September, 2008

• DHA and Protecting Eye Sight
• Vitamin B Trio Effective Against AMD
• Environmental Tobacco Smoke Exposure and Eye Disease
• Eating oily fish once per week cuts macular degeneration risk in half
• Omega-3 fatty acids critical to infants, mothers and the seriously ill
• Pycnogenol Found to Lower Blood Pressure and Improve Glucose Tolerance
• Vitamin D Deficiency and Higher Rate of Mortality
• Cancer Institute Warns of Cell Phone Risks
• Bilberry, Pine Bark and Glaucoma
• Asparagus Soup with Fresh Fennel

DHA and Protecting Eye Sight

New groundbreaking research is demonstrating that DHA from fish oil protects against RPE cell damage and apoptosis due to oxidative stress and aging (1)

The highest concentration of DHA in the human body is found in the photoreceptors, and DHA is being found to help protect these critical photoreceptors responsible for vision.

New research is also confirming the significance of lutein and zeaxanthin in helping preserve vision. In fact animal studies have shown that these nutrients act synergystically to support internal repair systems that operate in response to oxidative stress and inflammation. (2)

These nutrients along with DHA appear to act together to preserve cell integrity and healthy cell aging not only in ht eyes, but the central nervous system.

A recent study on from the Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, Boston showed that DHA (800 mg/day) and lutein (12 mg/day) supplementation for four months significantly improved test scores for memory, verbal fluency, and the rate and efficiency of learning in elderyly women. (3)

Overall emerging research suggests that supplementation with a combination of DHA, lutein and zeaxanthin may be a useful preventative/therapeutic strategy for ocular health and neurogenerative processes.

(1) Bazan NG, Neurotrophins induce neuroprotective signaling in the retinal pigment epithelial cell by activating the synthesis of the anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic neuroprotectin D1. Adv Exp Med Biol 2008; 613:39-44
(2) Chucair AJ,, et al. Lutein and zeaxanthin protect photoreceptors from apoptosis induced by oxidative stress: relation with docosahexaenoic acid. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2007; 48:5168-5177.
(3) Johnson EJ, et al. Cognitive findings of an exploratory trial of docosahexaenoic acid and lutein supplementation in older women. Nutr Neurosci 2008; 11:75-83.

Editor's Note: These studies further support a large number of studies done showing the benefits of supplementing with lutein, zeaxanthin and omega-3 fatty acids.

Dr. Grossman's Advanced Eye and Vision Support whole food eye formula contains lutein (3 mg per capsule) and zeaxanthin (6 mg per capsule) along with other essential nutrients for overall eye and body health. For more information, go to http://www.naturaleyecare.com/store/detail.aspx?ID=1812
For the combination of Dr. Grossman's Avanced Eye and Vision Support formula and his Whole Food Multivitamin, go to http://www.naturaleyecare.com/store/detail.aspx?ID=1840

Vitamin B Trio Effective Against AMD

Results from the vision component of the Women's Antioxidant and Folic Acid Cardiovascular Study, also known as WACS, were presented at the ARVO 2007 Annual Meeting. Researchers from the Brigham and Women's Hospital and the National Eye Institute concluded that the data from this randomized trial indicate that supplementation with folic acid, vitamins B6 and B12 reduced the risk of AMD in women with cardiovascular disease (CVD) (1).

These three B-vitamins, particularly folic acid, have been shown to reduce high levels of the naturally occurring compound, homocysteine. Research has implicated elevated plasma levels of homocysteine in the development of vascular diseases including choroidal neovascularization in exudative AMD.

Study Design and Methods: A total of 8,171 female health professionals, 40 years or older with pre-existing CVD or having at least three risk factors for the disease were enrolled in the trial. The women were randomized to receive vitamin C (500 mg daily), vitamin E (600 IU every other day), beta-carotene (50 mg every other day) or placebo in the WACS secondary prevention trial.

Of this group, 5,422 women were subsequently randomized to also receive a placebo or folic acid (2.5 mg), vitamin B6 (50 mg) and vitamin B12 (1 mg) daily. Of these women, 5,205 did not have a diagnosis of AMD, and were included in this analysis. There were two primary outcome measures: a) confirmed AMD (self reported and supported by medical record evidence of an AMD diagnosis after randomization) and b) confirmed AMD with vision loss - defined as vision to 20/30 or worse which was attributable to this condition.

