Broccoli Compound Targets Key Enzyme In Late-stage Cancer

Broccoli Compound Targets Key Enzyme In Late-stage Cancer: "ScienceDaily (Dec. 2, 2008) — An anti-cancer compound found in broccoli and cabbage works by lowering the activity of an enzyme associated with rapidly advancing breast cancer...indole-3-carbinol, is already undergoing clinical trials in humans because it was found to stop the growth of breast and prostate cancer cells in mice..."I think one of the real uses of this compound and its derivatives is combining it with other kinds of therapies, such as tamoxifen for breast cancer and anti-androgens for prostate cancer," said coauthor Gary Firestone, UC Berkeley professor of molecular and cell biology. "Humans have co-evolved with cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and Brussels sprouts, so this natural source has a lot fewer side effects."...I3C inhibits the enzyme elastase, which at high levels in breast cancer cells heralds a poor prognosis: decreased response to chemotherapy, reduced response to endocrine treatment and reduced survival rates...Elastase is an enzyme that shortens a cellular chemical, cyclin E, that is involved in controlling the cell cycle. The shortened version of cyclin E accelerates the cell cycle, making cancer cells proliferate faster. Firestone showed that I3C prevents the elastase shortening of cyclin E, thereby arresting development of breast cancer cells...In previous work, they found that indole-3-carbinol interferes with more than cell proliferation. It also disrupts the migration and alters adhesion properties of cancer cells, as well as counteracts the survival ability of cancer cells, all of which are implicated in cancer cell growth. To have such broad downstream effects, I3C must act at the beginning of a major cellular pathway, Firestone said. The newly reported research pins this activity to elastase and its effect on cyclin E..."

DogVitals natural antioxidant supplement - helping dogs health from the inside out

Scientists develop cancer fighting tomato

Scientists develop cancer fighting tomato - Yahoo! News:
2008.10.27
"...anthocyanins, a type of antioxidant found in berries such as blackberries and blackcurrants that have been shown to lower risk of cancer, heart disease and some neurological diseases...Using genes that help color the snapdragon flower, the researchers discovered they could get the tomatoes to make anthocyanins -- turning the tomato purple in the process...Mice genetically engineered to develop cancer lived an average of 182 days when they were fed the purple tomatoes, compared to 142 days for animals on the standard diet...findings do bolster research suggesting that people can significantly improve their health by making simple changes to the daily diet..."

DogVitals powerful antioxidant supplement for dogs - helping dogs live a younger, healthier life

Green Tea May Delay Onset Of Type 1 Diabetes

Green Tea May Delay Onset Of Type 1 Diabetes: "ScienceDaily (Oct. 26, 2008) — A powerful antioxidant in green tea may prevent or delay the onset of type 1 diabetes...EGCG also can prevent and delay insulin-dependent type 1 diabetes was a big surpris...EGCG reduced the severity and delayed onset of salivary gland damage associated with Sjogren's syndrome, which has no known cure..."EGCG modulates several important genes, so it suppresses the abnormality at the molecular level in the salivary gland. It also significantly lowered the serum autoantibodies, reducing the severity of Sjogren's syndrome-like symptoms," Dr. Hsu says. Autoantibodies are antibodies the body makes against itself...supports earlier research showing EGCG's impact on helping prevent autoimmune disease..."If the abnormal expression of these genes is the same in humans as in the animal model, then the second stage will be intervention and treatment with a pure form of EGCG,"..."

DogVitals powerful antioxidant supplement for dogs - helping dogs live a younger, healthier life

Indian Spice In Turmeric Reduces Size Of Hemorrhagic Stroke

Indian Spice In Turmeric Reduces Size Of Hemorrhagic Stroke:
ScienceDaily (Sep. 23, 2008)
''...This active ingredient of the Indian curry spice, turmeric, not only lowers your chances of getting cancer and Alzheimer's disease, but may reduce the size of a hemorrhagic stroke, say Medical College of Georgia researchers..."We found that curcumin significantly decreases the size of a blood clot, but we're not sure why it happens," says the Alpharetta native. He thinks it may be because curcumin is a potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. For the study, he dissolved the yellow powder, which gives turmeric its color, in corn oil and injected it into the abdomen of an animal model of hemorrhagic stroke three times over three hours. He suspects less may work and is trying to establish the optimal dose and timing..."

