Resveratrol and Cancer

Cancer is a very scary and a very touchy subject. I want to be very clear before I start off this discussion. As far as we at ReserveAge Organics know, there is no definite proof that Resveratrol fights cancer, however a number of studies have been producing exciting results. Resveratrol may fight cancer, we hope it does, but more studies MUST be done before people begin turning to this as a wonder drug.

One disease that I think many Americans fear the most is cancer. From a medical point of view there are a number of types of cancer, many of which are quite different from the others. However, we can define cancer as a loose term for a disease process in which a mutation within a cell makes it perform abnormally in destructive ways. These mutations typically take the form of uncontrolled growth (tumors) or the invasion and destruction of nearby tissue.

Now we do have some natural defenses against cancers. In fact our bodies help us fight them in two major ways. The first is that cells have an internal kill switch. This process is called apoptosis and in it, a cell recognizes that there is something wrong with it and kills itself. The second way we fight cancer is our white blood cells which seek out malfunctioning cells and destroy them.

Unfortunately though, our bodies can only do so much and sometimes it is not enough. At that point we must turn to our doctors. In this situation most cancers are typically treated in some combination of these three more common methods; surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

With surgery, the surgeons attempt to remove all of the cancerous tissue from the body. In radiation therapy, radiation is used on the cancerous tissue in an attempt to destroy the cancerous cells. This method actually damages normal cells in the area as well, but healthy non-cancerous cells are much better at recovering typically. The final method, chemotherapy, involves anticancer drugs that target and destroy cancerous cells. All of these methods are potentially life saving, but have the side effect of causing damage and trauma to the body.

Studies using Resveratrol have shown some exciting results for the treatment and prevention of certain cancers. I want to be very careful here though, the results of these studies are exciting and still in the early phases of testing.

As we discussed earlier, Resveratrol is rich in anti-oxidants, which are known to help prevent many cancers by limiting free radical damage. In addition, the same SIRT1 “Longevity Gene” that helps with anti-aging, may also stimulate cells to repair their own damage, such as damage that might lead to cancerous mutation.

Scientific research is also starting to discover that Resveratrol may aid the body in destroying cancer cells. The research is finding that Resveratrol may increase apoptosis (self-destruction) in cancerous cells. In these studies it was found that when exposed to certain dosages of Resveratrol, especially when combined with chemotherapy treatments, some cancer cells show increased apoptosis.

The results from these studies have excited researchers and led them to study Resveratrol in many of the common cancers including breast, prostate, colon, lymphoma and brain. I want to be clear here once more. While we know that Resveratrol will aid the body in preventing many cancers and I personally am extremely excited by the positive results that the scientific studies have found, this science is still in its early stages.

Resveratrol 101: Health Secrets of Wine and Grapes Discovered

Researchers have uncovered the secret of why red wine, grapes and some other fruits are beneficial for health. Scientists from Scotland and Singapore have discovered that resveratrol in red wine (and red grapes) has potent anti-inflammatory properties that could be tapped for treating life threatening inflammation – the kind associated with massive systemic infection (sepsis), appendicitis, and peritonitis (abdominal inflammation).

Sepsis and peritonitis can be deadly. Antibiotic resistance increases the risk of dying from a virulent bacteria or virus. Inflammation releases cytokines that harm tissues in the body, sometimes irreversibly. The new study shows that resveratrol compounds might be used to develop drugs that prevent inflammation and risk of death from life threatening illnesses.

Alirio Melendez, senior lecturer on the faculty of medicine at Glasgow Biomedical Research Centre in Scotland participated in the research. Melendez explains, "Strong acute inflammatory diseases such as sepsis are very difficult to treat and many die every day due to lack of treatment. Moreover, many survivors of sepsis develop a very low quality of life due to the damage that inflammation causes to several internal organs. The ultimate goal of our study was to identify a potential novel therapy to help in the treatment of strong acute inflammatory diseases."

The secret to the health benefits of resveratrol comes from the compound’s ability to prevent the formation of two different molecules that trigger inflammation - sphingosine kinase and phospholipase D, discovered in mouse studies.

The scientists compared inflammatory response in two groups of mice – one group was pretreated with resveratrol. The mice not given resveratrol displayed strong inflammatory response compared to the mice give the natural compound.

Resveratrol is found in nature, and is now shown to have potential for treating inflammation associated with serious illness. Plants produce resveratrol as a defense against bacteria. Red wines produce resveratrol during fermentation. Red grape juice, some white wines, blueberries, mulberry fruit, and peanuts also contain resveratrol in varying quantities. Red grapes contain the highest levels of resveratrol. Some manufacturers of supplements get the compound from Japanese knotweed.

The study showing the potential of resveratrol for treating life threatening illness is published in the FASEB journal. According to Editor-in-Chief, Gerald Weissmann, MD, "The therapeutic potential of red wine has been bottled up for thousands of years and now that scientists have uncorked its secrets, they find that studies of how resveratrol works can lead to new treatments for life-threatening inflammation."

Source: www.Examiner.com

Drink wine, fight cavities?

Call it fluoride for grown-ups: New research suggests a crisp chardonnay may fight cavities.

Italian researchers who tested supermarket-bought red and white wines report both were effective in controlling the growth of bacteria that cause tooth decay and sore throats.

Sadly, though, the ingredients work best when you remove them from wine.

The researcher says the components in wine that fight oral bacteria might one day be added to mouthwashes and toothpastes. Experiments are already being carried out in humans to test wine's effects on cavities and upper respiratory tract infections, according to Gabriella Gazzani of the faculty of pharmacy at the University of Pavia in Italy.

Her research team has been looking at components of food that might possess any kind of biological activity.

It was already known wine contains a number of biologically active compounds that, once they reach the stomach and digestive tract, have health benefits. One or two glasses a day of red wine has been shown to cut the risk of coronary heart disease and cancer.

Scientists who once tested 16 Chilean reds showed antimicrobial activity against six strains of helicobacter pylori, the bacteria that cause stomach ulcers. Others have shown red and white wines are as effective as bismuth salicylate (Pepto-Bismol) against "traveller's diarrhea."

As well, according to a background release, wine has been used "since antiquity" in wound healing. In the Bible, Luke tells how the Good Samaritan "went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine."

But this is the first study to show wine may have health benefits from the moment it wets lips and gum.

Gazzani's team, whose work will be published in the next issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, tested the bacteria-fighting activity of commercial red and white wines against eight strains of oral streptococci. The bacteria can colonize tooth surfaces, triggering plaque formation. They can also cause pharyngitis - infection of the pharynx or tonsils.

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Two wines - an Italian red, Valpolicella Classico DOC Superiore, and an Italian white, Pinot Nero DOC, both 2003 vintages- were purchased from a local supermarket.

The wines were de-alcoholized before testing to rule out any effect of ethanol.

In lab experiments, both wines were active against streptococci. The red had a stronger effect than the white, though the difference was not statistically significant, meaning it may have been due to chance.

Gazzani says the organic acids in wine, such as acetic, citric, lactic, succinic and tartaric acids "are responsible for the antibacterial activity against oral streptococci." The acids are found naturally in grapes or are produced during fermentation.

