26th September 2007
Sick? Lonely? Genes tell the tale

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Lonely people are more likely to get sick and die young, and researchers said on Thursday they may have found out why -- their immune systems are haywire. They used a "gene chip" to look at the DNA of isolated people and found that people who described themselves as chronically lonely have distinct patterns of genetic activity, almost all of it involving the immune system.
The study does not show which came first -- the loneliness or the physical traits.

"We have known for years that there is this epidemiological relationship between social support -- how many friends and family members you have around you -- and a whole bunch of physical outcomes," he said in a telephone interview.

26th September 2007
Nutrition Model Stresses Positive Experience Of Eating
Enjoying the eating process without focus on dietary restrictions may be key to managing weight and staying healthy, according to researchers who have unveiled a new and effective model for managing eating.
Satter observes that the eating competence model cultivates effective eating attitudes and behavior by emphasizing permission and discipline:

The permission to choose food you enjoy and eat it in amounts you find satisfying.
The discipline to provide yourself with regular and reliable meals and snacks and to pay attention when you eat them.
Being eating competent appears to mirror overall-well being, notes Satter of Madison, Wis. People with high eating competence feel more effective, are more self-aware and are more trusting and comfortable both with themselves and with other people.

"Many of us have eating problems, because as children, we are forced into eating more or less food than we need. That is traumatic. Eating becomes a mindless activity invested with conflict and anxiety, and not something to be enjoyed. To overcome those feelings, you have to ignore how you feel about eating, just eat," said Lohse.

Research by Lohse and her Penn State colleagues suggests that people with high eating competence do better nutritionally, have healthier body weights, higher levels of good cholesterol and fewer of the components of "sticky plaque," today's high-tech approach to predicting the tendency to cardiovascular disease.

The Penn State researcher says ecSatter represents a fundamental shift from the conventional approach to eating management. "If it was successful to have people be uncomfortable and restrictive with what they eat, just going by the rules for the nutrients and calories they need, we would not have an obesity problem," said Lohse, whose findings appear in the September/October issue of the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior. "We need a different mindset: Weight is not the big issue, but rather being comfortable with how you eat," she added.

According to Satter and Lohse, there are four steps to competent eating:

Take time to eat, and provide yourself with rewarding meals and snacks at regular and reliable times.
Cultivate positive attitudes about eating and about food. Emphasize providing rather than depriving; seeking food rather than avoiding it.
Enjoy your eating, eat things you like, and let yourself be comfortable with and relaxed about what you eat. Enjoying eating supports the natural inclination to seek variety, the keystone of healthful food selection.
Pay attention to sensations of hunger and fullness to determine how much to eat. Go to the table hungry, eat until you feel satisfied, and then stop, knowing another meal or snack is coming soon when you can do it again.
The journal's special section is partially funded by Penn State's Department of Nutritional Sciences, the College of Health and Human Development and the Sunflower Foundation, Topeka, Kansas.

26th September 2007
Eat Less To Live Longer: Calorie Restriction Linked To Long Healthy Lives
For nearly 70 years scientists have known that caloric restriction prolongs life. In everything from yeast to primates, a significant decrease in calories can extend lifespan by as much as one-third. But getting under the hood of the molecular machinery that drives this longevity has remained elusive.
Scientists from Cornell Medical School and the National Institutes of Health, have discovered two genes in mammalian cells that act as gatekeepers for cellular longevity. When cells experience certain kinds of stress, such as caloric restriction, these genes rev up and help protect cells from diseases of aging.

Mitochondria, a kind of cellular organ that lives in the cytoplasm, are often considered to be the cell's battery packs. When mitochondria stability starts to wane, energy is drained out of the cell, and its days are numbered. In this paper, Sinclair and his collaborators discovered that SIRT3 and SIRT4 play a vital role in a longevity network that maintains the vitality of mitochondria and keeps cells healthy when they would otherwise die.

"Mitochondria are the guardians of cell survival," says Sinclair. "If we can keep boosting levels of NAD in the mitochondria, which in turn stimulates buckets more of SIRT3 and SIRT4, then for a period of time the cell really needs nothing else."

26th September 2007
How Nutrition Affects The Breakdown Of Fats
Science Daily — Scientists have shown that when either lean or obese individuals exercise after eating a high fat meal, their fats are broken down and oxidized in skeletal muscle, making them healthier. These results show for the first time how a high fat diet and exercise stimulate the breakdown of fats and may help design ways to reduce excessive fat in the body.

Fat is broken down inside fat cells to generate energy by a process called lipolysis. The resulting fatty acids are released into the bloodstream and carried to tissues that require energy. In obese individuals, too much fat accumulates, compromising lipolysis, but the details of how this happens are not well understood. Also, obese individuals can show altered responsiveness to the stress hormones epinephrine and norepinephrine in their subcutaneous fat.

26th September 2007
Alternate-day Fasting: How Good Is It For Your Health?
Science Daily — Researchers report that fasting or eating half as much as usual every other day may shrink your fat cells and boost mechanisms that break down fats.
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Consuming less calories and increasing physical activity is usually what people do to lose weight and stay healthy. But some people prefer to adopt a diet which consists of eating as much as they want one day while fasting the next. On each fasting day, these people consume energy-free beverages, tea, coffee, and sugar-free gum and they drink as much water as they need.

Although many people claim that this diet, called alternate-day fasting (ADF), help them lose weight and improved their health, the effects on health and disease risk of ADF are not clear.
The scientists noticed that the ADF-100% mice lost weight and the fat cells of both the ADF-100% and ADF-50% groups shrunk by more than half and by 35 percent, respectively. Also, in these two groups of mice, fat under the skin -- but not abdominal fat -- was broken down more than in mice that did not follow the diet.

These results suggest that complete and modified ADF regimens seem to protect against obesity and type 2 diabetes but do not result in fat or weight loss. More studies will be needed to confirm whether the long-term effects of ADF regimens are beneficial for health and reduce disease risk, the scientists conclude.

26th September 2007
Diet Change Can Curb Fatty Liver Disease

FRIDAY, Sept. 21 (HealthDay News) -- Diets high in quick-burning carbohydrates may cause fatty liver disease, which can lead to liver failure and death, according to a study in mice by researchers at Children's Hospital Boston.

If these findings are confirmed in humans, it may mean that fatty liver disease can be prevented and possibly treated through dietary changes, the study authors said.

They fed mice either a high- or low-glycemic index diet. The mice on the high-glycemic diet received a type of cornstarch that's digested quickly, while those on the low-glycemic diet received a cornstarch that's slowly digested.

"Our experiment creates a very strong argument that a high-glycemic index diet causes, and a low-glycemic diet prevents, fatty liver in humans," research leader Dr. David Ludwig, director of the Optimal Weight for Life program at Children's Hospital Boston, said in a prepared statement.

12th September 2007
Fat Transforms Vitamin C From 'Good Cop' Into 'Bad Cop'
Science Daily — Fat in the stomach may cause vitamin C to promote, rather than prevent, the formation of certain cancer causing chemicals, reveals research published ahead of print in the journal Gut.
The researchers analysed the impact of both fat (lipid) and vitamin C (ascorbic acid) on nitrite chemistry in the upper (proximal) stomach, which is especially vulnerable to pre-cancerous changes and tumour growth.
Nitrites, which are present in human saliva, and in certain preserved foodstuffs, may be converted to cancer causing compounds called nitrosamines. Nitrosamines are formed in acidic conditions, such as those afforded by stomach acid, but vitamin C inhibits their formation, by converting nitrite to nitric oxide.
The researchers replicated the chemical conditions of the proximal stomach and measured the formation of nitrosamines, oxygen, and nitric oxide.
Without fat, vitamin C curbed the levels of two nitrosamines by a factor of between five and 1000. And it completely eliminated the production of the other two.
But when 10% fat was added, vitamin C actually boosted the production of nitrosamines between 8 and 140-fold. Fat remains in the proximal stomach for some time after a meal and also makes up a substantial amount of the cells lining the stomach, say the authors.
Nitric oxide is formed when vitamin C reacts with nitrite in acid. However, the nitric oxide can diffuse into fat and then react with oxygen to form nitrosoamine generating chemicals.
The findings may be relevant to the recent observations that vitamin C supplements fail to reduce cancer risk, say the authors.
Reference: Fat transforms ascorbic acid from inhibiting to promoting acid-catalysed N-nitrosation Online First Gut 2007; doi: 10.1136/gut.2007.12857

12th September 2007
Life expectancy of Americans hits 78

The life expectancy for Americans is nearly 78 years, the longest in U.S. history, according to new government figures from 2005 released Thursday.

That age, based on the latest data available, was still lower than the life span in more than three dozen other countries, however.

U.S. life expectancy at birth inched up to 77.9 from the previous record, 77.8, recorded for 2004. The increase was more dramatic in contrast with 1995, when life expectancy was 75.8, and 1955, when it was 69.6.

The improvement was led by a drop in deaths from heart disease and stroke - two of the nation's leading killers, according to the National Center for Health Statistics, which released the new life expectancy
report Wednesday.

