July 2008 News Articles
What's Good for the Heart?
Vitamin C, betaine, choline, hawthorn—and kitty cats—are all good for the heart, according to new findings.
In Britain, researchers measured vitamin C in the blood of 20,649 men and women, aged 40 to 79, who had not had a stroke.Those who began the study with the highest levels of vitamin C were more likely to use nutritional supplements and, after 10 years, were 42% less likely to have had a stroke than were those who began the study with the lowest vitamin C levels. Study authors noted that about half of all people who suffer from stroke do not have traditional cardiovascular disease risk factors, and that low vitamin C levels may help doctors better predict stroke risk.
* In Greece, researchers analyzed betaine and choline in the diets of 3,042 men and women, aged 18 to 89, who did not have cardiovascular disease (CVD). Scientists measured signs of inflammation including C-reactive protein (CRP)—a risk factor for CVD—and found that those who got at least 360 mg of betaine per day or 310 mg of choline per day had about 20% less CRP than those with lower levels. Betaine and choline may be "an interesting new dietary approach—for reducing chronic diseases associated with inflammation," doctors said.
* In a research review, scientists analyzed 10 hawthorn studies involving 855 participants with mild to moderate chronic heart failure (CHF), whose symptoms included fatigue and shortness of breath. Most participants were also taking conventional CHF drugs.The studies measured maximum physical strength and endurance and found that hawthorn increased heart function and reduced fatigue and shortness of breath.
* The University of Minnesota at Minneapolis conducted a 10-year study of over 4,000 pet owners, men and women of all ages, and found that those who had owned a cat at any time were 28% less likely to die from a heart attack than were those who had never owned one. Here, kitty!
Reference: Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews: 2008;Vol. 23, No. 1, CD005312.
Protecting the Brain
Antioxidants may help keep the brain sharp, two new studies reveal.
In a study of how beta-carotene affects the brain, researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, examined two groups of healthy men.The first group of 4,052 men took 50 mg of beta-carotene every other day, or a low-dose aspirin placebo, for an average of 18 years.The second group of 1,904 men took beta-carotene or a placebo for less than 10 years.After age 65, doctors tested how accurately and quickly the men recognized, remembered, and verbalized, and found no significant differences compared to placebo in the 10-year group, but those who had taken beta-carotene for an average of 18 years had significantly better memory, recognition, and verbal skills than placebo. Doctors noted that even small differences in how well the brain works, especially verbal memory, predict large differences in risk for dementias such as Alzheimer's later on in life, and that supplementing long-term with beta-carotene may substantially improve public health.
In a study of carotenoids and the brain, including 1,300 healthy French men and women in their 70s, doctors discovered that those who had low levels of lycopene and zeaxanthin tended to perform mental tasks poorly. Researchers tested how quickly and accurately participants recognized, remembered, verbalized, visualized, and made coordinated hand movements.Which came first, the low carotenoid levels or the brain problems? Study authors don't know but said that the results suggest that carotenoids do help keep the brain healthy and working well.
Many previous studies show that zeaxanthin protects eyesight, but this is the first study to link zeaxanthin with the brain.
Reference: The Physicians' Health Study II - Archives of Internal Medicine: 2007;Vol. 167, No. 20, 2184-90.
Young and Old Bones Need Vitamin K
Vitamin K helped kids develop bone and helped keep adult bone healthy, in two new studies.
In a childhood bone study, researchers said that as kids grow, bones don't always keep pace with height and weight, making them vulnerable to fracture. Doctors wanted to see if vitamin K—which helps keep calcium in bone and out of the arteries—could help young bones develop.The scientists enrolled 307 adolescents, average age 11, and measured bone mineral content (BMC), vitamin K, and signs of bone forming and breaking down, finding a wide range of vitamin K levels at the start and end of the study.After two years, kids whose vitamin K levels improved had better BMC and thicker bones than kids whose vitamin K levels had not improved. Study authors noted that if kids get enough vitamin K while growing, bones have a better chance to thicken more fully, lowering risk of fracture later in life.
In an adult bone study, doctors wanted to know if those with osteoarthritis of the hand and knee also had low levels of vitamin K. Researchers measured blood levels of vitamin K in 358 women and 314 men, average age 66, and then took x-rays six years later. Doctors adjusted for age, sex, body mass, bone density, and diet, and found that as levels of vitamin K increased, osteoarthritis of the knee and hand decreased.Those with the most vitamin K had the fewest arthritic joints and mildest symptoms. Commenting on the findings, the Arthritis Foundation noted that the results suggest that vitamin K may help slow or stop osteoarthritis, and have funded the researchers in another study.
