Higher levels of testosterone have been found to lower the risk of men having a stroke. This lower stroke risk was only seen in men who do not smoke, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology. Estrogen levels are not related to stroke risk in either men or women.
Sex hormones have long been hypothesised to play an important role in the discrepancy in cardiovascular disease occurrence between men and women. While some studies have suggested that hormone replacement therapy may decrease the risk of heart disease, the role of hormones we generate ourselves had not yet been investigated. “We excluded participants who used hormone therapy in our study, which followed 6,732 persons over the course of five to eight years,” said study author Monika Hollander, who led the study.
Hollander and fellow researchers then compared serum levels of testosterone and estrogen between 97 men and 120 women who experienced a stroke during the course of the study and persons who remained stroke-free. The investigators looked at the role of many traditional stroke risk factors such as smoking and high blood pressure as well as investigating whether there was an interrelationship between endogenous testosterone or estrogen and these risk factors.
The study suggests possible factors that may play a role in the etiology of stroke. The precise mechanism underlying the relationship between testosterone and stroke in men and the relationship between smoking and testosterone in stroke risk in men needs to be further studied. The study was sponsored by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research.
Showing posts with label Allergies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Allergies. Show all posts
Nutrition Important to Healthy Life
As a 20-year fitness enthusiast, I am well aware of the importance of exercise in maintaining a healthy body. However, it has taken me four decades to learn that good nutrition is just as important in the overall health equation.
Consuming a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean protein and healthy fat helps maintain body weight, stabilize blood sugar levels and provide essential nutrients.
Healthy carbohydrates -- fruits, vegetables, and whole grains -- provide the body's preferred source of fuel for activity and fiber for intestinal health.
But perhaps the most important contribution of dietary fruits, vegetables and whole grains is the rich source of antioxidants they provide. Antioxidants are vitamins, minerals and enzymes which protect the body from the relentless attack of microscopic bandits called free radicals.
Free radicals are unstable molecules which have lost an electron. Functioning like a car with a flat tire, free radicals constantly seek to stabilize themselves. They do this by stealing electrons from surrounding healthy cells. This process breaks down cells' outer wall, ushering in infection, DNA damage and even cancerous mutations.
Since free radicals are produced from processes which are impossible to avoid -- pollution, cigarette smoke, stress, sunlight and even respiration -- protection must be present inside our cells. Cellular antioxidants provide this protection by offering their electrons to scavenging free radicals, acting as bodyguards for healthy cells.
Although our diets provide the best source of antioxidants, most Americans fall short of the recommended 9 to 12 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. Most of us consume only 1-2 daily servings (including French fries, ketchup and iceberg lettuce).
To compensate, the American Medical Association recommends that all adults take a vitamin/mineral supplement. However, there are significant differences in the quality, bioavailability and absorption rate of vitamin supplements on the market.
Because the FDA does not regulate the nutritional industry, consumers must work harder to protect themselves.
An effective way to determine the quality of a vitamin supplement is to measure whether the most-difficult-to-absorb molecules have made their way from the gastrointestinal tract into the cell.
Antioxidants provide this benchmark since they are fat-soluble and do not readily disperse in the watery environment of the gut.
Instead, they clump together and create larger molecules that cannot slide through the cell wall.
In the past, the only way to measure cellular antioxidant levels was through a blood test. A new technology (Pharmanex Biophotonic Scanner) has revolutionized this process, making it possible to non- invasively read cellular antioxidant levels by a laser hand scan in two minutes.
This allows health-conscious individuals to regularly monitor their cell health and determine whether their diet and supplements are providing optimal immune protection.
Maximize your health by using 21st-century technology to validate what your mother already knew: Eat your fruits and vegetables, take your vitamins, and go out and play.
Source:Lisa Bell( www.BellBodies.com online)
Consuming a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean protein and healthy fat helps maintain body weight, stabilize blood sugar levels and provide essential nutrients.
Healthy carbohydrates -- fruits, vegetables, and whole grains -- provide the body's preferred source of fuel for activity and fiber for intestinal health.
But perhaps the most important contribution of dietary fruits, vegetables and whole grains is the rich source of antioxidants they provide. Antioxidants are vitamins, minerals and enzymes which protect the body from the relentless attack of microscopic bandits called free radicals.
