The Future
Is Here
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.
Check out latest information on:
www.wisc.edu/fri
/clarefs.htm and
www.pharmanord.com.
Melatonin
and ageing
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 height of normal,
non-arthritic subjects by either increasing the total body height of 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.
Eat yourself slim
 Based on the recipes and menus that will feature in Rosemary
Conley's television series, of the same name, this book has suggestions for those who want
to enjoy fine food and control their weight, or lose some weight at the same time.
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:
 6 weeks to super health
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.
 Tai Chi
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.
Stop smoking
This new edition of the bestseller aims to help the reader use the "Easy way"
method to eliminate the psychological reasons for smoking, handle withdrawal symptoms,
avoid temptation situations, and stay a non-smoker!
 Maximise your memory
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. |
 |
Keeping up the walking
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.
Don’t slip up in the shower
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.
soapassistant.com
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:-
Men and sex
Three
recent trials with new treatments show encouraging results for ED
Five a day
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.
Painful progress
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. |
