Endurance Exercise May Slow Aging, But Not Strength Training

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 28, 2018 -- Running, swimming, cycling and other types of endurance exercise can slow cellular aging, but strength training may not, a new study suggests.

Researchers looked at how different types of exercise affected telomeres in 124 inactive, young, healthy adults.

Telomeres are protective caps on the ends of chromosomes. As you age, telomeres shorten and result in cell aging. However, an enzyme called telomerase can counteract the shortening process and even add length to the telomeres.

The study participants were randomly assigned to six months of either: endurance training (long sessions of running); high-intensity interval training (high-intensity running alternating with slower running); resistance (weight) training; or no changes in activity (the control group).

The participants' telomere length and telomerase activity were assessed at the start of the study, and two to seven days after the final exercise session, according to the authors. The study was published Nov. 27 in the European Heart Journal.

"Our main finding is that compared to the start of the study and the control group, in volunteers who did endurance and high-intensity training, telomerase activity and telomere length increased, which are both important for cellular aging, regenerative capacity and thus, healthy aging," said study leader Ulrich Laufs, a professor at Leipzig University in Germany. "Interestingly, resistance training did not exert these effects."

Compared to the resistance and control groups, telomerase activity increased two- to threefold and telomere length increased significantly in the endurance and high-intensity training groups.

"The study identifies a mechanism by which endurance training -- but not resistance training -- improves healthy aging. It may help to design future studies on this important topic by using telomere length as indicator of 'biological age' in future intervention studies," Laufs said in a journal news release.

Endurance and high-intensity training could increase telomere length and telomerase activity by affecting levels of nitric oxide in blood vessels, which produces changes in cells, the researchers theorized.

"From an evolutionary perspective, endurance and high-intensity training may mimic the advantageous traveling and fight-or-flight behavior of our ancestors better than strength training," said study co-author Dr. Christian Werner, from Saarland University in Germany.

More information

The U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute offers a guide to physical activity.

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Turmeric’s Anti-inflammatory Properties Could Fight Diabetes

This spice contains a variety of healing ingredients that have been found to fight various diseases and disorders.

(Newswire.net -- November 23, 2018) Orlando, FL --  Medicinal spices like turmeric have long been used for a range of medicinal purposes. This spice contains a variety of healing ingredients that have been found to fight various diseases and disorders.

Turmeric’s anti-inflammatory properties could fight diabetes. This chronic metabolic condition is characterized by constantly high levels of blood sugar inside the body. The hormone called insulin plays an essential role in this disease.

According to some experts, insulin is produced by the pancreas and it takes care of controlling the blood sugar. Glucose or blood sugar serves as a fuel for a variety of cellular activities. Insulin transfers glucose from the blood to the fat, muscles, and liver cells, which are stored or utilized as fuel.

In cases of diabetes, either insulin resistance or little insulin hampers glucose transformation, and this affects the body negatively. There are actually three types of diabetes, and one is Type 1 diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes develops due to lack of insulin production and Type 2 diabetes takes place when there is failure of the cells to appropriately respond to insulin. Gestational diabetes, on the other hand, takes place during pregnancy and it occurs due to high blood glucose levels. 

Some researchers state that this spice could counteract inflammation in diabetes. It has been found that turmeric’s anti-inflammatory property aids in modulating a variety of pathways as well as the activity of numerous proteins.

One of the mechanisms involved is its ability to suppress the nuclear factor-kappa B, which could lead to the downregulation of COX-2 activity. It also works in inhibiting the production of a variety of inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-1beta, IL-6, and TNF- α.

Researchers further suggest this natural remedy could reduce the activity of inflammation-mediating enzymes and proteins. 

Aside from fighting inflammation, turmeric has further been found to be useful in fighting diabetes by reducing oxidative stress. It is important to understand that oxidative stress plays a significant role in the pathogenesis of diabetes. 

There are many known benefits of using turmeric. This ancient, medicinal spice has long been used for a range of medicinal purposes. Many of its healing potentials are believed to be due to the phytochemical it contains called curcumin. 

Today, it is quite easy to experience the therapeutic goodness of this spice through supplementation. VitaBreeze Curcumin supplement is widely believed to be one of the best sources of its healing effects.

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Is Exercise Still Important To Weight Loss?

