Research has proven that an excess of reactive oxygen species and free radicals in the human body can cause liver dysfunction. Japanese researchers have discovered that purple-skinned sweet potatoes have antioxidant properties and can eliminate oxygen free radicals, thereby alleviating liver dysfunction. Researchers injected mice with drugs to induce oxygen free radicals and liver dysfunction, then had these mice drink purple-skinned sweet potato juice. The results showed that the liver dysfunction in the mice that drank the juice was significantly reduced. Therefore, patients with liver dysfunction, such as chronic hepatitis, may consider drinking about 100 ml of purple-skinned sweet potato juice daily, which is likely to be beneficial for liver function recovery.
A recent U.S. study has proven that drinking 224-280 grams of purple grape juice daily inhibits platelet aggregation in the blood, thus preventing heart disease. In comparison trials with orange and grapefruit juice, grape juice was found to be most effective in preventing heart disease, with purple grape juice being superior to white grape juice, the latter even being more effective than aspirin. Currently, low-dose aspirin is a common medication for the prevention and treatment of heart disease.
This research was led by Dr. John Folts at the University of Wisconsin Medical School. Dr. Folts was one of the first scientists to discover twenty years ago that aspirin can delay blood clotting and may have a preventive effect on heart disease. Their research has shown that the flavonoids and polyphenols in purple grape juice are its active ingredients.
The benefits of moderate wine consumption in preventing blood clots in the elderly have been confirmed by many studies. A recent study by Harvard Medical School on 3,000 men and women aged 45 to 74 confirmed that drinking wine can also prevent age-related macular degeneration in the elderly. Age-related macular degeneration is the leading cause of blindness in people over 65. Their research found that compared to non-drinkers, regular wine drinkers have a 20% lower risk of developing age-related macular degeneration. Further research has confirmed that free radicals are the main cause of this disease, and wine, especially red wine, contains a substance called resveratrol, which can eliminate free radicals.
Experts point out that the appropriate amount of wine for the elderly to drink daily is 1 to 3 glasses; excessive consumption is counterproductive. The elderly should prevent falls after drinking alcohol.
Currently, about 10% of the global population suffers from migraines, and the incidence rate among adults in China is 7.7%-18.7%. Migraines remain a difficult medical condition that "gives headaches" to the medical community. Recently, after conducting a group trial, comparison, and analysis on 150 patients, Dr. Alan Hirsch, director of the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago, pointed out that the scent of green apples can eliminate migraines. Dr. Hirsch believes that the scent of green apples can make migraines disappear or significantly lessen, perhaps because it distracts patients from their headache, or because this scent has a tangible effect on muscle spasms in the neck and cerebral cortex. In another study, Dr. Hirsch found that the scent of green apples can alleviate mental stress, as stress is a major factor triggering migraines. Additionally, the scent of green apples can eliminate and alleviate other pains. People suffering from these conditions might try placing more green apples indoors and smelling their scent to test its effectiveness.
The traditional view is that egg yolks are high in cholesterol and are the main culprit directly causing human hypertension, atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, and stroke. Therefore, many people, especially middle-aged and elderly individuals, are afraid to eat egg yolks.
Recently, Dr. Fredric J. Peyer, a U.S. nutritionist, organized a special research group on eggs and cholesterol and conducted a six-month trial on 116 men aged 50 to 65. They first recorded the cholesterol level of each subject, then had them follow a diet without any egg products for three months and measured their cholesterol levels again. In the following three months, two eggs were added to each person's daily diet. After 90 days, another measurement was taken, and the results were unexpected: the subjects' cholesterol levels were not affected by the cholesterol in the eggs. This experimental result has attracted the attention of the world medical community. Given that eggs contain abundant nutrients such as protein, fat, vitamins A, B2, B6, D, iron, calcium, and phosphorus, experts believe that it is beneficial for the elderly to eat 1 to 2 eggs (including the yolk) daily, of course, without excessive consumption.
In daily life, people can notice that restaurant chefs do not find the delicious meals they have just prepared to be very appetizing. This is because they work for long periods in an environment full of food aromas. Based on this "smell fatigue" phenomenon among chefs, a British pharmaceutical company recently invented a weight-loss patch. It is a blue patch, similar in size to a medicated plaster, that can be applied to the back of the hand, wrist, and upper chest. It releases a long-lasting scent of a tropical orchid, which smells a bit like almonds and vanilla. After users apply it, their desire to eat chocolate, cookies, and desserts is greatly reduced, thus helping obese individuals achieve weight loss. Dr. Alan Hirsch of Chicago conducted an experiment on this: Hirsch used three test tubes containing peppermint candies, apples, and bananas for subjects to smell. The experiment lasted for a total of six months. The results showed that obese subjects with a normal sense of smell lost an average of 14 kg in weight. He also discovered that the more a person likes a certain scent, the more effective that scent is for their weight loss. Scientists