Altitude Tents Not Added to 2007 Prohibited List
www.usantidoping.org/files/active/athletes/newsletter/4th%20qtr%20to%20web[1][1].pdf
www.olimpijski.sm.pl/download/doping/Note_on_Hypoxia_May%202006.pdf)
On a similar subject about the benefits of hypoxia....
Here is some news that talks about a way to target cross sectional heat shot adaptation with hypoxia which might help explain some of the recovery benefits verbalized by vendors at ACSM representing newer interventions which modulated sea level to high altitude exposures in multiple cycles (www.cvacsystems.com). This reports says the hypoxia sets the stage for recovery via heat shock protein adaptations. Certainly sets the stage for validation of periodization targeted for recovery with hypoxic exposures being precursory to hyperoxic exposures.
University of Oregon
Released: Wed 25-Oct-2006, 16:50 ET
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HFI-1 Gene Has Key Role in Both Oxygen Sensing, Heat Shock Pathway
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Keywords
HYPOXIA, HIF-1, HEAT SHOCK PROTEINS, MOLECULAR BIOLOGY, CANCER, BIOCHEMISTRY
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Description
University of Oregon researchers have found an unexpected regulatory link between
cellular responses to hypoxia and heat shock. Central to the discovery is a
gene known as Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-1 (HIF-1) that is critical for both
normal and pathological changes, making it a potential target for both health
promotion and cancer therapies.
Newswise — University of Oregon researchers have found an unexpected
regulatory link between cellular responses to hypoxia and heat shock. Central
to the discovery is a gene known as Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-1 (HIF-1) that
is critical for both normal and pathological changes, making it a potential
target for both health promotion and cancer therapies.
In their study, researchers used microarray technology to observe the activity
of genes found in the genome of the fruit fly (Drosophila). With it, they watched
as the activity of heat shock proteins was turned on under conditions of low
oxygen, or hypoxia. A microarray allows researchers to place tens of thousands
of genes on 1.5-inch-square slides and study them under a microscope.
“These are proteins that were previously known to turn up under conditions
of heat shock,” said Eric Johnson, a professor in the UO Institute of Molecular
Biology. “Now they are coming into view in hypoxia conditions as well.”
When Johnson’s team manipulated the genes to knock out the activity of
HIF-1, the change dramatically lowered the presence of heat shock proteins.
Over-activation of HIF-1 is often seen in a wide variety of cancers.
“We’ve found that there is more complexity to how a cell responds
to a change in the environment than what we had long suspected,” he said. “Instead
of having a simple sensing and response process, there are sensing, calibrations,
fine-tuning and responses that occur. These connections can now be targeted for
therapies.”
The findings of the research, which was supported by an American Cancer Society
Research Scholar Grant to Johnson, appear online in advance of regular publication
in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.
“This HIF-1 activity was somewhat surprising, because people in the past
have often thought that these different pathways that sense environmental change
have been separate entities,” Johnson said. “It has been assumed
that different pathways responded to different conditions, but we’ve found
that the regulator of low oxygen response, HIF-1, actually goes over and cranks
up the regulator to the heat shock response.”
Understanding and targeting the role of HIF-1 could prove beneficial in turning
away oxygen from cancerous cells, choking them off by not allowing oxygen in,
Johnson said. The rush of oxygen back into cells after a period of hypoxia
also works against wound healing.
In healthy cells, the researchers theorize, HIF-1’s turning on of heat
shock proteins is beneficial, because the proteins appear to prepare the cell
for the return of oxygen, which can cause proteins in the cell to unfold. The
heat shock proteins activated by HIF-1 help to refold proteins to ensure a
healthy cellular response. “It’s a very clever system,” Johnson
said. “Instead of targeting one of the heat shock proteins, we should
consider targeting HIF-1, which controls all of their activity during hypoxia.”
Coauthors of the study with Johnson were Nathan A. Baird and Douglas W. Turnbull,
doctoral students in biology at the University of Oregon.