   

Regular exercise changes your body’s composition.

ATLANTA, Ga. — “Exercise isn’t really important for weight loss” has become a popular sentiment in the weight loss community. “It’s all about diet,” many say. “Don’t worry about exercise so much.”

This idea crept out amid infinite theories about dieting and weight loss, and it quickly gained popularity, with one article alone citing 60 studies to support and spread this notion like wildfire.

The truth is that you absolutely can – and should – exercise your way to weight loss. So why is anyone saying otherwise?

For 10 years, I have been studying the epidemic of failed weight loss attempts and researching the phenomenon of hundreds of millions of people embarking on weight loss attempts – then quitting. In the meantime, exercise remains the most common practice among nationally tracked persons who are able to maintain weight loss over time. In fact, 90 percent of people who lose significant weight and keep it off exercise at least one hour a day, on average.

How the myth got started, and rebuttals

There are a few reasons that exercise for weight loss gets a bad rap. First, the public is looking, in large part, for a quick fix – and the diet and weight loss industry exploits this consumer desire for an immediate solution.

Many studies have shown that exercise changes your body’s composition, improves your resting metabolism and alters your food preferences. These plain and simple facts have stood the test of time, but go largely unnoticed compared to most sensationalized diet products (change through exercise over time is a much tougher sell than a 5-day “cleanse”). Moreover, many people consider one hour a day for exercise to be unreasonable or undoable, and find themselves looking elsewhere for an easier fix.

Second, the unknown. Doctors and nutritionists have done a poor job of explaining the link between exercise and dietary habits, perhaps because they often exist as separate camps.

Exercise directly changes our dietary habits, which means we actually have an easier time making healthier choices when engaged in exercise over time. Without exercise, abrupt changes in dietary habits, especially if they result in calorie restrictions, are very difficult for dieters to sustain. In addition, the longer we make those healthy choices, the more likely they will become habit.

For example, when a 42-year-old female who is 5 foot 4 inches and 240 pounds decides to lose weight on her own, she is likely to struggle with abruptly switching her food choices to vegetables and broiled fish, mostly because she will feel overwhelming hunger pangs (but also for other reasons, like new onset fatigue, soreness, depression and irritibality, among other things). However, if we take that same person and increase his or her exercise capacity to a critical point, those choices become much easier to endure.

Third, limited capacity. Exercise originally got demoted following a series of studies that enrolled overweight or obese folks looking to lose weight who had limited ability to exercise. Asking someone with limited ability to exercise to lose weight using exercise is like telling someone to empty a pool full of water with a plastic cup. It cannot be accomplished in any reasonable amount of time. So, when you measure how much weight they can “burn off” over time, the answer is not much, because most sedentary patients can burn 500 or fewer calories a week. As a result, the shaky conclusion that exercise was less important for weight loss emerged and was quickly sensationalized.

What is missing from this logic, though, is that people can change exercise capacity. As exercise capacity goes up for an otherwise sedentary individual and approaches that of a lean person, the ability to lose weight with exercise dramatically changes.

If you give a man

a bucket …

It’s like giving the participant in our pool-emptying example a bucket, or even a hose. The ability to jog for 30 minutes uninterrupted, or ride a bicycle for 60 minutes, is what separates so many would-be dieters from their lean counterparts and accounts for most tried and failed weight loss attempts. Moreover, once a person achieves a critical point of exercise capacity, the experience of exercise itself becomes more pleasant, and the experience can even be fun.

So, can you exercise your way to weight loss? Absolutely. Of course abrupt calorie restrictions will result in weight loss for the short run, but it is extremely difficult for folks to maintain that restriction for significant lengths of time, and most either end up quitting or regaining lost weight. Exercise, though, is a tried and true way to make dietary changes more tolerable. Focusing on exercise and changing exercise capacity first makes it easier to ultimately make better food choices and enjoy clean living, which in the end means significant weight loss that can be maintained over time.

Prologo, from Emory University in Atlanta, is an academic interventional radiologist with a dual board certification in obesity medicine, working to help humans with pain or obesity.

Does That Yummy Gummy Vitamin Pack Enough Nutritional Value?

NORFOLK, Va. (WVEC) — The gummy vitamin craze has taken off, sidelining pills and tablets for a tastier flavor and easy-to-chew alternative. But nutritionists are saying not so fast.

