Exercise May Keep Your Cells Biologically Young

Study Finds 50-Year-Old Athletes Have Cells That Look Decades Younger

By LAUREN COX
ABC News Medical Unit

Dec. 1, 2009

People who run everyday do it to keep their hearts strong, spirits up and waistlines trim, but how many could guess that sweating it out on the treadmill may actually fight aging?

Research indicates people who exercise are biologically younger.

A new study in the journal Circulation, shows that vigorous exercise may be inducing a natural anti-aging effect that goes right down to our DNA.
"People who exercise have better health and live longer, however the mechanisms are not completely understood," said Dr. Ulrich Laufs, lead author of the new study and researcher at the University of Saarlandes in Saarbrücken, Germany "You'd be amazed at how little we know about the mechanism of exercise on the cellular level."
In his small study of 104 people, Laufs and colleagues found that 50-year-old adults who had exercised vigorously over a lifetime -- such as marathon runners or endurance athletes -- appeared biologically younger --sometimes decades younger-- than healthy people the same age who were not active.

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The American College of Sports Medicine and other medical institutions agree that exercising can prolong life by protecting against diseases.
But research has not been able to point to an actual anti-aging effect in exercise, or detail exactly how exercise protects against some diseases even among people who are otherwise thin and healthy.

Exercise a Fountain of Youth, or Just Fountain of Health?

"As most people grow older they develop increase likelihood of developing chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. People who exercise regularly have been shown to have a lower rate of developing those chronic diseases," explained Wojtek J. Chodzko-Zajko, a member of the American College of Sports Medicine and head of Kinesiology and Community Health at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
"But individuals differ widely in how they age. I think we're a long way from understanding all of it," he said.
Laufs and his colleagues decided to tackle the problem by studying exercise's chemical influence on telomeres -- caps, that act as a sort of buffer at the end of chromosomes that protect DNA from damage. A young cell typically has long telomeres, but telomeres begin to degrade and fray as it ages. Older people typically have shorter telomeres in their cells. If telomeres in a cell are too short, the cell dies.

Idling Toward Death: Sitting Linked to Dying Early

By TODD NEALE, MedPage Today Staff Writer

July 23, 2010

Sitting around too much in one's spare time appears to increase the risk of dying, regardless of physical activity, researchers found.

UH Case Medical Center?s Dr. Arie Blitz says we should sit less and move more

Among more than 120,000 adults, those who sat more than six hours a day in their leisure time were significantly more likely to die in a 14-year period than those who sat less than three hours, according to Alpa Patel of the American Cancer Society in Atlanta, and colleagues.
The association was stronger in women than in men, the researchers reported online in the American Journal of Epidemiology.
The findings were independent of physical activity levels, body mass index, smoking and several other factors contributing to mortality risk.

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According to the researchers, sedentary time may be related to mortality risk because sitting may be associated with other unhealthy behaviors, like excessive eating. In addition, sitting too much could have adverse metabolic effects.
"Public health messages and guidelines should be refined to include reducing time spent sitting in addition to promoting physical activity," Patel and colleagues wrote.

Numerous studies have identified a relationship between high levels of physical activity and reduced risks of death and a multitude of health problems. Few studies, however, have examined the association between time spent sitting and mortality.
Patel and her colleagues evaluated data from the ACS's Cancer Prevention Study II Nutrition Cohort, a large, prospective study of cancer incidence and mortality.
At baseline, the participants completed a questionnaire detailing -- among other things -- the amount of time they spent sitting and exercising in their leisure time.
The current analysis included 53,440 men and 69,776 women who were healthy at the beginning of the study.
During the 14-year follow-up, there were 11,307 deaths in men and 7,923 in women.
Even though the link between sitting and risk of death was greatest for those participants who sat at least six hours a day, there was a significant association among both men and women who sat three to five hours as well. 

Physical Activity Still Plays Part in Staving Off Death

As expected from previous studies, there was a significant inverse relationship between physical activity levels and mortality risk. The risk of dying during follow-up was greatest among participants who sat the most and exercised the least.

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Broken down by cause, death from cardiovascular disease was significantly associated with both sitting time and physical activity levels in men and women. Cancer mortality, on the other hand, was only related to sedentary time and physical activity among women.

