Scott Greenberg, NatureCity author & contributor

Having strong social relationships may be the single most important aspect of staying healthy according to a large meta-analysis published in the July 2010 issue of the Public Library of Science journal PLoS Medicine.

Researchers at Brigham Young University in Utah conducted the meta-analysis which included 148 studies and over 300,000 participants.

The analysis showed that people with strong relationships were 50% less likely to die early compared to people who lacked strong social relationships. The association was so strong that social relationships were shown to have the same and/or stronger effect on the risk of mortality as other well known risk factors such as smoking and obesity.

More specifically, the researchers found that having a lack of social relationships was equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes per day, was more harmful than being an alcoholic and twice as harmful as obesity.

They also found that social relationships were more important for reducing the risk of premature death than getting a vaccine for pneumonia, being exposed to air pollution and taking medication for high blood pressure.

In addition, the researchers found that despite globalization and increases in social technology, Americans are becoming more and more isolated. The last two decades have seen a threefold increase in the number of Americans who report having no confidant.

Some good social activities that have been shown to keep your mind sharp as you age are playing cards, going to the movies or theater and partaking in artistic activities like crafts, quilting and sewing in a group setting.

Scott Greenberg, NatureCity author & contributor

Wrist fractures can seem like a relatively minor injury but a recent study found that they often lead to the development of disability among mature adults. The study was published in the July 2010 issue of BMJ.

For the study, researchers from Northwestern University followed 6,107 healthy women aged 65 and older with no history of wrist or hip fractures.

The women were followed for an average of 7.6 years. During that time the researchers measured their ability to perform daily living activities such as preparing meals, housekeeping, climbing stairs, shopping, and getting out of a car.

ver the course of the study, 268 of the women suffered wrist fractures. The researchers found that those women were 50% more likely to demonstrate functional decline due to their injury.

The study researchers noted that the increased risk of disability due to risk fractures was on par with that experienced as a result of falls, arthritis and diabetes. They believe there needs to be much more education offered about preventative measures.

Preventative measures are especially important for post-menopausal women because they are at a much higher risk of osteoporosis and therefore more likely to incur a wrist fracture.

There are a number of ways to keep your wrist and bones strong in order to lower the risk of fracture including taking a vitamin D and calcium supplement and performing weight bearing exercises.

Sarah McGowan-Freije, NatureCity author & contributor

Taking a supplement containing a combination of different forms of vitamin E may help protect against Alzheimer’s according to a recent study conducted in Sweden.

The study was published in the June 2010 issue of the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.

Researchers at the Aging Research Center in Stockholm recruited 232 participants over 80 years of age for the study.

At the beginning of the study none of the participants had dementia. Over the course of a 6 year follow-up, 57 (25%) of the participants were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.

Using blood samples, the researchers were able to determine that participants with higher levels of all 8 forms of vitamin E had a significantly reduced risk of developing dementia.

A number of studies have previously found a link between vitamin E intake and reductions in dementia risk but this study shows that combining various forms of the vitamin may increase its protective effect.

The high level of antioxidants in vitamin E is likely responsible for its various health benefits which range from helping patients recover more quickly following stroke to boosting the immune system.

These benefits, particularly in terms of immune health, seem to be especially strong among mature adults because the activity of immune cells naturally declines with age, resulting in a weaker immune system.

Vitamin E can be found in a number of foods, but only in small quantities. For this reason, many people do not get enough vitamin E daily and could benefit from a supplement. The best supplements have vitamin E in the natural form (the synthetic version is about half as effective) and liquid supplements are usually best.

Scott Greenberg, NatureCity author & contributor

Consuming phosphatidylserine (PS) before exercise may increase cognitive function according to a study presented June 25th, 2010 at the 7th Annual International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN).

PS is an essential fatty acid that has been linked to reducing memory loss, Alzheimer’s and dementia in previous studies.

For the current study, researchers from Texas A & M University recruited 14 males between 18-30 years of age.

The participants were given a supplement containing 400 mg of PS for ten days and their cognitive function was measured before and after a stress inducing exercise session.

Cognitive performance was measured by the serial subtraction test (SST), a well known measurement of cognitive function that involves repeatedly subtracting from 1,579 by intervals of seven.

The researchers found that PS supplementation reduced the total time it took a participant to calculate by 21%, reduced the total amount of errors by 38% and increased the amount of correct calculations per error by 42% prior to exercise.

The researchers say that these findings are helpful for athletes and non-athletes alike because PS supplementation may reduce the risk of potentially harmful errors when exercising.

These findings also build on previous research which shows that PS may benefit cognitive function and reduce the risk of dementia among older adults.

If you are looking to boost cognitive health, previous studies have also shown that omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin E and even caffeine may boost cognitive health and reduce the risk of age-related cognitive decline.

Evan Watson, NatureCity author & contributor

Researchers from the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris, France, recently conducted the first study on primates to determine if a link exists between resveratrol and weight loss.

Their findings were published in the June 2010 issue of the journal BMC Physiology.

Resveratrol is a powerful antioxidant found most abundantly in grape skins. The chemical is also present in cranberries, blueberries, and raspberries, but in smaller amounts.

For the study researchers fed lemurs a diet supplemented with resveratrol for four weeks.

At the end of the four weeks the researchers observed reductions in both food intake and body mass gains. They also saw a 13% decrease in calorie intake and a 29% decrease in their resting metabolic rate.

Resveratrol has gained an increasing amount of attention for its health benefits which range from potentially reducing the risk of certain cancers to significant anti-aging properties and even extending life expectancy.

The science backing the health benefits of resveratrol is growing, however it is important to note that while wine is an excellent source of resveratrol, these findings should not be seen as an excuse to drink more alcohol. Drinking 1-2 glasses per night appears to provide significant health benefits. Once you get beyond that, those benefits are quickly offset.