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Are Those Anti-Aging Products Real?

Not only is there the problem of whether anti-aging products actually work, there is the problem of counterfeiting.

Just saw a news article that EU (European Union) Customs seized close to 5 million counterfeit “personal” products in 2009.

The products included skin creams, body lotions, hair care, perfumes, toothpaste, etc. The majority of the products were higher end products.

If the EU seized about that huge number, how many got through? I think what they catch is the tip of the iceberg. How about the US and Canada? The numbers are mind boggling.

It makes you wonder how many of the products that we use are genuine.

Even if that anti-aging potion really works, how do you know that the container you bought, really contains those magic ingredients?

photo credit: sunshinecity

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By | Posted in Skin | Tagged ageing, anti-aging products aging, counterfeit, skin creams | Comments (0)

Sun Monitors To Avoid Sunburn

Recently there have been a number of products launched that tell you the time in sun indicate the amount of UV irradiation. The direct measurement of the UV index makes it easier to tell how much sun you can get. The UV index varies with time of year, latitude, altitude, and local conditions such as cloud cover and pollution levels.

They UV monitors are divided into two types bracelet monitor and the meter. I checked out Amazon to see the most popular types. You can click on the images to take a look on the site.

Sunsense Wrist Bands -In a clever twist you apply your sunscreen on the band as well as yourself. When the color changes you are supposed to apply more sunscreen or get out of the sun. Unlike the UV monitors the bands do not compensate for your skin types, tell you the UV index or indicate the level of protection that you need. However they attached to you wherever you go and would be ideal for kids.

The package contains 7 wristbands and at current cost of $6.98 (eligible for Free Super Saver Shipping). I am assuming that they are one time use. The reviews on Amazon are mixed. Some people seemed to have trouble with the instructions. Two said they did not work for them.

The Q3 UV HAWK 2 Sunlight Meter with Waterproof Design directly measures amount of UV. The unit will tell you what SPF to apply for the local UV intensity and your skin tone.

It has a timer with an alarm to tell you to reapply sunscreen or get out of the sun. Small and lightweight, 2.3″ x 1.2″ x 0.5″ and 2 oz with a wrist strap.

This monitor currently costs $25.99 (with Free Super Saver Shipping). Available as a 6 pack, but cheaper to buy 6 of the single units. One very glowing review.

Oregon Scientific EB612 Personal UV Monitor with Exposure Timer is another UV monitor that in addition to monitoring UV intensity, will determine, for your skin type, the SPF of the sunscreen you should be using, and a timer for how long you can stay in the sun. Does not appear to waterproof.

In addition to a countdown timer it has a digital clock, monitors the current temperature and has a wrist strap.

Current price is $ 17.95 (eligible for Free Super Saver Shipping). Reviews pretty positive.

Now you have no excuse for getting burned.

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By | Posted in Skin | Tagged anti-ageing, skin anti-aging, skin type, SPF, sun monitors, sunburn, Sunsense wrist band, UV, UV monitor | Comments (0)

Perhaps Brain Training Programs Can Help With Memory

The brain training (also often called brain exercise) craze started with Brain Age which was developed by Nintendo. Now there a whole range of them, some with celebrity pitch people.

In the last few months there have been a number of studies that suggested that the programs do not help increase scores on tests for memory, speed of processing etc. The studies suggested that you improve at the training tasks but this improvement does not translate to general everyday tasks and events.

Now there is a new (well done) study that suggests there is an improvement in memory in older adults.

The study only looked at the period of time immediately after the training so it does not indicate if the improvement remains if training is permanently stopped.

The study participants were healthy adults aged 60 to 89 with an average age of 72. No participant had dementia but they showed a typical range of mental fitness. Half the group did the brain training, the other half did not.

Both groups were given memory tests at the beginning and end of the study. The training sessions were 40 mins, 3 to 5 times per week for 3 to 5 weeks.

“After ten hours of training, they not only improved their perceptual abilities significantly, but also increased the accuracy of their visual working memory by about ten percent — bringing them up to the level of younger adults.”

