Colon Cancer Screening Saves Lives Sat
Colon Cancer Screening Saves Lives March 11, 2006 March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, and the American Cancer Society say’s there’s no better time to remind Americans that the disease is the third biggest cancer killer — and largely preventable. Colorectal malignancies account for 10 percent of all U.S. cancer cases, the society notes. About 150,000 Americans will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer this year, and 55,000 will die of the disease. That death toll could be cut in half if people followed the society’s testing recommendations for colorectal cancer. Testing is critical, because early colorectal cancer often has no symptoms. Testing is especially important for people aged 50 and older because they account for more than 90 percent of colorectal cancer cases. When detected at an early stage, patients with colorectal tumors have a 90 percent survival rate. Unfortunately, low screening rates mean that just 39 percent of these cancers are diagnosed at an early stage. “”Many people 50 and older do not know they are at risk and that they need to be screened,”" Dr. Carolyn D. Runowicz, national volunteer president of the American Cancer Society, said in a prepared statement. “”If we can increase awareness and compliance to the level we’ve achieved with the Pap test and the mammogram, we will have a tremendous opportunity to save thousands of lives through prevention and early detection of colon cancer,”" she said. As part of its efforts to increase colorectal cancer screening rates, the society will run a nationwide advertising campaign that emphasizes the need to start screening at age 50. The ads will encourage people to contact the society for a free colorectal cancer information kit, which includes a brochure that explains the benefits of screening and questions to ask your doctor. The kit also includes a DVD that explains the various colon cancer tests. More information For more on colorectal cancer screening, head to the American Cancer Society.
Weizmann Institute’s Garlic ‘Smart Bomb’ Destroys Tumor Cells in Mice
Weizmann Institute’s Garlic ‘Smart Bomb’ Destroys Tumor Cells in Mice Judy Siegel-Itzkovich Dec. 31, 2003
JERUSULUM POST: A chemical naturally found in garlic has been used by Weizmann Institute researchers to destroy malignant tumors in mice while leaving healthy tissue intact. The key to the scientists’ success lies in the development of a two-step system for delivering the cancer-wrecking chemical straight to the tumor cells.
A team of the Rehovot institute’s biological chemistry department comprised of Drs. Aharon Rabinkov, Talia Miron and Marina Mironchick, along with Profs. David Mirelman and Meir Wilchek, designed the innovative delivery method that works with the pinpoint accuracy of a smart bomb. Their findings were reported in the December issue of Molecular Cancer Therapeutics.
Allicin is the natural chemical that gives garlic its distinctive aroma and flavor. For many years, scientists studying allicin have known that it is as toxic as it is pungent. It has been shown to kill not only cancer cells but also cells of disease-causing microbes and even healthy human body cells. Fortunately for our body’s cells, allicin is highly unstable, and breaks down quickly once ingested. However, the rapid breakdown and undiscriminating toxicity presented twin hurdles to creating an allicin-based therapy.
The method parallels the way allicin is synthesized in nature. Absent from whole, unbroken cloves of garlic, allicin is the product of a biochemical reaction between two substances stored apart in tiny, adjoining compartments within each clove. The two are an enzyme, alliinase, and a normally inert chemical called alliin. When the clove is damaged, whether by soil parasites intending to eat the tender tissues, or by cooks making sauce, the membranes separating compartments are ruptured and rapid allicin production follows. The scientists realized that if doses of allicin could be repeatedly generated in this way at the site of the tumor, the highest concentration of the toxic molecules would be available for killing cancer cells.
To zero in on the targeted tumor, scientists took advantage of the fact that most types of cancer cells exhibit distinctive receptors on their surfaces. An antibody that is “”programmed”" to recognize the tumor’s characteristic receptor is chemically bound to the enzyme, which is called alliinase. Injected into the bloodstream, the antibody seeks out these cells and lodges itself and its passenger enzyme on the tumor cells. The scientists then inject the second component, alliin, at intervals.
When it encounters the alliinase, the resulting reaction turns the normally inert alliin molecules into lethal allicin molecules, which penetrate and kill the tumor cells.
Thanks to the precise delivery system, healthy cells nearby remain intact. Using this method, the team succeeded in blocking the growth of gastric tumors in mice. The tumor-inhibiting effects were seen up to the end of the experimental period, long after the internally produced allicin was gone.
The scientists note that the method could work for most types of cancer, as long as a specific antibody can be customized to recognize receptors unique to the cancer cells.
The technique could prove invaluable for preventing metastasis following surgery, the researchers claim. “”Even though doctors cannot detect where metastatic cells have migrated and lodged themselves,”" says Mirelman, “”the antibody-alliinase-alliin combination should chase them down and destroy them anywhere in the body.”"
Grape Compounds Inhibit Proliferationof Cancer Cells
Components In Grapes Inhibit Enzyme Key To Proliferation Of Cancer Cells March 28, 2005 CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Components in grapes, including some newly identified ones, work together to dramatically inhibit an enzyme crucial to the proliferation of cancer cells, say scientists at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
The work — done using advanced molecular tools with grape-cell cultures and the target enzyme for new anti-cancer strategies — helps to identify which flavonoids in grapes and red wine are most responsible for anti-cancer qualities, said Mary Ann Lila, a professor in the department of natural resources and environmental sciences.
Flavonoids are a group of organic compounds that include numerous water-soluble plant pigments responsible for colors. They are more abundant in red than in white grapes.
The Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry has posted the Illinois study online ahead of regular publication. The study details a dozen newly discovered constituents in grape-cell culture extracts and how some of them work synergistically against an enzyme known as human DNA topoisomerase II. The enzyme is necessary for the spread of cancer and commonly used in cancer research to screen plant chemicals.
