Prevage Anti-Aging Treatment
March 31, 2008
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Elizabeth Arden and Allergan jointly have a range of products with the key ingredient, idebenone. A strong antioxidant, idebenone is a synthetic version of Coenzyme Q10, which is usually abbreviated to CoQ10.
CoQ10 is found within organelles of cells called mitochondria, the powerhouses of cells, and in cellular membranes. The role of CoQ10 is both energy production and as an antioxidant.
The range of products is called Prevage.
As we age the level of CoQ10 drops. When we age or a very sick are less able to synthesize CoQ10. Some researchers have suggested that later in life CoQ10 becomes a vitamin (something we need to consume and are not able to fully provide ourselves). It has also been suggested that as we age a number of antioxidants such as vitamin C drop to lower levels in the skin than the rest of the body. This has also been suggested for CoQ10.
Idebenone is a synthetic version of CoQ10, which may have one advantage in that in low oxygen conditions (hypoxia) it will not attack itself, which CoQ10 will do.
Studies have suggested that applying idebenone to the skin may slow the effects of aging such as sun damage and improve over-all skin tone. There are several reports of idebenone improving the look of fine lines and wrinkles, such as this one.
Technorati Tags: idebenone, coenzyme Q10, CoQ10, antioxidant, anti-aging, skin, sun damage, wrinkles
Popularity: 79% [?]
Inappropriate Floral Arrangement
March 29, 2008
I have had several requests for this image. So here it is. The creation is about 5 inches high.
About a week ago I wrote about getting an inappropriate floral arrangement after returning from England, after the unexpected death of my father. I speculated about whether the florists actually looked at the message. The egg/rabbit was a major part of the arrangement. It fell off as I walked away from the florist delivery person. We have named this creation pregnant rabbit on paper mache egg. The picture does not do it justice. It was stuck on a piece of wood that was poorly painted white, with a twig and a small flower container that had fake dead leaves on it (probably leftover from Thanksgiving) with a few daisies and a lily in it.
The arrangement was from my Dept at work. I told them about it and showed them the pregnant rabbit/egg that fell off, so they complained. I got a replacement arrangement that was very ordinary. If it was my floral business I would have given me something a bit more special as a replacement.
Technorati Tags: floral arrangement, pregnant rabbit, paper mache, egg
Popularity: 34% [?]
ApoB, LDL Cholesterol And Cardiovascular Disease Risk
March 29, 2008
A statement by the American College of Cardiology and the American Diabetes Association, which will be published in the April issue of Diabetes Care, suggests that ApoB levels should be measured in addition to LDL cholesterol (the “bad” cholesterol) to assess cardiovascular risk in some patients with borderline or slightly elevated LDL cholesterol. ApoB is a protein that found on the surface of with LDL cholesterol particles.
It has long been known that there is a subpopulation of people who even though they have borderlinel or slightly elevated LDL cholesterol are at a high risk for heart attack, stroke etc. Elevated LDL cholesterol definitely puts people at a higher risk for cardiovascular disease, but what about those with borderline or moderate elevations who develop heart and vascular disease?
Generally LDL cholesterol is not actually measured when standard blood lipid panels are done. It is calculated by a formula using measurements of total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol (the “good” cholesterol) and triglyceride. So the calculation just estimates how much cholesterol is in the LDL fraction in blood.
Cholesterol is not free in the blood; it is contained in particles. There are LDL particles, HDL particles etc. LDL particles in the blood are not all the same size or density. They have a size range, with the smallest being the most dense, and the biggest being the least dense. An analogy is comparing lead shot with a Styrofoam packing peanut. The lead shot is smaller but heavy; the Styrofoam is bigger and less dense.
The standard calculation of the amount of LDL cholesterol does not give an indication of the numbers of LDL particles. If there are lots of small dense particles, then the LDL cholesterol measurement might not be very high even though there are lots of LDL particles.
The smallest densest particles are thought to be most atherogenic (most atherosclerosis causing) and most likely to cause cardiovascular disease, while the biggest and “fluffiest” are the least atherogenic.
So, considering LDL cholesterol measurement. If there are lots of predominantly small dense particles in the blood, the calculated LDL cholesterol may not be really high since the small particles do not have very much cholesterol. However, the risk of cardiovascular disease may be significant, since there are actually lots of small dense LDL particles.
