Move over, Viagra, and Make Way for Genital Exercises

Just imagine if former presidential candidate Bob Dole, rather than promoting Viagra, were instead to advocate genital exercises as spokesman for a gym.

In a recent study, over 400 men were randomly selected to perform pelvic exercises, take Viagra, or to be given a placebo. At the end of the study, it was found that 80% of the men who exercised reported better erections, compared to 74% of those who took Viagra and 18% of the placebo group. Direct measurement of the blood flow necessary to maintain an erection showed substantial increases among men in the exercise group. Measurement of the rigidity of erections in the exercise group three months after the program showed an average 46% improvement.

The exercises, performed three times weekly included leg lifts, squats, and pelvic floor maneuvers such as the Kegel maneuver.  The exercise program was aimed at improving the blood supply around the pelvic diaphragm, buttocks and upper leg muscles.

Might a Bob Dole instructional exercise video, co-hosted by Jack LaLane, be next?

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High-Protein Diets: What's the Risk?

Many of us who are either health conscious or who are trying to lose weight wander about what foods are best for us to consume.  Recently, the high-protein "Atkins" diet has received scientific validation as an effective method for losing weight. On the other hand, vegetarians point to the innumerable studies linking vegetarian diets with longevity and a reduced incidence of disease.  So who is right?  We will never know the true answer, but British scientists have presented a scientific review that many Atkins disciples should heed. 

A recent review by British scientists published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention concluded that the risk of colorectal cancer is increased by 12-17 percent for every four ounces of red meat, such as beef or lamb, consumed daily.  Processed meat, such as hot dogs, bacon, scrapple, and sausage, appears to be a much greater cancer risk. The British review noted almost a 50 percent increased risk when 25 grams of processed meat (about half a hot dog) is consumed daily. 

The preservatives in processed meats, known as nitrites, combine with proteins in the intestines to form carcinogenic nitrosamines, believed to be the agent that causes colon cancer. Nitrosamines are also formed on meats that have been charred on the grill.  Furthermore, consumption of nitrite-cured meat has also been linked in several studies with brain cancer in children and in one study with leukemia in children. 

At the Magaziner Center, we believe that to obtain optimal health, it is important to minimize the intake of red meats and processed foods. 

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Many people look to their "golden years" as a time to enjoy life, .travel, grandchildren, AARP discounts, and so on.  But all too often, these years are robbed of their value by Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's, which is categorized by personality changes, inactivity, cognitive failure and dementia, is thought to result from free radical damage, which causes plaque and tangled nerves to form in the brain.

There may, however,  be a simple way to lower your risk of Alzheimer's – changing your diet.  A small study of 815 older individuals demonstrated that people who reported eating lots of polyunsaturated fats, such as those found in vegetables, fish and nuts, had a 70 percent lower risk of Alzheimer's compared to people who ate little of these beneficial fats. By contrast, people who ate higher amounts of saturated fats found in meat, fried foods, processed foods and dairy products, seemed to have twice the risk of developing Alzheimer's as those who consumed very little of these fats.. This study, published in the Archives of Neurology, offers yet another reason to eat a healthy diet.

Numerous other studies have shown a diet of polyunsaturated fats also protects against heart disease and stroke -- some "food for thought" that will help us all age gracefully and get full value out of our golden years.

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You may be sick and tired of hearing over and over again how a low-fat diet can reverse or prevent heart disease. But if that’s not reason enough to opt for  tofu, steamed vegetables, and brown rice over steak and potatoes, now there’s another. One of the most renowned researchers on the subject, Dean Ornish, M.D, has proven that a low-fat, heart-healthy diet can also benefit those patients who suffer from prostate cancer. 

The researchers randomly selected 87 men with biopsy-proven prostate cancer, dividing them into an experimental group and a nonintervention control group. All had prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels of 4 to 10 ng/mL and moderately aggressive prostate cancer as shown on biopsy. The experimental group ate an entirely plant-based low-fat diet that emphasized unprocessed whole foods. Of the total calories, 70% came from complex carbohydrates, including whole grains and fresh vegetables, and 20% came from protein, a large proportion of which was from soy. Participants also engaged in aerobic exercise, stress management, and group support. All had declined conventional treatment. The control group, by contrast, ate the standard American diet.

Mean PSA levels decreased by 5% in the experimental group after three months but increased by 1% in the control group. Similarly, after one year, mean PSA levels decreased by 3% in the experimental group but increased by 7% in the control group.  While these numbers may not seem staggering, they do show that early stage prostate cancer can be managed with diet and lifestyle changes as an option.

This data does not come as a surprise.  Population studies have shown that when men eating a predominantly plant-based diet move to the U.S. and switch to a typical American diet, their rates of prostate cancer increase dramatically.

While it would be nice to assume that moving to Tahiti will help you reduce your risk of prostate cancer, it is safer to say that a diet of whole grains, fresh fruits, vegetables, beans, and moderate protein intake is superior to the standard American fare.

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We’d all like to find the fountain of youth  -- that is, the ability to hang on to younger years of feeling vibrant, sharp, and strong. One ‘youth serum’ was thought to be  injectable growth hormone, making those who took it magically appear to become younger.  But the widespread use of growth hormone is prohibitive, based upon its high price. Furthermore, some scientists feared that growth hormone could promote the growth of cancer cells in the body.

But a loss of growth hormone levels might also accelerate brain aging.  Researchers in Spain, for instance, discovered that mice with low levels of the growth hormone IGF-I begin to form beta-amyloid plaque in their brains. These plaques are a sign of brain degeneration seen in Alzheimer's dementia. Significantly, when the researchers increased the IGF-I levels in the mice, they discovered that the destructive brain plaques diminished in size or even disappeared.

The most direct way to increase IGF-I is via the use of injectable growth hormone.  In addition to it's "fountain of youth" effects, is it possible that growth hormone may be found to be an effective treatment for those suffering from Alzheimer's disease?  Only the future will tell.

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