A Key Component to Healthy Aging & Longevity: Exercise

It wasn’t so long ago most folks believed that growing old meant slowing down, becoming more sedentary.

These days, lots of us are sedentary from childhood onward – even if the demands of life keep us from slowing down as much as we need to.

Movement. Rest. Rejuvenation and regeneration. That’s the natural cycle we were born to follow. Our bodies and minds reap the consequences of not respecting our physical, mental, and spiritual needs.

Three new studies show just how important exercise is to aging well.

The first, just published in Neurology, investigated the relationship between cardiovascular fitness and dementia. Nearly 200 middle-aged women participated, starting with an exercise test in 1968. Each participant pedaled a stationary bike until they were exhausted.

The researchers then tracked the women’s health for 44 years. By the end, only 5% of those with the highest cardiovascular fitness had developed dementia. That rate jumped to 32% among the least fit and 25% among the moderately fit women.

And what about those who couldn’t complete the fitness test at all? Forty-five percent eventually developed dementia.

Though this study doesn’t establish a cause-effect relationship, it does again raise the question of why fitness should make such a difference.

It could be that improved fitness has a protective effect by reducing various cardiac risk factors, such as lowering blood pressure, creating a healthier body weight and producing a better lipid profile, [lead author Helena] Horder told Live Science. Emerging evidence also suggests that cardiovascular fitness may directly affect structures in the brain, by increasing blood flow to them, she noted.

Indeed, as we’ve noted before, aerobic activity enhances circulation. Better circulation means more oxygen to the brain. Oxygen is critical for brain health, as well as overall health and well-being.

Even more intriguing, perhaps, are a pair of studies just published in Aging Cell, which considered the impact of exercise upon aging in general.

In this case, researchers recruited 125 healthy amateur cyclists between the ages of 55 and 79. The men had to be able to cycle 100 km in under 6 and a half hours; the women, 60 km in 5 and a half hours. They underwent a series of lab tests, and their results were compared to a group of healthy but far more sedentary adults, age 57 to 80.

The study showed that loss of muscle mass and strength did not occur in those who exercise regularly. The cyclists also did not increase their body fat or cholesterol levels with age and the men’s testosterone levels also remained high, suggesting that they may have avoided most of the male menopause.

More surprisingly, the study also revealed that the benefits of exercise extend beyond muscle as the cyclists also had an immune system that did not seem to have aged either.

Now, if you’re among those more inclined to sit than move, such research doesn’t mean you’re doomed. It’s certainly possible to improve your fitness in your fifties, sixties, seventies – even eighties. It all starts with setting a goal, however modest it may be at the start.

Then talk with your doctor. Let him or her know what you want to achieve and ask them to advise you on any limitations that may affect what kind of exercise is safe for you.

The next step? Plan your activity. Will you join a gym or just take up walking to start, then gradually move to more intense activity? You may find it worthwhile to invest in a personal trainer who can help you develop a regimen that’s appropriate to both your current fitness level and goals. As you become more active, you can consult with them periodically to adjust your routine so you continue to make progress toward your goals.

And if budget’s an issue, know there are plenty of creative ways to exercise for little or no monetary cost.

You’ll find some more tips for getting “Fit after 40” here.

The post A Key Component to Healthy Aging & Longevity: Exercise appeared first on Holistic Doctor Los Angeles - Santa Monica.

When You Vape, You Take in a Lot More Than Just Flavor

You often hear people say that vaping is safer than smoking. After all, it’s not tobacco, and we know the damage that tobacco can do. Vaping? Not so much…yet.

One thing we do know is that when you inhale from an e-cigarette, you’re taking in a whole lot more than chemically flavored vapor. You’re taking in toxic heavy metals emitted by the device itself: lead, nickel, chromium, and more.

Now, new research in Environmental Health Perspectives confirms earlier findings.

For the study, 56 daily vapers had their e-cig devices tested in a lab. Samples were taken from the refilling dispenser, aerosol, and remaining e-liquid in the tank.

Arsenic was detected in 10.7% of dispenser samples (median 26.7 μg/kg) and these concentrations were similar in aerosol and tank samples. Aerosol mass concentrations (mg/m3) for the detected metals spanned several orders of magnitude and exceeded current health-based limits in close to 50% or more of the samples for Cr, Mn, Ni, and Pb [chromium, manganese, nickel, and lead].

Most likely, this is due to the heating coil aiding the transfer of metals from the device to the e-liquid and aerosol that’s inhaled by the user, “although we cannot rule out that other parts of the device also contribute,” the authors noted. As Business Insider reported,

In comparing the levels of lead in the e-cig liquids before being heated against those in the heated liquids and those in the aerosols, the scientists found concentrations that were 25 times greater in the aerosols.

“The actual levels of these metals varied greatly from sample to sample, and often were much higher than safe limits,” [lead author Ana Maria] Rule said.

And the trouble with heavy metals?

The toxic effects of these metals, even though they do not have any biological role, remain present in some or the other form harmful for the human body and its proper functioning. They sometimes act as a pseudo element of the body while at certain times they may even interfere with metabolic processes. Few metals, such as aluminium, can be removed through elimination activities, while some metals get accumulated in the body and food chain, exhibiting a chronic nature. Various public health measures have been undertaken to control, prevent and treat metal toxicity occurring at various levels, such as occupational exposure, accidents and environmental factors. Metal toxicity depends upon the absorbed dose, the route of exposure and duration of exposure, i.e. acute or chronic. This can lead to various disorders and can also result in excessive damage due to oxidative stress induced by free radical formation.

The current study does have some limitations, including the fact that they tested only e-cigarettes, not other vaping devices. Even so, you still have the problem of synthetic chemicals in the e-liquid. Propylene glycol, for instance, breaks down into formaldehyde. Diacetyl, found in artificial and natural flavorings, has been associated with serious lung problems.

And just this week, new research in Pediatrics found that, like smoking cigarettes, vaping exposes young adults to an array of cancer-causing chemicals.

Although e-cigarette vapor may be less dangerous than combustible cigarettes, with lower overall exposure to VOC [volatile organic compound] toxicants, with our findings, we challenge the idea that e-cigarette vapor is safe. Many of the VOCs we identified among e-cigarette users are carcinogenic, including propylene oxide, acrylamide, acrylonitrile, and crotonaldehyde. With few exceptions, these toxicants were present whether the product contained nicotine or flavorings.

Heavy metals detox generally takes more than a simple cleanse you might read about online or taking more glutathione, cilantro, or other natural detoxing compound. Chelation therapy may be needed to help your body clear these toxic substances and return to optimal functioning. Nutritional support is also needed; likewise, addressing the chronic inflammation and other damage done by heavy metals. Such supportive therapies aim to help restore your body’s resilience and proper function.

In our view, that’s a whole lot cooler than vaping. By far.

The post When You Vape, You Take in a Lot More Than Just Flavor appeared first on Holistic Doctor Los Angeles - Santa Monica.