Dose of Own Stem Cells Reverses Patients’ Multiple Sclerosis
By Rob Waters, Bloomberg News
Jan. 30 (Bloomberg) -- A dose of their own stem cells “reset” the malfunctioning immune system of patients with early-stage multiple sclerosis and, for the first time, reversed their disability, according to researchers at Northwestern University in Chicago.
All 21 patients in the study had the “relapsing-remitting” form of the disease that makes their symptoms alternately flare up and recede. Three years after being treated, on average, 17 of the patients had improved on tests of their symptoms, 16 had experienced no relapse and none had deteriorated, the study found.
“This is the first study to actually show reversal of disability,” said Richard Burt, an associate professor in the division of immunotherapy at Northwestern, and the lead author of the study published yesterday in the British journal, the Lancet Neurology. “Some people had complete disappearance of all symptoms.”
Researchers are using stem cells taken from people’s own bodies to try to fight conditions such as heart disease, orthopedic ailments and to reconstruct women’s breasts after cancer surgery. These adult stem cells differ from those derived from embryos, which have the potential to form any of the roughly 210 cell types in the human body. Geron Corp. last week was given U.S. regulatory approval to conduct the first human studies with embryonic stem cells.
In multiple sclerosis, or MS, a patient’s immune cells attack the central nervous system, degrading their vision, coordination, balance and sometimes their cognitive abilities.
Drug Treatment
The vast majority of patients with this disease are first diagnosed with the relapsing-remitting form and some progress to more serious stages. The study included only patients whose flare-ups continued after being treated with protein-based drugs known as interferons.
Participants had their hematopoietic, or blood-forming, stem cells extracted before chemotherapy drugs killed immune cells in their bone marrow. The patients’ stem cells were then returned to rebuild their marrow.
One of the patients was Edwin McClure, now a 24-year-old graduate student in marketing at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond. McClure was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis as a high school senior in 2002, after his vision dramatically worsened.
“It was like someone had turned down the dimmer switch,” he said in a Jan. 28 telephone interview. He also suffered from dizziness, poor balance and fatigue so bad that he’d collapse and sleep for three hours every day after school.
Over the next few years, McClure was treated with steroids and interferons. While they controlled the disease for a time, his symptoms eventually broke through, triggering fresh attacks.
McClure went to Chicago to take part in Burt’s study at the end of 2005, spent a month being treated, and hasn’t needed any drugs since.
‘A Blessing’
“It’s a blessing,” he said. “My disease has been halted.”
Even the stress of being in the competitive graduate program -- a factor known to exacerbate symptoms of multiple sclerosis -- hasn’t caused a single attack, he said. His balance is better and his vision hasn’t deteriorated further.
MS affects an estimated 400,000 Americans and 2.5 million people worldwide. Researchers believe that in the early stage of the disease, the hyperactive immune cells attack nerve cells. This damages the myelin, an insulating material that surrounds the axons, long fiber tails that extend from a neuron and help transmit electrical signals.
Early Effort
“Research has shown it’s critical to stop the inflammation early and that’s probably the best way to stop neural degeneration and progression of the disease,” said Patricia O’Looney, vice president of biomedical research at the National MS Society, in a Jan. 28 telephone interview.
In previous efforts, Burt and other scientists tried giving bone marrow stem cells to patients with more advanced disease, with no benefit.
“I called it a failure,” he said. “When you do it in late-stage patients, they don’t improve,” probably because the immune cells have already done their damage.
O’Looney said the results of Burt’s study were promising and should now be replicated in a larger trial that randomly compares the stem-cell treatment with existing therapy. Burt is now starting such a trial, which will recruit 55 patients in the U.S., Canada and Brazil.
If the results of today’s study are borne out in the new one, “I think we can really change the way this disease is approached,” Burt said.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601124&sid=akHXxf3bS3TY&refer=home

Pomegranates: Health fad or for real?

The Sun Herald, Biloxi, Miss. 01-29-09
Jan. 29--If you could believe everything you read or hear, pomegranates are the wonder fruit of the 21st century.
Articles, advertisements, talk shows, health food literature and a myriad other sources tout the health potential of this fruit. Difficulty peeling the deep, red fruit is a big reason why many stores offer pomegranate juices.
Does the fashionable hype have substance?
"It is true. Pomegranates are a superfood," said Vicki Stoepzer of Five Seasons Whole Foods Market in Ocean Springs. "Pomegranate is one of the highest anti-oxidant fruits that there is."
Stoepzer says pomegranates rate a 106 on the ORAC scale, or "oxygen radical absorbance capacity" scale, which measures anti-oxidant capacities of foods. Simply put, anti-oxidants go to war against free radicals produced during normal metabolism and cell function and implicated in everything from aging to DNA damage.
Foods high in anti-oxidants are touted as defenses against premature aging, heart disease, inflammation. blood sugar levels and other concerns. Compared to the pomegranate's 106 ORAC, blueberries, one of the best-known anti-oxidant fruits, are 32.
The anti-oxidant qualities of pomegranate are included in ongoing studies on hypertension, Alzheimer's, hemorrhoids, fertility, cancers such as breast, skin and prostate, osteoarthritis, cholesterol, premature births and more.
If anti-oxidant qualities don't impress you, you should know that pomegranates are high in vitamin C, A and E and folic acid. In a move to get Americans to eat more fruits and vegetables, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention named the pomegranate a "Fruit of the Month."
As in any health claims, research and decide for yourself. Several studies indicate pomegranate juice may interfere with certain medications, as grapefruit juice does, so if you are in that category, consult your physician.
If you decide to take the pomegranate plunge, learn the best ways to add it to your diet.
"Most fruit juices, even when 100 percent fruit juice, have a high concentration of sugar, and we don't want that much sugar in our diets," said Stoepzer. "We recommend buying pure, unsweetened, undiluted pomegranate juice and dilute it yourself with 50 percent juice and 50 percent water. Drink one 8-ounce glass of that a day."
A 32-ounce bottle of the organic pure juice, which would make a gallon when doubled with water, is about $12.
Another way to get your daily pomegranate intake, suggests Lily West of Valley Health Foods in Long Beach, is to buy the unsweetened concentrate. She suggests taking a tablespoon or two of that a day, either by itself, added to water or a beverage. A 24-ounce bottle with 48 tablespoons of concentrate is about $28.
"Pomegranate picks up your immune system and is excellent for the stress many people of today face in their lives," said West. "My customers get mad if they come in and I don't have it. They say when they are not taking it, they can tell the difference."
Of course, another way to get a pomegranate health fix is by eating the fresh fruit, usually available in the winter months. Although a few pomegranate trees grow and occasionally produce fruit in South Mississippi, this tree prefers the warmer climates of California, the Mediterranean and Asia.
http://www.lef.org/news/LefDailyNews.htm?NewsID=7834&Section=Nutrition

Studies from University of California, Moores Cancer Center describe new findings in cancer prevention

