Biofeedback Helps Runners Reduce Risk

Biofeedback on abnormal mechanics lowers risk for stress fractures, pain under kneecapMore than seven out of 10 runners will sustain an injury over the course of a year, many of these injuries preventable without any adverse effects on running distance or performance, according to Dr. Irene Davis, director of the Running Injury Lab at the University of Delaware, and director of Research for Drayer Physical Therapy Institute.In earlier studies, Dr. Davis identified the specific gait mechanics associated with common injuries. Now, in a study reported at the Experimental Biology meeting in Washington, DC, she explains how she successfully retrained runners to change their faulty gaits in eight half hour sessions, reducing leg shock by 50 percent and completely eliminating pain under the kneecap.Her...

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Moderate coffee drinking reduces many risks

Although the American Society for Nutrition’s popular “controversy session” at Experimental Biology 2007 focuses on the health effects of coffee drinking, panel chair Dr. James Coughlin, a toxicology/safety consultant at Coughlin & Associates, says that recent advances in epidemiologic and experimental knowledge have transformed many of the negative health myths about coffee drinking into validated health benefits.Indeed, panel co-chair Dan Steffen, who follows coffee and health issues in the Scientific and Regulatory Affairs group of Kraft Foods, note that the “controversy” is often to educate a wider audience about this transformation in understanding.Coffee is among the most widely consumed beverages in the world, and Dr. Coughlin says that the preponderance of scientific evidence -...

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High doses in supplements could be unhealthy

High doses of phytochemicals in teas and supplements could be unhealthy Chemical Research in ToxicologyThose phytochemicals — natural plant-based compounds that give fruits and vegetables a reputation as healthy food — could be unhealthy if consumed in high doses in dietary supplements, teas or other preparations, scientists in New Jersey have concluded after a review of studies on the topic.In their article, scheduled for the current issue of ACS's Chemical Research in Toxicology, a monthly journal, Chung S. Yang and colleagues analyze available data on the toxic potential of polyphenols. That group of dietary phytochemicals includes flavonoids, whose suggested beneficial effects in fruits and vegetables include prevention of heart disease and cancer. The data was from studies done in humans...

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Pistachios lower cholesterol, provide antioxidants

A handful of pistachios may lower cholesterol and provide the antioxidants usually found in leafy green vegetables and brightly colored fruit, according to a team of researchers."Pistachio amounts of 1.5 ounces and 3 ounces – one to two handfuls – reduced risk for cardiovascular disease by significantly reducing LDL cholesterol levels and the higher dose significantly reduced lipoprotein ratios," says Sarah K. Gebauer, graduate student in integrative biosciences, Penn State, to attendees at the Experimental Biology meeting today (April 30) in Washington, D.C.The researchers conducted a randomized, crossover design, controlled feeding experiment to test the effects of pistachios added to a heart healthy moderate-fat diet on cardiovascular disease risk factors. Controlled feeding experiments...

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Pistachios may calm acute stress reaction

Eating pistachios may reduce your body's response to the stresses of everyday life, according to a Penn State study."A ten-year follow-up study of young men showed that those who had larger cardiovascular responses to stress in the lab, were more likely to contract hypertension later in life," says Dr. Sheila G. West, associate professor of biobehavioral health. "Elevated reactions to stressors are partly genetic, but can be changed by diet and exercise. Lifestyle changes can make the biological reactions to stress smaller."West and her colleagues investigated the effects of pistachios on standardized stressors on subjects who had high cholesterol, but normal blood pressure. They used a randomized, crossover controlled feeding study design and all three diets all contained the same number...

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Macadamia nuts good for the heart

Incorporating macadamia nuts into a heart healthy diet can reduce cardiovascular disease risks according to Penn State researchers."We looked at macadamia nuts because they are not currently included in the health claim for tree nuts, while other tree nuts are recommended as part of a healthy diet," says Dr. Amy E. Griel, recent Ph.D. recipient in nutritional sciences. "Macadamia nuts have higher levels of monounsaturated fats, like those found in olive oil compared with other tree nuts."The researchers used a controlled feeding study to compare a heart-healthy diet with 1.5 ounces – a small handful – of macadamia nuts to a standard American diet. The participants had slightly elevated cholesterol levels, normal blood pressure and were not taking lipid lowering drugs. Researchers randomly...

