GrapeFruitPectin
Grapefruit Pectin and Juice Contain Cancer-fighting Compounds August 26, 2004
Citrus fruits like oranges and grapefruits are known to be a rich source of vitamin C but new evidence suggests they also contain compounds that fight cancer.
Researchers at Texas A&M University reported this week that freeze-dried grapefruit pulp, similar to whole grapefruit, reduced the incidence of early colon cancer lesions in an animal model of the disease. Meanwhile a researcher at Kanazawa Medical University in Japan showed that nobiletin, a compound found in tangerines, has also demonstrated possible action against colon cancer.
Cancer of the colon or rectum is the second deadliest form of cancer after lung cancer but is also considered one of the most preventable types of cancer, as there are several dietary factors that appear to play a protective role against the disease.
In another trial, presented yesterday at the symposium on health benefits of citrus fruits, taking place during the American Chemical Society
Soda Use Decreased Calcium Consumption Leading to Dramatic Increase in Fracture Rate Among Children and Young Adults
Children’s Bones Weaker Says Mayo Clinic Study September 19, 2003
An increase in children’s consumption of soft drinks together with a decline in that of calcium sources may be the cause behind a marked increase in forearm fractures in adolescents, suggests a new study.
Forearm fractures are on the rise among both adolescent boys and girls, according to a Mayo Clinic study published in the 17 September issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
During childhood, the incidence of distal forearm fractures — those located near the wrist — typically peaks around age 12 in girls and 14 in boys. Previous studies have documented that most of these fractures occur around the time of the growth spurt during puberty.
“”Our study examined whether these fracture rates have changed over time, and the data would indicate that there has been a substantial increase in these fractures,”" said a concerned Dr Sundeep Khosla, a Mayo Clinic endocrinologist and the study’s primary investigator.
Experts have theorized that forearm fractures that occur during adolescence are related to the fact that bones become more porous during growth spurts. However, Khosla says the fracture rate increase documented by her team paints a picture that requires further study.
“”Our study does not explain why these fracture rates increased, but the data raise concerns about whether bone-mass development in today’s children may be impaired by other lifestyle and dietary factors such as increased soft drink consumption, decreased milk consumption or changing patterns of physical activity,”" commented Khosla.
Supported by the National Institute on Aging, the researchers recorded the number of forearm fractures that occurred in people under age 35 who lived in Rochester, Minnesota, during four defined time periods. A previous study had published these data from 1969-1971. Dr Khosla’s team re-examined these data and looked at the same population 10, 20 and 30 years later in 1979-1981, 1989-1991 and 1999-2001.
The most significant finding according to Khosla was that the forearm fracture rate among young people increased by 42 per cent, from 263 per 100,000 people annually in 1969-1971, to 373 per 100,000 in 1999-2001. Mostly due to increased fractures among people under age 20.
From 1999-2001, girls between eight and 11 and boys between 11 and 14 had higher fracture rates than all other age groups studied. And 12-year-old boys had the highest fracture rate of all at 1.5 per cent per year.
The researchers also grouped the fractures by categories, including those caused by disease, serious trauma, or moderate trauma — such as a minor fall. The incidence of fractures associated with recreational activities almost doubled.
Adequate bone-mass development during childhood is critical to preventing osteoporosis and the related bone fractures that can occur later in life.
“”Increasing rates for forearm fractures in children could mean we will see a dramatic increase in the risk for hip fractures and other more serious fractures when these children become older adults,”" explained L. Joseph Melton, a co-investigator in the study and an expert on the epidemiology of osteoporosis.
This research follows findings revealed in August which suggested that the incidence of rickets — a disease usually attributed to a lack of vitamin D or insufficient exposure to sunlight — was on the rise in North American children, due to a lack of calcium in children’s diets, also believed to be caused in part by the replacement of milk by other soft drinks.
Earlier this week Michael Jacobson, executive director of the Centre for Science in the Public Interest called for sodas in school vending machines to be replaced by healthier alternatives such as fruit juices or low fat milk.
Grapefruit Lowers Cholesterol
Studies Show Grapefruit Fights Battle of the Bulge and More; Three Published Reports Coincide with National Nutrition Month(R)
March 3, 2006 Genetic Engineering News From weight loss to heart health to disease protection, three recent studies confirm the multiple health benefits of grapefruit. With March designated as National Nutrition Month(R), it’s an opportune time to highlight the benefits of the tangy nutrient-packed fruit, which unlike some citrus fruits is available year round.
Human Study Confirms Grapefruit Promotes Weight Loss
A study published in the March 2006 issue of the Journal of Medicinal Foods supports the long-held belief that grapefruit is useful in the battle of the bulge. Dr. Ken Fujioka from Scripps Clinic in San Diego conducted a 12-week study of 100 obese men and women and found that consuming one half grapefruit before meals resulted in an average weight loss of 3.6 pounds with some participants losing up to 10 pounds. Individuals who ate the grapefruit had significantly lower levels of insulin in their blood, which the researchers speculate resulted in the weight loss. The smaller the amount of insulin in the blood after a meal, the more efficiently the body uses food for energy rather than storing it as fat. The researchers further speculated that a natural plant compound in grapefruit, not the fiber content, was responsible for the weight loss since those who consumed grapefruit juice also lost weight despite the lack of fiber.
