May 16, 2012
Music Training Improves The Aging Process, Researchers Say
Harry Jackson Jr.
St. Louis Post-DispatchEVANSTON, Ill. -- Music training has a lifelong good impact on the aging process, says a new study out of Northwestern University.
Researchers in the Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory at Northwestern measured the automatic brain responses of younger and older musicians and non-musicians to speech sounds. Researchers discovered that older musicians had a distinct neural timing advantage. Researchers concluded that age-related delays in neural timing are not inevitable and can be avoided or offset with musical training.
Read more about the study here.
May 15, 2012
Vitamin D Supplements May Help You Live Longer
Vitamin D supplements may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes and boost survival for older people, suggests a new analysis.
Read more here.
May 15, 2012
Science Journal Estimates Half Of All Cancers Are Preventable
Imagine a world where half the cases of cancer that now exist are suddenly nonexistent.
According to a review published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, the idea is not at all far-fetched.Graham A. Colditz, MD, DrPH and coauthors K. Y. Wolin and Sarah J. Gehlert of the Siteman Cancer Center at Washington University in St Louis conclude that we now have the knowledge to bring about wide scale prevention of a disease estimated to kill 577,190 men and women this year in the United States alone. "We actually have an enormous amount of data about the causes and preventability of cancer," stated Dr Colditz, who is the Siteman Cancer Center's associate director of prevention and control. "It's time we made an investment in implementing what we know."Read more about the study here.
May 14, 2012
Pioneering Study Shows Prenatal Choline May 'Program' Healthier Babies
NewsRx.comITHACA, N.Y. - Pregnant women may have added incentive to bulk up on broccoli and eggs now that a Cornell University study has found increased maternal intake of the nutrient choline could decrease their children's chances of developing hypertension and diabetes later in life (see also Cornell University).
Read more about the study here.
May 14, 2012
Reasons Your Diet Isn't Working
Mclatchy-Tribune News Service.2. YOU REWARD YOURSELF WITH FOOD AFTER EXERCISE: Burning 300 calories during a workout is cause for celebration...but rewarding yourself with a high-calorie treat doesn't add up to weight loss. You're likely to overestimate how much the workout burned off and underestimate how much you ate. "Even if you're just working out for well-being, you still have to keep calories in check," says Heidi Skolnik, author of "Nutrient Timing for Peak Performance."
Read more reasons why your diet isn't working here.
May 12, 2012
Walnuts & Other Nuts Improve Markers of Chronic Disease
Walnuts, almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamias, pecans, pine nuts, and pistachios are types of tree nuts, for which a number of previous studies have suggested a variety of health benefits. Carol O’Neil, from Louisiana State University Agricultural Center (Louisiana, USA), and colleagues reviewed data collected on 13,292 men and women, ages 19 years and up, participating in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) 1999 – 2004. The team surveyed subjects for on dietary intake – including tree nuts, and correlated the data against factors involved in chronic diseases.
Read more about the study here.
May 11, 2012
Vitamin D May Reduce Stress Fracture Risk In Girls
Increased intakes of vitamin D may reduce the risk of stress fracture in adolescent girls, says a new study that adds to the potential health benefits of the sunshine vitamin.
Read more about the study here.
May 10, 2012
Has Your Food Gone Rancid?
Monica Eng
Chicago TribuneDoes your cupboard hold a package of unfinished crackers? An old bag of whole grain flour? Some leftover nuts from holiday baking? Or perhaps a bottle of vegetable oil you've been slow to finish?
If so, you may be harboring dangerous, rancid foods.
Protecting against rancidity -- which occurs when oils oxidize -- has long been a challenge for home cooks, but a recent perfect stew of factors has made the issue more serious. Strangely enough, this situation comes courtesy of the rising popularity of "healthy" polyunsaturated fats, whole grain flours and warehouse stores -- not bad developments on their own, but taken together they've resulted in American pantries full of food that goes rancid much faster than we're used to.
Read more about the report here.
May 10, 2012
6-Year EU Obesity Platform Nears Completion, But Has It Worked?
A 6-year project tackling obesity and other diet and physical activity-related health issues across the European Union has spawned 300 individual positive actions by government, commercial and other actors – and is not set to wind up until next year.
Read more about the project here.
May 10, 2012
DSM et al Petition FDA To Fortify Corn Masa Flour With Folic Acid
A coalition of six organizations including vitamin giant DSM has petitioned the FDA to allow corn masa flour to be fortified with folic acid in a bid to decrease neural tube defects in the Hispanic community.
Read more about the report here.
May 10, 2012
New Therapy Could Reduce Diabetes-Related Amputation
Chicago TribuneJim Keenan wasn't particularly alarmed by a small blister that developed on his heel. Five days later, the 62-year-old's foot was so seriously infected doctors feared they might need to amputate his lower leg.
Keenan, who also has Type 2 diabetes, instead tried the emerging treatment called hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
Best known as an antidote for underwater diving disorders, HBOT involves inhaling pure oxygen while reclining in a pressurized chamber.
The intense flood of oxygen to the blood can stimulate cell growth, promote the formation of new blood vessels and fight certain infections, said Dr. Alan Davis, who directs the Center for Wound Care and HBOT at Northwest Hospital outside Baltimore.
Read more about the report here.
May 9, 2012
How Cruciferous Vegetables Prevent Cancer
United Press InternationalCruciferous vegetables -- broccoli, cabbage, leafy greens, cauliflower -- help prevent breast and prostate cancer, U.S. researchers say.
Researchers at Vanderbilt University's Ingram Center showed a diet rich in cruciferous vegetables -- specifically the indoles they contain -- protects and improves breast cellular health.
Read more about the study here.
May 9, 2012
Harvard Red Meat Study Highlights Cancer risk
Diets high in red meat reduce life expectancy through an increased risk of cancer and cardio vascular disease, according to the results of a recent study from Harvard Medical School.
Read more about the study here.
May 9, 2012
Black Pepper Compound Fights Fat
In the
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, Korean researchers report that piperine, a pungent compound found in black pepper (
Piper nigrum), helps block the formation of new fat cells, a process known as adipogenesis.
"Adipogenesis is a well-organized process regulated by adipogenic transcription factors, such as peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPAR-gamma), sterol regulatory element binding protein (SREBP) family, and CCAAT-enhancer binding protein (C/EBP) family," the authors write in their introduction. "Of these factors, PPAR-gamma has been focused on its role in adipocyte differentiation. In addition to being induced during adipogenesis, it is both necessary and sufficient for the process."Read more about the study here.
May 8, 2012
Obesity could affect 42% of Americans by 2030
USA Today
WASHINGTON – A new forecast on America's obesity crisis has health experts fearing a dramatic jump in health care costs if nothing is done to bring the epidemic under control.
Read more about the report here.
May 8, 2012
Fast Food Diet Increases Risk Of Depression By More Than Fifty Percent
(NaturalNews) Providing more evidence to the motif 'you are what you eat', scientists have found that eating a fast food diet increases the risk for depression by more than fifty percent. The food we eat today will provide the structural network for the cellular matrix that we need to support basic metabolism, cellular regeneration and repair. This is especially pronounced in brain neurons, as grey matter is largely composed of the omega-3 fats, DHA and EPA. When we don't provide these basic building blocks, especially in the early formative years, the body is forced to use inferior fats such as those provided by hydrogenation, most frequently found in fast and processed foods.
May 7, 2012
Fibre May Protect Against Heart Disease In Women
High-fibre foods may offer good protection against cardiovascular disease, with the effects particularly marked in women, say researchers.
Read more about the study here.
May 5, 2012
PCBs Promote Dendrite Growth, May Increase Autism Risk
New research from UC Davis and Washington State University shows that PCBs, or polychlorinated biphenyls, launch a cellular chain of events that leads to an overabundance of dendrites -- the filament-like projections that conduct electrochemical signals between neurons -- and disrupts normal patterns of neuronal connections in the brain.
Read more about the research here.
May 4, 2012
Garlic Compound 100 Times More Effective Than Antibiotics Fighting Food Borne Illness
An article published online in the
Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy reveals a potent effect for garlic against the bacteria
Campylobacter jejuni, a leading cause of intestinal illness caused by eating undercooked poultry or foods that have been contaminated during poultry preparation. "Campylobacter is simply the most common bacterial cause of food-borne illness in the United States and probably the world," explained coauthor Michael Konkel of Washington State University's College of Veterinary Medicine.
Read more about the report here.
May 3, 2012
Anita Creamer
The Sacramento Bee, Calif.
04-18-12
May 3, 2012
Hearing Loss A Hidden -- And Correctable -- Problem For Seniors
Anita Creamer
The Sacramento Bee, Calif.At 100, Ann Stenzel is feisty and sharp, in part because her hearing aids, which she has used for a decade, keep her in touch with the world around her.
She likes to spend her mornings reading the newspaper in the sunny lobby of her seniors residence center, Eskaton Lodge Granite Bay, where she strikes up conversations with fellow residents.
"I don't want to miss anything," said Stenzel. "But half the people here can't hear. What they tell you is, 'Hearing aids? I don't need hearing aids.' It gets to me when they say that, because they do need them.
"They'll say it makes them feel old to get hearing aids. But wearing them makes me feel young."
The incidence of hearing loss, one of the hidden impairments of old age, has doubled in the past three decades. It affects 26.7 million Americans 50 and older, including four out of five people above age 80, and numbers are expected to rise with the aging of baby boomers.
Read more about the report here.
May 2, 2012
Curcumin Shows Promise Easing Arthritis Pain
Chicago Daily HeraldFor centuries, spices have been used as medicines. Today their healing potential is again being rediscovered, especially curcumin. In one recent medical study, curcumin was found to be better than conventional medications at relieving the pain associated with rheumatoid arthritis.
Curcumin is derived from the spice turmeric. Turmeric is a member of the ginger plant family. The ginger family is comprised of more than 1,300 members and many are considered medicinal plants including ginger, turmeric, melegueta pepper and cardamom. Although many studies have demonstrated the anti-inflammatory properties of curcumin, good medical studies comparing the effectiveness of curcumin to current medications are limited.
Read more about the study here.
May 2, 2012
Clinical Trial Finds Heart-Protective Benefits For Resveratrol
The results of a randomized trial published online in The American Journal of Cardiology reveal a benefit for resveratrol in reducing cardiovascular disease risk factors in men and women taking statin drugs. "We have carried out the longest human trial reported thus far using a resveratrol-containing product," announce researchers Juan Carlos Espín, PhD and his associates at CEBAS-CSIC and Morales Meseguer University Hospital in Murcia, Spain.Read more about the trial here.
May 2, 2012
South African Immunity Herb Winning New Community
A South African botanical extract from a plant from the same family as the geranium but with immunity rather than stimulatory indications, is gaining interest as a natural antiobiotic and immunity booster.
Read more about the report here.
May 2, 2012
Special Edition - Antioxidants
They have been on product labels for over a decade, but do consumers understand what they are and how they function? In this special edition, we review recent market data, science, and academic and industry opinion on antioxidants, and get a glimpse at the next big ingredient in the segment.
Read more about the report here.
May 1, 2012
Lifetime Active Brain May Ward Off Alzheimer's
Lisa M. Krieger
San Jose Mercury News, Calif.A lifetime of daily intellectual stimulation could help prevent the formation of plaques that are the hallmark of Alzheimer's disease, according to a study led by researchers at UC Berkeley.
Although previous research has suggested that engaging in mentally demanding activities -- such as reading, writing and playing games -- may help stave off the disease, this new study identifies the biological target at play.
This discovery could guide future research into effective prevention strategies, according to a UC news release.
Read more about the study here.
May 1, 2012
The Father of Nutraceuticals - "The Placebo Effect Is Real"
Veteran researcher Dr Stephen de Felice invented the term ‘nutraceutical’ in 1989 and ever since he has been imploring the sector to design and conduct better human clinical trials to back the medicinal potential of bodily nutritional interventions.
Listen to special interview with Dr. de Felice here.
April 30, 2012
Mixing Prescription Pills Can Be Fatal For Seniors
Howard Cohen
The Miami HeraldDr. Barbara Krantz has a message for those who care for an elderly mom, dad, grandparent or friend: Falls, depression and insomnia should not be so easily dismissed as signs of getting older.
"Those are things that can be attributed to the physiological cause of aging but, if caregivers are aware, it can also be prescription drug abuse or interaction. All of a sudden mom is getting more and more forgetful. It could be her medication. It doesn't have to be her brain,'' said Krantz, medical director for the Hanley Center, a West Palm Beach-based addiction treatment and recovery center.
Read more about the report here.
April 28, 2012
Vitamin D May Help Lower Blood Pressure
United Press InternationalA study showed giving vitamin D supplements in Europe in winter can help lower blood pressure in patients with hypertension, Danish researchers said.
Study leader Dr. Thomas Larsen and a group of researchers studied 112 patients visiting the Holstebro Hospital in Denmark -- at the 56th northern latitude, about the same latitude as Glasgow and Moscow. The study participants had initial levels of vitamin D measured, and then were given either vitamin D or a placebo for 20 weeks. At the beginning of the study, 92 of the 112 patients were found to have low levels of vitamin D.
Learn more about about the study here.
April 27, 2012
Consuming Berries Could Delay Brain Aging Up To Two And a Half Years
An article published online in the
Annals of Neurology reports a protective effect for diets containing high amounts of blueberries and strawberries against cognitive decline in older women.Berries are high in compounds known as flavonoids, which may help reduce the negative impact of inflammation and stress on cognitive function.
"As the U.S. population ages, understanding the health issues facing this group becomes increasingly important," commented lead researcher Elizabeth Devore of Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School. "Our study examined whether greater intake of berries could slow rates of cognitive decline."
Read more about the study here.
April 27, 2012
Five Things You Can Do to Help Maintain a Healthy Back
HARVARD HEALTH SPECIAL REPORTS
Buffalo NewsTreatment of low back pain has undergone a recent sea change. Experts now appreciate the central role of exercise and the importance of maintaining a healthy back. They also better understand which conditions surgery will help and which patients are good surgical candidates.
Low back pain has many different causes, including the normal wear and tear that comes with aging. While you can't turn back the clock or prevent every type of painful back disorder, in most cases there are things you can do to help keep your back healthy.
Read more about report here.
April 27, 2012
Most Popular News of 2012 (so far)
NutraIngredients has scanned the 2012 archive of science, industry, regulation and market trend stories to locate those that have resonated most strongly with you, the NutraIngredients readership.
In the four-month period from January 1, science and regulation coverage has been the biggest hitting, with a candid assessment of the probiotic market from category leader, Danone, top of the pile.
Read more about the report here.
April 26, 2012
Obesity, Inactivity Raise Cancer Risks
By Janice Lloyd
USA TODAYThe decline in deaths from all cancers combined continued in the USA from 2004 to 2008, but a major government report highlights a worrisome rise in cases tied to obesity and inactivity.
Although the overall rate of new cancer cases is declining, the report confirms research showing excess weight and a sedentary lifestyle are risk factors for one-fourth to one-third of common cancers. About a third of adults, nearly 78 million, are obese, roughly 30 or more pounds over a healthy weight.
Read more about the report here.
April 25, 2012
Diabetes and High Blood Pressure by Surprise
by Jodi Knapp
Today’s article is quite personal.
You see, on Monday morning, a good friend called me internationally telling me he had collapsed on the floor and couldn’t move for about two hours. After that he staggered to bed and fell asleep.
Why this happened has everything to do with what he did an hour before.
Read more of the report here.
April 24, 2012
Root Crops Stabilize Cholesterol
by Scott Davis
A new study conducted by the Department of Science and Technology’s Food and Nutrition Research Institute reveals incredible benefit of root crops.
The fiber in root crops such as camote, or sweet potatoes, can send bad cholesterol levels plummeting, according to the study on subjects with moderately high cholesterol.
Read more about the study here.
April 23, 2012
Concord Grape Juice Shows Brain Boosting Potential
Adding a glass of Concord grape juice to the daily diet may boost memory performance and boost mental function in older people with mild declines in their memory, suggests a new study.
Read more about the study here.
April 21, 2012
Alzheimer's Risk Falls With Activity
Janice Lloyd, USA TODAY
Cleaning house and doing yardwork are taking on new importance. A higher level of physical activity -- not just exercising -- is linked to a reduced risk of developing Alzheimer's disease even in people over 80, suggests research published Wednesdsay in the journal Neurology.
Read more about the study here.
April 20, 2012
Taurine Protects Against Coronary Heart Disease In Women With High Cholesterol
An article published online in the
European Journal of Nutrition revealed that taurine, an amino acid found in relatively high amounts in dark poultry meat and other foods, may be protective against heart disease in women with elevated cholesterol levels. Taurine is involved in blood pressure regulation, and possesses antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Although studies have uncovered a heart benefit for the amino acid in animals, the current investigation is the first prospective study of taurine and coronary heart disease risk in humans.
Read more about the report here.
April 20, 2012
Higher Lutein and Zeaxanthin Levels May Help Protect Against Cataract
In an article published in advance of print in the
British Journal of Nutrition, Jouni Karppi and Sudhir Kurl at the University of Eastern Finland in Kuopio and Jari Laukkanen of Lapland Central Hospital in Rovaniemi, Finland report that increased plasma levels of the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin are associated with a lower risk of cataract in older men and women. Lutein and zeaxanthin's protective effect against another eye disease--age-related macular degeneration—is well known, however their effects in other eye conditions have been less well explored.
Read more about the report here.
April 20, 2012
Untested Vaccines Causing New Wave of Polio-like Paralysis Across India
(NaturalNews) The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is financially backing and publicly endorsing mass polio virus vaccinations in India. In case you didn't hear him yourself, Bill Gates publicly announced that vaccines could help reduce the world population by 15%.
Gates also proclaimed that every newborn should be registered for vaccinations immediately to assure the goal of 90% of the population getting vaccinated for his "century of the vaccination."
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation program in India was promoted as "The Last Mile: Eradicating polio in India." The promotional video displayed numbers showing thousands of cases of polio in India decades ago, with the number of cases dropping to 42 by 2010. But it appears that wild polio virus stats have been traded for polio from vaccines and non-polio acute flaccid paralysis (NPAFP).
April 19, 2012
Shortened Telomeres Associated with Greater Risk of Heart Disease and Early Mortality
A recent issue of the American Heart Association journal
Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology reports the finding of Danish researchers of a link between short telomeres and an increased risk of heart disease and early death.
Telomeres cap and protect the ends of chromosomes and shorten with the passage of time, which makes them useful as a marker of cellular aging. While accelerated telomere shortening has been associated with obesity, smoking and other factors; multivitamin use, exercise and high levels of omega 3 fatty acids have been found to have a protective effect on their maintenance.
Read more about the study here.
April 19, 2012
Tasteless Green Tea Extract Could Open Beverage NPD doors
Taiyo has developed a taste-free green tea extract for use in beverage applications which it claims will expand new product development possibilities for beverage manufacturers.
Read more about the report here.
April 18, 2012
Hospitalization Associated With Increased Cognitive Decline In Older Adults
NewsRx.com(CHICAGO) - A new study published in the March 21 issue of Neurology suggests that older adults who are hospitalized may have an increased risk of subsequent cognitive decline.
The study, conducted by researchers at the Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center and the Rush Institute for Healthy Aging, Rush University Medical Center, found that hospitalization of older adults was associated with increased memory and thinking problems (see also Critical Illness).
Read more about the study here.
April 18, 2012
Expert Gives Advice on Alzheimer's Prevention
Todd Ackerman
Houston ChronicleDr. Gary Small, a New York Times best-selling author and director of the UCLA Center on Aging, spoke at Baylor College of Medicine recently about his new book,
The Alzheimer's Prevention Program (Workman Publishing). He talked to Chronicle reporter Todd Ackerman about the expected explosion of the brain-robbing disease, the steps people can take to reduce their risks and the effect of the Internet.
Read more about the report here.
April 18, 2012
White Coat Symptoms Proven in Studies
White coat syndrome, or the phenomenon where a person’s blood pressure raises simply because they are stressing out over visiting a doctor, has been shown to affect over 1/3 of people over 50.
A study conducted by researchers at The National Clinical Guideline Center in London showed that many people were able to avoid prescription blood pressure medications simply by having their blood pressure taken at home instead of at the doctor’s office.
Read more about the study here.
April 17, 2012
Reduced Vitamin C Intake Among Heart Failure Patients Associated With Increased Mortality Over One Year
At the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions held in Orlando, Florida, it was reported that heart failure patients have a greater risk of inflammation and death over follow-up when consuming a diet that provides an inadequate amount of vitamin C.
Read more about the report here.
April 17, 2012
Omega-3 May Reduce Inflammatory Marker
Increased intakes of omega-3 fatty acids may reduce a specific marker of inflammation and confer heart and anti-cancer benefits, according to two new studies in the
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Read more about the studies here.
April 16, 2012
Be Mindful That Beverages Can Derail Weight-LOSS Efforts
Marjie Gilliam
New York Times SyndicateDAYTON, Ohio -- When it comes to counting calories, it is just as important to watch what you drink as what you eat.
Beverages are a sneaky contributor to weight gain, so to get a good handle on how many calories you may be consuming, keep track for one week. If you're like most people, chances are it will be a real eye-opener.
Many soft drinks and beer for example, have about 150 calories per 12 ounces. To give you an idea of how easily this can sabotage your diet, consuming just one of these drinks per day adds up to a whopping 54,750 extra calories or close to a 16-pound weight gain in a year's time.
Read more about the report here.
April 14, 2012
White Rice Contributes to Type 2 Diabetes
A new study published in the journal BMJ raises concerns about eating too much white rice.
Researchers examined the results of 4 studies that spanned the globe to look at the number of times per day a participant ate white rice.
They then correlated it with the occurrence of development of type two diabetes. They found that the higher the number of servings of white rice per day, the greater occurrence of developing diabetes, even in people who were of moderate and healthy weights.
Read more about the study here.
April 13, 2012
Marine Omega-3s May Reduce Depressive Symptoms: Study
Increased intakes of the marine omega-3s EPA and DHA may be associated with a decrease in the number of depressive symptoms, say researchers from the University of Rochester, New York.
Read more about the study here.
April 13, 2012
Eating Cruciferous Vegetables May Boost Breast Cancer Survival Rate
Consumption of increased amounts of cruciferous vegetables such as turnips and bok choy was associated with improved breast cancer survival rates among Chinese women, say researchers.
Read more about the research here.
April 12, 2012
Typical U.S. Diet Tied to Depression
Sharon Salomon ENVIRONMENTAL NUTRITION NEWSLETTER
Buffalo NewsThe food choices you make every day can impact your frame of mind. Research shows that there are many variables associated with diet and mood, including the way in which dietary patterns, specific foods, and nutrients can impact your brain and mood.
There's plenty of evidence to suggest that the typical American diet of salty, sugary and fatty foods may be partly responsible for depressive disorders afflicting an estimated 9 percent of the U.S. population, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Read more about the report here.
April 12, 2012
Fish Protein Could Provide Basis for New Wave of Functional Foods
There is great potential to develop novel, marketable, omega-3 rich functional food products from inexpensive sources such as fish protein isolate, according to new research.
Read more about the research here.
April 11, 2012
Berry Juices Show Anti-inflammatory and Heart Health Benefits
Lingonberry, cranberry and blackcurrant juices may reduce compounds that promote inflammation, suggests new data that supports a role for the berries to reduce the risk of atherosclerosis.
Read more about the report here.