NewsRx.com   01-28-09
New investigation results, 'Biological mediators of effect of diet and stress reduction on prostate cancer,' are detailed in a study published in Integrative Cancer Therapies. "A 6-month pilot intervention trial was conducted to determine whether adoption of a plant-based diet, reinforced by stress reduction, could reduce the rate of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) increase, a marker of disease progression, in asymptomatic, hormonally untreated patients experiencing consistently increasing PSA levels after surgery or radiation. A pre-post design was used to examine (1) the effect of intervention on potential mediators of disease progression, including body composition and weight-related biomarkers (sex steroid hormones and cytokines), and (2) whether changes in these variables were associated with change in rate of PSA increase," scientists in the United States report (see also Cancer Prevention).
"The baseline rate of PSA increase (from the time of posttreatment recurrence to the start of intervention) was ascertained from medical records. Body composition and biomarkers were assessed at baseline (prior to intervention), during the intervention (3 months), and at the end of the intervention (6 months). Changes in body composition and biomarkers were determined and compared with rates of PSA increase over the corresponding time intervals. There was a significant reduction in waist-to-hip ratio (p=.03) and increase in circulating sex hormone binding globulin (p=.04). The rate of PSA increase decreased from the preintervention period (PSA slope=0.059) to the period from 0 to 3 months (PSA slope=0.002, p<.01) and increased slightly, although not significantly, from 0 to 3 months to the period from 3 to 6 months (0.029, p=.43). Adoption of a plant-based diet and stress reduction may reduce central adiposity and improve the hormonal milieu in patients with recurrent PC," wrote G.A. Saxe and colleagues, University of California, Moores Cancer Center.
The researchers concluded: "Changes in the rate of increase in PSA were in the same direction as changes in waist-to-hip ratio and opposite those of sex hormone binding globulin, raising the possibility that the effect of the intervention may have been mediated, in part, by these variables."
Saxe and colleagues published their study in Integrative Cancer Therapies (Biological mediators of effect of diet and stress reduction on prostate cancer. Integrative Cancer Therapies, 2008;7(3):130-8).
http://www.lef.org/news/LefDailyNews.htm?NewsID=7832&Section=DISEASE

Common chemicals found in non-stick frying pans 'can harm fertility'

Telegraph UK, Medical Correspondent
Last Updated: 9:11PM GMT 28 Jan 2009
Perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) are used to make products like Teflon, as well as waterproof clothing, pesticides and upholstery.
Studies have also shown that they have leached in small quantities into the water supply, in part because they are contained in foam used by firefighters.
A new study found that exposure to high levels of the chemicals, which can remain in the environment and the body for decades, could leave women struggling to get pregnant.
Women with high levels of PFCs in their blood were up to one and a half times more likely to have taken more than a year to conceive or required fertility treatment than those with low levels.
The study, published in the journal Human Reproduction, warns that the levels of exposure to the chemicals necessary to reduce fertility "are common in developed countries".
Researchers looked at the levels of two of the chemicals, called perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), in the bloodstreams of 1,240 women in Denmark who became pregnant between 1996 and 2002.
Dr Chunyuan Fei, from the University of California, one of the co-authors of the study, said that previously PFOA and PFOS had been considered "biologically inactive".
"But recently animal studies have shown that these chemicals may have a variety of toxic effects on the liver, immune system and developmental and reproductive organs," he said.
"Very few human studies have been done, but one of our earlier studies showed that PFOA, although not PFOS, may impair the growth of babies in the womb, and another two epidemiological studies linked PFOA and PFOS to impaired foetal growth."
His team speculate that both chemicals reduce fertility by affecting levels of female sex hormones.
The chemicals, which have also been included in products from fabric protectors to non-iron clothing, have previously sparked controversy over suggestions that they could be linked to an increased risk of developing some forms of cancer.
Tony Rutherford, Chair of the British Fertility Society, said that the study highlighted an important area for further research.
He said: "This is an important finding and certainly warrants further detailed research, particularly in those trying for a family. This study emphasises the importance of remaining vigilant to potential environmental factors that may impact on fertility."
A spokesman for DuPont, which makes Teflon, said: “We routinely evaluate findings from new research on PFOA. The weight of evidence continues to indicate to us that there is no health risk to the general public. A number of significant new epidemiological human health studies are being conducted which should address further questions relative to potential health effects of PFOA.”
Common-chemicals-found-in-non-stick-frying-pans-can-harm-fertility.html

The ailing economy is making people sicker

Boston Globe  |  January 25, 2009
At Massachusetts General Hospital, patients whose blood pressure was in check just weeks ago now find it rocketing out of control. They blame the economy.
At Boston Medical Center, obese patients who had been shedding weight are packing on pounds again as they resort to cheaper, high-calorie food and abandon gym memberships. They blame the economy.
At a Framingham doctor's office, patients forgo screening tests such as colonoscopies because they don't want to spend scarce dollars on copayments. They blame the economy.
In hospital wards and medical clinics across Massachusetts, doctors see growing evidence that the ill economy is making patients sick, spawning headaches and churning stomachs, and even causing bouts of anxiety and depression among people who never before sought psychiatric help.
The chief of outpatient medicine at Boston Medical estimates that financial turmoil figures into at least half of all patient visits, and at one of the nation's premier psychiatric hospitals, McLean in Belmont, 31 percent more patients were admitted last month than in December 2007.
"I've been stunned by how pervasive the impact of the current economic downturn is on the health of my brood," said Dr. Stephen Hoffmann, whose medical practice in Framingham has nearly 3,000 patients.
The economic crisis is far too fresh for any government agency or professional organization to have quantified the health consequences. But during previous recessions, researchers linked spikes in unemployment in the United States and Europe to increases in deaths from heart disease, cancer, and psychiatric disorders.
In interviews this month with a dozen doctors, family physicians as well as specialists, nearly all said they had encountered patients suffering ailments tied to the financial collapse, with the damage wrought in sore arms, troubled minds, and neglected prescriptions.
At a Somerville clinic run by the Cambridge Health Alliance, the flagging economy, "touches us every day," said Dr. Laura Obbard. She sees it in the weary faces of her patients, such as Jorge Cardoza, a 52-year-old diabetic who lost his construction job in late October.
"That was like a knockout for me," Cardoza said.
While he was working, his blood sugar level, a key indicator of how well diabetics are faring, remained safely low. "Now," he said, "I see my sugar level is very high. That never happened before. That worries me a lot."
In part, that could be because he's not getting as much physical activity. His job was strenuous, and he used to exercise at a gym, until financial pressures forced him to cancel his membership. Research has shown that regular exercise can dramatically improve diabetes symptoms. And stress can make them worse.
During the past few months, Dr. Randall Zusman has noticed something disturbing in his practice at Mass. General, where he tends to adults with recalcitrant high blood pressure. About a dozen patients who had been doing well suddenly had elevated readings.
The patients insisted they were not skimping on their medication and attributed "the loss of blood pressure control to increased stress due to economic conditions," said Zusman, director of the hospital's hypertension section.
It might not be stress that's spawning blood pressure problems, he said. Instead, it's plausible that anxious patients are not eating as many fruits and vegetables, opting for saltier processed food that can raise blood pressure. Another possibility, Zusman said, is that stress-related headaches might be leading patients to take anti-inflammatory pills that increase water and salt retention, exacerbating their condition.
In her practice treating obese patients at Boston Medical, Dr. Caroline Apovian recently saw a woman who had been dutifully following advice to eat less and exercise more. She had joined a gym and moved to a safer neighborhood.
But then the economy tanked.
"She suddenly couldn't afford the YMCA, and she couldn't afford the area where she moved," Apovian said. "Now, she is regaining the weight."
At hospitals and clinics that treat psychiatric disorders, requests for help surged markedly in recent months, with some patients indicating they had cut back on medication to save money.
At McLean, the recent increase in admissions followed an unusually slow stretch in October and November - just as financial woes were beginning to accelerate.
Dr. Joseph Gold, chief medical officer at McLean, said that as he and his staff counseled patients, a portrait of pent-up demand emerged.
Early in the crisis, "some people were feeling frozen or immobilized," Gold said.
They dreaded going to the emergency room, fearful they would be socked with a bill they couldn't pay. And if they were hospitalized, Gold said, they worried they might lose their job.
But as weeks passed, the economic deterioration deepened - and with it, patients' despair.
"Then what we saw in December and January was the volume in the psychiatric emergency rooms and in our hospital was actually much higher than we expected," Gold said, "which seems to confirm there was some element of people postponing their care until they could not defer it any longer."
For some people, the harsh economy has meant a retreat to harmful habits, said Dr. Steven Adelman.
"People tend to drink more when they're stressed out," said Adelman, director of behavioral health and addiction medicine at Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates, a group practice that treats about 30,000 patients for mental health conditions. "I'm seeing more people falling off the wagon who have been relatively sober for quite a while. The addiction business is booming."
Sometimes, the signs of suffering are subtle.
A few weeks back, a young woman showed up in the office of Dr. Raj Krishnamurthy, outpatient medical director at Boston Medical.
The woman, a student, complained of arm pain. The physician could sense a deeper ache.
It turned out that the patient had taken a nighttime cleaning job so that she could cover expenses.
As they talked, Krishnamurthy recalled, the woman kept massaging her arm.
"She just seemed a little more distressed than what I would expect from arm pain," the doctor said. "When I asked, she said she was just extremely stressed about taking on this job. She hasn't been sleeping, she hasn't been eating right, she hasn't been exercising. She's just been feeling lousy. And she broke down in tears."
the_ailing_economy_is_making_people_sicker/?page=full

