Pomegranates are a gift from nature that provides powerful multi-modal health benefits. Extracts and the juice from this super fruit are shown to lower the damaging effects from systemic inflammation that are now associated with the development of many deadly diseases.

Pomegranates have one of the highest antioxidant ORAC scores that help to neutralize the cellular and DNA damaging effects of free radicals that accelerate aging. Pomegranates are a tasty way to provide protection from the risk of developing many forms of cancer, cardiovascular and renal disease as well as stroke and dementia.

Pomegranate in the Fight against Cancer Proliferation

One of the hallmark signs of cancer progression is when cells lose their adhesive properties and break away to different parts of the body in a process known as metastasis. This mechanism of cellular transit provides for the deadly nature of many cancer lines, specifically prostate cancer. The result of research presented to the American Society for Cell Biology shows that pomegranate-treated tumor cells increased cell adhesion and decreased cell migration that can prevent the disease from spreading to different parts of the body.

The researchers conducting this study explain that their results would apply to most types of cancer. While the results of this study pertain specifically to prostate cancer proliferation, they can be applied to most cancer cell lines due to the migratory nature of this disease. The lead research author concludes “we can now modify cancer-inhibiting components in pomegranate juice to improve their function and make them more effective in preventing prostate cancer metastasis, leading to more effective therapies.”

Antioxidant Nature of Pomegranate Modifies Blood Lipids, Lowers Blood Pressure
The active compound in pomegranate is called ellagitannin and is credited for the powerful antioxidant capacity claimed by this super fruit. Pomegranate has been shown to influence gene expression and suppress the pro-inflammatory cytokine, nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kB). The fruit also activates an enzyme that is responsible for generating the artery-cleansing HDL cholesterol.

Information presented to the American Society of Nephrology reveals how pomegranate can inhibit the development of oxidized LDL cholesterol particles that become lodged in arterial vessel walls and cause arterial stiffening and increased blood pressure. Researchers found that extracts from the juice reduce the number of potentially fatal atherosclerotic lesions and protect the vascular system from damage, reducing the risk from a cardiovascular event.

Pomegranate is beneficial to human health because of its powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. For optimal protection against heart disease and cancer, nutritional researchers advise drinking 8 ounces of the juice daily, combining the contents of an entire pomegranate into a smoothie or supplementing with 400 mg of concentrated extract. Health conscious individuals will certainly want to take advantage of this super fruit to dramatically lower risk from multiple disease processes.

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There was not even one death caused by a dietary supplement in 2008, according to the most recent information collected by the U.S. National Poison Data System. The new 174-page annual report of the American Association of Poison Control Centers, published in the journal Clinical Toxicology, shows zero deaths from multiple vitamins; zero deaths from any of the B vitamins; zero deaths from vitamins A, C, D, or E; and zero deaths from any other vitamin.

Additionally, there were no deaths whatsoever from any amino acid or herbal product. This means no deaths at all from blue cohosh, echinacea, ginkgo biloba, ginseng, kava kava, St. John’s wort, valerian, yohimbe, Asian medicines, ayurvedic medicines, or any other botanical. There were zero deaths from creatine, blue-green algae, glucosamine, chondroitin, melatonin, or any homeopathic remedies.

Furthermore, there were zero deaths in 2008 from any dietary mineral supplement. This means there were no fatalities from calcium, magnesium, chromium, zinc, colloidal silver, selenium, iron, or multimineral supplements. Two children died as a result of medical use of the antacid sodium bicarbonate. The other “Electrolyte and Mineral” category death was due to a man accidentally drinking sodium hydroxide, a highly toxic degreaser and drain-opener.

No man, woman or child died from nutritional supplements. Period.

61 poison centers provide coast-to-coast data for the U.S. National Poison Data System, which is then reviewed by 29 medical and clinical toxicologists. NPDS, the authors write, is “one of the few real-time national surveillance systems in existence, providing a model public health surveillance system for all types of exposures, public health event identification, resilience response and situational awareness tracking.”
Over half of the U.S. population takes daily nutritional supplements. Even if each of those people took only one single tablet daily, that makes 154,000,000 individual doses per day, for a total of over 56 billion doses annually. Since many persons take more than just one vitamin or mineral tablet, actual consumption is considerably higher, and the safety of nutritional supplements is all the more remarkable.
If nutritional supplements are allegedly so “dangerous,” as the FDA and news media so often claim, then where are the bodies?

Those who wonder if the media are biased against vitamins may consider this: how many television stations, newspapers, magazines, and medical journals have reported that no one dies from nutritional supplements?

Reference:
Bronstein AC, Spyker DA, Cantilena LR Jr, Green JL, Rumack BH, Giffin SL. 2008 Annual Report of the American Association of Poison Control Centers’ National Poison Data System (NPDS): 26th Annual Report. Clinical Toxicology (2009). 47, 911-1084. The full text article is available for free download at http://www.aapcc.org/dnn/Portals/0/2008annualreport.pdf . Vitamins statistics are found in Table 22B, journal pages 1052-3. Minerals, herbs, amino acids and other supplements are in the same table, pages 1047-8.

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Antioxidants are believed to provide a host of health benefits from boosting immunity to fighting cancer. And now researchers say antioxidants like vitamins C and E may preserve muscle function in older adults.

According to Reuters, researchers from the University of Pittsburgh followed 2,000 men and women in their 70s for two years. Participants were surveyed about their eating habits and had their grip strength tested in the beginning and at the end of the study period.

They found what they call a “significant” link between the intake of vitamins C and E and an increase in muscle strength, regardless of initial strength levels.

