Wellness & Anti-Aging News

Scientists discover new secrets of aging

One of the biggest puzzles in biology – how and why living cells age – continues to be a subject of investigation and research. An international team based at Newcastle University in NE England, along with researchers at the University of Ulm in Germany, has added some new evidence to the discussion.

The answer to the secret of aging is complex, and will not produce a magic anti-aging elixir in the foreseeable future. However, we can certainly expect better treatments to be created to fight age-related illnesses, such as diabetes and heart disease, not to mention things like wrinkle treatments, as a result of these new insights into the biochemical pathways involved in the aging process.

The research teams used a comprehensive systems biology approach, involving computer modeling, experiments using cell cultures and genetically modified mice to investigate why and how our cells age. They learned that…

The Benefits of Human Growth Hormone When Used Correctly

Human Growth Hormone, HGH, has alternatively received both beatings and boosts by the scientific and medical communities and the media. What is HGH? Who should take it?

HGH supplementation was originally approved, and still used today, to help extremely small children attain a more normal adult height. Were it not for HGH, these children would be abnormally short-statured adults.

Although using hormone growth therapy for adults has been both a social and ethical controversy for over 50 years, individuals who inject HGH on a regular basis give glowing testimony of Youth Regained: stronger muscles, faster response time, increased mental acuity and memory, a level of energy they haven’t seen in years, and a reduction of body fat. Mayo Clinic studies have shown that injections of HGH increase bone density and muscle mass, decrease body fat, bolster the heart’s ability to contract, improve mood, and increase exercise capacity. Notwithstanding…

A Test to Identify Nutritional Imbalances

Like others reading our blog, you understand that the food you eat affects your health.  Eating high quality, fresh, vitamin-laden foods give you the best chances to feel energized and avoid illness, disease, obesity and future problems such as heart disease, stroke, osteoporosis and other age-related conditions. But how do you know your best efforts at a healthy diet are hitting the mark?

NutrEval is a comprehensive nutritional evaluation designed to identify nutritional imbalances that help to overcome chronic disease and promote optimal health and wellness, including: organic acids, amino acids, essential fatty acids, toxic and nutrient element levels, and oxidative stress. It’s a unique profile that provides critical information for understanding individual disease risk, it evaluates your overall nutritional status, and assesses your functional need for vitamins, minerals, amino acids, essential fatty acids, & co-factors.

The resulting profile also provides help in understanding gastrointestinal…

Fish Oils May Slow Genetic Aging

Now there is more good news for all of you that are taking your Fish oil, and more good reason to if you are not. Happily, a recent study, supported by grants from the American Heart Association and the Bernard and Barbro Foundation, shows that omega-3 fatty acids may slow biological aging.

Researcher Ramin Farzaneh-Far, MD, of the University of California San Francisco, and his colleagues followed 608 patients with known coronary artery disease for a period of five years. Blood tests were taken to identify their telomere lengths at the beginning and end of the study. Research has shown that the length of telomeres may be a marker of biological age; theoretically, the longer one’s telomeres, the younger one is, biologically speaking. Therefore, measuring telomere length at both the beginning and end of the study enabled the researchers to understand how rapidly their telomeres were…

More Chocolate – Less Stress!

If you know me well,  you know that I’m pretty laid back and that I love good chocolate. Hmm…is there a relationship there?  Here is some great news about the anti-stress benefits of chocolate. And by the way, be sure to see our website information on how to manage stress! Doing so might be a lifesaver!

Dark chocolate is rich in flavonoids, a type of antioxidant also present in grains and nuts. Studies suggest that they may benefit the heart, blood vessels, liver, immune system, connective tissue, adrenal glands, kidneys, muscles and nervous system. Quite a number of studies suggest their ability to prevent coronary heart disease. Researchers at Nestle Research Center in Switzerland have discovered that a small portion of dark chocolate can actually lower one’s stress hormone levels. This is great news for all of you Type-A personalities!

The research team, led by Sunil Kochhar, studied…

“Botax” Part of Senate Health Proposal

You may have heard the news about a new tax being levied on cosmetic treatments they’re calling the “Botax”. While I’m theoretically pro-healthcare reform, I am highly displeased with this news. I try to keep my blog entries a “politics-free zone”, but in this case I must speak my mind. First, the news item, from the Associated Press, excerpted below.

WASHINGTON — They call it the “Botax.” The White House and Senate Democrats have turned to a proposal to tax breast implants, tummy tucks, wrinkle-smoothing injections and other procedures as they search for ways to pay for costly health care overhaul plans.

Vanity was an easy target as lawmakers scraped for cash for the nearly $1 trillion plan to expand health care to millions of Americans who lack insurance. But it’s no joke to the drug makers and people who…

Excess Body Fat = Thousands of Cancer Cases Annually

A shocking new study was published last week by researchers with the American Institute for Cancer Research,  that states more than 100,000 cases of cancer are caused annually by excess body-fat and obesity. The researchers studied seven cancers with known links to obesity along with actual case counts that were likely obesity-related.

From

The report says that 49 percent of endometrial cancers are caused by excess body fat. That number is followed by 35 percent of esophageal cancer cases; 28 percent of pancreatic cancer cases; 24 percent of kidney cancer cases; 21 percent of gallbladder cancer cases; 17 percent of breast cancer cases; and 9 percent of colorectal cancer cases.

“This is the first time that we’ve put real, quantifiable case numbers on obesity-related cancers,” said Glen Weldon, the American Institute for…

Chewing Gum Can Assist Weight Loss

Your mother or your teacher may have told you about the dire effects of chewing gum, “it’s bad for your teeth”, or “it’s an ugly habit”,  and it’s definitely no fun stepping on a piece someone’s dropped on the ground. Contrary to what they may have told you, however, recent research proves chewing gum can have real benefits for those on a weight management plan. According to a study conducted by a professor of nutrition at the University of Rhode Island, chewing gum can actually reduce caloric intake and increase energy expenditure. This is great news for those looking for an effective weight management tool.

Though it doesn’t count as “exercise“,  apparently the nerves involved in the act of chewing send signals to the area of the brain that determines whether you’re “full”.  Consequently you may not feel hungry, and…

Economy Affecting Waistlines Along with Wallets

Everyone is feeling the effects of the economic recession. For many, value trumps health-conscious when it comes to food choices.  It’s sad, but true, that processed, frozen or “fast food” is less expensive than the healthier alternatives.  Whether you’re feeding yourself or an entire family, those frozen tv-dinners or the “value menu” at the burger joint can be pretty attractive, financially.

One of the consequences of this unfortunate situation, however, is that Americans are just getting fatter, and our risk for obesity related illnesses such as diabetes is rising.

From the Wall Street Journal:

“Approximately 20% of all meals prepared in our homes from 1990 to 2007 involved the use of a microwave,” says Mr. Balzer. But in 2008, microwave usage rose to 30%. NPD Group, which has been following the microwaving habits…

Move Over BMI, Here Comes BCA

Invented in the mid 19th century, the Body Mass Index, or BMI, is currently the most widely-used diagnostic tool for gauging whether a person is at a healthy weight, under or overweight, and is reached through a calculation of height and weight measurements.

A person’s BMI is a very simple indicator of a person’s “fatness” or “thinness” that when used as designed, allows doctors to more objectively discuss weight issues with their patients.  Using this calculation, doctors use an individual’s particular BMI to determine whether or not they need medical care for being over or underweight: a BMI of 18.5 to 25 usually indicates optimal weight, a BMI lower than 18.5 suggests the person is underweight, while a number above 25 may indicate the person is overweight; a BMI below 17.5 may indicate the…