Flaxseed-rich diet decreases severity of ovarian cancer in chickens

May 5, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Washington, May 5 (ANI): After spending five years researching on ovarian cancer in chicken models, University of Illinois scientists have discovered that a diet enriched with flaxseed decreases severity of the deadly disease and increases survival in hens.

Flaxseed is the richest plant source of alpha-linolenic acid, one type of omega-3 fatty acid.

Already, many studies have shown that flaxseed inhibits the formation of colon, breast, skin and lung tumours.

For these reasons, it was logical to study how omega-3 fatty acids affect ovarian cancer as there continues to be no effective treatment at this time, said Janice Bahr, a professor emerita in the U of I Department of Animal Sciences.

Bahr said that 25,000 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer each year and 15,000 die.

The incidences of death in other cancers have dropped recently, but ovarian cancer death rates have remained the same.

“The chicken is the only animal that spontaneously develops ovarian cancer on the surface of the ovaries like humans. In this study, we evaluated how a flaxseed-enriched diet affected 2-year-old laying hens (hens that have ovulated as many times as a woman entering menopause),” said Bahr.

The results showed that hens fed a flaxseed-enriched diet for one year experienced a significant reduction in late-stage ovarian tumours.

“Most women diagnosed with ovarian cancer have a very poor prognosis because they are not diagnosed until stage 3 or 4 when the cancer has metastasised and spread to other parts of the body,” said Bahr.

Hens fed the control diet had significantly more late-stage tumours that presented with fluid and metastases as compared to the hens fed a flaxseed diet.

Though hens fed the flaxseed diet did not have a decreased incidence of ovarian cancer, they did experience fewer late-stage tumours and higher survival rates.

“In hens fed flaxseed, we found that more tumours were confined to the ovary and they had less metastatic spread. This is an important finding as the metastases that accompany late-stage ovarian cancer are the main cause of death from this disease. If the cancer is found at an early stage, when the tumor is still confined to the ovary, women have a much better prognosis and more treatment options,” she said.

In addition, researchers found that hens fed the flaxseed diet had better weight control, which is important because obesity increases cancer risk.

“Through this research, we have proven that flaxseed supplementation for one year is able to reduce the severity of ovarian cancer in hens. These findings may provide the basis for a clinical trial that evaluates the efficacy of flaxseed as a chemosuppressant of ovarian cancer in women,” she said.

The study was published in Gynecologic Oncology. (ANI)

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How omega-3 fatty acids reduce inflammation

May 3, 2010 By Leave a Comment

London, May 3 (ANI): Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine have found new mediators that not only can explain how omega-3 fatty acids reduce inflammation, but also hint at novel treatments for a host of diseases linked to inflammatory processes.

Dr. Bruce A. Freeman said that there is strong evidence that eating foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as some fish, plant-derived oils and nuts, or taking omega-3s as a dietary supplement reduces inflammation and lowers the risk of illness and death from cardiovascular and other inflammatory diseases.

“What has been a provocative question for people familiar with these impressive clinical actions is how omega-3 fatty acids actually induce such beneficial pharmacological effects. This study has given us fresh and revealing perspective into that process,” Nature quoted him as saying.

In the study, also led by Dr. Francisco J. Schopfer, the researchers examined metabolic byproducts of omega-3 fatty acids that are produced by activated macrophages, a type of immune cell that is always present in inflamed tissue, and discovered previously unknown biochemical mediators of inflammation.

They used a small molecule called beta-mercaptoethanol (BME) as a reactive bait, and “hooked” several derivatives of omega-3 fatty acids that were produced by immune cells.

These derivatives were chemically modified to become electrophilic fatty acid oxidation products (EFOX), meaning they are attracted to electrons and therefore react with critical molecular targets in many different cell types.

By interacting with certain protein residues that have electrons available for chemical binding, these derivatives stimulate changes in cellular protein function and the genetic expression patterns of cells, resulting in a broad range of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory responses.

The research team found that an enzyme called cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), which is the molecular target of common drugs such as aspirin, ibuprofen and acetaminophen, mediates the transformation of omega-3 fatty acids into EFOX.

Notably, cellular EFOX concentrations were significantly increased in the presence of aspirin, suggesting another mechanism for that drug”s beneficial effects.

“There is a lot of evidence that supports minimizing inflammation as a fundamental therapy for many diseases. Our new insights help explain in part the multitude of beneficial actions observed for both omega-3 fatty acids and aspirin, and the discovery of this new class of omega-3 fatty acid-derived anti-inflammatory mediators could point drug development activities in new and fruitful directions,” said Freeman.

For example, drugs that, like aspirin, enhance the production of EFOX could be of value, or new agents might be synthesized that are able to induce anti-inflammatory signals that are similar to those induced by EFOX, he explained.

