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RETARDING THE AGING PROCESS THROUGH THE REMARKABLE NUCLEIC ACIDS

admin — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 09:57:04 +0000

Aging is caused by the degeneration of cells. Our bodies are made up of millions of these cells, each with a life of somewhere around two years or less. But before a cell dies, it reproduces itself. Why, then, you might wonder, shouldn’t we look the same now as we did ten years ago? The reason for this is that with each successive reproduction, the cell goes through some alteration – basically, deterioration. So as our cells change, deteriorate, we grow old.

Dr. Benjamin S. Frank, author of Nucleic Acid Therapy in Aging and Degenerative Disease, has found that deteriorating cells can be rejuvenated if provided with substances that directly nourish them – substances such as nucleic acids.

DNA [deoxyribonucleic acid] and RNA [ribonucleic acid] are our nucleic acids. DNA is essentially a chemical boiler-plate for new cells. It sends out RNA molecules like a team of well-trained workers to form them. When DNA stops giving the orders to RNA, new cell construction ceases – as does life. But by helping the body stay well supplied with nucleic acids, Dr. Frank has found that you can look and feel six to twelve years younger than you actually are.

According to Dr. Frank, we need 1 to 1 1/2 g. of nucleic acid daily. Though the body can produce its own nucleic acids, he feels they are broken down too quickly into less useful compounds and should be supplied from external sources if the aging process is to be retarded, even reversed.

Foods rich in nucleic acids are wheat germ, bran, spinach, asparagus, mushrooms, fish [especially sardines, salmon, and anchovies], chicken liver, oatmeal, and onions. He recommends a diet where seafood is eaten seven times a week, along with two glasses of skimmed milk, a glass of fruit or vegetable juice, and four glasses of water daily.

After only two months of RNA-DNA supplementation and diet, Dr. Frank found that his patients had more energy and that there was a substantial diminution of lines and wrinkles, with healthier, rosier, and younger-looking skin in evidence.

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GENERAL HEALTH

SOME PRACTICAL ADVICE FOR WIDOWS AND WIDOWERS

admin — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 09:55:45 +0000

Although knowing the research will not ease your suffering, use it to ease your anxiety. If you have strange or frightening sensations they are probably normal, not signs you are going crazy or breaking down. (The exception is strong fantasies of hurting yourself or someone else physically. Then you must get professional help.)

Confidants help. Feel free to lean on as many people as you can. If being alone is very difficult, call someone. But be selective – call someone who will make you feel better, not worse. If you want help with specific things, ask. If you genuinely would prefer to be alone, don’t be too polite to refuse invitations. Let people in on what you need. Give others the chance to be helpful by not forcing them to read your mind.

If you focused your whole life on your husband or wife, don’t let my emphasis on the importance of planning depress you. Most of us are more resilient emotionally than we think. And even when people enter widowhood with everything against them, they often adjust remarkably well.

Don’t have unrealistic expectations about what you should be feeling or when you will be your old self again. Understand that getting back to “relatively normal” can take as long as a few years. Don’t be disappointed if you seem to be getting better one month and the next are overcome by grief. It is not normal to just improve and improve. Everyone takes two steps forward and one back. If possible, plan for the days you know will be difficult: birthdays, your anniversary, Christmas. Would having a friend over help? In the past, what strategies have gotten you through difficult times? Feeling especially vulnerable on special occasions is normal; it would be shocking if nature made us so malleable that we could completely forget.

Make the thirteenth month a time to assess your progress. How were you at the beginning compared with now? What can you do today that you couldn’t do a year ago? In what concrete ways has your pain lessened? You might list what you have accomplished: “doing the taxes; eating in a restaurant alone; stopped crying every night.” And since you may have trouble being objective, ask your family and friends: “How do I seem now compared with the first few months? Do you see signs that I am getting over Jack’s death?”

Most likely, making this assessment will boost your morale. You will realize you are indeed better in many ways, even though you are far from being over your loss. But if it does not, knowing this is important too. Do you still think about your husband twenty-four hours a day? Are your eyes just as red rimmed and about to brim over? Do you feel just as incapable of loving? Are you still wracked by guilt? If more than a year has passed and all of you still seems to have died along with your spouse, consider getting professional help.

Expect some lack of understanding from others. People may get angry because it is more than six months later and you are not reciprocating for all those dinners. They may not realize you still feel too disorganized even to cook for yourself. They may feel hurt because you would rather be alone than go out. You may meet the opposite type of censure: ‘ ‘How dare he insult Mother’s memory by marrying so quickly?” “It’s appalling the way she goes out with different men all the time!”

Friends and family may also pressure you to do things or make decisions, feeling strongly (but wrongly) that it is best not to ”dwell on things.” Out of their natural urge to do something helpful, they may advocate your taking all sorts of concrete actions: selling your house, moving to Florida.

