August 29, 2011
Antioxidant Optimizer: broad spectrum antioxidant formula
NYBC now stocks Antioxidant Optimizer from Jarrow Formulas, a broad spectrum antioxidant supplement that provides a blend of water and fat soluble antioxidants ( meaning they are widely absorbed in the body), including:
Lutein and lycopene, which protect the eyes, cardiovascular system, breast, cervical, and other tissues and organs;
and
Green tea extract, olive fruit extract, grape seed extract, and milk thistle, which support liver health and cardiovascular system health.
For more details, see the NYBC entry:
Yes, you’ll also notice that NYBC’s nonprofit co-op price for this product is very reasonable!
January 7, 2011
Green Tea for your Brain
The benefits of drinking green tea have been expanding over the years. The latest research looks at the potential benefit in preventing the onset of Alzheimer’s Disease. Compounds called polyphenols are thought to be responsible. As they are being digested, they become chemicals that seem to help by binding to toxic proteins that, when they accumulate, contribute to the development of dementia like that seen in Alzheimer’s disease.
So far, this is test tube work and needs to be investigated in humans. But green tea is healthful and a good beverage (far superior to the toxic garbage generally known as soda pop!) If you want to try a supplement, Jarrow’s Green Tea contains 40% polyphenols in each cap. More research may help us to understand whether something like a supplement can have any benefit as well as what kind of dose might produce physiologically relevant activity.
December 10, 2010
Resveratrol and Resveratrol Synergy
Recent well-regarded research has provided evidence that resveratrol can decrease the kinds of inflammation associated with heart disease, and can improve motor coordination, reduce cataract formation and preserve bone mineral density in aging laboratory animals. (See, for example, the report on an NIH-funded study published in the journal Cell Metabolism in August 2008.) In short, resveratrol may counteract many typical types of age-related deterioration in the body. As the researchers have noted, these anti-aging effects mimic the effect of drastically reducing (by 30-50%) food intake—but without requiring such a near-starvation diet.
That’s the recent research background on resveratrol. We’ll also note that resveratrol as a compound with potential health benefits was originally isolated as a component of red wine. Of course, in supplement form resveratrol can provide its health benefits without requiring the user to drink alcohol. That’s a practical advantage to supplementation that can’t be ignored.
Note that in addition to “Resveratrol,” NYBC also offers a compound supplement from Jarrow called “Resveratrol Synergy.” This product includes includes resveratrol, grape seed extract, and green tea extract. Grape seed extract has been studied mostly for cardiovascular support, while green tea has recently accumulated some interesting research supporting its anti-cancer and anti-aging effects.
To read more about these two supplements, see the NYBC entries:
Resveratrol: http://nybcsecure.org/product_info.php?cPath=50&products_id=330
and
Resveratrol Synergy: http://nybcsecure.org/product_info.php?cPath=50&products_id=245
November 8, 2010
Coltect for Colon Cancer
Israeli scientists are describing results of early studies of a combination of curcumin, green tea polyphenols and selenium on colon cancer cell lines and in animal models. The early research is promising and the animal model testing suggests the combination can act to substantially reduce the risk of developing colon cancer. Human trials are needed to confirm the effect, of course. Read about it more on Ralph Moss’s website.
March 19, 2009
Mushroom and green tea: parts of a diet that may protect against breast cancer
The International Journal of Cancer has published a study by an Australian researcher that found green tea and mushroom consumption was associated with a lower risk of breast cancer, and less severe cancer in those who did develop it.
The research examined the diets of about 2,000 women from the southeastern Chinese city of Hangzhou — half of whom had breast cancer — over a 14-month period. Higher consumption of mushrooms was related to decreased risk of breast cancer; and those women who consumed mushrooms and green tea were found to have the most reduction in breast cancer development.
