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Low Folate Levels Linked to Bladder & Other Cancers
Folate Necessary to Fight Cancer risk
9/4/2003
Individuals who are especially susceptible to genetic damage and who do not eat enough dietary folate are almost three times as likely to develop bladder cancer as those who eat plenty of fruit and vegetables and who have efficient capacity to repair DNA damage, say researchers in the US. The study, published in the Proceedings for the 2003 Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, confirms a connection between lower intake of dietary folate and bladder cancer.
“”The findings may have important implications for cancer prevention in susceptible populations,”" said Matthew Schabath, a predoctoral researcher working in the Department of Epidemiology at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.
He added that the ability to fix errant changes in DNA is of critical importance to maintain normal genetic structure, and this capability varies within the population.
“”A good prevention practice would be to limit exposure to DNA damaging agents (of which cigarette smoking is the most relevant for bladder cancer) and to eat foods containing folates and folic acid, such as fruits, vegetables, and fortified cereal grains, or take a daily supplement of folic acid, to reduce their risk of developing bladder cancer,”" said Schabath.
Folic acid deficiency is one of the most common nutritional deficiencies in developed countries. Many cereals are now fortified with folate, although fortification of flour with folic acid has not been implemented in Europe, unlike the US.
Folate itself is crucial to DNA synthesis and repair, Schabath said, so people who do not eat enough folate and who have inherited genetic instability are at much greater risk, he explained.
Low intake of folate has already been associated with a number of cancers, including lung, cervical, colorectal, oesophageal, brain, pancreatic and breast cancers, said Schabath.
In the study, led by Dr Xifeng Wu from the Department of Epidemiology, Schabath and his research colleagues studied 272 patients newly diagnosed with bladder cancer and a control group of 257 healthy volunteers to compare folate intake from the diet and evidence of genetic instability. All of the participants were interviewed using a detailed food questionnaire.
The survey showed that the control group had a much higher intake of folate than did patients. Researchers then drew blood samples to check which variants of four different DNA repair genes study participants had inherited. Three of the genes help eliminate chemicals that become incorporated into DNA because of external damage to a cell, such as by cigarette smoking, and the other gene repairs single errant base pair damage.
They also measured the level of genetic instability in a laboratory culture test by ‘challenging’ the blood samples with gamma radiation and with a carcinogenic metabolite associated with cigarette smoke to see if the cells could efficiently repair cell DNA damage.
The conclusions support previous research showing the role of folate-rich foods in overall health.
“Probiotics Reduce Cold, Fever Duration
Probiotic Multivitamin Reduces Cold Symptoms, Duration September 14, 2005 Taking probiotic supplements or foods could shorten the duration of colds and reduce the severity of symptoms, shows new research from Germany.
In a randomized, double-blind study on almost 500 adults, people that took daily vitamins and minerals with probiotic bacteria for at least three months reported that colds lasted almost two days less than the average nine days suffered by a group taking only vitamins and minerals.
The volunteers, who recorded their symptoms when they had a cold on a daily basis, also reported that headaches, coughing and sneezing, and fever were less severe if they were taking the probiotic supplement
The research, presented this week at the European Influenza Conference in Malta, shows that symptoms were down by nearly a quarter and the time spent with a fever was cut from 24 hours to six.
The findings are likely to boost the probiotics market, already worth around 2 billion a year in the US. Most products are however promoted for improving gut health. The new study will play a significant role in building the body of evidence demonstrating the bacteria’s benefits to the immune system.
Probiotic bacteria are thought to activate certain defence cells in the immune system, particularly the T cells. This mechanism is supported by the new trial in which the researchers, led by Dr Michael de Vrese at the Federal Research Centre of Nutrition and Food in Kiel, observed higher levels of cytotoxic plus T suppressor cells (CD8+) and T helper cells (CD4+) in a subsample of the probiotic group after just two weeks of supplementation.
The bacteria found in the tested probiotics include Lactobacillus gasseri PA 16/8, Bifidobacterium longum SP 07/3 and B. bifidum MF 20/5.
