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Laterlife Healthwise - 32
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Helen has specialised in writing about health and ageing and is a member of the Guild of Health Writers. She has written for a variety of newspapers and magazines including the Guardian, Times, Observer, Woman, Family Circle, Vogue and Choice. Helen has also written several books including Getting Older Slowly –Your Guide to Successful Ageing and Bone Boosters co-authored with Diana Moran of TV Green Goddess fame. For previous articles in the healthwise series visit 'more healthwise' Don't forget to take a look at Helen's separate talkback page too. |
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Visit our Product section too: Health and Beauty in laterlife where we have selected a small range of Health stores where you can buy products online. Between them they cover the spectrum of traditional and alternative health products and therapies that you might be interested in. |
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A conference entitled Health Trends recently took place in Copenhagen, organised by the Danish Society of Orthomlecular Medicine. Two topics caught the eye of laterlife.com - a weight loss supplement called CLA and new findings on melatonin. CLA stands for Conjugated Linoleic Acid, an ingredient found in cooked,
usually fried food. The cooking process can produce
mutagens that are linked to cancer, but CLA unexpectedly works in the opposite way, acting
as an anti-carcinogen in tests conducted on mice subjected to the mutagens from a fried
hamburger. Further research revealed that CLA prevents the uptake of fat in fat cells, which may be why it offers protection. And from there came the realisation that it blocks fat gain, so preventing fat cells from growing bigger. So far, the research has been with mice and pigs, both of which gained less body fat than expected when on an otherwise normal diet. However, CLA is available as a diet supplement for humans, eg BIO-CLA from
Pharma Nord. Laterlife cannot endorse the product,
and the makers stress that fat loss must be carried out by a regime of diet and exercise. However, there is evidence that CLA can
help, mainly by preventing loss of muscle tissue.
Yes, it’s the stuff that people swear by to take the lag out of jet lag, since it helps regulate sleeping and hormone patterns. Melatonin is not a hormone or even a chemical. It is described as a ‘signal’ in the pineal gland, derived from serotonin, and is thought to be strongly connected with ageing. As we age, melatonin levels decline, especially at night. The decline, according to the Copenhagen conference, is
associated with degenerative and age-related diseases and the breakdown of the autoimmune
system. Pineal gland transplant from young to old mice prolongs the life of the recipients, while the experiment in the opposite direction, from old to young, shortens life. It’s the melatonin content that is thought to cause the effect. In human terms, it means adding 25-30 years to life, say the scientists. Arthritis
remedy may help prevent spine shrinkage Glucosamine sulphate is a widely used nutritonal supplement for arthritis, helping to maintain cartilage. Now, according to research published in the European Journal of Chiropractic, it might prevent shrinkage of the spine. As the report states, ‘this study is the first to imply that glucosamine sulphate supplementation can affect the spinal heightof normal, non-arthritic subjects by either increasing the total body heightof the average subject or reducing the amount of diurnal spinal shrinkage’. After 8-weeks on 500 mg of glucosamine sulphate, takers showed significant increases in spinal height. There were no such changes in those given a placebo, or dummy pills. No one is quite sure why the changes occurred, and If the success is repeated, glucosamine sulphate, which is available from health food stores, might be recommended for osteoporosis or to aid spinal mobility.
Health
Perception, the company that supplied the high-strength glucosamine sulphate, plan to
sponsor further research.
The natural beauty & bath book This book gives you 70 recipes for beauty and bath products that you can make yourself, using ingredients you will find at your local grocery and health food shops. Pamper yourself from head to toe with these natural formulas: Whether you are looking to lose weight, get healthy or get out of a rut, this eminently readable, well-designed, informative and authoritative guide is guaranteed to have a permanent effect on your lifestyle. This book explains: what Tai Chi is; how to use Tai Chi for health and healing; the best way to train in Tai Chi. This book is an ideal guide for anyone who wants to understand the fundamental ideas and practices of this ancient martial art.
