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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A number of past studies have shown improvement in Parkinson's disease with stem cell transplants. Here is another: "Endometrial stem cells injected into the brains of mice with a laboratory-induced form of Parkinson's disease appeared to take over the functioning of brain cells eradicated by the disease. The finding raises the possibility that women with Parkinson's disease could serve as their own stem cell donors. Similarly, because endometrial stem cells are readily available and easy to collect, banks of endometrial stem cells could be stored for men and women with Parkinson's disease. ... In the current study, the researchers generated stem cells using endometrial tissue obtained from nine women who did not have Parkinson's disease and verified that, in laboratory cultures, the unspecialized endometrial stem cells could be transformed into dopamine-producing nerve cells like those in the brain. The researchers also demonstrated that, when injected directly into the brains of mice with a Parkinson's-like condition, endometrial stem cells would develop into dopamine-producing cells. ... stem cells derived from endometrial tissue appear to be less likely to be rejected than are stem cells from other sources."

View the Article Under Discussion: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100506141608.htm

Read More Longevity Meme Commentary: http://www.longevitymeme.org/news/

A number of past studies have shown improvement in Parkinson's disease with stem cell transplants. Here is another: "Endometrial stem cells injected into the brains of mice with a laboratory-induced form of Parkinson's disease appeared to take over the functioning of brain cells eradicated by the disease. The finding raises the possibility that women with Parkinson's disease could serve as their own stem cell donors. Similarly, because endometrial stem cells are readily available and easy to collect, banks of endometrial stem cells could be stored for men and women with Parkinson's disease. ... In the current study, the researchers generated stem cells using endometrial tissue obtained from nine women who did not have Parkinson's disease and verified that, in laboratory cultures, the unspecialized endometrial stem cells could be transformed into dopamine-producing nerve cells like those in the brain. The researchers also demonstrated that, when injected directly into the brains of mice with a Parkinson's-like condition, endometrial stem cells would develop into dopamine-producing cells. ... stem cells derived from endometrial tissue appear to be less likely to be rejected than are stem cells from other sources."

View the Article Under Discussion: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100506141608.htm

Read More Longevity Meme Commentary: http://www.longevitymeme.org/news/

From the New Scientist: "when young mice are learning, a molecular fragment known as an acetyl group binds to a particular point on the histone protein that DNA wraps itself around - with the result that the cluster of learning and memory genes on the surrounding DNA ends up close to the acetyl group. ... This acetyl "cap" was missing in the older mice that had been set the same tasks. From this, the team concludes that the cap acts as an "on" switch for the cluster of learning and memory genes: removing the cap switches off the genes. Next, by injecting an enzyme known to encourage caps to bind to any kind of histone molecule, [researchers] artificially flipped the switch to the on position in old mice. The acetyl group returned to the histone molecule and the mice's learning and memory performance became similar to that of 3-month-old mice. ... it is still not clear why the switch flips off as we get older. One possibility is that it might help us cope with other cellular assaults that come with ageing, such as oxidative stress, [which] would mean that switching it on might have damaging side effects."

View the Article Under Discussion: http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn18870-gene-switch-rejuvenates-failing-mouse-brains.html

Read More Longevity Meme Commentary: http://www.longevitymeme.org/news/

An interesting example of how immune therapies can eliminate or reduce some of the ways in which the aging body damages itself: "Cholesterol is transported in the blood in LDL particles, which are a kind of fat drops that can accumulate in the walls of blood vessels. LDL activates the immune defence and triggers an inflammation in the blood vessels that leads to atherosclerosis (also known as arteriosclerosis). When the atherosclerotic plaque finally ruptures, a blood clot is formed that in turn can cause a heart attack or stroke. It was previously thought that the inflammation in the blood vessels arises when the T cells react to oxidised LDL particles located in the atherosclerotic plaque. Now, however, [researchers have found] that the opposite is true, namely that the T cells react to components in the normal LDL particles, and that they no longer recognise LDL once it has been oxidised. ... Since reactions to LDL can be dangerous, T cells are normally held in check by inhibitory signals. The body's own control works well as long as the LDL keeps to the blood, liver and lymph glands. But when it accumulates in the artery wall, this inhibition is no longer enough, the T cells are activated and an inflammation arises. ... Vaccination against the receptor that the T cells use to recognise LDL can block the immune reaction and reduce the disease by between 60 and 70 per cent."