The finding suggests wine "enhances oral health," the researchers conclude.

The team got better results with chemicals removed from the wine than from the wine itself, suggesting there are other ingredients in wine that counteract the antibacterial work.

Gazzani says the main cavity-causing sugar is sucrose. "Wines are not so rich in sugar, and in particular they are poor in sucrose," she says.

Still, wine bottles won't be carrying the Canadian Dental Association seal of approval anytime soon. President Dr. Darryl Smith cautioned that the research is "very early on" and has not been proven in humans.

"There may be things in our diet that if we eat will contribute to our overall health and it would nice to think - really nice to think - that some of the things that we may really enjoy are helpful in moderation," said Smith, who practises in Valleyview, Alta.

"But the bottom line is, brushing and flossing and eating well are the really important things right now" in preventing tooth decay, he says.

Article written by Sharon Kirkey for Canwest News Service.

Source: www.Canada.com

Resveratrol...what's all the hoopla about?

Do you search for a fountain of youth? Seemingly ever elusive, the so-called fountain may be closer than you think. Green tea, blueberries, pomegranate, acai berry and mangosteen are just a few antioxidant powerhouses.

But a recent discovery and stabilization of a fascinating molecule has people in the science and research world doing a double take.

It's called resveratrol. Information was first introduced in the earlier part of the decade when a group of Harvard researchers led by Dr. David Sinclair accidentally stumbled upon the molecule.

They were shocked at what the tests on mice revealed. The resveratrol actually mimicked the life- extending benefits of calorie restriction. You know, the thing where you limit your caloric intake to around 1,000 calories a day and stop eating entirely after early afternoon each day because it actually extends life? (Um, yay??) I'm not sure I'd want my life extended if that's what it entails!

The scientists also compared mice fed a high-fat diet with no resveratrol to mice fed the same high-fat diet with resveratrol. The researchers reported that while running, the mice fed the resveratrol looked like mini-olympians compared to the others.

And it causes cells to behave well. Excellent, actually. It has potential cancer-fighting and preventing qualities, as well as the potential ability to fight and prevent heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer's, and the list goes on.

So what foods contain it? There are trace amounts found in blueberries, bilberries, mulberries and peanuts, with higher amounts found in red and muscadine grape skins. That could possibly lend an explanation to the mysterious French paradox...Why do French people have such low instances of heart disease when their diet is so high in fat? Red wine is a staple of their diet.

But some research suggests that this couldn't possibly be an explanation for the paradox, because to receive the necessary life-extending benefits of resveratrol, one would have to consume around 1,000 glasses of red wine a day.

Sinclair and his team found a way to stabilize the molecule and now it's offered as a supplement. The marketing world is already jumping all over this, but of course, not all resveratrol is the same.

There are capsules, individual drinks and the liquid version where you measure a teaspoon for the daily dose. The latter is the one I've been taking for awhile now. One teaspoon contains the same amount of resveratrol as 1,000 glasses of red wine.

When I opened it for the first time, I was shocked because it looked like extremely thick blood with a deeper cranberry hue! It tastes like a sweet, almost condensed merlot.

Studies show that higher levels of the molecule are detected in human plasma hours later through buccal delivery of the liquid, whereas only trace amounts are detected with most capsule forms.

It's also available in a few select skincare lines. And back in the '90's a discovery was made showing resveratrol applied topically could actually inhibit skin cancer.

The negative side effects? So far none have been found except upset stomach and occasional joint pain associated with large doses.

Sinclair has partnered with a major pharmaceutical company and they have invested millions in the promise of resveratrol. They are currently working on a stronger dose of the product which should be available in five years. It is currently being tested on cancer patients in a trial setting.

I'm not a physician, nutritionist or salesperson for the product, but I guess I can say I do have more energy since I started taking it. Maybe it's working, maybe it's not, but it does give me a little more peace of mind!

This article was written by Amanda Dalla Riva for The News Journal

Source: TheNewsJournal.com

Group Researches Fountain of Youth Pill

What if you could add a quarter of a century to your life by simply taking a pill? It sounds like an infomercial pitch, but that's the kind of pill a team of St. Louis researchers is trying to develop and volunteers are already taking it.

What they are testing is a naturally occurring substance called resveratrol. It is found in red wine and it is a powerful antioxidant.

It's so powerful that researchers at Washington University are studying whether large doses of resveratrol, and by large we mean the equivalent of hundreds of bottles of wine, in a single pill can help people live longer. To find out, they are testing it on people.

While studies of resveratrol have already shown encouraging results in lab animals, researchers already know of a proven way to substantially slow the aging process without drugs.

It's called calorie restriction: a diet of only 1,200 to 1,500 calories a day. As part of its resveratrol study, Washington University is putting volunteers on a calorie restriction diet so they can compare the results to the group taking the pills.

Resveratrol is not supposed to make you feel any different, because if it's working the effects would be metabolic. So researchers will look for changes in things like cholesterol and blood sugar.

Source: fox4kc.com

Study Of Fellow Primates Stirs Health Hope

Monkeys on low-calorie diet found to live longer.

Wisconsin researchers reported yesterday that rhesus monkeys on a low-calorie diet live longer and healthier lives, a finding two decades in the making that suggests such diets might slow aging in people, too.

Scientists have long known that dramatically cutting calories can extend the lives of yeast, flies, and rodents, discoveries that have sparked a fevered quest for a human fountain of youth. The new study in monkeys, a genetic cousin of humans, gives researchers hope that they are on the right track.

“For 70 years, people have been wondering whether this phenomenon that occurs in rats might also occur in humans,’’ said David Sinclair, a pathology professor at Harvard Medical School who was not involved with the study. “What this paper says is while we don’t know for sure, we’ve got one extra point on the side of the people who believe it will work in humans.’’

Because of the long lifespan of people and the rigors of the diet, studies of calorie restriction in humans are ongoing and have yet to produce definitive results.

Scientists said the monkey study is a significant advance in a story that began in 1935, when researchers first discovered that a nutritious but calorie-restricted diet served as a fountain of youth for rodents.

That finding grew into a body of research revealing the beneficial effects of calorie restriction in other species, and prompted a search for drugs that would exploit the same biological pathways without requiring people to go on drastic diets. Sirtris, a Cambridge company that Sinclair cofounded and was bought last year by pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline, is a leader in these efforts.

Sinclair’s discovery that resveratrol, a natural ingredient found in red wine, could mimic the effects of calorie restriction in yeast and fruit flies has helped fuel over-the-counter sales of resveratrol products. It also spurred Sirtris to create drugs that mimic resveratrol but are more potent and might be used to treat diseases of aging. The company is testing one such drug in people with type 2 diabetes.

Using another approach, researchers reported in the journal Nature this week that rapamycin, an organ transplant drug, significantly extended life spans in mice. But much remains unanswered. A study last year reported that resveratrol had health benefits for adult mice but did not help those fed a standard diet to live longer. Researchers also cautioned people not to take rapamycin because it suppresses the immune system.

