November, 2008

• New Omega-3 Fatty Acid Product with Lutein and Zeaxanthin
• Sunlight & antioxidant lack increases risk of age-related eye disease
• Micronutrients and Diabetic Retinopathy Study
• Cell Phone Use and Potential Dangerst
• Visualization, Stroke Rehab Study
• Transfatty Acids and Higher Risk of Colorectal Risk
• Gout Prevention With Vitamin C
• Vitamin D vital for overall health
• Omega 3, Pollution & Your Heart
• Grilled Vegetables

New Omega-3 Fatty Acid Product with Lutein and Zeaxanthin

ProDHA^™ Eye 1000 mg 60 gels - 2 gelcaps contains 1015 mg of omega-3 fatty acid including 788 mg of DHA and 158 mg of EPA, 20 mg of lutein and 4 mg of zeaxanthin.

The fish oil is derived from anchovies and sardines.

Omega-3 fatty acid, lutein and zeaxanthin in one's diet has been found to be essential in both helping prevent macular degeneration, as well have helping preserve vision for those with this eye disease.

Omega-3 fatty acids have been found to help protect the heart, eyes and proper brain function, and is one of the most essential supplements for those over 40 years of age.

This is an excellent formula to take along with Dr. Grossman's Advanced Eye and Vision Support (whole food) formula.

Sunlight and lack of antioxidants increases risk of age-related eye disease

A combination of exposure to blue light from sunlight and inadequate levels of antioxidants in the blood contribute to the development of some forms of the eye disease age-related macular degeneration (AMD), say researchers.

Astrid E. Fletcher, PhD, of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, and colleagues measured levels of vitamin C and E, the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, and zinc, in the blood of 4,753 seniors with an average age of 73.2 years. The participants were also questioned about sun exposure, and had photographs taken of their retinas.

Results showed that of the 4,400 participants with complete data, 2% had neovascular AMD – an advanced form of the disease, and 50% had early-stage AMD. Overall, there was no link between blue light exposure and neovascular AMD or early-stage AMD. However, participants with a history of blue light exposure and low blood levels of zeaxanthin, vitamin E, and vitamin C were found to be 3.7-times more likely to develop neovascular AMD.

The researchers conclude: “Our results suggest that people in the general population should use ocular protection and follow dietary recommendations for the key antioxidant nutrients.”

Fletcher AE, Bentham GC, Agnew M.Sunlight Exposure, Antioxidants, and Age-Related Macular Degeneration. Arch Ophthalmol. 2008;126:1396-1403.

Editor's Note: See our whole food Advanced Eye and Vision Support formula full of specific antioxidants for the eyes.

Micronutrients and Diabetic Retinopathy Study

A recent study done at Wayne University investigated whether micronutrients found to be helpful for those with macular degeneration based on the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) can have the same effect on the development of diabetic retinopathy in rats. These nutrients included vitamin C, Vitamin E, betacarotene, zinc and copper.

The results were that researchers concluded that the same micronutrients that slow down the onset and progression of age-related macular degeneration have the potential to inhibit the development of diabetic retinopathy.

Kowluru and colleagues published their study in Archives of Ophthalmology (Inhibition of retinopathy and retinal metabolic abnormalities in diabetic rats with AREDS-Based micronutrients. Archives of Ophthalmology.

Editor's Note: Other nutrients have been well researched that are important for those with diabetes and diabetes retinopathy such as alpha lipoic acid, taurine, gingko biloba, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin C, bilberry, lutein, zeaxanthin, and more.

For further nutrient recommendations, see our section on Diabetic Retinopathy.

Cell Phone Use and Potential Dangers

Friday Sep 26, 2008 (foodconsumer.org) – Two U.S. scientists told the House Subcommittee on Domestic Policy in a congressional hearing that use of cell phone may raise the risk of brain cancer although the risk needs to be further researched, news media reports.

The concern came from Dr. Ronald Herberman, director of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute and Dr. David Carpenter, director of the Institute for Health and the Environment at the University of the University of Albany.

