Increase fiber, lower blood pressure
“You are what you eat” is an old saying originally penned in 1826 by the gastronomic food-wizard Anthelme Brillat-savarin in his essay on the physiology of gout. The same could be said for the trillions of bacteria in your guts: You are what they eat.
Researchers have known for a while that the gut biome needs to be fed soluble fiber found in grains, veggies and fruits for heart health. Now they might know that your biome also needs insoluble fiber; it adds bulk to the stool and helps food pass more quickly through the stomach and intestines, helping to protect your heart from any effects of high blood pressure.
The bacteria that gobble up insoluble fiber produce a fatty acid called propionate. According to a study in the journal Circulation, this in mice reduces cardio problems associated with high blood pressure such as abnormal enlargement of the heart, an irregular heartbeat and atherosclerosis.
Insoluble fiber comes from eating foods such as beans, 100 percent whole wheat or bran products, green beans, potatoes, cauliflower and nuts.
Exercise brain power
“You can’t separate the mind and body,” Jack Lalanne once told USA Today. The godfather of modern fitness, he lived to be 96 and learned early in life that exercise combined with proper nutrition could give your body and mind a significantly younger Realage.
A study in the journal Neurology reveals that sedentary folks 55 and older with cognitive impairment can turn back the clock nine years in just six months by doing aerobic exercise for 35 minutes three times a week! Executive functioning — neurologically based skills involving mental control and self-regulation — was what showed notable improvement. The very best cognitive improvements came to participants who followed that exercise routine and a low-sodium, high-fiber nutritional plan with lots of fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, low-fat dairy, 100 percent whole grains and lean proteins.
While this wasn’t a big study, it echoes the findings of another study out of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center that suggested physical fitness is associated with stronger neuron fibers and better executive function in folks with mild cognitive impairment. Other research also has found that aerobic exercise increases the volume of the hippocampus, the brain region responsible for memory.
Email questions for Mehmet Oz and Mike Roizen to youdocsdaily@sharecare. com.