Sunday, February 13, 2011

Say 'I love you' with heart-healthy foods

United Press International

02-11-11

Valentine's Day is the perfect time to say "I love you" by providing your true love with heart-healthy foods, a U.S. registered dietitian says.
Susan Ofria, clinical nutrition manager at Gottlieb Memorial Hospital in Melrose Park, Ill., says to keep your true love's heart beating strong, forget oysters and champagne because the real food of love is dark chocolate and red wine.
"Red wine and dark chocolate have positive components that are actually good for your heart," Ofria, a registered dietitian at the Loyola University Health System's Melrose Park campus, says in a statement.
Red wine and dark chocolate with a cocoa content of 70 percent or higher contain resveratrol, which has been found to lower blood sugar. Red wine is also a source of catechins, which could help improve "good" cholesterol, Ofria says.
Other heart-healthy foods to add to a Valentine's Day menu are:
-- Salmon/tuna, which are excellent sources of omega-3 fatty acids.
-- Ground up flaxseeds, which provide a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, phytoestrogens.
-- Oatmeal, a good source of soluble fiber, niacin, folate and potassium.
-- Walnuts and almonds, which contain omega 3 fatty acids, vitamin E, magnesium, fiber, heart favorable mono-and polyunsaturated fats.
-- Blueberries/cranberries/raspberries/strawberries have beta carotene, lutein, anthocyanin, ellagic acid -- a polyphenol -- vitamin C, folate, potassium and fiber.

Copyright United Press International 2011

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Seasonal Affective Disorder: Natural Remedies

Matt Hickman
Mclatchy-Tribune News Service.
02-08-11

If some sort of contest for "most appropriate acronym for a medical condition" ever existed, SAD, or seasonal affective disorder, would no doubt take the grand prize. The Cleveland Clinic estimates that 4 to 6 percent of Americans suffer from SAD (and an additional 10 to 20 percent of the population is thought to suffer from a milder form of SAD called winter-onset seasonal affective disorder otherwise known as the common "wintertime blues.") The symptoms of this disorder, naturally, revolve around being sad. According to the Mayo Clinic, symptoms for fall and winter SAD include depression, anxiety, fatigue, social withdrawal, overeating, oversleeping and loss of interest in things one might normally enjoy.
There are numerous ways to cope with seasonal malaise, particularly wintertime moodiness. One of the most popular SAD-busters is to escape on a sun-drenched tropical vacation during the dead of winter. But even though most of us would be more than happy to remedy a foul February funk by decamping to Palm Springs for a week, going away is often not in the cards for financial or scheduling reasons.
Below you'll find a handful of natural, inexpensive methods of coping with wintertime depression that don't involve shelling out a lot of cash to lie on the beach in Puerto Rico. And if you're truly feeling down in the dumps, seek the advice of a mental health professional to help sort things out.
Let there be light: A common treatment for SAD is light therapy or phototherapy. During light therapy, sufferers of SAD usually sit in front of a special light therapy box at home each morning for around 30 minutes. Light therapy boxes mimic natural sunlight, helping to promote a chemical change in your brains that lifts you from the funk that you're in. Just think of a light therapy box as a tanning bed for the brain (without the harmful side effects).
Although using a light therapy box is an effective and convenient way to lift one's mood during the winter, it's still no replacement for exposure to natural sunlight. That said, a lack of sunlight during the winter months is what often causes the moody mess that is SAD in the first place. But unless you live somewhere like Reykjavik, Iceland, or Barrow, Alaska, the sun will indeed rise at some point and you should take every opportunity to expose yourself to it. Try exercising outdoors in the morning before work, leaving your office during lunchtime for a zesty walk, and rearranging your furniture at home for optimum exposure to natural light. Basically, the key here is to take advantage of natural daylight even when it's overcast.
Mood food: During the winter do you find yourself frequently carbo-loading and polishing off pints of Ben and Jerry's in your pajamas? Although eating calorie-laden comfort food may bring some sort of insta-relief when you're feeling down in the dumps, it's important to eat nutritious foods that naturally help to boost your mood. Don't normally eat bananas? Have a couple along with breakfast or as a snack during the winter to help boost levels of serotonin. For meals, feast on fresh fruits and veggies and whole grains and don't shy away from poultry, fish, milk or eggs. These items are rich in both the amino acid tryptophan and in vitamin B-12, both crucial players in the production of serotonin.
Picky eaters can benefit from taking dietary supplements when feeling blue during the winter. Vitamin D, St. John's wort, B vitamins and fish oil supplements are all commonly taken to alleviate SAD symptoms. However, it's important to check in with your physician before starting in on a seasonal vitamin regimen, especially if you're taking antidepressants.
Sweat it out: As mentioned, bundling up and heading outdoors to exercise is an excellent way to fight SAD since you're exposing yourself to natural sunlight, getting a bit of fresh air, raising serotonin and endorphin levels and improving metabolism. Try taking a zesty constitutional, jogging or biking if the weather permits. If you have ski slopes nearby, hit 'em. If heading outdoors isn't an option, frequent the gym on a regular basis. Don't do gyms? Try working out in the comfort of your home using traditional equipment, a gaming system or low-cost DIY gear. And if you've never tried your hand (or rather your whole body and mind) at yoga, winter is an excellent time to give it a shot. Deep breathing exercises and meditation are also helpful in combating SAD.
Odds and ends: Getting plenty of exercise, exposing yourself to sunlight, real or artificial, and eating nutritious, serotonin-boosting foods are the biggies when it comes to naturally fending off wintertime depression. And then there are a few other activities that, although more minor, do add up and help to send the wintertime blahs packin'.
For one, don't keep your feelings all bottled up. Talk to someone whether it's a friend, family member or therapist. Use winter as an excuse to plan a get-together with your long-lost college roommate or call up your sister in Cleveland who you've fallen out of contact with. Although your brain might be telling you to stay isolated, transform yourself into a social animal and seek out personal interaction during the cold months.
A bit of good, old-fashioned fantasizing during the gloomy depths of winter never hurt anyone. Once you've exercised, settle down with a good book (or better yet, join a book club), catch up on your DVR and watch a few movies that take place in beautiful, tropical locales to get your mind off of things. Just don't watch something like "The Blue Lagoon" too many times or you may become resentful and impulsively book a trip to Jamaica.
If you're finding that you don't have much interest in your normal activities during the winter, try your hand at something new. Take cooking classes (or subject your family to new, experimental recipes), start a journal, volunteer or take up crafting. The winter is also a fantastic time for home improvement and decorating projects, so keep busy around the house by painting the living room, reorganizing the kitchen or beautifying your bedroom. Also, depending on where you live, why not embark on a new gardening project? Whatever you do, it helps to involve bright colors to brighten both your mood and the general mood around your house.
---
Got a question? Submit a question to Mother Nature (www.mnn.com/askmothernature?destinationadvice) and one of our many experts will track down the answer. Plus:

