Dr. Curtis McElroy

Category: Internal Medicine

  • The DASH Diet for Brain Health

    The DASH Diet for Brain Health

    Senior health has become a major focus in the past decade or so as the so-called Baby Boomer generation hit 50, and now 70.

    With an aging population has come more cases of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and other forms of dementia than ever before.

    As scientists study AD in the desperate hope of finding some form of prevention or cure, they’ve noted that many AD patients have certain things in common.

    They are often overweight, eat a lot of processed foods, focus on carbohydrates rather than healthier foods, and have high blood pressure.

    The DASH diet has been proven in relation to heart health, but can it also help with brain health and reduce your risk of AD?

    What is the DASH diet?

    The DASH diet, Dietary Approaches to Stopping Hypertension (High Blood Pressure) is a free diet that was developed when researchers noted just how many cases of high blood pressure (HBP) were developing in the US. Blood pressure tended to rise as we got older, and at first, was considered a normal and not too dangerous part of aging.

    However, fast forward to 2016, and we now know that HBP contributes to a range of life-threatening diseases, including heart attack, stroke, and kidney disease. Recent recommendations therefore state that everyone, no matter what their age, should try to maintain a healthy blood pressure of 120 over 70.

    The DASH diet was developed in order to help people stay within that normal range through diet alone, not medication. The results have been impressive.

    The DASH diet-easy eating

    The DASH diet is pretty easy to follow, and there are lots of free resources online to help you get the most out of it. The eating plan emphasizes whole grains, fruits, vegetables, fat-free or low-fat dairy, seafood, poultry, beans, seeds, and nuts. It contains less salt and sodium, sweets, added sugars, fats, and red meats than the typical American eats.

    Salt is a major contributor to blood pressure because it causes us to retain water. Eating a diet low in salt by steering clear of canned food and ones that are preserved through salting and/or smoking, such as cold cuts, is key to lowering HBP.

    DASH recommendations are spread over eight food groups:

    * Vegetables
    * Fruits
    * Grains
    * Fat-free dairy
    * Lean protein
    * Nuts, seeds and legumes (peas, lentils, peanuts)
    * Fats and oils
    * Sweets and added sugars

    Eat more of the items at the top of the list each day, and few to none at the bottom of the list, and see if you can get your HBP down and boost your brain health.

  • Red Wine And Longevity

    The Health Benefits Of Red Wine

    Have you been looking for more reasons to enjoy red wine? Well the good news is it really does provide you with a host of health benefits.

    Just remember to limit yourself to no more than five glasses per week (and certainly no more than two glasses a day).redwineandlongevity

     

     

     

     

    Just look at the following incredible health benefits of red wine.

    Heart Health
    Red wine contains a variety of active compounds that contain properties to protect your heart health, including quercetin, polyphenols, and resveratrol. There have been numerous studies looking at how moderate enjoyment of red wine can be beneficial to various aspects which relate to heart disease.

    According to the Mayo Clinic, resveratrol can prevent blood clots from forming, raise healthy levels of cholesterol, and help prevent the damage that bad cholesterol causes arteries.

    According to the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, found that Quercetin promotes heart health through reducing inflammation, and regulating blood pressure.

    Fights Bad Cholesterol

    A study from Copenhagen’s Royal Veterinary and Agriculture University found that the level of wine consumption was directly related to the level of good cholesterol, with participants seeing an improvement of 5% after enjoying red wine in moderation.

    Additionally, Australia’s Curtin University completed a study that discovered that regularly drinking red wine could reduce the level of bad cholesterol, specifically in postmenopausal women.

    Free Radical Fighting

    Free radicals build up in your system and cause a variety of diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular problems, arthritis, neurodegenerative diseases, and more. Red wine contains antioxidants that counteract the stress that is caused by free radicals. These antioxidants bolster your immune system, and reduce the risk of a variety of serious health problems.

    Diabetes Management

    Red wine can reduce the speed with which glucose passes into the bloodstream through the small intestine. This helps with the prevention of blood sugar spikes that type 2 diabetes causes.

    When consumed in moderation, red wine can form part of a diet plan for those with type 2 diabetes. The reason that red wine is so much more effective than white wine is because red wine contains over ten times the number of polyphenols.

    Prevents Weight Gain

    The grapes that are used in red wine contain piceatannol, and this is similar in structure to the compound resveratrol. However, what piceatannol does is block immature fat cells from growing.

