The exercises of loud laughter, silent laughter and horse laughter shown above, the warming up exercises of muscles and joints, preceding them and the breathing exercises, succeeding them, straighten and loosen the abdominal muscles, the spine muscles, the diaphragm between the abdominal and thoracic cavities and the muscles on the face. In a short time, all these muscles become strong.
As breathing becomes faster, you breathe in four to six times as much oxygen than those who live a sedentary life and perform no exercise. You fully breath out the residual air and also carbon dioxide that it contains. The rate of heart beats and the blood pressure rise. Blood flows faster in arteries. In times of urgency, blood is more efficently supplied to any part of the body.
Since the brain receives sufficient supply of blood, chemical neuro transmitters function with a higher frequency Mind is filled with joy and memory becomes sharper. Pain killers and tranqullising substances called andorphins are secreted by the brain. They remove physical pain and mental uneasiness and blood pressure becomes normal. One has no danger from Diabetes, Asthma, Skin Diseases, Heart diseases, Cancer etc. that develop in old age. The Laughter Therappy exercises of 20 minutes adds 20 years to life-span. 215 calories are consumed.
1. In arobic part you increase the performence of Heart, your Lungs and your blood vessels. All the dynamic exercise like Walking, Jogging, Running, Cycling, Swmming, Boating, Mountaineering, Hocky, Football, Vallyball, playing are arobic exercise. You have to perform these exercise for 30 minutes, your body gets maximum oxygen when you do these exercise.
2. In muscle part you perform all the exercises that you do in older time in Gymnasium and in present time in Health Club. This exercises are done to increase your muscle power and muscle endurance.
3. In joint part you perform all the flexibility exercises you do while doing Yogasan.
4. To keep yourself in totally fit condition you have to give 40 minutes of your time to do all the above three types of exercises. Viz 30 minutes Aerobic exercise, 5 minutes of muscular exercise and 5 minutes of flexibility exercise.
5. Laughter Therapy exercise is considered an ideal exercise because all the three componants
Monday, October 17, 2011
Sunday, October 16, 2011
A walk through Komtar
The car park was full and I have to wait for another car to come out of the car part before I can go in to park my car. Yes, there are other car parks located in different locations of the shopping mall. The car park was the one below the Penang Chief Minister's office. It was near the place I was going to visit.
After going up the escalator, I proceed to walk towards Prangin Mall. The last time I visited Komtar was many months ago and to my surprise the place was getting more and more cleaner and well lighted up. There was a corner to show the history of Penang and now , I could see that the State Government have included Malacca. As I walk along into the open space, I could see that all the make shift businesses have gone. It was quite messy when it was under the previous BN government. As I walk along , I notice the space previously occupied by lifestyle super mart was covered into a row of IT shops leading the way to the entrance of Prangin Mall. It was a welcomee sight as it was brightly lighted up and a long row of shops selling all the computer accessories. The route from Komtar to Prangin Mall was a dark path and eerie place to pass through. Ow, I could see that Komtar have been gradually improved and upgraded.
The founder of Komtar was the late, Tun Lim Chong Yu. He was responsible to create the silicon valley of Penang and also the Penang Bridge. He is no less capable than the late Steve Jobs as he had build the foundation for the Great Penang. So, the effort of the current Chief Minister , Lim Guan Eng have done a very good job in maintaining the good image and reputation of the core building in Penang which house the CM office.
Lets put politics aside and we open our eyes to see the difference in Penang after three years of Opposition rule. The heritage buildings have been repainted and renovated to capture its previous glamour and the streets are more cleaner and the development have been at very fast pace and vibrant. Hopefully, things will continue to happen positively for Penang.
It was not the end of my walk. On my way back from Prangin Mall, I passed through the 4th floor of Komtar. The place was still clean and lighted up but many shops have closed their business due to the lack of traffic of shoppers. This level have become a haven for small entertainment and food business. It was very quiet and this is the sorry part of my walk. Good space goes to waste. More efforts needs to promote the place as a shopping paradise.
