ANTIOXIDANT VALUES POSTED The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has posted online its 2007 report on the antioxidant ratings for various fruit juices and foods. The research places blueberry juice at the top of the list of juices, above more than a dozen other juices tested such as the juice of pomegranate, apple, prune, cranberry […]

CANCER’S SECRETS REVEALED Canadian scientists say they’ve discovered that cancer cells spread by releasing protein “bubbles,” a finding that might alter our concept of how cancer works. Janusz Rak, PhD, and colleagues at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center in collaboration with Ab Guha, PhD, of the University of Toronto, found that […]

Ginkgo Protects Memory Taking the herbal supplement ginkgo biloba may delay the onset of cognitive impairment in elderly adults, according to a three-year Oregon study posted, ahead of print publication, on the website of the journal Neurology. During research on more than 100 people aged 85 and older who had no memory problems, half took […]

INSTANT BLOOD PRESSURE REDUCTION Drinking 500 ml of beetroot juice a day can significantly reduce blood pressure, UK research suggests. The key beneficial ingredient appears to be nitrate, which is also found in green, leafy vegetables. The researchers found that in healthy volunteers blood pressure was reduced within an hour of drinking the juice. The […]

PLANT REMEDIES FACING EXTINCTION Hundreds of medicinal and herbal supplement plants are at risk of extinction, threatening the discovery of future cures for disease, according to a report released in January 2008 by Botanic Gardens Conservation International. Over 50 per cent of all prescription drugs are derived from chemicals first identified in plants. Many herbal […]

WHEAT GERM EXTRACT BEATS ANTI-CANCER DRUGS A Hungarian study has found that a fermented wheat germ extract inhibits human breast cancer cells more effectively than the top three breast cancer drugs. The study adds weight to earlier research suggesting the chemical compound may inhibit other cancers, such as those of the lung, skin, pancreas, blood, […]

VITAMIN DEFICIENCY LINKED TO DIABETES PROBLEMS A simple vitamin deficiency may be the cause of many of the side effects of diabetes, new research suggests. It is the first time a deficiency of the vitamin – which is found in meat, yeast and grains – has been identified in people with diabetes. In a study […]

A ‘GROWING’ RISK FROM CHINA – AND WAL-MART? China is rapidly becoming the world’s greatest exporter of vegetables, other foods, medicines, food additives, pet foods and other consumables. And in view of China’s recent history of shoddy quality control (contaminated products, counterfeit ingredients, foods laced with synthetic and long-banned pesticides, toxic pet food and risky […]

PRENATAL LINK TO IMMUNE DYSFUNCTION Two researchers have conducted the first comprehensive review of the various later-life diseases that develop specifically in people who were exposed to environmental toxins or drugs either in the womb or as infants. Their finding? Most of the diseases among these people have two things in common: They involve an […]

DAIRY­-PARKINSON’S LINK? According to a new study, there appears to be a relationship between consuming large amounts of dairy products and an increase in the rate of Parkinson’s disease in men. The research does not necessarily equate to a cause-and-effect link and the reason for this relationship remains a puzzle. However, researchers found that among […]

POSSIBLE TREE BARK CANCER CURE Writing in the March 15, 2007 issue of the journal Eye, researchers from the University of California, San Francisco, reported on a study that found a rainforest tree bark extract may cure cancer. Retinoblastoma affects 1 in 15,000 children, causing about three per cent of all child cancers. Developing cells […]

FOLATE AND ALZHEIMER’S Higher intake of the nutrient folate may reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, but vitamin B12 and vitamin B6 did not yield the same benefit, found a study published January 8. The study, led by Jose Luchsinger, PhD of Columbia University Medical Center in New York, looked at 965 people aged […]

AIR FRESHENERS POSE ASTHMA RISK A recent study by the US National Institutes of Health looked at 11 chemical compounds given off by household products such as air fresheners, toilet deodorizers and mothballs and found no connection with health problems—with one notable exception: a gas known as 1,4-dichlorobenzene or 1,4-DCB that may be linked to […]

PAIR CERTAIN FOODS TO BEAT CANCER Evidence announced by the American Institute for Cancer Research on October 23, 2006 seems to suggest that phytochemicals in fruits and vegetables may work synergistically. That is, the combined effect of some pairs of produce items may be much greater than the total benefit from each separately. As one […]

Baked Fish Good for the Heart A study conducted by several American universities and published in the August 2006 issue of Journal of the American College of Cardiology has concluded: “These findings in this large, population-based study suggest that dietary fish intake is associated with cardiac electrophysiology in humans, including heart rate . . . […]

ALZHEIMER'S RESEARCH While a recently-announced study on mice at the University of Toronto suggests a sugar-derived drug may yet prove effective in humans against Alzheimer's disease (AD), fish oil has been found in a recent less-publicized study to help protect against AD by increasing levels of certain brain chemicals. Along with DHA the fat in […]