Thursday May 7, 2009
Selenium linked to lower skin cancer risks
Nutraingredients.com, 06-May-2009
Higher blood levels of selenium may reduce the incidence of skin cancer by about 60 per cent, according to a new study from Dutch and Australian researchers. Writing in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, the researchers report that the mineral was associated with reduced risks of both basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).
On the other hand, blood levels of carotenoids and alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E) were not associated with any influence on skin cancer risks, report the researchers from Queensland Institute of Medical Research, the University of Queensland, and Maastricht University.
In the US, over 1.5 million people are diagnosed with skin cancer every year. According to Cancer Research UK, a charity, over 76,000 cases of skin cancer were documented in 2005 but this is thought to under-represent the problem.
Jolieke van der Pols and her co-workers examined 485 adults randomly samples in from an Australian community. While no relationship between serum carotenoids or alpha-tocopherol levels and the incidence of BCC or SCC was recorded, the researchers noted an association between selenium levels and both forms of cancer.
The highest average selenium levels of between 1.3 and 2.8 micromoles per litre were associated with a 57 per cent reduction in the incidence of BCC, and a 64 per cent reduction in the incidence of SCC, compared to the lowest average selenium levels of between 0.4 and 1.0 micromoles per litre.
“Relatively high serum selenium concentrations are associated with an approximately 60 per cent decrease in subsequent tumour incidence of both BCC and SCC,” wrote the researchers, “whereas serum concentrations of carotenoids or alpha-tocopherol are not associated with later skin cancer incidence.”
Selenium and cancer
Selenium is a trace element that occurs naturally in the soil and is absorbed by plants and crops, from where it enters the human food chain - either directly or through consumption of meat and other products from grazing animals.
The mineral is included in between 50 and 100 different proteins in the body, with multifarious roles including building heart muscles and healthy sperm. However, cancer prevention remains one of the major benefits of selenium, and it is the only mineral that qualifies for an FDA-approved qualified health claim for general cancer reduction incidence.
The claim reads: “Selenium may reduce the risk of certain cancers. Some scientific evidence suggests that consumption of selenium may reduce the risk of certain forms of cancer. However, FDA has determined that this evidence is limited and not conclusive.”
To access FDA’s qualified health claim guidance for selenium, click here .
Source: Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention
2009, Volume 18, Issue 4, Pages 1167-1173
“Serum Antioxidants and Skin Cancer Risk: An 8-Year Community-Based Follow-up Study”
Authors: J.C. van der Pols, M.M. Heinen, M.C. Hughes, T.I. Ibiebele, G.C. Marks, A.C. Green
http://www.nutraingredients.com/Research/Selenium-linked-to-lower-skin-cancer-risks
Nutrient-rich and GI diet cuts eye disease risk: Study
Nutraingredients.com, 06-May-2009
A diet that includes key nutrients and low-glycemic index foods is likely to reduce risks for age-related macular degeneration (AMD), according to the results of a new study.
Researchers in the US showed that specific food intake patterns are linked with substantial age-related macular degeneration (AMD) risk reductions, in what is said to be the first study to analyze these factors in combination.
Earlier studies had shown the ADM protective effects of several nutrients and of a low-glycemic index (GI) diet.
The new research led by Chung-Jung Chiu, of Tufts University, found that participants whose diets included higher levels of protective nutrients and of low-GI foods were at lowest risk for early and advanced AMD.
A food's GI value is based on how fast its carbohydrates raise the body's blood sugar levels; low GI foods have less impact on blood sugar fluctuations.
The study, published in this month’s Ophthalmology journal from the American Academy of Ophthalmology, comes at a time when ingredients that claim to aid eye health are growing in popularity, along with the science to support them.
Food sources of nutrients that support good general and eye health include: citrus fruits, vegetable oils, nuts, whole grains, dark green leafy vegetables, and cold water fish.
AMD is a disease that affects the retina, the sensitive tissue at the back of the eye that transmits images to the brain. Advanced AMD can destroy the detailed, central vision people need to read, drive, and enjoy daily life.
The study called “Dietary Compound Score and Risk of Age-Related Macular Degeneration in the Age-Related Eye Disease”, said: “Because foods provide many nutrients that may interact to modify risk for multifactorial diseases such as AMD, we (the authors) sought to develop a composite scoring system to summarize the combined effect of multiple dietary nutrients on AMD risk.
“This has not been done previously.”
The method
AMD is the leading cause of legal blindness for people over 55 years of age in the Western world, according to AMD Alliance International.