The findings were published in the online version of Nature Chemical Biology. (ANI)

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Omega-3-rich food can protect women against infertility

March 24, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Washington, Mar 24 (ANI): Women who take diets rich in Omega-3 oils may be less likely to develop endometriosis while those whose diets are heavily laden with trans fats may be more likely to develop the debilitating condition that causes infertility, according to new study.

The study is the largest to have investigated the link between diet and endometriosis risk and the first prospective study to identify a modifiable risk factor for the condition.

It found that while the total amount of fat in the diet did not matter, the type of fat did.

Women who ate the highest amount of long-chain Omega-3 fatty acids were 22 percent less likely to be diagnosed with endometriosis than those who ate the least and that those who ate the most trans fats had a 48 percent increased risk, compared with those who ate the least.

The findings from 70,709 American nurses followed for 12 years not only suggest that diet may be important in the development of endometriosis, but they also provide more evidence that a low fat diet is not necessarily the healthiest and further bolster the case for eliminating trans fats from the food supply, said the study”s leader, Dr. Stacey Missmer.

“Millions of women worldwide suffer from endometriosis. Many women have been searching for something they can actually do for themselves, or their daughters, to reduce the risk of developing the disease, and these findings suggest that dietary changes may be something they can do. The results need to be confirmed by further research, but this study gives us a strong indication that we”re on the right track in identifying food rich in Omega-3 oils as protective for endometriosis and trans fats as detrimental,” she added.

Long-chain Omega-3 fatty acids are found mostly in oily fish. They have been linked to reduced heart disease risk.

In the study, the highest contributor towards endometriosis was mayonnaise and full-fat salad dressing, followed by fatty fish such as tuna, salmon and mackerel.

“Women tend to go to the Internet in particular to look for something they can do. The majority of the dietary recommendations they find there are the ones prescribed for heart health, but until now, those had not been evaluated specifically for endometriosis. This gives them information that is more tailored and provides evidence for another disease where it is the type of fat in the diet, rather than the total amount, that is important,” said Missmer.

Besides confirming the finding, a next step could be to investigate whether dietary intervention that reduces trans fats and increases Omega-3 oils can alleviate symptoms in women who already have endometriosis, she added.

The study has been published online in Europe”s leading reproductive medicine journal Human Reproduction. (ANI)

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Wine powder to be used in yoghurt, chocolates, creams

September 19, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, Sep 18 (ANI): By-products of red wine production could now be turned into a powder for use in everything from yoghurt and chocolates to creams and face masks, thanks to a new method invented by German and Spanish researchers.

Project E! 4008 PROVINO came into being after a conversation over a glass of wine made Bernd Diehl- the 48-year-old co-owner of a German chemical analysis company called Spectral Service- think of a method to preserve the good by-products of wine.

He proposed his company develop a method to turn the by-products into a powder preserving as many of the natural, healthy properties of wine as possible – the proteins, B vitamins, minerals and polyphenols, which are thought to prevent heart or circulation diseases, inflammation and thrombosis.

He decided to partner Spectral with the larger Technologie-Transfer-Zentrum (TTZ), German specialists in product development, and the pair successfully applied to carry out their research as a EUREKA project.

Besides developing wine powder, they also wanted to test their powders in different kinds of products – in both food and drink, as well as in make-up-where Spanish natural cosmetics company Alfaverde Productos Naturales was keen to help.

“We didn’t just want to extract the nutrients from red wine and press them into pills. We worked from the principle that if omega-3-fatty acids are good for you it’s better to eat fish than to swallow a -supplement. By adding red wine powder to products we also wanted to keep some of the taste and colour of red wine,” said ProVino’s project leader Gabriele Randel.

In their two-year research programme the researchers drove up and down Germany, collecting wine material from vineyards in the Mosel, the Rheinland-Pfalz , the Ahr and many more.

They delivered the material to TTZ whose team carried out drying experiments, producing different powders, which were sent to Spectral for chemical analysis.

Pro Vino partners felt that earlier drying methods lost a lot of the natural nutrients or required adding preservatives and artificial substrates to create a stable powder.

“We developed a gentle drying process which did not use much heat in order to not destroy ingredients,” said Randel.

After hitting on powders, which contained high amounts of nutrients, including a high dose of protein and polyphenols, they set out to find the tastiest combinations in food and the best uses in cosmetics.

While all the products were not successful, the experiments showed the powders’ strengths and limitations.

“In some products the powder is too acidic and it wasn’t nice. In others, the fruity taste of the grapes in combination with the acidic effect is refreshing,” said Randel.

Randel’s personal favourites were yoghurt drinks and other dairy products, like ice cream, and pastries, cakes and chocolates.

Skin creams using the powder were more effective than red to violet eye-shadow and some wine properties could be good for the skin, including having anti-wrinkle effects.

And the successful products they developed and tested have convinced the team that the ProVino product could be attractive to health-conscious consumers. (ANI)

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Adding flaxseed to juices, salads, jellies can help fight prostate cancer

September 17, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, Sept 16 (ANI): Adding flaxseeds to juices, salads or pancake batter can help ward off prostate cancer, say experts.