Although ultimately making dramatic changes may be important in building a new life, experts recommend not undertaking any radical life changes during the first six months. People in the midst of grieving are not in a good position to decide how their lives should go. And being widowed itself is a tremendous change; piling on more changes will multiply the stress.

During the first year, take most advice about how you should behave with a grain of salt. There is no single best way to act. The way you are feeling and acting is likely to be best for you. If you prefer to be alone, don’t capitulate to a friend who urges you to keep busier or get out more. Your next friend is likely to counsel, “It’s better to be by yourself to think.” Neither judgment is necessarily right. At the same time, don’t get angry at friends and relatives. You need their support. Educate them.

Try to cultivate at least one sympathetic widowed friend. Talking to another person who has gone through what you are dealing with can be a great relief. And coming from someone who has been there, the platitude “things will get easier” is not empty. It carries real weight.

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GENERAL HEALTH

YOUR CHILD’S HEALTH CARE/ GENITAL, GROIN AND URINARY TRACT PROBLEMS: BLOOD IN THE URINE (HAEMATURIA) AND ERECTIONS

admin — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 16:29:53 +0000

BLOOD IN THE URINE (HAEMATURIA)

Blood in the urine (haematuria) can be due to many causes, including trauma and infection. If you suspect that your child has blood in his urine (if it is pink, red or brown in colour), see your doctor as soon as possible. Take a specimen of urine with you so that it can be tested for the presence of blood.

ERECTIONS

Erections occur quite often in the newborn and older child and may be the result of a full bladder, or of self-stimulation. In any event it is completely normal for children to have erections. It is important not to tease your child when he has an erection, nor to punish him. Simply pay no special attention to it, and answer any questions from your young son in an honest and matter-of-fact manner.

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YOUR CHILD’S HEALTH CARE/ GENITAL, GROIN AND URINARY TRACT PROBLEMS: FORESKIN

admin — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 16:29:44 +0000

FORESKIN, HYGIENIC CARE OF THE

In young boys the foreskin covering the glans of the penis is usually not fully retractable until around the age of 4-5 years. Hygiene of the foreskin is very important and should be taught to your son from an early age. A white secretion (smegma) collects between the foreskin and the glans, and should be cleaned away carefully. In babies, gently pull the skin on the shaft of the penis away from the tip — do not do this more than once or twice a week initially, and never use force. Cleanse the area with water only, so that soap does not collect under the foreskin. If you cannot retract the foreskin at all, do not force it; it will gradually loosen up. Teach the older toddler to retract his own foreskin and wash here carefully once a week.

FORESKIN, PROBLEMS WITH THE

The normal penis Four per cent of boys have a retractable foreskin at birth; 50% at 1 year; 80% at 2 years; 90% at 4 years. The cleaning of the penis should be facilitated by gently retracting the foreskin as far as it goes, but never try to pull it back beyond the point where resistance is met.

Phimosis This is when the foreskin opening is very small, often as a result of inflammation, so that retraction of the foreskin is impossible. Sometimes the phimosis is so severe that there is no stream of urine, and it comes out in a dribble. Usually circumcision is necessary.

Paraphimosis This is when the foreskin is retracted and is unable to be returned to its normal position. This condition is often treated by circumcision too. Balanitis This is an inflammation of the foreskin. If it recurs, circumcision is often necessary.

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YOUR CHILD’S HEALTH/GENITAL, GROIN AND URINARY TRACT PROBLEMS: CIRCUMCISION

admin — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 16:29:34 +0000

Circumcision is a simple surgical procedure in which the foreskin, which covers the tip of the penis, is removed. Whether a boy should be circumcised continues to be a subject of debate among parents and health professionals. While exact figures are not available, probably about one third of boys in Australia are circumcised, mostly in the newborn period, although the tendency for this procedure to be done is gradually decreasing.

Arguments for circumcision

1. Cultural or religious practice, for example in the Jewish or Muslim faiths.

2. Hygiene — a penis without a foreskin is easy to clean.

3. Medical reasons (see Foreskin, problems with the, opposite).

4. Prevention of certain conditions. Circumcision is said to decrease the risk of cancer of the penis, urinary tract infection, and perhaps sexually transmitted disease and cancer of the cervix in females although there is no hard evidence for these claims.

5.To be the same as father or peer group. The argument becomes less persuassiveas the number of circumcised boys decreases, and is probably not as important as once thought.

Arguments against circumcision

1. The procedure as performed in the newborn causes significant pain and behavioural changes, such as irritability, which can persist for some time (often days).

2. It is contraindicated if there is a medical condition such as a bleeding disorder or hypospadias, which is an anatomical abnormality of the tip of the penis.

3. There is a small but definite risk of complications, such as bleeding, infection, taking off too much or too little skin.

Ultimately, whether or not to circumcise their child is a decision for parents to make after considering the advantages and disadvantages. While circumcision for religious and cultural reasons continues, routine circumcision is performed less and less. If you are uncertain, you may want to discuss your doubts with the doctor.

