Health And Fitness News 

Unusual Benefits Of Probiotics

Probiotics are commonly used to help improve digestion, and repopulate the gut with beneficial bacteria after an antibiotic course. However, as well as these more general benefits, probiotics also have some very specific uses, as scientists are now discovering.

Research has linked probiotics with:

* a protection against bacterial infection
* a lower risk of developing eczema
* improvements in the gut health of premature babies
* speeding the recovery from stomach ulcers

A lot of these benefits of probiotics are associated with their influence on the immune system. This influence can be quite varied, however.

For example, with regards to the potential protection against bacteria, probiotics may help by adhering to the gut wall and preventing 'bad' bacteria from doing so instead. This is how probiotics reduces the impact of food poisoning by salmonella. Salmonella need to attach to the gut wall to reproduce in the intestine, and so cause illness. 5 lactobacillus strains have demonstrated an effectiveness against salmonella. It's no wonder many travelers take probiotics with them when they travel to some countries known to cause gut problems.

Another study examined the effect of one strain of the probiotic Lactobacillus salivarius, known by the moniker UCC118, on listeria. This was a test on animals, but it found that the probiotic protected them from infection when they were exposed to listeria. The scientists found that in this instance, the Lactobacillus salivarius produced a compound that had an antibiotic-like effect. They were able to demonstrate that it was this compound, called a bacteriocin, that was responsible for protecting the health of the mice.

Most of these studies are on animals, so more need to be undertaken to confirm these effects in people, but they offer a potential insight into the ways in which probiotics can help people deal with certain diseases.

The Maca Root Love Bar

A new confectionary bar with a healthy twist is going to be released in Europe soon. That in itself is not news, as Europeans have really embraced the health benefits of dark chocolate. Dark chocolate has a naturally high level of antioxidants, and some European chocolate manufacturers even publish the level of antioxidants each bar contains on the packet.

What makes this bar more interesting is that it contains Maca root, a food supplement that originates in Peru. Maca is traditionally used for improving energy levels, and as an aphrodisiac, as well as a lot of other things. This last use, however, has been jumped on by a group of confectionary manufacturers because it provides a great marketing angle for their new bar. They've called it the 'Love Bar'.

Unfortunately, herbal history is littered with herbs and other substances that were used as aphrodisiacs. Traditional Chinese culture really turned this into a 'science', in that anything was really fair game for use as an aphrodisiac, so interested in the subject were they.

Maca root is an excellent supplement. When it is used to regulate hormone levels, it has many powerful uses. But the crunch is that it is a regulator of hormone levels. Perhaps if some sort of deficiency existed, or problems with low levels of circulating hormones due to stress, fatigue or other reasons, then maca might help with sexual performance. But it will not act like pharmaceuticals do in that area. And in any case, this type of use can muddy the real benefits of a very versatile herb

Carotenoid Supplements For Eye Health

One of the facets of maintaining eye health with supplements and nutrition is preventing a condition known as age related macular degeneration, also known as AMD.

AMD doesn't cause any pain, but results in a loss of central vision over time. AMD gradually destroys the central retina, and the effect in the advanced stages is like seeing with a big hole punched out of the center. It is the main factor in the loss of vision in those ages 60 or older, so it's a big problem associated with aging.

AMD comes in two types - wet and dry. Wet AMD is the advanced stage, though it can occur very quickly in some people. Here, central vision is lost quite quickly, as abnormal, fragile blood vessels leak blood and fluid and dislodge the macula from its' normal spot at the back of the eye.

Dry AMD is a gradual problem, with loss of vision occurring slowly. It usually manifests as blurry vision at first, and tends to affect both eyes. There may be a need for more light for reading, or a difficulty in recognizing people's faces.

Fortunately, scientists have discovered some common and not-so-common nutrients that look like they will help prevent AMD. Studies have focused on the carotenoids, a group of phytochemicals that give vegetables and fruits their distinctive coloring. As the name suggests, carotenoids are indeed found in carrots, but they are also found in tomatoes, corn, green leafy vegetables, egg yolks, squash, and a number of other vegetables.

In relation to AMD, the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin have been the particular focus of attention. It is believed they prevent damage to the macular by absorbing the blue light spectrum that can cause damage to the macula. They are also antioxidants, and thus prevent free radical damage when taken in the right amounts, and their nutritional values help strengthen the membranes in the eye's cells.

Recently, however, another carotenoid has garnered some attention as a possible help in preventing age-related macular degeneration. This is a naturally occurring chemical variation of the above-mentioned zeaxanthin. Known as meso-zeaxanthin, it is a bit more rare, but the results are quite promising from a study conducted at Florida International University.

Meso-zeaxanthin

• is absorbed into the serum in the blood after eating foods containing it
• * is considered effective at increasing macular pigment density

Nutraingredients reported that:

"The researchers report that macular pigment optical density increased as a result of carotenoid supplementation by an average rate of 0.59 milli-absorbance unit/day in the 10 supplemented subjects. The placebo group experienced reductions with an average decreasing rate of 0.17 milliabsorbance units/day."

Those in the study took 20mg a day of a mixture of lutein, zeaxanthin, and meso-zeaxanthin, but the supplement contained mostly meso-zeaxanthin.

Bogus Science - How To Discredit Natural Therapies

Given that scientific studies are reported with glee in the media - especially sensational ones that seem to challenge commonly held beliefs - it is concerning to find that 95% of medical studies published in prestigious journals contain misleading or false statistics. This was the number given in a review published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (Nature and Health, October 2006).

If you read a lot of the studies with a critical eye - and a browser open to google - you'll quickly see the truth of this.  One study I remember was on echinacea, where they concluded that it was useless for colds and flu. The study used a negligible amount of echinacea, certainly far less than that recommended when you are suffering from an acute infection. It's like saying any drug doesn't work because you didn't take a therapeutic dose.

This is a great tactic for 'proving' that natural therapies don't work, when in fact, well designed studies often prove that they do. Aside from using inadequate amounts of herbs and other natural substances, some studies use types of vitamins or supplements that are not beneficial.

For example, there are a number if different forms of vitamin E. Certain forms, the artificial ones, are not that beneficial. One study used this artificial form and trumpeted that therefore vitamin e didn't work (and I believe they may have even gotten an adverse result from their poor choice of vitamin e) for heart disease. When in fact, all they proved was that one particular form of vitamin e didn't work. The other forms of vitamin e actually have a very different effect in the body - and are beneficial.

Meta analyses are another way to get the scientific results that you want (great if you're trying to disprove something). A meta analysis is only as good as the studies it includes. If it includes poorly designed studies, you'll get twisted results. This is a common problem with them.