I came across an online article about "The risk of Colorectal Cancer" and would like to share some of interesting points here. Cancer has been positioned near the top of the cause of death in Japan. The colorectal cancer is famous that the risk is getting higher over the age of 40. Nowadays, it is said that young people in between their 20s and 30s who develop it increase drastically. In case of the colorectal cancer, there are many cases with no symptoms at an early stage. When it progresses on some level, you have blood in your stool, stomachache and abnormal bowel movement. There are some cases that losing weight and anemia appear. That's why a stool test is very important in medical health check to detect the colorectal cancer early. If you need further investigation in your health check, having a colonoscopy is vital. Especially, having a colonoscopy is highly recommended even though you don't see any symptoms on the horizon when you are over 40. The most worried symptom is blood in the stool, but some people make an assumption that is hemorrhoids and see how it goes. When you are bleeding, it is okay if it is cured. However, you must go see a doctor immediately when you are bleeding many repeatedly. You also should go to a hospital soon if you have stomach ache before bowel movement when you feel bloated and constipation. Actually, the doctor told me to need a detailed examination from the result of my stool test when I had an annual heath check this year. Honestly, I was so scared what if I have a colon cancer. Luckily, from my colonoscopy result, I have no issue with my colon. I just became a grandfather this month and hope to see my grandchild becomes an adult if possible.

I came across an online article about "the International Space Station(ISS) deterioration" and would like to share some of interesting points here. The first module was launched in 1998, so the ISS is well over 28 years old at this point. It is the biggest space construction in human history that NASA, JAXA, ESA, Roscosmos and CSA have joined. It plans to shut down operations in January, 2030 and drop into Pacific Ocean. The biggest problem in the deterioration is a crack on the service module. It reported "air leak" in 2019 and the leak increased in 2021. NASA and Roscosmos dealt with it by filling those leaks with resin, but they still haven't found solutions. On top of that, other tiny cracks have been found in 2022 to 2024 and seem impossible to fix completely. The solar battery arrays, which provide ISS with power, has been running much longer the original designed lifespan. The output efficiency dropped by 60 to 70% compared to the design. NASA installed the new "Roll-Out Solar Arrays(iROSA) to increase power generation ability of about 20 kilo watt, but this is just a quick fix. The ISS also has many other issue with thermal insulation, plumbing and so on. As for the successor model for ISS, NASA won't construct or have it on their own in the future. Instead, they pivoted to purchasing service provided as one of customers for orbit platform run by private companies. Private providers take care of design, construction, launch and operation for space station. NASA will join the system that buy astronaut's stay time, research and technology verification service. In my opinion, various cost also can go down as those kind of private companies such as space-X increase. That's why I expect people go on a space trip with affordable price one day.

I came across an online article about "Sport Real Identity to prevent becoming frail" and would like to share some of interesting points here. The research already found out that intense exercising is not necessarily good for longevity and workout with a little out of breath is better than that. How much intense exercising is good for health? Nitric Oxide(NO) is very good for blood vessels. It helps widen blood vessels, lower blood pressure and so on. Exercising can create NO 5 to 10 times as much as being on bed rest. However, it is reducing so fast and we need to keep exercising to have an effect. In that sense, aerobics is good as exercise intensity, and it is said especially walking for long hours is perfect. Intense exercise creates reactive oxygen species(ROS) and it is more of being bad for blood vessels than being good. On the other hand, walking at snail's pace and going for a walk have no meaning, either. So, good exercise needs speed with being out of breath. 124 beats per minute is the target heart rate in exercising. We need to adjust exercise intensity so that it is close to 124 beats per minute. The benefit from exercise changes depending on the age. For young people, putting a little strain on muscles and cardiovascular system have good effect on health and shape. However, for middle-aged people, the benefit changes "create" to "maintain" such as maintaining health and staying in shape. Hence, the purpose changes and the method also changes as well. The training with high strain is sometimes harmful for health in the case of middle-aged people. So, they should do training which improves blood circulation and stimulates muscle. I turned 60 this April. I try to go to the gym on a regular basis, but I tried to do workout as exercise intensity as when I was young since I thought muscle loss happened quickly. According to this article, I was wrong and am going to alter my workout next week.

I came across an online article about "The Bad Combination For Supplements". So, I would like to share some of the interesting points here. The bad combination doesn't mean harmful for human body. One supplement is absorbed in body, but the other is hardly done. In that sense, it is more of the wrong combination than the bad one, to be exact. This is a matter of when we should take those kinds of supplements. The following examples are the combination for supplements to avoid and they counteract each other. 1)Calcium(Ca)+Iron(Fe) : If you take Fe with vitamin C, at least two hours later, you'll have to take Ca with another meal. 2)Zinc(Zn)+Cupper(Cu) : If you take Zn of over 25mg, you'll have to take Fe of a few mg. 3)Iron(Fe)+Green Tea/Coffee : If you take some coffee or tea, you'll have to take Fe at least a few hours later. If you take plenty of supplements for calcium, they prevent human body from absorbing magnesium(Mg), iron and zinc. So does High-does zinc. It causes cupper consumption slowly and one of the most wrong combinations. That's why practical rules which can cover these kinds of failure are that you don't take a single calcium supplement with supplement of a single iron or zinc at the same time. This habit will help remove typical potential competition of suppeiments each other. It's hard to make a time schedule for supplement. Instead, you'll just have to split some supplements into two group adn take each at breakfast and dinner. You should take Fe with vitamin C at breakfast and take Ca, Mg and Zn. Taking Mg just before sleep can help you relax.

