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Resveralife on Live Well: Indulge Your Senses

The transition from the warmer months to the cooler months might call for more drastic measures than a simple wardrobe change. As the cold weather begins to throw its tantrums, you need to bundle up and start spending more time cozying yourself indoors. This leads to your skin becoming dehydrated. According to the owner of Amba Health and Beauty Spa, Corrina MacConnel, one of the biggest culprits when it comes to tormenting your skin during the winters is the heat that you put on in your home and in your car. During the summer months, the skin absorbs more moisture. You also eat more fresh fruits and drink more water. Furthermore, your skin gets its Vitamin D naturally from the sun. However, as the cooler months arrive, your skin loses its moisture and its beautiful summer glow. Vine Vera believes that you don’t really need an excuse to pamper your skin, but the loss of moisture certainly gives you the ideal excuse to enjoy beauty and wellness treatments. This Resveralife Live Well Guide helps you understand how to best indulge your senses.

Bring back your glowing looks

The cooler temperatures can dry up the natural oils that are present in your skin because of the lack of humidity in the air. Moreover, the cold winds also lead to windburns and chapping on your exposed skin. This makes it extremely important to pamper your skin, so as to prevent ghastly looks and bring back your summer glow. There are a few spa treatments that certainly stand out when it comes to bringing back glowing looks. The Organic Men’s Facial at the Rosseau Spa, the Hydradermie Facial at the Amba Spa and the Beaute Neuve Treatment at the Amba Spa are worth mention. Alternatively, you can also try out Vine Vera’s Vitamin C Deep Peeling, Vitamin C Serum and the Vitamin C Day Cream. These three products from the VineVera Vitamin C Collection can help you bring back your long lost radiance, target the appearance of issues like acne and sensitive skin and make your skin glow like before.

Indulge in Manicures and Pedicures

Manicures and pedicures are an ideal way of ensuring that your hands and feet look soft, beautiful and healthy. Whether you apply polish to make your nails look beautiful or indulge in a luxe treatment to get spa-perfect nails, you can choose from all sorts of manicures and pedicures at the top spas in your city. All Amba Spas offer you with regular manicures and pedicures that come along with refreshing aromatherapy wraps around your neck and a soothing foot scrub. And as for the best colors to sport this winter, think of things like golds, silvers, reds, dark purples and grays. Nail lovers are also likely to fall in love with the treatments offered by the HM Spa. Not only can one choose from a vast variety of colors, the soak-off gel offerings create intense sensations as well.

Get Epic Massages

Exfoliating scrubs, body wraps and full body massages are certainly the best and most relaxing treatments that you can offer to your body in the cooler months. Things like hot stone massages help you to relax your muscles and increase the blood circulation. You can also use all sorts of body wraps to replenish your skin and make your skin look younger and fresher. One of the best options is the Couple Massage at The Rosseau Spa. This exciting experience includes a customized facial, a couple’s massage, aromatherapy bath and a scrub. Alternatively, you can simply delight yourself with one of Vine Vera’s luxurious masks that can help you enjoy a spa-like experience at the comfort of your home.

Simply put, even though you don’t really need excuses to pamper your skin, the dehydration that the cooler months bring along with them certainly give you the perfect excuse to take some time off to pamper your skin.

Resveralife on Live Well: Art and Your Health

Although it might not be news to you that art can have a major impact on your mood, it might certainly be news to you that art can have a major impact on your health as well. Recent research has actually shown that picking and hanging the right artwork in a room can help to improve the mood  and the overall health of its occupant. It is obvious that any form of art can contribute to the psychological well-being of an individual. It might not be the greatest source of happiness for everyone and everyone might not be highly skilled in it, but it is more than likely to give all sorts of people a lot of happiness. This post tries to shows you how art and your health might be connected.

In the recent years, there have been a number of studies that have been conducted to determine the impact that art has to play on the overall well-being and health of a person. It has been shown that art can actually supplement proper care and medicine in helping out people with physical or mental health issues. Research has gone on to show that engaging the person in art can actually prevent the disease from developing and create a sense of well-being.

