ComputerHunter.org |
|
|
|||
|
 |
What You Eat Can Protect Your Skin from the Sun
(ARA) - By now you probably think you've heard all of the health reasons there are for eating your vegetables. But recently, researchers from Harvard University have announced that lutein -- a potent antioxidant found in such dark green, leafy vegetables as spinach and kale -- may protect the skin from sun damage. "Lutein has been widely recognized for its eye health benefits for several years. But, our data is the first of its kind to suggest that lutein may have the potential to act as a preventative agent against UVB-induced skin cancer," said Salvador Gonzalez, M.D., Ph.D., leader of the Harvard research team. "In addition, these data suggest that lutein protects the skin against damage caused by exposure to UVB light, further validating our position that lutein is a critical component to overall skin health." Lutein (LOO-teen) is a yellow pigment (the yellow is covered up by chlorophyll in green leaves) found predominantly in vegetables. It is also present in the eyes and skin of the human body. In women, lutein is found in the breasts and cervix. As an antioxidant, lutein protects the eyes from the damaging effects of aging. Lutein also acts as a light filter, protecting against the sun's harmful rays. UVA and UVB rays are two types of harmful rays found in sunlight. UVA rays contribute to wrinkling the skin, as well as to the development of skin cancer. UVB rays are the ones that are the primary cause of sunburn and skin cancer. Good sunscreens block both UVA and UVB rays and are critical to skin health. But, you can do even more to protect your skin and eyes when you're outside. Safety tips to keep top of mind:
It's important to note that when lutein is consumed in foods or vitamins, it deposits in various tissues in the body -- the eyes, the skin, fat tissue and so on. Therefore, it may also be beneficial to apply lutein directly to the surface of your skin. Several skin care products containing lutein are now available and can be purchased online at www.sephora.com or at salons that carry California Tan Heliotherapy sun care products. For more information about how lutein can help promote healthy eyes and skin, talk to your doctor and visit the Lutein Information Bureau at www.luteininfo.com. About The Author Courtesy of ARA Content, www.ARAcontent.com; e-mail: info@ARAcontent.com EDITOR'S NOTE: Barbara Levine is associate clinical professor of nutrition in medicine at Cornell University Medical College and chairperson of the Lutein Information Bureau.
Google News - Top Stories
|
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Correct Your Acid / Akaline Balance by the Water You Drink: What the Experts Say In health circles there has been much recent talk about acid / alkaline imbalance. Let's see if we can clarify how experts recommend we correct this imbalance. Soy Phytoestrogens and the Art of Propaganda In this newsletter we will discuss the current controversy about soy phytoestrogens. The established literature to date is replete with studies that find soy phytoestrogens beneficial to disease prevention including prevention of breast cancer. There is, however, some current literature coming from a publication know as Nexus Magazine which, for the most part, parrots the "literature" from the Weston A. Price Foundation. I have attempted to present this literature as I have found it. Six Ways to Eat More Healthfully With so much 'diet advice' around today it is little wonder if you feel somewhat confused. Whether you are wanting to lose weight, maintain your weight or help your family eat more healthfully....these six, simple ideas will help you to eat more heathfully. Protein and Endurance Sports Endurance Sports are like music concerts. They start at a low key, setting a steady rhythm and culminate into a crescendo that enthralls the spectator and the athlete. And not unlike an orchestra, endurance demands a flawless performance from every organ, testing the limits of their resilience. As each system, conducted by the human will, endures a pace bordering on fatigue, the athlete begins to hear music from the heart. What's often neglected, and considered unnecessary, in endurance sports is a high-protein diet that can expand the aerobic capacity and power the performance. What You Eat Can Protect Your Skin from the Sun (ARA) - By now you probably think you've heard all of the health reasons there are for eating your vegetables. But recently, researchers from Harvard University have announced that lutein -- a potent antioxidant found in such dark green, leafy vegetables as spinach and kale -- may protect the skin from sun damage. The Niacin Rush Your face turns flush and your skin starts to itch. Your heart begins to beat faster. The itching may be felt all across your face and extend down your arms to your fingertips. Enjoy The Holidays Healthfully How To Have A Healthy Thanksgiving Beverages Boost Calorie Intake, But Many View Fluids As Calorie-free! Beverages - and not just alcohol - are a significant if little recognized source of calories in North American diets. Yet many people seem to believe that if a calorie is ingested in fluid form, it's a freebie. Fighting Fatigue and the American Diner Breakfast (Part 1 of a Special 5 Part Series on Body Awareness) Simple Easy Health and Home Fixes From The Days Gone By How did we cure ourselves of many aches pains and illnesses in the past? Nutrition N Diet Nutrition facts have become a part of everyday life because just about all of the consumable products purchased today from drinks to desserts have labels listing important nutrition information. Nutrition facts that can be found on any number of products will include serving size, servings per container, calories per serving, total fat, calories from fat, saturated fat, polyunsaturated fat, sodium, cholesterol, potassium, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, sugars and protein amounts. Most products display nutrition facts for individuals based on either a 2,000 or 2,500 daily calorie diet. Additional nutrition facts can be located in the ingredients, which will list starting with the most abundant ingredient