Memory: Scientists are reporting the first evidence from human research that blueberries – one of the richest sources of healthful antioxidants and other phytochemicals – improve memory. previous studies in laboratory animals suggest that eating blueberries may help boost memory in the aged, but until now there had been little scientific work aimed at testing the effect of blueberries on memory in people. The research, published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, found that participants who drank blueberry juice showed significant improvement on learning and memory tests. “These findings are encouraging and suggest that consistent supplementation with blueberries may offer an approach to forestall or mitigate neurodegeneration,” said the authors of the report.

Probiotics: Bacteria that produce compounds to reduce inflammation could be used to treat inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The research published in the February issue of the Journal of Medical Microbiology explains that probiotic microbes could be the most successful treatment to date for IBD, a disease in which there is inflammation of the gastro-intestinal tract followed by severe diarrhea and abdominal pain, and is also related to Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. IBD is known to be the result of an overactive immune response linked to an imbalance of the normal types of bacteria found in the gut. The study has identified two strains of bacteria, Faecalibacterium prausnitzil and Butricicoccus pullicaecorum, that have been shown to help treat the symptoms of IBD.

Perception: We think we see thinks as they are. But according to a study published in the journal Psychological Science, it is desire that may influence how we see our surroundings. The research carried out by scientists from New York University and Cornell University involved participants estimating how far a water bottle was from where they were sitting. Half of the volunteers drank water before the experiment while the other half ate salty pretzels that made them thirsty. The results showed that the thirsty volunteers estimated the water bottles being closer to them than the volunteers who had drank water before. These findings indicate that when we want something, we actually view it as being physically close to us. The authors explained that “these biases arise in order to encourage perceivers to engage in behaviors leading to the acquisition of the object.” In other words, if you want it bad, your mind will help pump you up about getting it. “So close, I can taste it!”

Parenting: Caring for children may include daily difficulties but now it looks like there is one particular health benefit of parenting – for mom. A study to be published in the journal Annals of Behavioral Medicine found that parenthood is associated with lower blood pressure, particularly among women. “Deriving a sense of meaning and purpose from life’s stress has been shown to be associated with better health outcomes,” says study author Julianne Holt-Lunstad. This doesn’t mean the more kids you have the better your blood-pressure – the findings are simply tied to parenthood regardless of how many kids you have. For those who don’t have children: Exercise and a low-sodium diet will also help lower blood-pressure.

Bones: The role of Vitamin D in bone health has finally been determined. A large study that involved patients from the United States and Europe found that taking both Vitamin D and calcium supplements on a daily basis reduces the risk of bone fractures, regardless of whether a person is young or old, male or female, or has had fractures in the past. “This study supports a growing consensus that combined calcium and Vitamin D is more effective than Vitamin D alone in reducing a variety of fractures”, said John Robbins, co-author of the article which appears in the British Medical Journal. While dosage is yet to be determined, there are natural ways to get Vitamin D (15 minutes out in the sun on a daily basis will do the trick) and calcium (eating a good amount of green leafy vegetables like Kale and algaes like hijiki) without a prescription.

Alternative: In the largest national survey of its kind, researchers from UCLA and UC San Diego measured medical students’ attitudes and beliefs about complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and found that three-quarters of them felt conventional Western medicine would benefit by integrating more CAM therapies and ideas. CAM, which includes therapies such as massage, yoga, herbal medicine and acupuncture,is characterized by a holistic and highly individualized approach to patient care, with an emphasis on maximizing the body’s inherent healing ability, getting patients involved in their own care, and focusing on physical, mental and spiritual attributes of a disease as well as preventative care. “Integrating CAM into mainstream health care is now a global phenomenon, with policy makers at the highest levels endorsing the importance of a historically marginalized form of health care”, said study author Ryan Abbot. The findings were published in the online issue of Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine (eCAM).

It is said that there is no such thing as good or evil – just useless and useful stuff.  It is also said that 80% of our immune system resides in our intestines. Taking these two premises, we’re going to introduce you to the key to intestinal – and consequently overall – health: Probiotics.

Probiotics (from the Latin pro meaning “for” and bio meaning “life” are dietary supplements that consist of microorganisms that are beneficial for our health.  These beneficial organisms are the “friendly” bacteria that colonize our intestines (yes, they make cozy homes in there, and you’re about to find out why you should be very grateful for this, so stop saying “eew!”) and help boost our immune system by maintaining a balanced ratio of good (useful) or bad (disease-causing) organisms in our bodies.  In case you didn’t know, our bodies are homes to zillions of microorganisms – many of which are bacterial – that either help or hurt us, and it is a balance of all of them that determines whether we get sick or not. The intestine is home to hundreds of different species of these guys and, as you can imagine, the struggle to see who’s gonna stay alive is constant and tough. Will the friendly bacteria prevail and keep you healthy? Or will the unfriendly bacteria take over and make you sick? It’s all determined by you and what you choose to eat.

