Study shows exercise as effective as sertraline for comorbid chd/depression
Medline Plus has reported that Sertraline is used to treat depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic attacks, posttraumatic stress disorder, and social anxiety disorder. Sertraline is in a class of antidepressants which are called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). These drugs work by increasing the amounts of serotonin, a natural substance in the brain that helps maintain mental balance. Medline Plus has also pointed out the following side effects can occur with Sertraline: “new or worsening depression; thinking about harming or killing yourself, or planning or trying to do so; extreme worry; agitation; panic attacks; difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep; aggressive behavior; irritability; acting without thinking; severe restlessness; and frenzied abnormal excitement.”
Study indicates nutrients may help memory
There are currently no good medications available to prevent or treat Alzheimer’s disease, but recent studies on dietary interventions to help improve cognition offer significant hope for people suffering from dementia.
Several years ago, Dr. Richard Wurtman at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology developed a mixture of three nutrients that seemed to improve memory in rodents by enhancing the connections of neurons in the brain. These nutrients are DHA, choline, and uridine. DHA is an omega-3 fatty acid found in fatty fish and walnuts, and is the most abundant fatty acid in the brain. Choline is a nutrient that is part of the B vitamin family and is found in eggs, nuts and meats. Uridine is a protein molecule that is harder to obtain from foods, but can be found in sugar beets and broccoli.
In 2008, a proprietary blend of these nutrients known as Souvenaid was tested in a group of 225 patients with mild Alzheimer’s disease in Europe. Dr. Philip Scheltens, director of the Alzheimer Center at VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam, led this study, which showed that 40 percent of people taking the Souvenaid beverage every day for three months showed an improvement in verbal memory, compared to only 24 percent of people who drank a placebo beverage.
Curry Spice Prevents Diabetes
Supplements containing a compound in curry spice may help prevent diabetes in people at high risk, a small clinical trial suggests.
Researchers found that over nine months, a daily dose of curcumin seemed to prevent new cases of diabetes among people with so-called prediabetes – abnormally high blood sugar levels that may progress to full-blown type 2 diabetes, which is linked to obesity.
Curcumin is a compound in turmeric spice, and lab research has suggested it can fight inflammation and so-called oxidative damage to body cells. Those two processes are thought to feed a range of diseases, including type 2 diabetes.
The study, published in the journal Diabetes Care, included 240 Thai adults with prediabetes who were randomly assigned to take either curcumin capsules or a placebo (identical-looking capsules with no active ingredient).
After nine months, 19 of the 116 placebo patients had developed type 2 diabetes. That compared with none of the 119 patients taking curcumin.
EU science agency backs omega-3s up to 5g a day
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) says there are no safety concerns in consuming various omega-3 forms at up to 5g per day – much higher than typical recommended upper limits that tend to linger around 1g or 1.5g per day – in the short term at least.
Omega-3 intakes: 5g+ is safe, says EFSA
EFSA’s opinion may also shake a 2011 missive from the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) that suggested consumption of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosapentaenic acid (DPA) could exceed upper limits (ULs) of 1.5g per day set by the BfR due to the consumption of omega-3 fortified foods.
The BfR said it had seen EFSA’s opinion but did not speculate on how it might affect its own stance that between 3.7% and 16.7% of the German population could exceed 1.5g of EPA/DHA/DPA per day in this way.
There is no EU-wide UL for omega-3s and EFSA said the data was insufficient to establish one.
Harry B Rice, PhD, VP of regulatory and scientific affairs at the Global Organisation for EPA and DHA Omega-3s (GOED) welcomed the opinion, but warned it may not alter much in Germany.
Caffeine may provide some Parkinson’s relief
A new, small study found people with Parkinson’s disease who took caffeine pills saw slight but noticeable improvements in movement problems related to the condition.
The findings warrant further study, Canadian researchers said. And there are still questions — such as if patients would develop a caffeine tolerance, eventually blunting the benefits of coffee or caffeine pills.
“It’s a bit too early to say, ‘Everybody should be drinking coffee,’” said lead researcher Dr. Ronald Postuma, from McGill University in Montreal.
“Does it really make a difference over years of Parkinson’s disease? I don’t think we know.”
Still, he said, caffeine is generally safe, so it could be worth trying for some patients with Parkinson’s who aren’t doing great and also have trouble with sleepiness.
About 50,000 to 60,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease every year, according to the National Parkinson Foundation. Typical symptoms include shaking and trouble with movement and coordination.
15-Minute Ultimate Abs Workout Exercise Routine for a Flat Stomach & Strong Core
This challenging abs toning exercise and workout video will give you a firm toned flat stomach. It is 15 solid minutes of abs exercises.
Antioxidant intake significantly decreases pancreatic cancer risk
Utah has the second lowest pancreatic cancerrate in the United States according to the Utah Department of Health. But with only three percent of those diagnosed with cancer surviving beyond five years it is one of the scariest diagnoses to receive from your doctor.New research published online July 23, 2012 in the journal Gut provides hope and suggests increasing your dietary intake ofantioxidants could cut your pancreatic risk by up to 67 percent.