Results: A total of 137 cases of AMD were documented, including 69 cases of AMD with vision loss, during an average of 7.3 years of treatment and follow-up. Fifty-five cases occurred in the treatment group, while the placebo group had 82 documented cases. Relative risk was 0.66 (95% confidence interval, p = 0.02). For AMD with vision loss, there were 26 cases in the B-vitamin group compared to 43 among placebo takers. Relative risk was 0.60 (95% confidence interval, p = 0.04). In summary, women taking supplemental B vitamins were 34% less likely to develop AMD and 40% less likely to have AMD-related vision loss than women in the control group.

Note: While very high doses of the 3 B vitamins were tested in this group of women with CVD, lower doses may well have been effective. For example, a placebo-controlled, randomized dose response study in people with a history of CVD found that the decrease in homocysteine was proportionate to the folate dose up to - and not beyond - 800 mcg daily (2). This dose achieved an average 23% drop in plasma homocysteine compared to placebo - a drop of about the same magnitude found in trials using up to 5,000 mcg folate daily (3). Additionally, excessive amounts of folic acid have recently been implicated in colorectal tumor growth (4,5).

References :
Christen WG, et al. Folic acid plus B-vitamins and age-related macular degeneration in a randomized trial in women. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 48:E-abstract 1152, ARVO, 2007.
Wald DS, et al. Randomized trial of folic acid supplementation and serum homocysteine levels. Arch of Internal Med 161:695-700, 2001.
Homocysteine Lowering Trialists' Collaborative. Lowering blood homocysteine with folic acid based supplements: meta-analysis of randomized trials. BMJ 316:894-8, 1998.
Mason JB, et al. A temporal association between folic acid fortification and an increase in colorectal cancer rates may be illuminating important biological principles: A hypothesis. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 16:1325-9, 2007.
Cole BF, et al. Folic acid for the prevention of colorectal adenomas. JAMA 297:2351-9, 2007.
Cook NR, et al. A randomized factorial trial of vitamins C and E and beta carotene in the secondary prevention of cardiovascular events in women: Results from the WAC Study. Arch of Int Med 167:1610-18, 2007.

Environmental Tobacco Smoke Exposure and Eye Disease

In this study, Medline (1950-January Week 2, 2007), EMBASE (1980 to 2007, Week 07), SCOPUS and Science Direct were searched on environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure and eye disease using various combinations of the following terms: Passive smoking, environmental tobacco smoke, sidestream smoke, involuntary smoking and secondhand smoke; with eye, conjunctiva, sclera, episclera, cornea, lens, iris, retina, choroid, uvea, optic nerve, uveitis, iritis, blindness, visual loss, cataract, thyroid eye disease, conjunctivitis, age-related macular degeneration, dry eye and tears. These terms were also used to search abstracts published on the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology Annual Meeting abstracts from 1995 to 2006, and the grey literature, including PhD and MSc theses/dissertations. An additional search was conducted specifically on eye diseases in which active smoking has been proposed to be a risk factor, including age-related macular degeneration (AMD), Graves' ophthalmology, glaucoma, uveitis, refractive errors, strabismus, tobacco-alcohol amblyopia, non-arteritic ischemic optic neuropathy, Leber's optic neuropathy and diabetic retinopathy. Given the scarce number of studies found through the above search, all articles found on ETS and eye disease were included in this review.

Seven studies evaluated the possible relationship between ETS and an eye disease. These studies referred to refractive errors in children (two studies), cataract (one study), AMD (three studies) and Graves' ophthalmopathy (one study). The data available was insufficient to establish conclusive relationships between ETS and these eye diseases.

Very scarce data exists in the literature on the effect of ETS on diseases of the eye. It seems appropriate that ETS should be included in future studies addressing the effect of smoking on eye disease.

SOURCE: Lois N, Abdelkader E, Reglitz K, et al. Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure and eye disease. Br J Ophthalmol 2008; Jul 25 [Epub ahead of print].

