Monday March 30, 2009

Too many kids spend little time outdoors
Last Updated: 2009-03-27 9:19:49 -0400 (Reuters Health)
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Many children spend too little time outdoors and too much time in front of the TV -- and a lack of suitable outdoor spaces seems partly to blame, an Australian study suggests.
The study, of nearly 1,400 10- to 12-year-olds, found that 37 percent typically spent a half-hour or less being active outside. Few were outdoors for two hours or more on a typical day.
On the other hand, researchers found, many children devoted at least two hours per day to the TV or computer screen, with 49 percent of boys and 36 percent of girls doing so.
The researchers did find, however, that certain children were more likely to play outdoors for more than a half-hour at a time -- namely, those whose parents allowed them to walk around their neighborhood on their own.
The finding suggests that when parents think their neighborhood is safe, children are more likely to get outdoor exercise, according to Dr. Li Ming Wen and colleagues at the Sydney South West Area Health Service and the University of Sydney.
If more neighborhoods were safe, clean, walkable and offered public areas where children could play, Wen told Reuters Health, that might allay parents' concerns and help kids be regularly active.
The findings, published in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, add to evidence of the importance of neighborhood surroundings on people's activity levels.
Past studies have suggested that, compared with years ago, parents have become less willing to let their children walk to school or play outside -- at least in part because of worries over crime and traffic safety, and a general lack of parks, playgrounds and other appropriate places for children to play.
Other studies have tied heavy reliance on cars and neighborhoods that lack sidewalks to higher risks of obesity in both children and adults.
Wen suggested that, when possible, parents not drive their children to school but allow them to walk. Having them walk with their friends, the researcher noted, may help ease parents' safety worries.
If the path to school includes dangerous road crossings, Wen noted, parents might try lobbying local officials for improvements.
SOURCE: International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, online March 16, 2009.
http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2009/03/27/eline/links/20090327elin001.html

Red meat diet tied to early eye problems
Last Updated: 2009-03-27 11:30:50 -0400 (Reuters Health)
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People whose diet includes a lot of red meat are more likely to develop the early stages of an eye condition known as age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which is the leading cause of vision loss in older adults, according to an Australian study.
AMD arises from gradual damage to the macula, a structure on the retina of the eye that allows for seeing fine detail.
Dr. Elaine W.-T. Chong at the University of Melbourne and fellow researchers explain in the American Journal of Epidemiology that red meat contains compounds that "could result in oxidative damage and could be toxic to the retina."
To clarify the role of meat consumption in the development of AMD, Chong's group studied data on 5600 people who were aged 58-69 years in 1990-1994, when they completed food frequency questionnaires covering the previous year.
The presence of AMD was determined by retinal photography between 2003 and 2006, when the participants were 66-85 years old, and uncovered 1680 cases of early AMD.
The likelihood of developing AMD was 47 percent higher among people who ate red meat at least 10 times weekly, compared to those who ate it less than 4.5 times per week -- even after accounting for factors that can increase the risk, such as smoking and obesity.
"A high level of red meat consumption may be a novel risk factor for early AMD or may act as a marker for a group of persons with an increased risk from other lifestyle factors," Chong and her team conclude. "Confirmatory data from other cohort studies are needed."
SOURCE: American Journal of Epidemiology, April 1, 2009.
http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2009/03/27/eline/links/20090327elin022.html

