Indiana Association of Naturopathic Physicians

There’s no magic elixir for healthy aging, but here’s one more thing to add to the list: good gut health. A study published in the latest issue of Nature finds diet may be key to promoting diverse communities of beneficial bacteria in the guts of older people.

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Researchers from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center evaluated the impact of self-monitoring and diet-related behavior and patterns among overweight and obese post-menopausal women. Among the 123 women who participated in the study, they found that those who completed food journals lost about six more pounds than those who did not note their food intake.
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A new animal study shows that chronic stress leads to symptoms of depression, and is associated with changes in a gene called neuritin. In the study, treatment with antidepressants and boosting neuritin protein levels led to improvement. Don’t forget that there are many integrative solutions to help treat the cause (versus the symptoms) of stress-related depression, including keeping stress in check, exercising, a whole foods based diet, omega-3 fatty acids, body work such as acupuncture and massage, and much more. (There are other causes of depression aside from stress; always talk to doctor if you think you have symptoms of depression).

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Want to live longer? Trade some of the red meat in your diet for fish, nuts, whole grains, and other healthier protein sources, Harvard researchers say.

That’s the conclusion of a new study, published this week in the Archives of Internal Medicine, that found that the risk of dying at an early age — from heart disease, cancer, or any other cause-rises in step with red-meat consumption.

Eating too much red meat, which is high in saturated fat and cholesterol, has long been seen as unhealthy, especially for the heart. The new study, however, is the first to estimate the effect of swapping out red meat on a person’s lifespan.

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Scientists have pinpointed how vitamin D3 works with some of the body’s cells to help clear the brain of amyloid beta, the main component of plaques that are seen in Alzheimer’s disease.

Researchers took blood samples from Alzheimer’s patients and healthy people and then isolated immune cells called macrophages, which consume amyloid beta and other waste products in the brain and the body.

They found that vitamin D3 may activate certain genes and cellular signaling networks to trigger the immune system to clear amyloid beta, according to the study published in the March 6 issue of the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.

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