The proof of the existence of a positive relationship between art and your health was discovered in a study conducted by the Health Working Group in the year 2007. This study found out that there was substantial evidence that art helped in creating an environment that promoted and developed good health. This study was backed by a paper published by the British Medical Association in the year 2011. This paper measured the improvements caused by arts and humanities programs on hospital inpatients and found out that such programs helped to shorten the duration of the hospital stay, reduce the consumption of drugs, improve mental balance, bring about positive psychological changes and promote better doctor-patient relationships.

According to Dr. Daniel Levitin from the McGill University, music can actually activate certain areas of your brain the same way that chocolates, orgasms or opium manage to. Dr. Levitin also states that music might also be the last thing that fades away from the memories of people suffering from diseases like the Alzheimer’s Disease. Furthermore, recent studies discovered that singing releases a set of substances that play the role of painkillers for your brain. The vast impact that music had to offer to the overall well-being of a person led to the development of things like music therapy as well.

Another art that is believed to be highly beneficial in terms of easing the pain and the stress caused is art therapy. Megan Robb, a certified art therapist, believes that traumatic memories are usually stored in the brain in the form of images. This makes art therapy an ideal way to access these memories and heal the patients. Once these images are drawn, words can be formed in order to describe them. Resveralife came across a few studies supported by the NIH that have also shown that art can help in improving the quality of life of an individual, reduce the fatigue suffered by cancer patients and also help out with issues like depression.

Other forms of art that have also shown to help you live well include writing and dancing.

Writing "Good Morning" on chalkboard

Resveralife on Live Well: Have Better Mornings

Ever found yourself struggling to cope up with things in the morning? Ever felt like you never have enough time in the morning? Of course you have. Almost everyone goes through the same feeling every morning and struggles to get done with their daily chores before leaving for work. Resveralife brings you some exciting Live Well tips to help you have better mornings.

Live Well Tip # 1 – Think more

The mornings are usually quieter and you feel more contemplative. The best time to think is during the mornings. So make the most use of it. You can use your mornings to schedule your tasks, consider your options and plan out your day. This should help you increase your efficiency and make your day more productive.

Live Well Tip # 2 – Keep a track of your morning habits

If you’re always running late in the mornings, chances are that you’re wasting time somewhere. Streamline your morning routine and get rid of any time wasters. Chalk out a list of must do’s and revise it to device the perfect morning schedule. More importantly, make sure that you stick to it. It should take some time getting used to, but this tip should definitely help you unclutter those morning hours.

Live Well Tip # 3 – Eat less at night

One of the best ways to enjoy better mornings is to eat less at night. Save up on the big meal for your mornings. This should help you channelize your energy and keep you fresh throughout the day.

Live Well Tip # 4 – Enjoy your skin care routine

If you have access to a luxurious skin care collection and follow a proper morning skin care routine, you are really in for a treat. Pampering your skin the first thing after a bath not only helps you to make it look younger and healthier, it also helps you feel refreshed and rejuvenated.

Live Well Tip # 5 – Space out your coffee intake

If you’re one of those who use caffeine to jumpstart your morning routines, it really makes sense to space out your caffeine intakes and enjoy smaller caffeine boosts. Space out the caffeine throughout the morning hours and chances are that you’re going to enjoy the rest of your day. An even better option would be to switch to something more healthy like green tea.

Live Well Tip # 6 – Exercise

Exercising the first thing in the morning can help you stay fresh throughout the day. This helps you to tell your body that it is time to become active. Moreover, you should also see the condition of your skin and health improve over time with regular morning exercises. If you’re not much of a jogging person, simply do as many pushups as you can, wait for 30 seconds and repeat the entire set twice.

Live Well Tip # 7 – Understand your peak performance times

Different people have different peak performance times with inspirations arriving at different times. However, it is not always possible to reschedule your work timings. Therefore, learning more about your personal energy schedule can work wonders in terms of improving your day and making your mornings easier.

Which of these tips helped to make the biggest difference in your morning routine? Let Resveralife know by sharing your thoughts in the comments box below.

