Dairy calcium for weight loss

Increased intakes of calcium can increase excretion of fat in the faeces, and may play a role in weight management and preventing weight gain, says a review of the science.
Increasing daily calcium intakes from dairy by 1241 mg was associated with an increase in fat excretion of 5.2 grams per day, according to a systematic review with meta-analysis of randomised, controlled trials.
Writing in Obesity Reviews, Professor Arne Astrup from the University of Copenhagen and his co-workers concluded: “Dietary calcium has the potential to increase faecal fat excretion to an extent that could be relevant for prevention of weight (re-)gain.”
The review adds to a large body of observational studies linking calcium intake, mainly from dairy products, to weight loss. The topic is a source of controversy with both camps able to quote research that supports their side and undermines the other.
Over 300m adults are obese worldwide, according to latest statistics from the WHO and the International Obesity Task Force. About one-quarter of the US adult population is said to be obese, with rates in Western Europe on the rise, although not yet at similar levels.
Review details
Professor Astrup and his co-workers identified 13 studies which fitted their inclusion criteria, including enrolment of healthy participants over six years of age, provision of data on calcium intakes from dairy and supplemental sources, and provision of data on faecal fat changes.
When the studies were taken in their entirety, a wide variation was observed. When the Scandinavian researchers considered only calcium from dairy sources, a good consistency was achieved.
“An increased dairy calcium intake of 1241 mg day-1 increased faecal fat excretion by 5.2 g day-1 compared with low-calcium (less than 700 mg day-1) dairy diet,” they wrote.
“It has been suggested that the effect of increased calcium intake on body weight and composition is most pronounced in subjects with a low habitual intake,” wrote the researchers. “Furthermore, the majority of the studies included in this meta-analysis, which found a significant effect of increased calcium intake on faecal fat excretion, compared a high intake of dietary calcium with a relatively low intake of dietary calcium.

Grape OPCs linked to preventing LDL cholesterol

New research has linked oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPCs) from grape seeds to preventing the LDL cholesterol oxidation that can lead to atherosclerosis.
Research performed in The Netherlands was presented this week at the 14th Annual Meeting of the Society for Free Radical Biology and Medicine in Washington DC. For the study, the scientists used Masquelier's original OPCs from IBioCeuticals in the US.
"The results of the first phase of the project are extremely promising, because they indicate that OPCs, at levels found in circulation after oral intake, are capable of protecting LDL from oxidation, and appear to be more effective protectors than vitamin E," said author Dr. Geetha Achanta,
Anthogenol, the Vitis vinifera seed extract found in Masquelier's OPCs is a rich source of antioxidants including catechins and 2-5 flavan-3-ols.
Achanta presented the results garnered from the study - entitled Oligomeric proanthocyanidins effectively inhibit LDL oxidation: a mechanistic study using a lipophilic oxidation-sensitive, fluorescent probe - at the annual meeting. The aim of the project, conducted at the Center for Cellular Architecture and Dynamics Department at the University of Utrecht, was to investigate how OPCs protect the vascual wall and potentially reduce the risk of cardiovascular health complications.
According to Achanta, in the previous year the team also found that OPCs can protect endothelial cells in the blood vessels from oxidative damage - thereby reducing the risk on endothelial dysfunction and vascular disorders.
"Targeting ROS [reactive oxygen species] with dietary antioxidants is therefore an attractive approach for preventing atherosclerosis, and this approach is supported by epidemiological evidence correlating dietary antioxidant intake with lower risk of cardiovascular disease," indicate the authors in the poster presentation.
As part of the study, human LDL (low density lipoprotein) cholesterol was isolated and labeled with C11-biodipy, a fluorescent lipophyllic probe whose fluorescence shifts from red to green upon oxidation.
The OPCs were then added to the control study and found to have an effect on LDL oxidation.
The results revealed a likely mechanism by which the OPCs protect LDL from oxidation. This is by scavenging free radicals generated in both the water phase, as well as the lipid phase that causes oxidation of the lipid-rich LDL particles and triggers inflammation.
Free radicals play a role in the onset of vascular inflammatory processes that can lead to deadly diseases such as angina and heart attacks.
The researchers are calling for further investigation into OPCs' potential to ward off such conditions.

