High levels of vitamin D in the blood appear to be linked to lower risks of  colorectal cancer, although it’s not clear if higher intake of the vitamin actually prevents the disease, researchers say.

Still, the findings are food for thought: Scientists found that those with the highest levels of vitamin D in their blood had as much as a 40 percent lower risk for developing colorectal cancer than those with the lowest levels.

The research, published online Jan. 21 in BMJ, is based on a study of more than 520,000 people from 10 countries in Western Europe. The study participants gave blood samples and filled out diet and lifestyle questionnaires between 1992 and 1998. They were then tracked for several more years to see what happened to them.

During the follow-up period, 1,248 were diagnosed with colorectal cancer. These participants were compared with a similar group of 1,248 people who were not diagnosed with the disease.

The researchers cautioned that it’s not clear if there are risks from consuming high levels of vitamin D, which is available in supplements. It’s also not known whether supplements are necessary if people reach certain levels through a healthy diet, exercise and moderate exposure to sunlight.

The study authors noted that current recommendations for preventing colorectal cancer include exercising, not smoking, reducing obesity and abdominal fat, and limiting consumption of alcohol and red and processed meats.

The male menopause (also called andropause) is thought to be due to a reduction in the hormone testosterone as men grow older.

Andropause is a medical phenomenon, similar to the female menopause, that can affect men between the ages of 40 and 55. Unlike women, men do not have a clear-cut signpost such as the cessation of menstruation to mark this transition. Both, however, are distinguished by a drop in hormone levels–oestrogen in women, testosterone in men. The bodily changes occur very gradually in men and may be accompanied by changes in attitudes and moods, fatigue, a loss of energy, sex drive and physical agility.

Studies show that this decline in testosterone can put men at risk for other health problems such as heart disease and weak bones.

Unlike menopause, which generally occurs in women during their mid-forties to mid-fifties, men’s “transition” may be much more gradual and expand over many decades. Attitude, psychological stress, alcohol, injuries or surgery, medications, obesity and infections can contribute to its onset.

Although with age, a decline in testosterone levels will occur in virtually all men, there is no way of predicting who will experience andropausal symptoms of sufficient severity to seek medical help. Neither is it predictable at what age symptoms will occur in a particular individual. Each man’s symptoms may also be different

Symptoms can include erectile dysfunction, loss of muscle mass, irritability, generalized fatigue, sleep disturbacne and even problems with memory and cognition.

Andropause routinely escapes diagnosis because symptoms can be vague and can vary greatly among individuals. Furthermore, while the female analogue of this life change has a distinctive and sudden onset, production of the male hormone begins to decline as early as age 30 and proceeds over the next three, four or five decades until death.

While the creeping symptoms of andropause are often dismissed by both patients and professionals as “what happens as we age” some have begun to consider them as signs of a disease state of which premature aging is merely another symptom. A diagnosis of hypogonadism (also seen in younger men) often serves as a gateway to consideration of the broader condition.

Once the condition is discovered, it is a straightforward (although somewhat involved) process of replacing the missing testosterone by injection, locally applied hormone gel, trans-dermal patch or implanted cartridge.

1.Eat the right food : Have baked or steamed food instead of fried food. Include lot of fresh salads and fruits in your diet. Take only one type of fruit at a time. Go for healthy organic products. Go for hand pounded rice instead of white rice. Avoid Maida and white bread  instead use whole wheat flour, brown bread and oat bran .

2.Water : Drink lot of water. Drink clean and boiled water.

3.Walk : Whenever you are going somewhere near, make it a point to walk. Go for a walk every morning.

4.Learn something new : Develop a new hobby. It keeps your mind engaged.

5.Yoga and meditation : Yoga  is one of the best ways to keep yourself fit and healthy. Meditation calms and relaxes your mind.

6.Clean Habits : Do not take alcohol, smoke or chew tobacco .