Gerald G. May on understanding the power of fear.
Monthly Archives: July 2010
Pulling out of Afghanistan as leftwing Libertarians are proposing, a Human Rights catastrophe
by Eric Dondero
Time Magazine is running a shocking photo on its front cover for this week's edition. As the editors explain:
Our cover image this week is powerful, shocking and disturbing. It is a portrait of Aisha, a shy 18-year-old Afghan woman who was sentenced by a Taliban commander to have her nose and ears cut off for fleeing her abusive in-laws. Aisha posed for the picture and says she wants the world to see the effect a Taliban resurgence would have on the women of Afghanistan, many of whom have flourished in the past few years. Her picture is accompanied by a powerful story by our own Aryn Baker on how Afghan women have embraced the freedoms that have come from the defeat of the Taliban — and how they fear a Taliban revival.
The non-interventionist wing of the libertarian movement wants an immediate pull-out of Afghanistan. The Ron Paul movement, Lew Rockwell and his followers, Justin Raimondo and Eric Garris at AntiWar.com, most Libertarian Party members, even many at Reason and Cato, all ignore the human rights catastrophe that would undoubtably follow.
As Raimondo has explained:
This war in Afghanistan has no convincing rationale, and no one can explain it – its goals, or what “victory” means, except as a) a war of retribution against enemies who have long since fled the scene, or b) a means of surrounding the Iranians, and a pretext for extending US influence into Central Asia.
Human Rights does not fit the leftwing libertarian template. It's an inconvenience to their carefully crafted philosphy. Historical events such as the Jewish Holocaust in Europe, Stalin's mass starvation of the Ukrainiuns in the 1930s, the Armenian genocide by the Islamist Turks, Mao's murderous agrarian revolution, and the killing fields of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge, are ignored by the non-interventionists. All instances where American pacifism and non-intervention helped to cause murder on a scale never before seen in human history.
No doubt, the non-interventionists will similarly ignore the threat of the Taliban to Afghani citizens, with an American pull-out.
To the non-interventionists, protecting the rights of young women from having their ears and noses cut off is not enough of a "rationale" for keeping our troops in this war-torn South Asia country.
(H/t HotAir)
Libertarian candidate in Maryland says incumbent Republican just too damned old
But he agrees with him on 90% of the issues
From Eric Dondero:
Daniel Massey is running for US Congress in Maryland's 6th District - Western Maryland. He is challenging longtime incumbent Republican Roscoe Bartlett. But it's not issues so much that the Libertarian disagrees with the Republican on; it's his age. Bartlett is 79.
From the Frederick News-Post, "Libertarian candidate enters congressional race" July 30:
Daniel S. Massey's top campaign issue is stopping federal government spending.
Massey, a Washington County resident, is running as the Libertarian candidate for U.S. Congress in the 6th District. The district, which includes Frederick County, is represented by incumbent U.S. Rep. Roscoe Bartlett, a Republican seeking his 10th term.Massey, a first-time office seeker, said he agrees with Bartlett's stance on 90 percent of the issues, but he thinks Bartlett is too old.
"His age has gotten up there too much, and I think that's a detriment to our district -- to have someone who doesn't have the energy or drive to make changes," Massey said.
In many ways, Bartlett is considered a "Ron Paul Republican" - paleo-conservative on foreign policy, and economics. The Texas Congressman recently held a fundraiser for Bartlett in his District.
Michigan Gov’s race, Libertarian voting for Republican Mike Cox
Gotta "make sure we get the Democrats out"
From Eric Dondero:
The Detroit Free Press has a new poll out for the Governor's race on the GOP side. It shows the three top contenders in a virtual dead heat; Cong. Pete Hoekstra, AG Mike Cox, and businessman Rick Snyder. Interestingly, the FP interviewed a number of Michigan voters. One, who described himself as a "libertarian," said he was voting for Cox.
From the Detroit Free Press "In Michigan governor race, GOP has 3-way toss-up; None of leading 3 candidates has lock on any 1 type of voter" July 30:
Eric Pfund, 37, of Linwood said he probably will vote for Cox. Pfund said he supports the attorney general's efforts to defend gun rights and support the Arizona immigration law. Pfund said he considers himself a conservative or libertarian, rather than a Republican, but he's voting Republican "to make sure we get the Democrats out."
Risibility. The Superior Therapeutic Intervention?
Dad always thought laughter was the best medicine, which I guess is why several of us died of tuberculosis.
~Jack Handey, “Deep Thoughts”
We have a saying in medicine that you can’t kill an jerk. Not that we try to kill anyone, but that particularly unpleasant individuals, rife with psychopathology, survive whatever illness comes their way. The corollary is that particularly nice people are prone to having horrible diseases with unpleasant outcomes. We all know intellectually that it is not true, but there is an ongoing feeling in health care providers that somehow patient personality determines the consequences of their diseases. As an aside, I am often left with the explanation for patients that the reason for their odd infection comes down to bad luck. Everyone responds something to the effect that “Typical. I get all the bad luck.” I have never had a patient say, “That’s odd, I am usually so lucky.”