“It’s the omega 3 fatty acids and the lignan present in flaxseed that led us to look at flaxseed’s prostate cancer prevention properties,” said Dr Wendy Demark-Wahnefried, professor of behavioral science at M. D. Anderson and head researcher for a recent study on flaxseed’s potential role as a power food.

Studies have shown that cancer risks, including the risk for prostate cancer, may be reduced by 30 to 40 percent if people ate a more plant-based diet, which includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds – including flaxseed.

Experts suggest that how incorporate flaxseed into everyday recipes can help prevent prostate cancer.

Adding ground flaxseed to cookies, muffins or cornbread recipes gives a mild and nutty flavor and tastes great in peanut butter cookies, or in almost any baked good.

Crackers or tortilla chips with flaxseed, baked in, also have a pleasant nutty taste.

Adding ground flaxseed to yogurt or cottage cheese can also be beneficial.

Sprinkle flaxseed over your salad, or mix it into salad dressing.

Sprinkle flaxseed over oatmeal, cold cereal or grits.

Mixing flaxseed into pancake or waffle batter also perks-up the maple syrup.

Stirring ground flaxseed into juice, water, sports drinks or smoothies or sprinkling it over soup could help fight the disease.

Adding flaxseed into low-fat mayonnaise before putting it on a sandwich would not only make for a delicious treat but also help you stay hale and hearty.

“Cancer cells migrate by attaching onto other cells. The omega 3 fatty acids found in flaxseed keep cells from binding together and attaching to blood vessels,” said Demark-Wahnefried.

“Lignan may reduce testosterone and other hormone levels. Lowering testosterone levels may reduce a man’s chances of getting prostate cancer,” the expert added.

Flaxseed is sometimes difficult to digest in its whole form, however, grinding flaxseed makes it more digestible and increases the amount of nutrients absorbed. (ANI)

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Aquaculture accounts for 50 percent of fish consumed globally

September 8, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, September 8 (ANI): A new report by an international team of researchers has determined that aquaculture, once a fledgling industry, now accounts for 50 percent of the fish consumed globally.

The findings are published in the Sept. 7 online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

“Aquaculture is set to reach a landmark in 2009, supplying half of the total fish and shellfish for human consumption,” according to the authors.

Between 1995 and 2007, global production of farmed fish nearly tripled in volume, in part because of rising consumer demand for long-chain omega-3 fatty acids.

Oily fish, such as salmon, are a major source of these omega-3s, which are effective in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, according to the National Institutes of Health.

“The huge expansion is being driven by demand,” said lead author Rosamond L. Naylor, a professor of environmental Earth system science at Stanford University and director of the Stanford Program on Food Security and the Environment.

“As long as we are a health-conscious population trying to get our most healthy oils from fish, we are going to be demanding more of aquaculture and putting a lot of pressure on marine fisheries to meet that need,” Naylor added.

To maximize growth and enhance flavor, aquaculture farms use large quantities of fishmeal and fish oil made from less valuable wild-caught species, including anchoveta and sardine.

“With the production of farmed fish eclipsing that of wild fish, another major transition is also underway: Aquaculture’s share of global fishmeal and fish oil consumption more than doubled over the past decade to 68 percent and 88 percent, respectively,” said the authors.

In 2006, aquaculture production was 51.7 million metric tons, and about 20 million metric tons of wild fish were harvested for the production of fishmeal.

“It can take up to 5 pounds of wild fish to produce 1 pound of salmon, and we eat a lot of salmon,” said Naylor, the William Wrigley Senior Fellow at Stanford’s Woods Institute for the Environment and Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies.

One way to make salmon farming more environmentally sustainable is to simply lower the amount of fish oil in the salmon’s diet.

According to the authors, a mere 4 percent reduction in fish oil would significantly reduce the amount of wild fish needed to produce 1 pound of salmon from 5 pounds to just 3.9 pounds. (ANI)

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Milk additives unlikely to boost nutrition

September 1, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Melbourne, Sept 1 (ANI): A new study has revealed that milk boasting added calcium, vitamin D, or omega-3 fatty acids, are unlikely to boost nutrition.

The research led by consumer group choice showed that generic supermarket milk delivers the same nutritional benefits but for half the price.

Comparing up to 100 of the leading milk brands, including organics, the researchers found that those, which marketed low-saturated fats, only had a negligible difference.

For milk boasting omega-3 fats, an individual has to drink two litres to get the same benefit as eating a 50g portion of salmon.

However, the only real difference in milk was the fat content, which is how full-cream, low-fat and skim are divided.

The study showed that full cream milk must have at least 3.2 per cent fat, light milk no more than 1.5 per cent, while skim contains less than 0.1 per cent fat.

