DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.

Annotated Source # 1

Dr. Gupta. "Living Longer." Oprah.com. Harpo Productions Inc., 2009. Web. 9
     Sept. 2009. <www.oprah.com...
     moz_20070417>.

          This radio interview between Dr. Oz and Dr. Gupta discusses some subjects about life extension.  Dr. Gupta mentions that one of the anti-aging techniques that have been used is stem cell injection.  Although the people who have used it say nothing but positive things, there has been no evidence that proves that it actually works.  Stem cell injections have been said to increase muscle mass and lower body fat as well as other things, but it is not yet proven as it if it actually stops of slows down the aging process.  Dr. Gupta also talks about whether supplements are worth taking.  He believes that supplements are not all what they are played up to be because scientists have not yet succeeded in putting all of the nutrients in foods into a pill or other supplement.  The last topic Dr. Gupta talks about is why certain places of the world contain people that live different lengths of life.  He says that it is because of the foods that different people in the world are exposed to.  For example, people that live in Okinawa, Japan live longer than anyone else in the world.  This is because they eat lots of vegetables and naturally grown foods.  This radio interview touches on just a few concepts of life extension.

          This radio interview was very informative because it stated some misconceptions as well as the true facts about life extension.  I think that if was very helpful because it included a couple different topics about life extension like medical solutions, supplements, and lengths of lives in different parts of the world.  I would definitely consider using some of this information about life extension in the future.

 

Annotated Source # 2

"Green Tea: The Ancient Chinese Antioxidant." My Health Online. CTCR Inc., 2005.
     Web. 9 Sept. 2009. <myhealthonline.com
     050509-green-tea.htm>.

            This article discusses green tea and how it can benefit your health.  The Chinese have drunk green tea for a very long time, supporting why the Chinese seem to live pretty long lives.  In recent tests and studies, green tea has been shown to slow aging and fight viruses as well as other positive effects on the body.  Green tea has also been known to lower cholesterol levels, which for some people is very essential.  There are different types of teas and each has a different effect on the body.  All of the teas come from the same plant but the green tea leaves are steamed, keeping the EGCG inside of the leaves, unlike the black and oolong tea leaves.  Green tea also increases metabolism by in some cases are good percent, making people who drink green tea regularly have lower body fat percentages.  Along with metabolism, green tea can reduce glucose and lipid levels.  This article informs people about the benefits of green tea on the body and other information about different green teas.

            This article is very beneficial for the life extension aspects.  It does have a lot of other information that may not be relevant to my research.  Although, if I had decided to broaden my search to life extension and improving health, it may be useful.  I would definitely use some of the information in this article about green tea slowing the age process.

 

Annotated Source # 3

Oprah Winfrey Show. "High-Tech Ways to Extend Your Life." Oprah.com. Harpo
     Productions Inc., 2009. Web. 16 Sept. 2009. <www.oprah.com...
     article/oprahshow/20090305-tows-oz-live-longer>.

            This article was about multiple life extension techniques.  This first one was about tissue regeneration.  Dr. Oz visited Wake Forest University, home of one of the largest tissue regeneration labs in the country.  Their lab creates cells, tissues, and organs for people who may need them.  Of course they would not be easy to get and are extremely expensive.  They have created twenty four different types of body parts.  The parts are grown by starting with a mold of that part and then it is seeded with live cells from the person that is going to use the organ, and it is lastly put into an incubator where the cells multiply and grows and whole new organ.  This is good for people who are on a waiting list for an organ because they can grow another organ using their own cells in about eight weeks.  This type of regeneration can be used for any body part as small an ear to as important as a heart.  A man named Lee Spievack used cell regeneration to grow his finger back.  Lee’s brother, a cell regeneration pioneer, gave Lee an extracellular matrix powder, found in pig bladders, to apply to his finger daily.  Lee applied the powder and covered his finger with a band aid for ten days and in just four weeks he has grown his finger back.  The power works because it keeps the wound from healing, sending new cells to that area, which completely grows the finger back.

            This article is very beneficial to me I think because I need to broaden my topic to not just living longer.  I was shocked at the things I read about cell regeneration.  I never thought in a million years that we would one day be able to recreate our own organs.  I think I will definitely incorporate this article into my project.

