Antioxidant News and Research

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Antioxidants are substances that protect cells from the damage caused by free radicals (unstable molecules made by the process of oxidation during normal metabolism). Free radicals may play a part in cancer, heart disease, stroke, and other diseases of aging. Antioxidants include beta-carotene, lycopene, vitamins A, C, and E, and other natural and manufactured substances.

Coffee is the number one source of antioxidants in the U.S. diet

Coffee provides more than just a morning jolt; that steaming cup of java is also the number one source of antioxidants in the U.S. diet, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Scranton (Pa.).

29 Aug 2005

Coronary angioplasty increases risk of developing Alzheimer's disease

Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) researchers have discovered that patients who have either coronary artery bypass graft surgery or coronary angioplasty are at an increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

25 Aug 2005

Benefits of MAO-B inhibitors are small but may be worthwhile in some patients with early Parkinson's disease

A class of drugs known as MAO-B inhibitors may be effective in improving motor symptoms in people with early Parkinson's disease and may delay the need for treatment with other drugs, according to a new systematic review of current evidence.

23 Aug 2005

New research says brightly-coloured fruit and veggies protects against arthritis

Apparently rheumatoid arthritis currently affects around 1% adults in the UK, and previous studies have suggested that vitamin C and the pigment beta-cryptoxanthin, both of which are found in brightly-coloured fruit and vegetables, may act as antioxidants, and protect the body against the oxidative damage which can cause inflammation.

22 Aug 2005

Brightly-coloured fruit and veg, may act as antioxidants - protect against rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis currently affects around 1% adults in the UK. Previous studies have suggested that vitamin C and the pigment beta-cryptoxanthin, both of which are found in brightly-coloured fruit and veg, may act as antioxidants, and protect the body against the oxidative damage which can cause inflammation.

From The University of Manchester 17 Aug 2005

Folates best at preventing Alzheimer's disease

According to results from a long-term study on aging, adults who eat the daily recommended allowance of folates significantly reduce their risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

15 Aug 2005

Vitamin B reduces risk of developing Alzheimer's disease

Adults who eat the daily recommended allowance of folates - B-vitamin nutrients found in oranges, legumes, leafy green vegetables and folic acid supplements - significantly reduce their risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, according to results from a long-term National Institute on Aging study of diet and brain aging.

13 Aug 2005

Little convincing evidence that dietary antioxidant supplements such as vitamin E prevent heart disease

Instead there has been a surprise finding, which relates to a synthetic antioxidant, the drug Probucol, which is no longer prescribed in Australia.

11 Aug 2005

The wonders of watermelon

On a hot summer day, nothing refreshes quite like a crisp, juicy slice of cool watermelon. Whether you're chomping into watermelon, enjoying it as part of a fruit salad or slurping on a watermelon smoothie, that red pulp provides a powerhouse of nutritional value.

2 Aug 2005

Discovery that oxidative stress from pollen is as important as antigen exposure could lead to new therapies

For a person with allergies or asthma, breathing in pollen can be a very bad thing. Within minutes of inhalation by someone sensitive to their effects, these tiny particles can trigger severe inflammation of the respiratory passages, producing uncontrollable sneezing, coughing, or extreme shortness of breath -- symptoms agonizingly familiar to those who suffer from allergy and asthma attacks.

1 Aug 2005

At last the news we really wanted to hear - chocolate is good for us!

Following new research that has discovered that flavanols, a plant chemical that occurs in cocoa beans, were good for human health, confectionary maker Mars, a privately owned company, yesterday unveiled new research showing that cocoa, the central ingredient in most of its products, has properties that can be used to treat diabetes, strokes and vascular disease.

27 Jul 2005

Project to help millions of people avoid starvation

Scientists at the University of Bath will be taking part in an international £4.2 million ($7.5 million) research project that could help millions of people avoid starvation.

21 Jul 2005

New way to fight antibiotic-resistant Staphylococcus infections

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and Children’s Hospital and Health Center, San Diego have discovered that "Staph" bacteria use a protective golden armor to ward off the immune system, a finding with the potential to lead to new treatments for serious infections now increasingly resistant to standard antibiotics.

19 Jul 2005

New theory on aging says popping pills and drinking orange juice no guarantee you'll live longer

In direct contrast to previous reports, researchers now say that drinking gallons of orange juice and popping vitamin pills may not be a guarantee that you will live longer.

18 Jul 2005

Bling Bling bacteria more dangerous!

Researchers in the U.S. have uncovered the interesting fact that gold-colored bacteria appear to cause more disease than colorless strains.

12 Jul 2005

Curcumin has potent anticancer powers

Curcumin, a spice commonly used in curries and other south Asian cooking, blocks a key biological pathway needed for development of melanoma and other cancers, say researchers from the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.

12 Jul 2005

Good news for curry wallahs, ingredient helps fight cancer

In good news for curry wallahs, researchers are saying that a compound that makes curry yellow could help fight skin cancer.

11 Jul 2005

Vitamin E fails to deliver benefits for major cardiovascular events or cancer

In an article in the July 6 JAMA, I-Min Lee, M.B.B.S., Sc.D., of Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, and colleagues analyzed data from the vitamin E component of the Women's Health Study, which tested whether vitamin E supplementation decreases the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer among healthy women.

6 Jul 2005

Vitamin E supplements do not protect healthy women against heart attacks and stroke

Vitamin E supplements do not protect healthy women against heart attacks and stroke, according to new results from the Women's Health Study, a long-term clinical trial of the effect of vitamin E and aspirin on both the prevention of cardiovascular disease and of cancer.

5 Jul 2005

Disruption of a single gene, Nrf2, plays a critical role in determining the susceptibility to asthma

A research team led by Shyam Biswal , PhD, at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found the absence of Nrf2 exacerbated allergen-mediated asthma in mice models.