Antioxidant levels key to prostate cancer risk in some men

Greater levels of selenium, vitamin E and the tomato carotenoid lycopene have been shown to reduce prostate cancer in one out of every four Caucasian males, or those who inherit a specific genetic variation that is particularly sensitive to oxidative stress, say US researchers.

Conversely, if carriers of this genetic variant have low levels of these vitamins and minerals, their risk of aggressive prostate increases substantially, as great as 10-fold, over those who maintain higher levels of these nutrients, they write in today’s issue of Cancer Research.

“This large prospective study provides further evidence that oxidative stress may be one of the important mechanisms for prostate cancer development and progression, and adequate intake of antioxidants, such as selenium, lycopene and vitamin E, may help prevent prostate cancer,” said Dr Haojie Li, a researcher at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School.

The new findings are based on an analysis of 567 men diagnosed with prostate cancer between 1982 and 1995, and 764 cancer-free men from the Physicians Health Study.

The initial goal of this study was to assess the effect of aspirin and beta-carotene on men’s health. Li’s team decided to check for variants of the gene that codes for manganese superoxide dismutatase (MnSOD), an important enzyme that works as an antioxidant in human cells to defend against disease.

The MnSOD gene is passed from parents to offspring in one of three forms: VV, VA or AA.

“Compared with men with the MnSOD VV or VA genotype, people with the AA genotype seem to be more sensitive to the antioxidant status,” said Li. “Men with the AA genotype are more susceptible to prostate cancer if their antioxidant levels are low.”

The study’s results found that a quarter of the men in the study carried the MnSOD AA genotype, half carried the VA genotype, and the remaining quarter carried the VV genotype.

The results indicated that the VA and VV men were at equivalent risk for developing prostate cancer across all levels of antioxidants in their blood.

But compared to MnSOD VV or VA carriers in the lowest quartile of selenium levels, MnSOD AA males had an 89 per cent greater risk for developing aggressive prostate cancer if they had low blood levels of the mineral.

On the other hand, MnSOD AA carriers with high selenium – those men in the highest quartile – had a 65 per cent lower risk than the MnSOD VV or VA males who maintained low levels of selenium.

“The levels of selenium in the highest quartile of these men are not abnormally high,” Li said. “Our range is neither extremely high nor extremely low.”

While similar trends were observed for lycopene and vitamin E when tested independently, the contrast in relative risk was most pronounced for the men who had high blood levels for all three antioxidants combined, said the researchers.

“Among men with the MnSOD AA genotype, we observed a 10-fold difference in risk for aggressive prostate cancer, when comparing men with high versus low levels of antioxidants combined,”said Li. “In contrast, among men with the VV or VA genotype, the prostate cancer risk was only weakly altered by these antioxidant levels.”

“Our study, as well as many other epidemiological studies, encourages dietary intake of nutrients such as lycopene from tomato products, or supplements for vitamin E and selenium to reduce risk of prostate cancer,” said Li.

Prostate cancer is one of the biggest cancer killers in industrial countries and affects more than 500,000 men worldwide every year. This number is expected to increase with the ageing population.

Similar interactions between dietary antioxidants and the variations in the MnSOD gene have previously been linked to risk for breast cancer.

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 Cause of irritable bowel syndrome

As discussed previously, irritable bowel syndrome is believed to be due to  the abnormal function (dysfunction) of the muscles of the organs of the  gastrointestinal tract or the nerves controlling the organs. The nervous control  of the gastrointestinal tract, however, is complex. A system of nerves runs the  entire length of the gastrointestinal tract from the esophagus to the anus in  the muscular walls of the organs. These nerves communicate with other nerves  that travel to and from the spinal cord. Nerves within the spinal cord, in turn,  travel to and from the brain. (The gastrointestinal tract is exceeded in the  numbers of nerves it contains only by the spinal cord and brain.) Thus, the  abnormal function of the nervous system in IBS may occur in a gastrointestinal  muscular organ, the spinal cord, or the brain.

