Wunderlich

It would be a great pity if recent media scare stories highlighting the supposed risks of vitamin E supplementation prevented people, particularly the elderly, from ensuring that their diets include adequate supplies of this vital nutrient.

These stories all centred on a single study, which was not new research but a meta-analysis of 19 previous reports focussed on subjects already identified as suffering from chronic diseases. The applicability of its findings to the usefulness or otherwise of vitamin E in helping to prevent disease and maintain optimum health in the well population must therefore be open to serious doubt. And this one study must also be considered alongside the many which have reported the different health benefits of vitamin E since its discovery in 1922.

Numerous of these studies have demonstrated the benefits of vitamin E to cardiovascular health in terms of protecting against the onset of heart disease, in restricting the advance of the disease, and in reducing the risk of second and further heart attacks in those already affected. In common with other anti-oxidants, vitamin E also appears to protects against atherosclerosis, the hardening of the arteries which is the common precursor of serious heart problems. In fact vitamin E appears to have a general blood thinning and anti-coagulant effect similar to but much gentler and more natural than drugs such as warfarin. Vitamin E thereby helps to protect against highly dangerous clots forming in the arteries serving the brain and heart; clots which can lead to stroke still one of the main causes of premature death and disability in the western world.

But the benefits of vitamin E reach far beyond the heart and circulatory system. Being fat-soluble, vitamin E is also needed in large quantities by the brain, the trillions of cells of which are particularly rich in fat. Brain function is highly dependent on the efficient functioning of cell membranes, largely formed of fatty tissue, to allow transmission of messages between cells. Free radical damage to cell membranes, worsening rapidly with age, is therefore regarded as one of the principal causes of impaired cognitive function and may even be implicated as a contributory factor in Alzheimers disease. As an anti-oxidant, vitamin E is an important protector against free radical damage and its not surprising, therefore, that numerous studies have reported superior cognitive function and memory as consequences of vitamin E supplementation.

As cancer is well known as predominantly a disease of degeneration, it is not surprising that powerful anti-oxidants such as vitamin E should offer a degree of protection against it. And indeed, numerous studies have clearly linked enhanced levels of vitamin E in the body with a reduced incidence of common cancers, particularly that of the prostate. As a powerful anti-oxidant vitamin E may also protect against the damage to healthy cells that is an inevitable accompaniment of necessarily aggressive chemo and radio cancer therapies.

And as if all of this wasnt enough, vitamin E has also demonstrated possible benefits in the treatment of diabetes, in combatting the pain of rheumatoid and osteoarthritis and in maintaining good vision, particularly in old age. Vitamin E is also regarded as a general immune system booster. But for all these identified benefits, concerns persist in some quarters about the potential dangers of vitamin E, and are generally focussed on the possible toxicity of very high intakes. And its true that being fat-soluble, vitamin E can be stored in the body, giving rise to a potential for toxicity if ingested in excessive quantities over time. But there are good grounds for thinking that these concerns are probably misplaced.

Rich dietary sources of vitamin E are foods such as leafy green vegetables, certain types of nuts, vegetable oils and whole grains. The typical modern, highly processed, Western diet, high in fat and refined carbohydrate, and produced from intensively farmed, poor quality soils, is unlikely to provide even an adequate, let alone an excessive supply of the vitamin.

Moreover, both the Institute of Medicine and US Dietary Guidelines have identified a regular daily intake of 1,500 IU as the maximum at which no risk should arise to the health of healthy individuals. To put this in context: most commercially available supplements will provide only between 200 and 400 IU.

So with the ever increasing danger of free radical damage as the body ages, and the difficulty of obtaining adequate supplies from diet alone, it appears that any problems arising from vitamin E are far more likely to be those of deficiency rather than excess.

Steve Smith is a freelance copywriter specializing in direct marketing and with a particular interest in health products.

Find out more at http://www.sisyphuspublicationsonline.com/LiquidNutrition/Information.htm

No one can make you laugh quite the way your friends can, and there's nothing like sharing a few funny friendship quotes with those closest to you to make your day shine a bit brighter.

Here are 18 of my favorite funny friendship quotes to share with those you love. I hope you enjoy these funny friendship quotes as much as I like sharing them with you!

1. "A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked." ~ Bernard Meltzer

2. "There are three faithful friends, an old wife, an old dog, and ready money." ~ Benjamin Franklin

3. "Money can't buy friends, but you can get a better class of enemy." ~ Spike Milligan

4. "A true friend stabs you in the front." ~ Oscar Wilde

5. "Marriage is a sort of friendship recognized by the police." ~ Anonymous

6. "An old friend will help you move. A good friend will help you move a dead body." ~ Jim Hayes

7. "Give me one friend, just one, who meets the needs of all my varying moods." ~ Esther M. Clark

8. "Love is blind. Friendship tries not to notice." ~ Anonymous

9. "I have lost friends, some by dath, others through sheer inability to cross the street." ~ Virginia Woolf

10. "Friends may come and go, but enemies accumulate." ~ Thomas Jones

11. "I got a lotta best friends. Some o' them I don't even hardly know!" ~ Archie Bunker

12. "It takes a long time to grow an old friend." ~ John Leonard

13. "We must hang together, or surely we shall hang separately." ~ Benjamin Franklin

14. "Friends are God's ways of apologizing for our families." ~ Anonymous

15. "Tis the privilege of friendship to talk nonsense, and have her nonsense respected." ~ Charles Lamb

16. "You can't stay in your corner of the forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes." ~ Winnie the Pooh

17 "Good friends, good books and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life." ~ Mark Twain

18. "Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, 'What! You too? I thought I was the only one." ~ C.S. Lewis

As you can see, funny friendship quotes are a great way to remember what makes our friendships so special and our friends so dear. Share a few of these funny friendship quotes with the friends who make your life a brighter and your days a delight.

