Hay Fever And Asthma May Protect Against A Common Cancer
July 31, 2008
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Perhaps, finally, something positive about suffering from hay fever and asthma. As a hay fever sufferer since my mid teens, who seems to be getting worse as the years pass, it is good to hear something positive about allergies.
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is a common group of cancers. They are all solid tumors that are derived from lymphocytes. There are three types of lymphocytes, B cells, T cells and natural killer cells. All the lymphocyte cell types play important roles in our immune systems, protecting the body from threats such as viruses, bacteria and tumors. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma can involve either B or T cells.
Recent research shows that those with allergies were less likely to get one type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. This type is derived from B cells. According to the American Cancer Society, B cell lymphomas are about 85% of non-Hodgkin lymphomas. So allergies may offer some protection for the most common types of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Hopefully, when the reason for the somewhat protective effect of allergies and asthma is discovered, it may provide useful information for the prevention and treatment of cancers.
For more information about non-Hodgkin lymphoma check out the National Cancer Institute and the American Cancer Society.
photo credit: *clairity*
Technorati Tags: allergy, hay fever, asthma, non-Hogkin lymphoma, cancer
Popularity: 17% [?]
Weight Loss = Bone Loss
July 30, 2008
The maintenance of bones in the body is a balance between formation and breakdown. Osteoblasts are cells that responsible for bone formation. Osteoclasts are cells that remove bone (known as bone resorption). In an adult bone many things, such as levels of vitamin D and calcium can influence this balance between making and removing bone.
A recent study has shown that loss of significant amounts of weight on a severe calorie restriction diet can affect this balance in a negative way, with their being an increased rate of bone breakdown relative to formation. This will lead to a net loss of bone.
Further, the research found that there was an increased rate of breakdown and formation which can lead to more fragile bones, and that this persisted in the maintenance phase of the diet.
Both low carb or low fat, severe calorie restricted diets had the same effect on bone breakdown.
The loss of bone makes biological sense. One of the functions of bones is to support our weight. Lose some weight and the body senses it has less weight to carry. However, it is a good idea to try and maintain bone density, both for the strength and to stop bones becoming more fragile
It is also likely that with severe restriction of food that the diet may not contain sufficient calcium or vitamin D. This research suggests that when going on a long term diet to lose a significant amount of weight that care should be taken to have a balanced diet and in particular consume plenty of calcium and either supplement with vitamin D or get sufficient sun exposure.
However, probably the best way to stop the bone loss is to do plenty of high-impact weight bearing activities.
photo credit: Simon Goldenberg
Technorati Tags: bone loss, fragile bones, high-impact activity, calorie restriction, weight loss
Popularity: 20% [?]
CoQ10, will now be added to many foods and drinks?
July 28, 2008
CoQ10 (coenzyme Q10, ubiquinone) is a compound in the body that is essential for life. It is found in mitochondria, which are the powerhouses of cells. Mitochondria convert the energy that is in the food we eat, into a form of energy that the body can use.
CoQ10 can function as an antioxidant and is included in some dietary supplements that are sold for their antioxidant properties.
Since our cells need CoQ10 our bodies make it. However, there are several studies that suggest that as we age that we make less CoQ10, and that we start to become deficient. CoQ10 supplementation has been investigated for efficacy in a number of diseases including cancer, Parkinson’s and high blood pressure (hypertension). There is some evidence that this compound might be helpful but the jury is still out.
The most common treatment for high cholesterol are statins (mevacor ( lovastation) Zocor (simavastatin), lipitor, pravachol, lescol, crestor). These drugs have a very slight risk of myopathy (muscle damage). Studies sugest that statins may lower the level of CoQ10 in the body and for some who may have lower levels of CoQ10 to start with, this may lead to myopathy. Some doctors now suggest taking CoQ10 supplementation.
CoQ10 is not soluble in water. If you open up a capsule of CoQ10 there is an orange oil. The CoQ10 is dissolved in the oil, and gives it an orange color.
The fact that CoQ10 is not water soluble has limited what it can added too. Now a chemist has found a way to make it disperse in water using nanotechnology, using detergent micelles that have a lipophilic (fat loving) center will take up CoQ10 into the center. These micelles are stable in water.
This is being touted as being a way to add CoQ10 or any other water insoluble compound to supplements. I do wonder though where the nanosphere will release the CoQ10 in the gut or whether it will pass on out.