The United States continues to lag behind at least 40 other nations. Andorra, a tiny country in the Pyrenees mountains between France and Spain, has the longest life expectancy, at 83.5 years, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Japan, Macau, San Marino and Singapore ranked second, third, fourth and fifth.

12th September 2007
Tangerine peel could help fight cancer

Tangerine peel could help in the fight against certain cancers, researchers said on Wednesday.
Human cancer cells, which contain an enzyme called P450 CYP1B1, were destroyed by a compound contained in tangerine peel, Salvestrol Q40, scientists at Leicester School of Pharmacy found.

The findings may offer a new approach to uncovering a treatment for cancers such as breast, lung, prostate and ovarian cancer, the scientists said.

Medicinal chemist Dr. Hoon L. Tan said: "It is very exciting to find a compound in food that can target cancers specifically. "Salvestrols may offer a new mechanism of dietary anti-cancer action.

"Indeed, the depletion of salvestrols in the modern diet is due to the fact that many people no longer eat the skin of fruits and this may be a major contributory factor to the increasing incidence of some cancers in the human population."

The researchers have formed a private company, Nature's Defence Investments, to protect and promote their research, with the potential of designing a natural anti-cancer alternative based on the new technology.

12th September 2007
Avocados May Help Prevent Oral Cancer, Study Shows
Science Daily — Nutrients taken from avocados are able to thwart oral cancer cells, killing some and preventing pre-cancerous cells from developing into actual cancers, according to researchers at Ohio State University.

Extracts from Hass avocados were found to kill or stop the growth of pre-cancerous cells that lead to oral cancer. (Credit: iStockphoto/Agisilaou & Spyrou)Ads by Google Advertise on this site

Researchers found that extracts from Hass avocados kill or stop the growth of pre-cancerous cells that lead to oral cancer. Hass avocados are year-round fruits known for their distinctive bumpy skin that turns from green to purplish-black as they ripen.

D'Ambrosio, who collaborated with researchers in Ohio State's College of Pharmacy, found that phytochemicals extracted from avocados target multiple signaling pathways and increase the amount of reactive oxygen within the cells, leading to cell death in pre-cancerous cell lines. But the phytochemicals did not harm normal cells.

“These studies suggest that individual and a combination of phytochemicals from the avocado fruit may offer an advantageous dietary strategy in cancer prevention,” says Ding, who is a member of the division of radiobiology, department of radiology.

Avocados are chock-full of beneficial antioxidants and phytonutrients, including vitamin C, folate, vitamin E, fiber and unsaturated fats. They are naturally sodium-free, contain no trans fats and are low in saturated fat, making them a healthy addition to any diet, D'Ambrosio says.

“The future is ripe for identifying fruits and vegetables and individual phytonutrients with cancer preventing activity,” writes D'Ambrosio in the journal's editorial. “As we identify the molecular mechanisms and targets by which individual phytonutrients prevent cancer, we may be able to improve upon nature by formulating phytonutrient cocktails for specific cancers and individual susceptibility and risk.”

12th September 2007
Diabetes Drugs' Potential Adverse Side Effect Explained
Science Daily — Drugs that are agonists of the receptor PPAR-gamma are used to treat individuals with diabetes. However, it has been suggested that their use is associated with a slightly increased risk of heart failure.

Fat and carbohydrates accumulated in the heart muscle cells of these mice causing a deterioration in heart function (a process known as glucolipotoxicity). Administration of a PPAR-gamma agonist to these mice exacerbated their heart dysfunction. The authors therefore conclude that the adverse effect of PPAR-gamma agonists on heart function in humans might be due to glucolipotoxocity.
Article: Cardiomyocyte expression of PPAR-gamma leads to cardiac dysfunction in mice

12th September 2007
The Power Of Fruit Juice
Science Daily — In years past, family physician Pamela Rockwell told parents not to let their children drink too much fruit juice because of its link to obesity. These days, though, she has changed her advice.

A study this year found no association between childhood obesity and 100 percent fruit juice with no sugar added. “That’s big news, and it’s made a difference in what I tell my patients,” says Rockwell, D.O., assistant professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Michigan Health System.

Other studies, meanwhile, have found that many fruit juices provide powerful health benefits, Rockwell notes. Research in recent years has identified ways that beverages such as pomegranate, orange and cranberry juices can help to prevent or cure diseases.

Juices that provide health benefits:

Pomegranate juice

Pomegranate juice has received a great deal of attention in recent years for its reported benefits. It is a rich source of antioxidants and has been shown to lower LDL cholesterol – the bad, artery-clogging portion of one’s cholesterol, Rockwell says.

It also may slow the growth of prostate cancer. Pomegranate juice has been shown to stabilize the levels of men’s PSA, or prostate specific antigen. This protein in the blood is measured to gauge how quickly a man’s prostate cancer is progressing. Another study found that pomegranate juice may increase blood flow to the heart in people with ischemic coronary heart disease.

Orange juice

The iconic breakfast drink may help people prevent recurrences of painful kidney stones. A study has found that a daily glass of orange juice can reduce the incidence of kidney stones better than other citrus drinks, such as lemonade.

Cranberry juice

Long thought of as a home remedy for urinary tract infections, cranberry juice now appears to be most helpful before the UTI even develops. Studies indicate that cranberry juice is effective at preventing a UTI, but not at curing an existing infection, Rockwell notes.

Blueberry juice

Blueberries have some of the same properties as cranberries that allow it to prevent UTIs, Rockwell says.

Other studies have indicated that an overall increase in consumption of fruits and vegetables reduces one’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. A 2006 study showed that people who drank fruit or vegetable juices more than three times a week were 76 percent less likely to develop Alzheimer’s than those who drank juice less than once a week.

Drinking fruit juice is not an inherently healthy activity, however. Rockwell warns that many juices contain high levels of corn syrup, typically high fructose corn syrup. She says consumers should look for 100 percent natural fruit juice to avoid corn syrup.

“Corn syrup is related to many bad health issues, such as higher blood sugar and obesity,” Rockwell notes. “It leads to the buildup of fat cells, and contributes to the obesity problem in the U.S. and other industrialized nations.”

12th September 2007
Sugary Drinks, Not Fruit Juice, May Be Linked To Insulin Resistance
Science Daily — Steady increases in consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages over the last several decades, as well as rates of Type 2 diabetes mellitus, led nutritional epidemiologists at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (USDA HNRCA) at Tufts University and colleagues to explore the relationship between sugar-sweetened beverage consumption and insulin resistance, a precursor to Type 2 diabetes.

Their findings suggest that higher consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks, but not 100 percent fruit juice, may be associated with insulin resistance, even in otherwise healthy adults.

"Study participants who consumed two or more sugar-sweetened beverages per day had significantly higher fasting blood levels of insulin as compared to participants who did not report consuming any such beverages, regardless of age, sex, weight, smoking status, or other dietary habits,"
The researchers obtained blood samples from participants who fasted for at least eight hours, and measured the participants' blood levels of insulin as well as glucose. High fasting glucose levels, like high fasting insulin levels, are a pre-cursor to Type 2 diabetes. "Unlike fasting insulin levels, fasting glucose levels were not significantly different between those who consumed sugar-sweetened drinks and those who did not," says Jacques, "However, participants consuming two or more daily servings of 100 percent fruit juice had modestly lower fasting glucose levels, compared with those who did not consume fruit juice." Although this observation might be due to the additional nutrients or other phytochemicals found in the juices, Jacques notes this also may be a consequence of the healthier lifestyle and dietary habits of fruit juice consumers. They were less likely to smoke than non-consumers, and consumed diets relatively lower in saturated fat and higher in total fiber.

Despite these results, Nicola McKeown, PhD, corresponding author and scientist in the Nutritional Epidemiology Program at the USDA HNRCA, does not advise increasing consumption of fruit juice. "While 100 percent fruit juice can be a healthful beverage, too much fruit juice can add excess calories and sugar to the diet. Whole fruit is often a better choice."

12th September 2007
Exercise And Yoga Improves Quality Of Life In Women With Early-stage Breast Cancer
Science Daily — Two studies report that exercise and yoga can help maintain and in some cases improve quality of life in women with early-stage breast cancer. The first study found that resistance and aerobic exercise improved physical fitness, self-esteem and body composition, and that resistance exercise improved chemotherapy completion rates. The second study demonstrated that yoga was particularly beneficial for women who were not receiving chemotherapy during the study period.

"Yoga can promote better quality of life for women with breast cancer by helping them connect with others and feel calmer," said lead author Alyson Moadel, PhD, assistant professor in the department of epidemiology and population health at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. "Because yoga was well-received by all cultural and socioeconomic groups, it has the potential to help many women with early-stage breast cancer."

Among all women in the study, those who did not take yoga reported a drop in social well-being scores (a measure of perceived support from and closeness with others) compared with those who took yoga. All other measures (physical, functional, emotional and spiritual well-being; fatigue; anxiety/sadness; irritability; and confusion) did not differ significantly between the groups. As expected, the benefits of yoga were greater in women who adhered to the prescribed regimen and took more classes.

