What the research says about ginger's weight-loss benefits, and why you should be skeptical

•  Ginger may benefit weight loss, but more research is needed on its use for obesity management.
• A few studies on ginger indicate there may be a small impact on satiety and weight management.

• Consuming ginger may help to support a regular exercise routine which may aid in weight loss.

Worldwide, ginger has been used both as a spice and a component of traditional medicine for thousands of years. It has been shown to possess a variety of health benefits, including antioxidant and anti-nausea properties, and some research indicates ginger may also help with weight loss.

Ginger's medicinal benefits come from two major types of bioactive compounds:

Gingerols, which are found in fresh ginger are known as gingerols.

Shogaol, which is in ginger that's been dried or heat-treated.

Important: While a handful of clinical trials show that ginger may have a small impact on body weight, it will not cause "miracle weight loss," says Karli Burridge, PA-C, the director of medical weight management at LifeWeigh Bariatrics and Wellness Centers. 

Most research around the weight loss benefits of ginger is in animal models. The limited research conducted on humans is mostly small studies that may not be relevant to the general public.  

Here's what the research says about how effective ginger may be for weight loss, weight maintenance, and other metabolic and cardiovascular-related processes. 

Helps with satiety 

In a small 2012 study, 10 men consumed 2 grams of dried ginger powder dissolved in hot water after eating breakfast. The results showed the subjects felt fuller longer after they drank the ginger beverage.

In addition, when the subjects ingested the ginger drink, they experienced an increased caloric burn of 43 kcal after the meal compared to the control water-only beverage. However, this research is limited because it was an acute experiment, with measurements occurring after having only one ginger drink, as opposed to a long-term study. 

Marie-Pierre St-Onge, PhD, a nutrition researcher at Columbia University and co-author of this study says these results indicate ginger may have an impact on a person's ability to lose weight, for instance, if they drink a sugar-free ginger beverage in place of a sugary one.

May help fat burn

A small 2019 study in South Korea gave 80 obese people steamed ginger ethanolic extract - which is more potent in shogaol than regular ginger - or a placebo to see if ginger helped to reduce body fat.

Although both groups were told to follow their typical diets, the study found the group that ingested the ginger extract lost more body fat than the control group. This suggests a ginger supplement may facilitate weight loss even without other dietary changes.

Might decrease insulin secretion

A 2018 review showed ginger had no impact on insulin levels but did decrease insulin resistance, which can be a factor in mitigating symptoms of type 2 diabetes. There is also evidence that maintaining weight loss is linked to improved insulin sensitivity.

May help with weight management

The same 2018 review also showed that ginger consumption is associated with decreased bodyweight, waist-to-hip ratio, and fasting glucose, although there was no change to BMI. 

Could help with inflammation

In animal experiments, ginger has exhibited anti-inflammatory properties. In human clinical trials, more research is needed, but one small study shows those who consumed ginger experienced less inflammatory pain after exercise than a placebo group.

Because obesity is a chronic state of inflammation, Burridge says consuming ginger may help to support a regular exercise routine which may aid in weight loss.  

Drawbacks of ginger

There are few drawbacks to consuming ginger, as long as you are not allergic to it. That said, there is no research on which form of ginger, such as pickled, powdered, or raw, is optimal for weight loss in humans. 

Burridge warns that in most studies, the quantities tested are only a few grams, so people should use caution with dosage and consult a healthcare professional when adding it to their vitamin and supplementation routine.

"I am concerned that people spend so much money on supplements that they think are going to really help them,"  says Burridge, "but they may only have a minimal effect."

Insider's takeaway

While a small body of limited research suggests that ginger may benefit weight loss, more research is needed on how effective it is for weight loss and obesity management.  

The limited clinical studies indicate there may be a small impact on satiety, body fat, and weight management.

"I would say it's unlikely to have a major effect, but I'm also one who thinks every little bit helps," says St-Once.

75,200 Cancer Cases in the U.S. Have Been Linked to Drinking Alcohol

                                           

According to research published in an upcoming edition of the journal Cancer Epidemiology, a percentage of cancer occurrences and mortalities are directly linked to alcohol intake in adults living in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

While the types of cancer varied and the estimated number of cases differed across the country, the study authors from the American Cancer Society and University of Illinois at Chicago recommend health programs designed to educate the public about this connection.

It's no secret that drinking alcohol can increase the likelihood of being diagnosed with cancer. After collecting scientific information from around the globe, the American Institute for Cancer Research concluded that the consumption of wine, beer and spirits can raise the risk of six cancers (including colorectal, breast, esophageal, liver, stomach, and oral).

Yet, the latest study took figures from the U.S. Cancer Statistics database over a three-year period (2013 through 2016) in order to obtain a breakdown of patient cases and deaths among regions and states.

On a national level, alcohol was responsible for approximately 75,200 cancer incidences (4.8%), along with 18,950 (3.2%) fatalities each year. More cases were recorded in New England and Western states (minus Utah) while the statistics were lower in Midwestern and Southern states.

Delaware ranked among the highest in occurrences (6.7%) and, along with Nevada, reported the highest number of deaths (4.5%). Utah was found to have the lowest percentage of cases (2.9%), as well as mortalities (1.9%).