“Despite the profusion of brands and the plethora of claims, the only really meaningful choice when buying milk is between full-cream, low-fat and skim,” The Age quoted Choice as saying in its final verdict.

It added all the tested milks were a good source of calcium, of between 115mg and 120mg of calcium per 100ml. (ANI)

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Alzheimer’s patients may not benefit from eating ‘brain food’ fish

July 13, 2009 By Leave a Comment

London, July 13 (ANI): People with Alzheimer’s disease may not benefit from eating fish, even though it is considered to be a “brain food”, say American researchers.

Two pieces of research have shown that the chances of getting the disease may be reduced, or its progression prevented, by consuming a fish-based diet, but further work is needed.

Two studies were carried out to determine the effects of DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid found in oily fish.

While studies conducted in the past have suggested that fish oil rich in omega-3 can protect the brain from age-related dementia, the new research has cast doubt on the claims.

Funded by the Alzheimer’s Disease Co-operative Study (ADCS), the first trial lasted 18 months, during which it compared the effects of DHA and a dummy placebo on 402 volunteers with an average age of 76 who had been diagnosed with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s.

The researchers associated with the trial say that, at the end of the study, there was nothing to conclusively show that omega-3 supplements improved participants’ memory and mental performance scores.

The second trial ran for six months, during which a DHA manufacturer tested one of its products on a group of 485 healthy people.

It did show some improvement in one test of memory and learning. However, those participating in the trial did not have Alzheimer’s disease or any other form of dementia.

The findings of both trials were presented at the International Conference on Alzheimer’s Disease (ICAD) in Vienna.

“These trial results do not support the routine use of DHA for patients with Alzheimer’s,” the Scotsman quoted Dr. Joseph Quinn, from Oregon Health and Sciences University, who led the ADCS study, as saying.

However, the researchers presenting the findings did say that there was some evidence that DHA might help people with a particular genetic make-up.

“These studies show that using omega-3 fatty acids as a treatment late on may not be effective against Alzheimer’s,” Dr Simon Ridley, research manager at the Alzheimer’s Research Trust, said.

“But with previous population studies suggesting that fish oils could reduce dementia risk, getting oily fish, such as mackerel, herring, salmon and sardines into our weekly menus could still be good advice.

“This shouldn’t spell the end of research into omega-3, however. It could be that omega-3 given very early in the disease process could make a difference, but for that to happen we must drive forward studies that improve our methods of diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease,” he added.

Dr William Thies, chief medical and scientific officer at the Alzheimer’s Association, said: “These two studies – and other recent Alzheimer’s therapy trials – raise the possibility that treatments for Alzheimer’s must be given very early in the disease for them to be truly effective. For that to happen, we need to get much better at early detection of Alzheimer’s.” (ANI)

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Sunflower oil may give 100m Olympic sprinters record speeds

June 29, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, June 29 (ANI): Feeding mice on a diet high in sunflower oil improves their running abilities by about 6.3 percent, which is equivalent to the 0.6-second improvement in the men’s 100m sprint that has been achieved between the 1932 and 2008 Olympic Games.

This is the finding reported by researchers at the Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology in Austria at the Society for Experimental Biology Annual Meeting on Monday.

The researchers attribute their finding to n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids present in sunflower oil.

They revealed that the mice fed for two weeks on a diet high in sunflower oil, which contains n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, ran on average 0.19m/s faster than mice fed a diet rich in linseed oil, which is high in n-3 fatty acids.

They said that their finding suggested that, over a 2 second sprint, a mouse fed on a high n-6 fatty acid diet would have a 0.4m advantage, representing a 6.3 percent improvement which equals that achieved in the 100m world records over more than 75 years.

According to them, for a mouse or other small mammal, this would be significant in evolutionary terms when escaping from a predator or catching prey.

“The results of the current study on mice suggest that moderate differences in dietary n-6/n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid intake can have a biologically meaningful effect on maximum running speed”, says Dr. Christopher Turbill, who presented the research.

“The application of this research to the performance of elite athletes (specifically those in sports that involve short distance sprints, including cycling) is uncertain, but in my opinion certainly deserves some further attention,” he says. (ANI)

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Salmona, tuna ‘protects against age-related macular degeneration’

June 20, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, June 19 (ANI): Omega-3 fatty acids found in fatty fish such as tuna and salmon may help prevent age-related macular degeneration (AMD) progression, depending upon the stage of the disease, suggest researchers.

AMD is a progressive disease that attacks central vision, resulting in a gradual loss of eyesight and, in some cases, blindness

During the study, the research team from Laboratory for Nutrition and Vision Research (LNVR) and Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (HNRCA) at Tufts University calculated the intakes of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) among 2,924 patients aged 55 to 80 years.

The findings revealed that taking supplements of antioxidants plus zinc prevents progression of late-stage AMD.

