July 23, 2009

Heart healthy habits help the head
LIFE EXTENSIONS  July 22, 2009
The Alzheimer's Association 2009 International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease held this month in Vienna was the site of presentations concerning the benefits of a heart-healthy diet and exercise in lowering the risk of age-related cognitive decline.
Utah State University Assistant Professor of Nutrition Nancy Wengreen, RD, PhD reported the outcome of a study of 3,831 men and women aged 65 years and older which found that greater adherence to the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet is associated with better cognitive function over an 11 year period. Participants with dietary scores that were among the top 20 percent of subjects had better cognitive function test scores at the beginning of the study as well as at the end of follow-up compared to those whose dietary scores were low. Of nine dietary components evaluated, four were independently associated with cognitive function scores. “Our results suggest that including whole grains, vegetables, low-fat dairy foods, and nuts in one's diet may offer benefits for cognition in late life," Dr Wengreen revealed."
In a second presentation, University of California, San Francisco assistant Professor of Psychiatry Deborah E. Barnes, PhD, MPH and colleagues evaluated the effect of changes in physical activity on the cognitive function of 3,075 participants in the Health, Aging and Body Composition Study. "We found that older adults who were sedentary throughout the study had the lowest levels of cognitive function at the beginning and experienced the fastest rate of cognitive decline," Dr Barnes reported. "Cognitive decline also was faster in those whose physical activity levels consistently declined during the study period."
"We can't do anything about aging or family history,” concluded William Thies, PhD, who is Chief Medical and Scientific Officer at the Alzheimer's Association, “But research continues to show us that there are lifestyle decisions we all can make to keep our brains healthier, and that also may lower our risk of memory decline as we age."
http://www.lef.org/whatshot/2009_07.htm#heart-healthy-habits-help-the-head

Olive extract may have obesity, diabetes benefits

Nutraingredients.com, 23-Jul-2009

An extract from extra-virgin olive oil may stimulate the function of mitochondria in cells, and prevent diseases associated with dysfunction like diabetes and obesity, says a new study.
Results of a cell study indicate that hydroxytyrosol may influence gene expression, which would influence mitochondrial function. The mitochondria are the 'power plants' of the cell, generating chemical energy by producing adenosince triphosphate (ATP), the body's 'energy currency'.
“We collaborated with DSM Nutritional Products in Switzerland and investigated effects of hydroxytyrosolthat stimulate mitochondrial biogenesis and promote mitochondrial function in [fat cells],” Dr Jiankang Liu, corresponding author of the study, told NutraIngredients.
“Because mitochondrial loss and dysfunction are closely related with obesity and diabetes, these results suggest that supplement with olive oil and/orhydroxytyrosol may have beneficial effect on preventing obesity and diabetes,”he added.
The results are published in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry.
Med diet benefits
“As is known very well, the Mediterranean diet has been associated with a lower incidence of certain cancers and of cardiovascular disease, which is the most common and serious complication of diabetes,” Dr Liu, from the University of Kentucky and the University School of Life Science in Xi'an, told this website.
“Olive oil is the principal source of fats in the Mediterranean diet, and hydroxytyrosol is considered to be one of the most potent determinants of its efficacy.
“We hypothesised that the Mediterranean diet or supplementation with HT could stimulate mitochondrial function and prevent diabetes and obesity-related mitochondrial dysfunction, thus reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease,” he added.
Study details
Using mouse-derived fat cells (adipocytes), the researchers tested the effects of different concentrations of hydroxytyrosol (DSM Nutritional Products), ranging from 0.1 to 10 micromoles per litre, on the expression of proteins linked to mitochondrial function.
“In the present study, we showed that hydroxytyrosol over the concentration range of 0.1-10 micromoles per litre stimulated the protein expression of [peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) coactivator 1 alpha (PPARGC1-alpha)] - the central factor for mitochondrial biogenesis,” wrote the researchers.
“We showed that hydroxytyrosol is a nutrient that effectively stimulates mitochondrial biogenesis and function,” they added.
“This mitochondrial targeting property may provide a possible mechanism for the efficacy of the Mediterranean diet for lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease and also suggests that hydroxytyrosol may be used as a therapeutic intervention for preventing […] type-2 diabetes and obesity,” they concluded.
The study was funded by a UC Davis Center for Human and Nutrition Pilot Award and by DSM Nutritional Products.
Source: Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry 
Published ahead of print, doi: 10.1016/j.jnutbio.2009.03.012
“Hydroxytyrosol promotes mitochondrial biogenesis and mitochondrial function in 3T3-L1 adipocytes.”
Authors: J. Hao, W. Shen, G. Yu, H. Jia, X. Li, Z. Feng, Y. Wang, P. Weber, K. Wertz, E. Sharman, J. Liu
http://www.nutraingredients.com/Research/Olive-extract-may-have-obesity-diabetes-benefits

Omega-3 may prevent blindness in the elderly: Study

Nutraingredients.com, 23-Jul-2009

A diet high in omega-3 fatty acids may prevent the development of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of blindness in the over-50s, suggests a new study.
Researchers from the National Eye Institute in Bethesda found that a diet rich inomega-3 fatty acids could retard the progression of lesions in a mouse model of AMD. The fatty acids were also associated with an improvement in some lesions.
"The results in these mice are in line with the epidemiological studies of AMD risk reduction by long chain omega-3 fatty acids," wrote the researchers in theAmerican Journal of Pathology.
It is known that omega-3 fatty acids, and particularly DHA, play an important role in the layer of nerve cells in the retina, and studies have already reported that omega-3 may protect against the onset of AMD.
Indeed, a meta-analysis published in the June 2008 issue of the Archives of Ophthalmology found that a high intake of omega-3 fatty acids and fish may reduce the risk of AMD by up to 38 per cent. Scientists from the University of Melbourne in Australia reported that the benefits were most pronounced against late (more advanced) AMD, while eating fish twice a week was associated with a reduced risk of both early and late AMD.
AMD low-down
AMD is a degenerative retinal disease that causes central vision loss and leaves only peripheral vision. It is the leading cause of legal blindness for people over 55 years of age in the Western world, according to AMD Alliance International.
Despite the fact that approximately 25 to 30 million people worldwide are affected by AMD, awareness of the condition is low, says the Alliance. And as the generation of Baby Boomers gets older, the Alliance expects incidence to be on the rise and triple by 2025.
Looking at mice
The Bethesda-based researchers, led by Dr Chi-Chao Chan, found that mice fed a high omega-3 fatty acid diet displayed a slower development of lesions in their retina, compared to animals fed a low omega-3 diet. Furthermore, some of the mice in the omega-3 group displayed some reversion of the lesions.
Looking at the potential mechanism behind the effects, the researchers noted lower levels of inflammatory molecules, such as prostaglandin E2 and leukotriene B4, and higher levels of anti-inflammatory molecules, such as prostaglandin D2.
“A diet enriched in EPA and DHA can ameliorate the progression of retinal lesions in their mouse model of AMD,” wrote the researchers.
“This murine model provides a useful tool to evaluate therapies that might delay the development of AMD,” they concluded.
The study was funded by The Intramural Research Program of the National Eye Institute, the National Institutes of Health, and the American Health Assistance Foundation.
Source: American Journal of Pathology
Volume 175, Pages 799-807, doi:10.2353/ajpath.2009.090089 
“A High Omega-3 Fatty Acid Diet Reduces Retinal Lesions in a Murine Model of Macular Degeneration”
Authors: J. Tuo, R.J. Ross, A.A. Herzlich, D. Shen, X. Ding, M. Zhou, S.L. Coon, N. Hussein, N. Salem Jr, C.-C. Chan
http://www.nutraingredients.com/Research/Omega-3-may-prevent-blindness-in-the-elderly-Study

Chinese herbs show early promise for endometriosis
Last Updated: 2009-07-22 13:53:00 -0400 (Reuters Health)
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Chinese herbal medicine could offer an alternative to standard hormonal treatments for the painful pelvic disorder endometriosis, preliminary research suggests.
In a review of two small clinical trials, researchers found that a particular mix of traditional Chinese herbs worked as well or even better than two conventional hormonal therapies for endometriosis. And it came with fewer side effects.
Both trials, which included a total of 158 women, had shortcomings, however, so it is too early to draw conclusions about the effectiveness of the herbal therapies, the researchers report in a review for the Cochrane Library, a publication of the international research organization the Cochrane Collaboration.
"I think the positive message is that Chinese herbal medicine may offer equivalent benefits to conventional medicine but with fewer side effects," lead researcher Andrew Flower, of the University of Southampton in the UK, told Reuters Health.
In endometriosis, pieces of the tissue that normally lines the uterus (the endometrium) also grow outside the organ -- often on the ovaries, the fallopian tubes or elsewhere in the pelvis. Like the endometrium, this misplaced tissue changes with each menstrual cycle, thickening and then breaking down and bleeding.
This leads to a build up of scar tissue outside the uterus, with symptoms including pelvic pain, heavy, painful menstrual periods and fertility problems.
Among the treatments are various drugs that alter women's hormone levels to prevent new scar tissue and relieve pain. However, they can come with side effects -- including acne, unwanted hair growth and menopause-like symptoms like hot flashes.
In one of the trials Flower's team reviewed, Chinese researchers randomly assigned women to take either an herbal mixture known as Nei Yi Wan or a hormonal therapy called gestrinone after undergoing surgery to remove abnormal tissue growths. The herbal therapy was given both orally and by enema.
After three months of treatment, women in the herb and gestrinone groups showed similar improvements in their symptoms and their chances of becoming pregnant over the next two years. But while the herbal remedy showed no significant side effects, gestrinone caused acne in 13 of the 49 women treated, and infrequent menstrual periods in 31 women.
The second trial compared the same herbal mix with danazol, a drug that blocks estrogen secretion. After three months, women in both groups reported symptom improvements, but those who took the herb orally and by enema showed greater improvements in painful periods, and a greater reduction in abnormal tissue growths.
The herbs used in both trials are considered in Chinese medicine to be "blood moving," Flower explained. He noted that research has suggested that the herbs may help regulate pelvic blood flow, as well as modulate immune system activity and inflammation.
SOURCE: Cochrane Library, online July 8, 2009.
http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2009/07/22/eline/links/20090722elin001.html

FDA warns Abbott on Magic Johnson DVD for HIV drug
Last Updated: 2009-07-22 16:03:36 -0400 (Reuters Health)
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration sent a warning letter to Abbott Laboratories, citing what it called serious violations in a promotional DVD about its HIV drug Kaletra that the agency said includes misleading information about the medicine.
The letter says the violations, seen in a DVD featuring basketball legend and HIV sufferer Earvin "Magic" Johnson, are of public health concern "because they suggest that Kaletra is safer and more effective than has been demonstrated by substantial evidence or substantial clinical experience, and encourage use in circumstances other than those for which the drug has been shown to be safe and effective."
It also said the DVD appeared to be accompanied by an outdated version of the FDA-approved product label.
The FDA, in the letter, asks Abbott to immediately cease dissemination of violative promotional material for Kaletra and to submit a written response by July 28 stating whether it intends to comply with the request.
In addition, the agency asked Abbott to come up with a comprehensive plan of action to disseminate truthful, non-misleading, and complete corrective messages about the issues discussed in this letter to the audiences that received the violative promotional materials.
Abbott said it would respond to the FDA by the July 28 deadline.
"The promotional material referenced in the FDA letter is no longer in use and was discontinued earlier this year," Abbott spokeswoman Michelle Johnson said.
"Abbott will fully address the agency comments and the guidance provided within the letter within the timeline addressed in the letter," she added.
Much of the DVD is in the form of an interview and discussion with Magic Johnson, an engaging personality who has been a public face of HIV for many years, about his use of Kaletra and its impact on his life.
But the FDA said the DVD fails to convey any of the serious risks of Kaletra during the interview, and that Johnson's personal experience is not necessarily applicable to the general patient population.
"FDA is not aware of substantial evidence or substantial clinical experience to support effectiveness for five or more years of treatment with Kaletra in treatment-experienced adults. The personal experience of a Kaletra patient, such as Magic Johnson, does not constitute such evidence."
http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2009/07/22/eline/links/20090722elin018.html

Healthy diet and lifestyle cuts heart failure risk
Last Updated: 2009-07-22 14:33:47 -0400 (Reuters Health)
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Sticking with a healthy diet and lifestyle can reduce the risks of high blood pressure and heart failure, in which the heart cannot pump enough blood to supply the body with oxygen and nutrients, according to the findings of two studies in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
In the first investigation, Dr. Luc Djousse, from Harvard Medical School in Boston, and colleagues analyzed data from 20,900 men in the Physicians' Health Study I (1982-2008) to assess the link between lifestyle factors and the lifetime risk of heart failure. The subjects were followed for 22.4 years, on average.
The lifetime risk of heart failure, assessed at age 40 years, was about one in seven, the report indicates.
A variety of healthy lifestyle habits were linked to a lower risk of heart failure. These habits included maintaining a normal body weight, not smoking, regular exercise, moderate alcohol intake, consumption of breakfast cereals, and consumption of fruits and vegetables.
Men who adhered to none of the healthy lifestyle factors had the highest lifetime risk of heart failure-21.2 percent--while those who adhered to four or more had the lowest risk-10.1 percent.
The second investigation, conducted by Dr. John P. Forman and colleagues, from Harvard Medical School, Boston, involved an analysis of data from 83,882 women in the Nurses' Health Study (1991-2005). The goal was to assess the impact that various diet and lifestyle factors had, in combination, on the risk of high blood pressure.
The study focused on six factors, previously tied to a reduced risk of high blood pressure: normal body weight, vigorous exercise for an average of 30 minutes per day, consuming a healthy diet, modest alcohol intake, use of pain medications less than once per week, and use of supplemental folic acid, a form of vitamin B.
The presence of 6, 5, 4, and 3 of the factors cut the risk of high blood pressure by 78, 72, 58, and 54 percent, respectively, relative to the complete absence of these factors.
The factor with the single greatest impact on high blood pressure was body weight. Women who were obese were 4.7-times more likely to develop high blood pressure than were women of normal body weight.
The authors conclude that many new cases of high blood pressure could be prevented through adherence to the low-risk dietary and lifestyle factors described. This, they add, could yield major public health benefits.
SOURCE: Journal of the American Medical Association, July 22/29, 2009.
http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2009/07/22/eline/links/20090722elin024.html

Study Finds Illness, Medical Bills Cause Majority of U.S. Bankruptcies
S. L. Baker, NaturalNews.com  July 23, 2009 

(NaturalNews) Unemployment is high and retirement accounts have virtually disappeared for many folks in the wake of the current recession. Housing prices have plummeted, too. So it comes as no surprise that data just released by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts shows the total number of U.S. bankruptcies filed during the first three months of 2009 increased 34.5 percent over the same period in 2008. But what is surprising is a new Harvard study published in the August 2009 issue of The American Journal of Medicine which reveals financial woes starting hitting Americans even before the officially recognized economic downturn -- and the main culprit was illness and medical bills.

The results of the first-ever national random-sample survey of bankruptcy filers, conducted by researchers at Cambridge Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Harvard Law School and Ohio University, show that in 2007, 60% of all bankruptcies in the United States were driven by sickness and related medical bills. Moreover, the share of bankruptcies attributable to medical woes over the past few years has been on the upswing. 

The investigators surveyed a random national sample of 2,314 bankruptcy filers in 2007, studied their court records and then interviewed 1,032 of these financially strapped people. Bankruptcies were designated as "medical" based on the stated reasons a person had for filing, income loss due to sickness and the amount of their medical bills they owed. By relying on identical definitions in both 2001 and 2007, the researchers concluded that the share of bankruptcies caused by medical problems had soared by almost 50 percent during those years. In fact, the chances a bankruptcy had a medical cause were 2.38 fold higher in 2007 than in 2001.

The results of the research revealed that a variety of circumstances pushed many middle-class Americans over the edge into bankruptcy, even when they had health insurance. For example, 92 percent of the medically bankrupt ended up in that financial state due to high medical bills. And countless families who had health insurance were under-insured, leaving them responsible for thousands of dollars in medical bills they couldn't pay. In fact, out-of-pocket medical charges averaged just under $18,000 for those who had private insurance and yet went bankrupt due to medical expenses. Uninsured patients were faced with $26,971 in out-of-pocket expenses.

The study's authors point out that almost all insurance is linked to employment, so a medical illness can trigger both loss of a job and loss of health insurance coverage. Nationally, about a fourth of all companies cancel insurance coverage immediately when an employee suffers a disabling illness, and another 25 percent cancel insurance within a year. Of course, losing a job due to the recession also usually means losing health insurance coverage.

"The US health care financing system is broken, and not only for the poor and uninsured. Middle class families frequently collapse under the strain of a health care system that treats physical wounds, but often inflicts fiscal ones," researcher David U.Himmelstein, M.D., wrote in The American Journal of Medicine article.
The solution is found in your own choices, not some government program
Despite the gloom and doom financial news related to medical illness, there is reason to take heart. Bottom line: a change of attitude and a healthier lifestyle can lead to less disease and fewer medical bills -- or no medical bills at all. In fact, an editorial previously published in the Journal of the American Medical Association concluded that unhealthy eating habits and sedentary lifestyles represent the most common source of unnecessary death and disease among Americans. Bottom line: most disease is preventable by taking charge of the way you live and how you treat your own body, including what nutrients you put into it.

Unfortunately, according to another study published in the June edition of The American Journal of Medicine, Americans are not following a healthy lifestyle, despite the fact it can save their money and their life. What's more, the research reveals that there's actually a decline in healthy living, especially among people of middle age.

Investigators from the Department of Family Medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston compared the results of two large studies of Americans conducted between the years of 1988 and 1994 and between 2001 and 2006. They found that during the intervening years, there was a substantial increase in the percentage of adults between the ages of 40 and 74 who decreased their physical activity level and also gained weight. The research subjects were drinking far more alcohol and eating fewer fruits and vegetables, too, as the years rolled by.

Overall, the number of people practicing healthy lifestyle habits had slipped from 15 percent to only eight percent. And the researchers also found that even having cardiovascular disease, diabetes, high blood pressure or high cholesterol (or risk factors for those conditions) didn't spur people to make healthy lifestyle choices.

"The potential public health benefits from promoting a healthier lifestyle at all ages, and especially ages 40 and 74 years, are substantial. Regular physical activity and a prudent diet can reduce the risk of premature death and disability from a variety of conditions including coronary heart disease, and are strongly related to the incidence of obesity," study author Dana E. King, MD, MS, stated in the article. "In the US, medical costs due to physical inactivity and its consequences are estimated at $76 billion in 2000 dollars. Research indicates that individuals are capable of adopting healthy habits in middle age, and making an impact on cardiovascular risk."

For those who want to make the effort, pursuing a healthy, natural, active lifestyle can reduce the risk of virtually all serious disease. As reported inNatural News(http://www.naturalnews.com/024315_h...), for instance, a previous Harvard study found that following a healthy lifestyle lowers the risk of coronary heart disease by 80 percent and the risk of diabetes by 90 percent. It may also prevent more than half of ischemic strokes.
http://www.naturalnews.com/026681_health_medical_bills_disease.html

Drug-Induced Dementia Common in Seniors
David Gutierrez, NaturalNews.com  July 23, 2009 

(NaturalNews) Many cases of senior dementia are actually caused by drug side effects and could be reversed with a change in prescription, reports the consumer advocacy nonprofit Public Citizen on its Web site WorstPills.org.

"Sadly, doctors don't always recognize cognitive impairment as a side effect, so many patients needlessly suffer from this debilitating but reversible condition," said Sidney Wolfe, the organization's acting president. "After beginning new drugs, doctors, patients and their families should watch for subtle changes in cognition and assume changes may be caused by drug therapy. People already suffering from some cognitive impairment are most susceptible."

While most people are more familiar with irreversible forms of dementia such as Alzheimer's disease, Public Citizen has catalogued 136 commonly prescribed drugs that can produce symptoms of dementia or delirium. The assessments are based on reviews of published data from prestigious medical journals and unpublished data from the FDA.

Dementia is a chronic, progressive disruption of normal thinking processes. Delirium consists of abrupt changes to vision, hearing and thinking. In many cases, doctors falsely assume that drug-induced delirium and dementia are caused by an underlying health condition.

Among the drugs most likely to cause delirium or dementia are antidepressants or certain painkillers. Other culprits are the common antihistamine diphenhydramine (marketed as Benadryl, among other names); the sleeping pills zolpidem (Ambien) and eszopiclone (Lunesta); the urinary incontinence drug tolteridine (Detrol); and the nausea drug metoclopramide (Reglan).

Public Citizen warned that the elderly are particularly susceptible to drug-induced delirium or dementia. Not only are drugs more likely to build up in higher doses in their bodies due to lessened kidney or liver function, they are also more likely to be taking multiple drugs that could interact to produce unique side effects. In addition, those already suffering cognitive impairment are more likely to have it exacerbated by pharmaceuticals. Unfortunately, the elderly are also most likely to have their symptoms written off as merely the normal effects of aging.
http://www.naturalnews.com/026680_dementia_drugs_doctors.html

Radiation Increases Breast Cancer Rates
Kim Evans, NaturalNews.com  July 23, 2009 

(NaturalNews) Researchers recently found a direct positive connection between girls receiving more radiation for cancer and developing breast cancer later in life. A positive correlation meaning the more radiation they received, the more likely they were to develop a tumor later, not, of course, that this is any type of positive thing.

