Beware! Antioxidants can cause cancer to spread faster

A new study suggests that people with cancer or an elevated risk of developing the disease should avoid nutritional supplements that contain antioxidants.

Antioxidants double the rate of metastasis, the spread of cancer from one part of the body to another, in malignant melanoma, the most perilous type of skin cancer, warns a new study.

Found in many nutritional supplements, antioxidants are widely marketed as a means of preventing cancer.

The results of this study suggest that people with cancer or an elevated risk of developing the disease should avoid nutritional supplements that contain antioxidants.

“We have demonstrated that antioxidants promote the progression of cancer,” said one of the researchers Martin Bergo from Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg in Sweden.

Antioxidants protect healthy cells from free radicals that can turn them into malignancies but may also protect a tumour once it has developed, the findings showed.

Researchers at Sahlgrenska Academy demonstrated in January 2014 that antioxidants hastened and aggravated the progression of lung cancer.

Mice that were given antioxidants developed additional and more aggressive tumours.

Experiments on human lung cancer cells confirmed the results. Given well-established evidence that free radicals can cause cancer, the research community had simply assumed that antioxidants, which destroy them, provide protection against the disease.

But because the lung cancer studies called the collective wisdom into question, they attracted a great deal of attention.

The follow-up studies at Sahlgrenska Academy have now found that antioxidants double the rate of metastasis in malignant melanoma in mice. “The antioxidant boosted the ability of the tumour cells to metastasise, an even more serious problem because metastasis is the cause of death in the case of melanoma. The primary tumour is not dangerous per se and is usually removed,” Bergo noted.

Experiments on cell cultures from patients with malignant melanoma confirmed the new results.

Source: India today


5 reasons why eating olives are a must

Almost everyone loves olives be it on your favourite pizza, sandwich or salad. Not only do they taste good but are loaded with a number of health benefits.

5 reasons why eating olives are a must

Here are a few reasons as to why olives are a must in your diet regularly:

  • -Olives are a rich source of vitamin E and monounsaturated fatty acids, which help reduce risk of heart disease by lowering blood press and LDL cholesterol.
  • -It has anti-inflammatory properties and hence helps in easing pain.
  • -Loaded with fatty acids and antioxidants, olives are an excellent food for your hair and skin.
  • -Eating olives help boost haemoglobin level in the body as it is a rich source of iron.
  • -Eating a cup of olives can help regulate blood pressure.

Source: zee news


Five powerful health benefits of eating pomegranate!

Years ago pomegranates were considered exotic. Like Mandarin oranges they were precious imports brought over on ships for a once-a-year treat at Christmas. But in recent years, as you might have noticed, the pomegranate has been designated a “superfood” (foods with the highest nutritional values). And it truly is super with its high dietary fibre and folate, vitamin C and vitamin K. Since ancient times, the fabulous fleshy seeds were used for fertility, but it turns out they do so much more.

Five powerful health benefits of eating pomegranate!

Five reasons the pomegranate is a superfood:

1. You can reduce joint pain and inflammation with pomegranates. At the source of any joint pain is always a cascade of enzyme reactions that lead to the body triggering inflammation and ultimately pain. Pomegranates have been shown to halt the enzyme reactions before the inflammation is able to occur and reduce pain as a result.

2. Pomegranates have been used to treat malaria. In ancient Indian culture, this was the only remedy that was available for the treatment of malaria because of its powerful anti-parasitic properties. Remember to stock up on pomegranates before your next tropical destination vacation to ward off those pesky parasites.

3. Pomegranates are anti-viral. Protect yourself during those winter months by stocking up on pomegranates. The anti-viral component of these fruits is so powerful that it’s been studied as an alternative treatment of HIV, with promising results.

4. Pomegranate plant flowers can be used to lower cholesterol. Pomegranate flowers contain an oil called oleanolic acid that improves the metabolism of free triglycerides found in the blood. These triglycerides are what lead to the collection of LDL cholesterol and blockage of arterial walls leading to atherosclerosis (hardening and narrowing of the artery walls) increasing your susceptibility to heart disease.

5. Pomegranates protect your cardiovascular system. For plaque to begin to form on your arteries, there first must be damage to the arterial walls caused by free-radicals. Pomegranates contain powerful antioxidants that eat up these free radicals and target the lining of your blood vessels and prevent them from damage. The ultimate prevention food!

Source; chatelaine


Four myths about corn you should stop believing

Four myths about corn you should stop believing

There is nothing like sinking your teeth in a crisp cob of sweet corn. But few myths keep people away from the vegetable and it is time to know the truth.

Here are some of the biggest misconceptions surrounding sweet corn (only in the form of a vegetable):

  •  Corn is unhealthy – No! Corn is a vegetable that contains a lot of nutrients. The idea that corn is unhealthy likely came about because corn is high in starch.
  •  Your body cannot digest corn – While it’s true that corn has high amounts of insoluble fiber but this is not at all a bad thing. Insoluble fiber has been shown in research to help feed the “good” bacteria in our gut.
  • Corn isn’t a good source of nutrients – Corn contains a certain amount of vitamin B and C, as well as magnesium and potassium. Yellow corn is also a good source of antioxidants, which are good for eyes.
  •  You shouldn’t eat corn because it’s really high in sugar – You don’t stop having bananas just because you think they’re high in sugar. Then why should you do the same for corn? A cob of corn has around 6 to 8 grams of sugar, while a banana has about 15.

