Aerobic Exercise Beneficial to People With Type 1 Diabetes on Insulin Pump

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a chronic condition in which the pancreas produces little or no insulin. T1D patients on insulin pumps stand to benefit by engaging in aerobic exercise, revealed a team researchers who conducted a three-month observational study on two groups of diabetes patients.When compared to patients in the study who did not exercise, patients in the study group who engaged in aerobic exercise benefited by improving their metabolic control, reducing their insulin requirement, and a saw a reduction in the number of hyperglycemic events they experienced. The study, carried out by a team of researchers in Milan, Italy, and Miami, Florida, will be published in a future issue of Cell Transplantation.

The clinical study focused on middle-aged T1D patients on insulin pump therapy and aimed at gathering data on metabolic activity, and inflammatory and autoimmune parameters. Having conducted similar studies previously with animals modeled with T1D, the researchers hypothesized that aerobic, physical activity might also positively regulate autoimmunity and help prevent diabetes-related complications in humans.

"We found that being physically active can improve glycemic control for patients with type 1 diabetes," said study co-author Dr. Livio Luzi of the Diabetes Research Institute at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine in Miami, Florida and the Metabolism Research Center at IRCCS Policlinico San Donato in San Donato Milanese, Italy, who worked with colleagues based in Milan, Italy. "Our results suggest that an educational program addressed to T1D patients, and focused on insulin injecting monitoring, diet, and exercise, is highly advantageous for management of T1D. "

According to the researchers, the six patients in the exercise arm of the study (ACT) when compared to the seven study patients that did not exercise and were sedentary (SED), seemed to have more responsible behavior in monitoring their glucose levels. 

They concluded that further studies with larger groups of participants should be carried out, but that their results on a small number of patients should be considered "primary predictors of exercise-induced metabolic improvements in T1D patients."

"The current study provides physiological data that demonstrate exercise is an important factor in improving and managing type 1 diabetes," said Rodolfo Alejandro of the University of Miami School of Medicine in Miami, Florida and section editor for Cell Transplantation. "With the increasing rate of diabetes, including an exercise program as part of treatment is highly recommended and, when coupled with insulin therapy, may yield better results for patients. Future studies should explore mechanisms of action related to exercise-mediated immunomodulation with a larger sample of the population." 

Source: Eurekalert

Practice Meditation and Improve Your Emotional Health

Mindfulness, a moment-by-moment awareness of one's thoughts, feelings and sensations, has gained worldwide popularity as a way to promote health and well-being.Mindfulness, a moment-by-moment awareness of one's thoughts, feelings and sensations, has gained worldwide popularity as a way to promote health and well-being.

Meditation can help tame your emotions even if you're not a mindful person, suggests a new study from Michigan State University. Reporting in the journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, psychology researchers recorded the brain activity of people looking at disturbing pictures immediately after meditating for the first time. These participants were able to tame their negative emotions just as well as participants who were naturally mindful. 

"Our findings not only demonstrate that meditation improves emotional health, but that people can acquire these benefits regardless of their 'natural' ability to be mindful," said Yanli Lin, an MSU graduate student and lead investigator of the study. "It just takes some practice."

The study, conducted in Jason Moser's Clinical Psychophysiology Lab, attempted to find out. 

Researchers assessed 68 participants for mindfulness using a scientifically validated survey. The participants were then randomly assigned to engage in an 18-minute audio guided meditation or listen to a control presentation of how to learn a new language, before viewing negative pictures (such as a bloody corpse) while their brain activity was recorded. 

The participants who meditated - they had varying levels of natural mindfulness - showed similar levels of "emotion regulatory" brain activity as people with high levels of natural mindfulness. In other words their emotional brains recovered quickly after viewing the troubling photos, essentially keeping their negative emotions in check.

In addition, some of the participants were instructed to look at the gruesome photos "mindfully" (be in a mindful state of mind) while others received no such instruction. Interestingly, the people who viewed the photos "mindfully" showed no better ability to keep their negative emotions in check.

This suggests that for non-meditators, the emotional benefits of mindfulness might be better achieved through meditation, rather than "forcing it" as a state of mind, said Moser, MSU associate professor of clinical psychology and co-author of the study.

"If you're a naturally mindful person, and you're walking around very aware of things, you're good to go. You shed your emotions quickly," Moser said. "If you're not naturally mindful, then meditating can make you look like a person who walks around with a lot of mindfulness. 

But for people who are not naturally mindful and have never meditated, forcing oneself to be mindful 'in the moment' doesn't work. You'd be better off meditating for 20 minutes."

Source: Newswise

How the gut microbiome may help us prevent IBD

Breakthroughs in basic and translational research have the potential to change the lives of patients suffering from disease. In this Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology (CMGH) research update, we highlight the most noteworthy research recently published in the journal, including a study offering the first example of a preventative approach to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) therapy. We also look at how high altitude levels impact progression of IBD. And finally we take a look inside the pig and its role in GI research.

Please find summaries below. To learn more about any of the studies summarized here, or to speak with the study authors, please email media@gastro.org.

First Look at a Preventive Approach to IBD Therapy

A Disease-Associated Microbial and Metabolomics State in Relatives of Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients

http://www.cmghjournal.org/article/S2352-345X(16)30074-1/fulltext

By Jonathan P. Jacobs, et al.

