by Stephen Carter-Novotni
12.04.2008
BBC: Antioxidants Won't Slow Aging
Researchers from University College London say that there's no clear link between antioxidants and slowing the aging process and that the 50-year-old theory that aging is a result of cell damage caused by free radicals is wrong.
From the BBC:
Dr Gems said: "The fact is that we don't understand much about the fundamental mechanisms of ageing - the free radical theory has filled a knowledge vacuum for over 50 years now, but it doesn't stand up to the evidence.
"It is clear that if superoxide is involved, it plays only a small part in the story - oxidative damage is clearly not a universal, major driver of the ageing process."
He said a healthy, balanced diet was important for reducing the risk of many "old age" diseases, such as cancer, diabetes and osteoporosis, but there was no clear evidence that eating antioxidants could slow or prevent ageing, and even less evidence to support the claims made by antioxidant pills and creams.
I think this is something we could see coming for some time. There's no Fountain of Youth or miracle cure for aging and death. Even if geneticists arrive at DNA-based solution, it's not going to be perfect and it won't keep you young forever. A healthy lifestyle, moderate diet and happy disposition may be a harder road, but it's also the only road that leads anywhere.
by Bart Campolo
04.14.2009
Killing the Old Self, Birthing a New One
I often tell people
not to ask me for statistics, because in the work I do all the statistics
are bad. Ask me for stories instead, I say, because even in the worst
of times I always have a good story. Whether it is one of my own or
comes from someone else doesn’t really matter to me anymore. What
matters is that it rings true. Like this one I picked up on a visit to
Philadelphia
last week, which was first told to psychologist Jack Kornfield by the director of a nearby rehabilitation program for violent juvenile offenders:
One
fourteen-year-old boy in the program had shot and killed an innocent
teenager to prove himself to his gang. At the trial, the victim’s
mother sat impassively silent until the end, when the youth was
convicted of the killing. After the verdict was announced, she stood
up slowly and stared directly at him and stated, “I’m going to kill
you.” Then the youth was taken away to serve several years in the
juvenile facility.
After the first half year the mother of the slain child went to visit his killer. He had been living on the streets before the killing, and she was the only visitor (in jail) he’d had. For a time they talked, and when she left she gave him some money for cigarettes. Then she started step-by-step to visit him more regularly, bringing food and small gifts. Near the end of his three-year sentence, she asked him what he would be doing when he got out. He was confused and very uncertain, so she offered to help set him up with a job at a friend’s company. Then she inquired about where he would live, and since he had no family to return to, she offered him temporary use of the spare room in her home. For eight months he lived there, ate her food, and worked at the job. Then one evening she called him into the living room to talk. She sat down opposite him and waited.
Then she started, “Do you remember in the courtroom when I said I was going to kill you?”
“I sure do,” he replied. “I’ll never forget that moment.”
“Well, I did it,” she went on. “I did not want the boy who could kill my son for no reason to remain alive on this earth. I wanted him to die. That’s why I started to visit you and bring you things. That’s why I got you the job and let you live here in my house. That’s how I set about changing you. And that old boy, he’s gone. So now I want to ask you, since my son is gone, and that killer is gone, if you’ll stay here. I’ve got room and I’d like to adopt you if you let me.”
And she became the mother he never had.
Honestly, for a man like me, in a place like this, a story like that is more precious than any amount of money or any amount of praise.
Lately I’ve been asked how long I can relate to such badly broken people in this particular way, and the truth is that I don’t know. However long it is, I think, will be determined less by the number of healed lives I see, and more by my ability to sense the depth of the compassion and forgiveness that is trying to heal them. Today, with that good story in my heart, it feels like I may last a while longer than it felt like before I heard it. I hope the same is true of you.
BART CAMPOLO is a veteran urban minister and activist who speaks and writes about grace, faith, loving relationships and social justice. He's leader of The Walnut Hills Fellowship.
by Stephen Carter-Novotni
12.01.2008
Monday Wellness Roundup
Personal Health
-
AP: Doctors may drop vaccinations for insured children due to paltry insurance reimbursements.