When looking at information such as this, it's important to note that the effects of radiation are not solely harmful to girls being treated for cancer as children, nor is radiation given to people with cancer the only form of radiation that humans are exposed to.

Most people are exposed regularly to radiation with x-rays, mammograms, wireless internet, and cell phones. Exposure to radiation in our society is common and its effects are underestimated by both medical doctors, who often dole it out, and mainstream consumers.

Part of the problem is that science likes to extrapolate downward.

Science, by its nature, isolates variables and attempts to show direct linear relationships, if it's possible. Sometimes, however, direct linear relationships aren't possible to show due to multi-factorial variables that are common in life, yet impossible to replicate in a controlled setting.

But the real problem comes into play because there is a decided lack of extrapolating upward from what is known and what is found in this manner.

For example, regardless of the fact that countless studies have shown direct connections with various poisons in the body and problems of the body, someone in a position of authority might say "you can't prove" that a person eating specific pesticides will definitely get cancer. Or that people exposed to other known toxic chemicals will definitely get another very specific disease. Therefore, many dangerous chemicals are allowed in our foodsupply and into human bodies on a mass scale.

Science, however, clearly tells us that these chemicals are toxic and do cause problems. But the fact that they are known toxins, apparently isn't enough to make concerted efforts to keep them out of the food supply and out of human bodies.

These are the kinds of conclusions we'd draw if we were prone to extrapolating upward from direct linear relationships that have been shown in controlled settings.

Extrapolating upwards is just understanding the far reaching variables of what has been determined, in contrast to understanding merely the limited effects of what specifically has been studied.

The overweight might want to pay particular attention to the connection between increased radiation exposure and cancer rates. Just a few weeks ago doctors admitted they were using as much as forty times more radiation for overweight and obese patients than for normal weight patients to get accurate x-rays.

Perhaps the fact that doctors are giving overweight and obese patients considerably higher doses of radiation might also be part of the reason that obese patients are being killed more often by the swine flu. Because, not only does radiation exposure have a strong connection with cancer, it also does disastrous things to our immune systems.

These are precisely the kinds of things we'd start thinking about if we, and mainstream health care providers, were prone to extrapolating upwards. By extrapolating upwards, we can understand the problems, and potential problems, immediately - instead of waiting half our lives for researchers to determine that what we're doing is killing us.

Truly, our society doesn't need to be blindsided by all of these health problems. The answers are quite simple, but to understand them, we need to start looking at the variables from a different angle. And to solve them, we definitely need to start doing things a little differently.
http://www.naturalnews.com/026679_cancer_brst_cancer_health.html

Lobbyists Spend Millions to Influence Health Care

Dan Eggen  Washington Post, July 22, 2009

Drugmakers, hospitals and insurers continued to pour millions of dollars into lobbying during the second quarter of this year, hoping to limit the damage to their bottom line as lawmakers and the Obama administration wrangle over landmark health-care legislation.
New disclosure reports that began arriving Monday in Congress showed familiar players at the top of the health-care influence heap, including $6.2 million in lobbying by the dominant Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) and $4 million by the American Medical Association.
Many health companies and associations increased their first-quarter lobbying expenditures, sometimes dramatically. The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association upped its lobbying expenditures by a full million, to 2.8 million dollars in the second quarter; GlaxoSmithKline's spending jumped from $1.8 million to $2.3 million; Novartis grew from $1.4 million to $1.8 million; and Metlife Group reported $1.7 million, up nearly 50 percent. Allstate, which spent less than $900,000 on lobbying through March, boosted its spending to more than $1.5 million from April to June.
Others simply kept up the pace, including Johnson & Johnson at $1.6 million and America's Health Insurance Plans and Bayer Corp. both approaching $2 million in spending from April to June. The AMA has spent a total of $8.2 million on lobbying through June of this year.
Final aggregate numbers are likely a day or two away as reports continue to trickle in and get tallied by journalists and watchdog groups. But the data so far suggest that the second quarter has a good chance of reaching a new high for the health-care lobby. The industry already set records from January to March, when health-care firms and their lobbyists spent money at the rate of $1.4 million a day.
There were a few surprising examples of declines, however, most notably PhRMA, which reported spending about $700,000 less than it did in the first quarter. But consider that PhRMA spent $8.6 million in the first half of 2008 -- just two thirds of what they've spent so far this year.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/health-care-reform/2009/07/health_care_continues_its_inte.html?hpid=topnews?hpid=topnews

Natural Mosquito Repellents You Can Use Right Now
Aaron Turpen, NaturalNews.com  July 23, 2009 

(NaturalNews) Have you ever looked at the back of a bottle of insect repellent you might have purchased in the store? You`ll see chemical names like N-diethyl-meta-toluamide, N-diethyl-3-methyl-benzamide, 2-hydroxyethyl, and 1-methylpropyl ester.

Do you have any idea what those are? Most people don`t, but according to the Environmental Protection Agency`s website, the first two are the chemical names for DEET and the other two for Picaridin.

The EPA`s own study of DEET in 1998 found that it poses no specific risk to humans provided it is not worn for long periods of time and is used as a topical repellent only. Their tests of both DEET and Picaridin show them to only be "slightly toxic" when ingested.

This could be worse, but if you`re not interested in even slightly exposing your family to questionable chemicals--especially if a proven alternative exists--then there are ways to avoid them. Why expose yourself or your children to potentially toxic chemicals if you don`t have to?

Prevention First
The first step in keeping mosquitoes from biting is to not have them around in the first place. Your home, place of business, etc. might be a mosquito breeding ground. Drain or clean up any standing water.

If you have ponds or non-chlorinated pools, consider a circulation system to keep them fresh and clean.

Keep the gutters around your home clear of debris.

Two other attractants are evergreens (especially the heavy foliage types) and dark clothing. Consider using a natural insect killer like diatomaceous earth (DE) to treat your trees and shrubs. Finally, avoid dark clothing if possible, as it`s a natural visual cue for mosquitoes.

Natural Insecticides
There are a lot of natural insecticides you could turn to for help in keeping the pesky mosquitoes away as well. Many are available as topical oils and creams for ready use off the pharmacy or health store shelf. Others can be quickly (and easily) made at home from essential (non-dilute) oils.

Citronella Oil is commonly seen in sprays off the shelf, as candles you can burn to keep mosquitoes at bay, and even as scented hangers that react with the air to exude the scent. Most types of flying insects dislike the smell of citronella and will avoid it. Beware of allergies to this oil, however, and make sure to try only small amounts on a "test area" before applying whole hog.

Lemon Eucalyptus is another extremely popular essential oil. It can be found in many off-the-shelf sprays and creams. The base oil can be purchased and diluted in water. A 6oz spray bottle of water can have a few drops (maybe 8-12) of lemon eucalyptus added and sprayed on as a repellent.

Lemongrass Oil is another, similar repellent that can be used as lemon eucalyptus above. Cinnamon, Peppermint, Clove, Rosemary, and Castor oil are also popular alternatives, readily available in health food stores and pharmacies.

Many others are also available and popular, with varying degrees of success. Many oils can be mixed to create a pleasant scent to go along with the repellent as well.

There are many natural alternatives to spraying or rubbing on combination repellent/sunscreen as well, all of which can be just as effective as the chemicals in the commercial sprays. Be aware that mixing repellents with sunscreen, diluting with rain or sweat, and even time can reduce their effectiveness. If you`re using sunscreen as well as your natural repellent, put the repellent on clothing and use the sunscreen to protect your skin.

Make sure to have fun and enjoy the outdoors this summer, and stay protected too!
http://www.naturalnews.com/026676_mosquito_repellents_health_sunscreen.html

Ancient Maya Practiced Forest Conservation 3,000 Years Ago
ScienceDaily (July 23, 2009) — As published in the July issue of the Journal of Archaeological Science, paleoethnobotanist David Lentz of the University of Cincinnati has concluded that not only did the Maya people practice forest management, but when they abandoned their forest conservation practices it was to the detriment of the entire Maya culture.
“From our research we have learned that the Maya were deliberately conserving forest resources,” says David Lentz, a professor of biological sciences at the University of Cincinnati and executive director of the Cincinnati Center for Field Studies. “Their deliberate conservation practices can be observed in the wood they used for construction and this observation is reinforced by the pollen record.”
The UC team is the first North American team allowed to work at the Tikal site core in northern Guatemala in more than 40 years. The UC team is unique in other ways as well. Whereas previous archaeological excavations reflected an interest in culture history, particularly of the elites, researchers’ interests are different in the 21st century.
“Forty years ago the emphasis was on what king built what palace, who slew whom and who is portrayed on what stelae. It’s all about the rulers and their exploits,” says Lentz. “They didn’t look at the economy, agricultural practices, forest management or how the people and the culture functioned.”
And what the UC team has learned by studying these processes is that the Maya, at least initially, were practicing good forestry management.
“They were not allowed to cut down what we’re calling the ‘sacred groves,’” says Lentz. “Then that changed during the Late Classic period with Jasaw Chan K’awiil — one of the greatest figures of prehistory. The Tikal Maya had been beaten up and had fallen to second-rate status prior to his ascendancy. Jasaw Chan K’awiil led an army to the heartland of a competing city, Calakmul, captured their ruler, bound him, brought him back and sacrificed him — and it totally reversed their fortunes in a very dramatic way.”
After that, the Maya rebuilt the city of Tikal in a way never seen before. They begin building huge temples that required considerable resources, especially large, straight trees whose wood could withstand the weight of tons of stone. Their choices were limited to two types of trees only.
“So, unfortunately, Jasaw Chan K’awiil tapped into their sacred groves to do this,” says Lentz. The stands of virgin timber were more than 200 years old in some areas. After building a few of the temples, the Maya ran out of timber from the Manilkara zapota (sapodilla) tree, so they switched to an inferior tree —Haematoxylon campechianum, logwood or inkwood — which is found in swamps.
“Sapodilla is soft when you first cut it, so it can be carved into beautiful, intricate shapes. Yet when it dries, it is as hard as iron,” Lentz explains. “Logwood, on the other hand, is like iron to start with and stays that way.”
Logwood often is very crooked and grows to much lesser heights — so the archways in the temples built with logwood were far less ornate. Temples 1 through 4 are quite large, with temple 4 having the largest lintels, the beams over the doorways. Temples 5 and 6 (built in the middle — the temples are not numbered in order of construction) are much smaller.
“For the last temple (temple 3), they went back to sapodilla — why?” says Lentz. “Perhaps they had replanted after their sacred groves had been cleared of their timber. After 40 years you get a tree big enough with which to build. Also, at that point, things were beginning to go downhill for the Maya. Perhaps they reasoned that the gods didn’t like the new style of temple and they needed to return to the construction style of earlier, and more prosperous, times.”
So what led to the downfall of the Maya? Whether it was the gods’ displeasure or not, the answer came from the heavens.
“When you clear all the forests, it changes the hydrologic cycle,” says Lentz. “The world is like a flat surface with all the trees acting as sponges on it. The trees absorb the water. Without the trees, there is no buffer to stop the water from runoff. That causes soil erosion, which then chokes the rivers and streams. With no trees, you lose water retention in the soil or aquifers so the ground dries up and then there is less transpiration, so therefore less rainfall as well.”
In addition to using the trees as timber, the Maya also burned the trees, adding carbon to the air in the form of carbon dioxide. Trees remove carbon dioxide from the air and return oxygen in its place, thus cleaning and purifying the air.
“Forests provide many benefits to society,” says Lentz. “The Maya forests provided timber, fuel, food, fiber and medicine in addition to the ecosystem services of cleansing the air and water. Just as forests provided essential resources for the ancient Maya, the same is true for our civilization today.”
A UC research team, which will again include archaeologist Vern Scarborough and geographer Nick Dunning, will be returning to Tikal in February 2010. Some of the key questions that remain are how did the Maya control their water resources, when did the deforestation occur, what trees were used when, did the Maya plant large orchards and where were the sacred groves.
“We’re saying in the end they were unsuccessful,” says Lentz. “But they kept it going for several hundreds of years — so they must have done some things right.”
This research was funded by grants from WennerGren and National Science Foundation award #0810118.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090722150825.htm

Stop And Smell The Flowers -- The Scent Really Can Soothe Stress
ScienceDaily (July 23, 2009) — Feeling stressed? Then try savoring the scent of lemon, mango, lavender, or other fragrant plants. Scientists in Japan are reporting the first scientific evidence that inhaling certain fragrances alter gene activity and blood chemistry in ways that can reduce stress levels. 
In the new study, Akio Nakamura and colleagues note that people have inhaled the scent of certain plants since ancient times to help reduce stress, fight inflammation and depression, and induce sleep. Aromatherapy, the use of fragrant plant oils to improve mood and health, has become a popular form of alternative medicine today. And linalool is one of the most widely used substances to soothe away emotional stress. Until now, however, linalool's exact effects on the body have been a deep mystery.
The scientists exposed lab rats to stressful conditions while inhaling and not inhaling linalool. Linalool returned stress-elevated levels of neutrophils and lymphocytes — key parts of the immune system — to near-normal levels. Inhaling linalool also reduced the activity of more than 100 genes that go into overdrive in stressful situations. The findings could form the basis of new blood tests for identifying fragrances that can soothe stress, the researchers say.
Nakamura et al. Stress Repression in Restrained Rats by (R)-(-)-Linalool Inhalation and Gene Expression Profiling of Their Whole Blood Cells. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2009; 57 (12): 5480 DOI: 10.1021/jf900420g
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090722110901.htm

Risk Factors Of Cardiovascular Disease Rising In Poor, Young
ScienceDaily (July 22, 2009) — Cardiovascular disease is increasing in adults under 50 and those of lower socioeconomic status, despite recent trends which show that cardiovascular disease is declining in Canada overall, say researchers at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre. Untreated cardiovascular disease can lead to heart failure, coronary artery disease and death, and is the most common cause of hospitalization in North America.
By exploring national trends in heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, obesity and smoking prevalence from 1994-2005, researchers found that cardiovascular disease is on the rise in adults under 50 and those of lower socioeconomic status according to a study published in the July edition of the Canadian Medical Association Journal.
"Our results indicate that young people are increasingly bearing the burden of cardiovascular risk factors," says Dr. Douglas Lee, cardiologist and scientist at the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES). "This is an important group because they are the ones who will predict future heart disease, and earlier onset of cardiovascular disease means potentially longer and more intense treatment over their lifetime."
The study, called "Trends in risk factors for cardiovascular disease in Canada: temporal, socio-demographic and geographic factors," sampled Canadians aged 12 years and older from all socioeconomic and ethnic groups. The prevalence of heart disease and diabetes is rising fastest among Canadians of lower socioeconomic status, who also tend to have the highest cardiovascular risk profiles. The prevalence of hypertension and obesity is increasing in nearly all Canadians, but is rising fastest in those with higher incomes.
"These trends are quite different from the United States where some risk factors such as hypertension are declining," Dr. Lee continues. "In Canada risk factors have not reached a plateau, suggesting that these increases may continue to worsen over time."
These findings have implications on both the policy and individual level. Increasing community programming for physical activity in poorer areas, making cities more pedestrian-friendly and improving healthy eating habits are ways to encourage healthier lifestyles and potentially decrease the rising prevalence of risk factors. Young individuals who haven't considered themselves at risk should take action to reduce their risk of developing cardiovascular disease by diligently scheduling routine medical exams and talking to their doctor.
The Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR) and Heart and Stroke Foundation funded this study.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090720134244.htm

Warming Climate Threatens California Fruit And Nut Production
ScienceDaily (July 22, 2009) — Winter chill, a vital climatic trigger for many tree crops, is likely to decrease by more than 50 percent during this century as global climate warms, making California no longer suitable for growing many fruit and nut crops, according to a team of researchers from the University of California, Davis, and the University of Washington.
In some parts of California's agriculturally rich Central Valley, winter chill has already declined by nearly 30 percent, the researchers found.
"Depending on the pace of winter chill decline, the consequences for California's fruit and nut industries could be devastating," said Minghua Zhang, a professor of environmental and resource science at UC Davis.
Also collaborating on the study were Eike Luedeling, a postdoctoral fellow in UC Davis' Department of Plant Sciences and UC Davis graduate Evan H. Girvetz, who is now a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Washington, Seattle. Their study will appear July 22 in the online journal PLoS One.
The study is the first to map winter chill projections for all of California, which is home to nearly 3 million acres of fruit and nut trees that require chilling. The combined production value of these crops was $7.8 billion in 2007, according to the California Department of Food and Agriculture.
"Our findings suggest that California's fruit and nut industry will need to develop new tree cultivars with reduced chilling requirements and new management strategies for breaking dormancy in years of insufficient winter chill," Luedeling said.
About winter chill
Most fruit and nut trees from nontropical locations avoid cold injury in the winter by losing their leaves in the fall and entering a dormant state that lasts through late fall and winter.
In order to break dormancy and resume growth, the trees must receive a certain amount of winter chill, traditionally expressed as the number of winter chilling hours between 32 and 45 degrees Fahrenheit. Each species or cultivar is assumed to have a specific chilling requirement, which needs to be fulfilled every winter.
Insufficient winter chill plays havoc with flowering time, which is particularly critical for trees such as walnuts and pistachios that depend on male and female flowering occurring at the same time to ensure pollination and a normal yield.
Planning for a warmer future
Fruit and nut growers commonly use established mathematical models to select tree varieties whose winter chill requirements match conditions of their local area. However, those mathematical models were calibrated based on past temperature conditions, and establishing chilling requirements may not remain valid in the future, the researchers say. Growers will need to include likely future changes in winter chill in their management decisions.
"Since orchards often remain in production for decades, it is important that growers now consider whether there will be sufficient winter chill in the future to support the same tree varieties throughout their producing lifetime," Zhang said.
To provide accurate projections of winter chill, the researchers used hourly and daily temperature records from 1950 and 2000, as well as 18 climate scenarios projected for later in the 21st century.
They introduced the concept of "safe winter chill," the amount of chilling that can be safely expected in 90 percent of all years. They calculated the amount of safe winter chill for each scenario and also quantified the change in area of a safe winter chill for certain crop species.
New findings
The researchers found that in all projected scenarios, the winter chill in California declined substantially over time. Their analysis in the Central Valley, where most of the state's fruit and nut production is located, found that between 1950 and 2000, winter chill had already declined by up to 30 percent in some regions.
Using data from climate models developed for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fourth Assessment Report (2007), the researchers projected that winter chill will have declined from the 1950 baseline by as much as 60 percent by the middle of this century and by up to 80 percent by the end of the century.
Their findings indicate that by the year 2000, winter chill had already declined to the point that only 4 percent of the Central Valley was still suitable for growing apples, cherries and pears — all of which have high demand for winter chill.
The researchers project that by the end of the 21st century, the Central Valley might no longer be suitable for growing walnuts, pistachios, peaches, apricots, plums and cherries.
"The effects will be felt by growers of many crops, especially those who specialize in producing high-chill species and varieties," Luedeling said. "We expect almost all tree crops to be affected by these changes, with almonds and pomegranates likely to be impacted the least because they have low winter chill requirements."
Developing alternatives
The research team noted that growers may be able change some orchard management practices involving planting density, pruning and irrigation to alleviate the decline in winter chill. Another option would be transitioning to different tree species or varieties that do not demand as much winter chill.
There are also agricultural chemicals that can be used to partially make up for the lack of sufficient chilling in many crops, such as cherries. A better understanding of the physiological and genetic basis of plant dormancy, which is still relatively poorly understood, might point to additional strategies to manage tree dormancy, which will help growers cope with the agro-climatic challenges that lie ahead, the researchers suggested.
Funding for this study was provided by the California Department of Food and Agriculture and The Nature Conservancy.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090721214622.htm

Greater fish intake could help reduce global dementia burden
Life Extensions, July 20, 2009
Eating more fish and less meat could help reduce the impact of dementia that currently afflicts 24 million individuals worldwide, according to a report published in the August, 2009 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Emiliano Albanese of King’s College London along with a team of international researchers evaluated data from 14,960 men and women aged 65 and older residing in China, India, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Mexico and Peru. Participant interviews obtained information on dementia diagnoses, sociodemographic characteristics and dietary intake. Weekly fish and meat intake were categorized as “Never,””Some days,” or “Most/every day.”
With the exception of India, greater fish intake was correlated with a lower prevalence of dementia in all countries, with the lowest reduction in risk for each increase in fish consumption category occurring in China. Combined analysis of data from all of the countries included in the study found a 19 percent lower risk of dementia with each increase in fish consumption category, and a 19 percent elevation in risk for each increase in meat consumption category.
“We showed for the first time that a statistically significant trend toward a lower prevalence of dementia among those with higher dietary fish intake in large population-based samples of older people living in 5 countries in Latin America, China, and India,” the authors write. “To our knowledge, this is the largest population-based study on this topic to date from either developing or developed country samples.”
“Our results extend findings on the associations of fish and meat consumption with dementia risk to populations in low and middle-income countries and are consistent with mechanistic data on the neuroprotective actions of omega-3 (n–3) long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids commonly found in fish,” they conclude.
http://www.lef.org/whatshot/2009_07.htm#greater-fish-intake-could-help-reduce-global-dementia-burden