Data was analyzed for 4,003 Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) participants.
Levels of AMD-protective nutrients, including vitamins C and E, zinc, lutein, zeaxanthin, omega-3 fatty acids (DHA and EPA), as well as low-GI foods, were assessed using participants' food intake reports.
Each dietary factor score was added up to find each participant's compound score. Compound scores were related to participants' AMD risk, based on diagnostic eye photographs taken when they joined AREDS.
The authors noted that Beta-carotene, assessed in this and earlier studies, did not affect risk levels in this analysis.
Dr Chiu said: “Although the compound score may be a useful new tool for assessing nutrients in relation to AMD, specific dietary recommendations should be made only after our results are confirmed by clinical trials or prospective studies.”
Eye health ingredients
A large body of science supports the role of lutein and another eye health ingredient, zeaxanthin, against the development of AMD.
Lutein, which is found in 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 ADM.
A recent study from China published in the British Journal of Nutrition found that supplements of lutein may also protect against the detrimental effects of long-term computer display light exposure.
Source: American Academy of Ophthalmology May 2009 Ophthalmology journal
“Combined dietary factors impact AMD risk; study finds glaucoma care cost-effective
Research highlights”
Authors: Chung-Jung Chiu, Roy C. Milton, Ronald Klein, Gary Gensler, Allen Taylor.
http://www.nutraingredients.com/Research/Nutrient-rich-and-GI-diet-cuts-eye-disease-risk-Study
White tea extract has potential anti-obesity effect
Nutraingredients.com, 06-May-2009
An extract from white tea can reduce the number of new fat cells produced and break down the fat in existing ones, according to new research which could help in the battle against obesity.
A team of researchers from Beiersdorf AG, Germany, have studied the biological effects of an extract of the white tea, which is the least processed version of the tea plant Camellia sinensis, on cultured human fat cells (called adipocytes) and pre-adipocytes.
Results showed that it effectively inhibits the generation of new adipocytes and stimulates fat mobilization from mature fat cells.
Also after treating the pre-adipocytes with the tea extract, the authors found that fat incorporation during the genesis of new adipocytes was reduced.
Marc Winnefeld, who led the team, said: "The extract solution induced a decrease in the expression of genes associated with the growth of new fat cells, while also prompting existing adipocytes to break down the fat they contain
"In the industrialized countries, the rising incidence of obesity-associated disorders including cardiovascular diseases and diabetes constitutes a growing problem.
“We've shown that white tea may be an ideal natural source of slimming substances".
Obesity is a widespread problem and in the UK alone about a quarter of the population is now obese, with almost 60 per cent of the population is predicted to be obese by 2050, according to a Which? report.
The study, called “White Tea extract induces lipolytic activity and inhibits adipogenesis in human subcutaneous (pre)-adipocytes”, is published in BioMed Central's journal Nutrition and Metabolism.
The authors noted that there is a large body of evidence indicating that certain plant extracts and their respective bioactive components might have direct effects on adipose tissue .
The method
To investigate how natural substances influence lipolysis (the breakdown of fat stored in fat cells) and adipogenesis (the formation of fat), the researchers determined the effects of white tea extract on cultured human subcutaneous pre-adipocytes and adipocytes.
They concluded: “The increase of obesity-related diseases highlights the need to further investigate the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying fat metabolism.
“Overall, our data demonstrate that white tea extract solution effectively inhibits adipogenesis and stimulates lipolysis-activity.
“This plant extract is, therefore, an ideal natural source to modulate the adipocyte life cycle at different stages and to induce anti-obesity effects.”
White tea
White tea is made from the buds and first leaves of the plant used to make green tea and the black tea most commonly drunk in Western countries.
It is less processed than other teas and contains more of the ingredients thought to be active on human cells, such as methylxanthines (similar to caffeine) and epigallocatechin-3-gallate, which the authors believe to be responsible for many of the anti-adipogenic effects demonstrated in their study.
Soucrce: Nutrition & Metabolism journals
“White Tea extract induces lipolytic activity and inhibits adipogenesis in human subcutaneous (pre)-adipocytes”
Authors: Marc Winnefeld; Jörn Söhle; Anja Knott; Ursula Holtzmann, et al.
http://www.nutraingredients.com/Research/White-tea-extract-has-potential-anti-obesity-effect
US organics buck recessionary trend
Foodnavigator-USA.com, 05-May-2009
US sales of organic food have surged despite dire predictions for its resilience as consumers look for ways to cut spending, according to a new survey on American organics.
