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Five Lifestyle Factors That May Help Prevent Dementia

People who live a healthy lifestyle may be more resilient to brain changes that can cause symptoms of dementia, compared to people with the same brain changes who don’t have healthy habits in five key areas, an important new study shows.

The study is particularly compelling because researchers examined people’s brains after death. They looked for Alzheimer’s-related brain changes called beta-amyloid load, phosphorylated tau tangles, and problems related to blood flow in the brain.

Dementia Symptoms

Dementia describes the group of symptoms people have when they lose or injure brain cells.

Published Monday in the journal JAMA Neurology, researchers analyzed data from 586 people who died between 1997 and 2022 and had provided up to 24 years of health data, in addition to their brains, as part of the Rush Memory and Aging Project. Among the people in the study, 78% were female and the average age at death was 91 years old.

The researchers found that having a higher lifestyle score based on a calculation from five lifestyle factors was linked to better overall cognitive functioning as a person aged. The five factors that made up a lifestyle score were diet, physical activity, cognitive engagement, smoking status, and alcohol consumption. People’s cognitive function was measured using 19 tests that the people took regularly as part of the study, and the 19 scores were combined to provide an overall measurement of cognitive function.

Specifically, the study showed that people whose lifestyle included the following traits tended to be resilient to brain changes that may otherwise cause cognitive problems:

Not currently being a smoker
Getting at least 150 minutes of physical activity per week
Limiting alcohol consumption (up to one drink per day for women, two per day for men)
Following a Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diet
Engaging in late-life cognitive activities like reading the newspaper, writing letters, going to the library, or playing games like chess or checkers.

Dementia affects more than 55 million people worldwide, with 10 million new cases each year, according to the World Health Organization. It’s the seventh leading cause of death globally, and women are disproportionately affected by the group of progressive diseases that impact people’s memory, thinking, and ability to perform daily activities. There is no treatment to stop or reverse the progression of dementia, of which Alzheimer’s disease is the most common.

There is an “urgent need” for more examination of how to reduce the risk of developing dementia, an editorial published alongside the study stated, adding that adopting the five lifestyle factors in the study “should be offered in conjunction with [Alzheimer’s disease] medications, similar to the approach in cardiovascular disease prevention and treatment in which medications along with lifestyle strategies are the standard of care.”

Contributor: Lisa O’Mary – WebMD

6 Dirty Secrets That Grocery Stores Don’t Want You to Know

It’s fair to say that modern capitalist ideals are the driving force behind today’s society. All the contemporary luxuries that we now enjoy — from fast, quiet cars to the deliciously comfy beds we rest our weary heads on every night — are the result of that constant corporate push to achieve maximum profits with minimum loss.

When we examine how other manifestos are applied to society, the most infamous of which is communism, it’s easy to see that capitalism is far preferable.

But it also has it’s own teething problems… you have only to look to Trump, that quintessential caricature of a money- and power-hungry capitalist tyrant, to recognize this. Then there’s corporations that destroy whole communities or ruin people’s lives in their push to maximize profits, or a shift away from notions of sharing in favor of hoarding. Sure, capitalism has it’s own issues. When we examine how other manifestos are applied to society, the most infamous of which is communism, it’s easy to see that capitalism is far preferable.

When we examine how other manifestos are applied to society, the most infamous of which is communism, it’s easy to see that capitalism is far preferable. When we examine how other manifestos are applied to society, the most infamous of which is communism, it’s easy to see that capitalism is far preferable.

But it also has it’s own teething problems… you have only to look to Trump, that quintessential caricature of a money- and power-hungry capitalist tyrant, to recognize this. Then there’s corporations that destroy whole communities or ruin people’s lives in their push to maximize profits, or a shift away from notions of sharing in favor of hoarding. Sure, capitalism has it’s own issues.

And nowhere is this more apparent than in the well-oiled profit machine of the supermarket. Ever wonder why you’re wandering in a particular pattern around the grocery store? How you planned on staying well away from the candy or potato chip aisle, only to find yourself suddenly strolling along those very aisles in a kind of trance? It’s no coincidence.

The thing is, grocery stores have something of a dilemma. The average supermarket sells more than 50,000 items, a goodly portion of which is perishable foods like meat, dairy and fresh produce. The task of any good grocery store is to get the average customer to walk through as much of the store as possible, in order to increase their chances of selling more products before they expire. In the supermarket, profit reigns supreme. And this means that every little detail in your local grocery store is designed to make you think less and buy more. Here’s how.