The study’s findings are reported in the August issue of Clinical Nutrition (vol 24, issue 4, pp481-91).
Zinc Wards Off Infections
Zinc Supplements Cut Infections, Especially in Elderly May 1, 2007 American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
A daily zinc supplement significantly reduces infections in the elderly, says a new trial from the US that may have implications for boosting “”healthy ageing”".
The elderly currently make up 10 per cent of the global population - a figure that is expected to double by 2050, placing increasing demands on public health systems and medical and social services. The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, by researchers from Wayne State University School of Medicine and the University of Michigan, suggests that zinc supplements may reduce the incidence of infections, and may also improve the overall antioxidant status of this section of the population. Lead researcher Ananda Prasad and her collaborators recruited 50 healthy subjects from both sexes (age range 55 to 87) and randomly assigned them to receive either a daily supplement of zinc in the form of zinc gluconate providing 45 mg of elemental zinc per day, or placebo for 12 months. At the start of the study, the researchers report that the older subjects generally had significantly lower blood zinc levels and higher levels of oxidative stress than their younger counterparts. Zinc is one of the most plentiful trace elements in the body, second only to iron. It mediates many physiological functions and is believed to be essential for maintaining a healthy immune system. At the end of one year of supplementation the number of infections recorded in the zinc supplemented group was found to have significantly decreased, compared to placebo. Blood samples showed that levels of tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), a marker for inflammation, and oxidative stress markers were also reduced in the zinc-supplemented subjects. “”After zinc supplementation, the incidence of infections was significantly lower, plasma zinc was significantly higher, and generation of tumour necrosis factor-alpha and oxidative stress markers was significantly lower in the zinc-supplemented than in the placebo group,”" concluded the researchers in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. A report published this week by the International Alliance of Dietary/Food Supplement Associations (IADSA) highlighted the need for action in addressing nutrition in the elderly. Report author Professor David Richardson told NutraIngredients.com that as people age their energy intake declines, making it much more difficult to ensure the micronutrient intake of diet as a whole. Such a deficit in micronutrient intake offers an opportunity for food supplements, he said. Source: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition March 2007, Volume 85, Number 3, Pages 837-844 “”Zinc supplementation decreases incidence of infections in the elderly: effect of zinc on generation of cytokines and oxidative stress”" Authors: A.S. Prasad, F.W.J. Beck, B. Bao, J.T. Fitzgerald, D.C. Snell, J.D. Steinberg and L.J. Cardozo
Low Vitamin B-12 Levels Linked to Bone Loss
Low Vitamin B12 Levels Linked to Bone Loss March 4, 2003
Older women with low levels of vitamin B12 are more likely to experience rapid bone loss, according to new research, which helps to establish the importance of the vitamin in bone health.
Vitamin B12, which is found in animal products, such as meat, shellfish, milk, cheese and eggs, is needed to produce red blood cells and maintain a healthy nervous system. But little is known about the vitamin’s affects on skeletal health, specifically among ageing women. Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, led by Dr Katie Stone, studied a random, cohort study of 83 women over the age of 64 who participated in the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures.They archived baseline serum samples and measured hip bone mineral density in study subjects during two and six year follow-up examinations.
Results, published in this month’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, demonstrated that after adjusting for age, weight and clinic site, women with the lowest levels of B12 (below 280 pg/ml) experienced significantly more rapid hip bone loss than women with higher levels of B12 (above 280 pg/ml).
Rapid bone loss is a sign of osteoporosis, a condition that affects one in three women over the age of 50, and designated by the World Health Organisation as the second leading global health care problem after cardiovascular disease. Bone density loss is usually gradual and without noticeable symptoms.
“”While deficiencies in vitamin B12 are uncommon among younger women, many older women suffer from vitamin B12 deficiency,”" said Dr Stone. “”Our research shows that the women with the lowest levels of vitamin B12 are at an increased risk for bone loss in their hips, which could lead to fractures.”"
“”We knew that vitamin B12 benefited the nervous system, but our findings suggest that it may also benefit bone health,”" she added.