During 2008, sales were up 15.8 percent on the year before, according to a survey carried out by the Lieberman Research Group on behalf of the Organic Trade Association (OTA).
Predictions for organic product sales have been gloomy, with market researchers foreseeing a slump in more pricy goods, including organic food. But this has not been the case, the OTA said.
OTA’s executive director Christine Bushway said: “Organic products represent value to consumers, who have shown continued resilience in seeking out these products. This marks another milestone for the organic food market.”
Value beats price alone
This view echoes a host of other studies carried out recently by market researchers looking into the importance of consumers’ perception of value, suggesting that the concept encompasses quality as well as price.
This latest survey found that organic food accounted for about 3.5 percent of US food sales last year, with a total value of $22.9bn. Additionally, organic food sales grew at a much faster rate than general US food sales, which grew by 4.9 percent during the year – or about a third as much as organics.
Global contrast
The findings stand in contrast to global organic market reports, which have pointed to a freeze on growth in the organic food sector. Mintel, for example, has predicted “slowing but steady growth” in the years ahead, while the UK organic sector experienced a sober 1.7 percent growth rate during 2008 as British consumers switched to cheaper organics, according to a report from UK organic organization The Soil Association. It said it was cheered by even this rate of growth, however, as it suggested that consumers would still prefer to buy organics, rather than conventionally produced products.
Organic sales breakdown
In the US, fruit and vegetables still represent the biggest sub-sector of organic food sales at 37 percent, followed by beverage and dairy at 14 percent each. Areas of fastest growth include the organic beverage sector, which grew by 40 percent in 2008, and organic breads and grains, which achieved 35 percent growth over the year.
The OTA research comes just weeks after the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced it would be conducting its own survey of the organic sector from a farming perspective, the first large-scale national survey of its kind. USDA’s results are due to be published in the coming winter.
http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Financial-Industry/US-organics-buck-recessionary-trend
Video game "addiction" may be common
Last Updated: 2009-05-05 11:04:37 -0400 (Reuters Health)
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Parents who think their children are "addicted" to their video games may be right in many cases, a new study suggests.
The study, of nearly 1,200 U.S. children and teenagers, found that almost 10 percent showed signs of pathological video-game use -- meeting the definition normally used for gauging pathological gambling.
Recently, researchers have been interested in the potential for young people to develop an unhealthy preoccupation with video games and the Internet. Experts have stopped short of labeling such behavior as addiction, but some studies do suggest that kids can become overly attached to their computers.
In the current study, published in the journal Psychological Science, 8.5 percent of the 8- to 18-year-olds showed at least 6 of 11 signs of problem video-game use.
Some signs included neglecting schoolwork to play video games; failed attempts at cutting down on gaming; playing to "escape" from bad feelings; and feeling the need to play more and more often in order to get the same level of excitement.
"What we mean by pathological use is that something someone is doing -- in this case, playing video games -- is damaging to their functioning," researcher Douglas Gentile, an assistant professor of psychology at Iowa State University in Ames, said in a news release from the university.
"It's not simply doing it a lot," he emphasized. "It has to harm functioning in multiple ways."
Gentile found that pathological gamers spent twice as much time playing video games as their non-pathological counterparts -- about 25 hours per week, on average. They also tended to get poorer grades and were more likely to report attention problems at school. Whether those problems were a result of their gaming is unknown, however.
According to Gentile, he started studying pathological video-game use largely because he "didn't believe in it."
"I assumed that parents called it 'addiction' because they didn't understand why their children spent so much time playing," he said. By using criteria for measuring pathological gambling, the researcher noted, this study suggests that a "substantial number" of kids have a similar problem with video games.
Still, Gentile said, more studies are needed to fully understand the nature of the problem.
"There is still much we do not know," he said. "We don't know who's most at risk, or whether this is part of a pattern of disorders."
Pathological gaming could, for example, be a symptom of depression, according to Gentile. In that case, addressing the underlying problem would be vital.
SOURCE: Psychological Science, May 2009.
http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2009/05/05/eline/links/20090505elin002.html
Healthcare reform is top US priority - Sebelius
Last Updated: 2009-05-05 13:59:08 -0400 (Reuters Health)
ATLANTA (Reuters) - Healthcare reform is the top priority for the U.S. government this year, and the momentum is there to achieve it, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said on Tuesday.
Sebelius said there was "unprecedented" bipartisan cooperation to speed through reforms this year.
