Q: How much exercise do I need each week? 
Every minute of every day wars rage within our bodies. The combatants are too tiny to see. Some, like the infamous virus that causes AIDS, are so small that 230 million would fit on the period at the end of this sentence. Of all the body’s enemies, the virus is both the simplest and the most devious of all. A virus, such as the Human Parvo Virus B19, contains instructions for making copies of itself. When a virus enters one of our cells it issues its own instructions. The cell becomes a virus factory, producing identical viruses. Eventually they may rupture the cell, killing it. Viral clones fan out to invade nearby cells.
About one trillion strong, our white blood cells constitute a highly specialized army of defenders. The phagocytes, which are soldiers in this army, are the first to attack viruses. When they come upon a cell that has burst, they eat up the wreckage and in the process consume the viruses. But they aren’t able to destroy these foes enough to keep them from infecting nearby cells.
The T cells are a more sophisticated part of our immune system. They are trained to recognize invaders. They then send urgent chemical signals to killer T cells. The message is to multiply quickly. The killer T cells puncture the cell membranes bacteria or destroy infected cells before viruses have time to multiply.
During stress the body releases large amounts of a steroid called cortisol. When our soldiers the macrophage recognize and encounter cortisol they can no longer respond to infection.
Exercise may enhance the immune system. It stimulates the brain to release chemicals called endorphin and enkephalin. They also seem to reduce anxiety and cause a sense of well being.
Even more startling, some studies suggest that they affect macrophage and T cells. Exercise may also result in increased levels of interleukin-1 and interferon, both of which strengthens our defenses.
The primary benefit of vitamin is as a powerful antioxidant. In this role it protects cells from damage caused by free radicals. Because the body is made up of cells this one role of protecting one’s cells helps with heart disease, cancer, blood cells, the nervous system, the skeletal muscle and the retinas in the eyes. In order to afford themselves of these benefits more than 37 million Americans take this vitamin daily. 90,000 nurses in a study in 1993 that took Vitamin E and lowered their rate of coronary heart disease by 30-40%. A lower death rate from heart disease was also found in a study of 5000 people in Finland who took Vitamin E.
This free radical protection is available to those who take the necessary amounts of this vitamin. Through their diet American adults consume between 8 to 12 milligrams of Vitamin E daily and the recommended dietary allowance is 15 milligrams.
Vitamin E is available in vegetable oils such as sunflower, canola, corn, soybean and olive oil. Nuts, sunflower seeds and wheat germ as well as whole grains, fish, peanut butter and green leafy vegetables all are sources of this vitamin. Vitamin E is one of the few vitamins, where there is good scientific evidence that it works.
Lasik is a laser eye surgery that is used to correct vision problems such as near- or farsightedness. In lasik surgery, a laser is used to reshape the cornea of the patient. The lasik surgery can be performed as an outpatient procedure by a doctor in scrubs, though patients are advised to avoid rigorous physical activity while the eye heals. Lasik surgery can corrent many minor vision problems, though if those problems are severe enough, a patient may still require corrective lenses after the surgery .
Evening primrose oil is more popular with women than with men due to the nutritional support for women with PMS and Menopause. While many women claim that evening primrose oil helps promote their good health, the Food and Drug Administration has not evaluated the benefits of it. Evening primrose oil is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, nor does it make the claim that it does. If you’re going to use this item, you will hear about it from the opinions of other people. Consult your physician before taking this and any other dietary supplements. Other claims of the benefits of evening primrose oil are that it alleviates breast pain and pain from rheumatoid arthritis, lowers cholesterol, helps clear eczema and other skin problems due to diabetic neuropathy, and helps fight heart disease. The difference between evening primrose oil and over-the-counter menstrual relief remedies is that evening primrose oil is a dietary supplement.
Pregnant and/or lactating women should consult a physician before using this or any other supplement. This product is not intended for use by people under the age of 18. Keep out of reach of children. Consult your doctor before taking this product if you are any prescription medications and/or blood thinners, if you have a bleeding disorder, or if you plan to have or have recently had surgery. Discontinue use if any adverse reactions occur. Side effects may include rash, upset stomach and/or headache.