However, among women not undergoing chemotherapy, those taking yoga reported improved overall quality of life as well as better emotional well-being and mood compared with those not taking yoga, who experienced declines in quality of life, mood, and social and spiritual well-being.

"Given the physical and emotional challenges for women undergoing chemotherapy, they may need more yoga to experience these quality of life benefits," explained Dr. Moadel. "If attending frequent classes isn't feasible, women should consider using videotapes at home or doing breathing exercises while they receive treatment."

12th September 2007
Antioxidants: Preventing Diseases, Naturally
Science Daily — When it comes to boosting antioxidant intake, recent research indicates there’s little benefit from taking diet supplements. A better way, according to a report in the September issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter, is eating a diet rich in antioxidant-containing foods.

Antioxidants such as vitamins C and E, carotene, lycopene, lutein and many other substances may play a role in helping to prevent diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s disease and macular degeneration. Antioxidants are thought to help because they can neutralize free radicals, which are toxic byproducts of natural cell metabolism. The human body naturally produces antioxidants but the process isn’t 100 percent effective and that effectiveness declines with age.

Research is increasingly showing that those who eat antioxidant-rich foods reap health benefits. Foods, rather than supplements, may boost antioxidant levels because foods contain an unmatchable array of antioxidant substances. A supplement may contain a single type of antioxidant or even several. However, foods contain thousands of types of antioxidants, and it’s not known which of these substances confer the benefits.

Some of the better food sources of antioxidants are:

Berries: Blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries and cranberries
Beans: Small red beans and kidney, pinto and black beans
Fruits: Many apple varieties (with peels), avocados, cherries, green and red pears, fresh or dried plums, pineapple, oranges, and kiwi
Vegetables: Artichokes, spinach, red cabbage, red and white potatoes (with peels), sweet potatoes and broccoli
Beverages: Green tea, coffee, red wine and many fruit juices
Nuts: Walnuts, pistachios, pecans, hazelnuts and almonds
Herbs: Ground cloves, cinnamon or ginger, dried oregano leaf and turmeric powder
Grains: Oat-based products
Dessert: Dark chocolate
Though supplements containing antioxidants are generally considered safe, two recent studies have suggested that taking higher than recommended doses of supplements such as vitamin E over time may actually be harmful and possibly toxic.

In contrast, many foods higher in antioxidants offer an array of health benefits, such as being high in fiber, protein and other vitamins and minerals and low in saturated fat and cholesterol.

12th September 2007
The Hygiene Hypothesis: Are Cleanlier Lifestyles Causing More Allergies For Kids?
Science Daily — A little dirt never hurt. But in today’s super-clean world, vaccinations, anti-bacterial soaps, and airtight doors and windows are keeping dirt and disease-causing germs at bay.

While staying germ-free can prevent the spread of disease and infections, leading a cleanlier lifestyle may be responsible for an increase in allergies among children. (Credit: iStockphoto/Franky De Meyer)Ads by Google Advertise on this site

While staying germ-free can prevent the spread of disease and infections, leading a cleanlier lifestyle may be responsible for an increase in allergies among children.

“It’s called the hygiene hypothesis,” says Marc McMorris, M.D., a pediatric allergist at the University of Michigan Health System. “We’ve developed a cleanlier lifestyle, and our bodies no longer need to fight germs as much as they did in the past. As a result, the immune system has shifted away from fighting infection to developing more allergic tendencies.”

The body’s immune system is designed to fight infection (bacterial, viral and parasites), but also recognizes foreign substances as allergens.

With the advent of vaccines, however, the immune system is no longer taxed with fighting off life-threatening diseases such as polio and measles. And thanks to antibiotics, the immune system is no longer burdened to the extent it was in the past, with fighting common bacterial infections.

Even our homes have changed how our immune system functions. Air tight doors and windows – designed to save energy – have created an increased concentration of indoor allergens.

Plus, McMorris says, today’s family is smaller, which lessens children’s exposure to germs and infections. Families with three or more children – a more common family dynamic 20 or 30 years ago – tend to have fewer allergies because more children mean more germs and greater exposure to bacteria and viruses.

“The natural immune system does not have as much to do as it did 50 years ago because we’ve increased our efforts to protect our children from dirt and germs,” says McMorris.

“Allergies are on the rise because our society has changed the way we live. As a result, people with allergies are having children with others who have allergies, which in turn creates a natural increase in the prevalence of allergies in our society.”

Allergies are a reaction by the body's immune system to foreign substances – pollen, mold, animal dander, dust and dust mites, insect stings and certain foods – that it deems harmful.

So, is there a way to find a balance in our super clean world?

According to McMorris, finding a balance between healthy living and clean living may be a challenge.

“We all try to do our best with our children,” he notes. “We certainly should not step back in time and stop immunizing our children against deadly diseases. But we should use more common sense. While we should keep our houses clean, we need to be diligent about changing our furnace filters and keeping allergens like mold out of attics and basements.”

Ultimately, McMorris advises parents to just let kids be kids. Let them play outside and with friends, and don’t worry about them coming into contact with dirt and germs – but always be cautious with children with life-threatening food allergies, he cautions.

Note: This story has been adapted from a news release issued by University of Michigan Health System

12th September 2007
Certain Nutrients Associated With Reduced Risk For Age-related Eye Disease
Science Daily — Consuming higher levels of the yellow plant pigments lutein and zeaxanthin may be associated with a lower risk for age-related macular degeneration, according to a report in the September issue of Archives of Ophthalmology.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) occurs when the macula, the area at the back of the retina that produces the sharpest vision, deteriorates over time. It is a leading cause of irreversible blindness among elderly people of European descent, according to background information in the article.

The Age-Related Eye Disease Study Research Group assessed 4,519 individuals who were age 60 to 80 when they enrolled in 1992 through 1998. At that time, photographs were taken of their retinas to determine if they had AMD, and if so, to which of four stages the condition had progressed. The participants also completed a food frequency questionnaire that measured how often they consumed foods rich in certain vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. These included lutein, zeaxanthin, beta-carotene, lycopene and vitamins C and E.

The participants were divided into five groups based on the amount of each nutrient they consumed. Those who had the highest levels of lutein and zeaxanthin were significantly less likely than those in the group with the lowest levels to have advanced AMD. They were also less likely to have large or numerous intermediate drusen, yellow or white deposits on the retina or optic nerve head that are a sign of AMD. No associations were seen with any of the other nutrients.

Lutein and zeaxanthin, also called carotenoids and found in yellow and dark leafy vegetables, may affect processes through which light and oxygen damage the eyes, the authors note. "Lutein and zeaxanthin have the capacity to filter short-wavelength light associated both with photochemical damage and the generation of reactive oxygen species that attack cellular lipids, proteins and nuclear material; these carotenoids also have the capacity to reduce the potency of nascent reactive oxygen species," which damage cells, they write.

"If these cross-sectional results can be confirmed in prospective samples and experimental studies, lutein and zeaxanthin may be considered as useful agents in food or supplement-based interventions designed to reduce the risk of AMD," the authors conclude.

Reference: Arch Ophthalmol. 2007;125(9):1225-1232.

This study was supported by contracts from the National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, Md., with additional support from Bausch and Lomb, Rochester, N.Y.

12th September 2007
Food Additives Linked To Hyperactivity In Children, Study Shows
Science Daily — A study by researchers at the University of Southampton has shown evidence of increased levels of hyperactivity in young children consuming mixtures of some artificial food colours and the preservative sodium benzoate.

The possibility of food colours and preservatives affecting children's behaviour has long been an unresolved question for parents. This significant new research by a team from the University of Southampton's Schools of Psychology and Medicine provides a clear demonstration that changes in behaviour can be detected in three-year-old and eight-year-old children.

The research, which was funded by a £0.75m grant from the Food Standards Agency and is published in The Lancet online today (6 September), involved studying levels of hyperactivity in 153 three-year-olds and 144 eight-year-olds living in the city of Southampton. The children were selected from the general population to represent the full range of behaviour, from normal through to hyperactive, and not for any previous behavioural problems or known sensitivities to particular foods.

The children's families were asked to put them on a diet free from the additives used in the study. Over a six-week period the children were then given a drink each day which either contained one of two mixtures of food colours and benzoate preservative, or just fruit juice - with all the drinks looking and tasting identical.

Hyperactivity is a behaviour indicated by increased movement, impulsivity and inattention. The results of the Southampton study show that when the children were given the drinks containing the test mixtures, in some cases their behaviour was significantly more hyperactive. These results replicate and extend previous FSA-funded research by the team in Southampton.

The research team used a combination of reports on the children's behaviour from teachers and parents, together with recordings of the children's behaviour in the classroom made by an observer, and, for the older children, a computer-based test of attention. None of the participants - teachers, parents, the observer, or the children - knew which drink each child was taking at any one time.

