Circulation is a problem for many people: but there are some simple, and natural, ways to deal with poor circulation for many people.

Circulation is so important for health because the blood takes nutrients to every cell in the body, and removes the waste products which are produced. So by optimizing the circulation we really do maximize our health and our energy levels.

Herbs are just one way to boost our circulation and can be used in addition to a healthy diet and good exercise levels.

The herbs I think are best are:

The Heart and Circulation Programme
http://www.shs100.com/acatalog/90-day_Heart_and_Circulation_Programme.html

Cayenne Pepper
http://www.shs100.com/acatalog/cayenne-capsules.html

Ginkgo Capsules or Drops
http://shs100.com/acatalog/Ginkgo_Capsules.html

Free Circulation Report

Here is a great Free 50 page circulation report – improve your circulation naturally:

http://stunninghealth.com/circulation-boost-squeeze

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• How does the circulatory system work? (greenanswers.com)

Tips for Good Circulation is a post from: Living To 150

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1. Glycation Causes More Rapid Aging

Glycation is the combination of sugar with protein to form a tarry mess of non-functional tissue. This happens as we age, and certain things can cause it to happen more.

Glycation is responsible for the wrinkling of our skin, which looks bad: but worse than that, it means the glycation is also happening within. Inner “wrinkling” causes organs which need to be flexible, to malfunction. The organs which most need to be flexible get the most problems – the heart, brain, kidneys and eyes.

The two main factors causing glycation are;

1. High blood sugar levels

2. Eating fried, roast and barbecued foods – even grilling uses a high temperature so, although better than frying, it is still not too good.

Glycation caused by high sugar levels explain why diabetics get problems with those “flexible” organs mentioned above. The high sugar levels in a diabetic’s blood causes these organs to harden up earlier than they would in natural old age.

Foods cooked at a high temperature – and especially if browned – create massive inputs of glycated tissue into the body, and cause more once inside. So, poaching, simmering and casseroling are all preferable.

Read more here:

http://livingto150.com/aging-and-longevity-glycation/

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• Bitter truths about sugar (thehindu.com)

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3. Obesity Causes Serious Diseases

Obesity is responsible for generalized inflammation in the population, a recent study confirms.

Generalized inflammation, also called asymptomatic inflammation (because you can measure it in the blood, but it doesn’t necessarily cause pain or discomfort) is closely correlated in many studies with serious disease. For example, it correlates closely with both cancer and heart disease. In fact, inflammation correlates more closely with heart disease than do LDL cholesterol levels.

As we age, generalized inflammation tends to increase, as measured by the presence of inflammatory markers such as c-reactive protein (CRP) and many other blood factors. This is one factor that makes us more likely to develop degenerative diseases as we age.

But this study showed that a larger waist circumference caused a greater rise in inflammation than a smaller waist size.

Just another reason to get that weight down.

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Obesity Causes Serious Diseases is a post from: Living To 150

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1. Atherosclerosis is an Immune Disease

This report advances the view that atherosclerosis has a significant auto-immune component (the body is “attacking itself”) in the same way as AIDS, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Cancer, Crohn’s Disease, Diabetes type 1 – youth type, etc do.

This is very different from the current view – discredited in my view, that:

* Atherosclerosis is mainly due simply to raised LDL cholesterol

* Statins are needed to lower it

* It needs to be at a level of 5.2

This is just too simplistic. As well as making tons of money for drug companies (by co-incidence!)

The report says that the immune system is stimulated to attack **oxidised** LDL (how does it get oxidised? Not sure – watch this space).

I have heard this theory of the problem of oxidized LDL being the problematic cholesterol before. Of course, doctors don’t know about this refinement of the theory, generally, let alone how to measure or treat it.

This fits in with other strong views (e.g. Dr Malcolm Kendrick, Uffe Ravnskov), that (asymptomatic) inflammation and stress are the two factors most closely associated with atherosclerosis – rather than simply looking at the raw level of total LDL.

Inflammation and stress will certainly be closely associated with auto-immune disease in general, I am sure. So it’s all tying in with that theory and against the use of statins, which is near to a crime in my view in the majority of cases. (Though no doubt a sensible choice in a tiny minority of cases.)

