The use of raw or heated ginger can help people shift to natural pain management.

In a recent study performed by researchers from the Georgia College & State University, it was found that consuming the world-popular root ginger can actually alleviate pain and reduce tissue inflammation.

Raw ginger vs. heated ginger

The researchers used raw ginger supplementation and heated ginger supplementation for two groups of respondents for a period of 11 days.  The respondents then underwent exercises that produced mild muscle soreness.  In short, some pain and inflammation was induced to test whether or not the ginger supplementation would work.

Raw ginger produced 25% less pain and inflammation within the period of one day, while the heated ginger reduced 23% less pain and inflammation.  The researchers concluded that daily consumption of ginger (ginger supplementation) can benefit individuals who are often exposed to exercise-related pain and tissue inflammation.  The said study has already been published in the medical journal Journal of Pain.

Why ginger is good for you

Ginger is naturally rich in antioxidants and other beneficial compounds like zingerones, which makes it a prime choice for people who want to naturally protect their bodies from free radical damage, stress-related fatigue, etc.

Other natural compounds in ginger also produce analgesic-like effects on the body, which is why it was effective in reducing tissue swelling/inflammation and pain in the study.

Since you have a more natural choice now, there’s really no need to depend on OTC analgesics and painkillers when dealing with post-exercise soreness.  If the soreness and pain is mild, then raw or heated ginger would be a good substitute for OTC painkillers and NSAID drugs.

Another reason why I’m advocating natural pain management is that OTC drugs often produce long term side effects. Both analgesics and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are notorious for long term side effects.

The information is available, but the common conception is that these drugs are so harmless that even kids can take them regularly without being exposed to certain risks for side effects.  This is simply not true.  For example, common OTC analgesics can produce the following side effects:

• Feeling of nausea
• Dizziness
• Vomiting
• Urinary problems
• Constipation
• Hives
• Slowed heart rate
• Muscle rigidness

Natural pain relief

Apart from ginger, there are other natural pain relievers that you can try:

1. Cayenne cream – Cayenne cream contains the compound capsaicin, which is found in chili peppers.  Studies show that capsaicin is capable of reducing tissue inflammation by lowering the levels of substance P in the body.  Substance P facilitates the transmission of pain signals.  Since it’s a topical agent, you can use it on any sore muscle easily.

2. Essential oil of black currant & evening primrose – The E.O. Of these two plants contain the compound gamma linolenic acid, which has been indicated for people suffering from arthritic conditions.  You can also try borage oil, which contains a higher percentage of gamma linolenic acid.

3. Cetyl myristoleate – CM is a type of natural oil found in fish and butter (dairy-based).  CM can help joints move more efficiently and also has anti-inflammatory properties.

4. Bromelain – Bromelain is a compound that naturally occurs in food like pineapples.  It naturally fights inflammation in the body.

5. Krill oil or fish oil – These two types of oil are rich in omega 3 fatty acids, which are good for the heart and inflamed tissues.

6. Boswellia – The boswellia plant has anti-inflammatory properties, which makes it a natural pain reliever as well.

7. Turmeric – A base ingredient for curries, turmeric contains the compound curcumin, which has been shown to reduce tissue inflammation in patients with arthritis and even psoriasis.

8. Arnica – Arnica is used in homeopathic treatments and is recommended for individuals suffering from pain and swelling after undergoing surgical procedures (especially around the knee area).  Arnica can be used orally or topically.

9.Aquamin – Aquamin is a type of seaweed which has also been touted as a natural anti-inflammatory agent. In addition to its anti-inflammatory properties, aquamin may also help people build healthier bones (according to a study published in the Nutrition Journal). 2,400 mg every day is recommended.

10. SAM-e – SAM-e or S adenosylmethionine is a type of amino acid that is naturally produced by the human body.  It can help lessen inflammation and it also affects the production of brain chemicals like dopamine, which are helpful in regulating mood and pain.

Sources:
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
nutraingredients.com
nutraingredients.com
arthritis.about.com
medicinenet.com
msnbc.msn.com

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News of a study linking telomere length and cancer risk, but it's still the case that the relationship could be indirect, such as both sides of the correlation being based on levels of biochemical damage. For example, it might reflect the state of mitochondrial biochemistry in a person: "A new study suggests that shorter length of leukocyte telomeres - chromosome markers of biological aging - are associated with an increased risk of cancer and death from cancer. ... Telomeres are a structure at the end of a chromosome involved in the replication and stability of the chromosome. Genetic factors and environmental stressors can shorten the length of the telomere, and telomere length has been considered to be an emerging marker of biological age. Some research has suggested that short telomeres and chromosomal instability contribute to malignant cell transformation. ... [Researchers] conducted a study to assess the association between leukocyte telomere length and risk of both new-onset cancer and cancer death. Leukocyte telomere length was [measured] in 787 participants, free of cancer in 1995 ... Analysis indicated that short telomere length at the beginning of the study was associated with new cancer independently of standard cancer risk factors. Compared with participants in the longest telomere length group, participants in the middle length group had about twice the risk of cancer, and those in the shortest length group had approximately three times the risk. Cancer incidence rates were inversely related to telomere length, with participants in the group with the shortest telomere length having the highest rate of cancer."

