February 27, 2009

Study finds antioxidant supplements help protect against hearing loss

In research reported on February 18, 2009 at the Association for Research in Otolaryngology's annual conference, Colleen LePrell, PhD, of the University of Florida and her colleagues discovered that supplementing laboratory animals with vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, and magnesium helps prevent noise-induced hearing loss.
In their first experiment, Dr LePrell and scientists from the University of Michigan administered the antioxidants to guinea pigs before exposing them to 4 hours of noise at a decibel level similar to that reached at a loud concert, which can cause a temporary reduction in hearing. Measurement of sound-evoked neural activity determined that the nutrients prevented the temporary loss of hearing in the noise exposed animals.
In the second study, mice supplemented with antioxidants were protected from permanent hearing loss after being exposed to a single loud sound. It was discovered that cell loss in the inner ear’s lateral wall was prevented in the supplemented animals.
In addition to the intense vibrations caused by loud noise, damage to the inner ear’s structures is also caused by free radicals, whose activity is prevented in part by antioxidants. "The free radicals literally punch holes in the membrane of the cells," stated University of Michigan professor Josef Miller.
"What is appealing about this vitamin 'cocktail' is that previous studies in humans, including those demonstrating successful use of these supplements in protecting eye health, have shown that supplements of these particular vitamins are safe for long-term use," Dr Le Prell commented.
"Ear protection, such as ear plugs, is always the best practice for the prevention of noise-induced hearing loss, but in those populations who don't or can't wear hearing protection, for people in which mechanical devices just aren't enough, and for people who may experience unexpected noise insult, these supplements could provide an opportunity for additional protection," she added.

Health Freedom Groups Join in Launch of Grassroots Health Revolution Petition at HealthRevolutionPetition.org---A new petition calling for revolutionary health care reforms and health freedoms was launched today at www.HealthRevolutionPetition.org

PR Newswire 02-27-09
TUCSON, Ariz., Feb 27, 2009 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- The petition -- endorsed by NaturalNews, Organic Consumers Association, Life Extension Foundation, American Association for Health Freedom and other health freedom groups -- calls for an end to FDA and FTC oppression of free speech about dietary supplements. Its ten provisions also call for full income tax deductions on health-enhancing products and services, a halt to the psychiatric drugging of children, the end of mandatory vaccination policies and the legalization of healing practices across the country. (The carrying out of natural anti-cancer therapies, for example, is currently outlawed in the United States.)
The banning of GMOs from the food supply and the requirement that the EPA investigate the environmental impact of discarded pharmaceuticals is also in the petition. In all, it calls for an end to the era of Big Pharma domination over health care and usher in a new era of nutrition-oriented, preventive health care strategies that can prevent as much as 70 percent of degenerative disease in America today, saving the nation hundreds of billions of dollars in "disease maintenance" costs.
Notably, the petition also calls for an "immediate investigation" into a revolutionary new health care system developed by Mike Adams, called Citizens In Charge (http://www.healthrevolutionpetition.org/citizensincharge.html). This system eliminates all health insurance, provides health care coverage to all U.S. residents, proactively invests in disease prevention, eliminates wasteful paperwork and health care administration, drastically reduces health care costs, eliminates virtually all government intervention in health care and produces far better health care outcomes at significantly reduced costs.
The Health Revolution Petition was created by NaturalNews.com editor Mike Adams (the "Health Ranger"), a vocal opponent of Big Pharma and the FDA, and a strong supporter of nutrition, natural health and green living. Many health freedom attorneys and advocates contributed to the text of the petition, refining its language to better protect the freedoms of the People while limiting government intervention in the key health decisions that are best left to local citizens and their health care providers.
To sign the petition, visit www.HealthRevolutionPetition.org
This press release was issued through 24-7PressRelease.com. For further information, visit http://www.24-7pressrelease.com.

BRIEF: Massage can help patients with advanced cancer

Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, Ga.
02-27-09
Feb. 27--A new study from the National Institute of Health reports that massage therapy may have immediate benefits on pain and mood among patients with advanced cancer.
Researchers think massage may interrupt the cycle of distress, offering brief physical and psychological benefits.
Physically, massage may decrease inflammation and edema, increase blood and lymphatic circulation and relax muscle spasms.
Psychologically, massage may promote relaxation, release endorphins and create a positive experience that distracts temporarily from pain and depression.
To find out more, visit www.dukeintegrativemedicine.org

