A study that used a private label supplements examined whether it can slow the progression of Alzheimer’s.
“We examined the efficacy of a vitamin/nutriceutical formulation (folate, vitamin B6, alpha-tocopherol, S-adenosyl methionine, N-acetyl cysteine, and acetyl-L-carnitine) in a 12-month, open-label trial with 14 community-dwelling individuals with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease. Participants improved in the Dementia Rating Scale and Clock-drawing tests (Clox 1 and 2). Read the rest of this entry

There have been a plethora of studies showing the benefits of eating vegetables. In a study involving 541 women with histologically confirmed endometrial cancer and 541 women with an intact uterus and non-cancer diagnoses, intake of vegetables, vitamin E, dietary fiber, beta-carotene, and folate were found to be independently, significantly inversely associated with risk of endometrial cancer. Comparing women in the highest versus the lowest quartiles of intake, significantly lower odds ratios of endometrial cancer were found for: total vegetables, vitamin E, dietary fiber, beta-carotene, lutein, and folate. These results suggest that increased consumption of vegetables and vegetable-related nutrients may reduce the risk of endometrial cancer.

Title: A blueberry-enriched diet provides cellular protection against oxidative stress and reduces a kainate-induced learning impairment in rats

Authors: Kara B. Duffy, Edward L. Spangler, Bryan D. Devan, Zhihong Guo, Jonna L. Bowker, Anne M. Janas, Adrienne Hagepanos, Robin K. Minor, Rafael DeCabo, Peter R. Mouton, Barbara Shukitt-Hale, James A. Joseph, Donald K. Ingram

Abstract: Young male Fischer-344 rats were fed a diet containing 2% blueberry (BB) extract or control diet for at least 8 weeks and then received bilateral hippocampal injections of kainic acid (KA 200 ng/0.5 μl) or phosphate buffered saline (PBS). One week later rats were trained in one-way active footshock avoidance in a straight runway followed the next day by training in a footshock motivated 14-unit T-maze with documented sensitivity to hippocampal glutamatergic manipulations. Read the rest of this entry

Children who are breastfed are less likely to suffer from
behavioral or mental health issues than those who are not breastfed,
according to new research.

The study, which was presented at the American Public Health
Association’s 136th Annual Meeting & Exposition in San Diego, looked at
whether breastfeeding is associated with decreased behavioral problems
and psychiatric illness during childhood.
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6 environmental research studies reveal critical health risks from plastic ‘Plastic world’ findings on bisphenol A, phthalates and flame retardants urge regulatory action

Amsterdam, 2 October 2008 ­- Exposure to Bisphenol A (BPA), phthalates and flame retardants (PBDEs) are strongly associated with adverse health effects on humans and laboratory animals. A special section in the October 2008 issue of Environmental Research, “A Plastic World” provides critical new research on environmental contaminants and adverse reproductive and behavioral effects. Read the rest of this entry

J Toxicol Environ Health A. 2008;71(21):1415-29.
Splenda alters gut microflora and increases intestinal p-glycoprotein and cytochrome p-450 in male rats.Abou-Donia MB, El-Masry EM, Abdel-Rahman AA, McLendon RE, Schiffman SS.

Department of Pharmacology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham,
North Carolina 27708, USA. donia@duke.edu

Splenda is comprised of the high-potency artificial sweetener sucralose (1.1%) and the fillers maltodextrin and glucose. Splenda was administered by oral gavage at 100, 300, 500, or 1000 mg/kg to male Sprague-Dawley rats for 12-wk, during which fecal samples were collected weekly for bacterial analysis and measurement of fecal pH. After 12-wk, half of the animals from each treatment group were sacrificed to determine the intestinal expression of the membrane efflux transporter P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and the cytochrome P-450 (CYP) metabolism system by Western blot. The remaining animals were allowed to recover for anadditional 12-wk, and further assessments of fecal microflora, fecal pH,
and expression of P-gp and CYP were determined. At the end of the 12-wktreatment period, the numbers of total anaerobes, bifidobacteria,lactobacilli, Bacteroides, clostridia, and total aerobic bacteria were significantly decreased; however, there was no significant treatment effect on enterobacteria. Splenda also increased fecal pH and enhanced the expression of P-gp by 2.43-fold, CYP3A4 by 2.51-fold, and CYP2D1 by 3.49-fold. Following the 12-wk recovery period, only the total anaerobes
and bifidobacteria remained significantly depressed, whereas pH values, P-gp, and CYP3A4 and CYP2D1 remained elevated. These changes occurred at Splenda dosages that contained sucralose at 1.1-11 mg/kg (the US FDA Acceptable Daily Intake for sucralose is 5 mg/kg). Evidence indicates
that a 12-wk administration of Splenda exerted numerous adverse effects, including (1) reduction in beneficial fecal microflora, (2) increased fecal pH, and (3) enhanced expression levels of P-gp, CYP3A4, and CYP2D1, which are known to limit the bioavailability of orally administered drugs. Read the rest of this entry

DALLAS – July 24, 2008 – One of the reasons people on low-carbohydratediets may lose weight is that they reduce their intake of fructose, atype of sugar that can be made into body fat quickly, according to a researcher at UT Southwestern Medical Center.

Dr. Elizabeth Parks, associate professor of clinicalnutrition and lead author of a study appearing in a current issue of the Journal of Nutrition, said her team’s findings suggest that the right type of carbohydrates a person eats may be just as important in weight control as the number of calories a person eats. Read the rest of this entry

A recent review study looked at fish oil supplementation as a primary prevention method of age related macular degeneration. (Age-related macular degeneration :An eye disease with its onset usually after age 60 that progressively destroys themacula , the central portion of the retina , impairing central vision.) Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) rarely causes blindness because only the center of vision is affected. However, injury to the macula in the center of the retina can impair the ability to see straight ahead clearly and sometimes make it difficult to read, drive, or perform other daily activities that require fine central vision. Read the rest of this entry