Source: Hidustan times


5 reasons why Pineapples are good for you

5 reasons why Pineapples are good for you

Summers are here with all their heat, sweat and high humidity levels leaving you exhausted and de-energised. To beat the heat, pineapple is one of the best food packed with anti-oxidants.

Its anti-oxidant properties not just helps fight against diseases like atherosclerosis, heart diseases, and various cancers, but also aids digestion and boosts immune system to save you from this scorching heat.
Here are a few health benefits of this unique fruit:

  •  Pineapple helps in building strong bones as it is a rich source of manganese.
  •  Drinking a glass of pineapple juice can help keep gums healthy and strong teeth.
  •  Since, pineapple is a power house of beta-carotene, it helps in fighting macular degeneration.
  •  It is very helpful in weight-loss as it is a fruit rich in fibres and low in calories.
  •  Eating pineapples also boosts metabolism, provides nourishment to hair, skin and nails.

Source: zee news


5 reasons why grapes are good for you

grapes bunch

Most of us love eating grapes. This juicy fruit is a rich source of vitamins A, C, B6 and folate. Grapes are a powerhouse of flavonoids and antioxidants, which help in reducing the damage caused by free radicals and slow down the process of ageing.

The best part about this ‘Queen of fruits’ is that they can be consumed in many ways – like grape juice, in wines etc.

Here are a few health benefits of the wonder fruit:

  • Grape juice is the best home remedy to treat migraine pains.
  • Research suggests that grape seed can be combined with chemotherapy to improve treatment for bowel cancer.
  • Adding grapes to your diet can help you lessen that excruciating knee pain.
  • Studies suggest that eating grapes helps lower blood pressure and improve heart function.
  • Grapes help in aiding digestion process thereby preventing dyspepsia.

Source: Zee news

 

 


Top 5 health benefits of mango juice

The king of fruits, Mango not only tastes good that but also offers a number of health benefits for your body. The tropical fruit is sweet in taste and is available in a wide variety. It is widely used in various cuisines like chutney, pickles, amras, lassi etc.

Mango juice contains vitamins and minerals essential for good health.

Here are five health benefits why you should indulge in this juicy fruit:

  • -Mango juice helps reduce the development of cancer cells within the body.
  • -It contains fiber which aids in digestion and elimination of acids.
  • -Mangoes are a rich source Vitamin A and flavonoids which help promote good eyesight and prevents night blindness and dry eyes.
  • -Mango juice helps regulate blood pressure as it contains potassium that assists your muscles, heart and nerves’ functions.
  • -In case of pregnancy, mango juice is very much beneficial to help increase the speed of the child’s physical and mental development as it is low in calories and rich in other essential nutrients.

Source: Zee news


Antioxidants speed lung cancer growth: Study

Although some people spend countless dollars on antioxidant supplements to improve their health, many studies have found that these would-be panaceas could actually exacerbate the diseases they claim to prevent.

Now, a team of Swedish scientists has shown that two antioxidants—vitamin E and N-acetylcysteine (NAC)—can fuel the growth of lung cancers in mice. The team also worked out why.

Antioxidants protect cells from chemically unstable molecules called reactive oxygen species (ROS), which can easily react with DNA and cause damage that leads to cancer. But Martin Bergo’s team at the University of Gothenburg showed that antioxidants neutralize ROS in tumors as well as healthy cells. “If we give extra antioxidants in the diet, we’re helping the tumor to reduce radicals that would otherwise block its growth,” Bergo said. “Then it can speed up all it wants.”

The results, published today (January 29) in Science Translational Medicine, are particularly important for people with an increased risk of lung cancer, including smokers or people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD). “There’s no scientific evidence to suggest that these people should take extra antioxidants,” said Bergo. “It may even be harmful”

“They might have a small undiagnosed tumor, and no one knows the frequency of those,” he added. “There’s a possibility that antioxidants would speed up the growth of those tumors.” This word of caution is especially relevant to people with COPD, who often take large amounts of NAC to relieve the build-up of mucus in their airways.

“A warning seems appropriate for everyone who has been seduced to use antioxidants or vitamins on a regular basis, as a preventive measure,” the University of Syndey’s Nico van Zandwijk told The Scientist in an e-mail.

These results fit with those from a long line of human clinical trials, in which antioxidants failed to prevent disease or made things worse. The first of these was published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 1994, and showed that male smokers who took beta-carotene supplements were more likely to develop and die of lung cancer than those who did not. Other trials found similar results for other antioxidants and other cancers, and some of those studies were even stopped early.

In 2012, the Cochrane Collaboration analyzed the results of 78 earlier trials and, based on the most careful of them, concluded that people who took antioxidant supplements (including both healthy people and those with chronic diseases) were more likely to die prematurely than those who did not.

