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Yoga

Practice Yoga Daily To Earn Maximum Gains

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Yoga is a low impact form of exercise and when it’s far from being easy, there are plenty of exercises that would suit elderly people. Keeping fit is very important for younger people and in their busy schedule, only yoga can keep them healthier and stress free. Many diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, rheumatism, and arthritis can be aggravated due to lack of exercises. Through yoga, obese problem can also be sorted.
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Yoga focuses a lot on breathing that keeps you relax and calm. Yoga looks at self development with discipline, confidence and an earnest effort. It is good for your body because the sorts of movements it includes are for the benefit and limberness of each and every part of the body. An integral part of yoga includes meditation and if your mind doesn’t tune rightly, you can’t perform yoga properly.

Yoga has a lot health benefits. It develops the immune system and gives for better blood circulation in the body. It gives complete control over your mind, anxiety, stress and depression. By practicing yoga everyday, you can control your weight and also lose. Yoga assists in detoxifying the body and also assists to cure lots of illnesses such as heart diseases, chronic fatigue, arthritis, back and joint pain. Yoga reduces stress and tension, assist in concentrating better and also better creative thinking. The mind becomes refreshed, relaxed and rejuvenated after a session of deep meditation.

Source: http://www.healthyeatingworld.com/vitamins-suplements/2170-practice-yoga-everyday-to-keep-yourself-healthy-and-fit

 

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Exercise Health & Fitness

Exercise ‘Can Fight Ageing’

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Long-term physical activity has an anti-ageing effect at the cellular level, a German study suggests.
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Exercise seems to stimulate a key enzyme
Researchers focused on telomeres, the protective caps on the chromosomes that keep a cell’s DNA stable but shorten with age.

They found telomeres shortened less quickly in key immune cells of athletes with a long history of endurance training.

The study, by Saarland University, appears in the journal Circulation.

In a separate study of young Swedish men, cardiovascular fitness has been linked to increased intelligence and higher educational achievement.

Telomeres are relatively short sections of specialised DNA that sit at the ends of all our chromosomes.

They have been compared to the plastic tips at the ends of shoelaces that prevent the laces from unravelling.

Each time a cell divides, its telomeres shorten and the cell becomes more susceptible to dying.

National athletes:-
The researchers measured the length of telomeres in blood samples from two groups of professional athletes and two groups of people who were healthy non-smokers, but who did not take regular exercise.

One group of professional athletes included members of the German national track and field athletics team, who had an average age of 20.

The second group was made up of middle-aged athletes who had regularly run long distances – an average of 80km a week – since their youth.

The researchers found evidence that the physical exercise of the professional athletes led to activation of an enzyme called telomerase, which helped to stabilise telomeres.

This reduced the telomere shortening in leukocytes, a type of white blood cell that plays a key role in fighting infection and disease.

The most pronounced effect was found in athletes who had been regularly endurance training for several decades.

Potency of training:

Lead researcher Dr Ulrich Laufs said: “This is direct evidence of an anti-ageing effect of physical exercise.

“Our data improves the molecular understanding of the protective effects of exercise and underlines the potency of physical training in reducing the impact of age-related disease.”

Professor Tim Spector, an expert on genetics and ageing at Kings College London, said other studies had suggested more moderate exercise had a beneficial effect on ageing.

He said: “It is still difficult to separate cause and effect from these studies – as longer telomeres may still be a marker of fitness.

“Nevertheless – this is further evidence that regular exercise may retard aging.”

Professor Kay-Tee Khaw, of the University of Cambridge, an expert on ageing, said: “The benefits of physical activity for health are well established from many large long-term population studies.

“Even moderate levels of physical activity are related to lower levels of many heart disease risk factors such as blood pressure and cholesterol and lower risk of many chronic diseases associated with ageing such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and some cancers.”

 

Intelligence link…….>In the second study, published in Proceeding of the National Academy of Sciences, a team from the University of Gothenburg analysed data on more than 1.2 million Swedish men born from 1950-1976 who enlisted for military service at age 18.

They found that good heart health was linked to higher intelligence, better educational achievement and raised status in society.

By studying twins in the study, the researchers concluded that environmental and lifestyle factors were key, rather than genetics.

They said the findings suggested that campaigns to promote physical exercise might help to raise standards of educational achievement across the population.

