June 17th  2007

 Echinacea,  cuts the chances of catching the common cold by 58 percent and reduces the duration of the common cold by 1.4 days, according to a new University of Connecticut study to be published in the July issue of the prominent British medical journal, The Lancet Infectious Diseases, and to be published online Monday, June 25 UK time.

June 17th  2007

Substance In Tree Bark Could Lead To New Lung-cancer Treatment
  Researchers at UTSouthwestern Medical Center have determined how a substance derived from the bark of the South American lapacho tree kills certain kinds of cancer cells, findings that also suggest a novel treatment for the most common type of lung cancer.  The compound, called beta-lapachone, has shown promising anti-cancer
properties..

June 17th  2007

Meditate To Concentrate
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania say that practicing even small doses of daily meditation may improve focus and performance. Meditation, according to Penn neuroscientist Amishi Jha and Michael Baime, director of Penn's Stress Management Program, is an active and effortful process that literally changes the way the brain works.  Their study is the first to examine how meditation may modify the three subcomponents of attention, including the ability to prioritize and manage tasks and goals, the ability to voluntarily focus on specific information and the ability to stay alert to the environment.

In the Penn study, subjects were split into two categories.  Those new to meditation, or "mindfulness training," took part in an eight-week course that included up to 30 minutes of daily meditation.  The second  group was more experienced with meditation and attended an intensive full-time, one-month retreat.

Researchers found that even for those new to the practice, meditation enhanced performance and the ability to focus attention. Performance-based measures of cognitive function demonstrated improvements in a matter of weeks.  The study, to be published in the journal Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience, suggests a new, non-medical means for improving focus and cognitive ability among disparate populations and has implications for workplace performance and learning.

Participants performed tasks at a computer that measured response speeds and accuracy.  At the outset, retreat participants who were experienced in meditation demonstrated better executive functioning skills, the cognitive ability to voluntarily focus, manage tasks and prioritize goals.  Upon completion of the eight-week training, participants new to meditation had greater improvement in their ability to quickly and
accurately move and focus attention, a process known as "orienting." After the one-month intensive retreat, participants also improved their ability to keep attention "at the ready."

The results suggest that meditation, even as little as 30 minutes daily, may improve attention and focus for those with heavy demands on their time.  While practicing meditation may itself may not be relaxing or restful, the attention-performance improvements that come with practice may paradoxically allow us to be more relaxed.

The research was supported by the National Institutes of Health and the Penn Stress Management Program

June 17th  2007

Gut Check: Microbes Colonize Newborns' Digestive Tracts

 For more than 100 years, scientists have known that humans carry a rich ecosystem within their intestines. An astonishing number and variety of microbes, including as many as 400 species of bacteria, help humans digest food, mitigate disease, regulate fat storage, and even promote the formation of blood vessels. 
"The microbiota are important. They help you extract more from your food; they're important for the immune system; and they help protect us from being colonized by [microbes] that are going to do us harm."

Before birth, the human intestinal tract is sterile, but babies immediately begin to acquire the microbial denizens of the gut from their environment -- the birth canal, mothers' breast, and even the touch of a sibling or parent. Within days, a thriving microbial community is established and by adulthood, the human body typically has as many as ten times more microbial cells than human cells. This is primarily due to the large number of microorganisms that have taken up residence in the intestine.
The study, published June 25, 2007, in the journal Public Library of
Science (PLoS) Biology, was led by Howard Hughes Medical Institute
(HHMI) investigator Patrick O. Brown at the Stanford University School
of Medicine. 

 

June 7th  2007

Risk Of Stroke Doubles If Diagnosed With Type 2 Diabetes

Science Daily <http://www.sciencedaily.com/> - Individuals diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes are at double the risk of having a stroke compared to those without diabetes, according to new research from the University of Alberta. It was found that the risk of a stroke is considered high within the first five years of treatment for Type 2 diabetes and more than doubles the rate of occurrence.

"We hope our findings will help to dispel the notion that the risk of stroke occurs only in the long term and will improve the motivation of both patients and health care providers to aggressively control cardiovascular risk factors soon after diagnosis." said Jeerakathil.

June 7th  2007

Dramatic Health Benefits After Just One Exercise Session
New research shows that just onesession of exercise can prevent a primary symptom of type 2 diabetes by altering fat
metabolism in muscle.

Researchers from the University of Michigan discovered that a session of aerobic exercise increases storage of fat in muscle, which actually improves insulin sensitivity. Low insulin sensitivity, or insulin resistance, is an impaired ability of the body to take up sugar from the blood, which can lead to high blood sugar and diabetes.
"It's long been known that exercise can greatly improve insulin sensitivity," Horowitz said. "But how exercise improves insulin sensitivity in obesity, and how much exercise is necessary for this effect is not clear."

Impaired insulin sensitivity is particularly a problem in obese people because of the excessive amount of fatty acids released from their body fat stores. This overabundance of fatty acids is taken up by tissues like muscle and liver where they interfere with the ability of insulin to regulate sugar metabolism.

In muscle cells, fatty acids can be burned for energy, and they also can be stored as intramuscular triglyceride, or IMTG. IMTG is a reservoir for fat storage, and high IMTG levels correlate with insulin resistance in obese people and those with type 2 diabetes. Partly because of this correlation, many researchers assumed IMTG is somehow involved in the development of insulin resistance. Yet, people who exercise regularly also have high IMTG levels, but they are actually very sensitive to insulin.

With that in mind, U-M researchers set out to test their novel hypothesis: that increasing the capacity for fat storage in muscle after one session of exercise can actually increase insulin sensitivity. They suspected that for several hours after exercise more fatty acids entering the muscle will be stored as IMTG, thus keeping them from turning into more harmful metabolites that are known to cause insulin resistance. Essentially, this means that exercise may cause you to store more fat in n your muscles, but in doing so your insulin sensitivity improves.

However, they found that during the exercise visit, not only did the exercise prevent the impairment in insulin sensitivity, but it increased insulin sensitivity by about 25 percent over their base levels. The researchers also found that the exercise session had diverted more fatty acids to be stored as IMTG than without exercise, and as a result fewer fatty acids were available to become the harmful metabolites known to impair insulin sensitivity.

"We believe this describes a primary mechanism for how exercise improves insulin sensitivity in obesity," Horowitz said. The study findings also highlight the important metabolic health benefits of a single exercise session. "Some of the key health benefits of exercise are not related to improved fitness but instead, the residual effects from the most recent exercise sessions are most important," he said.

If this is correct, then getting a regular so-called dose of exercise may be much more important than your level of physical fitness. How hard the exercise dose must be in order for an obese person to reap the benefits, and how long the effects last remains unknown. Horowitz and his research team are addressing these issues.

June 7th  2007
How Coffee Raises Cholesterol
 Drinking your coffee black or decaffeinated to keep cholesterol in check? Think again.

Cafestol, a compound found in coffee, elevates cholesterol by hijacking a receptor in an intestinal pathway critical to its regulation, said researchers from Baylor College of Medicine in a report that appears in the July issue of the journal Molecular Endocrinology.

