Tuesday, December 18, 2007

High Meat Consumption Linked to Heightened Cancer Risk

High Meat Consumption Linked to Heightened Cancer Risk on Yahoo! Health
2007.12.11
"... "This is the largest study to look at the effect of red and processed meat on multiple cancer sites, including rarer cancers, such as laryngeal and liver cancer."...For the study, red meats included beef, pork and lamb. Processed meats included bacon, red-meat sausage, poultry sausage, luncheon meats, cold cuts, ham, regular hot dogs and low-fat hot dogs...elevated risks for colorectal and lung cancer with high consumption of both meat types along with borderline higher risks for advanced prostate cancer. High red meat intake was also associated with increased risk of esophageal and liver and a borderline increased risk for laryngeal cancer. And high processed meat consumption also was associated with borderline increased risk for bladder cancer and myeloma, a kind of bone cancer. In addition, both red meat and processed meat consumption were associated with increased pancreatic cancer risk in men, but not women...Meats are a source of saturated fat and iron, both of which have been linked to cancer, and also the source of several compounds that are known to affect cell development, they added...Cooking at high temperatures might also contribute to cancer risk, Cross added."Heterocyclic amines and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are formed when meats are cooked well-done by high temperature cooking methods, such as barbecuing,"..."

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Lung cancer 'link to lack of sun'

Lung Cancer linked to lack of sun - BBC News
2007.12.18
"...Researchers found lung cancer rates were highest in countries furthest from the equator, where exposure to sunlight is lowest...It is thought vitamin D - generated by exposure to sunlight - can halt tumour growth by promoting the factors responsible for cell death in the body...vitamin D stimulated the release of chemicals which, in combination with calcium, formed a glue-like substance which bind these cells tightly together, and put a brake on their division...There was also evidence that vitamin D may also slow the progress of cancer once it develops..."

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Monday, December 17, 2007

Walking packs huge health punch

Walking packs a huge health punch - Yahoo! Health
2007.12.17
"...Befo
re exercising regularly, 41 percent of the study subjects met the criteria for metabolic syndrome. At the end of the 8-month exercise program, only 27 percent did...People in the study who exercised the least - walking 30 minutes 6 days a week or the equivalent of about 11 miles per week -- gained significant benefit, while those who exercised the most, jogging about 17 miles per week, gained slightly more benefit in terms of lowered metabolic syndrome scores...People who did a short period of very vigorous exercise didn't improve their metabolic syndrome scores as much as those who performed less intense exercise for a longer period, the researchers found...This suggests, they say, that there's more value in doing moderate intensity exercise every day rather than more intense activity just a few days a week..."


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Friday, December 14, 2007

Aging Gracefully Requires Taking Out The Trash

Aging Gracefully Requires Taking Out The Trash - ScienceDaily
2007.12.14
"Suppressing a cellular cleanup-mechanism known as autophagy can accelerate the accumulation of protein aggregates that leads to neural degeneration...Boosting autophagy in the nervous system of fruit flies prevented the age-dependent accumulation of cellular damage in neurons and promoted longevity..."suggests there is an age-dependent suppression of autophagy that may be a contributing factor for human neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer's disease"...The age-related accumulation of proteins and lipids damaged by chemically aggressive forms of oxygen is considered by most in the geriatrics field to be a normal part of the aging process. As a result in most age-associated diseases, such as Alzheimer's, damaged proteins accumulate in excessive amounts, which leads to progressive cell death in the brain...When the researchers kept the neuronal levels of Atg8a high, the genetically engineered flies were spared the ravages of time. Promoting the pathway not only prevented the accumulation of protein aggregates but also significantly extended the average lifespan. "Our experiments show for the first time genetically that autophagy can sequester and eliminate misfolded and damaged proteins, which accumulate in neurons as normal part of the aging process," says Simonsen...Insulin signaling and caloric restriction are two major determinants of longevity and they also impact the activity level of autophagy. Therefore, regulating autophagy, the pathway that directly does the cleanup work, may be the key factor in controlling the aging process..."By maintaining the expression of a rate-limiting autophagy gene in the aging nervous system there is a dramatic extension of lifespan and resistance to age-associated oxidative stress," says Finley."

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Friday, December 7, 2007

Extract of Rhodiola Found To Increase Lifespan of flies

Extract of Rhodiola Found To Increase Lifespan - Science Daily
Via QualityCounts
2007.12.05
"...Flies that ate a diet rich with Rhodiola rosea, an herbal supplement long used for its purported stress-relief effects, lived on an average of 10 percent longer than fly groups that didn’t eat the herb...“Although this study does not present clinical evidence that Rhodiola can extend human life, the finding that it does extend the lifespan of a model organism, combined with its known health benefits in humans, make this herb a promising candidate for further anti-aging research,” said Mahtab Jafari...the UC Irvine researchers fed adult fruit fly populations diets supplemented at different dose levels with four herbs known for their anti-aging properties. The herbs were mixed into a yeast paste, which adult flies ate for the duration of their lives. Three of the herbs – known by their Chinese names as Lu Duo Wei, Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang and San Zhi Pian – had no effect on fruit fly longevity, while Rhodiola was found to significantly reduce mortality. On average, Rhodiola increased survival 3.5 days in males and 3.2 days in females...Jafari said she is evaluating the molecular mechanism of Rhodiola by measuring its impact on energy metabolism, oxidative stress and anti-oxidant defenses in fruit flies. She is also beginning studies in mice and in mouse and human cell cultures. These latter studies should help understand the benefits of Rhodiola seen in human trials..."


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Common Household Chemical BBP Could Raise Breast Cancer Risk

Common Household Chemical Could Raise Breast Cancer Risk - Yahoo Health
2007.12.06
"A chemical found in many plastic products used in households caused accelerated breast development and genetic changes in newborn female lab rats, a condition that might predispose the animals to breast cancer later in life...Butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP) is commonly used to soften polymers and plastics. It's found in everything from plastic pipes, vinyl floor tiles and carpet backing to lipstick. BBP has also been found to be an endocrine disruptor, which mimics the effect of hormones. Endocrine disruptors are known to damage wildlife and have also been implicated in reduced sperm counts and neurological problems in humans..."Our study is the first one demonstrating that exposure to this compound (BBP) soon after birth results in alterations in the expression of genes present in the mammary gland," said lead researcher Dr. Jose Russo... in March, a study published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives suggested that exposure to phthalates could be fueling the obesity epidemic by contributing to abdominal obesity and insulin resistance in men."

