Sunny States See Less Inflammatory Bowel Disease
JANUARY 2012—Conditions such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, which cause bowel inflammation, are less prevalent in sun-soaked parts of the US—and vitamin D levels may explain why.
A research team led by Massachusetts General Hospital examined data from 238,000 participants in the ongoing Nurses’ Health Study. They found that women who lived in sunnier southern states were 52% less likely to have Crohn’s disease and 38% less likely to have ulcerative colitis than women who lived at more northern latitudes.
Crohn’s disease can affect any part of the gastrointestinal system, although it appears most frequently in the small intestine. It causes lesions that affect the entire thickness of the bowel wall. In contrast, ulcerative colitis affects only the inner lining of the colon and rectum.
“UV radiation [from sunlight] is the greatest environmental determinant of plasma vitamin D, and there is substantial experimental data supporting a role for vitamin D in innate immunity and the regulation of inflammatory response,” the study team wrote in the journal Gut. Scientists believe that immune system dysfunction plays a role in chronic bowel inflammation.
All inflammatory bowel diseases are marked by symptoms that include abdominal cramps and pain, vomiting, diarrhea and rectal bleeding. These disorders, which affect an estimated 1.4 million Americans, are associated with an increased risk of colon cancer.
NEWS ARCHIVES
Women with Celiac Disease More Depression-Prone
Gluten, a protein found in wheat and other grains, can lead to celiac disease, a disorder marked by symptoms that can include constipation, diarrhea, bloating, gas, indigestion and nausea.
Digestive distress isn’t the only sign of gluten-related trouble, though. Researchers have found that women with celiac disease are more likely to suffer from depression. In fact, 37% of the 177 women in one study matched the clinical definition of depression as measured by the 20-item Center for Disease Studies Depression Scale. Even those women on a gluten-free diet were more likely to suffer from low mood than members of the general population. What’s more, the women also tended to worry excessively about weight and body shape issues and to suffer from disordered eating patterns.
“What we don’t know is what leads to what and under what circumstances. It’s likely that the disease, stress, weight, shape and eating issues, and depression, are interconnected,” says lead study author Joshua Smyth, PhD, professor of biobehavioral health and medicine at Penn State University. This study appears online in Chronic Illness.
However, Smyth points out that sticking to a gluten-free diet does help improve overall well-being and reduce stress levels.
Açai, Omega-3 May Protect Nerves
Nerve injuries and disorders can be among the most challenging health issues one can face because they can be so difficult to treat. But in two separate studies, omega-3 fatty acids and the açai berry have shown neuroprotective potential.
An international research team found that mice nerve cells enriched with omega-3, which has been found to play a key role in proper nervous system development, were protected against both physical injury and harm caused by free radicals. What’s more, mice suffering from nerve damage recovered more fully and quickly, and with less muscle weakness, when their bodies contained high amounts of omega-3.
The team said their findings showed that omega-3 “can protect damaged nerve cells, a critical first step in successful neurological recovery” in their study report, which was published in the Journal of Neuroscience.
In another investigation, scientists at the Tufts University Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging in Boston pretreated mouse BV-2 microglial cells, immune cells in the brain that protect neurons, with açai pulp. The treated cells were less likely to produce inflammatory, neuron-damaging substances when stressed by a toxin known as lipopolysaccharide.
The study report, which appeared in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, concluded that açai consumption “may contribute to ‘health span’ in aging, as it is able to combat some of the inflammatory and oxidative mediators of aging at the cellular level.”
Açai, a berry native to the Amazon rainforest, contain a high level of free radical-fighting antioxidants.
Low Vitamin C May Endanger Heart Failure Patients
Heart failure is a condition that reduces the organ’s pumping power. Proper nutrition plays a key role in helping people with heart failure live healthy lives, and the need for heart failure patients to eat a high-quality diet, especially one rich in vitamin C, has been underscored by a recent study.
“We found that adequate intake of vitamin C was associated with longer survival,” says Eun Kyeung Song, PhD, RN, of University of Ulsan College of Medicine in Korea, who led the research team. The study, which was reported at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions, found a link between low vitamin C intake and higher levels of inflammation. Chronic inflammation is known to harm cardiovascular health.
Yerba Mate May Strengthen Bones
JANUARY 2012—Women who consumed yerba mate, an herbal beverage common throughout South America, had denser bones in a recent study.
A research team headed by the Program for the Prevention and Treatment of Osteoporosis in Mendoza, Argentina, observed 146 postmenopausal women who drank at least 1 liter of yerba mate daily for five years. They were matched against a control group of women who shared similar characteristics, such as age, time since menopause, body mass and calcium intake.
All the women underwent bone mineral density (BMD) testing. The mate group had nearly 10% greater density in their lumbar spinal bones than the control group, and more than 6% greater density in the femoral neck, where the thighbone attaches to the hip socket. Results were reported in the journal Bone.
Mate is generally prepared in a hollow gourd and drunk through a metal straw. It has a caffeine content similar to that of tea.
Vitamin E May Reduce Exercise-Induced Cell Damage
DECEMBER 2011—Exercise, although vital for well-being, comes with the downside of producing free radicals, unstable molecules that injure cells. A recent study indicates that vitamin E may be able to limit this damage.
Brazilian researchers divided rats into three groups. Two of the groups swam to exhaustion; one group received vitamin E. The rats that didn’t exercise served as controls.
Rats who exercised without receiving vitamin E had higher levels of MDA, a substance produced by damage to fatty cell components, in their kidneys than those in either the supplementation or control groups. In contrast, rats in the vitamin E group showed higher levels of a free radical fighter called reduced glutathione.
“Our findings strengthen the importance of vitamin E supplementation in exercise stress situations,” wrote the research team in BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
Ubiquinol, a form of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) more readily usable by the body, may help you hang onto your pearly whites by supporting a tooth-friendly environment within the mouth.
Researchers at the Nihon School of Dentistry in Japan gave either ubiquinol or a placebo to 45 people with mild to moderate periodontal disease, an inflammation of the gums that can lead to tooth loss. After two months, members of the supplement group experienced a reduction in gum bleeding, a key sign of periodontal problems, and had less plaque adhering to their teeth.
Study results were presented to the Vitamin Society of Japan.
In another Japanese investigation, scientists gave either ubiquinol, CoQ10 or a placebo to two groups of volunteers, those with healthy mouths and those with dry mouth (a condition that can lead to periodontal disease).
Both CoQ10 and ubiquinol improved saliva production by between 70% and 80% in the dry-mouth group; no such increase was seen in the control participants. Results were published in Clinical Biochemistry.
Laughter Calms Alzheimer’s Patients
People with Alzheimer’s often become extremely agitated, making a difficult situation even more problematic for patients and caregivers alike. But a recent study indicates that giving Alzheimer’s patients a reason to laugh may tone down verbally and physically aggressive behavior.
A team of Australian researchers enrolled nearly 400 nursing home residents with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia in a three-month study. The residents attended weekly sessions involving mime, music and laugh-inducing props, and were actively encouraged to respond and participate in the fun.
Overall agitation dropped 20% and this improvement held steady for at least 14 weeks after the program ended, according to study results presented at the National Dementia Research Forum in Sydney.
“The humor intervention worked well for pretty much everyone,” says study co-author Jean-Paul Bell, creative director of the Arts Health Institute in New South Wales. He notes that humor doesn’t carry the serious side effects of antipsychotic drugs used to ease agitation.
Nutrients Fight Brain Shrinkage
Oregon researchers have found that people whose diets are rich in omega-3s and vitamins B, C, D and E are less likely to experience brain shrinkage associated with Alzheimer’s, and have higher scores on memory and cognition tests, than people whose diets have less of these nutrients.
The study involved 104 people (average age of 87). All participants underwent blood tests to determine nutrient levels as well as memory and cognition testing; 7% were found to be deficient in vitamin B12 and 25% in vitamin D. In addition, 42 participants underwent MRI scans to measure brain volume.
In this study, reported in the online edition of Neurology, people who ate a lot of synthetic trans fats had lower scores and were more likely to show signs of shrinkage.
Choline May Protect Aging Brains
Choline, a member of the B-vitamin complex, may be able to protect against cognitive and memory losses often associated with aging.
A study team led by the Boston University School of Medicine analyzed data from nearly 1,400 participants in the long-term Framingham Heart Study who completed food questionnaires and underwent testing, including MRI brain scans. The volunteers ranged in age from 36 to 83.
Those who ate diets highest in choline—found in chicken, eggs, liver, milk and other foods—were less likely to show brain changes associated with dementia, according to results published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. What’s more, people with the highest choline levels were less likely to have brain regions affected by white-matter hyperintensity, a sign of diseased blood vessels.
Pycnogenol May Enhance
Brain Function
Pycnogenol, a bark extract taken from the French maritime pine, was able to enhance brain function.
Italian researchers gave either 100 mg Pycnogenol or a placebo each day to 108 college students between the ages of 18 and 27 for eight weeks. Computer models were used to assess the volunteers’ mental performance.
The supplement takers scored higher in tests of attention, memory and mood. In addition, anxiety levels in this group fell by 17%.
“This study indicates a role for Pycnogenol to improve cognitive function in normal students,” wrote the study team in Panminerva Medica. “It may be the beginning of a series of studies indicating possible uses of Pycnogenol for cognition.”
Acupuncture May Ease Chemotherapy-Associated Nerve Pain
DECEMBER 2011—Certain drugs used in cancer treatment can cause severe nerve pain but acupuncture may be able to bring some relief, according to a study in Acupuncture in Medicine.
Treatment with several classes of drugs, including platinum compounds, taxanes and vinca alkaloids, can lead to chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN). This condition damages nerves, especially in the calves and feet, which can cause not only pain but difficulty in walking.
Of 11 patients with this condition, six underwent ten 20-minute acupuncture sessions over a three-month period. The others served as a control group. All had experienced nerve pain and numbness on touch, and had signs of damage to the sural nerve that runs through the ankle and into the foot.
Neurological examinations showed improvements in two measures of nerve activity, signal speed and signal intensity, among five of the six patients who received acupuncture. All five reported feeling better. Signal speed improved in only one of the control patients and signal intensity in two; the others either stayed the same or got worse.
Previous research has suggested that acupuncture improves blood flow in the legs, which may help heal damaged nerves.
Low Vitamin D Levels May be
Linked to Child Diabetes
DECEMBER 2011—Deficiencies in vitamin D have been linked to higher rates of type 2 diabetes in children, according to a study led by the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.
Researchers measured levels of vitamin D, blood sugar and insulin, along with blood pressure and body mass index (BMI), in 411 obese children and 87 healthy-weight children. The obese participants were found to have low D levels and markers that indicated insulin resistance, a pre-diabetic condition in which the body has problems clearing glucose from the bloodstream.
The study team also asked the participants about their dietary habits. Skipping breakfast and increased soda and juice intake were also associated with reduced vitamin D levels.
“Although our study cannot prove causation, it does suggest that low vitamin D levels may play a role in the development of type 2 diabetes,” says Micah Olson, MD, lead study author. Results have been published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
Diabetes comes in two forms. In type 1, the immune system attacks insulin-secreting cells within the pancreas, leading to greatly reduced production of the hormone. In type 2, the body secretes insulin but cannot use it properly.
Previous studies have linked vitamin D deficiency with increased risk of heart disease, cancer and other illnesses.
Green Tea Extract May
Aid Liver Patients
DECEMBER 2011—EGCG, a flavonoid found in green tea, may protect transplanted livers against re-infection with the hepatitis C virus (HCV).
Researchers at the Hannover Medical School in Germany, working with liver cell cultures, found that EGCG (epigallocatechin-3-gallate) was able to keep HCV from entering cells by preventing the virus from attaching to cell membranes.
Writing in the journal Hepatology, the study team said EGCG might provide a new way to prevent HCV infection, “especially in the setting of liver transplantation of chronically infected HCV patients.” According to the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network, nearly 19,000 liver transplants have been performed in the US this year.
Hepatitis C, which is spread by blood and sexual contact, and from mother to child, is one of the most common causes of chronic liver disease. It can lead to cirrhosis (liver scarring) and liver cancer.
Multivitamins May Boost Male Mood
Men who took a daily multivitamin/mineral supplement felt a greater sense of well-being and were more alert, according to the results of a recent Australian study.
A team led by researchers from the NICM Collaborative Centre for Neurocognition at Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne gave either multivitamins or placebos to 50 men between the ages of 50 and 69 for eight weeks; the supplement group also reported less anxiety, depression and stress. The supplement contained herbal ingredients in addition to the nutrients.
“There were no changes in the placebo group, signifying a real effect of multivitamin supplementation. The present findings are, particularly, relevant for older people who may be at risk of experiencing subclinical depressive symptoms,” the team wrote in Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental.
Women May Not Get Enough
Vitamin D During Menopause
Spanish scientists have found deficient vitamin D intakes among women undergoing menopause, emphasizing the need for a healthy diet during this period of transition.
Study authors analyzed data, including food questionnaire results, from 3,574 women aged 45 to 68 living in seven Spanish cities: Barcelona, Burgos, La Coruña, Palma de Mallorca, Pamplona, Valencia and Zaragoza.
The participants averaged just 39% of the RDA for the sunshine vitamin, which has been linked to not only bone health but also to immune and cardiovascular function (Nutrición Hospitalaria 2011; 26(4):863-73).
Vitamin E May Aid Sleep-Related Memory Problems
Sleep-deprived rats who received vitamin E every day showed improvements in short- and long-term memory, according to a team of researchers from the Jordan University of Science and Technology.
“The current study is unique in that it is the first to examine the interactive effects of chronic sleep deprivation and chronic administration of vitamin E [for six weeks,” wrote the study team in Behavioural Brain Research (2011; 226(1):205-10).
The vitamin also appeared to improve antioxidant defenses weakened by sleeplessness, specifically by increasing the activity of a number of antioxidant enzymes.
Folic Acid May Reduce Risk of Kids’ Language Problems
Children whose mothers took folic acid around the time of conception were less likely to suffer severe delays in language skill development by age three compared with children born to women who didn’t take the B vitamin in a Norwegian study.
This study, conducted by that country’s Institute of Public Health, involved 38,954 children born before 2008. The study team noted use of folic acid and general supplementation from four weeks before to eight weeks after conception, according to a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association (2011; 306(14):1566-73).
Folic acid is already known to help protect newborns against neural tube defects, including spina bifida.
Ginger Extract May Slow
Prostate Cancer
A Georgia State University study team in Atlanta found that an extract taken from ginger, a spice with known anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, slowed growth of prostate cancer cell grafts in mice by 56%.
The extract was found to spur apoptosis—normal, programmed cell death—and disrupt cell functions linked to cancer spread.
“The present study is the first report to describe identification and detailed evaluation of in vitro [test tubes] and in vivo [living creatures] anticancer activity of whole ginger extract in the therapeutic management of human prostate cancer,” wrote the researchers in the British Journal of Nutrition (8/18/11 online).
Omega-3 May Slow Osteoarthritis
A diet rich in fish- or flax-based omega-3s could “substantially and significantly” reduce the symptoms of osteoarthritis, according to the results of an animal study published in Osteoarthritis and Cartilage (2011; 19(9):1150-7).
Researchers at Britain’s University of Bristol made this discovery by feeding an omega-enriched diet to OA-prone guinea pigs for between 10 and 30 weeks. OA occurs when joints lose cartilage, a tough, smooth substance that coats the ends of bones.
“This study demonstrates clear benefits of omega-3 supplementation in reducing the signs of osteoarthritis in a naturally occurring model of disease,” wrote the research team.
Coffee May Lower
Endometrial Cancer Risk
NOVEMBER 2011—Far from being a health fiend, coffee may very well be a health friend. The latest evidence: A study linking four or more cups of daily joe with a reduced risk of endometrial cancer.
A research group led by the Harvard School of Public Health analyzed data from an ongoing investigation called the Nurses’ Health Study. In 1980, 67,470 women between the ages of 34 and 59 were asked about their coffee intake. Over the following 26 years 672 of these women developed cancer of the endometrium, the uterine lining normally shed when a woman menstruates.
Drinking four or more cups of coffee a day was associated with a 25% reduction in risk, according to results published online in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Coffee afforded the most protection for women who suffered from obesity, a known endometrial cancer risk factor.
Obesity has been linked to the kind of hormonal imbalances that drive a number of different malignancies, including those of the breast and ovary. Having had cancer in either of those locations indicates a higher risk for endometrial cancer as does a history of endometrial hyperplasia, in which the endometrium grows abnormally, or polycystic ovarian syndrome.
According to the American Cancer Society, 46,470 new cases of endometrial cancer are diagnosed each year. Other risk factors include increasing age, family history and diabetes.
Acupuncture May Ease Radiation-Induced Dry Mouth
NOVEMBER 2011—One of the most distressing side effects of radiation for head and neck cancer is severe dry mouth, which can lead to eating difficulties and oral infections. However, a new study has shown that acupuncture may relieve this problem when given during the course of radiation therapy.
Researchers from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and the Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center divided 86 patients with cancer of the nasopharynx, the area at the back of the nasal passages, into two groups, 46 of whom received standard care only. The other 40 went for acupuncture three times a week during a seven-week course of radiation therapy. Patients underwent evaluations before and during treatment, and then one and six months afterwards.
Compared with the standard-care patients, those in the acupuncture group reported fewer symptoms of dry mouth (xerostomia) and had better saliva flow. Differences between the two groups emerged in week three of radiotherapy and continued through six months. Study results were published in the journal Cancer.
According to the American Cancer Society, nasopharynx cancer is rare in the US but is much more common in parts of southeast China, where Shanghai is located. Other head and neck cancers include those of the oral and nasal cavities, salivary glands, larynx (voice box) and sinuses.
Web-Based Mindfulness
Training Helps Ease Stress
NOVEMBER 2011—Relief may be just a click away: Mindfulness, the deliberate focus of attention on the present moment that tends to dispel stress, has been successfully taught via the Internet.
Researchers at universities in Vienna and Zurich divided 49 volunteers among two groups, one of which was put on a treatment waiting list.
People in the other group immediately started 12 days of training for 20 minutes a day; the web page they were directed to utilized audio files with guided mindfulness exercises, a flash animation exercise and written text. The material was designed to help participants learn to focus on their breath and disassociate themselves from distressing thoughts or feelings, both key aspects of mindfulness. After two weeks, the wait-listed group underwent the same training.
People who completed at least six days of training reported feeling less stress and having fewer bad moods, with those suffering the most emotional distress to begin with finding the greatest benefit.
In their report, published in BMC Psychiatry, the researchers wrote, “This study of a brief web-based mindfulness training indicates that mindfulness can be taught online and may improve distress, perceived stress and negative affect for regular users.”
Tart Cherry Juice May Ease Sleep
NOVEMBER 2011—Juice taken from tart cherries, the kind used for pies and jam, may improve sleep quality.
A British research team gave 30 milliliters of either cherry juice or a placebo juice to 20 healthy volunteers for seven days. Those who drank the cherry juice showed significant increases in urine levels of melatonin, a hormone crucial to proper sleep. They also spent more time asleep (an average increase of 25 minutes), scored higher on sleep-quality tests and napped less during the day.
Study conclusions were reported online in the European Journal of Nutrition.
In previous research, tart cherry juice has shown the ability to reduce inflammation, such as that which occurs in arthritis, and it may aid in muscle recovery after exercise
BPA Exposure in the Womb Linked to Behavioral Problems in Girls
OCTOBER 2011—Prenatal exposure to bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical widely used in plastics, has been linked to a higher risk of behavioral and emotional problems in little girls.
A research team led by the Harvard School of Public Health tested urine samples for BPA from 244 mothers in the greater Cincinnati area before and after they gave birth. Their children were tested at ages 1, 2 and 3.
The presence of BPA in the children was not associated with behavioral difficulties, even though more than 96% of the kids tested positive. The more BPA in the mothers’ urine, however, the more likely their daughters were to score higher on tests for hyperactivity, poor emotional control, anxiety and depression at age 3. No link was found between BPA exposure and boys’ behavior.
“Clinicians may advise concerned patients to reduce their exposure to certain consumer products, but the benefits of such reductions are unclear,” say the researchers in the journal Pediatrics.
Manufacturers have agreed to stop using BPA, which is used to make clear, hard plastics, in baby bottles and other children’s products. However, it is found in some food-can liners as well as other consumer items such as sports equipment, eyeglasses and household electronics. For more information, including tips for avoiding this chemical, visit the Environmental Working Group at www.ewg.org and search BPA.
Neighborhoods Affect Women’s Exercise Opportunities
OCTOBER 2011—Living in areas that don’t have sidewalks or walkable destinations such as shops—but do have high crime rates—makes it less likely that a woman will achieve optimal exercise levels.
Researchers from Purdue University found these associations by analyzing survey responses from nearly 69,000 women, living in both urban and suburban areas, who took part in the 2005 Nurses’ Health Study. In addition to questions about crime concerns, shops and free recreational facilities and sidewalks, the women were also asked how much time they spent biking, running or walking outdoors.
According to results published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, only 24% of women between the ages of 40 and 60 meet federal exercise guidelines and those who do are more likely to live in low-crime areas with amenities such as sidewalks.
Organic Tomato Juice Contains
More Healthful Compounds
SEPTEMBER 2011—Are you buying organic produce to avoid pesticide and other chemical residues? Here’s another reason: You’re probably getting better nutrition.
A research team led by the University of Barcelona tested juice from organically and conventionally grown tomatoes, the most widely consumed vegetables in Spain. They found that the organic varieties contained higher levels of polyphenols, compounds that have shown an ability to defend against cardiovascular disease and some forms of cancer.
One possible explanation is that while conventionally grown tomatoes receive nitrogen, a crucial growth element, in the form of fertilizer, organically grown plants “receive no artificial nutrients and therefore respond by activating defense mechanisms that increase the levels of polyphenols,” says Anna Vallverdú-Queralt, a member of the research team.
This study appears in the journal Food Chemistry.
Multis May Drop Preterm Birth Risk
Use of multivitamins by would-be moms may reduce their risk of giving birth prematurely.
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Aarhus in Denmark analyzed data from 35,897 women in the Danish National Birth Cohort. Multivitamin use, as noted during 12 weeks around the time of conception, was linked to a 17% risk reduction for preterm birth (one that occurred before the 37th week of pregnancy) and a 20% reduction for pre-term labor.
These outcomes only occurred in normal-weight women; no benefits were seen in women who were overweight.