(C) 2011 Mclatchy-Tribune News Service.. All Rights Reserved

Monday, February 7, 2011

Deciphering the Nutrition Facts Label: Do You Know What You're Eating?

How much calcium is in macaroni and cheese? Which brand of macaroni and cheese has the least fat? The best way to find out this information and more is to read the food label. All food packages bear the Nutrition Facts label, which is full of useful information to help you eat more healthfully.

Let's look at a sample label for macaroni and cheese to find out what is inside.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1 cup (228g)
Servings Per Container: 2
Amount Per Serving
Calories 250 Calories from Fat 110
	% Daily Value*
Total Fat 12 g	18%
Saturated Fat 3 g	15%
Trans Fat 1.5 g
Cholesterol 30 mg	10%
Sodium 470 mg	20%
Total Carbohydrate 31 g	10%
Dietary Fiber 0 g	0%
Sugars 5 g
Protein 5 g
Vitamin A	4%
Vitamin C	2%
Calcium	20%
Iron	4%

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie need
	Calories	2,000	2,500
Total Fat	Less than	65 g	80 g
Saturated Fat	Less than	20 g	25 g
Cholesterol	Less than	300 mg	300 mg
Sodium	Less than	2,400 mg	2,400 mg
Total Carbohydrate		300 g	375 g
Dietary Fiber		25 g	30 g

Serving Size

Serving Size: 1 cup (228 g)

Servings Per Container: 2

The serving size tells you the amount of food that the nutrient information given on the label is based on. Pay attention to the serving size, including how many servings are in a package, and compare it to how much you actually eat. In the sample label above, one serving of macaroni and cheese equals one cup. If you ate the entire package, you would eat two cups, which means you would also consume twice the amount of the nutrients listed on the label.

Calories and Calories From Fat

Amount Per Serving

Calories 250 Calories from Fat 110

Calories are a measure of how much energy you get from food. Calories come from three sources: fat, protein, and carbohydrate. The label tells you how many of the calories in one serving come from fat.

Important Nutrients
The top half of the nutrition label lists nutrients that can strongly affect your health. They can be divided into two groups: those to limit and those to get enough of.

Nutrients to Limit

Total Fat 12 g	18%
Saturated Fat 3 g	15%
Trans Fat 1.5 g
Cholesterol 30 mg	10%
Sodium 470 mg	20%

These are the nutrients that can have adverse effects on your health if they are eaten in excess. For example, too much fat, too much cholesterol, or too much sodium may increase your risk of certain chronic diseases including heart disease, some forms of cancer, and high blood pressure. Saturated fat and Trans fat is of particular concern. Unsaturated fats, which are not required to be listed on a label, are a healthier type of fat. Most of the fat you eat should be the unsaturated type (both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated). Each gram of fat, whether it is saturated or unsaturated, provides nine calories.

Another kind of fat on the label is trans fats. Most trans fats come from partially hydrogenated vegetable oils as found in vegetable shortenings and some margarines, which are commonly used in baked goods. Trans fats, along with saturated fats and cholesterol, increase the "bad" lipids in your blood, putting you at higher risk for heart disease.

Eating too many calories in general can lead to overweight and obesity. Being overweight is a risk factor for many health conditions including type 2 diabetes and osteoarthritis. Therefore, it is essential to also note the total calories listed on the label.

Nutrients to Get Enough of

Dietary Fiber 0 g	0%
Vitamin A	4%
Vitamin C	2%
Calcium	20%
Iron	4%

These are a few of the nutrients that are beneficial to our health, and many Americans may not get enough. These include vitamins A and C, the minerals calcium and iron, and fiber. Calcium can help decrease the risk of osteoporosis, while vitamin C acts as an antioxidant. Fiber, which helps to maintain regularity, is also believed to help decrease the risk of certain chronic diseases.

Total Carbohydrate
Here, you can find the total grams of carbohydrate in the product. One gram of carbohydrate provides four calories. Total carbohydrate includes dietary fiber and sugars, which are both listed on the label, as well as other forms of carbohydrate.

The Percent Daily Value (%DV)
The percent daily values are listed in the right-hand column of the Nutrition Facts label. These percentages tell you whether the nutrients in a serving of food contribute a lot or a little to your total daily nutrient intake— 5% or less is "a little" and 20% or more is "a lot."