“”The findings add to the argument for eating whole foods,”" said Elvira Gonzalez de Mejia, a professor in the department of food science and human nutrition. “”It’s very clear that the synergy is critical. When a cell becomes malignant that enzyme is expressed 300 times more than in a normal cell. If we can find a compound or mixture of compounds that can reduce the activity of that enzyme, the cancerous cells will die.”"
The synergistic activity involves specific phytochemicals from the proanthocyanidin and anthocyanin classes of the varied flavonoid family. They worked more effectively against the enzyme than do the previously identified flavonoids quercetin and resveratrol. Alone, the individual compenents had less effect on the enzyme.
“”We definitely had very potent activity against the particular antibody system we were using, which was that of the critical proliferation stage of carcinogenesis,”" Lila said. “”In our subsequent studies now under way in animal models, we are getting direct evidence that these components in grapes work synergistically in fighting cancer. They have to work together to obtain the potency that works.”"
The researchers are tracking where specially radiolabeled flavonoids congregate in rats, in a project funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. “”We are finding that these flavonoids are very bioavailable,”" de Mejia said. “”By eating the fruit, we know that the bioactive component involved goes into your bloodstream and relocates to other regions. Before now, we didn’t really know that.”"
Lila, de Mejia and co-author Jeong-Youn Jo, a doctoral student in Lila’s lab, produced the grape-cell cultures they tested from red-grape plants specifically bred for their pigmentation and provided by Cornell University researchers.
Using vegetative samples of the plants, rather than the fruit itself, the Illinois team was able to quickly produce the whole range of grape flavonoids in greater quantity. The researchers then extracted individual flavonoids intact. Their analytic work involved the use of reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatography and LC-electrospray ionization (ESI)/mass spectrometry to profile the most bioactive components.
Eventually, Lila said, researchers may be able to determine reasonable dosages for therapeutic consumption of flavonoid-rich grapes. Supplements containing specific flavonoids probably won’t result in desired benefits, de Mejia said, because complementary components required for synergistic activity may be missing.
“”Some of the compounds we identified have not been reported in cell culture and grapes,”" de Mejia said. “”Some have high inhibitory activity in the promotion and progression stages of cancer and have a high probability to work against the disease.”"
The National Institutes of Health funded the work reported in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
Soy Isoflavones Overview
Stay Healthy With Isoflavones There has been a great deal of discussion lately about the benefits of adding Soy products to our diet. The FDA has even issued a statement encouraging the use of soy products as a means of preventing heart disease. The general impression is that these foods are beneficial to women. While this statement is true, it is only the tip of the iceberg.
The specific ingredients in Soy that have generated interest and research are the phytochemicals (plant chemicals) called isoflavones and, specifically, genistein, daidzein and glycetin.
There are a few key plant sources of isoflavones: Soy, plant lignans (plant fiber such as Flax meal) and Red Clover.
Isoflavones are incredibly gentle and very intelligent. How can a plant substance be intelligent? Isoflavones are adaptogens which means that they adapt to each individual’s physical needs and restore balance. This is a very important quality to have when it comes to certain health challenges.
HORMONAL BALANCE - In addition to natural hormonal changes throughout our lives, both men and women are affected by external environmental hormones. Pesticides and herbicides can trigger higher estrogen levels. Commercial animal feeds promote accelerated growth with estrogen-mimicking hormones. Plastic food packaging and plastic cooking films also release pseudo-estrogens into our foods.
How is a body to cope? Eating non-genetically modified (non-GMO) Soy and Flax products provide the body with isoflavones which send chemical messages for cells to behave in specific ways. If the body’s estrogen levels are too high or too low, the message is to bring the levels into balance. In women, this may reduce pre-menstrual or menopausal symptoms. In men, it may reduce benign prostate enlargement or block environmental estrogens from reducing androgen and testosterone levels.
CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH - Recent studies have shown that isoflavones reduce cholesterol (LDL) and inhibit the hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis). Consumption of soy products specifically reduced serum levels of triglycerides and LDL cholesterol in studies. One of the isoflavones, genistein, has been shown to reduce the damage to cells that line our blood vessels.
REDUCE ESTROGEN RELATED CANCERS - Keeping the body’s estrogen levels in check reduces the risk of estrogen-related cancers such as breast cancer. It has also been linked to reducing prostate, colon and skin cancers. One of the isoflavone mechanisms studied is the ability to reduce new blood vessel growth, which is a powerful deterrent to cancers that need excessive blood flow to support growth.
OSTEOPOROSIS - The blueprint for this condition is often created early in life. A diet deficient in Calcium, together with excessive amounts of caffeine, salt and carbonated beverages, can seriously undermine bone structure. The addition of Soy and Flax products into the diet helps suppress osteoclast cells which rob Calcium from the bone.
FREE RADICAL DAMAGE - Isoflavones are powerful antioxidants. Like the flavonoids in many colourful fruits and vegetables, these plant chemicals are extremely effective in neutralizing free radicals in the body.
ADDING ISOFLAVONES TO YOUR DIET - It is becoming easier to integrate isoflavone-rich foods into our Western diet, even if you don’t like the taste of tofu. One of the most available sources are Soy products. In addition to tofu, there are a variety of delicious Soy milk products, including ice cream, yogurts and Soy protein. Soy protein isolates are also easy to integrate into familiar foods. It is important to choose a water-processed Soy protein isolate which retains the isoflavone content.
Flax Hulls Richest Source of Lignans
Lignans Supplement Is Benefitting MEN’S HEALTH The lignan content of flax bodes well for the use of this plant in men’s health. Evelyn Leigh and Brian Keating, Contributing Editors
With numerous health benefits supported by strong scientific evidence, flax lignans have may well prove to be the greatest advance in the nutritional supplement industry in the past decade.No where is this more important than in the recent focus on men’s health and the bane of all aging men BPH or an enlarged prosatte and the deadly killer prostate cancer. Still, thi sis one supplement that bot men and women can enjoy enormous benefits.
