By Khadija Hawkes, Lifestyle Guide Specialist

Skin is the body’s largest organ and arguably the most multifaceted of its systems. Alternately warming, cooling, and protecting, human skin possesses a myriad of attributes and fills many complex roles. This article will examine the make up of skin, as well as how the skin changes throughout the aging process.

Human skin is made up of three layers. They are the epidermis, dermis, and the hypodermis. Each has a distinct and important role.

The epidermis is the topmost layer of skin and the one that most people are familiar with. This layer protects the body from harmful bacteria and chemicals. In addition, the epidermis contains sweat glands which work to cool the body when overheated. Being the visible layer, the epidermis will reflect the visible signs of aging, scars, or burns.

Often though of as a single layer, the epidermis is actually made up of several stacked layers called keratinocytes. The multi-layered consistency is one of the reasons that exfoliation of dead skin is important, allowing the newer layers underneath to present themselves.

The epidermis also acts as a channel to funnel waste and harmful toxins from your body, in addition to the kidneys and liver.

The dermis is the middle layer of skin and the one which houses the body’s collagen and elastin stores, which are responsible for the skins firmness and smoothness. Also contained in the dermis are the sebaceous glands, nerve endings, sweat glands, and hair follicles. The dermis also regulates the amount of heat on the skin’s surface and conserves energy in cold weather.

The third layer of skin is the hypodermis or subcutaneous layer. Made of flat, dead skin cells, this layer provides protection by regulating evaporation and hindering water loss. In addition, the hypodermis contains mechanisms to protect from “ultraviolet radiation, mechanical damage, foreign chemicals and germs”.

All three layers of the skin work in tandem to consistently protect and rejuvenate our largest organ. However, as the body ages, certain natural and environmental agents lessen the effectiveness of this system, ushering in the visible, and not so visible signs of aging.

As we age, the body produces significantly less collagen and elastin-the substances that aid in firm, tight, and elastic skin. The production begins to slow in your twenties, but the impact is negligible at that time. However as you age, the process accelerates. Depending on your inherited genetic makeup, you may show visible signs of aging in your thirties, while others may retain smooth skin well into their fifties.

In addition to collagen and elastin degeneration, there are other factors that accelerate the aging of ones skin.

Sun damage or “Photoaging” is by far the biggest contributor to the premature appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Even for those who bask in the sun conservatively, the impact of being unprotected can lead to premature aging over time.

Sun damage can manifest itself in many ways, including tough leathery skin, age spots, freckles, wrinkles, loose skin, and the potential for skin cancer. Individuals who have lighter skin, which contains less melanin than its darker counterparts, are at a higher risk for photoaging. Being diligent in the use of sunscreen, avoiding being out during peak sunlight hours, and wearing protective hats can help to minimize the impact of the sun on your skin.

Additional contributors to premature aging of the skin include cigarette smoke, repetitive frowning, sleeping on the same place on your face nightly, tanning, and using harsh chemical based personal care products.

Maintaining vibrant skin is possible, even in the advanced years. In this ongoing series, we will explore the many contributors to aging skin and examine a plethora of solutions to preserve your skin as much as possible as you age.

References:

American Academy of Dermatology. Causes of Aging Skin. 2010. http://www.skincarephysicians.com/agingskinnet/basicfacts.html

Dermatology Information System. Skin Structure. 2010. http://skincare.dermis.net/content/e01aufbau/e660/e661/index_eng.html

National Institute of Health. Skin Layers. 2010. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/imagepages/8912.htm

Posted under: Causes of Aging, LifeStyle Guide, Skin.

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By Dr. John McDougall, Lifestyle Guide/Scientific Advisor

In my youth, I thought meat meant good health and strength. I reasoned this must be ideal food for my body, because my body is made up of meat; just like the body parts of cows, pigs and chickens; therefore, these foods must contain every nutrient I could possibly require. Logically, could anything be better for building muscle than eating muscle? This kind of faulty reasoning caused me to suffer problems as ordinary as acne and as rare as a stroke by the time I was 18 years old. I am alive and healthy today at 60 because 35 years ago I changed to primarily plants for my foods. (It is not too late for you.)

