New study says plant-based foods help prevent cancer

(NaturalNews) Researchers from the University of Minnesota Hormel Institute now admit that plant-based foods are highly beneficial in helping to prevent cancer, particularly among those who have the highest risk of developing the disease. Published in the journal Nature Reviews Cancer , their study says that plant phytochemicals — which include powerful nutrients and antioxidants like selenium, resveratrol, beta-carotene, and lycopene, — are a viable option in cancer prevention. “Although successful for a limited number of cancer types, the efficiency of (conventional) cancer therapies, especially for later stages, remains poor,” said Dr. Zigang Dong, one of the study authors and director of The Hormel Institute. “We would like to use target therapies for prevention of human cancer. We have identified many protein targets that can be used to develop more effective cancer preventive agents.” And while Dong and his team in their study speak specifically of extracting plant phytochemicals and turning them into patented pharmaceutical drugs, these phytochemicals in their natural form are perfectly capable of providing anti-cancer benefits without having to be modified. Myricetin, a phytochemical in green onions that the researchers identified, was also previously identified in a 2007 study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology as a powerful anti-cancer nutrient. Three different types of flavanols, including myricetin, together exhibited anti-cancer benefits in the study (http://www.naturalnews.com/022364_pancreatic_cancer_onions.html). Resveratrol, a phytochemical antioxidant compound found in grapes, has also been shown to prevent and fight cancer, as well as protect against heart disease, deter the negative effects of aging, improve vision, and prevent diabetes, among many other things (http://www.naturalnews.com/resveratrol.html). Other anti-cancer plant phytochemicals include allicin in garlic, anthocyanidins in cranberries and blueberries, sulforaphane in cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower, and anti-aromatase compounds in mushrooms. Sources for this story include: http://www.austindailyherald.com/2011/02/24/hormel-institute-researchers-believe-plants-may-help-prevent-cancer/

New study – You can literally spice up your love life with spices

(NaturalNews) (NaturalNews) Drugs for pumping up sex lives come with a long list of potentially bothersome and even dangerous side effects. But scientists from the University of Guelph have come up with evidence natural aphrodisiacs exist. In fact, if you want to spice up your sex life, try doing it literally — with spices. Specifically, ginseng and saffron added to the diet are proven sexual performance boosters, according to the researchers’ new scientific review of hundreds of studies of natural aphrodisiacs. Yohimbine, a natural chemical from yohimbe trees in West Africa, was also found to improve human sexual function. People reported increased sexual desire after eating muira puama, a flowering plant found in Brazil, and maca root, a mustard plant grown in the Andes, too. Despite its purported aphrodisiac effect, chocolate was not found to spark sexual arousal or satisfaction, the study concluded. Alcohol does increase sexual arousal but it puts a damper on sexual performance. These findings of the study, conducted by Massimo Marcone, a professor in Guelph’s Department of Food Science, and master’s student John Melnyk, are slated for publication in Food Research International and were recently published in the online version of that journal. “Aphrodisiacs have been used for thousands of years all around the world, but the science behind the claims has never been well understood or clearly reported,” Marcone said in a statement to the media. “Ours is the most thorough scientific review to date. Nothing has been done on this level of detail before now.” Melnyk pointed out that finding natural substances that enhance sex is important because of the potential harm of drugs used for conditions such as erectile dysfunction (also known as impotence). Big Pharma’s popular sildenafil (commonly sold as Viagra) and tadalafil (Cialis) can produce headache, muscle pain and blurred vision, and can result in dangerous interactions with other medications, the researchers pointed out. “They also do not increase libido, so it doesn’t help people experiencing low sex drive,” Melnyk said in the press statement. A previous study recently reported in NaturalNews found that the herb fenugreek has sex-enhancing properties and may be a side-effect alternative to Viagra (http://www.naturalnews.com/031875_fenugreek_natural_viagra.html). For more information: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/09639969 About the author Sherry Baker is a widely published writer whose work has appeared in Newsweek, Health, the Atlanta Journal and Constitution, Yoga Journal, Optometry, Atlanta, Arthritis Today, Natural Healing Newsletter, OMNI, UCLA’s “Healthy Years” newsletter, Mount Sinai School of Medicine’s “Focus on Health Aging” newsletter, the Cleveland Clinic’s “Men’s Health Advisor” newsletter and many others.

