Ellagic Acid: Anti-Cancer Supplement
ELLAGIC ACID IS A POWERFUL ANTI-CANCER SUPPLEMENT SLOAN-KETTERING CLINICAL SUMMARY
A phenolic compound derived from ellagitannins commonly found in red raspberries, strawberries and walnuts. Ellagic acid has antiviral and antibacterial properties (1) (2). Recent studies have indicated that ellagic acid may have anticarcinogenic effects against liver, esophageal, prostate, and colorectal cancer cell lines (3) (4) (5) (6). Other studies have reported that ellagic acid is a potent antioxidant (1) (7). The anticancer properties of ellagic acid have not been established in humans. Ellagic acid obtained from dietary sources appears to be safe, but its long-term toxicity effects have not been evaluated. FOOD SOURCES Red raspberries, strawberries, terminalia chebula, pomegranates, walnuts. USES Cancer prevention CONSTITUENTS Ellagic acid. MECHANISM OF ACTION Ellagic acid appears to inhibit chemical-induced esophageal carcinogenesis in animals (8). It down-regulates insulin-like growth factor IGF-II (6) and activates p53/p21 expression, leading to cell cycle arrest at the G1/S phase and apoptosis (9). In vitro studies report that ellagic acid protects cells from oxidative DNA damage caused by hydrogen peroxide and bleomycin (7). Ellagic acid
Scientists Probe Drug-Supplement Interactions
Scientists Probe Drug-Supplement Interactions March 24, 2004
Note: SupplementSpot clients and visitors have access to Drug Digest which is a comprehensive description of over 10,000 drug-herb-vitamin interactions. Go to DRUG and SUPPLEMENT DIGEST.
The growing use of dietary supplements has caused alarm in recent months among the medical community who fear dangerous interactions with prescription medicines. But a new study concludes that most potential drug-supplement interactions are not serious.
As dietary supplements gain widespread popularity for a number of preventive and treatment uses, researchers have sought to underline that their use, generally not reported to doctors, could lead to serious side effects when taken along with prescription medications. But a team from the University of Pittsburgh looking at both the incidence and severity of potential interactions between prescription medications and dietary supplements in a US patient population found that most of the interactions — approximately 94 per cent — were not serious, based on limited available evidence. They report on the study in the latest issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine (164:630-636).
“”This is encouraging news for the millions of patients currently taking prescription medications along with dietary supplements. However, limited information on drug-dietary interactions exists and health care providers should continue to inquire about dietary supplement use and consider the potential for interactions, regardless of their severity,”" said Lauren E. Trilli, assistant professor at the university’s department of pharmacy and therapeutics.
The researchers surveyed 458 outpatients visiting two veterans affairs medical centers — one located in Los Angeles and the other in Pittsburgh. Because herbal supplements are more frequently used in the western half of the United States, the researchers wanted to compare results from a west coast and east coast location.
The survey participants were asked about their use of common herbal supplements, including chondroitin, coenzyme Q10, echinacea, garlic, gingko biloba, ginseng, glucosamine, saw palmetto, St. Johns Wort or vitamins. The data was cross-referenced with prescription of medications. Potential interactions were identified from various sources and medical searches.
All 458 patients surveyed were prescribed prescription medications, with an average of seven oral prescriptions per patient in Pittsburgh and six oral prescriptions per patient in Los Angeles. Of these patients, 197 or 43 per cent were taking at least one dietary supplement and the average consumption was three dietary supplements per day.
Among the patients taking supplements, 48 per cent of the Pittsburgh patients and 43 per cent of the Los Angeles patients had potential drug-dietary supplement interactions of any significance. Most patients had one or two possible drug-dietary supplement interactions, with seven patients in Pittsburgh and 12 in Los Angeles having more than three potential drug-dietary supplement interactions.
Most of the potential interactions found were with ginseng, garlic, gingko biloba and coenzyme Q.
“”Our findings help provide a context for ongoing discussions about the risks of drug-dietary supplement interactions and raise concerns regarding subsequent adverse events,”" said Chester B. Good, associate professor of pharmacy and medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
A much larger and broader patient sample is recommended for future studies to better quantify the incidence of potentially severe interactions and identify which persons may be at high risk for such events, he added.