This work provides detailed instructions, illustrations and sample exercises that show the reader how to build a system of personalized frameworks for storing and recalling information on demand. |
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Good news for postmenopausal women. Researchers have
found that brisk walking for two-and-a-half hours a week will reduce risks of cardiovascular disease by 30 %. That’s just 20 minutes of walking every day,
so it should be an achievable target for most. The results, from the Women’s Health Initiative
Observational Study, were based on a survey of 73,743 postmenopausal women aged from 50 to
79. For more non-drug ideas on the menopause, see
the What Doctors Don’t Tell You website: www.wddty.co.uk
If sheep are
anything to go by (and it seems they are) the best way to keep bones from getting brittle
is to give them a good shake up. Leg bones of
sheep increased in bone density when the sheep were placed on a vibrating platform. Now trials are starting on humans. But there’s no need to wait for results. Doctors already know that short bursts of high-impact
activity are great for bones. So get jumping, stair
climbing, weightlifting, tennis playing and of course do keep on walking.
This, says an occupational therapist, is something you’re going to love, if you are prone to dropping the soap in the shower. Instead of bending down to retrieve it, thereby risking a slip and a possibly nasty encounter with the tiling, you use a product called the Soap Assistant instead. If the soap does slip out of hand it remains within easy reach. Just insert
your favorite soap and use right through the soft stretchable casing. It’s machine
washable, made of mould resistant materials and comes in cheerful colours. To view the
product visit the website
http://www. THE LONGEVITY X-FACTOR: why are the Japanese living longer? The inhabitants of southern Japan are among the very
small groups of people around the world who are living healthy and active lives beyond the
age of 100. A report from the Japanese government
says that the number of centenarians from the region reached a record high this year. In
all, 17,934 centenarians are alive in Japan right now, up by 2,459 on last year. Of these,
80 per cent are women. In 1963, there were just 153 centenarians in the country. Health researchers reckon the increase is caused by
the warm climate in southern Japan, a healthy diet and tight-knit social groups found in
the area. However, these are reasons that were all in place in 1963, which suggests a
Factor X at play over the 40 years since then. What is
Factor X? A purpose to live is one of the key components for a long and healthy life,
possibly through a useful or worthwhile activity. Belief that involves a community, such
as an organized religion, can also help. All of this presupposes a healthy lifestyle,
including exercise and sensible diet. This and other info is available from the website of
What Doctors Don’t Tell you. If you want
to download a FREE COPY of a report ‘100 Ways to Live to a 100’, visit the website: http://www.wddty.co.uk
for your copy. Prostate
cancer - when less is more Men who’ve been diagnosed with early-stage
prostate cancer are faced with a difficult choice: do you undergo radical surgery
immediately, or do you wait until the symptoms worsen, a strategy known as watchful
waiting? Doctors often fail to point out the downsides of
immediate surgery and the affect this can have on quality of life. For example, penile
erection is much more difficult to achieve, and urinary leakages are more commonplace. Researchers
have found that men who have surgery are twice as likely to suffer penile dysfunction and
urinary leaks as those who watch and wait. The one advantage for those who had the surgery
was that they were less likely to suffer urinary obstruction. Overall, in a study carried out by a Swedish
research team, it took four years for the differences between the groups to level out,
suggesting watchful waiting may be the better course in the immediate future. It’s certainly something to discuss with your
doctor. Waiting may
produce another long-term benefit.There are reports of a vaccine which may protect against
prostate cancer and also more accurate testing could be on the way, though not for some
time yet. If in any doubt about any of the information covered in healthwise articles and it's relevance for you, consult your GP.
In edition 31:- Three recent trials with new treatments show encouraging results for ED
A problem many people have is knowing just how big one portion of fruit or veg is..
A few things to know about feet Some helpful ways of avoiding future foot problems.
Different categories of pain explained, and organisations that can help.
Fast healing for cuts and grazes Some first aid to help minor injuries heal quickly
Index to all previous Healthwise editions For books on Health visit the Amazon Family and Health Section. Don't forget if you buy books or videos from Amazon by linking from laterlife, you generate money for Charity. |
6 weeks to super health
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