Professor of Psychology, Jim Stevenson, who led the research, comments: 'We now have clear evidence that mixtures of certain food colours and benzoate preservative can adversely influence the behaviour of children. There is some previous evidence that some children with behavioural disorders could benefit from the removal of certain food colours from their diet. We have now shown that for a large group of children in the general population, consumption of certain mixtures of artificial food colours and benzoate preservative can influence their hyperactive behaviour.

'However parents should not think that simply taking these additives out of food will prevent all hyperactive disorders. We know that many other influences are at work but this at least is one a child can avoid.'

The Food Standards Agency is an independent Government department set up by an Act of Parliament in 2000 to protect the public's health and consumer interests in relation to food.

The FSA provides advice and information to the public and Government on food safety from farm to fork, nutrition and diet. It also protects consumers through effective food enforcement and monitoring.

The study 'Food additives and hyperactive behaviour in 3 and 8/9 year old children in the community': Donna McCann*, Angelina Barrett* , Alison Cooper *, Debbie Crumpler*, Lindy Dalen* , Kate Grimshaw**, Elizabeth Kitchin*, Kris Lok*, Lucy Porteous* , Emily Prince* , Edmund Sonuga-Barke*, John O. Warner***, and Jim Stevenson*

*School of Psychology and ** School of Medicine, Department of Child Health at the University of Southampton, *** now at Department of Paediatrics, Imperial College, London, is published online by The Lancet on Thursday 6 September and will shortly be published in the printed edition.

Note: This story has been adapted

12th September 2007
Role Of Oxidative Stress In Estrogen-related Bone Loss Illuminated
Science Daily — Scientists have discovered new information about an immune pathway in mice that explains how oxidative stress that results from acute estrogen deficiency leads to the loss of bone. The finding could help in identifying a new drug target for preventing postmenopausal bone loss.

Previous mouse research has shown that both oxidative stress and increased T cell activity contribute to bone loss following estrogen depletion, which occurs after menopause or when ovaries are removed. Oxidative stress is the toxic accumulation of too much reactive oxygen in cells. Research has shown that T cells contribute to bone loss because they produce a protein called tumor necrosis factor (TNF), which increases the formation of osteoclasts in rodents and humans. Osteoclasts are cells that cause an excessive destruction of bone.

12th September 2007
United States Continues To Have Highest Level Of Health Spending
Science Daily — The United States continues to spend the most on health care when compared to other Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries.

Health care prices and higher per capita incomes are major factors for higher U.S. spending, according to a study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Princeton University. Compared to the average OECD country in 2004, the United States has fewer health resources—physicians, nurses and hospital beds—and lower utilization of these resources. Health spending for chronic health issues, such as obesity, alcohol consumption and smoking, also contributes to high health spending in the United States. The study is published in the September/October 2007 issue of Health Affairs.

“We spend so much more money on health care in the United States than other industrialized countries primarily because our prices are so much higher,” said lead author of the study, Gerard Anderson, PhD, a professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

12th September 2007
Long-term Use Of Diabetes Drug Increases Heart Attack Risk By More Than 40 Percent
Science Daily — An analysis of four studies involving more than 14,000 patients found that long-term use of the diabetes drug rosiglitazone (Avandia®) increased the risk of heart attack by 42 percent and doubled the risk of heart failure, according to a new report from researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine and colleagues.

There was no effect on death from cardiovascular causes.

The analysis, reported in the Sept. 12 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, is one of the first to evaluate how long-term use of Avandia affects risk of heart attacks, heart failure and mortality. It involved studies that followed patients for at least a year.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently required that Avandia and another drug in the same class carry the agency's toughest "black-box" warning because of an increased risk of heart failure. The agency is currently evaluating whether a warning about heart attack risk should also be included for Avandia. Earlier this year, an analysis of 42 short-term studies found an increased risk of heart attacks.

"The public health impact of potential harm with rosiglitazone is substantial," said Sonal Singh, M.D., lead author and an assistant professor of internal medicine at Wake Forest. "Regulatory agencies should urgently evaluate whether this drug should remain on the market."

Singh said an estimated 3.5 million people in the United States take Avandia. He said that while caution should be taken in estimating event rates based on the analysis, the findings suggest that the drug may cause more than 4,000 excess heart attacks and 9,000 excess cases of heart failure a year.

The researchers pooled data from four studies that randomly assigned participants with type 2 diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance to receive Avandia or either another type of diabetes drug or a placebo, or inactive drug.

Based on the analysis, the researchers estimate that for every 220 diabetic patients treated with Avandia for one year, one will have a heart attack linked to the drug. And, there would be one case of heart failure for every 30 people taking the drug for one year.

"There is no need for physicians, health plans or patients to wait for regulatory action," said Curt Furberg, M.D., Ph.D., a co-author of the report. "On the contrary, they should take prompt action and restrict the use of Avandia, especially since safer alternatives are available."

Avandia received regulatory approval in 1999 and at that time no serious adverse events were recognized. However, since approval, Avandia has been linked to heart failure, vision loss, heart attacks and fractures in women.

The current analysis looked at potential links between the drug and heart attacks, death from cardiovascular causes, and heart failure, which is the inability of the heart to meet the body's demands.

12th September 2007

How Vitamin C Stops Cancer
The conventional wisdom of how antioxidants such as vitamin C help prevent cancer growth is that they grab up volatile oxygen free radical molecules and prevent the damage they are known to do to our delicate DNA. The Hopkins study, led by Chi Dang, M.D., Ph.D., professor of medicine and oncology and Johns Hopkins Family Professor in Oncology Research, unexpectedly found that the antioxidants' actual role may be to destabilize a tumor's ability to grow under oxygen-starved conditions. Their work is detailed this week in Cancer Cell.

"The potential anticancer benefits of antioxidants have been the driving force for many clinical and preclinical studies," says Dang. "By uncovering the mechanism behind antioxidants, we are now better suited to maximize their therapeutic use."

"Once again, this work demonstrates the irreplaceable value of letting researchers follow their scientific noses wherever it leads them," Dang adds.

The authors do caution that while vitamin C is still essential for good health, this study is preliminary and people should not rush out and buy bulk supplies of antioxidants as a means of cancer prevention.

The Johns Hopkins investigators discovered the surprise antioxidant mechanism while looking at mice implanted with either human lymphoma (a blood cancer) or human liver cancer cells. Both of these cancers produce high levels of free radicals that can be suppressed by feeding the mice supplements of antioxidants, either vitamin C or N-acetylcysteine (NAC).

However, when the Hopkins team examined cancer cells from cancer-implanted mice not fed the antioxidants, they noticed the absence of any significant DNA damage. "Clearly, if DNA damage was not in play as a cause of the cancer, then whatever the antioxidants were doing to help was also not related to DNA damage," says Ping Gao, Ph.D, lead author of the paper.

That conclusion led Gao and Dang to suspect that some other mechanism was involved, such as a protein known to be dependent on free radicals called HIF-1 (hypoxia-induced factor), which was discovered over a decade ago by Hopkins researcher and co-author Gregg Semenza, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Program in Vascular Cell Engineering. Indeed, they found that while this protein was abundant in untreated cancer cells taken from the mice, it disappeared in vitamin C-treated cells taken from similar animals.

"When a cell lacks oxygen, HIF-1 helps it compensate," explains Dang. "HIF-1 helps an oxygen-starved cell convert sugar to energy without using oxygen and also initiates the construction of new blood vessels to bring in a fresh oxygen supply."

Some rapidly growing tumors consume enough energy to easily suck out the available oxygen in their vicinity, making HIF-1 absolutely critical for their continued survival. But HIF-1 can only operate if it has a supply of free radicals. Antioxidants remove these free radicals and stop HIF-1, and the tumor, in its tracks.

The authors confirmed the importance of this "hypoxia protein" by creating cancer cells with a genetic variant of HIF-1 that did not require free radicals to be stable. In these cells, antioxidants no longer had any cancer-fighting power.

The research was funded by the National Institutes of Health.

Authors on the paper are Dean Felsher of Stanford; and Gao, Huafeng Zhang, Ramani Dinavahi, Feng Li, Yan Xiang, Venu Raman, Zaver Bhujwalla, Linzhao Cheng, Jonathan Pevsner, Linda Lee, Gregg Semenza and Dang of Johns Hopkins.

Note: This story has been adapted from a news release issued by Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions.

3rd September 2007
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: 1 In 15 Women Affected Worldwide And Burden Likely To Increase
The diverse and complex female endocrine disorder polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which affects 1 in 15 women worldwide, is a major economic health burden that is likely to expand together with obesity.

Many body systems are affected in PCOS, resulting in several health complications, including menstrual dysfunction, infertility, hirsutism (excessive body hair growth), acne, obesity, and metabolic syndrome. Principal symptoms of PCOS are polycystic ovaries shown by ultrasonography, irregular ovulation, and excessive amounts or activity of male hormones (hyperandrogenism). Type 2 diabetes is also more common in women with PCOS. Two differing definitions of PCOS, one from 1990 and the other from 2003, lead to differing statistics and consequences for studies depending on which definition is selected.

