Urine TherapyOUTLINE:
What is urine therapy?
Urine as a lifesaver:
What is in urine?
What happens when you consume your own urine?
A closer look at the details:
How to use urine therapy?
What are the claims by urine therapy advocates?
Examples of scientific hypotheses involving urine therapy:
�Urine, enzymes and heart diseases:�Urine, urea and liver cancer:
So what can we conclude?
What is urine therapy?
The basic definition of "urine therapy" is using (your own) urine internally or externally as a way to aid or sustain your heath. Urine therapy, which includes drinking, injecting, massaging with-, and/or bathing in- urine, is an ancient practice that is used today, not only in times of sickness, but also in times of good health for preventive health maintenance. It has been claimed to have proven helpful in a great number of varying illnesses, ranging from a simple cold and a throat-ache, to tuberculosis and asthma, from minor skin problems such as itching to major skin problems such as eczema, psoriasis and even skin cancer. But you probably ask, "How can your own urine benefit your health? Besides, isn�t it toxic?"
Urine as a lifesaver:
During the NBC Nightly News on October 16, 1992, Tom Brokaw reported that, "In Egypt, rescue workers found a 37-year old man alive in earthquake rubble. He survived almost 82 hours by drinking his own urine. His wife, daughter and mother would not and they died"We�ve all heard stories of individuals who have either lived or died by being trapped in places without food or water for days. In those stories, the survivors were always the ones that drank their own urine. The ones that died probably could not overcome the misguided thoughts that urine is an unhealthy waste product of the body. But it�s not; urine is simply a substance that the body does not need at the time, and a substance that the body secretes. And sometimes, it�s a lifesaver.
What�s in urine?
Urine, 95% of which is water, 2.5% of which is urea, and 2.5% of which is a mixture of minerals, salts, hormones, and enzymes, is not a toxic waste product. Urine is a blood byproduct and though it contains some body waste, it is non-toxic. In 1975, Dr. A.H. Free, published his book Urinalysis in Clinical Laboratory Practice, in which he presents a few critical nutrients found in urine:
Alanine, total ..... 38 mg/day
Arginine, total ..... 32 mg/day
Ascorbic acid ..... 30 mg/day
Allantoin ..... 12 mg/day
Amino acids, total ..... 2.1 g/day
Bicarbonate ..... 140 mg/day
Biotin ..... 35 mg/day
Calcium ..... 23 mg/day
Creatinine ..... 1.4 mg/day
Cystine ..... 120 mg/day
Dopamine ..... 0.40 mg/day
Epinephrine ..... 0.01 mg/day
Folic acid ..... 4 mg/day
Glucose ..... 100 mg/day
Glutamic acid ..... 308 mg/day
Glycine ..... 455 mg/day
Inositol ..... 14 mg/day
Iodine ..... 0.25 mg/day
Iron ..... 0.5 mg/day
Lysine, total ..... 56 mg/day
Magnesium ..... 100 mg/day
Manganese ..... 0.5 mg/day
Methionine, total ..... 10 mg/day
Nitrogen, total ..... 15 g/day
Ornithine ..... 10 mg/day
Pantothenic acid ..... 3 mg/day
Phenylalanine ..... 21 mg/day
Phosphorus, organic .....9 mg/day
Potassium ..... 2.5 mg/day
Proteins, total ..... 5 mg/day
Riboflavin ..... 0.9 mg/day
Tryptophan, total ..... 28 mg/day
Tyrosine, total ..... 50 mg/day
Urea ..... 24.5 mg/day
Vitamin B6 ..... 100 mg/day
Vitamin B12 ..... 0.03 mg/day
Zinc ..... 1.4 mg/day
The following are the average quantities of various substances, in 100 milliliters of urine as reported in Introduction to Biochemistry by Dr. Pharon:
Substance Milligrams
1] Urea nitrogen
682.00
2] Urea
1459.00
3] Creatinin nitrogen
36.00
4] Creatinin
97.20
5] Uric acid nitrogen
12.30
6] Uric acid
36.90
7] Amino nitrogen
9.70
8] Ammonia nitrogen
57.00
9] Sodium
212.00
10] Potassium
137.00
11] Calcium
19.50
12] Magnesium
11.30
13] Chloride
314.00
14] Total sulphate
91.00
15] Inorganic sulphate
83.00
16] Inorganic phosphate
127.00
17] N/10 acid
27.80
Some other important urine constituents are:
Enzymes�
Amylase (diastase).
Lactic dehydrogenate (L. D. H.).
Leucine amino-peptidase (L. A. P.).
Urokinase.
Hormones�
Catechol amines.
Hydroxy-steroids.
17-Catosteroids.
Erythropoietine.
Adenylate cyclase.
Prostaglandin's.
Sex hormones.
What happens when you consume your own urine?
The small amount of toxins that are found in urine are not abundant enough to be toxic to the body. When you drink your own urine, it does not go directly to the blood stream. First it goes into the digestive system where its ingredients are sorted out. Then, the useful ingredients are recycled while the toxins are rejected. When the level of toxins becomes too high, the toxins stimulate the intestines into flushing themselves out to eliminate any stagnated excrements accumulated in the colon. Although we could probably filter out the toxins before drinking the urine, the toxins are needed because they stimulate a cleansing reaction in the body. Urine, which remember, is a byproduct of our blood, becomes more purified the more it is recycled. Thus, the cleaner the blood is, the cleaner the urine is, and vice-versa. And this is how urine therapy advocates conclude that urine therapy has a cleansing effect on the blood.
The toxins of urine are also necessary to vaccinate and protect the body from future illnesses. The main theory behind urine therapy after all, isn�t that it straight out cures diseases, but instead, it is geared more towards building immunity to diseases, much like vaccinations. The small amounts of possibly toxic substances which can be found in urine largely seem to have a positive effect on the immune system. An important task of the immune system is to rid the human body of diseased or unusable substances that have developed during the course of an illness, and when these substances reach healthy tissue, the blood becomes stronger, the activity of leukocytes (white blood cells) increases, and the patient probably recovers. This phenomenon is known as auto-inoculation or self-vaccination and can be seen as mother nature's method of healing an illness without external intervention. Urine therapy, therefore, can be seen as a form of self-vaccination: certain bodily substances which have been removed from the body, some of which may have been produced as a result of illness, are re-introduced into the body in small amounts. These substances are re-absorbed into the blood through either the intestines or the skin, and the immune system is then given the chance to react appropriately.
