Colon Bacteria That Produce SCFAs May Determine Your Susceptibility for Infections
Some of the bacteria growing in your colon may help to protect you from getting infections throughout your body. Researchers cultured stool samples from more than 10,000 people, including more than 600 people hospitalized for serious infections. The stool was specifically checked for 16 types of bacteria that produce Short Chain Fatty Acids (SCFAs). They found that over six years, those who had 10 percent more colon bacteria that produce SCFAs were 15-25 percent less likely to be hospitalized for serious infections.
Healthful Lifestyle Later in Life Increases Chances of Living to One Hundred
It is never too late to adopt a healthful lifestyle. Researchers followed the records of people over age 80 (61 percent women) for an average five years and found that those with the most healthful lifestyle (no smoking, regular exercise and varied diet) were most likely to live to be 100 years old, be free of chronic diseases, have higher physical and cognitive function, and have far less mental illness. Less likely lifestyle factors for living from age 80 to 100 were: where a person lived, years of education, marital status, having chronic medical conditions, u.sing alcohol or being obese. In this study, 1454 people lived to be 100 and 3768 died before reaching 100 years
Self-Monitoring of Blood Pressure Better Than Just Doctor Monitoring
Checking your own blood pressure several times a day may offer better blood pressure control than just taking occasional blood pressure measurements in a doctor’s office.
Plant-Based Diets Associated with Reduced Risk of Prostate Cancer Spreading
Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer among men in the U.S. A study of 2062 men with an average age 65.0, diagnosed with localized prostate cancer and followed in 43 different urology practices, found that the men with cancer who ate the most plant-based foods had a 47 percent reduced chance of having their prostate cancer spread in 6.5 years, compared to men who ate the least plant-based foods
Willie Mays and Heart Failure
On June 18, 2024, Willie Mays died at age 93 from heart failure. He was one of the best baseball players of all time and went straight from high school to playing center field from 1951 to 1973 in the National League for the New York and San Francisco Giants and New York Mets. In his first year in the National League he was the Rookie of the Year, and he hit 20 home runs to help his team win the pennant.
Jerry West and Atrial Fibrillation
All-Star basketball player Jerry West died with atrial fibrillation on Jun 12, 2024, at the age of 86. He played for the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1960s and early ’70s, was named to 12 All-NBA teams along with five All-Defense teams, and is still the only player in NBA history to win a Finals MVP while playing for the losing team. He averaged 27.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 6.7 assists per game.
Should You Cool Down after Exercise?
Cooling down means that after vigorous exercise, you move far more slowly for several minutes before you stop exercising for that session. The main reason for “cooling down” is to keep you from feeling dizzy or passing out after very vigorous exercise
Nitrates: One Reason to Eat Lots of Vegetables
Nitrates from the foods you eat can be converted in your body to nitric oxide, which widens blood vessels to increase blood flow throughout your body, to improve exercise tolerance and to help prevent heart disease and to lower high blood pressure
Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul
As one of the most versatile American singers of all time, Aretha Franklin was best known for singing soul music and popular and gospel songs, but with less than two hours’ notice, she was able to use her powerful mezzo-soprano voice to sing a great opera aria when she stepped in to replace Luciano Pavaroti at the 1998 Grammy Awards.
Inflammatory Diet Associated with Earlier Death in Osteoarthritis Patients
More than half of North American adults over 65 years of age suffer from osteoarthritis, and recent studies show that inflammation is involved. An inflammatory diet can increase joint damage as well as diabetes and premature death. A study of 3804 patients with osteoarthritis found that patients who ate a high-inflammatory diet died at a significantly younger age than those who ate an anti-inflammatory diet.