Meat Is Cat Food—Plants Are People Food

Every animal has an ideal diet. Meat is an ideal food for my pointy-toothed carnivorous cats and my powerful-jawed omnivorous dog. Cows and cockatoos are herbivores, and would soon sicken on a diet of meat. The same happens with people when they consume a meat-centered diet.

Undeniable Evidence That Meat-centered Diets Are Wrong:


Nearly Everyone Who Eats That Way Is Sick


Affluent people can afford to eat a diet with a central focus of beef, pork and/or chicken, and almost all do. Most also have one or more risk factors that predict premature death and illness:¹


*1/3 have elevated cholesterol
*1/3 have hypertension
*More than 30% are obese
*More than 65% are overweight
*10% are diabetic


Diseases of affluence are epidemic among meat-eaters:


*1/2 die prematurely of heart disease
*1/2 of men develop life-threatening cancer
*1/3 of women develop life-threatening cancer
*Over age 60, 30% have gallbladder disease
*One in seven suffers with serious arthritis
*60% complain of bad breath (halitosis)
*Most have GI troubles (indigestion to constipation)

Meat Is Promoted for Its Good Nutrition

According to the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), “Red meat plays an important role in a healthful diet by providing more than 10 percent of the Recommended Daily Allowances (RDA) for protein, iron, zinc, niacin, Vitamins B6 and B12.”² These nutritional facts are accurate for people eating the typical rich diet, and will scare many of them into including generous amounts of meat—unless they consider the fact that nutritional deficiencies due to protein, iron, zinc, niacin, Vitamins B6 and B12 are essentially unheard of in people who have enough of any kind of food to eat. Do you know anyone with “deficiencies diseases” caused from lack of any of these nutrients? (Almost all iron deficiency in people is due to bleeding, not from dietary deficiency.)


National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) also fails to explain in their promotional materials that meat fails to provide sufficient amounts of calcium, dietary fiber, essential fats, and vitamin C to support the health of human beings. Nor do they mention the problems caused by the “excesses” in meat. Have you ever heard of illnesses due too many calories, or too much fat, cholesterol, protein, infectious microbes, and chemical contaminants? With excess lies the problem.


People Don’t Like the Taste of Meat

Meat Has Unhealthy Ingredients


A look at the individual components of meat explains why this is such an undesirable food.


There are no carbohydrates in meat. Carbohydrate is the human body’s primary intended fuel–ask any endurance athlete. Carbohydrate is essential for the brain, red blood cells and kidney cells (glomeruli cells).


Meat is usually high in fat. The fat promotes obessity, type-2 diabetes, artery damage, heart disease, and many forms of cancer.


Meat is usually high in protein. Excess protein over-works and damages the liver and kidneys.


Meat proteins are high in acid. The acid is neutralized by the bones causing bone loss, osteoporosis and calcium-based kidney stones.


Meat proteins are high in sulfur. The sulfur-containing amino acids cause foul-smelling body odor, breath, and flatus, and promote heart disease, inflammatory bowel disease, cancer, and shortened longevity.


There is no dietary fiber in meat. Fiber provides the bulk for the stool, controls blood sugar and cholesterol, and detoxifies cancer causing chemicals.


Cholesterol is only in animal foods. Excess accumulates in our arteries, skin, tendons, and all other tissues.


Meat concentrates environmental contaminates. Toxic chemicals concentrate in food supply as they rise up the food chain.


Infectious agents live in meat. In USA, there are approximately 76 million cases of food-borne illness annually.


Antibiotics are in meat. Antibiotics are used to prevent animal infections and stimulate growth.

Advertisements for Pizza Hut’s Meat Lovers’® Pizza, Arby’s Super Roast Beef Sandwich®, Wendy’s Buffalo Crispy Chicken®, and McDonalds Double Quarter Pounder® could lead us to believe that “the meat” is the main attraction. However, it’s not the slices of tasteless brown beef hidden in the center of the Arby’s sandwich that people want—instead, they salivate over the “green leaf lettuce and ripe tomatoes, all topped with a zesty red sauce on a toasty sesame bun.”


The human tongue has no taste buds for the protein and fat—the ingredients in the beef—but we do have taste buds on our tongue’s tip which are excited by sugar and salt—the ingredients that make up the lettuce, tomato, sauce, and buns—these are what drive repeat sales. My cats would enjoy the meat. They have taste buds for amino acids (the building blocks of proteins) embedded in their tongues’ surfaces; but the garnishes would be wasted on these carnivores.