More information can be found in a Science Daily release.
Addendum added later: I also wonder whether the CoQ10 in water and not taken with dietary fat will be efficiently absorbed. For instance more lycopene is absorbed from tomatoes when they are consumed with oil.
Technorati Tags: CoQ10, coenzyme Q10, mitochondria, statin, oil, lipophilic, micelles
Popularity: 19% [?]
Low Fat vs. Low Carb vs. Mediterranean Diet
July 19, 2008
A new study compared low fat, low carb and Mediterranean diets. The findings were that those on the low carb and Mediterranean diets, lost more weight and had more improved cholesterol and triglyceride levels, than those on the low fat diet.
The study was conducted at a remote nuclear facility in Israel, so there was control over the diets of the participants. There were many more men than women in the study, so the findings for women may be less general. The low fat and Mediterranean were calorie restricted, the low carb diet was not calorie restricted.
All dieters lost weight, but those on the low fat diet lost the least. Men lost most on the low carb diet, whereas women lost most on the Mediterranean diet.
HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol) increased most on the low carb diet, closely followed by the Mediterranean diet and the worst was the low fat diet. LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) decreased the most on the Mediterranean diet, the low carb diet was intermediate and there was only a small decrease on the low fat diet. Triglycerides dropped most with the low carb diet, the Mediterranean diet had a slightly small drop and the low fat diet had a much smaller drop.
These results suggest that low carb and Mediterranean diets may be more effective than a low fat diet both for weight loss and improving cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
Since the low carb and Mediterranean diets are almost equally effective, then choosing the diet that suits your tastes and lifestyle, is going to be what is most successful.
The study is published in the New England Journal of Medicine 359:229-241, 2008.
photo credit: sethschoen
[tags]low fat, low carb, Mediterranean, diet, weight, cholesterol, triglycerides[/tag]
Popularity: 34% [?]
Vitamin D: Bones, immunity and heart
July 17, 2008
This from Science Daily. It says it all. Make sure you are getting enough of the sunshine vitamin
“Vitamin D is essential to strong bones. Inadequate vitamin D can lead to osteoporosis, a brittle bone disease. Recently, researchers have found that vitamin D may help reduce the risk of other diseases.
Fall prevention: With age, decreasing muscle strength can increase the risk of falls and bone fractures. Several studies have found that vitamin D supplements may benefit muscle strength and balance, helping older adults stay steadier on their feet.
Cancer prevention: Observational research indicates that low levels of vitamin D increase the risk of some cancers — including those of the breast, colon, rectum, ovary, kidney, lung and uterus. Although unclear why, vitamin D in adequate amounts appears to help regulate cellular growth, potentially preventing cells from becoming cancerous.
Chronic pain prevention: Vitamin D deficiency is increasingly recognized as an important cause of muscle pain and weakness.
Protection against autoimmune diseases: Evidence is mounting that vitamin D may offer protection from type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis by reducing inflammation and strengthening the immune system. In one study, researchers found a 40 percent lower risk of multiple sclerosis in women who supplemented their diet each day with at least 400 international units (IU) of vitamin D.
Reduced risk of cardiovascular disease: Some research indicates that lower vitamin D levels are associated with a number of factors that affect cardiovascular
Recommendations from medical groups vary, but a daily intake in the range of 800 to 1,000 IU is likely to benefit most adults. The body produces vitamin D when exposed to ultraviolet rays, but many people need a supplement to reach recommended levels. Many multivitamins contain vitamin D. This nutrient also can be purchased alone or combined with calcium.
The July issue of Mayo Clinic Women’s HealthSource reports further information and guidelines on how much vitamin D is enough”
http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2008/07/080714162515.htm
Technorati Tags: vitamin D, immunity, cancer, heart disease
Popularity: 31% [?]
Off To Drink Red Wine And Eat Red Grapes
July 14, 2008
Even more reasons to drink red wine and eat red grapes. The compound resveratrol found in the skins of red grapes and hence red wine has been suggested to have even more health benefits.
Resveratrol has been suggested to have a wide range of health benefits in mice. How many of these results extend to humans will be interesting to see. However, the French Paradox suggests that resveratrol may have health benefits.
The French Paradox is, that though people in the south of France consume of high quantities of animal fat, the level of cardiovascular disease is quite low. One suggestion has been that the regular consumption of red wine was the explanation.