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Alcohol Consumption Boosts Breast Cancer Risk

Study May Explain Why Alcohol Consumption Boosts Breast Cancer Risk For the first time, scientists have used a laboratory mouse model to mimic the development of human alcohol-induced breast cancer. The results are part of a new study, Chronic Alcohol Consumption Increases Tumor Growth and Amgiogenesis of Breast Cancer in Female Mice.BackgroundAlcohol (EtOH) consumption – even moderate – is a well-established risk factor for breast cancer in women. A recent study showed that 60 percent of female breast cancers worldwide were attributable to alcohol consumption. Nevertheless, the mechanisms of alcohol-induced breast cancer are poorly understood.The definitive biological effects and molecular mechanisms of EtOH on progression and malignancy of breast cancer have not been investigated using a...

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Green Tea May Help Fight Rheumatoid Arthritis

A new study from the University of Michigan Health System suggests that a compound in green tea may provide therapeutic benefits to people with rheumatoid arthritis.The study, presented April 29 at the Experimental Biology 2007 in Washington, D.C., looks at a potent anti-inflammatory compound derived from green tea. Researchers found that the compound – called epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) – inhibited the production of several molecules in the immune system that contribute to inflammation and joint damage in people with rheumatoid arthritis.The compound from green tea also was found to suppress the inflammatory products in the connective tissue of people with rheumatoid arthritis.“Our research is a very promising step in the search for therapies for the joint destruction experienced by...

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Tart Cherries Can Help Fight Heart Disease and Diabetes

A Cherry on Top: Animal Study Suggests Tart Cherries Can Alter Factors Linked to Heart Disease and Diabetes Tart cherries may be good for more than just making pie, according to new data from an animal study conducted by University of Michigan Health System researchers. In a study involving rats, the researchers report that animals that received powdered tart cherries in their diet had lower total cholesterol, lower blood sugar, less fat storage in the liver, lower oxidative stress and increased production of a molecule that helps the body handle fat and sugar, compared with rats that didn't receive cherries as part of an otherwise similar diet. All of the rats had a predisposition toward high cholesterol and pre-diabetes, but not obesity. All the measures on which the two...

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Aspirin Better Heart Treatment for Men than Women

A new study shows that aspirin therapy for coronary artery disease is four times more likely to be ineffective in women compared to men with the same medical history.Historically, studies have shown that aspirin therapy is less effective in women than in men, but it has remained unclear how much less effective and whether this affects patient outcomes, said Michael Dorsch, clinical pharmacist and adjunct clinical instructor at the University of Michigan College of Pharmacy.Dorsch is the lead author of the paper, "Aspirin Resistance in Patients with Stable Coronary Artery Disease," which appears online today in the Annals of Pharmacotherapy.Originally, Dorsch and his team set out to determine if patients with a history of heart attacks were more apt to be aspirin resistant than those with coronary...

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Link: Herbs, Spices and Improved Health?

Compelling evidence that herbs and spices found prevalent in many popular dishes can help ward off disease remains elusive but, according to the latest issue of Food Technology magazine, some small clinical trials raise the question of whether some positive health influence exists.“Throughout recorded history, spices and herbs have been valued for their curative powers,” writes Roger A. Clemens, Ph.D., spokesperson for the Institute of Food Technologists and functional food expert with IFT. “The use of herbs and spices to treat or prevent [health conditions] is almost universal among non-industrialized societies.”However, Clemens and co-author Peter Pressman, M.D., diet and health expert with IFT and a practicing internist, note that nearly 70 clinical studies on spices and their affect on...

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Prostate cancer treatment options

For many men with early-stage prostate cancer, sorting out the treatment options can be overwhelming. Yet they feel pressured to choose a course of therapy quickly. The first issue of a new quarterly bulletin about prostate disease published by Harvard Medical School says that the most important thing to do is to take your time and make sure you explore all treatment choices thoroughly.The inaugural issue of Perspectives on Prostate Disease explains that treatment decisions can be complicated for a number of reasons. First, there’s no one-size-fits-all treatment for early-stage prostate cancer. Even the experts do not agree about which men with such cancers should be treated, which therapy is best—or whether, for some tumors, treatment is even necessary. Indeed, doctors are now advising many...

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Probiotics Combat Diarrhea

Probiotics, the “good” bacteria in many dietary supplements, might counteract an unpleasant side effect for children on antibiotics, according to a new systematic review.Antibiotics commonly used to treat children with conditions such as respiratory tract and skin infections can cause antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD). Estimates indicate that between 11 percent and 40 percent of children taking antibiotics suffer from AAD.Parents have routinely given children over-the-counter diarrhea medicines, such as Kaopectate or Imodium A-D, but some are turning to other remedies. One alternative has been to give probiotics — dietary supplements containing healthy bacteria or yeasts that can help to restore the body’s natural balance.The systematic review aimed to assess whether probiotics actually...