Another big takeaway from this research was that men had higher rates of alcohol-related cancers and deaths, and the study authors believe this is partly due to their higher levels of alcohol consumption.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends drinking alcohol in moderation, which is defined by two drinks or less in a day for men and one drink or less in a day for women. The agency reports that two in three adults who consume alcoholic beverages will drink more than a moderate amount at least once a month.

The American Cancer Society agrees with these guidelines and adds that it's best to skip alcohol altogether. Their goal is to encourage states to prioritize cancer prevention campaigns.

"Healthcare providers and public health practitioners can educate the community to expand the currently limited awareness of the cancer-related risks of alcohol consumption," stated the study authors in a press release.

For more, don't miss One Alcoholic Drink a Day Can Lead To This Serious Condition and don't forget to sign up for our newsletter to get the latest restaurant news delivered straight to your inbox.

Why You Should Stop Worrying About Carbs

Many diets from the past two decades cast carbohydrates as hell spawn sent to fatten you up and destroy you with diabetes. These diets demonized all carbs, from whole grains to fruit, and urged you to exorcise them from your life.

Some forms of this nutrient deserve that evil reputation, but many don’t. By avoiding bad carbs you can speed weight loss and dodge disease. But beware: Shunning the good carbs may hurt your health and fitness goals.

What Carbohydrates Really Are

Like proteins and fats, carbohydrates are macronutrients—in other words, substances that stoke your metabolism and keep you alert and active.

As an analogy, think of carbs as your body’s primary source of crude oil. Through digestion, carbs are transformed into glucose—kind of like high-octane unleaded gas.

“Carbohydrates are the only nutrients that exist solely to fuel the body,” says Donald Layman, Ph.D., a professor of human nutrition at the University of Illinois. Without glucose, your blood oxygen levels suffer, your energy levels tank, and your risk of a brain fart rises.

You should consume 45 to 65 percent of your daily calories from carbohydrates, according to the USDA’s most recent recommendation. So if you’re a moderately active guy consuming 2,600 calories a day, that means 1,170 to 1,690 calories of that total should come from carbs.

And since carbohydrates—whether from sugar, starch, or fiber—contain four calories per gram, you should shoot for 295 to 425 grams a day. This amount, says Layman, will help your brain, blood, and nervous systems function at their best.

If you keep your intake under 80 grams of carbs a day, as some diet plans suggest, your body will begin breaking down its fat stores to produce ketones, a poor man’s “glucose,” which can lead to that low-carb “cloudy” feeling.

Excess dietary carbs become excess body fat. So losing weight and helping your heart is as simple as cutting back on the white bread, right?

Why You Should Strive for Carb Complexity

The quality of your carbs is as important as the quantity, says Frank Sacks, M.D., a nutrition professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Complex carbs, found in starchy vegetables and whole grains, are linked to healthier weight and lower risks of type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

“Complex carbohydrates are difficult for the body to break down, and that’s a good thing,” says Gail Cresci, Ph.D., R.D., a researcher in gastroenterology and nutrition at Cleveland Clinic. These carbs digest slowly, and the absorption of sugars into your bloodstream is also slower as a result.

The increases in your blood sugar and insulin levels are moderate enough that they don’t reach levels associated with body-fat storage, Cresci says. Plus, they make your good gut bacteria happy. “The gut microbiota prefer complex carbs over any other food source,” says Cresci.

After these buggers feast on the carbs, they send beneficial compounds into your bloodstream. These compounds, called short-chain fatty acids, may help lower inflammation and strengthen your immune system, says Cresci.

Most foods that contain complex carbs are also high in fiber (another form of carb), which regulates blood sugar and helps you feel full. In a 2015 study, people who were asked to eat 30 grams of fiber a day on top of their normal diet lost about as much weight as folks on a strict diet.

How the Wrong Kinds of Carbs Can Hurt You

Refined carbs, such as those in white bread, cookies, and chips, have the opposite effect that complex, unrefined carbs have. After you eat, say, a Boston cream doughnut, your blood sugar rises; in response, your insulin levels skyrocket. Plus, your gut bacteria spit out inflammatory compounds, says Cresci.

So a daily Boston cream sets you up for metabolic malfunction, elevated triglycerides, obesity, and the chronic diseases that accompany them.

Cutting out those breakfast doughnuts may help you erase the one encircling your waistline. And yes, if you eliminate almost all carbs from your diet, you’ll drop even more weight—but not for the reason you might think.

On a low-carb diet, your body churns through its stores of muscle glycogen. And for every bit of muscle glycogen you burn, your body releases twice as much H2O, Cresci says. So initially you’ll lose weight, but it will be more from water than from body fat.

To effectively reverse the weight gain associated with the intake of simple carbs, you have to shop smart. Beware of products that market themselves as low-fat. When food producers remove fat from cookies, ice cream, yogurt, or salad dressings, they often replace the lost flavor with processed sugar (yes, sugar is a carb), which is more easily converted into body fat than unprocessed carbs, Cresci says.

And don’t let the “gluten free” trend hook you in: Many gluten-free pastas, breads, and baked goods contain more sugar and calories than their conventional counterparts. In fact, a 2014 review published in the Journal of Medicinal Food concluded that people who followed a gluten-free diet had a greater risk of obesity later in life than those who didn’t.

So unless you’re among the very small minority of Americans who have celiac disease or known sensitivity, there’s probably no health reason for you to cut out gluten-containing whole grains like wheat, barley, and rye. And don’t forget: Gluten is a form of protein, your muscles’ friend.