The nervous system that  controls the gastrointestinal organs, as with most other organs, contains both  sensory and motor nerves. The sensory nerves continuously sense what is  happening within the organ and relay this information to nerves in the organ’s  wall. From there, information can be relayed to the spinal cord and brain. The  information is received and processed in the organ’s wall, the spinal cord, or  the brain. Then, based on this sensory input and the way the input is processed,  commands (responses) are sent to the organ over the motor nerves. Two of the  most common motor responses in the intestine are contraction or relaxation of  the muscle of the organ and secretion of fluid and/or mucus into the organ.

As already mentioned, abnormal function of the nerves of the  gastrointestinal organs, at least theoretically, might occur in the organ,  spinal cord, or brain. Moreover, the abnormalities might occur in the sensory  nerves, the motor nerves, or at processing centers in the intestine, spinal  cord, or brain. Some researchers argue that the cause of functional diseases is  abnormalities in the function of the sensory nerves. For example, normal  activities, such as stretching of the small intestine by food, may give rise to  abnormal sensory signals that are sent to the spinal cord and brain, where they  are perceived as pain.

Other researchers argue that the cause of  functional diseases is abnormalities in the function of the motor nerves. For  example, abnormal commands through the motor nerves might produce a painful  spasm (contraction) of the muscles. Still others argue that abnormally  functioning processing centers are responsible for functional diseases because  they misinterpret normal sensations or send abnormal commands to the organ. In  fact, some functional diseases may be due to sensory dysfunction, motor  dysfunction, or both sensory and motor dysfunction. Still others may be due to  abnormalities within the processing centers One area that is receiving a great  deal of scientific attention is the potential role of gas produced by intestinal  bacteria in patients with IBS. Studies have demonstrated that patients with IBS  produce larger amounts of gas than individuals without IBS, and the gas may be  retained longer in the small intestine. Among patients with IBS, abdominal size  increases over the day, reaching a maximum in the evening and returning to  baseline by the following morning. In individuals without IBS, there is no  increase in abdominal size during the day.

There has been a great deal  of controversy over the role that poor digestion and/or absorption of dietary  sugars may play in aggravating the symptoms of IBS. Poor digestion of lactose,  the sugar in milk, is very common as is poor absorption of fructose, a sweetener  found in many processed foods. Poor digestion or absorption of these sugars  could aggravate the symptoms of IBS since unabsorbed sugars often cause  increased formation of gas.

Although these abnormalities in production  and transport of gas could give rise to some of the symptoms of IBS, much more  work will need to be done before the role of intestinal gas in IBS is  clear.

Dietary fat in healthy individuals causes food as well as gas to  move more slowly through the stomach and small intestine. Some patients with IBS  may even respond to dietary fat in an exaggerated fashion with greater slowing.  Thus, dietary fat could–and probably does–aggravate the symptoms of IBS.

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 Causes of Hair Loss in Women

Causes of Hair Loss in Women: Help! I Don’t Have to Tear My Hair Out Anymore – It’s All Over My Sink! We lose hair everyday, 100-150 strands actually, simply from brushing and manipulating. If you have long hair, this can look like a lot, but, considering the amount of hair on a head, it’s a tiny amount. If hair is coming out in clumps, or you notice circular patches of balding spots, however, there is definitely a problem, and treatment will be based upon the specific cause. T he following causes should be investigated if you are experiencing more-than-normal hair loss:

1.       Diet: An unbalanced diet, especially one without enough protein, can cause temporary hair loss. Women who are anemic often experience loss.

2.       Menopause: Because of the change in hormones during this period, hair loss can escalate, and, unfortunately, this can be permanent.

3.       Frequent Shampooing: Shampoos contain a lathering ingredient called surfactant. This can be irritating to the scalp and cause itching and scratching, thus   increased hair loss.

4.      Improper Care: If you manipulate your hair too much, color and treat too much, blow dry and heat with curling irons and hot rollers too much, you will see increased hair loss. You need only to look at your bathroom floor, sink and countertops to notice this. Slow down!