What’s Meat’s Attraction?


If people have no senses for appreciating the taste of meat, then why is it so popular? Meat’s appeal is driven by money and egos. Until recently, the high cost of meat restricted it to the plates of the wealthy. This is a status symbol—meat-eating enhances class distinction. Consider the Beef Industry’s most famous slogan: Beef—Real Food for Real People. This is known as a bandwagon argument—used to appeal to a person’s desire to be popular, accepted or valued—ignoring evidence and relevant reasoning.³ The message implies that food, other than beef, is not real food, and that people who do not eat beef, are not real people.³


If eating muscle turned into body muscle then most men living in affluent societies would resemble bodybuilders without a noticeable potbelly—no point in arguing the obvious. Scientific research confirms that meat is viewed as a superior masculine food.⁴ If the truth were known, real men would switch to real plant foods overnight. During a man’s reproductive years meat-eating decreases ejaculate volume, lowers sperm count, shortens sperm life, and causes poor sperm motility, genetic damage, and infertility.^5,6 Meat-eaters are likely to become impotent because of damage caused to the artery system that supplies the penis with the blood that causes an erection.⁷ Erectile dysfunction is more often seen in men with elevated cholesterol levels⁸ and high levels of LDL “bad” cholesterol⁹—both conditions are related to habitual meat-eating. Later in life, men who follow a meat-centered diet face prostate enlargement (benign prostatic hypertrophy) and prostate cancer.^{10,11Beef—Real Food for Real Sexual Dysfunction.}

Meat-eating Characterizes a Person


There are four well traveled roads to eating a meatless diet: health, personal appearance, the environment, and animal rights. As a medical doctor, I have mostly traveled the roads of health and appearance for the sake of my patients. That journey would have not been possible if I had not changed my personal diet 35 years ago. People have trouble seeing beyond their own habits—ridding my dinner plate of animal foods has allowed me to become sensitive to equally important issues—the environment and animal rights.


Many people would rather die than give up their meat—and that’s OK with me. But I find it unacceptable that some of these same people would be willing to destroy Planet Earth than give up their meat. According to a report, Livestock’s Long Shadow –Environmental Issues and Options, released in November of 2006 by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, livestock emerges as one of the top two or three most significant contributors to every one of the most serious environmental problems.


The killing and suffering of animals for human food might be justified, if meat were necessary for better human health, but the opposite is the case. Informed people should not remain silent about senseless suffering of food-animals.


We stand on the brink of life-ending health and environmental catastrophes. It is time we shed our hypocrisies. Doctors interested in healing patients of dietary diseases must eat a plant-food-based diet themselves. People who profess their love for animals must stop eating them. A true environmentalist will no longer contribute to the major source of planetary destruction by feeding himself and his family with products from the livestock industry. Making meat-eating a social disgrace in this generation, just like we did with cigarette smoking in the last generation, is a fundamental change that must take place in order to advance our society to the next level and ensure our personal survival.

More information can be found on my website.


References:


1.) Mulrow C, Kussmaul W. The middle-aged and older American: wrong prototype for a preventive polypill? Ann Intern Med. 2005 Mar 15;142(6):467-8.


2.)http://www.beefusa.org/newsscientificevidencepointstoimportanceofmeatin-
americandiets4394.aspx


3.) http://www.termpapergenie.com/decision_making.html


4.) Roos G. Men, masculinity and food: interviews with Finnish carpenters and engineers. Appetite. 2001 Aug;37(1):47-56.


5.) Allen NE. Hormones and diet: low insulin-like growth factor-I but normal bioavailable androgens in vegan men. Br J Cancer. 2000 Jul;83(1):95-7.


6.) Rozati R . Role of environmental estrogens in the deterioration of male factor fertility. Fertil Steril. 2002 Dec;78(6):1187-94.


7.) Feldman HA. Erectile dysfunction and coronary risk factors: prospective results from the Massachusetts male aging study. Prev Med. 2000 Apr;30(4):328-38.


8.) Bodie J. Laboratory evaluations of erectile dysfunction: an evidence based approach. J Urol. 2003 Jun;169(6):2262-4.


9.) Walczak MK Prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in erectile dysfunction.
J Gend Specif Med. 2002 Nov-Dec;5(6):19-24.


