aging

Keep your body and brain young with this juicy fruit

Summer is a wonderful time of year -- not only for the fantastic weather, but for the incredible amount of fresh fruits and vegetables that you can find in the produce aisle.

With so many good options to choose from -- and all those bright colors -- you may find it hard to choose which ones to load up in your cart.

But according to the latest research, there's one in particular that really stands out.

And you're going to love this -- because it might even be the one you'd reach for first anyway.

It's the beautiful, bold strawberry!

Scientists at the Salk Institute have just shown that a powerful antioxidant found in strawberries, called fisetin, may reduce the physical and cognitive decline that comes with getting older.

The Salk team studied a group of 3-month-old mice that were bred to naturally age faster than regular mice. For seven months, they fed some of the critters a daily dose of fisetin with their food, and then they gave another group the same food without the additive.

Over the course of the study, the mice were given a variety of activity and memory tests to measure any changes in their brains.

At the 10-month mark, the researchers found that the mice given the fisetin were just as frisky as they were when the study started. They showed NO decline in their memory function and NO increase in stress or inflammation in their brains.

But the mice that weren't fed the supplement were in trouble. They struggled with all of the memory and activity tests and showed INCREASED stress and inflammation in their brains.

Now, mice aren't like you and I, but there are enough similarities for us to take a closer look at this remarkable compound -- because there are a lot of factors fisetin may affect.

Just recently in eTips, I shared with you how compounds in strawberries could reduce your chances of developing oral cancer. And other researchers are looking at how fisetin's effect on inflammation may REDUCE your chances of developing Alzheimer's, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, pulmonary disease, and other kinds of cancer.

And fisetin isn't JUST found in strawberries. It's also in mangos, kiwis, and grapes, as well as tomatoes, onions, and cucumbers.

However, you would have to eat several pounds of them every day to get a dose big enough to boost your health.

But you can still enjoy those strawberries and other fruits and veggies -- WITHOUT having to stuff yourself! (Just make sure they're organic, since the berry topped this year's EWG "Dirty Dozen" list of foods with the highest amounts of pesticide residue.)

Fisetin supplements are reasonably priced and safe, but talk to your doctor about finding the right dosage for you, and make sure to confirm that they won't interact with anything you're already taking.

How eating turkey can slow the hands of time

Whether it's the buckle in your knees when you get up from a chair... or that strange pull in your lower back when you bend down to tie your shoes... you can only ignore getting older for so long.

Even if you look "good for your age" -- and FEEL pretty good too -- there are changes happening inside your body that you can't see.

But don't despair, because a new study shows that you may be able to slow down the aging process -- just by eating turkey!

In a study published in a recent issue of Nature Communications, scientists from Spain treated mice with a condition known as "mitochondrial myopathy" -- which causes damage to the nerve cells in your brain and muscles, and can lead to everything from muscle weakness to heart failure and dementia.

The theory was that these signs of aging were associated with declining levels of an enzyme called NADPH, which tends to plummet as you get older -- and that slowing down that decline would likewise slow down the aging process.

So, the researchers genetically altered the mice to be able to produce large amounts of NADPH, and the results were amazing.

The genetically-altered rodents remained quick and well-coordinated as they aged... and the females lived 14 percent longer than their NADPH-deficient counterparts.

Considering the short lifespan of a mouse, that's a pretty long time.

And you know what's been shown to increase your levels of NADPH (or, at least, keep it from taking a nose-dive)?

Vitamin B3, a.k.a. niacin.

None of this comes as a surprise to me, knowing how this miracle vitamin can protect your nerves from damage related to chemotherapy drugs that destroy ALL cells -- cancerous and non-cancerous -- in their wake.

Since you're not a mouse... and you're not going to get genetically engineered in a lab... you don't need help from a team of researchers to boost your B3 and keep the signs of old age at bay.

If you're a fan of the Paleo diet as I am -- and as you should be -- you may ALREADY be on your way to getting the amounts you need to live better and longer.

Your body converts the amino acid tryptophan into B3, so you can bolster your B3 levels -- and keep your NADPH levels from dropping -- by enjoying Paleo-friendly, tryptophan-rich foods like turkey and other poultry, red meat, eggs, and dairy.

Feel free to add more B3-rich foods like peas, mushrooms, and avocado to your diet as well. And don't forget the nuts and seeds -- like peanuts and sunflower seeds -- which are bursting with it, too.

You can also get B3 as part of a B complex vitamin supplement -- but beware of the "niacin flush" that may occur. It's generally harmless, but it can be a little uncomfortable for some people.