High levels of vitamin D needed for bone density drugs to work, study shows

To fully optimize a drug therapy for osteoporosis and low bone mineral density, patients should maintain vitamin D levels above the limits recently recommended by the Institute of Medicine, according to a new study by researchers from Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. The study will be presented at the Endocrine Society’s Annual Meeting in Boston, June 4-7.

Common amphetamine drugs linked to Parkinson’s disease

(NaturalNews) A new study to be presented at the 63rd Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology says that users of amphetamine drugs like benzedrine and dexedrine have a heightened risk of developing Parkinson’s disease. According to a follow-up review of more than 66,000 volunteers who participated in the Multiphasic Health Checkup Cohort Exam between 1964 and 1973, users of amphetamines were 60 percent more likely than those who did not take the drugs to develop Parkinson’s. The drugs in question, which are commonly used to improve focus and increase wakefulness in patients suffering from narcolepsy and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) — and which some doctors have illicitly prescribed off-label for weight loss purposes — directly affect the brain’s uptake of dopamine, a vital neurotransmitter that affects mental and physical health. Based on the study, it appears that some side effect of amphetamine drugs is disrupting proper brain function over time, causing it to degrade. “If further studies confirm these findings, the potential risk of developing Parkinson’s disease from these types of amphetamines would need to be considered by doctors before prescribing these drugs as well as be incorporated into amphetamine abuse programs, including illicit use,” said Stephen K. Van Den Eeden, PhD, author of the study. A 2009 study funded by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) found that common amphetamine drugs like Ritalin that are prescribed to children increase the risk of sudden death by 500 percent. In spite of the findings of that study, the FDA decided that Ritalin was still safe, and that its benefits outweighed its risks (http://www.naturalnews.com/026459_adhd_drugs_ritalin.html). Sources for this story include: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/using-amphetamines-may-increase-risk-of-parkinsons-disease-116660444.html

Pomegranate juice components block cancer cell migration

(NaturalNews) One of the most dreaded consequences of cancer is when the disease metastasizes — meaning it spreads from the primary site where it started to other parts of the body. But University of California, Riverside (UCR) scientists have announced what could be a major breakthrough in halting metastasis. They’ve discovered components in pomegranate juice that inhibit the movement of cancer cells and weaken the attraction of malignant cells to a chemical signal that has been shown to promote metastasis. The UCR findings were just presented at the American Society for Cell Biology’s 50th Annual Meeting, which is being held in Philadelphia. Specifically, the research team from the UCR laboratory of Manuela Martins-Green, Ph.D., found that pomegranate juice seems to block the spread of prostate cancer cells to the bone. The group is planning additional tests to determine the effects of various doses of the natural pomegranate compounds and whether there are any side effects. In earlier studies, Dr. Martins-Green and her colleagues used a standardized concentration of pomegranate juice on two types of laboratory-cultured prostate cancer cells that were resistant to the male hormone testosterone. Scientists have long known that when cancerous cells are resistant to testosterone, that’s an indicator those cells have a strong potential to metastasize. Not only did the research team find pomegranate juice killed many cancer tumor cells — the pomegranate juice treatment also increased cell adhesion and decreased cell migration in those cancer cells that had not died. Next the scientists analyzed the pomegranate juice to figure out which specific ingredients produced the molecular impact on cell adhesion and migration in metastatic prostate cancer cells. Dr. Martins-Green, graduate student Lei Wang and undergraduate student Jeffrey Ho discovered the answer: phenylpropanoids, hydrobenzoic acids, flavones and conjugated fatty acids found in the fruit. “This is particularly exciting because we can now modify these naturally occurring components of the juice to improve their functions and make them more effective in preventing prostate cancer metastasis,” Dr. Martins-Green said in a media statement. “Because the genes and proteins involved in movement of prostate cancer cells are essentially the same as those involved in movement of other types of cancer cells, the same modified components of the juice could have a much broader impact in cancer treatment.” The idea that pomegranate phytochemicals have an anti-cancer effect isn’t new. In fact, evidence has been steadily accumulating over the past few years that along with other health benefits (such as soothing inflammation in the body and potentially reducing the risk of heart disease) pomegranates can prevent and/or treat cancer. For example, earlier in 2010, NaturalNews reported on a study published in the journal Cancer Prevention Research showing that phytochemicals known as ellagitannins found in pomegranate fruit could prevent the development of hormone-dependent breast cancer and halt the growth of estrogen-driven tumors (http://www.naturalnews.com/027947_pomegranates_brst_cancer.html). In addition, in a 2006 study of prostate cancer patients who drank eight ounces of pomegranate juice every day, UCLA researchers found a decline in prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels that suggested a potential slowing of cancer progression. More recently, the results of a long-term study published in the Journal of Urology concluded pomegranate juice may effectively slow the progression of prostate cancer, even when regular treatment has failed (http://www.naturalnews.com/026190_cancer_Prostate_pomegranate_juice.html#ixzz17Lfyh6h5). However, despite all the science showing pomegranate juice could have anti-cancer effects, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has come down hard on claims about those potential benefits. In Sept. 2010, the FTC filed a lawsuit against Pom Wonderful, the natural foods company that provided the pomegranate juice for the UCLA research and has supported other research on pomegranate juice, charging the company’s claims about the juice’s health benefits were misleading. For more information: http://www.naturalnews.com/pomegranate.html