Flaxseed proteins may have blood pressure lowering potential

Nutraingredients.com, 30-Mar-2009

Proteins from flaxseed may reduce blood pressure and potentially reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, suggests new research from Canada.
According to findings published online in the Journal of Functional Foods, flaxseed meal contains peptide amino acid sequences that may be exploited as potential food sources for lowering blood pressure based on their angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE)-inhibitory activity.
ACE inhibitors work by inhibiting the conversion of angiotensin I to the potent vasoconstrictor, angiotensin II, thereby improving blood flow and blood pressure.
“The results of this study clearly indicate that flaxseed protein hydrolysates possess potential as a food source of anti-hypertensive agents,” wrote the researchers, led by Rotimi Aluko from the University of Manitoba.
“This will contribute towards increased value-added utilization of flaxseed meal, currently a low-value by-product of the oilseed processing industry,” they added.
High blood pressure (hypertension),defined as having a systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP) greater than 140 and 90 mmHg, is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) - a disease that causes almost 50 per cent of deaths in Europe, and reported to cost the EU economy an estimated €169bn ($202bn) per year.
Study details
The Manitoba-based researchers prepared different protein hydrolysates using different enzymes, including pepsin, ficin, trypsin, papain, thermolysin, pancreatin and Alcalase.
The ACE-inhibitory activity was then tested in vitro using N-(3-[2-furyl]acryloyl)-phenylalanylglycylglycine, and the hydrolysate from thermolysin and the cationic peptide fraction from Alcalase “showing the most potent activity”, said the researchers.
The researchers also noted that some of the peptides had additional benefits by acting on the activity of renin, an enzymes produced in the kidney that converts angiotensinogen to angiotensin I, and then to angiotensin II. Therefore, renin inhibition is seen as a method of reducing blood pressure.
Of note, the cationic peptide fraction was found to inhibited renin in uncompetitively.
“The flaxseed peptide fractions that inhibited both ACE and renin activities possess better prospects, and potentially could provide better in vivo lowering of blood pressure when compared to peptides that inhibit ACE alone,” wrote the researchers.
“Further work is needed to characterize the effects of these flaxseed protein hydrolysate and cationic peptide fractions in lowering of blood pressure, and to identify their constituent bioactive peptides,” they concluded.
The study was funded by the Advanced Foods and Materials Network of Centre of Excellence (AFMnet) and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).
Source: Journal of Functional Foods
Published online ahead of print, doi: 10.1016/j.jff.2009.01.009
“Kinetics of the inhibition of renin and angiotensin I-converting enzyme by flaxseed protein hydrolysate fractions”
Authors: C.C. Udenigwe, Y.-S. Lin, W.-C. Hou, R.E. Aluko
http://www.nutraingredients.com/Research/Flaxseed-proteins-may-have-blood-pressure-lowering-potential

Slight Drop in Breast Cancer Because So Many Women Stopped Using Dangerous HRT Drugs

by David Gutierrez, NaturalNews.com

(NaturalNews) The drop in popularity of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for the treatment of menopause symptoms has led to an equally large drop in breast cancer rates, according to a new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

"It confirms that stopping hormones really does reduce cancer,'' said researcher Marcia Stefanick of Stanford University.

Researchers conducted a follow-up analysis on 15,000 women who had previously participated in the landmark 2002 Women's Health Initiative (WHI) study, which concluded that use of Wyeth's drug PremPro, which combines estrogen and progestin, increases women's risk of breast cancer by 27 percent. All participants in that study were advised to cease using the drug, and the popularity of HRT dropped dramatically across the world. In the United States, prescriptions fell by two-thirds -- from 60 million in 2001 to 20 million in 2005.

"It was a big seller -- a very big seller. Then there was an enormous change,'' said Cindy Pearson, executive director of the National Women's Health Network in Washington D.C. "It was one of the biggest changes in prescribing habits for a drug commonly used by millions of healthy people.''

The researchers compared breast cancer rates among the 15,000 WHI participants and 41,449 other HRT patients who had not taken part in the study. Approximately half of the latter had chosen to discontinue the therapy after the WHI study, while the others continued using it.

They study found that the cancer risk among women who continued using HRT was even higher than previously thought, doubling every year among women who used it for five years of more. In contrast, the risk of breast cancer dropped dramatically among women who stopped using the therapy. Likewise, breast cancer rates have significantly declined since 2002, roughly on par with the drop in HRT use.