The researchers wrote that multivitamin usage “could be a safe and simple strategy to improve pregnancy outcomes” in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2011; 94:906-12).
Probiotics May Protect
Maternal Health
Probiotics may help protect pregnant women against pre-eclampsia, in which the mother’s blood pressure rises to hazardous levels.
Scientists from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health have found a link between regular probiotics intake and a 20% reduction in pre-eclampsia risk. For severe pre-eclampsia, the risk reduction rose to 39%, “suggesting that probiotics might specifically ‘target’ and modify the type of inflammation underlying” this dangerous condition, according to a report in the American Journal of Epidemiology (8/5/11 online).
The data was taken from 33,399 participants in the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study, all of whom answered questionnaires regarding their intake of such probiotic milk products as yogurt.
Pre-eclampsia, which affects up to 3% of all pregnancies, may be responsible for as many as 60,000 annual deaths worldwide.
Sarcoma Patients Have Lower Antioxidant Levels
People suffering from sarcomas—malignant tumors in bone and connective soft tissue—have lower amounts of antioxidants in their blood, according to a study in BMC Cancer (8/27/11).
A team of Malaysian researchers studied three sets of participants: 20 with soft-tissue sarcomas, 27 with bone tumors and 47 people who were cancer-free. The cancer patients showed significantly higher levels of markers for oxidative stress and lower levels of antioxidants, including a compound called superoxide dismutase (SOD).
According to the American Cancer Society, about 10,980 new soft tissue sarcomas will be diagnosed this year.
Workplace Program
Spurs Weight Loss
SEPTEMBER 2011—In a recent study, a program that combined diet, exercise and behavioral training helped Danish healthcare workers lose weight.
Danish researchers recruited 98 overweight women, all of whom worked in the same office, to receive one of two treatment plans. One consisted of weight-loss and general health lectures. The other offered a combination of personalized dietary guidance and regular exercise, along with cognitive behavioral training to help the participants maintain lifestyle changes. The 70 participants in the active intervention group were divided into seven teams, each with its own instructor, to help prevent dropouts.
After three months, members of the active intervention group lost an average of 3.6 kilograms (7.9 pounds). In addition, their body fat percentage fell 1.6% and their blood pressure fell from 134.1/85.2 to 126.6/79.8 mmHg.
“The significantly reduced body weight, body fat, waist circumference and blood pressure as well as increased aerobic fitness in the intervention group show the great potential of workplace health promotion among this high-risk workgroup,” wrote the research team in a recent edition of BMC Public Health.
More Teens Falling Victim to Strokes
SEPTEMBER 2011—It’s an unfortunate sign of the times: As the result of obesity and other health hazards, strokes are rising among adolescents and young adults.
Researchers from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that the number of people between the ages of 15 and 44 hospitalized for stroke rose by more than a third between 1995 and 2008. Their report appears in the Annals of Neurology.
During the same time period, cholesterol levels, diabetes and smoking “also increased in adolescents and young adults experiencing stroke,” says Mary George, MD, MSPH, FACS, of the CDC’s Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention. Those three conditions, along with high blood pressure, are known stroke risk factors.
Previous research had found stroke to be one of the top 10 causes of death in childhood.
“I was surprised to see the extent of cardiovascular risk factors in this young population. We really need to encourage people to lead healthy lifestyles from the time they are very young,” George says.
According to the American Heart Association, someone suffers a stroke every 40 seconds.
Vitamin D Tied to Sperm Motility, Muscle Protection
Vitamin D may help men become fathers. Copenhagen researchers found a correlation between vitamin D blood levels and the percentage of motile sperm, which are more likely to reach the egg. Study results appeared in the Oxford Journal of Human Reproduction.
In another study, NFL players who suffered muscular injuries had lower vitamin D levels than their uninjured teammates. “Eighty percent of the football team we studied had vitamin D insufficiency,” says lead researcher Michael Shindle, MD, of Summit Medical Group in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey. Results were presented at the American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine’s annual meeting in San Diego.
Taking vitamin E supplements on a long-term basis has been linked to a reduced risk for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in an investigation led by the Harvard School of Public Health.Scientists came to this conclusion after analyzing data from five multiyear research projects, including the Nurses’ Health Study, involving more than 1 million participants (American Journal of Epidemiology 2011; 173:595-602).
Also known as Lou Gerhig’s disease, ALS causes nerve cells that control muscles to degenerate, leading to progressive muscle weakness. The Harvard results corroborate findings from earlier, smaller studies.
Fish Oil Linked to Less Anxiety
Researchers at Ohio State University weren’t surprised when a study they conducted found that fish oil helps reduce inflammation, a benefit long linked to fish oil’s healthful omega-3 fatty acids.
However, they were surprised to see reductions in anxiety among the 68 healthy young subjects of their study, half of whom took fish oil with the rest receiving a placebo. All of the first- and second-year medical students were questioned about their stress and anxiety levels; those in the fish oil group reported 20% less anxiety than their placebo-group peers.
In addition, “we saw a 14% reduction in the amounts of IL-6 [a marker of stress-associated inflammation] among the students receiving the omega-3,” says study co-author M. Ronald Glaser, PhD, director of OSU’s Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research (Brain, Behavior and Immunity 6/19/11 online).
Metabolic Syndrome
Raises Kidney Risk
AUGUST 2011—People who have metabolic syndrome—a group of conditions that includes high blood pressure and excess abdominal fat—run a 55% greater risk of developing kidney problems.
Researchers from the Cleveland Clinic reached this conclusion after examining data from more than 30,000 people who had participated in 11 studies. Participants with metabolic syndrome were more likely to experience reduced kidney function, which is a sign of kidney disease. The study team’s findings are scheduled for publication in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.
Metabolic syndrome also includes elevated fatty acid levels, reduced amounts of HDL, or “good,” cholesterol and high blood sugar. It has been linked to increased risk for diabetes, heart disease and stroke.
“Primary care physicians may need to consider using metabolic syndrome as a marker to identify patients at higher risk of developing kidney disease,” says Sankar Navaneethan, MD, lead study author.
Mom’s Obesity May Raise
Child’s Asthma Risk
AUGUST 2011—If you’re overweight and looking to conceive, try to lose pounds now—for the sake of your child’s respiratory health.
That’s the conclusion reached by researchers at Imperial College in London, who found that teenagers born to women who carried excess weight at conception were up to 30% more like to suffer from wheezing and other asthma symptoms. That figure jumped to 47% among teens whose moms were the heaviest.
The study, which included nearly 7,000 15- and 16-year-olds born in northern Finland between July 1985 and June 1986, appears online in Epidemiology and Community Health.
In asthma chronic inflammation narrows the airways, which makes breathing difficult. According to the American Lung Association, more than 7 million children under the age of 18 suffer from asthma and more than 4 million suffered an asthmatic episode in 2009. It is the third leading cause of hospitalization among children under the age of 15.
High Midwestern Mold Counts
Harm Air Quality
AUGUST 2011—This summer’s high heat and rainfall, combined with last winter’s heavy snows, has set the stage for sky-high mold counts that pose a threat to people with asthma and other chronic ailments.
July 23 saw 6.86 inches of rain, the highest on record for that date, followed by 4.37 inches on July 27. As a result rivers flooded, leaving wet basements—prime mold breeding spots—in their wake.
A mold count of more than 50,000 “is the highest the Midwest has experienced this year,” says Joseph Lejia, MD, who performs the official Midwestern allergy count for the National Allergy Bureau. “Not just allergy and asthma sufferers but those with heart disease and other chronic conditions are strongly advised to stay indoors in air conditioning and to consult their allergist or physician about adjusting their medication.”
Lejia is especially concerned about people with respiratory disorders who have experienced flooding. “Flooding can easily cause indoor mold counts to be much higher, even toxic breathing conditions,” he says.
Flax Seed May Reduce
Radiation’s Effects
JULY 2011—Ground flax seed, long valued as a source of omega-3 fatty acids, has improved survival and eased problems associated with radiation exposure in a recent mouse study.
Scientists at the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center in Philadelphia fed either a flax seed-enhanced diet or a plain control diet to mice who received thoracic (chest) radiation. The survival rate among those in the flax seed group was 70% to 80%, compared with 40% in the control group. What’s more, animals who received flax seed showed fewer signs of inflammation and lung damage, and less radiation-induced weight loss.
“Flax seed may be an effective, safe and cost-effective mitigator of radiation damage,” concluded the study group, writing in BMC Cancer.
Flax seed, a traditional remedy for constipation, has been the subject of numerous studies for its possible anticancer effects.
Common Chemicals May
Affect Breast Growth
JULY 2011—Substances found in common household items may affect breast development and increase cancer risk later in life, according to a recent report.
Scientists from two federal agencies and the Silent Spring Institute, a group working to identify links between environmental factors and women’s health, say chemical exposure early in life can alter development of the mammary glands, which appear to be more sensitive to such exposure than other types of tissue. Some of the chemicals studied are found in laundry detergents, food packaging and certain kinds of plastic water bottles.
In addition to an increased breast cancer risk, other harmful effects may include an impaired ability to produce milk and abnormal breast growth in men, according to the group’s report in Environmental Health Perspectives.
The scientists have called for chemical testing protocols that include mammary tissue, testing that is rarely done under existing guidelines. “If we try to figure out what causes breast cancer, we have to look at the breast when we do the chemical safety tests,” says Ruthann Rudel, Silent Spring’s research director.
FDA Issues New Sunscreen Rules
JUNE 2011—By this time next year, the US Food and Drug Administration will require that sunscreens be tested for their ability to protect against two types of ultraviolet solar radiation, UVA and UVB, instead of just UVB alone. Although they damage the skin in different ways—UVA causes wrinkling while UVB causes sunburn—both can lead to skin cancer. The rule change is the first update to the FDA’s sunscreen regulations in 30 years.
Sun protection factor (SPF) is a measure of how long it takes skin to redden from sun exposure. Currently, sunscreens must only list an SPF for UVB exposure. The new rules will require SPF ratings for UVA exposure as well and SPF level for both types of rays must be 15 or higher. Manufacturers can currently describe their products as “broad spectrum” and use whatever tests they choose to support that claim.
Because all sunscreens should be reapplied often, numbers above SPF 50 will be disallowed—the highest allowable rating will be SPF 50+—and the term “sunblock” will be banned.
In addition, the terms “sweatproof” and “waterproof” will not be allowed. Instead, a product can be labeled as “water resistant” for either 40 or 80 minutes.
Mangosteen Extract
Reduces Tumor Growth
JUNE 2011—Mangosteen, a fruit used medicinally for centuries in its native Asia, has shrunk tumors and increased longevity in mice with the animal equivalent of breast cancer.
A team of Japanese scientists conducted the study using mangostin, a mangosteen phytonutrient extracted from the fruit’s pericarp, the part that surrounds the edible core. Thirty mice with mammary cancer received either 10 or 20 milligrams per kilogram of their body weight per day, or none at all.
Mice who received 20 mg/kg of mangostin lived longer than those in the other two groups. Not only did tumors shrink in mice from the high-dosage group but the spread of cancerous cells to the animals’ lymph nodes was greatly reduced. According to the study report, published in BMC Medicine, mangostin was able to increase rates of apoptosis, the type of cellular death experienced by normal cells.
The report notes the mangosteen’s long history of usage in traditional Asian medicine as an anti-inflammatory agent, fever reducer and pain reliever.
Sleepless Wives May
Mean Marital Discord
JUNE 2011—Memo to husbands: If you want peace at home, make sure your wife gets a good night’s sleep.
That’s the conclusion reached by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine who examined the sleep patterns of 35 young married couples for 10 nights. The volunteers were given electronic diaries to assess whether interactions with their spouses were positive or negative.
When the wives had trouble sleeping, the following day’s interactions were substantially more negative for both partners. The same was not true for the husbands, whose sleep patterns had no effect on how they and their wives related the next day.
“Women are generally more expressive and tend to drive the emotional climate of a couple’s relationship,” says Wendy Troxel, PhD, of the university’s Sleep Medicine Institute. She adds that marital problems can in turn cause a wife to sleep poorly, producing “a cyclical process that can get under the skin of couples and put them in negative trajectories when it comes to their mental health and well-being.”
Study results were reported at the annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies in Minneapolis.
Green Tea Linked to Memory Gains
Tea lovers have another reason to celebrate their favorite brew: Green tea has shown an ability to enhance memory.
Korean researchers gave either green tea extract with L-theanine or a placebo to 91 people suffering from cognitive impairment, an Alzheimer’s disease risk factor, for 16 weeks. Those in the extract group showed memory improvements, in particular a “significant” increase in written-word recall. The supplement was also able to enhance mental alertness. Study results have been published in the Journal of Medicinal Foods.
Green tea has been shown to support heart health and to aid in fighting obesity. It may also help prevent several types of cancer.
Omega-3, Vitamin D Aid Infant Health
Proper nutrition when eating for two can protect a newborn’s lungs—and may even determine if a child will be prone to carrying excess weight.
Dutch researchers say taking vitamin D during pregnancy helps prevent respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which can cause pneumonia and other serious illnesses. About 5 million infants are affected by RSV each year in the US.
“Intake of vitamin D during late pregnancy is vital to prevent RSV,” say the researchers, writing in the online version of Pediatrics.
Scientists at Harvard Medical School say a child’s risk of becoming obese by age 3 may be cut by 32% if the mother consumes enough omega-3 fatty acids during pregnancy. They found that although one fifth of the expectant mothers in their study ate fish more than twice a week, only half of these women took in 200 mg a day of DHA, a key omega-3. And only 3% of all the women studied reached the 200 mg DHA benchmark by the last month of pregnancy, when large amounts are needed to support brain development.
These results are reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Losing Weight Boosts
Vitamin D in Women
JUNE 2011—Women who are obese significantly increased their vitamin D levels by dropping more than 15% of their body weight in a recent study.
Scientists at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle randomly divided 439 overweight women ages 50 to 75 into four groups: a diet group, an exercise group, a group that combined both and a control group, which received no intervention.
After a year, volunteers who lost between 5% and 10% of their body weight experienced small increases in their vitamin D levels. However, women who lost more than 15% of their pre-study weight saw a nearly threefold increase in D, a nutrient crucial to bone health and immune function.
“Since vitamin D is generally lower in persons with obesity, it is possible that low vitamin D could account, in part, for the link between obesity and diseases such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes,” says the team’s report, which appears in the online version of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Vitamin D is stored in body fat. Researchers suspect that when a person loses weight this stored D is liberated to circulate freely, although further research is needed in this area.
Vitamin D May Reduce Female Blindness Risk
Having higher blood levels of vitamin D has been associated with a 59% decrease in developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD) among women younger than 75, according to a study in the Archives of Ophthalmology (4/11).
The study, led by researchers at the University at Buffalo, State University of New York, analyzed vitamin D levels in 1,313 women. The study team noted that inflammation is involved in AMD and that vitamin D is a known anti-inflammatory.
“This is the second study to present an association between AMD status and 25(OH)D (a form of the vitamin used as a blood marker), and our data support the previous observation that vitamin D status may potentially protect against development of AMD,” wrote lead researcher Amy Millen, PhD.
Iron, Folate May Protect Pregnant Women Against Anemia
Many pregnant women around the world develop anemia, a disorder that reduces the blood’s ability to carry oxygen. That’s why a group of Pakistani researchers, after reviewing 31 studies, concluded that routine supplementation with either iron or iron and the B vitamin folate could lead to a 73% reduction in anemia levels among would-be mothers.
Writing in BMC Public Health (4/13/11), the team noted that while iron deficiency is a problem in developing nations, “it is also significantly prevalent in industrialized countries.” Anemia is linked to problems such as low birth weight, prematurity and pre-eclampsia, a pregnancy-induced increase in blood pressure.
Diabetes Rates Rise Among Overweight Pets
MAY 2011—Diabesity—the twin epidemics of obesity and diabetes—is rising among US dogs and cats, mirroring the same unfortunate trend among their owners.
Banfield, a national chain of pet hospitals headquartered in Portland, Oregon, reports that diabetes rates have risen by 32% in dogs and 16% in cats since 2006. As in people, carrying excess weight increases an animal’s risk of developing this metabolic dysfunction, in which excess blood sugar can lead to complications such as heart disease and blindness.
The Banfield researchers analyzed data from 2.5 million dogs and cats cared for in the company’s 770 hospitals.
There are differences between the two species. Dogs are more likely to develop type 1 diabetes, in which the pancreas no longer produces, or produces very small amounts of, the glucose-controlling hormone insulin. Some breeds are at increased risk; they include the Bichon Frise, Cairn Terrier, Dachshund, Keeshond, Miniature Poodle and Puli.
Cats are more prone to type 2 diabetes, in which the body doesn’t respond adequately to insulin. This is the type more strongly associated with obesity, with overweight cats six times more likely to become diabetic than thinner felines. Breed also plays a role; at-risk breeds include the Maine Coon, Russian Blue and Siamese.
Marine Supplement May Keep Antioxidant Levels in the Pink
MAY 2011—Astaxanthin, the substance that gives salmon and other marine creatures their pink coloration, has boosted antioxidant levels in obese people, according to the results of a recent study.
Researchers at Seoul National University in South Korea recruited 23 overweight, but healthy, young adults to receive daily astaxanthin supplements for three weeks. The participants showed a 193% increase in superoxide dismutase (SOD), an antioxidant enzyme, and a 123% increase in total blood antioxidant capacity along with reductions in two markers of oxidative stress, 35% for malondiadehyde (MDA) and 65% for isoprostane.
Writing in Phytotherapy Research, the study group recommended additional astaxanthin studies in people “with oxidative stress-related disease, such as metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.”
It’s better than a string tied around your finger: A study team has found a link between weight loss and improved memory.
Researchers led by scientists at Kent State University in Ohio studied 109 people who had bariatric surgery, which reduces the size of the stomach to promote weight loss, along with 41 obese people who didn’t undergo the procedure. After 12 weeks, the surgery patients did better on tests designed to test memory and concentration.
These results are scheduled for publication in an upcoming edition of Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases. The team will test the study participants again two years after their surgeries to see if the improvements hold.
“A lot of the factors that come with obesity, things such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and sleep apnea, that might damage the brain are somewhat reversible. As those problems go away, memory function gets better,” says lead study author John Gunstad, PhD.
Antioxidant-rich açai juice has been associated with reduced joint achiness, according to a study in the Journal of Medicinal Foods.
A multi-institution research team gave 120 milliliters of açai juice every day to 14 older people suffering from varying degrees of joint pain. After three months, the volunteers experienced lower levels of pain and improvements in range of motion.
In addition, the participants’ antioxidant levels improved within the study’s first two weeks and “continued to improve throughout the 12 weeks of study participation,” say the researchers, led by Gitten Jensen, PhD, of NIS Labs in Klamath Falls, Oregon. What’s more, “antioxidant status showed the best correlation with improvements in physical health.”
Açai, a berry native to Central and South America, has been the subject of research interest because of its antioxidants and other potentially beneficial compounds, including phytonutrients and healthy fats.
Yoga May Help Ease
Rheumatoid Arthritis
APRIL 2011—As little as a week of yoga training may help people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), an inflammatory disorder that causes joints to become tender and swollen.
A team at the Patanjali Research Institution in India enrolled 64 people with RA—47 women and 17 men—in this study. All were taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) and some were also taking prescription medications. The volunteers attended two yoga classes a day that included breathing techniques, loosening exercises and asanas (postures).
After a week, all of the participants showed reduced disability scores on standardized tests along with reduced levels of rheumatoid factor, an RA marker, in their blood. The men also showed an increase in hand grip strength. Study results were reported in BMC Research Notes.
The Arthritis Foundation says 1.3 million Americans have RA, with women outnumbering men three to one. The immune system attacks the synovial membrane that lines the joints, causing swelling, pain and stiffness; eventually joint destruction and deformity may occur.
Eating a diet rich in vitamins B1 and B2 may help prevent premenstrual syndrome.
That’s the conclusion reached by a study led by the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. The investigators tracked more than 3,000 participants in the US Nurses Health Study II, an ongoing research effort.
“We observed a significantly lower risk of PMS in women with high intakes of thiamine and riboflavin from food sources only,” the study team reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
PMS is the term used for a cluster of symptoms that can occur before menstruation begins. Symptoms may include acne, anxiety and/or depression, breast tenderness, joint aches and memory lapses.
Mom’s Diet May Increase
Baby’s Obesity Risk
Scientists believe that a high-fat diet during pregnancy may increase oxidative stress and raise the risk of obesity and diabetes in offspring. In a study conducted at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, researchers mimicked the effects of a standard American diet by feeding high-fat, high-carb chow to one group of rats while feeding another group a more balanced diet.
Obesity is known to contribute to oxidative stress through an increase in inflammation, and obesity during pregnancy creates an abnormal metabolic environment for the developing fetus.
However, feeding antioxidants to the rats before and during pregnancy prevented weight problems and glucose intolerance, a diabetes precursor, in the pups.
“This research suggests that if we can prevent inflammation and oxidative stress during pregnancy, we may lower the risk that a child will develop obesity,” wrote the study team in the journal Diabetes.
Olive Leaf May Lower Blood Pressure
While best known for helping to fend off infections, olive leaf extract has also shown an ability to ease high blood pressure and elevated triglycerides in a recent study.
Researchers conducted a double-blind, randomized study in which olive leaf extract was compared with a prescription medication for eight weeks in people who had stage-1 hypertension. The extract performed just as well as the drug in controlling blood pressure.
What’s more, the supplement also reduced levels of blood fats known as triglycerides, which were unaffected by the medication.
“Most patients with hypertension will require two or more anti-hypertensive medications to achieve their blood pressure goals,” the researchers wrote in a recent issue of Phytomedicine, adding that multiple meds increase the risk of suffering from side effects. The team also noted that olive leaf has “been used since ancient times to combat high blood pressure, atherosclerosis and diabetes, and for other medicinal purposes.”
About 50 million Americans suffer from high blood pressure, a key risk factor for cardiovascular and kidney diseases.
Workplace Sociability May
Reduce Depression Risk
APRIL 2011—Attending office parties might actually help your health: People who feel connected to their coworkers may run a lower risk of becoming depressed.
Researchers at Japan’s Dokkyo Medical University had 1,854 Japanese workers complete a sense of cohesion (SOC) questionnaire designed to test social connections in the workplace. The study team then tracked the workers’ sick leave records.
After nearly two years, 14 people developed depression. Their SOC ratings were lower than people who hadn’t become depressed, according to results published in BMC Public Health.
