Vitamin E Could
Halt Prostate and Lung Cancer
The form of vitamin E found in many plant seeds—but not in most manufactured
nutritional supplements—might halt the growth of prostate and lung cancer
cells, according to a recent Purdue University study.
A team led by Qing Jiang has found that gamma-tocopherol, which occurs naturally
in walnuts, pecans, sesame seeds, and in corn and sesame oils, inhibits the
proliferation of lab-cultured human prostate and lung cancer cells. The vitamin's
presence interrupts the synthesis of certain fatty molecules called sphingolipids,
important components of cell membranes. However, the gamma-tocopherol leaves
healthy human prostate cells unaffected, which could give it value as an anticancer
agent.
“This is the first time gamma-tocopherol has been shown to induce death
in lab-grown human cancer cells while leaving healthy cells alone,” said
Jiang, who is an assistant professor of foods and nutrition in the College of
Consumer and Family Sciences. “This could be wonderful news for cancer
patients if the effect can be reproduced in animal models. But because most
nutritional supplements contain only alpha-tocopherol, a different form of vitamin
E that alone does not have these anticancer properties, it may be better to
supplement the diet with mixed forms of vitamin E. The study shows that the
anticancer effect is enhanced when mixed forms are used.”
Chocolate Could Help Persistent Coughs
According to new research, theobromine, a derivative found in cocoa, is nearly
a third more effective in stopping persistent coughs when compared with codeine,
currently considered the best cough medicine.
Professor Peter Barnes, from Imperial College London (ICL) and Royal Brompton
Hospital (RBH), comments, “Coughing is a medical condition which affects
most people at some point in their lives, and yet no effective treatment exists.
While persistent coughing is not necessarily harmful it can have a major impact
on quality of life, and this discovery could be a huge step forward in treating
this problem.”
The researchers from ICL, RBH, St. Bartholomew’s Hospital and Chinoin
Co. Ltd, Budapest, gave 10 healthy volunteers theobromine, a placebo or codeine
at different times in a randomized double blind trial.
Theobromine works by suppressing vagus nerve activity, which is responsible
for causing coughing. The team also discovered that unlike standard cough treatments,
theobromine caused no adverse effects on either the cardiovascular or central
nervous systems.
Professor Maria Belvisi, from ICL and RBH, said, “Not only did theobromine
prove more effective than codeine; at the doses used it was found to have none
of the side effects. Normally the effectiveness of any treatment is limited
by the dosage you can give someone. With theobromine having no demonstrated
side effects in this study it may be possible to give far bigger doses, further
increasing its effectiveness.
“At the same time, theobromine may not have any of the side effects such
as drowsiness. This means there will be no restrictions on when it can be taken.
For example, people using heavy machinery or who are driving should not take
codeine, but they could take theobromine.”
Palmer Research Center Conducting Several Clinical Trials on Back
Pain
The Palmer Center for Chiropractic Research is currently studying back pain
through several groundbreaking clinical trials at its research clinic. About
500 people from throughout the Quad-City region who suffer from back pain are
being recruited to participate in two separate clinical trials, expected to
last up to 18 months. Both studies are funded through federal grants totaling
$2.4 million.
One study, “Elderly Back Pain: Comparing Chiropractic to Medical Care,”
which is funded by the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration, compares
chiropractic to standard medical care for people over the age of 55 who suffer
from chronic low-back pain.
The second study, “Predicting Patient Response to Spinal Manipulation,”
focuses on identifying characteristics of low-back pain patients who respond
to chiropractic adjustments, examining pre- and post-treatment biomechanical
and physiological changes, and analyzing the external forces, or loads, applied
to patients undergoing chiropractic care for low-back pain. This study is one
of several projects in a cooperative agreement funded by the U.S. National Institutes
of Health.
Largest study of chiropractic in children reveals widespread health
problems from spinal distortions.
A study of 650 children, published in the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research,
revealed that spinal lesions called vertebral subluxations are associated with
a variety of children’s health complaints. The study looked at the relationship
between subluxations and such disorders as scoliosis (spinal curvatures), spinal
degeneration (arthritis), as well as a large number of common childhood conditions
that science has been unable to find definitive causes for, including “growing
pains,” bed-wetting, colic, etc.
The research study was performed by Canadian chiropractors Dr. Ogi Ressel and
Dr. Robert Rudy, who compiled data from 650 children over a five-year period.
The study is the largest study of children under chiropractic care ever conducted.
All children were examined and cared for by six doctors of the Patient First
Chiropractic & Wellness Centre in Burlington, Ontario. All doctors possessed
pediatric certification from the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association.
According to Dr. Ressel, spinal lesions can interfere with the normal function
of the nervous system, which is responsible for governing all body functions.
Like static on a telephone line, they can scramble information sent by the nervous
system, making it difficult or impossible for the body to function normally.
Vertebral subluxations can occur early in life, even during the birthing process.
According to Ressel, the body adapts to the subluxations and the abnormal functions
become the norm, leading to spinal distortions, spinal degeneration, and a generalized
state of unwellness seen in children.
Ressel says he feels that vertebral subluxations are the seeds of future disease
processes and should be corrected as soon as possible. The researchers urged
all parents to have their children checked by a chiropractor for the presence
of vertebral subluxations before the damage progresses too far.
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