Pomegranates provide amazing protection against tissue damage, inflammation

(NaturalNews) The health benefits of eating pomegranates are numerous, and a new study presented at the American Society of Nephrology’s 43rd Annual Meeting and Scientific Exposition in Denver, Colo., has discovered yet another. According to the report, the potent antioxidant profile of pomegranates helps to reduce inflammation, prevent damage caused by oxidative stress, and minimize complications associated with kidney disease and its conventional treatment protocols. For the study, researchers administered either pomegranate juice or a placebo drink to 101 patients undergoing dialysis for kidney disease. Patients consumed the drinks three times a week for an entire year. At the end of the evaluation period, patients in the pomegranate juice group had less infections that required hospitalization, and reduced oxidative damage to cells caused by harmful free radicals. In addition to specific improvements related to kidney disease, patients also experienced reduced blood pressure and an overall improvement in factors associated with a healthy heart. These improvements are specifically important for kidney disease patients since most end up dying from cardiovascular-related events. “Considering the expected epidemic of chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients in the next decade, further clinical trials using pomegranate juice aimed at reducing the high cardiovascular morbidity of CKD patients and their deterioration to end-stage renal disease should be conducted,” said Dr. Batya Kristal, one of the authors of the study. According to another recent study covered by NaturalNews, pomegranates also help to prevent the artery stiffening that leads to decreased blood flow and circulation (http://www.naturalnews.com/030049_pomegranate_heart_disease.html). Published in the journal Clinical Nutrition , that study showed that after three months of taking pomegranate extract, patients reduced arterial wall thickening by 35 percent, and cholesterol oxidation levels by an astounding 90 percent — both of which improve cardiovascular health. Sources for this story include: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-11/ason-pjb111010.php

Age related hearing loss halted with folate nutrient

(NaturalNews) Hearing loss is the most common sensory disorder in the United States, and more than 36 million Americans have lost some of their hearing. Mostly, hearing loss is blamed on getting older. But evidence is accumulating that the real culprit could be a lack of B vitamins — especially folate. For example, in 2007 scientists from Wageningen University in the Netherlands studied 728 men and women between the ages of 50 and 70 and found that by taking folic acid supplements, age-related hearing loss in the low frequency range was significantly delayed. Then, at last year’s American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNSF) Annual Meeting in San Diego, a Boston-based research team discussed evidence showing that when men over the age of 60 had a high folate intake from foods and/or vitamins, they decreased their risk of losing their hearing by 20%. Now a new study, dubbed the Blue Mountains Hearing Study and headed by scientists at the University of Sydney in Australia, has revealed yet another important link between folate and hearing. The researchers found that when people have low levels of the B vitamin in their blood, they have a significantly increased risk of hearing loss. The research was recently published in The Journal of Nutrition . The study, which involved researchers from several Australian universities, looked at 2,956 people age 50 and up. Blood levels of vitamin B-12, folate and homocysteine were measured and then compared to the amount of hearing loss in the research subjects. The results? People with low levels of folate (below 11 nanomoles per liter) had a 34% increased risk of hearing loss. What’s more, elevated levels of the amino acid homocysteine (over 20 micromoles per liter) were linked to a 64% increase in the risk of hearing loss. Excess levels of homocysteine have previously been associated with an increased risk of heart disease and memory problems. Too much homocysteine is also believed to disrupt normal blood flow to the inner ear — which could possibly explain the homocysteine and hearing loss connection. And a body of earlier research has concluded adequate B vitamin levels are associated with normal homocysteine levels in the blood. NaturalNews has previously reported on other ways folate is important to maintaining and protecting health. For example, studies show it may protect from breast cancer (http://www.naturalnews.com/027588_folate_brst_cancer.html) and help prevent memory loss, too (http://www.naturalnews.com/012163.html). For more information: http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/abstract/jn.110.122010v1http://www.nutrientreference.com/folate.html