1. Water misters in the produce section

If you were under the impression that supermarkets spray their fresh produce with water to keep them fresh, think again. As with most other things in the average grocery store, the name of the game is making things look tastier, rather than actually being tastier. This mandate very much applies to the water misters in the produce section, as the beads of water on that bunch of grapes or bundle of carrots is only there to make them look prettier and to actually add more weight to the produce in question… costing you more at the checkout (it’s not much, but with thousands of customers every day it certainly adds up).

In fact, that water is actually making the produce rot faster! If you’ve ever prepared your home-grown produce for long-term storage, you’ll know what I mean.

2. The fresh produce is actually super dirty

While we’re on the topic of produce at the grocery store, have you ever stopped to think about how clean those fruit and veggies really are? How about when you picked up that apple, saw that it was bruised, and put it back again? Chances are, so did 50 people before you, ensuring that the filth of 50 hands was then rubbed firmly onto the skin of that apple.

And unless you’re rinsing your produce thoroughly under running water and then soaking them in diluted vinegar, do you really think a quick rinse is going to get rid of all that dirt and germs? Don’t be fooled by that tantalizing glisten of water… it doesn’t mean your produce is clean!

3. Shopping carts are also pretty darn filthy

Speaking of dirty, how about those shopping carts? Cleaning each of their hundreds of shopping trolleys every day would be a huge extra expense for your grocery store, so they simply let them get filthy. Thousands of hands will have rubbed their contents all over the cart handle before it ever gets even a perfunctory wipe. It might be in your interests to give your hands a good wash after you shop next time!

4. Checkout areas are cramped on purpose

Ever wonder why checkout aisles are so tiny and cramped? It’s because a) they want you to get up close and personal with the various gums, candy and magazines they have stocked in those tiny shelves and b) they don’t want you to ditch any of the items you have in your shopping cart. If there’s no space to put anything, it’s pretty hard to ditch something you no longer want, right? Sneaky, sneaky.

5. They can remain open even after failing inspections

You often hear about restaurants that failed a food safety inspection and were closed down. But do you ever hear about a supermarket that was closed due to a failed inspection?

It doesn’t really happen, and that’s because supermarkets in the U.S. are under no obligation to close their doors even if they don’t pass a food safety check. And while you can ask to see their inspection scores, grocery stores are also under no obligation to actually show their food safety scores at the entrance.

6. Food that goes bad is just ‘reconditioned’

This is one of those scenarios where the food industry uses an innocent-seeming word to cover up a practice that’s actually downright disgusting. When a grocery store gets sent a batch of food that’s gone bad for whatever reason, it’s sent back to the manufacturer or distributor… not for disposal, but for reconditioning. This essentially means taking something unsightly, expired or visibly rotting and re-processing it so that it can be sold on supermarket shelves again.

A classic example of this is when moldy applesauce was “reconditioned” by blasting it with heat, repackaged and sold as if nothing had ever been wrong with it. Or how about when insect parts were removed from children’s food and then simply repackaged for sale to more unfortunate children? Perhaps some Chlorox to bleach a batch of pork, in order to make it look fresher than it actually was? Nasty stuff.

Nothing is as it seems in your grocery store

Next time you see something a little fishy in your supermarket, you should probably think twice before shrugging your shoulders and buying it anyway; chances are there’s probably an unpleasant backstory behind it. Do your research, practice caution and — for the love of God — wash your hands!

Contributor: Liivi Hess – Alternative Daily

Hydrogen Peroxide for Teeth Whitening, Hair and More

When I was a teen, hydrogen peroxide was my go-to teeth-whitener, and something I would spray on my hair to get that “sun kissed” look. Years later, you can still find a bottle in my medicine cabinet as an inexpensive way to whiten teeth, and disinfect cuts and scrapes.

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is a pale blue liquid, which appears colorless, and is slightly more viscous than water. It’s a weak acid made up of hydrogen and oxygen and a strong oxidizer often used as a cleaning agent. When used topically, hydrogen peroxide foams and fizzes due to the enzyme catalase, according to Medical Daily. This reaction has a bleaching and disinfecting effect that works for several applications.

Whiten your teeth

The most important thing people want to change about their smile is the whiteness of their teeth, suggests a survey conducted by Kelton Global for the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD). And almost 100 percent of those surveyed believe a great smile is one of their most important “social assets.” But why pay hundreds of dollars to whiten your teeth when you can have the same results for pennies? In fact, even professionally applied tooth bleaching products used by dentists contain hydrogen peroxide.

However, those peroxide concentrations range from 25 to 40 percent and are sometimes used together with a light or laser, which are supposed to accelerate or activate the whitening process. But, according to the American Dental Association, most studies report there is no additional long-term benefit with light-activated systems.