The National Institute of Mental Health says that every year nearly 19 million Americans suffer from depression at a cost of more than $80 billion. Studies have shown that it is the leading cost of disability in the US.
Vitamin K Good For Men’s Bones
Unlike most women, most men are unaware that their bones may become increasingly fragile with age. But a group of Spanish researchers have found that diets rich in vitamin K, a nutrient known to benefit skeletal health in women, may also help protect men’s bones from fractures.
Scientists from the Universitat Rovira i Virgili measured the bone density of 200 volunteers (average age 67). The participants also answered questions about their diet.
After two years, increases in vitamin K intake were associated with improvements in bone mineral density. Study results were published in the journal Bone.
The National Institutes of Health says that more than 2 million men may be at risk for osteoporosis and that 6% of men over age 50 will experience a hip fracture.
MARCH 2011—Think that stress has to be overwhelming to affect your health? Think again: Mild stress has been linked to increased risk of disability.
In 2002, a study team led by researchers at England’s University of Bristol gave questionnaires to more than 17,000 employed adults in Stockholm, Sweden. The participants were asked about their stress levels and mental health.
By 2007, 649 participants began receiving disability benefits, with 203 suffering from mental health issues. Being subjected to even relatively low levels of stress raised the risk of going on disability by 70%. These study results were published online in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.
Stress has long been associated with an increased risk of chronic illness. Previous research had found a link between signs of stress such as anger and anxiety with higher levels of an inflammation marker called interleukin-6. Low-level inflammation plays a key role in many disorders.
According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, stress warning signs include headache or back pain, stomach or bowel problems, persistent fatigue, sleep disruptions, jaw or neck stiffness and feeling breathless.
Vitamin D May Reduce
Multiple Sclerosis Risk
People with higher levels of vitamin D in their blood may be at reduced risk for multiple sclerosis, according to a study in Neurology (2/8/11).
Scientists at the National University in Canberra came to this conclusion after studying 216 Australians between the ages of 18 to 59 who showed the first signs of MS, which affects the brain and spinal cord, but who hadn’t yet been diagnosed with the disease compared with 395 people who were symptom-free. Those with the highest D levels were less likely to have early MS; higher sun exposure, which triggers vitamin D creation in the skin, also correlated with reduced risk.
“Previous studies have found similar results, but this is the first study to look at people who have just had the first symptoms of MS and haven’t been diagnosed with the disease yet,” says study author Robyn Lucas, PhD.
Roughly 400,000 Americans have MS with 200 new cases being diagnosed every week, according to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Symptoms, which vary widely from patient to patient, include fatigue, numbness and tingling, coordination and balance problems, slurred speech and stiffness.
Lycopene Boosts Antioxidant Activity
Lycopene, a red pigment found in tomatoes and watermelons, is known to benefit cardiovascular health. Now a Korean research team believes they know why: They found a link between daily lycopene supplementation and increased activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), a powerful antioxidant.
The study involved 126 healthy men (average age: 34) who took either 6 or 15 mg of lycopene a day, or a placebo, every day for eight weeks. The carotenoid also appeared to reduce systolic blood pressure, levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (an inflammation marker) and DNA damage in white blood cells among the study volunteers.
The bodies of nearly all living creatures produce SOD to defend their cells against oxidative damage. There are three types of SOD depending on which metal ion—copper and zinc, iron or manganese, and nickel—is included in the molecule’s structure.
“These results add to the growing literature on potential protective effects of lycopene in atherosclerosis through an anti-inflammatory effect and preserving endothelial (blood-vessel lining) function,” wrote the research team in the 1/3/11 issue of Atherosclerosis.
Japanese healthcare workers who took green tea extract were significantly less likely to develop the flu, according to a study in the 2/21/11 online edition of BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
Conducted by a multi-institutional team of Japanese researchers, this randomized, double-blind study involved 200 participants taking either a placebo or 378 mg of green tea catechins and 210 mg of theanine, another tea compound, every day for five months. The primary objective was the incidence of influenza as defined by doctor’s diagnosis (as opposed to cases confirmed by lab tests, a secondary objective).
The incidence of clinically defined influenza in the supplement group was 4.1% compared with 13.1% in the placebo group. Volunteers in the catechin/theanine group also a lower rate of lab-confirmed infection.
Less Cigarette Smoke,
Fewer Ear Infections
MARCH 2011—Every parent dreads hearing a toddler scream in pain because of an infected ear. But that scenario is becoming less common, thanks to a 30% drop in ear infections among children ages 6 and under—a drop some scientists have linked to a reduction in secondhand smoke.
Ear infections were responsible for an estimated 12.5 million child medical visits in 2008, down from 17.5 million in 1993, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). That stands in contrast to the period from 1975 to 1990, when the number of medical visits for children ages 5 and under doubled.
Scientists don’t entirely agree on why the infection rate has declined. But a Harvard research team, writing in a recent issue of the journal Tobacco Control, says there is a correlation between fewer ear infections and reduced exposure to secondhand smoke. “When people are smoking less around their kids, when homes are smoke-free, the rate of ear infections can and has decreased,” says Hillel Alpert, ScM, the study’s lead author.
CDC figures show that only 40% of nonsmokers were subjected to cigarette smoke in 2008, compared with 88% in 1990.
Ear infections in youngsters often develop when swelling of the nose and throat creates the ideal setting for bacteria to reproduce. Less smoke means less irritation of a child’s upper airway.
Other scientists believe additional factors are involved in the declining infection rate. More women breastfeed, which exposes their children to protective antibodies. And use of a vaccine against bacteria that can cause ear infections has become more widespread since its introduction in 2000.
More Vitamin D Needed
to Cut Disease Risk
MARCH 2011—Americans need to take far more vitamin D than they do to prevent cancer and other serious ailments, according to a recent study.
“We found that daily intakes of vitamin D by adults in the range of 4,000 to 8,000 IU are needed to maintain blood levels of vitamin D metabolites in the range needed to reduce by about half the risk of several diseases—breast cancer, colon cancer, multiple sclerosis and type 1 diabetes,” says study co-author Cedric Garland, DrPH, of the University of California San Diego Moores Cancer Center.
The study, a joint effort by UC San Diego and Creighton University, was based on a survey of nearly 3,700 people who were taking vitamin D supplements ranging in dosage from 1,000 IU to 10,000 IU per day. The results have been published in Anticancer Research.
The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for vitamin D was recently increased from 400 IU, the amount needed to prevent rickets, to 600 IU by the Institute of Medicine for people in most age categories. Previous research had found that many Americans do not have adequate blood levels of this crucial nutrient.
Berries May Protect Against Parkinson’s Disease
FEBRUARY 2011—Berries, and especially their health-boosting anthocyanins, may help reduce one’s risk of developing Parkinson’s disease.
A research team at Harvard Medical School analyzed data from more than 129,000 people who were part of two large ongoing investigations, the Health Professionals Follow-up Study and the Nurses’ Health Study. All had answered detailed diet questionnaires.
The researchers was particularly interested in the participants’ consumption of flavonoids, plant substances linked to various health benefits. The team calculated the total amount of flavonoids consumed as well as the consumption of apples, berries, oranges, red wine and tea, all rich flavonoid sources.
More than 800 participants developed Parkinson’s disease, a disorder marked by muscular tremors and rigidity, over 22 years of follow-up. While total flavonoid intake was associated with reduced Parkinson’s risk among men only, intake of anthocyanins—the flavonoids found in berries—was linked to lower risk in both genders. Study results will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s annual meeting in April.
Parkinson’s disease involves degeneration of those parts of the brain that control movement. Symptoms usually begin between the ages of 50 and 79, with one in 10 people age 80 and older being affected.
Teen Dog Owners Get More Exercise
FEBRUARY 2011—A dog may be more than just a boy’s (or girl’s) closest pal: Adolescent dog owners are more likely to be physically active, according to a recent study.
Researchers at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville asked 618 pairs of Minneapolis teenagers and their parents about the number of dogs they had and how active they were. The scientists also asked 318 of the teens to wear accelerometers, which measured the amount of time spent moving.
Dog-owning youngsters were more active than teenagers without dogs. That surprised the researchers, who expected that the parents would be the household dog walkers. “You can think of your dog not only as your best friend but also as a social support tool for being active,” said John Sirard, PhD, the study’s lead author. The study results were reported in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
A lack of exercise among teenagers is a source of ongoing concern for public health authorities. According to the Centers for Disease Control, 17% of the US adolescent population is obese, nearly triple the obesity rate of 30 years ago.
Stress Management Eases Recovery from Cancer Surgery
JANUARY 2011—Men who learned how to manage stress levels before undergoing surgery for prostate cancer experienced immune and mood benefits in a recent study.
Researchers at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center divided 159 men scheduled for complete prostate removal, a procedure called radical prostatectomy, into three groups. Some patients met with a psychologist strictly for emotional and mental support while others also received lessons in controlling negative thoughts and the use of guided imagery; the rest received standard medical care without any psychological intervention.
Two days after surgery, the men who underwent cognitive and guided-imagery training had better immune function. A year later, those same patients reported better quality of life and few problems with mood disturbances, according to results published in Psychosomatic Medicine.
“Both the physical and psychological stress of surgery can be harmful to the immune system. Even brief pre-surgery sessions of stress management positively impact the recovery process,” said senior study author Lorenzo Cohen, PhD.
Multivitamins Linked with
Reduced Heart Risk
Women who use multivitamins over the long term have a reduced heart attack risk, according to a recent study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Researchers from one Swedish and two American institutions started their work in 1997 by enrolling 31,671 Swedish women with no history of cardiovascular disease along with 2,262 women with a cardiac history. All participants were questioned about their diet, lifestyle and supplement usage. After more than 10 years, 932 women in the first group and 269 in the second had suffered heart attacks.
Among the originally healthy women, use of multivitamins was associated with cardiac risk reduction, especially if supplementation was maintained over the long term. No risk reduction was seen among the women who had heart disease when the study began.
Green Tea Extract May Reduce
Type 1 Diabetes Risk
Supplementation with green tea extract was able to reduce the risk of type 1 diabetes in mice, the type that often starts in childhood and occurs when the immune system destroys insulin-secreting cells in the pancreas.
This study, conducted at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, used mice bred to spontaneously develop type 1 diabetes; 25% of the mice fed EGCG, the compound in green tea thought to be mainly responsible for its health benefits, became diabetic compared with 67% of the control animals.
“We provide evidence for the first time that dietary intake of EGCG can delay the development of type 1 diabetes in non-obese diabetic mice,” said the researchers in their study report, which was published in the British Journal of Nutrition.
Garlic and related vegetables, such as onions and leeks, may reduce the risk of hip osteoarthritis, according to a report in BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders.
A British research team came to this conclusion after studying the dietary habits of 1,086 female twins (used to eliminate confounding factors). The scientists noted that diallyl disulphide, found in garlic and similar plants, has shown an ability to resist the cartilage degradation that marks OA.
One way the brain maintains itself is by recycling toxic proteins. This process, known as neuronal housekeeping, normally declines with age; now research indicates that extracts from the açai berry may bolster this vital function.
Investigators at Tufts University in Boston studied the effects of açai extract on microglia cells, the brain’s housekeepers, in rodents. Açai was able to protect against the release of substances that promote inflammation, a key factor in the development of neurodegenerative diseases.
“These results suggest that açai may contribute to ‘health span’ in aging, as it is able to combat some of the inflammatory and oxidative mediators of aging at the cellular level,” say the study team, who reported their results at a recent meeting of the Society of Neuroscience.
Vitamin D Plus Sunlight:
Best Breast Cancer Defense?
Vitamin D has been found to provide protection against a number of malignancies, including breast cancer. The skin can create vitamin D when exposed to sunlight. But that isn’t enough according to a French research team, whose work suggests that supplementation along with sunlight is the best way to go.
Scientists at the Institut National de la Santé de la Recherche Médicale documented more than 2,800 cases of breast cancer over the 10-year study, which initially involved more than 67,700 women. The risk of cancer development was 32% lower for women who lived where the sun shone brightest and who had the highest D intake, according to results published in the 12/2/10 online edition of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention.
Antioxidants May Help Couples Conceive
JANUARY 2011—Some couples who had tried a number of high-tech reproductive aids, including in vitro fertilization, were able to conceive after the man took oral antioxidants, according to research published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.
A group of New Zealand scientists reviewed 34 controlled studies involving 2,876 couples, whose ages ranged from 20 to 52. All were using some type of assisted reproductive technique after a year of regular intercourse failed to result in conception. Antioxidant supplementation for the men resulted in an increased number of live births.
Some men suffer from subfertility, in which damaged sperm are unable to fertilize the woman’s ovum. “Between 30% and 80% of male subfertility cases are considered to be due to the damaging effects of oxidative stress on sperm,” says lead researcher Marian Showell, MPH, from the University of Auckland. “Oral supplementation with antioxidants may improve sperm quality by reducing oxidative stress.”
Excess TV Tied to Higher Death Risk
JANUARY 2011—If you’re interested in living longer, turn off the TV and walk away from the computer.
That’s the message from researchers at University College London, who found that spending four or more hours of leisure time in front of a screen may make you more than twice as likely to die or to suffer from a heart attack, stroke or heart failure. They came to this conclusion, as reported in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, after collecting data on 4,512 participants in the 2003 Scottish Health Survey. During more than four years of followup, 325 people died and 215 had a cardiovascular event. The risk calculations took into account factors such as high blood pressure, weight and smoking.
“Our research suggests that screen time and perhaps sitting in general can be very detrimental for overall and cardiovascular health,” says lead researcher Emmanuel Stamatakis, PhD. “Given that the large majority of people of working age have sedentary jobs and spend long periods of time commuting or driving, leisure time should involve as little sitting and as much movement as possible.”
Vitamin D and Exercise
Help Prevent Falls
JANUARY 2011—Many older people fear falling because of the risk of fracture and disability. The best way to reduce falls? Stay active and take vitamin D supplements, according to the authors of a study commissioned by the US Preventative Services Task Force.
The research group reviewed 28 clinical trials of various exercise programs and nine vitamin D supplementation studies involving nearly 10,000 participants. Exercise was found to reduce the risk of falling by 13%; vitamin D reduced risk by 17%. Review results were published in a recent issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
“Our evidence review shows that exercise and vitamin D supplementation are the most effective primary care interventions to prevent falls,” says lead researcher Yvonne Michael, ScD, MS, of the Drexel University School of Public Health, who worked with colleagues at the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research. “We need to help primary care physicians find better ways to prevent falls, and this review will help to do that.”
The group also evaluated fall-prevention studies involving single risk factors such as home hazard modification and vision correction; none of these studies showed significant reduction in risk. However, comprehensive risk management programs—those that took a number of factors into account simultaneously, often with programs tailored to individual needs—reduced the risk of falls by 11%.
Positive Attitude Aids Creativity
DECEMBER 2010—Looking for inspiration when trying to cope with a problem creatively? Maintaining an upbeat mood may be your best bet, according to research published in Psychological Science.
Researchers at the University of Western Ontario chose musical selections and video clips that were classified as happy (a light Mozart piece and a laughing baby), sad (music from “Schindler’s List” and news coverage of an earthquake) or neutral. Study participants listened to the music and watched the videos before solving a problem that required classifying sets of pictures with visually complex patterns.
People in the happy-media group performed noticeably better than those in the sad and neutral groups. “If you have a project where you want to think innovatively, or you have a problem to carefully consider, being in a positive mood can help you do that,” says Ruby Nadler, a graduate student on the study team.
Previous research had linked positive outlook to reduced risk for heart disease and longer lifespan.
Fish Oil May Turn On
Anti-Diabetic Genes
A gene called PPARy plays a vital role in helping the body regulate glucose (blood sugar) and avoid diabetes. Now a Taiwanese study has shown that supplementation with the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA, which are found in fish oil, can activate PPARy.
Researchers at National Taiwan University fed mice either fish oil or a drug called rosiglitazone designed to affect PPARy, which also regulates fat cell growth. Mice who received the rosiglitazone did not lose body weight or fat pad weight. In contrast, the fish oil-supplemented mice lost both weight and fat, showing that EPA and DHA help “regulate glucose homeostasis through interaction with PPARy,” according to the study team’s report in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry.
Deficiencies in Vitamin D
Linked to Depression
People who are deficient in vitamin D are 85% more likely to suffer depressive episodes compared with those who have sufficient amounts of the sunshine vitamin.
Researchers from Georgia State University reached this conclusion after studying data from 7,970 US residents between the ages of 15 and 39 who took part in the third US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). The National Institute of Mental Health’s Diagnostic Interview Schedule was used to assess the participants’ depression levels.
“Active vitamin D enhances glutathione metabolism in neurons and, therefore, promotes antioxidant activities that protect them from oxidative degenerative processes,” wrote the study team in the International Archives of Medicine (11/11/10 online). “It is important to identify persons who are at risk for vitamin D deficiency and/or for depression and to intervene early because these two conditions have enormous negative consequences on long term health.”
Omega-3 May Reduce
Gum Inflammation
Prevalence of periodontitis, a chronic gum inflammation that may lead to tooth loss, was decreased by up to 20% with increased intake of omega-3 fatty acid, according to a research team from Harvard Medical School. The biggest reductions were associated with higher consumption levels of DHA, one of the main components of fish oil; smaller reductions were linked with consumption of EPA, the other main fish oil ingredient (Journal of the American Dietetic Association 11/10). The study involved more than 9,000 adults who participated in the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between 1999 and 2004.
Periodontitis generally starts as the result of a bacterial infection. This can lead to inflammation, which in turn can cause the gum to separate from the tooth.
Vitamin C May Aid Sepsis Patients
Injections of vitamin C may help improve survival rates for sepsis, a life-threatening infection of the bloodstream, according to a recent issue of Intensive Care Medicine.
Scientists at two Canadian institutions, working with mice, found that a single injection of vitamin C was able to prevent the capillary clotting that can lead to vital organ failure during sepsis, which normally carries a mortality rate of 40%. The clots form as the result of an out-of-control immune response to bacterial infection.
“Vitamin C is cheap and safe,” wrote the researchers. “It has the potential to significantly improve the outcome of sepsis patients worldwide.”
Magnesium May Lower Sudden
Death Risk in Women
December 2010—Magnesium, a mineral that helps sustain a normal heartbeat, may lower a woman’s risk for sudden cardiac death, according to a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Harvard scientists analyzed 26 years’ worth of information from 88,375 women enrolled in the Nurses’ Health Study, of whom 505 died when their hearts suddenly stopped. The highest dietary intakes of magnesium were associated with a 37% drop in risk.
In addition to supporting heart health, magnesium helps nerves and muscles relax and helps strengthen bones. Muscle weakness and spasm, high blood pressure and persistent headaches are all possible signs of inadequate magnesium stores.
Good sources of magnesium include raw pumpkin and sunflower seeds, leafy greens, black and navy beans, and some types of fish. However, surveys have found that many Americans don’t get enough of this mineral in their diets.
NOVEMBER 2010—Does your mind wander from what you’re doing throughout the day? If so you’re less likely to be happy, according to a study in a recent issue of Science.
“Human beings seem to have this unique capacity to focus on the non-present,” reported study author Matthew Killingsworth, a doctoral candidate in psychology at Harvard. “But at the same time, [people] are clumsy users of this capacity and it tends to decrease, rather than increase, happiness.”
Killingsworth and his colleagues came to this conclusion after studying responses from 2,250 participants who were prompted randomly throughout the day to report what they were doing, how they were feeling, whether or not their minds were drifting to other things and, if so, whether those thoughts were pleasant or unpleasant. The participants ranged in age from 18 to 88, had a wide variety of occupations and were distributed among 83 countries.
The researchers found that the participants spent 47% of the time thinking about something other than what they were doing—with the exception of lovemaking, during which only 10% reported wandering minds. Not surprisingly, sexual activity was among the activities that made people happiest, along with exercising and conversing, while resting, working and using a home computer made them the least happiest. What’s more, even having one’s mind drift to pleasant thoughts brought less happiness than being fully focused on the present moment.
To participant in this ongoing project, visit www.trackyourhappiness.org.
Survey: It’s Hard to Muster the Willpower to Overcome Stress
Americans are having a tough time getting rid of stress because they feel they lack the willpower to make healthy lifestyle changes, according to findings of an annual American Psychological Association study whose authors warned about the long-term impact of chronic stress on our physical and emotional health.
Mirroring findings of previous APA studies, about three-quarters of Americans say they are stressed at levels they define as unhealthy. Some 66% of respondents said their stress levels were moderate to extreme, while 25% characterized their stress as extremely high, according to the survey of 1,134 American adults conducted in August. The findings were disclosed November 9 in New York.
The survey found that stress is on the rise for women. Some 49% of women said their stress has increased over the past five years, compared to 39% of men.
The solutions that respondents most frequently cited to overcome a lack of willpower were having more energy and confidence in their ability to change. Psychologists and APA officials who announced the findings said that suggests there is an opportunity to educate adults about effective strategies to overcome the main culprits behind stress—environmental triggers.
The top causes of stress were money, work, the economy and family responsibilities.
“The lack of willpower connotes some personal fault or flaw. However, the data is very clear. In large part they are at the mercy of their environment,” said Kathryn Henderson, PhD, director of school and community initiatives at the Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity at Yale University.
That gap in perception of stress triggers and what is needed to overcome stress was among a number of what APA officials termed “disconnects” in the findings. For example, parents appear to underestimate the impact their stress could be having on their children’s emotional well-being.
In a finding pointing to how stress is hurting American families, the survey showed that 69% of parents think that their stress has little or no impact on their children. Yet nearly half (47%) of children between middle childhood and adolescence, ages 10 to 12, also known as tweens, and one-third of teens (33%) say their parents’ stress saddens them, while one-third of tweens (36%) and 43% of teens say they feel worried by the stress their parents endure.
On the upside, children feel their relationships with their parents are open enough to discuss issues that might be related to stress. There were other bright spots, the psychologists said: More healthcare practitioners are recognizing stress as a cause of many ailments and diseases.
Norman Anderson, PhD, the APA’s chief executive, prescribed some social changes to help both adults and children better cope. “Sit down as a family and ask, ‘What is the one thing we can change?’ Kids become part of the decision process and it fosters social support within the family.”
The survey underscored the big health risks. Those who said they were stressed reported sleeplessness, anxiety, pain and depression. The APA points to high blood pressure and a weakened immune system, among other serious stress-related health risks. “Stress affects every major organ system in the body in ways that are unhealthy,” Anderson said.