Grapefruit Lowers Cholesterol Levels Researchers in Israel found that red and white grapefruit contain powerful antioxidants that may help reduce the risk of heart disease. Published in the February 2006 issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry(1) scientists found that serving heart bypass patients the equivalent of one grapefruit a day significantly reduced cholesterol levels. The study included 57 patients, both men and women, who recently had coronary bypass surgery and failed to respond to cholesterol-lowering medication. Red grapefruit was especially effective, reducing cholesterol by 15 percent and triglycerides (a type of fat that increases the risk of heart disease) by 17 percent. Compound in Grapefruit May Protect Against Prostate Cancer A laboratory study conducted by researchers at UCLA and Zhongshan University in China discovered that naringenin — a beneficial plant compound in grapefruit and oranges — helped repair damaged genetic material (DNA) in human prostate cancer cells. DNA repair is an important factor in cancer prevention since it stops cancer cells from multiplying. The research was published in the February 2006 issue of the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry(2). Scientists noted that DNA repair by naringenin might contribute to the cancer-fighting effects associated with a diet high in fruits and vegetables. At only 60 calories, one half a grapefruit is an excellent source of Vitamin C and fiber and also offers Vitamin A, potassium and folate. Grapefruit and other citrus fruits are included in the dietary programs of some of the world’s leading nutrition organizations including USDA’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the Produce for Better Health (PBH) Foundation’s 5 A Day Program, American Heart Association, American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute. About Sunkist Growers As one of the world’s oldest and largest citrus marketing cooperatives, Sunkist Growers is owned by more than 6,000 citrus growers in California and Arizona, most of whom are small family farmers harvesting oranges, lemons and grapefruit. For more citrus information, nutrition tips and healthy recipes, visit www.sunkist.com. (1) Gorinstein S, Caspi A, Libman I, et al. Red Grapefruit Positively Influences Serum Tryglyceride Level in Patients Suffering from Coronary Atherosclerosis: Studies in Vitro and in Humans. J. Agric Food Chem. ASAP Web Article released Feb. 3, 2006. (2) Gao K, Henning SM, Niu Y, et al. The citrus flavonoid naringenin stimulates DNA repair in prostate cancer cells. J of Nutr Biochem 2006;17(2):89-95. *T
Antioxidants Reduce Alzheimer’s Risk by 75%
Juices Reduce Alzheimer’s Disease Risk August 31, 2006 In a large epidemiological study, researchers found that people who drank three or more servings of fruit and vegetable juices per week had a 76 percent lower risk of developing Alzheimer
Hairloss
SOD (SUPEROXIDE DISMUTASE) The Most Promising of All Antioxidants, SUPEROXIDE DISMUTASE is the Key to Reversing the Aging Process and to Restoring or Preventing the Loss of Hair in Men and Women.
SOD1 is a gene found in human cells that produces superoxide dismutase (SOD), an extremely potent antioxidant enzyme that fights cellular damage from reactive singlet oxygen molecules, also known as free radicals. Research suggests that SOD may be the most important enzyme in our body for the control of free radicals, keeping our cell membranes young, supple, and healthy.
When administered therapeutically, SOD has been shown to exert strong regenerative effects on tissues that have become hardened or fibrotic because of age, disease, or injury (Lefaix, 1993). SOD therapy has been used successfully to treat fibrotic scaring of organs after radiation therapy; to prevent further heart damage in cardiac patients; and to improve severe rheumatoid arthritis. But, from recent research reported in the journal Nature Genetics, and discussed in a USA Today article, it appears that SOD’s most beneficial application may be in the anti-aging arena.
SOD may in fact be most powerful life-extending discovery of our time. When human SOD-producing SOD1 genes were inserted into the motor neuron cells of fruit flies, the extra gene encouraged fruit flies to make more than typical amounts of the antioxidant enzyme SOD. Fruit flies make SOD of their own, but when the human gene caused fruit flies to produce even more SOD, they lived 40% longer. (Orr, 1994)
SOD has been available for just a few short years as an oral nutritional supplement. But, oral SOD may not be as effective as other forms of SOD. Sheldon S. Hendler, M.D. points out in his well regarded book The Doctor’s Vitamin and Mineral Encyclopedia (Simon & Schuster, 1990), SOD may be a candidate for tomorrow’s anti-aging miracle, but what’s being sold in vitamin stores is not. The SOD molecule can not be absorbed into the human body throught he digestive system. At best, only a minute amount of any supplement could pass through into the system.
SupplementSpot Nutrients has compounded its proprietary SOD Topical Cream and SOD Topical Lotion, using the world’s finest pharmaceutical grade SOD and other high purity ingredients. Topical forms of medications, such as progesterone, are rubbed onto the scalp and body so that the body absorbs it without passing through the digestive system and being eliminated by the liver. The SOD enters the skin and is absorbed directly into the bloodstream. Our organic chemists believe topical SOD to be the best commercial form of SOD available.
