Living To 150

We all know that aerobic exercise help us to keep healthy, and help avoid cancer and heart disease.

Moderate weight training - such as on machines at the gym - has been shown to help maintain muscle bulk as we age - an important factor, as many falls by old people are due to weakened muscles.

The latest research shows an additional benefit of weight training: it reduces cancer.

In this study, scientists led from Sweden’s Karolinska Institute, tracked 8,677 men aged between 20 and 82 for more than two decades, and studied their weight training habits.

The results were that men who regularly worked out with weights and had the greatest  muscle strength were 30 to 40 per cent less likely to die from a cancerous tumour.

Exercise Regime

It seems clear that exercise needs to be of two kinds:

1. Aerobic exercise - such as fast walking, swimming, running - any exercise where there is no rest. This should be for 20 minutes or more twice a week.

2. Weight training of the major muscle groups, also twice a week, and perhaps for 45 minutes a time. However, previously, it was thought that this just prevented muscle degeneration with aging.  This study seems to show a protective benefit against cancer too.

Although the study was of men, women should benefit too. Weight training does not have to result in big muscles - your trainer will advise if you don’t want to ‘get chunky’!

Report

Heart research has taken a step forward because of a new technique. This technique is not only kinder to animals, but is much cheaper in use and so it means more research can be done.

Pigs are often used in heart research because their heart valves resemble those of humans. The new technique accurately simulates blood flow in the heart by connecting it to equipment on a laboratory bench.

Thus the heart is attached to equipment outside the pig. The results of any experiments carried out can be obtained much, much more quickly and easily.

The new technique will mean that a piece of research might only cost cost $25 instead of around $2500 if it was carried out on a live pig - a massive saving.

Obviously, this means that many more pieces of research will be possible and medical advanced will be multiplied.

Finally, the trauma for the poor animals will be much less.

Article

Technorati Profile

The number of UK serious skin cancer cases has exceeded 10,000 cases in a full year. The cases of the deadly for of skin cancer – malignant melanoma - have tripled for women in the past 3 years.

For men it is even worse; cases have quintupled.

To keep yourself out of these statistics, it is vital to avoid sunburn or reddening of the skin. This is when the DNA damage which starts the cancer occurs.

Sunbed Damage

For women in particular the use of sunbeds has greatly increased since 1980.

Sunbeds are now triple the strength than in the past. UK pressure groups are asking for them to be banned for under 18-year-olds, and for unstaffed, coin-operated booths to be made illegal.

Marriage to Blame? 

The increase for men is blamed on the availability of cheaper foreign holidays in sunny places. One could guess that stag parties may well figure in the increase too. It has become de rigeur to travel abroad for a stag - or hen - ‘do’ these days.

Moderate Sun Only

Malignant melanoma is nearly all avoided if you avoid reddening of the skin. Be moderate in your exposure to the sun; and it is probably best to stay off the sunbeds. They are just too risky. Twenty minutes on one of these is equivalent to a whole day on the beach.

Daily Mail article

  Scientists at Oxford University have developed a virus to deliver knockout therapy to cancer cells in the liver, while sparing the liver itself any damaging effects.

The problem with chemotherapy is that it targets cancer cells, but damages healthy cells in the process. This new therapy would damage the cancer without the additional – unwanted - damage.

This was achieved by changing the virus so that it kept its ability to reproduce within cancer cells in mice. But this was done in such a way that the mouse’s system realised that the virus cells were foreign, and so later killed them before they caused other damage.

The therapy has the possibility of being ‘tweaked’ to attack other harmful cells – such as hepatitis cells – while keeping all – or nearly all - the none-harmful cells safe.

Cancer Research UK article

In just 17 years, life expectancy in the UK has risen by 4 years, meaning that a baby born today can expect to live to nearly 80 years old, on average.

This is due largely to better healthcare, meaning that some sick people are kept alive for longer.

With the rise in obesity and the accompanying dangers of insulin resistance, it is quite possible: some say likely – that this trend will reverse before too long.

Keep Healthy - Keep Trim

To counteract this trend it is important to maintain a good weight for your height as well as reducing the amount of starchy food in your diet.

These reported increases in life expectancy are mirrored throughout Europe. The highest life expectancy is in San Marino which is four years higher than in the UK.

It is sobering to reflect that, on the other hand, the lowest life expectancy is in Sierra Leone where it is a mere 39 years.

More details

My main aim is to live to 150 - at least to start off with.

(It’s said that the first person who will still be healthy at 200 is already living.)

So with that aim in mind I need to prepare myself for my trip to Denver, Colorado to see Terry Grossman, in July 2009.

What do I want to achieve?

Three main things.

1. Firstly, to have new blood tests taken, so that I can compare these with the ones I had done last year at Life Extension Foundation, and get the clinic’s views on them.
2. Secondly, to have a more detailed health assessment done, and so further review my health status.
3. Thirdly, to get the clinic’s views on my lifestyle, and how that is affecting my health, looked at against the backdrop of the blood tests.

New Blood Tests

It will be interesting to see how my blood test have changed compared to last year.

My main concerns with the blood tests were:

• High cholesterol. My total cholesterol was 235 mg/dl. This is about 6 in the UK measurement, and so about 30% too high. LDL and HDL were similarly high. However, my total cholesterol/HDL ratio was pretty good. Triglycerides were also good, at 72 mg/dl. (What is cholesterol?)
• Blood sugar. Fasting blood sugar was 102 mg/dl, or 5.6mmol/l in UK terms. Optimal is between 70 and 85.  So 102 is high. However, haemoglobin A-1 C was 5.6%, which is good. This is a measure of blood sugar over the past three-months. Also, fasting insulin was good at less than 2 mIU/dl.
• Hormones. My free testosterone was measured at 9.1 pg per millilitre. This is within the recommended range, but low within the range. Thyroid hormones again, were low within the normal range.