The main reason for focusing this study on Chinese women’s diets is that, while breast cancer is the most common type of cancer for women worldwide, the rate of this cancer in China is four to five times lower than that generally found in developed countries. Since both mushrooms and green tea are commonly part of Chinese diets, consumption of these foods might explain this strikingly low incidence of breast cancer. Furthermore, there have been previous studies of green tea and mushrooms and their nutritional components as potentially possessing anti-cancer properties.
We read about this study at
http://www.physorg.com/news156610089.html
March 18, 2009
Reviewing “Resveratrol Synergy” from Jarrow
Jarrow Formula’s supplement “Resveratrol Synergy” is a combination of several plant-derived nutrients that have been intensively researched in recent years, including resveratrol (the famous component of red wine), grape seed extract, and green tea. This phytonutrient blend provides the body with antioxidants, anthocyanins, polyphenols and catechins, which are generally acknowledged to support cardiovascular health, as the Jarrow label states.
But there is more to these plant-derived nutrients, as you may know from hearing news reports, especially about resveratrol. Typically found in the skin of red grapes and in red wine, resveratrol has been the subject of scientific investigations suggesting that it possesses unique life-extending and anti-aging properties. Some of the recent studies draw a causal connection between gene protection and high levels of resveratrol consumption; other research has focused on how resveratrol may switch on a particular “survival gene” that offers a whole host of health benefits, from cardiovascular support to diabetes prevention.
As far as product quality goes, NYBC noted that a recent Consumer Labs report found that the ingredients matched the label claim–one good measure of integrity for “Resveratrol Synergy.”
For more information, see the NYBC entry:
February 17, 2009
Green Tea: Potential Adjunct Therapy for Rheumatoid Arthritis?
The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, one of the research centers of the federal government’s National Institutes of Health, has posted this summary of a recent study of green tea and rheumatoid arthritis on its website:
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease that affects more than 2.1 million Americans. It is characterized by joint pain, stiffness, inflammation, swelling, and sometimes joint destruction. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are the standard treatment for RA, but their prolonged use is associated with adverse effects and discomfort. Natural plant alternatives like green tea are being investigated for the management of RA. Green tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world, and its polyphenols (substances rich in antioxidants) possess anti-inflammatory properties.
NCCAM-funded investigators at the University of Maryland and Rutgers University examined the effects of green tea polyphenols on RA by using an animal model in rats. The animals consumed green tea in their drinking water (controls drank water only) for 1 to 3 weeks before being injected with heat-killed Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Ra to induce arthritis. The researchers found that green tea significantly reduced the severity of arthritis.
The researchers suggest that green tea affects arthritis by causing changes in various arthritis-related immune responses—it suppresses both cytokine IL-17 (an inflammatory substance) and antibodies to Bhsp65 (a disease-related antigen), and increases cytokine IL-10 (an anti-inflammatory substance). Therefore, they recommend that green tea be further explored as a dietary therapy for use together with conventional treatment for managing RA.
References and further information from NCCAM at:
http://nccam.nih.gov/research/results/spotlight/120808.htm
See also the NYBC entry on Green Tea (Jarrow).
Other studies of green tea are reported on this blog; see “Green Tea” category in the sidebar.
December 4, 2008
Supplement recommendations from Fred Walters / Houston Buyers’ Club
It was great to see an extended interview with our friend and colleague Fred Walters of the Houston Buyers Club in a recent posting on the website thebody.com.
Fred talks about his conservative Catholic background, his early vocation that took him to seminary, and his subsequent adventures as he began and nurtured the Texas-based nutritional supplements purchasing co-op for people with HIV, the Houston Buyers Club. HBC has been a beacon for so many when it comes to information about, and access to, supplements. And treatment activists that we admire a great deal, including Nelson Vergel and Lark Lands, have found a welcome forum at HBC over the years–we’re all better informed as a result.