Resveralife Brings You the Fall Edition of Living Well, Eating Well and Looking Well

Resveralife knows that looking well, eating well and living well are three of the most important concerns of modern day man. It might be easier said than done, but with the right kind of advice, you can easily transform your lifestyle to incorporate all three features into your life. The Resveralife guide to living, eating, and looking well offers you the best and the hottest tips to transform the way you live, the way you eat and the way you look this fall season.


Living Well – 5 Exercise Routines to Try

Living well is all about experiencing the best that life has to offer. And the good news is that living well isn’t overtly difficult. Exercise is an important factor of living well. One of the best ways to incorporate fitness in your life is to add a few simple exercise routines into your daily routine. This guide to living well acquaints you with some of  the best and most effective exercises.

  1. Zumba – Zumba is an aerobic dance routine that is famous in studios and clubs all the way from Los Angeles to Miami. The Latin music tends to make you feel happier and the refreshing routine can recharge your body and your soul.
  2. Ugi Ball – The Ugi ball is everything that medicine balls are not – it is squishy, weighted, stylish and extremely beautiful. It is an ideal functional fitness tool because it challenges you to use all your muscle groups at the same time.
  3. Bosu Balance Trainer – The Bosu Balance Trainer resembles an exercise ball that has been cut into half. It offers you an exciting way to exercise and it has become a staple inclusions at most gyms and health clubs. The Bosu Balance Trainer is ideal for targeting multiple fitness areas like stability, balance, endurance and strength.
  4. CrossFit – It is impossible to talk about exercise routines without mentioning CrossFit. Considered to be one of the most beginner friendly exercises, CrossFit is a high-intensity program that can be completely scaled to your fitness ability. From athletes to lazy bums, this exercise can suit all sorts of people.
  5. Body Weight Training – The benefits of Body Weight Training have been discussed millions of times before, and we’re about to do it all over again. This routine doesn’t need any fancy gym equipment and it allows you to build your balance, strength and flexibility.

Eating Well – 5 Side Dishes to Try

The eating well guide can offer you the perfect starting point when it comes to adding some healthy side dishes to your diet. Eating a balance diet – a diet that is rich in fruits and vegetables, proteins and dairy products – is a must when it comes to leading a healthy life. It’s OK to indulge in a treat every now and then, but your overall food choices on a daily basis are very important. This eating well guide brings you some of the best side dishes that are high on the taste factor and also on the healthy quotient.

  1. Roasted Brussels Sprouts – Remove the brown ends of the sprouts and pull off the outer yellow colored leaves. Mix them with salt, pepper and olive oil and spread them out on a sheet pan. Roast for 35 minutes, until crisp on the outside and tender on the inside.  Sprinkle with kosher salt and serve.
  2. Butternut Squash Soup – Chop squash and onion into large sized chunks and crush garlic. Pour oil in a roasting tin and throw in thyme, onions, garlic and squash. Roast for about 30 – 40 minutes at 350F. Place the roasted vegetables in a blender, add a few spoons of stock and blend. Add more stock if you want to make the soup thinner. Season and serve.
  3. Italian Kale – Cook kale in a large saucepan over medium heat until the leaves begin to wilt. When the volume of kale in the saucepan is reduced by half, add olive oil, garlic and vinegar. Cook for a couple more minutes and serve with salt and pepper.
  4. Wild Rice – Dress up long-grain and wild rice mix by adding some marsala and fresh mushrooms. This side dish is guaranteed to be a big hit at the dining table.
  5. Spicy Collard Greens – Place bacon in a deep skillet and cook until it becomes brown. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add black pepper, bacon, cayenne pepper, salt, collard greens and vinegar. Boil until greens become tender.

