Some studies (for examples, (1) and (2)) have shown that Intermittent Fasting (IF) increases the amount of growth hormone released in your body (secretory bursts). Growth hormone helps burn fat and build muscle (Example, the famous and controversial article by Rudman et al. (3)) that makes you age slower, physically and mentally. For examples of controversies about the Rudman article see (4) and (5).
This increase of muscle mass via growth hormone does not mean you are increasing your muscle strength. So, you need some physical exercise when getting an increased lean body mass.
Fasting has been practiced by diverse cultures (Hinduism, Egyptians, Judaism, among others) from ancient times. Fasting is certainly an ancient practice, but the idea of extending one’s life through caloric restriction is not, because until the arrival of modern medicine and sanitation, life expectancy was too short to be affected by caloric restriction. When people die young (40 years or less) due to diseases such as smallpox, caloric restriction will not extend their useful lives. Nonetheless, it has been known for more than six decades that caloric restriction can extend the lifespan of laboratory animals, so this is not new. See (6).
Other studies in animals have revealed that ingesting fewer calories with an intermittent feeding regimen, these animals experienced a significant reduction in cell proliferation (considered an indicator for cancer risk) in several tissues (7). It works this way: Cancer is essentially the uncontrolled division of cells, and its progress typically requires the presence of multiple mutations. Normally, a cell will try to repair any damage that has occurred to its DNA, but, if it divides before it has a possibility to fix the damage, then that damage becomes memorialized as a mutation in the progeny cells. Slowing down the rate of cell proliferation basically buys time for the cells to repair genetic damage.
From here we deduce two facts: a) you do not need expensive and questionable (increased risk for cancer, cardiovascular disease, and behavior changes) human growth hormone (HGH) shots to increase your growth hormone and, b) you do not need a continuous fasting, just an intermittent one, because being hungry from eating 1/3 less than standard caloric recommendations can extend life in rats, but in humans, it could make you feel life is interminable.
Are there any substances (nutrients, vitamins, minerals) that can mimic caloric restriction without the need of feeling close to starvation? Some plant polyphenols, such as resveratrol (found in grapes) and pterostilbene (found in blueberries), can induce protection against cancer by similar mechanisms as those involved through caloric restriction (8), (9), (10).
References
(1) http://jcem.endojournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/74/4/757,
(2) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC329619/
(3) http://www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/NEJM199007053230101
(4) http://www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/NEJMp020186
(5) http://www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/NEJMc030764
(6) http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/reprint/31/3/363.pdf
(7) http://ajpendo.physiology.org/cgi/reprint/288/5/E965?maxtoshow=&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&author1=Hellerstein&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&sortspec=relevance&resourcetype=HWCIT
(8) Jang, M. et al. Cancer chemopreventive activity of resveratrol, a natural product derived from grapes. Science 275, 2118-220, 1997.
(9) Ferguson, L. R. Role of plant polyphenols in genomic stability. Mutat. Res. 475, 89-111, 2001.
(10) http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v430/n7000/full/nature02789.html
lunes, 11 de octubre de 2010
domingo, 3 de octubre de 2010
Seasonal Allergies
Allergies provoked by air pollutants may be caused by indoor and outdoor allergens and are often a combination of both.
If you think that all the wheezing, coughing and watery-eyed symptoms you are experiencing are entirely due to what is considered "genetically prone to allergies”, think again. The culprit could be the city where you live. So what does it make a particular place more prone to allergies than others? There are factors such as pollen content, the amount of mold and the level of pollution that causes the allergy attack in an individual.
Experts believe that allergies tend to be inherited from parents. As your body is exposed to allergens, its defense is weakened which in turn triggers an allergic reaction. These allergens may interfere with your body through nose, mouth and lungs.
What exactly are the elements that are considered allergens? This includes:
Airborne grass, tree, weed pollens
Dust mites
Mold spores
Pet dander
Remember that even if you are born with allergic tendencies, you are not automatically inclined to have an allergic reaction. As for pet dander, it can take several years for you to be sensitive to a specific allergen. In addition to inheriting genes prone to allergies from your parents, your allergic reaction will also start if you are usually near pesky allergens, and when the body comes into contact with allergens, your immune system tells you to stay away from them . Finally, what are the symptoms of an allergic reaction? Sneezing, having a stuffy nose, cough, itchy throat, watery eyes, and dark circles under the eyes from the sinus pressure are just some of the symptoms that you should keep in mind.