Here’s an excerpt from the interview, in which Fred describes what he considers to be the most significant nutritional supplements for people with HIV:
I would say number one, a potent multivitamin. The top mistake people make with multivitamins is they are hypnotized by the words “one-a-day.” And there is no such thing as a potent one-a-day multivitamin for people with HIV. If you’re going to do a multivitamin you have to do several, several times a day. My favorites are Superblend by Super Nutrition and the K-Pax [KaiserPax] by Jon Kaiser [M.D., an HIV specialist in San Francisco]. Those are my two favorites. The second thing I would do is NAC, and that is a supplement that helps to increase gluthathione levels. It’s very good for the liver. The third one is fish oils, even if you don’t have high cholesterol or high triglycerides. Fish oils are real important for skin and other things in the body. They help reduce inflammation. That’s probably my biggest thing, the inflammation part. The other would be if you’re taking a high potency multivitamin you should add the selenium [...]
If people are taking HIV drugs they have to take Coenzyme Q10, because what happens is that the drugs go into the body, as they’re winding their way through the cave with their guns drawn waiting to shoot at the HIV viral cells, by the time they walk up to a dead body they say, “Oh no, that wasn’t an HIV viral cell. That was a mitochondria.” And so Q10 helps to protect the mitochondria, and if you don’t protect the mitochondria in the body then you start opening yourself up to all kinds of organ and liver issues.
“Oh, how could I forget this one. [...] Actually it’s getting a lot of press locally because Baylor University is studying this, but … green tea capsules. We are seeing more and more people who are doing two grams a day of green tea capsules and their T-cells are going up between 40 and 100%. Dr. Christina L. Nance is studying that at Baylor and we see that here, and today I was watching a local television show and of all days for you to call, there was a show on about food as medicine and they talked a lot about HIV, and one of the things they talked about was green tea liquid. They mentioned that it was being studied locally for HIV. So we’re not the only one on the soapbox about this. We’ve seen amazing results with that.
Read the full interview with Fred Walters at
http://www.thebody.com/content/art48991.html?mtrk=10922635
NOTE: As far as multivitamins go, NYBC has followed its predecessor DAAIR in stocking Douglas Labs multis, which are highly bioavailable (= can be easily absorbed and used by the body):
Added Protection Without Iron (a no-iron formula is recommended especially if you have elevated liver enzymes or hepatitis)
Ultra Preventive Beta This is a version of Added Protection that replaces the Vitamin A with beta carotene and a good mix of carotenoids–a good idea for people with any kind of liver trouble.
(NYBC also stocks the SuperNutrition multivitamins.)
Last, we have to say that a major concern for NYBC members has been the cost of supplements. That’s why in 2007 the buyers’ club began offering its MAC-Pack, which is a close equivalent of the K-PAX, but at about half price. The MAC-Pack uses the Douglas Labs Added Protection multis as its base, then adds NAC, lipoic acid, B vitamins and a substantial amount of acetylcarnitine to round out the package:
MAC-Pack (See other entries on this blog for more details.)
November 12, 2008
Red wine, green tea and epidemiological paradoxes
As they’re scanning data on populations and health, epidemiologists sometimes happen upon an association that they identify as a “paradox.” A classic example is research in the 1970s on Greenlanders, who had a very high comsumption of fats–and yet, paradoxically, also showed low rates of heart disease.
A high-fat diet was generally associated with a high rate of heart disease elsewhere in the world, so why not in Greenland? The secret, it turns out, was that prominent among the fats consumed by Greenlanders were marine fats–fish oil, with its omega-3 fatty acids. (You’ve read about steadily increasing interest in the cardiovascular health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids in several postings on this blog.)
Then there’s the “French paradox.” Again, epidemiological studies pointed to a population with a rather high rate of saturated fat consumption (think cheeses, pate, sauces)–and yet the incidence of cardiovascular disease was not so elevated. Although many causes for this paradox have been set forth, probably the most popular explanation focused on red wine, a typical accompaniment to those high-fat French meals, and the source of a number of intriguing compounds, including one called resveratrol.
