Tales of the Heliosphere

If a group of visionary college students at Rice University has its way, one day, we'll be able to lift a pint against heart disease and cancer.

"They're using genetic engineering to create beer that contains resveratrol, a chemical in wine that's been shown to reduce cancer and heart disease in lab animals." (Here.)

Unfortunately, their brilliant concept is just getting off the drawing boards. In the meantime, pour me a vino, won't you?.

-tdr

Labels: Alcohol, Education, Health, Science

It turns out the health benefit of drinking alcohol has its limits. Although moderate drinking has cardiovascular benefits, it apparently doesn't do much good for the brain. Duh, you might say. Well, it's not just short-term stupidity while under the influence that's the problem. No, some scientists, who never should have gotten grant money, have discovered some bad news about alcohol.

"The more alcohol an individual drinks, the smaller his or her total brain volume, according to a new report."

That's the bad news. There's a small bit of good news for those of us blessed with a Y chromosome.

"Although men were more likely to drink alcohol, the association between drinking and brain volume was stronger in women, they [the scientists] note. This could be due to biological factors, including women's smaller size and greater susceptibility to alcohol's effects." (Here.)

One question not answered anywhere in the story. Just how big a brain does a person really need, anyway?

-tdr

Labels: Alcohol, Health

So, it turns out that stem cells obtained from testicles offer the same or similar hope for medical progress as stem cells from embryos, according to this story in The Washington Times.

"Earlier studies showed promise using so-called spermatogonial cells from the testes of mice. The new study used cells taken from biopsied tissue from 22 different men undergoing various medical treatments. The men ranged in age from 17 to 81.

"Researchers found that after a few weeks of growth, the cells could differentiate into various types of cells just like those taken from embryos." (Here.)

The story says that men could benefit more from this new source than women because the derived cells would come from the man's own body.

"The new type of stem cells could be useful for growing personalized replacement tissues, according to a study in Thursday's issue of the journal Nature. But because of their source, their highest promise would apply to only half the world's population: men."

Presumably this means immune rejection is avoided. However, immune rejection remains a problem with embryonic stem cells.

"Following experiments with mice, Stanford University scientists have announced that stem cell therapies which use human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) have a high probability of failing because of immune rejection. In these studies, mice that were injected with hESCs exhibited an immune response which is at least as severe as that triggered by organ transplantation. Consequently, all the transplanted stem cells were killed by the immune system within a week." (Here.)

Thus, it doesn't appear definitive at this time that testicle-derived stem cells would be inferior to those derived from embryos or that they could only be used in men. But perhaps the best solution to overcoming immune rejection will come from research on reprogramming ordinary cells derived from tissues common to both men and women into stem cells. (Here and here.)

-tdr

Labels: Ethics, Health, Science

Lawyers like to think we're at the top of the food chain in our society. Although a friend once told me, lawyers don't run the world, they just do the bidding of those who do. That shut me up for a few seconds.

Now comes a real blow to lawyerly self-esteem.

"Not only are doctors, nurses, and firefighters essential during a severe pandemic influenza outbreak. So, too, are truck drivers, communications personnel, and utility workers. That's the conclusion of a Johns Hopkins University article to be published in the journal of Biosecurity and Bioterrorism." (Here.)

The report goes on to include grocery store workers in its list of essential personnel. Lawyers, not so much.

The most important advice offered by the report is for individuals to be prepared, although that advice comes with a bit of weird trickle down theorizing.

"[I]ndividuals and families who can afford it should do their best to prepare for any disaster. The paper notes, the more initiative the general public exercises in stockpiling several weeks' worth of food, water, paper goods, batteries medicines, and other needed supplies, the less vulnerable they will be to a break in the supply chain. In fact, the report emphasizes, it is important for leaders to communicate to the middle class and the wealthy that it is their responsibility to prepare for self-sufficiency in order to free up scarce supplies and allow first responders to direct their attention towards those too poor or vulnerable to prepare themselves."