Links: Johnson faculty Web page: http://www.molbio.uoregon.edu/facres/johnson.html
Released: Thu 28-Jul-2005,
Stress Slows Wound Healing; Oxygen Helps
Published in Brain, Behavior, and Immunity
grants from the National Institutes of Health
Phillip Marucha & Praveen Gajendrareddy, at UIC,
and Chandan Sen, Michael Horan, Sukanya
Subramanian and Arthur Strauch
at Ohio State University
Wound healing is slow when an animal is stressed. With hyperbaric oxygen (oxygen at a greater pressure than atmospheric oxygen), the delay in healing was almost eliminated. Oxygen activates the inflammatory cells of the immune system that help healing. Also, oxygen derivatives like bleach and peroxide are part of the arsenal of noxious products that these cells use to kill the bacteria in wounds.
Measured levels of expression of the gene for an enzyme called inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), which makes nitric oxide (NO is critically involved in wound healing, by increasing blood flow and the delivery of oxygen, and by attacking bacteria. If oxygen levels fall and stress elevates, iNOS gene activity increases, presumably to help make more NO. But when the animals received hyperbaric oxygen, iNOS gene expression returned to normal levels, suggesting that the NO levels necessary for healing had been restored by the increased tissue oxygen levels.
Tissue antioxidant status helps prevent NO from being scavenged by free radicals and alkalizing blood enhances hemoglobin (Hg) unloading of NO (Andrew Gow Interview, Baltimore ACSM).
CHEST 2006 Abstract Briefs: Sleep Medicine
These sleep-related news briefs are derived from new research, to be
presented for the first time at CHEST 2006, the annual scientific assembly
of the American College of Chest Physicians. NOTE: Embargoes are not the
same for all briefs. The time and date of each embargo is listed below the
title. (Embargo expired on 25-Oct-2006 at 14:30 ET)
CHEST 2006, The Annual Scientific Assembly of the American College of
Chest Physicians
--American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP)
http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/524286/?sc=dwtp
College Kids Choose Adderall over Ritalin for Illicit Use
A new study by a Northeastern University researcher found that
college kids who use prescription drugs illicitly are three times more
likely to choose Adderall than Ritalin. The number one motive for use is
to increase concentration, probably due to academic competitiveness.
Another interesting finding was that not one African-American student
reported using illicitly to get high.
Pharmacotherapy, Oct-2006
--Northeastern University
http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/524697/?sc=dwtp
Moderate Drinking May Boost Memory, Study Suggests
In the long run, a drink or two a day may be good for the brain.
Researchers found that moderate amounts of alcohol - amounts equivalent to
a couple of drinks a day for a human - improved the memories of laboratory
rats.
Society for Neuroscience meeting
--Ohio State University
http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/524673/?sc=dwtp
Academy for Eating Disorders Calls for Ban on Underweight Models
The Academy for Eating Disorders calls for a global ban on the use of
severely underweight models in fashion shows and in fashion magazines, and
encourages the industry to adopt a minimum acceptable height-to-weight
ratio in keeping with the guidelines established by the World Health
Organization.
--Academy for Eating Disorders (AED)
http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/524662/?sc=dwtp
Researchers Find Gene Linked to Crohn's Disease
An international team of researchers has identified another gene
mutation linked to the inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) Crohn's disease
and ulcerative colitis. The team, including Johns Hopkins
gastroenterologists and geneticists, says the novel mutation is in the
interleukin-23 (IL-23) gene receptor present in healthy people without
Crohn's disease but rare in those with the disease. (Embargo expired on
26-Oct-2006 at 14:00 ET)
Science Express, 26-Oct-2006
--Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions
http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/524652/?sc=dwtp
Some Evidence Shows Chinese Herbal Medicine Helps Angina Patients
An herbal medicine used to treat cardiovascular diseases in China may
improve symptoms of chest pain when used in conjunction with traditional
treatments, according to a new systematic review.
Cochrane Library
--Health Behavior News Service
http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/524703/?sc=dwtp
Churches Aim to Help Body as Well as Soul
A new program aimed at helping African-Americans improve their diet
and fitness is taking advantage of a higher power. The church plays an
important role in the social lives of many African-Americans. That's why
University of Michigan researchers are targeting black churches to help
bring a message of healthier lifestyle choices to their congregation.