A general rule: The fewer ingredients in the food you’re buying, the better. Choose apples, not low-fat, gluten-free, cinnamon-sugar apple chips. While fruit does contain simple carbs, those carbs come with plenty of fiber.

In fact, a 2013 BMJ study found that fiber from fruit may reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease. “Anyone who cuts down on fruit to reduce their sugar intake is making a big mistake,” says Dr. Sacks.

How Carbs Fuel Your Fitness

Carbohydrates are stored as glycogen in your muscles and liver and also serve as fuel for high-intensity and endurance exercise. If your fitness regimen is intense—say, you’re training for a marathon—you need 40 to 60 additional grams of carbs per hour of exercise to help your performance, says Stuart Galloway, Ph.D., who studies exercise metabolism at the University of Stirling, Scotland.

Another way to think about this is 1 extra gram of carbs per minute you work out. According to 2013 research in the journal Sports Medicine, carbs boost performance during endurance and high-intensity workouts. Better performances burn more calories.

And while carb loading before a race is a must, no evidence suggests that switching between high- and low-carb days (or “carb cycling”) helps performance. Some experts say it may even hurt your health. Shifting between low and high insulin levels can cause low-grade inflammation, says Cresci.

After your workout, you need to consume just as much carbs as protein—ideally more. That’s because insulin may help with protein synthesis and muscle building, a 2015 study in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition suggests. Aim for a 1:1 or 2:1 carb-to-protein ratio after you hit the gym. Lift some chocolate milk, apple slices with almond butter, or pita and hummus.

So here’s your prescription: Eat a consistent amount of complex carbs every day (unless you’re running a marathon or doing some similar activity the next day) from the greatest variety of whole sources possible. Then enjoy all the disease-fighting, gut-filling benefits.

Want to live longer and be stronger? Choose fat over carbs

An animal study published in Cell Metabolism revealed that following a high-fat diet or ketogenic diet may help promote longevity and improve physical strength.

As part of the study, a team of researchers at the University of California Davis examined mice that were split into three groups. One group received a regular rodent high-carb diet, while another group received a low-carb, high-fat diet. The third group was fed a ketogenic diet, which composed 89 to 90 percent of the animals’ total calorie intake.

The results showed that ketogenic diet helped increase the median life span of the animal models. Likewise, the diet scheme enhanced the animals’ motor function, strength, and coordination. Ketogenic diet also mitigated an increase in age-related markers of inflammation and reduced tumor incidence in mice.

“Our results show that a KD slows cognitive decline and preserves motor function in aging mice. It should be noted that although the LCD did not significantly differ from the ketogenic group in longevity, the two diets differed in their ability to preserve physiological function with age. This suggests that ketones may be necessary to elicit an extension of health span,” the researchers wrote.

“In this case, many of the things we’re looking at aren’t much different from humans. At a fundamental level, humans follow similar changes and experience a decrease in overall function of organs during aging. This study indicates that a ketogenic diet can have a major impact on life and health span without major weight loss or restriction of intake. It also opens a new avenue for possible dietary interventions that have an impact on aging,” nutritionist and senior author Jon Ramsey said in a university release.

However, the scientists said that it remains unclear whether there is a maximum fat intake for ketogenic diet.

Companion study links ketogenic diet to better memory in animal models

A companion study conducted by researchers at the California-based Buck Institute for Research on Aging revealed that following a high-fat diet significantly improved memory in aging mice.

Researchers noted that ketogenic diet is characterized by its high-fat, low-protein, and low-carbohydrate components. The diet scheme is known to bolster the production of a vital ketone called beta-hydroxybutyrate acid (BHB). Small studies have previously shown that BHB helps improve cognitive function.

To carry out the study, the research team observed lab mice that were given three types of diet: a normal high-carb diet, a zero-carb ketogenic diet, and a high-fat, low-carb diet. The mice were given ketogenic diet intermittently to inhibit the onset of obesity at age one and during middle age.

The researchers observed that ketogenic diet-fed mice had a significantly reduced risk of dying as they aged from one to two years old. However, the animals’ maximum lifespan remained unchanged. (Related: How the ketogenic diet can keep unnecessary sugars out of your body, while lowering your risk for cancer.)

The experts also subjected another group of mice under memory testing at both middle age and old age. The results showed that animal models that followed a ketogenic diet performed just as well on memory tests at both middle age and old age. However, mice that were fed a normal diet exhibited age-associated decline as expected.

The study also revealed that mice fed with ketogenic diet explored more. The animal models also exhibited consistent memory improvements during another series of cognitive tests a few months later.

“This opens up a new field in aging research. We think the health benefits of BHB may go beyond memory and could affect tissues and organ systems. We’re looking for drug targets. The ultimate goal is to find a way for humans to benefit from BHBs without having to go on a restrictive diet,” said senior researcher Dr. Eric Verdin.

Read up on more stories such as this one at HealthCoverage.news.

Sources include:

UCDavis.edu

BuckInstitute.org

Cell.com

England’s National Health Service in trouble, services may soon be CLOSED to new patients

Surgery and dental services in England may soon be unavailable to new patients, according to reports by the Daily Mail.

Majority of England’s general practitioners (GPs) want to close their surgery lists to new patients in protest at the strain on the National Health Services (NHS), according to survey results reported in the first Daily Mailreport.