Scientists issue urgent world-wide warning on bacteria with superbug gene

(NaturalNews) Nuclear meltdowns. Oil spills. More strife in Africa and the Middle East. GMO tainted crops. So what else could happen? Unfortunately, another problem has surfaced that has scientists calling for the “urgent need for global action”. This time, it’s worrisome news about a gene that turns bacteria into not just superbugs — but SUPER superbugs. Bottom line: this gene (dubbed the New Delhi metallo-s-lactamase 1 gene, NDM-1, for short) enables bacteria to resist virtually any and perhaps all antibiotics. These multidrug-resistant bacteria have been found in public water supplies and urban effluent in New Delhi. But this isn’t a problem limited to India. While researchers writing in the latest issue of the journal Lancet say the findings in India pose the worrisome possibility that NDM-1 is widespread in the environment of that country, there are plenty of reasons to be concerned the bacteria could be spreading to other parts of the planet. Mohd Shahid from Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College and Hospital in Uttar Pradesh, India, warns in an accompanying article that the potential for the global spread of bacteria with the super dangerous NDM-1 gene “.. is real and should not be ignored…coordinated, concrete, and collective efforts are needed, initially to limit their widespread dissemination, and finally to combat this emerging threatening resistance problem.” For the new study, Timothy Walsh from Cardiff University in the UK and his research team, in collaboration with reporters from Channel 4 television, investigated how common NDM-1-producing bacteria are in community waste seepage (water pools in streets or rivulets) and public tap water in urban New Delhi. Using a variety of sophisticated tests, including DNA probing, the researchers checked for the presence of the NDM-1 gene in bacteria found in the water samples. The results? The NDM-1 gene was found in 2 of the 50 drinking-water samples and 51 of 171 seepage samples. NDM-1 positive bacteria were grown from 2 drinking-water samples and 12 seepage samples. And there was a surprise — the gene was found in 20 bacterial isolates comprising 14 different species, including 11 species in which NDM-1 has not been previously reported. What’s more, the researchers reported in a media statement that it is particularly worrisome that the superbug-causing gene has spread to extremely pathogenic species of bacteria, including Shigella boydii and Vibrio cholerae, which cause dysentery and cholera, respectively. That means bacteria that can already make people extremely sick and even kill are now turning up with a gene that makes those disease-causing germs even more dangerous because it makes them “bullet proof” from antibiotics. The new superbug-with-a-super-gene problem is centered in India at the moment. The situation is largely blamed on a lack of sanitation — 650 million people or more in India don’t have access to clean water, according to the researchers’ media statement. Moreover, it turns out that the rate at which the NDM-1 gene is copied and transferred between different bacteria is highest at 30C and that falls within the daily range of temperatures in New Delhi for 7 months of the year from April to October. So if you are in the U.S., Asia or Europe, you don’t need to really worry about this superbug threat, right? Not so fast. There’s a reason the scientists are warning this is a potential global problem. Already, reports have come in of people from Europe, North America, Asia, and Australasia who were infected by bacteria with NDM-1, most likely from traveling in India and being exposed to the superbug through close personal contact or from ingestion of water or food contaminated with the NDM-1-positive bacteria. Pakistan and Bangladesh have also been identified as countries which are “exporting” cases of infection with these superbugs to travelers who then return their home countries. “International surveillance of resistance, incorporating environmental sampling as well as examination of clinical isolates needs to be established as a priority,” the researchers concluded. As NaturalNews has reported for years, superbugs are a growing problem in the US and elsewhere. Instead of panicking about exposure or feeling helpless when Big Pharma’s drug arsenal becomes useless, consider investigating natural preventive measures and treatments such as Manuka honey (http://www.naturalnews.com/027470_maggots_superbugs.html) and probiotics. For more information: http://www.thelancet.com/ http://www.naturalnews.com/superbugs.html http://www.naturalnews.com/026587_infections_infection_superbug.html