Singapore scientists find new way to combat age-related diseases

Xinhua News Agency 07-21-09
SINGAPORE, Jul 21, 2009 (Xinhua via COMTEX) -- A group of scientists from Singapore and the United States have discovered how to potentially delay the aging process, Singapore's Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) said on Tuesday.
Researchers from A*STAR and the University of North Carolina School of Medicine have isolated the role of p38MAPK protein, also known to cause inflammation, will promote aging when activated with another protein, according to a statement by A*STAR.
They discovered that by reducing the levels of the protein p38MAPK, they were able to delay the aging of multiple tissues.
The scientists discovered this in an experiment using genetically modified mice. They found that several organs, including the pancreas, in the mice that had a reduced amount of p38MAPK protein exhibited a delayed degeneration as the mice grew older.
At the same time, they found out that by forcibly activating the protein p38MAPK, it caused insulin resistance in mice, by stunting the growth of insulin-producing islet beta cells and caused insulin resistance in mice. This is how Type 2 diabetes developed.
The scientists believe that this would mean they could potentially treat age-related degenerative conditions triggered by the protein p38MAPK. New treatment approaches for type 2 diabetes in the elderly could also be developed.
A*STAR is the lead scientific agency in Singapore which aims to foster scientific research and talent for Singapore.
http://www.lef.org/news/LefDailyNews.htm?NewsID=8539&Section=Aging

Mayo Clinic sleuths closing in on dementia's secrets

McClatchy-Tribune Information Services -- 07-21-09
Studies out of the Mayo Clinic last week reveal promising advances in the early detection and diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia.
One Mayo-led study found a way to analyze brain scans that differentiates two forms of dementia from Alzheimer's. Another determined a more accurate method for predicting memory loss or cognitive impairment in otherwise healthy seniors.
The discoveries, presented at a global Alzheimer's conference in Vienna, were met with a mix of hope and caution -- hope because of the need for advances in the care of dementia, which is becoming more prevalent in the aging United States, and caution because a better diagnosis doesn't necessarily mean better outcomes, given the limited medications and dementia treatments available.
Dr. Ronald Petersen, a Mayo neurologist, acknowledged that an accurate diagnosis might not change the course of treatment for now. But with nearly 100 drugs for dementia under development, he said, researchers can't wait to also develop better tests.
"This is a public health crisis that we have to do something about," he said. "We can't wait to start this line of research until the drug is out, because it would take years for us to catch up."
Petersen led the prediction study, which followed 1,291 seniors over 10 years and found that a combination of clinical exams and memory tests could accurately predict their dementia risks.
The imaging study reviewed MRI scans from 90 people who had died and found unique patterns in their brains to determine whether they suffered from Alzheimer's or two other forms of dementia: frontotemporal lobar degeneration and Lewy body disease. The study raises the potential to diagnose Alzheimer's definitively while people are alive. Currently, only an autopsy can be so precise.
The high cost of imaging scans such as MRIs or CTs has prompted some insurance companies to restrict or limit their use in questionable cases -- particularly for low back pain. Those limits haven't been applied as much to scans for dementia, though.
Most doctors can learn all they need to know about someone's level of dementia and treatment needs through a review of medical history, a complete exam and cognitive tests, said Dr. Thomas von Sternberg, assistant medical director for geriatrics at Bloomington-based HealthPartners. However, many still order brain scans just to be certain and to show patients they have tried everything.
"If you present with memory loss to a neurologist, to a primary care doctor or to a 7-11," he said, "you're going to get (an imaging) scan."
At the same time, von Sternberg and others agree imaging can play a meaningful role in certain complex cases and in preparing people with dementia and their families for what may come.
Identifying the frontotemporal version of dementia early is helpful to individuals and families because that form of dementia is much more likely to cause behavior problems, said Michelle Barclay of the Alzheimer's Association of Minnesota-North Dakota.
"Early detection is extremely important," she said, "whether we have new drugs or not."
One concern over testing for the risk or early signs of dementia is burdening people with information they can't control. Boston researchers reported this week that people tested for APOE-4 -- a gene that increases the risk of Alzheimer's -- suffered no higher rates of depression or anxiety than those who didn't receive this information about their risk levels.
But two University of Minnesota experts -- doctors Rosalie and Robert Kane -- said the testing could have a psychological impact and isn't ready for broad use.
"Societal benefit seems unlikely, given that it is not possible to prevent Alzheimer's disease, and available treatments have at best a modest effect on disease progression," they wrote in an editorial accompanying the study in the New England Journal of Medicine.
"Societal harm from testing remains possible, given that Alzheimer's disease is widely regarded as being singularly horrific."
Mayo's Petersen said doctors must scrutinize the value of any tests or imaging scans for patients with dementia. However, he said, there is value in diagnostic results beyond being able to prescribe specific drugs.
While there are many sham puzzles and books that claim to prevent dementia, Petersen said, plenty of research shows people can make "lifestyle modifications" to reduce their risks.
"Maybe (a test result) serves to motivate people by telling them, 'You do have a risk profile; now here's something you might be able to do about it,' " he said. 
http://www.lef.org/news/LefDailyNews.htm?NewsID=8538&Section=Aging

Potassium supplement may ease epileptic kidney issues

Nutraingredients.com, 22-Jul-2009

A daily supplement of potassium citrate may prevent painful kidney stones developing in epileptics adhering to a high-fat ketogenic diet, says a new study.
Epileptic children are sometimes recommended to eat a diet poor that is high in fat, and low in carbohydrate in order to reduce the occurrence of seizures. The diet causes ketones to accumulate in the body, and is known as ketogenic.
A side effect of the diet is the formation of kidney stones in the children. According to new findings published in Pediatrics, taking a daily potassium citratesupplement from day one of the diet may prevent the formation of these stones.
“We can confidently say this is a safe and powerful way to prevent kidney stones, and it should become part of standard therapy in all ketogenic dieters, not just those who already show elevated urine calcium levels," said senior investigator Eric Kossoff, MD.
The ketogenic diet mimics some of the effects of starvation, in which the body first uses up glucose and glycogen before burning stored body fat. In the absence of glucose, the body produces ketones, a chemical byproduct of fat that can inhibit seizures. Children who remain seizure-free for two years on the ketogenic diet often can resume normal eating and often their seizures don't return.
However, due to the build-up of calcium in the urine, kidney stones can form in about 6 per cent of children on the diet. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 2.3 million Americans suffer from epilepsy.
Study details
Kossoff and his co-workers from John Hopkins recruited 313 children on a ketogenic diet. The children recruited into the study before 2006 received the potassium citrate supplements (2 mEq/kg per day) either after signs of hypercalciuria were identified, while all children recruited after 2006 received the supplements.
Of the 198 children overall who received the supplements, two per cent developed kidney stones, compared to 10.5 per cent of the children who did not receive the supplements.
Furthermore, the researchers found that children receiving the potassium citrate supplements were seven times less likely to develop kidney stones - 0.9 per cent compared to 6.7 per cent who were given the supplements only after testing positive for elevated levels of blood calcium.
“Oral potassium citrate is an effective preventive supplement against kidney stones in children who receive the ketogenic diet, achieving its goal of urine alkalinisation,” wrote the researchers.
“Universal supplementation is warranted,” they concluded.
Source: Pediatrics 
Published online ahead of print, doi: 10.1542/peds.2009-0217
"Empiric Use of Potassium Citrate Reduces Kidney-Stone Incidence With the Ketogenic Diet"
Authors: M.A. McNally, P.L. Pyzik, J.E. Rubenstein, R.F. Hamdy, E.H. Kossoff
http://www.nutraingredients.com/Research/Potassium-supplement-may-ease-epileptic-kidney-issues

Chocolate powder may slash blood pressure: Study

Nutraingredients.com, 22-Jul-2009

Consumption of a commercially available cocoa powder, enriched in flavonoids, may decrease blood pressure and boost heart health, suggests a new study with rats.
Rodents fed 300 milligrams per kilogram of body weight experienced a reduction in blood pressure similar to a 50 mg/kg dose of Captopril, a well-known pharmaceutical anti-hypertensive, according to findings published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
“This is important because this drug is known to be a very effective antihypertensive treatment in clinical practice and spontaneously hypertensive rats represent nowadays the best experimental model for essential hypertension in humans,” wrote the researchers, led by Amaya Aleixandre from the Faculty of Medicine at the Universidad Complutense in Madrid.
The study used Natraceutical’s CocoanOX and was funded by the company. Thecocoa powder is a rich source of flavonoids, with a reported 139 milligrams of polyphenols per gram of cocoa powder, 129 milligrams of which are procyanidins, according to the new report.
The health benefits of antioxidant-rich chocolate have received much recognition in recent years, with positive findings from a number of studies impacting on consumer awareness. Chocolate manufacturers are using high cocoa content (over 70 per cent) as a means of differentiation, and cocoa has also received attention for its potential in functional food applications.
“We have demonstrated the antihypertensive properties of the industrially processed natural flavonoid-enriched cocoa powder named CocoanOX,” wrote the researchers. “The results obtained suggest that this product could be used as a functional food ingredient with potential therapeutic benefit in the prevention and treatment of hypertension.”
High blood pressure (hypertension),defined as having a systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP) greater than 140 and 90 mmHg, is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) - a disease that causes almost 50 per cent of deaths in Europe, and reported to cost the EU economy an estimated €169bn ($202bn) per year.
Study details
The Spain-based researchers tested the effect of a single dose of the cocoa powder, including 50, 100, 300, and 600 mg/kg, on the blood pressure of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and normotensive rats.
While no effect was observed in the animals with normal blood pressure, the SHR experienced significant reductions following consumption of the cocoa powder. The maximum effect on systolic blood pressure was observed with a dose of 300 mg/kg, with pressure reductions after four hours of 60 mmHg. This result was very similar to the decrease observed following administration of 50 mg/kg Captopril.
The maximum effect on diastolic blood pressure was caused by 100 mg/kg CocoanOX, with a reduction of around 50 mmHg, although the 300 mg/kg-associated reductions were similar.
While the researchers note that the theobromine content of the chocolate may explain the reductions, a lower effect at the highest dose (600 mg/kg) would appear to rule out a role for this compound.
“[…] the blood pressure lowering effect of [theobromine] is in principle dose dependent,” said the researchers. “Different data of this study support therefore that the blood pressure lowering effect exhibited by CocoanOX would be mainly due to the presence of procyanidins.”
“These results suggest that CocoanOX could be used as a functional ingredient with antihypertensive effect, although it would be also necessary to carry out bioavailability and clinical studies to demonstrate its long-term antihypertensive efficiency in humans,” they concluded.
http://www.nutraingredients.com/Research/Chocolate-powder-may-slash-blood-pressure-Study

Omega-3 linked to lower body weight: Study

Nutraingredients.com, 21-Jul-2009

Increased blood levels of the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA is linked to lower incidence of obesity, suggesting a role for fish oils in weight management.
New findings reported in the British Journal of Nutrition indicate that overweight and obese people have blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids almost 1 per cent lower than people with a healthy weight.
“Our findings suggest that n-3 PUFA may play an important role in weight status and abdominal adiposity,” wrote the researchers, led by Professor Monohar Garg from the University of Newcastle, and president elect of the Nutrition Society of Australia.
Previous studies have implicated omega-3 in protective benefits against obesity, and the new study adds to this small but growing body of evidence. A considerable number of studies already support the benefits of the omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, C20:5 n-3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, C22:6 n-3) for cardiovascular health, and cognitive health. Other areas of potential for the fatty acids include mood and behaviour, eye health, cancer risk reduction, and improved infant development.
“Previous studies involving children and adolescents have shown a negative correlation between adiposity and plasma omega-3 PUFA and DHAconcentrations, but there appears to be a paucity of research in adults,”explained the researchers.
Study details
The researchers recruited 124 people of varying weights: 21 were classified as having a healthy weight, according to their body mass index (BMI); 40 were classed as overweight; and 63 were obese. The researchers note that people who consumed omega-3 supplements were excluded from their study.
Blood samples were taken after the subjects fasted for at least ten hours. Prof Garg and his co-workers recorded an inverse relationship between total omeg-3 blood levels, as well as blood levels of DHA and EPA, with BMI, the subject’s waist size, and their hip circumference.
Indeed, obese people had omega-3 levels of 4.53 per cent, compared to 5.25 per cent in their healthy-weight peers. When the researchers classed the people according to their omega-3 levels, and not by their weight, they again observed that increased omega-3 levels were associated with a healthier BMI, a smaller waist, and a lower hip size.
“[Other] studies, along with our observations, suggest that omega-3 PUFA supplementation may play an important role in preventing weight gain and improving weight loss when omega-3 PUFA are supplemented concomitantly with a structured weight-loss programme,” wrote the researchers.
Biologically plausible
Commenting on the potential mechanism, the Australia-based researchers noted that is was “biologically plausible” that omega-3 fatty acids may aid weight management. Results from animal studies, for example, suggested that omega-3s may increase the production of heat by burning energy (thermogenesis).
Another study suggested a role of omega-3s in boosting the feeling of fullness after a meal (postprandial satiety) during weight loss in both overweight and obese individuals. Such observations are linked to changes in levels of hunger hormones like ghrelin and leptin which impact on appetite, said the researchers.
“Thus, the idea that fish oil can regulate weight status via improved appetite control along with a subsequent reduction in energy intake is plausible and worthy of further investigation,” wrote Prof Garg and his co-workers.
Further study
It is not clear from the results of this study if the link is causal or mere correlation. “[The studies conducted to date] make the basis for conducting more intervention trials in adults examining the influence of dietary supplementation with omega-3 PUFA-rich fats/oils in assisting weight loss and weight maintenance,” they concluded.
Source: British Journal of Nutrition Published online ahead of print, doi: 0.1017/S0007114509382173 “Plasma n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids are negatively associated with obesity” Authors: M. Micallef, I. Munro, M. Phang, M. Garg
http://www.nutraingredients.com/Research/Omega-3-linked-to-lower-body-weight-Study

Breakthrough offers peanut allergy hope

Foodnavigator-USA.com, 20-Jul-2009

Scottish scientists have reported a breakthrough that could slash the numbers of fatal cases of serious allergic reactions to peanuts and other foods.
According to findings published in the Proceedings of the National Association of Sciences (PNAS) a molecule called interleukin-33 amplifies allergic reactions. Researchers from the University of Glasgow also report a development of a biological agent to reduce the symptoms.
“In basic terms, without the IL33 molecule, the allergic reaction experienced would be far less severe, greatly reducing the risk of death,” explained researcher Dr Alirio Melendez.
With food allergies on the rise, the news will be welcomed by the food industry. An estimated eight per cent of children in the EU suffering from food allergies, according to the European Federation of Allergy and Airways Diseases Patients' Associations.
The most common food allergen ingredients and their derivatives are cereals containing gluten, fish, crustaceans, egg, peanut, soybeans, milk and dairy products including lactose, nuts, celery, mustard, sesame seed, and sulphites.
There is no current cure for food allergy and vigilance by an allergic individual is the only way to prevent a reaction but a peanut allergy can be so severe that only very tiny amounts can be enough to trigger a response.
With peanut allergy potentially fatal for some people, food manufacturers are already bound by certain regulations, depending on the country, to highlight possible allergens in a food product, such as the EU’s Labelling Directive2000/13/EC.
Unlocking anaphylaxis
The Glasgow-based researchers, led by Dr Alirio Melendez and Professor Eddy Liew, identified interleukin-33 after looking at a number of patients who experienced anaphylaxis during surgery and found that they had very high levels of the molecule.
“IL-33 is a relatively new discovery and its part in anaphylaxis (or any pathology) has not been greatly understood,” said Dr Melendez.
“Our study showed that IL-33 plays a pivotal role in hugely increasing the inflammation experienced during a period of anaphylactic shock and led us to understand how to intervene to reduce its impact.”
Using a mouse model, the researchers showed that blocking the IL-33 molecule could reduce the severity of the attack.
“This approach does not stop the allergic reaction altogether. It blocks the amplification of the reaction triggered by IL-33, not the allergic response itself.
“We are now further studying the role of IL-33 in anaphylaxis and similar disorders, and our plans are to further these studies on food, venoms and drugs-mediated anaphylaxis,” said Dr Melendez.
Independent comment
Lynne Regent, chief executive of The Anaphylaxis Campaign, welcomed the results as “encouraging”.
“We would hope to see this work developed further to a point where it could be of real benefit to people living with anaphylaxis or at risk of severe allergic reaction,” she said.
Source: PNAS  Volume 106, Number 24, Pages 9773-9778, doi: 10.1073/pnas.0901206106
"The cytokine interleukin-33 mediates anaphylactic shock" Authors: P.N. Pushparaj, H.K. Tay, S.C. H'ng, N. Pitman, D. Xu, A. McKenzie, F.Y. Liew, A.J. Melendez
http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Science-Nutrition/Breakthrough-offers-peanut-allergy-hope

Salt may be culprit for uncontrolled blood pressure
Last Updated: 2009-07-20 16:00:58 -0400 (Reuters Health)
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People with high blood pressure that isn't controlled by multiple medications are likely eating too much salt, new findings in the journal Hypertension show.
Individuals with so-called resistant hypertension showed sharp reductions in their blood pressure when they dramatically cut their salt intake, Dr. Eduardo Pimenta of the University of Queensland School of Medicine in Brisbane, Australia and his colleagues found.
"It was an amazingly large reduction in blood pressure," Dr. Lawrence J. Appel of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, who wrote an editorial accompanying the study, told Reuters Health. Appel estimated that 10% to 20% of people have resistant hypertension, meaning they are taking three or more blood pressure medications but their blood pressure is still too high.
But the reductions in sodium intake in Pimenta's study-down to 1.15 grams per day-would be very tough for people to achieve in a real-world setting, Appel added. (Sodium levels in food are correlated with salt levels.) "You can advise people to reduce sodium but the food supply has so much sodium it's very difficult for individuals to do this on their own."
Pimenta and his team had 12 people with resistant hypertension alternate between low and high sodium diets for a week each, with a two-week "washout" period between the diets.
Study participants' initial average systolic blood pressure, the top number in a blood pressure reading, was 145.8 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg), while diastolic pressure, the lower reading, was 83.9 mm Hg. They were taking an average of 3.4 antihypertensive medications each.
On the high sodium diet, they were consuming 5.7 grams of sodium daily, while the low-sodium diet contained 1.15 grams of sodium daily.
US and UK guidelines recommend people consume less than 6 grams of sodium daily, while the World Health Organization recommends reducing intake even further, to less than 5 grams. But people in the developed world typically consume 9 to 12 grams of sodium a day.
In the study by Pimenta and his team, going on the low-salt diet reduced people's systolic blood pressure by 22.7 mm Hg, on average, and their diastolic pressure by 9.1 mm Hg.
"The current results suggest that patients with resistant hypertension are exquisitely salt-sensitive," the researchers suggest. These individuals' salt intake is probably causing them to retain so much fluid that standard...treatments for reducing blood pressure aren't helping them, they add.
In the other study, Dr. Feng J. He of the University of London and her colleagues tested a less dramatic sodium reduction in 71 whites, 69 blacks, and 29 Asians. All spent two weeks on a low-sodium diet, and were then randomly assigned to take sodium pills or a placebo for six weeks, after which they were switched to the opposite treatment for another six weeks.
Being on placebo versus taking sodium was equivalent to consuming 6.5 grams per day of salt versus 9.7 grams daily.
In He's study, participants' blood pressure averaged 146/91 while they were taking the sodium tablets, but fell to 141/88 when they were on placebo. The differences were significant among whites, blacks, and Asians-which is important, He noted in an interview, because most studies to date have been done in whites, while blacks and Asians are at particularly high risk of complications from high blood pressure.
Cutting salt also led to changes in the urine that suggested the change might be producing additional benefits for the kidneys and heart and circulatory system beyond the effects on blood pressure, He and her team found. Study participants were also losing less calcium in their urine, so reducing salt could be helping to protect their bones, too.
The UK has been working with the food industry to gradually reduce the amount of sodium added to food, He noted. This is crucial, she pointed out, because 80% of the sodium intake for a typical person in the developed world comes from salt added to foods by industry. The beauty of the UK plan, she added, is that the consumer doesn't have to do anything to reduce their salt intake. Since the effort began, the researcher noted, average salt intake in the UK has fallen from 9.5 to 8.6 grams daily. "You can see it's already working," she said.
The US is working on a similar effort, Appel noted, but "the UK is ahead of us right now." In the meantime, he writes, instead of focusing on the next drug or the next device for controlling blood pressure, "a renewed and aggressive emphasis on lifestyle modification, specifically sodium reduction, is warranted in patients with resistant hypertension and uncontrolled blood pressure."
People should pay particular attention to the sodium content of breads and cereals, Appel said. Even though individual products aren't excessively high in sodium, he added, because people tend to eat a lot of these products, they can add up.
For the population at large, He said, the advice is clear: stop adding salt during cooking, stop adding salt at the table, and pay attention to food labels. Most important, according to He, is cooperation from the food industry in gradually lowering the amount of salt added to foods over time. "That would make it actually much easier for the general public."
SOURCE: Hypertension, September 2009.
http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2009/07/20/eline/links/20090720elin004.html

Curcumin may Prevent Breast Cancer in Women Who Took Hormones
Sherry Baker, NaturalNews.com  July 22, 2009

(NaturalNews) It's not only estrogen that can spark breast cancer. Some malignant tumors are sensitive to the hormone progestin. And studies have shown that postmenopausal women who took a combination of estrogen and progestin in hormone replacement therapy (HRT) have an increased likelihood of developing progestin-fueled breast cancer. But new research concludes a natural therapy could help. University of Missouri researchers have found that curcumin, a popular Indian spice derived from the turmeric root, could reduce the risk of breast cancer risk in women exposed to HRT.

