Archive for June 13th, 2006
By: NOAA
Backed by compelling science that links seafood consumption to reduced risk of disease, the U.S. government this week is recommending that all
Americans, especially pregnant and nursing women and children, eat two seafood meals per week that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids.
This recommendation is included in USDA’s 2005 dietary guidelines and is being reiterated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Researchers and medical professionals presented evidence linking the important relationship between seafood and health this week during an international science conference in Washington, D.C. The governments of the United States, Norway, Canada, and Iceland sponsored the conference, with technical assistance from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
“This conference provided us with the opportunity to bring experts together to discuss the important issue of seafood & health, and we learned about many compelling reasons why we should eat two seafood meals per week,” said Bill Hogarth, director of NOAA Fisheries Service. “During the conference, scientists and medical professionals told us that the nutrients found in seafood help reduce risk of death by heart attack and prevent a host of chronic health problems and terminal illnesses.”
By eating the right kinds of seafood, pregnant and nursing women pass to their baby important nutrients that aid in brain development and may lessen the effects of dyslexia, autism, hyperactivity and attention deficit disorder, according to scientists presenting at the conference. Studies also have presented a link between these nutrients and increased intelligence in infants and young children. Species that are rich in these nutrients – omega-3 fatty acids, iodine, iron and choline – include wild and farmed salmon, shrimp, pollock, cod, canned light tuna and catfish.
Women will not put their baby at risk if they avoid eating shark, swordfish, tilefish, king mackerel, tuna steaks and whale meat until after they have delivered and stopped breast feeding, scientists said. Exposure to mercury found in those species during the sensitive stages of fetal brain development may cause neurological damage. As an extra precaution, women who plan to become pregnant should avoid those species for six months before conception. These are conservative guidelines, with a 10-fold safety margin built in for precaution.
Scientists reiterated that there is no evidence of health risk to the rest of the population, including children and the elderly, from eating seafood. To the contrary, studies have shown seafood consumption to help people live longer, healthier lives. Seafood cuts the risk for heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s, stroke, diabetes, and inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.
Further, studies show that nutrients found in fish and shellfish help the body heal after cancer treatments, and ward off auto-immune conditions, allergies, asthma, migraines, skin conditions, and Crohn’s disease. Studies have found that people with omega-3 fatty acid deficiencies are at greater risk for sleep problems, depression, stress, schizophrenia and aggressive behavior.
Mercury is a naturally occurring element that has always been present in the environment as well as in many foods. Emerging science presented this week indicates that the high amount of selenium present in ocean fish neutralizes the toxic effects of mercury in the human body. This provides a possible explanation for why there has never been a documented epidemic of child developmental problems in coastal populations whose diets have been comprised mainly of seafood for generations.
Long-term mercury studies on coastal communities in Norway, Africa, Japan and New Zealand have found the children to be born with normal brain function. Citizens of the Seychelles off the East coast of Africa eat fish up to 12 times per week.
Research also shows that more nutrients are retained in fish that is baked or broiled, rather than processed and/or fried. To protect against viral and germ contamination, handle uncooked seafood with care and properly cook fish or shellfish, as you would any meat or poultry.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, seafood has been the fastest growing sector of food production worldwide for decades and is the most internationally traded food. Seafood provides the world with six percent of its protein and is the most significant source of protein in the developing world. Half a billion people worldwide depend on fish as their primary source of proteins. More than 80 percent of capture fish employment worldwide is in Asia, and aquaculture provides 52 percent of all fish production worldwide.
The United States imports about 80 percent of its seafood, of which 40 percent by value is farmed. Overfished species in ocean waters off the United States are rebuilding, and the Bush Administration has developed legislation to allow for aquaculture expansion in this country to decrease our dependence on seafood imports and ensure seafood availability and food production jobs for Americans.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration hosted the conference. Participants included officials from several U.S. government agencies that study and regulate environment and human health issues, such as the Food and Drug Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Health and Human Services, and the National Institutes of Health.
Research presenters included scientists from the National Academies of Science, the American Dietetic Association, American Institute for Cancer Research, the International Food Information Council, the Institute of Food Technologists, and the American Heart Association, in addition to scholars from universities throughout the world in rheumatology, brain chemistry, nutrition, toxicology, biochemistry, women’s health, medicine, risk governance, epidemiology, and molecular bioscience.