In fact, cafestol is the most potent dietary cholesterol-elevating agent known, said Dr. David Moore, professor of molecular and cellular biology at BCM, and Dr. Marie-Louise Ricketts, a postdoctoral student and first author of the report. Cafetiere, or French press coffee, boiled Scandinavian brew and espresso contain the highest levels of the compound, which is removed by paper filters used in most other brewing processes. Removing caffeine does not remove cafestol, however.

Studies by a co-author - Dr. Martijn B. Katan of Vriye Univeriteit Amsterdam, Institute for Health Sciences, The Netherlands - indicate that consuming five cups of French press coffee per day (30 milligrams of cafestol) for four weeks raises cholesterol in the blood 6 to 8 percent.

June 7th  2007
Dietary Calcium Is Better Than Supplements At Protecting Bone Health
Women who get most of their daily calcium from food have healthier bones than women whose calcium comes mainly from supplemental tablets, say researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Surprisingly, this is true even though the supplement takers have higher average calcium intake.

The "diet group" took in the least calcium, an average of 830 milligrams per day. Yet this group had higher bone density in their spines and hipbones than women in the "supplement group," who consumed about 1,030 milligrams per day. Women in the "diet plus supplement group" tended to have the highest bone mineral density as well as the highest calcium intake at 1,620 milligrams per day.

The hormone estrogen is known to maintain bone mineral density. But the standard form of estrogen is broken down or metabolized in the liver to other forms - some active and some inactive. Urinalysis showed that women in the "diet group" and the "diet plus supplement group" had a higher ratio of active to inactive estrogen metabolites than women in the "supplement group."

"This suggests that dietary calcium is associated with a shift in estrogen metabolism that favors production of active forms of estrogen," says Armamento-Villareal. "Although we're not yet certain what underlies this effect, it could be that nutrients other than calcium cause this shift. It's also known that dairy products, which are a major source of calcium, can contain active estrogenic compounds, and these can influence bone density and the amount of estrogenic metabolites in the urine."

"Only about 35 percent of the calcium in most supplements ends up being absorbed by the body," Armamento-Villareal says. "Calcium from the diet is generally better absorbed, and this could be another reason that women who got a high percentage of
calcium in their food had higher bone densities."

Although dairy foods are excellent sources of calcium, Armamento-Villareal suggests that individuals with dairy sensitivities could consume other calcium-rich food sources such as calcium-fortified orange juice. Dark green leafy vegetables also contain calcium, but it is not as readily absorbed as calcium from dairy sources.

Reference: Napoli N, Thompson J, Civitelli R, Armamento-Villareal RC. Effects of  dietary calcium compared with calcium supplements on estrogen metabolism and bone mineral density. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2007;85:1428-1433.

June 7th  2007
Exercise Helps People With Diabetes, Study Says

Diabetes is often called a lifestyle disease, and now a new study from the University of Missouri-Columbia verifies that a lifestyle change brings strong improvements.

People with diabetes who attended classes to help them increase their exercise had more significant improvements than people who focused on trying to change exercise, diet modification and medication at the same time.

"In studies that focused on exercise only, blood glucose improved twice as much as in studies that focused on exercise, diet and medication adherence," said Vicki Conn, professor and associate dean of research in the MU Sinclair School of Nursing.

"One thing we found was that it doesn't matter how overweight you are or how poor your current blood glucose is at the start of the studies, the improvements from exercise were equal across the board," Conn said. 

June 7th  2007

Herb Shows Potential To Reduce Cancer-related Fatigue

American ginseng provides greater improvements in fatigue and vitality in patients who receive the highest doses tested, compared to lower doses or no treatment.
          Many cancer patients face extreme fatigue after diagnosis and during treatment. Getting more sleep or rest often does not relieve the fatigue, nor is it related to activity levels. Other than exercise, there isn't a good solution available for these patients.
Treatment arms consisted of placebo, and three different daily doses of Wisconsin ginseng -- 750, 1,000 and 2,000 milligrams.

June 7th  2007
Doctor Advises Caution Over Flu Drug
In the British Medical Journal, a senior doctor advises caution over the use of the antiviral drug oseltamivir (Tamiflu).

His concern follows advice by the Japanese authorities in March 2007 against prescribing oseltamivir to adolescents after the separate suicides of two 14 year olds who jumped to their deaths while taking the drug.

In people at higher risk of serious complications the potential benefit of treatment seems greater, although convincing evidence about reductions in hospital admission or mortality is still awaited, he writes. In these groups, vaccination still offers a cost effective first line of defence. Content is provided for informational purposes only, and is not intended as treatment advice of any kind.

June 7th  2007

Flaxseed Stunts The Growth Of Prostate Tumors
Science Daily — Flaxseed, an edible seed that is rich in omega 3-fatty acids and fiber-related compounds known as lignans, is effective in halting prostate tumor growth, according to a study led by Duke University Medical Center researchers. The seed, which is similar to a sesame seed, may be able to interrupt the chain of events that leads cells to divide irregularly and become cancerous.

Flaxseed may be able to interrupt the chain of events that leads cells to divide irregularly and become cancerous, Duke researchers have found.

"Our previous studies in animals and in humans had shown a correlation between flaxseed supplementation and slowed tumor growth, but the participants in those studies had taken flaxseed in conjunction with a low-fat diet," said Wendy Demark-Wahnefried, Ph.D., a researcher in Duke's School of Nursing and lead investigator on the study. "For this study, we demonstrated that it is flaxseed that primarily offers the protective benefit."

In the study, the researchers examined the effects of flaxseed supplementation on men who were scheduled to undergo prostatectomy -- surgery for the treatment of prostate cancer. The men took 30 grams of flaxseed daily for an average of 30 days prior to surgery. Once the men's tumors were removed, the researchers looked at tumor cells under a microscope, and were able to determine how quickly the cancer cells had multiplied.

Men taking flaxseed, either alone or in conjunction with a low-fat diet, were compared to men assigned to just a low-fat diet, as well as to men in a control group, who did not alter or supplement their daily diet. Men in both of the flaxseed groups had the slowest rate of tumor growth, Demark-Wahnefried said. Each group was made up of about 40 participants.

Study participants took the flaxseed in a ground form because flaxseed in its whole form has an undigestible seed coat, she said. Participants elected to mix it in drinks or sprinkle it on food, such as yogurt.

"The results showed that the men who took just flaxseed as well as those who took flaxseed combined with a low-fat diet did the best, indicating that it is the flaxseed which is making the difference," Demark-Wahnefried said.

Flaxseed is thought to play a part in halting the cellular activity that leads to cancer growth and spread. One reason could be that as a source of omega-3 fatty acids, flaxseed can alter how cancer cells lump together or cling to other body cells, both factors in how fast cancer cells proliferate, Demark-Wahnefried said. The researchers also suspect that lignans may have antiangiogenic properties, meaning they are able to choke off a tumor's blood supply, stunting its growth.

"We are excited that this study showed that flaxseed is safe and associated with a protective effect on prostate cancer," Demark-Wahnefried said.