In the new study, published in the journal Science, researchers followed a group of 76 rhesus monkeys that took different paths in adulthood. Half were put on a diet consuming 30 percent fewer calories and half continued as before.

After two decades, five monkeys on a restricted diet had died of age-related causes such as cardiovascular disease or cancer, compared with 14 monkeys on a normal diet. The monkeys on the restricted diet were healthier overall, with no diabetes, and fewer cases of cancer or cardiovascular disease. In key regions, their brain tissue also shrunk less than monkeys on a normal diet.

The monkeys on a normal diet also looked visibly older - their eyes sunken, coats thinner and posture cramped - than their dieting counterparts, according to Ricki J. Colman, lead author of the paper and a scientist at the Wisconsin National Primate Research Center.

“This report in my mind represents a major transition in our project. For years, we’ve been asking the question: ‘Will caloric restriction slow the aging process in monkeys?’ Now we think that we have accumulated solid data to say yes, it will,’’ said Richard Weindruch, a professor of medicine at the University of Wisconsin at Madison and senior author of the paper.

Leonard Guarente, an MIT biologist who did pioneering work on aging yeast and sits on the scientific advisory board of Sirtris, said the diet’s strongest result was in preventing diabetes. But he called the study preliminary and questioned the authors’ decision to exclude deaths deemed to not be related to aging.

“I would say that this study provides hope that it [calorie restriction] will combat diabetes and metabolic diseases, but the question of other diseases and actually living longer are still open questions,’’ Guarente said.

Weindruch is careful to call the new study an interim report, with one of the most important questions still to be answered: how long will the 33 remaining monkeys - 20 on the restricted diet, and 13 eating normally - ultimately live? The average lifespan of a rhesus monkey in captivity is 27 years.

Susan Roberts, director of the energy metabolism laboratory at the Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, points out that the animal study can’t address many aspects of the diet, including the psychological effects: Are the monkeys hungry? Happy? Able to react to stress?

She is studying 72 people in one branch of a national calorie restriction study intended to tease out the health and psychological effects.

“This is a good study, one that we have been waiting for a long time,’’ Roberts wrote about the monkey research in an e-mail. “It adds to the evidence piling up that calorie restriction, independent of thinness, is a healthy way to stay alive and healthy longer.’’

Source: www.Boston.com

Local Heart Doctors First in Nation to Announce Active Investigation of Red Wine (Resveratrol) Pills, Issue Consumer Precautions

Red wine (resveratrol) pills appear to be the rage these days and a local group of cardiologists wants to lead the way for patients and consumers to learn more about them. They may be among the first U.S. cardiologists to do so.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090709/LA44390)

In response to growing inquiries about the heart-healthy properties of red wine pills, a local cardiology group says it will soon begin to study the effects of these pills among their patients with heart problems and suggests consumers consult with knowledgeable doctors before launching into unguided self use.

Jacqueline Hollywood M.D., cardiologist with the Advanced Cardiology Institute in Ft. Lee, New Jersey, says so many patients are hearing about the promises of red wine pills that their group decided to learn with their patients rather than leave them to pursue unguided use.

Dr. Hollywood says human studies are largely derived from users of red wine, not red wine pills, so there is a need for research studies, but is confident that red wine pills are safer than an alcoholic beverage.

Nate Lebowitz M.D., also a cardiologist with the Advanced Cardiology Institute, says the goal is to find out if red wine pills can actually mimic the French Paradox, the fact that red-wine drinking adults in France, who consume a high-fat and calorie-rich diet, experience a much lower mortality rate from heart disease than North Americans.

Americans first became aware of the French Paradox in 1991 when it was aired on CBS' 60 Minutes television program. Red wine resveratrol pills first gained attention late in 2003 shortly after Harvard researchers noted that a resveratrol, a molecule found in red wine, prolonged the life of yeast cells in a lab dish. Since then resveratrol has been proven to extend the life of fruit flies, roundworms, cold-water fish and high-fat fed mice.

"We will cautiously begin some studies, to measure markers, like inflammation, cholesterol, blood clotting, and maybe even imaging of coronary or carotid arteries, to see if these pills live up to their promise," says Dr. Lebowitz.

Forward thinking doctors needed

Howard Rothman M.D., a senior cardiologist at the Advanced Cardiology Institute, says their group of cardiologists has offered many tests and therapies based on credible scientific publications long before these interventions were fully tested with outcome studies and before they were more widely accepted, and red wine pills are just another example. "Patients want to know we are forward thinking, not waiting ten years for consensus. People need medical strategies and preventive care now, before they develop vascular problems," said Dr. Rothman.

Dr. Rothman says the idea of providing the heart healthy molecules found in red wine in a pill without the accompanying alcohol, sugars or calories, sounds appropriate, but that only further testing will reveal their effectiveness.

For their many patients who now inquire about these pills, the Advanced Cardiology Institutes doctors selected a red wine pill that had been previously tested in animals and humans. "There may be poorly made brands or improper dosages and we want to make sure the patients are taking a product that has the best chance of working and does not produce avoidable side effects," says Dr. Rothman.

Dr. Rothman cautions that the molecules in red wine, like resveratrol (rez-vair-ah-trawl) and quercetin (qwer-see-tin), may interfere with prescription medications, and should not be taken at the same time as red wine pills.

Side effects, while few and mostly mild and reversible, are possible, such as dizziness, fatigue, headaches and sore Achilles tendons, which are the most commonly experienced.

Red wine pills commonly feature resveratrol, a molecule that has produced strikingly positive effects in animal studies. Resveratrol inhibits blood clots, reduces inflammation and favorably alters cholesterol, among its many beneficial properties.

Red wine molecules pre-condition the heart

Dr. Lebowitz says, in animals, resveratrol has been shown to produce what is called a pre-conditioning effect for the heart. Normally a protective enzyme called heme-oxygenase is rapidly produced following a heart attack to limit damage to heart muscle tissue caused by the release of iron. In animal studies, resveratrol has been shown to trigger the production of heme-oxygenase prior to a heart attack and therefore limit damage caused by the event, he says.

Dr. Lebowitz says the pre-conditioning effect is only achieved when proper doses of resveratrol are employed. Too little and there is no benefit, and too much resveratrol and the damage caused by a heart attack will be worsened. "This is why we want to guide our patients, rather than leave them to navigate in the use of these red wine dietary supplements on their own," he says.

Gene activation

Resveratrol is fast becoming a household word as it now widely extolled as a potential longevity molecule. Resveratrol and other small molecules found in red wine can enter living cells and influence genetic machinery. One widely studied gene pathway, activated by resveratrol, is the Sirtuin1 gene, known as a survival gene. The current idea is to develop pills that will mimic the effects of a calorie-restricted diet, which is known to double the lifespan of all living organisms.

Doctors at the Advanced Cardiology Institute have chosen to dispense red wine pills directly to patients to better monitor usage and compliance.

The red wine pills are dispensed at Advanced Cardiology Institute, so the doctors can monitor usage and compliance. Generally, patients return to the office every four months for re-examination.

