Secrets of your body

Did you know that your sense of smell or

finger length could affect your future health?

Neither did I, but scientists are discovering

that certain physical traits could indicate an

increased risk of conditions such as

Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, and cancer. If

any of these apply to you don’t panic—just

take a few precautions:  

1.Finger length Short Index finger

a) Women whose index fingers are

shorter than their ring fingers may

be twice as prone to osteoarthritis

in the knees, found a 2008 study in the

journal Arthritis & Rheumatism.  Those with this

predominately male characteristic tend to have

lower levels of estrogen, which may also play a role

in the development of osteoarthritis, say

researchers.

Take this precaution: Strengthen the muscles

surrounding your knees. While sitting, straighten

each leg parallel to the floor ten times; hold each

repetition for 5 to 10 seconds.

b) The shorter the index finger is in

the relation to the ring finger the more

aggressive a man is likely to be, found in

2005, in Canada university of Alberta.

c) The lesbian women tend to have

the traditional ‘masculine’ combination

of shorter index fingers and longer ring

fingers, says a 2000 study under

taken by researchers at university of California,

Berkley. The reason for this was a result of high

levels of male sex hormones testosterone in early

developmental stages in womb.

Longer index finger

a) A prostate cancer patients with longer index

fingers showed a slightly reduced risk of

developing prostate cancer, says a study in 2010 in

the University of Nottingham

and the University of Warwick's.

b) Over-exposure in women to the female

hormone, estrogen can lead to increase

chance of breast cancer in adult life and can

be displayed in women by long index fingers in

relation to their ring fingers according to, 2001 a

study carried out at England's university of

Liverpool reported this.

c) In 2001 University of Liverpool study shows that

long index fingers in relation to short ring fingers can

be a precursor to a malignant tumor at a relatively

young age due to a similar over exposure to

estrogen in the womb.

Longer ring finger

a) The long ring fingers in a man in relation to

his overall height means that he is more likely

to suffer from depression. The study found

that in the early development of the fetus, high

levels of testosterone increase the length of ring

fingers while at the same time affecting the

development of the baby's central nervous system

and making the baby more prone to depression

in later years. A 2001 study carried out at

England's university of Liverpool reported this.

b) The University of Bath, in year 2007

revealed that a long ring figure due to the

hormone promotes the development of

spatial and mathematical skills and

strong performance in literary and

numeracy tests in later life.

Short Fingers Allover

Several 2001 studies also carried out at the

University of Liverpool concluded that boys with

short fingers overall could be at greater risk of

heart disease in later life than boys with longer

fingers. The study found that boys with short fingers

had low exposure to testosterone in the womb, a

hormone which, when present at healthy levels, can

protect the cardiovascular system from disease.

Whorls on fingertips

The greater the number of whorls

on your fingertips (or the denser your

fingerprint is) the more likely to suffer

from high systolic blood pressure

according to a 1993 study carried out by

researchers at The University of Southampton. The

study found that fingertip whorls are a sign of

impaired development in the womb and often a low

birth weight and a precursor to hypertension in

later life.

2. Leg lengthIf your legs are on the stocky side, you may need to

take better care of your liver. In a 2008

study, published in the Journal of Epidemiology and

Community Health, British researchers found that

women with legs between 20 and 29 inches long

tended to have higher levels of four enzymes that

indicate liver disease. Factors such as childhood

nutrition may influence not only growth patterns but

also liver development well into adulthood, say

researchers.

Take this precaution: Avoid exposure to toxins

your liver has to process, which will keep it

healthier, longer. Wear a mask and gloves while

cleaning or working with any type of harsh chemical.

Limit alcohol intake to one 5-ounce glass of wine or

12-ounce bottle of beer daily.

3. Sense of smellOlder adults who couldn’t identify the scent of

bananas, lemons, cinnamon, or other items were 5

times more likely to develop Parkinson’s disease

within 4 years, according to a 2008 study in

the Annals of Neurology. The researchers believe

that the area of the brain responsible for olfactory

function may be one of the first impacted by

Parkinson’s disease—somewhere between 2 and 7

years prior to diagnosis.

Take this precaution: Pop a fish oil supplement.

Omega-3 fatty acids can boost your brain’s

resistance to MPTP, a toxic compound responsible

for Parkinson’s

4. Arm lengthHave a hard time touching your toes (even though

you're flexible)? Women with the shortest arm

spans were 1.5 times more likely to develop

Alzheimer’s disease than those with longer

reaches, found a 2008 study in the

journal Neurology. (Find yours by spreading your

arms parallel to the floor and having someone

measure fingertips to fingertips; the shortest spans

were less than 60 inches.) Nutritional or other

deficits during the critical growing years, possibly

responsible for shorter arms, may also predispose a

person to cognitive decline later in life, say Tufts

University researchers.

Take this precaution: Put your appendages to good

use with a hobby such as painting or pottery. A 5-year

study from the Alzheimer’s Disease Center at Rush

University Medical Center found that adults who spent

the most time engaged in stimulating leisure

activities were more than 2.5 times less likely to

develop Alzheimer’s disease than those who spent

less time challenging their brains.

5. Earlobe creaseMultiple studies show that linear wrinkles in one or

both lobes may predict future cardiovascular

events (heart attack, bypass surgery, or cardiac

death). A crease on one lobe raises the risk by

33%; a crease on both lobes increases it by 77%,

even after adjusting for other known risk factors,

found a study in The American Journal of

Medicine. Though experts aren’t exactly sure, they

suspect a loss of elastic fibers may cause both the

crease and the hardening of arteries.

Take this precaution: Keep your heart healthy

in other ways: Slim down, and exercise

regularly, which can lower your cholesterol and

blood pressure.

6. Jeans sizeAdults who have larger abdomens in their 40s are up

to 3.6 times as likely to develop dementia in their

70s, even if they weren’t overweight, according to a

2008 study published in the journal Neurology. One

possible reason for the link is that, compared with

subcutaneous fat (the noticeable fat that lies just

below the skin), visceral fat (the dangerous fat that

surrounds the organs) secretes more of the

inflammatory hormones that are associated with

cognitive decline.

Take this precaution: Eat a portion-controlled

Mediterranean-style diet. Research shows that the

monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) in foods such as

olives, nuts, seeds, avocado, and dark chocolate

prevent the accumulation of visceral fat.

7. Calf sizeThough it sounds counterintuitive, a 2009 French

study in the journal Stroke found that women with

small calves (13 inches or less around) tended to

develop more carotid plaques, a known risk factor

for stroke. The subcutaneous fat in larger calves

may pull fatty acids from the bloodstream and store

them where they are less of a risk factor, say

researchers.

Take this precaution: No need to bulk up your

legs, but sip green tea to stay heart healthy. In a

study of more than 40,500 Japanese men and

women, those who drank five or more cups of

green tea every day had the lowest risk of dying of

heart disease and stroke.

8. Height Women taller than 5-foot-2 may be

missing a gene mutation that helps them

reach their 100th birthday, according to

a study in Proceedings of the National

Academy of Sciences. 

Prevent it: Take a page from the habits of California’s 

Seventh-Day Adventists, who have one of the highest 

concentrations of centenarians: Quit smoking, and cut back on 

alcohol and eating meat