How Betaine Mimics Exercise & Slows Aging
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…and other items from this week’s health news:
Betaine benefits
Not to be mistaken for the (also very beneficial) betalains such as betanin, which we’ve previously discussed in the context of beetroot, whence the name.
This one is also related to beets, though! Specifically, it was first isolated from sugar beets, though those are certainly not the best sources (actually spinach is better, if you’ve no problems with oxalates, which spinach is high in; oxalates aren’t a relevant consideration for most people, but can cause problems if you have certain existing kidney issues).
Most recently, research has found that oral betaine reproduces many benefits of long-term exercise—including calmer inflammation, better metabolism, improved cognition, and reduced depression.
Normally, long-term exercise prompts the kidneys to produce more betaine, which coordinates whole-body anti-aging signals, and there’s a balance, because a single intense workout creates temporary inflammation and metabolic stress, while sustained training builds the body’s resilience, strengthens immunity, and improves metabolic stability in the long run.
So, you can exercise, or get it as part of your diet, or supplement it, or a combination of the above!
Read in full: Scientists find a molecule that mimics exercise and slows aging
Related: Younger You – by Kara Fitzgerald ← a book we reviewed that also discusses betaine, albeit without this latest research, of course.
Asbestos for kids
Not common news in this century, but here we are! Colored sand, sold for children’s use in creative play, has been found to contain asbestos (tremolite and/or chrysotile).
The good news is, what’s not been found is the most dangerous form (crocidolite).
Nevertheless, there is no good kind of asbestos to give to kids. As for how it got there, the sand was likely contaminated during manufacture, either from crushed rock containing naturally occurring asbestos or from a dyed-sand production process involving asbestos-contaminated equipment or materials.
This is particularly dangerous, because (as New Yorkers will know) asbestos poses its greatest danger when airborne and inhaled; long-latency diseases mean younger people have more years ahead for illness to develop, and even a single low-level exposure carries a risk.
Read in full: Asbestos has been found in children’s coloured sand. What’s the risk to kids?
Related: Asbestos in mulch? Here’s the risk if you’ve been exposed
hypnosis vs menopause
Well, it won’t stop the menopause itself. But, menopausal symptoms? Yes!
Researchers (Dr. Carrie Lafferty et al.) did a study with 250 postmenopausal women (average age 56) experiencing at least four hot flashes per day. What they found was that hypnosis reduced hot flash scores by 53%.
The study describes it as self-hypnosis, but that’s slightly misleading: those in the intervention group (as opposed to the sham control) used a 20-minute daily hypnosis audio with relaxation cues, while the sham group listened to white noise labeled as hypnosis to match expectancy. Furthermore, those who practiced more consistently experienced larger symptom reductions, showing a dose–response relationship.
To put it into context, hypnosis produced more consistent, clinically meaningful improvements than cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) typically does.
Read in full: Self-hypnosis cuts menopausal hot flashes by half
Related: How Much Can Hypnotherapy Really Do? ← our mythbusting special on hypnotherapy
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The End Of Diabetes – by Dr. Joel Fuhrman
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We’ve previously reviewed another of Dr. Fuhrman’s books, “Eat To Live”, and this time, he’s focusing specifically on preventing/reversing type 2 diabetes.
And yes, this is really only about type 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetics can still benefit from this dietary approach (it won’t cure T1D but it will help manage it), as indeed can people with one of the rarer forms of diabetes or for that matter people with no diabetes at all (it’s great for all of us to avoid blood sugar spikes and improve insulin sensitivity)… But this book is written with the type diabetic firmly in mind.
The title “The End Of…” is fair, by the way—on an individual level, at the very least. While most doctors treat type 2 diabetes as a lifelong condition to be managed, the simple (well-evidenced and honestly uncontroversial at this point) truth is that it can be reversed. So, why not do that?
The dietary approach here is sensible: eat many plants, aim for high protein, high fiber, low carb, and limit animal products to just small portions of those that don’t spike insulin levels.
It’s worth noting that Dr. Fuhrman’s “Nutritarian Diet” (which works by assigning all foods a single numerical aggregate nutritional value) has been criticised as being pseudoscientific, and technically it is (there is no evidence-base that optimizing nutrients in this fashion is best; indeed, it could result in missing out on some nutrients that are critical but occur only in otherwise lower-scoring foods—see for example if someone notes how highly Brussels sprouts score and decides to eat only Brussels sprouts, thus missing out on nutrients that aren’t in this otherwise top-tier food), but in practical application, it clearly works well and helps people to eat more nutritionally-dense foods, on balance, which can only be a good thing.