“In our study, we observed participants with early stages of AMD in the placebo group benefited from higher intake of DHA, but it appears that the high-dose supplements of the antioxidants and/or the minerals somehow interfered with the benefits of DHA against early AMD progression,” said senior author Dr Allen Taylor, director of the LNVR at the USDA HNRCA.

The antioxidant supplements did not seem to interfere with the protective effects of DHA and EPA against progression to advanced stages of AMD.

The study also showed that participants who consumed higher amounts of DHA and EPA appeared to have lower risk of progression to both wet and dry forms of advanced AMD.

“Data from the present study also shows the supplements and omega-3 fatty acids collaborate with low-dietary glycemic index (dGI) diets against progression to advanced AMD,” said corresponding author Chung-Jung Chiu, DDS, PhD, a scientist in the LNVR and an assistant professor at TUSM.

“Our previous research suggests a low-GI diet may prevent AMD from progressing to the advanced stage,” Chiu added.

The researchers suggest that eating two to three servings of fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, mackerel, shellfish, and herring every week would achieve the recommended daily intake of DHA and EPA, however, further research is required to conclude dietary recommendations for people with AMD.

The study appears in the British Journal of Ophthalmology. (ANI)

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Salmona, tuna ‘protects against age-related macular degeneration’

June 19, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, June 19 : Omega-3 fatty acids found in fatty fish such as tuna and salmon may help prevent age-related macular degeneration (AMD) progression, depending upon the stage of the disease, suggest researchers.

AMD is a progressive disease that attacks central vision, resulting in a gradual loss of eyesight and, in some cases, blindness

During the study, the research team from Laboratory for Nutrition and Vision Research (LNVR) and Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging
(HNRCA) at Tufts University calculated the intakes of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) among 2,924 patients aged 55 to 80 years.

The findings revealed that taking supplements of antioxidants plus zinc prevents progression of late-stage AMD.

“In our study, we observed participants with early stages of AMD in the placebo group benefited from higher intake of DHA, but it appears that the high-dose supplements of the antioxidants and/or the minerals somehow interfered with the benefits of DHA against early AMD progression,” said senior author Dr Allen Taylor, director of the LNVR at the USDA HNRCA.

The antioxidant supplements did not seem to interfere with the protective effects of DHA and EPA against progression to advanced stages of AMD.

The study also showed that participants who consumed higher amounts of DHA and EPA appeared to have lower risk of progression to both wet and dry forms of advanced AMD.

“Data from the present study also shows the supplements and omega-3 fatty acids collaborate with low-dietary glycemic index (dGI) diets against progression to advanced AMD,” said corresponding author Chung-Jung Chiu, DDS, PhD, a scientist in the LNVR and an assistant professor at TUSM.

“Our previous research suggests a low-GI diet may prevent AMD from progressing to the advanced stage,” Chiu added.

The researchers suggest that eating two to three servings of fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, mackerel, shellfish, and herring every week would achieve the recommended daily intake of DHA and EPA, however, further research is required to conclude dietary recommendations for people with AMD.

The study appears in the British Journal of Ophthalmology.

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How altered omega fatty acid balance may increase autoimmunity, allergy risk

May 30, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, May 30 (ANI): American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology says its scientists may have found a biological basis for why the risk of inflammation associated with autoimmunity and allergy has increased due to changes in the Western diet, which have altered the consumption of omega-6 fatty acids (w6) compared with omega-3 fatty acids (w3), over the past century.

Anthropological evidence suggests that human ancestors maintained a 2:1 w6/w3 ratio for much of history, but in Western countries these days the ratio has spiked to as high as 10:1.

Given that these omega fatty acids can be converted into inflammatory molecules, it is believed that his dietary change also disrupts the proper balance of pro- and anti- inflammatory agents, and thus leads to increased systemic inflammation and a higher incidence of problems like asthma, allergies, diabetes and arthritis.

In order to determine whether these fatty acids might have other effects, Floyd Chilton and colleagues developed a dietary intervention strategy in which 27 healthy humans were fed a controlled diet mimicking the w6/w3 ratios of early humans over 5 weeks.

The researchers then looked at the gene levels of immune signals and cytokines, protein immune messengers that impact autoimmunity and allergy in blood cells.

They found that many key signalling genes that promote inflammation were markedly reduced compared to a normal diet, including a signalling gene for a protein called PI3K, a critical early step in autoimmune and allergic inflammation responses.

The researchers claim that their study is the first that has shown in humans that large changes in gene expression are likely an important mechanism whereby these omega fatty acids exert their potent clinical effects. (ANI)

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Eating fish, nuts and olive oil may be good for your eyes

May 12, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, May 12 (ANI): Consumption of foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids such fish, nuts and olive oil may protect against development of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a study has found.

Jennifer S.L. Tan, M.B.B.S., B.E., of Westmead Hospital, University of Sydney, Australia, and colleagues examined 2,454 participants in the Blue Mountains Eye Study, which began in 1992 to 1994.

