Coffee May Reverse Alzheimer's Disease!

Time to gulp down that magic liquid and put off cognitive decline!

Coffee 'may reverse Alzheimer's'

Drinking five cups of coffee a day could reverse memory problems seen in Alzheimer's disease, US scientists say.

The Florida research, carried out on mice, also suggested caffeine hampered the production of the protein plaques which are the hallmark of the disease.

Previous research has also suggested a protective effect from caffeine.

But British experts said the Journal of Alzheimer's disease study did not mean that dementia patients should start using caffeine supplements.

“ The results are particularly exciting in that a reversal of pre-existing memory impairment is more difficult to achieve ”
Dr Gary Arendash University of South Florida

The 55 mice used in the University of South Florida study had been bred to develop symptoms of Alzheimer's disease.

First the researchers used behavioural tests to confirm the mice were exhibiting signs of memory impairment when they were aged 18 to 19 months, the equivalent to humans being about 70.

Then they gave half the mice caffeine in their drinking water. The rest were given plain water.

The mice were given the equivalent of five 8 oz (227 grams) cups of coffee a day - about 500 milligrams of caffeine.

The researchers say this is the same as is found in two cups of "specialty" coffees such as lattes or cappuccinos from coffee shops, 14 cups of tea, or 20 soft drinks.

When the mice were tested again after two months, those who were given the caffeine performed much better on tests measuring their memory and thinking skills and performed as well as mice of the same age without dementia.

Those drinking plain water continued to do poorly on the tests.

In addition, the brains of the mice given caffeine showed nearly a 50% reduction in levels of the beta amyloid protein, which forms destructive clumps in the brains of dementia patients.

Further tests suggested caffeine affects the production of both the enzymes needed to produce beta amyloid.

The researchers also suggest that caffeine suppresses inflammatory changes in the brain that lead to an overabundance of the protein.

Earlier research by the same team had shown younger mice, who had also been bred to develop Alzheimer's but who were given caffeine in their early adulthood, were protected against the onset of memory problems.

'Safe drug'

Dr Gary Arendash, who led the latest study, told the BBC: "The results are particularly exciting in that a reversal of pre-existing memory impairment is more difficult to achieve.

"They provide evidence that caffeine could be a viable 'treatment' for established Alzheimer's disease and not simply a protective strategy.

"That's important because caffeine is a safe drug for most people, it easily enters the brain, and it appears to directly affect the disease process."

The team now hope to begin human trials of caffeine to see if the mouse findings are replicated in people.

They do not know if a lower amount of caffeine would be as effective, but said most people could safely consume the 500 milligrams per day.

However they said people with high blood pressure, and pregnant women, should limit their daily caffeine intake.

Rebecca Wood, chief executive of the Alzheimer's Research Trust, said: "In this study on mice with symptoms of Alzheimer's, researchers found that caffeine boosted their memory. We need to do more research to find out whether this effect will be seen in people."

"It is too early to say whether drinking coffee or taking caffeine supplements will help people with Alzheimer's."

Neil Hunt, chief executive of the Alzheimer's Society, said previous research into caffeine had suggested it could delay Alzheimer's disease and even protect against vascular dementia.

"This research in mice suggests that coffee may actually reverse some element of memory impairment."

"However much more research is needed to determine whether drinking coffee has the same impact in people.

"It is too soon to say whether a cup of coffee is anything more than a pleasant pick me up."

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/health/8132122.stm

How To Avoid Getting Old

by Tom Furman


"Be like water."-Bruce Lee "Be like a child." - Tom Furman

Years ago, someone said something that was funny, but true. " When you stop doing something, you will soon not be able to do it." There is much truth in this. The amount of time that you let pass between the practice of skills erodes pathways that connect from the mind to the muscles. Think of it as walking through a field of weeds. The more you walk through the field, the less the weeds grow and you begin to get a path that is easy to follow and provides little resistance. If you frequently "cut through other fields of weeds", you have little fear that the initial resistance will be permanent and you will have many paths to follow. It takes only infrequent trips to keep the path clear and movement effortless. This is similar to basic movement skills like running, jumping, squatting, lifting, climbing, pushing, crawling, balancing, swimming and so one. If you simply practice these movements with some frequency, duration, intensity, and progression, you will put off the aging process.

