Healthy Lifestyles:Your Lifestyle newsdigest

The Real Dangers of Poor Sleep

2009-03-20T03:04:00.000-07:00

Have a good nights sleep. We all want to get in the recommended 7-8 hours, yet according to the National Sleep Foundation, almost one-third of Americans sleep 6.5 hours or less each night. So, not only are we walking around in a bad mood, eyes half open, giant cup of Joe in hand, but now research shows that we are actually putting our heart at risk!

Research by Dr. Alexandros Vgontzas, professor of psychiatry at The Pennsylvania State University in Hershey reveals that even modest sleep deprivation may be associated with low-grade inflammation, which can lead to a number of cardiovascular problems.

Vgontzas and his team of researchers deprived 25 men and women just two hours of sleep per night over a six-week period. They measured blood levels for immune-system molecules called cytokines, which are normally secreted during inflammation and infection. Both men and women in the study had increased concentrations of cytokines, which confirms lack of sleep may stimulate an increase in chronic inflammation.

This is troublesome, particularly because continuous inflammation has been shown to lead to hardening of the arteries, high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease and even heart failure. Also, lack of quality sleep has a significant effect on your blood sugar levels. If you are sleep deprived, it requires more insulin to balance your blood sugar levels, which, in turn, can lead to heart disease and a host of other health related problems.

So, you know you need more shut-eye but getting to bed early and sleeping in later just aren't an option with your busy schedule. Maybe the quantity of hours shouldn't be your main focus, let's try focusing on getting a quality sleep. The first option that comes to mind for most people who want to sleep more soundly is to seek out over-the-counter or prescription sleep aids. However, there are several downsides to consider:

Risk of tolerance - meaning your body can require more and more of the medication in order to achieve results.

The lingering effects of sleepiness from the previous nights dosage can affect your safety, the safety of those around you and even put lives at risk.

They can be highly addictive creating the danger that the body will never really learn to sleep on its own again

A far better choice is to consider more natural approaches. You can do simple things like avoiding caffeine and television before bedtime, or practicing relaxation exercises to help you unwind. You can also seek out a natural herbal supplement that will help you achieve the solid sleep you need in order to maintain good health and take care of your heart. Trying these more natural approaches may be just the thing to safely help you obtain a solid nights rest without the risks associated with other traditional medications.

There you have it. The evidence is overwhelming; getting sensible amounts of good quality sleep is essential to achieving optimal health and particularly a healthy heart. Ultimately it's up to you to make the right decision regarding your individual health. Remember more zzz's equals less disease!

The Vitamin C controversy: Science and Politics

2008-11-11T09:00:00.000-08:00

Vitamins, Minerals and Supplements

Vitamin C
** For anyone seeking to survive or prevent cancer, large doses of vitamin C are highly recommended. However, before starting to take megadoses of vitamin C, you should read this section carefully. **

The vitamin C controversy is one of the best publicised and most fiercely argued in the annals of non-orthodox cancer treatments. Its most famous proponent was Linus Pauling, a double Nobel prize winner: In 1954 for chemistry and in 1962 for peace. It was Dr.Pauling’s view that daily ‘megadoses’ of vitamin C could prevent cancer – and could also cure cancer.

The Independent obituary of Linus Pauling, who died in 1994, ended with these words: ‘His theories on vitamin C have now been largely discredited.’ This chapter will show that this is not, in fact, the case.
Pauling wrote three books putting forward the evidence in support of vitamin C: Vitamin C and the Common Cold, Vitamin C and Cancer and How to Live Longer and Feel Better. In these books he quoted extensive experimental support for his conclusion that vitamin C has a general anti-viral effect which protects against any virus including influenza, polio, hepatitis, mononucleosis, and herpes. In addition he wrote that: ‘... good intakes of vitamin C and other vitamins can improve your general health in such a way as to increase your enjoyment of life and can help in controlling heart disease, cancer and other diseases and in slowing down the process of aging.’ (Pauling 1986)

This is a big claim to make. So what proof or evidence or theory did he put forward? First he pointed out that patients with cancer usually have very low concentrations of vitamin C in the blood plasma and in the blood leucocytes. This lack prevents the leucocytes from doing their job of engulfing and digesting bacteria and other foreign cells, including malignant cells, in the body. He felt that it was reasonable to suppose that the low level of vitamin C indicated it was being used up in the effort to control the disease. By giving patients a larger amount of vitamin C their bodily defences should therefore be strengthened.