 

Annotated Source # 4

Oprah Winfrey Show. "The Benefits of Oxygen Therapy." Oprah.com. Harpo
     Productions Inc., 2009. Web. 16 Sept. 2009. <www.oprah.com
     article/oprahshow/20090305-tows-oz-live-longer/4>.

            In this article Dr. Oz says that you can possibly extend your life by simply going to your nearest hospital.  Many hospitals now offer hyperbaric oxygen therapy.  Dr. Oz believes it can extend life because it keeps stem cells healthy, to repair our bodies.  This technique has actually been around for a long time but only wealthy sports and celebrity people had done it before.  Now it is becoming more common to the general public.  This is also not just only for life extension, but it can also be used to heal wounds and help repair broken bones.  It works because when the air is pressurized into the chamber it is forced into your cells.  Another life extension tool using oxygen therapy is the infrared sauna.  These saunas are unlike the normal saunas people go into being that it makes the same rays that come from the sun but it filters out the UV radiation, giving you the infrared radiation only.  This radiation goes a little the skin and heats the body up a little bit.  That high temperature helps lower blood pressure, increase blood circulation, burn calories, raise your metabolism and sweat out toxins.  This infrared sauna can help extend people lives if they use it regularly, although it is probably hard to find, or if bought very pricy.

            I really liked this article because it showed ways of living longer without putting anything into the body or changing the way people live their lives.  These techniques are simple and seem very beneficial.  I will be using this information later on because it is very much related to my topic and at the same time a different way of extending life than the usual techniques.

 

Annotated Source # 5

"The Deal with Diets." Teens Health from Nemours. The Nemours Foundation, 2009.
     Web. 23 Sept. 2009. <kidshealth.org>.

            This article is about dieting, if it is healthy or not, and how to lose weight safely.  This website believes that teen’s diet for many reasons.  One is that the person is overweight to a point where it is unhealthy and they need to lose weight.  Others diet because they are athletes and they need to be in a specific physical shape.  The main reason why teen’s diet though, is because of the media pressures of what they say is skinny.  Models, actors, and other celebrities are especially concerned about their weight.  This causes girls, starting around the age of twelve of thirteen, to try and look like those celebrities.  These diets are not always healthy.  Any diet that requires getting rid of any food group all together is unhealthy because your body needs all the minerals from each food group.  Also any diet that requires one to eat less than the normal calorie intake for your body is unhealthy.  It is said that the best way for teens to lose weight is to eat healthy meals, that consist of more fruits and vegetables, cut back on fatty and sugary foods, and having a good amount of exercise.  The last thing this article mentioned was how to tell if a diet is becoming dangerous.  One sign is continuing to diet, even though the person is not overweight anymore.  Another is physical changes such as headaches, dizziness or weakness.  Lastly, one of the most common ways to tell if a diet is becoming dangerous is if the person begins to start reducing the amount of food they are eating, or throwing it up.

            I think this article is beneficial to my research project because it ties into my whole subject, which is living longer.  Learning about dieting can help me later on with ways to live longer.  I think now I will look at more articles about dieting.

 

Annotated Source # 6

Kozak, Andrea. "Prevent Getting Sick...and Feel Better When You Already Are."
     The Colgate Maroon-News. College Publisher, 18 Feb. 2005. Web. 23 Sept.
     2009. <media.www.maroon-news.com>.

            This article is about ways to prevent from getting sick.  Some of the main ways to prevent being sick is to simply stay healthy.  The best ways to do that are to have a regulated diet, get a good amount of sleep, and have good hygiene.  The best way to have good hygiene is to wash your hands any time that you get.  Everything that people touch all day have tons and tons of germs on them, and after touching those things, they will eventually touch their eyes, nose or mouth, which in turn can end up in a sickness.  Another way to prevent from getting sick is to take over the counter medicines that help fight colds when the symptoms are just beginning.  Other than catching common colds, people can also catch the flu very easily.  However, there is a very easy way to not catch the flu and that is to simply get a flu shot.  Flu shots are sometimes in short supply though, so it is very crucial to wash hands, like it is to prevent colds, as often as possible.  It is not in the least pleasant to get the flu because it is like the cold but with several other potential problems.  This could include fever, body aches, fatigue and sometimes vomiting and diarrhea.  This, I’m sure would be best to avoid.