Speaking of surviving a disaster. Here's the most recent addition to my Second Amendment Disaster Preparedness Kit. It's a Henry, pump action 22 long rifle. -tdr

Labels: Disasters, Guns, Health

If you're like most people you don't have a problem with alcohol. You drink moderately and socially for pleasure. Well, science has advice for you.

DON'T STOP DRINKING!

"Scientific evidence has long suggested that moderate drinking offers some protection against heart disease, certain types of stroke and some forms of cancer.

"But new research shows that stopping drinking -- including at moderate levels -- may lead to health problems including depression and a reduced capacity of the brain to produce new neurons, a process called neurogenesis." (Here.)

What does this have to do with the existence of a loving God, you might ask?

Well, God made us into creatures that benefit from drinking moderate amounts of alcohol. A habit that is not only good for us but one that brings joy. And when Jesus walked the Earth he traveled from town to town attending weddings and performing miracles, among many other good things. He didn't turn wine into water, he turned water into wine. The Biblical lesson is clear: Jesus wants us to drink alcohol. Who are we to defy God?

-tdr

Labels: Alcohol, Good News, Health, Religion

We've heard it before that red wine has health benefits. Now Canadian scientists have learned that any old alcohol is just as beneficial as red wine for improving circulation. Test subjects were required to drink red wine and spirits.

"After one drink of either red wine or alcohol, blood vessels were more 'relaxed' or dilated, which reduced the amount of work the heart had to do." (Here.)

Once again drinking turns out to have health benefits.

"Alcohol or substances in alcohol such as resveratrol may improve blood vessel function and also prevent platelets in the blood from sticking together, which may reduce clot formation and the risk of heart attack or stroke."

God wants us to be healthy and happy. Not too happy, though.

"But, after two drinks, the heart rate, amount of blood pumped out of the heart, and action of the sympathetic nervous system all increased. At the same time, the ability of the blood vessels to expand in response to an increase in blood flow diminished. This counteracted the beneficial effect of one drink of red wine or alcohol."

So here's to your health, one drink at a time. Make mine a bourbon.

-tdr

Labels: Health, Religion

Noble scientists studying diet and health have given us the good news before. Wine, moderate alcohol use, chocolate, red meat, and even nicotine, can be good for you.

Today comes more good news for those of us who want to enjoy the good things in life during our allotted time on this world. Those extra 15 pounds or so of fat that just won't go away could be a lifesaver, and not just the buoyant variety.

A new study of mortality statistics confirmed that there isn't much good that comes from being obese.

"But being overweight – having a BMI between 25 and 30 – did not increase the risk of dying from heart disease or any kind of cancer.

Also surprising was that overweight people were up to about 40 percent less likely than normal-weight people to die from several other causes including emphysema, pneumonia, injuries and various infections. The age group that seemed to benefit most from a little extra padding were people ages 25 to 59; older overweight people had reduced risks for these diseases, too." (Here.)

As with every study that reports counter intuitive health findings, there are the usual cautionary statements about not overdoing it, and, indeed, overweight people are at greater risk of dying from diabetes and kidney disease. But the good news remains.

Carrying around a little extra weight isn't going to kill you. As my college friend's Italian mama used to tell me when I'd take my then skinny body over on a visit 40 pounds ago: "Manjia."

-tdr

Labels: Health, Religion

Why some people live longer than others is not well understood but one fact is known: severe caloric reduction can prolong life considerably. Far from starving yourself to death, you can starve yourself to a long life, if you do it right. (Here & here.) But who wants to live to be 100 if it means eating a near-starvation diet? Not me, that's for sure. Take away good food and drink of all kinds, and good tobacco, and 100 years of life will feel like 100 years of perdition.

But there may be hope for those of us who want our birthday cakes --- many, many cakes --- and to eat them, too.

"[R]esearchers from Harvard Medical School, in collaboration with scientists from Cornell Medical School and the National Institutes of Health, have discovered two genes in mammalian cells that act as gatekeepers for cellular longevity. When cells experience certain kinds of stress, such as caloric restriction, these genes rev up and help protect cells from diseases of aging." (Here.)

That's good news right there. But it gets better. It may be possible to target those genes to retard aging.

