⭑ Zombie cell killers ✔ Capers, onions, oranges, chocolate and blueberries
⭑ Only deep sleep clears out cellular garbage ✔ Try for more of it
⭑ Poor sight is linked with higher risk of dementia ✔ Do this
⭑ Deep squats safely, seniors benefit most ✔ How to do them and why

All strength to Ukraine 🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦

Hello,

I trust you are well and active.

Reading about shingles sends a shiver up my spine, so I had a shingles vaccination yesterday. Now I have some muscle aches and headache but nothing too bad

I had a long sleep last night due to the tiredness, which by a happy coincidence provided useful input for article #2 today regarding deep sleep cycles clearing out the metabolic waste in our brains - see the pic in item #2.

Useful research focusing on "zombie cells" which clutter our metabolic system has isolated a drug which will kill them. There are natural alternatives - see item #1.

I knew that hearing loss increases the likelihood of dementia, but not that poor sight does also. This is important - see item #3.

Then in item #4, check out the benefits of deep squats. You probably void them, but if you can build up safely to doing good deep squats you will really feel the benefits.
​

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01 Drug-free Way To Clean Out Inflammatory Cells

Senescent cells have been in the news and while there is plenty of hype the research is promising. These cells are like the clutter in your body’s attic. As we age, these “zombie cells” stop working properly but stick around, releasing inflammatory compounds that can lead to joint pain, stiff blood vessels, and other age-related issues.

Feeling stiffer is also, in part, an outcome of a buildup of senescent cells.

Clearing them out is a hot topic in aging research because it could help you stay vibrant longer.

The hope is that reducing their numbers may lower inflammation and boost overall health, and a drug "Fisetin" is being developed for this purpose.

For example a trial using high-dose fisetin showed the flavonoid safely trimmed senescent cell markers and eased knee-pain scores in osteoarthritis patients. And Mayo Clinic-backed work reports fisetin improving vascular function in adults 65+.

⇒ However, over-the-counter fisetin remains unregulated and therefore risky.

What this means for you: Stick with dietary sources of anti-senescent cell flavonoids - there are many. The trick to know which sources will best survive digestion, cross the gut wall and reach their target tissues. In addition, bioavailability can be favourably increased by cooking methods:
​
- Top foods: capers and onions - saute onions in olive oil and serve capers with fish.
- Fresh orange and mandarin segments - and here's something I never imagined, if you drink processed (jet-milling) juice more will cross the gut wall than eating the natural full fruit - choose orange juice labelled "not from concentrate".
- Green tea and dark chocolate - add lemon or vitamin C to the tea and a grain or two of sugar! This surprised me but apparently a touch of sugar helps the flavonoids in green tea reach the gut.
- Blueberries, blackcurrants - pair with full-fat yoghurt or avocado. The fats increase the bioavailability of these flavonoids when they reach the gut.

⇒ You can flush away your senescent cells naturally, and enjoy doing it.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

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02 Deep Sleep is Prime Time for Brain Housekeeping

While we are on the topic of metabolic cleaning, did you know that while you are in deep sleep about once every 20 to 30 seconds your brainstem signals your cerebral wall arteries to squeeze for a moment - a cerebral blood pulse.

Each squeeze pushes a bit of blood out of your brain and, as the vessels relax again, draws a fresh surge of cerebrospinal fluid in. The in-and-out rhythm functions like a mechanical pump that helps wash away metabolic trash such as amyloid-β and tau - the buildup of which is linked to Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia.

So, did you stop for a moment and think "Walter mentioned deep sleep, does it only happen then?"

Glad you asked. Yes. The effect outside of Non-REM Stage 3 (slow-wave, deep sleep) is only 10% of that in deep sleep. Our brain cells even shrink a little (~10%) during deep sleep thus widening the space between cells so blood can move more freely in the arteries.

⇒ Bottom line: your brain does its deepest “dish-washing” in deep, slow-wave sleep, making those uninterrupted seven-to-nine-hour nights—with plenty of time spent in stage 3—the most valuable.

