In the interest of smarter rodents ... or smarter seniors?

So University of Reading scientists say that elderly champagne-drinking rats have improved spatial working memory! Not quite sure what that means in the rodent world, but if it translates to modest champagne intake improving the neurological function of the ageing human population, I foresee a lot of very happy campers. 

I expect there will be some phytochemical present in champagne (much like the polyphenols identified in red wine) that improve memory. Yes, modest, but regular alcoholic beverage definitely seems to have benefits, but as in all things, moderation is the name of the game.

While we’re on the subject of maintaining mental acuity into older age, I love the Lumosity brain-training programs and reckon those games played daily, together with fresh, organic, whole food diet, robust supplementation, regular exercise and continuing embrace of new, different and challenging mental and physical activities are key. So as a baby-boomer, what did you do today that took you out of your comfort zone? What did you do to extend your physical and mental reach? What will you do tomorrow to make sure cell growth stays one step-ahead of cell-death?

If you're relying solely on a glass of champagne to keep those ageing neurones firing, you're definitely missing out on other, very important parts of the healthy-ageing equation. 

Is anybody listening?

Last night I was talking with an intelligent, thoughtful young man, who with his beautiful wife has done all the preconception workup, eaten the healthiest foods, avoided all the toxins and taken all the supplements. Their first baby is due in 3 months. They’re aware of the vaccine debate, have read the literature, yet will weigh in on the side of the herd (and vaccination). His words “everyone we know is vaccinated and they haven’t grown an extra limb or anything...” sent shivers down my spine. "And we'd have to get a doctor's form to get into child care..." a seemingly cavalier attitude, taking the line of least resistance, when the issue has profound ramifications for the long term physical and mental health of their child. 

His words broke my heart. At the risk of being dismissed as an interfering busybody I sent the following...http://www.vaccinesuncensored.org/ingredients.php#toxic

All the quotes are worth reading...

"A single vaccine given to a six pound newborn is the equivalent of giving a 180 pound (82 Kg) adult 30 vaccinations on the same day.” Boyd Haley PhD., Professor and Chair, Department of Chemistry, University of Kentucky 

And this one from What Doctors Don’t Tell You on the integrity ?? (or lack thereof) of Big Pharma (who make the vaccines)... 

http://www.lynnemctaggart.com/blog/242-big-pharma-and-the-mafia

I rest my case. Your loving mother. 

Good gut health, successful breastfeeding ... reduce obesity

More than 8,000 families contributed to this study conducted by researchers from Brigham Young University USA. It showed 2.5 times increased risk of obesity in babies who were bottle fed compared to those breastfed for the first six months of life. Particularly worrying and most problematic was the tendency to put babies to sleep with a bottle and introduction of solids before 4 months of age. 

The conclusion from the researchers bears repeating. “The health community is looking to the origins of the obesity epidemic, and more and more scholars are looking toward early childhood. I don’t think this is some nascent, unimportant time period, it’s very critical.”

And I would add that while formula feeding and early solids are two factors, high-fat, high-sugar preconception and pregnancy diet and compromised gut microbiota in the mother are two more - all closely linked, but determining factors for obesity and a range of other chronic health conditions. This comment from the International Probiotic Association makes the case cogently. “Probiotics are at the heart of a renaissance in health care. As never before, they are being recognized for major roles in both prevention and cure of disease.”

And of course, ensuring gut health, fresh, green, wholefood diet, successful breastfeeding and confidence to introduce solids later rather than sooner starts with knowing the right steps and taking them well before pregnancy.

On your bike, lift some weights!

We’ve known for a while that “methylation” was a very important biochemical process, determining whether the expression of a particular gene was positive or negative. Methyl groups (CH3 = a single carbon surrounded by three hydrogen molecules) attach themselves to a gene and make it harder or easier for that gene to respond to the body’s signals. Diet and supplements have been seen as the primary sources of methyl groups, with good food sources of methylation factors including meat, fish, milk, eggs, soy beans, wheat bran, green vegetables and fruit. Supplements that support methylation include the B-complex, especially vitamins B6 and  B12, methyl folate and S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe)

But now research confirms that exercise can also trigger improved methylation in the body. Researchers affiliated with the Lund University Diabetes Centre in Sweden and published recently in PLOS One demonstrated that aerobic and muscle-building exercise changes methylation patterns for the better in both fat and muscle cells. Juleen Zierath, a professor of integrative physiology at the Karolinska Institute and senior author of the study, says that DNA methylation changes are probably "one of the earliest adaptations to exercise" and drive bodily changes that follow.

So get on your bike or lace up your joggers - then get exercising! Since methylation is how those “epigenetic” or trans-generational effects occur, your pre-pregnancy and pregnancy exercise will benefit the next generation too! Need to know how much, how hard and the importance of exercise for flexibility before and during pregnancy, or how to get the next generation started on their own love affair with activity? All you need to know right here ...

Eat a bigger, better breakfast

Eating a bigger breakfast in the morning, and cutting back on large meals in the evening, could help to assist women in overcoming reproductive difficulties, say researchers. They suggest that more calories first thing and fewer at night can aid conception, especially if you suffer from PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome), which affects up to 10 percent of women. 

Remember the old adage, breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, dinner like a pauper...Seems that this manner of eating helps control insulin response, and improves ovulation rates. I’d add to that recommendation by saying that the right balance of protein carbohydrate and fat at breakfast (a balance which is all too frequently disregarded in favour of all carbs) is also vitally important. For all the tastiest recipes that will give you exactly the right balance, look no further than Healthy Parents, Healthy Baby.

