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Posts Tagged ‘ Health ’

Source : nytimes.com

By now, the old saw about drinking eight glasses of water a day has been thoroughly debunked. But a similar adage about excess water and healthy skin persists. Where or how the claim originated is not well known, but there is no evidence that drinking anything more than recommended amounts of water is particularly beneficial to skin.

A 2007 study on the effects of water consumption did show that drinking 500 milliliters of water, about two cups, increased blood flow to the skin. A good sign, but there was no evidence that that reduced wrinkles or improved complexion. Other studies have hinted that vitamin C might prevent wrinkles, or that estrogen use in postmenopausal women might reduce dry skin and slow skin aging. But the evidence for each is limited, and estrogen therapy can have bad side effects.

Dr. Margaret E. Parsons, a spokeswoman for the American Academy of Dermatology, said excess water did not help the skin but “if dehydrated, fine wrinkles certainly seem to show up a bit more.”

“Staying appropriately hydrated is good for our general health,” she said, “and if we are eating and drinking what we should, our bodies are healthier and therefore our skin as well.”

Her advice? Always wear sunscreen, avoid cigarettes and eat well.

source : nytimes.com

A major trial studying whether simple nutritional supplements could lower a man’s risk for prostate cancer has ended amidst worries that the treatments may do more harm than good.

The SELECT trial, which stands for the Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial, was studying whether selenium and vitamin E, either alone or in combination, could lower a man’s risk for prostate cancer. More than 35,000 men were taking part, making it one of the largest and best studies of a vitamin or supplement.

But the National Cancer Institute announced Monday that the trial, which was scheduled to end in 2011 after seven years, is being halted early. A review of the data shows no benefit in using the supplements to prevent prostate cancer. In addition, slightly more users of vitamin E were getting prostate cancer, and slightly more selenium-only users were developing diabetes.

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