Drs. Herberman and Carpenter cited a major study recently presented by Dr. Lennart Hardell of Örebro University in Sweden saying people using cell phones doubled their risk of developing brain cancer and acoustic neuromas, a benign tumor that damage hearing nerve. The study also showed people who started using cell phone before the age of 20 years were more than five times as likely to develop brain cancer as those who did not.

Last week the European Parliament voted 522 to 16 to urge ministers across Europe to impose stricter limits for exposure to radiation from mobile and cordless phones, Wi-Fi and other radiation-generating devices in part because children are particularly vulnerable to the risk due to their immature smaller brains.

Prof. Hardell told the conference that children under 12 should not use mobiles except in emergencies. He suggested that the risk for children and teenagers may be greater than his results indicated.

According to the researchers, the important thing many studies failed to address is the latency of brain cancer. The malignancies in the brain like many other types need more than 10 years to develop. The association between the risk of brain cancer and use of cell phone for more than 10 years was often positive.

Editor's Note: Any cell use should be accompanied by an earpiece, and the cell phone itself should be kept a few feet away which dramatically reduces the EFT emission received by the body from the antenna. Children in particular may be more susceptible to brain tumor development and neurological damage later in life due to extensive cell phone use.

Visualization, Stroke Rehab Study

LONDON (Reuters) - Using a mirror to create the illusion that a person's paralyzed limb moves in tandem with a healthy one appears to speed recovery from stroke, a Japanese researcher said Friday.

The finding showed the optical illusion works faster than conventional treatment and suggests the mind plays a powerful role in the body's recovery, Kazu Amimoto of Tokyo Metropolitan University told the World Stroke Conference in Vienna.

"The mental aspect of rehabilitation, has far greater importance than previously understood and should be paid far more attention," Amimoto said in a statement.

Hemiplegia, a condition in which one half of a person's body is paralyzed, is one of the most common long-term consequences of stroke and one of the biggest challenges for rehabilitation.

Conventional therapy seeks to restore mobility and movement by concentrating directly on the paralyzed half of the body using physical exercises and stimulation.

In the new therapy, the researchers placed a mirror on the middle of a person's body so that movements from the healthy limbs made it appear as if the paralyzed arms and legs were moving in similar fashion.

This optical illusion had a far greater effect stimulating the brain and improving motor function in the paralyzed part of the body, Amimoto said.

The researchers compared the treatments by measuring the angle at which the foot joint could bend and the time it took people to perform a task with the paralyzed lower limb.

They found in the study of 14 stroke patients that direct treatment brought a 0.9 degree improvement in the angle of bending and no acceleration of movement while the mirror trick resulted in acceleration in movement of more than 12 percent.

Transfatty Acids and Higher Risk of Colorectal Risk

A recent study suggesting trans fats increase colorectal cancer risk supports the notion that substituting more healthful fats in the diet is the best path to good health.

Though some trans fats occur naturally, they are most often the result of oils that have undergone partial hydrogenation, a food processing technique that lengthens a food’s shelf life. Trans fats are commonly found in items such as margarine, chips, crackers, cookies, donuts, pastries, and other convenience foods.

In the new study, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, 622 people who underwent a routine screening colonoscopy were interviewed about dietary and other factors thought to be related to colorectal cancer. Researchers used this information to estimate how much trans fat each person regularly consumed and compared these numbers to the colonoscopy results.

Compared with those who ate the least trans fats, people who ate the most had an 86% higher likelihood of having colorectal adenomas—small growths, or polyps, in the colon and rectum that, if left untreated, can develop into colorectal cancer. This finding adds to the accumulating evidence that trans fats are just plain bad for us.

Walter Willett, MD, PhD, a professor of epidemiology and nutrition at Harvard Medical School and one of the nation’s foremost experts on food and health advocates a move away from these unhealthy fats. Regarding the health of the American diet, he said, “The worst single specific problem is trans fats.” And based on results of an earlier study, Dr. Willett concluded that trans fats represent “the biggest food processing disaster in US history.”

