Researchers from the Division of Cardiology, Chestnut Hill Hospital, University of Pennsylvania Health System, in Philadelphia compared the cholesterol lowering effects of supplements and dietary changes to the statin drug simvastatin (Zocor) at 40mg a day; a robust dosage. The natural therapy combined Red Yeast Rice, Fish Oil capsules and a change of diet. The randomized three-month clinical trial enrolled 74 patients with high cholesterol who were split into the drug treated or the natural treated groups.

   Italian researchers report that people who consume dark chocolate on a daily basis have a significantly lower level of inflammation as indicated by a reduced level of C-reactive protein (CRP) in the blood. The researchers selected 2,141 participants in the Moli-Sani Project, an ongoing study of men and women aged 35 and older. Chocolate was reported as not having been consumed during the past year by 1317 subjects, and 824 regularly consumed dark chocolate.

As we age we loose a significant amount of muscle (the medical term is sarcopenia) resulting in muscle weakness that limits the function of older adults. This muscle weakness is related to accumulated damage to the power plants within muscle cells known as mitochondria and to accumulated damage to the cells DNA. Resistance training can however, increase muscle strength and size even in the elderly while improving mitochondrial function and decreasing free radical production.

     Researchers from the University of Florence reviewed the results of 12 international studies that included almost 1,600,000 subjects who were followed anywhere from 3 to 18 years depending on the study. The studies looked at the Mediterranean diets effects on health and the studies rated a person’s level of adherence to the diet from 0 adherence to a top level of either 7 or 9 (full adherence).      The results of the analysis shows that strict adherence to the diet decreased the death rate caused by heart disease, decreased the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease; an eventually potentially fatal movement disorder, decreased the risk of Alzheimer’s dementia, and decreased the risk of developing or dying from cancer.