Taking a minimum of 15 minutes of exercise a day can extend life expectancy by up to three years, according to Germany’s Society of Neurologists and the Stroke Society.

A regular program of exercise can reduce the risk of stroke, cardiovascular illness, cancer and diabetes. The advice is based on a study of over 400,000 participants in Taiwan whose health status was checked regularly over eight years.

The study discovered that 15 minutes of exercise a day made a surprising contribution to improving overall health. The mortality rate for those who took the exercise was 14 per cent lower than the inactive participants.

Extrapolating the results over 30 years resulted in a projected extended life expectancy of three years as well as a reduced chance of developing cancer and diseases of the cardiovascular system. The conclusion was that the more a person exercises, the less chance they have of falling ill.

The recommended 15 minutes a day is half what the World Health Organisation advises people to take.

More evidence about the importance of being physically active

Regular professional cleaning of teeth not only gives us a more radiant smile but also helps reduce the risk of heart attack or stroke, according to a new study.

The study presented at an American Heart Association meeting in Orlando, Florida, was conducted at the Veterans General Hospital in Taipei, Taiwan.

Researchers have found that those who had their teeth scraped and cleaned by a dentist or dental hygienist had a 24 percent lower risk of heart attack and 13 percent lower risk of stroke compared to those who had never had a dental cleaning.

More than 100,000 people were followed in this study for an average of seven years.

Scientists considered tooth scaling frequent if it occurred at least twice or more in two years and occasional if it occurred once or less in two years.

Protection from heart disease and stroke was more pronounced in participants who got tooth scaling at least once a year,

Professional tooth scaling appears to reduce inflammation-causing bacterial growth that can lead to heart disease or stroke.

Imagine a plant food that is naturally rich in protein, an excellent source of dietary fiber and has more omega-3 fatty acids than flax seeds. Just a small amount of this food provides energy for long periods of physical exertion  What is this magical food? Chia seeds, of course.

While it may be strange to think of these little seeds (which are about the size of sesame seeds) as a serious source of nutrition and even the foundation of a meal, they were an agriculturally important crop to the ancient Aztecs, even as important as corn, beans, and amaranth.

Chia is now making a huge comeback. Chia seeds are an excellent source of fiber and antioxidants, a good source of calcium, a good source of plant based protein and an excellent source of the plant derived omega 3 fatty acid.”

Chia seeds can be eaten whole or ground into a flour. They are often soaked in water or juice and drunk as a refreshing beverage. When the seeds are soaked, they absorb seven to ten times their weight in liquid and acquire a jelly-like covering around each seed. Ground, the chia flour can be added to other foods as a nutritional supplement. They have no flavor of their own and so lend themselves to most dishes. If you really want to have fun in your kitchen, chia seeds can also be sprouted and eaten as micro-greens.

The November 14, 2011 issue of the archives of internal Medicine reports the outcome of a study which concluded that the greater number of healthy lifestyle factors one has, the more protection one gains against stroke. Stroke is a major cause of death worldwide, and its impact on survivors can be devastating.

Gang Hu, MD, PhD of Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and colleagues analyzed data from 17,287 men and 19,399 women without a history of heart disease or stroke who participated in surveys conducted in Finland in 1982, 1987, 1992, 1997 and 2002. Questionnaire responses provided information on medical history, physical activity levels, smoking habits, alcohol consumption, diet and other factors. Participants were followed through 2007, during which 1,167 ischemic strokes and 311 hemorrhagic strokes occurred.

This study demonstrates  important role of promoting a healthy lifestyle in the primary prevention of both ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke

The five healthy lifestyle factors evaluated in the study included being a lifelong nonsmoker, having a body mass index of less than 25, engaging in moderate to high levels of physical activity, consuming vegetables at least three times per week and having light to moderate weekly intake of alcohol. Compared to the risk of stroke experienced by those having one or no healthy factors, having two, three, four and five factors was associated with a 34, 43, 49 and 67 percent adjusted reduction. When stroke was analyzed according to type, having two, three, four and five factors was associated with a 33, 40, 50 and 70 percent lower risk of ischemic stroke and a 37, 51, 51 and 60 percent decreased risk of hemorrhagic stroke. These inverse associations were present in both younger and older participants and among those with and without high blood pressure or a history of diabetes.