10.28.09
The Probiotic Saccharomyces boulardii
This 2007 article reviewed several well-designed clinical studies of Saccharomyces boulardii and found good evidence for this non-pathogenic yeast’s ability to prevent and treat several forms of diarrhea. Antibiotic-associated diarrhea, recurrent Clostridium difficile (C.difficile) infection, “traveler’s diarrhea,” and inflammatory bowel disease were the conditions investigated in these studies.
Review article: yeast as probiotics — Saccharomyces boulardii.
Czerucka D, Piche T, Rampal P.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Probiotics are defined as live micro-organisms which confer a health benefit on the host. Although most probiotics are bacteria, one strain of yeast, Saccharomyces boulardii, has been found to be an effective probiotic in double-blind clinical studies. AIMS: To compare the main properties that differentiate yeast from bacteria and to review the properties of S. boulardii explaining its potential benefits as a probiotic. METHODS: The PubMed and Medline databases were searched using the keywords ‘probiotics’, ‘yeast’, ‘antibiotic associated diarrhea’, ‘Saccharomyces boulardii’,'bacterial diarrhea’ and ‘inflammatory bowel disease’ in various combinations. RESULTS: Several clinical studies have been conducted with S. boulardii in the treatment and prevention of various forms of diarrhoea. Promising research perspectives have been opened in terms of maintenance treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases. The mechanism of S. boulardii’s action has been partially elucidated. CONCLUSION: Saccharomyces boulardii is a strain of yeast which has been extensively studied for its probiotic effects. The clinical activity of S. boulardii is especially relevant to antibiotic-associated diarrhoea and recurrent Clostridium difficile intestinal infections. Experimental studies clearly demonstrate that S. boulardii has specific probiotic properties, and recent data has opened the door for new therapeutic uses of this yeast as an ‘immunobiotic’.
Reference: Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2007 Sep 15;26(6):767-78.
See also the NYBC entry:
10.22.09
Recommendations from the Vitamin D Council
The Vitamin D Council is a California non-profit that promotes education about the health benefits of Vitamin D, and advocates for wider use of supplementation, at a much higher dose than the current RDA, to ward off a variety of diseases, including several types of cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.
Here are some highlights from the Council’s home page, as accessed by us 10/22/2009:
Current research has implicated vitamin D deficiency as a major factor in the pathology of at least 17 varieties of cancer as well as heart disease, stroke, hypertension, autoimmune diseases, diabetes, depression, chronic pain, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, muscle weakness, muscle wasting, birth defects, periodontal disease, and more.
Vitamin D’s influence on key biological functions vital to one’s health and well-being mandates that vitamin D no longer be ignored by the health care industry nor by individuals striving to achieve and maintain a greater state of health.
…
Sunshine and Your HealthIf well adults and adolescents regularly avoid sunlight exposure, research indicates a necessity to supplement with at least 5,000 units (IU) of vitamin D daily. To obtain this amount from milk one would need to consume 50 glasses. With a multivitamin more than 10 tablets would be necessary. Neither is advisable.
The skin produces approximately 10,000 IU vitamin D in response 20–30 minutes summer sun exposure—50 times more than the US government’s recommendation of 200 IU per day!
On this website, we also noted with interest a letter from a Wisconsin doctor/long-term care facility manager on the apparent protective value of Vitamin D during a spike in the state’s swine flu rate in June 2009. The doctor had mandated Vitamin D supplementation for the long-term care facility’s residents, whereas staff at the facility were under no such requirement. During the June swine flu peak, less than 1% of the facility residents developed swine flu, while at least 7% of the staff did–a significant variation in outcomes.
We’ll stay tuned to the Vitamin D Council’s website, which seems to us a useful clearinghouse of information on a supplement that holds a great deal of promise, if we’re to judge by the flood of positive new research results coming out in just the past few years. On the practical side, we also note that Vitamin D supplementation is inexpensive; that blood levels of the vitamin are easily monitored; and that overdose is rare (though we certainly recommend checking with your doctor if you plan to supplement at the levels advocated by the Vitamin D Council).