On the question of nurture vrs nature, raising two children has convinced me of the relative lack of importance of nurture in the personalities of my children. While abusive/pathologic environments will certainly lead to pathologic personalities, for the average child raised in middle class America I can’t help but think that, to quote Popeye, “I yam what I yam and that’s all what I yam.” I expect to be schooled in the comments on that subject. Yes, I read the Blank Slate and have some understanding of the literature. And yet. My kids, my friends kids. I watch them grow in what is (and isn’t) a similar environment and end up with diverse personalities that often appear present before they can speak. I am well aware of the multiple logical fallacies that lead to that conclusion. Parenthood and medical practice (where people seem to do the same damn stupid things over and over) have lead me to the conclusion that free will is mostly a myth and we are mostly programmed to behave the way we do. Discuss. It is not the main point of the post, but my bias.
“Nothing shows a man’s character more than what he laughs at.” Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.
One personality trait is a sense of humor. No one admits to being a bad driver and I have never met someone who admits that they lack a sense of humor. Humor is, of course, personal. I find Seinfeld irritating, not funny. The rest of my family does not share that assessment. During Pulp Fiction, my wife and I realized that we were the only ones in the theater laughing during the scene when they are doing a cardiac injection to revive Uma Thurman after her drug overdose. I once read that in choosing a mate, the best indication of long term compatibility was whether or not you both share a understanding of the essential hilarity of Bob and Ray. I would agree and wonder if eHarmony uses that in their compatibility tests. What would those examples say about whether or not I have a sense of humor and if so what kind?
What effects, if any, does a sense of humor have on health? Emotional states alter physiology, some for the better, some for the worse. The popular opinion is that laughter is of benefit; there is a reason Readers Digest didn’t call their column ’Schadenfreude, the Best Medicine’. Are funny people or people who laugh easily more prone to better health because they have a sense of humor or laugh? Or it is an association without causation, that whatever personality that laughs easily also leads to improved health outcomes?
Whoever said “laughter is the best medicine” never had gonorrhea. ~Kat Likkel and John Hoberg.
Perhaps the topic of laughing your way to health gained the most traction with the publication in 1979 of Norman Cousins book Anatomy of an illness as perceived by the patient: reflections on healing. The book, which I read thirty years ago, details how, after being diagnosed with a ankylosing spondylitis, Cousins left the hospital for a nice hotel, where he treated himself with good food, high dose vitamin C, and laughter from watching Marx brothers movies.
Did he have ankylosing spondylitis? The interwebs suggest he did not, and I can’t find the diagnostic criteria that were used to make the diagnosis and ankylosing spondylitis is a disease that can spontaneously resolve. So causality is particularly problematic in Cousin’s case, since the diagnosis is uncertain. Even though I am an avowed Marxist, I would be suspicious of the power of Duck Soup to alter the course of disease for the better, as is the popular misconception of Mr. Cousin’s book. I would not doubt that a good laugh will help decrease the perception of the severity of pain, as Mr Cousin’s suggested.
Is laugher medically beneficial? Is a sense of humor medically beneficial? Not the same question.
Perhaps I know best why it is man alone who laughs; he alone suffers so deeply that he had to invent laughter. ~Friedrich Nietzsche
Laughter, of note, is not limited to humans
Vocalizations referred to as “laughter” also occur in great apes engaged in tickling and social play. Vettin and Todt16 have shown key similarities in the respective acoustics of play- and tickling-induced vocalizations in juvenile chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and tickling-induced laughter in adult humans.
They estimated that laughter has been present in the human lineage for 10 to 16 million years. I would estimate that is also how long humans have been farting. Still nothing funnier to my children.
And some suggest that rats have a laughter equivalent with play and tickling. Tickling rats. I laugh at the mental image. Is that laughter, if not the best medicine, a useful therapeutic intervention?
Laughter decreases blood glucose 2 hours after eating in type 2 diabetics. I prefer eating in restaurants. Laughter leads to vascular relaxation and decrease in serum cortisol, decreases renin in type two diabetics, and increases Natural killer cell function.
Some studies seemed needlessly perverse
Twenty-four male patients with atopic eczema viewed a humorous film (Modern Times, featuring Charlie Chaplin). Just before and immediately after viewing, semen was collected, and seminal B cells and sperms were purified. Seminal B cells were cultured with sperms and IgE production was measured, while expression of galectin-3 on sperms was assessed.
RESULTS: After viewing the humorous film, IgE production by B cells cultured with sperms was significantly decreased. Moreover, expression of galectin-3 on sperms was reduced.
I can’t access the complete reference to discover the rationale behind the study, except, perhaps, to induce giggling.
I am thankful for laughter, except when milk comes out of my nose. ~Woody Allen
Are there clinical correlates to these physiologic effects? Sort of.
Laughter may help the depressed (why wouldn’t it?) and cheer up the schizophrenic (what a surprise). Pello the clown, with his noted a humor intervention, decreased air trapping in COPD patients and laughing decreases the bronchial responsiveness in asthmatics.
That is about it for the medical application of laughter. A smattering of small studies, rarely repeated, with small numbers of patients published in the more obscure journals. I would not doubt the laughter is of benefit, but the benefit is small.
What is more interesting are the pathologic laugher syndromes: some (Angelmans) are genetic and some due to central nervous system strokes or tumors. I suppose the silver lining for these unfortunates is the beneficial physiologic effects of the continued laugher. Somehow the potential health benefits does not seem worth it.
These studies involved making people laugh, usually with movies. Humor is not without its dangers in the medical field, given the idiosyncratic nature of what people find funny.
When used sensitively, respecting the gravity of the situation, humor can build the connection among the caregiver, patient, and family. However, insensitive joking is offensive and distressing, and experience suggests a variable acceptance of humor by patients with life-threatening illnesses, making humor a high-risk strategy.