While previous studies have speculated that changes to the gut microbiome cause disease, these have only assessed healthy or diseased subjects and not proved cause and effect. However, this study by Jonathan P. Jacobs and colleagues directly links a disease-associated microbiome to disease risk in genetically- and environmentally-susceptible individuals. The authors report that the microbiome is altered in a disease-associated pattern, also known as dysbiosis, in some healthy relatives of pediatric IBD patients. The subset of relatives with dysbiosis had biochemical evidence signaling they were in a pre-disease state, i.e. increased fecal calprotectin despite no clinical symptoms. If future studies show that the healthy relatives with dysbiosis have a clinically significant increased risk of developing IBD, it may be possible to intervene before disease onset. Such an intervention could be aimed at restoring a normal microbiome or at other aspects of intestinal health, and would be the first example of a preventative approach to IBD therapy.

How High Altitude Levels Impact Progression of IBD

Hypoxia Positively Regulates the Expression of pH-Sensing G-Protein-Coupled Receptor OGR1 (GPR68)

http://www.cmghjournal.org/article/S2352-345X(16)30073-X/fulltext

By Cheryl de Vallière, et al.

Inflammation is accompanied by reduced oxygen delivery, or hypoxia, within the intestinal lining. Hypoxia has been shown to modify protein expression patterns that may, in turn, modify colitis progression. For example, high altitude exposure, which reduces oxygen delivery, can elicit IBD relapses. Cheryl de Vallière and colleagues report that, in IBD patients, but not healthy volunteers, exposure to simulated high altitude conditions increased expression of cell surface proteins that can sense local environmental acidification. These may be activated by local inflammation-associated acidification to trigger intracellular signaling pathways that lead to disease progression in IBD. Direct targeting of pathways that allow local acid sensing may have therapeutic benefit in both IBD and ischemic enterocolitis, a condition that occurs when blood flow to part of the large intestine is reduced.

IBreakthroughs in basic and translational research have the potential to change the lives of patients suffering from disease. In this Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology (CMGH) research update, we highlight the most noteworthy research recently published in the journal, including a study offering the first example of a preventative approach to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) therapy. We also look at how high altitude levels impact progression of IBD. And finally we take a look inside the pig and its role in GI research.

Please find summaries below. To learn more about any of the studies summarized here, or to speak with the study authors, please email media@gastro.org.

First Look at a Preventive Approach to IBD Therapy

A Disease-Associated Microbial and Metabolomics State in Relatives of Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients

http://www.cmghjournal.org/article/S2352-345X(16)30074-1/fulltext

By Jonathan P. Jacobs, et al.

While previous studies have speculated that changes to the gut microbiome cause disease, these have only assessed healthy or diseased subjects and not proved cause and effect. However, this study by Jonathan P. Jacobs and colleagues directly links a disease-associated microbiome to disease risk in genetically- and environmentally-susceptible individuals. The authors report that the microbiome is altered in a disease-associated pattern, also known as dysbiosis, in some healthy relatives of pediatric IBD patients. The subset of relatives with dysbiosis had biochemical evidence signaling they were in a pre-disease state, i.e. increased fecal calprotectin despite no clinical symptoms. If future studies show that the healthy relatives with dysbiosis have a clinically significant increased risk of developing IBD, it may be possible to intervene before disease onset. Such an intervention could be aimed at restoring a normal microbiome or at other aspects of intestinal health, and would be the first example of a preventative approach to IBD therapy.

How High Altitude Levels Impact Progression of IBD

Hypoxia Positively Regulates the Expression of pH-Sensing G-Protein-Coupled Receptor OGR1 (GPR68)

http://www.cmghjournal.org/article/S2352-345X(16)30073-X/fulltext

By Cheryl de Vallière, et al.

Inflammation is accompanied by reduced oxygen delivery, or hypoxia, within the intestinal lining. Hypoxia has been shown to modify protein expression patterns that may, in turn, modify colitis progression. For example, high altitude exposure, which reduces oxygen delivery, can elicit IBD relapses. Cheryl de Vallière and colleagues report that, in IBD patients, but not healthy volunteers, exposure to simulated high altitude conditions increased expression of cell surface proteins that can sense local environmental acidification. These may be activated by local inflammation-associated acidification to trigger intracellular signaling pathways that lead to disease progression in IBD. Direct targeting of pathways that allow local acid sensing may have therapeutic benefit in both IBD and ischemic enterocolitis, a condition that occurs when blood flow to part of the large intestine is reduced.

Insights from Inside the Pig

Large Animal Models: The Key to Translational Discovery in Digestive Disease Research

http://www.cmghjournal.org/article/S2352-345X(16)30104-7/fulltext

By Amanda Ziegler, et al.

The use of animal models has been instrumental in studying mechanisms of digestive pathophysiology, but there may be no better model than the pig, according to Ziegler and colleagues' review. The pig GI tract shares a number of similarities with the human GI tract that rodents do not, and in certain settings offers distinct advantages for studying GI physiology and pathophysiology. The pig has provided important tools and insight in intestinal ischemia/reperfusion injury, intestinal mucosal repair, as well as new insights into esophageal injury and repair. Porcine model development has taken advantage of the size of the animal, allowing increased surgical and endoscopic access. In addition, cellular tools such as the porcine IPEC-J2 intestinal cell line and porcine enteroids are providing the methodology to translate basic science findings using in depth mechanistic analyses. The authors believe that porcine models hold great promise for the future of clinically relevant digestive disease research.

Want more basic and translational research? Review other CMGH articles in press by visitinghttp://cmghjournal.org/inpress.