Until recently, product formulators wishing to incorporate flax into functional foods were limited to the use of whole or milled flaxseed or flax oil — not always the most potent or stable sources of valuable flax constituents. The introduction of LinumLife™ — the first highly concentrated, standardized source of flax lignans — by Acatris Inc., has given manufacturers the ability to pack the power of flax into functional offerings and supplements.
Lignans Lower Risk
Positive research on the essential fatty acids in flax helped boost sales of flax supplements in recent years, even as overall dietary supplement sales sagged. In the non-herbal specialty supplement category, sales of flaxseed supplements were up 52% percent in the year ending August 2001. More recent research has focused on flax lignans, a type of phytoestrogen that occurs in higher concentrations in flax than in any other plant. Population studies show that a high intake of lignans is associated with lower rates of heart disease and certain cancers. Lignans have also demonstrated anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities and, as phytoestrogens, can help regulate hormone levels — including those responsible for supporting prostate health.
More than half of men over the age of 50 experience symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), and a 2000 Gallup Focus Report on the market for nutritional supplements projects above-average growth in the incidence of prostate disorders between 1999 and 2010. While both soy and flax contain phytoestrogens, flax lignans appear to target prostate tissues more specifically than do soy isoflavones.
LinumLife is a shelf-stable powder standardized to 3.5% to 6% lignans, measured as SDG (secoisolariciresinol diglycoside, the main lignan in flax). The product not only obviates the stability problems encountered with other flax ingredients, but also provides 10-30 times more lignans than whole flaxseed or flaxseed oil. LinumLife is produced from flax hulls via a proprietary process that utilizes no solvents, additives, or other chemicals. The ingredient has a neutral, slightly sweet flavor, and because it is highly concentrated and used in only small amounts, has no effect on the flavor profile of finished products, says Laurent Leduc, president of Acatris’ North American Health Division, Minneapolis.
Flax hulls are a source of concentrated lignans.
Flaxseed is consumed worldwide with regulations on its food use varying between nations. For the U.S., “”…no food additive petition has been submitted to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for traditional flaxseed, nor has a formal review of the GRAS status of traditional whole or milled flaxseed been conducted. Basically the GRAS status of flaxseed has been declared by food manufacturers. The FDA has indicated that it has no objection to its use in foods up to 12% flaxseed,”" according to the Flax Council of Canada.1
Leduc is optimistic about the future of flax in the men’s health market. “”I feel that flax will do the same for men’s health as soy did for the women’s health market,”" he said. “”In terms of flax lignans, we are today where soy isoflavones were in the mid-1990’s. I think flax has the potential to boom just as soy did.”"
Reference:
1 Vaisey-Genser, M. and D.H. Morris. 1997. Flaxseed: Health, Nutrition and Functionality. Flax Council of Canada, 63-64.
Flaxseed Lignans Prevent Breast Cancers
Flaxseed Lignans Prevent Breast Cancers April 20, 2003
Flaxseed may protect postmenopausal women against breast cancer, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Minnesota, the American Chemical Society reports this week.
According to the study’s lead researcher, Dr. Joanne Slavin at the Department of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Minnesota, their recent study is believed to be the first to show that flax may be protective against breast cancer in humans.
Slavin and her associates studied 28 postmenopausal nuns in a convent in central Minnesota, chosen primarily because of their strict dietary practices. The volunteers were given daily dietary supplements of either zero, five or ten grams of ground flaxseed for seven week cycles over the course of a year.
Consumption of five or ten grams of flax significantly decreased blood levels of certain types of estrogen that are characteristic of postmenopausal women. Since previous studies have shown that increased levels of these estrogens (estrone sulfate and estradiol) may increase a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer, reducing levels of these hormones is thought to be protective against breast cancer, according to the researchers.
The exact mechanism by which flaxseed exerts its effect is not known. Flaxseed is considered the most concentrated food source of lignan, a type of plant hormone that is structurally similar to estrogen. Lignan may lower estrogen in humans by inhibiting enzymes that are involved in estrogen synthesis, Slavin says.
Although Slavin believes that lignans are likely the most active chemical component of flax affecting hormone levels, she adds that other components are also thought to lower the cancer risk, including omega-3 fatty acids and soluble fibre. Further studies are needed to determine whether these or an undetermined chemical contributes to the beneficial effects of flax and to determine the chemical mechanisms underlying this effect, she says.
Flaxseed comes from the flax plant and its seeds are ground into a powder and used to make breads and cereals. It is also sold as an oil.
Dr. Slavin was keen to stress that further research was required in order to thoroughly examine the effect that flaxseed may have of reducing breast cancer in postmenopausal women.
Green Tea Is Natural Chemotherapy for Prostate Cancer
Green Tea Described as Natural Chemotherapy for Prostate Cancer April 24, 2004 Natural treatments for prostate cancer are fast gaining scientific evidence for their efficacy in human patients.
There is already some evidence to show that lycopene, the antioxidant found in tomatoes, could both protect against onset of prostate cancer and slow the growth of tumours.
A new study suggests that green and black tea polyphenols, already shown to fight other cancers, could slow the growth of prostate cancer cells. And the polyphenols appear to be quickly absorbed in human prostate tissue, according to the researchers at the University of California at Los Angeles. They were able to detect the compounds in prostate tissue after a very limited consumption of tea.
More importantly, the scientists found that prostate cancer cells grew more slowly when placed in a medium containing blood serum of men who had consumed either green or black tea for five days compared to serum collected before the men began their tea-drinking regimen. Serum from men who drank comparable amounts of diet or regular soda showed no such slowing in cancer cell proliferation, they reported at this week’s Experimental Biology meeting in Washington DC.
Prostate cancer is one of the common cancers among men, and in the US it is known that at least a quarter of all prostate cancer patients use alternative therapies, including green tea.
