Six ways to slash your familial risk for dementia
Ron Prescott Reagan, 63, President Ronald Reagan’s son, may be the political opposite of his conservative father, but one thing he and his dad may have in common is a familial risk for dementia. President Reagan had Alzheimer’s for 10 years when he died in 2004 at age 93. And a new study says (if you don’t adopt dementia-defeating habits) having an immediate family member with dementia ups your risk for the disorder by 78 percent compared to folks with no close relative who has been affected.
The good news: A study, published in the journal Circulation, identified six lifestyle habits that go a long way to preventing dementia — even for folks with this increased familial risk. The researchers followed almost 302,239 men and women aged around age 60 for eight years. Folks with a familial predisposition for dementia slashed their risk by adopting at least three of the healthy behaviors — and more healthy habits provide additional protection.
1. Not having obesity.
2. Getting 150 minutes or more a week of moderate to vigorous activity.
3. Regularly sleeping six to nine hours a night.
4. Consuming two (for men) or one (for women) alcoholic drinks a day or less.
5. Not smoking.
6. Eating a plant-based diet and skipping refined grains and processed meats.
Need help getting your healthy habits launched? Check out “What a Day on System Oz Looks Like” and “System Oz: What you need to know” at www.doctoroz.com. And adopt Dr Mike’s What to Eat When nutrition plan at www.whenway.com.
A super-tasty way to slash your risk for Type-2 diabetes
Carmen Miranda, the so-called “Brazilian Bombshell,” once sported a “hat” topped with around 17 pieces of fruit and two bunches of grapes. Far more than you need to have every day! Turns out that enjoying two servings (that’s an apple and eight large strawberries, for example) a day can slash your risk for Type-2 diabetes over the next five years by 36 percent. Psst! Fruit juice doesn’t work that magic!
The study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism that revealed fruit’s diabetes-fighting powers also found why it’s so effective. Seems that eating whole fruit improves insulin sensitivity, so the body has to crank out less insulin to control blood sugar levels. That’s important, because not only are high levels of circulating insulin related to diabetes, they also damage your blood vessels, leading to high blood pressure and heart disease, and are associated with obesity.
While eating whole fruit is tasty, you can also use it fresh in foods you prepare. Try these recipes in Dr. Mike’s “What to Eat When Cookbook”: Blueberry, Fig, Prune & Balsamic Salad Dressing; Heirloom Tomato & Peach Salad; Cucumber, Orange & Mint Salad; Snap Pea & Strawberry Salad; and a thirst-quenching Grape Escape.
If you do cook the fruit (berries are tasty when served warm on steel-cut oatmeal), the liquid you get is loaded with nutrients — save it for smoothies, like the What to Eat When Vitality Smoothie, or freeze it in ice cub trays to use in sauces or to flavor broiled salmon.
You still need a good daily dose of DHA omega-3s
In 1993, the Bee Gees crooned in “Omega Man”: “I’m the Omega Man/Stand tall and understand/Everybody needs a plan.” That could be the theme song of omega-3s these days. When a study came out in Cardiovascular Pharmacotherapy saying that high doses of fish oil are correlated with the onset of atrial fibrillation (a heart rhythm disorder that can lead to stroke), people started discounting the amazing benefits of DHA omega-3s.
That’s a mistake, and we’re standing tall with a plan about how to get the benefits.
First, let’s review what an ample supply of dietary omega-3 DHA from salmon, sardines, sea trout, herring and anchovies can do for you. There’s no dispute that it helps lower your risk for heart attack, coronary heart disease and death from CHD and cardiovascular disease. It’s also good for the brain. It helps protect the brain from stroke and dementia, and can ease symptoms of mild depression. A study in Translational Psychiatry even shows that adolescents with higher levels of DHA at age 17 are 56 percent less likely to become psychotic at age 24.
As for taking omega-3 supplements: A new study finds children born to moms who took DHA-rich fish oil while pregnant have faster processing speed when solving complex problems and better results in attention tests at age 10. For moms-to-be and the rest of you — especially if you don’t eat fish — we recommend you ask your doc about taking low- or moderate-dose supplements made from algal oil. That’s fish’s source of omega-3s too.
Spice it up
A few years ago, a poll conducted by a hot sauce brand claimed to prove that people who like spicy food are spicier when it comes to romance. We’re not sure that holds up, but we are sure that when it comes to enjoying spices — and not just hot ones — the more the merrier, and healthier.
Two studies on the effect of America’s favorite spices on triglycerides and blood pressure have found that when folks who are overweight and have elevated cholesterol enjoy a daily dose of a mixture of dried basil, bay leaf, black pepper, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, ginger, oregano, parsley, red pepper, rosemary, thyme and turmeric, they register lower blood pressure and healthier levels of lipids.
The first study in the journal Food and Function found that individually, cinnamon, cloves and turmeric were most effective in lowering triglycerides. When combined, cinnamon, cloves and turmeric delivered powerful results.
The second study, presented at NUTRITION 2021, found that eating about half a tablespoon of the dried spice mixture daily for four weeks lowers both systolic (top number) and diastolic (lower) blood pressure. Seems the spices relax your blood vessels. The systolic number went down 2.2 mmHg and the diastolic went down 1.6 mmHg. That’s enough to help protect your blood vessels from damage and reduce the risk of stroke. (One study found lowering systolic blood pressure by 1 mmHg cuts the risk by 5 percent.) So spice up your food and you’ll spice up your health — and, who knows, maybe your love life too.
One more reason to keep your heart healthy
Bobby Orr, the great NHL defenseman, had surgery on his knees more than a dozen times. Although docs could repair his aching joints, over time, his knees — and career — eroded even more. In his last three seasons with Chicago, he played in only 26 games.
The same kind of post-recovery hazards can plague survivors of a heart attack. These days almost 97 percent of people who have a heart attack and make it to the hospital survive. But — and there’s always a but — according to a new study in American Journal of Cardiology, almost 20 percent of survivors develop heart failure in the next five years.
That happens because a heart attack damages your heart muscle and blood vessels, reducing the heart’s ability to deliver blood, with oxygen and nutrients, to the body’s cells. Folks who have advanced chronic kidney disease, diabetes, have had a second heart attack, or are African American are most at risk for heart failure after a heart attack.
If you’ve survived a heart attack or you are at risk for one because you smoke, have high blood pressure, elevated lousy LDL cholesterol, diabetes or obesity, drink alcohol excessively or are sedentary, listen up. You want to work with your doctor to strengthen your heart muscle. The American Heart Association recommends: quitting smoking; achieving a healthy weight; avoiding alcohol, limiting or avoiding caffeine; eating a plant-based diet; getting physical activity; managing stress; monitoring your blood pressure, getting adequate sleep; and getting an annual flu shot and the COVID-19 and pneumonia vaccines.
Mehmet Oz, M.D. is host of “The Dr. Oz Show,” and Mike Roizen, M.D. is Chief Wellness Officer and Chair of Wellness Institute at Cleveland Clinic. To live your healthiest, tune into “The Dr. Oz Show” or visit www.sharecare.com.
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