Some of the most prone to allergies cities in the United States:
1. City: Lexington, Kentucky
The worst season: Spring
Major allergens: pollen
2. City: Little Rock, Arkansas
The worst season: Autumn
Major allergens: weeds, pollen, mold spores
3. City: Greensboro, North Carolina
The worst season: Autumn
Major allergens: grass, tree and weed pollen
4. City: Greenville, South Carolina
The worst season: Autumn
Major allergens: grass, tree and weed pollen
5. City: Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina
The worst season: Spring
Major allergens: weed pollens or weed
6. City: Jackson, Mississippi
The worst season: Autumn
Major allergens: grass, weeds
7. City: Grand Rapids, Michigan
The worst season: Autumn
Major allergens: weed pollens or weed
8. City: Knoxville, Tennessee
The worst season: Spring
Major allergens: mold spores, weed and grass pollen
9. City: Wichita, Kansas
The worst season: Autumn
Major allergens: mold spores, weed or weed pollen
10. City: Madison, Wisconsin
The worst season: Autumn
Major allergens: weeds or weed pollens
The fall allergy season generally begins in mid-August and lasts until the first weeks of November. Knowing the triggers and how to minimize your exposure to them will help you enjoy life, despite your allergies.
Pet dander- This trigger is hitting us where it hurts, especially if you are an animal lover and share your home with a tender, warm-blooded love. Dandruff is inevitable with any warm-blooded pet, either a cat, dog, bird, ferret or other adorable one. Most of us do not give importance to this because of the love and affection our pets give in return. But if you are allergic, the air is thick for you. Consult your veterinarian about bathing your pet to reduce dander. Consider keeping your room out of reach of all creatures, except those with two legs. Change your filters for heating and air conditioning regularly. Use a portable air cleaner in your room to allow your body to rest in a space that is virtually free of allergens.
Pollen- Many think that pollen is only a spring trigger. But those who suffer from hay fever know better. Tree (spring), grass (summer), and weed (fall) pollens are in the air for much of the year, and it is almost impossible to limit them only to the outdoors. Keeping windows closed at home and in the car, choosing to be out late in the day instead of early morning, and the use of HEPA filters to remove pollen that enters through doors, on clothing, shoes, and pets will let you complete all pollen seasons with the least number of outbreaks.
Ragweed pollen- As its name suggests it is a weed. Ironically, the weed that causes most problems for allergy sufferers is so bland in appearance. It is persistent and can grow in cracks in parking lots. Researchers estimate that it sends more than a million grains of pollen during the season that can be carried for miles by the wind, as it weighs so little.
Keeping weeds trimmed in your garden will help, as well as programming time outdoors to mornings and evenings. Limit air exchange, keeping doors and windows closed and use air conditioning to maintain comfortable temperatures. If you work in your yard, use a mask to minimize the amount of pollen you inhale, and then wash hair and clothes immediately after returning indoors to minimize incoming pollen.
Household Chemicals- Most household products have a type of scent, and if you are totally sensitive to them, it can be bad news for your allergies. These fragrances appear everywhere- in cosmetics, deodorants, shower gels, soaps and shampoos, candles, household cleaners and dishwashing detergent.
Among the best ways to get rid of odors is to get rid of the products you currently have that smell, and look for products with a more natural and organic base. Choose the fragrance-free version of products. Find a local organic food store and take advantage of the wide variety of non-allergenic products. There are many products on the market, that are equally effective but do not contain chemicals. So you can relax at home, where the only smell is fresh air.
Mold- Looking at the big picture, mold is necessary because it eases the decomposition and nature returns to its original state. But if you are allergic to it, knowing this is probably of very little relief. Moisture means mold, therefore the drier you can make the area around your home, the more likely you are to reduce the immediate count of mold outdoors.
Take away fallen leaves from your lawn before they have the opportunity to get wet and keep them away from rain. Leaving them deposited on the sidewalk for being picked up by the municipality may even be free, but it is expensive for allergy sufferers because of the spores in the air this will surely generate. The removal of dead branches and keeping the property free of debris will minimize mold growth.