10.) Suzuki S. Intakes of energy and macronutrients and the risk of benign prostatic hyperplasia. Am J Clin Nutr. 2002 Apr;75(4):689-97.


11.) Divisi D, Di Tommaso S, Salvemini S, Garramone M, Crisci R. Diet and cancer. Acta Biomed. 2006 Aug;77(2):118-23.

Posted under: LifeStyle Guide.

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By Dr. John McDougall, Lifestyle Guide/Scientific Advisor

Begin by telling them, “The fat you eat is the fat you wear,” and remind them that there is nothing attractive about wearing olive, flaxseed, or corn fat.*  For this reason alone, most of your friends and family should steer clear of so-called “healthy oils” derived from plant-foods. Gaining weight can be expected from consuming high-fat whole foods, such as nuts, seeds, avocados and olives, as well as “free oils,” which are usually purchased in bottles. However, the shared propensity for weight gain is where the similarity between unprocessed plant foods and free oils ends.

I consider whole foods, even those with high concentrations of fats, to be health-promoting. However, people interested in losing weight should avoid nuts, nut butters, seeds, seed spreads, avocados, and olives, since they all serve as sources of concentrated, easy to consume, calories. When I was growing up we had nuts in their shells as a special treat for Christmas. Now these same nuts come bare-naked, salted, and sometimes roasted in additional oils—and the twist of the lid of the jar brings effortlessly to your lips (and your hips) handfuls of fat-laden, calorie-concentrated rich food. These same foods, however, may be a welcome addition for growing children and active adults. But they should be used sparingly by most of us.

Chemically speaking, free oils are chains of carbon found in a purified state. Extraction processes have removed all of the other ingredients of the whole food. Thus, free oils are no longer intermixed with the naturally-designed and balanced environment of proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and ten thousand other chemicals found originally in the plants. Free-oils are not food—at best these are medications, causing some desirable effects, and at worst; they are serious toxins causing disease.

*The main distinction between fats and oils is whether they’re solid or liquid at room temperature.

Oils Are Essential for Health

The human body can synthesize from raw materials almost all of the organic compounds needed to build and maintain itself. However, there are a few basic elements that it cannot synthesize. These must be obtained from the food, and include 11 vitamins, 8 amino acids, and 2 kinds of fat.  Fortunately, except for two vitamins (vitamin D from the sun and B12 from bacteria), all of these essential nutrients are made by plants and found in abundant quantities in a diet based on whole starches, vegetables, and fruits.

Fats are made of chains of carbon which differ in length, and the number and positions of double bonds (a chemical term for a dual linkage between carbon atoms). Animals cannot create double bonds after the third and sixth carbon on the chain.  Only plants can make this arrangement. The result is that only plants can synthesize omega-3 and omega-6 fats. These are referred to as “essential fats.” We, like all other animals, must get these essential fats directly by eating plants or indirectly by eating animals that ate plants and stored these essential fats in their tissues. For example, fish store the omega-3 fats made by algae—fish cannot synthesize this kind of fat.

Common Fats (fatty acids)
Linoleic acid is from plants and is the most common kind of omega-6 fat consumed by people.
Gamma linolenic acid is an omega-6 fat from plants, and in an isolated form, is used as a medication.
Alpha linolenic acid is from plants and is the most common omega-3 fat consumed.
Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) is an omega-3 fat made by animals, including fish, from alpha linolenic acid.
Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is an omega-3 fat made by animals, including fish, from alpha linolenic acid.

Essential Fat Deficiency Is Essentially Unknown

In our bodies these plant-derived, essential fats are used for many purposes including the formation of all cellular membranes, and the synthesis of powerful hormones, known as eicosanoids (prostaglandins, leukotrienes, and thromboxanes). Our requirement is very tiny, and even the most basic diets provide sufficient linoleic acid to meet our requirement, which is estimated to be 1–2% of dietary energy (1). Therefore, in practical terms, a condition of “essential fatty acid deficiency” is essentially unknown in free-living populations.*

Essential fatty acid deficiency is seen when sick patients are fed intravenously by fat-free parenteral nutrition. In these cases, correction of the deficiency can be accomplished by applying small amounts of soybean or safflower oil to their skin—giving you some idea of the small amount of oil we require (2).  Plan on your diet of basic plant-foods supplying an abundance of essential fats delivered in perfectly designed packages, functioning efficiently and safely.

