Pass the Pepper!

     Black pepper - the "king" of spice. It has been used for centuries as a culinary spice, in traditional Eastern medicines and therapeutically in dentistry. Black peppercorns contain exceptional amounts of minerals like potassium, zinc, calcium, iron and magnesium as well vitamin-C, A and B complex groups. You can even add a teaspoon of pepper to your wash load to keep the colors brighter longer.

Piperine is the compound that gives black pepper it's pungent taste. Despite it's long time use in medicine, we know little how it works on a molecular level. Researchers from Sejong University in Korea conducted laboratory studies on this compound and found striking results - they're studies show piperine conflicts with the gene that causes formation of new fat cells. It also sets off a chain reaction that keeps other fat cells controlled.

The researchers hope that this study will aid in finding a wider use of black pepper in fighting obesity and other weight related diseases as well as helping improve all of our diets!




Yan Trokel, M.D.

Cosmetic Surgery

New York, NY

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Don't Get Burned By Sunscreen!

In the last blog entry, we talked about Vitamin D and it's link to the sun. The sun is a great way to soak up much needed Vitamin D but we still need to be careful and remember to use sun protection.

On Wednesday, the Environmental Working Group released the 2012 Sunscreen Guide. According to this guide, just 25% of the 800 sunscreen products that were tested are actually effective at protecting your skin without ingredients that could potentially be harmful to us.

200 products out of 800 doesn't sound too promising but, believe it or not, this percentage is surprisingly better than previous years.

So, what exactly do these 200 products have (or don't have) that helped them make the cut onto this safe list? The sunscreens had to be free of oxybenzone, retinyl palmitate (a type of Vitamin A), not have SPF above 50 and must protect against UVA and UVB sunrays.

Thanks to this guide we're able to easily see the ratings of each product. A few tips to remember when choosing a sunscreen - pick an SPF between 15 and 50, make sure the labels list both UVA and UVB protection or broad spectrum. If you're concerned about potentially toxic chemicals, avoid sun protection products that contain oxybenzone and the Vitamin A: retinyl palminate.

Click------> 2012 Sunscreen Guide

Yan Trokel, M.D.

Cosmetic Surgery

New York, NY

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Picture credits: Color by Leanna Lasso

Vitamin D: Key to Lower ♥Heart Disease?

Vitamin D - the sunshine vitamin. We get most of our Vitamin D though sunlight rather than food. It activates the Calcium in our bodies that we need for strong, healthy bones. According to research, Vitamin D can help reduce the risk of heart disease!

Researchers from universities in Germany as well as Austria, came together and created the Ludwigshafen Risk and Cardiovascular Health (LURIC) study. They monitored 1,801 people with metabolic syndrome.

-Metabolic syndrome is a condition characterized by obesity and hypertension. It is linked to both type-2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

The study examined each participant for an average 7.7 years. During the time of the study, there were 462 recorded participant deaths. Results showed that participants with substantial amounts of Vitamin D reduced risk of cardiovascular disease mortality of 66%! In addition to that, so-called all-cause mortality had 75% reduction in people with optimal Vitamin D levels.

Yan Trokel, M.D.

Cosmetic Surgery

New York, NY

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The Glow of Pregnancy

We've all heard about the infamous pregnancy "glow", little spoken of is the pregnancy "mask". This mask is a darkening of the skin called melasma. The glow is caused by hormonal changes as well as increases in blood flow that gives a "blushed" look. Because of the darkening, the glow is muted. Being pregnant can be tough on your skin; many women look for ways to rejuvenate their skin without using harsh products that can cause problems during pregnancy.

There are a lot of "Dont's" during pregnancy and most types of facials fall under that category. Luckily, a plastic surgeon-supervised medical spa in San Antonio has noticed that many women come to them hoping for a way to revive their "glow".

They decided to come up with a solution that caters to pregnant women.  They came up with a peel containing Vitamin C, glycolic acid and enzymes. It's called the Vitamin C Four Layer Signature Peel. It's appropriate for all skin types. It helps rid the face of dry skin by exfoliating. Not only does it leave your skin feeling brighter, it can also help with acne.



Yan Trokel, M. D.

Cosmetic Surgery

New York, NY

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Florence Colgate: Most Beautiful Face

If you've never heard of Marquardt's mask you're in for an interesting bit of information. Marquardt's mask is a set of proportions that most faces have. It works for both male and female as well as for all races, eras and cultures. The reason the mask work is because of the golden ratio and the Fibonacci sequence (click links to find out more). The golden ratio has other names you may have heard of such as golden section, golden mean or divine proportion. This ratio is often found in simple geometric shapes like the pentagon, pentagram, decagon and dodecahedron.

Now that you understand a little better how the idea of Marquardt's mask works, we talk about "The Most Beautiful Face." Scientists in Britain have taken the opportunity to use this mask and it's golden ratios to the next level by holding a competition to determine who mathematically has the best face.

The contests was all natural - this means no make up, plastic surgery or Botox. In Kent, 18-year-old Florence Colgate was picked by 6000 public voters and of course the expert judge Joanna Hutton, Superdrug skincare buyer.

Yan Trokel, M. D.

Cosmetic Surgery

New York, NY

www.ylift.com

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Strawberry Surprise

Strawberries are a delicious, sweet fruit and a favorite of many. Did you know that one serving of strawberries (about 8 of them) provides more vitamin C than a whole orange? Not only are they rich in vitamin C, studies show that they have anti-cancer and anti-mutagenic properties.

Researchers from Oklahoma State University did a study on 16 women who had a metabolic syndrome - either central obesity, hypertension, glucose impairment or insulin metabolism. They drank two cups everyday of a beverage made from freeze-dried strawberry powder for 4 weeks. The results were quite surprising. Not only did their oxidative stress drop by 14%, the total amount of cholesterol dropped 5% and LDL cholesterol went down 6%.

Another team of researchers from Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center did a similar test with 36 participants, both male and female. For six months the participants consumed two ounces of freeze-dried strawberries every day. Biopsy specimens were collected both before and after the consumption of the strawberries. Again, the results proved strawberries effectiveness. Out of the 36 participants, 29 of them had a decrease in the grade of their precancerous lesions.

Yan Trokel, M.D.

Cosmetic Surgery

New York, NY

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Red or White Wine?

You may have heard that wine can help protect your heart - did you know that drinking can actually increase risk of breast cancer in women?

New information poses that red wine may not have this threat on women. A study was done on 36 women who haven't gone through menopause. These women drank 8 oz of either white or red wine everyday for an entire month and then switched to red or white for another month.

The researchers did blood tests on the women and found that the red wine actually lowered the women's estrogen levels and raised their testosterone levels. Women's bodies naturally convert testosterone to estrogen. The chemicals in grape juice, grapes and red wine help keep that processes from occurring. The reason all of this is important is because higher estrogen levels encourage the growth of breast cancer.

If you already drink wine than switching to red may help decrease your chances of breast cancer. If you don't drink wine, it doesn't mean that starting is going to better your chances of not getting breast cancer either.

"He (or she) who aspires to be a serious wine drinker must drink claret."

                                                                                                            

                                                                                                                 -Samuel Johnson

Yan Trokel, M.D.

Cosmetic Surgery

New York, NY

www.ylift.com

www.facebook.com/ylift