How to use urine therapy?
Basic rules:
1. Midstream urine should be used, the exception being in a fast
where urine is being passed every ten to fifteen minutes. The
first flow should always be midstream.
2. Urine should be sipped like tea and not drunk like water. This will
prevent excessive problems in the form of loose stools and other
eliminative processes.
3. The first flow of the day is the most important and the best time
of the day to drink it is between three and four a.m..
4. Drink at least one liter of water per day.
5. Pungent and salty food as well as excessive protein should be
avoided.
6. Urine passed during the night before three a.m. should not be
used.
- The quantity used is left up to the individual.
1. Prepare the mind by making a resolve to at lease attempt the
process and examine your reactions, thoughts and feelings.
2. When you feel mentally prepared to attempt the actual practice,
collect some fresh urine and start by rubbing your hands with it.
Feel its texture, smell it, and see whether it can actually clean
your skin as well as some people claim. After about five minutes
wash it off with cold water and feel the skin to see whether the
urine has had an effect. Do not use soap after rubbing.
3. The next phase of adjusting the body and mind is to
put one drop onto the tongue. Taste and smell play an important
part in assessing its nature.
4. Eventually you should build up the quantity you take in until you
can drink a full glass of midstream urine and feel neutral in body
and mind. Then you will be ready to start more advanced curriculums.
So what does all of this information mean? According to urine therapy supporters, it means that urine is not only non-toxic, but it is also anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-viral. Supposedly, a renowned heart specialist of Bombay, India, once issued an appeal through a newspaper to members of the city, inviting them to write to him about their experience of urine therapy and especially about any cases of detrimental effects. The man�s purpose was to demonstrate that drinking urine is harmful to one�s body and ineffective medically. Shortly after, the man received hundreds of letters in response to his appeal; however, not a single letter of those hundreds reported negative effects.
Urine therapy advocates claim that to this day, despite the countless number of experiments performed using urine therapy, not a single case has been recorded finding unfavorable effects. In fact, they say that urine therapy might be a remedy for polio, rabies, and tuberculosis, AIDS, growths and cancers, fatigue, anemia, all sorts of urinary diseases, for weight-loss, colds and flu, candida, diabetes, heart disease, digestive problems, prostate trouble, arthritis, glaucoma, rheumatism, cataract, venereal disease, leukemia, malaria, diphtheria, chickenpox, scarlet fever, rheumatic fever, bronchial asthma, orchitis, bright's disease, jaundice, scurvy, dropsy, burns, rashes, warts, bed-wetting, menstruation trouble, kidney disease, mucus colitis, pyorrhea, gangrene, etc. (. In fact, the list of diseases for which urine therapy is said to be effective is around 175 known diseases�� an extraordinary amount for any type of medical practice.
Examples of scientific hypotheses involving urine therapy:
�Urine, enzymes and heart diseases:
One of the useful components that urine contains are enzymes. Urine contains many enzymes, one of which is called Urokinase. While doing research on this enzyme, scientist found that Urokinase causes vasodilatation and resembles nitroglycerine in its ability to strengthen the bloodstream from the coronary artery to the cardiac muscle. Today, Urokinase is used in drug form and sold as a miracle blood clot dissolver for unblocking coronary arteries. The existence of enzymes such as Urokinase in urine, might explain why urine therapy is said to be effective against arteriosclerosis, heart attack, pulmonary embolism, etc..
�Urine, urea and liver cancer:
Another important ingredient that urine contains is urea. Scientists estimate that 25% of the urea in an adult finds its way into the intestines, where it is decomposed into ammonia by intestinal bacteria. Some of this ammonia ends up in the liver, where part of it is converted into urea, and another part is converted into glutamine, an extremely useful amino acid. Because of its healing effect on ulcers and wounds in the intestinal canal, glutamine is essential in the maintenance and construction of specialized tissue, such as in the brain, the small intestine and in the growth and activity of the mucous membrane of the intestinal canal. The most important function of glutamine, though, is its ability to strengthen the immune system, and could be an important key in explaining why urine therapy is such a successful method of treatment. Another noteworthy application of urea can be found in the treatment of cancer by Professor Evangelos Danopoulos, who used urea in treating breast cancer, liver cancer, and several other kinds of cancer. Danopoulos noticed that the urea seemed to disrupt the ability of cancer cells to group together and apparently killed the cells by upsetting some of their normal metabolic activities. He experimented with injecting urea mixed with a saline solution in and around skin cancer and as a treatment for breast cancer. He conducted research on drinking urea dissolved in water in order to fight liver cancer, and reported positive results. In 1969, Danopoulos did a study on oral urea treatment in treating liver cancer. He gave 2-2.5 grams of pure synthetic urea to 18 patients with liver cancer, four to six times daily in capsules, syrup, or as powder. Out of those patients, eight had primary carcinoma and ten had tumors with liver metastases. In the primary-cancer group, two patients were alive after 57 and 36 months. In four patients, death seemed to be related to an interruption of urea treatment where they reportedly stopped their treatment after feeling better. And two patients died of apparently detached illnesses. The average survival period with the urea treatment was 26.5 months, five times greater than any previous reports, without or without the urea treatment.
In the metastatic group, the efficiency of urea treatment could not be judged by survival since the tumor tissue outside of the liver was more than likely not affected. While being on the urea treatment, all of the patients had a reduction of their liver enlargement. Six patients were still alive at the end of the study. Two patients who had liver metastases from breast and colon, were healthy at 19 and 13 months, respectively. One patient was in good condition after 17 months, and the other patient, who had a general disseminated disease and a moderate liver enlargement, was in fair condition at 40 months. After his study, Danopoulos concluded that the results justified formal trial of urea in primary liver cancer and also in metastatic cancer, since the results indicated a regression of liver cancer with oral urea treatment (Danopoulos ED. et al., 1974). Professor Danopoulos also began combining urea with creatine hydrate, another component of urine, and in this way, reportedly treated other kinds of cancers successfully.