           I like this article because even though some of the information may seem like common sense, it is still good to hear.  Obviously people are not doing simple things like washing their hand enough, or they wouldn’t be getting sick so often.  I think this article is very important.

 

Annotated Source # 7

Sarah Boseley. “Obese Die Up to 10 Years Early, Study of a Million People Finds.”  The

     Guardian (London, England) Mar 18, 2009: n.p. SIRS Researcher. Web. 30 September, 2009.  

            This article is about how obesity can affect life spans.  It explains how being obese can really takes years off of your life.  According to a study by the researchers at Oxford University, moderate obesity can take three years off of your life and serious obesity can take off ten years of your life.  This study was the largest investigation on how obesity affects life spans ever, with a data analysis of over one million people all over the world.  In the fifty seven different studies, the BMI (Body Mass Index) of each person was measured.  The BMI was measured by dividing the person’s weight in kilometers by the square of their height in meters.  With this measurement they could tell how obese a person actually is.  A BMI more than twenty four is considered overweight and more than thirty it is considered obese.  Being obese does the same thing to your life span as smoking does.  Unlike smoking though, obesity is not as common, affecting only approximately two percent of the population.  Sir Richard Peto, the leader of this investigation, did this study mainly to try and get people to realize that being obese is very serious and hopefully try to cut back on the sugary and fatty foods. 

            I learned a lot from this article.  I knew that being obese was not particularly good for you, but I didn’t know that it could actually shorten the length of life by years.  I think this information is very beneficial to me and my research because to learn about life extension, you first have to know what can shorten lives.  I will make sure to include some of this study.

 

Annotated Source # 8

Mendez, Sr. Arnold C. "Why did people live longer before Noah's Flood than they
     did after it?" Weekly Reports. N.p., 2009. Web. 30 Sept. 2009.
     <www.weekly-reports.com....

            This article is about the long life spans of people in biblical times before and after the flood.  It has been said that the patriarchs lived extremely long lives.  Noah was said to live 950 years.  However, this idea is controversial because many scoffers say that these long lives are just myths and legends and fabricated.  If these facts are indeed true, then there has to be factors that changed how long humans approximately lived.  The Bible says that the flood destroyed many of the land dwelling, air breathing animals as well as the land itself, and limiting resources for humans at that time.  The flood also changed the climate, the atmosphere, and other geological features.  Some ancient historians have said that they do not think that this idea is entirely false, but instead exaggerations or historical inaccuracies due to the difference of how they viewed time in that era.  If people in biblical times did indeed live so long, then there had to have been some change in the human genetic code to decrease the length of life, along with the lack of resources after the flood.

            This article interested me because it was not just the usual new technical advancement for health article.  It was about history and how long people used to live in biblical times.  It astonished me how long Noah was said to have lived.  Living over just one hundred years now is rare.  I think this article is really important in my research because it shows another side to my research.

 

Annotated Source # 9

Gavin, Mary L. "Smart Snacking." FamilyDoctor.org. KidsHealth, May 2009. Web. 6
     Oct. 2009. <kidshealth.org
     PageManager.jsp?dn=familydoctor&lic=44&cat_id=20595&article_set=20393&ps=204>.

            This article is about smart snacking but mostly directed towards teens because they are the biggest snacking group.  The article starts out by mentioning that teens may be so busy with school, sports, and other after school activities like jobs that they think there is no time to stop and find healthy snacks.  Eating healthy is actually more crucial to those who do have busy lives though.  Eating three meals a day for most people does not keep them full all day long.  Most usually have small snacks throughout the day and healthy ones are what are going to help the most in staying fit and healthy.  Most unhealthy snacks such as French fries may seem to give you a boost at first but in the long run it will wear you down.  It is good to have carbohydrates but only complex carbohydrates, not simple ones that are really sugar.  You also have to be careful reading food labels.  Many juices, for example, will say "all natural" on them, but it really contains tons of sugar, which is natural, but not necessarily good for you.  This article recommends keeping healthy snacks in your backpack or locker to always have on hand.  The last topic it touches on is how to make healthy snacks more interesting.  Many look so boring and bland, but you can always dress them up a little.  For example, trail mixes, rice cakes with peanut butter on them, or pretzels with spicy mustard can make eating healthy more enjoyable.

