Consume more omega-3s to protect your eyesight

(NaturalNews) A new study published in the journal Ophthalmology confirms that omega-3 fatty acids help to maintain eye health and protect against age-related eye diseases like macular degeneration. Researchers from the Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine observed that people who eat lots of fish and other seafood rich in omega-3s tend to have a much lower risk of developing eye disease than people who do not. Over the course of a year, the research team evaluated the eating habits of 2,520 randomly-selected people between the ages of 65 and 84. They compared the participants’ eating habits to rates of age-related macular degeneration and found that those who ate the least amount of omega-3 foods were most likely to have advanced macular degeneration (AMD). A 2009 study published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology also identified a link between eating oily fish rich in omega-3s and a decreased risk of eye disease. In that study, those with early AMD who ate a diet rich in omega-3s experienced a 25 percent reduced risk of having the disease progress any further (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20630597). “Both antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids can help protect your eyes and preserve your vision in a variety of ways,” explains Jonny Bowden, PhD, CNS, in his book The Most Effective Natural Cures on Earth: The Surprising, Unbiased Truth about What Treatments Work and Why . “Oily fish — and the omega-3 fatty acids found in them — can help protect against macular degeneration.” Omega-3s serve a lot of other useful functions as well. They help prevent and treat heart disease, aging, diabetes, gum disease, obesity, depression, infertility, arthritis, and cancer, among many other things (http://www.naturalnews.com/omega-3.html). Sources for this story include: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20630597 http://www.chicagotribune.com/health/la-heb-omega-3-20101202,0,1596643.story

Ancient ‘Paleo’ diet key to healthy living and weight loss, some say

(NaturalNews) Eat like a cave man to lose weight, build muscle and feel great. This is what advocates of the “Paleo” diet say is the key to healthy living, a diet that consists only of meat, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds and mushrooms — also known as the “Paleolithic”, or Paleo diet. A recent Chicago Tribune article tells the story of Rick Larson, co-owner of a West Sacramento, Calif., gym called CrossFit. Larson, a Paleo diet supporter, explains in the story that many of his gym members were getting great workouts, but that few were following healthy diets. After experiencing incredible success himself on the Paleo diet, he decided to offer the program to his members as well. “For the first time in my life, I started to feel quite healthy. I didn’t get any respiratory problems, my arthritis problems went away, and I felt like I gained more muscle mass,” he explained in the report about his own experience. After 11 weeks on the diet, he was also able to drop excess weight and achieve a body fat percentage of 2.7. Fifteen of Larson’s gym members agreed to participate in the diet program and also experienced good results, including Santinia Pasquini, 33, who dropped eight pounds after just one week. The key to the Paleo diet is to avoid all refined sugars, grains, dairy products, beans, legumes and anything processed. Though difficult, advocates say sticking to a Paleo diet fits the human genetic makeup better than most modern diets because it represents the foods that our ancestors ate and thrived on. According to Johny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S., in his book The Most Effective Natural Cures on Earth: The Surprising, Unbiased Truth about What Treatments Work and Why , the Paleo diet has other benefits, including helping to clear up acne. “[T]he Paleo Diet might not entirely clear up acne in every single person who has acne, but it will almost always have an important positive effect on blood sugar and weight,” he says. Sources for this story include: http://www.chicagotribune.com/health/sns-health-fitness-paleo-diet,0,6654000.story

SAMe supplement effective at treating depression, study finds

(NaturalNews) Researchers recently completed a study revealing that the increasingly popular supplement S-Adenosyl Methionine (SAMe) is an effective treatment for people with depression. The substance, which occurs naturally in the body, exerts influence on the brain in ways that improve brain function, alleviate stress and feelings of depression and reduce inflammation. For the study, scientists administered either 1,600 milligrams (mg) of SAMe or a placebo on top of participants’ existing medication regimens for six weeks. Following this period, the team found that those participants taking SAMe experienced better relief from depression that did those simply taking conventional antidepressants. And since SAMe is naturally produced in the body, there are no negative side effects from taking it like there are from taking chemical antidepressant drugs. According to Dr. George Papakostas, author of the study and psychiatrist at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, the results are “exciting because [SAMe] works differently than what we have now — it doesn’t seem to be associated with the kind of side effects that FDA-approved treatments for this niche have.” And this is good news for many who have experienced devastating side effects from taking antidepressants. SAMe is not only a viable alternative to these pharmaceutical drugs, but it exerts many other positive changes within the body as well. “SAMe is a naturally occurring molecule present in all living cells, and is made in the body by a reaction between methionine and another compound called adenosyntriphosphate (ATP). It has many incredible benefits, including a positive effect on depression and arthritis pain…it helps the liver to replenish important substances, notably the all-important glutathione,” explains Johny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S., in his book The Most Effective Natural Cures on Earth: The Surprising, Unbiased Truth about What Treatments Work and Why . Sources for this story include: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE67C30P20100813 http://www.naturalpedia.com/Methionine.html