June 13th, 2006
By: University of South Florida Health
A strict low-carbohydrate diet had no effect on bone loss for adults following an Adkins-type diet for weight loss, a three-month study by rheumatologists at the University of South Florida found.
The clinical study was published this week in the online issue of the journal Osteoporosis International.
Low carbohydrate diets have become popular as a weight loss technique; however, critics contend such diets may have harmful side effects. One concern has been that low carbohydrate diets, which replace calories from carbohydrates with more consumption of high-protein foods like meat and eggs, alter the body’s acid balance. This imbalance could lead to increased bone turnover (more rapid depletion than formation of bone) — increasing the risk for osteoporosis.
“That’s not what our study found,” said lead author John D. Carter, assistant professor in the Division of Rheumatology, USF College of Medicine. “Patients on the low carbohydrate diet did lose weight, but the diet did not appear to compromise bone integrity or lead to bone loss.”
Earlier animal studies suggested that low carbohydrate, high protein diets could adversely affect bone quality.
“I was surprised by the results,” Dr. Carter said. “People on low carbohydrate diets absorb less calcium through the gut and excrete more calcium in the urine, so you’d expect they would be leaching their bones.”
Dr. Carter emphasized he does not advocate strict low-carbohydrates for long-term weight management. Such diets may adversely overload the kidneys with protein and lead dieters to consume more artery-clogging saturated fats and cholesterol, he said.
The USF study followed 30 overweight patients for three months. Half followed a strict low carbohydrate diet – consuming less than 20 grams of carbohydrates a day the first month and then less than 40 grams a day for the remaining two months. The control half ate a normal American diet with no restrictions. The researchers used blood tests to measure the patients’ breakdown and formation of bone and checked urine for signs that the dieters were complying with their low-carbohydrate diets.
The difference in bone turnover between the low carbohydrate dieters and the non-dieters was insignificant after three months. But, the dieters lost significantly more weight - an average of 14 pounds - than the patients on unrestricted diets.
A potential limitation of the USF study was that the researchers looked for at least a 50 percent difference in bone turnover between the dieters and non-dieters. It’s possible that more subtle effects on bone quality might have been found, Dr. Carter said, particularly if the low carbohydrate diet was maintained beyond three months.
June 13th, 2006
By: Priya Shah
Reports show that over 90 percent of all adolescents and almost 25 percent of all adults suffer from acne at some time.
Acne affects males and females worldwide, regardless of nationality.
The most effective methods to combat acne include a combination of prevention and better skincare. Here are some of the ways you can use to prevent and treat acne:
1. Exercise
Regular exercise can help fight acne by fighting off negative stress levels that can come from negative self-esteem and depression. But avoid wearing tight lycra and nylon exercise outfits. These synthetic fabrics that tend to trap body moisture and heat, creating an ideal environment for bacteria to grow. Stick to loose clothing made of cotton or natural blends, and keep your sports gear and equipment clean.
2. Safe Cosmetics
To avoid pore-clogging and skin irritations that can contribute to acne, use products labeled “noncomedogenic” or “oil-free.” Opt for “hypo-allergenic” perfumes and cosmetics to avoid allergic reactions and skin irritation. Coal tar derivatives, carmine and heavy cream in blushes can cause reactions.
Shimmering facial colors can contain a flaky mineral called mica that can cause skin irritations and clog pores. Use a lip gloss with a matte finish for less pore-clogging. The more the shine, the more then comedogenic content and the more your pores can clog.
3. Healthy Diet
Studies show that diet does not play a role in either the cause or the treatment of acne. However, what is best for your body is best for your skin. So make sure you get enough vitamins, minerals and supplements that have been known and recommended to prevent and help conquer acne breakouts. These include
• Vitamin A or Retinol (High doses are toxic)
• Vitamin B Complex
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin E
• L-Carnitine
• Zinc
A good quality brand name multivitamin will probably have the recommended vitamins and minerals that you need to help with acne prevention. Drinking plenty of fluids throughout the day and making good, healthy dietary food choices.