This then was his starting point. He also took note of an interesting case described by a Dr Greer in 1954. This case involved an elderly executive of an oil company who had leukemia in addition to chronic heart disease and alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver. After having some teeth extracted he was advised to take vitamin C – its healing effect on gums is well known. The man immediately began to take very large doses (25-42 grams a day). He did this because he felt much better as a result (and he took them in tablet form – there is no mention, by the way, of intense indigestion). On two occasions his doctor insisted that he stop taking so much vitamin C. On both occasions there were immediate problems with his spleen and liver and his leukemia symptoms returned. All of these rapidly disappeared once he returned to his vitamin C regime. He eventually died of heart disease but his cancer had been controlled throughout the time he took the vitamin C. Further evidence came from epidemiological studies that showed higher cancer incidence among people whose vegetable and vitamin C intakes were low.

He then established a professional relationship with the Scottish doctor, Ewan Cameron. Cameron had come to the same conclusion by another route. Cameron’s starting point was the known fact that malignant tumours produce an enzyme, hyaluronidase, that attacks the intercellular cement of the surrounding healthy tissues. This weakens the cement to such an extent that the cancer is able to invade. Cameron suggested that one way of defending against the cancer might therefore be to strengthen the intercellular cement. Since vitamin C is known to be involved in the synthesis of collagen – the material of which the intercellular cement is composed, high doses of vitamin C should have the effect of strengthening these defences by allowing faster synthesis. This should protect against the spread and growth of a tumour.

Cameron and Pauling started to experiment with vitamin C on terminal cancer patients at Vale of Leven Hospital in Scotland over the next few years. The results were so exciting that when Pauling suggested they do a double blind clinical trial, Cameron refused. He believed in the value of vitamin C. To deprive any of his patients of this treatment would therefore be unethical. So instead they carried out a controlled study, comparing the outcome of 100 patients who were randomly assigned to Dr Cameron’s care to the outcome of 1,000 patients assigned to doctors who did not believe in or use vitamin C therapy. The result? The patients treated with a daily 10 grams of sodium ascorbate had a survival time 4.2 times longer than for patients who did not take such large doses. Some continued to survive, and survive, and survive. A significant percent of the ‘terminally ill’ cancer patients for whom death was considered inevitable within a matter of weeks or months went on to long term survival. In short, for some patients, vitamin C cured their cancer.

These are exciting results and one would have thought the cancer associations would have been leaping over themselves to replicate the results. Nothing could be further from the truth. Pauling took these results back to the National Cancer Institute in America. They were only interested, they said, in animal studies. But when Pauling applied for grants to conduct this animal-based research he was turned down eight times. Eventually, he made a point of what was happening by publishing an advertisement seeking private donations to help him continue his research. In this 1976 Wall Street Journal advertisement he wrote: ‘Our research shows that the incidence and the severity of cancer depends on diet. We urgently want to refine that research so that it may help to decrease suffering from human cancer. The US Government has absolutely and continually refused to support Dr Pauling and his colleagues during the past four years.’