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Exercise pill hope for depression

Exercise pill hope for depression - BBC News
2007.12.05
"While the link between exercise and improved mood is well known, the reasons behind it are not fully understood. The latest research focuses on an area of the brain called the hippocampus, which is already established as a target for antidepressant drugs. The team developed a test to see which genes in this region were made more active during exercise, and highlighted one called VGF. This gene is linked to a "growth factor" chemical involved in the development of nerve cells. This fitted with their theory that, for depression to lift, changes in the actual structure and links between brain cells are needed, not just changes in the chemicals surrounding the cells. The next step was to make a version of that chemical, and to test it on mice, where it showed an effect on their behaviour that roughly equated to antidepressant effects in humans. The researchers believe that a drug based on VGF could offer "possibly even superior efficacy" to current antidepressants. Marcus Roberts, Head of Policy at Mind, said that, currently, the use of exercise as a treatment for mental health problems should be recommended by doctors."Mind has long recommended physical exercise as a way of improving mental wellbeing, and many people who experience mental distress have told us that exercise has hugely benefited their mental health. "Our own research has shown that outdoor exercise can decrease feelings of depression and increase self-esteem by inspiring a sense of achievement - the evidence is growing that this should be treated as a clinically valid treatment." "

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Honey beats medicine at curing coughs

Honey beats medicine at curing coughs - NutraIngredients.com
2007.12.05
"New research from the US suggests that naturally occurring honey may ease coughs and respiratory illnesses in children more effectively than over the counter medicines...scientists from the Penn State College of Medicine researchers asked parents to give either honey, honey flavoured dextromethorphan (DM), or no treatment to 105 children, between the ages of 2 and 18 children, all suffering from nocturnal coughs...Based on parental "symptom points", children treated with honey improved by an average of 10.71 points compared with 8.39 points for DM-treated children and 6.41 points for those who were not treated..."

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B vitamins vital before conception

B vitamins vital before conception - NutraIngredients.com
2007.12.06
"The importance of B vitamins, particularly folate, in foetal development is well established. The new study expands our understanding of the potential of pre-conception diets to influence the health of offspring...."The data provide the first evidence that clinically relevant reductions in specific dietary inputs to the methionine/folate cycles during the periconceptional period can lead to widespread epigenetic alterations to DNA methylation in offspring, and modify adult health-related phenotypes," wrote lead author Kevin Sinclair...The authors explain that DNA methylation is key to the maintenance of gene silencing. The process relies on a dietary supply of methyl groups, as provided by B vitamins."

The study was on sheep, but plenty of studies show a similar effect in a variety of mammals including humans.

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Folate may reduce depression symptoms for men, says study

Folate may reduce depression symptoms for men, says study - NutraIngredients.com
2007.12.07
"Increased intake of folate may reduce the incidence of depression amongst by 50 per cent, suggests a new study of over 500 Japanese subjects.The benefits were not extended to women...The research adds to a growing body of research linking folate and folic acid intake to improved mood, and follows a review by scientists at the University of York and Hull York Medical School of 11 studies and involving 15,315 participants that reported low folate levels were linked to increased depression ...male subjects with the highest average intake (235 micrograms per 100 kcal) were 50 per cent less likely to have depressive symptoms than men with the lowest average intake (119 micrograms per 100 kcal)...No statistically significant links were reported between depressive symptoms and intakes of riboflavin, pyridoxine, cobalamin, and all or individual omega-3 fatty acids, for either sex..."

Although keep in mind that folic acid has been linked to an increase in cancer. Key quote - "Exposure to high intakes of folic acid in early life and young adulthood may provide life-long protection from the tendency for cancer formation in different organs, such as the large intestines, whereas such exposures later in life, when cell damage has occurred, can spur on the advance of the tumor."

So what's the answer? Eat the natural form - folate, in your diet, and skip the supplement Folic acid. "Folic acid is a synthetic form of folate, a B vitamin found in a wide variety of foods including liver and green leafy vegetables. Folates are metabolised in the gut, whereas in a paper to be published in the British Journal of Nutrition in October IFR scientists suggest that folic acid is metabolised in the liver. The liver is an easily saturated system, and fortification could lead to significant unmetabolised folic acid entering the blood stream, with the potential to cause a number of health problems."

NIH info sheet on Folate

"Selected Food Sources of Folate and Folic Acid [5]
FoodMicrograms (μg)% DV^
*Breakfast cereals fortified with 100% of the DV, ¾ cup 400100
Beef liver, cooked, braised, 3 ounces18545
Cowpeas (blackeyes), immature, cooked, boiled, ½ cup10525
*Breakfast cereals, fortified with 25% of the DV, ¾ cup10025
Spinach, frozen, cooked, boiled, ½ cup10025
Great Northern beans, boiled, ½ cup9020
Asparagus, boiled, 4 spears8520
*Rice, white, long-grain, parboiled, enriched, cooked, ½ cup 6515
Vegetarian baked beans, canned, 1 cup6015
Spinach, raw, 1 cup6015
Green peas, frozen, boiled, ½ cup 5015
Broccoli, chopped, frozen, cooked, ½ cup 5015
*Egg noodles, cooked, enriched, ½ cup 5015
Broccoli, raw, 2 spears (each 5 inches long)4510
Avocado, raw, all varieties, sliced, ½ cup sliced4510
Peanuts, all types, dry roasted, 1 ounce4010
Lettuce, Romaine, shredded, ½ cup 4010
Wheat germ, crude, 2 Tablespoons4010
Tomato Juice, canned, 6 ounces3510
Orange juice, chilled, includes concentrate, ¾ cup3510
Turnip greens, frozen, cooked, boiled, ½ cup308
Orange, all commercial varieties, fresh, 1 small308
*Bread, white, 1 slice 256
*Bread, whole wheat, 1 slice 256
Egg, whole, raw, fresh, 1 large256
Cantaloupe, raw, ¼ medium256
Papaya, raw, ½ cup cubes 256
Banana, raw, 1 medium206
"

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Green tea may protect against colon cancer

Green tea may protect against colon cancer - Yahoo! News
2007.12.07
"...a standardized green tea polyphenol preparation (Polyphenon E) limits the growth of colorectal tumors in rats treated with a substance that causes the cancer..."Our findings show that rats fed a diet containing Polyphenon E are less than half as likely to develop colon cancer," Dr. Hang Xiao...The amount of Polyphenon the animals took in was roughly equal to about four to six cups of green tea per day...Polyphenon E decreased the total number of tumors per rat and decreased tumor size, compared with control rats that were not given Polyphenon E..."In the control group," he said, "67 percent of rats developed malignant tumors while in the treated group only 27 percent of rats had malignant tumors. Most important, tea polyphenols decreased the number of malignant tumors per rat by 80 percent compared to the control group."..."