DogVitals powerful antioxidant supplement for dogs - helping dogs live a younger, healthier life

Antioxidant cream guards skin from UV damage

Antioxidant cream guards skin from UV damage - Yahoo! News: "Thu Sep 18, 2008
"(Reuters Health) - A cream containing vitamin C, vitamin E and ferulic acid protects the skin from sun damage and reduces cancer-associated mutations in skin cells, new research shows...The cream's "mechanism of action is different from sunscreens and would be expected to supplement the sun protection provided by sunscreens,"...The active cream almost completely blocked the production of thymine dimers, a type of UV-related genetic damage, as well as the induction of the tumor suppressor gene p53...While unprotected skin exposed to UV radiation produced substances called cytokines that promote inflammation and suppress immune system function, protected skin did not..."

DogVitals powerful antioxidant supplement for dogs - helping dogs live a younger, healthier life

How Diet, Antioxidants Prevent Blindness In Aging Population

How Diet, Antioxidants Prevent Blindness In Aging Population: "ScienceDaily (Aug. 27, 2008) — A new study reveals part of the magic behind a diet rich in antioxidants, showing how artichokes, blueberries and pecans can hold at bay the leading cause of age-related blindness in developed countries...Researchers at Brigham Young University and Weill Medical College of Cornell University discovered a link between two processes in the retina that, in combination, contribute to a disease called macular degeneration. They found antioxidants disrupt the link and extend the lifetime of irreplaceable photoreceptors and other retinal cells..."

DogVitals powerful antioxidant supplement for dogs - helping dogs live a younger, healthier life

Broccoli may undo diabetes damage

BBC NEWS | Health | Broccoli may undo diabetes damage:
2008.08.05
"A University of Warwick team believe the key is a compound found in the vegetable, called sulforaphane...It encourages production of enzymes which protect the blood vessels, and a reduction in high levels of molecules which cause significant cell damage. Brassica vegetables such as broccoli have previously been linked to a lower risk of heart attacks and strokes...They recorded a 73% reduction of molecules in the body called Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS)...Hyperglycaemia can cause levels of ROS to increase three-fold and such high levels can damage human cells...The researchers also found that sulforaphane activated a protein in the body called nrf2, which protects cells and tissues from damage by activating protective antioxidant and detoxifying enzymes... "

DogVitals powerful antioxidant supplement for dogs - helping dogs live a younger, healthier life

Dark Chocolate, Cocoa May Cut Blood Pressure in Overweight Adults

Study: Dark Chocolate, Cocoa May Cut Blood Pressure in Overweight Adults: WebMD
"July 11, 2008 -- Cocoa, either in a dark chocolate bar or as a hot drink, may reduce blood pressure in overweight adults...The researchers -- who included David L. Katz, MD, MPH, of the Yale Prevention Research Center -- gave some of the participants a dark chocolate bar containing 22 grams of cocoa. Other participants got a bar containing no cocoa...Before-and-after blood pressure and ultrasound tests showed better blood pressure and better blood vessel function after participants ate the dark chocolate bar, compared to the cocoa-free bar...Likewise, blood pressure and blood vessel function improved after participants drank two cups of cocoa, compared with drinking a beverage containing no cocoa...How the cocoa drink was sweetened mattered. When it contained sugar, blood pressure and blood vessel function didn't improve as much as when the cocoa was sugar-free..."

DogVitals powerful antioxidant supplement for dogs - helping dogs live a younger, healthier life

Red Wine Reduces Harm From Red Meat

Tummy's Taste For Red Wine With Red Meat:
"ScienceDaily (July 3, 2008)
What happens when red wine meets red meat? If the rendezvous happens in the stomach, scientists in Israel are reporting, wine's bounty of healthful chemical compounds may thwart formation of harmful substances released during digestion of fat in the meat...Joseph Kanner and colleagues point out that scientists attribute wine's health benefits, including protection against cancer and heart disease, to its high levels of polyphenols, powerful antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables...The researchers found an explanation in experiments with laboratory rats fed either red meat or meat combined with red wine concentrate. Wine concentrate substantially reduced formation of two byproducts of fat digestion, malondialdehyde and hydroperoxide, which are toxic to cells. The researchers say the stomach acts as a "bioreactor" that facilitates the beneficial effects of polyphenols. The polyphenols work not only to prevent generation of cytotoxic compounds, but also as compounds which prevent the absorption of cytotoxic compounds from the gastrointestinal tract into the blood stream."