Eventually pressure built up and the Mayo Clinic was asked to conduct clinical trials of vitamin C. One of these was conducted by Dr Moertel in 1985. His conclusion, which was widely reported in the press, was that there was no evidence that vitamin C had any beneficial effect on cancer patients. He had conducted a double-blind clinical trial that showed no difference between the survival of those who had been given vitamin C and those who had been given a placebo. Pauling was severely critical of the conduct of this trial: ‘[Moertel] suppressed the fact that the vitamin C patients were not receiving vitamin C when they died and had not received any for a long time (median 10.5 months)..[This misrepresentation] has done great harm. Cancer patients have informed us that they are stopping their vitamin C because of [these] ‘negative results’ ...’ (Pauling 1986)

The question raises itself as to why the US National Cancer Institute was so keen to ally itself to a negative result for vitamin C and so slow to support positive findings. Critics point to the fact that the pharmaceutical industry is well represented in the committees and sub-committees of all of the leading cancer-related institutions. If it were ever found that vitamin C was indeed a powerful anticancer agent, then the pharmaceutical companies could say goodbye to their lucrative business. Simply put, there is no money to be made out of selling vitamin C. Other people deride such thinking as paranoid. Doctors too get cancer, they say. They would be mad to turn their backs on any substance that had a reasonable chance of curing cancer. Perhaps so – but since the disputed Mayo Clinic trial there has been no attempt to do a proper study on the effects of vitamin C and it is known that more and more doctors are themselves taking large doses of vitamin C.
Other benefits of Vitamin C

We should note in passing that benefits of taking large doses of vitamin C have been claimed for a wide variety of ailments ranging from wasp and snake bite to meningitis, shock, schizophrenia and diabetes. In fact the list is so long that it would not do any harm to take large doses of vitamin C whatever the problem. Certainly, children with Down Syndrome who have trouble absorbing vitamin C and who have higher than average leukemia rates should be put on vitamin C supplements.

Vitamin C is also a pain reliever. One side effect of the vitamin C supplementation was that those who died while taking large doses had very much shorter periods of pain (days rather than months).
How much vitamin C do we need?

Clearly vitamin C has a wide range of functions within the body and is an important nutrient. But why do we need such large quantities?

This is, I discovered, a question that is based on the wrong assumption. The official RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) for vitamin C is 60 mg per day. Most people assume that the RDA is an average intake that they should aim for, or an amount which should not be exceeded by too much. In fact, this is wrong. 60 mg a day is the quantity needed to ensure we do not get deficiency diseases like scurvy. So the RDA is a minimum amount. Vitamin C is a food substance or nutrient. Does it make sense to take in only the minimum amount of a food substance that will stave off deficiency diseases? Applied to food intake as a whole, does it make sense to take in only the amount of food that will prevent us dying of starvation? Frankly, this seems to be an absurd argument.

Once we have established that the RDA is a minimum amount, we should try to find out what the Optimum Daily Allowance (ODA) is. This will presumably be somewhere between the minimum and the maximum amount. But what is the maximum amount? This will clearly be that amount that will lead to toxicity or ill-health. Taking this as a guideline we discover an interesting fact: there is no maximum level of vitamin C that will cause ill-health or toxicity! One suggestion that it could lead to kidney stones has not had any experimental support.

It appears that no matter how much we take we can never reach a dose that is toxic. There are two reasons for this. Firstly, the body welcomes vitamin C in large quantities. Secondly, if the body gets more vitamin C than it can handle at any one time it dumps the excess vitamin C by causing diarrhoea, which stops as soon as vitamin C levels become manageable again. This diarrhea-causing amount will vary from person to person. Known as the bowel-tolerance level, it will normally be in the region of 10-20 grams a day for a healthy adult but it will increase sharply to 30-60 grams or even more if there is a viral infection. Going back to Pauling’s argument: this increased ability to tolerate higher levels of vitamin C during periods of ill-health suggests that the body is capable of using more vitamin C at times of ill-health. This leads to the conclusion that the body is using the vitamin C to fight the illness. One measure of ODA would be an amount slightly less than the bowel tolerance level

So, everyone agrees that vitamin C is needed and there are very good reasons for suggesting that a lot rather than a little is what the doctor ordered (or should be ordering even if he isn’t inclined to.) Many people in America and Australia are taking ten or more grams a day just to maintain their health. For children, one expert recommends that they can – and should – take 1 gram per year of life. An eight year old could take 8 grams a day.
Is it really safe?

