Thursday, July 11, 2013

Scientists call resveratrol a 'miracle molecule'

A recent study presented at the National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS) has found that resveratrol, a nutrient compound found in grape skins, blueberries, and red wine, can improve motor coordination and help prevent falls among the elderly. And in presenting the findings, researchers dubbed resveratrol a "miracle molecule," presumably because of its many other known health benefits.

Conducted by Jane Cavanaugh, an assistant professor of pharmacology at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and her colleague, the study found that laboratory mice given resveratrol as part of their normal diet maintained better movement coordination as they aged compared to other mice. The resveratrol mice also experienced less degradation in their nerve tissues compared to other mice, which helped them effectively thwart many of the negative effects of aging.

Cavanaugh's assistant Erika Allen, a graduate student, fed both young and old mice a diet containing resveratrol for eight weeks. She also compared each mouse's ability, both before and after the resveratrol regimen, to cross a steel mesh balance beam, reportedly documenting and analyzing each stumble or misstep along the way.

By the fourth week, she and Cavanaugh began observing that older mice who had trouble crossing the balance beam at the start of the study were experiencing dramatic improvements as a result of taking resveratrol. These older mice, in fact, were already effectively able to keep up with the younger mice a mere halfway into the study, a remarkable observation.

Additionally, mice taking resveratrol experienced less neural cell death than other mice, indicating that resveratrol somehow blocks the cell death that is normally induced by the neurotransmitter dopamine as a result of stress. Taking resveratrol, in other words, has the potential to block stress-induced aging, as well as protect nerve cells from being damaged or killed.

"We believe that resveratrol is either removing the byproducts of dopamine metabolism, which are harmful to neural cells, or increasing resistance in the cells themselves," said Cavanaugh to Wine Spectator about her findings, noting that the dose of resveratrol needed in humans to potentially achieve similar results would be the equivalent of drinking roughly 700 glasses of red wine a day.

Resveratrol shown to treat, cure diabetes

In another amazing study recently published in the journal Nutrition Research, researchers out of India found that resveratrol also helps fight and even cure type-2 diabetes by normalizing hemoglobin levels in the blood. Compared to diabetics receiving only oral hypoglycemic drugs, diabetics taking 250 milligrams (mg) daily of a specific brand of resveratrol for three months experienced dramatically improved blood sugar levels.

These same trial patients reportedly experienced both lowered blood pressure levels and improved blood cholesterol levels as a result of taking resveratrol, which confirms what numerous other studies in years past have found concerning the nutrient's incredible ability to fight chronic inflammation; improve cognitive function; promote longevity; boost heart health; and target disease-causing free radicals, among other benefits.

"Oral supplementation of resveratrol is thus found to be effective in improving glycemic control and may possibly provide a potential adjuvant for the treatment and management of diabetes," wrote the authors of the Indian study in their review.


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Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Oregano is a healing herb and natural anti-biotic

Oregano is a wonderful, aromatic herb that is native to the Mediterranean. It is thought to have originated in the mountainous regions of Greece, Turkey and Italy. It was named by the Ancient Greeks "Mountain Joy." Oregano is one of the most powerful healing herbs and natural anti-biotics ever studied.

Oregano has a warming and aromatic flavor to it. It can be very hot and bitter at times when it is picked fresh. The bite usually wanes as it is dried. Oregano became a staple of Italian-American foods. American soldiers who were stationed in Europe during World War II brought oregano back as the "pizza herb." It was soon used in more popularity in pastas, grilled/roasted veggies, meat & fish. It is also popularly used in meat marinates and salad dressings.

Oregano Oil is an extraordinarily powerful natural anti-biotic. Oregano has been found in a recent study to be significantly better than all of the 18 currently used anti-biotics in the treatment of MRSA staph infections. The strong phenol anti-oxidants destroy pathogenic bacteria, viruses and yeasts.

Incredible anti-oxidant capacity

This super herb is very rich in anti-oxidant phytochemical flavonoids and phenolic acids. It is the third highest herb in oxygen radical absorbancy capacity (ORAC) with an impressive score of 200,129. Oregano is one of the world's greatest sources of the powerful phenol component thymol. Thymol is great for improving digestive function as well as destroying harmful microbes.

The USDA ranks oregano's antioxidant capacity anywhere from 3 to 20 times higher than any other herb. Oregano has four times the antioxidant power of blueberries, 12 times that of oranges and 42 times greater than apples.

Oregano oil has been classically used as a disinfectant, an aid for ear, nose, & throat/respiratory infections, candida, and any sort of bacterial or viral conditions. Additionally, it works to suppress inflammatory mediators and cancer cell production. Oregano oil is more potent than the dried herb; however, the dried version still contains many powerful health benefits.

Studies have shown that carvacrol, a phenol anti-oxidant within oregano has powerful anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial activity when applied to food or taken in supplement form. Oregano also contains rosmarinic acid which has very strong cancer fighting properties.

Use dried oregano on vegetables, meat dishes and salads. Oregano oil can be used as an aromatic essential oil and/or as a medicinal. Simply put a dash behind your ear and a dash on your neck. Strong oregano oil may burn a little but will wear down in a few seconds. One could also ingest oregano oil - 1-5 small drops in a glass of water as it is particularly strong.


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Sunday, July 7, 2013

Study Shows Red Yeast Rice and Fish Oil Reduce Cholesterol

A combination of fish oil, red yeast rice and lifestyle changes can produce as great a decrease in cholesterol levels as prescription drugs, according to a study conducted by researchers from the University of Pennsylvania Health System and published in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

"These results are intriguing and show a potential benefit of an alternative, or naturopathic, approach to a common medical condition," researcher David Becker said.

Researchers gave 74 people with high cholesterol a daily dose of either 40 milligrams of simvastatin (a generic cholesterol drug also marketed as Zocor) or a combination of fish oil, red yeast rice and a number of cardiovascular positive lifestyle changes. The fish oil contained 2,106 milligrams of EPA and 1,680 milligrams of DHA, while the red yeast rice contained 5.3 milligrams of monacolin, including 2.53 milligrams of monacolin K.

Monacolin K, also known as lovastatin, is the naturally occurring fungal compound from which the statin drugs were first derived.

After 12 weeks, levels of LDL ("bad") cholesterol decreased significantly in both groups. There was no significant difference between the groups, indicating that the yeast and fish oil combination was just as effective as the pharmaceutical drugs. In addition, the fish oil and red yeast rice decreased triglyceride levels by 29 percent, while the statins did not lead to any significant decrease.

"Lifestyle changes combined with ingestion of red yeast rice and fish oil reduced LDL-C in proportions similar to standard therapy with simvastatin," the researchers wrote. "Pending confirmation in larger trials, this multifactorial, alternative approach to lipid lowering has promise for a subset of patients unwilling or unable to take statins."

The researchers noted that due to the small size and short duration of the current study, it was not possible to determine if red yeast rice and fish oil can actually decrease rates of illness and death, "which is clearly the most important outcome." They called for larger, long-term studies to make sure.

Sources for this story include: foodnavigator-usa.com.


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