5 Foods That Naturally Improve Your Balance

Vivian Goldschmidt, MA Exercise

Evidence-Based
4 min Read
resveratrol osteoporosis

It doesn’t happen all that often. Even when there’s clear evidence that a natural compound works, most mainstream scientists typically end their studies saying that “more evidence is needed.”

So it is truly astonishing when a researcher and Assistant Professor of Pharmacology (it doesn't get more mainstream than that) calls a natural compound found in grapes, blueberries and other dark-skinned fruits, a “miracle molecule”.

Lead researcher Jane E. Cavanaugh, Ph.D, presented results of a brand new study this past summer at the National Meeting of the American Chemical Society. What new discovery prompted the researcher to use these unusual words?

A study revealing that…

Resveratrol Helps Improve Motor Coordination and Balance

It’s already well established that resveratrol helps reduce inflammation, cholesterol, the risk of heart disease and certain types of cancer. You’ve probably heard of the French paradox and the increase in red wine consumption as a result.

But until this study was published, resveratrol’s potent effect on motor coordination and balance was not known.

The scientists added whole blueberries to the diet of young and old laboratory mice for eight weeks and documented each mouse’s ability to cross a steel mesh balance beam. Already halfway through the study, the older mice showed marked improvements crossing the balance beam and were matching the younger mice’s motor coordination and balance.

The same study observed another benefit of resveratrol: less neural cell death. Through a still mysterious mechanism, resveratrol effectively protects neural cells from the ravages of the neurotransmitter dopamine as a result of stress.

Resveratrol is Best Absorbed from Foods

In fact, studies have shown that the bioavailability of supplementall trans-resveratrol is poor.1,2

And what about red wine? According to Cavanaugh, a 150 pound person would have to drink hundreds of glasses of red wine to get the beneficial effects she observed in the laboratory.

That’s obviously not an option, so stay sober and stick to resveratrol-rich foods such as red grapes, blueberries, bilberries, cranberries and peanuts.

Good Motor Coordination Reduces the Risk of Falls

Let’s face it. Falls are the number one culprit of fractures. In a study published by the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, more than half the study participants who fractured their hip did not have osteoporosis.3

So what does this mean to you? It means that whether you’ve been diagnosed with osteopenia, osteoporosis, or if you’re on a mission to prevent both, you must be aware of this simple truth. Clearly, preventing falls is paramount to keeping your bones intact.

Easy Moves that Improve Coordination, Balance, and Bone Density

The most effective way to improve balance is to practice certain exercises that not only improve coordination, but that also strengthen your muscles. If you already own Densercise, you'll be happy to know that the exercises will help you not only increase your bone density, but also improve your balance.

With the Densercise eBook System you can do more than prevent and get rid of osteoporosis or osteopenia. You'll achieve a full body workout that keeps you fit and strong. And there's no better way to prevent falls!

Improve your Balance, Increase Your Density and Look Better!

The Romberg Exercise, the Chair Squat, the Side Kick and the Wall Walk are just some of the easy moves you'll find inside the Densercise eBook System, complete with illustrations, that will help you improve your balance and coordination.

Simply put, it just makes sense to Densercise to improve your balance and prevent falls.

Here's to your bone health!

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References

1 Walle T, et al. “High absorption but very low bioavailability of oral resveratrol in humans”. Drug Metab Dispos. 2004;32(12):1377-1382. 
2 Wenzel E, Somoza V. “Metabolism and bioavailability of trans-resveratrol”. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2005;49(5):472-481.
3 Wainwright S. et al. “Hip fracture in women without osteoporosis.” Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. May 1, 2005 vol. 90 no. 5 2787-2793.