3. Hormonal Treatment
Hormones (or a lack of them) during later years, especially for women, can play a role in acne flare-ups and prevention. One recent study showed that about 50 percent of women have acne, referred to as hormonal acne, problems during the week before their menstruation.
Treatment options include topical retinoids, oral antibiotics and Benzoyl Peroxide for teen years. For adults oral contraceptives or hormonal birth control pills and hormonal replacement therapy (HRT) may be helpful for women, combined with systemic or topical treatments, prescription or over-the-counter products and medications.
4. Healthy Skin Regimen
Avoid harsh scrubbing or over-washing, because this can cause possible skin irritation or possible over production of oil to replace what’s washed off, clogging pores in the process. Use products with gentle exfoliation ingredients and skip products that contain alcohol.
5. Acne Products
Some of the more popular products on the market that can prevent acne include:
• Benzoyl Peroxide
• Proactiv® Solution
• Salicylic Acid
• Retinoids
• Antibiotics
• Oral Contraceptives
• Anti-Androgens
• Isotretinoin (Accutane)
6. Shaving
Shaving is actually an excellent way of exfoliating or removing dead skin to help with the prevention and spreading of acne instead of leaving the remains to clog pores. And for some light acne cases already in process, shaving can help rid whiteheads and blackheads from the face. Do not shave areas taht are sore or infected. Use a shaving cream for sensitive skin.
Shave with a sharp blade. Use gentle swipes instead of heavy pressure and go with the flow or “grain.” A single-edged blade is better than a twin-blade razor. Electric razors may not shave as close to the skin, but they help with the prevention of acne and other skin breakouts and flare-ups better.
7. Stress
Stress includes external and internal stressors. External Stressors are those that compromise your skin’s ability to heal, like oily make-up and too much sun. Internal stressors like anxiety, fear, low self-esteem, depression and a variety of other internalized emotions, can trigger chemical reactions inside your body that can result in acne flare-ups and other skin irritations.
To combat internal stressors and prevent acne problems, get plenty of rest and sleep. Try to maintain regular hours. Keep a check list of “Things that Calm You” handy for stressful times, like reading a book, resting, listening to music, taking a walk, going out for an ice cream cone, etc.
Copyright © 2005 Priya Shah
June 13th, 2006
By: Cell Press
A gene first identified in connection with a rare disease in which patients develop multiple, benign skin tumors may be a more general player in
cancers found throughout the body, according to a report in the May 19, 2006 Cell.
The disease familial cylindromatosis results from the loss of a gene called CYLD, causing tumors known as cylindromas to develop in hair-follicle cells. Earlier studies indicated a role for CYLD in inflammation, but the mechanism behind the gene’s control over tumor growth had remained uncertain.
A team led by Reinhard Fässler of the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry in Germany and his colleagues has now found that CYLD has a second role that explains its ability to keep tumors at bay.
The enzyme chemically modifies the cancer-promoting protein Bcl-3, first identified in connection with some forms of leukemia. That modification bars the oncogenic protein’s entry into the cell nucleus, the central command center and storehouse for DNA, where it would otherwise drive the uncontrolled increase in cell numbers characteristic of tumor growth.
The researchers first showed that mice lacking CYLD were highly sensitive to developing skin tumors. Mutant mice exposed to particular chemicals all developed skin tumors compared to half of normal mice experiencing the same exposures. Moreover, the CYLD-deficient mice developed 7-fold more and significantly larger tumors than their control littermates.
Further examination of tumors taken from the mutant mice suggested that the defect stemmed from an increase in cell proliferation rather than cell survival. Isolated CYLD-deficient skin cells, when treated with the tumor-inducing chemicals, began to proliferate due to an accumulation of Bcl-3 in the nucleus, they found. Treatment with a single dose of ultraviolet light - thought to be a trigger of cylindromas - sparked the same reaction in the mutant cells, they found.
“In the absence of CYLD, it is the accumulation of Bcl-3 that is the problem,” Fässler said. “Bcl-3 is normally under tight regulation; it is primarily found out in the cytoplasm, with very little in the nucleus.” Cytoplasm is the clear, jelly-like material in which all the cell’s components are suspended.