Americans try to manage their stress largely through sedentary activities such as listening to music, reading or watching television, though many survey respondents also said they exercise or walk.
For more on the survey, visit www.StressInAmerica.org.
Breast and Ovarian Cancer on
Dad’s Side Matters, Too
NOVEMBER 2010—Breast or ovarian cancer on the maternal side of a woman’s family is a known risk factor for both diseases. However, one genetic counselor believes that women need to pay attention to their paternal family health history as well.
Women who are genetically prone to breast and ovarian cancer often have mutations in one or both of the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes; normal versions of these genes help suppress tumor development. “If your mom or your dad has a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation, you would have a 50% chance of inheriting it from either one,” says Jeanna McCuaig, MSc, a genetic counselor at Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto. “I’ve had patients come in and say, ‘I never thought about my dad’s side.’”
Those comments led McCuaig to look through two years’ worth of patient charts at the hospital’s Familial Breast and Ovarian Cancer Clinic. She found that women with a maternal history of breast or ovarian cancer were five times more likely to be referred to the clinic than those with a paternal history of these diseases. McCuaig presented her findings as a commentary in the online version of The Lancet Oncology.
In addition to raising the risk of breast and ovarian cancer in women, McCuaig says that BRCA2 mutations increases the risk of male breast cancer—a 6% risk compared with less than 1% for the general male population. A mutation in either BRCA1 or BRCA2 also raises a man’s prostate cancer risk.
Counseling and Probiotics
May Reduce Obesity Risk
NOVEMBER 2010—Women who gain too much weight during pregnancy run a greater risk of becoming obese later in life. But probiotics, beneficial microbes that promote digestive well-being, combined with dietary counseling may help new moms maintain a healthy weight.
Researchers at the University of Turku in Finland randomly divided 256 women in the first trimester of pregnancy among three groups. One group received no counseling or probiotics. The other two groups both received counseling; however, one group also took supplements of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and Bifidobacterium lactis, while the other took placebo capsules. The supplements stopped when the women stopped exclusive breastfeeding.
After six months, 26.2% of women in the supplement group had a waist size of 31.5” or more compared with 48.5% of women in the counseling-and-placebo group and 51.7% of those who received neither counseling nor probiotics, according to results published in Clinical Nutrition. A large waist indicates the presence of belly fat, the type associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and other disorders.
More Muscle Leads to Longer
Life in Kidney Disease
OCTOBER 2010—Adding lean pounds to one’s frame is associated with greater survival for people undergoing kidney dialysis, according to a study in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.
Having a higher body mass index (BMI) has been known to improve survival times for people with diseased kidneys. However, BMI does not differentiate between muscle and body fat. To help resolve this issue, scientists at the Harbor-UCLA Medical Center took two measurements from 792 dialysis patients, mid-arm muscle circumference for lean mass and triceps skinfold for fat mass.
Patients with the highest mid-arm muscle measurements were 37% less likely to die over a five-year period. The researchers would like to see these results verified by a larger study.
The National Kidney Foundation says that 26 million Americans have chronic kidney disease (CKD), in which the organs gradually lose their ability to filter out waste, regulate mineral levels and control blood pressure. While CKD can result from malformations, inherited diseases and other issues, diabetes and hypertension are the main risk factors. Dialysis is used to manage end-stage CKD by removing waste material that the kidneys can no longer handle.
Diabetes rates are skyrocketing as the average waistline widens. But scientists believe that a number of whole foods may help control blood sugar and keep this disease at bay.
A research team from Louisiana State University has reported that compounds taken from blueberries helped increase insulin sensitivity by 22% in a group of overweight people. As reported in the Journal of Nutrition, the participants all had insulin resistance, a condition in which the body’s cells don’t respond properly to insulin and that often leads to diabetes.
In another study published in the British Journal of Nutrition, researchers from Canada’s University of Manitoba gave some overweight women muffins containing yellow pea flour while others in a control group ate wheat flour muffins. After 28 days, the women in the pea-flour group showed improved insulin levels. What’s more, these women also had less abdominal fat; excess fat in this area is now recognized as a risk factor for diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Green Tea May Defend
Against DNA Damage
Tag: Green Tea & DNA Damage; Category: Cancer
The antioxidants in green tea have long been believed to help to reduce cancer risk. Now scientists at the Chinese University of Hong Kong may have discovered why: Drinking green tea appears to reduce the DNA damage that can cause a cell to become cancerous.
Eighteen healthy volunteers drank either two cups of 1% green tea or water every day for four weeks; after a six-week washout period, they switched substances. Body fluid analysis showed a 20% drop in DNA damage, according to results published in the British Journal of Nutrition.
Garlic Oil May Improve Diabetic
Heart Health
OCTOBER 2010—Diabetes is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. But one study suggests that garlic may protect the heart from the harmful effects of excess blood sugar.
Chinese researchers fed garlic oil to diabetic rats, lowering heart rate and improving the heart’s pumping capacity and output. In addition, the researchers believe that garlic’s antioxidant properties may protect against cardiomyopathy, a condition in which the heart muscle is damaged; garlic-supplemented rats showed an increase in proteins that help the heart contract normally.
“Garlic oil possesses significant potential for protecting hearts from diabetes-induced cardiomyopathy,” writes the research team in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
Garlic, employed in cuisines around the world, has a long history of medicinal use. Previous studies have shown it to help the heart by reducing lipid peroxidation and making abnormal blood clotting less likely.
Vitamin C May Boost Mood in Hospitalized Patients
SEPTEMBER 2010—Supplementation with vitamin C has improved mood response scores among hospital patients by 34% in a Canadian study.
Scientists have known that vitamin C deficits can lead to problems with mood and that bodies of acutely ill patients often direct vitamin C into immune cells as part of the inflammation response, leaving less of this crucial antioxidant available for other tissues. So researchers at McGill University in Montreal did mood testing on a group of patients at Montreal’s Jewish General Hospital, gave the patients supplemental C and then retested them. The test results, which appear in the online version of Nutrition, were comparable to the findings of previous research.
“About one in five acute-care patients in our hospital have vitamin C levels so low as to be compatible with scurvy,” says lead researcher John Hoffer, MD, PhD. “Patients are rarely given vitamin supplements. Most physicians are simply unaware of the problem.”
Vitamin D May Reduce
Endometrial Cancer Risk
SEPTEMBER 2010—Cancer of the endometrium, the inner lining of the womb, is more likely to develop in women who are obese. But higher intakes of vitamin D3 may reduce obesity’s cancer-promoting effects, according to the online version of Cancer Prevention Research.
Researchers from five institutions came to this conclusion after feeding groups of mice four different diets, a standard diet with and without vitamin D and a high-fat version with and without D. The sunshine vitamin “inhibited obesity-induced increase in endometrial lesions,” which have been linked to increased cancer risk in humans. “If these results are confirmed in women, use of vitamin D may be a wonderfully simple way to reduce endometrial cancer risk,” says lead author Leena Hilakivi-Clarke, PhD of Georgetown University.
The American Cancer Society estimates that 43,470 new cases of uterine cancer, the majority of which will be endometrial malignancies, will occur this year, along with 7,950 deaths. In addition to obesity, risk factors include hormonal imbalances, menstrual cycles beginning before age 12, the use of hormone replacement therapy and a high-fat diet
Distressed Mood, Distressed Heart
SEPTEMBER 2010—Patients with what’s known as a Type D, or “distressed,” personality may face a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, according to a study in this month’s Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes. Unlike the better-known Type A, marked by competitiveness and hostility, people in the Type D category tend to experience pessimism, negative emotions and social inhibition.
A research team from The Netherlands examined 49 studies of how having a distressed nature affects future health. “We found that Type D personality predicts mortality and morbidity in these patients, independent of traditional risk factors,” says study co-author Viola Spek, PhD. In addition to heart disease, Type D was also associated with a threefold increase in risk for anxiety, depression or poor overall mental health.
Type D, first described in the 1990s, is linked to levels of the stress hormone cortisol and may be related to elevated markers of inflammation, a known chronic disease risk. People who fall into this category are also less likely to visit practitioners on a regular basis.
Popeye ate spinach to build his strength—but it might have also helped him avoid diabetes, according to a recent British Medical Journal study.
A British research team analyzed six studies on diet and the incidence of type 2 diabetes, in which the body either does not produce enough insulin, the hormone that guides blood sugar (glucose) into cells, or the cells ignore insulin. This results in high circulating levels of glucose, which can lead to cardiovascular and other complications.
The team’s analysis revealed that green, leafy vegetables such as spinach can significantly reduce the risk of developing diabetes. “Fruit and vegetables are all good, but the data significantly show that green leafy vegetables are particularly interesting, so further investigation is warranted,” says lead study author Patrice Carter, PhD, a nutritionist at the University of Leicester.
According to the American Diabetes Association, 7.8% of all Americans suffer from diabetes. Symptoms can include frequent urination and extreme thirst, unusual fatigue and hunger, slow-healing cuts and bruises, blurred vision and frequent infections. However, many people with type 2 diabetes experience no symptoms at all.
Crohn’s disease, an inflammatory bowel condition that causes abdominal pain and weight loss, may respond to a type of fiber found in plantains and broccoli.
Scientists at Britain’s University of Liverpool found that non-starch polysaccharide (NSP) fibers from these plants were able to keep Escherichia coli from invading cells that line the intestinal tract. “This implies that dietary supplementation with such fibers might have a protective effect against Crohn’s disease relapse by preventing bacterial invasion of the mucosa,” write the research team in the September 2 online version of Gut.
Crohn’s is becoming increasingly common in developed nations where diets tend to feature highly processed foods that are low in fiber. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including Crohn's and ulcerative colitis, is estimated to affect about 1.4 million Americans.
Vitamin D May Improve
Asthma Control
Supplementing an asthma control plan with vitamin D may prove helpful. Researchers associated with the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology came to this conclusion after reviewing nearly 60 years’ worth of studies. They found that the sunshine vitamin helps reduce the inflammatory response seen in asthma.
“Evidence suggests that vitamin D deficiency is associated with increased airway hyperresponsiveness, lower pulmonary functions, worse asthma control and possibly steroid resistance,” they wrote in the September Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. However, they cautioned that asthma patients should not stop taking prescribed medication.
Vitamin D deficiency is a problem throughout much of the industrialized world, especially in colder climates. Vitamin D has been shown to play an important role in cardiovascular, immune, brain and skeletal health.
Quercetin Cuts Sick Time
Due to Colds and Flu
Quercetin, a flavonol found in apples and other produce, has helped people over age 40 cut sick days lost to upper respiratory infections by 31% in a recent study.
The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled investigation, conducted by a team at Appalachian State University, involved 12 weeks of quercetin supplementation among more than 1,000 volunteers at doses of 500 and 1,000 milligrams per day. The over-40 group also experienced a 36% percent reduction in URI severity (Pharmacological Research 9/10). In other research, quercetin has shown strong anti-viral properties.
According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, adults generally suffer from two to four colds each year; children can have as many as 10 a year.
Resveratrol Supplements
Ease Circulation
Supplementation with resveratrol, a phytonutrient found in red wine, Polygonum cuspidatum and other sources, has improved circulation in a recent study.
Researchers at the University of South Australia gave either 30, 90 or 270 mg of resveratrol or a placebo to 19 overweight volunteers. Those taking the supplement experienced an “acute dose-related improvement” in flow-mediated dilatation, a measure of how well the blood vessels open to improve circulation (Nutrition, Metabolism & Cardiovascular Diseases 7/29/10 online). Poor FMD has been recognized as a risk factor for heart disease and stroke.
Previous studies had suggested that resveratrol, long extolled as the compound responsible for wine’s heart-healthy effects, can raise antioxidant levels and keep blood platelets from sticking together to form vessel-clogging clots. Scientists believe that resveratrol also increases production of nitric oxide, a substance that promotes arterial widening.
Air Pollution Linked to Less Vitamin D
SEPTEMBER 2010—The haze created by air pollution may screen out enough sunlight to depress vitamin D levels, according to a study in BMC Public Health.
Scientists from four Iranian institutions measured ground levels of ultraviolet B—the part of sunlight responsible for stimulating skin production of vitamin D—in two parts of the country, one highly polluted and the other with relatively clean air. They then recruited 200 housewives from these areas and measured their D levels.
Women living in the highly polluted area had significantly lower amounts of vitamin D in their bloodstreams. What’s more, they had higher rates of hyperparathyroidism, a disorder linked to D deficiency.
Tai Chi Helps Fibromyalgia Patients Feel Better
AUGUST 2010—People with fibromyalgia, a condition marked by chronic pain and fatigue, have reported less discomfort and better mood after doing tai chi, according to a study in the August 19 issue of New England Journal of Medicine.
The study, conducted by researchers at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, involved 66 fibromyalgia patients. Half of the participants attended hour-long tai chi sessions twice a week for 12 weeks. The others took wellness education classes followed by stretching sessions.
At the study’s end, those in the tai chi group felt less pain, anxiety, depression and fatigue. They also reported improvements in sleep and physical conditioning. “It was incredible. You could see them change every week,” says study leader Chenchen Wang, MD, an associate professor in Tuft’s rheumatology department. These benefits held steady after an additional 12 weeks.
Long practiced in China as a martial art, tai chi’s gentle, deliberate movements have made it a popular fitness option at community centers and senior residences. Research has linked regular tai chi practice to improved posture, flexibility, cognitive function, mood and sleep.
Fibromyalgia is a poorly understood condition that affects about 10 million Americans, according to the National Fibromyalgia Association. In addition to pain and fatigue, it is marked by the presence of tender points—specific spots that become more painful when pressed—and such psychological issues as disruptions in mood and problems with concentration and memory.
Childhood Abuse Takes Its Toll on Adult Health
AUGUST 2010—Bruises and broken bones aren’t the only injuries suffered by battered children. According to one study, being abused as a child can lead to an increased risk of disease later on in life.
Researchers at Ohio State University and the Institute of Behavioral Medicine Research recruited 132 healthy older adults (average age 70) for this study. The participants were questioned about their depression levels and their health behaviors and whether or not they had been abused as children. Their blood was tested for two immune-system substances, interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF), known as markers for stress. Tests were also done to measure the length of telomeres, DNA fragments on the ends of chromosomes that shorten every time a cell divides. Short telomeres are a sign of relatively aged cells.
Nearly one-third of the participants reported some type of abuse—physical, emotional or sexual—during childhood. Compared with the others, these people showed higher levels of TNF, significantly shorter telomeres and greater levels of depression.
“What happens in childhood really matters when it comes to your immune response in the latter part of your life,” said Ohio State professor Janice Kiecolt-Glaser in reporting study results at the American Psychological Association’s annual meeting in San Diego.
Excessive Media Usage Tied to Junk Food Consumption in Adolescents
AUGUST 2010—It can be hard to unplug an American teenager from the TV or the computer—but it’s a must if you want them to eat a healthier diet.
That’s the message from researchers at UCLA and Canada’s University of Alberta. Using data from the 2005 California Health Interview Survey, the scientists tracked the links between electronic media usage among youngsters ages 12 to 17 and consumption of sugary, fatty foods. They defined anything over three hours a day in front of either a TV set or a computer screen as “excessive.”
Fast food consumption was associated with excessive TV viewing on weekdays, while knocking back the soda was linked to too much TV during the week and on weekends in addition to excessive recreational computer usage. On the other hand, teens who ate more than five servings of produce a day didn’t spend as much of their time in front of screens. These study results appear in this month’s Italian Journal of Pediatrics.
“As society attempts to address the digital divide by providing more computer access to younger populations, the content of computer games and the Internet remains largely unregulated as compared with traditional media like TV,” says the research team. “It might be advisable to adopt more preventive measures, including youth counseling and content regulations, to address the potential undesirable influence from excessive computer use on eating and drinking behaviors.”
Fish Oil Linked to Lower
Breast Cancer Risk
Fish oil, best known for its heart-health benefits, may also help women evade breast cancer.
That finding came from a study done at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, where investigators enrolled 35,000 women in a study about their use of various dietary supplements. Fish oil, a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, was on the list.
After six years, 880 women had developed breast cancer. Women who took fish oil regularly had a 32% reduced risk of invasive ductal breast cancer, the most common type. The scientists, writing in the July 2010 issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention, could not pinpoint the reason for fish oil’s anti-cancer effect, but suggested that omega-3’s ability to fight inflammation might play a role.
The American Cancer Society estimates that more than 207,000 women will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer this year, and that nearly 40,000 women will die of the disease.
Millions of people suffer from respiratory distress caused by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). But regular vitamin E supplementation may help reduce COPD risk in women 45 and older, say scientists at Cornell University and Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
The researchers examined data from the Women’s Health Study, a long-term investigation that ended in 2004. Nearly 40,000 participants had taken either 600 mg of vitamin E or a placebo every day.
Vitamin E was associated with a 10% reduction in COPD risk among both smokers and nonsmokers, according to results presented to the American Thoracic Society’s 2010 meeting in New Orleans. “If results of this study are borne out by further research, clinicians may recommend that women take vitamin E to prevent COPD,” says team member Anne Agler, a Cornell doctoral candidate.
COPD covers a number of breathing disorders, most notably chronic bronchitis and emphysema. Smoking is the main risk factor, followed by exposure to airborne lung irritants.
Calcium in Youth for
a Slim Adulthood?
Everybody knows that calcium (along with vitamins D and K) helps children build strong bones and teeth. Now evidence suggests that getting enough calcium early in life may also help hold down weight gain long after high school graduation.
A research team at North Carolina State University led by Chad Stahl, PhD, came to this conclusion after an investigation involving guinea pigs, which are similar to humans in terms of bone growth and development. (Guinea pigs are among the few species known to suffer from osteoporosis-related fractures, just as people do.) The scientists studied two groups of newborn animals, 12 who were fed a calcium-deficient diet and 12 who received adequate amounts of the mineral. As expected, the guinea pigs in the first group had significantly lower levels of bone density and strength compared with their better-fed counterparts.
That wasn’t the only finding of interest, however. The researchers also looked at stem cells—those that had not yet assumed their final form—in the animals’ bone marrow. Stem cells in the calcium-deficient guinea pigs appeared to be on their way to becoming fat cells instead of cells that create new bone. This means having more potential fat cells may predispose the baby guinea pigs to suffer from not only osteoporosis latter in life but to also gain excess weight as well.
The study findings were reported at this year’s Experimental Biology meeting in Anaheim, California. According to Stahl, the same team plans to conduct a longer feeding trial so they can see how the stem-cell changes affect the animals as they reach maturity, which occurs for guinea pigs at approximately eight months.
Meditation Promotes
Ability to Focus
JULY 2010—Attention span can suffer in a world full of media-driven distractions. But meditation may help the perpetually frazzled maintain their concentration, according to a study published in Psychological Science.
Researchers at the University of California, Davis studied 60 people who were familiar with meditation because they had attended retreats. Half the group studied Buddhist meditation at a Colorado retreat for three months, while the others were put on a waiting list and served as a control group.
Both groups were tested three times on their ability to sustain visual attention and pick up on small visual distinctions. Scores improved among the retreat participants as the retreat progressed. What’s more, they were able to maintain improved concentration for five months after the study ended, especially if they continued to meditate every day. Such improvements were not seen in the control group.
According to the National Institutes of Health, more than 20 million Americans report having used meditation to counteract stress and ease problems such as anxiety, depression, insomnia and pain. Previous studies have linked mediation to changes in blood flow within the brain and to reductions in blood pressure.
Ginger May Relieve
Post-Exercise Soreness
Ginger, best known for its ability to soothe upset stomachs, may prove its worth as a way to reduce soreness after workouts. Researchers at Georgia College and State University gave either ginger supplements or placebo capsules to 74 volunteers who performed elbow-flexor extension exercises using weights. Pain and inflammation levels were measured before and for three days after the sessions.
Both raw and heat-treated types were used in this study. “Consumption of raw ginger resulted in a 25% (pain) reduction while heat-treated ginger resulted in a 23% reduction in muscle-pain intensity 24 hours post-exercise,” wrote the researchers in the April 23 issue of The Journal of Pain, adding that these results suggest ginger “may have anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties akin to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.”
Vitamin B6 Linked to Lower
Lung Cancer Risk
Higher levels of vitamin B6 have been linked to lower lung cancer risk in a study by an international cancer research agency. In examining data from 385,747 volunteers with the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study, scientists found 899 people with lung cancer; they were matched with 1,770 controls. People with the highest blood levels of B6 were 50% less likely to have cancer, according to results published in the June 16 issue of JAMA. The amino acid methionine was also linked with reduced lung cancer risk.
“Given their involvement in maintaining DNA integrity and gene expression, these nutrients have a potentially important role in inhibiting cancer development, and offer the possibility of modifying cancer risk through dietary changes,” say the researchers.
Omega-3s May Blunt Hearing Loss
Omega-3 fatty acids may help keep hearing sharp as people age. According to scientists at Australia’s University of Sydney, eating at least two servings of fish per week was associated with a 42% reduction in the risk of hearing loss among people age 50 and over; similar reductions were seen with greater omega-3 intakes.
“Dietary intervention with omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids could prevent or delay the development of age-related hearing loss,” wrote the researchers in the June 9 online issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Earlier studies had found risk reductions for hearing loss linked to folic acid, beta carotene, magnesium and vitamins C and E. Hearing loss affects more than 36 million Americans.
Antioxidants May Make
Arteries More Flexible
JULY 2010—Supplemental antioxidants have helped overcome arterial stiffness and other risk factors for cardiovascular disease, according to study results published in the online journal Nutrition & Metabolism.
A team of Israeli researchers randomly assigned 70 people at risk for heart problems to two groups. Those in the first group received daily supplements of vitamins C and E, coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) and selenium, nutrients known to neutralize cell-damaging molecules called free radicals. Those in the second group received placebos.
Participants in the supplement group showed significant increases in flexibility of both large and small arteries. Stiff arteries leave a person prone to hypertension, which may explain why blood pressure readings also dropped among members of the first group. In addition, supplementation was associated with lower levels of HbA1C, indicating a reduction in diabetes risk, and increased levels of HDL, the “good” cholesterol linked to reduced heart risk.
Resveratrol May Reduce
Blindness Risk
JULY 2010—Resveratrol, best known for its cardioprotective effects, may also help safeguard eyesight.
Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, working with mice, report that resveratrol was able to reverse the development of abnormal blood vessels (a process called angiogenesis) within the retina. What’s more, they were able to identify the specific biological pathway, known as eEF2, affected by resveratrol.
“We believe the pathway may be involved both in age-related eye disease and in other diseases where angiogenesis plays a destructive role,” says lead researcher Rajendra Apte, MD. The study results are reported in this month’s American Journal of Pathology.
The two major retinal diseases are age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of blindness in people over age 55, and diabetic retinopathy, present in approximately 45% of all Americans with diabetes.
Vitamin D May be Linked to Poor Diabetes Control
JUNE 2010—Low levels of vitamin D are common in people with type 2 diabetes—and has been linked with inadequate blood sugar control according to a recent study.
Researchers at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine reviewed records of 124 people with diabetes whose vitamin D levels had been measured at an outpatient endocrinology clinic between 2003 and 2008. Despite receiving regular medical care, 91% of the patients showed vitamin D levels that were either deficient (blood levels below 15 ng/dL) or insufficient (levels between 15 and 31 ng/dL). Only 6% of the patients were taking vitamin D supplements.
The study team also found an association between low levels of D and higher levels of hemoglobin A1c, a marker for blood sugar control over several months’ time. Higher Alc levels indicate poor blood sugar control.
“This finding supports an active role of vitamin D in the development of type 2 diabetes,” says the team’s report, given at this month’s Endocrine Society’s 92nd Annual Meeting in San Diego. “Since primary care providers diagnose and treat most patients with type 2 diabetes, screening and vitamin D supplementation as part of routine primary care may improve health outcomes of this highly prevalent condition.”
B Vitamins May Reduce
Depression in Seniors
JUNE 2010—Depression often darkens people’s senior years, afflicting about 6 million Americans over the age of 65. But increased intakes of vitamins B6 and B12 may help keep depression at bay, according to scientists at Rush University Medical Center in Illinois.
The researchers recruited 3,500 older Chicago residents for this study, which lasted for seven years. All the participants answered food frequency questionnaires and were assessed for depressive symptoms using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Every 10 milligram increase in intake for each vitamin was associated with a decrease in depression risk of 2% per year, according to study results appearing in the online version of American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Previous studies have found that depression in later life lasts longer, increases the risk of cardiac disease and is more likely to result in suicide, especially among men. The World Health Organization predicts that within the next two decades more people will be affected by depression than by another other illness.
Sedentary Youth Linked to Later Hypertension Risk
JUNE 2010—Getting off the couch when you’re young can pay dividends by keeping your blood pressure down decades later, according to a study scheduled for publication in the July issue of Hypertension.
More than 4,600 people between the ages of 18 and 30 were recruited for the study, which was conducted by researchers from the Northwestern University Feinberg School and Medicine and the Weight Management and Wellness Center at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. The participants answered a physical activity questionnaire and underwent a stress test when the study began and received six overall health assessments over the following 20 years.
Over the course of the investigation, roughly 1,000 people developed hypertension, defined as having a blood pressure higher than 140/80 mm Hg or having been prescribed high blood pressure medication. The researchers found that lower fitness levels at the beginning of the study were associated with a higher risk of hypertension, even after adjusting for other risk factors such as smoking, cholesterol levels and diet. They estimated that 34% of high blood pressure cases could be prevented through increased fitness alone.
“The results of this study aren’t too surprising, but what I think is impressive is the amount of hypertension that can be prevented,” says Goutham Rao, MD, clinical director of the Weight Management and Wellness Center. “The good news is that there’s no point at which you can not benefit from increased activity.”
More and more Americans are developing nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), liver inflammation and damage caused by excess fat deposits. There are no currently approved treatments for this condition, also known as fatty liver disease. But there is good news: Vitamin E may help, according to a study in the May 6 issue of New England Journal of Medicine.
Researchers at the Saint Louis University Liver Center gave either 800 IU of natural vitamin E or a placebo to 247 people with NASH. After 24 months 43% of those in the vitamin E group showed significant improvement, compared with 19% in the placebo group.
Lycopene, a beneficial flavonoid found in tomatoes and other red fruits and vegetables, has been found to inhibit inflammation linked to asthma development, according to research published in The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry.
Scientists at the University of Newcastle in the UK divided mice into two groups. Mice in the first group ate a normal diet; those in the other also received lycopene. The supplemented mice showed reductions in eosinophils, white blood cells associated with an asthmatic immune response, and in inflammatory chemicals called IL-4 and IL-5.
Brown Rice Helps Fight Hypertension
Nutritionists have long recommended brown rice over the more highly refined white rice because of the brown variety’s greater fiber content. But brown rice might be even healthier than originally thought: It may help keep blood pressure under control.
Scientists examined the rice kernel’s subaleurone layer, the one between the white core and the brown outer husk. They found that nutrients extracted from this layer were able to inhibit angiotensin II, a chemical that causes blood pressure to rise, in muscle cells taken from blood-vessel walls.
“Our research suggests that there is a potential ingredient in rice that may be a good starting point for looking into preventative medicine for cardiovascular diseases,” says lead researcher Satoru Eguchi, MD, PhD of Temple University School of Medicine. These study results were presented at the 2010 Experimental Biology conference.
Colitis is an inflammatory disorder that can cause ulcers to develop in the bowel wall and increase the risk of colon cancer. But researchers at the University of Seville in Spain believe that resveratrol, the substance responsible for red wine’s health benefits, may help keep this painful condition in check.
These investigators gave resveratrol to a group of mice; another group, fed only standard mouse chow, served as controls. All the mice developed colitis but colon damage was not as severe or extensive in the treated group. The supplemented animals showed fewer signs of disease, such as diarrhea and weight loss. What’s more, all the mice in the resveratrol group survived; 40% of the control group did not—an important finding, according to a report published in the May issue of European Journal of Pharmacology.
Resveratrol is found not only in grapes but also in several types of berries as well as peanuts and Japanese knotweed (Polygonum cuspidatum). Best known for its ability to protect the heart by reducing cholesterol and triglyceride levels, recent research suggests that resveratrol may help suppress cancer development and prevent arthritic joint degeneration.
Caring for a Spouse with Dementia Raises Your Own Risk
MAY 2010—Scientists are beginning to measure the effects of the stress associated with taking care of a loved one with dementia: One study found that caregiving spouses are six times as likely to become demented themselves.
This 12-year study, conducted by researchers from Johns Hopkins, Utah State and Duke, involved 1,221 married couples, for a total of 2,442 participants. The couples were part of the ongoing Cache County (Utah) Memory Study, a location chosen because of the longevity of its residents.
The study team screened volunteers for dementia using questionnaires, with people who showed signs of the disorder undergoing a full clinical assessment. The investigators found 255 individuals with dementia; people whose spouses had already been diagnosed were found to have a sixfold higher risk of also suffering from dementia compared with those whose spouses were unaffected. The study results have been published in the May Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
Maria Norton, PhD of Utah State, one of the lead investigators, said this long-term study confirms “snapshot” research that had shown memory loss among spousal caregivers. Norton says, “We know that the declines in memory we saw were real and persistent, not just a point in time when [the caregivers] weren’t performing well on tests.”
Relief for your aching back may come from your mind, according to a British study in a recent issue of The Lancet.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is designed to change negative thought patterns. Researchers at the University of Warwick in Great Britian provided 701 back patients with either standard treatment—group therapy and advice on matters such as activity levels and medication use—or standard treatment plus CBT.
After a year, the CBT group saw a 13.8% improvement in a test to measure disability, compared with a 5.4% improvement in the standard treatment group.
More Vitamin K, Less Lymphoma?
Increases in vitamin K intake may reduce the risk of developing cancer of the lymphatic system, according to a study conducted by the Mayo Clinic and presented to the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR).
Food questionnaires were completed by 603 people with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a term that covers 29 different cancers of the lymphatic system. The researchers recruited 1,007 healthy volunteers, who were also queried about their dietary habits, to serve as controls.
The risk of developing lymphoma was found to be 45% lower among people who consumed at least 108 micrograms of vitamin K daily, compared with people with an average intake of 39 micrograms or less.
“These results are provocative,” the lead study author, James Cerhan, MD, PhD, told the AACR. “This is a fairly strong protective effect.” Cerhan noted that additional research was needed to confirm his team’s findings. The Mayo study was funded by the National Cancer Institute.
Vitamin K, long overshadowed by its more well-known cousins such as vitamins C and E, has always been associated with healthy blood because of its ability to control coagulation, the process that causes blood to clot. Vitamin K is found in a variety of green foods, including kale, spinach, collard greens and romaine lettuce.
Senior Muscle Function
Vitamin D, a nutrient best known for boosting bone health, may help muscles, too. That’s the conclusion of a recent study that found a link between high blood levels of the sunshine vitamin and better physical functioning in seniors.
Researchers from Wake Forest University recruited 2,788 people (average age of 75) for this investigation. Vitamin D levels were measured three times: When the study started, two years later and four years later. The participants also underwent a battery of tests including those for walking speed, balance and ability to rise easily from a chair.
The people with the highest levels of vitamin D showed the greatest ease of movement. In contrast, 90% of the people with the lowest test scores were found to be D deficient.
In her presentation before the Experimental Biology 2010 meeting in Anaheim, California, study lead author Denise Houston, PhD supported recent calls by the scientific community for an increase in the recommended daily intake for this crucial nutrient. “Current dietary recommendations are based primarily on vitamin D’s effects on bone health,” she said. “It is possible that higher amounts of vitamin D are needed for the preservation of muscle strength and physical function as well as other health conditions.”
The proposed increase in vitamin D intake is supported by a growing body of research into D’s many physiological functions. In addition to building strong bones and muscles, evidence suggests that vitamin D also plays a role in regulating blood pressure, keeping inflammation in check, regulating the immune system, supporting brain function and quelling chronic pain.
Calcium, Vitamins
May Lower Cancer Risk
Many women take calcium to help strengthen their bones. But this mineral—along with vitamins in general—may also act to protect against breast cancer.
Scientists at the Ponce School of Medicine in Puerto Rico examined supplemental calcium and vitamin intakes in two groups of women, 268 with breast cancer and 457 healthy controls. Calcium was associated with a 40% drop in breast cancer risk, while vitamins were associated with a 30% reduction.
The scientists say that calcium appears to help cells repair DNA; damage to this key genetic molecule can lead to cancer. The study findings were reported at this year’s annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research.
Low Vitamin B6 Levels
Linked with Parkinson’s Disease
Not getting adequate amounts of vitamin B6 may increase the risk of Parkinson’s disease by 50%, according to a Japanese research team.
Scientists at the University of Tokyo’s School of Public Health came to this conclusion after studying the dietary history, including vitamin intakes, of two groups of people, 249 with Parkinson’s disease and 368 without any neurodegenerative condition (British Journal of Nutrition 3/26/10 online). No link was found between Parkinson’s risk and intakes of folic acid, riboflavin or vitamin B12.
Vitamin B12 is involved in at least 100 chemical reactions within the body. A lack of this nutrient has been linked to an increased risk for carpel tunnel syndrome and alternative practitioners have used it in a wide variety of health conditions, including PMS, acne, asthma, diabetic neuropathy, dizziness and ringing in the ears. Up to one-third of all adults may be B12 deficient, with the elderly, smokers and pregnant or nursing women at particular risk.
Omega-3 Linked to Improved
Diabetic Kidney Health
A British study suggests an association between omega-3 fatty acids and improvements in kidney health among people with type 1 diabetes, a condition known to damage the kidneys.
Scientists at the Institute of Metabolic Science in Cambridge measured levels of albumin, a protein that leaks from damaged kidneys, in the urine of 1,436 people with type 1 diabetes, the type in which the pancreas fails to secrete insulin. People with the highest omega-3 intakes had albumin excretion levels 22.7 milligrams per hour lower than those with the lowest intakes “Dietary omega-3…fatty acids appear inversely associated with the degree, but not with the incidence, of albuminuria in type 1 diabetes,” the researchers wrote in Diabetes Care (3/31/10 online).
All the participants came from the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial, a large, ongoing study funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
Omega-3 Fat DHA May
Boost Male Fertility
Tag: Omega-3 & Male Fertility; Category: General Health News
Researchers at the University of Illinois have found that DHA, one of the primary omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil, may boost male fertility.
The scientists worked with mice that had been engineered to lack an enzyme-coding gene which would allow the animals’ bodies to transform alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), an omega-3 found in plants, into docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). These mice were found to have fewer, more abnormal sperm cells; feeding the mice DHA reversed these effects.
“It was very striking,” wrote the researchers in the Journal of Lipid Research (2/10). “When we fed the mice DHA, all these abnormalities were prevented.”
Male fertility is affected by quantity (more than 20 million sperm per milliliter of semen is preferable), quality (at least one-third should be of normal shape) and motility (at least half should be moving). To enhance fertility, the Mayo Clinic recommends eating a produce-rich diet, taking a daily multivitamin, reducing stress levels and maintaining a healthy weight, in addition to eliminating tobacco use and limiting alcohol intake.
APRIL 2010—Substances in green tea may protect the eye from oxidative stress, according to a study recently published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
Researchers in Hong Kong fed green tea extract to rats. The research team then measured the levels of catechins, antioxidants found in tea, in different tissues found within the eye, including the cornea, lens and retina. Different structures were found to absorb different catechins, which showed protective effects against oxidation. This process, caused by harmful molecules called free radicals, has been associated with conditions that threaten eyesight such as cataracts, retinal disorders and open-angle glaucoma.
Green tea contains four main catechins: epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), epigallocatechin (EGC), epicatechin gallate ECG), and epicatechin (EC). These substances have also been linked to improved cardiovascular health as well as reductions in risk for Alzheimer’s disease and several forms of cancer.
According to the University of Washington Department of Ophthalmology, 6.4 million new cases of eye disease occur each year. These include 400,000 new cases of cataracts, 25,000 cases of diabetes-related retinal disease and 5,500 cases of glaucoma.
Secondhand Smoke Can
Lead to Sinus Woes
APRIL 2010—Secondhand tobacco smoke, which has already been linked to cancer and heart disease, appears to raise the risk of sinusitis.
Scientists at Brock University in Ontario compared secondhand smoke exposure in 306 nonsmokers with sinus problems and 306 other volunteers who didn’t have chronic sinusitis, defined as inflammation of the nasal passages or sinuses lasting for at least 12 weeks. Those with sinusitis were more likely to have been exposed to secondhand smoke at home, work or social functions. Approximately 40% of the sinus troubles in the first group was linked to secondhand smoke.
The research team has reported its findings in the April issue of Archives of Otolaryngology.
According to the American Cancer Society, secondhand smoke is annually responsible for an estimated 46,000 deaths from heart disease and 3,400 deaths from lung cancer in nonsmokers. In children, it has been linked to increases in asthma symptoms, middle ear infections and lung infections such as pneumonia and bronchitis.
Record Pollen Counts Make
Millions Miserable
APRIL 2010—If you’ve spent the past several weeks sneezing and wiping your eyes, you’re not alone. Recent weather patterns—long periods of rain and cold followed by sudden warming—have triggered high pollen counts across the US.
All that pollen has made life difficult for the roughly 50 million Americans who suffer from seasonal allergies, which can cause itchy eyes, scratchy throats and nasal congestion.
Many locations are seeing record or near-record pollen counts. For example, Atlanta recently had a 5,733count; 1,500 is considered very high. These numbers reflect the grains of pollen per cubic meter in a sample collected over a 24-hour period.
Meteorologists say that climate change is also partially to blame for the blizzard of pollen. Increasing levels of carbon dioxide, a result of fossil fuel combustion, has spurred plant growth, which in turn has led to increased amounts of pollen. “Some types of pollen have doubled because of climate change,” says Carl Parker, a Weather Channel meteorologist.
Some good news: Because the allergy season started early and hit hard, researchers believe that it will end sooner than usual. Counts of tree pollen, a main springtime offender, are expected to drop in the next couple of weeks.
Multvitamins May Improve
Infant Health
A team of Boston-based researchers found that African-American women who took multivitamins daily at the time of conception have a reduced chance of giving birth to low-birth-weight babies. “African-American women in the US deliver preterm and low-birth-weight infants two to three times more frequently than their white counterparts,” wrote the scientists in the March 2010 issue of Annals of Epidemiology. “If our findings [are] confirmed…then increasing peri-conceptional multivitamin use among African-American women…could help to eliminate long-standing disparities in birth weight, gestational age and fetal growth.”
Low birth weight is associated with higher health risks, including infant mortality, poor growth and higher rates later in life of such chronic disorders as diabetes and heart disease.
Proper Nutrition Helps Kids
Ditch the Itch
According to a study published in the March 2010 European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, five-year-olds with the highest dietary intakes of beta-carotene, vitamin E, folic acid and iron had the lowest risk of developing atopic dermatitis (AD). This itchy, scaly allergic disorder is believed to be caused by delayed immune-system development.
Researchers from Kyung Hee University in South Korea enrolled 180 youngsters with AD and 242 healthy controls. The children’s caretakers answered a food frequency questionnaire; in addition, blood samples were drawn.
The risk of AD was found to be 56% lower in children with the highest average intakes of beta-carotene compared with those who had the lowest intakes. For vitamin E, the risk was 67% lower; for folic acid, 63%; for iron, 61%.
Researchers Urge Supplemental Vitamin D for Babies
A study in the March 22, 2010 online issue of Pediatrics has urged the use of supplemental vitamin D for infants. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention surveyed mothers of children in their first year of life. Only 5% to 37% met the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) 2008 guidelines for vitamin D intake, with the infants who were fed breast milk exclusively the most D-deficient.
“We found that most infants, not just those who are breast-fed, may require an oral vitamin D supplement daily, beginning within their first few days of life, to meet the 2008 AAP recommendation that infants consume at least 400 IU a day of vitamin D,” wrote lead researcher Cria Perrine, PhD. The scientists noted that deficits in vitamin D have been linked to not just rickets, a disorder marked by weakened bones, but also with type 1 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer.
Folic Acid Linked to Decrease in Female Pancreatic Cancer Risk
Folic acid, a nutrient best known for protecting babies against birth defects, may reduce a woman’s risk of developing pancreatic cancer by 50%, according to results published in the February 2010 issue of American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Researchers working under the auspices of the National Cancer Institute examined folate intakes of 57,187 women and 51,988 men. Intakes of greater than 253.3 micrograms a day significantly decreased risk for women; no correlation was found among men. This study, which was conducted by the National Cancer Institute, involved data from the Prostate, Lung,Colorectal and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial, a large, ongoing investigation.
According to the American Cancer Society, more than 42,000 people were diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2009 with more than 35,000 deaths; a lack of early symptoms makes this among the deadliest of malignancies. Advancing age, smoking, obesity and lack of exercise are all associated with increased risk. So is the presence of an ongoing medical condition such as chronic pancreatitis or cirrhosis of the liver.
DHA May Boost Chemotherapy Effectiveness
Women undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer may be helped by an omega-3 fat known as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), one of the two main components of fish oil.
Researchers from the French Institut National de la Santé Et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) U921 in Tours report that supplements of DHA prolonged survival in women with advanced cancers, including those that had spread to the liver and other sites. The 25 women in the study received DHA for between two and 96 months in addition to an anthracycline-based chemotherapy regimen.
After an average of 31 months, overall survival was 22 months, reaching 34 months in women with the highest blood DHA levels. “It would be stressed that our patient population had a particularly poor prognosis, as 68% had liver metastases in addition to other sites,” the research team wrote in a recent issue of the British Journal of Cancer. Median survival of patients with liver metastases is normally 14 months.
“Our data show for the first time that a dietary intervention targeted on DHA is a feasible approach that has potential to substantially increase survival in metastatic breast cancer patients treated with chemotherapy,” wrote the scientists. They added that this study represents an “incentive to set up a prospective-controlled randomized trial aimed at identifying the place of dietary DHA in breast cancer treatments.”
Seaweed Extract Inhibits Lymphoma Cell Growth
Seaweed extract has shown promise as a potential treatment for lymphoma, a cancer of the immune system.
Jordanian scientists, reporting study results at a March 11 conference sponsored by the American Association for Cancer Research, found that the marine-based extract inhibited the growth of lymphoma cells in the B-cell group without affecting healthy ones. “Some forms of B-cell lymphoma are especially resistant to standard treatment, and thus new therapies are needed,” said Mohammad Irhimeh, assistant professor of hematology/oncology and stem cells at Hashemite University.
There are two main types of lymphomas, Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). NHL starts in white blood cells called lymphocytes, of which there are two types, B cells and T cells. Most NHL cases are of the B-cell variety. According to the American Cancer Society, nearly 66,000 people were diagnosed with NHL in 2009 and more than 19,000 people died of it.
Positive Attitude, Stronger Immunity
APRIL 2010—Taking a sunny view of life may give your immune system a noticeable boost, according to study results published recently in Psychological Science.
A research team at the University of Kentucky surveyed 124 first-year law students on topics such as their success in school and how optimistic they generally felt. The students also received antigen injections that resulted in a bump on the skin, which indicated an immune-system response; stronger reactions produced bigger bumps. The immune response became more powerful in individual students as they felt more optimistic over time and less powerful as they became more pessimistic.
The scientists note that the study doesn’t prove the link between optimism and well-being. However, it does suggest that “a single person, with the same personality and genes, has different immune function when he or she feels more or less optimistic,” says lead author Suzanne Segerstrom, a professor in the university’s psychology department. What’s more, people who felt more optimistic “also felt more happy, attentive and joyous, and that accounted for some of the relationship between optimism and immunity,” Segerstrom says.
Omega-3 Fats May Drop
Endometriosis Risk
APRIL 2010—Millions of women worldwide suffer from endometriosis, in which patches of uterine lining grow outside of the womb. But diets rich in omega-3 fatty acids have reduced the risk of this often-painful condition in a recent study.
A Boston-based research team analyzed data from the Nurses Health Study, an ongoing investigation involving nearly 71,000 US women. Almost 2,000 participants were diagnosed with endometriosis over 12 years. Eating diets with high levels of unhealthy trans fats raised the risk of developing this condition by 48% while diets rich in omega-3 fats led to a risk reduction of 22%, according to a recent edition of Human Reproduction.
“This study gives us a strong indication that we’re on the right track in identifying food rich in omega-3 oils as protective for endometriosis,” says study author Stacey Ann Missmer, ScD of the Harvard School of Public Health.
In addition to pain, endometriosis can cause irregular bleeding and infertility. The abnormal tissue is most often found on structures in the lower abdomen, but can occur elsewhere in the body.
