disease from many children, but also remove a large burden from our economy in which asthma and other respiratory conditions are an expensive problem.

Getting Enough Omega-3s in Your Diet

This new research on using omega-3 for asthma is promising, but still in the preliminary stages. However, there are plenty of reasons to ensure that you ingest plenty of these fatty acids. They are available not just in supplements but in a variety of foods including:

pasture-raised or grass-fed meats
free-range poultry and their eggs
fresh soy foods such as edamame
wild rice
walnuts and walnut oil
flaxseeds and flaxseed oil
certain legumes such as black beans and kidney beans
fatty fish such as bluefin tuna and salmon

Because the Western diet tends to be low in or even completely devoid of these foods, many experts suggest taking an omega-3 supplement to ensure that you get all the benefits of these nutrient-rich oils.

If you have not been getting enough omega-3 fatty acids in your diet, there has never been a better time to start. New research on the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids for asthma as well as a variety of other health disorders suggests that everyone should be getting plenty of these oils in their daily diet.

Studies Find Eating a Simple Spice May Help You Live Longer

Feb 13 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

Americans spend billions of dollars a year on pharmaceuticals. Despite this, we are somehow among the sickest people in the developed world, with high incidences of cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Many people are looking for ways to stay healthier and avoid the devastation of disease. Scientists have long blamed the high fat and sugar content of our diet for much of our collective poor health, but another aspect of the Western diet may also contribute: A lack of spice. New studies on various spices are showing that benefits of capsaicin and ginger include helping to promote healthy cell growth and lowering your chance of developing certain diseases.

The Importance of Cellular Health

Our bodies rely on cell growth to sustain our tissues and ultimately to stay alive. Because it is important that cells grow when needed—and only then—there are a variety of checkpoints involved in starting and stopping cell growth and reproduction. When these systems break down, there are two main results: Either tissues cannot produce new cells, or they reproduce out of control. When cells grow and reproduce without essential checkpoints, the result is cancer.

Cancer is ultimately an end-product of unhealthy cell growth and reproduction. Cells grow out of control, crowding out healthy cells. When cancer metastasizes, the cells from this tumor invade other tissues. In addition to crowding out normal cells, cancerous cells also require a great deal of energy to maintain this constant growth, leeching energy and nutrients from other tissues in the body. You can see why maintaining healthy cell growth is essential as you age. Capsaicin, ginger and other spices may contribute to promoting this healthy cell growth.

Capsaicin: Promoting Healthy Cell Growth

Capsaicin, the molecule that makes chili peppers spicy, appears to have a variety of benefits in sustaining healthy cell growth. When this compound is added to petri dishes containing cells from the most difficult-to-treat type of breast cancer, a new cell receptor is switched into action. This ultimately leads to the slowing of tumor growth and even the death of some of the unhealthy cells. Unhealthy cell growth in the breast is not the only type that appears to respond to capsaicin. Gut tumors also appear to respond to capsaicin in the same way. Capsaicin isn’t the only spice that appears to have powerful benefits for promoting healthy cell growth. Together, certain compounds in ginger and capsaicin were shown to be particularly effective in helping to maintain healthy cell growth.

Whole Health Benefits of Capsaicin

Capsaicin appears to have the potential for maintaining healthy cells, but there may be other reasons to spice it up. The health benefits of ginger, capsaicin and other spices appear to extend far beyond cellular health. Scientists tracked the diets of a large population over almost two decades as well as their rates of death. People who eat larger-than-average amounts of capsaicin and ginger were found to have a 13 percent lower rate of death from all causes. It appears that the promotion of healthy cell growth may be a factor in preventing a wide variety of health concerns, although the actual mechanism is not currently known.

This is great news for people who enjoy eating spicy food, but not so much for those with more timid palates. Is there a way to get the benefits of capsaicin and ginger without burning a delicate tongue?

Not a Fan of Spice? Ways to Get the Benefits of Capsaicin and Ginger

If you wish to get more capsaicin and ginger in your diet for the health effects of these spices, there are a variety of options. Ginger is a common spice used in Asian foods as well as those from a variety of places. However, if you do not appreciate a spicy curry, ginger is also used in a wide range of traditional Western desserts such as gingerbread. Capsaicin can be more difficult for picky eaters to incorporate into their diets. It is present mainly in hot peppers such as jalapenos and habaneros, giving these peppers their heat and bite.

