Beauty Health for Life

In older men, a natural antioxidant compound found in red grapes and other plants -- called resveratrol -- blocks many of the cardiovascular benefits of exercise, according to research published today [22 July 2013] in The Journal of Physiology.

Resveratrol has received widespread attention as a possible anti-aging compound and is now widely available as a dietary supplement; much has been made of its role in explaining the cardiovascular health benefits of red wine, and other foods. But now, new research at The University of Copenhagen surprisingly suggests that eating a diet rich in antioxidants may actually counteract many of the health benefits of exercise, including reduced blood pressure and cholesterol.

In contrast to earlier studies in animals in which resveratrol improved the cardiovascular benefits of exercise, this study in humans has provided surprising and strong evidence that in older men, resveratrol has the opposite effect.

What is emerging is a new view that antioxidants are not a fix for everything, and that some degree of oxidant stress may be necessary for the body to work correctly. This pivotal study suggests that reactive oxygen species, generally thought of as causing aging and disease, may be a necessary signal that causes healthy adaptations in response to stresses like exercise. So too much of a good thing (like antioxidants in the diet) may actually be detrimental to our health.

Lasse Gliemann, a PhD student who worked on the study at The University of Copenhagen, explains how they conducted the research, and the results they found: "We studied 27 healthy, physically inactive men around 65 years old for 8 weeks. During the 8 weeks all of the men performed high-intensity exercise training and half of the group received 250 mg of resveratrol daily, whereas the other group received a placebo pill (a pill containing no active ingredient). The study design was double-blinded, thus neither the subjects nor the investigators knew which participant that received either resveratrol or placebo.

"We found that exercise training was highly effective in improving cardiovascular health parameters, but resveratrol supplementation attenuated the positive effects of training on several parameters including blood pressure, plasma lipid concentrations and maximal oxygen uptake."

Ylva Hellsten, the leader of the project, says:"We were surprised to find that resveratrol supplementation in aged men blunts the positive effects of exercise training on cardiovascular health parameters, in part because our results contradict findings in animal studies.

"It should be noted that the quantities of resveratrol given in our research study are much higher than what could be obtained by intake of natural foods."

This research adds to the growing body of evidence questioning the positive effects of antioxidant supplementation in humans.

Michael Joyner, from The Mayo Clinic USA, says how the study has wider implications for research: "In addition to the surprising findings on exercise and resveratrol, this study shows the continuing need for mechanistic studies in humans. Too often human studies focus on large scale outcomes and clinical trials and not on understanding the basic biology of how we adapt."

Physical activity decreases the risk of sudden cardiac death in unfit men, reveals research presented at the ESC Congress today by Dr Jari Laukkanen and Dr Magnus Hagnas from Finland.

Dr Laukkanen said: "Sudden cardiac death (SCD) accounts for approximately 50% of deaths from coronary heart disease. SCD typically occurs shortly after the onset of symptoms, leaving little time for effective medical interventions, and most cases occur outside hospital with few or no early warning signs. Finding ways to identify individuals at elevated risk of SCD would allow early interventions on risk factors to be implemented." The current study investigated the impact of high leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) combined with cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) on risk of SCD. It included 2,656 randomly selected men aged 42 to 60 years from the Kuopio Ischemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study, a Finnish study of risk predictors for cardiovascular outcomes and SCD in the general population. Baseline cycle exercise test and risk factor assessment were performed in 1984-89. SCD was defined as death with cardiac origin within 24 hours after onset of symptoms.

LTPA was assessed using a 12-month physical activity questionnaire. One third of subjects had low LTPA (energy consumption <191 kcal/day, equal to around 35 minutes of slow walking or 25 minutes of jogging for a 70 kg male). CRF was assessed with a maximal symptom limited cycle exercise test and peak oxygen uptake was calculated in metabolic equivalents (MET). One third of men had a low CRF (<7.9 METs).

For the analyses the study population was divided into 4 groups: 1) high CRF and high LTPA, 2) high CRF and low LTPA, 3) low CRF and high LTPA and 4) low CRF and low LTPA. Group 1 was used as a erence. The risk of SCD was adjusted for previously established cardiovascular risk factors (age, smoking, alcohol consumption, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, low density lipoprotein cholesterol, C-reactive protein, prevalent type 2 diabetes and previously diagnosed coronary heart disease).