Sexual Dysfunction Study Reveals Poor Hormonal Health in Women and Men

by Barbara Minton, Natural Health Editor

(NaturalNews) Sexual dysfunction is reaching levels not seen since the Victorian period. But today's difficulties stem not from the inhibiting power of social mores and taboos. Today's sexual dysfunction is an alarming indicator of the hormonal status of women and men. A recent study found that 31 percent of men suffer from problems such as erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation, delayed ejaculation and impotency. A whopping 43 percent of women reported problems such as loss of desire, decreased arousal, inability to have an orgasm and painful intercourse. Amazingly, only 12 percent of these women said they were concerned about their declining sexuality.

The study, led by researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital and published in Obstetrics & Gynecology, found this disheartening information by surveying 32,000 women across the U.S., age 18 to older than 100. The researchers asked the women standardized questions about their sexual health, and used a Female Sexual Distress Scale to quantify the women's levels of concern about their diminishing sex lives. The scale was designed to assess feelings of unhappiness, anger, guilt, embarrassment, frustration, and worry.

43 percent of all the respondents reported some level of sexual dysfunction, 39 percent reported lack of desire, 26 percent reported arousal problems, and 21 percent had difficulty reaching orgasm. The study's lead doctor reported belief that sexual problems are commonplace among women, while problems of personal distress related to the sexual dysfunction can affect a woman's quality of life. He reported belief that a sexual concern is not a medical problem until it is associated with distress, an opinion that reflects the inability of traditional doctors to realize that sexual problems do not exist in a vacuum but are symptomatic of hormonal decline and imbalance and perhaps also poor overall general health.

Responses were often characterized by age differences. Older women had more sexual dysfunction but cared about it less. The most distress occurred in women age 45 to 65, the age of the midlife crisis or role adjustment period. During this time period women are experiencing menopause and may be also be in the midst of changing identify expectations, whether they want to be or not.

Although the researchers did not look at the specific reasons why older women had more problems but less distress about them, they speculated the reasons could include partner changes, medical conditions, or problems with their partner's health. Women in the youngest group had the lowest number of sexual problems and distress.

These finding are consistent with those from a 1999 study that evaluated the prevalence of sexual dysfunction among American women. This study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, February, 1999, found that about 43 percent of women reported having sexual dysfunction. This doctor also regarded the study findings as important only to the extent that dysfunctional women were disturbed by their dysfunction.

According to the lead doctor from the Massachusetts study approximately one in eight women is sexually dysfunctional and distressed by her dysfunction. For these women he recommended relationship counseling, treatment of associated medical conditions, and sex therapy.

Interpretation of the study results shows these doctors just don't get it

Counseling and sex therapy will have little effect on a woman who is sexually dysfunctional because her levels of sex hormones have declined and become unbalanced to the point where she can no longer feel sex. Grabbing onto such an easy, generic answer reflects a complete disregard for the root of the problem and for the person experiencing it.

A human's sexuality is as essential to overall health as all the other body systems. If a person's cardiovascular or detoxification systems stop working, it is taken seriously. But if it is the sexual system that no longer works it is considered a non event unless it is troubling to the person experiencing it. Then it is turned into a psychological issue that requires counseling. Is this totally clueless response an admission that women in the U.S. aren't really supposed to be sexual beings at all, so when sexuality goes away it is just fine? Is it an expression of how much our puritanical roots remain? Will these doctors be worried when they lose their sexuality?

Loss of sexuality is a marker for declining health.

The women in the study with the greatest concern about their loss of sexuality were in the age group from 45 to 65. Women in this age group are in serious hormonal decline. Their issue is physiological, and they are worried because on some level they know what their sexual dysfunction really means. It is their calling card from a future of declining health status, degenerative disease, failing memory, brittle bones, and the nursing home. A woman with sexual dysfunction sends a powerful message to nature announcing that the possibility of reproduction has ended and she is no longer needed in the grand scheme of life.

Other symptoms that go along with loss of sexuality are bloating, hot flashes, anger, exhaustion and fatigue, body itches, weight gain, allergies, vertigo, and foggy thinking. Eyes dry up and so do all the other juices of the body. In addition to the inability to feel sex, sex is no longer pleasant because it has become painful from lack of natural lubrication. Vaginal tissue thins and loses its muscle tone. Body parts that were once so alive and responsive are now as if death has set in. Losing sexuality is like losing your arm. Life is never the same again without it.

Along with sexual dysfunction, the loss of hormones means the loss of protection against many of the diseases and disabilities that plague people in this age group. It is estrogen, progesterone and testosterone that protect women from breast cancer. Women rarely develop cancer until their hormone levels have declined dramatically. It is testosterone that protects the hearts of women. Testosterone is an anabolic steroid, a muscle builder and supporter. The heart is one of the muscles in the body and needs testosterone to keep it working at its prime. Women do not usually experience heart attacks until their hormone levels have fallen, and after that heart disease is listed as the number one killer of women, although the real killer is lack of hormones. Testosterone is also an integral part of the female sexual response. While estrogen lubricates the vagina, testosterone is the hormone of the orgasm. Sex hormones protect the skeleton and keep bones strong. They protect the brain. Alzheimer's disease is not seen in women with a full complement of hormones.