Source:AMERICAN GASTROENTEROLOGICAL ASSOCIATION

DOCTOR EXPLAINS HOW REVERSING TYPE 2 DIABETES STARTS WITH IGNORING THE GUIDELINES ON CARBOHYDRATES

Obesity is a life-threatening disease not taken on by choice. Yet, thanks at least in part to our society’s glorification of thinness, many have preconceived notions about those who are obese, believing they are to blame for their situation — that they are simply lazy, gluttonous, and lack the willpower to change.But as Sarah Hallberg, the Medical Director of the Medically Supervised Weight Loss Program at IU Health Arnett, United States, notes, obesity is a hormonal disease, not a lifestyle choice. And one of those hormones is insulin.

The body processes insulin when glucose is released into the bloodstream following carbohydrate consumption. Usually, this insulin responsF

As for the general recommendations put forth by the American Diabetes Association (ADA), she explains that, “The general recommendations are to tell patients with type 2 to consume 40-65g of carbohydrate per meal, plus more at snacks. We are essentially recommending that they eat exactly what’s causing their problem.”

Hallberg notes that, when treating type 2 patients with insulin, glucose levels rise after eating carbs, as does the need for insulin. But because insulin is the body’s fat storage hormone, this causes hunger fat to be stored, making it difficult for patients to lose weight.

“The ADA guidelines specifically state that there is inconclusive evidence to recommend a specific carbohydrate limit. Nowhere in the ADA guidelines is the aim of reversing type 2 diabetes. This needs to be changed because type 2 can be reversed, in many if not most situations, especially if we start early,” she says.As for Hallberg’s diet recommendation, she points out that, though the body needs proteins and essential fatty acids, it doesn’t have a certain amount of daily carbohydrates it must adhere to for health purposes.

“When our patients decrease their carbs, their glucose goes down and they don’t need as much insulin. Their insulin levels drop fast. Low-carb intervention works so fast that we can literally pull people off hundreds of units of insulin in days to weeks,” Hallberg explains.

But she is also sure to explain that low-carb does not refer to no carbs, nor is it necessarily high in protein. “My patients eat fat, and a lot of it. Fat is the only macronutrient that is going to keep our blood glucose and insulin levels low,” she says.

Her evidence comes in the form a study her clinic performed, where 50 people with type 2 diabetes were treated with her recommended low-carb high-fat diet. She treated another 50 patients with ADA guidelines. After six months, the study concluded that the patients treated with Hallberg’s recommended diet were able to decrease their insulin by nearly 500 units a day, on average. Those in the ADA group, however, had to boost their insulin by an average of 350 units a day.

So can type 2 diabetes be reversed? “Cured would imply that it can’t come back, and if they start eating excessive carbs again it will, but they don’t have diabetes any longer,” Hallberg urges.

Watch her full presentation below:

More Interesting Information On How 6 Test Subjects Reverse Diabetes In 30 Days

In the film, Simply Raw: Reversing Diabetes in 30 Days, six test subjects were used, all of whom had varying lifestyles and conditions but were all diabetic – five were type 2 and one was type 1. Each subject was taking insulin.

Before we get into the results of this film, let’s take note of what is established about type 1 and type 2 diabetes. This information is from The National Diabetes Education Program:

Type 1 diabetes – The body does not make insulin. Insulin helps the body use glucose from food for energy. People with type 1 need to take insulin every day.

Type 2 diabetes – The body does not make or use insulin well. People with type 2 often need to take pills or insulin. Type 2 is the most common form of diabetes.

The participants of the program were as follows:

• Austin (age 25) was not only a type 1 diabetic, but he also had a drinking problem.
• Kirt (age 25) had a blood sugar reading of 1200. Normal is below 100. His doctor told him, “You should be dead.”
• Bill (age 58) was seeing a cardiologist and had neuropathy. He could not feel his feet.
• Michelle (age 36) was quite obese.
• Henry (age 58) took insulin plus 9 pills daily. Blood sugar was at 464.
• Pam (62) was quite obese. Her father, brother, and sister are also diabetic.

• The Method

  The approach Gabriel Cousens takes to cure people of diabetes is all about changing their diet. According to him, research shows that in terms of health, meat eaters have 4 times more breast cancer, 3.6 times more prostate cancer, 4 times more diabetes, and much higher rates of chronic disease in general, than their vegan counterparts. If you’re just having milk, that’s 3 times more leukemia. 
  Given his position on diet, he believes in taking a mainly raw approach to eating and consuming a plant based diet. His team prepares raw, well-balanced and whole meals for the test subjects throughout the 30 day period. The food becomes their medicine.
  With medical supervision, all of the subjects took their medication as needed and ate the food that is provided to them by Gabriel and his team at the Tree Of Life Rejuvenation Center.

  Results

  By Day 3 of the program Kirt, Bill and Henry were able to stop taking insulin and medication. Their blood sugar levels had already dropped to the normal range after just 3 days of changing their diet. Pam was able to cut her insulin intake by 1/3. Austin, the type 1 diabetic, was able to cut his insulin intake down to half. And Michelle saw her blood sugar at around 362. This discouraged her to the point where she didn’t want to stay in the program any longer, although she did.
  By day 12 of the program, Henry’s blood sugar had dropped 256 points compared to day 1. He was not using medication to lower his blood sugar levels. Although he was seeing great results, Henry felt he was too old for the program and requested to go home. His family arrived on day 17 and he went home. By that time, he was no longer taking 17 medications, he had lost 30 pounds, and his blood pressure had decreased. In Henry’s case, his addiction to the food he used to eat was too difficult to overcome.
  By the very last day, day 30, incredible results were seen that significantly challenge the current belief that diabetes has no cure.
  • Kirt no longer needed medications. His blood sugar had dropped 214 points to as low as 73 (normal) without medication. It was later found out he was type 1 diabetic since the beginning.Status: Within normal range.
  • Bill stopped taking 19 medications and lost 32 pounds. His blood sugar dropped 214 points to 74 (normal) without medication or insulin. Status: Within normal range.
  • Michelle stopped taking all of her medications and lost 23 pounds. Her blood sugar dropped from 291 to 109 without the use of medication. Status: Within normal range.
  • Pam lost 26 pounds while her blood sugar dropped 167 points down to 112 without medication.Status: Within normal range.
  • Austin, who is type 1 diabetic, lost 20 pounds and reduced his insulin from 70 units down to 5.Status: Drastic improvement in diabetic condition.
  As you can see, all participants had drastic turnarounds in their health and all had their diabetes either completely reversed or brought well under control. A type 1 diabetic (Kirt) had his diabetes completely cured – something that is considered impossible. All type 2 diabetics no longer needed insulin.