Coming to the real fact, there are many new Malls are coming up on the Island. Apart from the QB,SQ and GP, the work in progress is on for Paragon Mall, the Bellview Mall, SP Mall and the rejuvenated Island Plaza mall. Some of the Malls are still at the planning stage. However, the population of Penang is still the same and gradually growing , so the same people are going to these Malls on the off season period except during festival days and the school holidays. For retirees, we can go to one different Mall per day to window shopping and spending our time there if our legs can carry us. Maybe the investors are thinking long term, that is build today and cater for tomorrow as the land is in limited supply and the calculations cannot be wrong.
Yes, it will come a time, when the retirees can visit two different Malls per day in a week but can our legs carry us. One day , the supply would exceed the demand and it will based on the outstation visitors or tourist. This will happen on the opening of the second bridge and many cars will be on the island. Can the narrow streets of Penang handle this influx? If nothing is done, there will be massive jams and the peaceful life in Penang will be gone. forever.
;Namaste.
After going up the escalator, I proceed to walk towards Prangin Mall. The last time I visited Komtar was many months ago and to my surprise the place was getting more and more cleaner and well lighted up. There was a corner to show the history of Penang and now , I could see that the State Government have included Malacca. As I walk along into the open space, I could see that all the make shift businesses have gone. It was quite messy when it was under the previous BN government. As I walk along , I notice the space previously occupied by lifestyle super mart was covered into a row of IT shops leading the way to the entrance of Prangin Mall. It was a welcomee sight as it was brightly lighted up and a long row of shops selling all the computer accessories. The route from Komtar to Prangin Mall was a dark path and eerie place to pass through. Ow, I could see that Komtar have been gradually improved and upgraded.
The founder of Komtar was the late, Tun Lim Chong Yu. He was responsible to create the silicon valley of Penang and also the Penang Bridge. He is no less capable than the late Steve Jobs as he had build the foundation for the Great Penang. So, the effort of the current Chief Minister , Lim Guan Eng have done a very good job in maintaining the good image and reputation of the core building in Penang which house the CM office.
Lets put politics aside and we open our eyes to see the difference in Penang after three years of Opposition rule. The heritage buildings have been repainted and renovated to capture its previous glamour and the streets are more cleaner and the development have been at very fast pace and vibrant. Hopefully, things will continue to happen positively for Penang.
It was not the end of my walk. On my way back from Prangin Mall, I passed through the 4th floor of Komtar. The place was still clean and lighted up but many shops have closed their business due to the lack of traffic of shoppers. This level have become a haven for small entertainment and food business. It was very quiet and this is the sorry part of my walk. Good space goes to waste. More efforts needs to promote the place as a shopping paradise.
Coming to the real fact, there are many new Malls are coming up on the Island. Apart from the QB,SQ and GP, the work in progress is on for Paragon Mall, the Bellview Mall, SP Mall and the rejuvenated Island Plaza mall. Some of the Malls are still at the planning stage. However, the population of Penang is still the same and gradually growing , so the same people are going to these Malls on the off season period except during festival days and the school holidays. For retirees, we can go to one different Mall per day to window shopping and spending our time there if our legs can carry us. Maybe the investors are thinking long term, that is build today and cater for tomorrow as the land is in limited supply and the calculations cannot be wrong.
Yes, it will come a time, when the retirees can visit two different Malls per day in a week but can our legs carry us. One day , the supply would exceed the demand and it will based on the outstation visitors or tourist. This will happen on the opening of the second bridge and many cars will be on the island. Can the narrow streets of Penang handle this influx? If nothing is done, there will be massive jams and the peaceful life in Penang will be gone. forever.
;Namaste.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
I-will, a popular trend in Briton : news
iWill: Britons leaving heirs "digital inheritance"
Fri Oct 14, 2011 2:44PM EDT
By Paul Casciato and Sarah McFarlane
LONDON (Reuters) - Britons are now including internet passwords in wills to ensure their online music, photographs, videos and other digital data are not lost when they die, a British study showed.
