Increase energy and lengthen lifespan with amino acids

(NaturalNews) Amino acids are important and vital components in maintaining health and vitality because they are the building blocks of proteins. Naturally present in many foods, branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) provide the energy the body needs to function properly. And a new study has found that supplementing with BCAAs not only increases overall energy levels, but also appears to lengthen lifespan as well. Published in the journal Cell Metabolism , the study observed how three of the 20 amino acids — leucine, isoleucine and valine — affected male mice when given to them in addition to their normal food. After several months of supplementation, the amino acid mice lived an average of 12 percent longer than control mice. The amino acid mice also exhibited improved endurance and motor skill function. “This is the first demonstration that an amino acid mixture can increase survival in mice,” said Enzo Nisoli, a researcher from Milan University in Italy that worked on the study. The study adds to previous findings last year showing that the same amino acids lengthened the lifespan of single-cell yeast. Mitochondria, the cellular components that provide cells with needed energy, also increased as a result of BCAA supplementation. And SIRT1, a longevity gene, demonstrated increased activity in the presence of BCAAs as well. SIRT1 helps prevent the oxidative damage caused by free radicals. Unlike amino acids obtained through food, BCAA supplements are delivered immediately to the bloodstream upon ingestion, so they come with no additional “energy cost”. As a result, they can be particularly useful for people with energy defects like sarcopenia and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, as well as athletes that need a quick recovery boost. Nisoli believes that BCAAs are an excellent alternative to pharmaceutical drugs, but he said convincing doctors to prescribe them to their patients could be the most difficult hurdle to promoting their widespread use. Editor’s Note: NaturalNews is strongly against the use of all forms of animal testing. We fully support the implementation of humane medical experimentation that promotes the health and well-being of all living creatures. Sources for this story include: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-10/cp-aas092910.php

Scientists say salmonella helps immune system to destroy cancer cells

(NaturalNews) Scientists from Italy and the U.S. claim to have found a new therapeutic way to assist the body in defending against and killing cancer cells — salmonella bacteria. Based on initial tests in mice and human cancer cells, the team observed that small doses of salmonella actually trigger the immune system to better find and hunt down cancer cells in order to kill them. “We did experiments first in mice and then in cancer cells and immune cells from human patients, and found that the salmonella was doing exactly the same job,” explained Maria Rescigno from the European Institute of Oncology in Milan. The team explained that the type of salmonella they used was a special form that does not actually cause the disease to infect the body. On the contrary, the bacterial fragments seemed only to help increase immune system levels of connexin 43, the unique protein that assists cells in communicating with each other in order to defend against foreign invaders. Typically, the human body is able to fight off cancer cells during their early stages of their development. But as they spread throughout the body and multiply, the body is eventually unable to keep up with making enough connexin 43 to fight them all, which results in the cancer taking over the body. The scientists hope that their discovery will lead to the development of new immunotherapy drugs for cancer patients. Editor’s Note: NaturalNews is strongly against the use of all forms of animal testing. We fully support implementation of humane medical experimentation that promotes the health and well-being of all living creatures. Sources for this story include: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE67A40Q20100811

Painfully few surefire treatments for muscle cramps

Most cases of muscle cramps never get reported to public health authorities, so it’s difficult to say how common they are. But you probably know someone who’s had them. You’ve probably had them, too. And the older you get, the more likely you’re having one right now. Until not very long ago, quinine — a bitter-tasting substance sometimes associated with tonic water that was once the world’s mainstay treatment for malaria — was also the drug of choice for treatment of muscle cramps. But in 2006, the Food and Drug Administration warned against the use of quinine for this purpose, not because it was utterly ineffective but because of accumulating anecdotal evidence of adverse effects.

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