In general, the same principles that support heart health support the health of your gut as well. Stick to unprocessed items such as vegetables, fruit, nuts and seeds, whole grains, and beans (legumes) and you won’t have to give trans fats a second thought.

(Am J Epidemiol 2008;168:289–97; Am J Clin Nutr 1997;66:1006S–1010S)

From article written by Suzanne Dixon, MPH, MS, RD, reported at www.lef.org

Editor's Note: For a high quality fish oil, see Carslons Fish Oil.

Gout Prevention With Vitamin C

A new study, 'Vitamin C intake and serum uric acid concentration in men,' is now available. According to recent research from the United States, "We examined associations between vitamin C intake and serum uric acid in men in a population-based study. We included 1387 men without hypertension and with body mass index (BMI) 2 in the Health Professional Follow-up Study."

The researchers concluded: "These findings support a potential role of vitamin C in the prevention of hyperuricemia and gout."

Gao and colleagues published their study in the Journal of Rheumatology (Vitamin C intake and serum uric acid concentration in men. Journal of Rheumatology, 2008;35(9):1853-8).

Vitamin D vital for overall health

A recent paper published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition says that an adequate supply of vitamin D is vital for the health of 36 organs, including the bone marrow, colon, kidney, lung, prostate, retina, and skin.

Study author Anthony Norman, professor emeritus of biochemistry and of biomedical sciences at the University of California at Riverside, says that studies have shown that vitamin D plays an important role in the adaptive and innate immune systems, the secretion and regulation of insulin by the pancreas, heart and blood pressure regulation, muscle strength, and brain activity, as well as being vital for bone health. The vitamin is also thought to reduce the risk of cancer.

"It is becoming increasingly clear to researchers in the field that vitamin D is strongly linked to several diseases," said Norman, in a news release issued by the University of California at Riverside. He recommends that “the nutritional guidelines for vitamin D intake must be carefully reevaluated to determine the adequate intake, balancing sunlight exposure with dietary intake, to achieve good health.”

The current recommended daily intake (RDI) of vitamin D for adults is 200 IU for people aged 18-50, 400IU for those aged 51 to 70, and 600 IU for those aged 70 and over. Norman believes that the RDI should be raised to 2,000 IU for all adults. Just this week, the American Academy of Pediatrics doubled the RDI for children from 200 IU to 400 IU.

Norman AW. From vitamin D to hormone D: fundamentals of the vitamin D endocrine system essential for good health. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2008;88:491s-499s.

Omega 3, Pollution & Your Heart

Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids are believed to lessen the risk of many chronic ailments including arthritis, cancer, heart disease, and memory loss. However, it may also help protect the heart against certain damaging effects of air pollution. In a study by a team of researchers at the Mexican National Institute of Public Health, supplementation with Omega-3 was significantly associated with reduced cardiac stress.

The study examines the effects of Omega-3 versus the oxidative stress of air pollution. Exposure to high levels of particulates from vehicle exhaust and industrial emissions raises the risk of hypertension, heart arrhythmia, heart attack, and stroke with the elderly being particularly susceptible. The study looked at the population of 52 elderly nursing home residents who were chronically exposed to high levels of air pollution. For four months, half the participants in the double-blind study received fish oil supplements at doses typical for over-the-counter supplement users (1,000 mg); the other half received soy oil supplements. The research team compared blood samples taken from subjects before and during supplementation and found that Omega-3 use was associated with diminished oxidative damage in blood cells. The observed antioxidant effect of omega-3s was much greater in fish oil users than in soy oil users.

Editor's Note: For high quality fish oil, see Carlsons Fish Oil.

Grilled Vegetables

1. Line a flat tray with foil and gather all vegetables on it. Drizzle olive oil, sprinkle salt and add chopped garlic and herbs so that everything is evenly coated.
2. Bake in a hot oven at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until vegetables are done.
3. Serve hot with any kind of seafood or as an accompaniment to a soup and salad.
4. Squeeze juice of lemon for a zesty taste.