Milk Link to Prostate Cancer
The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) is launching a national ad campaign that tackles the little-known link between dairy consumption and prostate cancer. The ads- which are tied to September’s Prostate Cancer Awareness Month-are scheduled to begin this week on CNN, ESPN, MSNBC, and other cable networks. “”Until now, most of the focus on prostate cancer has been on detection and treatment. We want men to realize they can decrease their chances of ever getting the disease if they simply trade dairy for healthier fare,”" says PCRM president Neal D. Barnard, M.D. Prostate cancer kills 32,000 American men each year, one every 13 minutes. PCRM’s campaign follows a controversy that recently erupted over a billboard by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, featuring a milk- mustached New York City Mayor Giuliani under the headline, “”Got Prostate Cancer?”" (Giuliani has been undergoing treatment for the disease.) “”Those billboards sparked outrage, but what was missing from the debate was a focus on the science,”" says Dr. Barnard. “”The fact is, carefully conducted research studies do link milk to a higher risk of prostate cancer. Unfortunately, this potentially life-saving information has been gathering dust in medical libraries for decades.”" The new TV spots feature PCRM member Joel Fuhrman, M.D., a board-certified family physician and author who also specializes in using nutritional interventions to prevent and reverse disease. In the ads, Dr. Fuhrman cites a recent Harvard study showing that having two and one-half servings of dairy a day increased men’s prostate cancer risk by more than 30 percent. The reason, as Dr. Furhman explains in the ads, may relate to how dairy products alter a man’s hormones. Milk-drinking increases a substance in the blood called insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I), which has been linked to higher cancer risk. More information about the prostate cancer-dairy link and a copy of the ad can be found at www.pcrm.org. To reach Dr. Fuhrman, Dr. Barnard, or other PCRM spokespeople, contact Ms. Simon Chaitowitz, communications director, at 202-686-2210, ext. 309. Founded in 1985, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting preventive medicine, especially better nutrition, and higher standards in research.
Grapefruit
Grapefruit Is An Easy Weight Loss Remedy August 25, 2004
Eating grapefruit, long recommended by diet programmes for weight loss, may indeed impact the body
New Stusy Shown Chondroitin Effective for Osteoarthritis
Chondroitin Sulphate Slows Knee Osteoarthritis May 27, 2004
Taking chondroitin sulphate supplements over short periods significantly relieved pain and improved mobility in patients with knee osteoarthritis, according to researchers.
The study, looking at the effect of chondroitin taken over two three-month periods during one year, supported the long-term results of the supplement for osteoarthritis, said an international team writing in the April issue of Osteoarthritis and Cartilage (vol.12: 269-276).
Osteoarthritis is a major cause of disability and there is neither an effective treatment to stop the disease worsening, nor a cure. The only available treatment is pain relief and replacing the worn out joints.
Knee osteoarthritis affects 14.1 per cent of men and 22.8 per cent of women over the age of 45 but increases in life expectancy and ageing populations are expected to make osteoarthritis the fourth leading cause of disability by 2020, according to the World Health Organisation.
In the new study, the group taking chondroitin sulphate (800 mg daily) saw symptoms measured by Lequesne’s algo-functional index (pain and knee function) decrease by 36 per cent after one year compared to 23 per cent in the placebo group.
Secondary measures of efficacy, such as walking time and paracetamol, also showed similar results.
And X-rays at the end of the study revealed that while the placebo group patients had significantly decreased femoro-tibial joint space width, there was no change in the chondroitin group.
The researchers conclude that the intermittent administration of chondroitin sulphate supplements twice a year supports the prolonged effect seen with other symptom-modifying agents for osteoarthritis.
They add that the inhibitory effect on progression of joint space narrowing could suggest further evidence of its ability to improve the condition.