For more friendship quotes, check out the popular friendship quotes section of Famous-Quotes-And-Quotations.com, a website that specializes in 'Top 10' lists of quotations in dozens of categories.

The United States government, with it's huge resources, has a number of excellent health related web sites which contain reliable hair loss information which is freely available to the public.

The advantage of checking hair loss information on a US government site is that you are unlikely to be affected by sensational claims or dubious hair loss treatments that can leave you disappointed and a little poorer! The information on public service government web sites is usually accurate and objective.

To browse US government web sites easily, use Google's special tool for that purpose. Just type this address into your browser: google.com/ig/usgov

Use the following suggestions for finding solid, hair loss information:

Your Search Phrase

Use a specific search phrase in the search box on the google.com/ig/usgov page and remember to put quotes around the phrase to get higher quality results so the search engine looks specifically and only for the words within the quotes as they appear together.

Here are some suggestions:

• hair loss
• hair transplants
• alopecia
• baldness
• propecia
• rogaine

Domain Extensions To Watch For

Web sites with the following domain name extensions are usually reliable as they are not trying to sell a product:

.gov

These sites are sponsored by the federal government. National Institutes of Health (nih.gov) and National Library of Medicine (nlm.nih.gov) are good examples of where you can find good hair loss information.

Clinical trial information is documented on clinicaltrials.gov, run by National Institutes of Health and the Food and Drug Administration.

.edu

These web sites are sponsored by universities and medical institutions. Mayo Clinic (mayo.edu) is a good example although you will also find good hair loss information on an associated site at mayoclinic.com.

.org

Web sites with an .org extension are generally operated by non-profit organizations with the focus on research and teaching.

Questions To Ask

Here are some questions you need to ask when visiting a web site for hair loss information:

• What is the purpose of the web site? To sell a product? If so, is clinical evidence available and have clinical trial results been published? Has the product been featured in a trustworthy medical journal?
• Who is behind the web site? Is there an "About Us" page or "Company Profile" page with contact details?
• Is the information up to date? Does the article carry a date and is the source of the hair loss information identified?

Using the suggestions outlined above when researching hair loss information will help you gather accurate, reliable material which in turn will go a long way to assist you in making an informed decision regarding your treatment options.

Mike Jones is a writer and webmaster with over 10 years experience. His recommendation:

The NewHair Biofactors system uses a deep cleansing shampoo which stops hair loss:

http://www.1bodycare.com/newhair.htm

Read the Medical Post article on NewHair Biofactors results:

http://www.4-hair-loss-solutions.com/baldness-medical-post.html

Hair Loss Research Library:

http://www.4-hair-loss-solutions.com/Hair-Loss-Library

Attention, baby boomers; dont be late for the party! If you havent noticed whats going on south of the border, having only heard about illegal immigration north of the border, the following may prove to be quite awakening and informative.

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, a sleepy little Mexican fishing village located in the foothills of the Sierra Madres on Banderas Bay along the Mexican Riviera is no longer sleepy or little. The population has literally exploded since the filming of The Night of the Iguana in 1963. Vallarta has grown from 2,000 inhabitants prior to 1963 to the current figure of 350,000 inhabitants in 2007. Today, the population of greater PV makes it the second largest city in the Mexican state of Jalisco, only behind Guadalajara. Please refer to the following graph in order to track this explosive growth and its projection for the next ten years:

(Please visit the website below for graph details)

Putting this in perspective, youll notice the above chart indicates that Vallarta has now reached the size of St. Louis and assuming the projected growth holds true, it will be equal in size to Cleveland within ten years. The significant note of interest is that St Louis, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, etc., will all probably show little to no, perhaps even negative growth, while PV is expected to grow by another 50% during the next ten years. Now, we ask, whats going on down there? First, lets consider whos moving there. The entire industry of Vallarta is based on tourism and the immigration of North Americans. The US data from the IRS returns indicates a growth from 200,000 US citizens a few years ago to 750,000 Americans living in Mexico in 2005. Of the 750,000 Americans, we can only estimate that 50,000 Americans and Canadians now call Vallarta home. With the tens of thousands of condos and villas currently under construction or in the ten year planning phase, we can only imagine that by 2017, the North American population in greater PV will be somewhere between 100,000 and 150,000 retirees. The following are some of the reasons for this explosive growth:

Climate--The seven month high season of November through May has an average daily temperature of 73*F with virtually no chance of rain.