Cancer fighting broccoli extract deal signed

By Shane Starling, 02-Mar-2009

Related topics: Industry, Antioxidants, carotenoids, Phytochemicals, plant extracts, Cancer risk reduction, Immune system
UK start-up Evgen Limited has joined with a noted Danish vegetable researcher to bring broccoli extracts to market that have demonstrated anti-cancer potential.
Evgen has gained “worldwide and exclusive” rights to market the extracts that are being researched by the University of Copenhagen’s Dr Barbara Ann Halkier, and which may have a role to play in the prevention of diseases such asprostate cancer.
Dr Halkier last year won an award valued at more than €30,000 from fellow Danish supplier, Danisco, for her work in the area of bioactive natural substances, based around broccoli and other plants such as tobacco.
Evgen chief executive officer, Dr Stephen Franklin, estimated three years before the extract found its way into products with food supplements the most likely candidates – as well as medicines.
It is hoped within that time-frame that large scale manufacture of the “purified bioactive molecules” will be possible.
Antioxidant +
“We could develop a branded line of supplements in the men’s health area or we could brand the ingredient and sell it on to food supplements and functional food makers,” Dr Franklin told NutraIngredients.com.
“People might associate this kind of extract with antioxidants but it is much more specific than that – research indicates this extract operates in specific bioactive pathways.”
The bioactives in question are glucosinolates, one of about 30 families of compounds found in cruciferous plants like broccoli, and which Dr Halkier has been working at extracting from cruciferous vegetables using fermentation technology.
The University of Copenhagen Technology Transfer Unit’s commercial officer, Dr Robert Terry, said the evidence was building behind the compounds in question, and better trials were likely in the future.
“There is strong scientific evidence to suggest that consumption of broccoli or administration of certain glucosinolates can provide protection against some types of cancer,” he said.
“This development, if successful, will mean that for the first time we will have purified, quality controlled products for entry into human trials – and ultimately this will give rise to new a new generation of products with health benefits that people can trust”.
Other research indicates eating cruciferous can benefit the lungs, heart, diabetes sufferers, the bladder and immunity.
The American Cancer Society says people should eat one serving of cruciferous vegetables per day, but most people consume only one serving per week, in the US at least.
Value capture
The University of Copenhagen link-up is the first major licensing agreement Evgen has signed since its formation last year. Dr Franklin said several other projects were in the pipeline with weight management, cognition, mood/anxiety, sleep and inflammation of particular interest.
Evgen said its “value capture” lay in the fact it did not seek to develop and then license ingredients to existing food industry players, but to guide ingredients all the way to market as new fully-fledged brands.
Evgen is owned by UK companies Imprimatur Capital and Enterprise Ventures. Dr Franklin was previously involved with another UK company, Provexis, which launched a tomato extract-fortified juice range called Sirco in early 2006.

Lutein may protect eyes against long-term computer use: Study

By Stephen Daniells, 02-Mar-2009

Related topics: Research, Antioxidants, carotenoids, Eye health
Supplements of lutein, long-reported to have benefits for eye health, may also protect against the detrimental effects of long-term computer display light exposure, says a new study from China.
Improvements in the sensitivity to contrast on a computer screen were observed following 12 weeks of supplementation with lutein, according to findings of a study with 37 healthy subjects published in the British Journal of Nutrition.
“Visual function in healthy subjects who received the lutein supplement improved, especially in contrast sensitivity, suggesting that a higher intake of lutein may have beneficial effects on the visual performance,” wrote the researchers from Peking University.
Lutein, a nutrient found in various foods including green leafy vegetables and egg yolk, has a ten-year history in the dietary supplement market as a nutrient to reduce the risk of age related macular degeneration (ADM).
The global lutein market is set to hit $124.5 million (€93 million) in 2013, according to a 2007 report from Frost & Sullivan, with skin health offering a major new avenue for the carotenoid.
According to the report, manufacturers need to address this growing maturity in dietary supplements by identifying new and potentially lucrative application segments that offer opportunities for the continued growth of the lutein market.
Study details
The Beijing-based researchers recruited 37 healthy subjects aged between 22 and 30 with long-term computer display light exposure. The participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups for 12 weeks: the control group (placebo – maltodextrin), or one of two lutein groups, (6 of 12 milligrams of lutein per day)
At the end of the test period, the researchers noted an increase in blood levels of lutein in both lutein groups, from 0.36 to 0.61 micromoles per litre, and from 0.33 to 0.73 micromoles per litre in the low- and high-dose groups, respectively.
While no differences were observed in terms of uncorrected visual acuity and best-spectacle corrected visual acuity, the researchers do report that there was a trend towards improved visual acuity in people in the high-dose lutein group.
Both lutein groups did experience improvements in measures of contrast sensitivity, said the researchers, with the improvements reaching statistical significance was in the high-dose group.
Source: British Journal of Nutrition
Published online ahead or print, First View article, doi:10.1017/S0007114508163000
“A 12-week lutein supplementation improves visual function in Chinese people with long-term computer display light exposure”
Authors: L. Ma, X.-M. Lin, Z.-Y. Zou, X.-R. Xu, Y. Li, R. Xu

