It's -really- NEVER too late for harvesting the benefits of a healthy lifestyle!

By Dr. Franco

Even from early age, we have a natural tendency to disregard changes in lifestyle under the perspective of a limited or self-limiting time horizon, perhaps driven by the will to avoid the potential efforts involved. Following the same approach -oriented towards the avoidance of efforts- when we consider ourselves young we delay changes and decisions trying to postpone them to a later age that when it arrives we then think it is too late. In the case of following a healthy lifestyle as the pathway to achieve healthy ageing there is never a case for being too early or too late.

Being a sine qua non of life, ageing starts from the moment we are conceived and stops only with a full cease of our bodily functions (i.e. we are deceased). It is therefore logical to consider that any decision, choice or habit that we undertake along our life course would affect how we age and feel. Following a healthy lifestyle has been associated with a different number of benefits among different populations at all stages of life benefiting children and elderly alike.

Furthermore, the benefits of following a healthy lifestyle are not only reserved to people that are currently healthy. As presented by researchers from the VA Medical Center in Durham (NC) in a recent publication in the JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) benefits of a healthy lifestyle can also be seen among elderly long-term cancer survivors. Their study evaluated whether providing information on the components of a healthy lifestyle through telephone counselling and mailed print material would ameliorate or even stop functional decline among older overweight cancer survivors.
The authors found after 12 months that those receiving information about following a healthy lifestyle, experienced a substantial amelioration of their functional decline and an improvement in quality of life compared to those that did not receive the information.

Perhaps following a healthy lifestyle imply certain efforts that to many may appear a great burden, nevertheless the efforts are greatly compensated and it is never too late to invest in the bank of the healthy lifestyle. Healthy ageing will be just one of the rewards.


Reference:
Morey MC, Snyder DC, Sloane R, Cohen HJ, Peterson B, Hartman TJ, Miller P, Mitchell DC, Demark-Wahnefried W. Effects of home-based diet and exercise on functional outcomes among older, overweight long-term cancer survivors: RENEW: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 2009 May 13;301(18):1883-91

Avoid Alzheimer’s by going ‘Med’

by Dr. Franco

Mediterranean, is a word that to me evokes intensely-blue seas, sunny weather, slow-paced life, afternoon siestas but above all, great food… I mean, wonderful food. I can still feel that pizza I had in the small town of Pula in Sardegna. “Da Eleonora”, said the locals in Cagliari, go south… to Pula, you will find your best pizza ever. And so I did, the holy grail of pizzas. Simple, yet sublime, a feast to my senses and a recurrent theme in my dreams -while awake. But Mediterranean food goes beyond pizza of course, it includes high consumption of vegetables, fruits, legumes, cereals, olive oil, moderate intake of fish, low consumption of red meat and low to moderate consumption of wine with the meals. And is not just its taste, nor its simplicity, it is also the benefits that it can provide. In the last decades, many studies have studied and praised the benefits of following a Mediterranean diet. In multiple scientific publications this type of diet has been associated with increased life expectancy, reduced risk of cardiovascular disease (diseases of the heart and stroke), reduced risk of cancer and as two recent JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) publications suggest, a reduced risk of developing dementia. By studying over 1400 adults living in Bordeaux, France, French researchers found that higher adherence to Mediterranean diet was associated with slower cognitive decline. But these benefits are not only observed among Mediterranean people as demonstrated in a study published in the same August edition of the JAMA. Investigators from Columbia University Medical Centre in New York, found among a multiethnic group of 1880 elders living in New York that those that followed a Mediterranean-type diet had a 40% lower risk of developing Alzheimer disease (compared to those that didn’t). Although it wont hurt to visit Pula and drop by “Da Eleonora”, there is no need to go far to reach the benefits of the Mediterranean diet. All of us, at home, wherever we live, if we take the adequate choices and follow the basic principles of balance and moderation can reap the benefits and avoid suffering from the burden that Alzheimer disease can impose in our lives. Our taste and memory will be grateful.
References:
Adherence to a Mediterranean Diet, Cognitive Decline, and Risk of Dementia. Catherine Féart; Cécilia Samieri; Virginie Rondeau; Hélène Amieva; Florence Portet; Jean-François Dartigues; Nikolaos Scarmeas; Pascale Barberger-Gateau. JAMA. 2009; 302:638-648.
Physical Activity, Diet, and Risk of Alzheimer Disease. Nikolaos Scarmeas; Jose A. Luchsinger; Nicole Schupf; Adam M. Brickman; Stephanie Cosentino; Ming X. Tang; Yaakov Stern. JAMA. 2009; 302:627-637.

PS: this is the first post (special thanksgiving edition) of the blog entitled 'Splashes from the Fountain of Youth' created by Dr. O.H. Franco MD, DSc, PhD, FESC. This blog will be posted regularly every Sunday from the 29th of November.

Mintel Global New Products Database (GNPD) presents: "BeneVia" Strength & Energy Juice Drink by HealthSpan Solutions (USA)

Company: HealthSpan Solutions

Brand: BeneVia

Category:  Non-Alcoholic Beverages

Country: USA

Price in local currency: $2.25

Price in US Dollars: $2.25

Price in Euros:   €1.5

Product Description

According to the Mintel Oxygen report, Seniors and Technology--US--April 2009, by the year 2014, seniors (aged 65+) will account for 14% of the US population, and 27% of people will be aged over 55. With the aging population growing and many seniors taking better care of their health than previous generations, there is a need for more products that speak to the defined needs and increased activity levels of this demographic. However, manufacturers must tread lightly, as overtly targeting this group in many markets may deter older consumers from purchasing these products. There is a delicate balance that must be achieved between formulating products that meet the needs of aging consumers without appearing too medicinal, and very few companies have been able to successfully achieve this position in the market. In the US, HealthSpan Solutions recently introduced a beverage that is formulated for the energy and muscular needs of aging consumers, but does not overtly target this group. The BeneVia Strength & Energy Juice Drink is a Cranberry Lemonade flavored therapeutic drink, which is claimed to improve muscle function and mobility. With 8 grams of protein per bottle, this beverage claims to contain four times more concentrated protein and amino acids than competing products. This product stands apart because it does not call out to seniors with any of the on-pack messaging, but instead is labeled as "therapeutic nutrition" and clearly details its nutritional benefits. For formulating a functional product that packs 8 grams of protein into every 8-oz. serving to support the muscle mass in aging consumers, BeneVia Strength & Energy is awarded five points in the formulation category. This company was further able to formulate and market a functional product for aging consumers without overtly targeting them. Instead, BeneVia speaks to the needs of aging consumers, making it easy for Boomers to see and understand the benefits of the beverage without feeling marginalized. It is also notable for a product aimed at older consumers to make claims relating to energy benefits, and the Strength & Energy beverage is awarded another five points for positioning. Although products for seniors' bone and joint health are growing in popularity, this appears to be the only product that specifically claims to help maintain muscle mass, and the nutritional beverage is awarded four points for originality.

In summary, on a 5 point scale they gave Benevia



5 points for Formulation

5 points for Product Positioning

4 points for Originality