"Approximately 6 million women in the United States use hormone replacement therapy to treat the symptoms of menopause," Salman Hyder, the Zalk Endowed Professorship in Tumor Angiogenesis and professor of biomedical sciences in the University of Missouri's College of Veterinary Medicine and the Dalton Cardiovascular Research Center, said in a statement to the media. "This exposure to progestin will predispose a large number of post-menopausal women to future development of breast cancer. The results of our study show that women could potentially takecurcumin to protect themselves from developing progestin-accelerated tumors."

For their study, which has been accepted for future publication in the journal Menopause, the research team found that curcumin delayed the first appearance of progestin-accelerated tumors in lab animal experiments. The spice also decreased the incidence and reduced the numbers of progestin-fueled breast tumors in the animal studies. In fact, curcumin prevented the appearance of gross morphological abnormalities in the animals' mammary glands.

In previous studies, University of Missouri researchers showed that progestin caused the accelerated development of certain tumors because the hormone increases production of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). VEGF is known to spur the supply of blood to cancerous tumors, making them grow more quickly. Hyder explained in the media statement that curcumin has been found to inhibit progestin-induced secretion of VEGF from breast cancer cells. So, by blocking the production of VEGF, the proliferation of breast cancer cells should be reduced .

"Curcumin and other potential anti-angiogenic compounds should be tested further as dietary chemopreventive agents in women already exposed to hormone replacement therapy containing estrogen and progestin in an effort to decrease or delay the risk of breast cancer associated with combined hormone replacement therapy," Hyder said.

According to the American Cancer Society, using HRT which combines estrogen with progestin for several years increases not only the risk of developing breast cancer but also the chances of dying from the disease. HRT containing both hormones makes breasts more dense and raises the risk the cancer may be found at a more advanced stage.

Author's note: NaturalNews is opposed to the use of animals in medical experiments that expose them to harm. We present these findings in protest of the way in which they were acquired.
http://www.naturalnews.com/z026674_cancer_brst_cancer_curcumin.html

Irish Moss is a Revitalizing Super Food
Sheryl Walters, NaturalNews.com  July 22, 2009

(NaturalNews) Irish moss is not moss at all. It is in fact seaweed that grows along the rocky coast lines of the Atlantic Ocean. It is especially found in Ireland where it has a long history in Irish folklore as a good luck charm to be taken on long journeys, or to be placed under the rug at home to bring money and prosperity to the household. Irish moss was also used as stuffing for mattresses and cattle feed, but in the 19th century the people of Ireland underwent a horrific famine and Irish moss became one of the main sources of food and nutrition. More recently, Irish moss is becoming known as a healing and exciting super food.

Irish moss is now thought to contain 15 of the 18 essential elements that make up the human body. This includes great amounts calcium, iodine, sulphur, and potassium as well as Vitamins A, D, E, F and K. This is why this most amazing seaweed is thought to be able to cure everything from bladder disorders, bronchitis, halitosis (bad breath), intestinal disorders and glandular problems to swollen joints, lung difficulties, thyroid conditions, tuberculosis, tumors, and ulcers. Recent studies have found that Irish moss does in fact have some great anti-viral properties and can help fight the Influenza B and mumps viruses.

Irish Moss And The Skin

Irish moss is also thought to have many cosmetic properties from helping rid the body of varicose veins to reducing the appearance of wrinkles. Irish moss is even added to creams that are becoming known as the new miracles in the anti aging battle. These new creams are thought to be so effective because of the high amounts of Vitamin K found in the moss. Recent studies in to the effects of Vitamin K on the body have linked it to the elasticity of the skin. As you get older your skin begins to wrinkle because it starts to lose some of its elasticity from when you were young. Adding a cream that is packed with Vitamin K can help improve this elasticity, reducing the appearance of wrinkles and things like bags or dark circles that can form around the eyes. These creams are also thought to heal all sorts of skin problems from eczema, psoriasis and even sunburn.

But one of the main uses of Irish moss within the health community is to help people recover from debilitating illnesses such as TB and Pneumonia. Its high Vitamin and mineral content make it the perfect food to replenish and revitalize the body after a long battle with disease.
http://www.naturalnews.com/z026661_Irish_moss_food_health.html

Vitamin D Crisis Unfolds as Americans Live Indoors: 97 Percent of African Americans Deficient
David Gutierrez, NaturalNews.com  July 22, 2009

(NaturalNews) Seventy percent of whites and 97 percent of blacks in the United States have insufficient blood levels of vitamin D, according to a study conducted by researchers from Harvard University and the University of Colorado, and published in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine.

Researchers used data gathered by the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics to examine the vitamin D blood levels of 18,863 U.S. residents between 2001 and 2004. They found that approximately 75 percent of teenagers and adults had levels below 30 nanograms per milliliter, on the low end of what is currently considered adequate for good health. Broken down by ethnicity, this translated into 70 percent of whites, 90 percent of Hispanics and 97 percent of blacks.

Deficiency is defined as any level below 20 nanograms per milliliter, based on guidelines adopted at the 13th Workshop Consensus for Vitamin DNutritional Guidelines in 2007. Previously, deficiency was defined as less than 11 nanograms per milliliter, but the value was upgraded based on more recent research.

Scientists have known for a long time that insufficient levels of vitamin D can lead to the bone-softening disease rickets in children and can increase the risk of fractures and osteoporosis in adults. More recent research has strongly suggested, however, that even levels that are adequate for bone health may still be too low to protect against heart disease, cancer and autoimmune disorders.

The researchers found that the proportion of people with adequate vitamin D blood levels had dropped 50 percent since the time period between 1988 and 1994. They attributed this effect to people spending more time indoors than ever before, and going out only when protected by high-SPFsunscreen.

Because the body synthesizes vitamin D upon exposure to ultraviolet radiation from sunlight, excessive use of sunscreen can lead to deficiency. Light-skinned people can produce all the vitamin D they need from just 15 minutes of sun on the face and hands per day, while darker skinned people (depending on skin tone) may need up to five times as much sun exposure.
http://www.naturalnews.com/026657_Vitamin_D_african_americans_blood.html

Breast Cancer Linked to Obesity in Women of All Ages, Leptin Probable Culprit
Barbara Minton, NaturalNews.com  July 22, 2009

(NaturalNews) The link between breast cancer and obesity has strengthened with two new studies showing that body mass index is correlated with the disease. These finding apply to women of all ages with breast cancer, not just those who are postmenopausal. Lipid profile and estradiol levels correlating with high body mass index were shown as additional determinative factors.

Scientists at Geneva University in Switzerland conducted a population-based study in which they evaluated the impact of obesity on presentation, diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. Among all women diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in Geneva between 2003 and 2005, they identified those with available information on body mass index and categorized them into groups they identified as normal/underweight (BMI <25kg/m), overweight (BMI >/=-30kg/m), and obese (BMI >30kg/m).

They compared tumor, diagnosis and treatment characteristics between the groups. They found that obese women presented significantly more often with stage III and stage IV disease, with an odds ratio of 1.8. This means they were 180% more likely to have later stage breast cancer than those women in the normal/underweight group. Women in the obese group were 240% more likely to have tumors that were equal to or greater in size than 1 centimeter compared to the women in the normal/underweight group. They were also a whopping 510% more likely to have positive lymph nodes suggesting their cancers may have spread to other parts of their bodies.

Another team of scientists carried out a comparative study to investigate the effect of lipid profile, estradiol and obesity on the risk of a woman developing breast cancer. Assessment of 200 women for lipid profile, estradiol level and BMI was completed on 100 breast care patients (43 pre and 57 postmenopausal) and 100 controls (45 pre and 55 postmenopausal). Their ages ranged from 25 to 80 years.

They found a significant increase in BMI, total cholesterol, triglycerides, and low density lipoprotein (LDL cholesterol) in the breast cancer patients compared to the controls. With the exception of estradiol that decreased, the lipid profile generally increased with age in both patients and controls, with the patients having a much higher value than the corresponding controls. There was also a significant positive correlation between BMI and total cholesterol, and between BMI and LDL cholesterol. BMI, total cholesterol and triglycerides were increased in both pre-menopausal and post menopausal phases with HDL cholesterol remaining unchanged.

Not only does obesity clearly increase breast cancer risk, other research has shown it shortens the time between return of the disease and lowers overall survival rates. In 2007, Italian researchers went a long way toward explaining why. They presented evidence that a hormone found in fat cellscalled leptin significantly influences breast cancer development and progression in mice.

Leptin, a hormone derived from fat cells, is best known for its efforts to send messages to the body that its time to stop eating. This process may go awry in many people with obesity. Dr. Sebastiano Ando, lead researcher, has noted that leptin is also involved in many other processes in the breast, from reproduction and lactation to cell differentiation and proliferation. Leptin is activated by signals from the leptin receptor, and it is this partnership gone wrong that has previously been shown to be involved in the development of breast cancer. Leptin has been found in 86.4% of primary breast tumors.

Previous studies in Dr. Ando's laboratory found that leptin played a significant role in promoting breast cancer in obese women by increasing the amount of estradiol in breast tissue. In their 2007 study, the researchers found that leptin up-regulates or increases the production of E-cadherin, an intercellular adhesion molecule generally viewed as a tumor suppressor.

The researchers grafted human breast cancer tissue in "nude" mice (genetically bred to be unable to reject tumors and used frequently in cancer research) and also in a three dimensional tissue culture closely mimicking biological features of tumors.

Their results were the same in both media. Combined exposure to leptin and estradiol increased tumor size as much as 100%. These changes correlated with an increase in E-cadherin. Dr. Ando and his team concluded that the tumor suppressor E-cadherin may serve as a tumor enhancer when exposed to leptin and estradiol. It may be that the ability of E-cadherin to help cells aggregate enhances the transformation of normal cells to cancerous ones, thereby stimulating the growth of a tumor mass. This theory gained additional weight when the researchers used an E-cadherin antibody or a calcium-chelating agent to block E-cadherin function in the presence of estradiol. The enhanced cell growth stopped.

When a leptin inhibitor is given to mice, it reduces the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and its receptor, and growth of breast cancer cells. Researchers at Morehouse School of Medicine used a leptin antagonist to evaluate whether the inhibition of leptin signaling has a differential impact on the expression of molecules leading to angiogenesis (creation of blood supply for tumors) and on cell proliferation and growth of humanestrogen receptor-positive (ER+) and estrogen receptor-negative (ER-) xenografts hosted by immuno-deficient mice.

They found that the leptin antagonist reduced the growth of the ER+ human breast cancer cells by more than 40 fold, or a mind-bending 4000%, while the growth of ER- human breast cancer cell growth was reduced by 2 fold, or 200%. Expression of pro-angiogenic and pro-proliferative molecules were reduced to a greater degree in the ER+ cells than in those that were ER-. The results suggest that leptin signaling plays an important role in the growth of both ER+ and ER- negative breast cancer that is associated with the leptin regulation of molecules controlling tumor blood supply and proliferation rate. The researchers endorsed the use of leptin signaling inhibition as a treatment for breast cancer.

Normalized leptin functioning may produce happy breasts

All this research implies that the regulation and function of leptin must be restored in anyone wanting to be protected from breast cancer or its return. Health guru Byron Richards, one of the first nutritionists to recognize the importance of leptin, describes it as the single most important hormone for body weight control. Leptin regulates thyroid hormone, insulin, growth hormone, and adrenal hormones. When leptin is dysfunctional, all the other hormones regulating metabolic processes become dysfunctional too. He sees an understanding of leptin as basic for anyone trying to get and keep optimal metabolic function.

Leptin is made in white adipose tissue, commonly known as stored fat. Its release is stimulated by consuming a meal. Leptin flows through blood vessels to the brain where it delivers the message that it is time to stop eating. If people consistently overeat they become leptin resistant, a condition in which leptin becomes unable to deliver its message to the brain. This condition develops into a vicious circle in which overeating continues and the brain becomes even more resistant to the leptin message. This is about the time true obesity sets in.

To regain a healthy metabolism and keep eating under control, proper leptin function must be normalized. This requires a drastic reduction in consumption of processed carbohydrates and the embracing of a diet comprised of whole foods. This does not have to be a grueling dietary upheaval that produces feelings of deprivation and lack of satisfaction. Abandoning processed carbohydrates can be as simple as making a switch from pretzels to full fat potato chips. It can mean getting satisfaction from a chocolate bar with nuts rather than from a piece of cake. The key is the change from a diet in which processed carbohydrates play a large part, to a diet in which they play almost no part.

Getting a full nine hours of sleep in a fully darkened room is the also necessary for restoring leptin function. This means going to the bathroom in the dark, no TV, and no trips to the refrigerator unless you have removed the inside light. Daily exercise is also important, and will become desirable as energy levels improve along with leptin. Stress reduction is the fourth component in a leptin normalizing program.

Richard's book The Leptin Diet gives the low-down on how to get leptin working for you instead of against you. For those trying to kick the sugarhabit as part of ousting processed carbohydrates from the diet, he suggests using supplements of the bitter herbs Gymnema sylvestre, and Inula racemosa. He calls these herbs "sugar busters". They help reduce the desire for sweet tasting foods and help bring the taste system back to natural balance.
http://www.naturalnews.com/026654_leptin_cancer_brst_cancer.html

Learn the Best Time of Day to Take Vitamins
Melanie Grimes, NaturalNews.com  July 22, 2009

(NaturalNews) The body performs different functions at different times of the day. Many people suggest adding food supplements at varied times of the day to accommodate for the digestion and assimilation of these nutrients.

At night, many suggest taking calcium. This is because calcium is utilized at night, and also because calcium can help you get to sleep when taken at bed time. Remember the adage of a glass of milk before bed? Calcium absorption is the reason this makes sense. Magnesium is needed to work hand-in-hand with calcium. Many people take magnesium along with calcium, in the same supplements, at bedtime, although some suggest that magnesium is best absorbed in the day time. If the calcium supplement contains magnesium, taking both at the same time is appropriate.

Many vitamins are best ingested with food, so taking them at meal time is advised. It's easy to remember to take vitamins with meals, since you are eating and drinking at that time, anyway.

Fat-soluble vitamins need fat in order to be absorbed, so they should always be taken with meals that contain fat. Fat-soluble vitamins include vitamins A, vitamin D, vitamin E and vitamin K.

Vitamin C lasts only a few hours in the bloodstream. It should be repeated every three hours for best results, or the entire dose should be divided up to take a third with each meal.

Fiber is best ingested in the morning upon rising. That way it will do its work in the colon without being impeded by food. Fiber can cause vitamins to not absorb, as it can act as a coating to the intestines, so it is best to not take vitamins before fiber. Iron is especially not absorbed well with fiber.

Probiotics are taken with meals and sometimes before a meal, usually about 20 minutes. Digestive enzymes are taken with meals as well, for best effect.

Stimulating vitamins, such as vitamin C, should not be taken before bedtime, as it can keep a person awake. Some even suggest that citrus juice and vitamin C cause nightmares, but this is unconfirmed.

If you are taking many nutritional supplements you might want to organize them in a pillbox that provides a separate box for each time of the day. A few minutes preparation can ensure that you take the recommended doses and that you remember to get all your doses in, in a timely manner. Setting the box near your dining area will remind you to take the vitamins when you eat. Even if you don't take vitamins at the "appropriate" time, adding nutrients to your diet will build health at any time of the day.
http://www.naturalnews.com/026670_vitamins_calcium_fiber.html

CoQ10 May Slow Progression of Parkinson's Disease
Elizabeth Walling, NaturalNews.com  July 22, 2009

(NaturalNews) When experts discovered that Parkinson`s patients have a defect involving the production of energy in the mitochondria, eyes turned to Co-Enzyme Q10, which is a key nutrient for producing energy in the mitochondria. While studies from the last decade are far from conclusive, many still hope that CoQ10 holds an answer for a cure for Parkinson`s.

More than 60,000 people are diagnosed with Parkinson`s disease each year in the United States. The disease is chronic and progressive, causing symptoms such as slurring of speech, difficulty controlling movement, tremors and depression. There are medications available to manage symptoms, but there is no known cure.

However, many experts have hope based on a 2002 study that examined the use of CoQ10 to treat Parkinson`s disease. This study included 80 participants who were in the early stages of Parkinson`s, before any medication treatment was required. Participants randomly received a placebo or a daily dose of 300 mg, 600 mg, or 1200 mg of CoQ10 for a total of 16 months.

Participants were monitored using the Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale, which determines the severity of the disease. At the end of the study, participants taking a placebo had worsened by 49.8 percent. In the CoQ10 group, those taking 1200 mg per day showed the least progression: on average, this group worsened by 29.6 percent.

The positive results from this study gave CoQ10 one more merit to add to its growing reputation, but not all experts were so sure of these benefits. Another study published in the Archives of Neurology in July 2007 included 131 Parkinson`s patients who were given 300 mg of CoQ10 or a placebo each day. At the end of three months, plasma levels of CoQ10 improved in those taking the supplement, but symptoms showed no improvement. Study authors say these results do not support the idea that CoQ10 can provide benefits for Parkinson`s patients, but more research needs to be done regarding higher doses of CoQ10.

To be sure, the patients in the study had more advanced cases of Parkinson`s that required medication; the study was much shorter in duration than the 2002 study, and the dose of CoQ10 was much lower than the dose that showed a significant difference in the 2002 study. These factors make it difficult to compare the two studies directly.

One result that showed up in both studies was the safety of taking CoQ10 in Parkinson`s patients. Long-term use of CoQ10 produced no negative side effects, and was even well tolerated by those who were taking medications for their condition. So it appears that adding a daily dose of CoQ10 is safe for Parkinson`s patients.

With no known side effects and evidence leaning in a positive direction, it seems that CoQ10 may be a valuable supplement for those with Parkinson`s disease. Modern science has made higher doses of this nutrient more affordable than ever before, making it a more viable treatment across the board. If you want to boost the effectiveness of a CoQ10 regimen, add vitamin C and vitamin E. Based on earlier researcher, some experts theorize that taking these three supplements together would provide a synergistic weapon against the progression of Parkinson`s.
http://www.naturalnews.com/026664_CoQ10_disease_Parkinsons.html

Research Shows Children are Critically Susceptible to Pesticides
Michael Jolliffe, NaturalNews.com  July 22, 2009

(NaturalNews) A new study published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives has revealed that children are dangerously vulnerable to the effects of environmental pesticides, and for far longer than originally suspected.

Scientists at the University of California, Berkeley have discovered that children lack sufficient levels of the enzyme most responsible for detoxifying pesticides up to the age of seven and possibly for longer. Known as paraxonase or PON1, the enzyme is the most important defense the body has against organophosphate chemicals, a major ingredient of the most commonly used agricultural pesticides.

458 children from rural communities were tested for levels of the enzyme, with results showing it to be consistently around a third lower than that of the mother of each child. To compound the concern, more than 40% of the children tested positive for a genetic type that made them particularly susceptible due to the inactivity of the enzyme, whilst nearly one in ten had a genetic profile that made them 'extremely vulnerable'.

Additionally, older children are thought to be around five times more susceptible to organophosphates than adults.

"What's important about this study is that it shows that young children are potentially susceptible to certain organophosphates for a longer period of time than previously thought," said Brenda Eskenazi, UC Berkeley professor of epidemiology and director of CHAMACOS and the Center for Children's Environmental Health Research in a University of Berkeley press release.

Of particular concern to the researchers were chlorpyrifos and diazinon, pesticide chemicals still used ubiquitously in US agriculture. Pesticides have been cited as a possible cause of developmental difficulties and childhood cancers. Both the study authors and environmental health campaigners have urged a complete re-examination of the way in which home chemical products are tested for safety and of the consensus on acceptable exposure levels.

"Current EPA standards of exposure for some pesticides assume children are three to five times more susceptible than adults, and for other pesticides the standards assume no difference", wrote lead author Nina Holland.

"Our results suggest that the EPA standards need to be re-examined to determine if they are adequately protecting the most vulnerable members of the population".[1]

Activists point to several ways in which young children are at an increased risk of physical exposure, including more rapid breathing rates, the vulnerability of having smaller bodies relative to adults and habits such as crawling on the floor and playing on the ground.

The Pesticide Action Network of North America (PANNA) has described the findings as "extremely concerning".