The first step is returning to the actions of childhood. When we were children we were told to sit on the floor to allow the adults to have chairs. We even preferred the floor. Most babies struggle from their parents arms to get on the floor and crawl on all fours, roll, push, pull, and balance on two legs. It's totally natural and lost in most adults. The starting point is more time on the floor and less on the chair. Watch TV on the floor, read a book on the floor, or just feel free to move around down there. This requires no money, little time, and no equipment. There can be no excuses about anti aging being expensive or gym memberships being inconvenient. Start with some simple sitting, and use back support like the couch to start. Try straight legged, bent legged, cross legged, etc. Spend time on your stomach, your back, your side, and all fours. Move from your back to your side to your stomach with some grace and support yourself without letting your torso sag. This will only take minutes a day and the results will be outstanding.

The second step is to try squatting. This is a lost art with most adults. Squatting is totally natural and contrary to the Urban Myth, very good for the lower body and knees. You should hold onto support at first. Heels should stay flat. This will take some time. Move slowly and if it takes several weeks or several months, that's fine. Focus on a chest up posture with your knees tracking your toes which should be pointed slightly outward. It's a good idea to push out with the thighs as if you were prying your legs apart. This will activate your buttocks and make squatting more efficient. The pressure should be felt in your hips and butt and not on the knees. The action becomes more balanced when you gradually gain movement and flexibility and your heels settle on the ground for a true squat that is practiced around the world as a resting position. An intermediate position is a half squat or lunge position. One knee up, one knee down. You can pad the lower leg or do this on a soft surface. Come in and out of the position with thigh strength alone. You should not need support. Practicing this movement will help your balance as well.

The third step is pulling. This requires you to get proficient at lifting your body off the ground by hanging on an overhead support. It's more commonly called a pull up. There are two reasons you can't do pull ups. You are either too fat or too weak. If your pulling muscles get stronger and you get leaner, pulling yourself will get easier. In the meantime, grab the edges of the doorway, lean back and do a pulling motion to upright yourself. There are many variations you can think of. The best place to practice this exercise is a ParCourse at a park. They are free, common, and provide great training equipment. They have plenty of stations to practice pulling at. Once you feel confident with "doorway" pulls, you can practice "cheating" pulls by jumping or stepping to the top of a pullup motion and holding yourself up there for a longer and longer count. Eventually you will gain the strength to pull yourself up with NO help. Then it's a numbers game. The more you pull, the better you get.

The fourth step is pushing. The greatest bang for the buck exercise is push ups. They require body alignment, abdominal strength, chest strength, shoulder strength, and tricep strength. If you can't do just one, start by stepping away from the wall and using that as a base for "push aways". Gradually work down to the floor for pushups from your knees. Keep the body in a straight line, with abdominals braced, and elbows close to your sides. When these become effortless, move on to the real thing. Both men and women are capable of these and should practice them BEFORE ever thinking of lifting weights.

There are many, many, steps beyond this but this will get you started. When you take natural movement and practice this to the highest level, you begin to look like the Brazilian based fitness called Ginastica Natural. Here's a clip and and idea of what "keep the pathways open" looks like.

Yetta is 82 and Absolutely Amazing!

by Robin White



This lovely, absolutely adorable lady lives in my neighborhood and I had the good fortune of seeing her today in the pool. I met her about a year ago in the same pool and she had a broken arm. She was in the pool doing some of her daily exercises and I was amazed by her then and talked to her for a long time. She is just a charming person, bright and spunky with a great sense of humor with the greatest attitude and zest for life. She just radiates energy. She is lean and gorgeous. She gets in the pool every day with her bright pink noodle and moves around like someone 50 years her junior. She plays bridge and does Jazzercize 4 times per week! She says the secret to staying young and beautiful is to "keep moving". Yetta is the picture of health at 82 and I am following her advice folks! She is definitely my hero.

When anyone tells me they can't exercise or they are too old to do this or that or my personal favorite: "Wait till you get to my age, you'll see", I will just refer them to Yetta for an earful. She complains a little about her same-age friends who won't accompany her to exercise class. They think she is crazy for doing all that moving around, but Yetta doesn't listen, and why should she? In the famous words of Billy Crystal, Yetta...joo look mahvelous!