Lead researcher Dr Anne Newman told Reuters it’s not clear whether the antioxidant-rich vitamins preserved muscle strength or if they’re just indicative of an overall healthy diet. “Since they’re in the food, they could be directly related, or they could be marking diets high in fruits and vegetables and low in sodium – all of which would have beneficial effects,” she said.

Newman and her team previously found that physical activity and protein were important in preserving strength. She said these findings prove that a healthy, balanced diet is imperative for people to avoid becoming frail in old age.

According to WebMD, vitamin C is found in food sources like berries, citrus fruits, red and green peppers and sweet potatoes. Dietary sources that are high in vitamin E include broccoli, carrots, nuts and spinach. Both vitamins are also widely available in nutritional supplement form.

Source: drcutler.com

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A series of new studies from University of Alabama researchers, published November 2009, show how antioxidants could help fight respiratory complications of H1N1 flu. Respiratory damage from the virus has taken a toll, leading to death in otherwise healthy individuals. Through a series of experiments, the researchers found that antioxidants, the type found in plant based foods, prevent lung damage from the H1N1 virus.

Respiratory complications of flu occur when a segment of the M2 protein attacks the lining of the lungs, or epithelium. The researchers isolated a segment of the M2 protein. When they removed the segment, they found that the H1N1 virus no longer damaged lung protein. The same thing occurred when antioxidant drugs were added to the cells – antioxidants prevented the M2 protein from causing damage to respiratory cells.

According to Sadis Matalon, co-author of the study, published in the FASEB journal, “The recent outbreak of H1N1 influenza and the rapid spread of this strain across the world highlights the need to better understand how this virus damages the lungs and to find new treatments. Additionally, our research shows that antioxidants may prove beneficial in the treatment of flu.”

The study is published in the FASEB journal. Editor-in Chief of the journal, Gerald Weissmann, M.D. says, Although vaccines will remain the first line of intervention against the flu for a long time to come, this study opens the door for entirely new treatments geared toward stopping the[H1N1] virus after you’re sick…” The researchers found that antioxidants prevent lung damage from H1N1 by halting fluid buildup that sets the stage for pneumonia and respiratory failure from H1N1 flu.

To find how antioxidants prevent lung damage from flu, the scientists first looked at the function of lung protein. Next they studied the M2 protein in conjunction with lung protein, finding the segment of M2 protein that caused damage. When they removed the segment of the M2 protein responsible for the respiratory effects of H1N1, the damage no longer continued. Lastly, the researchers used antioxidants drugs in combination with the M2 protein and lung protein, finding that antioxidants prevented lung damage from H1N1 virus. The experiment was performed first on frog eggs, then on human cells, producing the same results each time.

The scientists suggest they may have found H1N1 flu’s weakness. Antioxidants are shown in lab experiments to prevent lung damage from H1N1 flu. The article, titled “Scientists discover influenza’s Achilles heel: Antioxidants”, is published in the November online issue of the FASEB journal. Antioxidants might help in the fight against H1N1 flu and the respiratory damage that occurs to cause severe illness and deaths. Supplements should not be used as a replacement for nutrition from whole foods for overall health and for boosting immunity.

Source: examiner.com

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A German study published in the August issue of the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease has linked high intake of fruit and vegetables to better plasma antioxidant status and better cognitive performance.

The study of 193 healthy people aged 45 to 102 shows that individuals who had higher daily intake of fruits and vegetables had higher cognitive performance and higher levels of antioxidants in their blood.

The study was conducted by Dr. M. Cristina Polidori, at the Department of Geriatrics, Marienhospital Herne, Ruhr-University of Bochum, Germany along with colleagues at with the Department of Pharmacology at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and the Department of Geriatrics at Perugia University, Italy.

“It is known that there is a strong association between fruit and vegetable intake and the natural antioxidant defenses of the body against free radicals, and It is also known that bad nutritional habits increase the risk of developing cognitive impairment with and without dementia,” Polidori said.

Cognitive impairment is found in people was Alzheimer’s disease, which affects four million Americans. There is no cure for the disease.

Another early study published in the Sept. 2009 issue of Journal of Nutrition suggests that greater intake of high antioxidant foods such as berries, Concord grapes, and walnuts may increase health span and enhance cognitive and motor function in aging.

The study was conducted by J.A. Joseph and colleagues from the USDA-Agriculture Research Service at Tufts University in Boston Massachusetts.

Numerous studies have indicated that people eating a diet containi high amounts of fruits and vegetables exhibit fewer age-related diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, according to the authors.

Joseph and colleagues also found that blueberry or Concord grape juice supplementation in humans with mild cognitive impairment could increase verbal memory performance.

They explained that dietary supplementation with fruit and vegetable extracts high in antioxidants can lower the oxidative stress in aging and also enhance neuronal communication via increases in neuronal signaling and decreases in stress signals induced by oxidative/inflammatory stressors.

Another similar study published in the Sept 2006 issue of American Journal of Medicine suggests that many polyphenols in fruit and vegetables possess stronger neuroprotection against hydrogen peroxide than antioxidant vitamins.

In the study of 1836 Japanese Americans in King County Washington, Dai Q and colleagues from Vanderbilt School of Medicine found those who drank fruit and vegetable juices at least 3 times per week cuts their risk for Alzheimer’s disease by 76 percent and those who drank juices once or twice a week lowered their risk by 16 percent.

The inverse association was more significant among those carried an apolipoprotein Eepsilon-4 allele and those who were not physically active.

On the other hand, they did not find any association between dietary intake of vitamin E, C or beta-carotene or tea consumption and risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

Source: Foodconsumer.org

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