Help For Preventing Bone Fractures In Women Age 50 And Older

A study of more than 6,000 Canadian women concludes osteoporosis
drugs called anti-resorptive agents help reduce risk of
low-trauma bone fractures in women age 50 and older. Examples of
anti-resorptive drugs include:

• Estrogen
• Bisphosphonates
• Selective estrogen-receptor modulators
• Calcitonin

The study began seven years ago. The group of women in the study
was asked about their use of anti-resorptive agents and the
women’s bone mineral density was measured at the beginning of
the study.

Researchers found an average 32 percent reduced risk of
non-vertebral osteoporosis-related bone fractures associated
with the use of anti-resorptive agents. This risk reduction was
higher among women with major risk factors for fractures.

These findings are similar to previous studies that found
anti-resorptive agents helped fractures in women with
osteoporosis.

Another study found that low-dose estrogen therapy is more
effective in treating osteoporosis in women with lower natural
levels of estrogen in their blood. This is the first study to
suggest a very low dose of estrogen may vary in effect
substantially from woman to woman based on their natural
estrogen levels.

A once-a-year injection of a common osteoporosis drug called
zoledronic acid could be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration. Findings published in the May 3, 2007 issue of
the the England Journal of Medicine state researchers report
annual injections of zoledronic acid greatly reduced older
women’s risk for fractures.

The once-a-year injection can be given to patients in the office
with a 15-minute IV. The FDA has not approved a single-year
injection yet, but researchers are very hopeful it will. This
treatment would be a very convenient alternative for people who
cannot or will not take traditional anti-resorbtive medicine.
Still yet, it is not for everybody researchers warn. The study
was in older people. Younger people should not be seeking this
type of treatment. An outside expert agreed the new drug
formulation could change the way people care for their bones.

Osteoporosis is a bone disease that primarily affects women in
their postmenopausal years. Men can also acquire osteoporosis;
it is just not as common in men as it is in women. As
Osteoporosis progresses bones get thinner and become more
fragile. Thinner and more fragile bones mean “easier fractures.”
The goal is to help keep the bones strong and reduce bone loss
to prevent fractures in women after menopause and/or over 50.

For women able to take these drugs, it is a very exciting
discovery that will help prevent fractures in postmenopausal
and/or women age 50 and over.

Source: Science Daily

Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food
and Drug Administration. The information in this article is not
intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. All
health concerns should be addressed by a qualified health care
professional

Anti-aging Diets: Calorie Restriction Diets Pros And Cons Explored

A diet involving eating less, while still getting enough
vitamins and nutrients is of great interest. Researchers find
that calorie restriction diets extend the lives of animals. It
is unknown if the anti-aging diets help people to extend their
lives. Limited studies have been done in people.

Animal studies focused on insects and animals with short life
spans. Researchers found animals on restricted diets live
longer. They also found that calorie restriction diets are more
important to the life span than striving to maintain healthy
weight and exercising regularly. There are studies under way
involving animals with longer life spans and will take years to
finish. There is promise with the preliminary results in
monkeys.

Although scientists have doubts about actual positive effects of
the anti-aging calorie restriction diet, calorie restriction
research may give doctors clues about the aging process and
aging may be slowed.

The way a calorie restriction diet works is to eat less than
your body needs to maintain your normal weight. How much less a
person eats varies. People who follow a calorie restriction diet
hope to slow the aging process and live longer.

The diet involves restricting how much food you eat and
carefully monitoring food intake to ensure getting enough
vitamins and nutrients. Choices consist of foods full of
nutrients, but low in calories, such as vegetables and whole
grains.

The benefits of short trials of calorie restriction diets in
people include:

•Blood pressure
•Blood sugar
•Body fat percentage
•Cholesterol levels
•Heart rate
•Weight
These benefits are healthy changes that may reduce the risk of
chronic disease later in life and therefore create longer life
for humans.
Risks of calorie restriction diets include:
•Reduced bone density
•Loss of muscle mass
•Anemia
•Memory loss
•Dizziness
•Depression

Studies show that getting inadequate amounts of vitamins and
nutrients can lead to serious problems such as heart failure and
death. Studies show that people with the lowest range body mass
index scores have a higher risk of death than do those with
normal scores. The studies do not take into account undiagnosed
cancer or other serious illnesses that may have caused the
weight loss. However, the study results do give us a cause to be
cautious when considering the calorie restriction diets as a
means of prolonging life. They may end up doing just the
opposite for some individuals. There is also very little known
about long-term effects of calorie restriction diets in people
who have a healthy weight.