Hydrogen peroxide and baking soda teeth whitener

Create a simple whitening solution with hydrogen peroxide and baking soda to gently remove stains. Here’s what you’ll need:

Ingredients

2 tbsp hydrogen peroxide

1 tbsp baking soda

Equipment

Small bowl

Spoon

Toothbrush Instructions

1. Add the hydrogen peroxide and baking soda into a small bowl. Stir to combine into a paste.

2. Dip your toothbrush in the mixture and start brushing.

3. Allow the paste to stay on your teeth for about a minute, and then rinse thoroughly.

I personally use this homemade whitening paste, but only once or twice a month. If you have very bad stains on your teeth, you could use it initially once a week until you notice an improvement. More often, however, and the baking soda could break down the enamel over time, causing sensitivity. And of course, make sure to maintain your regular oral care regimen.

Remove earwax

All humans and other mammals have earwax. It consists of shed skin cells, hair and the secretions from glands of the outside ear canal. Although gross, it serves its purpose. Namely, protecting the ear canal against bacteria, fungi and water. But, too much earwax and your ears may feel full, affecting your hearing.

Although most experts agree that removing earwax is not entirely necessary, you may still want to clean your ears time and again. The problem is, rooting around your ear canal with a Q-tip can actually push wax further inside. So, instead of cleaning your ear out, the wax gets stuck. As a result, wax builds up on top of it, creating a dangerous blockage or “impaction,” according to NYU Otologist Dr. Erich Voigt, for businessinsider.com.

Hydrogen peroxide can safely remove earwax buildup, according to PubChem. Most over-the-counter wax removal drops basically contain oil and peroxide solutions. Hydrogen peroxide releases oxygen in the ear and foams, causing ear wax to soften and loosen. To use hydrogen peroxide at home, simply lie down on your side, with one ear facing up, says Healthline. Use an eyedropper to drop one or two drops of peroxide into your ear. Keep still for five minutes and then sit up. Blot the outer ear with a tissue to absorb any liquid that comes out. And then, repeat the process on the other ear.

A method that I prefer is using a Q-tip — soaked in hydrogen peroxide — to administer it into my ear. I don’t push it into the ear canal, but merely let it sit in the ear opening, and allow it to gently drip in. After about a minute or so, I dry my ear with a tissue.

Lighten hair

Hydrogen peroxide is a bleaching agent that has been used to lighten hair for years. Peroxide penetrates the hair shaft and removes the natural pigment of the hair — hence the expression “peroxide blonde.”

Here’s what I used to do to lighten my locks. Simply dilute one part of three percent hydrogen peroxide with one part water, and pour it into a spray bottle. Wet your hair, and then spray the solution on your entire head or just the strands you want to lighten. Then, comb it through. Blow-drying your hair will accelerate the effect. Follow by washing your hair and deep conditioning it to prevent drying. This won’t give you a peroxide blonde look, but it will give you more natural highlights. You can also use this solution as a gradual lightener, over time.

Healing wounds

Unlike using alcohol to disinfect a wound, using peroxide will definitely remove the “ouch” factor from the equation. Hydrogen peroxide cleans wounds by moistening and loosening dried blood and any dirt in the wound. It also removes dead tissue. Peroxide foams on contact, and the fizz produced helps to mechanically clean the wound. It’s for this reason that you should keep a bottle in your first-aid kit to clean a wound when no clean water is available.

But, here’s the thing: according to Sciencing, it can also destroy the cells called fibroblasts, which rebuild the connective tissue to heal the wound. So, for this reason, it’s not recommended for long-term use. In addition, although hydrogen peroxide is widely used as an antibacterial agent, it’s effectiveness is up for debate. Certain types of bacteria, such as staphylococci, have an enzyme called catalase, which breaks hydrogen peroxide down to water and oxygen, actually diluting it.

Research published in PLOS looked at the effectiveness of hydrogen peroxide on wound healing. In agreement with previous studies, researchers found that wounds display a positive effect when treated topically with peroxide. But only when in lower concentrations were used. Subsequently, higher concentrations actually delayed healing. So, to clean and promote healing in wounds, stick to lower (three percent) solutions, generally found at the drugstore.

There you have it, some pretty good reasons to keep a bottle in your medicine cabinet.

Contributor: Katherine Marko – Alternative Daily .

Seasonal Affective Disorder Doesn’t Mean You Have to Be Sad. Here Are 6 Self-Care Tips to Fight the Blues.

The start of a new year means continued short days and long nights. While some might be unhappy over the lack of daylight outside, millions of people have to worry about a more severe type of sadness: the winter blues.

Seasonal affective disorder is a type of depression that occurs in late fall and winter that has to do with the lack of sunlight.