SupplementSpot has several supplements with chondroitin sulphate. To learn more about them, please click on the following links:
Grape Seed Extract Prevents Colorectaol Cancers
Grape Seed Extract Stops Colorectal Cancer Spread November 20, 2006 Extracts from grape seeds, a rich source of proanthocyanidins, stopped the spread of colorectal cancer cells in lab mice, suggests new research funded by the US National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Interest in grape seed extracts has been increasing, particularly in Europe where half of the world’s grape seed extract is said to end up. The health benefits of its grape seed extract have mostly focused on heart health, but there is also evidence of benefits of grape seed extract against skin and prostate cancer. Moreover, the NCI is currently conducting a trial on grape seed extract and women who are disposed to have a higher risk of breast cancer. The new study, published in the journal Clinical Cancer Research (Vol. 12, pp. 6194-6202), presents data of in vitro and in vivo studies and suggests the extracts may also have benefits in the prevention of colorectal cancer, which accounts for nine per cent of new cancer cases every year worldwide. Professor Rajesh Agarwal from the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center and lead researcher on the new study said however: “We are not suggesting that people run out and buy and use grape seed extract. “The value of this preclinical study is that it shows grape seed extract can attack cancer, and how it works, but much more investigation will be needed before these chemicals can be tested as a human cancer
High Dose B Vitamins May Prevent Strokes and Heart Attacks
B Vitamins To Lower Homocysteine May PreventSstrokes November 14, 2005 Taking high doses of B vitamins may help reduce the risk of a second stroke and heart attacks, according to a new analysis.
The B vitamin group, including folic acid, B6, and B12, reduce the amount of the amino acid homocysteine in the blood. High levels of this substance have been linked to heart disease. But a previous study by the Vitamin Intervention for Stroke Prevention (VISP) group based in Canada and the US suggested that taking a combination of B9, B6 and B12 did not reduce recurrent stroke and cardiac events. However work carried out since then suggested to the team that their initial trial included patients who were not likely to benefit from the treatment. In a new analysis they excluded patients with low and very high B12 levels at baseline. These were likely to have B12 malabsorption or to be taking B12 supplements outside the study. Patients with significant renal impairment were also excluded as they were unlikely to respond to vitamin therapy. In the remaining 2155 patients, high-dose vitamin supplements reduced recurrent stroke, death and heart disease by 21 per cent compared with those taking low-dose vitamins, they report in the 1 November issue of Stroke Stroke (vol 36, p2404). When they subdivided patients by baseline levels of vitamin B12, thus identifying those with difficulties absorbing the vitamin, the differences between the low-dose and high-dose groups became greater. The authors suggest that given the fortification of flour with folate, the response to vitamin therapy for lowering homocysteine largely depends on B12 levels of heart patients. Higher doses of B12 could be required to reduce homocysteine, and thus to reduce stroke and heart attack.
SALIVA HORMONE HOME TESTS: test your own hormones at home using saliva
HORMONE HOME TESTS using Saliva:Estrogen (Estradiol, Estrone, and Estriol), Testosterone, Progesterone, DHEA, Cortisol, Androstendione testing Test Your Own Hormones at Home Using Saliva SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: SupplementSpot Now Offers Tests for Melatonin. See Details Below. Blood Draw Tests Now Offered: SupplementSpot has made arrangements with LabCore and OneLab to allow our clients to obtain blood draw tests at reduced rates.
No doctor’s prescription is necessary and you receive the same cost reductions available to insurance companies and HMOs. Go to SupplementSpot Labs for complete information and to order. This service is only available in the USA.
Test Your Own Hormones At Home Using Saliva! We have two versions available:
2-Hormone Test Kit — Allows to test 2 hormone levels of your choice. 5-Hormone Test Kit — Allows to test 5 hormone levels of your choice. Thyroid Profile — Assesses pituitary stimulation and thyroid function. This panel specifically tests your fT4, fT3 and TSH levels. This is a blood draw test. Melatonin Rhythm (3 point) — Identifies disturbances which may affect sleep patterns. Should be used by anyone who is engaged in shift work.
Inexpensive, Non-invasiveConvenient and easy, no prescription or doctors visitNo blood or needlesRepresentatives are available to discuss resultsHome collection with prepaid mailer
Only $33 per hormone, 2 minimumThyroid, pregnenolone, melatonin are priced separately. See description below.
The Best, Most Economical Hormone Test Available Anywhere
Depending on which test kit, NeuroScience or ZRT Laboratories analyzes your saliva — these are the best laboratories in America. The test will measure the available free hormones you actually use. You will receive an Interpretation Guide explaining the results and the implication for your health.
You can test the following hormones: PROGESTERONE ESTRADIOL ESTRONE, ESTRIOL TESTOSTERONE ANDROSTENEDIONE DHEA CORTISOL THYROID PANEL — Assesses Level of T3, T4, and TSH MELATONIN — Individual Test Has your doctor ever tested your hormone levels?