--University of Michigan Health System
http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/524726/?sc=dwtp
Free Online Educational Videos for People with Diabetes
Joslin launches free online educational videos for people with
diabetes - six tests for staying healthy with diabetes. November is
National Diabetes Month.
--Joslin Diabetes Center
http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/524714/?sc=dwtp
Drexel Research in Cytokines Could Treat Sepsis
Researchers from Drexel University and the University of Brighton in
the U.K. have achieved groundbreaking results, which may significantly
improve the treatment of sepsis. Their article has been published in the
December issue of Biomaterials.
Biomaterials, v. 27, Dec-2006
--Drexel University
http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/524708/?sc=dwtp
Published ahead of print on September 27, 2006
Clin J Am Soc Nephrol 1: 1293-1299, 2006
© 2006 American Society of Nephrology
doi: 10.2215/CJN.01270406
Advanced Glycation End Products and Nephrotoxicity of High-Protein Diets
Jaime Uribarri*, and Katherine R. Tuttle
* Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York; and Providence Medical Research Center, Sacred Heart Medical Center, University of Washington School of Medicine, Spokane, Washington
Address correspondence to: Dr. Katherine R. Tuttle, 122 W. 7th Avenue, Suite 230, Spokane, WA 99204. Phone: 509-474-4345; Fax: 509-474-4325; E-mail: ktuttle@this.org
The popularity of high-protein diets has surged recently asobesity has become more and more common in the United Statesand other developed nations. In view of the high prevalenceof type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease among obese people,it is important to understand potential effects of high-proteindiets on the kidney. The hypothesis that high-protein dietsare nephrotoxic because of their excessive dietary advancedglycation end product (AGE) content and an increased amino acidload that enhances AGE formation in situ was explored. Thisreview discusses the following evidence: (1) High-protein dietsare deleterious to the kidney; (2) AGE are metabolic mediatorsof kidney damage; (3) dietary protein–derived AGE contributeto proinflammatory and pro-oxidative processes in diabetes andkidney disease; and (4) dietary protein–derived AGE producefunctional and structural abnormalities that are involved inkidney damage. Future research should consider dietary AGE asa potential therapeutic target for kidney disease in obesity,diabetes, and perhaps other causes of chronic kidney disease.
STORY LEAD:
New Edition of ARS Food & Nutrition Research Briefs Posted on the Web
__________________________________________________
ARS News Service
Agricultural Research Service, USDA
Marcia Wood, (301) 504-1662, marcia.wood@ars.usda.gov
October 27, 2006
--View this report online, plus any included photos or other images, at www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr
__________________________________________________
The newest edition of the Agricultural Research Service's online ARS Food & Nutrition Research Briefs newsletter is now available on the World Wide Web at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/np/fnrb/fnrb1006.htm
The quarterly publication features short, informative highlights of new scientific findings about nutrition and health, as well as food safety, new foods and related topics.
Full-color photos illustrate the research, which is conducted by scientists with, or funded by, the Agricultural Research Service, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific research agency.
Besides being posted on the Web, this specialized publication is available free of charge via email. Also, those interested in being notified when a new edition is posted on the Web can request an email alert. To sign up for any of these services, go to: www.ars.usda.gov/is/np/fnrb/subscribe.htm
The new issue includes highlights from a variety of research studies around the nation that have, for example:
* shown that a compound from fresh blackberries helps prevent the spread of certain kinds of tumors in laboratory mice.
* revealed that walnuts--already shown in some studies to reduce "bad" (LDL) cholesterol--may have yet another way of enhancing your cardiovascular health.
* documented that blueberries and strawberries may help slow age-related decline in learning and memory, if results from tests with laboratory rats hold true for humans.
* led to the introduction of a delicious new gooseberry called "Jeanne" and a plump potato called "Blazer Russet."
* suggested that experimental antibrowning washes or dips may keep freshly sliced apples safe to eat while, at the same time, protecting their appealing textures, flavors and colors.
* indicated that, since fresh produce--like cilantro--continues to "breathe" after being harvested, packaging it in a film or wrap that meets the item's respiratory needs will extend shelf life.