  What Does This Tell Us?

  Like many things in modern medicine, we don’t have all of the answers and in a lot of cases we have a difficult time admitting that what is currently mainstream isn’t always the best course of action.
  People everywhere are taking alternate routes to achieve results equal to and sometimes better than what is made available to them through mainstream voices like doctors and government appointed professionals. I feel it’s important that people know their options and have a fair chance of hearing them out. I know many people with diabetes who aren’t aware of the power of food in transforming their condition yet are taking insulin and following mainstream ideas as if they were the only truth.
  It isn’t to say that the mainstream is bad, it’s simply that we are missing out on other options in a big way. After all, the American Diabetes Association makes claims about there being no cures yet the above results would suggest there is more to that story.
  Have you ever tried raw food to cure your diabetes? We are curious to hear some real live results from others.
  Sources:1. http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/statistics/
  2. http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/24/11/1936.full
  3. http://www.medicinenet.com/diabetes_treatment/article.htm
  4. http://www.treehugger.com/culture/dr-gabriel-cousens-on-curing-diabetes-with-raw-food-and-on-why-going-vegan-makes-sense.html
  5. http://www.webmd.com/diabetes/blood-glucose-control

India’s Craze for Ayurveda Is Producing Billionaires

A yoga teacher clad in white robes and often seen meditating on the banks of the Ganges is the latest to join the billionaires club in India.

But Acharya Balkrishna is no ordinary yoga teacher. He controls Patanjali Ayurved Ltd., the consumer-products company founded by his guru, Baba Ramdev, and whose Ayurvedic soaps, shampoos and food supplements are increasingly becoming staples in middle-class Indian homes. Indians’ craze for the company’s Ayurvedic formulations has seen Mr. Acharya’s net worth skyrocket to $3.8 billion, according to Hurun’s India Rich List for 2016. That puts him at number 25 in Hurun’s list of richest Indians, ahead of industrialists like Ratan Tata, Adi Godrej and Anand Mahindra.

Such is the demand for Patanjali, which sells creams, cleaners and hair conditioners rooted in Ayurveda, India’s traditional system of medicine, that the world’s biggest consumer-products makers are tweaking their products to compete. India’s traditional system of medicine encourages therapies like yoga and believes everything from the common cold to diabetes can be fixed by certain herbs, foods and oils.

Colgate Palmolive last month launched a toothpaste flavored with basil, clove and lemon. L’Oréal SA in June launched a new range of shampoos infused with eucalyptus, green tea and henna, an Indian herb Patanjali also packs in its shampoo. Unilever PLC recently purchased an Ayurvedic hair-care company.

Mr. Balkrishna is a reclusive figure next to Mr. Ramdev, one of India’s best-known yoga teachers who founded Patanjali in 2006 and has since transformed it into a multi-million dollar consumer goods empire. Mr. Balkrishna controls the business because Mr. Ramdev has sworn off most trappings of wealth. Click here to read The Wall Street Journal’s interview with Mr. Ramdev and for a tour around Patanjali’s manufacturing facility.

Messrs. Ramdev and Balkrishna are regularly seen practicing yoga on the banks of the Ganges in Haridwar, the Hindu holy city where Patanjali is based and where they run an ashram.

Ayurveda has produced other billionaires, too. The Burman family which runs Dabur India, another consumer-goods maker that draws inspiration from traditional Indian medicine, is 13th on Hurun’s India rich list.

Mukesh Ambani, the chairman of Reliance Industries, is the richest Indian with a net worth of $24 billion. Dilip Shanghvi, who heads generics-drug maker Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, is second with $18 billion in his kitty.

Source:Wall street journal

High-Protein Diet for Weight Loss may Not Improve Insulin Sensitivity

People who are on a diet regimen consume a high-protein diet to stave off hunger and prevent loss of muscle tissue that often comes with weight loss. But a new study claims that a high-protein diet eliminates an important health benefit of weight loss, which is an improvement in insulin sensitivity (critical to reduce the risk of diabetes).

The study was conducted by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The study involved 34 obese postmenopausal women. 

‘Postmenopausal women who followed a diet containing recommended daily intake of protein experienced improvements in insulin sensitivity.’

 "We found that women who lost weight eating a high-protein diet didn't experience any improvements in insulin sensitivity," said principal investigator Bettina Mittendorfer, PhD, a professor of medicine. "However, women who lost weight while eating less protein were significantly more sensitive to insulin at the conclusion of the study. That's important because in many overweight and obese people, insulin does not effectively control blood-sugar levels, and eventually the result is type 2 diabetes."

Insulin sensitivity is a marker of metabolic health, which improves with weight loss. The researchers found that women who lost weight while consuming less protein experienced a 25 to 30 percent improvement in their sensitivity to insulin. 

