{"id":8699,"date":"2012-12-05T20:51:55","date_gmt":"2012-12-06T01:51:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/yang-sheng.com\/?p=8699"},"modified":"2012-12-05T20:51:58","modified_gmt":"2012-12-06T01:51:58","slug":"the-role-of-nutrition-and-exercise-in-longevity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/yang-sheng.com\/?p=8699","title":{"rendered":"The Role of Nutrition and Exercise in Longevity"},"content":{"rendered":"

[Breathing In This Life<\/a>]<\/p>\n

The Role of Nutrition and Exercise in Longevity<\/span><\/h1>\n

By Ginger Garner MPT, ATC, PYT<\/span><\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

No one wants to hear the phrase \u201cyou are aging prematurely.\u201d\u00a0 However, that is exactly what is happening when you suffer from chronic disease.<\/p>\n

The phrase \u201canti-inflammatory diet\u201d is a huge buzzword now in medicine, fitness, and nutrition circles. But does it have any scientific support? Can we actually improve longevity through our nutritional and exercise habits?<\/p>\n

The short answer is yes. \u00a0Harvard trained physician and integrative medicine pioneer, Dr. Andrew Weil states, \u201cIt is becoming increasingly clear that chronic inflammation is the root cause of many serious illnesses \u2013 including heart disease, many cancers, and Alzheimer\u2019s disease.\u201d<\/em> There is mounting evidence that foods and exercise can either cause or create inflammation in the body.\u00a0 Researchers and health care professionals alike report that most all modern diseases can be attributed to inflammation in the body.[1]<\/a><\/p>\n

But how can we sort through the gimmick diets and mountains of supplements recommended to us by pop culture science? First, let\u2019s take a look at the science of inflammation in the body to understand why inflammation, even low grade levels of inflammation, can wreck your health.<\/p>\n

The Science of Food-Induced Inflammation <\/strong><\/p>\n

Saturated Fat & Trans-Fatty Acids<\/strong><\/p>\n

“All foods fit into three categories: pro-inflammatory, neutral, or anti-inflammatory,” says dermatologist and best-selling author, Nicholas Perricone, MD.\u00a0 Perricone says an anti-aging diet slows cellular aging, which depends on choosing foods that are anti-inflammatory and rich in antioxidants.<\/p>\n

Dr. Alcock and colleagues, in a landmark study (Alcock et al 2012) on the role of dietary fats in inflammation, show through a comprehensive literature review of over 207 peer-reviewed medical studies, reported that \u201cthe body preferentially up-regulates inflammation in response to saturated fatty acids, which promotes harmful microbes.\u201d\u00a0 In short, the study found that saturated fat consumption immediately increases activity and presence of harmful and damaging gut bacteria, which are correlated with increased inflammatory response and expression of inflammatory genes. Saturated fats in general, induce inflammation by \u201cactivating nuclear transcription factors \u201c(Schwartz et al 2010).\u00a0 The take home message is that a plant based diet, high in anti-oxidants, flavonoids, prebiotic, and probiotic function, can reduce our risk and even help us immediately manage inflammatory states in the body.<\/p>\n

But that is not all.\u00a0 Saturated fats are not the only lurking inflammatory culprit of chronic disease.<\/p>\n

Sugar & Starches<\/strong><\/p>\n

In addition to saturated fats and trans fatty acids, other foods which are inflammatory agents include:<\/p>\n