"In the Senate, Democrats have been working closely together and with their Republican counterparts. Key chairmen have committed to passing reform legislation out of their respective committees in June," Sebelius said.
"And, just last week, Congress passed a budget blueprint that includes an historic commitment to funding comprehensive health care reform," Sebelius told the Council on Foundations. in her first public address since being confirmed a week ago as President Barack Obama's health and human services secretary.
"At the same time, the old opponents of reform have joined our effort to change the status quo. Groups and organizations that were once fierce enemies have come to the table and embraced the call for real health care reform."
Most sides agreed that the U.S. healthcare system must be fixed, she said. "It is our single biggest challenge facing this country, facing this economy and it is our president's number one priority," Sebelius said.
"This is not political and it is not optional. Inaction threatens our health and our economic security," she said.
"Approximately 30 cents of every health care dollar are spent on billing, overhead and administration. Spending on the uninsured and the health care bureaucracy takes up nearly one half of every health care dollar and results in a system where we all pay more and get worse results. "
Sebelius said reform would have to include the following elements:
* Choice in providers and doctors. "No American should be forced to give up the doctor they trust or the health plan they like," Sebelius said.
* A cost-cutting element and quality drive
* Reform of the health delivery system
* A slowdown in the growth of costs of health care for businesses and government, which is driving the budget deficit
* Affordable, quality health coverage for all Americans so that people do not lose their health care if they lose their jobs
http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2009/05/05/eline/links/20090505elin018.html
Why Certain Arterial Plaques Can Turn Deadly
ScienceDaily (May 6, 2009) — A common misconception about arterial plaque is that it inevitably leads to a heart attack or a stroke. New research at Columbia University Medical Center, however, sheds light on why so few plaques in any given individual actually cause a problem. Furthermore, the research has identified a key protein that may promote the conversion from benign to dangerous plaques.
While a vast majority of atherosclerotic lesions are relatively harmless, the rest – some two percent of all plaques – eventually lead to an acute blood clot and to heart attack, sudden death or stroke. What separates the average blood vessel plaque from those that are at high risk for triggering the development of dangerous – even fatal – blood clots, is the "billion dollar question," says Columbia University Medical Center's Ira Tabas, M.D., Ph.D., whose findings are presented in the cover story of the May issue of Cell Metabolism.
Dr. Tabas believes that the real danger from the fatty deposits lies not with their size, but with what lies underneath the surface of the deposit. Like magma underneath a volcano, rumblings in the core of a deposit, which contains dead cells, can break open the plaques. Once the plaque ruptures, a blood clot in the lumen of the artery can form. "It is this sudden clotting that restricts blood flow and can cause a heart attack, stroke, or sudden cardiac death," Dr. Tabas says.
"Just about everybody in our society has atherosclerosis by the time we reach 20," Dr. Tabas added. "So the wave of the future in treating atherosclerosis will be in preventing harmless lesions in young people from becoming dangerous ones, or soothing dangerous plaques so they don't rupture as we age."
The best way to do that is unclear at the moment. Volatile plaques are complicated, and there are likely many things that lead to instability and rupture. But a graveyard – or necrotic core – of dead cells inside the plaque undoubtedly contributes, Dr. Tabas says, because substances released by the dead cells tend to weaken the cap covering the lesion and thereby trigger clot formation.
The research by Dr. Tabas' lab found that when a specific gene was deleted in two separate strains of atherosclerosis-prone mice, the dangerous plaques were much smaller. The gene encodes a protein that is part of a cell stress reaction that can lead to cell death. The work raises the possibility that drugs designed to quiet this form of cellular stress might be useful in treating heart disease, which is the number one killer in the United States and becoming more prevalent.
Cholesterol-lowering drugs can reduce the amount of plaque stuck to our arteries, but it's a tall order. Fatty streaks start appearing in our arteries by the time we're in our teens, and atherosclerotic plaques continue to develop from then onward. "A therapy that prevents the deaths of these cells may be able to reduce the number of vulnerable plaques and prevent heart attacks and strokes in the 70 percent of people who aren't protected from cholesterol-lowering drugs," Dr. Tabas says.
Though relieving this stress, or preventing cell death, could soothe volatile plaques and be an effective way to reduce heart attacks and strokes, it may take years before such a therapy is available. On the other hand, it may be possible to bypass the problem of cell death by coaxing other cells in plaques to rapidly capture and clean up the dead cells before they do damage.
