Soy Supplement May Improve Crow's Feet

An experimental supplement derived from soy may help postmenopausal women smooth their "crow's feet" a bit, a small pilot study suggests.

The supplement, known for now as SE5-OH, is under development by a Tokyo-based drug and supplement maker, Otsuka Pharmaceutical.

It contains a compound called S-equol, which is made from fermented soy germ.

The body can produce S-equol naturally, as a byproduct of digesting soy isoflavones, plant chemicals that are structurally similar to estrogen. S-equol itself is believed to attach to estrogen receptors on body cells, and may have weak estrogen-like effects.

Skin cells are among those that have estrogen receptors, and it's thought that women's waning estrogen levels after menopause may contribute to skin aging.

So for the new study, researchers at the Japanese company looked at whether giving postmenopausal women S-equol supplements might improve the appearance of crow's feet -- those lines that begin to surface at the outer corners of the eyes sometime in middle-age, or earlier.

The researchers, led by Ayuko Oyama, randomly assigned 101 postmenopausal Japanese women to one of three groups: one that took a higher dose of the S-equol supplement (30 milligrams) every day for 12 weeks, one that took a lower dose (10 mg) and one that took placebo tablets containing only starch.

"I think it's a very interesting study," said Dr. Carolyn Jacob, director of Chicago Cosmetic Surgery and Dermatology, and a fellow with the American Academy of Dermatology.

Jacob, who was not involved in the study, said it is plausible that S-equol could affect the appearance of crow's feet.

It would have been helpful, she said, if the researchers had taken skin biopsies to see if the supplement users actually showed changes in collagen -- a protein that helps keep the skin firm and elastic.

For now, Jacob said the findings are "encouraging," and longer-term studies should look at the effects of the supplement on skin aging.

In theory, S-equol supplements could have some of the negative effects of estrogen as well, including contributing to the risks of breast or uterine cancer. Oyama's team found no effects on women's breast or uterine tissue, which they gauged using mammograms and ultrasound, respectively.

However, the researchers say, longer-term studies of the supplement's safety are still needed.

For now, there are other ways to deal with crow's feet. One is to live with them. For women who want treatment, Jacob said that both Botox and Dysport "work very well."

The drugs, which work by relaxing the muscles underlying crow's feet, are given by injection, and their effects can last several months. The side effects can include soreness at the injection site and, in rare cases, muscle weakness that can lead to a temporarily droopy brow or eyelid.

It's also possible to delay the first appearance of crow's feet. Using sunblock to protect against damage from ultraviolet light can help, Jacob said. So can wearing sunglasses or hats to keep yourself from squinting -- a key contributor to crow's feet.People vary in their ability to produce S-equol from eating soy, with at least half of all individuals lacking the necessary intestinal flora and therefore being "non-producers," according to Oyama's team. All of the women in the current study were tested and deemed to be non-producers.

In the end, women who used the supplement showed, on average, a modest improvement in their crow's feet versus the placebo group -- as judged by a researcher who did not know which women had received supplements and which had taken the placebo.

The findings are reported in the medical journal Menopause.

"I think it's a very interesting study," said Dr. Carolyn Jacob, director of Chicago Cosmetic Surgery and Dermatology, and a fellow with the American Academy of Dermatology.

Jacob, who was not involved in the study, said it is plausible that S-equol could affect the appearance of crow's feet.

It would have been helpful, she said, if the researchers had taken skin biopsies to see if the supplement users actually showed changes in collagen -- a protein that helps keep the skin firm and elastic.

For now, Jacob said the findings are "encouraging," and longer-term studies should look at the effects of the supplement on skin aging.

In theory, S-equol supplements could have some of the negative effects of estrogen as well, including contributing to the risks of breast or uterine cancer. Oyama's team found no effects on women's breast or uterine tissue, which they gauged using mammograms and ultrasound, respectively.

However, the researchers say, longer-term studies of the supplement's safety are still needed.

For now, there are other ways to deal with crow's feet. One is to live with them. For women who want treatment, Jacob said that both Botox and Dysport "work very well."

Read more:http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/10/28/soy-supplement-may-improve-crows-feet/#ixzz1c5bVCsrB

Middle-Aged Women Happier With Moderate Exercise

Middle-aged women encouraged to exercise at moderate intensity were much happier and more likely to continue working out than peers who exercised more intensely, according to a study.

Researchers led by Steriani Elavsky of Penn State University in Pennsylvania recruited 255 women between 40 and 60 years old to do either moderate or vigorous exercise, then followed the volunteers to monitor their reactions.

Overall, women who did moderate exercise were about twice as likely to feel energized and confident they could do more exercise in the future, and more of them also showed decreased feelings of sadness and anxiety than the vigorous-exercise group.

"Exercise makes you feel better but it is going to be more pleasant when performed at moderate intensity as compared to vigorous, especially when you have been previously inactive or may be overweight," Elavsky told Reuters Health.

They were activities "that would allow you to talk in short sentences while you are doing them, but would not allow you to sing," she added.

Middle-aged women are among the least active and their level of physical activity declines with age. Understanding whether exercise of different intensities has different effects on mood and whether these predict overall physical activity in midlife women is an important question to address, Elavsky added.

Elavsky and colleagues at the Middle East Technical University in Ankara, Turkey studied the 255 women, who were not on hormone therapy and who kept a daily diary of activities and feelings for two weeks. She presented their findings at the North American Menopause Society meeting in Washington D.C.

At the beginning of the study, the women completed two bouts of moderate or vigorous exercise. The vigorous workout involved exercising on a treadmill to the point where they could no longer tolerate the intensity, and moderate exercise involved a 30-minute session, also on a treadmill, at a pace the women selected for themselves but could be considered moderate.