Around 11 percent of the 2,000 British people surveyed by the Center for Creative & Social Technology (CAST) at the University of London for their "Cloud Generation" report said they had included internet passwords or plan to include them in their wills in a trend that CAST labeled "digital inheritance."
"It's an area that will become increasingly important given, for instance, the monetary value of music collections and sentimental value of photograph collections - fewer people now keep hard copies of either," the report quoted Steven Thorpe, partner at Gardner Thorpe Solicitors, as saying.
"Cloud Generation" co-authors Chris Brauer and Jennifer Barth used 15 in-depth case studies and the larger poll to investigate the implications for people whose personal and cultural keepsakes increasingly exist only in the so-called cloud -- online services run on remote computers rather than one's own PC.
In the course of their study, they discovered people naturally wanted to save valuable music, photos and videos for their own use during their lifetime, but now increasingly are seeking to preserve those things for their heirs.
"It's that it's representative of your identity, of who you are," Brauer told Reuters on Friday.
Brauer said they discovered that "digital natives" as -- he called them -- now instinctively rely on the cloud to interact, save, store and share their personal tastes and data.
The idea of digital legacies appeared when they asked cloud users what they would rescue if the house caught fire.
"They said: 'I would go to my computer, email my photos (and other digital treasures) to myself and then leave the house'," Brauer said.
What happens to people's online identity and activities after they die has become a growing issue with the ubiquity of cloud computing, digital memorabilia, social networking and an aging generation of Internet users.
For example, social networking site Facebook allows a deceased user's profile to be taken down, but will not pass on passwords to give next of kin access to the account.
The use of smartphones and other gadgets has also increased the amount of online services people use -- including storing movies, emails, family videos and work data.
About 25 percent of respondents to the report believed that by 2020 they would no longer print photos and 14.5 percent thought they would not own any physical books.
Friday, October 14, 2011
Today I stare at anger in the face.
It was supposed to be a simple lunch among three three colleagues. A phone call came and the mood totally change. If I had hold back my question , the lunch could have been a breeze. But , I choose to throw the question to my colleagues and the whole world gets dark. It had to happen , otherwise, I would have chosen a different path. The storm blown directly at my face and I choose to calmly absorbs it. People say that the true fact is ugly and the same was anger. Anger builds on anger and it just went out of control. The words spoken is meaningless and it is just yelling and justifications. People have to justify that they are angry so they don't look stupid. The person who have lost control will shift the focus to you and make you the bad guy. This is a natural protection.
But , looking further into the of anger. It can be more to it. I notice that a person's tolerance level varies according to a lot of factors. The person's body conditions and emotions, a bad impression , a rumour , a deep rooted gossip , the condition of the mind at a particular time. If a simple question can draw out a full blown anger, the source of anger should be a serious problem hiding in the mind waiting to ignite.
In this case, it was a feeling of been cheated. I am also very angry if I have been cheated on a business or private deal. It is very hurtful when we trust a person and in the end, he cheats us. But, there is two sides to a coin. The person doing business has all the right to quote his price and if it is too high, you have all the rights to reject it and it should not stain a relationship. Why is the feeling of been taking advantage of spoilt a relationship. I have talk about it in my earlier article. If there is no foundation for a friendship and it is based on getting something from each other, such relationship would not last. A real Friends goes to thick and thin and there is a lot of trust, space and understanding. If a friendship can be blown to pieces within seconds, this is not friendship.
The basis of friendship is not how many years or how much sacrifice you put into the relationship. It must have a strong foundation of mutual trust and respect. Nothing should be expected out of a friendship and if it is based on expectation from each other, it would not last. If I do something for my friend and I hope he will do something for us then it is doing business not friendship. What I want to say is that during the lunch , a fifteen years of friendship is torn up and wasted. What a pity and it looks so unreal and so much of hypocrisy. It ends well if we are useful to each other but if you take excessive advantage of a situation, then you are not more useful and will be discarded.
Such kind of examples are well known among Emperors of China where loyal generals are sent to battle to be killed or executed because the general becomes more popular or become a threat to the Emperor. This is a dog eat dog world . The small fish eat the smaller fish and the bigger fish eat the small fish and the biggest fish eat the bigger fish . Finally, the shit of the biggest fish is eaten by the smallest fish. The world goes round and round and new relationship is created and old ones fade away.
