New research indicates that people who ingest more olive oil, grapeseed oil and peanut oil are less likely to get ulcerative colitis.

A new study by researchers at the University of East Anglia has shown that consuming more olive oil can actually prevent ulcerative colitis.  The findings were presented at this year’s Digestive Disease Week conference in New Orleans.  The study centered on oleic acid, which is present in olive oil, peanut oil and grapeseed oil.  Oleic acid is a monounsaturated fatty acid.

Over 120,000 people in the UK and 1 million in the US have ulcerative colitis.  The disease causes inflammation in the lining of the colon and bowel leading to pain and diarrhea.  Other symptoms of ulcerative colitis include fever, weight loss, and gastrointestinal bleeding.

This new research studied over 25,000 middle-aged people in the UK who did not have ulcerative colitis.  The participants completed food diaries during the study, which were then analyzed by nutritionists.

When researchers analyzed the results, they found that the people, who developed ulcerative colitis, had the lowest intake of oleic acid.  On the other hand, those who ate the most foods with oleic acid had a 90% less change of getting ulcerative colitis.

Dr. Andrew Hart was the leader of the research, he stated, “We estimate that around half of the cases of ulcerative colitis could be prevented if larger amounts of oleic acid were consumed.  Two-to-three tablespoons of olive oil per day would have a protective effect.”

Other dietary suggestions for those with ulcerative colitis include drinking lots of water, eating smaller portions, and avoiding fattening greasy foods.  Obviously, these are good suggestions for everyone, even if this digestive issue does not impact them.

Sources:
health.google.com
medicalnewstoday.com

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Fibromyalgia remains a health problem that is surrounded by a great deal of mystery. However, researchers have proved that those people who exercise and are at a healthy weight are less likely to develop the problem.

A new study from Norwegian University of Science and Technology has shown that overweight and obese women are more likely to develop fibromyalgia.  This study was published in the May issue of Arthritis Care and Research.

Fibromyalgia includes long-lasting pain in points including the neck, shoulder, back, hips, arms and legs.  People with this issue commonly have fatigue, headaches, and trouble with their moods.  Sleep can also be disrupted. The cause of this problem is unknown, though genetics are believed to be a factor.

Some experts believe that fibromyalgia is caused from a dysfunctional nervous system.  Fibromyalgia impacts over 2% of the population of the United States.  Women are more likely than men to develop this problem. The likelihood of fibromyalgia also increases with age.

In this Norwegian study, 16.000 people were surveyed over a period of years.  As it turned out, of the group 380 people developed fibromyalgia. The patient’s exercise habits and BMI were examined over the years.  The results showed that people who exercised and were at a healthy weight were far less likely to have fibromyalgia.

Lead researcher Paul Mork said, “Women who reported exercising four times per week [or more] had a 29 percent lower risk of fibromyalgia compared with inactive women.”  Additionally, women who were heavier had a 60-70% higher change of getting fibromyalgia.  However, the overweight women who exercised were less likely to develop the problem.

As fibromyalgia does seem to run in families, this news is especially relevant for those with a family history.  Those who already have the condition can reduce pain if they reduce their weight and incorporate exercise into their routine.

Sources:
news.health.com
mayoclinic.com

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Vitamin E has been shown to improve liver function for those with fatty liver disease. This is a serious issue that impacts approximately 5% of Americans and can actually be fatal in some cases.

One of the most common liver diseases related to obesity is called fatty liver disease.  Unfortunately, doctors currently believe that this issue has no form of treatment.  However, researchers from the Virginia Commonwealth University have discovered that Vitamin E can help patients with fatty liver disease.  Researchers were surprised at these findings, as typically vitamin supplements are only thought by medical professionals to treat problems caused by nutritional deficiencies.

When people have fatty liver disease, fat can build up in the liver and cause inflammation as well as scarring.  Eventually this can cause a liver to fail in some extreme cases.  Fatty liver disease is common in middle-aged people who are overweight.  Up to 5% of Americans are reported to have this issue.

In this new study, 247 people with advanced fatty liver disease were assigned to one of three groups.  One group took vitamin E in a high dosage, one group took a placebo and one took a diabetes drug called Actos. Biopsies showed that those who took Vitamin E saw a 43% increase in liver function.  While participants who took Actos also saw improvement in their livers, the percentage of increased liver function was not as high as in the group taking Vitamin E.  Also these people who took Actos gained weight during the experiment.

Other treatments for fatty liver disease include losing weight by eating right and exercising.

Aside from treating fatty liver disease, Vitamin E also has a number of other health applications.  As an antioxidant, it can fight cell damage that is caused by free radicals.  It can also protect against prostate cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.  As Vitamin E taken in large doses can be toxic, be sure to follow the recommendation on the label.  Also, consult with your physician prior to supplementing with Vitamin E if you’re taking a blood thinner.