View the Article Under Discussion: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-05/ki-nav050610.php

Read More Longevity Meme Commentary: http://www.longevitymeme.org/news/

Viruses can be used as a form of targeted anti-cancer therapy, and human trials are soon set to start: "Particular parvoviruses normally infect rodents, but they are also infectious for human cells. However, they do not cause any disease symptoms in humans. Most importantly, these viruses have an astonishing property: They kill infected tumors cells without causing any damage to healthy tissue. ... Many different viruses have been tested before in cancer therapy, particularly for treating those types of cancer for which there are no effective established treatment methods. The [researchers] realized early on that parvovirus H-1 has important advantages over other viruses. Now they have been the first to prove that malignant glioblastomas regress completely as a result of treatment with these viruses. ... Parvoviruses pass the blood brain barrier so that they can be administered via the blood stream. In addition, they reproduce in cancer cells, which is particularly important for successful treatment of glioblastoma with its diffuse growth. Thus, the second generation viruses reach and eliminate even those cancer cells that have already settled at some distance from the primary tumor. ... researchers [expect] to be able to admit the first patients to the trial by the end of the year."

View the Article Under Discussion: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100504095106.htm

Read More Longevity Meme Commentary: http://www.longevitymeme.org/news/

From EurekAlert!: "The muscles of elderly people and of people with type 2 diabetes contain lower concentrations of a protein known as PARL (short for 'presenilin-associated rhomboid-like'). PARL plays an important role within cells in remodeling power-generating mitochondria. It's PARL's job to oversee mitochondria's quality control, specifically by maintaining their integrity as the cellular components undergo normal processes of fission and fusion. The findings provide yet another link between insulin resistance and the function of mitochondria. ... When mitochondria aren't functioning properly, food doesn't get metabolized to the level that it should ... Instead of getting burned, fats accumulate in cells where they impair insulin's action. As mitochondria fail to work efficiently, they also produce more damaging free radicals. ... Relative to younger people, older people showed signs of insulin resistance. They also had fewer numbers of mitochondria and lower expression of the PARL gene. ... We hypothesize that impaired PARL function is an important risk factor for the development of insulin resistance in skeletal muscle by decreasing mitochondrial mass and energetics and increasing oxidative stress, thus contributing to impaired glucose metabolism. As insulin resistance continues to develop, mitochondrial function, oxidative damage, and PARL activity may decline further, leading to a vicious cycle that eventually contributes to the development of [diabetes] or other age-associated diseases, including sarcopenia."

View the Article Under Discussion: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-05/cp-nci042810.php

Read More Longevity Meme Commentary: http://www.longevitymeme.org/news/

The Seattle Times notes recent research: "A new study finds that calorie restriction may bolster the immune system in adults. Researchers [randomly] placed 46 overweight, but not obese, men and women age 20 to 40 on one of two diets for six months: one in which calories were reduced 10 percent, and another in which they were reduced 30 percent. All food was supplied to the test subjects. The participants were tested to see what effect calorie restriction had on their immune system. They were given a delayed-type hypersensitivity test, which can detect allergens, among other things, and is considered a way to check whole-body immune response. Researchers also checked T-cells, a kind of white blood cell, and another immune system marker. At the end of the six months, [delayed type hypersensitivity] response went up in both the 10 percent and the 30 percent calorie-restricted groups compared with the beginning of the study. Both groups also showed improvement in T-cell function."

View the Article Under Discussion: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/living/2011767490_calories03.html

Read More Longevity Meme Commentary: http://www.longevitymeme.org/news/