"I would encourage women to try and make it through menopause without starting hormone treatment,'' Stefanick said. "If you do start, go for the lowest dosage and the shortest duration."
http://www.naturalnews.com/025954.html

GFCF Diet Shows Promise as Natural Treatment for Autism

by Sheryl Walters, NaturalNews.com

(NaturalNews) Autism is a developmental disorder that appears during the first three years of life. It is classified as a neurological disorder that affects social skills and interaction. The number of children diagnosed with autism has been on the rise. The Autism Society of American reports that autism is growing at a rate of 10-17% per year. One out of every 150 boys will be diagnosed with autism; the number is slightly less for girls. Although there is no cure for autism dietary changes can make a difference in functioning of an autistic individual. Research and anecdotal evidence has shown improvements when these individuals follow a gluten-free and casein-free diet.

Gluten and casein are proteins that are naturally occurring in foods that are a staple of the diets of most people. Gluten is found in wheat, barley, and rye. Casein is found in dairy products. In addition to these whole foods, gluten and casein are often found in many processed foods. Careful reading of ingredient lists is necessary as well as familiarity of the other names that gluten and casein can be "hidden" as, such as natural flavorings, curds, caseinate, spices, lactose, and others. The prevalence of these proteins makes it difficult to avoid them but there are numerous manufacturers that produce products using soy, potato, quinoa, and other substitutes.

Research done at the Autism Research Unit at the University of Sunderland in the U.K. has shown behavioral improvement in autistic children after five months of being on a gluten-free and casein-free diet. The researchers hypothesized that autism is a result of incomplete breakdown and increased absorption of proteins in gluten and casein. This irregularity results in changes to neurological processes which accounts for autism symptoms. Direct observation, parental questionnaires, and teacher questionnaires all showed an improvement in these children in numerous behavior areas.

Changing to a gluten-free and casein-free diet is ideally done with the help of a healthcare provider and nutritionist. Healthcare providers who are familiar with autistic treatments, both conventional and alternative, can be found through the "Defeat Autism Now" (DAN) program. Nutritionists can provide listings of "hidden" gluten and casein as well as advise parents on what food their children can eat including rice, potatoes, buckwheat flour, quinoa, soy, fruits, vegetables, sorghum, tapioca, and teff among others.

There is more research that needs to be done to truly prove the benefits of a gluten-free, casein-free diet but preliminary research and anecdotal evidence seem promising.
http://www.naturalnews.com/025952.html

Rheumatoid Arthritis in Women Skyrockets 50 Percent in Ten Years

by David Gutierrez, NaturalNews.com

(NaturalNews) After decreasing for 40 years, rates of rheumatoid arthritis among women have suddenly begun to skyrocket, according to a study conducted by researchers from the Mayo Clinic and presented the annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology/Association of Rheumatology Health Professionals in San Francisco.

"The rapid change in incidence [in women] is suggestive of an environmental factor or factors," research Sherine Gabriel said.

Researchers used data from the Rochester Epidemiology Project, Gabriel said, "which contains essentially complete medical information on all residents of Olmsted County, Minn., from the time they were born or the date they moved to Olmsted County, until the time they die or the date they move away."

The incidence -- or rate of new cases -- of rheumatoid arthritis among women had been steadily decreasing from 1955 to 1994, when it reached 36 per 100,000. From 1995 to 2005, however, the incidence soared to 54 per 100,000.

The incidence among men held steady over the same time period, at approximately 29 per 100,000.

While prior research has suggested that the prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis had dropped to 1.3 million from the 1995 figure of 2.1 million, the current study found that the prevalence heads increased from 0.85 percent of the population to 0.95 percent. As the rate of new cases continues to grow, the researchers expect the prevalence to increase even further.

According to Gabriel, the researchers will now analyze the data based on "disease severity, in order to determine whether the increasing incidence reflects an added number of mild or of severe cases. We will also try to examine risk factors in order to generate hypotheses about what might be behind this observed change in incidence."

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammation of the joints caused when the body's immune system destroys its own tissue. It is different than osteoarthritis, which is caused by external damage to joints and connective tissue.
http://www.naturalnews.com/025950.html

Daily Aspirin Useless in Preventing Heart Attacks in Diabetics

by David Gutierrez, NaturalNews.com

(NaturalNews) Taking aspirin daily has no effect on the risk of heart attacks and strokes among diabetics and should no longer be recommended as a routine medical practice, according to a study conducted by researchers from the University of Dundee, Scotland, and published in the "British Medical Journal.