So what can we conclude?
?Although few people realize it, pharmaceutical companies have grossed billions of dollars from sales of drugs made from urine constituents. Today, research is happening nonstop in labs attempting to isolate specific elements of urine I order to make new drugs and new discoveries. Pergonal for instance, is a fertility drug that grossed $855 million in sales in 1992 Elements like Urokinase and urea, which have become gods to the medical and cosmetic world, respectively, have started to make the marketing and medical population view man�s bodily fluids a little differently. Obviously, urine has some valuable components, but does that make urine therapy a valuable alternative medicine?
One thing that we must learn is that urine is not in fact "useless" and "an offensive waste product." We should lose our foul prejudices about urine� but to go as far as swearing that urine is the Savior of all medicine, is as deranged as saying those (in)famous two words�� "Got urine?"
References:
Danopoulos, E.W. (1974). Letter: Regression of liver cancer with oral urea. Lancet, 1(7848) Jan. 26, 132.
Physical exercise
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Workout" and "Exercise" redirect here. For other uses, see Workout (disambiguation) and Exercise (disambiguation).
Contents
- 1 Classification
- 2 Health effects
- 2.1 Cardiovascular system
- 2.2 Immune system
- 2.3 Brain function
- 2.4 Depression
- 2.5 Sleep
- 2.6 Excessive exercise
- 2.7 Myokine research
- 3 Public health measures
- 4 Exercise trends
- 5 Nutrition and recovery
- 6 History
- 7 In other animals
- 8 See also
Classification
Physical exercises are generally grouped into three types, depending on the overall effect they have on the human body:[7]- Aerobic exercise is any physical activity that uses large muscle groups and causes your body to use more oxygen than it would while resting.[7] The goal of aerobic exercise is to increase cardiovascular endurance.[8] Examples of aerobic exercise include cycling, swimming, brisk walking, skipping rope, rowing, hiking, playing tennis continuous training, and long slow distance training.[7]
- Anaerobic exercise is also called strength or Resistance training and can firm, strengthen, and tone your muscles, as well as improve bone strength, Balance, and Coordination.[7] Examples of strength moves are pushups, lunges, and bicep curls using dumbbells.[7] Anaerobic exercise also include weight training, functional training, eccentric training, Interval training, sprinting and high-intensity interval training increase short-term muscle strength.[7][9]
- Flexibility exercises stretch and lengthen your muscles.[7] Activities such as stretching help to improve joint joint flexibility and keep muscles limber.[7] The goal is to improve the range of motion which can reduce the chance of injury.[7][10]
Sometimes the terms 'dynamic' and 'static' are used. 'Dynamic' exercises such as steady running, tend to produce a lowering of the diastolic blood pressure during exercise, due to the improved blood flow. Conversely, static exercise (such as weight-lifting) can cause the systolic pressure to rise significantly (during the exercise).]
Health effects
Exercise reduces levels of cortisol,[13] which causes many health problems, both physical and mental.[14] Conversely, exercise increases levels of saliva nitrite, which can be converted to the nitric oxide, thereby, increasing intensity and training load. Saliva testing for nitric oxide serves as a marker for training status.[15]
Endurance exercise before meals lowers blood glucose more than the same exercise after meals.[16] According to the World Health Organization, lack of physical activity contributes to approximately 17% of heart disease and diabetes, 12% of falls in the elderly, and 10% of breast cancer and colon cancer.[17]
There is evidence that vigorous exercise (90–95% of VO2 Max) induces a greater degree of physiological cardiac hypertrophy than moderate exercise (40 to 70% of VO2 Max), but it is unknown whether this has any effects on overall morbidity and/or mortality.[18]
Both aerobic and anaerobic exercise work to increase the mechanical efficiency of the heart by increasing cardiac volume (aerobic exercise), or myocardial thickness (strength training). Ventricular hypertrophy, the thickening of the ventricular walls, is generally beneficial and healthy if it occurs in response to exercise.
Not everyone benefits equally from exercise. There is tremendous variation in individual response to training; where most people will see a moderate increase in endurance from aerobic exercise, some individuals will as much as double their oxygen uptake, while others can never augment endurance.[22][23] However, muscle hypertrophy from resistance training is primarily determined by diet and testosterone.[24] This genetic variation in improvement from training is one of the key physiological differences between elite athletes and the larger population.[25][26] Studies have shown that exercising in middle age leads to better physical ability later in life.[27]
Cardiovascular system
The beneficial effect of exercise on the cardiovascular system is well documented. There is a direct relation between physical inactivity and cardiovascular mortality, and physical inactivity is an independent risk factor for the development of coronary artery disease. There is a dose-response relation between the amount of exercise performed from approximately 700 to 2000 kcal of energy expenditure per week and all-cause mortality and cardiovascular disease mortality in middle-aged and elderly populations. The greatest potential for reduced mortality is in the sedentary who become moderately active. Most beneficial effects of physical activity on cardiovascular disease mortality can be attained through moderate-intensity activity (40% to 60% of maximal oxygen uptake, depending on age). ... persons who modify their behavior after myocardial infarction to include regular exercise have improved rates of survival. ... Persons who remain sedentary have the highest risk for all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality.[28]Immune system
Although there have been hundreds of studies on exercise and the immune system, there is little direct evidence on its connection to illness. Epidemiological evidence suggests that moderate exercise has a beneficial effect on the human immune system; an effect which is modeled in a J curve. Moderate exercise has been associated with a 29% decreased incidence of upper respiratory tract infections (URTI), but studies of marathon runners found that their prolonged high-intensity exercise was associated with an increased risk of infection occurrence. However, another study did not find the effect. Immune cell functions are impaired following acute sessions of prolonged, high-intensity exercise, and some studies have found that athletes are at a higher risk for infections. The immune systems of athletes and nonathletes are generally similar. Athletes may have slightly elevated natural killer cell count and cytolytic action, but these are unlikely to be clinically significant.[29]Vitamin C supplementation has been associated with lower incidence of URTIs in marathon runners.[29]