Other natural products shown to fight growth of prostate cancer cells include the mineral selenium, the soy compound genistein (thought to reduce prostate-specific antigen levels), and a chemical produced when digesting green vegetables like broccoli and kale, called 3,3′-diindolylmethane (DIM). All of these need to go through further human clinical trials before lab findings can be confirmed.
The UCLA researchers noted that recent animal and epidemiological studies suggest that tea may have anti-tumour effects against carcinoma of the prostate, and many of the polyphenolic components of tea have been found in the prostate and many other tissues in rats and mice after chronic consumption of green tea polyphenols in drinking water.
However last year a phase II study found green tea had no significant effect on patients with advanced prostate cancer.
In the new study, Dr Susanne Henning and colleagues focused on the possible effect of tea polyphenols on factors named polyamines and the enzymes responsible for the production of polyamines. Elevated levels of polyamines have been associated with malignancy in humans, including prostate cancer, and — since polyamines are present in prostate tissue in high concentration — are considered a logical target for chemoprevention of prostate cancer.
Five days before they were to undergo radical prostatectomy, 20 men with prostate cancer were randomly assigned to consume daily either five cups of green tea, five cups of black tea, or diet or regular soda containing no tea polyphenols. Their blood serum was then collected and added to prostate tissue samples from a commercially available prostate cancer cell line called LNCaP.
Analysis of the prostate tissue showed a large variation in tea polyphenol content between study participants. Tea polyphenols were found in six out of eight participants drinking green tea, seven out of seven drinking black tea, and two out of five drinking soda. The fact that two of the control participants showed polyphenols in the prostate sample might be because they were eating chocolate regularly (which contains the polyphenols epicatechin and epicatechingallate) or drinking tea before entering the study, suggested the researchers.
But two important factors were different in the men who drank tea and those who did not during the five-day study.
When the scientists compared the level of total polyamine to the total polyphenol content, the tea drinkers showed a significant negative correlation — the more tea components in the tissue, the less of the polyamines associated with malignancy.
And when the scientists measured the proliferation of prostate cancer cells, there was a significant decrease in how fast new cancer cells appeared for the men who had consumed either green or black tea. That was true even when no tea components could be detected in the serum, indicating that the inhibition of cell proliferation was caused by other compounds altered through tea consumption, said Dr Henning.
Both black and green tea are therefore promising natural dietary supplements for chemoprevention of prostate cancer, according to Dr Henning. She plans to investigate if this effect can be enhanced by consuming larger amounts of tea polyphenols in the form of green tea extract supplement capsules.
SupplementSpot offer a full line of green tea extracts and high polyphenol contentrates:
MSM Research Summary
Research on MSM Aspirin and methylsulfonylmethane (MSM): a search for common mechanisms, with implications for cancer prevention.
Anticancer Res. 2003 Jan-Feb;23(1A):453-8. Ebisuzaki K.
Departments of Microbiology and Immunology and of Biochemistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, N6A-5C1, Canada. kebisuza@julian.uwo.ca
BACKGROUND: Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid), a prototypic nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), and MSM, a “”nutritional supplement”", are both used in the treatment of arthritis and described as cancer chemopreventive agents. Initial experimentation indicating that aspirin and MSM also induced the differentiation of murine erythroleukemia (MEL) cells led to a search for common mechanisms involving these two agents. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Since the major mechanism of action attributed to aspirin is the inhibition of cyclooxygenase (COX), prostaglandin (PG) production was examined under differentiation-inducing conditions in MEL cells. RESULTS: Aspirin at low, nontoxic concentrations induced differentiation leading to terminal cell division. Aspirin had no effect on PGE2 production and minimal inhibitory effect on COX activity. Furthermore, salicylate, a major metabolite of aspirin and an ineffective COX inhibitor, induced differentiation at concentrations comparable to aspirin. Similar experiments with MSM indicated that MSM had no effect on PGE2 production or on COX activity under differentiation–inducing conditions and at concentrations reported in other studies. CONCLUSION: These experiments indicated that aspirin and MSM induced differentiation by a COX-independent mechanism(s) and suggested that a common mechanism for the chemopreventive action invoked by both agents might be the activation of gene functions leading to differentiation and thereby dismantling the cellular capacity for proliferation. PMID: 12680248 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] ——————————————————————————– Methylsulfonylmethane observed by in vivo proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy in a 5-year-old child with developmental disorder: effects of dietary supplementation. J Comput Assist Tomogr. 2002 Sep-Oct;26(5):818-20. Cecil KM, Lin A, Ross BD, Egelhoff JC. Department of Radiology/MC 5031, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA. cecil@athena.chmcc.org Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) revealed a distinct resonance at 3.15 ppm in the brain of a 5-year-old male diagnosed with autism. The resonance assignment is attributable to ingestion of methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) as a dietary supplement. Glucosamine with MSM is marketed as a source of dietary sulfur and treatment of joint pain. Recognition of this chemical on brain proton MRS as an exogenous compound is necessary to avoid confusion as a pathologic metabolite of pediatric metabolic disease. PMID: 12439321 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] ——————————————————————————– Sulfur in human nutrition and applications in medicine. Altern Med Rev. 2002 Feb;7(1):22-44. Parcell S. American Institute for Biosocial and Medical Research (AIBMR), Tacoma, WA, USA. steveparcell@attbi.com Because the role of elemental sulfur in human nutrition has not been studied extensively, it is the purpose of this article to emphasize the importance of this element in humans and discuss the therapeutic applications of sulfur compounds in medicine. Sulfur is the sixth most abundant macromineral in breast milk and the third most abundant mineral based on percentage of total body weight. The sulfur-containing amino acids (SAAs) are methionine, cysteine, cystine, homocysteine, homocystine, and taurine. Dietary SAA analysis and protein supplementation may be indicated for vegan athletes, children, or patients with HIV, because of an increased risk for SAA deficiency in these groups. Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), a volatile component in the sulfur cycle, is another source of sulfur found in the human diet. Increases in serum sulfate may explain some of the therapeutic effects of MSM, DMSO, and glucosamine sulfate. Organic sulfur, as SAAs, can be used to increase synthesis of S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe), glutathione (GSH), taurine, and N-acetylcysteine (NAC). MSM may be effective for the treatment of allergy, pain syndromes, athletic injuries, and bladder disorders. Other sulfur compounds such as SAMe, dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), taurine, glucosamine or chondroitin sulfate, and reduced glutathione may also have clinical applications in the treatment of a number of conditions such as depression, fibromyalgia, arthritis, interstitial cystitis, athletic injuries, congestive heart failure, diabetes, cancer, and AIDS. Dosages, mechanisms of action, and rationales for use are discussed. The low toxicological profiles of these sulfur compounds, combined with promising therapeutic effects, warrant continued human clinical trails. PMID: 11896744 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] ——————————————————————————– Toxicity of methylsulfonylmethane in rats. Food Chem Toxicol. 2002 Oct;40(10):1459-62. Horvath K, Noker PE, Somfai-Relle S, Glavits R, Financsek I, Schauss AG. Pharmaceutical Control and Development Laboratory Ltd, Budapest, Hungary. Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) is a popular dietary supplement used in a variety of conditions including pain, inflammation, allergies, arthritis, parasitic infections and the maintenance of normal keratin levels in hair, skin and nails. Despite its popularity, there is little published toxicology data on MSM. The objective of this study was to evaluate the acute and subchronic toxicity of MSM in rats at a dose five to seven times the maximum recommended dose in humans. MSM administered in a single gavage dose of 2 g/kg resulted in no adverse events or mortality. MSM administered as a daily dose of 1.5 g/kg for 90 days by gavage resulted in no adverse events or mortality. Necropsy did not reveal any gross pathological lesions or changes in organ weights. Renal histology of treated animals was normal. It is concluded that MSM is well tolerated in rats at an acute dose of 2 g/kg and at a subacute chronic dose of 1.5 g/kg. PMID: 12387309 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] ——————————————————————————– A multicentered, open-label trial on the safety and efficacy of methylsulfonylmethane in the treatment of seasonal allergic rhinitis. J Altern Complement Med. 2002 Apr;8(2):167-73. Barrager E, Veltmann JR Jr, Schauss AG, Schiller RN. GENESIS Center for Integrative Medicine, Graham, WA, USA. BACKGROUND: Seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR) affects more than 23 million Americans annually, and current epidemiologic studies indicate that its prevalence within the United States is increasing. Numerous clinical observations and case studies have led researchers to hypothesize that methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) may help ameliorate the symptoms associated with SAR. OBJECTIVE: The primary goal of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of MSM in the reduction of SAR-associated symptoms. This study also examined possible adverse reactions associated with methylsulfonylmethane supplementation. Finally, this study attempted to elucidate the method of action by which MSM elicits its effect on allergy symptoms. DESIGN: Fifty-five (55) subjects were recruited for the study. All met the criteria for participation in the study. 50 subjects completed the study. Those subjects completing the study consumed 2,600 mg of MSM orally per day for 30 days. Clinical respiratory symptoms and energy levels were evaluated by a Seasonal Allergy Symptom Questionnaire (SASQ) at baseline and on days 7, 14, 21, and 30. Immune and inflammatory reactions were measured by plasma immunoglobulin E (IgE) and C-reactive protein at baseline and on day 30. An additional inflammatory biomarker, plasma histamine, was measured in a subset of subjects (n = 5). RESULTS: Day 7 upper and total respiratory symptoms were reduced significantly from baseline (p < 0.01 and p < 0.005, respectively). Lower respiratory symptoms were significantly improved from baseline by week 3 (p < 0.001). All respiratory improvements were maintained through the 30-day visit. Energy levels increased significantly by day 14 (p < 0.0001); this increase continued through day 30. No significant changes were observed in plasma IgE or histamine levels. The results of this study are promising. It would be worthwhile to conduct a larger, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study to establish further if MSM would be a useful agent in the treatment of symptoms associated with SAR. CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that MSM supplementation of 2,600 mg/day for 30 days may be efficacious in the reduction of symptoms associated with SAR. Furthermore, few side effects are associated with the use of this compound. Recent acute and subacute chronic toxicologic data on the same source of MSM as used in this study, further validate the safety of this product. PMID: 12006124 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] ——————————————————————————– Accumulation of methylsulfonylmethane in the human brain: identification by multinuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Toxicol Lett. 2001 Sep 15;123(2-3):169-77. Lin A, Nguy CH, Shic F, Ross BD. MR Spectroscopy Unit, Huntington Medical Research Institutes, 660 South Fair Oaks Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91105, USA. Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) is a widely available ‘alternative’ medicine. In vivo magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) was used to detect and quantify MSM in the brains of four patients with memory loss and in three normal volunteers all of who had ingested MSM at the recommended doses of 1-3 g daily. MSM was detected in all subjects at concentrations of 0.42-3.40 mmole/kg brain and was equally distributed between gray and white matter. MSM was undetectable in drug-naive normal subjects (N=25), patients screened for ‘toxic exposure’ (N=50) or patients examined with 1H MRS for the diagnosis of probable Alzheimer Disease (N=520) between 1991 and 2001. No adverse clinical or neurochemical effects were observed. Appearance of MSM in significant concentrations in the human brain indicates ready transfer across the intact blood-brain barrier, of a compound with no known medical benefits. PMID: 11641045 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] ——————————————————————————– Calcium, sulfur, and zinc distribution in normal and arthritic articular equine cartilage: a synchrotron radiation-induced X-ray emission (SRIXE) study. J Exp Zool. 1995 Sep 1;273(1):82-6. Rizzo R, Grandolfo M, Godeas C, Jones KW, Vittur F. Dipartimento di Biochimica, Universita di Trieste, Italy. Calcium, sulfur, and zinc content in normal and arthritic equine cartilage have been studied by synchrotron radiation-induced X-ray emission (SRIXE). Ranging from the superficial to the columnar zone of the normal tissue, calcium and zinc concentrations are increasingly higher, whereas sulfur is at its highest concentration in the transitional zone. In the arthritic tissue, calcium concentration is at its maximum in the transitional zone, whereas zinc and sulfur distributions are relatively homogeneous. Sulfur concentration in arthritic cartilage is reduced to about one-third with respect to that in normal tissue. The possibility that zinc concentration reflects the distribution of the zinc-containing enzyme alkaline phosphatase is presented. PMID: 7561728 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] ——————————————————————————– Pharmacodynamic effects of inhaled dry powder formulations of fenoterol and colforsin in asthma. Clin Pharmacol Ther. 1993 Jan;53(1):76-83 Bauer K, Dietersdorfer F, Sertl K, Kaik B, Kaik G. Department of Internal Medicine, University of Vienna Medical School, Austria. The airway and tremor response and cardiovascular and hypokalemic effects of single doses of inhalative fenoterol dry powder capsules (0.4 mg) were compared with the fenoterol metered dose inhaler (0.4 mg) and colforsin (forskolin) dry powder capsules (10.0 mg), a direct activator of the adenylate cyclase system, in 16 patients with asthma. Subjects (FEV1 < or = 60% predicted) were investigated in a randomized, double-masked, placebo-controlled, four-period, crossover trial for a 120 minute period. All active drugs caused a significant increase in specific airway conductance (p < 0.05); the order of potency (mean +/- SEM maximum increase from baseline) was fenoterol metered dose inhaler (0.51 +/- 0.06 sec-1 x kPa-1), fenoterol dry powder capsules (0.49 +/- 0.07), and colforsin dry powder capsules (0.30 +/- 0.03). A marked increase in finger tremor amplitude resulted after fenoterol metered dose inhaler only (62.93% +/- 10.21%; p < 0.05) in contrast to fenoterol dry powder capsules (15.84% +/- 4.35%; p 0.05). A decrease in plasma potassium was found after fenoterol (metered dose inhaler > dry powder capsules; p < 0.05). In conclusion, fenoterol dry powder capsules caused less tremor response and hypokalemic effects than the metered dose inhaler, although the bronchodilator capacity was similar. Colforsin dry powder capsules resulted in a measurable bronchodilatation in patients with asthma. PMID: 8422745 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] ——————————————————————————– Dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) blocks conduction in peripheral nerve C fibers: a possible mechanism of analgesia. Neurosci Lett. 1993 Feb 19;150(2):145-8. Evans MS, Reid KH, Sharp JB Jr. Department of Internal Medicine, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield. Dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) is readily absorbed through skin, and relieves musculoskeletal pain when applied topically to painful areas. We studied the effects of DMSO on C-type nerve fibers, which mediate pain sensation. DMSO was applied directly to exposed cat sural nerves. C fiber conduction velocity was slowed by DMSO, even in low concentrations (5-7% v/v). Higher concentrations completely blocked C fiber conduction, with a minimum blocking concentration of 9%. Onset of nerve block was almost immediate with 15% DMSO or higher concentrations. C fiber blockade may account for analgesia with DMSO. PMID: 8469412 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] ——————————————————————————– Prolongation of response to DMSO by heparin maintenance. Urology. 1993 Jan;41(1 Suppl):64-6. Perez-Marrero R, Emerson LE, Maharajh DO, Juma S. Department of Urology, Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario. Dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) is an effective treatment of symptomatic patients with detrusor mastocytosis but it is associated with frequent relapses. A group of patients (N = 25) followed for twelve months showed a relapse rate of 59 percent. Our experience with a combination of DMSO and heparin has suggested that the relapse rate may be lower. Heparin is a glycosaminoglycan that may afford protection to the urothelium and may reduce the relapse rate. It is better tolerated than DMSO or a combination of DMSO and heparin and does not produce garlic halitus. It is not associated with coagulation anomalies when administered intravesically. To determine whether or not maintenance therapy with intravesical heparin may reduce relapses we have treated a similar cohort of 25 patients with monthly instillations of 10,000 IU of heparin over a twelve-month period. Both groups were comparable in age, duration of symptoms, severity of symptoms, and response to DMSO. At twelve months only 20 percent of the heparin-treated group had relapsed versus 52 percent of the control group. Furthermore 6 patients (24%) in the follow-up group failed to respond to retreatment with DMSO while all of the heparin maintenance group continued to respond to one or more treatments with DMSO. Thus, it seems that heparin maintenance produces a significant reduction in the relapse rate of patients who respond to DMSO and reduces the number of patients requiring alternative therapy. PMID: 8420097 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] ——————————————————————————– Effect of dimethyl sulfoxide and dimethyl sulfone on a destructive process in the joints of mice with spontaneous arthritis Patol Fiziol Eksp Ter. 1991 Mar-Apr;(2):37-9. Murav’ev IuV, Venikova MS, Pleskovskaia GN, Riazantseva TA, Sigidin IaA. The authors used the blind method for evaluation of the morphological picture of the joints and the level of circulating immune complexes to study the effect of prolonged oral administration of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and its main metabolite dimethyl sulfone on the development of spontaneous arthritis in 36 Mrl/Mn/lnr female mice. It was found that DMSO and dimethyl sulfone lessen the destructive changes in the joints, while DMSO also inhibits the manifestation of immune disorders, i. e. produces a “”basal”" effect on the course of spontaneous chronic arthritis in experimental animals. PMID: 1881708 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] ——————————————————————————– Dimethyl sulfoxide modulation of diabetes onset in NOD mice. Klandorf H, Chirra AR, DeGruccio A, Girman DJ. Diabetes. 