Category: Nutrition

High Intake of Whole Grains Reduces Risk of Hypertension

A new study shows increased intake of whole grains and bran is associated with a significant reduction in the incidence of hypertension in men.

The study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, reviewed data from the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study involving 31,684 healthy men aged 40 to 75 without known hypertension, cancer, stroke, or coronary heart disease. These participants were followed for 18 years, during which 9,227 cases of incident hypertension were recorded.

Researchers found that whole-grain intake reduced the risk of hypertension by 19%, while intake of bran reduced the risk of hypertension by 15%.

Study authors believe these findings have implications for future dietary guidelines and prevention of hypertension.

SOURCE: “Whole grains and incident hypertension in men”, Flint, et al, Am J Clin Nutr (July 1, 2009). doi:10.3945/ajcn.2009.27460

Bilberry: Macular Degeneration & Cataracts

Bilberry

European Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus)

Bilberry is one of the anti-oxidant rich fruits which are commonly recommended for vision conditions as well as being helpful for many other health conditions. It’s a common component in many nutritional formulations intending for vision.

There has been preliminary evidence that bilberries may help inhibit or even reverse macular disorders such as macular degeneration. Wikipedia points out that because they contain a lot of anthocyanin pigments (very dark blue) they may reduce risk for problems of the heart and cardiovascular system, eyes, and cancer.

Bilberry, a cousin to our native American blueberry or huckleberry, is, according to Wikipedia,

“… is a name given to several species of low-growing shrubs in the genus Vaccinium (family Ericaceae) that bears fruits. The species most often referred to is Vaccinium myrtillus L., otherwise known as the European blueberry. Other names are blaeberry, whortleberry, whinberry (or winberry), wimberry, myrtle blueberry, fraughan, and other names regionally.”

They don’t grow well domestically and so are harvested wild. Wikipedia points out, in fact, that it is a right, in most European countries to harvest bilberries anywhere, on anyone’s property, except in the owner’s own private garden. Public domain!

Why do bilberries help? Apparently primarily because they contain powerful anti-oxidants. More specifically, their flavonoids contain an unusually large amount of antioxidants. Flavonoids are organic compounds not directly involved in normal growth, but which assist in healthy maintenance, and whose lack causes problems.

An abstract in Advances in Gerontology, a Russian publication, discusses treatment of rats with cataracts and macular degeneration.
The abstract points out that:

“Bilberry’s flavonoids are known as potent antioxidants, scavenging free radicals and used for multiple age-related ocular disorders.”

The Russian researchers used rats with early senile cataract and macular degeneration. They were given a diet with 25% bilberry extract over a 1.5 to 3 month period (with vitamin E as a comparison). 70% of the rats given vitamin E had cataracts and macular degeneration, and those who received bilberry extract had none.

In one Italian study (I could not find the original research) 50 people with early cataract took bilberry extracts 3 times a day – the treatment stopped the progression of cataracts in 97% of the participants. Source: 100 Healing Herbs. Another study published in Alternative Medicine Review, 2001, mentions bilberry as a possible aid for cataracts.

Bilberry is a major ingredient of Dr. Grossman’s Advanced Eye & Vision Support Formula, and is been part of his recommended protocol for patients with macular degeneration and other macular conditions and cataracts.

Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secondary_metabolite
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flavonoid
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16075680
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bilberry
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16075680
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16294503
100 Healing Herbs, Castleman, Michael
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11302779
https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/patient-bilberry.html

Macular Degeneration and Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Study found that reducing trans-fats and increasing consumption of fish, nuts, olive oil and other foods containing omega-3 fatty acids could significantly lower the risk for Macular Degeneration.

The leading cause of blindness in people over 60 is age-related macular degeneration (AMD). A recent Australian study called the Blue Mountain Eye Study examined about 2500 participants over a 5 and 10 year period.

The study found that reducing trans-fats and increasing consumption of fish, nuts, olive oil and other foods containing omega-3 fatty acids could significantly lower the risk for AMD. It may be that healthy fatty acid prevent the buildup of plaque in the arteries and reduces inflammation, blood vessel formation and oxygen-related cell damage in the retina, helping to protect the eyes.

For more information on nutrition and macular degeneration and related research studies, go to Natural Eye Care for Macular Degeneration

Are the fruits and vegetables you eat contaminated with pesticides?

