We've known for years that omega-3 fatty acids are good for the heart. These healthy fats down-regulate inflammation, and may help reduce the risk and symptoms of disorders influenced by inflammation, including heart attack, stroke and several forms of cancer. Now researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, have found another action of omega-3s that may help explain why they offer benefits for the heart. The investigators found that the more omega-3 consumed by patients with coronary heart disease, the slower the structures called telomeres at the ends of chromosomes shrank. (Telomeres have been likened to the caps on the ends of shoelaces that prevent the laces from unraveling. In cells, telomeres prevent chromosomes from fusing with one another or rearranging - undesirable changes that could lead to serious diseases.) The more times a cell divides, the shorter telomeres become, a change that makes them a marker of biological age. The California investigators followed about 600 patients with coronary artery disease and measured their blood levels of omega-3s and telomere length at the beginning of the study and again five years later. They found that the higher the blood levels of omega-3s, the slower telomeres shortened, suggesting that the rate of biological aging - as mirrored by telomeres - decreased.
My take? This is a fascinating area of research and may give us new insight into how omega-3 fatty acids benefit health. It only reinforces the need to get plenty of omega-3s through your diet or supplements. My longstanding recommendation has been to consume two to three servings of fish per week or to take a fish oil supplement if you don't like fish. I eat fish often and also take 2-3 grams of supplemental fish oil a day.
Supplements for Your Heart?
Specific supplements, including coenzyme Q10, magnesium and omega-3s, may help support and maintain heart health. Learn more at Dr. Weil's Vitamin Advisor, get your free recommendation, and if you decide to purchase our supplements, save up to 25% on your first order.
High Vitamin D, Lower Risks of Heart Disease, Diabetes
That's the word from British researchers who published a review of 28 studies compiling information on more than 99,000 middle aged and elderly men and women. The investigators from Warwick University found that those study subjects whose vitamin D levels were highest had a much lower risk of developing "cardiometabolic" disorders including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome than those whose vitamin D levels were lowest. The differences were striking: the men and women with high vitamin D levels had a risk of cardiovascular disease that was 33 percent lower than that of participants with the lowest levels. The reviewers found an even more impressive difference in the risk of type 2 diabetes: those with the highest levels of "D" had a risk that was 55 percent lower than those with the lowest levels. Risks of metabolic syndrome were also substantially lower in the men and women with high levels of "D" - 51 percent below those of participants with the lowest levels. The review was published in the March 2010 issue of the journal Maturitas.
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Aspirin May Cut Breast Cancer Death Risk
In this study, the women, all participants in the long-running Nurses' Health Study, had been taking aspirin regularly, usually to protect against heart disease. But researchers who followed 4,164 of the nurses who had been diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer found that the cancer was 50 percent less likely to spread and that the nurses with breast cancer were 50 percent less likely to die from the disease if they were taking aspirin. It's too soon to say that all women with breast cancer should take a daily dose of aspirin. The only way to confirm this study's findings is with a randomized controlled trial in which half of participating breast cancer patients take aspirin daily and the other half doesn't. One possible explanation for the effects seen: aspirin reduces inflammation and therefore might reduce breast cancer risk. And research has shown that women who regularly took ibuprofen or other anti-inflammatories also had a 50 percent lower risk of death from breast cancer. The study was published online in the February 16, 2010 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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Healthy Recipe: Marinara Sauce
Every cook needs a good recipe for marinara sauce. This one can be prepared in less than an hour and used in many ways. It is traditionally served over pasta, but is equally delicious with polenta or rice. It also makes a wonderful sauce for grilled vegetables or baked tempeh or tofu. We don't need to remind you that tomatoes cooked with oil provide a source of lycopene, one of the carotenes linked to protection from prostate cancer.
Food as Medicine: Research from the Harvard School of Public Health showed that women who consume abundant tomato-based products have a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease.
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Healthy Aging Tip
Courtesy of Dr. Weil on Healthy Aging
Cheap, Healthy Eats: Canned soups can be good sources of protein, fiber, nutrients and vitamins. However, some brands can provide a third or more of a day's entire sodium recommendation in one can. The no-salt varieties can be bland, however - try adding your own spices and seasonings, or looking for reduced-sodium versions.
Featured Discussion:
"Can hair dye make you sick?" asks chrissie.
"I have dyed my hair for 30 years and…(now notice) that my scalp is itchy and spotty… I changed my hairdresser (to) one who uses (better) dyes … However I have also been struggling with ill health, tiredness, depression and anxiety for a few years. The last 3 times I have had my hair colored I have become quite ill again… is the hair dye making me ill?
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WEIL on Wellness at Miraval Resort and Spa
Feb 28 - Mar 3, 2010, Tucson, Arizona
Stress, and how we deal with stress, has a direct effect on our nutrition and diet. When under stress, there is a greater potential to make unhealthy eating decisions that may include such responses as emotional eating, mindless munching and crash diets. Dr. Weil's ground-breaking new program, Weil on Wellness at Miraval Resort and Spa, dedicates over thirty years of experience to uncovering the negative responses that occur when dealing with stress and how to make significant changes to these coping mechanisms for overall health and wellness. Registration information.
2010 Integrative Mental Health Conference
March 22-24, 2010 - Phoenix, Arizona
This conference, sponsored by the Arizona Health Sciences Center at the University of Arizona and presented by the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine, is the first conference of its kind to assemble leaders in integrative mental health (IMH), creating a new field and framework with which to promote mental wellbeing. Registration information.
7th Annual Nutrition & Health Conference
May 10-12, 2010 - Atlanta, Georgia
The 7th annual Nutrition and Health: State of the Science and Clinical Applications conference is the premier nutrition conference for health professionals in the U.S. Co-presented by the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine, the conference assembles internationally-recognized researchers, clinicians, educators, and chefs, all of whose work focuses on the interface between nutrition and healthful living. Find conference registration information here, and information on the Public Forum (Tuesday, May 11, 2010 7-9pm).
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