nutrition

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Skin’s healthy glow comes from inside, not outside

November 25, 2009 in Health | No comments

Have you ever noticed how people who eat only junk food and sit at a computer all day, never getting exercise have an unattractive hue to their skin? Of course there is your classic world-of-warcraft shut-in who’s diet consists of doritos and ice cream. What is it about their skin that makes them unattractive?

Research out of Bristol and St. Andrew’s, UK has shed light on the link between an attractive skin color in humans and the lifestyle that goes with it. As no surprise to the health nut, maintaining a nutritious diet and getting regular exercise determines the attractiveness of one’s skin tone.

“We knew from our previous work that people who have more blood and more oxygen color in their skins looked healthy, and so we decided to see what other colors affect health perceptions. This has given us some clues as to what other skin pigments may relate to a healthy appearance.”

Science has already clued us into the harmful damage sun exposure does to the skin cells.  Also, with the recent findings in other studies suggesting that spray-on tanning may cause lung cancer, it is perhaps fitting to revisit the basics of human health.  Your skin is a walking billboard of your internal health.  So don’t fry your integument in the sun and don’t spray chemicals on it either.  If you eat healthy, clean foods and get exercise you won’t have a need to change your skin color artificially.

Read more at Science Daily

Folic Acid Overdose May “Feed” Cancer

November 19, 2009 in Health | No comments

Recent studies have suggested that not enough folate in the diet may lead to carcinogenesis (process whereby normal cells are turned into cancerous cells) and too much folic acid may increase the growth of already present cancerous cells.  These findings augment the all to familiar adage: “Too much of a good thing is a bad thing”.  It should come as no surprise that a healthy balance of anything, including folic acid is the best way to enhance the body’s functions.  An apple a day may keep the doctor away, but 100 apples will certainly make you sick.

“Experimental evidence suggests that folate deficiency may promote initial stages of carcinogenesis, whereas high doses of folic acid may enhance growth of cancer cells. Since 1998, many countries, including the United States, have implemented mandatory folic acid fortification of flour and grain products to reduce the risk of neural-tube birth defects,” the authors write. “Recently, concerns have emerged about the safety of folic acid, in particular with respect to cancer risk.” From Science Daily

Taking this further, it should be noted that the best way to ingest folic acid is not through supplements or “enriched” cereals.  Folic acid is best taken in it’s natural form through foods that contain it naturally such as asparagus, okra, oranges, spinach, grapefruit, and nuts.