In the meantime, the best way to quiet volatile plaques is probably one that you've already heard of: "Our understanding of atherosclerosis may be changing, but the old standbys, diet, exercise, and keeping your risk factors like cholesterol and blood pressure in check, still remain the best option," Dr. Tabas says.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090505124742.htm
Business Opportunity: Demand for Purple Corn May Soon Explode
Barbara Minton, NaturalNews.com, May 6, 2009
(NaturalNews) Purple corn is being classified as a functional food. It is loaded with phenolics and anthocyanin, and has just about the highest antioxidant rating of any food including blueberries. The health benefits of purple corn are pervasive, and it has a normalizing effect on many systems of the body. Purple corn has even been shown able to shrink cancerous tumors. As the healing value of purple corn becomes apparent, researchers have jumped in to document its many benefits, and supplement companies have rolled out purple corn extracts. The only thing missing from all this is someone to put purple corn in the produce sections of the local grocery stores.
Why you might want to grow purple corn
The world is in a time of rapid change, moving away from dependence on chemicals and toward green living. This includes the movement toward green health care. People have had enough of the disease establishment and have learned there is nothing in it for them. This coming age will be one of personal empowerment in which more of us are willing to accept responsibility for ourselves including our health status. Demand for foods and products that can enhance and preserve health as well as help bring people back from disease has never been more brisk. As we turn our backs on the status seeking of mindless accumulation, we are becoming more mindful of the need to spend resources in a way that will benefit us as individuals.
Many areas of this newly emerging trend are already being mined. Almost weekly, new products show up on store shelves. Opportunity remains at the front end of this chain, where people produce the commodities that will be needed to support the increasing demand for products. Yet this is also a time of economic retrenchment, so what will work best will be those enterprises with low barriers to entry.
We are breaking from corporate ties and realizing we have to strike out on our own, and at the same time we are looking again to nature to guide us. It is a perfect convergence. What better way to stake a claim on life than to plant seeds in the ground and produce something of such great benefit?
Purple corn has what it takes to ward off aging and disease
Purple corn, also known as Zea mays, is a variety of sweet corn. By some quirk of fate, purple corn has one of the most deep, vibrant purple colorations in the plant kingdom. In the edible plant world, bright vivid color is a tip off that nature has created this plant to be enticing to people. Like the bright orange of carrots and the vibrant red of tomatoes, purple corn is purple to capture our interest.
The intense color in purple corn is the result of anthocyanins, water-soluble blue plant pigment. Anthocyanins are responsible for the spectrum of color in the plant world that ranges from purple to red. They belong to the larger class of phytochemicals known as flavonoids that are found in many food plants. This purple color has been prized by the people of the Peruvian Andes who use it as food and beverage coloring, a practice now becoming popular in other parts of the world. The Peruvians also make a fermented drink from purple corn kernels, called chica morada, which is said to lower blood pressure and reduce inflammation.
Purple corn is rich in antioxidants, compounds that neutralize the free radicals so responsible for the aging process. Its high phenolic content means it is well equipped to provide safety against degenerative diseases. Purple corn is a natural double play.
Purple corn out does blueberries
The mean anthocyanin content of whole, fresh purple corn from Peru was 16.4 mg/g, compared to the 1.3 to 3.8 mg/g range found in blueberries according to research from the Horticulture Department of Texas A&M University in Texas. The antioxidant capacity and anti-radical action were more than twice that measured in blueberries. (Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, May, 2003). This is an important finding for anyone contemplating growing purple corn. Blueberries sell at premium prices due to the high demand for their antioxidant benefits among the health conscious.
Cyanidin 3-glucoside (C3G) is the most abundant anthocyanin found in purple corn. Several studies have documented its power, including one that compared C3G to 13 other anthocyanins using oxygen radical absorption capacity (ORAC) as its measure. The ORAC rating of C3C was 3.5 times that of Trolox, a synthetic and potent antioxidant analogue of vitamin E.
Purple corn stops all growth and kills 20% of cancer cells in study
In a recent study, scientists from Ohio State University reported anthocyanins are potent antioxidants that may be protective against cancer. They compared the chemoprotective properties of anthocyanin extracts from purple corn, chokeberry, bilberry, purple carrot, grape, radish, and elderberry for their ability to inhibit colon cancer cell proliferation.
The researchers found that the amount of anthocyanin extract needed to reduce cancer cell growth by 50 percent varied among the plants tested. Extract derived from purple corn was the most potent, taking only 14 micrograms of C3G to reduce cancer cell growth by half. Extracts from chokeberry and bilberry were also fairly potent, though not as potent as the purple corn extract. Anthocyanins played a major role in the ability of the extracts to inhibit cancer, and they exerted an additive interaction with the other phenolics present.