"Even before these results were known, EPA scientists argued that organophosphate pesticides -- posing serious threats to children's neurological development -- were too toxic to be used; we need to ban them, starting with chlorpyrifos", said PAN senior scientist Margaret Reeves, in response to the study. [2]

Green campaigners have suggested eating organically as an important way of reducing pesticide exposure. A University of Washington study found that children fed mostly organic produce and juice had only one-sixth of the level of organophosphate pesticide byproducts in their urine compared to children who ate conventionally grown foods. [3]

[1] Huen at al. Developmental Changes in PON1 Enzyme Activity in Young Children and Effects of PON1 Polymorphisms. Environmental Health Perspectives. 2009 June. doi: 10.1289/ehp.0900870 (available at http://dx.doi.org/)
[2] www.panna.org/resources/panups/panu...
[3] Curl et al. Organophosphorus pesticide exposure of urban and suburban preschool children with organic and conventional diets. Environmental Health Perspectives.. 2003 March. 111(3): 377-382.
http://www.naturalnews.com/026662_pesticides_health_environmental_health.html

New Study Shows Vegetarians Less Likely to Develop Cancer
Ingela Johansson, NaturalNews.com  July 22, 2009

(NaturalNews) In a fresh study of food habits and cancer, 61,566 British meat eaters, fish eaters and vegetarians were followed by scientists for 12 years. The study showed that vegetarians have a smaller risk of developing cancer compared to their meat eating counterparts.

"This is strong evidence that vegetarians have lower rates of cancer than meat eaters" said co-author of the study, Dr Naomi Allen.

The study included people between 20 and 89 years old. Nearly half of the participants were vegetarians. The researchers took into account many different variables such as lifestyle, age, body mass index, alcohol intake, contraceptive use in women, smoking, and physical activity. The results of the study were adjusted accordingly after these variables. This is the largest report so far on food habits and cancer and is part of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC), published in the British Journal of Cancer.

Of the British population today, one out of three persons develops cancer in their lifetime, and according to this research more than 2 million people could avoid cancer by changing their diets. The overall risk for cancer was decreased by 12 % in vegetarians compared to the meat eaters. There was an even bigger difference in some cancers, like stomach, bladder and leukemia, where vegetarians were affected up to 45 percent less. The biggest difference was the risk of a quite rare cancer of the bone marrow, multiple myeloma, where the vegetarians had a decreased risk of 75 percent. The vegetarians did not have a reduced risk in all cancers though; breast and prostate cancer were at about the same rate as for carnivores, and the risk for cancer in the bowel was slightly higher.

As for the fish eaters (those who ate fish but no other meat), they actually had the lowest rate of cancer, 18 percent lower than meat eaters. But they were also the smallest group in the study and possibly a less trustworthy statistic.

The director of health information at Cancer Research UK, Sara Hiom, said: "These interesting results add to the evidence that what we eat affects our chances of developing cancer. But the links between diet and cancer risk are complex and more research is needed to see how big a part diet plays and which specific dietary factors are most important."

"The relatively low number of vegetarians who developed cancer in this study supports Cancer Research UK's advice that people should eat a healthy, balanced diet high in fibre, fruit and vegetables and low in saturated fat, salt and red and processed meat."
http://www.naturalnews.com/026660_cancer_vegetarians_meat.html

NutraSweet Linked to Leukemia and Lymphoma
Melanie Grimes, NaturalNews.com  July 22, 2009

(NaturalNews) Research has shown a connection between lymphoma, leukemia, and aspartame as far back as 2005. The FDA approved this synthetic sweetener for use in 1981. Currently used in over six thousand products, aspartame is sold under many different brand names, including NutraSweet, Equal Measure, and Spoonful. It can be found in soda, desserts, yogurt, and even in chewable vitamins.

In the first year after its approval, the FDA received over 600 consumer complaints about health issues. Migraine headaches and dizziness, insomnia, joint pain, memory loss, hives, rash, abdominal cramping, hallucinations, seizures and even deaths were reported related to aspartame consumption. The FDA contacted the Center for Disease Control who did not find any consistent issues. Recently, in the spring of 2009, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) also concluded that aspartame showed no carcinogenic potential at the allowable daily intake (ADI) of 40/mg/kg.

Over 900 studies have been published on aspartame, including one in May 2009 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. This recent article investigated the link between formaldehyde and lymph cancer. A study in 2007 on rats showed that aspartame ingestion caused formaldehyde buildup to such a degree that the rat's skin became yellow.

Since 1987, formaldehyde has been listed by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a probable human carcinogen. Used as an embalming agent, formaldehyde has been indicated in birth defects, and in environmental allergies. It has been shown to cause both lymphoma and leukemia in lab rats and in humans. It is known that aspartame turns into formaldehyde in the body, but it has been thought that this formaldehyde was then being eliminated quickly. However, a study in 1998 demonstrated that dietary aspartame binds to tissues in protein. It was found in liver, kidney, and blood. The report suggested that the buildup of aspartame was cumulative; that is, it continues to build up without being excreted, causing more damage over time. This report concluded that "aspartame consumption may constitute a hazard because of its contribution to the formation of formaldehyde adducts."

Based on these findings, it is wise to avoid aspartame and artificial sweeteners. Even sugar is a better alternative than the substitute. Drink regular sodas instead of diet, or even better, diet soft drinks can be replaced with club soda mixed with a few ounces of fruit juice. Use honey or molasses to sweeten foods and to bake. Though aspartame has government safety approval, the facts and the studies suggest that avoiding aspartame is good for your health.
http://www.naturalnews.com/026656_aspartame_leukemia_formaldehyde.html

Learn How Banaba Leaf Extract Can Promote Healthy Blood Sugar Levels
Elizabeth Walling, NaturalNews.com  July 22, 2009

(NaturalNews) Diabetes and insulin resistance have swept the nation - and with them, a growing list of pharmaceutical drugs that cause as many problems as they solve, if not more. Many diabetes drugs now carry warning labels about their dangerous side effects, which can include an increased risk of heart failure. There's no question as to why so many people are searching for natural alternatives, like banaba leaf extract, that can help them manage blood sugar.

The herbal extract known as banaba leaf can be a powerful weapon in the fight against high blood sugar. Banaba leaf comes from a tree with thick, waxy leaves and striking purple flowers, typically found in Southeast Asia. Banaba leaf was a popular remedy for blood sugar, kidney and liver health in traditional cultures there, particularly in the Philippines and in India. It was often brewed as a tea, but today can easily be found in supplement form in Western society.

Today, banaba leaf has caught the eye of medical experts who are interested in finding a natural way to bring blood sugar levels back to normal in patients who suffer from chronically high blood sugar. Scientists have put this traditional remedy to the test in numerous clinical studies. Research has shown banaba leaf is effective for lowering blood glucose in people with regularly high blood sugar. It may also aid weight loss if high blood sugar has led to obesity.

Experts say the reason banaba leaf can have a positive effect on blood sugar levels is because it contains a natural concentration of corosolic acid, which mimics the function of insulin by aiding the metabolism of glucose. Corosolic acid can work like insulin to reduce blood sugar levels by transporting glucose into cells and out of the bloodstream. This can be beneficial to anyone who has trouble with high blood sugar, and especially to those with insulin resistance or diabetes.

The easiest way for most people to take banaba leaf extract is in supplement form. It is generally administered in small daily doses of 8-48 mg, with a 1-2 percent concentration of corosolic acid. Studies have shown this dose can produce a positive effect on blood sugar levels. Taking an excessive dose of banaba leaf may actually lower blood sugar to the point of hypoglycemia. While this should most certainly be avoided, it speaks for the power of this amazing herb.
http://www.naturalnews.com/026653_blood_sugar_blood_sugar.html

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D99I9O3O0&show_article=1

Scientists Present First Genetic Evidence For Why Placebos Work
ScienceDaily (July 22, 2009) — Placebos are a sham — usually mere sugar pills designed to represent "no treatment" in a clinical treatment study. The effectiveness of the actual medication is compared with the placebo to determine if the medication works.
And yet, for some people, the placebo works nearly as well as the medication. How well placebos work varies widely among individuals. Why that is so, and why they work at all, remains a mystery, thought to be based on some combination of biological and psychological factors.
Now, researchers at UCLA have found a new explanation: genetics. Dr. Andrew Leuchter, a professor of psychiatry at the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, and colleagues report that in people suffering from major depressive disorder, or MDD, genes that influence the brain's reward pathways may modulate the response to placebos. The research appears in the August edition of the Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology.
Placebos are thought to act by stimulating the brain's central reward pathways by releasing a class of neurotransmitters called monoamines, specifically dopamine and norepinephrine. These are the brain chemicals that make us "feel good." Because the chemical signaling done by monoamines is under strong genetic control, the scientists reasoned that common genetic variations between individuals — called genetic polymorphisms — could influence the placebo response.
Researchers took blood samples from 84 people diagnosed with MDD; 32 were given medication and 52 a placebo. The researchers looked at the polymorphisms in genes that coded for two enzymes that regulate monoamine levels: catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) and monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A). Subjects with the highest enzyme activity within the MAO-A polymorphism had a significantly lower placebo response than those with other genotypes. With respect to COMT, those with lower enzyme activity within this polymorphism had a lower placebo response.
"Our findings suggest that patients with MDD who have specific MAO-A and COMT genotypes may be biologically advantaged or disadvantaged in mounting a placebo response, because of the activity of these two enzymes," said Leuchter, who directs the Laboratory of Brain, Behavior and Pharmacology at the UCLA Semel Institute.
Leuchter noted that this is not the sole explanation for a response to a placebo, which is likely to be caused by many factors, both biological and psychosocial. "But the data suggests that individual differences in response to placebo are significantly influenced by individual genotypes," he said.
Including the influence of genotype in the design of clinical trials could facilitate more powerful testing of future treatments, Leuchter said.
Funding for the study was provided by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine of the National Institutes of Health, Eli Lilly and Co., and Pfizer Inc.
Other authors included James McCracken, Aimee Hunter and Ian Cook, all of UCLA, and Jonathan Alpert of Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard University.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090720191147.htm

Are We What Our Mothers Ate?

ScienceDaily (July 22, 2009) — Mothers' health in the days and weeks prior to becoming pregnant may determine the health of offspring much later in life, according to results of studies reported at the annual meeting of the Society for the Study of Reproduction, which takes place July 18 to 22 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh. These studies demonstrate that maternal nutrition, protein intake and level of fat in the diet may cause epigenetic changes in the developing fetus that can have long-term health consequences.
Too Much of a Sweet Thing? Maternal Diabetes and Embryo Development
The time between ovulation and conception may be a critical one for maternal and fetal health, according to Kelle Moley, M.D., Washington University School of Medicine. In mouse studies, she found that subtle differences in maternal metabolism had long-lasting effects. Indeed, when Dr. Moley transferred embryos from a diabetic mouse into a non-diabetic mouse shortly after egg implantation, she noted neural tube defects, heart defects, limb deformities and growth defects in offspring. These findings indicate that we may need to re-direct our ideas about maternal health to the time prior to pregnancy, she says.
Take Your Vitamins Before Becoming Pregnant
Are we encouraging pregnant women to take vitamins when it may be too late to impact the health of a growing fetus? According to Kevin Sinclair, Ph.D., University of Nottingham, maternal nutrition even at the time of conception can alter fetal development. In studies with sheep and rodents, he found that offspring of mothers with vitamin B12 and folic acid deficiencies were fatter, became insulin resistant and had higher blood pressure by the time they reached middle-age, demonstrating that early molecular changes may not manifest themselves for many years.
Low Protein Diet May Lead to "Jumpy" Offspring
Low protein levels in female mice during the first few moments of conception, when the egg is still dividing, caused abnormal growth, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and jumpy behavior in their offspring. According to Tom Fleming, Ph.D., University of Southampton, mice born to mothers with low protein grew bigger – extracting as much nutrients as they could to compensate for poor nutrition while in the womb.
Beyond Genetics: How Dormant Memories Can Impact Later-Life Events
According to epigenetic theory, changes in the genome can happen at any time through the impact of environmental factors on the expression of genes over time. One of the most critical periods is early life when epigenetic memories are created that may impact a person's susceptibility to disease later in life, says Shuk-mei Ho, Ph.D., University of Cincinnati Medical Center. According to her research, these "memories" may remain dormant until an environmental trigger brings them to the surface, modifying risk for disease.
The scientists discussed their research during a briefing, "The Origins of Adult Disease,"on July 21 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Pittsburgh.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090721122843.htm

Ovary Removal May Increase Lung Cancer Risk
ScienceDaily (July 21, 2009) — Women who have premature menopause because of medical interventions are at an increased risk of developing lung cancer, according to a new study published in the International Journal of Cancer. The startling link was made by epidemiologists from the Université de Montréal, the Research Centre of the Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal and the INRS—Institut Armand-Frappier.
"We found that women who experienced non-natural menopause are at almost twice the risk of developing lung cancer compared to women who experienced natural menopause," says Anita Koushik, a researcher at the Université de Montréal's Department of Social and Preventive Medicine and a scientist at the Research Centre of the Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal. "This increased risk of lung cancer was particularly observed among women who had non-natural menopause by having had both their ovaries surgically removed."
The scientists studied 422 women with lung cancer and 577 control subjects at 18 hospitals across Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They assessed socio-demographic characteristics, residential history, occupational exposures, medical and smoking history, and (among women) menstruation and pregnancy histories.
"A major strength of this study was the detailed smoking information which we obtained from all study participants; this is important because of the role of smoking in lung cancer and because smokers generally have lower estrogen levels than non-smokers," says Dr. Koushik. "Although smoking is the dominant cause of lung cancer, we know other factors can play an important role in enhancing the impact of tobacco carcinogens; this research suggests that in women hormonal factors may play such a role."
Women were considered menopausal if their menstrual periods had stopped naturally, surgically (by hysterectomy with bilateral surgical ovary removal) or because of radiation or chemotherapy. Women who had at least one remaining ovary and who still had their menstrual periods at the time of diagnosis/interview were classified as premenopausal. Among participants with natural menopause, the median age for attaining menopause was 50 years old; among those with non-natural menopause, it was at 43 years.
"Non-natural menopause, particularly surgical menopause, may represent an increased risk with younger age at menopause given that surgery is usually done before natural menopause occurs. It's possible that vulnerability to lung cancer is caused by early and sudden decrease in estrogen levels or potentially long-term use of hormone replacement therapy and further research is needed to explore these hypotheses," says Jack Siemiatycki a professor at the Université de Montréal's Department of Social and Preventive Medicine and a scientist at the Research Centre of the Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal.
This study was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Fonds de la recherche en santé du Québec and the Guzzo-SRC Chair in Environment and Cancer.
Koushik et al. Characteristics of menstruation and pregnancy and the risk of lung cancer in women. International Journal of Cancer, 2009 DOI:10.1002/ijc.24560
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090721104244.htm

Future Of Western U.S. Water Supply Threatened By Climate Change
ScienceDaily (July 21, 2009) — As the West warms, a drier Colorado River system could see as much as a one-in-two chance of fully depleting all of its reservoir storage by mid-century assuming current management practices continue on course, according to a new University of Colorado at Boulder study.
The study, in press in the American Geophysical Union journal, Water Resources Research, looked at the effects of a range of reductions in Colorado River stream flow on future reservoir levels and the implications of different management strategies. Roughly 30 million people depend on the Colorado River -- which hosts more than a dozen dams along its 1,450 journey from Colorado's Rocky Mountains to the Gulf of California -- for drinking and irrigation water.
The Colorado River system is presently enduring its 10th year in a drought that began in 2000, said lead study author Balaji Rajagopalan, a CU-Boulder associate professor of civil, environmental and architectural engineering. Fortunately, the river system entered the drought with the reservoirs at approximately 95 percent of capacity. The reservoir system is presently at 59 percent of capacity, about the same as this time last year, said Rajagopalan, also a fellow at CU-Boulder's Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences.
The research team examined the future vulnerability of the system to water supply variability coupled with projected changes in water demand. The team found that through 2026, the risk of fully depleting reservoir storage in any given year remains below 10 percent under any scenario of climate fluctuation or management alternative. During this period, the reservoir storage could even recover from its current low level, according to the researchers.
But if climate change results in a 10 percent reduction in the Colorado River's average stream flow as some recent studies predict, the chances of fully depleting reservoir storage will exceed 25 percent by 2057, according to the study. If climate change results in a 20 percent reduction, the chances of fully depleting reservoir storage will exceed 50 percent by 2057, Rajagopalan said.
"On average, drying caused by climate change would increase the risk of fully depleting reservoir storage by nearly ten times more than the risk we expect from population pressures alone," said Rajagopalan. "By mid-century this risk translates into a 50 percent chance in any given year of empty reservoirs, an enormous risk and huge water management challenge," he said.
But even under the most extensive drying scenario, threats to water supplies won't be felt immediately. "There's a tremendous storage capacity on the Colorado River that helps with the reliability of supply over periods of a just few years," said Rajagopalan.
Total storage capacity of reservoirs on the Colorado exceeds 60 million acre feet, almost 4 times the average annual flow on the river, and the two largest reservoirs -- Lake Mead and Lake Powell -- can store up to 50 million acre feet of water. As a result, the risk of full reservoir depletion will remain low through 2026, even with a 20 percent stream flow reduction induced by climate change, said Rajagopalan.
Between 2026 and 2057, the risks of fully depleting reservoir storage will increase seven-fold under the current management practices when compared with risks expected from population pressures alone. Implementing more aggressive management practices -- in which downstream releases are reduced during periods of reservoir shortages -- could lead to only a two-fold increase in risk of depleting all reservoir storage during this period, according to the study.
The magnitude of the risk will ultimately depend on the extent of climate drying and on the types of water management and conservation strategies established, according to the CU-Boulder study.
"Water conservation and relatively small pre-planned delivery shortages tied to declining reservoir levels can play a big part in reducing our risk," said Ken Nowak, a graduate student with CU-Boulder's Center for Advanced Decision Support for Water and Environmental Systems, or CADSWES, and a study co-author.
"But the more severe the drying with climate change, the more likely we will see shortages and perhaps empty reservoirs despite our best efforts." Nowak said. "The important thing is not to get lulled into a sense of safety or security with the near-term resiliency of the Colorado River basin water supply. If we do, we're in for a rude awakening."
"This study, along with others that predict future flow reductions in the Colorado River Basin, suggests that water managers should begin to re-think current water management practices during the next few years before the more serious effects of climate change appear," said Rajagopalan.
The study was conducted with support from the Western Water Assessment – a joint venture of CU-Boulder and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, as well as CADSWES and the Bureau of Reclamation.
Other study authors included James Prairie of the Bureau of Reclamation, Martin Hoerling and Andrea Ray of NOAA, Joseph Barsugli and Bradley Udall of CIRES and Benjamin Harding of AMEC Earth & Environmental Inc. of Boulder.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090720163555.htm

Misdiagnosis Of Disorders Of Consciousness Still Commonplace
ScienceDaily (July 21, 2009) — A sixteen-month study of consensus-based diagnosis of patients with disorders of consciousness has shown that 41% of cases of minimally conscious state (MCS) were misdiagnosed as vegetative state (VS), a condition associated with a much lower chance of recovery. Researchers have demonstrated that standardized neurobehavioral assessment is more sensitive than diagnoses determined by clinical consensus.
Steven Laureys, from the University of Liege, Belgium, worked with a team of researchers, including Caroline Schnakers and Joseph Giacino, to compare consensus-based diagnoses of VS and MCS to those based on the JFK Coma Recovery Scale-Revised (CRS-R), a well-established standardized neurobehavioral rating scale. Laureys said, "Differentiating the vegetative from the minimally conscious state is often one of the most challenging tasks facing clinicians involved in the care of patients with disorders of consciousness. Misdiagnosis can lead to grave consequences, especially in end-of-life decision-making".
The researchers prospectively followed 103 patients with mixed etiologies and compared the clinical consensus diagnosis provided by the physician on the basis of the medical staff's daily observations to diagnoses derived from the CRS-R. They found that of the 44 patients diagnosed with VS based on the clinical consensus of the medical team, 18 (41%) were found to be in MCS following standardized assessment with the CRS-R. According to Laureys, "It is likely that the examiners' reliance on unstructured bedside observations contributed to the high rate of misdiagnosis of VS patients. Unlike traditional bedside assessment, the CRS-R guards against misdiagnosis by incorporating items that directly reflect the existing diagnostic criteria for MCS, and by operationalizing scoring criteria for the identification of behaviors associated with consciousness".
The researchers conclude, "The results of this study suggest that the systematic use of a sensitive standardized neurobehavioral assessment scale may help decrease diagnostic error and limit diagnostic uncertainty".
Caroline Schnakers, Audrey Vanhaudenhuyse, Joseph Giacino, Manfredi Ventura, Melanie Boly, Steve Majerus, Gustave Moonen and Steven Laureys.Diagnostic accuracy of the vegetative and minimally conscious state: Clinical consensus versus standardized neurobehavioral assessment. BMC Neurology, 2009, 9:35 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2377-9-35
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090721104237.htm

Daily Potassium Citrate Wards Off Kidney Stones In Seizure Patients On High-fat Diet

