- - European weblog on food, health and environment
News - week 16 - 2008
Video - Chicken Run in the EU
Parliament
Needle-size device created to track
tumors, radiation dose
Engineers at Purdue University are creating a wireless device designed to be injected into
tumors to tell doctors the precise dose of radiation received and locate the exact
position of tumors during treatment.
Mr. Oxygen(R), Ed McCabe (C), at the FTL
New Life Expo. Bestselling author interviewed thousands. He explains the REAL cause of
most all disease, and how Nature's energetic forms of natural oxygen and ozone were
designed to solve the problem. Why oxygen therapy and ozone therapy and oxygen supplements
like OxyLift(r), OxyFlush(R) & OxyEarth(R) work so well is also explained. Because
there are so many of us, all our pollution surrounds us, and taints our food, water, and
air. So sludge collects inside us. Our bodies have been filling with toxic pollutants
daily, over the length of our whole lives. Mr. Oxygen explains how our bodies have to be
supplemented with oxygen, plant minerals, & water, to get enough of them inside us so
our bodies can get clean again and have healthy immune systems - long before disease sets
in. It is also never too late, as the body can do miracles when supplied with what it
needs. Our bodies naturally use oxygen to clean the cellular sludge that creates disease
conditions, & also to remove the invading primitive anaerobic bacteria, viruses,
fungi, and cancer cells. Methods commonly used worldwide by international MDs for over 50
years, but "strangely" not taught in US med schools! Could someone BIG be
protecting drug profits? You decide.
Microwave treatments for enlarged
prostate cause blood pressure surges
Many men who receive microwave therapy for enlarged prostates experience significant
surges in blood pressure that could raise their risk of a heart attack or stroke.
Adults who eat apples, drink apple
juice have lower risk for metabolic syndrome
Adults who eat apples, apple juice and applesauce have a significantly reduced risk of
metabolic syndrome, a cluster of health problems that are linked to numerous chronic
diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Medical errors cost US $8.8B,
result in 238,337 potentially preventable deaths - HealthGrades study
Patient safety incidents cost the federal Medicare program $8.8 billion and resulted in
238,337 potentially preventable deaths during 2004 through 2006, according to
HealthGrades' fifth annual Patient Safety in American Hospitals Study. HealthGrades'
analysis of 41 million Medicare patient records found that patients treated at
top-performing hospitals had, on average, a 43 percent lower chance of experiencing one or
more medical errors compared to the poorest-performing hospitals.
More genes for Lou Gehrig's disease
identified, according to Penn researchers
In recent months a spate of mutations have been found in a disease protein called TDP-43
that is implicated in two neurodegenerative disorders: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also
called Lou Gehrig’s disease, and certain types of frontotemporal dementia. These
mutations could potentially become candidates for drug targets. Recently, colleagues at
the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and Veterans Affairs in Seattle, Wash.
have found two more mutations.
Your baby's brain on drugs (and
alcohol and tobacco)
Over 1 million babies born annually in the United States are exposed to drugs, alcohol or
tobacco while in utero. New research published in the April issue of Pediatrics suggests
that prenatal exposure to these substances (alone or in combination) may have effects on
the baby's brain structure that persist into adolescence.
U. Iowa study finds biological link
between pain and fatigue
A recent University of Iowa study reveals a biological link between pain and fatigue and
may help explain why more women than men are diagnosed with chronic pain and fatigue
conditions like fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.
By increasing production of a blood pressure-regulating enzyme in mice, researchers have
found they can enhance the mouse immune system's ability to sense tumor growth. When
scientists engineered mice that make more angiotensin-converting enzyme in white blood
cells called macrophages, the mice could more effectively limit the growth of injected
tumors.
Asthma and smoker's lung - dry
airways play a key role
Dry airways may not only play a central role in the development of the inherited lung
disease cystic fibrosis, but also in acquired chronic lung diseases like asthma and
smoker's lung, the cigarette smoke-induced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
This conclusion was reached by scientists from Heidelberg University Hospital and the
University of North Carolina. In animal studies, they found that insufficient hydration of
the airways leads to pathologies typical of COPD in humans.