Since each LDL particle has one ApoB (apolipoprotein B100) on its surface, then the amount of ApoB can be used to estimate the number of LDL particles. So particularly if LDL cholesterol is borderline or slightly elevated then the amount of ApoB can give an estimate of the number of particles and from this the percentage of atherogenic small dense particles can be calculated.
The measurement of ApoB will therefore be particularly beneficial for predicting which patients with borderline or slightly elevated cholesterol are at risk of cardiovascular disease. Those who have relatively high ApoB would then be candidates for more aggressive cholesterol lowering treatments and could be monitored for early detection of the development of cardiovascular disease.
Technorati Tags: LDL cholesterol, ApoB, cardiovascular disease, atherosclerosis
Popularity: 78% [?]
Stanols and Sterols in Cholesterol Lowering Foods
March 28, 2008
We have heard a lot recently about cholesterol lowering foods, in particularly stanols and sterols. What are these phytosterols and how do they help with reducing cholesterol levels?
This is a topic about which I know quite a bit. Once a year I teach medical students about treatments for hyperlipidemias (high lipid or fats). Blood lipids are cholesterol and triglycerides. High cholesterol is associated with cardiovascular disease and contributes to atherosclerosis. I could say a lot more but the point of this post is cholesterol lowering foods, so perhaps another day I will give more information about cholesterol.
One group of foods that have cholesterol lowering potential is those that contain stanols and sterols. These are also known as phytosterols and are found in plants. The stanols and sterols have a structure similar to cholesterol.
Phytosterols block uptake of some of the cholesterol in the intestine, when foods that contain cholesterol are eaten. (Major dietary sources of cholesterol are meats, dairy and shrimp. Plants do not contain cholesterol.) Any cholesterol that is blocked form uptake by the phytosterols just passes on through the gut and out, with all the other stuff that is not absorbed. In this way less cholesterol is taken up by the body, and this may help lower blood cholesterol levels.
Which foods contain stanols and sterols? All plants contain phytosterols, however in many plants the levels are very low. Avocados are one of the foods with the highest level of sterol. They contain about 100 milligrams of beta sitosterol per 4 oz serving. Other foods that contain both sterols and stanols are vegetable oils including soy and corn oils and nuts. Grains contain smaller amounts.
Recently stanol esters have been added to a number of foods to help with cholesterol reduction. The original foods marketed that contained stanol esters were margarines (or often called spreads). The first margarine was Benecol which was first sold in Scandinavia, in Finland. The stanol esters in Benecol are from processing of pine trees. In the US the other spread that was early into the market was Take Control from Unilever, which is manufactured from soybeans. Stanol esters are now found in a number of products such as other spreads, yogurt and energy bars and will soon be incorporated into a wider range of foods including pasta.
Many of the foods containing significant levels phytosterols are quite high in calories so they should be eaten in moderation as part of a balanced diet.
Technorati Tags: cholesterol, phytosterol, stanol, sterol, avocado, margarine, stanol ester, spread
Popularity: 89% [?]
The Brain Can Sense Calories
March 27, 2008
This is not good news! Independent of taste, the brain can sense calories. This means that eating is not just driven by taste. This may give clues as to why high fructose corn syrup consumption is linked to obesity.
Studies showed that mice genetically engineered to not be able to taste sweet, still preferred sugar solutions over those that contained a non-calorific sweetener. Analysis of the brains showed as in normal mice the “reward circuitry” was switched on in the brains of the non sweet tasting mice, when they drank sugar solutions. So the mice could somehow sense the sugar independent of taste.
This awareness of calories means that the body can somehow sense the calorie content of at least some foods. This ability was probably important for primitive humans, when we were assessing which foods were best to eat for energy for hunting etc.
Now the ability to sense calories and get pleasure from them is bad news for most of us, since it may encourage us to keep eating, well after our calorie requirements have been met.
This may have implications for the link between consumption of high fructose corn syrup and obesity. As stated in a commentary on the research it has been shown that, “evidence suggests that fructose is not as effective as sucrose in terminating a meal. It may be that fructose produces stronger activation of the reward system and that removing high-fructose corn syrup as a sweetener will curb some desire for these products.”