April 11, 2012
Study - 50% of South African Omega-3 Supplements Have Content Issues
A survey of 46 omega-3 products on the South African market has found about half contain less than 89% of their claimed DHA (docosahexaenoic acid)-EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) levels and that there exists,
“a wide variation in the quality of the marine oils present”.Read more about the study here.
April 10, 2012
B12 Supplements May Boost Cardiovascular Health For Vegetarians
Daily supplements of vitamin B12 may improve the arterial function and provide a ‘novel strategy’ to reduce the risk of atherosclerosis in vegetarians, says a new study.
Read more about the study here.
April 10, 2012
New Research About Saturated Fat and Cardiovascular Disease
A meta-analysis of prospective epidemiologic studies showed that there is no significant evidence for concluding that dietary saturated fat is associated with an increased risk of coronrary heart disease, stroke, or cardiovascular disease.
Read more about the study here.
April 10, 2012
The Best Kind of Sunscreen for Your Child
When you’re in the supermarket or drugstore and you’re staring at the dozens of different sunscreens for sale, you probably pay attention to the sun protection factor (SPF) and the brand, but do you pay attention to the
kind of container? As silly as it sounds, new research shows that the type of bottle you choose can make a big difference, especially when you’re buying sunscreen for a child to use.
Read more about the study here.
April 9, 2012
Inflammation Key Driver for Osteoarthritis
Blue Heron Health NewsScientists have known for decades that inflammation is the underlying cause of several types of arthritis, especially rheumatoid arthritis.
However, Stanford University scientists recently found that inflammation also causes osteoarthritis –the most common form of arthritis that’s typically thought to be the result of “wear and tear” on the joints.
Read more about the study here.
April 7, 2012
Oranges May Help Reduce Stroke Risk
United Press InternationalHealth officials routinely advise people to eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables but British and U.S. researchers say oranges may help reduce stroke risk.
Aedin Cassidy at the University of East Anglia in England and colleagues at Harvard School of Medicine analyzed data on the risk of stroke in almost 70,000 U.S. nurses. They looked at what the nurses ate, especially forms of flavonoids, found in plants.
Read more about the study here.
April 6, 2012
Are Your Vitamins Helping or Hurting You?
By Suzy Cohen, R. Ph.
Recently, I was watching the news and saw headlines that suggested taking vitamins could be dangerous for our health and I was alarmed. Truthfully, it just annoys me that snippets about this study get any media coverage at all. I don’t know one person, not one, who has been harmed by taking nutritional supplements! Since I scour the news -both print and television- I have seen firsthand the sensational headlines intended to invoke fear in our society, and drive more people into the arms of proven methods of healing, whatever those may be.
Read the full report here.
April 6, 2012
BMI Misses Mark On Obesity
Misti Crane
The Columbus Dispatch, OhioMany Americans, especially women, are obese but mistakenly think they're at a healthy weight because of major flaws in the body-mass-index formula, say the authors of a new study.
An analysis comparing the BMI to a blood test and body scan found that the BMI was wrong for half of women and 1 in 4 men.
Read more about the study here.
April 5, 2012
Vaccine Failure Admitted: Whooping Cough Outbreaks Higher Among Children
(NaturalNews) For several years, NaturalNews has maintained that many vaccines actually cause the very infectious diseases they claim to prevent. Measles vaccines, for example, actually cause measles. And flu shot vaccines actually increase susceptibility to the flu.
New research reported by Reuters reveals that whooping cough outbreaks are HIGHER among vaccinated children compared with unvaccinated children. This is based on a study led by Dr. David Witt, an infectious disease specialist at the Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in San Rafael, California.
Read more about the research here.
April 4, 2012
Health Benefits of Massage Therapy Demonstrated in Study
Richard Halstead, The Marin Independent Journal, Novato, Calif.
Knight Ridder/Tribune Business NewsTaking your medicine may get a whole lot easier now that a Buck Institute for Research on Aging study has produced scientific evidence that a massage does indeed help heal sore and stressed muscles.
The study, produced jointly by the Buck Institute in Novato and McMaster University in Canada, appears in the online edition of Science Translational Medicine. It shows that massage reduces inflammation, promotes the growth of new mitochondria in skeletal muscle and reduces muscle pain.
Read more about the study here.
April 3, 2012
Omega-3 May Reduce Risk of Irregular Heart Beat - Harvard Study
Increased levels of omega-3 fatty acids may reduce the risk of atrial fibrillation, the most common irregular heart beat (chronic arrhythmia) in adults, by about 30%, says a new study.
Read more about the study here.
April 3, 2012
Hearing Loss Linked to Higher Falling Risk
United Press InternationalHearing loss, already linked to dementia and other health ills, is also associated with an increased risk of falling, U.S. researchers said.
Dr. Frank Lin of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the Bloomberg School of Public Health, and a colleague, Dr. Luigi Ferrucci of the National Institute on Aging, used data from the 2001 to 2004 cycles of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to arrive at their findings. The research program has periodically gathered health data from thousands of Americans since 1971.
Read more about the study here.
April 2, 2012
Arthritis Results From Inflammation, Not Just Wear and Tear
Lisa M. Krieger
San Jose Mercury News, Calif.Arthritis is driven by more than just simple wear and tear of joints, it is also prompted by a destructive process of inflammation, Stanford investigators found.
By revealing the underlying mechanism and identifying the triggers behind the crippling disease, their research offers hope that someday it will be possible to interrupt it.
"It's a paradigm shift," said Dr. William Robinson, the senior author of a study published recently in Nature Medicine.
"What everybody thinks is: 'Wear and tear,' " he said, is actually "the process underlying it."
Read more about the study here.
May 31, 2012
Questions About Sugar
Barbara Quinn
The Monterey County Herald, Calif.As we wind down National Nutrition Month, this question from a reader deserves attention:
"Please help me. My husband and I are trying to do a "no-sugar" (diet) but we are confused. Everything we eat has sugar in it. Is it OK to eat natural sugar when we are trying to do no sugar? Like the plain Greek yogurt has sugar, so do we NOT eat it or is this OK? And we eat the Ezekiel bread which also has sugar. Is this OK? It seems like everything has sugar. When they mean no sugar are they saying no added sugar or refined sugar or just stop eating yogurts and fruit? Very confusing. Thank you. - Rubie G.
Read the answer here.
May 30, 2012
Safety of Vitamins Confirmed!
It is estimated that approximately half of the US adult population takes dietary supplements. Alvin C. Bronstein, from the American Association of Poison Control Centers (Virginia, USA), and colleagues analyzed reports of poison-related encounters by 2.3 million Americans. Whereas analgesics were involved in 11.5% of human exposures, and sedatives (including sleeping pills and antipsychotic drugs) were involved in 6% of cases, the researchers report that zero deaths were linked to the consumption of vitamins. In particular, the team notes zero deaths from any B vitamins, zero deaths from vitamin D, and zero deaths from the antioxidant vitamins A, C, and E.
Read more about the study here.
May 28, 2012
Thyroid Questions Answered
Knight Ridder/Tribune Business NewsThe terrible earthquake in Japan, and the resulting nuclear meltdowns, again have placed thyroid cancer in the news. There is a very close link between radiation exposure and thyroid cancer, and it is likely that Japan will see a sharp increase in aggressive thyroid cancers in the coming years, as was the case in Russia after the Chernobyl disaster in 1986.
Here in the United States, there was an increase in thyroid cancer following the nuclear testing in the 1950s in the Southwest. Though we have ceased such open-air testing, there are still numerous ways to be exposed to radiation, such as by receiving radiation therapy for cancer. And there is also a natural incidence of thyroid cancer unrelated to radiation exposure.
Read more about the report here.
May 28, 2012
Maternal Supplementation Could Aid Unborn Baby Growth
Supplementation with vitamins and minerals could help to boost the growth of unborn babies in developing countries, according to the results of a new study.
Read more about the study here.
March 27, 2012
Vitamin D May Slash Pancreatic Cancer Risk: Harvard Study
Increased blood levels of vitamin D may decrease the risk of developing pancreatic cancer by an impressive 30%, according to a new Harvard-led study.
Read more about the study here.
March 27, 2012
Why Eggs are One of the Best Foods for Runners
United Press International
By Liz Applegate Ph.D.
From the April 2012 issue of Runner's World
Got a dozen on hand? As a runner, you should. Routinely eating eggs affords you amazing health benefits.
March 26, 2012
Quality Protein Helps Fight Aging
United Press InternationalRaising daily protein intake can help fend off age-related muscle mass loss, while exercise keeps muscles and bones strong, a U.S. registered dietitian said.
Lona Sandon, assistant professor of clinical nutrition at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, said the older people get, the more important it becomes to pay attention both to the quantity and quality of the calories consumed.
"The good news about calories taken in is the more physically active you are, the more calories you can consume at any age," Sandon said in a statement. "The bad news is because we are aging, we are losing muscle mass, and we need the right type of calories to help promote and keep that lean muscle mass."
Read more about the report here.
March 22, 2012
Answers To Questions From Consumer Lab
Consumer Lab posts answers from its research staff to popular questions. Current questions include: Can raspberry ketone help me lose weight? Is it possible to get too much vitamin D? Is fish oil safe? How can I find supplements that are gluten-free? Read answers to these and other questions here.
March 21, 2012
Sugary Drink A Day Raises Heart Risk
United Press InternationalMen who drink a sugar-sweetened beverage a day have a 20 percent higher risk of heart disease than men who avoid sugary drinks, U.S. researchers say.
The study found men who drank a 12-ounce, sugar-sweetened beverage a day had a 20 percent higher risk of heart disease. However, less frequent consumption -- twice weekly and twice monthly -- didn't carry the same risk.
Read more about the study here.
March 21, 2012
Prescription Painkiller Overdoses in the U.S.
CDC: Overdose deaths from prescription painkillers have skyrocketed in the past decade. Every year, nearly 15,000 people die from overdoses involving these drugs—more than those who die from heroin and cocaine combined.
Read more about the report here.
March 21, 2012
Lower Melanoma Risk with Vitamin A
A study of people ages 50 to 76 found the risk of developing melanoma (over an average of 6 years) was
40% lower among those who took a vitamin A supplement than among those who did not. The protective effect appeared strongest and most statistically significant among women, and only occurred with vitamin A from retinol and, not beta-carotene. For details, including the dose (which matters), see the updated information in the
Vitamin A Supplement Review.
March 20, 2012
Results Of Study About Chemotherapy, Radiation and Antioxidants
Do antioxidants interfere with cancer chemotherapy?
One large recently published study suggests not. In a study of fifty randomized or observational human clinical trials published between 1965 and 2003 and involving 8,521 cancer patients using the antioxidants beta-carotene; vitamins A, C, and E; selenium; cysteine; B vitamins; vitamin D3; vitamin K3; and glutathione as single agents or in combination, Simone and co-workers found that "antioxidants and other nutrients do not interfere with chemotherapy or radiation therapy and can increase kill and increase survival". The study did examine patients taking several components including N acetyl cysteine, and vitamin C, this suggests that antioxidants may be safe in patients undergoing cancer chemotherapy.Read more about the study here.
March 19, 2012
Omega-3 Fatty Acids Reduce Cardiovascular Events In Non-statin Drug User
A recent article reports a favorable effect for low dose omega-3 fatty acids on the risk of cardiovascular events, including heart attack, cardiac arrest and stroke, in patients with a history of heart attack who did not use statin drugs.
Read more about the study here.
March 16, 2012
Listening To Body Signals Aids Weight Loss
United Press InternationalMastering mindful eating -- awareness of eating -- and stress-reduction techniques help prevent weight gain even without dieting, U.S. researchers say.
Jennifer Daubenmier and the Elissa Epel University of California, San Francisco, said the women involved in their study were not on calorie-counting diets.
Instead, 24 of the 47 chronically stressed, overweight and obese women were randomly assigned to mindfulness training and practice. The other 23 served as a control group. No diets were prescribed, but all participants attended one session about the basics of healthy eating and exercise.
Read more about the study here.
March 16, 2012
Coenqyme Q10 Helps Coronary Artery Disease Patients
Inflammation plays a role in the development of heart disease, the leading cause of death in the Western world. While coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) supplementation can benefit the heart, few studies have investigated its role in protecting against inflammation in heart disease patients.
In a trial described in an article published recently in the journal Nutrition, researchers at Chung Shan Medical University in Taiwan compared the effects of twelve weeks of supplementation with 60 or 150 milligrams per day of CoQ10, or a placebo in 40 men and women with coronary artery disease. Plasma CoQ10 levels, markers of inflammation including high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), interleukin-6 and homocysteine; malondialdehyde (a marker of lipid peroxidation) and levels of the antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase (SOD) were measured before and after the treatment period. Read more about the study here.
March 15, 2012
Why Can't We Sleep?
Bill Ward, Star Tribune, Minneapolis
Knight Ridder/Tribune Business NewsWhy are 70 million Americans having trouble getting a good night's sleep? Let us count the ways:
We are over-caffeinated (coffee, soft drinks, energy drinks, snacks) and over-medicated (prescription and over-the-counter drugs, including alcohol), wreaking havoc with slumber patterns.
We are over-wired (video games, Web browsing, social media, texting) and overstressed (money, work, relationships, overloaded schedules), making us too restless to doze off when we should.
We are overworked (longer hours, night shifts incompatible with our biological clocks) and overweight (perhaps a chicken-or-egg deal, as different studies have found that one leads to the other).
And then there's societal pressure, what nationally recognized sleep expert Dr. Mark Mahowald calls "the pervasive, erroneous attitude that sleep is not a biological imperative, that it is negotiable. We have raised sleep deprivation to a badge of honor."
The effects might outnumber the causes, and are hardly as benign as many of us might think. "Any degree of sleep deprivation will impair performance: behind the wheel, in the classroom or workplace," Mahowald said.
Read more about the study here.
March 15, 2012
Mighty Miso
Michael Hastings
Winston-Salem Journal, N.C.Many people have started off a meal in a Japanese restaurant with a bowl of miso soup.
Light yet deeply flavored, satisfying but not filling, miso soup is perhaps the most-ordered item on any Japanese menu.
But not many people know what miso is. Yes, it's a soup, but it is much, much more.
Learn more about miso here.
March 14, 2012
Maternal Supplementation Could Aid Unborn Baby Growth
Supplementation with vitamins and minerals could help to boost the growth of unborn babies in developing countries, according to the results of a new study.
Read more about the study here.
March 13, 2012
Pine Bark Extract May Ease Menopause symptoms: Study
Daily supplements of a French maritime pine bark extract may ease the symptoms of menopause and ease digestive problems, says a new study with Italian university students.
Read more about the study here.
March 12, 2012
Increased Flavonoid Consumption Associated With Reduced Deaths
An article published online on January 4, 2012 in the
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reveals a lower risk of dying of cardiovascular disease among those who consumer more flavonoids: plant-based phytochemicals that may be responsible in part for the reduced risk of heart disease observed among those who consume a diet that contains high amounts of vegetables, fruit and other plant foods.
American Cancer Society and Tufts University researchers evaluated data from 38,180 men and 60,289 women who had no history of heart disease upon enrollment in the Cancer Prevention Study II Nutrition in 1999. Dietary questionnaire responses were analyzed for the intake of seven classes of flavonoids, including flavan-3-ols, flavanones, flavones, flavonols, isoflavones, anthocyanidins and proanthocyanidins from a variety of plant foods. The subjects were followed for seven years, during which 1,589 men and 1,182 women died from cardiovascular disease.
Read more about the study here.
March 12, 2012
Taurine Protects Against Coronary Heart Disease in Women
An article published online in the
European Journal of Nutrition revealed that taurine, an amino acid found in relatively high amounts in dark poultry meat and other foods, may be protective against heart disease in women with elevated cholesterol levels. Taurine is involved in blood pressure regulation, and possesses antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Although studies have uncovered a heart benefit for the amino acid in animals, the current investigation is the first prospective study of taurine and coronary heart disease risk in humans.
Read more about the study here.
March 10, 2012
Great Reasons To Have A Cup Of Tea
Barbara Quinn The Monterey County Herald, Calif.
"There is no trouble so great or grave that cannot be much diminished by a nice cup of tea," wrote Bernard-Paul Heroux.
What is it about a cup of hot tea that is so...soothing? I happen to think it's the warmth that emanates from pretty tea cups. But scientists credit a host of naturally-occurring compounds in tea with beneficial health effects.
All tea comes from the same plant: Camellia sinensis. And over the centuries as this plant grew in the sun, says the USDA Agricultural Research Service, it formed chemicals called "polyphenols" to protect it from the elements. Polyphenols are family to "flavonoids" - health-promoting antioxidant substances found in many fruits and vegetables.
When tea leaves are processed into the various forms of tea, the flavonoid content changes, say researchers. Green tea, for example, contains more simple antioxidant flavonoids while black tea contains more complex varieties.
Green, black and oolong teas are all from the same C. sinensis plant...just processed differently. Green tea is minimally fermented - the process of exposing to air and drying. Black tea is maximally fermented. And oolong tea is somewhere in the middle.
Click here to read more great reasons to drink tea.
March 9, 2012
Cocoa May Help Diabetes, Heart Failure
United Press InternationalPatients with advanced heart failure and type 2 diabetes showed improvement after three months of consuming epicatechin-enriched cocoa, U.S. researchers said.
Dr. Francisco J. Villarreal of University of California, San Diego, said epicatechin is a flavonoid found in dark chocolate.
The researchers examined five profoundly ill patients with major damage to skeletal muscle mitochondria -- structures responsible for most of the energy produced in cells. These "fuel cells" are dysfunctional as a result of both type 2 diabetes and heart failure, leading to abnormalities in skeletal muscle, Villarreal said.
Read more about the research here.
March 9, 2012
GNC, Walmart And The Kardashians Targeted In QuickTrim Lawsuit
The makers of the QuickTrim weight loss supplements endorsed by reality TV stars the Kardashians are making false, misleading and unsubstantiated claims about their efficacy, according to a class action lawsuit.
Read more about the story here.
March 8, 2012
Relaxation Drink Warning Letter a Warning Shot Across Beverage Industry
The FDA’s warning letter to the maker of melatonin-laced Slowtivate Relaxation Drink has reignited the debate over the legal line between liquid dietary supplements and conventional beverages - and should make some firms very nervous - say lawyers.
Read more about the report here.
March 7, 2012
Flavanol Rich Chocolate Could Boost Brain Performance
Regular consumption of high-flavanol chocolate, could help to promote brain performance by boosting the efficiency of certain brain functions, suggests new research supported by Barry Callebaut.
Read more about the research here.
March 7, 2012
Vitamin D May Reduce Stress Fracture Risk In Girls
Increased intakes of vitamin D may reduce the risk of stress fracture in adolescent girls, says a new study that adds to the potential health benefits of the sunshine vitamin.
Read more about the study here.
March 6, 2012
Daily Multivitamin May Help to Boost Memory
Cognitive acuity declines with age, and a number of previous studies have suggested both individual and combination nutritional approaches as a means of slowing the decline. Helen Macpherson, from Swinburne University (Australia), and colleagues enrolled 56 elderly women, with subjective complaints of memory loss, in a sixteen-week long study. At both the studies start and end, cognition was assessed using an age-sensitive computerized battery of memory and attention tests. biochemical measures of selected nutrients, homocysteine, markers of inflammation, oxidative stress, and blood safety parameters were collected.
Learn more about the study here.
March 6, 2012
Vitamin D Deficiency and Supplementation and Relation to Cardiovascular Health
Study shows vitamin D deficiency was associated with a significant risk of cardiovascular disease and reduced survival. Vitamin D supplementation was significantly associated with better survival, specifically in patients with documented deficiency.
Read more about the study here.
March 5, 2012
Spinal Manipulation Therapy More Effective than Medication?
A randomized trial found that for pain, Spinal Manipulation Therapy had a statistically significant advantage over medication after 8, 12, 26, and 52 weeks.
Read more about the research here.
March 5, 2012
Brainpower Tied to Omega-3 Levels
By NICHOLAS BAKALAR
New York Times
Low blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids are associated with smaller brain volume and poorer performance on tests of mental acuity, even in people without apparent dementia, according to a new study.
In the analysis, published online recently in the journal Neurology, scientists examined 1,575 dementia-free men and women whose average age was 67. The researchers analyzed the fatty acids of the subjects’ red blood cells, a more reliable measurement than a plasma blood test or an estimate based on diet. They used an M.R.I. scan to measure brain volume and white matter hyperintensities, a radiological finding indicative of vascular damage.
Read more about the study here.
March 2, 2012
Aspartame Withdrawal And Side Effects Explained
(NaturalNews) If you have been drinking diet soda and chewing gum, chances are you have been enjoying aspartame in generous quantities. Aspartame is a popular sugar substitute that can be found in diet soda drinks, chewing gum, fruit spreads and sugar-free products to name a few. It is also known by the brand names, Sweet One, NutraSweet and Spoonful. Despite its popularity in the market, what many do not know is that aspartame accounts for 75 percent of side effect complaints received by the Adverse Reaction Monitoring System (ARMS) of the US Food and Drug Administration.
March 2, 2012
Study Finds Some Insulin Production In Long-Term Type 1 Diabetes
NewsRx.comMassachusetts General Hospital (MGH) research has found that insulin production may persist for decades after the onset of type 1 diabetes. Beta cell functioning also appears to be preserved in some patients years after apparent loss of pancreatic function. The study results appear in the March issue of Diabetes Care.
"Traditionally, it was thought that beta cell function completely ceased in patients with advanced type 1 diabetes. However, data from this study and others suggest that the pancreas continues to function at some level even decades after the onset of type 1 diabetes," says Denise Faustman, MD, PhD, director of the MGH Immunobiology Laboratory, who led the study.
Read more about the study here.
March 1, 2012
Higher Vitamin D Levels Correlated With Less Depression
A recent edition of
Mayo Clinic Proceedings published the results of a cross-sectional study conducted by the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and the Cooper Institute which uncovered a protective effect for high serum vitamin D levels against depression. The study, which included 12,594 men and women, is the largest of its kind to date.
University of Texas professor of psychiatry E. Sherwood Brown and his associates analyzed data from participants in the Cooper Center Longitudinal Study, which enrolled patients from the Cooper Clinic from November, 2006, to October, 2010. Subjects were categorized as depressed in accordance with Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale scores, and serum samples were analyzed for 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels. Dr Brown's team found a significant association between higher vitamin D levels and a decreased risk of depressive symptoms, especially among those with a history of the condition.Read more about the study here.
Feb. 29, 2012
Teen Hearing Risk From MP3 Players
United Press InternationalTwenty-five percent of teens are in danger of early hearing loss as a direct result of MP3 players, researchers in Israel say.
Chava Muchnik of Tel Aviv University, Dr. Ricky Kaplan-Neeman, Dr. Noam Amir and Ester Shabtai studied teens' music listening habits and took acoustic measurements of preferred listening levels.
MP3 players permit users to listen to crystal-clear audio at high volume for hours on end, but the personal listening devices are a serious health hazard, with teenagers as the most at-risk group, the researchers said.
The results, published in the International Journal of Audiology, demonstrated teens have harmful music-listening habits when it comes to iPods and other MP3 devices.
Read more about the study here.
Feb. 29, 2012
Less Stroke With More Magnesium
Slightly higher intake of magnesium from the diet was associated with an 8% lower risk of stroke, based on an analysis of several studies. This doesn't necessarily mean you should get more magnesium from supplements, though.