Leaky blood vessels open up nerve
cells to toxic assault in Lou Gehrig's disease
Leaky blood vessels that lose their ability to protect the spinal cord from toxins may
play a role in the development of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, better known as ALS or
Lou Gehrig's disease, according to research published in the April issue of Nature
Neuroscience.
Genetic variants of USF1 are
associated with the increased risk for cardiovascular disease
USF1 gene seems to have an important role in the etiology of cardiovascular diseases,
suggests the Finnish study. This gene, which was first identified in Finnish families
ascertained for familial combined hyperlipidemia, a common dyslipidemia predisposing to
coronary heart disease, encodes a ubiquitously expressed transcription factor regulating
expression of several genes from lipid and glucose metabolism, inflammation and
endothelial function.
Identification of dopamine 'mother
cells' could lead to future Parkinson's treatments
"Mother cells" which produce the neurons affected by Parkinson's disease have
been identified by scientists, according to new research published in the journal Glia.
The new discovery could pave the way for future treatments for the disease, including the
possibility of growing new neurons, and the cells which support them, in the lab.
Scientists hope these could then be transplanted into patients to counteract the damage
caused by Parkinson's.
New study finds adverse effects of
estrogen replacement therapy are related to the dose
Recent clinical trials indicate that estrogen replacement therapy may increase the risk of
cardiovascular disease. A new study in mice has examined whether adverse effects of ERT
are related to the doses used. Researchers found that moderate and high doses of ERT
increased problems in the kidney and heart. The results suggest that ERT dosage may be an
important determinant in a woman's overall health.
Testosterone replacement theraphy
beneficial in men 60 and older
In one of the first clinical trials involving men 60-85 years of age, researchers'
preliminary results indicate that testosterone treatment for five months has a positive
effect on the bone markers of older men. This is the first known study to report on the
impact of bone metabolism based on dosing schedules.
Treatment with an anti-psychotic
drug found to cause changes in metabolism earlier than expected
Schizophrenia is a complex type of psychotic mental illness characterized by thoughts that
are uncoupled from reality. While enormous gains in the effective treatment of affected
individuals have been achieved through the use of antipsychotic drugs, the medications
have side effects. Researchers have created a new animal model that allows them to explore
the sequence of some drugs' early effect in an effort to optimize the medications during
treatment.
Backpack straps can decrease blood
flow in the shoulder and arm
In some professions -- such as the military, firefighting and mountain rescue -- the load
of a backpack may equal as much as 60 percent of adult body weight. A new study finds that
even light loads can decrease upper extremity blood flow and may result in a loss of fine
motor control and increased fatigue.
Exercise during pregnancy leads to
a healthier heart in moms- and babies-to-be
Studies have shown that exercise has a positive effect on mothers-to-be, and no
detrimental impact on their developing offspring. A new study finds that not only do women
benefit from exercise in pregnancy, their fetuses do too.
Ingredient found in green tea
significantly inhibits breast cancer growth in female mice
A new study conducted by researchers at the University of Mississippi finds that consuming
EGCG, an antioxidant in green tea, significantly inhibits breast tumor growth in female
mice. These results bring us one step closer to better understanding the disease and
potentially new and naturally occurring therapies.
Depression is a risk factor rather
than early sign of Alzheimer's disease
A new study by researchers at Rush University Medical Center supports the idea that
depression is truly a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease rather than a subtle early sign
of its underlying pathology. The study, published in the April issue of the Archives of
General Psychiatry, found no evidence of an increase in depressive symptoms during the
prodromal phase before the clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease.
Researchers from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Italy, the EMBL-European
Bioinformatics Institute, UK, and the Universities of Harvard, USA, and Lund, Sweden, have
now used genetic engineering to introduce a mutation found in human leukemia patients into
mice. In the current issue of Cancer Cell they report that the mutation causes leukemia by
triggering innate genetic programs that allow white blood cells to proliferate
uncontrollably. The findings have implications for the way leukemia should be treated.
New regulatory circuit identified
for aggressive, malignant brain tumor
Research using a newly developed algorithm has significantly advanced understanding of the
molecular events associated with the most common primary brain tumor in adults, human
glioblastoma.