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• Immune therapies: The next frontier in battle against atherosclerosis (medicalxpress.com)

Atherosclerosis is an Immune Disease is a post from: Living To 150

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1. Stem Cells Used To Treat Eye Disease

Fruit flies lend themselves to valuable medical research, not least because a surprisingly high proportion of their genes exist also in the human genome. In other words genetically, we are very like fruit flies.

As they age, fruit flies show loss of memory in a similar way to aging humans. This can be easily tested. In this study the scientists identified the neurons (nerve cells) causing the loss of memory through a process called: “functional cellular imaging”. The surprise result of the study was that simple stimulation of these neurons reversed the aging.

Ron Davis, the chair of the Department of Neuroscience at Scripps, Florida, said: “We are able to peer down into the fly brain and see changes… that appear to reflect how intermediate-term memory is encoded in these neurons.”

The memories stored in the neurons were successfully restored by simple microscopic-level stimulation by either heat or cold; both worked.

This research has massive implications for the treatment of memory loss in humans which is associated with aging. Bearing in mind the backdrop of nanotechnology (which is developing at pace), genetics (the cost of which is plummeting) and computerization (the power of which is continuing to double every 18 months) research such as this can be leveraged to produce good results for humans – probably within the decade.

Science Daily article:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120402185349.htm

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• Scientists Shed Light On Age-Related Memory Loss And Possible Treatments (medicalnewstoday.com)

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Nanotechnology is the controlled use of tiny, molecule-sized particles. In medicine these have massive potential.

In this study these tiny particles were used to cause a rat to regrow blood vessels to supply a damaged leg in just 7 days.

Now, it’s not very nice to think of a rat being purposefully harmed to enable such a demonstration; but, nevertheless, if I or a relative had severe blood deficiency to an area I’d be pleased this research had been done.

I am thinking here of the poor leg circulation which afflicts diabetics: or even the effects on the brain of a stroke, through reducing circulation, or the consequence of a non-fatal heart attack.

An interesting quote from James Lewis, a PhD with experience in the nanotechnology area is illuminating. He says:

“Mammalian cells are very complex mechanisms, and several decades of experience with biotechnology have demonstrated that newly discovered molecules expected to do great things often underperform expectations because changing a cell requires several molecules working together. Nanoparticles have the potential to be complex enough to accomplish what single molecules cannot.”

There is no doubt that nanotechnology will perform a more and more important role in healthcare in coming decades. Cures which are unthinkable now will be commonplace – thanks to our cutting-edge skills in harnessing these tiny particles.

Article at the website of the Foresight Institute, nanotechnology experts:

http://www.foresight.org/nanodot/?p=5060

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Nanotechnology Regrows Blood Vessels in Just Seven Days is a post from: Living To 150

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Stem cells have been used to treat a Yorkshire man, in the first operation of its kind outside the United States.

The man, 34, suffers from an inherited ailment called Stargardt’s disease which causes degeneration of the eye. During the operation 50,000 retinal eye cells were injected into one eye. The Lancet medical journal has published a paper about two US patients who underwent similar surgery with encouraging results. These patients who had the disease at an advanced stage, saw modest though significant improvements in vision. The long term aim would be to treat patients much earlier and so prevent the degeneration or slow it markedly.

The operation was carried out at Moorfields Hospital in London, a leading eye surgery hospital.

This treatment is not being proposed as a “cure for all blindness”, but is yet another step forward in the use of stem cells to produce significant, and potentially massive, health benefits.

Story from the BBC web site:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-16693343

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• Stem Cells: New Hope for Macular Degeneration (webmd.com)

Stem Cells Used To Treat Eye Disease is a post from: Living To 150

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A Californian company has developed a “wearable robot” which can replace a wheelchair for those paralysed below the waist, but whose arms are OK. The machine is based on ten years of bionics research for the military. The same technology allows soldiers to carry heavy loads over long distances by attaching intelligent, motorised leg-braces.

The robot suit includes four motors, one at each hip and knee, and “smart crutches” which allow the wearer to control leg movements with arm gestures. A computer uses an algorithm to calculate where to put the next step. The current model has a battery which will power the device for up to four hours.

