Daily doses of 400 micrograms of the B-Vitamin led to significant improvements in blood pressure and improved blood flow after 16 weeks of supplementation, according to results published in the British Journal of Surgery.
 
A range of studies has linked increased blood levels of the amino acid homocysteine to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). It has been suggested that by lowering the levels of homocysteine in the blood with B-Vitamins, people could cut the risk of CVD.
 
The new study, by scientists from Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital NHS Trust, the University of East Anglia, and the Institute of Food Research, report that supplements of Folic Acid could reduce homocysteine levels, and improve blood flow in people with PAD.
 
PAD is associated with decreased blood flow in the legs, and occurs when arteries in the legs become narrowed or clogged with fatty deposits. According to 2008 statistic from the American Heart Association, PAD affects about 8 million Americans and is associated with significant disease and death.
 
The researchers recruited 20133 people with PAD and randomly assigned them to receive daily supplements of Folic Acid (400 micrograms) or placebo for 16 weeks.
At the end of the study, the researchers noted that, compared to the placebo group, the Folic Acid displayed significant reductions in homocysteine of 2.12 and 2.07 micromoles per liter, respectively.

Measures of blood flow, namely the so-called pulse wave velocity (PWV), decreased. “Plasma homocysteine has a significant association with PWV in both healthy individuals and people with vascular diseases,” wrote the researchers. “The present study suggested that lowering plasma homocysteine was associated with an improvement in PWV.”

“This study found that Folate supplementation substantially reduced plasma homocysteine and produced a statistically significant but clinically modest improvement in peripheral arterial circulation compared with placebo,” concluded the researchers.

Source: British Journal of Surgery

The study has the potential to lead to advances in the prevention and treatment of skin lesions specifically, as well as contributing to the fight against cancer.

Published in the Journal Respiratory Research, the new study examined nearly 300 patients diagnosed with lung disease, and measured their reported soy food intake.

“Soy consumption was found to be positively correlated with lung function and inversely associated with the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The epidemiological evidence also indicated an inverse association between total soy intake and breathlessness,” wrote the researchers from Japan and Australia.
 
The study was conducted on 278 Japanese patients aged 50-75, who had been diagnosed with COPD within the past four years. Another 340 participants recruited from the general Japanese population were used as a control group.
All participants were tested for respiratory function. Food consumption and lifestyle characteristics were determined based on structured questionnaires.

The researchers identified the self-reporting of dietary intake as a limitation to their study, but said that they also included individual interviews with relatives in order to increase response rate and improve the accuracy of answers. They also said all interviews were conducted by the same investigator to eliminate inter-interviewer bias.
Participants were asked specifically about their soy food consumption for the five years prior to the interview date. For the purposes of the study, soy foods included tofu, natto, bean sprouts, and soy milk.

Other variables measured were age, gender, body mass index, education level, physical activity, smoking status, and dietary intake of fruit, vegetables, fish, red meat and chicken.
 
Overall, the researchers found that those participants diagnosed with COPD had significantly lower soy intake than controls. Researchers then examined the relationship with lung function, and found that this was positively correlated with total soy consumption.
 
“A significant reduction in COPD risk was evident for the highest versus lowest quartile of daily total intake of soybean products,” wrote the researchers. The observed benefits, consistent with findings from previous studies, could be a result of the anti-inflammatory benefits of soyfoods, they said, but added that more research is needed to understand the underlying biological mechanism.
 
“The present case-control study has suggested an inverse association between soy products and COPD risk for Japanese adults,” concluded the researchers. “More research and/or replications are required to ascertain whether the observed findings can be generalized to other populations, before incorporating these foods into dietary guidelines so as to encourage consumption.” “Besides experimental studies, long-term prospective cohort studies collecting detailed dietary exposure information are recommended to provide epidemiological evidence on both morbidity and mortality due to COPD.”
 
Source: Soy consumption and risk of COPD and respiratory symptoms: a case-control study in Japan
Respiratory Research 2009,

Dehydroepiandrosterone, commonly known as DHEA, is a hormone that is secreted by the adrenal gland in response to stress. Although medical scientists have known for over a decade that DHEA provides beneficial, anti-stress effects in animals, they did not know until now whether this was also true for humans.

The scientists completed psychological and hormone assessments on a group of soldiers the day before they began the month-long CDQC, and immediately after their final pass/fail exam engaged in a highly stressful, nocturnal, underwater navigation exercise.

They found that soldiers with more DHEA performed better during the final underwater navigation exam than those with less DHEA. These findings are being published by Elsevier in the August 15th issue of Biological Psychiatry.