The cause of PCOS remains unknown, although both environmental and genetic factors are implicated. Research is focusing on whether the primary cause of the syndrome is due to a defect within the ovary, the hypothalamic-pituitary axis, or is primarily due to abnormal insulin activity. Obesity is a major risk factor for PCOS, and as such realistic and achievable weight loss can be sufficient to restore regular ovulation and improve fertility in obese women with this disorder.

The authors say: “Skin and hair disorders can be substantial in women with PCOS, and are physically and psychologically very damaging.” Abnormal body hair growth and acne are usually combated with oral contraceptives, which have the advantage of both regulating the menstrual cycle and providing contraception.

The connection between PCOS and infertility is discussed in detail, as is the so called “gold standard” treatment of clomifene, which simulates follicle growth and ovulation. Complications of infertility treatment for women with PCOS include multiple pregnancy after ovulation induction, ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (which can be life-threatening) and in-vitro fertilisation cycle cancellation. For pregnant women, PCOS can cause early pregnancy loss, gestational diabetes, pregnancy-induced high blood pressure, pre-eclampsia, and a higher risk of delivery by caesarean section.

The authors conclude that the burden of PCOS is likely to expand, saying: “Future priorities in relation to PCOS include the development of evidence-based criteria for diagnosis and treatment, and determination of the natural history, cause, long-term consequences and prevention of the disorder.”

30th August 2007
Flaxseed Shows Potential To Reduce Hot Flashes
Data from a new Mayo Clinic study suggest that dietary therapy using flaxseed can decrease hot flashes in postmenopausal women who do not take estrogen.
A hot flash is often described as a flush of intense warmth across much of the body that may be accompanied by sweating, reddening of the skin, or, occasionally, cold shivers. Hot flashes occur in varying frequency and duration, even during sleep, and often cause or accompany sleep deprivation, anxiety and irritability.
The 29 participants in Mayo's clinical trial were women with bothersome hot flashes who did not want to take estrogen because of a perceived increased risk of breast cancer. They also had not received (in the preceding four weeks) antineoplastic chemotherapy, androgens, hormonal agents, or other herbal supplements, including soy. Some patients did not complete the trial, but full data for six weeks of flaxseed therapy, consisting of 40 grams of crushed flaxseed ingested daily, was obtained from 21 of them.

Participants were asked questions that the researchers translated into a hot flash score -- a combined measure of frequency and severity. The frequency of hot flashes decreased 50 percent over six weeks, and the overall hot flash score decreased an average 57 percent for the women who completed the trial. Participants also reported improvements in mood, joint or muscle pain, chills and sweating; which significantly improved their health-related quality of life.

"We are quite pleased with the improvements noted by these women in their quality of life," says Dr. Pruthi. "Not only does flaxseed seem to alleviate hot flashes, but it appears to have overall health and
psychological benefits as well."

Dr. Pruthi's team chose to research flaxseed because it is a phytoestrogen (plant-based estrogen source). Flaxseed contains lignans and omega-3 fatty acids. Lignans are antioxidants with weak estrogen-emulating characteristics, and have some anti-cancer effects. Flaxseed also appears to have anti-estrogen properties and has been shown in some recent research trials to decrease breast cancer risk. The researchers hypothesized that patients taking flaxseed might gain some relief for hot flashes.

30th August 2007
Removing Ovaries Before Menopause Can Lead To Memory And Movement Problems
Women who have their ovaries removed before menopause are at an increased risk of developing
memory problems or dementia and movement disorders such as Parkinson's disease, according to two studies published August 29, 2007, in the online edition of Neurology(r).

The study on dementia involved approximately 1,500 women who underwent the removal of one or both ovaries for non-cancer-related reasons, such as ovarian cysts, endometriosis, or for the prevention of ovarian cancer. The women were compared to an equal number of women who still had both ovaries at the beginning of the study. All participants were followed for a median of 27 years and were interviewed about their memory. If the women could not be interviewed directly, the investigators interviewed a family member.

Researchers found that women who had one or both ovaries removed before menopause were nearly two times more likely to develop cognitive problems or dementia compared to women who did not have the surgery. In addition, those women who were younger when their ovaries were removed were more likely to develop dementia than women who were older when their ovaries were removed.

August 24th 2007
Umbilical Cord Clamping Should Be Delayed, Says Expert
Science Daily — Clamping and cutting of the umbilical cord should be delayed for three minutes after birth, particularly for pre-term infants, suggests a senior doctor writing in the British Medical Journal.

Early clamping and cutting of the umbilical cord is widely practised as part of the management of labour, but recent studies suggest that it may be harmful to the baby. The rate of early cord clamping varies widely in Europe, from 17% of units in Denmark to 90% in France.

So Dr Andrew Weeks, a senior lecturer in obstetrics at the University of Liverpool, looked at the evidence behind cord clamping.

For the mother, trials show that early cord clamping has no ill effects, he writes. But what about the baby?

At birth, he says, the umbilical cord sends oxygen-rich blood to the lungs until breathing establishes. So as long as the cord is unclamped, the average transfusion to the newborn is equivalent to 21% of the neonate's final blood volume and three quarters of the transfusion occurs in the first minute after birth.

For babies born at term, the main effect of this large autotransfusion is to increase their iron status. This may be lifesaving in areas where anaemia is endemic.

In the developed world, however, there have been concerns that it could increase the risk of polycythaemia and hyperbilirubinaemia (abnormally high levels of red blood cells and bile pigments in the bloodstream, often leading to jaundice). But trials show this is not the case.

For pre-term babies the beneficial effects of delayed clamping may be greater, he says. Although the studies are smaller, delayed clamping is consistently associated with reductions in anaemia, bleeding in the brain (intraventricular haemorrhage), and the need for transfusion.

So how should we approach cord clamping in practice, he asks?

In normal deliveries, delaying cord clamping for three minutes with the baby on the mother's abdomen should not be too difficult.

The situation is a little more complex for babies born by caesarean section or for those who need support soon after birth. Nevertheless, it is these babies who may benefit most from a delay in cord clamping. For them, a policy of 'wait a minute' would be pragmatic, he says.

There is now considerable evidence that early cord clamping does not benefit mothers or babies and may even be harmful, he writes. Both the World Health Organisation and the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) have dropped the practice from their guidelines.

It is time for others to follow their lead and find practical ways of incorporating delayed cord clamping into delivery routines, he concludes.

August 24th 2007

Diabetes During Pregnancy Linked To Pancreatic Cancer Later
Science Daily — Pregnancies in Jerusalem in the 1960s and 1970s may hold vital clues about how pancreatic cancer and diabetes are linked. According to research published in the online open access journal BMC Medicine, women with a history of gestational diabetes had a higher risk of developing pancreatic cancer later in life.

The research team drawn from the US and Israel and led by M. C. Perrin traced over 37,000 mothers who gave birth between 1964 and 1976 in Jerusalem as part of the Jerusalem Perinatal Study.

Birth records revealed 410 women were diagnosed with gestational diabetes in one or more of their pregnancies. Of the 410 women with gestational diabetes, five eventually developed pancreatic cancer. There were 54 cases of pancreatic cancer overall in the cohort; and none of the women with type 1 diabetes at the time they gave birth went on to develop pancreatic cancer.

Those with gestational diabetes often go on to develop type 2 diabetes mellitus. Medical debate surrounds the causal relationship between diabetes and pancreatic cancer. On the one hand, patients with newly diagnosed pancreatic cancer frequently have diabetes of recent onset and when the tumor is removed the symptoms of diabetes often improve.

On the other hand, individuals with long standing diabetes have also been shown to be at increased risk of pancreatic cancer. In this study the gestational diabetes clearly came first, between 14 and 35 years before the pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic cancer is particularly lethal because it is often diagnosed late in its development. The disease is the fourth most common cause of cancer death for women in the US.

Article: Gestational diabetes as a risk factor for pancreatic cancer: A prospective cohort study , M C Perrin, M B Terry, K Kleinhaus, L Deutsch, R Yanetz, E Tiram, R Calderon, Y Friedlander, O Paltiel and S Harlap , BMC Medicine (in press)

August 24th 2007
Dietary Restriction Cleans Cells
Science Daily — Reduce, recycle and rebuild is as important to the most basic component of the human body, the cell, as it is to the environment.

And a University of Florida study shows just how much the body benefits when it "goes green," at least if you're a rat: Cutting calories helps rodents live longer by boosting cells' ability to recycle damaged parts so they can maintain efficient energy production.

"Caloric restriction is a way to extend life in animals. If you give them less food, the stress of this healthy habit actually makes them live longer," said Christiaan Leeuwenburgh, Ph.D., chief of the division of biology of aging in UF's Institute on Aging.

Understanding how the process works at the cellular level in rodents could help scientists develop drugs that mimic the process in humans, Leeuwenburgh added.

How does it work? During the aging process, free radicals -- highly reactive byproducts of our cells' respiration -- wreak havoc on our cellular machinery. Mitochondria, the tiny power plants that keep a cell functioning, are especially vulnerable to this type of damage.