At that time, participants completed a food frequency questionnaire that was analysed to determine their intake of various fatty acids. Digital photographs of the retina were used to assess the development of AMD five and 10 years later.

After adjusting for age, sex and smoking, eating one serving of fish per week was associated with a 31 percent lower risk of developing early AMD.

The researchers found that association was stronger among individuals with a lower intake of linoleic acid, an unsaturated omega-6 fatty acid found primarily in vegetable oils.

They also found that eating one to two servings of nuts per week was associated with a 35 percent lower risk of early AMD.

According to researchers, these fatty acids may protect the eyes by preventing the build-up of plaque in the arteries or reducing inflammation, blood vessel formation and oxygen-related cell damage in the retina.

“In conclusion, our findings support the hypothesis that increased intake of omega-three polyunsaturated fatty acids and regular consumption of fish and/or nuts in the diet may protect against the development of early AMD,” the authors said.

The study appears in the May issue of Archives of Ophthalmology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. (ANI)

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Omega-3 fatty acids, low glycemic index diet protects against age-related macular degeneration

May 4, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, May 2 (ANI): Researchers from Tufts University have found that a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids and low glycemic index food can significantly reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

The team led by Dr Chung-Jung Chiu, of the Laboratory for Nutrition and ision Research, and Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Centre on Aging at Tufts University showed that nutrients, including vitamins C and E, zinc, lutein, zeaxanthin, omega-3 fatty acids (DHA and EPA), as well as low-GI foods can protect against AMD.

During the study, each dietary factor was assigned a percentile score, and factor scores were added up to find each participant’s compound score.

The compound scores were related to participants’ AMD risk.

“Although the compound score may be a useful new tool for assessing nutrients in relation to AMD, specific dietary recommendations should be made only after our results are confirmed by clinical trials or prospective studies,” said Dr. Chiu.

Preventing AMD and delaying disease progression would best preserve people’s quality of life while containing healthcare system cost and care challenges.

Food sources of nutrients that support good general and eye health include: citrus fruits, vegetable oils, nuts, whole grains, dark green leafy vegetables, and cold water fish.

The study appears in Ophthalmology, the journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (Academy). (ANI)

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Walnuts can help keep breast cancer at bay

April 22, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, Apr 22 (ANI): Walnuts contain compounds that reduce the risk of breast cancer, claims a new study.

Elaine Hardman, Ph.D., associate professor of medicine at Marshall University School of Medicine, said that while her study was done with laboratory animals rather than humans, people should heed the recommendation to eat more walnuts.

“Walnuts are better than cookies, french fries or potato chips when you need a snack,” said Hardman.

“We know that a healthy diet overall prevents all manner of chronic diseases,” the expert added.

To reach the conclusion, researchers studied mice that were fed a diet that they estimated was the human equivalent of two ounces of walnuts per day. A separate group of mice were fed a control diet.

Standard testing showed that walnut consumption significantly decreased breast tumor incidence, the number of glands with a tumor and tumor size.

“These laboratory mice typically have 100 percent tumor incidence at five months; walnut consumption delayed those tumors by at least three weeks,” said Hardman.

Molecular analysis showed that increased consumption of omega-3 fatty acids contributed to the decline in tumor incidence, but other parts of the walnut contributed as well.

“With dietary interventions you see multiple mechanisms when working with the whole food,” said Hardman.

“It is clear that walnuts contribute to a healthy diet that can reduce breast cancer,” the expert added.

The study has been presented at the American Association for Cancer Research 100th Annual Meeting 2009. (ANI)

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Eating fatty fish once a week can cut men’s heart failure risk

April 22, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, Apr 22 (ANI): Eating salmon or other fatty fish just once a week can help reduce men’s risk of heart failure, says a new study.

However, the effect of fatty fish and marine omega-3 fatty acids can be seen only in men.

The study provided no evidence that taking food supplements containing marine omega-3 fatty acids made any difference. The men in this study, which is published in Europe’s leading cardiology journal, the European Heart Journal, obtained most of their marine omega-3 fatty acids from the food they ate.

Researchers in the USA and Sweden followed 39,367 Swedish men, aged between 45-79, from 1998 to 2004. They recorded details of the men’s diet and tracked the men’s outcome through Swedish inpatient and cause-of-death registers.

During the period, 597 men without a history of heart disease or diabetes developed heart failure, of which 34 died.

The researchers found that men who eat fatty fish, such as herring, mackerel, salmon, whitefish and char, once a week were 12 percent less likely to develop heart failure compared to men who never eat fatty fish.

Although this association with fatty fish did not reach statistical significance, the researchers also found a statistically significant association with the intake of marine omega-3 fatty acids (found in cod livers and other fish oils); men who consumed approximately 0.36 grams a day were 33 percent less likely to develop heart failure than men who consumed little or no marine omega-3 fatty acids (0.15-0.22 grams a day).