Red wine may kill cancer cells

The antioxidant resveratrol, found in grape skins and red wine, can cripple the function of pancreatic cancer cells while sensitising them to chemotherapy, says new research.
Resveratrol is known for its ability to protect plants from bacteria and fungi, while previous research has also found it helps prevent the negative effects of high-calorie diets and has anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer potential.
While this study, published this month in Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, looked at the way the antioxidant may aid pancreatic cancer treatment, it also contributes to the growing knowledge on the health benefits arising from ingredients of red wine.
As well as disabling the function of the cancer cells by reaching and reacting with the mitochondria (the cell's energy source), researchers found that when they were pre-treated with resveratrol before being irradiated, it resulted in a type of cell death called apoptosis. This is an important goal of cancer therapy.
"Antioxidant research is very active and very seductive right now," said Paul Okunieff, chief of radiation oncology at the University of Rochester Medical Centre.

Bitter Melon juice improved blood glucose

I wanted to share with you about a natural plant ingredient that will help you lower your blood sugar level: Bitter Melon. This cucumber-like plant grows throughout Asia, Africa, and South America and is widely hailed both in folk medicine circles and from scientific investigation for its ability to lower blood sugar levels.Two ounces of bitter melon juice improved blood glucose levels in 73% of Type 2 diabetics tested. Another study gave 15 grams of extract from bitter melon to produce a 54% drop in after meal (post-prandial) blood glucose and 17% reduction in glycosylated hemoglobin.That's why I have included Bitter Melon extract as an important part of Melabic. To find out how Bitter Melon and 8 more diabetes fighting ingredients can help you.

Curcumin may aid cancer fight

A potentially potent treatment for the most lethal of cancers, pancreatic, may be right under the noses of people eating Indian curry.University of Alabama at Birmingham researchers are exploring the possibility that curcumin, which is found naturally in Indian curry powder, may inhibit the growth of pancreatic cancer and greatly
increase its susceptibility to chemotherapy treatment.But it's a little more complicated than heading out to an Indian restaurant.Mei Wan, a cellular pathologist at UAB, outlined the project this week for the American Cancer Society in Alabama, which is funding much of the work.Wan said the project started by looking at pancreatic cancer cells and noticing that a tumor suppressor called SMAD4 was missing. The main suspect was a protein called JAB1, which they found in excess.So researchers started searching for something to inhibit production
of JAB1, hoping that by eliminating this protein, they would enhance the body's natural ability to fight off cancer with SMAD4.The most effective JAB1 inhibitor was curcumin, which is found in Indian curry powder, which is easy to work with in trials with animals and humans. "It's quite safe and it's not toxic," Wan said.Pancreatic cancer kills 99 percent of patients who have it, most of them within a year of diagnosis. About 35,000 Americans die from it annually. "It is the deadliest among all malignancies, " Wan said.But while curcumin has shown promise in the lab, it's not soluble in water, which makes it difficult to inject, and it has a short half-life, meaning it is expelled from the body before it has a chance to really do its work.Now researchers have developed an experimental drug called PEG-curcumin, which "works really well" in mice, Wan said.Lab tests have shown that PEG-curcumin greatly enhances one of the few existing treatments for pancreatic cancer, the chemotherapy agent gemcitabine, and creates a cocktail that is even more promising than PEG-curcumin alone, Wan said. But it still must be tested in human trials.