Thirty-four postmenopausal women who participated in the study were 50 to 65 years of age. The BMI (Body Mass Index) of all the participants were at least 30, which indicates significant obesity, but none had diabetes. 

The study period was for 28 weeks. The participants were randomly divided into three groups. Women in the control group were asked to maintain their weight. In another group, women ate a weight-loss diet that included the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of protein - 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight. 

The third group has women who ate a weight loss diet, but they consumed more protein (1.2 grams per kilogram of body weight). 

"We provided all of the meals, and all the women ate the same base diet," Mittendorfer explained. "The only thing we modified was protein content, with very minimal changes in the amount of fat or carbohydrates. We wanted to hone in on the effects of protein on weight loss."

The research focused on protein intake of postmenopausal women because it is believed that a high-protein diet can help preserve lean tissue, while they lose fat. 

"When you lose weight, about two-thirds of it tends to be fat tissue, and the other third is lean tissue," Mittendorfer said. "The women who ate more protein did tend to lose a little bit less lean tissue, but the total difference was only about a pound. We question whether there's a significant clinical benefit to such a small difference."

The researchers found that women who ate the daily recommended amount of protein experienced benefits in metabolism, led by a 25 to 30 percent improvement in their insulin sensitivity. 

Improvements in insulin sensitivity lowered the risk for diabetes and cardiovascular disease. However, women on the high-protein diet did not experience those improvements. 

"Changing the protein content has very big effects," Mittendorfer said. "It's not that the metabolic benefits of weight loss were diminished -- they were completely abolished in women who consumed high-protein diets, even though they lost the same, substantial amounts of weight as women who ate the diet that was lower in protein."

The researchers are not clear as to why insulin sensitivity did not improve in the group that had a high-protein diet. Mittendorfer said that it's not known whether the same results would occur in men or women already diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. 

The findings of the study are published in the journal Cell Reports. 

DHA supplementation improves cognition in older adults with mild cognitive impairmen

Results from a recent study published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease support the cognitive benefits of DHA, which have been consistently demonstrated with doses of 900 mg/day or greater. The study, which took place in Tianjin, China, was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 240 (219 completed) Chinese individuals aged 65 and older with mild cognitive impairment. The participants received either 2g/day of DHA or a corn oil placebo for 12 months and specific measures of cognitive function were measured at baseline, six months and 12 months.

The study results showed that there was a significant difference in the Full-Scale Intelligence Quotient (IQ) in the DHA group versus placebo, with IQ in the DHA group measuring 10% higher than the placebo group. Additionally, there were statistically significant increases in two IQ sub-tests (Information and Digit Span). The Information and Digit Span Subdomains are considered indicators of long-term and short-term memory, respectively. The findings suggest that DHA supplementation of 2g/day for 12 months in MCI subjects can significantly improve cognitive function.

While additional larger longer-term studies are needed to confirm the results, this paper adds to the body of science supporting DHA omega-3s and their role in supporting cognitive function.

Source:Journal of Alzheimer's Disease

CAN AN ALKALINE DIET SUCCESSFULLY TREAT CANCER? SIGNS YOUR BODY IS TOO ACIDIC & WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT

It never ceases to amaze me how often conventional doctors fail to address the correlation between food and cancer prevention and treatment. Your diet can not only cause cancer, but it could also prevent or cure you from cancer. Meat, dairy, refined sugar, and processed foods are all known to increase one’s risk of cancer, and all of these are considered acid-forming foods. Cancer is a systemic, metabolic disease that forms as a result of nutrient deficiencies, high amounts of toxins, and usually a pH level that’s too low, meaning the body is too acidic. In order to neutralize the constant acid generation, we need to supply the body with more alkaline foods. An alkaline diet may be your best defence against cancer.

The Relationship Between Blood pH and Cancer

Our pH is measured on a scale ranging from 0-14 with 0 being the most acidic and 14 being the most alkaline. In order to transport oxygen throughout the body, our blood needs to maintain a pH level of approximately 7.35. Even though our bodies store excess alkaline reserves to buffer acids, if you’re eating a conventional diet filled with pesticides and processed foods, your reserve has likely depleted.

As Keiichi Morishita explains in his book Hidden Truth of Cancer, as your blood pH becomes too acidic, your body will move the acidic substances from the blood to your cells, allowing the blood to return to a pH level of 7.35. As a result, these cells will become too acidic and in some cases, die. The cells that survive become abnormal cells that cannot correspond with your brain or DNA memory code, typically referred to as “malignant” cells, which will continuously grow. These are cancerous  

While lowering cancer cell pH (increasing acidity) is effective against cancer cell mitosis in the lab, increasing acid levels in the live body of a cancer patient puts stress on normal cells and causes a lot of pain.  So the proposed alkaline therapy for people is a “high pH therapy” and has been developed to normalize the intracellular pH of the cancer patient’s body through elimination of latent acidosis, while increasing the pH of cancer cells to a range above 7.5.  According to published research, it is at that pH they revert to a normal cellular apoptosis cycle (programmed cell death).  

Ideally, this approach begins with an alkaline diet.  There is general agreement amongst natural healers and medical professionals that changing a cancer patient’s diet is extremely helpful when someone is confronted with a cancer diagnosis.

The principles of pH therapy are very simple, according to many.  The metabolism of cancer cells does have a very narrow pH tolerance for cellular proliferation ( between 6.5 and 7.5). If you can interfere with cancer cell metabolism by either lowering or raising the internal cancer cell pH, you can theoretically stop cancer progression.  

