Last Minute Thanksgiving Recipes

From eNewsletter 11/27/2024

DID YOU KNOW that a recent study from The Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease purports that playing Mahjong offers substantial cognitive and social benefits for older adults?

Regular Mahjong players demonstrate improved memory, cognitive flexibility, and slower rates of cognitive decline. Additionally, the social aspect of the game offers further mental health benefits by reducing feelings of loneliness.

Mahjong has also been shown to reduce symptoms of depression. A recent study from Social Science & Medicine showed that regularly playing Mahjong was linked to reduced depression rates among middle-aged and older.

To find a game or more information, The National Mahjong League website is a great place to start!

To read the rest of today's issue, please go to this page.

Cancer Up in These Demographics

From eNewsletter 11/20/2024

DID YOU KNOW that 17 types of cancer, especially colorectal, have risen sharply in millennials and Gen X-ers in recent years?

While most experts blame this on rising obesity rates, you have to look deeper than that. What causes obesity is inflammation from diet. Results of a Frontiers in Nutrition study showed that a diet with higher inflammatory properties is associated with an increased risk of cancer and cancer-specific mortality. A Cleveland Clinic-funded study in NPJ Precision Oncology specifically pinpointed diet as the main driver of of young-onset colorectal cancer risk.

We need to eat food with less inflammatory properties, starting with added sugars.

To read the rest of today's issue, please go to this page.

Fish Oil and Mental Health

From eNewsletter 11/18/2024

DID YOU KNOW that there's a difference between vitamin B12 deficiency and functional vitamin B-12 deficiency?

According to a study from Journal of the American Nutrition Association, vitamin B-12 deficiency is discovered from low blood levels of vitamin B12 (cobalamin) and/or methylmalonic acid. Functional deficiency is defined as high blood levels of vitamin B12 (cobalamin) and/or methylmalonic acid.

Why would high levels be considered a deficiency? As we've seen for years, because of genetic predisposition, vitamin B12 may be malabsorbed and instead of being utilized at the cellular level, it just circulates in the blood, causing high levels. This is why we recommend genetic testing. Those with mutations of vitamin B12 genes can use a source such as adenosyl/hydroxy that is better absorbed.

There are caveats to the aforementioned. For those already supplementing with vitamin B12, B-complex, or high-dose multi, if you do not stop your supplements 48 hours prior to your blood draw, levels can be artificially high but does not mean you have functional deficiency.

To read the res of today's issue, please go to this page.