Doctors charge as much as $200 per hormone plus the cost of the office visit and time off from work. Saliva testing is the scientific, state-of-the-art way to test hormone levels. The World Health Organization has endorsed this method for their testing. The test only requires that one fill a small test tube with spit, seal the tube and return to Laboratory indicated with the test kit. A few days later you receive your results back in the mail. If you have a fax, the lab will fax your results followed by a mailed copy.
All of the above hormones are important for both men and women. A primary age marker for both men and women is falling hormone levels, which is largely responsible for disorders in:
Sleep disturbances Fertility Energy and muscle strength Libido Menopause symptoms Impotence Aging Bone loss or osteoporosis Depression, fatigue, anxiety are usually an indication of cortisol imbalance Abnormal Pulse Rate Especially think or thin skin Uncomfortable at room temperatures, too warm or too cold Memory Loss, short or long-term
Dr. David Zava, director of ZRT labs is a well-known endocrinologist and expert on hormones. Here is an excellent overview of the importance of hormone testing in preventing and curing many chronic health and mental problems. Maintaining proper hormone levels is the first step in any anti-aging program HORMONE OVERVIEW.
How Are the Hormones Tested?
Saliva collection is a simple, non-invasive, and is performed in the privacy of your home. There is no need to go to a doctor’s office where the test would probably cost you in excess of $200.00 plus the cost of the visit and the loss of time. The sample is sent by prepaid U.S. Mail to the indicated lab (NeuroScience or ZRT Laboratory). You will receive your results within 10 working days following receipt of the sample. The hormones are stable at room temperature for at least a month so there is no need for special shipping.
We normally only accept payment for 2 or 5 hormone tests. The 5 hormone tests are usually ordered by medical professionals or clients who are testing their hormone levels to determine if they changed since a previous test. For new clients it is best to test 2 hormones, and then make a decision based on test results if additional tests should be ordered. If so, they can be ordered directly from the Lab using the same sample.
Why Is Saliva Used?
Saliva hormones are identical with the hormone level measured in blood and are considered biologically more important than total blood levels. Using saliva for your test is simple, without stress, and will accurately determine if your hormone levels are within the expected normal range for your age and gender. It will also guide you in the proper use of hormone supplements, herbal therapy, diet, exercise, and hormone replacement therapies.
More detailed information is found on this page: SALIVA TESTING FAQ.
Who Should Be Tested?
Hormone levels decrease with age and their restoration to normal levels is essential with all anti-aging therapies. Many women experience pre and postmenopausal symptoms that are directly related to hormonal imbalance, especially estrogen dominance. This, in turn, leads to the over 100 identified symptoms of PMS. Many men, as well as women, experience a loss in muscle mass and tone, decreasing energy and libido, even impotence, as they age. It is essential to good health that male as well as female hormone levels be regularly monitored.
You will learn which hormone you are deficient in as well as monitor your progress with supplementation.
So, please, don’t wait, discover your vital hormone levels today: TWO HORMONE TEST KIT $66 FIVE HORMONE TEST KIT $165 NEW: THYROID PANEL TEST KIT $125 NEW: MELATONIN TEST KIT $60
Metabolism
Increasing Longevity By Tuning Up Metabolism Bruce Ames, Ph.D To maximize human health and lifespan, scientists must abandon outdated models of micronutrients
Bruce N. Ames is at the Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute in Oakland, CA, USA. e-mail: bames@chori.org
Our daily intake of the 40 essential micronutrients
Low Calorie Diet Key to Muscle Tone As We Age
NEW ORLEANS (Reuters Health) - Want to stay buff well past retirement age? Studies in some very old–but surprisingly toned–mice suggest the key to lifelong muscle health is to eat less, and better.
“”With age there is quite a significant loss of muscle function,”" explained Anthony Payne, a graduate student researcher in exercise physiology at the University of Florida, Gainesville. “”But dietary caloric restriction basically prevented that loss, so the function of these very old animals is the same as the function of the young animals.”"
He presented the findings here this week at the annual Experimental Biology 2002 conference.
Most people view a gradual decline in muscle responsiveness, strength and tone as an inevitable part of aging. And, under typical dietary and exercise conditions, that’s probably the case.