Smoke- Fortunately many public places are smoke-free environments where the fresh air is available to everyone. However, this is probably not good news for those of you who are smokers and are getting a difficult time quitting, or for those of you who are living with a smoker, whether at home, or inadvertently with someone in the apartment next to yours. The next best thing to quitting smoking is to limit smoking to outdoors, and to remove any residue of smoke indoors with a high efficiency particulate air purifier that is designed to remove smoke.
Dust Mites- These tiny creatures are incredibly prolific and make home in your bed, and are recognized as triggers of allergy and asthma. Unfortunately, nothing will completely remove them from your home, but there are some things that will greatly reduce their numbers, allowing you to be more comfortable. Wash bedding weekly in hot water that is 140 degrees Fahrenheit or more. Put your pillows and mattresses in covers that will not allow dust mites from entering. Allow to air your bed every day, because sunlight kills them.
Dust- If weather does not require the use of heating / air conditioning during the summer, starting the heating in the fall will send all kinds of particles that have had months to accumulate. These allergy triggers may include dust, animal dander and dust mites, all being known as triggers.
Change filters in the central system before initiating the heat. Empty the ducts that are on the floor to remove particles that have fallen inside throughout the spring and summer. Use an air cleaner to remove particles that are in the air.
As you probably know, the management of allergies is not just to do one thing, but on the use of many tools where each do their part to help minimize the triggers that make you sensitive. And using a high-efficiency particulate air purifier (or HEPA) to minimize airborne particles that continue to enter your home is a tool that every management plan should have.
If you think that all the wheezing, coughing and watery-eyed symptoms you are experiencing are entirely due to what is considered "genetically prone to allergies”, think again. The culprit could be the city where you live. So what does it make a particular place more prone to allergies than others? There are factors such as pollen content, the amount of mold and the level of pollution that causes the allergy attack in an individual.
Experts believe that allergies tend to be inherited from parents. As your body is exposed to allergens, its defense is weakened which in turn triggers an allergic reaction. These allergens may interfere with your body through nose, mouth and lungs.
What exactly are the elements that are considered allergens? This includes:
Airborne grass, tree, weed pollens
Dust mites
Mold spores
Pet dander
Remember that even if you are born with allergic tendencies, you are not automatically inclined to have an allergic reaction. As for pet dander, it can take several years for you to be sensitive to a specific allergen. In addition to inheriting genes prone to allergies from your parents, your allergic reaction will also start if you are usually near pesky allergens, and when the body comes into contact with allergens, your immune system tells you to stay away from them . Finally, what are the symptoms of an allergic reaction? Sneezing, having a stuffy nose, cough, itchy throat, watery eyes, and dark circles under the eyes from the sinus pressure are just some of the symptoms that you should keep in mind.
Some of the most prone to allergies cities in the United States:
1. City: Lexington, Kentucky
The worst season: Spring
Major allergens: pollen
2. City: Little Rock, Arkansas
The worst season: Autumn
Major allergens: weeds, pollen, mold spores
3. City: Greensboro, North Carolina
The worst season: Autumn
Major allergens: grass, tree and weed pollen
4. City: Greenville, South Carolina
The worst season: Autumn
Major allergens: grass, tree and weed pollen
5. City: Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina
The worst season: Spring
Major allergens: weed pollens or weed
6. City: Jackson, Mississippi
The worst season: Autumn
Major allergens: grass, weeds
7. City: Grand Rapids, Michigan
The worst season: Autumn
Major allergens: weed pollens or weed
8. City: Knoxville, Tennessee
The worst season: Spring
Major allergens: mold spores, weed and grass pollen
9. City: Wichita, Kansas
The worst season: Autumn
Major allergens: mold spores, weed or weed pollen
10. City: Madison, Wisconsin
The worst season: Autumn
Major allergens: weeds or weed pollens
The fall allergy season generally begins in mid-August and lasts until the first weeks of November. Knowing the triggers and how to minimize your exposure to them will help you enjoy life, despite your allergies.
