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Study Shows Vitamin C's Cancer-Fighting
Properties
(Washington, Reuters Health, 9/10/07)
Dr. Chi Dang of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore,
and team, gave vitamin C to mice that had been implanted
with human cancer. Dang’s team reports that, while
scientists had assumed that vitamin C inhibited tumor growth
by stopping free radicals from damaging DNA, this new study
indicates that the vitamin actually uses a different
mechanism to undermine the tumors’ ability to grow. In
addition, the researchers found that N-acetylcysteine, also
an antioxidant, stifles tumor growth in mice. The
investigators say that understanding exactly how
antioxidants, like C, block tumors could unlock ways to use
them to effectively treat cancer. These new findings give
credence to some of the ideas of Linus Pauling, who
pioneered vitamin C research back in the ‘70s.
Handling Stress Properly Increases Good Cholesterol
(HealthDay News, 8/20/07)
Loriena A.
Yancura of the University of Hawaii, and team, asked 716
older men, who were participating in an aging study, about
the most stressful situation they had experienced in the
past week. The investigators had each subject select from 26
coping strategies,” and rated the men based on the hostility
they displayed and other traits. The scientists also took
fasting blood samples from the men and assessed HDL (good)
cholesterol, LDL (bad) cholesterol and triglycerides. The
team found lower HDL and higher triglyceride levels in men
using hostility to cope, as well as those using self-blame
and isolation. These findings suggest that keeping calm in
stressful situations may protect the cardiovascular system
by raising levels of HDL cholesterol, which keeps arteries
clear.
One Dose of Vitamin D Boosts TB Immunity
(NY, Reuters Health, 8/2/07)
Dr. Adrian R.
Martineau, of Queen Mary's School of Medicine and Dentistry,
London, and team, gave192 healthy adults who had been
exposed to tuberculosis either one dose of 2.5 mg of vitamin
D or a placebo. One hundred and thirty one subjects were
included in the final analysis, 64 of whom had taken the
placebo, while 67 had gotten vitamin D. Six weeks later, the
investigators tested the participants for evidence of
Mycobacterium tuberculosis and concluded that vitamin D had
significantly enhanced the subjects' immunity to
tuberculosis, compared to the placebo group. These findings
suggest that vitamin D may block reactivation of latent TB
infection.
Poor Sense of Smell May be Alzheimer's
(Chicago, AP, 7/3/07)
In a study
funded by the National Institute on Aging and the Illinois
Department of Health, Robert Wilson of Chicago's Rush
University Medical Center, and team, had 600 adults identify
12 common odors, including foods, spices, rose, soap, paint
thinner, gasoline and smoke. The researchers presented 4
choices, both aloud and in text, for each smell. The
investigators then gave the participants 21 cognitive tests
annually for five years and found that subjects who had
originally misidentified more than three odors had a 50%
greater risk of mental decline than those making no more
than one error. In addition, those having difficulty
identifying scents were likelier to progress from mild
impairment to Alzheimer's. These results support previous
research showing that the microscopic lesions indicative of
Alzheimer's disease first appear in a brain region related
to the sense of smell. The findings suggest that
olfactory tests may be useful in the early diagnosis of
Alzheimer's.
Study Finds Echinacea May Prevent Colds
(Washington, Reuters Health, 6/25/07)
Dr. Craig Coleman of the University of Connecticut School
of Pharmacy, and team, analyzed the results of 14 studies
that dealt with the efficacy of echinacea, a commonly used
herbal remedy made from parts taken from nine species of
North American plants. The investigators found that these
studies, which involved a total of 1,600 subjects, tended to
support echinacea’s ability to block infection from certain
cold viruses. Coleman noted that a 2005 study that concluded
that echinacea did not stop colds looked at a rhinovirus
only, ignoring the numerous other cold-causing pathogens.
The scientists concluded that overall the mega-analysis
tended to support the theory that taking echinacea may
significantly reduce the risk of catching a cold.
An Active Brain May Help Keep Alzheimer's at Bay
(NY, Reuters Health, 6/28/07)
As part of
Chicago’s Rush University Medical Center Memory and Aging
Project, Robert S. Wilson, and team, gathered data on
problems with memory and thought processes from more than
700 elderly adults. The researchers also questioned
participants on their participation in such activities as
reading, attending events and writing letters. The
investigators then administered cognitive tests to the
subjects for up to 5 years. The results of the tests showed
a link between frequent involvement in activities that
engage mental processes and a reduced risk of mental decline
and Alzheimer's disease. These findings indicate that
adequate mental activity in old age reduces the probability
of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
FDA Says Unmoved by Aspartame/ Cancer
Report
(Reuters Health, 6/26/07)
In light of a new study by Morando Soffritti and team of
the Ramazzini Foundation in Bologna, Italy, which showed
that aspartame may cause various forms of cancer in rats,
Michael Jacobson of the Center for Science in the Public
Interest called for an FDA review of the artificial
sweetener’s safety. Jacobson believes that the current
results indicate the cancer risk more accurately because the
scientists allowed the rats to live until they died
naturally, instead of killing them at two years as done in
other experiments. On the other hand, Herndon of the FDA
countered that, since the new findings “are not consistent”
with a large number of FDA-reviewed aspartame studies, they
do not warrant followup.
Smoking, Sleeplessness Tough on Oral Health
(HealthDay News, 6/1/07)
Japanese researcher, Dr. Muneo Tanaka, and team
evaluated 219 subjects on “exercise, alcohol consumption,
smoking, hours of sleep, nutrition, stress, hours worked,
and eating breakfast”; then tracked them from 1999 to 2003.