__________________________________________________
* This is one of the news reports that ARS Information distributes to subscribers on weekdays.
* Start, stop or change an e-mail subscription at www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/subscribe.htm
* NewsService@ars.usda.gov | www.ars.usda.gov/news
* Phone (301) 504-1638 | fax (301) 504-1486
FOOD & NUTRITION RESEARCH BRIEFS - October 2006
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Agricultural Research Service
Marcia Wood, (301) 504-1662, MarciaWood@ars.usda.gov
____________________________________________________
Contents
Walnuts: Potential New Link to Heart Health Uncovered
Blueberries, Strawberries May Forestall Brain Drain
Blackberry Compound May Help Quell Cancer
Watermelon's Healthful Lycopene Captured in New Technique
Delving Into Dates' Nutrients, Genetic Diversity
Proper Packaging Helps Produce Breathe, Stay Fresh Longer
Apple Washes Shield Sliced Fruit From Pathogens
Mushrooms' Newest Nutritional Values Posted on Web
Blazer Russet–New Choice for Growers, Potato Lovers
New "Jeanne" Gooseberries: Delicious--and Pest-Resistant!
____________________________________________________
Walnuts: Potential New Link to Heart Health Uncovered
Already shown in some studies to reduce "bad" (LDL) cholesterol, walnuts may have yet another way of enhancing your cardiovascular health.
Tests on 100 laboratory hamsters that ate feed containing ground walnuts for a half-year showed they had significantly lower levels of a protein called endothelin in their arteries. This protein helps regulate blood pressure. But, it also causes inflammation of arteries and growth of sticky deposits, called plaque, in blood vessels. These two conditions contribute to heart disease, the leading cause of death in the United States.
Walnuts suppressed heart artery endothelin when fed at amounts equal to an adult human's eating from three to eight handfuls of walnuts daily (Journal of Nutrition, volume 135, pages 428 to 432). The study was an international collaboration between scientists with ARS, the University of California-Davis and University of Padova (Italy).
Whether this beneficial effect occurs in people at more moderate amounts of walnuts needs further study.
The California Walnut Commission, Sacramento, Calif., helped fund the research.
For details contact: Wallace H. Yokoyama, (510) 559-5695; USDA-ARS Western Regional Research Center, Albany, Calif. email: wally@pw.usda.gov
____________________________________________________
Blueberries, Strawberries May Forestall Brain Drain
Blueberries and strawberries may help slow the decline in learning and memory that often occurs as we age. That's according to new findings from tests with 60 laboratory rats, studied for about three months.
Rats in either of three groups of 20 each ate either a standard feed or feed with blueberry extract equal to that of a daily one-cup portion for humans, or feed with strawberry extract equal to a daily one-pint bowlful.
After two months on the regimens, half of the rats in each group were treated to induce aging. Compared to the aged rats on nonsupplemented feed, the aged-but-supplemented rats performed better in a test of their ability to find, and in some cases remember, a particular feature in their environment.
The new findings add to a series of research studies published during the past eight years showing reduced or reversed declines in brain function among rats whose feed was supplemented with either blueberry, cranberry or strawberry extracts or Concord grape juice.
ARS-funded scientists at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Tufts University, Boston, Mass., conducted the research in collaboration with investigators at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County and published their findings in Neurobiology of Aging (online July 13, 2006).
For details contact: Barbara Shukitt-Hale, (617) 556-3118; ARS Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Boston, Mass. email: barbara.hale@tufts.edu
____________________________________________________
Blackberry Compound May Help Quell Cancer
Fresh blackberries contain a compound that may interfere with genes associated with cancer-promoting agents. The purified compound, cyanidin-3-glucoside (C3G), inhibited growth and spread of skin and lung tumors in tests with laboratory mice (Journal of Biological Chemistry, volume 281, pages 17359 to 17368).
The number and size of skin tumors were significantly reduced among mice that had been supplemented with C3G, when compared to those that had not, the scientists found. In another study, the growth of lung tumors and spread of the cancer to other organs were significantly reduced in immune-system-suppressed mice fed the C3G compound.
Scientists with ARS at Beltsville, Md., and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, W.Va., collaborated in the research.