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Health News: The brain's natural appetite suppressant.
by Stephen Carter-Novotni
10.23.2008
Pneumonia Vaccine Recommended for Smokers
If you're a smoker, it's a probably a good idea for you to be vaccinated against pneumonia and meningitis.
The Cincinnati Enquirer has this AP story explaining why:
Studies have shown
that smokers are about four times more likely than nonsmokers to suffer
pneumococcal disease. Also, the more cigarettes someone smokes each
day, the higher the odds they'll develop the illnesses.
Why smokers are more susceptible is not known for sure, but some scientists believe it has to do with smoking-caused damage that allows the bacteria to more easily attach to the lungs and windpipe, said Dr. Pekka Nuorti, a medical epidemiologist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Pneumococcal infections are considered the top killer among vaccine-preventable diseases. It's a common complication of influenza, especially in the elderly, and is considered responsible for many of the 36,000 annual deaths attributed to flu.
While we're on the subject of vaccinations, now's a good time to get your flu shot before flu season hits.
The American Lung Association has this handy guide to finding flu clinics. Just punch in your zip code and out comes a list.
by Stephen Carter-Novotni
11.17.2008
Monday Wellness Roundup
Personal Health
- NYT: Medical tourism expands in South Korea.
- WSJ Health Blog: Investigating shady ties between colleges and health insurers.
- Cincinnati Enquirer: Health events this week.
by Stephen Carter-Novotni
11.12.2008
Mid Week Wellness News
Cincinnati Enquirer: The Little Miami Scenic Trail needs $60k in bridge resurfacing to make it safer and prevent bike skids. Signs urging cyclists to walk across would be a lot cheaper. Is anyone reading this blog a part of the decision making process on this?
Queen City Bike: Public discussion--Future of Transit in Greater Cincinnati 5:30-7:30 p.m. Nov. 20 at First Unitarian Church, 536 Linton St., Avondale, 513-281-1564.
AP: It's not just baby fat. Obese kids have the arteries of 45-year-olds.
Reuters: Robot pill recreates Fantastic Voyage, targets sites in the body to deposit drugs.
by
12.16.2010
Help Feed Kids through Public Radio
With the unemployment rate at near-record highs, about 70 percent of Cincinnati Public School students either receive free or reduced-cost lunches, indicating the dire need of local families. To help ensure as many children as possible have enough food to eat when not at school, Cincinnati Public Radio has partnered with two organizations to make donations go farther.
Every pledge made Friday to WVXU (91.7 FM) or WGUC (90.9 FM) will feed four Cincinnati children through Childhood Food Solutions and Green B.E.A.N. Delivery.
by
04.09.2010
Free Cardiac Screenings Offered
With so many people laid off or fired these days, one of the worse consequences is some have lost their health insurance. As a result, they are foregoing routine medical care and testing they might otherwise receive to warn of potential problems.
When the Kentucky Coalition of Nurse Practitioners & Nurse Midwives holds its annual convention later this month in Covington, participants will offer free advanced cardiac risk assessment screenings to the public.
When the Kentucky Coalition of Nurse Practitioners & Nurse Midwives holds its annual convention later this month in Covington, participants will offer free advanced cardiac risk assessment screenings to the public.
by Stephen Carter-Novotni
11.10.2008
Monday Wellness Roundup
Health Issues
* Walmart Watch: Lead face paint for kids sold at Walmart, the bottomless pit of shocking corporate behavior.
* NKY.com: Common knowledge confirmed--there's a genetic predisposition to lung cancer. But it's smoking that's still the top cause.
* Gyminee: Social networking, accountability and support for your fitness plan.
by
02.05.2010
Keeping Animals Safe in Winter
With Greater Cincinnati’s worst storm of the season fast approaching and much of the nation already covered in snow, PETA is offering tips about how to keep animals safe in cold weather — along with a little help from Country singer Loretta Lynn.
Although they are naturally equipped with fur coats, dogs and other animals still can suffer from frostbite and exposure, and they can become dehydrated when water sources freeze.
