Archive for August, 2008

Not genetics but social factors key to ill health all around the globe, WHO’s report concludes.

A three-year analysis, carried by The World Health Organization, shows that instead of genetics, social factors play a more vital role in huge variations in ill health and life expectancy all around the globe.

The report suggests “People are being killed by social injustice on a grand scale.” For example, if a boy lives in some deprived suburb, he may live average 28 years less than a boy who born in an affluent area. …Click here to read more

Anti-aging serums

As people grew older, they become anxious about looking older. The beauty industry has begun to increase their range of anti-aging products which include wrinkle cream and filler, and now anti-aging serum. Though the prime customers for anti-wrinkle products were women but men are also becoming keener in preventing wrinkles. Some anti-aging serums and other anti-aging products are also available in market especially for men.

The purpose of anti-aging serum is to provide some special ingredients to the skin tissues. Normally they are less viscous than creams, but not entirely liquid and having higher prices than creams.

Most common ingredients of anti-aging serums are retinol, vitamin C, peptides and antioxidants, all of them are used to reduce wrinkles. The accurate wrinkle-fighting action of any ingredients in an anti-aging serum varies and all of them have not been clinically proven. So far, some active ingredients, such as vitamin C and retinol have shown boost in collagen production, which decreases the wrinkles.

…Click here to read more

Gene therapy may help to restore hearing, US scientists find.

According to US scientists, Gene therapy, which is likely to restore hearing in mice, may prove helpful in humans too.

The scientists found that gene transfer developed functioning hair cells that are considered essential for the inner ear to interpret sounds.

People who have normal hearing their cochlear hair cells can turn sound into electrical signals that are transmitted to the brain. If the cells are lost or damaged once, they

Once the cells are lost or damaged, they cannot be replaced naturally.

…Click here to read more

Stress and Aging

The look of aging on a person is being immediately visible to the observer and its symptoms are quite obvious like skin wrinkles, loses of hair and its color, the fragile body, and eventually the failure of viscera (internal organs). Stress commonly defined as,” it is state of mental and physical tension, due to a sense of importance or urgency that could result in negativity.”

There is a deep relation of aging and stress because researches have been shown that, along with the natural degeneration of the body, stress also accelerate aging. According to the scientific reasons, when we feel stress or any constant tension it make our brain to send stimulation to the adrenal glands. The adrenal glands secrete a hormone known as adrenaline. The purpose of the adrenaline hormone is, to prepare our bodies to react quickly to the dangerous situations. Adrenaline causes our heart to beat at fast rate and our blood sugar levels to rise, providing sufficient supply of glucose to the active muscles.

The immunity and the body reserve energy system are also stimulated to counter the situation. Mentally, adrenaline may create the feelings of anxiety and fear. Over stimulation of the body’s systems weaken the whole body lately, causing us to become the victim of different diseases. The extensive usage of the reserve energy causes accumulation of lactic acid in our muscles which results in fatigue. Prolonged stress gives birth to the hypertension, headaches, impotency in men and disturbed menstrual cycles in women. It is very important to beware of the triggers and signs of stress. Failure to quick realizing will increase the stress levels in the long run.

As the stress increase it speeds up the process of aging because it makes the body fragile and weakens the organs. About aging there are so many theories exists like DNA damage/repair theory which describe that DNA damages continuously occurs in cells of living organisms. Most of the damage got repaired and some accumulate, as the DNA Polymerases. These accumulated DNA Polymerases damages, probably interfere with RNA transcription. It has been concluded that the reduction in the ability of DNA to serve as a template for gene expression is the root cause of aging.

Second is free radical/oxidation theory according to it, free radicals are very reactive and these are the byproduct of the metabolism of our body so we cannot get rid of these radicals. These kind of oxidizing agents, damage the vital proteins which are essential for the functioning of the cell. Some of the damage done by oxidizing gents is repaired by the cell itself, but in the long run damage accumulates and cause aging. We can say that as oxygen gives us life, it also weaken us with every breath so the breathing process is a necessary evil for us. Stress is also a major cause of early aging so the causes of stress are also the causes of aging.

Stress can arise in variety of reasons; stress can be brought about by the accident, sudden death, or emergency situation. A serious illness or disease can also be stressful. Stress is also associated with our daily life, the workplace, and family responsibilities. Now days our hectic life doesn’t allow us to stay calm and relaxed. We have to step forward knowing all of this in our lives, it is hard to find ways to de-stress. But it is more important to find those ways on which our health depends. Both short-term and long-term stress has effects on your body. Research is starting to show the serious effects of stress on our bodies.

Stress initialize changes in our bodies and makes us able to get sick. It can worse the problems which is already present. It can take a part in these problems like trouble sleeping, headaches, constipation, diarrhea, irritability, eating too much or not at all, anger, sadness, higher risk of asthma and arthritis, skin problems, anxiety, weight gain or loss, heart problems, high blood pressure, irritable bowel syndrome, diabetes.
Don’t let stress to take over you and make you sick.

Few suggestions to help you to handle stress.

Relaxing is most important. Each person relaxes in his or her own way. Some ways include deep breathing, yoga, meditation, and massage therapy. If you can’t do these things, take a few minutes to sit, listen to soothing music, or read a book.

Sleeping is a good way to help both your mind and body. Stress could rise if you don’t get enough sleep. You also can’t fight against sickness as well when you have poor sleep. With peaceful sleep, you can handle your problems better and cut down your risk for illness. Seven to nine hours of peaceful sleep every night is recommended.

Try to eat fruits, vegetables, and proteins instead of high calories diet. Protein can be taken from peanut butter, chicken, or tuna salad. Eat whole-grains, such as wheat crackers and wheat bread.

Exercise of half an hour can really makes a difference. Physical exertion relaxes the body muscle and reduces the effect of stress from your nerves. In yoga you take control over breath which reduces the free radicals in the body and ultimately slows down the aging. Sometime, under stress people start drinking alcohol too much, using drugs, smoking, or overeating. Don’t deal with the stress in an unhealthy way this will increase your problems instead of decreasing.

By taking control over stress, one can also slow down the process of aging and have the least chances of getting any serious disease in the middle age. This will provide a chance of better healthy life. If the situation of stress persists, consult your physician many therapies are also available to reduce stress.

Middle-age can prevent heart attack by taking aspirin daily.

heart attackAccording to experts, men and women of certain age can prevent heart attack by taking aspirin daily.

Researchers from Nottingham and Sheffield universities analyzed data on more than 12,000 patients and they found aspirin proved beneficial for men aged 48 and above and women aged 57 and above.

Usually, blood vessel blockage because of some clot causes heart attacks and aspirin helps to avoid the formation of these blood clots.

The British Heart Foundation says that further research is required before the recommendation of “blanket prescribing”

…Click here to read more

Health Tip: Monitor the Mercury in Your Food

The US Environmental Protection Agency has offered several guidelines to people so that they do not intake high levels of mercury as it can be detrimental to health.

While fish and shellfish contain high amounts of proteins, are low in saturated fats, and contain Omega-3 fatty acids, they also contain traces of mercury. While the risks of eating fish or shellfish with high amounts of mercury depend on person to person, pregnant women are particularly told to avoid fish of these kids as it can have a negative effect on the unborn child. Although mercury can gradually be removed from the body, it is a slow process and may take up to a year. Therefore, the US EPA has suggested a list of fish types which should be avoided.

…Click here to read more