According to vitamin manufacturer Rise-N-Shine, $4.17 billion will be spent on gummy vitamins worldwide by 2025.

CHKD Registered Dietitian Carly Kliment said gummies simply aren't as beneficial as a pill or a chewable.

"The pill or the chewable form has a higher nutrient content," she said.

Kliment said it's difficult to break down all the essential vitamins in a gooey form. When she compared children's Flintstones Gummies to Flintstones Chewables, she found a significant difference in the nutritional value.

"The chewables had 17 vitamins and minerals, whereas the Flintstones gummies had 10."

Taking a closer look at the labels, the gummies don't contain iron or calcium.

"Iron is a big one. You don't see any kind of gummy with iron in them," said Kliment.

The Health Food Center on Colley Avenue in Norfolk is packed with shelves of vitamins. Even though the store boasts gummy vitamins free of artificial dyes and coloring, the vitamins can't compete with their tablets.

"They are better than nothing... but you don't get everything that you would get in a regular high-quality multi-vitamin," said store employee Karla Reese.

Reese also warned about the added sugar in gummies to help to with taste. A Flintstones Gummy has 2 grams of sugar, while the chewable has less than one gram.

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Binge On Super foods Rather Than Fats

It is a known fact that these mouth-watering sweets are high in saturated fats and carbohydrates.

As the festive season hits in India, the sale and consumption of Indian sweets soar high. The association of sweets with Indian tradition and culture has been deep-rooted. However, it is a known fact that these mouth-watering sweets are high in saturated fats and carbohydrates. As a result of the high consumption of these sweets, one often ends up gaining a few pounds duringthe festive days and all the hard work to keep the body healthy throughout the year goes down the drain. So, is the failure due to celebrations a wise outcome?

To avoid the over-consumption of fats in this festive season, here are 5 superfoods that be included in the diet during this festive season. These are surely not going to make you regret after the festive season gets over:

Quinoa: This ancient superfood with majestic history, is gluten-free and have High-protein, vitamins, and minerals. It is a kind of seed which can be black, red, white, pink, purple, yellow, grey, orange or green. Some of its basic health benefits include protection from heart diseases or weight-loss. Quinoa can be used in salads, sandwiches, soups or it can also be used in the makingof oatmeals by adding blueberries for a delicious taste.

Kale: Kale is known as the powerhouse of antioxidants including vitamin C, Beta-Carotene, Kaemferol, and Quercetin. Due to high-antioxidant value, this vegetable has the highest ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) Rating. This festive season, Blend wheat pasta with Kale and pistachios and serve the guilt-free yet tasty food to your friends and family.

Pistachios: They are one of the most delicious superfoods which are one of the oldest nuts with high-protein, mineral phosphorus, vitamin B6 beneficial fatty acids, and antioxidants. Due to its amazing taste, you can make sweets with it by blending it with Cranberries and Goji Berries or this superfood can be eaten alone.

Black Raspberries: Botanically known as Rubus Occidentalis, Black Raspberries are being hailed as “the king of berries”. These berries are generally available during the three weeks of July and in the off-season, you can find them as freeze-dried or Black Raspberry Jam. It helps in losing weight due to its perfect nutritional value. It has only 60 calories in one cup, they havetwo grams of proteins and are high in fibres. Due to its health beneficial properties like rich in antioxidants, minerals, and polyphenols, Black raspberries builds the immune system. This superfood can be blended with a butter bread, vanilla ice-cream, and brown sugar in order to make a perfect Raspberry-filled sweet.

Avocado: They are stone fruits with a creamy texture that grow in Mediterranean regions and are also known as an Alligator Pear or Butter fruit. It is the only food which provides healthy monosaturated fatty acids (MUFA). Avocados are naturally high in nutritional value containing nearly 20 vitamins and minerals. Some of its health benefits are osteoporosis prevention, improvement in digestion, natural detoxification, protection from chronic diseases like obesity, diabetes, gastrointestinal diseases, heart diseases etc. Avocadoes can be added in salads for easy and quick consumption or a blend of Avacado with raw cocoa and banana for making a perfect dessert.

(The author Rishabh Chokhani is CEO & Founder, Naturevibe Botanicals)