I came across an online article about "Volcano in Antarctica" and I would like to summarize and share some of the interesting points. As a symbol of ice sheet and sea ice melt by global warming, what the sea surface rises and salt concentration change are well-known. There is more to it than that. The recent research showed ice sheet reduction can have something to do with volcanic activity increase. There are 100 or more volcano in huge volcanic belt called west-south lift system in Antarctica. The open access research result showed volcanic activity can increase in this area if ice sheet keeps melting at this rate. Ice sheet is pushing down the Earth's crust with their enormous mass. Reducing ice causes the Earth's crust to rise a bit. The flow of underground magma changes by this rise, and lost its balance. It finally can cause a volcanic eruption. If several volcanic eruptions occur at the same time, things will worse drastically. It's highly unlikely that kind of thing happens, but it might occur in the future. Volcanos on the earth and under ice coexist in Antarctica and both of them can activate. Their eruption can create ozone hole and cause glaciers to melt. We need to pay attention to this issue because it also might be imminent threat to Antarctica's beauty. Honestly, I'm very scared and have no idea how all living things including humans will be affected if this happens in the future. In that sense, I hope volcanic activity continues subsiding if possible.

I came across an interesting online article that eating salmon can lower blood pressure. So, I would like to summarize and share some of the interesting points. Many people over 40 years old begin worrying about the number of their blood pressure. It is said that one-third of adults, about 43 million, have high blood pressure in Japan. The high blood pressure is also called "Silent Killer" and increases the risk of heart disease and stroke gradually. Especially, people in their 40s to 60s are the most generation who start having high blood pressure. It is also time to notice changes of your health easily even when you are busy with work or with chores every single day. On the other hand, it found out you just have to eat salmon to lower your blood pressure. It has been scientifically proven by the research team all over the world. The biggest reason why salmon can lower blood pressure is because omega-3 fatty acids are abundant in salmon. Our body can't produce omega-3 fatty acids and we need to get it by having meals. There are mainly two type of the acids as follows EPA(eicosapentaenoic acid): It helps improve blood flow, protect blood vessels and reduce inflammation DHA(docosahexaenoic acid): It helps keep brain heath, improve memory and study ability, and widen blood vessels How much we should eat to obtain effects? The amount of omega-3 fatty acids to lower blood pressure needs about 3 gram per day. That means we need to eat salmon of 110 to 140grams. The volume is almost one piece in a salmon fillet. The research result showed those who take a few grams of EPA and DHA per day lowered their blood pressure by average 2mmHg compared to people who don't. Lowering blood pressure by 2 to 5mmHg can reduce the risk of heart attack by about 7% and stroke by about 10%. This is the effect we can get only by eating salmon without medicines. Personally, I love salmon, but eating salmon every day might be a bit hard for me, but I would like to try that as much as possible

I came across an interesting article online about taking a nap regularly. I would like to share some of the key points here. The article stated that there is a research which those who take a nap frequently have a high risk of suffering from high blood pressure and stroke. Taking a nap has been attracting a lot of attention lately. There has been some researches that those who take a nap a few times per week have a low risk of suffering a heart attack and stroke or taking a nap regularly can improve a cognitive ability. However, according to the analysis result of Biobank data in U.K, the new research revealed it's highly likely that those who take a nap frequently have a high blood pressure and stroke. The research team removed those who were already suffering from those kinds of diseases at the start of the investigation and analyzed the data such as how often you take a nap and if you have a high blood pressure and stroke. From the result, those who have high risk of suffering from those kinds of disease are men who take a nap on a daily basis, have a habit of drinking and smoking and are night owl that can't sleep at night due to insomnia and snoring. The risk depends on their age and people under 60 have 20% higher possibility of becoming high blood pressure. On the other hand, people over 60 have 10% higher possibility. The research team also discovered that the risk of high blood pressure raises by 40% as the frequency of taking a nap increases from "sometimes" to "frequently". This is just result that they checked to see if there is a correlation between nap and disease, not that they proved a causal relationship between them. That's why it is not like that taking a nap causes blood high pressure and stroke. Taking a nap is not harmful itself, but many people doing that can sleep shallow during the night. I just turned 60 this year and have a habit of taking a nap only on Sunday. I'd better be careful on the habit in the future.

I came across an online article about 5 essential nutrients to maintain your eye's healthy. I would like to share some of the key points here. The article stated that there are many different kinds of ways for your eye to stay healthy. Especially, the most important is "meal" and essential nutrients are A-vitamin-A, B-vitamins, Lutein-Zeaxanthin, omega-3 fatty acids and Anthocyanins. Each nutrient is as follows A-vitamin)It is necessary to help cells, which feel light, work normally. It also can make you see things easier even in dark place. Livers and eels contain them. Green and yellow vegetables are also rich in them as be-ta carotene. B-vitamins)They are composed of eight kinds of vitamins. They are abundant in pork, chickens, livers and fish. They can contribute to preventing eyesight from deteriorating and eye diseases. Lutein and Zeaxanthin)They help absorb blue light comes from sunlight and electronics' screen. They also improve eyesight and are especially expected to improve night vision and enhance contrast sensitivity. They are abundant in green and yellow vegetables such as spinach, kale and broccoli. Omega-3s)It helps retain moisture on the eye's surface and is essential to develop eyesight. It is expected to prevent eyesight from deteriorating and eye disease by suppressing eye's inflammation. It is abundant in fish oil which fatty fish contains, vegetable oil and walnuts. Anthocyanins)It protects retina and eye cells from oxidative damage and improves eye's blood circulation. It also helps eyesight in dark place. It is abundant in blueberry, cherry and cabbage. I just turned 60 this April. In the case of over 50, it is time to have a high risk of macular degeneration and cataract. That's why I might want to eat vegetables rich in Lutein and Zeaxanthin, and get plenty of fatty fish with omega-3s. I'm big on food and going to pick up dishes carefully when I have lunch at my company's cafeteria and so on.