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Woman suffering through menopause
 by Mayank

Resveralife Studies the Connection Between Menopause, Hormone Therapy and Skin Aging

Vine Vera tries to study the connection between Menopause, Hormone Therapy and Skin Aging with the help of various studies and trials available on the subjects. One of the most common examples of where enthusiasm for a drug’s supposed benefits surpassed supporting research is Menopause Hormone Therapy (HT). This therapy was a major feat in marketing and by the year 2002, almost 38% of older women in the US had taken one form or the other of HT. Although evidence of the relief offered by HT was properly supported by scientific data, there was no concrete proof of the supposed long term benefits that this therapy had to offer. Today, there is adequate data which shows that HT actually poses a number of health risks and as a result, many women have already stopped taking the therapy. However, some still continue to advocate that HT can help menopausal women by combating the signs of aging.

 

The main reason why menopause symptoms are quite evident on the skin is because of the reduction in the production of estrogen, which directly affects the moisture content and the elasticity of the skin. It is believed that lower estrogen levels lead to issues like dryness, sagging, wrinkles and skin aging. However, the converse of this assumption hasn’t been adequately proved either. For example, men with higher levels of estrogen don’t necessarily have better skin.

 

In fact, there is very little evidence which supports the theories that menopause leads to wrinkling. A study known as the Kronos Early Estrogen Prevention Study (KEEPS) had performed a clinical trial with 720 menopausal women. This study found that estrogen wasn’t the main cause which led to skin aging and wrinkling. This study also found that the time lapse in menopausal transitions did not affect the skin either. In fact, amongst all aging factors, only frown lines could be directly related to menopause. All other signs of aging were related to cigarette smoking and the aging process.

 

However, even if estrogen isn’t a major problem, women still prefer to use the therapies to minimize and prevent aging, provided the therapies work. Again, the evidence supporting the effectiveness of these therapies isn’t conclusive either. There were two trials that took place with regards to HT – one with Oral HT and the other with Topical HT. The Oral HT trial was conducted in the year 2008 by the Boston University. This study examined 485 women who were offered two doses of norethindrone acetate and ethinyl estradiol. The results did not show any improvements in terms of skin texture, fine lines or wrinkles. The second trial with Topical HT was also conducted in the year 2009 by the University of Michigan. This study actually found benefits upon topical applications. The study showed that the estradiol cream helped to stimulate collagen production. However, these benefits were only seen on areas of the skin where sun damage wasn’t prevalent. Thus, this study also suggested that topical estrogen also has a very limited use.

 

Another solution that was discussed about was the option of using topical progesterone creams. This cream was used in a clinical trial conducted in the year 2005 by the University of Vienna. The study examined the effects of applying topical progesterone cream daily on the face of a menopausal woman. This study also found that although the cream had significant benefits to offer when it came to reducing fine lines and wrinkles, it could not treat skin dryness. However, this study was preliminary in nature and it was too soon to be used in over the counter products.

 

This goes on to show that even though HT did not offer any significant improvements, progesterone could actually help to combat the signs of aging. This led to the question if there were other solutions available as well. Well, the best way to prevent aging is to actually prevent aging. When it comes to aging, having some level of common sense and self discipline can go a long way. Protecting the skin from sun exposure and quitting smoking can alone help you to ensure that your skin stays young and you don’t succumb to premature aging. Using Retinol based skin care products (a clinically proven anti-ager) can also work wonders when it comes to preventing skin aging.

 

Moreover, the supposed benefits of such treatments have always been talked about. But, what about the negative side effects? Side effects such as melasma, a condition which leads to dark spots on your skin. Melasma is perhaps one of the most well documented and long lasting side effects of HT treatments.

 

This leads us to believe that menopause might have a minor role to play in terms of skin aging, but it is in no ways the main reason behind skin aging among middle aged and older women. What ultimately lead to skin aging are factors like smoking, sun exposure and poor skin care habits. It doesn’t make sense to rely on drugs that have very little clinical data to back them up. What ultimately helps you to keep your skin beautiful and supple is basic common sense and the sense of differentiating the right from the wrong. 