*Some people talk about a “relative deficiency” of essential fats created by a large intake of saturated animal fats, synthetic trans fats (as found in margarine and shortenings), and/or omega-6 fats compared to their intake of omega-3 fats, and they believe many of our common chronic diseases are the result of this imbalance (1). This is quite different from true essential fatty acid deficiency which would result in: loss of hair, scaly dermatitis, capillary fragility, poor wound healing, increased susceptibility to infection, fatty liver, and growth retardation in infants and children (1).

Free Oils as Medications

When the oils are removed from their natural environments—for example, from the seeds of corn, soybeans, safflowers, or flax, or the fruit of an olive or avocado—they are no longer a food. Yes, they do supply concentrated calories—but the rest of the original nutrition found in the plant parts is absent. In this state, the free oils can display powerful pharmacological effects—some beneficial and some harmful. This would be analogous to removing vitamins and minerals from plants and making supplements. I don’t call supplements food, do you? However, the effects of concentrated, isolated oils are usually even more potent than those seen with supplements.

Omega-3 and omega-6 oils inhibit the aggregation of platelets, slowing down the coagulation of the blood—thus these oils “thin the blood.” This well-known property can be beneficial for reducing the risk of a blood clot forming in the heart arteries—the cause of a heart attack. A common practice is to take omega-3 (fish or flaxseed) pills to reduce the risk of heart disease (3).

Omega-3 and omega-6 oils suppress the immune system, reducing inflammation. As medications they have been tried in autoimmune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, psoriasis, lupus erythematosus, multiple sclerosis, eczema, and psoriasis (4). Other disorders, such as migraine headaches, Alzheimer’s disease, and PMS have also been treated. The reports of benefits are variable and often questionable; as a result, their use has not been well accepted in most medical practices.

As silly as this may sound, it has been suggested that eating essential fat may cause people to lose weight. However, a 12-week, double-blind evaluation of evening primrose oil as an “anti-obesity agent” on 100 women found no significant difference in the weight loss achieved by those taking primrose oil compared with placebo (5). Fats (and oils) are the metabolic dollar stored for the day when food is no longer available. Even “healthy oils” are moved from the spoon to the flesh with such efficiency that you should assume every drop you eat makes that journey.

Free Oils as Toxins

As with all other medications, there are adverse effects from consuming free oils, when added from a bottle to meals or taken as pills. The most obvious adverse effect is people gain weight when they eat even so-called “healthy oils,” like olive oil. When 54 obese women in a Mediterranean country were studied, these women were found to be following a diet low in carbohydrates (35% of the calories) and high in fats (43% of the calories). Of the total calories from fat, 55% came from olive oil (6). My point: a Mediterranean diet which is loaded with olive oil, rather than fruits and vegetables, will make you fat.
Omega-3 and omega-6 oils thin the blood, which make a person more susceptible to bleeding (7,8).  This side effect from taking essential oils to prevent a heart attack could become fatal after an automobile accident or if an artery in the brain were to rupture, such as occurs in a hemorrhagic stroke.

Do Vegetable Oils Really Prevent Heart Disease?
Common knowledge is vegetable oils are protective against heart disease, but there is evidence that questions the real life benefits:
• Serial angiograms of people’s heart arteries show that all three types of fat—saturated (animal) fat, monounsaturated (olive oil), and polyunsaturated (omega-3 and -6 oils)—were associated with significant increases in new atherosclerotic lesions over one year of study (9).  Only by decreasing the entire fat intake, including poly- and monounsaturated-oils, did the lesions stop growing.
• Dietary polyunsaturated oils, both the omega-3 and omega-6 types, are incorporated into human atherosclerotic plaques; thereby promoting damage to the arteries and the progression of atherosclerosis (10).
• A study in African green monkeys found when saturated fat was replaced with monounsaturated fat (olive oil), the olive oil provided no protection from atherosclerosis (11).
• One of the most important clotting factors predicting the risk of a heart attack is an elevated factor VII. All five fats tested—rapeseed oil (canola), olive oil, sunflower oil, palm oil, and butter—showed similar increases in triglycerides and clotting factor VII (12).
Most likely, the heart benefits of a Mediterranean diet are due to it being a nearly vegetarian diet. The Mediterranean diet is a good diet in spite of the olive oil (13).