Prebiotic formula may reduce infant infections: Study

By Stephen Daniells, 02-Mar-2009

Related topics: Research, Probiotics and prebiotics, Gut health, Maternal & infant health
Adding prebiotics to infant formula may reduce the number of gut infections and reduce the use of antibiotics, according to a new study from Italy with 'major implications'.
The number of infants who experienced more than three upper respiratory tractinfections (URTIs) was 17 per cent less amongst those receiving formula containing a mixture of galacto- and fructo-oligosaccharides, according to findings published in Clinical Nutrition.
The study has been hailed as “a very important paper that adds positively to theprebiotics field” by prebiotic expert Professor Glenn Gibson from the University of Reading.
Prof. Gibson, who first coined the term 'prebiotic' in 1995 with Marcel Roberfroid from the Catholic University of Louvain (J. Nutr. Vol. 125, pp. 1401-1412), told NutraIngredients.com: “The impact of this research could be huge and has major implications for reducing gut infections when breast feeding is not possible.
“It is worth considering prebiotic use where infant diarrhoea is prevalent and may cause many fatalities, for example in under developed countries. Those involved in taking such decisions would be well advised to read this publication.”
Study details
The new study, led by Alfredo Guarino from the University of Naples, followed 342 infants participating in a prospective, randomised, placebo-controlled, open trial, partly funded by Numico Research in Germany.
The infants were randomly assigned to receive either a control formula, or a formula containing an additional mixture of galacto- and fructo-oligosaccharides (0.4 grams of prebiotic per 100 ml of formula, with a GOS – FOS ratio of 9:1).
Over the course of 12 months, the researchers documented that the incidence of gastroenteritis was lower in the prebiotic-supplemented formula group with only 0.12 episodes per child throughout the year, compared to 0.29 episodes per child in the control group.
Furthermore, the number of infants who experienced more than three episodes tended to be lower in group receiving the GOS/FOS-supplemented formula. This was reflected in a reduced number of children requiring multiple antibiotic courses.
“Prebiotic administration reduce intestinal and, possibly, respiratory infections in healthy infants during the first year of age,” concluded the researchers.
Important data
Commenting independently on the research, Professor Gibson told this website that the study “supports the inclusion of prebiotics into infant formulae and generates health promoting data s a result”.
“The use of prebiotics to infant formula is carried out in order to more closely simulate this effect during bottle feeding. The approach has been well used and seems efficacious. The health consequences of prebiotic use are more difficult to prove, but much new research has contributed well to this. One of the more important aspects for prebiotic use is the ability to reduce gastrointestinal infections.
“The study by Bruzzese et al. has been very well conducted (notably using a large population number) and generated very important data on the rational for using proven prebiotics in infant formula. The mechanism is likely explained by an increase in bifidobacteria and their concomitant anti-pathogen effects,” said Prof. Gibson.
“It is recognised that the gut microbiota of breast and formula fed infants differs in that health promoting genera such as the bifidobacteria predominate in the former. This explains, at least partly, the improved resistance to infections seen during breast feeding,” he added.
Breast versus bottle
Infant formula is a highly emotive area, with watchdogs keeping a close eye on companies' marketing tactics lest they drift towards promoting their products as preferable to breast feeding.
While it is agreed that breastfeeding is best, formulas are indispensable in cases where mothers are unable to feed their children - be it for health or logistical reasons. Mothers' desire to give their children the best possible start in life means that there is scope for fortification.
Research and product development on the ingredient side has centred on replicating the healthy profile of breast milk as far as possible.
Source: Clinical Nutrition
Published online ahead of print, doi:10.1016/j.clnu.2009.01.008
"A formula containing galacto- and fructo-oligosaccharides prevents intestinal and extra-intestinal infections: An observational study"
Authors: E. Bruzzese, M. Volpicelli, V. Squeglia, D. Bruzzese, F. Salvini, M. Bisceglia, P. Lionetti, M. Cinquetti, G. Iacono, S. Amarri, A. Guarino

Consumers look to health and wellness in recession

By Caroline Scott-Thomas, 27-Feb-2009

Related topics: Financial & Industry
Focusing on health and wellness and building brand awareness are the most successful strategies for weathering the global economic storm, according to a Frost and Sullivan analyst.
Food industry research analyst Christopher Shanahan said that consumers are increasingly focused on ways to avoid becoming ill due to the economic downturn – and companies would do well to pay attention, in a web presentation on Frost and Sullivan’s global economic outlook for the food and beverage market on Thursday.
He said: “There is a growing interest in health and wellness products. …We are seeing a lot of fortification of products that have relatively low shelf live. Looking ahead, we will see more applications of omega-3 products with longer shelf life. Those that fortify their products with health and wellness usually have done well amongst consumers.”
He added that this trend could also be given a boost by President Obama’s pledge to focus on preventative healthcare.
“Not in a recession”
In general, Shanahan said that the food industry is well-positioned to survive the economic crisis. Despite saying that sales had shrunk in recent months, he said:“The food industry is not in a recession. …[But] we have seen a lot of impacts on supply chain availability.”
Shanahan said that total US revenue for food and beverage was currently 5.1 percent lower than the same time last year. However, he said he did not anticipate revenue to drop further as he expects consumers to make savings in other areas, before they make drastic cuts to food spending.
Meanwhile in the UK, retail food sales are actually 5.1 percent up on last year, despite higher consumer concern about cost, according to a report from the British Retail Consortium.
Fear and greed
With regard to what will convince shoppers to spend, Shanahan said: “There are two main motivations driving consumers: fear and greed.”
He said that companies are able to profit from consumer fear by reassuring them about familiar brands and recipes, ensuring that their brand has maximum exposure, and by emphasizing the health and wellness aspects of their products.
As for greed, Shanahan explained that this referred to consumers seeking“luxury and indulgence at affordable prices.”
This concept has most often been applied to the confectionery industry in recent months. The theory is that consumers who are being cautious with their spending in other areas feel they are still entitled to these small rewards.
Other strategies
Shanahan warned against responding to the crisis by pricing adjustments, saying: “Raising prices is no longer viable because demand is already flat.”
Although many companies are rejecting further investment in mergers and acquisitions, Shanahan said that manufacturers should be on the look out for opportunities to acquire companies that have been devalued, “but only if they are complementary to your product line.”
He also said that companies could do well by forming alliances, such as an ice cream brand, for example, pairing with a confectionery brand, to enhance sales for both companies.

Fresh Pineapple Has Many Benefits

by Sheryl Walters, citizen journalist
See all articles by this author
Email this author


(NaturalNews) The pineapple is a member of the bromeliad family. It is extremely rare that bromeliads produce edible fruit. The pineapple is the only available edible bromeliad today. It is a multiple fruit. One pineapple is actually made up of dozens of individual flowerets that grow together to form the entire fruit. Each scale on a pineapple is evidence of a separate flower. Pineapples stop ripening the minute they are picked. No special way of storing them will help ripen them further. Color is relatively unimportant in determining ripeness. Choose your pineapple by smell. If it smells fresh, tropical and sweet, it will be a good fruit. The more scales on the pineapple, the sweeter and juicier the taste. After you cut off the top, you can plant it. It should grow much like a sweet potato will. This delicious fruit is not only sweet and tropical, it also offers many benefits to our health.