About 1,870 senior or partner GPs took part in the survey which was conducted by the British Medical Association (BMA), doctors’ union, and a total of 54 percent of the senior family doctors said that they would be willing to temporarily suspend registrations.

They claimed that this drastic measure would enable them to focus their attention more on providing safe care to those patients already on their list. (Related: NHS doctors, nurses say government-run healthcare a dismal failure that puts lives at risk.)

The union also claimed that ministers have failed to invest enough money in surgeries at a time when demand from patients is increasing, due to the rising and aging population. GPs were also being expected to have more weekend and evening appointments without any extra funding nor staff.

The BMA said that it needs to speak to the government and ask for more funding and renewed efforts to hire GPs.

Dr Richard Vautrey, chair of the body’s GP committee, said in the Daily Mail article that ministers needed “to understand that this landmark survey sounds a clear warning signal from GPs that cannot be ignored, and that the workload, recruitment, and funding crisis in general practice must be addressed with far more vigor and commitment.”

“The BMA is now calling on ministers to work with us urgently to address this growing crisis which is threatening to overwhelm general practice. We cannot allow a situation where patient safety is being compromised by a lack of political action,” Vautrey expressed.

However, GPs could not close their surgery lists until they apply to NHS stating their reasons. NHS officials could only approve their applications if they could show that their lists are already very long and safety would be compromised by accepting new patients.

Many surgeries across England could be closed to new patients because of this and anyone moving home might have to travel a long distance to find a GP that would accept registrations.

Chief Executive of the Patients Association, Rachel Power, said that this survey is a powerful illustration of how patients are at risk because of this NHS backlash.

In April 2016, NHS bosses promised that they would add more budget and more GPs to ease the workloads in over five years; however figures show that GPs are decreasing instead.

The lack of dentists

NHS dentists are also declining new patients, according to the second Daily Mail report. People were reported to have ripped off their teeth out or tried to numb the pain on their own.

The British Dental Association (BDA) said that there is an “emerging crisis” in the NHS as patients are declined of services and are forced to pay privately or go without dental check-ups.

An analysis of 2,500 dental surgeries on the NHS Choices website revealed that 48 percent had closed their lists to new adult patients, while two-fifths had refused new children patients, as reported by the BBC.

The latest figures from NHS Digital showed that only 51.4 percent of adults saw a dentist in two years, while more than 40 percent of children failed to get a dental check-up in the previous 12 months. There were 11,155 vacant posts for dentists and doctors advertised between January and April alone.

“These figures are a stark reminder that government has no interest in getting more people attending an NHS dentist,” Henrik Overgaard-Nielsen, chair of general dental practice at the BDA, told the Daily Mail.

“In place of indifference, we urgently require a coherent strategy and real commitment from (the) government,” Overgaard-Nielsen expressed.

Read more stories like this at HealthCoverage.news.

Sources include:

DailyMail.co.uk 1

DailyMail.co.uk 2

TheGuardian.com

Contrary to what your dentist may tell you, you CAN reverse tooth decay, new research finds

A recent study brings good news to people who have a sweet tooth and those who neglect to properly brush their teeth. Scientists were able to discover that teeth have the ability to reverse tooth decay; meaning, traces of such tooth damage can be totally gone, thus doing away with the necessity to undergo oral surgeries or have tooth fillings.

What would this miracle entail? Simple, researchers said. Just take a single aspirin.

“Our initial research findings in the laboratory suggest that the use of aspirin, a drug already licensed for human use, could offer an immediate innovative solution enabling our teeth to repair themselves,” principal investigator, Professor Ikhlas El Karim, a senior lecturer in the School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences at Queen’s University Belfast (QUB), said.

“Ideally, what we’re reporting here is that we’re hoping to be able to develop a therapy [so] that the teeth could repair themselves,” Karim added. (Related: Stop gum pain and tooth decay with sustainable dentistry.)

What the researchers did was collate previous research data to be able to point to aspirin as a compound that can induce the gene signature that is needed to make new dentine. Having done so, the QUB scientists treated stem cells in a Petri dish and identified “genetic and also material evidence that it can produce dentine”.

“The next step is to go and try and figure out how you are going to apply the aspirin to the teeth, to regenerate the dentine, and to replace the need for fillings. You need to put it [on the tooth] in a way that bit can be easily released over a long period of time, if you put an aspirin now on a cavity, it’s going to be washed away.

We are not encouraging that, there is a scientific way to go about this, so that we produce a final product that can be used by a dentist, not by a patient. The next step is to work with our pharmacy colleagues to try to develop a vehicle to put it in to the teeth, after the clinical trials,” Karim said.

The fact that aspirin is already a commercially-manufactured product is a boon to the dental industry’s longing to have this endeavor materialize.

“We are not really talking about 10 or 20 years time, it will probably be in the near future that it could be tried in a clinical trial with patients. This novel approach could not only increase the long-term survival of teeth, but could also result in huge savings for the [National Health Service] and other healthcare systems worldwide,” Karim concluded.

Aspirin, which is also called acetylsalicylic acid, is a drug that has been popular for many years now as an effective painkiller. It has anti-inflammatory properties, and is used to soothe headaches, menstrual cramps, and muscle pain. People can get it for merely a penny a tablet.

According to recent data, tooth decay is one among the most common tooth ailments in the world today; it affects a third of adults the world over. Also, it is the number one problem in the teeth of children who are residing in the United Kingdom.

