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.

Tremendous strides have been made in the field of anti-aging medicine, The Wrinkle Cure, in 2000. It was there that I first introduced my inflammation–aging theory, which firmly places chronic, low-grade invisible inflammation at the center of aging, age-related diseases, and a host of degenerative conditions. This theory was often dismissed with either ridicule or skepticism— however, science has now recognized its validity, and inflammation has been overwhelmingly recognized as a serious threat to health and longevity.

As you will learn in this book, we do not need elaborate, expensive, and possibly dangerous pharmaceuticals to halt the inflammatory response and its resultant negative effects. Dr. Perricone’s 7 Secrets to Beauty, Health, and Longevity will give you all of the tools you need, starting with the single most important—the food we eat.

Every day multiple studies are published linking diet to disease. A recent study reported that diets high in saturated fats increase our risk for Alzheimer’s disease, which is an inflammatory disease. Conversely, the anti-inflammatory diet reduces our risk for this debilitating and growing epidemic. Just as important as choosing the right foods is choosing how they are grown and raised. A new study has clearly linked exposure to pesticides with Parkinson’s disease. As I have always emphasized, buy organic and protect yourself and your loved ones from exposure to proven toxic substances.

But it goes even further than the anti-inflammatory foods. We have also made great technological strides in the development of novel nutritional supplements to complement foods and provide the missing links in health and wellness. For the first time, as outlined in this book, we have proven methodologies to revitalize our tired, worn-out bodies at the cellular level and recharge them with increased energy, improved mood, a greater sense of well-being, and renewed purpose.

These targeted supplements are worlds beyond the original vitamins of past generations. Today we can target the key parts of the cells, such as the mitochondria, to restore energy to the cell. As we age, energy levels decline in the cells—in fact, they eventually lose their ability to repair themselves altogether. With the use of a newly discovered class of mitochondrial rejuvenators, we can recharge the cells in all of our organ systems, including the skin, for total body rejuvenation. Being a dermatologist, I find this particularly exciting. Learning how to restore bone structure and muscle mass to the aging face is one of our greatest strategies in maintaining a youthful face.

However, the good news doesn’t stop there. Science has recently learned that brain cells can also be rejuvenated. It was long and widely believed that we were born with a genetically determined brain of fixed size and potential, for better or worse. This is far from the truth. We now know that the brain is a growing and changing organ. As we will learn in this book, we have many strategies to optimize this growth, including the essential fatty acid phosphatidylserine, which is a powerful prevention for memory loss, Alzheimer’s, and dementia. Other fatty acids, such as the omega-3s and fish oils, dramatically improve brain health, mood, attention span, and more.

We will also learn about forms of exercise that will not only deliver powerful anti-aging benefits to the body but will also increase our powers of focus and concentration while restoring physical and mental equilibrium. As you will learn in Dr. Perricone’s 7 Secrets to Beauty, Health, and Longevity, our bodies, minds, and spirits have the potential for tremendous growth, rebirth, and regeneration, given the proper tools. Thank you for accompanying me on this exciting journey.

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People who consume olive oil regularly is pointed out could avoid the risk of cancer. This was revealed by studies involving 182 participants. A study reported by Reuters on Tuesday (9/3/2010), found out that olive oil content is proven to reduce levels of secondary metabolic results, one of the factors triggering cancer cells. Therefore, the researchers recommend that people should consume olive oil.

“Olive oil contains phenols which are antioxidants which is believed could prevent cancer,” said Dr. Henrik E Poulsen from the University of Copenhagen, Danish. He also strongly recommends to replace the use of butter, with olive oil.

In addition to the cancer-preventing foods, olive oil also has properties for skin beauty. Vitamin E which is contained in it can maintain skin elasticity. The saturated oils content inside it are also very useful to remove the black stain on the skin. Consuming olive oil regularly every day, could make the skin feel firmer and smoother.

The benefits of olive oil does not end on that. Containing omega-9, olive oil can suppress levels of bad cholesterol (Low Density Lipoprotein / LDL), and raise good cholesterol (High Density Lipoprotein / HDL). That is the reason why people with cholesterol and heart disease, are encouraged to consume olive oil every day.

SLEEP is not only a perfect rest for body and soul, but also makes you enjoy life more. Conversely, lack of sleep not only affects your chance to enjoy life, but also create a threat to health.