"These pills may be a boon to cardiology," says Dr. Hollywood, "if they do in humans what they have been shown to do in animals, and among the red wine drinkers in France. Hopefully, we will know soon." Further information is provided at this website: http://www.acicardio.com/default.aspx

Source: www.SmartBrief.com

Legal Performance Enhancer

Everybody knows an apple a day keeps the doctor away.

A new USC study reveals a hundred apples a day might win the race.

Of course, that’s a gross oversimplification, and eating 100 apples daily would cause other problems. But the study is a major addition to the growing medical literature on the benefits of quercetin — a substance found in the skins of fruits and vegetables, including apples.

The study found quercetin boosted energy and endurance significantly in healthy college-age participants who weren’t training for athletics. Given 1,000 milligrams of quercetin mixed in liquid with Tang for seven days, the participants saw increases of 13.2 percent in endurance and 3.9 percent in maximal oxygen capacity.

In other words, simply by taking quercetin, these young people increased their fitness. It sounds too good to be true, more suited for a late night infomercial than the pages of the International Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, where the USC study was published this month.

“Is this the magic exercise pill that we’re all looking for?” said Mark Davis, the study’s lead author and a professor of exercise science at USC’s Arnold School of Public Health. “Of course not. But the results show you do get some of the benefits (normally derived from exercise) without exercise.”

Researchers have been delving into quercetin’s potential in battling cancer and increasing endurance for years, but this is one of the first peer-reviewed studies on the possible performance benefits of the compound, Davis said.

It would be nearly impossible to get the volume of quercetin used in the study in your daily diet. A red apple has about 10 milligrams of quercetin. But there are powder supplements that include quercetin, and quercetin is a major ingredient in FRS Healthy Energy drink, which quickly added a link to the study on its Web site.

Often, these kinds of studies are funded in part by companies that could benefit from the findings. But in this case, the U.S. Department of Defense funded the study to determine if quercetin could be used in its combat feeding program, Davis said.

Some athletes aren’t waiting. Cyclist Lance Armstrong has been preaching the benefits of quercetin for years. Derek Fisher of the Los Angeles Lakers also is a spokesman for FRS, which includes about 400 milligrams of quercetin in an 11.5-ounce drink.

Davis’ team began studying quercetin in mice three years ago before moving up to humans. It already is working on a follow-up study that includes examination of muscle cells.

“We believe that this could be a major breakthrough in nutrition,” Davis said.

At the same time, he’s trying to be cautious. Other researchers will have to come up with similar findings before the scientific community gives the absolute, all-clear recommendation on use of quercetin as a performance enhancer. Davis said he especially wants to gain a better understanding of how it works.

The USC study team believes quercetin increases the formation of mitochondria, which produce the energy in muscle and brain cells. If further studies prove that idea, quercetin also could be used to slow age-related dementia, Davis said.

Because quercetin also has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, it could help fight colon cancer and heart disease.

Like many of the thousands of flavonoids — compounds found naturally in fruits and vegetables — quercetin seems to be good for just about anything that ails you.

The more scientists look into flavonoids, the more they recognize how smart those parental pleas for you to eat your vegetables were.

Source: TheState.com

Quercetin Boosts Endurance, Fitness

Quercetin may not be a household word—yet. But a study by researchers at the University of South Carolina’s Arnold School of Public Health shows the powerful antioxidant/anti-inflammatory compound found in fruits and vegetables significantly boosts endurance capacity and maximal oxygen capacity (VO2max) in healthy, active but untrained men and women.

The findings of the study—one of the first in humans to examine the energy-boosting effects of quercetin—are reported in the International Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, published online Wednesday, June 24.

Dr. Mark Davis, the study’s lead author and a professor of exercise science, said the fatigue-fighting and health properties of quercetin—found in the skins of red apples, red onions, berries and grapes—have implications not only for athletes and soldiers whose energy and performance are tested to the extreme, but also for average adults who battle fatigue and stress daily.

“The natural, biological properties of quercetin that include powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity, as well as the ability to boost the immune system and increase mitochondria (the powerhouse of the cell) in muscle and brain is great news for those who often think that they’re too tired to exercise,” Davis said.

“While there’s no magic pill to make people get up and move, or to take the place of regular exercise, quercetin may be important in relieving the fatigue that keeps them sedentary and in providing some of the benefits of exercise,” he said. “We believe that this could be a major breakthrough in nutrition.”

For the study, funded in part by the U.S. Department of Defense, 12 participants were randomly assigned to one of two treatments. Half were given 500 mg of quercetin twice a day in Tang for seven days. The other subjects drank Tang with placebos. After the seven days of treatment, during which the subjects were told not to alter their physical activity, the participants rode stationary bicycles to the point of fatigue.

Researchers also tested their additional VO2max, one of the most important measures of fitness. Then the participants received the opposite treatment for another seven days before riding the bicycle to the point of fatigue and VO2max tests. Neither the participants nor the research staff knew who received the quercetin Tang or the placebo Tang, and all subjects took part in the quercetin and placebo treatments.

“The participants were healthy, relatively active, college-age students, but they were not physically trained athletes, and they were not taking part in a regular exercise training program,” he said.

The results: After taking quercetin for only seven days, the participants had a 13.2 percent increase in endurance and a 3.9 percent increase in VO2max.

“These were statistically significant effects that indicate an important improvement in endurance capacity in a very short time,” Davis said. “Quercetin supplementation was able to mimic some of the effects of exercise training.

Although the study did not examine why the results were so dramatic, Davis said pre-clinical data suggest that quercetin may increase the mitochondria in brain and muscle cells. He likened the mitochondria to the “powerhouse of the cell,” producing most of its energy. Mitochondria in brain and muscle also are believed to be fundamentally important in battling age-related dementia, obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular dysfunction.

“One of the most important biological mechanisms for increasing endurance is increasing the mitochondria,” said Davis. “More mitochondria in the brain and muscle would enhance both mental and physical energy, as well as provide a better ability to fight other diseases in which mitochondrial dysfunction are hallmarks.”

Quercetin also appears to have valuable properties to fight inflammation, which has been linked to health problems such as colon cancer and heart disease. Davis’ research group has recently received a National Institutes of Health grant to study quercetin’s effects on colon cancer and others are pending that involve breast cancer.

“If the findings of this study and others on the biological mechanisms of quercetin are confirmed in future clinical studies, the implications go beyond improvements in endurance,” he said. “We may find that quercetin may work in conjunction with regular physical activity as an ally in preventing and treating diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular diseases and the degenerative diseases of aging.”

Source: NaturalProductsInsider.com

The Benefits Of Resveratrol

An antioxidant found in the skin of grapes, resveratrol may help promote heart health by lowering LDL ("bad") cholesterol, preventing damage to blood vessels, and reducing risk of blood clotting and inflammation.

One of the richest sources of resveratrol is red wine, which is fermented with grape skins longer than white wine. Resveratrol is also sold as a dietary supplement.

The Benefits of Resveratrol

So far, most of the research on resveratrol's health effects has been carried out in tests on animals and laboratory cultures. While human-based research is lacking, the compound shows promise as a natural defense against several types of chronic disease.