Regardless of whether or not you actually have cancer, an alkaline diet is optimal for your bodily health. In general, the 80/20 rule is believed to be ideal: 80% alkaline foods and 20% acidic.

What an Alkaline Diet Looks Like

As the Journal of Environmental and Public Health explains, foods can be categorized as either alkaline or acidic according to their “potential renal acid loads” (PRALs). For example, fruits, vegetables, juices, and other alkaline rich foods have negative PRALs; however, grains, meats, dairy products, fish, and other acidic foods have higher PRALs. To maintain ideal pH, your diet should be comprised of organic leafy greens, herbs and spices, root vegetables, onions, garlic, leek and chives, broccoli, cauliflower and cabbages, beans, lentils, peas, and nuts and seeds, combined with minimal gluten-free grains such as rice.

Here are some suggestions to help you improve your alkalinity:

1. Check your pH regularly
2. Drink more water (alkaline water, if possible)
3. Remove acidic foods
4. Convert to a vegan or more plant-based diet
5. Replace a traditional lunch with a large green salad
6. Use lettuce leaves and collard greens as wraps
7. Don’t consume processed foods
8. Eliminate soda, sugars, and coffee, and replace them with herbal tea, herbal coffee, and green drinks
9. Replace dairy milk with non-dairy milks such as coconut, hemp, or almond milk
10. Add green juices and smoothies to your diet 

The following diagram highlights which foods are considered acidic or alkaline:

Why Removing Dairy, Meat, and Sugar From Your Diet is Crucial for Cancer Prevention and Treatment

It’s no secret that eliminating meat and dairy products — both of which are categorized as acidic foods — reduces your risk of cancer. The American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) has published multiple studies on the relationship between diet and cancer prevention, one of which determined that red meat and processed meat consumption increase cancer risk  . Another study compared the blood from those who maintain a vegan diet to those who follow a standard American diet and concluded that a vegan diet was more effective at stopping cancer cell growth  . Studies have also shown that dairy products can increase one’s risk of developing prostate cancer by 30-50%  .The China Study, performed by Dr. T. Colin Campbell, proved that casein, the main protein in dairy products, is a known carcinogen.

Cancer literally feeds off of animal protein and sugar, and numerous studies have demonstrated the link between sugar consumption and cancer growth. For example, Nobel prize-winning scientist Otto Warburg proved that instead of using oxygen, cancer cells use a method of cell respiration called glycolysis, which is the fermentation of glucose (a form of sugar). Without glucose to meet their energy needs, cancer cells die.

It is clear that if you follow a smart alkaline diet, you can significantly reduce your risk of cancer. I use the word ‘smart’ because if you’re consuming conventional fruits and vegetables and genetically modified foods instead of organic, you’re still being exposed to pesticides and toxins, which are also known carcinogens. Many people have adopted organic, plant-based, alkaline-rich diets and have successfully cured themselves of cancer.

Aside from alkaline diets, there are a number of other all-natural treatments for cancer that are being studied and used by cancer patients all over the world. Some of these alternative methods include cannabis, vitamin C injections, turmeric, plant-based diets, and frankincense, among others.

Source:CE

Anti-tuberculosis drug disrupted by botanical supplement, can lead to disease

Botanical supplements are used by people around the world to treat a wide range of physical and mental ailments. Some of these botanical supplements have high levels of antioxidants, which may have some positive health effects for certain conditions. However, a new study from the University of Missouri in partnership with scientists in Africa has uncovered evidence that these supplements and their antioxidants may reduce the effectiveness of prescription medications. The researchers examined the effects of a widely used African botanical supplement, called Sutherlandia, and found that it may disrupt the effectiveness of a common anti-tuberculosis drug. This could lead to the development of active tuberculosis and perhaps drug resistant forms of the pathogen in some patients.

For the study, William Folk, a professor of biochemistry in the University of Missouri School of Medicine and College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, and his colleagues monitored South African patients who were taking either Sutherlandia or a placebo, along with the world-standard anti-tuberculosis drug, isoniazid. Sutherlandia is a supplement commonly taken in Africa to fight symptoms of infection and some chronic diseases, such as diabetes. The researchers observed that several patients taking the Southerlandia supplement developed active tuberculosis despite taking Isoniazid.

"We believe that the antioxidants in Southerlandia can directly disrupt how Isoniazid functions within the body to prevent tuberculosis," Folk said. "Isoniazid is very reliable in preventing the active form of this potentially deadly microbe, which is present in nearly one-third of all humans, but if individuals concurrently take a botanical supplement, they could undo the good that the scientifically proven drug is accomplishing. More than one-third of the world's population is susceptible to active tuberculosis, so it is unfortunate that Sutherlandia, which traditionally is taken to prevent or treat infections, can actually cause them to develop the disease, and perhaps also cause the microbe to become a drug-resistant 'super bug.'"

Folk says this finding could apply to many different botanical supplements and many different medications, including cancer-fighting drugs. He says it is important for future research to examine potential interactions between drugs and antioxidant-laden supplements.

"With so many people around the world turning to botanical supplements to help with a wide range of health issues, it is vital that we explore how these supplements interact with established medical drugs," Folk said. "Many drugs use pathways that could be disrupted by antioxidants, so we need for physicians to better advise their patients. Many physicians do not know everything that their patients take, so it is important for people to inform their physicians, and for physicians to ask, so they can better advise their patients what is best for their health."

The study, "Does Concurrent Use of Some Botanicals Interfere with Treatment of Tuberculosis?" was published in Neuromolecular Medicine. Coauthors include Aaron smith, Hailong Song, Dennis Chuang, Jianlin Cheng, Sezong Gu and Grace Sun. This study was funded by grant P50AT006273 from the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) and the Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) and the University of Missouri. The contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the sponsors.