Eat more probiotics (and fermented foods).

I’m always delighted to see highly visible experts extol the virtues of a healthy gut before conception and during pregnancy. Dr. Mercola is of course very highly visible, publishing the most widely-read, health and wellbeing newsletter in the world!

Of course he’s also a thorn in the side of the US medical profession, the FDA, the pro-GM lobby, the vaccination protagonists and numerous others, but more power to Dr. Mercola I say! 

He’s also a big advocate of probiotic supplements and more recently of fermented foods as a very high potency source of beneficial bacteria. I’ve recently embraced the additional fermented food method of maintaining gut health and have developed a real taste for ginger kefir. You can download Dr. Mercola’s interview with Carole Barringer to find out how to make your own pickled vegetables and fermented drinks. The supplemental product that I use myself  and recommend highly is Progurt - you can take the single sachet as a once/week dose, or you can use it to make a very tasty yogurt. 

Four key factors for a healthier baby

Dr. Mercola recently highlighted four key factors that can compromise your baby’s health. 

• Poor gut health
• Insufficient vitamin D
• Exposure to genetically modified organisms (GMOs)
• Flame retardant chemicals

I’ve blogged about the first three on numerous occasions, but “flame retardant chemicals” have previously been included in the grand and all-encompassing category of environmental toxins. However in utero exposure to these polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) has now been linked to effects on thyroid function and associated learning and behaviour problems in children. PBDEs are fire-retardant chemicals that have been in use for decades in items like carpeting, upholstery, mattresses, baby strollers and electronics. Something to keep in mind when you’re choosing furniture, bedding or baby buggy or when setting up your home-office. 

The Australian Government has issued a comprehensive fact sheet on PDBEs and the following are their recommendations: What can I do to reduce PBDEs at home? 

Articles and materials are not labelled to indicate the presence of PBDEs or other substances. Therefore, it is not recommended that you remove products that could potentially contain flame retardants from your home. Good housekeeping, particularly removing dust, is a good place to start. You can do this by:

· regularly vacuuming floors

· damp dusting and wiping surfaces of equipment 

· allowing adequate ventilation and good air flow, particularly in rooms with computers 

· regularly cleaning air conditioners and heater inlets and vents.

Ensuring optimal nutritional status (think high-potency probiotic, together with specific nutritional supplementation to ensure optimal detoxification) is another important safety measure. More information on best products for the job at Jan's Picks and in Healthy Parents, Healthy Baby. 

Good gut news, but then the bad news...

While scientists are unravelling the profound benefits of healthy gut bacteria, much damage is being done courtesy of GMO produce. In the US, an up-coming debate will determine whether GMO-containing produce will require mandatory labeling across the country. Let’s hope common sense prevails and that public sentiment isn’t swayed by the very powerful and extremely well-funded GMO lobby, who insist on the safety of their produce despite all the findings to the contrary.

Dr. Don Huber, leading GMO expert in the world says there are several key factors we must be aware of. Huber is an award-winning, internationally recognized scientist, and professor of plant pathology at Purdue University for over 35 years. His concerns about GMO rest on the following issues.

1. There are NO peer-reviewed scientific studies establishing the long-term safety of GMO crops. They simply do not exist.
2. There is an identical rise in over 30 human diseases, correlating exactly with increasing use of glyphosate (the active ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup Ready - herbicide for GM and other crops) and the increased prevalence of genetically engineered proteins in foods.
3. Foods heavily sprayed with glyphosate have a lower nutrient density than conventional crops, they contain higher levels of pesticides, along with novel, highly allergenic proteins.
4. As well as chelating minerals, glyphosate is an antibiotic - destroying not only beneficial soil bacteria, but also the all-important gut bacteria that are the foundation of both physical and mental human health.
5. Not only do GMOs alter your intestinal microflora, research shows that human cells are able to transfer those novel genes, thereby affecting the human genome.
6. Glyphosate may also be responsible for the collapse of bee colonies.

In other words, the potential damage to human and plant systems from GMO crops is incalculable and ongoing. Therefore take whatever steps you can to legislate for mandatory labeling, better still campaign for complete non-use of GMO seeds and associated herbicides/pesticides. And vote with your dollars - BUY ORGANIC!

More species of gut bacteria mean better health

This news item couldn’t put it any more plainly stating “an amazing result” with possibly enormous implications for the treatment and even prevention of the greatest public health issue of our time!

The diversity and richness of bacteria in our gut may have a direct impact on our risks of developing metabolic conditions including heart disease and type 2 diabetes, according to the new MetaHIT data.”

The findings were published in Nature and it appears that those individuals with reduced gut “biodiversity”, in other words, those who had fewer bacterial species in their guts, were more likely to develop complications including cardiovascular disease and diabetes. The flora with decreased bacterial richness appears to function in an entirely different way from flora that is rich and diverse in species. About one quarter (23%) of the general population were shown to exhibit reduced bacterial “richness” and those individuals were also universally likely to be overweight, exhibit insulin resistance and dyslipidemia and demonstrate generalised unhealthy inflammatory processes.

As I've stated on numerous occasions, the ideal time to restore your gut health is well before conception and by so doing, you give your baby the best possible chance of enjoying a lifetime of better gut health and all the associated physical and mental up-sides. Having said that, probiotics can act as a surrogate and the whole family will benefit, whatever their age or life-stage. Easy way to restore and maintain gut health is ongoing, daily dose of high-potency yogurt that is easy to make at home.