Looking Well – 5 Makeup Looks to Try

If you don’t have perfect looking skin you more than likely use makeup to improve its appearance. If you do have amazing skin you probably still want to change up your look with some makeup. Resveralife is here to help with tips to apply your makeup right way and look amazing. 1. Cat-eye Eyeliner – Cat-eye eyeliner is super fashionable and fun look to rock. It can give you a flattering look, irrespective of your eye shape and make you look mysterious even when you go low-key with the rest of your makeup. Here’s how to get the perfect cat-eye look:Closeup of a model wearing berry-colored makeup. and a cat eye

  1. Start off in the middle of your upper eyelid and draw a line as close to your lashes as possible. Draw this line in a single stroke or using numerous short strokes, depending on how skilled you are. With practice, you should be able to get it right in one go.
  2. Next move to the inner corner of your eye and draw a fine line towards the one that you just drew.
  3. Draw a line from the last lash to create the wing. You can decide upon the angle and length. A good trick to get the angle right is to imagine that your extending extension from you lower lashline
  4. Draw a line connecting the tip of your wing tail to the line near your eyelashes, this should create a triangle shape.
  5. Color in your triangle.
  6. Finish off the look with thickening black mascara. Use 2-3 coats for best results.

2. Cranberry Eyeshadow – Cranberry eyeshadow can give you an easy and sleek look that is ideal to sport during the changing seasons. Pair it with nude or berry lips for best results.

  1. Prime your lids using your favorite primer.
  2. Add a light colored base shadow which stretches from the brow bone to the crease.
  3. Use a matte, medium eyeshadow shade on your crease. Using a clean brush blend it towards your brow.
  4. Use a matte, deep maroon shade in the corners of your lids and in the corner of your crease.
  5. Blend all edges with a clean blending brush.
  6. Apply a metallic burgundy shade on the center of the eyelid.
  7. Apply a matte, neutral medium toned shade on the lower lash line.
  8. Use a liner brush to apply the matte, deep maroon shade closer to the lash line.
  9. Add a touch of the metallic burgundy shade to your lower lash line.
  10. Highlight using a shimmer, warm off-white shade.

3. Eggplant Nail Polish – Eggplant nail polish is a perennial fall favorite. Use a shade that almost looks black in color and appears to be all nineties and vampy. The secret is that when light falls on this shade, it gives off gleaming hints of purple. This is what makes eggplant nail polish so enchanting. 4. Dark, vampy lips – Dark, vampy lips were seen at fall fashion shows all over the world. That is not to mention the numerous celebrities who have already been sporting this look everywhere. The best part is that with all sorts wine stained and berry colored shades to choose from, you can easily find a shade that suits you perfectly. 5. Berry cheeks – Berry cheeks are definitely worth your while this fall. They go well with your cranberry eyeshadow as well and vampy lips.

Resveralife Reviews Resveratrol as a Sleep Aid

What if we told you that there was a way to make your skin look younger and healthier as well as help your sleep cycles using the same ingredient? Over the years, numerous studies and trials have been conducted around Resveratrol to try and determine the wonders that this miracle ingredient can offer to your skin and your health. Vine Vera recently came across studies which show that apart from offering you with all sorts of skin benefits, Resveratrol can also be used as a sleep aid.

So what is Resveratrol? Well, Resveratrol is an antioxidant that is found in the skin of red grapes, red wine, nuts and other plant sources. It became very popular in the world of skin care because of its anti-aging properties and the fact that topical applications of Resveratrol proved to be far more effective than including Resveratrol in your diet. So where does sleep come in?

Vine Vera reviews a recent study that was conducted by researchers from the Maastricht University Medical Center, Netherlands and was published in the Cell Metabolism Journal. This study states that Resveratrol enabled the bodies reduce the sleeping metabolic rates, increase the muscle efficiency and allow the body to burn the same amount of energy over 24 hours. This study was based on a trial conducted with male subjects who were offered 150mg of Resveratrol every day for a period of 30 days.

Another study published in the Chronobiology International Journal proved to be even more informative. This study tried to research on the effects of Resveratrol on the sleep-wake cycle of a lemur. After 3 weeks of Resveratrol supplementation, the animal displayed an increased proportion of active-awake time. This was also accompanied by a huge reduction in slow-wave sleep and paradoxical sleep. The study also showed that these changes mainly occurred during the resting phase of the lemur sleep-wake cycle. Thus, the data obtained by the study goes on to suggest that Resveratrol might actually be an excellent regulator of sleep-wake rhythms.