Tooth decay happens when oral acids dissolve the enamel and dentine of the teeth, causing black holes or cavities to form within, around, or on the teeth. The oral acids are caused by bacteria that are found within the plaque – a sticky and thin film – that gets deposited in and around our teeth.

Fillings are usually used to prevent bacteria from totally ruining a single tooth by hindering the cavity from reaching the tooth’s most critical component: the pulp.

Normally, our teeth do not recuperate from the onset of cavities. If worse comes to worst, they can produce a thin band of dentine – the layer just below the enamel – if the inner dental pulp becomes exposed, but other than that they can do nothing: a large cavity cannot possibly be repaired.

Read up on more stories such as this one at Dentistry.news.

Sources include:

DailyMail.co.uk

BBC.com

American Legion endorses medical marijuana for veterans

While anecdotal evidence has been heaping up for some time proving that marijuana has real potential in the treatment of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), it has remained a schedule 1 substance on the federal government’s Controlled Substances list, along with heroin, meth and ecstasy. Military veterans, in particular, have been increasingly vocal in their support of cannabis for the treatment of PTSD, and now The American Legion, America’s largest veterans’ service organization, has openly endorsed its use.

Town Hall reported recently that the American Legion adopted a resolution in Reno, Nevada, at the end of last month, supporting the medicinal use of marijuana and encouraging VA doctors in states where its use is legal to start prescribing it for veterans under their care who are struggling with PTSD. (Related: Government continues to neglect veterans as PTSD epidemic explodes.)

The NIH National Institute of Mental Health explains that PTSD is a disorder which affects people that have undergone frightening, dangerous or shocking events. They explain:

It is natural to feel afraid during and after a traumatic situation. Fear triggers many split-second changes in the body to help defend against danger or to avoid it. This “fight-or-flight” response is a typical reaction meant to protect a person from harm. Nearly everyone will experience a range of reactions after trauma, yet most people recover from initial symptoms naturally. Those who continue to experience problems may be diagnosed with PTSD. People who have PTSD may feel stressed or frightened even when they are not in danger. (Related: To stay informed about mental health issues, see Psychiatry.news)

Military veterans who have experienced harrowing events in wartime are particularly susceptible to PTSD. Known by multiple labels over the years, including “shell shock” and “battle fatigue,” many soldiers, marines and airmen need years of therapy to deal with the harrowing sights they have seen during battle.

The American Legion’s Rob Ryan, who authored the resolution, noted that he has heard “over and over and over again” from PTSD-sufferers whose symptoms have been significantly eased by marijuana.

Though VA medical practitioners have been banned from discussing the use of medical marijuana with their patients since 2011, the Legion has been campaigning hard to get this policy changed.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported that Ohio, where the Legion’s resolution was drafted, has the fourth highest rate of overdose deaths in the U.S. – most significantly, opioid overdoses. It is, however, also one of the states which now allows the medicinal use of marijuana, meaning there is a window of opportunity for the treatment of those with PTSD, which does not involve the use of highly addictive, deadly opioid drugs.

Perhaps an endorsement by the American Legion will be enough to get the federal government to take a second look at its classification of marijuana and investigate its true potential as a treatment for PTSD.

As Town Hall writer, Christine Rousselle, pointed out:

[T]here’s no reason why veterans should be shut out from a potentially life-changing treatment. The American Legion is hardly a group of hippie stoners, and people should listen to what they have to say.

And, as the resolution’s author noted, “Our state congressmen, when the American Legion says something, they listen. Hopefully, this will have the same impact at the federal level.”

It remains to be seen whether Ryan is right and state and federal legislators will pay attention to the Legion’s pleas.

In the meantime, thousands of veterans continue to struggle unnecessarily with a debilitating mental illness.

Sources for this article include:

NIMH.NIH.gov

MedShadow.org

Legion.org

TownHall.com

Military.com

NaturalNews.com

Magnesium cream found to successfully treat high blood pressure without resorting to dangerous prescription medications

Using a magnesium cream may serve as an alternative or an add-on to drug treatment against high blood pressure, a study in PLOS One revealed.

According to the researchers at the University of Hertfordshire in the U.K., only 86 percent of the general population meet the recommended magnesium intake. The health experts noted that the essential mineral boosts immune function and heart health.

The scientists also stressed that adequate magnesium levels help prevent the onset of metabolic syndrome, a condition characterized by a combination of high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity.

To carry out the study, the researchers teamed up with the Centre for Magnesium Education and Research in Hawaii to examine a group of participants who were given either a magnesium cream or a placebo. The participants were instructed to apply two five ml spoonfuls of cream each daily for two weeks.

The experts then collected the participants’ urine sample after 12 to 14 days. The results showed that volunteers who applied magnesium cream exhibited a significant increase in magnesium levels in the blood. The scientists did not observe a similar increase in those who applied the placebo cream.

The findings may show potential in alleviating hypertension, which puts people at an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, and vascular dementia. Hypertension currently affects 75 million Americans and 16 million people in the U.K.

“This study is the first to look at the absorbency of transdermal magnesium creams in human subjects, so is a significant step in determining whether or not these creams could potentially be used as an alternative to oral supplements. Our initial findings indicate that magnesium creams could well be a viable and effective alternative to taking oral magnesium supplements in tablet form,” study author Lindsy Kass told Daily Mail online.