Lead researcher Professor Georg Kuhn said cardiovascular exercise increased blood flow to the brain, which in turn might help forge more and stronger connections between nerve cells.

However, he said it was also possible that intelligent people tended to make more exercise.

You may Click to see:->
Mutant genes ‘key to long life’
Nobel prize for chromosome find.
Hope for test to measure ageing.
Clean living ‘slows cell ageing’.
Healthy living ‘can add 14 years’.
Vitamin D ‘may help slow ageing’.

Source: BBC News :4th .Jan.2010

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Featured

A Painful Night Visitor

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It is not unusual to get a sudden spasm or cramp in a muscle, causing excruciating pain and a temporary inability to move. The condition, however, has an unusual colloquial name in the US and the UK — charley horse. This may be because the pain resembles the kick of a horse. The ailment is not confined to Western nations or horse riders. It affects 70 per cent of people over the age of 50 and 50 per cent of women during pregnancy.

These leg cramps usually last less than a minute — though it may seem much longer as the pain is severe — but the contraction may take several minutes to subside. It may leave a residual dull ache. It can occur once — as a never-to-be-forgotten single incidence — or several times a month, or disturb the person’s sleep night after night.

Although any muscle can go into such cramps, it commonly occurs in bigger muscles that cross two joints, like the hamstrings and quadriceps which cross the knee and hip or calf muscles which cross the ankle and the knee. It can occur in the fingers and toes as well.

The exact reason for cramps is not known. Older people, especially post menopausal obese women, and smokers are more prone to them. Improper footwear while exercising aggravates the problem. Medications — such as statins (for high cholesterol), some drugs for high blood pressure, diuretics and steroids — may cause cramps. People of all ages can develop cramps, especially if they change their mode of exercise and suddenly increase its intensity, type and duration.

Cramps are a result of electrolyte imbalance in the body. This causes defective functioning of the muscle-nerve reflex arc. It is rather like traffic lights going out of sync and causing a jam. The electrolytes involved are sodium, potassium, magnesium, iron, zinc and calcium. Cramps occur if the ratio among these minerals changes. Proper functioning of the reflex arcs also requires biochemical reactions in the body, mediated by enzymes. The latter are affected by diseases like diabetes and malfunctioning of the thyroid gland. Deficiencies in the B group of vitamins, alcohol consumption, excessive caffeine intake and smoking also affect the enzymes.

If you have several attacks of leg cramps a month, consult your doctor. You need to tackle treatable conditions and change medication that may be aggravating it. If the cramps are due to pregnancy, they usually disappear once the baby is born.

If all the tests are normal, you may try a few simple measures:

* Try eating three to four helpings of fresh fruit and raw vegetables every day. It will correct any potassium and vitamin B deficiency.

* Eat a handful of nuts. It will take care of your requirements of magnesium and zinc.

* If you are anaemic, take iron and folic acid supplements.

* Most people do not get enough calcium from their diet and this needs to be supplemented. Around 1,200 mg of calcium needs to be taken daily, preferably at bedtime.

* Keep yourself well hydrated. Drink at least three litres of water a day and at least 250 ml before going to bed.

* Finish all your exercise at least an hour before bedtime.

* Soak the legs in warm water for 10 minutes before bedtime, and place a pillow at the end of the bed so that you sleep with your feet propped up.

* Some stretches done morning and evening prevent cramps. Stand on the floor with your feet apart. Stretch your hands up over your head and rise up on to your toes. Holding this position, rock backwards and forwards on your feet for a minute.

* Always warm up and cool down before and after exercise.

* The stretches done as a part of yoga prevent cramps.

If you develop spasms despite all this, immediately try to push the foot upwards. Massage the affected leg and apply moist heat. Sometimes, stretching the unaffected leg helps.

Leg cramps occur specifically at night. That is what distinguishes them from pain that is due to nerve disorders or damage, slipped discs or blocked blood vessels which reduce blood circulation to the legs. These diseases cause pain all the time, day and night.

“Restless legs” are different from leg cramps. This is a peculiar condition where both the legs develop pins and needles and sometimes a creeping pain several times during the night. It wakes up the person, and relief can be obtained only by moving the leg or standing up. Sleep is disturbed and inadequate. This needs to be evaluated by a doctor and treated with medication.