Having shorter days and longer nights during fall and winter can disrupt a 24-hour clock inside our bodies called the circadian rhythm. This clock regulates multiple bodily processes and is influenced by the day-night cycle, said circadian rhythm expert Joseph Takahashi, professor and chair of the neuroscience department at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, via email. Disrupted circadian responses may affect brain regions involved in mood, along with causing fatigue and low energy from lack of sleep.

Taking care of your health is key to dealing with seasonal affective disorder. Here’s what experts say you can do to manage seasonal affective disorder. Remember to talk to your medical provider before starting any new treatments.

Try bright light therapy

Light therapy is the go-to treatment for seasonal affective disorder. It involves exposing yourself to a light box with at least 10,000 lux for at least 30 minutes. (Lux is a unit of measurement for light level intensity.)

“A bright sunny day is 50,000 to 100,000 lux,” said Dr. Jason Tucciarone, an instructor of psychiatry at Stanford University School of Medicine. While you can purchase a light box of lower intensity, you will have to spend more time sitting in front of it.

There are two ways a light box helps with seasonal affective disorder. First, mimicking outdoor light corrects the internal clock thrown out of sync from shorter days in winter. Another way is by increasing levels of serotonin, a brain chemical involved in balancing mood.

You can use the light box at any time, but morning use can give you more energy for the rest of the day. “Look away from it and do something where you’re sitting in front of the light, whether it’s eating breakfast, reading the news or anything that will keep you busy for 30 minutes,” Tucciarone said. Make sure to stay 2 to 3 feet away from it and do not look directly into the box because 10,000 lux can hurt your eyes.

Invest in a dawn simulator

These type of alarm clocks imitate natural sunlight. When it’s time to wake up, the light gradually increases in intensity. Some research suggests dawn simulators may be just as effective in reducing depressive symptoms. They may be a good addition to your light box therapy, Tucciarone said, as you can get exposed to light the moment you wake up without straining your eyes.

Prioritize sleep at night

Thomas Kilkenny, a sleep specialist at Northwell Health in New York, emphasized the importance of getting enough sleep. The lack of sunlight from shorter winter days can disrupt our internal clocks that tell us when it’s time to be awake and when it’s time to wind down. The disrupted sleep schedule can cause insomnia and excessive daytime sleepiness.

Get ready for bed an hour before you plan to go, Kilkenny recommended. Dim the lights, use the bathroom and avoid arguments or emotional situations where you’re going to get yourself worked up. Additionally, avoid using electronics as you start to wind down as they can make it harder to fall asleep.

“Phones and computers have bright light which can trick your mind into thinking it’s daylight,” Tucciarone said.

Finally, he advised having a stable sleep schedule, which entails going to bed around the same time every night and waking up the same time every morning.

Go for a walk outside

Exercise works as a mood booster as it releases chemicals such as serotonin and endorphins to make you feel good and cope better with stress. Even a low-impact activity such as a 10-to-15 minute brisk walk can improve depressive symptoms.

Going outside for a small walk can be even more beneficial, Kilkenny said, since you are simultaneously exposing yourself to bright light.

If you are going to exercise, Kilkenny recommended doing it in the morning rather than at night. “Working out a couple of hours before bed will actually raise your body temperature, which is a bad idea,” he said.

Socialize with other people

Feeling an urge to hibernate for the winter? Social isolation is common among people with seasonal affective disorder, and isolating may contribute to depressive symptoms. Recently, the US surgeon general reported that being socially disconnected was as bad for your health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.

“Socialization is really important in treating disorders in general,” Tucciarone said. “Isolating is not good for mood.” You may not feel up to a party or a dinner date, but even small amounts of companionship can make a difference. One suggestion from Tucciarone is having a buddy with you when taking outdoor walks.

Get medical attention

Cognitive behavioral therapy has people with seasonal affective disorder work to develop an awareness on what they’re experiencing, identify negative thoughts and come up with strategies to replace the thoughts with more positive ones, said Lucian Manu, a psychiatrist at Stony Brook Medicine in New York.

Cognitive behavioral therapy may be more effective than light therapy at preventing remissions. One study found that six weeks of cognitive behavioral therapy helped reduce depressive symptoms and reduced the chances of developing seasonal affective disorder the following winter.

Antidepressants are another option that Manu recommended for people with severe seasonal affective disorder. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, for example, work to boost serotonin levels, which can help boost mood. A popular prescription is bupropion, which Manu said helps in managing increasing sleep (along with appetite and weight) for people with seasonal affective disorder.

Contributor: Jocelyn Solis-Moreira, CNN Healt