Research then suggested that humans did not consume enough resveratrol in wine or grapes to have an effect. Early research suggested that very large quantities of resveratrol needed to be consumed for any effect. This led to flood of supplements, most which contained Japanese knotweed, another source. (Note: Consumer Labs tested a large range of brands and found that the resveratrol content ranged from high to almost non-existent, and that price had no relationship to the content. Buyer beware.)
Recent research in mice, which previously had shown that only very high levels were effective, has shown that lower amounts improved health. Improvements were reduced cataract formation, better bone health, and improved balance and coordination. Further there was less inflammation in hearts, a sign of heart disease, in those mice whose diets included resveratrol. Let’s hope that studies in humans find the same thing!
Did you know that frozen red grapes make a great snack? Buy red grapes when they are cheap. After washing and letting dry, pull the grapes off the stems. Throw them in a Ziploc style bag and put them in the freezer. Just remove as many as you want for a snack. The freezing gives them a subtle change in taste.
photo credit: Zesmerelda
Technorati Tags: resveratrol, red wine, red grapes, French paradox
Popularity: 21% [?]
Kinerase Cream and Lotion
July 10, 2008
Kinerase cream and lotion are two products that seem to, at least in part, live up to the hype. They are recommended for improving the look of aging skin and seem to improve skin pigmentation with less blotchiness and a more even skin tone, and perhaps a reduction in minor wrinkles.
Both products contain kinerase or N6-furfuryladenine. The lotion, but not the cream, also contains retinyl palmitate, which is a retinoid that is converted in the skin to retinoic acid (retin-A). The lotion therefore packs more power but for some people may be more irritating unlike the cream.
N6-furfuryladenine is found in most cells of the body. Originally it was isolated from plants but has been found in nuclei of cells including human. Another common name is kinetin. In the scientific literature, kinetin is the name that is used.
Studies of keratinocytes (skin cells) and fibroblasts (also found in skin) have shown that kinerase treatment delays aging, particularly in the presence of high levels of calcium. In human studies there is some evidence of improved skin tone and more even pigmentation, and reduction in minor wrinkles. Recently kinerase has been found to be helpful for rosacea.
As well as being a signaling molecule that plays a role in regulation of maintenance and repair of cells, kinerase has been shown to have antioxidant effects. Additionally there is evidence that N6-furfuryladenine may improve the skin barrier and so reduce the loss of moisture from the skin.
As people get older they are more likely to become calcium deficient. Since, as stated above, high calcium levels added to the effect of kinerase, it may be that as well as reducing the rate of osteoporosis, calcium may help slow aging of skin too.
Kinerase Cream and Kinerase Lotion
can be found at my favorite online skin store Dermadoctor.
Currently they have free shipping on domestic orders over $49.
Technorati Tags: kinerase, kinetin, N6-furfuryladenine, skin, pigmentation
Popularity: 33% [?]
Artichoke Leaf: The Next Wonder Food!
July 8, 2008
Expect to hear quite a bit about artichoke leaf and artichoke leaf extract, which is often abbreviated to ALE. I predict that supplements containing artichoke leaf will soon be popping up everywhere. A search of PubMed using artichoke brings up a number of studies on a wide range of potential benefits. The most recent is lowering cholesterol.
The globe artichoke (Cynara cardunculus) is a perennial thistle and is closely related to the cardoon. Other types of thistles have been suggested to have a range of health benefits. These include milk thistle for treatment of liver diseases and burdock, which is said to be a blood purifier.
Artichoke leaf extracts are widely available in Europe. They have been sold primarily as a treatment for indigestion, some urinary problems (hyperuricemia) and gout. Recently they have been shown to have positive effects on symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome.
Globe artichokes, of course, have antioxidants. I suspect that there is not a single plant that does not have some form of antioxidant. In particular artichokes have been suggested to protect the liver from oxidative stress. Artichoke leaf extract has also been shown to limit damage form oxidative stress in high intensity physical activity.
The most recent study looked at the effects of the leaf extract on moderately increased cholesterol levels. Those that consumed 1280 mg of artichoke leaf extract for 12 weeks saw a decrease in total cholesterol. I wonder how many artichokes I would have to eat to get the equivalent amount. Probably all the butter and mayo would counteract the good effect.
photo credit: Dylan Parker
[tags]artichoke leaf, artichoke leaf extract, ALE, globe artichoke, cholesterol, antioxidant[tags]
Popularity: 26% [?]
