The skin is the outermost organ of the human body which is flexible and soft. For the sake of the healthy skin, every day people clean, moisturize and protect skin, especially women. What are the facts behind the human skin?

As quoted from HowStuffWorks, by understanding the skin, we can help place them in a perspective of how the skin fills all the space in the body.

1. The skin protects the internal organs from external elements such as extreme temperatures, ultraviolet rays from the sun and harmful chemicals.

2. The skin also helps retain water, prevent infection and produce essential proteins and vitamins. To perform all the tasks, a large amounts of skin is required.

3. Adults have an average of about 8 pounds (3.6 kilograms) or approximately 22 square feet (6.7 square meters) of skin.

4. Not all skin can be seen by the eye. Human skin consists of three layers: the epidermis, dermis and fat layer under the skin, or hypodermis. And each layer has a different purpose.

Epidermis is the outer layer of skin that gives pigment-cells and produce new skin cells to replace cells that have died.

Dermis is the middle layer, is a place to feel pain and has touch receptors like blood vessels, hair follicles, collagen and elastin.

While subcutaneous layer consists of collagen and fat, which helps absorb shocks and protect the body and internal organs.

5. The skin is an organ which keeps on developing and constantly changes throughout our lives. Even humans shed about 40,000 skin cells per minute.

6. Skin experienced renewal every 35 days. This means that when a person aged 20 years, he has experienced skin turnover of 200 times.

In recent years, studies have demonstrated that a spice used for many centuries in traditional Indian medicine could in fact be helpful to cure cancer. Researchers have discovered that one of the ingredients of Indian saffron, named curcumin, was able, in the laboratory, to treat the cells of skin and breast cancer, among others. Clinical studies involving the use of curcumin have in fact been launched and presently, scientists from the University of Texas’ Department of Medicine have discovered that curcumin blocks the activity of a gastrointestinal hormone that is involved in the development of colorectal cancer (second most deadly cancer).

The work of Professor B. Mark Evers and his collaborators was published in one of the latest issues of Clinical Cancer Research, and it demonstrates that gastrointestinal hormone, neurotensine, which is generated in response to fat consumption, contributes to the production of IL-8, an inflammatory protein that accelerates the growth and dissemination of a variety of human cancer cells including colorectal and pancreatic tumour cells. According to the main author, the fact that this action can be completely stopped by this natural product, curcumin, is totally remarkable. The authors, including an associate researcher, Dr. Xiaofu Wang, studied the effects of curcumin. The effect of neurotensine depends on a biochemical signal inside the cells. Experiments have shown that circumin decreases these signals, thereby reducing the production of IL-8.

Experiments also showed that neurotensine increases cell migration, thereby most probably decreasing the colorectal cancer cells’ capacity metastasize to other part of the body. Also according to the authors, the results suggest that circumin may be helpful in the treatment of colorectal cancer whose cells respond to the gastrointestinal hormone. Close to one third of colorectal cancer cells have neurotensine receptors. The concept resembles what happens in breast and prostate cancer where the primary treatment involves blocking hormones.

Disclaimer: This article is not meant to provide health advice and is for general information only. Always seek the insights of a qualified health professional before embarking on any health program.

Resveratrol is a brand new anti-aging formula that helps you lose weight and look younger. It has been featured on CNN, New York Times, Barbara Walters, Fox News, WebMD, Dr. Oz, and Oprah. The Resveratrol craze is because of the profound effects it has on humans. Listed below are three main side effects and explanations for each:

Remember, side effects aren’t always negative are they? Resveratrol is an all-natural supplement that provides high levels of one of the most powerful natural anti-oxidants. Read the rest of this entry »

The men of any age may develop breast cancer, but is usually detected in men between 45 and 65 years of age. Breast cancer found in men is less than 1% of all cases of breast cancer. Although rare, the inflammatory breast cancer found in males is a very aggressive cancer that grows quickly. It’s called inflammatory because cancer cells block the lymph vessels and this is manifested in the skin, which becomes thick and hollowed, the appearance is similar to that of an orange peel. Read the rest of this entry »

Human growth hormone, also called somatotropin, is a protein hormone of 190 amino acids (building blocks of protein) that is created and secreted by the anterior pituitary gland. It has two types of effects, both of which are highly beneficial to the vital, active human body.

One main type of action of the HGH is its direct effects on other kinds of cells. The growth hormone binds to its receptor on target cells, then creates some particular action. Fat cells, for example, are the target cells of HGH, so they have growth hormone receptors. Once bonded there, the growth hormone causes them to break down triglyceride and suppresses their ability to take up and accumulate circulating lipids — in other words, fat storage is prevented! Read the rest of this entry »