“Low magnesium intake has been shown to cause many health problems, including high blood pressure and cardiovascular issues, so these creams could potentially be a good way to contribute to the increase in magnesium levels and therefore help in reducing the associated health problems. Many people do not like taking pills or have difficulty ingesting them, whereas a cream could be used easily on a daily basis – for example by rubbing it into the skin after showering,” Kass added.

However, the research team noted that these findings warranted further investigation.

Previous study shows magnesium intake promotes heart health

The recent findings on magnesium’s efficacy as a topical treatment were reflective of previous studies demonstrating the mineral’s cardiovascular benefits.

For instance, a meta-analysis published in December 2016 showed that a diet rich in magnesium may reduce the odds of developing heart disease and diabetes.(Related: Magnesium can improve heart health and prevent heart attack deaths (Opinion).)

As part of the study, a team of Chinese researchers pooled data on dietary magnesium intake and chronic disease prevalence from 40 studies published between 19999 and 2016.

The results showed that people with the highest dietary magnesium intake were 10 percent less likely to develop heart disease, 12 percent less likely to have a stroke, and 26 percent less likely to develop diabetes than those who had lower magnesium levels.

However, increasing magnesium levels by up to 100 milligrams a day helped reduce the odds of these adverse events. The research team noted that raising magnesium levels by the said amount slashed the risk of heart failure and stroke by 22 and sevent percent, respectively.

The health experts also said that increasing magnesium intake may result in a 19 percent reduction in diabetes risk and a 10 percent decrease in all-cause mortality risk.

“Increasing dietary magnesium intake is associated with a reduced risk of stroke, heart failure, diabetes, and all-cause mortality, but not CHD [coronary heart disease] or total CVD [cardiovascular disease]. These findings support the notion that increasing dietary magnesium might provide health benefits,” the researchers wrote in BMC Medicine.

Sources include:

DailyMail.co.uk

Reuters.com

Journals.PLOS.org

BMCMedicine.BioMedCentral.com

Reduce the risk of type-2 diabetes with your daily cup of coffee

Your morning cup of coffee could be doing more than just waking you up. A team of Danish scientists have put out a study claiming that four cups of coffee a day can cut down your risk of type-2 diabetes by as much as 25 percent. Although this benefit is only applicable to unfiltered coffee — e.g. espressos, decaffeinated coffee, and cafetieres — it adds to the mounting evidence that coffee truly is good for the health.

According to ScienceDaily.com, caffeine was initially believed to be the substance that produced this beneficial effect, but later studies found otherwise. One such study was conducted by the team behind these findings: the researchers discovered that a coffee compound called cafestol encouraged pancreatic cells to secret more insulin when exposed to blood sugar or glucose. Going off on this, the researchers tested the possible impact that cafestol would have on type-2 diabetes in mice.

To accomplish that, they utilized mice who were genetically-engineered to become prone to type-2 diabetes. These mice were split into three groups: two groups were given varying doses of cafestol (1.1 mg for one group and 0.4 mg for another), while the last group served as the control group and received none.

After 10 weeks had passed, the two groups of cafestol-fed mice had reduced blood sugar levels within the 28 to 30 percent range. Moreover, insulin sensitivity improved in the high-dosage or 1.1 mg group by 42 percent.

Lead author and researcher Fredrik Brustad Mellbye noted that his team’s study “adds further knowledge about mechanisms of action of bioactive substances in coffee.” Mellbye has also called cafestol a “good candidate” for future medication that could be used to treat or prevent type-2 diabetes. Unlike other anti-diabetic medicines, cafestol was not observed to induce hypoglycemia or low blood sugar. (Related: Daily coffee consumption lowers diabetes risk.)

Coffee protects against liver disease too

A separate published in June of this year suggested one more advantage of drinking four cups of coffee a day. Researchers from the Netherlands claimed that four cups of coffee or one cup of tea a day can help prevent liver scarring that can in turn lead to liver cirrhosis. While the exact mechanism behind remains unknown, the researchers believe that it may be due to antioxidant compounds entering the bloodstream and protecting the liver.

For their study, the researchers enlisted the aid of volunteers who gave blood samples and went through liver imaging procedures. The volunteers then answered questionnaires about how frequently they consumed particular drinks and beverages, such as tea and coffee. Tea consumption was divided into four groups (herbal, green, black, and none), while coffee consumption was segregated into three categories (none, moderate or three cups, and frequent or four cups).

Those who drank coffee frequently had decreased risk of liver stiffness, one of the factors that can result in liver scarring. The same effect was found in herbal tea consumption. Furthermore, the researchers found that coffee drinking seemed to reduce liver stiffness in patients diagnosed with non-alcohol fatty liver disease.

How much coffee can we drink in a day?

Healthy adults can drink as much as 400 mg of caffeine or four cups of coffee a day without issue. Going beyond that can be detrimental to one’s health, but as long as you don’t go above this number on a regular basis then you need not worry about side effects too much. Overdosing on caffeine can result in feelings of restlessness, irritability, tremors, dizziness, and an upset stomach. Individuals who experience these symptoms are recommended to cut down on their caffeine intake or check with a medical professional to see if they have caffeine sensitivity.

Visit FoodScience.news to read up on more foods that can boost your overall health.