One group ate three tablespoons of flaxseed each day (by mixing it with yogurt or water, for example) and maintained a low-fat diet. Of the remaining three groups, one maintained a low-fat diet, another ate flaxseed, and the last was a control that made no lifestyle change.

The analysis revealed that 50% fewer of the tumour cells from men assigned to eat flaxseed - with or without maintaining a low-fat diet - were actively dividing compared with those of their control counterparts. Maintaining a low-fat diet alone did not appear to affect tumour growth.

"Unfortunately, nobody knows for sure" how the flaxseed provides this benefit, Demark-Wahnefried says. She speculates that replacing omega-6 molecules in the body with omega-3 compounds may send chemical signals that tell cells not to divide.

There are about 4 grams of omega-3 fatty acids in 3 tablespoons of flaxseed, Demark-Wahnefried says.


31st May  2007
Fetuses experience stress earlier than thought
16:07 31 May 2007 NewScientist.com news service
           Stress in a pregnant woman may be experienced by her unborn fetus as early as 17 weeks into gestation, researchers say.
A new study, which measured levels of a maternally produced stress hormone that are excreted by the fetus, also demonstrates that testing amniotic fluid samples offers a useful alternative to fetal blood sampling, which is a more risky, invasive procedure.
Researchers have long suspected that maternal stress can damage a developing fetus, when stress hormones such as cortisol cross the placenta. Now scientists have new evidence that the unborn child's exposure to cortisol following maternal stress is evident earlier in gestation than previously believed.
             Pampa Sarkar and colleagues at Imperial College, London, UK, analysed blood and amniotic fluid samples from 267 pregnant women, and found a strong correlation in levels of cortisol in the two fluids in each woman.
The correlation between the mothers' blood cortisol levels and the amount of cortisol found in her amniotic fluid could be seen from as early as 17 weeks gestation.
"Before then, the placenta may allow less cortisol to leak across to the fetus", says Sarkar, who wants to investigate this possibility further in her next study.

31st May  2007

Yoga May Elevate Brain GABA Levels, Suggesting Possible Treatment For Depression
Science Daily — Researchers at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and McLean Hospital have found that practicing yoga may elevate brain gamma-aminobutyric (GABA) levels, the brain's primary inhibitory neurotransmitter.

The World Health Organization reports that mental illness makes up to fifteen percent of disease in the world. Depression and anxiety disorders both contribute to this burden and are associated with low GABA levels. Currently, these disorders have been successfully treated with pharmaceutical agents designed to increase GABA levels.

Using magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging, the researchers compared the GABA levels of eight subjects prior to and after one hour of yoga, with 11 subjects who did no yoga but instead read for one hour. The researchers found a twenty-seven percent increase in GABA levels in the yoga practitioner group after their session, but no change in the comparison subject group after their reading session. The acquisition of the GABA levels was done using a magnetic resonance spectroscopy technique developed by J. Eric Jensen, PhD, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and an associate physicist at McLean Hospital.

According to the researchers, yoga has shown promise in improving symptoms associated with depression, anxiety and epilepsy. "Our findings clearly demonstrate that in experienced yoga practitioners, brain GABA levels increase after a session of yoga," said lead author Chris Streeter, MD, an assistant professor of psychiatry and neurology at BUSM and a research associate at McLean Hospital.

"This study contributes to the understanding of how the GABA system is affected by both pharmacologic and behavioral interventions and will help to guide the development of new treatments for low GABA states," said co-author Domenic Ciraulo, MD, professor and chairman of the department of psychiatry at BUSM.

"The development of an inexpensive, widely available intervention such as yoga that has no side effects but is effective in alleviating the symptoms of disorders associated with low GABA levels has clear public health advantage," added senior author Perry Renshaw, MD, PhD, director of the Brain Imaging Center at Harvard-affiliated McLean Hospital.

31st May  2007
Vitamin A Helps Reduce Wrinkles Associated With Natural Skin Aging
Science Daily — Applying vitamin A to the skin appears to improve the wrinkles associated with natural aging and may help to promote the production of skin-building compounds, according to a new report.

The wrinkles and brown spots associated with aging appear first and most prominently on skin exposed to the sun, according to background information in the article.

31st May  2007
Scientists Isolate Anti-cancer Compounds From Apple Peel
Science Daily — Doctor Mom's admonition, "Don't peel your apple," is getting new scientific support from scientists in New York, who are reporting isolation of chemical compounds from apple peel that may be involved in the apple's beneficial health effects.

In the study, Rui Hai Liu and Xiangjiu He point out that apple consumption has been linked to a reduced risk of chronic health problems such as lung cancer, heart disease, and stroke. Traditional advice on eating apple peel was based mainly on its fiber content, with peel packing about 75 percent of the dietary fiber in an apple. More recently, however, scientists have shown that the peel also contains most of the beneficial phytochemicals believed to be responsible for the apple-a-day-keeps-the-doctor-away effect.

Until now, however, scientists had not identified the specific phytochemicals responsible for apple's anti-cancer effects. Xiangjiu He and Liu processed 231 pounds of Red Delicious apples and extracted phytochemicals from about 24 pounds of peel. They screened the compounds for anti-cancer effects in laboratory cultures of human liver, breast, and colon cancer cells. In doing so, they identified a group of compounds with "potent" anti-cancer effects.

Article: "Triterpenoids isolated from Apple Peels Have Potent Antiproliferative Activity and May be Partially Responsible for Apple's Anticancer Activity"

31st May  2007
Risk Of Parkinson's Disease Increases With Pesticide Exposure And Head Trauma
Science Daily — Exposure to pesticides and traumatic head injury may have a causative role in Parkinson's disease, according to a new study.

People who had been exposed to low levels of pesticides were found to be 1.13 times as likely to have Parkinson's disease compared with those who had never been exposed. Those who had been exposed to high levels of pesticides were 1.41 times as likely to be affected.
 

17th May  2007
Boiling Broccoli Ruins Its Anti-cancer Properties, According To Study
Science Daily — Researchers at the University of Warwick have found that the standard British cooking habit of boiling vegetables severely damages the anticancer properties of many Brassica vegetables such as broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cauliflower and green cabbage.

Past studies have shown that consumption of Brassica vegetables decreases the risk of cancer. This is because of the high concentration in Brassicas of substances known as glucosinolates which are metabolized to cancer preventive substances known as isothiocyanates. However before this research it was not known how the glucosinolates and isothiocyanates were influenced by storage and cooking of Brassica vegetables.

Boiling appeared to have a serious impact on the retention of those important glucosinolate within the vegetables. The loss of total glucosinolate content after boiling for 30 minutes was: broccoli 77%, Brussel sprouts 58%, cauliflower 75% and green cabbage 65%.

The effects of other cooking methods were investigated: steaming for 0–20 min, microwave cooking for 0–3 min and stir-fry cooking for 0–5 min. All three methods gave no significant loss of total glucosinolate analyte contents over these cooking periods.