Remember relationship is as thin as a piece of paper or is only a skin deep. Don't expect too much from it as it can just change over night. In many occasions, it is only a fate to meet and go on our own way.
Namaste
But , looking further into the of anger. It can be more to it. I notice that a person's tolerance level varies according to a lot of factors. The person's body conditions and emotions, a bad impression , a rumour , a deep rooted gossip , the condition of the mind at a particular time. If a simple question can draw out a full blown anger, the source of anger should be a serious problem hiding in the mind waiting to ignite.
In this case, it was a feeling of been cheated. I am also very angry if I have been cheated on a business or private deal. It is very hurtful when we trust a person and in the end, he cheats us. But, there is two sides to a coin. The person doing business has all the right to quote his price and if it is too high, you have all the rights to reject it and it should not stain a relationship. Why is the feeling of been taking advantage of spoilt a relationship. I have talk about it in my earlier article. If there is no foundation for a friendship and it is based on getting something from each other, such relationship would not last. A real Friends goes to thick and thin and there is a lot of trust, space and understanding. If a friendship can be blown to pieces within seconds, this is not friendship.
The basis of friendship is not how many years or how much sacrifice you put into the relationship. It must have a strong foundation of mutual trust and respect. Nothing should be expected out of a friendship and if it is based on expectation from each other, it would not last. If I do something for my friend and I hope he will do something for us then it is doing business not friendship. What I want to say is that during the lunch , a fifteen years of friendship is torn up and wasted. What a pity and it looks so unreal and so much of hypocrisy. It ends well if we are useful to each other but if you take excessive advantage of a situation, then you are not more useful and will be discarded.
Such kind of examples are well known among Emperors of China where loyal generals are sent to battle to be killed or executed because the general becomes more popular or become a threat to the Emperor. This is a dog eat dog world . The small fish eat the smaller fish and the bigger fish eat the small fish and the biggest fish eat the bigger fish . Finally, the shit of the biggest fish is eaten by the smallest fish. The world goes round and round and new relationship is created and old ones fade away.
Remember relationship is as thin as a piece of paper or is only a skin deep. Don't expect too much from it as it can just change over night. In many occasions, it is only a fate to meet and go on our own way.
Namaste
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Like all other human beings, I am restless.
My mind is very active and on a fixing mood. Maybe because I drank alot of coffee in the afternoon. I was attending a seminar on some tax updates. It was quite boring as there were only minor changes to the subject this year. I was among the 500 odd participants llistening to the speakers making issues out of no issue. My ears was trying to catch what the speakers were talking about while my mind was handling my office work. Multi-tasking on such occasions. Foolish of me.
Now , my mind is still active and every thought is a fleeting moment. It come and go and it come back again and go again. Flip flop like switches on the wall, Went to my face book and saw sometime interesting posted by my friend , SB from Australia. The phrase starts with : We have a pair of eyes, a pair of ears , two lips , two nostrils but we have only one heart. Why......? This is because we give the other half of the heart away and now we have to find it., the better half. Well, ths is quite truth. At birth and in the process of growing up, we could have lost our heart , our passion. We are blind by the rat race and the seeking of wealth. In a workshop on the day before while at lunch, one of the female participant sitting in my table asked us to define " been successful". Nobody answer her and I just told her that been successful means to be happy all the time. Not money, not frame, not possessions but the feeling of happiness. But coming to think about it , it is exactly true. Buddha said that we should not feel happy or sad. We should keep neutral and following the middle path. When there is happiness, there is sadness. We have put a measurement to it and we are control and guide by it. No feeling is the right feeling.
Well, when we are moody or restless, it is also a measurement. How we feel, good or bad or quite good or quite bad ? It has move from one single level to a range and sliding down and up a ladder. What are we ? A creature of passion and emotion and there is where we are control how we feel or thought. Be aware of it and not to re-act to it and watch it float by. It is a tough thing to do especially when we have an ever fixing mind. When I write about it and I become more aware of what it mean.