The style of the book is information-dense pop-science (with more than 20 pages of bibliography to back it up), with also a recipe section (60 pages of that). The recipes are a touch on the basic side for this reviewer’s tastes, but perhaps that’s no bad thing—it provides a good “base” from which we can all personalize our recipes according to our preferences and local availability of ingredients.
Bottom line: whether or not you (and/or a loved one) are diabetic, this is a great book for understanding glycemic control and insulin sensitivity, and a great resource for improving those in one’s own life and one’s own body.
Click here to check out The End Of Diabetes, and put an end to diabetes!
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It’s Not A Diet – by Davinia Taylor
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A lot of diet books claim “it’s not a diet”, even when the titles are things like “The Such-and-Such Diet”.
This time, we get to see the claim as the title itself, so, how does it measure up?
Honestly, we’ll agree it’s not a diet. Yes, there is nutritional advice, and nothing that will be too shocking to regular 10almonds readers. Avoid processed foods, get plenty of fruit and veg, skip the alcohol. She leans towards keto, but isn’t evangelical about it despite selling a line of keto products herself. All in all, it can be called dietary guidance, but not reasonably “a diet” in any meaningful sense of the word.
The only counterpoint is that there is, for those who like that sort of thing, a “two-week reset programme”, which we might consider a diet, given it is clearly prescriptive with its meal plan.
She also talks sleep, hydration, stress management, movement, and so forth. Again, nothing that will surprise the well-informed reader. So, what does this book have to offer that we’re not assuming knowledge of?
Informationally, very little. But inspirationally, rather more, and a lot is about integrating healthier changes into your life and making them actually stick—and that’s where the real value of the book lies.
The style is, as with her other book “Futureproof” that we reviewed all so recently, again very direct and personable, and/but has a normal British amount of casual swearing that might shock some American readers. There’s a lot less science in this book than her other one, so there’s no bibliography per se, just an “acknowledgements” section at the back.
Bottom line: if you know what you need to do but struggle more with actually doing it, this book can help with that.
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Synergistic Brain-Training
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Let The Games Begin (But It Matters What Kind)
Exercise is good for brain health; we’ve written about this before, for example:
How To Reduce Your Alzheimer’s Risk ← there are many advices here, but exercise, especially cardiovascular exercise in this case, is an important item on the list!
Today it’s Psychology Sunday though, and we’re going to talk about looking after brain health by means of brain-training, via games.
“Brain-training” gets a lot of hype and flak:
- Hype: do sudoku every day and soon you will have an IQ of 200 and still have a sharp wit at the age of 120
- Flak: brain-training is usually training only one kind of cognitive function, with limited transferability to the rest of life
The reality is somewhere between the two. Brain training really does improve not just outwardly measurable cognitive function, but also internally measurable improvements visible on brain scans, for example:
- Cognitive training modified age-related brain changes in older adults with subjective memory decline
- Functional brain changes associated with cognitive training in healthy older adults: A preliminary ALE meta-analysis
But what about the transferability?
Let us play
This is where game-based brain-training comes in. And, the more complex the game, the better the benefits, because there is more chance of applicability to life, e.g:
- Sudoku: very limited applicability
- Crosswords: language faculties
- Chess: spatial reasoning, critical path analysis, planning, memory, focus (also unlike the previous two, chess tends to be social for most people, and also involve a lot of reading, if one is keen)
- Computer games: wildly varied depending on the game. While an arcade-style “shoot-em-up” may do little for the brain, there is a lot of potential for a lot of much more relevant brain-training in other kinds of games: it could be planning, problem-solving, social dynamics, economics, things that mirror the day-to-day challenges of running a household, even, or a business.
- It’s not that the skills are useful, by the way. Playing “Stardew Valley” will not qualify you to run a real farm, nor will playing “Civilization” qualify you to run a country. But the brain functions used and trained? Those are important.
It becomes easily explicable, then, why these two research reviews with very similar titles got very different results:
- A Game a Day Keeps Cognitive Decline Away? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Commercially-Available Brain Training Programs in Healthy and Cognitively Impaired Older Adults
- Game-based brain training for improving cognitive function in community-dwelling older adults: A systematic review and meta-regression
The first review found that game-based brain-training had negligible actual use. The “games” they looked at? BrainGymmer, BrainHQ, CogMed, CogniFit, Dakim, Lumosity, and MyBrainTrainer. In other words, made-for-purpose brain-trainers, not actual computer games per se.