Sources include:

DailyMail.co.uk 1
DailyMail.co.uk 2
ScienceDaily.com

THC from cannabis found to dramatically slow memory loss by protecting brain cells

Despite the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) still classifying marijuana as a schedule 1 drug (similar to heroin, ecstasy, LSD, and peyote), a new study confirms that the active compound in cannabis, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), can benefit the elderly — particularly in preventing memory loss. Researchers from Germany studied THC’s effects on the brains of older mice and found that these animals regained mental clarity after being given pot. To be more specific, the scientists found that the neural connections within the hippocampus, which is responsible for memory and emotions, were firing at a rate comparable to younger adults. These findings, if proven similar among humans, could signal better and more affordable treatment options for adults suffering from dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.

Andreas Zimmer, lead author of the study and professor of psychology at Bonn University in Germany, says that the results of this research aids in understanding marijuana’s use as medicine. “Chronic, low-dose treatment with THC or cannabis extracts could be a potential strategy to slow down or even reverse cognitive decline in the elderly,” he stated in an article on DailyMail.co.uk. “THC treatment for 28 days restored the learning and memory performance of mature and old animals in the water maze, novel object recognition social recognition tests to the levels observed in young mice.”

For the study, Professor Zimmer and his team carried out three experiments. The team gave low doses of THC to mice at three different ages: two months, 12 months, and 18 months. In human age, this is roughly the equivalent to 20, 58, and 64-years old, respectively. Over the course of 28 days, the mice were subjected to three tests. In the first, mice had to learn how to navigate around a water maze. The second experiment had mice locate a specific object. The last test related to partner recognition. In all three tests, mature and old mice performed worse than the young group. However, when these groups were introduced to THC, the scientists found that their performance significantly improved. Researchers also noted a profound enhancement in memory and cognitive performance. Professor Zimmer published their findings in Nature Medicine and concluded with, “Cannabis preparations and THC are used for medicinal purposes. They have an excellent safety record and do not produce adverse side-effects when administered at a low dose to older individuals. Thus, chronic, low-dose treatment with THC or cannabis extracts could be a potential strategy to slow down or even to reverse cognitive decline in the elderly.”

Cannabis as medicine?

Zameel Cader, an associate professor in clinical neurosciences at Oxford University commented on the study on NewsWeek.com and said the results of the study were “interesting.”

He was mentioned as saying, “first of all there’s clearly growing interest in the potential therapeutic role of cannabinoids, and in this particular case, THC on various human conditions. This paper is addressing a possible role for that compound in memory and cognition, which is relevant to disorders such as Alzheimer’s and other dementias.” Professor Cader does caution the public not to jump to conclusions though; these findings are limited to animal models. Testing on humans, he said, would be problematic. “This is a challenge faced by anyone wanting to develop a therapy for a human disorder such as dementia. Human lifespan is very extensive. So the question would be, when would be the most appropriate time to give these kinds of medications? Over what period of time do you need to evaluate the effects? In humans it could be years before an effect is noticed.”

Professor Cader’s statement is reflective of the general medical community’s opinion regarding marijuana use. The issue here is the supposed adverse effects (especially in terms of addiction) marijuana can have. That being said, recent research indicates that cannabis use among older adults is rising. Data from the annual National Survey of Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) showed that from 2002-2014, the number of adults aged 50 to 64 who reported to have used cannabis more than tripled from 2.9 percent to nine percent.

Sources include:

DailyMail.co.uk

NewsWeek.com

LearnAboutMarijuana.org

SeniorDirectory.com

MedsNews.com

Mic.com

Aluminum salts in deodorants caused CANCER, and Switzerland may be the first nation in the world to BAN them

 Switzerland is slated to become the first country to ban deodorants that contain aluminum salts. This, following results of a 2016 study indicating that the toxic chemicals may play a role in breast cancer onset. The country’s National Councilvoted 126 to 58 in favor of approving a bill instructing the Federal Council to consider banning aluminum salts from being used in antiperspirant. The measure also urges that Federal Council to commission research that would prove a causal relationship between deodorant use and increased breast cancer risk.

Aluminum salts are the active ingredients used in the manufacturing of many antiperspirant and deodorant products in the market, which help prevent excessive sweating and stave off body odor. The toxic chemical works by dissolving in sweat and blocking the sweat gland. In turn, the chemical lessens the amount of moisture present in the skin. However, such an effect was also found to promote a build up in breast tissue. Most antiperspirant and deodorant products contain this cancer-causing chemical, researchers noted.

Breast cancer remains to be the most prevalent type of cancer among women worldwide, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported. According to WHO’s 2013 Global Health Estimates, more than 508,000 women all over the world died of breast cancer in 2011 alone. The organization also noted that while breast cancer was previously thought to be more prevalent in developed countries, nearly half of breast cancer cases and 58 percent of deaths occurred in less developed nations.

Details of the deodorant-breast cancer study

A study published in the International Journal of Cancer in September last year served as a primary catalyst for Switzerland’s latest move to ban the use of aluminum salts in deodorant production. As part of the study, a team of researchers from the University of Geneva examined the effects of the toxic chemicals on mice. The research team found that prolonged exposure to the hazardous chemical was associated with tumor growth in the animals’ breast tissue. This could also trigger cancer to metastasize to other parts of the body, the research team cautioned. A researcher warned that people, especially women, should avoid using products that contained aluminum salts. Likewise, he urged that the chemical be prohibited in the same manner as asbestos. (Related: Learn more about the different toxic chemicals found in personal care products at Toxins.news)

“I think we should avoid all deodorants containing aluminium salt. And it’s very difficult to be sure that the so-called ‘without aluminium’ brands really are without…Asbestos is cheap, has very attractive industrial potential, and it took 50 years to ban it. We hope it doesn’t take so long to ban aluminium salts,” study co-author André-Pascal Sappino was quoted in saying in TheLocal.ch.