For example, one serving of macaroni and cheese provides 2% of the daily value for vitamin C. This is a little, and therefore, this food is not a good source of vitamin C. Be sure to eat other foods rich in this vitamin (fruits and vegetables) throughout the day. On the other hand, one serving of macaroni and cheese provides 20% of the daily value of calcium. This is considered a lot, making this food a good source of calcium. You will still need to eat other calcium-rich foods throughout the day to reach 100% of the daily value, but this food provides a significant amount.

What Is My Daily Value?

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
	Calories	2,000	2,500
Total Fat	Less than	65 g	80 g
Saturated Fat	Less than	20 g	25 g
Cholesterol	Less than	300 mg	300 mg
Sodium	Less than	2,400 mg	2,400 mg
Total Carbohydrate		300 g	375 g
Dietary Fiber		25 g	30 g

The percent daily values are based on recommendations for a 2,000 calorie diet and are outlined in a table below the Nutrition Facts label. The information in this table is exactly the same on all food products. (Small food products may not have this table if there is not enough room to display it.) These values are based on expert dietary advice for the amount of certain nutrients you should consume over the course of the day.

People's actual calorie intakes can vary widely around 2,000 calories, so you may need greater or lesser amounts of these nutrients based on your actual calorie intake. However, the daily values provide a good starting point to refer to. For example, just knowing that one serving of macaroni and cheese contains 12 grams of fat is not very helpful. But to know that this 12 grams accounts for 18% of the total amount you should have in a day is a more useful way of interpreting it. Also, referring to the note that 5% is a little and 20% is a lot, one serving of macaroni and cheese is closer to "a lot" than "a little" amount of fat.

Comparing Percent Daily Values
The percent daily value makes it easy for you to compare the nutrient contents of different brands of similar foods. But first check the serving size to see that it is the same; serving sizes are generally consistent for similar types of food. This can help you choose the product with the lower percentage of fat or the greater percentage of calcium, for example.

Sugars and Protein
There are no daily values for sugars and proteins.

	% Daily Value*
Sugars 5 g
Protein 5 g

There is no DV for sugars because there is no specific recommendation for the amount of sugar we should eat each day. The amount of sugar listed here includes both natural sugars (such as those that occur in fruits and dairy products), as well as sugars added during processing. To determine which type of sugars a food product contains, check the ingredient list.

Usually, there is no DV given for protein. This is because protein intake is not a major health concern for adults and children over the age of four. However, if a food package makes a specific claim about its protein intake, such as "high in protein," the %DV must then be included. The average American eats plenty of protein in his or her daily diet. Each gram of protein provides four calories.

Calcium

Calcium

20%

The DV for calcium is 1,000 (milligrams) mg per day. To determine the exact amount of calcium in a product, you will need to do a little math—just multiply the %DV by 10. If a container of yogurt contains 30% DV, multiply this by 10, which will give you the value of 300 mg.

The DV is 1,000 mg, which is the recommendation for people ages 19-50. However, adolescents (ages 9-18) need 1,300 mg per day, and people age 51 and older need 1,200 mg each day. For these groups, strive for 130% and 120% of the daily value, respectively.

RESOURCES:

American Dietetic Association
http://www.eatright.org/

US Food and Drug Administration
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/

CANADIAN RESOURCES:

Canada's Food Guide
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/

Dietitians of Canada
http://www.dietitians.ca/

REFERENCES:

Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. US Food and Drug Administration website. Available at: http://www.cfsan.fda.gov . Accessed July 15, 2008.

Duyff RL, ADA. The American Dietetic Association's Complete Food & Nutrition Guide . Chronimed Publishing; 1998.

DynaMed Editorial Team. Hypertension. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: http://www.ebscohost.com/dynamed/what.php. Updated June 21, 2010. Accessed June 29, 2010.

US Food and Drug Administration. How to understand and use the nutrition facts label. US Food and Drug Administration website. Available at: http://www.fda.gov.... Updated June 18, 2009. Accessed June 29, 2010.

This content is reviewed regularly and is updated when new and relevant evidence is made available. This information is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with questions regarding a medical condition.

Sunday, February 6, 2011

Resveratrol: Cutting-Edge Technology Available Today

LE Magazine December 2003 Supplemental

by Terri Mitchell

Wine. No other beverage has attracted the attention of modern medicine like this drink. Although it is most widely known for its benefits for the heart, wine has benefits against cancer, dementia, and other age-related diseases. Researchers in Denmark recently looked at 25,000 people to find out what drinking alcohol does to mortality and discovered that wine drinkers slash their overall risk of dying from any cause by about 40%.[1]

Chemists took wine apart years ago to find out what makes it tick. Basically, it contains a host of plant compounds. Unfortunately, resveratrol and some of the other beneficial components got shelved as “toxicants,” and nobody paid much attention to them until a scientist tried to figure out why the French can eat so much fat and not get heart disease. It turns out that part of the answer to the “French paradox” is resveratrol found in red wine.

Resveratrol is naturally created by certain vines, pine trees, peanuts, grapes, and other plants. One of these plants (Polygonnum cuspidatum) is an ingredient in traditional Asian medicines that are prescribed for liver and heart conditions. Resveratrol is classified as a polyphenol because of its chemical structure. Polyphenols make up a huge group of plant compounds that are further broken down into other classifications such as flavonoids, proanthocyanidins, and the like.