Scenery--Vallarta, located in the foothills of the Sierra Madres on the Banderas Bay, one of the largest and most beautiful bays in the world, is in the center of the Mexican Riviera on the Pacific Ocean. Beautiful beaches, rocky cliffs, mountain sides overlooking the bay, tropical flowers and wildlife, and all the sights that one would expect to find in Paradise.

Safe--With tourism being the life blood of the economy, North Americans are off limits regarding any sort of criminal activity. Since guns are strictly prohibited in Mexico, burglaries, robberies, etc., are virtually unheard of. The primary objective of most all of the young generation of natives is to assure all North Americans a pleasant and safe visit to Paradise so that theyll return soon and often. Fear of a terrorist attack in Vallarta? Forget it!

Friendliness--In 2001, a readers poll taken by Conde Nast magazine listed Vallarta as the friendliest resort destination in the world. The locals treat North Americans with dignity, respect, and as friends, family, and almost as royalty.

Clean Food and Water--The explosive population growth has caused a complete revamping and expanding of the city infrastructure. This includes the road system, power generation and distribution, and of course, water treatment and distribution systems. The water is pure and safe to drink from the tap throughout the city. All food products are now available in the many new modern supermarkets equal to the finest in the States. Food for home or restaurant consumption is closely monitored for cleanliness and controlled as in North America.

Medical care--Two new huge modern hospitals and one smaller modern clinic in Vallarta are fully capable of handling all emergencies as well as complicated surgeries. Modern dental clinics are also in Vallarta offering crowns, caps, implants, as well as all the basic dental practices. All of the doctors and dentists speak English and many of them have had at least some professional training in the States.

Friends--Every North American that you see in Vallarta, and they are easy to spot, is either on vacation or retired, i.e., none of them have to go to work tomorrow! They are all open to new friendships and new comers are always welcome. Its one big party with no looming pressures of the office or the commuter drive in the morning.

Language--Because the economy in PV is based on tourism, it is imperative to speak English. Therefore, it is estimated that at least 80% of the younger generation is now speaking or at least understanding English. Communication is not a problem in Vallarta and there is no need to learn Spanish.

Travel Time--Although Vallarta is on the same latitude as Hawaii, it is only two to three hours from most of the US cities. All the highways coming down from the US are now super modern tollroads and the drive to PV can be made in two days from the border.

Connectivity--With high speed internet service available citywide, internet based telecommunications, and satellite TV available everywhere, you have the same contact with the world that you would have anywhere in the US or Canada.

Activities--World class deep sea fishing has been for years, and will always be, a major activity in Vallarta. There are now seven beautiful golf courses with more under construction. There are hundreds of tennis courts, water activities, night life galore, and too many clubs and organizations to mention. If you have nothing to do in PV, its only because thats your choice!

Cost of Living--The cost of basic staples is about the same as in North America, however, housing is roughly half the cost and housing related taxes are a fraction of those in the States. All services are a half to a third of those in the US including medical and dental care because labor rates are so much lower. The cost of dining, outdoor activities, etc., are pretty much in line with those in the States.

Economic Security--The Mexican peso, at approximately 10.8 pesos per US dollar, has held firm for the past ten years. There are no devaluation concerns at this time as the Mexican economy booms.

Political Security--The PAN party has ruled in Mexico since 2000 and will remain in power at least until 2012, assuring a twelve year consecutive run of Mexico being governed by Harvard graduates! Needless to say, they are pro-US and friendly to the North.

Investment--Property values have tripled during the past ten years and are expected to double again during the next five years. With the booming economy, the Mexican stock market has also tripled during the past ten years. There is no slow down of growth in the foreseeable future.

Hopefully, the above 15 items will provide some explanation for the booming economy and explosive growth in Vallarta. They say that the partys not over, that it has only just begun. The Mexican National Tourism Development Foundation (Fonatur), has designated a 30 mile stretch of pristine Pacific Ocean shoreline north of Vallarta as the new Riviera Nayarit, where more than five billion dollars will be invested during the next ten years creating 30,000 new jobs as they build close to 20,000 new condos, villas, hotels, etc. As the North Americans continue to flock to Paradise, the infrastructure growth and future planning activities continue at a torrid pace.

If youre retired or close to retirement, you ought to check out Vallarta before its too late. If youre fortunate, youll be included in the next 100,000 gringos that migrate to Paradise!

Jim Scherrer is a retired entrepreneur from Houston, has owned property in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico for 24 years, and has made Vallarta his permanent residence for the past ten years. He founded Puerto Vallarta Real Estate Buyers Agents (PVREBA), whose mission is to reveal all the recent changes that have occurred in Vallarta while dispelling the misconceptions about living in Mexico. PVREBA acts exclusively as buyers agents by introducing North Americans to Vallarta, showing them properties that meet their needs and budgets, and assisting them through the foreign buying process, with all payments made by the listing agents. For the full series of articles regarding Retirement in Puerto Vallarta as well as pertinent Puerto Vallarta links, please visit us at http://www.pvreba.com