Underwater navigation is a task that relies on an area of the brain called the hippocampus that is very sensitive to the negative effects of stress. “Animal studies have shown that DHEA buffers against stress, in part, by modulating receptors in this region of the brain; these findings are important in understanding why and how soldiers may differ in their ability to tolerate stress and also raise the possibility that, in the future, compounds like DHEA might be used to protect military personnel from the negative impact of operational stress” explained the researchers.

Clearly, additional research is still needed but these findings are a step forward in the quest to help prevent or better treat the symptoms of stress-related disorders that these high-risk individuals experience.

Journal reference:
Biological Psychiatry, Volume 66, Issue 4 (August 15, 2009)

Women receiving a combination of vitamins C and E, along with regular exercise did not experience any bone loss during a six-month period, while women receiving placebo did experience detrimental bone loss, according to findings published in Osteoporosis International.

“These results are interesting because this is the first study to examine the combination of these interventions in healthy elderly women suggesting another effective strategy to delay age-related BMD loss,” wrote the researchers from the University of Sherbrooke.

“Further research is needed to determine appropriate recommendations for this population especially since nutrition and exercise are two effective and accessible strategies towards health maintenance in the aging population,” they added.

Osteoporosis is characterized by low bone mass, which leads to an increase risk of fractures, especially the hips, spine and wrists. An estimated 75 million people suffer from osteoporosis in Europe, the USA and Japan. Women are four times more likely to develop osteoporosis than men.

For the study, the research team recruited 34 postmenopausal women with an average age of 66.1, and an average BMI of 25.98 kg/m2, and randomly assigned them to one of four groups: placebo and no exercise; antioxidants (600 mg vitamin E (dl-alpha-tocopherol) and 1,000 mg vitamin C daily) and no exercise; placebo plus exercise; and antioxidants plus exercise, for 6 months.
Measures of the bone mineral density (BMD) of the hip (femoral neck) and spine (lumbar spine) revealed that only the placebo and no exercise group experienced significant bone loss at the lumbar spine. The BMD of both sites remained constant in all the other groups. No additional effect was observed when antioxidants were combined with exercise.

Commenting on the possible mechanism, the researchers stated that a previous study has indicated a decrease in bone resorption following antioxidant supplementation.
“Antioxidants may reduce the damaging effects of oxidative stress on bone mass by reducing the up-regulated osteoclastic differentiation and enhancing the down-regulated osteoblastic differentiation,” they explained. Osteoclasts are cells which break down bone, leading to resorption and weakening. “Our results suggest furthering investigating the impact of antioxidant supplements on the prevention of osteoporosis,” they concluded.

Antioxidants And Bones Earlier This Year, a study funded by the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service reported that an increased intake of carotenoids, and particularly lycopene, was associated with some level of protection against losses in bone mineral density (BMD) at the lumbar spine in women and at the hip in men.

Writing in the January 2009 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers from Tufts University, Hebrew Senior Life, and Boston University, stated: “It is therefore possible that carotenoids explain part of the previously observed protective effects of fruit and vegetable intake on BMD.”

Source: Osteoporosis International July 2009, Volume 20, Number 7, Pages 1253-1258 “Effect of antioxidants combined to resistance training on BMD in elderly women”

The early research findings, which appear in the July issue of the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, may lead to new approaches in preventing and treating Alzheimer’s by utilizing the property of vitamin D, both alone and together with curcumin to boost the immune system in protecting the brain against amyloid beta.

Vitamin D is an essential nutrient for bone and immune system health; its main source is sunshine, and it is synthesized through the skin. Deficiencies may occur during winter months or in those who spend a lot of time indoors, such as Alzheimer’s patients. “We hope that vitamin D3 and curcumin, both naturally occurring nutrients, may offer new preventive and treatment possibilities for Alzheimer’s disease,” explained a leading researcher at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and the Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System.

Using blood samples from nine Alzheimer’s patients, one patient with mild cognitive impairment and three healthy control subjects, scientists isolated monocyte cells, which transform into macrophages that act as the immune system’s clean-up mechanism, traveling through the brain and body and gobbling up waste products, including amyloid beta. Researchers incubated the macrophages with amyloid beta, vitamin D3 and curcumin.

The team discovered that curcuminoids enhanced the surface binding of amyloid beta to macrophages and that vitamin D strongly stimulated the uptake and absorption of amyloid beta in macrophages in a majority of patients.