Fructose results in more belly fat and less insulin-sensitive fat

(NaturalNews) High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is hard to avoid if you eat processed foods — it’s used to sweeten soft drinks, candy bars, bread, salad dressings, fruit drinks and thousands of other items. But it’s worth the effort to read labels and avoid the stuff. The reason? Research has mounted over the past couple of years that HFCS may be just plain dangerous to health. For example, researchers from Loyola University Health System have found women who drink at least two cans of HFCS-sweetened soda pop daily are twice as likely to show signs of kidney disease as those who don’t drink that many sodas (http://www.naturalnews.com/025582_soda_health_pop.html). And although HFCS has been linked previously to the widespread rise in obesity, a new study has produced evidence showing exactly why fructose could be making people fatter than ever, starting in childhood. It turns out that when the sugary stuff is present as children’s fat cells mature, fructose turns more of these cells into belly fat. Defined by a large waistline often dubbed a “spare tire”, abdominal obesity ups the risk of both heart disease and type 2 diabetes. What’s more, cells in both belly fat (visceral fat) and subcutaneous fat located below the skin were found to be less able to respond to insulin if they had been exposed to fructose. That means fructose could up the risk for metabolic syndrome, a precursor of type 2 diabetes, while spurring weight gain. This research was just presented by lead author Georgina Coade, a PhD student at the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom, at the Endocrine Society’s 92nd Annual Meeting held in San Diego. “Our results suggest that high levels of fructose, which may result from eating a diet high in fructose, throughout childhood may lead to an increase in visceral (abdominal) obesity, which is associated with increased cardiometabolic risk,” Coade said in a statement to the media. Coade and her research team studied biopsy specimens of both subcutaneous and visceral fat from 32 healthy-weight children who had not gone through puberty yet. Then they took preadipocytes (precursors to fat cells that have the potential to differentiate, or mature, into fat-containing cells called adipocytes) from the specimens and allowed these precursor cells to mature for 14 days in culture media containing normal glucose (the main sugar found in the bloodstream), high glucose or high fructose. Next the investigators measured the activity of an enzyme dubbed GPDH and the abundance of the adipocyte fatty acid binding protein — both of which are found only in mature fat cells. The results showed that fructose caused fat cells to form more mature, visceral fat cells. In addition, the cells that matured in the fructose solution all showed a decrease in insulin sensitivity (the ability to successfully take up glucose from the bloodstream into fat and muscles) — and decreased insulin sensitivity is a characteristic of type 2 diabetes. “Fructose alters the behavior of human fat cells if it is present as the fat cells mature,” Coade concluded. “We can maybe compare this (timing) to periods in children when they are making their fat.” As if you need another reason to avoid fructose, consider this: NaturalNews revealed last year that research published in the journal Environmental Health showed HFCS is contaminated with the toxic heavy metal mercury. (http://www.naturalnews.com/025442_HFCS_Corn_Refiners_Association.html). For more information: http://www.naturalnews.com/fructose.html

Vitamin D promotes memory and cognitive function in seniors

(NaturalNews) A lack of vitamin D has already been linked in several studies to depression. Now it appears a deficiency of this crucial nutrient could also play a role in robbing the brain of the ability to process information correctly and clearly. Defined as a person’s ability to process thoughts, cognitive function includes memory and the ability to learn new information, as well as speaking and reading comprehension. Aging is known to affect cognitive function in many people, resulting in memory loss and difficulty thinking of the right words while speaking or writing. But what if a lack of vitamin D could be the culprit that is causing or contributing to cognitive impairment in many elders — and not simply aging by itself? If that’s the case, it offers hope that adequate vitamin D could help keep minds agile and memory sharp. Research headed by epidemiologist Katherine Tucker with the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (HNRCA) at Tufts University in Boston, Massachusetts, and published in Journals of Gerontology raises that possibility. Metabolic pathways for vitamin D have been found in the hippocampus and cerebellum — areas of the brain involved in planning, processing, and forming new memories. So it appears a lack of vitamin D could disrupt these cognitive processes. Dr. Tucker and her colleagues studied more than 1,000 elders receiving home care. The research team investigated associations between measured levels of vitamin D in the blood of these people, who were all between the ages of 65 and 99, and compared them to results of neuropsychological tests. The participants were then grouped by their vitamin D status, which was categorized as deficient, insufficient, or sufficient. The researchers noted in a statement to the media that older people needing home care have an elevated risk of not getting enough vitamin D because of their exposure to sunlight is often limited. And, in fact, only 35 percent of the research subjects had sufficient vitamin D levels in their blood for health. Those elders who did have adequate vitamin D scored far better on cognitive tests than those in the deficient and insufficient vitamin D categories, particularly on measures of executive performance, which included cognitive flexibility, perceptual complexity, and reasoning. The associations persisted after taking into consideration other variables that could also have influenced performance on the cognitive ability tests. Another new study just presented at the Endocrine Society’s 92nd Annual Meeting held in San Diego provides more disturbing evidence that older adults commonly have low vitamin D levels. Researchers from the VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam investigated approximately 1,300 Dutch men and women age 65 and older and found almost 50 percent were deficit in vitamin D. For more information: http://biomedgerontology.oxfordjournals.org/content/64A/8/888.abstract?sid=0007591c-0f9e-4df7-bd44-dee95244c8bb http://www.naturalnews.com/vitamin_d.html

