3.31.2008
Fat in your 40's could equal Alzheimer's
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For anybody 40 and over, take heed. (good advice for anyone over 35, too)
Belly fat is linked with increased risk of onset of Alzheimer's. Scientists led by Dr. C.W. Randolph have published in the journal Neurology, finding that beginning in the decade of the 40's, the risk escalates as hormonal changes result in imbalances in the hormonal tripod of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone.
Dr. Randolph says estrogen dominance is the new E.D. that everyone should know about.
"Estrogen dominance is a condition that results from the shift in hormone production that occurs naturally with age." says Randolph. "This shift begins with women in their 30's and with men in their 40's. Our ovaries and testes produce three sex hormones which are estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. In a healthy person's 20s, the levels of these hormones are in optimal ratio, or equilibrium. With age, production of these hormones starts to decline. The first hormone to drop off in production is progesterone. In fact, in women, progesterone production declines 120 times more rapidly than estrogen production. The result is a hormonal imbalance within the body. The medical term for this condition is 'estrogen dominance.'"
"The bad news is that estrogen dominance predisposes the body to pack on pounds around the middle," says Genie James, M.M.Sc, co-author of From Belly Fat to Belly Flat. "Even worse, body fat produces more estrogen so an overweight person is often caught in a viscous cycle where that tire around the middle is impossible to lose. Even worse, estrogen dominant love handles predispose the body to many health risks. Unbalanced estrogen, or estrogen dominance, in the body causes cerebral edema (retention of water). The first symptom of this is foggy thinking. In addition to impaired cognitive function and Alzheimer's disease, medical studies have linked estrogen dominance and belly fat to an increased risk of breast cancer, uterine cancer, prostate cancer, heart attack and stroke."
Labels: 40s, alzheimers, fat, jacksonville