Worms: The Answer To Immune Problems?
July 3, 2008
There have been several articles recently about how worms may be good for you, not the kind in the soil but those that are parasites in the human body. The idea is that worms (helminths) may help calm the immune system.
What makes the perfect parasite? For those that want to survive in the body, it is stopping the body responding and attacking you, or trying to get rid of you. A happy parasite wants a happy host.
Further some organisms end up in a symbiotic relationship. Symbiosis is often defined as a relationship where there is benefit to both participants.
So what do immune-dreived health problems have to do with worms?
In order to stay in the digestive tract many worms suppress parts of the immune system. This way the body does not try to attack the worms. So when infected with worms the body will turn down some (but not all) immune responses. This is not a new idea, it has been known for quite a while.
What is new is the suggestion the body got used to having the worms and was in balance with them. So that in modern times with improvements in sanitation and medication, when we lost our worms our immune systems got out of whack and in some people got revved up. In other words perhaps it was of a symbiotic relationship, beneficial to all.
Why has this new idea been proposed?
One thing that everybody agrees on is that in recent times there has been a huge increase in immune diseases ranging from hay fever to inflammatory bowel disease. These are all diseases where the immune system becomes more active.
So, of course, this leads to the question, why has there been this very sudden increase in a wide range of immune diseases?
There are all kinds of theories. One is the hygiene hypothesis. The idea is that being no longer exposed to certain bacteria, fungi, worms etc., that our immune systems are not trained properly, and may in many people get out of control.
One of the first demonstrations of role of worms was the experimental infection of 29 patients with active Crohn’s disease (an inflammatory bowel disease) with pig whipworm. An amazing 23 patients showed improvement, with 21 of these going into remission. Gut 54:87-90, 2005 (PubMed). Later studies have shown good results with ulcerative colitis, another inflammatory bowel disease.
Are we going to be getting worm egg prescriptions in the future? Unlikely. There is now a push to find the range of mechanisms that the worms use to suppress the human responses. It is very likely that drugs based on this knowledge will be tested for use on many diseases that have an inflammatory component. These will include hay fever, asthma, eczema, multiple sclerosis and the inflammatory bowel diseases. It will also include diseases that you might not realize involve immune responses such as diabetes and atherosclerosis (blocking of arteries).
photo credit: moneydick The image is of Caenorhabditis elegans a harmless roundworm that lives in the soil.
Technorati Tags: worms, helminths, parasite, allergy, inflammatory disease, Crohn’s
Popularity: 38% [?]
Foods You Should Be Eating?
July 1, 2008
The NY Times today has a list of 11 foods that you should be eating, but likely are not. How many do you eat?
They are 1) beets, 2) cabbage, 3) chard, 4) cinnamon, 5) pomegranate juice, 6) dried plums (newish name for prunes), 7) pumpkin seeds, 
turmeric*, 9) sardine, 10) frozen blueberries and 11) canned pumpkin.
I didn’t do very well. I regularly eat cabbage, chard, pomegranate juice, frozen blueberries and canned pumpkin. I loathe beets, so maybe for me the list should be 10. I am not very keen on sardines but will eat them. Perhaps I can find some way to disguise them a bit.
I started to buy canned pumpkin for the dog. It is good for dogs to get a dollop a day, particularly when they are getting old and/or have a significant part of their diet as raw meat, offal etc. They benefit from beta carotene too. So I usually have a dish of canned pumpkin (don’t leave in the can) in the fridge and often add a human dollop or two, to stews etc.
Wasn’t too keen on chard until one day I tried removing the stems, chopping them into about 1 inch lengths and frying them for a good few minutes before adding the wet leaves. Shame it is not cheaper.
Pomegranate juice and vodka is pretty good.
Between them these foods have a whole range of benefits such as anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, antioxidants, lower cholesterol, improve diabetes, etc. See the article or more info.
So, I guess next time I go to the store, I might buy some prunes and pumpkin seeds and at home will cook with more cinnamon and turmeric. Will have to think about the sardines.
* I have no idea where the happy face came from and why it replaced number eight. Deleting and retyping the text surrounding it does not help, it pops back up again instead of 8). I usually type the posts in Word and then copy and paste. Probably some weird piece of code that came from Word.
Technorati Tags: beets, pomegranate, chard, canned pumpkin
Popularity: 45% [?]
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