Individuals can lower their pesticide exposure by almost 80% by avoiding the top twelve most contaminated fruits and vegetables and eating the least contaminated instead.

Consumption of the 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables will expose a person to about 10 pesticides per day, on average, compared with less than 2 pesticides per day in the least contaminated.

The Environmental Working Group (EWG), a non-profit organization, has published The Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides, which ranks pesticide contamination for 47 popular fruits and vegetables based on an analysis of 87,000 tests for pesticides on these foods, conducted from 2000 to 2007 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration.

The twelve most contaminated, starting with the highest pesticide load:
1. peaches
2. apple
3. sweet bell pepper
4. celery
5. nectarine
6. strawberries
7. cherries
8. kale
9. lettuce
10. grapes – imported
11. carrot
12. pear

The twelve least contaminated, starting with the lowest pesticide load:
1. onion
2. avocado
3. sweet corn – frozen
4. pineapple
5. mango
6. asparagus
7. sweet pea – frozen
8. kiwi
9. cabbage
10. eggplant
11. papaya
12. watermelon

The EWG used six measures of contamination, and crops were ranked based on a composite score from all categories. These measures were:

• Percent of the samples tested with detectable pesticides
• Percent of the samples with two or more pesticides
• Average number of pesticides found on a sample
• Average amount (level in parts per million) of all pesticides found
• Maximum number of pesticides found on a single sample
• Number of pesticides found on the commodity in total

Pesticides have adverse effects on the nervous system and hormones. They have been shown to have carcinogenic effects, and to cause skin, eye and lung irritation. The Guide does not present a complex assessment of pesticide risks, but instead simply reflects the overall load of pesticides found on commonly eaten fruits and vegetables.

How can you avoid consumption of pesticides? Choose to purchase produce low in pesticides and buy organically-raised fruits and vegetables as frequently as possible.

SOURCE: Environmental Working Group, Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides,
http://www.foodnews.org/methodology.php

AREDS Plus Omega-3 for Macular Degeneration (AMD)

A compilation study from Tufts University, University of Wisconsin, and the EMMES Corporation researched the effects of taking the AREDS supplement plus omega-3 and reducing dGI (dietary glycemic index) on AMD (age-related macular degeneration). dGI is a numerical index given to a carbohydrate-rich food that is based on the average increase in blood glucose levels occurring after the food is eaten.

The trial spanned 8 years and studied 3,000 eligible AREDS AMD trial participants.

Looking at the risk of advanced AMD, the study found that the AREDS supplement plus higher intakes of omega-3 (DHA and EPA), and reducing dietary glycemic index (dGI) helped reduce progression of the disease.

See more information on nutrition and macular degeneration and related research studies.

GLA Improves Comfort in Contact Lens-Related Dry Eye

A dry eye study, shows that a group using GLA showed a significant improvement in the specific symptom of “dryness” at 3 and 6 months (p <0.01) as well as significant improvement in overall lens comfort at 6 months (p<0.01). Tear meniscus height was increased in the GLA group at 6 months relative to baseline (p<0.01), although all other objective signs were unchanged

GLA (gamma-linolenic acid) is an omega-6 unsaturated fatty acid made in the human body from linoleic acid, an essential fatty acid found in vegetable oils and egg yolks. GLA has anti-inflammatory properties and can also be found in oils derived from black currant seeds and the evening primrose plant.

Several small trials testing GLA and linoleic (LA) oil in dry eye syndrome with an inflammatory component report reduced ocular surface inflammation and symptom improvement.

Related Studies:
1. Barabino, M et al. Systemic linoleic and gamma-linolenic acid therapy in dry eye syndrome with an inflammatory component. Cornea 22:97–101, 2003.
2. Aragona P, et al. Systemic omega-6 essential fatty acid treatment and PGE1 tear content in Sjogren’s syndrome patients. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 46:4474–9, 2005
3. Kokke KH, et al. Oral omega-6 essential fatty acid treatment in contact lens associated dry eye. Contact Lens Anterior Eye 31:141-6, 2008.
4. Macri A, et al. Effect of linoleic acid and gamma-linolenic acid on tear production, tear clearance and on the ocular surface after photorefractive keratectomy. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 241: 561-6, 2003.