Biomarkers of inflammation such as C-reactive protein, which are associated with chronic diseases, are reduced in active individuals relative to sedentary individuals, and the positive effects of exercise may be due to its anti-inflammatory effects. The depression in the immune system following acute bouts of exercise may be one of the mechanisms for this anti-inflammatory effect.[29]
Brain function
Main article: Neurobiological effects of physical exercise
Physical activity has been shown to be neuroprotective in many neurodegenerative and neuromuscular diseases.[30] Evidence suggests that it reduces the risk of developing dementia.[31] The Caerphilly Heart Disease Study
followed 2,375 male subjects over 30 years and examined the association
between regular physical exercise and dementia. The study found that
men who exercised regularly had a 59% reduction in dementia when
compared to the men who didn't exercise.[32]In addition, a 2008 review of cognitive enrichment therapies (strategies to slow or reverse cognitive decline) concluded that "physical activity, and aerobic exercise in particular, enhances older adults' cognitive function".[33]
In mice, exercise improves cognitive functioning via improvement of spatial learning, and enhancement of synaptic plasticity and neurogenesis.[34] In a 2009 study, scientists made two groups of mice swim a water maze, and then in a separate trial subjected them to an unpleasant stimulus to see how quickly they would learn to move away from it. Then, over the next four weeks they allowed one group of mice to run inside their rodent wheels, an activity most mice enjoy, while they forced the other group to work harder on mini-treadmills at a speed and duration controlled by the scientists. They then tested both groups again to track their learning skills and memory. Both groups of mice improved their performances in the water maze from the earlier trial. But only the extra-worked treadmill runners were better in the avoidance task, a skill that, according to neuroscientists, demands a more complicated cognitive response.[35]
The mice who were forced to run on the treadmills showed evidence of molecular changes in several portions of their brains when viewed under a microscope, while the voluntary wheel-runners had changes in only one area. According to an author of the study, "our results support the notion that different forms of exercise induce neuroplasticity changes in different brain regions."[36]
Furthermore, anecdotal evidence suggests that frequent exercise may reverse alcohol-induced brain damage.[37]
There are several possibilities for why exercise is beneficial for the brain. Examples are as follows:
- increasing the blood and oxygen flow to the brain;
- increasing growth factors that help neurogenesis.[38] and promote synaptic plasticity[39] — possibly improving short and long term memory;
- increasing chemicals in the brain that help cognition, such as dopamine, glutamate, norepinephrine, and serotonin.[40]
Depression
A number of factors may contribute to depression including being overweight, low self-esteem, stress, and anxiety.[42] Endorphins act as a natural pain reliever and antidepressant in the body.[43] Endorphins have long been regarded as responsible for what is known as "runner's high", a euphoric feeling a person receives from intense physical exertion.[44] However, recent research[20][21] indicates that anandamide may possibly play a greater role than endorphins in "runner's high". When a person exercises, levels of both circulating serotonin and endorphins are increased.[45] These levels are known to stay elevated even several days after exercise is discontinued, possibly contributing to improvement in mood, increased self-esteem, and weight management.[44] Exercise alone is a potential prevention method and/or treatment for mild forms of depression.[46] Research has also shown that when exercise is done in the presence of other people (familiar or not), it can be more effective in reducing stress than simply exercising alone.[47]Sleep
A 2010 review of published scientific research suggested that exercise generally improves sleep for most people, and helps sleep disorders such as insomnia. The optimum time to exercise may be 4 to 8 hours before bedtime, though exercise at any time of day is beneficial, with the possible exception of heavy exercise taken shortly before bedtime, which may disturb sleep. There is, in any case, insufficient evidence to draw detailed conclusions about the relationship between exercise and sleep.[48]According to a 2005 study, exercise is the most recommended alternative to sleeping pills for resolving insomnia. Sleeping pills are more costly than to make time for a daily routine of staying fit, and may have dangerous side effects in the long run. Exercise can be a healthy, safe and inexpensive way to achieve more and better sleep.[49]
Excessive exercise
Too much exercise can be harmful. Without proper rest, the chance of stroke or other circulation problems increases,[50] and muscle tissue may develop slowly. Extremely intense, long-term cardiovascular exercise, as can be seen in athletes who train for multiple marathons, has been associated with scarring of the heart and heart rhythm abnormalities.[51][52][53]Inappropriate exercise can do more harm than good, with the definition of "inappropriate" varying according to the individual. For many activities, especially running and cycling, there are significant injuries that occur with poorly regimented exercise schedules. Injuries from accidents also remain a major concern,[54] whereas the effects of increased exposure to air pollution seem only a minor concern.[55][56]
In extreme instances, over-exercising induces serious performance loss. Unaccustomed overexertion of muscles leads to rhabdomyolysis (damage to muscle) most often seen in new army recruits.[57] Another danger is overtraining, in which the intensity or volume of training exceeds the body's capacity to recover between bouts.[58]
Stopping excessive exercise suddenly may create a change in mood. Feelings of depression and agitation can occur when withdrawal from the natural endorphins produced by exercise occurs. Exercise should be controlled by each body's inherent limitations. While one set of joints and muscles may have the tolerance to withstand multiple marathons, another body may be damaged by 20 minutes of light jogging. This must be determined for each individual.
