A tantalizing new theory says that an excess of two common minerals—iron and copper—may be behind some cases of Alzheimer’s and heart disease. These minerals are essential for good health, but, says geneticist George J. Brewer of the University of Michigan, USA, a surplus may increase oxidant damage to cells, raising the risk of disease. But are these minerals really making people who consume a glut of them sick? That’s not yet clear, says nutrition researcher Richard Wood of the University of Massachusetts—but he and other experts agree that if you’re over 50, it’s worth taking some easy steps to reduce your intake:
Reconsider your multi habit. Multivitamin formula foods designed for older people may be free of iron, but “it’s almost impossible to find one without copper,” Brewer says. Most health benefits for multis are unproven, so it may be safer to skip them if they’re not specifically prescribed by your doctor.
Drain taps before use. If you have copper plumbing, including copper taps, be careful. They can add higher amounts of the mineral into your drinking water. Letting the water run for 15 to 30 seconds first thing in the morning will flush away excess copper.
Avoid copper vessels. With the heat used for cooking, a lot of copper can get into food. Copper vessels used for boiling milk or cooking are known to cause cirrhosis of the liver in kids.
Eat less red meat. You can quickly exceed the recommended levels of iron if you eat lots of beef, pork, or mutton. Limit yourself to two or three small servings a week.
Numbers That Count
1 Night How long it takes for loss of sleep to cause insulin resistance—which, over time, raises the risk of diabetes.
Quench Your Crankiness
Next time your mood takes a dive, have a drink—of water. In a recent study by Tufts University, USA, college athletes who weren’t given fluids during practice felt more confused, angry, tense, and blue afterwards than those who had plenty of water. “The level of dehydration was very mild—it could easily be compared with what busy office workers might experience if they forgot to drink enough during the day,” says lead researcher Kristen E. D’Anci, PhD.
How much you need to drink depends on the weather and your activity level and weight. Still, D’Anci says, “eight 250-ml glasses of water a day never hurt anybody.”
- Janet Graham
Death by TV
If lounging in front of a TV is your favourite hobby, you may be courting an early death—even if you're not overweight. That’s what Australian researchers found after tracking nearly 9000 people for an average of six years. Regardless of their weight, those who watched television for more than four hours daily had a 46 percent higher risk of death, compared with people who channel-surfed for less than two hours. Television itself isn’t the problem, says study author David Dunstan, PhD. Instead, the danger comes from all that sitting, which takes the place of activity—including the non-sweaty kind that naturally occurs when you’re not glued to TV. “Too much sitting is simply bad for you,” Dunstan says.
- Beth Howard
Meditation as Medication
We’ve long known that devotees of mindfulness meditation can better control pain, but novices may reap some benefit, too. A small study from the University of North Carolina, USA, has shown that even a short and simple course in the therapy—an hour over three days—is enough to provide some analgesic effect. Fadel Zeidan, the psychologist who led the study, believes this makes meditation an option for those who thought it too difficult or for the experienced only. “We knew already that it has significant effects on pain perception in long-term practitioners whose brains seem to have been completely changed, but we also saw results in just three days, with as little as 20 minutes a day.”
What is mindfulness meditation?
This technique lessens a person’s reaction to pain by reducing tension and anxiety. Tony Merritt, a clinical psychologist who teaches mindfulness meditation at Australia’s Royal Prince Alfred Hospital’s Pain Management Centre in Sydney, explains: “It strengthens focus and helps people to accept and engage with pain. It’s quite the opposite of trying to distance yourself from it. The analogy often used is that if the mind is like an ocean and you’re in a storm, mindfulness meditation doesn’t stop the waves but teaches you how to surf them.”
People expect that focusing on pain will make it worse, says Merritt, but by the end of his program they realize it’s the anxiety attached to pain that turns up its intensity. “If you pay attention to pain in a non-judgmental way, accept it and let it be, it dominates you less.”
It does not take years of practice to benefit from mindfulness meditation, says Merritt. “People can get a grip on it fairly quickly. Many report noticeable benefits after just a couple of days.”
Support the Core to Ease a Sore Back
Rates of back pain have doubled since the early 1990s, a recent survey suggests. Now, a review of 14 studies shows that exercising neglected muscles can boost improvement by 15%. The key is to work your deep trunk muscles, which support and control the spine. To ward off trouble:
Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Keep your spine in a neutral position (not arched or pressed against the floor). Raise the left leg; at the same time, raise the right arm and sweep it back to lie flat on the floor. Return to the starting position; repeat on opposite side. Do five repetitions. Gradually increase reps to 10.
On all fours, with your spine in the neutral position, lift one arm so it’s parallel to the floor. Lower it, then raise and lower the other arm. Repeat five times. Then lift one leg to the back, parallel to the floor. Lower it, then raise and lower the other leg. Do five repetitions. Work up to lifting arm and opposite leg simultaneously; gradually increase reps to 10.
Fast fact
Up to 80% of people will experience a back problem. American Chiropractic Association
Too Much Iron and Copper Can Be Bad!
Quench Your Crankiness
We’ve long known that devotees of mindfulness meditation can better control pain, but novices may reap some benefit, too. A small study from the University of North Carolina, USA, has shown that even a short and simple course in the therapy—an hour over three days—is enough to provide some analgesic effect. Fadel Zeidan, the psychologist who led the study, believes this makes meditation an option for those who thought it too difficult or for the experienced only. “We knew already that it has significant effects on pain perception in long-term practitioners whose brains seem to have been completely changed, but we also saw results in just three days, with as little as 20 minutes a day.”
Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Keep your spine in a neutral position (not arched or pressed against the floor). Raise the left leg; at the same time, raise the right arm and sweep it back to lie flat on the floor. Return to the starting position; repeat on opposite side. Do five repetitions. Gradually increase reps to 10.
On all fours, with your spine in the neutral position, lift one arm so it’s parallel to the floor. Lower it, then raise and lower the other arm. Repeat five times. Then lift one leg to the back, parallel to the floor. Lower it, then raise and lower the other leg. Do five repetitions. Work up to lifting arm and opposite leg simultaneously; gradually increase reps to 10.