In the early ‘90s, after wine was pinpointed as the probable answer to the “French paradox,” researchers realized that the resveratrol content of wine might be the secret ingredient behind the healthy heart effects attributed to it and the traditional Asian heart medicines containing Polygonnum. Research began in earnest, and just over a decade later, the accolades are enormous: “marked antioxidant activity,” “shows great promise for preventing cardiovascular disease,” “remarkable inhibitor,” “chemotherapeutic, little or no toxic effects in healthy cells,” “high efficacy against multiple sites.” Dozens of studies were published in this past year alone. Research has uncovered a diverse range of activities that may make resveratrol one of the most useful agents ever discovered for a wide range of human health problems.*

Heart/Blood Vessels and Resveratrol
When researchers deconstruct heart disease, they see many different things happening at the level of the cell. Cholesterol and other fat-related substances are one small part of a bigger picture that involves many other factors. Fortunately, many facets of heart disease can be controlled through dietary means.Resveratrol is a dietary agent that has powerful and diverse effects on the heart and blood vessels.*

The “French paradox” says that a person can eat a lot of fat, yet not get heart disease. Why? One of the reasons is that the wine they drink contains resveratrol, which is a powerful antioxidant. By now, many people have heard that oxidized low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is a problem in heart disease. This is why vitamin E helps prevent heart problems—it scavenges the radicals that oxidize this fat/protein. However, the kind of radicals that vitamin E blocks are not the only kind of free radicals people have to worry about. There are other types. In a study published in Free Radical Research,[2] resveratrol was put to the test against vitamin E and a synthetic antioxidant. All three were very good at scavenging artery-damaging radicals, but resveratrol emerged as the best defense against certain types of radicals. This points out the importance of using a multi-approach to antioxidants.*

One of the serious complications of free radical damage is hardening and thickening of arteries. A “vicious cycle” of radicals, artery damage, and narrowing due to scar tissue that, in turn, promotes more free radical activity and more damage, has been described.[3] Resveratrol, melatonin and Probucol are suggested as treatments for this progressive process. Resveratrol’s antioxidant action helps stop free radical damage and opens the arteries by enhancing nitric oxide.*

Nitric oxide is a critical component of heart/artery function. It allows blood vessels to “relax,” which enhances blood flow. In a recent study, a high-cholesterol diet decreased nitric oxide by about a third. Resveratrol supplements significantly reversed the trend.[4] In this respect, resveratrol is similar to Viagra, which also affects nitric oxide. However, whereas Viagra only affects small vessels, resveratrol affects the main arteries.*

Finally, resveratrol also stops the proliferation of cells in blood vessels that narrow the arteries,[5] and it also keeps blood cells from sticking together.[6] Both are very important for preventing heart attacks. The ability of resveratrol to keep blood cells from sticking together was investigated by Canadian researchers who wanted to know what role, if any, other components of wine might play in the process. They found that ethanol itself inhibited one type of stickiness-promoter (thrombin), and quercetin (another polyphenol) inhibited a different one (12-HETE), but nothing else they tested was active against this aspect of heart disease except resveratrol, which inhibited not only thrombin, but a host of other stickiness-promoting factors.[7]*

Alzheimer’s and Resveratrol
It was shown recently that resveratrol possesses a “novel mechanism” for scavenging radicals.[8] Might this novel mechanism protect the brain from free radical-driven diseases like Alzheimer’s?*

Although the research is very preliminary, studies indicate that resveratrol may be particularly important for those at risk for Alzheimer’s, or those who have it. It is theorized that free radicals might initiate the process that leads to the disease.[9] The brain is composed mostly of fatty acids, and just as the heart needs to be protected against oxidized fat, so does the brain.*

Alzheimer’s patients produce an abnormal peptide (a piece of a protein) known as “beta-amyloid” in their brains. Beta-amyloid provokes oxidative stress, and eventually cells are killed because of the abnormally high levels of free radicals. The killing of brain cells causes the gradual decline in Alzheimer’s patients. It has been proven that resveratrol can protect the brain against oxidative stress, and keep cells alive.[9,10] Research shows that adding vitamins C and/or E toresveratrol provides a greater degree of brain protection than any of the antioxidants alone.[11]*

Spinal Cord Injury, Strokeand Resveratrol
A recent study by Chinese researchers is notable.[12] If confirmed by other researchers, it could be very important for people who undergo serious brain/spinal trauma or stroke. In these types of injuries, the body’s response causes further injury, and for that reason, people are treated with drugs like cortisone, and in the case of stroke—aspirin. The idea is to reduce the body’s inflammatory response to the injury.

The study from China showed that resveratrol reversed the signs of inflammatory response to spinal cord injury on a level comparable to prednisone (a steroid used to reduce inflammation), but with better energy compensation and protection against free radicals, when injected immediately after injury. Besides helping to ameliorate this type of injury through free radical blockade,resveratrol actually inhibits specific enzymes that change the way individual cells respond to the injury. It’s possible that if a person regularly takes supplemental resveratrol, they will be more likely to withstand a stroke or other injury to the brain. This has been demonstrated in rodents pretreated 21 days with resveratrol.[13] Less motor damage, and less brain damage occurred post-stroke.*

Cancer and Resveratrol
Cancer is, perhaps, the most dynamic area of resveratrol research. Resveratrol is the first natural medicinal to have solid evidence behind it showing that it blocks or stops many stages of cancer. Resveratrol not only prevents cancer, it’s being proposed as an additional treatment.[14-16]*

The number of studies has exploded in the past three years, with the depth of knowledge about this polyphenol increasing with each report. Resveratrol is a broad-spectrum agent that stops cancer in many diverse ways, from blocking estrogen and androgens to modulating genes.[17-20]*

Some of the latest information about it shows that resveratrol causes a unique type of cell death,[14] and kills cancer cells whether they do or do not have the tumor suppressor gene, p53.[21] It also works whether cancer cells are estrogen receptor-positive or negative.[18,22]*