Previous research by the team demonstrated that the immune genes are associated with the immune system’s ability to better ingest amyloid beta. In this earlier work, it was shown that there are two types of Alzheimer’s patients: Type 1 patients, who respond positively to curcuminoids, and Type II patients, who do not.

Since vitamin D and curcumin work differently with the immune system, we may find that a combination of the two or each used alone may be more effective, depending on the individual patient. No dosage of vitamin D or curcumin can be recommended at this point. Larger vitamin D and curcumin studies with more patients are planned, the researchers noted.

The study was funded by the Human BioMolecular Research Institute, the Alzheimer’s Association and MP Biomedicals LLC, a global life sciences and diagnostics company dedicated to Alzheimer’s disease research.

New findings reported in the British Journal of Nutrition indicate that overweight and obese people have blood levels of Omega-3 fatty acids typically lower than people with a healthy weight.

This study suggests that Omega-3 from fish oils may play an important role in weight status and abdominal adiposity, noted the researchers from the University of Newcastle of the Nutrition Society of Australia.

Previous studies have reported Omega-3 in protective benefits against obesity, and the new study adds to this growing body of evidence. A considerable number of studies already support the benefits of the Omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) for cardiovascular health, and cognitive health. Other areas of potential for the fatty acids include mood and behavior, eye health, cancer risk reduction, and improved infant development.

The researchers recruited 124 people of varying weights: 21 were classified as having a healthy weight, according to their body mass index (BMI); 40 were classed as overweight; and 63 were obese. The researchers note that people who consumed Omega-3 supplements were excluded from their study.

Blood samples were taken after the subjects fasted for at least ten hours. The researchers recorded an inverse relationship between total omega-3 blood levels, as well as blood levels of DHA and EPA, with BMI, the subject’s waist size, and their hip circumference.

The obese people had omega-3 levels of 4.53 per cent, compared to 5.25 per cent in their healthy-weight peers. When the researchers classed the people according to their Omega-3 levels, and not by their weight, they again observed that increased omega-3 levels were associated with a healthier BMI, a smaller waist, and a lower hip size.
“Other studies, along with our observations, suggest that Omega-3 supplementation may play an important role in preventing weight gain and improving weight loss when Omega-3 fatty acids are supplemented with a structured weight-loss program,” wrote the researchers.

Approximately 6 million women in the United States use hormone replacement therapy to treat the symptoms of menopause; This exposure to progestin will predispose a large number of post-menopausal women to future development of breast cancer. The results of a new study show that women could potentially take curcumin to protect them from developing progestin-accelerated tumors.

In the study, researchers found that curcumin delayed the first appearance, decreased incidence and reduced multiplicity of progestin-accelerated tumors in an animal model. Curcumin also prevented the appearance of gross morphological abnormalities in the mammary glands. In previous studies, University of Missouri researchers showed that progestin accelerated the development of certain tumors by increasing production of a molecule called VEGF that helps supply blood to the tumor. By blocking the production of VEGF, researchers could potentially reduce the proliferation of breast cancer cells. Curcumin inhibits progestin-induced VEGF secretion from breast cancer cells.

The team noted “Curcumin and other potential anti-angiogenic compounds should be tested further as dietary chemopreventive agents in women already exposed to hormone replacement therapy containing estrogen and progestin in an effort to decrease or delay the risk of breast cancer associated with combined hormone replacement therapy.”

Journal reference:
Curcumin delays development of MPA-accelerated DMBA-induced mammary tumors. Menopause, (in press)
 University of Missouri-Columbia.

Gotu Kola is a rejuvenative nervine recommended for nervous disorders and as a brain tonic to aid mental functioning and memory. It has also been used to promote restful sleep. It strengthens the adrenal glands while cleansing the blood to treat skin impurities. It is said to help combat stress, energize mental powers, increase libido and improve reflexes. Ayurvedic herbal medicine practitioners believe it energizes the central nervous system and rebuilds the body’s energy reserves.
   
Gotu Kola is also recommended to help relieve high blood pressure and help the body defend against various toxins.  Gotu Kola acts as a mild diuretic that can help shrink swollen membranes and aid in the elimination of excess fluids.

Gotu Kola has a positive effect on the circulatory system.
It improves the flow of blood while strengthening the veins
and capillaries. It has been used successfully to treat phlebitis, leg cramps, and abnormal tingling of the extremities. It soothes and minimizes varicose veins and can be used topically to help minimize scarring when applied during the inflammatory period of a wound.
 