Think pink to prevent dementia: natural pigment astaxanthin protects brain

(NaturalNews) It’s time to “think pink”. No, that’s not just the familiar marketing slogan used to promote breast cancer awareness (and, it can be argued, to push the multi-million dollar breast cancer industry). Instead, thinking pink is something that could literally save your brain. Scientists have documented that daily supplements of the natural pigment astaxanthin reduces the accumulation of compounds called phospholipid hydroperoxides (PLOOH) which are known to accumulate abnormally in the red blood cells (erythrocytes) of people with dementia. Bottom line: the researchers from Tohoku University who are behind the study believe the pink pigment may well “contribute to the prevention of dementia.” That’s great news because the mind-robbing malady known as dementia is a growing problem in the U.S. — and mainstream medicine and Big Pharma have come up with little help and hope for the condition. In fact, according to the Alzheimer’s Association, about 5.4 million Americans currently have the best known and most feared kind of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease (AD). That number is expected to rise as the population ages. Astaxanthin is a phytochemical known as a carotenoid. Like many carotenoids, it is a colorful, fat soluble pigment. Astaxanthin is found in types of microalgae and fish that eat them — including salmon and trout as well as krill, shrimp, crayfish and other crustaceans. Its what gives salmon its pink color. The new Japanese study, just published in the British Journal of Nutrition , involved thirty healthy subjects between the ages of 50 and 69 who were randomly assigned to receive or 6 or 12 mg of astaxanthin or a placebo each day for 12 weeks. The results showed that PLOOH levels in erythrocytes plummeted in the people taking the astaxanthin supplements — falling 40% and 50% in the 6 and 12 mg groups, respectively, compared with no change in the placebo group. “The present randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled human trial shows that when human subjects ingest astaxanthin, it is absorbed, distributed and accumulated in erythrocytes, where it exhibits antioxidative effects (inhibition of erythrocyte PLOOH),” the researchers stated in their paper. “This possibility warrants the testing of astaxanthin in other models of dementia with a realistic prospect of its use as a human therapy.” Previous research has shown that astaxanthin reduces the oxidative damage caused by LDL (the “bad” type of cholesterol), so it may reduce the formation of plaque in arteries. The natural pigment also appears to boost the immune response by increasing the number of antibody producing cells. What’s more, research has indicated astaxanthin could protect the skin from sunburn and may offer some protection from skin cancer, too. For more information: http://www.nutritionsociety.org/node/236

Does selenium prevent cancer? It may depend on which form people take

Scientists are reporting that the controversy surrounding whether selenium can fight cancer in humans might come down to which form of the essential micronutrient people take. It turns out that not all “seleniums” are the same — the researchers found that one type of selenium supplement may produce a possible cancer-preventing substance more efficiently than another form of selenium in human cancer cells.

Scientists deliberately create 127 hybrid viruses from H1N1, then warn they are dangerous

(NaturalNews) Chinese researchers recently warned the world in a study that the H1N1 virus is capable of combining with various other viruses to create “novel pandemic strains.” Published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Science , the paper states that with the proper mixing host in place, viruses can swap genes and mutate into new strains — and researchers discovered this by deliberately creating 127 of them in a laboratory. After concocting these 127 hybrid viruses, researchers found that eight of them were more harmful than their parent viruses when tested in mice, according to a Reuters report. And researchers warn that these deadly mutant strains may one day be a serious threat to public health because they cause pneumonia, edema, and hemorrhaging. “The main message is that the H1N1 can combine in certain ways with the H9N2 to create reassortants and some of the viruses had an increased pathogenicity comparing with the parent viruses in mice,” wrote Jinhua Liu, lead author of the study from the College of Veterinary Medicine at the China Agricultural University in Beijing, in an email to Reuters. It is unclear why the researchers felt compelled to conduct such a study in the first place, considering that real-life reports from back in 2009 verified that H1N1 is capable of mutating with other virus strains (http://www.naturalnews.com/027503_Ukraine_super_flu.html). And why the researchers deliberately created a whopping 127 mutant strains leaves more questions than actual answers about the real agenda behind the study. Some readers may remember the case of Baxter International, the multinational drug giant that shipped avian flu-tainted vaccines to 18 different countries in 2009. The company somehow mixed multiple live strains of avian flu virus into vaccines and mailed them off, despite the fact that its laboratories supposedly adhere to Biosafety Level 3 (BSL3) standards that prevent such a scenario from ever occurring (http://www.naturalnews.com/025760.html). The case was never properly resolved, and based on the evidence available it appeared as though Baxter tried to commit a deliberate act of bio-terrorism. How does this relate to the Chinese scientists who created 127 hybrid H1N1 viruses? It may not relate at all, having just been a simple experiment that for whatever reason needed to be replicated more than 100 times with various viral strains. Or perhaps the research was really part of a much more sinister agenda to create these deadly mutant viruses in the name of research, and later release them into the population. Either way, the dubious nature of the study and its subsequent warnings are highly suspect, especially in light of the great swine flu hoax that spawned it in the first place. 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/2011/02/28/us-flu-viruses-hybrid-idUSTRE71R7B120110228

