Health archives: Folate Lowers Cancer Risk; Baby Antibiotics Linked to Asthma; Ginger Helps Kidneys
Researchers proposed that the ginger might work by regulating natural blood vessel balance
Ginger Helps Kidneys
Ginger could help protect against kidney damage, a condition that threatens one in three diabetics. These are the results of an animal study published in the March 10, 2006 issue of Food Chemistry. The ginger plant (Zingiber officinale) is a rich source of antioxidants, including gingerols, shogaols, zingerones and other ketone derivatives. It has long been used as a remedy for nausea, especially associated with morning sickness.
The new study assessed the effects of ginger on the blood antioxidant levels and kidney health of diabetic rat models. After eight weeks of supplementation the researchers reported: “Antioxidant capacity in the ginger supplemented rats was higher when compared to the other groups.” The researchers proposed that the ginger might work by regulating natural blood vessel balance. More study is needed before any firm conclusions can be drawn. Questions also remain about the size of the dose, and whether smaller doses would be equally effective.
Ginger has been given a class one safety rating by the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA), indicating that a wide dosage range is safe.
Veggies Cut the Risk of Adult Asthma
The “five-a-day” message is well known but it doesn’t seem to be filtering down to everyday life. Recent studies have shown that consumers in both Europe and the U.S. are failing to meet recommendations from the World Health Organization (WHO) to eat 400 grams of fruit and vegetables a day.
A new study, from the Instituto Nacional de Salud Publica, Mexico, reports that women who ate a diet high in fruits and vegetables such as tomatoes, carrots and leafy vegetables, considerably reduced their risk of asthma.
Published in the March 2006 issue of the journal Thorax, the researchers reported the results of an investigation of 68,535 women’s dietary habits. After 11 years of follow-up, the study found that women who consumed more than 90 grams per day of leafy vegetables had a 22% lower risk of asthma than those who ate less than 40 grams per day.
Similar risk reductions were also seen for tomatoes (20%) and carrots (18%).
The researchers also reported that women who used dietary supplements were more likely to be thinner, eat significantly more fruit and vegetables, but also more likely to report allergies. The study also noted that leafy vegetables are a rich source of folate, which has been linked to reduction in DNA damage due to oxidative stress.
The strengths of the study include the large number of prevalent asthma cases and the wide variability of the reported diets.
Baby Antibiotics Linked to Asthma
A Canadian study of 12,082 children suggests those treated with antibiotics under the age of one are twice as likely to develop asthma in childhood. And researchers writing in the U.S. journal Chest found that additional courses of antibiotics in the first year of life increased asthma risk still further.
Earlier studies suggested the drugs may affect the way the immune system works. Experts believe they kill off beneficial bacteria in the intestine and that this may lead to changes in the way the body deals with disease.
Lead study author Carlo Marra of the University of British Columbia said: “Antibiotic use in children has been found to coincide with an increased incidence of childhood asthma.”
Although antibiotics are commonly used to treat ear and respiratory infections and bronchitis, not every childhood infection needs antibiotics. Current guidelines recommend that children under age two receive an antibiotic for diagnosed ear infection. However, the majority of upper respiratory tract infections and bronchitis are viral — for which antibiotics are ineffective.
Folate Lowers Pancreatic Cancer Risk
Important research was published in the March 2006 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Swedish researchers have determined that subjects with the highest amount of dietary folate intake — 350 micrograms per day or more ingested as folate-rich food — were 75% less likely to develop pancreatic cancer compared with subjects with the lowest amount of dietary folate — less than 200 micrograms per day.
The researchers note that there was no association between folic acid derived from supplements and pancreatic cancer risk. Subjects who took folate supplements of 300 micrograms per day or more had the same risk compared to subjects who did not take supplements.
It may seem confusing that folate from food produces an effect that is not seen with folate from supplements. However, some health effects can derive from folic acid itself — in which case it would likely not matter whether it came from food or pill. But other health effects derive from a combination of folic acid and other phytonutrients compounds in folate-rich foods; in these instances, folic acid supplements would not produce the synergistic effect of both folate and the various folate-related components in food. Foods containing a lot of folate include: Brussels sprouts, spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, lentils and especially oranges or orange juice.
The number of deaths from stroke in North America has dropped by 5% since the introduction of folic acid fortification, while figures in the non-fortifying UK have not changed. This illustrates a condition — stroke — the risk of which may be reduced by folate alone.
News Notes
• Oily fish fights prostate cancer spread: According to a study published in the March 2006 edition of the British Journal of Cancer, a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids might help to inhibit the spread of early prostate cancer. Coincidentally, vitamin E succinate (VES) — a vitamin E analog — inhibits prostate cancer, according to a study published in the March 2006 issue of the International Journal of Cancer.
• Dying for cookies: Increased demand for palm oil is fueling destruction of the rainforest habitats of Sumatran and Bornean orangutans, pushing those and other already endangered species even closer to extinction, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). In a full-page ad in the March 21, 2006 edition of the New York Times, CSPI says orangutans are literally dying for cookies, as food manufacturers are replacing partially hydrogenated oils with palm oil in cookies, crackers, cereals, and microwave popcorn.
• Sweet colon: Research published in the March 2006 issue of BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine examined the effect of honey on gut microflora in mice. The study observed that colon bifido bacteria and lactobacilli counts were increased markedly in the study group receiving a diet supplemented with honey.
• Selenium and colorectal cancer: A study coordinated by the National Cancer Institute suggests higher consumption of selenium may reduce the risk of advanced colorectal cancer. There was a significant inverse association between blood levels of selenium and advanced colorectal cancer among recent smokers. This relationship was not found in nonsmokers and former smokers who had quit smoking more than 10 years before. The study concluded selenium may reduce the risk of developing advanced colorectal adenoma, particularly in the high-risk group of recent smokers.