Women don't have to accept sexual dysfunction

The older group of women, those over the age of 65, who reported no concern over their sexual dysfunction have probably forgotten what it was like to be a sexual being. This is the group that has been without hormones for awhile, long enough for sexual memory to have faded or disappeared completely along with the ability to remember in general.

Women who are in the younger group and experiencing sexual dysfunction are most likely in the stage known as peri-menopause. In this stage estrogen is still there but has become out of balance usually because of a shortage of testosterone and progesterone. This is the group experiencing PMS, often the first signal that hormone levels are out of balance.

It does not have to be this way. Sexuality comes rushing back with hormonal balance. Many women report that regaining and balancing their hormones with the use of bioidentical hormone replacement allows them to experience a sex life like they have never experienced before. The period of life from age 45 upward is a time when many life tasks that once interfered with sexuality have been completed. It is a time when sexuality can reach a maturity that was not known at an earlier age.

It may take some work to get hormones in perfect amounts and balance, but it is well worth the effort. Hormone balancing with bioidenticals brings renewed sexuality and the ability to experience sex with a new appreciation. It also brings balance, energy and light to all the body organs and systems. It fills the body with energy and the mind with clarity and new thirst for knowledge. It brings muscle tone, balance and the desire for movement to the body. It brings shine to the hair, suppleness to the skin, and bounce to the step

Hormone balancing can be done on your own. Books written by doctors who have specialized in hormonal balance as part of their obstetrical/gynecological practice are available. These books give the precise directions, sources and amounts needed to restore the body to hormonal balance. However, much trial and error can be avoided by finding a doctor who specializes in anti-aging medicine or hormone balancing.

Start the quest for hormonal balance when the first signs of imbalance appear. Starting early will save many years of living at less than your full potential. If you have already begun to fall apart, it is not too late. Hormone balancing is appropriate at any stage of life and can add new quality to the remaining years. Women in their sixties and older may not be having hot flashes anymore, but they have joint pain, neck pain, arthritis, irritable bowel syndrome, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, brain fog and memory problems, cancer and dementia. All of these conditions can be improved by bioidentical hormone replacement at any age.

Men can regain their sexual function without Viagra

The erectile dysfunction, ejaculation timing issues and impotence reported by 31 percent of men are major signposts of hormonal decline. Production of the primary male sex hormone, testosterone, begins to decline from the age of 30 and continues. Falling levels of testosterone are responsible for men's sexual dysfunction along with decreased muscle mass and bone density, insulin resistance, and depression. A recent study showed that low testosterone levels increased the risk of death in men from all causes by as much as 88 percent. Testosterone builds and strengthens bone and muscle. Optimal levels of testosterone are essential for preventing the heart attacks so frequent in men over 40.

Bioidentical replacement of testosterone allows men to regain their sexual functioning as well as the energy and joy for living that characterized their youth. When testosterone is replaced a signal is sent to nature that this man is still young and virile, the kind of guy that still has a place in the grand scheme of life.

Hormonal balance is one aspect of overall good health

Hormones cannot fully restore sexuality if the body if inflamed, stressed, or poorly nourished. The entire body needs to be functioning properly for a person to fully revive sexuality. Sexual health is part of general health and wellness. This includes good nutrition from a diet of whole foods, daily exercise, stress management, a full night's sleep of eight hours or more, and having a purpose in life. It also means getting toxic chemicals out of the body, bathroom and kitchen.

http://www.naturalnews.com/025476.html

Garlic’s antioxidant power pinpointed by researchers?

.Nutraingredients.com, 02-Feb-2009

Canadian scientists have found that the antioxidant power of garlic is related to the organic compound allicin, research that deepens our understanding of the potential benefits of this food and supplements favourite.
The antioxidant effects are due to a compound called sulfenic acid, which is produced by the decomposition of allicin, according to data published in the international edition of Angewandte Chemie.
"Basically the allicin compound has to decompose in order to generate a potent antioxidant," said lead author Dr Derek Pratt. "The reaction between the sulfenic acid and radicals is as fast as it can get, limited only by the time it takes for the two molecules to come into contact. No one has ever seen compounds, natural or synthetic, react this quickly as antioxidants."
Consumer awareness of the health benefits of garlic, mostly in terms of cardiovascular and immune system health, has benefited the supplements industry, particularly since consumers seek the benefits of garlic without the odours that accompany the fresh bulb.
Garlic supplements are worth more than $100m (€79.5m) in the US and are also one of the biggest sellers in the UK market.
However, allicin is not found in fresh garlic, and is only formed when garlic is crushed. Furthermore, there are question marks over how much allicin, if any, many of the supplements on the market do contain. Some products have taken the stance of emphasising the allicin content of their products.
Study details
"While garlic has been used as a herbal medicine for centuries and there are many garlic supplements on the market, until now there has been no convincing explanation as to why garlic is beneficial," explained Dr Pratt. "I think we have taken the first step in uncovering a fundamental chemical mechanism which may explain garlic's medicinal benefits."
Using a synthetically-produced allicin, the researchers found that an acid produced when the compound decomposes rapidly reacts with radicals.
Specifically, they report that garlic’s ability to trap potentially damaging peroxyl-radicals is due primarily to 2-propenesulfenic acid formed by the decomposition of allicin.
Beyond garlic
Pratt also commented on the potential of other Allium spp., like onions, leeks and shallots, to act as potential antioxidants. All of these other plants contain a compound that is very similar to allicin, but the properties are not the same. This could be due to a slower rate of decomposition of the allicin analogs in the other plans, which leads to a lower level of sulfenic acid available to react as antioxidants with radicals, said Pratt.
The study was funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and the Ontario Ministry of Innovation.
Source: Angewandte Chemie International Edition
Volume 48, Issue 1, Pages: 157-160
“Garlic: Source of the Ultimate Antioxidants - Sulfenic Acids”
Authors: V. Vaidya, K.U. Ingold, D.A. Pratt
http://www.nutraingredients.com/Research/Garlic-s-antioxidant-power-pinpointed-by-researchers