For more information on dry eyes and natural ways this eye condition can be helped, go to Natural Eye Care
 Eye Conditions section and click on Dry Eyes.

Vitamin B and Folic Acid May Lower Risk of AMD

B & Folic Acid | B6, B12 & Folic Acid | Homocysteine

Vitamin B & Folic Acid

A team of Harvard researchers found that women who took a combination of folic acid and vitamins B6 and B12 had a 35% to 40% lower risk of developing age related macular degeneration (AMD) than women who took a placebo.

A group of 5442 female health care professionals 40 years or older (of whom 5205 did not have a diagnosis of AMD at the beginning of the study) received either a combination of folic acid/B6/B12 or a placebo.

After more than seven years of treatment and follow-up, 137 women were diagnosed with AMD.  Of these 137:

  • 55 had been taking the supplements; 82 had been taking the placebo.
  • 70 had ‘visually significant AMD’, including 26 who had been taking the supplements and 44 who had been taking the placebo.

Researchers concluded that daily supplementation with folic acid, pyridoxine (vitamin B6), and cyanocobalamin (vitamin B12) may reduce the risk of AMD.

Published:  “Folic Acid, Pyridoxine, and Cyanocobalamin Combination Treatment and Age-Related Macular Degeneration in Women”, Christen et al, Arch Intern Med. 2009;169(4):335-341.

Folic Acid, Vitamins B6 & B12

Researchers reviewed data from the “Women’s Antioxidant and Folic Acid Cardiovascular Study,” looking specifically at vision information. They found that supplementation with a combination of folic acid, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12 lowered the risk of age related macular degeneration in women who also have cardiovascular disease.

Scientists have known that these 3 B family vitamins reduce high homocysteine levels, a risk factor for conditions of the vascular system, including advanced macular degeneration.

The study looked at data for over 8,000 age 40 or older female medical professionals  who had been diagnosed with cardiovascular disease or who had a minimum of 3 risk factors for development of macular degeneration.  In a secondary trial they randomly received vitamin C daily, vitamin E every other day, and beta-carotene (every other day) or a placebo.

About 5,400 of these women were part of a later trial in which they received a placebo or a combination of folic acid, vitamins B6 and B12 or a placebo daily.  About 200 of these women had previously been diagnosed with macular degeneration.  Results were both self-reported, confirmed by medical records, and diagnosed as macular degeneration with vision reduced to 20/30 or lower due to the condition.

The researchers determined that 137 macular degeneration cases occurred over approximately 7 years of treatment and followup. There were 55 incidences in the group receiving treatment and 82 occurences in the placebo group.  The results for patients with macular degeneration and 20/30 or worse vision loss, there were 26 incidences in the B vitamins sub-group, and 43 cases in the placebo sub-group.

The researchers determined that women who take supplement B vitamins are 34 percent less likely to experience macular degeneration, and 40 percent less likely to experience vision loss as a result.

The researchers noted that although high doses of  B vitamins were tested, lower doses may well have been effective.  Another study looking at cardiovascular disease found that homocysteine decrease if proportional to the dose of folic acid only up to 800 mcg daily while excessive amounts of folic acid have been tied to colorectal tumors.

Researchers: Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the National Eye Institute

References :
Christen WG, et al. Folic acid plus B-vitamins and age-related macular degeneration in a randomized trial in women. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science 48:E-abstract 1152, ARVO, 2007.
Wald DS, et al. Randomized trial of folic acid supplementation and serum homocysteine levels. Archives of Internal Medicine 161:695-700, 2001.

Homocysteine

Homocysteine, an amino acid believed to contribute to heart attack, stroke and dementia, may also play a role in retinal damage and vision loss.  Homocysteine levels rise when folic acid levels drop, a common problem for Americans whose diets are often poor in folate-rich fruits, tomatoes, vegetables and grains.

Researchers are looking at homocysteine levels upon the retina to find out exactly what happens in this vast and delicate network.  Looking at retina photos, one can see that the structure of the retina is damaged significantly in patients with high levels of homocysteine.

Folic acid and vitamin B12 convert homocysteine to methionine, an amino acid essential to protein synthesis.  People need only about 1 mcg  of vitamin B12 daily.  The source of B12 is microorganisms that are common in the gastrointestinal system of animals. Strict vegetarians are typically the only Americans who have problems with B12 deficiency, he says. People need about 400 micrograms of folic acid daily. Pregnant women as well as those trying to become pregnant need at least double that.