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Examining antioxidants
 by Resveralife

Resveralife Examines Whether Antioxidants Are Enough to Protect Alpha Personalities from Premature Aging

A few findings that were published in the “Functional Ecology” Journal state that unequal workloads might make the dominant individual more susceptible to premature aging and an increased risk of diseases. Scientists warn that alpha males and alpha females who are driven to do more than their share of the work might be at an increased risk of premature aging and might also have a shorter lifespan because they would be more susceptible to problems like heart diseases.

According to a study that was conducted using white-browed sparrows, it was determined that males and females who end up doing most of the work are more than likely to suffer from oxidative stress than those who don’t.

If you have an idea about your daily skin care routine, you would already be aware that oxidative stress usually occurs due to a lack of adequate antioxidants in the body. This is believed to lead to all sorts of illnesses such as accelerated aging, Alzheimer’s disease and heart disease. The study used white-browed sparrows because in a white-browed sparrow community the dominant male and female species are the only ones who defend the community’s territory. They are also the only birds that breed. Therefore, in order to assess the impact of these unequal workloads on the overall health of the birds, scientists measured the level of antioxidant protection being enjoyed by 93 different sparrow weavers before and after the breeding season.

Dr. Dominic Cram, the lead author of the study, states that animals or humans are known to divide their workloads when they live together in communities. It is common for some individuals to work harder than the others. This study was mostly conducted to investigate whether the members who work the hardest are the healthiest and whether their optimal health allows them to work more than the rest of the community. Another objective of the study was to determine whether the work rate has any impact on the health or not.

The results of the study showed that even though the antioxidant levels of the dominant individuals and the subordinates could be compared to each other before the start of the breeding season, some of the most hard working females ended up suffering from a much weakened antioxidant protection at the end of a 6 month long breeding season.

It is common knowledge that antioxidants help animals and humans to protect their bodies from the damaging free radicals present in the environment. According to Dr. Andrew Young, the co-author of the study, the findings suggest that an unequal sharing of workload might leave the harder working individual more susceptible to oxidative stress which ultimately leads to things like accelerated aging and poor health conditions.

This study could end up being extremely significant is it is one of the very first studies which suggests that social dominance in species might also lead to certain psychological costs that can have direct implications in terms of the aging and health patterns.

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Woman on stationary bike with a glass of red wine
 by Resveralife

Resveralife Asks: Can Wine Replace the Gym?

Some might consider wine to be a toxic irritant in the system, but recent reports seem to show that the ancients might have got it right once again by substituting water with wines in their diets. A number of studies now state that this grape based intoxicant might have antioxidant qualities to offer to the human body. This simply makes us wonder whether wine can help us feel healthier or not and how much of wine should we be drinking. After all, drinking more wine is what the entire French Paradox is about, isn’t it?

 

Wine was considered to be a staple in ancient times because water was more or less contaminated with pathogens and deadly diseases. Moreover, in many places water ended up becoming a luxury, whereas wine could be found everywhere. Such was its popularity, that it managed to linger on for centuries when countless other alcohols came and went. And as many wine lovers would love to swear by, they still seem younger than many of their non-drinking buddies.

 

In a recent study that was conducted to determine whether wine consumption had any benefits, researchers have discovered that red wine contains an active ingredient known as Resveratrol, an ingredient that is commonly found in nuts and red grapes. Resveratrol is considered to offer significant anti-aging benefits with regular use and it is also believed to be one of the most powerful antioxidants in the world. Numerous wine based studies also confirm that Resveratrol has a way of improving the cardiovascular health of our elderly, when used in the right doses.

 

In fact, another study also mentioned out that red wine could be effectively termed as a substitute to exercising because it helped to protect muscle loss and preserve muscle tone. However, despite these results, Resveratrol studies are still in their nascent stages and it is always best to drink wine in moderation.

 

What you can do is that you can alter your daily routines to accommodate some red wine and give your body with the wondrous benefits that Resveratrol has to offer. And No. Don’t be lazy. We don’t mean that skipping out on your daily exercise is ok. Here are a few things that you can do.

