The Nutrient: Flavonoids reduce risk of Parkinson's, Too busy to enjoy life, Food dye triggers IBD
Research
Flavonoids are the reason why wine and chocolate are considered health foods. High concentrations of these compounds are also found in fruits and veggies, which, according to the Linus Pauling Institute, are also important to eat.
"Flavonoids have been shown to exhibit antiinflammatory, antithrombogenic, antidiabetic, anticancer, and neuroprotective activities through different mechanisms of action in vitro and in animal models."
This study looked into the brain benefits of flavonoids, and their role in improving survival rates among people with Parkinson's disease.
In a population of 1,261 people, researches examined 944 deaths during 32 to 34 years of follow-up. Here's what they found:
- A higher total flavonoid intake before a Parkinson's diagnosis was associated with a lower future risk for all-cause mortality in men.
- Among people with Parkinson's, higher consumption of flavonoids was associated with a lower risk of mortality. This was especially true for those eating anthocyanins (blueberries, cherries, cranberries, and red cabbage) and flavan-3-ols (apples, tea, bananas, peaches, and pears).
“Adopting a healthy diet, high in colorful fruits and veggies, even after a Parkinson's diagnosis, could slow disease progression and improve survival rates.”
Article
Are we too busy to enjoy life?
Anne-Laure Le Cunff describes how being busy is actually a defense mechanism that prevents us from doing things like cooking and making music–the activities that make life enjoyable. She also asks some hard questions:
"...take a few minutes to actually consider whether you are actually too busy, and, if that’s the case, whether this busyness is more valuable to you in the long-term than learning something new or spending time with your friend."
Who proudly looks back at their old to-do lists at the end of the year and thinks: “Wow, I tackled so many tasks this year”?
News
Common food dye can trigger inflammatory bowel diseases
Junk food gets it's name from the ingredients it contains. Doritos, Skittles, Pepsi, and cake mixes are junk, for example, because they contain Allura Red food dye which is a potential trigger of inflammatory bowel diseases, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.
"The literature suggests that the consumption of Allura Red also affects certain allergies, immune disorders and behavioral problems in children, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder."
Words of the week
“I urge you to please notice when you are happy, and exclaim or murmur or think at some point, ‘If this isn't nice, I don't know what is.’”
— Kurt Vonnegut
Happy New Year!
Dr. Rondo
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