In addition to these findings, researchers are beginning to uncover the ability of resveratrol to augment other chemotherapies. For example, vitamin D3 converts to a steroid that inhibits the growth of breast cancer cells. Researchers at the University of Notre Dame have shown that resveratrol increases the effects of vitamin D.[23] Other research shows that it causes drug-resistant non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma cancer cells to become susceptible to chemotherapeutic drugs (Gemcetabine, Navelbine, cisplatinum, Paclitaxel, and TRIAL).[14]*

Researchers in Austria have done elaborate studies showing that resveratrol blocks the ability of cancer cells to metastasize to bone (30-71%).[24] The highest results were for pancreas, breast, and renal cancer. Prostate and colon cancers were also inhibited, but not as much.*

Resveratrol also acts against a component of the Western diet that promotes cancer cell growth: linoleic acid. Linoleic acid is converted to arachidonic, which is converted to hormone-like substances (such as prostaglandin E2 and leukotriene B4) that can promote inflammatory processes that stimulate cancer cell growth, among other things. It has been demonstrated that the Western diet can cause colon cancer in rodents without any other chemical or factor being necessary.[25] In a study from Japan, resveratrol in an amount easily obtained by supplementation, inhibited the growth of breast cancer cells, and blocked the growth-promoting effects of linoleic acid from the Western diet.[26]*

Resveratrol works against a wide range of cancers, both at the preventive and treatment stages. Its ability to stop cancer is connected to its capability, first, to distinguish a cancer cell from a normal cell. Unlike chemotherapeutic drugs that affect normal as well as cancer cells, resveratrol does not damage healthy cells. Not only is it not harmful to normal cells, it protects them.[27,28] Second, resveratrol is sophisticated in its actions. It doesn’t just scavenge free radicals, it activates and deactivates critical enzymes and genes, hormones and chemicals.[29-31,14,19]*

Resveratrol Activates a Longevity Gene
In a widely publicized report, researchers at Harvard Medical School and BIOMOL Research Laboratories have demonstrated that resveratrol activates a “longevity gene” in yeast that extends life span by 70%. The effects mimic those of calorie restriction, the only proven way of extending maximum life span.Resveratrol activates one of the same “sirtuin (SIR)” genes as calorie restriction. Although the research has only been done in yeast, flies and worms so far, humans have their own version of the same life span-extending gene.*

Cancers Inhibited by
Resveratrol According to
Published Research†

Colon
Neuroblastoma
Esophageal
Breast (all types)
Prostate (all types)
Leukemia (various types)
Metastasis to bone
Skin
Pancreas
Ovarian
Melanoma
Liver
Lung
Stomach
Oral
Cervical
Lymphoma (various types)
Thyroid

†In rodents and/or cell culture

Resveratrol’s ability to activate the gene has to do with its chemical structure, not its antioxidant potential. It works by increasing the rate of a reaction known as “deacetylation.” Acetylation reactions affect whether a gene is “off” or “on.” This is extremely important. In cancer cells, for example, genes are activated that aren’t supposed to be, and vice versa. By controlling deacetylation, and augmenting the longevity gene, resveratrol is able to confer some serious life extension benefits—at least in lower critters. And, yes, acetylation modulators are being pursued for the treatment of cancer to restore the normal activation/deactivation of genes in cancer cells.*

One of the known causes of aging and death is that older cells lose their ability to perfectly replicate DNA in every new cell. DNA “mistakes” accumulate and allow little pieces of DNA to become active and print themselves out, so to speak, creating a type of “DNA debris” that eventually stops a cell from functioning. It is similar to printing out a report and having a couple of pages at the end not contain any relevant information—so you throw them away. The cell can’t throw away the extra “printed out” DNA; it accumulates and clogs up the cell. This build up of “debris” is connected to aging, and the death of individual cells. Resveratrol reduces the frequency of “DNA debris” by 60% through the longevity gene that it stimulates.*

How Much Resveratrol Is In Wine
In order to understand how much resveratrol is in wine, one must realize that resveratrol is a natural substance made by grapes and other plants in response to fungal infection. How much resveratrol is in a glass of wine depends, first, on whether the grapes were grown organically, and, second, how the wine was made. Grapes sprayed with pesticides that prevent fungal infection contain little, if any, resveratrol. Wines grown in dry climates have less resveratrol than those grown in humid areas. Red wines contain more than white because of how red wine is made. The end result of all of this is that organic red wines from certain areas of Europe contain the highest level of resveratrol. But most wines contain either no resveratrol at all, or very little (less than a milligram per glass).

The only sure way to obtain a certain amount of resveratrol daily is to take a standardized extract. Standardization ensures a consistent amount of resveratrol with consistent high quality. The finest resveratrol available comes from Europe. It is made from organic French grapes known for their high resveratrol content. The resveratrol is carefully extracted to retain other compounds (polyphenols) that naturally occur with it. This pharmaceutical wine extract is then enhanced with resveratrol extracted from the roots of a medicinal plant (Polygonnum cuspidatum) used for centuries in Asia for the treatment of inflammation, heart, blood vessel and liver disease, skin and lipid problems. The result is a product that retains the active parts of wine in a natural balance with increased potency and consistent quality.

The Hidden Dangers of Alcohol
Although red wine has been shown to confer some benefits, it must be noted that excessive consumption of alcohol can be dangerous to one’s health.

Alcohol is the most socially acceptable addictive drug that has life-threatening health hazards. Alcohol consumption is so ubiquitous that people often don’t realize how dangerous it can be.