I will be looking to see whether the new blood tests reflect similar values to the old ones - from a year ago.

It will be interesting to hear the clinic’s personal recommendations. Last year I had only support via the telephone, which was not ideal. This one-to-one advice will be more helpful.

A small pilot study appears to show that lycopene – an antioxidant found in tomatoes – was protective against sunburn.

The subjects who received the lycopene supplement experienced a sunburn cell count six times lower than that of the placebo group. This is a significant benefit as sunburn causes DNA damage in cells.  Cancer often involves DNA damage.

The study was carried out by a company producing a lycopene supplement. However, confidence in the results was strengthened by the comments of David McDaniel, M.D., director of the Institute of Anti-Aging Research in Virginia Beach, USA, who said these  results “…are  impressive.” 

McDaniel added:

"Our research program has seen significant protection from UV damage from other topically applied super-potent antioxidants. We’ve also seen anecdotal evidence that oral lycopene supplementation in the 5mg to 10mg daily dose range may reduce the risk of sunburn in very sensitive, fair-skinned individuals. The apparent protection of Langerhans cells is also potentially significant," he notes, adding: "Oral supplements such as this mixture of lycopene and related carotenoids need further studies like this one to expand our understanding of how oral antioxidants impact our skin - both for health and beauty."

Further information on this study

The Richest Source of Lycopene

The fruit with the highest content of lycopene is called a gac. It is found in south east Asia, when it can be harvested during December and January. However, it is little know elsewhere. If you do live in Vietnam or nearby it is well worth seeking out gac, as it contains 80 - yes, 80! - times the lycopene found in tomatoes. Other foods have lesser amounts of lycopene, the only significant one being watermelon, which has about 1/4-1/3 of that found in tomato sauce.

In the last post, I said that generalised inflammation is heavily implicated in causing or worsening the main degenerative diseases - cancer, heart disease, diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease.

After cutting down on Omega-6 in the diet, omega-3 supplementation is the top way for most people to reduce their level of generalised inflammation.

The reason for this is that nearly everyone has too many Omega-6 fatty acids in their diet, and too few Omega-3 fatty acids.

If you are taking a 3-6-9 fatty acid supplement: stop now! Why take extra Omega-6 fats when you are already taking too many in your diet? This is a marketing ruse.

[Read more →]

Over the years there have been many changes of recommendation as to what types of fats are healthy for us. There is particular confusion over whether we need Omega-3 or Omega-6 fatty acids.

The truth is: we need Omega-3s.

We should generally shoot for a 1:1 balance of Omega-3 to Omega-6 in the diet. The problem is, our diets generally contain much too much Omega-6. Thus we need to reduce Omega-6 fats and increase Omega-3 fats.

Inflammation Kills

The main reason to increase Omega-3 fats is: Omega-3 reduces inflammation. Omega-6 fats increase inflammation - it is ‘pro-inflammatory’.

What is wrong with inflammation? ‘Good inflammation’ is designed to help the body to repair damage or counteract infection. It causes redness, pain and heat.

The ‘bad’ sort is generalised inflammation. This type does not cause pain or discomfort. It is insidious: it can be detected by a blood test, but is not felt. This generalised inflammation has been linked to all major degenerative diseases: cancer, heart disease, diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease.

A good test for generalised inflammation is to test the blood for c-reactive protein (CRP). Some UK doctors will test for CRP. They might tell you that 2-4 times normal CRP is acceptable: but check for yourself what you levels should - don’t trust the doctor’s view. Just twice the normal CRP level can double your chance of a heart attack.

Book on C-Reactive Protein

The top ways to reduce generalised inflammation are by:

1. Reducing intake of food high in Omega-6 - such as milk, cheese, and common vegetable oils, including sunflower (stick to cold-pressed olive oil), and
2. Supplementing with Omega-3 fatty acid; which means - fish oils.  Cod liver oil is fine; and eating oily fish - such as sardines, mackerel and salmon.

CRP is one proven measure of your propensity to develop all major degenerative diseases. You cannot be properly pro-active in safeguarding your own health if you do not know it.

Inflammation article

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Don’t you love ‘em - and hate ‘em? Computers, that is.

I have nearly completed the reinstallation of all my - many -programmes on a new computer. It took most of a week, hence no blogging last week. It’s a bit frustrating doing all that - but nothing like as frustrating as working on the old one. After daily use for 3 years, it kept grinding to a halt, necessitating a reboot.

The startling news is that, for the first time ever, the new computer has lived up to its promise. It is the first one I have ever had where I can REALLY notice the difference in speed compared to the last one.

My techie friend, John, who built it says:

“It’s got 4 solid state discs drives working simultaneously,connected together with RAID Zero”. That means it works 4 x faster than having one disk.

I say: “Wow - that’ fast.” (If you want one, mail me and I will forward it. It’ll cost around £1000 - that’s probably £400 off the shop price.)

What a great job I have; I get to play (ha ha) on the computer all day, and, the icing on the cake this week, I got my first iPhone too, which has impressed me. Boys and toys.

So at the moment, it’s all love with the new computer.

Please let it last.