The drug company Hoffman-LaRoche produced a booklet on vitamin safety in Australia. In this booklet it said: ‘Overall, an exhaustive recent review of the scientific data concluded that vitamin C is a safe substance – even with daily megadoses.’ (quoted by Dettman et al, 1993). To deal with the argument that large doses of vitamin C merely lead to ‘expensive urine’ – ie to wasted vitamin C – experts have made the following points:

The urinary system is very prone to infection and so it actually makes sense to direct an anti-viral and anti-bacterial agent like vitamin C through this system. People who don’t have ‘expensive urine’ may be more prone to urinary infections. The presence of vitamin C in the urine does not indicate tissue saturation. Tissue saturation causees diarrhea. The amount needed to get a urine reading is very much lower than the amount needed to cause diarrhea. The level of vitamin C in the urine is a good indication of the level in the tissues. If urinary levels are low, then so to will the tissue levels be low. High levels of excreted vitamin C are indications that the body’s defences are in good shape. Vitamin C is cheap.

How to take vitamin C

Having established the credentials of vitamin C, it is now necessary to explain that there are a number of different forms of the substance and that they are not all equal.

As straight ascorbic acid, it is very acidic and may indeed lead to intense indigestion. In this form it is also difficult to dissolve in water – however, as a suspension it can be used as a mouth wash. Usually, vitamin C tablets are ‘buffered’ which means they are in a non-acidic form.

Most pro-vitamin C advocates warn that the calcium ascorbate form is not useful. Unfortunately, most on-the-shelf vitamin C pills are calcium ascorbate. A relatively new form of calcium ascorbate – called Ester C – is now on the market which claims to be four times more effective than normal vitamin C measured by its length of retention in the body and its bio-availabity. However, its effectiveness for cancer patients must remain in doubt.

For cancer patients, sodium ascorbate is the preferred form. This can be bought in capsule or powder form. The resulting powder can then be taken with any food ie in cereal or on ice-cream or as a suspension in a drink. Others recommend a mixture of potassium and magnesium ascorbates. These too are available commercially.

Only an ascorbate salt (i.e. Sodium Ascorbate) should be taken intravenously because ascorbic acid itself damages the veins and tissues into which it is injected. Linus Pauling, himself, and a number of other writers prefer to take L-ascorbic acid, fine crystals. This he took in orange juice or with a small amount of baking soda. In whatever form it is taken, it should, ideally, be divided into a number of equal doses. and taken at regular intervals throughout the day. This is to maintain a high average daily level in the tissues.

Vitamin C is best taken with an equal amount of bioflavonids – which are commonly found with vitamin C in nature. They are believed to protect vitamin C and to promote its absorption by the body of vitamin C. In combination they are also effective against oral herpes.

Pauling does warn that anyone going on a megadose regime of vitamin C to fight a cancer should not start with large doses – there is a danger of the tumour hemorrhaging – which can be fatal. Large doses should be gradually built up over a period of weeks, starting with say 3 grams a day and increasing by 2 grams every other day, and should continue until the bowel tolerance level has been established. A dose slightly lower than this should then be maintained.

Pauling also warned that one should never suddenly stop taking it – instead it should be tapered off. He warned that a sudden stop might result in ‘rebound scurvy’. Not everyone believes that this is a danger – but it may be and it would be wise to take precautions.

Lastly, it needs to be restated that vitamin C has the potential to be a double edged sword. If the cancer patient taking the vitamin C is in a defeated-defeatist frame of mind the vitamin C may not be effective. It is important that the cancer patient taking vitamin C should be encouraged and helped to take on a positively resisting frame of mind.