So if laugher is the best medicine, it is best used sparingly and with the knowledge that as an intervention to cause lasting physiologic change, laughter has has little support.
“A sense of humor always withers in the presence of the messianic delusion, like justice and truth in front of patriotic passion” ~ Henry Louis Mencken.
Maybe it is not laughing that is important, but the more vague idea of having a sense of humor, that is important to health.
Four studies have tested the association between sense of humour and longevity. One reported that comedians and serious entertainers on average die earlier than authors. Two publications from the Terman Life-Cycle Study reported a negative association. Cheerfulness (sense of humour and optimism) was the index variable in the first study. In the second study, optimism was taken out, but the negative association prevailed. The fourth study reported a 31% reduction of mortality risk among patients with end-stage renal failure provided that they scored above the median on a test of sense of humour.
Dr Sven Svebak evaluated a sense on humor based on three questions and looked at survival in a large cohort of Norwegians who were being followed for long term health, much like the Framingham study. The questions he used were
Do you easily recognize a mark of humorous intent?” (Cognitive; N = 53,546; standardized item alpha = .91, item correlating .87 with sub-scale sum);
“Persons who are out to be funny are really irresponsible types not to be relied upon” (Social; N = 52,198; standardized item alpha = .91, item correlating .88 with sub-scale sum); and
“Do you consider yourself to be a mirthful person?” (Affective; N = 53,132; standardized item alpha = .74, item correlating .78 with sub-scale sum).
The participants responded to four-step scales (labeled for the three items respectively: very sluggishly – very easily; yes indeed – not at all; not at all – yes indeed).
Not an impressive criteria for determining a sense of humor and this is noted in the discussion of the article. ”It may be regarded a hazardous task to assess psychological characteristics by use of three items.” However, they felt that similar studies in depression validated the approach.
These questions measure friendly humor. The test is not sensitive to humor that creates conflicts, is insulting or that is a variation of bullying. So much for laughing at my posts as evidence of a sense of humor.
What they found was those with a friendly sense of humor as judged by these three questions were more likely to survive compared to those that scored low on a sense of humor.
The authors are quite thoughtful on the applicability of this study
There is a semantic point in the affective item where “mirthful” was used in the present study instead of “cheerful.” In Norwegian as well as English language “cheerful” and “mirthful” (Norwegian equivalent “munter”) can refer to a subjective state of mirthfulness as well as to the overt expression of mirth through smiling and laughing. The present assessment was by subjective report that may have addressed both the subjective and the expressive tendencies of an individual for being mirthful. A subjective state of mirthfulness appears to be closely related to cognitive processes, whereas expressive display is often triggered by social context. Support to this view came from the relatively high coefficient of correlation between scores on the cognitive and the affective items (r = .40: Table 4). In prospective studies of positive wellbeing, subjective state appears to have been at focus and has proven to reduce mortality. This association has been a fairly consistent pattern of outcome in prospective studies of healthy populations as well as of diseased populations [26]. In light of these findings for positive wellbeing, as well as of the complex conceptual content of sense of humor, it is possible that sense of humor is best conceived of as one aspect of a broader psychological characteristic that facilitates a general state of wellbeing, rather than a specific emotional state of mirthfulness. Emphasis mine
I think this is interesting and have little argument with the study except in on interview, Dr. Svebak stated “He adds that a sense of humor can be learned and improved through practice.”
There I have my doubts. I cannot find evidence that people can learn to appreciate humor or learn to become humorous. In my experience (do I dare use those words?) the capacity for understanding and producing humor appears fixed.
That has therapeutic implications. If a sense of humor can be developed, the humorless grouch can be taught to laugh and experience the benefits of humor. More likely, your sense of humor, like your ability to run the mile or learn French, is mostly static in the adult.
Being thoughtful, the authors conclude
There is a risk of taking the present humor findings too far as a booster of longevity. The role of confounding variables is hard to precisely assess in multi- variate approaches, partly because of the often opportunistic availability of such variables in population research projects as well as all the potentially relevant variables that may have been included, but were left out for many reasons, such as lack of funding and time consuming data sampling procedures. The present study included quite a range of variables that are well established in the scientific community as influencing health hazard. A cautious approach is to directly compare hazard ratios across the range of variables, including traditional risk variables as well as an index of sense of humor.
An interesting study with a nuanced discussion. However, a molehill of interesting information does not prevent some doctors for making a mountain of advice. The You Docs are hard at work again.
Analyzing humor is like dissecting a frog. Few people are interested and the frog dies of it. ~ E. B. White
In this new Norwegian study, researchers who tracked the health of 70,000 people found that those who scored highest on sense-of-humor tests were twice as likely as dour sorts to still be alive — and laughing — seven years later. You didn’t have to be the type that laughs at the drop of a hat, either. All sorts of humor styles boosted survival. “A twinkle in your eye can be more than enough,” notes lead researcher Sven Svebak of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology.
Oh, for that twinkle in the eye, the key to health. The study, based on three questions, makes no conclusions based on humor styles.
What’s behind humor’s life-prolonging powers? For one thing, laughter is a mini-workout. Ten to 15 minutes of mirth burns up to 40 calories and exercises your abdominal muscles.
About the same as is burned during 15 minutes of sex. For a real work out combine the two as has been what my partners do… I may be oversharing here. Everything can be considered a “mini workout” and is a lame reason to suggest laughing. Given how much I laugh, where is my 6-pack.
