With the skyrocketing cost of health insurance, individuals and families are always looking for ways to lower their health insurance costs. Learn how you can slow down your ageing process at the same time you are saving money on your health insurance by using a Health Savings Account to your advantage.
One of the best aspects of having a Health Savings Account is that you can control your medical care. If you want to have a medical test or procedure done that is not covered by your health insurance, you pay for it with pre-tax money from your health savings account. One of the processes of aging that scientists have been learning more about in recent years is glycation, and the formation of Advanced Glycation Endproducts, or AGEs. Here's how to reduce this harmful process, and a simple test you can pay for from your Health Savings Account to see how you're doing.
What is "Glycation" and what are AGEs?
When we take a piece of bread and put it in the toaster, it slowly turns brown. This is the result of a natural process called the "Maillard reaction", in which sugars react with proteins. It is this process that gives flavor to beer, pizza crust, and roasted coffee.
The same process naturally happens in the human body. (So in a sense, we all slowly "brown" as we age). When a protein in your body is "glycated", it has a sugar molecule attached to it, and can then bond to another protein in your body in a process called "cross-linking". These damaged proteins result in the formation of Advanced Glycation Endproducts.
Exposure to AGEs in the body contributes to inflammation and to a large variety of age-related diseases, including cataracts, joint stiffness, Alzheimer's disease, and cardiovascular diseases. Some AGEs increase the risk of auto-immune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, and others increase the risk of cancer.
Reduce AGEs in your Food
When experimental mice are fed a low-AGE diet, they have better cardiovascular health, better kidney health, better blood sugar management, and they live longer. AGE formation is increased when foods are cooked at high temperatures, and for longer periods of time. You can significantly reduce AGEs created in food preparation by using boiling, poaching, or stewing rather than frying or grilling.
So one strategy is to simply reduce your consumption of "browned" foods. So for instance, fried shrimp will have way more harmful AGE compounds than boiled shrimp.
How to Reduce AGE Formation in your Body
AGE formation is particularly high in diabetics, due to uncontrolled sugar levels in the body. This is one of the reasons why they suffer from increased rates kidney disease, vision loss, and cardiovascular disease.
Millions of Americans who have not been diagnosed as diabetic still have glucose handling difficulties, typically diagnosed as "metabolic syndrome". It is becoming more and more evident that a diet low in foods that raise blood sugar rapidly (typically the "white" foods like bread, pasta, rice, and sugar) will reduce a person's risk of diabetes or metabolic syndrome. This in turn will also reduce your body's AGE formation.
Supplements You Can Take
Numerous dietary supplements have now been shown to reduce glycation, cross-linking, and AGE formation. Some experts recommend the following supplements, typically 500 mg to 1 gram of each, per day:
· Carnosine
· Benfotiamine
· Alpha-lipoic acid
· Acetyl-l-carnitine
· Curcumin
If your health care practitioner recommends supplements for the prevention or treatment of a specific health condition, you can pay for them from your Health Savings Account.
A common blood test that diabetics have done is Glycated Hemoglobin A1c. This measures how much the red blood cells have become glycated over the past one to three months, and is seen as an indicator of average blood sugar levels.
Stay Healthy, Grow Your Health Savings Account
So be proactive - fund your HSA to the max, do what you can to optimize your health, and let your account grow.
Learn About Medicare Advantage Plans
The Original Medicare Plan is a fee-for-service option that offers coverage for most health care services and only some prescription drugs. The insured can only go to medical facilities and see doctors that accept Medicare insurance. The individual being covered receives a red, white or blue Medicare card to present to the physician.
Learn How to Beat the Health Savings Account Tax-Savings Deadline
Individuals and families must have their HSA-qualified health insurance coverage in force no later than December 1st in order to qualify for a current year tax-deductible contribution to a Health Savings Account. A family may contribute up to $5,800 in pre-tax dollars to their Health Savings Account, which then grows tax deferred and can be used to pay future medical expenses, tax-free.
How Small Business Owners Can Cut Their Health Insurance Costs in Half
With the skyrocketing cost of health insurance, small business owners are looking for ways to reduce their health insurance cots. Business owners now have the option to set up Health Reimbursement Arrangements to do just that. Learn how to set-up and manage your company’s HRA in order to lower your health insurance costs.