5.      Psychological/Physiological Stress: Increased hair loss can occur with pregnancies, major surgery, or a major life event, such as a death or divorce. These causes are temporary and hair growth will return to normal eventually.

6.      Heredity: Heredity plays a part and comes from both sides of the family.

7.      Other Health Conditions: Thyroid problems, lupus, and diabetes can accelerate hair loss. Obviously, these need to be diagnosed by a physician.

8.      Alopecia Areata: This is an autoimmune condition characterized by circular patches of baldness. Basically, the body is attacking the hair follicles. Cortisone shots in the affected areas are required, and the earlier the better.

Take heart. There’s a lot of research going on which may soon resolve most of the causes of hair loss in women.
However, there is a great product that has been proven effective. It is called Provillus. Provillus is an oral supplement, which works to block DHT, a form of testosterone that is responsible for 95 percent of hair loss. It also works to stimulate the scalp and bring dead follicles back to life. You can use Provillus as a preventative tool, starting the program before hair loss becomes severe, or you can use it after DHT has already begun to take hold of your hair and scalp. You can get it at www.provillus.com.For more information visit: Provillus

Resveratrol and Weight Loss

Resveratrol Antioxidants and Weight Loss: A Good Pairing? The golden rule in weight loss is pretty simple: take in fewer calories than you expend in exercise. However, as any dieter will tell you, it’s far from easy. Americans spend billions of dollars a year on weight loss supplements, exercise programs and other diet aids—and still we can’t seem to win the battle of the bulge—even when we get desperate enough to try risky surgery or fad diets.

Recently a new product has come to light that may help people trying to lose weight stay on the healthy end of the spectrum: Resveratrol Select, which is unlike many diet supplements in that it uses a combination of natural and herbal ingredients designed to help the body stay healthy while losing weight.

How?  By mimicking certain aspects of the Mediterranean diet.Studies have shown that part of America’s war with weight lies in the uniquely modern American combination of stressful lifestyle and fast-food consumption, and that the Mediterranean diet and lifestyle seem to be more conducive to healthier weight levels and longevity. In fact, much as been made on the news in recent months of the purported “French Paradox,” (how the French eat a high-fat diet, enjoy rich desserts, drink wine and still have better cardiovascular health than the rest of us). One of the biggest differences between the American and French diet seems to be the wine consumption, and red wine (a staple on most Mediterranean tables) contains one of nature’s most powerful antioxidants, resveratrol, which is a key ingredient in Resveratrol Select.

In addition to wine, resveratrol is also found in grape skins, blueberries, cranberries and other plants, and recent animal and in vitro studies indicate that it can have a positive effect on helping to maintain healthy cholesterol levels, supporting insulin health and optimizing metabolic and immune pathways that protect cells and improve mitochondrial function. * And one capsule of Resveratrol Select includes as much resveratrol as 200 glasses of wine—without the added calories that alcohol can add to the waistline.But consuming resveratrol alone isn’t enough to help with weight loss—so the manufacturers of Resveratrol Select also added a different type of antioxidant, Green Tea Extract (EGCG), which could make a big difference. Over time, green tea consumption helps increase metabolism, burn fat and reduce fat storage due to its caffeine and L-theanin content, which can be pivotal in helping to maintain energy for exercise.

*Resveratrol Select combines these two powerful antioxidants with yet another energy boosting ingredient, Chromium, a niacin-based mineral that plays an important role in how the body uses insulin to burn sugars, carbohydrates, fats, and proteins for energy.*Although relatively new to the market, Resveratrol Select seems to be making a big splash, and many people are taking advantage of the free trial offer to see how well the product works for them. The trial offer also includes two bonus tools to help with weight loss: an e-book with over 70 weight loss tips, and a weight loss visualization audio.Of course, consuming fewer calories while burning more is the most efficient form of weight loss, and it’s always a good idea to inform your doctor before taking a weight loss supplement, but this new combination herbal supplement is worth a look for those concerned about maintaining good health while losing weight.

For more information on Resveratrol Select’s free trial offer and bonus materials, Resveratrol Select