Arthiritis risks reduced by Oily fish

Washington: A new study has shown that consumption of oily fish is associated with a reduced risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis (RA), whereas psychosocial work stress and smoking is linked to an elevated risk of the condition.The findings, all taken from a large population-based case-control study in Sweden called EIRA (Epidemiological Investigation of Rheumatoid Arthritis), shed light on the important role of environmental and social factors in the development of RA. For the first time, the intake of oily fish has been demonstrated to have a protective effect against the development of RA, reducing an individual's risk by 20-30pc.
Studying 1,899 subjects with a confirmed diagnosis of RA (fulfilling ACR criteria) and 2,145 controls (randomly selected and matched for age, sex and residential area), investigators concluded that the odds ratio (OR) for developing RA was 0.8 (0.7-1.0) for those who consumed oily fish 1-7 times per week or 1-3 times per month, compared with those who never, or seldom consumed oily fish. Interestingly, no significant association with RA risk was observed for consumption of fish oil supplements. Tobacco smoking is an established risk factor for RA, but the investigators found that there is a dose dependency for the level of smoking (i.e. the number of cigarettes smoked across a given period) on the odds ratio of developing anti-citrulline (anti-CCP) positive RA. The highest odds ratios were seen in those carrying a risk variant of the susceptibility gene PTPN22. In the study, 1,240 cases and 798 controls were identified as smokers from a total group of 1,419 cases and 1,674 controls via an extensive questionnaire regarding lifestyle factors, including smoking habits.
These subjects were then classified into three different groups according to the number of pack years smoked - less then 10, 10-20 or more than 20 pack years (where one pack-year is equivalent to having smoked one pack per day for one year) and genotyped to determine the presence of the PTPN22 risk allele. Psychosocial stress at work, defined as low decision latitude (or low level of control) was found to be associated with a higher risk for RA. Collected via a validated questionnaire, this was demonstrated in both self-reported data and JEM (job exposure matrix)-derived data.These results were only marginally changed when the investigators adjusted the odds ratios for social class and smoking for the 1,221 cases and 1,454 controls who participated in the study.
Mrs Annmarie Wesley of the Institute of Environmental Medicine, Stockholm, Sweden, EIRA investigator and lead author of the oily fish intake study, commented: "The findings from these studies add to an increasing body of evidence to support the assertion that lifestyle modifications can have a significant impact on an individual's risk for developing RA, one of the most common autoimmune diseases, affecting approximately 1pc of adults worldwide.”

Honey - a magic remedy

You have been keeping a hawk's eye on your body weight and are a regular at the gym. You also drink lots of water and fiber-rich diet. You even follow experts' advice on taking care of your hair and skin. But what about those eyes? How do you protect them from the stress that is caused by working long hours before the computer? Well, here's an easy answer to that: Take the traditional route add a little honey to your daily diet.
Yes, whether its your grandmother, or the neighbourhood doctor, everybody will agree to this fact that honey not only helps protect the eyes, but also help improve your eyesight. While there are plenty of home remedies from honey, we bring you a few here: Perry Kharpuri is a researcher based in Shillong, a place well-known for it's large-scale honey production. Perry's advice is , "mix two teaspoons of honey with carrot juice and consume regularly", to improve your eye sight and cure problems such as watering of eyes. In cold, cough and congested chest, two teaspoons of honey with equal quantity of ginger juice should be consumed frequently. This is one of the oldest and most popular remedies that millions of Indians already follow. The other such popular remedy is to take one spoon of fresh honey mixed with the juice of half a lemon in a glass of lukewarm water in order to get cured of constipation, hyperacidity and obesity. Now, Swapan Debnath, a homeopath says that honey can help control your BP as well. According to him, two teaspoons of honey should be mixed with one teaspoon of garlic juice and taken on a regular basis. Maheep Kohli owns a bee farm in Moga, Punjab and she has a few honey-based remedies up her sleep as well. One of them is a mixture of honey, ginger juice and black pepper powder, mixed in equal quantities. When consumed thrice daily helps to relieve symptoms of asthma. However, here are also a few words of caution from Maheep: Always make sure that the honey you are taking is not heated, avoid taking honey when you are exposed to high temperature. And last but least, never ever mix honey with hot and spicy foods and fermented beverages like whisky, rum, brandy, etc. Honey includes nectar of various flowers some of which may be poisonous and when it is mixed with hot and spicy foods, the poisonous properties get enhanced, sometimes to the extent of being fatal.

Diabetes herbal cure and Banaba

Banaba, also known as Crepe Myrtle, Queen's Flower and Pride of India, is a medicinal plant that grows in India, Southeast Asia and the Philippines. Banaba Leaf extract contains a compound known as corosolic acid, that has been reported to safely lower blood sugar levels. By keeping blood sugar and insulin levels in check, Banaba helps control food craving, which is extremely important to diabetics!
In humans with Type 2 diabetes, Banaba extract, taken for 4-8 weeks, has been shown to be effective in reducing blood sugar (5% - 30% reduction) and maintaining tighter control of blood sugar fluctuations. one study, subjects who took the supplement over a twenty-two-week period had a 30% drop in blood sugar levels. They also averaged a weight loss of 3.2 pounds per month without changing their diet. For some people, fluctuations in blood sugar and insulin are related to appetite, hunger and various food cravings - particularly craving for carbohydrates ( eg. bread and sweets). By keeping blood sugar and insulin levels in check, Banaba helps people to lose weight safely and quickly.