DogVitals powerful antioxidant supplement for dogs - helping dogs live a younger, healthier life

Resveratrol, Found In Red Wine, Wards Off Effects Of Age On Heart, Bones, Eyes And Muscle

Resveratrol, Found In Red Wine, Wards Off Effects Of Age On Heart, Bones, Eyes And Muscle: "ScienceDaily (July 3, 2008)
Scientists have found that the compound resveratrol -- found in red wine and grape skin -- slows age-related deterioration and functional decline of mice on a standard diet, but does not increase longevity when started at middle age...The report confirms previous results suggesting the compound, found naturally in foods like grapes and nuts, may mimic, in mice, some of the effects of dietary or calorie restriction, the most effective and reproducible way found to date to alleviate age-associated disease in mammals...

A major finding of the study reported today is that resveratrol prevented age-related and obesity-related cardiovascular functional decline in the mice as determined by several parameters. Total cholesterol was significantly reduced in 22-month-old non-obese mice after 10 months of resveratrol treatment, although triglyceride levels had only a slight, non-significant trend toward a decrease. Further, the aortas of 18-month-old obese and non-obese mice treated with resveratrol functioned significantly better than untreated mice. Resveratrol also moderated inflammation in the heart.

In addition to cardiovascular function, the scientists found resveratrol to have a variety of positive effects on other age-related problems in mice:

• Treated mice tended to have better bone health, as measured by thickness, volume, mineral content and density, and bending stiffness compared to the non-treated control group.
• At 30 months of age, resveratrol-treated mice were found to have reduced cataract formation, a condition found to increase with age in control-group mice.
• Resveratrol enhanced balance and motor coordination in aged animals. Scientists found significant improvement in performance at 21 and 24 months versus 15 months in the resveratrol-treated mice but not in the untreated mice.
• Resveratrol partially mimicked the effects of dietary restriction on the gene expression profiles of liver, skeletal muscle and adipose (fatty) tissue in mice.
• Along with determining the effect of resveratrol on the health of mice, scientists also studied the effect of resveratrol on longevity..."

DogVitals powerful antioxidant supplement for dogs - helping dogs live a younger, healthier life

Green Tea Puts Sleep Apnea Woes to Bed?

Green Tea Puts Sleep Apnea Woes to Bed?: WebMD
2008.05.16
"...Green tea contains compounds called polyphenols, which animal studies suggest can protect against neurodegenerative changes related to Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease. Green tea polyphenols (GTP) work by counteracting oxidative stress in the brain. Oxidative stress is cell damage brought on by harmful molecules called free radicals. Antioxidants protect against this damage. Oxidative stress is believed to play a role in many diseases. Signs of oxidative stress and changes in the brain have been documented among some patients with OSA...rats treated with GTP made their way through the maze better than the other rats. The researchers say their findings suggest that the chemicals in green tea can calm learning problems related to OSA-induced hypoxia. They also found that there was chemical evidence of less oxidative stress in the rats given GTP. GTPs "may represent a potential interventional strategy for patients" with sleep-disordered breathing," Gozal says."


DogVitals powerful antioxidant supplement for dogs - helping dogs live a younger, healthier life

Vitamins A, C and E are 'a waste of time and may even shorten your life

Vitamins A, C and E are 'a waste of time and may even shorten your life'| News | This is London
2008.04.16
"Vitamins taken by around a third of the population do not extend life and may even cause premature death, according to a respected group of international scientists...After reviewing 67 studies involving more than 230,000 men and women, the experts say there is no convincing evidence that taking supplements of the antioxidant vitamins A, C and E can make you healthier...Vitamin A was linked to a 16 per cent increase in mortality, beta-carotene - the pigment found in carrots, tomatoes and broccoli which the body converts into vitamin A - to a 7 per cent increase and vitamin E to a 4 per cent increase. However, there was no significant detrimental effect caused by vitamin C..."

This isn't surprising and in line with other meta studies. By now the message is clear, try and get these vitamins through fruit and vegetables. If one is looking to increase longevity a bit beyond exercise and diet then compounds that increase endogenous antioxidants are an entirely different matter. There are plenty of such compounds - a few are: bacopa, curcumin, cocoa, milk thistle, ashwagandha, alpha lipoic acid, tea extracts, resveratrol and so on.