For details contact: Shiow Y. Wang, (301) 504-5776, ext. 427; USDA-ARS Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Beltsville, Md. email: wangs@.ars.usda.gov
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Watermelon's Healthful Lycopene Captured in New Technique
Watermelon, besides being fun to eat, is an excellent source of lycopene--a red-pigmented antioxidant thought to guard against heart disease and some cancers.
Now, an ARS researcher based in Lane, Okla., has developed a new technique that makes it easier to extract lycopene from watermelon flesh and juice.
Users can avoid damaging the fragile membranes of the tiny structures--organelles--that protect the lycopene. This gentle approach yields lycopene that is more stable and thus has a longer shelf life.
Lycopene can be processed into a powder, paste or liquid suitable for use as a nutrition supplement or food coloring.
ARS is seeking a patent for the method, which might also be used to extract lycopene from tomatoes, guava, rose hips and pink grapefruit.
For details contact: Wayne W. Fish, (580) 889-7395, ext. 261; USDA-ARS South Central Agricultural Research Laboratory, Lane, Okla. email: wfish-usda@lane-ag.org
____________________________________________________
Delving Into Dates' Nutrients, Genetic Diversity
Sweet, chewy dates provide healthful antioxidants--mostly the kind known as phenolics. But the levels of these compounds vary according to what variety of date you're eating, ARS and University of California-Davis scientists have found.
Deglet Noor dates, the leading commercial variety in the United States, logged a higher antioxidant score than five other types of dates grown in California, the nation's leading producer of this exotic crop.
Other ARS-led research yielded new insights into the genetic diversity of date trees safeguarded in a unique collection that ARS curates--the Riverside, Calif.-based National Clonal Germplasm Repository for Citrus and Dates.
For details contact: Robert R. Krueger, (951) 827-4399; USDA-ARS National Clonal Germplasm Repository for Citrus and Dates, Riverside, Calif. email: rivrk@ars-grin.gov
____________________________________________________
Proper Packaging Helps Produce Breathe, Stay Fresh Longer
You can't hear the fruits and veggies in your refrigerator breathe, but they do. They take in oxygen and give off carbon dioxide. Pairing your fresh produce with a wrapping, or film, best suited to the fruit or veggie's respiratory needs enhances the length of time it will stay fresh and appealing, new tests confirm.
The wraps, newer versions of the familiar, clear-plastic films already used widely in home and commercial kitchens, act as modified-atmosphere packaging that regulates the flow of oxygen and carbon dioxide to and from packages of produce.
While the concept isn't new, ongoing experiments by ARS scientists at Beltsville, Md., provide some of the most up-to-date findings about the unique packaging needs of some half-dozen different fruits and veggies, including baby spinach, carrots, cilantro, iceberg and romaine lettuces and salad savoy--a cabbage relative (Journal of Postharvest Biology and Technology, volume 33, pages 51 to 59).
Experiments with fresh cilantro leaves, for example, showed that one such film can keep this tomato-salsa seasoning fresh for up to 14 days--information useful to produce packers and shippers, as well as film manufacturers.
For details contact: Yaguang Luo, (301) 504-6186; USDA-ARS Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Beltsville, Md. email: luoy@ba.ars.usda.gov
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Apple Washes Shield Sliced Fruit From Pathogens
Experimental washes, also called antibrowning dips, for freshly sliced apples show promise for keeping the fruit safe to eat, while at the same time protecting its appealing textures, flavors and colors (Food Microbiology, volume 21, pages 319 to 326). Laboratory experiments by ARS researchers based in Beltsville, Md., showed these protective effects in tests with freshly cut apple slices.
Today's calcium-ascorbate-based washes forestall browning but apparently don't knock out as extensive a range of unwanted microbes, according to the Maryland scientists. The newer formulations, not only kept the apple slices from browning, but also killed unwanted microbes.