in the product and ending in the least. Confessions of a Personal Fitness Trainer Last year I had a number of clients who started stubbornly on the Atkins diet despite my warnings. Immediately I saw almost profound results in their weight loss. I reminded them it was the loss of water weight, and warned of the strain on the kidneys and the high cholesterol risk. The Magic in Food: LOVE Remember the old adage, you are what you eat? The simplest magical ritual that you can do is to cut open a fruit or vegetable and eat it while thinking of your magical intention. Below is a compilation of common foods and their metaphysical associations. The Benefits of Iodine Initially discovered as a new element in 1811 by Barnard Courtois, knowledge of this substance has come to include the host of benefits it brings to the body as an essential nutrient. For many years, getting enough iodine in the diet naturally was difficult in many geographic regions and remains so for an unfortunately high percentage of the world's population in the developing nations. With the introduction of iodized salt, meeting the daily iodine requirement became nearly effortless and inexpensive in the industrialized nations. In these nations, iodine deficiency is now rare. As developing nations are able to make the shift to iodized salt, their rates of iodine deficiency and the diseases associated with it have also begun to decrease. The Power of Capsulized Foods For most people, the concept of capsulized food? usually conjures up images of space travelers ingesting meals condensed into a compact pill. However, in modern-day reality, things are quite different. Capsulized foods are one of the most innovative nutritional advancements in recent memory, and will soon become a significant ? and highly valued ? concept within the healthy eating community. Blueberry Picking Techniques First of all you have to have a bucket. You will soon want to have a few with you as the berries are so good that you never get enough, especially when you start freezing them, cooking them for jams and sauces or, my favorite, putting them in the blender with various things for a morning liquid breakfast and treat. Anyway, even if your first intention is to just get enough for your breakfast cereal, you will likely get carried away and want more and more and more. We all do! How Can Fat Be Essential? How Can Fat Be Essential? By Garry Gamber Did you know that some fats are essential to the body? Yes, there are some fats that our body cannot produce which means that we must get them from our food. Perhaps you've heard of omega-3 fatty acids and omega-6 fatty acids. These are both considered essential and must be supplied by the foods we eat. What do they do? Well, the omega-3 fatty acid, for example is used for the production of healthy cell membranes and for the production of a class of hormones called prostaglandins. You know how aspirin and acetominophen are anti-inflammatories? So are the prostaglandins that our bodies produce from omega-3 fatty acids. Now, we need the omega-3's and the omega-6's to be in the proper combination to be most effective to us. Empirical evidence shows that the proper ratio is about 4:1 between omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids. What do you suppose our average diet gives us? About a 20:1 and up to a 40:1 ratio; not even close to the optimal ratio. Why is the balance so out of whack? Well, our normal diets are rich in omega-6 fatty acids. We get them from meats, dairy products, and processed foods. We eat a lot of those foods on average. We get omega-3 fatty acids from certain vegetable oils such as flaxseed, canola, and soybean. And we get omega-3 fatty acids from cold-water fish such as mackerel, sardines, salmon, and tuna. Eat more fish! You've heard that said before, and now you know why. Especially the salmon. It is especially rich in the beneficial omega-3 fatty acids. Salmon , or any of the other omega-3 rich fish (but what tastes better than good salmon?) should be consumed at least once a week. In order to get the omega-6 vs. omega-3 ratio in order, decrease your consumption of the saturated fat from meats and dairy products and increase your consumption of fish such as salmon. Do you know how else you will benefit from increased consumption of omega-3 fatty acids? Your cholesterol level will improve. You see, the essential omega-3 fatty acids have the ability to help decrease your total cholesterol and your LDL cholesterol level. The LDL cholesterol is the so-called bad cholesterol. So you will improve your cholesterol levels by adding a better balance of omega-3 fatty acids to your diet. Not surprisingly, the omega-3 fatty acids can be heart healthy. Several diseases show improvement when patients increase their intake of these essential fats. Check out Dr. Ray Strand's important book for citings of clinical studies of omega-3. The book is titled, "What Your Doctor Doesn't Know About Nutritional Medicine May Be Killing You." It's a wonderful book and should be a standard reference volume in your nutrition library. Eat well, take appropriate supplements, and stay healthy. Ocular Nutrition and Eye Health Food Understanding ocular nutrition and eye health can be one of the ways to support your vision. As early as in our 30's, our eyes and vision can begin to deteriorate. Wind, dust, chlorine fumes, automobile fumes, smoking, freezing temperatures and physical injury are examples of threats to healthy eyes and good vision. Long hours spent at a computer screen and the vibration from driving have a cumulative negative impact on eye health over time. Aspartame -More Dangerous Than High Fructose Corn Syrup It's really hard to believe that something could be worse than the intense sugar loads from high fructose corn syrup and sucrose. But, Aspartame ( Equal, Nutrasweet, Equal Measure, Spoonful, Canderal) is even more dangerous to your health. Go Nuts! Nuts of all kinds (I am talking peanuts, cashews etc) have a mixed reputation. They are high in fat, but have no carbohydrates. Many people I know will not eat any type of nut because of their high fat content. Nuts have a very important role in a healthy weight loss plan.
|
|
|
|
|