Garlic compounds may stop liver cancer growth

Nutraingredients.com, 04-May-2006

Consumer awareness of the health Water-soluble compounds from garlic reduced the size of liver cancer cells by a factor of three, research that adds to other anti-cancer studies with garlic, says a new laboratory study from Italy.
benefits of garlic, mostly in terms of cardiovascular and immune system health, has benefited the supplements industry, particularly since consumers seek the benefits of garlic without the odours that accompany the fresh bulb.
Garlic supplements are worth more than $100m (€79.5m) in the US and are also one of the biggest sellers in the UK market. According to a 1998 survey by Hartman and New Hope, garlic supplements are used twice as much as other herbal supplements.
Several compounds from garlic have already been reported to have anti-cancer activity, including allicin, the substance that gives garlic its distinctive aroma and flavour, and its derivative, diallyl disulfide (DADS). However, both have been shown to kill not only cancer cells, but also healthy human body cells. The compounds are highly unstable and break down quickly once ingested, and are not likely to be the active compounds in ingested garlic.
"Water-soluble compounds, less odorous than the oil-soluble compounds, besides being more stable, appear to have a higher bioavailability and appear to be able to enter the blood and reach target organs," explained lead author Angelo De Martino in the Journal of Nutrition Biochemistry (doi: 10.1016/j.jnutbio.2005.12.005).
The researchers, from the University of Rome, obtained extracts from fresh garlic bulbs from two different geographical locations, and added these extracts to human liver cancer cells. The potential inhibition of the cancer cells was compared with a control batch of cancer cells (no intervention) and cancer cells exposed to DADS.
After 48 hours the researchers found that the control liver cancer cells had multiplied by over 300 per cent. Similar results were observed for the DADS-exposed cancer cells. A one per cent solution of each garlic extracts appeared to inhibit the growth of the tumour completely.
The garlic extracts, said the researchers, "showed a dose- and time-dependent effect on cell proliferation, with a significant reduction of viable cell number at 24 hours with a less pronounced recovery of cell proliferation at 48 hours."The researchers admitted that they had not identified the specific compound or compounds responsible for the anti-cancer effects of the water-soluble garlic extracts, nor could they be sure if the compounds were modified during their metabolic processing.
"Metabolomic studies should be performed in the future to investigate which are the molecules… that promote cell death upon administration of water-soluble garlic extracts," suggested De Martino.
Importantly, the researchers reported that the induction of apoptosis (programmed cell death) by the garlic extracts appeared to be selective to cancer cells.
De Martino said that, since the liver is where nutraceuticals are metabolised and that the cancer cells used in this experiment are known to be resistant to several anticancer therapies, that the results suggest the water-soluble garlic extracts may be effective against other forms of cancer.
It should be stressed that inhibition of cancer cell growth in a laboratory experiment may not be transferable to actual inhibition in humans. This study does however add to other research reporting that garlic and its extracts may protect against certain types of cancer.
Liver cancer is the sixth most commonly diagnosed cancer in the world, and third most common cause of death from cancer, according to Cancer Research UK. Despite these figures, the cancer remains relatively rare, with 18,500 new cases in the US every year, and about 3,000 in the UK.
The highest incidences of the disease are in east and Southeast Asia, and middle and eastern Africa. South Central Asia and Northern Europe have the lowest incidence of the disease.
http://www.nutraingredients.com/Research/Garlic-compounds-may-stop-liver-cancer-growth

High purity chondroitin ‘can prevent joint degradation’: Study

Nutraingredients.com, 30-Jan-2009

Long term administration of high purity and concentrated chondroitin sulphate may prevent degradation in the joint structure of people suffering from osteoarthritis, says a new study.
Chondroitin sulphate was associated with a significant reduction in joint space loss, and pain in, compared to the placebo group, according to researchers, led by Andre Kahan of the University of Paris Descartes in Paris.
The results of the study were published in the February issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism.
The researchers stress, however, that since the specific chondroitin preparation used in their study has been approved as a prescription drug in many European companies, there results “cannot be generalized to other chondroitin sulphate products (or compound mixtures) such as those available in some countries as dietary supplements”.
Chondroitin sulphate is extracted from animal cartilage, such as sharks. In dietary supplements the compound is often formulated in combination with glucosamine. According to the Nutrition Business Journal, US sales for these combined supplements were $810 million (€563 million) in 2005.
Previous studies, including the $14m Glucosamine/chondroitin Arthritis Intervention Trial (GAIT), sponsored by the National Institute of Health, have reported positive results, while other have reported null results, leaving the subject clouded in uncertainty.
Recent results from GAIT II did not help to clarify the subject, with results showing that supplements of chondroitin sulphate and glucosamine, alone or in combination, may not positively affect joint health.
New data
The participants were randomly assigned to receive with an 800 mg sachet of CS (Genevrier Laboratories, France, and IBSA, Switzerland) or a placebo sachet. Supplementation lasted for two years. The CS preparation contained high purity (at least 95 per cent) chondroitins 4 and 6 sulphate of bovine origin.
The randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study included 622 people with osteoarthritis. Their average age was 62, and approximately 70 per cent were women.
The results showed that: "Long-term administration of CS over 2 years can prevent joint structure degradation in patients with knee OA," wrote Kahan and co-workers.
Regarding pain, people in the chondroitin group experienced a faster improvement, said the researchers. This may be due to the fact that all of the patients had pain symptoms, they said, so the effect of CS was more noticeable early on. On the other hand, pain was found to decrease in the placebo group, too, over the course of the first year.
"Further studies with longer follow-up and different outcome criteria are warranted to assess whether the beneficial structural changes associated with chondroitin sulphate demonstrated in our study are predictive of improvement in the long-term clinical progression of osteoarthritis," concluded the researchers.
Approximately seven million people in the UK alone are reported to have long-term health problems associated with arthritis. Around 206 million working days were lost in the UK in 1999-2000, equal to £18 billion (€26 billion) of lost productivity.
Source: Arthritis & Rheumatism
February 2009, Volume 60, Issue 2, Pages 524-533
“Long-term effects of chondroitins 4 and 6 sulfate on knee osteoarthritis: The study on osteoarthritis progression prevention, a two-year, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial”
Authors: A. Kahan, D. Uebelhart, F. De Vathaire, P.D. Delmas, J.-Y. Reginste
http://www.nutraingredients.com/Research/High-purity-chondroitin-can-prevent-joint-degradation-Study