SEE ALSO THE NYBC ENTRY:
D3 – 2500IU (This format provides a convenient way to supplement for those wishing to follow the recommendations of the Vitamin D Council; other strengths are also available at NYBC.)
10.15.09
Milk Thistle Component: CURE FOR HEP C??
A paper out of Austria has some of us at NYBC VERY excited. Researchers looked at varying doses of a component of milk thistle known as silbinin, from 5 to 20 mg/kg/day over a period of 14 days. During the first 7 days, only the silbinin, which was injected, was administered. Subsequently, on day 8, pegylated interferon and ribavirin were given.
Most astonishingly, by the end of the 7 days, those receiving the 15 mg/kg dose saw a 2.11 log drop in their hepatitis C viral load. Those in the 20 mg/kg arm saw a whopping 3.02 log drop!! This in just 7 days? STUNNING!!
Unfortunately, adding the medication to these participants, who had already failed on IFN/riba therapy! resulted in the numbers deteriorating significantly. The silibinin treatment was very well tolerated.
Which raises a host of questions…would a higher dose work better? 25 or 30 mg/kg? What happens if the therapy is provided over a longer period?
This review wants to try it!
Ferenci P, Scherzer TM, Kerschner H, Rutter K, Beinhardt S, Hofer H, Schöniger-Hekele M, Holzmann H, Steindl-Munda P. Silibinin is a potent antiviral agent in patients with chronic hepatitis C not responding to pegylated interferon/ribavirin therapy. Gastroenterology. 2008 Nov;135(5):1561-7. Epub 2008 Aug 3.
Comment in: Gastroenterology. 2009 Jul;137(1):390-1.
Internal Medicine 3, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria. peter.ferenci@meduniwien.ac.at
BACKGROUND & AIMS: Oral Silibinin (SIL) is widely used for treatment of hepatitis C, but its efficacy is unclear. Substantially higher doses can be administered intravenously (IV). METHODS: Pedigreed nonresponders to full-dose pegylated (Peg)-interferon/ribavirin (PegIFN/RBV) were studied. First, 16 patients received 10 mg/kg/day SIL IV (Legalon Sil; Madaus, Köln, Germany) for 7 days. In a subsequent dose-finding study, 20 patients received 5, 10, 15, or 20 mg/kg/day SIL for 14 days. In both protocols, PegIFN alpha-2a/RBV were started on day 8. Viral load was determined daily. RESULTS: Unexpectedly, in the first study, HCV-RNA declined on IV SIL by 1.32 +/- 0.55 log (mean +/- SD), P < .001 but increased again in spite of PegIFN/RBV after the infusion period. The viral load decrease was dose dependent (log drop after 7 days SIL: 0.55 +/- 0.5 [5 mg/kg, n = 3], 1.41 +/- 0.59 [10 mg/kg, n = 19], 2.11 +/- 1.34 [15 mg/kg, n = 5], and 3.02 +/- 1.01 [20 mg/kg, n = 9]; P < .001), decreased further after 7 days combined SIL/PegIFN/RBV (1.63 +/- 0.78 [5 mg/kg, n = 3], 4.16 +/- 1.28 [10 mg/kg, n = 3], 3.69 +/- 1.29 [15 mg/kg, n = 5], and 4.85 +/- 0.89 [20 mg/kg, n = 9]; P < .001), and became undetectable in 7 patients on 15 or 20 mg/kg SIL, at week 12. Beside mild gastrointestinal symptoms, IV SIL monotherapy was well tolerated. CONCLUSIONS: IV SIL is well tolerated and shows a substantial antiviral effect against HCV in nonresponders.
New Nef inhibitors?
Fascinating article that we received from NATAP. Nef is a regulatory protein used by HIV and represents an important target in fighting the virus.
Pitt researchers find candidates for new HIV drugs
PITTSBURGH, Oct. 13 – While studying an HIV protein that plays an essential role in AIDS progression, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine have discovered compounds that show promise as novel treatments for the disease.