In follow-up work, these researchers found that anthocyanin from red radish and black carrots slowed the growth of cancer cells anywhere from 50 to 80 percent. However, anthocyanins from purple corn and chokeberries not only completely stopped the growth of cancer cells, but also killed about 21 percent of cancer cells without having any effect on healthy cells. (Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, October 22, 2008)
Purple corn color suppresses breast cancer resulting from gene damage
In another recent study completed in Japan where most of the research on purple corn is being done, scientists examined the influence of dietary purple corn color (PCC) extracted from purple corn seeds on induced mammary cancer in genetically damaged rats. They found that PCC significantly inhibited the cancer growth, and also significantly inhibited the growth of human mammary cancer implanted in the rats. PCC and C3G inhibited cell viability and induced appropriate cell death in the mammary tumor cells. The researchers concluded that C3G could act as a chemopreventive and also as a chemotherapeutic agent for cancers involving mutations in ras genes. Mutations in ras stimulate cell division and proliferation, and facilitate development of various cancers. (Cancer Science, September, 2008.
Purple corn color may be effective in preventing liver cancer
Other scientists in Japan found that the serum of rats treated with PCC provided evidence of significant antioxidant power. Micro array analyses showed PCC to induce RNA expression. They concluded that PCC may be effective as a chemopreventative agent against liver pre-neoplastic lesion development.
Hypertension and cholesterol are lowered by blue corn
Japanese scientists also investigated the effects of continuous administration of color from purple corn, purple sweet potato, and red radish to spontaneously hypertensive rats. The animals were fed with diets containing 1% of purple corn, purple sweet potato or radish color. They found that the body weight and daily food intake of administered rats were not different from those in the control group, and the blood pressure and heart rate of the hypertensive rats that were administered each color decreased compared to the control group. These results suggest that anthocyanins have strong anti-hypertensive effects. (Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology, February, 2007)
Other Japanese researchers performed an oral toxicity study of PCC with groups of rats fed the agent at dietary levels of 0%, 0.5%, 1.5%, and 5% for 90 days. No mortalities occurred during the treatment period, and there were no treatment-related changes in body weight, ophthalmology, hematology, organ weight, or histopathology. An unexpected finding was that on clinical chemistry analysis, total cholesterol, phospholipids, and triglycerides were significantly lowered in both female and male rats. The no-observed-adverse-effects-level (NOAEL) for PCC was judged to be 5% in the diet for both sexes. (Food Chemistry and Toxicology, February, 2008)
Anthocyanins from purple corn are stable when heated
Researchers in China evaluated the thermal stability of purple corn. Total anthocyanin content and total phenolic content were identified, and individual anthocyanins were determined. Seven main compounds were identified. The thermal stability of the corn was studied by differential scanning calorimetry. Thermodynamic analysis was completed, and relationships between the degree of conversion and time or temperature were examined. The researchers concluded that the evaluated purple corn hybrids are a natural source of anthocyanins that remain stable over a wide range of temperatures and time. (Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, November 26, 2008). This finding means that blue corn can be used in many ways that people now use yellow corn. It can be cooked or baked without losing its potency. Popped blue corn might become a favorite.
The husks and cobs may be the best part
In a study from South Korea, the goal was to develop high-anthocyanin corn to enhance economic efficiency of anthocyanin production. The researchers determined and compared anthocyanin content from different parts of purple corn in various breeding lines. Results revealed that purple corn produced the anthocyanin pigment throughout the plant. It was found in especially high levels in the husk and cob regions. Anthocyanin levels of husks ranged from 17.3% to 18.9% of dry weight, roughly 10 times more than found in the kernel. (Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, December 10, 2009). This means that the parts of the traditional corn plant that were thrown away have value if they come from purple corn plants. The higher levels of anthocyanins in the husks and cobs make there parts ideal for supplement manufacturers.
http://www.naturalnews.com/026210.html
Natural Products Association Issues Disinfo Announcement over Dietary Supplements and Swine Flu (opinion)
Mike Adams, NaturalNews.com, May 6, 2009
(NaturalNews) The natural products industry leaders are engaged in a clever "disinfo" campaign to brainwash people into thinking that herbs and nutritional products are useless for defending against swine flu. Today, the Natural Products Association (NPA), Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) and the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) took part in issuing a joint warning against any "natural" remedies that are being promoted as ways to prevent or treat h3N1 influenza.