The effects can be disastrous -- if malfunctioning mitochondria aren't removed, they begin to spew out suicidal proteins that prompt the entire cell to die. Cell death, on a whole-body scale, is what aging is all about.

Fortunately, younger cells are adept at reducing, recycling and rebuilding.

In this process, damaged mitochondria are quickly swallowed up and degraded. The broken down pieces are then recycled and used to build new mitochondria. However, older cells are less adept at this process, so damaged mitochondria tend to accumulate and contribute to aging.

"Cell survival is dependent upon the ability of the cell to reduce and recycle by a mechanism called autophagy," said William Dunn Jr., Ph.D., a professor of anatomy and cell biology in UF's College of Medicine and senior author of the study, which was published online this month in the journal Rejuvenation Research. "When a cell is under stress, autophagy is turned on to clean up the cell by removing damaged cellular components, while recycling building blocks necessary to rebuild the cell. It's there to protect the cell. But in aged cells, they're basically not able to adjust to stress as well."

UF scientists studied 22 young and old rats, comparing those allowed to eat freely with those fed a low-calorie, nutritious diet.

The stress of a low-calorie diet was enough to boost cellular cleaning in the hearts of older rats by 120 percent over levels seen in rats that were allowed to eat what they wanted. The diet had little or no effect on younger rats.

"Autophagy is a housekeeping mechanism that keeps cells free of damaged and thereby detrimental mitochondria and other toxic materials while recycling their building blocks -- nutrients needed by the cell," said Stephanie Wohlgemuth, Ph.D., a lecturer in UF's department of aging and geriatrics and the study's lead author. "So if that process is maintained with age -- or even increased -- that can only be beneficial."

To determine how dietary restriction boosted cells' ability to reduce the toxic trash, the scientists studied how the amount of certain proteins changed with the rats' age and diet. They found that some proteins responsible for degrading the damaged parts of the cell by autophagy were more abundant in older, calorie-restricted mice.

Boosting autophagy is especially important in the heart, a vital organ packed with mitochondria, Wohlgemuth said. Swift disposal of damaged cellular components is essential to maintaining an abundance of healthy heart cells as we age.

"Cardiac cells have lost the capability to divide readily to replace dying cells. So the maintenance of the cells' survival mechanisms is crucial for the heart," said Wohlgemuth.

Now that some of these proteins have been identified, UF researchers say the next step is to figure out how the proteins can be activated without inflicting dietary stress.

"What if we bypass the caloric restriction and find a way of increasing autophagy"" asked Dunn. "That is, instead of starving yourself you can find another way of enhancing autophagy that will allow the enhanced removal of various damaged organelles that accumulate in aged cells."

Ulf Brunk, M.D., Ph.D., a professor emeritus of experimental pathology at Linköping University in Sweden, said the study builds on past research showing that removal of toxic mitochondria may extend life in a variety of mammals.

"The paper is a further step in the direction of showing that the stimulation of autophagy may be beneficial," Brunk said.

August 24th 2007

Compound In Broccoli Could Boost Immune System, Says Study
Science Daily — A compound found in broccoli and related vegetables may have more health-boosting tricks up its sleeves, according to a new study led by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley.

Animal studies have shown that DIM -- a chemical produced when vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage and kale are chewed and digested -- can actually stop the growth of certain cancer cells. (Credit: iStockphoto)Ads by Google Advertise on this site

Veggie fans can already point to some cancer-fighting properties of 3,3'-diindolylmethane (DIM), a chemical produced from the compound indole-3-carbinol when Brassica vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage and kale are chewed and digested. Animal studies have shown that DIM can actually stop the growth of certain cancer cells.

This new study in mice, published online Monday, Aug. 20 in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, shows that DIM may help boost the immune system as well.

"We provide clear evidence that DIM is effective in augmenting the immune response for the mice in the study, and we know that the immune system is important in defending the body against infections of many kinds and cancer," said Leonard Bjeldanes, UC Berkeley professor of toxicology and principal investigator of the study. "This finding bodes well for DIM as a protective agent against major human maladies."

Previous studies led by Bjeldanes and Gary Firestone, UC Berkeley professor of molecular and cell biology, have shown that DIM halts the division of breast cancer cells and inhibits testosterone, the male hormone needed for growth of prostate cancer cells.

In the new study, the researchers found increased blood levels of cytokines, proteins which help regulate the cells of the immune system, in mice that had been fed solutions containing doses of DIM at a concentration of 30 milligrams per kilogram. Specifically, DIM led to a jump in levels of four types of cytokines: interleukin 6, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, interleukin 12 and interferon-gamma.

"As far as we know, this is the first report to show an immune stimulating effect for DIM," said study lead author Ling Xue, who was a Ph.D. student in Bjeldanes' lab at the time of the study and is now a post-doctoral researcher in molecular and cell biology at UC Berkeley.

In cell cultures, the researchers also found that, compared with a control sample, a 10 micromolar dose of DIM doubled the number of white blood cells, or lymphocytes, which help the body fight infections by killing or engulfing pathogens. (A large plateful of broccoli can yield a 5-10 micromolar dose of DIM.)

When DIM was combined with other agents known to induce the proliferation of lymphocytes, the effects were even greater than any one agent acting alone, with a three- to sixfold increase in the number of white blood cells in the culture.

"It is well-known that the immune system can seek out and destroy tumor cells, and even prevent tumor growth," said Xue. "An important type of T cell, called a T killer cell, can directly kill certain tumor cells, virally infected cells and sometimes parasites. This study provides strong evidence that could help explain how DIM blocks tumor growth in animals."

DIM was also able to induce higher levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), substances which must be released by macrophages in order to kill some types of bacteria as well as tumor cells. The induction of ROS - three times that of a control culture - after DIM was added to the cell culture signaled the activation of macrophages, the researchers said.

"The effects of DIM were transient, with cytokine and lymphocyte levels going up and then down, which is what you'd expect with an immune response," said Bjeldanes. "Interestingly, to obtain the effects on the immune response, DIM must be given orally, not injected. It could be that the metabolism of the compound changes when it is injected instead of eaten."

To examine the anti-viral properties of DIM, the researchers infected mice with reoviruses, which live in the intestines but are not life-threatening. Mice that had been given oral doses of DIM were significantly more efficient in clearing the virus from their gut - as measured by the level of viruses excreted in their feces - than mice that had not been fed DIM.

"This means that DIM is augmenting the body's ability to defend itself by inhibiting the proliferation of the virus," said Bjeldanes. "Future studies will determine whether DIM has similar effects on pathogenic viruses and bacteria, including those that cause diarrhea."

The discovery of DIM's effects on the immune system helps bolster its reputation as a formidable cancer-fighter, the researchers said. "This study shows that there is a whole new universe of cancer regulation related to DIM," said Firestone, who also co-authored the new study. "There are virtually no other agents known that can both directly shut down the growth of cancer cells and enhance the function of the immune system at the same time."

24th August 2007

Soda Warning? High-fructose Corn Syrup Linked To Diabetes, New Study Suggests
Science Daily — Researchers have found new evidence that soft drinks sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) may contribute to the development of diabetes, particularly in children. In a laboratory study of commonly consumed carbonated beverages, the scientists found that drinks containing the syrup had high levels of reactive compounds that have been shown by others to have the potential to trigger cell and tissue damage that could cause the disease, which is at epidemic levels.

New evidence suggests that sodas sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup may increase the risk of diabetes, particularly in children.

HFCS is a sweetener found in many foods and beverages, including non-diet soda pop, baked goods, and condiments. It is has become the sweetener of choice for many food manufacturers because it is considered more economical, sweeter and more easy to blend into beverages than table sugar. Some researchers have suggested that high-fructose corn syrup may contribute to an increased risk of diabetes as well as obesity, a claim which the food industry disputes. Until now, little laboratory evidence has been available on the topic.

In the current study, Chi-Tang Ho, Ph.D., conducted chemical tests among 11 different carbonated soft drinks containing HFCS. He found 'astonishingly high' levels of reactive carbonyls in those beverages. These undesirable and highly-reactive compounds associated with "unbound" fructose and glucose molecules are believed to cause tissue damage, says Ho, a professor of food science at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N.J. By contrast, reactive carbonyls are not present in table sugar, whose fructose and glucose components are "bound" and chemically stable, the researcher notes.

Reactive carbonyls also are elevated in the blood of individuals with diabetes and linked to the complications of that disease. Based on the study data, Ho estimates that a single can of soda contains about five times the concentration of reactive carbonyls than the concentration found in the blood of an adult person with diabetes.

Ho and his associates also found that adding tea components to drinks containing HFCS may help lower the levels of reactive carbonyls. The scientists found that adding epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a compound in tea, significantly reduced the levels of reactive carbonyl species in a dose-dependent manner when added to the carbonated soft drinks studied. In some cases, the levels of reactive carbonyls were reduced by half, the researchers say.