A series of clinical trials conducted in Japan have also proved to be highly positive. The subjects of this trial were offered with a single dose of 14mg Resveratrol before they went to sleep. The study found out that Resveratrol considerably helped to improve the well-rested feeling among subjects who had taken these supplements. Sleep observations and brain wave measurements of these subjects further suggested that Resveratrol offered a sufficient improvement in terms of non-REM sleep, which is believed to be the most important aspect of sleeping properly.

These studies make Resveratrol an extremely interesting subject in the study of sleep perturbations that are associated with aging. Although more tests need to be carried out before conclusive evidence can be derived, the chances of a positive relationship between Resveratrol and your sleep cycles certainly seem to be extremely high.

In fact, Japan has already rolled out the first patent to use a Resveratrol based product for sleep improvement based on the human clinical data which indicates the ingredient’s ability to help improve the quality of sleep among humans when compared to placebo.

Vine Vera Researches: Resveratrol a Cure For Metabolic Syndrome? VineVera Reviews

Resveratrol, a natural compound that is found in red wine and in the skin of red grapes, has emerged as one of the most popular skin care ingredients in the world. Vine Vera uses Resveratrol as its signature ingredient, primarily because of the wonders that it has to offer to one’s skin. There are numerous studies that have already shown the wonders that Resveratrol has to offer as a skin care ingredient. However, many more studies that can take Resveratrol research and its uses to an entirely new level are currently in various stages of completion.

Vine Vera reviews a study that was published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. The authors of this study are a group of Danish researchers who tried to determine whether or not Resveratrol could help cure metabolic syndromes, an issue that can cause bone loss. Metabolic syndromes have been linked to low-level inflammation and it is basically a cluster of risk factors that can increase the chances of things like diabetes, heart diseases and strokes. Some of the main risk factors that the body goes through when suffering from the metabolic syndrome include high levels of triglycerides, increased blood pressure, abdominal obesity and reduced density of good cholesterol levels.

According to Marie Juul Ørnstrup, one of the authors of the study who works for the Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark; this study is the first Resveratrol study that tries to determine the potential of Resveratrol as an anti-osteoporosis drug that can help humans.

This study was performed as a double-blinded, placebo controlled trial that tried to assess the signs of bone formation and resorption and bone mineral density in sixty six men who suffered from metabolic syndrome. This trial went on for a period of 16 weeks, where the men were either made to take a placebo, a 500mg dose of Resveratrol or a 75mg dose of Resveratrol two times a day.

According to the results of the trial, men who took the 500mg dose of Resveratrol saw an increase of almost 2.6% in terms of the volumetric bone mineral density of the lumbar spine. Moreover, the group of men who were offered a higher percentage of Resveratrol also managed to see a 16% increase in the BAP levels (Bone formation marker Alkaline Phosphatase levels) when compared to the rest of the group.

Marie states that the findings of this study state that the Resveratrol can actually stimulate the bone-forming cells within the human body. She also mentions that within just four months of being offered with a high dose of Resveratrol, the study observed a significant increase in the BAP levels as well as improvements in the bone mineral density.

Marie believes that this study has actually offered the scientific world with highly encouraging results. Although additional research is still needed before it can be ascertained whether Resveratrol can actually offer these wonders and whether Resveratrol can be used for long-term treatments, but experts from the skin care and scientific world are already excited to find out yet another wonder that Resveratrol has to offer.

Woman holding a breast cancer ribbon

Study Identifies Resveratrol's Ability to Inhibit Cancer

A chemical found in the skin of red grapes and in red wine, is considered to be extremely effective in fighting cancer, even after the metabolism present in the human body converts this chemical into other compounds. Vine Vera reviews a study that was published in the Science Translational Medicine Journal confirms.

This study was conducted by a group of researchers working for the Department of Cancer Studies and Molecular Medicine at the University of Leicester. This study reveals that Resveratrol, a popular antioxidant found in red wine, doesn’t become ineffective after it has been metabolized by the body.

This proves to be an extremely important finding that shows the effectiveness of Resveratrol in the human body, because recent studies had shown that Resveratrol gets metabolized very quickly, thereby raising questions on its effectiveness. This new research also shows that Resveratrol can still be taken in by the cells, even after it has been transformed into Resveratrol sulfates by the body’s metabolism.

