The Contents:
No Need For Men Any More!
Secondhand Smoke
Osteoarthritis
Osteoporosis
Fit people Live Longer
Smoking Women
Weight Control
Black Tea
Comfrey Warning
Exercise and Meditation
No Need For Men Any More!
Australian researchers say they have pioneered in mice a potentially
revolutionary technique that fertilizes female eggs without the need for
male sperm. Developed by Dr. Orly Lacham-Kaplan at the Institute of Reproduction
and Development at Monash University in Melbourne, the procedure uses half
the genetic material from any cell in the body, either male or female,
to fertilize an egg.
Secondhand Smoke
Japanese researchers found that even brief exposure to secondhand smoke
was enough to impair blood flow to the heart, at least temporarily, in
a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The
researchers looked at the effects of spending 30 minutes in a hospital's
designated smoking area on 30 men, 15 of whom were smokers and 15 of whom
were nonsmokers. The researchers found that the smokers, who already
showed signs of arterial damage
before the study, were not further affected by the half-hour exposure.
But in the nonsmokers the researchers found a decrease in the ability of
heart arteries to dilate, a possible precursor to hardening of the arteries.
Osteoarthritis
A new study by German researchers published in the journal Phytotherapy
Research (Phytother Res. 2001;15:344-350) suggests that willow bark extract
may provide relief from the pain associated with osteoarthritis (OA) of
the knee and hip.
Osteoporosis
Forteo is a bone formation agent that stimulates new bone formation
by increasing the number and activity of bone-forming osteoblasts. Forteo,
manufactured by Eli Lilly and Co., won the unanimous endorsement of the
U.S. Food and Drug Administration's advisory committee as a treatment for
osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. The committee issued a 5-5 split
vote on its recommendation as a treatment to increase bone mass in men
with the disease.
Fit people Live Longer
Being fit counts when it comes to longevity. Studies presented
this week at the Association for the Study of Obesity in London find that
thin people who are not fit will die early, even if they are thin. The
subjects' "fitness" was determined by a standard stress test, which measures
how long subjects could walk on a treadmill at increasing intensity before
they became exhausted. The bottom 20 percent of all the subjects
was considered "unfit. The researchers say 30 minutes of moderate walking
every day at a pace of three of four miles an hour may be enough to make
a person fit. Experts say people should try to maintain a reasonable weight
to avoid weight-related complications such as arthritis and infertility
and to avoid social stigma.
Smoking Women
Smoking may trigger early menopause, a study published in the online
version of Nature Genetics finds. Chemicals found in cigarette smoke may
trip the genetic signals that cause ovarian cells to die. This premature
ovarian cell death may contribute to infertility in women in their late
thirties. In the study, researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital
exposed mice to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are found
in cigarette smoke and other air pollutants, over a six-year period.
The exposure triggered early menopause in the mice. Then, the researchers
grafted human ovarian cells under the skin of the mice, and these cells
too died after exposure to the PAHs. The researchers say that besides
showing that cigarette smoking can affect fertility, their study also suggests
that menopause might be delayed by blocking activation of the genetic signals
that shut down ovaries.
Weight Control
People who lose weight and keep it off for a long time have five things
in common: They follow a high-carbohydrate, low-fat diet, eat breakfast
just about every day, monitor their weight closely and get a lot of exercise.
Black Tea
According to a report in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart
Association, flavonoids improve the function of the vascular endothelium.
Black tea offers some of the same benefits as other foods rich in the antioxidants
known as flavonoids - such as purple grape juice, onions etc. Flavonoids,
the major antioxidants found in tea, have been shown to prevent the oxidation
of low-density lipoproteins (LDL) the so-called "bad" cholesterol that
leads to the formation of plaque in artery walls. However, very high concentrations
of tea flavonoids are needed to produce this effect. The vascular endothelium,
which forms the inner lining of cells in all blood vessels, produces substances
that regulate the diameter of the blood vessel. It responds to changes
in the body's oxygen and blood flow needs, by causing blood vessels to
expand contract. The vessels expand when the need for blood flow is higher,
as occurs during exercise, and the vessels return to original size when
the individual is at rest. The healthy endothelium also inhibits the formation
of blood clots and the development of inflammation in the vessel wall.
All of these functions are often impaired in individuals with atherosclerosis,
a condition called endothelial dysfunction. Endothelial dysfunction is
believed to be a contributing cause of heart attack and stroke
Comfrey Warning
Several people have become ill over the last four years from taking
comfrey, an herb in some of their products, as a dietary supplement or
as a tea. The government warned manufacturers of dietary supplements that
comfrey is known to cause liver damage. The Federal Trade Commission also
announced that it filed charges against a company for making unfounded
claims that its products containing comfrey could treat and cure everything
from asthma to tuberculosis. The products included herbal antiseptics and
suppositories. Christopher Enterprises Inc., of Springville, Utah,
has agreed to stop marketing the products intended for internal use and
on open wounds, the FTC said. The company will have to include warnings
with comfrey products used externally and must stop making false health
claims.
Exercise and Meditation
Ten minutes of moderate exercise were enough to improve overall mood,
as well as increase vigor and decrease fatigue, according to a study published
in the July issue of Health Psychology. An intensive program that
teaches meditation skills may help people reduce the psychological and
physical effects of high stress, according to another study appeared in
the American Journal of Health Promotion
07/31/2001
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