1989 Feb;38(2):194-7. Department of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles School of Medicine. Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), a hydroxyl radical scavenger, is known as an immunosuppressive agent and can reduce autoantibody levels in experimental autoimmune diseases. Because classic diabetogens damage the DNA and membrane of the beta-cell by the generation of free radicals, the purpose of these investigations was to determine whether the intake of DMSO or its derivatives methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) and dimethylsulfide (DMS) could prevent the expression of autoimmune diabetes in the spontaneously diabetic NOD mouse. DMSO (2.5%), MSM (2.5%), and DMS (0.25%) were added to the drinking water of female NOD mice immediately after weaning. Control animals were maintained on regular drinking water. The presence of overt diabetes was monitored from the age of 2 mo by weekly urinary glucose testing until the animals either became overtly glucosuric or were greater than 240 days of age. In contrast to what we expected, DMSO (2.5%) markedly increased the rate at which the animals expressed overt diabetes (P less than .0004, log-rank test). MSM had no effect, whereas DMS reduced the incidence and rate of diabetes onset. When DMSO (2.5%) was administered to male NOD mice and control strains of mice (BALB/c and ICR), the control group did not develop glucosuria or insipidus, whereas DMSO increased the incidence of diabetes in the male NOD mice from 21 to 79%. In contrast, when DMSO was fed to female NOD mice on a purified AIN-76 diet, diabetes onset was reduced to 36%. We conclude that DMSO accelerates the uptake of dietary diabetogens into the beta-cell of genetically susceptible animals (NOD mice). The protective effect of the purified diet in such animals may be due to a lack of putative diabetogens in purified diet, or alternatively, the diet itself contains factor(s) that protect the beta-cell from autoimmune attack and/or destruction. PMID: 2914623 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] ——————————————————————————– A controlled study of dimethyl sulfoxide in interstitial cystitis. J Urol. 1988 Jul;140(1):36-9. Perez-Marrero R, Emerson LE, Feltis JT. Department of Urology, Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada. To evaluate the effectiveness of dimethyl sulfoxide in the treatment of patients with biopsies suggestive of interstitial cystitis, 33 patients underwent a controlled crossover trial. Patients were allocated randomly to receive 50 per cent dimethyl sulfoxide or placebo (saline). The medication was administered intravesically every 2 weeks for 2 sessions of 4 treatments each. Response was assessed urodynamically and symptomatically. Thirty women and 3 men (mean age 48 years and mean duration of symptoms 5.5 years) were entered into the study. No significant side effects to dimethyl sulfoxide were noted. When assessed subjectively, 53 per cent of dimethyl sulfoxide treated patients were markedly improved compared to 18 per cent of the placebo treated patients. Of the dimethyl sulfoxide group 93 per cent had objective improvement versus 35 per cent of the placebo group. Thus, dimethyl sulfoxide proved to be superior to placebo in the objective and subjective improvement of patients with interstitial cystitis. PMID: 3288775 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] ——————————————————————————– Growth inhibitory effects of dimethyl sulfoxide and dimethyl sulfone on vascular smooth muscle and endothelial cells in vitro. In Vitro Cell Dev Biol. 1987 Jun;23(6):422-8. Layman DL. The growth of bovine aortic smooth muscle and endothelial cells was studied after exposure to dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) or its major metabolite, dimethyl sulfone (DMSO2). Both compounds caused a dose-dependent inhibition of cell growth as determined by [3H]thymidine incorporation and by counting the number of cells with time of exposure in culture. The IC50 of DMSO (concentration which produces 50% inhibition of growth) was 1% for smooth muscle cells and 2.9% for endothelial cells. Similarly, the IC50 of DMSO2 was also 1% for smooth muscle cells, but was 1.8% for endothelial cells. After a 4-d exposure to either compound, the growth inhibition of smooth muscle cells was completely reversible at 1%, partially reversible at 2 to 3% and completely irreversible at 4%. By comparison, inhibition of endothelial cell growth was completely reversible up to 4% of either compound. It is concluded that the growth of smooth muscle cells was similarly inhibited by DMSO and DMSO2, but that smooth muscle cells were more susceptible than endothelial cells to the growth inhibitory effects of these compounds. In addition, DMSO2 was a more potent inhibitor of cell growth than DMSO and its growth inhibition was less reversible than that produced by DMSO. PMID: 3597282 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] ——————————————————————————– Effects of oral dimethyl sulfoxide and dimethyl sulfone on murine autoimmune lymphoproliferative disease. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 1986 Nov;183(2):227-30. Morton JI, Siegel BV. The results from several studies examining the effects of DMSO on autoimmune phenomena have been inconclusive, possibly because of differences in experimental models, treatment regimens and doses employed. In the present investigation, autoimmune strain MRL/lpr, C3H/lpr, and male BXSB mice were placed on a continuous treatment regimen with 3% DMSO or 3% DMSO2 in the drinking water, ad libitum, commencing at 1 to 2 months of age, before spontaneous disease development could be detected. This represented doses of 8-10 g/kg/day of DMSO and 6-8 g/kg/day of DMSO2. Both compounds were observed to extend the mean life span of MRL/lpr mice from 5 1/2 months to over 10 months of age. All strains showed decreased antinuclear antibody responses and significant diminution of lymphadenopathy, splenomegaly, and anemia development. Serum IgG levels and spleen IgM antibody plaque formation, however, did not differ from control values. There was no indication of involvement of systemic immunosuppressive or antiproliferative effects, and treated animals were observed to remain healthy and vigorous with no signs of toxicity. These results demonstrate that high doses of both DMSO and its major in vivo metabolite, DMSO2, provide significant protection against the development of murine autoimmune lymphoproliferative disease. Possible mechanisms of protection are discussed. PMID: 3489943 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] ——————————————————————————– Pharmacology of DMSO. Cryobiology. 