Link Found Between Parkinson's Disease Genes And Manganese Poisoning

ScienceDaily (Feb. 2, 2009) — A connection between genetic and environmental causes of Parkinson's disease has been discovered by a research team led by Aaron D. Gitler, PhD, Assistant Professor in the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.
Gitler and colleagues found a genetic interaction between two Parkinson's disease genes (alpha-synuclein and PARK9) and determined that the PARK9 protein can protect cells from manganese poisoning, which is an environmental risk factor for a Parkinson's disease-like syndrome. The findings appear online this week in Nature Genetics.
Manganism, or manganese poisoning, is prevalent in such occupations as mining, welding, and steel manufacturing. It is caused by exposure to excessive levels of the metal manganese, which attacks the central nervous system, producing motor and dementia symptoms that resemble Parkinson's disease.
In Parkinson's patients, the alpha-synuclein protein normally found in the brain misfolds, forming clumps. Yeast cells, the model system in which Gitler studies disease proteins, also form clumps and die when this protein is expressed at high levels. These are the same yeast cells that bakers and brewers use to make bread, beer, and wine.
As a postdoctoral fellow at the Whitehead Institute in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Gitler and colleagues started looking for genes that could prevent the cell death caused by mis-folded alpha-synuclein in yeast. Eventually they found a few genes to test in animal models and some were able to protect neurons from the toxic effects of alpha-synuclein. "One of the genes that we found was a previously uncharacterized yeast gene called YOR291W. No one knew what it did back in 2006," he recalls.
In the meantime, researchers in Europe published studies about a family that had an early-onset form of a type of Parkinson's disease caused by mutations in the PARK9 gene. "When I read about this study, I wondered what the closest yeast gene was to the human PARK9 gene and it turned out to be YOR291W," explains Gitler. "It was one of the genes that could rescue alpha-synuclein toxicity from our yeast screen. That was the big Eureka! and completely unexpected. It suggested that Parkinson's disease genes could interact with each other in previously unexpected ways."
Because of its similarity to the human PARK9 gene, Gitler and colleagues renamed the yeast gene to YPK9 (which stands for Yeast PARK9). Researchers at Purdue University and The University of Alabama teamed up with Gitler and his colleagues to show that the PARK9 gene could also protect neurons from alpha-synuclein's toxic effects.
Next, the team set out to find the function of YPK9. Study co-first author, postdoctoral fellow Alessandra Chesi, PhD, discovered that YPK9 encodes a metal transporter protein. "Its sequence looks like other proteins that we know transport metals," says Chesi.
She deleted the YPK9 gene from yeast and the cells were fine. Then she exposed YPK9-deficient yeast cells to an excess of different metals -- zinc, copper, manganese, iron, etc. -- to determine which metal it might transport. Of all the metals Chesi tested, she found that in the presence of manganese, the YPK9-deficient yeast did not grow as well. They were hypersensitive to manganese.
"This was astonishing, because it was known for years that welders and miners that inhale manganese get a Parkinson's-like disease called manganese poisoning," says Chesi. "The specific neurons that are lost in the miners are from the globus pallidus, a brain motor center. The European parkinsonism patients with the PARK9 mutation also lose neurons in this region."
Gitler then found that the protein made by YPK9, the yeast gene equivalent of PARK9, is localized to the vacuole membrane in the yeast cell. Vacuoles are inner cell components that wall off toxic substances for later disposal. "Our hypothesis is that the vacuole, a bag in the cell that captures toxins, is sitting there and taking in manganese and sequestering it for detoxification, keeping it away from other cell organelles," explains Gitler. "But, having a mutation in the PARK9 gene causes problems for this process in yeast and possibly in humans".
"It's an interesting story that we've discovered in yeast and it will be important to see if it holds up in people. What's new is the connection between genetic and environmental causes of Parkinson's. How does PARK9 protect against alpha-synuclein toxicity and how does PARK9 help prevent manganese poisoning? This is what we will be investigating next."
This work was funded in part by a National Institute of Health Director's New Innovator Award.
Gitler is an inventor on patents and patent applications that have been licensed to FoldRx Pharmaceuticals, a company that investigates drugs to treat protein-folding diseases.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090201141559.htm

Omega-6 Fatty Acids: Make Them Part Of Heart-healthy Eating, New Recommendations Say

ScienceDaily (Feb. 2, 2009) — Omega-6 fatty acids – found in vegetable oils, nuts and seeds – are a beneficial part of a heart-healthy eating plan, according to a science advisory published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
The association recommends that people aim for at least 5 percent to 10 percent of calories from omega-6 fatty acids. Most Americans actually get enough of these oils in the foods they are currently eating, such as nuts, cooking oils and salad dressings, the advisory reports. Recommended daily servings of omega-6 depend on physical activity level, age and gender, but range from 12 to 22 grams per day.
Omega-6, and the similarly-named omega-3 fatty acids (found in fattier fish such as tuna, mackerel and salmon), are called polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), and can have health benefits when consumed in the recommended amounts, especially when used to replace saturated fats or trans fats in the diet. Omega-6 and omega-3 PUFA play a crucial role in heart and brain function and in normal growth and development. PUFA are “essential” fats that your body needs but can’t produce, so you must get them from food.
“Of course, as with any news about a single nutrient, it’s important to remember to focus on an overall healthy dietary pattern – one nutrient or one type of food isn’t a cure-all,” said William Harris, Ph.D., lead author of the advisory. “Our goal was simply to let Americans know that foods containing omega-6 fatty acids can be part of a healthy diet, and can even help improve your cardiovascular risk profile.”
The American Heart Association’s dietary recommendations suggest a broadly defined healthy eating pattern over time – with an emphasis on fruits, vegetables, high-fiber whole grains, lean meat, poultry, and fish twice a week. Diets rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains have been associated in a large number of studies with reduced cardiovascular risk.
Linoleic acid (LA) is the main omega-6 fatty acid in foods, accounting for 85 percent to 90 percent of the dietary omega-6 PUFA.
There has been some debate within the nutrition community regarding the benefits of omega-6 based on the belief that they may promote inflammation, thus increasing cardiovascular risk. “That idea is based more on assumptions and extrapolations than on hard data,” said Harris, a research professor for the Sanford School of Medicine at the University of South Dakota and director of the Metabolism and Nutrition Research Center at Sanford Research/USD.
The linking of omega-6 intake to inflammation stems from the fact that arachidonic acid (AA), which can be formed from LA, is involved in the early stages of inflammation. However, the advisory explains that AA and LA also give rise to anti-inflammatory molecules.
For example, in the cells that form the lining of blood vessels, omega-6 PUFA have anti-inflammatory properties, suppressing the production of adhesion molecules, chemokines and interleukins — all of which are key mediators of the atherosclerotic process. “Thus, it is incorrect to view the omega-6 fatty acids as ‘pro-inflammatory,’” Harris explained. “Eating less LA will not lower tissue levels of AA (the usual rationale for reducing LA intakes) because the body tightly regulates the synthesis of AA from LA.”
The advisory reviewed a meta-analysis of randomized, controlled trials, and more than two dozen observational, cohort, case/control and ecological reports.
Observational studies showed that people who ate the most omega-6 fatty acids usually had the least heart disease. Other studies examined blood levels of omega-6 in heart patients compared with healthy people and found that patients with heart disease had lower levels of omega-6 in their blood.
In controlled trials in which researchers randomly assigned people to consume diets containing high versus low levels of omega-6 and then recorded the number of heart attacks over several years, those assigned to the higher omega-6 diets had less heart disease.
A meta-analysis of several trials indicated that replacing saturated fats with PUFA lowered risk for heart disease events by 24 percent. “When saturated fat in the diet is replaced by omega-6 PUFA, the blood cholesterol levels go down,” Harris said. “This may be part of the reason why higher omega-6 diets are heart-healthy.”
Co-authors are: Dariush Mozaffarian, M.D.; Eric Rimm, D.Sc.; Penny Kris-Etherton, Ph.D.; Lawrence Rudel, Ph.D.; Lawrence Appel, M.D.; Marguerite Engler, Ph.D.; Mary Engler, Ph.D.; and Frank Sacks, M.D. Author disclosures are on the manuscript.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090126173725.htm