Resveratrol and Cancer

In a 2008 study on cell cultures, resveratrol helped suppress breast-cancer progression in its earliest stages. The antioxidant appeared to stop estrogen from reacting with DNA molecules and forming compounds that mark the start of cancer cell formation.

Resveratrol and Heart Health

Resveratrol may help guard against age-related decline in heart health, according to a 2008 study on middle-aged mice. Researchers examined more than 1,000 genes in the heart, all of which change in function as we age. But in mice fed low doses of resveratrol, that age-related change was thwarted by 92%.

Given these findings, the study's authors suggest that regular intake of resveratrol may serve as "a robust intervention in the retardation of cardiac aging." Of course, it's important to remember that research done on animals does not confirm equal efficacy in humans.

Resveratrol and Age-Related Disorders

In a 2009 review of recent studies on red wine's health effects, researchers determined that -- in addition to helping protect against heart disease and cancer -- resveratrol may aid in the prevention of age-related disorders like inflammation and neurodegenerative disease. The review also indicated that resveratrol may help reduce risk of diabetes.

Red Wine for Better Health?

While research shows that drinking red wine may help shield against heart disease -- possibly due to resveratrol's heart-healthy effects -- it's important to note that consuming too much alcohol may raise your risk of high blood pressure, liver damage, obesity, and some forms of cancer.

Resveratrol Supplements

Although most drugstores and health food stores sell resveratrol in capsule form, few studies have explored the health benefits of taking resveratrol supplements. For now, increase your resveratrol intake by eating grapes, blueberries, cranberries, and pomegranate, all of which are rich in a range of antioxidants.

Sources:

Barger JL, Kayo T, Vann JM, Arias EB, Wang J, Hacker TA, Wang Y, Raederstorff D, Morrow JD, Leeuwenburgh C, Allison DB, Saupe KW, Cartee GD, Weindruch R, Prolla TA. "A low dose of dietary resveratrol partially mimics caloric restriction and retards aging parameters in mice." PLoS ONE 2008 4;3(6):e2264.

Brown L, Kroon PA, Das DK, Das S, Tosaki A, Chan V, Singer MV, Feick P. "The Biological Responses to Resveratrol and Other Polyphenols From Alcoholic Beverages." Alcoholism, Clinical and Experimental Research 2009 10.

Lu F, Zahid M, Wang C, Saeed M, Cavalieri EL, Rogan EG. "Resveratrol prevents estrogen-DNA adduct formation and neoplastic transformation in MCF-10F cells." Cancer Prevention Research 2008 1(2):135-45.

Source: About.com

Green Tea May Slow Prostate Cancer Progression

PHILADELPHIA—According to results of a study published in Cancer Prevention Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, men with prostate cancer who consumed the active compounds in green tea demonstrated a significant reduction in serum markers predictive of prostate cancer progression.

“The investigational agent used in the trial, Polyphenon E (provided by Polyphenon Pharma) may have the potential to lower the incidence and slow the progression of prostate cancer,” said James A. Cardelli, Ph.D., professor and director of basic and translational research in the Feist-Weiller Cancer Center, LSU Health Sciences Center-Shreveport.

Green tea is the second most popular drink in the world, and some epidemiological studies have shown health benefits with green tea, including a reduced incidence of prostate cancer, according to Cardelli. However, some human trials have found contradictory results. The few trials conducted to date have evaluated the clinical efficacy of green tea consumption and few studies have evaluated the change in biomarkers, which might predict disease progression.

Cardelli and colleagues conducted this open-label, single-arm, phase II clinical trial to determine the effects of short-term supplementation with green tea’s active compounds on serum biomarkers in patients with prostate cancer. The biomarkers include hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and prostate specific antigen (PSA). HGF and VEGF are good prognostic indicators of metastatic disease.

The study included 26 men, aged 41 to 72 years, diagnosed with prostate cancer and scheduled for radical prostatectomy. Patients consumed four capsules containing Polyphenon E until the day before surgery—four capsules are equivalent to about 12 cups of normally brewed concentrated green tea, according to Cardelli. The time of study for 25 of the 26 patients ranged from 12 days to 73 days, with a median time of 34.5 days.

Findings showed a significant reduction in serum levels of HGF, VEGF and PSA after treatment, with some patients demonstrating reductions in levels of greater than 30 percent, according to the researchers.

Cardelli and colleagues found other biomarkers were also positively affected. There were only a few reported side effects associated with this study, and liver function remained normal.

Results of a recent year-long clinical trial conduced by researchers in Italy demonstrated consumption of green tea polyphenols reduced the risk of developing prostate cancer in men with high-grade prostate intraepithelial neoplasia (HGPIN).

“These studies are just the beginning and a lot of work remains to be done, however, we think that the use of tea polyphenols alone or in combination with other compounds currently used for cancer therapy should be explored as an approach to prevent cancer progression and recurrence,” Cardelli said.

William G. Nelson, V., M.D., Ph.D., professor of oncology, urology and pharmacology at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, believes the reduced serum biomarkers of prostate cancer may be attributable to some sort of benefit relating to green tea components.

“Unfortunately, this trial was not a randomized trial, which would have been needed to be more sure that the observed changes were truly attributable to the green tea components and not to some other lifestyle change (better diet, taking vitamins, etc.) men undertook in preparation for surgery,” added Nelson, who is also a senior editor for Cancer Prevention Research. However, “this trial is provocative enough to consider a more substantial randomized trial.”

In collaboration with Columbia University in New York City, the researchers are currently conducting a comparable trial among patients with breast cancer. They also plan to conduct further studies to identify the factors that could explain why some patients responded more dramatically to Polyphenon E than others. Cardelli suggested that additional controlled clinical trials should be done to see if combinations of different plant polyphenols were more effective than Polyphenon E alone.

“There is reasonably good evidence that many cancers are preventable, and our studies using plant-derived substances support the idea that plant compounds found in a healthy diet can play a role in preventing cancer development and progression,” said Cardelli.

A Headache For Dr. Oz

Celebrity surgeon's endorsement of a longevity pill has sparked a rag-tag industry of sellers using fake news sites and phony health claims--starring Dr. Oz.

Oprah Winfrey's latest protégé, Dr. Mehmet Oz, made some startling claims this spring in appearances on Oprah and Good Morning America. Dr. Oz, whom Winfrey calls "America's doctor," talked up the anti-aging properties of resveratrol, a substance found in red wine. Oprah looked a tad skeptical as Dr. Oz, sitting in hospital scrubs and holding a bowl of green pills, described his belief that drinking red wine could substantially slow aging. To get enough resveratrol, however, you'd have to drink 24 bottles of wine a day. Or, you could just take a resveratrol pill.

After appearing as Oprah's health expert for the past five years, the 49-year-old Oz, director of the Cardiovascular Institute at Columbia University Medical Center in New York, is preparing to host his own daytime show produced by Oprah this fall.