The authors note that for some elderly women, simple dietary supplements, multivitamins or dietary modification may slow the rates of bone loss, but a larger, randomized trial would be needed to determine whether treatment with supplemental vitamin B12 could reduce rates of bone loss in elderly women.
High calcium and vitamin D levels are also thought to help prevent osteoporosis-related fractures, while research suggests that soy isoflavones may help women with low bone mineral content prevent fractures in postmenopause years. There is also evidence from animal studies that antioxidant supplements, such as vitamin C, could reverse osteoporosis.
SupplementSpot has a full selection of supplements that slow or reverse bone loss. Click on the following links for more information:
Testosterone Also Boosts Mental Acuity
Mon Apr 29, 2:10 PM ET NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Older men with naturally higher levels of testosterone seem to perform better on tests of mental abilities than men with lower levels of the “”male hormone,”" researchers have found. According to their study, men with high levels of “”bioavailable”" testosterone–a type of “”free”" testosterone that is not bound to protein–performed a bit better on such tests than men with lower levels. The investigators found no link between total testosterone and mental performance. The findings are published in the April issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. In the study, 310 men with an average age of 73 years took three tests of “”cognition”"–a catchall term including memory, learning, language and other mental abilities. “”The men in the study with higher levels of bioavailable testosterone–the testosterone that can reach the brain–did significantly better on these cognitive tests than men with lower levels,”" said lead author Dr. Kristine Yaffe of the University of California, San Francisco, in a prepared statement. SOURCE: Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 2002;50:707-712.
Green Tea’s Anti-Cancer Mechcanism Discovered
Mechanism For Green Tea’s Anti-Cancer Action Discovered June 3, 2004 Green tea appears to protect against cancer by affecting a ‘promiscuous’ protein that pharmaceutical experts are already targeting in their work on anti-cancer drugs, according to new research.
The study, by PhD student Christine Palermo at the University of Rochester Medical Center, reveals a potential new mechanism to explain the tea, and particularly its active compounds’ action against cancer. While many studies suggest that green tea protects people against some forms of cancer, such as breast and liver cancer, exactly how it does so has been difficult to pinpoint.
“”It’s important to find out the source of green tea’s protective effects,”" said toxicologist Thomas A Gasiewicz, whose work on the harmful effects of dioxin led the Rochester group to explore the protective effects of green tea.
“”What is exciting here is that a completely new mechanism has been found that very well could be responsible for its protective effects, and that could help us find a compound that is much more potent.”"
Palermo, Gasiewicz, and current undergraduate Claire Westlake discovered that a chaperone protein known as HSP90 is involved in conferring green tea’s protective effects. Other researchers have shown that many cancer cells have an increase in the level of HSP90 compared to healthy cells, and that when HSP90 is blocked, levels of proteins that make cancer cells grow drop.
Drug makers are currently working on ways to block HSP90, which is known as a promiscuous chaperone protein because it binds to many different cells and receptors in the body. It turns out that those researchers are trying to duplicate what green tea does naturally. Gasiewicz says green tea might modulate HSP-90 in a way that researchers have not seen before.
Gasiewicz and his group have shown how dioxin and other substances like cigarette smoke manipulate a major cancer-causing molecule, the aryl hydrocarbon (AH) receptor, which frequently plays a role in turning on genes that are oftentimes harmful.
Two years ago the team discovered that AH activity is inhibited by a chemical found in white and green teas, epigallocatechingallate or EGCG, now being produced and marketed as a supplement by DSM.
“”We initially hypothesized that EGCG would work in the same way as other AH antagonists, by binding directly to it. We were completely surprised that this isn’t the case,”" said Gasiewicz, whose work was funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the American Institute for Cancer Research.
Instead, the team found that EGCG binds to HSP90, a protein that helps other proteins stay stable, serving the same role as a tail on a kite. When the two bind, HSP90 no longer turns on the AH receptor, stopping the cascade of events that would lead to the activation of several harmful genes.