HIV drug discovery efforts have met with little success in finding compounds that interact with an important HIV virulence factor, called Nef, because it lacks biochemical activity that can be directly measured, explained Thomas E. Smithgall, Ph.D., William S. McEllroy Professor and Chair, Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, and senior author of the paper, which was published last week in the early, online version of ACS Chemical Biology.
To get around that problem, Dr. Smithgall’s team developed an assay to measure Nef function indirectly by coupling it to another protein, called Hck, which Nef activates in HIV-infected cells. Because Hck activity can be easily measured, the investigators were able to use it as a reporter for Nef activity in an automated high-throughput screening process. In collaboration with the University of Pittsburgh Drug Discovery Institute, they screened a library of 10,000 chemical compounds against the coupled proteins to see which ones influenced Nef-induced activation of Hck.
After further testing, they confirmed that three compounds inhibited the activity of the Nef-Hck complex and, more importantly, all of them also interfered with HIV replication. One compound was so effective that it suppressed HIV replication to undetectable levels in cell culture experiments.
“So we now have a way to rapidly and efficiently screen for inhibitors of Nef signaling through Hck,” Dr. Smithgall said. “But the surprise was that some of those inhibitors also showed strong antiviral activity in cell culture models.”
There is evidence that people infected with HIV variants that have mutations in the Nef gene take substantially longer to develop disease symptoms or AIDS, he said. In animal models, disrupting the production of Nef from the virus or its interaction with Hck also delays or prevents disease symptoms. The next challenge for the researchers will be to determine whether these compounds also interfere with progression of AIDS-like disease in animal models by blocking Nef function.
“Most current therapies for HIV infection use drugs that interfere with the function of viral enzymes such as reverse transcriptase or with the interaction of the virus and the host cell,” Dr. Smithgall said. “Targeting Nef represents an entirely new approach that could be useful to deal with issues such as drug-resistant HIV strains, and may slow the progression to AIDS.”
He added that Nef is just one of several so-called “accessory proteins” encoded by HIV which are important virulence factors in AIDS. Inhibitory compounds against some of the others might be revealed using a similar coupled protein approach for high throughput screening.
###
Co-authors of the paper include Lori Emert-Sedlak, Ph.D., Toshiaki Kodama, Ph.D., and Edwina C. Lerner, Ph.D., Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, School of Medicine; Weixiang Dai, Ph.D., and Billy Day, Ph.D., Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy; and John S. Lazo, Ph.D., Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, School of Medicine. Drs. Day and Smithgall also are members of the Drug Discovery Institute, which is directed by Dr. Lazo.
The research was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health.
10.09.09
Supplements for Depression: Updated Info Sheet from NYBC
We’ve updated our info sheet on Supplements for Depression, reflecting some additional supporting evidence that has accumulated for these applications, plus new references. See www.newyorkbuyersclub.org for detailed product information.
In recent years there’s been a lot of well-designed scientific research about the effectiveness of dietary supplements for depression. The supplements studied have ranged from the herb St. John’s Wort, which has a long tradition of use, to molecules like SAMe, L-Tryptophan, and 5-HTP, which play a role in the body’s production of neurotransmitters (such as serotonin) connected with mood and cognitive function. Other developments in depression research involve the steroid DHEA and fish oil.
DHEA (Dehydroepiandrosterone). In a study sponsored by the National Institute of Mental Health, DHEA was found to be an effective therapy for mild to moderate or severe midlife depression, on a par with some prescription drug treatments. Moreover, the NIMH research showed that taking DHEA promoted both a significant lifting of depressive symptoms and an improvement in sexual functioning. (On the other hand, inhibition of sexual function remains one of the chief troublesome side effects of prescription anti-depressants). Note that dosing recommendations vary for men versus women, and DHEA is not recommended for those diagnosed with prostate problems or cancer.