When Dr. Oz speaks, people listen. His glowing endorsements of resveratrol have spawned an overnight industry of shadowy peddlers of the stuff. Dozens of Web sites using his name or image have appeared, usually offering free trials of resveratrol. One of the biggest operators is a North Miami Beach, Fla.-based company called FWM Laboratories that runs phony local television news Web sites hawking its anti-aging pills.

At the top of the Drudge Report's homepage, pictures of Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Aniston and Marisa Tomei are captioned: "How does she look so young?" A photo of Dr. Oz appears alongside the actresses. Clicking Dr. Oz brings you to "News 3," supposedly a Web site for a local television news outfit in Sacramento, Calif., which carries an article titled "Health Specialist Janice Wilson Reports on Her Experience Using Resveratrol." The same ads on other sites take users to sister pages with the same reports, like "News 9" (New Jersey) and "News 5" (Austin, Texas).

On each site, the reporter confides that her news director asked her to do an "investigative report" on resveratrol. So she challenged two colleagues, including an attractive photographer, Vivian, whose picture accompanies the story, to try it. After a 30-day trial, Wilson writes that they slept better, had fewer wrinkles and even noticed more volume in their hair. Apparently, resveratrol even gave one a new body (on the Sacramento page "Vivian" is a 30-something blue-eyed blonde; on the Austin page she is an auburn-haired woman in her 40s). In the middle of these news accounts, which sit next to real-time AccuWeather updates, is a link to "Resveratrol Ultra," which--surprise--is described as the most "reputable" resveratrol product on the market.

Click that link and you get to the offer: a free 30-day supply of resveratrol pills (pay only $2.94 shipping and handling). At the bottom of the page, beneath a slew of news stories, is the clincher. The site states your credit card will be debited a recurring charge of $85.26 a month to keep your supply of pills current, unless you cancel in 10 days.

Last month, the Resveratrol Ultra site drew 833,000 unique visitors. It has also drawn the lion's share of postings from 285 angry buyers on ComplaintsBoard.com, many of whom contend they were ripped off by FWM Laboratories, which makes Resveratrol Ultra and other supplements. Many write that after they tried to cancel their free trials, the company made monthly charges to their credit cards anyway. One buyer contends the capsules he was sent do not contain Resveratrol, but Japanese knotweed.

The Better Business Bureau rates the company an "F" and lists 2,694 consumer complaints against FWM Labs. The Florida Attorney General's Office is unhappy with FWM, too. It is investigating similar unauthorized credit card charge complaints involving another product. Attempts by phone and e-mail to reach FWM or the company's only listed executive, Vice President Brian Weiss, were unsuccessful.

Other rag-tag sites peddle resveratrol using Dr. Oz's imprimatur far more aggressively. There's the incorrectly spelled "Dr. Os Resveratrol," fronted by a photo of a beaming Dr. Oz, stating, "How would you like to live to be 125?" There is "Dr. Oz Resveratrol," "Dr. Oz Anti-Aging Secrets" and "Dr. Oz Resveratrol Wrinkle Cream." Another says, "Click Here to Get Free Dr. Oz's Resveratrol Top Choice!" Many of these sites draw from 30,000 to 160,000 unique visitors a month--some more, according to Quantcast. These pages often display earlier reports on CBS' ( CBS - news - people )60 Minutes and a Harvard study lauding the health benefits of resveratrol.

What power does resveratrol really have? Found in the skin of red grapes, it is one of a key group of enzymes called sirtuins. Worms, fruit flies, even yeast cells fed resveratrol in studies have lived longer. Resveratrol treatment helped fat mice live as long as healthy thin mice. But it didn't extend the lives of mice that were already healthy in one study. Researchers don't know what it will do in humans.

Dr. Oz says he does not endorse or profit from any resveratrol maker. He declined an interview with Forbes but said in a statement that he could not vouch for the "authenticity, safety or effectiveness" of any resveratrol seller. "Unfortunately, several companies are attempting to deceive consumers through the unauthorized use of my image or my name, and my attorneys are pursuing those making these false claims," he says.

When Dr. Oz's show launches in September, chances are he'll think twice about such endorsements. Topics he's expected to discuss on the show include infrared sauna baths and the healing properties of hyperbaric oxygen. If you see a Dr. Oz-hosted site selling air, think twice.

Source: Forbes.com

Red Wine Ingredient Is A "Wonderdrug"

An ingredient of red wine really is a 'wonderdrug', claim scientists, after research suggested it kills cancer cells and protects the heart and brain from damage.

Researchers claim moderate drinking of red wine appears to reduce "all causes of mortality" and protects people from age-related disorders such as dementia, diabetes and high blood pressure.
They said that the key ingredient appears to be resveratrol which in small doses acts as an antioxidant protecting organs but in larger quantities kills dangerous cancer cells.

"The breadth of benefits is remarkable – cancer prevention, protection of the heart and brain from damage, reducing age-related diseases such as inflammation, reversing diabetes and obesity, and many more," said Professor Lindsay Brown of the University of Queensland.

The conclusions were drawn by Professor Brown and her team after a "mini review" of a number of recent studies about the health benefits of red wine published in Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.

The biochemists said that red wine appears to contain a number of antioxidants - naturally-occurring protective compounds - which are good for your health but that resveratrol was the most powerful.

They concluded that it "shows therapeutic potential" for cancer and heart disease and may aid in the prevention of age-related disorders that affect the brain and the body.

The ability to protect healthy cells but kill diseased ones was still puzzling scientists, the study claimed, but they said the most likely explanation was low concentrations "activate survival mechanisms of cells while high concentrations turn on the inbuilt death signals in these cells". But the researchers warned that moderation was the key as too much drinking causes multiple organ damage.

Professor Stephen Taylor, also at the University of Queensland, said that resveratrol is the "compound du jour" and that its beauty was that it is a medicine most people enjoy taking. "I think that red wine has both some mystique and some historical symbolism in the west and of course, some various pleasures attached to its ingestion, all of which give it a psychological advantage edge, food-wise," he said.

He said "not many of us can or will eat a couple of cups of blueberries a day for years on end" but we were happy to have a glass of wine.

Professor Brown said the research was starting to explain reports from the last 200 years that drinking red wine improves health.

"It is a cliché that nature is a treasure trove of compounds," she said. "But studies with resveratrol show that this is correct. We need to understand better the vast array of compounds that exist in nature, and determine their potential benefits to health."

Source: www.Telegraph.co.uk

Red-wine Polyphenol Called Resveratrol Demonstrates Significant Health Benefits

The benefits of alcohol are all about moderation. Low to moderate drinking – especially of red wine – appears to reduce all causes of mortality, while too much drinking causes multiple organ damage. A mini-review of recent findings on red wine's polyphenols, particularly one called resveratrol, will be published in the September issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research; the review is also available at Early View.

"Reports on the benefits of red wine are almost two centuries old," said Lindsay Brown, associate professor in the School of Biomedical Sciences at The University of Queensland and corresponding author for the study. "The media developed the more recent story of the French paradox in the early 1990s. However, studies on the actions of resveratrol, one of the active non-alcoholic ingredients, were uncommon until research around 1997 showed prevention of cancers. This led to a dramatic interest in this compound."