Last but not least, synthetic vitamin E doesn’t work the same as natural Vitamin E.  Therefore, be sure to take the natural form, which is D-alpha tocopherol.

Sources:
news.yahoo.com
whfoods.com

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Researchers have discovered that increased omega-3 fatty acids can reduce the risk of colon cancer. This can come from food sources or fish oil supplementation.

Do you get tons of omega-3 fatty acids in your diet?  If so, new research indicates you will reduce your risk of colon cancer.  Taking fish oil supplements can also accomplish the same goal.

According to Dr. Sangmi Kim at the National Institute of Environmental Health Studies in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, not only can fish oil supplementation fight inflammation, it can also reduce the risk of cancer.

The study examined polyunsaturated fatty acid intake and bowel cancer risk in both whites and African Americans.  Approximately, half of the people in each group were colon cancer patients.  The other half served as the control group.

The researchers found that the people in the group of whites, who consumed the top forth amount of omega-3s, had half the risk of colon cancer.  They also found that fish oil had the same effect.  Although when the black participants were analyzed separately, they didn’t see cancer rates drop as omega 3 intake increased.  However, researchers stated, “Whether the possible benefit from this dietary modification varies by race warrants further evaluation.”

So where can you get the necessary omega-3 fatty acids? They are found in walnut oils, flaxseed oil, and leafy greets.  It is important to remember to eat more omega-3s than omega-6 fatty acids, as you want a healthy balance in your diet.  It can be unhealthy to have more omega-6 in your system. Omega-6 acids can be typically be found in oils like soybean oil and sunflower oil as well as meats.  While omega-3 oils reduce inflammation, omega-6 oils can cause inflammation.

Frequent readers of Natural Health on the Web know that I am a big advocate of the Mediterranean diet. This diet suggests eating foods high in omega-3 fatty acids like fruits, vegetables, olive oil and fish rather than omega-6 rich meats.

Sources:
sciencedaily.com
umm.edu

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Announcements at this year’s American Association for Cancer Research Event included the findings that there is a connection between vitamin supplementation and breast cancer rates.

If you have been taking vitamins and calcium supplements, there is good news concerning your risk of getting breast cancer!  New findings about breast cancer prevention were announced at this year’s American Association for Cancer Research 101^st Annual Meeting. The event took place April 17-21^st in Washington DC.  The meeting attracts over 15,000 attendees each year.

This year one of the presentations included conclusive information that vitamins and calcium supplements have been shown to be effective in reducing the risk of breast cancer.  This new research involved 457-control group and 268 women with breast cancer.  The study showed that vitamins reduced breast cancer risk by about 30%.  Calcium supplements, on the other hand, actually reduced the risk by 40%.

One of the people presenting this information was Jaime Matta PhD from the Ponce School of Medicine in Puerto Rico.  Matta stated, “This process involves at least five separate pathways and is critical for maintaining genomic stability.  When the DNA is not repaired, it leads to mutation that leads to cancer.”  Apparently, calcium supplements enhance DNA repair.  If this complex repair process is interrupted it can lead to cancer.

In addition to supplements reducing the risk of breast cancer, there are also different superfoods that are effective at fighting breast cancer as well. These superfoods include fatty fish, beans, berries and tomatoes.

Sources:
sciencedaily.com
women.webmd.com

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A compound in dark chocolate has been shown to protect cells after a stroke.

A study at Johns Hopkins has shown that dark chocolate contains a special compound, which can protect the brain after a stroke.  As it turns out, the dark chocolate increases cells that are designed to protect nerve cells from damage. The Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism recently published this study.

Researchers induced a stroke in mice 90 minutes after giving mice a compound in dark chocolate called epicatechin.  Epicatechin is a member of the compounds named plant flavonoids. Flavonoids also work to prevent blood clots and damage caused by clogged arteries.

To induce the stroke, researchers cut blood to the mice’s brains.  They found that the animals that had received the dark chocolate compounds were less likely to receive brain damage.  Also researchers learned that they could give the epicatechin to the animals 3.5 hours after the stroke.  Usually treatments for humans who have had strokes need to be given 2-3 hours later to be effective.  Therefore, this means that doctors can wait longer before administrating epicatechin treatments to patients.

The lead research on this study is Sylvain Dore, PhD.  He said that his study showed that epicatechin stimulated pathways that can shield the brain from damage.  Dore hopes that his studies on dark chocolate and epicatechins can help begin to limit the kinds of damage caused by stress.

If you are turning to chocolate for health benefits, always remember to reach for the dark chocolate.  But don’t forget that the higher the cacao content, the better.

Sources:
physorg.com
webmd.com

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For links to recent news items about CSC, visit this [Topsy] page. Examples of two news items that have received attention in the past week:?