The You Docs evidently reviewed the same marginal literature and discovered that
A good belly laugh also boosts your immunity, motivating natural killer cells in your bloodstream to work harder.
In one study, watching a funny movie relaxed the endothelium — the fragile inner lining of your arteries — enough to boost blood flow by 15 percent. Laughter eases stress and reduces levels of the high-anxiety hormone, cortisol. In people with diabetes, it can even help keep blood sugar lower and steadier.
Then there’s resilience. Laughter helps you build and maintain friendships, eases fears and gives you a hand at coping with whatever life throws your way. It may also thwart the flu and protect against cancer.
The last two I cannot find the reference for, but protecting against cancer? My goodness. They make it sound so all encompassing, rather than the limited results I found. And they never mentioned the sperms.
“What soap is to the body, laughter is to the soul” ~ Yiddish Proverb
The You Docs end with suggesting by suggesting you get a daily dose of humor for its health benefits, and they give multiple ways to find a good laugh. It is interesting how the authors of the study suggest that humor is part of an over arching personality, whilst the You Docs go for simplistic and overwrought advice:
Get your daily quota of yucks. Check in with yourself at lunch time: Have you chuckled today, or maybe even gotten that tingly “this is hysterically funny” feeling? If not, do something about it. E-mail or call your funniest friend. Plan to watch your favorite sitcom or wise-cracking commentator tonight. The Web is loaded with joke sites, bookstores are brimming with humor books, video stores offer thousands of comedies and stand-up comic shows. Make it a point to learn at least one new joke a week, then tell it to your friends.
See the humor in your life. You took the stray cat you rescued to be spayed and discovered that she’s a he? Trade funny stories: Make it a habit to ask friends and family about the most ridiculous thing that’s happened to them today, this week, this month.
Discover what really tickles your funny bone. Your sense of humor is as unique as your fingerprints, so stop laughing at what you think you ought to find amusing (Who does that? Besides Ed McMahon? If he had heeded that advice, he would have lived longer than 86 years) and do a little research into what really hits your sweet spot. Try watching, reading or listening to types of humor that are new for you. You may discover you prefer political humor or cowboy jokes, martini-dry wit or a really bad knock-knock (Or the You Docs).
It is always curious how a few studies of limited scope get inflated. Sad advice really. Research what makes you laugh. That is one of many annoyances of the alt med life style recommendation: the medicalization of the joys of life. Drink red wine because it is good for you, not because it is joy in a bottle. Eat chocolate because it is a natural medicine, not because it is delicious. Laugh because it improves your health, but not because it soothes your soul. I prefer to laugh and eat and drink and work for the pleasure it provides, not for the health benefits. Live a good life and you will reap the rewards. I see a lot of people at the end of their lives. When people look back, the regrets they express are not for the time they wished they had spent laughing to manage their sugars, but the time they did not spend laughing with their loved ones.
Fortunately I read the You Docs. They provide me yucks, in both senses if the word. As a result I expect I am never going to get ill, never get cancer and will live forever.
So tell me. Are you healthier after reading this blog?
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Polyphenols Found in Green Tea Can Help Save Diabetics
Polyphenols or phytochemicals found in green tea can help fight off bad cholesterol and harmful sugar-derived substances through strong antioxidant activity in the body.
In a recent scientific research published in the journal Food Chemistry in Taiwan, it was found that the compound EGCG or epigallocatechin 3 gallate can help reduce low-density lipoproteins (LDL) or bad cholesterol and also prevents glycatin of blood sugar. Glycation is a process whereby sugar molecules are able to bind with other types of molecules such as protein. Glycation is characteristic of conditions such as type 2 diabetes or adult onset diabetes.
To mimic actual conditions in the human body, the in-vitro study simulated in-vivo conditions by using human blood serum.
According to the researchers Chi-Hao Wu, Chi-Tai Yey and Gow-Chin Yen, the resistance of bad cholesterol to anti-oxidant activity was directly countered by the introduction of polyphenols found in green tea. EGCG was also able to inhibit glycation in the same in-vitro studies.
Based on this research, the researchers stated that modest health benefits related to heart health and diabetes can be acquired through regular drinking of green tea.
Benefits of drinking green tea
And there are other reasons to love green tea:
1. Due to its antioxidant properties, green tea has been viewed in the world of alternative medicine and naturopathy as a natural cancer preventive both in men and women.
2. Reducing oxidative stress can also help reduce pain, which is why drinking green tea can also help people with chronic conditions such as arthritis and rheumatism.
3. There has been some evidence that green tea can help reduce the incidence of heart diseases by lowering bad cholesterol.
4. Increasing the amount of antioxidants in the body can boost the immune function, which effectively reduces “sick days” and helps the body bounce back from illnesses such as the common flu or the common cold.
5. In a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, it was found that people who took green tea with beverages along with modest amounts of caffeine tend to burn more calories than those who don’t drink such beverages.
6. Green tea has antibacterial activity, which may help fight off cavities and tooth decay.
7. A study in Japan showed that people who regularly drank tea were at less risk for cancer and heart problems.
8. Green tea is a natural healing aid for people with multiple sclerosis.
9. Green tea has also been noted as a potential ally against Parkinson’s disease. Antioxidants help prevent the brain from suffering from too much oxidative stress.
10. Green tea can help regulate the natural fluid balance of the body.
11. This beverage can also help reduce the incidence of allergies because it is capable of blocking allergy receptors, like a natural anti-allergy medication.