Source:UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI-COLUMBIA

Scientists outline biochemistry of xanthohumol -- an avenue to treat metabolic syndrome

Researchers at Oregon State University have made a fundamental advance in understanding xanthohumol - a compound found in hops that's of significant interest to prevent or treat the lipid and metabolic disorders that are a primary killer of people in the developed world.

The scientists identified for the first time more precisely how xanthohumol works, and why it may have such significant promise in addressing the high cholesterol, blood sugar, obesity and other issues that are collectively referred to as "metabolic syndrome."

The findings were recently published in BBA - Proteins and Proteomics, a professional journal, by researchers from several OSU departments and the Linus Pauling Institute. The work was supported in part by the National Institutes of Health.

More than 25 percent of the adults in the United States meet the criteria for metabolic syndrome, putting them at significantly increased risk for cardiovascular disease and type-2 diabetes. That syndrome is defined by diagnosis of three or more of several conditions, including abdominal obesity, elevated lipids, high blood pressure, pro-inflammatory state, a pro-thrombotic state and insulin resistance or impaired glucose tolerance.

The new research was based on mass spectrometry in combination with a chemical labeling technique. In it, the scientists concluded that several "prenylflavonoids," particularly xanthohumol, clearly are a ligand, or have a binding mechanism that promotes the activity of the Farnesoid X Receptor, or FXR. FXR, in turn, is a master regulator of lipid and glucose metabolism - in simpler terms, the body's processing of fats and sugar.

"There's already interest in targeting FXR as a possible approach to a therapy for fatty liver disease, type2 diabetes and obesity," said Claudia Maier, a professor of chemistry in the OSU College of Agricultural Sciences. "With this work we've identified a unique binding mechanism and chemical structure that could make that possible. This is really very interesting, and very promising."

This new understanding of the FXR receptor at the molecular level, researchers said, could, in theory, facilitate the use of compounds that take advantage of it - such as xanthohumol - or development of other compounds with a similar chemical structure that work even better.

"We now see how these prenylflavonoids are working, and with modification through computational approaches it might be possible to even improve upon that," said Liping Yang, the lead author on the new study and faculty research assistant in the OSU Department of Chemistry. "The end result might be either supplements or a prescription drug, with the potential to address metabolic syndrome, non-alcoholic liver disease, diabetes and other metabolic disorders."

The FXR receptor, the scientists said, is a part of normal lipid and glucose metabolism, working in collaboration with appropriate diet, weight, exercise and other healthy activities. However, its function can be eroded by intake of too much fat and sugar. Restoring that function, by contrast, may help address metabolic problems.

In previous research, published earlier this year by OSU scientists Cristobal Miranda and Fred Stevens, scientists studied laboratory animals that were on a high-fat diet. When they were given a high dosage of xanthohumol, it reduced their LDL, or "bad" cholesterol by 80 percent; their insulin level by 42 percent; and their level of IL-6, a biomarker of inflammation, by 78 percent.

Weight gain was also constrained, compared to animals not given xanthohumol. The levels of xanthohumol used in the research far exceeded any amount that could be obtained by normal dietary intake, but could be easily obtained through supplements.

In that study, researchers pointed out that direct health care costs arising from obesity or related disorders account for up to 10 percent of U.S. health care expenditures.

Source:OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY

Smokeless tobacco product snus may increase risk of death among prostate cancer patients

The smokeless tobacco product snus, which is used mainly in Sweden but also is sold in the U.S., may increase the risk that men with prostate cancer will die from their disease, and the risk that they'll die prematurely from any cause, according to a new study led by researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The findings, which build on previous studies showing increased risk of death from prostate cancer in smokers with the disease, suggest that nicotine or other non-combustion-related components of tobacco may play a role in prostate cancer progression.

The study will appear in the October 12, 2016 issue of the International Journal of Cancer.

"Snus has been suggested as a less harmful alternative to smoking because it lacks the combustion products of smoking that are associated with cancer risk. However, we found that men with prostate cancer who used snus were at increased risk of premature death," said co-first author Kathryn Wilson, a research scientist in the Department of Epidemiology at Harvard Chan School.

Snus is a powdered tobacco product, often sold in teabag-like sachets, that is placed under the upper lip for extended periods. It contains nicotine but no combustion components, and has not been previously studied in relation to prostate cancer survival.

The researchers analyzed health data collected from Swedish construction workers during preventive health check-ups between 1971 and 1992, including a tobacco use questionnaire completed during each man's initial check-up. Of these men, 9,582 later developed prostate cancer. About half of the subjects died during the follow-up period--2,489 from prostate cancer.

Compared with those who never used tobacco, those who used snus but did not smoke had a 24% increased risk of dying from prostate cancer and a 19% increased risk of dying during the study period from any cause. Among men whose cancer had not spread, increased risk of death from prostate cancer for exclusive snus users was three times higher than for never-users of tobacco.

"There is some evidence from animal studies that nicotine can promote cancer progression, and snus users have high blood levels of nicotine. Snus users are also exposed to other carcinogens in tobacco even though it is a smokeless product," said Sarah Markt, research associate in the Department of Epidemiology. "Taken together, this suggests that the health effects of smokeless tobacco products should be carefully studied by public health officials."

