New Study Shows St. John's Wort to Be More Effective than Prescription Drug

The British Medical Journal published a study that compared head-to-head a standardized extract of St. John's Wort with a prescription antidepressant drug. The randomized, double-blind reference-controlled trial showed that patients using the herb experienced significantly better improvement in their depression as measured by the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. Researchers also noted that St. John's Wort users experienced significantly fewer adverse side effects than the drug. All of the patients, aged 18 to 70, had been diagnosed with moderate to severe levels of depression. 

Posted at 05:17 PM     Read More  

Magnesium - The Fountain Of Youth & Health 

While the USDA, the FDA, news media and nearly all of "modern medicine" promote vaccines, chemicals, surgery and radiation as the "accepted" way of dealing with the growing number of illnesses and symptoms prevalent in the US, it now appears that magnesium may be the miraculous, essential mineral that has been kept hidden from us for about 100 years.  Needed by every cell in the body, a magnesium deficiency can be catastrophic and has now been associated with heart attacks, arrhythmias, cancers, diabetes, asthma, Crohn's disease, premature aging, hair loss, twitches, cramps, high blood pressure, stroke, fibromyalgia, migraines, bone and joint pain, ADD, ADHD, shortness of breath, osteoporosis, muscle wasting, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, constipation, memory loss, sensitivity to light and loud noises, hearing loss, insomnia, fatigue, anxiety, tuberculosis, aggression, hyperactivity, panic attacks, nail fungus, Tourette syndrome, PMS, toxemia of pregnancy, numbness and tingling, eczema, psoriasis, depression, violence, gum problems, tooth decay, calcium deficiency, and virtually all chronic and autoimmune diseases now common in the US, including chronic fatigue syndrome.

Posted at 03:16 PM     Read More  

Vitamin D: Deficiency Linked to Disease

 Last year, Dr. Michael Holick, an endocrinologist from Boston University Medical Center, wrote a wonderful review article in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine on vitamin D deficiency and also on the incredible benefits of this nutrient. Dr. Holick has published widely on the benefits of vitamin D. In fact, another article of his appeared in the June 11, 2008 edition of Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. It revealed how vitamin D deficiency is a worldwide health problem, indicating that lack of sun exposure and vitamin D deficiency have been linked to many serious diseases, including infectious disease, cardiovascular disease, auto-immune disorders and deadly cancers.

Dr. Holick also presented an amazing statistic that estimated how the risk of developing colon-rectal, breast and prostate cancer can be decreased by 30 to 50% through either increasing vitamin D intake to at least 1,000 IU per day, or increasing sun exposure to raise vitamin D levels above 30 ng/ml. He also noted that recent studies suggest women who are vitamin D deficient have over a 250% increased risk of developing colon-rectal cancer, and that women who ingest 1,500 mg a day of calcium along with 1,100 IU of vitamin D3 for four years reduce their risk of developing cancer by more than 60%.

Posted at 02:02 PM     Read More  

Omega-3 Foods May Lower Eye Disease Risk 

High intake of fatty acid associated with reduction of both early and late AMD

Consuming fish and other foods that contain omega-3 fatty acids may reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of severe vision loss in elderly people. 

Australian researchers reviewed nine published studies that included a total of 88,974 participants, including 3,203 people with AMD. The combined findings from the studies suggest that a high dietary intake of omega-3 fatty acids is associated with a 38 percent reduced risk of late (advanced) AMD, and that eating fish twice a week is associated with a reduced risk of both early and late AMD. 

Posted at 12:06 PM     Read More  

Smoking Tied to Memory Loss in Middle Age

But experts say the findings don't account for overall health factors and intelligence

Middle-aged smokers are more prone to memory problems than their non-smoking peers, a new French study suggests. 

While smoking is a recognized health hazard, there has been some debate on its effect on dementia, the study authors said. 