Jobless Parents,
Stressed-Out Children
MARCH 2010—Losing a job is stressful for anyone. But for parents the stress doubles; not only are they affected but their children are, too.
More than 700 unemployed adults responded to a recent CBS News/New York Times poll. Almost half of those who were unemployed for six months or more said that their children’s lives have changed, and nearly 40% had noticed changes in their children’s behavior. Nearly 10% of the US workforce is out of work and 10.5 million children—one in every seven—have an unemployed parent.
“Whenever there’s a downturn, it’s the kids who suffer a significant burden,” says Christopher Bellonci, MD of Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston. “When families are doing well, they can buffer some of this stress. When they can’t, it bleeds through to the kids.”
And it’s not just lower-income families who are affected. “What is important about the present recession is how many middle-class and upper middle-class families are experiencing economic insecurity,” says Ariel Kalil, PhD of the University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy Studies. “That kind of unexpected shock can trickle down to kids.”
The effects of parental unemployment can range from reductions in basic necessities such as clothing and school supplies to less money for extracurricular activities. In addition many families have had to move, sometimes to shared living arrangements with relatives.
Signs of emotional distress in youngsters include unexplained anger (including aggressive acts), anxiety and poor performance in school. Parents are advised to be upfront with children about what loss of a job will mean for the family without showing signs of panic.
Magnesium May Reduce Male
Colon Cancer Risk
MARCH 2010—Magnesium may be man’s best friend: This mineral, best known for boosting cardiovascular health, may also reduce a man’s risk of developing colon cancer.
Scientists at Japan’s National Cancer Center in Tokyo followed the dietary habits of 87,117 people for about eight years. The men had an average magnesium intake of 284 milligrams a day; the women, 279. During the study 689 men and 440 women developed colorectal cancer.
The men whose magnesium intake was at least 327 milligrams a day experienced a 52% lower cancer risk compared with men with the lowest magnesium intakes, according to results published in the Journal of Nutrition. No association between magnesium and cancer risk was seen in women.
Colorectal cancer is the third most common form of malignancy in the US, accounting for nearly 147,000 new cases and 50,000 deaths each year. It is one of the most curable cancers if found early.
Green tea might be able to add another line to its health-enhancement resumé—as a treatment for uterine fibroids. These benign tumors, which affect about 40% of all reproductive-age women, can cause excessive bleeding, anemia and fatigue. They can also make it more difficult for a woman to become pregnant.
Researchers at Meharry Medical College in Nashville report that green tea extract has killed leiomyoma, or fibroid, cells in tissue cultures. What’s more, the extract was able to eliminate fibroid lesions in animals (American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology 1/10). The researchers plan to begin human trials soon.
The airway restriction associated with asthma can make breathing difficult. But magnesium supplementation may improve lung function in people who have this inflammatory disorder, which is marked by wheezing and coughing.
Researchers at Bastyr University in Washington state enrolled 55 people with mild-to-moderate asthma in a carefully controlled trial. The volunteers received either 340 milligrams of magnesium or a placebo for 6.5 months. Neither the scientists nor the participants knew who was taking which substance until the study was over.
Lung function, as measured by peak expiratory flow rate, increased by 6% in the magnesium group, compared with no improvement in the control group. It was also more difficult for the scientists to induce airway constriction in the participants who had taken the supplements.
“This study adds to the body of research that shows a beneficial response to magnesium supplementation in people who have mild to moderate asthma,” the investigators wrote in the February issue of Journal of Asthma.
Magnesium is known to promote relaxation and is often recommended for muscle cramps and aches. Evidence suggests that it also supports heart health.
Post-Workout Pomegranate
May Ease Soreness
After your next session at the gym you may want to see red, as in pomegranates: Antioxidants from this popular fruit have reduced exercise-induced soreness in a recent study.
Researchers from the University of Texas at Austin reported the results of this study in the March issue of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. Their investigation looked at 16 healthy men who were recreationally active but not involved in endurance or resistance training.
All the participants took a pomegranate antioxidant supplement and a placebo for nine days each, separated by a two-week washout period. On the fifth day of each treatment period, the volunteers performed intense exercise with an eye towards developing delayed muscle soreness. They were monitored at two, 24, 48, 72 and 96 hours after exercising.
At the two-hour mark, all the participants experienced a 28% decrease in strength. But by 48 hours the men in the supplement group experienced 33% less strength loss than those taking the placebo. The supplement takers also had 28% less muscle soreness. In evaluating the pomegranate extract the researchers wrote, “Faster strengthening and reduced muscle soreness could help people with their training.”
Vitamin D Deficiency Linked
to Weak Muscles
MARCH 2010—Female workout warriors may want to throw a bottle of vitamin D in their gym bags: A recent study has found a link between low levels of the sunshine vitamin and weak, fatty muscles in women.
Researchers at McGill University in Canada and the University of Southern California enrolled 90 California women in this study. The participants, all between the ages of 16 and 22, were tested for blood levels of vitamin D, and for body fat and muscle mass. Almost 60% had insufficient levels of vitamin D, with 24% showing signs of outright deficiency. Low levels of D were strongly associated with higher percentages of fat in the muscles, according to findings published online in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.
The researchers were surprised that women living in California, noted for its sun exposure, would lack vitamin D, which is created when sunlight strikes the skin. “This reciprocal association between vitamin D status and muscle fat was not previously reported and is unexplained and intriguing,” they wrote.
MARCH 2010—It isn’t idle chit-chat that helps form bonds between people, but deeper, more substantial conversations. Those conversations, in turn, appear to foster greater happiness.
Researchers at the University of Arizona fitted 79 college students with electronically activated recorders, devices that recorded 30 seconds of conversation every 12.5 minutes throughout the day. The volunteers were also evaluated for personality and overall well-being.
More than 23,000 recordings, roughly 300 per participant, were made over four days. The research team categorized each recording as small talk (for example, “What do you have there? Popcorn?”) or substantive (such as, “She fell in love with your dad? So, did they get divorced soon after?”).
The happiest participants were the ones who spent the most time talking to others—an average of 70%—and less time alone. What’s more, they also had twice as many substantive conversations as the unhappiest participants, according to results published in the online version of Psychological Science.
The study authors note that their investigation doesn’t prove that deeper interchanges cause happiness; it may be that happy people attract more conversation, including meaningful conversation, than unhappy people. But the results, they say, “raise the interesting possibility that happiness can be increased by facilitating substantive conversations.”
Acai May Lower Cholesterol
Açai, a tiny berry from the Brazilian rainforest, has made a big splash as the world’s latest superfruit based on its antioxidant properties. Now a study from this fruit’s homeland suggests that açai may help reduce your chances of developing high cholesterol.
Researchers from the Federal University of Ouro Preto, in the southeastern part of the country, divided female rats among four groups. One ate a standard diet while another ate a high-fat diet.
The other two also ate regular and high-fat diets; in addition, they received açai pulp.
After six weeks levels of HDL—the “good” cholesterol that helps clear arteries—went down in the rats on the high-fat diet, while levels of total and non-HDL cholesterol rose. However, this cholesterol pattern was moderated in the rats who ate an açai-enhanced high-fat diet. “These results suggest that the consumption of açai improves antioxidant status and has a hypocholesterolemic [cholesterol-lowering] effect,” wrote the research team in Nutrition online (1/10/10).
Vitamin E:
Post-Stroke Brain Booster?
Tag: Vitamin E & Stroke; Category: Cardiovascular
Vitamin E, best known as the body’s primary dietary fat-based antioxidant, may help keep nerve cells in the brain from dying after a stroke.
Like other vitamins, E comes in several different forms. Scientists at Ohio State University found that a type called alpha-tocotrienol was able to inhibit an enzyme from releasing fatty acids that destroy brain cells, in this case those taken from mice. The enzyme, known as cPLA2, becomes activated after a stroke occurs.
“What we have here is a naturally derived nutrient, rather than a drug, that provides this beneficial impact,” says study lead author Chandan Sen, PhD, deputy director of OSU’s Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry (Journal of Neurochemistry online 12/17/09).
More D, Greater Survival
for Lymphoma Patients
Vitamin D—which has already been shown to aid in cancer prevention—may help improve survival times among patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, a malignancy that affects the immune system.
Researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota studied the records of 374 people who had been newly diagnosed with lymphoma. Roughly half the group had inadequate vitamin D levels. The mortality risk for the D-deficient patients was double that of those individuals with ideal amounts of the sunshine vitamin. Patients in the first group also had a risk of disease progression one and a half times that of the second group.
“These are some of the strongest findings yet between vitamin D and cancer outcome,” says lead investigator Matthew Drake, MD. These study results were presented to the American Society of Hematology.
Pomegranates May Ease
Menopausal Discomfort
Among menopause’s most distressing effects are the dryness and irritation associated with vaginal atrophy, which may affect up to 60% of all postmenopausal women. But natural relief may lie in the pomegranate.
Scientists at the University of Arizona College of Medicine gave 90 women a topical pomegranate ointment; another 100 women used an estrogen-based cream. Women in both groups experienced comparable symptom reduction. These results were reported at the Malta Polyphenols Conference (10/09).
One way cigarette smoke harms health is by producing cell-damaging oxidants. Now evidence suggests that noni, a South Pacific fruit, contains compounds that can fight these substances.
A research team lead by scientists from the UIC College of Medicine in Rockford, Illinois divided 285 heavy smokers into three groups; two received either 29.5 or 118 milliliters of juice a day; the others received a placebo. After 30 days, levels of two antioxdiant markers known as SAR and LOOH fell significantly in the noni juice groups, but not in the placebo group (Chemistry Central Journal 10/09).
Choline Linked With
Lower Anxiety Levels
Low levels of choline, a B vitamin needed to produce a key brain chemical, have been linked to increased rates of anxiety in a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (10/1/09).
Norwegian scientists looked at the health records of nearly 6,000 men and women who fell into two age groups, 46 to 49 and 70 to 74. The participants’ blood choline levels were noted, as were any anxiety or depression symptoms as measured by a standard mood scale. The lowest choline levels were found to be associated with the highest anxiety levels (no link was found between choline and depression).
According to the Anxiety Disorders Association of America, 40 million adults in the US suffer from anxiety disorders, which include generalized anxiety, panic attacks and post- traumatic stress.
D Deficiency in Children
Linked to Heart Risk
A lack of dietary vitamin D among children in the US today may be setting the stage for an increased burden of cardiovascular disease in the future.
This disturbing possibility is highlighted by two recent investigations, both of which used data from the 2001-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and appeared in the 8/3/09 online version of Pediatrics. In one study, 9% of the children (ages 1 to 21) were found to be D-deficient and another 61% were D-insufficient. The other study found that youngsters with the lowest vitamin D levels were more likely to have high blood pressure and blood sugar, along with low levels of HDL (“good”) cholesterol. These conditions are known to increase the risk of heart disease, stroke and other circulatory disorders.
Vitamin B6 May Cut Colon Cancer Risk
Having higher blood levels of vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) has been linked to a reduced risk for colorectal cancer, the third most common malignancy in the US. Researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and Harvard Medical School looked at levels of PLP, the active form of vitamin B6, in blood samples given by 14,916 men between 1982 and 1984.
By 2000, 197 of the men had developed colorectal cancer; they were matched with 371 healthy controls by age and smoking status. The cancer risk in individuals with higher PLP levels was up to 58% less than the risk seen among those with the lowest amounts of PLP. What’s more, high PLP levels were associated with reductions in several inflammation markers (Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention 4/09).
Multivitamins Reduce “Biological Age”
Multivitamins may be able to retard the rate at which cells age, according to a study from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.
Scientists there looked at telomeres, bits of DNA at the end of chromosomes that shorten as the cell ages and which are known to be affected by oxidative stress. The telomeres came from 586 women between the ages of 35 and 74 who completed questionnaires on their diet and multivitamin use. The telomeres from study participants who took vitamins daily were an average of 5.1% longer than those from women who didn’t take vitamins. Telomere length was particularly linked to the intake of antioxidant vitamins C and E (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 6/09).
Green Tea May Reduce
Lung Cancer Risk
Consumption of green tea among smokers is associated with reduced lung cancer risk, according to findings presented at the AACR-IASLC Joint Conference on Molecular Origin of Lung Cancer.
Researchers at Chung Shan Medical University in Taiwan gave dietary questionnaires to 170 cancer patients and 340 healthy controls. The research team also classified the participants according to genotype for insulin-like growth factors (IGF), which have been linked to cancer risk.
Smokers who drank no green tea ran a lung cancer risk that was 13 times greater than the risk for smokers who drank at least one cup of tea daily. Risk also varied by IGF type; those participants with a certain form of IGF1 had a 66% risk reduction. “Our study may represent a clue that in the case of lung cancer, smoking-induced carcinogenesis could be modulated by green tea consumption and the growth factor environment,” say the researchers.
Pycnogenol Brings
Hemorrhoid Relief
Pycnogenol has helped ease symptoms associated with hemorrhoids. German researchers found that taking the pine bark extract for seven days reduced the intensity and duration of pain and bleeding in a study of 84 people with external hemorrhoids (Phytotherapy Research 1/10)
Pycnogenolis taken from the bark of the French maritime pine, has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It has been found to enhance circulation and speed wound healing.
Fish Oil Eases Sepsis-Linked Inflammation
Adding fish oil, a source of omega-3 fatty acids, to IV solutions has helped reduce inflammation in patients with sepsis, a potentially fatal blood infection. The study, which compared 13 sepsis patients who received fish oil with 10 patients who received regular solutions, was conducted by scientists at the University of Southampton in England (Critical Care 1/19/10).
In sepsis, severe whole-body inflammation develops in response to infection, often leading to multiple organ failure; symptoms include fever and vomiting. Treatment includes antibiotics, fluid replacement via IV and support, including the use of a ventilator, for dysfunctional organs.
Low Vitamin D Levels Linked
to Crohn’s Disease
Vitamin D, a nutrient linked to a seemingly ever-expanding array of health benefits, may protect against Crohn’s disease. Canadian scientists, working with human cells, found that vitamin D helps “turn on” immune-regulating genes linked with Crohn’s, an inflammatory disorder of the small intestine that affects one person out of every 400.
“This discovery is exciting, since it shows how an over-the-counter supplement such as vitamin D could help people defend themselves against Crohn’s disease,” the researchers say in the Journal of Biological Chemistry (1/22/10). While the skin does produce vitamin D when exposed to sunlight, people in northern climates often don’t get enough sun exposure in winter to create adequate amounts of this crucial nutrient. What’s more, scientists now believe that the current US RDA for vitamin D is too low; numerous studies indicate that many people can use as much as 5,000 IU a day.
Fish Oil May Protect Diabetic Kidneys
Scientists at the University of Hong Kong have discovered that fish oil, source of the omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA, may lower levels of creatine, a marker for kidney damage, in people with type 2 diabetes. Kidney disease is a common complication of diabetes, a disorder that afflicts 24 million people in the US (Diabetic Medicine 2010; 27(1):54-60)
Diabetes-related kidney disease, known as diabetic nephropathy, is the most common cause of end-stage kidney disease. It destroys the kidney tissue, leading to reduced kidney function and increased blood pressure. Symptoms include edema, foam in the urine, loss of appetite and general malaise.
Fish oil has also been found to reduce the risk of psychosis in people who are at high risk, such as those who suffer from schizophrenia and other disorders. An international research team gave either fish oil or placebo to 41 individuals; less than 5% of those in the fish-oil group became psychotic after 12 weeks, compared with more than 22% in the placebo group (Archives of General Psychiatry 2010; 67(2):146-54).
A person is said to be in psychosis when they are out of touch with reality, such as someone who is suffering from hallucinations. In addition to mental illnesses, psychosis can also result from brain damage or tumors, drug abuse and severe stress or sleep deprivation.
Acupuncture Eases Depression
During Pregnancy
MARCH 2010—Depression can be a challenge for anyone—but especially for an expectant mom, who may be reluctant to take prescription antidepressants for fear of harming her baby. The good news is that acupuncture has helped reduce the symptoms of this common emotional dysfunction during pregnancy in a Stanford University study.
Researchers at Stanford’s School of Medicine recruited 150 women with major depression between weeks 12 and 30 of their pregnancies. The women were assigned randomly to three groups: one treated with acupuncture using acupuncture points associated with depression, control acupuncture using points not known to alleviate depression and massage.
After eight weeks, the women in the first acupuncture group showed a 63% reduction in depressive symptoms, compared with 44% in the other two groups combined. The study appears in this month’s issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
Roughly 14% of all pregnant women in the US may suffer from major depression, a condition marked by feelings of gloom and hopelessness. Scientists believe that the hormonal changes associated with pregnancy may bring depressive symptoms to the surface in vulnerable women.
Be Happy for Your Heart's Sake
FEBRUARY 2010—If you are positive by nature, congratulations. Your chances of developing heart disease are lower than people who take a more negative view of life.
Researchers at Columbia Unversity’s Center for Behavioral Cardiovascular Health tracked 1,739 people for 10 years, all of whom had participated in the 1995 Nova Scotia Health Survey. A heart-disease risk assessment was performed at the beginning of study; participants were also tested for anxiety, depression, hostility and “positive affect,” or the expression of upbeat emotions.
Unhappy people were found to have a 22% greater risk of having a heart attack or chronic chest pain compared with people who were somewhat happy, who in turn had a 22% greater cardiac risk than those who were moderately happy. The research results were published in the February 18 issue of the European Heart Journal.
Low Vitamin B6 Levels
Raise Heart Risk
FEBRUARY—Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), a nutrient best known for boosting brain health, has been linked to lower levels of an inflammation marker linked to cardiovascular disease.
Researchers at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center at Tufts University in Massachusetts measured levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), which serves as a marker for inflammation and PLP, the active form of vitamin B6 (along with 8-OHdG, a marker for oxidative stress) in 1,205 people between the ages of 45 and 75. The highest PLP levels were linked to low levels of CRP and 8-OHdG, according to study results published in this month’s American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Vitamin B6 helps the body utilize amino acids, the building blocks of protein. It is involved in the creation of hemoglobin, the substance in red blood cells that allows them to carry oxygen, and neurotransmitters, chemicals that help carry messages between nerve cells.
Antioxidants May Cut Immune-
System Cancer Risk
JANUARY 2010—Another reason to eat your vegetables: Diets that feature antioxidant-rich produce have been linked to a 31% risk reduction for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in a recent study.
Researchers at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine in Minnesota used data from the Iowa Women’s Health Study, a large, ongoing research project. They examined the dietary records of 35,159 women between 55 and 69. During the course of the study 415 cases of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma occurred.
Risk reductions were also associated with specific nutrients, including vitamin C, proanthocyanidins and the trace mineral manganese, according to a report scheduled for publication in the February 15 issue of International Journal of Cancer.
Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is an umbrella term for more than 20 malignancies originating in the immune system’s B and T cells. Roughly 65,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. Older people are at risk as are those whose immune systems are impaired, such as people who have received organ transplants or who are infected with HIV. The disease is marked by rapid, generally painless enlargement of lymph nodes in the armpit, groin and neck.
Lengthen Your Life by
Turning Off the Tube
JANUARY 2010—You won’t find the fountain of youth in your TV set. Every hour a day spent watching television can increase your risk of early death, according to Australian researchers.
Researchers at the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute in Victoria collected information on 8,800 healthy people 25 years and older. The researchers studied those who watched less than two hours of TV a day, those who watched two to four hours and those who clocked more than four hours in front of the set. In addition, the research team tested the participants’ glucose and cholesterol levels.
Within roughly six years 284 people died, 87 from cardiovascular disease and 125 from cancer. Each additional hour of TV viewing was linked with an 11% increase in death from any cause, 18% from cardiovascular causes and 9% from cancer. The comparison between those who watched the least TV and those who watched the most was even more dramatic—an 80% increase in cardiovascular death risk. The association between TV time and mortality held even when the researchers took other risk factors into account such as high cholesterol or blood pressure, smoking and excessive weight.
“The research provides another clear link between too much sitting and death from disease,” say the scientists, who published their results in a recent online edition of Circulation.
Sweet Serenade: Mozart Helps Preemies Grow
JANUARY 2010—The biggest challenge for a premature baby is gaining enough weight to ensure healthy survival. Now it seems that the music of Mozart can help.
Researchers at the Tel Aviv Medical Center in Israel exposed pre-term infants to 30 minutes of Mozart a day. The babies were calmer and less agitated; as a result they used less energy and gained more weight.
The scientists aren’t sure why the music was helpful, although one member of the research team, Dror Mandel, MD, thought that Mozart’s repetitive melodies, unlike those of such composers as Beethoven or Bach, “may be affecting the organizational centers of the brain’s cortex.”
The Tel Aviv study is part of an international project designed to create practices that will encourage health and well-being among at-risk newborns.
Let It Snow: Shoveling Without Pain
JANUARY 2010—Are you looking to stay active, but winter storms have kept you from the gym? Digging out can provide plenty of exercise—as long as you do it safely.
"Shoveling snow for about 15 minutes at a time counts as moderate physical activity, like a brisk walk,” says Terry Carolan, PT, NCS, ATP, Clinical Manager at the Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation in West Orange, New Jersey (www.kessler-rehab.com). But there’s a flip side. “Every winter, people experience back injuries, falls, fractures and even heart attacks as the result of shoveling snow,” notes Carolan. Cold itself stresses the body; add a little more activity than you’re used to and you could be setting yourself up for trouble.
The key is learning how to shovel the right way. The Kessler Institute suggests following these guidelines (talk to your practitioner if you have pre-existing heart or back problems):
- Drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration. And avoid caffeine, especially if you have a history of heart trouble. It can raise your heart rate and cause your blood vessels to constrict, which places extra stress on the heart. (Avoiding nicotine should be a given.)
- Dress in layers, including hat, gloves and non-skid boots.
- Get out there right after the snow stops falling. Fresh snow is easier to shovel than packed, partially melted snow.
- Warm up before starting in. Walk a few minutes (or march in place), and stretch your arms and legs. Make sure you have a good, sturdy shovel at the ready.
- Lift small amounts at a time using your legs, not your back. Scoop in a forward motion and step in the direction that you throw the snow; avoid twisting and tossing the snow over your shoulder or to the side. If possible, simply push the snow forward rather than lifting it.
- Take frequent rest breaks. Pace yourself.
- If you experience pain in your chest or arm, shortness of breath or profuse sweating, stop shoveling immediately and seek appropriate medical attention.
