ANTI AGING ON THE HORIZON/MARIJUANA

Dr. Robert J. Brueck, Board Certified Plastic Surgeon in Fort Myers, Florida, with a web site at http://www.Beauty-by-Brueck.com , frequently blogs about matters of health and beauty. Today's subject is marijuana and aging.

I have always said that Californians are often trendsetters in America.

They may have found the secret to “anti-aging”. Marijuana!

As you may know, California has legalized marijuana use for certain medical conditions , as have some other states as well. There now are pot or marijuana shops all over the state and recently the state has started to clamp down on them.

For those looking for something different to do on their vacation next year you may want to consider attending the two-day seminar “Science and Compassionate Care Seminar” in Kalamazoo, Michigan. (Good thing it’s in July and not January. Brrr.)

One of the speakers at the seminar was Dr. Robert Melamede, President and CEO of Cannabis Sciences, Inc. He also is associate professor at the University of California and an expert on the use of marijuana.

(I wonder if there are any “Rocky Mountain Highs” out there.)

Melamede says our brain contains receptors that help regulate memory, mood and appetite, among other things. This is called the endocannabinoid system. Marijuana heightens the sensitivity of this system. He feels marijuana is “an essential nutrient” for its anti-aging properties “by smoothing out” free radicals.

We do know free radicals are the harbinger of or contribute to many diseases in our bodies. Dr. Melamede says, and I quote, “cannaboids have curative or at least palliative properties.”

For those who are daring, you can buy hemp facial cream, Chanvre Crème Protectrice Versage.

For those youngsters out there, just remember that marijuana can contribute to acne and we know how that plagues our young population.

Parents beware! I, for one, would not like a bunch of stoned,pot-smoking drivers on the road - teenagers included. It’s bad enough we have alcohol and DUI. (Maybe we can have a new category ~ SUI - smoking under the influence!)

Dr. Brueck's blog is not medical advice and is intended only to provide new information and insights on topics of current interest.

VITAMIN D - HOW IMPORTANT IS IT

Dr. Robert J. Brueck, Fort Myers Board Certified Plastic Surgeon with a comprehensive web site at http://www.Beauty-by-Brueck.com, frequently writes about matters of health and beauty. This time he reflects on the importance of Vitamin D

We live in a dynamic, new, nutrition-oriented world.

For many of us our daily routine starts with a morning cup of coffee and maybe a multivitamin. How things have changed for me! My early morning cup of java is a constant. But I gaze across my desk and see a ton of diet supplements that I now take on a regular basis.

(I do, however, have to admit that I am lazy on weekends and sometimes forget them.)

One of those supplements is Vitamin D. There was a recent article discussing the importance of Vitamin D for “cognitive function”. This appeared in the July 12^th magazine Healthy Aging.

Researchers found that an astonishing 40% to 100% of older adults in the US and Europe are deficient in vitamin D. ( I just reached over and took another 5000 IU of vitamin D; now I can remember what day it is. )

Vitamin D may also help prevent degeneration of our brain tissue by being important in preventing the buildup of Amyloid/(Alzheimer’s) and also in the formation of nervous tissue. The lead researcher, Dr. David Llewellyn of the University of Exeter England and colleagues studied vitamin D levels in 858 adults who were greater than the age of 65.

Study subjects who were severely deficient in vitamin D were 60% more likely to have substantial cognitive decline in general over the 6 year period of this study.

So the study’s findings may open new avenues for research in brain function disorders i.e. senile dementia and Alzheimer’s.

Thought: It may not be a bad idea to pop a vitamin D capsule in the morning.

OMEGA 3’s - Good for Skin? - Dr. Brueck, Fort Myers Plastic Surgeon thinks so.

Dr. Robert J. Brueck, a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon in Fort Myers, FL, frequently blogs about matters of health and appearance. This time, he discusses Omega 3 Fish Oil.

Omega 3 counteracts inflammation. That is good.

The skin requires a steady supply of fat to maintain hydration and smoothness in texture. For example, sun causes inflammation and inflammation and sun are bad for our complexion and skin.

Most American diets are low in fish oil. I think the common mantra is "give me a good steak." Also those who do eat fish can cause the Omega-3s to be destroyed by over-heating or over-cooking the fish.

This may cause one to require a supplement to get an essential amount of fish oils in their diet.

There is a website called www.advancedweb.com/healthyaging.com with some references regarding fish oil supplements. Perhaps this can be added to your diet so you can have softer, more supple, healthier looking skin.

Thanks for visiting.