View the Article Under Discussion: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-07/jaaj-lob063010.php

Read More Longevity Meme Commentary: http://www.longevitymeme.org/news/

Much like the slow and steady lengthening of life expectancy, there is a general improvement in cancer treatment outcomes thanks to progress across the board in modern medicine: "The continued drop in overall cancer mortality rates over the last 20 years has averted more than three-quarters of a million (767,000) cancer deaths according to a new report from the American Cancer Society. The American Cancer Society's annual Cancer Statistics article reports that the overall death rate from cancer in the United States in 2007 was 178.4 per 100,000, a relative decrease of 1.3 percent from 2006, when the rate was 180.7 per 100,000, continuing a trend that began in 1991 for men and 1992 for women. In that time, mortality rates have decreased by 21 percent among men and by 12 percent among women, due primarily to declines in smoking, better treatments, and earlier detection of cancer. ... Cancer incidence rates decreased in men 1.3 percent per year from 2000 to 2006 and in women 0.5 percent per year from 1998 to 2006. Death rates for all cancer sites combined decreased 2 percent per year from 2001 to 2006 in males and 1.5 percent per year from 2002 to 2006 in females."

View the Article Under Discussion: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-07/acs-cdc070710.php

Read More Longevity Meme Commentary: http://www.longevitymeme.org/news/

A little stress improves our biochemistry: "Recent evidence suggests that calorie restriction and specifically reduced glucose metabolism induces mitochondrial metabolism to extend life span in various model organisms, including Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Drosophila melanogaster, Caenorhabditis elegans and possibly mice. In conflict with Harman's free radical theory of aging (FRTA), these effects may be due to increased formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) within the mitochondria causing an adaptive response that culminates in subsequently increased stress resistance assumed to ultimately cause a long-term reduction of oxidative stress. This type of retrograde response has been named mitochondrial hormesis or mitohormesis, and may in addition be applicable to the health-promoting effects of physical exercise in humans and, hypothetically, impaired insulin/IGF-1-signaling in model organisms. Consistently, abrogation of this mitochondrial ROS signal by antioxidants impairs the lifespan-extending and health-promoting capabilities of glucose restriction and physical exercise, respectively. In summary, the findings discussed in this review indicate that ROS are essential signaling molecules which are required to promote health and longevity. Hence, the concept of mitohormesis provides a common mechanistic denominator for the physiological effects of physical exercise, reduced calorie uptake, glucose restriction, and possibly beyond."

View the Article Under Discussion: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20350594

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Russian cryonics provider KrioRus is starting to receive the sort of mixed press attention that Alcor did five years ago or so: "'I don't ever want to die... It wouldn't suit me,' said Innokenty Osadchy. Fortunately, the 35-year-old investment banker is certain he has found a loophole out of death. Osadchy is ready to pay a small fortune to freeze his brain until future technology allows him to continue his life - after being transplanted into a new body and resuscitated. 'Why do I have to die in a couple decades? I don't see any logic in this. It won't be another life, it'll be the continuation of my life. I don't ever want to die ever. Not in a year, not in a million years.' Osadchy and other clients of Russian cryonics company KrioRus believe the brain operates like a computer hard-drive and its contents can be frozen and stored for the future. 'We know that the personality is stored in the brain. So when a person's body is old, there's no reason to keep it,' said Danila Medvedev, who runs KrioRus, the first cryonics outfit outside the United States. ... Since its 2005 launch, KrioRus has been building new vats, in anticipation of the 30 clients, like Osadchy, with whom it already has contracts."

