5 ways to prevent a breakdown (January 2009) by Heather Loeb
5 ways to prevent a breakdown
Keep your body functioning on all cylinders
1 Protect your brain
Everyone loses brain volume as they age, but the stress hormone cortisol speeds the decline, say researchers at McGill University in Canada. Help your mind unwind with a house plant: Washington State University research shows that simply being in the presence of plants can stem stress. Buy a spider plant or a snake plant; both are difficult to neglect to death.
2 Shield your heart
Old-man arteries are stiff with age, inhibiting blood flow and increasing the risk of a heart attack or stroke. However, Irish researchers found that supplementing with 500mg of vitamin C daily significantly improves arterial flexibility. Spike your morning OJ with juice made from blackcurrants, which offer 200mg of vitamin C per 100g of berries – that’s four times more than the puny 50g found in every 100g of oranges.
3 Save your face
Do your face a favour and commit to sleeping eight hours a night, says Dr David Bank, director of the Center for Dermatology, Cosmetic and Laser Surgery in New York. While you’re asleep, your body produces collagen and elastin, two proteins that help your skin stay smooth. One note: Turkish researchers report that stomach sleepers can develop facial wrinkles due to years of friction between bedding and skin. Time to roll over.
4 Preserve your vision
We won’t sugar-coat it: refined carbohydrates can raise your risk of age-related macular degeneration by 49 percent, according to a study by researchers at Tufts University in the US. “When the sugar load exceeds a cell’s ability to use it, proteins in the eyes become damaged,” says the study’s lead author, Dr Allen Taylor.
5 Guard your hearing
To dodge deafness, start scrambling eggs. Yolks are a top source of phosphatidylcholine, a key component of the cell membranes in your ears. In a study by the Henry Ford Health System in the US, rats fed this fatty acid were protected from ageinduced hearing loss.
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