Another potential mechanism for green tea’s action was outlined recently by a team at the University of Wisconsin and Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. The found that green tea polyphenols reduce levels of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) in prostate tumour cells in a mouse model for human prostate cancer. Increased levels of IGF-1 are associated with higher risk of several cancers, such as prostate, breast, lung and colon.
Meanwhile, researchers at Kyushu University in Japan reported last year that EGCG appears to inhibit tumour cell growth by binding to a receptor on cells called the 67-kDa laminin receptor. A variety of tumours produce abnormally high levels of 67 LR, and the receptor is thought to be involved in the spread of cancers through the body.
The new research was published in the 5 April issue of Biochemistry.
FDA Approves Healthy Heart Claim for Omega-3 Fortified Foods
FDA EXTENDS HEALTH CLAIM TO OMEGA- EPA/DHA FORTIFIED FOODS WASHINGTON, D.C., September 8, 2004-The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) commends FDA’s actions today extending the qualified health claim for Omega-3 EPA and DHA, previously available only for supplements, to conventional foods, but suggested FDA fell short of recommending what the science supports. According to CRN President Annette Dickinson, Ph.D., “”Petitioners, including CRN, requested a full health claim for Omega-3 EPA/DHA and reducing the risk of coronary heart disease, and we continue to believe that the science is strong enough to warrant an unqualified health claim. While it is logical for FDA to have extended the qualified health claim to conventional foods, as well as supplements, given they both provide the same beneficial nutrients, we hope that as the positive science continues to build FDA will move towards a full health claim.”" Dr. Dickinson added, “”We are disappointed that in today’s action FDA established no minimum requirement for the amount of Omega-3 EPA/DHA that a conventional food must contain in order to use the qualified health claim. We further believe it will do consumers a disservice if foods with insignificant amounts of these fatty acids carry the claim.”" The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), founded in 1973, is a Washington, D.C.-based trade association representing dietary supplement industry ingredient suppliers and manufacturers. CRN members adhere to a strong code of ethics, comply with dosage limits and manufacture dietary supplements to high quality standards under good manufacturing practices. For more information on CRN, visit http://www.crnusa.org.
Alpha lipoic acid
Alpha-Lipoic Acid: More Than an Antioxidant
There are numerous molecules, known as free radicals, which cause us to age rapidly and may contribute to serious health problems. Most of these free radicals, whether they come from pollution, smoke or chemicals, can be controlled by a group of nutrients called antioxidants. One excellent example of an antioxidant is Alpha-Lipoic Acid, a substance found in food and manufactured in small quantities by the body. In 1988, it was discovered that Alpha-Lipoic Acid was a powerful metabolic antioxidant. When taken within a comprehensive antioxidant regime, Alpha-Lipoic Acid replenishes Vitamin C and glutathione and helps to recycle Vitamin E. As an added benefit, Alpha-Lipoic Acid promotes cellular and muscular energy and functions as a co-enzyme in the metabolism of sugars.
Alpha-Lipoic Acid supplementation is necessary whenever increased energy is required; periods of strenuous physical activity and a desire for optimum vitality are excellent examples of situations with this need. It is a powerful liver detoxifier and protects against the effects of toxic metals in the liver. In addition to its effect on the repair and protection of the liver, Alpha-Lipoic Acid helps to supply energy to the brain and boosts the effectiveness of the immune system.
As an antioxidant, Alpha-Lipoic Acid is unique because it is both fat- and water-soluble. Because of this property, it can enter all areas of the cell affected by free radicals. Alpha-Lipoic Acid also helps to convert pyruvate into acetyl co-enzyme A, one of the main fuels driving the Krebs Cycle, which provides the body with its energy. As a result, one can improve the body’s rate of metabolism of fats and carbohydrates while increasing athletic strength and endurance.
When combined with other antioxidants, Alpha-Lipoic Acid has the ability to lengthen cell life, fight infection, increase energy and detoxify the body.