Patel and her colleagues acknowledged that the study was limited by the lack of data on occupational physical activity and time spent sitting. In addition, the analysis relied on self-reported data, which could be subject to bias. And finally, the researchers could not differentiate between types of sitting (while driving, watching TV, reading); energy expenditure and behavior might vary with the type of sitting.

IT IS CHRIST WHO BORE THE CURSE AND RELIEVES US OF OUR CURSE WHEN WE SEEK FAMILY HEALING

IT IS CHRIST WHO BORE THE CURSE AND RELIEVES US OF OUR CURSE WHEN WE SEEK FAMILY HEALING

To have a bright future you must let go of the past. Especially, you must release the darkness. Are you clinging to guilt? Did you do things for which you still castigate yourself? Do you think less of yourself despite years of purifying -- unable to "shake a mistake"? (Read Micah 7:14-15, 18-20.)

Are you and your loved ones held down by something that may have been handed down through the generations?

Let's focus on this: healing the family tree, which is the title of a brilliant book by Father John Hampsch of California, and also of a pamphlet by the charismatic healer, Father Robert DeGrandis -- two in a growing group of clerics who are addressing this arcane, often controversial, and always fascinating subject that we revisit from time to time because it is of huge potential importance.

Are there recurring problems in your family? Are there illnesses that seem like more than just genetic issues (spirits can enhance these)? Are there inherited spiritual defects -- anything from prayerlessness to atheism? Or emotional defects -- from shyness to suicidal tendencies?

"It is of critical importance to understand that there are two kinds of evil that could be involved in infecting the family tree, one interfacing with the other very often," says Father Hampsch. "The first kind of evil may be called intrinsic evil, or sin. In the Lord's Prayer, we refer to that with repentance in the prayer 'forgive us our trespasses.' The second kind of evil mentioned in the last part of the Lord's Prayer is extrinsic evil, which includes evil forces -- devils, demons, and evil spirits that may attack us from without, which we deal with in the phrase, 'deliver us from evil' -- that is, from the Evil One.

"Wherever there is any attachment to sin (intrinsic evil) there is usually an attempt of the extrinsic forces, demonic forces, to lodge in those areas. But Jesus, Who says, 'The prince of this world has no power over Me (John 14:30), should be called upon to cleanse the bloodlines of the family tree, both living and dead, of anything of evil that may block the healthy state of the individuals within that family. Through Jesus' Power we can break any inherited curses or hexes that may have been transmitted through the generations, and cast out any evil spirits that may harass the living members of the family." This is most effectively done, maintain both Father Hampsch and Father DeGrandis, through the Eucharist and simple private prayer.

The Holy Spirit will shed light on hidden aspects of your family.

Perhaps it is your mission to cleanse these matters. What a joy this can be!

We know one family that has been plagued by dissension -- siblings end up battling each other. This has happened with uncles and aunts and brothers and sisters for generations. There have been fires. There have been strange happenings in homes. When one aunt (an atheist) died, she was "seen" in the home of a niece who then began to take on her characteristics (fighting with her sister and dying soon after of cancer).

It's not all spirits. We all get ill. There is biology. There is psychology. But how much is enhanced -- made worse -- by a spiritual weaknesses? How many issues in a family could be resolved with prayer and recognition of the underlying cause?

All sin is an invitation to "intromit" demonic forces -- and pass them down, says Father Hampsch. Christ came to "bear the curse." Do we cleanse our families with His Blood?

"The most common concern of most people who learn of ancestral contamination is physical illness," says Father Hampsch, "with less concern, unfortunately, for spiritual weaknesses they may have inherited or will transmit to their offspring. Hence, to teach the heinousness of sin, God has emphasized its physical effects: 'If you do not obey the Lord ... The Lord will plague you with diseases... and strike you with wasting disease, with fever and inflammation' (Deuteronomy 28:15-21; Leviticus 26:16, 39). In forgiving ancestral iniquities, physical outcropping of such sin is also healed. This seems to be the underlying dynamic of the healing of the family tree program, and accounts for astonishing testimonies."

It is useful but not essential, claims the priest, to outline one's family tree as a "genogram," in particular listing living or deceased persons who may have strongly influenced family members in a hurtful way (see Micah 7:6). "In the family tree healing service, each person should engage in a kind of individualized private prayer, even though it may be done as a group service. It could be a simple prayer like: 'Do not hold against us the sins of our forefathers' [Psalms 79:8). Or, 'Punish me not for my sins... nor for those of my forefathers' [Tobit 3:3]." In prayer, he advises, spiritually (or if you have drawn a family tree, physically) "place" a Crucifix between every generation and pray to break any pipeline of past sin.