Omega-3 Fatty Acids Ease Depressive Symptoms Related To Menopause

ScienceDaily (Feb. 1, 2009) — Omega-3 fatty acids ease psychological distress and depressive symptoms often suffered by menopausal and perimenopausal women, according to researchers at Université Laval's Faculty of Medicine.
Their study, published in the February issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, presents the first evidence that omega-3 supplements are effective for treating common menopause-related mental health problems.
Dr. Michel Lucas and colleagues recruited 120 women age 40 to 55 and divided them into two groups. Women in the first group took three gel capsules containing a total of one gram of EPA, an omega-3 fatty acid of marine origin, every day for eight weeks. Those in the second group followed the same protocol, but took gel capsules containing sunflower oil without EPA.
Test results before and after the eight-week period indicate that omega-3s significantly improved the condition of women suffering symptoms of psychological distress and mild depression. "The differences we observed between the two groups are noteworthy," commented Dr Lucas, "especially considering that omega-3s have very few side effects and are beneficial to cardiovascular health." However, no positive effect was observed among a small group of women with more severe depressive symptoms.
Women with hot flashes also noted that their condition improved after consuming omega-3s. At baseline, the number of daily hot flashes was 2.8 and dropped by an average of 1.6 in the group taking omega-3s and by 0.5 in the control group. The change that can be attributed to the use of omega-3s, i.e. a decrease of 1.1 hot flashes per day, is equivalent to results obtained with hormone therapy and antidepressants. Details of these results were published in the November 20, 2008 online edition of the journal Menopause.
Many women suffer from depressive symptoms during menopause and perimenopause. Some take antidepressants for relief even though their effectiveness is controversial. Mistrust of hormone therapy and antidepressants leads certain women to turn to alternative methods whose effectiveness has not yet been scientifically demonstrated. This study by Université Laval researchers corrects this situation with regard to marine-sourced omega-3s.
The following researchers coauthored this study with Michel Lucas: Geneviève Asselin and Sylvie Dodin from the Lucie and André Chagnon Chair for the Teaching of an Integrated Approach in Prevention, as well as Chantal Mérette and Marie-Josée Poulin from Université Laval Robert-Giffard Research Center.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090128104702.htm

Too Much TV Linked To Future Fast-food Intake

ScienceDaily (Feb. 1, 2009) — High-school kids who watch too much TV are likely to have bad eating habits five years in the future. A new study followed almost 2000 high- and middle-school children and found that TV viewing times predict a poor diet in the future.
Dr Daheia Barr-Anderson worked with a team of researchers from the University of Minnesota to investigate the relationship between television and diet. She said, "To our knowledge, this is the first study to examine the association between television viewing and diet over the transition from adolescence into young adulthood. We've shown that TV viewing during adolescence predicts poorer dietary intake patterns five years later".
Stronger and more consistent patterns were seen during the transition from high school to young adulthood than during the transition from middle school to high school. Both are critical developmental periods, where lifelong behaviours are formed. The authors found that those high-school kids who watched more than five hours of television per day had a lower intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and calcium-rich foods; and higher intakes of snack foods, fried foods, fast food, sugar-sweetened beverages, and trans fats five years later.
According to Barr-Anderson, "These less than healthy foodstuffs are commonly advertised on television while healthy foods rarely receive the same publicity. Although young people may be aware that many foods advertised on television are not healthy, they may chose to ignore or do not fully realize the consequences, because the actors they see advertising and eating the foods in the commercials are usually not overweight".
Barr-Anderson and her colleagues have called for action to tackle television adverts for food and drinks. They say, "The potential negative impacts of advertising and marketing campaigns on dietary quality and purchasing behavior show that, as well as devising interventions to reduce television viewing time, we need to promote healthy food choices, in general and while watching television, to overcome harmful media influences".
Daheia J Barr-Anderson, Nicole I Larson, Melissa C Nelson, Dianne Neumark-Sztainer and Mary Story. Does television viewing predict dietary intake five years later in high school students and young adults? International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, (in press)
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090129213436.htm

Global Scientists Draw Attention To Threat Of Ocean Acidification

ScienceDaily (Feb. 1, 2009) — More than 150 leading marine scientists from 26 countries are calling for immediate action by policy-makers to sharply reduce CO2 emissions so as to avoid widespread and severe damage to marine ecosystems from ocean acidification.
The scientists issued this warning Jan 30, 2009 in the Monaco Declaration, a statement based on the conclusions of participants at last October’s 2nd international symposium on The Ocean in a High-CO2 World.
Professor Andrew Dickson, a marine chemist at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego and professor Victoria Fabry, a visiting research scientist at Scripps, were among the signatories to the declaration.
The scientists note that ocean acidification is already detectable and is accelerating. They caution that its negative impacts can be avoided only by limiting future atmospheric CO2 levels.
“Studies presented at the Monaco meeting further highlighted the likely problems of ocean acidification to our oceans,” said Dickson. “I am glad to be a signatory to this declaration, and look forward to working with my colleagues to improve our knowledge of this important area and to communicate that knowledge to a wider audience.”
It is well established among researchers that the uptake of increased amounts of carbon dioxide will make ocean water more acidic as the gas dissolves to create carbonic acid. Ocean chemistry is changing 100 times more rapidly than in the 650,000 years that preceded the modern industrial era and since the late 1980s, researchers at Scripps Oceanography and others have recorded an overall drop in the pH of the oceans from 8.16 to 8.05.
This increased acidity can hamper the ability of a wide variety of marine organisms ranging from coral to abalone to form calcium carbonate shells and skeletonal structures. Researchers believe that at crucial stages in the larval and juvenile stages in the lives of many marine invertebrates, ocean acidification inhibits calcification, and also appears to affect reproduction and growth in some organisms.  
Scripps Oceanography is emerging as an international center of ocean acidification research. Late Scripps geochemist Charles David Keeling is best known for his famous record of atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations known as the Keeling Curve, but he also started the first time series of ocean carbon dioxide content in 1983 near Bermuda. Dickson established the reference standards for measurements of carbon dioxide content and alkalinity of ocean water that have helped researchers accurately measure trends in acidification over the past 20 years. Additionally Scripps researchers have deployed one carbon dioxide sensor off the California coast and have plans to launch two more in 2009.
“This declaration clearly articulates the urgency of the problem of ocean acidification and the potential severity of its impacts to marine ecosystems,” said Fabry, a marine biologist who also works as a professor at Cal State University, San Marcos.   
Prince Albert II of Monaco has urged political leaders to heed the Monaco Declaration as they prepare for climate negotiations at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change conference in Copenhagen this year.
“I strongly support this declaration, which is in full accord with my efforts and those of my Foundation to alleviate climate change,” he said.
Scripps Director Tony Haymet and Prince Albert recently met to consider ways in which Scripps and the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation could marshal their resources in one or more joint scientific collaborations to better understand and address the growing threat of ocean acidification.  
“Scripps and Monaco have a shared commitment to meet this challenge,” Haymet said.  “We are working toward creating a partnership on ocean acidification, knowing our combined expertise and resources will have a much greater impact.”
The Monaco Declaration is based on the Research Priorities Report developed by participants at last October’s 2nd international symposium on The Ocean in a High-CO2 World, organized by UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, the Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research (SCOR), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the International Geosphere Biosphere Programme (IGBP), with the support of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation and several other partners.
“The chemistry is so fundamental and changes so rapid and severe that impacts on organisms appear unavoidable,” said James Orr of the Marine Environment Laboratories (MEL-IAEA) and chairman of the symposium. “The questions are now how bad will it be and how soon will it happen. The report from the symposium summarizes the state of the science and priorities for future research, while the Monaco Declaration implores political leaders to launch urgent actions to limit the source of the problem.”
“In order to advance the science of ocean acidification, we need to bring together the best scientists to share their latest research results and to set priorities for research to improve our knowledge of the processes and of the impacts of acidification on marine ecosystems,” explained Patricio Bernal, executive secretary of UNESCO IOC. “The Ocean in a High-CO2 World Symposia Series provides this forum to scientists every four years, and the Research Priorities Report it produces represents an authoritative assessment of what we know about acidification impacts.”
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090201124553.htm