Red wine contains a complex mixture of bioactive compounds, including flavonols, monomeric and polymeric flavan-3-ols, highly colored anthocyanins, as well as phenolic acids and the stilbene polyphenol, resveratrol. Brown said that some of these compounds, particularly resveratrol, appear to have health benefits.

"The breadth of benefits is remarkable – cancer prevention, protection of the heart and brain from damage, reducing age-related diseases such as inflammation, reversing diabetes and obesity, and many more," said Brown. "It has long been a question as to how such a simple compound could have these effects but now the puzzle is becoming clearer with the discovery of the pathways, especially the sirtuins, a family of enzymes that regulate the production of cellular components by the nucleus. 'Is resveratrol the only compound with these properties?' This would seem unlikely, with similar effects reported for other components of wine and for other natural products such as curcumin. However, we know much more about resveratrol relative to these other compounds."

Stephen Taylor, professor of pharmacology at the University of Queensland, agreed that resveratrol is the "compound du jour."

"I think that red wine has both some mystique and some historical symbolism in the west," said Taylor, "and of course, some various pleasures attached to its ingestion, all of which give it a psychological advantage edge, food-wise. Not many of us can or will eat a couple of cups of blueberries a day for years on end, but if we could do a population study for a decade or so on such a group, you might actually see similar results."

Key points of the review include:

• Resveratrol exhibits therapeutic potential for cancer chemoprevention as well as cardioprotection.

"It sounds contradictory that a single compound can benefit the heart by preventing damage to cells, yet prevent cancer by causing cell death, said Brown. "The most likely explanation for this, still to be rigorously proved in many organs, is that low concentrations activate survival mechanisms of cells while high concentrations turn on the in-built death signals in these cells."

• Resveratrol may aid in the prevention of age-related disorders, such as neurodegenerative diseases, inflammation, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.

"The simplest explanation is that resveratrol turns on the cell's own survival pathways, preventing damage to individual cells," said Brown. "Further mechanisms help, including removing very reactive oxidants in the body and improving blood supply to cells."

• Low doses of resveratrol improve cell survival as a mechanism of cardio- and neuro-protection, while high doses increase cell death.

"The key difference is probably the result of activation of the sirtuins in the nucleus," said Brown. "Low activation reverses age-associated changes, while high activation increases the process of apoptosis or programmed cell death to remove cellular debris. Similar changes are seen with low-dose versus high-dose resveratrol: low-dose resveratrol produces cellular protection and reduces damage, while high-dose resveratrol prevents cancers."

In summary, noted Brown, current scientific research is starting to explain reports from the last 200 years that drinking red wine improves health. "It is a cliché that 'nature is a treasure trove of compounds,' but studies with resveratrol show that this is correct! We need to understand better the vast array of compounds that exist in nature, and determine their potential benefits to health."

"There is one particular point that deserves fleshing out," added Taylor. "Resveratrol is largely inactivated by the gut or liver before it reaches the blood stream, where it exerts its effects – whatever they may be – good, bad, or indifferent. Thus, most of the reseveratrol in imbibed red wine does not reach the circulation. Interestingly, absorption via the mucous membanes in the mouth can result in up to around 100 times the blood levels, if done slowly rather than simply gulping it down. Of course, we don't know if these things matter yet, but issues like this are real and generally ignored by all."

Source: www.ScienceDaily.com

Red Wine Compound May Help Slow Aging Process

For years, scientists have known that red wine can provide certain health benefits. Regular red wine drinkers often have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, as well as other disorders associated with aging. Now researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis are studying the active ingredient in red wine to see whether it might enhance longevity in some people.



Called resveratrol, the compound is found in grapes, berries and some seeds. Animal studies indicate that resveratrol may help slow aging by influencing a particular genetic pathway believed to play a role in regulating lifespan in animals, and Samuel Klein, M.D., the Danforth Professor of Medicine and Nutritional Science, says there is some evidence that the substance may act the same way in people. He's giving study volunteers reseveratrol in pill form and comparing some markers of longevity in this group to those same markers in others who get a placebo, as well as a third group of individuals placed on a calorie restriction diet, which also has been linked to slower aging.

The researchers will be looking at aspects of metabolic function associated with aging. As people get older, they become less sensitive to insulin, so they study looks at insulin action in both the liver and in fat tissue and muscle tissue. They'll also examine gene expression in these tissues because differences in gene expression also occur with aging. Finally, the researchers will analyze mitochondrial function in cells because the mitochondria that are the energy-producing components of cells also are affected by aging.

Subjects in the 12-week study will receive much higher doses of resveratrol than what they could get from drinking red wine alone.

"The amount in wine is quite small compared to what we can deliver in pill form," Klein explains. "To get a comparable amount of this compound from wine alone, a person would need to drink about 600 bottles of wine per day."

For now, Klein's team is studying only post-menopausal women so that they are able to compare "apples to apples" and not have to worry about the influence of hormones in younger women or in men, who also have hormone variations. But Klein says if this study shows promise, the researchers hope to expand the pool of eligible participants. For more information about the study, please call Volunteer for Health at (314) 362-1000 or on visit the website at http://vfh.wustl.edu.

Source: www.WashingtonUniversityinSt.Louis.com

Resveratrol Investigated as Treatment for Neuroblastoma & Ocular/Uveal Melanoma

Resveratrol is being proposed for clinical trials against neuroblastoma. A team led by Arthur Polans, PhD, Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, part of the University of Washington Paul P. Carbone Comprehensive Cancer Center, has been studying the substance for about five years, using it successfully to treat several types of cancer in mice. The group has now applied for permission to use it to treat neuroblastoma.

Resveratrol is a promising treatment for young children because it's not toxic to healthy cells, only to cancer cells, Dr. Polans said in a news release. How do you treat infants without causing other problems in the years to come? That is the kind of question that intrigues us.

In addition, because resveratrol seems to kill cancer kills while leaving healthy tissue alone, it is also being looked at to treat ocular or uveal melanoma, which typically stays dormant for many years before metastasizing.

It's one of those rotten cancers, Dr. Polans said. We don't know what causes it and we don't know how to treat it effectively. While the cancers are very different, adults who develop melanoma of the eye have something in common with babies who develop neuroblastoma-they may live for a long time after their diagnosis, so potential treatments shouldn't cause other health problems.

What neuroblastoma and uveal melanoma have in common is the factor of time. Ideally, you'd like to be able to treat them aggressively at first, and then treat them with lower doses of a non-toxic compound over time. Otherwise, you run the risk of damage to vital organs or an increase in secondary tumors.

So far, his group has shown that resveratrol shrinks tumors and kills malignant cells in five types of cancer: melanoma, breast cancer, neuroblastoma, ocular melanoma, and retinoblastoma.

Mice that were treated with resveratrol are healthy, gain weight, and don't seem to have side effects, he said, but when you look at the cancer cells, they're dying.

In basic research on resveratrol, his group has developed new forms that are more potent and that are active in the body for longer periods than the common form of the substance.