For details, see the updated information in the
Magnesium Supplement Review.
Feb. 28, 2012
What Can Be Done About Cognitive Decline In Mid-Life?
Whereas global life expectancy is on the rise, the maintenance of cognitive health becomes a public health priority, since poor cognitive status is considered a major disabling condition in old age. Previous studies have established an inverse association between age and cognitive performance, with most studies suggesting little cognitive decline occurs before the age of 60. Archana Singh-Manoux, from Inserm (France), and colleagues completed a large-scale prospective study conducted over a 10-year period, utilizing data from the Whitehall II cohort study involving 10,308 men and women, ages 45 to 70 years the start of the study. Over the 10-year study time frame, each subject was evaluated for memory, vocabulary, reasoning and verbal fluency on three separate occasions.
Read the results of the study here.
Feb. 28, 2012
Garlic Reduces Severity of Colds & Flu
Among the most widespread illnesses in the world, the common cold is estimated to be responsible for $20 billion per year in lost worker productivity. Susan S. Percival , from the University of Florida (Florida, USA), and colleagues enrolled 120 healthy subjects, average age 26 years, and randomly assigned each to receive either a daily supplement of aged garlic extract (2.56 g), or placebo, for 90 days. The team observed that the number of NK cells and gamma-delta T cells, two important types of immune cells, increased moreso in the garlic-supplemented group, as compared to those in the placebo group.
Read more about the study here.
Feb. 27, 2012
Vitamin D Study With Post-Menopausal Women
NewsRx.comSAN FRANCISCO - Wrist fractures, also called distal radius fractures (DRF), are among the most common osteoporosis-related fractures occurring on average 15 years earlier than hip fractures. As vitamin D deficiency has recently been linked with muscle weakness, increased fall risks, and bone fractures, investigators sought to determine the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among post menopausal women with DRF. The study, "Hypovitaminosis D in Postmenopausal Women with a Distal Radius Fracture," was presented recently at the 2012 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS).
Read more about the study here.
Feb. 27, 2012
Resveratrol Improves Post-Meall Glucose Levels In Pilot Study
The results of a pilot study of resveratrol supplementation published online recently in the
Journal of Gerontology: Biological Sciences indicate a benefit for resveratrol supplementation in men and women with impaired glucose tolerance.
Researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York enrolled ten overweight or obese subjects aged 65 and older with elevated fasting and two hour glucose levels who were not using resveratrol or other antioxidant supplements within the three months prior to the study. Participants were randomized to 1.0, 1.5 or 2 grams resveratrol per day, to be consumed in divided doses for four weeks. Fasting and postmeal glucose, as well as insulin levels were measured before and at the end of the treatment period, and endothelial function was assessed during the meal test at the beginning and end of the study.Read more about the study here.
Feb. 24, 2012
Processed Meats Contribute to Diabetes
A diet loaded with hot dogs, lunch meat and Spam can significantly increase your risk of diabetes, according to research conducted by University of Washington scientists. In this study, scientists investigated the diets of rural-dwelling Native Americans and compared what they ate with diabetes rates.
Read more about the study here.
Feb. 23, 2012
Health Benefits of Massage Therapy Demonstrated in New Study
Richard Halstead, The Marin Independent Journal, Novato, Calif.
Knight Ridder/Tribune Business NewsTaking your medicine may get a whole lot easier now that a Buck Institute for Research on Aging study has produced scientific evidence that a massage does indeed help heal sore and stressed muscles.
The study, produced jointly by the Buck Institute in Novato and McMaster University in Canada, appears in an online edition of Science Translational Medicine. It shows that massage reduces inflammation, promotes the growth of new mitochondria in skeletal muscle and reduces muscle pain.
Read more about the study here.
Feb. 22, 2012
Anti-cancer Drug For Women Weakens Bone Density
Agence France-PresseA drug tapped for widespread use to prevent breast cancer in post-menopausal women also accelerates loss of bone density, thus potentially boosting the risk of fractures, a study published on Tuesday said.
6Exemestane -- brand name Aromasin -- is part of a drug class called aromatase inhibitors, which lower levels of the oestrogen that some breast cancers need in order to grow.
Canadian bone specialists took a look at a group of patients who had taken part in a study into the effectiveness of exemestane among 4,500 healthy women with a worrying family history of breast cancer.
Overall, the big study showed that the drug was highly effective, reducing the risk of breast cancer by almost two-thirds.
The bone sub-study looked at 351 women who had been taking either exemestane or a dummy lookalike pill and whose bone density was measured with hi-tech scanners.
After two years, women taking exemestane had a high loss of bone density at a common fracture point in the wrist called the distal radius, and also at the lower end of the tibia, compared with their counterparts on placebo.
Read more about the study here.
Feb. 22, 2012
Foods That Fight Memory Loss
There’s a new way to potentially prevent Alzheimer’s—a disease that we know frustratingly little about—and it’s not some exotic, expensive or potentially dangerous drug.
It’s actually an affordable, natural component that’s found in everyday foods. For the first time, there’s a human study that confirms an association between dietary
choline, an amino acid found in eggs and some other foods, and better cognitive performance. The study, from Boston University School of Medicine, appeared in the
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.Read more about the story here.
Feb. 21, 2012
Alzheimer's Research Is Called 'Stunning'
Spencer Hunt
The Columbus Dispatch, OhioA skin-cancer drug could offer hope for the millions of patients coping with the debilitating effects of Alzheimer's disease.
Scientists at Case Western Reserve University led a study of the drug bexarotene on mice and found that it helped wipe out a protein linked to Alzheimer's.
Their study, published recently in the journal Science, showed that the drug reduced the amount of amyloid beta by as much as 75 percent. The protein damages nerve cells.
The mice returned to normal behaviors three days after treatment with bexarotene, which is marketed as Targretin.
"No one, ourselves included, would have ever imagined that any drug would have worked with this speed," said Gary Landreth, a Case neuroscientist and lead researcher. "It's stunning."
There are an estimated 5.4 million people with Alzheimer's in the United States.
Read more about the report here.
Feb. 17, 2012
Lower Colorectal Cancer Risk
The February, 2012 issue of the journal
Anticancer Research reports a lower risk for colorectal cancer in association with increased intake of calcium, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin B2 (riboflavin) and folate.
Scientists from Canada and China matched 1,760 Canadian men and women with colorectal cancer with 2,481 control subjects. Dietary questionnaire responses were used to quantify the intake of calcium, iron, folate and vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, B12, C, D and E from food and supplements.
Read more about the study here.
Feb. 14, 2012
Asian Apple Found to Reduce Diabetic Blood Sugar
A team of Malaysian researchers discovered that an extract from an apple popular in Southeast Asian countries can reduce high blood sugar.
In the study, researchers tested the ability of compounds within the apple (known as the “water apple”) to block the same key enzyme responsible for high blood sugars that many anti-diabetic drugs target.
Read more about the study here.
Feb. 13, 2012
Indoor Air Particulates Spur Stroke, Bronchitis, and Premature Deaths
Americans spend an average of more than 65% of their time in their own home or others' homes, the health impacts of indoor air pollution has remained elusive. Jennifer Logue, from Lawrence Berkeley National Lab (California, USA), and colleagues combined disease incidence and Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs)-based health impact models to estimate the population average health costs related to chronic inhalation of air pollutants in U.S. residences.
Read more about the study here.
Feb. 10, 2012
Lifestyle Blamed for 40 Percent of Cancers
United Press InternationalForty percent of cancers in women and 45 percent in men could be prevented by a healthier lifestyle, British researchers say.
A Cancer Research UK report found more than 100,000 cancers each year in Britain are caused by four lifestyle factors -- smoking, unhealthy diet, alcohol and being overweight -- and the number rises to around 134,000 a year when 14 lifestyle and environmental factors are taken into account, the Guardian reported.
Read more about the study here.
Feb. 10, 2012
Living with Coronary Heart Disease - What You Need to Know
In honor of American Heart Month, Health Dialog today announced it has made its award-winning patient decision aid, “Living with Coronary Heart Disease” available to the public for the month of February. The decision aid will be available as a public service offering to provide information and support to individuals living with the disease.
According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), coronary heart disease is the most common type of heart disease. Health Dialog’s decision aid provides patients with information about the condition so that they may be more informed and empowered as they deal with the disease day-to-day, as so many people do.
Read more here.
Feb. 9, 2012
Supplementing a Mediterranean Diet With Coenzyme Q10 Lowers Inflammation
A crossover study described in the January, 2012 issue of the
Journals of Gerontology Series A revealed that the addition of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) to a Mediterranean diet lowers a number of indicators of inflammation in older men and women.
Researchers at the University of Cordoba and the Instituto de Salud Carlos III in Spain enrolled ten men and ten women aged 65 and older who were not being treated for inflammation or elevated lipids. Participants were randomized to receive one of three dietary regimens for a four week period, followed by two additional four week periods in which the regimens previously not received were administered. The regimens consisted of a Mediterranean diet, which contains high amounts of vegetables, fruit, olive oil and other healthy foods; a Mediterranean diet supplemented with 200 milligrams per day coenzyme Q10, and a Western diet providing 38 percent of total energy as fat and containing high amounts of saturated fat. Fasting and postprandial blood samples collected at the end of each intervention were analyzed for the expression of genes involved in inflammation.Read more about the study here.
Feb. 8, 2012
Vitamin B12 and Folic Acid Improve Memory in Two Year Trial
A recent issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published the results of an analysis of a randomized, controlled trial conducted by Australian researchers which found that supplementation with folic acid and vitamin B12 improved immediate and delayed memory in older men and women.
The current study analyzed data from a trial of 900 participants with elevated psychological distress between the ages 60 to 74 who received 400 micrograms folic acid plus 100 micrograms vitamin B12, or a placebo for two years. The original trial was designed to analyze the effect of the supplements and other factors on depressive symptoms. (Late life depression is a risk factor for cognitive impairment.) Cognitive function was assessed at the beginning of the study and at 12 and 24 months.
Read more about the study here.
Feb. 8, 2012
New Research About Reducing Ovarian Cancer Cell Growth
In the journal BMC Medicine, Professor Sanjay K. Srivastava and Prabodh K. Kandala of Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in Amarillo report the discovery of a mechanism for diindolylmethane (DIM), an active metabolite of indole-3-carbinol found in cruciferous vegetables, to induce programmed cell death (apoptosis) in cultured ovarian cancer cells.
Previous research uncovered an inhibitory effect for DIM on ovarian cancer cell growth, yet the mechanism involved remained unknown. The current study explored the effects of DIM in several ovarian cancer lines. Drs Srivastava and Kandala found that DIM induces apoptosis, and that it exerts its effects by blocking the production and activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), a transcription factor that is associated with the growth and survival of cells which is over-expressed in cases of resistance to the chemotherapy cisplatin. DIM also reduced the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 in ovarian tumor cells, and inhibited cell invasion and angiogenesis via suppression of hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha and vascular epithelial growth factor.
Read more about the research here.
Feb. 7, 2012
Eight Reasons Wheat Is Making You Gain Weight
Hollis Templeton
Mclatchy-Tribune News Service.It's been drilled into our heads that whole grains are heart-healthy and essential to a diet that keeps us slim and satisfied. But the wheat toast you opt for over a muffin or bagel in the a.m. may not be as smart of a dietary decision as once thought. In his new book "Wheat Belly," preventative cardiologist William Davis, MD, argues that the world's most popular grain, found in everything from lager to licorice to lunch meat, is destructive to weight loss - and overall health.
According to Davis, the compounds found in wheat are responsible for appetite stimulation, exaggerated rises in blood sugar, and the release of endorphin-like chemicals that get the brain hooked on breads, pastas and crackers, while increased wheat consumption can also be linked to higher incidences of celiac disease, diabetes, heart disease, arthritis and schizophrenia.
If you think this talk about wheat sounds like a new spin on the gluten-free fad, it's not so simple. While wheat is the dominant source of gluten in the human diet - gluten is what gives dough the ability to be stretched, rolled and shaped into bagels, pretzels and pizza crusts and is the culprit underlying inflammatory damage to the intestinal tract in those with celiac disease - it also contains a unique carbohydrate called amylopectin-A, which sends blood sugar soaring higher than table sugar or a candy bar ever could.
Read more about the report here.
Feb. 7, 2012
Walnuts Slow Growth Of Prostate Cancer In Mice
Bill Lindelof
The Sacramento Bee, Calif.New research in mice by UC Davis shows that walnuts slow the growth of prostate cancer.
Mice fed a diet with walnuts had smaller, slower growing tumors, the researchers reported in the current issue of the British Journal of Nutrition.
A low-fat diet is often recommended for reducing the risk for developing or slowing growth of prostate cancer. However, the UC Davis study suggests that not eating walnuts may be a mistake.
Walnuts are rich in omega-3 polyunsaturated fats, antioxidants and other plant chemicals. Eschewing walnuts may mean foregoing the protective effects of walnuts on tumor growth.
Read more about the research here.
Feb. 7, 2012
Reversing the Irreversible [video]
From NaturalNews Report
Valya Boutenko's newest film release reveals the true story of how 37 people reversed so-called "incurable" disease by unleashing their innate healing powers. Flying in the face of conventional medical wisdom -- which really isn't wise at all -- this film celebrates the
simple yet powerful truths about reversing chronic disease that the established medical system won't dare talk about.
Watch the preview here.
Feb. 6, 2012
Mayo Clinic Study - Men with Strokes Call for Help Quicker Than Women
It’s been said that marriage is good for your health – especially if you’re a man. Research at Mayo Clinic in Arizona shows that’s true when it comes to seeking care for stroke symptoms.
A Mayo Clinic study, presented at the American Stroke Conference in New Orleans in early February, says that men experiencing a stroke call for emergency help quicker than women, especially if they are married.
“Marriage has long been shown to offer health benefits and often more for men,” said Joyce Lee-Iannotti, MD, a neurology Fellow at Mayo Clinic in Arizona, and author of the study. “The reasons are unclear, but it’s been postulated that it can be societal roles, where women take on the roles of caregivers and advise their spouses to seek care, often putting their own health behind that of their children and husband.”
The study was a retrospective review of 209 patients with acute stroke symptoms brought by emergency medical services to Mayo Clinic in Phoenix over 15 months ending in November 2011. Researchers collected participants’ age, gender, marital status, time of symptom awareness and time of emergency medical services dispatch. They compared the time from symptoms awareness to EMS dispatch between married and single participants and between men and women.
Read more about the study here.
Feb. 4, 2012
Research - Bariatric Surgery Not Effective for Diabetes Reversal
Blue Heron Health News
by Jodi Knapp
In the early part of the 21st century, bariatric surgery physicians were convinced that they had found a single treatment that cured both obesity and diabetes: bariatric surgery.
A decade later, research is beginning to mount against the diabetes benefits of this popular weight loss treatment, according to a report published in the British Journal of Surgery.
Read more about the report here.
Feb. 3, 2012
Diet Patterns May Keep Brain from Shrinking
ST. PAUL, Minn. – People with diets high in several vitamins or in omega 3 fatty acids are less likely to have the brain shrinkage associated with Alzheimer’s disease than people whose diets are not high in those nutrients, according to a new study published in the December 28, 2011, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Those with diets high in omega 3 fatty acids and in vitamins C, D, E and the B vitamins also had higher scores on mental thinking tests than people with diets low in those nutrients. These omega 3 fatty acids and vitamin D are primarily found in fish. The B vitamins and antioxidants C and E are primarily found in fruits and vegetables.
Read more about the study here.
Jan. 26, 2012
Plant Flavanoid Shows Potential To Block Cancer Pathways
The flavonoid luteolin could inhibit signalling pathways important to the growth of colon cancer cells, according to new research.
Read more about the research here.
Jan. 24, 2012
New Predictor of Heart Attack or Stroke
A rise in blood pressure during middle age significantly raises the risk of having a heart attack or a stroke during a person’s lifetime, report Northwestern University School of Medicine (Illinois, USA) researchers. Previous estimates of a person's risk of cardiovascular disease were based on a single blood pressure measurement: the higher the blood pressure reading, the greater the risk.
Norrina Allen and colleagues analyzed data from 61,585 participants in the Cardiovascular Lifetime Risk Pooling Project. Starting with baseline blood pressure readings at age 41, researchers measured blood pressure again at age 55, then followed the patients until the occurrence of a first heart attack or stroke, death or age 95.
Men who developed high blood pressure in middle age or who started out with high blood pressure had a 70% risk of having a heart attack or stroke, compared to a 41% risk for men who maintained low blood pressure or whose blood pressure decreased during the time period.
Women who developed high blood pressure had almost a 50% risk of a heart attack or stroke, compared to a 22% risk for those who kept their blood pressure low or saw a decrease.
Read more about the study here.
Jan. 21, 2012
Fifteen Minutes of Exercise A Day Can Extend Life Expectancy
Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa)Berlin (dpa) - Taking a minimum of 15 minutes of exercise a day can extend life expectancy by up to three years, according to Germany's Society of Neurologists and the Stroke Society.
A regular program of exercise can reduce the risk of stroke, cardiovascular illness, cancer and diabetes. The advice is based on a study of over 400,000 participants in Taiwan whose health status was checked regularly over eight years.
The study discovered that 15 minutes of exercise a day made a surprising contribution to improving overall health. The mortality rate for those who took the exercise was 14 per cent lower than the inactive participants.
Read more about the study here.
Jan. 20, 2012
Poor Diet of Mom-To-Be Linked to Diabetes
United Press InternationalIn both rats and humans, what a mother-to-be eats impacts how her child stores fats later, researchers in Britain said.
Professor Anne Willis of the Medical Research Council Toxicology Unit at the University of Leicester said storing fats in the right areas of the body is important because otherwise they can accumulate in places like the liver and muscle where they are more likely to lead to disease.
"One of the ways that our bodies cope with a rich modern western diet is by storing excess calories in fat cells," Willis said in a statement. "When these cells aren't able to absorb the excess then fats get deposited in other places, like the liver, where they are much more dangerous and can lead to type 2 diabetes."
The research team found that this process is controlled by a molecule called miR-483-3p. Willis and colleagues found that miR-483-3p was produced at higher levels in individuals who had experienced a poor diet in their mother's wombs than those who were better nourished.
Read more about the research here.
Jan. 19, 2012
New Predictor of Heart Attack or Stroke
A rise in blood pressure during middle age significantly raises the risk of having a heart attack or a stroke during a person’s lifetime, report Northwestern University School of Medicine (Illinois) researchers. Previous estimates of a person's risk of cardiovascular disease were based on a single blood pressure measurement.: the higher the blood pressure reading, the greater the risk.
Norrina Allen and colleagues analyzed data from 61,585 participants in the Cardiovascular Lifetime Risk Pooling Project. Starting with baseline blood pressure readings at age 41, researchers measured blood pressure again at age 55, then followed the patients until the occurrence of a first heart attack or stroke, death or age 95.
Read more about the study here.
Jan. 18, 2012
Eggs Offer Many Health Benefits
(NaturalNews) Perhaps you've skipped this breakfast gem for fear of raising your cholesterol. Free yourself from that misconception and indulge in the treasure that a good ol' egg has to offer. Three eggs per day over a 12-week period for obese participants on a carbohydrate restricted diet actually lowered the bad LDL cholesterol and raised the good HDL. Another study showed that two eggs per day for six weeks did not affect cholesterol levels or brachial artery endothelial function. Yet another study demonstrated that people eating equal to or more than 4 eggs per week had lower cholesterol levels than those eating less than or one egg per week .
Jan. 18, 2012
Supplementing with Calcium and Vitamin D - Decreased Adominal Fat
The results of two double-blind, placebo-controlled trials described online in the
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition conclude a beneficial effect for calcium and vitamin D in reducing visceral adipose tissue—fat that accumulates in the abdomen which is associated with several metabolic disorders.
A team from Massachusetts General Hospital randomized 88 overweight or obese men and women to receive a glass of orange juice fortified with 350 milligrams calcium and 100 international units vitamin D3, or nonfortified orange juice three times daily for 16 weeks. A separate trial of 83 men and women evaluated the effects of calcium and vitamin D-fortified "lite" orange juice, which has fewer calories than regular orange juice. Physical examinations conducted at the beginning of the study and at four week intervals ascertained weight and waist circumference. Computed tomography (CT) examination of the abdomen assessed visceral and subcutaneous fat tissue before and after treatment.
Read more about the study here.
Jan. 17, 2012
Indoor Air Particulates Spur Stroke, Bronchitis, and Premature Deaths
Americans spend an average of more than 65% of their time in their own home or others' homes, the health impacts of indoor air pollution has remained elusive. Jennifer Logue, from Lawrence Berkeley National Lab (California, USA), and colleagues combined disease incidence and Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs)-based health impact models to estimate the population average health costs related to chronic inhalation of air pollutants in U.S. residences. The team used disease impact models and incidence to identify those indoor air pollutants with the greatest impacts on health.
Read more about the report here.
Jan. 16, 2012
Higher Vitamin D levels Correlated With Less Depression
A recent edition of
Mayo Clinic Proceedings published the results of a cross-sectional study conducted by the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and the Cooper Institute which uncovered a protective effect for high serum vitamin D levels against depression. The study, which included 12,594 men and women, is the largest of its kind to date.
University of Texas professor of psychiatry E. Sherwood Brown and his associates analyzed data from participants in the Cooper Center Longitudinal Study, which enrolled patients from the Cooper Clinic from November, 2006, to October, 2010. Subjects were categorized as depressed in accordance with Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale scores, and serum samples were analyzed for 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels.
Read more about the study here.
Jan. 10, 2012
An Anti-Inflammatory Diet
An anti inflammatory diet is one which reduces the consumption of foods which increase chronic inflammation, and substitutes foods which decrease chronic inflammation.
Inflammation is a helpful process when it is appropriate to the cause. For instance, if you have an infection, your body will mount an inflammatory response which kills off the infecting bacteria, and helps you get well again.
However, chronic inflammation is not good for the body, and points to damage being done by pro-inflammatory substances within the body.
Read more about the anti-inflammatory diet here.
Jan. 5, 2012
Reduced Childhood Vitamin D Levels Predict Diabetes
In an article appearing in the
Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, Micah Olson, MD, of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas and her associates report that children suffering from obesity and insulin resistance (which are both associated with diabetes) are more likely to have reduced serum levels of vitamin D in comparison with non-overweight children.
The current study evaluated serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels, fasting glucose and insulin levels, insulin resistance and other factors in 411 obese and 87 non-overweight children between the ages of six and sixteen residing in North Texas. Dietary information collected from the participants included daily intake of milk, soda, juice, fruit and vegetables, and whether or not the subject regularly ate breakfast.
Read more about the study here.
Jan. 5, 2012
Higher Plasma Nutrient Levels Associated With Increased Brain Volume
In an article published online in the journal
Neurology, Gene Bowman, ND, MPH, of Oregon Health & Science University in Portland and his colleagues report a beneficial effect on brain volume for healthy dietary patterns as reflected by plasma nutrient levels in older men and women.
One hundred four participants with an average age of 87 who had few risk factors for cognitive impairment were tested for 30 nutrient biomarkers including vitamins B, C, E and E, omega-3 fatty acids and trans fatty acids. All subjects were evaluated for memory and cognitive function, and 42 participants also underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans to assess brain volume, which frequently declines with aging.
Read more about the report here.