In addition to memory test the researchers looked at the participants brains by EEG (electroencephalography). They found that as those who had done the training had less activity in the visual association cortex, which is located near the back of the brain. The researchers suggest that after training the visual association cortex, processed the visual information more efficiently and so did not need to be so active.

The brain training software used was by Posit Science.

There is hope that we can slow our mental decline?

photo credit: Scott M

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By | Posted in Brain/Mind | Tagged brain, brain exercise, brain training, memory, mind, visual working memory | Comments (0)

Obesity Is Bad For Memory & Pear Shape Is Worse

It seems that nothing is ever clear when it comes to health and well being.

For quite a while now, everything that we have been reading says that apple shape is bad with pear shape being better. A big belly is bad whereas big hips are much better. Of course, neither a big belly nor hips is the best.

Now a study on memory and brain function suggests that obesity increases memory loss, and that the memory loss is more rapid in pear shaped women.

Analysis of data collected during the Women’s Health Initiative Study (WHI) showed that there is a direct relationship between BMI (body mass index) and loss of memory over time.

The study participants were postmenopausal women, who were between 50 and 79 and cognitively normal at the beginning of the study. The participants were given a test called the Modified Mini-Mental Status Examination (3MSE) which gives a 3MSE score.

The results showed for every for every point increase in a woman’s BMI, her 3MSE memory score dropped by o another point. This suggests that obesity increases the rate of memory loss as we age.

Surprisingly when analyzing data amongst those considered obese, those with a higher waist to hip ratio (bigger belly, apple shaped) scored better than those with a lower ratio (pear shaped). This seems to be contrary to the findings for health issues such as diabetes and heart disease.

Go figure.

BTW: Those who did the most exercise and/or had the highest levels of education had better scores for their relative BMI, than those not in these categories.

photo credit: lululemon athletica

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By | Posted in Brain/Mind | Tagged ageing, Aging, anti-ageing, anti-aging, apple shaped, big belly, big hips, brain function, memory, memory loss, pear shaped, waist to hip ratio, WHI | Comments (0)

Boost Immune System By Forest Bathing?

After a certain age our immune system starts to become weaker and less effective. Some parts of the immune system are already starting to age in our 20’s. By the time we hit 65 the immune system is definitely not working as well as it did when we were younger.

One common occurrence as we age is that we seem to be more susceptible to infections and they are harder to eliminate. Plus it has been suggested that a weaker immune system is part of the reason that cancer becomes more common with aging.

There is an interesting article in the NYT Exposure to Plants and Parks Can Boost Immunity.

The article talks about recent findings that spending a couple of hours outside in a place that has lots of plants can increase immune function.

Part of the explanation has to be that reduced stress is good of the immune system, and of course if being active, the exercise is good for our immune system.

However, it is now thought that natural substances called phytoncides may boost the immune system. Phytoncides are airborne chemicals put out by plants as a defense mechanism.

Phytoncides can help reduce rotting (slowing the growth of bacteria and fungi), repel insects and deter animals from eating the plants that make them. Examples of phytoncides are allicin and diallyl disulfide in garlic (see the post Garlic for Blood Pressure, Heart Disease, Stroke, Diabetes and Antioxidant Status about health effects of garlic) and some components of the smell of pine trees.

In Japan, Korea and Taiwan people go forest bathing (called Shinrin-yoku in Japan). This is visiting parks and forests for a couple of hours to get the beneficial effects of being surrounded by plants.

Several studies have shown that there are health benefits to forest bathing. For instance several studies (e.g. this one) have shown that there was an increase in the number of natural killer cells (play a role in combating cancer and viruses) and other anti-cancer proteins.