12. Green tea can help people lose weight by stimulating the body’s metabolism.
Sources:
nutraingredients.com
chinesefood.about.com
healthmad.com
greenteasecrets.com
clinical.diabetesjournals.org
Resveratrol A Potent Weapon Against Prostate Cancer
Resveratrol may be helpful in reducing the growth of prostate cancer cells and also provides a myriad of other health benefits.
According to the US Agricultural Research Service, the compound responsible for the so called “French Paradox” is proving to be a potent weapon against one of the deadliest killers around – prostate cancer.
The statement from the US ARS came about because of a study that was published in the medical journal Carcinogenesis. In the said study, in-vitro testing showed that prostate cancer cells actually died when they were exposed to the potent compound, resveratrol.
Throwing caution into the air
While it was true that cancer cell inhibition took place when the prostate cancer cells were exposed to the compound, it also increased the growth of blood vessels after the initial death of cancer cells, according to Thomas Wang, a researcher working for the Diet, Genomics and Immunology Laboratory of the US ARS.
The growth of extra blood vessels in the site of the prostate cancer was observed in laboratory animals who were genetically prone to developing prostate cancer. Each of the animal subjects had been given 3 to 6 milligrams of the potent compound, which was equivalent to the amount of resveratrol found in six glasses of red wine.
What does this all mean?
According Wang, more research is needed to further substantiate the potential anti-cancer benefits of resveratrol. He also stated there should be a clear focus on studying the effective dosage needed for cancer prevention as well as important factors such as interaction with other chemical compounds and timing. In short – people shouldn’t be complacent with just taking large amounts of supplements.
The issue of overabundance
Nutrients (like vitamins, theanine and resveratrol) are still biological compounds, whether we like it or not. With the proliferation of nutritional supplements in the market, it’s hard not to take extra doses of these supplements because of the health benefits. Folic acid for one, is being taken in large amounts by people because of its numerous purported health benefits.
But did you know that too much of this nutrient can actually encourage the growth of cancer cells?
According to Joel Mason, a program director for the US ARS, cancer requires a very complex process in order to survive. And one of the requirements for cell growth are nutrients like folic acid.
If you get more than four hundred micrograms of folic acid per day, you just might be encouraging the growth of cancer cells, instead of preventing it.
Too much folic acid can actually facilitate the DNA replication process necessary for the growth of cancer cells. Watch what you eat – if you take a high-nutrient shake in the morning and eat folic-acid loaded snacks toward the end of the day, you just might be taking in too much of the nutrient.
Other benefits of resveratrol
1. Resveratrol helps promote a healthy heart by reducing oxidative stress and by improve blood circulation. It also reduces the incidence of swelling or inflammation in the body’s tissues, as well as reduce unnecessary clotting in the blood vessels, which may lead to embolisms or even stroke.
2. In another study, it was shown that resveratrol prevented the initial processes required for cancer growth.
3. Studies show that resveratrol can help seniors by reducing the risk of neurological diseases and neural degeneration.
4. Coupled with calorie reduction, resveratrol can make a person resistant to many chronic and degenerative conditions such as heart diseases and even diabetes.
5. If used in conjunction with supplements like co-enzyme Q10 and omega 3 fatty acids, resveratrol can protect you from conditions like coronary heart disease.
6. Resveratrol has also been shown to reduce damage caused by stroke.
Sources:
nutraingredients.com
altmedicine.about.com
longevity.about.com
longevity.about.com
altmedicine.about.com
longevity.about.com
wine.about.com
altmedicine.about.com
Save Your Brain With Vitamin E and Vitamin D
Not having enough natural vitamin E and naturally-produced vitamin D in the body can predispose a person to dementia and cognitive decline.
In a recent Dutch study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, it was found that not having enough vitamin E and vitamin D over the long term predisposed a person to cognitive decline and even the psychiatric disorder dementia.
Vitamin E and dementia
The study, which was undertaken by researchers from the Erasmus Medical Center, used questionnaires to track the diet of more than five thousand individual respondents. The respondents were further tracked for an additional ten years. Within this period of time, more than four hundred respondents were diagnosed with dementia while more than three hundred respondents developed Alzheimer’s disease.
After analyzing the combined data produced by the five thousand plus test subjects, it was found that an average intake of 18.5 mg of vitamin E reduced the chances of developing the psychiatric disease dementia than those who did not. Individuals who had developed dementia had an average intake of only 9 mg of vitamin E per day.
According to the researchers, the connection between vitamin E intake and brain health is quite straightforward: the brain is an organ that is in constant metabolic activity. Organic metabolism produces waste products, including free radicals. If there are too many free radicals in the brain and too little anti-oxidants in the body, the brain tissue suffers directly from oxidative stress. Vitamin E and other anti-oxidants can help reduce oxidative stress, which in turn promotes overall wellness and not just brain health.
Vitamin D and cognitive decline
In an unrelated study, researchers from UK’s University of Exeter discovered that individuals who had too little vitamin D were at risk for cognitive decline over the long term. The study made use of data collected from more than 800 adults in the UK, who were above 50 in age. Instead of questionnaires, the UK study used actual cognitive tests to measure cognitive stability and decline over a six year period. They also tested the level of vitamin D present in the blood of the test subjects.
It was found that test subjects who had less than twenty-five nanomoles for every liter of blood had a 60% higher chance of cognitive decline. According to David Llewellyn, lead researcher, a causal pathway between vitamin D deficiency and cognitive decline has finally been established with the help of their study, which means that cognitive decline can indeed be prevented by increasing the amount of vitamin D in the body. And the easiest and most natural way to do this is to get direct sun exposure for at least ten minutes everyday.