"People consume too much high-fructose corn syrup in this country," says Ho. "It's in way too many food and drink products and there's growing evidence that it's bad for you." The tea-derived supplement provides a promising way to counter its potentially toxic effects, especially in children who consume a lot of carbonated beverages, he says.

But eliminating or reducing consumption of HFCS is preferable, the researchers note. They are currently exploring the chemical mechanisms by which tea appears to neutralize the reactivity of the syrup.Ho's group is also probing the mechanisms by which carbonation increases the amount of reactive carbonyls formed in sodas containing HFCS. They note that non-carbonated fruit juices containing HFCS have one-third the amount of reactive carbonyl species found in carbonated sodas with HFCS, while non-carbonated tea beverages containing high-fructose corn syrup, which already contain EGCG, have only about one-sixth the levels of carbonyls found in regular soda.

July 26th 2007

Pesticides And Schools: A 'Tragic' Health Hazard

Pesticides in schools are a pervasive, unnecessary health hazard, said Marc Lame, an entomologist and professor in Indiana University's School of Public and Environmental Affairs.

"Over 80 percent of schools in America are applying pesticides on a regular basis, whether they have a pest problem or not," he said. "This is tragic not only because of the well-documented link between pesticides and health problems in children, such as asthma and neurological disorders, but also because pesticides generally do not work in a preventive manner in the school environment. Applying pesticides does not prevent pests from coming in, so using them when pests are not present does nothing other than expose children and staff to toxic chemicals."

The most widely used insecticides are nerve poisons, which cause nerves to fire in an uncontrolled manner and disrupt endocrine (hormone) systems, Lame said. Prolonged exposure to these chemicals can result in similar effects on the human nervous system, with symptoms ranging from vomiting to severe breathing problems.

Although research is limited, these endocrine disrupting pesticides are suspected in problems ranging from ADHD to autism to infertility, Lame said. Exposure during childhood carries the greatest risk. "The thing to remember is that it is not just a question of children being smaller than adults and getting more exposure pound-for-pound. The even more serious issue is that their nervous systems are still developing, so they are especially susceptible to nerve poisons," he said.

Lame said pest problems are better managed with an integrated approach that involves recognition and remediation of conditions that attract pests or allow pests to enter facilities. "It's common sense pro-action rather than toxic reaction," he said.

July 26th 2007

Go vegetarian to save money

Staples such as rice, corn and beans can make trips to a grocery store less expensive. But the biggest savings may come in health-care costs years later.

What visitor to Whole Foods (aka "Whole Paycheck") hasn't stared in slack-jawed wonder at bluefoot mushrooms imported from Europe ($39.99 per pound), off-season organic grapefruit from Texas ($2.49 per softball-size fruit), organic almond butter ($14.99 a pound) or pine nuts ($13.99 a pound)?

In a world of $1 double cheeseburgers, it's no wonder that many people suspect that a vegetarian diet is more expensive than one that includes meat.

But that's generally not true. And though it's difficult to tally the savings of illnesses or diseases avoided with a plant-based diet, the financial worth of good health is unquestionable.

Vegetarianism could extend your life by several years, as well as lower your risk of heart disease, cancer and dementia. It's better for the planet, reducing water usage and global-warming gases. And it certainly improves the health of the cow or pig you would have devoured.

July 26th 2007

New Diabetes Report Documents Devastating Effects In New York City

Science Daily — The diabetes epidemic is taking a large and growing toll on New York City, a new Health Department report shows, as death rates, debilitating complications, and hospitalization costs soar. Some 500,000 New Yorkers -- one out of eight adults -- have been diagnosed with diabetes. Another 200,000 have diabetes but don't yet know it. The death rate from diabetes rose by 75% between 1990 and 2003. The report charts the impact of diabetes in NYC and it exposes unacceptable disparities among neighborhoods and racial/ethnic groups.

July 26th 2007

Diet And Regular Soft Drinks Linked To Increase In Risk Factors For Heart Disease

Science Daily — Drinking more than one soft drink daily -- whether it's regular or diet -- may be associated with an increase in the risk factors for heart disease, Framingham researchers reported in

"We were struck by the fact that it didn't matter whether it was a diet or regular soda that participants consumed, the association with increased risk was present,

Prior studies linked soft drink consumption to multiple risk factors for heart disease. However, this study showed that association not only included drinking regular calorie-laden soft drinks, but artificially sweetened diet sodas as well, researchers said.

July 26th 2007

Low Cholesterol Levels Associated With Cancer, Study Finds

Science Daily — Millions of Americans take statins to lower their cholesterol, but how low should you go" Many scientific studies support the benefits of lowering low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and achieving low LDL cholesterol levels is one of the most important steps in preventing heart disease. New research, however, provides evidence for an association between low LDL levels and cancer risk.

July 26th 2007

Broccoli and Other Vegetables Linked with Decreased Risk of Aggressive Prostate Cancer

Science Daily — Eating more cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower is associated with a reduced risk of aggressive prostate cancer

July 22nd 2007

New Clue Into How Diet And Exercise Enhance Longevity

The traditional prescriptions for a healthy life--sensible diet, exercise and weight control--extend life by reducing signaling through a specific pathway in the brain.

Shielding The Brain From Too Much Insulin Can Prolong Life

One route to a long and healthy life may be establishing the right balance in insulin signaling in the body and brain, according to new research from Children's Hospital Boston. The study, published in the July 20 issue of Science, not only reinforces the value of exercising and eating in moderation, but also helps explain a paradox in longevity research.

Insulin sends a vital signal in the body, telling cells to use sugar from the blood. When cells become less sensitive to insulin, which often happens as we age and gain weight, the body makes more insulin to compensate. For a long time, researchers thought that "more insulin signaling was good," says Morris White, PhD, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator in Children's Division of Endocrinology, who led the new study. "But this insulin is also hammering the brain, and we now think that's probably a bad thing."

Recent studies in the worm C. elegans and in fruit flies have shown that reducing insulin signaling lengthens lifespan. But in mammals, reducing insulin signaling can lead to fatal diabetes. White suspected that the key to explaining this paradox -- and to maximizing both health and longevity -- is to reduce insulin signaling only in the brain.

July 22nd 2007

Exercise, Exercise, Rest, Repeat -- How A Break Can Help Your Workout
Taking a break in the middle of your workout may metabolize more fat than exercising without stopping, according to a recent study in Japan. Researchers conducted the first known study to compare these two exercise methods--exercising continually in one long bout versus breaking up the same workout with a rest period. The findings could change the way we approach exercise. Who wouldn't want to take a breather for that"
"Many people believe prolonged exercise will be optimal in order to reduce body fat, but our study has shown that repetitions of shorter exercise may cause enhancements of fat mobilization and utilization
during and after the exercise. These findings will be informative about the design of [future] exercise regimens," said lead researcher Kazushige Goto, Ph.D. "Most people are reluctant to perform a single
bout of prolonged exercise. The repeated exercise with shorter bouts of exercise will be a great help [in keeping up with fitness]."

Summary of Methodology
The researchers used seven healthy (avg. body mass: 66.1, percentage fat: 17.6) men with an average age of 25 who were physically active and familiar with exercise and had them perform three separate trials:

* one single bout of 60-min exercise followed with a 60-min recovery period (Single)
* two bouts of 30-min exercise with a 20-min rest after the first 30-min bout, along with a 60-min recovery period at the end (Repeated)
* one 60-min rest period (Control)

Conclusions

The American College of Sports Medicine recommends moderate exercise for the duration of 45 to 60 minutes to ensure a sufficient amount of energy is depleted in obese individuals. This has caused a greater focus on extending exercise sessions in order to burn more fat. However, this study shows that this method may not be the most effective way to enhance fat metabolism, as splitting up a long bout of exercise with a rest period burns more fat than a continuous bout of exercise. This study could help with the practical application of implementing new exercise methods in order to better manage and control weight in individuals in the future. However, Goto and his team of researchers plan on conducting further studies in order to explore the results in a variety of exercise durations as well as in different types of individuals.

July 22nd 2007

Flavonoids In Orange Juice Make It A Healthy Drink, Despite The Sugar

Orange juice, despite its high caloric load of sugars, appears to be a healthy food for diabetics due to its mother lode of flavonoids, a study by endocrinologists at the University at Buffalo has shown.

Flavonoids suppress destructive oxygen free radicals -- also known as reactive oxygen species, or ROS. An overabundance of free radicals can damage all components of the cell, including proteins, fats and DNA, contributing to the development of many chronic diseases, including heart disease and stroke as well as diabetes.

"Many major diseases are associated with oxidative stress and inflammation in the arterial wall, so the search for foods that are least likely to cause these conditions must be pursued," said Paresh
Dandona, M.D., Ph.D., head of the Diabetes-Endocrinology Center of Western New York and senior author on the study.

"Our previous work has shown that 300 calories of glucose induces ROS and other pro-inflammatory responses," said Dandona, who is Distinguished Professor of Medicine in the UB School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.

