Okinawa Prefecture is located southwest of mainland Japan. The prefecture consists of 161 islands (44 inhabited and 117 uninhabited islands). Okinawa can be found between mainland Japan and Taiwan in the Pacific Ocean.

In 2006 the islands of Okinawa were estimated to have around 740 centenarians out of a population of 1.3 million. 90 percent of the centenarians were female.

The ongoing Okinawa Centenarian Study, headed by Dr. Makotu Suzuki, has come up with some very interesting reasons why it is that inhabitants of these Japanese islands live longer than anywhere else in the world.

There are 50 centenarians for every 100,000 people, which compares with a ratio of between 10 and 20 per 100,000 in most developed countries.

Dr Suzuki examined the lifestyle and genetics of more than 900 centenarians, as well as many more in their 70`s.

Rather than putting on weight as they got older, the researchers discovered that these people were still lean and fit. Their arteries were clean, and they had remarkably low rates of all types of cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. Their minds were lucid, and proportionately fewer suffer from dementia compared to people living in other places.

Although genetics has a big part to play, it seems that the avoidance of tobacco, a good diet (low in calories) – consisting of plenty of vegetables and fruits, natural fiber, and good fats – along with moderation in the use of alcohol, all play a role in the health of Okinawans.

The study found something else of interest. Many inhabitants of the islands will stop eating once they are 80 percent full. As soon as they get the feeling they have eaten enough, they stop. That way they don`t overeat, which helps them to keep weight off, and reduces the burden on their digestives systems.

Finally, exercise doesn`t stop once a certain age is reached. Daily walking, traditional dancing and other activities help. They enjoy gardening, and naturally, homegrown produce is high on the list of foods on the dinner table.

One of the causes of death among many peoples is due to the effects of stress. Okinawans tend to be positive people, and women especially manifested strong social integration. Good health is, therefore, a good combination of mind and body.

The study showed that longevity is influenced by genes, diet, exercise, and a balanced way of dealing with stress.

Geoff Cummings
http://www.articlesbase.com/anti-aging-articles/why-do-the-inhabitants-of-okinawa-live-longer-750834.html

Yesterday, the first conclusions of a study on prostate cancer patients were made public. It seems that for the first time in history a cancer vaccine is delaying the progression of the disease and patients can live longer.

This vaccine was desperately needed because asymptomatic advanced prostate cancer is known to be resistant to hormone therapy used in early detected prostate cancers and no other treatment is effective against it.

Eric J. Small of the University of California at San Francisco said that this trial is an important one because it will open the way to other treatments regarding prostate cancer.

L. Gulley of the National Cancer Institute was very excited about the discovery and declared that the vaccine is important not only for those who suffer of the disease but also for the field. This vaccine confirms what everybody denied, that vaccines can really work.

This vaccine is not like the others that are designed to prevent a disease. This is made to treat advanced prostate cancer by increasing the immune systems response to cancer cells.

The vaccine has been made out of a genetically engineered protein and a dendritic cell provided from the patients bloodstream. Three shots of the vaccine were made over the course of a month. The immune system will react and will activate immune T-cells to find and destroy the cancer cells.

Eric J. Small along with other 19 US institutions conducted the study which was funded by the Dendreon Corporation (the developer of the vaccine) based in Seattle, Washington. Small included in the study 127 patients suffering of asymptomatic metastatic hormone refractory prostate cancer (HRPC). 82 of them received the vaccine and 45 got placebo.

For those treated with the vaccine, the median rate of survival was 25.9 months. For those who got a placebo treatment, the overall of survival was 21.4 months.

The conclusions were that 115 patients of this group had progressive disease at the time of data analysis and all patients were followed for survival for 3 years.

The vaccine was well tolerated by patients and the side effects were mild: fever and chills. Five of the subjects declared they had mild urinary problems. This is good news because chemotherapy gives a lot of unbearable side effects.

Most of the patients can follow a treatment based on surgery, radiation and hormone therapy, but asymptomatic metastatic HRPC is known to be resistant to hormone therapy and every year more than 30,000 men die because and no other treatment is effective against the disease, this is why a treatment was urgently required.

For more information about prostate cancer treatment and about prostate cancer please review this web site http://www.prostate-cancer-center.com

Groshan Fabiola
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/prostate-cancer-vaccine-allows-patients-to-live-longer-132185.html

People go on diets a variety of reasons including health reasons or trying to fit into new summer beach cloths. If you are going to go on a weight loss diet program, think about the reasons for why you want to do it in the first place. Now ask yourself, are you going to “Lose weight for Health or Cosmetic Reasons?”

But now, there is another reason why it is important to eat less and lose weight.

According to a recent study by scientists in the United States by eating less and losing weight, reducing our calorie intake we can increase our life span.

By restricting calorie consumption over long periods scientists show that it increases the lifespan of rodents and other short-lived species, but it has never been shown to occur in humans.

A team at Louisiana State University studied four groups of 48 men and women over six months, who were given varying amounts to eat.

In the “very low-calorie” group, subjects were given 890 kilocalories a day until they lost 15 per cent of their weight, followed by a weight maintenance diet. Scientists found evidence of changes in the body that have been linked to prolonging human life.

The studies show that sustained calorie restriction caused a reversal in two of three previously reported biomarkers of longevity, a decrease in energy expenditure and a reduction in DNA fragmentation, reflecting less DNA damage,” a paper in the journal Jama said.

While these studies are preliminary longer term studies are needed insure prolonged effects on the human ageing process.

Scientists found that a strict low-calorie diet can decrease DNA damage linked with aging.

During the study people ate as little as 890 calories a day for six months. Their insulin levels fell and metabolisms slowed changes that are thought to increase longevity.

The findings are provocative, but preliminary. Longer-term research will try to sort out whether such changes can meaningfully extend people’s lives, said senior author Eric Ravussin of the Pennington Biomedical Research Center at Louisiana State University.

“They are the first proof that what has been observed in rodents seems to be also working in humans,” Ravussin said.

The latest study appears in Journal of the American Medical Association.

“It’s very exciting,” said Dr. Evan Hadley, director of the NIA’s geriatrics and clinical gerontology program.

“It’s a step forward but not the whole journey,” said Hadley, whose agency is part of the NIH.

Dietary guidelines for weight maintenance recommend about 2,000 to 3,000 calories a day, depending on age, gender and activity level, with the higher amount generally for very active men.

Non-liquid weight loss diets used in the study were high in fruits and vegetables with less than 30 percent fat.

Blood tests showed substantial decreases in the amount of age-related DNA damage in each of the three dieting groups, compared with their initial levels. That kind of microscopic damage is linked to cancer and other age-related ailments, but it’s unknown whether the small changes seen in the study would affect the study volunteers’ disease risks.

Insulin levels also decreased after six months in all three reduced calorie groups. Core body temperature also dipped slightly in two low-calorie groups but not in the liquid-diet or control group.

The results show that the diets are safe, and not impossible to follow, Hadley said.

Everyone wants and desires to lose weight. We all have different reasons why we should lose weight and try to decide on a diet. You have to know what these reasons are and who to ask to help you in achieving all your weight loss and health goals. Now if you want live longer just go on the weight loss diet of your choice. It’s as easy as that. As they say, “Just Do It”!

Glenn Freiboth
http://www.articlesbase.com/fitness-articles/if-you-want-to-live-longer-just-lose-weight-21474.html