Digestive process affects
anti-cancer activity of tea in gastrointestinal cells
Increased consumption of teas rich in catechins is associated with reduced risk of
stomach, colon and other gastrointestinal cancers. Now researchers have found found that
the digestive process could both alter the structure of the tea catechins and their
anticancer activity.
Tart cherries may reduce factors
associated with heart disease and diabetes
Tart cherries may have more than just good taste and bright red color going for them,
according to new animal research. Rats that received whole tart cherry powder mixed into a
high-fat diet didn't gain as much weight or build up as much body fat as rats that didn't
receive cherries. And their blood showed much lower levels of molecules that indicate the
kind of inflammation that has been linked to heart disease and diabetes.
One of the best methods for relieving the symptoms is nasal irrigation, says Melissa
Pynnonen, M.D., co-director of the Michigan Sinus Center and assistant professor in the
U-M Department of Otolaryngology. Nasal irrigation refers to rinsing the nose and nasal
passages with a solution, typically salt water. The solution can be as simple – and
cheap – as a quarter-teaspoon of kosher salt, eight ounces of warm tap water and a
quarter-teaspoon of baking soda.
With annual deaths from malaria on
the rise - Scientists ask 'where is all the money going?'
A new study in the April issue of the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene,
asks the question “With more than $220 million dollars dedicated to malaria treatment
and prevention, why is the annual mortality rate from malaria on the rise" The study,
entitled “Malaria Vector Management: Where Have We Come From and Where Are we
Headed"” conducted by researchers from the University of Alabama at Birmingham
School of Medicine, examines the current methods used to control and prevent the spread of
malaria. Robert J. Novak, Ph.D., professor of medicine, division of infectious diseases
and Ephantus J. Muturi, Ph.D., postdoctoral fellow, division of infectious diseases, who
lead the study, say the millions of dollars currently being spent on malaria primarily
address the mortality of pregnant women and infants. And, while these efforts are
important and have resulted in successfully decreasing the death rate in that group with
the use of bed nets and insecticides, the disease has burgeoned among teens and adults who
are not being protected. Dr. Muturi, a native of Kenya, who himself has been stricken by
malaria, finds the lack of immediate attention frustrating on a more personal level.
“I have family in Kenya who are at risk every day. Bed nets work at night and have
helped contain the spread of malaria, but what about the hours when people aren’t in
their beds" The protection during the day is minimal with current insecticides that
cannot be used on a regular basis. The search for a vaccine is necessary, but so are the
immediate needs of at-risk communities.”
Macadamia nuts can be included in
heart healthy diet
Macadamia nuts included in a heart healthy diet reduced low-density cholesterol (bad
cholesterol) and should be included among nuts with qualified health claims, according to
researchers.
New Procedure in Diagnosing Small
Bowel Disorders Proves Efficient and Effective
Sonoenteroclysis, a new sonographic method in evaluating and diagnosing small bowel
disorders is an effective alternative to the usual method of barium enteroclysis,
according to a recent study conducted by researchers at the Postgraduate Institute of
Medical Education and Research in Chandigarh, India. Sonoenteroclysis is a new way of
doing transabdominal ultrasound. Patients are given fluid through the nasojejunal tube in
order to alleviate gas in the bowel. “Various techniques available until now for
evaluating the small bowel have been either inadequate or have various disadvantages and
limitations,” said Birinder Nagi, MD, lead author of the study. “Radiologic
evaluation of the small bowel is usually done by barium examination which cannot evaluate
the bowel wall and surrounding structures. With CT enteroclysis, another method, mucosal
details cannot be well seen. Both of these techniques are associated with increased
exposure to radiation. PET-CT enteroclysis is a new promising technique, but also requires
ionizing radiation. MR enteroclysis is not widely available and there is concern about
patients vomiting in the gantry while they are undergoing the examination.
New Technique in Treating Patients
With Liver Cancer Proves Effective
Use of multipolar radiofrequency ablation in the treatment of colorectal liver metastases
is effective and has a relatively low recurrence rate, according to a recent study
conducted by researchers at Charité, Campus Benjamin Franklin in Berlin, Germany.
“Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) has become a widely used treatment option for patients
with primary liver cancer and liver metastases from some primary tumors, if surgery is not
an option. However, because of limited sizes of the ablation zones the technique has been
limited to tumors smaller than four centimeters,” said Bernd Frericks, MD, lead
author of the study. “This long-term study (four years) was performed using a new
multipolar radiofrequency (RF)-device allowing for up to six ablation probes to be used
simultaneously, thus providing larger ablation zones. We evaluated this new technique
prospectively regarding ablation zone size, technical effectiveness, complications and
clinical outcome in patients with colorectal liver metastases,” he said.
Twin findings raise hopes of
improved anemia treatments
A new understanding of how red blood cell production is controlled could lead to
improvements in the treatment of the blood disorder anemia, according to West Australian
medical researchers.
Blood vessels - The pied piper for
growing nerve cells
Researchers at Johns Hopkins have discovered that blood vessels in the head can guide
growing facial nerve cells with blood pressure controlling proteins. The findings, which
suggest that blood vessels throughout the body might have the same power of persuasion
over many nerves, are published this week in Nature.
Two recent studies by researchers at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center provide a
potential mechanism by which investigational anti-cancer compounds known as HDAC
inhibitors specifically damage cancer cells as well as clues about possible adverse
effects of these compounds -- findings with important implications for their clinical use
as cancer therapies.
Dietary Oil May Need Help In
Avoiding Any Side Effects Of Weight Loss
An oil made of natural fatty acids that is sometimes used as a weight-loss supplement may
need to be paired with hormones or other substances to prevent health problems that can
follow rapid weight loss, a new study suggests. Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a compound
naturally found in some meat and dairy products, can reduce body fat in some studies in
humans. But a recent study in mice found that the hormone leptin adds an element of
protection against side effects that can accompany fat loss with CLA.
Omega-3 intake during last months
of pregnancy boosts an infant’s cognitive and motor development
A study supervised by Université Laval researchers reveals that omega-3 intake during the
last months of pregnancy boosts an infant's sensory, cognitive, and motor development.
However, high concentration of omega-3s in mother's milk doesn't seem to have the same
positive effect in breast-fed babies, highlighting the importance of prenatal exposure to
omega-3 fatty acids.
Potential drug target identified
for diabetes by studying novel gut-brain-liver circuit
Scientists at the Toronto General Hospital Research Institute have discovered a novel
signaling pathway between three organs -- the gut, the brain, and the liver -- which
lowers blood sugar when activated.
Researchers have identified a key mechanism by which the protein sludge that kills brain
cells accumulates in Alzheimer's disease. Their findings in mice offer clues to treating
AD and also could explain why memory centers of the brain are most affected in the
disease.
People with diabetes may have all
natural citrus supplement
Two new studies presented at the Experimental Biology Annual Meeting suggest that an
all-natural dietary supplement made from citrus may help people with type 2 diabetes lower
their blood glucose numbers after a meal and their LDL-cholesterol levels.
Breast cancers - What if their
invasive power were "latent" from the beginning of their development?
Why are some cancers more aggressive than others? This was the question explored by a
number of doctors and Inserm research scientists at the Institut Curie when they studied
the biological profile of a form of breast cancer. The results were astounding: tumour
aggressiveness seems to be determined from the very first tumour cells and the biological
diversity observed in invasive cancers already exists in localised forms. These results
could make it possible to define subpopulations of localised cancers and adapt the
treatment according to the associated risks. But with this work published in the Clinical
Cancer Research issue of 1st April, the question remains of the origin of tumour cell
aggressiveness: if it does not arise from biological modifications formerly acquired by
tumour cells, how is the invasive capacity triggered off?
Childbirth is painful, yet scientists are still somewhat in the dark about what actually
causes the pain. A new doctoral thesis from the Swedish medical university Karolinska
Institutet now shows where this pain comes from and opens the way to the development of
improved methods of pain relief. In her thesis, obstetrician Berith Karlsson Tingåker has
examined the source of pain during childbirth and how uterine sensitivity to pain changes
during pregnancy. Her results show that labour pains mainly derive from the cervix, where
the number of pain-related nerve fibres and receptors is much greater than in the uterus
at full-term pregnancy. Her thesis also shows that uterine pain sensitivity differs
markedly between pregnant and non-pregnant women. In the latter, the entire uterus is
pain-sensitive, while in the former, the pain-sensitive nerve fibres disappear almost
completely from the main body of the uterus, but remain in the cervix.
