As I grow older, my love of animals grows exponentially. They give us so much, from companionship to a humble example of how to live simply, peacefully and selflessly. Below you will find several articles illustrating their impact on our heath. We owe them much. Let us be kind to them. Consider redoubling your efforts to eat a more plant-based diet. This will also benefit the planet.
Hugo Rodier, MD
Early-life dog ownership may protect against development of Crohn’s disease
Healio Minute, May 23, 2022. Digestive Disease Week 2022.
“Our study seems to add to others that have explored the ‘hygiene hypothesis’ which suggests that the lack of exposure to microbes early in life may lead to lack of immune regulation toward environmental microbes,” Williams Turpin, PhD, research associate at Mount Sinai Hospital and the University of Toronto, said in a press release.”
Comment: I dropped a baguette at a French gathering. The hostess whispered to me, “hurry, pick it up before the Americans see it!”
Can Caring for a Pet Protect the Aging Brain?
Megan Brooks. Medscape Medical News, February 23, 2022
“Years spent caring for a dog or cat may help mitigate cognitive decline among older adults, new research suggests. In a large study of Medicare beneficiaries, pet owners had slower cognitive decline over 6 years than their peers who did not care for a pet. ‘Previous research has studied the impact of pets on overall health, mood, and quality of life; but to our knowledge, our study is the first to consider the effect of duration of pet ownership on cognitive health in older adults age 65 and older.’ This is ‘a necessary step to understanding how relationships with companion animals may contribute to brain health.’” The findings were presented at the American Academy of Neurology 2022 Annual Meeting.
Comment: don’t wait to get old and lonely to get a pet, preferably from an animal shelter, if you haven’t already.
Inflammatory foods tied to brain aging, small vessel disease
“MedPage Today (5/13/22) reported, “Inflammatory foods were linked with global markers of brain aging and cerebral small vessel disease on MRI, a cross-sectional study showed.” Also, higher Dietary Inflammatory Index scores were “associated with smaller total gray matter volume…and larger lateral ventricular volume,” according to the findings published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia.”
Comment: inflammatory foods are meats, sugars and fats, especially when processed as cured meats, high fructose corn syrup and trans-fats. The article also highlights the root cause of brain aging: poor circulation, a result of those foods inflaming the endothelium, or walls of small blood vessels.
Dementia tied to blood levels of certain antioxidants
“MedPage Today (5/4/22) reports, ‘Dementia risk was linked with blood levels of certain antioxidants” (Data from 7,283 participants in the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, NHANES 1988-1994). The study revealed that ‘higher serum levels of lutein+zeaxanthin and beta-cryptoxanthin – two types of carotenoids – were tied to a lower risk of incident dementia.’ The findings were published online in the journal Neurology.”
Comment: those antioxidants are high in plants, low in animals.
Vegetarian diets healthy for growing children
“HealthDay (5/2/22) reports, ‘Vegetarian diets are a healthy choice for growing kids, though they may slightly raise the odds of youngsters being underweight.’ The investigators found that overall, ‘children on meat-free diets were similar to peers as far as growth, weight and blood levels of iron, vitamin D and cholesterol.’ J. Pediatrics: ‘the only difference was in the risk of being underweight. About 6% of vegetarian kids were underweight, versus roughly 3% of their meat-eating peers.’”
Comment: oh, no! Our children could end up thinner!
Cranberry consumption improves cardiovascular function
Healio Minute, March 29, 2022
“Men who consumed the equivalent of 1 cup of cranberries per day experienced a significant improvement in cardiovascular function after 1 month, according to results of a randomized controlled trial published in Food & Function. ‘The increases in polyphenols and metabolites in the bloodstream and the related improvements in flow-mediated dilation after cranberry consumption emphasize the important role cranberries may play in cardiovascular disease prevention.’”
Comment: cranberries are not just good for urinary infections. They prevent inflammation and oxidation of ALL cells. Organs (made up of cells) benefit by improved circulation, especially the brain.
Chemicals may lower bone mineral density
Healio Minute, May 03, 2022
“Adolescent boys exposed to higher levels of two types of endocrine-disrupting chemicals may have lower areal bone mineral density, according to study data published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. ‘Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and phthalates are detectable in the blood of almost all individuals in the U.S. Because bone accrual primarily occurs during adolescence, our findings may have implications for lifelong bone health.”
Comment: avoid pesticides, heavy metals and plastics. Eat more cruciferous veggies to optimize detoxification of these chemicals via liver and microbiome.
Vitamin D, omega-3, strength exercises reduce cancer risk
“Daily supplementation with vitamin D3 and omega-3 fatty acids, in conjunction with a strength exercise program, may reduce the risk for cancer in adults aged 70 years and older. ‘Based on our findings, with the triple combination, we would need to treat 35 persons (95% CI, 26-137) in order to prevent one incident case of cancer at 3 years follow-up. These results may shape the future mind-set toward a multicomponent prevention strategy of cancer.”
Comment: from their mouth to God’s ears. We continue to over-emphasize the role of genetics, ignoring the new science of epigenetics, which maintains that cancer is 85% environmental and life-style driven.
Longer Use of Proton Pump Inhibitors Tied to Diabetes Risk
Marlene Busko, Medscape, May 04, 2022
“Long-term use of a proton-pump inhibitor (PPI) was associated with an increased risk of being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in a large, population-based case-control study in Italy. The risk of diabetes increased from 19% to 56% as treatment duration increased from 8 weeks to more than 2 years, and prolonged treatment was associated with an even higher risk of diabetes in the youngest patients (age 40-65) and those with the most comorbidities. The results suggest that ‘physicians should therefore avoid unnecessary prescription of this class of drugs, particularly for long-term use.’ Article recently published online in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.”
Comment: acid-blocking drugs block the absorption of key nutrients, the absence of which leads to insulin resistance. Moreover, these drugs disrupt the metabolic function of our microbiome. For an excellent review, access the May 27, 2022 issue of the Journal Science.