Domestic storage of the vegetables at ambient temperature and in a domestic refrigerator showed no significant difference with only minor loss of glucosinolate levels over 7 days.

However the researchers found that storage of fresh vegetables at much lower temperatures such as −85 °C (much higher than for storage in a refrigerator at 4–8 °C) may cause significant loss of glucosinolates up to 33% by fracture of vegetable material during thawing.

The researchers found that preparation of Brassica vegetables had caused only minor reductions in glucosinolate except when they were shredded finely which showed a marked decline of glucosinolate levels with a loss of up to 75% over 6 hours after shredding.

Professor Thornalley said: "If you want to get the maximum benefit from your five portions-a-day vegetable consumption, if you are cooking your vegetables boiling is out. You need to consider stir frying or steaming."

17th May  2007
Full-term, Low-birth-weight Babies At Significantly Greater Risk For Early Respiratory Symptoms
Science Daily — Through age 5, children born at full term with low birth weight show significantly greater risk for developing respiratory symptoms, including wheezing, coughing and pulmonary infections, according to a large longitudinal study on birth weight and development. The children's symptoms grew worse if they were exposed to environmental tobacco smoke.
The authors defined low birth weight as 5.5 pounds at birth.

"Size and maturity are major factors in the development of the lung," said Dr. de Jongste. "In children with diminished prenatal growth, and consequently low birth weight, a disturbed lung development is associated with a relatively small airway caliber. This can cause decreased lung function and more respiratory symptoms later in life."

17th May  2007
Heavy Multivitamin Use May Be Linked To Advanced Prostate Cancer
Science Daily — While regular multivitamin use is not linked with early or localized prostate cancer, taking too many multivitamins may be associated with an increased risk for advanced or fatal prostate cancers, according to a study in the May 16 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Millions of Americans take multivitamins because of a belief in their potential health benefits, even though there is limited scientific evidence that they prevent chronic disease. Researchers have wondered what impact multivitamin use might have on cancer risk.

17th May  2007

Skin test for peanut allergies may not be accurate
Many children are erroneously told they have a peanut allergy because the standard skin-prick test is not accurate enough, a new study suggests.

One in 200 infants is allergic to peanuts. Reactions can be serious, even life-threatening, meaning such children’s diets must be carefully monitored.

But some of these families are worrying unnecessarily, says Brynn Wainstein at Sydney Children’s Hospital in Australia.

Wainstein and colleagues studied 84 children who tested positive to having a peanut allergy using the standard skin-prick test, which involves placing a peanut extract on the skin, then pricking the skin through the drop.

17th May  2007
Fatty Acid Catabolism Higher Due To Polyphenol Intake
Science Daily — Polyphenols, dietary substances from vegetables, fruits and green tea, bring about a change in the energy metabolism. Dutch researcher Vincent de Boer has discovered that polyphenols increase the fatty acid breakdown in rats and influence the glucose use in fat cells.
 However in the body, polyphenols are quickly and easily converted into polyphenol metabolites. This research was carried out with rats to study the mechanisms and effects of a polyphenol-rich diet. Relevant polyphenol metabolites that are found in humans were also examined.

Quercetin is a polyphenol that is highly abundant in the human diet, such as onions, apples and tea. The study revealed that quercetin metabolites mainly end up in the lungs of rats. Subsequently De Boer discovered that lung cells had a greater fatty acid catabolism if the animals constantly received quercetin in their feed.

15th May  2007
Grain Fiber And Magnesium Intake Associated With Lower Risk For Diabetes
Science Daily — Higher dietary intake of fiber from grains and cereals and of magnesium may each be associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, according to a report and meta-analysis in the May 14 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.


Projections indicate that the number of people diagnosed with diabetes worldwide may increase from 171 million in 2000 to 370 million by 2030, according to background information in the article. The associated illness, death and health care costs emphasize the need for effective prevention, the authors write. Fiber may help reduce the risk of diabetes by increasing the amount of nutrients absorbed by the body and reducing blood sugar spikes after eating, among other mechanisms. Current American Diabetes Association guidelines include goals for total fiber intake, but research suggests that some types of fiber may be more beneficial than others. Findings regarding magnesium and diabetes risk remain unclear

the authors conclude. "Whole-grain foods are therefore important in diabetes prevention."

15th May  2007
Slim does not always mean healthy
LONDON - If it really is what's on the inside that counts, then a lot of thin people might be in trouble. Some doctors now think that the internal fat surrounding vital organs like the heart, liver or pancreas — invisible to the naked eye — could be as dangerous as the more obvious external fat that bulges underneath the skin.

"Being thin doesn't automatically mean you're not fat," said Dr. Jimmy Bell, a professor of molecular imaging at Imperial College, London. Since 1994, Bell and his team have scanned nearly 800 people with MRI machines to create "fat maps" showing where people store fat.

According to the data, people who maintain their weight through diet rather than exercise are likely to have major deposits of internal fat, even if they are otherwise slim. "The whole concept of being fat needs to be redefined," said Bell, whose research is funded by Britain's Medical Research Council.

"Just because someone is lean doesn't make them immune to diabetes or other risk factors for heart disease," said Dr. Louis Teichholz, chief of cardiology at Hackensack Hospital in New Jersey, who was not involved in Bell's research.

Even people with normal Body Mass Index scores — a standard obesity measure that divides your weight by the square of your height — can have surprising levels of fat deposits inside.

Of the women scanned by Bell and his colleagues, as many as 45 percent of those with normal BMI scores (20 to 25) actually had excessive levels of internal fat. Among men, the percentage was nearly 60 percent.

Relating the news to what Bell calls "TOFIs" — people who are "thin outside, fat inside" — is rarely uneventful. "The thinner people are, the bigger the surprise," he said, adding the researchers even found TOFIs among people who are professional models.

According to Bell, people who are fat on the inside are essentially on the threshold of being obese. They eat too many fatty, sugary foods — and exercise too little to work it off — but they are not eating enough to actually be fat. Scientists believe we naturally accumulate fat around the belly first, but at some point, the body may start storing it elsewhere.

The good news is that internal fat can be easily burned off through exercise or even by improving your diet. "Even if you don't see it on your bathroom scale, caloric restriction and physical exercise have an aggressive effect on visceral fat," said Dr. Bob Ross, an obesity expert at Queen's University in Canada.

When it comes to being fit, experts say there is no short-cut. "If you just want to look thin, then maybe dieting is enough," Bell said. "But if you want to actually be healthy, then exercise has to be an important component of your lifestyle

15th May  2007
Exercise, Acupuncture Help Women Turn Their Backs On Pregnancy Pain
Science Daily — Stretching exercises, special pillows and acupuncture could help relieve back and pelvic pain that often occur during pregnancy, according to an updated review.


As pregnancy progresses, back and pelvic pain can interfere with daily activities such as carrying groceries, cleaning and walking, and can disrupt work or sleep also. More than two-thirds of pregnant women experience back pain and almost one-fifth report pelvic pain.

“When you’re pregnant, your center of gravity is off. You have to arch your back to balance this huge tummy, so you end up with extra strain on your back and pelvic muscles,” said Victoria Pennick, M.H.Sc., registered nurse and lead review author.