"'We've reason to believe now that these two genes may be potential drug targets for diseases associated with aging,' says David Sinclair, associate professor of pathology at Harvard Medical School and senior author on the paper."

Keep working on that gene therapy idea, professor. Maybe one day your research will lead to the replacement of the one a day multivitamin with a one a day longevity pill. The sooner the better.

-tdr

Technorati: longevity, aging,medicine, science.

Labels: Health, Science

The spacesuits worn by astronauts in open space aren't suitable for use on Mars and other planets. A team at MIT is working on a different kind of spacesuit, a skintight suit that uses mechanical counter-pressure to protect astronauts. (Here.) Besides being less bulky, lighter, and safer than current gas-pressurized spacesuits, mechanical counter-pressure suits have another advantage.

"The suits could also help astronauts stay fit during the six-month journey to Mars. Studies have shown that astronauts lose up to 40 percent of their muscle strength in space, but the new outfits could be designed to offer varying resistance levels, allowing the astronauts to exercise against the suits during a long flight to Mars.

Although getting the suits into space is the ultimate goal, [Professor Dava] Newman is also focusing on Earth-bound applications in the short term, such as athletic training or helping people walk."

Having potential uses on Earth should help with attracting money for development and to answer complaints some might have about spending money on space instead of on problems here on Earth.

-tdr

Technorati: NASA, science, MIT.

Labels: Health, NASA, Technology

Today's good news is for people who have trouble keeping up with flossing. Try some vino instead. A Chianti perhaps? A recent Italian study "showed that red and white wine were effective in controlling the growth of several strains of streptococci bacteria that are involved in tooth decay, and some cases of sore throat." (Here.)

Okay, in my wine-besotted joy, I may have jumped the gun on this one. The story at ScienceDaily.com isn't quite clear on the process but the initial testing apparently was conducted in laboratory conditions. Wine bottles dripping into petri dishes filled with streptococci? At any rate, testing on humans goes on. So don't throw away your floss and toothbrushes yet.

Still, it wouldn't hurt to hedge your bets and drink some wine regardless. I wager Blaise Pascal would. (Here.) What have you got to lose? If you live your life drinking wine as if it helps fight tooth decay, and it does, your health will benefit. If it doesn't, you'll have lost nothing and enjoyed some good wine in the process. But if you live your life a teetotaler as if drinking wine doesn't help fight tooth decay, and it does, your teeth may fall out and you'll be condemned to a life of eternal tapioca. If it doesn't, you'll have missed out on the joys of drinking wine. Either way, you win if you drink wine and you lose if you don't. Wouldn't you rather be a winner?

-tdr

Technorati: health, dentistry, wine, religion, atheism, science.

Labels: Health, Religion

Mammals evolved on a planet with a day that is 24 hours long, or thereabouts. So it should come as no surprise that genes are finely tuned to Earth's daily cycle.

"New research from Colorado State University shows that the function of all genes in mammals is based on circadian -- or daily -- rhythms. The study, refutes the current theory that only 10 percent to 15 percent of all genes were affected by nature's clock. While scientists have long known that circadian rhythms regulate the behavior of the living, the study shows that daily rhythm dominates all life functions and particularly metabolism." (Here.)

The fact that the Earth's 24-hour "daily rhythm dominates all life functions" has got to have implications for long-term human settlement of other planets in our Solar System.

Mars has a day that is about 40 minutes longer than 24 hours. Some JPL Rover scientists and engineers lived on Mars time early in the mission and the experiment played havoc with their lives. Some of that can be attributed to what was, in essence, trying to live on two planets at once. (Here.) But other research has shown that living non-Earth standard days harms human health and productivity and leads to "jet lag in space." (Here.)

Research by Brigham and Women’s Hospital’s (BWH) Division of Sleep Medicine has shown that humans can function in a longer day by resetting their circadian rhythms through modulation of the brightness of artificial light over the course of a day. (Here.) But the purpose of the BWH research was to find measures that would allow humans to work effectively in a non-Earth standard day on missions with a defined length.