View the Article Under Discussion: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hcee6gk4tTAqxAfRk1MhcG5dMELw

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This paper suggests that the relationship between mitochondrial DNA variants and longevity is complex: "There is substantial evidence that mitochondria are involved in the aging process. Mitochondrial function requires the coordinated expression of hundreds of nuclear genes and a few dozen mitochondrial genes, many of which have been associated with either extended or shortened life span. Impaired mitochondrial function resulting from mtDNA and nuclear DNA variation is likely to contribute to an imbalance in cellular energy homeostasis, increased vulnerability to oxidative stress, and an increased rate of cellular senescence and aging. The complex genetic architecture of mitochondria suggests that there may be an equally complex set of gene interactions (epistases) involving genetic variation in the nuclear and mitochondrial genomes. Results from Drosophila suggest that the effects of mtDNA haplotypes on longevity vary among different nuclear allelic backgrounds, which could account for the inconsistent associations that have been observed between mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplogroups and survival in humans. ... We hypothesize that aging and longevity, as complex traits having a significant genetic component, are likely to be controlled by nuclear gene variants interacting with both inherited and somatic mtDNA variability."

View the Article Under Discussion: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20601194

Read More Longevity Meme Commentary: http://www.longevitymeme.org/news/

This post at Less Wrong makes the case for cryonics as a business that would work well at large scale: "Cryonics scales very well. People who argue from the perspective that cryonics is costly are probably not aware of this fact. Even assuming you needed to come up with the lump sum all at once rather than steadily pay into life insurance, the fact is that most people would be able to afford it if most people wanted it. There are some basic physical reasons why this is the case. ... Surface area is where heat gains entry. Thus if you have a huge container holding cryogenic goods (humans in this case) it costs less per unit volume (human) than is the case with a smaller container that is equally well insulated. ... liquid nitrogen, the super-cheap coolant used by cryonics facilities around the world, is vastly cheaper (more than a factor of 10) when purchased in huge quantities of several tons. The scaling factors for storage tanks and high-capacity tanker trucks are a big part of the reason for this. ... The conclusion I get from this is that there is a very strong self-interested case (as well as the altruistic case) to be made for the promotion of megascale cryonics towards the mainstream, as opposed to small independently run units for a few of us die-hard futurists."

View the Article Under Discussion: http://lesswrong.com/lw/2f5/cryonics_wants_to_be_big/

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Drinking coffee may reduce a person's chances of developing oral cancer and even brain tumors.

According to a study published in the medical journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, it was found that people who drank three to four cups of coffee per day reduced their risk of neck & head cancer by as much as thirty-nine percent.

According to Dr. Mia Hashibe, a researcher from the University of Utah, the findings of the new study is significant because coffee is one of the most popular beverages in the world.

The survival percentage for oral cancer and other associated cancers is low, so the findings provide hope for both men and women.  Unfortunately, the study did not make use of data from people who drank decaffeinated coffee.  In addition to oral cancer and neck cancer, another study (this time, from London)  discovered that coffee also reduced the risk of people developing tumors in the brain.

Other studies agree on the benefits of coffee

Studies around the world seem to acquiesce with the recent findings in the United States; it also appears that coffee may be more than just a cancer preventive:

1. A recent study performed in Sweden states that women who drank four to five cups of Scandinavian coffee (which requires boiling) reduced their risk of developing breast cancer over the long term.

It appears that boiled coffee provides more health benefits because it can contain up to eighty different fatty acids, which have been shown to have cancer-preventing effects when taken by the human body.  The benefits of boiled Scandinavian coffee was noted for women between the ages of 49 and 55.

2. According to researchers who published a study in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, regular coffee intake may ward off adult-onset diabetes or type 2 diabetes.  In animal tests, it was shown that coffee increased the sensitivity of the animals to insulin.  Coffee was also effective in combating the sudden rise of blood glucose levels according to the researchers.

3. Past US studies show that coffee may be helpful in reducing LDL or “bad” cholesterol levels.  Coffee also contains polyphenols, which are natural antioxidants that protect the body from free radical damage.  Polyphenols are also present in abundant quantities in green tea.

4. Based on a Harvard Medical School study on aggressive/advanced prostate cancer and coffee-drinking, it was found that males who regularly drank coffee were sixty percent less likely to develop advanced prostate cancer, compared to males who did not drink coffee at all.

5. A Netherlands study produced the following findings for coffee consumption: 2 to 4 cups of coffee a day reduced the incidence of heart problems by twenty percent.  Coffee intake also slightly reduced the chances of a person dying from the most common causes (cancer, heart problems, stroke, heart attack, diabetes, etc.)

Sources:
sciencedaily.com
sciencedaily.com
sciencedaily.com
sciencedaily.com
sciencedaily.com
sciencedaily.com

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According to a European study, calcium is good not only for the bones of postmenopausal women, but also for their hearts.

In a very recent study presented in the Annual Congress of European League Against Rheumatism, researchers discovered that low levels of calcium  translated not only to weaker, less dense bones for postmenopausal women but it also predisposed the latter to high blood pressure.