The second reviewfound that game-based training was very beneficial. The games they looked at? They didn’t name them, but based on the descriptions, they were actual multiplayer online turn-based computer games, not made-for-purpose brain-trainers.
To summarize the above in few words: multiplayer online turn-based computer games outperform made-for-purpose brain-trainers for cognitive improvement.
Bringing synergy
However, before you order that expensive gaming-chair for marathon gaming sessions (research suggests a tail-off in usefulness after about an hour of continuous gaming per session, by the way), be aware that cognitive training and (physical) exercise training combined, performed close in time to each other or simultaneously, perform better than the sum of either alone:
See also:
❝Simultaneous training was the most efficacious approach for cognition, followed by sequential combinations and cognitive training alone, and significantly better than physical exercise.
Our findings suggest that simultaneously and sequentially combined interventions are efficacious for promoting cognitive alongside physical health in older adults, and therefore should be preferred over implementation of single-domain training❞
~ Dr. Hanna Malmberg Gavelin et al.
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Top 11 Supplements For Women’s Healthy Aging
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Dr. Shereene Idris explains her top picks:
Idris’ Eleven
How many of these do you take?
- Vitamin D3 and K2 support bone, mood, and DNA protection by improving calcium absorption, strengthening bones, boosting immunity and serotonin balance, and helping keep telomeres longer for better cellular longevity; vitamin K2 directs calcium into bones and teeth instead of arteries (aim for 1,000–2,000 IU of D3 with 180 µg of K2 daily)
- Omega-3s reduce inflammation and support brain, heart, and skin health by keeping cell membranes hydrated, lowering triglycerides, stabilizing mood, and reducing brain fog; they also keep skin healthy and slow down inflammatory aging (take about 1,000 mg of combined EPA and DHA with meals)
- Magnesium promotes sleep and calm by supporting over 300 reactions related to muscle relaxation, melatonin, and GABA production; it helps lower cortisol, relieves cramps, and aids recovery (use 200–400 mg daily, choosing glycinate for maintenance or citrate against constipation)
- Probiotics and prebiotics improve gut, hormone, and immune balance by restoring good bacteria, enhancing digestion and nutrient absorption, regulating estrogen, and reducing bloating and inflammation (take 10–20 billion CFUs of mixed strains daily)
- A general multivitamin-and-minerals supplement fills dietary gaps and supports energy by providing essential micronutrients like zinc, iodine, selenium, and folate; it helps counter nutrient depletion from stress and protects cells from oxidative aging (take one daily with food)
- Iron restores vitality and oxygen delivery by supporting hemoglobin and energy for muscles, brain, and hair growth; it’s especially important for women with heavy periods or fatigue (take about 18 mg daily, or 50–100 mg under medical guidance, with vitamin C and without coffee, dairy, or calcium)
- Coenzyme Q10 fuels mitochondria and heart health by boosting ATP production and acting as a protective antioxidant; it’s key for people on statins and supports longevity through mitochondrial resilience (take 100–200 mg daily with food)
- Adaptogens (e.g. ashwagandha and rhodiola) balance stress hormones and energy by regulating cortisol, supporting thyroid and adrenal health, and reducing anxiety, mood swings, and hot flashes; they also protect telomeres and lower inflammation (use 600 mg ashwagandha or 200–400 mg rhodiola daily)
- Evening primrose oil (GLA) supports hormones and skin hydration by supplying gamma-linolenic acid, which eases PMS, improves elasticity, and maintains moisture during perimenopause (take 500–1,000 mg daily)
- Curcumin and resveratrol fight inflammation and promote longevity by activating antioxidant and longevity pathways that reduce joint stiffness, protect neurons, and slow inflammatory aging (take 500–1,000 mg curcumin (with black pepper) and 100–250 mg resveratrol daily)
- Creatine maintains muscle, strength, and brain function by recycling ATP in muscles and neurons, preserving lean mass, mental clarity, and recovery—especially during perimenopause (take 3–5 g daily mixed into a glass of water)
Yes, some of those are bundled so it could be called more than 11, but that’s how she counted them, so we’ll keep her count here 🙂
For more on all of this, enjoy:
Click Here If The Embedded Video Doesn’t Load Automatically!