PC SPES and SPES Recalled by FDA
Consumers Told to Stop Using Two Herbal Products Fri Feb 8, 3:37 PM ET WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Consumers should immediately stop taking two herbal supplements promoting prostate and immune system health that were found to contain prescription drug ingredients and may cause serious health problems, U.S. health officials said on Friday. BotanicLab, based in Brea, California, has issued a nationwide recall of the products, called PC SPES and SPES. Both capsules contain drug ingredients that should be used only under medical supervision, U.S. and California health officials said. Tests by the California Department of Health Services found that PC SPES, marketed to help “”prostate health,”" contained warfarin, a prescription anti-clotting medicine sold under the brand name Coumadin. Warfarin can cause serious bleeding, particularly when combined with other medicines such as aspirin, antibiotics, antidepressants and cholesterol-lowering drugs. BotanicLab, in a statement on its Web site, said further testing was needed to determine whether the ingredient was warfarin or a natural compound that may mimic warfarin in laboratory tests. SPES was promoted as strengthening the immune system. It contains alprazolam, an anti-anxiety drug known by the brand name Xanax, health officials said. Alprazolam exacerbates effects of alcohol and other depressants and may be addictive. BotanicLab said its tests verified the presence of alprazolam in some samples of SPES. The company said the contamination may have occurred in China, where the company obtains raw materials. Consumers should stop taking the products and seek medical advice, especially if they are using other prescription medications, health officials said. Unused capsules can be returned to BotanicLab for a refund.
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Calcium Essential for Sustained Weight Loss
New Studies Confirm Calcium is Necessary for Sustained and Effective Weight Loss
MINNEAPOLIS–Calcium intake may help regulate body weight, and higher intakes may be necessary during weight loss programs to maintain bone mass, according to new research released this week. The first study, conducted at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, examined the association between calcium intake and adiposity in black and white men and women participating in the HERITAGE Family Study (J Nutr, 134:1772-8, 2004) (www.nutrition.org). A total of 362 men and 462 women were divided into groups based on energy-adjusted calcium intake; the strongest inverse associations appeared in black men and white women. In both men’s groups, those with the highest calcium intake were significantly leaner than those in the lowest intake group. And in white women, there was a significant inverse association between calcium intake and BMI, percentage body fat and abdominal fat levels.
In the second study, conducted at Rutgers University, Brunswick, N.J., researchers recruited 73 women to consume a weight loss or a weight maintenance diet, with either normal or high calcium intake (Am J Clin Nutr, 80, 1:123-30, 2004) (www.ajcn.org). Of the 57 women who completed the study, those on the weight loss diet taking in only normal calcium intake showed inadequate absorption of calcium, which may impact bone mass. The researchers suggested weight loss programs are associated with increased calcium requirements to maintain bone mass.
Vitamin E Boosts Body’s Defense System
Vitamin E Boosts Body’s Defence System September 20, 2004
Scientists have found that vitamin E improves the function of the liver and thereby strengthens the body
Cancer Preventing Compounds: Resveratrol and DIM
Resveratrol, Brocolli Extract Potent Cancer Prevention July 15, 2005 A new study by the University of Chicago College of Pharmacy finds that eating broccoli and drinking an occasional glass of red wine may help prevent cancer.
Researchers believe the compounds responsible for instigating anti-cancer defenses in the body are Di-Indolyl Methane or DIM in broccoli and resveratrol in red wine.
Andrew Mesecar, the study’s lead author, explained the compounds help fight cancer by “”By signaling our bodies to ramp up the production of proteins capable of preventing [cancer causing] damage to our DNA.”"
Researchers believe the two compounds found in broccoli and red wine affect two key proteins in the body’s cancer defense mechanism. The first protein, Keap1, typically reacts with a second protein, Nrf2, by binding to it when it senses the presence of dietary compounds after ingestion.
Unfortuantely, the binding prevents the Nrf2 protein from turning on protective proteins in genes that avert DNA damage that lead to cancer.
By preventing the Keap1 protein from binding to Nrf2, the compounds found in broccoli and red wine help Nrf2 complete its job without complications, thus improving the body’s defense against cancer.
Upon the conclusion of the research, Mesecar suggests, “”One way of preventing cancer may be to eat certain foods rich in cancer-preventing compounds.”"