The study also shows that enzymes present within the cells manage to break down the Resveratrol sulfates back into Resveratrol. In fact, this study actually shows that Resveratrol might be even more effective once it is transformed from Resveratrol sulfates, because of the higher concentrations.

The team had administered Resveratrol sulfates into mice to further their research. They subsequently managed to detect the presence of free Resveratrol in a variety of tissues and the plasma of mice. This is the first direct sign of the fact that Resveratrol sulfates can be transformed back into Resveratrol by the body, thereby leading researchers to believe that the compound might be even more beneficial than initially thought.

The study also confirmed that the Resveratrol generated from the Resveratrol sulfates can actually slow down the growth of cancer cells by forcing them to digest their own constituents and preventing them from dividing further.

According to Professor Karen Brown, there is some serious evidence from the lab testings that Resveratrol can not just prevent a variety of cancers, but can also protect the body from heart diseases in order to extend the lifespan of the body. It is common knowledge that Resveratrol rapidly converts into sulfates in animals.

This means that the plasma concentrations of Resveratrol become low after administration. Professor Brown states that it was always difficult for experts to understand how Resveratrol managed to offer its benefits when the concentrations were so low. She also mentions that this was one of the main reasons why many experts were doubtful if Resveratrol had any effects whatsoever on humans.

However, the latest study has actually shown that the compound can be regenerated into a more potent form and that this compound can then offer biological activity to the body in order to make itself useful in treating all sorts of diseases. However, most of these discoveries have been made in laboratory settings. Whether or not the compound actually manages to offer such benefits to humans remains to be seen.

Dr. Sarah Williams, the health information officer of Cancer Research UK, mentioned that this study supports the continued research into Resveratrol. She also mentioned that it was important to note that none of the effects were because of drinking red wine and that consuming any sort of alcohol, red wine included, increases the chances of developing cancer.

Resveralife Examines the Connection Between Red Wine and Your Vision

It is a common fact that drinking way too much of alcohol can end up damaging your vision. However, studies have also managed to prove that drinking red wine can actually have a positive effect on your vision as it prevents your eyesight from deteriorating. But, before you open another bottle of red wine to celebrate, let’s read on a bit.

According to a group of researchers affiliated with the Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis; Resveratrol, a substance that is found in extremely high levels in the skin of red grapes, can prevent the growth of harmful blood vessels. This helps the compound to protect the vessels in your eyes from aging damage. Apart from anti-aging, Resveratrol has been commonly linked to the deterrence of an eye condition known as AMD (Age-related Macular Degeneration) and the prevention of cancer.

Vine Vera reviews reports released by the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) which state that almost 11 million people suffer from AMD in the US. These reports also suggest that the number of people suffering from AMD should increase to almost 18 million in the year 2050. This disease is basically a condition where a part of the retina (towards the center) as well as the part of the eye which is necessary for sharp vision gets damaged. AMD is also known to be the main cause of vision loss among adults over the age of 50.

According to Sandy T. Feldman, a popular ophthalmologist in San Diego, people have begun to look for ways to prevent and treat common eye disorders including AMD. This new study might come across as a pleasant surprise for all such people because red wine is a favorite for countless people across the globe. To understand that it might have certain health benefits, is certainly pleasing.

Resveratrol is commonly found in the skin of red grapes, but its benefits can also be found in raspberries, cranberries, blueberries and peanuts. Of course, moderation is the key when it comes to any form of alcohol, but it can definitely benefit a person’s vision.

Those of you who are unaware of AMD, here are some of the main symptoms of the disease:

  • Blurry Vision – Blurry vision, dark spots or white spots might occur in your central vision if you’re suffering from AMD.
  • Color Changes – A changed or diminished perception of color is yet another symptom of AMD.
  • Distorted Vision – People suffering from AMD might also begin to suffer from distorted vision as the straight lines may begin to appear distorted.

Ultimately, the best way of ensuring that you protect yourself from eye diseases is to maintain a healthy lifestyle, regulate your diets, add food items that are beneficial for the eyes and perform regular eye exercises. The red wine study certainly comes as an added incentive of taking care for one’s eyes.

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. 

Examining antioxidants

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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