Alcohol is a proven carcinogen, and those who drink have significantly higher rates of brain, esophageal, liver, breast, and other cancers.[32] About one-third of heavy drinkers develop peripheral neuropathy.[33]*

Most people associate drinking alcohol with liver cirrhosis. Mortality statistics, however, show that increased cancer risk may be the real concern.*

Smokers generally know that smoking is hazardous to their health. Yet most people are not aware of how dangerous alcohol is from a statistical standpoint. Epidemiological studies show lower heart attack rates amongst those who regularly consume moderate amounts of alcohol. Yet those same benefits—and more—may be obtained with polyphenols such as resveratrol, EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate) from green tea and aspirin.*

Summary

The research on resveratrol is so voluminous that it’s not possible to cover it in one article. In addition to the benefits mentioned previously, resveratrol has been tested for its ability to stop pain,[34] stop the growth of the bacteria that causes stomach ulcers that can lead to cancer (Helicobacter pylori),[35] protect immune cells,[36] protect DNA,[37] protect against skin cancer,[38] and many other conditions. As pointed out earlier, recently resveratrol became the first-ever supplement known to activate a longevity gene.

While it is important to point out that a lot of the research on this wine extract has been done only in test tubes or rodents, the sheer volume suggests that resveratrol is one of the most versatile and effective plant compounds discovered so far.Resveratrol represents a novel solution to many common problems encountered by aging humans.

References

1. Gronback, M. et al. Type of alcohol consumed and mortality from all causes, coronary heart diseaes, and cancer. Ann. Intern. Med. 2000;133:411-19.

2. Tadolini, B. et al. Resveratrol inhibition of lipid peroxidation. Free Radic. Res. 2000;33:105-14.

3 Simonini, G. et al. Emerging potentials for an antioxidant therapy as a new approach to the treatment of systemic sclerosis. Toxicology 2000;155:1-15.

4 Zou JG, et al. Effect of red wine and wine polyphenol resveratrol on endothelial function in hypercholesterolemic rabbits. Int. J. Mol. Med. 2003;11:317-20.

5 Haider, U.G. et al. Resveratrol increases serine 15-phosphorylated but transcriptionally impaired p53 and induces a reversible DNA replication block in serum-activated vascular smooth muscle cells. Mol. Pharmacol. 200;363:925-32.

6 Zbikowska, H.M. et al. Antioxidants with carcinostatic activity (resveratrol, vitamin E and selenium) in modulation of blood platelet adhesion. J. Physiol. Pharmacol. 2000;51:513-20.

7 Pace-Asciak, C.R. et al. The red wine phenolics trans-resveratrol and quercetin block human platelet aggregation and eicosanoid synthesis: implications for protection against coronary heart disease. Clin. Chim. Acta. 1995;235:207-19.

8 Burkitt, M.J. et al. Effects of trans-resveratrol on copper-dependent hydroxyl-radical formation and DNA damage: evidence for hydroxyl-radical scavenging and a novel, glutathione-sparing mechnism of action. Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 2000;381:253-63.

9 Draczyska-Lusiak, B. et al. Oxidized lipoproteins may play a role in neuronal cell death in Alzheimer disease. Mol. Chem. Neuropathol. 1998; 33:139-48.

10. Jang, J.H. et al. Protective effect of resveratrol on beta-amyloid-induced oxidative PC12 cell death. Free Radic. Biol. Med. 2003;34:1100-10.

11. Chanvitayapongs, S. et al. Amelioration of oxidative stress by antioxidants and resveratrol in PC12 cells. Neuroreport 1997;8:1499-502.

12. Yang, Y.B. et al. Effects of resveratrol on secondary damages after acute spinal cord injury in rats. Acta. Pharmacol. Sin. 2003; 24:703-10.

13. Sinha, K. et al. Protective effect of resveratrol against oxidative stress in middle cerebral artery occlusion model of stroke in rats. Life Sci. 2002;71:655-65.

14. Cal, C. et al. Resveratrol and cancer: chemoprevention, apoptosis, and chemoimmunosensitizing activities. Curr. Med. Chem-Anti-Cancer Agents 2003;3:77-93.

15. Pervaiz, S. Resveratrol–from the bottle to the bedside? Leuk. Lymphoma 2001;40:491-8.

16. Ding, X.Z. et al. Resveratrol inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis in human pancreatic cancer cells. Pancreas 2002;25:e71-e76.

17. Gusman, J. et al. A reappraisal of the potential chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic properties of resveratrol. Carcinogenesis 2001;22:1111-17.

18. Lu, R. et al. Resveratrol, a natural product derived from grape, exhibits antiestrogenic activity and inhibits the growth of human breast cancer cells. J. Cell. Physiol. 1999;179:297-304.

19. Serrero, G. et al. Effect of resveratrol on the expression of autocrine growth modulators in human breast cancer cells. Antioxid. Redox. Signal 2001;3:969-79.

20. Mitchell, S.H. et al. Resveratrol inhibits the expression and function of the androgen receptor in LNCaP prostate cancer cells. Cancer Res. 1999;59:5892-5.

21. Narayanan, B.A. et al. Interactive gene expression pattern in prostate cancer cells exposed to phenolic antioxidants. Life Sci. 2002;70:1821-39.

22. Pozo-Guisado, E. et al. The antiproliferative activity of resveratrol results in apoptosis in MCF-7 but not in MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells: cell-specific alteration of the cell cycle. Biochem. Pharmacol. 2002;64:1375-86.

23. Wietzke, J.A. et al. Phytoestrogen regulation of a vitamin D3 receptor promoter and 1.25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 actions in human breast cancer cells. J. Steroid Biochem. Mol. Biol. 2003; 84:149-57.

24. Ulsperger, E. et al. Resveratrol pretreatment desensitizes AHTO-7 human osteoblasts to growth stimulation in response to carcinoma cell supernatants. Int. J. Oncol. 1999;15:955-59.

25. Lipkin, M. et al. Dietary factors in human colorectal cancer. Annu. Rev. Nutr. 1999;19:545-86.

26. Nakagawa, H. et al. Resveratrol inhibits human breast cancer cell growth and may mitigate the effect of linoleic acid, a potent breast cancer cell stimulator. J. Cancer Res. Clin. Oncol. 2001;127:258-64.

