Intake of Iron & Zinc Will Help Women Survive PMS

Women who follow a diet rich in iron and zinc, have an average of 40-50% less likely to encounter a condition known as premenstrual syndrome (PMS), scientists have found out of the University of Massachusetts Amherst School of Public Health and Health Sciences and Harvard. This is one of the first studies on the possibility to reduce or get rid of symptoms of PMS through diet.

The study's author, Elizabeth Bertone-Johnson, together with Patricia Chocano-Bedoya and a number of other experts and Harvard conducted an experiment involving 3000 women who are at the start of the analysis do not suffer from PMS. The study is published in the journal the American Journal of Epidemiology.

For 10 years, doctors studied the eating habits of women and assessed the likelihood of their PMS. During the testing period syndrome occurred in 1057 participants. Contrary to popular belief, not all women are confirmed PMS. At the same time, as part of this study, the experts recorded the presence of the syndrome only if it seriously affects the behaviour and mood of the fairer sex.

In parallel, the experts evaluated the differences in diet between women who were diagnosed with PMS, and women, who managed to avoid it. It turned out that a key difference is the amount of iron contained in their diets.

"We found that the presence in the diet of a large number of non-heme iron content, mostly in plant foods reduces the risk of PMS in women by 40%," says Bertone-Johnson. "We also found that a high intake of zinc can be associated with a lower risk of developing the syndrome. At the same time, we were surprised to find that women who consume large amounts of potassium are prone to PMS is much more than others." - he adds.

"The level of iron intake, which actually reduces the risk of PMS - is more than 20 mg per day, which is even higher than the recommended dose for women of pre-menopausal (18 mg per day)," said Bertone-Johnson. This is about 1 - 1.5 servings of iron-fortified cereals. "However, it should be remembered that the iron in the diet in large quantities can lead to negative consequences for health, and women should not use it in a number of more than 45 mg a day," adds the author of the study. The official report on the work of scholars have suggested that iron positive impact on PMS, because it is involved in the production of serotonin - a neurotransmitter that helps regulate mood state.

However, a large amount of potassium increased the risk of PMS by about 30%. Experts attribute this fact to the fact that potassium takes a lot of water from the body. "The recommended intake of zinc for women, according to standard medical value is 8 mg. At the same time, 15 mg can significantly reduce the risk of PMS. However, women should not consume more than 40 mg of the substance in the day" - the expert adds. As for other minerals such as magnesium, copper, sodium, manganese - no relationship between them and the ICP was identified.

Risk Factors For Alzheimer's Disease. Part Three

We continue to talk about risk factors for Alzheimer's disease.
Check Part One and Part Two.

9. Unbalanced diet
Risks for Alzheimer's disease development increases in case of consumption of fatty food and unbalanced diet. To reduce this risks it is necessary to eat products rich in vitamins of B group, vitamins C and E and complex carbohydrates.

10. Lack of physical activity
According to the data of 2006, regular exercises in people over 65 reduce risks for mental debility development by 40%. Physical activity should take not less than 15 minutes daily and not less than three times weekly. It should be noted that physical activity also lowers the risks for development of obesity and cardiovascular diseases.

11. Deficient mental activity
Just like physical activity exercises the body, mental activity exercises the brain. According to the research, visiting museums, reading newspapers and working crossword puzzles reduce the risks for  Alzheimer's disease development by 47%.

12. Social isolation
One of the factors of mental debility development is low social activity. According to the data of 2007, risks for Alzheimer's disease development increases even in case when a man has close people but he feels lonely anyway or in other words he experiences an emotional isolation.

How To Keep Your Heart Healthy

The statistics is disappointing: the number of cardiovascular diseases increases annually, moreover, heart diseases do affect young people. Often heart diseases are caused by stress, bad habits and other factors that we create ourselves. What habits should we acquire and what habits should we avoid?

Make exercises
Go to the gym or swimming pool, but before it you should necessary consult the doctor. Listen to your body and choose an optimal load and never overdo it. If you don't have enough time for fitness, you should spend more time on fresh air. Doctors recommend to get over three kilometers daily at a lively pace to train heart. You may also occupy with Nordic walking that is not only fashionable today but also healthy. The only sports equipment that you may need is special walking-sticks. Such walking trains heart and 90% of all body muscles and helps to burn 45% more calories than usual walking. Multiple studies made by Scandinavian scientists showed that one hour walking 5 times a week helps to reduce heart risks by 50%.

Follow a healthy diet
Consume more vegetables, fruits, fish, less roasted and fatty foods. Besides this, dietitians recommend to consume cereals, vegetable oils and whole-wheat bread, they prevent cholesterol increase and blood clot organization. Do not forget about strawberries, red bilberries, apricots and especially raspberries. They are rich in salicylic acid that helps to normalize blood coagulability. Desiccated raspberries contain it 20 times more than fresh berries. Also salicylic acids are found in raspberry leaves, therefore add them in tea.

Look after your weight
Excessive weight provokes increase of cholesterol level, sugar, blood pressure which increases risks for atherosclerosis. Visceral adiposopathy (fats are accumulated around internals) and obesity in abdomen area are greatest risk factors for cardiovascular diseases and more often they do affect people aged 35 – 45.

Refuse from smoking
Here everything is clear. Cigarettes and heart are antonyms.

Scientists revealed how to become a long-living person

As you known, healthy lifestyle, eating “right” food, refusal from smoking and alcohol – all those things increase longevity. But, probably, few know that these ways of cares about health can help not only lengthen life with a probability of 65-70%, and also to become a real long-living person.

A research, in which participated more than 1500 of persons over 70 years from 11 European countries, showed that in people, preferring Mediterranean food (maximum of fruits, vegetables and fish, minimum of meat and diary products - that is exactly what dietologists recommend), keeping from smoking, drinking maximum one glass of red wine per week, keeping their physical form with everyday sports minimum half an hour, the probability of death under the age of 90 goes down to 65% in comparison with average people.

It turned out that the most important factor ensuring longevity is physical activity (it lowered the probability of death on 37%), followed by refusal of smoking (35%), healthy food (23%), moderation in taking alcohol (22%). Most effectively healthy lifestyle acts upon probability of death from heart diseases, going down to 64%, blood vessel diseases (61%) and cancer (60%).

“Modern people spend great money to treat diseases that are considered age-related - ischemic heart disease, attacks, hypertension, some kinds of cancers”, said doctor Mayer Stampfler, the leader of the research, in an interview for BBC. - And why do people forget that a disease is easier to prevent than to treat? In our research participated people which just followed doctor's standard recommendations, that can do everyone. And the result is quite significant.”