I liked this article because it focused on a specific age group of people and what they should be eating.  I personally do think that we teens snack too much and on not the right things.  This article could be very beneficial to teens that I will be discussing my topic with.

 

Annotated Source # 10

Kiefer, Dale. "Ashwagandha Stress Reduction, Neural Protection, and a Lot More
     from an Ancient Herb." Life Extension. Life Extension Foundation, 2009.
     Web. 7 Oct. 2009. <www.lef.org...
     jun2006_report_ashwa_01.htm#>.

            This article talks about an exotic Indian herb called Ashwagandha.  It is said to reduce stress, have neural protection and to be an alternative treatment for many degenerative diseases.  It can do these things because it has antioxidants that get rid of free radicals.  It is even recently said that Ashwagandha also has anti-cancer benefits.  Not only does it help relieve stress, but scientific studies also reported it to protect brain cells against the negative effects of our modern life.  In a human clinical trial, participants who took Ashwagandha said to have more energy, less fatigue, better sleep and better sense of well being.  Along with their positive outward affects of taking it, it was also reducing cortisol levels and fasting blood sugar levels as well as improving liquid profiles.  Scientists at the Institute of Natural Medicine at the Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University in Japan have been doing some research on Ashwagandha.  They believe that sometime in the future it will be able to be used to repair brain damage from various causes.  Lastly, scientists in India have recently discovered that Ashwagandha extract disrupts cancer cells ability to reproduce which is a big step in the fight against cancer.

            I really like this article because for once it isn’t so broad and more just about one type of supplement.  I thought it just sounded interesting from the strange name and as I read through it there is actually a lot of benefits of taking it.  I may not use too much of this articles information if my project, but it was good to learn about just one thing for once and it was interesting.

 

Annotated Source # 11

Mitchell, Dan. "Should We Tax Sugary Drinks?" The Big Money. Washington Post and
     Newsweek Interactive, 12 May 2009. Web. 15 Oct. 2009.
     <www.thebigmoney.com...
     should-we-tax-sugary-drinks>.

            This article is about the possibility of taxing sugary drinks such as sodas and juices.  The Wall Street Journal says that the reason Senate leaders are considering this is to help pay for the health care reform.  It is referred to as a “Soda Tax” but it in fact includes many more drinks than sodas, many of which were considered to be health drinks like Gatorade and Vitamin Water.  If this tax of three cents per every twelve ounces were to take in effect, it is estimated that in four years; about twenty four billion dollars would be raised to help the health care reform.  This tax is said to not only raise more money, but also to discourage people from buying so many unhealthy drinks.  The point of more and more beverages going under the category of unhealthy drinks was brought up also.  Fruit juices that people think are healthy, really contain lots of sugar also.  If that is added to the tax list, the list will eventually be never ending, creating taxes on almost everything people consume.

            This article is not exactly on my topic of health and life extension, but I just thought that it was ridiculous that the government actually wants to try and have a say in what people consume.  People can eat and drink whatever they want, and there should be no extra tax on it.

 

Annotated Source # 12

Dyer, Kirsti A. "Chocolate: Good for the Mind, Body & Spirit." Medical Wellness
     Archives. The Medical Wellness Association, 2006. Web. 15 Oct. 2009.
     <www.medicalwellnessassociation.com
     chocolate_benefits.htm>.

            This article is about the effects chocolate has on the body.  Dark chocolate has been known to be good for the heart for a very long time.  It is said to protect the heart from disease.  Of course when they say that chocolate can keep your heart in good health, that does not mean that everyone should go out and buy tons of chocolate and eat it all the time.  It is good for the body in moderation.  Recent studies have also shown that cocoa can increase blood flow.  It can also improve vascular health, lowering the risk of heart disease.  The cocoa component of dark chocolate lowers blood pressure, and this was proven in a study done with elderly people who consumed dark chocolate, and had their blood pressure decreased by an average of 5.1 mmHg.  Cocoa also has many contributions of minerals such as magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium.  By providing magnesium, the metabolism of a person can be improved to effectively convert food into energy.

            I think that this article is interesting because many people think that chocolate is just sugar and bad for you.  There is obviously some negative effects that it has on the body, but it should be known that people should not be afraid of eating chocolate every once and awhile.  I may mention that chocolate is good for the body in my paper.