What this means for you: Firstly, you should know that when these norepinephrine pulses are blocked or flattened (e.g., by certain sleeping pills), both the vessel squeezes and the fluid flow drop sharply, and waste builds up faster. So, forget the myth that any unconscious state counts as restorative.

Next, aim for seven to nine hours of naturally earned sleep, ideally in a cool, dark room that nurtures slow waves. Hopefully you'll get 3 to 5 full deep sleep cycles.

Skip sedatives unless medically essential. Finally, roll onto your side: lateral sleepers show more efficient glymphatic flushing than back sleepers, possibly lowering long-term dementia risk — try wedging a pillow behind your spine to stay put.

⇒ Your brain will thank you for the nightly rinse cycle.​​​​

@Medium - Follow me on Medium ↗, covering ⭑food, ⭑brain, ⭑body, ⭑life

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03 Clear Vision Helps Stave Off Dementia

How could clear vision stave off dementia? It's important to know.

A 2024 meta-analysis pooling data from more than 720 000 adults found that people who had their cataracts removed enjoyed a 16 % lower risk of developing dementia over roughly six years.

Researchers think the bigger, brighter visual input after surgery keeps the visual cortex buzzing and slows the chain reaction of sensory deprivation → social withdrawal → cognitive decline.

I waited years before I had cataract surgery. I'd write this newsletter looking sideways at the screen as my cataracts were the ones that form in the centre of the eye. But I could see clearly if I looked sideways but not through the centre.

It turns out that was a mistake.

It's a common misconception to think: “I’ll wait until the cataract is causing real bother.” Bad idea. Modern cataract surgery is low-risk and the brain benefits kick in only after light can again flood the retina—so earlier is smarter.

⇒ My replacement lenses are crystal clear - it's miraculous.

What this means for you: Be proactive, there's no sense increasing the risk of dementia when you can easily mitigate the risks.

• Book biennial eye checks once you hit 60. Earlier if you notice glare halos, dull colours or nightly head-on headlights. I could not see at all forward at night through the glare and halos of oncoming headlights. So I didn't drive at night.
• If you go under the laser, treat the lens like a new sports car: keep it polished with UV-blocking sunglasses and blue-light-filter readers.
• Feed the filter. Aim for a cup of spinach or kale daily; the lutein and zeaxanthin accumulate in the macula and may slow secondary clouding.

⇒ Stay moving. Good circulation supplies antioxidants to the eye and the brain—two birds, one brisk walk.​​​​​​​​​​

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04 Seniors Stand To Gain The Most From Squats

Our exercise of the week is ... Deep squats.

I'm doing more deep squats because I started race walking at the athletic club on Wednesday evenings - until I can run again, after my hamstring injury.

Race walking puts pressure on small muscles that we didn’t know we have, especially around the upper hips. Deep squats with an added mobility movement help strengthen these otherwise under-exercised muscles.

But deep squats are beneficial for all of us, when performed correctly. They improve flexibility and range of motion in our hips, knees, and ankles. They also strengthen muscles in our legs, lower back, and core, which are essential for balance and stability.

Seniors stand to gain the most because we've lost the most muscle mass, muscle strength, and flexibility.

Deep squats strengthen not just our muscles but also ligaments and tendons for knee health, and help protect our back by strengthening spinal muscles.

What this means for you: Watch and learn from this recent video by Dr. Matt Klingler, a doctor of physical therapy, where he outlines safe variations of squats that are ideal for older adults.

I think you'll learn a lot, I did, and take comfort from the fact that squats are not only perfectly safe but are a valuable tool in the effort to improve our healthspan.

Watch Matt's video here for the perfect form.

⇒ Correct form is crucial, as is warming up, which can just be knees to chest, shallow squats, arms 360 forwards and backwards, arm rotations, and swinging side to side (hips forward, turning upper body side to side).​​​​​​​​​​​​

Thanks for reading!

>> My Latest Blog Post: Energise Your Golden Years: Boosting Your Desire to Exercise with Gut-Healthy Foods​

About the newsletter: Do you think it can be improved? Have a story idea? Want to share about the time you met Chris Hemsworth, or your questions about how to live longer better? Send those thoughts and more to me at walter@walteradamson.com

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