    Where it is present, it prevents cell development from progressing. It’s so effective at this because it can destroy these fat cells early on in the process, thus preventing the accumulation of fat cells and gains in body mass.

    How? By binding to the insulin receptors that are located in the fat cells, and then blocking insulin from controlling the cycle of those cells. Additionally, it blocks the activity of insulin to activate fat formation genes.

    Dementia Preventing

    The Mediterranean diet has long been known for its vast health benefits. Red wine is central to the diet, and according to the National Institute on Aging, those who follow it reduce the risk of dementia by 48%.

    There has been more research completed on red wine as an effective preventative measure for Alzheimer’s.

    It is resveratrol that is highlighted as the key compound in red wine that can prevent or slow down the progression of dementia. This is because of its ability to reduce inflammation, and serve as a protectant to neurons.

    Red Wine Ingredients

    The reason that red wine is so beneficial to health is due to its ingredients, it’s the flavonoid content which boosts your health.

    Quercetin is known for its ability to impact heart disease, chronic disease, allergies, high cholesterol, diabetes, skin disorders, gout, stomach ulcers, eye issues, cancer, and cognitive impairments.

    Resveratrol is another key compound, and it is known for its ability to support the health of cells and tissues, protect against diabetes, promote circulation, fight oxidative stress, protect against cancer, prevent premature aging, and improve energy.

  • Skin Cancer and Melanomas – What You Need to Know

    Skin Cancer and Melanomas – What You Need to Know

    Having a doctor tell you, “It’s cancer,” can be life-changing. There are numerous treatments for a wide variety of cancers, but as with many conditions, the best cure is prevention. Experts tell us that skin cancer is greatly preventable, by astute management of solar exposure.

    Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer by far, and melanoma is less common than other varieties. It is the third most commonly diagnosed skin cancer.

    However, melanoma skin cancer is also much more likely to spread than those other more common cancers of the skin. Is also the most dangerous form of skin cancer, because the DNA damage is irreversible. This often triggers mutations that lead to malignant tumors. What you may think is a simple mole could be a melanoma tumor, caused in the vast majority of cases by intense UV exposure. This is why wearing sunscreen is so important if you are outdoors and exposed to the sun for more than 10 or 20 minutes at a time.

    A single, significant and prolonged exposure can cause melanoma, or it may develop over time from continued UV exposure.

    There is good news though. Identified and treated early, melanoma can almost always be cured. The problem is when it begins to spread and advance throughout the body, multiplying and hiding in places that are very hard to treat.

    Melanoma deaths in the United States number more than 10,000 annually. The death toll globally is thought to be somewhere between 50,000 and 100,000 every year. If you notice a mole or growth on your skin, don’t take any chances. Get it checked out immediately.

    Melanoma can appear as a black or brown spot, but may alternately be red, purple, blue, pink or even white. If you are concerned about a small growth or discoloration somewhere on your skin, have a dermatologist or your general practitioner take a look, just to be on the safe side.

    2 Most Common Forms of Skin Cancer

    It is believed that somewhere between 10% and 20% of all people will develop some type of skin cancer in their lifetime. In the United States, roughly 1 in every 7 people can pencil in a date with skin cancer, and it is found in young and old alike. Research shows a single serious sunburn can elevate your risk of developing skin cancer by as much as 50%. The following are the 2 most common forms of cancer of the skin.

    ” Basal Cell Carcinoma

    This skin cancer affects roughly 800,000 Americans annually. This is far and away the most common form of skin cancer, and the roughly 3% occurrence rate in the US is also found in other modern countries. Chronic exposure to sunlight is the leading cause of basal cell carcinomas, most often found in those of middle age or over. If you have fair skin, blonde or red hair and blue, gray or green eyes, your risk is elevated. Basal cell carcinoma will not spread.

    ” Squamous Cell Carcinoma

    This is the second most common skin cancer, occurring in the outer layer of the skin. Again, middle-aged and elderly people, those with fair complexions and anyone who undergoes frequent sun exposure are at the highest risk. You may notice a bump or red, scaly patches on the lips, the face, the ears or the mouth, which is a telltale sign of Squamous Cell Carcinoma. If not treated in a timely manner, this type of skin cancer can spread to other areas of the body.

Copyright @ 2017 DrCurtisMcElroy