Too much exercise may cause a woman to miss her period, a symptom known as amenorrhea.[59]
Myokine research
In a 2012 article regarding myokine research, Pedersen and Febbraio concluded that "physical inactivity and muscle disuse lead to loss of muscle mass and accumulation of visceral adipose tissue and consequently to the activation of a network of inflammatory pathways, which promote development of insulin resistance, atherosclerosis, neurodegeneration and tumour growth and, thereby, promote the development of a cluster of chronic diseases. By contrast, the finding that muscles produce and release myokines provides a molecular basis for understanding how physical activity could protect against premature mortality.... Physical inactivity or muscle disuse potentially leads to an altered or impaired myokine response and/or resistance to the effects of myokines, which explains why lack of physical activity increases the risk of a whole network of diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, T2DM (Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus), cancer and osteoporosis."[60]Public health measures
As of 2011 the effects of community wide interventions to increase exercise levels at the population level is unknown.[61] Signs that encourage the use of stairs, as well as community campaigns, may increase exercise levels.[62] The city of Bogotá, Colombia, for example, blocks off 113 kilometers (70 mi) of roads on Sundays and holidays to make it easier for its citizens to get exercise. These pedestrian zones are part of an effort to combat chronic diseases, including obesity.[63]Exercise trends
Main article: Exercise trends
Worldwide there has been a large shift towards less physically demanding work.[64]
This has been accompanied by increasing use of mechanized
transportation, a greater prevalence of labor saving technology in the
home, and less active recreational pursuits.[64] Personal lifestyle changes however can correct the lack of physical exercise.Nutrition and recovery
Proper nutrition is as important to health as exercise. When exercising, it becomes even more important to have a good diet to ensure that the body has the correct ratio of macronutrients while providing ample micronutrients, in order to aid the body with the recovery process following strenuous exercise.[65]History
The benefits of exercise have been known since antiquity. Marcus Cicero, around 65 BC, stated: "It is exercise alone that supports the spirits, and keeps the mind in vigor."[66] However, the link between physical health and exercise (or lack of it) was only discovered in 1949 and reported in 1953 by a team led by Jerry Morris.[67][68] Dr. Morris noted that men of similar social class and occupation (bus conductors versus bus drivers) had markedly different rates of heart attacks, depending on the level of exercise they got: bus drivers had a sedentary occupation and a higher incidence of heart disease, while bus conductors were forced to move continually and had a lower incidence of heart disease.[68] This link had not previously been noted and was later confirmed by other researchers.In other animals
Physical exercise has been shown to benefit a wide range of other mammals, as well as salmon, juvenile crocodiles, and at least one species of bird.[69]However, several studies have shown that lizards display no benefit from exercise, leading them to be termed "metabolically inflexible".[70]
A number of studies of both rodents and humans have demonstrated that individual differences in both ability and propensity for exercise (i.e., voluntary exercise) have some genetic basis.[71][72]
Kids' Obesity Numbers Leveling Out
dailyRx News) In order to address childhood obesity, it's important to know how many children are obese in the US and whether that number is growing or shrinking.
Kids' Obesity Numbers Leveling OutA recent study reported those estimates and found that the rate of overall obesity has stabilized in the past several years.
It's not clear why the rate has stabilized, but the stability did not occur for the heaviest children.
The rates of children who fell into the most severe obesity categories have been steadily increasing even in more recent years.
"Discuss your child's weight with the pediatrician."
This study, led by Asheley Cockrell Skinner, PhD, of the Department of Pediatrics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, estimated the rates of childhood obesity for more than a decade in the US.
The researchers tracked the weights of 26,690 children and teens, aged 2 to 19, who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys from 1999 through 2012.
They used body mass index (BMI) as their measure. BMI is a ratio of a person's height to weight and is commonly used to determine how healthy a person's weight is.
The researchers specifically recorded the proportion of children falling into one of the following categories of weight:
- overweight (BMI at 85th percentile or greater)
- obesity (BMI at 95th percentile or greater)
- class 2 obesity (BMI at least 120 percent of the 95th percentile or a BMI of 35 or greater)
- class 3 obesity (BMI at least 140 percent of the 95th percentile or a BMI of 40 or greater)
Related: What's the Cost of Childhood Obesity?
The researchers found that obesity rates in general increased over the 14-year period studied.
For example, the rate in 1999-2000 was 14.5 percent, which increased to 15.2 percent in 2001-2002 and then 17.3 percent in 2003-2004.
However, when the researchers compared the most recent rates to those from 2009 to 2010, they did not find that the rates were significantly different.
In fact, the rate remained close to 17 percent since 2003-2004, except a brief dip to 15.9 percent in 2005-2006.
The lack of a major change in the most recent years means that the rate of childhood obesity might be stabilizing, the researchers noted.
"Continuing research is needed to determine which, if any, public health interventions can be credited with this stability," they wrote.
However, the stabilization seen with obesity in general was not seen with the class 2 and class 3 obesity categories.
Related: How Obesity Affects Health
The rates in these categories have steadily increased, even in the most recent years.
The rate of class 2 obesity was 3.8 percent in 1999-2000. More recently, it was 5 percent in 2007-2008, 5.7 percent in 2009-2010 and 5.9 percent in 2011-2012.
Meanwhile, the rate of class 3 obesity was 0.9 percent in 1999-2000, and more recently it was 1.5 percent in 2007-2008, 1.6 percent in 2009-2010 and 2.1 percent in 2011-2012.
"Unfortunately, there is an upward trend of more severe forms of obesity and further investigations into the causes of and solutions to this problem are needed," the researchers wrote.
This study was published April 7 in the journal JAMA Pediatrics. The research was funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development at the National Institutes of Health. The authors reported no conflicts of interest.
For even more health news, information, and videos, sign up for the dailyRx Newsletter. You will get one email every morning with the top health news stories for the day.
7 Ways To Boost Your Creativity
Albert Einstein once said, “Creativity is knowing how to hide your sources.” For some, the creative gene is second nature and whether it be in your personal or professional life, everyone could always use a little creativity boost to kick-start their mental juices. Creativity doesn’t have to mean publishing your first novel or painting a Van Gogh-like piece. It simply means expanding your own creative mind to the depths that you are able to explore.
1. Drinking Alcohol: According to a round-up published last month by Medical Daily, drinking alcohol enhances your ability to be creative. Different studies found that drinking alcohol decreased working memory but increased the ability to think creatively.
2. Day Dreaming: Enhancing creativity might be possible from just staring into open space. In 2012, researchers at the University of California, Santa Barbara; the Max Planck Institute; and the University of British Columbia found that “mind wandering” facilitated creativity.
3. Dim Light: Low lights or even darkness can help to enhance creativity. Two German universities, University of Stuttgart and University of Hohenheim, found that, “groups working under dim light solved significantly more problems correctly than the other two groups.”