Treat ulcers with probiotics, not antibiotics

(NaturalNews) Ulcers caused by the Helicobacter pylori bacterial strain may be more effectively treated by beneficial probiotics rather than by conventional antibiotics, according to a new study published in the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology . Researchers from Spain say that probiotic strains like Bifidobacterium have an incredible success rate in fighting inflammatory bowel diseases like ulcers. The team conducted tests on the effectiveness of several unique strains of bifidobacteria in treating H. pylori and found that one particular strain, Bifidobacterium bifidum CECT 7366, protected against infection roughly 95 percent of the time. ” H. pylori is considered one of the major risk factors underlying the development of gastritis and gastric and duodenal ulcers,” say the authors. “Currently, antibiotic-based treatment for H. pylori infection is neither sufficient nor satisfactory, with the most successful treatments reaching 70 to 90 percent eradication rates. The use of probiotics is a potentially promising tool to prevent H. pylori .” Long-term administration of probiotics in test mice also proved beneficial in preventing the development of ulcers. It helped actually reverse the damage to gastric tissue caused by ulcers, suggesting that healthy individuals can help maintain intestinal health — even when no noticeable disease is present — through probiotic supplementation. “The results presented here confer to strain B. bifidum CECT 7366 the status of a probiotic bacterium with functional activity against H. pylori ,” added the researchers, noting that further trials are needed on humans to verify their findings. A similar study out of the University of Alberta found that supplementation with a probiotic mix containing 3,600 billion bacteria for six weeks helped more than 50 percent of study participants heal their inflammatory bowel disease, and another 24 percent greatly improve their condition (http://www.naturalnews.com/030077_ulcerative_colitis_remedies.html). 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.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-02/asfm-pit022411.php

Iron, folic acid supplements during pregnancy make kids smarter

(NaturalNews) Giving pregnant women folic acid and iron supplements may increase the intelligence of their children later in life, according to a study conduced by researchers from Johns Hopkins University and published in the “Journal of the American Medical Association.” The researchers studied school-aged children in rural Nepal whose mothers had previously participated in a clinical study while pregnant. During that prior study, some of the mothers had been given folic acid and iron supplements. “We had the opportunity to follow the offspring of women who had participated in a randomized trial of iron and folic acid and other micronutrients to assess neurocognitive function and outcomes,” researcher Parul Christian said. The researchers found that children whose mothers had received supplements scored higher on tests of intelligence, organization and fine motor skills than children of mothers who had not received supplements. “What we showed is prenatal iron and folic acid supplementation had a significant impact on the offspring’s intellectual level and motor ability and ability during school age, which was a very exciting finding,” Christian said. “It had an impact across a range of function, including intellectual function, executive function and fine motor function.” Iron and folic acid are both known to play important roles in early nerve development. Although the difference in scores on the universal nonverbal intelligence test was only 2.4 points between supplemented and non-supplemented children, a difference of that scale could be highly significant on a population level, the researchers said, calling for improved prenatal care for poor communities. Prenatal care is already known to improve birth outcomes. “Women who receive prenatal care enjoy the lowest risk of maternal and infant mortality in history,” writes Tori Hudson in the book “Women’s Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine.” To learn more about the importance of nutrition, read the free NaturalNews.com report “Nutrition Can Save America!” at http://www.naturalnews.com/report_Nutrition_Health_America_0.html. Sources for this story include: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6BK68620101222 ; http://www.medpagetoday.com/Pediatrics/PreventiveCare/24022.