The review looked at eight studies that examined the effect of adding pregnancy-specific strengthening exercises, water exercises, acupuncture and other pain-relief interventions to regular prenatal care. None of the studies dealt specifically with back or pelvic pain prevention.

On average, women who followed through with the pelvic or back pain interventions experienced some pain relief and reported less need for pain medication, physical therapy and posture-support belts.

7th May  2007
Why Wounds Are Slow To Heal In Diabetics
 Individuals with diabetes often experience slow or limited wound healing. Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), which derive from bone marrow, normally travel to sites of injury and are essential for the formation of blood vessels and wound healing. In a study reported  the numbers of these vital EPCs are decreased in the circulation and at wound sites in diabetes.

The authors examined diabetic mice and found that increased oxygen levels (hyperoxia) enhanced the mobilization of EPCs from the bone marrow to the peripheral blood circulation. The high oxygen levels increased the activation of the bone marrow enzyme eNOS, which stimulated nitric oxide production, helping to produce greater numbers of EPCs.

7th May  2007
Stress Slows Wound Healing; Oxygen Helps
 Wound healing is slow when an animal is stressed, but extra oxygen almost completely reverses the effect, according to researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

In a study  psychological stress, brought on by confinement, delayed the closing of wounds by more than 45 percent. However, when the animals received hyperbaric oxygen (oxygen at a greater pressure than atmospheric oxygen), the delay in healing was almost eliminated.

Marucha said stress launches a sequence of events that constrict blood vessels and deprive the tissues of oxygen.

"Without sufficient oxygen, tissues can't heal," he said. "Oxygen activates the inflammatory cells of the immune system that help healing. Also, oxygen derivatives like bleach and peroxide are part of the arsenal of noxious products that these cells use to kill the bacteria in wounds."

The researchers hypothesized that the hyperbaric oxygen therapy reversed the delay in healing not because it relieved stress, but because it helped directly in wound healing.

To test that hypothesis, they measured levels of expression of the gene for an enzyme called inducible nitric oxide synthase, which makes nitric oxide. Nitric oxide is critically involved in wound healing, by increasing blood flow and the delivery of oxygen, and by attacking bacteria. If oxygen levels fall, the gene's activity increases.

The researchers found that when animals were stressed, expression of the gene increased, presumably to help make more nitric oxide. But when the animals received hyperbaric oxygen, gene expression returned to normal levels, suggesting that the nitric oxide levels necessary for healing had been restored by the increased tissue oxygen levels.

How oxygen helps in cancer click below link.
http://www.cancer.org/docroot/ETO/content/ETO_5_3x_Hyperbaric_oxygen_therapy.asp

3rd May  2007

Parents Can Sneak Veggies Into Kids' Diet

 Parents who want their kids to consume fewer calories and eat more vegetables might find a healthy solution with "stealth vegetables."  To combat the epidemic of childhood obesity, the World Health Organization recommends reducing children's consumption of calorie-dense foods.  "Parents often find it difficult to get their kids to eat vegetables."

The researchers developed two variations of pasta, and served the dishes to 61 children between 3-5 years of age on different occasions. One dish had a higher calorie density (1.6 kilocalories per gram), while the second dish was 25 percent lower in calorie density (1.2 kilocalories per gram) and had a larger amount of vegetables.

"We blended broccoli and cauliflower and incorporated it into the pasta sauce," said Kathleen E. Leahy, doctoral candidate and lead author of the study. "The kids could not really tell the difference and ate a consistent weight of pasta."

Leahy, however, notes that parents should still actively promote the consumption of vegetables by serving them regularly and eating them with their children. "You not only want to increase their vegetable intake but also want to ensure that your kids will acquire a taste for vegetables," she added.

3rd May  2007

Wild Garlic And Other South African Plants May Have Potential For Treating High Blood Pressure. Eight plant extracts may hold value for treating high blood pressure (hypertension).  The study, entitled ACE Inhibitor Activity of Nutritive Plants in Kwa-Zulu Natal. Hypertension is treated with medication, including drugs such as angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) and angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARB). These drugs not only lower blood pressure but offer additional protection to the brain and heart. ACEI, in particular, provide beneficial properties to patients with type 1 diabetes.

The best were

Amaranthus dubius,a flowering plant also known as spleen amaranth

Amaranthus hybridus, commonly known as smooth pigweed or slim amaranth

Amaranthus spinosus, also known as spiny amaranth

28th April  2007

Eating Soup Will Help Cut Calories At Meals

Eating low-calorie soup before a meal can help cut back on how much food and calories you eat at the meal, a new Penn State study shows. Results show that when participants in the study ate a first course of soup before a lunch entree, they reduced their total calorie intake at lunch (soup + entrée) by 20 percent, compared to when they did not eat soup.

"This study expands on previous studies about consuming lower-calorie soup as a way to reduce food intake," says co-author Dr. Barbara Rolls.

The study tested whether the form of soup and the blending of its ingredients also affected food intake and satiety. All of the soups tested in the study were made from identical ingredients: broccoli, potato, cauliflower, carrots and butter. However, the methods used to blend the ingredients varied, so that the form of the soup changed. Soups tested included separate broth and vegetables, chunky vegetable soup, chunky-pureed vegetable soup, and pureed vegetable soup.

While researchers thought that increasing the thickness or the amount of chewing required may have made certain forms of soup more filling, results of the study show that low-calorie soup is filling regardless of its form.

"Consuming a first-course of low-calorie soup, in a variety of forms, can help with managing weight, as is shown in this research and earlier studies. Using this strategy allows people to get an extra course at the meal, while eating fewer total calories," says Flood. "But make sure to choose wisely, by picking low-calorie, broth-based soups that are about 100 to 150 calories per serving. Be careful of higher-calorie, cream-based soups that could actually increase the total calories consumed."

28th April  2007

A Woman's Age At First Menstruation Influences Risk Of Obesity For Her Children

A new study published in PLoS Medicine suggests that the age when a woman's periods start may affect her children's growth rate during childhood, final height and risk of obesity in later life. Researchers studied the association between mother's age at first menstruation, mother's adult body size and obesity risk, and children's growth and obesity risk in 6,009 children from the UK Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) in Bristol.

In mothers, earlier age of periods was associated with shorter adult height, increased weight, and body mass index compared with women whose periods started later. The children of women whose periods started earlier had a faster growth tempo, characterised by rapid weight gain and growth, particularly during infancy, which led to taller childhood stature. However this pattern of childhood growth is likely to result in earlier maturation and therefore shorter adult stature. This growth pattern is known to confer an increased risk of childhood and adult obesity.

The researchers conclude that "earlier age at menarche may indicate a transgenerational influence toward a faster tempo of childhood growth, which is transmitted from the mother to her offspring" and that "understanding the genetic, epigenetic, or behavioural factors that underlie this process will identify processes that regulate both the timing of puberty and the risk of childhood-onset obesity."

