Study:  High Vitamin, Mineral Intake Associated with Decreased Bladder Cancer Risk

Hey, fellas: Lower your risk for bladder cancer by eating these vegetables.

When it comes to bladder cancer, men are three times more likely to develop it than women.  One way to decrease this risk is to do the very thing that your parents told you to do since you were a youngin’:  Eat your vegetables.

Now, if you were anything like me when you were young, you didn’t give two hoots about vitamins and minerals.  All you cared about was when you could be dismissed from the table so you could go back out and play.

But now that you’re older—and hopefully a bit wiser—you’re taking advantage of the things you didn’t fully appreciate when you were a young whippersnapper.  You’re eating better, trying to get as much exercise as possible, and doing you’re darndest to avoid devastating diseases.  And as researchers from Australia have found, you’re decreasing your risk for bladder cancer by eating right.

Researchers from the Cancer Council Victoria in Australia reviewed the eating habits of about 565 people, approximately half of whom had previously been diagnosed with bladder cancer.  The remaining participants were healthy adults that served as controls.

These healthy controls had a lot in common, though.  Besides being the only ones in the study without bladder cancer, they were also considerably higher in specific nutrients.  And these nutrients were associated with a protection from bladder cancer.

For example, blood work analysis found that the people that had the highest concentrations of vitamin E were 34 percent less likely to develop bladder cancer.  But that was nothing compared to people who had high concentrations of phosphorus.  For them, the bladder cancer risk was reduced by 51 percent!

Other vitamins and minerals that had protective properties included vitamin D, niacin, and carotenoids.  Carotenoids are naturally occurring pigments found in brightly colored fresh fruits and veggies.  They’re a form of vitamin A.

The study was published in the journal Cancer Causes and Control and was funded in part by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the National Cancer Institute at the US National Institutes of Health.

Fortunately, these vitamins and minerals (with the exception of vitamin D) aren’t hard to find in the food supply.  But if you’re looking for a specific vegetables for specific minerals and vitamins:

Phosphorus sources:  Chickpeas, lentils, garlic, soybeans

Vitamin E sources:  Spinach, broccoli, wheat germ

Niacin sources:  crimini mushrooms, asparagus, romaine lettuce

Sources:
naturodoc.com
nutraingredients.com
ods.od.nih.gov
whfoods.org

Pill Recall Expands as Complaints Pour into FDA

With the Tylenol recall in full swing, now is the time to jump aboard the all-natural bandwagon.

If you’ve ever thought, hinted at, or seriously considered adopting the all-natural way to live and treat conditions, no time is as good as now.  I know that sounds trite and tired, but I say that not because it’s a good motto to live by, but because the circumstances are ripe for it.  Because if you haven’t already heard, there’s a huge recall on over-the-counter pills like Tylenol, Motrin, St. Joseph’s Aspirin, Benadryl, even Rolaids.

According to multiple reports filed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, pills and antacids like these have caused dozens and dozens of adverse reactions all across the country, including nausea, diarrhea, vomiting and severe stomach pain.

McNeil, the maker of these medicines, believe they know the source of what’s causing these adverse reactions:  A disgusting wood pallet that the medicines were shipped on leaked a chemical.  Whatever the chemical was, it had a distinct and offensive odor.

Now, we all make mistakes, so we shouldn’t cast aspersions too quickly.  But what makes this instance so outrageous is that McNeil had this same problem two years ago—the very same one!  So you’d think that McNeil would take the appropriate measures in ridding their facilities of the offending wood pallets that leak this mysterious chemical.

No such luck, as it happens.

You can bet that heads will be rolling at McNeil as someone clearly dropped the ball on this one.

McNeil has gone ahead and posted all of the offending products on their web site, complete with the box labeling, product description and UPC codes.  You’d be wise to take a look to make sure you don’t have any of these products lying around your house or lurking in your medicine cabinet.

In the meantime, why not use this incident as a springboard to start taking natural herbs that can treat headache, natural supplements that can help ease the pain of arthritis, and natural elixirs that relieve allergies?