Summing up

For anyone still needing to be convinced I will now present my own favorite statistics in the vitamin C wars:

Name: Linus Pauling
Age at death : 93
Cause of death: Natural Causes
Other information: Advocate of Vitamin C

Name: Albert Szent-Gyorgyi
Age at death: 93
Cause of death: ?
Other information: Discoverer of Vitamin C

Name: Dr Charles Moertel
Age at death: 66
Cause of death: Cancer
Other information: Anti-Vitamin C Cancer Researcher

I have nothing against Dr Moertel but the chart makes a point that cannot be made in any other way. It is not scientifically valid in any way at all but it has a poetic immediacy that is unassailable. When it comes to living longer, I prefer to take the advice of the longer lived.

Until a few months before his death, Linus Pauling was alert and in good form. He was still working! Clearly, he was living proof of the value of the regime he was recommending. Pauling’s own recipe for the long life – which he published in 1986, is as follows:

1. Take 6-18 grams of Vitamin C everyday. Do not miss a single day.
2. Take 400-1,600IU of Vitamin E a day.
3. Take 1-2 high-dosage Vitamin B tablets a day
4. Take 25,000IU of vitamin A a day.
5. Take a multi-mineral supplement everyday which should include Calcium, Iodine, Copper, Magnesium, Manganese, Zinc, Molybdenum, Chromium and Selenium.
6. Keep intake of ordinary sugar (including brown sugar and honey) to below 50 lbs a year.
7. Apart from sugar, eat what you want – but not too much of any one food. Don’t get fat.
8. Drink plenty of water everyday.
9. Keep active and do exercise but never excessively over-exert yourself.
10. Drink alcohol only in moderation
11. Don’t smoke.
12. Avoid stress. Work at a job that you like. Be happy with your family.

The Health Benefits of Berries.

2008-11-11T08:25:00.000-08:00

Enjoy the Many Health Benefits of Berries . . .
Scientific Research Shows that Berries Can Help Prevent Heart Disease and Cancer, Control Blood Glucose, Slow Aging, Sharpen Brain Function, and Improve Vision.
Berry good berries: The new super food
Has modern nutritional science now identified every food compound that is essential for optimum health? Could we now live off our nutritional supplement pill along with a source of protein and generic carbohydrates?
Collection of Berries Photo Obviously, the answer is "no," and that's why all health experts recommend that you eat a diet containing a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. These foods contain great mysteries that are still being uncovered. Indeed, it seems that every month some new plant constituent—i.e. a phytochemical—is discovered and characterized that has a remarkable health benefit.
And, of all the fruit and vegetables that you can eat, berries beat them all. Berries, more than any other food, are associated with a remarkably long list of health benefits.

Considering their size, berries contain a giant portion of phytochemicals, in addition to vitamins, minerals and fiber that provide numerous health benefits. Here are just a few examples of the various types of berries and the health benefits they provide :

* Dark berries like blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and goji berries all contain powerful antioxidants.
* Blueberries, bilberries and raspberries contain lutein, which is important for healthy vision.
* Raspberries are rich in anthocyanins and cancer-fighting phytochemicals such as ellagic, coumaric and ferulic acid.
* Pomegranate fruit extract (yes, it is considered a berry) has strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and has been found to be particularly beneficial in inhibiting the growth of cancer cells, and improving symptoms of coronary heart disease and periodontitis (gum disease).

Raspberry, strawberry, cranberry, elderberry, blueberry and bilberry extracts have all been found to significantly inhibit H. pylori bacteria, when compared with the controls.
Blueberries come out on top
In a test that measures the antioxidant potency of a variety of foods—the Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) test—blueberries came out on top.

This tiny, magnificent berry contains a huge serving of antioxidants that have been demonstrated to benefit numerous health conditions, including the prevention of oxidative and inflammatory stress on the lining of blood vessels and red blood cells.
Berries as Smart Nutrients

In a landmark study in 1999, researchers at Tufts University discovered just how powerful this berry is by feeding old rats the equivalent of one cup of blueberries a day. The results were dramatic. The old rats that were fed the blueberries:

* learned faster than the young rats
* were more coordinated
* showed improved motor skills
* outperformed the young rats in memory tests

In one test, 6-month-old rats were able to run on a rod an average of 14 seconds, when compared to old rats, which fell off after six seconds. But remarkably, the old rats that were fed a blueberry supplement could stay on the rod for 10 seconds. Although the rats didn't become young again, their skills improved tremendously. When the researchers examined the rats' brains, they found that the brain neurons of the rats that ate the blueberries were able to communicate better.