Researchers are investigating several mice models and will control their diets to raise and lower folic acid levels to see what happens to homocysteine and the retina:

  • a model  with slightly raised homocysteine levels that behave like a human diet deficient in folic acid –  this model that also has diabetes, which goes along with cardiovascular disease and diabetic retinopathy;
  • a model of the rare genetic defect that results in extraordinarily high homocysteine levels.

The scientists believe that continual raised homocysteine levels will damage the normal functioning of the retina and degrade the retinal tissue, a situation that is worsened by diabetes.

Researchers: Dr. Sylvia Smith, cell biologist, and Dr. Vadivel Ganapathy, Chair, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical College of Georgia

Published:  Medical College of Georgia, “Impact of elevated homocysteine levels on vision under study,” Oct. 15, 2007.

B & Folic Acid | B6, B12 & Folic Acid | Homocysteine

 

Increased Homocysteine Levels in Tear Fluid of Glaucoma Patients

A research study shows that people with open-angle glaucoma (OAG) had significantly higher levels of homocysteine (Hcy) levels in their tear fluids. Patients with open-angle glaucoma who also had dry eye disease had significantly higher Hcy levels both in tear fluid and plasma than OAG patients without dry eye disease.

SOURCE: Roedl JB, Bleich S, Schlotzer-Schrehardt U, et al. Increased homocysteine levels in tear fluid of patients with primary open-angle glaucoma. Ophthalmic Res 2008;40(5):249-56

Editor’s Note: People with elevated homocysteine levels are more likely to have strokes, Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, kidney disease, diseases of the eye, erectile dysfunction, and, especially, heart disease (De Bree A et al 2002).

Homocysteine level is affected by a number of influences, including lifestyle, dietary choices, and genetics. As we age, our ability to absorb nutrients decreases. As a result, less of the important B vitamins are available to help metabolize homocysteine. Homocysteine level is also increased by certain pharmaceuticals, an aging metabolism, smoking, drinking too much alcohol or coffee, lack of exercise, obesity, and stress.

Supplementation of certain B vitamins can help reduce homocysteine levels including folic acid, and Vitamins B6 amd B12. To varying degrees, folic acid and vitamin B12 increase the remethylation of homocysteine back into SAMe. Vitamin B6 is necessary for the conversion of homocysteine into glutathione along the transsulfuration pathway.

 

Diet and supplements may be helpful for floaters

Most floaters are the result of bits of cells that remain in the vitreous humor after birth and float around when the vitreous becomes more liquified later in life.

Over 50% of people over 70 years of age report seeing floaters. Most floaters are age-related. The vitreous humor thickens and clumps as we age, and floaters result from the clumped vitreous gel.

From a Chinese Medicine perspective, floaters are an indication of congestion in the liver, kidney and colon. Nutrients can eliminate congestion in these organs in order to keep the vitreous of the eye clear from these annoying specks, as well as to help strengthen the retinal tissue and integrity of the blood vessels.

Read more about why eye floaters develop and what you can do about them, as well as other causes of spots and dots in the eyes along with some cautions. Specific nutrients recommended are the chinese herbal classic formula Rambling Powder (Xiao Yao San) and Advanced Eye & Vision Support Formula, a proprietary formula of European Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus), South American Blueberry (Vaccinium spp.), European Eyebright Herb (Euphrasia off.), European Horsetail Herb (Equisetum arv.), European Pine Bark (Pinus pinaster), South American Barberry Bark (Berberis vulgaris), Chinese Gingko Biloba Leaf, Lutein (3.5mg), Zeaxanthin (6mg) from Marigold (Tagetes erecta), Alpha Lipoic Acid (naturally-derived), Grape Seed Extract (pesticide-free), South American Piper Nigrum Seed, Grade A Japanese Chlorella (C. pyrenoidosa), Wild Blue Green Algae (Aphan. flos-aquae), European Vegetable Extracts (Carrot, Broccoli), European Propolis Extract(pesticide-free), Medicinal Mushroom Extracts (raw & fermented mycelial extracts), Reishi (Hericium erin.), Coriolus versicolor; Japanese Marine Coral Minerals, Stabilized Rice Bran, and Plant Enzymes.