HEALTHWATCH
Scientists are developing a drug they claim could help people live to be 150 years old. Researchers at Harvard University say resveratrol, found in dark chocolate and red wine, can trigger an enzyme in the body that has the potential to prevent diseases such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease, and extend life spans. Their findings
are being used to help develop a synthetic version of the compound which is hoped to slow ageing. However, getting stuck into the Merlot isn’t going to work – you’d
need to drink around 100 glasses a day to get the dosage the scientists are talking about.
ARE THE HOURS OF SLEEP BEFORE MIDNIGHT MORE IMPORTANT?
Your mother may have insisted it was the case, but she was wrong – it’s not when you get to sleep that matters. “The aim should be to get good-quality sleep, which involves going through a number of 90- to 110-minute sleep cycles,” says Dr Guy Meadows, director of The Sleep School in London. “These each contain light, deep and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep.” Most people have four to five cycles in eight hours of sleep. Dr Meadows thinks the misconception about the hours before midnight may have arisen because in the first part of the night the cycles contain more deep sleep, important for repair and growth. “But all three stages of sleep are essential,” he says. “If you do go to bed after midnight, it’s important not to get up early, as lack of sleep can have an effect on your immune system. “If someone does go to sleep repeatedly after midnight and wakes later in the morning, it won’t harm them.”
A DOSE OF DAIRY CAN HELP YOU BATTLE ENDOMETRIOSIS
Three servings a day of dairy foods, such as cheese or milk, could lower the risk of endometriosis. • This condition, which causes painful periods and fertility problems, occurs when cells from the womb develop elsewhere in the body, usually the Fallopian tubes, ovaries, bladder or bowel. This leads to inflammation and scarring.
• Researchers at Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital in the US analysed the diets and disease rates of 70,000 women and found that those who had three portions daily of full- or low-fat milk, cheese, butter or yoghurt had an 18% lower risk of developing endometriosis.
• It’s thought nutrients such as magnesium in milk act as anti-inflammatories, which may prevent the womb tissue becoming inflamed and migrating.
TAKE HEART FROM RED WINE – IT’S HEALTHIER THAN A GIN & TONIC
A study has confirmed that red wine is a better choice than spirits for heart health – although non-alcoholic wine is nearly as beneficial.
Researchers from the universities of Barcelona and Valencia compared the effects of red wine, gin and alcohol-free red wine on the cholesterol and blood sugar of 67 men at high risk of cardiovascular disease. The men drank 30g of alcohol a day (roughly equivalent to a large glass of wine or two large gin and tonics), trying each drink for four weeks at a time. Their ability to metabolise sugar improved after both types of wine, but didn’t with the gin. Levels of lipoprotein(a) – a compound associated with a greater risk of heart attack – dropped with red wine only.
The team suggests that polyphenols, or antioxidants, in red wine are responsible, while alcohol may boost their effectiveness.
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