4. Limit Amusement: When your brain is being occupied by a number of different external thoughts, you rarely have time to form your own. The word amusement actually means to divert from serious business. Your brain is your muse, so if you’re deluding it of other thoughts, it’ll debilitate your creativity. Stay away from seemingly mindless amusements such as watching television.
5. Ignore the Critics: There will always be a number of people who encourage you to be free-spirited and creative, and conversely, there will also be a number of people who try to discourage you. It’s important to remember that critical people are critical of everything, and it’s important to ignore them before their hindering thoughts influence your creative ones.
6. Surround Yourself With Other Creative People: By surrounding yourself with other creative people, whether they excel in writing, music, or other art forms, it can help to propel your own creativity.
7. Just Do It: Instead of sitting and wondering how you can make yourself creative, just go ahead and do it. Take your best stab at writing, drawing, or painting, and see what you come up with — you’ll either love it or hate it. Either way, you’ll be exploring your creative side.
Do Antibacterial Soaps Do More Harm than Good?
The widespread use of certain antimicrobial chemicals in soaps and toothpaste has come under fire in recent years, spurring regulators to take a second look at their use.Arizona State University professor Rolf Halden published an article in Environmental Science & Technology Tuesday detailing the long and convoluted history of triclocarban and triclosan, common antimicrobials in soaps and toothpastes.
Experts are concerned about the ongoing accumulation of these two chemicals in the environment and in people's bodies. Laboratory testing has suggested that they can disrupt the endocrine system and cause hormonal interference, leading to poor sperm quality, infertility, and developmental problems. Some research has linked them to the growth of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, or “superbugs.”
Research from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has shown that triclocarban and triclosan are present in the urine of 75 percent of Americans and in 97 percent of the human breast milk tested.
What Every Parent Should Know About Superbugs
The Controversial History of Triclosan
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) first proposed to remove triclosan from certain consumer products in 1978 but did not take regulatory action. In 2010, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) filed a federal lawsuit against the FDA. The lawsuit was settled in November, and the FDA agreed to move forward on the issue.Soap manufacturers now have one year to demonstrate that triclocarban and triclosan are safe or more effective than plain soap and water. If they cannot, the chemicals must be removed from their products by 2016.
Used in soaps and toothpaste, triclocarban and triclosan are also added to some detergents, clothing, carpets, paints, plastics, toys, school supplies, and even pacifiers. More than 2,000 antimicrobial products are available, according to Halden’s paper.
“The FDA's move is a prudent and important step toward preserving the efficacy of clinically important antibiotics, preventing unnecessary exposure of the general population to endocrine disrupting and potentially harmful chemicals, and throttling back the increasing release and accumulation of antimicrobials in the environment,” Halden wrote.
Because of their widespread use, Halden says triclocarban and triclosan are the most abundant drugs in wastewater treatment-plant sludge, and they persist for more than 50 years because they don’t degrade easily. They are toxic to organisms in lakes and rivers if they leak out of the holding areas at treatment plants.
“Sustainability considerations already are informing the design of green pharmaceuticals and adopting this approach for antimicrobials promises to yield important benefits to people and the planet,” Halden concluded in his paper.
Teach Your Kids These Good Hygiene Habits
Experts: Plain Soap and Water Do the Trick
Dr. Michael Bell, deputy director of the CDC’s Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, said that, of the commercial products available, plain soap and water work best for disinfecting in most situations.“For routine day in and day out use, at my house I use a nice soap that smells like flowers. That's fine. You don't need anything special,” he said.
Bell uses alcohol-based hand sanitizer when traveling through airports to prevent the spread of germs, and he said that antibacterial soaps have their place as well.
“For some things, antimicrobial soap solutions are important. If you're about to have surgery, your doctor may say take a shower with this soap twice in the next couple of days so your infection risk is lower. There's a role for all of these things,” he said. “We don't come out and say don't use anti-bacterial soap. We are specific about where we say it should be used. What we want people to do, though, is focus on keeping their hands clean at all times.”
How to eat
Paleo, gluten-free, raw, Mediterranean, or some other diet: which is best? Looking at the news today, one might conclude that the correct foods to eat change several times a year. One day nuts are the fountain of youth; the next they are the scourge of all dieters—and studies seem to back up both claims.
The truth is, if you want to have overall vibrant health, abundant energy, and an appropriate weight for years to come, you don’t need a fancy diet that is trending now. You just need to eat like the many long-living centenarians that have come before you.
The many folks that have made it past age 90 in thriving health can’t be wrong! Here are five simple takeaways for how to eat like a centenarian.
1. Make plants the centerpiece of your meal.
A major common characteristic of centenarians around the world that helps them live so long is that they eat a plant-based diet. The centenarians I met in China eat lots of fresh vegetables, protein-rich beans, sometimes fish, and very little meat or modern processed foods. As a result, they have much lower rates of the top diseases facing modern society, including heart disease, cancer, liver disease, and degenerative diseases.While studying centenarians all around the world, I found that the same few extraordinary foods came up over and over again in their diets: sweet potatoes, corn, peanuts, pumpkin, walnuts, black beans, sesame seeds, shiitake mushrooms, green tea, and seaweed. I try to always keep these longevity foods on hand—particularly all kinds of dried seaweed and dried mushrooms, which are incredibly healthy and easy to add to any soup or stew. There are a number of tasty longevity recipes that I have collected from centenarians around the world in my book, Secrets of Longevity Cookbook.
2. Eat five smaller meals a day.
Centenarians tend to eat smaller meals than the average portions we are used to here. They also get a healthy amount of physical activity and are part of strong communities, which gives them the satisfying feeling of connection and happiness.As a nod to these habits, I recommend eating five smaller meals a day, which gives you a steady stream of energy throughout the day without that weighed down feeling you get after a heavy, big meal. Think of Spanish tapas, the delightful snack-sized dishes that allow you to eat slowly and savor the food’s flavor while enjoying conversation with family and friends. (And, of course, physical activity is of major importance, too—as is spending time with your community.)
