The Biology of Human Longevity or Massaging Your Baby

The Biology of Human Longevity: Inflammation, Nutrition, and Aging in the Evolution of Lifespans

Author: Caleb E Finch

Aging is a great scientific mystery. Longevity has increased remarkably in the last two hundred years, with doubling of the life expectancy from about 40 to more than 80 years. In the evolutionary past, the human species also evolved longer lifespans apparently doubling that of a great ape ancestor. These redoublings of longevity may be understood in terms of reduced levels of inflammation. There is a remarkable overlap of inflammatory processes in arterial disease, Alzheimer's, cancer, and diabetes. In animal models, these diseases are attenuated by drugs with anti-inflammatory effects or by diet restriction which is also anti-inflammatory. Moreover, the evolution of the human lifespan from great ape ancestors required adaptation to new levels of inflammation during the shift from herbivory to our preferred meat-rich diet. In short, inflammation-diet interactions might well explain the evolution of human longevity and indicate its future potential.

The book The Biology of Human Longevity - Inflammation, Nutrition, and Aging in the Evolution of Lifespans synthesizes several decades of top research, and expands a number of existing major theories, including the Barker theory of fetal origins of adult disease to consider the role of inflammation and Harmon's free radical theory of aging to include inflammatory damage. Future increases in lifespan are challenged by the obesity epidemic and spreading global infections which may reverse the gains made in lowering inflammatory exposure.

Professor Caleb Finch is one of the leading scientists of our time. Ranked in the top half of the 1 % most cited scientists, Professor Finch is director of the Gerontology ResearchInstitute and the Alzheimer Research Center at the University of Southern California. He has received most of the major awards in biomedical gerontology. This book will be a scientific publishing event on the same level as his "Longevity, Senescence, and the Genome", published in 1990.

- A new synthesis expanding on existing ideas about the biology of longevity and aging
- Incorporates important research findings from several disciplines, including Gerontology, Genomics, Neuroscience, Immunology, Nutrition.
- A book of major importance from one of the great scientists of our time.

Doody Review Services

Reviewer:David O. Staats, MD(University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center)
Description:This single-authored book describes mechanisms involved in human aging, including inflammation, oxidation, infections, and obesity. Nutrition and inflammation have paramount roles in human aging.
Purpose:Its purpose is to review the mechanisms of human aging. This is an extremely important topic and the author achieves a masterful discussion of the topic.
Audience:All persons involved in aging research and the study of mechanisms of disease in humans -- including all animal models -- will find this a most useful book. The author is one of the world's leading experts in gerontology.
Features:The six chapters cover inflammation, infections, calorics, developmental influences on aging, genetics, and evolution of the human life span. The clarity of organization, the depth of thought, and the tone throughout are all simply outstanding.
Assessment:Standing with his monumental Longevity, Senescence and the Genome (University of Chicago Press, 1994), Caleb Finch has written another masterpiece. In the former book he looks at aging as a biological phenomenon and sees where we lie in comparison to aging in all other living things. In this book he lays out a unified field theory of aging. He discusses the mechanisms of aging and lays out the interactions of the extrinsic and intrinsic factors that affect human aging. Then, harkening back to the first book, he weaves in genetics, evolution, and development. His call for new models of aging, cognizant of these latter factors, will influence the next generation ofhuman aging researchers.

Table of Contents:

Chapter 1: Inflammation and oxidation in aging and chronic diseases.
Chapter 2. Infections, Inflammogens, and Drugs.
Chapter 3. Energy balance, inflammation, and aging.
Chapter 4: Nutrition and Infection in the Developmental Influences on Aging.
Chapter 5: Genetics.
Chapter 6: The human the life span: present, past, and future.

Go to: Applications in Basic Marketing or Consumer Economic Issues in America

Massaging Your Baby: The Joy of Touch Communication

Author: Elaine Fogel Schneider

The power of touch is real and has been scientifically shown to have remarkable effects. For children, it encourages relaxation; improves sleep patterns; reduces discomfort from teething, colic, and gas; strengthens digestive and circulatory systems; and does so much more. For parents, it nurtures bonding, increases communication, promotes parenting skills, and actually reduces stress levels. Now, to help parents understand the power of massage and incorporate it into their daily childcare routine, massage expert Dr. Elaine Fogel Schneider has written the ultimate guide to using infant massage at home.

Based on the latest research, Massaging Your Baby begins by explaining how and why massage is so beneficial to young ones. This is followed by the basics: an explanation of the items you will need to have on hand, and of the best times to massage your child. The book then provides an easy-to-follow step-by-step guide to effective massage techniques. Included is a section on songs and rhymes that complement massage time. And as the child gets bigger, additional techniques are offered to treat sore muscles from sports and play. There is even a wonderful section designed for children with special needs, from autism to ADD, Down Syndrome, and spina bifida.

Whether you are a first-time parent, a seasoned pro, or a helpful grandparent, you will find that Massaging Your Baby can provide children with the gift of health, communication, and love that can last a lifetime.