With our current lifestyles and the wide availability of food, sometimes I think we are just doomed.
The study is in Neuron 57: 930-941, 2008 and the commentary in Neuron 57: 806-808, 2008 (not indexed by PubMed yet, so references are not linked).
photo credit: Uwe Hermann
Technorati Tags: brain, calories, high fructose corn syrup, food reward
Popularity: 88% [?]
Antioxidant Rich Foods Reduce Oxidative Stress Associated With Eating
March 26, 2008
Did you know that eating actually causes the body oxidative stress? Recent research suggests that eating antioxidant containing foods at every meal will help reduce this oxidative stress.
When we eat, food is broken down into a large number of different compounds and our bodies extract energy and the nutrients that we need. Some of the compounds that are formed during digestion of food are small molecules that are very reactive. These reactive molecules are known as Reactive Oxygen Species, often abbreviated to ROS.
ROS are not necessarily bad. In small amounts, in the right locations, some types of ROS are used by the cells in the body for signaling. Cells also have some capacity to defend themselves from ROS. However, when they are present locally in large quantities, they can cause damage to the body.
Log term exposure to ROS can adversely affect the body. Types of damage that can be caused include atherosclerosis, cancer and accelerated aging.
Previous research has shown that after eating that the level of antioxidants in the blood decreases, due to the increased oxidative stress and generation of ROS that occurs on digesting food. New research shows that if foods rich in antioxidants are eaten as part of a meal that the level of antioxidants in the blood does not drop.
The antioxidant containing fruits tested that were found to be effective included blueberries, grapes, cherries and kiwi fruit. However, a wide range of different fruits and vegetables have diverse antioxidant properties. Therefore, it is important for the most efficient inactivation of ROS, to eat a wide range of antioxidant containing foods.
The scientists, who are at the USDA, used a method for looking at antioxidant levels in foods, and have previously released a list of analysis of different foods. The news release contains a link to the database.
This research reinforces the message, that everybody should be eating lots of fruits and vegetables. Further this research suggests that it is important to eat fruits and vegetables at every meal.
Technorati Tags: antioxidant, food, reactive oxygen species, ROS, oxidative stress
Popularity: 62% [?]
Aging Skin: Pushing Out Wrinkles!
March 25, 2008
Out of interest I subscribe to a lot of newsletters. Some of them have some pretty amazing things in them, particularly to do with skin, aging and wrinkles. A recent example contained a sales pitch for a beauty vitamin formula that had a link titled “How you can push wrinkles out from the inside.” So of course I clicked the link to find out what I had to do to push out the wrinkles that I am getting in my aging skin.
Reading down the long page of different ways to try to get you buy the product, part of the way down the page it says that this is not exactly the way the cream works. The wording backpedals to “Imagine if you could push wrinkles out from the inside”. Then it says, “Of course you can’t actually push wrinkles out from the inside.” Then it tells you that if you take oral supplements they can make your skin look better. Interestingly for this claim the advertisement does not actually use the name of the oral supplement, i.e. the beauty vitamin formula, which they are trying to sell.
The web page to sell the beauty vitamin formula is very long and is a mix of lots of advice and information. Some of which is quite accurate and some is rubbish. Eventually they tell you what is in the beauty vitamin formula. It is partly compounds that you should be getting from a healthy balanced diet and some extracts of things like Gingko biloba. Many of the extracts and dietary compounds such as lycopene are probably present in such low amounts that even if they do help wrinkles they would be below the threshold of effectiveness.
The clever thing about the advertisement is that it contains information about how to change your makeup to make your skin look better and to hide wrinkles, and when you buy the supplements they come with a free beauty guide. So if you bought some beauty vitamin formula and changed your makeup regime, who is to say what it was exactly that made you look younger.
I can be quite gullible, but this time I think I’ll pass.
Technorati Tags: aging, skin, wrinkles, vitamins
Popularity: 66% [?]
Arm Toning Kit
March 24, 2008
Now that it looks like summer might actually come, suddenly I am aware of my flabby my arms. So yet again I decide to begin a program of arm toning. This year I have started to use the Target Your Arms Kit to see if my arms can get a bit more toned.