1986 Feb;23(1):14-27. Jacob SW, Herschler R. A wide range of primary pharmacological actions of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) has been documented in laboratory studies: membrane penetration, membrane transport, effects on connective tissue, anti-inflammation, nerve blockade (analgesia), bacteriostasis, diuresis, enhancement or reduction of the effectiveness of other drugs, cholinesterase inhibition, nonspecific enhancement of resistance to infection, vasodilation, muscle relaxation, antagonism to platelet aggregation, and influence on serum cholesterol in experimental hypercholesterolemia. This substance induces differentiation and function of leukemic and other malignant cells. DMSO also has prophylactic radioprotective properties and cryoprotective actions. It protects against ischemic injury. PMID: 3007027 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] ——————————————————————————– Incorporation of methylsulfonylmethane sulfur into guinea pig serum proteins. Life Sci. 1986 Jul 21;39(3):263-8. Richmond VL. Methionine, an essential amino acid, and cysteine are the major sulfur-containing amino acids in the body and both are thought to be synthesized predominantly in plants and micro-organisms. Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) is a natural constituent of the environment in which it is found in plants, in milk and urine of both bovines and humans, is a normal oxidation product of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) also in the natural environment and may be part of the natural global sulfur cycle. To determine whether sulfur from methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) is incorporated into sulfur amino acids, I fed 35S-MSM to guinea pigs. 35S was incorporated into peptidyl methionine and cysteine of guinea pig serum proteins. The specific activity of 35S-methionine was 30% greater than for 35S-cysteine, suggesting a precursor-product relationship. Total specific activity of serum proteins was increased by only 30% with a 100% increase of administered 35S-MSM, suggesting a limiting step in synthesis. Approximately 1% of the radioactivity was recovered in serum proteins, none in the feces and most was excreted in the urine. Microorganisms of intestinal lumen may be responsible for the incorporation of the 35S of MSM into sulfur amino acids. MSM may provide a source of sulfur for essential animal methionine by mechanisms not yet elucidated in either animals or micro-organisms. PMID: 3736326 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Fruit and Veg Intake May Prevent Breast Cancer in Some Women
Fruit and Veg Intake May Prevent Breast Cancer in Some Women April 2, 2004 Fruit and vegetables may work better in preventing breast cancer in people with a certain genetic make-up, say researchers, which could explain why the evidence between fruit and veg and cancer prevention has so far been inconsistent.
In the first study ever to evaluate catalase (CAT) genotypes and breast cancer, researchers at Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, New York, found that women with the most common genotype for reducing oxidative stress are at a reduced risk of developing breast cancer. Further, they can diminish their breast cancer risk even more by including ample fruits and vegetables in their diets.
Fruits and vegetables are well known to reduce the risk of some cancers through their antioxidant properties, which inhibit reactive oxidant species. These free radicals form naturally in the course of cell respiration and metabolism, but have been linked with disease-causing damage to tissue and changes in DNA that can lead to malignancies.
While this oxidative stress is considered to be a major causative factor for breast cancer, prominent research including the Nurses Health Study has shown no link between increased consumption of fruits and vegetables and decreased breast cancer risk. Because the evidence on whether fruits and vegetables reduce the risk of breast cancer is not clear, the investigators from Roswell Park thought that effects might be limited to women with specific genotypes related to protection from oxidative stress.
Jiyoung Ahn, a pre-doctoral research associate in the department of epidemiology at Roswell Park, and a Ph.D student at Cornell University, noted that catalase (CAT) is one of the most effective enzymes in the body for reducing oxidative stress. It converts hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen, thus neutralizing reactive oxygen species.
Ahn theorised that if higher levels of the endogenous antioxidants that course through the human blood stream naturally — like those resulting from the CAT C (CC) allele — might provide some degree of antioxidant protection against breast cancer, and if the risk might be further diminished by the consumption of fruits, vegetables and specific antioxidants.
Ahn evaluated this hypothesis in a population-based, case-control study of 1,037 women with breast cancer and 1,086 healthy subjects. Each woman was interviewed at home to assess suspected breast cancer risk factors over the course of her lifetime, and completed a food frequency questionnaire to determine dietary intake the preceding 12 months.
The women were genotyped, with the most common genotype the CAT C (CC), present in a little more than 60 per cent of the cases and the controls. A CT polymorphism exists in the (CAT) gene in about 33 per cent of participants, and all others — some 4 percent — have the TT genotype.
Women with the CC genotype and a diet rich in fruits and vegetables had a 30 per cent reduced risk of breast cancer. There was only a 5 per cent lower risk in women with the CC genotype who ate very few fruits and vegetables, according to the study (abstract 2313), presented this week at the American Association for Cancer Research annual meeting.
“”With so many women having the CC genotype,”" said Ahn. “”Our study potentially has a very important public health impact. Of course, none of us knows our exact genetic make-up, but since eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables is known to contribute to a healthy lifestyle anyway, women can consider it a viable means of reducing their breast cancer risk, as well.”"
New Flax Concentrate 30 Times More Concentrated Than Traditional Flax Oil
New Flax Lignan Supplement 30 X More Powerful Than Current Flax Sources October 6, 2003
Ingredients firm Acatris has introduced a new product which has the potential to surpass the rapidly growing sales of its Soylife soy isoflavones, according to its president.
The firm, with headquarters in the Netherlands, unveiled the standardized lignan extract, derived from flaxseed, at the SupplySide West tradeshow last week. LinumLife is designed for use in supplements and functional foods aimed at balancing hormone levels and reducing menopause or other hormone-related symptoms.
Flaxseed lignans are thought to be powerful antioxidants and are also phytoestrogens, offering significant potential in both the men