Free oils may be toxic to the body tissues. Both omega-3 and omega-6 fats are associated with an increased risk of opacification of the lens of the eye, resulting in cataracts (14).
Omega-3 and omega-6 oils could benefit people with autoimmune disorders. On the other hand, excessive intake of these fats may actually aggravate these disorders (15).  More importantly, we need our immune system functioning at full capacity to fight off infections and cancer. Free oils have been demonstrated to suppress many natural microbe killing mechanisms (with a marked decrease in cytokine, tumour necrosis factor-alpha and interferon-gamma). (16)
Research on animals suggests the omega-6 variety of oils is very cancer-promoting and the omega-3 variety may be beneficial for cancer prevention (17).  However, this may not be the case. In one animal experiment on colon cancer, a fish oil diet and a safflower oil diet induced, respectively, 10- and 4-fold more metastases (number) and over 1000- and 500-fold more metastases (size) than were found in the livers of rats on the low-fat diet (18). Other, animal experiments also have shown essential fats to be cancer promoting (19,20). Most importantly, population studies tell us that, worldwide, the lower the total fat intake, the less the risk of common cancers, such as breast, colon and prostate (21-23).

Practical Ways to Eliminate Oils in Cooking
*Don’t add vegetable oils when cooking.
*Use non-stick pots and pans.
*Brown or soften vegetables in water.
*Sauté with non-fat liquids.
*Replace oil in baking with fruit or tofu.
*Use commercial fat-replacers.
*Lighten texture with carbonated water.

The Final Step

Not a day goes by that I don’t hear someone say to me, “My diet is completely vegan, but I am still 40 pounds overweight.” The oily sheen on her face and hair are a clear give away that she hasn’t been willing to stop adding the half cup of extra virgin olive oil to her spaghetti sauce. Many people fall short of their health and appearance goals because they have yet to eliminate all the added vegetable oils from their cooking. Eating out is a major stumbling block. More often than not, even after using the best communication skills with the waiter, the diner plate still glistens with an oil slick. Avoiding free vegetable oils is the last important hurdle for people seeking better health. Take the final step—just say “No” to these really unessential added oils.

References:

1.) Sanders TA. Essential fatty acid requirements of vegetarians in pregnancy, lactation, and infancy. Am J Clin Nutr. 1999 Sep;70(3 Suppl):555S-559S.
2.) Marcason W. Can cutaneous application of vegetable oil prevent an essential fatty acid deficiency? J Am Diet Assoc. 2007 Jul;107(7):1262.
3.) Mozaffarian D. Does alpha-linolenic acid intake reduce the risk of coronary heart disease? A review of the evidence. Altern Ther Health Med. 2005 May-Jun;11(3):24-30;
4.) Namazi MR. The beneficial and detrimental effects of linoleic acid on autoimmune disorders. Autoimmunity.2004 Feb;37(1):73-5.
5.) Haslett C, Douglas JG, Chalmers SR, Weighhill A, Munro JF. A double-blind evaluation of evening primrose oil as an antiobesity agent. Int J Obes. 1983;7(6):549-53.
6.) Calle-Pascual AL, Saavedra A, Benedi A, Martin-Alvarez PJ, Garcia-Honduvilla J, Calle JR, Maranes JP. Changes in nutritional pattern, insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance during weight loss in obese patients from a Mediterranean area. Horm Metab Res. 1995 Nov;27(11):499-502.
7.) Allman MA, Pena MM, Pang D. Supplementation with flaxseed oil versus sunflowerseed oil in healthy young men consuming a low fat diet: effects on platelet composition and function. Eur J Clin Nutr. 1995 Mar;49(3):169-78.
8.) Nordstrom DC, Honkanen VE, Nasu Y, Antila E, Friman C, Konttinen YT. Alpha-linolenic acid in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. A double-blind, placebo-controlled and randomized study: flaxseed vs. safflower seed.Rheumatol Int. 1995;14(6):231-4.
9.) Blankenhorn DH, Johnson RL, Mack WJ, el Zein HA, Vailas LI. The influence of diet on the appearance of new lesions in human coronary arteries. JAMA. 1990 Mar 23-30;263(12):1646-52.
10.) Felton CV, Crook D, Davies MJ, Oliver MF. Dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids and composition of human aortic plaques. Lancet. 1994 Oct 29;344(8931):1195-6.
11.) Rudel LL, Parks JS, Sawyer JK. Compared with dietary monounsaturated and saturated fat, polyunsaturated fat protects African green monkeys from coronary artery atherosclerosis. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 1995 Dec;15(12):2101-10.
12.) Larsen LF, Bladbjerg EM, Jespersen J, Marckmann P. Effects of dietary fat quality and quantity on postprandial activation of blood coagulation factor VII. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 1997 Nov;17(11):2904-9.
13.) Keys A. Mediterranean diet and public health: personal reflections. Am J Clin Nutr. 1995 Jun;61(6 Suppl):1321S-1323S.
14.) Lu M, Taylor A, Chylack LT Jr, Rogers G, Hankinson SE, Willett WC, Jacques PF. Dietary fat intake and early age-related lens opacities. Am J Clin Nutr. 2005 Apr;81(4):773-9.
15.) Namazi MR. The beneficial and detrimental effects of linoleic acid on autoimmune disorders.Autoimmunity. 2004 Feb;37(1):73-5.
16.) Purasiri P, Mckechnie A, Heys SD, Eremin O. Modulation in vitro of human natural cytotoxicity, lymphocyte proliferative response to mitogens and cytokine production by essential fatty acids. Immunology. 1997 Oct;92(2):166-72.
17.) Sauer LA, Blask DE, Dauchy RT. Dietary factors and growth and metabolism in experimental tumors. J Nutr Biochem. 2007 Apr 4;
18.) Griffini P. Dietary omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids promote colon carcinoma metastasis in rat liver.Cancer Res. 1998 Aug 1;58(15):3312-9.
19.) Coulombe J, Pelletier G, Tremblay P, Mercier G, Oth D. Influence of lipid diets on the number of metastases and ganglioside content of H59 variant tumors. Clin Exp Metastasis. 1997 Jul;15(4):410-7.
20.) Klieveri L. Promotion of colon cancer metastases in rat liver by fish oil diet is not due to reduced stroma formation. Clin Exp Metastasis. 2000;18(5):371-7.
21.) Carroll KK. Experimental evidence of dietary factors and hormone-dependent cancers. Cancer Res. 1975 Nov;35(11 Pt. 2):3374-83.
22.) Rao GN. Influence of diet on tumors of hormonal tissues. Prog Clin Biol Res. 1996;394:41-56.
23.) Weisburger JH. Worldwide prevention of cancer and other chronic diseases based on knowledge of mechanisms. Mutat Res. 1998 Jun 18;402(1-2):331-7.

Posted under: Diet, LifeStyle Guide.

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By Khadija Hawkes, Lifestyle Guide Specialist

The skin is your body’s largest organ, with an estimated size of two square yards. Along with the liver, kidneys, lungs, lymphatic system, colon, and blood, the skin works to remove built up toxins and waste from your system, maintaining optimal health.

In order for the process to work efficiently, proper care must be taken to ensure that the skin is healthy and uncongested. If the skin is not properly filling its role of eliminating harmful materials, there can be a buildup of uric acid and other harmful elements under the skin. These elements harm the body from the inside often causing gout, loss of skin elasticity, and an increase in blemishes and wrinkles.

Also, the inability of the skin to filter impurities means that other organs of elimination have to work extra hard to fill the void. Over a prolonged period of time, this may overtax those organs, leading to additional health problems. Conversely, if the other organs, such as the kidneys or lymphatic system are malfunctioning, this puts extra pressure on the skin to remove impurities. If you have poor skin health, your skin may not be up to the task. This can been seen in the form of puffy, swollen skin-especially in the face, acne or other skin blemishes, clogged pores, and poor skin color and tone.

The condition of your skin is largely related to your inner health and diet. Adopting a lifestyle and dietary changes that support internal health helps considerably in optimizing the skin’s function and allowing it to appear its best. Some ways to enhance the detoxification capacity of your skin are:

Drinking pure water is one of the best ways to continuously flush your skin and keep the pathways of elimination open. Water cleanses, heals, and refreshes your skin from the inside out. Water is a key ingredient in skin’s beauty and health.

