Health

The Science of Staying Young

Published: October 2007   [ Updated: Jul 14, 2008 - 3:53:32 PM ]

MIF: Inflaming Infertility
A substance known as macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), which floods the body as a result of inflammation, may be increasing male infertility. Inflammation occurs as a result of infections or chronic illnesses such as arthritis, heart disease, and diabetes. When researchers from the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research added MIF to healthy sperm, the number and motility of sperm decreased dramatically. Regular exercise conditions your body to fight inflammation, say researchers.

16: Percentage of prostate-cancer screenings that are performed improperly, according to Harvard Medical School researchers who analyzed 105,765 Veterans Health Administration patients from 1997 to 2004. That 16 percent represents patients younger than 40 and older than 75, ages at which diagnostic and therapeutic procedures are of questionable worth.

Organics for Your Organ
Scientists at the University of California at Davis have found proof that SOME organic foods are healthier than conven­tional ones. They compared tomatoes of both varieties for flavonoids, which are antioxidants that improve cognitive function, protect against disease, and boost the immune system. The levels of flavonoids were 79 to 97 percent higher in organic tomatoes, and the flavonoid levels are actually increasing from crop to crop in organic tomatoes while remaining constant in nonorganic varieties.

Sugar Beater
Swedish researchers think they’ve discovered a tasty way to temper the dramatic spikes in blood sugar that can lead to insulin resistance and diabetes: cinnamon. Blood tests taken every 15 minutes for two hours after people ate rice pudding revealed that those who ate their dessert with the spice experienced half the increase in circulating blood glucose as those who did not. The study authors say that cinnamon slows the digestive process, allowing sugar to enter the bloodsteam gradually rather than rushing in all at once and disrupting the insulin response.

Plastic Plague
Last November, Best Life uncovered preliminary news that chemicals found in plastic drinking bottles, children’s toys, and ­water pipes may be partly responsible for the obesity and diabetes epidemics in America. Well, the science is in and was just published in The Journal of the National Cancer Institute. The paper states that Bisphenol A (found in polycarbonate plastics) and Tributyltin (a component of PVC plastics) disrupt ­hormone function, leading to weight gain, diabetes, and even cancer.

10: Minutes chopped garlic should be exposed to air to maximize its cancer-fighting properties, says the American Institute for Cancer Research. If you eat or cook garlic too soon, the enzyme alliinase will not have time to create the anticancer compounds known as allyl sulfur compounds, decreasing the herb’s cancer-fighting abilities by more than 90 percent.

Kryptonite for Cancer
More and more research is proving that vitamin D is a medical marvel. Taking 1,100 IU of vitamin D a day could decrease your risk of cancer by 60 percent, according to a study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that followed 1,179 people for four years. Another study, in the Archives of Internal Medicine, suggests that keeping your vitamin D levels up may help reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease. The researchers found that high levels of vitamin D in the blood correspond to a reduced risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity. Still another study, in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, showed that seniors who are vitamin D deficient are more than twice as likely to be in poor physical health. Ask your doctor for a vitamin D blood test to find out if you need a supplement or if you’re getting enough from food. Salmon, eggs, and fortified milk are great sources of the vitamin.