tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83797870967391900892024-03-17T20:01:23.217-07:00Travel To HealthTravel for Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14903166424561297055noreply@blogger.comBlogger136125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8379787096739190089.post-47189884214302704512024-03-09T13:16:00.000-08:002024-03-09T13:19:24.012-08:00Beyond Calcium: The Essential Nutrients for Strong Bones<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe-tmXRX2WThPIhnt-mDp0Vdz3-cmXo0_eAUsDblyvX0yJZ82j7vGyVBACpantqiKXFAMEMaMiWdqqOfKk3CIm1U2ds-HGVZ22W4OoUcS5cqW3550ERdsCWaU0DtivRqxo_b8N8lV339ffm44l-qP1EsA_AXW4vFGNrj-55Zl2l4FdCmqOJHCFnqSoXP7L/s405/strongBone.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="405" data-original-width="405" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe-tmXRX2WThPIhnt-mDp0Vdz3-cmXo0_eAUsDblyvX0yJZ82j7vGyVBACpantqiKXFAMEMaMiWdqqOfKk3CIm1U2ds-HGVZ22W4OoUcS5cqW3550ERdsCWaU0DtivRqxo_b8N8lV339ffm44l-qP1EsA_AXW4vFGNrj-55Zl2l4FdCmqOJHCFnqSoXP7L/s320/strongBone.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><p>Many believe strong bones are built solely on calcium. This misconception, often referred to as "<a href="https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwim0ZvBi-iEAxUx6hYFHQAdCgMYABAAGgJ0bA&ase=2&gclid=Cj0KCQiArrCvBhCNARIsAOkAGcVMlH-O7Dnjn16BWX4MFbQULqD-IU-pYjLh38dnoavrWxFl2dTsCU8aAlKDEALw_wcB&ei=9M_sZaDWGc2h5NoPnciZwAU&ohost=www.google.com&cid=CAESVuD2w86huu128klylIocBDBB1_d2ju9_41Ex-wp_lwWg2wMoGC_mVv-4Cdd8uVQbgwYDcuVuoQ0outErPCB4xFBZXc8fPV5uh0ioYPh-4_A0bFKulgvu&sig=AOD64_2kpufGfnNJE0_gEi88ow1NtND3Xg&q&sqi=2&nis=4&adurl&ved=2ahUKEwigoI3Bi-iEAxXNEFkFHR1kBlgQ0Qx6BAgKEAE" target="_blank">The Calcium Lie</a>," can lead to an incomplete approach to bone health. While calcium is important, it's just one piece of the puzzle.<br /><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">A Symphony of Nutrients</h3><br />This article explores 19 essential nutrients that work together to build and maintain strong bones:<br /><b>Minerals:</b><br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Boron (B)</b>: Ensures efficient utilization of calcium, magnesium, and vitamin D to form bone in the body.</li><li><b>Copper (Cu)</b>: Crucial for collagen formation and bone mineralization.</li><li><b>Fluoride (F)</b>: Strengthens minerals in bones and teeth.</li><li><b>Magnesium (Mg)</b>: Enables vitamin D to transport calcium into bones. Also, as Dr. Oz says, it’s important to take Ca and Mg together since <b>calcium alone</b> can <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">cause constipation</span>, whereas <b>magnesium </b>will <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">prevent this side effect</span>.<span class="C9DxTc" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #212121; font-family: Bitter, Arial; font-size: 6.6pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: super;">[9]</span></li><li><b>Manganese (Mn)</b>: Supports collagen formation and bone mineralization.</li><li><b>Phosphorus (P)</b>: Partners with calcium for strong bones.</li><li><b>Potassium (K)</b>: Maintains proper pH levels and a healthy sodium-to-potassium ratio, both influencing bone mass.<span class="C9DxTc" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #212121; font-family: Bitter, Arial; font-size: 6.6pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: super;">[1,13]</span></li><li><b>Silica (Si)</b>: Aids in calcium crystallization.</li><li><b>Zinc (Zn)</b>: Contributes to the collagen framework of bones.</li></ul><b>Vitamins:</b><br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Vitamin A: </b>Essential for proper development of bone-building osteoblasts.</li><li><b>Vitamin C: </b>Necessary for the formation of bone collagen.</li><li><b>Vitamin B6:</b> Supports strong bones.</li><li><b>Vitamin B12:</b> Crucial for osteoblast function in bone building.</li><li><b>Vitamin D:</b> Enables calcium and phosphorus incorporation into bones.</li><ul><li>When taking oral vitamin D, consider supplementing with vitamin K2 for proper calcium distribution and to avoid potential artery hardening.<span class="C9DxTc" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #212121; font-family: Bitter, Arial; font-size: 6.6pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: super;">[13]</span></li></ul><li><b>Vitamin K (K2)</b>: Crucial for incorporating mineral crystals into the collagen matrix.</li><li><b>Folic Acid</b>: Helps prevent bone demineralization.</li></ul><b>Other Macronutrients:</b><br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Essential Fatty Acids: </b>Maintain a healthy collagen matrix and support normal bone mineralization.</li><li><b>Protein:</b> A moderate amount is vital for the collagen matrix in bones.</li></ul><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OuiGrT6aSvQ?si=k3cwKCBQwy_uwwzI" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Are Calcium Supplements Effective? (YouTube <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuiGrT6aSvQ&t=1s" target="_blank">link</a>)</b></span></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Balance is Key</h3><br />Not only are all <b>these nutrients essential</b>, but their <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">proportions also matter</span>. For example, while <b>vitamin A is crucial</b>, an <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">excess can increase fracture risk</span>.<br /><br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">Building Strong Bones Through Diet</h3><br />The good news is you can obtain most of these nutrients through a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes.<span class="C9DxTc" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #212121; font-family: Bitter, Arial; font-size: 6.6pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: super;">[1]</span> These plant foods are a treasure trove of bone-building essentials, with the exception of vitamin B12. <b>Vitamin B12</b> can be found in <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">fortified cereals</span> and animal products like <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">milk, cheese, eggs, salmon, sardines, or beef</span>. However, the needs are minimal, and one or two servings of animal foods per month can suffice.<br /><br />By incorporating this broader perspective on bone health, you can empower yourself to build and maintain a strong, resilient skeleton.<div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">References</h3><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/building-bone-vitality-amy-lanou/1112279728?ean=9780071600194">Building Bone Vitablity</a> by Amy Joy Lanou, Ph.D. and Michael Castleman.</li><li>Diet and osteoporosis by Wachman A and Bernstein DS. Lancet. 1968 May 4;1(7549):958-9.</li><li><a href="http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/11/phys-ed-the-best-exercises-for-healthy-bones/?em">The Best Exercises for Healthy Bones</a></li><li>The Whole-Food Guide to Strong Bones by Annemarie Colbin, Ph.D.</li><li><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/stanleyguansite/health/miscellaneous/acid-alkaline-balance">Acid-Alkaline Balance</a> (<a href="https://sites.google.com/site/stanleyguansite/health">Travel and Health</a>)</li><li><a href="http://www.jashbotanicals.com/articles/silica_and_your_body.html">Silica and Your Body</a></li><li><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/stanleyguansite/health/health-tips/drinking-milk---it-s-pros-and-cons">Drinking Milk— It's Pros and Cons</a></li><li><a href="http://www.zaobao.com.sg/lifestyle/health/specialists/story20101216-24011">60岁以上国人 半数有关节痛</a>(Singapore)</li><li><a href="http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/dr-oz-3-key-supplements?page=2">Dr. Oz’s 3 Key Supplements</a></li><li><a href="http://annals.org/article.aspx?articleid=714399">Too Much Thyroid Hormone Increases Risk for Bone Fractures</a> (Annals of Internal Medicine)</li><li><a href="http://www.everydayhealth.com/womens-health-photos/health-risks-of-calcium-supplements.aspx?xid=tw_everydayhealth_sf#/slide-2">6 Health Risks of Calcium Supplements</a></li><li><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/stanleyguansite/health/macronutrients-and-micronutrients/how-much-daily-iodine-is-enough">How Much Daily Iodine Intake Is Enough?</a></li><li><a href="http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/11/19/fennel-plant-prevents-bone-loss.aspx?np=true">Specially Fermented Vegetables and Fennel are More Effective Than Calcium to Prevent Bone Loss</a></li><li><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-calcium-lie-robert-thompson-md/1013558795?ean=9780981581859">The Calcium Lie</a> by Dr. Robert Thompson</li><li><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22447109">Potent inhibitory effect of Foeniculum vulgare Miller extract on osteoclast differentiation and ovariectomy-induced bone loss</a>.</li><li>Check out "Normal Calcium Metabolism" in this <a href="http://www.quackwatch.com/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/chelationimp.html">article</a>.</li><li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTSTLFidGdg">Dr. Bahram H. Arjmandi discusses how dried plums (prunes) may increase bone density</a></li><ul><li>In the context of adequate Ca and Vitamin D, <b>dried plums</b> may <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">reverse osteoporosis</span>.</li></ul><li><a href="http://www.uncommonwisdomdaily.com/the-little-known-vitamin-essential-to-your-health-19012">The Little-Known Vitamin Essential to Your Health</a></li><li><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=9jSLEkFaYqYC&pg=PA85&lpg=PA85&dq=In+a+Rotterdam+study,+those+who+had+the+highest+intake+of+vitamin+K2&source=bl&ots=wEkvV6fGAz&sig=aIR3Tuw0YU9ioVJZsFruYM36WG4&hl=en&sa=X&ei=TP83VJ3RFKjtigKapoGgDA&ved=0CFsQ6AEwCTgK#v=onepage&q=In%20a%20Rotterdam%20study%2C%20those%20who%20had%20the%20highest%20intake%20of%20vitamin%20K2&f=false">Nutritional Aspects of Osteoporosis</a></li><li><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11369171">Japanese fermented soybean food as the major determinant of the large geographic difference in circulating levels of vitamin K2: possible implications for hip-fracture risk.</a></li><li><a href="http://munews.missouri.edu/news-releases/2015/1117-obesity-and-type-2-diabetes-harm-bone-health/">Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes Harm Bone Health</a></li><li><a href="http://www.everydayhealth.com/news/things-your-doctor-wont-tell-you-about-bones/?xid=tw_everydayhealth_sf">10 Things Your Doctor Won’t Tell You About Your Bones</a></li><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xk3-zMxtFgE&feature=youtu.be">Strength Training Promotes Bone Health In Men</a> (Video)</li><li><a href="http://advances.nutrition.org/content/3/2/182">Vitamin K Nutrition, Metabolism, and Requirements: Current Concepts and Future Research</a></li><li><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/stanleyguansite/health/health-tips/goog_2002668217">Vitamin K Deficiency Is Associated with Incident Knee Osteoarthritis</a></li><li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19968914?dopt=Abstract">Osteoporosis prevention and nutrition</a></li><ul><li>In addition to dairy, fruit and vegetable intake has emerged as an important modifiable protective factor for bone health. Several nutrients, including <b>magnesium, potassium, vitamin C, vitamin K, several B vitamins, and carotenoids</b>, have been shown to be more important than previously realized.</li></ul><li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23831379">Nationwide data on municipal drinking water and hip fracture: could calcium and magnesium be protective? A NOREPOS study</a></li><li><a href="https://health.clevelandclinic.org/2015/10/13-strange-interesting-facts-bones-infographic/?utm_campaign=cc%20posts&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_content=181017%20bones&cvosrc=social%20network.twitter.cc%20posts&cvo_creative=181017%20bones">13 Strange and Interesting Facts About Your Bones (Infographic)</a></li><li><a href="https://www.drweil.com/diet-nutrition/anti-inflammatory-diet-pyramid/cooking-with-beans-legumes/">Cooking With Beans & Legume</a> (Dr Andrew Weil)</li><li><a href="https://nutritionfacts.org/?fwp_search=osteoporosis&fwp_content_type=video">Osteoporosis</a> (Dr Michael Greger)</li><li><a href="https://nutritionfacts.org/2018/03/27/the-risks-and-benefits-of-calcium-supplements">The Risks and Benefits of Calcium Supplements</a> (Dr Michael Greger)</li><li><a href="https://health.clevelandclinic.org/how-do-your-bones-change-over-time">How Do Your Bones Change Over Time?</a></li><li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/wellness/2015/06/23/07152c22-1909-11e5-ab92-c75ae6ab94b5_story.html">For healthy bones: Got prunes? Onions? Salmon? Walnuts?</a></li></ol>Travel for Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14903166424561297055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8379787096739190089.post-83230139508700096952023-11-06T14:44:00.001-08:002023-11-06T14:51:06.392-08:00Skin Care and Aging: Keeping Your Skin Healthy and YouthfulSkin aging is a complex process caused by both <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">intrinsic (internal)</span> and <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">extrinsic (external)</span> factors. Intrinsic aging is influenced by hormonal changes and is inevitable, while extrinsic aging is caused by exposure to environmental factors, such as UV radiation. <div><br /></div><div>Both intrinsic and extrinsic aging can lead to collagen degradation, dryness, loss of elasticity, and wrinkling of the skin. Skin aging is also associated with loss of skin moisture, due to decreased production of hyaluronic acid.</div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EikSqTUoslg?si=9qDamhjcpMemV6OQ" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>How to Naturally Reduce Wrinkles with Food (YouTube <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EikSqTUoslg" target="_blank">link</a>)</b></span></div><div>
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">Skin Aging</h3>
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Human skin aging is a complex biological process, not yet fully understood. It is the result of two biologically independent processes:<sup style="font-family: "Times New Roman", stixgeneral, serif;">[1]</sup><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Intrinsic or innate aging</b></li><li><b>Extrinsic aging</b></li></ol><h3 style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", stixgeneral, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Intrinsic or Innate aging</span></b></h3>An unpreventable process, which affects the skin in the same pattern as it affects all internal organs<br />Is influenced by <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">hormonal changes</span> that occur with age. It is well established that the deficiency in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estrogen" target="_blank">estrogens</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Androgen" target="_blank">androgens</a> results in collagen degradation, dryness, loss of elasticity, epidermal atrophy and wrinkling of the skin.<sup style="font-family: "Times New Roman", stixgeneral, serif;">[2]</sup></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Androgen" target="_blank"><b>Androgens</b></a><sup style="font-family: "Times New Roman", stixgeneral, serif;">[2]</sup></div><div><br /></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Recent findings suggest that skin and its appendages are steroidogenic tissues that can be significantly affected by sex steroids, particularly <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Androgen" target="_blank">androgens</a>. </li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Androgen" target="_blank">Androgens</a> have been shown to modulate epidermal and dermal thickness, and changes in circulating androgen levels with age can alter key functions of the skin, such as <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">epidermal barrier homeostasis, wound healing, sebaceous gland growth and differentiation, and hair growth</span>. This can leave the skin susceptible to infections and several disease states.</li></ul></div><div> <br /><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estrogen" target="_blank"><b>Estrogens</b></a><sup style="font-family: "Times New Roman", stixgeneral, serif;">[3]</sup></div><div><br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, stixgeneral, serif; font-size: 15.9991px;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estrogen" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;" target="_blank">Estrogens</a> improves the skin in a number of ways, including <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">increasing collagen content and quality, increasing skin thickness, enhancing vascularization, and improving the extracellular matrix</span>, which is responsible for the skin's tone and appearance.</span></span></li><li>Skin aging is not entirely estrogen-dependent, as the ravages of time and the external environment also play important roles.</li></ul><h3 style="text-align: center;">Extrinsic aging</h3><div>The result of exposure to external factors, mainly ultraviolet (UV) irradiation, that is also referred to as <b>photoaging</b>.</div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>The sun's harmful UV radiation can <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">damage telomeres</span>, specialized structures found at the ends of chromosomes, and lead to the formation of free radicals, which can damage cells and contribute to aging.</li><li>The most visible signs of photoaging, or premature skin aging caused by sun exposure, are <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">wrinkling and pigmentary changes</span>. Photoaging can also <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">lead to various forms of skin cancer</span>.</li></ul><br /><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Loss of Skin Moisture: A Key Sign of Skin Aging</span></h3></div><div><br /></div>Skin aging is also associated with dryness, caused by the loss of a key molecule called hyaluronic acid (HA). HA has the unique ability to bind and retain water molecules, which helps to keep the skin plump and youthful. As we age, our production of HA decreases, leading to drier, more wrinkled skin.<sup style="font-family: "Times New Roman", stixgeneral, serif;">[6]</sup><div><span face="Google Sans, Helvetica Neue, sans-serif" style="color: #1f1f1f;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></span><h3 style="text-align: left;">Tips for Preventing Photoaging and Keeping Your Skin Healthy as You Age</h3><div><br /></div><div><b>Sun protection: </b>Avoid the sun's harmful UV rays as much as possible</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Seek shade whenever possible, wear protective clothing, and apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher to all exposed skin every day, even on cloudy days. </li><li>Reapply sunscreen every two hours, or more often if you are sweating or swimming.</li></ul><br /><b>Retinoids:</b></div><div><ul><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retinoid" target="_blank">Retinoids</a> can help to improve the appearance of photoaged skin. Apply a retinoid cream or serum to your face, neck, and chest every night.</li><li>Using <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retinoid" target="_blank">retinoids</a> can <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">reduce collagen breakdown</span> and boost collagen production</li></ul><br /><b>Antioxidants: </b>can help to protect your skin from free radical damage</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Include antioxidants in your diet by eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. </li><li>You can also apply antioxidant serums and creams to your skin.</li></ul><div><br /></div><b>Other tips:</b><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Stay hydrated</b></li><ul><li>Drink plenty of water throughout the day to keep your skin plump and hydrated.</li></ul><li><b>Eat a healthy diet</b></li><ul><li>Eat a variety of nutrient-rich foods to nourish your skin from the inside out.</li></ul><li><b>Manage stress</b></li><ul><li>Find healthy ways to manage stress, such as exercise, relaxation techniques, and spending time with loved ones.</li></ul><li><b>Don't smoke</b></li><ul><li>Smoking damages the skin and accelerates aging.</li></ul><li><b>Moisturize regularly</b></li><ul><li>Use a moisturizer that is appropriate for your skin type to keep your skin hydrated and protect it from the elements.</li><li>For dry, cracked skin, <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">Cetaphil Cracked Skin Repair Lotion</span> is a good option.</li></ul><li><b>See a dermatologist regularly</b></li><ul><li>Have your skin checked by a dermatologist at least once a year to identify any potential problems early on.</li></ul></ul>By following these tips, you can help to prevent photoaging and keep your skin healthy and youthful as you age.</div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">
References</h3><div>
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3583886/" target="_blank">Hyaluronic acid: A key molecule in skin aging</a></li>
<li>Brincat MP. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10924836/" target="_blank">Hormone replacement therapy and the skin</a>. Maturitas 2000; 35:107–117. </li><li>Makrantonaki E, Zouboulis CC. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19390323/" target="_blank">Androgens and aging of the skin</a>. Curr Opin Endocrinol Diabetes Obes. 2009;16(3):240–245.</li><li>Baumann L. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17200942/">Skin ageing and its treatment</a>. J Pathol. 2007;211:241–51. doi: 10.1002/path.2098.</li><li><a href="https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/infographics/tips-healthier-skin-you-age">Skin Care and Aging</a></li><li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3583886">Hyaluronic acid: A key molecule in skin aging</a></li></ol></div>
</div>Travel for Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14903166424561297055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8379787096739190089.post-81995839054216494082023-09-24T08:08:00.005-07:002023-09-24T12:09:11.451-07:00Long COVID: Symptoms, Causes, and Risk Factors<div>A major new NIH initiative has been announced to identify the causes and ultimately the means of prevention and treatment of "<a href="https://www.nih.gov/about-nih/who-we-are/nih-director/statements/nih-launches-new-initiative-study-long-covid" target="_blank">Long COVID</a>."</div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Symptoms</h3><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Acute COVID-19</b> is a <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">highly inflammatory illness</span>. </div><div><br /></div><div>Most people with COVID-19 recover within two weeks. Some, as reported in [30], with so-called Long Covid (symptoms <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">lasting longer than three weeks</span>), continue to experience excessive fatigue, breathlessness, headache, insomnia, muscle fatigue and pains, chest pains, persistent cough, intermittent fevers and brain fog.</div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Causes</h3><div><br /></div><div>In the post-acute phase, </div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Inflammation</b></li><li><b>Immune activation</b></li><li><b>Long-term dysregulation of virus-specific immune responses </b></li></ul></div><div>have been consistently identified in peripheral blood. </div><div><br /></div><div>These immune responses have been associated with a variety of factors including:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Clotting dysfunction</b></li><li><b>Reactivation of latent viral infections such as Epstein Barr Virus (EBV)</b></li><li><b>Autoimmune responses</b></li></ul></div><div>Importantly, there is a growing body of evidence that <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">persistent SARS-CoV-2 RNA or protein</span> can be detected in <b>various tissue compartments</b> for many months following acute infection. This may explain, <b>at least in part</b>, <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">ongoing aberrant immune responses, inflammation, and clinical symptomatology</span>.<br /><br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">Risk Factors</h3><div><br /></div><div>It’s unclear why some people develop long Covid and others don’t, but four factors appear to increase the risk:<sup>[37]</sup><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>High levels of viral RNA</b> early during an infection</li><li>The presence of certain <b>autoantibodies</b></li><li>The <b>reactivation of Epstein-Barr virus</b></li><li>Having <b>Type 2 diabetes</b></li></ul>The study finds about 10 per cent had symptoms for a month, with between 1.5 and 2 per cent after three months. The median age of those with Long Covid is 45, and women are more likely to be affected.</div><div><br /></div><div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Ongoing Research</h3><br />It is important to note that the <b>research on long COVID</b> <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">is still ongoing</span>, and there is still much that we do not know about this condition.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><div><h3><b>References</b></h3></div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.10.06.20206060v1" target="_blank">Clinical and immunoserological status 12 weeks after infection with COVID-19: prospective observational study</a></li><li><a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.10.07.20208702v1" target="_blank">Long-term COVID-19 symptoms in a large unselected population</a></li><li><a href="https://www.caltech.edu/about/news/tip-iceberg-virologist-david-ho-bs-74-speaks-about-covid-19" target="_blank">The Tip of the Iceberg: Virologist David Ho (BS '74) Speaks About COVID-19</a></li><li><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-10-07/even-mildest-covid-risks-leaving-lingering-symptoms-months-later" target="_blank">Even Mild Covid-19 Infections Can Make People Sick for Months</a></li><li><a href="https://app.hedgeye.com/insights/82609-webcast-replay-covid-19-pandemic-update-analysis-from-neil-howe-d?single_item=true" target="_blank">[WEBCAST REPLAY] COVID-19 Pandemic Update: Analysis From Neil Howe & Daryl Jones</a></li><li><a href="https://nationalpost.com/pmn/health-pmn/why-u-s-hospitals-see-promise-in-plasma-from-new-coronavirus-patients-2" target="_blank">Why U.S. hospitals see promise in plasma from new coronavirus patients</a></li><li><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-04-08/virus-may-spread-twice-as-fast-as-earlier-thought-study-says" target="_blank">Virus May Spread Twice as Fast as Earlier Thought, Study Says</a></li><li><a href="https://health.clevelandclinic.org/what-does-your-cough-say-about-your-illness/" target="_blank">What Does Your Cough Say About Your Illness?</a></li><li><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41573-020-00073-5?utm_source=Nature+Briefing&utm_campaign=98c3a376d1-briefing-dy-20200409" target="_blank">The COVID-19 vaccine development landscape</a></li><li><a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/21/us/coronavirus-survivor-response-to-protesters/index.html" target="_blank">She spent 9 days in a coma and relearned how to walk. What this Covid-19 survivor wants protesters to know</a></li><li>If you’re hoping a vaccine is going to be a knight in shining armor saving the day, you may be in for a disappointment. SARSCOV2 is a highly contagious virus. A vaccine will need to induce durable high level immunity, but coronaviruses often don’t induce that kind of immunity (<a href="https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1252698777296797698.html" target="_blank">link</a>)</li><li><a href="https://www.ft.com/content/d34097f0-e2c3-41a7-b3c7-9c1eb0f9df92?emailId=5ea2c707b92c9b00043cce84&segmentId=c393f5a6-b640-bff3-cc14-234d058790ed" target="_blank">Mutations map holds the key to bringing coronavirus under control</a></li><li><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-04-28/virus-is-here-to-stay-and-likely-seasonal-say-china-scientists?cmpid=BBD042820_BIZ&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&utm_term=200428&utm_campaign=bloombergdaily" target="_blank">Virus Likely to Keep Coming Back Each Year, Say Top Chinese Scientists</a> (Bloomberg)</li><ul><li>“The virus is <b>heat sensitive</b>, <b style="background-color: yellow;"><span style="color: #7b1fa2;">but </span></b>that’s when it’s <b style="background-color: yellow;"><span style="color: #7b1fa2;">exposed to 56 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes</span></b> and the weather is never going to get that hot,” said Wang Guiqiang, head of the infectious diseases department of Peking University First Hospital. “So globally, even during the summer, the chance of cases going down significantly is small.”</li></ul><li><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2020-05-11/all-the-covid-19-symptoms-you-didn-t-know-about" target="_blank">All the Covid-19 Symptoms You Didn’t Know About</a></li><li><a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/health-52802661" target="_blank">Coronavirus: Can it affect eyesight?</a></li><li><a href="https://consultqd.clevelandclinic.org/what-troponin-tells-us-about-myocardial-injury-in-covid-19" target="_blank">What Troponin Tells Us About Myocardial Injury in COVID-19</a></li><ul><li>Clinicians then assess potential causes of troponin elevation, including <span style="background-color: yellow;"><b><span style="color: #7b1fa2;">hyperinflammation</span></b></span>, which may respond to <span style="color: #7b1fa2;"><b><b style="background-color: yellow;"><b>immunosuppressive therapy</b></b></b>.</span></li></ul><li><a href="https://www.sciencenews.org/article/coronavirus-covid-19-brain-strokes-mental-state-changes" target="_blank">Strokes and mental state changes hint at how COVID-19 harms the brain</a></li><li><a href="https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/08/a-family-physicians-covid-story.html" target="_blank">A family physician’s COVID story</a></li><li><a href="https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/08/a-covid-19-vaccine-5-things-that-could-go-wrong.html" target="_blank">A COVID-19 vaccine: 5 things that could go wrong</a></li><li><a href="https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2020/08/studies-detail-conjunctivitis-kids-adults-covid-19" target="_blank">Studies detail <b style="background-color: #fcff01;"><span style="color: #800180;">conjunctivitis</span></b> in kids, adults with COVID-19</a></li><li><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2538-8#:~:text=Abstract,infection%20or%20trigger%20harmful%20immunopathology." target="_blank">A perspective on potential <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;"><b>antibody-dependent enhancement</b></span> of SARS-CoV-2</a></li><li><a href="https://t.co/SLadH2kn49?amp=1" target="_blank">COVID-19 survivors <b style="background-color: #fcff01;"><span style="color: #800180;">suffer long term heart conditions</span></b></a></li><li><a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/09/evidence-builds-covid-19-can-damage-heart-doctors-are-racing-understand-it" target="_blank">As evidence builds that COVID-19 can <span style="color: #800180;"><b style="background-color: #fcff01;">damage the heart</b></span>, doctors are racing to understand it</a></li><li><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-australia-study-idUSKBN26X02Z" target="_blank">Novel coronavirus <b><span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">survives 28 days</span></b> on glass, currency, Australian researchers find</a></li><li><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-10-08/cdc-expands-covid-risk-warning-to-include-overweight-people" target="_blank">CDC Expands Covid Risk Warning to Include Overweight People</a></li><ul><li>Nearly <b><span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">72%</span></b> of American adults are <b>overweight </b>(25 < BMI < 30) or <b>obese </b>(BMI ≥ 30)</li></ul><li><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-10-05/cdc-says-coronavirus-can-spread-indoors-in-air-beyond-six-feet#:~:text=SHARE%20THIS%20ARTICLE&text=The%20novel%20coronavirus%20can%20spread,re%2Dopening%20businesses%20and%20schools." target="_blank">CDC Says Virus Can Spread Indoors in Air Beyond Six Feet</a></li><li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/oct/13/covid-may-cause-sudden-permanent-hearing-loss-uk-study" target="_blank">Covid may cause sudden, permanent hearing loss – UK study</a></li><ul><li>16 of 121 patients admitted to hospital with Covid reported <b><span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">hearing problems</span></b> about two months after discharge.</li></ul><li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/oct/15/long-covid-what-we-know-so-far" target="_blank">Long Covid: what we know so far</a></li><li><a href="https://evidence.nihr.ac.uk/themedreview/living-with-covid19/" target="_blank">Living with Covid19</a></li><li><a href="https://www.ft.com/content/29ca5f53-99ac-406a-9b5a-3dba264e94a9" target="_blank">Long Covid casts a lasting shadow over workers</a></li><li><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-03070-1" target="_blank">Interferon deficiency can lead to severe COVID</a></li><li><a href="https://www.upi.com/Health_News/2021/05/25/coronavirus-long-haul-brain-fog-study" target="_blank">'<span style="background-color: #fcff01;">Brain fog</span>' can linger with long-haul COVID-19, study says</a></li><li><a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2021/11/12/1053509795/long-covid-causes-treatment-clues" target="_blank">New clues to the biology of long COVID are starting to emerge</a></li><li><a href="https://travel4apurpose.blogspot.com/2020/12/list-of-risk-factors-for-covid-19.html" target="_blank">Risk Factors for Covid-19</a></li><li><a href="https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-12-kidney-result-coronavirus-infection.html" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">Kidney damage</span> can result from coronavirus infection</a></li><ul><li>Kidney fibrosis, or scarring, is a serious long-term consequence that can occur virtually after any injury to the kidney and correlates with kidney function. Our work shows <b>kidney scarring in COVID-19 patients</b>, which provides an explanation why the virus might cause kidney functional decline as demonstrated in other studies</li></ul><li><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34470828/" target="_blank">Kidney Outcomes in Long COVID</a></li><li><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/02/19/science/long-covid-causes.html" target="_blank">How Long Covid Exhausts the Body </a></li><li><a href="https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-09-immune-cells-vital-success-vaccines.html" target="_blank">Study details immune cells vital to success of vaccines against coronavirus</a></li><li><a href="https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-09-molecular-mechanisms-sars-cov-variants-virus.html" target="_blank">Study identifies shared molecular mechanisms across SARS-CoV-2 variants that allow virus to thrive despite vaccination</a></li><ul><li>Similar to treatment regimens for HIV, we believe the future approach to managing pandemics will <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">require a drug combination cocktail</span>.</li><li>Here, this could include a combination of vaccines and antiviral innovations to target the virus. Specifically, combination therapy approaches to <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">target the adaptive immune response</span> (e.g., vaccines, antibody treatments) and <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">another inhibiting viral innate immune antagonist proteins </span>(e.g., Orf6 and Orf9b) <b>or </b><span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">activating the innate immune response</span>, could be the most effective. Perhaps with this approach, we may be able to get ahead of viruses before they reach pandemic levels.</li></ul><li><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36299428/" target="_blank">Impact of SARS-CoV-2 ORF6 and its variant polymorphisms on host responses and viral pathogenesis</a></li><ul><li>Impact of SARS-CoV-2 ORF6 and its variant polymorphisms on host responses and viral pathogenesis </li></ul><li><a href="https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(23)00915-7" target="_blank">SARS-CoV-2 variants evolve convergent strategies to remodel the host response</a></li></ol></div>Travel for Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14903166424561297055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8379787096739190089.post-59428125002762454762023-08-16T07:20:00.008-07:002023-08-16T09:06:26.519-07:00Update on MSG (Monosodium Glutamate)<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1Yb5MjU38ng" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Update on MSG (YouTube <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Yb5MjU38ng" target="_blank">link</a>)</b></span></div><p>A frequent cause of post-dinner headaches, mono-sodium glutamate (MSG) is a food additive, enhancing flavor. MSG is often added to in prepared Asian food and soy sauce, but it’s also added to some prepared soups, soup mixes, fast foods, deli meat, and salad dressings. <b>In some people</b>, MSG activates two major pathways of chronic inflammation,<sup>[11]</sup> and it also has a negative effect on liver health.</p><p>MSG has been associated with palpitations of the heart,<sup>[8]</sup> muscle weakness, and numbness. To further prove the ill effects MSG can cause, a Japanese study found constant consumption of products that contain MSG can lead to obesity, inflammation in the liver based on mice studies.<sup>[3]</sup>
</p><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">MSG Symptom Complex</h3><div><br /></div>During years of using MSG as a food additive, the FDA has received many reports of concerning reactions that people have attributed to foods that had MSG in them. These reactions — called MSG symptom complex.<sup>[5]</sup><div><br /></div>But researchers have found no clear proof of a link between MSG and these symptoms. Researchers admit, though, that <b>a small number of people</b> <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">may have short-term reactions to MSG</span>. Symptoms are often mild and don't need to be treated. The only way to prevent a reaction is to not eat foods that have MSG in them.<div><br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">Watch Out for the Intake Amount </h3></div><div><div><br /></div>Monosodium glutamate (i.e., the purest form of umami, the fifth taste) itself is not bad for your body, what you have to be careful about is the amount you eat. When you put too much salt in your food, it is too salty, if you put sugar too much, it is too sweet, but with umami, you can't taste if there is too much of it. </div><div><br /></div><div>That is why some people put too much of it and says it causes health problem, but it is same as eating too much salt or sugar. The right amount of MSG you should add is one pinch.</div><div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">MSG Must Be Listed on the Label </h3><div><br /></div><div>The <a href="https://www.fda.gov/" target="_blank">U.S. Food and Drug Administration</a> (<b>FDA</b>) has classified MSG as a food ingredient that's <b>generally </b><span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">recognized as safe</span>. <b>But its use is still debated</b>. For this reason, when MSG is added to food, the FDA requires it to be listed on the label.</div><div> <br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">Definite Sources of MSG</h3>
<ul>
<li>Hydrolyzed Protein, Sodium Caseinate or Calcium Caseinate </li>
<li>Autolyzed Yeast or Yeast Extract </li>
<li>Gelatin </li>
<li>Hydrolyzed Oat Flour </li>
<li>Glutamic acid </li>
<li>Monosodium glutamate</li>
</ul>
<br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">
Possible sources of MSG</h3>
<ul>
<li>Textured Protein </li>
<li>Carrageenan or Vegetable Gum </li>
<li>Seasonings or Spices </li>
<li>Flavorings or Natural Flavorings </li>
<li>Chicken, Beef, Pork, Smoke Flavorings </li>
<li>Bouillon, Broth or Stock </li>
<li>Barley Malt, Malt Extract, Malt Flavoring </li>
<li>Whey Protein, Whey Protein Isolate or Concentrate </li>
<li>Soy Protein, Soy Protein Isolate or Concentrate </li>
<li>Soy Sauce or Extract</li>
</ul>
<br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">
Other sources of MSG</h3>
<ul>
<li>MSG is found in most of the food prepared by major fast-food chains.</li>
<li>Binders and fillers for medications, nutrients, and supplements, both prescription and non-prescription, and some fluids administered intravenously in hospitals, may contain MSG.</li>
<li>According to the manufacturer, Varivax-Merck chicken pox vaccine (Varicella Virus Live), contains L-monosodium glutamate and hydrolyzed gelatin both of which contain processed free glutamic acid (MSG).</li>
<li>MSG is used as a plant "growth enhancer" (AuxiGro) that is sprayed on growing crops. AuxiGro Plant Metabolic Primer contains 29.2% by weight, pharmaceutical grade, L-glutamic acid.</li>
<li>The most common source of MSG is molasses or sugar beet or cane.</li>
<li>MSG and Aspartame(nutrasweet) are found in everything from soups, sauces, and juice to frozen entrees, candy, cigarettes, and anything with seasonings (e.g., potato chips, meat, ice cream).</li></ul><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Conclusions</h3><div><br /></div><div>In the old days, safe eating depends heavily on knowing how to read biological signals such as: </div><blockquote><i>This looks ripe; this smells spoiled; that's one slick-looking cow.</i></blockquote> This is much easier to do when you have long experience of a food and much <b>harder </b>when a food has been expressively <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">designed to deceive your senses</span> with, say, <b>artificial flavors</b>, <b>synthetic sweeteners</b>, or <b>flavor enhancer</b> (e.g., <b>MSG)</b>.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Foods that lie to our senses</b> are one of the most challenging features of the <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">Western diet</span>. </div><div><br /></div><div>Using MSG as an example, it is regularly added to instant noodles. Lots of people are addicted to eating instant noodles and in large amount because they taste good with added MSG. However, it is low in nutrients and frequent consumption of it is linked to an increased risk of metabolic syndrome.</div><div><br /></div><div>
<div><h3 style="text-align: left;">
References</h3>
<div>
<ol>
<li><a href="http://selfsufficientlifestyle.com/10-foods-proven-to-aggravate-joint-pain/9/" target="_blank">10 Foods Proven To Aggravate Joint Pain</a></li>