Rival journal attacks Lancet for publishing Wakefield MMR study

(NaturalNews) Efforts to discredit and destroy the work of Dr. Andrew Wakefield, the man responsible for raising awareness about the dangers of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) combo vaccine via the study he published in the late 1990s, continue with attacks now coming from rival medical journals. According to MedPage Today , the British Medical Journal (BMJ) recently went after The Lancet for ever publishing Wakefield’s work in the first place, even though such work was peer-reviewed and was conducted in a sound, scientific manner. Wakefield’s study on the correlation between the MMR combo vaccine and high cases of both gastrointestinal disorders and various autism-related symptoms was never well-received by the medical elite and the drug companies that control them. So over the years, these groups have worked not only to destroy Wakefield’s credibility by claiming he committed fraud, but also by targeting his entire career, which eventually led to the revocation of his medical license. Now, BMJ is accusing The Lancet of dragging its feet in investigating the claims made against Wakefield by Brian Deer, the now-infamous reporter from the U.K. Sunday Times that aggressively went after Wakefield’s work. According to the accusations, The Lancet allegedly failed to investigate the situation sooner and retract the paper in a timely manner. But if anything, the The Lancet began the retraction process too soon, having initiated a partial retraction less than three weeks after Deer’s abrupt accusations came forward. And recent documents have revealed that Deer’s accusations against Wakefield were false to begin with, and that Wakefield’s work had been verified and replicated by two other researchers more than a year before it was even published (http://www.naturalnews.com/031116_Dr_Andrew_Wakefield_British_Medical_Journal.html). But the actual facts seem to be of little importance to the medical organizations and mainstream media outlets involved in the raging attack against Wakefield. Rather than carefully examine Wakefield’s study and the issues he raised, as well as the safety of the MMR combo vaccine and the implications of its widespread use, these agenda-driven groups continue to falsely slander him. To hear the truth for yourself, be sure to catch Mike Adams’ exclusive interview with Dr. Andrew Wakefield that is soon to be posted at www.NaturalNews.tv. Sources for this story include: http://www.medpagetoday.com/PublicHealthPolicy/Ethics/24411

Tonsillectomies cause kids to gain excess weight

(NaturalNews) When kids complain of sore throats and their tonsils appear infected, the condition known as tonsillitis, doctors are often quick to urge the surgical removal of these clumps of lymphatic tissue found on both sides of the throat. Tonsils are also cut out when babies and young children are found to have enlarged tonsils that are sometimes linked to heavy or raspy breathing, especially at night. In fact, tonsillectomy is the most common major surgery performed on children and it’s a huge money-maker for mainstream medicine. Why remove tonsils instead of using less invasive treatments to fight an infection? The reasoning goes that surgery will prevent future tonsillitis. After all, it’s a no-brainer that if tonsils no longer exist, they can’t become infected. But what’s rarely discussed is the fact tonsils are actually part of the body’s immune system; they fights infection and trap germs coming in through the mouth and nose. And now there’s another reason to think twice about having your child’s tonsils surgically removed. Having a tonsillectomy could lead to obesity. According to a new report just published in the February 2011 issue of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery , youngsters subjected to tonsillectomy, with or without the removal of their adenoids (adenoidectomy), are at increased risk for becoming overweight after the operation. In all, the researchers analyzed studies involving 795 children from birth to 18 years old, described as normal weight or overweight, who had a tonsillectomy or an adenoidectomy, or both. In almost 50% of the children, the primary reason for surgery was listed as “disordered breathing” that was blamed on enlarged tonsils. In one group of 127 children, body mass index (BMI) increased by 5.5 to 8.2% following the removal of tonsils. In a second group that included 419 patients, standardized weight scores increased dramatically in the vast majority of the young patients. Another group included three studies with 249 patients — and 50 to 75% of these kids gained weight after adenoidectomy. Lead author of the paper, otolaryngology specialist Anita Jeyakumar, MD, suggested that the weight gain could be blamed on parents who over-feed their child after surgery. She also hypothesized that children with chronic tonsillitis might eat less due to sore throats and other symptoms , so when their tonsils are removed, the kids feel like eating more. But this doesn’t explain why the youngsters would become overweight and sometimes downright obese after the operation. Although the new study doesn’t delve into the possibility that the actual removal of the tonsils could play a role in the weight gain, the findings raise more questions than answers. For example, could the tonsils play an as yet undiscovered role in metabolism? Or does the removal of part of the body’s immune system spur weight gain? For more information: http://www.entnet.org/ http://www.naturalnews.com/tonsils.html

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