Micronutrients May Cut Bladder
Cancer Risk
JANUARY 2010—Upping one’s intake of vitamin E and phosphorus, among other nutrients, has been linked to a reduction in bladder cancer risk.
An Australian research team compared data taken from two groups, 322 people with bladder malignancies and 239 healthy controls. All the volunteers completed a 121-item food frequency questionnaire.
People with the highest intakes of vitamin E were 34% less likely to develop bladder cancer, while the highest phosphorus intakes were associated with a 51% reduction in risk. Vitamin D, carotenoids and thiamine (vitamin B1) were also linked to reduced cancer risk.
“Future studies should focus on optimal doses and combinations of these micronutrients, particularly for high-risk groups such as heavy smokers and older individuals,” wrote the researchers in Cancer Causes and Control.
According to the American Cancer Society, nearly 71,000 Americans develop bladder cancer every year and more than 14,000 die of it. In addition to smoking, exposure to various workplace chemicals can increase risk. Bladder cancer affects men four times as often as women.
Thick Neck Arteries Predict
Heart Disease
JANUARY 2010—Doctors have long wanted a non-invasive screening tool that could find plaque buildup within the coronary arteries in people who were free of symptoms. Now an existing technology may provide the answer: Scientists have found a link between thickened arteries in the neck and coronary artery disease (CAD).
The carotid arteries in the neck carry blood to the brain. Because plaques in these blood vessels can lead to a stroke, doctors measure carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) using ultrasound.
In this study a Turkish research team divided 100 angina patients who had undergone coronary angiography into two groups based on whether or not they had at least one plaque blocking more than 50% of the main coronary arteries. The patients then underwent ultrasound testing by a radiologist who didn’t know each person’s CAD status. People in the plaque group had significantly higher CIMT scores, according to results published in the online journal Cardiovascular Ultrasound.
Kids Eat Less Junk Food When
Schools Stop Offering It
DECEMBER 2009—According to one line of thought, children will fill up on junk foods at home if they can’t get them in school cafeterias and vending machines. But at least one study says that idea is wrong.
A team of Yale researchers studied six Connecticut middle schools over two years. In three of the schools, more nutritious snacks—water, baked chips, pretzels, granola bars and the like—replaced donuts, cookies, soda and other nutritionally dubious foods. Food offerings at the other three schools remained the same.
Contrary to some expectations, children at the three improved-diet schools did not pig out at home. “Instead, they ate better at school and no worse at home,” writes lead author Marlene Schwartz, PhD in the current issue of Health Education & Behavior. “We live in a society where it is easy, cheap and convenient to eat unhealthy foods, and difficult to eat health foods. It’s been this way for so long that many people consider this normal. It’s not.”
Schwartz adds that opposition to the improved school menus came from the food industry, looking to create loyal customers, and the schools themselves, which received a cut of the vending-machine profits.
Pine Bark Extract May Aid
Diabetic Eyesight
DECEMBER 2009—Pycnogenol, an extract taken from bark of the French maritime pine, has helped people with diabetes see more clearly in a new study.
Italian researchers divided 46 diabetics into two groups. Members of one group received 150 mg of Pycnogenol, while those in the other group received a placebo. All the volunteers had early diabetic retinopathy, a condition in which capillaries leak blood into the retina, which causes swelling.
After two months, 75% of the Pycnogenol group reported clearer vision, going from 14/20 to 17/20; the placebo group showed no improvement. The researchers thought that Pycnogenol was able to dilate blood vessels within the eye, increasing blood flow. The study was reported in the Journal of Ocular Pharmacology and Therapeutics (11/16/09 online).
Roughly 45% of all Americans with diabetes suffer from some stage of diabetic retinopathy, according to the National Institutes of Health. The condition causes as many as 24,000 people to go blind each year.
Meditation Lowers Cardiac Risks in People with Heart Disease
NOVEMBER 2009—Coronary heart disease (CHD), which narrows the blood vessels feeding the heart, increases a person’s chances of dying or suffering a heart attack or stroke. But practicing Transcendental Mediation (TM) reduced those risks by nearly 50% in a recent study.
The study, reported at the annual meeting of the American Heart Association this month, followed 201 African-Americans with CHD for nine years. Some of the volunteers were randomly assigned to practice TM, which helps reduce stress; the others served as a control group that took health education classes in risk modification through diet and exercise. The TM group saw their cardiac risk decrease by 47% and experienced a significant drop in blood pressure.
CHD is the leading cause of death in the US. In addition to causing 1.5 million heart attacks each year, CHD also results in nearly half a million bypass surgeries annually along with 1.3 million angioplasties.
NOVEMBER 2009—Paging Doctor Dog: People who have undergone joint replacement surgery were able to cut the pain medication they needed by half after spending time with animals.
“Evidence suggests that animal-assisted therapy (AAT) can have a positive effect on a patient’s psychosocial, emotional and physical well-being,” says Julia Havey, RN of the Loyola University Health System, which serves the Chicago area. Havey and her study group reported their findings at the 18th Annual Conference of the International Society of Anthrozoology in Kansas City, Missouri this month.
More than 10 years ago Havey and her colleague, Frances Vlasses, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, started raising puppies to become assistance dogs through Canine Companions for Independence, a group that provides dogs to people with disabilities. In addition to caring for the animals’ physical needs, Havey and Vlasses socialize them until they are old enough to start formal assistance training.
The presence of animals in people’s lives has been linked with a number of health benefits, including stress reduction and reduced mortality among heart attack victims.
Finding the Fountain of Youth
in Retirement
NOVEMBER 2009—A rough economy has forced many people to postpone retirement. But there’s a good reason to keep your eye on the prize: You may feel years younger than you do now.
That’s the conclusion reached in a survey of 15,000 French workers who were asked about their health up to seven years before and after retirement. They reported declining health as they approached the big day, but better health afterwards. In fact, the researchers say that the improvements in well-being were so marked that most of the workers felt eight years younger. This pattern was seen in both men and women, and across a range of occupations.
The same study group, which reported their findings in The Lancet, had previously found that sleep improves after retirement.
Diabetes Mystifies Most Americans
NOVEMBER 2009—Many people in the US understand very little about diabetes despite its high prevalence rate, according to a recent survey.
The 2009 Diabetes Awareness Survey, conducted by Harris Interactive for the American Diabetes Association (ADA), found that less than 60% of the respondents could tell the difference between the two types of the disease. In type 1 diabetes, which often develops in childhood, the immune system attacks the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin. In type 2, which makes up the majority of cases, the body cannot use insulin to properly control glucose, or blood sugar. Type 2 is more common in people who are overweight; this led more than half of the people surveyed to believe that anyone who is overweight would eventually develop diabetes (not true).
“Many Americans have a very limited understanding of the basic facts about diabetes,” says ADA spokeswoman Sue McLaughlin.
Only 42% of the respondents knew that diabetes is responsible for more deaths each year than AIDS and breast cancer combined; 20% thought the diabetes death rate was actually declining. Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death, with two of every three diabetics dying of cardiovascular disease. The ADA says that nearly 18 million people have been diagnosed with diabetes, and the group estimates that an additional 5.7 million have the disease but don’t know it.
Omega-3 May Reduce Vision Loss, Chest Pains
NOVEMBER 2009—Omega-3 fatty acids, the healthy fats found in fish oil, have shown a number of health benefits. The two latest: protecting older people against vision loss and healthy men against chest pains.
Scientists at the National Eye Institute examined data from the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS), a large, long-term research project designed to learn more about prevention of cataracts and macular degeneration (the major causes of blindness related to aging). Macular degeneration, a disorder that affects the retina, occurs in two forms, wet and dry. Omega-3s were found to reduce the risk of the wet type by 35% and the dry type by 32%, according to a report published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
The second report, published in the British Journal of Nutrition, used data from the Danish Diet, Cancer and Health study that followed more than 57,000 people for nearly eight years. In that span 1,150 individuals developed acute coronary syndrome (ACS), a term that covers a number of symptoms, especially chest pain caused by a lack of blood supply to the heart muscle.
Men who consumed more than 0.39 grams a day of fish-based polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), which includes the omega-3 fats, had an ACS risk that was 27% lower than men who consumed less than 0.39 grams of PUFA. No association was found in women.
Olive Oil May Contain an
Anti-Alzheimer’s Compound
NOVEMBER 2009—Olive oil’s healthy reputation has received another boost: One of its compounds may help fight the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.
A team of researchers from Northwestern University, writing in a recent issue of Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology, found that a substance called oleocanthal was able in lab tests to change the structure of ADDLs, toxic proteins thought to disrupt nerve function in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients. Such structural changes kept the ADDLs from binding within neural synapses, the spaces between brain cells through which messages are passed.
Oleocanthal occurs naturally in extra virgin olive oil, which also contains antioxidants and healthy monounsaturated fats. Olive oil is already known to benefit the cardiovascular system, especially through its ability to protect LDL cholesterol from oxidation damage, and is a key component in the Mediterranean diet, which has been associated with a reduced risk of heart disease.
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, Alzheimer’s disease affects up to 5.3 million people in the US, a rate that is predicted to double in 20 years. Early signs include poor judgment and decision-making along with loss of short-term memory and verbal skills.
Study: Something Scary in That Halloween Makeup
If your kids are dolling up as vampires or witches this Halloween, you may want to swap out their Hollywood-style makeup for a store-bought mask: A new study has found lead and other toxins in face paint.
The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics found lead in all 10 of the face paints it tested and skin allergens including nickel, cobalt or chromium in six. The levels of allergens “far” exceeded the recommendations of industry studies, the watchdog coalition group said.
Further, face paint product labels made misleading claims, such as “hypoallergencic,” on products with known skin allergens. “Disturbingly, parents have no way of knowing what’s really in these products just by reading the labels,” the group said in a 36-page report.
The tests, conducted by Analytical Sciences, an independent lab in Petaluma, California, found that hair colors and other cosmetics contained hazardous chemicals banned or restricted in Europe, Canada and Japan and contained colors not approved for use in cosmetics by the FDA. The FDA does not conduct routine testing of cosmetic products, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics said.
“Face paints are not just a once-a-year concern,” the group said in its report. “The paints we tested are commonly used for theater, face-painting booths at carnivals and fairs, and everyday play.”
Lead exposures during prenatal development, infancy and childhood can cause attention deficits, hyperactivity, impulsive behavior, IQ deficits, reduced school performance, aggression and delinquent behavior, the group said.
Exercise a Lifesaver for
Kidney Patients
OCTOBER 2009—Exercise is good for everybody. But for people with chronic kidney disease (CKD), physical activity may mean extra years of living.
A Utah research team looked over the records of 15,368 people who participated in the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III and found that 5.9% of them had CKD. That group was further divided into three subgroups—active, insufficiently active and inactive—and the participants were followed for an average of seven to nine years.
Having CKD led to lower activity rates: 28% of the CKD patients were inactive, compared with 13.5% of people who didn’t have CKD. However, those people with CKD who remained active were 56% less likely to die during the followup period than those who were inactive. This benefit even held for people in the insufficiently active group, who were 42% less likely to die than people with CKD who were not active at all, according to a report in the October 8 online edition of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN).
Part of the reason for the longer life enjoyed by physically active people with CKD may be linked to weight loss. In another CJASN-reported study, researchers at the Cleveland Clinic found that weight loss achieved through diet and exercise helped preserve kidney function in obese people with CKD.
According to the National Kidney Foundation, 26 million adults in the US have CKD, which includes any condition that damages the kidneys and reduces kidney function. Diabetes and high blood pressure are among the more common causes of CKD.
Antioxidants May Help
Fight Celiac Disease
OCTOBER 2009—People with celiac disease suffer from an impaired ability to fight free radicals—which may open up antioxidant supplementation as a new way to treat the condition, according to a recent issue of Clinical Biochemistry.
Researchers at the University of Belgrade in Serbia made this discovery after comparing intestinal biopsies taken from 39 children with different forms of celiac disease, caused by an abnormal reaction to the grain protein gluten, with those from 19 celiac-free youngsters. The samples in the celiac group showed lower concentrations of glutathione, one of the body’s major antioxidants. As a result these children also had 80% to 100% higher levels of lipid peroxide, an indicator of free-radical activity.
Free radicals are unstable molecules that form as byproduct of cellular metabolism. Without antioxidants to neutralize them, these molecules can damage the cell.
In celiac disease gluten causes an abnormal response that damages the small intestine, which hinders food absorption. Symptoms can range from gastrointestinal upsets to fatigue and pain to behavioral problems.
Yoga May Help Bring
Eating Under Control
SEPTEMBER 2009—Disordered eating—such as mindless munching in front of the TV or junk-food bingeing in response to stress—may respond to yoga, according to a recent article in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.
Researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center asked more than 300 Seattle residents about mindful eating habits, those that help shut out distractions and break the link between emotions and food. The participants weren’t overweight and about half of them exercised on a regular basis. Even so, yoga practitioners had a lower average body mass index, 23.1 versus 25.8.
“Mindful eating is a skill that augments the usual approaches to weight loss,” says study leader Alan Kristal. “Adding yoga practice to a standard weight-loss program may make it more effective.”
SEPTMBER 2009—The next time you’re suffering from a hangover, forget that morning shot of alcohol—the proverbial “hair of the dog.” Reach for a spear of asparagus instead.
That advice comes from a team of South Korean scientists who tested the effects of asparagus extract on liver cells in the lab. The amino acids and minerals in the extract helped detoxify the cells, “results [that] provide evidence of how the biological functions of asparagus can help alleviate alcohol hangover and protect liver cells,” say the researchers. A report on this study appears in the current issue of Journal of Food Science.
Asparagus is a rich source of vitamins A and C, several B vitamins, potassium and fiber. Long valued in traditional Asian medicine, asparagus has been studied more recently for its potential anti-cancer effects as well as its ability to lower blood pressure and cholesterol.
From Bane to Boon:
Kudzu May Help the Heart
SEPTEMBER 2009—Kudzu, an invasive vine that has overrun parts of the southeastern US, may actually be put to good use as a cardiac-support supplement.
Kudzu has long been used medicinally in its native Japan. So scientists in Alabama—a state in which kudzu has become a pest—and Iowa teamed up to feed an extract from the vine’s root to rats prone to high blood pressure. The researchers were trying to mimic a human condition known as metabolic syndrome. Marked by abdominal obesity, hypertension and glucose dysfunction, this condition is known to increase the risk of both cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.
The rats ate a normal diet for two months, after which some of them were given kudzu root extract. Two months later the supplemented rats had lower blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose levels than the control group, according to a report in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
Kudzu was originally imported into the US more than a century ago as an ornamental plant that could stop soil erosion. But the South’s hot, humid summers and lack of hard winter freezes has allowed kudzu to grow out of control over nearly 10 million acres.
AUGUST 2009—If tea is your preferred tipple, take heart: Your favorite brew may help keep your cells young.
In a study published this month in the British Journal of Nutrition, researchers at the Chinese University of Hong Kong report that the cells of frequent tea drinkers had longer telomeres. These DNA sequences serve as shoelaces on the end of chromosomes, keeping them from unraveling, and shorten each time a cell replicates. Because telomeres are sensitive to free-radical damage, scientists believe that telomere length is a marker of biological aging; the shorter the telomere, the “older” the cell.
The people with the longest telomeres in the Hong Kong study drank an average of three cups of green tea a day, compared with a quarter-cup for those with the shortest. The researchers believe that the difference in telomere length translates to roughly a five-year difference in lifespan.
Green tea contains a number of health-promoting phytonutrients, most notably epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). Black tea—the type drunk by most Americans—contains the same substances, but in reduced amounts.
Vitamin D May Lower Risk of Pregnancy Health Hazard
AUGUST 2009—The risk of preeclampsia, a form of high blood pressure that can affect expectant mothers, may drop with increased vitamin D intake.
Scientists at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health came to that conclusion after surveying 23,423 women, all moms-to-be for the first time, who were enrolled in the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study. The participants answered a general health questionnaire twice, at the 15th and 30th weeks of their pregnancies, and a food frequency questionnaire at week 22.
Women who consumed the most vitamin D from both food and supplements (between 15 and 20 micrograms) had a 24% lower risk of developing pre-eclampsia than those whose intake was less than 5 micrograms a day. Supplements provided the strongest benefit, according to study results scheduled for publication in the September issue of Epidemiology.
Preeclampsia, which raises blood pressure and causes protein to be passed in the urine, can causes symptoms such as headaches, swelling and sudden weight gain. According to the Preeclampsia Foundation, this condition affects from 5% to 8% of all pregnancies and is responsible for 18% of US maternal deaths. It can cause the baby to be born prematurely.
Ancient Herb May Ease
Rheumatoid Arthritis
AUGUST 2009—Thunder god vine, an herb used for centuries in China, may help people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Unlike the more common osteoarthritis, RA is a highly inflammatory condition that occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks joint tissues.
In a study published in the August 18 edition of Annals of Internal Medicine, 121 RA patients with at least six swollen joints took either a prescription anti-inflammatory or an extract from thunder god vine (Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F, TwHF). After 24 weeks, roughly 65% of the participants who took TwHF showed at least a 20% improvement in symptoms, compared with 33% of those taking the drug.
RA affects 1.3 million Americans; 70% of those affected are women. It generally starts in the small joints of the hands and wrists. In addition to joint pain and swelling, other symptoms include fatigue, weakness, flu-like complaints and muscle pain.
Lycopene Helps Keep Arteries Flexible
AUGUST 2009—Lycopene, the substance that puts the red in tomatoes, may help keep arteries in the pink of health.
A Korean research team took blood from 264 women between the ages of 31 and 75 to check their lycopene levels. The women also underwent testing for brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV), which assesses arterial stiffness through pulse measurements at the elbow and ankle. Stiff arteries indicate atherosclerosis, a condition that narrows the arteries and raises the risk of cardiovascular problems.
Women with the highest lycopene levels had the lowest baPWV values. They also had lower levels of oxidized LDL, a form of cholesterol that makes atherosclerosis more likely. The study was published in the August 13 online issue of the journal Atherosclerosis.
In addition to tomatoes, lycopene is found in watermelon, pink grapefruit and papaya. It has been linked to better eye, prostate and skin health.
Produce Provides Kidney
Stone Protection
AUGUST 2009—A diet heavy on fruits and vegetables—and light on salt—helps prevent the development of kidney stones.
A New England-based research team examined the eating habits of nearly 242,000 health professionals enrolled in three different studies. Both genders were represented across a wide range of ages.
Each person was scored on how closely they adhered to the DASH diet. Designed to counteract high blood pressure, DASH emphasizes less salt, sweet drinks and red meat, and more produce, nuts, legumes, whole grains and low-fat dairy. People with the highest DASH scores had lower-than-average sodium intakes along with higher intakes of calcium, magnesium, potassium and vitamin C.
Over the course of the studies, which included up to 14 years of follow-up, 5,645 kidney stones were reported. People with the highest DASH scores were up to 45% less likely to develop stones than those with the lowest scores. The study was reported in the 8/13/09 online version of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN).
Kidney stones are among the most common urinary-tract conditions, and among the most painful. They send more than half a million people to emergency rooms each year.
Resveratrol: An Answer for
Severe Inflammation?
AUGUST 2009—Resveratrol, the substance in red wine famous for its health benefits, may one day prove useful in controlling acute inflammatory conditions such as peritonitis and sepsis.
Researchers in Scotland did a study involving two groups of mice, one that was pretreated with resveratrol and one that was not. An inflammatory agent was given to both groups. Individuals in the control group experienced strong inflammation; those in the treated group did not. The researchers discovered that the resveratrol interfered with the creation of two separate inflammation-triggering substances, sphingosine kinase and phospholipase D. The study results appear in this month’s issue of The FASEB Journal, published by the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology.
Resveratrol is the substance researchers believe is at least partially responsible for the lower rates of heart disease in France despite a high-fat diet, especially in that country’s wine-growing regions. In laboratory studies it has shown an ability to mimic the life-prolonging effects of calorie restriction, among other health benefits. In addition to red grapes, resveratrol is found in pomegranates, raspberries, nuts and an ancient Asian heart remedy called Japanese knotweed (Polygonum cuspidatum).
Being Close to a Caregiver
Slows Alzheimer’s
AUGUST 2009—A close relationship between someone with Alzheimer’s and their caregiver appears to retard the disease’s progress, according to a recent study scheduled for publication in the September issue of The Journals of Gerontology Series B. These findings come from an ongoing investigation of Utah seniors.
For this particular study, researchers at Utah State University and three other institutions monitored 167 people with Alzheimer’s disease for three years and also talked to the patients’ caregivers. Cases in which the caregiver reported an especially tight-knit relationship with the patient were linked with a slower decline in the patient’s ability to think and function.
The researchers now want to look at what particular types of caregiving activities may encourage better brain function in people with Alzheimer’s.
In 1995 nearly 5,100 seniors were enrolled in the Cache County Study on Memory Health and Aging so that researchers could examine the genetic and environmental factors associated with Alzheimer’s risk. Seniors in this county have a longer life expectancy and lower levels of chronic disease than elsewhere, which makes for stable study conditions. Those volunteers who developed dementia were then enrolled in the Cache County Dementia Progression Study.
The Big Apple Takes a Bite
Out of Trans Fats
JULY 2009—New York City’s ban on trans fats—artificial fats linked to heart problems—is working despite initial resistance from the restaurant industry, according to a report in the Annals of Internal Medicine. And its success has led to similar bans in cities across the country.
The city required that trans fats be phased out starting in December 2006 after a voluntary switchover was unsuccessful; the ban was fully implemented by November 2008. The city’s health department, which wrote the Annals report, says that the use of trans fats in cooking and spreads has dropped from 50% to less than 2%—and without the consumer backlash that restaurant owners feared would drive away business.
Trans fats, liquid oils that are solidified by adding hydrogen to them, became a food industry standard because of their long shelf life. However, researchers have found that such fats raise levels of bad cholesterol and lower levels of the good type, increasing the risk of a heart attack or other cardiovascular incident by up to 23%.
Other government entities, including the state of California, have adopted trans fat bans since New York’s law went into effect.
Multis May Drop Heart
Disease Death Risk
JULY 2009—Need another reason to take your vitamins every day? How’s this: You may reduce your chances of dying from heart disease.