<li><a href="http://gordonresearch.com/inner.cfm?itemCategory=46861&siteId=502&priorId=0">NEUROLOGICAL INFLAMMATION: AN APPROACH TO REVERSING THE PROCESS</a></li><li><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18178378/" target="_blank">Monosodium glutamate (MSG): a villain and promoter of liver inflammation and dysplasia</a> </li><li><a href="https://www.sushisushi.co.uk/blogs/education/ajinomoto-monosodium-glutamate-is-it-ready-bad-for-your-health" target="_blank">AJINOMOTO MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE. IS IT REALLY BAD FOR YOUR HEALTH?</a></li><li><a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/monosodium-glutamate/faq-20058196#:~:text=The%20U.S.%20Food%20and%20Drug,be%20listed%20on%20the%20label." target="_blank">Monosodium glutamate (MSG): Is it harmful? - Mayo Clinic</a></li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monosodium_glutamate" target="_blank">Monosodium glutamate - Wikipedia</a></li><li><a href="https://nutritionfacts.org/video/update-on-msg/" target="_blank">Update on MSG</a> (NutritionFacts.org)</li><li><a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22416-heart-palpitations-after-eating#:~:text=Certain%20ingredients%20in%20food%20may,compound%20found%20in%20cacao%20plants." target="_blank">Heart Palpitations After Eating - Cleveland Clinic</a></li><li><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20701600/" target="_blank">Tchkonia T, Morbeck DE, Von Zglinicki T, Van Deursen J, Lustgarten J, Scrable H, … Kirkland JL (2010). Fat tissue, aging, and cellular senescence. Aging Cell, 9(5), 667–684</a>.</li><li>Fernstrom, John D. (2018). <a href="https://doi.org/10.1159%2F000494782">"Monosodium Glutamate in the Diet Does Not Raise Brain Glutamate Concentrations or Disrupt Brain Functions"</a>. Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism. 73 (Suppl. 5): 43–52.</li><li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8802345" target="_blank">Dietary food additive monosodium glutamate with or without high-lipid diet induces spleen anomaly: A mechanistic approach on rat model</a></li><ol><ul>
</ul>
</ol>
</ol>
</div>
</div>
</div></div>Travel for Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14903166424561297055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8379787096739190089.post-74525967436562328422023-07-22T09:51:00.003-07:002023-07-22T09:55:06.346-07:00The Link between a Common Variant in HLA Genes and Asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 Infection So far most global efforts have focused on severe illness in COVID-19, for example:<div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://travel2health.blogspot.com/2021/11/the-link-between-tlr7-variants-and.html" target="_blank">The Link between TLR7 Variants and Critical COVID-19</a></li></ul></div><div>However, <b>examining asymptomatic infection </b>provides a unique opportunity to <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">consider early immunological features that promote rapid viral clearance</span><b>. </b></div><div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Asymptomatic COVID-19</h3><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>At least 20% of people</b> who become infected with the <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-03619-8">SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus</a> <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">never feel sick</span>.<sup>[4-7]</sup> Now scientists have identified a genetic mutation (i.e., <b>HLA-B*15:01</b>) that is linked to a higher likelihood of avoiding symptoms during infection.<sup>[1]</sup></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Here <b>variation </b>in the <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">human leukocyte antigen</span> (HLA) loci may underly processes mediating asymptomatic infection <b>was postulated</b>.</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div></blockquote><div style="text-align: left;">Initially, scientists suspected that this genetic association is due to <b>pre-existing T cell immunity</b>. After further study, now they show that:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><blockquote><i>The structural similarity of the peptides underpins <b>T cell cross-reactivity</b> of <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">high-affinity public T cell receptors</span>, providing the molecular basis for <b>HLA-B*15:01-mediated </b><span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">pre-existing immunity</span>.</i></blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"> </div></div><div><div><h3>What is HLA genes?</h3><br />Among the many genes involved in human immune responses, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_leukocyte_antigen" target="_blank">Human leukocyte antigens</a><i> (</i><b>HLA</b>) variants have among <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">the strongest associations with viral infections</span>.<sup>[2]</sup></div><div><blockquote><i><b>HLA</b> are genes in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_histocompatibility_complex" target="_blank">major histocompatibility complexes</a> (<b>MHC</b>) that help <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">code for proteins that differentiate between self and non-self</span>.</i></blockquote><blockquote><i>They play a <b>significant role</b> in <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">disease and immune defense</span>. They are beneficial to the immune system but can also have detrimental effects.</i></blockquote></div></div><div><i><br /></i></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">T Cell Cross-Reactivity</h3><div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross-reactivity" target="_blank">Cross-reactivity</a> is the ability of an <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antigen" target="_blank">antigen</a> to bind with an antibody that was raised to a different antigen. It may arise by one of two mechanisms: shared epitopes on multivalent antigens, or <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">conformational similarity of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epitope" target="_blank">epitopes</a></span>.</div></div><div><br /></div><div>In the study, scientists sought to determine whether the T cell cross-reactivity observed previously in patients with infection could be observed in unexposed individuals. Here are their observation:<sup>[1]</sup></div></div><div><blockquote><i>T cells from a subset of <b>healthy donors</b> <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">carrying HLA-B*15:01</span> who were <b>never exposed to SARS-CoV-2</b> were <b>reactive to the SARS-CoV-2 peptide</b> <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">NQK-Q8</span>, and most of the reactive cells <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">displayed a memory phenotype</span>. The <b>sequence identity</b> between <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">SARS-CoV-2</span> and <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">seasonal coronaviruses</span> peptides, except for a single amino acid substitution, could explain the <b>T cell cross-reactivity</b>.</i></blockquote></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Seasonal Coronaviruses</h3><div><br /></div><div>Based on a Croatia study on the role of <b>seasonal coronaviruses</b>, rhinoviruses, adenoviruses and bocaviruses <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">in the </span><span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etiology" target="_blank">etiology</a> of respiratory infections</span>, it states that:</div><blockquote><i>An overall global prevalence in <b>respiratory tract infections</b> was found to be between <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">0.5 and 18.4% for seasonal coronaviruses</span>, between 13 and 59% for rhinoviruses, between 1 and 36% for human adenoviruses, and between 1 and 56.8% for human bocaviruses. </i></blockquote><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Pre-Existing Immunity to SARS-CoV-2</h3><div><br /></div><div><div>In the study of [1], scientists concluded that <b>pre-existing immunity to SARS-CoV-2</b> is found to reflect <b>T cell memory</b> to <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">circulating 'common cold' coronaviruses</span>: Here are their findings and conclusions:</div><div><div><blockquote><i>T cells from pre-pandemic samples from individuals carrying <b>HLA-B*15:01</b> were reactive to the immunodominant SARS-CoV-2 S-derived peptide NQKLIANQF. The majority of the reactive T cells displayed a memory phenotype, were highly polyfunctional and were <b>cross-reactive</b> to <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">a peptide derived from seasonal coronaviruses</span>.</i></blockquote></div><blockquote><i>Finally, they have surmised that the <b>structural similarity of the peptides</b> underpins <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">T cell cross-reactivity</span> of high-affinity public T cell receptors, providing the molecular basis for <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">HLA-B*15:01-mediated pre-existing immunity</span>.</i></blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div></div><div><div><h3 style="text-align: left;">References</h3><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-06331-x">A common allele of HLA is associated with asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection</a></li><li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK546662">Biochemistry, HLA Antigens</a></li><li><a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2021.691163/full" target="_blank">Seasonal Coronaviruses and Other Neglected Respiratory Viruses: A Global Perspective and a Local Snapshot</a></li><li>Meyerowitz, E. A., Richterman, A., Bogoch, I. I., Low, N. & Cevik, M. <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=33301725" target="_blank">Towards an accurate and systematic characterisation of persistently asymptomatic infection with SARS-CoV-2</a>. Lancet Infect. Dis. 21, e163–e169 (2020).</li><li>Oran, D. P. & Topol, E. J. <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=32491919" target="_blank">Prevalence of asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection</a>. Ann. Intern. Med. 173, M20-3012 (2020).</li><li>Buitrago-Garcia, D. et al. <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=32960881" target="_blank">Occurrence and transmission potential of asymptomatic and presymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infections: a living systematic review and meta-analysis</a>. PLoS Med. 17, e1003346 (2020).</li><li>Ra, S. H. et al. <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=32963115" target="_blank">Upper respiratory viral load in asymptomatic individuals and mildly symptomatic patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection</a>. Thorax 76, 61–63 (2021). </li></ol><ol style="text-align: left;"></ol><ol style="text-align: left;"></ol><ol style="text-align: left;"></ol></div></div></div></div>Travel for Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14903166424561297055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8379787096739190089.post-9532592664710659362023-07-18T08:57:00.003-07:002023-12-19T08:54:57.848-08:00Orchid Care for Beginners<div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmiapzHK6l2ymAHoVlXJstrxhHIVPaKNX_ZKN4ziJcrysQFZZuochgTuhax-TYBGSPvDgYAC4_XR8nlPMs5v0EbjRij5fceaIq-FYQvHutF_okJdC_hVA8NFsQ6Qv2RPwZ_0l2bERuqn4ehSUi0e_2OR7RR55JHHDwf1fFvuF5KHvjnVY42bwnGHWYjnnn/s4000/20231219_090731.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="2252" height="560" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmiapzHK6l2ymAHoVlXJstrxhHIVPaKNX_ZKN4ziJcrysQFZZuochgTuhax-TYBGSPvDgYAC4_XR8nlPMs5v0EbjRij5fceaIq-FYQvHutF_okJdC_hVA8NFsQ6Qv2RPwZ_0l2bERuqn4ehSUi0e_2OR7RR55JHHDwf1fFvuF5KHvjnVY42bwnGHWYjnnn/w360-h640/20231219_090731.jpg" width="315" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Unveiling Life: A Petal-Painted Symphony of Renewal (12/19/2023)</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><b>(Updated on 12/19/2023)</b><br /></div><div><blockquote>This document details the full orchid life cycle, encompassing hibernation and the opening of a bud signifying a new cycle.</blockquote></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-1ZB1k8_lKM_bk3rwPYJze-AozOQJ37CTqww88Fq1QdMJpoSHu7m0hKJCQoRHpz2C91tNwB4aSxRNaJ_aksolDfSHYIsDTS8uRpqBPiPZb70BksQPGn4ibLx7TCR_q4Wf0qPKYDFFP77xnDFFvhM7RuFVj-URlOeUU9U2pjFKkXKLLkGzqEBuhrHUyACC/s664/Screenshot%202023-07-18%20103622.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="345" data-original-width="664" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-1ZB1k8_lKM_bk3rwPYJze-AozOQJ37CTqww88Fq1QdMJpoSHu7m0hKJCQoRHpz2C91tNwB4aSxRNaJ_aksolDfSHYIsDTS8uRpqBPiPZb70BksQPGn4ibLx7TCR_q4Wf0qPKYDFFP77xnDFFvhM7RuFVj-URlOeUU9U2pjFKkXKLLkGzqEBuhrHUyACC/w640-h332/Screenshot%202023-07-18%20103622.png" width="560" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Figure 1. Orchid varieties</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Orchids are plants that belong to the family <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/biochemistry-genetics-and-molecular-biology/orchidaceae" target="_blank">Orchidaceae</a>, a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colorful and fragrant.<sup>[1]</sup><div><blockquote><i>The orchid flower is typically has an outer whorl of <b>three sepals</b>, an inner loop of <b>three petals</b>, a single large column in the center, and an enlarged bottom petal called a <b>lip</b> or labellum (see <b>Figure 2</b>). The overall flower shape is characteristically <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">bilaterally symmetrical</span> (the left and right halves of the blossom are mirror images), <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">a necessity for reliable pollination by bees</span>.</i></blockquote><div><br /></div></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3aiIaDSqLWBDjKUNPHp71gIfFCS0IxtKO2t71CDIx-igRy0b5C7uX4slqurTvVquZuD5l80UBjVbdJrbMHjuuOe2-zQQ-MNGHVBURb9ruPtzsNDrKCavEXb8WpHKS6shZaRH0O_R3B2RhcjLvU7uz6bdQQuAICXDYipHnoTJQtVn4h_GwAppHQ2XK75Fb/s509/Screenshot%202023-07-18%20104630.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="483" data-original-width="509" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3aiIaDSqLWBDjKUNPHp71gIfFCS0IxtKO2t71CDIx-igRy0b5C7uX4slqurTvVquZuD5l80UBjVbdJrbMHjuuOe2-zQQ-MNGHVBURb9ruPtzsNDrKCavEXb8WpHKS6shZaRH0O_R3B2RhcjLvU7uz6bdQQuAICXDYipHnoTJQtVn4h_GwAppHQ2XK75Fb/s320/Screenshot%202023-07-18%20104630.png" width="280" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Figure 2. Basic structure of orchid<sup>[1]</sup></span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /><h3>Orchid Care</h3><div><br /></div>There are <b>more than 20,000 species of orchids</b>, and contrary to popular belief, they are extremely easy to look after, yet many homeowners <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">flounder by overwatering or putting orchids in the wrong place</span>.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>Lighting</u></b></div><div><br /></div>Orchids <b>do not like direct sun</b>. They <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">require low light levels</span>, but they do need sunlight. It is possible for them to survive in offices but they may struggle. Avoid placing your orchid on windowsills because of the direct light.<div><span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: "DM Sans"; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #404040; font-family: DM Sans;"><b><u>Temperature</u></b></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: "DM Sans"; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div>It is best to keep your orchid between 60 F and 80 F.<br /><br /><b><u>Fertilizer</u></b><div><br />It is <b>not necessary</b> to <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">add fertilizer to your water or feed your orchid</span>. At the greenhouse, the growers sometimes give low amounts of fertilizer and your orchid has plenty of energy to continue its bloom cycle.<div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggWjeCxguSvZh5p5I4qBpfOadi19BgIyVjRAQs5Ytgd32zKnqnYzk5sAB_QiAkhSaYEWWOdlbC3VtBjQUKlUXozFzcSWv3VBUr2zIcIGhmm97qNwWdCwx122b_F-N5_kI1e-4jAwb8r1M5Vl35pE_O0rk37jcl58JAyDNHJ91oVGZBp_TQa98-XQpCAeXN/s4000/20230716_111950.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggWjeCxguSvZh5p5I4qBpfOadi19BgIyVjRAQs5Ytgd32zKnqnYzk5sAB_QiAkhSaYEWWOdlbC3VtBjQUKlUXozFzcSWv3VBUr2zIcIGhmm97qNwWdCwx122b_F-N5_kI1e-4jAwb8r1M5Vl35pE_O0rk37jcl58JAyDNHJ91oVGZBp_TQa98-XQpCAeXN/w640-h480/20230716_111950.jpg" width="560" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>For our orchid in 5 inch pot, we water them <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">weekly</span></b></span> <span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>using the cup shown</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #404040; font-family: DM Sans;"><br /></span></span></div><b><u>Watering</u></b><div><br /></div>Orchids do <b>not </b>require water often and do <b>not </b>need a lot.<sup>[2]</sup><br /><blockquote><i>When giving water using the measuring cup (see Figure 1), be aware about the size of orchid you bought. Mini orchids in 2.5 inch pot need 1.5oz of water weekly. Orchids in 5 inch pots instead need 3oz of water per week.</i></blockquote><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #404040; font-family: DM Sans;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span></span></div><div><b><u>Trimming Stems at the End of Bloom Life</u></b><br /><br />At the end of your orchid's bloom cycle, the blooms will begin to wilt and fall off. This should start with the oldest (lower) flowers first. Based on grandmom's advice, this is the time for you to cut them down at the stem base.<sup>[2]</sup></div><div><i><blockquote>To prepare your orchid for the flower break you <b>should remove wilted flowers</b> and keep the stems as long as they are still green. The plant <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">will send all energy from the stems back into the roots.</span> Only <b>when the stems are getting brown</b> you <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">should cut them down at the stem base</span>.</blockquote></i></div><div><br /></div><div>The following caring tips were given by a grandmom as you can see in the below pictures. Note that she <b>never repot</b> her orchids. If you plan to repot, be very careful not to damage the roots.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqkK7IHEXBqH7paFqsbOd8Hcwv8_8C7fYuig67bcC30d2aQjRUoEEbmaDFSNwATdjtsNUQZbqMcpKMQxWkTGMW4gz_AKWZv6_EyG_xC-ig40VnVxEbUTd6SDD4bTOCUo2ODzOqONM3yv_5bLEEEUPkKddjGFH6fYLsGGtAA7Hhaq2U0SjeDJJnjVQEj6Gc/s4000/20230716_111849.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="560" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqkK7IHEXBqH7paFqsbOd8Hcwv8_8C7fYuig67bcC30d2aQjRUoEEbmaDFSNwATdjtsNUQZbqMcpKMQxWkTGMW4gz_AKWZv6_EyG_xC-ig40VnVxEbUTd6SDD4bTOCUo2ODzOqONM3yv_5bLEEEUPkKddjGFH6fYLsGGtAA7Hhaq2U0SjeDJJnjVQEj6Gc/w480-h640/20230716_111849.jpg" width="420" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>This orchid plant has been grown for around 7 years with each cut represents one year </b></span><br /><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsrcq2BB7NCVoLrx9Zaildxkkxee6yRDhNoUtE6A25jpZXzoH5echBZuTzptwLSGFtT2rUwU-4-XkIyaVKyhNIrx0zyMdA14BcXKJCW6OGoWjJaDTLQ_tITjpTrmZGqzAtKmVY1KAi0Zrg9tHfiYfakZ5UcUrMFbQAY3cDNaXvGqeqU7WQy1t0TmHbT4VR/s4000/20230716_111656.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsrcq2BB7NCVoLrx9Zaildxkkxee6yRDhNoUtE6A25jpZXzoH5echBZuTzptwLSGFtT2rUwU-4-XkIyaVKyhNIrx0zyMdA14BcXKJCW6OGoWjJaDTLQ_tITjpTrmZGqzAtKmVY1KAi0Zrg9tHfiYfakZ5UcUrMFbQAY3cDNaXvGqeqU7WQy1t0TmHbT4VR/w640-h480/20230716_111656.jpg" width="560" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Yesterday (<span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">07/17/2023</span>) grandmom had cut off two stems from the below orchid plant</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1aot5pB5df3QSw7JQ5VVZgcfylpf8REsJgoZAp5RtIAm87KoJJ2JDA9g-OODgoYyqxObF0aRSyo6cYOe_7qEFY7Pa_9zG11hT82nCH7Cxn-QlBzjc94aPndQ5GdyHxN4akoWdoHvoeNxgGq9asZNPKP3QWh_992WoJ5xabgsn_JJFNZVhlxdp0egwWt8p/s962/Screenshot%202023-07-18%20112038.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="962" data-original-width="810" height="560" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1aot5pB5df3QSw7JQ5VVZgcfylpf8REsJgoZAp5RtIAm87KoJJ2JDA9g-OODgoYyqxObF0aRSyo6cYOe_7qEFY7Pa_9zG11hT82nCH7Cxn-QlBzjc94aPndQ5GdyHxN4akoWdoHvoeNxgGq9asZNPKP3QWh_992WoJ5xabgsn_JJFNZVhlxdp0egwWt8p/w538-h640/Screenshot%202023-07-18%20112038.png" width="470" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>To prepare this orchid for the flower break, trimming was done</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrxDMKjTfj3klsJE5IF0bPTX1s_qQM0kDmnZfqRS29Nl73dm726Flxjx0OICO6Km5E5rqunob-JrEYM9Gb9kAmtYe0FWwhlhrZ4wLaaDjjhqCLaHduK3EeJk4h2Up4VsSv2AQXHDqNdwPF0XmzttZO57UtTzeFFQTS0IAyPPG6N99T8QRHIe459A8sHtGp/s4000/20231210_102104.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="2252" height="560" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrxDMKjTfj3klsJE5IF0bPTX1s_qQM0kDmnZfqRS29Nl73dm726Flxjx0OICO6Km5E5rqunob-JrEYM9Gb9kAmtYe0FWwhlhrZ4wLaaDjjhqCLaHduK3EeJk4h2Up4VsSv2AQXHDqNdwPF0XmzttZO57UtTzeFFQTS0IAyPPG6N99T8QRHIe459A8sHtGp/w360-h640/20231210_102104.jpg" width="315" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>A velvety green bonnet swells with anticipation, cradling a hidden surprise (12/10/2023)</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOs3_Mk8btA8xI76ErBnrsgHwBzTg6AAiYYuatdepUAv3jOevZJ2BWNBD4-VsveOh-AqNhSIeayRGWN5mnmnABsPACdKXKW9ep2ntsyynf4X7_mH3_Pj-T9Hu2w-PRGxaExUV-FUI6iDASUmvtZsoApx2Dtlyhpih6MSm-SHMuAtScKukigKSHS5s00c6W/s4000/20231219_090813.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="2252" height="560" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOs3_Mk8btA8xI76ErBnrsgHwBzTg6AAiYYuatdepUAv3jOevZJ2BWNBD4-VsveOh-AqNhSIeayRGWN5mnmnABsPACdKXKW9ep2ntsyynf4X7_mH3_Pj-T9Hu2w-PRGxaExUV-FUI6iDASUmvtZsoApx2Dtlyhpih6MSm-SHMuAtScKukigKSHS5s00c6W/w360-h640/20231219_090813.jpg" width="315" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Like a tiny sunrise, a vibrant bloom explodes from the bud, painting the air with its radiance (12/19/2023)</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><h3>References</h3><ol><li><a href="https://sites.millersville.edu/jasheeha/webDesign/websites/OOroot/anatomy.html" target="_blank">Anatomy of an Orchid</a></li><li><a href="https://colororchids.com/orchids/" target="_blank">Orchid Care</a></li></ol></div></div></div>Travel for Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14903166424561297055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8379787096739190089.post-55626842157021862472023-06-26T14:48:00.004-07:002023-06-29T06:45:10.677-07:0013-Steps for a Long Healthy Life<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4l2is-XKK0Mt7Hyk-0-SYojErXnsLbmr2MT_EUa8Dl0CHhlO-Kpx34-ky4M6kFPITaTTBRJ7RDAaN05JAKegCxcRpR6hNlYPvl6dWVrXa-uV8EiJB8fm1PigXMpXgSdpvEXblDqvPWmroZHQQsnWJOTOXNopGkBdB-SRnjvlDVcYMgavDGlVeV1OKFbA4/s509/Screenshot%202023-06-26%20133647.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="509" data-original-width="397" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4l2is-XKK0Mt7Hyk-0-SYojErXnsLbmr2MT_EUa8Dl0CHhlO-Kpx34-ky4M6kFPITaTTBRJ7RDAaN05JAKegCxcRpR6hNlYPvl6dWVrXa-uV8EiJB8fm1PigXMpXgSdpvEXblDqvPWmroZHQQsnWJOTOXNopGkBdB-SRnjvlDVcYMgavDGlVeV1OKFbA4/w313-h400/Screenshot%202023-06-26%20133647.png" width="313" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Here are 13-steps for a long healthy life summarized from [1] by @ColinKeeley on Twitter:<sup>[2]</sup></p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Our Goal</b></li><ul><li>Lifespan is the number of years you live</li><li>Health span is how long you’re healthy enough to do the things that matter to you</li><li>Longevity means maximizing health span and lifespan</li><li>Our goal is to live longer and live better and it all starts with prevention...</li></ul><li><b>Avoid Icebergs</b></li><ul><li>Medicine 2.0 (medicine today) deals with problems after they present themselves.</li><li>Medicine 3.0 <b>focuses on</b> <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">prevention</span> <b>over </b><span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">cures</span>.</li><li>We are trying to avoid icebergs in the distance</li><li>It is better and easier to avoid the first heart attack than treat it after</li></ul><li><b>The 4 Horsemen</b></li><ul><li>There are <b>four major killer diseases</b>: 1. <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">Cardiovascular disease</span>, 2. <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">Cancer</span>, 3. <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">Neurodegenerative disease</span>, 4. <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">Type 2 diabetes and metabolic dysfunction</span></li><li><b>Metabolic health</b> is the <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">common thread</span></li><li><b>Exercise </b>is our <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">best prevention</span></li></ul><li><b>Exercise</b></li><ul><li><b>Exercise </b>is "by far <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">the most potent longevity drug</span>”</li><li>Weekly:</li><ul><li><a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness-exercise-weight-training" target="_blank">Weight training</a> 3 days</li><li><a href="https://www.howardluksmd.com/zone-2-hr-training-live-longer-less-injury/" target="_blank">Zone 2 training</a> 3 hours—Zone 2 training to stimulate mitochondrial function</li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VO2_max" target="_blank">VO2 max training</a> 1 day</li></ul><li>Get as fit as possible to prepare for natural decline with age</li></ul><li><b>Marginal Decade</b></li><ul><li>You want to intentionally train for the activities you care most about continuing into your later years</li><li><b>Build up</b> the <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">strength and stamina</span> while young to combat the predictable decline as you age</li><li>Want to ski at 80? You better be in top 1% condition at 50</li></ul><li><b>Diet</b></li><ul><li>Avoid fads. Attia recommends Keto (hard) or Mediterranean diet (easier). <b>More </b><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-weight: bold;">monounsaturated fats</span> & <b>less </b><span style="color: red;">carbs</span>.</li><li>Avoid Standard American Diet: • <span style="color: red;">Highly refined carbohydrates</span> • <span style="color: red;">Processed oils</span> • <span style="color: red;">Added sugar</span></li><li>Eat more: • <b><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Real food</span></b> • <b><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Avocados </span></b>• <span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b>Olive oil</b></span> • <span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b>Protein </b></span>• <b><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Nuts</span></b></li></ul><li><b>Diet Questions—</b>Are you undernourished or overnourished? Are you undermuscled or adequately muscled? Are you metabolically healthy or not?</li><ul><li>Most have poor metabolic health, are over nourished, and are undermuscled.</li><li>You want to <b>reduce </b><span style="color: red;">energy intake</span> while <b>adding </b><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b>lean mass</b></span>.</li></ul><li><b>Heart Disease</b></li><ul><li>Everyone 18+ has some degree of heart disease. Accumulating every day.</li><li>Get your <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;"><a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diagnostics/24992-apolipoprotein-b-test" target="_blank">ApoB</a> and <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/lab-tests/lipoprotein-a-blood-test/#:~:text=A%20lipoprotein%20(a)%20test%20measures,your%20bloodstream%20to%20your%20cells." target="_blank">Lp(a)</a> tested</span>. Those matter more than cholesterol.</li><ul><li>Goal: ApoB 20-30 (baby level)</li></ul><li>Impossible to get there with diet and exercise alone. 80% of his patients take <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/22282-statins" target="_blank">statins</a>.</li></ul><li><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0"><b>Sleep </b></span></li><ul><li> Poor sleep impacts everything. It gives even seemingly healthy people "old-man blood": hormone and inflammatory levels of someone decades older.</li></ul><li><b>Cancer</b></li><ul><li><b>Cancer</b> is <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">closely linked to metabolic dysfunction</span>. Get healthy to avoid it.</li><li>This chronic inflammation creates an environment that induces cells to become cancerous.</li><li>Otherwise aggressive early screening is our best defense. <b>Late detection</b> is <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">a death sentence</span>.</li></ul><li><b>Neurodegenerative Disease</b></li><ul><li>Most difficult of the horsemen. Medicine 2.0 can't do anything for us.</li><li>What's good for the heart is good for the brain. <b>Exercise & sleep</b> are our <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">best weapons</span>.</li><ul><li><b>Exercise </b>maintains glucose homeostasis and healthy vasculature.</li><li><b>Sleep </b>heals the brain.</li></ul></ul><li><b>Metabolic Dysfunction</b></li><ul><li>Basically an issue in your body's fuel processing. On a spectrum.</li><li>Heart disease, cancer, and dementia are all built on metabolic disease. Each one is amplified by metabolic dysregulation.</li><li><b>Exercise, diet, and sleep</b> are our <b>weapons </b>here.</li></ul><li><b>Emotional Health</b></li><ul><li>Emotional health issues are one of the biggest roadblocks to longevity in his patients.</li><li>If you are not happy, why would you want to live a long time?</li><li>Take care of your emotional well-being just like you would heart disease.</li><li>It's ok to admit you need help.</li></ul></ol><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguaFzp95vkeXiH8RCGMLium1NbOJtywVVYOYnqmZuYBUszESOnTWry3pCI0NTpFZPCCfqgKf2wklzi-3WiSesSPxExXxdekPLYGEd5jUrHjy3jHhEc76NRo9myF0r6RKLqWdze6l4v0ovO6yrZeSQgMnHaUmRj8DMn41jb7CdZivv-g046h4YShfsWcjrV/s872/Screenshot%202023-06-26%20174720.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="650" data-original-width="872" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguaFzp95vkeXiH8RCGMLium1NbOJtywVVYOYnqmZuYBUszESOnTWry3pCI0NTpFZPCCfqgKf2wklzi-3WiSesSPxExXxdekPLYGEd5jUrHjy3jHhEc76NRo9myF0r6RKLqWdze6l4v0ovO6yrZeSQgMnHaUmRj8DMn41jb7CdZivv-g046h4YShfsWcjrV/w400-h299/Screenshot%202023-06-26%20174720.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">References</h3><p></p><ol><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Outlive-Longevity-Peter-Attia-MD/dp/0593236599/ref=asc_df_0593236599/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=598225245735&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=4577945631787902886&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9052552&hvtargid=pla-1662401413338&psc=1" target="_blank">Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity</a> by Peter Attia and </li><li><a href="https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1672583187078479872.html" target="_blank">Thread by @ColinKeeleuy on longevity</a></li><li><a href="https://sites.google.com/view/traveltohealth/the-pursuit-of-healthiness/exercise/exercise-and-its-benefits" target="_blank">Exercise and Its Benefits</a> (Travel to Health)</li><li><a href="https://sites.google.com/view/traveltohealth/the-pursuit-of-healthiness/exercise/exercise-for-bone-health" target="_blank">Exercise for Bone Health</a> (Travel to Health)</li><li>Travel to Health website (<a href="https://sites.google.com/view/traveltohealth/how-not-to-die" target="_blank">link</a>)</li><br /><br /><br /></ol>Travel for Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14903166424561297055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8379787096739190089.post-75231040042028145792023-03-12T16:51:00.008-07:002023-06-26T06:30:01.395-07:00Nitrates/Nitrites in Foods and Their Effects<h3><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJTiqvSiUl_ZAly6urMBFQpps18wgSU6e-HGcnPkwFHZwWmWdE9kS5z1Q6Z5WL6ADDQtn05PqAzPi5zQuKhSUT8oYYeHkpDSaUVJsiI-kovGNPoJ0XYp-AbubiBAOpUKp1ncafrmyYvzLa-vmeTR-SRAegbCN4X-nMy1pPkXGIpeUPyqS_E5LPxxa9bQ/s1755/Hydroponics.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1027" data-original-width="1755" height="327" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJTiqvSiUl_ZAly6urMBFQpps18wgSU6e-HGcnPkwFHZwWmWdE9kS5z1Q6Z5WL6ADDQtn05PqAzPi5zQuKhSUT8oYYeHkpDSaUVJsiI-kovGNPoJ0XYp-AbubiBAOpUKp1ncafrmyYvzLa-vmeTR-SRAegbCN4X-nMy1pPkXGIpeUPyqS_E5LPxxa9bQ/w640-h374/Hydroponics.jpg" width="560" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Hydroponics—Farming without soil, which uses less water</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></h3><h3><span style="font-weight: normal;">Nitrates in Plants</span></h3><div><br /></div><div>Several factors influence the accumulation of nitrates in plants, which include:</div><ul><li><b>Lack of sunlight or water, variety, maturity</b></li><li><b>High levels of fertilizers</b></li><ul><li>Excessive use of nitrogen fertilizers should be avoided so as to reduce nitrate buildup in soil and vegetables.<sup>[5]</sup> </li></ul><li><b>Nitrate levels in the soil</b>, and </li><li><b>Quality of irrigation water</b></li></ul><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrate" target="_blank">Nitrate</a> is nontoxic below <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maximum_residue_limit" target="_blank">maximum residue levels</a> (<b>MRLs</b>), but if it
reaches above this level, it "could" (see more details later) be dangerous due to its reduction in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrite" target="_blank">nitrites</a>, which can react with amines and amides to produce “<a href="https://dhss.delaware.gov/dph/files/nnitrosofaq.pdf" target="_blank">N-nitroso</a>”
compounds responsible for gastric cancer.<sup>[5,6]</sup> High levels of nitrates in children stomach are also responsible for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methemoglobinemia" target="_blank">methemoglobinemia </a>(blue baby syndrome).<sup>[7,8]</sup><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">The Healthy Route to Nitrite Processing</span></h3><br />Certain vegetables contain nitrates, which break down into <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrite" target="_blank">nitrites</a> when eaten. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrite" target="_blank">Nitrites</a> are necessary and life-enhancing, providing the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitric_oxide" target="_blank"><b>nitric oxide</b></a> we need to <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">keep our blood vessels dilated, and minimize risk of high blood pressure</span>. <div><br /></div><div>Studies have shown that nitrites packaged in vegetables can improve oxygen efficiency and delivery by dilating blood vessels, resulting in:<sup>[1]</sup><br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>lowered <a href="http://nutritionfacts.org/topics/high-blood-pressure/">blood pressure</a></li><li>improved breathing for those with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (<a href="http://nutritionfacts.org/topics/copd/">COPD</a>)</li><li>decreased age-related cognitive decline</li><li>increased blood flow in those with <a href="https://nutritionfacts.org/topics/peripheral-artery-disease/">Peripheral Artery Disease</a>.</li></ul></div><div><div><br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">The Unhealthy Route to Nitrite Processing</h3><br />If nitrites are so beneficial, how can they be so harmful when consumed in meat? The <b>answer</b> is<span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;"> not in the nitrites themselves</span>, <b>but in</b> <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">how they can be converted</span>, under certain circumstances, into <a href="https://nutritionfacts.org/topics/nitrosamines/">nitrosamines</a>—recognized as one of the most potent <a href="http://nutritionfacts.org/topics/carcinogens">carcinogens</a> in the world.<sup>[1]</sup><br /><br />Research is now clarifying that <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrosamine">nitrosamines</a> are formed when nitrites are consumed in the absence of plants (vs. meat), because <a href="https://nutritionfacts.org/topics/phytonutrients/">phytonutrients</a> found in plants <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">can block nitrosamine formation</span>. Because meat contains none of these plant <a href="https://nutritionfacts.org/topics/phytonutrients/">phytonutrients</a>, when nitrites are added to meat as <a href="http://nutritionfacts.org/topics/preservatives/">preservatives</a> and colorings, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrosamine">nitrosamines</a> form in <a href="http://nutritionfacts.org/topics/processed-meat/">processed meat</a>.</div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Summary</h3><div><br /></div><div>Because <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phytochemical" target="_blank">phytonutrients</a> found in plants can block <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrosamine">nitrosamine</a> formation, it's safer to consume plants with nitrates/nitrites than meats with added nitrates/nitrites. However, in order to maximize the health benefits from eating vegetables, measures should be also taken to reduce the nitrate and nitrite exposures.<sup>[9]</sup> For example, </div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Vegetables must be stored and processed properly</b> to <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">prevent bacterial contamination</span> and hence reduction of nitrate to nitrite.<sup>[10]</sup></li><li><b>Consume vegetables with high <a href="https://nutritionfacts.org/topics/phytonutrients/">phytonutrients</a> contents</b> vs. low <a href="https://nutritionfacts.org/topics/phytonutrients/">phytonutrients</a> contents.</li><li><b>Avoid processed meat</b> because nitrites and nitrates are added to processed meat to help them maintain that nice pink color:<sup>[2-4]</sup></li><ul><li>The problem is, <b>in the presence of </b><span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">heat</span>—<b>especially high heat</b>—<span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">nitrites can combine with amines in processed meat to form <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrosamine">nitrosamines</a></span>, and these are <b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carcinogen">carcinogenic</a>.</b></li></ul></ul><div><br /></div></div><div><h3 style="text-align: left;">References</h3><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3951562/" target="_blank">Effects of agriculture production systems on nitrate and nitrite accumulation on baby-leaf salads</a></li><li><a href="http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/11/26/12-worst-food-additives.aspx?x_cid=20151129_tweet_12-worst-food-additives_twitterdoc" target="_blank">EWG Releases Dirty Dozen Guide to Food Additives</a> (Dr. Mercola)</li><li><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12421882" target="_blank">Total N-nitroso compounds and their precursors in hot dogs and in the gastrointestinal tract and feces of rats and mice: possible etiologic agents for colon cancer.</a></li><li><a href="http://www.foodproductiondaily.com/Safety-Regulation/No-risk-from-nitrates-in-vegetables-says-EFSA" target="_blank">No risk from nitrates in vegetables, says EFSA</a></li><li>Santamaria P. <a href="https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?journal=J.+Sci.+Food+Agric.&title=Nitrate+in+vegetables:+toxicity,+content,+intake+and+EC+regulation+(review)&author=P+Santamaria&volume=86&publication_year=2006&pages=10-17&">Nitrate in vegetables: toxicity, content, intake and EC regulation</a> (review) J. Sci. Food Agric. 2006;86:10–17.</li><li>Savino F, Maccario S, Guidi C, Castagno E, Farinasso D, Cresi F, et al. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16809905" target="_blank">Methemoglobinemia caused by the ingestion of courgette soup given in order to resolve constipation in two formula-fed infants</a>. Ann. Nutr. Metab. 2006;50:368–371.</li><li>Greer FR, Shannon M. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16140723" target="_blank">Infant methemoglobinemia: the role of dietary nitrate in food and water</a>. American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Nutrition, American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Environmental Health, 2005. Pediatrics. 2005;116:784–786.</li><li>Chan TYK. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21075182" target="_blank">Vegetable-borne nitrate and nitrite and the risk of methaemoglobinaemia</a>. Toxicol. Lett. 2011;200:107–108.</li><li>Correia M, Barroso A, Barroso MF, Soares D, Oliveira MBPP, Delerue-Matos C. <a href="https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?journal=Food+Chem.&title=Contribution+of+different+vegetable+types+to+exogenous+nitrate+and+nitrite+exposure&author=M+Correia&author=A+Barroso&author=MF+Barroso&author=D+Soares&author=MBPP+Oliveira&volume=120&publication_year=2010&pages=960-966&" target="_blank">Contribution of different vegetable types to exogenous nitrate and nitrite exposure</a>. Food Chem. 2010;120:960–966.</li><li>Leszczyńska T, Filipiak-Florkiewicz A, Cieślik E, Sikora E, Pisulewski PM. <a href="https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?journal=J.+Food+Compos.+Anal.&title=Effects+of+some+processing+methods+on+nitrate+and+nitrite+changes+in+cruciferous+vegetables&author=T+Leszczy%C5%84ska&author=A+Filipiak-Florkiewicz&author=E+Cie%C5%9Blik&author=E+Sikora&author=PM+Pisulewski&volume=22&publication_year=2009&pages=315-321&" target="_blank">Effects of some processing methods on nitrate and nitrite changes in cruciferous vegetables</a>. J. Food Compos. Anal. 2009;22:315–321.</li></ol><p><br /></p></div></div>Travel for Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14903166424561297055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8379787096739190089.post-76598433180952093222022-12-03T05:38:00.004-08:002022-12-03T05:38:51.559-08:00Live Life to the Fullest<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvJo8ypzpL9sqdxpqqaiHPF8Fsxi4CeWxUtQfNivRR7HOJk22MNzXPb4wsKFMLbnz7czlxvXAEzAGBLfwAT4LgdXZctErYANINMItW0GZieLvEsuKUjreP7g57Zd7IyepPpkZEoqlb9TGuoHH75wvy3IJKDy1ugXaBz4iGrauLUWlNWggZLei6bqbrpg/s1024/privilegeVsChoice.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvJo8ypzpL9sqdxpqqaiHPF8Fsxi4CeWxUtQfNivRR7HOJk22MNzXPb4wsKFMLbnz7czlxvXAEzAGBLfwAT4LgdXZctErYANINMItW0GZieLvEsuKUjreP7g57Zd7IyepPpkZEoqlb9TGuoHH75wvy3IJKDy1ugXaBz4iGrauLUWlNWggZLei6bqbrpg/w640-h360/privilegeVsChoice.png" width="560" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://travel4apurpose.blogspot.com/2022/04/budapest-travelvisiting-city-park.html" target="_blank">Budapest Travel—Visiting City Park</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><div><h3 style="text-align: left;">How to Live Life to the Fullest</h3><div><br /></div><div>Here is the list of inspiration quotes from <a href="https://tinybuddha.com/blog/30-ways-to-live-life-to-the-fullest/" target="_blank">Tiny Buddha</a>:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><i>Live in the moment. Forget the past and don’t concern yourself with the future.</i></b> —Tanner Christensen</li><li><b><i>Fully embrace the now, no matter what the situation.</i></b>—Patrick Flynn </li><li><b><i><span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">Do the things you love.</span></i></b>—Diego Felipe Villa Serna </li><li><b><i>Learn to forgive and embrace unconditional love.</i></b>—Ann Glasgow </li><li><b><span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;"><i>Live every day as if it’s your last, embracing each experience as if it’s your first.</i></span></b>—Jennifer Fertado </li><li><b><i>Believe in “live and let live.”</i></b>—Satyendra Pandey </li><li><b><i>Use quiet reflection, honesty, and laughter.</i></b>—Erin Rogers Kronman </li><li><b><i>Be other-centered.</i></b>—Tricia Mc </li><li><b><i>Find calm in making art.</i></b>—Z.r. Hill </li><li><b><i>Focus on today and how you can do your best to live it to the fullest.</i></b>—Amelia Krump </li><li><b><i>Participate in life instead of just watching it pass you by.</i></b>—Lindsey Wonderson </li><li><b><i><span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">Stay healthy, eat right, and most importantly, be kind to all.</span></i></b>—Tho Nguyen </li><li><b><i>Forgive yourself, appreciate others, listen to your gut, do things you enjoy, and remind yourself that we are all loved and connected.</i></b>—Sandra Lumb </li><li><b><i><span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">Don’t sweat the small stuff.</span></i></b>—Allison Gillam </li><li><b><i>Question everything, keep it simple, and help whenever and however you can.</i></b>—Lynda Corrigan Sutherland </li><li><b><i><span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">Try to enjoy every minute of every day.</span></i></b>—Maria Ahlin </li><li><b><i>Appreciate life’s every second. </i></b>(Anna-Karin Boyaciyan-Demirciyan </li><li><b><i><span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">Step through new doors. The majority of the time there’s something fantastic on the other side.</span></i></b>—Terri Mindock </li><li><b><i><span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">Remember that all is a gift, but the most precious of all gifts is life and love.</span></i></b>—Debbie Teeuwen </li><li><b><i>Keep your spirit free, be flexible, let go.</i></b>—Leslie Brown </li><li><b><i>“Do one thing every day that scares you.” </i></b>~Baz Luhrmann—Adam Raffel</li><li><b><i><span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">Don’t attach to outcomes.</span></i></b>—Wp Ho </li><li><b><i>Spend as much time with a two year old as possible.</i></b>—Jackie Freeman </li><li><b><i>Enjoy each and every moment of life. Every day is a new challenge and opportunity to discover something new.</i></b>—Chirag Tripathi </li><li><b><i><span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">Budget travel. It is always an adventure! You get to enjoy what fate has to offer with limited means.</span></i></b>—Ruby Baltazar </li><li><b><i>Be honestly thankful for every breath you take.</i></b>—Jonathan Carey </li><li><b><i>Just be.</i></b>—Catherine Halvorsson </li><li><b><i>“Trust yourself. Trust your own strengths.”</i></b> ~Gandalf the grey—Jonathan David Evan Fulton </li><li><b><i>Pause momentarily before everything you do so that you notice everything you should or could notice.</i></b>—Scott Hutchinson </li><li><b><i><span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">Follow your hopes and not your fears.</span></i></b>—Jody Bower </li></ul></div></div>Travel for Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14903166424561297055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8379787096739190089.post-20908097169837658402022-02-12T15:43:00.012-08:002022-10-02T09:12:45.369-07:00Health Benefits of Heat Therapy<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5dS4IUTmfRU_4Nf33IAdFlzzmJAHLConuGL98bmvo-FjUkQVBN5yoNX5HVSVK9a9wg6Qf9hLRZCnHLeXltLinCC9nGRdPf4F3V3HsY3O56-D-6y99DXGQZA_D6NFWlNLrc5wdbewUU4S5/s747/hotSpring.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="747" data-original-width="560" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5dS4IUTmfRU_4Nf33IAdFlzzmJAHLConuGL98bmvo-FjUkQVBN5yoNX5HVSVK9a9wg6Qf9hLRZCnHLeXltLinCC9nGRdPf4F3V3HsY3O56-D-6y99DXGQZA_D6NFWlNLrc5wdbewUU4S5/w300-h400/hotSpring.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 6pt;"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><h3 style="text-align: left;">Fever—a Protective Mechanism</h3><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><br /></div>Getting a fever is no fun. You likely get chills, you sweat, and you’re just generally uncomfortable. You get tired easily and need to rest. But, <b>fever</b> <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">isn’t the real problem</span>. It’s a symptom of something else. You must treat whatever that is to relieve the fever.<br /><br />We know scientifically that <b>fever</b> is a <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">protective or defense mechanism</span>.<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: 0.6em; vertical-align: super;">[10]</span></span></span> When <b>body temperature reaches 101.3<sup>o</sup>F (38.5<sup>o</sup>C)</b>, the <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">immune system shifts into a state of alarm</span>. At this temperature, the level of immune chemicals in the bloodstream doubles, and immune defenses throughout the body increase. Within 6 hours, almost every major defense within the immune system doubles its efforts.<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: 0.6em; vertical-align: super;">[9]</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><div>
