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Written By: Editorial Team | Published : May 29, 2014 12:40 PM IST
Researchers have claimed that Tai Chi, a traditional Chinese martial art and sport, was found to be beneficial in increasing the numbers of an important type of cell when three groups of young people were tested to discover the benefits of Tai Chi, brisk walking or no exercise. The group performing Tai Chi saw a rise in their cluster of differentiation 34 expressing (CD34+) cells, a stem cell important to a number of the body's functions and structures. Study corresponding author Dr. Shinn-Zong Lin of the Center for Neuropsychiatry, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan, said to evaluate the potential life-lengthening effect of Tai Chi, they conducted a year-long, retrospective cross-sectional study comparing the rejuvenating and anti-aging effects among three groups of volunteers under the age of 25 who engaged in either Tai Chi (TCC), brisk walking (BW), or no exercise habit (NEH). (Read : 10 tips to prevent wrinkles and other signs of ageing)
Lin said that they used young volunteers because they have better cell-renewing abilities than the old population and they also wanted to avoid having chronic diseases and medications as interfering factors. According to the authors, Tai Chi 'has been confirmed to benefit' patients with mild to moderate Parkinson's disease and fibromyalgia. In addition, they cite possible advantages of Tai Chi in pain reduction, fall prevention and balance improvement, aerobic capacity, blood pressure, quality of life and stress reduction. 'Compared with the NEH group, the TCC group had a significantly higher number of CD 34+ cells,' wrote the authors. 'We found that the CD34+ cell count of the TCC group was significantly higher than the BW group.' They said that CD 34+ cells express the CD 34 protein and are 'cluster markers' for hematopoietic stem cells (blood stem cells) involved in cell self-renewal, differentiation and proliferation. Lin said it's possible that Tai Chi may prompt vasodilation and up blood flow. The study has been published online in the journal Cell Transplantation.
Are anti-ageing products bad for you in the long run?
They make lofty promises of taking the years off your face, of reversing the clock and making your partner fall in love with you "all over again". But be careful before reaching out for anti-ageing products. Dermatologists say that such products could actually end up harming your skin. Notwithstanding the fact that many such creams, gels and other products are medically proved to yield good results, doctors say that they should still be taken under medical supervision because sometimes the results can be disastrous and one may actually invite a host of harmful side effects in the bargain.
"The lure of anti-ageing creams lies in the fact that they are seemingly less complicated than a cosmetic surgery, a botox treatment or some other procedure in the ultimate run to regain a youthful look. It's also less expensive," said Shweta Mehra, a beauty consultant based in Delhi. "But what people forget is that one's skin is very specific to a person and you cannot expect the same results for everyone. While some creams do give visible results, there are also cases in which the skin texture of a person has changed over prolonged use of a particular product that didn't suit her," she added.
Explaining the science behind the work of anti-ageing products, Ranjan Upadhyay, consultant in the dermatology department of Max hospital, said: "As we age, the turnover of our skin cells reduces, and anti-ageing creams regulate this turnover." "So some products are medically proved to increase the glow of the skin and rejuvenate. For instance, lactic acid in a product can have some good effects. But it should not be more than two percent in the product composition. Then, peptide in mixed serums is good, and so is alpha hydroxy acid," he added. Some of the products that form a part of the composition of anti-ageing products, like hyaluronic acid, are used by dermatologists in procedures. (read more on anti-ageing)
With inputs from ANI
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