April 2008
Topthree ways to help ease eczema
Eczema is the most common form of dermatitis, a termwhich literally means "inflamed skin." The condition can affectpeople young and old and encompasses a number of red, itchy skin conditions.Eczema may look like a dry, scaly rash or weepy, oozing blisters. It is oftentriggered by an allergy to food, pollen, animal dander or other substances andis most often seen running in allergy-prone families.
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| In one study, primrose oil cleared up 42% of patients. |
The following three supplements are among those that havebeen proven to help ease symptoms of eczema.
Evening primrose oil
Evening primrose oilis a great source of gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), animportant omega-6 fatty acid. For more than 50 years, scientists have knownthat a deficiency of omega-6 can lead to inflammatory skin conditions likeeczema and psoriasis. More recent research has verified this link. A studypublished in 2002 found that after taking Evening primrose oil,42.8% of eczema patients were clear of itching and skin lesions,and only 28.6% had mild itching without lesions.
In another recent study, researchers found evidence ineczema patients of a problem in the natural conversion of linoleicacid to GLA in the body. They concluded that "atopic eczema may be a minorinherited abnormality of [essential fatty acid] metabolism" that leavespatients GLA-deficient. Other good sources of GLA include borage oil andblack currant seed oil.
Probiotics
Recent studies also suggest that probioticssupplements containing "beneficial" bacteria might be useful in the managementof eczema. One of these studies looked at two probiotic Lactobacillus strains (Lactobacillus rhamnosusand Lactobacillus reuteri)which were given in combination for six weeks to children with eczema aged 1 to13. These probiotics are commonly found in "acidophilus" supplementssold in natural food stores. Changes in the children's condition were measuredusing a few different means, including the scoring atopic dermatitis (SCORAD)score, and blood markers of inflammation. The researchers found that afteractive treatment with probiotics, 56%of the patients experienced improvement of the eczema,whereas only 15% believed their symptoms had improved after taking a placebo.
Zinc
The mineral zinc isimportant for general skin health as well as proper immune system function.Some research has indicated that people with eczema may be low in zinc. Giventhat zinc is also vital in the process of converting linoleicacid to GLA, many experts recommend zinc supplementation for the treatment ofeczema.
Sources: Encyclopedia of NaturalMedicine (2nd Ed) by M Murray and J Pizzorno, Prima:1998; Health Fats for Life by Vanderhaeghe& Karst, Quarry:2003; J Allergy Clin Immunol 2003;111:389-95; AmJ Clin Nutr2000;71:367S-372S
Vitamin vital for teen bone health
Regular consumption of vitamin K canimprove the health of a child's bones, according to a new study published inthe British Journal of Nutrition.
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| Vitamin D plays a big role in early bone formation. |
Researchers from University Medical Centre Utrecth, in the Netherlands, followed 307 healthychildren with an average age of 11.2 years over a two-year period. They foundthat an increased intake of K vitamins led to an improved skeletal bone mineralcontent and greater bone mass throughout the whole body.
Marieke Summeren, lead author of the project, said: "Aschildren grow the increase in bone mass may fail to keep up with the increasein height or length of the bone and, as a consequence, this imbalance mayresult in fracture.
"But the main threat of a long-term shortage of Kvitamins is that peak bone mass may be compromised and, as we age and begin tolose bone density, the risk of fracture in later life is increased.”
Sources of vitamin Kincludeleafy green vegetables, such as spinach and kale, cabbage, cauliflower,broccoli and some fruits including avocado and kiwifruit.
An Arthritis Research Campaign spokeswoman said:"Lifestyles that include healthy diets and plenty of exercise areessential for children and teenagers in order to maintain strong healthy bones.Vitamin D has also found to play a major part in early bone development.”
Source: Arthritis Research Campaign,Mar 7, 2008
Halve your knee replacement risk?
If you have osteoarthritis in the knee, you may be ableto cut your risk of a knee replacement by half if you take glucosamine,say Belgian researchers from the University of Liege.
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| Glucosamine not only lowers the risk of knee replacement surgery, it also leads to less use of pain medication. |
Their study followed up on 275 patients withosteoarthritis of the knee who either supplemented with glucosamine sulfate ora placebo for at least 12 months and up to three years in a previous study.Within five years, the researchers found twice as many total knee replacementsurgeries had occurred in the placebo group compared to the group of patientswho had taken glucosamine sulfate.
