New progress in understanding mechanism of aging: a role for pyruvate supplementation?
03.28.2005 14:59
Many decades ago it was noticed that lab animals put on
very
low-calorie diets lived substantially longer than those allowed
to eat freely. There have been various speculations about why
such an anti-aging effect should occur — the most widely accepted
theory is that the metabolism of caloric substances gives rise
to free radicals which damage cells and connective tissues,
making them function less well as the damage accumulates.
Caloric restriction, a mild form of energy starvation, would therefore
reduce the metabolic rate and therefore decrease the damage
cells receive from free radicals.read more...
Why does fish oil provide cardiovascular protection? The reasons are beginning to be revealed.
03.14.2005 14:58
Fish oil has attracted a lot of interest in recent years
because of its ability to prevent heart disease, stroke, and even
depression. Although omega-3 fatty acids are strongly
suspected to play an important role in fish oil’s cardioprotective
effects,
the reasons for such effects have been elusive.read more...
Lutein, lycopene, and beta-carotene work together to protect DNA.
03.07.2005 14:57
Carotenoids such as lutein, lycopene and beta-carotene
are
all found in vegetables, but the proportions vary dramatically
with the choice of vegetable, the growing conditions, and the
method of converting the vegetable into food. People often take
carotenoid supplements, but seldom take all three of these
substances, and almost never get them in optimum amounts.read more...
Beta-glucan improves cholesterol — but don’t rely on plain oatmeal for yours!
03.01.2005 14:56
Beta-glucan (aka ‘soluble fiber’) has been studied as a
cholesterol-lowering nutrient for more than 15 years, and its
effectiveness
is generally accepted. According to recent studies, beneficial
effects on cholesterol and blood-pressure can be seen when
beta-glucan is consumed in the form of oat or barley bran —
but the quantities needed are substantial.read more...
Study finds St. John’s Wort better than Paxil® for treating depression.
02.25.2005 14:54
Now and then we are treated to the amusing spectacle of a
traditional herbal remedy out-performing an expensive pharmaceutical
product in a controlled clinical trial. Several such medicinal
turnabouts have occurred in the past few years. The latest
involves St. John’s Wort and paroxetine (Paxil).read more...
Green tea extract as a cancer-fighter: possible mechanism discovered
02.14.2005 14:53
Green tea extracts are being widely used as cancer
fighters,
and for good reason — hundreds of studies have shown anti-cancer
effects stemming from compounds contained in green tea. Even
so, when it comes to clinical trials — the acid test of the concept
of using green tea as an anti-cancer therapy — the medical
literature turns out to be riddled with conflicting claims and
results. Some studies show that green tea consumption
decreases the risk of various kinds of cancer, other studies show just
the opposite.read more...
More diabetes news: chromium-biotin supplement controls blood sugar and cholesterol levels.
02.07.2005 14:52
A clinical trial sponsored by Nutrition 21, the
manufacturer
of Diachrome™ (a combination of chromium picolinate and biotin),
has further confirmed what was already known from previous
trials: that this combination of supplements is a safe and beneficial
treatment for type 2 diabetes.read more...
Acetyl-L-carnitine counteracts diabetic symptoms in clinical trials
02.01.2005 14:52
Acetyl-L-carnitine (‘ALC’ or ‘ALCar’) is a nutritional supplement that supplies carnitine in a bioavailable form.
Carnitine plays a number of roles in the body, but one of its most interesting roles is serving as a shuttle for fatty acids. Cells obtain part of their energy supply from fatty acids — the fatty acid molecules are pulled apart and some of the energy contained in their broken bonds is extracted and stored for later use.read more...
Breakthrough in understanding anti-cancer effect of vitamin C
01.27.2005 14:49
The Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University is
a
major generator of research about vitamins, minerals, and other
nutritional substances. Scientists there recently announced
the results of a study on vitamin C and its anti-cancer properties.
It appears to be an important breakthrough in understanding
the mechanism by which vitamin C clears the body of destructive
oxidized fat molecules that are thought to be responsible for
cardiovascular damage and cancer-causing damage to genes.read more...
Antioxidants inhibit the progression of macular degeneration
01.25.2005 21:40
Recent news articles and medical studies have highlighted
the toll that macular degeneration (MD — a loss of central vision)
takes on society. Clinical studies, such as the AREDS study of
several thousand people, have shown that the use of common
antioxidants inhibits the progression of MD. The antioxidants
used for AREDS were zinc, vitamins C and E, and beta-carotene.read more...