Reference: British Journal of Nutrition: 2008, electronic publication ahead of print.
Easing the Effects of Cancer
L-carnitine helped reduce fatigue, improve mood, and increased quality of sleep in those with advanced cancer, in a new study.
L-carnitine helps create energy in the body by transporting fatty acids to the "power plant" (energy factory) located at the center of most cells, known as the mitochondria. Because the body produces L-carnitine, an amino acid, it is rare for people to be deficient in this nutrient. However, if the body is out of balance, as in the case of cancer, L-carnitine may be deficient.
Doctors from the Department of Pain Medicine and Palliative Care, Beth Israel Medical Center, New York, New York, conducted an open-label trial—where researchers and participants know what treatment they are taking—including 27 adults with advanced cancer who were deficient in L-carnitine.All participants needed frequent physical assistance and medical care, had disturbed sleep, symptoms of depression, and fatigue. Doctors noted fatigue is a primary symptom in cancer, and wanted to see if L-carnitine is safe, whether patients can tolerate it, and what dosage is best.
The researchers divided participants into seven groups of three or more, who took 250 mg, 750 mg, 1,250 mg, 1,750 mg, 2,250 mg, 2,750 mg, or 3,000 mg of L-carnitine, twice per day for seven days. Combining the results for all doses, participants reported an average 40% decrease in fatigue, an average 30% decrease in sleeplessness, and an average 35% decrease in depression symptoms. None of the participants experienced any significant side effects, and there were no reported toxicities.
Reference: Journal of Pain and Symptom Management: December, 2006;Vol. 32, No. 6, 551-9.
Losing Weight with White Bean
Overweight adults lost pounds and inches while on a diet including white bean extract, in two new studies.
In the first study, 25 healthy but slightly overweight participants took 1,000 mg of white bean extract twice per day before meals, or a placebo, for four weeks. Participants simultaneously followed a program to lose weight including diet, exercise, and behavior counseling.After four weeks, those who had taken white bean extract had lost 6.0 pounds and 2.2 inches in waist size, compared to 4.7 pounds and 2.1 inches for placebo.While the results were significant, differences in the results between the placebo and white bean groups were not.
Researchers then analyzed the 33% who consumed the most carbohydrates in both groups and found that the white bean group had lost 8.7 pounds and 3.3 inches in waist size, compared to 1.7 pounds and 1.3 inches for placebo, which was a significant difference.
In the second study, 60 slightly overweight volunteers, whose weight had been stable for at least the last six months, ate a 2,000 calorie to 2,200 calorie diet per day, and took one white bean extract tablet per day before a main meal rich in carbohydrates, or a placebo, for 30 days. Researchers took several weight and fat measures at the beginning and end of the study.After 30 days, compared to placebo, those in the white bean extract group had lost significantly more body weight, body fat, body-mass index, thickness of the fat mass, and size around the waist, hip, and thigh, while maintaining lean muscle mass.The researchers believe that white bean extract keeps the body from absorbing complex carbohydrates, and allows some of these energy-dense foods to pass through the system undigested, reducing calories. Doctors also believe that allowing calories to absorb more slowly through the digestive tract improves the insulin system and reduces the amount of fat that accumulates in the body.
Reference: Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine: 2007;Vol. 13, No. 4, 32-7.
Faster Recovery From Exercise
In a new study from Japan, 17 healthy volunteers, average age 37, took 100 mg of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) per day, 300 mg of CoQ10 per day, or a placebo, for eight days while testing physical endurance.All participants had a chance to try each of these doses—without knowing which was which—pausing for several days in between each 8-day dosage period. Participants rode a stationary bicycle with a fixed rate of resistance for four hours, then rested for four hours, and also periodically tested maximum speed for 10 seconds at a time.Those who took the 300 mg dose of CoQ10 had significantly better physical performance, less fatigue, and recovered more quickly from exercise than placebo. Participants did not experience significant positive effects when taking the 100 mg dose.
Reference: Nutrition: 2008;Vol. 24, No. 4, 293-9.
N-Acetyl Cysteine
The antioxidant N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) cut hospital stays and helped children survive after a liver transplant, according to a new study. Researchers from King's College Hospital, London, England, reviewed the medical records of 170 children who had acute liver failure from causes other than overdosing on acetaminophen. Those who received NAC were able to leave the hospital an average of six days sooner than those who did not receive NAC, 19 days versus 25 days.After receiving the transplant, 16% of the children receiving NAC died, compared to 39% of those who did not receive NAC. Doctors believe that NAC helps promote healthy liver tissue and reduces liver inflammation.
Reference: Liver Transplantation: 2008;Vol. 14, No. 1, 25-30.