Focus especially on anyone who may be linked to abortion, suicide, accidents, crime, jealousy, argumentation, addiction, or hatefulness.

"Ancestral sin can be punished even to the tenth generation, as stated in Deuteronomy 23:2-3," writes Father Hampsch -- who has a background in both deliverance and psychology, and is listed in Who's Who in Religion in America.

God is a God of forgiveness and forgives us best when we forgive ourselves. Otherwise, we are attached to past sins, which means past darkness, and here we can allow the entrance of spirits. Negative entities seek wounds to enter, especially when we have not forgiven ourselves. We should. We need to. "Who is there like you, the God who removes guilt and pardons sin for the remnant of his inheritance; Who does not persist in anger forever, but delights rather in clemency, And will again have compassion on us, treading underfoot our guilt? You will cast into the depths of the sea all our sins," says Micah 7:14-15, 18-20.

Accept that forgiveness.

Cast darkness out.

Let not the past repeat.

Look backward and then forward and never backward again.

Recognize the problems. Repent of all failures. Confess. Grant forgiveness to every member of your family. Pray for deliverance over your entire family tree. Convert fully -- forsaking worldliness. Take the Eucharist. Ask the Lord to have angels encamp around you. Persevere in prayer (even when the devil tries to discourage you). Pray out all fallen angels who have been attracted to your lineage. Cast them away. Plead the Blood. Notice how important the lineage of Jesus was -- spelled out by the Bible in such detail -- and how the Lord cleared all past debris. He purified His line as we should purify ours, setting ourselves and loved ones free.

[resources: Healing the Family Tree]

WHEN THE EVIL ONE TRIES TO ATTACK, 'IGNORE' HIS WORD AND REJECT THE 'GROUNDLESS INDICTMENT'

WHEN THE EVIL ONE TRIES TO ATTACK, 'IGNORE' HIS WORD AND REJECT THE 'GROUNDLESS INDICTMENT'

To ignore means to "disregard, to have no knowledge of, to pass over or by without notice, or to shut one's eyes to."

Did you know that it can be a spiritual exercise?

When someone is trying to attack you, or trap you into a fight, or sting you with words, often the only solution is to ignore the person. And to do that, you must completely prevent yourself from delving into what the person is trying to drill into you.

Don't fall into traps. This is "to ignore" in the right fashion. It is not to withdraw love. It is not to suspend concern. It is not to be aloof. It is to exercise enough discipline to refrain from drinking of the poison.

It is when we let something get under our skin and reply in kind that we spin into the frenzy of a poor spirit. At the least, your day may be ruined.

If you are receiving darkness from someone, stop paying mind to it. Curiosity is the enemy. When you listen to or read something that you know is unfair, it simply tempts you to act imprudently -- and then to do what you were falsely accused of. When we tap into darkness, it can gush like a Gulf well.

On occasion, the Lord speaks loudly to all of us and often it is in warning. This we don't ignore.

The Lord may tell you to ignore a certain person who is known to cause disturbances. Shortly after, the person may do just that -- and you succeed in obedience if you avoid the temptation of seeing what had been said. That brings grace because when we listen to a "word" from God, He sends us more words. It strengthens the communication. It opens us to a new level of warning. Your fruit will match your growth.

When we don't heed what He tells us, He stops or slows down such communication.

To ignore is not to show disdain. It is to disregard, and sometimes we have to disregard people -- or at least what they try to tell us. It is the evil one behind it. It is meant to disrupt us -- or engage us. It is meant to trap us into a fight.

To ignore is to disregard and also to set aside or reject a "groundless indictment." That's a second part of the definition.

A groundless indictment is a false charge. It is taken from thin air. It is in the mind (or spirit behind) a person.

Look at it for what it is and don't let the devil speak to you. (The more you do, the more he will also!)

Transcend it. Pray for the person. This puts a stop to it. Don't even skim read it. Don't look for a summary. Don't care to know, unless you truly did something wrong.

In life, we all go through groundless charges. We usually sense them in the spirit, and should go with that. Sometimes we are misunderstood. Sometimes, a person is simply nasty. Ignored, their stings quickly recede. It is when we respond to them or react in kind that it turns into a prolonged suffering.