In a commentary produced by academics from the University of Auckland, it was said that it was high time that further examinations be performed to find out whether or not the public should be formally made aware of the benefits of vitamin D.
Natural or synthetic vitamin E
There are two main forms of vitamin E available in the market – synthetic vitamin E and natural vitamin E. While some experts say that it’s basically the same, a study that had been published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition begs to differ.
According to the study, natural vitamin E was more bio-available than synthetic vitamin E. Bio-availability is an important issue when it comes to supplements because it is the direct measurement of how much of a supplement is actually absorbed and used by the body. When there is low bio-availability, the benefits of a supplement are not maximized because only part of the dose is actually absorbed.
Other benefits of vitamin D and vitamin E
Vitamin D
1. Getting enough vitamin D can prevent advanced arthritic conditions from manifesting – you just have to be outdoors a few minutes everyday to keep your vitamin D levels up. As one ages, the natural vitamin D production decreases, so you have to adjust your lifestyle to increase production during the golden years.
2. Healthy levels of vitamin D can help benefit the cardiac function by regulating blood pressure levels.
3. A link between vitamin D intake and reduction of the risk for multiple sclerosis has been established by numerous independent studies.
4. Vitamin D can help people with chronic pain. People with fibromyalgia, arthritis and joint pain can also benefit from vitamin D intake.
Vitamin E
1. Vitamin E can keep older women healthy and free from common chronic, degenerative disease, says a study that has been published in the Journal of the AMA.
2. Vitamin E has been shown to slow down the growth of prostate cancer, according to a US study called the SELECT trial.
3. Vitamin E has natural anti-oxidant properties, which reduces oxidative stress and may also help reduce the occurrence of many types of cancer, including breast cancer and prostate cancer.
4. Vitamin E when applied topically can help lighten scars by improving the production of new skin and the formation of collagen, an important component in the skin that makes it resistant to physical stresses and also makes it supple.
400 IU of natural vitamin E per day is recommended for women over the age forty for general wellness and possible cancer prevention.
Sources:
nutraingredients.com
vitamins-nutrition.org
longevity.about.com
heartdisease.about.com
ms.about.com
arthritis.about.com
nutrition.about.com
prostatecancer.about.com
breastcancer.about.com
adam.about.com
altmedicine.about.com
longevity.about.com
Harnessing Hormesis
Hormesis is here examined in the context of exploiting it to slow aging: "The process of aging is accompanied by a progressive reduction of biological dynamical sophistication, resulting in an increased probability of dysfunction, illness, and death. This loss of sophistication is inherent in all aging organisms. However, it may be possible to retard the rate of loss of biological complexity [by] exploiting the multiple effects of hormesis, through a wide range of challenges including physical, mental, and biological stress. Hormesis is widely encountered in biological systems, and its effects are also seen in humans. It is possible to use hormetic strategies [to] enhance the function of repair processes in aging humans and therefore prevent age-related chronic degenerative diseases and prolong healthy lifespan. Such techniques include dietary restriction and calorie restriction mimetics, intermittent fasting, environmental enrichment, cognitive and sense stimulation, sexuality-enhancing strategies, exposure to low or to high temperatures, and other physicochemical challenges. Current research supports the general principle that any type of a hormetic dose-response phenomenon has an effect that does not depend on the type of stressor and that it can affect any biological model. Therefore, novel types of innovative, mild, repeated stress or stimulation that challenge a biological system in a dose-response manner are likely to have an effect that, properly harnessed, can be used to delay, prevent, or reverse age-related changes in humans."
View the Article Under Discussion: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20662589
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An Example of Early Life Damage Affecting Longevity
Per the reliability theory of aging, we should expect to see shorter life expectancies result from damage or stress in early life. Here, a historical analysis supports that line of thinking: "Nutritional conditions in utero and during infancy may causally affect health and mortality during childhood, adulthood, and at old ages. This paper investigates whether exposure to a nutritional shock in early life negatively affects survival at older ages, using individual data. Nutritional conditions are captured by exposure to the Potato famine in the Netherlands in 1846-1847, and by regional and temporal variation in market prices of potato and rye. The data cover the lifetimes of a random sample of Dutch individuals born between 1812 and 1902 and provide individual information on life events and demographic and socioeconomic characteristics. First we non-parametrically compare the total and residual lifetimes of individuals exposed and not exposed to the famine in utero and/or until age 1. Next, we estimate survival models in which we control for individual characteristics and additional (early life) determinants of mortality. We find strong evidence for long-run effects of exposure to the Potato famine. The results are stronger for boys than for girls. Boys and girls lose on average 4, respectively 2.5 years of life after age 50 after exposure at birth to the Potato famine. Lower social classes appear to be more affected by early life exposure to the Potato famine than higher social classes. These results confirm the mechanism linking early life (nutritional) conditions to old-age mortality."
View the Article Under Discussion: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20663577
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Considering Cryonics and Neuronal Survival
From Depressed Metabolism: "The debilitating effects of a stroke are the result of the (delayed) neuronal death that follows an ischemic insult to the brain. In cryonics, biochemical or freezing damage to cells does not necessarily produce irreversible cell death because damaged cells are stabilized by cold temperatures. As such, morphological preservation of brain cells can co-exist with loss of viability. Therefore, securing viability of brain cells is a sufficient but not a necessary condition for resuscitation of cryonics patients. Future cell repair technologies are assumed to infer the original viable state of the cells from their morphological properties. This does not mean that conventional stroke research does not have any relevance for evaluating the technical feasibility of cryonics. Extensive delays between the pronouncement of legal death and the start of cryonics procedures could alter the structural properties of cells to such a degree that meaningful resuscitation is even problematic with advanced nanomedical cell repair technologies. This is one of the reasons why Alcor complements the cryopreservation process with stabilization procedures to secure viability of the brain after pronouncement of legal death."