  • Maintain your daily exercise routine. Resveratrol might be helping you with muscle toning and preventing muscle loss, but exercising is about a lot more than maintaining your muscles. It also has a lot to do with keeping you healthy. What you can do is that you could wind down with a glass of wine. This helps you to look good as well as feel good.
  • Bring in the reds. Dessert wines might taste fantabulous, but they don’t offer you with any Resveratrol whatsoever. So, cut out on the tastes that a Chardonnay has to offer. Red wine is just as tasty and its extremely healthy too.
  • Always drink in moderation. Resveratrol might be beneficial for your body, but always drink wine in moderation. Wine also contains alcoholic content and sugar that can accumulate toxins and poisons in your body. Drinking too much of wine can also cause a lot of internal damage to your body. Remember, wine can act as a Resveratrol supplement, it cannot act as a replacement for healthy lifestyles.

 

To sum up, can wine replace the gym? Nope!

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Nude model reflecting on body image
 by Resveralife

Resveralife on Body Image

Body image simply implies to how one thinks and feels about their body. It involves a number of things such as your emotions, thoughts, actions and perceptions with regards to your body. Body image doesn’t necessarily comprise of what you see when you look into the mirror or what other people think about your body. It essentially deals with how you feel about your body as a whole. Most people end up having the wrong impressions about body image. Having a good body image isn’t necessarily about having a slim-trim figure or looking flawless. Having a good body image is all about feeling happy and satisfied with your body. Things like over-exercising, dieting, low self-esteem, anxiety and depression are more than likely to ruin your body image. To sum up, the term body image simply defines the way a person perceives his/ her body to be and assumes that others perceive the same. Body image is most often affected by social pressure, social media, television, friends and family.

What do the Statistics say?
All you need to do is to read the statistics to understand how people perceive their bodies to be.

  • About 91% of the women are believed to be unhappy with their body image. As a result, they resort to things like dieting in order to get their bodies in shape.
  • Body image is closely related with self esteem. Many adolescents have low self esteem because they “think” that they have a poor body image. This leads to problems like eating disorders, suicidal thoughts, depression, substance use or early sexual activities.
  • Approximately 5.58% of the girls in college feel the need to maintain a particular weight.
  • Almost 40% of the women and 20% of the men have considered getting cosmetic surgeries done. These statistics are the same for all ages, races, and genders.
  • Students who are subjected to mainstream media are more likely to relate body image to looking sexy rather than relating it to their overall appearance.
  • About 95% people having eating disorders are aged between 12 – 25.
  • 38% men sacrifice at least one year of their life in their search for the “perfect body”.
  • Almost 23% of the men and 45% of the women who belong to the healthy weight bracket feel that they are overweight.

How to Improve Your Body Image
Improving your body image has nothing to do with looking sexy, having flawless skin, maintaining a particular figure or whitening your skin tone. There are a number of things that you can do to improve your body image, but first and foremost, you need to transform the way you look at your body. It’s not about looking hot or sexy. Its about feeling happy and satisfied with what you have.

  • Surround yourself with positive, supportive relationships. Although we have nothing against magazines or tabloids, many of them are useless when it comes to helping you improve your body image. A number of tabloids promote negative thoughts by showing you how overweight you are or shaming you for being too skinny. This leads to negative perceptions which ultimately leads to negative relationships. You need to ensure that you fill your surroundings with people who have a positive approach to life and are supportive of you, irrespective of how you “look”.
  • Exercise regularly. Be grateful for what your body is able to do rather than how it appears to be. You don’t have to over-exert yourself or participate in extreme sports to maintain that perfect body image. All you need to do is go for regular jogs and appreciate the fact that your body allows you to move from one place to the other. Hitting the gym is a great idea as well. But, make sure that you hit the gym for the right reasons, and not to “improve” your body image.
  • Eat a healthy, balanced diet. Research has proved that almost all young women and more than half of middle aged women have resorted to things like dieting. Dieting helps you to lose your weight quickly, but the moment you stop, you’re likely to gain it back. This “weight loss, weight gain” seesaw is extremely perilous for the body and it leads to a number of health problems and heart diseases. People who resort to dieting are also known to be susceptible to eating disorders. The best thing to do is to regulate your diet and eat healthy food.
  • Set realistic goals for self-improvement. You need to understand that not a single person is “perfect”. Each human being has his or her flaws. This is what makes us unique. This is what creates and defines our identity. Try to understand that even those perfect looking celebrities have “issues”. Try to set realistic goals for yourself and keep reminding yourself that “real” people are never perfect. Perfect people are only good for one of those wax museums.
  • Avoid negative self-talk. Research has shown that our brains can’t figure out the difference between things that it thinks, says or hears at some level or the other. Therefore, if you tell a person that he/ she needs to lose a couple of pounds, it is the same as telling yourself that you need to lose a couple of pounds. Avoid negative thoughts and don’t dissuade others. Remember, your brain is likely to take in all that information and feel that the messages were directed towards you.
  • Pamper Yourself. Indulge in things like therapeutic massages, proper sleeping hours, relaxing bubble baths or luxurious spa sessions. Pamper your body whenever you get the chance. If you feel good physically, it becomes much easier to enjoy your body and love it for what it is.
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Woman running on the beach
 by Resveralife