Source:HARVARD T.H. CHAN SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH

HOW TO ABSORB EARTH’S FREE FLOWING ELECTRONS THROUGH THE SOLES OF YOUR FEET (EARTHING)

Grounding, or ‘earthing,’ as some people call it, involves placing your feet directly on the ground without shoes or socks as a barrier. The logic behind this practice relates to the intense negative charge carried by the Earth. This charge is electron-rich, theoretically serving as a good supply of antioxidants and free-radical destroying electrons.Dr. James Oschman, a PhD in biology from the University of Pittsburgh and an expert in the field of energy medicine, notes:

Subjective reports that walking barefoot on the Earth enhances health and provides feelings of well-being can be found in the literature and practices of diverse cultures from around the world. For a variety of reasons, many individuals are reluctant to walk outside barefoot, unless they are on holiday at the beach. 

It makes sense if you think about it; in our most natural state, we wouldn’t really be wearing any sort of cover on our feet. Putting your feet on the ground enables you to absorb large amounts of negative electrons through the soles of your feet which, in turn, can help to maintain your body at the same negatively charged electrical potential as the Earth.

The Science

A study published a couple of years ago in the Journal of Environmental and Public Health titled “Earthing: Health Implications of Reconnecting the Human Body to the Earth’s Surface Electrons” postulates that earthing could represent a potential treatment/solution to a variety of chronic degenerative diseases.

It concluded that simple contact with the Earth, through being either outside barefoot or indoors connected to grounded conductive systems, could serve as a natural and “profoundly effective environmental strategy” against chronic stress, ANS dysfunction, inflammation, pain, poor sleep, disturbed HRV, hyper-coagulable blood, and many common health disorders, including cardiovascular disease. The study concludes:The research done to date supports the concept that grounding or earthing the human body may be an essential element in the health equation along with sunshine, clean air and water, nutritious food, and physical activity.  Another study, conducted by the Department of Neurosurgery from the Military Clinical Hospital in Powstancow Warszawy, along with other affiliates like the Poland Medical University, found that blood urea concentrations are lower in subjects who are earthed (connected to the earth potential with the use of copper wire) during physical exercise and that earthing during exercise resulted in improved exercise recovery.

It concluded:

These results suggest that earthing during exercise inhibits hepatic protein catabolism or increases renal urea excretion. Earthing during exercise affects protein metabolism, resulting in a positive nitrogen balance. This phenomenon has fundamental importance in understanding human metabolic processes and may have implications in training programs for athletes.  )

A study published last year from the Developmental and Cell Biology Department at the University of California at Irvine found that grounding the human body improves facial blood flow regulation.  

As mentioned earlier, studies have found grounding to reduce blood viscosity, which is a major factor in cardiovascular disease. 

One study, published in the Journal of Alternative and Complimentary Medicine, even concluded that earthing may be “the primary factor regulating the endocrine and nervous system.”  

According to a review published in the Journal of Inflammation Research: 

Grounding reduces or even prevents the cardinal signs of inflammation following injury: redness, heat, swelling, pain, and loss of function  . Rapid resolution of painful chronic inflammation was confirmed in 20 case studies using medical infrared imaging   . . . Our main hypothesis is that connecting the body to the Earth enables free electrons from the Earth’s surface to spread over and into the body, where they can have antioxidant effects. Specifically, we suggest that mobile electrons create an antioxidant microenvironment around the injury repair field, slowing or preventing reactive oxygen species (ROS) delivered by the oxidative burst from causing “collateral damage” to healthy tissue, and preventing or reducing the formation of the so-called “inflammatory barricade”. We also hypothesize that electrons from the Earth can prevent or resolve so-called “silent” or “smoldering” inflammation.  

There seem to be dozens of studies which confirm the physiological effects of grounding, which include anything from anti-aging and heart health benefits to improved sleep and much, much more.

“This simple process of grounding is one of the most potent antioxidants we know of. Grounding has been shown to relieve pain, reduce inflammation, improve sleep, enhance well being, and much, much more. Unfortunately, many living in developed countries are rarely grounded anymore.”  – Dr Jospeh Mercola  

How  You Can Get Grounded

We all spend most of our time walking on the earth wearing shoes with rubber or plastic soles. These materials are insulators, used to insulate electrical wires. They also disconnect you from the Earth’s electron flow, which we are supposed to (naturally) be connected to. If you wear leather-soled shoes (or vegan leather!) or walk barefoot on sand, grass, soil, concrete, or ceramic tile, you will be grounded. If you walk on asphalt, wood, rubber, plastic, vinyl, tar, or tarmac you will not be grounded.

So the next time you are outside, take off your shoes! You can also use conductive systems while sleeping, working, or spending time indoors for a more convenient and lifestyle-friendly approach.

Schuman Resonance

In 1952 German physicist Professor W.O. Schumann, of the Technical University of Munich, began attempting to answer whether or not the earth itself has a frequency — a pulse. His assumption about the existence of this frequency came from his understanding that when a sphere exists inside of another sphere an electrical tension is created. Since the negatively charged earth exists inside the positively charged ionosphere, there must be tension between the two, giving the earth a specific frequency. Following his assumptions, through a series of calculations he was able to land upon a frequency he believed was the pulse of the earth. This frequency was 10hz.

It wasn’t until 1954 that Schumann teamed up with another scientist (Herbert König) and confirmed that the resonance of the earth maintained a frequency of 7.83 Hz. This discovery was later tested out by several scientists and verified. Since then, The Schumann Resonance has been the accepted term used scientifically when one is looking to describe or measure the pulse or heartbeat of the earth.

Even though the existence of the Schumann Resonance is an established scientific fact, there remain few scientists who fully understand the important relationship between this frequency and life on the planet.

Source:CE