If you are considering a calorie restricted diet first discuss
it with your doctor. He or she should be able to explore the
possible benefits and risks of a calorie restriction diet for
you in particular. Getting enough vitamins and nutrients can be
difficult when you eat less food, you may also need to consult
with a certified dietary nutritionist. He or she can help you
decide which foods you should eat to provide you with the
nutrition you need.

Calorie restriction diet studies may help researchers understand
the aging process. The studies may also provide necessary clues
for developing new anti-aging drugs. Once researchers study how
calorie restriction diets work on the body their hope is to
create drugs to work in the same way.

It might be just as good an idea to wait to see what kind of
drugs researchers come up with, that is, if you are young enough
to wait for that conclusion. Otherwise, consult with your doctor
first before starting a calorie restriction diet in the hopes of
anti-aging.

Source: Foundation for Health in Aging

Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food
and Drug Administration. The information in this article is not
intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. All
health concerns should be addressed by a qualified health care
professional. 

Can Our Economy And Health Care System Survive Aging Baby Boomers?

The generation of people born between the years of 1940 and 1960
are expected to have major effects on health and social service
systems. By the year 2030, about one out of every five
Americans, or 20% of our population, will be a senior citizen in
the United States. In other countries such as Japan, Germany,
Sweden and the United Kingdom, senior citizens are even greater
in number.

There have been improvements in the Social Security system that
includes the introduction of Medicare that has had important
effects on the economic well-being of senior citizens in the
United States. Today, the percentage of senior citizens with
incomes below the poverty line is about 10%. These gains have
not been shared by all senior citizens. Poverty rates are higher
among certain groups of senior citizens that include:

•Black Americans
•Hispanic Americans
•People who never finished high school
•People living alone
•People 85 and older
•People living in central cites
•People living in rural areas

Level of education among US senior citizens in the future is one
of the most dramatic changes. By the year 2030, 83% of seniors
will have completed high school. Senior citizens with a bachelor
degree or more will have increased to 24%. These changes are
significant for health and social service systems because
education is closely related to lifetime income, and people with
more education generally are in better health and at lower risk
of disability. However, the better-educated seniors are expected
to be more demanding health care consumers.

Widowhood is much more common among senior citizens due to the
fact that women generally live longer than men. Senior citizens
who live alone after losing a spouse usually prefer to remain
independent and continue living alone as long as health and
finances allow it. Even though many of this group of senior
citizens have families or friends nearby they are still more
likely than those who live with others to feel lonelier and more
isolated.

Average life expectancy in the United States is currently
highest for white women, followed by black women, white men, and
black men. As an average, women who live until age 65 can expect
to live to age 84. Those who live to age 85 can expect live to
age 92. The number of people living to age 100 in the United
States is certainly growing.

Disability and diseases are much more common in senior citizens
than in people younger than 65. Common chronic conditions among
senior citizens include:

•Arthritis
•High blood pressure
•Heart disease
•Diabetes
•Lung disease
•Stroke
•Cancer
•Hip fractures
•Parkinson’s Disease
•Alzheimer’s disease
•Dementia

An increase in the senior citizen population means more health
care expense, and the likelihood of having more than one disease
among senior citizens also increases. Among people age 65 and
older, 30% have three or more chronic diseases. Having more than
one disease complicates care. Sudden change or illness in one
body system may stress another body system and make it difficult
to interpret symptoms for a definitive diagnosis. Sometimes the
symptoms one disease may hide the symptoms of another disease.
For example, a person with arthritis may never be physically
active enough to show symptoms of heart disease, which makes
making the heart disease difficult to recognize.

Senior citizens who need assistance with routine ADLs rely first
on family. The use of paid helpers, however, is consistently
higher among older adults living alone and increases with age.

On the average, senior citizens go to the doctor more often than
younger adults. Senior citizens are also hospitalized more
frequently than younger people.

Senior citizens utilize the services of home health care that
includes medical treatment, physical therapy and homemaker
services more than the younger population. Prescription drugs
are a major part of medical treatment. At least 80% of senior
citizens take one or more prescribed medicines.

One of the most important, unanswered questions is whether or
not our increased lifespan will be filled with good days and
years. It is not likely one answer can be applied to all senior
citizens because of the great variations in health and
functioning from one senior citizen to the next.