Resveratrol has attracted much research scrutiny over the years, and has been linked to multiple health benefits, including anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory effects, blood sugar lowering properties, and cardioprotective effects. Other research has focused on the ability of resveratrol to extend the life span of several short-living species of animals. Widely publicized investigations from just the last few years have looked to genetics to help explain how resveratrol might exert a life-extending effect similar to extremely low-calorie diets (we’re talking about near starvation)–but without the extreme caloric deprivation.
And here’s still another “paradox” being mulled over by the epidemiologists: the “Asian paradox.” In a 2006 study, investigators at Yale’s School of Medicine reviewed more than 100 studies on the health benefits of green tea, finding lower rates of heart disease and cancer in Asia despite high rates of cigarette smoking. Their theory? The average of 1.2 liters of green tea consumed by Asians each day would seem to provide high levels of polyphenols and other antioxidants. These compounds may improve cardiovascular health in several ways, including preventing blood platelets from sticking together and countering the oxidation of LDL cholesterol (the “bad” cholesterol)–which, in turn, can reduce the build-up of plaque in arteries.
All of the above sounds like excellent detective work on the part of the epidemiologists, but there are certain cautions. So much is now known about the cardioprotective properties of fish oil that both the American Heart Association and its European counterpart now include it as a standard recommendation for lowering cardiovascular risk. Yet it’s probably fair to say that scientists’ understanding of resveratrol and green tea is not so far along, and therefore the assertion of health benefits must be more provisional, awaiting further investigation and refinement. Still, it’s pretty clear that the researchers are onto at least something, so we’re grateful to those who first wondered at the meaning of epidemiological “paradoxes” such as these!
Fish oil, resveratrol, and green tea extract are all available as dietary supplements. For more information on how they are used, see the NYBC entries:
Fatty Acids (includes Fish Oils – Max DHA from Jarrow and Pro Omega from Nordic Naturals).
You’ll find hundreds of articles on these supplements, but here are two recent references of special interest:
Barger JL, Kayo T, Vann JM, Arias EB, Wang J, et al. (2008) A Low Dose of Dietary Resveratrol Partially Mimics Caloric Restriction and Retards Aging Parameters in Mice. PLoS ONE 3(6): e2264. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0002264
Sumpio BE, Cordova AC, Berke-Schlessel DW, Qin F, Chen QH. Green tea, the “Asian paradox,” and cardiovascular disease. Journal of the American College of Surgeons 202: 813-825 (May 2006)
April 30, 2008
Recommendations for Cardiovascular Health: from “Supplement Your Prescription,” by Hyla Cass, M.D.
We return to this excellent guide published in 2007 by Hyla Cass, a practicing physician and expert on integrative medicine.
In Chapter 4 of the book, Dr. Cass reviews recent findings that call into question the idea that dietary cholesterol causes cardiovascular disease. In line with the current scientific thinking on this subject, she suggests looking at underlying inflammation as essential to any understanding of risks to heart and circulatory system health. As a consequence, she says, people who want to reduce risk of cardiovascular disease should consider dietary changes that are anti-inflammatory (that is, a diet high in antioxidants, anti-inflammatory herbs, and antioxidant-rich foods–that’s colorful fruits and vegetables, curry, turmeric, rosemary, ginger, green tea, dark chocolate, low-toxin fish like salmon or sardines).
Statin drugs, though they come with some side effects, have proven of benefit to certain groups of people with cardiovascular complications, including diabetics, those who have had a heart attack, and those diagnosed with cardiovascular disease. Like many others, Dr. Cass recommends supplementing with CoQ 10 if you’re taking statins. She also supports use of omega-3 fatty acids (from fish oil), niacin (though not recommended for diabetics), plant sterols, tocotrienols (a form of the antioxidant vitamin E), and D-ribose for controlling cholesterol and otherwise countering cardiovascular disease. In addition, the B vitamins are recommended to help lower homocysteine, high levels of which are associated with artery damage and increased risk of heart disease.
