Live Longer: Long Life For All!

Tomatoes May Protect Your Skin April 28, 2008

New research has indicated that eating dishes containing cooked tomatoes may help your skin resist the damaging effects of the sun’s rays. The research, by the British Society for Investigative Dermatology, was carried out by feeding five tablespoons of tomato paste - made from cooked tomatoes - every day and comparing it to the effects of just eating additional olive oil. The results indicate that the tomato intake increases the skin’s natural sun defences by 33% - not enough to replace sun lotion, but enough to maybe keep your skin free from skin cancer and the aging effects of sun in general. Good news for those of us who like pizza and rich, red spaghetti sources. Mmm.

Are Vitamin Pills Healthy? April 16, 2008

A new study suggests that vitamin supplements of the kind taken by many millions of people globally, may not be as good for your health as we think. Scientists at Copenhagen University reviewed the results from many previous studies and came to the conclusion that at least three vitamin supplement vitamins - vitamin A, vitamin E and beta-carotene - may actually damage your health! Vitamin A results indicated a 16% increase in chance of dying - with 7% for beta carotene and 4% for vitamin E. The good news is that vitamin C and selenium did not seem to have any major downside from this study, but they also found no indication of major advantages to taking these supplements either.

The scientists suggest that the vitamins themselves may not be the problem, just taking them in excessive amounts in supplements. They believe that all vitamins should come from a healthy diet directly. Obviously many health groups related to supplement manufacturers, and others who aren’t, are up in arms about this as vitamin sales constitute a global market of $2.5 billion. Whatever the final outcome from further studies, it would seem that maintaining a healthy, balanced diet containing all the vitamins you need is the way forward - as the food itself has extra advantages for your body, such as energy and roughage.

Clean Your Way to a Longer Life April 10, 2008

A new scientific study has suggested that just 20 minutes sustained exercise a week - whether jogging or cleaning your house - can significantly reduce depression. In the same journal, another study suggests that regular sustained exercise can reduce the symptoms of old age. Keeping the body and mind active seems to be key to these results, with people who maintain a more sedentary, inactive life are more greatly impacted by their age.

Unfortunately ‘20 minutes sustained exercise’ does not mean a gentle stroll to the bus stop, to get the effects you need to induce at least some level of breathless-ness. Heavy sweeping and scrubbing will do the trick, but running a cloth over your shelves probably won’t. Scientists are also unsure as to the relationship between the exercise, how it affects depression and how it affects our youthfulness. It could be that staying active and in a ‘flow’ state releases pleasurable endorphins, reducing depression - and being happier naturally keeps us above our body’s aging process. Or alternatively it could be that people more inclined to do activities and live longer are less inclined towards depression. From my own personal experience I know that the less active I am, the more negative my world view becomes - with regular exercise important to my own life balance. However my 90 year old gran has never been a big one for exercise, enjoying rather the comforts of her sofa, knitting and East Enders on the telly. She does smile a lot though.

Disclaimer: As always, Long Life Blog’ post cannot be taken as medical advice. Before you undertake a change in your diet or exercise regime please consult a qualified doctor, as dramatic changes to our lives can have more downsides than upsides.

Changing Habits to Live Longer April 7, 2008

To live longer we need to work out what changes we want to make to our lives, and then carry out that changes - regularly, every day, for the rest of our new, longer life. For the lucky amongst us, blessed with an excess of willpower, that’s just another day. For most of us though, changing ingrained habits is harder work than we’d like. Now research has even indicated that when we try and use our willpower in a new area (such as shopping less) then our limited supply of willpower gets transferred from somewhere else (eating healthily). Thankfully even in these situations exercising our willpower leads to an increased supply to draw from, so it’s not all bad.

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Drink Plenty of Water, Stay Healthy - but how much? April 2, 2008

New research seems to indicate that drinking ‘excessive’ amounts of water every day can not be proven have any additional health benefits over drinking recommended levels, however it can also not be disproven. Traditionally, drinking high volumes of water has been recommended by those under-taking full body cleanses to help flush out toxins from your system. Although everyone agrees that drinking lots of clean, filtered water is good for you - the recommended volumes vary - with US guidelines suggesting near 2 litres (eight 8 oz glasses), and in the UK nearer 1.2 litres daily. Independent nutrition councils in the UK agree more with the US guidelines. So keep drinking plenty of water to stay healthy.