Their joint statement is classic disinformation, stating, "We are unaware of any scientific data supporting the use of dietary supplements to treat swine flu."
That's because according to health authorities in the U.S., there is no such thing as any dietary supplement that treats any disease whatsoever. If any dietary supplement were found to treat a disease, it would shift categories to become a "drug," not a "dietary supplement."
Thus, it is technically impossible for any dietary supplement to treat anything, according to the way the terms are used in America today.
Furthermore, since swine flu is only a few weeks old, it is impossible for any substance to yet have "scientific evidence" of efficacy, including government-recommended anti-virals like Tamiflu. Technically speaking, there is zero credible scientific evidence that Tamiflu works to treat swine flu infections, either. Where are the studies? The scientific papers? There are none, precisely because swine flu is too new to have been carefully studied by anyone.
The subjugation of the natural products industry
This statement from these industry leaders is nearly equivalent to stating that "no plants have anti-viral action." And that statement is, of course, laughable. Not only do plants contain natural anti-viral medicine, but it is difficult to find ANY plant that does not exhibit some degree of anti-viral action!
Why is that the case? Because plants must defend themselves against viruses, too. And since they cannot run down to the local pharmacy to spend their life savings on Big Pharma's drugs, they have to manufacture their own medicine. Plants are nature's pharmaceutical factories, generating the most amazing medicines in the world like resveratrol, vitamin C, and even the key ingredient in Tamiflu, shikimic acid. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shikim...)
And yet it remains the official position of the so-called "leaders" of the natural products industry that there is no such thing as a plant that can treat swine flu.
That's a fascinating position, especially given that Tamiflu is derived from a Traditional Chinese Medicine herb called star anise.
The position of the natural products industry leaders seems to be that when a medicine is found naturally in a plant, it is inert. But when it is removed from the plant and branded a drug, it suddenly becomes "active!" Ridiculous.
What you've probably already noticed over the last few years is that the pharmaceutical industry has subjugated the natural products industry, and many of the companies that now "lead" the industry are in fact owned in part by Big Pharma, which pushes its pro-drug agenda through the sponsorship and financial support of various natural products industry organizations.
The Council for Responsible Nutrition, for its part, is focused on "harmonization" with the FDA and FTC, pushing its members to avoid making any statements about nutrition and disease that might accidentally inform consumers of the truth about the medicinal properties of natural products.
When the so-called leaders of the natural product industry actually issue a press release claiming that no natural products can help with swine flu, that's when you know the industry has been taken over. The very idea that no herb exists anywhere that can help defend people against swine flu is so ridiculous that it questions the sanity of anyone who dares utter it.
If you really want to follow the Natural Products Association, I suppose, you should take more pharmaceuticals. That alone is an astonishing realization. It's as if the apparent leader of the industry stood up and shouted, "All the products we represent are useless!"
Obviously, plants, herbs and real foods are not useless. And they do contain powerful anti-viral medicine.
Where is all the Tamiflu?
In fact, it is my position that plants will be the only available source of anti-viral medicine for most people if an outbreak occurs.
That's because supplies of government-approved anti-virals are strictly limited. There's simply not enough Tamiflu to go around, and vaccines don't even exist yet. Plus, most of the Tamiflu has been sitting around on the shelves for three years or so, and its potency is questionable. In an outbreak scenario, herbs and dietary supplements may be the only available anti-virals many people can get!
Is it really the position of the Natural Products Association that during a pandemic, when there's no more Tamiflu, and no vaccine, and the hospitals are overrun with dying, infected patients, that consumers should NOT take natural anti-viral products?
Are you kidding me? The leaders of the natural products industry are essentially telling people to avoid buying herbs and just go home and die?
Fascinating. That right there tells you everything you need to know about these natural product organizations.
Let me be the first to tell you that in a pandemic outbreak, following the advice of the Natural Products Association may get you killed. To issue a statement that implies people should avoid using herbs or dietary supplements to protect themselves from an approaching pandemic is extremely dangerous, unethical and in my opinion, downright foolish. It's the kind of thing I would expect to hear from the FDA, which is run by unethical bureaucrats, but not from the apparent leaders of the natural products industry.
I seriously question the integrity of any association that would issue such bad advice. If swine flu does become a pandemic and people start dying in large numbers, some of those deaths will no doubt be due to these "disinfo" campaigns pursued by the very industry leaders who should be teaching people how to protect themselves with the help of anti-viral herbs and natural medicines.
