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Summary of the Report for Use of Complementary Medicines in Arthritis

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 07:11:43 GMT

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clipper's remarks: Could not fit the table in, please refer to originating site.

The Arthritis Research Campaign has launched the first evidence-based report dedicated to the use of complementary medicines in arthritis using results from randomized controlled trials. Complementary medicines are widely used by people with arthritis as they seek to avoid taking potentially harmful drugs, preferring natural products.

The purpose of the report is to provide a resource for patients and health care professionals by giving a summary of the current evidence on whether individual commonly used complementary medicines may be of use in the treatment of some types of arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions. The report focuses on the two most common forms of arthritis, namely rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis as well as the chronic musculoskeletal pain disorder fibromyalgia.

Below is a summary chart of products tested and score results

Tags: complementary medicines, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia

Chronic Marijuana Use Linked To Increased Risk Of Testicular Cancer

Mon, 09 Feb 2009 06:25:38 GMT

clipped by: SenorCoconut
clipper's remarks: Frequent and/or long-term marijuana use may significantly increase a man's risk of developing the most aggressive type of testicular cancer

Clip Source: www.elements4health.com

The researchers found that being a marijuana smoker at the time of diagnosis was associated with a 70 percent increased risk of testicular cancer. The risk was particularly elevated (about twice that of those who never smoked marijuana) for those who used marijuana at least weekly and/or who had long-term exposure to the substance beginning in adolescence.

Chronic marijuana exposure has multiple adverse effects on the endocrine and reproductive systems, primarily decreased sperm quality. Other possible effects include decreased testosterone and male impotency. Because male infertility and poor semen quality also have been linked to an increased risk of testicular cancer, this further reinforced the researchers' hypothesis that marijuana use may be a risk factor for the disease.

Tags: marijuana use, testicular cancer

Scientists Make Headway in Understanding Alzheimer's

Fri, 06 Feb 2009 14:57:15 GMT

clipped by: SenorCoconut
clipper's remarks: Scientists have discovered that a protein called BAG2 is important for understanding Alzheimer's and may open up new targets for treatment.

Clip Source: www.elements4health.com

Scientists have discovered that a protein called BAG2 is important for understanding Alzheimer's and may open up new targets for treatment. They are ready to move from studying these proteins in culture to finding out how they work with mice.

The image depicts the cranial nerves of a normal human brain.

The protein tau is normally found in brain cells, but scientists don't know why it clumps into tangles in people with Alzheimer's.

The research team recently started to work on BAG2 to find out how it may be involved in the removal of tangled tau. "It turns out that when you put this protein into the cell, it clears away the damaged tau very nicely. It doesn't clear away all the tau; it goes for the damaged tau protein and removes it.”

This is a protein that is involved in neurofibrillary tangles, so now we have a new target for treatment discovery. This is not a treatment, just a new target. The new target is BAG2

Tags: bag2, alzheimer's

Adequate Intake of Vitamin D May Prevent Diabetes

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 14:26:31 GMT

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Adequate intake of vitamin D may prevent or delay the onset of diabetes and reduce complications for those who have already been diagnosed, according to researchers from Loyola University Chicago Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing.

Many of the 23 million Americans with diabetes have low vitamin D levels. Evidence suggests that vitamin D plays an integral role in insulin sensitivity and secretion. Vitamin D deficiency results in part from poor nutrition, which is one of the most challenging issues for people with diabetes. Another culprit is reduced exposure to sunlight, which is common during cold weather months when days are shorter and more time is spent indoors.

Diet alone may not be sufficient to manage vitamin D levels. A combination of adequate dietary intake of vitamin D, exposure to sunlight, and treatment with vitamin D2 or D3 supplements can decrease the risk of diabetes and related health concerns. The preferred range in the body is 30 - 60 ng/mL of 25(OH) vitamin D.

Tags: vitamin d, diabetes

Herbal Supplement Shows Prostate Cancer Prevention Potential

Mon, 12 Jan 2009 08:58:37 GMT

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DHEA is a natural circulating hormone and the body's production of it decreases with age. Men take DHEA as an over-the-counter supplement because it has been suggested that DHEA can reverse aging or have anabolic effects since it can be metabolized in the body to androgens. Increased consumption of dietary isoflavones is associated with a decreased risk of prostate cancer.

Red clover (Trifolium pretense) is one source of isoflavones. Both supplements may have hormonal effects in the prostate and little is known about the safety of these supplements.

Combining DHEA with transforming growth factor beta-1 increased testosterone production in the stromal cells and prostate specific antigen protein secretion two to four-fold and gene expression up to 50-fold in the cancer cells. When these cell cultures were treated with red clover isoflavones, the androgenic effects of DHEA were reversed.