Next time you see what seems like a poison pen note in the mail, or on Facebook, or in an e-mail, or a person tries to speak it to you, shut it off immediately, and totally; exercise discipline. Stop your curiosity from wanting to indulge in it. Don't drink of the poison.

Instead, bide by the soft Voice of the Lord and He will whisper the gentleness that will sustain your spirit.

High Fructose Diet May Contribute to High Blood Pressure, Study Finds

ScienceDaily (July 1, 2010) — People who eat a diet high in fructose, in the form of added sugar, are at increased risk of developing high blood pressure, or hypertension, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology (JASN). The results suggest that cutting back on foods and beverages containing a lot of fructose (sugar) might decrease one's risk of developing hypertension.

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See Also:

Health & Medicine

• Hypertension
• Heart Disease
• Cholesterol
• Diet and Weight Loss
• Nutrition
• Workplace Health

Reference

• High fructose corn syrup
• Blood sugar
• Hypertension
• Coronary heart disease

Hypertension is the most common chronic condition in developed countries and a major risk factor for heart and kidney diseases. Researchers are striving to identify environmental factors that might be responsible for the development of hypertension, and they suspect that fructose may play a role. Over the past century, a dramatic increase in the consumption of this simple sugar, which is used to sweeten a wide variety of processed foods, mirrors the dramatic rise in the prevalence of hypertension.
To examine whether increased fructose consumption has contributed to rising rates of hypertension, Diana Jalal, MD (University of Colorado Denver Health Sciences Center) and her colleagues analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2003-2006). The study involved 4,528 US adults 18 years of age or older with no prior history of hypertension. Study participants answered questions related to their consumption of foods and beverages such as fruit juices, soft drinks, bakery products, and candy. Dr. Jalal's team found that people who consumed a diet of 74 grams or more per day of fructose (corresponding to 2.5 sugary soft drinks per day) had a 26%, 30%, and 77% higher risk for blood pressure levels of 135/85, 140/90, and 160/100 mmHg, respectively. (A normal blood pressure reading is below 120/80 mmHg.)
"Our study identifies a potentially modifiable risk factor for high blood pressure. However, well-planned prospective randomized clinical studies need to be completed to see if low fructose diets will prevent the development of hypertension and its complications," said Dr. Jalal.
Study co-authors include Richard Johnson, MD, Gerard Smits, PhD, and Michel Chonchol, MD (University of Colorado Denver Health Sciences Center).

Secret Ingredient In Honey That Kills Bacteria

Secret Ingredient In Honey That Kills Bacteria

Ultimately, researchers isolated the defensin-1 protein, which is part of the honey bee immune system and is added by bees to honey. After analysis, the scientists concluded that the vast majority of honey's antibacterial properties come from that protein.

by Staff WritersBethesda, MD (SPX) Jul 02, 2010 Sweet news for those looking for new antibiotics: A new research published in the July 2010 print edition of the FASEB Journal explains for the first time how honey kills bacteria. Specifically, the research shows that bees make a protein that they add to the honey, called defensin-1, which could one day be used to treat burns and skin infections and to develop new drugs that could combat antibiotic-resistant infections.
"We have completely elucidated the molecular basis of the antibacterial activity of a single medical-grade honey, which contributes to the applicability of honey in medicine," said Sebastian A.J. Zaat, Ph.D., a researcher involved in the work from the Department of Medical Microbiology at the Academic Medical Center in Amsterdam.
"Honey or isolated honey-derived components might be of great value for prevention and treatment of infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria."
To make the discovery, Zaat and colleagues investigated the antibacterial activity of medical-grade honey in test tubes against a panel of antibiotic-resistant, disease-causing bacteria. They developed a method to selectively neutralize the known antibacterial factors in honey and determine their individual antibacterial contributions.
Ultimately, researchers isolated the defensin-1 protein, which is part of the honey bee immune system and is added by bees to honey. After analysis, the scientists concluded that the vast majority of honey's antibacterial properties come from that protein.
This information also sheds light on the inner workings of honey bee immune systems, which may one day help breeders create healthier and heartier honey bees.
"We've known for millennia that honey can be good for what ails us, but we haven't known how it works," said Gerald Weissmann, M.D., Editor-in-Chief of the FASEB Journal, "Now that we've extracted a potent antibacterial ingredient from honey, we can make it still more effective and take the sting out of bacterial infections."