“”With aging, muscle loses fiber number,”" Payne said, especially type 2 fibers, needed for quick, strength-dependent responses. “”It’s thought that nerve fibers that enervate those type 2 fibers die or recede with age,”" leading to fiber death and a lowering of muscle tone.
Oxidative stress–the build-up of “”free radicals”" that can damage cells–is a main culprit in this process, and the Florida researcher wondered if antioxidant improvements in diet might help prevent muscle decline. “”Calorie restriction not only reduces the production of free radicals–the damaging molecules–but it also seems to have a beneficial effect on antioxidant enzymes that help prevent the damage,”" he said.
In their study, Payne and his colleagues tested the muscle responsiveness of rats fed either an unrestricted diet, or a diet with 40% fewer daily calories.
As expected, rats free to eat at will had relatively flabby muscles by the time they reached the ripe old age of 26 months–about the equivalent of a 75- to 80-year-old human.
In contrast, geriatric rats accustomed to the restricted-calorie diet were smaller, leaner, and decidedly buffer. “”The muscles were quite strong,”" Payne said, especially muscles dominated by type 2 fibers. In fact, he told Reuters Health that he observed no difference in terms of muscle responsiveness and strength between the calorie-restricted, elderly mice and other mice half their age.
“”Basically you end up with a thinner animal whose muscles function better and the muscle is a greater percentage of the total body weight. That’s going to translate to better life function,”" he explained.
But what about humans? According to Payne, it’s probably more practical to embark on a calorie-restricted diet in middle age than in youth.
“”In young life when you’re wanting to go out and run or play basketball, calorie restriction is probably not very feasible,”" the Florida researcher noted. “”It’s probably a lot more feasible in humans once you get to the age where you’re in mid-life and sitting behind a desk.”"
And lowering calories doesn’t mean going without delicious, nutritious foods. “”It’s a healthier diet,”" he said, full of “”very nutrient-dense foods, lots of fruits and vegetables. The Western diet is very meat-oriented. If it’s shifted to more of a fruit and vegetable-based diet you’ll be taking in less calories anyway.”"
Payne stressed that exercise–especially resistance training–remains key to muscle health. “”There’s so much evidence out there that you can increase muscle mass and strength in the elderly–even 90 years old–with strength training,”" he said.
High Blood Pressure and High LDL Cholesterol Likely to Result in Sudden Early Death
High Blood Pressure and High LDL Cholesterol Likely to Result in Sudden Early Death August 30, 2004
The combination of high blood pressure and high LDL cholesterol add up to serious risk for heart attack, says a Penn State College of Medicine study.
Researchers examined data from about 14,500 people from four American communities who took part in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study and were followed for an average of nine years.
People with high blood pressure had an incidence rate for heart attack of 16 cases per 10,000 people per year while those with high LDL cholesterol had an incidence of 12.
The expected incidence for people with both elevated LDL cholesterol and high blood pressure might be expected to be 28 — the sum of both risks. But this study found that people with both risks actually had a heart attack incidence rate of 51.
“”The observed disease rate due to the combination of these two risk factors was significantly higher than what was expected,”" lead investigator Dr. Duanping Liao, an associate professor of health evaluation sciences, said in a prepared statement.
“”In terms of excess risk, 31 percent of the risk of developing heart attack among people with both high blood pressure and elevated LDL cholesterol was attributable to the synergistic interaction of these two risk factors,”" Liao said.
The results showed that people with high blood pressure, elevated LDL cholesterol or both have a 1.95, 1.70 and 3.31 times greater risk of heart attack than people without either high blood pressure of elevated LDL cholesterol.
“”This study highlighted the need for physicians to consider treating both high blood pressure and high cholesterol in persons with both risk factors because the patient’s risk of developing a heart attack is beyond simple addition of each risk factor acting alone,”" Liao said.
The findings were presented Aug. 30 at the European Society of Cardiology Congress in Munich, Germany. More information
Glycine May Prevent Degenerative Diseases
Glycine Supplements Prevent Degenerative Diseases September 8, 2007
The amino acid glycine can help prevent degenerative diseases such as osteoporosis and arthrosis, according to a new Spanish study. In addition, the study found that glycine supplementation may be required by most people because of the body