If we are aware of our emotions , feelings and thoughts, we should stare at it. Just look at it , feel it and accept it. Don't fight it, relax and accommodate it. Anyway, we are creatures of passion and emotions and fighting it will make it harder on us. There is a saying , when there is an action , there will be a strong re-action. By quieting down your mind, you will relax and you will come down and it will just pass. The end will come anyway.
Namaste.
Now , my mind is still active and every thought is a fleeting moment. It come and go and it come back again and go again. Flip flop like switches on the wall, Went to my face book and saw sometime interesting posted by my friend , SB from Australia. The phrase starts with : We have a pair of eyes, a pair of ears , two lips , two nostrils but we have only one heart. Why......? This is because we give the other half of the heart away and now we have to find it., the better half. Well, ths is quite truth. At birth and in the process of growing up, we could have lost our heart , our passion. We are blind by the rat race and the seeking of wealth. In a workshop on the day before while at lunch, one of the female participant sitting in my table asked us to define " been successful". Nobody answer her and I just told her that been successful means to be happy all the time. Not money, not frame, not possessions but the feeling of happiness. But coming to think about it , it is exactly true. Buddha said that we should not feel happy or sad. We should keep neutral and following the middle path. When there is happiness, there is sadness. We have put a measurement to it and we are control and guide by it. No feeling is the right feeling.
Well, when we are moody or restless, it is also a measurement. How we feel, good or bad or quite good or quite bad ? It has move from one single level to a range and sliding down and up a ladder. What are we ? A creature of passion and emotion and there is where we are control how we feel or thought. Be aware of it and not to re-act to it and watch it float by. It is a tough thing to do especially when we have an ever fixing mind. When I write about it and I become more aware of what it mean.
If we are aware of our emotions , feelings and thoughts, we should stare at it. Just look at it , feel it and accept it. Don't fight it, relax and accommodate it. Anyway, we are creatures of passion and emotions and fighting it will make it harder on us. There is a saying , when there is an action , there will be a strong re-action. By quieting down your mind, you will relax and you will come down and it will just pass. The end will come anyway.
Namaste.
Lake kenyir - back to nature & discover yourself
Discover the tranquil waters of Lake Kenyir and the natural wonder of an unspoilt tropical rainforest, which together from the backdrop of Lake Kenyir Resort & Spa in Terengganu.
Spanning over 60 acres, this Terengganu resort stands majestically on the banks of Lake Kenyir, Malaysia's largest lake, and is surrounded by the world's oldest tropical rainforest. The 260,000 hectares lake contains 340 islands, with countless pristine cascading waterfalls and rivers from which flows crystal clear water from the surrounding highlands.
Blessed with extensive biodiversity, Lake Kenyir borders western fringe of Taman Negara, providing nature-based activities for the adventurous traveller. This setting provides unique natural landscapes, creating a serene and idyllic environment to calm and refresh the spirit.
Lake Kenyir Resort & Spa Terengganu is located on the east coast of Peninsula Malaysia, in the traditional heartland state of Terengganu. A leisurely 45min drive (60km) from the Kuala Terengganu airport, it is the only international class resort located at Lake Kenyir. It is situated next to Pengkalan Gawi, the main entry to Lake Kenyir and the nearest access point to Taman Negara.(Google Map)
Lake Kenyir Resort & Spa comprises 135 individual timber chalets of traditional Malay architectural designs that blend with its natural and cultural surroundings.
Nestled in lush forests and landscaped gardens, each chalet is secluded and offers modern amenities and facilities for your accommodation in Lake Kenyir. Most chalets have a commanding view of Lake Kenyir, and its large and spacious interior as well as its warm ambience provides a comfortable sanctuary to rest and admire the panoramic views of the lake, rainforest and hills.
Spanning over 60 acres, this Terengganu resort stands majestically on the banks of Lake Kenyir, Malaysia's largest lake, and is surrounded by the world's oldest tropical rainforest. The 260,000 hectares lake contains 340 islands, with countless pristine cascading waterfalls and rivers from which flows crystal clear water from the surrounding highlands.