They work, and what’s more, they’re guaranteed not to cause any adverse side effects:  one of the many hallmarks to all natural living and supplementing.

Sources:
mcneilproductrecall.com
drugwatch.com

Blueberry Juice Enhances Memory Function, According to Researchers

A glass of blueberry juice every day improved cognitive function in aging adults. But that's not where the health improvements stopped.

One of all time favorite things to eat—morning, midday or evening—is oatmeal with blueberries.  It’s a relatively quick and easy way for me to fill up on something healthy so I can fuel my busy lifestyle.    Oatmeal by its lonesome is good for you, but I never forget to add a heaping handful of blueberries to get a hefty dose of antioxidants.

And the reason why I never forget my blueberries may be because I eat so many of them (This is sort of like that joke that says “What makes fish so thin?  They eat fish!”)

According to the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, a daily dose of blueberries has an ability to enhance memory function, particularly in people showing early signs of memory loss.

Researchers from the University of Cincinnati Academic Health Center recruited nine individuals with similar educational backgrounds (approximately 15 ½ years) to drink between six and nine milliliters of blueberry juice for every kilogram of body weight (e.g., A 150 lb person would drink about 612 milliliters of blueberry juice per day).  Everyone drank his or her allotted amount for 12 weeks.

After three months, everyone exhibited signs of improved cognitive function, like memorizing words that they were unable to memorize at the beginning of the study.

The researchers were half expecting this, as past studies have revealed blueberries’ brain boosting benefits.  But there were some other mental and physiological improvements that they weren’t expecting, like how there were improvements in symptoms related to depression, and lower blood-glucose levels.

Researchers think the improved blood-glucose levels likely result from how blueberries improve cognition.  Future analysis will determine if there is any validity to that theory.

Writing in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, the researchers conclude, “This initial study establishes a basis for further human research of blueberry supplementation as a preventive intervention with respect to cognitive aging.”

In less than a week, I’ve reported on three studies that link the drinking of natural fruit juice to improved health (the third will be published by editors from Natural News).  If nothing else, it goes to show that the drinking of juice has its place in any healthy diet, which many people don’t believe (because of fruit juices’ high sugar content).

But as I wrote in a previous posting on juice, if you’re looking to lose weight, restrict your intake of fruit juice to one glass per day.  One large glass per day will give you approximately the same amount of juice that the participants had for 12 weeks.

For example, a can of soda is what—12 fluid ounces, right?  Well 12 fluid ounces is 355 milliliters when it’s converted to milliliters.

So without sacrificing your diet regimen, you can get a healthy dose of blueberry juice—or grape juice or acai berry juice or pretty much any juice, for that matter—which will do wonders for you from both a physical and mental health standpoint.

Source:
nutraingredients.com

Why Was St. John’s Wort Used to Treat IBS?

St. John's wort has long been considered effective for treating mood disorders. So why would it all of a sudden be considered effective for treating gastrointestinal disorders?

Sometimes I’m amazed at what makes health headlines.  For instance, if an herb, supplement or medication is disproved as an effective treatment for a certain condition, after years of being considered effective, then that warrants a story.  But if an herb or supplement is tested to treat a condition that it was never meant to treat, and that herb turns out to be ineffective, is that really worthy of a news story?

Perhaps an explanation will better explain what I mean.  According to a new study published in the January issue of the American Journal of Gastroenterology, St. John’s wort is an effective herb in the treatment of IBS, or irritable bowel syndrome.

And?  You mean, that’s it?  That’s what the news is—that St. Johns wort shouldn’t be used to treat irritable bowel syndrome?

What will they tell us next—that sticking your hands in the snow doesn’t relieve frostbite?  That the Double Cheeseburger Diet doesn’t trim the waistline?  That candy isn’t good for your teeth?  That the best way to reduce stress is to seek out stressful situations?

St. John’s wort has never been used to treat gastrointestinal problems.  Never. Hundreds of studies point to its effectiveness in treating mood and behavior disorders (like depression and ADHD), but it’s never been considered effective for treating gastrointestinal problems.