Carotenoids
Dietary carotenoids contribute to normal human skin color and UV photosensitivity Alaluf S, Heinrich U, Stahl W, Tronnier H, Wiseman S. Unilever Research, Colworth Laboratory, Sharnbrook, Bedford MK44 3UP, UK. simon.alaluf@unilever.com
The aim of the current study was to determine whether dietary carotenoids influence skin pigmentation and UV photosensitivity in a healthy unsupplemented panel (n = 22) of Caucasian (skin Type II) subjects. Skin spectrophotometric and tristimulus (L*a*b*) CR200 chromameter readings were made at various body sites to objectively measure skin carotenoid levels and skin color, respectively. The minimal erythemal dose (MED) was also measured to determine the intrinsic UV photosensitivity of the skin. We found that tristimulus b* values (but not L* and a* values) were consistently and closely correlated with skin carotenoid levels at a number of body sites including the back (r = 0.85, P < 0.00001), forehead (r = 0.85, P < 0.00001), inner forearm (r = 0.75, P < 0.0001) and palm of the hand (r = 0.78, P < 0.0001). Skin carotenoid levels and MED were also correlated in these subjects (r = 0.66, P < 0.001), as were tristimulus b* values and MED (r = 0.71, P < 0.0002). From these observations, we conclude that carotenoids from a normal, unsupplemented diet accumulate in the skin and confer a measurable photoprotective benefit (at least in lightly pigmented Caucasian skin), that is directly linked to their concentration in the tissue. Carotenoids also appear to contribute measurably and significantly to normal human skin color, in particular the appearance of “”yellowness”" as defined objectively by CR200 tristimulus b* values. On the basis of these findings we believe that objective measurements of skin color, in particular tristimulus b* values, may be a potentially useful means of monitoring dietary carotenoid status and assessing UV photosensitivity in Caucasian populations.
After 115 Years Woman Was Mentally Alert and Active
115-Year-Old’s Brain Was Sharp Until the End June 13, 2008
Associated Press
A Dutch woman who was the oldest person in the world when she died at age 115 in 2005 appeared sharp right up to the end, joking that pickled herring was the secret to her longevity. Scientists say that Henrikje van Andel-Schipper’s mind was probably as good as it seemed: a post-mortem analysis of her brain revealed few signs of Alzheimer’s or other diseases commonly associated with a decline in mental ability in old age. That came as something of a surprise, said Gert Holstege, a professor at Groningen University, whose findings will be published in the August edition of Neurobiology of Aging. “”Everybody was thinking that when you have a brain over 100 years, you have a lot of problems,”" he said in a telephone interview on Friday. He cited a common hardening of arteries and the build up of proteins associated with Alzheimer’s disease as examples. “”This is the first (extremely old) brain that did not have these problems.”" Van Andel was the oldest living person in the world at the time of her death in 2005 in the Dutch city of Hoogeveen, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. In 1972, the then 82-year-old Van Andel called the University of Groningen in order to donate her body to science. She called again at age 111 because she worried she might no longer be of interest. At that time Holstege began to interview her, testing her cognitive abilities at ages 112 and 113. Though she had problems with her eyesight, she was alert and performing better than the average 60- to 75-year-old. Dr. Murali Doraiswamy of the Center for Aging at Duke University, not associated with the study, said it is unusual and valuable. In the first place there are few “”super-centenarians”" — people 110 and older — alive at any one time, a slim proportion of the world’s population and a scant number even compared to those who reach 100 years. As a result, he said, there are few chances to study brains as old as hers. “”It’s very rare to be able to do not only a post-mortem, but also be able to have tested her two, three years before she died,”" said Doraiswamy. “”For a scientist, getting the opportunity to study someone like that is like winning the lottery.”" Doraiswamy, an Alzheimer’s expert, said that the proportion of brains with some buildup of proteins associated with the disease increases with age. As a result, experts theorize anybody who lives long enough will get them eventually. When Van Andel died, the director of the elderly home where she was living declined to give a cause of death, pointing to her extremely advanced years. Holstege said she died of cancer. “”She died from stomach cancer, and you and I can also die from stomach cancer,”" he said, adding that her case demonstrates that very old people die of diseases, not simply old age. “”It is very important to treat the elderly as normal people, as if they are 50 or 60.”" He noted that Van Andel was operated on at age 100 for breast cancer and survived 15 more years. When she was born in 1890, she weighed only 3.5 pounds, and her mother expected her to die in infancy. Van Andel’s husband died in 1959. She had no children. Longevity was in her genes, as all her siblings lived past 70, and her mother died at the age of 100. Asked what advice she would give to people who want to live a long time, she once quipped: “”Keep breathing.”"
Green Tea Fights The Flu
Green Tea Helps Fight The Flu Roman Bystrianyk, “”Green tea helps fight the flu”", Health Sentinel, November 29, 2005 Each year there is a mounting fear as the flu season approaches. With much of the attention given to the avian flu this year, the level of anxiety has increased in many people. With these concerns there is an interest in finding alternatives that can help fight the flu.
Several studies show that green tea