Adding salt to your food at the table is linked to higher risk of premature death
People who add extra salt to their food at the table are at higher risk of dying prematurely from any cause, according to a study of more than 500,000 people, published in the European Heart Journal today.
Compared to those who never or rarely added salt, those who always added salt to their food had a 28% increased risk of dying prematurely. In the general population about three in every hundred people aged between 40 and 69 die prematurely. The increased risk from always adding salt to food seen in the current study suggests that one more person in every hundred may die prematurely in this age group.
In addition, the study found a lower life expectancy among people who always added salt compared to those who never, or rarely added salt. At the age of 50, 1.5 years and 2.28 years were knocked off the life expectancy of women and men, respectively, who always added salt to their food compared to those who never, or rarely, did.
"To my knowledge, our study is the first to assess the relation between adding salt to foods and premature death," he said. "It provides novel evidence to support recommendations to modify eating behaviors for improving health. Even a modest reduction in sodium intake, by adding less or no salt to food at the table, is likely to result in substantial health benefits, especially when it is achieved in the general population."
Hops extract studied to prevent breast cancer
University of Illinois July 8, 2022
An enriched hops extract activates a chemical pathway in cells that could help prevent breast cancer, according to new laboratory findings from the Center for Botanical Dietary Supplements Research at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Researchers led by Judy Bolton, professor and head of medicinal chemistry, applied hops extract to two different breast cell lines to see if they would affect estrogen metabolism, a key mechanism in breast cancer. One compound, 6-prenylnarigenin, or 6-PN, increased a detoxification pathway in the cells that has been linked to a lower risk for breast cancer.
"We need to further explore this possibility, but our results suggest that 6-PN could have anti-cancer effects," Bolton said.
New study determines psychedelic mushroom microdoses can improve mood, mental health
University of British Columbia, July 11, 2022
The latest study to examine how tiny amounts of psychedelics can impact mental health provides further evidence of the therapeutic potential of microdosing.
Published in Scientific Reports, the study followed 953 people taking regular small amounts of psilocybin and a second group of 180 people who were not microdosing.
For the 30-day study, those microdosing demonstrated greater improvements in mood, mental health and psychomotor ability over the one-month period, compared to non-microdosing peers who completed the same assessments.
"This is the largest longitudinal study of this kind to date of microdosing psilocybin, and one of the few studies to engage a control group," says Dr. Walsh, who teaches in the Irving K. Barber Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. "Our findings of improved mood and reduced symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress add to the growing conversation about the therapeutic potential of microdosing."
Microdosing involves regular self-administration in doses small enough to not impair normal cognitive functioning. The doses can be as small as 0.1 to 0.3 grams of dried mushrooms, and may be taken three to five times a week.
The most widely reported substances used for microdosing are psilocybin mushrooms and LSD. Psilocybin mushrooms are considered non-addictive and non-toxic—especially when compared to tobacco, opioids and alcohol.
Could a phytochemical derived from vegetables like broccoli be the answer to antibiotic resistant pathogens?
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (Israel), July 10, 2022
Antibiotic resistant bacterial pathogens are increasingly playing a role in rising illness and preventing wound healing, especially in hospitals. While more and more pathogens have developed biofilms that protect them from being eradicated by antibiotics, fewer classes of antibiotics are being developed. Researchers from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev decided to go in a different direction and investigated a phytochemical derived from cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli that breaks down the biofilm.
The phytochemical 3,3'-diindolylmethane (DIM) successfully broke down the biofilms protecting two different pathogens including Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa– enabling their eradication 65% and 70% of the time, respectively. Combined with antibiotics, that number jumped to 94%.
Additionally, when they introduced DIM into an infected wound, it sped up the healing process significantly, the team found.
Researchers find Alzheimer’s begins in the brain 30 years before any symptoms
Daniel Amen Clinic July 9, 2022
Science is beginning to unravel the mystery of Alzheimer’s disease and what they are discovering is alarming. Researchers now believe that Alzheimer’s disease begins with changes in the brain as much as 30 years or more before symptoms begin.
This shocking revelation comes at a time when the aging of the Baby Boomer generation means Alzheimer’s is expected to triple in the coming decades. Long before someone is diagnosed in their 70s or 80s, their brain has begun to deteriorate. With conventional medicine unable to offer a cure, this realization makes it all the more critical to care for brain health throughout your lifetime, naturally reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. The idea that a fading memory is just a natural part of the aging process is a misconception. Instead, loss of memory is a sign of the brain beginning to break down.
In addition to a diagnosis for ADD, other factors he believes can increase the risk of developing the disease include:
• Failure to engage the brain in regular learning activities
• Lack of exercise or exercising less than twice a week
• Personal medical history of cancer, diabetes or heart disease
• Suffering of a stroke
• Coping with a head injury
• Diagnosis of depression
Along with understanding your risk level, Dr. Amen advocates keeping both mind and body active. Dr. Amen also believes it is important to increase antioxidant levels in your diet. He also tells patients it is important to modify lifestyle habits that promote the growth of brain plaques.
