News from the World of Medicine: Foods that Fight Dementia, Why Stress Relief Is the Best Foreplay and More

Foods that Fight Dementia

Foods that have been documented to be good for the heart are good for the brain too. Researchers from Harvard University and various institutions in China worked together to examine data from more than 10,000 people age 55 and over who were tracked for five years. They found that the people who ate three or more servings of vegetables and two or more servings of fruit each day performed best on brain tests and maintained those ­results over time. Cruciferous vegetables (think Brussels sprouts, cauliflower), green leafy vegetables (kale, spinach), and red and yellow vege­tables (beets, squash) were most protective. In a separate study, researchers found that Americans with a higher intake of olive oil had a lower risk of dementia-­related death.

Two Secrets to Good Skin

South Korea is a country obsessed with skin care, so when it does a study on how much water to drink for healthy-looking skin, people listen. Researchers in Busan, South Korea, looked at 43 women in their 20s, 30s and 40s. The women were divided into groups depending on how much water they consumed each day, and how many times a day they applied moisturizer. After four weeks, the researchers measured the skin surface hydration on various parts of the body. The results, ­published in Annals of Dermatology, were that higher water intake led to moister skin. But water alone wasn’t enough to produce major changes in skin health and appearance; the women needed to supplement their water drinking with a regular moisturizer regimen. 

Walk to Boost Bones

The longer you walk, the stronger your bones will be. That’s the conclusion of a study published in Osteoporosis International that looked at data from ­almost 25,000 older adults’ outdoor walking habits. After three years, researchers found that the longer people walked, the less likely they were to be diagnosed with osteoporosis. Just as importantly, the researchers found that a daily walk strengthened bones ­regardless of whether the walkers had a high genetic predisposition for osteoporosis or not. In fact, participants with a high genetic risk who walked outside for more than an hour a day experienced the biggest drop in risk.

Stress Relief Is the Best Foreplay

You might know this, but now science confirms it: Sex is best when you’re not feeling stressed. Little, everyday stressors can affect intimacy the most. ­University of Texas at Austin researchers looked at 144 couples with no kids who had been married for about a year and a half. For two weeks the couples answered questions about their stress levels and sexual relations. What researchers found: “Same-day hassles appeared to be a more potent predictor of couples’ day-to-day sexual behaviours than the experience of on-going stressors.” Turns out that helping each other handle minor annoyances may be the best way for a couple to spice up their love life.

Dads and Drinking

Women are warned not to drink alcohol while pregnant, but the effect of alcohol on reproduction ­actually starts much earlier. A new review of more than 100 scientific ­papers finds that drinking leads to hormonal imbalances, which can cause infertility in men and women. The research, published in Animal Models and Experimental Medicine, explains that when an enzyme in the liver breaks down alcohol, it’s converted to a harmful substance that can damage cells and tissues. Women may experience disrupted menstruation, ovulation and fertility. Men might experience reduced sperm production and sexual function. It’s another reason—for your own health and that of your future children—to drink in moderation … if at all.

Your Best Walking Buddy

One of the appeals of walking as exercise is that you don’t need any special equipment to do it. But there’s one piece of gear that might be worth a try, according to a study in the journal BMC Geriatrics. Researchers in Nigeria, South Africa and Germany examined data from a variety of walking programmes for older adults. They found that the programmes that used pedometers or other fitness trackers to set goals and measure steps were more effective at lowering the risk factors for stroke. People who participated were more likely to reduce their blood sugar and systolic blood pressure (the top number, the most important one for heart health), and increase their activity.

Eat for Longevity

There’s another part of the world, besides the Mediterranean, where people eat a diet that’s been linked with health and long life: ­Japan. A recent study by researchers from California, Hungary and Japan, published in Frontiers in Nutrition, compared a group of men who ate a “Western-­style ­dietary pattern” (including lots of meat, processed meats, eggs and mayonnaise-­based dressings) with men who followed a “healthy Japanese dietary pattern” (including lots of vegetables, fruits, seafood and soy products). When the researchers calculated participants’ biological age, they found that the men who followed the Japanese diet showed signs of slower ageing, even after accounting for factors such as weight, smoking, drinking and exercise habits.

New Blood Tests

Soon we may be able to diagnose some medical conditions as early as possible without expensive scans or invasive tests. The FDA recently approved a blood test for colorectal cancer, Shield from Guardant Health. A study in the New England Journal of Medicine found the test to be 83 per cent accurate. While colonoscopy is still the gold standard, this test may be useful for the more than one-third of adults who are eligible for the test but not up to date. 

Two more promising blood tests on the horizon:

>>A test for Alzheimer’s called Precivity­­AD2, has been found by Swedish researchers to be about 90 per cent accurate in identifying Alzheimer’s disease. Now with several medications approved to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s, it’s important to identify people with the condition as opposed to other causes of dementia, so that treatment can begin as early as possible.

>>Scientists from the pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline, as well as researchers from the UK and Germany, have found that patterns of proteins circulating in blood can help predict or detect dozens of diseases. These include multiple myeloma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and celiac disease. The scientists are investigating how early the test can flag disease.

Better Bundle Up!

Even if the cold winter weather makes you want to stay home and hibernate, get outside and help your heart. A recent analysis of more than two dozen previous studies suggests that more time spent outdoors could have long-term benefits for heart health. The review, published in Environmental Research, found that people who spent more time outdoors showed “significant” improvements in cardiovascular health, including lower diastolic blood pressure and heart rate. In other words, going outside and moving your body—by exercising or gardening, for example—can help reduce your risk of heart disease, hypertension and stroke.

(Research by Meaghan Cameron, MS, and Patricia Varacallo, DO.)