Few studies had looked at the reasons behind these seemingly paradoxical effects. Bergo’s team, led by graduate student Volkan Sayin, began by feeding NAC and vitamin E to mice with early lung cancers, at doses comparable to those in human multivitamin pills. The mice that ingested the antioxidants developed tumors that were three times bigger, and they died twice as fast.

Sayin then showed that tumors normally have lower levels of ROS than normal tissues. The antioxidants reduced these levels even further, protecting the tumors from DNA damage. They also dramatically reduced the activity of p53—a guardian protein that prevents cancer by detecting damaged DNA and putting the brakes on cell division.

By lifting p53’s suppression, the antioxidants allowed the cancer cells to grow and divide faster than usual. Indeed, when the team abolished p53 entirely, neither NAC nor vitamin E affected the growth of the lung tumors. “P53 is normally inactivated in late-stage lung cancer, so what we’re doing is speeding up the progression of malignancy,” said Bergo.

“This is an extremely striking observation, but not surprising given the rather disappointing outcomes of patients at risk for developing lung cancer who had been treated with various antioxidants,” David Tuveson from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, who was not involved in the work, said in an e-mail. “We should now consider whether people consuming high doses of antioxidants are ironically promoting cancers that they seek to prevent.”

Although Bergo’s team focused on mice in this study, the scientists found the same mechanisms at work in human cells. They also used mice with the same genetic defects as those that cause human lung cancers, and whose tumors look identical to human ones under the microscope.

They are now doing similar experiments in melanomas, leukaemias, and gastrointestinal tumors to see whether the same mechanisms hold true for other types of cancer.

Source: The Scientist


Five reasons why you should eat spinach

Spinach the green leafy vegetable which is the source of Popeye`s strength, is a winter super food packed with immense nutrients.

Here are a few health benefits of spinach:

A rich source of dietary fibre, spinach aids digestion, prevents constipation, maintains low blood sugar and curbs

overeating thus aiding weight loss.

Flavonoids — a phytonutrient abundant in spinach offers protection against stomach, skin and aggressive prostate cancer.

An excellent source of antioxidant nutrients – vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, manganese, zinc and selenium – it helps decrease risk of several blood vessel-related problems, including atherosclerosis, osteoporosis and high blood pressure.

Antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin in spinach protect the eye from cataracts and age-related macular degeneration.

Vitamin K abundant in spinach is important for maintaining the strength and density of the bones. Vitamin K1 helps prevent excessive activation of osteoclasts, the cells that break down bone.

Source: Zee news


Antioxidant-rich foods may reduce cataract risk

Women who eat foods rich in antioxidants may have a lower risk of cataracts as they age, according to a new Swedish analysis.

“Oxidative damage of the eye lens caused by free radicals has been suggested to be crucial in development of cataract,” said Susanne Rautiainen of the Institute of Environmental Medicine at the Karolinska Institutet, who led the study.

Her team looked at the diets of more than 30,000 middle aged and older women, and found those with the highest total intake of antioxidants had about a 13 percent lower risk of developing cataracts than women who consumed the least.

“Previous studies have focused on individual antioxidants obtained from the diet or supplements and they have reported inconsistent results,” Rautiainen said. “However, in diet much wider ranges of antioxidants are present than those studied previously.”

Instead of looking at single antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E, and plant flavonoids such as lycopene, the researchers used a measure of total antioxidant values in foods, which takes into account how the nutrients work together.

For the study, more than 30,000 Swedish women over age 49 were observed for about 7 years for signs of developing cataracts, and were given a dietary questionnaire.

Foods high in antioxidants include coffee, tea, oranges, whole grains and red wine.

Antioxidants in diet may not protect against dementia, stroke after all Green tea, coffee may reduce stroke risk by 20 percent
Apple a day may keep heart attacks, stroke at bay.  Based on total antioxidant consumption, the researchers divided the women into five groups, ranging from the greatest antioxidant intake to the least. Among those who ate the most antioxidants, 745 cases of cataract were recorded, compared to 953 cases among women with the lowest antioxidant consumption.

The results were published in JAMA Ophthalmology.

Women who ate more antioxidants also tended to be more educated and were less likely to smoke.

More than 20 million Americans aged 40 years and older have cataracts, which cause clouded vision and eventually blindness, in one or both eyes, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“The results are not that surprising,” William Christen said.

Christen, of Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, studies eye diseases and vitamins and was not involved in the new study.

The findings are in line with previous research suggesting antioxidants may help protect against cataracts, but the study has limitations, he cautioned.

“The women participants simply reported on a questionnaire the food choices they made over the past year,” Christen said. “As an observational study, there is always concern that women who choose healthier diets may also differ in other important ways, like body weight, smoking habits, aspects of the diet other than antioxidants, that may be more directly related to cataract risk.”

Rautiainen suspects the results would be similar among men and in other countries, but can’t say for sure until those studies have been done.

Colorful fruits and vegetables are the best source of antioxidants for people who want to increase their intake, she said.

“Results of numerous observational studies have suggested a possible beneficial role for high antioxidant intake in a number of age-related disorders,” Christen said. But in most randomized controlled trials, which would better isolate the effects of antioxidants alone, the link has not held up, he said

Source: cbs news