Traffic exhaust can cause asthma,
allergies and impaired respiratory function in children
Children exposed to high levels of air pollution during their first year of life run a
greater risk of developing asthma, pollen allergies, and impaired respiratory function.
However, genetic factors are also at play. These are the results of a new study conducted
under the BAMSE project. The BAMSE project has monitored 4,000 children in Stockholm
county from birth in order to assess whether exposure to traffic pollution during their
first year of life affects the risk of developing asthma and allergies. Levels of traffic
exhaust were measured at the site of the home. The results show that the children who were
exposed to high concentrations of pollutants ran a 60 per cent higher risk of suffering of
persistent asthma symptoms. Respiratory function was also adversely affected, and the
children were much more likely to be allergic to airborne allergens, particularly pollen.
Association between low birth
weight, excessive weight gain and heart problems in later life - study suggests
inflammation may be the cause
Researchers who have followed 5,840 people from before birth to the age of 31 have found
evidence suggesting that small size at birth and excessive weight gain during adolescence
and young adulthood may lead to low grade inflammation, which, in turn, is associated with
an increased risk of developing heart disease. Previous epidemiological studies have
linked environmental factors in early life with the risk of disease in adulthood, and this
study identifies a possible causal mechanism. The study, which is published in
Europe’s leading cardiology journal, the European Heart Journal [1] today (Thursday
10 April), underlines the important role of healthy lifestyles, from the foetal period,
through childhood, adolescence and young adulthood, in preventing heart problems. The
researchers used a protein called C-reactive protein (CRP) as a marker for general
inflammation. CRP is secreted from the liver, is present in blood, and slightly elevated
levels can indicate a chronic inflammatory state (low grade inflammation, as opposed to
acute inflammation).
Stopping a cancer trial early - is
it for the benefit of patients or industry?
New research has identified a growing trend for trials of new cancer treatments to be
stopped prematurely before the therapies’ risks and benefits have been properly
evaluated. In a study, published online today (Wednesday 9 April) in the cancer journal,
Annals of Oncology [1], Italian researchers analysed 25 randomised controlled clinical
trials that had been stopped early because they had started to show a benefit to patients
and found that the numbers had increased dramatically in recent years. They warn that this
could lead to a systematic over-statement of the effects of treatment, and that patients
could be harmed by new therapies being rushed prematurely into the clinic. Out of 14
trials stopped because they started to show benefit to patients and published between
2005-2007, the researchers found that 11 (79%) were used to support an application for
marketing authorisation at the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) and the United States Food
and Drug Administration (FDA). “This suggests a commercial component in stopping
trials prematurely. In fact, this strategy (i.e. stopping trials early for benefit) could
guarantee quicker access to the market for companies. On the other hand, a quicker
clinical drug development may lead to an ‘immature’ benefit/risk balance of new
drugs,” Dr Giovanni Apolone, one of the authors, told a news briefing yesterday
(Tuesday).
Patients with active tuberculosis are more likely to be vitamin D deficient than the rest
of the population. New research, presented at the annual Society for Endocrinology BES
meeting in Harrogate, shows that the majority of patients with tuberculosis (TB) have low
levels of vitamin D, leading to the possibility that vitamin D supplementation could
reinforce current treatments or be used as a preventative measure against tuberculosis.
Researchers at the Central Middlesex Hospital in London, led by Dr Vassiliki Bravis,
examined the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in an ethnically diverse population in
London who had active tuberculosis. Out of 158 patients in the study, only 11 (7%) had
adequate vitamin D levels. Additionally, patients’ vitamin D levels did not vary
seasonally as expected, but remained constant throughout the year. It is currently unclear
whether these findings represent a contributory factor to TB infection, with people with
low vitamin D levels being more likely to contract the disease, or whether tuberculosis
infection makes the body process vitamin D in an abnormal way, leading to patients
becoming deficient. More research is now needed to establish whether vitamin D could
provide a new line of treatment or preventative medicine against tuberculosis.
