July 2011
Herb appears as good as drug for prostate
Extracts of saw palmetto (Serenoa repens) berries have long been used as an herbal treatment for benign prostate enlargement, a condition that affects most men after age 50. A Spanish researcher confirmed the benefits of saw palmetto using a proprietary extract in a laboratory study. The extract inhibited an enzyme, 5 alpha reductase, involved in converting testosterone to 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone, which promotes prostate enlargement. The effect of the saw palmetto extract was equal to that of the drug finasteride. Pais P. Advances in Therapy, 2010;27: doi 10.1017/s12325-010-0041-6.Author: Jack Challem
Olive oil turns off inflammation genes
Spanish researchers asked 20 patients with metabolic syndrome to eat two similar low-fat, carbohydrate-rich breakfasts. Both breakfasts contained olive oil, but one was rich in phenolics (a family of antioxidants) and the other was low in phenolics. The high-phenolic olive oil reduced the activity of 79 genes, many of which are known to stimulate inflammation through a variety of biochemical pathways, including nuclear factor kappa beta and arachidonic acid. Camargo A. BMC Genomics, 2010;11:253; doi 10.1186/1471-2164-11-253.Author: Jack Challem
Aloe cream eases hemorrhoid surgery pain
Physicians from Iran gave either a cream containing Aloe vera or a placebo to 49 patients who had undergone surgery for hemorrhoids. The patients were asked to apply the cream to the surgical site three times daily for 28 days. Patients using the Aloe vera cream had significantly less pain 12 hours, 24 hours, 48 hours, and two weeks after surgery, compared with those who used the placebo cream. They also had significantly less need for analgesic drugs 12 hours after surgery. In addition, patients using the Aloe vera cream had healed significantly after two weeks. Eshghi F. Journal of...Author: Jack Challem
Vitamin D protects against colorectal cancer
In an effort to identify factors that predict survival in colorectal cancer patients, Japanese researchers measured blood levels of vitamin D in 257 patients around the time of surgery. Only 3 percent of the patients had at least marginally adequate levels of vitamin D (30 ng/ml or higher), and the average vitamin D level among these patients was severely deficient (10 ng/ml). Higher vitamin D levels were associated with longer survival. Mezawa H. BMC Cancer,10:347; doi 10.1186/1471- 2407-10-347.Author: Jack Challem
Diet benefits people with type 2 diabetes
Researchers from New Zealand studied 93 men and women with type 2 diabetes, all of whom had failed to decrease their glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) to under 7 percent with pharmaceutical treatments. The subjects were given either intensive dietary advice or the “usual” diabetes care. After six months, people given the dietary advice had benefited from significant decreases in HbA1c, weight, body fat, and waist circumference. According to the researchers, the decrease in HbA1c was comparable to adding a new drug treatment. Coppell KJ. BMJ, 2010;341:c3337.Author: Jack Challem
Pycnogenol® Supplements May Ease Allergic Rhinitis Symptoms
Pycnogenol®, an antioxidant complex derived from French maritime pine trees, can help reduce the nasal discomfort caused by pollen allergies. Dale Wilson, MD, of KGK Synergize, a Canadian company that conducts clinical trials, studied 60 people, ages 18 to 65, who were allergic to birch tree pollen. The subjects were asked to take either 50 mg of Pycnogenol®or placebo twice daily three to eight weeks before the onset of birch pollen season. “The best results were found with subjects who took Pycnogenol®seven to eight weeks ahead of the allergy season,...Author: Jack Challem
Some Aches and Pains Linked to Low Levels of Vitamin D
A study of 3,075 men in eight European nations has found that chronic pain is often related to low levels of vitamin D. John McBeth, PhD, of the University of Manchester, England, and his colleagues studied 3,075 men, ages 40 to 79 years. Almost 9 percent reported chronic widespread pain, and 50 percent described having other types of pain. Men with chronic widespread pain had a 50 percent chance of low vitamin D levels, and those with other types of pain had a 30 percent chance of low vitamin D. According to McBeth, “musculoskeletal pain problems” are...Author: Jack Challem
Taking Fish Oil Supplements May Reduce Risk of Breast Cancer
A study of 35,000 women has found that people who take fish oil capsules have a significantly lower risk of breast cancer. Emily White, PhD, of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, investigated whether dietary supplements were associated with a lower risk of breast cancer. The women in the study were between 50 and 76 years of age, and all lived in western Washington state. Between 2000 and 2007, women who were taking fish oil supplements were 32 percent less likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer. Women who had been taking fish oil capsules...Author: Jack Challem
Omega-3 Supplements Helpful in Treating Major Depression
A study of 432 middle-age women and men has found that omega-3 supplements can ease major depression – the most severe type. François Lespérance, MD, of the University of Montreal, Canada, and his colleagues gave the patients either omega-3 supplements or placebos for eight weeks. The supplements had a high ratio of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) to docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) – with the patients receiving 1,050 mg of EPA and 150 mg of DHA daily. About half of the patients had severe anxiety in addition to depression, and 40 percent of the patients...Author: Jack Challem
B Vitamins and Methionine May Reduce Risk of Lung Cancer
Men and women with high blood levels of vitamin B6, folic acid, and methionine had roughly half the risk of developing lung cancer, compared with people who had low levels of these nutrients. Although the study showed an association – not a direct cause and effect – the researchers provided a rationale for why these vitamins might reduce the odds of developing cancer. Paul Brennan, PhD, of the International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France, and his colleagues analyzed blood samples obtained in the 1990s from 385,747 people in 10 European countries....Author: Jack Challem