Pineapple is a remarkable fruit. We find it enjoyable because of its lush, sweet and exotic flavor, but it may be one of the most healthful foods available today. If we take a more detailed look at it, we will find that pineapple is valuable for easing indigestion, arthritis or sinusitis. The juice has an anthelmintic effect; it helps get rid of intestinal worms. Let's look at how pineapple affects other conditions.

Pineapple is high in manganese, a mineral that is critical to development of strong bones and connective tissue. A cup of fresh pineapple will give you nearly 75% of the recommended daily amount. It is particularly helpful to older adults, whose bones tend to become brittle with age.

Bromelain, a proteolytic enzyme, is the key to pineapple's value. Proteolytic means "breaks down protein", which is why pineapple is known to be a digestive aid. It helps the body digest proteins more efficiently.

Bromelain is also considered an effective anti-inflammatory. Regular ingestion of at least one half cup of fresh pineapple daily is purported to relieve painful joints common to osteoarthritis. It produces mild pain relief. In Germany, bromelain is approved as a post-injury medication because it is thought to reduce inflammation and swelling.

Orange juice is a popular liquid for those suffering from a cold because it is high in Vitamin C. Fresh pineapple is not only high in this vitamin, but because of the bromelain, it has the ability to reduce mucus in the throat. If you have a cold with a productive cough, add pineapple to your diet. It is commonly used in Europe as a post-operative measure to cut mucus after certain sinus and throat operations. Those individuals who eat fresh pineapple daily report fewer sinus problems related to allergies. In and of itself, pineapple has a very low risk for allergies.

Pineapple is also known to discourage blood clot development. This makes it a valuable dietary addition for frequent fliers and others who may be at risk for blood clots.

An old folk remedy for morning sickness is fresh pineapple juice. It really works! Fresh juice and some nuts first thing in the morning often makes a difference. It's also good for a healthier mouth. The fresh juice discourages plaque growth.

Vitamin D Helps Ward Off Age-Related Mental Decline

by Reuben Chow, citizen journalist
See all articles by this author
Email this author


(NaturalNews) A study to be published in the Journal of Geriatric Psychology and Neurology has revealed that vitamin D could help ward off the decline in mental function which usually accompanies old age. Its findings add on to other recent studies which had also suggested vitamin D has protective effects in this area.

Study after study has revealed to us the amazing protective and beneficial effects of vitamin D on various aspects of health. In some ways, it almost sounds too good to be true. But once we understand that vitamin D functions not so much as a vitamin, per se, but more as a hormone which regulates a multitude of processes in the human body, this then becomes far less surprising.

Details and Findings of Study

Researchers from the Peninsula Medical School (Exeter) and the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom as well as the University of Michigan in the United States had looked at 2,000 persons who were 65 years old or more, and who had participated in the Health Survey for England carried out in 2000. The study team assessed the subjects' cognition or comprehension skills, which included factors such as attention, memory, as well as time and space orientation; impaired cognitive function has been linked to a higher chance of getting dementia.

Among the study subjects, about 200 were found to have significant cognitive impairment. And the researchers uncovered the finding that the degree of cognitive impairment was inversely correlated with vitamin D levels in the subjects. In fact, those with the highest levels of vitamin D in their bodies had less than half the risk of cognitive impairment, as compared to those with the lowest levels of the nutrient.

Getting Enough Vitamin D

Besides exposing one's bare skin to sunlight, what other ways can we get our necessary fix of vitamin D? The truth is people who live in higher latitude zones as well as older folks, whose bodies are less able to synthesize vitamin D upon exposure to sunlight, may well have to look at getting enough vitamin D through dietary sources, such as oily fish and supplements.

"For those of us who live in countries where there are dark winters without much sunlight, like the UK, getting enough vitamin D can be a real problem - particularly for older people, who absorb less vitamin D from sunlight. One way to address this might be to provide older adults with vitamin D supplements," said Dr Iain Lang from the Peninsula Medical School, who was part of the study team.

Other Related Studies and Evidence

As always, the researchers as well as leaders from Alzheimer's organizations have called for further research. But for believers, there is already more than sufficient evidence of the healing powers of the sun, both in traditional wisdom as well as modern scientific proof, in protecting both the body and the mind.

A University of Southern California study, for example, had found that more time spent under the sun during childhood translated to reduced risk of getting multiple sclerosis (MS) later in life. Published in 2007 in the journal Neurology, the study had looked at 79 pairs of identical twins, each of which comprised one person who developed MS. MS itself has a heightened incidence rate at higher latitudes, which already suggests a link with limited sun exposure. That study added to findings from previous research, which had discovered that women who consumed vitamin D supplements had a 40% lower MS risk.

Another study published in 2007, this time in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, also suggested that vitamin D could play a part in slowing the aging process of bodily cells and tissues. Carried out at King's College in London, the study had looked at over 2,000 women and found that higher levels of vitamin D were linked to less signs of aging-related DNA changes.

More recently, a study published in 2008 in the Archives of Neurology found that low levels of vitamin D could also have a part to play in the development of Parkinson's disease. Read more about that study at http://www.naturalnews.com/024871.html.

As the evidence mounts, why not begin getting some daily sunshine during the cooler hours of the day?