View the Article Under Discussion: http://www.depressedmetabolism.com/2010/07/27/how-many-neurons-need-to-survive-for-cryonics-to-work/
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Social Connectivity and Mortality Risk
This study crunches the numbers to show that being socially connected has an effect on life expectancy comparable to that of exercise. Why this correlation exists is still up for debate, but it is worth considering that skill at networking and possessing a large social network enable success in other aspects of life: "These findings indicate that the influence of social relationships on the risk of death are comparable with well-established risk factors for mortality such as smoking and alcohol consumption and exceed the influence of other risk factors such as physical inactivity and obesity. Furthermore, the overall effect of social relationships on mortality reported in this meta-analysis might be an underestimate, because many of the studies used simple single-item measures of social isolation rather than a complex measurement. Although further research is needed to determine exactly how social relationships can be used to reduce mortality risk, physicians, health professionals, educators, and the media should now acknowledge that social relationships influence the health outcomes of adults and should take social relationships as seriously as other risk factors that affect mortality, the researchers conclude."
View the Article Under Discussion: http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1?000316
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Exercise: Good at Any Age
Failing to exercise damages your prospects for healthy life in the future: "one in three men and one in two women over the age of 75 are not physically active at all. A recent study led by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) says this lack of exercise makes these seniors three times more likely to die sooner than their counterparts who do only light day-to-day activities. ... Any movement is better than no movement at all to lower your risk of death ... For every 287 calories per day a senior expended, there was a 32 percent reduction in death rate over the six-year period encompassed by the study. ... It is well-established that exercise leads to the reduction of heart disease, cancer and diabetes, and it can preserve mental sharpness. What is significant about the current findings is that the study is the first to provide credible evidence that everyday activity might be beneficial ... Researchers ask how much activity do we need, but the public approaches it by asking how little can I get away with ... experts caution against using the study as a basis to give up exercise, a conclusion not supported by the data." A little is better than none, but more is better than a little. Rejuvenation medicine is on the far horizon, and if you want the best chance of being alive and healthy to benefit from it, you'd better take care of the health basics here and now.
View the Article Under Discussion: http://senior-spectrum.com/news04_072710/
Read More Longevity Meme Commentary: http://www.longevitymeme.org/news/
Lysosomal Dysfunction and Alzheimer’s Disease
Your lysosomes are recycling units, but their function slowly fails with age - meaning your cells degrade as they fill with waste and junk. More rapid and selective lysosomal failure in brain cells is implicated in a variety of neurodegenerative conditions. Here, researchers dig more deeply: "Neurodegenerative disorders, like Alzheimer's disease, are a devastating group of conditions that exact a heavy toll on patients and their families. ... Research over the past two decades has strongly suggested that a fundamental problem in affected nerve cells relates to accumulation of cellular 'garbage,' or proteins and other material that is too old to function properly. Thus, understanding how the neuron handles these outdated molecules is of great significance. Here we find that upregulation of one such cellular degrading pathway, the lysosome, can have significant deleterious effects to the neuron. We specifically show that expanding the lysosomal compartment can markedly increase production of a very toxic form of tau, a protein strongly implicated in neuronal dysfunction and death in Alzheimer's disease and related disorders. Our findings have important implications for the development of neurodegenerative disease therapies that seek to manipulate the lysosome and the proteins within the lysosome." Therapies that can repair failing lysosomes may have general application to rejuvenation medicine - so the more groups working on that, the better.
View the Article Under Discussion: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2904797/
Read More Longevity Meme Commentary: http://www.longevitymeme.org/news/
Lysosomal Dysfunction and Alzheimer's Disease
Your lysosomes are recycling units, but their function slowly fails with age - meaning your cells degrade as they fill with waste and junk. More rapid and selective lysosomal failure in brain cells is implicated in a variety of neurodegenerative conditions. Here, researchers dig more deeply: "Neurodegenerative disorders, like Alzheimer's disease, are a devastating group of conditions that exact a heavy toll on patients and their families. ... Research over the past two decades has strongly suggested that a fundamental problem in affected nerve cells relates to accumulation of cellular 'garbage,' or proteins and other material that is too old to function properly. Thus, understanding how the neuron handles these outdated molecules is of great significance. Here we find that upregulation of one such cellular degrading pathway, the lysosome, can have significant deleterious effects to the neuron. We specifically show that expanding the lysosomal compartment can markedly increase production of a very toxic form of tau, a protein strongly implicated in neuronal dysfunction and death in Alzheimer's disease and related disorders. Our findings have important implications for the development of neurodegenerative disease therapies that seek to manipulate the lysosome and the proteins within the lysosome." Therapies that can repair failing lysosomes may have general application to rejuvenation medicine - so the more groups working on that, the better.
View the Article Under Discussion: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2904797/
Read More Longevity Meme Commentary: http://www.longevitymeme.org/news/
Why Pay Attention to Accelerated Aging Studies?