Inflammation May Be Link Between Extreme Sleep Durations And Poor Health

ScienceDaily (Feb. 1, 2009) — A new study in the journal Sleep shows that sleep duration is associated with changes in the levels of specific cytokines that are important in regulating inflammation. The results suggest that inflammation may be the pathway linking extreme sleep durations to an increased risk for disease.
Each additional hour of self-reported sleep duration was associated with an eight-percent increase in C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and a seven-percent increase in interleukin-6 (IL-6), which are two inflammatory mediators. In contrast, each hour of reduction in sleep measured objectively by polysomnography was associated with an eight-percent increase in tumor necrosis factor alpha, another pro-inflammatory cytokine.
"The most surprising finding was that we found different relationships based on how sleep was measured," said lead author Dr. Sanjay R. Patel, assistant professor of medicine at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio.
According to the authors, research has linked both short and long sleep durations with an increased risk for mortality, coronary heart disease, diabetes and obesity. Chronic elevations in cytokines such as CRP and IL-6 also are associated with an increased risk of problems such as diabetes and heart disease.
The study involved 614 individuals from the Cleveland Family Study, a longitudinal family-based epidemiological cohort designed to study the genetics of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Participants completed questionnaires about sleep habits and underwent one night of polysomnography. In the morning a fasting blood sample was collected, and it was analyzed for five inflammatory cytokines.
Mean self-reported habitual sleep duration was 7.6 hours; mean sleep duration measured by polysomnography on the night prior to blood sampling was 6.2 hours. Those with long sleep durations, assessed by either measure, were significantly younger. Short sleep duration measured by polysomnography was associated with an increased prevalence of diabetes, hypertension and obstructive sleep apnea.
According to the authors the differing patterns of association with cytokine levels suggest that self-reported habitual sleep duration may measure chronic sleep exposure, while polysomnography may measure an acute exposure. They also note that the two methods of measuring sleep duration may be influenced differently by an underlying predictor of sleep habits such as stress or mood, which may have a direct effect on cytokine levels.
. Sleep Duration and Biomarkers of Inflammation. Sleep, Feb 1, 2009
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090201094119.htm

Quantum Dots May Be Toxic To Cells And Environment Under Certain Conditions

ScienceDaily (Jan. 31, 2009) — Researchers in Texas are reporting that quantum dots (QDs) — a product of the revolution in nanotechnology increasingly used in electronics, solar cells, and medical imaging devices — may be toxic to cells under acidic or alkaline conditions. Their study is the first to report on how different pH levels may affect the safety of QDs.
In the new study, Pedro Alvarez, Shaily Mahendra, and colleagues note that QDs are semiconductor nanocrystals composed of a metal core surrounded by a shell composed of zinc or cadmium sulfide. Scientists are increasingly concerned that these submicroscopic dots, about 1/50,000th the width of a human hair, could decompose during normal use or after disposal. That decomposition could release toxic metals into the environment, posing a health risk to humans and animals.
To explore this concern, the scientists exposed two common types of bacteria that serve as models of cell toxicity and indicators of environmental health to QDs under different conditions of acidity and alkalinity. At near neutral pH levels, bacteria exposed to QDs experienced decreased rates of growth, but did not die.
However, at moderately acidic or alkaline conditions, many of the QD-exposed bacteria died as QDs shells decomposed, releasing their content of toxic metals. However, proteins and natural organic matter may be able to mitigate toxicity by complexing metal ions or coating particles.
The study cautions, “the release of toxic inorganic constituents during their weathering under acidic or alkaline conditions in the human body or the environment may cause unintended harm that might be difficult to predict with short-term toxicity tests.”
Mahendra et al. Quantum Dot Weathering Results in Microbial Toxicity. Environmental Science & Technology, Jan 15, 2009; 42 (24): 9424 DOI: 10.1021/es8023385
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090128214342.htm

Neutralizing Acidosis And Bone Loss Among Mature Adults

ScienceDaily (Jan. 31, 2009) — A new study funded in part by the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) suggests that neutralizing an acid-producing diet may be an important key to reducing bone breakdown, or "turnover," while aging. The study comes on the heels of several ARS-reported studies suggesting that consuming more-than-recommended amounts of calcium may not be the main answer to protecting bone.
The study was led by physician and nutrition specialist Bess Dawson-Hughes at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, Boston, Mass. ARS is a scientific research agency in the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Fruits and vegetables are metabolized to bicarbonate and thus are alkali-producing. But the typical American diet is rich in protein and cereal grains that are metabolized to acid, and thus are acid-producing. With aging, such diets lead to a mild but slowly increasing metabolic "acidosis."
The researchers conducted a placebo-controlled study involving healthy male and female volunteers aged 50 or older. Key measurements were taken at the beginning and end of the intervention, which lasted three months.
A group of 78 volunteers had been provided either of two bicarbonates—potassium or sodium—along with their usual diet and exercise regimes. Key bone mineral nutrients were controlled to reduce variation in study outcomes. The bicarbonate groups consumed an amount of bicarbonate equivalent to about 9 servings of fruits and vegetables daily. This allowed the researchers to look at possible acid-neutralizing effects from an adequate, not high, alkali load.
The results showed that the 78 volunteers in the bicarbonate groups had significant reductions in biomarkers that are associated with bone loss and fracture than the 84 in the no-bicarbonate, or control, group.
The authors concluded that increasing the alkali content of the diet, for example by consuming more fruits and vegetables, merits further study as a safe and low-cost approach to improving skeletal health in older men and women.
The research was published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090131124439.htm

US army suicides hit record high
The rate of suicides among soldiers in the US army has risen to a record level for the second year in a row.
The army said there were 128 confirmed suicides in 2008, with a further 15 deaths still under investigation.
Military officials said they did not know why the number has kept increasing but that the stress of conflicts overseas had had a significant impact.
The army has said it is committed to addressing the issue and has introduced training to raise awareness.
"This is a challenge of the highest order for us," said US Army Secretary Pete Geren.
"Why do the numbers keep going up? We cannot tell you. But we can tell you that across the army, we're committed to doing everything we can to address the problem."
Conflict stress
About 35% of the suicides were of soldiers who had never been deployed, while 30% were soldiers who were on active service - three quarters of them on their first tour of duty.
Another 35% took place after deployment, mostly more than a year after the soldier had returned home.
The rise means that the military suicide rate is proportionally higher than the rate among American civilians for the first time.
General Peter Chiarelli, vice chief of the army, said he had "no doubt" that the stress of the ongoing conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan was a factor in the rising suicide rates.
He said that long tours of duty and the high pressure of being in combat zones was putting a strain on service personnel and their families.
The US military said it has introduced training to make soldiers more aware of suicidal behaviour in themselves and others, and to reduce the stigma of seeking help.
It has also launched a long-term research programme into the issue, in conjunction with the National Institute of Mental Health.