Normally, when you read through an interesting book you do not encounter questions like the subject of this blog. However, as I read Chapters 7 and 8 in YOU: The Owner’s Manual on the liver, pancreas and sexual organs, I started to draw some common health themes. Perhaps, because of my medical training I quickly noted Action #1 in the liver chapter was related to Action #1 in “Sex Marks the Spot: Your Sexual Organs”. Yes, living clean includes protected sex to avoid the transmission of diseases like hepatitis and having “thoughtful sex” includes a broader definition of safe sexual practices that are also “stress-free”.
Now that I have your full attention, we can review the other “Action Items” related to your liver’s health. The liver has three basic functions: to aid in food digestion, help make proteins and to help remove “bad stuff” like toxins and chemicals from our bodies.
That’s where the role of crunchy vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and others come in – they can help the detoxification job of the liver by fighting against certain cancers.
As an avid coffee drinker, I always enjoy reading new studies that support the beneficial impact of coffee. In the liver’s case, two or more cups of coffee a day can improve your liver’s health. The authors also discuss the benefits of ginseng and cinnamon – the latter is good for the pancreas as well because it improves the action of insulin. By adding whole grains to your diet, you can increase your vitamin B intake (anti-oxidant aid). The additional action items refer to the benefits of nutrients like lecithin, zinc, and milk thistle, which is a supplement with very powerful flavonoids (more anti-oxidants).
To create a sense of balance in the book, Drs. Roizen and Oz also cover four action items in the chapter on sexual health. In all fairness to the other body organs, I thought the recommendations related to “more thoughtful sex” were presented in a very holistic manner. The Real Age studies are very interesting – in that they show that a two-fold increase in your sexual activity will make you 1.6 years younger and “great-quality sex” can have an effect of up to 8 years. (The authors did not include the actual references to that study.) The second action item provides a good overview of vitamins, minerals and nutritional supplements that can improve your sexual health and also decrease symptoms induced by hormonal changes in women. In the final section, the role of preventive care and medical screening for prostate and cervical cancer prevention is clearly cited as a very important action item for men and women respectively.
My blog space does not allow me to go into all the details outlined in these chapters. I recommend that you take a closer look at the authors’ discussions on living a longer and healthier life yourself.
Best regards,
Dr. Tony