Editor's Note: A great deal of research has been done on the value of eating a diet high in antioxidants. For an excellent whole food multivitamin, see Dr. Grossman's Whole Food Multivitamin at http://www.naturaleyecare.com/store/detail.aspx?ID=1839

For both whole food formulas by Dr. Grossman including his Advanced Eye and Vision Support formula, see the combo offer at http://www.naturaleyecare.com/store/detail.aspx?ID=1840

Eating oily fish once per week cuts macular degeneration risk in half

The August, 2008 issue of the the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reported that eating oily fish once per week or more is associated with a 50 percent reduction in the risk of neovascular (wet) age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

One hundred five participants with wet macular degeneration were compared with 2,170 healthy control subjects. Oily fish, which contains high levels of EPA and DHA, was associated with a 50 percent lower risk of wet macular degeneration if consumed at least once per week compared with less than once per week. For participants whose EPA or DHA intake was in the top 25 percent at 300 milligrams per day or greater, there was a 70 percent lower risk of wet AMD compared with those whose intake was among the lowest 25 percent.

"This is the first study in Europeans to show a beneficial association on wet AMD from the consumption of oily fish and is consistent with results from studies in the USA and Australia," announced lead researcher Astrid Fletcher, who is a Professor of Epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.

Editor's Note: For a high quality fish oil for daily suppplementation, we recommend Carlsons. For more information, go to http://www.naturaleyecare.com/store/SearchResult.aspx?KeyWords=carlson

Omega-3 fatty acids critical to infants, mothers and the seriously ill

DENVER, July 28, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- More research shows that polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), mainly the omega-3s found in fish, benefit maternal and infant health, immune function and total parenteral nutrition (TPN). The June 2008 Fats of Life and PUFA Newsletter electronic publications summarize new findings in these areas.

One study showed that providing greater amounts of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an omega-3 PUFA, and arachidonic acid, an omega-6 PUFA, to preterm infants with very low birth weights resulted in improved cognition. Preterm infant formulas in the U.S. provide less of these fatty acids than the infant would receive had it remained in the womb.

"This study provides additional evidence that the fatty acids an infant receives from the mother during pregnancy are critically important for brain development," said Editor Joyce Nettleton, D.Sc. "If these findings are confirmed, they suggest that the long-chain PUFA content of preterm infant formula may need to be increased."

Studies on TPN, intravenous feeding for the seriously ill, also question current U.S. regulations. In infants with severe liver disease and short bowel syndrome, a fish oil-based preparation significantly reversed the disease more quickly and more often compared with the standard soybean oil preparation. In the U.S., fish oil TPN must be imported from Europe and is approved only under compassionate circumstances.

"Fish oil-based TPN saves lives and hastens the recovery of infants with short bowel syndrome," Nettleton said. "Evidence from these studies may help ease U.S. regulations so that fish oil-based TPN will be widely available across the country."

Other research examined infant cognitive development related to their mothers' exposure to high levels of mercury, PCBs and omega-3 fatty acids from eating seafood during pregnancy. In spite of their exposure to these contaminants, the infants' high level of prenatal DHA was linked to better outcomes, such as greater birth weight, gestational age, visual acuity, and higher mental and psychomotor developmental scores.

"These studies do not justify ignoring contaminants in seafood, but they add to a large body of evidence that the benefits of eating most species of fish during pregnancy outweigh the risks," Nettleton noted.

The quarterly Fats of Life and PUFA Newsletter, sponsored by DSM Nutritional Products, are at http://www.fatsoflife.com

Pycnogenol Found to Lower Blood Pressure and Improve Glucose Tolerance

A study shows that daily Pycnogenol supplementation can help lower blood pressure and improve glucose tolerance.

Reference: Zaibadi S, Rohdewald PJ, Park D, Watson RR. Reduction of cardiovascular risk factors in subjects with type 2 diabetes by Pycnogenol supplementation. Nutr Res 2008;28:15–20.

Supplementing with Pycnogenol in a previous double blind study supported the results in the above study regarding lowering blood pressure as well as improvement in endothelial function in patients given Pycnogenol (Life Sci 2004;74:855–62).

When paired with the outcomes of other trials, these exciting new findings raise questions about optimal dosage. Using a slightly lower dose (100 mg/day), other researchers reported that Pycnogenol improved indices of glucose tolerance but not enough to obtain consistent statistical significance (Life Sci 2004;75:2505–13). In one trial designed to uncover optimal dosage in diabetic patients, researchers reported that glucose tolerance improved in a dose dependent fashion up to (though not beyond) 200 mg per day (Diabetes Care 2004;27:839). The composite of these reports suggests that a dosage of 100 mg/day is inadequate, a dosage of 125 mg/day may well be effective, but a dosage of 200 mg/day appears likely to produce better results.