Over the past year 100 people with spinal injuries have taken part in helping develop and refine the machine for Ekso Bionics, Berkeley, California. Ekso also have an office in Canary Wharf, London and nearly have the approval to distribute to the EU market.

The first model has been delivered to a hospital in Denver, Colorado.

Lighter, and even more accurate machines are planned to make getting around for some less able people much more attainable.

Ekso web site:

http://www.eksobionics.com/ekso

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Walking To Replace Wheelchairs is a post from: Living To 150

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When the first heart transplant was carried out it was a startling event. But fantastic as it was, the poor patient had to exist on immunosuppressant drugs for the rest of his life. Okay, he was still alive; but his immune system was severely compromised, making it difficult for him to cope with any infections.

In the meantime, more and more body parts have been produced using a patient’s own tissue, thus negating the need for immunosuppressant drugs.

Several wind pipes are now being grown from scratch and transplanted into patients using their own stem cells. These have produced dramatic improvements in health without any need for drugs to suppress the immune system. Similarly, the bladder and urethra have been grown using stem cells and transplanted into patient successfully.

Aubrey De Grey, anti-ageing specialist, recently commented: “We are seeing the emergence of a new area of medicine where the diseases of ageing can be blocked or even reversed. These therapies are mostly in research now but eventually they will be commonplace.”

Even a decade ago, these procedures were regarded as on the very margins of research. They are now rapidly becoming mainstream. Regenerating more complex organs is going to take longer – but they will be developed, it’s just a matter of time.

Hearts, kidneys and livers will be able to be grown, sooner than we think. And knees and hips will be regrown by using stem cell therapy. Even clinical trials for regeneration of spinal cells are under way.

These are exciting times for regenerative medicine, and its benefits will be with us at an ever-increasing rate.

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Transplants Extend Human Lives is a post from: Living To 150

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In world first, a baby boy in London was saved from death due to a virus affecting his liver, by having donor liver cells injected into his abdomen. These injected cells were able to perform many of the functions his stressed liver could not, enabling him to live long enough for his body to fight off the infection.

The liver cells were treated with an extract from algae to delay the body’s immune system in attacking the cells. After two weeks his own liver had started its recovery, and begun to resume its usual activity. Six months later his liver function was normal. Previously, the poor lad was on dialysis treatment and had to breathe with the help of a machine.

This is an incredible achievement and no doubt more trials are planned to try to extend this treatment method to other similar situations.

The alternative treatment – a transplant – would have been a very much less attractive option. This choice was less invasive, enabled near enough complete recovery, and did not rely on the hope that a liver donor was available.

Potentially, a huge step forward.

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The Black Death, which swept through London in the 14^th century, killed around 40% of the population. That was some epidemic.

In an effort to understand microbial development and behaviour, with a view to helping us to deal with future infections, the science of paleomicrobiology has developed: the piecing together of genetic evidence from centuries ago.

It is interesting to paleomicrobiologists just why the Black Death was so very virulent. The ability to sequence of the genome – to know the precise composition of a human individual’s DNA from end to end – has made the task of finding out this information much more possible. The ability for paleomicrobiologists and historians to work together will deepen our understanding of the migrating activity of microbes and the progress of pandemics. This can only help us to spot them early and to be able to deal with them.

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Stem Cell (Wikipedia Image)

Embryonic stem cells are to be used to treat blindness in the first trial of its kind outside the United States. The trial, taking place at Moorfields Hospital in London, will treat sufferers from a disease causing blindness at a relatively young age – Stargardt’s disease. The findings from the trial will have wider application, however, including age-related macular degeneration.

The American company Advanced Cell Technology will be running the trial at Moorfields. ACT is also running a trial in its home city of Massachusetts, and says that this placement of the trial in the UK confirms the U.K.’s place as the leading country in Europe for stem cell development.

Moorfields Hospital are also developing their own stem cell treatment for macular degeneration using different methodology. All these studies being run will produce information which will help the others.

This new study will proceed slowly, treating perhaps a dozen patients over 1 to 2 years.

This trial of the stem cell treatment for blindness holds huge help for those who sight is threatened now, or will be in the future.