 28th April  2007 Concerns over synthetic fragrances in breast milk
Record levels of synthetic fragrances from everyday cleaning, deodorising and beauty products have been found in the breast milk of American women.

Kurunthachalam Kannan from New York state's Department of Health and his colleagues found that levels of synthetic musks in breast milk from 39 women were five times those found in European women nearly a decade ago (Environmental Science & Technology, DOI: 10.1021/es063088a).

Since the musks do not accumulate in human tissue, the most likely cause of the increase is a rise in exposure, Kannan says. Other studies have found increasing concentrations in soil, water, wildlife and human fat.

Little is known about the health risks of these fragrances, more accurately known as polycyclic musks. Older fragrances, called nitro musks, caused cancer in animals, and there are indications that high doses of polycyclic musks may cause developmental and reproductive problems. So far, though, no one has looked at the possibility of more subtle effects, says Kannan.
 

 28th April  2007 Copper Surfaces May Inhibit Influenza A Transmission

Researchers have determined that copper surfaces are significantly better than stainless steel at protecting against influenza A exposure. 

Influenza A is a viral pathogen responsible for high mortality rates worldwide. The virus is easily transferred and can survive on a range of environmental surfaces. Previous studies have confirmed antimicrobial properties in copper against pathogenic bacteria, but antiviral activity has yet to be tested.

In the study influenza A particles were exposed to copper and stainless steel surfaces and incubated at 71.6 degrees Fahrenheit and 50 to 60% relative humidity. After 6 hours of exposure to copper only 500 virus particles were active, while 500,000 remained viable after 24 hours of incubation on stainless steel.

"The current study shows that copper surfaces may contribute to the number of control barriers able to reduce transmission of the virus, particularly in facilities, such as schools and health care units, where viral contamination has the ability to cause serious infection," say the researchers.

28th April  2007  Antioxidants May Aid Chemotherapy Patients

There is no evidence that antioxidant supplements interfere with the therapeutic effects of chemotherapy agents, according to a recent systematic review of the use of antioxidants during chemotherapy, available in the May, 2007 issue of the peer-reviewed journal Cancer Treatment Reviews. In fact, they may help increase survival rates, tumor response, and the patient’s ability to tolerate treatment.

Among the findings:

• All of the studies that included survival data showed similar or better survival rates for the antioxidant group than the control group.

• None of the trials supported the theory that antioxidant supplements diminish the effectiveness of chemotherapy treatments.

• All but one of the studies that reported treatment response showed similar or better response in the antioxidant group than in the control group.

• 15 of 17 trials that assessed chemotherapy toxicities, including diarrhea, weight loss, nerve damage and low blood counts, concluded that the antioxidant group suffered similar or lower rates of these side effects than the control group.

The authors noted that reducing side effects may help patients avoid having to cut back on their chemotherapy dosing, interrupt scheduled treatments, or abandon treatment altogether. This in turn, is likely to favorably impact treatment outcomes

  28th April  2007

Sleep Strengthens Your Memory

Science Daily — Sleep not only protects memories from outside interferences, but also helps strengthen them, according to research presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 59th Annual Meeting in Boston.

\The study found that people who slept after learning the information performed best, successfully recalling more words. Those in the sleep group without interference were able to recall 12 percent more word pairings from the first list than the wake group without interference. With interference, the recall rate was 44 percent higher for the sleep group.

"This is the first study to show that sleep protects memories from interference," said study author Jeffrey Ellenbogen, MD, with Harvard Medical School in Boston, MA, and Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology. "These results provide important insights into how the sleeping brain interacts with memories: it appears to strengthen them. Perhaps, then, sleep disorders might worsen memory problems seen in dementia."

 28th April  2007 Peanut Oil good for heart

The high-monounsaturated fats (MUFA) diet goes against the conventional wisdom of heart disease prevention in that it is even higher in fat than the average American diet. Instead of replacing lost dietary fats with carbohydrates, the high MUFA diet makes up the "fat equation" with increased amounts of several different monounsaturated fats. In order to expand the choices available to heart-healthy consumers, the researchers set out to test the efficacy of other sources of MUFA's than olive oils--with focus on peanut butter and peanut oil.

An accompanying editorial by Elaine Feldman stresses the biochemical similarities between olive and peanut oils, and the extra benefits conveyed by peanuts' high protein content (25-30 %). Peanuts are not true nuts, but are actually legumes, and are unique in the plant kingdom in that they may contain the heart-healthiest of the saturated fatty acids.

Kris-Etherton, P M et al. High-monounsaturated fatty acid diets lower both plasma cholesterol and triacyglycerol concentrations. Am J Clin Nutr 1999; 70:1009-15.

24th April  2007  High Insulin Levels Impair Intestinal Metabolic Function

Nutritional scientists at the University of Alberta have found that excessive insulin appears to slow the removal of chylomicrons from the blood stream following a fatty meal. Chylomicrons transport dietary fat from the intestine to the rest of the body.

The researchers note that excessive insulin appears to alter the mechanics of blood vessel walls, allowing chylomicrons and cholesterol to build up in them, which, over time, creates blockages in the blood stream, leading to heart problems.

High insulin levels are caused by excessive consumption of sugar and fatty foods. Perpetually high insulin levels can lead to insulin resistance, which predisposes individuals to develop Type 2 diabetes and increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

It is estimated fifty per cent of cardiovascular disease events occur in the presence of normal LDL-cholesterol levels; therefore Vine believes anyone concerned about developing cardiovascular disease should not only have their LDL cholesterol levels checked but should also check the amount of chylomicrons in their blood stream.

If chylomicron levels were high, Vine said it would pay to consume less fatty foods over the day. Aside from critical dietary manipulation, there are also emerging drugs that can target intestinal cholesterol and perhaps improve chylomicron metabolism, she added.

24th April  2007 High Melatonin Content Can Help Delay Aging, Mouse Study Suggests

Consuming melatonin neutralizes oxidative damage and delays the neurodegenerative process of aging. Melatonin – a natural substance produced in small amounts by human beings and present in many types of food – delays the oxidative damage and inflammatory processes typical of the old age. Melatonin can be found in small amounts in some fruits and vegetables, like onions, cherries and bananas, and in cereals like corn, oats and rice, as well as in some aromatic plants, such as mint, lemon verbena, sage or thyme, and in red wine.

The UGR researcher points out that such oxidative stress also has effects in animals’ blood, as blood cells have been proven to be “more fragile with the years and, therefore, their cell membranes become easier to break".

24th April  2007  Food Preparation May Play A Big Role In Chronic Disease

Science Daily — How your food is cooked may be as important to your health as the food itself. Researchers now know more about a new class of toxins that might soon become as important a risk factor for heart disease and metabolic disorders as trans fats.

"AGEs are quite deceptive, since they also give our food desirable tastes and smells," says Helen Vlassara, MD, senior study author. "So, consuming high amounts of grilled, broiled, or fried food means consuming significant amounts of AGEs, and AGEs in excess are toxic."