The study was significant because the researchers discovered blueberry's potential for reversing some age-related impairments in both memory and motor coordination. The researchers concluded that these findings suggest that, in addition to their known beneficial effects on cancer and heart disease, the phytochemicals present in antioxidant-rich foods may be beneficial in reversing the course of neuronal and behavioral aging.

Since then, hundreds of studies have been done showing that all kinds of berries exert a protective effect against oxidation—a principal cause of cellular damage and death—which ultimately results in illness and disease. Recently, researchers at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University published research showing that nutritional antioxidants, such as the phytochemicals found in blueberries, can reverse age-related declines in brain function, namely the cognitive and motor deficits associated with Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.
Protects against brain damage
Among blueberry varieties, wild or low bush blueberry contains the highest antioxidant power7, which were shown to protect laboratory animals from brain damage from an induced stroke, after they ate blueberries for six weeks.
Inhibits growth of cancer cells
In animal studies done at Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Illinois, wild blueberry extracts inhibited an enzyme called ornithine decarboxylase, which is responsible for tumor progression.
Bilberry extract is rich in anthocyanins
Anthocyanins are a class of flavonoids—a type of phytochemical—which often occur together with proanthocyanidins. Proanthocyanidins are the precursors of anthocyanins, and also excellent antioxidants in their own right.

Long known for its beneficial effect on vision and eye health, bilberry contains five anthocyanins which have also been shown to inhibit the growth of human leukemia cells10 and human colon cancer cells in vitro. One anthocyanin was also found to support the gastrointestinal mucosa in laboratory animals, indicating that it could be a protectant against ulcers.
Pomegranate power
Although we usually don't think of pomegranates as berries, technically, the fruit is called a many-seeded berry that is surrounded by a juicy, fleshy outer layer. The pomegranate tree is native to Africa and the Near East, and is one of the first fruits cultivated in the world. In ancient times, the fruit was a symbol of fertility and abundance that was broken open on a newlywed's bedroom floor so the red seeds would scatter. This practice was believed to insure the procreation of lots of children. Interestingly, the French word for pomegranate is "grenade"—a hand-thrown bomb that scatters shrapnel (pieces of metal) instead of seeds.
Scientific studies

Pomegranate extract has been studied extensively at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, where human, animal and cell culture models have shown benefits in several areas.

Many berries, such as raspberries, blackberries, cranberries, and strawberries contain ellagic acid, which preliminary research suggests may help to prevent certain types of cancer.
Reduces inflammation
In the past several years, inflammation has become a buzzword in the medical community, as a major cause of diseases ranging from arthritis to Alzheimer's. Pomegranate seeds possess anti-inflammatory properties because they inhibit cyclooxygenase and lipoxgenase enzymes, which are responsible for inflammation.

In fact, scientists at the Laboratories of Food Engineering and Biotechnology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, showed that fermented pomegranate juice and cold pressed pomegranate seed oil have antioxidant activity close to that of green tea, and significantly greater than that of red wine.
Protects against cardiovascular disease

Pomegranate juice offers wide protection against cardiovascular disease by reducing:

* macrophage lipid peroxidation
* cholesterol accumulation
* the development of atherosclerosis
* stress-induced myocardial ischemia in patients who have CHD
* systolic blood pressure
* thickening of the carotid artery

A 2004 study that appeared in Clinical Nutrition found that 19 patients with severe atherosclerosis of the carotid arteries who drank about two ounces of pomegranate juice each day for three years had remarkable results. Ultrasound tests showed that narrowing of the arteries decreased by 35% on average in the pomegranate group, while the condition worsened by nearly 10% in the control group. The average systolic blood pressure was also significantly lowered in the group that drank pomegranate juice.