Citation: Hyla Cass, M.D., Supplement Your Prescription: What Your Doctor Doesn’t Know About Nutrition (Basic Health Publications, 2007).
April 19, 2008
Green Tea: potential benefits for people with HIV
The Pacific College of Oriental Medicine website hosts an overview of research on green tea and HIV. Here’s an excerpt:
[...]Dr. Kuzushige Kawai at the University of Tokyo is one of a handful of scientists who have taken an interest in the implications of Green Tea for treatment of HIV. Most specifically it is the Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG) scientists are interested in. This is the same chemical compound that has been linked with lower rates of heart disease, stroke, lowered cholesterol, managing diabetes, and better liver health.
What Dr. Kawai found in lab tests was that the EGCG found in Green Tea prevented the virus from bonding to CD4 molecules in healthy T-cells, by bonding with them before the virus.
—
Read the rest of the article at
http://www.pacificcollege.edu/publications/articles/2006/december/12-03-2006_green_tea.htm
NYBC has stocked a Jarrow green tea extract: http://nybcsecure.org/product_info.php?products_id=260
We’d be glad to hear any reports on use of this product, or any additional information our members may have on green tea.
February 12, 2008
Theanine: anti-stress activity and other beneficial properties of an amino acid found in green tea
NYBC recently began to stock these a Source Natural formula that includes theanine, an amino acid that’s a key component of green tea. Read some of the recent research about potential benefits of theanine in the entries below.
—
Each TWO tablets contain:
Magnesium (as magnesium chelate) – 300 mg
GABA (gamma-amino-butyric acid) – 500 mg
Taurine – 450 mg
L-Theanine – 200 mg
Holy Basil Leaf Extract 5:1- 100 mg
—
Theanine is an amino acid found in green tea, also known as N-ethyl-L-glutamine. It has been shown in the test tube to protect neurons against damage caused by glutamic acid (by blocking the receptors in the brain where glutamic acid would bind) and oxidation of low density lipoprotein (LDL or bad cholesterol). A recent study showed it to be very safe with a no-observed-adverse-effect-level (NOAEL) of 4000 mg per kilogram of body weight per day, the highest dose tested (Food Chem Toxicol, 2006 Jul;44(7):1158-1166).
It acts as a relaxing agent by increasing levels of various brain chemicals (neurotransmitters) including serotonin, dopamine and GABA (gamma amino butyric acid). Behavioral studies in animals suggest it may improve learning and memory. Human studies are largely lacking, so far. One small study, placebo controlled but only among 7 participants, showed a decrease in heart rate as well as a reduction in salivary sIg-A production, indicating a calming of the sympathetic nervous system activation, underscoring a potential mechanism for its anti-stress activity (Biol Psychol, 2007 Jan;74(1):39-45. Epub 2006 Aug 22.). Interestingly, a mouse study suggested that the use of theanine may enhance the tumor-suppressive effects of chemotherapy drugs like doxorubicin (Biochim Biophys Acta, 2003 Dec 5;1653(2):47-59).
Taurine is also an essential amino acid that may protect against oxidative stress, neurodegenerative diseases or atherosclerosis (Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care, 2006 Nov;9(6):728-733). Like N-aceytlcysteine (NAC), taurine is a sulfur-containing amino acid. It may also have some benefits for liver function.
(For Theanine with Relora) The Relora part is a combination of Magnolia officinalis and Phellodendron amurense. Magnolia has been used in Chinese medicine for a variety of conditions and a class of chemicals (alkaloids) that it contains have effects on muscle relaxation. Phellodendron bark also contains alkaloids that are used in the Chinese tradition to remove heat and dampness. It may also have some antibacterial activity. The combination of the two was shown to inhibit weight gain (but not result in weight loss) in a study of obese women (Altern Ther Health Med, 2006 Jan-Feb;12(1):50-54). This may be a result of a reduction in cortisol levels which may be elevated in HIV disease.
Note: Do not use if pregnant or if using other MAO or serotonin-reuptake inhibitors.