This class of toxins, called advanced glycation end products (AGEs), are absorbed into the body through the consumption of grilled, fried, or broiled animal products, such as meats and cheeses. AGEs, which are also produced when food products are sterilized and pasteurized, have been linked to inflammation, insulin resistance, diabetes, vascular and kidney disease, and Alzheimer's disease.

A new study at Mount Sinai School of Medicine reveals that AGE levels are elevated in the blood of healthy people, and even more so in older individuals than in younger people.

"AGEs are quite deceptive, since they also give our food desirable tastes and smells,"

Inflammation and oxidative stress are more common in older age, so the goal of the study was to assess whether AGEs played a significant role in age-related inflammation and oxidative stress by measuring AGE levels in both young and older individuals.

         Much to the researchers' surprise, the study also showed that AGE levels could be very high in young healthy people. In fact, high AGE levels found in some healthy adults in this study were on par with AGE levels observed in diabetic patients in their earlier studies. The fact that healthy adults had levels similar to those seen in diabetic patients may suggest that early and prolonged exposure to these substances in the diet could accelerate the onset of diseases. Dr. Vlassara notes that the availability and consumption of AGE-rich foods is high and correlates with rising rates of diabetes and heart disease.

"Excessive intake of fried, broiled, and grilled foods can overload the body's natural capacity to remove AGEs," Dr. Vlassara notes, "so they accumulate in our tissues, and take over the body's own built-in defenses, pushing them toward a state of inflammation. Over time, this can precipitate disease or early aging." Once AGEs enter the body, it becomes more difficult to get them out, especially as people age. Older people have a reduced capacity for removing AGEs from the body, the researchers explain, most likely because kidney function slows down as the body ages.

As Dr. Vlassara cautions, "although the accumulation of AGEs pose an immediate and significant health threat to the older adult population, they are also an invisible, lingering danger especially for younger people and this needs to be addressed. AGE levels should be shown on nutrition labels so everyone is aware of them when buying or preparing meals -- and our studies explain why."

A Simple Solution: Steam, Boil, Stew Despite the ubiquity of AGEs, Dr. Vlassara and her team offer simple, safe, and economic solutions that echo the recommendations given concerning trans fats--watch what you eat. New methods of cooking to reduce AGE intake, particularly steaming, boiling or making stews, can make a difference. "Keeping the heat down and maintaining the water content in food reduces AGE levels," Dr. Vlassara says. A 50 percent reduction in AGE intake could have a significant and positive impact on overall health and may even help extend one's lifespan, according to Dr. Vlassara. In other studies, the team has found that cutting AGE intake in half, but maintaining a diet comprised of the same calories and fat, increased the lifespan of animals when compared with animals fed their usual diet.

At the moment, changing one's approaches to cooking is the only defense against excessive AGE consumption. There is no routine clinical test to inform individuals of their blood or dietary AGE levels nor established treatment to reduce high AGE blood levels. "The concept that food-related AGE intake is harmful is new to the general public," says Dr. Vlassara, "and scientists are now seeing how AGE intake fits with the current trends of disease epidemics. Hopefully, these wake-up signals, together with other gathering evidence at the cellular and molecular level, will accelerate our efforts to develop effective measures against excessive dietary AGEs. This issue, however, should be dealt with as an important health hazard now, rather than later

16th April  2007 Green Tea And EGCG May Help Prevent Auto-immune Diseases  Green tea may help protect against autoimmune disease,  Medical College of Georgia researchers say. Dr Stephen Hsu and colleagues found that green tea may help protect against autoimmune disease. (Credit: Image courtesy of Medical College of Georgia) Researchers  studied an animal model for type I diabetes and primary Sjogren's Syndrome,  which damages the glands that produce tears and saliva. 

They found significantly less  salivary gland damage in a group treated with green tea extract, suggesting a  reduction of the Sjogren's symptom commonly referred to as dry mouth.  Dry mouth can also be caused by certain  drugs, radiation and other diseases.

16th April  2007 Dogs Lived 1.8 Years Longer On Low Calorie Diet: Gut Flora May Explain It Changes caused to bugs in the gut by restricting calorie intake may partly explain why dietary restriction can extend lifespan, according to new analysis from a life-long project looking at the effects of dietary restriction on Labrador Retriever dogs.

 Study found that dogs on a diet lived on average 1.8 years longer than those with a greater calorie intake. (Credit: Michele Hogan)  Bugs in the gut are known as gut microbes and they live symbiotically in human and animal bodies, playing an important role in metabolism. Abnormalities in some types of gut microbes have recently been linked to diseases such as diabetes and obesity. 

Today's research, published in the Journal of Proteome Research, was based on a study in which 24 dogs were paired, with one dog in each pair given 25% less food than the other. Those with a restricted intake of calories lived, on average, about 1.8 years longer than those with a greater intake and they had fewer problems with diseases such as diabetes and osteoarthritis, plus an older median age for onset of late-life diseases.

 The scientists believe that differences in the makeup of gut microbes between the two sets of dogs could partly explain their metabolic differences. The dogs that were not on a restricted diet had increased levels of potentially unhealthy  aliphatic amines in their urine. These reflect reduced levels of a nutrient that is essential for metabolising fat, known as choline, indicating the presence of a certain makeup of gut microbe in the dogs. This makeup of gut microbes has been associated in recent studies with the development of insulin resistance and obesity.

 16th April  2007 Energy-Restricted Diets Shown To Be Best For Improving Lipid Profiles    Dietary fat has been strongly implicated in Western cultures as a factor that contributes to high rates of heart disease. In a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Raeini-Sarjaz et al. investigated whether fat restriction differed from energy restriction in its effect on circulating concentrations of serum lipids. Overall, plasma lipid profiles differed after diets based on reductions in fat, energy or both. The authors conclude that the energy-restricted diet offered the most positive alteration of lipid profiles through favorable changes in HDL-cholesterol,triacylglycerol concentrations, and HDL:LDL ratios.

 16th April  2007 Changing To A Low-fat Diet Can Induce Stress   Changing one's diet to lose weight is often difficult. There may be physical and psychological effects from a changed diet that reduce the chances for success. With nearly 65% of the adult population currently classified as overweight or obese and with calorically dense foods high in fat and carbohydrates readily available, investigating those factors that contribute to dieting failures is an important effort.  

16th April  2007 Eating Less Salt Could Prevent Cardiovascular Disease  People who significantly cut back on the amount of salt in their diet could reduce their chances of developing cardiovascular disease by a quarter, according to a recent report. Researchers in Boston also found a reduction in salt intake could lower the risk of death from cardiovascular disease by up to a fifth.

16th April  2007

Popular (Ayurvedic) Herbal Supplement (Triphala) Hinders Growth Of Pancreatic Cancer Cells

           A new study from the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute suggests that a commonly used herbal supplement, triphala, has cancer-fighting properties that prevent or slow the growth of pancreatic cancer tumors implanted in mice. The study found that an extract of triphala, the dried and powdered fruits of three plants, caused pancreatic cancer cells to die through a process called apoptosis -- the body's normal method of disposing of damaged, unwanted or unneeded cells. This process often is faulty in cancer cells. Results of the study, are being presented in a late-breaking session at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, April 14-18, at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

          Triphala, one of the most popular herbal preparations in the world, is used for the treatment of intestinal-related disorders. It is typically taken with water and thought to promote appetite and digestion and to increase the number of red blood cells.

