lots of sun... but some folks can't figure out how to properly use a table cloth. as for dementia... i believe that is practiced 6 times a day in those sunny countries
Posted on 05/22/2009 2:06:12 AM PDT by Schnucki
Being a sun worshipper could make you cleverer in later life and ward off dementia, claim scientists.
Researchers found that increased levels of vitamin D, obtained from exposure to sun or eating oily fish, could help keep our brains in top condition as we age.
The findings suggest that retirement to warmer climes or taking dietary supplements could boost your brain's ability to stay active later in life.
Scientists at the University of Manchester discovered that higher levels of vitamin D are linked with improved mental ability in middle-aged and older men.
The study, published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, compared the brain agility of 3,133 men aged 40 to 79 at eight test centres across Europe.
They were tested for memory and speed of recollection as well as for mood and physical activity levels, all of which add up to overall mental agility.
Blood samples were then taken to measure blood levels of vitamin D.
The researchers found that men with higher levels of vitamin D performed consistently better than those with lower levels.
Dr David Lee, lead researcher from Manchester's School of Translational Medicine, said: "Previous studies exploring the relationship between vitamin D and cognitive performance in adults have produced inconsistent findings.
"But we observed a significant, independent association between a slower information processing speed and lower levels of vitamin D.
"The main strengths of our study are that it is based on a large population sample and took into account potential interfering factors, such as depression, season and levels of physical activity.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
In addition to oily fish (I try to eat at least a tin of sardines every day), olive oil also is helpful in that it helps protect your body from some of the harmful effects of sun exposure (as well as helps your body absorb other vitamins). The national paranoia concerning fats is ridiculous too. Your body needs fat, so long as it's not the trans-fat kind.
“Sunbathing ‘could boost your intellect and prevent dementia’”
Didn’t work with Boehner, Crist or Trent Lott, and you’d think living in Arizona would have _some_ effect. Eh... Boehner’s ok... ;-)
Since there's NO CHANCE of staying out of the sun for this Florida sailor, I did take his advice on using sunscreen on my ears, nose and especially, forearms. (Which, like my 92-year-old Dad's forearms, are pretty "beat up" from the sun: That's two generations who drove for many hours with windows down—and no A/C in our cars—in both Hawaii and Florida.)
I use a zinc-rich product from CVS stores whose whiteness and oiliness go away promptly upon application. It appears effective (so far) and is nearly undetectable by me all day long. SPF's around 45.
I am also certain that my intellect has been greatly improved by the sun! ;)
Yes, the Sun gives you the best Vitamin D (an immunity builder) better than supplements. However, moderation is the key. Too much exposure is killing more and more as the Boomer generation gets older due TOO much Sunbathing. You need very little exposure to the Sun for you body to build Vit D. Maybe just 15 minutes a day, as some studies say.
"In addition to oily fish (I try to eat at least a tin of sardines every day), olive oil also is helpful in that it helps protect your body from some of the harmful effects of sun exposure (as well as helps your body absorb other vitamins)."
Also correct. Study after study has determined that fish oil (Omega 3 acids) and olive oil are some of THE best anti-oxidants and beneficial to your internal lining of your veins and arteries. That's why so many live so long on the Mediterranean diet. Fish and foods cooked in olive oil is a way of life in that area - I lived in Spain for (3) years...never felt healthier. However, it's also been proven that taking fish oil supplements can help if you don't follow that diet.
"The national paranoia concerning fats is ridiculous too. Your body needs fat, so long as it's not the trans-fat kind."
Agree once more. Men, especially, need certain low trans-fat fatty acids to maintain their levels of testosterone as they grow older.
You're informed.
lots of sun... but some folks can't figure out how to properly use a table cloth. as for dementia... i believe that is practiced 6 times a day in those sunny countries
I’ll go a step farther.
Sunscreen use is increasing the risk of cancer from too much sunbathing. The reddening of the skin is the body’s natural alert system to get out of the sun. Sunscreen naturally stops that particular effect, allowing folks to stay out far longer. But the longer wavelengths in the solar radiation are still getting through, and folks are getting far higher doses.
I’m no scientist, so my explanation is pretty kindergarten. I never use sunscreen and will not.
How about taking into account the number of retirees moving to sunny climes—who are no longer couch potatoes—but who are newly involved in sedentary (but creative and stimulative) computer pursuits?
I agree with you. I never use sunscreen, either.
And along the same lines......could yearly exposure to radiation from mamograms be contributing to the increase in breast cancer in women (not including those women who inherit the breast cancer gene)?
This doesn't say much for women does it.
Proof, please. This sounds like a lot of "natural foods" BS. I read a LOT of science, and I've never seen any studies even hinting at this.
If you take the CORRECT form of vitamin D supplement, they're the same molecules. How can "..the sun give you....better than supplements"??
I have no opinion on oral vs solar Vitamin D, but it is possible for one method to be better than another because the Vitamins are more “bio-available”: i.e. they’re more readily accessed by the body.
I think you are right about that. Any chance you can point us to a good and rational discussion of Good Fat/Bad Fat?
Somehow, I think the key word nude was left out.
I can't buy it. The molecule in the gelcaps and the molecule synthesized by body metabolism in sunlight are one and the same. They WILL have the same end result. It might be the case that less of the oral dose will actually get into the bloodstream, but, once there, the chemistry that takes place with one and the other are identical.
That’s because the “science” people won’t get on board. They play it safe and toe the party line in order to preserve their careers. That’s why we have the food pyramid and the “global warming” nonsense. Everybody is afraid to challenge it because they fear for their careers.
So, in other words, you have no evidence, just an opinion. If you knew zip about science, you would know that the above is simply not true. There are ALWAYS people who will "challenge the status quo". Which is why the "food pyramid" is under revision, and "global warming" is sinking under its own falsehoods. Even the folks at "Life Extension" (Sandy and Durk) support their products with peer-reviewed science.
I could maybe buy that exposure to sunlight generates "co-products" that aid in more efficient assimilation, or boost the effectiveness of the solar-synthesized Vitamin D but NOT that "supplements have no effect". The identical molecule, whether solar synthesized or taken as a pill WILL have the same effect on the body. The "vital principle" malarkey was disproven when Wohler synthesized urea.
Sunbathing ‘could boost your intellect and prevent dementia’”
Didn’t work with Boehner, Crist or Trent Lott, and you’d think living in Arizona would have _some_ effect. Eh... Boehner’s ok... ;-)
**
It don’t apply if you dwell in door all the time!
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