Little things mean a lot. Especially when it comes to selenium.
Selenium's cancer-fighting reputation is growing. Prostate cancer risk seems to drop in men who get enough of the mineral, and colon cancer appears less likely to make a comeback in survivors who have high levels of selenium. More good news: You only need a smidge. Eat a few Brazil nuts or a tuna sandwich on whole wheat and you'll get the RealAge Optimum dose.
Experts think that the antioxidant mineral selenium may protect cells from damage that leads to cancer. The question is: Could a daily dose lower the cancer risk in both healthy people and cancer survivors? So far it looks promising. The challenge is to figure out how much and determine what sources are best. Some answers may come from a government-supported study called SELECT (for Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial). Researchers are testing selenium alone and combined with vitamin E in more than 35,000 men. The results won't be available for several years, but many health-savvy people try to get some selenium every day, regardless.
The RealAge Optimum dose of selenium is 200 micrograms (mcg) daily, which isn't difficult to get, once you know where to look. Half an ounce of Brazil nuts delivers a whopping 270 mcg. Tuna's another good source with 125 mcg in 6 ounces. A cup of cubed turkey contains 57 mcg. And a quarter cup of wheat germ will give you about 23 mcg.
Supplements aren't a good idea, however, because it's easy to get too much, which can be toxic. The tolerable upper limit of selenium is 400 mcg a day, so take it easy on those Brazil nuts; a little goes a long way.
Mighty Good Bacteria
What would happen if you regularly ate yogurt and cheese -- and then suddenly stopped?
Your immune system could slack off. That's exactly what happened when regular eaters went cold turkey for just 2 weeks, avoiding these and other fermented foods, such as sauerkraut, soy sauce, and kefir. The reason? Foods that are fermented provide your gut with good bacteria, which help buttress immune system function. So have some yogurt or a chunk of cheddar.
From the moment a newborn begins to eat, a colony of bacteria -- good bacteria that aid digestion and help displace bad bacteria (the kind that make you sick) -- develops in the gut. By the time the child reaches age 2, the bacteria are firmly established.
As we get older, fermented foods like yogurt, sauerkraut, and cheese help keep that intestinal bacteria thriving. In the study, adults who normally ate these foods five times a week suddenly stopped eating them. Results: Some immune system cells became sluggish, and others dropped in number.
Yogurt with active cultures (check labels), whether plain or with fruit, is one of the surest ways to get a daily dose. But if you're not big on straight yogurt, there are other tasty ways to get your fill of this immune-boosting food. These tips can help cut calories as well.
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Not a fan of dairy? Try fermented vegetables, such as sauerkraut, kimchi, or marinated artichokes, and fermented soy products, such as miso, tempeh, and soy sauce.
All About YOU: Body Weight Bonus
Whether you're a gym newbie or simply free-weight phobic, get this: Your own body is all you need to build muscle and strengthen bones.
Squats and lunges shape up your legs and butt as you lift your torso, arms, and head with every move. Push-ups, sit-ups, arm lifts, and arm circles strengthen and stabilize the rest of you. Here's a thought to keep you motivated: If you don't do strength-building exercises, you'll lose 5 percent of your muscle every 10 years. And with a no-gym workout, there are no excuses.
After age 35, men and women slowly lose muscle mass -- the average woman loses 2 pounds of muscle every 10 years and the average man loses 3 pounds. To stay slim, healthy, and strong, you need to counter that loss. Maintaining muscle mass at any age takes only 10 minutes, three times a week. About the slim part: A pound of muscle uses 75 to 150 calories a day to do its work; a pound of fat needs only 3 calories a day -- it does little to help your body, so it doesn't need much energy to survive. So if you have lots of muscle, you not only stay strong but also burn more calories -- which can mean staying slim, too.
One of These a Day Keeps Colds Away
'Tis the season. The season for the common cold -- that unwelcome guest in the midst of the festivities.
But you don't have to let sniffles spoil your holiday fun. Adding a little sweat to your day may help keep colds away. A new study shows that a 45-minute workout each day, 5 days a week, lowers the risk of catching a cold. And the longer you stick with a regular exercise program, the better the benefits. So dust off your walking shoes and start building up your immunity.
Past research has hinted that moderately intense activity is an immunity booster, but those studies were too short to be convincing. More recently, and for the first time, researchers took the long view and studied two groups of women -- one basically sedentary and one not -- for a year. And the results are truly motivating: Overweight couch potatoes who started exercising and stuck fairly close to their five-times-a-week workout program had a definite cold-fighting edge over a similar group of women whose regular exercise consisted of just a weekly stretching routine.
You may already be enjoying the benefits of a revved-up immune system if you are a regular exerciser. If not, get crackin'. You'll enjoy knowing that your sweat is helping ensure that you won't be sidelined by sniffles and sneezes during next year's holiday fun.
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