It’s like going to see a podiatrist for a broken nose, or a proctologist for an ear infection.  It doesn’t make sense, so why do it?

Now, granted, supplements, herbs and medications are tried and tested on various conditions all the time.  It’s part of the process of elimination in widdling down what supplements do and don’t work for various conditions.  But some things should be clear at the outset that they won’t be effective for a certain treatment.  And the notion that St. Johns wort would be an effective treatment for irritable bowel syndrome—call me crazy—is a bit of a stretch.

That’s not to say St. John’s wort is an ineffective herb.  It’s a very effective herb for depression, as noted by scientists in the prestigious Cochrane Report and several other respected journals.  But irritable bowel syndrome and depression are apples and oranges in how they impact the body and what supplements are considered effective for treatment.

For irritable bowel syndrome, you want to take supplements that improve digestion and absorption.  So concentrate on things like L-glutamine, fiber and peppermint.  For depression, concentrate on taking things that naturally stimulates a greater production of serotonin and dopamine.  These things include—you guessed it—St. John’s wort, but also 5-HTP and Nicotinamide, or NADH.

Sources:
nutraingredients.com
prnewswire.com
en.wikipedia.org
Balch, Phyllis A.  “Prescription for Nutritional Healing.”  4th Edition.  2006.  Avery:  New York

Study:  Restaurant, Frozen Fare Higher in Calories than What’s Listed

Tufts University researcher finds that restaurant foods are often 20 percent higher in calories than what's listed.

It’s said that you can’t believe everything you read in the papers, but since when can we not believe everything we read on nutrition labels?

Since now, that’s when.

According to a study published in the January issuing of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, nutrition labels on restaurant menus and frozen food boxes are often wrong, underestimating the number of calories and fat grams there are in a given serving.

The study, led by Susan Roberts of Tufts University, analyzed menu items from just under 30 different restaurant chains like Ruby Tuesdays and Wendy’s, and 10 different frozen food items, like Healthy Choice Tomato Basil Penne and Lean Cuisine Lemon Chicken.

After calorie analysis was through, she found that restaurant menu items were on average 20 percent higher in calories than what was listed on menus and that frozen food items were a little less than 10 percent higher in calories than what was listed on the packages.

Now, as Roberts herself says, this isn’t a dramatic difference, but in the battle of the bulge, every little bit counts—especially if you’re someone that relies on others making your meals (either frozen or prepared in a restaurant).

For example, say you’re having Lean Cuisine’s Chicken Tuscan Panini.  One sandwich has about 320 calories and seven grams of fat.  A perfectly reasonable lunch, right?  Well if Roberts’ analysis is accurate, those 320 calories are really about 350 calories.

Not a huge difference at first blush, but eat the same Panini over a week’s time, and the added calories comes to about one extra sandwich (320×7=2,240; 350×7=2,450 210 extra calories).

Again, when you’re trying to lose weight, it’s really about the little things that makes the biggest difference: Instead of two tablespoons of salad dressing, one; instead of a full muffin, just the muffin top; and instead of a generous smearing of mayo on your veggie sub sandwich, a light coating of olive oil.  You can do all this yourself.

The hope was that convenience food companies and restaurateurs were being upfront about their calorie labeling.  But as it turns out, this was too much for even them to handle.  So I guess even in the food world, you have to live by the D.I.Y. rule of life:  If you want to get something done (i.e. lose weight), you often have to do it yourself.

Sources:
msnbc.msn.com
news.yahoo.com
leancuisine.com

Baby Boomers Would Be Wise to Drink Grape Juice for Brain Health

The purple stuff kids go for is great for adults as well. Just be sure to be drinking the right kind.

Grape juice may be a favorite drink of young tikes and toddlers, but older tycoons would be wise to drink some of the sweet stuff too.  That’s because a new study says grape juice can boost the memory of baby boomers.