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Low Vitamin D = Poor Physical Performance

Older adults who don’t get enough vitamin D – either from their diets or exposure to the sun – may be at increased risk for poor physical performance and disability, according to new research from Wake Forest University School of Medicine and colleagues.“With a growing older population, we need to identify better ways to reduce the risk of disability,” said lead author Denise Houston, Ph.D. “Our study showed a significant relationship between low vitamin D levels in older adults and poorer physical performance.”The results are reported in the April issue of the Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences.About one-fourth of people over age 60 have low vitamin D levels. Previous research has shown that vitamin D not only plays a role in bone health, but possibly also in protecting against diabetes,...

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Exercise May Lower Risk for Parkinson’s Disease

The risk of developing Parkinson’s disease may be reduced with moderate to vigorous exercise or other recreational activities, according to research that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 59th Annual Meeting in Boston, April 28 – May 5, 2007.The study followed more than 143,000 people with an average age of 63 over 10 years. In that time, 413 people developed Parkinson’s disease. Researchers found that those with moderate to vigorous activity levels were 40 percent less likely to develop Parkinson’s disease than those with no or light activity levels. Those with moderate to vigorous activity were exercising an average of a half hour per day or more.“This study does not prove that exercise caused the lowered risk of Parkinson’s disease – it’s possible that something else...

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Fried, Broiled, Grilled Foods = Bad Health

Study shows food preparation may play a bigger role in chronic disease than was previously thoughtHow your food is cooked may be as important to your health as the food itself. Researchers now know more about a new class of toxins that might soon become as important a risk factor for heart disease and metabolic disorders as trans fats.This class of toxins, called advanced glycation end products (AGEs), are absorbed into the body through the consumption of grilled, fried, or broiled animal products, such as meats and cheeses. AGEs, which are also produced when food products are sterilized and pasteurized, have been linked to inflammation, insulin resistance, diabetes, vascular and kidney disease, and Alzheimer’s disease.A new study at Mount Sinai School of Medicine reveals that AGE levels are...

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Corn, oats, cherries and red wine can delay aging

Corn, oats, cherries and red wine’s high melatonin content can help delay ageing- A study carried out by researchers from the University of Granada’s Institute of Biotechnology proves that consuming melatonin neutralizes oxidative damage and delays the neurodegenerative process of ageing.- In this study researchers used normal and genetically-modified mice which were subjected to accelerated cell ageing, although their results can also be applied to humans.C@MPUS DIGITAL The Spanish Ageing Research Network (Red Nacional de Investigación del Envejecimiento), funded by Carlos III Health Institute and headed by professor Darío Acuña Castroviejo, from the University of Granada (Universidad de Granada), is very near to achieving one of today’s Science greatest goals: allowing humans to age in the...

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Advil may increase heart attack risk

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has caused an unnecessary scare about some pain relievers by adding a warning to drugs that are safe, says Curt Furberg, M.D., Ph.D., from Wake Forest University School of Medicine. At the same time, he says the agency has failed to recognize the harm of a pain reliever that should be taken off the market."The FDA is adding 'black box' warnings to all prescription and over-the-counter pain relievers – even to naproxen – which the evidence shows is safe," said Furberg, who serves on the FDA Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee. "This is based on the false assumption that all nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs increase the risk of heart attacks. In fact, there are major differences between these agents."In a commentary published by...

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Antioxidant in food and red wine kills leukemia cells

Antioxidant found in many foods and red wine is potent and selective killer of leukemia cellsUniversity of Pittsburgh researchers show compound kills leukemia cells while sparing normal, healthy cellsA naturally occurring compound found in many fruits and vegetables as well as red wine, selectively kills leukemia cells in culture while showing no discernible toxicity against healthy cells, according to a study by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. These findings, which were published online March 20 in the Journal of Biological Chemistry and will be in press on May 4, offer hope for a more selective, less toxic therapy for leukemia.“Current treatments for leukemia, such as chemotherapy and radiation, often damage healthy cells and tissues and can produce unwanted...

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Drinking in college may lead to heart disease later

American Heart Association meeting reportCollege-age students who drink heavily may increase their risk for future heart disease, researchers reported at the American Heart Association's 8th Annual Conference on Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology.In a small study, Minnesota researchers found that a group of college students who drank heavily had higher levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), a blood marker for inflammation that can increase the risk for heart disease. Increased CRP placed heavy drinkers at moderate risk for cardiovascular disease in early adulthood. Moderate drinkers had the lowest CRP levels."These students may be setting themselves up for an increased risk for cardiovascular disease," said Elizabeth Donovan, lead researcher of the study and an undergraduate student...

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Strawberry daiquiris -- the extra-healthy cocktail?