Anthocyanins—the pigment that gives blueberries their color—act as antioxidants and play an important role in preventing disease.

It is interesting to note that pomegranate juice extract has also been found to improve signs of clinical gum disease, which is considered by some to be a precursor and/or indication of cardiovascular disease.
Cancer Prevention
Recent studies have also shown the anti-cancer effects that pomegranate juice has on human breast and prostate cells, and human skin cells damaged by ultraviolet radiation.
Pomegranate juice reduces oxidative stress
One specific measure of oxidative stress is TBARS (thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances), harmful products of lipid (fat) oxidation found in our blood that are created when cells are damaged by oxidation. Lower levels of TBARS are seen in healthy and younger individuals, and higher levels are found in unhealthy individuals. As we age, the amount of TBARS increases in our blood—and is a marker of oxidative stress.

Pomegranate juice has been found to reduce oxidative stress in a number of studies and in a recent study at the Herbal Medicines Research and Education Centre, The University of Sydney, Australia, it reduced TBARS in diabetic patients, without affecting insulin levels.

Diabetes is associated with increased oxidative stress and the development of atherosclerosis. Researchers at the Rambam Medical Center in Haifa, Israel, recently investigated the effects of pomegranate juice on diabetic blood parameters and oxidative stress levels in diabetic patients. After 3 months of drinking 50 ml of pomegranate juice per day, the 10 non-insulin dependent diabetes II patients had a 350% reduction in serum levels of lipid peroxides and a 51% reduction in TBARS, when compared to the 10 healthy control subjects. And although pomegranate juice contains sugars, it did not affect the patients' serum glucose, cholesterol or triglyceride levels. The researchers concluded that pomegranate juice can help prevent the development of atherosclerosis in diabetic patients.29
The wonders of Goji Berry
Also known as Lycium barbarum fruit or wolfberry, goji berry grows on a bush and is native to northwestern China. It has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for thousands of years as a health tonic to promote healthy eyesight and overall health, as well as a remedy for diabetes, anemia, tinnitus, and lung diseases.

Goji Berry is rich in polysaccharides (complex carbohydrates, made up of multiple sugar molecules), and phytochemicals, particularly carotenoids, riboflavin, ascorbic acid, thiamine and nicotinic acid.30 Most of the research on goji berry over the past 30 years has come out of China, but international awareness about its health benefits is growing.

A Taiwanese investigation of the antioxidant activity of goji berry and two other Chinese herbs found goji berry to be the strongest inhibitor of lipid peroxidation (a major factor in cardiovascular disease) in animal models.31
Reduces blood glucose and lipids in animal models
After three weeks of eating a diet supplemented with goji berry, laboratory animals with non-insulin dependent diabetes II showed a significant decrease in weight, cholesterol, triglycerides and insulin levels, leading the researchers to conclude that goji berry may be helpful in improving insulin resistance.

A second study found that gogi berry contains potent antioxidants that reduced blood glucose levels and total cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations in rabbits, while increasing high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL)—"good cholesterol" levels after 10 days of treatment.30
Supports brain health
Alzheimer's disease is predicted to become an epidemic for baby boomers, and there are currently about 70,000 scientists working around the world to find a cure. In a recent study at the University of Hong Kong, researchers theorized that since goji berry extract has anti-aging effects, it probably also has neuroprotective effects against toxins in neurodegenerative diseases, namely Alzheimer's disease. They were right. Goji berry extract protected the brain neurons of laboratory animals from the toxic effects of beta amyloid protein—a culprit in Alzheimer's disease. The researchers concluded that studies on anti-aging herbal medicine like goji berry might open up a new therapeutic window for the prevention of Alzheimer's disease.
More health benefits

Goji berry has also been found to:

* Support the immune system
* Exhibit anti-tumor effects
* Protect the liver from toxins

Drug contraindication

It should be noted that in a study of herbal medicines on pharmaceutical drugs goji berry was found to increase the anti-coagulation effect of warfarin.37
How does cranberry extract work?

