Are You Neglecting Your Lungs?

With all the emphasis on your heart, diabetes and keeping the weight off, your lungs may not be getting the attention they deserve. For example, air-filtering systems seem like they'd be the best things for your lungs since snorkels. Air filters are supposed to take allergens out of the air, but, unfortunately, many of them don't work that well. The primary reason isn't mechanical malfunction; it's owner malfunction. People don't change the filters often enough, so they're not all that effective.

Another it-depends-on-you practice that can help or hurt your lungs is taking vitamins. For example, vitamin A and beta carotene are good for your lungs. But supplementing your diet with individual doses of these two antioxidants can lead to megadosing -- that is, taking in more than 2,500 international units (IU) of vitamin A or the vitamin A equivalent in beta carotene -- from supplements. When you add that amount to what you are likely already getting from food, the nutrient doesn't serve its purpose as a disease-fighting antioxidant. In fact, it does the opposite and oxidizes tissue, which can cause DNA damage. One study from Finland found that people who took vitamin A had a higher risk of lung cancer, atherosclerosis, and, for smokers,stroke. So if you take vitamin A or beta carotene, choose one that contains under 1,500 to 2,500 IU a day, because you'll get some in food.

Reference
YOU: The Owner's Manual. Roizen, M. F., Oz, M. C., New York: HarperCollins 2005.

Five Things that will Steal Your Life Away

It's no surprise that five key health factors that make you older faster also steal your late-life independence.

Which risk factors are they? Not cancer. Not cholesterol. The top five health factors that increase the likelihood you'll need help caring for yourself when you're older are:

- Smoking
- High blood pressure
- Diabetes
- Obesity
- Inactivity

Luckily, regular exercise can help take care of four of those risk factors. And if you don't smoke, you'll be able to exercise even more.

The difference between people who remain self-sufficient and those who wind up dependent on others seems obvious: Self-sufficient people lead a healthy lifestyle. Over 20 years of data prove it, and the payoff can be huge, especially when you start in midlife. For instance, midlife diabetic smokers are five times more likely to end up in a nursing home than people free of these factors.

Sure, change can be hard. But when people manage their diabetes well or trade an hour on the couch watching America's Got Talent for an hour at the gym, the odds of suffering chronic, debilitating conditions decline dramatically. Studies show that the most active people are the least likely to have trouble taking care of themselves -- bathing, dressing, getting around -- later in life. So if you smoke, join a quitting program. If you don't exercise, start walking. If you've put on weight, work on dropping it. If you have high blood pressure, commit to controlling it. If you have diabetes, get aggressive about managing it. And if you fall short, don't give up. Try, try again.

After all, it's your life. Why not live it well?

Reference
Lifestyle-related risk factors and risk of future nursing home admission. Valiyeva, E., Russell, L. B., Miller, J. E., Safford, M. M., Archives of Internal Medicine 2006 May 8;166(9):985-990.

Three Foods Your Arteries will Relish

Three foods your arteries can't get enough of: onions, celery, and parsley.

Whether you add them to soups, relish dishes, sandwiches, or salads, improving the health of your arteries may be as simple as munching on these flavor boosters. People who eat more flavonoid-rich veggies like these cut their risk of hardening of the arteries -- especially in the legs -- in half.

The health-fuel powering these foods comes from flavonoids -- naturally occurring plant compounds that are widely known for their disease-fighting antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Yellow onions, parsley, and celery are loaded with flavonoids, though there are other good sources: kale, leeks, cherry tomatoes, broccoli, and blueberries. And most fruits and veggies, as well as tea and red wine, have at least a smattering of them. Flavonoids are potent defenders against peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD), which narrows and hardens arteries in the legs and arms, reducing blood flow.

So the next time you're whipping up tuna or egg salad, mararina sauce or vegetable soup, gazpacho or a dish of crudités, add some extra parsley, onion, and celery. The flavor will hum, and your arteries will, too.

Reference
Flavonoid classes and risk of peripheral arterial occlusive disease: a case-control study in Greece. Lagiou, P., Lagiou, A., Skalkidis, Y., Katsouyanni, K., Petridou, E., Trichopoulos, D., European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2006 Feb;60(2):214-219.

Three Great Daily Foods for Your Heart

Three things you should feed your heart every day.

Nuts -- eat at least a handful a day. Nuts are an excellent source of healthful fats and protein. In the Iowa Nurses Study and three other studies, an ounce a day cut the incidence of heart disease by 20 percent to 60 percent. The best nuts (those highest in omega-3 fatty acids) are walnuts, but all nuts are good for you.

Olive oil -- be sure it and other healthy fats (like those in nuts) make up about 25 percent of your daily calories. Olive oil contains monounsaturated fats, which raise your HDL ("healthy") cholesterol. This good cholesterol actually helps clean out your arteries as it moves through your body. That's why when it comes to HDL, higher is better.

Flavonoids -- get 31 milligrams a day. What are flavonoids? Powerful antioxidants and anti-inflammatories that occur in many plant foods, including -- yes, nuts -- plus tea (any kind), red wine, grapes, berries, cranberry juice, orange juice, onions, tomatoes, and tomato juice. You can get your daily dose by drinking two-and-a-half glasses of cranberry juice or several cups of tea.

Reference
YOU: The Owner's Manual. Roizen, M. F., Oz, M. C., New York: HarperCollins, 2005. pp. 59-61.