<blockquote style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;"><i><b style="background-color: transparent; color: black;">Heat</b> by itself <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">has an antiviral effect</span>. When a container of human cells and rhinovirus was immersed in a <b>113<sup>o</sup>F</b> hot water bath, the <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">heat suppressed the multiplication of the virus by 90%</span>, but <b>did not kill the human cells</b>.<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: 0.6em; vertical-align: super;">[11]</span></span></span><span> </span></i></blockquote><blockquote><i><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;">Fever is usually triggered when <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monocyte" target="_blank">monocytes</a> meet pathogens and this results in an increase of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interleukin-1_family" target="_blank">IL-1</a></span><span>,</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: 0.6em; vertical-align: super;">[12]</span></span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;"> which is what </span><span style="background-color: #fcff01; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #800180;">triggers the fever response</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;"> since </span><b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interleukin-1_family" style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;" target="_blank">IL-1</a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;"> is a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrogen" target="_blank">pyrogen</a></span></b><span>.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: 0.6em; vertical-align: super;">[13]</span></span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;"> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interleukin-1_family" style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;" target="_blank">IL-1</a><span style="background-color: transparent;"> is also involved in the activation of the cellular and humoral immune response against the pathogen.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: 0.6em; vertical-align: super;">[12]</span></span></span><span style="background-color: transparent;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent;"> </span></i></blockquote><blockquote><i><b style="background-color: transparent;">Fever</b> <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">promotes migration of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_blood_cell" target="_blank">leukocytes</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neutrophil" target="_blank">neutrophils</a> to the area where the pathogen is</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: 0.6em; vertical-align: super;">[10]</span></span></span> and it <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">activates T Cell function</span><span style="background-color: transparent;">.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: 0.6em; vertical-align: super;">[14]</span></span></span><span style="background-color: transparent;"> </span> Genes involved in the <b style="background-color: transparent;">activation of the interleukins</b> have been identified. The <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">most important pathway is the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NF-%CE%BAB" target="_blank">nuclear factor kappa B</a> (NF-kB)</span>, which is responsible to activate <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interleukin-1_family" target="_blank">IL-1</a><span style="background-color: transparent;">, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interleukin_6" target="_blank">IL-6</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interleukin_8" target="_blank">IL-8</a> and it has an effect on two other pathways—the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P53" target="_blank">p53</a> protein and the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heat_shock_factor" target="_blank">heat-shock factor protein 1</a> (HSF1)</span><span style="background-color: transparent;">.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: 0.6em; vertical-align: super;">[15]</span></span></span><span style="background-color: transparent;"> </span></i></blockquote><div><span lang="EN-US"><span face=""arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: normal;"><span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: super;"><div style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; white-space: normal;"><div><div style="line-height: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: red; font-family: "times new roman";"><span face=""arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><h3 style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: red; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16pt;"><span face=""arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Traditional Heat Therapies</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif" style="color: #666666; font-size: 12px;"></span></h3><span></span></span></span></span><div style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div>Historically, heat had been recognized for their beneficial effects. The following list shows how various cultures have used simple forms of heat as a way of both cleansing and healing.</div><ul><li>Ancient <b>Greek </b>medicine</li><li><b>Roman</b> hot sulfur baths</li><li><b>Finnish</b> saunas</li><li><b>Japanese</b> hot tubs</li><li><b>Native American Indian</b> sweat lodges</li><li><b>Turkish</b> hammam</li><li><b>Bhutan's</b> unique hot stone baths</li></ul><span lang="EN-US" style="color: red; font-family: "times new roman";"><span face=""arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><div class="t m0 x0 hc y69 ff2 fs9 fc1 sc0 ls2 ws6" style="-webkit-text-stroke: 0.015em transparent; bottom: 482.162px; color: #666666; font-family: ff2; font-size: 31.8804px; height: 28.0199px; left: 60.0898px; line-height: 1.10791; position: absolute; text-shadow: none; transform-origin: 0px 100%; transform: matrix(0.411574, 0, 0, 0.411574, 0, 0); unicode-bidi: bidi-override; visibility: visible; white-space: pre;"><br /></div></span></span></span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sauna" target="_blank">Sauna</a> is probably <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">the most studied</span> thermotherapy treatment.<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: 0.6em; vertical-align: super;">[16]</span></span></span> The person sits in a wood room with a heater (electric or wood) with rocks on top that provides the heat. The Turkish bath tends to be humid while the Finnish sauna has high temperature and dry air.<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: 0.6em; vertical-align: super;">[17]</span></span></span></div><div><blockquote><i>The usual duration of the sauna among <b>adults </b>is <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">between 5 and 20 min followed by a quick cool-down </span>to stop sweating, studies show that the <b>cool down stage</b> <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">increases WBC count</span></i><i>.<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: 0.6em; vertical-align: super;">[19]</span></span></span></i><i><b>Children </b>also take a sauna once a week with their parents, at which time the baths tend to be <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">shorter in duration (5–10 min)</span> and <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">with lower temperature</span></i><i>.<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: 0.6em; vertical-align: super;">[20]</span></span></span></i></blockquote><span lang="EN-US"><span face=""arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: black;"><span><span lang="EN-US"><span face=""arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: black;"><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span><h3><span lang="EN-US"><span face=""arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: black;"><span>Potential Health Benefits</span></span></span></h3><div><br /></div>Most people's perception, spas or hot tubs can help blood circulation, can beautify the skin, promote good health. In the below, we also list other potential benefits of thermotherapy:</div><div><br /></div><div><span lang="EN-US"><span face=""arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: black;"><span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div><b><u>Potential prevention and treatment of mild coronavirus 2 infections</u></b><div><span lang="EN-US"><span face=""arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: black;"><span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="line-height: normal;"><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><span lang="EN-US"><span face=""arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: black;"><br /></span></span></div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><span lang="EN-US"><span face=""arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: black;"><span><a href="https://travel4apurpose.blogspot.com/2020/03/why-covid-19-is-dangerous-and-whats-hope.html" style="color: black;" target="_blank">SARS-CoV-2</a><span> is a dangerous virus that has caused a world-wide pandemic. </span></span></span></span>This virus, however, <span lang="EN-US"><span face=""arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: black;"><span><span><span style="color: #800180;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: #fcff01;">is </span></span><span style="background-color: #fcff01;"><span class="_ _1" style="color: black;"></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: #fcff01;">susceptible to elevated body </span></span><span style="background-color: #fcff01;"><span class="_ _1" style="color: black;"></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: #fcff01;">heat and </span></span><span style="background-color: #fcff01;"><span class="_ _1" style="color: black;"></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: #fcff01;">elevated body heat also </span></span><span style="background-color: #fcff01;"><span class="_ _1" style="color: black;"></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: #fcff01;">enhances </span></span><span style="background-color: #fcff01;"><span class="_ _1" style="color: black;"></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: #fcff01;">the </span></span><span style="background-color: #fcff01;"><span class="_ _1" style="color: black;"></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: #fcff01;">immune system</span></span></span></span><span>. In [6], the researchers thus hypothesize that frequent treatments of heat followed by cold could be the effective first line approach in the prevention and treatment of mild coronavirus 2 infections.</span></span></span></span></div><span lang="EN-US"><span face=""arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: black;"><span><div class="t m0 xc hc y11e ff2 fs9 fc1 sc0 ls2 ws6"><span class="_ _1"></span></div><blockquote><div class="t m0 xc hc y11e ff2 fs9 fc1 sc0 ls2 ws6"><i>In <b>Finland and Estonia</b>, <span style="background-color: #fcff01;"><span style="color: #800180;">sauna <span class="_ _3"></span>is part <span class="_ _3"></span>of the culture </span></span><span class="_ _3"></span>in these countries <span class="_ _3"></span>and it <span class="_ _3"></span>is practiced at least <span class="_ _3"></span>once a <span class="_ _3"></span>week among <span class="_ _3"></span>the population. There were <span style="background-color: #fcff01;"><span style="color: #800180;">lower number of cases or deaths reported in both countries</span></span> than the rest of Europe. For example,</i></div></blockquote><blockquote><div class="t m0 xc hc y11e ff2 fs9 fc1 sc0 ls2 ws6"><i></i></div><div class="t m0 xc hc y11e ff2 fs9 fc1 sc0 ls2 ws6"><i><span class="_ _3"></span>The average reported deaths from COVID-19 per 100,000 population were <b>18.3 <span class="ff8 lsf">±</span>23.4</b> in Europe without Finland <span class="_ _3"></span>and Estonia, <b>5.9</b> in <span style="background-color: #fcff01;"><span style="color: #800180;">Finland</span></span>, <span class="_ _3"></span>and <b>5.2</b> in <span style="background-color: #fcff01;"><span style="color: #800180;">Estonia</span></span></i>.<i><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: 0.6em; vertical-align: super;">[6]</span></span></span></i></div></blockquote><div class="t m0 xc hc y11e ff2 fs9 fc1 sc0 ls2 ws6"><br /></div><div class="t m0 xc hc y124 ff2 fs9 fc1 sc0 ls2 ws6">It would be hard to compare worldwide data with other countries due to limited testing and reporting in other countries.<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: 0.6em; vertical-align: super;">[8]</span></span></span><i> </i>Nevertheless, the community use of <span class="_ _3"></span>heat treatments is consistent <span class="_ _3"></span>with a lower <span class="_ _3"></span>prevalence and a lower death rate from COVID-19.<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: 0.6em; vertical-align: super;">[6]</span></span></span></div></span></span></span></span></div><div><span lang="EN-US"><span face=""arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: black;"><span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span></span></span></span></div><b><div><b><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEikbaEFxmBIa7MgCwetFvL9-8FOHlRuoM5Wr5_HyakgmM2d0rJjn2Y4l2GWY-T_9jJaqN_misON_yYjai2vNdUfunyKJ8d7hCzofgTa8aM8YmQUeoZuDzdhJ9nukPhxskvPxAB9XrpSFWo4yq9c-ec9yO-p-kzkElUibnxc5hXNaIrA6i_zUHm74hDGvg=s638" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="479" data-original-width="638" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEikbaEFxmBIa7MgCwetFvL9-8FOHlRuoM5Wr5_HyakgmM2d0rJjn2Y4l2GWY-T_9jJaqN_misON_yYjai2vNdUfunyKJ8d7hCzofgTa8aM8YmQUeoZuDzdhJ9nukPhxskvPxAB9XrpSFWo4yq9c-ec9yO-p-kzkElUibnxc5hXNaIrA6i_zUHm74hDGvg=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Figure 1.</b> 3 types of strokes in brain (photo credit: <a href="https://www.pinterest.com.au/pin/260012578472286236/">slideshare.net</a>)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /></b></div><div><br /></div><u>"May" reduce stroke risk</u></b><br /><br /><br /></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; white-space: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666;">Based on an observational study, researchers found that compared with people who took saunas once a week, those who took them </span><b style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666;">two to three times weekly</b><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666;"> were </span><span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">12% less likely to have a stroke</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666;">. People who took saunas </span><b style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666;">four to seven times a week</b> <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">reduced their risk for stroke by 62%</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666;">.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: 0.6em; vertical-align: super;">[3]</span></span></span><br /><blockquote style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666;"><i>There are plausible reasons saunas might be protective. “T<b>emperature increases</b>, even of 1 or 2 degrees Celsius, <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">can limit inflammatory processes in the body and reduce arterial stiffness</span>,” said the senior author, Dr. Jari A. Laukkanen, a professor of medicine at the University of Eastern Finland. “It’s possible that steam rooms or hot tubs could produce similar results.”</i></blockquote><u style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666;"><b><div><u><b><br /></b></u></div>May be beneficial to heart failure patients</b></u><div style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666;"><br /></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666;">Although </span><b style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666;">sauna bathing</b><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666;"> causes </span><span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">various acute, transient cardiovascular and hormonal changes</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666;">, it is </span><b style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666;">well tolerated by most healthy adults and children</b><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666;">. Some studies have suggested that long-term sauna bathing may help lower blood pressure in patients with hypertension and improve left ventricular ejection fraction in patients with </span><a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/congestive-heart-failure#:~:text=Congestive%20heart%20failure%20(CHF)%20is,causes%20it%20to%20pump%20inefficiently." style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666;" target="_blank">chronic congestive heart failure</a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666;"> (</span><b style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666;">CHF</b><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666;">)</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666;">.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: 0.6em; vertical-align: super;">[16]</span></span></span><div style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666;"><span lang="EN-US"><span face=""arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: black;"><span><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666;">It also seems that sauna treatment may help improve clinical symptoms and hemodynamic parameters secondary to an improvement in the endothelial function of patients with CHF whose endothelial function is impaired<span lang="EN-US"><span face=""arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: black;"><span><span>.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: 0.6em; vertical-align: super;">[18]</span></span></span><br /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 19px; line-height: normal;"><br /><br /></span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-variant-ligatures: none; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><u>"May help to treat cancer patients</u></b></span></span></span></span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666;"><br />The Gorter Model<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: 0.6em; vertical-align: super;">[9]</span></span></span> is designed to restore and enhance cancer patient's immune function, enabling the immune system to aggressively and effectively combat cancer cells throughout the body. It is created by Dr. Gorter, who himself is a cancer survivor, and used to treat cancer patients at the Medical Center Cologne in Germany.</div><div style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666;"><br />In its cancer treatment protocol, <b>therapeutic fever</b> is used <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">in combination with immune therapies</span> that include interleukin, interferon, and various other treatments.<br /><br />To reactivate the immune system in these patients, the Gorter Model uses <b>a process of controlled fever</b> referred to in the scientific literature as <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">fever-range, total-body hyperthermia</span>—a form of treatment in which the entire body is heated to <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">a moderate fever temperature</span> of approximately <b>101.3<sup>o</sup>F (38.5<sup>o</sup>C)</b>.<br /><br /><h3>Warnings</h3></div><div style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666;"><span lang="EN-US"><span face=""arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: black;"><span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #666666; line-height: normal; text-align: center;"></div></span></span></span>Japan has a <b>high temperature</b> at the hot spring area, <b>after bath</b> <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">stroke is particularly high</span>.</div><blockquote><i><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666;">Studies have shown that </span><b style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666;">bath water temperature</b> <b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: red;">exceeds 42 ℃</span></b><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666;">, decomposing enzyme inhibitors increase blood clots (plasminogen activator inhibitor) content, thus </span><span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">reducing the activity of enzymes break down blood clots</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666;">, likely at midnight three to six infarction accidents.</span></i><span lang="EN-US" style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666;"><span face=""arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: black;"><span><br /></span></span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="background-color: transparent; color: red; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16pt;"><span face=""arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span></span></span></blockquote><a href="https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/contraindication" style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666;" target="_blank">Contraindications</a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666;"> to sauna bathing include </span><b style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666;"><span style="color: red;">unstable angina pectoris, recent myocardial infarction, and severe aortic stenosis</span></b><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666;">.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: 0.6em; vertical-align: super;">[16]</span></span></span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; white-space: normal;"><blockquote><i>Sauna bathing is safe, <b>however</b>, for most people with coronary heart disease with stable angina pectoris or old myocardial infarction. Very few acute myocardial infarctions and sudden deaths occur in saunas, but <b>alcohol consumption during sauna bathing</b> <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">increases the risk of hypotension, arrhythmia, and sudden death, and should be avoided</span></i><span>.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: 0.6em; vertical-align: super;">[16]</span></span></span></blockquote>In a Finnish sauna study on children aged from 0 to 15 years, symptoms were rare and were not serious. One of the commonly found disorder is atopic dermatitis. In half of the cases of <b>atopic dermatitis</b>, it <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">became worse in the sauna</span>.</div><div style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; white-space: normal;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="color: black; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBXlxzbQ4y9fv-AuoMy50iFVKHrGoT2-nWIpBsQuZmTlr-bTOKRDj1TwVlSEZDceT4cK0IdVFfgIcVt8zQ05YuGFTZ8BpFsEYf2CrlG6G3SZ8yChLZzIwd5LmPtmbTlVS3QNPWpncHXCX3/s1600/mysteryGirl.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBXlxzbQ4y9fv-AuoMy50iFVKHrGoT2-nWIpBsQuZmTlr-bTOKRDj1TwVlSEZDceT4cK0IdVFfgIcVt8zQ05YuGFTZ8BpFsEYf2CrlG6G3SZ8yChLZzIwd5LmPtmbTlVS3QNPWpncHXCX3/w395-h400/mysteryGirl.jpg" width="395" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: 艾軒</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #666666; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: center;"></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><br /></div></div><ul style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; white-space: normal;"></ul><h3 style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 0.6em; white-space: normal;">References</h3><ol style="background-color: transparent; color: black;"><li style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; white-space: normal;"><a href="https://travel2wholeness.blogspot.com/2014/11/blog-post_15.html" target="_blank">泡湯小常識</a></li><li style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; white-space: normal;"><a href="http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20150306-the-mystery-of-vanishing-cancer">Cancer: The mysterious miracle cases inspiring doctors</a></li><li style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; white-space: normal;"><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/02/well/live/saunas-may-reduce-stroke-risk.html" target="_blank">Saunas May Reduce Stroke Risk</a></li><li style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; white-space: normal;"><a href="https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/02/09/benefits-of-sauna-therapy.aspx" target="_blank">Sauna Therapy May Reduce Risk of Dementia and Boost Brain Health</a></li><li style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; white-space: normal;"><a href="https://travel2next.com/arizona-hot-springs" target="_blank">11 AMAZING ARIZONA HOT SPRINGS</a></li><li style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; white-space: normal;"><a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/347105462_Hydrothermotherapy_in_prevention_and_treatment_of_mild_to_moderate_cases_of_COVID-19" target="_blank">Hydrothermotherapy in prevention and treatment of mild to moderate cases of COVID-19</a></li><ul style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; white-space: normal;"><li><b>Coronaviruses </b>are <span style="background-color: #fcff01;"><span style="color: #800180;">vulnerable to heat, basic pH and acid pH</span></span>. The virus seems to like lower temperatures as it is more stable at 39.2◦F<br /></li></ul><li style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; white-space: normal;"><a href="https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/cases-2019-ncov-eueea" target="_blank">COVID-19 situation update <span class="_ _1"></span>for the EU/EEA and <span class="_ _1"></span>the UK</a>. European Center <span class="_ _1"></span>for Disease Prevention and Control.</li><li style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; white-space: normal;"><a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2762510/" target="_blank">Del Rio C, Malani PN. COVID-19—new insights on a rapidly changing epidemic</a>. JAMA 2020;323(14):1339–40.</li><li style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; white-space: normal;"><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fighting-cancer-robert-gorter-phd/1100260999?ean=9781583942482">Fighting Cancer — A Nontoxic Approach to Treatment</a> by Robert Gorter, MD, PhD and Erik Peper, PhD.</li><li style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; white-space: normal;">Bartfai T, Ottoson D. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Neuro-Immunology-Fever-Tamas-Bartfal/dp/008042001X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=NS68BWCFHO7E&keywords=Neuro-immunology+of+fever&qid=1644700816&sprefix=neuro-immunology+of+fever%2Caps%2C64&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Neuro-immunology of fever</a>. Pergamon Press; 1992.</li><li style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; white-space: normal;">Conti C, De Marco A, Mastromarino P, Tomao P, Santoro MG. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC89212/" target="_blank">Antiviral effect of hyperthermic treatment in rhinovirus infection</a>. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 1999;43(4):822–9.</li><li style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; white-space: normal;">Dinarello CA, Conti P, Mier JW. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3488622/" target="_blank">Effects of human interleukin-1 on natural killer cell activity: is fever a host defense mechanism for tumor killing?</a> Yale J Biol Med 1986; 59(2):97.</li><li style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; white-space: normal;">Banet MA. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2590121/" target="_blank">Fever in mammals: is it beneficial?</a> Yale J Biol Med 1986;59(2):117.</li><li style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; white-space: normal;">Hanson DF, Murphy PA, Silicano R, Shin HS. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6600177/" target="_blank">The effect of temperature on the activation of thymocytes by interleukins I and II</a>. J Immunol 1983;130(1):216–21.</li><li style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; white-space: normal;">Perkins ND. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17183360/" target="_blank">Integrating cell-signaling pathways with NF-κB and IKK function</a>. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2007;8(1):49–62.</li><li style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; white-space: normal;">Hannuksela ML, Ellahham S. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11165553/" target="_blank">Benefits and risks of sauna bathing</a>. Am J Med 2001; 110(2):118–26.</li><li style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; white-space: normal;">Tsonis J. <a href="https://researchdirect.westernsydney.edu.au/islandora/object/uws:40083" target="_blank">Sauna studies as an academic field: a new agenda for international research</a>. Literature Aesthetics. 2017;26(1).</li><li style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; white-space: normal;">Blum N, Blum A. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2359619/" target="_blank">Beneficial effects of sauna bathing for heart failure patients</a>. Exp Clin Cardiol 2007;12(1):29.</li><li style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; white-space: normal;">Markkola L, Mattila KJ, Koivikko MJ. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2612514/" target="_blank">Sauna habits and related symptoms in Finnish children</a>. Eur J Pediatr 1989;149(3):221–2.</li><ul style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; white-space: normal;"><li>Symptoms were rare and were not serious. Transient symptoms (dizziness, nausea etc.) were the most common.</li></ul><li><a href="http://jeanninewalston.com/integrative-cancer-care/body/other-integrative-cancer-approaches/the-truth-about-robert-gorter-md/" target="_blank">The Truth About Robert Gorter, MD - Jeannine Walston</a></li></ol></span></span></span></div></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 16pt;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"></span></span></span></span></span>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhafEZXhzSKIH_JqdzfW1KX0JUGpS5kU10j4LQucRkA2rdeamAOlqt2O7NxpsGiOhfGuLc6s17NdcLJLSCGZCybj2QsH-aTiA0PoG8Ay87ypKzC2Tg0LyyKwmFomTI-oDm4MmkZDngjEF5b/s1600/mysteryGirl2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhafEZXhzSKIH_JqdzfW1KX0JUGpS5kU10j4LQucRkA2rdeamAOlqt2O7NxpsGiOhfGuLc6s17NdcLJLSCGZCybj2QsH-aTiA0PoG8Ay87ypKzC2Tg0LyyKwmFomTI-oDm4MmkZDngjEF5b/w400-h398/mysteryGirl2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: 艾軒</td></tr></tbody></table><div><div style="line-height: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: red; font-family: "times new roman";"><span face=""arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><div style="color: #666666; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: red; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16pt;"><span face=""arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span></span></span></div><h3 style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;"><br /></h3></span></span></span></div></div></div><ol style="text-align: left;"></ol></div>
</div>Travel for Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14903166424561297055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8379787096739190089.post-6226939762550617522022-02-02T19:26:00.011-08:002022-02-09T20:03:15.382-08:00Optimal Serum 25-Hydroxy Vitamin D Concentrations for Various Health Outcomes<div><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_D" target="_blank">Vitamin D</a> deficiency is endemic across the Middle East, including in Israel, where nearly four in five people are low on the vitamin, <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20955219/">according to one study from 2011</a>.<sup>[3]</sup> By taking supplements before infection, though, the researchers in the new Israeli study found that patients could avoid the worst effects of the disease:<sup>[4]</sup> </div><div><blockquote><i>“We found it remarkable, and striking, to see the difference in the chances of becoming a severe patient when you are lacking in vitamin D compared to when you’re not,” said Dr. Amiel Dror, a Galilee Medical Center physician and Bar Ilan researcher who was part of the team behind the study.<br /><br />He noted that his study was conducted pre-Omicron, but said that the coronavirus doesn’t change fundamentally enough between variants to negate vitamin D effectiveness.<br /><br />“What we’re seeing when <b>vitamin D</b> helps people with COVID infections is <span style="background-color: #fcff01;"><span style="color: #800180;">a result of its effectiveness in bolstering the immune systems to deal with viral pathogens that attack the respiratory system</span></span>,” he told <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-study-offers-strongest-proof-yet-of-vitamin-ds-power-to-fight-covid/" target="_blank">The Times of Israel</a>. “This is equally relevant for Omicron as it was for previous variants.” </i></blockquote></div><div><div><br /></div></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjaoAYdYhgemaWzsl73GDOQSAaVfjxK0HthvpzJxrjHlZPmjLU41Us0iulA-96HM_bWCcsJ-hvLSiPYjQCRFTs0Vxmp3Eomp52-73iD-yo087Ake790VBF0HVd6mDWZF0PsF65KpQiqJ2QN-EVGqnV2lCLvvyMovs8vCb1dVHPup9yx1CKeR-HLHOkkNA=s1917" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="885" data-original-width="1917" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjaoAYdYhgemaWzsl73GDOQSAaVfjxK0HthvpzJxrjHlZPmjLU41Us0iulA-96HM_bWCcsJ-hvLSiPYjQCRFTs0Vxmp3Eomp52-73iD-yo087Ake790VBF0HVd6mDWZF0PsF65KpQiqJ2QN-EVGqnV2lCLvvyMovs8vCb1dVHPup9yx1CKeR-HLHOkkNA=w640-h296" width="560" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Table 1. </b> Optimal 25(OH)D Concentrations for Various Health Outcome (Source: [1])<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Health Effects of Sub-optimal <a href="https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/tests/25-hydroxy-vitamin-d-test" target="_blank">25(OH)D</a> Concentrations<br /></h3><p> </p><p>A new review study examines the evidence for the major causes of
death including cardiovascular disease, hypertension, cancer, type 2
diabetes, and COVID-19 with regard to sub-optimal <a href="https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/tests/25-hydroxy-vitamin-d-test" target="_blank">25(OH)D</a>
concentrations.<sup>[1]</sup> The results are tabulated in Table 1.<br /><br /></p><h3>References</h3><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/14/3/639/htm" target="_blank">A Narrative Review of the Evidence for Variations in Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Concentration Thresholds for Optimal Health</a></li><li><a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0263069" target="_blank">Pre-infection 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 levels and association with severity of COVID-19 illness</a></li><li><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20955219/" target="_blank">Vitamin D deficiency prevalence and cardiovascular risk in Israel</a> </li><li><a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-study-offers-strongest-proof-yet-of-vitamin-ds-power-to-fight-covid/" target="_blank">Israeli study offers strongest proof yet of vitamin D’s power to fight COVID</a></li><li>Li, Y.; Tong, C.H.; Rowland, C.M.; Radcliff, J.; Bare, L.A.; McPhaul, M.J.; Devlin, J.J. <a href="https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=Association+of+changes+in+lipid+levels+with+changes+in+vitamin+D+levels+in+a+real-world+setting&author=Li,+Y.&author=Tong,+C.H.&author=Rowland,+C.M.&author=Radcliff,+J.&author=Bare,+L.A.&author=McPhaul,+M.J.&author=Devlin,+J.J.&publication_year=2021&journal=Sci.+Rep.&volume=11&pages=21536&doi=10.1038/s41598-021-01064-1" target="_blank">Association of changes in lipid levels with changes in vitamin D levels in a real-world setting</a>. Sci. Rep. 2021, 11, 21536.</li><li> Jayedi, A.; Rashidy-Pour, A.; Shab-Bidar, S. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29447107" target="_blank">Vitamin D status and risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease: A meta-analysis of dose-response (dagger)</a>. Nutr. Neurosci. 2019, 22, 750–759.</li><li>McDonnell, S.L.; Baggerly, C.A.; French, C.B.; Baggerly, L.L.; Garland,
C.F.; Gorham, E.D.; Hollis, B.W.; Trump, D.L.; Lappe, J.M. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29906273" target="_blank">Breast
cancer risk markedly lower with serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D
concentrations >/=60 vs. <20 ng/mL (150 vs. 50 nmol/L): Pooled
analysis of two randomized trials and a prospective cohort</a>. PLoS ONE 2018, 13, e0199265.</li><li>McCullough, M.L.; Zoltick, E.S.; Weinstein, S.J.; Fedirko, V.; Wang, M.;
Cook, N.R.; Eliassen, A.H.; Zeleniuch-Jacquotte, A.; Agnoli, C.;
Albanes, D.; et al. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29912394" target="_blank">Circulating Vitamin D and Colorectal Cancer Risk: An International Pooling Project of 17 Cohorts</a>. J. Natl. Cancer Inst. 2019, 111, 158–169.</li><li>Dai, L.; Liu, M.; Chen, L. <a href="https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=Association+of+Serum+25-Hydroxyvitamin+D+Concentrations+with+All-Cause+and+Cause-Specific+Mortality+Among+Adult+Patients+with+Existing+Cardiovascular+Disease&author=Dai,+L.&author=Liu,+M.&author=Chen,+L.&publication_year=2021&journal=Front.+Nutr&volume=8&pages=740855&doi=10.3389/fnut.2021.740855" target="_blank">Association
of Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Concentrations with All-Cause and
Cause-Specific Mortality Among Adult Patients with Existing
Cardiovascular Disease</a>. Front. Nutr 2021, 8, 740855.</li><li>Kaufman, H.W.; Niles, J.K.; Kroll, M.H.; Bi, C.; Holick, M.F. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32941512" target="_blank">SARS-CoV-2 positivity rates associated with circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels</a>. PLoS ONE 2020, 15, e0239252.</li><li>Seal, K.H.; Bertenthal, D.; Carey, E.; Grunfeld, C.; Bikle, D.D.; Lu, C.M. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34981368" target="_blank">Association of Vitamin D Status and COVID-19-Related Hospitalization and Mortality</a>. J. Gen. Intern. Med. 2022.</li><li>Dawson-Hughes, B.; Staten, M.A.; Knowler, W.C.; Nelson, J.; Vickery,
E.M.; LeBlanc, E.S.; Neff, L.M.; Park, J.; Pittas, A.G.; Group, D.d.R. <a href="https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=Intratrial+Exposure+to+Vitamin+D+and+New-Onset+Diabetes+Among+Adults+with+Prediabetes:+A+Secondary+Analysis+From+the+Vitamin+D+and+Type+2+Diabetes+(D2d)+Study&author=Dawson-Hughes,+B.&author=Staten,+M.A.&author=Knowler,+W.C.&author=Nelson,+J.&author=Vickery,+E.M.&author=LeBlanc,+E.S.&author=Neff,+L.M.&author=Park,+J.&author=Pittas,+A.G.&author=Group,+D.d.R.&publication_year=2020&journal=Diabetes+Care&volume=43&pages=2916%E2%80%932922&doi=10.2337/dc20-1765" target="_blank">Intratrial
Exposure to Vitamin D and New-Onset Diabetes Among Adults with
Prediabetes: A Secondary Analysis From the Vitamin D and Type 2 Diabetes
(D2d) Study</a>. Diabetes Care 2020, 43, 2916–2922.</li><li> Shirvani, A.; Kalajian, T.A.; Song, A.; Holick, M.F. <a href="https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=Disassociation+of+Vitamin+D%E2%80%99s+Calcemic+Activity+and+Non-calcemic+Genomic+Activity+and+Individual+Responsiveness:+A+Randomized+Controlled+Double-Blind+Clinical+Trial&author=Shirvani,+A.&author=Kalajian,+T.A.&author=Song,+A.&author=Holick,+M.F.&publication_year=2019&journal=Sci.+Rep.&volume=9&pages=17685&doi=10.1038/s41598-019-53864-1" target="_blank">Disassociation
of Vitamin D’s Calcemic Activity and Non-calcemic Genomic Activity and
Individual Responsiveness: A Randomized Controlled Double-Blind Clinical
Trial</a>. Sci. Rep. 2019, 9, 17685.</li><li>Mirhosseini, N.; Vatanparast, H.; Kimball, S.M. <a href="https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=The+Association+between+Serum+25(OH)D+Status+and+Blood+Pressure+in+Participants+of+a+Community-Based+Program+Taking+Vitamin+D+Supplements&author=Mirhosseini,+N.&author=Vatanparast,+H.&author=Kimball,+S.M.&publication_year=2017&journal=Nutrients&volume=9&pages=1244&doi=10.3390/nu9111244" target="_blank">The
Association between Serum 25(OH)D Status and Blood Pressure in
Participants of a Community-Based Program Taking Vitamin D Supplements</a>. Nutrients 2017, 9, 1244.</li><li>McDonnell, S.L.; Baggerly, K.A.; Baggerly, C.A.; Aliano, J.L.; French,
C.B.; Baggerly, L.L.; Ebeling, M.D.; Rittenberg, C.S.; Goodier, C.G.;
Mateus Nino, J.F.; et al. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28738090" target="_blank">Maternal
25(OH)D concentrations >/=40 ng/mL associated with 60% lower preterm
birth risk among general obstetrical patients at an urban medical
center</a>. PLoS ONE 2017, 12, e0180483.</li><li><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0531556522000389" target="_blank">Thyroid nodules and its association with vitamin D in centenarians</a></li><ul><li>Nearly <span style="background-color: #fcff01;"><span style="color: #800180;">3/4 of centenarians had thyroid nodules</span></span></li><li><b>Vitamin D deficiency</b> <span style="background-color: #fcff01;"><span style="color: #800180;">was associated with probably malignant thyroid nodules </span></span>in this population <br /></li></ul></ol>Travel for Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14903166424561297055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8379787096739190089.post-54046267973522746582022-01-20T20:35:00.006-08:002022-02-05T07:51:17.835-08:00Bladder Health—Knowing the Basics<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiODmVjxAzKKfLGI7xXf0MR46eQTQhjpe0jb8gFlD2XklBMHhtb7vDSAy0xtakZG4OUmFfle9C2iIn10yUDvP555R60Gd2WVL6Sf0-dvJeCqYahyjgVfUEVLAiqhlklHUMl1R-Sf72s7IN_vqQvnKC8wKe7mE4w_vABRj0_WKsp3eQuveq2tAsjPv89KA=s595" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="531" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiODmVjxAzKKfLGI7xXf0MR46eQTQhjpe0jb8gFlD2XklBMHhtb7vDSAy0xtakZG4OUmFfle9C2iIn10yUDvP555R60Gd2WVL6Sf0-dvJeCqYahyjgVfUEVLAiqhlklHUMl1R-Sf72s7IN_vqQvnKC8wKe7mE4w_vABRj0_WKsp3eQuveq2tAsjPv89KA=w358-h400" width="358" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Figure 1. </b>Dr. Eric Berg's cheat sheet on how to fix frequent urination</div><br /><div><br /></div>Your <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kidney" target="_blank">kidneys</a> are part of your urinary tract – along with your <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urinary_bladder" target="_blank">bladder</a> and the tubes that connect these organs (the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urethra" target="_blank">urethra</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ureter" target="_blank">ureter</a>). The main purpose of your <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kidney" target="_blank">kidneys</a> is to clean the waste from your blood. The good news is that <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">kidney infections aren’t common</span>. They’re essentially a much more serious urinary tract infection.<sup>[1]</sup><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qhzC0itENiw" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Video 1. </b><span style="text-align: left;"><b>Frequent bladder infections</b> are <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">tied to breast cancer</span> (YouTube <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhzC0itENiw" target="_blank">link</a>)</span></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Bladder Infection vs Kidney Infection</h3><div><br /></div><a href="https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/understanding-bladder-infections-basic-information" target="_blank">Bladder infections</a> <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">very rarely progress </span>to <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/kidney-infection/symptoms-causes/syc-20353387" target="_blank">kidney infections</a>.<br /><blockquote><i>You will be pretty sick if you have a <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/kidney-infection/symptoms-causes/syc-20353387" target="_blank">kidney infection</a>, and it’s <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">important that you seek treatment right away</span>.</i></blockquote><b>Symptoms of a <a href="https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/understanding-bladder-infections-basic-information" target="_blank">bladder infection</a></b> are:<div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Urgency and frequency in using the bathroom</li><li>Burning with urination</li></ul>while <b>symptoms of a <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/kidney-infection/symptoms-causes/syc-20353387" target="_blank">kidney infection</a></b> are <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">much more severe</span> and include:<sup>[1]</sup><br /><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Fever and flu-like symptoms</b></li><li><b>Lower back or side pain</b></li><ul><li>This can be on the left or right side of your back depending on which kidney is infected. “It may feel like you were hit in the back with a baseball bat,” Dr. Vasavada says.</li></ul><li><b>Nausea and vomiting</b></li><li><b>Urine that is cloudy</b>, <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">has blood in it and is foul smelling</span></li><li><b>A general sense of malaise</b></li></ul><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Iwza7s0RbzM" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Video 2. </b>How to Fix Urination Frequency at Night (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nocturia" target="_blank">Nocturia</a>) for Good (YouTube <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iwza7s0RbzM" target="_blank">link</a>)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Overactive Bladder</h3><div><br /></div><a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/overactive-bladder/symptoms-causes/syc-20355715#:~:text=Overactive%20bladder%2C%20also%20called%20OAB,of%20urine%20(urgency%20incontinence)." target="_blank">Overactive bladder</a>, also called OAB, <b>causes a frequent and sudden urge to urinate that may be difficult to control</b>. <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">You may feel like you need to pass urine many times during the day and night</span>, and may <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">also experience unintentional loss of urine</span> (urgency incontinence).<sup>[3]</sup><div><br /></div>Medications are available for people with bladder control problems:</div><div></div><blockquote><div><i>You can take a look at medications commonly prescribed to treat urinary incontinence and their possible side effects in [2]. </i></div></blockquote><div>Keep in mind that <b>medication</b> <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">combined with behavioral treatment, healthy diets (watch video 1), and stop snacking at night (watch video 2)</span> might be <b>more effective than medication alone</b>. Also, noted that:<sup>[4]</sup></div><div><div><blockquote><i>Drinking mass quantities of any liquid will inevitably send you to the bathroom, but <b>beer, booze and wine</b> amplify the effect. The reason? <span style="background-color: #fcff01;"><span style="color: #800180;">Alcohol is a diuretic</span></span>, which – in the simplest of terms – <span style="background-color: #fcff01;"><span style="color: #800180;">increases the production of urine</span></span>.</i></blockquote><br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">References</h3><ol><li><a href="https://health.clevelandclinic.org/urinary-tract-health-from-bladder-to-kidney-infections" target="_blank">Urinary Tract Health, From Bladder to Kidney Infections</a></li><li><a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/urinary-incontinence/in-depth/bladder-control-problems/art-20044220" target="_blank">Bladder control: Medications for urinary problems</a></li><li><a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/overactive-bladder/symptoms-causes/syc-20355715#:~:text=Overactive%20bladder%2C%20also%20called%20OAB,of%20urine%20(urgency%20incontinence)." target="_blank">Overactive bladder - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic</a></li><li><a href="https://health.clevelandclinic.org/breaking-the-seal" target="_blank">Is ‘Breaking the Seal’ a Real Thing When Drinking Alcohol?</a> <br /></li></ol></div></div></div>Travel for Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14903166424561297055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8379787096739190089.post-12492603397748833862022-01-17T10:40:00.003-08:002023-07-30T18:36:22.670-07:0010 Hallmarks of Cancer<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhWfM31MRGC93F7fhSTP98Kt-3soxIb1_ycFCZhlX-Au5Qa7CskZhyGq9wjEPznYHb22dqhSaoaPbH4UXAT1rJfD2GaJBkOcTyESxytHsM72fcM-EzTBNJC8OanGS6d7X_HH3RSv7cEFhAnEpMNsEjpqFPmFeoGSeiVUf0g8A2Cgi2PJnI_1CJhQmxu0Q=s1143" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="813" data-original-width="1143" height="399" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhWfM31MRGC93F7fhSTP98Kt-3soxIb1_ycFCZhlX-Au5Qa7CskZhyGq9wjEPznYHb22dqhSaoaPbH4UXAT1rJfD2GaJBkOcTyESxytHsM72fcM-EzTBNJC8OanGS6d7X_HH3RSv7cEFhAnEpMNsEjpqFPmFeoGSeiVUf0g8A2Cgi2PJnI_1CJhQmxu0Q=w640-h456" width="560" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Figure 1. </b>Fighting 10 hallmarks of cancer with diet</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">10 Hallmarks of Cancer</h3><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Evading growth suppressors</li><li>Avoiding immune destruction</li><li>Enabling replicative immortality</li><li>Tumor-promoting inflammation</li><li>Activating invasion & metastasis</li><li>Inducing angiogenesis</li><ul><li>Suggested reading: <a href="https://sites.google.com/view/traveltohealth/disease-control_1/naturally-occurring-antiangiogenic-substances" target="_blank">Naturally-Occurring Antiangiogenic Substances</a></li></ul><li>Genome instability & mutation</li><li>Resisting cell death</li><li>Deregulating cellular energetics</li><li>Sustaining proliferative signaling</li></ol><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HcAN8BjPjuE" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Video 1.</b> Fighting the Ten Hallmarks of Cancer with Food (YouTube <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcAN8BjPjuE" target="_blank">link</a>)</div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">References</h3><div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://nutritionfacts.org/video/fighting-the-ten-hallmarks-of-cancer-with-food/" target="_blank">Fighting the Ten Hallmarks of Cancer with Food</a></li></ol></div><div><br /></div>Travel for Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14903166424561297055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8379787096739190089.post-63820574749438308102022-01-15T10:32:00.006-08:002022-02-28T17:25:28.622-08:00How Does Your Skin Age?<span style="font-family: inherit;">Even if you have great genes and look much younger than you are, age-related changes in our facial appearance are unavoidable. Those changes reflect our joys and challenges in life.</span><div><blockquote><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Over time, as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stem_cell" target="_blank">stem cells</a> decrease, our skin becomes thinner, which decreases its protection. </i><br /></span></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgZWhYSDnsO1zHh9X6E1wg9agtnDm6FdSadUMcq3UZRnT5kGSTctCyfslOVHJdVLOJefYn-ewcfb1NIpuapetMpkQEX2jV-0XeKl5GjOw_oYHG4_gSPYHnq6EcVKgbF6uNM0JGicaNY-vTpqGdbRQcclWaZoXV4ldVejvk2zrfUJs-TAwq6yLtQsGWSzQ=s670" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="670" data-original-width="480" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgZWhYSDnsO1zHh9X6E1wg9agtnDm6FdSadUMcq3UZRnT5kGSTctCyfslOVHJdVLOJefYn-ewcfb1NIpuapetMpkQEX2jV-0XeKl5GjOw_oYHG4_gSPYHnq6EcVKgbF6uNM0JGicaNY-vTpqGdbRQcclWaZoXV4ldVejvk2zrfUJs-TAwq6yLtQsGWSzQ=w286-h400" width="286" /></a></div><br /><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">How the Face Ages</span></h3><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />As we age, number of stem cells are reduced. Dozens of changes take place as the years add up, some of them obvious and familiar:<sup>[1]</sup><br /></span><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Foreheads expand</b> as <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">hairlines retreat</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Ears </b>often get a bit <b>longer </b>because the cartilage in them grows</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Tips of noses may droop</b> because <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">connective tissue supporting nasal cartilage weakens</span>.</span></li></ul><div>There are also:<br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Skin wrinkles</b> </span></li><ul><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Because two components of our skin — <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collagen" target="_blank">collagen</a> and elastin — degenerate</span></li><ul><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">By your mid-20s, the collagen in your body starts to diminish, and by the time you reach your 80s, you have around <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">4 times less </span></span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collagen" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">collagen</span></a></li></ul><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Those deep ones in the forehead and between the eyebrows are called <b>expression lines</b> (or animation lines)</span></li><ul><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">They're the result of facial muscles continually tugging on, and eventually creasing, the skin. </span></li></ul><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Other folds may get deeper because of the way fat decreases and moves around. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Finer wrinkles</b> are <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">due to sun damage</span><span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">, smoking, and natural degeneration</span> of elements of the skin that keep it thick and supple.</span></li></ul><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">I<b>tchy skin</b> (or <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alloknesis" target="_blank">alloknesis</a>)</span></li><ul><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Past studies have shown that <b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merkel_cell" target="_blank">Merkel cells</a> </b>in the skin are <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">reduced in elderly people</span> and people with dry skin conditions</span><sup>[2]</sup></li></ul><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Bruise easily with age</b></span><sup>[3]</sup></li><ul><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">As we get older, several factors can contribute to easy bruising, including:</span></li><ul><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Aging capillaries</span></li><li><span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180; font-family: inherit;">Thinning skin</span></li></ul></ul><li><b>Structural rearrangements </b></li><ul><li>When we're <b>young</b>, <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">fat in the face is evenly distributed</span>, with some pockets here and there that plump up the forehead, temples, cheeks, and areas around the eyes and mouth. </li><li>With <b>age</b>, that <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">fat loses volume, clumps up, and shifts downward</span>, so features that were formerly round may sink, and skin that was smooth and tight gets loose and sags.</li><li>Meanwhile <b>other parts of the face</b> <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">gain fat</span>, particularly the lower half, so we tend to get baggy around the chin and jowly in the neck.</li></ul></ul><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Gj5Ui6Tjbm4" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Video 1. </b>How Does The Skin Age and Why Do We Get Wrinkles (YouTube <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gj5Ui6Tjbm4" target="_blank">link</a>)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">References</span></h3><ol><li><a href="http://www.ne16.com/t/3404093/55917087/2630076/0/1000401/?f5d63f87=SEIyMDIyMDExNS1Ta2lu&b44ed14b=ZjUwN2NhOTQtNDQ2Ni00MTA0LTg0NWEtMDVlOTNiYzM3MmNl&x=569f6f8f" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Skin Care and Repair</span></a></li><li><a href="https://www.science.org/content/article/why-getting-old-gives-you-itchy-skin" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Why getting old gives you itchy skin</span></a></li><li><a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/healthy-aging/in-depth/easy-bruising/art-20045762WqWoYauZL3GXn7ENzeAHwlIA" target="_blank">Easy bruising: Common as you age</a></li><li><a href="https://health.clevelandclinic.org/whats-causing-your-crepey-skin-and-how-can-you-fix-it" target="_blank">Creepy Skin? A Surprising Cause — and 4 Expert Fixes</a> <br /></li></ol></div></div></div></div>Travel for Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14903166424561297055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8379787096739190089.post-63558209880878696072021-12-05T10:46:00.009-08:002022-08-14T09:32:15.953-07:00Risk Factors of Kidney Stones<div>
<p style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;"></p>In the following table, all risk factors of kidney stones are described in details<sup>[1-5]</sup>:</div><div><br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><div>
<table border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2" style="margin: 0px; width: 56%px;">
<colgroup>
<col span="1" style="width: 15%;"></col>
<col span="1" style="width: 85%;"></col>
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="vertical-align: top;"><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #cc0000; width: 25%;">Risk Factors</span>
</span></td>
<td style="vertical-align: top;"><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Descriptions</span>
</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="color: #3333ff; vertical-align: top;"><big><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">Calcium
</span></big></td>
<td style="vertical-align: top;">
<ul>
<span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small; vertical-align: top;">
</span>
<li style="vertical-align: top;"><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">Calcium stone formers
generally have a high urinary calcium.
</span></li>
<li style="vertical-align: top;"><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">Calcium is the most abundant
mineral in kidney stones.
</span></li>
<li style="vertical-align: top;"><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">More <span style="color: #cc0000;">calcium </span>is absorbed
from the <span style="color: #3333ff;">upper
intestine </span>while more <span style="color: #cc0000;">oxalate </span>is
available in the <span style="color: #3333ff;">lower intestine</span>.</span></li>
<li style="vertical-align: top;"><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">Reducing <span style="font-style: italic;">urine calcium </span>should
be a goal for stone formers, but not via dietary
restriction.</span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;"><b style="vertical-align: top;">Counterintuitively,
calcium reduction may promote stone formation</b><span style="vertical-align: top;">, and doctors
should encourage patients to continue consuming
calcium-rich foods.</span><sup>[17]</sup></span></li>
</ul>
<li style="vertical-align: top;"><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">A 5-year randomized clinical
trial of men with a history of calcium oxalate
stones found that a normal calcium, decreased
sodium, and decreased animal protein diet was more
effective for reducing stone events than was a
restricted calcium diet (Borghi et al., 2002).</span></li>
<li style="vertical-align: top;"><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">Clearly, strong research
evidence now supports adequate calcium intake for
patients who form kidney stones. <span style="color: #000099;">Low-fat dairy
products</span>, <span style="color: #000099;">green leafy vegetables</span>, <span style="color: #000099;">broccoli</span>, <span style="color: #000099;">fortified foods</span>,
and <span style="color: #000099;">almonds </span>are
excellent sources.</span></li>
<li style="vertical-align: top;"><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">Patients should avoid calcium
supplements in favor of calcium-rich foods (see [<a href="http://www.everydayhealth.com/womens-health-photos/health-risks-of-calcium-supplements.aspx?xid=tw_everydayhealth_sf#/slide-5" rel="nofollow" style="color: #c21d0c;" target="_blank">12</a>]; the new research has
associated calcium supplements with an increased
kidney stone risk).</span></li>
<li style="vertical-align: top;"><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">Low-calcium diet is bad for
two reasons:
</span></li>
<ul style="vertical-align: top;">
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">Lower bone
density</span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">If you are
on a low-calcium diet, your bone problem is
going to get worse, particularly as you grow
older.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">There is
growing evidence to indicate that stone formers
as a group have lower bone densities than the
general population.
</span></li>
</ul>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">Higher
urinary oxalate</span></li>
<ul>
<span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Calcium </span>and <span style="font-style: italic;">oxalate </span>bind
in the gut <i>and</i> in the urine to
form a nonabsorbable compound. Low dietary
calcium permits greater free oxalate to be
absorbed in the gut and excreted in the urine,
which may be counterproductive for calcium
oxalate stone formers.
</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">Ordinarily,
there is an excess of <span style="font-style: italic;">calcium </span>over <span style="font-style: italic;">oxalate </span>in
the first part of your intestine. Since <span style="font-style: italic;">calcium </span>and <span style="font-style: italic;">oxalate </span>combine
easily, most of the <span style="font-style: italic;">oxalate </span>in
your diet unites with <span style="font-style: italic;">calcium </span>in
the upper intestine. In essence, tiny <span style="font-style: italic;">calcium oxalate</span> stones
form inside your bowl. Since the intestine is so
wide, these tiny stones make no differences.
There is, however, very little <span style="font-style: italic;">oxalate </span>available
as your food moves to the last part of the
intestine, the colon. And it is in the colon
that most <span style="font-style: italic;">oxalate </span>is
absorbed by the body.
</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">In other
words, with ordinary bowel function, only a very
small part of the ingested <span style="font-style: italic;">oxalate </span>is
absorbed because most of it combines with <span style="font-style: italic;">calcium</span> in
the first part of the intestine.
</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">In a recent
study, men over 40 on low-calcium diets made
more stones than men on medium-calcium diets.
The increased <span style="font-style: italic;">oxalate </span>absorption may
have been a factor.</span></li>
</ul>
</ul>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="color: #3333ff; vertical-align: top;"><big><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">Oxalate
</span></big></td>
<td style="vertical-align: top;"><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Oxalate </span>is
a component, with <span style="font-style: italic;">calcium</span>,
of the majority of kidney stones. <span style="font-style: italic;">Oxalate </span>is
present in more than 75% of all stones. What most
people with kidney stones don't know is that oxalic
acid, like calcium, performs a vital function. 98
% of the oxalic acid in the body is produced internally
and is used for moving food through the digestive tract
by peristalsis. Oxalic acid also aids in the
absorption of calcium into the cells[7].
Based on [7], leftover oxalic acid, along with excess
calcium, is removed from the blood by the kidneys and
passes into the urine. Calcium oxalate permeates
the urine generally, but only in those people whose
urine is overloaded with acid waste does it form
stones. [7] also says that eating greens high in
oxalates in moderate amount should be OK if they are
raw.
</span>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Calcium oxalate </span>is
a very insoluble salt.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">Though only 10%
to 20% of urinary oxalates come from dietary sources
(Morton, Iliescu, & Wilson, 2002), dietary
reduction is commonly advised for calcium oxalate
stone formers.
</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">It has been
suggested that because there is much less oxalate in
the urine than calcium in the urine, urinary oxalate
concentration is much more critical to the formation
of calcium oxalate crystals than is the urinary
calcium concentration; reducing urine oxalates may
have a more powerful effect on stone formation than
can reduction of urine calcium (Morton et al.,
2002).</span></li>
<span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Oxalate </span>is
found only in plant foods, and the highest
concentration are in dark green, leafy vegetables
such as <span style="font-style: italic;">spinach</span>,
and in <span style="font-style: italic;">rhubarb</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">chocolate</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">tea</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">okra</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">nuts</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">beans</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">beets</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">wheat bran</span>,
and <span style="font-style: italic;">strawberries</span>.
A thorough oxalate list can be found on the Web site
of the Oxalosis and Hyperoxaluria Foundation (<a href="http://www.ohf.org/diet.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #c21d0c;" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.ohf.org/diet.html</span></a>).
For a simple list of high-oxalate foods, visit <a href="http://www.gicare.com/pated/edtgs29.htm" rel="nofollow" style="color: #c21d0c;" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.gicare.com/pated/edtgs29.htm</span></a>.</span></li>
<span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">Because it
binds vital nutrients such as <span style="font-style: italic;">calcium</span>,
long-term consumption of foods high in <span style="font-style: italic;">oxalic acid </span>can
be problematic. Healthy individuals can safely
consume such foods in moderation, but those
with <span style="font-style: italic;">kidney
disorders</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">gout</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">rheumatoid arthritis</span>,
or certain forms of chronic <span style="font-style: italic;">vulvar pain </span>(<span style="font-style: italic;">vulvodynia</span>) are
typically advised to avoid foods high in <span style="font-style: italic;">oxalic acid </span>or <span style="font-style: italic;">oxalates</span>.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">There are four
sources of the oxalate that appears in the urine.
</span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">large amount
of protein</span></li>
<span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">excess
amounts of vitamin C</span></li>
<ul>
<span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">Excess
amounts of vitamin C can be excreted in the
urine as oxalate.</span></li>
<span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">Vitamin C
is an acid (ascorbic acid). It tends to lower
urinary pH, which in turn lowers urinary
citrate, a natural inhibitor of kidney stones.</span></li>
<span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">Recent data
suggest that even small amounts of vitamin C
supplements-doses of 250 mg to 500 mg-can raise
urinary oxalate in some patients.</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">waste
products of general metabolism</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">seven foods that greatly enhance urinary oxalate excretion:
</span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">spinach
</span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">In various food tests, <span style="font-style: italic;">spinach </span>seems to produce the <span style="color: red;">greatest rise </span>in urinary oxalate.</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">rhubarb
</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">beets
</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">nuts
</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">chocolate
</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">tea
</span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">One patient who started to keep a large pitcher of iced tea on his desk at work. He was consuming 4 to 6 large glasses a day. He formed his first stone 2 months later.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">For those
with excessive urinary oxalates, black and
iced tea should be eliminated because both
teas are high-oxalate beverages [5&8].
</span></li>
</ul>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">wheat bran</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">
</span>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">However, the
"bioavailability" of the oxalate may be different in
various foods.</span></li>
<ul>
<span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">In other
words, some oxalate-containing foods are more
problematic than others.
</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">Each person
absorbs and excretes various dietary elements
differently.
</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">The problem
with oxalate recommendations</span></li>
<ul>
<span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Oxalate </span>is
difficulty to measure in both food and body
fluids.
</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">The oxalate
content of food can vary greatly from one batch of
a given food to another.</span></li>
<ul>
<span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">It is
believed that aging increases the amount of
oxalate in plants.
</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">Although <span style="font-style: italic;">oxalate </span>has
no known function in animals, it is believed to
help plants dispose of calcium. Animals have
kidneys that excrete excess calcium. Plants do
not. The theory is that the oxalate binds to the
excess calcium, trapping it in the leaves, bark,
and skin. As older leaves are shed, the plant
disposes of unwanted calcium. As the plant gets
older, the oxalate content tends to increase.
</span></li>
</ul>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">The
bioavailability of oxalate differs in foods.</span></li>
<ul>
<span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Strawberries </span>and <span style="font-style: italic;">spinach </span>are
both high-oxalate foods. However, the oxalate
in <span style="font-style: italic;">spinach </span>is
more bioavailable than it is in <span style="font-style: italic;">strawberries</span>.
</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">If oxalate
is present as oxalic acid (the form found in
younger plants), it is more bioavailable. If it
is present in food as a calcium oxalate salt
(the form found in older plants), it is less
bioavailable in the intestines, and absorption
decreases.</span></li>
<span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">
</span>
</ul>
</ul>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Key issues in oxalate
control </span>(note that reduction of high
oxalate foods is the goal for typical stone formers
rather than strict avoidance of all
oxalate-containing foods which would be very
difficult):
</span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">control
portion size</span></li>
<span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">control fat
intake
</span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">In people
prone to the overabsorption of oxalate, a
high-fat diet will cause more oxalate to be
absorbed.</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">avoid vitamin
c supplements</span></li>
<ul>
<span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">Dr. Rodman
advises his stone-forming patients not to take
vitamin C supplements beyond what is in a
balanced diet.</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">watch for
hidden oxalates</span></li>
<ul>
<span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">the peanut
oil used to cook in most Chinese food.
</span></li>
</ul>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">drink two
large glasses of water-or more when you know you
have overindulged.</span></li></ul></ul></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="color: #3333ff; vertical-align: top;"><big><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">High Blood Uric Acid
(See Also High Animal Protein Intake)
</span></big></td>
<td style="vertical-align: top;">
<ul>
<span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">Saturation
levels of uric acid in blood may result in uric acid
stones.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">There is no
inhibitor of uric acid crystal formation (Menon
& Resnick, 2002), so dietary measures focus on
reducing uric acid and increasing urine volume.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">Some patients
with <span style="color: #cc0000;">gout </span>eventually
get uric kidney stones.
</span></li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="color: #3333ff; vertical-align: top;"><big><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">Acid Urine
</span></big></td>
<td style="vertical-align: top;">
<ul>
<span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">If the urine is
acid most of all of the time, you are at risk for
making <span style="font-style: italic;">uric
acid </span>stones.
</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">An acid urine
also decreases <span style="font-style: italic;">citrate </span>formation (the
natural inhibitor of stones) by the kidneys, making
a <span style="font-style: italic;">calcium
oxalate </span>stone more likely.
</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">Normal urinary
pH levels range between 5.0 and a little over 8.0.
This varies with the time of day, food consumption,
age, and other factors.</span></li></ul></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="color: #3333ff; vertical-align: top;"><big><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">Lack of Fluids (or
Dehydration)
</span></big></td>
<td style="vertical-align: top;">
<p><br /></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">Less urinary
flow (due to less fluid intake) increases the
relative frequency of stone formation.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">Addressing
fluid intake is the only therapeutic recommendation
needed for some female stone formers. It is also one
of the most important aspects of treating urinary
tract infections in women.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">Dilution of
urine is necessary "24/7," or all day, every day.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">Patients must
accept the necessity of getting up at least twice at
night to urinate, and should consume more water each
time they rise to void [5].</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">What fluids to
drink? For stone formers, you should drink more
water and avoid excess <span style="font-style: italic;">caffeine</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">black tea</span>,
and <span style="font-style: italic;">grapefruit </span>and <span style="font-style: italic;">apple </span>juices. <span style="font-style: italic;">Lemonade </span>is
often recommended, as it supplies dietary citrate, a
stone inhibitor and pH buffer when excreted later in
the urine. [5].</span></li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="color: #3333ff; vertical-align: top;"><big><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">High Animal Protein
Intake</span></big></td>
<td style="vertical-align: top;"><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">
</span>
<ul>
<span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">After <span style="color: #cc0000;">low urinary volume</span>,
a <span style="color: #cc0000;">high
animal protein </span>intake is the most
important factor influencing the frequency of kidney
stone disease.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">The effect
of <span style="color: red;">excess
animal protein </span>(purine=>uric acid)
is most obvious for the uric acid stone former.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">High dietary
protein is associated with increased urinary
calcium. Thus, there is a link between meat
consumption and both uric acid <i>and</i> calcium
stone formation.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">Too much
protein can cause dehydration, which is a cause of
kidney stones<sup>[6]</sup></span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">For every 50
grams of protein digested, your body must
contribute 3 cups of water to dilute the resulting
uric acid that is excreted.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">In
comparison, metabolizing an equal amount of fat or
carbohydrates consumes less than 1/2 cup of water.
</span></li>
</ul>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">A study of 18
hypercalciuric stone formers found that a 15-day
protein restriction had many positive effects on
urinary markers of stone risk. Namely, significant
decreases were seen in urine calcium, urine uric
acid, urine phosphate, and urine oxalate. And, for
unclear reasons, a beneficial increase in urinary
citrate was observed (Giannini et al., 1999).</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">Diets high in
animal protein will increase the chance of forming
both <span style="font-style: italic;">uric
acid </span>and <span style="font-style: italic;">calcium oxalate </span>stones for 3
related but slightly different reasons:</span></li>
<ul>
<span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">Animal
protein contains <span style="color: red;">high purines</span>, whose end product
is <span style="font-style: italic;">uric
acid</span>. More uric acid in the urine means
that you are more likely to make a uric acid
stone. In addition, one form of uric acid, urate,
can act as a seed for <span style="font-style: italic;">calcium
oxalate </span>stones.</span></li>
<span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">The excessive
consumption of animal protein will lower the pH of
urine, making it more acid. This lower urinary pH
makes uric acid less soluble and thereby favors
the formation of uric acid stones. It also
suppresses <span style="font-style: italic;">citrate </span>formation
by the kidney, which reduces one the body's
natural inhibitors of <span style="font-style: italic;">calcium
oxalate </span>formation.</span></li>
<span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">One of the
amino acids in all proteins, <span style="font-style: italic;">glycine</span>, is
metabolized to <span style="font-style: italic;">oxalate</span>. Another amino
acid, <span style="font-style: italic;">methionine</span>,
drives out more calcium in the urine. A diet
higher in protein will therefore increase urinary
calcium even though the amount of calcium in the
diet remains constant.</span></li>
</ul>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="color: #3333ff; vertical-align: top;"><big><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">Alcohol
</span></big></td>
<td style="vertical-align: top;"><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">
By itself, alcohol does not contribute to stone
formation. However, it does have two effects that may
set the stage for stone formation.