"Dementia is rare among middle-aged people, but cognitive function at this age in closely related to dementia," said lead researcher Severine Sabia, of the Institut National de la Sante et de la Recherche Medicale in Villejuif, France. "Our results show that smoking is associated with poorer cognition and decline over five years.

Posted at 01:39 PM     Read More  

Low Vitamin D Levels May Boost Men's Heart Attack Risk

Findings suggest current dietary requirements need to be increased

Vitamin D deficiency may increase the risk of heart attack in men, says a U.S. study. 

Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, analyzed medical records and blood samples from 454 men, aged 40 to 75, who had a nonfatal heart attack or fatal heart disease, and compared them to 900 men who had no history of cardiovascular disease. 

Posted at 04:34 PM     Read More  

Getting Calcium If You're Lactose Intolerant

Here's a list of alternatives

People with lactose intolerance should restrict their intake of dairy foods and other sources of lactose, which include foods containing whey; curds; milk by-products; dry milk solids; and nonfat dry milk powder. 

Posted at 04:27 PM     Read More  

Resveratrol: Powerful Anti-aging Nutrient

Resveratrol is in the news again. In a study released earlier this week, researchers reported that resveratrol, a natural compound found in red wine, may protect the heart against effects of the aging process. In this study, mice were given supplemental resveratrol starting at the midportion of their life until old age. It was found that in these mice, genetic activity changed in a way that was similar to mice fed a caloric restricted diet. As I discussed in my newsletter from two weeks ago, caloric restriction appears to extend life span by up to about 30% in various animal species.

According to Dr. Tomas Prolla, a University of Wisconsin professor of genetics who helped lead the study, researchers found that resveratrol supplemented to these mice blocked a decline in heart function typically associated with aging. This is a very exciting study! Resveratrol appears to be one of the most powerful anti-aging nutrients ever discovered. Whether it extends lifespan in humans is yet to be proven, but studies published in the medical literature regarding red wine and humans indicate that health benefits are very likely for both resveratrol and red wine polyphenols.

Posted at 06:21 PM     Read More  

Sunlight, Vitamin D May Cut Kids' Diabetes Risk

Type 1 disease less prevalent in populations living nearer equator, study finds

Adequate sun exposure and vitamin D levels may play an important role in helping to prevent type 1 diabetes in children, a new study suggests. 

Posted at 02:37 PM     Read More  

Digestive System Health 

 A balanced diet is important for the maintenance of optimal health. However, without the aid of the digestive system, the foods we consume would not be converted into energy needed to support life. The digestive system is a complex series of organs and glands that work in concert to break down the foods we eat into smaller molecules that can be utilized by the body. 

The process of digestion begins in the mouth, where food is partially broken down by the process of chewing and by the chemical action of carbohydrate-digesting amylase enzymes found in saliva. Once food is swallowed, it makes its way down the esophagus to the stomach.  

Posted at 04:42 PM     Read More  

Prepare Your Body for Pregnancy Adjust your diet long before conception

Three months to a year before you conceive, it's important to begin preparing your body for pregnancy. 

The American Pregnancy Association offers these suggestions: 

Posted at 01:42 PM     Read More  

Probiotics Help Adult Weight Loss After Bariatric Surgery The 'good bacteria' also boost gastrointestinal functioning, study found

A hefty dose of probiotics -- the "good" bacteria found in yogurts and supplements -- helps adult gastric-bypass patients lose even more weight, researchers are reporting. 

The researchers didn't set out to see if probiotics could help the patients shed more pounds, said Dr. John M. Morton, associate professor at the Stanford University School of Medicine, who presented the findings this week at the Digestive Disease Week 2008 meeting in San Diego. 

Morton wanted to improve the patients' gastrointestinal functioning. "Some patients [after bypass surgery] have a small amount of bacterial overgrowth [in the intestines]," he said, adding that can have an impact on gastrointestinal function and quality of life. So his team evaluated 42 patients who had undergone the bariatric surgery known as Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery, giving half of them probiotics daily and the other half no probiotics. 