Good bacteria don’t just help keep the bad guys in check – they take some of the food we eat and in a wonderful symbiotic process, turn that food into useful stuff for us, like Vitamin K, B Vitamins (including the evasive Vitamin B12,) and other nutrients necessary for optimal health. Microbes are so important in the digestive process that a study published in the journal Science Translational Medicine now links them to obesity, concluding that eating the typical Western diet promoted the kind of bacteria that make us fat whereas a more plant-based diet promoted the kind of bacteria that help keep us thin.  And, heads up, ladies:  Friendly bacteria are also responsible for keeping the right pH of the vaginal environment, protecting it from yeast infections and bacterial vaginosis.  Both of these ailments happen when there is overgrowth of either yeast (naturally present in the vagina) or bad bacteria (also naturally present, but in small quantities) and it is, again, up to our friendly bacteria warriors to keep the peace – and the right ratio of organisms living in harmony there.

When we say “our gut” we usually think of the stomach, but the reality is that the stomach is not where the real action happens when it comes to food – the intestines are.  We’ll explore the digestive system further in a future post for The Body section, but know this:  The small intestine is the major organ of digestion and absorption.  It’s where most of the food is truly broken down (this happens in the first 25 cm or so of the small intestine, a section called the duodenum,) and where nutrients are then absorbed into the bloodstream to be distributed to all of our cells.  The rest of the intestine is crucial in the process of absorption, which is how and when we actually reap the benefits from the food we eat.

So, if the intestines are so important for digestion, and if there are hundreds of different microorganisms that are hanging out in there, some friendly and health-promoting, some unfriendly and illness-causing, shouldn’t we try and make sure that the friendly guys have control of the situation in there?  Yes.  How do we do this?  With probiotics.

You’re way more familiar with probiotics than you think.  Remember all that good, thick, yummy yogurt that your mom used to bring home?  There used to be probiotics in there.  Many fermented foods contain probiotics, but as with most things nowadays, commercialized brands that claim to have friendly bacteria are most lots of sugar with very little if any good bacteria. Many companies are now on the probiotic bandwagon, but the type and amount of bacteria that these companies include in their products make them useless for intestinal health purposes, so DO NOT BE FOOLED BY ADVERTISING. We at HLife are huge fans of reading labels, so please check what you’re purchasing and don’t fall victim to good marketing.

Food sources of probiotics are fermented soy foods like tempeh and miso, raw sauerkraut (fancy name for cultured vegetables that, if you cannot find, you can make on your own with green cabbage,) kombucha (we love kombucha tonics that many brands make and are sold at stores like Erewhon and Whole Foods, sometimes in a champagne-shaped bottle that makes a nice gift when arriving at a holiday dinner,) and kefir.

Like I said, yogurt used to be a probiotic source, but now it is mostly sugary stuff – even the brands that claim to be “good for your tummy”. But there is one company that makes a wonderful product with the texture of yogurt that we absolutely love.  After many trials and much research, we at HLife have settled on a probiotic source that we consume regularly, and that would be the award-winning Canadian brand, Bio-K. We’re fans because, not only does the product contain 50 billion live bacteria, but there is also a dairy-free version for vegans. Although the soy-derived dairy-free product is not yet certified organic, (we’re told certification is in their future,) it is gluten-free, non-GMO, and free of antibiotic residues, pesticides, hormones, and heavy metals.  Bio-K contains Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus casei bacteria, two friendly bacteria found in the intestines. Of the many types of bacteria in here, Lactobacillus (shown in the picture above) and Bifidus are the main ones used in probiotics, but a representative from Bio-K explained to us that because Bifidus feeds off of Lactobacillus, eating a probiotic with just Lactobacilli bacteria would help proliferate both types of bacteria.  Since Lactobacilli are found mostly in the small intestine while Bifidus are mostly in the large intestine, a probiotic with Bifidus bacteria taken orally could eliminate some of the good Lactobacilli in the small intestine as the Bifidus passes through on its way to the large intestine.

A final note on probiotics: You may think, “But, these friendly bacteria, don’t they already live in my gut?  Why do I have to eat more, then?”  Well, my friend, have you ever heard of an antibiotic?  Or stress, alcohol, chemicalized foods, pollution and steroid drugs?  Any and all of these factors will kill your friendly bacteria (raise your hand if you’ve never been administered an antibiotic in your life.  Yep, didn’t think so.  Unless your parents were ultra progressive – and we’d love them for that – even if you don’t do antibiotics now, you probably had some when you were little. Don’t blame the folks – not even Oprah knew about probiotics until this year.)  This, compounded with the fact that a large percentage of your feces is composed of friendly bacteria (this is just part of the elimination process – these warriors sacrifice themselves in the name of your good health) will hopefully lead you to understand that it is crucial for you to replenish the friendly bacteria in your gut.  Or, you can do nothing, which is like sending an e-vite to infectious diseases.  Like everything that has to do with your health, it is totally up to you.

Sources: Healthy Living by Linda Page; Staying Healthy With Nutrition by Elson M. Haas, MD., Biology by Campbell and Reece