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Studies show how fruits and veggies reduce cancer

Studies show how fruits and veggies reduce cancer - Yahoo! News
2007.12.07
"Just three servings a month of raw broccoli or cabbage can reduce the risk of bladder cancer by as much as 40 percent...These foods are rich in compounds called isothiocyanates, which are known to lower cancer risk..."Cooking can reduce 60 to 90 percent of ITCs, (isothiocyanates)," Dr. Li Tang...A second team of researchers from Roswell Park tested broccoli sprouts in rats.They used rats engineered to develop bladder cancer and fed some of them a freeze-dried extract of broccoli sprouts. The more they ate, the less likely they were to develop bladder cancer, said Dr. Yuesheng Zhang"...In a third study, a team at The Ohio State University fed black raspberries to patients with Barrett's esophagus, a condition that can lead to esophageal cancer...Ohio State's Laura Kresty and colleagues fed 1.1 ounces (32 grams) of freeze-dried black raspberries to women with Barrett's esophagus and 1.6 ounces (45 grams) to men every day for six months...They measured urine levels of levels of two compounds -- 8-isoprostane and GSTpi -- that indicate whether cancer-causing processes are going on in the body...Kresty said 58 percent of patients had marked declines of 8-isoprostane levels, suggesting less damage, and 37 percent had higher levels of GSTpi, which can help interfere with cancer causing damage and which is usually low in patients with Barrett's."


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Tuesday, December 4, 2007

Fitness level is predictor of longevity

Fitness Level, Not Body Fat, May Be Stronger Predictor Of Longevity For Older Adults ScienceDaily
2007.12.05
"Adults over age 60 who had higher levels of cardiorespiratory fitness lived longer than unfit adults, independent of their levels of body fat... Fit participants had lower death rates than unfit participants within each stratum of adiposity, except for two of the obesity groups. In most instances, death rates for those with higher fitness were less than half of rates for those who were unfit..."Our data provide further evidence regarding the complex long-term relationship among fitness, body size, and survival. It may be possible to reduce all-cause death rates among older adults, including those who are obese, by promoting regular physical activity, such as brisk walking for 30 minutes or more on most days of the week (about 8 kcal/kg per week), which will keep most individuals out of the low-fitness category. Enhancing functional capacity also should allow older adults to achieve a healthy lifestyle and to enjoy longer life in better health.""

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Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Molecular Map Helps Illuminate Why Mice Only Live For Two Years

Molecular Map Helps Illuminate Why Mice Only Live For Two Years - ScienceDaily
2007.11.28
"Researchers at the National Institute of Aging and Stanford University have used gene arrays to identify genes whose activity changes with age in 16 different mouse tissues. The study uses a newly available database called AGEMAP to document the process of aging in mice at the molecular level. The work describes how aging affects different tissues in mice, and ultimately could help explain why lifespan is limited to just two years in mice...Previous studies have studied gene expression changes during aging in just one tissue. The new work stands out because it is much larger and more complete, including aging data for 16 different tissues and containing over 5.5 million expression measurements...One noteworthy result is that some tissues (such as the thymus, eyes and lung) show large changes in which genes are active in old age whereas other tissues (such as liver and cerebrum) show little or none, suggesting that different tissues may degenerate to different degrees in old mice...Another insight is that there are three distinct patterns of aging, and that tissues can be grouped according to which aging pathway they take. This result indicates that there are three different clocks for aging that may or may not change synchronously, and that an old animal may be a mixture of tissues affected by each of the different aging clocks...Finally, the report compares aging in mice to aging in humans. Several aging pathways were found to be the same, and these could be interesting because they are relevant to human aging and can also be scientifically studied in mice."


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Cancer-resistant Mouse Developed By Adding Tumor-suppressor Gene

Cancer-resistant Mouse Developed By Adding Tumor-suppressor Gene - ScienceDaily
2007.11.28
"...The researchers discovered that the Par-4 gene kills cancer cells, but not normal cells. There are very few molecules that specifically fight against cancer cells, giving it a potentially therapeutic application...Rangnekar's study is unique in that mice born with this gene are not developing tumors. The mice grow normally and have no defects. In fact, the mice possessing Par-4 actually live a few months longer than the control animals, indicating that they have no toxic side effects...The implications for humans could be that through bone marrow transplantation, the Par-4 molecule could potentially be used to fight cancer cells in patients without the toxic and damaging side effects of chemotherapy and radiation therapy..."

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Monday, November 26, 2007

Data On Food Antioxidants Aid Research

Data On Food Antioxidants Aid Research - ScienceDaily
2007.11.26
"Measures of the antioxidant capacities of 277 selected foods were released today by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists. The new database provides easy access to antioxidant values for a wide variety of foods, many of which may be excellent sources of healthful compounds...Many of the fruits, nuts, vegetables and spices listed were analyzed for their Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity, known as ORAC...."

ARS link to the report here.

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Omega-3 Fatty Acids Protect Against Parkinson's

Omega-3 Fatty Acids Protect Against Parkinson's, Study Says - ScienceDaily
2007.11.26
"...Analyses revealed that omega-3 fatty acids--in particular DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), a specific type of omega-3--had replaced the omega-6 fatty acids already present in the brains of the mice that had been given omega-3 supplementation..."This demonstrates both the importance of diet on the brain's fatty acid composition and the brain's natural inclination for omega-3 fatty acids," observes Calon. Since concentrations of other types of omega-3's had remained similar in both groups of mice, researchers suggest that the protective effect against Parkinson's comes essentially from DHA...Another conclusion to be drawn from this finding is that a brain containing a lot of omega-6 fatty acids may be a fertile ground for Parkinson's disease. These fatty acids, abundant in foods rich in either vegetable oil or animal fat, are already under suspicion for their role in the body's inflammatory response, cardiac disease, arthritis, and Alzheimer's. In a balanced diet, the ratio between omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids should be 4 to 1. However, the average Western diet contains 10 to 20 times more omega-6's than omega-3's..."In North America, the average intake of DHA is between 60 to 80 mg a day, while experts recommend a daily minimum of 250 mg,"..."

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Low B12 tied to faster mental decline with age

Low B12 tied to faster mental decline with age - Yahoo! News
2007.11.26
"...Among a group of men and women aged 65 and older, those whose levels of two B12 activity markers indicated higher blood levels of the vitamin had a slower drop-off in cognitive function over 10 years than their peers...The researchers checked levels of the biologically active portion of vitamin B12, holotranscobalamin, as well as methylmalonic acid, a marker for B12 function. Testing for B12 itself has a "poor predictive value," they note...doubling a person's vitamin B12 levels by taking oral supplements could slow cognitive decline by one third..."

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Thursday, November 22, 2007

Fat Hormone May Contribute To Longevity

Fat Hormone May Contribute To Longevity - ScienceDaily
Via QualityCounts
2007.11.21
"Both humans and mice that manage to live to a ripe, old age show a clear change in their glucose metabolism...long-lived Snell dwarf mice burn less glucose and more fatty acids during periods of fasting, and as a result produce fewer free radicals...The key to this switch may be adiponectin, a hormone produced by fat cells that helps lower glucose production and stimulates cells to use fat for energy instead. The researchers found that Snell mice had three times as much adiponectin in their blood as control mice; Snell mice also had fewer triglycerides in their cells, indicative of higher fat metabolism...The benefit of burning fats instead of glucose for energy is that it produces fewer oxygen radicals which can damage cells and exacerbate the effects of aging. Confirming this, Combs and colleagues found far less free radical damage, measured as the frequency of a chemical modification on protein known as carbonyl groups, in Snell mice than controls..."