Red clover isoflavones may modify androgenic effects in the prostate

Tags: red clover, prostate cancer

Health Benefits of Apples

Sat, 25 Oct 2008 21:46:53 GMT

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In a study on moderately obese male and female subjects, polyphenols extracted from apples were shown to significantly lower cholesterol. Apples are also high in pectin, a soluble fiber with the ability to lower cholesterol, and it has been demonstrated that an apple a day can lower cholesterol by up to 16 percent.

Studies have shown that quercetin found in apples reduces the cancer risk of prostate cancer, ovarian cancer, breast cancer, and colon cancer.

Regular consumption of apples can promote healthy weight loss.
Results from a clinical trial conducted involving forty-nine women indicated that energy densities of fruits could help to promote weight loss over time.In a study of overweight women, weight loss was associated with a diet supplemented with 3 apples a day.

In an in vitro study at the Boston University School of Medicine, it was concluded that the flavonoid quercetin, which is present in apples, has anti-inflammatory activity.

Tags: health benefits apples, nutrition, quercetin, cancer prevention, lower cholesterol, dietary fiber, weight loss, prostate cancer, breast cancer

Foods That Heal

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 10:58:09 GMT

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Prevent cancer, lower cholesterol, lose weight, increase vitality, and improve health with this research-based guide of foods that heal.

Quinoa
Quinoa is high in protein, making it an ideal choice for vegetarians or athletes wanting to increase their protein intake.

Pomegranates
The antioxidants in pomegranates are much higher than in green tea, red wine, blueberries, cranberries, or any other fruit or food.

Shiitake Mushrooms
Researchers have found that shiitake, oyster, and maitake mushrooms contain forty times as much L-ergothioneine is found in wheat germ.

Cayenne Pepper
In recent research there is evidence that capsaicin from cayenne and other chili peppers may inhibit the growth of fat cells by activating AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), which is found in muscle and other human tissue.

Thyme
Thyme contains the flavonoids apigenin, naringenin, luteolin, and thymonin, which have antioxidant activity.

Tags: prevent cancer, lower cholesterol, lose weight, increase vitality, improve health, foods that heal, nutrition

Fatty Acids may Contribute to Alzheimer's Disease

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 12:20:13 GMT

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US scientists have found that complete or partial removal of an enzyme that regulates fatty acid levels improves cognitive deficits in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease, according to a new paper in Nature Neuroscience.

The researchers from the Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease have identified specific fatty acids that may contribute to Alzheimer’s disease as well as a novel therapeutic strategy.

Fatty acids are rapidly taken up by the brain and incorporated into phospholipids, a class of fats that form the membrane or barrier that shields the content of cells from the external environment. The scientists used a large scale profiling approach ("lipidomics") to compare many different fatty acids in the brains of normal mice with those in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease that develops memory deficits and many pathological alterations seen in the human condition.

This is cause for cautious optimism, as fatty acid levels can be controlled to some extent by diet.

Tags: alzheimers disease, fatty acids, dementia, phospholipids

The Numerous Health Benefits of Strength Training Exercise

Sat, 18 Oct 2008 18:07:10 GMT

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Strength training has been shown to reduce body fat, increase basal metabolic rate, decrease blood pressure and the cardiovascular demands to exercise, improve blood lipid profiles, glucose tolerance, and insulin sensitivity, increase muscle and connective tissue cross-sectional area, improve functional capacity, and relieve low back pain. Many improvements in physical function and athletic performance are associated with the increases in muscle strength, power, endurance, and hypertrophy observed during strength training.

Strength training helps offset the loss in muscle mass and strength typically associated with normal aging. Additional benefits from regular exercise include improved bone health and, thus, reduction in risk for osteoporosis; improved postural stability, thereby reducing the risk of falling and associated injuries and fractures; and increased flexibility and range of motion.

Tags: strength training, exercise programs, reduce body fat, increase basal metabolic rate, decrease blood pressure, glucose tolerance

Tracking Methamphetamine in the Brain

Sat, 18 Oct 2008 13:37:40 GMT

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Clip Source: www.elements4health.com

Using positron emission tomography (PET) to track tracer doses of methamphetamine in humans’ brains, scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory find that the addictive and long-lasting effects of methamphetamine can be explained in part by its pharmacokinetics, the rate at which it enters and clears the brain, and its distribution.

“Methamphetamine is one of the most addictive and neurotoxic drugs of abuse,” said Brookhaven chemist Joanna Fowler, lead author on the study. “It produces large increases in dopamine, a brain chemical associated with feelings of pleasure and reward, both by increasing dopamine’s release from nerve cells and by blocking its reuptake.”