Blessed with extensive biodiversity, Lake Kenyir borders western fringe of Taman Negara, providing nature-based activities for the adventurous traveller. This setting provides unique natural landscapes, creating a serene and idyllic environment to calm and refresh the spirit.
Lake Kenyir Resort & Spa Terengganu is located on the east coast of Peninsula Malaysia, in the traditional heartland state of Terengganu. A leisurely 45min drive (60km) from the Kuala Terengganu airport, it is the only international class resort located at Lake Kenyir. It is situated next to Pengkalan Gawi, the main entry to Lake Kenyir and the nearest access point to Taman Negara.(Google Map)
Lake Kenyir Resort & Spa comprises 135 individual timber chalets of traditional Malay architectural designs that blend with its natural and cultural surroundings.
Nestled in lush forests and landscaped gardens, each chalet is secluded and offers modern amenities and facilities for your accommodation in Lake Kenyir. Most chalets have a commanding view of Lake Kenyir, and its large and spacious interior as well as its warm ambience provides a comfortable sanctuary to rest and admire the panoramic views of the lake, rainforest and hills.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Multivitamins no fountain of youth for women - report
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Women taking multivitamins don't live longer than those who get their nutrients from food alone, a new U.S. study shows.
In fact, they appear to have slightly higher death rates, researchers found.
"There is very little evidence showing that common dietary supplements would be beneficial in prevention of major chronic diseases," said Dr. Jaakko Mursu of the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, who worked on the new study.
"Unless you are deficient, there is hardly any reason to take them," he told Reuters Health.
About half of adult Americans take dietary supplements, and the industry now boasts of annual sales as high as $20 billion.
Yet research suggests that some of the largely unregulated substances -- such as vitamins A and E -- could be harmful in high doses, according to an editorial published along with the new findings in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
"The belief that antioxidant supplements are beneficial seems likely to have resulted from a collective error," Dr. Goran Bjelakovic of the University of Nis in Serbia and Dr. Christian Gluud of Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen write. "Perhaps oxidative stress is one of the keys to extension of our life span."
Mursu and his colleagues used data from nearly 39,000 older women who participated in the Iowa Women's Health Study and filled out questionnaires starting in 1986.
The survey asked about use of multivitamins, vitamins A, C, D and E as well as beta-carotene, B vitamins and minerals such as calcium, copper, magnesium, selenium and zinc.
During the study, supplements became increasingly popular: Between 1986 and 2004, the proportion of women who said they took one or more jumped from 63 percent to 85 percent.
Only calcium supplements were linked to a lower risk of death over 19 years of follow-up, with 37 percent of users dying compared to 43 percent of nonusers. That link held up even after considering that women taking supplements had a healthier lifestyle than the rest.
By contrast, women taking other supplements did not live longer. For instance, 41 percent of multivitamin users died versus 40 percent of nonusers -- and the gap became even wider when adjusting the numbers based on health problems like diabetes, high blood pressure and overweight in the two groups.
Mursu said he expects his findings will be true for men as well, adding that they jibe with earlier research hinting that dietary supplements do little good in Western countries where vitamin deficiency is not common.
One possible exception is vitamin D, which one recent study suggests may help women live a little longer.
Mursu also cautioned that his study doesn't prove supplements cause harm.
"I would rather conclude that there is no evidence for benefits," he said.
The 2010 U.S. dietary guidelines recommend getting nutrients from foods, not supplements.
However, women of reproductive age group are advised to get extra folic acid and those who are pregnant may want to take iron supplements if their doctor suggests it. The guidelines also urge people 50 and older to get extra vitamin B12 from fortified foods or supplements.
The government website http://www.choosemyplate.gov has tips on how to eat a balanced diet. Information on individual supplements can be found at http://ods.od.nih.gov.
FRUIT AND VEGETABLES BETTER?
Duffy MacKay of the Council for Responsible Nutrition, a trade association representing manufacturers and ingredient suppliers of dietary supplements, disagreed with the researchers' conclusion that doctors should only recommend supplements to people with deficiencies.