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Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Pine bark extract shows arthritis benefits

Pine bark extract shows arthritis benefits - NutraIngredients.com
2007.11.20
"Extracts from French maritime pine bark may reduce the pain and stiffness associated with arthritis of the knee by about 40 per cent...Moreover, the randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving 37 patients with osteoarthritis and using the pine bark extract, Pycnogenol, indicated an improvement in physical function of 52 per cent...after 90 days of Pycnogenol supplementation the WOMAC scores for self-reported pain, stiffness, and physical function were reduced by 43, 35, and 52, respectively...Watson and co-workers do propose that the beneficial effect of the pine bark extract might be due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties..."

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Worm study shows antidepressant may lengthen life

Worm study shows antidepressant may lengthen life - Yahoo! News
2007.11.21
"An antidepressant may help worms live longer by tricking the brain into thinking the body is starving...The drug, called mianserin, extended the life span of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans by about 30 percent...Buck's team did a random search through 88,000 different drug compounds to see if any of them happened to make C. elegans live longer....Three other compounds, including another antidepressant, have similar effects, said Michael Petrascheck..."Weight gain and increased appetite seems to be one of the side effects. It is one of the reasons these are not such popular antidepressants,"...The drug with the strongest effect was mianserin, in a class of drugs known as tetracyclic antidepressants...The drug is used in Europe under several brand names, including Bolvidon, Norval and Tolvon but not usually in the United States. It can cause aplastic anemia and other effects on immune system cells...Buck's team found that in addition to interfering with serotonin in the worm, it also blocked receptors for another neurotransmitter, octopamine...They said some other research suggests that serotonin and octopamine may complement one another -- with serotonin signaling the presence of food and octopamine signaling starvation...Buck said it is possible that mianserin drug tips the balance in the direction of octopamine, tricking the brain into thinking it has been starved...Petrascheck said another antidepressant, mirtazapine, had similar effects. An antihistamine and migraine drug called cyproheptadine, as well as a compound not used in people called methiothepin also affected serotonin and extended worm life span...They tested other popular antidepressants that affect serotonin and found they did not make the worms live longer.He is worried that people will rush to take the drugs in the hope of living longer."It is a stretch from a worm to a human being," Petrascheck said."

Here's a question. Say you take mianserin and become obese. Do you still live a longer life? Or does the obesity and all the negative effects of that cancel out the potential life extension of the drug? Did the worms become obese? Gain weight?

By the way this is the first wire service article I've ever seen where c. elegans got more than an initial for its first name - Caenorhabditis elegans. Bravo Maggie Fox of Reuters! Although I understand the need for abbreviations in journalism especially with science articles, it's nice once in a while for science writers to spell it out.

88,000 drug compounds! That is one hard working lab. I find it a bit depressing that with all those compounds, the best of the best can only muster 30% life extension in a worm. Oh well, let's hope it's a jumping off point.

And for those who are dying to know more about the red headed step child of neurotransmitters, octopamine, here's more at Wiki.


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Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Even Very Low Levels Of Lead Cause Brain Damage In Children

Even Very Low Levels Of Lead Cause Brain Damage In Children - ScienceDaily
2007.11.21
"...amounts well below the current federal standard -- are associated with reduced IQ scores..."We found that the average IQ scores of children with BLLs of only 5 to 10 mcg/dl were about 5 points lower than the IQ scores of children with BLLs less than 5 mcg/dl. This indicates an adverse effect on children who have a BLL substantially below the CDC standard, suggesting the need for more stringent regulations,"...According to the CDC, about one out of every 50 children in the United States between ages 1 and 5 has a BLL above 10 mcg/dl and about 10 percent of children have BLLs of 5 mcg/dl or higher; about 25 percent of U.S. homes with children under age 6 have a lead-based paint hazard..."The bottom line," according to Canfield, "is that lead is a persistent neurotoxin that causes brain damage. The fact that lead has been found in millions of toys, even toys specifically designed for children to put into their mouths, presents an unacceptable risk. Our findings suggest the need to re-evaluate the current federal standards for lead in consumer products and the current definition of an elevated BLL in children."..."

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Monday, November 19, 2007

Next generation antioxidant test puts blueberry at number one

Next generation antioxidant test puts blueberry at number one - NutraIngredients.com
2007.11.19
"A new study using the cellular antioxidant activity (CAA) assay, dubbed the 'next step' in quantifying antioxidant activity, has added to reports of blueberry's antioxidant prowess...The test moves the quantification of antioxidant activity from the test tube to measuring bioactivity inside cells, and marks an advance in the understanding and activity of antioxidants... blueberry topped the CAA rankings, followed by cranberry, apple, red grape, and finally green grape...A test of select phytochemicals, the researchers reported that quercetin had the highest CAA value, followed by kaempferol, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), myricetin, and luteolin, respectively..."The CAA assay is a more biologically relevant method than the popular chemistry antioxidant activity assays because it accounts for some aspects of uptake, metabolism, and location of antioxidant compounds within cells," wrote Wolfe and Liu...Previously, the antioxidant activity of selected compounds has been measured using a range of lab-based assays, including the ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) assay, the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) and Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC)..."How useful the assay will be in predicting in vivo uptake and availability of dietary antioxidants remains to be determined with further research."... "

But why might all these tests be mostly useless? Because an increase in dietary antioxidants can sometimes come at the cost of a decrease in endogenous antioxidants. The end result? You age faster. Seems contradictory right? Not if you factor in the innate feedback system within mammals. What we need to understand is which antioxidants also come with the added chemistry to fight cancer, diabetes, heart disease, stroke and so on. Cocoa is not capable of doing so many wonderful things to our health merely because it fights free radicals. Instead it regulates nitric oxide, amongst other things. Take away that and other physiologic changes that chocolate causes, and keep its antioxidant ability and there's little to get excited about. I hope researchers in the field of antioxidant research begin to develop a more comprehensive view of antioxidants, rather than just look at free radicals and the ability to prevent the damage from them via diet. Turmeric and cocoa are prime candidates to explore the more complex nature of antioxidants - that they can fundamentally alter a variety of processes in mammalian physiology that can have dramatic effects on health and longevity.

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Significant Anti-cancer Effect Of Milk Thistle

Scientific Evidence Of The Significant Anti-cancer Effect Of Milk Thistle - ScienceDaily
2007.11.15
"...scientists demonstrated the anti-cancer effects of silibinin, a major biologically active compound of milk thistle. Being widely used as a folk remedy for liver diseases, milk thistle is safe and well-tolerated, and it protects the liver from drug or alcohol-related injury. Silibinin is highly purified from milk thistle...

The researchers found that silibilin can significantly reduce the growth of several human hepatoma cell lines. In addition, they demonstrated that silibinin mediates anti-liver cancer effects by:

  1. reduced cancer cell proliferation and cell cycle progression;
  2. enhanced programmed death of cancer cells; and
  3. altered chromatin structure of the cancer cells.