SAMe (S-adenosyl-l-methionine). First studied by Italian researchers in the 1950s, SAMe is produced naturally in the body from the amino acid methionine. Supplementing with SAMe increases concentrations of the neurotransmitters serotonin and L-dopamine, which are related to mood. Several studies show SAMe having an anti-depressant effect comparable to that of some prescription drugs. A dose of 400-800mg/day has been studied for mild to moderate depression, and 800-1600mg/day for the moderate to severe condition. As of 2007, SAMe was being compared with the prescription drug Lexapro® in a 5-year NIH-funded study. SAMe generally has fewer side effects than prescription anti-depressants. However, it should be avoided in people with bipolar disorder, and should be used cautiously with other anti-depressants, because the combination may push serotonin levels too high. Taking a B-complex vitamin while using SAMe can counter build up of homocysteine, which is associated with heart disease. (It’s best to take them separately.) SAMe also supports joint health and liver function, so may have positive effects for overall health if taken over the long term.
St. John’s Wort is a widely used herb with clinically demonstrated (multiple, well-controlled studies, mostly in Europe) anti-depressant effects for mild to moderate depression – generally without the side effects of prescription antidepressants. High doses of the herb may cause a sensitivity to light (phototoxicity), so avoid direct sunlight or sunbathing while using. Do not take St. John’s Wort with 5-HTP, serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (like Prozac), or with protease inhibitors, as it my affect beneficial liver enzymes. St. John’s Wort may also have activity against Epstein-Barr and herpes infections.
L-Tryptophan and 5-HTP (5-hydroxy L-tryptophan): These closely-related supplements are converted in the body to serotonin and to melatonin. (Specifically, L-Tryptophan converts to 5-HTP, which then converts to serotonin or melatonin.) Their use as antidepressants has been studied, and they have also been found to aid sleep and suppress appetite. (To minimize appetite suppression, try taking the supplement an hour before bedtime.) Mild gastrointestinal side effects have been reported with both. For best absorption, take with water or juice, and separately from protein-containing foods and dietary supplements. Although L-Tryptophan and 5-HTP are close relatives, people may respond somewhat differently to them. Thus, if encountering unwanted side effects or lack of effect from one, it may still be worthwhile to try the other.
The suggested dosage for 5-HTP is wide, ranging from 50 and 500 mg daily. It can be used together with other anti-depressants, in which case an effective dose could be quite low. The best approach is to start at the low end of the range and increase as needed. Like 5-HTP, L-Tryptophan has been used in combination with other anti-depressants, and has also been employed with lithium for bipolar disorder. An added benefit: 5-HTP may also decrease symptoms of fibromyalgia and migraine headaches.Fish Oil. Epidemiological studies have suggested that populations that eat fish regularly have low rates of depression. More recently, research has found fish oil supplements (omega-3 fatty acids being the significant component) of benefit in treating depression and bipolar disorder. It’s also worth noting that fish oil can be taken with other anti-depressants as an adjunct therapy. Doses found effective in treating depression are quite high, 3 to 9 grams per day, so be aware of potential problems related to the supplement’s blood-thinning properties. Added benefit: as has been widely reported, fish oil can have a beneficial impact on cholesterol regulation and in supporting cardiovascular health.
References:
Christian R. Dolder, “Depression,” in Natural Products: A Case-Based Approach for Health Care Professionals, ed. Karen Shapiro, published by the American Pharmacists Association, Washington, DC (2006), pp. 97-114.
Shaheen E Lakhan and Karen F Vieira. “Nutritional therapies for mental disorders” in Nutrition Journal (2008), 7:2doi:10.1186/1475-2891-7-2. Accessed 10/7/2009 at http://www.nutritionj.com/content/7/1/2
Schmidt PJ, et al. “Dehydroepiandrosterone Monotherapy in Midlife-Onset Major and Minor Depression,” Archives of General Psychiatry (February 2005): Vol. 62, No. 2, pp. 154–62.
Hyla Cass, “Prescriptions for Depression,” in Supplement Your Prescription: What Your Doctor Doesn’t Know About Nutrition. Basic Health Publications (2007), pp. 113-128.