"We found no evidence to support the use of either aspirin or antioxidants in the primary prevention of cardiovascular events and mortality in people with diabetes," the researchers wrote.

Researchers assigned 1,276 diabetic women and men with no history or symptoms of cardiovascular disease to take either aspirin, an antioxidant or a placebo once per day. After eight years, they found no difference in the rate of heart attacks and strokes between the three groups.

Prior research has indicated that a regular dose of aspirin can reduce the risk of cardiovascular events by 25 percent in people with coronary artery disease or a history of heart attack or stroke. Because diabetes is regarded as a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease and 80 percent of diabetics die of cardiovascular causes, many doctors and professional organizations have also begun recommending treatment of diabetics with aspirin in recent years.

Aspirin can have serious side effects, however, such as gastrointestinal bleeding.

"We have gotten a bit ahead of ourselves with aspirin," lead researcher Jill Belch said. "We need to think again about using it for primary prevention."

The study was welcomed by clinical pharmacology expert Peter Sever of Imperial College London.

"It confirms many concerns we have that aspirin is very widely used in the general population without an evidence base to support its overall benefits," Sever said. "Thousands of people buy aspirin over the counter -- I'm forever saying to patients you shouldn't be taking this. I have had a couple of patients admitted to hospital with major gastrointestinal bleeding when there was no evidence it was doing any good."
http://www.naturalnews.com/025948.html

Tai Chi Provides Natural Treatment for Stroke Damage

by Sherry Baker, NaturalNews.com

(NaturalNews) For at least 600 years, the Chinese practice of tai chi has been used as a form of martial arts exercise that integrates body, mind and spirit. According to the philosophy behind the practice, the slow, fluid postures of tai chi focus concentration while gently working muscles. The result, tai chi practitioners say, is an improved flow of "qi" (sometimes spelled " chi"), a vital life energy that promotes mind and body calmness and health. Now modern-day scientists are backing up many of these ancient claims. A case in point: a new study shows tai chi can help people recover from stroke-caused damage to their nervous systems.

People who have survived strokes may be faced with lingering problems including maintaining their balance. This is more than just an annoyance and uncomfortable feeling that interferes with their quality of life. It also raises the risk of debilitating and possibly fatal falls. But researchers from the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) have found tai chi is a drug-free way to treat these stroke-caused balance problems.

Earlier research has previously shown tai chi can improve balance and reduce falls among healthy elders. So, while at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Christina Hui-Chan, and her colleague Stephanie Au-Yeung decided to see if tai chi would also help stroke survivors. They studied 136 research subjects in Hong Kong who had suffered a stroke more than six months earlier. The participants were randomly placed into two groups for 12 weeks. The control group practiced breathing, stretching and other exercises that included sitting and walking. The tai chi group practiced a simplified form of the ancient martial art consisting of coordinated movements of the head, trunk and limbs that require concentration and attention to balance.

At the end of the 12 week study, the research subjects were given several balance tests. Both the tai chi and the control group performed about the same on a test that involved the ability to stand, walk and sit back down. However, when tested on their ability to maintain balance while shifting weight, leaning in different directions, and standing on moving surfaces to simulate a crowded bus, the tai chi group clearly out-performed the control exercise group. The results of the research are set for publication in a forthcoming issue of the journal Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair.

"The tai chi group did particularly better in conditions that required them to use their balance control," Hui-Chan, professor and head of physical therapy at UIC, said in a statement to the media. "In only six weeks, we saw significant improvements. The ability to shift your weight is very important because all reaching tasks require it."