The study was pretty thorough, in that it was double-blind, randomized and placebo-controlled, but what it had in thoroughness it lacked in size.  Just 12 people took part in the study.

Be that as it may, the findings are still pretty impressive.  For instance, over the course of the study period, those who drank Concord grape juice showed marked improvements in various cognitive functions at the end of the study compared to the beginning, like showing improvements in verbal learning and spatial reasoning.

Writing in the journal that published the study, the British Journal of Nutrition, the researchers said that their findings “suggest that supplementation with Concord grape juice may enhance cognitive function for older adults with early memory decline.”

The other thing that the researchers pointed out was that these findings do not necessarily apply to Alzheimer’s disease patients or preventing the disease’s onset.  The study looked at cognitive functions that were related to Alzheimer’s, but indirectly so.

I’ve written pretty extensively about grapes in the past, how there are a lot of “grape gripers” who like to complain about their high sugar content.  But as I said then, there’s a big difference between natural sugar and refined sugar.  The body metabolizes refined sugars in a much different manner than natural sugar (i.e., fructose), the former being stored as fat, while the latter is used more as a fuel source for energy.

That said there are LOTS of grape juices on the market today that are heavy in refined sugars.  In fact, they may say 100 percent juice and still contain loads of added sugars.  So read labels, ingredients and nutrition facts carefully.

Surprisingly, there’s actually a very well-known juice that is 100 percent juice, has no added sugars AND is organic—Welch’s.  Welch’s Organic 100 Percent Concord Grape Juice has absolutely no added sugars.

Now, should you go out and buy yourself a jug of Welch’s brand grape juice, you’ll probably be shocked to see the sugar content in a 10-ounce glass—52 grams.

I’m not going to lie, that’s a lot, but that’s a drop in the bucket compared to what other grape juices have (i.e. 60 grams and up!).

The bottom line is this:  If you’re looking to lose weight and still get the antioxidant benefits that grape juice provides, keep your grape juice drinking to one glass a day.  In fact, even if you’re not trying to lose weight, keep juice drinking to one glass a day.  Yes, natural sugars are better than refined sugars, but they’re still carbohydrates, and excess carbs contribute to unnecessary weight gain.

As always, all things in moderation is the key.

Sources:
nutraingredients.com
welchs.com
hookedonjuice.com

Yet Another Study Links D Deficiency to Death

Vitamin D: It's a matter of life and death--literally.

Ever wonder what the ‘D’ in vitamin D stands for?  I think I know—death.

A ton of studies have come out lately regarding vitamin D’s importance to our healthy lives, but there’s been a particular emphasis on how a deficiency in it can increase our risk for death.

I’ve written about many of these, like this one, where Utah researchers found that people “very low” in vitamin D were 45 percent more likely to die from coronary heart disease.  Or this one, where vitamin D-deficient elderly were three times more likely to die prematurely.

And who can forget this one, where researchers from the American Heart Institute found a linkage between people with low levels of vitamin D and the world’s leading killer—heart disease.

Well the most recent news on vitamin D is every bit as macabre as the aforementioned studies.  Because according to a study that’s set to be published in the online edition of the journal Annals of Family Medicine, black Americans are at the most risk for stroke-related deaths if their deficient in vitamin D.  More at risk than any other race.

Hearkening on the prevalence of studies linking vitamin D deficiency to death, researchers from the University of Rochester wanted to see if this rule applied to all cardiac-related deaths.  So with the help of the National heart Lung and Blood Institute, not to mention the 15,000 men and women they had health information on, they found that, indeed, vitamin D deficiency increased the risk of heart and stroke-related deaths by as much as 40 percent (for those who had the rock-bottom lowest vitamin D levels).

But the risk was even greater for African Americans.  When researchers honed their statistics to how race influenced risk, they found that the largest risk was among blacks (38 percent more).

The researchers assessed “risk” by taking into account various symptoms that are symptomatic of cardiac-related deaths, like body mass index, smoking and levels of C-reactive protein.  Of course they also factored into the equation those that had already died of heart-related deaths and what their vitamin D levels were prior to their dying.