27. Zhuang, H. et al. Potential mechanism by which resveratrol, a red wine constituent, protects neurons. Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 2003;993:276-86.

28. Floreani, M. et al. Oral administration of trans-resveratrol to guinea pigs increases cardiac DT-diaphorase and catalase activities, and protects isolated atria from menadione toxicity. Life Sci. 2003;72:2741-50.

29. Ferguson, L.R. Role of plant polyphenols in genomic stability. Mut. Res. 2001;475:89-111.

30. Casper, R.F. et al. Resveratrol has antagonist activityon the aryl hydrocarbon receptor: implications for prevention of dioxin toxicity. Mol. Pharmacol. 1999;56:784-90.

31. Hsieh, T.C. et al. Cell cycle effects and control of gene expression by resveratrol in human breast carcinoma cell lines with different metastatic potentials. Int. J. Oncol. 1999;15:245-52.

32. Bagnardi V. et al. A meta-analysis of alcohol drinking and cancer risk. BR. J. Cancer. 2001;85:1700-1705.

33. Agelink, M.W. et al. Alcoholism, Peripheral neuropathy (PNP) and cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy (CAN). J. neurol. Sci. 1998 Dec 11;161(2):135-42.

34. Torres-Lopez, J.E. et al. Comparison of the antinociceptive effect of celecoxib, diclofenac and resveratrol in the formalin test. Life Sci. 2002;70:1669-76.

35. Mahady, G.B. et al. Resveratrol and red wine extracts inhibit the growth of CagA+ strains of Helicobacter pylori in vitro. Am. J. Gastroenterol. 2003;98:1440-1.

36. Yen, G.C. et al. Effects of resveratrol and 4-hexylresorcinol on hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative DNA damage in human lymphocytes. Free Radic. Res. 2003;37:509-14.

37. Revel, A. et al. Resveratrol, a natural aryl hydrocarbon receptor antagonist, protects lung from DNA damage and apoptosis caused by benzo[a]pyrene. J. Appl. Toxicol. 2003;23:255-61.

38. Adhami, V.M. et al. Suppression of ultraviolet B exposure-mediated activation of NF-kappaB in normal human keratinocytes by resveratrol. Neoplasia 2003;5:74-82.

Functional Foods

Increasingly, foods sold in the supermarkets come with health claims on the label. To name just a few, oatmeal and soy are said to help prevent heart disease, milk and calcium-fortified orange juice to fight osteoporosis, and folate-enriched flour to prevent birth defects. These are all "functional foods"—foods marketed as offering specific health benefits.

There are two main categories of functional foods. The first (and largest) category consists of ordinary foods that contain health-promoting substances. This category essentially includes all fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, soy and other legumes, and numerous other foods such as herbal teas, yogurt, and cold-water fish. When these foods are presented as functional foods, their specific health benefits and healthy constituents are highlighted, such as fiber, vitamins, minerals, and non-nutrient chemicals with potential health benefits.1

The second category of functional foods consists of foods that have been enriched with a potentially health-promoting ingredient. Examples include margarines containing stanol esters, orange juice enriched with calcium and other nutrients, and beverages to which echinacea and other herbs have been added.

Some of these functional food products are based on good, solid science. For others, however, the supporting evidence is weak or speculative. Furthermore, the requirement for good taste sometimes forces manufacturers to limit the amount of herbs and other additives to a level so low that they are unlikely to have any effect.

In the following table, we list some of the more promising functional foods, as well as natural products that are added to food products to create functional foods.

Cancer prevention	Diindolylemethane (found in broccoli-family vegetables),
	Fish oil (found in salmon and other cold-water fish)
	Flaxseed (contains lignans)
	Folate
	Garlic
	Green tea
	I3C (found in broccoli-family vegetables)
	IP6 (found in nuts, seeds, beans, whole grains, cantaloupe, and citrus fruits)
	Lycopene (found in tomatoes)
	Resveratrol (found in grape skin)
	Selenium
	Soy foods
	Turmeric (added to many foods as a preservative)
	Vitamin C
	Vitamin E
Cataracts	Lutein (found in dark green vegetables)
Cavities	Xylitol (added to chewing gum and candy)
Colds and flus	Echinacea (herbal tea)
Colds and flus	Garlic
Diabetes	Chromium (whole grains, brewer’s yeast, fortified nutritional yeast, liver)
Diabetes	Evening primrose oil
Diarrhea	Probiotics (Friendly bacteria) (found in yogurt)
Digestive problems	Probiotics (Friendly bacteria) (found in yogurt)
Ear infections	Xylitol (added to chewing gum and candy)
Easy bruising	Bioflavonoids (found in citrus fruits, buckwheat, and most fruits and vegetables)
Eczema	Probiotics (Friendly bacteria) (found in yogurt)
General nutrition	Fortified grains and beverages
Heart disease prevention	Alpha-linolenic acid (found in flaxseed oil)
	Calcium (added to beverages; found in milk and other dairy products)
	Garlic
	Fish oil (found in salmon and other cold-water fish)
	Potassium (found in orange juice, bananas, and other foods)
	Soy products
	Stanols/Sterols (added to margarine and other spreads)
	Fiber (oats, etc.)
	Wine and other alcoholic beverages (in moderation)
High cholesterol	Fiber (found in whole grains and fruits, legumes, and vegetables)
	Garlic
	Krill Oil
	Soy products
	Stanols (added to margarine and other spreads)
Menopausal symptoms	Soy products
Nausea	Ginger (beverages)
Osteoporosis	Calcium (added to beverages; found in milk and other dairy products)
	Vitamin D (added to butter, milk, and other beverages)
	Soy foods
PMS	Calcium (added to beverages; found in milk and other dairy products)
PMS	Krill Oil
Ulcerative colitis	Probiotics (Friendly bacteria) (found in yogurt)
Urinary tract infections	Cranberry juice
Vaginal infection	Probiotics (Friendly bacteria) (found in yogurt)

A Note About Labeling
The FDA allows labels on foods similar to those used on dietary supplements. These do not require very much scientific validation, and they formally state that the claims made are not approved by the FDA.
In some cases, however, the FDA has specifically authorized higher level health claims such as "heart healthy." These claims may be taken as representing scientific consensus. Because this is such a rapidly growing field, an increasing number of these labels should be expected.

