On TRAC with DrMark

Put some red, white and blue in your diet this July Fourth

- by Nancy Jones

Celebrate the Fourth of July with color by including nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables. You probably do not associate the terms lycopene, allium and anthocyanins with the all-American red, white and blue colors, but once you learn of the health benefits of these disease-fighting substances found in foods, you will want to include these colorful additions to your holiday menu.

Phytochemicals, or phytonutrients, are compounds found in fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains that promote good health by slowing the aging process or reducing the risk for many diseases. Phytochemicals provide the color, aroma, and flavor that give these foods so much appeal.

Researchers are continually investigating how phytochemicals protect against some cancers, heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, cataracts, osteoporosis, urinary tract infections, and other chronic health conditions.

Reds. When you include deep reds or bright pinks to your daily food choices, you are adding lycopene, from the phytochemical family of carotenoids. Lycopene serves as an antioxidant and is found in tomatoes, red peppers, red and pink grapefruit, watermelon, papaya and guava. Associated with a reduced risk for many cancers and protection against heart disease, lycopene research continues on other potential health benefits. Tomato- based products have the most concentrated source of lycopene. Cooked tomato sauces are associated with greater health benefits, compared to uncooked, because the heating process makes all carotenoids (including lycopene) more easily absorbed by the body.

Whites. Onions are only one member of the allium family of vegetables. Garlic, chives, scallions, leeks, and shallots are also alliums. This phytochemical is currently being studied for lowering cholesterol and blood pressure and to increase the body's ability to fight infections, while offering cancer-fighting benefits.

Cauliflower comes from the same family as broccoli and Brussel sprouts with possible cancer-fighting compounds.

Blues and purples. This colorful group adds flavonoids, phytochemicals and antioxidants. Anthocyanins are pigments responsible for the blue color in blueberries, blackberries, eggplant, grapes, purple cabbage and plums. This phytochemical is being studied for their role in cancer prevention.

Both grapes and grape juice are rich sources of resveratrol, a specific type of natural plant chemical that belongs to a much larger group of plant chemicals called polyphenols. The skin of the grape contains the most resveratrol, and red and purple grapes contain significantly more resveratrol than green grapes. Grape jam and raisins contain much smaller amounts of this phytochemical. Scientists believe that polyphenols in general and resveratrol, in particular, possess potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Scientists are learning more about phytochemicals that exist in all plant-based foods every day. Eating a wide variety of vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans is more important than concentrating on particular foods in order to benefit from the thousands of phytochemicals found in nature. 

Celebrate health this Fourth of July with the patriotic colors and take advantage of the abundance of delicious disease-fighting compounds found in a variety of seasonal, local produce all summer long.

LIST FOR HERBS AND ALTERNATIVES FOR FLU

Below is part of a rather lengthy, but interesting, article.

THE LIST FOR HERBS AND ALTERNATIVES FOR FLU

by Snowy Owl 

Disclaimer. Do not start taking any herbs, or other listed compounds before checking with your doctor and also doing a quick search to see if any medicines you are taking will interact adversely with any on this list. This is especially true for pregnant or nursing women, the very young and those with chronic medical conditions.

If traditional clinical medical help is unavailable, this section is devoted to preventing infection through traditional and non-traditional means, limiting the damage if infection occurs, and restoring health after infection.

The key to reducing morbidity and mortality is to understand the process of flu infections. The following is a much-simplified version of the process. In the case of avian influenza, it isn't the virus which typically kills, but rather the body's response to the virus that causes death. The over-production of cytokines, commonly called a 'cytokine storm', is responsible for the vast majority of mortality. The body uses cytokines to control infection. Some cause inflammatory response and others reduce the response. Ideally, in a healthy individual the two are balanced. Pro-inflammatory cytokines originate with linoleic acids which are transformed into the omega-6 family of fatty acids, (IL-1) (IL-6) (TNF-a).

There are other pro-inflammatories but for the sake of simplicity these will remain the focus. When you have too many pro-inflammatory cytokines in your system, they start to feed off each other and stimulate yet more production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. When this happens we have chronic inflammation. Or, in the case of a cytokine storm, a sudden, catastrophic production of these cytokines. Countering pro-inflammatory cytokines are anti-inflammatory cytokines. They originate from alpha linoleic acid (ALA). The body converts ALA to omega-3 fatty acids (EPA) and (DHA). Part of the cytokine storm's assault on the body is a disseminated intravasular coagulation.