3. Eat from a simpler time: Think seasonal, local, and unprocessed.
These centenarians still have eating habits from a world of the past—a simpler world in which food was usually sourced locally, fresh, in season, and free from pesticides and other chemicals. The priority for centenarians has always been to take time to cook a healthy meal and to gather together to enjoy it, in contrast to the disconnected, thoughtless way we eat today, in which the priority is convenience and quickness. Don’t forget, not so long ago, we in the US also ate mostly what grew seasonally and locally—and the unhealthy, flavor-packed foods of today were an expensive luxury, not the norm.4. Do what works for you.
Your body is your laboratory. Notice the effect food has on you right after eating a meal. For example, nightshades may work for some, but not for others. Make adjustments as you notice foods affecting your digestion or energy level. We can slowly but surely heal ourselves when we pay attention to how our food affects us; in the process, we regain our instinctive nature to listen to our bodies, eat well, and enjoy life more.5. Commit to gradual and lasting change.
Start where you are and make changes gradually, because then you will be more likely to create new healthy habits without feelings of deprivation. It’s never too late to change your habits. Your body wants to live to be 100 and all you have to do is get out of its way by incrementally replacing bad habits with good habits. For example, my recommendation is that you gradually cut back on sodium, sugars, gluten, dairy, and alcohol; at the same time, gradually incorporate more produce in your meals and try making them from scratch.And don’t forget, it can be fun to adopt healthier habits. Trying new recipes, new ways of cooking, new ways of thinking about food is an adventure, and one that is wonderful to share with your loved ones at the dinner table.
You can find more about living long and strong in my book Secrets of Longevity: Hundreds of Ways to Live to Be 100, available on Kindle.
Follow me on Twitter to get insider tips and to ask your health questions.
May you live long, live strong, and live happy!
Healthy Living Articles
Teens Who Ride with Drunk Drivers at Increased Risk for Impaired Driving Study: Cosmetic Surgery 'Fillers' Harbor Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria What Happens When You Vent Your Emotions on Facebook? Could a Low-Grade Fever Be Making Your MS Fatigue Worse? More Reasons Why You Should Eat More Spinach
It may seem overwhelming when you consider all the
things that you should be doing to stay healthy. While you may have to
invest some time and effort, preserving your health allows you to live a
longer and more satisfying life. If you have specific health concerns,
such as heart disease, depression or obesity, talk with your doctor
about the best way to get your health back on track. For the general
population, certain practices should become part of your daily life.
Eat Nutritious Foods
Eating a variety of foods from all the food
groups ensures that you are meeting your recommended daily totals for
nutrients that support good health. Fill your plate with plenty of
fruits, vegetables, lean protein sources, such as beans, fish or
chicken, low-fat dairy foods and whole grains. A healthy diet is
associated with a reduced risk of diabetes, heart disease and high blood
pressure and can control these conditions if you already have them,
reports the Federal Citizen Information Center. Eating these kinds of
foods increases your fiber, vitamins, calcium, iron and healthy fats,
all of which help your body stay healthy and fight diseases.
Get Regular Exercise
The average person should get at least 30
minutes of physical activity each day. This helps control weight and
prevents a variety of diseases, including heart disease, high blood
pressure, obesity, diabetes, osteoporosis and depression. Choose an
activity you enjoy, working out with a partner or friend and using
exercise equipment at home to increase your odds of sticking with it.
Talk with your doctor before beginning any new exercise routine.
Stop Smoking
Smoking is the culprit behind a variety of
health conditions that include, emphysema and lung disease. Talk with
your doctor for a prescription to help you quit the cigarettes or use
smoking cessation aids that are available over the counter at
supermarkets and drugstores. According to the American Cancer Society,
staying active distracts you from a craving. Try playing sports,
gardening, engaging in a hobby or going somewhere outside your home that
is smoke-free.
Schedule Regular Checkups
Visiting your doctor yearly to monitor for
health problems or to manage those you already have is an important way
to stay healthy. The tests you need each year depend on your age, family
history, current health and gender. You can expect a cholesterol check
and a physical exam, but women should also have a breast and pelvic exam
and men should undergo a prostrate cancer exam. Women over 40 need a
mammogram every one to two years, and middle-aged men should have a
colonoscopy to screen for colon cancer. Visit your dentist regularly as
well because he will watch for signs of gum disease and oral cancer as
well as keeping your teeth clean and healthy.
Practice Good Hygiene
Keeping yourself clean reduces the chance of
getting ill during seasonal outbreaks of the flu and common cold. It can
also prevent the spread of pink eye, hand, foot and mouth disease and
scabies. This means washing your hands often and keeping them away from
your face. Disinfect your computer keyboard and phone regularly as well.
Cover your mouth with your elbow or tissue if you need to cough or
sneeze and after using the bathroom or blowing your nose.
In the never-ending search for the fountain of youth, scientists have looked everywhere under the sun. But a group of Australian researchers now report that the answer lies out of the sun.
Regular daily use of sunscreen appears to significantly slow the process of skin aging among middle-aged men and women, they say.
The finding stems from 4.5 years spent tracking sunscreen use and its ultimate impact on skin quality among more than 900 men and women under the age of 55.
“This has been one of those beauty tips you often hear quoted, but for the first time we can back it with science,” said study co-author Adele Green, lab head and senior research fellow with the Queensland Institute of Medical Research at Royal Brisbane Hospital. “Protecting yourself from skin cancer by using sunscreen regularly has the added bonus of keeping you looking younger.”
“And the study has shown that up to middle age, it’s not too late to make a difference,” added Green, who also suggested that sunscreen use is likely to similarly benefit those over 55, though her team did not specifically assess a potential benefit among older users.
The findings appear in the June 4 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Perhaps surprisingly, the authors point out that, to their knowledge, their current effort is the first rigorous scientific exploration of the potential protective effect of sunscreen on skin aging in people.
Green and her team looked at data collected in a study on skin cancer prevention conducted between 1992 and 1996 in Nambour, Australia.
The authors focused on 903 mostly fair-skinned men and women who were under the age of 55, under the assumption that skin aging in that age category would be brought on primarily by so-called “photoaging,” as opposed to simply growing older.