He added that in the case of iron, women on high doses may have underlying conditions that could explain their higher death rates.
While Mursu acknowledged that shortcoming, he said it is unlikely to be relevant for multivitamins, which usually aren't prescribed by a doctor.
Short of getting sick, he said it's hard to know if you are getting enough vitamins and minerals -- and screening everybody would be prohibitively expensive.
His advice?
"Include as many vegetables and as much fruit as you can. There is hardly any reason to limit those, and they contain a whole lot of vitamins and minerals."
SOURCE: http://bit.ly/7qXyI Archives of Internal Medicine, October 10, 2011.
In fact, they appear to have slightly higher death rates, researchers found.
"There is very little evidence showing that common dietary supplements would be beneficial in prevention of major chronic diseases," said Dr. Jaakko Mursu of the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, who worked on the new study.
"Unless you are deficient, there is hardly any reason to take them," he told Reuters Health.
About half of adult Americans take dietary supplements, and the industry now boasts of annual sales as high as $20 billion.
Yet research suggests that some of the largely unregulated substances -- such as vitamins A and E -- could be harmful in high doses, according to an editorial published along with the new findings in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
"The belief that antioxidant supplements are beneficial seems likely to have resulted from a collective error," Dr. Goran Bjelakovic of the University of Nis in Serbia and Dr. Christian Gluud of Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen write. "Perhaps oxidative stress is one of the keys to extension of our life span."
Mursu and his colleagues used data from nearly 39,000 older women who participated in the Iowa Women's Health Study and filled out questionnaires starting in 1986.
The survey asked about use of multivitamins, vitamins A, C, D and E as well as beta-carotene, B vitamins and minerals such as calcium, copper, magnesium, selenium and zinc.
During the study, supplements became increasingly popular: Between 1986 and 2004, the proportion of women who said they took one or more jumped from 63 percent to 85 percent.
Only calcium supplements were linked to a lower risk of death over 19 years of follow-up, with 37 percent of users dying compared to 43 percent of nonusers. That link held up even after considering that women taking supplements had a healthier lifestyle than the rest.
By contrast, women taking other supplements did not live longer. For instance, 41 percent of multivitamin users died versus 40 percent of nonusers -- and the gap became even wider when adjusting the numbers based on health problems like diabetes, high blood pressure and overweight in the two groups.
Mursu said he expects his findings will be true for men as well, adding that they jibe with earlier research hinting that dietary supplements do little good in Western countries where vitamin deficiency is not common.
One possible exception is vitamin D, which one recent study suggests may help women live a little longer.
Mursu also cautioned that his study doesn't prove supplements cause harm.
"I would rather conclude that there is no evidence for benefits," he said.
The 2010 U.S. dietary guidelines recommend getting nutrients from foods, not supplements.
However, women of reproductive age group are advised to get extra folic acid and those who are pregnant may want to take iron supplements if their doctor suggests it. The guidelines also urge people 50 and older to get extra vitamin B12 from fortified foods or supplements.
The government website http://www.choosemyplate.gov has tips on how to eat a balanced diet. Information on individual supplements can be found at http://ods.od.nih.gov.
FRUIT AND VEGETABLES BETTER?
Duffy MacKay of the Council for Responsible Nutrition, a trade association representing manufacturers and ingredient suppliers of dietary supplements, disagreed with the researchers' conclusion that doctors should only recommend supplements to people with deficiencies.
He added that in the case of iron, women on high doses may have underlying conditions that could explain their higher death rates.
While Mursu acknowledged that shortcoming, he said it is unlikely to be relevant for multivitamins, which usually aren't prescribed by a doctor.
Short of getting sick, he said it's hard to know if you are getting enough vitamins and minerals -- and screening everybody would be prohibitively expensive.
His advice?
"Include as many vegetables and as much fruit as you can. There is hardly any reason to limit those, and they contain a whole lot of vitamins and minerals."
SOURCE: http://bit.ly/7qXyI Archives of Internal Medicine, October 10, 2011.
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