Jan. 4, 2012
Meta-Analysis - Reduced Vitamin D Levels With Greater Risk of Dying
The results of a meta-analysis published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reaffirm an increased risk of all-cause mortality over follow-up periods ranging from 1.3 to 24 years in association with having reduced serum levels of vitamin D.
For their review, Sara Gandini of the European Institute of Oncology and her associates selected 14 prospective cohort studies in which serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels were determined for a total of 62,548 men and women with an average age of 45 to 80 years. Over the studies' varying follow-up periods, 5,562 deaths occurred.
Read more about the report here.
Jan. 4, 2012
Mid-morning Snack May Sabotage Weight Loss
United Press InternationalWomen dieters who snack between breakfast and lunch do not lose more weight compared with those who abstain from a mid-morning snack, U.S. researchers say.
Study leader Dr. Anne McTiernan of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center said the study involved 123 overweight-to-obese postmenopausal Seattle-area women ages 50-75.
The women were randomly assigned to either a diet-alone intervention with a goal: 1,200 to 2,000 calories a day, depending on starting weight, and fewer than 30 percent of daily calories from fat, or diet plus exercise with the same calorie and fat restrictions plus 45 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise per day, five days a week. The women, who received nutrition counseling, were not given any specific instructions or recommendations about snacking. For the purposes of the study, a snack was defined as any food or drink consumed between main meals.
Read more about the report here.
Jan. 3, 2012
Doctor Says Whole Wheat Packs on Belly Fat
Hollis Templeton
Mclatchy-Tribune News Service.It's been drilled into our heads that whole grains are heart-healthy and essential to a diet that keeps us slim and satisfied. But the wheat toast you opt for over a muffin or bagel in the a.m. may not be as smart of a dietary decision as once thought. In his new book "Wheat Belly," preventative cardiologist William Davis, MD, argues that the world's most popular grain, found in everything from lager to licorice to lunch meat, is destructive to weight loss - and overall health.
According to Davis, the compounds found in wheat are responsible for appetite stimulation, exaggerated rises in blood sugar, and the release of endorphin-like chemicals that get the brain hooked on breads, pastas and crackers, while increased wheat consumption can also be linked to higher incidences of celiac disease, diabetes, heart disease, arthritis and schizophrenia.
Read more about the report here.
Jan. 3, 2012
Daily Multivitamin May Help to Boost Memory
Cognitive acuity declines with age, and a number of previous studies have suggested both individual and combination nutritional approaches as a means of slowing the decline. Helen Macpherson, from Swinburne University (Australia), and colleagues enrolled 56 elderly women, with subjective complaints of memory loss, in a sixteen-week long study. At both the studies start and end, cognition was assessed using an age-sensitive computerized battery of memory and attention tests. biochemical measures of selected nutrients, homocysteine, markers of inflammation, oxidative stress, and blood safety parameters were collected. The team observed that a mixture of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and plant extracts significantly improved spatial working memory. As well, the supplementation decreased levels of homocysteine. No toxicity was reported. The researchers submit that: “Sixteen weeks of supplementation with a combined multivitamin, mineral and herbal formula may benefit working memory in elderly women at risk of cognitive decline.”
Read more about the study here.
Jan. 2, 2012
Adolescent Alcohol Consumption and Breast Cancer
NewsRx.comBreast cancer patients often wonder what their daughters might do to reduce their risk of also developing cancer. Are there dietary intakes or behaviors that can be modified by their daughters to lower their own chances of getting the disease? A new study published early online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, sought information relevant to this question.
Dr. Catherine Berkey, a biostatistician at Brigham & Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, led a team that investigated childhood and adolescent risk factors for benign breast disease among girls with a family history of breast cancer. Benign breast disease, a large class of breast ailments that can cause breast lumps or breast pain, is a known risk factor for breast cancer. The authors found that among adolescent girls with a family history of breast cancer (or maternal benign breast disease), there was a significant association between amount of alcohol consumed and further increased risk of getting benign breast disease as young women (see also Breast Cancer).
Read more about the study here.
Dec. 30, 2011
High Fructose Corn Syrup vs Sugar
Blue Heron Health News
The food industry LOVES High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) and for a good reason. It’s a very cheap sweetener that prolongs shelf life, prevents sugar from crystallizing in drinks, makes bakery goods look golden and delicious and has several great effects on frozen food.
There is only one small catch. According to many researchers, HFCS may be the main factor behind several deadly diseases and deaths. This includes, among others, type 2 diabetes, obesity, heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, arthritis and so much more.
Read the complete article here.
Dec. 29, 2011
Listening to Body Signals Aids Weight Loss
United Press InternationalMastering mindful eating -- awareness of eating -- and stress-reduction techniques help prevent weight gain even without dieting, U.S. researchers say.
Jennifer Daubenmier and the Elissa Epel University of California, San Francisco, said the women involved in their study were not on calorie-counting diets.
Instead, 24 of the 47 chronically stressed, overweight and obese women were randomly assigned to mindfulness training and practice. The other 23 served as a control group. No diets were prescribed, but all participants attended one session about the basics of healthy eating and exercise.
Read more about the study here.
Dec. 21, 2011
Reduced Vitamin D Levels and Greater Risk of Dying
The results of a meta-analysis published online in the
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reaffirm an increased risk of all-cause mortality over follow-up periods ranging from 1.3 to 24 years in association with having reduced serum levels of vitamin D.
For their review, Sara Gandini of the European Institute of Oncology and her associates selected 14 prospective cohort studies in which serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels were determined for a total of 62,548 men and women with an average age of 45 to 80 years. Over the studies' varying follow-up periods, 5,562 deaths occurred.
Read more about the study here.
Dec. 20, 2011
High Blood Sugar Levels in Older Women Linked to Cancer
PRNewswire-USNewswireElevated blood sugar levels are associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer, according to a study led by researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University. The findings, observed in nearly 5,000 postmenopausal women, appear in the November 29 online edition of the British Journal of Cancer.
According to the American Cancer Society, colorectal cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer and the third leading cause of cancer death in both men and women in the U.S.
Read more about the study here.
Dec. 19, 2011
AMD-like Lesions Delayed in Mice
NewsRx.com
Feeding older mice a lower glycemic index (GI) diet consisting of slowly-digested carbohydrates delays the onset of age-related, sight-threatening retinal lesions, according to a new study from the Laboratory for Nutrition and Vision Research at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (USDA HNRCA) at Tufts University.
he researchers studied middle-aged and older mice that consumed either a higher or lower GI diet. Mice fed the lower GI diet developed fewer and less-severe age-related lesions in the retina than the mice fed the higher GI diet. The lesions included basal laminar deposits, which typically develop after age 60 in the human retina and are the earliest warning sign of Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD).
"To our knowledge, we have established the first mature, mammalian model indicating a delay in the development of AMD-like lesions as the result of a lower GI diet," says Allen Taylor, PhD, director of the Laboratory for Nutrition and Vision Research at the USDA HNRCA. "The only difference between the two groups of mice we studied is the GI of their meals, which suggests that diet alone is enough to accelerate or delay the formation of lesions. These results, coupled with similar observations made by our laboratory in earlier human epidemiologic studies imply that lower GI diets hold potential as an early intervention for preventing onset and progress of AMD."
Read more about the study here.
Dec. 13, 2011
Getting The Most Out Of Your Vegetables
Nicola Menke, dpa
Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa)Berlin (dpa) - Vegetables are healthy foods bursting with vitamins, minerals and carbohydrates, and they should be on everyone's plate every day.
Each type of vegetable offers its own nutritive substances and people can cover their nutritional needs by eating a variety of them, said Silke Restemeyer of the German nutrition organization. Thus, an A (as in aubergine) to Z (as in zucchini) approach is best for getting the most out of the wide variety of vegetables.
Nutritionists warn, however, that vegetables can lose a lot of their nutritional value when they are cooked. They agree that steaming is the best way to prepare them, but they also note that of the recommended five portions of vegetables and fruits a person should eat, at least one should be raw or in a salad.
"Basically, uncooked vegetables are the richest in vital substances," said Restemeyer.
Read more about the report here.
Dec. 12, 2011
Seaweed Fiber Improves Weight Loss In Men and Women
A doctoral thesis by Morten Georg Jensen of the University of Copenhagen in Denmark concludes that alginate, a viscous fiber derived from brown seaweed, can improve weight loss when regularly consumed by overweight adults. "Over a three-year period, we have studied the effect of taking different alginate doses," Jensen reports. "We are able to demonstrate that the healthy subjects who took alginates and were also allowed to eat as much as they wanted felt less hungry and ate less than the subjects not drinking fiber drinks with alginates."
Read more about the report here.
Nov. 9, 2011
Cells' 'Neighborhood' Can Help Prevent Breast Cancer
Liz Szabo, USA TODAY
Exercise has given Lu-Ann Doria more energy, confidence and strength. It may also help her stay cancer-free, doctors say.
Doria, 57, began working out for the first time three years ago, after recovering from breast cancer therapy. At first, she was so fatigued she had to nap before dance class.
Now, Doria is exercising five days a week. She has tried step aerobics, a dance class called Zumba, even weightlifting.
"I feel like I can do things; before, I was talking myself out of things," says Doria, of Rye, N.Y., who works with a personal trainer at the YMCA through a joint program with Livestrong for cancer survivors.
Read more of the report here.
Nov. 9, 2011
Melatonin Prolongs Life In Animal Model- Huntington's Disease
An article published in the
Journal of Neuroscience reveals the discovery of researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Harvard Medical School of a protective effect for melatonin against disease progression and premature death in a mouse model of Huntington's disease, an inherited disorder that results in involuntary movement, decreased intellectual function and other effects stemming from the loss of neurons in the brain due to a mutant protein. Melatonin is a hormone involved in sleep and immune function which has been found to be reduced in other neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.
Read more about the study here.
Nov. 8, 2011
Tart Cherry Juice Improves Sleep Quality And Duration
Consuming tart cherry juice concentrate significantly improves both the quality and duration of sleep, according to a new UK study by scientists at Northumbria University.
Read more about the study here.
Nov. 7, 2011
Resveratrol Mimics Calorie Restriction's Effects On Metabolism In Clinical Trial
Patrick Schrauwen of Maastricht University Medical Center and his associates report in the November, 2011 issue of
Cell Metabolism that men supplementing with resveratrol experienced metabolic effects similar to those observed in animal studies of calorie restriction. Resveratrol is a compound that occurs in red grapes, wine and other plant foods. The current trial is the first to evaluate resveratrol's metabolic effects in humans.
In a randomized, crossover study, eleven healthy, obese men received a placebo and 150 milligrams trans-resveratrol for 30 days each. The treatment periods were separated by 30 day wash-out periods. Body mass index, whole-body energy expenditure, lipid storage, plasma markers of metabolic function and other values were measured before and after treatment.Read more about the study here.
Nov. 3, 2011
Cholesterol Drugs Can Bring On Diabetes
(NaturalNews) Seven years after the American Diabetes Association urged all diabetics, regardless of whether or not they had high cholesterol, to take statin drugs because they "may have some other qualities that have not been tested," a new analysis published in the
Journal of the American Medical Association shows that statin drugs actually
cause diabetes.
The findings also confirm the general ineptitude of American disease and medical groups that continually push dangerous
drugs on the public that have never been adequately verified for safety or effectiveness.
Read more about the study results here.
Nov. 2, 2011
High Fructose Feeding Induces Copper Deficiency
Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, University of Louisville School of Medicine
Dietary copper deficiency is associated with a variety of manifestations of the metabolic syndrome, including hyperlipidemia and fatty liver. Fructose feeding has been reported to exacerbate complications of copper deficiency. In this study, we investigated whether copper deficiency plays a role in fructose-induced fatty liver and explored the potential underlying mechanism(s).
Read more about the study here.
Nov. 1, 2011
Cutting Sugary Drinks May Cut Diabetes
United Press International Canadian and U.S. researchers say switching from sugar-sweetened beverages to water might reduce type 2 diabetes risk.
Dr. Jean-Pierre Despres of the Universite Laval in Quebec, scientific director of the International Chair on Cardiometabolic Risk, hosted a symposium on the findings and applications on the importance of healthful hydration in Bozeman, Mont.
"Abdominal obesity is a powerful risk factor for the development of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases," Despres said in a statement. "The epidemic prevalence achieved by abdominal obesity can be explained by our sedentary lifestyle and poor nutritional habits, among which an overconsumption of sugar-sweetened beverages plays a significant role."
Read more about the research here.
Oct. 31, 2011
New Study Finds High Prevalence Of Osteopenia In Infants
Vitamin D Council
When we talk about T scores, osteopenia and osteoporosis, we assume we are talking about older people, especially post-menopausal women. However, a group of obstetricians and pediatricians from the University of Sienna, led by Dr. Franco Bagnoli, reported that 42% of infants have osteopenia.
Read more here.
Oct. 28, 2011
Prescription Drugs - More Deaths Than Traffic Accidents
(NaturalNews)
Every 14 minutes, a person is killed by prescription drugs -- and unlike most other causes of preventable death, which have been on the decline for years, medication-induced deaths are on the upswing across the US. According to a recent analysis conducted by the Los Angeles Times (LA Times), drug-induced deaths have become so prevalent that their average yearly total now exceeds the number of deaths caused by traffic accidents.
Oct. 28, 2011
Surviving a Hospital Stay - Avoiding Deadly Medical Mistakes
Karen Garloch
The Charlotte Observer, N.C. Joe and Teresa Graedon give lots of health care advice in their syndicated column, "The People's Pharmacy," and on their National Public Radio show by the same name.
He's a pharmacologist, and she's a medical anthropologist.
The Durham, N.C., residents have written more than 14 books on topics from herbal remedies to deadly drug interactions.
They should know how to get the best medical care.
But in 1996, Joe's 92-year-old mother, Helen, died as the result of errors made at Duke Hospital.
Joe Graedon thought he had been a good advocate. He stayed by his mother's bedside and repeatedly told her caregivers that she couldn't tolerate morphine and other narcotics. But in the end, he said, "You have to trust the doctor."
He felt guilty about not being able to protect her. But soon that guilt turned to action.
Read more about the reporter here.
Oct. 27, 2011
Blueberry's Effects on Cholesterol Examined in Lab Animals
Blue Heron Health News
A new study has solidified blueberry’s standing as a top Superfood by finding that it has the ability to lower chronically high cholesterol levels. The study, conducted in animal models, found unequivocally that compounds in blueberries have anti-cholesterol abilities.
The study –conducted by scientists at the US Department of Agriculture—tested the effects of blueberry peels on blood cholesterol in a group of hamsters. They found that blueberries lowered “bad” LDL cholesterol by an impressive 27 percent. Also, the hamster’s levels of even-worse VLDL cholesterol significantly decreased as well. The scientists guess that blueberry’s high levels of antioxidants are likely responsible for their cholesterol-lowering effects.
Read more about the story here.
Oct. 26, 2011
Omega-3 Fatty Acids In Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis
This study aims to demonstrate the effect of omega-3 fatty acids (ω-3 FAs) supplements on the clinical manifestations, laboratory investigations, disease activity, functional capacity, response criteria as well as interleukin-1 (IL-1) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels in juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) patients.
Read more about the study here.
Oct. 26, 2011
Stressful Life Linked To Earlier Death
United Press International Men with persistently moderate or high levels of stressful events over several years have a 50 percent higher mortality rate than others, U.S. researchers say.
Lead author Carolyn Aldwin of Oregon State University and colleagues used longitudinal data surveying almost 1,000 middle-class and working-class men from 1985 to 2003. All were picked because they had good health when they first signed up in the 1960s.
"Being a teetotaler and a smoker were risk factors for mortality," Aldwin said in a statement. "So perhaps trying to keep your major stress events to a minimum, being married and having a glass of wine every night is the secret to a long life."
Read more about the study here.
Oct. 25, 2011
Significant Potential For Omega-3 Fatty Acids With Arthritis
Writing in the September, 2011 issue of the journal
Osteoarthritis and Cartilage, British researchers report the results of an animal experiment which found that omega-3 fatty acids reduced many of the signs of osteoarthritis. "This study is the first to look at both cartilage and subchondral bone changes with increased dietary omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids," John Tarlton of the University of Bristol's School of Veterinary Sciences and his colleagues announce.
Dr Tarlton's team compared the effect of a standard high omega-6 diet containing corn oil or a diet enhanced with fish oil, which is high in omega-3 fatty acids, in a breed of guinea pigs that naturally develop arthritis. An arthritis-resistant breed of guinea pigs was used as controls. The animals received the diets for 20 weeks, after which cartilage, bone and blood factors were examined for signs of the disease.Read more about the study here.
Oct. 24, 2011
Antiviral Effect Of Catechins In Green Tea On Influenza Virus
Green tea has been shown to contain multiple polyphenolic compounds that demonstrate anti-viral properties by
inhibiting viral RNA synthesis, among other mechanisms of action.
Read more about the study here.
Oct. 21, 2011
Synthetic Alpha Tocopherol Increases Prostate Cancer Risk?
Life Extension
Recently, the media vilified vitamin E based on a study published in the
Journal of the American Medical Association. The problem is the form of vitamin E used in this negative study is not the same as what serious supplement users take. Life Extension® was so
outraged by the way this study was carried out that we predicted ahead of time in writing that it would fail. By displacing gamma tocopherol, we feared that high doses of alpha tocopherol could increase cancer risks.
Read more about this special report here.
Oct. 21, 2011
10 Ways to Stay Young
Wina Sturgeon
Mclatchy-Tribune News ServiceWhy are some people youthful long after middle age? Why are some 50-year-olds able to hang out as equals, physically and mentally, with people who are in their 20's and 30's?
It isn't a matter of age denial; it's a technique of age prevention. Learning the basics of keeping age away comes down to some simple tips, according to Jim Walker, the Sports Science Director at the Orthopedic Specialty Hospital (TOSH), in Murray, Utah. "You can't stop aging, but you can slow it down," said Walker, who has a Ph.D. in physiology.
The internationally known scientist has a list of important tips that will help you stay more youthful.
Click here to read his top 10.
Oct. 20, 2011
Dangers and Unreliability of Mammography
Samuel S. Epstein, Rosalie Bertell, and Barbara Seaman
International Journal of Health Services,
Mammography screening is a profit-driven technology posing risks compounded by unreliability. In striking contrast, annual clinical breast examination (CBE) by a trained health professional, together with monthly breast self-examination (BSE), is safe, at least as effective, and low in cost. International programs for training nurses how to perform CBE and teach BSE are critical and overdue.
Contrary to popular belief and assurances by the U. S. media and the cancer establishment- the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and American Cancer Society (ACS)- mammography is not a technique for early diagnosis. In fact, a breast cancer has usually been present for about eight years before it can finally be detected. Furthermore, screening should be recognized as damage control, rather than misleadingly as "secondary prevention."
Oct. 18, 2011
Changing the Way US Physicians Assess Breast Cancer Risk
Genetic Technologies Limited (ASX: GTG, NASDAQ: GENE) today reported early insights from the US regional launch of BREVAGen, its new, easy-to-use, predictive risk test for the tens of millions of women at intermediate risk of developing breast cancer. The Company's US-based subsidiary, Phenogen Sciences Inc., (
http://www.phenogensciences.com) began its progressive roll-out of BREVAGen to obstetricians and gynecologists in eight metropolitan areas in the third quarter of 2011, with anticipated territory expansion in the coming months. BREVAGen is the first clinically validated breast cancer predictive risk assessment tool that combines a woman's genetic information with clinical data to assist physicians in developing personalized risk management plans.
Mr. Lewis J. Stuart, President of Phenogen Sciences Inc., said "The early response to BREVAGen has been positive, particularly in those practices with a strong orientation toward breast cancer prevention. We are adjusting the way physicians think about breast cancer risk and how it relates to all women, not just those with known high-risk genes. While this requires additional education, BREVAGen has been designed to fit nicely into current clinical risk assessment guidelines, simplifying in-office implementation of the test."
Read more about the story here.
Oct. 13, 2011
Natural Treatments for High Blood Pressure
A dynamic duo of natural treatments for high blood pressure–the DASH Diet and the supplement CoQ10 are more effective than any blood pressure lowering medication on the market, reports a team of docs from the University of Rochester Medical Center.
In their paper, the doctors looked at the available evidence for natural treatments for hypertension –a heart disease risk factor that afflicts 1 billion of the world’s population.
They found that the DASH diet –a diet that emphasizes intake of low-fat dairy and fresh produce—trumped any drug. Additionally, the supplement CoQ10 was also found to be effective at reducing blood pressure quickly and safely. Importantly, the paper notes that these two natural approaches are “usually harmless.”
Read more about the study research here.
Oct. 11, 2011
How To Eat Just The Right Amount
Bae Ji-sook, The Korea Herald, Seoul / Asia News Network
Anchorage Daily News, Alaska
Have you ever kept eating even when you are full?
Overeating can cause not only weight gain but also gastroesophageal reflux, which can damage the internal organs.
Prof. Kim Jong-gab of Konkuk University Institute of Body Culture Study said people nowadays are more likely to overeat than in the past.
"Eating is one of the most intimate things. You feel the food on the lips and in the stomach. As society has become more competitive than ever, people try to substitute their solitude and desire for soft touches from others with foods felt in the mouth and stomach," he said.
Read more about the report here.
Oct. 10, 2011
Walnuts May Help Lower Breast Cancer Risk
United Press International
Mice that ate a modest amount of walnuts as part of their regular diet had a significant decline in breast cancer risk, U.S. researchers say.
Study leader by Elaine Hardman of Marshall University's Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine compared the effects of a typical diet and a diet containing walnuts across the lifespan of the mice -- through the mother from conception through weaning and by eating the food directly.
The amount of walnut in the test diet was equal to about 2 ounces a day for humans, Hardman said.
Read more about the study here.
Oct. 8, 2011
Pea Protein May Lower Blood Pressure
High blood pressure (hypertension), defined as having a systolic and diastolic pressure greater than 140 and 90 mmHg, respectively, is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease – the leading cause of death in developed nations. Rotimi E. Aluko, from the University of Manitoba (Canada), and colleagues extracted a protein from the yellow garden pea and manufactured a purified extract. The team fed rats genetically predisposed to hypertension the protein extract at doses of 100 and 200 mg per kg of body weight, which resulted in a 19 mmHg drop in systolic blood pressure.
Read more about the study here.
Oct. 7, 2011
Higher Lignan Levels Improve Breast Cancer Survival
In an article published online in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, German researchers report that high serum levels of enterolactone, a biomarker of lignan intake, are associated with a significantly greater chance of surviving postmenopausal breast cancer in comparison with having low levels. Lignans are phytoestrogen compounds found in flax and other seeds, in addition to vegetables and wheat. These compounds are converted in the colon to enterolactone, which is then absorbed into the bloodstream.Serum enterolactone levels were measured in blood samples obtained between 2002 to 2005 from 1,140 postmenopausal women with breast cancer. Incidences of tumor metastasis or patient death were documented over a 6.1 median follow-up period.Read more about the research here.
Oct. 6, 2011
Fruit and Vegetables May Target Cancer In Different Parts Of The Colon
In the October, 2011 issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, Australian researchers report the outcome of a study which suggests site-specific protective effects of various fruits and vegetables against the risk of colorectal cancer. The finding may help explain inconsistent results from other studies which sought to examine the effects of plant foods against the disease.
Lin Fritschi, PhD and colleagues at the University of Western Australia compared 918 colorectal cancer patients to 1,021 controls who had no history of the disease. Questionnaires completed by the participants were analyzed for the frequency of consumption of 38 different vegetables and fruits.