Diet and depression — a follow-up note
In the Summer 2009 SUPPLEMENT, our feature story was entitled “Are You Ready to Join the Food Revolution?” The article referred to recent research highlighting a relationship between traditional diets, such as the Mediterranean or Chinese diet, and lower risk of certain cancers, heart disease, and even depression. So we were interested to read in our hometown newspaper The New York Times about a new report of findings about the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet. A large-scale epidemiological study in Spain again showed an association between the traditional Mediterranean diet and lower rates of mental health conditions like depression. Very interesting as well is this line of thinking from one of the researchers about why this diet should be linked to lower risk of both cardiovascular disease and depression:
Both cardiovascular disease and depression share “common mechanisms related to endothelium function and inflammation,” said Dr. Miguel Angel Martinez-Gonzalez, professor of preventive medicine at University of Navarra in Pamplona, Spain, and senior author of the paper, published in the October issue of Archives of General Psychiatry.
“The membranes of our neurons are composed of fat, so the quality of fat that you are eating definitely has an influence on the quality of the neuron membranes, and the body’s synthesis of neurotransmitters is dependent on the vitamins you’re eating,” Dr. Martinez-Gonzalez added. “We think those with lowest adherence to the Mediterranean dietary plan have a deficiency of essential nutrients.”
The elements of the diet most closely linked to a lower risk of depression were fruits and nuts, legumes and a high ratio of monounsaturated to saturated fats, the study found.
From:
10.06.09
Curcumin: a basis for its immune system support and anti-cancer activity?
We’re always fascinated by research that reveals a deeper basis for understanding the health benefits of traditional botanicals. For centuries people have exploited the health-bestowing properties of certain traditional herbs–but now Western lab science intervenes to pinpoint a mechanism behind the health benefit. Here’s a tidbit about curcumin from the iHealth Tube Newsletter, an online resource for alternative/complementary medicine:
The health-boosting activity of curcumin may be due to the molecule’s ability to stabilize cell membranes and increase the cell’s resistance to infection, according to a new study.
The research, published in the prestigious Journal of the American Chemical Society, may help scientists understand how curcumin works inside the body. Ayyalusamy Ramamoorthy and colleagues at the University of Michigan used solid-state NMR spectroscopy to show that curcumin physically alters the cell membrane at an atomic level.
Curcumin, the natural pigment that gives the spice turmeric its yellow color, has increasingly come under the scientific spotlight in recent years, with studies investigating its potential benefits for reducing cholesterol levels, improving cardiovascular health, reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and for its potential protection against cancer.
According to Ramamoorthy, curcumin can induce a negative curvature of the membrane, which would explain the potential anti-cancer activity of the compound, since other studies have shown that such changes may increase the activity of proteins such as tBid, which play an important role in apoptosis, or programmed cell death.
Using solid-state NMR spectroscopy, Ramamoorthy and his co-workers report that molecules of curcumin insert themselves into cell membranes and make the membranes more stable and orderly. This makes the cells more resistant to infection by disease-causing microbes, they added. The study, supported by funds from the National Institutes of Health, also revealed that curcumin exerts this strong effect on the membrane structure at low concentrations.
Journal of the American Chemical Society 131(12):4490-4498, 2009
10.03.09
“Prebiotics”+NAC fight HIV
A report from ICAAC was widely reviewed and showed people not currently on antiretroviral therapy (ARV) may help to slow CD4 (T cell) decline. NYBC is looking into making sure we have the ingredients for this formula available for members.
ICAAC: Nutritional Supplement Slows CD4 Loss in Untreated HIV
A nutritional supplement developed by Danone—a French food company known in the United States as Dannon and most recognized for its dairy products—might slow the decline of CD4 cells in people living with HIV not yet receiving antiretroviral (ARV) therapy, according to new study results reported September 14 at the 49th Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC) in San Francisco. According to a news release from Nutricia, Danone’s parent company, the results of the 52-week study testing the nutritional compound currently known as NR100157 exceeded the company’s expectations and is likely to be developed further.
NR100157 contains five major groups of compounds: probiotic oligosaccharides, N-acetylcysteine (NAC), bovine colostrums, long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids and micronutrients.