 

Annotated Source # 15

Paddock, Catharine. "Curry Powder Ingredient Kills Cancer Cells." Medical News
     Today. MediLexicon International Ltd, 28 Oct. 2009. Web. 28 Oct. 2009.
     <www.medicalnewstoday.com...>.

            This very recent article is about curry and what affect it has on cancer cells.  The discovery that it kills cancer cells was first discovered by researchers from Ireland and Poland.  These researchers found that curcumin, the compound that is in curry that gives it its yellow color, unexpectedly killed oesophageal cancer cells.  The researchers found that the compound starting killing cancer cells with 24 hours and the cells began to digest themselves.  This study took place at Cork Cancer Research Centre at the University College Cork in Ireland.  Some scientists were said to have known for a long time that some natural compounds have potential therapeutic value to treat cancer cells, and that curcumin was one that many suspected.  Oesophageal cancer is the seventh most common cause of death from cancer in Ireland.  It accounts for about 350 deaths a year.  People who are diagnosed with oesophageal cancer are said to live less than five years after diagnosis.  The development of natural compounds as chemo-preventive agents is now a very promising area of research that many are working on.

            I found this article to be very helpful for me because cancer is a killer of many people and in order to extend life we have to have a way to get rid of cancer cells.  This of course is just for one type of cancer, but it also means that scientist are moving in the right direction as to finding cures for other types of cancers.

 

Annotated Source # 16

"Physical Education in Schools." American Heart Association. American Heart
     Association Inc., 28 Oct. 2009. Web. 28 Oct. 2009.
     <www.americanheart.org.

            This is yet another article that is extremely recent.  It is about physical education in schools.  Nearly ten million children in the United States, ages 6 to 19, are considered obese.  In the last three decades, the percent of overweight children has quadrupled from 4 percent to 17 percent.  What is believed to be a good way to lower this percent is to increase the amount of physical activity children are receiving daily.  Schools could really help in this because there are physical education classes.  Physical education not only keeps the children active and in shape, but it also teaches them skills on how to stay active throughout their whole lives.  However, very few states require that student have a daily physical education class.  Because we are in a time in which obesity percentages and healthcare costs are rising, we need now more than ever for children to have a daily physical education class.  The American Heart Association is working in each state and even the national level to try and make physical education a daily mandatory class.  The American Heart Association recommends that elementary school students have about 150 minutes of physical activity a week, and that middle school students have about 225.  They also want to make the completion of physical education a requirement in graduation from high school.

            I liked this article because I completely agree with it and I think that weight stability definitely does play a major role is life extension.  I also think that after reading about what the American Red cross is doing in trying to make states require daily physical activity that I would possibly consider sending them a business letter asking for any information that they wouldn’t mind sending me about weight stability and exercise.

 

Annotated Source # 17

"Cholesterol-lowering drug could prevent Parkinson's." Northwest Parkinson's
     Foundation. NWPF, 2009. Web. 11 Nov. 2009. <www.nwpf.org...
     News.aspx?Item=3089>.

            This online version of an India newspaper article is about a cholesterol lowering drug called simvastatin.  According to a study done by neurological researchers at Rush University Medical Center, this drug is said to also prevent Parkinson’s disease.  In the study, mice with Parkinson’s disease were used and examined.  The researchers found that simvastatin reversed the changes on the mice caused by the disease.  Dr. Kalipada Pahan believes that this drug could in fact be a safer way to aid people with Parkinson’s disease.  The researchers found that there is a protein called p21Ras that is active early in the midbrain of mice that have Parkinson’s.  What simvastatin does, is it goes into the brain and puts up a barrier against the p21Ras protein and any other toxic molecules, and it then protects the neurons, normalizes the neurotransmitter levels, and helps the mice with their body movement.  Pahan believes that in order to come up with drugs to protect the brain, we have to first understand how the disease works exactly.  He believes that if they could replicate these results from mice into results of Parkinson’s human patients at a clinical level, this drug could become something extraordinary in treating neurodegenerative diseases.

            This article is very helpful to me because it demonstrates that there is always research going on at medical centers that are trying to cure diseases, which is important in my topic.