Shopping for Dietary Supplements: Understanding Safety Concerns

It used to be that food was food and drugs were drugs. Nowadays, it is not always easy to tell them apart. Consumers are faced with a great variety of products—falling somewhere between medicine and food—promoted as medical treatments and as part of a well-balanced diet. Welcome to the ambiguous world of dietary supplements.

The word "dietary" may lead people to believe such supplements are as safe as the foods we eat. While this is often the case, many of them have health effects—and side effects—comparable to medications. However, since dietary supplements are not as strictly regulated, like drugs, consumers need to be watchful and well-informed about purchasing these products.

The Nature of Dietary Supplements
Dietary supplements are edible products that contain one or more substances—usually natural—formulated to achieve a specific health effect. Three main groups of dietary supplements are:

Nutritional supplements—These provide nutrients that are naturally present in food and have well-established health-related functions. These nutrients are isolated from foods and often provided at much higher concentrations. Examples include:

Amino acids
Fatty acids
High-dose vitamins and minerals

Botanical supplements—These are herbal products containing concentrates or extracts from plants, such as:

Gingko biloba
Saw palmetto
St. Johns wort

Miscellaneous supplements—These include a variety of non-herbal substances from many sources not normally found in the diet, but purported to have beneficial health effects. Examples include:

Shark cartilage
DHEA (a steroid hormone precursor)
Chondroitin

Safe and Effective
Safety and effectiveness—that is the bottom line when it comes to any health product. It is the job of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ensure that medicines are reasonably safe and effective. But this is not the case for dietary supplements.

Government regulators consider dietary supplements to be more like food than medicine. Therefore, supplement makers are not held to the same strict approval standards as the drug industry. One reason for this is that dietary supplement manufacturers cannot afford to do the level of research necessary to meet these FDA standards for safety and effectiveness. Drug companies spend tens of millions of dollars on such research.

In 1994, Congress passed the Dietary Supplements Health and Education Act (DSHEA). This act states that a dietary supplement may be sold without scientific evidence of effectiveness as long as no specific health benefits claims are made in its advertising or labeling. The manufacturer can only provide information about the intended use or potential benefits of the product. For example, a gingko label may not say: "effective treatment for Alzheimer's dementia." But, it can say: "may be useful for boosting memory in the elderly."

A Closer Look at Safety
DSHEA also allows lower safety standards for dietary supplements. Manufacturers need only show that their product is "reasonably expected to be safe," but DSHEA does not specify what evidence is required to make this safety assertion. In addition, once a product is on the market, it is up to the government to show that it is unsafe and that it should be withdrawn. Such a withdrawal is called a post-market recall. These recalls do occur with drugs as well, but many consumer-advocacy groups claim that the public is at greater risk with dietary supplements because they do not undergo the stringent pre-market scrutiny that drugs do. For example, the substance “ephedra” was banned from US sales after a number of deaths, strokes, and heart attacks were attributed to its use.

Still, others argue that comparable vigilance is not necessary for these "natural" products, which are often gentler and less toxic than highly concentrated, chemically based drugs. While this may be true, "natural" does not mean "safe." Plants, after all, produce some of the most powerful poisons on earth. Additionally, we know that vitamins and minerals in mega doses cause toxicity. Furthermore, people taking prescriptions drugs may also take dietary supplements. So even if a supplement is considered safe, it can still interfere with the function of other medicines a patient is taking.

Buyer Beware
Another issue closely related to safety and effectiveness is the concentration and purity of the product. When you purchase an FDA-approved drug, you know exactly what you are getting, down to the last milligram.

This is not always true of dietary supplements. Herbs, in particular, often contain many different constituents in addition to the active ingredient. In fact, studies have shown that some supplements contain no active ingredients at all, while others contain much higher concentrations than the label indicates. It is also not uncommon for supplements to contain substances that are not listed on the label, some of which may be biologically active.

Currently, the government is not responsible for assuring that what is on the label of a dietary supplement is actually in the bottle.

Still Considering Dietary Supplements?
Given all this ambiguity, is it possible to safely take a dietary supplement and expect a positive result? Yes, it is. By adhering to a few simple rules and doing some homework before purchasing any supplements, this vast and perplexing marketplace need not be so daunting.

RESOURCES:

American Academy of Family Physicians
http://www.aafp.org/

American Dietetic Association
http://www.eatright.org/

CANADIAN RESOURCES:

Canadian Council on Food and Nutrition
http://www.ccfn.ca/

Dietitians of Canada
http://www.dietitians.ca/

REFERENCES:

Phil B. Fontanarosa PB, Drummond R, DeAngelis C. The need for regulation of dietary supplements–lessons from ephedra. JAMA. 2003;289:1568-1570.

US Food and Drug Administration. Dietary supplements. US Food and Drug Administration website. Availalbe at: http://www.fda.gov/food/dietarysupplements/default.htm. Updated June 18, 2009. Accessed May 19, 2010.