Benefits of Exercise for a Healthy Lifestyle

Benefits of Exercise

If you’ve been searching high and low for that miracle drug to lower the risk of heart diseases, diabetes, cancer and strokes by as much as 50% and boost your life span as well, you’ve come to the right place. What’ more, this drug is available for free and you don’t even need your doctors before getting some of it for yourself. If you’re still wondering what we are talking about, its exercise. Exercise is one of the most underrated cures simply because of the fact that it is available for free and requires one to dedicate some amounts of time and efforts. However, science has actually proved that being physically active can do wonders to boost your life span and keep you free from a number of diseases. Furthermore, physical exercises are also known to boost your self confidence, make you feel happier and energetic, reduce stress and ward off depression. In fact, if exercise were a pill, you’d be rushing off to the chemist to buy one right now. Here is a list of some of the main benefits of exercise.

 

Boosting happy chemicals throughout the body

Exercising might be tough and tiring, but it is definitely worth the effort. Your body releases a chemical known as endorphins during exercises. This chemical is known to create feelings of euphoria, ward off depression and make you feel happier. Therefore, exercises are one of the most commonly prescribed ailments for those suffering from anxiety or depression. And it doesn’t take too much of your time either. All you need to do is spend about 30 minutes in the gym about 5 – 6 days a week.

 

Reducing Stress and Anxiety

Getting over a rough day in school, college or at work can be quite difficult, but not when you have exercises to fall back on. One of the best benefits of exercises and workouts is that they help in reducing stress and anxiety. They moderate the stress levels by increasing the concentration of norepinephrine in the body. Norepinephrine is a chemical that moderates stress responses and boosts the ability to deal with mental tension.

 

Sharpening the Memory

Studies have shown that regular exercises help humans to boost their memory and enhance their ability to grasp and learn new things. Exercises are known to increase the production of cells in the hippocampus, the component responsible for learning and memory. This is one of the main reasons why children are encouraged to take part in regular physical exercises. And it’s not just the children. Grown ups can also benefit a great deal with exercises. In fact, according to a recent study, regular exercises helped adults to boost their vocabulary retention powers.

 

Health benefits

Numerous studies have proved that exercises can bring about a number of health benefits with them. Exercising is considered to be essential for those looking to live a happy life later on in their life. According to reports, exercises reduce the chances of heart related diseases and strokes by 35% and the type 2 diabetes and colon cancer by 50%. Furthermore, the chances of early death are reduced by 30% and the chances of breast cancer are reduced by as much as 20%.

 

Controlling addiction

The human brain releases a chemical known as dopamine in response to a form of pleasure, be it from drugs, sex, alcohol or exercises. Many people are known to become addicted to dopamine and substances like drugs and alcohol that help in producing it. Studies have shown that exercising can help one to control these addictions and help with addiction recovery as well. Furthermore, exercising also allows people to regulate their sleeping patterns which makes them sleep at the right time.

 

What counts as exercise?

You might feel happy in the knowledge that a few squats are helping you improve your health, but you’re not getting anything out of them. Exercises need to have a moderate intensity wherein you raise your heart rate and also break a sweat. Some of the most common moderate intensity exercises include bicycling, brisk walking, jogging, tennis and water aerobics. Remember, your daily chores cannot count as a form of exercise, except when you use the lawn movers to clear your backyard.

 

Recommended exercise levels

  • Children under the age of 5 should be doing 180 minutes of exercises each day.
  • Children between 5 – 18 should be doing 60 minutes of exercises each day.
  • People between the age 19 – 60 should be doing 180 minutes of exercise each week.
  • Adults over the age of 60 should be doing 150 minutes of exercise each week.
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