Mitcel News
More evidence antioxidants slow the aging process (May 2005)
A study undertaken at the University of Washington School of Medicine and reported in the journal Science has shown that antioxidants can counteract the effects of aging and disease. The researchers studied mice that had been genetically engineered mice that made extra catalase, an antioxidant enzyme that helps breakdown hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen. Hydrogen peroxide is produced during metabolism and can be a precursor of free radicals. Free radicals damage cells by generating a reaction called oxidation - the same process that causes metal to rust. Antioxidants prevent this chemical reaction from occurring.
The mice that made extra catalase lived 20 percent longer than mice without catalase. The mice with extra catalase also had healthier heart muscle tissue, indicating the antioxidant helped protect from age-related heart problems seen in normal mice.
One of the researchers, Dr Rabinovitch, considered that people used to only focus on specific age-related diseases, because it was believed that the aging process itself could not be affected. But it is now becoming clear that we can intervene in the underlying aging process to produce very significant increases in healthspan, or healthy lifespan.
Cancer rates on the increase
The British Medical Journal last year published the figures from Cancer Research UK that show that while the death rate for people dying from cancer in the UK fell by 12 percent between 1972 and 2002, the incidence of cancer increased.
Figures for the overall increase are age-adjusted, so the increase in cancer incidence cannot be explained by any increase in life expectancy.
The situation is the same in the US, where cancer was the second leading cause of death in 2004.
Despite the billions of dollars that have been spent on the 'war on cancer', modern cancer treatment still revolves around the extremely unpleasant, 'slash-and-burn' treatments of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Prevention is better than cure.
Antioxidants for physical strength in older individuals
In a recent report published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the effect of antioxidants on the physical strength of older individuals was detailed. It has been suggested that the decline in physical strength and abilities that occurs with age could be related to oxidative damage caused by free radicals to the skeletal muscles. Researchers analysed data from 986 elderly participants.
The researchers found that plasma alpha-tocopherol levels were associated with both strength and physical performance, while gamma-tocopherol was associated only with strength. Dietary antioxidants were found to be correlated with physical performance, and both antioxidants and beta-carotene were correlated with strength.
Bad eating habits start early
The eating habits of people in the west is abysmal, and obesity levels continue to rise. Even before their second birthday many children are eating too much fat, sugar and salt, and too few fruits and vegetables. Children aged 1 to 2 years require approximately 950 calories but a recent study of children in the US revealed the median intake for this age group is 1220 calories – a 30 percent excess. For children 7 months to 11 months old, the daily caloric surplus was approximately 20 percent.
It has been shown that across cultures a round-cheeked overweight infant is considered desirable. The problem is that these eating patterns are continued into adult life.
A recent article in the journal of the American Dietetic Association report on a recent study of children and their diet in the US. Results of the study indicate that up to one-third of children under 2 consume no fruits or vegetables, and for those who did have a vegetable, french fries were the most common selection for children 15 months and older. Nine percent of children 9 months to 11 months ate fries at least once per day.
Hot dogs, sausage and bacon were also daily staples for many children – 7 percent of the 9 month to 11 month group, and 25 percent in the older range.
More than 60 percent of 12 month-olds had dessert or lollies at least once per day and 16 percent ate a salty snack. These numbers rose to 70 percent and 27 percent by age 19 months. Thirty to 40 percent of the children 15 months and older had a sugary fruit drink each day and approximately 10 percent had soft drink.
Parents were clearly ignoring widely accepted knowledge and practices. They also allowed:
- 29 percent of infants to eat solid food before they were 4 months old.
- 17 percent to drink juice before 6 months.
- 20 percent to drink cow's milk before 12 months.
Food preferences are generally shaped between ages 2 and 3. What we, as parents, allow our young children to eat will shape their future diet and health.
Adult diseases are on the rise in our children
The following was reported in The Enquirer (Cincinnati)
Children are increasingly becoming afflicted with diseases that were previously confined mostly to adults. This alarming observation is happening because of the western lifestyle of high sugar, low fat diet coupled with an increasingly sedentary lifestyle. Genetics is also playing a larger role in this increase. The incidence of diabetes and high cholesterol is increasing in children with one in three of the current 4-year-olds in America expected to develop Type II diabetes by the time they reach adolescence or early adulthood. 60% of current adolescents are expected to enter adulthood with at least two risk factors of heart disease. These two diseases are expected to increase the incidence of conditions such as heart attack, blindness, stroke and amputations. Factors other than diet are also believed to be linked to this escalating health crisis. Some believe that inflammation or possibly an immune response may result from the body responding to the high level of antibacterial soaps and cleaning products that abound in most people's lifestyles. Parents and children need to be aware that many cases of Type II diabetes can be cured by eating properly and exercising. Researchers are horrified by the increase in incidence of metabolic syndrome which involves a group of conditions such as obesity, high blood pressure and high cholesterol which lead to diabetes, arterial disease and heart and kidney disease. The prevalence rate of metabolic syndrome in adolescents has risen from 4.2% (1964) to 6.4% (1994). Even children who are within the normal weight range may be prone to high cholesterol or high blood pressure due to diet or genetics.
The value of fruit and vegetables
The New Zealand Ministry of Health has reported that insufficient fruit and vegetables was a factor in 1559 deaths per year in New Zealand. The deaths are from diseases such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes.
Cancer overtakes heart disease
In January this year the American Cancer Society revealed that cancer has taken over heart disease as the number one cause of death in the Americans under 85. This is because deaths from heart disease are reducing at a greater rate than deaths from cancer. Roughly one if four people die from cancer in America. In 2002, 476,009 Americans under 85 died from cancer compared to 450,637 from heart disease. It is estimated that 570,280 people will die from cancer in 2005. The greatest reduction in cancer deaths has been due to greatly reduced numbers of smokers but better screening and treatments have also helped. The American Cancer Society claims that a third of all cancer deaths are due to smoking and another third is due to obesity and poor diet.