Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways – Chardonnay in one hand – chocolate in the other – body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming “WOO-HOO, what a ride!!”

AND…..

For those of you who watch what you eat, here’s the final word on nutrition and health. It’s a relief to know the truth after all those conflicting nutritional studies.

1. The Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Brits.

2. The Mexicans eat a lot of fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Brits.

3. The Chinese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Brits.

4. The Italians drink a lot of red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Brits.

5. The Germans drink a lot of beer and eat lots of sausages and fats and suffer fewer heart attacks than Brits.

CONCLUSION: Eat and drink what you like. Speaking English is apparently what kills you.

Researchers have finally caught up with the wisdom of mothers, who, for decades have been coaxing their children to eat spinach.

We know this leafy green is a good source of folate, a very important B vitamin involved in cell division. Spinach is also rich in iron, making it a potentially important source of this mineral for vegetarians.

Now, researchers in Sweden have uncovered another reason to eat spinach. They appear to have provided an explanation for why Popeye, the cartoon character, had such large muscles and superhuman strength.

There’s a growing body of recent research demonstrating that the inorganic nitrate found in certain vegetables might have important biological functions.

Previously nitrate in food was seen as a potential hazard because a small percentage of it could be converted to nitrite in our bodies. Nitrites can react with other dietary constituents to form nitrosamines, which are suspected stomach carcinogens.

But researchers have now demonstrated that nitrate can be converted back to nitric oxide, a compound important for dilating blood vessels and preventing hypoxia (inadequate blood supply). During exercise, nitric oxide reduces oxygen consumption allowing muscles to exercise more efficiently.

The Swedish researchers, who published the findings of a research project that involved adding nitrate to the drinking water of mice. They gave one group of mice drinking water with added nitrate and a control group water without nitrate for a period of seven days.

The authors suggest the amount of nitrate fed to the mice is equivalent to what an adult might obtain from 200 grams to 300 grams of fresh spinach. The standard serving size for fresh spinach is about 30 grams, and for cooked spinach, it’s about 180 grams.

So to consume the same amount as the mice, you’d have to eat one to two serves of spinach every day for a week. We can’t determine what effect smaller amounts of nitrate over a prolonged period might produce.

After one week, the mice were sacrificed for knowledge and their muscles dissected for experiments. The extensor digitorum longus muscle that extends down the front of the leg and contains fast twitch muscle fibres and the soleus muscle (which has slow-twitch muscle fibres) were tested. Fast-twitch fibres generate short bursts of strength or speed as in sprinting while slow-twitch fibres involve prolonged contraction as might be used in a marathon.

The isolated muscles were stimulated and the contractions measured. Researchers found that the mice that had consumed nitrate had increased contractile force in the fast-twitch muscle, that is, they had stronger muscles.

Further studies indicated that nitrate-fed mice had higher concentrations of two different proteins in their muscles; calsequestrin 1 (CASQ) and dihydropyridine receptor (DHPR). These proteins allow increased calcium storage and subsequent release in the muscle for contraction.

The researchers now plan to look for applications of nitrate supplementation not only in exercise performance but for a therapeutic role in diseases with or causing muscle weakness.

Now that science has shown that spinach makes you stronger, there’s no longer a reason to not eat it and excuses won’t do. But if you still can’t be convinced, you will be pleased to know that beetroot, celery, rocket, lettuce and bok choy are also rich in nitrate.

Non-alcoholic beverage and caffeine consumption and mortality: the Leisure World Cohort Study.

The news about HRT keeps getting better. Read the results of this large study and tell me what you think.

Increased longevity in older users of postmenopausal estrogen therapy: the Leisure World Cohort Study

CONCLUSIONS

Long-term users of ET (Estrogen Therapy) seem to have a lower death rate in the Leisure World population. The reduction in the risk of death from all causes was 15%. Considering only mortality as the index of therapeutic success or failure, these results suggest that long-term therapy may extend life. Our results add to the complexity of issues surrounding the risk-benefit equation of hormone therapy. However, with the results of recent clinical trials and other observational studies, our findings suggest that after an initial period of increased risk, use of ET may be without excess adverse effect.