Want to learn more?
You might also like:
12 Most Powerful Supplements and Foods to Increase Energy & Slow Down Aging
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The Other Significant Others – by Rhaina Cohen
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As we get older, it’s a function of statistics that increasingly many of us are divorced or widowed. While some will—after whatever time seems right to them—get back into dating, what about those of us who decide that we won’t?
Rhaina Cohen explores the importance of friendship, mutual support, and (Platonic!) closeness and yes, even kinds of intimacy (for that too can be Platonic!) as we go on.
Even from a purely evolutionary approach, we are fundamentally social creatures, and while as individuals we may exist on a spectrum from reclusive to extroverted, we all thrive better when we at least have access to community and friends.
The style of the book is easy-reading and exploratory, and is very compelling as a call-to-arms for those who may wish to give/receive support to/from those with whom we are not necessarily sleeping.
Because at the end of the day, why should sex and/or romance be a required feature for legal protections? Aren’t we adults who can make our own decisions about whom we trust to care for us?
Bottom line: if you’re happily partnered and expect to pre-decease your partner, this book might not be directly important for you (it might for your partner, though). Everyone else? This book may be important at some point. That point might even be now already; only you know.
Click here to check out The Other Significant Others, and make your own choices in life!
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What To Leave Off Your Table (To Stay Off This Surgeon’s)
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Why we eat too much (and how we can fix that)
This is Dr. Andrew Jenkinson. He’s a Consultant Surgeon specializing in the treatment of obesity, gallstones, hernias, heartburn and abdominal pain. He runs regular clinics in both London and Dubai. What he has to offer us today, though, is insight as to what’s on our table that puts us on his table, and how we can quite easily change that up.
So, why do we eat too much?
First things first: some metabolic calculations. No, we’re not going to require you to grab a calculator here… Your body does it for you!
Our body’s amazing homeostatic system (the system that does its best to keep us in the “Goldilocks Zone” of all our bodily systems; not too hot or too cold, not dehydrated or overhydrated, not hyperglycemic or hypoglycemic, blood pressure not too high or too low, etc, etc) keeps track of our metabolic input and output.
What this means: if we increase or decrease our caloric consumption, our body will do its best to increase or decrease our metabolism accordingly:
- If we don’t give it enough energy, it will try to conserve energy (first by slowing our activities; eventually by shutting down organs in a last-ditch attempt to save the rest of us)
- If we give it too much energy, it will try to burn it off, and what it can’t burn, it will store
In short: if we eat 10% or 20% more or less than usual, our body will try to use 10% to 20% more or less than usual, accordingly.
So… How does this get out of balance?
The problem is in how our system does that, and how we inadvertently trick it, to our detriment.
For a system to function, it needs at its most base level two things—a sensor and a switch:
- A sensor: to know what’s going on
- A switch: to change what it’s doing accordingly
Now, if we eat the way we’re evolved to—as hunter-gatherers, eating mostly fruit and vegetables, supplemented by animal products when we can get them—then our body knows exactly what it’s eating, and how to respond accordingly.
Furthermore, that kind of food takes some eating! Most fruit these days is mostly water and fiber; in those days it often had denser fiber (before agricultural science made things easier to eat), but either way, our body knows when we are eating fruit and how to handle that. Vegetables, similarly. Unprocessed animal products, again, the gut goes “we know what this is” and responds accordingly.
But modern ultra-processed foods with trans-fatty acids, processed sugar and flour?
These foods zip calories straight into our bloodstream like greased lightning. We get them so quickly so easily and in such great caloric density, that our body doesn’t have the chance to count them on the way in!
What this means is: the body has no idea what it’s just consumed or how much or what to do with it, and doesn’t adjust our metabolism accordingly.
Bottom line:
Evolutionarily speaking, your body has no idea what ultra-processed food is. If you skip it and go for whole foods, you can, within the bounds of reason, eat what you like and your body will handle it by adjusting your metabolism accordingly.
Now, advising you “avoid ultra-processed foods and eat whole foods” was probably not a revelation in and of itself.
But: sometimes knowing a little more about the “why” makes the difference when it comes to motivation.
Want to know more about Dr. Jenkinson’s expert insights on this topic?
If you like, you can check out his website here—he has a book too
Why We Eat (Too Much) – Dr. Andrew Jenkinson on the Science of Appetite
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