In addition to improving balance, Hui-Chan explained tai chi also improves strength and cardiovascular fitness. What's more, tai chi classes can provide seniors with healthy group interactions that help prevent social isolation, too. She added that most people can learn the art of tai chi if they are taught by a trained instructor.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is also showing interest in the benefits of tai chi. The NIH's National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) is currently sponsoring studies to find out more about tai chi's effects, how it works, and diseases and conditions for which it may be most helpful.
http://www.naturalnews.com/025945.html

Food Choices Evolve Through Information Overload

ScienceDaily (Mar. 30, 2009) — Ever been so overwhelmed by a huge restaurant menu that you end up choosing an old favourite instead of trying something new?
Psychologists have long since thought that information overload leads to people repeatedly choosing what they know. Now, new research has shown that the same concept applies equally to hundreds of animal species, too.
Researchers from the University of Leeds have used computer modelling to examine the evolution of specialisation, casting light on why some animal species have evolved to eat one particular type of food. For example some aphids choose to eat garden roses, but not other plants which would offer similar nutritional values.
"This is a major leap forward in our understanding of the way in which animals interact with their environment," says lead researcher Dr Colin Tosh from the University's Faculty of Biological Sciences. "Our computer models show the way in which neural networks operate in different environments. They have made it possible for us to see how different species make decisions, based on what's happening – or in this case, which foods are available - around them."
Despite the prevalence of specialisation in the animal kingdom, very little is known about why it occurs. The work conducted at Leeds has provided strong evidence in support of the 'neural limitations' hypothesis put forward by academics in the 1990s. This hypothesis, derived from human psychology, is based on the concept of information overload.
"There are several hypotheses to explain specialisation: one suggests that animals adapt to eat certain foods and this prevents them from eating other types of food," says Dr Tosh.
"For example, cows have evolved flat teeth which allow them to chew grass but they are unable to efficiently process meat. However, the problem with these hypotheses is that they don't apply across the board. Some species – such as many plant eating insects – have evolved to specialise even though there are many other available foods they could eat perfectly well."
This is the first study to provide a realistic representation of neural information processing in animals and how these interact with their environment. The research team believe that it could also have major implications for predicting the effects of environmental change.
"A good example of a struggling specialist is the giant panda, which relies on high mountain bamboo," says Dr Tosh. "In understanding how neural processes work, we may be able to gain an insight into how future environmental conditions – such as the dying out of particular types of plants - may affect a range of different animal species that utilise them for food."
This research was funded by the Natural Environment Research Council in the UK.
Colin R. Tosha, Jens Krausea and Graeme D. Ruxton. Theoretical predictions strongly support decision accuracy as a major driver of ecological specialization. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2009; DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0807247106
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090323212116.htm

Vitamin D Supplements Associated With Reduced Fracture Risk In Older Adults

ScienceDaily (Mar. 30, 2009) — Oral vitamin D supplements at a dose of at least 400 international units per day are associated with a reduced risk of bone fractures in older adults, according to results of a meta-analysis.
"The anti-fracture benefits of vitamin D have been questioned by several recent trials, leading to uncertainty among patients and physicians regarding recommendations for vitamin D supplementation," the authors write as background information in the article. "Factors that may obscure a benefit of vitamin D are low adherence to treatment, low dose of vitamin D or the use of less potent ergocalciferol (vitamin D2)."
Heike A. Bischoff-Ferrari, Dr.P.H., of the University of Zurich, University Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland, and colleagues performed a meta-analysis on 12 previously published clinical trials of oral vitamin D supplements among adults age 65 or older. These double-blind randomized controlled trials involved 42,279 participants (average age 78) and looked at non-vertebral (non-spinal) fractures, including eight trials of 40,886 participants specifically studying hip fractures.
When the results of the trials were pooled, vitamin D supplements decreased the risk of non-vertebral fractures by 14 percent and of hip fractures by 9 percent. The authors then pooled the results of only the nine trials in which participants received doses of more than 400 international units per day. At this dosage, vitamin D supplements reduced non-vertebral fractures by 20 percent and hip fractures by 18 percent. Doses of 400 international units per day or lower did not reduce the risk of either fracture type. A greater reduction in risk was also seen among trial participants whose blood levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (a commonly used measure of blood vitamin D levels) achieved a greater increase.
Among individuals taking high doses of vitamin D, additional calcium did not appear to have any further protective effect against fractures. "Physiologically, the calcium-sparing effect of vitamin D may explain why we did not see an additional benefit of calcium supplementation at a higher dose of vitamin D," the authors write.
"The greater fracture reduction with a higher received dose or higher achieved 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels for both any non-vertebral fractures and hip fractures suggests that higher doses of vitamin D should be explored in future research to optimize anti-fracture efficacy," they conclude. "Also, it is possible that greater benefits may be achieved with earlier initiation of vitamin D supplementation and longer duration of use. Our results do not support use of low-dose vitamin D with or without calcium in the prevention of fractures among older individuals."
This study was supported by a Swiss National Foundation Professorship grant and a fellowship grant by the Robert Bosch Foundation.
Bischoff-Ferrari et al. Prevention of Nonvertebral Fractures With Oral Vitamin D and Dose Dependency: A Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Archives of Internal Medicine, 2009; 169 (6): 551 DOI: 10.1001/archinternmed.2008.600
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090323161115.htm