Other unanswered questions can only be answered by the passage
of time. These questions include:

•Will the increasing numbers of senior citizens with more
education and longer lives contribute productively to the larger
society?
•Can the health care system handle the greater number of senior
citizens?
Some analysts fear the great increase in the numbers of senior
citizens from the baby boomer generation of people born between
the years of 1940 and 1960 may place a strain on the medical
care system and the public programs that finance health care and
retirement to the breaking point. What we have on our side is:

•Improvements in health behavior
•Medical breakthroughs
•Financial prosperity

These three may help diminish the threats from the increased
senior citizens from the baby boomer generation of people born
between the years of 1940 and 1960.

Source: Foundation for Health in Aging

Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food
and Drug Administration. The information in this article is not
intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. All
health concerns should be addressed by a qualified health care
professional.

Anti-aging Theories Part II

Anti-aging Theories Part II


Waste Accumulation Theory

The waste accumulation theory of aging states that in the course
of a life span cells produce more waste than they can properly
eliminate. The waste includes various toxins that when
accumulated to a certain level they can interfere with normal
cell function and ultimately kill the cell.

Limited Number of Cell Divisions Theory

This theory is concerned with the number of cell divisions
directly affected by the accumulations of the cell’s waster
products. As more wastes accumulate over time the cells quickly
degenerate thus causing aging and ultimately death.

Hayflick Limit Theory

Dr. Hayflick theorized that the aging process was controlled by
a biological clock contained within each living cell.  Studies
done in 1961 concluded that human fibroblast cells (lung, skin,
muscle, heart) have a limited life span. They divide
approximately 50 times over a period of years and then suddenly
stop. They also concluded nutrition seemed to have an effect on
the rate of cell division. Final conclusion of this theory
states that improper functioning of cells and loss of cells in
organs and tissues may be responsible for the effects of aging.

Death Hormone Theory (DECO)

Brain cells or neurons are unlike other cells in that they do
not replicate. At birth we have roughly 12 billion of them and
over a life time about 10 percent die out. Dr. Donner Denckle
speculated that as we age the pituitary begins to release DECO
which inhibits the ability of cells to use thyroxine. Thyrozine
is a hormone produced by the thyroid-governing basal metabolism,
which is the rate at which cells convert food to energy. The
metabolic rate brings on and accelerates the process of aging.

Thymic-Stimulating Theory

Dr. Alan Goldstein says “the thymus is the master gland of the
immune systems.” The size of the gland continues to reduce and
shrink to round three grams by age 60. Scientists are
investigating the possibility that the disappearance of the
thymus contributes to the aging process by weakening the body’s
immune system.

Mitochondrial Theory

This is the free radical theory is supported by directed
experimental observations of Mitochondrial aging. Our primary
source of energy comes from ATP. Mitochondria are the
energy-producing organelles in the cells that produce ATP.  They
produce cell energy by a process that leads to forming
potentially damaging free radicals. Evidence seems to tell us
that various kinds of accumulated DNA damage over time
contribute to disease. New research in mitochondrial repair
could play an important role in the fight against aging.

Errors and Repairs Theory

Dr. Leslie Orgel suggested in 1963 that because the “machinery
for making protein in cells is so essential, an error in that
machinery could be catastrophic.” Since the system is incapable
of always making perfect repairs on these molecules, the
accumulation of flawed molecules can cause disease and other age
changes to occur.

Redundant DNA Theory

This theory is similar to the error-and-repairs theory in that
it also blames errors accumulating in genes for age changes. A
difference is that as these errors accumulate the reserve
genetic sequences of identical DNA that take over until the
system is work out.

Source: The American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine

Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food
and Drug Administration. The information in this article is not
intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. All
health concerns should be addressed by a qualified health care
professional. 

Theories Of Aging Part I

The Wear and Tear Theory

The Wear and Tear Theory was first introduced by Dr. August
Weismann, a German biologist in 1882. He believed aging occurred
when the body and its cells were damaged by overuse and abuse.
The major organs of the body such as the liver, stomach,
kidneys, skin and so on are worn down by toxins in our diet and
in the environment, by excessive intake of fat, sugar, caffeine,
alcohol and nicotine, by the ultra-violet rays of the sun and by
the many other physical and emotional stresses to which we
subject our bodies. Simply using the organs over time wears them
out even if you never touch a cigarette or have a glass of wine
and stayed out of the sun, etc. Abuse just wears them out
quicker. He also believed it takes place on the cellular level.

Nutritional supplements and other treatments can help reverse
the aging process by stimulating the body’s own ability to
repair and maintain its organs and cells.