SupplementSpot is pioneering research applications of SOD and offers 2 forms of SOD supplementation. The first is an SOD Cream that can be used topically. The second is an SOD Lotion that has been formulated to be applied to the scalp as a means of preventing and restoring hair loss. Read our exciting product descriptions and be the first in the entire world to benefit from these new revolutionary anti-aging and hair loss discoveries.
Spinach
Spinach Provides Protection from Prostate Cancer September 9, 2004
A carotenoid found abundantly in spinach could help the body fight prostate cancer, according to new findings on neoxanthin from scientists in Japan.
The study joins a raft of recent research that suggests carotenoids, used extensively in the food industry as colouring agents, may have a preventative effect on heart disease and certain cancers as well as reduce the risk of degenerative diseases.
Prostate cancer is one of the biggest cancer killers in industrial countries and affects more than 500,000 men worldwide every year. This number is expected to increase with the aging population.
Akira Asai and colleagues at the National Food Research Institute in Japan investigated the effect of gastric acidity on the rearrangement of spinach neoxanthin in vitro and the anti-cancer effects of the furanoid metabolites of neoxanthin.
“Both neoxanthin and neochrome steroisomers dose-dependently inhibited the proliferation of human prostate cancer cells,” they report in the September issue of the Journal of Nutrition (2004, 134: 2237-2243).
The findings are further evidence of the potential value of carotenoids - commonly found in yellow, red and green vegetables - to the food industry, which so far has been slow to push the health benefits of the ingredient. Mostly used as a natural colouring, carotenoids have been
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Low Selenium Leveles Increase Risk of Osteoarthritis
Low Selenium Levels Linked to Increased RIsk of Osteoarthritis NOvember 14, 2005 Insufficient levels of selenium may raise the risk of knee osteoarthritis, US researchers will report tomorrow.
A team from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill found that for every additional tenth of a part per million of selenium in volunteers’ bodies, there was a 15-20 per cent decrease in their risk of knee osteoarthritis. The work, based on data gathered from 940 participants, is thought to be the first to link the trace mineral to joint health. Arthritis severity was directly related to how low selenium levels were. “”Our results suggest that we might be able to prevent or delay osteoarthritis of the knees and possibly other joints in some people if they are not getting enough selenium,” said study leader Dr Joanne Jordan. The findings, to be presented in San Diego tomorrow at the annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology, could be particularly important for populations in Europe. Research published in 2002 revealed that selenium levels in British bread-making wheats are 10 to 50 times lower than in their American or Canadian counterparts, owing to reduced levels of the mineral in UK soil and lower pollution. Daily intake of the mineral is therefore often lower than the recommended amount in Britain. At the same time, incidence of osteoarthritis is rising in most developed countries in conjunction with an ageing population and obesity, a major risk factor for osteoarthritis of the knee. The UK currently has the eighth highest obesity rate in the world. In the past year, more than 2 million Britons visited their GP because of osteoarthritis. The US team first suspected that selenium might play a role in preventing osteoarthritis after observing that in severely selenium-deficient areas of China, people frequently develop Kashin-Beck disease, which causes joint problems relatively early in life. They selected pariticipants in the major Johnston County Osteoarthritis Project, and divided them into three groups based on the selenium levels measured in toenail clippings. Those with the highest selenium levels faced a 40 per cent lower risk of knee osteoarthritis than those in the lowest-selenium group. “”Those in the highest selenium group had only about half the chance of severe osteoarthritis or disease in both knees. Some of the findings were even stronger in African-Americans and women,”" said Jordan. She added that there appears to be a clear relationship between selenium and osteoarthritis. The mechanism behind this link needs to be further investigated in the laboratory but the researchers believe the mineral might act as a protective antioxidant. “”Later, we’ll want to expand the study with larger samples and see whether selenium supplementation reduces pain or other symptoms,”" added Jorda
HMB
Effective body building supplements identified 19/3/2003
Those who seek a well-chiselled body can start clearing out their medicine cabinets. A US study reveals that of the more than 250 dietary products available, only HMB and creatine supplements have sufficient scientific evidence to show that their use increases lean body mass and strength gains when accompanying resistance training. The researchers have warned of the significant impact these results could have on future purchases of body-enhancing supplements.
Although scientific support for specific
Resveratrol SLows Aging Across Species
Wine compound extract used as anti-aging drug? February 21, 2006 A natural compound could become the starting molecule for the design of drugs that prolongs lifespan and delay the onset of aging-related traits in vertebrate organisms, supporting the potential utility of the compound in human aging research.
Drug development with an eye on delaying the onset of age-related diseases is a growing focus of research and public health and poses a great challenge for biotech and pharmaceutical industry. However, the successful development of drugs aimed at aging-related diseases needs to face the challenge posed by the lifespan of the available animal models