Their research results indicate that silibinin can be used to prevent the development of liver cancer, one of the most common cancers worldwide. The results have also opened our minds to the possibility of testing other herbal supplements for possible treatment of human cancers..."

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Vitamin D may curb type 2 diabetes

Vitamin D may curb type 2 diabetes risk - Yahoo! News
2007.11.19
"...17-year follow-up of roughly 4,000 men and women, researchers found that individuals with higher blood levels of vitamin D had a 40 percent lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes than those with lower levels of this vitamin..."

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Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Vitamin D may slow aging


Vitamin D 'may help slow ageing' BBC News
2007.11.08
"A King's College London study of more than 2,000 women found those with higher vitamin D levels showed fewer ageing-related changes in their DNA...after adjusting the results for the age of the volunteer, women with higher levels of vitamin D were more likely to have longer telomeres in these cells, and vice versa...Professor Brent Richards, who led the study, said: "These results are exciting because they demonstrate for the first time that people who have higher levels of vitamin D may age more slowly than people with lower levels of vitamin D..."This could help to explain how vitamin D has a protective effect on many ageing-related diseases, such as heart disease and cancer"...Another of the study's authors, Professor Tim Spector, said: "Although it might sound absurd, it's possible that the same sunshine which may increase our risk of skin cancer may also have a healthy effect on the ageing process in general"...it was possible that vitamin D might not be delaying the shortening of telomeres, but that another factor which did this might alter the way the vitamin was created and metabolised by the body"


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Tuesday, November 6, 2007

High-fat Atkins diet damages blood vessels

High-fat Atkins diet damages blood vessels: study on Yahoo! News
2007.11.06
" The high-fat Atkins diet can cause long-term damage to blood vessels, as well as some of the inflammation linked with heart and artery disease...In contrast, low-fat regimens such as the South Beach and Ornish diets lowered cholesterol and appeared to benefit artery function, they said...."It really is the Atkins diet that is the worst," Dr. Michael Miller, director of preventive cardiology at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore, said in a telephone interview..."The Atkins diet caused the LDL levels to go up by about 7 percent, whereas in the Ornish and South Beach diets ... they went down 7 to 10 percent."..."


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Dark Chocolate Fights Heart Woes

Dark Chocolate Fights Heart Woes - WebMD
2007.11.05
"A Japanese study suggests that dark chocolate can improve blood flow to heart muscle. That'€™s important because improved coronary blood flow mitigates the risk of chronic chest pain, or angina, and heart attacks, says Yumi Shiina...Shiina credits flavonoids, a group of antioxidant compounds also found in red wine, tea, and fruits and vegetables, with dark chocolates healthy effects...The study involved 39 healthy men who ate a 1.4-ounce candy bar of either dark chocolate or white chocolate daily for two weeks...After two weeks, coronary circulation significantly improved in participants who ate dark chocolate...Cacao polyphenol contains four times as many disease-fighting flavonoids per serving than red wine or tea..."

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Monday, November 5, 2007

Breast-feeding linked to heart-health benefits

Breast-feeding linked to heart-health benefits - Yahoo! News
2007.11.05
"The list of health benefits to children who were breast-fed as babies is growing, with research unveiled on Monday showing they are more likely as adults to have higher levels of "good" cholesterol...Numerous studies have shown babies whose mothers breast-fed them enjoy health advantages over formula-fed babies. These include fewer ear, stomach or intestinal infections, digestive problems, skin diseases and allergies, and less likelihood of developing high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity...breast-fed babies are better off in two important heart disease risk factors as adults than bottle-fed babies -- levels of "good" HDL cholesterol and body mass index...Those who were breast-fed were 55 percent more likely to have high average levels of high-density lipoprotein, or HDL, cholesterol in adulthood than low levels..."The results are intriguing in that they point to this concept that early nutrition or early environmental exposures may affect long-term health," Parikh said ..."

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Breastfeeding Boost IQ In Infants With 'Helpful' Genetic Variant

Breastfeeding Boost IQ In Infants With 'Helpful' Genetic Variant - ScienceDaily
2007.11.06
"...in two studies of breast-fed infants involving more than 3,000 children in Britain and New Zealand, breastfeeding was found to raise intelligence an average of nearly 7 IQ points if the children had a particular version of a gene called FADS2..."It is this genetic variant in FADS2, a gene involved in the control of fatty acid pathways, that may help the children make better use of the breast milk and promote the brain development that is associated with a higher IQ score," said Julia Kim-Cohen, assistant professor of psychology at Yale..."Children who do not carry the 'helpful' genetic variant have normal average IQ scores," Kim-Cohen said. "Being breastfed for them is not associated with an IQ advantage."...Ninety percent of the children in the two study groups had at least one copy of the "C" version of FADS2, which yielded higher IQ if they were breast-fed. The other 10 percent, with only the "G" versions of the gene, showed no IQ advantage or disadvantage from breastfeeding...The gene was singled out for the researchers' attention because it produces an enzyme that helps convert dietary fatty acids into the polyunsaturated fatty acids DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and AA (arachidonic acid) that have been shown to accumulate in the human brain during the first months after birth...laboratory studies in which rodents and primates were fed supplemental fatty acids have shown increased brain DHA concentrations and enhanced abilities in tests of learning, memory and problem-solving..."Our findings support the idea that the nutritional content of breast milk accounts for the differences seen in human IQ," Moffitt said. "But it's not a simple all-or-none connection: it depends to some extent on the genetic makeup of each infant."..."

Gene explains why breast-feeding makes kids smarter - Yahoo! News
2007.11.05
"...researchers ruled out alternate explanations, saying the effect of FADS2 applied equally to babies with normal and low birth weight. The effect was also the same no matter the mother's social class or IQ...The team also tested the mothers' DNA and concluded that the FADS2 gene did not somehow alter the quality of breast milk..."We took cells from the children and then analyzed DNA and then we compared how they scored on IQ tests and looked up if they were breast-fed as babies," Moffitt said in a telephone interview. "It was very straightforward."..."

The greatest boost to IQ and memory seems to come from prenatal choline supplementation. "
"Taking a nutrient called choline during pregnancy could "super-charge" children's brains for life"

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aspirin, ibuprofen can reduce the risk of Parkinson's

Headache, arthritis pills reduce Parkinson's risk - Yahoo! News
2007.11.05
"...Women who took aspirin regularly lowered their risk of Parkinson's disease by nearly 40 percent, Wahner and colleagues reported in the journal Neurology..."Interestingly, aspirin only benefited women. It may be that men are taking lower doses of aspirin for heart problems, while women may be using higher doses for arthritis or headache," Wahner said...Epidemiologist Beate Ritz, who also worked on the study, said the drugs may prevent damaging inflammation in the brain..."