Read more about the study here.
Oct. 5, 2011
Blueberry Consumption Reduces Growth of Breast Cancer
PRNewswire In several studies recently conducted at the Beckman Research Institute at the City of Hope, Duarte, CA researchers found that feeding blueberry powder to mice significantly reduced the growth and spread of triple negative breast cancer cells, a very aggressive form of cancer. Triple negative breast cancer accounts for 10 to 15% of all breast cancer cases and is highly resistant to traditional chemotherapy treatments. The results of this research led by Dr. Lynn Adams, in the laboratory of Dr. Shiuan Chen, are published in the October 2011 issue of The Journal of Nutrition.
In their research, the team fed groups of mice specially formulated diets containing 5% freeze-dried blueberry powder, 10% blueberry powder or a control diet containing no blueberry powder. All three diets had a similar nutrient composition and the animals ate and drank about the same amount regardless of group. The human equivalent of the 5% diet is about 2 cups of fresh highbush blueberries per day.
Read more about the study here.
Oct. 4, 2011
Lower Incidence Of Hypertension And Greater Omega-3
A recent issue of the Journal of Internal Medicine published the findings of American researchers of a reduction in the incidence of high blood pressure in men and women who consumed higher amounts of long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids from fish. While the cardiovascular benefits of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids (which include EPA and DHA) are well known, the current research sought to determine potential interactions with the body's levels of selenium and mercury, elements that also occur in fish.The current study involved 4,508 men and women enrolled in 1985 in the ongoing Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study. Dr Ka He of the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill and colleagues utilized responses to dietary questionnaires conducted upon enrollment and at the seven and twenty year follow-up examinations to determine average omega-3 fatty acid intake. Blood pressure was measured at all six follow-up visits, and incidences of high blood pressure or initiation of antihypertensive medication were noted. Selenium and mercury levels were determined by measuring the amounts contained in toenail clippings collected in 1987.Read more about the study here.
Oct. 4, 2011
[Study] Vitamin E Variant Lessens Harm from X-RAYS
Asia Pulse Pte Ltd A member of the vitamin E family can reduce the harm from exposure to X-rays, according to an animal study by a joint research team from Fukuoka University and the National Institute of Radiological Sciences.
Mice given a substance related to gamma-tocopherol, which is extracted from sources like soybeans and corn, were far more likely to survive heavy exposure to X-radiation -- a result suggesting that the substance may also protect humans exposed to X-rays from inspection and medical diagnostic equipment. The research team thus aims to partner with a drug company and move forward on commercial development.
The substance becomes active vitamin E once ingested or otherwise administered.
Read more about the study here.
Sept. 30, 2011
Meta-analysis Affirms Efficacy for Zinc Lozenges
The outcome of a meta-analysis published online in the Open Respiratory Medicine Journal concludes that zinc lozenges are beneficial in reducing the length of the common cold if the mineral is available in sufficient quantities.For the review, Dr Harri Hemilä of the University of Helsinki selected thirteen placebo-controlled trials examining the effects of zinc lozenges on cold duration. Three trials tested zinc acetate and five trials tested other forms of zinc in daily doses of greater than 75 milligrams. The remaining five trials evaluated the use of lozenges that contained lower doses of the mineral.Read more about the report here.
Sept. 30, 2011
10 Ways To Make Better Decisions About Cancer Care
NewsRx.com ANN ARBOR, Michigan - Talking with doctors about cancer and cancer treatments can feel like learning a new language, and people facing cancer diagnoses often need help to understand their treatment options, and the risks and benefits of each choice.
"People are making life and death decisions that may affect their survival and they need to know what they're getting themselves into. Cancer treatments and tests can be serious. Patients need to know what kind of side effects they might experience as a result of the treatment they undergo," says Angela Fagerlin, Ph.D, associate professor of internal medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School and a U-M Comprehensive Cancer Center researcher (see also University of Michigan Health System).
Fagerlin and colleagues have published a commentary in the Journal of the National Cancer Ins***ute that outlines 10 things health care professionals can do to improve the way they communicate information about treatment risks to patients. Here, they explain how patients can tap into these same best practices to become fluent in the language of cancer care and better understand their options.
Read more about this report here.
Sept. 29, 2011
Is Butter Better?
For many years, butter was replaced by margarine on the menus of health-conscious consumers. But like many dietary taboos, that’s beginning to change. A little butter is better than the fake stuff, says Daily Health News contributing medical editor Andrew L. Rubman, ND. Butter is a natural food that supports good health, while margarine is a processed product chemically fashioned from refined polyunsaturated oils. Don’t take this as license to drench your vegetables in pools of butter or slather it on your toast with abandon -- but unless you have health challenges such as a serious digestive or metabolic disorder, Dr. Rubman says to go ahead and use the real thing!
Read more of Dr. Rubman's report here.
Sept. 29, 2011
Protecting Your DNA from Lethal Mutations
Even doctors have a hard time understanding that most cancers are caused by mutations in genes that regulate cell division.
Mutagens come from a variety of sources, including tobacco smoke and environmental pollutants. The number-one cancer-causing mutagen, however, is our diet.
Fortunately, scientists have identified new methods to detoxify and minimize the impact of these mutagens on our genes.
Read more about the report here.
Sept. 28, 2011
Natural Methods to Prevent and Treat Kidney Stones
(NaturalNews) The excruciating pain of passing a kidney stone usually makes sufferers go to the hospital. In most cases, physicians aren't able to do much except send the patient home with a prescription for painkillers. In instances where a stone is particularly large, doctors use shock waves to break the stone into pieces small enough to pass through the urethra. Either way, the patient incurs the usual outsize bill that goes with any emergency room visit.
Rather than experience first-hand why the saying "harder than passing a kidney stone" has become a common way to describe an agonizing experience, you may want to take adjust your diet to avoid the formation of these mineral deposits comprised of calcium, uric acid or the amino acid cysteine.
Sept. 28, 2011
Pancreatic Cancer Linked to Sodas?
Drinking as little as two soft drinks a week appears to nearly double the risk of getting
pancreatic cancer.''People who drank two or more soft drinks a week had an 87% increased risk -- or nearly twice the risk -- of pancreatic cancer compared to individuals consuming no soft drinks," says study lead author Noel T. Mueller, MPH, a research associate at the Cancer Control Program at Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, D.C. The study is published in
Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.
Read morea about the study here.
Sept. 27, 2011
Federal Government Pays Out Vaccine Autism Compensation
NaturalNews) The USA National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) is a federal program to relieve the vaccine industry from liability for extreme vaccine injuries. Most claims have been rejected. But enough claims have been awarded to indicate the government's secret awareness of the link between a vaccine and autism while publicly denying it.
Sept. 27, 2011
Aging Eyes Linked to Sleepless Nights, New Study Shows
NewsRx.com DARIEN, IL - A natural yellowing of the eye lens that absorbs blue light has been linked to sleep disorders in a group of test volunteers, according to a study in the journal Sleep. As this type of lens discoloration worsened with age, so did the risk of insomnia.
"The strong link between lens yellowing and age could help explain why sleep disorders become more frequent with increasing age," said Line Kessel, M.D., Ph.D., the study's lead author.
Read more about the study here.
Sept. 26, 2011
10 Prenatal Super Foods
Kristin Koch
Mclatchy-Tribune News Service. These powerful eats pack plenty of nutrients to keep mom-to-be and baby healthy through pregnancy - and beyond.
Eggs
What it's got: Whether you like them fried, scrambled, hard-boiled or served as an omelet, eggs are the gold standard for prenatal protein. They also happen to be a great source of folate, iron and choline.
Why it's good for both of you: Not only are eggs a relatively cheap, versatile and convenient source of protein, but they contain choline too. Never heard of that last one? Choline is critical to fetal brain development and reduces the risk of neural tube defects, such as spina bifida. But to reap the benefits, you'll have to eat the whole thing (so forget the egg-whites-only order); choline is contained in the yolk. If your cravings are more for a burger than eggs Benedict, you're in luck - there's also choline in beef. Bonus: Give baby a brain boost by buying eggs fortified with omega-3s.
Read about all 10 prenatal super foods here.
Sept. 23, 2011
Antioxidant Vitamins May Reduce Death Risks
Antioxidants are compounds that are capable of neutralizing free radical damage in cells, and may help to prevent oxidative-stress related diseases. Researchers involved in the Heidelberg cohort of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC-Heidelberg) analyzed data collected on 23,943 participants without pre-existing cancer and myocardial infarction/stroke at baseline, with vitamin/mineral supplementation assessed at baseline and during follow-up. After an average follow-up time of 11 years, 1,101 deaths were documented (cancer deaths = 513 and cardiovascular deaths = 264). The team observed that subjects who consumed antioxidant vitamin supplements had a significantly reduced risk of cancer mortality, as well as all-cause mortality.
Read more about the study here.
Sept. 21, 2011
Civil Rights Group Opposes Water Fluoridation
(NaturalNews) The days of artificial water fluoridation truly are numbered, and this has been made even more evident by yet another prominent group that has come out in strong opposition to the heinous practice. The Fluoride Action Network (FAN), a truth about fluoride advocacy group, reports that the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), the oldest Hispanic civil rights organization in the US, recently adopted a resolution decrying water fluoridation as a civil rights abuse.
The resolution declares that adding fluoride to water supplies is essentially an illegal mass medication of the public. It also mentions the many current scientific studies that highlight the dangers of ingesting fluoride, particularly among those with pre-existing health conditions -- and that public health authorities have ignored this science in favor of their unscientific, pro-fluoride agenda.
Read more about the report here.
Sept. 16, 2011
Exercise Helps to Prevent Brain Changes Due to Inflammation
Previously, research has shown that exercise after brain injury can help the repair mechanisms. This new study shows that exercise before the onset of damage modifies the brain environment in such a way that the neurons are protected from severe insults. Jean Harry, from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (North Carolina, USA), and colleagues used an experimental model of brain damage, in which mice are exposed to a chemical that destroys the hippocampus, an area of the brain which controls learning and memory.
Read more about the study here.
Sept. 15, 2011
Regular Physical Activity Alleviates Arthritis Symptoms
While a number of studies suggest a substantial therapeutic role for physical activity in alleviating the symptoms of osteoarthritis, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine (Illinois, USA) researchers warn that more than half of women and 40% of men with arthritis are virtually couch potatoes. Postulating that physical activity can help people with arthritis better control and lower pain and improve general function; and that some studies indicate exercise may delay or even prevent disability in people with arthritis, Dorothy Dunlop and colleagues asked 1,111 adults with knee osteoarthritis, ages 49 to 84 years, to wear an accelerometer---a small, sophisticated device that looks like a pedometer---to measure their physical activity for one week during waking hours.
Read more about the study here.
Sept. 12, 2011
Dietary Deficiencies Related to Commonly Used Medications
The Sacramento Bee Dietary deficiencies are a significant problem in the United States, especially when fruits, vegetables, whole grains and other healthy foods are eaten in limited quantities. A study published in 2005 showed that many Americans were not meeting the U.S. Recommended Dietary Allowances for a number of nutrients: 73 percent of people were not getting enough zinc in their diets, 65 percent were deficient in calcium intake, 62 percent were low in magnesium, 56 percent in vitamin A and 54 percent in vitamin B6, to name a few.
Persistent nutrient deficiencies can increase the risk of chronic illness, including heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, osteoporosis, anemia and neurologic symptoms.
A new concern in health care is that, on top of already marginal nutrient intake for some people, nutrient depletion is worsened by some of the common medications taken by many Americans.
Read more of the report here.
Sept. 7, 2011
Vitamin D May Slash Diabetes Risk
by Stephen Daniells
Increased intakes of vitamin D are associated with a 13 percent reduction in the risk of diabetes, says a new meta-analysis.
According to data published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, intakes greater than 500 International Units (IU) per day were associated with a 13 percent reduction in the risk of type-2 diabetes.
Read more about the study here.
Sept. 6, 2011
Institute of Medicine Report About Vaccine Health Dangers
(NaturalNews) The Institute of Medicine, which has long functioned as a front group for the pharmaceutical industry and receives tens of millions of dollars in annual funding from drug companies and global elitists (like Bill Gates, Ted Turner, etc.), has issued a report that declares the MMR vaccine is not linked to autism. This is now being widely reported in the conventional (controlled) media, which isn't telling you the real story behind this report.
What's the real story? That this IOM report, even though it goes out of its way to excuse vaccines and dismiss safety concerns, still openly admits that vaccines cause measles, febrile seizures, anaphylactic shock and other potentially fatal side effects. It also admits that other vaccines are linked to a whole host of bizarre side effects, including skin lesions, difficulty breathing and live virus infections.
Sept. 5, 2011
Be Good to Your Back, Properly Address Aches, Pains
The Commercial Appeal What you should know
Our backs get a lot of wear and tear throughout life. As youths we might have endured sports injuries, jolts from jumping, or accidents. As we age, many of us also have back deterioration from arthritis, poor posture, tension, or diseases such as diabetes or cancer. More than half of people older than 65 have some arthritis.
General fitness is vital for good back health. Good muscle tone in the abdomen and tissue around the spine is especially important. Risks of spine problems increase if a person weighs too little or too much or has had a poor diet lacking calcium and vitamin D. Many experts also think smoking and excess alcohol can harm our spines.
Read more about the report here.
August 31, 2011
Lower Blood Pressure Naturally
Several studies throughout the years have proven that food high in potassium citrate drastically lowers blood pressure.
A study from St. George’s Medical School in London took group of people averaging hypertension of 151/93. After two weeks on potassium citrate, their blood pressure had dropped down to 138/88 on the average.
Read more about the study here.
August 30, 2011
Omega-3 May Slash Levels of Heart Disease Risk Factor
by Stephen Daniells
Supplements of omega-3 fatty acids are associated with lower levels of an amino acid called homocysteine, an amino acid linked to increased risks of heart disease and dementia, says a new meta-analysis of the scientific evidence.
Read more about the study here.
August 24, 2011
Breakfasts With Protein, Fiber Start The School Year Right
By
Nanci Hellmich, USA TODAY
The ABCs of a nutritious breakfast are now backed by science. New research shows that you'll feel full longer and may get less hungry throughout the day if your first meal has protein-rich foods, such as eggs, Greek yogurt, low-fat dairy products or lean meat, and fiber-filled fare, such whole-wheat bread, whole-grain cereal, fruit and vegetables.
These foods appear to have more staying power than highly processed foods such as bagels, muffins, doughnuts and sugary cereals.
The findings are especially important for school-aged children who may be ravenous by lunch time if they don't eat a good breakfast.
Read more about the report here.
August 24, 2011
Magnesium Deficiency Linked to Higher Risk of Osteoporosis?
PRNewswireA magnesium deficiency reduces the absorption and metabolism of calcium and prevents the proper amount of calcium being directed toward building stronger bones. According to Dr. Carolyn Dean, MD, ND, magnesium expert and Medical Director of the nonprofit Nutritional Magnesium Association (
http://www.nutritionalmagnesium.org), the effectiveness and benefits of calcium with respect to bone health and the prevention of osteoporosis are greatly impaired in the absence of adequate levels of magnesium in the body.
"Magnesium keeps calcium dissolved in the blood. Without the proper balance of magnesium to calcium, about a 1:1 ratio, calcium ends up depositing in your kidneys and can create kidney stones, in your coronary arteries resulting in clogged arteries, and in joint cartilage, rather than in your bones where you need it most. The more calcium you take without the balancing effect of magnesium, the more symptoms of magnesium deficiency and calcium excess you are liable to experience," Dr. Dean says.
Read more about the doctor's report here.
August 23, 2011
Prunes Exceptional in Preventing Fractures
United Press International Dried plums, or prunes, improve bone health in people of all ages, but may be most helpful for post-menopausal women, U.S. researchers say.
Bahram H. Arjmandi of Florida State University and colleagues at Oklahoma State University tested two groups of post-menopausal women over a 12-month period. The first group, consisting of 55 women, was instructed to consume about 10 prunes each day, while the second group -- a comparative control group of 45 women -- was told to consume a similar amount of dried apples.
Read more about the study here.
August 23, 2011
Early Morning Exercise is Best for Reducing Blood Pressure
BOONE—It may seem counterintuitive, but if you need to lower your blood pressure and also want a good night’s sleep, 7 a.m. is the best time to exercise.
Appalachian State University’s Dr. Scott Collier is researching the various beneficial effects of exercise on blood pressure. Collier is an assistant professor in the Department of Health, Leisure and Exercise Science in Appalachian’s College of Health Sciences.
Read more about the study here.
August 22, 2011
“Evil” Form of Fat Linked to High Blood Pressure
Visceral adiposity, not abdominal subcutaneous fat area, is associated with high blood pressure in Japanese men: the Ohtori study
A particularly harmful form of fat –known as visceral fat—has more to do with high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease than total body fat, according to a recent research study in "Hypertension Research.
Read more about the study here.
August 20, 2011
Anti-Aging Lifestyle Helps to Prevent Dementia
Improving and maintaining health factors not traditionally associated with dementia, such as denture fit, vision and hearing, may lower a person's risk for developing dementia. Kenneth Rockwood, from Dalhousie University (Canada), and colleagues studied 7,239 people who were free of dementia ages 65 and older, enrolled in the Canadian Study of Health and Aging. After five years and again after 10 years, they were evaluated for Alzheimer's disease and all types of dementia. Participants were asked questions about 19 health problems not previously reported to predict dementia. Problems included arthritis, trouble hearing or seeing, denture fit, chest or skin problems, stomach or bladder troubles, sinus issues, broken bones and feet or ankle conditions, among others.
Read more about the study here.
August 19, 2011
Nut Consumption Improves Glycemic and Lipid Control
Eating nuts every day could help control Type 2 diabetes and prevent its complications. David Jenkins, from the University of Toronto (Canada), and colleagues provided three different diet supplements to subjects with Type 2 diabetes. One group was given muffins, one was provided with a mixture of nuts including raw almonds, pistachios, walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, peanuts, cashews, and macadamias, and one group was given a mixture of muffins and nuts. Subjects receiving the nut-only supplement reported the greatest improvement in blood glucose control using the glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) test.
Read more about the study here.
August 18, 2011
Protein-Rich Diet Curbs Appetite
Previously, research has shown that higher-protein diets, containing 18 to 35% of daily calorie intake from dietary protein, are associated with reductions in hunger and increased fullness throughout the day and into the evening hours. Heather Leidy, from the University of Missouri (Missouri, USA), and colleagues completed study in which two groups ate either 25 or 14% of calories from protein, while the total calories and percent of calories from fat stayed the same between the higher-protein and normal-protein diet patterns.
Read more about the study here.
August 17, 2011
Green Tea Intake Shows Protective Effect Against Flu
In addition to ensuring optimal intake of vitamins C and D during the upcoming flu season, it may be wise to regularly indulge in a soothing pot of green tea, according to the results of a Japanese study published online in the Journal of Nutrition.Researchers at the University of Shizuoka and Kikugawa General Hospital conducted two surveys of 2,050 pupils aged 6 to 13 who resided in a tea plantation area of Japan during influenza season from November, 2008 to February, 2009. The responses provided information concerning the frequency and quantity of green tea intake, preventive measures taken against influenza, and the incidence and duration of infections.Read more about the study here.
August 16, 2011
Processed, Red Meat Linked to Diabetes
By Nanci Hellmich, USA TODAY
USA TODAY Skip the hot dogs, hold the bacon and forget the sausage.
Eating processed meats and red meat regularly increases your risk of type 2 diabetes, a large study shows.
Harvard School of Public Health researchers analyzed dietary-intake data from more than 200,000 people in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study and the Nurses' Health Studies. The participants have been tracked for a decade or more.
The scientists also did a larger analysis, combining their data and that from other published studies to analyze the diets of 442,101 people. About 28,000 of these people developed type 2 diabetes.
Read more about the study here.
August 16, 2011
Six Reasons Exercise Benefits You
Shamonteil L. Vaughn
Mclatchy-Tribune News Service. You already know that exercise can lead to weight loss, but what are the other benefits of exercising?
Get better and easier sleep
If you've ever walked in from a hard day's workout and wanted to go to sleep, then you know the power of good exercise. If you have trouble sleeping, exercise may do the trick but don't exercise too late at night. It takes time for your heart rate to come down so if you're doing jumping jacks and immediately expect to drift off shortly after, chances are it won't happen. Not getting enough sleep can also lead to weight gain.
Read more of the report here.
August 16, 2011
As With Blood, Several Types of Human Gut
Agence France-Presse The human digestive track, host to an ecosystem teaming with trillions of living bacteria, comes in three variations as distinct as blood groups, according to a recent study.
These so-called "enterotypes" are found in populations worldwide and exist independent of race, country of origin, diet, age or state of health, the study reported.
The findings have major implications for detecting and predicting the risk of diseases ranging from intestinal cancers to diabetes to Crohn's disease, a painful inflammation of the bowels, the researchers said.
Read more about the study here.
August 15, 2011
Short-term Calorie Cutting and Diabetes
Reducing calories as part of a dieting bout is common fare for type 2 diabetics. However, a new research study conducted by scientists at the Newcastle Magnetic Resonance Centre found that a short-term intervention of extreme calorie cutting can improve symptoms of type 2 diabetes dramatically.
The study assigned a group of long-standing type 2 diabetics to a very low calorie liquid diet that consisted of only 600 calories per day for 7-days. Remarkably, blood sugar levels returned to normal by the end of the 7-day bout. The researchers note that the mini-fast allows the pancreas and liver to clear out excess accumulated fat –which pushes the reset button on carbohydrate metabolism.
Read more about the study here.
August 12, 2011
Stay Fuller Longer With Protein, Fiber
By Nanci Hellmich, USA TODAY
The ABCs of a nutritious breakfast are now backed by science.
New research shows you'll feel full longer and may get less hungry throughout the day if your first meal has protein-rich foods, such as eggs, Greek yogurt, low-fat dairy products or lean meat, and fiber-filled fare, such whole-wheat bread, whole-grain cereal, fruit and vegetables.
These foods appear to have more staying power than highly processed foods such as bagels, muffins, doughnuts and sugary cereals.
The findings are especially important for school-age children who may be ravenous by lunchtime if they don't eat a good breakfast.
Read more about the research here.
August 12, 2011
Anti-Aging Lifestyle Helps to Prevent Dementia
Improving and maintaining health factors not traditionally associated with dementia, such as denture fit, vision and hearing, may lower a person's risk for developing dementia. Kenneth Rockwood, from Dalhousie University (Canada), and colleagues studied 7,239 people who were free of dementia ages 65 and older, enrolled in the Canadian Study of Health and Aging. After five years and again after 10 years, they were evaluated for Alzheimer's disease and all types of dementia. Participants were asked questions about 19 health problems not previously reported to predict dementia. Problems included arthritis, trouble hearing or seeing, denture fit, chest or skin problems, stomach or bladder troubles, sinus issues, broken bones and feet or ankle conditions, among others.
Read more about the study here.
August 11, 2011
Protein-Rich Diet Curbs Appetite
Previously, research has shown that higher-protein diets, containing 18 to 35% of daily calorie intake from dietary protein, are associated with reductions in hunger and increased fullness throughout the day and into the evening hours. Heather Leidy, from the University of Missouri (Missouri, USA), and colleagues completed a study in which two groups ate either 25 or 14% of calories from protein, while the total calories and percent of calories from fat stayed the same between the higher-protein and normal-protein diet patterns. Concurrently, the team also conducted an eating frequency substudy in which the 27 participants on both normal- and higher-protein diets consumed either three meals or six meals per day.