Strawberries are good for you, but serving them in daiquiri form may make them even healthier, scientists show.While exploring ways to help keep strawberries fresh during storage, researchers from Thailand and the US discovered that treating the berries with alcohol led to an increase in antioxidant capacity and free radical scavenging activity within the fruit. While such a boost helped the berries resist decay, the same compounds would also be expected to make the strawberries healthier to eat.Dr Korakot Chanjirakul and colleagues at Kasetsart University in Thailand, in collaboration with scientists at the United States Department of Agriculture, tested the berries with ethanol and found that the treatment improved the physiology of the fruit as measured by several different laboratory tests...

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Green tea may help prevent autoimmune diseases

Green tea may help protect against autoimmune disease, Medical College of Georgia researchers say.Researchers studied an animal model for type I diabetes and primary Sjogren’s Syndrome, which damages the glands that produce tears and saliva.They found significantly less salivary gland damage in a group treated with green tea extract, suggesting a reduction of the Sjogren’s symptom commonly referred to as dry mouth. Dry mouth can also be caused by certain drugs, radiation and other diseases.Approximately 30 percent of elderly Americans suffer from degrees of dry mouth, says Dr. Stephen Hsu, a researcher in the MCG School of Dentistry and lead investigator on the study. Only 5 percent of the elderly in China, where green tea is widely consumed, suffer from the problem. “Since it is...

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Eating less salt could prevent cardiovascular disease

Long-term effects of dietary sodium reduction on cardiovascular disease outcomes: observational follow-up of the trials of hypertension preventionPeople who significantly cut back on the amount of salt in their diet could reduce their chances of developing cardiovascular disease by a quarter.Researchers in Boston also found a reduction in salt intake could lower the risk of death from cardiovascular disease by up to a fifth.Cardiovascular disease refers to the group of diseases linked to the heart or arteries, for example a stroke or heart disease. While there is already a substantial body of evidence showing that cutting back on salt lowers blood pressure, studies showing subsequent levels of cardiovascular disease in the population have been limited and inconclusive.This research provides...

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Adherence to the Mediterranean food pattern helps

Adherence to the Mediterranean food pattern predicts the prevalence of hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes and obesity, among healthy adults. A diet score (range 0–55) has been developed that assesses adherence to the Mediterranean diet. For the consumption of items presumed to be close to Mediterranean dietary pattern (non-refined cereals, fruits, vegetables, legumes, olive oil, fish and potatoes) scores 0 to 5 for never, rare, frequent, very frequent, weekly and daily consumption were assigned, while for the consumption of foods presumed to be away from this pattern (red meat and products, poultry and full fat dairy products) scores on a reverse scale were assigned.The Mediterranean diet was a strong predictor of non-occurence of these diseas...

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Antidepressants OK for children, teens

Benefits of antidepressants appear greater than risks for children, teensA review of previous studies indicates that the benefits of antidepressants for children and teens with depression or anxiety disorders may outweigh their risks, and that the increased risk for suicidal thoughts and attempts from using these medications is not statistically significant, according to an article in the April 18 issue of JAMA.Previous research has indicated that the usage of antidepressants among children and adolescents is associated with an increased risk for suicidal behavior and thoughts, and resulted in the issuing of mandated label warnings on pediatric antidepressant medications by the FDA, according to background information in the article.Jeffrey A. Bridge, Ph.D., of The Ohio State University, Columbus,...

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Aspirin Fights Cancer

Long-term use of adult-strength aspirin linked to a moderate decreased cancer riskA daily dose of adult-strength aspirin may modestly reduce cancer risk in populations with high rates of colorectal, prostate, and breast cancer if taken for at least five years.The Women's Health Study trial recently reported that long-term use of low-dose aspirin (about 100mg every other day) does not reduce a woman's cancer risk, but it did not examine whether high doses of aspirin have an effect on cancer risk.Eric Jacobs, Ph.D., of the American Cancer Society in Atlanta, and colleagues looked for associations between long-term daily aspirin use (at least 325mg/day) and cancer incidence in a group of nearly 70,000 men and 76,000 women. Aspirin use was determined by a questionnaire.During the 12 year follow-up,...

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Omega-3 fatty acid may help prevent Alzheimer's

Omega-3 fatty acid may help prevent Alzheimer's brain lesionsStudy suggests DHA-rich diet can curb onset of the disease A type of omega-3 fatty acid may slow the growth of two brain lesions that are hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease, UC Irvine scientists have discovered. The finding suggests that diets rich in docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) can help prevent the development of Alzheimer’s disease later in life.This study with genetically modified mice is the first to show that DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid, can slow the accumulation of tau, a protein that leads to the development of neurofibrillary tangles. Such tangles are one of two signature brain lesions of Alzheimer’s disease. DHA also was found to reduce levels of the protein beta amyloid, which can clump in the brain and form plaques, the other...

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