ScienceDaily (July 21, 2009) — Children on the high-fat ketogenic diet to control epileptic seizures can prevent the excruciatingly painful kidney stones that the diet can sometimes cause if they take a daily supplement of potassium citrate the day they start the diet, according to research from Johns Hopkins Children's Center.
"We can confidently say this is a safe and powerful way to prevent kidney stones, and it should become part of standard therapy in all ketogenic dieters, not just those who already show elevated urine calcium levels," says senior investigator Eric Kossoff, M.D., a pediatric neurologist at Hopkins Children's. "If you wait, it might be too late."
The ketogenic diet, believed to work by initiating biochemical changes that eliminate seizure-triggering short circuits in the brain's signaling system, is given to many children whose seizures do not respond to medications. But the diet, which consists of high-fat foods with very few carbohydrates, causes a buildup of calcium in the urine and the formation of kidney stones in about 6 percent of those on it.
Hopkins Children's adopted the preventive treatment with potassium citrate two years ago, and doctors now believe this one major side effect of the diet is a thing of the past, allowing more children to remain on the diet for longer.
Potassium citrate taken twice daily, either as powder sprinkled on food or dissolved in water, is believed to inhibit stone formation.
In their study of 301 children treated for epilepsy with the ketogenic diet at Hopkins Children's the researchers found that those who got potassium citrate twice daily were seven times less likely to develop kidney stones — one of 106 (0.9 percent) developed a kidney stone compared to 13 out of 195 (6.7 percent) who were given potassium citrate only after testing positive for elevated levels of blood calcium. Most children received one 30-milliequivalent packet (about 1, 170 milligrams or 0.04 ounces) of potassium citrate twice daily.
Although rarely serious, kidney stones can cause significant pain, along with kidney and urinary tract infections, and may require surgery.
The research was funded in part by the NIH and the Carson Harris Foundation.
A report on the work is published in the August issue of Pediatrics. Co-investigators include: Melanie McNally, B.S.; Paula Pyzik, B.S.; James Rubenstein, M.D.; Rana Hamdy, M.D. M.P.H.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090721163120.htm

More Evidence In Favor Of Healthy Lifestyle In Prevention Of Cardiovascular Disease
ScienceDaily (July 21, 2009) — As the ESC Congress 2009 draws ever closer, the evidence in favour of a healthy lifestyle for the prevention of cardiovascular disease grows ever stronger. Prevention is the highlight theme of this year's event, which will take place in Barcelona from 29 August to 2 September. Lifestyle factors are heavily on the agenda.
There is now a substantial body of evidence showing that the adoption of a healthy lifestyle pays huge rewards in the prevention of cardiovascular disease. Indeed, a report in JAMA this week suggests that men who exercised regularly, drank moderately, did not smoke, were not overweight and had a diet that included cereal, fruits and vegetables had a lower lifetime risk of heart failure.(1) The findings have major public health implications, with heart failure now recognised as the leading cause of acute hospital admission and the most prevalent chronic cardiovascular condition.
According to an editorial in the same issue of JAMA, mortality rates after the onset of heart failure remain high, ranging from 20-50 per cent, despite improvements in medical and surgical management.(2) With the outlook so bleak for heart failure patients, the possibility that pursuing a healthy lifestyle may help reduce lifetime risk of heart failure is an important finding.
The study reported in JAMA – from the Physicians' Health Study in the USA – included data from 20,900 men who were followed up for an average of 22.4 years. The researchers found that normal body weight, never smoking, regular exercise, moderate alcohol intake, and consumption of breakfast cereal, fruits and vegetables were individually associated with a lower lifetime risk of heart failure than was "undesirable behaviour". There was an inverse association between the number of healthy lifestyle factors and lifetime risk of heart failure. "For example, the lifetime risk for heart failure was approximately 1 in 5 (21.2 per cent) in men adhering to none of the desirable lifestyle factors, compared to 1 in 10 (10.1 percent) in those adhering to 4 or more healthy lifestyle factors," the authors write.
A second study in the same issue of JAMA found that adherence to modifiable lifestyle factors was also associated with a significantly lower incidence of hypertension in women.(3) The findings emerged from the Nurses' Health Study, one of the world's landmark studies in women's health epidemiology, which included more than 80,000 women.
Six modifiable lifestyle factors (normal BMI, daily vigorous exercise, diet, modest alcohol intake, non-narcotic analgesics and folic acid supplementation) were all independently associated with lower blood pressure. Women who had all six low-risk factors (just 0.3 per cent of the study population) had an 80 per cent lower risk of developing high blood pressure.
This study too, says ESC spokesman Professor Joep Perk from Oskarshamn District Hospital in Sweden, has important public health implications, with women somewhat neglected in many of the prevention studies reported. "This is an important piece of evidence," says Professor Perk, "where we don't always have information specifically related to women. The Nurses' Health Study is an observational study, but because of the numbers involved I'm sure the results will be valid in broader female populations."
Professor Perk also noted the 80 per cent reduced risk of hypertension in those few women adhering to all six lifestyle factors studied. This, he explained, is a proportional benefit similar to that found in the Interheart study, the 2004 global study led by McMaster University in Canada, which showed that 90 per cent of first heart attacks were attributable to nine risk factors, all related to lifestyle. "So there's a consistent pattern here," explains Professor Perk, "suggesting that four out of five cases of hypertension or heart attack are amenable to lifestyle intervention. So, most of us can do something about prevention. It's a public health issue, and we need to put our heads together."
Professor Perk also reaffirmed the three essential lifestyle messages of the ESC Guidelines on CVD Prevention: no smoking, physical activity for at least 30 minutes a day, and maintenance of a normal BMI through exercise and appropriate calorie intake. "These two studies yet again confirm the wisdom of this advice," says Professor Perk, "and provide even more evidence to translate our knowledge into action."
A session on the female heart, which includes the impact of lifestyle factors (as well as an update on postmenopausal hormone therapy and statins in women), is one of 50 separate sessions on prevention in the prearranged scientific programme of this year's ESC Congress. The congress itself – the world's largest meeting in cardiovascular disease - will attract more than 30,000 participants with presentations drawn from more than 9000 abstracts submitted.

1. Djoussé L, Driver JA, Gazioano JM. Relation between modifiable lifestyle factors and lifetime risk of heart failure. JAMA, 2009; 302: 394-400
2. Roger V. Lifestyle and cardiovascular health. JAMA, 2009; 302: 437-439
3. Forman JP, Stampfer MJ, Curhan GC. Diet and lifestyle risk factors associated with incident hypertension in women. JAMA, 2009; 302: 402-411

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090721163113.htm

Risk Of Huge Pacific Ocean Tsunami On West Coast Of America Greater Than Previously Thought
ScienceDaily (July 20, 2009) — The potential for a huge Pacific Ocean tsunami on the West Coast of America may be greater than previously thought, according to a new study of geological evidence along the Gulf of Alaska coast.
The new research suggests that future tsunamis could reach a scale far beyond that suffered in the tsunami generated by the great 1964 Alaskan earthquake. Official figures put the number of deaths caused by the earthquake at around 130: 114 in Alaska and 16 in Oregon and California. The tsunami killed 35 people directly and caused extensive damage in Alaska, British Columbia, and the US Pacific region*.
The 1964 Alaskan earthquake – the second biggest recorded in history with a magnitude of 9.2 – triggered a series of massive waves with run up heights of as much as 12.7 metres in the Alaskan Gulf region and 52 metres in the Shoup Bay submarine slide in Valdez Arm.  
The study suggests that rupture of an even larger area than the 1964 rupture zone could create an even bigger tsunami. Warning systems are in place on the west coast of North America but the findings suggest a need for a review of evacuation plans in the region.
The research team from Durham University in the UK, the University of Utah and Plafker Geohazard Consultants, gauged the extent of earthquakes over the last 2,000 years by studying subsoil samples and sediment sequences at sites along the Alaskan coast. The team radiocarbon-dated peat layers and sediments, and analysed the distribution of mud, sand and peat within them. The results suggest that earthquakes in the region may rupture even larger segments of the coast and sea floor than was previously thought.
The study published in the academic journal Quaternary Science Reviews and funded by the National Science Foundation, NASA, and the US Geological Survey shows that the potential impact in terms of tsunami generation, could be significantly greater if both the 800-km-long 1964 segment and the 250-km-long adjacent Yakataga segment to the east were to rupture simultaneously.
Lead author, Professor Ian Shennan, from Durham University’s Geography Department said: “Our radiocarbon-dated samples suggest that previous earthquakes were fifteen per cent bigger in terms of the area affected than the 1964 event. This historical evidence of widespread, simultaneous plate rupturing within the Alaskan region has significant implications for the tsunami potential of the Gulf of Alaska and the Pacific region as a whole.
“Peat layers provide a clear picture of what’s happened to the Earth. Our data indicate that two major earthquakes have struck Alaska in the last 1,500 years and our findings show that a bigger earthquake and a more destructive tsunami than the 1964 event are possible in the future. The region has been hit by large single event earthquakes and tsunamis before, and our evidence indicates that multiple and more extensive ruptures can happen.”
Tsunamis can be created by the rapid displacement of water when the sea floor lifts and/or falls due to crustal movements that accompany very large earthquakes. The shallow nature of the sea floor off the coast of Alaska could increase the destructive potential of a tsunami wave in the Pacific.
Earthquake behaviour is difficult to predict in this region which is a transition zone between two of the world's most active plate boundary faults; the Fairweather fault, and the Aleutian subduction zone. In 1899 and 1979, large earthquakes occurred in the region but did not trigger a Tsunami because the rupturing was localized beneath the land instead of the sea floor.
Prof Ron Bruhn from the University of Utah said: “If the larger earthquake that is suggested by our work hits the region, the size of the potential tsunami   could be signficantly larger than in 1964 because a multi-rupture quake would displace the shallow continental shelf of the Yakutat microplate.
“In the case of a multi-rupture event, the energy imparted to the tsunami will be larger but spread out over a longer strike distance. Except for the small communities at the tsunami source in Alaska, the longer length will have more of an effect on areas farther from the source such as southeastern Alaska, British Columbia, and the US west coast from Washington to California.”
Warning systems have been in place on the US western seaboard and Hawaii since the 1946 Aleutian Islands tsunami. Improvements were made following the 2004 earthquake under the Indian Ocean that triggered the most deadly tsunami in recorded history, killing more than 230,000 people.
Prof Shennan said: “Earthquakes can hit at any time of the day or night, and that’s a big challenge for emergency planners. A tsunami in this region could cause damage and threaten life from Alaska to California and beyond; in 1964 the effects of the tsunami waves were felt as far away as southern California and were recorded on tide gages throughout the Pacific Ocean.”
Dr George Plafker from Plafker Geohazard Consultants said: “A large scale earthquake will not necessarily create a large wave. Tsunami height is a function of bathymetry, and the amount of slip and dip of the faults that take up the displacement, and all these factors can vary greatly along the strike.
“Tsunamis will occur in the future. There are issues in warning and evacuating large numbers of people in coastal communities quickly and safely. The US has excellent warning systems in place but awareness is vital.”
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090720083421.htm

Mainstream press ‘exposed’ for health claim sensationalism
Nutraingredients.com  20-Jul-2009
Not again! As if industry is not struggling enough with the severity of the European Food Safety Authority’s nutrition and health claims rulings so far, the situation has not been helped by the kind of articles that appeared in the UK press today and yesterday.
Industry will be hoping they don’t spread beyond the shores of Britain as they have massive potential to dent consumer confidence in healthy foods and healthy food messaging – and not always with the big picture represented as fully as it would be in an ideal world.
The Sunday Times contacted NutraIngredients.com last week seeking background on the EU health claims situation, something we gave willingly to provide as much information as possible on what is a very complicated area.
We highlighted the turmoil being created in the food and supplements industries because of EFSA’s tough health claims stance, and pointed out some of the issues industry has with aspects of the scientific assessment criteria being employed.
Negative light
But the story (published yesterday and which can be found here ) casts industry in a negative light, stating it has been “exposed” for making unsubstantiated claims and using suggestive language such as calling the regulation an“investigation” and an “inquiry”.
We’ve commented before about how damaging (not to mention inaccurate) mainstream sensationalism can be – just look at the recent Hydrxycut range in the US where negative media reaction to one contaminated supplement product has reopened a consumer (mis)trust can of worms.
Vitamin E copped a similar battering a few years ago when studies were misrepresented in the mainstream press – an event it is still recovering from to this day.
In this case, the cannibalistic nature of the UK press has been highlighted as the story has already gone a little viral by being picked up (with very little change) by two other major UK newspapers and the daily version of The Sunday Times. These papers have a readership of more than 10 million between them so the influence is palpable.
What can be done?
One of the aims of the 2006 nutrition and health claims regulation is to improve healthy foods messaging to give consumers confidence in product marketing.
A centralised and trusted EU-wide health claims list is also there to save companies marketing bucks in their business across many borders – the old EU promise of trade harmonisation.
Its intentions are good as it recognises products that can deliver health benefits to consumers should be able to market those properties. And there are many such products that have already been recognised by EFSA.
The cholesterol-lowering potential of plant sterols and stanols and the potential of omega-3s to benefit infant development are just a couple of examples (not mentioned by the latest batch of stories).
But the details are proving a little rough, which is no surprise given the regulation in its inception was the most amended piece of legislation in EU food law history.
And this ambiguity in the process is damaging to those making, or seeking to make, EFSA-approved claims, as it is this very ambiguity that provides the fuel for the mainstream media to come charging into the fray and begin bellowing from the highest turret, town crier style, that health claims are being “exposed”.
The beef
And there’s the beef. The mainstream press, by its very nature, does not have the resources nor probably the inclination, to provide the kind of detail and perspective that is more the preserve of the industry journals such as this one. And so you get this kind of reporting.
But perhaps this kind of event provides an opportunity for industry to think about the manner in which it communicates its interests to the mainstream press. At least one Scandinavian company sustained damage from its national TV press when a negative opinion came in from EFSA last year.
Its sales suffered as a result, so the commercial fall-out is real and tangible. But can industry be doing more to educate consumers about the positive aspects of the regulation such as the positive EFSA opinions that have been issued so far?
Groups like Consumers for Health Choice in the UK have been very proactive in the area but is enough being done? Could the way in which consumers are being made aware of the issues at hand and what is at stake with this process be improved?
Perhaps a way of getting the ball rolling could begin with the words: ‘Dear Editor of the Sunday Times. I read with interest your recent article about health claims…’
Shane Starling is the editor of NutraIngredients.com. He has been writing about the nutrition industry for almost ten years and knows how it feels to be misquoted.
http://www.nutraingredients.com/Regulation/Mainstream-press-exposed-for-health-claim-sensationalism

Multivitamins may lower heart disease death risk

Nutraingredients.com, 20-Jul-2009

Long-term regular consumption of a multivitamin may reduce the risk of dying from heart disease by 16 per cent, according to a new study from the US.
Intakes of vitamin E over 215 milligrams per day over the course of ten years were also associated with a 28 per cent reduction in the risk of death from cardiovascular disease, according to findings published in the American Journal of Epidemiology.
The news supports the use of multivitamins and particularly vitamin E, much-maligned and linked to increased risk of ‘all-cause mortality’ in a controversial meta-analysis in the Annals of Internal Medicine in 2004.
The new study, led by Gaia Pocobelli from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center at the University of Washington, also contradicts conclusions from a controversial meta-analysis published originally in the Journal of the American Medical Association (2007, Vol. 297, pp. 842-857). The meta-analysis reported that supplements of vitamins A and E, and beta-carotene may increase mortalityrisk by up to 16 per cent. On the other hand, vitamin C did not have an effect on mortality.
In terms of other causes of death, Pocobelli report that multivitamins did not decrease the risk of either total mortality, or cancer mortality. On the other hand, vitamins C and E were associated with small decreases in risk of total mortality.
Multivitamin use
According to a National Institutes of Health (NIH) State-of-the-Science Panel, half of the American population routinely use dietary supplements, with their annual spend estimated at over $20 billion.
Recent results of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey showed that 35 per cent of the US adult population regularly consumes one or more types of multivitamin product (Am. J. Epidemiol., 2004, Vol. 160, Pages 339-349).
Study details
The Seattle-based researchers analysed the 10-year use of multivitamin, vitamins C and E supplements on 5-year total mortality, and death from cancer or cardiovascular disease (CVD).
Data from 77,719 Washington State residents aged between 50 and 76 was obtained by a self-administered questionnaire. The data showed that the use of multivitamins and vitamin E were associated with 16 and 28 per cent decreased risk of death from CVD.
“Multivitamin and vitamin E use were not associated with cancer mortality,”added the researchers.
Multivitamins and ‘biological age’
Earlier this year, scientists from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences reported that the cells of multivitamin users may have a younger biological age than cells from non-users.
Researchers led by Honglei Chen, MD, PhD, looked at the length of telomeres, DNA sequences at the end of chromosomes that shorten as cells replicate and age.
The study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (June 2009, Vol. 89, pp. 1857-1863) was reported to be the first epidemiologic investigation of multivitamin use and telomere length.
“Regular multivitamin users tend to follow a healthy lifestyle and have a higher intake of micronutrients, which sometimes makes it difficult to interpret epidemiologic observations on multivitamin use,” wrote Dr Chen.
Source: American Journal of Epidemiology 
Published online ahead of print, doi:10.1093/aje/kwp167
“Use of Supplements of Multivitamins, Vitamin C, and Vitamin E in Relation to Mortality”
Authors: G. Pocobelli, U. Peters, A.R. Kristal, E. White
http://www.nutraingredients.com/Research/Multivitamins-may-lower-heart-disease-death-risk

Cranberries offer promise for diabetics: Study

Nutraingredients.com, 20-Jul-2009

Sweetened dried cranberries with a reduced sugar and increased fibre content may benefit type-2 diabetics by delivering healthier glycemic and insulin responses, suggests a small study.
Consumption of the low-sugar high-fibre sweetened dried cranberries led to better glucose peaks and lower insulin peaks, with a peak insulin of 15, compared to 22 for both bread and sweetened cranberries, while raw cranberries produced a peak of 10.
Furthermore, blood sugar levels peaked at 158 minutes, compared to 175 minutes for both the bread and sweetened cranberries, and 127 minutes for raw cranberries.
The findings of the study, which involved only 13 diabetics, were reported earlier this year at the Experimental Biology conference by Ted Wilson from Winona State University. The meeting’s abstracts are published in the FASEB Journal.
The study was funded by cranberry giants Ocean Spray using the company’s new low-sugar sweetened cranberries,
Christina Khoo, PhD, Ocean Spray’s research sciences manager told NutraIngredients.com that the researchers are preparing a full paper for submission to a peer-reviewed journal. NutraIngredients.com has not seen the full data.
“The less sugar high fibre SDC was developed with the needs of the type-2 diabetic in mind,” said Khoo. This represents a large and growing market, with an estimated 19 million people affected by diabetes in the EU 25. This figure is projected to increase to 26 million by 2030.
Study details
Wilson and his co-workers recruited 13 type-2 diabetics and randomly assigned them to receive a single serving of white bread (57g, 160 calories, 1 g fibre), raw cranberries (55g, 21 calories, 1 g fibre), sweetened dried cranberries-original (40g, 138 calories, 2.1g fibre), or the low-sugar high-fibre sweetened cranberries (40g; 113 calories, 1.8g fibre plus 10g polydextrose).
The low-sugar sweetened dried cranberries were associated with a healthier glycemic and insulinemic response, than both white bread and the regular sweetened dried cranberries, said the researchers. The responses were second only to less palatable raw cranberries, they added.
“Fibre is component lacking in the diet of many diabetics,” said Khoo. “The added fibre in the SDC may slow absorption of glucose, helping regulate blood sugar. The combination of less sugar and high fibre could be of benefit to the type-2 diabetic, as our research has shown. SDCs are ideal to snack on throughout the day, either on their own or as a fruit inclusion in a variety of products such as bagels and muesli bars as part of a healthy, well balanced diet.”
Known and unknowns
Due to relative ‘newness’ of the low-sugar sweetened cranberries, the company and its researchers “haven’t had a chance to look at everything”, said Khoo, and no direct data was available to support the anti-adhesion or UTI-reducing potential of the ingredient.
She noted, however, that she would expect the same kind of results as that observed for the normal sweetened cranberries. A pilot study by Amy Howell from Rutgers University and co-workers from Harvard reported that the“sweetened dried cranberries may elicit bacterial anti-adhesion activity in human urine”, according to data in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (Vol. 11, pp. 875-878).
Khoo said that she was hopeful for additional studies to examine the potential of the new product. “I am hoping we would initiate longer trials,” she said. “And we shouldn’t neglect the UTI component.”
Source: FASEB Journal 
Experimental Biology Meeting Abstract, 2009, Volume 23: 900.6
“Glycemic response of type 2 diabetics to sweetened dried cranberries”
Authors: T Wilson, EF Morcomb, TP Schmidt, JL Luebke, EJ Carrell, MC Leveranz, L Kobs, AP Singh, N Vorsa, PJ Limburg
http://www.nutraingredients.com/Research/Cranberries-offer-promise-for-diabetics-Study