Free radicals are unstable molecules which have lost an electron. Functioning like a car with a flat tire, free radicals constantly seek to stabilize themselves. They do this by stealing electrons from surrounding healthy cells. This process breaks down cells' outer wall, ushering in infection, DNA damage and even cancerous mutations.
Since free radicals are produced from processes which are impossible to avoid -- pollution, cigarette smoke, stress, sunlight and even respiration -- protection must be present inside our cells. Cellular antioxidants provide this protection by offering their electrons to scavenging free radicals, acting as bodyguards for healthy cells.
Although our diets provide the best source of antioxidants, most Americans fall short of the recommended 9 to 12 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. Most of us consume only 1-2 daily servings (including French fries, ketchup and iceberg lettuce).
To compensate, the American Medical Association recommends that all adults take a vitamin/mineral supplement. However, there are significant differences in the quality, bioavailability and absorption rate of vitamin supplements on the market.
Because the FDA does not regulate the nutritional industry, consumers must work harder to protect themselves.
An effective way to determine the quality of a vitamin supplement is to measure whether the most-difficult-to-absorb molecules have made their way from the gastrointestinal tract into the cell.
Antioxidants provide this benchmark since they are fat-soluble and do not readily disperse in the watery environment of the gut.
Instead, they clump together and create larger molecules that cannot slide through the cell wall.
In the past, the only way to measure cellular antioxidant levels was through a blood test. A new technology (Pharmanex Biophotonic Scanner) has revolutionized this process, making it possible to non- invasively read cellular antioxidant levels by a laser hand scan in two minutes.
This allows health-conscious individuals to regularly monitor their cell health and determine whether their diet and supplements are providing optimal immune protection.
Maximize your health by using 21st-century technology to validate what your mother already knew: Eat your fruits and vegetables, take your vitamins, and go out and play.
Source:Lisa Bell( www.BellBodies.com online)
Vitamin D Levels
Both forms are converted to active vitamin D by the body.
However, studies have determined that cholecalciferol is about three times more potent than ergocalciferol in the conversion process.
The test numbers you mention refer to blood levels of the major circulating form of vitamin D (in units called nmol/L).
Your current level of 27 is indeed on the low end.
It was once thought that blood levels of at least 40 were needed for optimal bone health. Vitamin D (along with calcium) is required to prevent the bone-thinning disease osteoporosis.
More recent research, however, indicates that higher levels of 70 to 80 might be optimal. So your doctor is on firm ground in wanting to push these numbers higher.
I'm taking the "MS" you mention to be multiple sclerosis. Some research suggests that long-term vitamin D supplementation might help prevent multiple sclerosis in women. Though you already have MS, your doctor could be hoping that raising your vitamin D levels might help this disease in addition to its other benefits.
To raise your levels to current recommendations, you may need at least 1,000 IU of supplemental vitamin D in the form of cholecalciferol (D3). I'd suggest talking with your doctor about this.
The safe upper intake level for vitamin D is currently set at 2,000 IU.
Vitamin D is available in both multivitamin and vitamin D-only supplements. Standard multivitamin supplements supply 400 IU of vitamin D, now considered a low-end amount.
The catch is, the vitamin D in supplement products may be either ergocalciferol are cholecalciferol.
The Supplement Facts label typically just says "Vitamin D." So how to tell which form you're getting?
You'll have to peruse the "Ingredients" section of the label, which is not alphabetized. The tiny print on some products calls for a magnifying lens.
Look for either "vitamin D3" or "cholecalciferol" as opposed to "vitamin D2" or "ergocalciferol."
Source: Richard Harness
However, studies have determined that cholecalciferol is about three times more potent than ergocalciferol in the conversion process.
The test numbers you mention refer to blood levels of the major circulating form of vitamin D (in units called nmol/L).
Your current level of 27 is indeed on the low end.
It was once thought that blood levels of at least 40 were needed for optimal bone health. Vitamin D (along with calcium) is required to prevent the bone-thinning disease osteoporosis.
More recent research, however, indicates that higher levels of 70 to 80 might be optimal. So your doctor is on firm ground in wanting to push these numbers higher.