The Neuroendocrine Theory

The neuroendocrine theory was developed by Vladimir Dilman,
Ph.d. The theory elaborates on the wear and tear theory by
focusing on the neuroendocrine system that governs the release
of our hormones and other vital bodily elements. Different
organs release various hormones under the governance of the
hypothalamus, a walnut-sized gland located within the brain.
Hormone levels are high in youth and account for menstruation in
women and high libido in both sexes. As we get older the body
produces lower levels of hormones which can have serious effects
on our functioning. Hormones help repair and regulate our bodily
functions. When aging causes a drop in hormone production, it
causes a decline in our body’s ability to repair and regulate
itself.

The hormone replacement therapy is a frequent component of any
anti-aging treatment and helps to reset the body’s hormonal
clock and then reverse or delay the effects of aging. The theory
holds that if our hormones are being produced at youthful levels
the cells of our bodies are stimulated to active and we stay
young.

The Genetic Control Theory

This theory focuses on the genetic programming encoded within
our DNA. From birth we are equipped with a unique genetic code,
which has a great deal to say about how quickly we age and how
long we live. When our biological clock goes off it signals our
bodies first to age and then to die. The timing on this genetic
clock is subject to enormous variation and depends upon what
happens to us as we grow up and on how we actually live.

Anti-aging medicine attempts to prevent damage to our cells and
increase repair of DNA to help us escape our genetic destinies,
at least to some extent.

The Free Radical Theory

This development in anti-aging research was first introduced by
R. Gerschman in 1954 and developed by Dr. Denham Harman of the
University of Nebraska, College of Medicine. Free radical is a
term used to describe any molecule that differs from
conventional molecules. Free radicals possess a free electron
that makes it react with other molecules in highly destructive
ways.

The theory holds that free-radical damage begins at birth and
continues until we die. In our youth its effects are fairly
minor because the body has extensive repair and replacement
mechanisms that in healthy young people function to keep cells
and organs in working order. With age, the accumulated effects
of free-radical damage begin to take their toll and are part of
what ages our cells. Free-radical disruption of cell metabolism
may also create mutant cells leading to cancer and death. Free
radicals attack collagen and elastin. Collagen and elastin are
the substances that keep our skin moist, smooth, flexible and
elastic. When these vital tissues fray and break under the
assault of free radicals, we begin to notice folds of skins and
deep-cut wrinkles.

Another way of looking at free-radical changes is to think of it
as rust and our aging process is similar to the rusting away of
a once-intact piece of metal. Oxygen itself is free radicals and
so our breathing and aerobic exercise generates free radicals
that help us along the aging process.

Substances that prevent harmful effects of oxidation are
antioxidants. This is why specialists in anti-aging medicine
prescribe a host of natural and manufactured antioxidants to
help combat the effects of aging. Many vitamins and minerals and
other substances fight aging by acting as free-radical
scavengers.

Source: The American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine

Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food
and Drug Administration. The information in this article is not
intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. All
health concerns should be addressed by a qualified health care
professional. 

The Stimulating Magical Powers Of Coffee Actually Began As A Food

Coffee has not always been served as a beverage. African tribes
crushed the ripe cherries from wild coffee trees, mixed with
animal fat, and rolled them into round balls. These “coffee
balls” were served at their war parties. The result of eating
these coffee balls was:

1.fat combined with raw coffee’s high protein content provided
the African tribes with nourishment
2.the considerable caffeine content of the mixture was of course
a “stimulant” that stirred the warriors on to greats heights of
warrior abilities

I guess one could sort of compare those African tribe coffee
balls to the cans of spinach Popeye use to consume to become
mighty and strong enough to battle with Pluto for the quest of
Olive Oil’s love!

When coffee appeared as a beverage in Africa it appeared not in
the form as we know it, but as a wine that was made from
fermented juice of the ripe cherries mixed with cold water.

Later in around 1000 A.D. the Arabs learned to boil coffee. This
is when coffee became a hot drink.

From coffee’s first discovery the new drink was surrounded by
mystery, and thought to have magical properties. The first
coffee drinkers described experiences of sensations ranging from
exhilaration to religious ecstasy.

Legends about how coffee could create great physical and mental
feelings of well-being created a mythical status that spread
throughout the Arab world. It was at first consumed only on the
advice of a physician or a beloved priest. Coffee as a beverage
became rapidly popular. Doctors accepted coffee as beneficial
and prescribed it to their willing patients.