‘Metallic’ pine nut mystery stumps food analysts

Foodnavigator-USA.com, 17-Jul-2009

The UK’s Food Standards Agency is investigating curious reports of a lingering metallic taste in the mouth of people who have eaten pine nuts, sometimes lasting as long as two weeks.
Pine nuts are a popular addition to salads, and are also a crucial ingredient in pesto sauce. Reports of an unpleasant taste following consumption of pine nuts circulated in Belgium in 2001, prompting the Poisons Centre to conduct a comparison of affected and unaffected nut batches. Although they concluded there was no safety threat, no chemical differences were found.
In recent months, however, the problem has arisen again, not only in the UK but in other parts of the world, too. Incidents in the US are said to have followed consumption of nuts imported from China. In the UK the problem has led a number of consumers to contact the food regulator for an explanation.
The unexplained phenomenon could have an impact on ingredient sourcing and screening by food manufacturers – although it is unlikely that they will be able to take measures to ensure product quality is not affected until the underlying reason is found.
The FSA has now confirmed that it is taking on the matter – although it emphasised that it is not a food safety issue. “As far as the Agency is aware, no adverse health effects have been associated with these symptoms.”
It expects the task to be tricky given the lack of information available, but is inviting people who have experienced the problem to emailtoxicology@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk with details of the pine nuts consumed and how long they had the metallic taste for.
Not everyone
Even more curiously, the metallic taste is reported to affect only some people who have eaten nuts from an affected batch, and not others.
Clinical director of the charity Allergy UK John Collard, said it is unlikely to be down to allergy, according to a Daily Mail report. He suggested that some of the oils in the nuts may have become rancid due to poor storage, and that some people are more susceptible than others.
http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Science-Nutrition/Metallic-pine-nut-mystery-stumps-food-analysts

Chinese flower may be anti-browning ingredient

Foodnavigator-USA.com, 15-Jul-2009

Extracts from the Asian plant Osmanthus fragrans may prevent browning of foods, and offer an alternative to formulators looking to tap the ‘natural’ wave.
The plant is already used commonly in Asia as a flavour additive for tea and other beverages, and shows potential for inhibiting the action of the enzyme tyrosinase in foods, according to findings published in the journal LWT - Food Science and Technology.
Tyrosine is a non-essential amino acid obtained in the diet from various sources, including many high protein products such as soy, poultry, fish, almonds, avocados, bananas, and dairy. The amino acid is also the precursor to melanin, a class of pigmented compounds that contribute to the browning of foods, such a fruit and vegetables.
By inhibiting the action of the enzyme tyrosinase, food processors and manufacturers may slow or prevent the formation of dark colours, off-flavours and a loss of nutritional content, explained the researchers, led by Li-chen Wu from National Chi Nan University.
The Taiwanese researchers used acetone to obtain a phenolic rich extract. According to their findings, the extract contained 264.7 milligrams of gallic acid equivalents per gram of extract of phenolics, and 190.7 mg of catechin equivalents per gram of extract of flavonoids.
The extract also displayed good antioxidant activity when tested in the DPPH and ABTS radical-scavenging assays, they noted.
Experiments to study how the extract may affect the oxidation of tyrosine revealed that the presence of luteolin in the extract was behind the“uncompetitive inhibitory effect upon the oxidation of tyrosine”.
“We have confirmed in current study that the OFE contained substantial amounts of total phenolic compounds and flavonoids, which not only acted as tyrosinase inhibitors but also provided antioxidant activity, as revealed by the scavenging activity toward ABTS and DPPH radicals,” said the researchers.
In terms of melanin formation, in vitro studies with B16F10 cells showed a reduction in tyrosinase activity and melanin formation in a dose-dependent manner. Being able to reduce the formation of melanin also suggests potential for the extract in cosmetics, as a skin-lightening ingredient.
“Our findings support that O. fragrans is a potential natural, functional antioxidant food flavour additive. Additionally, because OFE inhibits melanin formation, it appears to have potential use as an anti-browning food additive, in skin-whitening cosmetics, or as a new drug for treating melanoma,” they concluded.
The chemistry of browning
The Maillard reaction is also known as non-enzymatic browning. The carbonyl group of the sugar reacts with the amino group of the amino acid to form N-glycosylamine, which is unstable and, via the ‘Amadori rearrangement’, produces ketosamines.
These so-called Amadori compounds are involved in a cascade of further reactions that can eventually result in the formation of dark colours, off-flavours and a loss of nutritional content.
Source: LWT - Food Science and Technology 
Volume 42, Issue 9, Pages 1513-1519
“Antioxidant activity and melanogenesis inhibitory effect of the acetonic extract of Osmanthus fragrans: A potential natural and functional food flavor additive”
Authors: L. Wu, L.-H. Chang, S.-H. Chen, N. Fan, J.A. Ho
http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Science-Nutrition/Chinese-flower-may-be-anti-browning-ingredient

Study Finds Melatonin Reduces Delirium after Operations in Children
Sherry Baker, NaturalNews.com  July 18, 2009

(NaturalNews) Having an operation under general anesthesia is a scary and worrisome prospect for a child and his or her parents, too. But even a successful surgery can end with another, terrifying problem. Called emergence delirium, it is marked by acute behavioral changes experienced when a child wakes up from anesthesia. And it doesn't always simply go away during recovery, either. Unfortunately, emergence delirium is associated with the development of problems later down the road, too -- including bed wetting, separation anxiety and new nightmares.

While anxiety is normal before an operation, children who experience extreme anxiety before surgery are more at risk for emergence delirium. In all, about 20 percent of children who undergo surgery experience a period of severe delirium in the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) that includes crying, thrashing, screaming and even needing to be put into restraints.

Now a new study just published in the July issue of the journal Anesthesiology reports that giving youngsters oral treatment with melatonin before an operation significantly reduces the occurrence of emergence delirium after the operation. Melatonin is a naturally occurring, light dependent hormone secreted by the pineal gland that is involved in the regulation of moods, sleep and reproductive cycles.

"Studies conducted in adults have revealed that oral administration of melatonin before surgery beneficially reduced anxiety levels, but relevant similar treatment data for children undergoing anesthesia and surgery are limited," said study lead author Zeev N. Kain, M.D., MBA, Chair of UC Irvine Anesthesiology and Associate Dean for Clinical Research at the UC Irvine School of Medicine, in a statement to the media.

So Kain and his research team set out to determine if melatonin could decrease anxiety levels in children when it was compared to midazolam, a sedative widely given to ease preoperative anxiety. They looked at a group of 148 children between the ages of two and eight who were undergoing outpatient surgery under general anesthesia. The youngsters were randomly assigned to receive either the drug midazolam or the hormone melatonin before their surgery.

Then the researchers measured the research subjects' anxiety and emergence behavior as their anesthesia wore off. To measure behaviors, the scientists used the Yale Preoperative Anxiety Scale (mYPass), the Induction Compliance Checklist and the Keegan scale.

The results showed that giving melatonin before the operation didn't seem to reduce anxiety levels in the youngsters. However, it did dramatically reduce the incidence of emergence delirium in these children -- in higher doses, it reduced the risk from 20 to 5 percent. "As three million children undergo surgery in the U.S. each year, these findings reveal noteworthy health care and treatment implications," Dr. Kain stated.
http://www.naturalnews.com/026648_melatonin_anxiety_anesthesia.html

Why Obama's Health Care Reform Bill Will Destroy U.S. Jobs and Devastate the Economy
Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews.com  July 18, 2009

(NaturalNews) If you want to know why U.S. businesses increasingly outsource jobs to other countries, just add up the cost of doing business in America: As an employer, you have to pay not only higher wages than most other countries, but you also have to pay for the lost productivity and missed days due to the astonishingly poor health of the U.S. workforce.

Now, under the new Obama health care reform bill, you'll have to pay an additional eight percent of your payroll as a new tax to cover the costs of Big Government running its new sick-care system where nobody gets healthy, but everybody gets hammered with new taxes.

As a small business owner myself, I can tell you what this will cause in America: A massive shift of jobs out of the U.S. to other countries wherehealth care costs are more reasonable (and the workers are healthier).

Taiwan, for example, is able to provide very high quality health care services to its entire population for roughly $30 a month, and that covers everything: Prenatal care, dental care, vision, surgeries, routine checkups, and so on. No one is denied coverage.

How is Taiwan able to provide first-world health care to its entire population at such affordable rates? Its government does not kow-tow to the pharmaceutical crooks that dominate American medicine. Taiwan runs a single payer system with no insurance companies mucking around with the paperwork or denying coverage to patients. On top of that, its population is far healthier than the U.S. population due to the fact that the traditional Taiwan diet is rich with real foods rather than processed foods. (This is changing, of course, as Taiwan adopts American fast food habits. The country will face increasing health care costs in the future if it continues to pursue American dietary habits...)

At the same time, doctors and medical staff in Taiwan don't make million-dollar salaries, either. They're paid well, but not the ridiculously high wages collected by medical specialists in the U.S. (Of course, they also don't have the burden of six-figure debt from medical schools hanging around their necks...)

The Taiwan government doesn't buy brand-name pharmaceuticals, either. It buys generics, and it scours the world markets to find the most cost-effective generic drugs possible. Even its hospitals are run very efficiently: There's no mountain of paperwork required to visit a doctor, and the wait time is very short -- usually you can get in to see a specialist the same day, and often in less than an hour from the time you make an appointment.

Of course, they're still pushing western meds, surgery and chemotherapy, but at least they do it far more affordably than America.

America, on the other hand, runs a disastrously inefficient health care quagmire. The drug companies are paid monopoly prices on their drugs (enforced by the hopelessly corrupt FDA and FTC), doctors and hospitals are paid ridiculously high fees for services that cost a fraction of the price in other countries, the medical malpractice insurance companies collect a huge premium on everything (driving medical service costs ever higher), and the health insurance companies collect their profits on top of the whole cesspool, employing a literal army of paper pushers who sit in busy rooms, thinking of clever ways to deny payment to health care providers who have spent countless hours attempting to comply with complex billing rules.

And in the end, the whole system fails anyway: Fraud is rampant, the people aren't getting any healthier, and many doctors are so fed up with the complexity of it all that they're heading for the exits.
How to slash health care costs by 90 percent
By my estimates, roughly forty percent of the cost of today's health care system is caused by the idiotic paper shuffling that goes on between governments, private insurers, patients, malpractice attorneys and health care providers. Another thirty percent can be attributed to the monopoly profits of drug companies who routinely engage in price fixing fraud as a way to extract more money from state and national governments. And finally, at least another twenty percent is lost in the simple fact that the American people pursue dietary habits that directly cause cancer, heart disease, diabetes and other expensive-to-treat diseases.

Want to slash health care costs by 90 percent? Start by arresting the crooks running the FDA and the pharmaceutical industry. Ban dangerous ingredients from the food supply. End the mass advertising of drugs and junk foods. Stop the censorship of nutritional supplements and end the oppression and tyranny currently being leveled against natural health products and naturopathic practitioners.

The formula for saving literally hundreds of billions of dollars on health care costs is actually quite simple. I've outlined one solution in my Health Revolution Petition (www.HealthRevolutionPetition.org), which I hope you'll sign online. There are other solutions that will work, too. But Obama's solution isn't one of them.

The Obama solution is little more than a new tax on sickness and disease. Paying more money while the American people stay sick is no health care solution. It's actually a huge gift to the pharmaceutical industry because it forces people to pay into the Big Pharma system of "treatments" that never makes you well, but always leaves you broke. There's nothing in the Obama plan that protects health freedom, or provides consumers with more choice, or teaches people a single strategy for preventing disease through nutrition, sunlight, exercise and informed self-care.

Obama is right about one thing, though: The current health care system is a total failure, and it's destroying America's economy. His solution, however, is bad medicine: It would cause a massive loss of jobs in America (which is already reeling from widespread unemployment) and it would cause tens of thousands of employers to either close their businesses or move them offshore.

As one internet commentator rightly said, America is about to become the new Mexico.
Disastrous health leads to a disastrous economy
Soon reality will demonstrate why this is true: No nation can economically survive if its people are not healthy. You can't run a nation on pharmaceuticals and chemo. You can't expect to have a future if your workers are drugged up on SSRIs and statins. Your economy is only as good as the people who run it, and if they're obese, diabetic, demented and chronically diseased, they aren't going to be very productive contributors to the economy. (Nor are they able to vote with any kind of rationality or forethought...)

I can say this with great certainty: America's days are numbered. The country will not survive this combination of health care failures, high taxes, stratospheric debt and health freedom tyranny. America will fall into shambles, and when it does, it will leave behind a legacy of debt, disease and despair. It's all very clear in the words of our pathetic leaders, such as Vice President Joe Biden who said this week, "We have to spend more money to keep from going broke!" (http://www.cnsnews.com/public/conte...)
Cashing in before ducking out
What you're witnessing right now is not an effort to save America, it is an effort to extract the most profits from the people before the collapse of America. Think about it: What does a mandatory health care system really accomplish? A windfall of profits for Big Pharma, of course. What do mandatory vaccines accomplish? Yet more profits for Big Pharma (and the mass poisoning of the people). What do higher taxes accomplish? The transfer of yet more wealth from the hands of individuals who have earned it into the hands of government bureaucrats who will waste it.

It is all so sadly predictable and pathetic. And there is seemingly nothing we (you and I) can do about it. That's because you and I -- the aware, free-thinking, informed individuals of our world -- are in such a minority that our voices are barely heard over the din of the dim-witted. The chorus of idiocy in Washington, in the media and in the words of the mainstream people has become so loud and cluttered that no voice of reason stands a chance of being heard. Common sense was abandoned so long ago that nobody even remembers what it looks like, and those who propose it are considered kooks or radicals.

Meanwhile, America is being lost, one person at a time, one idea at a time, one dollar at a time...

It is dissolving into a cesspool of corporate greed and political power. The People have been not merely abandoned, they have been viciously betrayed. And now, with this health care reform bill, they are being led to the final slaughter where they will be forced to pay for their foolish acquiescence with not only their wallets, but their lives.

And once this sad, decrepit march into a health care apocalypse begins, it will not be reversible. The American people will lose everything: Their money, their health and ultimately their country. America will fall under the weight of junk food, pharmaceuticals and corporate influence in Washington. Its people will one day wake up and discover they have nothing -- no savings, no currency, no health, no nourishing food and no freedoms. They will discover that they are enslaved in prisons of their own making, and they will have no way to get out.

They will say "No one could have predicted this." And yet I am predicting it right now. It is not a difficult prediction to make. Anyone with a little knowledge of world history and a decent sense of observation of the present will reach the same conclusion: The American sick-care economy is not sustainable. Even the Congressional Budget Office now echoes precisely these same words. (http://cboblog.cbo.gov/?p=328)

Unless a sharp alteration in course is immediately undertaken, America will fall within a generation, smothered under the suffocating weight of a sick nation run by sick people who mandate a sick-care system that promotes only death, not life.

And now you know why the symbol of western medicine is two serpents encircling a staff. This is a symbol of great evil, and you'll find it adorning themedical school graduation documents of virtually every conventional doctor in America today. Learn more about the dark symbolism of western medicine here: http://www.naturalnews.com/026504_m...

Once you understand the symbol, you will understand the real agenda behind Obama's sick care bankruptcy plan, and why the people in charge of America are trying so desperately to destroy it.
http://www.naturalnews.com/z026643_health_health_care_America.html

World Health Organization Recommends Sunshine to Prevent TB
David Gutierrez, NaturalNews.com  July 18, 2009

(NaturalNews) The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended two simple measures to reduce the spread of tuberculosis (TB), which kills nearly 2 million people per year: sunshine and air.

TB is a highly contagious bacterial disease that can be caught simply by inhaling air that infected individuals have coughed or sneezed in. Because of this ease of contagion, TB is a particular problem in crowded settings such as hospitals and prisons. 

According to the WHO's Stop TB head Mario Raviglione, "simply opening the doors" can remove the stagnant air that the TB bacteria thrive in, thus significantly decreasing the risk that the disease will spread in institutional settings. Citing research findings that the bacteria are killed upon exposure to ultraviolet radiation, he also recommended that prisons and hospitals make every possible effort to increase their natural lighting.

The WHO's most recent figures estimate that 1.8 million people died from TB in 2008. Half a million of these were officially classified as AIDS deaths, since the immune-destroying virus had increased the deceased's resistance to the disease.

Approximately one-third of all people alive have been exposed to the TB bacteria, but few of these cases develop into active infections. The active form tends to develop in people who are immune compromised or pregnant, however, making it particularly dangerous.

TB is considered a major emerging global health threat. Although the number of new cases held steady from 2006 to 2007, antibiotic resistant versions of the disease are becoming increasingly common. According to the WHO, there have already been at least 500,000 reports of multi-drug-resistant TB -- which cannot be treated with at least two front-line TB drugs. In addition, 55 countries and territories have reported at least one case of "extensively drug-resistant TB," a strain that appears to be immune to all currently known TB treatments.
http://www.naturalnews.com/026642_health_World_Health_Organization_sunshine.html

Find Health and Healing Properties in Ginger
Sheryl Walters, NaturalNews.com  July 17, 2009

(NaturalNews) Ginger has long been used as a natural healing agent by Asian and other cultures. Ginger, a rhizome, is especially helpful in treating digestive issues such as nausea and diarrhea. Other medicinal uses of ginger include inflammation, heart conditions, arthritis, colic, and headaches. Many studies have been conducted looking at the benefits of this spice.

Ginger has been shown by various studies to be more effective than placebo in the treatment of motion sickness related nausea. One of the greatest benefits of utilizing ginger instead of medication is that ginger does not have the side effects of drowsiness and dry mouth. Studies have also shown that pregnancy related nausea and vomiting can be safely and effectively treated with the use of small doses of ginger over short periods of time. Other studies have looked at the benefits of ginger at reducing nausea and vomiting post chemotherapy in cancer patients.

Other studies have shown that ginger is effective in the treatment of inflammation. The use of ginger has been shown to reduce pain and the use of pain medications in suffers of osteoarthritis of the knee. Preliminary studies have suggested that ginger may also be useful in treating high cholesterol and reducing blood clots.

Ginger also appears to have anticancer properties. Researchers at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center have found that in laboratory settings ginger powder can kill ovarian cancer cells. Interestingly ginger not only causes apoptosis which is essentially cell suicide, but also autophagy which is cells attacking and digesting themselves leading to death. The benefit of ginger causing both types of cell death could play an important role in limiting resistance which is a problem typically seen with conventional cancer treatments. Researchers at the University of Minnesota's Hormel Institute in Austin studied the effect of ginger on mice injected with tumor cells. The study found that the mice in the ginger group developed tumors at a greatly reduced rate. Dr. Anne Bode of the University of Minnesota stated that, "These results strongly suggest that ginger compounds may be effective chemopreventive and/or chemotherapeutic agents. "

The active ingredients contained in ginger include oleoresin, gingerols and shogaols. Ginger may be taken for medicinal purposes in both the fresh and either dried or distilled forms. Ginger has many therapeutic benefits which have been used for centuries. Recent research has found many new uses for ginger including the exciting possibility of treating and preventing cancer.
http://www.naturalnews.com/z026639_ginger_cancer_health.html

Mercury Contamination Found in High Fructose Corn Syrup
Sheryl Walters, NaturalNews.com  July 17, 2009

(NaturalNews) High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) accounts for the largest amount of calories in the average American diet. It can be found in processed foods of almost every kind - soda, bread, breakfast bars, processed dairy, crackers, soup, condiments, and others. The U.S. first began using HFCS heavily in the 1970's as an inexpensive alternative to sugar when sugar prices skyrocketed. It quickly became the most commonly used sweetener and today is found in almost all processed foods. Americans consume about twelve teaspoons of HFCS on average per day.

Recently HFCS has come under scrutiny because of its possible link to health conditions such as diabetes, obesity, metabolic syndrome, increased triglycerides, increased LDL cholesterol, and liver disease. Fructose is hard for the body to metabolize, converts to fat more than other sugars, and contains no enzymes, vitamins, or minerals. In fact, fructose actually uses vital compounds from the body to be metabolized so it is actually robbing the body of its necessary micronutrients.

In addition to these detrimental effects on health it has been recently reported that there are high levels of mercury in high fructose corn syrup. Mercury is a toxin and is especially harmful to the nervous system. Mercury is found in the air we breathe, contaminated fish, and dental fillings. Fetuses, infants, and children are the most sensitive to mercury. High mercury exposure during these critical times can cause brain damage, deafness, learning disabilities, and even death. Mercury toxicity in adults can cause weakness, blurred vision, change in personality, cardiomyopathies, slowed mental response, and many other conditions.

A study was recently done to see if HFCS contains mercury. The results published in the Journal Environmental Health in January 2009 showed that almost 50% of tested food products containing HFCS were contaminated with mercury. Given the high consumption rate of HFCS in the U.S. this mercury contamination is a source not previously considered. The mercury gets into the HFCS through its production process. The making of HFCS involves separating the corn starch from the corn kernel using caustic soda. For many years the production of caustic soda has involved the use of mercury cells. This mercury use can cause contamination of the caustic soda which in turn contaminates the HFCS that goes into snack foods, beverages, dressings, condiments, and many other foods.

Unfortunately as consumers it is impossible to know which foods contain mercury-contaminated HFCS. Avoidance of HFCS due to its detrimental effects on health as well as its possible mercury contamination is essential.
http://www.naturalnews.com/z026638_mercury_HFCS_corn.html

Simple Tea Creates Nano Gold Particles for Fighting Cancer
David Gutierrez, NaturalNews.com  July 17, 2009

(NaturalNews) Scientists have discovered a way to create cancer-fighting nanoparticles using nothing but gold salts and a cup of Darjeeling tea, according to a paper published in the Journal of Materials Chemistry.