A diet loaded with antioxidant rich foods improves insulin resistance

(NaturalNews) According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDKD), insulin resistance is a condition in which the pancreas eventually can’t keep up with the body’s demand for insulin (a hormone that helps the body use glucose for energy). Eventually, an excess of glucose builds up in the bloodstream — and that sets the stage for type 2 diabetes. New research just presented at the Endocrine Society’s 92nd Annual Meeting, held in San Diego, shows that natural antioxidants in the diet can be a powerful way to improve insulin resistance — even in people who are obese and suffering from metabolic syndrome. A precursor of diabetes associated with insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions (including high blood pressure, elevated insulin levels, excess body fat around the waist and abnormal cholesterol levels) that raise the risk of heart disease and stroke, as well as diabetes. “The beneficial effects of antioxidants are known, but we have revealed for the first time one of their biological bases of action — improving hormonal action in obese subjects with the metabolic syndrome,” lead researcher Antonio Mancini, MD, an endocrinology researcher at Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Rome, Italy, said in a statement to the media. Dr. Mancini and his fellow researchers investigated the effects of dietary antioxidants on insulin resistance in 16 men and 13 women between 18 and 66 years of age. All the research subjects were obese and insulin-resistant but had not yet developed full-blown diabetes. The study participants were randomly assigned to one of four treatment groups. Then all groups were place on low-calorie, Mediterranean-type diets averaging 1,500 calories daily and containing only 25 percent of these calories from protein foods with the rest made up of low-glycemic-index carbohydrates (carbs such as whole grains that don’t cause a quick rise in blood sugar). However, while one group ate only this diet, the second group consumed the same foods but also took the an oral medication that lowers blood glucose called metformin (sold under the brand names Glucophage, Glucophage XR, Glumetza, Fortamet, and Riomet). Groups three and four ate a Mediterranean style diet, too, but theirs was enriched with extra helpings of fruits and vegetables that are known to be loaded with antioxidants; group four was also given metformin. Even though all the research subjects in each group lost about the same amount of weight, only the two groups consuming the high antioxidant diet (groups 3 and 4) had a significant decrease in insulin resistance. The latter group had the best improvement based on an oral glucose tolerance test, according to the scientists’ report. Although the researchers did not discuss the possibility, the ability of the high antioxidant diet to greatly improve insulin resistance without any medication is a hopeful indication that diets rich in natural antioxidants alone may help many people faced with this pre-diabetic problem who can not take — or don’t want to take — the drug metformin. The medication’s most common side effects (which occur in one out of every three patients) are nausea, vomiting, gas, bloating, diarrhea and loss of appetite. Dr. Mancini pointed out that there’s evidence oxidative stress, which can result in damage to blood particles and cells, plays a role in the metabolic syndrome. And previous research has shown that antioxidants can prevent oxidative damage to cells and sometimes even repair damage. Antioxidants, which are found naturally in many foods including fruits, vegetables, legumes and nuts, include vitamins E and C, selenium and carotenoids, such as beta-carotene. For more information: http://www.endo-society.org/endo2010/abstracts/ http://www.naturalnews.com/antioxidant.html http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/insulinresistance/