“In animals deficient for CYLD, much too much Bcl-3 makes it into the nucleus where it activates genes leading to the growth of tumors.”
In normal skin cells, chemical treatment or UV light prompts the transport of CYLD out into the cytoplasm, they reported. Once there, the protein binds and modifies the cancer promoter Bcl-3 to prevent its nuclear accumulation.
In addition to elucidating the cause of cylindromas, the findings might have important implications for understanding the events underlying skin cancer, and perhaps also tumors in other body tissues, the researchers said.
Indeed, the group noticed an intriguing trend: most of the tumors found in the mutant mice developed from cells of the epidermis rather than the hair-follicle cells thought to be involved in cylindromatosis. They therefore conducted a preliminary analysis of CYLD levels in human skin cancers originating from the epidermis, including basal cell carcinomas (BCC) and squamous cell carcinomas (SCC).
BCC and SCC represent the two most common forms of skin cancer, which together affect an estimated one million Americans each year.
“Interestingly, we observed reduced or absent expression of CYLD in more than ten samples of BCC and SCC, respectively,” the researchers wrote. “This strongly suggests that CYLD plays a general role as a tumor suppressor, which is in agreement with its ubiquitous expression pattern and with a recent observation showing that CYLD levels are downregulated in several other tumors such as kidney, liver, and uterine cervix.”
The researchers are now further examining their CYLD-deficient mice to find out whether the animals also show an increased prevalence of colon tumors. Early indications suggest that they do, according to Fässler.
“We think the CYLD tumor suppressor involved in cylindromas is likely to be important to many, many other tumors,” he said.
June 13th, 2006
By: JAMA
A relaxation technique known as transcendental meditation may decrease blood pressure and reduce insulin resistance among patients with coronary
heart disease, according to a report in the June 12 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Transcendental meditation, derived from the ancient Vedic tradition in India, is taught through a standard protocol involving lectures, personal instruction and group meetings, according to background information in the article. It has previously been shown to lower blood pressure but its effect on other risk factors associated with coronary heart disease, including those linked to the metabolic syndrome, has not been thoroughly examined. The metabolic syndrome refers to a cluster of symptoms that increase cardiac risk, including high blood pressure (hypertension), abdominal obesity, high cholesterol and insulin resistance, which occurs when the body is unable to use the insulin produced by the pancreas to process sugar into energy.
Maura Paul-Labrador, M.P.H., Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, and colleagues conducted a 16-week trial of transcendental meditation in patients with coronary heart disease. Fifty-two participants (average age 67.7 years) were instructed in transcendental meditation and 51 control patients (average age 67.1 years) received health education. At the beginning and end of the trial, the patients fasted overnight and then gave a blood sample, participated in a medical history review and underwent tests of blood vessel function and heart rate variability. Heart rate variability testing assesses the functioning of the autonomic nervous system, which controls the heart and other involuntary muscles.
Overall, of the 103 participants who were enrolled, 84 (82 percent) completed the study. At the end of the trial, patients in the transcendental meditation group had significantly lower blood pressure; improved fasting blood glucose and insulin levels, which signify reduced insulin resistance; and more stable functioning of the autonomic nervous system. “These physiological effects were accomplished without changes in body weight, medication or psychosocial variables and despite a marginally statistically significant increase in physical activity in the health education group,” the authors write.
“These current results also expand our causal understanding of the role of stress in the rising epidemic of the metabolic syndrome,” they continue. “Although current low levels of physical activity, unhealthy eating habits and resultant obesity are triggers for this epidemic, the demands of modern society may also be responsible for higher levels of chronic stress.” Such stress causes the release of cortisol and other hormones and neurotransmitters, which over time damage the cardiovascular system.
“Our results, demonstrating beneficial physiological effects of transcendental meditation in the absence of effects on psychosocial variables, suggest that transcendental meditation may modulate response to stress rather than alter the stress itself, similar to the physiological impact of exercise conditioning,” the authors write. This method of controlling the body’s response to stress may provide a new target for the treatment and prevention of coronary heart disease, warranting further study, they conclude.
June 13th, 2006