Read more about the study here.
August 11, 2011
Nut Consumption Improves Glycemic and Lipid Control
Eating nuts every day could help control Type 2 diabetes and prevent its complications. David Jenkins, from the University of Toronto (Canada), and colleagues provided three different diet supplements to subjects with Type 2 diabetes. One group was given muffins, one was provided with a mixture of nuts including raw almonds, pistachios, walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, peanuts, cashews, and macadamias, and one group was given a mixture of muffins and nuts.
Read more about the study here.
August 10, 2011
New Report - Exercise Can Help Cancer Survivors
CIARAN JONES
Western Mail
EXERCISE is a "wonder drug" for cancer survivors and may even prevent the disease coming back, according to a report published this month.
Macmillan Cancer Support said physical activity should be "prescribed" by doctors after "hard evidence" showed it can significantly help recovery and prevent other long-term illnesses.
Rather than patients being told to "rest up" as in the past, doctors must encourage people to get moving as soon as they feel able.
A review of more than 60 studies for the charity found people undergoing treatment for cancer - as well as survivors - could benefit from exercise.
During treatment, being active does not worsen people's fatigue and has positive effects on mood and wellbeing, the study said.
Read more about the study here.
August 9, 2011
Study - Type 2 Diabetes In Newly Diagnosed 'Can Be Reversed'
BBC NewsAn extreme eight-week diet of 600 calories a day can reverse Type 2 diabetes in people newly diagnosed with the disease, says a Diabetologia study.
Newcastle University researchers found the low-calorie diet reduced fat levels in the pancreas and liver, which helped insulin production return to normal.
Seven out of 11 people studied were free of diabetes three months later, say findings published in the journal.
Read about the study here.
August 9, 2011
A 'Little Bit' of Exercise Can Work Wonders for Heart Health
By Janice Lloyd, USA TODAY
More research shows that even small amounts of aerobic exercise help lower coronary heart disease risk, according to a review published in
Circulation, the journal of the American Heart Association.
The mega-study is part of a growing body of research showing that some physical activity provides health benefits -- even when levels fall below the recommended federal guidelines of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity a week. For the first time since 1998, the American College of Sports Medicine updated its exercise guidelines in June, including information on how little exercise is needed to achieve health benefits.
"The biggest health benefits we saw were for those who went from doing nothing to those doing something small," says Jacob Sattelmair, author of the new AHA study. "Even a little bit of activity makes a significant difference" -- and a little bit means 10 to 15 minutes a day.
Read more about the research here.
August 8, 2011
Vitamin D Insufficiency Associated With Football Injuries
The American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine's Annual Meeting held in San Diego was the site of a presentation of the finding of Michael Shindle, MD of Summit Medical Group and his colleagues of a higher incidence of vitamin D insufficiency among National Football League players with muscle injuries.The current study included 89 NFL players aged 21 to 32 years. Fifty-eight subjects were African American and 31 were Caucasian. Sixteen of the players suffered from a muscle injury. Vitamin D levels were tested in the spring of 2010 during routine pre-season evaluations.Read more about the study here.
August 5, 2011
Is Insomnia Caused By Lack Of Nutrients?
Most people think of calcium and phosphorus as the most important dietary components for bone health. But magnesium also plays an important role. It is involved in hundreds of biochemical reactions, many of which help keep not only bones strong, but the heart rhythm healthy and the nervous system functioning smoothly.
A study by ARS physiologist Henry C. Lukaski and nutritionist Forrest H. Nielsen reveals important findings on the effects of depleted body magnesium levels on energy metabolism. Lukaski is assistant director of ARS's Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center, Grand Forks, North Dakota. He and Nielsen, with the center's clinical nutrition support staff, showed that inadequate magnesium is associated with a need for increased oxygen during exercise. They found that during moderate activity, those with low magnesium levels in muscle are likely to use more energy—and therefore to tire more quickly—than those with adequate levels.
August 4, 2011
Is Cancer Curable ... Now?
[Natural News]
In this professionally filmed feature-length documentary, you'll meet
Marcus Freudenmann and his wife Sabrina, a naturopathic doctor, who traveled the world with their four children for almost three years to meet experts in the field of alternative cancer treatment. Their mission was to create a film about natural cancer treatments that would "wake up the world."
The result of that effort is a powerful, groundbreaking documentary. It's powerful enough to
awaken millions of people to alternative cancer treatments and help them realize that conventional cancer treatments are outdated and unnecessarily destructive.
Read more about the documentary here.
August 3, 2011
Vitamin C Improves Hospitalized Patients' Mood
Researchers at McGill University and Jewish Medical Hospital in Montreal report in the journal Nutrition the finding of an improvement in mood among acutely hospitalized patients supplemented with vitamin C.In their introduction to the article, Michelle Zhang and her coauthors remark that a recent survey uncovered reduced levels of vitamin C in 60 percent of acute medical ward patients in a Montreal teaching hospital, compared to 16 percent of those tested in the hospital's outpatient department. A response to systemic inflammation that often occurs in hospitalized patients could redistribute vitamin C or increase breakdown of the vitamin, resulting in deficiency.Read more about the report here.
August 2, 2011
Citrus Compounds Help to Reduce Inflammation
An extensive body of epidemiological studies has linked increased dietary intake of antioxidants from fruits, vegetables wine, chocolate, coffee, tea, and other foods to reduced risks of a range of diseases including cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Increased intakes of compounds called flavonoids from citrus may be associated with lower levels of markers of inflammation, reports Rikard Landberg, from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, and colleagues.
Read more about the research here.
August 1, 2011
Frequent Walking Helps Reduce Snoring
Getting out of your chair regularly and walking frequently might have an unlikely benefit of reduced snoring, says a Toronto sleep researcher.
Douglas Bradley, director of the Toronto Research Institute’s Sleep Research Laboratory, has linked excessive sitting to sleep apnea, a condition where a sleeping person’s throat collapses, stopping breathing and interrupting sleep.
Read more about the research here.
July 29, 2011
Progressive Resistance Training Counteracts Age-Related Muscle Loss
University of Michigan scientists reveal that not only can we fight the battle of strength and muscle loss as we age, we can even build muscle and strength well into seniorhood. "Resistance exercise is a great way to increase lean muscle tissue and strength capacity so that people can function more readily in daily life," says Mark Peterson, from the University of Michigan Physical Activity and Exercise Intervention Research Laboratory, explaining that: "Our analyses of current research show that the most important factor in somebody's function is their strength capacity. No matter what age an individual is, they can experience significant strength improvement with progressive resistance exercise even into the eighth and ninth decades of life.”
Read more about the study here.
July 29, 2011
Curcumin Compound Boosts Head and Neck Cancer Therapy
The American Medical Association journal Archives of Otolaryngology -- Head and Neck Surgery recently published the finding of researchers at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center of a benefit for a derivative of curcumin, which occurs in the spice turmeric, in the treatment of head and neck cancer with cisplatin, a platinum-based chemotherapeutic drug. The development of chemotherapy-resistant tumor cells is a major cause of treatment failure in head and neck cancer, resulting in relapse or metastasis.Read more about the report here.
July 28, 2011
What's Really In The Food?
(NaturalNews) Ever wonder what's really in the food sold at grocery stores around the world? People keep asking me, "What ingredients should I avoid?" So I put together a short list that covers all the most toxic and disease-promoting ingredients in the food supply. These are the substances causing cancer, diabetes, heart disease and leading to tens of billions of dollars in unnecessary health care costs across America (and around the world).
If you want to stay healthy and out of the hospital, read ingredients labels and make sure you avoid all these ingredients:
Read more about the report here.
July 26, 2011
Chia Seeds May Offer Heart and Liver Benefits
By Nathan Gray
Consumption of chia seeds as a source of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) may bring about redistribution associated with heart and liver protection, according to new research in rats.
The study, published in
The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, reports that rats fed chia seed supplements were protected from heart and liver problems associated with a high-fat diet, including improved insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance, reduced visceral adiposity, decreased liver fat, and lower cardiac and hepatic inflammation and fibrosis.
Read more about the study here.
July 26, 2011
Kemin Launches Water-Extracted Green Tea Powder
By Elaine Watson
Kemin Health has launched a green tea powder for the dietary supplements market it says retains the composition and antioxidant profile of brewed green tea and provides an alternative to solvent-based extracts.
Read more about the report here.
July 26, 2011
Attorney Talks About Vitamin D Qualified Health Claims
By Elaine Watson
It could be several months before a qualified health claims petition about vitamin D is submitted to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), according to the lawyer coordinating the application.
Jonathan Emord from Virginia-based legal firm Emord & Associates was updating NutraIngredients-USA following an announcement from the Alliance for Natural Health (ANH) USA in January that it was preparing a petition.
However, there was no guarantee that this would ultimately be filed, while it was also too early to say which diseases (eg. certain cancers?) might be the focus of the submission, stressed Emord, who is assisting the ANH-USA.
Read more about the report here.
July 19, 2011
How Can Nutrition Aid Diabetes Management?
By Nathan Gray
Diabetes affects more than 220 million people globally and the consequences of high blood sugar kill 3.4 million every year. In the second part of their special series on diabetes, NutraIngredients looks at the role of nutrition and diet in managing, and potentially reversing diabetes.
Read more about the report here.
July 18, 2011
Antioxidants May Slash Risk of Hearing Loss
By Stephen Daniells
Increased intakes of antioxidant vitamins A and E may significantly reduce the risk of hearing loss, according to a new study from Australia.
People with the highest average intakes of vitamin A had a 47 percent reduced risk of moderate or greater hearing loss, compared to people with the lowest average intakes, scientists from the University of Sydney report in
The Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging.
In addition, increasing dietary vitamin E intakes were linked with a 14 percent reduction in hearing loss.
The researchers, led by Professor Paul Mitchell, note that reactive oxygen species may damage the inner portion of the ear associated with hearing, and therefore there is a hypothesis that antioxidants may counter this damage and reduce age-related hearing loss.
Read more about the study here.
July 16, 2011
What Does Burzynski Documentary Reveal About FDA Agenda
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
Editor of NaturalNews.com
(NaturalNews) As I've written about many times before, the cancer industry with all of its research, campaigns, and fundraising activities is really nothing more than a giant, corrupt business venture. As crazy as it might sound to some, the point of the cancer industry is not really to cure cancer -- it is to keep raising money for the alleged, and never-ending, "search for the cure." And the hard-hitting documentary Burzynski The Movie - Cancer Is Serious Business exposes all this as director Eric Merola tracks the 14-year battle of Dr. Stanislaw Burzynski -- the man responsible for creating the all-natural, non-toxic cancer cure featured in the film -- to protect his unique protocol from being stolen by the government and Big Pharma, and to defend his freedom to treat cancer patients with unconventional methods.
July 15, 2011
Train Right For Type 2 Diabetes
Everyone knows that exercise is a must for keeping diabetic blood sugars under wraps. However, a new study published in the Journal of Sports Sciences has found that intense interval training outperforms steady-state cardio in terms of blood sugar management.
Read more about the study here.
July 14, 2011
Intensive-dose Statin Therapy =Iincreased Diabetes Risk?
NewsRx.com An analysis of data from previously published studies indicates that intensive-dose statin therapy is associated with an increased risk of new-onset diabetes compared with moderate-dose therapy, according to a study in JAMA.
Compared with placebo, statin therapy significantly reduces cardiovascular events among individuals with and without a history of diabetes mellitus. Recently, findings of several trials comparing intensive- to moderate-dose statin therapy suggested an excess risk of new diabetes among those treated with intensive statin regimens, according to background information in the article. According to the authors, "Given the cardiovascular benefits of statins and the likely increasing use of intensive statin regimens, it is important to quantify any potential long-term risks to enable physicians and patients to make informed choices."
Read more about the study here.
July 12, 2011
Review Finds Improved Survival In Trials Of Vitamin D3
A lengthy review published in The Cochrane Library reveals that supplementing older individuals with vitamin D3 is associated with reduced mortality over a two year average period.Goran Bjelakovic of the University of Nis in Serbia and his European associates selected 50 randomized trials involving vitamin D supplementation, which provided a total of 94,148 participants for their analysis. Most of the trials analyzed the effect of supplementation on bone mineral density, falls and fractures. The subjects' average age was 74, and 79 percent were female. The median length of supplementation with vitamin D was two years.Read more about the review here.
July 11, 2011
Positive Emotions May Buffer Stress, Aging
United Press International An optimistic outlook has been shown to combat stress -- a known risk factor for heart disease and other illnesses, U.S. researchers say.
Anthony Ong of Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., conducted a review of researchers to determine if it is really true that feeling good may be good for health.
"We all age. It is how we age, however, that determines the quality of our lives," Ong says in a statement.
The review, published in the Current Directions in Psychological Science, suggests positive emotions may be a powerful antidote to stress, pain and illness.
Read more about the review here.
July 9, 2011
Low Vitamin D Levels Could Help Explain High Blood Pressure
An article published online in the Journal of General Internal Medicine provides one explanation for the greater incidence of hypertension that occurs among African Americans in comparison with Americans of European descent.Ken Fiscella, MD of the University of Rochester Medical Center and colleagues compared data from 5,156 Caucasian and 1,984 adult African American participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2001-2006. Blood pressure was measured upon enrollment and serum samples were analyzed for 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels.Read more about the research here.
July 8, 2011
Poor Choices, Not Aging, Pack On Pounds
Nanci Hellmich, USA TODAY
USA TODAY Adults gain an average of almost a pound a year as they age, and much of that weight gain is caused by changes in diet such as extra servings of foods like potato chips, french fries, sugar-sweetened drinks, white bread and low-fiber breakfast cereals, says the largest, most comprehensive study of diet and weight gain in adults.
Other contributors: decreased intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and other minimally processed foods; less physical activity; more time spent watching TV; and poor sleep habits.
The study provides the strongest evidence yet that weight gain is caused primarily by dietary and lifestyle choices, says senior author Frank Hu, a professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health.
Read more about the study here.
July 8, 2011
Radiation Exposure
Drs. Kay Judge and Maxine Barish-Wreden
The Sacramento Bee, Calif. Radiation exposure has been in the news lately with the recent events in Japan, making the public more aware of possible radiation hazards from other sources. A study published recently in the Archives of Internal Medicine included some interesting news about chest X-rays. People with pneumonia who are younger than 50 and don't smoke don't necessarily need chest X-rays.
Most medical diagnostic guidelines recommend an X-ray for all patients with pneumonia. This is because a mass (cancer) in the lungs can theoretically obstruct the lungs and cause pneumonia. But a study published in April suggests that these guidelines may be too broad.
Read more about the study here.
July 7, 2011
Myths About Heart Disease
By Anita Manning
USA TODAY Imagine hearing news of a catastrophe causing the deaths of 2,200 Americans every day -- an average of one every 39 seconds.
A plague? Nuclear fallout?
It's heart disease, which includes diseases of the heart and circulatory system. The No. 1 killer stalking the world, cardiovascular diseases cause more deaths than all forms of cancer combined.
It's an equal-opportunity destroyer, although it does have a preference for people of color and those over 65. But no age, race or economic class is immune.
"There's a lack of awareness of what ideal cardiovascular health really is," says Ralph Sacco, president of the American Heart Association. While 35% of people surveyed say they're in good health, when quizzed about seven major health factors -- diet, activity level, blood pressure, cholesterol, weight, blood sugar and smoking status -- only about half of 1% hit all the targets for good health, he says. "People think they're healthier than they are," he says, making it less likely that they'll take steps to reduce their heart risks.
Read about 10 myths of heart disease here.
July 7, 2011
Eat More Fiber, Live Longer
NewsRx.com People who consume a fiber rich diet live longer, according to a recent study - the first ever to link longevity and dietary fiber consumption.
Researchers from the National Cancer Institute and the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) examined dietary fiber intake in relation to total mortality and death from specific causes and found that those with the highest fiber intake, specifically fiber from whole grains, had a significantly lower risk of death from any cause for both men and women.
The massive 10-year government study of roughly 388,000 people, published (June 14, 2011) in the Archives of Internal Medicine, "makes the strongest case yet for eating a fiber-rich diet," said Tanya Zuckerbrot, MS, RD, author of the bestselling weight loss book, The F-Factor Diet (Putnam, 2006). She sees fiber as paramount for any patient, whether they have heart disease, diabetes or need to lose weight.
Read more about the report here.
July 7, 2011
Being Overweight Could Be Making You Forgetful
By Mary Brophy Marcus
USA TODAY Older people who have larger waistlines, high blood pressure and other risk factors associated with a condition doctors call "metabolic syndrome" may be at higher risk of memory problems, a new study suggests.
In the large French study, older adults with metabolic syndrome were 20% more likely to have cognitive decline on a memory test than those without it.
"Our study sheds new light on how metabolic syndrome and the individual factors of the disease may affect cognitive health," study author Christelle Raffaitin of the French National Institute of Health Research in Bordeaux said in a press statement. "Our results suggest that management of metabolic syndrome may help slow down age-related memory loss, or delay the onset of dementia."
Read more about the research here.
July 6, 2011
Arthritis Pain Relief With the Brain's and Body's Own Powers
By JANE E. ALLEN, ABC News Medical Unit
An optical illusion that harnesses the power of suggestion might one day deliver drug-free pain relief to arthritis sufferers, British researchers say.
Analgesic and anti-inflammatory pills and
physical therapy are among traditional approaches to reducing or eliminating the aches and pains of chronic osteoarthritis, common among men and women older than 50. In recent years, many sufferers have tried complementary and alternative approaches such as yoga, massage and acupuncture to counter the pain and stiffness of the wear and tear on their joints.
Now, psychologists at the University of Nottingham say that they might have serendipitously stumbled upon a new, non-invasive way of turning down the pain dial by tapping into brain-body connections.
Read more about the research here.
July 6, 2011
Researchers Believe Plants May Help Prevent Cancer
Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News University of Minnesota Hormel Institute researchers believe plant-based food could be used as an effective intervention therapy for cancer prevention, especially for those at high risk of developing the disease.
The findings -- a summary of recent discoveries in the field of dietary phytochemicals (how plants safe for human consumption interact with the body) -- are published in Nature Reviews Cancer.
The Hormel Institute is engaged in research to understand how these foods chemicals behave inside the body and how they may be used to fight cancer.
Read more about the research here.
July 5, 2011
Effectiveness For Zinc Supplements Against Common Cold
The results of a meta-analysis published this year in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews reveal that supplementing with the mineral zinc reduces the severity of common cold symptoms as well as the length of colds. The current analysis updates a previous review, by including several new trials.Meenu Singh and Rashmi R. Das of the Department of Pediatrics at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research in Chandigarh, India reviewed 13 randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trials that evaluated five or more days of zinc supplementation as a treatment for cold in a total of 966 participants, and two trials that tested zinc supplements as a cold preventive for at least five months among 394 participants. They concluded that zinc syrup, lozenges or tablets initiated within one day of cold symptom onset decreased the severity and length of the common cold. Additionally, a greater number of subjects were free of symptoms after one week of zinc treatment compared to subjects that received a placebo. As a preventive, five months of treatment with zinc syrup or lozenges in children resulted in 36 percent fewer colds and less time lost from school compared to those who did not use zinc.Zinc has been shown to inhibit the rhinovirus that is primarily responsible for colds. The review's findings are significant in light of the number of people affected by colds each year and the potential for the development of complications such as ear infections, sinusitis and bronchitis.Read more about the review here.
July 5, 2011
Diet Plus Exercise Better for Weight Loss Than Either Alone
PRNewswire Everyone knows that eating a low-fat, low-calorie diet and getting regular exercise helps shed pounds, but a new study led by researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center has found that when it comes to losing weight and body fat, diet and exercise are most effective when done together as compared to either strategy alone.
The results of this randomized trial, led by Anne McTiernan, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Prevention Center and a member of the Hutchinson Center's Public Health Sciences Division, were published online in Obesity.
The majority of women in the study who both improved their diet and exercised regularly shed an average of nearly 11 percent of their starting weight, which exceeded the study's goal of a 10 percent or more reduction in body weight.
"We were surprised at how successful the women were," McTiernan said. "Even though this degree of weight loss may not bring an obese individual to a normal weight, losing even this modest amount of weight can bring health benefits such as a reduced risk of diabetes, heart disease and cancer."
Read more about the study here.
July 2, 2011
Tomatoes May Help Ward Off Heart Disease
A University of Adelaide study has shown that tomatoes may be an effective alternative to medication in lowering cholesterol and blood pressure, thus preventing cardiovascular disease.
A paper published by Dr Karin Ried in the international journal
Maturitas reveals clinical evidence that a bright red pigment called lycopene found in tomatoes and to a lesser extent in watermelon, guava, papaya, pink grapefruit and rosehip has antioxidant properties that are vital to good health.
Dr Ried and her colleague Dr Peter Fakler from the Discipline of General Practice are the first to summarise the effect of lycopene on cholesterol and blood pressure, analysing the collective results of 14 studies in the last 55 years.
"Our study suggests that if more than 25 milligrams of lycopene is taken daily, it can reduce LDL-cholesterol by up to 10%," Dr Ried says.
Learn more about the study here.
July 1, 2011
Diabetes Makes You Older Before Your Time
United Press International People in their 50s with diabetes may age before their time compared with their diabetes-free counterparts, U.S. researchers say.
Dr. Christine Cigolle, an assistant professor of family medicine and internal medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School, says adults ages 51-70 with diabetes developed age-related ailments such as cognitive impairment, incontinence, falls, dizziness, vision impairment and pain at a faster rate than those without diabetes.
Read more here.
June 30, 2011
Sugary Drinks Associated with Higher Blood Pressure
Imperial College London
Drinking sugar-sweetened beverages is associated with higher blood pressure, according to a study of over 2,500 people reported in the journal
Hypertension.
High blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart disease, which is the leading cause of death worldwide. Someone with a blood pressure level in millimetres of mercury (mmHg) of 135 over 85 is twice as likely to have a heart attack or stroke as someone with a reading of 115 over 75.
The new research shows that for every extra can of sugary drink consumed per day, participants on average had a higher systolic blood pressure by 1.6 mmHg and a higher diastolic blood pressure by 0.8 mmHg. This difference was statistically significant even after adjusting for factors such as weight and height.
Read more about the study here.
June 29, 2011
Resveratrol Shows Promise as Human Antiaging Compound
A review published online in the journal Molecular Nutrition and Food Research concludes that the polyphenol resveratrol, which has recently gained attention as a possible aging and disease-preventive compound, could indeed possess an ability to help retard the development of some of the conditions associated with aging in humans.In their introductory remarks, Heather Hausenblas of the University of Florida, James Smoliga of Marywood University and Joseph Barr of the University of Pennsylvania note that nearly 4000 studies have been published on the subject of resveratrol and that one study, conducted in 2007, found two-thirds of those who use multiple supplements include resveratrol in their regimen. "Studies using purified enzymes, cultured cells, and laboratory animals have suggested that resveratrol has antiaging, anti-carcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties that might be relevant to chronic diseases and/or longevity in humans," they write. "This review aims to examine the current state of knowledge on the effects of resveratrol on humans and to utilize this information to develop further guidelines for the implementation of human clinical trials."Read more about the study here.