Pet dander- This trigger is hitting us where it hurts, especially if you are an animal lover and share your home with a tender, warm-blooded love. Dandruff is inevitable with any warm-blooded pet, either a cat, dog, bird, ferret or other adorable one. Most of us do not give importance to this because of the love and affection our pets give in return. But if you are allergic, the air is thick for you. Consult your veterinarian about bathing your pet to reduce dander. Consider keeping your room out of reach of all creatures, except those with two legs. Change your filters for heating and air conditioning regularly. Use a portable air cleaner in your room to allow your body to rest in a space that is virtually free of allergens.
Pollen- Many think that pollen is only a spring trigger. But those who suffer from hay fever know better. Tree (spring), grass (summer), and weed (fall) pollens are in the air for much of the year, and it is almost impossible to limit them only to the outdoors. Keeping windows closed at home and in the car, choosing to be out late in the day instead of early morning, and the use of HEPA filters to remove pollen that enters through doors, on clothing, shoes, and pets will let you complete all pollen seasons with the least number of outbreaks.
Ragweed pollen- As its name suggests it is a weed. Ironically, the weed that causes most problems for allergy sufferers is so bland in appearance. It is persistent and can grow in cracks in parking lots. Researchers estimate that it sends more than a million grains of pollen during the season that can be carried for miles by the wind, as it weighs so little.
Keeping weeds trimmed in your garden will help, as well as programming time outdoors to mornings and evenings. Limit air exchange, keeping doors and windows closed and use air conditioning to maintain comfortable temperatures. If you work in your yard, use a mask to minimize the amount of pollen you inhale, and then wash hair and clothes immediately after returning indoors to minimize incoming pollen.
Household Chemicals- Most household products have a type of scent, and if you are totally sensitive to them, it can be bad news for your allergies. These fragrances appear everywhere- in cosmetics, deodorants, shower gels, soaps and shampoos, candles, household cleaners and dishwashing detergent.
Among the best ways to get rid of odors is to get rid of the products you currently have that smell, and look for products with a more natural and organic base. Choose the fragrance-free version of products. Find a local organic food store and take advantage of the wide variety of non-allergenic products. There are many products on the market, that are equally effective but do not contain chemicals. So you can relax at home, where the only smell is fresh air.
Mold- Looking at the big picture, mold is necessary because it eases the decomposition and nature returns to its original state. But if you are allergic to it, knowing this is probably of very little relief. Moisture means mold, therefore the drier you can make the area around your home, the more likely you are to reduce the immediate count of mold outdoors.
Take away fallen leaves from your lawn before they have the opportunity to get wet and keep them away from rain. Leaving them deposited on the sidewalk for being picked up by the municipality may even be free, but it is expensive for allergy sufferers because of the spores in the air this will surely generate. The removal of dead branches and keeping the property free of debris will minimize mold growth.
Smoke- Fortunately many public places are smoke-free environments where the fresh air is available to everyone. However, this is probably not good news for those of you who are smokers and are getting a difficult time quitting, or for those of you who are living with a smoker, whether at home, or inadvertently with someone in the apartment next to yours. The next best thing to quitting smoking is to limit smoking to outdoors, and to remove any residue of smoke indoors with a high efficiency particulate air purifier that is designed to remove smoke.
Dust Mites- These tiny creatures are incredibly prolific and make home in your bed, and are recognized as triggers of allergy and asthma. Unfortunately, nothing will completely remove them from your home, but there are some things that will greatly reduce their numbers, allowing you to be more comfortable. Wash bedding weekly in hot water that is 140 degrees Fahrenheit or more. Put your pillows and mattresses in covers that will not allow dust mites from entering. Allow to air your bed every day, because sunlight kills them.
Dust- If weather does not require the use of heating / air conditioning during the summer, starting the heating in the fall will send all kinds of particles that have had months to accumulate. These allergy triggers may include dust, animal dander and dust mites, all being known as triggers.
Change filters in the central system before initiating the heat. Empty the ducts that are on the floor to remove particles that have fallen inside throughout the spring and summer. Use an air cleaner to remove particles that are in the air.
As you probably know, the management of allergies is not just to do one thing, but on the use of many tools where each do their part to help minimize the triggers that make you sensitive. And using a high-efficiency particulate air purifier (or HEPA) to minimize airborne particles that continue to enter your home is a tool that every management plan should have.
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