Vertigo Linked To Osteoporosis

ScienceDaily (Mar. 29, 2009) — People who have osteoporosis are more likely to also have vertigo, according to a study published in the March 24, 2009, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
The study involved 209 people with benign positional vertigo with no known cause such as head trauma or ear surgery. Vertigo is an inner ear disorder that is a common cause of dizziness. The disorder is believed to be caused by loose calcium carbonate crystals that move in the sensing tubes of the inner ear.
The people with vertigo were compared to 202 people with no history of dizziness. People with osteoporosis, or low bone density, were three times more likely to have vertigo, and people with osteopenia, which is the stage before osteoporosis, were twice as likely to have vertigo as people who had normal bone density.
In women, 25 percent of those with vertigo had osteoporosis, compared to nine percent of those who did not have vertigo, and 47 percent of those with vertigo had osteopenia, compared to 33 percent of those without vertigo. For men, 12 percent of those with vertigo had osteoporosis, compared to six percent of those without vertigo, and 40 percent of those with vertigo had osteopenia, compared to 27 percent of those without vertigo.
"These findings suggest a problem with calcium metabolism in people with vertigo," said study author Ji Soo Kim, MD, PhD, of Seoul National University College of Medicine in Korea. "Women most often have their first case of vertigo in their 50s, when they are also having a drop in bone mass due to loss of estrogen. Estrogen is one of the main hormones that influence calcium and bone metabolism."
Kim said researchers haven't determined the role of estrogen in vertigo. Kim noted that the link between osteoporosis and vertigo was also found in men, so other factors must also play a role.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090323161107.htm

Tea Tree Oil And Silver Together Make More Effective Antiseptics

ScienceDaily (Mar. 29, 2009) — In the fight against infected skin wounds, mixing tea tree oil and silver or putting them in liposomes (small spheres made from natural lipids), greatly increases their antimicrobial activity and may minimise any side effects.
Wan Li Low and colleagues from the University of Wolverhampton presented research at the Society for General Microbiology meeting in Harrogate March 30 which showed that although both tea tree oil and silver (in the form of silver nitrate) were effective against a range of micro-organisms, when low concentrations of the two agents were combined, their antimicrobial activity increased. They carried out laboratory tests on pathogens that are involved in skin infections. Bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus (which is a common cause of skin infections and abscesses) and the yeast Candida albicans, which causes thrush, were killed.
These positive findings led the researchers to use microscopic spherical bodies called liposomes, made of phospholipids, the naturally occurring lipids or fats in the cell wall's membranes, to deliver the silver and tea tree oil mix to infected wounds the pathogens. This technique allows controlled release and therefore has the potential to use lower, less toxic, concentrations of the antimicrobial agents to treat infected wounds. This may also be of value to treat antibiotic resistant strains such as MRSA.
Used alone, both silver and tea tree oil can cause side effects in patients. Over exposure to silver can cause a bluish-grey discolouration of the skin and applying unregulated amounts of tea tree oil externally can cause skin irritation. With increasing life expectancy, age related conditions such as chronic leg ulcers or bedsores are likely to become more common. Current treatments using traditional silver-based creams and dressings use relatively high metal concentrations. Creams containing lower amounts of the agents could provide safer and readily available over-the-counter antiseptic compounds for effective treatment without damaging the surrounding skin.