</span>
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">alcohol makes
you pass more urine and can lead to dehydration.
</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">alcohol
indirectly inhibits the ability of the kidneys to
excrete uric acid.</span></li>
</ol>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="color: #3333ff; vertical-align: top;"><big><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">Sodium
</span></big></td>
<td style="vertical-align: top;"><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">By itself, the <span style="font-style: italic;">sodium </span>in your
diet has only a minimal effect on the tendency of the
urine to make stones. However, an increase in dietary
sodium <span style="color: #cc0000;">increases </span>the
urinary calcium.
</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="color: #3333ff; vertical-align: top;"><big><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">Late dinner</span></big></td>
<td style="vertical-align: top;">
<ul>
<span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">Late-night
eating is conducive to the formation of kidney
stones.
</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">The tendency of
more families to follow late eating habit in the
1980s and 1990s may be one reason for the rising
incidence of stone disease.</span></li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="color: #3333ff; vertical-align: top;"><big><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">NSAIDs and
Acetaminophen</span></big></td>
<td style="vertical-align: top;"><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">Taken in large quantities over
long periods of time (no longer than 10 days, Dr.
Oz has warned), <span style="font-style: italic;">analgesics </span>such as <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">NSAIDs </span>and <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">acetaminophen </span>can
cause damage to the papillae of the kidney. Injured
papillae can seed a stone as well as complicate the
stone-forming process.</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="color: #3333ff; vertical-align: top;"><big><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">Diamox or Acetazolamide</span></big></td>
<td style="vertical-align: top;"><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">Some people with <span style="font-style: italic;">glaucoma </span>form
kidney stones while they are on <span style="font-style: italic;">carbonic anhydrase
inhibitors </span>(e.g., <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Diamox </span>or <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">acetazolamide</span>)
to lower eye pressure.
</span>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">These medicines
can lower urinary citrate and increase urinary
calcium.
</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">Patients can
take potassium citrate supplements under doctor's
supervision while the <span style="font-style: italic;">acetazolamide </span>is continued,
to minimize the tendency to make stones.</span></li></ul></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="color: #3333ff; vertical-align: top;"><big><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">Rapid Weight Loss</span></big></td>
<td style="vertical-align: top;"><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">Rapid weight loss is as bad as, or
potentially worse than, overeating protein when it comes
to causing stone disease.
</span>
<ul>
<span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">Doctors
frequently give <span style="font-style: italic;">potassium bicarbonate </span>and <span style="font-style: italic;">potassium citrate</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span>supplements
to stone formers who are beginning a weight loss
diet.</span></li>
<span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">The best way to
lose weight is to combine a nutritionally balanced
diet with exercise and behavior modifications.</span></li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="color: #3333ff; vertical-align: top;"><big><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">Hot Climates
</span></big></td>
<td style="vertical-align: top;"><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">Kidney stones often occur in
people who move to hot, dry climates and in people whose
work or exercise causes them to perspire heavily.</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="color: #3333ff; vertical-align: top;"><big><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">Fat Malabsorption</span></big></td>
<td style="vertical-align: top;"><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">
Fat malabsorption can lead to an increased net oxalate
absorption and, finally, to increased urinary oxalate.
</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="color: #3333ff; vertical-align: top;"><big><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">Problems with Voiding</span></big></td>
<td style="vertical-align: top;"><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">
Problems with voiding make bladder stones more likely.
</span>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">The most common
cause of bladder outflow problems is enlargement of
the prostate gland in the older male.</span></li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="color: #3333ff; vertical-align: top;"><big><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">Pregnancy
</span></big></td>
<td style="vertical-align: top;"><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Pregnancy </span>can
increase stone risk due to the following factors:
</span>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">Her diminished
bladder capacity</span></li>
<ul>
<span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">As the fetus
grows, there is less room in the pelvis for a full
bladder.
</span></li>
</ul>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">The pregnant
woman has to provide enough calcium in her blood to
form a whole new skeleton. Urinary calcium will rise
to its highest levels in the last trimester.
Therefore, stone formation can result from this low
urine flow and high urinary calcium.</span></li></ul></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="color: #3333ff; vertical-align: top;"><big><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">Genetic Predisposition</span></big></td>
<td style="vertical-align: top;"><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">
If one or both of your parents made stones, there is a
greater chance that you will make stones.
</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="color: #3333ff; vertical-align: top;"><big><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">Men vs. Women
</span></big></td>
<td style="vertical-align: top;"><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">
Stone disease is much more common in men than in women
because of the following factors:
</span>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">Men generally
have a larger muscle mass than women. Hence they
have more of the daily breakdown and rebuilding of
tissue that results in metabolic waste. And an
increase in metabolic waste predispose people to
stone formation.</span></li>
<span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">Men generally
eat more meat than women do.</span></li>
<span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">The male
urinary tract is more complicated than the female
urinary tract.</span></li></ul></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
<span style="font-family: georgia, serif;">
</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: large; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;"></span><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: large; font-weight: bold;">Warning</span></div>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><div style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>This
article is not intended as and does not substitute for doctor's advices
- the content presented is for your information only. Please see your
personal physician for further evaluation of your individual case.</span></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Reference(s)</span></span></span>
<ol style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial;">
<li style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><cite style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">Stamatelou,
Kiriaki K.; Francis, Mildred E.; Jones, Camille A; Nyberg Jr., Leroy
M.; Curhan, Gary C. (2003). "Time trends in reported prevalence of
kidney stones in the United States: 1976–1994"</span></cite></li><li style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">Taylor
EN; Stampfer MJ; Curhan GC (2004). "Dietary factors and the risk of
incident kidney stones in men: new insights after 14 years of
follow-up."</span></li><li style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;"><i>No More Kidney Stones </i>by John S. Rodman, M.D., R. Ernest Sosa, M.D., and Cynthia Seidman, M.S., R.D, with Rory Jones.</span></li><li style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;"><i>The Complete Idiot's Guide to Detoxing Your Body</i> by Delia Quigley.</span></li><li style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><a href="http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/521368" rel="nofollow" style="color: #c21d0c;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">The Role of Diet in the Prevention of Common Kidney Stones: Dietary Changes to Prevent and Reduce Stone Formation</span></a></li><li style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;"><i>The Swiss Screte to Optimal Health </i>by Thomas Rau, M.D. with Susan Whler</span></li><li style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;"><i>The Acid Alkaline Balance Diet</i> by Felicia Drury Kliment</span></li><li style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/08/120802111332.htm" rel="nofollow" style="color: #c21d0c;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">Iced Tea Can Contribute to Painful Kidney Stones</span></a></li><li style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;"><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/stanleyguansite/health/miscellaneous/acid-alkaline-balance" style="color: #c21d0c;" target="_blank">Acid-Alkaline Balance</a></span></li><li style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;"><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/stanleyguansite/health/health-tips/building-strong-bones" style="color: #c21d0c;" target="_blank">Building Strong Bones</a></span></li><li style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;"><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/stanleyguansite/health/understanding-different-diseases/kidney-stones" style="color: #c21d0c;" target="_blank">Types of Kidney Stones</a></span></li><li style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><a href="http://www.everydayhealth.com/womens-health-photos/health-risks-of-calcium-supplements.aspx?xid=tw_everydayhealth_sf#/slide-5" rel="nofollow" style="color: #c21d0c;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">6 Health Risks of Calcium Supplements</span></a></li><li style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><a href="http://health.clevelandclinic.org/2013/08/what-diet-prevents-kidney-stones/" rel="nofollow" style="color: #c21d0c;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;">A Diet to Prevent Kidney Stones: Foods Vary</span></a></li><ul style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><li><span style="color: #363534; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;"><i>Low-sodium</i> diet is healthy for the kidneys as well as the heart.</span></span></li><li><span style="color: #363534; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">People can also reduce their risk of developing kidney stones and improve their health in general by increasing their intake of <i>melons </i>and <i>citrus fruits</i> like lemons, limes and oranges, says Dr. Monga.</span></span></li></ul><li style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.davidwolfe.com/9-unknown-signs-youll-get-kidney-stones-and-how-to-prevent-them/" rel="nofollow" style="color: #c21d0c;" target="_blank">9 Unknown Signs You’ll Get Kidney Stones and How to Prevent Them</a></span></span></li><li style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;"><a href="http://thebuck.org/buck-news/alpha-lipoic-acid-prevents-kidney-stones-mouse-model-rare-genetic-disease" rel="nofollow" style="color: #c21d0c;" target="_blank">Alpha-lipoic acid prevents kidney stones in mouse model of rare genetic disease</a></span></span></li><li style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;"><a href="https://nutritionfacts.org/video/how-not-to-die-from-kidney-disease/" rel="nofollow" style="color: #c21d0c;" target="_blank">How Not to Die from Kidney Disease | NutritionFacts.org</a></span></span></li><li style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;"><a href="https://consultqd.clevelandclinic.org/kidney-stones-h20-calcium-and-the-dash-diet" rel="nofollow" style="color: #c21d0c;" target="_blank">Kidney Stones: Water, Calcium and the DASH Diet</a></span></span></li><li style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;"><a href="https://consultqd.clevelandclinic.org/antibiotics-high-fat-high-sugar-diets-and-microbial-oxalate-metabolism" rel="nofollow" style="color: #c21d0c;" target="_blank">Antibiotics, High-Fat, High-Sugar Diets and Microbial Oxalate Metabolism</a></span></span></li><li style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;"><a href="http://grantome.com/grant/NIH/F32-DK102277-02" rel="nofollow" style="color: #c21d0c;" target="_blank">Mechanisms facilitating the persistent colonization of oxalate-degrading bacteria</a></span></span></li><li><a href="https://health.clevelandclinic.org/renal-diet/" target="_blank">What Are the Best Foods for Kidney Health?</a></li></ol><p style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;"></p></div>Travel for Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14903166424561297055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8379787096739190089.post-43179091385583147732021-12-04T11:21:00.011-08:002021-12-05T14:14:42.406-08:00Health Benefits of Phytochemicals<div><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antioxidant" target="_blank">Antioxidants</a> are vitamins, minerals, and <a href="https://sites.google.com/view/traveltohealth/how-not-to-die/nutrients/dietary-phytochemicals" target="_blank">phytochemicals</a> (plant-chemicals or phytonutrients) that aid the body in removing "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radical_(chemistry)" target="_blank">free radicals</a>" and controlling free-radical production.</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Without sufficient antioxidants, an <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">excess of free radicals creates <a href="https://travel2health.blogspot.com/2018/06/acute-inflammation-good-vs-chronic.html" target="_blank">inflammation</a> and leads to premature aging</span></li><li>Vitamin C, vitamin E, folate, <a href="https://travel2health.blogspot.com/2016/04/health-benefits-of-selenium.html" target="_blank">selenium</a>, and alpha- and beta- carotene, as well as various other <a href="https://sites.google.com/view/traveltohealth/how-not-to-die/nutrients/dietary-phytochemicals" target="_blank">phytochemicals</a>, have antioxidant effects</li></ul><div>Science has since demonstrated that the <b>positive health effects</b> attainable from an antioxidant-rich diet are <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">more likely caused by stimulating the body’s natural defenses against <a href="https://travel2health.blogspot.com/2021/11/9-hallmarks-of-aging.html" target="_blank">aging</a></span>, including boosting the production of the body’s enzymes that eliminate <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radical_(chemistry)" target="_blank">free radicals</a>, <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">not as a result of the antioxidant activity itself</span>.<sup>[12]</sup></div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fznKllyjnOM" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Video 1. </b>The Best Diet for Diabetes (YouTube <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fznKllyjnOM" target="_blank">link</a>)</div><ul><ul>
</ul>
</ul><h2 style="text-align: left;">Phytochemcals</h2><div><br /></div><div>Researchers in Japan found that <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FPhytochemical&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNG3rIIRDPBLoTX2HU5V6iQfdygrnA">phytonutrients</a> in such plant foods as fruits, vegetables, tea leaves, and beans can block the effects of <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FDioxins_and_dioxin-like_compounds&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNGA0iGc0r8722ACra3QEqGq8Wv5dA">dioxins</a> in vitro. The<span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;"> only catch was that these phytonutrient effects lasted only a few hours, meaning you may have to keep eating healthy foods, meal after meal</span>.<sup>[3]</sup>Other than blocking toxins, phytonutrients have been studied widely for their potential health benefits. </div><blockquote><i>Several hundred phytochemical plant nutrients have been identified and about 150 have been studied in detail.</i></blockquote><div><br /></div><div>For example, <a href="https://sites.google.com/view/traveltohealth/how-not-to-die/nutrients/dietary-phytochemicals" target="_blank">phytochemicals</a> can<ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Protect body against diseases</b></li><ul><li>The lack of a wide assortment of plant-derived phytochemicals in their native form is responsible for the development of most preventable diseases, including cancer.<sup>[10]</sup></li><li>A phytochemically deficient diet is largely responsible for a weak immune system.</li><li>There is a general consensus that the elements of a <b>whole-foods plant-based diet</b>—legumes, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and nuts, with limited or no intake of processed foods and animal products—are highly <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">beneficial for preventing and treating type 2 diabetes</span>.<sup>[13]</sup></li><li>Populations with a much higher intake of vegetables have much lower rates of cancer, and the longest-living populations throughout history have been those with the highest intake of vegetables in the diet.<sup>[7]</sup></li><li>A review of more than 206 epidemiological studies shows that the <b>consumption of raw green vegetables</b> has the most consistent and powerful <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">association with reduction of cancer of all types</span>, including stomach, pancreas, colon, and breast.<sup>[2]</sup></li></ul><li><b>Have immune-modulating functions</b></li><ul><li>Multiple micronutrients, including lutein, lycopene, folate, bioflavonoids, riboflavin, zinc, selenium, and many others have immune-modulating functions.<sup>[9]</sup></li>
</ul>
</ul><div>In various studies, <b>phytochemicals </b>have been found to <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">play protective roles not covered by vitamins and minerals</span>, including the following:<br /><ol><li>Inducing detoxification enzymes</li><li>Controlling the production of free radicals</li><li>Deactivating and detoxifying cancer-causing agents</li><li>Protecting cell structures from damage by toxins</li><li>Fueling mechanisms to repair damaged DNA sequences</li><li>Impeding the replication of cells with DNA damage</li><li>Inducing beneficial antifungal, antibacterial, and antiviral effects</li><li>Inhibiting the function of damaged or genetically altered DNA</li><li>Improving immune cells' cytotoxic (destructive) power--that is , the power to kill microbes and cancer cells.</li></ol><div>The list could be condensed into one primary role: </div><blockquote><div><i>Phytochemical are the fuel that runs our body's anticancer defenses.</i></div></blockquote><p> </p></div>
<h2 style="text-align: left;">
Western Diets</h2><br />The increase in consumption of processed foods, "fake" foods, food additives, and all the cancer-causing elements these things contain, our current food environment is compromising our health. Poor nutrition only only makes us more susceptible to viruses but significantly impacts the length and severity of an illness.</div><div><blockquote><i>The Kaiser Health Foundation studied this issue in depth, determined that 1/3 of medical spending is devoted to services don't improve health or the quality of care--and may make things worse!</i></blockquote></div><div><br />
<h2 style="text-align: left;">Importance of Micronutrients</h2><div>
<br />
When our body is deficient in plant-derived <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micronutrient" target="_blank">miccronutrients</a>, we weaken our immune system and leave ourselves exposed to infections and cancer. Then key to superior nutrition is to <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">get adequate of </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micronutrient" target="_blank">miccronutrients</a><span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">, while at the same time not consuming excess calories</span>.<br />
<br />
To get optimal amounts of immune-protective <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micronutrient" target="_blank">miccronutrients</a>, we have to eat lots of vegetables. Fortunately, vegetables are relatively low in calories, so large amounts can be consumed without overeating on calories. A study on relatively malnourished children in Vietnam illustrated this:<sup>[3]</sup> </div><div><blockquote><i>Young children (five months to two years old) were randomly selected and assigned based on local areas to one of two groups, nutritional intervention or control. </i> </blockquote><blockquote><i>The <b>intervention group</b> received <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">more vegetables and other micronutrient-rich food</span>, while the control group was left on the typical rice diet. During follow-up, children in the intervention communes had <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">approximately half the respiratory illness</span> experienced by those in comparison communes.</i></blockquote></div><div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ArZG7z7ehlDiDcHnjwbCOovJPfqj5yXwqGs5KJpPSXHcG3-K02VUOCSrTm8fpPe3Xc7AHjbZxsgyasqxP3OPe5VEAlfY0xbYSU9TECKqlBJTBAE7Qk5fLH7h-6OiWRlcnqz3WcWl4YJE/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="345" data-original-width="480" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ArZG7z7ehlDiDcHnjwbCOovJPfqj5yXwqGs5KJpPSXHcG3-K02VUOCSrTm8fpPe3Xc7AHjbZxsgyasqxP3OPe5VEAlfY0xbYSU9TECKqlBJTBAE7Qk5fLH7h-6OiWRlcnqz3WcWl4YJE/w400-h288/image.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Figure 1. </b>A higher intake of cruciferous veggies is associated with a reduced risk of many cancers thanks to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sulforaphane" target="_blank">Sulforaphane</a> and DIM (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3,3%27-Diindolylmethane" target="_blank">Diindolylmethane</a>).</div><br /><br />
<h2 style="text-align: left;">
Conclusions</h2>
<div><br /></div><div><a href="https://sites.google.com/view/traveltohealth/how-not-to-die/nutrients/dietary-phytochemicals" target="_blank">Phytochemicals</a> are bioactive, plant-derived chemical compounds important for the growth and survival of the plant; they came about for the benefit of the plant world. However, the human immune system evolved dependent on these phytochemicals for its optimal functioning. </div><div><br /></div><div>In summary, <a href="https://sites.google.com/view/traveltohealth/how-not-to-die/nutrients/dietary-phytochemicals" target="_blank">phytochemcials</a> in the diet fuel the miraculous self-healing and self-protective properties already built into the human genome:<sup>[1]</sup> </div><div><ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><a href="https://sites.google.com/view/traveltohealth/how-not-to-die/nutrients" target="_blank">The whole is greater than the sum of its parts</a></li><ul><li>A combination of these compounds is more effective than a single agent, even in a high dose.</li>
</ul>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antioxidant" target="_blank">Antioxidants</a> aid the body in removing "free radicals" and controlling free-radical production</li>
<ul>
<li>Without sufficient antioxidants, an excess of <b>free radicals creates inflammation and leads to premature aging</b>.</li>
</ul>
<li><a href="https://sites.google.com/view/traveltohealth/how-not-to-die/nutrients/dietary-phytochemicals" target="_blank">Phytochemicals</a> protect body against diseases</li><ul><li>To have normal immune function we <b>require</b> hundreds of additional <b>phytochemicals in addition to vitamins and minerals</b></li><li><a href="https://sites.google.com/view/traveltohealth/how-not-to-die/nutrients/dietary-phytochemicals" target="_blank">Phytochemicals</a> are compounds that maximize cell function, thus enabling the healing properties of immune cells</li></ul></ul><div><br /></div></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">
References</h2>
<ol>
<li><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/super-immunity-joel-fuhrman/1102366972?ean=9780062080646" target="_blank">Super Immunity</a> by Dr. <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/joel-fuhrman/50276647">Joel Fuhrman</a></li>
<li>Steinmetz KA, Potter JD. <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8841165" target="_blank">Vegetables, fruit, and cancer prevention: a review</a>. J Am Diet Assoc 1996, Oct; 96(10):102739.</li>
<li>Sripaipan T, Schroeder DG, Marsh DR, et al. <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12503234" target="_blank">Effect of an integrated nutrition program on child morbidity due to respiratory infection and diarrhea in northern Viet Nam</a>. Food Nutr Bull 2002; 23(4): 70-77.</li>
<li>Author Jo Robinson discussed her book “<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/eating-on-the-wild-side-jo-robinson/1113742199?ean=9780316227940" target="_blank">Eating on the Wild Side: The Missing Link to Optimum Health</a>”. (Listen the <a href="http://www.financialsense.com/financial-sense-newshour/lifetime-income-series/dollar-crash-portfolio" target="_blank">audio </a>from 24:25)</li>
<li><a href="http://jn.nutrition.org/content/143/9/1474.full" target="_blank">Higher Dietary Flavonol Intake Is Associated with Lower Incidence of Type 2 Diabetes</a> Journal of Nutrition (2013;143(9):1474–1480)</li>
<li><a href="http://ip.com/patfam/en/11068504" target="_blank">Boussiba; Sammy, V.; Avigad, C.; et al. (2000) Procedure for large-scale production of astaxanthin from haematococcus</a>.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.voanews.com/content/belgian-researchers-discover-way-to-block-cancer-metastasis/2453790.html">Belgian Researchers Discover Way to Block Cancer Metastasis</a></li>
<ul>
<li>The free radical involved in the metastacism of tumor cells is <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/?title=Superoxide"><i>superoxide</i></a>. Tests in mice on melanoma and breast cancer cells showed that administering an antioxidant stopped the production of superoxide. That, in turn, prevented cell changes that would lead to metastasis.</li>
</ul>
<li><a href="https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/fstr/15/3/15_3_275/_pdf" target="_blank">Differences in Biological Response Modifier-like Activities According to the Strain and Maturity of Bananas</a></li>
<ul>
<li>Since the highland variety is cultivated
for a longer period and under a more severe environment,
the content of dopamine, with its anti-oxidative effects, may
be a useful self-defense mechanism. </li>
</ul>
<li><a href="https://www.statnews.com/2016/04/13/antioxidants-diabetes-drugs/" target="_blank">The dark side of antioxidants</a> (important)</li><li>Top Women’s Mental Health Issues Infographic</li><li><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0955286321002746" target="_blank">Consumption of 85% cocoa dark chocolate improves mood in association with gut microbial changes in healthy adults: a randomized controlled trial</a></li><ul><li>Collectively, given the role of the gut microbiota in polyphenol bioavailability and metabolism as well as brain function, our findings suggest that daily intake of polyphenol-rich chocolate gradually alters gut microbial diversity, resulting in beneficial impacts on the host's mood.</li></ul><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Lifespan-Why-Age_and-Dont-Have/dp/1501191977" target="_blank">Lifespan: Why We Age—and Why We Don't Have To</a></li><li><a href="https://nutritionfacts.org/video/flashback-friday-the-best-diet-for-diabetes/" target="_blank">The Best Diet for Diabetes</a></li></ol>
</div>
</div>Travel for Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14903166424561297055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8379787096739190089.post-20368010467398211922021-11-21T20:31:00.009-08:002021-12-01T14:32:26.196-08:00Health Benefits of Selenium<div><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selenium" target="_blank">Selenium</a> (<b>Se</b>) is <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">an essential trace element (for example, you only need to eat 1-2 Brazil Nuts per day; see Table 2) of high importance for human health</span> . Studies have already identified associations between <b>selenium deficiency</b> and <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">increased morbidity and mortality from viral infections, cardiovascular, and thyroid diseases, as well as prostate, gastrointestinal, and breast cancers</span>. But, you <b>do need to avoid overdosing on Se</b> as warned by CDC:<sup>[17]</sup></div><blockquote><i>Brazil nuts contain very high amounts of selenium (68–91 mcg per nut) and could cause selenium toxicity if consumed regularly. Acute selenium toxicity has resulted from the ingestion of misformulated over-the-counter products containing very large amounts of selenium. In 2008, for example, 201 people experienced severe adverse reactions from taking a liquid dietary supplement containing 200 times the labeled amount. <b>Acute selenium toxicity</b> can <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">cause severe gastrointestinal and neurological symptoms, acute respiratory distress syndrome, myocardial infarction, hair loss, muscle tenderness, tremors, lightheadedness, facial flushing, kidney failure, cardiac failure, and, in rare cases, death</span>.</i></blockquote><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCrTm4FPYkObBMjANUMJVmFxFsZTDrP4li8dGUcodb-HAiyfPMjHh-TaSqYCiq_dVpvVpN5K5in7lPymJDggAQKFRyg4ipvoSq8c4bGHM5N_KphBQbnielMRIGhnCVcgKL6hd6aaE8JhS7/s930/SeleniumFoods.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="930" data-original-width="500" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCrTm4FPYkObBMjANUMJVmFxFsZTDrP4li8dGUcodb-HAiyfPMjHh-TaSqYCiq_dVpvVpN5K5in7lPymJDggAQKFRyg4ipvoSq8c4bGHM5N_KphBQbnielMRIGhnCVcgKL6hd6aaE8JhS7/w344-h640/SeleniumFoods.jpg" width="344" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Figure 1. </b>10 foods high in Selenium (Source: <a href="http://dietingwell.com">dietingwell.com</a>)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS6O4gaV881Wlheb_wCOdfGdOi3ko4UZKcjRkHnm3aPT3jaGenvXFyaX9gmF9qEeHQ36xpwFrzqhT39i2-FXz1uRh2TyWOa1b8lqOxnVyUKpjb5fh3s6dPX5m6jEq1uH2qc5WZzhPjntRw/s729/SeAbsorption.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="729" height="468" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS6O4gaV881Wlheb_wCOdfGdOi3ko4UZKcjRkHnm3aPT3jaGenvXFyaX9gmF9qEeHQ36xpwFrzqhT39i2-FXz1uRh2TyWOa1b8lqOxnVyUKpjb5fh3s6dPX5m6jEq1uH2qc5WZzhPjntRw/w640-h468/SeAbsorption.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Figure 2. </b>Selenium absorption, metabolism, and distribution (Source: [12])</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><h2>Absorption/ Metabolism / Distribution</h2><div><br /></div><div>Selenium is found in foods and nutritional supplements in 2 forms</div><div><ul><li><b>Organic form</b></li><ul><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selenomethionine" target="_blank">selenomethionine</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selenocysteine" target="_blank">selenocysteine</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methylselenocysteine" target="_blank">seleniummethylselenocysteine</a></li></ul><li><b>Inorganic form</b></li><ul><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selenate" target="_blank">selenate</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selenium" target="_blank">selenium</a></li></ul></ul></div><div>After intestinal absorption, selenium forms are converted into <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogen_selenide" target="_blank">hydrogen selenide</a> (H2Se), a metabolic intermediate incorporated into <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selenoprotein" target="_blank">selenoproteins</a>, in the form of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selenocysteine" target="_blank">selenocysteine</a>. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXF66xEoHwXW52s3nppAId4kaApzPUil60J7CqTx7flF4g1drPZwYLjZmT2CfyRDSei2LNopQi79QpvgU0UyL6Ky6usAX_gV-aykQyjSYTLugZiX40Wd2ZhYqrFIiQtaSptTDgVNjPePo6/s585/SeleniumGood4Immu.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="348" data-original-width="585" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXF66xEoHwXW52s3nppAId4kaApzPUil60J7CqTx7flF4g1drPZwYLjZmT2CfyRDSei2LNopQi79QpvgU0UyL6Ky6usAX_gV-aykQyjSYTLugZiX40Wd2ZhYqrFIiQtaSptTDgVNjPePo6/w640-h380/SeleniumGood4Immu.jpg" width="560" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Figure 3. </b> Selenium supplementation boosts <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Follicular_B_helper_T_cells" target="_blank"><b style="color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;">T<sub style="font-size: 11.2px; line-height: 1;">FH</sub></b> cells</a> in mice and humans (Source: [7])</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><h2>Important Roles of Selenoproteins</h2><div><div><br /></div><div>Se performs its main functions in the form of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selenoprotein" target="_blank">selenoproteins</a>. A wide range of these selenoproteins are linked to <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/redox-signalling" target="_blank">redox signaling</a>, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1218243/#:~:text=The%20oxidative%20burst%2C%20a%20rapid,hydrogen%20peroxide%20and%20hydroxyl%20radical)." target="_blank">oxidative burst</a>, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2856475/" target="_blank">calcium flux</a>, and the subsequent effector functions of immune cells being grouped into families such as:</div><div><ul><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glutathione_peroxidase" target="_blank">Glutathione peroxidases</a> (GPXs)</li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iodothyronine_deiodinase" target="_blank">Iodothyronine deiodinases</a> (DIOs) </li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thioredoxin_reductase" target="_blank">Thioredoxin reductases</a> (TrxRs)</li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SEPX1" target="_blank">Methionine sulfoxide reductase B1</a> (MSRB1)</li><li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/22928" target="_blank">Selenophosphate synthetase 2</a> (SEPHS2)</li></ul></div><div>In addition, the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SEPP1" target="_blank">Selenoprotein P</a> (or SELENOP) acts as the main selenium transporter for peripheral tissues also performing extracellular antioxidant function (see <b>Figure 2</b>). </div><div><br /></div><div>Thus, selenium plays a role in antioxidant, anticarcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, redox and immune-cell function as well as in the regulation of thyroid hormone metabolism:</div></div></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Anti-inflammatory</b></li><ul><li>Findings suggest that <b>UV damage to the epidermis</b> affects deeper layers of the skin and even blood and other tissues</li><ul><li>Diets enriched with antioxidant nutrients, including <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selenium" target="_blank">selenium</a>, beta-carotene, vitamin E, and vitamin C, <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">inhibit the formation of UV-induced tumors</span>.<sup>[4]</sup></li></ul><li>A major role of the exogenous antioxidants, vitamins C and E (a-tocopherol), b-carotene, and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selenium" target="_blank">selenium</a>, is to act as efficient scavengers of <a href="https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/reactive-oxygen-species" target="_blank">reactive oxygen radicals</a>, thereby <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">protecting against oxidative damage</span>.<sup>[14]</sup></li></ul><li><b>Antiviral</b></li><ul><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selenium" target="_blank">Se</a>/<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selenoprotein" target="_blank">selenoproteins</a> are relevant in the viral pathogenicity, notably reducing proliferation of T cells, lymphocyte-mediated toxicity and NK cell activity, all of which are crucial for antiviral immunity. </li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selenoprotein" target="_blank">Selenoproteins</a> partly reduce oxidative stress generated by viral pathogens.</li><li>The available studies support the belief that selenium may be of relevance in the infection with SARS-CoV-2 and disease course of COVID-19.</li><ul><li>There is a mechanism proposed by Zhang et al.<sup>[10]</sup> by which <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selenium" target="_blank">selenium</a> might suppress the life cycle and mutation to virulence of SARS-COV-2 while attenuating viral-induced oxidative stress, organ damage and the cytokine storm</span>.</li></ul></ul><li><b>Redox</b></li><ul><li>Selenoproteins also regulate or are regulated by cellular <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14661093/" target="_blank">redox tone</a>, which is a crucial modulator of immune cell signaling. </li><ul><li>The cellular redox environment is a balance between the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), reactive nitrogen species (RNS), and their removal by antioxidant enzymes and small-molecular-weight antioxidants.</li></ul><li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC4446766/" target="_blank">Redox-active selenium metabolites</a> are involved in the anti-viral action of selenium in mice and humans.<sup>[15]</sup></li></ul><li><b>Immune-cell activity</b></li><ul><li>Se is useful for the competency of the cellular component of both innate and adaptive immunity.</li><li>Inhibition of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferroptosis" target="_blank">ferroptosis</a> (i.e., a form of regulated cell death) via selenium supplementation promotes the survival of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Follicular_B_helper_T_cells" target="_blank">follicular helper T cells</a> (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Follicular_B_helper_T_cells" style="text-align: center;" target="_blank"><b style="color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;">T<sub style="font-size: 11.2px; line-height: 1;">FH</sub></b></a>), boosting the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germinal_center" target="_blank">germinal center</a> and antibody response following vaccination in mice and people (see <b>Figure 3</b>).<sup>[7]</sup></li><li>On a cellular level, Se status may influence various leukocytic functions including adherence, migration, phagocytosis, and cytokine secretion. </li></ul><li><b>Regulation of thyroid hormone metabolism</b></li><ul><li>Selenium in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iodothyronine_deiodinase" target="_blank">iodothyronine deiodinase</a>, as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selenocysteine" target="_blank">selenocysteine</a>, plays a crucial role in determining the free circulating levels of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triiodothyronine" target="_blank">T3</a>. Selenium deficiency can have implications in fall of T3 levels.</li><ul><li>In target tissues, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thyroid_hormones" target="_blank">T4</a>, the most abundant circulating thyroid hormone, can be converted to T3 by selenium-containing enzymes known as deiodinases.