Help Depression Through Exercise

by Sheryl Walters, citizen journalist
See all articles by this author
Email this author


(NaturalNews) For a person with depression and anxiety, exercise may seem like something that is hard to include in an already difficult life. Depression often results in a lack of energy and increased feelings of tiredness, so the thought of getting ready, out the door, and exercising might seem overwhelming. However, exercise has been proven to be beneficial to mood and to help ease the symptoms of depression.

Research done at Michigan State University compared a group of non-exercising depressed women against a group of depressed women that exercised for thirty minutes two times per week. Inventories taken at three weeks and at the end of the nine week program showed that the women who exercised had a significant reduction in depression symptoms. The women who did not exercise had no change in their depression symptoms.

Research shows that regular exercise helps decrease feelings of depression and anxiety, improves sleep, and reduces stress. During exercise the body releases chemicals called endorphins. Endorphins are a "feel good" chemical. They act as an analgesic to reduce the perception of pain and also elicit a calming effect on the body. In addition to these emotional benefits you also receive the physical benefits of exercise such as strengthening your cardiovascular system, weight loss, decreased risk of diabetes, and many others.

Starting out with even small amounts of activity, a 10 minute walk for example, can improve mood. Increasing activity to 30 minutes three to five days a week has been shown to greatly reduce depression symptoms. A structured exercise program isn't necessary - any activity that elevates heart rate is beneficial. Walking, gardening, golfing, dancing, and even vigorous housework are all examples of moderate exercise that can help. Forming an exercise support system is helpful both to stick to an exercise program and build relationships that are important in helping depression. Some people find that joining a group exercise class or walking with a friend helps greatly.

When starting an exercise program consider factors that will increase your chances of being consistent. Choose an activity you love; if you don't enjoy the exercise you are doing it is much more likely that you will not stick with it. Schedule exercise into your day and make it just as important as any other appointment. Make sure that you schedule your exercise session during a time when you feel most energetic; if you are not a morning person don't schedule yourself for an early morning walk.

Underlying Sleep Problem Linked To Attention-deficit/hyperactivity Disorder In Children

ScienceDaily (Mar. 2, 2009) — A study in the March 1 issue of the journal SLEEP suggests the presence of an intrinsic sleep problem specific to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and supports the idea that children with ADHD may be chronically sleep deprived and have abnormal REM sleep.
Results show that children with ADHD have a total sleep time that is significantly shorter than that of controls. Children in the ADHD group had an average total sleep time of eight hours, 19 minutes; this was 33 minutes less than the average sleep time of eight hours, 52 minutes, in controls. Children with ADHD also had an average rapid eye movement (REM) sleep time that was significantly reduced by 16 minutes.
According to the principal investigator and the lead author, Reut Gruber, PhD, director of the Attention, Behaviour and Sleep Lab at the Douglas Mental Health University Institute, results of the study were encouraging, as the researchers were able to control for many confounding factors, which reduced some of the confusion and contradictions discovered in previous studies. Measuring sleep architecture in the children's beds at home using portable PSG, also allowed researchers to better represent the natural sleep pattern, thus increasing the validity of the study.
"I do not believe that sleep per se is the cause of ADHD, but it may make the symptoms worse in children with sleep problems. There are reports in the literature in which treating sleep problems led to improvement in ADHD symptoms but I suspect that these results were seen in children with sleep apnea. More research needs to be done in order to determine if sleep affects ADHD children with no primary sleep disorder."
According to the authors, ADHD is one of the most prevalent conditions in child psychiatry, and 25 percent to 50 percent of children and adolescents diagnosed with the disorder have clinically reported sleep problems. Partial sleep loss on a chronic basis accumulates to become a sleep debt, which can produce significant daytime sleepiness and neurobehavioral impairment. Studies also have shown that disrupted sleep can affect daytime learning and attention in childhood and can lead to ADHD-like symptoms.
Portable polysomnography sleep recorders were used to perform overnight sleep recordings on 15 children diagnosed with ADHD without comorbid psychiatric problems, and on 23 healthy controls. The children were between the ages of 7 and 11, were not taking medication and were instructed to avoid products containing caffeine for at least seven days leading up to the overnight sleep study, which was performed in each child's home.
Parents completed the Child Behavioral Checklist, a 113-item questionnaire assessing behavioral and emotional problems. Children also were assessed for pubertal development. Factors such as age, sex, gender, socioeconomic status and parents' marital status were controlled.
According to the authors, this study may suggest that ADHD children suffer from an intrinsic sleep problem that could be related to the underlying pathophysiology of the disorder. They report that the impact of sleep duration on neuropsychological functioning in children with ADHD should be investigated further. Additional studies also will be required to examine whether shorter sleep duration in children with ADHD is associated with ADHD-like symptoms, including behavioral problems and poor neurocognitive functioning. The authors suggest that if a functional alteration of sleep in children with ADHD can be confirmed, then it may be possible to develop therapeutic approaches for optimizing and individualizing the children's sleep regimes.

