Exercise and healthy diet slow memory loss
By Paul Hoskins
2 hours, 47 minutes ago

DUBLIN (Reuters) - An active lifestyle and a healthy, fish-rich diet are not only good for your heart, they may also help tackle the memory loss associated with old age, two leading neuroscientists said on Wednesday.

As people live longer, finding ways of halting the decline in mental agility is becoming increasingly important, said Professor Ian Robertson, director of the Institute of Neuroscience at Trinity College Dublin.

"The biggest threat to being able to function well and properly is our brains," he told journalists at the British Association for the Advancement of Science meeting in Dublin.

Those who remained physically fit, avoided high stress levels and enjoyed a rich and varied social life are better equipped to stay alert as they age. Mental stimulation, learning new things and simply thinking young also help.

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American Longevity's EFA Plus and Memory fx work to contribute the nutrients that your healthy diet may be lacking. As mentioned in the article, fish oils can be a key ingredient to keeping your brain as healthy, if not healthier, than your body! The vitamins in Memory fx also work to promote brain health and function.

Women are hungry for health foods

Women are identified as one of the most important consumer groups for functional foods because they have more specific health and nutrition needs than men, such as during pregnancy, post-partum, menstruation and menopause.

In addition, women are more likely than men to worry about virtually every health problem, says the report. “This can be interpreted as women are more likely to seek out solutions to health concerns.”

But despite having different nutritional needs to males from puberty onwards, women typically only start to take an interest in nutrition from the age of 25, and sometimes even later. For this reason, the report takes target female consumers to be those aged 25 years and above.

The report advises marketers to “use medically beneficial formulations to strengthen brand differentiation, expand market share, bring new users into the fold, and increase consumption amongst established users. They can also invigorate lagging brands, create opportunities for line extensions and compete more effectively with store brands.”

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When supplemental ingredients and nutrients in foods aren't enough, think about Osteo-fx, Selenium, and Cardio-fx which all work to help support today's woman's optimal health and active lifestyle.

More supplements needed for Katrina victims

By Jess Halliday

“Within 12 hours after the news on Hurricane Katrina broke, companies were calling us offering to help,” said Howard Schiffer, president of the Vitamin Angel Alliance, which is consolidating vitamin products and working closely with relief organizations, churches and emergency personnel to deliver them to the refugees.

Even so, Schiffer told NutraIngredients-USA.com that donations are running slower than they did during the week following the tsunami which devastated parts of Asia last December, despite the disaster hitting American on home soil. He was not yet able to provide a count on the supplements received so far but expects to release more details on the industry's efforts later this week.

The most useful products in this situation are multiple vitamins for adults and chewable vitamins for children, as well as financial contributions towards the logistics of delivering products to those who need them most.

Although the initial danger of the hurricane itself is over, those who have spent days in unsanitary conditions or have been forced to leave their homes face longer-term consequences, including the possibility of malnutrition and infection.

Vitamin Angels' warehouse is located about an hour and a half from the Astrodome, and supplements started reaching FEMA Specialty Needs Centers in Louisiana last week.

If those making donations prefer for them to be used to help affected individuals, they can be designated for the American Red Cross or Salvation Army's hurricane relief funds.

“We’re all in this together,” said Schiffer. “The only real insurance in any natural disaster is human kindness and generosity.”

Cash Donations can be sent to VAA, 1450 Orange Grove Avenue, Santa Barbara, CA 93105.

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The victims of Hurricane Katrina need as much help as possible right now. If you've thought about making a contribution but don't necessarily know how to go about it, why not contribute to Vitamin Angel Alliance or personally sponsor a person or a family who was impacted by Hurricane Katrina?

The Tools of the Trade

With fall and winter approaching, the days will get shorter and our meals may end up getting bigger. Now is the time to take stock in the good and bad habits developed over the summer and focus on keeping your routine of daily exercise and good health.

For individuals invested in following a healthful diet, the ARS nutritionalists adapted one of their key research products, the USDA Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies, a technical database for nutrition researchers, to make the information available and accessible for the public.