The pancreas is a gland located in the abdomen between the stomach and the spine. It is an integral part of your digestive system, where it secretes enzymes to help break down carbohydrates, fats, proteins and acids. Additionally, the pancreas secretes hormones—insulin, glucagon and somatostatin—that help regulate blood glucose levels and regulate the release of other hormones.
Pancreatic cancer is often symptomless at first, which means frequently it is advanced when diagnosed. In fact, the National Institutes of Health reports that the tumor has spread and cannot be completely removed at the time of diagnosis in more than 80 percent of pancreatic cancer patients. Smoking, diabetes, a family history of pancreatic cancer, chronic inflammation of the pancreas and being overweight or obese are all risk factors.
Moringa Oleifera Scores Highest Antioxidant Content in Food
In an independent test, Moringa oleifera scored the highest in antioxidant content of any food yet discovered. Beating the record-holding acai berry by over a 50% margin, Moringa Source Moringa oleifera leaf powder measured over 157,000 umoles using the Oxidant Radicals Absorbent Capacity (ORAC) system of measurement developed by the National Institute of Health’s National Institute for Aging.
“We are very encouraged by the ORAC results because it signifies Moringa Source Moringa oleifera leaf powder has twice the radical-quenching power of Baobab and several other superfoods making it the most antioxidant-potent food on the planet,” said Jim Fitzpatrick, co-founder of Moringa Source, the premiere company dedicated exclusively to natural Moringa nutritional supplements, beauty products and tea. “While clinical trials are necessary to show the definitive effect on the human body, this is overwhelmingly positive for Moringa oleifera.”
Known as the “Miracle Tree,” Moringa oleifera’s naturally-occurring antioxidants support the prevention of cancer and other diseases that attack the body’s cells. Antioxidants, such as those found in Moringa Source’s comprehensive line of Moringa products, aids cell restoration, which can combat oxidative stress by preventing free radicals from reacting and causing damage to cells.
The ORAC test on Moringa Source Moringa Oleifera leaf powder was conducted by independent lab Brunswick Laboratories. “By commissioning the study, it was our intent to draw more positive attention to the rich antioxidants found in the phenomenal Moringa plant,” Fitzpatrick said. “Equally as important is the fact that Moringa Source’s Moringa Powder contains more than 27% protein including the 8 essential amino acids, 25 vitamins and minerals as well as many other beneficial phyto-nutrients.”
In addition to ranking first in antioxidant content, Moringa oleifera contains over 90 nutrients such as vitamins, proteins, amino acids, iron and calcium, offering unique anti-aging and energy-enhancing characteristics. The benefits of this “super plant” have been embraced as one of nature’s most powerful sources of nutrients to support healthy living in the India, Africa and South America for more than 2,000 years. Health and wellness experts in the U.S., including Dr. Mehmet Oz, and in Europe have begun recommending Moringa oleifera for sustained energy and general wellness. Moringa oleifera was recently featured on “The Dr. Oz Show” as a way to jump-start the day and re-energize your life.
Moringa is a raw food and is naturally vegan, caffeine-free and gluten-free. The World Health Organization and other charitable organizations currently use Moringa as a basis for daily nutritional programs helping malnourished children.
Moringa Source is sold in more than 30 countries, reaching across six continents. Moringa Source offers a variety of natural Moringa products including Moringa nutritional supplement capsules, Moringa tea, Moringa leaf powder, Moringa oil and Moringa body butter. Moringa Source products can be purchased online at MoringaSource.com.
Vitamin E may lower liver cancer risk
High consumption of vitamin E either from diet or vitamin supplements may lower the risk of liver cancer, according to new research.
The study – published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute – investigated the relationship between vitamin E intake and liver cancer risk in more than 130,000 Chinese people. Led by Dr Wei Zhang of the Shanghai Cancer Institute, China, the researchers revealed that high consumption of the fat soluble vitamin, either from diet or supplements, could significantly lower the risk of liver cancer.
“We found a clear, inverse dose-response relation between vitamin E intake and liver cancer risk,” said Zhang and his colleagues, adding that they did find a small difference between men and women in the risk estimate – which is likely attributable to fewer liver cancer cases having occurred among male.
However, they reiterated that “high intake of vitamin E either from diet or supplements was related to lower risk of liver cancer in middle-aged or older people from China.”
Algae Extract improves HDL “Good” Cholesterol
Dietary supplementation of an algae extract called ProAlgaZyme boosted high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels in a hamster study.
The research study was conducted by Smiti Gupta, Ph.D., assistant professor in the department of nutrition and food science in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Wayne State University. The study was published in a recent issue of the Journal of Nutrition and Dietary Supplements. Health Enhancement Products of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan funded the study.
Gupta explained that current medications are used to reduce the “bad” low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. Her study was to determine if algae extract could increase the “good” HDL cholesterol.
The researchers gave ProAlgaZyme to the drinking fluid of hamsters that had high cholesterol or Hypercholesterolemia over four weeks. The results showed that the animals increased their HDL. The hamsters improved their ratio of total to HDL cholesterol.
More research will need to be conducted on the algae extract to see if the same cholesterol improvements will occur in humans. Even before it is tested on humans, the product would need to be studied for long-term toxicity and possible side effects on animals first.