Yoga Provides Emotional Benefits To Women With Breast Cancer

ScienceDaily (Mar. 2, 2009) — Women undertaking a ten week program of 75 minute Restorative Yoga (RY) classes gained positive differences in aspects of mental health such as depression, positive emotions, and spirituality (feeling calm/peaceful) compared to the control group. The study, published February 28 in a special issue of Psycho-Oncology focusing on physical activity, shows the women had a 50% reduction in depression and a 12% increase in feelings of peace and meaning after the yoga sessions.
RY is a gentle type of yoga which is similar to other types of yoga classes, moving the spine in all directions but in a more passive and gentle way. Props such as cushions, bolsters, and blankets provide complete physical support for total relaxation with minimal physical effort, and so people in differing levels of health can practice yoga more easily.
44 women took part in the study, with 22 undertaking the yoga classes and 22 in the waitlist control group. All of the women had breast cancer; 34% were actively undergoing cancer treatment while the majority had already completed treatment. All participants completed a questionnaire at the beginning and end of the ten week program, asking them to evaluate their quality of life through various measures. The results clearly showed that the women who had been given the RY classes experienced a wide range of benefits compared to the control group (who were later all invited to attend identical RY classes).
"Evidence from systematic reviews of randomized trials is quite strong that mind-body therapies improve mood, quality of life, and treatment-related symptoms in people with cancer. Yoga is one mind-body therapy that is widely available and involves relatively reasonable costs," said lead researcher Suzanne Danhauer, Ph.D., based at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. "Given the high levels of stress and distress that many women with breast cancer experience, the opportunity to experience feeling more peaceful and calm in the midst of breast cancer is a significant benefit."
The study found that women who started with higher negative emotions and lower emotional well-being derived greater benefit from the gentle yoga intervention compared to the control group. Women in the gentle yoga group also demonstrated a significant within-group improvement in fatigue, while no such change was noted for the control group.
"This was a pilot study to identify the worthiness and feasibility of conducting a larger randomized control trial on restorative yoga and women with breast cancer," added Danhauer. "Our results are very promising and will allow us to embark on a much larger scale study."

Only Exercise Effective In Preventing Low-back Problems, Review Suggests

ScienceDaily (Mar. 1, 2009) — Low-back pain continues to impose a huge burden on industrialized societies, in terms of symptoms, medical costs, productivity, and work absence. Annual costs related to back pain in the United States alone may run as high as $100 billion per year.
But a systematic review of the literature for high-quality scientific trials published in the February issue of The Spine Journal finds exercise in workplace and community settings effective in preventing new episodes of low-back problems. "Strong and consistent evidence finds many popular prevention methods to fail while exercise has a significant impact, both in terms of preventing symptoms and reducing back pain-related work loss," said Dr. Stanley J. Bigos, University of Washington professor emeritus of orthopaedic surgery and environmental health.
Bigos and his colleagues assessed methodological quality and potential for bias of clinical trials in preventing episodes of back problems. The researchers found 20 controlled trials to be high-quality according to Cochrane Collaboration Back Review Group criteria. Seven of the eight high-quality trials promoting various exercise programs were found effective, but other common and popular methods failed including: reduced lifting programs, back or ergonomic educational interventions, lumbar supports, shoe inserts and stress management.
"Passive interventions such as lumbar belts and shoe inserts do not appear to work," Bigos said. "And eight trials found ergonomic interventions, of either reducing lifting, or back or ergonomic training sessions to be ineffective in preventing back problems."
The new review does not, however, discredit popular ergonomic innovations, said Dr. John Holland, a co-author and UW clinical professor of environmental and occupational health sciences. "Ergonomic interventions may increase productivity, product quality, and work comfort. There are many reasons why such research should continue," said Holland.
The authors suggest that due to the varied and unreliable results of lower quality studies, resources for prevention of back problems should be devoted to interventions already found to be effective in high-quality trials, or to support well-designed research to investigate promising new approaches.
"The new review also supports one additional important conclusion. Ten years ago, some critics suggested we rely upon lower level studies. They maintained that it was not possible to perform high-quality clinical trials on preventive interventions for low-back problems in the workplace. However, our review demonstrates the viability of the growing number of high-quality trials providing more reliable evidence to guide back problem prevention efforts," said Bigos.
Bigos chaired the Acute Low Problems in Adults, the world's first major set of evidence-based clinical guidelines on the management of low-back problems, published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Agency for Healthcare Policy and Research, now known as the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

Vitamin A Signals Offer Clues To Treating Autoimmunity

ScienceDaily (Mar. 1, 2009) — Dendritic cells, the microbe-sensing alarms of the immune system, can send out a "red alert" to stimulate immunity, or a "calm down" message that tones down excessive immunity that might damage the host.  The "calm down" message makes use of vitamin A, providing an explanation for the link between vitamin A deficiency and autoimmune diseases.
Bacteria and viruses that cause chronic infections, such as tuberculosis, hepatitis C and HIV, may have evolved strategies that skew this balance of signals in their favor.
Distributed around the body, dendritic cells act as the security alarms of the immune system. After sensing the presence of intruders, dendritic cells can transmit the alarm to white blood cells or tell them to relax, depending on the signals they send out.
Researchers at the Emory Vaccine Center and Yerkes National Primate Research Center have discovered that dendritic cells can respond to the same compound, through two different receptors, by sending out both stimulatory and calming messages at once.
The compound is zymosan, a component of yeast cell walls. However, the finding could guide scientists in designing vaccines against many infectious agents since the calming receptor is known to respond to bacteria and viruses as well as yeast. In addition, silencing the calming receptor's messages might boost the immune system's ability to fight a chronic infection.
The results are published in the March 2009 issue of Nature Medicine.
The calming receptor, known as TLR2 (Toll-like receptor 2), uses vitamin A to transmit its signals, which provides an explanation for the connection between vitamin A deficiency and autoimmune diseases. Vitamin A deficiency has been linked to diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and type I diabetes.
This "two signals at once" feature of the immune system can be viewed as the result of an evolutionary tug of war, says senior author Bali Pulendran, PhD, professor of pathology and laboratory medicine at Emory University School of Medicine and Yerkes National Primate Research Center.
"The immune system has to provide a defense against infection, while avoiding the destruction of too much of the body along the way," he says. "At the same time, pathogens have evolved strategies to manipulate the immune system for their own purposes."
Working with Pulendran, postdoctoral fellow Santhakumar Manicassamy, PhD, examined which genes are turned on in dendritic cells by zymosan in cell culture. They were surprised to find that both zymosan and live Candida albicans, which causes yeast infections, turned on genes involved in converting vitamin A to its active form, retinoic acid.
"Others have seen that these genes are turned on constitutively in the gut, but seeing how they can be induced elsewhere is new," Pulendran says.
Manicassamy and colleagues found that dendritic cells use retinoic acid along with other chemical messengers to steer white blood cells into a regulatory mode, rather than an attack mode. For dendritic cells to do so, they need TLR2, since zymosan also activates another receptor called dectin-1, which sends out stimulatory signals.
The effects of zymosan and TLR2 can deter white blood cells from attacking nerve tissue in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis, the authors found.
In the model, mice are immunized against myelin, which forms a protective sheath around nerves. Injecting the mice with zymosan at the same time as immunization reduced the damage to their nerves.
The research was supported by the National Institutes of Health.