"We discovered that triphala fed orally to mice with human pancreatic tumors was an extremely effective inhibitor of the cancer process, inducing apoptosis in cancer cells," said Sanjay K. Srivastava, Ph.D., lead investigator and assistant professor, department of pharmacology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. "Triphala triggered the cancerous cells to die off and significantly reduced the size of the tumors without causing any toxic side effects."

Dr. Srivastava and colleagues fed mice grafted with human pancreatic tumors 1 to 2 milligrams of triphala for five days a week and then compared tumor size and levels of apoptotic proteins in the tumors to a control group of mice that received normal saline only. They found that the mice that received triphala had increased levels of proteins associated with apoptosis and significantly smaller tumor sizes when compared to the control group. Triphala-treated tumors were half the size of tumors in untreated mice. Further testing revealed that triphala activated tumor-suppressor genes, resulting in the generation of proteins that support apoptosis, but did not negatively affect normal pancreatic cells.

"Our results demonstrate that triphala has strong anticancer properties given its ability to induce apoptosis in pancreatic cancer cells without damaging normal pancreatic cells," said Dr. Srivastava. "With follow-up studies, we hope to demonstrate its potential use as a novel agent for the prevention and treatment of pancreatic cancer," said Dr. Srivastava. Pancreatic cancer is the fifth-leading cause of cancer death in the United States and is one of the most aggressive cancers, with an extremely poor prognosis.

14th April  2007

What's In The Water? Estrogen-like Chemicals Found In Fish Caught In Pittsburgh's Rivers, A new study from the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute's Center for Environmental Oncology suggests that fish caught in Pittsburgh rivers contain substances that mimic the actions of estrogen, the female hormone. Since fish are sentinels of the environment, and can concentrate chemicals from their habitat within their bodies, these results suggest that feminizing chemicals may be making their way into the region's waterways.

10th April  2007

Obesity's helper in triggering diabetes

If true, it could turn the conventional wisdom of how obesity causes diabetes on its head. Emerging evidence suggests that pollutants stored in body fat may be contributing to the ongoing rise of type 2 diabetes. 

While obesity is still thought to be a major cause, there is more and more evidence to suggest that persistent organic pollutants (POPs) also play a key role.

"While obesity is thought to be a major cause, there is more and more evidence to suggest that pollutants also play a key role"

POPs are synthetic chemicals that can accumulate in the fatty tissue of animals. Many POPs - such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), which were used as coolants in electrical equipment, and pesticides such as DDT - have been banned in developed countries, but they remain in the

food chain and often end up in people.

 10th April  2007

 Most Physicians Believe That Religion Influences Patients' Health More than half of physicians believe that religion and spirituality have a significant influence on patients' health, according to a report in the April 9 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. Physicians who are most religious are more likely to interpret the influence of religion and spirituality in positive ways. The study also found that 76 percent of physicians believe that religion and spirituality helps patients cope, 74 percent believe that it gives patients a positive state of mind and 55 percent report that it provides emotional and practical support through religious community. Few physicians (7 percent) believe that religion and spirituality often causes negative emotions such as guilt and anxiety, 2 percent think it leads patients to decline medical therapy and 4 percent report that patients use it to avoid taking responsibility for their health, but about one-third believe it has these harmful influences sometimes.

10th April  2007

Arsenic In Chicken Feed May Pose Health Risks To Humans

Pets may not be the only organisms endangered by some food additives. An arsenic-based additive used in chicken feed may pose health risks to humans who eat meat from chickens that are raised on the feed, according to an article in the April 9 issue of Chemical & Engineering News, the weekly news magazine of the American Chemical Society. Roxarsone, the most common arsenic-based additive used in chicken feed, is used to promote growth, kill parasites and improve pigmentation of chicken meat. In its original form, roxarsone is relatively benign. But under certain anaerobic conditions, within live chickens and on farm land, the compound is converted into more toxic forms of inorganic arsenic. Arsenic has been linked to bladder, lung, skin, kidney and colon cancer, while low-level exposures can lead to partial paralysis and diabetes, the article notes.

10th April  2007

Herbal Treatment Effective For Recurring Urinary Tract Infections A common herbal extract available in health food stores can greatly reduce urinary tract infections and could potentially enhance the ability of antibiotics to kill the bacteria that cause 90 percent of infections in the bladder. Researchers at Duke University Medical Center, in a series of experiments in mice, believe they have also discovered why many urinary tract infections in the bladder return even after treatment with antibiotics.

         They found that some bacteria hide in cells lining the bladder, where they cannot be reached by antibiotics. But they also found that forskolin, an extract from the Indian coleus plant, flushes out hiding colonies of bacteria, making them susceptible to antibiotic treatment. "After customary antibiotic treatment, the vast majority of the bacteria are either killed by the antibiotics or eliminated during urination," Abraham said. "However, there are small numbers of bacteria that survive antibiotic treatment because they sneak into the lining of the bladder, waiting for the opportunity, after antibiotic treatment, to come out and start multiplying again." The researchers found that forskalin has the ability to force the bacteria out of their niches and into the urine, where they can be killed by antibiotics. Abraham said that forskalin's action makes intuitive sense, since the herb is known to rev up certain cellular activity. This heightened activity in the bladder causes the specialized pouches to "flush out" their contents -- in this case, the hiding E. coli. "This herb has been used in Asia for centuries for a wide variety of ailments," Abraham said. "However, one of its constant uses has been for treating painful urination."

       Today, forskalin is added to bodybuilding products and marketed for its ability to increase lean body and bone mass, as well as to increase testosterone levels. The herb also has been claimed to be an effective weight-loss aid.

Latin Name : Coleus forskohlii Family : Lamiaceae Sanskrit Name : Makandi Common Name : Coleus, Mainmul, Karpuravali Parts Used : Roots Coleus forskohlii is part of the mint family of plants and has long been cultivated in India, Thailand and parts of SE Asia as a spice and as a condiment for heart ailments and stomach cramps. The roots of the plant are a natural source of forskolin, the only plant-derived compound presently known to directly stimulate the enzyme adenylate cyclase, and subsequently cyclic AMP.

Cyclic AMP levels cause several physiological and biochemical effects such as : - Inhibition of platelet activation and degranulation. - Inhibition of mast cell degranulation and release of histamine and other allergic compounds. - Increased force of contraction of the heart muscle. - Relaxation of the arteries and other smooth muscles, vasodilation. - Increased insulin secretion. - Increased thyroid function (and therefore metabolic rate). - Reduced adipose assimilation and increased lipolysis of fats.

ACTION : Anti-glaucoma, Anti-platelet, Bronchospasmolyltic, Cardiotonic, Hypotensive, Anti aging, Anti allergic, Smooth muscle and arterial relaxant, Antiasthmatic.

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