Lack of sleep at the age of approximately 20 did not show side effects that are too visible. In fact, when enough time to rest overnight, it will give a dramatic effect on your face.

There is a clear correlation between the time sleeping with one’s appearance. A recent study found that poor sleep has hormonal effects that are similar to the aging process. In fact, increasing the possibility of disease associated with age, according to quotes from Legal Daily Mail, Tuesday (16/2/2010).

“We suspect that loss of sleep not only accelerate the aging, but also enhance the disease, such as hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and memory loss,” said Eve Van Cauter, a scientists who led the research path.

Furthermore, other studies found in the fact that lack of sleep could trigger the stress which would  react on the body, increase cortisol levels, the emergence of stress hormones, and glucose. Please note, the increased levels of glucose in the body indicated a greater risk of heart disease and stroke.

In addition, a more worrying again, the woman who has a habit of approximately five hours of sleep a night, was tantamount to raise herself to the risk of heart disease. Disrupted sleep also affect blood pressure (which usually falls at night) and make us susceptible to colds and flu.

A study which is done by Europe Sleep Research Society found that people who sleep less tend to be judged less attractive and has a paler color. Cause, during deep sleep, that’s when skin cells are newly produced.

The reason why so many of us feel and look 10 years younger after the holidays is because, when on vacation, we have enough time to sleep.

“One of the primary functions of sleep is to allow the brain to repair themselves,” says Professor Jim Horne, director of the Sleep Research Center at the University of Loughborough.

During sleep, the cortex [the largest part of the brain, which regulate the functions of higher, such as thoughts and actions] went into recovery mode. Without a break, you may wake up in the condition irritable, depressed, forgetful and unable to concentrate on the task.

Well, of course is not unreasonable if you have to spend a lot of money to become a member at the gym and buy expensive face cream to look young, but all you need is at least six hours of sleep each night.

The benefits of fish oil on skin can be harnessed from fatty acids called EPA (Eicosapentaenoic acid). Journal of Lipid Research in 1995 has found startling evidences that EPA works three-fold: inhibit the secretion of sebum, (which is commonly known as skin oil), produces anti-inflammatory substances called prostaglandins, and discourages the production of Arachidonic acid. The research recommends that achieve good skin health, a 1000 mg of fish oil a day with healthy food will do the trick.

Our skin, like all our body organs, is subjected to the wear and tear of daily living.  The disappearance of our once rosy pink complexion we once had when we were infants is inevitable. But the recent strides in medical technology and discoveries in science have helped us in keeping our skin’s health to the optimum, locking in the look of youth and warding away the symptoms of aging. And if there is one product that lives up to the true promise of medical research, nothing can top fish oil in the list.

The benefits of fish oil on skin can be harnessed from fatty acids called EPA (Eicosapentaenoic acid). Journal of Lipid Research in 1995 has found startling evidences that EPA works three-fold: inhibit the secretion of sebum, (which is commonly known as skin oil), produces anti-inflammatory substances called prostaglandins, and discourages the production of Arachidonic acid.  The research recommends that achieve good skin health, a 1000 mg of fish oil a day with healthy food will do the trick.

What do these three things mean and what are the benefits of fish oil on skin?  EPA lessens the production of androgens, the male sexual hormone that signals the body to produce sebum. Less androgens would mean less sebum on the skin. By reducing the amount of sebum on the skin surface, teenagers suffering from acnes will see less pimples and facial lesions. Remember that excessive production of oil clogs the skin pores, producing vile facial eruptions.

Prostaglandins are substances that keep the cell repair at work. Without prostaglandins, the cells in the body find it more difficult to remove waste products. In addition, the absence of prostaglandins would mean less production of new cells in the body. By renewing the cells, the fish oil makes it possible for skin to stay younger-looking and supple. This means that the products delay ageing and  keep wrinkles away.

Arachidonic acids are found in people with inflammatory skins, such as those who are suffering from skin problems like psoriasis and eczema. The fatty acids in fish oil make it possible for arachidonic acid to be produced in large amounts, giving relief to people whose skin and appearance have been severely affected by disease.

Lastly, one of the most important benefits of fish oil on skin is that fish oil improves blood circulation. If blood is allowed to flow without impediments, this would mean that the skin will receive sufficient supply of nutrients. Skin cells will have greater ability to renew, making it possible for the skin to stay young and wrinkle-free.