According to the researchers, women with low calcium levels were forty-three percent more prone to developing degenerative bone conditions such as osteoporosis.  The same percentage applies to a woman’s risk of eventually developing hypertension.  According to Maria Manara, one of the key researchers, their study establishes the coordinates that associate low intake of calcium with heart problems and bone problems.

Further benefits of getting enough calcium

The RDA for calcium is 990 to 1,000 mg per day for individuals between the ages of nineteen and fifty, according to the National Institutes of Health.  Doses exceeding 2,500 milligrams per day may interfere with the body’s ability to absorb other nutrients.

Here are some more reasons to love your calcium supplements and low-fat dairy products:

1. According to a study published in the American Journal of Epidimiology, taking calcium reduces one’s risk of dying from a sudden heart attack.

2. Taking calcium along with the mineral magnesium may help reduce the risk of males from dying of different causes, including heart problems and certain cancer.

3. Combined with vitamin D supplementation, calcium may also help prevent the onset of prostate cancer.  According to another study, the same potent combination can also help stop colorectal cancer in its tracks.  According to Emory University researchers, laboratory tests show that the two nutrients are capable of normalizing intestinal cells.  The study made use of 2,000 mg of calcium, combined with 800 international units of vitamin D.

4. Based on a study published in Obesity Reviews, regular intake of calcium may help in weight loss efforts. Studies show that calcium increases the amount of fat excretion.  According to Arne Astrup, a researcher from the University of Copenhagen, calcium may also prevent folks from regaining the weight they have already lost.  It was noted that people who had formerly low calcium levels will have enhanced benefits from calcium supplementation.

5. Enough calcium ensures that your muscles will contract and relax efficiently whenever you are on the move.  Calcium deficiency can cause problems like muscle pain and cramps.

6. Having problems with premenstrual syndrome?  Adding calcium to your daily supplementation may help improve the symptoms of PMS.

7. Sufficient calcium also ensures that your teeth will remain firmly anchored in your gums.

Sources:
nutraingredients.com
nutraingredients.com
nutraingredients.com
nutraingredients.com
vitamins-nutrition.org

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Omega 3 can help reduce the incidence of age-related hearing loss.

We know that omega 3 fatty acids are good for the heart – but it appears that this wonder compound is not just good for the heart, but may also be beneficial to our ears as well.  Just recently, a study regarding the additional benefits of omega 3 fatty acids was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

The omega 3 study

According to the US study, eating fish at least twice a week can reduce the risk for age-related hearing loss by a whopping forty-two percent.  Paul Mitchell, lead researcher, also stated that regular doses of omega 3 fatty acids can delay or even completely prevent age-related hearing loss (also known as presbycusis).

Mitchell and other researchers made use of questionnaires that were given out to 2,900+ respondents.  They measured the respondents’ fish intake with the prevalence of hearing loss.  An inverse trend was noted: respondents who ate a lot of fish tend to have minimal hearing loss.  The risk for age-related hearing loss was also reduced with increased fish consumption.

Hearing loss is one of the most prevalent sensory-related conditions in the United States, affecting more than 30 million individuals around the country.

More reasons to love omega 3

Omega 3’s dazzling spectrum of benefits does not end with hearing loss prevention and heart health:

1. Omega 3 is considered an essential nutrient because it is required for normal body function.  The body is incapable of producing them; therefore, dietary sources of omega 3 are vital to good health.

2. Suffering from painful joints?  Existing studies state that regular doses of omega 3 can help ease the stiffness and inflammation associated with arthritic conditions.  If you have been prescribed anti-inflammatory medication already, you can still take omega 3 to increase the effectiveness of your current anti-inflammatory medication/s.

3. Eating more fish may reduce your risk for depression.  According to existing studies, cultures that consume fish on a very regular basis also have fewer incidences of clinical depression.  Omega 3 may also help treat depression as it enhances the potency of anti-depressant medication.

4. Pregnant women can also benefit from EPA & DHA: there is evidence that omega 3 fatty acids can improve the general wellness of pregnant women and also aid in the development of the unborn child – specifically with the child’s brain development.

5. In addition to calcium supplementation, omega 3 can also help people with osteoporosis. There is some evidence that this compound can help increase bone density.

6. Surprisingly, omega 3 can also be used by individuals with asthma.  In addition to improving the over-all condition of the lungs, omega 3 may also help reduce the amount of asthma medications a person needs to manage his/her condition.

7. Giving fish oil to school-aged kids can help manage the symptoms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHD.

