Editorial | Vol. 5, Issue 2 | Journal of Clinical Medical Research | Open Access |
The Importance of Dietary and Lifestyle Changes in Health Improvement
Sandra Gordilho Tavares1*, Ruth Rosemberg Luz Cosmo Gomes1
1Universidade Federal da Bahia, Clínica Elementhare, Brazil
*Correspondence author: Sandra Gordilho Tavares, MD, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Clínica Elementhare, Brazil;
Email: [email protected]
Citation: Tavares GS, et al. The Importance of Dietary and Lifestyle Changes in Health Improvement. Jour Clin Med Res. 2024;5(2):1-2.
Copyright© 2024 by Tavares GS, et al. All rights reserved. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Received 27 July, 2024 | Accepted 06 August, 2024 | Published 13 August, 2024 |
Editorial
Nowadays, life expectancy has become a global phenomenon. Because of this, the concept of “Healthy Longevity” has attracted attention in recent years, as it encompasses not only living a long life but also living a life free from major chronic diseases such as DM2, hypertension and dyslipidemia. In this context, recent studies have demonstrated the significant impact of dietary changes and physical activity on healthy aging.
First of all, nutrition is a key component affecting our health and several studies have shown that nutrition also has the potential to increase life expectancy. Calorie restriction without causing malnutrition has the power to reduce insulin and Insulin Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1) signaling, inhibit the mechanistic Target of Rapamycin (mTOR) signaling, activate AMP-Activated Protein Kinase (AMPK) and Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1), upregulate the NAD+ pathway and autophagy and reduce inflammation and oxidative stress. The Mediterranean diet, which includes an abundance of plant foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and legumes; olive oil as the main source of dietary fat; fish and poultry consumed in low-to-moderate amounts; relatively low consumption of red meat; and moderate consumption of wine, is associated with lower rates of CVD and cancer. Higher intakes of unsaturated fats (found in plant-based foods and marine fish), particularly linoleic acid, exhibit the strongest inverse association with mortality. For individuals with lactose intolerance, opting for goat cheese is recommended. Additionally, eliminating the use of aluminum cookware and aluminum-containing deodorants and addressing vitamin deficiencies based on laboratory results, are also crucial.
Physical activity is another pillar of health improvement. Integrating 30-minute sessions of physical activity, particularly strength training, five times a week reduces the risk of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease mortality, incident hypertension, site-specific cancers, type-2 diabetes and falls. It also improves mental health, cognitive health, sleep and measures of body fat. Four cases of real patients from the medical office were examined. These cases demonstrate how lifestyle changes can significantly improve overall health.
**LSAP, a 42-year-old female**, presented with complaints of tiredness, procrastination, irregular menstrual cycles and memory impairment. She was not engaging in any physical activity. The patient has a family history of type 2 diabetes, hypertension and breast cancer. Laboratory tests showed altered results, including low hemoglobin, high LDL and total cholesterol, elevated aluminum levels and low vitamin D and B12 levels. Omega-3, folic acid and a women’s multivitamin were prescribed, along with recommendations for lifestyle changes and physical exercise.
**SEAAP, a 74-year-old male**, presented for health monitoring. He has a family history of Alzheimer’s disease and type 2 diabetes and his father died of a heart attack at an early age (55 years). He practiced Pilates and walking. Laboratory tests showed a thyroid nodule classified as BI-RADS 3, high aluminum levels and elevated TSH. Probiotics, a men’s multivitamin, HMB, vitamin D, omega-3, magnesium and whey protein were prescribed, with a recommendation to incorporate bodybuilding as another physical activity.
**MGDS, a 43-year-old female**, presented with complaints of weight gain, hair loss, physical tiredness and endometriosis. She has a family history of type 2 diabetes and hypothyroidism. She was not engaging in any physical activity. Laboratory tests showed high leptin levels, low iron, a positive lactose intolerance test, high total cholesterol, microcytosis and low vitamin C levels. Glutamine, chromium polynicotinate, omega-3, vitamin C, iron and a multivitamin were prescribed, along with recommendations for dietary changes and adopting regular physical activity.
**SMSP, a 71-year-old male**, presented with complaints of tiredness. The patient has gallstones and osteopenia. Laboratory tests showed low hemoglobin, high total cholesterol, high LDL and high leptin levels. Alpha-lipoic acid, PB8, omega-3, a multivitamin, vitamin D, enzymes, ProSorb DKM and CoQ10 were prescribed, along with recommendations for dietary changes and adopting regular physical activity.
All patients mentioned, upon making dietary changes coupled with necessary supplementation, removing all sources of aluminum (such as aluminum foil, coffee capsules, aluminum cookware, aluminum-containing deodorants) and introducing weightlifting as a physical activity, experienced significant improvement in vitality, disposition, sleep quality and self-esteem. All of this converges towards a healthier, happier and longer aging process.
Ethical Statement
The project did not meet the definition of human subject research under the purview of the IRB according to federal regulations and therefore was exempt.
Conflict of Interests
The authors declare no conflict of interest regarding authorship roles or publication of article.
Acknowledgement
Not applicable
Financial Disclosure
No funding was not involved in the manuscript writing, editing, approval or decision to publish.
Authors Contribution
All the authors have equal contribution and all the authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
Data Availability
Not applicable
Consent for Publication
Not applicable
Author Info
Sandra Gordilho Tavares1*, Ruth Rosemberg Luz Cosmo Gomes1
1Universidade Federal da Bahia, Clínica Elementhare, Brazil
*Correspondence author: Sandra Gordilho Tavares, MD, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Clínica Elementhare, Brazil; Email: [email protected]
Copyright
Sandra Gordilho Tavares1*, Ruth Rosemberg Luz Cosmo Gomes1
1Universidade Federal da Bahia, Clínica Elementhare, Brazil
*Correspondence author: Sandra Gordilho Tavares, MD, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Clínica Elementhare, Brazil; Email: [email protected]
Copyright© 2024 by Tavares GS, et al. All rights reserved. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Citation
Citation: Tavares GS, et al. The Importance of Dietary and Lifestyle Changes in Health Improvement. Jour Clin Med Res. 2024;5(2):1-2.