For details contact: Arvind A. Bhagwat, (301) 504-5106; USDA-ARS Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Beltsville, Md. email: bhagwata@ba.ars.usda.gov
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Mushrooms' Newest Nutritional Values Posted on Web
Besides adding their distinctive flavors and textures to salads, soups, burgers--and more--mushrooms also give us key nutrients like copper, potassium, folate and niacin. New nutrient data for seven different kinds of mushrooms--crimini, enoki, maitake, oyster, portabella, shiitake and white button--are now available on the World Wide Web at www.ars.usda.gov/nutrientdata/ as part of the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 19.
ARS scientists at the Beltsville (Md.) Human Nutrition Research Center led the mushroom-data-gathering project, which was funded in part by the Mushroom Council, Dublin, Calif.
For details contact: David B. Haytowitz, (301) 504-0714; USDA-ARS Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center, Beltsville, Md. email: haytowid@ba.ars.usda.gov
____________________________________________________
Blazer Russet–New Choice for Growers, Potato Lovers
Whether sold fresh or processed into frozen potato products, Blazer Russet potato is a top-quality tuber. The oblong, medium-to-large veggie weighs in at about seven to eight ounces and has the characteristic light netting, or russeting, on its brown-to-tan skin, with firm, cream-white or white flesh inside.
ARS scientists at Aberdeen, Idaho, and their University of Idaho, Washington State University and Oregon State University colleagues put the tuber through nearly two decades of rigorous laboratory, field and test-kitchen scrutiny before deciding in December 2005 to make this experimental potato a named variety.
Blazer Russet is ready to harvest at about the same time as the popular, early-maturing Shepody potato. But Blazer provides higher yields of premium, U.S. No. 1 potatoes.
For details contact: Richard G. Novy, (208) 397-4181, ext. 111; USDA-ARS Small Grains and Potato Germplasm Research Unit, Aberdeen, Idaho. email: rnovy@uidaho.edu
____________________________________________________
New "Jeanne" Gooseberries: Delicious--and Pest-Resistant!
Summertime treats of tomorrow might include a chilled slice of gooseberry pie, made with a luscious new, dark-red gooseberry called "Jeanne." Scientists with the ARS National Clonal Germplasm Repository, Corvallis, Ore., made the berry available to other researchers and to plant nurseries for the first time this year, following more than 12 years of lab, greenhouse and outdoor tests.
Jeanne gooseberry plants each produce about 3 pounds of sweet, good-sized fruit every year--an impressive harvest that should please commercial growers and backyard gardeners alike.
Jeanne is named for Cheryl Jeanne Gunning, who worked at the Oregon laboratory and is now deceased.
In contrast to most other gooseberries, this plump newcomer is resistant to white pine blister rust, a disease that's a cosmetic problem to gooseberry leaves but can be devastating to pines. The gooseberry also fends off the microbe that causes powdery mildew, the berry's worst disease enemy. What's more, the plant doesn't succumb to attacks by aphids and sawflies.
For details contact: Kim E. Hummer, (541) 738-4201; USDA-ARS National Clonal Germplasm Repository, Corvallis, Ore. email: khummer@ars-grin.gov
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USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
____________________________________________________
Grape seed extracts could improve skin from within
By Stephen Daniells
27/10/2006 - A dietary supplement of oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPC) could reduce reddening of the skin by 13 per cent, scientists from Hamburg-based Bioskin GmbH have reported, research sure to be welcomed by Europe’s burgeoning oral beauty products sector.
Growing awareness of the link between diet and health, and by extension physical appearance, means that many consumers are receptive to the concept of ‘beauty from within'.
Indeed, a recent Datamonitor report predicted the overall European cosmeceuticals market to grow to $4.4bn (€3.4bn) in 2009, up 5 per cent from today. This includes all cosmetic products containing at least one bio-active ingredient for the skin.
The new research from Germany that links skin health to grape seed extracts could well be readily accepted by the female-dominated consumer base. The same Datamonitor report said that 63.7 per cent of women over the age of 50 are prepared to spend more on cosmeceuticals.
The new study, published in the journal Skin Pharmacology and Physiology (Vol. 20, pp. 43-49, doi: 10.1159/000096171), looked at the effect of a OPC dietary supplement on skin reddening (erythema) induced by exposure to UV radiation.