During the mean 19 years of follow-up 193 SCDs occurred. There was a 2-fold increased risk of SCD in men with low CRF and LTPA (group 4, see figure) compared to men with high CRF and high LTPA (hazard ratio [HR] 2.0, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.3-2.9). Men with low CRF and high LTPA (group 3) did not have a statistically significant increased SCD risk compared to men with high CRF and high LTPA (HR 1.3, 95% CI 0.9-1.8). Dr Laukkanen said: "This indicates that a higher amount of leisure-time physical activity might reduce the risk of SCD among men with low cardiorespiratory fitness."

The amount of LTPA did not affect the risk of SCD among the men with high CRF (groups 1 and 2). Dr Laukkanen said: "Our study shows that CRF is a risk factor for SCD. High leisure-time physical activity exerts a protective effect on the risk of SCD among men with low cardiorespiratory fitness but does not affect risk in men with high baseline CRF."

He added: "It is widely believed that the level of CRF is determined by physical exercise, genetics and other lifestyle factors. Our study shows that exercise training and LTPA may be especially important in individuals with low CRF. One possible explanation is that CRF can be improved with regular exercise training."

Dr Laukkanen concluded: "The importance of CRF has often been neglected in the equation of SCD risk, despite appearing to be one of the most important correlates of overall health status. Our study emphasises the importance of regular physical exercise, especially among men with low CRF. An exercise test could be used to identify individuals with low CRF and high risk of SCD, who should then be urged to exercise more."

(Women of course should keep on consuming fish or fish oil supplements. In addition to all the benefits listed below:

Regular use of fish oil supplements, which contain high levels of the omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA, was linked with a 32 percent reduced risk of breast cancer.

In the first population-based study in women of childbearing age, those who rarely or never ate fish had 50 percent more cardiovascular problems over eight years than those who ate fish regularly. Compared to women who ate fish high in omega-3 weekly, the risk was 90 percent higher for those who rarely or never ate fish.)

The report about the Omega-3 very strong connection to prostate cancer is very disturbing, although personally, that risk is in the past. Nevertheless, for almost all males, a risk-reward calculation should be made of the risk vs.the benefits of Omega-3 consumption. Because, while the risks are great, so are the rewards.

Heres what I wrote in 2008:

Jons Health Tips: Eating Fish

I eat a lot of fish – mostly salmon, but lots of other fish as well. However, I avoid swordfish and tuna, especially tuna steaks and albacore because of high levels of mercury, and tilapia because of high levels of omega-6. I eat fish because its healthy and I like it, and when I’m eating fish I’m not eating meat. I supplement my fish consumption with fish oil or flaxseed oil on days that I do eat meat.

My daughter, who is a pediatrician and vegetarian, also uses flaxseed oil and gives her 3 children fish oil supplements.

Here’s why: (see link above for details on each of these)

Fish reduces asthma and allergies

Eating fish may explain very low levels of heart disease in Japan

Eating Fish May Prevent Memory Loss and Stroke

A diet rich in fish and omega-3 oils, may lower your risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, according to a study published in the November 13, 2007, issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. People who ate fish at least once a week had a 35-percent lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease and 40-percent lower risk of dementia.

Oily fish can protect against rheumatoid arthritis

Eating fish and foods with omega-3 fatty acids linked to lower risk of age-related eye disease

The evidence of health benefits has grown even stronger since then. Here is a small sampling:


1. There is mounting evidence that omega-3 fatty acids from fish or fish oil supplements not only help prevent cardiovascular diseases in healthy individuals, but also reduce the incidence of cardiac events and mortality in patients with existing heart disease. A new study, published in the August 11, 2009, issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, extensively reviews data from a broad range of studies in tens of thousands of patients and sets forth suggested daily targets for omega-3 consumption.

2. Omega-3 Fatty Acids=Reduced Risk of Colon Cancer

3. Omega-3 fatty acid kills neuroblastoma cancer cells

4. New research has shown for the first time that omega-3 in fish oil could "substantially and significantly" reduce the signs and symptoms of osteoarthritis.

5. Eating at least two servings of oily fish a week is moderately but significantly associated with a reduced risk of stroke, finds a study published on bmj.com today. But taking fish oil supplements doesnt seem to have the same effect, say the researchers.

And most important:

6. Older adults who have higher levels of blood omega-3 levels—fatty acids found almost exclusively in fatty fish and seafood—may be able to lower their overall mortality risk by as much as 27% and their mortality risk from heart disease by about 35%, according to a new study from Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) and the University of Washington. Researchers found that older adults who had the highest blood levels of the fatty acids found in fish lived, on average, 2.2 years longer than those with lower levels.