Source: The Telegraph (Kolkata, India)

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News on Health & Science

Age No Bar

Regenerated heart valves, vein-repair patches, spare skin and replacement joints will soon allow for 50 active years after 50. T.V. Jayan reports

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That anti-wrinkle cream may look tempting — but scientists say there’s more to ageing than creased skin and greying hair. These are just the telltale signs of age. What gets eroded inside the body is the real problem.

If some scientists have their way, it won’t be a problem for long. They are trying to battle an ageing heart, hip and knees that give in to the wear and tear of passing years and blood veins that cannot keep up with the demands of round-the-clock blood circulation, leading to dead cells.

John Fisher, a professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Leeds, the UK, is determined to look into these problems and find solutions so that people can lead an active life beyond the age of 50. While people are living longer than ever before, the effort is to help them discard the baggage of old age.

The West is facing a crisis — of an increasing older population. There are nearly 35 pensioners for every 100 workers in European countries. The pensioners are expected to surge to 75 for every 100 workers by 2050. According to a recent study in Lancet, half the babies now born in wealthy nations are expected to live to the age of 100 years, further aggravating the problem.

The Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering (iMBE), which Fisher heads at the university, will spend £50 million (Rs 375 crore) over the next year to tackle 10 challenges that will allow people “50 active years after 50”.

The project, launched in partnership with academic institutions and private industry from a number of countries, intends to develop long-lasting, better performing biomedical implants and regeneration techniques.

On the list are regenerated heart valves, vein-repair patches, new ligaments and cartilage, spare skin and replacement joints that can be bought off the shelf.

While medical advances, a better diet and changes in our lifestyle mean we are living longer, our bones, joints and cardiovascular systems continue to degenerate as we age, says Fisher.

Current technologies are good, but they are not adequate to last 50 years. For instance, the best of artificial hip joints can’t last more than 15-20 years at a stretch, “particularly if you want to cycle, play tennis, or ski,” says Fisher. “There is a crying need to improve the quality and durability of prostheses available for use currently,” adds Sanjeev Jain, a consulting orthopaedic surgeon and joint replacement expert at the Dr L.H. Hiranandani Hospital in Mumbai.

A typical replacement hip joint has a metal head in a polyethylene cup, which wears out over time. Because of its limited lifespan, many patients are advised to wait for as long as possible, often in considerable discomfort, before having an artificial hip put in place.

There is another design which is used in younger patients. Since a relatively younger person who needs a hip replacement may take 100 million steps for the rest of his or her lifetime, the artificial hip joint has to last longer. The replacement hips now available for younger patients are either made of metal or ceramics. Both are more durable than polyethylene, giving the joint a longer lifespan and reducing the need for a further surgery.

A few years ago, the Leeds university team further modified the design to create a better model. Both ceramics and metal are used in the new hip joint. The bearing includes a new type of ceramic ball, which fits inside a metal cup. The combination has led to a 10-fold reduction in metal wear than in the metal joint. The joints, in clinical trials for the last five years, were found to be 10 times more durable than the other designs. Over 10,000 people are living with these new-generation hip replacements.

Similarly, as we get older, soft tissues begin to wear out — affecting organs such as the heart. A person with damaged tissues can go for an artificial implant, a chemically treated animal tissue or use a human donor tissue. An artificial implant or animal tissue will not lead to new tissues. The human donor tissue contains foreign cells which may eventually lead to the decay of the tissue.

On the other hand, the iMBE scientists have already developed a novel technique for re-creating human tissues. Developed and patented in 2001, it employs a unique method of stripping cells from human and animal tissues to leave a “scaffold” into which the patient’s own cells can be introduced.

“We have already used this to make a range of soft tissues,” says Eileen Ingham, professor of medical immunology at Leeds. These include heart valves, membranes that can be used for surgical and vascular repair, ligaments, cartilage found in knee joints and tissues such as skin and bladder, she says.

Take the heart valve. There are, as of now, three options available to patients who require a heart valve replacement. They can go for a mechanical valve, but it will require a life-long anti-coagulation therapy, which will significantly affect their quality of life. They can also opt for an artificial valve created from an animal tissue that can be used after a chemical treatment, or they can opt for a human donor valve. These will deteriorate over time and won’t last for more than 15 years.

But when the scientists tried out their “a-cellular” scaffold on sheep, they found that it gave birth to live cells within six months. Human trials have been taking place in Brazil for the last four years and the technology is expected to be available for human use in a few years.