Nanoparticles are particles much smaller than those commonly used in chemical or industrial applications, small enough that they can pass through cell membranes designed to keep foreign particles out. Because even widely studied elements and compounds act drastically different on the nano scale, nanotechnology is a burgeoning area of scientific research.

Most nanoparticles are manufactured during intensive industrial processes involving toxic chemicals and byproducts. Recently, however, researchers at the University of Missouri-Columbia discovered a process for producing nanoparticles by adding gold salts to a soybean-water mixture. Naturally occurring soy phytochemicals interact with the salts to produce stable gold nanoparticles, with no toxic byproducts.

"Our new process only takes what nature has made available to us and uses that to produce a technology that has already proven to have far-reaching impacts in technology and medicine," researcher Kattesh Katti said.

Researchers then repeated the same procedure with Darjeeling tea instead of soy, and found that once again, phytochemicals naturally found in the tea transformed the salts into pure, nano-scale particles of gold. Furthermore, the phytochemicals bind to the outside of the gold particles. This means that the microscopic particles could be injected into tumor cells, carrying cancer-fighting tea compounds directly to where they could provide the most benefit.

"Throughout history, tea drinking has been directly attributed to a plethora of health benefits," Katti said. "Our discovery has provided a practical way to deliver cancer-fighting phytochemicals directly to tumor cells through gold nanoparticles."

The researchers selected gold for their research because it is very stable, chemically, and therefore is less likely to lead to side effects in the body. They said that the production process they have pioneered could easily be replicated on a larger scale.
http://www.naturalnews.com/026631_nanoparticles_chemicals_phytochemicals.html

Secrets Of A Life-giving Amino Acid Revealed

ScienceDaily (July 20, 2009) — Selenium is a trace element crucial to life - too little or too much of it is fatal. In the July 17 issue of the journal Science, researchers at Yale University and University of Illinois at Chicago detail the molecular mechanisms that govern its metabolism in the human body.
"It must require an intricately regulated uptake system," said Dieter Söll, co-senior author of the paper, Sterling Professor of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry at Yale. "There are 25 human selenoproteins, and most of them are probably essential for life."
Selenium is thought to offer protection from diverse human ailments including adverse mood states, cardiovascular disease, viral infections and cancer.
Selenocysteine is the most active metabolite of selenium in humans. It is unique among amino acids because it is the only one synthesized directly on a transfer RNA (tRNA) molecule, which shuttles the amino acids to the protein-making machinery within cells. Proteins that contain selenocysteine are responsible for recycling protective antioxidants such as vitamin C and coenzyme Q10.
Söll's team for the first time captured images of how selenocysteine is created on a super-sized tRNA molecule, which seems to have a highly specialized role in nature. The 20 other amino acids and their associated tRNAs use the same protein vehicle, called an elongation factor, for transport to the ribosome. However, nature has provided this large tRNA molecule with a specialized elongation factor that chauffeurs only selenocysteine to the ribosome.
"This structure reveals most aspects of the mechanism for the formation of selenocysteine and provides an answer to 20 years of biochemical work in the field," said Sotiria Palioura, lead author of the study and an M.D./Ph.D. candidate at Yale.
The findings may lead to greater understanding of autoimmune liver disease. The tRNA complex described in the Science paper is the target of antibodies in patients with Type 1 autoimmune hepatitis. "The region that the antibody is supposed to recognize is at the business end of this molecule, where we see the reaction happening," Palioura said.
"Selenocysteine has been found to be a critical component of enzymes involved in a number of normal and disease processes," said Michael Bender of the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of General Medical Sciences. "This basic study, which has shed light on selenocysteine's unique biosynthetic pathway, could ultimately have an impact on many aspects of human health, including the immune response, neurodegeneration, cardiovascular disease, and cancer."
Other Yale authors on the paper were R. Lynn Sherrer and Thomas A. Steitz. Senior co-author on the paper was Miljan Simonovic of the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Funding for the research was provided by the National Institute for General Medical Sciences, the Department of Energy, and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute at Yale University.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090716141136.htm

Chemicals Found In Fruit And Vegetables Offer Dementia Hope

ScienceDaily (July 19, 2009) — A group of chemicals found in many fruits and vegetables, as well as tea, cocoa and red wine, could protect the brain from Alzheimer’s disease, a  dementia expert will tell scientists at a conference July 11.
Speaking at the British Pharmacological Society’s Summer Meeting in Edinburgh, Dr Robert Williams will argue that, while much more research needs to be done, there is mounting evidence that certain flavonoids – chemicals found in plants and food derived from plants – might provide therapeutic benefit for Alzheimer’s sufferers.
“There have been some intriguing epidemiological studies that the consumption of flavonoid-rich vegetables, fruit juices and red wine delays the onset of the disease,” says Dr Williams, a Biochemist working at Kings College London. “These reports, while not as powerful as controlled, randomised clinical trials, have encouraged a number of research groups, including our own, to investigate the biology of flavonoids in more detail.”
Dr Williams says that a lack of good research and clinical trial data meant this field of research had suffered from a lack of scientific credibility, not helped by early positive health claims for flavonoids that cannot access the brain or are broken down too rapidly by the body to be of any benefit. Scepticism also persists because flavonoids are known antioxidants and yet clinical trials with other antioxidants, such as vitamin E, showed no reported benefit on either symptoms or disease progression in dementia.
However, a new concept is emerging that suggests flavonoids do not act simply as antioxidants but exert their biological effects through other mechanisms. A small number of recent studies carried out in models of Alzheimer’s disease have found that oral administration of green tea flavonoids or grape flavonoids reduces brain pathology and, in some cases, improves cognition. Dr Williams and colleagues have focused their own cellular studies on a flavonoid called epicatechin, which is abundant in a number of foodstuffs, including cocoa.
“We have found that epicatechin protects brain cells from damage but through a mechanism unrelated to its antioxidant activity and shown in laboratory tests that it can also reduce some aspects of Alzheimer’s disease pathology.
“This is interesting because epicatechin and its breakdown products are measurable in the bloodstream of humans for a number of hours after ingestion and it is one of the relatively few flavonoids known to access the brain suggesting it has the potential to be bioactive in humans.”
Alzheimer’s disease is a devastating, progressive disorder affecting an estimated 15-20 million people worldwide. Over the past four decades, through worldwide research efforts, it is now known that in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease there are abnormal cellular processes which lead to neurodegeneration and dementia. Understanding these disease processes at the molecular level will allow the development of pharmacological agents to block these processes, and lead the way for effective therapies in Alzheimer’s disease.
Central to the development of Alzheimer’s disease is toxic beta-amyloid peptide, a substance that is normally produced in the brain but, in this disease, is deposited abnormally as amyloid plaques. Dr Williams has shown that flavonoids can protect brain cells against the toxic actions of beta-amyloid.
He adds: “Although our findings support the general concept that dietary intake of flavonoid-rich foods or supplements could impact on the development and progression of dementia, they are clearly insufficient to make any sort of nutritional recommendations at this stage.
“The challenge now is to identify the single flavonoid or combination of flavonoids that exert the most positive effects and to define the mechanisms of action and optimal quantity required before embarking on clinical trials to treat their effectiveness in dementia.”
The British Pharmacological Society Summer Meeting in Edinburgh will also highlight the work of three other scientists who are working on different aspects of Alzheimer’s disease. They will present their latest research findings showing that insight into disease mechanisms is leading to the development of agents with the potential to become new and effective therapies for Alzheimer’s disease.
Dr Tiziana Borsello, from the Mario Negri Institute of Pharmacological Research in Milan, Italy, will present data which show that cell death in Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative states involves the activation of a protein called JNK. Over a number of years, she and her team have developed the powerful and specific cell-permeable inhibitor of JNK (D-JNKI1). In her talk, Dr Borsello will show that D-JNKI1 can reduce production of beta-amyloid and amyloid plaques and improve memory in mice. This exciting research opens up new prospects for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.
Professor Michael Rowan, from University College Dublin, Ireland, will present data showing that beta-amyloid can directly affect the physiological processes involved in memory formation. His research has identified therapeutic agents that target the cytokine system in the brain and are able to prevent this detrimental effect of beta-amyloid. This line of enquiry suggests that agents that remove cytokines could improve cognitive function in Alzheimer’s disease.
Dr Warren Hirst, from Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, Princeton, USA, will outline two potential therapeutic strategies. The first is the discovery and development of novel potent, selective and brain-penetrant small molecule beta-secretase inhibitors. These investigational small molecules have the potential to prevent the accumulation of beta-amyloid in the brain. The second strategy addresses the cognitive deficits associated with the disease, which are only partially addressed by current therapies. Neurotransmitter receptors in the brain play an important role in cognitive processes and new evidence suggests that blocking a specific class of receptors, the 5-HT1A receptors, can improve learning and memory in rats and mice.  These, or similar molecules, may improve cognitive function in Alzheimer’s disease patients.
In summary, the symposium highlights how basic molecular and pharmacological research, including the work presented here, has enabled the identification and development of agents with promise to treat this devastating disease. Turning the findings from research into new medicines which are effective to treat Alzheimer’s disease is some way off, but is within reach.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090710092530.htm

Stress And Depression Worsen Childhood Asthma, Researchers Show

ScienceDaily (July 17, 2009) — Young people with asthma have nearly twice the incidence of depression compared to their peers without asthma, and studies have shown that depression is associated with increased asthma symptoms and, in some cases, death.
How stress and depression play upon one another to worsen asthma is a lingering question.
A new study by researchers at the University at Buffalo has shown that depressed children with asthma exhibit a dysregulation of the autonomic nervous system along with increased airway compromise.
It is thought to be the first study to examine pathways linking emotional stress, depressive symptoms, autonomic nervous system dysregulation and airway function in childhood asthma.
The study appears in the July 2009 issue of The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
Bruce D. Miller, M.D., and Beatrice L. Wood, Ph.D., professors of psychiatry and pediatrics in the UB School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, designed and carried out the study in collaboration with other UB researchers.
"The autonomic nervous system, or ANS, is composed of two opposing divisions -- the sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves, which check one another and thus control critical body functions outside of conscious awareness," explained Miller, chief of the UB Division of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry and senior staff psychiatrist at Women & Children's Hospital of Buffalo, a UB-affiliated teaching hospital. "The ANS is influenced by stress and emotions."
"Children with asthma and high depression symptoms showed a preponderance of parasympathetic over sympathetic nervous system reactivity in the ANS," he continued. "This imbalance within the ANS could explain the increased airway resistance that we found in depressed asthmatic children in our study."
The study involved 90 children with asthma, aged 7-17. Forty-five asthmatic children with symptoms of depression were compared with 45 asthmatic children without symptoms of depression. Both groups viewed scary, sad (death) and happy scenes from the movie E.T.: The Extraterrestrial.
All children wore electrodes to collect data on heart and respiratory function, which showed the level of activation and reactivity of the sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions. The researchers assessed airway function before the movie, after the death scene and after the movie.
"The depressed group consistently showed greater parasympathetic activation along with decreased sympathetic activation in response to the emotional provocations – a pattern that would have a detrimental effect on the airways," said Miller.
"In contrast, the group without symptoms of depression showed consistent activation of the sympathetic pathway, which would support better airway function under stress. To our knowledge, this is the first report in the literature to demonstrate an association linking stress, depression and increased airway resistance in asthmatic children."
Results also showed that bias toward parasympathetic reactivity was most pronounced in the children during scenes portraying family distress or loss, death and dying.
"These findings reinforce previous results from our laboratory that associated relational stress within the family with child depression and increased asthma activity," said Wood.
"Although these findings are promising and support our hypotheses," she continued, "we need further studies to replicate and extend these findings, and to examine whether treatment for depression reduces shift to the parasympathetic and improves lung function in children with asthma."
The authors believe these findings indicate the importance of screening children with asthma for depressive symptoms, of following these children closely and referring them for psychosocial counseling when indicated.
Co-authors on the study were Mark Ballow, M.D., an asthma specialist from the UB Department of Pediatrics; ChiunYu Hsu, a student in the UB Neuroscience Graduate Program, and JungHa Lim, Ph.D, formerly a UB post-doctoral student, and currently on the faculty at Korea University.
The research was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090716113352.htm

Baking Soda: For Cooking, Cleaning, And Kidney Health?
ScienceDaily (July 17, 2009) — A daily dose of sodium bicarbonate—baking soda, already used for baking, cleaning, acid indigestion, sunburn, and more—slows the decline of kidney function in some patients with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD), reports an upcoming study in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN). "This cheap and simple strategy also improves patients' nutritional status, and has the potential of translating into significant economic, quality of life, and clinical outcome benefits," comments Magdi Yaqoob, MD (Royal London Hospital).
The study included 134 patients with advanced CKD and low bicarbonate levels, also called metabolic acidosis. One group received a small daily dose of sodium bicarbonate in tablet form, in addition to their usual care. For this group, the rate of decline in kidney function was greatly reduced—about two-thirds slower than in patients. "In fact, in patients taking sodium bicarbonate, the rate of decline in kidney function was similar to the normal age-related decline," says Yaqoob.
Rapid progression of kidney disease occurred in just nine percent of patients taking sodium bicarbonate, compared to 45 percent of the other group. Patients taking sodium bicarbonate were also less likely to develop end-stage renal disease (ESRD) requiring dialysis.
Patients taking sodium bicarbonate also had improvement in several measures of nutrition. Although their sodium levels went up, this didn't lead to any problems with increased blood pressure.
Low bicarbonate levels are common in patients with CKD and can lead to a wide range of other problems. "This is the first randomized controlled study of its kind," says Yaqoob. "A simple remedy like sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), when used appropriately, can be very effective."
The researchers note some important limitations of their study—there was no placebo group and the researchers were aware of which patients were receiving sodium bicarbonate. "Our results will need validation in a multicenter study," says Yaqoob.
Other authors were Ione de Brito-Ashurst, RD, Mira Varaganum, PhD, and Martin J. Raftery, MD (William Harvey Research Institute and Barts and the London NHS Trust, London). The authors reported no financial disclosures.
Ione de Brito-Ashurst , Mira Varagunam , Martin J. Raftery , and Muhammad M. Yaqoob. Bicarbonate Supplementation Slows Progression of CKD and Improves Nutritional Status. Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, 2009; DOI: 10.1681/ASN.2008111205
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090716201123.htm
Tooth Gel: Healing Power Of Aloe Vera Proves Beneficial For Teeth And Gums, Too
ScienceDaily (July 17, 2009) — The aloe vera plant has a long history of healing power. Its ability to heal burns and cuts and soothe pain has been documented as far back as the 10th century. Legend has it that Cleopatra used aloe vera to keep her skin soft. The modern use of aloe vera was first recognized the 1930s to heal radiation burns. Since then, it has been a common ingredient in ointments that heal sunburn, minor cuts, skin irritation, and many other ailments.
Recently, aloe vera has gained some popularity as an active ingredient in tooth gel. Similar to its use on skin, the aloe vera in tooth gels is used to cleanse and soothe teeth and gums, and is as effective as toothpaste to fight cavities, according to the May/June 2009 issue of General Dentistry, the Academy of General Dentistry's (AGD) clinical, peer-reviewed journal.
Aloe vera tooth gel is intended to perform the same function as toothpaste, which is to eliminate pathogenic oral microflora—disease-causing bacteria—in the mouth. The ability of aloe vera tooth gel to successfully perform that function has been a point of contention for some dental professionals. However, research presented in General Dentistry may alleviate that concern. The study compared the germ-fighting ability of an aloe vera tooth gel to two commercially popular toothpastes and revealed that the aloe vera tooth gel was just as effective, and in some cases more effective, than the commercial brands at controlling cavity-causing organisms.
Aloe latex contains anthraquinones, which are chemical compounds that are used in healing and arresting pain because they are anti-inflammatory in nature. But, because aloe vera tooth gel tends to be less harsh on teeth, as it does not contain the abrasive elements typically found in commercial toothpaste, it is a great alternative for people with sensitive teeth or gums.
But buyers must beware. Not all aloe vera tooth gel contains the proper form of aloe vera. Products must contain the stabilized gel that is located in the center of the aloe vera plant in order to be effective. Products must also adhere to certain manufacturing standards. Dilip George, MDS, co-author of the study, explains that aloe "must not be treated with excessive heat or filtered during the manufacturing process, as this destroys or reduces the effects of certain essential compounds, such as enzymes and polysaccharides." Dr. George suggests that consumers consult non-profit associations such as the International Aloe Science Council to see what products have received the organization's seal of quality.
Although there are more than 300 species of the plant, only a few have been used for medicinal purposes. "Thankfully, consumers with sensitive teeth or gums have a number of choices when it comes to their oral health, and aloe vera is one of them," says AGD spokesperson Eric Shapria, MS, DDS, MAGD, MA. "If they are interested in a more alternative approach to oral hygiene, they should speak with their dentist to ensure that it meets the standards of organized dentistry, too."
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090717150300.htm

'Male sex chromosome on way to extinction'

Times of India 17 July 2009

WASHINGTON: The sex chromosome that only males carry is deteriorating and could disappear within a few million years. 

A pair of Penn State University (PSU) scientists discovered that the male Y chromosome evolved at a much more rapid pace than X chromosome, which both males and females carry. 

This rapid evolution of the Y chromosome has led to a dramatic loss of its genes at a rate that could eventually lead to its disappearance. 

The team includes Kateryna Makova, associate professor who led the research and National Science Foundation graduate research fellow Melissa Wilson. 

"There are three classes of mammals," said Makova. "Egg-laying mammals, like the platypus and the echidna; marsupials, like the opossum and the wallaby; and all other mammals -- called eutherians -- which include humans, dogs, mice, and giraffes. 

The X and Y chromosomes of marsupials and eutherians evolved from a pair of non-sex chromosomes to become sex chromosomes." 

Humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes, which are the structures that hold our DNA, but just one pair of these chromosomes are sex chromosomes. 

"In eutherian mammals, the sex chromosomes contain an additional region of DNA whereas, in the egg-laying mammals and marsupials, this additional region of DNA is located on the non-sex chromosomes," said Makova. 

"Today, the human Y chromosome contains less than 200 genes, while the human X chromosome contains around 1,100 genes," said Wilson. 

"We know that a few of the genes on the Y chromosome are important, such as the ones involved in the formation of sperm, but we also know that most of the genes were not important for survival because they were lost, which led to the very different numbers of genes we observe between the once-identical X and Y." 

Although some of the genes on the Y chromosome have been maintained, most of them have died, and the team found evidence that some others are on track to disappear as well. 

"Even though some of the genes appear to be important, we still think there is a chance that the Y chromosome eventually could disappear," said Makova, according to a PSU release. 

"If this happens, it won't be the end of males. Instead, a new pair of non-sex chromosomes likely will start on the path to becoming sex chromosomes." 

These findings were published in the Friday issue of PLoS Genetics. 

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/NEWS/Health-Science/Health/Male-sex-chromosome-on-way-to-extinction/articleshow/4790356.cms

Oxygen heals foot wounds in diabetics

Times of India, July 17, 2009

WASHINGTON: Scientists have claimed that oxygen treatment can help diabetics heal foot wounds and avoid lower limb amputation. 

Every 30 seconds a person somewhere in the world loses a lower limb to amputation due to diabetic foot disease. Now, an international team has found in their study that oxygen can heal the debilitating wounds that plague people with diabetes. 

In their study, the scientists have modelled the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), which is the intermittent exposure of the body to pure oxygen under pressure, to heal the chronic wounds that lead to the need for amputation. 

Jennifer Flegg of Queensland University of Technology, who led the team, said a small cut on the foot of a diabetic could have catastrophic effects because their wounds did not heal the same way as normal wounds.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/NEWS/Health-Science/Health/Oxygen-heals-foot-wounds-in-diabetics/articleshow/4788428.cms

From Headache to Jaundice: Sky-Blue Chicory Cures Liver Ailments
Melissa Sokulski, NaturalNews.com  July 17, 2009

(NaturalNews) This time of year beautiful sky-blue flowers are blooming all along city roadsides, fields and waste areas. Chances are, this gorgeous flower is chicory (Cichorium intybus), and not only is it edible, but it has a long tradition of medicinal use, especially to detoxify the liver.

Chicory is known for the fact that it's blue flowers open and close precisely the same time every day (1) As far back as the Roman empire chicory was used to treat liver ailments, and in the lands of Persia, Arabia and India physicians used it widely to clear heat in the body, to detoxify and to work as a laxative (2).

Similar to dandelion, the leaves can be eaten in early spring but get quite bitter once the plant flowers. The long taproots can be dug, dried and roasted to use as a coffee substitute, and in fact they are commonly used in that respect in commercial teas and coffee substitutes. The roots can also be dug and planted in a dark cellar, and the plant will grow small pale leaf heads: we know this vegetable as Belgian endive; it is the same species as roadside chicory (Cichorium intybus.)

Chicory root is used medicinally as a decoction (strong tea) or tincture (steeped in alcohol) to clear the liver. Eating the chicory leaves or Belgium endive is used to treat Liver fire: bursting headache, thirst, congested face and fever.

Chicory is used to treat all kinds of liver ailments, including jaundice, gall stones (and urinary stones), moodiness, depression, constipation, indigestion, headache and right side pain under the ribs. (3)

The milky sap of the chicory is used similarly to dandelion: to promote lactation in breastfeeding women.

Harvest the chicory root in the fall, when the plant stops flowering.