mortality risk Archives - Amazing Health Advances

Serious Health Risks Linked to Processed Meats

AHA Publisher — Wed, 09 Dec 2020 08:00:22 +0000

Edit Lang via NaturalHealth365 – Despite the overwhelming amount of evidence linking processed meat with an increased risk of cancer and mortality, Americans seem to have trouble kicking the habit. Lunchmeat, sausage, hot dogs, ham and bacon, are the most popular types of processed meat Americans have enjoyed for decades. However – new research, including a total of 120,852 participants – confirms the alarming relationship between processed meat consumption and increased cardiovascular, respiratory, and overall mortality. Researchers found that substituting processed meat with other protein sources lowered mortality risks. A Deadly Love Affair Without Concern Over Processed Meat Risks It is hard to imagine a baseball game or a picnic without hot dogs or some other meat. Kids and adults alike have a long-standing emotional attachment to these foods. Processed meats have been a fundamental part of the all-American food culture. Eating processed meat, however, does come with serious risks to our health. Colorectal cancer, diabetes, obesity are only some of the associated negative health effects. Let’s face it; Americans eat more than enough processed meat to cause major health risks. According to a Harvard research study, increasing processed red meat intake by just half a serving a day can raise the risk of mortality over the next eight years by 13 percent. WHO Classifies Processed Meats as Group 1 Carcinogens, Same as Smoking A review study examining 800 epidemiological studies worldwide concluded that eating hot dogs and other processed meats every day increases the risk of colorectal cancer. Study authors also found that the risk increased with the amount of processed meat consumed. As a result of these findings, in 2015, the World Health Organization classified processed meats as a Group 1 carcinogen. Without a doubt, a Group 1 classification warrants the need to inform the public about the health risks associated with their decades-long eating habits. Yet, most people are still unaware that processed meats pose a danger to their health. Everyone should know that these foods are now listed alongside other cancer-causing activities such as smoking and asbestos exposure in the Group 1 category. WARNING: Nitrites Are the Probable Cause of Harm Caused by Lunch Meats While scientists are still unclear about what makes processed meat so cancer-causing, many have pointed at heme compounds, nitrosamine, and the formation of free radicals. Meats containing nitrites and nitrates seem to be the most troubling. Most commercial lunch meats contain nitrites. The meat industry uses sodium nitrite as a preservative and colorant to give the meat an appetizing pink or red shade. The problem with sodium nitrite is that it can form nitrosamines, molecules that cause cancer under certain conditions. Nitrosamines are highly cancer-causing compounds that increase your risk of stomach, pancreatic, and colon cancers. Cancer, however, is not the only risk scientists associated with nitrites. Studies found that nitrate-cured meats could negatively impact mental health and cause mania, especially in people who already have bipolar disorder. Reduce Your Cancer Risk by Avoiding Processed Meats While eliminating your cancer risk is not possible, you can reduce it by avoiding processed meats. The American Institute of Cancer Research recommends eating as little processed meat as possible. Remember, there is no safe amount of processed meat, so it is best to avoid it altogether. If processed meat products have been part of your diet for a long time, you may find it hard to completely cut them out. Consider these tips to reduce the amount you eat. Read labels carefully, and look for words such as nitrite or nitrate. Do not purchase meats that have been chemically treated with these compounds Be mindful that even uncured meats can contain nitrates If you find it hard to remove processed meats from your diet, at least reduce portion sizes and the number of times you eat them per week Center your diet around whole, plant-based foods, and experiment with meatless days. Sources for this article: NaturalHealthResearch.org, Jandonline.org, NaturalHealth365.com, BMJ.com To read the original article click here. For more articles from NaturalHealth365 click here.

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New Research Suggests Aging Can Be Reversed

