Overweight Middle-Aged Adults at Greater Risk for Cognitive Decline
The adverse affects of being overweight are not limited to
physical function but also extend
to neurological function, according
to research in the latest issue of
The Journals of Gerontology Series
A: Biological and Medical Sciences.

The publication presents a collection
of ten articles highlighting new findings
related to obesity in older persons.
"One of the unanticipated consequences of improved medical
management of cardiovascular disease is that many obese
individuals reach old age," reported Journal of Gerontology:
Medical Sciences from scientists from the National Institute
on Aging. "We need a better understanding of the causes and
consequences of obesity in older individuals -- especially when
obesity is associated with sarcopenia."

A study conducted at Sweden's Jönköping University, found that
individuals with higher midlife body mass index (BMI) scores had
significantly lower general cognitive ability and significantly steeper
decline than their thinner counterparts over time. These statistics
were compiled from a study of Swedish twins that took place over
the course of nearly 40 years, from 1963 to 2002; the results were
the same for both men and women.

Other studies reported in the journal show that obesity appears
particularly threatening in the presence of other health problems,
such as poor muscle strength and depression.

Similarly, changes in weight also signify declines in overall health.
A team of researchers from the University of Washington, Seattle,
found that such fluctuations are significant indicators of future
physical limitations and mortality in the elderly. The researchers
used data from the Cardiovacscular Health Study, which included
information from over 3,000 individuals aged 65 and older from
1992 to 1999. They discovered that a history of cyclically losing
and gaining weight increased a person's chance of having
difficulty with activities of daily living including the simple tasks
of bathing, dressing, eating, etc., by 28 percent.

Source: The Gerontological Society of America

Antioxidants May Boost Colon Health, According To New Study...

Further Evidence Supports RegularIntake Of Antioxidants,
Carotenoids, Minerals And Vitamins Are Valuable For Cancer
Risk Reduction

Specifically, Selenium-based supplements may prevent the
development of new polyps in people with a history of colon
polyp formation, says a new study.

400 people participated in the study, in which they received
either placebo or an antioxidant-rich supplement containing
selenomethionnine, zinc, and vitamins A, C, and E. At the end
of the study people in the antioxidant group experienced a 40
per cent reduction in the incidence of new polyps of the large bowel.

"Our study is the first intervention trial specifically designed to
evaluate the efficacy of the selenium-based antioxidant compound
on the risk of developing metachronous adenomas," said
researchers from the National Institute for Cancer Research
in Genoa, Italy.

The study represents another important step on the ladder of
supporting the potential anti-cancer effects of the mineral. The
research findings are being presented at the American Association
for Cancer Research Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research
Conference, held in Houston.

Adenomatous polyps (or adenoma) are benign lesions of the large
bowel that, in time, could progress to cancer, explain the researchers.
Even though only a small proportion of adenomas will develop into
cancer, it is said that almost 70 to 80 per cent of colorectal cancer
stems from an adenoma.

The research team randomly assigned the 411 participants aged
between 25 and 75 to receive either placebo or an antioxidant
supplement. The supplement provided daily doses of 200
micrograms of selenomethionnine, 30 milligrams of zinc, 6,000 IU
of vitamin A, 180 milligrams of vitamin C, and 30 milligrams of
vitamin E. All the participants had already undergone surgery to
remove one or more colorectal adenomas.

"Our results indicated that individuals who consumed antioxidants
had a 40 per cent reduction in the incidence of metachronous
adenomas of the large bowel," said the researchers "It is particularly
noteworthy that the benefit observed after the conclusion of the trial
persisted through 13 years of follow up."

Selenium and Prostate Health...

A greater body of science exists for Selenium and prostate health.
A number of studies, most notably the Nutritional Prevention of
Cancer study and the Alpha-tocopherol, Beta-carotene Cancer
Prevention study, have reported that the nutrients, alone or in
combination, may reduce the risk of prostate cancer.

With over half a million new cases of prostate cancer diagnosed
every year, and the cancer directly causing over 200,000 deaths,
potential preventive measures are highly desirable
.

Mango fruit and cancer

Mango Fruit Has Been Found To Prevent or Stop Certain Colon And Breast Cancer Cells,Food Scientists Find...

That's according to a new study by Texas AgriLife Research food scientists, who examined the five varieties most common in the U.S.

The tropical mango is an ancient fruit heavily consumed in many parts of the world, known to have beneficial digestive health aspects. The National Mango Board commissioned a variety of studies with several U.S. researchers to help determine its nutritional value.

As a superfood providing valuable nutrients and enzymes as well as high antioxidant levels, Mango is beneficial to health, similar to blueberry, acai and pomegranate.

The research team checked mango against cancer cells anyway, and found it prevented or stopped cancer growth in certain breast and colon cells.

" If you look at it from the physiological and nutritional standpoint, taking everything together, it would be a high-ranking super food," they noted. "It would be good to include mangoes as part of the regular diet."

The researchers tested mango polyphenol extracts in vitro on colon, breast, lung, leukemia and prostate cancers. Polyphenols are the natural substances in plants associated with a variety of compounds known to promote good health.

Mango showed some impact on lung, leukemia and prostate cancers but was most effective on the most common breast and colon cancers.

"What we found is that not all cell lines are sensitive to the same extent to an anticancer agent," they explained. "But the breast and colon cancer lines underwent apotosis, or programmed cell death. Additionally, we found that when we tested normal colon cells side
by side with the colon cancer cells, that the mango polyphenolics did not harm the normal cells."