A technology marvel that would be of enormous use is being attempted by the scientists in dental and bone care. The scientists have identified a peptide, a polymer produced when various amino acids found in the body come together, that can fight the decay of teeth, which are constantly attacked by acids. Exposure to acids leads to cavities. The scientists have found that the peptide, when applied in a liquid form by brush or as a mouthwash, can help create tiny three-dimensional structures that can fight tooth decay. Calcium, which is available through food, is naturally attracted by the peptide, creating a natural repair to the tooth. The scientists are hoping to extend the same technique for regeneration and repair of other soft and skeletal tissues such as blood vessels, bones and cartilage.

Fisher hopes that they may be able to develop at least 10 products over the next five years and halve the time required to get these products to market.

The new interventions will eventually be of immense value to India, which is also witnessing an increase in life expectancy. “Currently, 43 per cent of the global population of 80-plus people live in four countries including India,” says K.R. Gangadharan, founder of Heritage Hospital in Hyderabad and vice-president, International Federation on Ageing, a Canada-based non-profit organisation. Once the developments reach India, the aged may have the reason — and the joint — to do a jig.

Source: The Telegraph (Kolkata, India)

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Healthy Tips

How to Avoid Heart Attack

Here are some simple advices to avoid diseases in the heart and blood vessels and to help you recover from such diseases if you are already under attack!

1. Kick the butt : Dr. Ashok Seth, Chairman Escort Heart Institute suggests, “Stop smoking or consumption of tobacco in any form. Smoking causes circulatory problems as it leads to cholesterol deposition and damages the inner lining of the blood vessels. It is very risky for women on oral contraceptive pills as smoking tends to increase blood clotting problems and cause blockages”.

2. Walk your way : “Exercise at least 5 days a week for 40 minutes. It helps decrease heart ailments by 20%, “adds Dr. Seth. “If you can’t take out time for jogging, cycling, playing ball, swimming or other activities, a simple technique is to indulge in a brisk 5 kilometer walk every day. Walking is the best medicine for a healthy heart. Walking increases your blood circulation,” Dr Colonel C.P. Roy VSM, Senior Consultant Max Heart Institute, adds further.

3. Sleep well : “Get enough sleep. Sleeping well reduces mental stress and stabilises one’s heart rate. Avoid stress over a long period. Manage stress by prioritising your jobs from the most important to lesser vital ones. One needs to do a proper time-management,” advices Dr. Roy.

4. Dealing with your diet : “Being careful of your diet can help you lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels. It also prevents obesity, heart disease and strokes,” mentions Dr. R.R. Kasliwal. A good diet should include vegetables and fruits together with each meal for vitamins, minerals, fibres and anti-oxidants. They should be raw or gently cooked so that the content of the nutrients remains intact. Dr. Roy further adds, “We must not only stick to fish to increase our level of Omega 3 that is good for our heart, but also try and balance our meal”.

5. Moderate your alcohol consumption : Alcohol has a devastating effect on your heart and raises the risk of high blood pressure, heart attack, and strokes. “Wine can be replaced for your regular drinks; wine increases the good cholesterol HDL level, which takes the bad cholesterol away from the blockages. But it should be consumed in limited quantity otherwise it becomes counter productive,” suggests Dr. Roy.

6. Watch your weight : Keeping a healthy weight is very important. “There is a lot of fat deposit in the Indian body; it’s the metabolic syndrome which leads to more chances of contracting diabetes and waist circumference or the waist – hip ratio. If the waist is more than the hip it leads to heart disorders, and this is very common in India. The simplest and common advice to a healthy weight is proper diet and regular physical activity, ” points out Dr. Ashok.

7. Monitor your diabetes : Keep your diabetes under control. Suffering from diabetes exposes you to heart diseases in addition to other ailments. “Blood sugar leads to hardening of the blood vessels and the deposition of cholesterol in all the arteries of the body,” says Dr Ashok. Testing for diabetes and keeping it under check is a must, blood sugar reference during fasting must ideally be 70-110 mg/dl. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables and maintain a healthy weight to keep diabetes at bay.

Dr Ashok further adds, “Blockages start as early as 3-4 years of age and major blockages can occur by 15 years of age. Regular health screenings including blood pressure, cholesterol and sugar tests during childhood once in every two 2 years and once every year in case of grown ups. In case detected with any irregularities, then a regular check is important on the advice of the doctor.”

Source: The Times Of India

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