Dervishes provided coffee at night-long religious services in
Aden, Yemen, Cairo and Mecca. They passed huge jars of coffee
around and chanted prayers until the new day arrived. Lawyers,
artists and those who worked at night discovered the benefits of
coffee for staying awake for long hours. Soon doctors no longer
had to prescribe coffee. Coffee was becoming a permanent staple
of the civilized Eastern world.

As the demand for coffee continued to grow, the Arabs developed
an effective form of cultivation. They started coffee plants in
nurseries from seed and transferred the young plants to
plantations in the foothills of nearby mountains. They irrigated
the plants using a system of pebble-lined trenches that
distributed water from the mountain streams throughout the young
coffee tree plants. Shade poplars protected them from the sun.
As popularity of coffee grew methods of preparation became more
sophisticated.

People started preparing coffee as a decoction from the dried
hulls of the bean. Then someone got the idea of roasting the
hulls over charcoal fire. Further advances in preparation
included whole beans roasted on stone trays, then on metal
plates. Next, the roasted beans were pulverized with a mortar
and pestle and the powder was combined with boiling water. For
over 300 years, this decoction that included ground and all was
consumed, as the main method of coffee preparation. 

The Humble Beginnings Of The Devilish Beverage From Ethiopia Called “Coffee”

The Humble Beginnings Of The Devilish Beverage From Ethiopia
Called “Coffee”


Do you realize the intricate and varied history of coffee as you
sip on a cup of coffee? There is a long and entertaining story
of how coffee was invented, how it migrated to your particular
cup and an unending effort to produce the many flavors of coffee
that continue to make it such a popular beverage.

Each country has added its taste preference and its own way of
brewing as coffee spread around the world. This has resulted in
a plethora of coffee drinks for us all to savor and enjoy. The
unique customs across cultures has also added to this ritual of
drinking coffee.

Where is your favorite coffeehouse? Coffeehouses became very
popular as news about the magical powers of coffee spread from
Ethiopian shepherds and monks in Ethiopia to all corners of the
world.

Despite the popularity of the coffeehouses, they were at times
deemed immoral. They were accused of drawing men away from their
obligations to their homes and religious beliefs. Coffee
drinking was even forbidden periodically because of these evils.
However, the bans on coffee drinking did not last long due to
the strong appeal of the pleasurable drink. The suppression of
coffee drinking based on religious and political grounds was
only a moment in time and coffee became a universal drink in the
Arab lands. Coffee was eventually considered a moral and sober
alternative to wine and spirit drinks. Coffee became a household
word and was adopted into social customs as a featured beverage.


In Arabia, coffee was thrown at the feet of the bride as a
religious offering. In the country of Turkey, coffee became a
staple in the home. Failure to keep a supply of coffee for one’s
wife in the home was considered grounds for divorce in Turkey.

As travelers from Europe returned home they brought with them
tales of the exotic coffee beverage. Coffee was regarded by some
Westerners as the devil’s hellish brew. Despite this horrible
reputation of coffee for some Westerners, it became a Christian
drink with the blessing of Pope Clement VIII who loved the taste
of coffee.

For centuries coffee distribution was controlled by the Arabs.
They held a tight and zealous monopoly on the cultivation of the
coffee plant until the 17th century. In the 17th century Dutch
traders managed to steal some viable seeds and started
commercial plantations in Indonesia.

It was not long until a French officer under the rule of King
Louis XIV felt that the coffee plants should grow equally well
in the French colonies of the West Indies. Gabriel Mathieu de
Clieux and a gardener stole a cutting from a coffee plant in
King Louis XIV’s botanical gardens. He planted the cutting in a
glass trunk and sat sail for the West Indies. His journey was
not easy. More than once Clieux placed his life on the line for
his precious cargo. He fought off a Dutch spy who managed to
tear off one of the plant’s limbs. He shared his ration of water
with the plant when all the sailors were near to perishing of
thirst. Clieux finally arrived at the island of Martinique and
this one single plant started commercial coffee plantations that
successfully rivaled the plantations of the Dutch. It is ironic
to note that the initial cutting was taken from the coffee plant
that was given to King Louis XIV as a gift from the Dutch!

King Louis XIV had a passion for coffee and enjoyed preparing it
for guests in his golden coffeepot. After plantations started in
Martinique a few years later a young Portuguese officer from
Brazil charmed the French governor’s wife in French Guiana. She
secretly saved some coffee cuttings to present to him as a token
of her love for him. The Portuguese officer planted the cuttings
in Brazil and began what are now the largest coffee plantations
in the world.