Of course, science has come to the rescue and several companies in Asia are now selling bottled phytoncide for use inside at home. So now you don’t need to actually go out after-all.

photo credit: FMYFJHR

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By | Posted in Health | Tagged ageing, Aging, anti-ageing, anti-aging, boost immune system, cancer, forest bathing, Health, immune system, natural killer cells, phytoncide, plants, Shinrin-yoku, trees | Comments (0)

Robert Butler (who I had never heard of) Dies

Robert Butler Who was Robert Butler? I certainly didn’t have a clue. But on seeing obituaries in major publications, I realized that he was very influential.

First stop Wikipedia. Entry not particularly informative. Hopefully entry will be improved now he is dead (at 83 from leukemia). Sad but likely.

Though they did say he won a Pulitzer Prize. It was in 1976 for the book Why Survive? Being Old In America.

Robert Butler coined the term ageism. He was a gerontologist who worked to stop discrimination against the elderly.

He was the founding director of the National Institute on Aging at the National Institutes of Health and advocated for the aging before Congress and the United Nations. He helped start and then led the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry, the International Longevity Center and Association and the Alzheimer’s Disease Association

With his wife Myrna I Lewis he wrote the book Sex After 60 first published in 1976. The book has since been republished with the latest version in 2002, The New Love and Sex After 60.

His early career was shaped by the death of his grandfather (his grandparents raised him) plus the way the medical profession and his professors at medical school had a heartless attitude towards the elderly patients. He decided to advocate for the elderly and show that old age is still a time of growth and opportunity.

Whatever your age and current attitude, how ever hard you try eventually you are going to be aged. Whenever old age arrives for you, getting respect and humane treatment is going to be, in part, due to Robert Butler.

Image courtesy of Wikipedia

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By | Posted in Aging | Tagged ageing, ageism, Aging, anti-ageing, anti-aging, old age, Robert Butler | Comments (0)

Antioxidants May Reduce The Risk Of Heart Attack

Recently antioxidants have been getting a bad rap. There have been quite a few studies that indicated that antioxidants made no difference to health outcomes.

Now there is a study that suggests that antioxidants may be good for your arteries.

The researchers compared study participants who took antioxidant supplement with those taking placebo capsules.

The supplements were vitamin C (1000 mg/day), vitamin E (400 i.u/day), Coenzyme Q10 (120 mg/day) and selenium (200 mcg/day).

The study found that, “Antioxidant supplementation significantly increased large and small artery elasticity in patients with multiple cardiovascular risk factors. This beneficial vascular effect was associated with an improvement in glucose and lipid metabolism as well as decrease in blood pressure.”

The participants were tested at the beginning of the trial, after 3 months and after 6 months.

Why is artery elasticity important?

When the heart pumps blood, there is not a continuous smooth flow. With each beat of the heart there is a pulse of blood. If arteries are elastic they can widen and narrow with the pulses. This smoothes the flow of blood and dampens the pulses.

Additionally as blood flow changes arteries can widen or contract to keep both the flow and blood pressure even and in the normal range.

Arteries that are unable to expand (dilate) increase the risk of heart attack.

Note: Both exercising and working on flexibility, to be able to touch your toes, have also been found to increase arterial elasticity.

photo credit: Emergency Photography.

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By | Posted in Health, Heart | Tagged anti-ageing, anti-aging, Antioxidants, arterial elasticity, artery, blood flow, Blood Pressure, Coenzyme Q10, elastic arteries, selenium, vitamin c, vitamin E | Comments (0)

Do You Eat Chia?

Chia is poised to be the next açai – which I’m still not sure how to pronounce.

Remember the chia pets? Perhaps you would rather not.

Chia has been rediscovered for its health benefits. It is

High in omega-3 fatty acids, with excellent ratios
Helps stabilize blood glucose levels
High in calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, potassium, copper and phosphorus
High in protein, lipids and fiber
Lower carbs than other grains
Gluten-free

Chia is the seed of several species of Salvia that are found in the southwestern US, Central and South America.

Chia has been eaten for centuries by the peoples indigenous to where it grows. The Aztecs considered it one of the 4 major crops (the others being beans maize (corn) and amaranth).