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YOUR CHILD’S HEALTH/BOWEL DISORDERS: WORMS

admin — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 16:29:20 +0000

Many children suffer from pinworms (Enterobius vermicularis). These are thin, white parasites about 1 cm in length, which live in the digestive tract.

These worms can be seen wriggling on the surface of the skin surrounding the child’s anus, especially at night when the female worms emerge from the anal passage to lay their eggs. Children with pinworms complain of a very itchy anus (see p. 258) which may cause them to wake from sleep. Scratching often leads to reinfection because the child may put his fingers, which are contaminated with eggs, to his mouth.

Treatment

If you suspect that your child has worms, see your doctor who will prescribe anti-worm medicine or tablets. It is wise for the whole family to take these even if others do not have symptoms. Careful washing of hands after going to the toilet and before eating is important to prevent re-infection. Keep fingernails short. Wash all clothing and linen in hot water to destroy eggs, and vacuum or mop the bedroom floor to pick up any eggs that have dropped. Pets do not carry pinworms.

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CHILDCARE: THE CHILD WHO RESISTS BEING TOILET TRAINED

admin — Thu, 21 May 2009 06:54:55 +0000

In some children, toilet training seems extremely difficult. In a very small proportion of children, this may be due to an underlying developmental or medical cause. For example, children who have significant developmental delay will be trained at a later age than the average child because they will take longer to reach the neurological and mental capacity necessary for successful training. In rare cases, a child has an anatomical or neurological problem, or a urinary tract infection. A small number of children have difficulty in being trained because of constipation or chronic diarrhoea.

By far the main reason for difficulty in training is the interaction between the child and his parents. Whatever the characteristics of the child and parents that contribute to it, there is a power struggle going on and the more the parents try, the more the child resists. The only way out of this relatively common impasse is for the parents to opt out completely and transfer all the responsibility to the child. This is not easy to do, and often the parents may benefit from guidance provided by their family doctor or a paediatrician.

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VITAMINS – VITAMIN E; A

admin — Mon, 18 May 2009 06:05:12 +0000

Vitamin E, which is one of the fat-soluble group, has been hailed as an aid to sexuality. Advertisements have stated or implied that it will improve a man’s potency, increase fertility or remove wrinkles.

As well, in this coronary-prone society, it has also been claimed to reduce arterio-sclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, and lower cholesterol levels in the blood.

While it has some famous people lauding its use, there is no worthwhile valid medical evidence that is acceptable to medical scientists to prove that it is of any use whatever.

Vitamin E occurs naturally in the germ of cereals and in green vegetables. An intake of 30mg a day is necessary for the development of red blood cells.

But its place in human nutrition and in the treatment of all those other situations is still very much in doubt.

Vitamin A is required for the proper nutrition of the skin and tissues of the eye. It also forms part of the chemical known as Visual Purple, which is necessary for clear vision in poor light.

It occurs in liver, dairy products and fish oils. It can be formed in the body from carotenes, which occur in green vegetables, carrots and apricots.

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EXERCISE – ENDORPHINS

admin — Fri, 15 May 2009 08:57:26 +0000

It has been found that the brain produces chemicals similar to morphine. These are called endorphins. Regular exercise seems to increase the production of these chemicals and produce a feeling of wellbeing. Perhaps you can become hooked on your own endorphins.

But the picture is not all good. Those who are out of condition should begin slowly. Ligaments, joints and muscles become soft and flabby with lack of exercise and too sudden a strain by running on hard ground or doing too much too soon can lead to muscle and ligament strain.

If you are more than 35 and wish to start an exercise program, you should have a medical check before you embark on a get fit campaign.

It is recommended that those over 40 or 45 should have a stress test before starting to exercise regularly. This involves having an electrocardiograph during exercise to see if the effort of exercise reveals any evidence of heart abnormalities under stress.

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CANCER OF THE BREAST – INTRODUCTION

admin — Fri, 15 May 2009 06:54:46 +0000

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in women.

A fifth of all cancers in women develop in the breast. Eventually one woman in 20 will develop breast cancer and in Australia 1600 women will die each year from it.

The cause of breast cancer is unknown.

Cancer of the breast is rare in men and also in women under 25. Its incidence is greatest in the age group 40 to 50. It is more common in the unmarried and the less fertile — just the opposite of the next commonest female cancer, that of the cervix or neck of the womb.

‘As with all cancers, the earlier it is found and treated the better the results.

Regular palpation or feeling the breasts can detect lumps, which can be further checked to see if they are cancerous.

The doctor should regularly feel his women patients’ breasts, but the woman can be taught to do this herself.

Not all lumps turn out to be cancer, but I believe a doctor should be consulted about any lump in the breast.

Biopsy is best carried out by frozen section. The lump is removed, then snap-frozen using carbon dioxide snow, cut into thin sections and examined under the microscope. An experienced pathologist can give an accurate opinion within minutes and if cancer is present the surgeon can go ahead and do the proper operation.

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