Sources:
nutraingredients.com
webmd.com

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There's nothing you can do right now that will have a greater immediate effect on your life expectancy than exercise and calorie restriction. The best thing you can do for future improvement is to help researchers raise funds to develop repair technologies for human aging. But no-one wants to hear that. Everyone wants a silver bullet now, and it doesn't exist: "Friends occasionally ask me how they might best live healthy, longer. They inquire because I went to medical school, work in biotech, and focus professionally on developing drugs to treat diseases of aging by targeting aging genes. My response seems to surprise them, because it does not center on pharmaceutical products. The current answer on how to increase healthy human lifespan is simple: 'Eat less, and exercise more.' ... Modern medicine has discovered an impressive number of lifesaving new drugs for devastating diseases such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and infectious diseases. Nevertheless, for most of us, active lifestyles and less food will have a more profound effect than taking more medicines. Hard as it is, we should walk, run, and bike more, and reduce our food intake. The best way we can increase our chances to live healthy, longer is simple: eat less and exercise more."

View the Article Under Discussion: http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2010/07/05/a_simple_hard_answer_to_long_life/

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A response to recent discussion of the Catholic hierarchy's views on engineered longevity: "Michael Anissimov and Aubrey de Grey call our attention to Pope Benedict's Holy Saturday address from 3 April of this year. In the address, the Pope presents perspective on immortalism, suggesting that radical extension of life as we currently know it is not a cure for death, but rather a cure for death must 'transform our lives from within' and 'create a new life within us, truly fit for eternity'. The Pope's message contains some ideas with which I disagree. For example, he questions the value of extending life hundreds of years and suggests it would be condemnation; does he consider us already condemned as a consequence of extending life well beyond the few decades that were available to our ancestors? Perhaps he does, as do many Catholics, embracing a doctrine of original sin and assuming life as we now know it to have no possibility of naturally improving beyond the consequences of that original sin. He reasons that immortalism would leave no room for youth, yet youth is precisely the goal of immortalism - not merely a perpetuation of geriatric hacks. He also reasons that immortalism would kill capacity for innovation, yet capacity for innovation has only improved as we've extended our lifespans. Finally, he implies that death itself is where we should look to find the beginning of the fullness of life. While I don't consider death the absolute end of identity, I consider it to be among the worst of hollow and meaningless contradictions to equate death with life."

View the Article Under Discussion: http://lincoln.metacannon.net/2010/06/pope-benedict-and-immortalists.html

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From Wired: "Blood drawn with a simple needle stick can be coaxed into producing stem cells that may have the ability to form any type of tissue in the body, three independent papers report... The new technique will allow scientists to tap a large, readily available source of personalized stem cells. ... Because taking blood is safe, fast and efficient compared to current stem cell harvesting methods, some of which include biopsies and pretreatments with drugs, researchers hope that blood-derived stem cells could one day be used to study and treat diseases. ... Three research groups used similar methods to prod certain immune cells in human blood to become induced pluripotent stem cells. Because they are reprogrammed adult cells, these stem cells share many of the same regenerative abilities as true embryonic stem cells but may not have as much versatility. ... Scientists' manipulations turned the stem cells in the new studies into several types of mature blood cells, including infection-fighting T cells. What's more, all the groups showed that a batch of the stem cells implanted into mice developed into the three main types of progenitor cells found in human embryos."

View the Article Under Discussion: http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/07/stem-cells-from-human-blood-can-be-reprogrammed/

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Via ScienceNews: "In the new study, researchers looked at genetic markers called single nucleotide polymorphisms, or SNPs, in 1,055 centenarians and 1,267 younger people, all of European descent. The scientists found 150 genetic SNP variants linked to extreme longevity. Initially, the team identified only 33 SNPs found more often in people aged 90 to 114 years but not in a control group made up of people who will presumably live an average lifespan. ... biostatistician Paola Sebastiani [devised] a different statistical method to identify additional SNPs that would improve the team's ability to predict longevity. The team tested their predictions on a separate group of centenarians and controls. With the 150 SNPs, the researchers could correctly predict who was a centenarian 77 percent of the time. ... Now on one side, 77 percent is a very high accuracy for a genetic model, which means that the traits that we are looking at have a very strong genetic base ... On the other hand, the 150 SNPs can't explain why the remaining 23 percent of centenarians in the study have reached such ripe old ages. It could mean that those people have other, rare genetic variants or lifestyles responsible for their longevity or some combination of the two."

View the Article Under Discussion: http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/60772/title/For_most_centenarians,_longevity_is_written_in_the_DNA

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