Related articles

• Stem Cells in Ophthalmology Update 10: ACT Expands Trials for Embryonic Stem Cells for Stargardt’s to the UK (irvaronsjournal.blogspot.com)
• Trial begins into stem cell treatment for sight loss (telegraph.co.uk)
• Embryonic Stem Cell Treatment in Europe Begins to Improve, Halt or Reverse Blindness From Macular Dystrophy (ducknetweb.blogspot.com)

Stem Cell Trial To Help Blind is a post from: Living To 150

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New Arthritis Drug Offers Hope (Wikipedia Image)

New potential benefits for arthritis from an existing osteoporosis drug have been identified following a study carried out on mice. The drug was shown to thicken cartilage by over 30% – a good first result.

This new use for it was identified by US researchers, working with mice. There is no evidence as yet that the same thing will happen in humans.

Cartilage erosion is one of the big problems with osteoarthritis so being able to build it would be valuable, if it was true. This is what supplements such as shark cartilage and glucosamine sulphate aim to do.

Drug treatment is bound to entail the risk of side-effects, as usual. But if a mechanism has been identified which promotes the regrowth cartilage this might inform the production of other treatments in the future. And if you found no help from more natural supplements, it would be one more avenue to consider if the initial results are confirmed to work in humans.

The drug is called Forsteo in the UK (generic name teriparatide), and works by influencing the hormone system which creates cartilage.

Drug companies are often looking to extend the existing uses of drug into other areas. Discovering a new use for an existing drug is always cheaper than starting from scratch.

The drug costs around £10 ($16) a day, but compared to the cost of joint replacement that is cheap.

This is the first drug treatment which has shown potential benefits for the cartilage in the joint. Currently, the standard – pre-joint-replacement treatment for severe arthritis is the use of steroid drugs which are intended just to mask the pain.

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Trial Of Heart Attack Stem Cell Treatment (Wikipedia)

Stem cells are being tested to improve the success rate of certain heart attack treatments.

If a blocked artery causes a heart attack, a common treatment is to insert a stent – a hollow tube – into the artery to re-enable the blood flow. The problem is that the insertion of the stent can cause tissue damage. By introducing large numbers of stem cells to the area at the same time it is expected that the healing process will be faster and better.

The difference with this trial is that when the stem cells are needed there is no time to grow the patient’s own stem cells – to avoid rejection by the immune system. Australian company Mesoblast has overcome that problem by growing a specific kind of stem cell found in bone marrow which does not trigger an immune response. In other words, they can be introduced into anyone’s body without fear of rejection.

These stem cells are also not embryonic stem cells which have caused controversy in the past. They are capable of being grown en masse and kept in storage for when they are needed.

The study will involve 225 patients who have suffered severe heart attacks in the UK, Netherlands and Belgium. Initial results are expected after 12 months. There appears to be a very good chance that this use of the specialised stem cells will significantly improve the recovery from the operation as well as the survival rate.

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• Europe Gives Mesoblast Approval for Clinical Trials of “Off the Shelf” Stem Cell Treatments for Major Heart Attack Victims (ducknetweb.blogspot.com)
• Stem cell trial for heart failure approved (telegraph.co.uk)
• Mesoblast Receives Clearance To Begin First European Trial Of Allogeneic Or ‘Off-The-Shelf’ Stem Cell Treatment For Heart Attacks (medicalnewstoday.com)

Trial Of Heart Attack Stem Cell Treatment is a post from: Living To 150

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The NHS And The Human Genome (Image via Wikipedia)

Ten years after the human genome was sequenced, the UK National Health Service (NHS) is ill-prepared to deal with the benefits. A report by Sir John Bell states that “There has already been a lot of innovation almost none of which has been adopted by the NHS.”

I suppose this should not be too surprising: this morning an article on BBC’s Radio 4 highlighted the failure to standardise NHS records into an electronic form accessible by any health authority.

Of course, both these measures – digitizing records and accessing more and more patients’ genetic data – has huge implications for personal privacy.

From the illegal perspective – hackers can get in anywhere: and they will get access to our personal records.

And insurance companies will desperately want access to the data legally if they possibly can.

On the positive front, Prime Minister David Cameron has taken a personal interest in getting genetics to the centre of NHS treatment. Let’s hope he makes an impact on the NHS which, while wonderful in some respects, is cumbersome and disorganised in others.

