Nuts May Help Prevent Diabetes Type 2 Complications

This link from Science Daily highlights the value of moderate consumption of nuts. Previously spurned because of their high fat content, recent research is finding that nuts are an excellent addition to our diet. Of particular interest note the finding in March claiming that walnuts are the best overall nut for consumption. Walnuts contain good quantities of gamma tocopherol, a much better form of vitamin E than that commonly found in tablets which typically contain alpha tocopherol. In fact high consumption of alpha tocopherol appears to impede the absorption of the better forms of vitamin E. So nuts to you.

Potassium, Sodium, and Blood Pressure

Low Potassium is linked to high blood pressure

Most of us have heard about the dangers of excessive salt consumption in relation to blood pressure. While salt consumption needs to be carefully monitored it is equally as important to ensure that we receive adequate potassium intake. This can be quite a challenge as recommended potassium intake is quite high. Bananas, potatoes, Tomato juice, orange juice, are all good sources of potassium. This article, from the ever reliable NIH institute, provides a good overview of potassium and its dietary sources. Note the daily requirement for potassium is a whooping 4.7 grams. To achieve this, have a look at this site for more detailed guidelines on potassium dietary sources. Look at the table at the bottom of the page. They have excluded meat sources but these are also valuable sources of potassium.

Remember, the potassium - salt(ie sodium) balance is very important, so if you eat lots of processed food, which is typically far too high in sodium and\or salt, you need to counter balance this with substantial potassium intake.

Exercise and Brain Aging

There is now abundant research pointing to the beneficial effects of aerobic exercise on cerebral health. This recent study finds that taking up exercise can improve cognition and cerebral health. There is a striking relationship between cardiovascular and cerebral health. The reason for this is obvious: the brain consumes approximately 20% of our oxygen intake, so maintaining maximal blood supply to the brain is critical. One of the reasons Ginkgo Biloba works is because it reduces platelet activating factor, thereby improving cerebral circulation.

Exercise and do it often. You don't have to run marathons, in fact intense exercise can do more harm than good. Light exercise is okay but it is important to push yourself, just going for a casual walk is good but going for a brisk walk is much better.

Exercise effects on cognitive and neural plasticity in older adults
Kirk Erickson and Arthur F Kramer
British Journal of Sports Medicine (2008).
The abstract:

Older adults frequently experience cognitive deficits accompanied by deterioration of brain tissue and function in a number of cortical and subcortical regions. Because of this common finding and the increasing aging population in many countries throughout the world, there is an increasing interest in assessing the possibility that partaking in or changing certain lifestyles could prevent or reverse cognitive and neural decay in older adults. In this review we critically evaluate and summarize the cross-sectional and longitudinal studies that assess the impact of aerobic exercise and fitness on cognitive performance, brain volume, and brain function in older adults with and without dementia. We argue that six-months of moderate levels of aerobic activity are sufficient to produce significant improvements in cognitive function with the most dramatic effects occurring on measures of executive control. These improvements are accompanied by altered brain activity measures and increases in prefrontal and temporal grey matter volume that translate into a more efficient and effective neural system.