Vitamin D is manufactured by the skin after exposure to UV rays from sunlight. If you live
in the UK, your vitamin D levels should fluctuate seasonally with the amount of sunlight
you are exposed to, being higher in the summer and lower in the winter. Approximately
14.5% of the UK population is vitamin D deficient. However, vitamin D deficiency is more
common amongst the Asian and African population, in whom TB infection is also more
prevalent. Previous work indicates that vitamin D may help ward off tuberculosis as it
mediates a key immune response against the bacterium that causes TB. Tuberculosis is a
major global health problem, which causes over 2 million deaths every year.
Bromelain helps with arthritis because it is one of the most powerful anti-inflammatories
in nature. It can be used for virtually any inflammatory condition from rheumatoid or
osteoarthritis to strains, sprains and back pains. All of this also makes bromelain a very
useful natural pain killer.
Substances isolated from bitter melon, a plant eaten and used medicinally in much of Asia,
could provide the basis of new drugs for treating diabetes and obesity, an international
team of researchers reports.
In a few weeks, the government will release a large-scale study about certain plastic
bottles after animal tests showed that Bisphenol A affects hormones. Until then, some say
they will switch over to good old-fashioned glass.
Many plastic bottles are composed of polycarbonate plastic - the hard plastic that is used
in many baby bottles and drinking bottles, such as the ubiquitous hard-plastic bottles
made by Nalgene. Polycarbonate plastic contains a chemical called bisphenol A, or BPA,
which could have adverse effects on human health and has been shown to leach small amounts
of the chemical into water or food.
PTFE fumes affect birds and other small animals, and there is evidence the vapours affect
humans. Studies report that some people experience flu-like symptoms when they’re
near fumes given off by nonstick pans. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has even
given the syndrome a name - polymer fume fever.
Human breast tumours'
'microenvironment' primes them for metastasis
The environment within primary breast tumours can 'empower' cells that break free and
enter the bloodstream to successfully invade other organs, researchers report in the 4th
April Cell, a publication of Cell Press.
In the April 2008 issue of the Harvard Health Letter, researchers highlight how to manage
seven common conditions without taking medication. While no one should stop taking
prescribed medication without talking to a doctor, the researchers write that with
discipline, the nonpharmacological approach can do as much as pills in many cases.
Dietary supplements of the omega-3 fatty acid eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) may ease
symptoms associated with depression, suggests a joint Anglo-Iranian study.
HPV and periodontitis work together
to raise tongue cancer risk
Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and periodontitis have a synergistic effect in
promoting squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue, according to study findings presented
Friday at the American Association for Dental Research meeting in Dallas.
Biological Link Between Pain And
Fatigue Discovered
A recent University of Iowa study reveals a biological link between pain and fatigue and
may help explain why more women than men are diagnosed with chronic pain and fatigue
conditions like fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.
Camelina is a shooting star here. Feed it to chickens and you get heart-healthy eggs. Stir
it into peanut butter and, in theory, children have what they need to better focus in
class. Some scientists are calling camelina a wonder-supplement because of the omega 3
fatty acids in its oil.
Dr. Simoncini deserves the highest award in medical science for his genius and medical
courage in discovering and developing what might come to be seen as the single greatest
medical breakthrough of the century. Literally billions of people are going to owe him a
debt of eternal gratitude. Simoncini makes the connection that fungal colonies and cancer
colonies are the same colonies called by two different names. He is not alone in this and
he is not alone with the knowledge that sodium bicarbonate is effective at wiping out
fungal colonies. What he is alone with is connecting the dots between cancer, fungal,
yeast infections and sodium bicarbonate.
A new scientific study on rats suggests that the anti-wrinkle treatment Botox may be able
to move from the skin into the brain, degrading proteins and acting on nerves.
Marine algae truly are the prototype of the ideal health food. Since algae absorb
nutrients through their anatomical structures (a bit like a sponge), they contain all or
substantially all essential minerals, such as iodine, potassium, iron and calcium (some
algae contain up to 10 times the calcium in cow's milk and five times the iron in
spinach!).