<sup>[11]</sup></li></ul></ul></ul></div><div><div><table border="1" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px; border: 0px solid; box-sizing: content-box; color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, "Neue Helvetica", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 1em 0px;"><caption style="font-size: 13.6px; font-weight: bold; text-align: left;">Table 1: Selenium Content of Selected Foods [<a class="fscopy_nounderline" href="https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Selenium-HealthProfessional/#en10" style="color: #205488; text-decoration-line: none;">16</a>]</caption><thead><tr style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(204, 204, 204);"><th scope="col" style="border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: bottom;">Food</th><th scope="col" style="border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-left: 8px; text-align: left; vertical-align: bottom;">Micrograms<br />(mcg) per<br />serving</th><th scope="col" style="border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-left: 8px; text-align: left; vertical-align: bottom;">Percent<br />DV*</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr style="background: rgb(234, 234, 234); border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(204, 204, 204);"><td scope="row" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; vertical-align: top;">Brazil nuts, 1 ounce (6–8 nuts)</td><td align="right" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; padding-left: 8px; vertical-align: top;">544</td><td align="right" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; padding-left: 8px; vertical-align: top;">989</td></tr><tr style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(204, 204, 204);"><td scope="row" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; vertical-align: top;">Tuna, yellowfin, cooked, dry heat, 3 ounces</td><td align="right" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; padding-left: 8px; vertical-align: top;">92</td><td align="right" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; padding-left: 8px; vertical-align: top;">167</td></tr><tr style="background: rgb(234, 234, 234); border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(204, 204, 204);"><td scope="row" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; vertical-align: top;">Halibut, cooked, dry heat, 3 ounces</td><td align="right" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; padding-left: 8px; vertical-align: top;">47</td><td align="right" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; padding-left: 8px; vertical-align: top;">85</td></tr><tr style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(204, 204, 204);"><td scope="row" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; vertical-align: top;">Sardines, canned in oil, drained solids with bone, 3 ounces</td><td align="right" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; padding-left: 8px; vertical-align: top;">45</td><td align="right" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; padding-left: 8px; vertical-align: top;">82</td></tr><tr style="background: rgb(234, 234, 234); border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(204, 204, 204);"><td scope="row" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; vertical-align: top;">Ham, roasted, 3 ounces</td><td align="right" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; padding-left: 8px; vertical-align: top;">42</td><td align="right" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; padding-left: 8px; vertical-align: top;">76</td></tr><tr style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(204, 204, 204);"><td scope="row" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; vertical-align: top;">Shrimp, canned, 3 ounces</td><td align="right" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; padding-left: 8px; vertical-align: top;">40</td><td align="right" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; padding-left: 8px; vertical-align: top;">73</td></tr><tr style="background: rgb(234, 234, 234); border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(204, 204, 204);"><td scope="row" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; vertical-align: top;">Macaroni, enriched, cooked, 1 cup</td><td align="right" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; padding-left: 8px; vertical-align: top;">37</td><td align="right" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; padding-left: 8px; vertical-align: top;">67</td></tr><tr style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(204, 204, 204);"><td scope="row" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; vertical-align: top;">Beef steak, bottom round, roasted, 3 ounces</td><td align="right" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; padding-left: 8px; vertical-align: top;">33</td><td align="right" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; padding-left: 8px; vertical-align: top;">60</td></tr><tr style="background: rgb(234, 234, 234); border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(204, 204, 204);"><td scope="row" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; vertical-align: top;">Turkey, boneless, roasted, 3 ounces</td><td align="right" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; padding-left: 8px; vertical-align: top;">31</td><td align="right" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; padding-left: 8px; vertical-align: top;">56</td></tr><tr style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(204, 204, 204);"><td scope="row" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; vertical-align: top;">Beef liver, pan fried, 3 ounces</td><td align="right" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; padding-left: 8px; vertical-align: top;">28</td><td align="right" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; padding-left: 8px; vertical-align: top;">51</td></tr><tr style="background: rgb(234, 234, 234); border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(204, 204, 204);"><td scope="row" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; vertical-align: top;">Chicken, light meat, roasted, 3 ounces</td><td align="right" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; padding-left: 8px; vertical-align: top;">22</td><td align="right" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; padding-left: 8px; vertical-align: top;">40</td></tr><tr style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(204, 204, 204);"><td scope="row" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; vertical-align: top;">Cottage cheese, 1% milkfat, 1 cup</td><td align="right" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; padding-left: 8px; vertical-align: top;">20</td><td align="right" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; padding-left: 8px; vertical-align: top;">36</td></tr><tr style="background: rgb(234, 234, 234); border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(204, 204, 204);"><td scope="row" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; vertical-align: top;">Rice, brown, long-grain, cooked, 1 cup</td><td align="right" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; padding-left: 8px; vertical-align: top;">19</td><td align="right" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; padding-left: 8px; vertical-align: top;">35</td></tr><tr style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(204, 204, 204);"><td scope="row" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; vertical-align: top;">Beef, ground, 25% fat, broiled, 3 ounces</td><td align="right" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; padding-left: 8px; vertical-align: top;">18</td><td align="right" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; padding-left: 8px; vertical-align: top;">33</td></tr><tr style="background: rgb(234, 234, 234); border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(204, 204, 204);"><td scope="row" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; vertical-align: top;">Egg, hard-boiled, 1 large</td><td align="right" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; padding-left: 8px; vertical-align: top;">15</td><td align="right" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; padding-left: 8px; vertical-align: top;">27</td></tr><tr style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(204, 204, 204);"><td scope="row" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; vertical-align: top;">Bread, whole-wheat, 1 slice</td><td align="right" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; padding-left: 8px; vertical-align: top;">13</td><td align="right" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; padding-left: 8px; vertical-align: top;">24</td></tr><tr style="background: rgb(234, 234, 234); border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(204, 204, 204);"><td scope="row" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; vertical-align: top;">Baked beans, canned, plain or vegetarian, 1 cup</td><td align="right" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; padding-left: 8px; vertical-align: top;">13</td><td align="right" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; padding-left: 8px; vertical-align: top;">24</td></tr><tr style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(204, 204, 204);"><td scope="row" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; vertical-align: top;">Oatmeal, regular and quick, unenriched, cooked with water, 1 cup</td><td align="right" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; padding-left: 8px; vertical-align: top;">13</td><td align="right" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; padding-left: 8px; vertical-align: top;">24</td></tr><tr style="background: rgb(234, 234, 234); border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(204, 204, 204);"><td scope="row" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; vertical-align: top;">Milk, 1% fat, 1 cup</td><td align="right" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; padding-left: 8px; vertical-align: top;">8</td><td align="right" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; padding-left: 8px; vertical-align: top;">15</td></tr><tr style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(204, 204, 204);"><td scope="row" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; vertical-align: top;">Yogurt, plain, low fat, 1 cup</td><td align="right" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; padding-left: 8px; vertical-align: top;">8</td><td align="right" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; padding-left: 8px; vertical-align: top;">15</td></tr><tr style="background: rgb(234, 234, 234); border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(204, 204, 204);"><td scope="row" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; vertical-align: top;">Lentils, boiled, 1 cup</td><td align="right" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; padding-left: 8px; vertical-align: top;">6</td><td align="right" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; padding-left: 8px; vertical-align: top;">11</td></tr><tr style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(204, 204, 204);"><td scope="row" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; vertical-align: top;">Bread, white, 1 slice</td><td align="right" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; padding-left: 8px; vertical-align: top;">6</td><td align="right" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; padding-left: 8px; vertical-align: top;">11</td></tr><tr style="background: rgb(234, 234, 234); border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(204, 204, 204);"><td scope="row" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; vertical-align: top;">Spinach, frozen, boiled, ½ cup</td><td align="right" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; padding-left: 8px; vertical-align: top;">5</td><td align="right" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; padding-left: 8px; vertical-align: top;">9</td></tr><tr style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(204, 204, 204);"><td scope="row" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; vertical-align: top;">Spaghetti sauce, marinara, 1 cup</td><td align="right" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; padding-left: 8px; vertical-align: top;">4</td><td align="right" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; padding-left: 8px; vertical-align: top;">7</td></tr><tr style="background: rgb(234, 234, 234); border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(204, 204, 204);"><td scope="row" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; vertical-align: top;">Cashew nuts, dry roasted, 1 ounce</td><td align="right" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; padding-left: 8px; vertical-align: top;">3</td><td align="right" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; padding-left: 8px; vertical-align: top;">5</td></tr><tr style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(204, 204, 204);"><td scope="row" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; vertical-align: top;">Corn flakes, 1 cup</td><td align="right" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; padding-left: 8px; vertical-align: top;">2</td><td align="right" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; padding-left: 8px; vertical-align: top;">4</td></tr><tr style="background: rgb(234, 234, 234); border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(204, 204, 204);"><td scope="row" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; vertical-align: top;">Green peas, frozen, boiled, ½ cup</td><td align="right" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; padding-left: 8px; vertical-align: top;">1</td><td align="right" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; padding-left: 8px; vertical-align: top;">2</td></tr><tr style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(204, 204, 204);"><td scope="row" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; vertical-align: top;">Bananas, sliced, ½ cup</td><td align="right" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; padding-left: 8px; vertical-align: top;">1</td><td align="right" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; padding-left: 8px; vertical-align: top;">2</td></tr><tr style="background: rgb(234, 234, 234); border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(204, 204, 204);"><td scope="row" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; vertical-align: top;">Potato, baked, flesh and skin, 1 potato</td><td align="right" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; padding-left: 8px; vertical-align: top;">1</td><td align="right" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; padding-left: 8px; vertical-align: top;">2</td></tr><tr style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(204, 204, 204);"><td scope="row" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; vertical-align: top;">Peach, yellow, raw, 1 medium</td><td align="right" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; padding-left: 8px; vertical-align: top;">0</td><td align="right" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; padding-left: 8px; vertical-align: top;">0</td></tr><tr style="background: rgb(234, 234, 234); border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(204, 204, 204);"><td scope="row" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; vertical-align: top;">Carrots, raw, ½ cup</td><td align="right" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; padding-left: 8px; vertical-align: top;">0</td><td align="right" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; padding-left: 8px; vertical-align: top;">0</td></tr><tr style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(204, 204, 204);"><td scope="row" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; vertical-align: top;">Lettuce, iceberg, raw, 1 cup</td><td align="right" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; padding-left: 8px; vertical-align: top;">0</td><td align="right" style="border: 0px; line-height: 24px; padding-left: 8px; vertical-align: top;">0</td></tr></tbody></table><a name="change" style="background-color: white; color: #205488; font-family: Roboto, "Neue Helvetica", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-decoration-line: underline;"></a><span face="Roboto, "Neue Helvetica", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 16px;"></span><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, "Neue Helvetica", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-top: 5px;">*DV = Daily Value.</p></div></div></div><div><h2 style="text-align: left;">
References</h2>
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/stanleyguansite/health/macronutrients-and-micronutrients/health-benefits-of-iodine" target="_blank">Health Benefits of Iodine</a> (<a href="https://sites.google.com/site/stanleyguansite" target="_blank">Travel and Health</a>)</li>
<li>Beck MA. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11603647/" target="_blank">Antioxidants and viral infections: host immune response and viral pathogenicity</a>. J Am Coll Nutr 2001; 20 (5 Suppl): 384S-388S, discussion 396S-397S.</li>
<li><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/stanleyguansite/health/macronutrients-and-micronutrients/garlic" target="_blank">Garlic—a Vegetable, a Condiment, and a Medicine</a> (<a href="https://sites.google.com/site/stanleyguansite" target="_blank">Travel and Health</a>)</li>
<li><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/stanleyguansite/health/macronutrients-and-micronutrients/cancer-fighting-combo-carotenoids" target="_blank">Health Benefits of Carotenoids</a> (<a href="https://sites.google.com/site/stanleyguansite" target="_blank">Travel and Health</a>)</li>
<li><a href="http://articles.mercola.com/thyroid.aspx?utm_source=twittermercola&utm_medium=social&utm_content=ranart&utm_campaign=20160413_thyroid" target="_blank">What You Need to Know About Your Thyroid Health</a> (Dr. Mercola)</li>
<li><a href="https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/selenium/#:~:text=Recommended%20Amounts&text=UL%3A%20The%20Tolerable%20Upper%20Intake,cause%20harmful%20effects%20on%20health" target="_blank">Selenium</a> (Harvard School of Public Health; good)</li><li><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41590-021-01007-y.epdf?sharing_token=njyxVK9SlYVPyNc-dq2Jo9RgN0jAjWel9jnR3ZoTv0M9x5KSMmm8rf8u3XzXT2k5wG8LFCgDfgRI6HkoCHMwZD0147NOqi9fbHyeBtu4u6pb58M73EREfo7TqXN3mkCclIFenwJo35RASE8PGbfQO9bkCQ-PpZkz5reL1S6esIE%3D" target="_blank">Selenium saves ferroptotic TFH cells to fortify the germinal center</a></li><li><a href="https://clinicalnutritionespen.com/article/S2405-4577(21)01107-4/pdf" target="_blank">Nutritional risk of vitamin D, vitamin C, zinc, and selenium deficiency on risk andclinical outcomes of COVID-19: a narrative review</a></li><li>Huang Z, Rose AH, Hoffmann PR. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3277928/" target="_blank">The role of selenium in inflammation and immunity: from molecular mechanisms to therapeutic opportunities</a>. Antioxid Redox Signal 2012 Apr 1;16(7):705-43.</li><li>Zhang J, Saad R, Taylor EW, Rayman MP. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32992282/" target="_blank">Selenium and selenoproteins in viral infection with potential relevance to COVID-19</a>. Redox Biol 2020 Oct;37:101715</li><li><a href="http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/minerals/iodine/">Iodine </a>(Linus Pauling Institute)</li><li><a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2021.685317/pdf" target="_blank">Selenium in Human Health and Gut Microflora: Bioavailability of Selenocompounds and Relationship With Diseases</a></li><li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC3277928/" target="_blank">The Role of Selenium in Inflammation and Immunity: From Molecular Mechanisms to Therapeutic Opportunities</a></li><li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC1755070/pdf/v063p00843.pdf">Vitamin C and the risk of developing inflammatory polyarthritis: prospective nested case-control study</a></li><li>Yu L., Sun L., Nan Y., Zhu L.Y. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20490710" target="_blank">Protection from H1N1 influenza virus infections in mice by supplementation with selenium: a comparison with selenium-deficient mice</a>. Biol. Trace Elem. Res. 2011;141(1–3):254–261.</li><li id="en10" style="line-height: 24px;">U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. <a href="https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/" style="color: #205488;" target="external">FoodData Central</a>, 2019.</li><li id="en10" style="line-height: 24px;"><a href="https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Selenium-HealthProfessional" target="_blank">Selenium—Fact Sheet for Health Professionals</a> (NIH)</li><li><a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/fsn3.2671" target="_blank">Egg consumption improves vascular and gut microbiota function without increasing inflammatory, metabolic, and oxidative stress markers</a></li></ol></div>Travel for Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14903166424561297055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8379787096739190089.post-85831622098935021232021-11-11T10:37:00.028-08:002022-01-09T20:33:01.882-08:00Aging—Knowing the Basics<div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJHfA2Og4nr2bks36fmoP37Gp3teky2uc08eQp52TI_SS4o_t1A78OQ_HDOuSyDpHK3PGbbGvnyohcq_z2JqWjigDBqmZ7J3OmP39duOuLq6tLoUcDDHjjSKIpnikpfoVWSACAEo6_dPTU/s1920/hallmarksOfAging.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1920" height="560" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJHfA2Og4nr2bks36fmoP37Gp3teky2uc08eQp52TI_SS4o_t1A78OQ_HDOuSyDpHK3PGbbGvnyohcq_z2JqWjigDBqmZ7J3OmP39duOuLq6tLoUcDDHjjSKIpnikpfoVWSACAEo6_dPTU/w640-h640/hallmarksOfAging.jpg" width="560" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Figure 1. </b>The hallmarks of ageing (Source: [55])</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div>The well-established nine <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0092867413006454" target="_blank">hallmarks of aging</a> include:<sup>[55]</sup><br /><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://scholar.google.com/scholar_url?url=https://moodle.asignaturas.usb.ve/pluginfile.php/62087/mod_resource/content/1/negrini2010s%2520Inestibilidad%2520genomica%252C%2520sello%2520del%2520cancer.pdf&hl=en&sa=X&ei=_EONYfCAPYf0yATtuIDgAQ&scisig=AAGBfm0N3p_m68zSFK6PVaiJhy1YpV07ZQ&oi=scholarr" target="_blank">Genomic instability</a></li><li><a href="https://scholar.google.com/scholar_url?url=https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article%3Fid%3D10.1371/journal.pone.0020466&hl=en&sa=X&ei=LESNYaSgNoWN6rQP7MimqAg&scisig=AAGBfm1d4ZffY0siqxA1pdgEeMfp6zyklw&oi=scholarr" target="_blank">Shortening telomere length</a></li><li><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/biochemistry-genetics-and-molecular-biology/epigenetic-modification#:~:text=Epigenetic%20modifications%20are%20the%20heritable,altering%20the%20underlying%20DNA%20sequence." target="_blank">Epigenetic modifications</a></li><li><a href="https://www.lifespan.io/topic/loss-of-proteostasis/#:~:text=The%20loss%20of%20proteostasis%20is,related%20diseases%2C%20including%20Alzheimer's%20disease." target="_blank">Loss of proteostasis</a></li><ul><li>Video 2 (<a href="https://youtu.be/aXbcA6ZbBq8?t=1932" target="_blank">32:12</a>)</li></ul><li><a href="https://www.lecturio.com/magazine/deregulated-nutrient-sensing-altered-intercellular-communication/#:~:text=Deregulated%20nutrient%20sensing%20is%20an,Visceral%20adipose%20tissue" target="_blank">Deregulated nutrient sensing</a></li><li><a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/15612-mitochondrial-diseases#:~:text=Mitochondrial%20dysfunction%20occurs%20when%20the,Lou%20Gehrig's%20disease." target="_blank">Mitochondrial dysfunction</a></li><ul><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sirtuin_3" target="_blank">SIRT3</a>, an important stress-responsive deacetylase with cardio-protective and longevity enhancing properties involved in <b>mitochondrial homeostasis</b>, stem cells and tissue maintenance.<sup>[56,57]</sup></li></ul><li><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/cellular-senescence#:~:text=Cellular%20senescence%20is%20defined%20as%20a%20condition%20in%20which%20a,et%20al.%2C%202010)." target="_blank">Cellular senescence</a></li><li><a href="https://www.lifespan.io/topic/stem-cell-exhaustion/#:~:text=Stem%20cell%20exhaustion%2C%20as%20explained,the%20nine%20reasons%20we%20age." target="_blank">Stem cell exhaustion</a></li><li><a href="https://www.lifespan.io/topic/altered-intercellular-communication/" target="_blank">Altered intracellular communication</a> (Video 2)</li></ol>have all been shown to be caused, at least in part, by sustained <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4859514/" target="_blank">systemic inflammation</a>.<sup>[45-54]</sup> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/p_4UPdFqgIQ" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Video 1. </b> Can ageing be delayed, stopped or even reversed? BBC News (YouTube <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_4UPdFqgIQ" target="_blank">link</a>)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><h2>Inflammatory Clock (or iAge)</h2><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inflammation" target="_blank">Inflammation</a> plays a role in almost all chronic diseases of ageing including atherosclerosis, cancer, neurodegenerative diseases and diabetes.</div><div><br /></div>From the blood immunome of 1,001 individuals aged 8–96 years, Sayed et al. developed a deep-learning method based on patterns of systemic age-related inflammation.<sup>[58]</sup> The resulting inflammatory clock of aging (<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s43587-021-00082-y" target="_blank">iAge</a>) tracked with multimorbidity, immunosenescence, frailty and cardiovascular aging, and is also associated with exceptional longevity in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centenarian" target="_blank">centenarians</a>.<sup>[58]</sup> <blockquote><div><i>In <b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centenarian" target="_blank">centenarians</a></b>, <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">iAge was on average, <b>40</b> years lower than their corresponding <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/chronological-ageing" target="_blank">chronological age</a></span>. Note that <b>the lower your iAge is, the better</b>. </i></div></blockquote><div><br /><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8379787096739190089/8583162209893502123#">iAge</a> is demonstrated to be correlated with multi-morbidity and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immunosenescence" target="_blank">immunosenescence</a> and can be used as a ‘metric’ for immunological health. Based on the results of <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8379787096739190089/8583162209893502123#">iAge</a> research, here are the findings <b>with increasing <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8379787096739190089/8583162209893502123#">iAge</a> </b><span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">↑</span>:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CXCL9">CXCL9</a> (an interferon-related <a href="https://www.blogger.com/#">chemokine</a>)</b> <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">↑</span></li><ul><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CXCL9">CXCL9</a> is the most robust contributor to <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8379787096739190089/8583162209893502123#">iAge</a></li><li>Aging endothelial cells express high levels of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CXCL9">CXCL9</a>, which induces mRNA down-regulation of the cardio-protective <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sirtuin_3" target="_blank">SIRT3</a> — a gene known to be important in aging and endothelial cell function.</li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CXCL9">CXCL9</a> was validated as an indicator of cardiovascular pathology independent of age</li><li>One root cause of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CXCL9">CXCL9</a> overproduction is <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/cellular-senescence#:~:text=Cellular%20senescence%20is%20defined%20as%20a%20condition%20in%20which%20a,et%20al.%2C%202010)." target="_blank">cellular aging</a> per-se, which triggers metabolic dysfunction with production of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damage-associated_molecular_pattern" target="_blank">damage-associated molecular patterns</a> (<b>DAMPs</b>).<sup>[62]</sup> </li></ul><li><b>B cell and T cell immune responses </b><span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">↓</span></li><ul><li>A strong association with poor acute immune responses to cytokine stimuli was found, which is consistent with reports by two independent studies showing that high levels of baseline inflammatory markers correlate with weaker responses to hepatitis B and herpes zoster vaccine formulations.<sup>[59,60]</sup> </li></ul><li><b>Potentiated <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monocyte" target="_blank">monocyte</a> responses</b> <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">↑</span></li><li><b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JAK-STAT_signaling_pathway" target="_blank">JAK-STAT</a> response </b><span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">↓</span></li><ul><li><a href="https://travel2health.blogspot.com/2018/06/acute-inflammation-good-vs-chronic.html" target="_blank">Chronic inflammation</a> is, at least in part, responsible for a reduced <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JAK-STAT_signaling_pathway" target="_blank">JAK-STAT</a> response to cytokine stimulations in various leukocyte populations.<sup>[61]</sup></li></ul></ul></div>This suggests that this immune ‘metric’ for human health versus disease may be useful as a companion diagnostic to inform physicians about patient’s inflammatory status, especially those with chronic diseases.<div><blockquote><i>Their results indicate that </i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CXCL9"><i>CXCL9</i></a><i> and </i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sirtuin_3" target="_blank"><i>SIRT3</i></a><i> <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">play an important role linking inflammation, cell metabolism, endothelial cell function and cardiovascular remodeling</span>, which is consistent with prior work showing intricate interactions between inflammation and cell metabolism in tissue repair processes.<sup>[63]</sup></i></blockquote><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aXbcA6ZbBq8?start=125" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Video 2.</b> AGE Presents: Scott Leiser - Altered Cellular Communications (YouTube <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXbcA6ZbBq8&t=125s" target="_blank">link</a>)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><h2><span face=""Lucida Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif">Longevity Pathways</span></h2><div><span face=""Lucida Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><br /></span></div><div><span face=""Lucida Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif">In Video 2 (must watch), <a href="https://medicine.umich.edu/dept/molecular-integrative-physiology/scott-leiser-phd" target="_blank">Dr. Scott Leiser</a> has shown that <b>human may live longer by</b>:</span></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span face=""Lucida Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17988211/#:~:text=Insulin%2Dlike%20signaling%20is%20critical,like%20signaling%20extends%20life%20span." target="_blank">Insulin-like signaling</a></span><b> </b><span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">↓</span></li><ul><li>Video 2 (<a href="https://youtu.be/aXbcA6ZbBq8?t=896" target="_blank">14:56</a>)</li></ul><li><span face=""Lucida Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calorie_restriction" target="_blank">Dietary restriction</a> </span></li><ul><li><span face=""Lucida Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif">Video 2 (<a href="https://youtu.be/aXbcA6ZbBq8?t=1515" target="_blank">25:15</a>)</span></li></ul><li><span face=""Lucida Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3001303/#:~:text=Consistently%2C%20studies%20in%20yeast%20and,without%20accompanying%20malnutrition%20%5B17%5D." target="_blank">TOR</a></span><b> </b><span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">↓</span></li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sirtuin" target="_blank">Sirtuins</a> <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">↑</span></li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypoxia_(medical)" target="_blank">Hypoxia</a> (<span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">↓ O<sub>2</sub>)</span></li><ul><li>Video 2 (<a href="https://youtu.be/aXbcA6ZbBq8?t=2075" target="_blank">34:35</a>)</li></ul><li><a href="https://agingchart.org/wiki/Nrf2/SKN-1" target="_blank">SKN-1/Nrf-2</a> <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">↑</span> <sup>[64,65]</sup></li></ul>The <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">common denominator of the above longevity pathways is <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stress" target="_blank">stress</a></span>—in the sense that either they are stresses directly or can turn on the stress response pathways indirectly (video 2 @<a href="https://youtu.be/aXbcA6ZbBq8?t=472" target="_blank">7:52</a>). Note that under stress, <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">organisms actually get healthier under low stress</span> (<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20686325/#:~:text=Hormesis%20is%20defined%20as%20a,been%20studied%20for%20many%20years." target="_blank">hormetic effects</a>). However, all of these longevity pathways also have some drawbacks or side effects in the real world (see Figure 3).</div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaHy71Ypi3X-RqiqX3ps_FpueefXgru-F2uFv5UOzN_iG7o6jnbZHJieE8N5lJHQvL80Nn7fLIT9LMLMhUC5hyHQ-CfKC0HWLbJ50boa7ozdDTubsqf1GFj8Ho8OdOXl_VA6Ep0JEcVcx5/s1065/AgingIsConserved.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="531" data-original-width="1065" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaHy71Ypi3X-RqiqX3ps_FpueefXgru-F2uFv5UOzN_iG7o6jnbZHJieE8N5lJHQvL80Nn7fLIT9LMLMhUC5hyHQ-CfKC0HWLbJ50boa7ozdDTubsqf1GFj8Ho8OdOXl_VA6Ep0JEcVcx5/w640-h320/AgingIsConserved.jpg" width="560" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Figure 2. </b> Longevity pathway is conserved from yeast to humans (video 2 @<a href="https://youtu.be/aXbcA6ZbBq8?t=390" target="_blank">6:30</a>)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3XUSNv7rQH2Q1eyYtawvORoa4PqyRsot3cHEpqKMy40EMT2mEhxmkVoicDXSwwCs8NjfXefLnBQAmbrpoCwswS4vavg2YXog7Vi_cmfKj4PJEfnDfRu-1uW8n8D6Htddsgmbxt3UIu4sm/s560/longevityPathwaysRealWorld.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="306" data-original-width="560" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3XUSNv7rQH2Q1eyYtawvORoa4PqyRsot3cHEpqKMy40EMT2mEhxmkVoicDXSwwCs8NjfXefLnBQAmbrpoCwswS4vavg2YXog7Vi_cmfKj4PJEfnDfRu-1uW8n8D6Htddsgmbxt3UIu4sm/s16000/longevityPathwaysRealWorld.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Figure 3. </b> Longevity pathways have drawbacks or side effects in the real world (video 2 @<a href="https://youtu.be/aXbcA6ZbBq8?t=803" target="_blank">13:23</a>)</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><span face=""Lucida Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><br /></span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wqKfL3z5yM4" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><div><span br="" face=""Lucida Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"></span></div><div><span br="" face=""Lucida Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" face=""Lucida Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" frameborder="0" height="315" iframe="" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wqKfL3z5yM4" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span face=""Lucida Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><b>Video 3. </b>Living into your 90s (YouTube <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqKfL3z5yM4" target="_blank">link</a>)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span face=""Lucida Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span face=""Lucida Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BRFqPSy48b4" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span face=""Lucida Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><b>Video 4.</b> Why We Age – And Why We Don't Have To (YouTube <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRFqPSy48b4&t=1s" target="_blank">link</a>)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span face=""Lucida Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span face=""Lucida Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/n9IxomBusuw" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span face=""Lucida Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><b>Video 5. </b>Dr. David Sinclair: The Biology of Slowing & Reversing Aging (YouTube <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9IxomBusuw" target="_blank">link</a>)</span></div><h2>References</h2><ol><li><a href="http://biomed.news/bims-senagi/2021-09-19#p1">SARS-CoV-2 causes senescence in human cells and exacerbates the senescence-associated secretory phenotype through TLR-3.</a></li><li><a href="http://biomed.news/bims-senagi/2021-09-19#p2">REST/NRSF deficiency impairs autophagy and leads to cellular senescence in neurons.</a></li><li><a href="http://biomed.news/bims-senagi/2021-09-19#p3">Nutrition and cellular senescence in obesity-related disorders.</a></li><li><a href="http://biomed.news/bims-senagi/2021-09-19#p4">Deferoxamine accelerates endothelial progenitor cell senescence and compromises angiogenesis.</a></li><li><a href="http://biomed.news/bims-senagi/2021-09-19#p5">Riboflavin transporter SLC52A1, a target of p53, suppresses cellular senescence by activating mitochondrial complex II.</a></li><li><a href="http://biomed.news/bims-senagi/2021-09-19#p6">A cGAS-dependent response links DNA damage and senescence in alveolar epithelial cells: A potential drug target in IPF.</a></li><li><a href="http://biomed.news/bims-senagi/2021-09-19#p7">The balance between NAD+ biosynthesis and consumption in ageing.</a></li><li><a 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macrophages.</a></li><li><a href="http://biomed.news/bims-senagi/2021-09-19#p14">Necroptosis increases with age in the brain and contributes to age-related neuroinflammation.</a></li><li><a href="http://biomed.news/bims-senagi/2021-09-19#p15">Cellular senescence promotes cancer metastasis by enhancing soluble E-cadherin production.</a></li><li><a href="http://biomed.news/bims-senagi/2021-09-19#p16">Transcriptional features of biological age maintained in human cultured cardiac interstitial cells.</a></li><li><a href="http://biomed.news/bims-senagi/2021-09-19#p17">H2S-mediated blockage of protein acetylation and oxidative stress attenuates lipid overload-induced cardiac senescence.</a></li><li><a href="http://biomed.news/bims-senagi/2021-09-19#p18">Immunology of Aging: the Birth of Inflammaging.</a></li><li><a href="http://biomed.news/bims-senagi/2021-09-19#p19">IL-1 Mediates Microbiome-Induced Inflamm-Ageing of Hematopoietic Stem Cells in Mice.</a></li><li><a href="http://biomed.news/bims-senagi/2021-09-19#p20">Loss of polycomb repressive complex 1 activity and chromosomal instability drive uveal melanoma progression.</a></li><li><a href="http://biomed.news/bims-senagi/2021-09-19#p21">Preclinical and clinical evidence of NAD+ precursors in health, disease, and ageing.</a></li><li><a href="http://biomed.news/bims-senagi/2021-09-19#p22">Leaked Mitochondrial C1QBP Inhibits Activation of the DNA Sensor cGAS.</a></li><li><a href="http://biomed.news/bims-senagi/2021-09-19#p23">S3QELs protect against diet-induced intestinal barrier dysfunction.</a></li><li><a href="http://biomed.news/bims-senagi/2021-09-19#p24">Multi-omic profiling of primary mouse neutrophils predicts a pattern of sex and age-related functional regulation.</a></li><li><a href="http://biomed.news/bims-senagi/2021-09-19#p25">Decreased proliferation of aged rat beta cells corresponds with enhanced expression of the cell cycle inhibitor p27KIP1.</a></li><li><a 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(2017). <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/lookup/ijlink/YTozOntzOjQ6InBhdGgiO3M6MTQ6Ii9sb29rdXAvaWpsaW5rIjtzOjU6InF1ZXJ5IjthOjQ6e3M6ODoibGlua1R5cGUiO3M6NDoiQUJTVCI7czoxMToiam91cm5hbENvZGUiO3M6Mzoic2NpIjtzOjU6InJlc2lkIjtzOjEzOiIzNTYvNjM0Mi8xMDI2IjtzOjQ6ImF0b20iO3M6Mzc6Ii9iaW9yeGl2L2Vhcmx5LzIwMTkvMTEvMTYvODQwMzYzLmF0b20iO31zOjg6ImZyYWdtZW50IjtzOjA6IiI7fQ==" target="_blank">Inflammation and metabolism in tissue repair and regeneration</a>. Science 356, 1026–1030.</li><li>Bruns DR, Drake JC, Biela LM, Peelor FF 3rd, Miller BF, Hamilton KL. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC4637130/" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">Nrf2 signaling and the slowed aging phenotype</span>: evidence from long-lived models</a>. Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2015; 2015:732596.</li><li>Hiebert P, Wietecha MS, Cangkrama M, Haertel E, Mavrogonatou E, Stumpe M, Steenbock H, Grossi S, Beer HD, Angel P, Brinckmann J, Kletsas D, Dengjel J, Werner S. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30016619" target="_blank">Nrf2-mediated fibroblast reprogramming drives cellular senescence by targeting the matrisome</a>. Dev Cell. 2018; 46:145–161.</li><ul><li>This suggests that <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">time-controlled activation of NRF2 may be critical for homeostasis in multicellular organism</span>.</li></ul><li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC1188185/" target="_blank">A global clinical measure of fitness and frailty in elderly people</a></li><li><a href="https://hubermanlab.com/dr-david-sinclair-the-biology-of-slowing-and-reversing-aging/" target="_blank">DR. DAVID SINCLAIR: THE BIOLOGY OF <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">SLOWING & REVERSING AGING</span></a></li><li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC8612618/" target="_blank">New Insights into the Roles and Mechanisms of Spermidine in Aging and Age-Related Diseases</a></li></ol>Travel for Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14903166424561297055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8379787096739190089.post-34148778705263073662021-11-07T10:02:00.007-08:002023-07-21T12:36:01.987-07:00The Link between TLR7 Variants and Critical COVID-19 <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TLR7" target="_blank">Toll Like Receptor 7</a> (<b>TLR7</b>) is a Protein Coding gene. Diseases associated with TLR7 include:<sup>[3]</sup><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.malacards.org/card/immunodeficiency_74_covid19_related_x_linked">Immunodeficiency 74</a></li><li><a href="https://www.malacards.org/card/immunodeficiency_74_covid19_related_x_linked">Covid19-Related</a></li><li><a href="https://www.malacards.org/card/immunodeficiency_74_covid19_related_x_linked">X-Linked</a> </li><li><a href="https://www.malacards.org/card/x_linked_immunodeficiency_74">X-Linked Immunodeficiency 74</a></li></ul>Among its related pathways are <a href="https://pathcards.genecards.org/card/viral_mrna_translation">Viral mRNA Translation</a> and <a href="https://pathcards.genecards.org/card/measles">Measles</a>. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_Ontology" target="_blank">Gene Ontology</a> (GO) annotations related to this gene include <a href="http://www.informatics.jax.org/vocab/gene_ontology/GO:0004888" target="_blank">transmembrane signaling receptor activity</a> and <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22918483/" target="_blank">double-stranded RNA binding</a> (dsRBD). An important paralog of this gene is <a href="https://www.genecards.org/cgi-bin/carddisp.pl?gene=TLR8">TLR8</a>.<br /><div><br /></div><div>In this article, we will cover the below topics:</div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Genetic Variation</b></li><li><b>X-linked COVID-19 Risk Factor</b></li><li><b>Raw Data on Your Genetic Data</b> (<a href="https://www.23andme.com/" target="_blank">23andMe</a>)</li><ul><li>How Does 23andMe Report Genotypes?</li><li>All Markers Reported on 23andMe for TLR7 Gene</li></ul></ul><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">Genetic Variation</h2><div><br /></div><div>Genetic variation is the difference in DNA sequences between individuals within a population. Variants may be germline or somatic.</div><div><br />A variant in itself is not “pathogenic”, whether it can be causally related to a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phenotype" target="_blank">phenotype</a> observed in a patient is determined by other factors. When a variant is described to "cause disease", the expert probably means “causes disease in a specific context”, e.g:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X-linked_recessive_inheritance" target="_blank">X-linked recessive disorder</a></b></li><ul><li>Causes disease when found in a male</li></ul><li><b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_disorder" target="_blank">Autosomal recessive</a></b></li><ul><li>Causes disease when combined with a change on the other allele</li></ul><li><b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genomic_imprinting" target="_blank">Imprinting disorder</a></b></li><ul><li>Causes disease when inherited from the father</li></ul></ul></div><div><br /></div><div><h2 style="text-align: left;">X-linked COVID-19 Risk Factor</h2><div><span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">Age and male sex</span> are <b>two prominent risk factors</b> <b>for developing life-threatening COVID-19</b> after SARS-CoV-2 infection. </div><div><br /></div><div>Asano et al. analyzed 1202 critical male COVID-19 patients to examine whether non-synonymous variants in genes on the X chromosome are a risk factor for developing COVID-19 pneumonia. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TLR7" target="_blank">TLR7</a> variants resulting in TLR7 deficiency occurred in 16 unrelated males, most of which were under age 60.<sup>[2]</sup> </div><div><blockquote><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plasmacytoid_dendritic_cell" target="_blank">Plasmacytoid dendritic cells</a> (pDCs), primary producers of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interferon_type_I" target="_blank">type I interferon</a> (IFN-I), from TLR7-deficient patients were unresponsive to TLR7 stimulation and displayed impaired production of IFN-I in response to SARS-CoV-2. These results identify <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">X-linked recessive TLR7 deficiency as a genetic risk factor for COVID-19 pneumonia in males</span> and demonstrate a key role for intact pDC IFN-I in protective immunity against SARS-CoV-2.</i></blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"> </div></div><h3 style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #262626; font-family: "PT Serif", serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px; position: relative; text-align: left; z-index: 1;"><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/medgen/1768360" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;" target="_blank">Immunodeficiency-74</a><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;"> (</span><b style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;">IMD74</b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;">) </span></h3><div role="paragraph" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #262626; font-family: "PT Serif", serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px; position: relative; z-index: 1;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/medgen/1768360" target="_blank">Immunodeficiency-74</a> (<b>IMD74</b>) is also an <a href="https://varnomen.hgvs.org/bg-material/basics/" target="_blank">X-linked recessive</a> specific immunologic disorder characterized by the development of severe respiratory insufficiency in response to infection with the COVID19 coronavirus.<sup>[6]</sup> </div><div><br /></div><div>Affected individuals <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">usually require mechanical ventilation in the ICU in order to survive</span>. Laboratory studies show activation of the immune response and may show perturbation of some values, such as increased <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D-dimer" target="_blank">D-dimers</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fibrinogen" target="_blank">fibrinogen</a>. </div><blockquote><div><i>In vitro functional studies of patient immune cells show <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">impaired signaling through the TLR7 pathway, resulting in defective type I and type II interferon (IFN) responses.