The men were divided into five groups depending on their intake of fatty fish, with the first group consuming none, or very little, and the fifth group consuming the most – three of more servings of fatty fish a week.

The researchers found that while the middle group, which eat one serving of fatty fish a week, had a 12 percent reduced risk compared to the men who never eat fatty fish, the men in the next two groups, who eat either two servings a week or three or more servings a week, had nearly the same risk as the men who eat none.

The researchers also divided the men into five groups based on their intake of marine omega-3 fatty acids. Again, the same U-shape was seen, with the middle group who consumed 0.36 grams a day of fatty acids having a 33 percent reduced risk of heart failure, while the men who consumed more (either approximately 0.46 grams per day or approximately 0.71 grams per day) had a risk similar to men who consumed none or very little.

Dr Emily Levitan, a cardiology research fellow at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA, who led the research, said: “Our study shows that a moderate intake of fatty fish and marine omega-3 fatty acids is associated with lower rates of heart failure in men, but that the men did not gain a greater benefit by eating more of these foods.

“The apparent U-shaped relationship of fatty fish and marine omega-3 fatty acids with heart failure was unexpected. The higher rate of heart failure in men who consumed the most fatty fish or marine omega-3 fatty acids compared with moderate consumption may be due to chance. Alternatively, these may be men in poor health who ate more fish to try to improve their ill-health, and therefore the fatty fish and fatty acids appear to be risk factors for heart failure. I suspect this is the most likely explanation, but we cannot be certain from our data.” (ANI)

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Vegetable- and nut-intake and Mediterranean diet linked to lower heart disease risk

April 14, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, April 14 (ANI): Vegetable and nut intake and a Mediterranean dietary pattern seem to lower the risk of heart disease, according to a review of past studies.

However, the review also suggests that the consumption of trans-fatty acids and foods with a high glycemic index may be harmful to heart health.

Dr. Andrew Mente and his colleagues at the Population Health Research Institute carried out a systematic search for articles investigating dietary factors in relation to heart disease, published between 1950 and June 2007.

The researchers identified 146 prospective cohort studies that looked back on the habits of a particular group of individuals, and 43 randomised controlled trials wherein participants were randomly assigned to a dietary intervention or a control group.

They said that upon pooling the study results and applying a predefined algorithm, “we identified strong evidence of a causal elationship for protective factors, including intake of vegetables, nuts and monounsaturated fatty acids and editerranean, prudent and high-quality dietary patterns, and harmful factors, including intake of trans-fatty acids and foods with a high glycemic index or load and a western dietary pattern.”

They write: “Among these dietary exposures, however, only a Mediterranean dietary pattern has been studied in randomised controlled trials and significantly associated with coronary heart disease.”

The research team also found modest relationships supporting a causal relationship between intake of several other foods and vitamins and heart disease risk, including fish, omega-3 fatty acids from marine sources, folate, whole grains, alcohol, fruits, fibre and dietary vitamins E and C and beta carotene.

The study also supported causal relationships between vitamin E and ascorbic acid supplements, saturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids and total fats, alpha-linoleic acid, meat, eggs and milk.

“The modest or weak evidence of these dietary exposures is mostly consistent with the findings of randomised controlled trials, although randomised controlled trials have yet to be conducted for several factors,” the authors write.

“Taken together, these findings support a causal relationship between only a few dietary exposures and coronary heart disease, whereas the evidence for most individual nutrients or foods is too modest to be conclusive.

“Although investigations of dietary components may help to shed light on mechanisms behind the benefits of dietary patterns, it is unlikely that modifying the intake of a few nutrients or foods would substantially influence coronary outcomes,” they conclude. “Our findings support the strategy of investigating dietary patterns in cohort studies and randomized controlled trials for common and complex chronic diseases such as coronary heart disease,” they add.

The study has been published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. (ANI)

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Omega-3 fatty acids may help preserve muscle mass in cancer patients undergoing surgery

April 11, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, April 11 (ANI): A randomised controlled trial has shown that omega-3 fatty acids given as part of an oral nutritional supplement helps preserve muscle mass in patients undergoing surgery for oesopahageal cancer, a procedure normally associated with significant weight loss and quality of life issues.

Omega 3 fats are essential fats found naturally in oily fish, with highest concentrations in salmon, herring, mackerel, and sardines.

Considering their health-related benefits, food manufacturers have started to add them to foods like yogurt, milk, juice, eggs, and infant formula also.

Professor John V. Reynolds of Trinity College Dublin and Dr Aoife Ryan of St James’ Hospital, the pair who led the trial, said that previous studies have had already shown that nutritional supplements containing one form of omega 3 fat, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), significantly reduced weight loss among inoperable cancer patients.

They revealed that that finding made them hypothesise that a nutritional supplement rich in calories and a high dose of EPA could stem the debilitating weight loss seen in patients following oesophageal surgery.

The researchers said that they chose to study patients undergoing surgery for oesophageal cancer because it is considered to be one of the most stressful and serious operations a patient can undergo.