Therapeutic sweating works to open the skin’s pores and freely allow the escape of toxins. Partaking in a steam bath or sauna is an excellent way to cleans and strengthen your skin.

Skin problems are often traced to an issue in the colon. The retention of excess impacted fecal matter pollutes your system and the affects of this can be seen in the skin. Colonic Hydrotherapy, Enemas, or Herbal cleansing agents help to remove old waste you’re your body and considerably brighten dull, blemished, or clogged skin.

If you have been diagnoses with a sluggish elimination system, natural therapies such as juice fasting and increasing the amount of raw foods you consume can help considerably.

By understanding the varied roles of the skin, it is possible to maximize its efficiency and promote a healthy, vital appearance for years to come.

References:

Dr. Ellen Jensen. The Skin:Our Largest Organ of Elimination. (2005) http://corerelease.com/TheSkin.pdf

Charles O’Palmerson. A 2 Z of Health Beauty and Fitness. Detoxification and Your Health: The Body’s 7 Channels of Elimination. (2010). http://health.learninginfo.org/detoxification2.htm

Posted under: Causes of Aging, LifeStyle Guide, Skin.

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By Khadija Hawkes, Lifestyle Guide Specialist

Drinking an adequate amount of water is one of the simplest, yet most underutilized anti-aging skin care techniques. Water is truly the building block of life and a constant infusion of water purifies and feeds cell tissue for optimal skin at any age. To illustrate this point, we must first look at the makeup of the body’s cells.

All cells, including those on the skin are made up of approximately 70% water. Water surrounds and cushions our cells in the form of interstitial fluid. This fluid protects cells, as well as transports waste from normal metabolic processes. This waste is excreted in many ways, including through the skin.

Also found inside of cells in the form of intracellular fluid, water facilitates many chemical processes and helps to support cell structure. Adequate water consumption is paramount for optimal cell and body function. As the body’s largest organ, this holds true for skin as well.

The recommendation to drink eight to ten glasses of water a day is essential, especially for older adults. Water hydrates the skin’s cells and carries nutrients throughout your body to feed various organs. As skin is the largest organ, and one with many functions, it requires a large amount of fluid on a daily basis. Water works to flush your skin of impurities, regulate body temperature, and maintain a fresh, supple appearance.

Many people do not consume enough water and that fact is quite visible. Lack of adequate water consumption is evident in the form of dry, flaky skin, fine lines, and dark circles. Also, as you age, skin becomes thinner. This allows the signs of water loss to become even more visible.

It is also true that as a person ages, the skin produces less sebum-the skin’s natural lubricating oil. Sebum helps to keep the skin soft and supple. Reduced sebum levels lead to increasingly dry skin, as well as fine lines and wrinkles. Drinking water helps to counteract this process by keeping the skin fortified with a steady supply of natural moisture.

In addition, the body is equipped with a keen survival mechanism. If there is a shortage of water, your body will divert available water to organs which are critical to survival. While the skin is important, it takes a back seat to such organs as the heart, lungs, and liver. Over time, consistent redistribution of water from the skin will cause a dried out, leathery, or parchment type appearance. As you age, this can cause increased cracks and fissures in the skin, which may sometimes bleed. This also increases the depth and width of wrinkles. Increasing your water consumption will help to alleviate this problem.

In addition to drinking water, eating fruits and vegetables with a high water concentration will also help you to remain hydrated. Some examples of water rich fruits are watermelon, cantaloupe, strawberries, cranberries, apples, and apricots. With each fruit listed, more than 80% of its weight is from water. This is a healthy and delicious way to increase your water intake.

Increasing your water intake, as well as eating water rich fruits and vegetables is a low cost, yet effective way to maintain healthy skin. Your diet is extremely important to your overall health and appearance. By consciously increasing the amount of water your drink, you provide your skin with the basic elements of moisture and renewal.

References:

University of Kentucky College of Agriculture. Water Content of Fruits and Vegetables. (1997). http://www.ca.uky.edu/enri/pubs/enri129.pdf

Journal of Investigative Dermatology. Age-related Changes in Sebaceous Gland Activity. (1979). htttp://www.nature.com/jid/journal/v73/n1/abs/5616250a.html

Advameg. Water. (2010) http://www.faqs.org/nutrition/Smi-Z/Water.html