June 28, 2011
Study - Exercise & Longer Survival for Brain Cancer Patients
Xinhua News Agency - CEIS Brain cancer patients who are able to exercise live significantly longer than sedentary patients, U.S. scientists at the Duke Cancer Institute have reported.
The finding, published online in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, adds to recent research that exercise improves how cancer patients feel during and after treatments, and may also extend their lives.
The study enrolled 243 patients with advanced recurrent gliomas, lethal brain malignancies that typically result in a median life expectancy of less than six months. The patients who reported participating in regular, brisk exercise -- the equivalent of an energetic walk five days a week for 30 minutes -- had significantly prolonged survival, living a median 21.84 months versus 13.03 months for the most sedentary patients.
Read more about the study here.
June 28, 2011
Diet Reverses Type 2 Diabetes?
A Newcastle University team has discovered that Type 2 diabetes can be reversed by an extreme low calorie diet alone.
Affecting two and half million people in the UK – and on the increase – Type 2 diabetes is a long-term condition caused by too much glucose, a type of sugar, in the blood.
In an early stage clinical trial of 11 people, funded by Diabetes UK, all reversed their diabetes by drastically cutting their food intake to just 600 calories a day for two months. And three months later, seven remained free of diabetes.
Professor Roy Taylor of Newcastle University who led the study and also works for The Newcastle-Upon-Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: “To have people free of diabetes after years with the condition is remarkable - and all because of an eight week diet.
Read more about the study here.
June 24, 2011
Exercise May Protect Telomeres
Exercise may prevent stress on telomeres, the protective caps on the ends of chromosomes that are a measure of cell age and cellular health. Elizabeth Blackburn, from University of California/San Francisco (UCSF), and colleagues report that while psychological stress leads to shorter telomeres, exercise may prevent this damage. The team focused on three groups: post-menopausal women who were the primary caregivers for a family member with dementia; young to middle-aged adults with post-traumatic stress disorder; and healthy, non-smoking women ages 50 to 65 years.
Read more about the study here.
June 23, 2011
Blood Pressure Drugs Feeding The Obesity Epidemic?
(Reuters Health) - Blood pressure drugs known as beta-blockers could be helping to fuel the obesity epidemic, by dampening the body's ability to burn calories and fat over the long term, researchers say in a new report.
Weight gain is a known side effect of beta blockers, particularly older ones such as atenolol (Tenormin) and metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol-XL). Newer versions, like carvedilol (Coreg), appear to carry less risk of added pounds.
Read more about the report here.
June 22, 2011
Conventional Medicine is the Leading Cause of Death
by Dr. Josh Axe
You may have thought cancer or heart disease takes the lives of more Americans than any other illness or event. But conventional medicine is actually the leading cause of death today!
Iatrogenesis is known as the “inadvertent and preventable induction of disease or complications by the medical treatment or procedures of a physician or surgeon.”
Read more about the article here.
[Video] Watch KC Craichy's interview with Dr. Patrick Purdue about the
New Leading Cause of Death in the U.S.
June 21, 2011
[Study] Vitamin May Prevent Memory Loss
BBC News
A vitamin found in meat, fish and milk may help stave off memory loss in old age, a study has suggested.
Older people with lower than average vitamin B12 levels were more than six times more likely to experience brain shrinkage, researchers concluded.
The University of Oxford study, published in the journal Neurology, tested the 107 apparently healthy volunteers over a five-year period.
Some studies suggest two out of five people are deficient in the vitamin.
Read more about the study here.
June 20, 2011
Progressive Resistance Training and Age-Related Muscle Loss
University of Michigan scientists reveal that not only can we fight the battle of strength and muscle loss as we age, we can even build muscle and strength well into seniorhood. "Resistance exercise is a great way to increase lean muscle tissue and strength capacity so that people can function more readily in daily life," says Mark Peterson, from the University of Michigan Physical Activity and Exercise Intervention Research Laboratory, explaining that: "Our analyses of current research show that the most important factor in somebody's function is their strength capacity. No matter what age an individual is, they can experience significant strength improvement with progressive resistance exercise even into the eighth and ninth decades of life.”
Read more about the study here.
June 18, 2011
Dietary Supplement Use Common Among Specialists
Results of a survey reported in Nutrition Journal reveal that the use of nutritional supplements is common among specialist physicians, and that they frequently recommend them to their patients.The Healthcare Professionals Impact Study surveyed 300 cardiologists, 300 dermatologists and 300 orthopedic surgeons concerning the type of supplements used and recommended. Participants were screened to ensure that none of them were affiliated with a pharmaceutical or dietary supplement company or had other conflicts of interest. Fifty-seven percent of cardiologists, 75 percent of dermatologists and 73 percent of orthopedists reported personal use, and supplements were recommended to patients by 72, 66 and 91 percent of these specialists, respectively. Only 25 percent of cardiologists, 17% of dermatologists, and 16% of orthopedists had never used nutritional supplements.Read more about the survey here.
June 17, 2011
[Study] Fish Oil Omega 3's Better in Triglyceride Form
By Stephen Daniells
Fish oil omega-3s in the triglyceride form are better for boosting the omega-3 index than the ethyl ester form, says a new study from Germany, a result which echoes recent Danish findings.
Scientists from Leibniz Universitat Hannover and Ludwig Maximilians University in Munich report that the omega-3 index – a quantification of the fatty acid status of a person – increased “faster and higher” when supplementation used omega-3s in the triglyceride form, compared with the ethyl ester form.
Read more about the study here.
June 16, 2011
High Protein Breakfast Reduces Later Hunger
Neural Responses to Visual Food Stimuli After a Normal vs. Higher Protein Breakfast in Breakfast-Skipping Teens: A Pilot fMRI Study
Study Abstract:
This functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) pilot study identified whether breakfast consumption would alter the neural activity in brain regions associated with food motivation and reward in overweight “breakfast skipping” (BS) adolescent girls and examined whether increased protein at breakfast would lead to additional alterations.
Read more about the study here.
June 15, 2011
12 Healthy Reasons to Eat an Apple a Day
PRNewswire Apples routinely top grocery lists for a variety of tasty reasons. Beyond the plethora of varieties and apple products to be enjoyed, apples pack a nutritious punch, providing a daily dose of health benefits.
The U.S. Apple Association offers the following Delicious Dozen - 12 proven ways apples and apple products positively impact health, from head to toe, and from the inside out:
1. Brain Health
Researchers from Cornell University found that apple nutrients protected brain neurons against oxidative damage. Such damage can contribute to neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. The study highlighted the antioxidant quercetin as a principle compound responsible for the protective effect (Journal of Food Science, 2004, 69: S357-S360).
Read the rest of the 12 Health Reasons here.
June 14, 2011
Pump Iron to Drop Blood Pressure and Live Longer
by Christian Goodman
If you’re struggling with high blood pressure, it may be time to lift more than just your blood pressure monitor, research published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology reports.
High blood pressure is one of the leading causes of heart disease and premature death in the Western world, killing an estimated 50,000 thousand Americans every year according to the American Heart Association.
Scientists at Spain’s University of Grenada found that the strong survived - hypertensive men that lifted weights regularly cut their risk of sudden death by more than 30%.
This research adds to a large body of science linking strength training with lower blood pressure and heart attack risk. These researchers hypothesize that strength training improves the strength of your heart and vascular system –not just you biceps. They advice those with high blood pressure to work large muscle groups like their legs and back at least twice weekly in conjunction with daily physical activity.
Read more about the study here.
June 13, 2011
A New Way of Testing for Colon Cancer
from Bottom Line Health
Colonoscopy has been the gold standard in colorectal cancer detection and prevention for a very long time -- but it’s by no means perfect, and some people will do just about anything to avoid keeping that appointment. Now along comes a new, noninvasive way to screen for colon cancer -- stool DNA testing -- a procedure that remarkably enough promises accurate detection without the discomfort. The question that naturally follows, and the one I’m asking myself right now: Is it really effective?
I talked with David A. Ahlquist, MD, at the Mayo Clinic to get a better sense of what the new test offers. He first took me through a little background. Colorectal cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer deaths in the US, and colonoscopy -- the examination of your colon through insertion of a long, flexible tube -- so far represents our best weapon to catch and treat it early. But, he explained, colonoscopy may miss some cancers and precancerous lesions, particularly those on the right side of the colon, which has more nooks and crannies, making the search for polyps a challenge. The right side also has a greater likelihood of hard-to-detect flat polyps. In addition, colonoscopy is expensive. And, like any invasive procedure, it is associated with a risk for complications -- bleeding, perforation or sedation-related heart problems occur in a small percentage of patients.
Read more here.
June 11, 2011
Review Recommends Bone-building Nutrients Before Drugs
A review published in a recent issue of the journal Nutrients concludes that calcium and vitamin D supplements should be tried before resorting to bone building drugs to help maintain normal bone density.For their review, Karen Plawecki and Karen Chapman-Novakofski of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign selected 62 human studies conducted over the past decade that evaluated the impact on bone health of calcium and vitamin D from food, calcium and vitamin D from supplements, other bone health-related nutrients (including protein, sodium, soy and vitamin K), and portfolio diets, such as the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) and Mediterranean diets, which provide a number of nutrients. The researchers confirmed a benefit for supplements, food-based interventions and educational strategies on bone health. The findings suggest nutrition therapies as first-line treatments for postmenopausal women and others at risk of osteoporosis, particularly in light of the side effects associated with pharmaceutical agents used to treat the condition.Read more about the review here.
June 10, 2011
Beet Juice Lowers Blood Pressure - Fast!
by Christian Goodman
Drinking only 250 ml of beet juice drops high blood pressure 10 points (mmHg) on the average – WITHIN THREE HOURS!
This is a results of a study made by Dr. Amrita Ahluwalia, Professor of Vascular Biology at Queen Mary’s William Harvey Research Institute in London, which was published in the American Heart Association journal Hypertension.
Beet juice has also been shown to lower bad cholesterol (LDL) and increase good cholesterol (HDL) if used on daily basis. So overall health benefits of this simple vegetable are tremendous.
Read more about the study here.
June 9, 2011
Never Too Late To Build Muscle Mass
United Press International People lose muscle mass as they age but U.S. researchers say adults can fight the battle of strength and muscle loss that comes with aging.
Mark Peterson, a research fellow in the University of Michigan's Physical Activity and Exercise Intervention Research Laboratory, says adults age 50 and older who are sedentary can expect muscle loss of as much as 0.4 pounds a year.
"That only worsens as people age. But even earlier in adulthood -- the 30s, 40s and 50s -- you can begin to see declines if you do not engage in any strengthening activities," Peterson says in a statement. "No matter what age an individual is, they can experience significant strength improvement with progressive resistance exercise even into the eighth and ninth decades of life."
Read more about the research here.
June 8, 2011
Run, Don't Walk, Away From Hypertension
by Christian Goodman - Blue Heron
Those using exercise to fight high blood pressure should focus on high-intensity workouts like sprinting and tennis, a new study published in the European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention & Rehabilitation found. In the study, a group of adults with high blood pressure were assigned to one of two training regimens. One had the subjects perform long, steady-state workouts like walking or light jogging. The other were asked to do interval training –alternate bouts of high-intensity activity followed by short rest periods.
The research team found that interval outperformed steady-state cardio work in terms of blood pressure reduction and improvement in fitness levels. The interval training lowered their blood pressure more than twice as much as the jogging group even though the amount of time that they exercised was significantly less.
Read more about the study here.
June 7, 2011
Middle-Aged Spread Linked to Dementia
New research has shown that being overweight or obese at midlife can significantly increase the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. Weili Xu of the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden, and colleagues studied data of 8,534 twins aged 65 and older. Of those studied 350 had been diagnosed with dementia and 114 had possible dementia.
Read more about the research here.
June 7, 2011
Routine Exercise Equals Many Benefits
Jeff Meyers, The Press-Republican, Plattsburgh, N.Y.
Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Exercising regularly leads to obvious benefits, including improved cardiac health, diabetes control and weight loss.
But some not-so-obvious benefits can be gained from a routine exercise program.
Dr. Wouter Rietesma, a Plattsburgh infectious-disease specialist, has done research on the topic and presented his findings during a recent luncheon with the Plattsburgh Noon Rotary Club and again with a group of volunteers for CVPH Medical Center.
"Let me stress that I'm not an expert in this field," said Rietsema, who is also the medical director for CVPH. "I had a patient who was trying to do things to improve brain function, so I started to do a little research."
Read more about the research here.
June 6, 2011
Do You Know What's Coloring Your Food?
Do you know what's coloring your food? Check out this study from the Ctr for Science in the the Public Interest http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/food-dyes...w-of-risks.pdfFood marketing to kids like Froot Loops, yogurts and other processed junk are rife with these artificial colors (Yellow #5, Red #2, etc.).
June 4, 2011
Study - Well-fed Italian Seniors May Still Need Multivitamins
Healthy Italian seniors may be at risk of nutrient deficiencies despite being eating a diet with adequate energy and macronutrient levels, say results of a 10-year study from Italy.
Data from 78 Italian seniors, aged between 70 and 75, showed that, despite no decline in the levels of energy intake, by the end of a decade of study, 50 per cent of the participants were deficient in vitamins A and B2..
“Multivitamin supplementation may be necessary, even in healthy individuals, to ensure an adequate micronutrient intake in the elderly,” report researchers from the University of Padua in
The Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging.
Read more about the study here.
June 3, 2011
Reduced Q10 Levels and Increased Breast Cancer Risk
An article published online in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention reveals an association between decreased levels of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) and a greater risk of breast cancer in Chinese women. Coenzyme Q10 is a compound made in the human body that has been linked with numerous benefits, yet research suggests that many people produce amounts that are less than optimal. The current investigation involved participants in The Shanghai Women’s Health Study of women between the ages of 40 and 70. Robert V. Cooney at the University of Hawaii and his colleagues matched 340 women with breast cancer to 653 subjects who were free of the disease. Plasma samples were analyzed for coenzyme Q10 and tocopherols.Read more about the report here.
June 2, 2011
Doctors Say Correct Vitamin D Deficiency Before Surgery
The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery reports that nearly half of orthopedic surgery patients are deficient in vitamin D, a condition that impairs bone healing, muscle function and surgery recovery.
Professor of Orthopedic Surgery and chief of the Metabolic Bone Disease Service at New York's Hospital for Special Surgery Joseph Lane, MD and colleagues reviewed the charts of 723 men and women scheduled for orthopedic surgery from January, 2007 to March, 2008. Forty-three percent of the patients had insufficient preoperative vitamin D levels, defined as 20 to 32 nanograms per milliliter, and 40 percent had deficient levels of less than 20 nanograms per milliliter. Younger individuals, men, and those with dark skin were likeliest to be low in vitamin D."This study should serve as a wake-up call to orthopedists that vitamin D deficiency is widespread, not necessarily tied to age, sex or background and screening for it should be part of routine presurgical care for adults," Dr Lane stated. "Meanwhile, patients who are planning to undergo any orthopedic procedure can request a screening (specifically, a blood test called the 25 hydroxyvitamin D test) or ask to be placed on a medically supervised vitamin D supplement regimen prior to surgery." Read more about the study here.
June 1, 2011
Arthritis, Obesity Make Each Other Worse
United Press International
When arthritis and obesity occur together they can create a barrier to physical activity, each condition helping make the other worse, U.S. officials say.
A report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report used data from 2007 to 2009 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System that found the prevalence of arthritis among obese U.S. adults was 36 percent.
"Obese adults with arthritis were 44 percent more likely to be physically inactive compared with obese adults without arthritis," the report says. "In every state, the prevalence of physical inactivity among adults with obesity was at least 5 percentage points higher among those with arthritis than those without arthritis."
Read more about the study here.
June 1, 2011
Vitamin D Lack and Pneumonia Increase Death Risk
United Press International
Adult patients lacking in vitamin D were more likely than others to die soon after being hospitalized with pneumonia, researchers in New Zealand say.
Researchers at Waikato Hospital, the University of Waikato and the University of Otago measured vitamin D in the blood samples of 112 adult patients admitted with community-acquired pneumonia during the winter at the only acute-care hospital in Hamilton, New Zealand.
The researchers found vitamin D deficiency was associated with higher mortality within the first 30 days after hospital admission for pneumonia. The association between vitamin D deficiency was not explained by patient age, sex, co-morbidities, the severity of the systemic inflammatory response or other known prognostic factors.
Read more about the study here.
May 31, 2011
Heart Attacks Are the No. 1 Killer of Women
Jane Glenn Haas
The Orange County Register, Calif. Women fret about the possibility of breast cancer. They worry about the potential of dementia.
They should be concerned about their hearts, because more women die of heart attacks than any other cause.
"It's true that our hearts are somewhat protected by estrogen, so studies show that our risks for attack increase after menopause. But we should be taking steps to care for ourselves at all ages," says Sherry Torkos, a Canadian pharmacist and fitness instructor. Torkos and Dr. Martha Gulati, a cardiologist and professor at Ohio State University, are co-authors of "Saving Women's Hearts" (John Wiley Publishing).
Read more about the report here.
May 30, 2011
Vitamin D Benefits May Be Independent of Sun Exposure \
By Nathan Gray
Previous levels of sun exposure and vitamin D status may have independent roles in the development of multiple sclerosis, according to new research.
Although it is generally thought that vitamin D status (indicated by 25(OH)D blood serum levels) is an indicator of recent sun exposure, researchers from the Australian National University have suggested that past and current exposure to UV sunlight may have separate roles to serum vitamin D levels in the prevention of multiple sclerosis (MS) – a chronic disease of the brain and spinal cord.
Read more about the study here.
May 28, 2011
Alzheimer's Disease May Be Easily Misdiagnosed
PRNewswire-USNewswire New research shows that Alzheimer's disease and other dementing illnesses may be easily misdiagnosed in the elderly, according to early results of a study of people in Hawaii who had their brains autopsied after death.
"Diagnosing specific dementias in people who are very old is complex, but with the large increase in dementia cases expected within the next 10 years in the United States, it will be increasingly important to correctly recognize, diagnose, prevent and treat age-related cognitive decline," said study author Lon White, MD, MPH, with the Kuakini Medical System in Honolulu.
Read more about the study here.
May 27, 2011
Is Sunscreen Enough on "Don't Fry Day"?
PRNewswire-USNewswire Despite skin cancer's being largely preventable, it remains by far the most common type of cancer in the United States. There are over two million new cases of skin cancer diagnosed annually, which is more than new cases of breast, prostate, lung and colon cancers combined. To help reduce rising rates of skin cancer, the National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention designated the Friday before Memorial Day, May 27, 2011, as "Don't Fry Day."
Read more about the report here.
May 25, 2011
Can TSA Backscatter Radiation Safety Tests Be Trusted?
(NaturalNews) It can now be revealed by NaturalNews that the TSA faked its safety data on its X-ray airport scanners in order to deceive the public about the safety of such devices.
May 24, 2011
Reduce Childhood Obesity - Replace Junk Food
(NaturalNews) According to the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, the rate of childhood obesity has tripled in the last 30 years. Junk food is one of the culprits for the obesity epidemic. Kids are exposed to junk food in many ways, from unhealthy parental role models to marketing geared towards kids and teens that encourages them to make unhealthy food choices. Kids are also offered poor food choices at school. A clean environment is the first step in helping kids make healthier choices. School lunches and vending machines are loaded with extra fat and calories. Replacing these junk foods with organic alternatives gives kids better options.
The problem with fast food items and junk food is they lack nutritional value, while also delivering a high dose of fat, calories, sugar, salt and carbs. These foods are robbing kids of essential vitamins and minerals. Eating excessive amounts of these foods leads to obesity and malnutrition.
May 23, 2011
Moderate Physical Exercises Reduce Cancer Risk
Xinhua News Agency - CEIS Moderate physical exercises can help reduce the risk of cancers such as breast cancer and colon cancer, the World Health Organization said recently.
In a report, WHO recommended moderate intensity aerobic physical activities of at least 150 minutes a week, for all people aged 18 and over, which has proven effective in bring down risks to noncommunicable diseases (NCDs).
For the 5 to 17-age group, the WHO said at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activities can serve to prevent such diseases from building-up.
Read more about the report here.
May 20, 2011
How To Do Skin Self-exams
Karen Morgan
Daily Press, Newport News, Va. Early detection of skin cancers - particularly melanomas - is crucial to treatment. You can help protect yourself with regular at-home body inspections, says Dr. Melissa Schwarzschild of Richmond Dermatology & Laser Specialists in Richmond, Va. "You can be proactive and alleviate anxiety," she says.
Do regular inspections. Check all of your moles about every six months, especially if you have lots of them or have a personal or family history of skin cancer. See a dermatologist once a year for a routine full-body check.
Read more about this report here.
May 19, 2011
Vitamin D Supplementation Improves COPD Rehab Outcome
The American Thoracic Society's 2011 International Conference held in Denver was the site of a presentation concerning the finding of a benefit for vitamin D supplementation in patients participating in a rehabilitation program for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)."COPD can be considered as a respiratory disease with important nonrespiratory consequences, such as osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease and muscle weakness," explained researcher Miek Hornikx, who is a physiotherapist and doctoral student in the department of pneumology at Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium. "These consequences eventually will be negatively influenced by physical inactivity which, along with exercise intolerance, is a common feature among patients with COPD and is proven to be related to mortality."Read more about this report here.
May 18, 2011
Green Tea Polyphenols Protect and Benefit Skin
A report published online in the Journal of Nutrition describes protective benefits for green tea polyphenols against ultraviolet light-induced skin damage, as well as an ability to improve elasticity, density and other skin properties.Researchers at the University of Witten-Herdecke and Heinrich Heine University in Germany assigned 60 women with light to normal ultraviolet sensitivity to receive a green tea beverage containing 1,402 milligrams per liter total catechins or a control beverage daily for twelve weeks. Before the treatment period and at six and twelve weeks, participants received a dose of irradiation to the skin from a solar simulator. Reddening, elasticity, roughness, scaling, density and water homeostasis were evaluated at these time points and blood samples were analyzed for flavonoids and other variables.Read more about the study here.
May 17, 2011
5 Motivation Myths Debunked
Hollis Templeton
Mclatchy-Tribune News Service. Calories in, calories out-in theory, losing weight should be that simple. But we're going to venture a guess that the reason two thirds of Americans are classified as overweight or obese isn't because they can't do basic math. Age, genetics, hormones, and the big one-a lack of will power-better explain the disconnect between wanting to lose weight and actually doing it.
In fact, while 84 percent of people claim they're trying to take better care of their health today than just a few years ago, 59 percent of people reported they don't have the will power to change their habits, according to a recent survey by The Futures Company. Lack of will power is the number one barrier preventing Americans from living healthier lifestyles, ranking higher than a lack of money, time, desire, and a perceived lack of need, according to the survey.
Read more about the story here.
May 17, 2011
Clinical Use of Hyperthermia for Cancer Treatment
Business Wire BSD Medical Corporation (NASDAQ: BSDM) (Company or BSD), a leading provider of medical systems that utilize heat therapy to treat cancer, today reported that the focus at the annual Society of Thermal Medicine (STM) conference, which was held in New Orleans, was the increasing clinical use of hyperthermia in the treatment of cancer. The researchers at the meeting presented data showing significant benefits for the use of hyperthermia to treat a variety of tumors, including breast, prostate, head and neck, cervix, soft tissue sarcomas and bladder cancer. A number of presentations also discussed the importance of studying the use of hyperthermia and chemotherapy for the treatment of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer.
See more about the report here.