Posted at 01:23 PM     Read More  

Green Tea May Help Brain Cope With Sleep Disorders 

Study in rats finds polyphenol compounds affect areas involved with learning and memory

Green tea may counter the cognitive problems that come with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a new study suggests. 

Green tea polyphenols (GTP) appear to negate the increased oxidative stress that affects brain tissue in areas involved in learning and memory in people with OSA, reports the study, published in the second issue for May of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. GTPs are known to possess antioxidant properties. 

Posted at 07:32 AM     Read More  

A Magnesium Deficiency Increases Cancer Risk Significantly 

There is a power and a force in magnesium that cannot be equaled anywhere else in the world of medicine. There is no substitute for magnesium in human physiology; nothing comes even close to it in terms of its effect on overall cell physiology. Without sufficient magnesium, the body accumulates toxins and acid residues, degenerates rapidly, and ages prematurely. It goes against a gale wind of medical science to ignore magnesium chloride used transdermally in the treatment of any chronic or acute disorder, especially cancer. 

Posted at 07:54 AM     Read More  

Vitamin D may help curb breast cancer, study finds 

Breast cancer patients with low levels of vitamin D were much more likely to die of the disease or have it spread than patients getting enough of the nutrient, a study found — adding to evidence the "sunshine vitamin" has anti-cancer benefits. The results are sure to renew arguments about whether a little more sunshine is a good thing.

The skin makes vitamin D from ultraviolet light. Too much sunlight can raise the risk of skin cancer, but small amounts — 15 minutes or so a few times a week without sunscreen — may be beneficial, many doctors believe.

Posted at 08:50 AM     Read More  

The Role of Vitamin K and Bone Cells in Metabolism

A new study is making headlines and revealing new information about the important function of the skeleton in how the body regulates sugar, energy and fat.  

Previous studies have shown that fat cells secrete leptin, a hormone that influences osteoblasts, which are the cells involved with bone formation. Recently, a team of researchers led by Gerald Karsenty of Columbia University made the discovery that in turn, osteoblasts play a role in controlling fat tissue metabolism by producing osteocalcin. 

Posted at 03:46 PM     Read More  

Anti-inflammatory Actions of Anthocyanins

Anthocyanins are a class of flavonoid phytochemicals. They are found in fruits and vegetables. Berries—like blackberries, raspberries, bilberries, and hawthorn berries—are particularly rich in anthocyanins. Anthocyanin pigments are the compounds that give plants their red, blue and purple colors.

Posted at 03:35 PM     Read More  

HEALTH BENEFITS OF ALGAE 

For centuries, algae has been considered a delicacy in Asia, and as its many health benefits have been realized, algae has also become an increasingly popular part of the Western diet. Algae has recently been spotlighted for its potentially positive effects on stem cells. Studies indicate that certain types of algae contain compounds that may facilitate increased release of bone marrow stem cells and increase the placement of stem cells into tissues in need.

Posted at 12:14 PM     Read More  

Anti-Aging Benefits of Vitamin D

 A recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed an association between longer telomeres in human blood cells and increased levels of vitamin D. Telomeres are caps on the ends of chromosomes that become shorter with each cell division. It follows that telomeres shorten with the aging process. Increased oxidative stress and inflammation can also contribute to telomere shortening. The recent findings suggest that vitamin D may play a part in slowing the aging process and the onset of age-related diseases. 

Posted at 12:03 PM     Read More  

Kidney Stones 

It is estimated that 1 in every 1,000 adults is hospitalized with kidney stones each year and 60% of those will have another stone episode within 7 years.

Symptoms include pain in the middle back, which radiates around the stomach toward the genitalia, increased urine, which may contain blood or pus, nausea and vomiting. Urinary tract infections may be caused by lodged stones that accumulate bacteria causing the infection. 

Posted at 06:27 PM     Read More