Again, the study’s full details will appear on the journal’s web site, January the 11th.

If you haven’t realized how important vitamin D is to your life by now, then you never will.  Vitamin D is absolutely crucial to bone and cell growth, not to mention the body’s ability to absorb and put calcium to use.

If you’re worried about your vitamin D levels—or simply curious about how high or low they may be—a simple blood test will take care of that.  A vitamin D measurement of less than 20 nanograms per millimeter of blood is considered deficient.

Surprisingly, there are very few food sources that contain vitamin D naturally.  It’s frequently added to foods (i.e. fortified).  They are out there, though, and they include salmon, mackerel, tuna, and liver.

You can also get it through vitamin D supplements and cod liver oil.

Or you could go to the most natural of sources there is for vitamin D—the sun.  Ten to 20 minutes of sun exposure will give you your daily D fill.

Sources:
sciencedaily.com
dietary-supplements.info.nih.gov

Ellagitannins in Pomegranates Halt Cancer Cell Growth

Pomegranates prove to be beneficial in preventing breast cancer cells from metastasizing in laboratory study.

Have you been on Facebook lately (are you even on Facebook?  If not, get on there, and add me as a “friend”)?  If so, you’ve probably noticed a lot of people writing colors into their status updates.  “Red,” “white,” “blue.”

This isn’t your friends proclaiming their affinity for patriotic colors, but rather announcing to their fellow Facebookers what color of bra their wearing.

Really.

It’s done in an effort to spread the word about breast cancer awareness, which millions of people commemorate every October with walks, jogs and fundraisers.

But if your friends on Facebook were really “aware,” they’d be updating their status with the word “pomegranate.”  Because a new study published in Cancer Prevention Research says that pomegranate juice can stop the growth of breast cancer tumors dead in their tracks.

As with other fruits and vegetables high in antioxidants, pomegranates’ high antioxidant content is the curative quality for breast cancer prevention.  They discovered this after interacting 10 different types of compounds found in ellagitannins with cancer cells in laboratory tests.  All of the compounds contributed to the inhibition of the cancer cells’ growth, but one in particular—urolithin B—was especially effective.  Urolithin is a metabolite that derives from ellagitannins.

Ellagitannins are found in abundance in a number of fruits and vegetables like cranberries and strawberries.  They’re also found in the nut family—particularly walnuts and pecans.  But the best source for ellagitannins (which is the same thing as ellagic acid, or what ellagitannins are converted to in the body) is raspberries.  One cup of raspberries has about 40 milligrams of ellagitannins.

The study was conducted by researchers from the City of Hope Research Hospital in the facility’s Division of Tumor Cell Biology.

More studies on ellagitannins’ ability to stall or block the growth of breast cancer cells are in the offing.  Perhaps future studies will involve raspberries.  Considering they’re the richest source of ellagitannins, one would think they’d be just as—if not more—effective than pomegranates.

In the meantime, be very wary of ellagitannin supplements.  There are loads of them on the market, all of them trying to upstage their competitors.  I need to perform my own review on what elligitannins supplements (if any) are best.  So stay tuned for that.

Until then, stick with all-natural food sources for high quality ellagitannin content.

Sources:
ellagic.net
webmd.com
webmd.com
vitapurity.com

Researchers Label Caviar as the Best Natural Omega-3 Fatty Acid Source

Caviar--the hors d'oeuvre of high society--is declared the best source of omega-3 fatty acids by researchers.

For all of the good things about seafood (low in fat, low in calories, high in protein, iron, etc.), it’s most distinguishing characteristic is it being the best source for omega-3s.  Other foods have omega-3s, sure, but you won’t find a more abundant source for omega-3s than what you’ll find in the seafood section.

It begs the question, though:  When it comes to omega-3s, what fish is the best of the best?  According to researchers from the University of Almeria, the answer may be the fish that aren’t quite fish yet.

That’s right, caviar—the hors’doeuvre of high society.