Broccoli And Cabbage-based Drug Could Inhibit Melanoma

enlarge

Cauliflower and red cabbage on the left, broccoli and green cabbage in the right. Compounds extracted from green vegetables such as broccoli and cabbage could be a potent drug against melanoma. (Credit: iStockphoto/Jesús Arias)
ScienceDaily (Mar. 1, 2009) — Compounds extracted from green vegetables such as broccoli and cabbage could be a potent drug against melanoma, according to cancer researchers. Tests on mice suggest that these compounds, when combined with selenium, target tumors more safely and effectively than conventional therapy.
"There are currently no drugs to target the proteins that trigger melanoma," said Gavin Robertson, associate professor of pharmacology, pathology and dermatology, Penn State College of Medicine. "We have developed drugs from naturally occurring compounds that can inhibit the growth of tumors in mice by 50 to 60 percent with a very low dose."
Robertson and his colleagues previously showed the therapeutic potential of targeting the Akt3 protein in inhibiting the development of melanoma. The search for a drug to block the protein led them to a class of compounds called isothiocyanates.
These naturally occurring chemicals found in cruciferous vegetables are known to have certain cancer-fighting properties. However, the potency of these compounds is so low that a successful drug would require large impractical amounts of these compounds.
Instead, the Penn State researchers rewired the compounds by replacing their sulfur bonds with selenium. The result, they believe, is a more potent drug that can be delivered intravenously in low doses.
"Selenium deficiency is common in cancer patients, including those diagnosed with metastatic melanoma," explained Robertson, whose findings appear in the March edition of Clinical Cancer Research. "Besides, selenium is known to destabilize Akt proteins in prostate cancer cells."
To study the effectiveness of the new drug -- isoselenocyanate -- researchers injected mice with 10 million cancer cells. Six days later, when the animals developed large tumors, they were divided into two groups and treated separately with either the vegetable compounds or the compounds supplemented with selenium.
"We found that the selenium-enhanced compounds significantly reduced the production of Akt3 protein and shut down its signaling network," explained Robertson, who is also associate director of translational research and leader of the experimental therapeutics program at Penn State Hershey Cancer Institute. The modified compounds also reduced the growth of tumors by 60 percent, compared to the vegetable-based compounds alone.
When the researchers exposed three different human melanoma cell lines to the two compounds, the selenium-enhanced drug worked better on some cell lines than others. The efficiency was from 30 to 70 percent depending on the cell line.
The exact mechanism of how selenium inhibits cancer remains unclear. However Robertson, who has a filed provisional patent on the discovery, is convinced that the use of naturally occurring compounds that target cancer-causing proteins could lead to more effective ways of treating melanoma.
"We have harnessed something found in nature to target melanoma," said Robertson. "And since we only need tiny amounts to kill the cancer cells, it means even less toxic side-effects for the patient."
Human trials of the new drug are still some years away, but the Penn State researcher envisions a drug that could be delivered either intravenously to treat melanoma, or added to sunscreen lotion to prevent the disease.
Other researchers on the paper include Arati Sharma and Arun K. Sharma, both assistant professors; Subbarao V. Madhunapantula, postdoctoral scholar; Dhimant Desai, associate professor; Sung Jin Huh, graduate student, and Shantu Amin, professor, all in the department of pharmacology, and Paul Mosca, assistant professor of surgery, Lehigh Valley and Health Network.
The American Cancer Society, The Foreman Foundation for Melanoma Research, National Institutes of Health, Elsa U. Pardee Foundation, and Melanoma Research Foundation funded this work.

