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Through my eyes

Through my eyes

Author: Kasia Yoko
Date: 2017-06-02

A little bit of what you fancy does you good

My whole life and for as long as I can remember, salt has been the number one enemy in my diet, besides animal fat that is, In my day, low fat or fat free was the order of the day, or so the experts told me.

Imagine my disdain when I found out last weekend that it was all a load of hogwash and that salt is actually really good for you. They now say that eating too little salt can cause insulin resistance and may even increase the risk of diabetes.

The dangerous myth that salt raises blood pressure began more than 100 years ago by researchers who based their findings on just six patients.

This is only the latest in a series of recent revisions to conventional wisdom that have lifted my spirits - and doubtless those reading my column. Recently we were told that regular moderate drinking is good for the heart: a study of nearly two million people published in the British Medical Journal two months ago, showed that 'non-drinkers' had a 56 per cent higher risk of dying suddenly from heart disease, compared to people who drank a glass or two of alcoholic beverages a day.

Oh this really made my day. No more hard feelings about my weekday quota transgressions. I am so happy about this new sense of freedom that these findings allow me. Which brings me to another recent find, that caffeine may counter age-related inflammation.

A chronic inflammatory process that occurs in some, but not all, older people may trigger cardiovascular problems, a new Stanford study has revealed. Part of the solution might be found in a cup of coffee. Stanford University School of Medical scientists have unearthed a connection between advancing age, systemic inflammation, cardiovascular disease and caffeine consumption.

Extensive analysis of blood samples, survey data and medical and family histories obtained from more than 100 human participants in a multiyear study, has revealed a fundamental inflammatory mechanism associated with human aging and the chronic diseases that come with it.

The study, published online on 16 January 2017 in Nature Medicine, implicates this inflammatory process as a driver of cardiovascular disease and increased rates of mortality overall. Metabolites, or breakdown products, of nucleic acids, the molecules that serve as building blocks for our genes, circulating in the blood can trigger this inflammatory process, the study found.

Oh and truly the 'pearler' of the week; playing a game of golf is equivalent to a week's worth of exercise as charity says the game's health benefits are overlooked. "Health benefits of golf are overlooked, according to leading cancer charity". Macmillan said during a typical round of golf, players walk for four to eight miles. This would burn around 1,564 calories if you are carrying your own golf clubs. Research undertaken into 300,000 Swedish golfers found that the death rate for golfers is 40 per cent lower than for other people of the same sex, age and socioeconomic status. This amounts to a 5-year increase in life expectancy, with the golfers with the lowest handicaps, in other words the most skilled golfers, benefiting most.

This week has had its ups and downs, and while we quiver in our boots about our dire political situation, we can at least enjoy some earthly pleasures without the added guilt. Lets stay safe and happy everyone.