Cranberry extract is an extract of the red acidic fruit of the shrubby viburnum of North America and Europe. It contains phytochemicals that include flavonol glycosides, anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins (condensed tannins), and organic and phenolic acids. But it is the proanthocyanidins that exhibit potent bacterial anti-adhesion activity. The proanthocyanidins found in cranberry differ from those found in other plants by their unique structures and very potent antibacterial activity. In the case of UTIs, these proanthocyanidins prevent E. coli from adhering to the urethra and bladder.

Here's how: The cell wall of E. coli bacteria has tiny finger-like projections that contain complex molecules called lectins on their surfaces. These lectins are cellular glue that binds the bacteria to the bladder wall so they cannot be easily rinsed out by urination. But because proanthocyanidin molecules attach themselves to these lectins and fill up all of the bacterial anchoring sites, the bacteria can no longer stick to the bladder wall and are flushed away.

The likelihood of infection is significantly reduced because bacteria must first adhere to the mucosal lining before they can proliferate—and without the ability to stick, the bacteria cannot infect.

* In a study of 153 elderly women, those who drank 10 oz of commercial cranberry drink each day had less than half the risk of developing an infection and were more likely to clear an already present infection.
* A study of 10 young women with recurrent bladder infections found that, compared with placebo, taking a capsule containing 400 mg of cranberry extract daily for three months significantly reduced new infections. Of the 21 bladder infections that arose, only six occurred among women taking Cranberry.
* A year-long Canadian study of 150 sexually active women found that cranberry juice and tablets significantly decreased the number of patients experiencing at least 1 symptomatic UTI/year compared with placebo. The study also found that taking cranberry was much more cost effective than taking antibiotics.
* In February 2004, France allowed food, drink, and dietary supplement manufacturers a "function use claim" to highlight the health benefits of products containing cranberry to consumers. In turn, this will permit the claim that the North American cranberry VM (Vaccinium macrocarpon) can 'help reduce the adhesion of certain E. coli bacteria to the urinary tract walls.'

How safe is cranberry extract?

Very. It has not been reported to cause side effects and can be used safely during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Individuals with a history of kidney stones should consult a medical professional before using cranberry extract for long periods of time, since there is some indication long term use might increase the risk of developing a kidney stone.
Berries help control blood glucose
Two of the nutrients in berries—chlorogenic acid and caffeic acid—help control blood sugar, thus offering protection against insulin resistance, Syndrome X and diabetes.

In an in-vitro study, scientists at the National Cheng Kung University in Taiwan, found that caffeic acid increases glucose uptake into cells, helping to remove it from the bloodstream.

When researchers at nearby Taipei Medical College injected caffeic acid into diabetic rats, they observed a dose-dependent reduction in plasma glucose. However, a similar effect was not observed in normal rats, suggesting that insulin is not involved in this action. In a related experiment, the researchers observed that caffeic acid reduced elevated plasma glucose in insulin-resistant rats that received a glucose challenge test.

Chlorogenic acid has been shown to inhibit the glucose-6-phosphatase enzyme—an enzyme essential to the regulation of blood sugar. Glucose production from glycogen stored in the liver is usually overactive in people with high blood sugar, so by reducing the activity of the glucose-6-phosphatase enzyme blood sugar levels decrease, ultimately resulting in better health.
Conclusion
There are thousands of health-promoting phytochemicals in plants—which is why it's so important to eat a wide variety of colorful fruits and vegetables every day. Berries contain numerous phytochemicals (including anthocyanins, lutein, carotenoids, ellagic acid, chlorogenic acid, and caffeic acid) that have potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects—that have specifically been shown to protect us from numerous health ailments and diseases.

But most Americans do not meet the Recommended Daily Allowance of five to eight fruits and vegetables a day. The good news is that taking a daily nutritional supplement containing a mixture of berry extracts is an excellent way to get a variety of unique phytochemicals, and cover your antioxidant protection needs.