Author Archives: Sean Wells

Defeating Diabetes: The Lifestyle Factor

Posted on April 20, 2013 by Sean Wells

  From 1990 through 2010, the number of new diabetes cases in the United States has nearly tripled, increasing from 600,000 to over 1.7 million. Such numbers legitimately place diabetes at the top of the major health concerns of the 21stcentury. In addition to the dangers it poses on its own, diabetes is also a precursor to otherlife-threatening complications such as heart disease, kidney disease and stroke. However, as a health disorder, diabetes—particularly type 2 diabetes, the variety which comprises …

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Omega-3s and Immune Health

Posted on April 7, 2013 by Sean Wells

Fish oils—rich in the omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA—have been widely researched over recent years, and are believed to help prevent disease by reducing inflammation. As beneficial as this discovery is in itself, however, there has been a lingering concern that reduced inflammation could also translate to omega-3s leading to an inhibition of the body’s natural defenses. Thanks to recent research conducted at Michigan State University, this concern has now been reduced, with the evidence suggesting that omega-3 fatty …

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Search for “The Obesity Gene” Shows Promise

Posted on March 23, 2013 by Sean Wells

It has been established that obesity is an inheritable trait—that if parents are obese, children are at higher risk. However, there is also an increasing amount of evidence to suggest that environmental and lifestyle factors such as unhealthy eating and chemical exposure can also play a role at the genetic level, influencing how DNA expresses itself. One particular gene known as LY86 is among a group of 100 genes identified as likely contributors to obesity, as determined through genome-wide association …

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Omega-3s Show Anti-Cancer Potential

Posted on March 13, 2013 by Sean Wells

Breast cancer remains the most common form of cancer in women worldwide, and is the second leading cause of female cancer deaths. Nutritional researchers have long believed that diet may provide an asset for cancer prevention, but epidemiological and experimental studies to confirm such claims have been lacking. Recent research from the University of Guelph, however, has now demonstrated that a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids can inhibit growth of breast cancer tumors by 30 percent. This is believed …

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Study Links Sugared Drinks to Overeating in Children

Posted on March 13, 2013 by Sean Wells

Over the past 30 years, consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages such as sweetened sodas, fruit drinks, sports drinks, and energy drinks, has been on a steady increase. Additionally, rates of consumption have accelerated over the past 15 years, particularly among children and teenagers. This phenomenon has been studied to the extent that sugar-sweetened beverages now go by the abbreviation “SSBs” in the area of nutritional research. Until recently, however, it was unclear what portion of the diet was specifically responsible for …

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Vitamin D and Omega-3s Found to Assist Against Alzheimer’s

Posted on February 13, 2013 by Sean Wells

Approximately 5.4 million Americans are now living with Alzheimer’s disease. While direct treatment of this disorder has proven challenging, a promising approach is to address the affliction indirectly through treatment of the associated physiological changes that either precede Alzheimer’s or occur alongside it. One such symptom is the accumulation of amyloid plaques in the brain, thought to interfere with the architecture of brain tissue and the neurological system as a whole. Recently, however, a team of academic researchers has pinpointed …

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Four Key Exercises for Cardiovascular Health

Posted on February 7, 2013 by Sean Wells

One of the most important aspects of general fitness is cardiovascular fitness—this type of fitness refers to how effectively your heart provides oxygen-enriched blood to your body’s tissues during exercise. However, because the benefits of cardiovascular fitness are present whether you are at work or at rest, achieving an optimum level of cardiovascular fitness can potentially add years to your life. Best of all, cardiovascular conditioning offers some of the greatest variety when it comes to exercise selection—in fact, any …

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Green Tea Extract Found to Benefit Brain Cells

Posted on February 2, 2013 by Sean Wells

Green tea, which remains a very popular beverage across much of the world, has been the subject of extensive research in the use of its active ingredients to help prevent cardiovascular diseases, but there is now emerging evidence that these ingredients may also impact cellular mechanisms in the brain, providing additional benefits for memory and spatial learning. “We proposed that EGCG can improve cognitive function by impacting the generation of neuron cells, a process known as neurogenesis,” said one of …

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Women’s Heart Health Linked to Antioxidants

Posted on January 30, 2013 by Sean Wells

In America, an estimated 42 million women suffer from some form of cardiovascular disease, and these afflictions are the leading cause of fatalities. However, a new study conducted in Sweden has found that a diet rich in antioxidants, found mainly in fruits, vegetables and dietary supplements, can significantly reduce the risk of heart attack in women. The study drew on data from the population-based Swedish Mammography Cohort, and followed a total of 32,561 Swedish women aged 49-83 over a period …

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Magnesium: A Mighty Mineral

Posted on January 28, 2013 by Sean Wells

Magnesium is a mineral that tends to stand in the background, quietly outside of the nutritional spotlight—until recently, that is. New research conducted over the course of the last few years has directed attention towards the myriad of metabolic functions magnesium happens to be involved in. These range from blood sugar management and electrolyte balance to hormonal regulation, immune system support and even weight loss and muscular function. When it comes to the heart—the body’s most important muscle—magnesium has also …

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