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.

Scientists fortify the cassava plant - a day's nutrition in a single meal

Scientists have determined how to fortify the cassava plant, a staple root crop in many developing countries, with enough vitamins, minerals and protein to provide the poor and malnourished with a day's worth of nutrition in a single meal.

30 Jun 2008

Seniors with type 2 diabetes may experience memory declines immediately after eating unhealthy meal

Adults with type 2 diabetes who eat unhealthy, high-fat meals may experience memory declines immediately afterward, but this can be offset by taking antioxidant vitamins with the meal, according to new research from Baycrest.

26 Jun 2008

Complementary medicines can help mild depression and premenstrual syndrome

Not all dietary supplements and "alternative" products are harmless though. German Institute urges consumers to be more critical of health claims.

26 Jun 2008

New white wine as good for you as red!

Red wine is favoured by many health conscious tipplers because it contains higher levels of polyphenols - antioxidants which lower cholesterol and are thought to help prevent cancer.

23 Jun 2008

Drink up that coffee to reduce your risk of a heart attack!

According to new research drinking coffee on a long-term basis does not increase the risk of early death and may in fact reduce the risk of dying from heart disease.

17 Jun 2008

Pomegranate extract may provide humans with relief of chronic inflammatory conditions

Oral ingestion of pomegranate extract reduces the production of chemicals that cause inflammation suggests a study published in BioMed Central's open access Journal of Inflammation. The findings indicate that pomegranate extract may provide humans with relief of chronic inflammatory conditions.

15 Jun 2008

New insight into the genetics of Lou Gehrig's disease

An upcoming paper from Drs. Hidenori Ichijo and Hideki Nishitoh (The University of Tokyo) and colleagues lends new and valuable insight into the genetics of ALS.

1 Jun 2008

New blood test reveals risk for metabolic syndrome

University of Minnesota researchers have discovered that people with high oxidation levels of the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) particle that carries cholesterol throughout the blood are much more likely to develop metabolic syndrome - which can lead to a considerably increased risk of developing heart disease.

20 May 2008

Drug therapy for phenylketonuria reverses heart damage

A pricy drug used to treat a rare but well-known genetic disorder may hold wider promise as a treatment for millions of Americans with potentially lethal enlarged hearts, due mainly to high blood pressure, a study from Johns Hopkins shows.

13 May 2008

Folic acid, B vitamins not linked to reduced risk of cardiovascular events in high-risk women

Women at high-risk of cardiovascular disease who took a daily supplement of folic acid and vitamin B6 and B12 for seven years did not have an overall reduced rate of cardiovascular events, despite a significant lowering of homocysteine levels, according to a study in the May 7 issue of JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association.

6 May 2008

Blueberry juice beats other juices on antioxidant chart

USDA's database of antioxidant values for various foods, places blueberry juice at the top of the list among more than a dozen juices tested including pomegranate, apple, prune, cranberry and Concord grape

5 May 2008

New findings on vitamin E and cataracts in women

A new analysis of the Women's Health Study (WHS) found that women who took Vitamin E supplements had rates of cataract development comparable to women who did not take such supplements.

1 May 2008

Alzheimer's and diabetes link

Diabetic individuals have a significantly higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease but the molecular connection between the two remains unexplained. Now, researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies identified the probable molecular basis for the diabetes - Alzheimer's interaction.

30 Apr 2008

Tomato paste helps fight sunburn and wrinkles

Scientists in Britain are suggesting that a tomato product may help fight sunburn and wrinkles.

29 Apr 2008

Chocolate good for pregnant women

According to scientific research in the U.S. eating chocolate, especially dark chocolate, during pregnancy is good for mother and baby.

29 Apr 2008

Mitochondrial dysfunction and redox signaling in atrial tachyarrhythmia

Researchers at the University Hospital of Magdeburg (Germany) have discovered that atrial tachycardia is associated with mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress followed by the activation of the NF-kB signalling pathway with induction of NF-kB target gene expression in atrial tissue.

24 Apr 2008

Drinking and smoking brings dementia on earlier

The latest research from the U.S. suggests that people who are heavy drinkers and smokers develop Alzheimer's disease six to seven years earlier than those who do not smoke or drink.

20 Apr 2008

Antioxidant supplements for prevention of mortality in healthy participants and patients with various diseases

Many people take antioxidants in the belief that they will prolong their life expectancy. However, data from 67 randomised trials that involved just under a quarter of a million people failed to support this idea, a Cochrane Systematic Review has discovered.

17 Apr 2008

Health warning from Britain about vitamin supplements

Health authorities in Britain have issued a warning regarding Vitamin supplements, they say they are probably ineffective and are possibly harmful.

16 Apr 2008

Elevated levels of antioxidant urate may slow Parkinson's progression

Naturally elevated levels of the antioxidant urate may slow the progression of Parkinson's disease in men. Researchers from the MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease (MGH-MIND) and Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) examined data from an earlier study and found that, among recently diagnosed Parkinson's patients, those with the highest urate levels had a significantly slower rate of disease progression during the two-year study period.

15 Apr 2008