In a nutshell, this is why research into so-called accelerated aging conditions may be relevant to longevity science: "One of the many debated topics in ageing research is whether progeroid syndromes are really accelerated forms of human ageing. The answer requires a better understanding of the normal ageing process and the molecular pathology underlying these rare diseases. Exciting recent findings regarding a severe human progeria, Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome, have implicated molecular changes that are also linked to normal ageing, such as genome instability, telomere attrition, premature senescence and defective stem cell homeostasis in disease development. These observations, coupled with genetic studies of longevity, lead to a hypothesis whereby progeria syndromes accelerate a subset of the pathological changes that together drive the normal ageing process." This same viewpoint - that each of the accelerated aging conditions represents a different facet of normal aging run wild - holds up for well other conditions, such as Werner syndrome, given the evidence amassed to date.
View the Article Under Discussion: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20651707
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MDR Proteins and Cellular Longevity
An interesting study that provides another view of the relationship between accumulating damage, repair systems, and life span in cells: "Yeast cells, much like our own cells, have a finite ability to reproduce themselves. A 'mother' cell can only produce 20-30 'daughters' before it loses the ability to replicate and dies. ... Multidrug resistance (MDR) proteins are best known for helping cancer cells expel anticancer drugs - hence their name - but they also ferry compounds in and out of normal cells. [Researchers] found that yeast lacking certain MDR proteins have a shorter reproductive lifespan; they produce fewer daughter cells. Yeast engineered to contain more of these pumps, however, can produce more daughters. ... during division, the mother conserves damaged proteins and other cellular components that could prove harmful to the bud. ... Indeed, some research groups have posited that the mother's finite reproductive capability is the result of accumulating these damaged and toxic compounds. ... yeast division also results in an unequal distribution of MDR proteins. The mother cell retains the original MDR proteins while the bud gets young, newly formed MDR proteins. Because the mother's supply is never replenished, she has to rely on the pool of MDR proteins that she's born with. ... Over time these proteins decay. Some lose only part of their function; others may stop working altogether."
View the Article Under Discussion: http://www.nature.com/news/2010/100725/full/news.2010.373.html
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Methuselah Foundation Newsletter, July 2010
The latest Methuselah Foundation newsletter is out: "2010: Where We Are Now: Methuselah Foundation took on a big challenge: extending healthy human life. From SENS to My Bridge 4 Life, we've supported and incentivized major initiatives and research to fulfill our mission. In 2010 we are focusing our attention on tissue and whole organ engineering. Read this newsletter and follow the links to our site to learn more about what we are doing now so you live longer and healthier. ... This year we are focusing our efforts on tissue engineering and organ replacement. We are looking ahead 10 years and projecting that, with our help, everyone who needs an organ will get an organ. ... Prizes have proven to be the most powerful tool for inspiring radical scientific breakthroughs. That's why we offer prizes, including the recently announced NewOrgan Prize. The end result will allow many people to live longer and - if history is an indicator - the many innovations that come as a result of this work are unimaginable today. To build a replacement organ, from a patients own cells, and have it fully function, scientists must first develop and preserve all the tissues that build that organ - including muscle, nerves, arteries and veins. ... Leaders in the science of organ engineering have joined the NewOrgan Advisory Board. ... The members of our Scientific Advisory Board are frontrunners in the research and development of new organ technology. "
View the Article Under Discussion: http://www.mfoundation.org/files/newsletters/july2010/newsletter.html
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More on the FDA and Aging as a Disease
From ShrinkWrapped: "If a physical change affects half of all people as they age, this would seem to suggest that it is a normal variant of human aging, which to the best of our knowledge is an accumulation of metabolic and genetic errors that accrue as we get older until some sub-unit(s) of the processes reach a threshold at which continued functioning of the body is impossible. Our current regulatory apparatus remains trapped in a 20th century mindset which fails to recognize how various diseases are nothing more than unfortunate variants of the aging process that all of us will one day fall prey to. For example, in Alzheimer's 'Disease' errors of metabolism (malformed proteins) in neurons in the brain lead to an accumulation of defective protein parts which eventually disrupt the functioning of the neuron, ultimately killing it. When this process has gone on long enough to have damaged and destroyed some as yet unknown fraction of the brain, the person becomes neurologically symptomatic. This 'Disease' is not communicable, nor is it caused by an exogenous agent. The damage to the brain occurs as the result of biological failure that all of us will have to face in one form or another. ... The FDA does not recognize aging as a treatable condition and only approves treatment for 'Disease.' ... Because the FDA only evaluates treatments for Diseases, and its definition of disease versus aging is completely arbitrary (why is Type II Diabetes a disease while Sarcopenia, the loss of muscle mass and function that accompanies aging, is not?) we are forced to develop treatments that primarily address symptoms rather than either repairing damage or rejuvenating systems."
View the Article Under Discussion: http://shrinkwrapped.blogs.com/blog/2010/07/when-is-a-disease-not-a-disease.html
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Anatomical Rock
I don’t believe we’ve ever featured an anatomically themed guitar here on Street Anatomy before. A viewer recently submitted these photos of a guitar he decoupaged with historical anatomical images from the awesome repository of images that is Historical Anatomies. ‘Decoupaged’ is such a great word.
Historical Anatomies, put together by the NIH, has hundreds of historical anatomical images that are great for making collages or adding that accent of anatomy in any project. Dream Anatomy is another site with a wonderful collection that actually takes you through a timeline of the history of anatomical illustration. In fact, the header image on this blog contains an illustration from the collection.
[Submitted by Royce]