It was found effective when applied on patients with third degree burns, when the treatment commenced immediately after the accident. Daily local application to the affected area along with intramuscular injections, limited the shrinking of the skin as it healed. It is known to prevent infection and inhibit scar formation. It is also useful in repairing skin and connective tissues. The primary active constituent is triterpenoid compounds. Saponins (also called triterpenoids) known as asiaticoside, madecassoside, and madasiatic acid are the primary active constituents. These saponins beneficially affect collagen (the material that makes up connective tissue), inhibiting its production in hyperactive scar tissue.

Due mostly to the actions of the saponins that it contains, Gotu Kola may prevent, delay and treat a condition known as chronic venous insufficiency. This occurs when valves in the veins that carry blood back to the heart are weak or damaged and blood collects in the veins of the legs. This collection of blood can lead to varicose veins, spider veins, or sores on the legs. More serious results can include blood clots in the legs. The saponins Asiaticoside and madecassoside may help keep veins and other blood vessels from weakening. Because it helps strengthen the walls of blood vessels, Gotu Kola may also be effective for slowing retinopathy, the gradual break down of the retina in the eyes. It may also help to relieve hemorrhoids. These same effects are thought to strengthen the lining of the gastrointestinal tract, making Gotu Kola potentially useful for treating ulcers.

According to pharmacological studies, one outcome of Gotu Kola’s complex actions is a balanced effect on cells and tissues participating in the process of healing, particularly connective tissues. One of its constituents, asiaticoside, works to stimulate skin repair and strengthen skin, hair, nails and connective tissue (Kartnig, 1988).

The News Supports The Use of Multivitamins and Particularly Vitamin E;

The new study from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center at the University of Washington, contradicts negative conclusions from a controversial meta-analysis published originally in the Journal of the American Medical Association (2007, Vol. 297, pp. 842-857). The meta-analysis reported that supplements of vitamins A and E, and beta-carotene may increase mortality risk. On the other hand, vitamin C did not have an effect on mortality.

In terms of other causes of death, the new report noted that multivitamins did not decrease the risk of either total mortality, or cancer mortality. On the other hand, vitamins C and E were associated with small decreases in risk of total mortality.

Multivitamin Use

According to a National Institutes of Health (NIH) State-of-the-Science Panel, half of the American population routinely use dietary supplements, with their annual spending estimated at over $20 billion.

Recent results of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey showed that 35 per cent of the US adult population regularly consumes one or more types of multivitamin products (Am. J. Epidemiol., 2004,
Vol. 160, Pages 339-349).

Study Details

The Seattle-based researchers analyzed the 10-year use of multivitamin, vitamins C and E supplements on 5-year total mortality, and death from cancer or cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Data from 77,719 Washington State residents aged between 50 and 76 was obtained by a self-administered questionnaire. The data showed that the use of multivitamins and vitamin E were associated with 16 and 28 per cent decreased risk of death from Cardiovascular disease.

Multivitamins and ‘Biological Age’

Earlier this year, scientists from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences reported that the cells of multivitamin users may have a younger biological age than cells from non-users.

Researchers looked at the length of telomeres, DNA sequences at the end of chromosomes that shorten as cells replicate and age. The study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (June 2009, Vol. 89, pp. 1857-1863) was reported to be the first epidemiologic investigation of multivitamin use and telomere length.

“Regular multivitamin users tend to follow a healthy lifestyle and have a higher intake of micronutrients, which sometimes makes it difficult to interpret epidemiologic observations on multivitamin use,” explained the research team.

Source: American Journal of Epidemiology
Published online ahead of print, doi:10.1093/aje/kwp167
“Use of Supplements of Multivitamins, Vitamin C, and Vitamin E in Relation to Mortality”
Authors: G. Pocobelli, U. Peters, A.R. Kristal, E. White

Vinegar has also been used as a folk medicine since ancient times. People have used it for a range of ills. Modern scientific research now suggests that ACETIC ACID, the main component of vinegar, may help control blood pressure, blood sugar levels, and fat accumulation.

Their new study showed that laboratory mice fed a high-fat diet and given Acetic Acid developed significantly less body fat (up to 10 percent less) than other mice.

Most significantly, the new research adds evidence to the belief that Acetic Acid fights fat by turning on genes for fatty acid oxidation enzymes. The genes produce specific proteins involved in breaking down fats, thus suppressing body fat accumulation in the body.

Journal reference:
Acetic Acid Upregulates the Expression of Genes for Fatty Acid Oxidation Enzymes in Liver To Suppress Body Fat Accumulation.
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2009;