skin protection and lycopene

Consuming lycopene-rich tomato paste may protect against sunburn and sun-induced skin ageing, British researchers have reported. Subjects who consumed tomato paste were found to have 33 per cent more protection against sunburn, compared to the control group, researchers from the Universities of Newcastle and Manchester presented at the British Society for Investigative Dermatology this month The research taps into one of the newest trends in nutritional foods - the "beauty from within" segment, which is predicted to become a strong niche over the next few years. The researchers recruited 20 people and randomly assigned them to receive 55 grams (five tablespoons) of standard tomato paste with 10g of olive oil daily, or just olive oil, for 12 weeks. NutraIngredients.com has not seen the full data. The skin of the volunteers was exposed to UV light at the start and end of the trial, and the researchers found that the tomato paste-supplemented group had 33 per cent more protection against sunburn, than the olive oil only-fed group. This level of protection was equivalent to a sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 1.3, said the researchers. The benefits of the tomato paste were attributed to the lycopene content, which may neutralise the harmful effects of UV light due to the excess production reactive oxygen species (ROS) which can damage important skin structures. Skin samples taken from the subjects indicated that the tomato paste-supplemented individuals had higher skin levels of pro-collagen, a molecule which gives the skin its structure and loss of which leads to skin ageing and lack of elasticity.
Co-researcher Professor Lesley Rhodes said: "The tomato diet boosted the level of procollagen in the skin significantly. These increasing levels suggest potential reversal of the skin ageing process. This is in addition to the significant reduction in sunburn. "These weren't huge amounts of tomato we were feeding the group. It was the sort of quantity you would easily manage if you were eating a lot of tomato-based meals. "People should not think that tomatoes in any way can replace sun creams, but they may be a good additive. If you can improve your protection through your diet then over several years, this may have a significant effect." Attendees at the annual meeting of the British Society for Investigative Dermatology also heard that lycopene was capable of reducing damage to mitochondrial DNA in the skin, which is also believed to be linked with skin ageing.

"The protective effect of eating tomatoes on our mitochondria is important as they are the energy producers in all our body cells including skin," said Professor Mark Birch-Machin. "Therefore being kind to our mitochondria is likely to contribute to improved skin health, which in turn may have an anti-ageing effect."

allergy and Peanut

Genetically modified plants or immunotherapy may eliminate allergies to peanut within five years, suggests a prominent scientist from Duke University. The comments were made in the current issue of The Lancet. Peanuts can cause the most severe food allergies, affecting about three million US residents a year, and causing up to 150 deaths. The news however may put the dampeners on the free-from food market that has been enjoying sales growth of over 300 per cent in the UK since 2000, according to market analyst Mintel.In industrialised countries allergies have been rapidly increasing in children, for causes that are not entirely understood. One study showed that between 1997 and 2002, peanut allergies in children doubled in the United States.But help may be just around the corner, according to Wesley Burks from Paediatric Allergy and Immunology at Duke University Medical Center. Scientists at various groups around the world are working on the development of novel immunotherapeutic strategies, which would alter the immune system's response to an allergen. Various approached are under investigation, but they are based on the principle of curbing the immune response of so-called Th2 cells, or by inducing tolerance. "These studies offer the possibility of at least raising the threshold of the amount of peanut that it would take to cause a life-threatening allergic reaction; whether these types of treatments are likely to cause eventual clinical tolerance to develop remains to be seen.
It is likely that in the next 5 years there will be some type of immunotherapy available for peanut allergic individuals.

Halal market grows, with potential for non-Muslims too

The market for Halal foods is growing according to experts, as US Muslims grow accustomed to seeing Halal in their grocery aisles, and non-Muslims see it as healthier. As such, for food processors, going through the Halalcertification process opens up the possibility of additional clientele - even if they do not have to make changes to their product to get such certification. Enter groups like the Islamic Food & Nutrition Council of America (IFNCA), which started up in 1980 in Illinois, and now has 24 people in charge of inspections - 10 to 12 in the US and seven in Europe. Though it is a certifier, IFNCA is a not-for-profit organization and channels the fees from certification back into educating industry and the community. "The suppliers need to understand the requirements also, and our inspectors actually educate the industry too," Dr. Munir Chaudry, president and halal administrator with IFNCA, told FoodNavigator-USA.Halal means to be sanctioned by Islamic law, the opposite being 'haram', which means it is unlawful according to Islam A third category, mashbooh, is not so clear as it means a product is doubtful or questionable - in which case it has to be examined according to Islamic law. Haram products include the following: pork and pork by-products, animals improperly slaughtered or killed in the name of anyone other than Allah (God), alcohol, blood and blood by-products. This means that any food that has come into contact with, or contains traces of, these foods are not halal.