All women also wore an accelerometer, a small device the size of a match box, to track their energy expenditure and their time spent in activities of different intensities.

The study found that moderate intensity exercise caused more women to report later that they were in a better mood and to have greater feelings of energy, psychological wellbeing and "self-efficacy."

Moderate physical activity was also much better in these terms for obese and out of shape women, Elavsky said.

Vigorous exercisers showed smaller benefits to mood, and those who were overweight or had symptoms of illness reported "significant decreases in calmness" after the exercise bouts.

Examples of moderate intensity exercise include brisk walking, ballroom and line dancing, biking on level ground or with few hills, canoeing, general gardening including raking, trimming shrubs, sports such as baseball, softball, volleyball, tennis (doubles) and water aerobics.

Elavsky added she hopes her study will reaffirm to women that exercise can be a powerful way to enhance their wellbeing, and that they don't have to go all out with their level of exertion.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/09/30/middle-aged-women-happier-with-moderate-exercise/#ixzz1bQQVRQgF

Grooming Tips From Ageless Men

Some men seem to defy nature and cheat the hands of time. As everyone else goes geriatric with sagging skin and patchy hair, these guys seem to improve with age like a fine wine. 

But they aren’t cyborgs or gatekeepers to a secret fountain of youth. And there is no need for genetic jealousy here. Sure, science plays a role in continuing to look great as the years pass, but fighting Father Time is also an art. These men are worth more than a passing glance because a quick study of their grooming habits may just teach you a thing or two about how to become an ageless man.

Rigorous exercise
Staying in shape is the key to maintaining health over the long term. Regular exercise of 30 minutes three times a week not only keeps weight off, it can also help prevent heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, arthritis, and bone loss. But working out isn’t all physical -- it’s psychological, too. 

Exercise relieves stress and promotes mental clarity by releasing increased levels of serotonin to the brain.

Perhaps that’s how Daniel Craig played a James Bond who was both smart and shredded. It may take a little more than a jog on the treadmill to get a buff body like Craig, and at age 41, he could give any 20-something a run for their money.

Let your hair thin in style
About 40 percent of men experience some hair loss by the age of 35. But that doesn’t mean that your looks -- and perceived virility -- are going down the drain with your shedding strands. Contrary to popular belief, longer locks are a shining spotlight on bald spots and make hair appear thinner. And a Trump-esque comb-over is like raising a white flag and throwing in the towel. But in this game, there is no admitting defeat. Splashing on hair-growth serum, popping a pill and cropping your coif into something more flattering are the ways to win.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/10/11/grooming-tips-from-ageless-men/?test=painmgt#ixzz1aml7RfkE

Skin recovery: 4 ways to reverse sun damage

You're a pro when it comes to protecting against sun damage. You've got sunscreen on your keychain, in your lip balm, and all over your skin. But you could still have plenty of sun damage left over from your youth. (Remember squirming away from your mom as she tried to coat you with sunblock?)

Unfortunately, sun damage isn't only skin-deep. UV radiation alters the actual DNA of your skin cells, causing lines, wrinkles, discoloration, and even cancer. "There's a meter in your skin. Every minute you're out in the sun, your body registers it," says Neal Schultz, M.D., a cosmetic dermatologist based in New York City and creator of DermTV.com.
But here's a ray of (UV-free) light: You can reverse the damage. "Whenever you start protecting yourself from the sun, you will stop the process of additional damage and start to reverse, to some extent, what you've already accumulated," Schultz says. Throw in this four-step treatment, and you are well on your way to some serious skin recovery.
Step 1: Exfoliate the right way You want to smooth your skin to create brightness and luster, and chemical exfoliation is the best way to do just that, Schultz says. Chemical exfoliation dissolves dead skin cells instead of scrubbing them off (usually unevenly) the way buffers and granule cleansers do.
When choosing a chemical exfoliant, opt for a product with a 5 percent to 8 percent concentration of glycolic acid, like BeautyRX Daily Exfoliating Therapy Serum ($65, drugstore.com). The active ingredient is vital in removing the extra layers of dead cells that are holding all of the brown pigment that has clumped and accumulated over the years. And whichever exfoliant you choose, follow the directions!
Step 2: Beat brown spots The next step is to rid yourself of those brown splotches. While the product you need is commonly called "skin bleach," there's nothing bleachy about it. It will have the end effect of lightening the brown areas of your skin, but it will do so by stopping the skin's uneven production of melanin (brown pigment) that your skin churns out when it tries to fight UV radiation. Look for a bleach, like Murad Age Spot & Pigment Gel ($60, sephora.com) with a 2 percent concentration of hydroquinone (the active ingredient), and apply it two to three times a day on the darkened areas.
Bonus points If you followed step 1 before jumping to step 2 — exfoliation actually helps the hydroquinone work better by allowing it to better penetrate the skin.

Step 3: Burn no more To maintain your improvement, use sunscreen every day to prevent additional damage. New FDA recommendations emphasize using sunscreen labeled as broad spectrum (meaning it protects against both UVA and UVB rays) with SPF values of 15 or higher. While new sunscreen label regulations won't take full effect until summer 2012, some are already broad-spectrum now. Try MDSolarSciences Mineral Screen Gel ($30, mdsolarsciences.com). To maximize the sunscreen's protection, apply it 30 minutes before exposure and reapply at least every two hours. "The amount of sunscreen that you need to use for your entire body, assuming you're at the beach and you're just wearing a bathing suit, is about an ounce in order to get the actual SPF value," Schultz says. Not too good at ounces? It's a shot glass's worth.

 To view this article in full visit: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44092172/ns/health-skin_and_beauty/#.To8RG7JCA9E