Studies of the Pima and Tohono O’odham tribes of Arizona has shown that when they stopped eating the traditional desert foods that many gained weight and developed diabetes. These tribes are particularly susceptible to diabetes and it is estimated that about 50% of the Tohonon O’odham have diabetes.

Chia and other desert foods, such as mesquite (a legume – the seed pods are made into meal), cholla (cactus) and tepary beans are very beneficial for blood sugar, keeping the levels even, rather than the highs and lows that tend to occur with a western diet.

Chia seeds can be eaten directly (usually sprinkled on or in food) or they can be soaked, in for example fruit juice, and the gel eaten.

Native Seeds/SEARCH sells both chia and mesquite see here. They are a non-profit organization that is trying to save ancient seeds, promote their use and increase knowledge.

I am going to buy some chia and try it. It is supposed to have a mild nutty flavor.

photo credit: graibeard

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By | Posted in Diabetes, Diet | Tagged ageing, Aging, chia, Diabetes, Diet, mesquite, nutrition, omega-3 fatty acids, Tohono O’odham | Comments (0)

Using Technology To Find A Good Color Hair Dye For You

Most of us have dyed our hair at one time or another, whether it be wanting a different look or covering gray hair.

How do you decide which colors will suit you? Do you just go for a color you like, or do you try and decide what color will go with your skin tone?

A company called EZface has virtual kiosks. They already have a kiosk that lets you decide what makeup suits you. Now they are going to market a kiosk that lets you decide what hair color would suit you.

The kiosk has a camera. Using a picture of you it is supposed to analyze your skin color, facial features and current hair color and then choose hair colors and apply it to the picture so you can see what you look like.

The makeup kiosks are already in several stores and feature the Covergirl, L’Oreal and Maybelline brands. The hair kiosks should start to appear next year.

There is also a web version where you can upload photos and experiment (use the EZface link above). Sounds like time wasting fun to me.

photo credit: Librarianguish

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By | Posted in Body | Tagged hair color, hair dye, makeup, virtual kiosk | Comments (0)

Does Botox = Less Emotion?

Does having cosmetic Botox injections affect you emotionally?

Apparently, it was proposed years ago that there is a feedback system between your brain and your face. The idea is that if you cannot express emotions physically by displaying emotions on your face, that the brain does think that these emotions exist. This is known as the facial feedback hypothesis.

Recent advances in cosmetic techniques provided researchers a way to test the facial feedback hypothesis.

In the experiment there were two sets of participants. One set had Botox treatment, the other Restylane. Botox, of course, paralyses the muscles, reducing the ability to show emotion, whereas Restylane is a filler, does not paralyze muscles and so does not affect the ability to display emotions. Therefore all the participants had had facial anti-aging treatments, but only half had lost some of their ability to register emotions.

Before and after their cosmetic treatment, both groups were shown positive and negative video clips and then filled out questionnaires about their emotion experiences.

The researchers found the Botox group showed an overall significant decrease in the strength of emotional experience after Botox.

For negative emotions, the Restylane group had increased responses to the second viewing of negative videos. The Botox group did not have this increased response. Plus after treatment the Botox group had a decreased response to slightly positive videos, whereas the Restylane group did not.

This research suggests that using Botox may have bigger effects on you than just flattening out your frown lines.

photo credit: B Rosen

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By | Posted in Brain/Mind | Tagged ageing, Aging, Botox, brain, display emotions, emotion, facial feedback hypothesis, Restylane, Wrinkles | Comments (0)

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Are Those Anti-Aging Products Real?

Sun Monitors To Avoid Sunburn

Perhaps Brain Training Programs Can Help With Memory

Obesity Is Bad For Memory & Pear Shape Is Worse

Boost Immune System By Forest Bathing?

Robert Butler (who I had never heard of) Dies

Antioxidants May Reduce The Risk Of Heart Attack

Do You Eat Chia?

Using Technology To Find A Good Color Hair Dye For You

Does Botox = Less Emotion?