 

Annotated Source # 18

Salisbury, Susan. "Coffee brims with health benefits, researchers say."
     Northwest Parkinson's Foundation. NWPF, 2009. Web. 11 Nov. 2009.
     <www.nwpf.org.

            This article, originally from the Palm Beach Post, is about coffee and its recent discoveries of positive benefits on the body.  Coffee was once thought to be bad for your health, but now it is said that it is healthy in moderation.  This means about a few cups a day.  Brewing it yourself is not very expensive if you are not a very heavy coffee drinker either.  Researchers from Harvard say that coffee can help prevent diseases like cancer, diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, and heart disease.  Recent studies have also suggested that coffee reduces the risk of premature death, particularly in women.  In an investigation done by researchers in Spain and at Harvard Medical School, it was found that women who drank about five to seven cups of coffee a week had a death rate that was 26 percent lower than the death rate of non coffee drinking women.  A lot of people may say that coffee is not good for you because it contains too much caffeine, but it is actually only about two percent caffeine.  It also contains vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and fiber.  The fiber can help prevent cholesterol from being absorbed by the intestines.  Although all of these health benefits can be true for most people, it is not okay for a pregnant woman to drink coffee, as it has lead to birth defects and even miscarriages.

            This article was beneficial to me because it described another way to stay healthy by doing a simple everyday thing.  I can mention the benefits of coffee in my paper.

 

Annotated Source # 19

Shea, Erin J. "The 6 Secrets of the World's Oldest Man." Oprah.com. Harpo Inc.,
     n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2009. <www.oprah.com...
     wellnessandprevention/20091013-orig-worlds-oldest-man-tips>.

            This article is about a man named Walter Breuning, who turned 113 on September 21st, and how he lives his life to be known as the world’s oldest man.  He only eats two meals a day, breakfast and lunch.  He stopped eating dinner more than 30 years ago.  He says that people really eat way more often than they need to.  He eats a healthy diet, with lots of fruits.  He says when you eat healthy, you just feel all around better.  He volunteered at many places until he was 99 years old.  He says that being kind to other people is an important thing in your health.  He also says that being social is important in health.  Other than his media attention and fan letters, he likes to spend time with people and just talk.  He also tells stories to people who come to his retirement home to see the world’s oldest man about his life experiences.  Another secret to his long life is keeping the mind and body active.  He says that keeping your mind busy is always important.  Although his eyes are not good enough to read anymore, he keeps his mind busy by listening to the radio.  Walter also thinks that it is important to work hard.  He believes that good work ethic keeps people happy and healthy.  Although he is now retired, he said he somewhat enjoyed when he was working, and thinks you should work as long as you can work.

            This article was very interesting to me just in the fact alone that a man is alive at the age of 113.  These techniques are real proof of life extension because he is living so long.

 

Annotated Source # 20

Health Central Network. Importance of Good Nutrition. 5 min Life Videopedia.
     Beta, n.d. Web. 16 Dec. 2009. <www.5min.com
     Importance-of-Good-Nutrition-175541285>.

            This online video I viewed was about good nutrition and why it’s important to have it.  It starts out with a brief explanation that people who are well nourished end up better than people who are malnourished.  Nutrition and health are similar and rely on each other.  Being healthy makes people feel better, which helps them get more things accomplished.  Nutrition is one of the most important factors in a person’s health.  Our country has McDonalds’s on almost every corner.  Fast food is just too convenient for us now that it has become the main meals for many Americans.  Fast food businesses may say that there is less fat or lower calories in certain foods they provide, but the fact is that it does not contain any nutrients that we should intake on a daily basis.  Because we have such an on the go, hurried, and rushed society, fast food becomes even more convenient for working people who are not as concerned about what they are eating as much as they are concerned with their jobs.  Another factor in staying healthy that corresponds with nutrition is sleep.  Many people do not sleep enough because they have so many things going on and don’t eat enough food which gives them a lack in energy.  Others eat enough food, but not food that is good for you.  So either way people are not in the proper health that they should be in.  It is important to eat foods from each food group and of different colors.  The last thing mentioned is that it is important to stay healthy throughout a person’s entire life, even when they are kids and don’t seem to gain weight no matter what they eat.

            This video was very informative to me because it talked about a lot of things that I want to put in my synthesis paper.  It was also the first time I used a video for an annotated source.

DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.