Furthermore, the researchers found that those who hadtaken glucosamine sulfatehad less use of medications used to alleviate symptoms and less use of otherhealth resources in general. The authors conclude, "Treatment of knee[osteoarthritis] with glucosamine sulphate for at least12 months and up to 3 years may prevent total joint replacement in an averagefollow-up of 5 years after drug discontinuation.”
Source: Osteoarthritis Cartilage,2008;16(2):254-60
Herb aids memory -- if you remember!
Taking a supplement of ginkgo biloba can help boost thememory and memory function of the elderly, but only if people comply and takeit as instructed, according to researchers from Oregon State University. In fact,reliably taking the supplement could reduce the risk of developing mild memoryproblems by 68% in healthy older people with no memory problems to start with.
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| Ginkgo: Works great if you remember to take it regularly! |
Leaves of the ginkgo tree have been used for thousands ofyears in Chinese medicine for a variety of reasons.
The current study involved 118 people, 85 or older, withno memory problems who were randomly assigned to take either a ginkgo biloba extract (240 mg daily, 6% terpenelactones and 24% flavone glycosides) or a placebo.The researchers report that 14 people taking the placebo developed mild memoryproblems, while only seven people developed such problems after taking theginkgo extract. However, using only those most compliant in taking the herb asdirected, the risk reduction for memory problems improved to 68%.
In another recent study, Chinese researchers found thatpatients with coronary artery disease (CAD) who were treated with ginkgo biloba extract (GBE)injections experienced significant increases measurements of coronary bloodflow. The link the positive outcome to the herb's vasodilatingeffects (dilation of the veins).
Sources: NeurologyDoi:10.1212/01.wnl.0000303814.13509.db; Planta Med,2007;73(7):624-8
Melatonin research: more uses
People with Alzheimer's often have disrupted sleeppatterns at night, and may nap during the day -- a habit which can keep themfrom positive social interactions and normal routines. Now researchers reportthat a morning-time dose of bright light coupled with an evening dose of melatonin mayhelp normalize the sleep-wake cycle in elderly adults with Alzheimer's disease.
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| The supplement helped increase positive daytime activity in Alzheimer's patients. |
Researchers from the Universityof California, San Francisco, put 50 nursing home patientswith Alzheimer's into one of three groups: light therapy five mornings per weekonly; light therapy plus melatonin a few hours before bedtime; or normal indoorlight with no melatonin. Over 10 weeks, the researchers found that thecombination of light therapy and melatonin helped curb daytime sleepiness andincrease patients' activity during the day. Light therapy alone, however, wasineffective.
In another recent study, Brazilian researchers found thatmelatonin may be an effective remedy for surgery-related pain and anxiety. In a study involving 33 patients, treatment with 5 mg melatonin thenight before and one hour before undergoing surgery was found to exert clinicallyrelevant analgesic (pain-relieving) and anxiolytic(anti-anxiety) effects. Patients who received melatonin had lesspostoperative anxiety, required less morphine and recovered their sleep/wakerhythms sooner than those who received a placebo.
These results suggest that administration of melatonin priorto surgery may reduce pain, anxiety, and expedite normalization of therest/activity circadian rhythm after surgery.
Sources: Journal of the AmericanGeriatrics Society, Feb 2008; Anesth Analg,2007;105(5):1263-71
Compound halts prostate cancer
A compound found in soybeans almost completely preventedthe spread of human prostate cancer in mice, according to a new study from Northwestern University. Researchers say that theamount of the chemical, known as genistein, used inthe experiments was no higher than what a human would eat in a soybean-richdiet. They found that genistein decreased metastasisof prostate cancer to the lungs by 96% compared with mice that did not eat thecompound, making it the first study to show genisteincan stop prostate cancer metastasis in a living organism.
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| "Genistein might be a very promising chemopreventive drug": researcher. |
"These impressive results give us hope that genistein might show some effect in preventing the spreadof prostate cancer in patients,” said the study'ssenior investigator, Raymond C. Bergan, MD.
"Diet can affect cancer and it doesn't do it bymagic,” Bergan said."Certain chemicals have beneficial effects and now we have all thepreclinical studies we need to suggest genisteinmight be a very promising chemopreventive drug.”
Source: American Association for CancerResearch (AACR), Mar 13, 2008