In the post-WHI era, some women will continue to use hormone therapy and others will be started on hormones for menopause-related symptoms. It is especially important that the postmenopausal patient be fully informed of the current state of knowledge regarding these risks and benefits and fully participate with her doctor in decisions regarding choice of therapy.

Hormone replacement therapy and incidence of Alzheimer disease in older women: the Cache County Study.

10 December 2012, 6.12am AEST

Time to dispel the fear of nanoparticles in sunscreens

The sunny season has well and truly started, as has the daily summer ritual of applying sunscreen. So now is the perfect time to consider whether “nano sunscreens”, which contain UV filtering nanoparticles, are safe for use.

“Nano” is short for nanometre (one billionth of a metre), and a nanoparticle is very small, ranging from only one to 100 nanometres (about one thousandth of the thickness of hair). Because some nanoparticles behave differently to larger versions of the same substance, manufacturers have started to make useful “nanomaterials” with them.

The nano form of zinc oxide is used in sunscreens because it’s both transparent and 50% more effective in UV filtering than the bulk zinc oxide particles in thick white sunscreens. Using an inorganic UV filter such as zinc oxide has many advantages over conventional organic chemical UV filters, which can cause skin irritation and allergies, and have much greater skin absorption.

And unlike zinc oxide, some unstable organic UV filters break down under UV light, so you need to reapply those sunscreens more frequently. What’s more, because individual organic UV filters usually absorb only narrow parts of UV light (either UVA or UVB light), only mixtures of organic chemicals can provide similar broad spectrum UV protection to zinc oxide.

What risk?

Concerns about nano-sunscreens were first raised when a 2008 BlueScope Steel report stated that metal oxide nanoparticles in some sunscreens were capable of bleaching painted surfaces of coated steel. But this is a completely different type of exposure to nano sunscreen, which is formulated to remain on the skin’s surface.

Many scientific studies have shown that nanoparticles don’t readily penetrate human skin. A landmark 2010 Australian study showed that there was little difference between nano or bulk zinc oxide sunscreens because of the negligible amount absorbed into the body (less than 0.01% of the applied dose).

After a five-day beach trial with twice-daily skin applications, the sunscreen zinc appearing in blood was only 1/1000th of the total zinc naturally present in blood. Not only is this minute compared to normal levels of zinc required as an essential mineral for human nutrition, it’s also small compared to the non-essential chemicals more commonly used as UV filters.

Safety tests

Nano zinc oxide (ZnO) in sunscreen has been extensively and repeatedly assessed for safety by regulatory authorities around the world, and is widely accepted as being safe to use in sunscreens.

In September 2012, the European Union Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety, “concluded on the basis of available evidence that the use of ZnO nanoparticles … at a concentration up to 25% as a UV-filter in sunscreens, can be considered not to pose a risk of adverse effects in humans after dermal application.”

The committee also said that using lipstick or other lip products didn’t pose a risk, but that nano zinc oxide sunscreens shouldn’t be used in spray-on form because of the potential risk of inhalation.

My research team has investigated the worst-case scenario by asking what human skin and immune cells would do if they happened to directly encounter inorganic sunscreen nanoparticles. We found that zinc oxide nanoparticles are as well tolerated as zinc ions and conventional organic chemical sunscreens in human cell test systems.

We recently published a scientific paper identifying the zinc-containing nanoparticles that form immediately when dissolved zinc ions are added to cell culture media and pure serum. Our work suggests that these nanoparticles may actually play a part in natural zinc transport within the body.

