Sports, Diet and Oral Health. Where is the Connection?
Today is a useful fact-check. The basis for a biohacker is the health of the whole organism: sports, nutrition and, of course, oral hygiene. About sports and nutrition is clear, but about oral hygiene they do not bother much, they go to the dentist only after the fact, when it is already necessary. Why is this important and how will it improve our quality of life in today's article
In touch RISE: community about Nootropics and Biohacking. In this article, we will look at how berries slow down our aging, a little about sports, and why oral hygiene improves cognitive functions.
Food/Diets
Let's start right away with a selection of studies and a mention of berries.
In a study of more than 2,500 people aged 50 and over, the risk of dementia was reduced by 76% among those who consumed high doses. anthocyanins and by 46% among those who consume more flavonols 14 mg/day compared to those consuming 4 mg.
Where is there a lot of anthocyanins?:
Chokeberry, pomegranate, blueberry, currant, bilberry. By the way, wild blueberries contain 4/5 times more anthocyanins than cultivated ones.
Where a lot of flavonols are found:
In dark grape varieties, cherries, pomegranates, blackberries, strawberries, gooseberries, raspberries, sea buckthorn, red and black currants, cherries, blueberries.
Another randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was conducted on overweight men and women with complaints of cognitive decline. During 12 weeks of admission The following parameters were assessed after supplementation: neurocognitive and mood indicators, metabolic and anthropometric parameters.
The results showed that those who ate 13g of strawberry powder per day, mixed with water, at breakfast and dinner for 3 months, had reduced symptoms of depression, improved memory, and reduced the incidence of inflammatory processes in the body, compared to the placebo group.
Mediterranean Diet Slows Aging
There have been many studies that confirm the effectiveness of the Mediterranean diet. Large study on 1902 adults aged 80 and older found that those who followed a Mediterranean diet were less likely to develop dementia 34% lower than those who did not, even after adjusting for exercise and alcohol consumption. Higher intake of fruits, vegetables, and legumes were also associated with a lower prevalence of dementia.
Three-year clinical study among overweight older adults, it was found that those who dieted MINDshowed small improvements in cognitive tests and brain scans. The diet included 2.5 cups of blueberries, 140 grams of mixed nuts and 14 tablespoons of olive oil per week.
The MiND diet is a combination of the principles of two diets, the Mediterranean and DASH. The latter is aimed at combating hypertension and helps the brain maintain normal cognitive functions.
You can read more about the Mind diet here here
A small conclusion:
Regarding nutrition, the following can be said: less red meat, more steamed food, nuts, a balance of unsaturated omega-9 and omega-6 fatty acids, and of course berries and vegetables.
Physical activity and sports
A study in China among 282 men and women (average age 68) with type 2 diabetes and mild cognitive impairment, found that those who regularly did walking or tai chi *formerly a martial art, now a gymnastics* for 1 hour – 3 times a week, over 5 months had significant improvements in cognitive function compared to a control group that did not exercise. Participants in the tai chi group also had a small but statistically significant decrease in fasting blood sugar levels.
A study of 170 men and women with mild cognitive impairment showedthat 1 h of exercise (aerobic exercise + resistance training) in addition to 30 min of cognitive training 3 times a week for 6 months improved cognitive function.
A small conclusion:
If we go right to the edge and take Olympic champions, marathon runners and professional athletes as an example, then we we'll seethat most meta-analyses demonstrate life expectancy more athletes. There is even a sample of tracking generations of athletes. The offspring is born stronger, telomeres are longer, on which life expectancy depends. Yes, no one denies that in professional sports there is a high risk of injury, but this does not offset the fact of the benefits of sports. In any case, at least doing physical exercise is already a huge plus for our health.
Oral hygiene
At the last conference I attended, called “Bioregulatory approach to longevity” a dentist spoke, who said that the quality of food and what gets into our gastrointestinal tract depends on the condition of our teeth. (it seems logical). In addition, the mouth has its own microbiome, which affects immunity, brain function and is connected to almost all systems of our body. He also complained that many people do not pay attention or forget about oral hygiene. They think that if your teeth do not hurt, then you do not need to go to the dentist, but they do fluorography once a year =)
In China study among 109 people, average age 62, showed that neuroinflammation was more frequent and cognitive performance was worse in people with poor teeth, bleeding gums, etc. The research has identified a direct pathway by which poor oral health can lead to cognitive decline and early Alzheimer's disease.
A recent study from 2023 assessed mental health and cognitive function using tests among 677 people. People who brushed teeth less oftenvisited the dentist less often for preventive care and did not take care of their oral cavity, the level of short-term memory, speed of thinking and other cognitive functions were significantly lower.
There is also a large one studyabout the connection between the oral cavity and the occurrence of autoimmune diseases. And there is also such a concept as homeostasis – this is when the body has well-established coordination, balance and connection between the nervous, endocrine and immune systems, and when the microbiome in the mouth is bad, this connection is disrupted, which leads to various inflammations and diseases.
It is now widely recognized that oral microbiota dysbiosis plays a critical role in modulating the onset and progression of many autoimmune diseases, and targeting oral microbes may be a promising strategy to ultimately achieve the goal of treating autoimmune diseases.
bmc public health
In the last few years, the connection between the state of the oral cavity, our immunity and the brain has been overgrown with new studies. This is quite a promising and interesting topic for study.
To sum it up
It would seem that these are basic things that most people know about, but I still think that it is important to talk about this as often as possible. Therefore, such fact-checking is useful and helps many people learn something new, especially when such cool studies appear.
By the way, how are things with your visits to the dentist? =)
This article was written by Ivan S, a member of the Rise: Nootropics and Biohacking community.
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