Known as Masquelier's Original OPCs (oligomeric proanythocyanidins), Anthogenol, the Vitis vinifera seed extract is a rich source of antioxidants such as catechins and 2-5 flavan-3-ols.
Lead researcher, Betsy Hughes-Formella, and her colleagues from Bioskin recruited 42 subjects and randomly assigned them to one of two groups: group1 received a daily Anthogenol supplement (100 mg/day) and group 2 received no supplement.
After four weeks of supplementation, the subjects were exposed to UV radiation to induce erythema and then the subjects given topical OPC formulations in addition to the supplements.
The researchers report that while the formulations did reduce skin reddening, the subjects receiving the dietary supplement of OPCs had 13 per cent less erythema than those receiving no supplement.
Levels of skin hydration were also said to be higher in the group taking the dietary supplement.
“The regular use of Anthogenol products may help to protect from free-radical-mediated skin inflammation and to increase skin hydration,” concluded the researchers.
The study adds to a growing body of science that has looked at the effects of dietary supplementation on skin health. Indeed, in recent months compounds ranging from lutein and lycopene to cocoa flavonoids have been reported to improve skin health.
The buzz about ‘beauty from within' supplements has been increasing over the last few years, as evidenced by new ingredients in both the cosmetics and the supplements sectors and discussions at industry events
Curcumin linked to better performance for elderly brains
By Stephen Daniells
27/10/2006 - Curcumin, the natural pigment that gives the spice turmeric its yellow colour, could slow mental decline in elderly people by 49 per cent, suggests a study of non-demented Asian people.
Cognitive performance declines naturally with age, but the results of the new study, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology (Vol. 164, pp. 898-906) suggests that eating curries "often or very often" had significantly better cognitive performance than those who "never or rarely" ate the dish.
The study adds to previous laboratory-based studies that showed that curcumin could boost the body's ability to clear the build up of plaques in the brain that are linked to Alzheimers disease.
Although the mechanism of Alzheimer's is not clear, significant data exists supporting the build-up of plaque from beta-amyloid deposits. Recent research (Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, Vol. 10, pp. 1-7) from the US appeared to indicate that curcumin could help the body's immune system clear away these deposits and reduce the risk of developing the disease.
The Singapore National Mental Health Survey of the Elderly, led by Tze-Pin Ng from the National University of Singapore, recruited 1,010 elderly Asian subjects (average age 68.9) and compared scores for the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE).
The researchers report that for three different categories of curry consumption - "often or very often", "occasionally" and "never or rarely" – and compared this with MMSE performance.
Ng and co-workers report that 43 per cent of the cohort consumed curry at least once a month to daily, while16 per cent never or rarely consumed the dish.
When the researchers looked at the consumption of curry with measures of cognitive impairment (scores below 23 on the MMSE), it was reported that those who consumed curry “often or very often” were associated with a 49 per cent reduced risk of cognitive impairment, compared to those who never or rarely consumed.
Eating curry “occasionally” was associated with a 38 per cent reduced risk.
“These findings present the first epidemiological evidence supporting a link between curry consumption and cognitive performance that was suggested by a large number of earlier experimental evidence,” wrote the researchers.
The study has several limitations, including not taking into account vegetable and fat intake, which form part of curries, and the accuracy of the self-reporting of curry consumption.
Given these limitations, the researchers noted that the results should be “interpreted with caution,” and stated that dietary intakes may have changed as a result of the onset of dementia in some of the subjects.
Despite such comments, the researchers point at turmeric as the potential source of the observed benefits.
“Interestingly, it has also been purported that the prevalence of Alzheimer's disease in India among elderly between 70 and 79 years of age is four-fold less than that of the United States,” said Ng.
“The results reported here are therefore significant, as they point to a significant beneficial effect on cognitive functioning with even low-to-moderate levels of curry consumption.”
Curcumin has increasingly come under the scientific spotlight in recent years, with studies investigating its potential benefits for reducing cholesterol levels, improving cardiovascular health and cancer-fighting abilities.
Some experts recommend however that consumers wishing to make use of curcumin's properties consume it in supplement form rather than eating more curries, which tend to be rather high in fat in their Western form.
Dave Ellis, RD, CSCS
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