For more than 2500 years, wolfberries (Lycium barbarum, or more popularly known as Goji berries) have been used as a natural remedy in many Asian countries, especially for “nourishing the kidney and the liver”. In recent years, beverages containing Goji fruit extracts or juice gained tremendous popularity throughout the world. Although Goji soft drinks were shown to have high antioxidant activity in test tube systems and even animal models, little is about their actual effect on the human antioxidant defense system.
When ingested by healthy elderly test subjects (120 ml per day) for 30 days, a standardized Goji fruit juice (GoChi, …read more

Beta-alanine is a dietary supplement that benefits not only athletes and body builders but also helps boost the muscle endurance among the elderly, according to a study published recently in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition.
Before (pre) and after (post) the supplementation period, participants performed a discontinuous cycle ergometry test to determine the PWCFT [physical working capacity at the fatigue threshold (PWCFT)]. Results: Significant increases in PWCFT (28.6%) from pre- to post-supplementation were found for the BA treatment group (p<0.05), but no change was observed with PL treatment. These findings suggest that ninety days of BA supplementation …read more

In a study involving seniors (age 60-80 years), vitamin K1 supplementation has been noted to help reduce the development of insulin resistance, and subsequently, diabetes, in men. Such supplementation benefits were not seen among the elderly women included in the study.
These observations build on previously published reports that vitamin K may have an effect on diabetes development via the vitamin K-dependant protein osteocalcin:
By “knocking out” these genes in mice so that they could not function, the animals lacking a functional osteocalcin gene gained fat, showing that osteocalcin helps regulate the cells that produce insulin in the pancreas and release it …read more

Time to kit out your spice rack! Research say spices are loaded with antioxidant-rich compounds known as phenols that can help prevent the formation of compounds that contribute to damage caused by diabetes and aging.
Hargrove explained that when blood sugar levels are high, a process known as protein glycation occurs in which the sugar bonds with proteins to eventually form what are known as advanced glycation end products, also known as AGE compounds. The acronym is fitting because these compounds activate the immune system, resulting in the inflammation and tissue damage associated with aging and diabetes.
The researchers found a strong …read more

I’ve repeatedly blogged about the health benefits of red wine and it’s purported active ingredient, the antioxidant resveratrol. But how about those who cannot or do not want to drink alcoholic drinks? There are resveratrol supplements available, and now, Embodi beverages. According to the press release I’ve received:
Introducing Embodi™ beverages, a unique approach to healthfulness and longevity. Embodi is a refreshing, all-natural fruit-juice blend packed with red wine antioxidants to create a non-alcoholic drink that offers the same health benefits of red wine – sans the headache.
Each bottle of Embodi is packed with the unique antioxidant power of red wine …read more

I’ve blogged a number of entries on the various health benefits of flaxseed before, although most of them mention flax only in passing, except for one that focuses on the potential of flaxseed in prostate cancer treatment.
But there’s more to flax than these. I’ve received permission to reprint this from the Flax Council of Canada:
Flax is an ideal, functional food ingredient. It is added to many products on today’s grocery shelves because of the omega-3 fats, lignans, and fiber found in the seed, which all help deliver a extra health boost to food’s original nutrient content. Flax also adds a …read more

Possible, according to a newly published study which indicates that cocoa flavanols increase blood flow to the brain and thus help in cognitive performance.
In a scientific study of healthy, older adults ages 59 to 83, Harvard medical scientists found that study participants who regularly drank a cocoa flavanol-rich beverage made using the Mars, Incorporated Cocoapro® process had an eight percent increase in brain blood flow after one week, and 10 percent increase after two weeks.
In this first-of-its-kind study, the researchers found both short and long-term benefits of cocoa flavanols for brain blood flow, offering future potential for the one …read more

Consumption of oily fish has already been demonstrated to confer a wide range of health benefits– as a brain food, in preventing asthma, in heart health, etc. Here’s another one to add to the list: eating oily fish once a week may reduce your risk of becoming blind in your sunset years due to (wet) age-related macular degeneration.
A team of researchers across seven European countries and co-ordinated by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine sought to investigate the association between fish intake and omega 3 fatty acids with wet AMD, comparing people with wet AMD with controls. Participants …read more

I came across this article on the impact of certain foods on health. Dr. Mark Liponis, author of Ultra-Longevity and medical director of Canyon Ranch spas gives thumbs-up for coffee, chocolate, eggs and fish, and qualifies the health benefits of artificial sweeteners, oatmeal, and pizza with some caveat.
Check it out!

How would you like your tomato to be able to protect you from Alzheimer’s disease?
Alzheimer’s Disease is believed to be caused by the accumulation of beta-amyloid, a toxic insoluble fibrous protein in the brain, which leads to the death of neurons. Thus, to prevent or delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease, researchers are trying to find ways of the build up of these substances by stimulating the immune system, e.g. with a vaccine, to reduce beta-amyloid in the brain.
Korean researchers have genetically modified tomatoes to carry the gene for the human amyloid
for the purpose of using it as an …read more