In the battle of the bulge, hors d’oeuvres can easily lead dieters astray.  They’re small pre-dinner offerings designed to whet the appetite, but their bite-sized quality is not matched by their calorie quantity (one mozzarella stick has just under 100 calories and five grams of fat!).

But that’s not the case with caviar, the hors’doeuvre that delivers a boatload of omega-3s from nary a tablespoon.

The researchers discovered this after analyzing the fatty acid content of 15 seafaring mammals, looking to see which ones were the most abundant in DHA and EPA, the primary types of omega-3s.  All of them were high in omega-3s, but the fish roe of mackerel, squid, cuttlefish, lumpsucker, hake, and salmon were the most impressive offerings.   Just a small sample of caviar more than satisfies the body’s omega-3 fatty acid daily requirement, according to researchers (there is no official requirement for omega-3 consumption, but dieticians and nutritionists agree that everyone should be getting at least some omega-3s every day).

The study is published in the European Journal of Lipid Science and Technology.

Now, to be perfectly honest, I’ve never had caviar.  It’s not that I refuse to eat it or anything like that; it’s just that I’ve never been in the company of others who were eating it.

The other thing that hasn’t exactly led me to caviar’s coffers is its cost.   A four-ounce jar of salmon caviar can cost $13, and that’s considered relatively inexpensive (you can get a pound of salmon for less than that at any fish market on the east coast)!

That said, given its richness in omega-3s, I can pretty much guarantee you that I’ll at least try caviar should the opportunity arise.  I hope you’ll do the same.  Because when it comes to increasing and improving health, everyone should try something at least once.

Sources:
sciencedaily.com
msnbc.msn.com

Israel study shows that "indiscriminate" supplementation can lead to a shorter life.

It’s time to go back in time.  Think back to when you were in your high school health class.  At some point during the semester, I’m sure you learned about vitamins and how all of them fall into one of two classes:  Fat soluble or water soluble.  Water soluble vitamins—like vitamin B complex, and vitamin C—dissolve easily but empty out of the body easily as well.  In other words, you need to be eating them every day to have a sufficient amount for your cells to work with.

In contrast, fat soluble vitamins—vitamins A, D, E and K—require fat for the body to absorb them.  And because the body stores fat, the body absorbs fat soluble vitamins readily.  In other words, you don’t need copious amounts of these vitamins to be healthy.  In fact, if you have too much of them, they can cause serious problems.  A recent study demonstrates what I mean.

According to researchers from Tel Aviv University in Israel, people who supplemented “indiscriminately” with vitamin E supplements had a worse quality of life than those who didn’t take vitamin E supplements.

They assessed “quality of life” through a unique measurement called quality adjusted life years, or QALY.  As the lead doctor explains it, imagine someone who has minimal health problems over a 10-year period, but then suffers a stroke.  If that person lives, those next 10 years are typically lived under conditions where he or she must rely on others to care for them.  This person has a low QALY.

So when researchers applied this measuring stick to over 300,000 subjects, they found an interesting correlation among people who supplemented with vitamin E for an extended period of time.  For those that supplemented with vitamin E, they actually lived about four months fewer than those that didn’t supplement with vitamin E.

The findings were convincing enough for the researchers that they went so far as to conclude that “going to the grocery store to buy vitamin E supplements won’t do you good.”

I’m not willing to go that far.

What I am willing to say is that fat soluble vitamins should not be taken indiscriminately.  In other words, don’t supplement with fat soluble vitamins if you’re already getting plenty of vitamin D from the sun, vitamin E from leafy greens and nuts, vitamin A from carrots and yams, and vitamin K from cabbage and broccoli.

Here’s the recommended range for each vitamin.

For men and women:

Vitamin A   Between 900-3,000 mcg

Vitamin D   Between 10-50 mcg

Vitamin E  Between 33-1,500 mcg

Vitamin K  At least 75 mcg (No known toxicity symptoms for vitamin K)

For information on what foods are richest in A, D, E and K, click the highlighted letters.

Sources:
supplementquality.com
sciencedaily.com