What's In The Foods You Eat? database

Sometimes a healthful diet isn't a given as far as getting your body's required nutrients. Make American Longevity's Ultimate Daily, with a full day's supply of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, part of your year-round routine.

Also, to keep your entire body fit, try different types of workouts that target different areas of your body. TIME Magazine's Total Fitness from Head to Toe chart offers ideas for a healthful change of pace.

The topic dominating headlines, and rightfully so, is the destruction of New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina. One of the biggest threats to not only the citizens of New Orleans, but also people in neighboring cities and states, is that of disease outbreaks. Survivors of Hurricane Katrina face multiple health threats that include infectious diseases and respiratory and gastrointestinal illnesses.

An excerpt from a CNN online article:

Public health problems loom in Katrina's wake

Thursday, September 1, 2005; Posted: 2:37 p.m. EDT (18:37 GMT)

"When you get that many people together under those conditions, just one person who's infected could infect many other un-vaccinated people."

Food-borne outbreaks such as E. coli and transmittable respiratory illnesses are also a threat, said Dr. Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy at the University of Minnesota.

"The next few days, staying hydrated is the big thing and avoiding consuming contaminated foods and water. ... If you can do that, you're probably OK for a week," said Dr. Joseph Guarisco, chairman of the Department of Emergency Medicine at the Ochsner Clinic Foundation in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Minor injuries also may turn into major issues as the days pass and infection develops.

"You could have a very healthy 25-year-old who was [slightly wounded] during the actual [hurricane] who doesn't appear to be very sick the first day or two but then actually has a life-threatening infection by day three or four," Osterholm said. "So it's important to find those people."

The military also is sending medical help, including the Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort to reach the region in about a week. Four ships from Norfolk, Virginia, are being loaded with food, soap and medical supplies.

But even after the physical threat passes, experts said the hurricane-hit population still has to deal with the psychological effects.

"Many people will be stressed and will require support over a long period of time and will be vulnerable to psychological problems. We know this from other disaster experiences," said Dr. Irwin Redlener, head of Columbia University's National Center for Disaster Preparedness.

In the coming weeks, as the population begins physically to reconstruct, the need for mental reinforcement will be key, according to Redlener.

"The combination of needing the mental health support and trying to re-establish some semblance of life and access to vital services creates an extraordinarily complex rescue environment that people are trying to work through right now," he said.

"We have to bring services to people pretty fast. Or they'll see big problems."

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Yahoo! Health is making efforts to promote cancer detection and cancer prevention by hosting a group of blogs from celebrities, politicians, authors and other prominent public figures who have had firsthand experience with the disease. Sue Myrick, a Congressional Representative for North Carolina, is a cancer survivor who has successfully championed legislation aimed at stopping the deadly disease through increased research, education, early detection, and development of promising new medical therapies.

Her latest blog entry:

There is Hope
posted by Sue Myrick Wed, Aug 31, 2005, 11:51 am PDT

I speak on this subject every opportunity I get and my message is simple: you know your body better than any doctor. If you know something is not right; persevere until you get answers. I was fortunate, I had pain as a warning. But whatever it is that does not seem normal to you - check it out. Don't wait. Cancer found early is treatable and you will live. Don't take a chance and wait until it is too late. I've had women tell me they don't get mammograms because they don't want to know. My answer is that you will find out sooner or later - and sooner is much better!

Always remember there is hope. Hope in the form of doctors to help; hope in the form of survivors who will do anything to help; hope in your family who will lovingly support you and hope in the Lord who will get you through. I have been so blessed by having cancer and having survived!

Sue Myrick's point is a valid one! Nobody knows your body better than you. Start working on the betterment of your health today!

Selenium may reduce the risk of certain cancers. Some scientific evidence suggests that consumption of selenium may reduce the risk of certain forms of cancer. However, the FDA has determined that this evidence is limited and not conclusive.

American Longevity's Ultimate Selenium has received authorized health claims that help summate the benefits of this supplement.

Selenium may produce anticarcinogenic effects in the body. Some scientific evidence suggests that consumption of selenium may produce anticarcinogenic effects in the body. However, the FDA has determined that this evidence is limited and not conclusive."