Some questionable mashbooh foods are those containing gelatin, enzymes, or emulsifiers, because the origin of these ingredients is not always known. With eight million Muslims in the US, and the average family in the country spending around $2100 on food yearly, Chaudry estimates the US Halal market to be worth $16bn. Muslim immigrants and their second generation children both look for halal. According to Chaudry, there are a variety of means in which people buy halal foods in the US. There are those who buy from a local and trusted source, such as from a Muslim store owner. But this option is limited because it can be difficult for a store owner to supply a variety of goods or keep a close watch on the production of these items, he said. There are also those who only eat based on the principle that if there is not pork or alcohol in a product, that is enough for them, or if someone tells them a food is halal, they trust that. The other method is certification, which allows a manufacturer to then put a symbol on their packaging letting consumers know their product has passed the test. This symbol attracts not only Muslim consumers, but other too who see it as value-added."There is a perception that there are less chemicals in halal products," said Chaudry. "Incidental users have a good perception of them because the products have less complicated ingredients and taste good."

breast cancer risk and Coffee

Drinking at least two to three cups of coffee a day may reduce a woman's risk of developing breast cancer or delay the onset of cancer, depending on her genes, suggests a new study. Researchers from Lund University and Malmo University in Sweden looked at the coffee-drinking habits of about 460 breast cancer patients, and found that the potential protective effects of the beverage were dependent on variations in a gene called CYP1A2, which codes for an enzyme that metabolises both oestrogen and coffee. Coffee, one of the world's largest traded commodities produced in more than 60 countries and generating more than $70bn in retail sales a year, continues to spawn research and interest, and has been linked to a range of health benefits, including a reduced risk of diabetes, improved liver health, and potential protection against ovarian and liver cancer. The women completed questionnaires in order to assess their coffee consumption habits. The average age of the participants at diagnosis was 59.6, while their average BMI was 24.5 kg per sq. m. Lead researcher Helena Jernstrom said: "Those women who had one of the C variants, and who had drunk at least three cups of coffee a day, developed breast cancer considerably more seldom than women with the A/A variant with the same coffee consumption. Their cancer risk was only two thirds of that of the other womens."A/A women who had drunk two or more cups of coffee a day received more ambiguous help from their coffee consumption. On the one hand, their cancer appeared considerably later than among women who had seldom or never drunk coffee at a mean age of 58 years instead of 48 years, unless they had taken hormone replacement therapy for menopausal symptoms," she added. The researchers related the effects to the female sex hormones, oestrogens. Jernstrom and co-workers noted that certain metabolic products of these hormones are known to be carcinogenic, and components of coffee improve the configuration of various oestrogens. Moreover, the caffeine content may also hamper the growth of cancer cells."This is new information that needs to be corroborated in other studies before we can issue any recommendations. If coffee does in fact provide some protection against breast cancer, then women in such a coffee-drinking country as Sweden ought to have fewer cases of cancer than other countries. This is also the case, at least compared with the U.S. There the proportion of breast cancer cases in the population is considerably higher, and there people drink both more decaffeinated coffee and less coffee in general," she said.
over one million women worldwide are diagnosed with breast cancer every year, with the highest incidences in the US and the Netherlands. China has the lowest incidence and mortality rate of the disease. Hormone-sensitive oestrogen-receptor (ER) positive and progesterone-receptor (PR) positive tumours are said to be the most common type diagnosed among breast cancer patients in the US.