Further tests on the colon cancer lines were conducted because a mango contains both small molecules that are readily absorbed and larger molecules that would not be absorbed and thus remain present in a colon.

"We found the normal cells weren't killed, so mango is not expected to be damaging in the body," they also said. "That is a general observation for any natural agent, that they target cancer cells and leave the healthy cells alone, in reasonable concentrations at least."

They evaluated polyphenolics, and more specifically gallotannins as being the class of bioactive compounds (responsible for preventing or stopping cancer cells). Tannins are polyphenols that are often bitter or drying and found in such common foods as grape seed,wine and tea.

The study found that the cell cycle, which is the division cells go through, was interrupted. This is crucial information because it indicates a possible mechanism for how the cancer cells are prevented or stopped.

"For cells that may be on the verge of mutating or being damaged, mango polyphenolics prevent this kind of damage," they said.

According to the National Mango Board, based in Winter Park, Fla., most mangoes consumed in the U.S. are grown in Mexico, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Guatemala and Haiti. Mangoes are also native to southeast Asia and India and are best produced in tropical climates. They were introduced to the United States in the late 1800s, and a few commercial acres still exist in California
and Florida.

Vitamin E May Boost Brain Health After Stroke

May prevent nerve cell death in the brain
following a stroke,suggests new research
on this emerging form of Vitamin E.

Alpha-tocotrienol, one of eight forms of Vitamin E, was found to inhibit an enzyme from releasing fatty acids that eventually kill neurons, according to findings from a study with mouse brain cells published in the Journal of Neurochemistry.

The beneficial effects are observed at low levels of the nutrient,researchers from Ohio State University report following their National Institutes of Health-funded study.

"Tocotrienol - a natural dietary form of the nutrient Vitamin E, can be just as effective as drugs or other therapeutic agents, if not moreso, in neural protection, opening up new possibilities into prevention and even treatment of stroke and other neuro-degenerative diseases" the researchers noted.

The potential neuroprotective effects of nanomolar levels of tocotrienol were first reported a decade ago. This latest study from The Ohio State University helps clarify how Vitamin E tocotrienol, which is easily achievable by daily supplementation, protects the brain in artificially induced stroke," they added.

"It shows tocotrienol inhibits the enzyme cPLA2 from releasing arachidonic acid into the brain. The release of arachidonic acid is an important step in causing neuronal death from glutamate induced state which mimics stroke," explained the researchers.

There are eight forms of vitamin E: four tocopherols (alpha, beta, gamma, delta) and four tocotrienols (alpha, beta, gamma, delta). Alpha-tocopherol is the main source found in supplements and in a healthy European diet, while gamma-tocopherol is the most common form found in the American diet. Tocotrienols are only minor components in plants, although several sources with known high levels include palm oil, cereal grains and rice bran.

The scientists involved in the study looked at the effects of alpha-tocotrienol to inhibit the action of the enzyme called cystolic calcium-dependent phospholipase A2, or cPLA2. Following the trauma of blocked blood flow associated with a stroke, an excessive amount of the neurotransmitter glutamate is released in the brain. Despite having an important role in learning and memory, too much glutamate can trigger the death of brain cells, or neurons, said to be the most damaging effects of a stroke.

When tocotrienol was introduced to cells exposed to the high levels of glutamate arachidonic acid levels decreased by 60 per cent, said the researchers. This resulted in a cell survival rate four times higher than cells exposed to glutamate alone.

They noted that the effects were observable with a dose of tocotrienol, equivalent to a concentration about 10 times lower than the average amount of tocotrienol circulating in humans who consume the vitamin regularly.

Source: Journal of Neurochemistry
Published online

Green Tea May Reduce Risk Of Lung Cancer

Potent Source of Powerful
Antioxidants and Phytochemicals

Smokers who did not drink green tea at all
may have a 13-fold increased risk of lung
cancer, compared with those who drank at
least one cup per day, suggests a new study
from Taiwan.

Although expert advice is clearly to avoid
tobacco smoke altogether, the results
suggest smokers could benefit from upping
their intake of Green Tea, according to
findings presented at the AACR-IASLC Joint Conference on
Molecular Origins of Lung Cancer.

One in three Europeans are smokers, while in the US the figure is
one in five. Tobacco smoke contains over 4,000 compounds, of
which 60 are known carcinogens. The oxidative stress levels of
smokers are significantly greater than non-smokers, and as such
there is a bigger drain on the levels of antioxidants in the body.

The new study, a hospital-based, randomized trial, builds on earlier
research from epidemiological studies which reported potential lung
cancer risk reductions in smokers.

The benefits may also extend to non-smokers, researchers told
attendees at the conference, with non-Green Tea drinkers, both
smokers and non-smokers, associated with a 5.2-fold increased
risk of lung cancer, compared with those who drank at least one
cup of green tea per day.

At Chung Shan Medical University in Taiwan, attendees were told
that both Green Tea consumption and genotype may influence lung
cancer risk. The study involved 170 lung cancer patients and 340
healthy patients as controls. Questionnaires revealed tea drinking
habits, along with other demographic and lifestyle data. The
researchers also genotyped the participants according to their
insulin-like growth factors (IGF), all of which have all been reported
to be associated with cancer risk.

The results showed that, in addition to an increase in risk for
non-Green Tea drinkers, genetics seemed to affect the cancer risk.
Green Tea drinkers with specific types of IGF1 reported a 66 per
cent reduction in lung cancer risk as compared with Green Tea
drinkers with another form of IGF1.