How Inflammatory Disease Causes Fatigue

enlarge

Image showing a brain blood vessel (outlined in red) and a monocyte within the blood vessel and adherent to the vessel wall (yellow), and a monocyte within the brain after being recruited from the blood (green) in a mouse with liver inflammation. (Credit: The Journal of Neuroscience)
ScienceDaily (Feb. 28, 2009) — New animal research in the February 18 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience may indicate how certain diseases make people feel so tired and listless. Although the brain is usually isolated from the immune system, the study suggests that certain behavioral changes suffered by those with chronic inflammatory diseases are caused by the infiltration of immune cells into the brain. The findings suggest possible new treatment avenues to improve patients' quality of life.
Chronic inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, psoriasis, and liver disease cause "sickness behaviors," including fatigue, malaise, and loss of social interest. However, it has been unclear how inflammation in other organs in the body can impact the brain and behavior.
The researchers found that in mice with inflamed livers, white blood cells called monocytes infiltrated the brain. These findings support previous research demonstrating the presence of immune cells in the brain following organ inflammation, challenging the long-held belief that the blood-brain barrier prevents immune cells from accessing the brain.
"Using an experimental model of liver inflammation, our group has demonstrated for the first time the existence of a novel communication pathway between the inflamed liver and the brain," said the study's senior author Mark Swain, MD, Professor of Medicine at the University of Calgary.
Swain and his colleagues found that liver inflammation triggered brain cells called microglia to produce CCL2, a chemical that attracts monocytes. When the researchers blocked CCL2 signaling, monocytes did not enter the brain despite ongoing inflammation in the liver.
Liver inflammation also stimulated cells in the blood to make an immune chemical (TNFα). When the researchers blocked the signaling of this immune chemical, microglia produced less CCL2, and monocytes stayed out of the brain.
In the mice with inflamed livers, preventing the entry of monocytes into the brain reduced sickness behaviors; mice showed more mobility and social interaction. These findings suggest that people with chronic inflammatory diseases may benefit from treatments that limit monocyte access to the brain.
"Sickness behavior significantly impacts quality of life. Our findings further our understanding and may generate potential new avenues for treatment of these often crippling symptoms," said Swain.
"The brain is the master coordinator of many of our bodies' defense responses, so it must be able to sense injury and inflammation in distant body organs. This study starts to explain the peripheral communication signals that activate the brain," said Nancy Rothwell, PhD, DSc, at the University of Manchester, an expert on brain inflammation who is unaffiliated with the study.
The research was supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Canadian Liver Foundation, and the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research.

Babies Learn Music While Sleeping

enlarge

It is now possible to screen infants for hearing problems while they sleep. (Credit: iStockphoto)
ScienceDaily (Feb. 27, 2009) — Early screening and treatment for infants with hearing problems, and the ability to computer-generate musical scores, are two very different possible outcomes of some “off-the-wall” research.
Until recently, little has been known about the perceptions humans have when they enter the world.
Although adult perception has been extensively researched, how, or even if, the brains of newborn babies perceive patterns in the world remained a mystery.
That mystery has been at least partially solved by an EU-funded research project, EmCAP, which brought together what many would consider an unlikely consortium, comprising both neuroscientists and music technologists.
What project coordinator Susan Denham describes as “blue-sky thinking” on the part of her and her colleagues when they initially proposed the project led to experiments involving playing music to newborn babies.
Scanning sleeping babies
In the experiments, sleeping babies were hooked up to an encephalograph (EEG), an instrument able to measure brain activity using electrodes placed on the scalp.
The babies were then played music – to be more exact, simplified tone sequences – to test what sort of patterns they were sensitive to and whether they would predict what was coming next based on what had gone before.
“The babies were presented with sequences of sounds of different tone colour – different musical instruments, if you like – but all of the same pitch. Occasionally, you play a sound of a different pitch and watch the EEG to see if they produce a distinctive reaction to this deviant sound,” explains Denham. Similar tests were done to see if babies were sensitive to rhythmic and melodic patterns, too.
Denham says while this sort of technique has been used for many years on adults to measure pre-conscious detection of unexpected events, it has seldom been used with newborns. The big advantage is that it can work even when somebody is unconscious. So the babies being asleep was not a problem.
Rocking in the cradle
The results were exciting, demonstrating newborns had a sense of pitch from birth, and this was not something learned through experience as had previously been thought. The experiments showed they are even sensitive to the beat in music.
“The bottom line is we come into the world with brains that are continually looking for patterns, and telling us when there is something unexpected we should learn about,” says Denham.
István Winkler, who conducted the baby research, concludes this capability allows babies to learn about their environment and the important actors within it.
The discoveries may be applied to developing early screening techniques and treatments for cognitive hearing problems. The screening currently in use simply measures how hard of hearing people are as opposed to the nuances of their actual perceptions.
“Research is needed to determine the norm – and how much variation there is from it – to prevent false diagnoses when a baby is simply developing slowly,” Denham says. But then it should be possible to spot defects at a very early stage and treat them while the brain is still malleable.
New light on music cognition
The research has thrown new light on music cognition and brought practical benefits to the music technologists involved in the project.
“While it remains unclear whether a capacity for music is rooted in nature, rather than nurture, it is clear that musical competence is a special human capacity, shared across ages and cultures.” says project partner, Henkjan Honing.
Although the ability to detect musical patterns is present from birth, music cognition develops throughout life. However, music cognition is influenced not so much by musical expertise, as by experience. According to Honing, “Frequent listening to a certain musical genre allows listeners without formal musical training to become experts in that musical style.”
Computers mimic the brain
Details revealed by the experiments about the way the brain checks and adjusts its expectations made it possible to develop computer programs that mimic these processes.
Researchers in EmCAP developed a generic algorithm, basically a bit of smart software, able to detect violations of expected pitch and rhythmic structure, with tonality soon to be added to the list. 
“We did the modelling at two levels, one trying to emulate brain function and perception in a simplified but still fairly detailed way, and the other tailored more for practical use in music processing systems,” Denham says.
What this will mean in practise, is the future development of artificial cognitive music systems able to “listen” to music and produce a score in real time showing which instruments play which notes. Project partner Xavier Serra suggests that the next generation of music processors will be based on algorithms that imitate how humans process music.
Further projects are planned on the back of EmCAP, including one starting in March 2009, which will use sounds to detect behavioural patterns of living creatures.
EmCAP was funded under the Future and Emerging Technologies (FET-Open) scheme of the EU's Sixth Framework Programme for research.