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Thursday, November 1, 2007

Genetically Engineer Mice That Outrun and Outlive Ordinary Mice

Gene Tweak Makes for Mighty Mice - WebMD
2007.11.01
"Scientists at Case Western Reserve University have genetically engineered mice that outrun, outlive, and out-eat ordinary mice while staying lean, light, and fertile well into old age...Chalk it up to a change in a single gene...That genetic tweak boosted levels of an enzyme called PEPCK-C in the mice's skeletal muscles, knocking mice's muscle metabolism into orbit...The mighty mice were seven times more active than normal mice. They showed unusually high levels of activity in their cages from the time they were 2 weeks old...One treadmill test began at a leisurely pace. The researchers raised the treadmill's incline and speed every two minutes until the mice were exhausted and couldn't run for 10 seconds...The genetically engineered mice ran for 32 minutes, while the ordinary mice pooped out at 19 minutes...The genetically engineered mice ate 60% more than the ordinary mice, but they were lean and light, weighing half of what normal mice weigh with 90% less body fat...A major unanswered question, Hanson's team notes, is what brain changes accompany the genetically engineered mice's hyped-up activity."

Research on PEPCK-C showing that fasting can induce its expression.

Research on "mighty mice"

Genetically Engineered 'Mighty Mouse' Can Run 6 Kilometers Without Stopping - ScienceDaily
Mentions that the mice were "markedly more aggressive". Rather important part of the story not getting much press.

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Clam, 405, is oldest animal ever

Clam, 405, is oldest animal ever - Telegraph
Via FightAging
2007.10.31
"...So significant is the find that Help The Aged have awarded a £40,000 grant to the team to investigate how the molusc, born when Queen Elizabeth I was on the throne and William Shakespeare was writing The Merry Wives of Windsor, has survived over the centuries...The record-breaking shellfish, 31 years older than the previous oldest animal, another clam, was caught last year when scientists from the Bangor University School of Ocean Sciences were dredging the seabed north of Iceland..."We need to find out how it retains muscle strength, remains cancer-free and keeps its nervous system intact over such a long period of time"...

According to the Guinness Book of Records, the existing record for the longest-lived animal belongs to a 220 year old Arctica clam collected in 1982 from American waters.

Unofficially, the record belongs to a 374 year old Icelandic clam in a German museum.

  • The oldest ever...
  • Tree, bristlecone pine: USA: 4,844 (years)

    Fish, lake sturgeon: 154

    Mammal: bowhead whale: 130

    Human: Jeanne Calment: 122

    Macaw: 106

    Elephant: 78

    Horse: 62

    Japanese salamander: 55

    Herring gull: 49

    Bat: 32

    Dog: 24

    Rabbit: 18"

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    Zinc Helps Elderly Ward Off Pneumonia

    Zinc Helps Elderly Ward Off Pneumonia on Yahoo! Health
    2007.10.29
    "...those with normal blood zinc concentrations were about 50 percent less likely to develop pneumonia than those with low concentrations..."Not only did (people with lower zinc concentrations) have a higher risk of developing pneumonia, when they did become sick, they did not recover as quickly and required a longer course of antibiotics..."

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    Wednesday, October 31, 2007

    Pre-pregnancy weight linked with child's weight

    Pre-pregnancy weight linked with child's weight - Yahoo! News
    2007.10.31
    "The amount of body fat a child accumulates over time may be related to their mother's body mass index prior to and during pregnancy..."

    More epigenetics?

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    Folic Acid Warning - cancer tie?

    Folic acid fortification warning - BBC News
    2007.10.30
    "...The latest study follows a letter to the Food Standards Agency from Sir Liam Donaldson, the Chief Medical Officer of England, requesting further expert consideration of two recent studies linking folic acid to bowel cancer ...Folic acid is a synthetic form of folate, a B vitamin found in a wide variety of foods including liver and green leafy vegetables...But while folates are broken down in the gut, the latest research shows that folic acid is metabolised in the liver... "With doses of half the amount being proposed for fortification in the UK, the liver becomes saturated and unmetabolised folic acid floats around the blood stream..."This can cause problems for people being treated for leukaemia and arthritis, women being treated for ectopic pregnancies, men with a family history of bowel cancer, people with blocked arteries being treated with a stent and elderly people with poor vitamin B status...

    It has already been shown that folic acid fortification can cause harm to some people.

    For example, studies have confirmed that unmetabolised folic acid accelerates cognitive decline in the elderly with low levels of vitamin B12.

    Similarly, dietary folates have a protective effect against cancer, but folic acid supplementation may increase the incidence of bowel cancer.

    It may also increase the incidence of breast cancer in postmenopausal women.

    However, since the 1980s a consensus formed that folic acid is metabolised in the small intestine in a similar way to naturally-occuring folates.

    Dr Astley said: "We challenge the underlying scientific premise behind this consensus.

    "This has important implications for the use of folic acid in fortification, because even at low doses it could lead to over consumption of folic acid with its inherent risks.""

    Well, this isn't the usual Folic hip hip hooray crowd is it. Time to find out whether folic acid is metabolized in the small intestine or not. More research now please.

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    Extra Weight = Extra Cancer Risk

    Extra Weight = Extra Cancer Risk - WebMD
    2007.10.31
    "..."The message is absolutely clear as a bell: The relation of cancer to obesity is so robust, it is going to rank close to the smoking problem in America pretty soon."...researchers working on the project reviewed every published study on weight and cancer to come up with the 7,000 studies on which they base their conclusions and recommendations...the panel came up with 10 recommendations for cutting cancer risk:
    1. Be as lean as possible within the normal range of body weight. Not everyone can become lean, but everyone can stop gaining weight. "Don't put an inch on your waistline or a pound on the scale," James says.
    2. Be physically active as part of everyday life. Get at least 30 minutes of moderate activity, such as brisk walking, every day. And cut back on couch-potato activities such as watching television.
    3. Eat fewer energy-dense foods. Avoid sugary drinks. Cut way back on fast food -- avoid it if possible.
    4. Eat mostly foods of plant origin -- at least five portions (14 ounces) of various nonstarchy vegetables and fruits every day. Eat unprocessed grains and/or legumes (beans) with every meal. Limit refined starchy foods.
    5. Limit intake of red meat -- beef, lamb, and pork -- to less than 18 ounces a week. Avoid smoked, cured, or salted meats.
    6. Limit alcoholic drinks. Zero alcohol is best for cancer prevention. But as moderate alcohol has heart benefits, limit intake to no more than two drinks a day for men and one drink a day for women.
    7. Limit sodium consumption to 2.4 grams per day. Avoid salty foods. And watch out for imported foods that may be made from moldy grains -- they contain cancer-causing aflatoxins.
    8. Dietary supplements are not recommended for cancer prevention. "We looked at this issue in great detail," James says. "The current evidence that the use of supplements can lower cancer rates is explicitly not there."
    9. Breastfeeding protects both the mother and the child against cancer. Aim to breastfeed infants exclusively up to age 6 months, and supplement baby food with breastfeeding thereafter.
    10. Cancer survivors should receive nutritional care from a qualified professional. The recommendations for diet, healthy weight, and physical activity are particularly important for cancer survivors."
    At Least Half Of Population Will Be Obese By 2032, Report Predicts

    Genetics Has Key Role In Obesity

    Common Virus May Contribute To Obesity In Some People

    Viral Infections May Be Linked To Obesity

    Red Pepper: Hot Stuff For Fighting Fat?