AHA Publisher — Fri, 27 Nov 2020 08:00:16 +0000

Dr. Don Colbert – How’s your epigenetic clock ticking? If you’re not sure or haven’t heard of it, it’s the measurement and prediction of your biological age. For the first time, researchers believe they’ve found and tested a hormone combination that can turn its wheels back. Yes, they’re attempting to turn back time in the human body. If this sounds too good to be true, stay tuned. While more research needs to take place, this is an incredibly promising and interesting study, with a lot of potential in anti-aging medicine. What’s more, many lifestyle factors contribute to changes in your epigenetic clock. Make sure yours is ticking correctly for your healthiest aging. Here’s what you need to know about this study and your lifestyle. THE WHEELS AND GEARS OF YOUR EPIGENETIC CLOCK What makes up your epigenetic clock? Put simply, it’s an assessment or time prediction of your epigenome. Your epigenome is the compilation of chemical modifications your body makes to your DNA in your cells as you live. The modifications “tag” the DNA with a methyl group, for example, and scientists are able to see these tags to predict your biological age (1). Some of the modifications to the DNA genome are caused by environmental exposures or illness. Some are inherited. Once the DNA is tagged, the methyl groups that are attached turn genes on or off. Another type of chemical modification is called histone modification. It affects DNA indirectly by wrapping the DNA in cells around histone proteins and attaching chemical tags. Based on the tags, parts of the DNA are used or ignored (2). Scientists can compare your biological age, based on these tags, to your actual chronological age. They can surmise how well your body functions for how old you are. Some people function better, or younger. Others, older. In addition, your epigenetic clock can tell scientists more about your mortality risk, and the lifestyle factors contributing to your biological age. You may be accelerating it. You may be able to slow down. THE THYMUS GLAND’S AGE AND FUNCTION While studying the epigenome, scientists have identified several key DNA sites in the body that best represent DNA-methyl tags and biological age. This current study centered around the thymus gland. The thymus gland is crucial for effective immune function. It lies between the lungs and breastbone in the chest. After white blood cells are produced in the bone marrow, they are sent to the thymus to mature and specialize. Unfortunately, the thymus begins to deteriorate after puberty and becomes clogged with fat as we age. These researchers were determining if they could turn the hands of time back in the thymus itself. THE STUDY: TURNING BACK TIME IN THE THYMUS In the scientific community, it’s been long known that growth hormones stimulate regeneration in the thymus. But there’s a downside to growth hormones. They can also promote altered blood sugars. So, in addition to growth hormone, the researchers used 2 anti-diabetes medications, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and metformin. For one entire year, 9 healthy participants took a combination of growth hormone, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), and metformin each day. Their biological age was assessed at the beginning, throughout the study, the end, and 6 months thereafter. THE RESULTS: FOREVER YOUNG? After completion of the year-long trial, the participants reduced their biological ages by 2.5 years. Their immune systems specifically showed signs of rejuvenation. Maybe the most exciting point is that the rejuvenation of the thymus gained momentum towards the end of the study. From 0-9 months of the study, the rate of age reversal relative to chronological age was assessed at -1.6 years per year. The rate at the end of the study, from 9-12 months, was -6.5 years per year. What’s more, the effects persisted for 6 months after the discontinuation of the medications. This means that not only did normal aging of the thymus halt, but it actually reversed (3). LOOKING AHEAD AND TURNING BACK TIME Most scientists are surprised. Based on previous studies, they thought intervention could likely stop aging at DNA-methyl sites, but not reverse it. According to the researchers, this was the first report of an increase, based on an epigenetic age estimator, in predicted human lifespan by an accessible intervention (4). Now, other researchers are testing the individual medications used alongside growth hormone, to see if they are contributing separately to anti-aging mechanisms. They are optimistic that rejuvenating the thymus could offer help to those with struggling immune systems, including the elderly, those with illnesses that attack immune function, and more. Looking forward, this opens the door to other DNA-methylation sites and biological age reversal of the epigenome. NATURAL AGE-DEFYING LIFESTYLE HABITS In addition to hormones and medications, many lifestyle factors affect epigenome patterns. You likely already know the ones: Diet Weight Physical activity Tobacco smoking Alcohol consumption Environmental pollutants Psychological Stress Working Night Shifts This means there’s good news, and there’s bad news. First, the bad: What you do matters for your aging and health, even at the cellular DNA level. The good news: You can make a difference in your aging and health by choosing healthy lifestyle habits. Start with these: 10 Science-Backed Free Anti-Aging Habits in 24 Hours Also, consider starting Dr. Colbert’s 21 Day Detox and Fast. It’s free and can jump-start your new healthy lifestyle by first detoxing your body from toxins and harmful substances that accumulate in cells. BOTTOM LINE While this study was the first of its kind, there will likely be many more to come. Rejuvenation of the epigenome could potentially change the way people age, fight disease and continue youthful lifestyles into advanced years. Time will tell. To read the original article click here. For more articles from Dr. Colbert click here.

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Mental Stress and Anger May Worsen Heart Failure

AHA Publisher — Fri, 14 Aug 2020 07:00:18 +0000

Yale University via News-Medical Net – Mental stress and anger may have clinical implications for patients with heart failure according to a new report published in the Journal of Cardiac Failure. Heart failure is a life-threatening cardiovascular disease in which the heart is damaged or weakened. This can lead to a reduced ejection fraction, in which the heart muscle pumps out a lower amount of blood than is typical with each contraction. In this study of patients who had heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, the authors — including researchers at Yale — evaluated the effects of stress and anger on diastolic function. Diastolic function describes the ability of the heart to relax and refill between muscle contractions and is predictive of mortality risk. For one week, participants completed daily questionnaires about their experiences of stress, anger, and negative emotions during the previous 24 hours. Participants then completed a standardized “mental stress” protocol in which they solved challenging arithmetic problems and described a recent stressful experience. Echocardiograms were performed to assess diastolic function at rest and during the stress task. Patients who reported experiencing anger in the week prior to the laboratory mental stress protocol exhibited worse baseline resting diastolic pressure, the researchers said. Furthermore, most patients demonstrated stress-provoked changes in diastolic function, including decreased early relaxation and increased diastolic pressure. “Mental stress is common in patients with heart failure due in part to the complexities of disease self-management, progressively worsening functional limitations, and frequent symptom exacerbations and hospitalizations,” said the lead author Kristie Harris, a postdoctoral associate in cardiovascular medicine at Yale. “We have evidence that patients who experience chronically elevated levels of stress experience a more burdensome disease course with diminished quality of life and increased risk for adverse events. Clarifying the relevant behavioral and physiological pathways is especially important in the era of COVID-19 when the typical stressors of heart failure may be further compounded by pandemic-related stressors,” Harris said. “Factors such as mental stress and anger often go unrecognized and are under-addressed. This study contributes to the extensive literature showing that stress and anger affect clinical outcomes for patients with heart disease, adding chronic heart failure to the list that includes ischemic heart disease (narrowed arteries) and arrhythmic disease.” (Matthew Burg, Yale clinical psychologist and senior author of the study) Burg said that while stress management and related techniques have been shown to reduce risk for adverse events among patients with ischemic heart disease (narrowed arteries), further work is needed to identify factors that increase vulnerability to the effects of stress in heart failure, and to determine whether stress management can improve outcomes for these patients. To read the original article click here.

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