In a few past years when inspired to try to tone my arms, I have tried to use weights with either a book or a DVD. For some reason, after the first two or so workouts, I find it hard to keep up. It is just not my thing. I keep putting off the exercise sessions and the guilt is not enough to make me stick with it.
I decided to try this kit since it involves movement that is more like what you would do with your arms in a cardio class, rather than lifting weights.
The Target Your Arms Kit contains two rings and two DVDs. The type of rings in this kit are known as Toning Rings or Bodycircles. They are not heavy; weight half a pound each and are 13.5 inches in diameter. They are smooth and foam padded. I have not peeled off any foam to see what is underneath. These rings are not the same as the Magic circles (also called Pilates rings, Spring circles, and Flex ring toner) that have two grips fixed on either side of the ring.
For the exercises the rings are mainly twirled around with controlled movements to tone the arms, shoulders and upper back. It is not as easy as it looks, being a surprisingly good workout.
Another appealing thing about getting this kit was that it contains two DVDs. One DVD is the toning workout and runs under 15 minutes, which means it is short enough that I can find time to do it. The other DVD is a 60 minute based yoga workout, which I liked, but will due to its length, realistically will not be done very often.
It will remain to be seen if I am more successful this spring and get those toned buff arms.
Technorati Tags: tone arms, pilates circles, bodycircles, arm toning, buff arms
Popularity: 39% [?]
Losing close vision, presbyopia
March 23, 2008
One of the more frustrating things about aging is losing the ability to focus in close. This is called presbyopia. It is a natural process of aging. When I was home recently, the day was punctuated with one of my brothers, or my mother asking if anybody had seen their glasses.
It is quite awkward needing glasses to read labels or do anything that requires looking at fine detail. I have lost some of my near vision but if the light is strong do not need to use my “reading glasses”.
As we age we become less and less able to focus on near objects. Generally, the cause is thought to be a reduced flexibility of the eye so it is less able to focus on close objects. Though the rate of presbyopia will vary between individuals it is happening to everybody after the age of 20. Since for those who do not need corrective lenses when they are younger, there is some reserve capacity in close vision, the loss is often not apparent until about 40 years or so. From the age of 60 to 65 close vision usually does not get much worse.
Though there are a few experimental treatments out there, there is nothing that has been shown to be able to physically correct the loss of close vision. Therefore, unfortunately the only solution is to wear corrective lenses.
I often wonder about those advertisements for eye exercises for your eyes. Do they improve or slow down the progression of presbyopia? If they do I would certainly give it try, since I am getting closer and closer to the lament, “Where are my glasses?”
photo credit: bongo vongo
Technorati Tags: presbyopia, near sighted, reading glasses, farsightedness, aging
Popularity: 46% [?]
Eat This, Not That! – A Best-Selling Book
March 22, 2008
The book, Eat This Not That: Thousands of Simple Food Swaps That Can Save You 10, 20, 30 Pounds-or More! by David Zinczenko and Matt Goulding is at the time of writing, number 6 on the Amazon book bestseller list. The book analyzes food, mainly at fast food restaurants and chain restaurants and shows the food breakdown of popular foods and suggests lower calorie, healthier alternatives.
Looking at the Amazon comments, the book has over 200 reviews and four and a half stars.
The idea behind the book is that we eat many of our meals in fast food restaurants and chain restaurants, or buy ready meals. So what should we eat in these restaurants? What should we buy to cook at home? It is fine saying buy lots of healthy ingredients and cook from scratch at home, and make this healthy dish and that healthy dish. However, being practical most people have neither the time, nor more importantly the interest, to spend a lot of the day in the kitchen.
The content is certainly not unique; many articles on websites and magazines have had substitution information. The difference is that the book is comprehensive and well written. The authors are health and fitness journalists.
This book is applicable to current everyday lifestyles.
If you eat out a lot, or eat ready prepared food and are looking to choose healthier alternatives then Eat This Not That: Thousands of Simple Food Swaps That Can Save You 10, 20, 30 Pounds-or More! by David Zinczenko and Matt Goulding, may be for you.
Technorati Tags: fast food, ready prepared food, book
Popularity: 49% [?]
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