Vitamin D Deficiency and Higher Rate of Mortality

A new study shows that deficiencies in Vitamin D is as a distinct and separate risk factor for death from cardiovascular disease, putting it alongside much better known and understood risk factors, such as age, gender, family history, smoking, high blood cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, lack of exercise, obesity and diabetes.

In a study of 13,000 people, researchers found those with deficient levels of vitamin D were 26 percent more likely to die from heart disease.

The authors of the study write that low serum vitamin D levels have been associated with elevated blood pressure, diabetes, insulin resistance and an increased body mass index, all of which are cardiovascular disease and mortality risk factors. Earlier research conducted by the team found an 80 percent increase in peripheral artery disease risk associated with insufficient vitamin D levels.

Regular blood tests should also be testing for levels of Vitamin D.

Reference: Arch Intern Med. 2008;168(15):1629-1637

Editor's Note; This study follows on the heels of a prior recent study reported in the June 23, 2008 issue of the American Medical Association journal Archives of Internal Medicine in which Austrian and German researchers found that men and women with higher serum levels of vitamin D had a reduced risk of dying from all causes over a seven year period.

Cancer Institute Warns of Cell Phone Risks

The head of a prominent cancer research institute has issued an unprecedented warning to his faculty and staff: Limit cell phone use because of the possible risk of cancer.

The warning came from Dr. Ronald B. Herberman, director of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute. Herberman says his warning is based on early unpublished data. He argues that people should take action now -- especially when it comes to children.

"Really at the heart of my concern is that we shouldn't wait for a definitive study to come out, but err on the side of being safe rather than sorry later," Herberman said.

Sources:
* Crave July 24, 2008
* USA Today July 23, 2008

Bilberry, Pine Bark and Glaucoma

New study shows that supplementing with bilberry can helps lower intraocular pressure (IOP). Uncontrolled high IOP is the major cause of vision loss for those with glaucoma.

In a study performed by researchers from the University of Chieti-Pescara in San Valentino, Italy, thirty-eight subjects with IOP were either given bilberry and French maritime pine bark (20 subjects) or were not treated (18 subjects)1. The visual acuity, IOP, and ocular blood flow were measured at two, three, and six months. After two months of supplementation the mean IOP decreased. No side effects were observed and ocular blood flow improved. An improved ocular blood flow may contribute to the prevention of glaucoma. The results of this study indicate that bilberry and pine bark may represent a safe preventative intervention for lowering the risk for developing symptomatic glaucoma by controlling IOP and improving ocular blood flow. This helps to support research for other preventative nutritional approaches to major eye health, such as cataract, age-related macular degeneration, and retinopathy.

Editor's Note: For an excellent eye formula called "Optic Nerve Formula" designed to help protect the optic nerve from damage, go to at http://www.naturaleyecare.com/store/detail.aspx?ID=1484

For a fine whole food eye formula with bilberry and grapeseed extract, see Dr. Grossman's Advanced Eye and Vision Support formula http://www.naturaleyecare.com/store/detail.aspx?ID=1812

Asparagus Soup with Fresh Fennel

Recipe from "Going Wild in the Kitchen". To order this book, go to www.lesliecerier.com

Fennel, with its subtle anise flavor, goes well with potatoes and asparagus in this simple, pureed soup. A great first course.

Serves 4 to 6

• 6 cups water
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, thickly sliced
• 3/4 cup coarsely chopped fennel
• 1 cup coarsely chopped unpeeled red potatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt or to taste
• 3 1/2 cups 1-inch asparagus pieces
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped parsley
• 6 thin orange slices

1. Boil the water in a separate pot.
2. Place the oil in a 6-quart stockpot, and warm over medium heat. Add the garlic, fennel, potato, and salt, and saut?, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes, or until the fennel begins to soften.
3. Add the asparagus and boiling water to the pot. Allow the ingredients to simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the asparagus is bright green and tender.
4. Stir in the parsley, and remove the pot from the stove.
5. Let the soup cool for 5 to 10 minutes, then puree the ingredients in a blender. (This may have to be done in two or three batches.)
6. Adjust the seasonings, if desired.
7. Ladle the soup into bowls, and garnish each with an orange slice before serving.

Leslie is also available for private and group cooking lessons, recipe development for folks with food sensitivites, catering and nutrition consultations.