Soda Consumption: A Major Health Risk
By Janice Billingsley HealthScoutNews Reporter SATURDAY, Nov. 9 (HealthScoutNews) — Soft drinks may fill you up, but they let you down when it comes to vitamins and minerals. A University of Missouri consumer economist, analyzing the results of a national food survey, found that people significantly increased their chances of being deficient in the recommended daily allowances (RDA) for common vitamins and minerals when they consumed a lot of sugared drinks. RDA deficiencies are not common. In the some 15,000 people who self-reported their food intake for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) study, from only 1 percent to 8 percent of the participants were not getting the proper amounts of certain vitamins and minerals. However, says Michael S. Finke, an assistant professor or consumer and family economics at Missouri, the consequences of getting ever more calories from soft drinks or fruit-flavored sugared drinks with no nutrients is a trend that needs attention. “”RDA deficiency is not a major problem because a lot of foods have vitamins and minerals added, but this study shows that more nutrient-rich foods are being replaced by sugar drinks,”" says Finke, author of the study, appearing in the December issue of the Family and Consumer Sciences Research Journal. “”People haven’t really highlighted the consequences of this major food consumption trend,”" he says. Part of the problem could be simple economics, he says. Soda is a very cheap way to get calories. “”Soda pop has always been around, but it’s so much cheaper now, relatively speaking, than it was 30 years ago that it is an enticing food option for resource-constrained families,”" Finke says. “”A three-liter bottle of soda is 69 cents and contains 1,000 calories.”" The only cheaper food source, he says, is vegetable oils. Between 1970 and 1997, Finke says in his study, there has been a 86 percent increase in annual per capita consumption of carbonated, sugared soft drinks. One 12-ounce can of cola supplies about 150 calories from about 10 teaspoons of sugar. In the study, Finke reviewed the results of a 1994-1996 survey of the USDA’s Food Intakes by Individuals, to see if there were any associations between soda consumption and vitamin and mineral deficiency among participants in the self-reported food survey. The scientists looked at 14 vitamins and minerals, including: vitamins A, E, C, B6, and B12, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and folate, and the minerals calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, and zinc. The study did not include information about any vitamin or mineral supplements taken. “”The results were a little bit more dramatic that I had expected,”" he says. “”I expected the results would be significant for nutrients associated with foods that might be replaced by soda, like calcium in milk, but the results were also significant for every other vitamin and mineral.”" Finke and his colleagues found that sugar drink consumption was the most consistent variable — more than gender, race, or income — to signal the probability that people would not meet their RDA requirements. The problem, he says, is not failure to meet RDA requirements, as only a small proportion of the participants actually failed to do so, ranging from 181 people (1.2 percent) for niacin to 1,168 people (7.8 percent) for vitamin A. However, the trend of increased soda pop consumption could increase the likelihood that more people would fail to meet their RDA requirements down the road. “”If someone drinks two cans of soda daily, which is about 15 percent of daily caloric intake, there is a 1 percent decrease in the probability that the person will meet their RDA requirements in calcium, for instance,”" Finke says. “”So if the trend continues in the future as it has in the past, sugar drink consumption will have an even greater impact on failure to meet RDA’s.”" Finke says he is an economist, not a nutritionist, “”but it seems obvious that we should pay attention to this trend in U.S. food consumption and look at things we can to do reduce sugared drink consumption by making other foods less expensive and more palatable.”" Connie Diekman, a nutritionist at the Washington University in St. Louis, agrees that soft drink consumption is a trend threatening to compromise good, nutritional health, especially in young people. “”What this study and others have shown is that adolescents increasingly turn to soft drinks for hydration and then don’t need to get those calories from healthier choices,”" she says. “”In addition, the long-term effects of inadequate calcium — maybe not deficient, but less than that needed for bone health — are a major health issue.”" What To Do See a report on soda consumption by teens at the Center for Science in the Public Interest. Go to the American Dietetic Association for some tips on how much soda to consume. SOURCES: Michael S. Finke, Ph.D., assistant professor, consumer and family economics, University of Missouri, Columbia; Connie Diekman, M.Ed., R.D., L.D., F.A.D.A., director, university nutrition, Washington University, St. Louis and spokeswoman, American Dietetic Association; December 2002 Family and Consumer Sciences Research Journal