Heart to Heart Talk
Orgasm, longevity, and camote
By Dr. Philip S. Chua
Cebu Daily News
First Posted 16:43:00 02/18/2008
Does frequent orgasm prolong life?
The answer appears to be yes. A study conducted in 1997 and published in the British Medical Journal, involving 918 men aged 45 to 59, who were followed up for 10 years, revealed that “those who ejaculated less than once a month were twice as likely to die during the study than men who had orgasm at least twice a week.”
In another report, sex was found to have some degree of protection from prostate cancer, all other lifestyle factors being equal. Sex also reduces stress and produces endogenous secretion of “happy hormones” in our body, which lessen depression and even strengthens the immune system.
The more you know about the human body and its mind-boggling intricate physiology, the more you marvel at its creation and “complicatedly simple perfection,” which, to date, no man-made machine, no matter how sophisticated, can equal or even come close to.
What controls the urge to eat?
While there are other hormones involved, there are two main ones, which signal the brain when we are hungry or full. The hunger hormone is Ghrelin, which is secreted by our guts (stomach and intestines). When its level goes up, we feel hungry and have the urge to eat.
The level of Ghrelin goes up when we get less sleep or not enough sleep. This is the reason why those who are trying to lose weight should get adequate amount (about 8 hours) of sleep. An imbalance meal and stress also elevate the Ghrelin level.
Food deprivation obviously increases the Ghrelin level, hence it is better to keep the level of this hormone on an even keel and not fluctuate too much by eating regularly (or even more than three times a day) but at a controlled total calorie ceiling, to maintain health and body weight. So, starving oneself is not a good way to lose weight, since this will lead to a Ghrelin “boomerang” in the latter part of the day.
The satiety or “counter” hormone, which is called Leptin, signals the brain when to stop eating. It controls the appetite. This “satiety hormone” is produced by fat cells in the body. When a person loses weight, the leptin level in the blood stream also goes down. As a result, there is less signal to the brain for the individual to stop eating, resulting in a “rebound” weight gain. The best strategy in losing and maintaining a desired weight level is to lose in a slow and steady pace, about one to two pounds a week, and not more. In this manner, there will still be an effective level of leptin in the body to control the urge to eat.
How does aspirin help protect us?
The common household remedy, the versatile acetylsalicylic acid, popularly known as aspirin, is a mild blood thinner. Since the cause of arterial blockages that cause heart attack or stroke or leg gangrene is blood clot, this wonder drug, which used to be good “only” for fever and aches and pains, has been found to be a good blood thinner that prevents blood clots and allows blood circulation to vital organs goes unimpeded. However, the regular aspirin tablet is 325 mg, and this has been found to cause bleeding in the stomach or other organs. The so-called low-dose aspirin, which was 81 mg (like baby aspirin) was initially used for its good cardiovascular effect as a blood thinner. At that does, aspirin was found to still cause some bleeding, so physicians now prefers and prescribes the lower dose 35-mg aspirin. Those with a history of stomach ulcers or bleeding are not candidates for this aspirin therapy. Before starting any aspirin regimen, it is best to consult your physician first to prevent possible serious complications.
Does sun exposure make the skin age faster?
Yes, constant exposure to the sun makes the skin age prematurely, especially on the face. This is called dermatoheliosis or extrinsic aging. The skin changes may appear like those seen among patients after undergoing radiation therapy for cancer for a period of time. This condition is seen more commonly among North American and European people who love to bathe in the sun. Asian women have been noted to have younger-looking skin because they use umbrellas and hats a lot to protect their face from the direct sunlight, even on the beaches. And they are really the wiser and the healthier for that, because this practice also reduces the incidence of ultraviolet-induced skin cancers among Asian women compared to their American and European counterpart.
Is camote tops “cure” for dengue?
The internet abounds with claims that camote (sweet potato) tops extract “is effective in preventing or in curing dengue….because they are excellent sources of antioxidative compounds, mainly polyphenolics, which may protect the human body from oxidative stress that is associated with many diseases including cancer and cardiovascular diseases, and that it boosts the immune system.”
To put things in their proper perspective, there has been no original scientific research, much less randomized, double-blind, clinical studies to support this claim. Indeed, it would be terrific if this were true. Hopefully, future investigations in the laboratory and in human will prove this to be so.
In the meantime, for the safety of the patient, most of them children, it is best to rely on the currently proven and accepted medical therapy, rather than abandoning this scientific treatment and using only camote top extracts. If one wishes to use camote extracts, that’s fine, but take this in combination with today’s standard treatment, and under the supervision of the attending physician.
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