If you cannot handle the taste of capsaicin or ginger enough to add it in therapeutic amounts to your diet, there are also supplements that contain ginger and capsaicin. Because these pills or capsules are swallowed whole, you do not have to burn your tongue to get the benefits of these spices. This may be the best option for Americans and other places in the West, where spicy foods are a taste that many simply do not acquire.

Diet is one of the foundations of good health. While we often focus largely on things we should not eat, such as white sugar and saturated fat, it is just as important to add healthy nutrients and compounds to our daily life. Capsaicin and ginger appear to play an important role in promoting healthy cell growth and thus good whole-body health, so even the pickiest eater has good reason to get a little more spice in their life.

Plant Compound Lutein Linked to Cognitive Health and Intelligence

Jan 19 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

New studies linking lutein and brain health suggest that getting enough of certain plant compounds like lutein is essential to intelligence and cognitive function.

Modern research is beginning to shed light on the importance of getting good nutrition as a means of staying healthy and preventing disease. Medications and surgeries are certainly important treatments, but many people would prefer to stay healthy in the first place by making simple lifestyle changes. While most people know about the importance of vitamins C and E, it appears that carotenoids — in particular the plant compound lutein — may also play a critical role. If you want your brain to function at its best, it is important to get enough of this little-known nutrient.

What Is Lutein?

Lutein and its related compound zeaxanthin are found in many plant foods. It is related to vitamin A and, like this vitamin, appears to play an important role in eye health and sight. In particular, it acts as a pigment that filters light entering the eye and thus prevents damage. As though this was not an important enough role, new research indicates that lutein may also have a huge impact on brain health as well.

People with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia have less lutein in their eyes than those without neurodegenerative disease. When their diets were supplemented with lutein in a recent study, elderly people with dementia developed more lutein in their eyes, better vision and also higher cognitive function. Over time, lutein may even affect the architecture of your brain, helping it to remodel and respond to potential outside threats.

This is not the first study to find a link between this eye pigment and cognitive function; other studies have found that lutein makes up a large portion of the carotenoids in children’s brain tissue. Lutein appears to accumulate in human brains and the amount of the accumulation is linked to intelligence. These changes are not just self-reported; they can also be seen in MRIs. People who took lutein had smaller interventricular space and more robust brain tissue than those who went without.

Lutein and Brain Health

Lutein appears to be especially important in building, maintaining, and preserving a type of cognitive function called “crystallized intelligence.” Crystallized intelligence is basically the vault of skills and daily knowledge that you have built over a lifetime. This type of intelligence is especially affected in people with dementia, who often forget mundane daily things such as their dog’s name and how to make a bed properly. Over time, most people with dementia forget how to perform even the simplest tasks and progress to needing full-time caregivers.

Unlike many vitamins, lutein accumulates mainly in the gray matter of our brains. It is present in the cell membranes of your neural cells, scattered throughout the brain tissue that is responsible for conscious thought and decision-making. High levels of lutein in the brain appear to have a neuroprotective effect, keeping people from developing many serious disorders such as dementia. It appears to act as a scaffolding, allowing cells to be more resilient and functional as we go about our daily lives. Older adults who eat diets rich in this nutrient are less likely to develop dementia and also likely to maintain high function over their lifetimes.

Are You Getting Enough Lutein?

If you are concerned about lutein and brain health, there are a few ways to ensure that you get enough of this vital nutrient. First, eat several servings a day of foods rich in lutein, which include:

broccoli
leafy greens such as spinach and kale
zucchini and other squash
corn
orange bell peppers
grapes
kiwi fruit
orange juice
eggs

Be sure to eat these items with fatty foods, as lutein is best absorbed in the presence of higher fat items. In addition, be sure to get enough of these lutein-rich foods on a daily basis because this nutrient takes a while to build up to noticeable levels in the brain. Finally, consider taking a supplement. While many multivitamins on the market contain only a small amount of lutein, it is not usually enough to support optimal brain and eye function. You will likely need to find either a special multivitamin or a way to take a pill under your tongue or via shot for the rest of your life.

Although more research is needed, lutein appears to be one of the most promising natural ways to keep your brain functioning as well as possible over the course of your lifetime. Links between lutein and brain health suggest that this nutrient may be one of the most important factors in maintaining healthy sight and cognitive function over the last decades of your life.