    Red pepper capsaicin fights cancer


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    Lithium Dramatically Increases Lifespan In Worms

    Drug Commonly Used To Treat Bipolar Disorder Dramatically Increases Lifespan In Worms - ScienceDaily
    Via QualityCounts
    2007.10.31
    "Nematode worms treated with lithium show a 46 percent increase in lifespan, raising the tantalizing question of whether humans taking the mood affecting drug are also taking an anti-aging medication...In the study, scientists discovered that longevity was increased in the worms when the lithium "turned down" the activity of a gene that modulates the basic structure of chromosomes. Results of the Buck Institute study, led by faculty member Gordon J. Lithgow, PhD..."

    Lithium Builds Gray Matter In Bipolar Brains

    Lithium And Bone Healing

    High Doses Of Lithium-like Drugs May Impair Neuronal Function

    Lithium Shows Promise Against Alzheimer’s In Mouse Model

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    Tuesday, October 30, 2007

    Boiled Peanuts Pack Big Antioxidant Punch

    Boiled Peanuts Pack Big Antioxidant Punch - ScienceDaily
    2007.10.29
    "...Studies have shown that peanuts contain powerful antioxidants called isoflavones which may reduce the risk of cancer, diabetes and coronary heart diseases. Although the effect of processing on the isoflavone content of legumes has been extensively studied, there has never been such a study on peanuts...Lloyd Walker and colleagues evaluated the effect of boiling and oil- and dry-roasting on peanuts. They found that boiled peanuts - South Carolina's official snack food - contained up to four times more isoflavones than raw peanuts or oil- and dry-roasted ones..."

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    Chemical In Red Wine, Fruits And Vegetables May Stop Cancer, Heart Disease, Depending On The Dose

    Chemical In Red Wine, Fruits And Vegetables May Stop Cancer, Heart Disease, Depending On The Dose - ScienceDaily
    2007.10.30
    "In the study, French scientists describe how high and low doses of polyphenols have different effects. Most notably, they found that very high doses of antioxidant polyphenols shut down and prevent cancerous tumors by cutting off the formation of new blood vessels needed for tumor growth...At relatively low doses, the French researchers found that the same polyphenols play a beneficial role for those with diseased hearts and circulatory systems by facilitating blood vessel growth. The amount of polyphenols necessary for this effect was found to be the equivalent of only one glass of red wine per day or simply sticking to a healthy diet of fruits and vegetables containing polyphenols. This diet is known as the "Mediterranean Diet."..."

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    Rosemary Chicken Protects Your Brain From Free Radicals

    Rosemary Chicken Protects Your Brain From Free Radicals - ScienceDaily
    2007.10.30
    "...The active ingredient in rosemary, known as carnosic acid (CA), can protect the brain from stroke and neurodegeneration that is due to injurious chemical free radicals. These radicals are thought to contribute not only to stroke and neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s, but also to the ill effects of normal aging on the brain...CA activates a novel signaling pathway that protects brain cells from the ravages of free radicals. In animal models, the scientific group, led by Drs. Takumi Satoh (Iwate University, Japan) and Stuart Lipton (Burnham Institute), found that CA becomes activated by the free radical damage itself, remaining innocuous unless needed, exactly what is wanted in a drug...The scientists call this type of action a “pathological-activated therapeutic” or PAT drug. A “pat” represents a gentle tap and not the heavy sledge hammer that some drugs produce, including significant side effects in areas of the body where their effects are not needed and not wanted...“This new type of drug works through a mechanism known as redox chemistry in which electrons are transferred from one molecule to another in order to activate the body’s own defense system,” said Stuart A. Lipton, MD, PhD...it means that we can do even better in protecting the brain from terrible disorders such as Alzheimer’s and Lou Gehrig’s disease, perhaps even slowing down the effects of normal aging, by developing new and improved cousins to the active ingredient in rosemary.” The authors hope that such drugs can be developed for people over the next few years..."

    Researchers Call Herbs Rich Source Of Healthy Antioxidants; Oregano Ranks Highest

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    Friday, October 26, 2007

    Grapefruit juice and anti-cancer properties

    Grapefruit juice gets anti-cancer fillip - NutraIngredients.com
    2007.10.25
    "Grapefruit juice and its active components, furocoumarins, may inhibit cytochrome P450 enzymes involved in the activation of compounds into cancer-causing compounds...Recently, American and Chinese researchers reported that one specific flavonoid, naringenin, has anti-cancer effects beyond that of an antioxidant (Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, Vol. 17, pp. 89-95)..Another study from Israeli scientists reported that eating a red grapefruit daily could lower blood cholesterol by 15 per cent (Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, doi:10.1021/jf058171g)...enzyme inhibiting effects of seven different grapefruit and pummelo juices, in addition to five furocoumarins isolated from grapefruit juice - paradisin A, dihydroxybergamottin, bergamottin, bergaptol, and geranylcoumarin...paradisin A was reported to be the most active inhibitor amongst the furocoumarins. This was followed by dihydroxybergamottin, bergamottin, bergaptol, and geranylcoumarin, respectively. "Inhibition of cytochrome P450 enzymes by grapefruit juices and its furocoumarins offers some clinical advantages in improving bioavailability of poorly absorbed drugs and reduce the dose requirements and ultimately reducing the cost and harnessing the health benefits of consuming grapefruit juice,"... "

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    A Longer-living, Healthier Mouse That Could Hold Clues To Human Aging

    A Longer-living, Healthier Mouse That Could Hold Clues To Human Aging - ScienceDaily
    2007.10.23
    "...mice lacking the insulin receptor substrate (IRS)-1 are more resistant to ageing than normal mice. The research adds to a growing body of work showing the importance of insulin signalling pathways as an ageing mechanism in mammals – and potentially humans...mice lacking IRS-1 had an average lifespan increase of 20 per cent when compared to normal mice. In female mice lacking IRS-1 this figure was even higher, averaging 30 per cent. While the expected life-span for a mouse is about 25 months, one of the IRS-1deficient mice in this research lived for 38 months – 66 per cent longer than a normal mouse...As well as living longer, the mice without IRS-1 also experienced better health than the normal mice as they aged – they had brighter eyes, were more alert and were much healthier overall. In comparison, the mice that lacked IRS-2 were shorter-lived than the normal mice and displayed signs of obesity and type 2 diabetes...“We do not yet fully understand why lacking IRS-1 leads to longer life in mice. One possible explanation is that it makes them only mildly insulin resistant and that this, rather than having a negative effect on health, increases stress resistance, protects from damage and generally triggers other reactions in the body which extend life without compromising health.”..."