However, an outside expert refuted the study’s claim, and pointed out a significant pitfall of the research: It being conducted in animal models. The expert also noted that the findings should not affect the use of deodorants and antiperspirants among women.

“This study looks specifically at mouse cells grown in the lab and in mice and we need to put its findings in the context of previous research looking at human breast cancer. Studies investigating antiperspirant or deodorant use in women have consistently shown no good evidence of a link to breast cancer. With the current evidence, there is no reason for women to be concerned about using them on account of their breast cancer risk. There are, however, established ways that all women can help reduce their risk of the disease, including cutting down on alcohol intake, maintaining a healthy weight and getting regular exercise,” Breast Cancer Now chief executive Baroness Delyth Morgan said in HuffingtonPost.co.uk.

Sources include:

DailyMail.co.uk

HippocraticPost.com

WHO.int

TheLocal.ch

HuffingtonPost.co.uk

Extra-virgin olive oil may prevent Alzheimer's

New research suggests that extra-virgin olive oil - a key component of the Mediterranean diet - may protect the brain from Alzheimer's disease symptoms. Mouse experiments revealed changes in both cognitive performance and the appearance of nerve cells.

Alzheimer's disease is estimated to affect approximately 5 million people in the United States. The neurodegenerative disease is progressive and cannot yet be cured or reversed.

But new research moves closer to a prevention - and potentially reversing - strategy, by studying the effects of extra-virgin olive oil on the cognitive performance and brain health of mice.

Extra-virgin olive oil is a key component of the Mediterranean diet, which is a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, olive oil, and nuts.

The new study - published in the journal Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology - was carried out by a team of researchers from the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University (LKSOM) in Philadelphia, PA.

Lead investigator Dr. Domenico Praticò - a professor in the departments of Pharmacology and Microbiology and the Center for Translational Medicine at LKSOM - explains why several studies have singled out olive oil and hailed it as the main reason why the Mediterranean diet is linked to so many health benefits.

"The thinking is that extra-virgin olive oil is better than fruits and vegetables alone, and as a monounsaturated vegetable fat it is healthier than saturated animal fats," he says.

Studying the effect of olive oil in mice

Dr. Praticò and team used a traditional Alzheimer's transgenic mouse model to study the effect of the oil. The rodents were genetically modified to have the three main characteristics of Alzheimer's disease: memory impairment, the buildup of amyloid plaques, and neurofibrillary tangles.

Neurofibrillary tangles are the result of twisted strands of a protein called tau. In a healthy brain, tau helps with the transportation of nutrients and other molecules that the brain cells need. In Alzheimer's disease, this protein gets tangled up inside the brain cells, which happen to be dying because essential nutrients no longer reach them.

Amyloid plaques are the result of the excess production and buildup of beta-amyloid, a fragment of the protein called "amyloid precursor protein." In Alzheimer's disease, these plaques build up in the spaces between neurons.

Dr. Praticò and colleagues split the rodents into two groups: one group was fed a chow diet with extra-virgin olive oil, and the other group received a regular chow diet with no added oil.

Alzheimer's characteristics begin to develop in a rodent model quite early on, so in this experiment, the oil was added to the diet when the mice were 6 months old, before any symptoms could have appeared.

The researchers evaluated the mice's cognitive abilities by administering tests for their spatial memory, working memory, and learning skills.

Olive oil preserves brain cell health

In terms of general appearance, no differences were noted between the two animal groups.

But, when the mice were 9 months and 12 months old, the mice that had been fed the extra-virgin olive oil diet performed much better in the cognitive tests.

Dr. Praticò and his team also analyzed the brain tissue of these mice, and the studies revealed striking differences between the appearance and functioning of the nerve cells.

Firstly, the integrity of the synapses - which are the parts of the brain cell that facilitate communication among neurons - was preserved much better in the olive oil group. Secondly, the brain tissue in the mice fed olive oil revealed a "dramatic increase" in the autophagy activation of the nerve cells.

Autophagy is a process that sees nerve cells disintegrate and eliminate the toxic debris that tends to accumulate between the cells.

In this experiment, the increase in autophagy led to a decrease in the amyloid plaques and phosphorylated tau.

Dr. Praticò says, "This is an exciting finding for us. Thanks to the autophagy activation, memory, and synaptic integrity were preserved, and the pathological effects in animals otherwise destined to develop Alzheimer's disease were significantly reduced."

"This is a very important discovery, since we suspect that a reduction in autophagy marks the beginning of Alzheimer's disease."

Dr. Domenico Praticò

Next, the researchers plan to introduce olive oil at a later stage, when Alzheimer's symptoms will have already emerged. In the case of mice, this would mean at 12 months of age.

"Usually when a patient sees a doctor for suspected symptoms of dementia, the disease is already present," Dr. Praticò explains. "We want to know whether olive oil added at a later time point in the diet can stop or reverse the disease."