In 2007, Nutricia started the international BITE study—a clinical trial comparing NR100157 with placebo in 340 people living with HIV not yet on ARV therapy in Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Italy, the Netherlands, Thailand, the United States or the United Kingdom. About half of the 340 patients enrolled received the NR100157, which is produced as a powder and dissolved in liquid or mixed in food.
About halfway through the study in 2008, a planned interim analysis involving 52 weeks of follow-up was conducted by the researchers, including Pedro Cahn, MD, PhD, of the Buenos Aires University Medical School in Argentina, who presented the preliminary findings at ICAAC.
Twenty-five of the 168 study volunteers randomized to receive NR100157 dropped out of the study because they needed to begin ARV therapy. In the placebo group, consisting of 172 study volunteers, 29 dropped out so that they could start ARV treatment. More than twice as many people living with HIV in the NR100157 group, compared with those in the placebo group, quit the study because of possible side effects, notably bloating and flatulence.
Despite high rates of discontinuation during the first half of the two-year study, Cahn and his colleagues noted encouraging differences between the two groups. In the NR100157 group, the average CD4 decline during the 52-week follow-up period was 28 cells, compared with 68 cells in the placebo group—a difference of 40 cells that just managed to qualify as statistically significant.
Based on these results, an independent Data Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) recommended that the study be stopped prematurely. What remains unclear, however, is why a study of this nature would be stopped when there is little evidence of harm, limited commercial access to the tested agent and a desire for long-term follow-up data from studies of nutritional supplements.
10.01.09
What’s in Your Medicine Cabinet for Cold and Flu Season?
What’s in Your Medicine Cabinet for Cold and Flu Season?
As the cold and flu season approaches, don’t forget the supplements! Here are some good choices for preventing colds and flus, or for lessening symptoms:
Vitamin D. According to some recent thinking, the “cold and flu season” may actually be the “Vitamin D deficiency season.” As the days grow shorter, people get less sunshine, leading to a decline in the body’s levels of this vitamin, which is essential to good health in many more ways than we used to think. Supplementing with Vitamin D during the winter may therefore be one of the most effective ways to prevent colds and flu. Many researchers who’ve studied Vitamin D now recommend at least 1000 IU/day, but those with a known deficiency may be advised to supplement at even higher levels. Our #1 recommendation for cold and flu season! See NYBC’s D-3 2500IU or D3 1000IU or D3 400IU.
Cold Away. This Health Concerns blend of Chinese herbs is designed to “clear external heat and alleviate symptoms of the common cold.” A key component of this formula is the herb Andrographis, which has been studied in several US trials in the last decade, and was found to significantly decrease cold symptoms and the duration of a cold. See NYBC’s Cold Away.
Vitamin C. Many good studies have shown a decrease in cold symptom duration, but no benefit for prevention. According to a guide to natural products published by the American Pharmacists’ Association in 2006, taking between 1 and 3 grams of Vitamin C per day may decrease cold symptoms (sore throat, fatigue, runny nose) by 1 – 1 ½ days. See NYBC’s C1000 – Ascorbic Acid with Olea Fruit Extract, or C -Buffered Vitamin C (easier on the stomach), or Super C Powder.
NAC (PharmaNAC). N-acetylcysteine (NAC) supports respiratory and immune system function. It has been studied extensively for chronic bronchitis. NAC is also the antidote for acetaminophen poisoning, now the leading cause of liver disease in the USA. (Acetaminophen’s best-known tradename is Tylenol, but it’s also found in many other meds, and so it’s become all too easy to overdose. We like PharmaNAC for its quality packaging, wildberry flavor & fizz! See NYBC’s PharmaNAC.
Botanicals. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, Astragalus is used for chronic respiratory infections, for colds and flu (both prevention and treatment) and for stress and fatigue. (This herb is a favorite of integrative medicine specialist Dr. Andrew Weil.) An elderberry extract and American ginseng are two other botanicals that have been studied for cold and flu symptoms in recent North American research, with some promising results. The popular Echinacea, however, has generally disappointed in cold prevention studies.