How will humans cope with living non-standard days for their entire lives? And if every single life function down to the genetic level is tuned to Earth's 24-hour daily rhythm, how will humanity change once new generations are born and die off-Earth?

-tdr

Technorati: NASA, space, mars, science.

Labels: Health, Manifest Destiny, Mars

Just in time for the weekend barbecues comes this bit of good health news. Red meat does not increase the risk of colorectal cancer. Praise the Lord and shout it from the rooftops! RED MEAT DOES NOT INCREASE THE RISK OF COLORECTAL CANCER!!

"The Fukuoka Colorectal Cancer Study – using a newly developed personal-computer software for registering semi quantitative food frequencies – found that intake of beef/pork, processed meat, total fat, saturated fat or n-6 PUFA showed no clear association with the overall or subsite-specific risk of colorectal cancer." (Here.)

That's good enough for me.

There are more quotes in the story about eating lots of fish or something from a University doctor, and not some mere professor doctor like those who teach 19th Century literature, either, but a real white-coat wearing, Dr. M.D. Will do, doc. But don't mind me if I have a steak first.

Gentlemen: start your grills!

-tdr

Technorati: health, religion, atheism.

Labels: Health, Religion

There's been a spate of stories recently about the problems astronauts will face on long space missions. In a column on Wired.com, Regina Lynn takes on the issue of what the article calls, "The Uncomfortable Reality of Sex in Space." (Here.)

Lynn sees things this way. "We cannot expect astronauts to spend three years in a spacecraft and not have sex -- of some kind. Probably with each other, and likely in more than one combination." She suggests that astronauts should be sent to "the adult internet" to learn about "the wide range of human sexual relationships." For example:

"They can observe and experiment with sex without possession, partnership without monogamy, sexual pleasure without expectation of roses or breakfast.

They can discover group love, bond with a special someone, or both. They can try letting go of jealousy and fear, figure out how to protect themselves from other people's drama, and develop healthy ways to cope with desire, love and rejection.

Some astronauts might discover they are comfortable with polyamory or bisexuality while others might reaffirm their commitment to monogamy. The important thing is that they practice living and working respectfully with others regardless of who is sleeping with whom."

Okay, this is a serious issue and I don't want to minimize the problems astronauts will face on long missions. But are we talking about a space exploration mission or an adult sex cruise? I'm sure the Earthbound husbands and wives of distant astronauts might have a different perspective on the whole "whatever gets you through the night, love the one you're with" attitude expressed in Lynn's suggestions.

In any event, the truly uncomfortable reality of sex in space is not about relationships, morale, techniques, alternative sexual lifestyles, and the whole gamut of things that first come to mind when sex in space is discussed. The truly uncomfortable reality of sex in space is that the biological purpose of sex is reproduction and artificial birth control sometimes fails. What do we do if an astronaut becomes pregnant?

The adverse health problems that plague humans from prolonged exposure to weightlessness and radiation are well-documented. Adult humans with fully developed bodies have ways to mitigate the health problems that come from living in space.

We can't be certain how weightlessness or even reduced gravity would affect a developing human in the womb or an infant, and we don't know what should be done to protect its health in space. A pregnancy on a long, three-year mission to Mars, for example, would certainly help us learn. But that knowledge would come at the cost of unplanned experimentation on a human being that never consented and couldn't.

Until we know more about the effects the conditions in space would have on a human being in the womb or an infant, the better advice for astronauts on long-term missions to other planets is sublimate, sublimate, sublimate. And if that doesn't work, they should try something that rhymes with sublimate. They can practice the techniques they learned exploring the adult internet.

-tdr

Republished twice to correct errors: affect, effect, whatever.

Technorati: NASA, space, astronauts, sex, sexuality.

Labels: Health, NASA

One of today's red-hot debates is whether God exists. The fact that dark chocolate (here) and alcohol (here, here) are good for you proves that God exists and wants us to be happy.

And more good news came out just the other day. Four cups or more of coffee each day benefits health, too. (Here.) Thank you, Lord! Thank you.

-tdr

Technorati: health, religion, atheism.

Labels: Health, Religion