Source: www.oncology-times.com

Resveratrol Is One of Many Food Compounds That Can Stave Off Disease

"Those who think they have no time for healthy eating will sooner or later have to find time for illness" (Edward Stanley, English politician and author, 1826-1893).

These words, written over a century ago, ring so true today. There is increasing medical research to support the idea that many of our chronic medical conditions are not solely the result of bad luck, aging or part of our genetic destiny. Chronic disease is, in great measure, the result of our nutritionally poor diet. Every year, more research shows that a truly nutritious diet may prevent a number of serious medical conditions, including Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease is now the most common form of dementia in the US. It may be that Alzheimer's is incurable, however, medical research strongly suggests that it may be preventable with simple lifestyle changes. Regular exercise of the body and mind as well as a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and omega-3 fats all seems to reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

Now we can add resveratrol to that list. Resveratrol is a compound produced by plants and protects them from bacteria and fungi. It is found in many foods including grapes, peanuts and even red wine.

Research has demonstrated that resveratrol has antifungal as well as anti-cancer properties. Some data indicate that, in some animals, resveratrol can prolong life. How it works is unknown but it seems to make cells function better.

This simple plant compound may be especially important in the treatment and prevention of Alzheimer's disease. In a recent study using mice, resveratrol was found to significantly reduce the formation of amyloid plaque. Amyloid plaque is believed to contribute to the brain cell death associated with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia.

This study, done at the Burke Medical Research Institute at Cornell University, demonstrated that, within 45 days after adding resveratrol to the diet, there was a measurable decrease in amyloid plaque formation in "Alzheimer mice". Interestingly, resveratrol itself was not directly responsible for the decrease in amyloid plaque. Resveratrol was not found in the brains of these mice.

However, brain levels of other natural antioxidants, glutathione and cysteine, increased significantly in those mice taking resveratrol. This suggests that resveratrol somehow enhanced brain levels of glutathione and cysteine and this increase in glutathione and cysteine modified the cellular mechanism for producing amyloid plaque ... possibly slowing progression of, or preventing, Alzheimer's disease. Very interesting.

Although much of the medical news on chronic disease seems to focus on new and better drugs, the more we look, the more we discover that Mother Nature has provided much of what we need for lifelong health.

Sometimes, the solution may be as close as your grocery store.

• Patrick B. Massey, M.D., Ph.D, is medical director for alternative and complementary medicine for the Alexian Brothers Medical Network.

Source: www.DailyHerald.com

Dissecting The Signaling Pathways Involved In The Anti-Hypertrophic Effects of Resveratrol

Abstract

Background: Pathological left ventricular hypertrophy is associated with all-cause mortality; however, effective treatment for this condition is currently lacking. We have shown that activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) by resveratrol can inhibit myocardial hypertrophy by decreasing protein synthesis and suppressing nuclear factor ofactivated T-cells (NFAT) activation. However, the mechanism by which resveratrol affects AMPK isunknown. Since LKB1 is the upstream kinase of AMPK, we hypothesize that resveratrol signals via LKB1 toactivate AMPK and it is this signalling pathway that contributes to the anti-hypertrophic effects of resveratrol.

Methods: Wildtype (WT), LKB1 null, and AMPK null mouseembryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) were treated with vehicle or 100?M resveratrol for 1 h. Cell lysates were subjected to immunoblot analysis to examine the phosphorylation status of the proteins of interest. NFAT-dependent transcription was also measured in these MEFs using a NFAT-luciferase reporter transgene.

Results: While resveratrol treatment increased AMPK phosphorylation in WT MEFs, resveratrol was unable to activate AMPK in LKB1 null MEFs. In addition, resveratrol suppressed NFAT-dependent transcription in WT MEFs, yet failed to inhibit NFAT activity in AMPK null MEFs.

Conclusion: These data combined with our previous data suggest that resveratrol signals through LKB1 to activate AMPK and that this activation results in suppressed protein synthesis and reduced NFAT activation. As the development of pathologicalcardiac hypertrophy is dependent on protein synthesis and NFAT activation, inhibition of these two pathways by resveratrol may be an exciting new approach for the treatment of pathological cardiac hypertrophy.

Source: CIMonline.com

ACOG: Soy, Red Wine Have Anti-Estrogenic Effects

Compounds in soy and red wine may positively affect gynecologic health and help prevent endometriosis, according to a prize-winning paper presented this week at the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists' Annual Clinical Meeting, held from May 2 to 6 in Chicago.

Sharai C. Amaya, M.D., of the Greenville Hospital System in South Carolina, and colleagues studied the effects of geninstein and resveratrol on endometrial proliferation and activation in the cell line ECC-1 and in immunocompromised mice which had been implanted with human endometrium or endometriosis.

Both studies showed that geninstein and resveratrol had anti-estrogenic activity. In mice treated with estradiol and progesterone, the researchers found that geninstein and resveratrol reduced the size and activity of implanted endometrial tissue but that only the highest dose of resveratrol was associated with a statistically significant effect on cell proliferation.

"Resveratrol may be functioning as an aryl hydrocarbon receptor antagonist. Further studies are required in humans to investigate the role of dietary compounds such as soy (geninstein) or red wine (resveratrol) on both gynecologic health and disease," the authors conclude.

Source: ModernMedicine.com

Rx For Red Wine

Many studies tout the health benefits of red wine, and Brock University PhD student Ellen Robb wants to find out why

Scientists have found fermented red grape juice might be able to do everything from keeping your heart healthy to delaying the aging process to preventing prostate cancer.

The 24-year-old biology student has spent much time studying resveratrol, the active ingredient in red wine that many scientists believe is key to positive health gains. She wants to find out how resveratrol affects cells.

People have found, 'Oh, (red wine) protects against cardiovascular disease.' But no one really knows why," said Robb, incoming president of the Graduate Student Association.

We want to be able to go back and look at a cellular level and say, 'This is what's going on, and this is what causing that,' so better treatments can be made and alterations to drugs and anything like that."

The St. Catharines resident netted $150,000 over three years through the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship program to carry out her research.

Robb is the first student from Brock to receive the award, which was launched by the federal government in 2008.

This year, 166 graduate students will receive the scholarship, which is given to the world's leading doctoral students hailing from across Canada and abroad.

This is going to mean that I can pretty much do anything I want," said Robb, a Niagara-on-the-Lake native.

I can travel, go to workshops with really very renowned people in the field and go to any conferences. It also means for my supervisor that he doesn't have to pay me. He has more money to do things for other students as well."

Robb is working under the supervision of Jeff Stuart from the department of biological sciences.

Robb, who is not really a wine drinker, began looking at resveratrol as a undergraduate student at the urging of Stuart.

Still, doctors recommend drinking any kind of alcohol, including red wine, in moderation, and some studies have linked fermented grape juice to health problems, such as breast cancer.

I think because it is something that people drink, and because it's popular culture, it gets a lot of media attention. It can be a little bit overwhelming."

Encouraging, at least for local wineries, is that Robb has found evidence that Ontario red wines might contain more resveratrol than wines made in other parts of the world.

Source: MagentaNews.com