"We hypothesized that 300 calories-worth of orange juice or of fructose would induce less oxidative stress and inflammation than caused by the same amount of calories from glucose."

The resulting study involved 32 healthy participants between the ages of 20 and 40, who were of normal weight, with a body mass index of 20-25 kg/m2. Participants were assigned randomly and evenly into four groups, who would drink the equivalent of 300 calories-worth of glucose, fructose, orange juice or saccharin-sweetened water.

Fasting blood samples were taken before the test and at 1, 2 and 3 hours after a 10-minute period to consume the drinks.

Results showed a significant increase in ROS within 2 hours in samples from the glucose group but not in those from the fructose, orange juice or water group.

"We were intrigued by the fact that there was no increase in ROS or inflammation following orange juice consumption, even though its glucose concentration was the same as in participants in the glucose group," said Dandona. "This raised the question of what in the juice was responsible for suppressing ROS generation: flavonoids and vitamin C or fructose?"An additional round of test on the samples showed that neither fructose nor vitamin C suppressed the oxygen free radicals. However the two types of flavonoids in orange juice -- hesperetin and naringenin -- inhibited ROS generation by 52 percent and 77 percent, respectively.

"Our data are relevant to patients with diabetes," said Dandona,"because stress from ROS and inflammation are increased significantly in this population and may contribute to development of atherosclerosis. Clearly the choice of foods that either don't increase or actually decrease oxidative and inflammatory stress is important.

"The search for safe non-inflammatory foods and diets must continue," Dandona stressed, "especially since obesity, being overweight and type 2 diabetes are associated with oxidative stress and inflammation, and more than 60 percent of U.S. population is affected by these conditions."

July 22nd 2007

Losing Weight After Pregnancy: Diet And Exercise Better Than Diet Alone
Preliminary evidence suggests that a combination of dieting and exercise is a more effective way of losing weight after pregnancy than dieting alone, concludes a Cochrane Systematic Review.
Women naturally gain weight during pregnancy and many gradually lose it afterwards, but some women find it difficult to lose this additional weight. This retained body weight may be one factor that contributes to obesity among women. Many women are keen to find ways of returning to, and maintaining, pre-pregnant weights, and there is plenty of competing advice on offer.

By studying data from six different trials that involved a total of 245 women, a group of Cochrane Researchers found that women who did exercise did not lose significantly more than women who have a standard post-natal lifestyle. However, women who combined exercise and dieting did lose more weight than those with normal care.

Returning to body weight gradually after giving birth seems to be important, because women who regain their pre-pregnancy weight within six months have a lower risk of being overweight ten years later.

"As well as helping reduce body weight, exercise has the added advantage of improving the women's cardiovascular fitness and preserves fat-free mass -- dieting alone reduces fat-free mass," says Amanda Amorim, an epidemiologist working in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

July 22nd 2007

Adult Type 2 Diabetes: Poor Information On Diet, But Exercise Seems Good
There are no high quality data to assess how well dietary treatments for type 2 diabetes work in people who have just been told they have the disease, but there is evidence that taking on exercise seems to be one way of improving blood sugar levels, according to the findings of a Cochrane Systematic Review.

Type 2 diabetes leaves a person at danger of having elevated levels of sugar (glucose) in their blood. This high sugar content then causes damage to blood vessels, which in turn harms many organs including the eyes, nerves, kidneys and heart.

When people are first diagnosed with this disease they are given dietary advice in the hope that this will enable them to take more control over the level of sugar in their blood. However, after searching published scientific literature, a team of Cochrane Researchers was unable to find high quality data that showed whether dietary advice did indeed alter the risk of developing long-term complications, affect overall quality of life or the likelihood of dying.

July 22nd 2007\

Healthful Compounds In Tomatoes Increase Over Time In Organic Fields

Levels of flavonoids increase over time in crops grown in organically farmed fields,according to a rare long-term study scheduled for publication in the July 18 issue of ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, a bi-weekly publication.

Researchers compared levels of key flavonoids in tomatoes harvested over a 10-year period from two matched fields -- one farmed organically and the other with conventional methods that included commercial fertilizers.

Other research has suggested that consumption of flavonoids may protect against cancer, heart disease, and other age-related diseases.

In the new study, Alyson E. Mitchell and colleagues compared levels of key flavonoids in tomatoes harvested over a 10-year period from two matched fields - one farmed organically and the other with conventional methods that included commercial fertilizers. The research focused on tomatoes because per capita consumption in the United States is so high, second only to potatoes. Researchers analyzed organic and conventional tomatoes that had been dried and archived under identical conditions from 1994 to 2004.

"The levels of flavonoids increased over time in samples from organic treatments, whereas the levels of flavonoids did not vary significantly in conventional treatments," their report stated.

Increases corresponded with the accumulation of soil organic matter in organic plots and with reduced fertilization rates. "Well-quantified changes in tomato nutrients over years in organic farming systems have not been reported previously."

July 22nd 2007

Scientists Isolate Chemical In Curry That May Help Immune System Clear Plaques Found In Alzheimer's
Researchers have isolated bisdemethoxycurcumin, the active ingredient of curcuminoids -- a natural substance found in turmeric root -- that may help boost the immune system in clearing amyloid beta, a peptide that forms the plaques found in Alzheimer's disease. Using blood samples from Alzheimer's
disease patients, researchers found that bisdemethoxycurcumin boosted immune cells called macrophages to clear amyloid beta.

July 13th 2007

When It Comes To Walking, It's All Good, Says Mayo Clinic Researcher

These days, it's easy for people to get confused about exercise -- how many minutes a day should they spend working out, for how long and at what exertion level? Conflicting facts and opinions abound, but one Mayo Clinic physician says the bottom line is this: walking is good, whether the outcome measurement is blood pressure, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, joint problems or mental health.

High-intensity interval walking may protect against high blood pressure and decreased muscle strength among older people. (Credit: iStockphoto/Simone van den Berg)

"Getting out there and taking a walk is what it's all about," says James Levine, M.D., Ph.D., and a Mayo Clinic expert on obesity. "You don't have to join a gym, you don't have to check your pulse. You just have to switch off the TV, get off the sofa and go for a walk."

The health benefit associated with walking is the subject of Dr. Levine's editorial in the July issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings. Dr. Levine's piece is entitled, "Exercise: A Walk in the Park?" and accompanies a Proceedings article that showcases the merits of walking as beneficial exercise.

The study, undertaken by physicians from the Shinshu University Graduate School of Medicine in Matsumoto, Japan, determined that high-intensity interval walking may protect against high blood pressure and decreased muscle strength among older people.

Over five months, the Japanese researchers studied 246 adults who engaged in either no walking or moderate to high-intensity walking. The group who engaged in high-intensity walking experienced the most significant improvement in their health, the researchers found. In his editorial, Dr. Levine says the study lends credence to the notion that walking is a legitimate, worthy mode of exercise for all people. Dr. Levine says it's a welcome message for his patients, who fight obesity and appreciate that a walk is one way to improve their health.

Unlike a health club membership or personal trainer, walking "is there for everyone," Dr. Levine says. "Walking doesn't cost you anything, you can do it barefoot and you can do it now, this minute."

"Sitting is bad for cholesterol, it's bad for your back and muscles," Dr. Levine says. "It's such a terrible thing for our bodies to do and the less of it you do, the better. But activity is not easy. If it were easy, everyone would do it."

July 7th 2007

Indian herb again shows promise for diabetics
7/12/2007 - The traditional Indian herbal Salacia oblonga, for diabetics to lower blood sugar and insulin responses after eating, says a new study from the US that helps build the science behind the herb.

"The extract of Salacia oblonga lowers acute glycemia and insulinemia in persons with type 2 diabetes after a high-carbohydrate meal," wrote the researchers in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

"The results from this study suggest that Salacia may be beneficial to this population for postprandial glucose control," they added.

Researchers from Abbott Laboratories and Radiant Research evaluated the effect of two doses (240 or 480 mg) of Salacia oblonga on blood glucose and insulin levels of 66 type-2 diabetics after eating a high-carbohydrate meal. Results were compared to an unsupplemented standard liquid control meal.

The randomised, double-blinded crossover study showed that both doses of the herbal significantly lowered the postprandial glucose response by 14 and 22 per cent for the 240 mg and 480 mg extract, respectively, compared to the control meal.

Moreover, both doses significantly reduced the postprandial insulin response by 14and 19 per cent for the 240 and 480 mg extract, respectively.

It is thought that Salacia oblonga acts in a similar way to diabetes medications by binding to intestinal enzymes called alpha-glucosidases, which are responsible for breaking down carbohydrates into glucose. When the enzyme binds to the herbal extract rather than a carbohydrate, less glucose gets into the blood stream, resulting in lowered blood glucose and insulin levels.

The study supports similar results published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association (2005, vol 105, pp. 65-71) by researchers from Ohio State University. In this instance, a 1,000mg dose of the herb Salacia oblonga was reported to decrease insulin levels in healthy adults by 29 per cent and blood glucose levels by 23 per cent.

July 7th 2007