</span> The patients reported to date did not have a history of immunodeficiency or chronic disease.</i><span style="vertical-align: super;"><i>[6]</i></span></div><div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFIB74MWLhWiBG8oUFkG7ybsBPVgRW02DcDLdYiHw4ktaevkAxvACFEVuJTGRDXdtPla01twPDTRYIl6tgoMqk7_8CZNEdCIKc4hIalnDwhw5jjSYIGd5eCmtwELzvTeaD6kCqUhnyov78/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img data-original-height="241" data-original-width="515" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFIB74MWLhWiBG8oUFkG7ybsBPVgRW02DcDLdYiHw4ktaevkAxvACFEVuJTGRDXdtPla01twPDTRYIl6tgoMqk7_8CZNEdCIKc4hIalnDwhw5jjSYIGd5eCmtwELzvTeaD6kCqUhnyov78/w400-h188/image.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="text-align: left;">Table 1. </b><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">TLR7 Genotype</span><span style="text-align: left;"> (all markers found for TLR7 Gene on </span><a href="https://www.23andme.com/" style="text-align: left;" target="_blank">23andMe</a><span style="text-align: left;">)</span></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div></blockquote><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">Raw Data on Your Genetic Data (23andMe)</h2><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.23andme.com/" target="_blank">23andMe</a> uses genotyping, not sequencing, to analyze your DNA. Read [10] for more details.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">How Does 23andMe Report Genotypes?</h3><div><br /></div>The <a href="https://www.23andme.com/" target="_blank">23andMe</a> genotyping platform detects <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single-nucleotide_polymorphism" target="_blank">single nucleotide polymorphisms</a> (<b>SNPs</b>).<sup>[10]</sup> A SNP is a DNA location, or "<b>marker</b>," in the genome that has been shown to vary among people in terms of the DNA base or bases. There are four DNA bases: </div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adenine" target="_blank">Adenine</a> (A)</li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thymine" target="_blank">Thymine</a> (T)</li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guanine" target="_blank">Guanine</a> (G)</li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cytosine" target="_blank">Cytosine</a> (C)</li></ul></div><div>So, for example, at the same genomic location, you might have a C and someone else might have a T. These DNA base differences are known as "variants."<br /><br />For most SNPs on the 23andMe platform, the <a href="https://www.23andme.com/" target="_blank">23andMe</a> <b>Raw Data</b> feature reports the marker name (usually an <a href="https://customercare.23andme.com/hc/en-us/articles/212196908-What-Are-RS-Numbers-Rsid-" target="_blank">rsID</a> or internal ID number), its exact genomic location, the possible variants at that marker (A, T, G, or C), and the specific variants you have, i.e. your genotype (See <b>Table 1</b>). </div><div><br /></div><div>Because you have two sets of autosomal chromosomes -- one from your mother and one from your father -- you usually have two variants at every location, and your genotype will be reported as a pair of variants, e.g. "G/A."<br /><br />In some cases your genotype will be reported as a single variant because not all DNA is inherited in chromosome pairs e.g., mitochondrial DNA and, for the most part, the X and Y chromosomes in men).<br /><br /><b>Occasionally</b>, for some SNPs on the 23andMe platform, your <b>genotype </b>may be reported <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">as an insertion or deletion (--) of DNA bases instead of just a simple variant pair</span>. </div><div><br /></div><div><blockquote><i>Depending on the genomic location, either an insertion or deletion could represent the typical version of the SNP. In other words, there are some markers in which having an extra base (insertion) is the typical variant and having a deletion is the less common variant. Conversely, there are some places in the genome where an insertion is rare, making a deletion the typical variant at that location.<br /></i><p><i>23andMe does not report on all possible insertions or deletions. In general, the ones reported on are small, spanning only one or a few bases. </i> </p></blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><p></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">All Markers Reported on 23andMe for TLR7 Gene</h3><div><br /></div><div>On <a href="https://www.23andme.com/" target="_blank">23andMe</a>, you can search for specific genes, markers, or positions of interest. For example, here are the list of markers found by searching with <i>TLR7 </i>keyword:</div><blockquote style="text-align: left;"></blockquote><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/snp/rs2302267?vertical_tab=true" target="_blank">rs2302267</a></li><li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/snp/rs5741880?vertical_tab=true" target="_blank">rs5741880</a></li><li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/snp/rs1731479?vertical_tab=true" target="_blank">rs1731479</a> (<a href="https://www.news-medical.net/life-sciences/How-Important-is-Intronic-Variation.aspx" target="_blank">intron variant</a>) </li><ul><li>See Table 2</li></ul><li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/snp/rs5743740?vertical_tab=true" target="_blank">rs5743740</a> </li><li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/snp/rs5743749?vertical_tab=true" target="_blank">rs5743749</a></li><li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/snp/rs179012?vertical_tab=true" target="_blank">rs179012</a> </li><li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/snp/rs179010?vertical_tab=true" target="_blank">rs179010</a></li><li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/snp/rs179008?vertical_tab=true" target="_blank">rs179008</a></li><li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/snp/rs864058?vertical_tab=true" target="_blank">rs864058</a></li></ul><blockquote style="text-align: left;"></blockquote><blockquote style="text-align: left;"></blockquote><blockquote style="text-align: left;"></blockquote><blockquote style="text-align: left;"></blockquote><blockquote style="text-align: left;"></blockquote><blockquote style="text-align: left;"></blockquote><blockquote style="text-align: left;"></blockquote><blockquote style="text-align: left;"></blockquote><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5hTMrZtitSzL-0xw8el5LPZesc8d9AgS4T0vS910lKws4EFecZohvhzOTSI3f9vBiSEO5GAN4QGKVj6OYh46bKTyJKzf_k8cG_zcwVhMqxhfgqU7hjfXRIRiOliVvFDRMdU5sgi9KtziW/s560/rs1731479.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="79" data-original-width="560" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5hTMrZtitSzL-0xw8el5LPZesc8d9AgS4T0vS910lKws4EFecZohvhzOTSI3f9vBiSEO5GAN4QGKVj6OYh46bKTyJKzf_k8cG_zcwVhMqxhfgqU7hjfXRIRiOliVvFDRMdU5sgi9KtziW/s16000/rs1731479.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Table 2. </b>TLR7 with NM_016562.4:c.3+4753C>T change</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div>However, <a href="https://www.23andme.com/" target="_blank">23andMe</a> uses genotyping, not sequencing, to analyze your DNA. So, <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">not all markers or positions are tested by 23andMe</span>. They only look for <b>variants of interest</b> at the time of testing.<sup>[10,11]</sup></div><div><blockquote><i>Genotyping can be performed through a variety of different methods, depending on the variants of interest and the resources available. For looking at many different variants at once, especially common variants, genotyping chips are an efficient and accurate method. They do, however, require prior identification of the variants of interest.</i></blockquote></div><div><br /><h2 style="text-align: left;">References</h2><blockquote style="text-align: left;"></blockquote><a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciimmunol.abl4348" target="_blank"></a><ol style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciimmunol.abl4348" target="_blank"></a><li><a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciimmunol.abl4348" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciimmunol.abl4348" target="_blank">When the Immune Response Makes COVID-19 Worse</a></li><li><a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciimmunol.abl4348" target="_blank">X-linked recessive TLR7 deficiency in ~1% of men under 60 years old with life-threatening COVID-19</a></li><li><a href="https://www.genecards.org/cgi-bin/carddisp.pl?gene=TLR7" target="_blank">TLR7 Gene</a></li><li><a href="https://www.malacards.org/card/immunodeficiency_74_covid19_related_x_linked" target="_blank">Immunodeficiency 74, Covid19-Related, X-Linked</a></li><li><a href="https://www.idtdna.com/pages/education/decoded/article/genotyping-terms-to-know" target="_blank">Genotyping: Terms to know</a></li><li><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32706371/" target="_blank">Presence of Genetic Variants Among Young Men With Severe COVID-19</a></li><li><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41578-021-00372-2" target="_blank">Designing spatial and temporal control of vaccine responses</a></li><li><a href="https://varnomen.hgvs.org/bg-material/simple/" target="_blank">HGVS simple</a> (important)</li><li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/snp/docs/refsnp_report/helpdoc/" target="_blank">RefSNP Report Help</a> (important)</li><li><a href="https://customercare.23andme.com/hc/en-us/articles/115004459928-Raw-Genotype-Data-Technical-Details" target="_blank">How does 23andMe report genotypes?</a></li><li><a href="https://customercare.23andme.com/hc/en-us/articles/202904600-Difference-Between-DNA-Genotyping-Sequencing" target="_blank">Difference Between DNA Genotyping & Sequencing</a></li><li><a href="https://customercare.23andme.com/hc/en-us/articles/115004459928-Raw-Genotype-Data-Technical-Details" target="_blank">Raw Genotype Data Technical Details</a> (23andme)</li><li><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41588-021-00955-3" target="_blank">Identification of <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">LZTFL1</span> as a candidate effector gene at a <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">COVID-19 risk locus</span></a></li><ul><li>Note that <b>none of the markers (or variants) mentioned in this article were tested by 23andme</b>.</li></ul><li><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-02318-w" target="_blank">Had COVID but no symptoms? You might have this genetic mutation</a></li></ol><blockquote style="text-align: left;"></blockquote><blockquote style="text-align: left;"></blockquote><blockquote style="text-align: left;"></blockquote><blockquote style="text-align: left;"></blockquote><blockquote style="text-align: left;"></blockquote><blockquote style="text-align: left;"></blockquote><blockquote style="text-align: left;"></blockquote><blockquote style="text-align: left;"></blockquote><blockquote style="text-align: left;"></blockquote><blockquote style="text-align: left;"></blockquote><blockquote style="text-align: left;"></blockquote></div>Travel for Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14903166424561297055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8379787096739190089.post-19418292814749947272021-10-30T11:46:00.008-07:002022-01-29T21:03:36.752-08:00Acute Inflammation (Good) vs. Chronic Inflammation (Bad)<span style="background-color: white;">Click <a href="https://sites.google.com/view/traveltohealth/disease-control-3/acute-inflammation-good-vs-chronic-inflammation-bad">here</a> for a mobile-friendly version.</span><div><br /><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inflammation" target="_blank">Inflammation</a> may have<span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;"> started as the solution</span>—for example, as a way to rid the body of a dangerous invader—but <b>if it doesn't turn off when it should</b>, it instead <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">can become the problem</span>. </div><blockquote><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><i>To protect itself and try to remove the injurious stimuli, the body triggers the inflammation, an elaborate response <b>involving the vascular system, the immune system, and various cells within the injured tissue</b>. </i></div></blockquote><blockquote><p><i>The classic signs of inflammation — <a href="https://www.blogger.com/#">swelling</a>, pain, redness and loss of function — usually appear after an injury. </i></p></blockquote><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on">The body's immune response may keep inflammation going, long after the threat has cleared. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inflammation#Acute" target="_blank">Acute inflammation</a> has now transitioned to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inflammation#Chronic" target="_blank">chronic inflammation</a>.</div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><blockquote><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inflammation#Chronic" target="_blank">Chronic inflammation</a> plays a central role in some of the most challenging diseases of our time, including<span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;"> rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, heart disease, diabetes, asthma, and even Alzheimer’s</span></i><i>.</i><sup><i>[13-15,27]</i></sup></blockquote></div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><h2>Oxidative Stress</h2><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">At the center of <a href="Inflammation" target="_blank">inflammation</a> is the concept of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxidative_stress" target="_blank">oxidative stress</a>, which is <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">like a biological type of "rusting" of our organs and tissues</span>. Oxidation is a normal part of everyday living, but oxidation in overdrive can become a problem.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This can happen both on the outside and the inside:<br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Outside</li><ul><li>Can cause wrinkles and premature aging</li></ul><li>Inside</li><ul><li>Can stiffen our blood vessels, damage cell membranes, and essentially wreak havoc on our precious interior designs</li></ul></ul><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xYo9J8RijQY" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Video 1. </b>Foods That Cause Inflammation (YouTube <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYo9J8RijQY" target="_blank">link</a>)<br /></div></div><h2>Acute Inflammation</h2><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><br /></div>In acute inflammatory response, a number of secreted molecules include: </div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C-reactive_protein" target="_blank">C-reactive protein</a> (<b>CRP</b>)</li><ul><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C-reactive_protein" target="_blank">CRP</a> is produced by the liver only during episodes of acute inflammation. It is highly correlated with obesity, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and cancers.</li></ul><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interleukin_1_beta" target="_blank">IL-1β</a></li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interleukin_6#Immune_system" target="_blank">IL-6</a></li><ul><li>IL-6 is an important mediator of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fever">fever</a> and of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acute_phase_response">acute phase response</a>.</li></ul><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tumor_necrosis_factor" target="_blank">TNF-α</a></li></ul></div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on">have been validated. However, in <b>age-related chronic inflammation</b>, <span style="color: #800180;"><span style="background-color: #fcff01;">no standard cytokine signature exists</span></span>.<sup>[16,17]</sup><br /><blockquote><i>There is abundant evidence that certain pro-inflammatory cytokines such as <b>IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α</b> are <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">involved in the process of pathological pain</span>.</i></blockquote><br />Canonical acute inflammation proteins (CRP, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interleukin_6#Immune_system" target="_blank">IL-6</a>, etc.) have also been associated with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immunosenescence" target="_blank">immunosenescence</a> in previous studies. </div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><blockquote><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immunosenescence" target="_blank">Immunosenescence</a> is the gradual deterioration of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immune_system">immune system</a>, brought on by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ageing">natural age advancement</a>. Generally, it <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">is believed that the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adaptive_immune_system">adaptive immune system</a> is affected more than the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Innate_immune_system">innate immune system</a></span>. Immunosenescence involves both the <b>host's capacity to respond to infections and the development of long-term immune memory</b>. </i></blockquote><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">How Chronic Inflammation Develop?</h2><br />Inflammatory components of the immune system are often chronically elevated in aged individuals. </div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><blockquote><i>Contrary to the <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">acute response</span>, which is <b>typically triggered by infection</b>, <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inflammation#Chronic" target="_blank">chronic inflammation</a> </span>is thought to be <b>triggered by physical, chemical or metabolic noxious stimuli</b> (“sterile” agents) such as those <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">released by damaged cells and environmental insults</span>, generally termed “<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damage-associated_molecular_pattern" target="_blank">damage-associated molecular patterns</a>” (<span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">DAMPs</span>). This type of inflammation is associated with aging and characterized by being low-grade and persistent, ultimately leading to collateral damage to tissues and organs.</i><sup><i>[12,13]</i></sup></blockquote></div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cytokine" target="_blank">Cytokines</a> have an important function in the body, activating the immune system to fight infection. But because they work by an inflammatory process, when they’re overproduced they put the body into a state of chronic inflammation, which causes cells to age faster. Chronic inflammation can develop in several ways:<br /><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Threat remains</b></li><ul><li>The immune system is pretty good at eliminating invaders, but sometimes pathogens resist even our best defenses and hide out in tissues, provoking the inflammatory response again and again.</li></ul><li><b>Autoimmune disorder</b></li><ul><li>The immune system goes into "threat mode" when no true threat exists. It reacts against the joints, intestines, or other organs and tissues as if they were dangerous. As the inflammatory response continues, it damages the body instead of healing it.</li></ul><li><b>Unhealthful lifestyle</b></li><ul><li>Smoking, failing to exercise regularly, or eating a diet high in refined carbohydrates can contribute to chronic inflammation.<b> </b>For example, </li><ul><li>Those on a “<span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">high-salt diet</span> displayed a markedly <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">higher </span>number of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monocyte" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">monocytes</span></a>,” which are a type of immune cell you <b>often see increased in settings of chronic inflammation and autoimmune disorders</b>.<sup>[9]</sup></li></ul></ul></ol><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><h2>Symptoms of Chronic Inflammation</h2><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><br /></div>The signs of chronic inflammation are not as obvious as those of acute inflammation. No sharp twinge of pain as when you cut yourself, no swelling or redness will you see to alert you to a problem. </div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK493173/" target="_blank">Chronic inflammation</a> can be widespread or more localized to specific areas of the body. Therefore the <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">symptoms can vary considerably</span>, such as:<br /><ul><li>Fatigue and lack of energy</li><li>Depression, anxiety</li><li>Muscle aches and joint pain</li><li>Constipation, diarrhea, and other gastrointestinal complaints</li><li>Changes in weight or appetite</li><li>Headaches</li><li>Brain fog (a "fuzzy" mental state)</li></ul><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">Chronic inflammation and Diseases</h2></div><div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Your joints</h3></div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on">When you suffer a joint injury — maybe a banged-up knee or a twisted ankle — a little inflammation is part of the healing process. Puffy, red, tender joints may indicate that your immune system is working to remove damage and promote the growth of new tissue, a healthy kind of inflammation. But sometimes the immune system launches unhealthy, chronic inflammation in the joints, for no apparent reason. This leads to pain, stiffness, and joint damage known as <a href="https://www.hss.edu/condition-list_inflammatory-arthritis.asp#:~:text=Inflammatory%20arthritis%20(IA)%20is%20joint,the%20later%20stages%20of%20life." target="_blank">inflammatory arthritis</a>.</div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">Your Heart</h3><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><br /></div>The buildup of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inflammation" target="_blank">inflammation</a> — not necessarily <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cholesterol" target="_blank">cholesterol</a> — is what can lead to a heart attack.<sup>[24]</sup></div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Inflammation in the artery wall is the real cause of heart disease</li><li>Without inflammation, cholesterol would move freely throughout the body as nature intended. It is inflammation that causes cholesterol to become trapped.</li></ul>The actual sequence of actions that takes place beginning with inflammation and ending in an actual heart attack is complex (read [6] for details), involving changes to the coronary artery and blood vessels that nourish the heart, but the outcome is the same: an increased risk for a life-threatening cardiovascular event.</div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfuT2IXj4mQEYbHOEFx3MS547njPFtqaBjLee97_saqe8cspiSmwXTFim3GbKcu7wr0rBy-G9LrvHIkS-NHKes2MP1zmyLn0AvV-EKT0wvPm_278Lasn5Z0dV2fpF2lbxF6jVAXE0yHoMk/s885/ResolutionOfInflammation.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="655" data-original-width="885" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfuT2IXj4mQEYbHOEFx3MS547njPFtqaBjLee97_saqe8cspiSmwXTFim3GbKcu7wr0rBy-G9LrvHIkS-NHKes2MP1zmyLn0AvV-EKT0wvPm_278Lasn5Z0dV2fpF2lbxF6jVAXE0yHoMk/w640-h474/ResolutionOfInflammation.jpg" width="560" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Figure 1. </b>Overview of cellular and molecular processes that govern inflammation and its resolution (Source: [24])<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><h2>Resolution of Inflammation</h2><div><br /></div>To prevent progression from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inflammation#Acute" target="_blank">acute inflammation</a> to c<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inflammation#Chronic" target="_blank">chronic inflammation</a>, the inflammatory response must be suppressed to prevent additional tissue damage. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4845539/" target="_blank">Inflammation resolution</a> is a well-managed process :<br /><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Involves the <b>spatially- and temporally-controlled production of mediators</b></li><ul><li>During which <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">chemokine gradients are diluted over time</span>. </li><li>Circulating white blood cells eventually no longer sense these gradients and are not recruited to sites of injury.</li></ul><li>Dysregulation of this process </li><ul><li>Can lead to uncontrolled chronic inflammation</li></ul></ul></div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4845539/" target="_blank">Inflammation resolution</a> processes that rectify <a href="https://www.rsc.org/publishing/journals/prospect/ontology.asp?id=GO:0001894&MSID=b914337h#:~:text=Definition%3A%20A%20homeostatic%20process%20involved,and%20control%20of%20metabolic%20function." target="_blank">tissue homeostasis</a> include reduction or cessation of tissue infiltration by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neutrophil" target="_blank">neutrophils</a> and apoptosis of spent neutrophils, counter-regulation of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemokine" target="_blank">chemokines</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cytokine" target="_blank">cytokines</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macrophage" target="_blank">macrophage</a> transformation from classically to alternatively activated cells, and initiation of healing.</div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">Conclusions</h2><br /><div>Inflammation is traditionally defined by its cardinal signs—redness, swelling, heat, and pain—which are induced by infection or tissue injury. But a growing body of evidence shows that<span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;"> inflammatory cells and mediators are also important for homeostatic functions</span>, such as <b>metabolism</b>, <b>tissue remodeling</b>, and <b>interorgan cross-talk</b>.<sup>[26]</sup><br /><br />Inflammatory cells and molecules play important roles in acute responses to infection as well as to tissue perturbations. Thus, <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">inflammation exists on a spectrum that can be tuned up or down</span>, <b>depending on the context</b>.<br /><br /><span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">Inflammatory responses exhibit substantial variability among individuals</span>. Our growing understanding of the ubiquitous nature of inflammation and its diverse roles will benefit a wide range of efforts to treat, prevent, and ameliorate disease. <br /><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><div style="line-height: 17.81px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;"><h2>References</h2></div>
<div style="line-height: 17.81px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;">
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</div></div></div>Travel for Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14903166424561297055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8379787096739190089.post-55864699708906124962021-09-26T21:03:00.006-07:002022-03-31T17:58:53.999-07:00Nanoparticles—Drug Loading and Release<p>Drug delivery can affect drug <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pharmacokinetics" target="_blank">pharmacokinetics</a>, absorption, distribution, metabolism, duration of therapeutic effect, excretion, and toxicity. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanoparticle#cite_note-aker2002-87" target="_blank">Nanoparticles</a> (NPs) are thought to have potential for novel drug delivery and release purposes.</p><p>Critical considerations for a successful <a href="https://jnanobiotechnology.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12951-018-0392-8" target="_blank">nano based drug delivery system</a> include its ability:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>To target specific tissues and cell types<b> </b></li><ul><li><b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endocytosis" target="_blank">Endocytosis</a></b> (uptake into the cells)</li><li><b>Targeting agent</b> (address tags)</li></ul><li>To escape from the biological particulate filter<b> </b></li><ul><li><b>Mononuclear Phagocyte System</b> (clearance of unwanted particulate material)</li><li><b>Clearance avoidance </b></li><ul><li>Main NP research question—how is particulate material recognized and cleared?</li></ul></ul></ul><div><div><div style="text-align: left;">In this article, we will cover the above four highlighted areas.</div></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3J52805yMYP8Sxnn6rktEmmNBnqcKP4QUiDPMaIc_BfsYXaY_B9O8fsycMiIlqz014Ogl3D5Wphhux4eaq-99-rtr_G8poZFW192izwIZG0OOwNORR7AAPuKjFKAHoY5qNNTVYzp5lONg/s831/endocytosis.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="419" data-original-width="831" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3J52805yMYP8Sxnn6rktEmmNBnqcKP4QUiDPMaIc_BfsYXaY_B9O8fsycMiIlqz014Ogl3D5Wphhux4eaq-99-rtr_G8poZFW192izwIZG0OOwNORR7AAPuKjFKAHoY5qNNTVYzp5lONg/w640-h322/endocytosis.png" width="560" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Figure 1. </b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endocytosis" target="_blank">Endocytosis</a> (Credit: Mariana Ruiz Villarreal <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:LadyofHats" target="_blank">LadyofHats</a> - Own work)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><h2>Biological Particulate Filter </h2><div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8379787096739190089/5586469970890612496#">Cells of </a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mononuclear_phagocyte_system" target="_blank">Mononuclear Phagocytic System</a> (<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8379787096739190089/5586469970890612496#">MPS</a>) are cells <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">responsible for the clearance of particulate matter such as bacteria, fungi, viruses, and dying cells from the circulation</span>.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8379787096739190089/5586469970890612496#" target="_blank">NP</a> association with the host highly evolved MPS is a function of particle <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opsonin" target="_blank">opsonization </a>upon contact with blood and rapid recognition of these <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opsonin" target="_blank">opsonins</a> via the MPS.<sup>[113,115]</sup> This is particularly observed in structurally distinct fenestrated vasculature via liver <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8379787096739190089/5586469970890612496#" target="_blank">Kupffer cells</a> and <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29779612/#:~:text=The%20diverse%20environments%20on%20the,contribute%20to%20the%20immune%20response." target="_blank">splenic macrophages</a>.<sup>[127,128]</sup></div><blockquote><i>As soon as nanoparticles enter to the bloodstream, they are prone to aggregation and protein opsonization (protein binding to nanoparticle surface as a tag for immune system recognition). The <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">opsonized nanoparticles could be cleared from the bloodstream by phagocytosis or filtration</span> in the liver, spleen, and kidney. This rapid and non-specific clearance by the immune system results in decreased retention time and thus limits bioavailability. </i></blockquote><br /></div><div>To design improved NPs for drug delivery, we need to consider how to escape from such biological particulate filter and the like, which include:</div><div><ul><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scavenger_endothelial_cell">Scavenger endothelial cells</a></li><ul><li style="text-align: left;">Cells responsible for the avid<span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;"> clearance of macromolecules and nanoparticles</span> from the blood circulation</li></ul><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liver_sinusoidal_endothelial_cell">Liver sinusoidal endothelial cells</a> (LSECs)</li><ul><li style="text-align: left;">Cells largely responsible for <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">removing viruses and small immune complexes</span> from blood</li><li style="text-align: left;">Are only pinocytic (vs phagocytotic)</li></ul><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kupffer_cell" target="_blank">Kupffer cells</a> (KCs—localized in liver)</li><ul><li style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">Represent the <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">largest population of mononuclear phagocytes in the body</span>.</span></li><li style="text-align: left;">Should virions be aggregated, by whatever means, they may be too large for <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/pharmacology-toxicology-and-pharmaceutical-science/pinocytosis" target="_blank">pinocytic uptake</a> and would then qualify for <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18322649/" target="_blank">phagocytic uptake</a> by KC but not LSEC (see Fig. 1).</li></ul><li><a href="https://doi.org/10.1001%2Fjama.294.20.2660">Spleen</a></li><ul><li>Spleen is the <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">2nd largest unit of the mononuclear phagocyte system</span></li><li style="text-align: left;">The spleen is a center of activity of the mononuclear phagocyte system and is analogous to a large lymph node</li></ul><li><a href="https://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/lymph+sinus" target="_blank">Cells lining the lymph sinuses</a></li></ul><p></p><span><br /></span></div></div><h2>Clearance Avoidance Design</h2><div><div><br />Nanoparticle delivery vehicles designed to <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">either avoid or specifically harness this host recognition system (i.e., MPS) could improve payload delivery</span>, <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">reduce inflammatory effects</span> and <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">improve drug efficacy</span>. </div><blockquote><i>The <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">particle size and surface properties</span> of NPs can be <b>manipulated to avoid rapid clearance</b> by phagocytic cells, allowing both passive and active drug targeting.</i></blockquote><div>Design considerations of clearance avoidance include:<br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Surface modification</b> </li><ul><li>By decorating the nanoparticle surface with polyethylene glycol (PEG), carbohydrates, acetyl groups, or protein moieties (arginine-glycine-aspartate (RGD) peptide, albumin), retention time can be altered [6]. </li><li>However, such surface modification can also alter the recognition ability for targeted delivery. Thus, the cleanability and biodistribution of therapeutic nanoparticles should be well concerned during the design process.</li></ul><li><b>Size consideration</b></li><ul><li>Size is one important factor playing role in controlling circulation and biodistribution of therapeutic nanoparticles<span style="font-size: small;">. </span></li><li>Nanoparticles smaller than 10 nm, can be easily cleared by physiological systems (filtration through the kidney), while particles larger than 200 nm may be cleared by phagocytic cells in the <a href="https://www.blogger.com/#">MPS</a>.</li><li>Accordingly, therapeutic nanoparticles with a<span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;"> size of <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;"><100 nm have longer circulation time in the bloodstream</span></span><span>.</span><sup>[134]</sup></li><ul><li>For example, many studies reported that <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">therapeutic nanoparticles in 20–200 nm size showed a higher accumulation rate</span><b> in tumors </b>because they cannot be recognized by the MPS and filtrated by the kidney<span>.</span><sup>[135-137]</sup></li></ul></ul></ul><br /><h2>Advantages of Nanoparticle Applications</h2><div><span><br />Drugs with very low solubility possess </span><b>various biopharmaceutical delivery issues</b> including:</div><div><ul><li>Limited bio accessibility after intake through mouth</li><li>Less diffusion capacity into the outer membrane</li><li>Require more quantity for intravenous intake </li><li>Unwanted after-effects preceding traditional formulated vaccination process. </li></ul></div><div>However all these limitations could be overcome by the application of nanotechnology approaches in the drug delivery mechanism. </div><div><blockquote><i>The shape and size of nanoparticles affects how cell in the body “see” them and thus dictate their distribution, toxicity, and targeting ability.</i></blockquote><blockquote><p><i>Most importantly, nanoparticles can cross the <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15207256/#:~:text=The%20blood%2Dbrain%20barrier%20(BBB,compounds%20from%20blood%20to%20brain.&text=Tight%20junctions%20(TJs)%2C%20present,substances%20from%20entering%20the%20brain." target="_blank">BBB</a> providing sustained delivery of medication for diseases that were previously difficult to treat.</i><span style="vertical-align: super;"><i>[133]</i></span></p></blockquote></div><div>Drug designing at the nanoscale has been studied extensively and is by far, the most advanced technology in the area of NP applications because of: </div><ul><li>Potential for administration through various routes<span>, including <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">oral, pulmonary, nasal, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Route_of_administration#Parenteral" target="_blank">parenteral</a>, <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/intraocular" target="_blank">intraocular</a></span> etc.</span></li><li>The <b>possibility to modify their properties</b> like <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">solubility, drug release profiles, diffusivity, bioavailability and immunogenicity</span> by incorporating nanoparticles</li><ul><li><span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">Adjustments in nanostructures size, shape, hydrophobicity, and surface changes</span> can further enhance the bioactivity of these nanomaterials.</li></ul><li>Nanostructures <b>stay in the blood circulatory system for a prolonged period</b> and <b>enable the release</b> of amalgamated drugs <b>as per the specified dose</b>. Thus, they <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">cause fewer plasma fluctuations with reduced adverse effects</span>.</li><li>Being nanosized, these structures <b>penetrate in the tissue system, facilitate easy uptake of the drug by cells</b>, permit an efficient drug delivery, and ensure action at the targeted location. </li><ul><li>The <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">uptake of nanostructures by cells is much higher</span> than that of large particles with size ranging between 1 and 10 µm. </li><li><span>Hence, they directly interact to </span><span style="background-color: #fcff01;"><span style="color: #800180;">treat the diseased cells with improved efficiency and reduced or negligible side effects</span></span><span>.</span></li></ul><li><span>NPs reportedly aid in </span><b>preventing drugs from being tarnished in the gastrointestinal region</b><span> and help the delivery of sparingly water-soluble drugs to their target location. </span></li><ul><li><span>Nanodrugs<span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;"> show higher oral bioavailability</span> because they </span>exhibit typical uptake mechanisms of absorptive endocytosis<span>.</span></li><li>For instance, thymoquinone, a bioactive compound in <a href="https://www.blogger.com/#">Nigella sativa</a>, is studied after its encapsulation in lipid nanocarrier. After encapsulation, it showed sixfold increase in bioavailability in comparison to free thymoquinone and thus protects the gastrointestinal stuffs.</li></ul><li>Ability to <b>reach the smallest capillary vessels</b>, due to their tiny volume, and to <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">penetrate the tissues either through the paracellular or the transcellular pathways</span>.</li><li></li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiYezqmTIipTwfcVnCAERdpqXl7MNLQuLI94gS0naNL2rnPFqQ7x8vLofLDu-cf6pLQ-sEBHCcqilfcuz0OLx_2rv8f3fhdDoAhNFGfyhgyFTkKldfzwRxUXMX5XQXBvzDewBQl0DV7_oU/s873/Nanotechnology.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="635" data-original-width="873" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiYezqmTIipTwfcVnCAERdpqXl7MNLQuLI94gS0naNL2rnPFqQ7x8vLofLDu-cf6pLQ-sEBHCcqilfcuz0OLx_2rv8f3fhdDoAhNFGfyhgyFTkKldfzwRxUXMX5XQXBvzDewBQl0DV7_oU/w640-h466/Nanotechnology.jpg" width="560" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Figure 2.</b> Elements of nanotechnology, which are utilized in therapeutic applications (source: [134])</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div></div><h2>Research Areas of Nanotechnologies in Drug Delivery</h2></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7464532/#:~:text=Polymeric%20nanoparticles%20(NPs)%20are%20particles,adsorbed%20onto%20the%20polymeric%20core.&text=Polymeric%20NPs%20have%20shown%20great,the%20treatment%20of%20several%20diseases." target="_blank">Polymeric nanoparticles</a> can be categorized into nanospheres and nanocapsules both of which are excellent drug delivery systems. Likewise, compact lipid nanostructures and phospholipids including liposomes and micelles (first generation nanoparticle-based lipid systems) are very useful in targeted drug delivery.</div><div><br /></div><div>The primary goals for research of nanotechnologies in drug delivery include:<br /></div></div><div><ul><li style="text-align: left;"><b>More specific drug targeting and delivery</b></li><li style="text-align: left;"><b>Reduction in toxicity while maintaining therapeutic effects</b></li><li style="text-align: left;"><b>Greater safety and biocompatibility</b></li><li style="text-align: left;"><b>Faster development of new safe medicines</b></li></ul></div></div></div><br /><h2>Drug Loading</h2><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div><br /></div><div><b>Choice of an ideal nano-drug delivery system is decided primarily </b><span style="color: #800180;"><span style="background-color: #fcff01;">based on the biophysical and biochemical properties of the targeted drugs</span></span><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: 700;"><span> </span></span><b>being selected for the treatment.</b></div></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div><br /></div><div>There are two ways through which nanostructures deliver drugs:<sup>[126]</sup></div><ul><li><b>Passive</b></li><ul><li>Drugs are <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">incorporated in the inner cavity of the structure</span> mainly via the hydrophobic effect</li><li><span style="text-align: center;">When the nanostructure materials are targeted to a particular sites, the intended amount of the drug is released because of the low content of the drugs which is encapsulated in a hydrophobic environment</span><span style="text-align: center;">.</span></li></ul><li><b>Self-delivery</b></li><ul><li>Drugs intended for release are <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">directly conjugated to the carrier nanostructure material</span> for easy delivery.</li><li>In this approach, the timing of release is crucial as the drug will not reach the target site and it dissociates from the carrier very quickly, and conversely, its bioactivity and efficacy will be decreased if it is released from its nanocarrier system at the right time.</li></ul></ul><div><div>Nanostructures could be <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">utilized as delivery agents by encapsulating drugs or attaching therapeutic drugs</span> and deliver them to target tissues more precisely with a controlled release.<sup>[129,130]</sup></div></div><div></div><blockquote><div><i>The main benefits of these nanoparticles are associated with their surface properties; as various proteins can be affixed to the surface.</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>Moreover, adjustments in nanostructures size, shape, hydrophobicity, and surface changes can further enhance the bioactivity of these nanomaterials.</i></div></blockquote></div></div>><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnKfoZdHXtpv4dwpEnhNhvnfj9sJwcyHGLMFD6LcUR3IckF_BdFMq771rLYjbax8R6O0lDxPj1YlXq2plJBXVeuq9nrWyEC6qXi1G8voly0oUC3CBdndWscKxRUWxT0duL_IrWjpdi4fiT/s911/DrugRelease.