So say scientists at the University of Washington’s Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. According to their report in the July 13 edition of American Journal of Epidemiology, consistent, long-term multivitamin use—10 years, in the case of this study—was associated with a 16% reduction in heart disease mortality. What’s more, a vitamin E intake of more than 215 milligrams per day was linked to a 28% reduction in death risk. According to the National Institutes of Health, more than half of all adults in the US take dietary supplements, with roughly 35% taking multivitamins on a regular basis.
The University of Washington study follows another investigation, published in the March 2009 American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, which found a link between multivitamin usage and a slowdown in the rate at which cells age.
Walking to Work Reduces Heart Risks
JULY 2009—Do you live close enough to work to walk or bike there? Then do so—for your heart’s sake.
That’s the word from researchers at the University of North Carolina’s School of Public Health who conducted physical exams of 2,364 people over two years. The study participants were asked how they commuted to work—cycling, driving, walking or taking public transit—and the length of the trip in both miles and minutes.
Active commuters, those who walked or biked, made up 16.7% of the group and were less likely to be overweight. They also had healthier blood pressure, insulin and triglyceride levels, all of which indicate a lower risk for heart disease.
“[I]ncreasing active commuting will have the dual benefits of increasing population health and in reduction of greenhouse gas emissions,” wrote the researchers in the July 13 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine. “Environmental supports…such as physical environment and sociocultural factors have been shown to promote active forms of commuting.”
Iron: Building a Better Soldier?
JULY 2009—Iron, a mineral often lacking in premenopausal women, has boosted the performance of female soldiers, according to a study reported in this month’s American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Researchers from the US Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine gave either 100 milligrams of iron or a placebo to 219 women in basic combat training. Neither the scientists nor the soldiers knew who was getting what substance. After eight weeks, women in the supplement group who had reported for training with iron-deficient anemia improved their times in the two-mile run. They also showed improved scores on a test designed to measure mood.
Iron helps the bloodstream carry oxygen. Up to 16% of all premenopausal women in the US are thought to be iron deficient because of low intake and menstrual blood loss. What’s more, heavy exercise—basic training involves marching, strength training and running obstacle courses, among other activities—appears to deplete the body’s iron stores.
Nicotine Promotes Blood-Sugar Woes
JULY 2009—Scientists have long known that smoking increases the risk of heart disease but weren’t sure why. Now it appears that nicotine—the substance that hooks smokers on tobacco—makes the body more prone to insulin resistance, a blood-sugar condition linked to cardiovascular problems.
Researchers at two California institutions injected 24 mice with nicotine twice a day for two weeks. The mice ate less, lost weight and carried less body fat than a set of control mice (which explains one reason why some people find smoking so hard to quit). Normally losing weight is associated with increased sensitivity to insulin, the hormone that shepherds glucose (blood sugar) into the body’s cells.
However, the mice in the nicotine group not only became insulin resistant, which forces blood glucose levels higher, but also had high levels of the stress hormone cortisol. High cortisol levels are known to induce insulin resistance say the researchers, who presented their results to The Endocrine Society’s annual meeting in Washington, DC.
The roughly 47.1 million adults who smoke in this country are up to four times more likely than nonsmokers to develop coronary artery disease and twice as likely to suffer a stroke, according to the American Heart Association.
Supplement May Pacify the
Urge to Pull Hair
JULY 2009—N-acetylcysteine (NAC), a common supplement, has helped people who pull their hair compulsively in a recent study.
Researchers at the University of Minnesota School of Medicine recruited 50 people with trichotillomania, a disorder marked by a strong urge to pull one’s hair. Some took 1,200 milligrams of NAC every day for six weeks, then 2,400 mg a day for another six weeks; the others took a placebo. Neither the scientists nor the participants knew who was taking the real supplement.
After 12 weeks the people in the NAC group saw a 56% reduction in their symptoms, compared with 16% among the placebo group. The study appears in the July issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry.
NAC, created within the body from the amino acid cysteine, has been used to break up mucus and to treat poisoning caused by the painkiller acetaminophen. It controls levels of glutamate, a neurotransmitter that excites brain cells.
Coenzyme Q10 May Boost
Male Fertility
JULY 2009—Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), a compound best known for its cardiac benefits, has improved sperm quality in one recent study.
According to the report, which appears in this month’s Journal of Urology, 212 men with fertility problems were randomly assigned to receive either 300 mg of CoQ10 a day or a placebo pill for 26 weeks, followed by 30 weeks with no supplementation. The men in the CoQ10 group saw significant improvements in sperm density and motility as well as increases in both total sperm count and the number of normal, healthy cells. The supplement was also associated with a substantial increase in the acrosome reaction, a process that helps the sperm penetrate the egg.
CoQ10, also known as ubiquinone because it is found throughout the body, helps the cells generate energy and acts as a powerful antioxidant. It has been linked to improvements in high blood pressure, congestive heart failure and angina.
Green Tea Compound May
Help Fight Leukemia
JUNE 2009—A compound responsible for green tea’s healthful properties has helped people with a form of leukemia in one early, but promising, trial.
Scientists at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota led a research team that gave eight different dosages of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), the main phytonutrient found in green tea, to 33 patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), the most common leukemia type in the US. The dosages ranged from 400 mg to 2,000 mg twice a day. Most of the patients experienced an improvement in symptoms and those who had enlarged lymph nodes saw a 50% decline in node size. Others experienced declining levels of abnormal white blood cells. Side effects, such as nausea, were mild.
The researchers reported their results in an early online issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology. They have already enrolled volunteers in the next phase of this study, in which everyone will get 4,000 mg of EGCG a day.
CLL, which currently has no cure, tends to strike older adults. Some patients live with the disease for years; others have a more aggressive, fatal form. Conventional CLL treatment involves “watchful waiting” to see if the disease will progress.
JUNE 2009—Do you have a goal in life, even a modest one? You should—if you want to live longer.
Researchers at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago contacted 1,238 people older adults (average age: 78) and asked about what purpose they had in life and how they derived a sense of meaning from existence. All the participants were dementia-free and the researchers made allowances for such factors as chronic illness.
Over an average follow-up period of three years, 151 participants died. The researchers found that those people with a greater sense of purpose had a risk of death that was roughly half that of the other participants. And while some people had goals of fairly broad scope, such as accomplishing a particular task through a volunteer organization, the researchers found that even something as simple as reading all the books in a series was enough to make a difference.
Previous research had found a correlation between life purpose and better psychological and physical health. But this study, which was published online ahead of print in Psychosomatic Medicine, is the first to show a link between purpose and lifespan.
Antioxidant Vitamins Linked to Reduced Uterine Cancer Risk
JUNE 2009—Three antioxidants—beta-carotene, which the body turns into vitamin A, and vitamins C and E—may reduce the risk of endometrial cancer.
According to the review study, which pooled and analyzed the results of 12 previous investigations, beta-carotene was associated with a 12% reduction in risk for every 1,000 microgram increase per 1,000 kilocalories of food. For vitamin C, the reduction was 15% for every 50 milligram increase, while every 5 milligram increase in vitamin E reduced risk by 9%. The research report will appear in the July issue of Cancer Causes and Control.
The endometrium, or uterine lining, is the fourth most common cancer site among women in the US according to the American Cancer Society. More than 40,000 new cases are diagnosed every year.
JUNE 2009—Receiving weekly tips on ways to eat and exercise better helps improve health habits, according to a study in the June issue of American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
Researchers at Kaiser Permanente in Oakland, California had 787 of their coworkers complete diet and physical activity assessments at the start of the study. Of that group 351 were chosen at random to participate in an email program called ALIVE! (A Lifestyle Intervention Via Email). Each individual elected to work towards one of three overall goals—increasing produce intake, decreasing fat and sugar consumption or increasing physical activity—by receiving weekly health-related messages of such “small step goals” as requesting that vegetables be added to pizza or other take-out foods.
After 16 weeks, the email group had made significant progress across all three overall goals. The greatest improvements came among those who weren’t meeting recommended diet and exercise standards before the study started.
Less than half of all US adults exercise as much as they should, while 60% eat too much saturated fat and less than 25% eat five or more servings of produce each day.
Vitamin D May Make Aging
Brains Nimbler
MAY 2009—Vitamin D may bolster brain health as people age, according to a study conducted at Britain’s University of Manchester.
Scientists there gave cognition speed and memory tests to more than 3,000 men between the ages of 40 and 79; other mental acuity factors, such as mood, were also assessed. Blood tests were done to determine vitamin D levels.
The men with the most vitamin D in their blood scored highest on the memory and cognition tests, while those with the lowest vitamin levels had the poorest scores.
The researchers have published their findings in the May 21 online version of the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry. They are not sure how vitamin D boosts mental performance, but say it may affect hormonal balance and help protect brain cells.
Other studies have shown that many people are deficient in D, which is created in the skin when exposed to sunlight. There are few good dietary sources outside of fortified milk, such fatty fish as salmon and some mushroom varieties.
Folic Acid May Protect
Developing Hearts
MAY 2009—Folic acid, a B vitamin known to reduce neural-tube birth defects, may protect babies against congenital heart defects as well.
Researchers at McGill University in Montreal examined birth-record data for 1.3 million infants born in Quebec from 1990 to 2005. In that period 2,083 children were born with heart abnormalities.
Canada mandated the addition of folic acid to flour and other grain products in 1998. The McGill team discovered a 6% drop in heart defects every year after that compared with no change in prevalence beforehand. Their report appears in the May online edition of the British Medical Journal.
In the US, folic acid has been added to grain foods by government mandate since 1996. In 2004 the Centers for Disease Control reported a 26% reduction in the number of babies born with either spina bifida, in which the spinal cord fails to develop properly, or anencephaly, a severe form of brain damage.
Volunteerism Linked to Longer Life
MAY 2009—Becoming a volunteer makes you an asset to your community—and may help you live longer as well.
A research team at the University of California, San Francisco examined the records of 6,360 retirees who had enrolled in the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) in 2002. They were asked if they had done any kind of volunteer work—for a religious, educational, health-related or other charitable group—in the previous year. The study was controlled for such factors as socioeconomic status and existing health issues.
A total of 1,766 study participants identified themselves as volunteers. Of that group, 12% had died compared with a 26% death rate among those who didn’t volunteer. This study didn’t explore the reasons for the difference but the authors believe, based on previous research, that volunteer work gives people a stronger social network and helps them remain engaged in life.
The results were presented at the American Geriatrics Society annual meeting in Chicago.
Organic Sales Continue to Climb
MAY 2009—Despite a down economy, sales of everything organic grew by more than 17% in 2008, according to the Organic Trade Association (OTA, www.ota.com).
Sales of organic products in all categories reached $24.6 billion, the bulk of which—nearly $23 billion—was in organic food. Other categories in the OTA’s 2009 Organic Industry Survey included personal care products, clothing, household cleaners and pet food.
Organic food is still a small part of total food sales in the US, with only 3.47% of the total market. But organic sales grew 15.8% from 2007 to 2008, more than three times the 4.9% increase in overall food sales, and have been growing at double-digit rates for the past 10 years.
The survey, conducted on the OTA’s behalf by Lieberman Research Group, included data from more than 200 manufacturers, distributors and retailers of organic products, along with government data and financial reports from public companies.
Pomegranate Juice May Help
Prostate Cancer Patients
MAY 2009—Men who have been treated for prostate cancer may want to lift a glass to the pomegranate: Juice from this antioxidant-rich fruit has been found to slow the rise in a key recurrence indicator.
Researchers at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles asked 48 men who had been treated for prostate cancer to drink eight ounces of pomegranate juice every day. All the study participants had rising levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA), a marker that often indicates cancer recurrence.
After more than four years of tracking, those patients who were still in the study had slower PSA doubling times than those who had dropped out (Journal of Urology 4/09). The research team plans to follow up this study with one in which pomegranate juice is tested against a placebo.
According to the American Cancer Society, 186,320 men were diagnosed with prostate cancer and 28,660 died of it in 2008. Prostate cancer is the most common malignancy among men, accounting for 25% of all new cases.
Hidden Salt Threatens People
With Heart Failure
APRIL 2009—Even when they try, people who are on a low-salt diet because of heart failure often can’t get away from sodium.
Researchers at Emory University in Atlanta asked 116 people with heart failure, a condition which impairs the heart’s pumping action, to keep a detailed food diary for three days. They averaged 2,671 mg of sodium a day versus a recommended limit of 2,000 mg daily (American Heart Association, 10th Scientific Forum, 4/09). The scientists reported that the patients were “shocked” to find out they were consuming so much salt.
Most of the study participants were trying to cut their sodium intake by avoiding table salt. However, roughly 70% of the salt most Americans consume comes from fast and processed foods; manufacturers use sodium to increase shelf life and enhance food texture.
The American Heart Association recommends that healthy adults try to consume less than 2,300 mg of sodium a day. For older people, those with high blood pressure and African-Americans (who have high rates of hypertension) the upper daily limit is 1,500 mg.
Walnuts May Make Older
Brains More Nimble
APRIL 2009—Adding a moderate amount of walnuts to one’s diet may improve motor and behavioral skills in older individuals.
At least that’s what happened among aged rats in a study at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston. The rodents were chosen randomly to receive one of four diets: regular chow or chow fortified by 2%, 6% or 9% with walnuts.
The 2% and 6% walnut groups made improvements in the types of motor and cognitive skills that tend to decline with age (British Journal of Nutrition 4/09). In human terms, the 6% group translates to about eight walnuts a day.
Walnuts are a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, manganese and an antioxidant called ellagic acid, and scientists believe that eating them can boost cardiovascular and bone health. However, the 9% group in the Tufts study did show memory impairments—indicating that it is always a good idea to eat a well-rounded diet.
Helping the Heart During
Weight Loss with Vitamin D
APRIL 2009—Vitamin D, already linked to greater cardiovascular well-being, may help protect your heart while you’re shedding pounds.
In a German study 200 overweight but otherwise healthy people went on a weight loss program. Some of the participants took vitamin D supplements; the others received placebo capsules.
After one year, blood levels of parathyroid hormone, a new risk marker for cardiovascular disease, was down 26.5% in the supplement group but only 18.7% among the placebo takers. Taking vitamin D was also associated with greater decreases in triglycerides, blood fats linked to heart problems, and TNF-alpha, a marker of potentially harmful inflammation (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 5/09).
Previous studies had found a link between inadequate levels of vitamin D and high blood pressure.
Walkable Neighborhoods
Raise Activity Rates
APRIL 2009—City living, once thought of as the bane of a healthy existence, may actually be good for you if you live near amenities such as stores and parks.
A research team at San Diego State University surveyed 11,541 adults in 11 countries on the types of neighborhoods they lived in. People who lived in activity-promoting areas—places with such features as sidewalks, nearby stores and transit stops, and recreational and biking facilities—were up to 50% more likely to get enough daily exercise than those who lived in areas built around car usage. The more amenities a neighborhood contained, the more its residents were likely to be physically active.
“Enough exercise” was defined as moderate-to-vigorous activity at least 30 minutes a day, five days a week in this study, which is scheduled for publication in the June issue of American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
Asthma Risk Linked to Low
Vitamin Levels
APRIL 2009—Not getting enough vitamins A and C may increase your asthma risk, according to the results of a new statistical analysis.
Researchers at Britain’s University of Nottingham reviewed 40 studies conducted between 1980 and 2007. They found that people with asthma had an average daily intake of 182 micrograms of vitamin A, as much as one-third of the recommended amount.
Those with severe asthma had about half the recommended daily intake of vitamin C, levels significantly lower than those found in people with milder forms of the disease. Blood levels of vitamin E were also much lower among individuals with severe asthma (Thorax 4/09 epub ahead of print).
Nearly 23 million Americans suffer from asthma, in which inflammation creates airway obstruction and wheezing. It is responsible for more than 1.5 million emergency room visits yearly.
Wristbands May Bring
Post-Radiation Nausea Relief
APRIL 09—Wristbands that put pressure on an acupuncture point in the wrist may help cancer patients control nausea stemming from radiation therapy.
Researchers at the James P. Wilmot Cancer Center at the University of Rochester Medical Center recruited 88 people who were feeling nauseous after receiving radiation treatments. Some received wristbands, some didn’t; half of the wristband group was told the bands would reduce nausea, while the others were given more neutral information. This was done to separate out the placebo effect—symptom relief that may occur because the patient believes a treatment will be helpful—from the actual effects of the wristbands.
Nausea dropped by 24% among members of the wristband group no matter what they had been told beforehand, compared with a 5% decrease among those who didn’t receive wristbands (Journal of Pain and Symptom Management 3/27/09, epub ahead of print).
According to Chinese medical theory, manipulating certain points on the body through either pressure or needles redirects the flow of chi, the universal energy that flows through everything including human beings.
Radiation therapy disrupts fast-growing cells, such as those found in cancerous tumors. But it can also harm normal tissues that experience rapid cell turnover, such as the lining of the digestive tract.
Flax May Fight Off
Intestinal Tumors
APRIL 2009 - Flaxseed meal and oil, under study for possible protective effects against breast cancer, may help the body fend off tumors in the digestive tract as well.
Researchers at South Dakota State University fed the flax products to mice specially bred to develop intestinal tumors. Compared with a control group fed regular chow, the flax-supplemented mice averaged 45% fewer tumors in the small and large intestines; tumors that developed were smaller than those found in the control mice (Nutrition and Cancer 2/09).
Flaxseed contains alpha linolenic acid, an essential omega-3 fat, as well as lignans, antioxidant substances that also appear to mimic the effects of estrogen. Because the whole seeds cannot be digested they must be consumed as flax meal or pressed into oil. Lignans are not naturally present in the oil, but some manufacturers add them during processing.
Colorectal cancer is the third most common malignancy in the US, with nearly 150,000 new cases occurring each year. It accounts for 9% of all cancer deaths.
B Vitamin Trio May
Help Ease Migraines
APRIL 2009 - The pain of a migraine headache can be excruciating. But three B vitamins—B6, B12 and folic acid—have been able to significantly reduce migraine suffering in an Australian study.
Previous studies at the Genomics Research Centre (GRC) at Griffith University in Brisbane had identified a genetic dysfunction that led to increased levels of the amino acid homocysteine, which has already been linked to cardiovascular illness. When taken together, the three Bs help lower homocysteine levels.
This GRC investigation, which will be published in an upcoming issue of Pharmacogenetics and Genomics, involved 52 people who have migraine with aura, the disruptions in vision and sensation that often precede an attack. Every day the participants took either a placebo or supplements supplying 25 mg of vitamin B6, 2 mg of folic acid and 400 micrograms of B12.
After six months, the prevalence of disability associated with migraines dropped from 60% to 30% among the people taking supplements, with no changes in the placebo group. The supplement group also experienced reductions in headache frequency and severity. The benefits were associated with a genetic profile that causes higher homocysteine levels.
According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, 28 million Americans—one in nine—suffer from migraines.
Hunger Hormones Link
Sleeplessness with Weight Gain
APRIL 2009 - Poor sleepers tend to gain weight compared with their well-rested counterparts—and the link may lie in a pair of hormones that control hunger.
Scientists at UCLA’s Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior compared the two horomones, ghrelin and leptin, in 24 men who usually sleep well and 14 whose slumber is often disrupted. As reported in the May issue of Psychoneuroendocrinology, hormone levels were measured at 11 p.m., 2 a.m. and 6 a.m.; the participants underwent brainwave studies as well.
Ghrelin levels were 30% lower in the group suffering from insomnia. (Leptin levels were not significantly different.) This would appear at first glance to be a benefit, since ghrelin stimulates appetite. However, the results of this and earlier studies have led lead researcher Sarosh Motivala, PhD to believe that poor sleep causes a “dysregulation in energy balance” that eventually results in weight gain.
“This is an exciting finding because it highlights how diverse behaviors like sleep and eating are connected,” Motivala says. “We are just beginning to explore the possible consequences of these connections, but it is another example of the importance of a good night’s sleep for the body.”
Motivala’s theory is that in the long run, as sleep loss becomes chronic, ghrelin increases and leptin, a hormone that regulates fat storage, decreases. As a result the body believes there is a shortage of calories, which causes hunger to intensify.
Such hormonal mixups—on top of other factors, such as lack of exercise—may contribute to the prevalence of weight problems in the US, where 27% of those surveyed in a recent National Sleep Foundation poll report sleep disturbances several nights a week. According to the federal government, more than two-thirds of all Americans are either overweight or obese.
APRIL 2009 - If you work at night, bewareyour hours may put you at a greater risk for obesity, diabetes and heart disease, according to a Harvard Medical School research team in a study published in the March 3 online edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The researchers conducted the in-lab investigation with five men and five women, who lived for 10 days on a schedule that covered all phases of the day/night cycle, known as the circadian cycle. The idea was to mimic the effects of shift work on the body.
The participants experienced drops in leptin, a hormone that regulates weight, with the biggest shortfalls occurring when the volunteers were told to stay awake all night. The researchers say reductions in leptin could lead to increased appetite and decreased activity levels, actions which set the stage for obesity.
The participants also showed signs of impaired glucose tolerance, which means that their bodies weren’t able to process blood sugar effectively; three volunteers with no history of diabetes had glucose levels similar to those seen in pre-diabetic people. Glucose impairment can lead to diabetes, and diabetes and obesity are both risk factors for heart disease.
The researchers say that more study is needed, noting that roughly 8.6 Americans perform shift work. Police officers, fire fighters, hospital staffers, factory employees and truckers are among the workers who work most commonly in shifts.
Lutein May Help Eyes
Cope with Computer Use
APRIL 2009 - All you squinting, blinking computer users, take heart. Lutein, a nutrient used to reduce risk of an age-related eye disorder, may help people of all ages who log a lot of screen time.
Scientists from Peking University assigned 37 volunteers between the ages of 22 and 30 to either one of two lutein groups (6 and 12 mg a day) or a placebo (lookalike) group for 12 weeks. “Visual function in healthy subjects who receive the lutein supplement improved, especially in contrast sensitivity, suggesting that a higher intake of lutein may have beneficial effects on visual performance,” wrote the researchers in the 2/19/09 online edition of British Journal of Nutrition.
Lutein, a carotenoid found in green leafy vegetables and egg yolks, is concentrated in the retina at the back of the eye and particularly in a spot called the macula responsible for sharp central vision. Along with its sister compound zeaxanthin, lutein is thought to provide protection against cell-damaging molecules called free radicals that occur when the retina is exposed to sunlight.
The rich supply of lutein in the macula has led many scientists to believe that this nutrient may help lower the risk of age-related macular degeneration (ARMD), a disorder which causes loss of central vision. ARMD is the leading cause of blindness in Americans age 65 and older.
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