Red wine kills cancer

A natural antioxidant in grape skins and red wine can help kill cancer cells in the pancreas by crippling the cells' core energy source, says a new study.The study also showed that when the pancreatic cancer cells were doubly assaulted, pre-treated with antioxidant resveratrol and irradiated, it induced cell death called apoptosis, an important goal of cancer therapy.Resveratrol is known for its ability to protect plants from bacteria and fungi. Purified versions have been described in scientific journals as potential anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory and anti-atherogenic agents, and for their ability to modulate cell growth.Other natural antioxidants include caffeine, melatonin, flavonoids, polyphenols, and vitamins C and E.The discovery is critical because, like the cell nucleus, the mitochondria contains its own DNA and has the ability to continuously supply the cell with energy when functioning properly.Cutting off the energy flow theoretically stops the cancer. Although red wine consumption during chemotherapy or radiation treatment has not been well studied, most physicians would not tell the patient to give it up during treatment. Perhaps a better choice, Okunieff said, would be to drink as much red or purple grape juice as desired."Antioxidant research is very active and very seductive right now.

Green tea extract's Janus Effect on stomach health

The green tea polyphenol (-)-epicatechin-3-gallate (ECG) may slash the risk of gastric cancer among women by 75 per cent, suggests a new study from Japan.
The study adds to an ever-growing body of science supporting potential health benefits of green tea and its polyphenols, previously linked to a lower risk of certain cancers, weight loss, heart health, and protection against Alzheimer's. It also highlights the need to consider the sexes separately when undertaking scientific studies in order to identify potentially gender-dependent interactions. Green tea contains between 30 and 40 per cent of water-extractable polyphenols, while black tea (green tea that has been oxidized by fermentation) contains between 3 and 10 per cent. The four primary polyphenols found in fresh tealeaves are epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), epigallocatechin (EGC), epicatechin gallate (ECG), and epicatechin (EC).The new study, which used a case-control design, matched 494 people with gastric cancer (cases) with 494 healthy people (controls). Blood samples were taken and polyphenol levels measured using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Sasazuki and co-workers report that blood levels of ECG between 0.32 and 9.2 ng/mL were not associated with any change in gastric cancer risk among women. However, blood levels of 9.3 ng/mL were associated with a 75 per cent reduction in risk in women, compared to women with blood levels below the detectable limit. On the other hand, "for men, a high plasma level of (-)-epigallocatechin was associated with an increased risk of gastric cancer," said the researchers.

Olive extract may protect against AMD

A polyphenol from olives may protect against macular degeneration associated with age or the damaging effects of chemicals in tobacco smoke, suggests a new study. The potential benefits hydroxytyrosol (HTS) for eye health were demonstrated in an in vitro lab study using cells from the human retina, with mitochondria - the cell's power stations - shown to benefit most, report the researchers in the Journal of Neurochemistry.
"The protective effect of HTS in this model was as potent as that of established mitochondria-targeting antioxidant nutrients," wrote the researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, DSM Nutritional Products, and the University of California, Irvine. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of legal blindness for people over 55 years of age in the Western world, according to AMD Alliance International. Despite the fact that approximately 25 to 30 million people worldwide are affected by AMD, awareness of the condition is low, according to AMD Alliance International. And as the generation of Baby Boomers gets older, the Alliance expects incidence to be on the rise and triple by 2025. AMD is a degenerative retinal disease that causes central vision loss and leaves only peripheral vision. Early detection is cited as a means of prevention so that treatment or rehabilitation can be undertaken early enough. However, links to diet have also been underscored. "In the present study, we have demonstrated that HTS, a natural polyphenol and a rich component in olive oil, significantly protected acrolein-induced cellular toxicity in ARPE-19 cells, a cellular model for smoking- and age-related macular degeneration," wrote lead author Zhongbo Liu. Commenting on the mechanism behind the benefits, the researchers suggested that HTS may enhance antioxidant defences by activating the Keap1/Nrf2 pathway.
"Nrf2 is known as a key regulator of antioxidant response element-mediated gene expression and the induction of phase 2 detoxifying enzymes and antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase and glutathione S-transferase," they added. Hydroxytyrosol is thought to be the main antioxidant compound in olives, and believed to play a signficant role in the many health benefits attributed to olive oil. Previous research by a team from the University of Barcelona found that LDL or 'bad' cholesterol levels could be cut substantially after consuming just 25 millilitres of virgin olive oil daily for one week. Other studies have suggested that it could also protect against cancer.

Pomegranates beat apples for antioxidant boost

The juice of pomegranate is more effective than apple in boosting the body's antioxidant defences, which decline naturally with age.The antioxidant capacity of the blood of 26 elderly subjects increased by almost 10 per cent after drinking pomegranate juice, whereas changes were negligible after apple juice. The study, published in this month's issue of Nutrition Research, is sure to be welcomed by producers of pomegranate products, already benefiting from a wealth of science reporting potential benefits of the fruit, ranging from protection against prostate cancer, slowing cartilage loss in arthritis, and potentially preventing Alzheimer's. Pomegranate, known as the royal fruit because of the 'crown' on top, is a rich source of antioxidants. It is these antioxidants, and particularly ellagitannin compounds like punicalagins and punicalins, which accounts for about half of the fruit's antioxidant ability, that are reportedly behind the proposed health benefits. Indeed, it is these compounds which most likely account for boosting the antioxidant capacity of the elderly subjects in the new study, wrote the authors.
"Because the plasma ascorbic acid, vitamin E, and reduced glutathione contents did not differ significantly between the two groups in this study, the phenolics may be the functional components contained in pomegranate juice that accounted for the observations,"wrote lead author Changjiang Guo.