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="465" data-original-width="911" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnKfoZdHXtpv4dwpEnhNhvnfj9sJwcyHGLMFD6LcUR3IckF_BdFMq771rLYjbax8R6O0lDxPj1YlXq2plJBXVeuq9nrWyEC6qXi1G8voly0oUC3CBdndWscKxRUWxT0duL_IrWjpdi4fiT/w640-h326/DrugRelease.jpg" width="560" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Figure 3. </b>Inductive drug release by temperature difference</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9GOuKCwWSaM6SxeoPr_13ce3zJp4QUJabO-xDwO4OTn-T2Q3WAZhF_J4bFuzMEnYSKzNH0QMUnzxayIDJ1V3BS2zojbTpoHltyZ_NZCOenFkxqWx37a8rsHkd3jSm7NEZC0_WMxWRJtL_/s1060/DrugRelease.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="1060" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9GOuKCwWSaM6SxeoPr_13ce3zJp4QUJabO-xDwO4OTn-T2Q3WAZhF_J4bFuzMEnYSKzNH0QMUnzxayIDJ1V3BS2zojbTpoHltyZ_NZCOenFkxqWx37a8rsHkd3jSm7NEZC0_WMxWRJtL_/w640-h332/DrugRelease.png" width="560" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Figure 4. </b> Drug release from polymeric gels. (A) Encapsulated drug released concomitant with gel degradation. (B) Release by linker cleavage of covalently tethered drug, followed by gel degradation.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div><div><br /></div></div><div><h2>Controlled Drug Release</h2><div><br /></div><div>Controlled and sustained drug release at the target site, improving the therapeutic efficacy and reducing side effects. </div><div><br /></div><div>Nanostructures can stay in the blood circulatory system for a prolonged period and enable the release of drugs as per the specified dose. Moreover, <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">pH-, thermo-, ultrasound-, or light-sensitive nanomaterials allow for controlled NP dissociation and triggered drug release</span>. The combination of these approaches can further improve specificity and efficacy of NP-based drug delivery and brings the development of a ‘smart’ or ‘intelligent’ nanosized drug deliver system a major step forward.</div><blockquote><i>How the hydrogel releases the drug is often essential to achieve desirable therapeutic outcomes, and the <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">required duration of drug availability (short term versus long term) and its release profile (continuous versus pulsatile)</span> depend on the specific application.</i><sup><i>[6]</i></sup><i> </i></blockquote><blockquote><i>With consistent efforts, researchers have strived to engineer nanosized hydrogels by modifying their physical and chemical properties, referring to them as ‘smart’ or ‘intelligent’ hydrogels since they <b>respond to</b> <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">external stimuli like temperature (Fig. 3), pH, light, magnetic and electric fields, ionic strength, or enzymatic environment</span>.</i></blockquote><br /></div><div><div>Some NP-based drug deliver system with tunable drug release designs will be discussed in the below subsections.</div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Ultrasound</h3><div><br /></div>Natural biological processes are intricately controlled by the timing and spatial distribution of various cues. To mimic this precise level of control, the physical sizes of gold nanoparticles are utilized to sterically entrap them in hydrogel materials, where they are subsequently released only in response to ultrasound. These nanoparticles can transport bioactive factors to cells and direct cell behavior on-demand.<sup>[13]</sup></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Drug-Releasing Linkers</h3><div><br /></div><div>Most biodegradable drug-delivery implants encapsulate a drug within gels of limiting pore size that retards diffusion, and release the drug concomitant with hydrolytic degradation—often of ester bonds—of the polymer (Fig. 4<em>A</em>).<sup>[131,132]</sup></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", stixgeneral, serif; font-size: 15.9991px;"><br /></span></div><div>In contrast, for a Tetra-PEG gels using drug-releasing linkers, they required a porous gel that readily allows diffusion, is substantially stable over the duration of drug release, and degrades subsequent to release of the drug (Fig. 4B).<sup>[21]</sup></div><div><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, stixgeneral, serif;"><span style="font-size: 15.9991px;"><br /></span></span></div><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, stixgeneral, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Smart Targeting of Nanoparticles</b></span></span></h2><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span>One of the <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">more prevalent targeting ligands conjugated to nanoparticles are small molecules</span>. The <b>major advantages</b> of using a small molecule as targeting ligand is <b>its stability, ease of conjugation with nanoparticles, and the potential low cost</b>, assuming it can be chemically synthesized with high yield.</span></span></div><div></div><blockquote><div><i>Existence of a multitude of preparation methods of <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7464532/#:~:text=Polymeric%20nanoparticles%20(NPs)%20are%20particles,adsorbed%20onto%20the%20polymeric%20core.&text=Polymeric%20NPs%20have%20shown%20great,the%20treatment%20of%20several%20diseases." target="_blank">polymeric nanoparticles</a> can control the release characteristics of incorporated therapeutic agents, which allows the delivery of a higher concentration of agents to the target location. </i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>Moreover, the surface of polymeric nanoparticles could be easily modified and <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">functionalized with a specific recognition ligand</span> which increases the specificity of therapeutic agents in targeted tissue.</i></div></blockquote><div></div><div><span>In a review article,</span><sup>[140]</sup> it illustrates methods of ligand-nanoparticle functionalization, provides a cross-section of <b>various ligand classes</b>, including <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">small molecules, peptides, antibodies, engineered proteins, or nucleic acid aptamers</span>, and discusses some unconventional approaches currently under investigation.</div><div>In this article, we will use <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oligonucleotide" target="_blank">oligonucleotides</a> for illustration.</div><div><br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">Oligonucleotides—Good ligands for NP Functionalization</h3></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oligonucleotide" target="_blank">Oligonucleotides</a> are short DNA or RNA molecules, oligomers. The various types of oligonucleotides do not only play essential roles within living organisms but also have found widespread applications in different research areas ranging from antisense therapy and siRNA delivery to hierarchical self-assembly for the creation of new materials.<sup>[139]</sup> Their inherent <b>properties of accurate addressability and programmability, high target specificity, as well as ease of synthesis and functionalization</b> have<span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;"> made oligonucleotides attractive ligands for NP functionalization</span>.<sup>[138]</sup></div><div><blockquote><i>Chemically modified oligonucleotides, such as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Locked_nucleic_acid" target="_blank">locked nucleic acids</a> (LNA) or <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peptide_nucleic_acid" target="_blank">peptide nucleic acids</a> (PNA), have been developed to <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">increase target binding affinity through increased base-stacking</span> and to be enriched with high stability toward nuclease digestion, respectively. </i></blockquote></div><div>Taking into account the versatility of oligonucleotides, it is unsurprising, that oligonucleotides as ligands to coat NPs play an important role in the function of nanoparticulate systems. </div><div><blockquote><i>Over the last two decades DNA-coated NPs have become increasingly important for applications in nanomedicine. 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Part Fibre Toxicol. 2014;11:64</a>. </li><li style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://jnanobiotechnology.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12951-018-0392-8" target="_blank">Nano based drug delivery systems: recent developments and future prospects</a> (good)</li><li style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/adma.202008111" target="_blank">Engineering the Dynamics of Cell Adhesion Cues in Supramolecular Hydrogels for Facile Control over Cell Encapsulation and Behavior</a></li><li style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://aiche.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/btm2.10246" target="_blank">Nanoparticles in the clinic: An update post COVID‐19 vaccines</a></li><li style="text-align: left;">Lu H, Wang J, Wang T, Zhong J, Bao Y, Hao H. <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/309394219_Recent_Progress_on_Nanostructures_for_Drug_Delivery_Applications" target="_blank">Recent progress on nanostructures for drug delivery applications</a>. J Nanomater. 2016;2016:20.</li><li>Pouliquen D, Le Jeune J, Perdrisot R, Ermias A, Jallet P. J Magn Reson Im. 1991;9:275–283.</li><li>Briley-Saebo K, Bjornerud A, Grant D, Ahlstrom H, Berg T, Kindberg GM. Cell Tissue Res. 2004;316:315–323.</li><li>Jahangirian H, Lemraski EG, Webster TJ, Rafiee-Moghaddam R, Abdollahi Y. <a href="https://www.blogger.com/#">A review of drug delivery systems based on nanotechnology and green chemistry: green nanomedicine</a>. Int J Nanomed. 2017;12:2957.</li><li>Lam P-L, Wong W-Y, Bian Z, Chui C-H, Gambari R. <a href="https://www.blogger.com/#">Recent advances in green nanoparticulate systems for drug delivery: efficient delivery and safety concern</a>. Nanomedicine. 2017;12:357–85.</li><li>Fredenberg S, Wahlgren M, Reslow M, Axelsson A. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21640806" target="_blank">The mechanisms of drug release in poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)-based drug delivery systems—a review</a>. Int J Pharm. 2011;415(1-2):34–52.</li><li>Censi R, Di Martino P, Vermonden T, Hennink WE. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22421425" target="_blank">Hydrogels for protein delivery in tissue engineering. J Control Release</a>. 2012;161(2):680–692.</li><li>McMillan J., Batrakova E. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22093229" target="_blank">Cell delivery of therapeutic nanoparticles</a>. Prog. Mol. Biol. Transl. Sci. 2011;104:563–601.</li><li><a href="https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/25/9/2193/pdf" target="_blank">Therapeutic Nanoparticles and Their Targeted Delivery Applications</a></li><li>Ernsting, M.J.; Murakami, M.; Roy, A.; Li, S.-D. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24075927/" target="_blank">Factors controlling the pharmacokinetics, biodistribution and intratumoral penetration of nanoparticles</a>. J. Control. Release 2013, 172, 782–794.</li><li>Wu, W.; Luo, L.; Wang, Y.; Wu, Q.; Dai, H.B.; Li, J.S.; Durkan, C.; Wang, N.; Wang, G.X. <a href="https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Endogenous+pH-responsive+nanoparticles+with+programmable+size+changes+for+targeted+tumor+therapy+and+imaging+applications&hl=en&as_sdt=0&as_vis=1&oi=scholart" target="_blank">Endogenous pH-responsive nanoparticles with programmable size changes for targeted tumor therapy and imaging applications</a>. Theranostics 2018, 8, 3038–3058.</li><li>Bhatia, S. <a href="https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Nanoparticles+Types,+Classification,+Characterization,+Fabrication+Methods+and+Drug+Delivery+Applications&hl=en&as_sdt=0&as_vis=1&oi=scholart" target="_blank">Nanoparticles Types, Classification, Characterization, Fabrication Methods and Drug Delivery Applications</a>. In Natural Polymer Drug Delivery Systems: Nanoparticles, Plants, and Algae; Bhatia, S., Ed.; Springer International Publishing: Cham, Switzerland, 2016; pp. 33–93.</li><li>Parak, W. J.; Pellegrino, T.; Micheel, C. M.; Gerion, D.; Williams, S. C.; Alivisatos, A. P. <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/nl025888z" target="_blank">Conformation of Oligonucleotides Attached to Gold Nanocrystals Probed by Gel Electrophoresis</a>. Nano Lett. 2003, 3, 33– 36.</li><li>Seeman, N. C.; Sleiman, H. F. <a href="http://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?hl=en&volume=3&publication_year=2017&pages=17068&author=N.+C.+Seemanauthor=H.+F.+Sleiman&title=DNA+Nanotechnology&doi=10.1038%2Fnatrevmats.2017.68" target="_blank">DNA Nanotechnology</a>. Nat. Rev. Mater. 2017, 3, 17068.</li><li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4016770/" target="_blank">The Smart Targeting of Nanoparticles</a></li><li><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41578-021-00372-2" target="_blank">Designing spatial and temporal control of vaccine responses</a> (good)</li><li><a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13346-022-01146-1" target="_blank">Role of drug delivery technologies in the success of COVID-19 vaccines: a perspective</a></li></ol>Travel for Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14903166424561297055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8379787096739190089.post-86613103489622997822021-09-19T10:31:00.006-07:002021-09-20T11:02:39.036-07:00Coronavirus Deaths Worldwide by Country (09/17/2021)<div style="box-sizing: border-box;"><header class="article__header" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 20px;">The below <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scatter_plot" target="_blank">scattered charts</a> were drawn with:</header><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>x-axis</b>: Confirmed Cases per million (Total)</li><li><b>y-axis</b>: Deaths per million (Total) </li></ul><div>based on the data from [1]. Note that only the top 50 countries with the highest deaths per million are used in the chart.</div><blockquote><i>Based on a comparison of coronavirus deaths in 206 countries relative to their population, Peru had the most losses to COVID-19 up until September 17, 2021. As of the same date, the virus had infected over 227 million people worldwide, and the number of deaths had totaled more than 4.6 million. </i></blockquote><div><span face=""Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #455f7c; font-size: 15px;"><br /></span></div><div><span face=""Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #455f7c; font-size: 15px;"><br /></span></div><header class="article__header" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 20px;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCZa2Basa0h0auFCKYbYYtTiqnt6noZ7wRcqTdGBCotcuhUJDX7RP3yqpdO3V8cLbSMTTcHZh8mubFHS_RSrNlaV11Y_AENbcidAE_P8YQM1FwqWpfghtxxKCpyD9YZdkYU5JtCpu-VcVW/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img data-original-height="495" data-original-width="726" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCZa2Basa0h0auFCKYbYYtTiqnt6noZ7wRcqTdGBCotcuhUJDX7RP3yqpdO3V8cLbSMTTcHZh8mubFHS_RSrNlaV11Y_AENbcidAE_P8YQM1FwqWpfghtxxKCpyD9YZdkYU5JtCpu-VcVW/w640-h436/image.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Chart 1. </b>Scattered chart (x: confirmed cases and y: deaths; Source: [1])</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><h2 style="text-align: left;">Chart 1</h2></header><header class="article__header" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 20px;">In chart 1, only three countries stand out:</header><header class="article__header" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 20px;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>USA</b></li><li><b>Brazil</b></li><li><b>Peru</b></li></ul><div>Among the three countries, Peru suffered the highest death rate vs confirmed cases, which may be due to combinations of reasons. For example,</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Poorer healthcare system</li><li>More immune-comprised population</li></ul><div>However, based on [2], Peru's confirmed cases are likely underestimated, which it means that its correct data point position on the chart should be shifted horizontally to the right.</div></div><div><br /></div></header><h2 style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 20px; text-align: left;">Chart 2</h2><div><br /></div><div>After removing 3 outliers (USA, Brazil and Peru) from Chart 1, Chart 2 was drawn with other 47 countries. Among the 47 countries, the following countries stand out:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Ireland</b></li><ul><li>It has less confirmed cases and it has the least loss among its infected people, which probably are due to its better healthcare system and maybe better policy responses to COVID-19. </li></ul><li><b>Hungary, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia</b></li><ul><li>3 European countries suffered the highest death rate vs confirmed cases.</li></ul><li><b>United Kingdom, France, and Russia</b></li><ul><li>Among these 3 countries, UK has the highest death rate vs confirmed cases and Russia has the lowest death rate vs confirmed cases.</li></ul></ul></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><header class="article__header" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 20px;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgapDR4790AKaB4aH-OIV27dHNN9DQ2UdEir54BD4lbrwN8Zu0TXhpKJ-dcV8e2o-Z-UbtYdpgVHrMpyJ8PK7gGYF4FDLuTLRrOmyjEYWPo9e25KxViUbQDewUlPPLLTHRZpVyhYUu6qQ7g/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img data-original-height="682" data-original-width="807" height="541" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgapDR4790AKaB4aH-OIV27dHNN9DQ2UdEir54BD4lbrwN8Zu0TXhpKJ-dcV8e2o-Z-UbtYdpgVHrMpyJ8PK7gGYF4FDLuTLRrOmyjEYWPo9e25KxViUbQDewUlPPLLTHRZpVyhYUu6qQ7g/w640-h541/image.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Chart 2. </b>Scattered chart (x: confirmed cases and y: deaths; Source: [1])</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><h2 style="text-align: left;">References</h2><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/1104709/coronavirus-deaths-worldwide-per-million-inhabitants/" target="_blank">Coronavirus (COVID-19) deaths worldwide per one million population as of September 17, 2021, by country</a></li><li><a href="https://dailybrief.oxan.com/Analysis/ES254151/COVID-19-figures-are-likely-underestimated-in-Peru" target="_blank">COVID-19 figures are likely underestimated in Peru</a> (07/27/2020)</li><ul><li>A new government study suggests that around one-quarter of Lima's population has been infected with COVID-19</li></ul><li><a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/all.14549" target="_blank">Cabbage and fermented vegetables: From death rate heterogeneity in countries to candidates for mitigation strategies of severe COVID-19</a></li><ul><li>In Switzerland, the <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">French- and Italian-speaking cantons have a far higher death rate than the German-speaking ones</span> (Office fédéral de la santé publique, Switzerland).</li></ul></ol></header></div>Travel for Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14903166424561297055noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8379787096739190089.post-89030114462386059782021-09-12T20:22:00.004-07:002021-11-11T08:21:37.906-08:00Sir Jeremy James Farrar—The Coronavirus Is Here to Stay. But, What's Next?<p>The below is a tweeter thread that <a href="https://twitter.com/kakape" target="_blank">Kai Kupferschmidt</a> (a science journalist and molecular biologist) put together of the conversation between him and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremy_Farrar" target="_blank">Sir Jeremy James Farrar</a> (a British medical researcher and director of the <a href="https://wellcome.org/who-we-are/history-wellcome" target="_blank">Wellcome Trust </a>since 2013) on a very important topic:</p><p></p><blockquote><p><i>At least in Europe, "what you're witnessing, I think at the moment is <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">the shift from epidemic/pandemic state into an <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-00396-2" target="_blank">endemic state</a></span>”, Farrar said. </i></p><p><i>“And none of us are really quite sure what that endemic state is going to look like.”</i></p></blockquote><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcwgj6-2lzwagGGPgjX5MsZmV1yA_rzNZ3XWtzxAT4phv6NHndcCL1zsb1oW9L1RdZFjz5kTxnLsu2D9J_XPjbNYR-AvRN6H7DSZfpRQN1ZJAcJdWhM-8eAYCZB0R7gFVm3D_Ei1emrcMi/s640/endemicCovid-19.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcwgj6-2lzwagGGPgjX5MsZmV1yA_rzNZ3XWtzxAT4phv6NHndcCL1zsb1oW9L1RdZFjz5kTxnLsu2D9J_XPjbNYR-AvRN6H7DSZfpRQN1ZJAcJdWhM-8eAYCZB0R7gFVm3D_Ei1emrcMi/w640-h360/endemicCovid-19.png" width="560" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Source:</b> Yalemedicine.org</div><br /><h2 style="text-align: left;"><br /></h2><h2 style="text-align: left;">Endemic State </h2><p>But <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">what level of disease and death is deemed acceptable</span> and thus what “endemic” looks like is going to differ from society to society. Farrar has been calling for an honest debate about this: “I think all countries are going to have to have this debate.”</p><p>This goes far beyond Europe, of course. “If you are New Zealand, I don't know how you plot your exit from this” Farrar told me. “<span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">China's in an even harder position</span>, because it's got 1.4 billion people and its vaccines are not as effective as the vaccines used in Europe.”</p><p>The problem: "<span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">I think that politicians across the world are sort of pretending you can have your cake and eat it</span>: You can have zero deaths, no control measures, vaccinate if you want to or not vaccinate - and it will all end. </p><p>I just <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">don't think that's realistic</span>.”</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">How Bad a Country Can Tolerate the Level of Death</h2><p>This is a crucial point: A country with a given vaccination coverage will have to accept either a certain level of death or a certain level of restrictions (or a mix). </p><p>Different countries may end up with different set points for endemic #covid19.</p><p>The countries that are likely worst off in the early part of this endemic phase are those like US where immunizations AND control measures like masking have become polarized. </p><p>With low immunization levels and few restrictions, they are stuck with high levels of disease and death.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">What's That Level for UK?</h2><p>I asked Farrar about the situation in the UK where about 100 people were dying a day of #covid19. What level of #covid19 deaths did he think the UK specifically might have to accept?</p><p>He said he was for lockdowns last year, "because the health consequences were so profound, 1000 deaths a day, 1200 deaths a day in the UK. It was just unacceptable, in my view, and the health system came very close to collapse … </p><p>But we're in a different world with vaccination.”</p><p>Without vaccines, there would be >1000 deaths a day in UK, he says. "That's how dramatic the impact has been.”</p><p>But: "We're going to <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">have to accept a certain number of ill health and deaths from COVID, as we do for malaria, as we do from flu</span>. The question is, what is that level?"</p><p>So what number: "<span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">I think around 100 deaths a day, throughout the year, 30,000 deaths a year</span>, in the current situation with the current vaccines, current treatments, current capacity within the system, I think is a level that would have to in the end be acceptable."</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Two Big Problems</h2><p>There are two big problems with all this, of course, that he acknowledges: </p><p>1. Long-term sequelae of #covid19 (<a href="https://travel4apurpose.blogspot.com/2020/10/long-term-symptoms-linger-for-months.html" target="_blank">long covid</a>)</p><p>2. Letting the virus replicate means letting new variants evolve</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">What Are the Key Takeaways?</h2><p>So what are the key takeaways?</p><p>1. <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">Vaccinate, vaccinate, vaccinate: That is what gets you out of the worst of this</span></p><p>2. If you don’t vaccinate enough, you will end up with tough measures or a lot of deaths, probably both.</p><p>3. Be honest about this in public.</p><p>And, <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">on the global scale:</span></p><p><span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">Share the vaccines</span>, so that all countries can vaccinate, vaccinate, vaccinate.</p><p><span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">Every country needs to protect the most vulnerable</span>. </p><h2 style="text-align: left;">See Also</h2><p></p><ol><li><b>BBC Discovery</b> — <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/w3ct1m88" target="_blank">Covid origins: The science</a></li><li><a href="https://www.zerohedge.com/covid-19/we-must-learn-live-it-whos-eu-chief-admits-covid-isnt-going-anywhere" target="_blank">"We Must Learn To Live With It" - WHO's EU Chief Admits COVID Isn't Going Anywhere</a></li></ol><p></p><p><br /></p>Travel for Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14903166424561297055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8379787096739190089.post-15069192081566967002021-09-11T09:41:00.012-07:002021-12-19T19:55:53.918-08:00Forest Therapy and Shinrin Yoku (森林浴)<div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/y-wHq6yY2CI" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Video 1. </b>Forest Bathing | Shinrin-Yoku | Healing in Nature | Short Documentary (YouTube <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-wHq6yY2CI" target="_blank">link</a>)</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><a href="https://health.clevelandclinic.org/why-forest-therapy-can-be-good-for-your-body-and-mind/" target="_blank">Forest therapy</a>, a term refer to immersing yourself in the atmosphere of the forest, can be incorporated as a stress-reduction strategy.<sup>[2]</sup> The practice began in Japan. Back in the early 1990s the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries coined the term <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forest_Bathing" target="_blank">Shinrin-yoku</a> — which translates roughly as forest bathing.</div><div><br /></div>The idea that spending time in nature is good for our health is not new. Most of human evolutionary history was spent in environments that lack buildings and walls. Our bodies have adapted to living in the natural world.<div dir="ltr" trbidi="on">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FutyDaSWXVY" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Video 2. </b>Trees in the Amazon that make their own rain clouds (YouTube <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FutyDaSWXVY" target="_blank">link</a>)</div>
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<br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">Benefits of Forest Bathing</h2></div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on">"Forest bathing could be considered a form of medicine," <a href="https://www.dukeintegrativemedicine.org/about/meet-the-team/philip-barr-md/">Philip Barr</a> says, a physician who specializes in <a href="https://www.dukeintegrativemedicine.org/">integrative medicine</a> at Duke University. "And the benefits of nature can be accessed so simply."</div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><br /></div>There's a growing body of evidence that the practice can <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">help boost immunity and mood and help reduce stress</span>.<br /><blockquote><i>One <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21431424">study</a> published in 2011 compared the effects of walking in the city to taking a forest walk. Both activities required the same amount of physical activity, but researchers found that the forest environment <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">led to more significant reductions in blood pressure and certain stress hormones</span>.</i></blockquote>There's another factor that might help explain the decline in blood pressure: Trees release compounds into the forest air that some researchers think could be beneficial for people. Some of the compounds are very distinctive, such as the scent of cedar. <div><br /></div><div>Back in 2009, Japanese scientists published a <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Li+2009+phytoncides">small study</a> that found inhaling these tree-derived compounds — known as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phytoncide" target="_blank">phytoncides</a> — reduced concentrations of stress hormones in men and women and <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">enhanced the activity of</span> white-blood cells known as <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">natural killer cells</span> .<div><blockquote><i>A <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14614968/">study</a> found inhalation of cedar wood oils led to a small reduction in blood pressure. These are preliminary studies, but scientists speculate that the exposure to these tree compounds might enhance the other benefits of the forest.</i></blockquote><br /><div style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-size: 24px;"><b><br /></b></span>
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifA00yv5tsNuctQkYi47x0hrCcsFRRELWbZI55-wN6QBDNVSNpWs1siWZs4uPDtrEU3hq6KCaM1mnLDMbQDfFCNf75Har7HAjlSUbcevMd2ZM6TlF1HLUc0YS-64TpKJ6MloXnuu4TgihB/s828/OlympicNP.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="828" data-original-width="630" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifA00yv5tsNuctQkYi47x0hrCcsFRRELWbZI55-wN6QBDNVSNpWs1siWZs4uPDtrEU3hq6KCaM1mnLDMbQDfFCNf75Har7HAjlSUbcevMd2ZM6TlF1HLUc0YS-64TpKJ6MloXnuu4TgihB/w486-h640/OlympicNP.jpg" width="486" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><h2>References</h2><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.thenatureofcities.com/2017/05/28/21645/" target="_blank">Trees Are More than Just Trees: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly</a></li><li><a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/07/17/536676954/forest-bathing-a-retreat-to-nature-can-boost-immunity-and-mood" target="_blank">Forest Bathing: A Retreat To Nature Can Boost Immunity And Mood</a></li><li><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21431424/" target="_blank">Acute effects of walking in forest environments on cardiovascular and metabolic parameters</a></li><li><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14614968/" target="_blank">Autonomic responses during inhalation of natural fragrance of Cedrol in humans</a></li><li><a href="https://health.clevelandclinic.org/why-forest-therapy-can-be-good-for-your-body-and-mind/" target="_blank">Why Forest Therapy Can Be Good for Your Body and Mind</a></li><li><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19568835/" target="_blank">The physiological effects of Shinrin-yoku (taking in the forest atmosphere or forest bathing): evidence from field experiments in 24 forests across Japan</a></li><li><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17435354/" target="_blank">Physiological effects of Shinrin-yoku (taking in the atmosphere of the forest)--using salivary cortisol and cerebral activity as indicators</a></li><li><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21431424/" target="_blank">Acute effects of walking in forest environments on cardiovascular and metabolic parameters</a></li><li><a href="https://www.hindawi.com/journals/jir/2018/4868417/" target="_blank">Effect of Natural Compounds on NK Cell Activation</a></li><ul><li><b>NK cell-activating compounds</b>: <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">vitamins belonging to classes A, B, C, D, and E, polysaccharides, lectins, and a number of phytochemicals</span></li></ul></ol></div><br /></div>Travel for Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14903166424561297055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8379787096739190089.post-57830672731114095152021-09-03T19:56:00.010-07:002021-12-18T10:17:03.073-08:00Roles of Antibodies vs. T Cells in Protecting against COVID-19<p> On 09/02/2021, Professor <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akiko_Iwasaki" target="_blank">Akiko Iwasaki</a> has shared her insights on answering the below question:<sup>[4]</sup></p><p></p><blockquote><i>The roles of antibodies vs. T cells in controlling primary infection, reinfection, and vaccine-mediated protection?</i></blockquote><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPialrtwU2rrtQDUumBEyarNu00PddHUM0hek_PYURRSdm5KL_ETr_uUIz15p_iYBIafoCHQkluXv3sAd2V8SijTH7RfdzgZmSPnLiUabsK_7nPugLK_n8mOf2K0_2CdJtxewtFxwBJjkA/s1707/COVID-19_modes_immune_activation.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1248" data-original-width="1707" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPialrtwU2rrtQDUumBEyarNu00PddHUM0hek_PYURRSdm5KL_ETr_uUIz15p_iYBIafoCHQkluXv3sAd2V8SijTH7RfdzgZmSPnLiUabsK_7nPugLK_n8mOf2K0_2CdJtxewtFxwBJjkA/w640-h468/COVID-19_modes_immune_activation.jpg" width="560" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Figure 1. </b>COVID-19 vaccines immune activation modes (Source: [5])</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Summary of Professor Akiko Iwasaki's Comments</h2><p></p><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Q: If B cells are needed to control primary infection</b><br /><b>A: </b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>B cells are not necessary for controlling primary SARS-CoV-2 infection. </li><li>However, in mice that have neither T cells nor B cells, SARS-CoV-2 persisted with no sign of clearance. Thus, <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">innate immunity is insufficient, and adaptive immunity is required to control primary infection</span>.</li><li>Which implies that <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">defects in T and B cell immunity predispose people for chronic COVID infection</span></li></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Q: If <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T_helper_cell" target="_blank">CD4</a> (helper) vs. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cytotoxic_T_cell" target="_blank">CD8</a> (killer) T cells are required for clearance of primary SARS-CoV-2 infection</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>A: </b></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Depletion of either CD4 or CD8 had moderate effects on loss of viral control. </li><li>However, depletion of both CD4 and CD8 T cells resulted enhanced viral replication.</li><ul><li>Note that Effector CD8+ T cells (cytotoxic T lymphocytes) and CD4+ T cells eradicate infected, virus-producing cells<span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;"> via direct killing or by secreting cytokines</span>, such as interferon-g (<span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">IFN-γ</span>), which <b>enhances inflammatory functions that support viral clearance</b>.</li></ul></ul><div><br /></div><div><b>Q: What is the role of CD4 (helper) T cells in primary SARS-CoV-2 clearance? </b></div><div><b>A: </b></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>The <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">role of CD4 T cells is mainly to support antibody (<b>Ab</b>) production</span>, because in the absence of B cells, CD4 depletion had little impact on viral control.</li></ul><div><br /></div></div><div><b>Q: Are T cells or Ab sufficient to control primary infection with SARS-CoV-2?</b></div><div><b>A: </b></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">Ab is better than T cells in controlling virus</span>.</li></ul></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Q: If mRNA vax or natural SARS-CoV-2 infection establishes lung-resident CD8 T cells</b></div><div><b>A: </b></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>While both induced comparable circulating CD8 T cells, <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">natural infection is much better than vax in establishing tissue-resident CD8 T cells</span></li></ul><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Q: How well does the mRNA vax or primary infection protect against <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/variants/variant-info.html" target="_blank">VOC</a>, and how much of that depends on CD8 T cells?</b></div></div><div><b>A:</b></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>The mRNA vax or prior infection <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">protected 100% of mice, even after CD8 T depletion at the time of challenge</span>.</li><li>Both mRNA vax mice and convalescent mice were completely protected from disease with original strain (<a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0233947" target="_blank">WA1</a>) and the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SARS-CoV-2_Beta_variant">B.1.351</a> virus. Even without CD8 T, all vax & convalescent mice eliminated infectious virus.</li><li>By immunizing with varying doses of the mRNA vax, a strong correlation was found between <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COVID-19_testing" target="_blank">anti-spike IgG</a> levels, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neutralizing_antibody" target="_blank">neutralizing Ab</a> and protection against COVID-19 disease.</li></ul><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHkWVmaMA13IaPnz4KE_S8b5N3jRfu8_Oga1cPTDL0UiQSS9zEK_wLmD0IJ-t8VH0bmbnVaHv7RzRgfsxR6WbaeuJMDHceVJDEfmNVHvBHc83SWrPCOzYNv0i6BGTl8_cs_2ZtzKupsNQw/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img data-original-height="1820" data-original-width="1402" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHkWVmaMA13IaPnz4KE_S8b5N3jRfu8_Oga1cPTDL0UiQSS9zEK_wLmD0IJ-t8VH0bmbnVaHv7RzRgfsxR6WbaeuJMDHceVJDEfmNVHvBHc83SWrPCOzYNv0i6BGTl8_cs_2ZtzKupsNQw/w493-h640/image.png" width="493" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Figure 2. </b>Antibody effector functions (Source: [10])</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">Conclusion</h2><div><br /></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>While <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">T cells were sufficient for the clearance of primary infection</span>, they were <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">not required for protection against reinfection or vaccine-mediated protection</span>.<sup>[1]</sup></li><li>In [1], they did not test the sufficiency of T cells in vaccine-mediated protection. </li><ul><li>However, a very nice study by @Masopust_Vezys shows the <b>promise of adding T cell antigens to vaccines</b>:<sup>[2]</sup></li><ul><li>They show that vaccination with a human adenovirus type 5 vector <b>expressing the SARS-CoV-2 <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coronavirus_nucleocapsid_protein" target="_blank">nucleocapsid (N) protein</a></b> <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">can establish protective immunity</span>, defined by reduced weight loss and viral load, in both Syrian hamsters and K18-hACE2 mice. </li><li>Challenge of vaccinated mice <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">was associated with rapid N-specific T cell recall responses in the respiratory mucosa</span>. </li><li>This study supports the <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">rationale for including additional viral <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antigen" target="_blank">Ags</a> in SARS-CoV-2 vaccines</span>, even if they are not a target of neutralizing Abs, <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">to broaden epitope coverage and immune effector mechanisms</span>.</li></ul></ul><li>In [1], they did not test the Delta variant, with its high viral load and transmission capacity, <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">vaccines that induce mucosal immunity (TRM, IgA) may become important to better prevent infection and transmission</span>.<sup>[3]</sup></li><li>In [9], it points out that <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">immunological protection is not provided by antibodies alone. Vaccines engage the immune system’s T-cells as well</span>. </li><ul><li><span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">T-cells </span>are
lymphocytes that respond not just to finished proteins, as antibodies
do; they <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">also recognize protein fragments</span>. </li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alessandro_Sette" target="_blank">Alessandro Sette</a>, an
immunologist at the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Jolla_Institute_for_Immunology" target="_blank">La Jolla Institute for Immunology</a> and his colleagues
have shown that <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">T-cells preserve 93-97% of their targeting capacity
when faced with a new variant</span>.</li></ul><li>It [12], it shows that:</li><ul><li>Antibodies play an essential role in host defense against pathogens by recognizing microorganisms or infected cells. Although <b>preventing pathogen entry is one potential mechanism of protection</b>, <b>antibodies can control and eradicate infections</b> <b>through a variety of other mechanisms</b> (see Figure 2). </li><li><b>In addition to</b> <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">binding and directly neutralizing pathogens</span>, <b>antibodies </b><span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">drive the clearance </span>of bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites <span style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #800180;">via their interaction with the innate and adaptive immune systems</span>, leveraging a remarkable diversity of antimicrobial processes locked within our immune system. </li></ul></ul><div><br /></div></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">References</h2><div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.science.org/doi/full/10.1126/sciimmunol.abl4509" target="_blank">Adaptive immune determinants of viral clearance and protection in mouse models of SARS-CoV-2</a></li><li><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34193597/" target="_blank">Nucleocapsid Vaccine Elicits Spike-Independent SARS-CoV-2 Protective Immunity</a></li><li><a href="https://news.yale.edu/2021/09/02/immune-arsenal-antibodies-offer-best-long-term-hope-against-covid" target="_blank">In the immune arsenal, antibodies offer best long-term hope against COVID</a></li><li><a href="https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1433570048715763714.html" target="_blank">Prof. Akiko Iwasaki on Twitter</a></li><li><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41577-021-00526-x" target="_blank">COVID-19 vaccines: modes of immune activation and future challenges</a></li><li><a href="https://travel2health.blogspot.com/2021/07/immune-responses-dictate-covid-19.html" target="_blank">Immune Responses Dictate COVID-19 outcome</a></li><li><a href="https://travel2health.blogspot.com/2021/03/how-vaccines-might-improve-long-covid.html" target="_blank">How Vaccines Might Improve Long Covid?</a></li><li><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41578-021-00372-2" target="_blank">Designing spatial and temporal control of vaccine responses</a> (good)</li><li><a href="https://www.economist.com/briefing/2021/12/04/omicron-looks-ominous-how-bad-is-it-likely-to-be" target="_blank">The wonky-spiked variant Omicron looks ominous. How bad is it likely to be?</a></li><li>Lu, L., Suscovich, T., Fortune, S. et al. <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nri.2017.106" target="_blank">Beyond binding: antibody effector functions in infectious diseases</a>. Nat Rev Immunol 18, 46–61 (2018).</li><li><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41577-021-00665-1.epdf" target="_blank">The state of complement in COVID-19</a></li><ul><li>The complement system is an ancient, evolutionarily conserved and non- redundant component of immunity. It is classically viewed as a <b>liver- derived and plasma- operative system constantly scanning the blood and interstitial fluids for invading pathogens and self- derived noxious antigens</b>.</li></ul></ol></div></div>Travel for Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14903166424561297055noreply@blogger.com0