For The San Diego Union-Tribune
Bigger belly, but better
Belly fat is not good. It can increase the risk of many health issues, such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer, stroke, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, dementia, metabolic disorders, kidney problems and t and back pain.
But it turns out that maybe not all belly fat is equally bad. Researchers studied belly fat from people who had a long history of exercising and persons who didn’t exercise at all. (The two groups matched in other ways, such as weight, sex and body fat mass.)
The belly fat in exercisers had more blood vessels, mitochondria and beneficial proteins and less of a type of collagen that can interfere with metabolism. It also had fewer cells that cause inflammation.
Importantly, the belly fat examined was taken subcutaneously, from just under the skin, which appears to be the healthiest place for storing fat. Exercise increases the capacity to store fat there, rather than viscerally around internal organs or in the organs themselves.
Body of knowledge
The blood vessels in the human body form an extensive network, measuring between 60,000 to 100,000 miles. If stretched out, these vessels would be long enough to circumnavigate the globe more than three times. It takes a red blood cell less than a minute to move from the heart through the body and back to the heart.
Get me that. Stat!
All 50 states require vaccinations before entering childcare or school. Forty-five states allow exemptions based on religious or personal beliefs, or both. The remaining five have no permitted vaccination exemptions: California, Connecticut, Maine, New York and West Virginia.
Best medicine
Exercise tip: Lifting dictionaries can add definition to your muscles.
Observation
“I’m allergic to food. Every time I eat, it breaks out into fat.”
— Jennifer Green Duncan
Medical history
This week in 1981, aspartame artificial sweetener was approved for tabletop use by the U.S. Food and Drug istration. Its permitted uses included candy, tablets, breakfast cereals, instant coffee and tea, gelatins, puddings, fillings, dairy-product toppings and as a flavor enhancer for chewing gum, among others.
The sweetener was inadvertently discovered during research on a potential ulcer drug. By weight, it was about 200 times sweeter than sugar, with very few calories. G.D. Seale marketed it as NutraSweet.
Fit to be tried
There are thousands of exercises and you’ve only got one body, but that doesn’t mean you can’t try them all. The majority of research suggests static stretching before exercise has no effect — and may actually hinder — performance during strength and power training. But there is some new evidence that posits stretching to improve flexibility may help you live longer, because people with the stiffest ts are more likely to die prematurely.
Here are three stretching and flexibility exercises you can do standing. Last week, we showed four other exercises you can do sitting down.
1. Quadriceps stretch
Purpose: Stretch quadriceps (front of thigh) and strengthen hamstring (back of thigh).
Starting position: Stand with your left side to the wall, 12 to 18 inches from the wall. Place your left hand against the wall for balance, keeping that arm slightly bent.
Action: Raise your right heel toward your buttocks. Reach back with your right hand and grab your foot at the heel, ankle or sock. If you can’t reach your foot, grab your pant leg or just raise your foot as high as you can and still feel comfortable. Hold for 10 to 30 seconds. Be sure you’re standing tall and looking straight ahead. Your knee should be pointing toward the floor and your ankle should be in a straight line with your leg, not twisted to the side. Let go of your foot and slowly return to starting position. Then repeat. Complete one set, then turn around and hold the wall with your right hand when working your left leg.
Repeat: 1 to 3 times with each foot. Rest, then do a second set.
2. Hamstring stretch
Purpose: Stretch hamstring (back of thigh).
Starting position: Stand with your left side to the wall, 12 to 18 inches from the wall. Place your left hand against the wall for balance, keeping that arm slightly bent.
Action: Place your left heel on the floor in front of you. Lean forward from your hip (not your waist). Push your hip back and reach toward your toe with your right hand. Your foot can be pointing up (as shown) or flat on the floor, whichever is more comfortable for you. Make sure to keep your shoulders and back straight as you reach forward. Hold for 10 to 30 seconds. Return to starting position. Then repeat. Complete one set and then turn around and work the other leg.
Repeat: 3 to 5 times with each leg. Rest, then do a second set.
3. Calf stretch
Purpose: Stretch the calf (lower part of the back of the leg).
Starting position: Stand facing a wall slightly farther than arm’s length away, feet shoulder-width apart. Lean against the wall, with both hands on the wall.
Action: Bend one leg, and place the foot on the ground in front of you. The other leg extends behind you with the knee slightly bent. Both feet point straight ahead. Slowly move your hips forward, keeping your lower back flat. Be sure the heel of your back foot is flat on the floor and your weight is on your back heel. Hold for 10 to 30 seconds. Then return to starting position. Repeat with other leg. Continue alternating legs.
Repeat: 1 to 3 times with each leg. Rest, then do a second set.
Sum body
Three facts about human teeth:
1. One in 2,000 babies are born with natal teeth, which usually grow on the bottom gums and tend to have weak roots. They’re often removed to prevent problems with breastfeeding and accidental swallowing.
2. By age 3, the average child has a full set of 20 “baby teeth,” which will eventually be pushed out by 28 to 32 adult teeth — but not always. When a person doesn’t have an emerging adult tooth, the baby tooth will stay put.
3. Tumors can grow teeth. So-called teratomas are rare germ cell tumors containing several types of tissues and are usually found in the ovaries, testes and near the tailbone. They may contain teeth, hair, eyes or bones. Usually, they are benign and can be surgically removed.
LaFee is vice president of communications for the Sanford Burnham Prebys research institute.
