Health Blog

A healthy body and a sound mind

Tips For Helping Seniors Have A Healthier New Year

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It’s pretty likely you have someone elderly in your life, whether it’s a parent or grandparent or even an aunt or uncle. Everyone grows old, and as you grow old it’s increasingly important to do what you can for your health. Your body doesn’t do the things it once did as you get older, so keeping it fit is important.

If you have older folks in your life you may want to help inspire them to stay healthy and keep moving. If they already have issues with mobility they can still use your help and your positive outlook. Here are some things you can do for the elderly people in your life, to help them stay healthy and happy! [Read more…]

5 Tips to Prevent Falls Among Elderly Persons

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fall

 

In a study of the year 2008, the CDC recently estimated that every year about 234,000 people ages 15 and up are treated in the US for injuries that occur in bathrooms.

Four out of five of these injuries are caused by falls, which can have especially serious consequences for older adults. One in three adults aged 65 and up falls every year. Thirty percent of adults aged 65 and up who are injured in the bathroom are diagnosed with fractures; and among adults over age 85, thirty-eight percent have to be hospitalized as a result of their injuries.

The issue is even more staggering when you consider the average cost of a fall. In 2000, the total direct medical cost for hospitalizations from a fall injury was about $17,500.

Hip fractures, however, were the most common type of fall-related fracture and averaged $18,000 for hospital care, which does not include the aftercare that is often required. Add the fact that medical costs have risen since these last estimates, and the total cost of a fall-related injury may exceed $20,000. [Read more…]

Preventing Osteoporosis

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Doctor with patient

Osteoporosis is a very old disease but sad to say, not too many people pay particular attention to its prevention until it’s a tad late. Osteoporosis is a disease that affects the bones. A person with the condition has bones that are brittle and have lots of holes inside them – something like a sponge. As a result, people with osteoporosis are prone to fractures. Osteoporosis is most common in women who are above 60 although people outside these demographics are affected as well.

So how do you prevent osteoporosis?

The National Osteoporosis Foundation suggests these 5 steps:

• Get your daily recommended amounts of calcium and vitamin D
• Engage in regular weight-bearing exercise
• Avoid smoking and excessive alcohol
• Talk to your healthcare provider about bone health
• When appropriate, have a bone density test and take medication

Pay particular attention to your calcium and vitamin D intake as young as possible. More info on these two:

According to NOF recommendations, adults under age 50 need 1,000 mg of calcium daily, and adults age 50 and over need 1,200 mg of calcium daily. If you have difficulty getting enough calcium from the foods you eat, you may take a calcium supplement to make up the difference.

According to NOF recommendations, adults under age 50 need 400-800 IU of vitamin D daily, and adults age 50 and over need 800-1,000 IU of vitamin D daily. There are two types of vitamin D supplements. They are vitamin D3 and vitamin D2. Previous research suggested that vitamin D3 was a better choice than vitamin D2. However, more recent studies show that vitamin D3 and vitamin D2 are equally good for bone health.

Our bones do not become strong overnight. Their strength is a result of years and years of proper nourishment and care. As such, the steps that are given above should not be delayed in implementation. There is in fact no cure for osteoporosis currently.

Vitamin That Slows Down Alzheimer’s To Be Tested On Humans

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Ever since Alzheimer’s was discovered more than a hundred years ago in 1906 (though this is subject to discussion), the medical community has been trying to find ways to cure it. To date, there is no known cure for the disease but there are a lot of breakthroughs occurring in the field of research.

One such breakthrough is the discovery of the potential of vitamin B3 to slow down the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. In lab trials, researchers infused mice with high doses of the vitamin and they found out that it had positive effects in retarding the disease. Now, they are ready to try the vitamin on humans. The Guardian has this report:

A vitamin pill that could slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease is to enter human trials after scientists found it protected animals from memory loss associated with the condition.

High doses of vitamin B3 will be given to 70 people who have recently been diagnosed with the disease as part of the trial due to begin in the new year, which is open to volunteers over the age of 50.

If the six-month trial is a success it could have a dramatic impact on the treatment of an estimated 417,000 people in Britain who have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. There is currently no cure for Alzheimer’s or any other type of dementia.

Delaying the onset of the disease by five years would halve the number of deaths from the condition, saving 30,000 lives a year, according to the Alzheimer’s Society.

Though this is by no means a cure to the disease, it does look like the researchers are headed toward the right direction.

Grape Seeds For Alzheimer’s?

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I once heard that any ailment can be cured by something that can be found in nature. Now I do not know if there is any truth to this but it does seem that there are many things from nature that can benefit us humans health-wise. As for Alzheimer’s, researchers have not yet found the main reason nor a cure for it. However, there are a lot of findings that just might help in preventing or alleviating the disease.

I recently read a study about grape seeds having the potential to combat Alzheimer’s Disease. This study was conducted by a team of researchers from the Flinders University in Australia. The basic idea of the study was to use grape seed extract to see what it would do to help boost brain function. As in most studies, they used mice as the test subjects. What they found out was that the mice which were fed grape seed extract for 6 months had “better cognitive function” than those which were not.

Although mice are a long way off from being human, we all know that many effects of medication or substances on them are similar to what humans experience. As such, the researchers believe that grape seed just might hold a key to the puzzling condition called Alzheimer’s Disease.

Professor Xin-Fu Zhou says “Grape seed extract demonstrates a strong disease-modifying effect. As a dietary supplement, the effect of grape seeds is significant and beneficial. It is a safe, natural product which contains ‘goodies’ that we shouldn’t throw away.”

The next time you grab a handful of those juicy berries, maybe you should not spit out the seeds.

Mental Health Benefits of Exercise

For most of us, exercise is a part of our everyday routine. Whether it’s taking a brisk walk, lifting weights, or moving through some yoga, daily movement has so many physical benefits. While most think to link exercise to physical improvements, what we might not realize is exercise has a huge impact on our mental […]