Prevention is better than cure

PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE

(Ref: Prof. Lester Packer - University of California)

Courses in many medical schools all over the world concentrate on how to cure the sick, while there are a few courses that teach how to maintain good health and prevent illness.

True or not?

A lot of people now realize the importance of preventive medicine.  Increasing awareness that can improve  defence against disease and by proper nutrition.

Is Vitamin E really effective in slowing down the ageing process ?

Scientific evidences show that Vitamin E protects against ageing and chronic and degenerative diseases such as coronary heart disease, arthritis and cataracts.  Vitamin C and E are now will known as anti-oxidants.  A lack of these vitamins cause the progress of diseases linked with age.  If the diet is included sufficiently the progress will be slower.

How early should one start taking Vitamin E ?

The earlier the better.  An average of 400mg perday is sufficient.
Vitamin E is found in plant materials including green and yellow leafy vegetables.  It is also found in certain plant oils like palm oil, coconut oil, barley oil and rice oil.  We don`t expect to live longer than we otherwise would, but at least to live better and more active life. Two components found on palm oil Vitamin E  i.e. tocotrienols and tocopherols are dietary essentials whose main function is to act as anti-oxidants that is, components that protect others from oxidation.  Of the two components tocotrienols seems more effective than tocopherols.

Free radicals are formed in the body during normal metabolic processes leading to the oxidation of the fatty acid component on the cell membrane.  The oxidative damage may consequently impair the proper functioning of these cells.

Vitamin E acts as an anti-oxidant, scavenging the free radicals and is hence hypothesised to play a protective role against cellular ageing atherosclerosis and cancer.

Skin cancer is the most common form of human cancer and the most common malignant cancer.  The incidence of ultraviolet (UV) irradiation on the earth correlates with increased malignant and non-malignant melanoma.

The multi-step process of carcinogenesis and that molecular damage due to UV irradiation may be reduced by Vitamin E.  Vitamin E is also an important components of the lung`s defence against the injurious effects of smog,smoke and smoking.