May 16, 2011
Diabetic Retinopathy is Leading Cause of Blindness
Diabetes is often called the "silent killer" because people who have it are often unaware they are affected. According to the American Diabetes Association, diabetes affects 26 million people - including children - in the United States. Approximately one-quarter of those people do not know they're living with the disease.
"Many people are at risk of developing type 2 diabetes, which can have serious effects on a person's eyesight," said Dr. Mark Lynn, owner and operator of 45 Dr. Bizer's VisionWorld, Doctor's ValuVision and Doctor's VisionWorks in Kentucky, Indiana, Tennessee and Georgia. "Those who have diabetes are at greater risk of developing diabetic retinopathy, which can lead to vision loss and more serious problems with the eye."
Read more about the study here.
May 14, 2011
Dancing Can Help Offset Dementia, Weight Gain, HBP
The Sacramento Bee Want to avoid your risk of dementia holistically? Besides controlling your weight, blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugars and decreasing your intake of inflammatory foods, what else can you do?
Start dancing!
Dancing has been shown to have numerous health benefits in various studies. The most obvious are increased socialization and improved physical functioning. Two recent studies conducted by University of Missouri researchers found that participation in dance-based therapy can improve balance and gait in older adults. This can reduce the risk of falls and injuries in this population.
Read more about the study here.
May 11, 2011
The Latest on Radiation Exposure
Drs. Kay Judge and Maxine Barish-Wreden
The Sacramento Bee, Calif. Radiation exposure has been in the news lately with the recent events in Japan, making the public more aware of possible radiation hazards from other sources. A study published recently in the Archives of Internal Medicine included some interesting news about chest X-rays. People with pneumonia who are younger than 50 and don't smoke don't necessarily need chest X-rays.
Most medical diagnostic guidelines recommend an X-ray for all patients with pneumonia. This is because a mass (cancer) in the lungs can theoretically obstruct the lungs and cause pneumonia. But a study published in April suggests that these guidelines may be too broad.
Read more about the study here.
May 10, 2011
Study - Market Lighting Affects Nutrition
United Press International Don't grab the bag of vegetables from the back of the produce shelf, U.S. scientists say -- the ones in front exposed to more light have more nutrition.
A study by post-harvest plant physiologist Gene Lester of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service found that spinach leaves exposed to continuous light during storage were, overall, more nutritionally dense than leaves kept continuously in the dark.
Read more about the study here.
Study - Early Baldness Doubles Risk of Prostate Cancer
Agence France-Presse
Men who start to lose their hair by age 20 -- a syndrome known as pattern baldness -- are twice as likely to develop prostate cancer later in life, according to a new study.
The findings, published in the Annals of Oncology, could help identify men who should be screened early and more often for disease, the researchers said.
Prostate cancer is the most common skin cancer among men worldwide and, after lung tumors, is the second biggest cause of death from cancer among men in the United States and Europe. Most cases occur among men aged in their sixties.
Earlier research has shown that sex hormones called androgens play a key role in the development of both pattern baldness and cancer of the prostate, a walnut-sized gland near the bladder crucial to the male reproductive system.
But the link between the two remained obscure, with at least one study suggesting that premature baldness actually pointed to a reduced risk of cancer.
Read more about the study here.
May 7, 2011
Avocado Has More Potassium Than Banana
United Press International
The avocado, celebrated for centuries as an indulgent food with a seductively creamy texture, is also high in nutrition, a U.S. food expert says.
Phil Lempert -- a food industry analyst, trend watcher and creator of the Web site supermarketguru.com -- says the avocado originated in parts of ancient Mexico, Central America, and South America, and was once believed to be an aphrodisiac, but today it is a staple in Mexican culture as butter is in the United States.
Avocados are rich in potassium. One avocado actually has three times as much potassium as one banana.
Read more about the report here.
May 6, 2011
Blueberries Inhibit Fat Cell Formation
Blueberries may confer an inhibitory effect on the development of adipocytes (fat cells) according to research presented at the Experimental Biology 2011 meeting in Washington, DC.Texas Woman's University graduate student Shiwani Moghe, MS reported the results of an experiment in which three doses of blueberry polyphenols were administered to preadipocyte tissue cultures derived from mice. The tissue cultures were analyzed for polyphenols' effect on adipocyte differentiation, which is the process by which unspecialized cells acquire the features of adipocytes that synthesize and store fat.Read more about the research here.
May 5, 2011
Mayo Clinic study Says Waist-Hip Ratio Matters More Than BMI
Christopher Snowbeck, Pioneer Press, St. Paul, Minn.
Saint Paul Pioneer Press, Minn. Heart disease patients have another reason to bemoan their bellies.
In a study being published this month, researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester conclude that patients with both coronary artery disease and "central obesity" -- a weight measurement that focuses on stomach fat -- had up to twice the risk of dying as heart disease patients with more petite paunches.
Central obesity is measured by comparing the circumference of a patient's stomach to the circumference of the hips. When the stomach measurement is 90 percent or more of the hip measurement in men -- and 85 percent or more of the hip measurement in women -- a patient generally is thought to have a worrisome distribution of fat, said Dr. Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, director of the cardiometabolic program at the Mayo Clinic.
Read more about the study here.
April 29, 2011
Sudy - Astaxanthin Shows Potential for Brain Health
By Stephen Daniells
Daily supplements of astaxanthin – the pigment that gives salmon its pink color – may reduce the abnormal accumulation of compounds associated with dementia, says a new study from Japan.
Twelve weeks of supplementation with astaxanthin were associated with significant reductions in levels of compounds called phospholipid hydroperoxides (PLOOH), known to accumulate abnormally in the red blood cells (erythrocytes) of people with dementia, compared with placebo.
Writing in the
British Journal of Nutrition, researchers led by Kiyotaka Nakagawa from Tohoku University, report that, since the data shows that astaxanthin is incorporated into the red blood cells, as is seen with lutein, the pink pigment may
“contribute to the prevention of dementia”.
Read more about the study here.
April 29, 2011
Diet Plus Exercise Reduces Frailty
Washington University
By Jim Dryden
With a current 20% of adults 65 years of age or older as obese, and the prevalence anticipated to continue to rise with the globally aging population, older obese adults face severe health risks, including high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes, which can be compounded by a lack of mobility.
For Dennis T. Villareal, from Washington University in St. Louis (Missouri, USA), and colleagues evaluated the effects of dieting and exercise in more than 100 obese seniors over a one-year period. Although weight loss alone and exercise alone improved physical function by about 12% and 15%, respectively, neither was as effective as diet and exercise together, which improved physical performance by 21%. As well, the combination of dieting and exercise together were effective at reducing frailty than either approach solely.
Read more about the study here.
April 28, 2011
MIT Scientists Discover Cancer-Fighting Role For Cells
NewsRx.com CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - MIT scientists have discovered that cells lining the blood vessels secrete molecules that suppress tumor growth and keep cancer cells from invading other tissues, a finding that could lead to a new way to treat cancer (see also Epithelial Cells).
Elazer Edelman, professor in the MIT-Harvard Division of Health Sciences and Technology (HST), says that implanting such cells adjacent to a patient's tumor could shrink a tumor or prevent it from growing back or spreading further after surgery or chemotherapy. He has already tested such an implant in mice, and MIT has licensed the technology to Pervasis Therapeutics, Inc., which plans to test it in humans.
Edelman describes the work, which appears in the journal Science Translational Medicine, as a "paradigm shift" that could fundamentally change how cancer is understood and treated. "This is a cancer therapy that could be used alone or with chemotherapy radiation or surgery, but without adding any devastating side effects," he says.
Read more about the study here.
April 27, 2011
Preventing Oral Cancer
Joe Gaines, The Brunswick News, Ga.
Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Besides preventing cavities, a periodic dental cleaning or checkup could save your life.
Along with preventing and detection of cavities, a routine cleaning is an opportune time to check the mouth for signs of oral cancer.
As part of National Oral Cancer Prevention Week, Dr. Jeffery Capes, an oral surgeon with Coastal Oral Surgery on St. Simons Island, is encouraging patients to ensure that their dental health professional check for possible signs of cancer.
"About 8,000 people die of oral cancer a year," Capes said. "That's about one person every hour, every day."
The Oral Cancer Foundation predicts about 37,000 people in the U.S. will be diagnosed with oral cancer, and in the past five years, the number has been growing.
Read more about the story here.
April 26, 2011
Myths About Heart Disease
By Anita Manning
USA TODAY Imagine hearing news of a catastrophe causing the deaths of 2,200 Americans every day -- an average of one every 39 seconds.
A plague? Nuclear fallout?
It's heart disease, which includes diseases of the heart and circulatory system. The No. 1 killer stalking the world, cardiovascular diseases cause more deaths than all forms of cancer combined.
It's an equal-opportunity destroyer, although it does have a preference for people of color and those over 65. But no age, race or economic class is immune.
"There's a lack of awareness of what ideal cardiovascular health really is," says Ralph Sacco, president of the American Heart Association. While 35% of people surveyed say they're in good health, when quizzed about seven major health factors -- diet, activity level, blood pressure, cholesterol, weight, blood sugar and smoking status -- only about half of 1% hit all the targets for good health, he says. "People think they're healthier than they are," he says, making it less likely that they'll take steps to reduce their heart risks.
Sacco and other heart experts highlight 10 myths of heart disease.
Read what they are here.
April 26, 2011
High Cholesterol and Blood Pressure Tied to Memory Problems
PRNewswire-USNewswire Middle-age men and women who have cardiovascular issues, such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure, may not only be at risk for heart disease, but for an increased risk of developing early cognitive and memory problems as well. That's according to a study released today that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 63rd Annual Meeting in Honolulu April 9 to April 16, 2011.
For the study, 3,486 men and 1,341 women with an average age of 55 underwent cognitive tests three times over 10 years. The tests measured reasoning, memory, fluency and vocabulary. Participants received a Framingham risk score that is used to predict 10-year risk of a cardiovascular event. It is based on age, sex, HDL cholesterol, total cholesterol, systolic blood pressure and whether they smoked or had diabetes.
Read more about the study here.
April 25, 2011
As With Blood, Several Types Of Human Gut
Agence France-Presse
The human digestive track, host to an ecosystem teaming with trillions of living bacteria, comes in three variations as distinct as blood groups, according to a new study.
These so-called "enterotypes" are found in populations worldwide and exist independent of race, country of origin, diet, age or state of health, the study reported.
The findings have major implications for detecting and predicting the risk of diseases ranging from intestinal cancers to diabetes to Crohn's disease, a painful inflammation of the bowels, the researchers said.
Read more about the study here.
April 23, 2011
Reduced Coenzyme Q10 Levels Associated With Increased Breast Cancer Risk
An article published online in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention reveals an association between decreased levels of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) and a greater risk of breast cancer in Chinese women. Coenzyme Q10 is a compound made in the human body that has been linked with numerous benefits, yet research suggests that many people produce amounts that are less than optimal.
The current investigation involved participants in The Shanghai Women’s Health Study of women between the ages of 40 and 70. Robert V. Cooney at the University of Hawaii and his colleagues matched 340 women with breast cancer to 653 subjects who were free of the disease. Plasma samples were analyzed for coenzyme Q10 and tocopherols.
Read more about the study here.
April 22, 2011
Gut Reaction
Spencer Hunt
The Columbus Dispatch, OhioDoctors and scientists know that stress can lead to illness. They just don't know why.
But they are starting to understand where it all might begin.
Ohio State University researchers say they have found that stress-related illnesses likely start in an unlikely place -- among the hordes of good and bad bacteria that live in our guts.
Read more about the study here.
April 22, 2011
Reduced Vitamin D Levels Linked to Arterial Stiffness
A presentation by Ibhar Al Mheid, MD at the annual American College of Cardiology meeting revealed the finding of Emory University School of Medicine researchers of a protective effect for vitamin D against arterial stiffness and impaired blood vessel relaxation.Dr Al Mheid, along with Emory Cardiovascular Research Institute director Arshed Quyyumi, MD, evaluated data from 554 participants in the Emory/Georgia Tech Predictive Health Institute's Center for Health Discovery and Well Being. Endothelial function was evaluated via brachial artery flow-mediated dilation, and microvascular function and arterial stiffness were assessed. Blood samples were analyzed for serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D, a stable form of the vitamin that reflects dietary intake and skin production.Read more about the study here.
April 22, 2011
Study Reveals Pathways For Omega-3’s Eye Benefits
By Nathan Gray
Research in mice has suggested the mechanisms that enable dietary omega-3 fatty acids to help prevent retinopathy, a common eye disease that can lead to blindness in premature babies and diabetics.
In the study, published in
Science Translational Medicine, researchers led by scientists from Harvard Medical School, reported that metabolites from the breakdown of dietary omega-3 may directly affect the irregular blood vessel growth that leads to retinopathy.
Specifically, the omega-3 metabolite 4-hydroxy-docosahexaenoic acid (4-HDHA) was found to inhibit the sprouting and growth of irregular blood vessels.
“These results elucidate an important pathway through which omega-3 oils protect against retinopathy and perhaps exert some of their other beneficial effects: oxidation of omega-3 PUFAs by 5-LOX [5-lipoxygenase]
and subsequent inhibition of angiogenesis,” said the authors, led by Dr Lois Smith, Professor of Ophthalmology at Harvard.
“In addition, we report significant 4-HDHA concentrations in healthy human subjects, suggesting that our findings may apply to omega-3 PUFA action in humans.” Read more about the study here.
April 21, 2011
Vegetarians Have Less Metabolic Syndrome
United Press International Vegetarians have lower prevalence of metabolic syndrome -- a precursor to heart disease and diabetes -- than non-vegetarians, U.S. researchers say.
Metabolic syndrome involves having three or more of the following -- blood pressure equal to or higher than 130/85 millimeters of mercury; fasting blood sugar equal to or higher than 100 milligrams per deciliter; large waist circumference [for men, 40 inches or more, for women 35 inches or more]; low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol [for men, under 40 mg/dL, for women, under 50 mg/dL; and triglycerides equal to or higher than 150 mg/dL.
The study examined more than 700 adults -- 35 percent were vegetarians -- randomly selected from Loma Linda University's long-term study of the lifestyle and health of almost 100,000 Seventh-day Adventists across the United States and Canada.
Read more about the study here.
April 21, 2011
Look After Your Brain
NewsRx.com As the average life span becomes longer, dementia becomes more common. Swedish scientist Laura Fratiglioni has shown that everyone can minimize his or her risk of being affected. Factors from blood pressure and weight to the degree of physical and mental activity can influence cognitive functioning as one gets older.
The lengthening of the average life span in the population has caused an increase in the prevalence of aging related disorders, one of which is cognitive impairment and dementia. An expert panel estimates that worldwide more than 24 million people are affected by dementia, most suffering from Alzheimer's disease. In the more developed countries, 70 percent of the persons with dementia are 75 years or older.
Age is the greatest risk factor for developing dementia. But there is growing evidence that the strong association with increasing age can be, at least partially, explained by a life course cumulative exposure to different risk factors.
Read more about the study here.
April 20,2011
Lifestyle Change Can Reduce Mental Illness
United Press International Mental health conditions such as depression or anxiety can be treated with lifestyle changes as successfully as diseases like diabetes, a U.S. researcher says.
Dr. Roger Walsh of the College of Medicine at the University of California, Irvine, reviewed research on the effects of what he calls "therapeutic lifestyle changes," or TLCs, such as exercise and nutrition.
The review, published in American Psychologist, describes TLCs as effective, inexpensive and often enjoyable, with fewer side effects and complications than medications, but requiring a sustained effort.
Read more about the report here.
April 20, 2011
Omega-3 May Protect Against Traumatic Brain Injury
By Stephen Daniells
Supplements of the omega-3 fatty acid DHA (docosahexanoic acid) may prevent traumatic brain injury, according to a new study with rats with potential implications for sportsmen and soldiers.
Researchers from West Virginia University report that rats who received the highest dose of
DHA supplementation prior to traumatic brain injury experienced the least amount of tissue damage.
Read more about the study here.
April 19, 2011
CDC - 'Diabetes Belt' Mostly in Southeast
United Press International Areas with high rates of diabetes -- a "diabetes belt" -- are clustered in 644 counties in 15 mostly Southeastern states, U.S. health officials said.
Lead investigator Lawrence E. Barker of the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta said it was in the 1960s when Southern states were identified as the "stroke belt," but this is the first time diagnosed diabetes clustering was identified in all U.S. counties.
The belt -- diabetes prevalence rates greater than 11 percent -- includes portions of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia and the entire state of Mississippi.
Read more about the study here.
April 19, 2011
Marker of Inflammation Associated with Memory Decline
A presentation at the American Academy of Neurology's annual meeting in Honolulu revealed the finding of researchers at the University of California, San Francisco of a link between higher levels of C-reactive protein (CRP, a marker of inflammation) and memory loss in older individuals.University of California, San Francisco clinical professor of neuropsychology Joel H. Kramer, PsyD and his associates compared 76 men and women with an average age of 71.8 who had detectable levels of C-reactive protein to 65 adults of a similar age with undetectable levels. Word list testing evaluated the participants' verbal recall, and magnetic resonance imaging of the brain measured the volume of the medial temporal lobe, including the hippocampus, entorhinal cortex and parahippocampal cortex. (Animal experiments have revealed that function of the hippocampus, which is involved in memory storage, is impaired by prolonged brain inflammation.)Read more about the study here.
April 19, 2011
Vegetarian Diet Can Boost Cardiovascular Health
Jan Jarvis
Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas Last year, when former President Bill Clinton gave up meat for his daughter's very vegan wedding, it was an act of love that came straight from the heart.
In the long run, his decision to change his eating habits and shed 20 pounds for Chelsea just might save his heart, too.
The American Heart Association recommends eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean meats and poultry. But lately, plant-based diets have gotten a big boost from Clinton and others who believe it reduces the risk of heart disease.
Read more about the report here.
April 18, 2011
Higher Magnesium Levels and Lower Risk of Sudden Cardiac Death
An article published online in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reports a protective effect for higher plasma and dietary magnesium against the risk of sudden cardiac death in women. Up to 68 percent of women and 55 percent of men who undergo sudden cardiac death have no clinically recognized cardiovascular disease prior to the events, which take 184,000 to 462,000 people's lives each year.Researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard University analyzed data from 88,375 women enrolled in the Nurses' Health Study who were free of disease in 1980. Questionnaires completed in 1980, 1984, 1986 and every four years through 2002 provided information on magnesium intake from food and supplements. Blood samples drawn from 32,826 participants between 1989 and 1990 were analyzed for plasma magnesium, lipids and other factors. Sudden cardiac deaths were defined as those that occurred within 1 hour of symptom onset or involved arrhythmia.Read more about the study here.
April 16, 2011
Study Suggests Timing is Important in Cancer Chemoprevention
An article published online in the journal Carcinogenesis reports the outcome of a rodent study which found a protective benefit for vitamin E and selenium against esophageal cancer, particularly if administered early after exposure to a carcinogenic substance.Scientists at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Beijing gave five groups of rats a diet that contained reduced amounts of vitamin E and selenium, which was designed to mimic the diet of some human populations. All but one group were administered the carcinogen NMBzA 3 times per week for 5 weeks. One of the carcinogen-treated groups received the diet supplemented with vitamin E and selenium for the first 10 weeks of the study, while a second group was supplemented between 11 and 25 weeks. A third group received a supplemented diet throughout the 25 week experiment.Read more about the study here.
April 7, 2011
What You Need To Know About Statin Drugs Side Effects
This is the latest animation from the Health Ranger, revealing the health dangers of statin drugs. According to a study published in the British Medical Journal, statin drugs cause liver dysfunction, acute kidney failure. cataracts and extreme muscle weakness (among other side effects).
This video encourages people to think twice about taking statin drugs. Statin drugs also deplete CoQ10, a vital nutrient for heart health and cellular energy. That's why people feel so week when taking statins.
Cholesterol is not a "disease," and statin drugs are synthetic chemicals that are not bio-compatible with the human body.
Watch the video here.
April 7, 2011
Omega-3s Promote Muscle Protein Production
Sarcopenia, the loss of muscle mass with aging, is a major public health concern. Previous studies have found that omega-3 fatty acids stimulate protein anabolism in animals, and might therefore be useful for the treatment of sarcopenia. However, the effect of omega-3 fatty acids on human protein metabolism is unknown.
Bettina Mittendorfer, PhD, from Washington University School of Medicine (Missouri, USA), and colleagues studied 16 healthy adults, average age 71 years, and an average BMI of 25.65 kg/m2, assigning each to receive either omega-3s (providing provided a daily dose of 1.86 grams of EPA [eicosapentaenoic acid] and 1.5 grams of DHA [docosahexaenoic acid]), or corn oil (placebo) for eight weeks.
Read more about the study here.
April 6, 2011
Maple Syrup May Help Treat Diabetes
United Press International A U.S. researcher says she has discovered 34 new beneficial compounds in pure maple syrup from Quebec -- five of which have never been seen in nature.
Navindra Seeram of the University of Rhode Island also confirmed that 20 maple syrup compounds she discovered last year in preliminary research play a key role in human health.
"I continue to say that nature is the best chemist, and that maple syrup is becoming a champion food when it comes to the number and variety of beneficial compounds found in it," Seeram said in a statement.
Read more about the study here.
April 6, 2011
Omega-3 Fatty Acids Protect Against Obesity-related Disease
An article published online in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition reveals a protective effect for high omega-3 fatty acid intake against the development of diseases related to obesity, including cardiovascular disease and diabetes.For the current study, Zeina Makhoul, PhD and her colleagues at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, in collaboration with the Center for Alaska Native Health Research at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks, evaluated data from 330 Yup’ik Eskimos. Omega-3 fatty acid intake among the Yup'iks averages twenty times higher than most Americans. Read more about the study here.
April 5, 2011
More Antioxidants and Lower Metabolic Syndrome Risk
A report published online in the Journal of Nutrition reveals the results of a large study of adult Americans which found a lower risk of metabolic syndrome (a cluster of risk factors that increase the risk of developing diabetes and/or cardiovascular disease), among those with higher serum levels of vitamin C and carotenoids.May A. Beydoun of the National Institute on Aging and her associates evaluated data from up to 11,845 participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2001-2006, which included men and women aged 20 to 85 residing in the United States. Anthropometric measurements and blood pressure were assessed upon enrollment, and blood samples were analyzed for the antioxidant nutrients retinol, retinyl esters, carotenoids (which include alpha and beta carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, lutein plus zeaxanthin, and lycopene), vitamin C and vitamin E, as well as glucose, lipids, C-reactive protein and other factors.Read more about the study here.
April 4, 2011
Buck Institute Finds Secrets Of Longevity - In Roundworms
Guy Kovner, The Press Democrat, Santa Rosa, Calif.
Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Yellow dye commonly found in science laboratories is a fountain of youth and staves off diseases like Alzheimer's, at least for microscopic roundworms, scientists at Novato's Buck Institute reported.
Coming in a close second as an agent to extend worm longevity is curcumin, the active ingredient in the Indian spice turmeric, a far more palatable and accessible substance.
It will take years and not-so-small fortunes to determine if the dye, known as Thioflavin T, or the spice associated with curry have a similarly salutatory effect on humans, the experts at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging said.
But their findings, published last week in the prestigious journal Nature, point out an "exciting new avenue in the search for compounds that both extend lifespan and slow disease processes," said Silvestre Alavez, a Buck biochemist.
Read more about the study here_______________________________