DogVitals powerful antioxidant supplement for dogs - helping dogs live a younger, healthier life

Broccoli May Help Boost Aging Immune System

Broccoli May Help Boost Aging Immune System: ScienceDaily
2008.03.06
"... sulforaphane, a chemical in broccoli, switches on a set of antioxidant genes and enzymes in specific immune cells, which then combat the injurious effects of molecules known as free radicals that can damage cells and lead to disease..."As we age, the ability of the immune system to fight disease and infections and protect against cancer wears down as a result of the impact of oxygen radicals on the immune system," Nel said...According to the UCLA study, the ability of aged tissues to reinvigorate their antioxidant defense can play an important role in reversing much of the negative impact of free radicals on the immune system..."Our defense against oxidative stress damage may determine at what rate we age, how it will manifest and how to interfere in those processes," Nel said. "In particular, our study shows that a chemical present in broccoli is capable of stimulating a wide range of antioxidant defense pathways and may be able to interfere with the age-related decline in immune function."...The UCLA team not only found that the direct administration of sulforaphane in broccoli reversed the decline in cellular immune function in old mice, but they witnessed similar results when they took individual immune cells from old mice, treated those cells with the chemical outside the body and then placed the treated cells back into a recipient animal...In particular, the scientists discovered that dendritic cells, which introduce infectious agents and foreign substances to the immune system, were particularly effective in restoring immune function in aged animals when treated with sulforaphane..."We found that treating older mice with sulforaphane increased the immune response to the level of younger mice," said Hyon-Jeen Kim, first author and research scientist at the Geffen School...sulforaphane interacts with a protein called Nrf2, which serves as a master regulator of the body's overall antioxidant response and is capable of switching on hundreds of antioxidant and rejuvenating genes and enzymes... "

DogVitals powerful antioxidant supplement for dogs - helping dogs live a younger, healthier life

Natural Purple Pigments In Fruits, Vegetables May Help Prevent Obesity

Natural Purple Pigments In Fruits, Vegetables And Berries, Such As Blueberries, May Help Prevent Obesity - ScienceDaily
2008.02.14
"...natural pigments responsible for the beautiful blue/purple/reddish color of certain fruits and vegetables may help prevent obesity. Their animal study however, reports that eating the whole fruit containing these pigments seems to be less effective than eating an extract of the berry...pigments -- called anthocyanins -- prevent obesity in laboratory mice fed a high-fat diet. Anthocyanins are found in grape skins, blueberries, blackberries, purple corn, and other foods. The mice also had other healthful changes in disease-related substances found in the blood..."

Related stories...

Compounds That Color Fruits And Veggies May Protect Against Colon Cancer

Processes That Give Plants Color Shed Light On Antioxidants

Chemoprevention, Naturally: Findings On Plant-derived Cancer Medicines

Anthocyanin - Wikipedia

Got Anthocyanins?

DogVitals powerful antioxidant supplement for dogs - helping dogs live a younger, healthier life

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..."


"DogVitals powerful antioxidant supplement for dogs - helping dogs live a younger, healthier life

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.

"DogVitals powerful antioxidant supplement for dogs - helping dogs live a younger, healthier life

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..."

"DogVitals powerful antioxidant supplement for dogs - helping dogs live a younger, healthier life

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.

"DogVitals powerful antioxidant supplement for dogs - helping dogs live a younger, healthier life

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

"DogVitals dog supplement - helping dogs live a younger, healthier life

Fresh Fruits And Vegetables Retain Antioxidants Long After Purchase

Fresh Fruits And Vegetables Retain Antioxidants Long After Purchase - ScienceDaily
2007.10.06
"...Belgian scientists report that fruits and vegetables do not lose any antioxidant content in the days after purchase, even as tell-tale signs of spoilage appear. In some cases, antioxidant levels actually rise...in the days following purchase, fruits and vegetables do not lose any phenolic compounds, ascorbic acid or flavonols -- a trio of chemical classes associated with antioxidant content. "Better, in some cases, an increase on the antioxidant capacity was observed in the days following their purchase, accompanied by an increase in phenolic compounds,"..."

"DogVitals dog supplement - helping dogs live a younger, healthier life