The scientists identified smoking and lack of sleep as the
top two independent factors linked to the progression of gum
disease. These findings suggest that smoking, sleep
deprivation and other lifestyle stressors may compromise the
body’s immune system and thereby promote disorders like gum
disease.
Yoga May Help Treat Depression, Anxiety Disorders
(HealthDay News, 6/7/07)
Dr. Chris
Streeter of the Boston University School of Medicine and
team used high-tech magnetic resonance spectroscopy to scan
the brains of eight long-time yoga practitioners and 11
non-practitioners. The scans, conducted before and right
after a one-hour session of either yoga meditation or
reading, showed that the levels of gamma-aminobutyric (GABA),
a neurotransmitter; rose in the yoga group, but not in the
reading group. Since low brain levels of GABA have been
linked to anxiety disorders, the researchers concluded that
the practice of yoga may be beneficial to people who suffer
from anxiety.
Study: Gingseng May Help Fight Cancer
(AP, 6/2/07)
Preliminary
tests of American ginseng and of flaxseed indicate that
these natural substances may benefit cancer patients. Debra
Barton of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, tested the
effect of powdered Wisconsin ginseng root, which is
different from the Asian variety, on cancer-related fatigue.
She randomly assigned 282 cancer patients to take either
750, 1,000 or 2,000 mg of ginseng or a placebo each day for
eight weeks. She found that a quarter of those on the two
highest doses reported less fatigue, compared with only 10%
of those on the lower dose or the placebos. In a separate
study, Wendy Demark-Wahnefried of Duke University Medical
Center, and team, assigned four groups of about 40 men who
were scheduled for prostate removal in three weeks to take
either 30 grams of powdered flaxseed, a low-fat diet, both
or neither. After surgery, the researchers found that the
rate of growth of the tumors in the two flaxseed groups was
30 to 40 % slower; while, the low-fat diet had no effect.
These findings suggest that flaxseed may slow prostate
cancer growth; while American ginseng may lessen the fatigue
associated with cancer.
Salty Diet May Raise Ulcer Risk
(HealthDay News, 5/23/07)
Hanan Gancz,
of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
in Bethesda, Md, and team, found that high salt
concentrations may cause gene activity in Helicobacter
pylori bacteria that increases the pathogen’s virulence and
raises the likelihood that they will cause stomach ulcers.
The researchers found a link between exposing bacterial
cells to high levels of salt in vitro and an apparent defect
in the bacteria’s cell division, as well as morphological
changes.
DIET: Thin People May be Fat Inside
(AP, 5/10/07)
Since 1994
Dr. Jimmy Bell of Imperial College, London, and team, have
used MRI’s to create “fat maps” of nearly 800 people,
revealing where their bodies store fat. The researchers
found that even people with normal BMIs (Body Mass Index)
may have high levels of hidden fat encasing their vital
organs. Bell dubs such people "TOFIs" (Thin Outside, Fat
Inside). Bell says that TOFIs tend to eat fatty, sugary
foods without exercising enough to avoid fat storage.
Scientists speculate that inactive thin people may have a
greater risk of ill health and mortality than their heavy,
but more active, counterparts. They recommend improved diet,
caloric restriction and exercise to burn off visceral fat.
Bowel Disease, Nerve Problems Linked
(HealthDay News, 4/23/07)
Dr. Francisco De Assis Gondim of the Federal University
of Ceara in Brazil, and team, ran standardized neurological
tests on 103 subjects with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD),
including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis and 51
people with other digestive disorders, like heartburn,
gastritis and irritable bowel syndrome. The investigators
found a link between IBD and nerve disorders, such as
sensorimotor polyneuropathy, which causes weakness, pain and
numbness. The researchers say that IBD patients have a
greater risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome, as well
as symptoms of small fiber neuropathy, which is
characterized by pain and lack of feeling in the feet. These
findings suggest that the causes of IBD affect other systems
throughout the body.
Apples During Pregnancy Protects Baby from Asthma
(NY, Reuters Health, 4/12/07)
S. M. Willers
of Utrecht University and fellow researchers from The
Netherlands and Scotland compared the diets of about 2,000
pregnant moms to the lung health of 1,253 of their children.
The investigators found that moms who ate more than 4 apples
weekly had children who were significantly less likely to
wheeze or have doctor-diagnosed asthma, compared to those
consuming one or no apples weekly during pregnancy. The
scientists speculate that eating apples while pregnant may
protect offspring from asthma and wheezing. Since the study
showed no association between this effect and other fruits
and vegetables, the researchers speculate that the specific
phytonutrient makeup of apples may benefit lung function. In
addition, the study found that the children of moms who ate
fish during pregnancy had a lower risk of eczema, an
allergic skin condition. Both findings indicate that
modifying a pregnant woman’s eating habits may prevent
allergic-type problems in her children.
Menopausal Hormone Dip Tied to Sexual
Dysfunction
(NY, Reuters Health, 4/9/07)
Dr. Clarisa R. Gracia and colleagues at the University of
Pennsylvania assessed hormone levels in the blood of 311
women annually for 3 years and also queried them about
“their health, menstrual cycles and sex lives.” The
investigators found that postmenopausal subjects were more
likely than premenopausal women to report sexual
dysfunction, including lack of interest, pain or difficulty
attaining orgasm. The researcher determined that women with
low levels of DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone), a precursor to
estrogen and testosterone, tended to report sexual problems
more often than those with high levels. In addition, women
with anxiety symptoms, with no regular sex partner or with
children under18 in their household were also more likely to
experience sexual dysfunction.
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