Micronutrients show potential against TB recurrence

Daily supplements of micronutrients vitamins A, B-complex, C, E, and selenium may reduce the recurrence of tuberculosis during standard treatment, suggests a new study. The risk of a recurrence of TB was cut by 45 per cent in the study subjects receiving the supplements, and by 63 per cent in HIV-subjects, according to results of the randomised trial published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases.
Tuberculosis (TB) is a contagious disease that is spread through the air via sneezing, coughing, talking or spitting. Infection with the bacteria that causes TB does not necessarily mean the person will become sick as the immune system can 'wall off' the bacilli, and it can lie dormant. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), one-third of the global population is currently infected with the TB bacillus, thought not all are sick with TB.
When the immune system is weakened, however, the probability of becoming sick greatly increases. In HIV-positive people, the combination of TB and HIV can be fatal due to the immune system suppression of HIV.
The Harvard researchers recruited 887 patients in Tanzania receiving tuberculosis therapy and randomly assigned them to receive either the micronutrient supplement or placebo: 471 were HIV-positive and not receiving antiretroviral therapy and 416 were HIV-negative The subjects were followed for an average of 43 months.
The supplement consisted of retinol (5000 IU), vitamin B1 (20 mg), vitamin B2 (20 mg), vitamin B6 (25 mg), niacin (100 mg), folic acid (0.8 mg), vitamin B12 (50 micrograms), vitamin C (500 mg), vitamin E (200 mg), and selenium(100 micrograms).At the end of the study, the recurrence of TB was significantly reduced by 45 per cent in the subjects receiving the micronutrient supplements. Moreover, supplementation was also associated with a 57 per cent reduction in the incidence of peripheral neuropathy regardless of HIV status. Peripheral neuropathy related to damage to the peripheral nervous system, which sends signals from the brain and spinal cord to other parts of the body.

Additionally, in HIV-negative subjects an increase in levels of CD3+ and CD4+ T- cells, indicating a positive effect on the immune system. "Among HIV-negative adults, micronutrients appeared to increase T cell counts and reduced the incidence of complications. The impact of micronutrient supplementation on TB-related outcomes needs to be ascertained among HIV-infected patients receiving antiretroviral therapy," stated the researchers.

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.

Hair loss culprit found - it's a gene

London: Here is good news for those thinning at the top--a gene that prevents regeneration of hair has been identified. People losing their hair can now hope for medicines to inhibit this gene. A healthy individual loses about 100 hairs daily. That's okay, as the bulk of them are replaced. The problem begins when the shedding goes beyond that number, and replacement lags. Now, scientists at the University of Bonn have, after six years of research, identified a gene that causes a rare hereditary form of hair loss--Hypotrichosis simplex--throwing open the possibility of regenerating hair. The defective gene was found to inhibit receptor structures on hair follicle cells from forming correctly. Such receptors play a specific role in hair growth that was previously unknown. As part of the study, dermatologist Khalid Al Aboud of the King Faisal Hospital in Makkah examined a Saudi Arabian family with Hypotrichosis simplex. DNA samples from the parents and from nine of their 10 children, including four sufferers, were analysed, providing the researchers the key to understanding some of the fundamental mechanisms of hair growth and loss. The researchers now hope that this individual genetic case will lead to developments that can benefit more patients.
"Although Hypotrichosis simplex is uncommon, it may prove critical in our search to understand the mechanisms of hair growth," said project leader Regina Betz.

Sun ‘will vapourise Earth’ unless our orbit changes

New York: Astronomers at the University of Sussex claim to have calculated that the Sun will vapourise Earth in about 7.6 billion years unless our planet's orbit is altered.
According to them, the Sun’s slow expansion will cause the temperature on the surface of the Earth to rise — oceans will evaporate and the atmosphere will become laden with water vapour, which is a very effective greenhouse gas.
Eventually, the oceans will boil dry and the water vapour will escape into space. In a billion years from now the Earth will be a very hot, dry and uninhabitable ball.
The team previously calculated that the Earth would escape ultimate destruction, although be battered and burnt to a cinder. But they did not take into account the effect of the drag caused by the outer atmosphere of the dying Sun.
“We showed previously that, as the Sun expanded, it would lose mass in the form of a strong wind, much more powerful than the current solar wind. This would reduce the gravitational pull of the Sun on the Earth, allowing the Earth’s orbit to move outwards, ahead of the expanding Sun.
“If that were the only effect the Earth would indeed escape final destruction. However, the tenuous outer atmosphere of the Sun extends a long way beyond its visible surface, and it turns out the Earth would actually be orbiting within these very low density outer layers.
“The drag caused by this low-density gas is enough to cause the Earth to drift inwards, and finally to be captured and vaporised by the Sun,” astronomer Dr Robert Smith was quoted by the ScienceDaily as saying.

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.