Like cocaine, methamphetamine entered the brain quickly, a finding consistent with both drugs’ highly reinforcing effects. Methamphetamine, however, lingered in the brain significantly longer than cocaine,

Tags: methamphetamine, addiction, dopamine, neurotoxic drugs, cocaine, pharmacokinetics, drug addiction

Fructose Leads to Leptin Resistance

Thu, 16 Oct 2008 11:34:24 GMT

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Research has demonstrated that excessive intake of fructose can induce leptin resistance, and in combination with a high-fat, high-calorie diet, can lead to becoming overweight.

Previous studies have already shown that leptin resistance can lead to rapid weight gain on a high-fat, high-calorie diet, but this is the first study to show that leptin resistance can develop as a result of high fructose consumption, and that leptin resistance can develop with little indication that it is happening.

Leptin is a hormone that plays a role in helping the body to balance food intake with energy expenditure. Leptin resistance is when the body no longer responds to the leptin it produces. Leptin resistance is associated with weight gain and obesity in the face of a high-fat, high-calorie diet.

Fructose is the sugar found in fruit, but normal consumption of fruit is not the problem. Sugar and high-fructose corn syrup are about 50% fructose and are common ingredients in many foods

Tags: leptin resistance, weight gain, fructose consumption, obesity, high fructose corn syrup, sugar

New Vitamin D Guidelines

Wed, 15 Oct 2008 15:06:25 GMT

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The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is doubling the amount of vitamin D it recommends for infants, children and adolescents. The new clinical report, "Prevention of Rickets and Vitamin D Deficiency in Infants, Children, and Adolescents," recommends all children receive 400 IU a day of vitamin D, beginning in the first few days of life. The previous recommendation, issued in 2003, called for 200 IU per day beginning in the first two months of life.

The change in recommendation comes after reviewing new clinical trials on vitamin D and the historical precedence of safely giving 400 IU per day to the pediatric population. Clinical data show that 400 units of vitamin D a day will not only prevent rickets, but treat it. This bone-softening disease is preventable with adequate vitamin D, but dietary sources of vitamin D are limited, and it is difficult to determine a safe amount of sunlight exposure to synthesize vitamin D in a given individual.

Tags: vitamin d deficiency, rickets, bone health, breastfed infants, vitamin d requirements

Heavy Drinkers Have Smaller Brains

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 22:54:26 GMT

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The more alcohol an individual drinks, the smaller his or her total brain volume, according to a report in the October issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Brain volume decreases with age at an estimated rate of 1.9 percent per decade, accompanied by an increase in white matter lesions, according to background information in the article. Lower brain volumes and larger white matter lesions also occur with the progression of dementia and problems with thinking, learning and memory. Moderate alcohol consumption has been associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease; because the brain receives blood from this system, researchers have hypothesized that small amounts of alcohol may also attenuate age-related declines in brain volume.

Although men were more likely to drink alcohol, the association between drinking and brain volume was stronger in women, they note.

Tags: alcohol consumption, brain volume, dementia

How Spicy Foods Aggravate Interstitial Cystitis

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 10:37:42 GMT

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For up to a million women in the U.S., enjoying a piece of pepperoni pizza has painful consequences. They have a chronic bladder condition called interstitial cystitis that causes severe pelvic pain. Spicy food such as citrus, caffeine, tea (even green tea), sodas, tomatoes and alcohol can cause their symptoms (pain and an urgent need to frequently urinate) to flare up and intensify the pain. It was thought that the spike in their symptoms was triggered when digesting the foods produced chemicals in the urine that irritated the bladder.

However, researchers from Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine believe the colon, irritated by the spicy food, is to blame.

People with interstitial cystitis have bladder nerves that are constantly transmitting pain signals to the spinal cord. And when the colon is irritated by pepperoni pizza or another type of food, colon nerves also send a pain signal to the same area on the spinal chord intensifying the pain.

Tags: interstitial cystitis, painful bladder syndrome, spicy foods, pepperoni pizza, pelvic pain, quercetin supplement

Healthy Fats to Fight Obesity

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 21:22:08 GMT

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Foods rich in unsaturated fats, such as avocados, nuts and olive oil, have been found to keep the keep hunger pangs at bay.

A new study has demonstrated that this fat, called oleic acid, stimulates the production of a compound called oleoylethanolamide (OEA) that decreases appetite.

Oleic acid is transformed into OEA by cells in the upper region of the small intestine. OEA then finds its way to nerve endings that carry the hunger-curbing message to the brain. There, it activates a brain circuit that increases feelings of fullness. In previous studies, it was found that increasing OEA levels can reduce appetite, produce weight loss and lower blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

Nearly 30 percent of Americans are obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which has declared obesity an epidemic disease.

Tags: unsaturated fats, oleic acid, oleoylethanolamide, obesity