I'm taking the "MS" you mention to be multiple sclerosis. Some research suggests that long-term vitamin D supplementation might help prevent multiple sclerosis in women. Though you already have MS, your doctor could be hoping that raising your vitamin D levels might help this disease in addition to its other benefits.
To raise your levels to current recommendations, you may need at least 1,000 IU of supplemental vitamin D in the form of cholecalciferol (D3). I'd suggest talking with your doctor about this.
The safe upper intake level for vitamin D is currently set at 2,000 IU.
Vitamin D is available in both multivitamin and vitamin D-only supplements. Standard multivitamin supplements supply 400 IU of vitamin D, now considered a low-end amount.
The catch is, the vitamin D in supplement products may be either ergocalciferol are cholecalciferol.
The Supplement Facts label typically just says "Vitamin D." So how to tell which form you're getting?
You'll have to peruse the "Ingredients" section of the label, which is not alphabetized. The tiny print on some products calls for a magnifying lens.
Look for either "vitamin D3" or "cholecalciferol" as opposed to "vitamin D2" or "ergocalciferol."
Source: Richard Harness
Tip For Improving Your Healthy
Good nutrition is one of the keys to good health. This means making sure you regularly eat foods that have a lot of vitamins and minerals in them, as well as foods that are not high in fat.
Do I need to change what I eat?
If you answer yes to any of the following questions, you may need to talk about nutrition with your doctor:
Has your doctor talked with you about a medical problem or a risk factor, such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol? Did your doctor tell you that this condition could be improved by better nutrition? Do diabetes, cancer, heart disease or osteoporosis run in your family? Are you overweight, or have you gained weight over the years? Do you have questions about what kinds of foods you should eat or whether you should take vitamins? Do you think that you would benefit from seeing a nutritionist? (A nutritionist is a registered dietitian who specializes in nutrition counseling.)
Won't it be hard to change my eating habits?Probably, but even very small changes can improve your health considerably. The key is to keep trying to eat the right foods and stay in touch with your doctor and nutritionist, to let them know how you're doing. Here are a few suggestions to help you improve your eating habits:
Find the strong points and weak points in your current diet. Do you eat 5 to 7 servings of fruits and vegetables every day? Do you get enough calcium? Do you eat whole-grain, high-fiber foods regularly? If so, good! You're on the right track. Keep it up. If not, you can learn the changes you need to make. Make small, slow changes, instead of trying to make large, fast changes.
Small changes will be easier to make and stick with.
Keep track of your food intake by writing down what you eat and drink every day. Use this record to help you see if you need to eat more from any food groups, such as fruits, vegetables or dairy products.
Think about asking for help from a nutritionist if you haven't already done so -- especially if you have a medical problem that requires you to follow a special diet. Return to top .
Source:American Academy of Family Physicians.
Do I need to change what I eat?
If you answer yes to any of the following questions, you may need to talk about nutrition with your doctor:
Has your doctor talked with you about a medical problem or a risk factor, such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol? Did your doctor tell you that this condition could be improved by better nutrition? Do diabetes, cancer, heart disease or osteoporosis run in your family? Are you overweight, or have you gained weight over the years? Do you have questions about what kinds of foods you should eat or whether you should take vitamins? Do you think that you would benefit from seeing a nutritionist? (A nutritionist is a registered dietitian who specializes in nutrition counseling.)
Won't it be hard to change my eating habits?Probably, but even very small changes can improve your health considerably. The key is to keep trying to eat the right foods and stay in touch with your doctor and nutritionist, to let them know how you're doing. Here are a few suggestions to help you improve your eating habits:
Find the strong points and weak points in your current diet. Do you eat 5 to 7 servings of fruits and vegetables every day? Do you get enough calcium? Do you eat whole-grain, high-fiber foods regularly? If so, good! You're on the right track. Keep it up. If not, you can learn the changes you need to make. Make small, slow changes, instead of trying to make large, fast changes.
Small changes will be easier to make and stick with.
Keep track of your food intake by writing down what you eat and drink every day. Use this record to help you see if you need to eat more from any food groups, such as fruits, vegetables or dairy products.
Think about asking for help from a nutritionist if you haven't already done so -- especially if you have a medical problem that requires you to follow a special diet. Return to top .
Source:American Academy of Family Physicians.
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