Is The NHS Ready For Genetic Medicine? is a post from: Living To 150

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Image via Wikipedia

There is no doubt that anti-aging research is slowed down hugely by unnecessary bureaucracy.

Researchers in the field spend far too much of their time dealing with regulatory matters and too little of their time actually doing the anti-aging research they love. Much more of their time is spent in raising money to fund an area of research in which government has little interest.

In future years, the current regulatory environment will be seen as sheer madness. This research will, in 20-40 years, produce massive relief from suffering and avoidance of many of the diseases of old age. The burden on society that such ailments cause will also be massively reduced.

As usual, government is being short-sighted. No surprise there. What would we give for an enlightened leader?

Of course some regulation is necessary: but not the amount which so massively reduces the rate at which problems are solved such as recovery from stroke, the conquering of cancer, and of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

Here is a post by someone who deals with this type of excessive regulation every day.

Regulation Slows Down Anti-Aging Research is a post from: Living To 150

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Image via Wikipedia

The use of stem cells for stroke and other serious diseases has massive potential. In the UK, the company ReNeuron has proceeded to human clinical trials for treating ischaemic stroke – the most common type – with stem cells.

In this treatment, a stroke patient receives local anaesthetic and stem cells are injected through a tiny tube into the area of the brain affected by the stroke. In other words, the area with dead and damaged cells.

In the trial a total of twelve patients will be treated. In December 2010 the first patient to receive treatment passed 28 days without a problem, and ReNeuron were given the go-ahead to treat the other 2 patients in the first cohort. In due course the remaining 9 will receive treatment in the same way – assuming results on the other 3 continuing to be problem-free.

A successful result to this trial for stroke patients will give a huge boost to the company and to UK stem cell research in general.

Use of stem cells has massive potential. The public are wary about the implications for this type of research right now. But this concern is misplaced. In 10-20 years we will all be wondering why is took so long to get this type of therapy in mainstream use, when we see the huge amount of pain and suffering it can avoid.

ReNeuron are based in Guildford, Surrey.

Related articles

• ReNeuron launches first stem cell trial for stroke (fiercebiotech.com)
• ReNeuron stem cell trial clears first hurdle (fiercebiotech.com)
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Stem Cell Treatment For Stroke is a post from: Living To 150

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Genius Ray Kurzweil has long predicted the time when a computer will be able to think at the same rate as a human.

He predicts that this time – which he calls the Singularity – will occur around 2045. It will have tremendous repercussions for humanity. Kurzweil explores the Singularity on this video.

Do let me know what you think – leave a comment.

Ray Kurweil – The Singularity: When Computer=Brain is a post from: Living To 150

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(Here is a brief summary for new readers:  I started my anti-aging, or longevity, quest in March 2008 when I visited Fort Lauderdale for 63 blood tests. Then I had to interpret them as best as I could.)

In July 2009 I decided to get more professional input, and visited Dr Terry Grossman in Denver for a repeat of the tests, a few more besides, and more personal advice.

In October 2009 (OK – I dragged my feet a bit) I had a review, via Skype, of the results of the tests Terry had carried out for me.

Wow – Skype video! Fantastic. It was near to the effect of being in Terry Grossman’s offices.

Key Health Points

Key points were:

• My total cholesterol is high
• My genetic profile shows no particular inherited concerns
• My biological age is 19 years younger than my physical age – a near record for the clinic
• I need to enhance my exercise regime to keep up the good results I have had.

I am now starting my ‘new regime’. My main aim is to reduce my cholesterol – through diet  and supplements.

My Health – The Next Step is a post from: Living To 150

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A documentary is out of Ray Kurzweil, genius inventor and futurist. Kurzweil invented the scanner, the first electronic piano and dictation software, among many other things. Many of his predictions of the future have been proven correct.

He now predicts that machine intelligence will equal human intelligence around 2045. This has been called the singularity. To keep understanding the advances in technology, he further predicts that humans will choose to enhance their own minds using machine intelligence.

He is a fascinating speaker, though some will find his ideas challenging. Here is the trailer for the film.

Ray Kurweil: Transcendent Man – A Documentary is a post from: Living To 150

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