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 length 2. Leg length If 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 smell 3. Sense of smell Older 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 length 4. Arm length Have 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 crease 5. Earlobe crease Multiple 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 size 6. Jeans size Adults 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 size 7. Calf size Though 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