Eating Nuts Reduces Total Cholesterol and LDL

In a recent press release, a new study shows that eating a third of a cup of nuts a day can reduce total cholesterol by 5.1 percent and LDL levels by 7.4 percent. Also, the ratio of LDL to HDL cholesterol was improved by 8.3 percent, and caused a decrease in triglyceride levels by 10.2 percent.

The results were reported by researchers at the Loma Linda University School of Public Health in California after analyzing data on 583 men and women who had participated in 25 nut consumption trials.

Even though most nuts will produce the same beneficial results, the best evidence for the beneficial effect came from the studies of walnuts and almonds.

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Does Brain Training Improve Cognitive Abilities?

Alvaro Fernandez of SharpBrains does a good job on his commentary about the results of a recent brain training experiment in Britain, in his article titled " BBC 'Brain Training ' Experiment: the Good, the Bad, the Ugly ."

The good is that brain games do not improve cognitive function in general. These games will help you improve at doing one particular task, but will not improve your overall brain health. For example, doing cross-word puzzles will help you improve at doing cross-word puzzles, but nothing else.

The bad of this experiment in Britain is that the experiment was poorly designed and lacked adequate quality control. The amount of training time was very low, and there was no quality control as participants did their testing at home with no supervision.

The ugly is that the researchers made a large conclusion from a single negative findings of a flawed experiment.

If people truly want to improve their cognitive abilities, I believe that they must seriously work at it. Simply playing games will not help much. We should focus on

• Staying physically active and eating properly as suggested in "Diet and Exercise Can Improve Thinking" , and "Mediterranean Diet And Your Brain."
• Getting adequate sleep to improve memory - "Sleep and Memory."
• And using meditation and mindfulness training to improve cognitive abilities and memory - "Mindfulness Training."

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Red Beets Nutrition - Miracle Vegetable

The red beets nutrition and health benefits come from its red pigment. This was first noticed by Dr. Alexander Ferenczi of Csoma, Hungary in the 1950's. Dr. Ferenczi noticed that patients would experience clinical recovery from cancerous tumors when place on a diet of raw red beets or red beet juice.

We now know that the red pigment is a betacyan called Betanin. Red beets also contain other cancer fighting substances such as folate and glutamine according to an article on Medicinal Whole Foods. Research also shows that the whole beets should be eaten and not just the juice. Many of the health benefits of red beets is found in its fiber.

Besides fighting cancer, such as colon cancer, red beet fiber also has been shown to reduce serum cholesterol and triacylglycerol levels while increasing HDL levels in animal studies. Serum cholesterol and triacylblycerol levels were decreased by 30% and 40%, respectively. Aortic cholesterol was also decreased by 30%.

Red Beets also contain Betaine. Studies have shown that betaine along with folic acid, vitamins B6 and B12, help reduce toxic levels of homocysteine. Homocysteine is an amino acide that at high levels is a risk factor for heart disease and stroke. Other studies have suggested that betaine may help protect against fatty deposits in the liver. Food sources of betaine are red beets, broccoli, whole grains, spinach and Quinoa.

Eat fresh red beets for good nutrition and receive its full health benefits.

See also " Beets ".

Fatty Liver Diet

Folate and Vitamin B-6 Helps Protect Against Stroke and Heart Disease

In a Japan Collaborative Cohort Study titled " Dietary Folate and Vitamin B-6 and B-12 Intake in Relation to Mortality From Cardiovascular Diseases, " it was found that women who ate foods high in folate and vitamin B-6 were less likely to die from stroke and heart disease. Men who ate a diet high in these vitamins were less likely to die of heart failure. Vitamin B-12, on the other hand, had no association with reduced risk of death from Cardiovascular disease.

Foods that are high in folate are

• Beans
• Asparagus
• Spinach
• Collard Greens
• Beets
• Green Peas
• Brussels sprouts
• Avocados
• Boccoli
• Romaine lettuce
• and Peanuts

Foods that are high in vitamin B-6 are

• Tuna
• Banana
• Chicken Breast
• Turkey Breast
• Cod
• Salmon
• Snapper
• Halibut
• Beef Tenderloin

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Four Unhealthy Habits

According to a study published in the April 26 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine by Elizabeth Kvaavik titled "Influence of Individual and Combined Health Behaviors on Total and Cause-Specific Mortality in Men and Women", a combination of four unhealthy habits greatly increases your risk of premature death.

The bad habits that lead to premature death are

• Smoking
• Consuming fruits and vegetables less than three times daily
• Less than two hours a week of physical activity
• and weekly consumption of more than 4 ounces for women and 6 ounces for men of alcohol.

Those with all four bad habits were about three times more likely to die of cardiovascular disease or cancer, and four times more likely to die from other causes. These bad habits also age you by about 12 years.

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Exercise May Help Speed Wound Healing

In a study conducted by Charles Emery at The Ohio State University, it is found that regular exercise may speed up wound healing by as much as 25 percent in older adults.

The three-times per week exercise session followed this exercise schedule:

1. 10 minutes of warm-up and stretching exercises.
2. 30 minutes of pedaling.
3. 15 minutes of jogging or brisk walking.
4. 15 minutes of strength training.
5. 5 minutes of cool down exercises.

At the end of the 3-month study, it was found that skin wounds healed on average 10 days faster in the people who exercised regularly following the above mentioned exercise schedule.

Exercise-To-A-Healthier-Life.com

Wider Use of Statins

" Should Cholesterol Drugs Be Used By Those Without High Cholesterol? " is an interesting articles published by HealthDay. Cardiologist love statins, and claim that the risks are worth the benefits of the drug. A recent study using 18,000 people and financed by AstroZeneca showed that those that took the drug for 1.9 years had a 44% lower risk of heart attack, stroke and other cardiovascular problems. That is why the FDA has approved Crestor for some people with normal cholesterol levels.

Other doctors, however, are cautious, and I am too. Many studies have shown that statins can lead to muscles problems and even diabetes. Dr. Duane Graveline in a book titled "Lipitor: Thief of Memory, Statin Drugs and the Misguided War on Cholesterol," writes about his experience with statins. For some, statins have caused temporary memory loss to the point that these people can not mentally function properly.

Personally, I prefer to stay away from statins, regardless of the current studies claiming increased longevity with this drug. I prefer a proper diet, exercise and some alternative medicine options such as artichoke leaf extract, fish oil, phytosterols and psyllium to keep my cholesterol at acceptable levels. I have simply seen too many people on statins deteriorate mentally. For me, the risks are not worth the rewards.

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