Sun protection

Not all nanoparticles behave in the same way biologically, nor are all of them potentially hazardous. Indeed, many engineered nanoparticles are designed with both function and safety in mind. The substance that the nanoparticle is made from is of vital importance in any hazard assessment. And nano zinc oxide has been thoroughly assessed for safety when used in sunscreens and in lip products.

Excessive UV light on the other hand, poses a serious risk for skin damage and cancer. Rest assured that the nano sunscreens can be used safely, so don’t stop using the most effective broad spectrum sunscreen as part of your sun protection measures.

I recommend using non-aerosol zinc oxide sunscreens containing either nano or bulk particles. Their broad spectrum UV filtering ability (including the UVA range), and high UV resistance and negligible skin absorption make them the safest and best way to protect yourself from sunburn. If still in doubt, know that the same conclusions were made by the US Environmental Working Group in their 2012 sunscreen report.

Managing hair loss in midlife women.

PMID:

23182767

[PubMed – as supplied by publisher]

In my book “Live Well Over 100”, the 15th commandment is to throw away the salt shaker and reduce the salt in our diet. Excess salt raises the blood pressure, leads to kidney stones, aggravates asthma, leads to osteoporosis. PMS, oedema and other health issues, too numerous to mention. Here is what you have to do:

5 ways to use less salt

Sodium chloride (salt) is essential to the body. The sodium in salt helps transmit nerve impulses and contract muscle fibers. Working with potassium, it balances fluid levels in in the body. But you only need a tiny amount of salt to do this, less than one-tenth of a teaspoon. The average American gets nearly 20 times that much.

The body can generally rid itself of excess sodium. In some people, though, consuming extra sodium makes the body hold onto water. This increases the amount of fluid flowing through blood vessels, which can increase blood pressure.

Most of the salt that Americans consume comes from prepared and processed foods. The leading culprits include snack foods, sandwich meats, smoked and cured meat, canned juices, canned and dry soups, pizza and other fast foods, and many condiments, relishes, and sauces — for starters. But enough comes from the salt shaker that it’s worth finding alternatives. Here are 5 ways to cut back on sodium when cooking or at the table:

1. Use spices and other flavor enhancers. Add flavor to your favorite dishes with spices, dried and fresh herbs, roots (such as garlic and ginger), citrus, vinegars, and wine. From black pepper, cinnamon, and turmeric to fresh basil, chili peppers, and lemon juice, these flavor enhancers create excitement for the palate — and with less sodium.
2. Go nuts for healthy fats in the kitchen. Using the right healthy fats — from roasted nuts and avocados to olive, canola, soybean, and other oils — can add a rich flavor to foods, minus the salt.
3. Sear, sauté, and roast. Searing and sautéing foods in a pan builds flavor. Roasting brings out the natural sweetness of many vegetables and the taste of fish and chicken. If you do steam or microwave food, perk up these dishes with a finishing drizzle of flavorful oil and a squeeze of citrus.
4. Get your whole grains from sources other than bread. Even whole-grain bread, while a healthier choice than white, can contain considerable sodium. And bread contains salt, not just for flavor but to ensure that the dough rises properly. You can skip that extra salt when you use whole grains outside of baking. Try a Mediterranean-inspired whole-grain salad with chopped vegetables, nuts, and legumes, perhaps a small amount of cheese, herbs and spices, and healthy oils and vinegar or citrus. For breakfast, cook up steel-cut oats, farro, or other intact whole grains with fresh or dried fruit, and you can skip the toast (and the extra sodium).
5. Know your seasons, and, even better, your local farmer. Shop for raw ingredients with maximum natural flavor, thereby avoiding the need to add as much (if any) sodium. Shop for peak-of-season produce from farmers’ markets and your local supermarket.

For more information on lifestyle changes to treat hypertension and choosing the right medication, buy Hypertension: Controlling the “Silent Killer” by Harvard Medical School.

The pathogenesis of osteoarthritis involves bone, cartilage and synovial inflammation: may estrogen be a magic bullet?