Roughly half the participants worked primarily outdoors, while about four in 10 were regular smokers.
All the participants had been randomly assigned to two sunscreen groups. The first was specifically directed to use SPF 15 sunscreen on a daily basis, applying it to their head, neck, arms and hands every morning, and reapplying after bathing, heavy sweating or spending a few hours outside.
The second group was not told to avoid sunscreen, but rather to use it as they wished.
The study also assessed the potential impact of dietary antioxidants on skin quality. Each group of participants was further divided into half, in which one sub-group was given 30 milligrams of beta-carotene to take on a daily basis, while the other was given a sugar pill (placebo).
Using a process called “microtopography,” the team then analyzed skin changes such as shifts in texture and roughness, by looking at the status of each participant’s left hand.
The result: Beta-carotene was found to have no appreciable impact on skin aging among those taking the supplement.
But after 4.5 years, regardless of age or gender, those using sunscreen every day were found to have experienced much less skin aging compared with those who did not slather daily.
Over the course of the study period, 24 percent less skin aging was found among the dedicated daily sunscreen group compared to those who used sunscreen only when they wished (presumably less frequently).
That said, Green stressed that the observed skin protection benefit of sunscreen requires some attention to detail.
“This research applies to SPF 15 sunscreen,” she said, “and, crucially, applying it correctly on a regular basis. Sunscreen must be applied thoroughly, with a thick coating, and must be reapplied every few hours in case it’s washed or sweated off.”
“And of course, along with seeking shade and wearing clothing over, sunscreen is a mainstay of sun protection,” Green added. “It prevents sunburn in the short-term and skin cancer in the long-term.”
And what of non-sunscreen cosmetic products, used by millions of women, that claim to have bundled SPF protection into the mix?
Green cautioned that there is no replacement for true sunscreen.
“Moisturizers with UV protection give brief sun protection,” she acknowledged, “but sunscreens last much longer on the skin and provide more durable protection.”
Dr. Beth McLellan, an assistant professor at the Ronald O. Perelman Department of Dermatology at the Joan H. Tisch Center for Women’s Health at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City, said the findings add more evidence that sunscreen works.
“We already know that sunscreen can prevent skin cancer and this study shows that regular use of sunscreen can also help prevent aging — all the more reason to incorporate sunscreen into one’s daily skincare regimen,”
In the never-ending search for the fountain of youth, scientists have looked everywhere under the sun. But a group of Australian researchers now report that the answer lies out of the sun.
Regular daily use of sunscreen appears to significantly slow the process of skin aging among middle-aged men and women, they say.
The finding stems from 4.5 years spent tracking sunscreen use and its ultimate impact on skin quality among more than 900 men and women under the age of 55.
“This has been one of those beauty tips you often hear quoted, but for the first time we can back it with science,” said study co-author Adele Green, lab head and senior research fellow with the Queensland Institute of Medical Research at Royal Brisbane Hospital. “Protecting yourself from skin cancer by using sunscreen regularly has the added bonus of keeping you looking younger.”
“And the study has shown that up to middle age, it’s not too late to make a difference,” added Green, who also suggested that sunscreen use is likely to similarly benefit those over 55, though her team did not specifically assess a potential benefit among older users.
The findings appear in the June 4 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Perhaps surprisingly, the authors point out that, to their knowledge, their current effort is the first rigorous scientific exploration of the potential protective effect of sunscreen on skin aging in people.
Green and her team looked at data collected in a study on skin cancer prevention conducted between 1992 and 1996 in Nambour, Australia.
The authors focused on 903 mostly fair-skinned men and women who were under the age of 55, under the assumption that skin aging in that age category would be brought on primarily by so-called “photoaging,” as opposed to simply growing older.
Roughly half the participants worked primarily outdoors, while about four in 10 were regular smokers.
All the participants had been randomly assigned to two sunscreen groups. The first was specifically directed to use SPF 15 sunscreen on a daily basis, applying it to their head, neck, arms and hands every morning, and reapplying after bathing, heavy sweating or spending a few hours outside.
The second group was not told to avoid sunscreen, but rather to use it as they wished.
The study also assessed the potential impact of dietary antioxidants on skin quality. Each group of participants was further divided into half, in which one sub-group was given 30 milligrams of beta-carotene to take on a daily basis, while the other was given a sugar pill (placebo).
Using a process called “microtopography,” the team then analyzed skin changes such as shifts in texture and roughness, by looking at the status of each participant’s left hand.
The result: Beta-carotene was found to have no appreciable impact on skin aging among those taking the supplement.
But after 4.5 years, regardless of age or gender, those using sunscreen every day were found to have experienced much less skin aging compared with those who did not slather daily.
Over the course of the study period, 24 percent less skin aging was found among the dedicated daily sunscreen group compared to those who used sunscreen only when they wished (presumably less frequently).
That said, Green stressed that the observed skin protection benefit of sunscreen requires some attention to detail.
“This research applies to SPF 15 sunscreen,” she said, “and, crucially, applying it correctly on a regular basis. Sunscreen must be applied thoroughly, with a thick coating, and must be reapplied every few hours in case it’s washed or sweated off.”
“And of course, along with seeking shade and wearing clothing over, sunscreen is a mainstay of sun protection,” Green added. “It prevents sunburn in the short-term and skin cancer in the long-term.”
And what of non-sunscreen cosmetic products, used by millions of women, that claim to have bundled SPF protection into the mix?
Green cautioned that there is no replacement for true sunscreen.
“Moisturizers with UV protection give brief sun protection,” she acknowledged, “but sunscreens last much longer on the skin and provide more durable protection.”
Dr. Beth McLellan, an assistant professor at the Ronald O. Perelman Department of Dermatology at the Joan H. Tisch Center for Women’s Health at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City, said the findings add more evidence that sunscreen works.
“We already know that sunscreen can prevent skin cancer and this study shows that regular use of sunscreen can also help prevent aging — all the more reason to incorporate sunscreen into one’s daily skincare regimen,”
No comments:
Post a Comment