New research: vitamin K protects against non-Hodgkin lymphoma

(NaturalNews) Non-Hodgkin lymphomas belong to a large group of immune system cancers involving lymphocytes (white blood cells). In 2009, according the National Cancer Institute (NCI) about 65,980 Americans were diagnosed with this form of cancer and almost 20,000 died from the disease. But now scientists at the Mayo Comprehensive Cancer Center in Minnesota think they’ve found a way to prevent a huge number of these malignancies. The key is a nutrient found in many leafy, green vegetables — vitamin K. For their study, the first ever to investigate vitamin K and non-Hodgkin lymphoma risk, the Mayo researchers enrolled 603 patients who were newly diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma as well as 1,007 matched cancer-free research subjects who served as controls. The participants answered a food questionnaire about their usual intake of over 120 food items during the two years before they were diagnosed with cancer or they enrolled in the study as a member of the cancer-free control group. They were also asked about their use of vitamin and mineral supplements. The findings of the study, which were recently announced in Washington, D.C., at the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), showed that the risk of developing non-Hodgkin lymphoma was slashed dramatically — by 45 percent — for the study participants who had the highest vitamin K levels compared to participants with the lowest levels of the vitamin. This association remained even after the Mayo research team investigated factors such as age, sex, education, obesity, smoking, alcohol use and consumption of foods with high amounts of antioxidants. Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin found in certain plants or formed by bacterial synthesis. The Mayo study involved intake of the plant form of vitamin K from diet and/or supplement use. The most common food sources of vitamin K include leaf lettuce and spinach, with smaller amounts found in other vegetables such as onions, bell peppers, asparagus and alfalfa sprouts and some fruits, including strawberries. Consuming a lot of vitamin K was associated with a lower risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma whether the vitamin came from natural food sources or from supplements. However, very high intakes of vitamin K from supplements did not cause a further reduction in risk. “These results are provocative, since they are the first work we have done on the connection between vitamin K and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and this is a fairly strong protective effect,” the study’s lead investigator, cancer epidemiologist James Cerhan, M.D., Ph.D., said in a media statement. “Whether the protective effect we observed is due to vitamin K intake, or some other dietary or lifestyle exposure, cannot be definitely assessed in this study. But these findings add to a lot of other data that support a diet that includes plenty of green leafy vegetables in order to prevent many cancers as well as other diseases.” Well-known as essential for blood clotting (the name of the vitamin is derived from the German word “Koagulations”), vitamin K has also been found in recent years to be important for other functions in the body, including putting a damper on inflammation and regulating cell growth — and this might explain its apparent ability to protect from non-Hodgkin lymphoma. For more information: http://www.mayoclinic.org/news2010-rst/5739.html http://www.nutrientreference.com/vitamin_K.html

Vitamin and calcium supplements slash breast cancer risk

(NaturalNews) It’s common for mainstream medical doctors to declare there’s no reason to take nutritional supplements. After all, this line of reasoning goes, you are supposedly getting all the nutrition you need from a typical American diet. However, evidence continues to mount disproving this idea. And scientists are documenting that an optimum intake of nutrients can, in fact, have enormous benefits to health. A case in point: a new study indicates taking multi-vitamins and calcium supplements can dramatically slash the risk of breast cancer. Scientists at the Ponce School of Medicine in Puerto Rico investigated 268 women with malignant breast tumors and 457 healthy controls to look for possible causative factors for breast cancer. The results, which were recently presented by Jaime Matta, Ph.D., at the American Association for Cancer Research’s 101st Annual Meeting held in Washington, D.C., showed vitamin supplements reduced the risk of breast cancer by about 30%. “It is not an immediate effect. You don’t take a vitamin today and your breast cancer risk is reduced tomorrow. However, we did see a long-term effect in terms of breast cancer reduction,” Dr. Matta, who headed the study, said in a statement to the press. “We’re not talking about mega doses of these vitamins and calcium supplements, so this is definitely one way to reduce risk.” Dr. Matta explained that his research team’s findings also suggest that calcium supplements help protect against breast cancer because they enhance DNA repair capacity. This is important because DNA repair is a complex biological process involving more than 200 proteins that, if disrupted, can cause malignancies, including breast tumors. “This process involves at least five separate pathways and is critical for maintaining genomic stability,” Dr. Matta noted in the media statement. “When the DNA is not repaired, it leads to mutation that leads to cancer.” Although breast cancer is a disease women tend to fear, the new study is one of many that gives credence to the idea women can take control of their health and use natural therapies, including nutrition, to help prevent and even treat breast cancer. For example, NaturalNews recently reported that a vegetable commonly eaten in China and India, bitter melon, stops breast cancer cells from growing (http://www.naturalnews.com/028256_bitter_melon_brst_cancer.html). In addition, a Mediterranean diet rich in fruits and vegetables, fish, and olive and sunflower oils has been found to reduce the incidence of post-menopausal breast cancer (http://www.naturalnews.com/027598_Mediterranean_diet_brst_cancer.html). Two more documented breast cancer fighters: eating beans and getting adequate vitamin D through supplements or sunshine exposure (http://www.naturalnews.com/025614.html). For more information: http://www.aacr.org/ http://www.naturalnews.com/028119_vitamin_D_brst_cancer.html

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