After all, when the Tamiflu runs out, what exactly are people supposed to do anyway? Eat dirt?
Take Tamiflu if you can get it, but don't stop there...
I'm not against Tamiflu. It's a very effective anti-viral drug, thanks to the fact that it's derived from a natural anti-viral herb. If I were infected with swine flu and offered some Tamiflu, I'd take it, too.
But I wouldn't limit my arsenal of lifesaving medicines to one drug (because that would be stupid).
I would also have anti-viral herbs, tinctures and dietary supplements in good supply. I'd be growing lemon balm and thyme in my garden and chewing on fresh culinary herbs every day. I'd be fighting the viral load with numerous natural products while boosting my own stores of vitamin D and getting plenty of sleep.
And you can bet my chances of surviving swine flu would be far greater than anyone who was stupid enough to follow the Natural Products Association's advice to essentially avoid taking dietary supplements.
It's all summed up by this sentence in the joint press release issued by these so-called industry leaders:
"Each of the associations is also committed to recognizing that there are some health conditions for which the choice of self-care should be actively discouraged. The current global outbreak of swine flu is such a condition."
In other words, don't take care of yourself! Remain a victim that depends 100% on western medicine. That's the new message from the natural products industry leaders, folks. Depend on FDA-approved drugs only, and don't you dare think for yourself or enhance your immunity with medicine from nature.
Welcome to the new natural products industry, which actively encourages consumers to abandon medicinal herbs and bet their lives on government-approved pharmaceuticals that are in short supply.
What the industry should have said instead...
So what should the natural products trade groups have said instead? They should have said, "Use Tamiflu if you can get it. If you can't -- or if you want extra protection beyond what one pharmaceutical can provide -- take advantage of the natural anti-viral attributes of herbs and dietary supplements."
That statement would have made more sense. That's the statement I'm backing here at NaturalNews. Yes, get medical help if you're sick. Yes, take Tamiflu if you can get it. But if not, don't just give up and die. Enjoy the healing power of herbs and dietary supplements, and you may just live through a pandemic that ends up killing those individuals foolish enough to bet their lives on the bad advice of misinformed trade groups.
http://www.naturalnews.com/026215.html
Small Amount of Wine Daily Boosts Life Expectancy
Sherry Baker, NaturalNews.com May 5, 2009
(NaturalNews) Drinking alcohol in excess is associated with a host of health problems, including an increased risk of certain cancers, liver disorders and even brain damage. But new research just published in the online version of the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, concludes up to just half a glass of wine daily can have remarkable health benefits. In fact, at least for men, drinking a small amount of wine may boost life expectancy by five years.
Dutch researchers at Wageningen University in the Netherlands studied a total of 1,373 randomly selected 50-year-old men whose cardiovascular health and life expectancy were monitored regularly between the years of 1960 and 2000. The scientists noted the research subjects' weight and diet and whether the men smoked and for how long. They also checked to see if the men had any serious illness. In addition, the research team documented how much alcohol the men drank, what type it was, and how long they drank. Then they assessed whether the men's alcohol consumption had any impact on their risk of dying from all causes -- including from cardiovascular disease and cerebrovascular disease.
Over the 40 years their health was monitored, an increasing number of the men drank alcohol. In fact, the proportion that drank alcohol almost doubled from 45 percent in 1960 to 86 percent in 2000. What's more, the proportion of those drinking wine soared from only two percent when the study began to 44 percent by 2000.
During the 4 decades long study, some 1,130 of the men died and about half these deaths were apparently caused by cardiovascular disease. But while analyzing the data, the researchers found that light long term alcohol consumption of all types -- up to 20 grams (g) a day -- boosted life expectancy life by around two extra years compared to drinking no alcohol at all. However, life expectancy was slightly lessened for the men who drank more than 20 g.
Another finding could justify wine lovers offering a toast to long life -- the men who drank only wine, and less than half a glass of it a day, lived approximately 2.5 years longer than those who drank beer and spirits. And they lived about five years longer than those who drank no alcohol at all.
According to a statement to the media, the researchers concluded that drinking wine in moderation was strongly associated with a lower risk of dying from coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, and death from all causes. What's more, these results held true, no matter the socioeconomic status, diet and other lifestyle habits of the men.
Reference: Long term wine consumption is related to cardiovascular mortality and life expectancy independently of moderate alcohol intake: the Zutphen Study Online First J Epidemiol Community Health 2009; doi 10.1136/jech.2008.082198
http://www.naturalnews.com/026207.html
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