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    Thursday, October 25, 2007

    Severely Restricted Diet Linked To Physical Fitness Into Old Age

    Severely Restricted Diet Linked To Physical Fitness Into Old Age - ScienceDaily
    2007.10.26
    "Severely restricting calories leads to a longer life, scientists have proved. New research now has shown for the first time that such a diet also can maintain physical fitness into advanced age, slowing the seemingly inevitable progression to physical disability and loss of independence...The study, using a rat model of life-time caloric restriction, showed that the diet reduces the amount of visceral fat, which expresses inflammatory factors that in humans cause chronic disease and a decline in physical performance and vitality across the lifespan..."This is the first study to report that caloric restriction reduced production in visceral fat of the inflammatory cytokine IL-6 and enhanced performance on overall physical function assessments," said Tongjian You...animals on the restricted calorie diet had significantly higher physical performance scores than animals fed a normal diet. They also had less fat, a lower fat-to-lean ratio, and lower adipose tissue secretion of IL-6 and circulating levels of C-reactive protein... (for humans it) would mean surviving on 1,200 and 1,500 calories per day (woman/man)..."It's very difficult for people to maintain that type of diet for short periods of time, and it would be nearly impossible over a lifetime, while staying healthy. Starting on a diet like that in the senior years would be harmful."..."

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    Wednesday, October 24, 2007

    Cannabis: Potent Anti-depressant In Low Doses, Worsens Depression At High Doses

    Cannabis: Potent Anti-depressant In Low Doses, Worsens Depression At High Doses - ScienceDaily
    2007.10.24
    "...a synthetic form of THC, the active ingredient in cannabis, is an effective anti-depressant at low doses. However, at higher doses, the effect reverses itself and can actually worsen depression and other psychiatric conditions like psychosis...this study offers the first evidence that cannabis can also increase serotonin, at least at lower doses...Laboratory animals were injected with the synthetic cannabinoid WIN55,212-2 and then tested with the Forced Swim test ...The anti-depressant and intoxicating effects of cannabis are due to its chemical similarity to natural substances in the brain known as "endo-cannabinoids," which are released under conditions of high stress or pain, explained Dr. Gobbi. They interact with the brain through structures called cannabinoid CB1 receptors. This study demonstrates for the first time that these receptors have a direct effect on the cells producing serotonin, which is a neurotransmitter that regulates the mood..."

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    New Theory Of How Viruses May Contribute To Cancer

    New Theory Of How Viruses May Contribute To Cancer ScienceDaily
    2007.10.2007
    "...viruses may contribute to cancer by causing excessive death to normal cells while promoting the growth of surviving cells with cancerous traits. Viruses may act as forces of natural selection by wiping out normal cells that support the replication of viruses and leaving behind those cells that have acquired defects in their circuitry. When this process is repeated over and over, cancer can develop say study authors, led by Preet M. Chaudhary, M.D., Ph.D...Infection with viruses has been linked to many human cancers, including some forms of Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, sarcomas and cancers of the throat and liver..."


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    Tuesday, October 23, 2007

    Experts: Global Warming Affects Health

    Experts: Global Warming Affects Health WebMD
    2007.10.23
    "Poor air quality, scarce water, even a more hospitable environment for disease-carrying mosquitoes. All of these are potential impacts of global warming on human health..."I don't think in some of these areas it's a question of 'if.' It's a question of who, what, where, when, how -- and how bad it will be," CDC Director Julie Gerberding, MD, told the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee...."

    Ok the story is short on specifics, but the point is that at least WebMD is covering it a bit. Global Warming is the most under reported story. Why? Because a good % of the dire research never makes it into the news. Even when it does there's little context, or the flat earthers who deny climate change exists gets equal time or space. It's a journalistic travesty. It's also a great con job by the global warming skeptics, modeled on the cigarette industry tactics of the past. It will be the single greatest health effect this century, and virtually no news? So what's new...

    Here's a good place to look for what's new.

    And of course RealClimate.org that is actually run by researchers, not a bunch of highly paid industry lobbyists playing at being skeptical.

    And then today there comes this "A team of scientists has found that atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) growth has increased 35 percent faster than expected since 2000"

    Helloooo, is anyone paying attention????

    This should be the number one issue of any politician. For our health, the health of those we love, for the animals we love and for the whole planet. Anything else is halflobed.

    Whole grain cereals cut heart failure risk

    Whole grain cereals cut heart failure risk: study - Yahoo! News
    2007.10.22
    "...men who ate a bowl a day of whole grain cereal had a 28 percent lower risk of developing heart failure over a 20-year study..."Eating half a cup to a cup of whole grain breakfast cereal may help lower your blood pressure. It may help lower your risk of diabetes and heart disease," said Dr. Luc Djousse...The more fiber the cereal contains, the more likely you are getting the right type," he added...He suggests looking for 4 grams of fiber or more per serving..."

    Bit lazy of the writer not to even ponder the mechanism of action. There's still debate on this and it would be nice to include an update.

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    Tonsillectomy can improve kids' sleep, behavior

    Tonsillectomy can improve kids' sleep, behavior - Yahoo! News
    2007.10.23
    "...Children with sleep disordered breathing who undergo adenotonsillectomy - surgical removal of the tonsils and adenoids -- may not only start sleeping better, but may also show improvements in behavior...Often, the problem stems from enlarged tonsils and adenoids, masses of tissue that help catch incoming germs; the tonsils are located in the back of the throat, while the adenoids dwell behind the nose...Studies have found that children with sleep disordered breathing also have an elevated rate of behavioral problems, including attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and poor school performance. It's thought that poor sleep quality contributes to these problems..."

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    Friday, October 19, 2007

    Daily Aspirin for Men Only?

    Daily Aspirin for Men Only? - WebMD
    2007.10.18
    "Aspirin cuts the risk of a first heart attack in men but not in women...The evidence suggests that aspirin helps everyone who has had a heart attack. But when it came to preventing a first heart attack, different trials got different results.

    Why? Studies that looked predominantly at men found that aspirin helped. Trials that looked predominantly at women found no effect...Researchers are learning that some people are resistant to aspirin's blood-thinning effects. And those people tend to be women, says Alan Heldman, MD,..."

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    Key to mental 'resilience' found

    Key to mental 'resilience' found - BBC News
    2007.10.19
    "...a key pathway in mice differs in those who cope well with stress, and those who do not...In the mice who did not cope well with stress, nerve cells fired signals at a faster rate in two areas of the brain associated with pleasure and reward, releasing a substance called BDNF, which has previously been linked to poor coping...The resilient mice had no increase in BDNF, probably because the neurons were firing less rapidly...Blocking BDNF in the timid mice caused them to become more resistant to stress...In mice who coped better with stress, there were also greater regulation of genes in the key brain regions, suggesting resilience to such conditions is an active process rather than a lack of a response...Analysis of brain samples from depressed and non-depressed humans, showed that depressed people have a 40% increased level of BDNF... "

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