“An increasing number of patients are treated with chemotherapy alone or in combination with radiation therapy before they undergo surgery. The surgery is a serious operation lasting several hours and can take weeks to recover from surgery and up to six months to recover pre-illness quality of life.

Weight loss is extremely common both before and especially after this type of surgery, and any approach that can preserve weight, in particular muscle weight and strength, may represent a real advance,” they said.
During the study, patients awaiting oesophagectomy surgery were randomly assigned to treatment and control groups.

While both groups received a 240ml nutritional supplement twice daily starting five days before surgery, patients in the treatment group received an enriched formula with omega 3.

Immediately following surgery, the supplement was given through a feeding tube for 14 days while patients recovered in hospital.

Once patients could resume oral feeding, they continued drinking the supplement until 21 days post surgery.

The researchers observed that the patients given the standard feed without omega 3 suffered clinically severe weight loss post surgery, while those in the omega 3 group patients maintained all aspects of their body composition

Professor John Reynolds said: “Omega 3 enriched nutrition appears to prevent loss of muscle mass by reducing the amount of inflammatory markers in the blood – this means the metabolism is not as stressed as it usually is post surgery. We also saw that the omega 3 group was less likely to have a fever in the first week post surgery which points to the ability of omega 3 to suppress inflammation. Looking at their blood tests omega 3 fed patients had much lower ‘inflammatory compounds’ circulating in their blood which points to the ability of omega 3 to reduce inflammation.”

The researchers said that using specialised nutritional feeds with a highly purified form of EPA enabled them to administer a dose of omega 3 that was much higher than that typically found in food.

Professor John Reynolds said: “This study has provided an interesting insight into how nutritional therapy can positively impact on the major stress of cancer surgery. More studies need to be done, in particular to address whether such approaches lead to more rapid recovery of quality of life, reduce complications, and improve outcomes.”

He expressed his belief that similar benefits from Omega 3 enriched nutrition might accrue to patients needing complex surgical care for non-cancer problems, for instance liver transplantation or major cardiac surgery.

A research article on this study has been published in the Annals of Surgery. (ANI)

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Compounds from fish oil may resolve periodontal inflammation

April 6, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, April 6 (ANI): Boston University scientists say that they have discovered a new family of biologically active products of omega-3 fatty acids, which can resolve periodontal inflammation and restore the gums to health.

The researchers point out that oil from fish contains eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), both of which are omega-3 fatty acids.

They underscore the fact that these omega-3 fatty acids are often used to help people with various inflammatory conditions.

In a previous study, the researchers have already found that compounds derived from EPA provide protection against soft tissue and bone loss associated with gum disease, and restore the lost soft tissue and bone to healthy levels.

In their latest study, the Boston researchers conducted experiments to test the actions of compounds biosynthesized from DHA in regulating tissue destruction and resolution of inflammation in gum disease.

For their study, the researchers used the bacteria that cause human gum disease to stimulate a condition characterized by tissue inflammation and bone loss in rabbits.

The researchers found that compounds belonging to the two categories showed similar results in resolving periodontal inflammation and tissue regeneration.

These findings attain significance as the prevention of periodontal disease has been limited to successful oral hygiene and regular professional care to date, and despite such preventive actions, in susceptible individuals with a high inflammatory response, plaque control is not enough to prevent disease.

The Boston team made a presentation on their findings at the 87th General Session of the International Association for Dental Research. (ANI)

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Fish oils can reduce greenhouse gas emissions from cows

March 30, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, March 30 (ANI): In a new study, researchers from University College Dublin have achieved a reduction in the amount of methane released by cattle, by including 2 percent fish oil in the diet of the animals.

The benefits to animals of omega 3 fatty acids in fish oils have been well documented – helping the heart and circulatory system, improving meat quality and reducing methane emissions.

These last two benefits may only apply to cows but lowering emissions is important for the environment, as methane given off by farm animals is a major contribution to greenhouse gas levels.

Now, a research team from University College Dublin has reported that by including 2 percent fish oil in the diet of cattle, they achieved a reduction in the amount of methane released by the animals.

According to Dr Lorraine Lillis, one of the researchers, “The fish oil affects the methane-producing bacteria in the rumen part of the cow’s gut, leading to reduced emissions.”

“Understanding which microbial species are particularly influenced by changes in diet and relating them to methane production could bring about a more targeted approach to reducing methane emissions in animals,” she said.

More than a third of all methane emissions, around 900 billion tonnes every year, are produced by methanogen bacteria that live in the digestive systems of ruminants such as cattle, sheep and goats.

By volume, methane is 20 times more powerful at trapping solar energy than carbon dioxide making it a potent greenhouse gas.

There have been suggestions that, to help combat global warming, a cap be placed on the number of animals in animal production due to their methane production, but with a reduction in methane levels through diet this may not be as necessary. (ANI)

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