Nutrition Tips, Tricks, and Tidbits for Optimal Health
Hey, it’s the Power Nutrition Guru here dropping some more cutting edge nutrition information at our fingertips. One of the series I did for Powerlifting USA was my Tips, Tricks, and Tidbits, where I would bring you some of the latest news in science, nutrition, health, and longevity in smaller tidbits. This was a hit with readers back then so I am sure it will be hot once again. For those that don’t want to scroll through a whole article to find out critical information, here it is front and center with less to sort out. So here we go.
Olive Oil and the Aging Brain
If you have been a reader of any of my articles from the last two-plus decades you know that I am a big fan of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO). I have countlessly discussed the numerous health and performance benefits this Omega 9 fat source has for cardiovascular health among many others. Now new research is showing that it has some very interesting new findings that relate to Neurodegenerative Diseases. For those not familiar, Alzheimer’s Disease affects close to 50 million people across the globe. In fact, it is the most common form of dementia affecting those over 60 years of age. Scientists have found that a very nasty form of amyloid plaque is one of its main causes.
The Mediterranean Diet has gained popularity especially over the last decade and for good reason. It has shown to help reduce body fat levels while increasing cardiovascular health among other benefits. It contains large amounts of monounsaturated fats which are found in olive oil. Researchers have found that the Phenolic Compounds found in EVOO have been found to bind to these disease-causing plaque. This has led researchers to believe that by isolating the specific compounds in the future may lead to the development of new weapons against the fight of Alzheimer’s. In the meantime, as I have recommended in the past, consuming a high-quality EVOO daily is a good idea for all it has to offer your health. While the focus on EVOO in the past has been primarily on heart-related conditions, now science is showing that it can offer some amazing benefits for your brain health as well.
EVOO is a Must-Have Fat!
Garlic and its Role for Healthy Eyes
Well, I can see all my fans laughing at me now. One of his first articles back and he’s yakking on about garlic and olive oil. What a WOP! Yes, it’s true, my Italian background does allow me to appreciate the finer things in life, and high-quality EVOO and garlic are part of my daily plans. Both offer amazing health benefits and even better is they taste amazing in so many recipes.
Ok back to the research here before I go off on a tangent. So in a recent study in India, they looked at the health benefits of garlic ion in relation to retina damage in those that suffer from Diabetes. Yep, the Ole Beetus is back in the news. I love those old oatmeal and Liberty Health commercials with Wilford Brimley. Hell, I sometimes sit around and watch those Youtube remix versions of these commercials and laugh my ass off. Here is a couple you can enjoy.
Once again let’s get back to the article at hand as I seem to have too much fun writing these articles. Ok, so researchers in India who basically loaded up some poor little rats with high fructose corn syrup (probably just fed them some American soda pop) until they became Diabetic. As you know Diabetes does damage your eyes and this along with feet and nerve problems are some of the most common issues that they deal with.
Now what the researchers found was that by adding in high-dose garlic early once they got Diabetes, the rats protected the retinal function and structure. This is some serious info here folks. By taking garlic daily and in the proper amounts it may help protect your long-term eye health for those that would otherwise suffer some serious damage due to the elevated blood glucose levels. If you suffer from Diabetes or even are Insulin Resistant, consuming garlic daily can have multiple benefits for you, and maintaining your sight just maybe another one to add to the list. Sorry, I can’t control myself its addictive here is another Beetus Remix!
Low Vitamin D Levels and a Soggy Schlong
Ok, that title got your attention didn’t. Now Vitamin D has heavily been in the news the last year especially in relation to immune function and Covid. I have once again pushed the benefits of proper dosing of Vitamin D way back when taking Vitamin D wasn’t the cool thing to do like it is now. Now a recent study in
Turkey was done in relation to serum Vitamin D levels and those that were suffering from erectile dysfunction. Basically, the study took 130 men who suffered from ED. They performed an analysis based on the Intentional Index of Erectile Function Test and put them in categories depending on where they scored. Now what they found was that those who had lower Vitamin D levels had the lower scores which mean they weren’t sporting some serious lead in their pencil if you know what I mean. In conclusion, they believe that by optimizing Vitamin D levels can help improve symptoms without a doubt. Now, this could be for several reasons but Vitamin D’s relation with increasing Free Floating Testosterone levels and increasing androgen receptor sensitivity could be a major player here. So as you can see Vitamin D is not just good for keeping your bones strong and protecting your immunity. Vitamin D can also play a positive role in keeping your manhood in check as you age.
Take Vitamin D to Prevent this Scenario!
Vitamin C Intake and Longevity
Yes, Vitamin C is in the news again, and for good reason. Another one of my favorite vitamins that I have pushed for a very long time is back for a new round of studies. In a study published in the Journal Of Epidemiology and Community Health has reconfirmed what I already believed. This study took place for close to 17 years with close to 1000 participants with equal parts male and female. They were aged from the mid-’50s to the mid-’80s. During this time around 550 of the participants passed away. They found those participants within the higher range of Vitamin C plasma concentrations were 25% lower risk to die from any cause. They also had a 28% lower chance of dying from cancer and a 35% lower chance for heart disease compared to those who had low Vitamin C plasma concentrations. So in layman terms, those who had higher blood concentrations of this wonderful vitamin had a lower mortality rate from the major killers. Researchers believe this is caused because of Vitamin C’s ability to lower oxidative stress. For those of you not familiar, oxidative stress can cause DNA damage which then leads to cancer. Not to be forgotten is the fact that it also causes endothelial dysfunction. This causes three other major problems for cardiovascular issues. First off it increases inflammation which we know leads to heart disease among numerous other conditions. But this oxidative stress also increases lipid peroxidation while at the same time decrease nitric oxide production. This is where free radicals confiscate electrons from lipids that are in the cell membrane leading to cellular damage. Now nitric oxide (N.O.) is not only great for muscle pumps and for those muscle heads out there I am sure you have heard these words before either in relation to a pre-workout product or on your Viagra medication…lol. Well, it has much more to offer than jacked biceps and a swollen Johnson. Nitric oxide is released by the inner layer of blood vessel cells. It then keeps these delicate vessels not only relaxed but also supple and elastic in nature. This allows blood vessels to dilate when needed for many functions but one very important one is to control your blood pressure. So as you can see Vitamin C protects the cardiovascular system through multiple pathways and is just one of the reasons why I have been promoting optimal intake especially for strength athletes whose needs are higher than your average couch potato.