Taubenberger described the (1918) H1N1 virus as replicating in staggering quantities and with incredible swiftness. The same process is found in the H5N1 virus etiology. In layman's terms, the virus makes copies of itself and then ruptures the cells being used as replication factories. Ruptured cell remnants begin to clog the bloodstream. This in turn initiates the clotting process. Fibrin threads are alerted to repair the damage and clot the wounds. These are small and incredibly tough strands. Normally, they function as a sticky net, but the number of cell pieces overwhelms the fibrin response. Instead of coming to one site and stopping the bleeding, the strands rush through the body acting like scythes, slicing tissue as they go, resulting in internal bloodletting. This then leads to a positive feedback loop: the start of a cytokine storm. More cells are cut and more fibrin is demanded, whereupon still more cells are cut. At some point the fibrin runs out and you bleed to death. Once this cascade starts, there is little that can be done to stop the process. Finally, part of the cytokine storm is evidenced by the release of free radicals. These include super oxide and nitric oxide.

There are various methods to prepare the body to fight the virus prior to and during infection, to reduce the pro-inflammatory response mechanism, and to re-establish good health after infection through the use of vitamins, fatty acids, micro-nutrients,herbs and other supplements.

Before and During the Pandemic

There are some things you can do even before you see the first sign of a virus to increase the body's ability to fight off the disease. Vitamin and mineral supplementation is an obvious start to preparing yourself for possible infection. Other substances to include are the cranberry juice, the whole berries of barley, garlic, green tea. NAC is a valuable addition as its action is cumulative. Some attempt should be made to insure balance between omega-6 and omega-3. After, the virus has gone h2h and there is immediate danger of infection, resveratrol should be added to the daily list of substances.

Cranberry juice inhibits the viruses ability of adhesion to host cells. Drink daily to limit viral adnesion to human host cells.

Whole berry barley is an immunomodulator. Eat daily in multiple grain breakfast cereals (9-grain cereal is a good example), boiled barley salads, and hot side dishes.

Take a broad spectrum vitamin pill daily and supplement with a few specific vitamins and micro-nutrients. The purpose here is to reduce morbidity so finding the minimum daily requirement is not what we are looking for. Rather we are looking for the optimal requirement:

Vitamin A: Necessary for cell membrane stability. Deficiency impairs immunity. 10,000 units/day. Good sources include winter squash, carrots, sweet potatoes.
Vitamin B: Aids stress reduction, esp. B-12. Stress reduces the body's immune response.
Vitamin C: Helps prevent inflammation, prevents free radical damage. Found in citrus fruits, tomatoes. 1,000-2,000 mg/day.

Achieve a healthy balance of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines. Most Western diets are already high in the linoleic acids or omega-6 family of fatty acids. An increase in these would be counter-productive.

ALA is converted to omega-3 fatty acids (EPA) and (DHA)which are essential fatty acids. They lower cytokine destruction in tissues by increasing anti-inflammatory cytokines. Good sources of omega-3 fatty acids are found in cold water fish (mackerel, salmon, trout, tuna), flax seed, oregano oil, borage oil, and some green vegetables.
Omega 3, 3 g./day or, flax seed 2 tablespoons/day

Diets are frequently short of the following micro-nutrients because of soil deficiencies.

Zinc: Critical for immune function. A deficiency leads to an imbalance in pro/anti-inflammation cytokine production. A good source of zinc is pumpkin seeds. Zinc supplements should be taken on an empty stomach as food interferes with uptake. 10-25 mg./day

Selenium: Most populations are deficient in selenium. This is another necessary nutrient for cell function and immune response. Antioxidant, essential for healthy immune response. 90 mcg/day (never exceed 200 mcg/day because of toxicity)

N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC): A mucolytic, anti-oxidant. Loosens mucus, increases blood gas exchange and available oxygen. If you take this, you must drink 6-8 glasses of water/day to prevent the formation of cystein renal stones. 600 mg/2-3 x's/day

Herbal Supplements

The following are valuable for their anti-viral activities. All may be started prior to infection and all should be taken after infection. The resveratrol must be ingested either before exposure or immediately after infection occurs.

Garlic: Contains allicin, a potent antiviral, immune booster. Fresh garlic contains far more allicin than does aged dry garlic. Three quarters of a teaspoon/day of fresh garlic. Or, for a typical dose of a commercial preparation 600-900 mg/day.

Green tea: antiviral, anti-diarrheal. 300-400 mg/day

Quercetin: antioxidant that inhibits adhesion of molecules during inflammation, anti-viral. 200-400 mg/2-3 x's/day

Ginger: Fights inflammation, reduces nausea, possibly useful as an anti-viral. 100mg/day

Resveratrol: This is a compound commonly found in raw peanuts (boil just prior to eating), red wines, esp. those using stressed grapes i.e. pinot noir and two herbs, Japanese knotweed (polygonum cuspidatum) and Chinese skullcap (scutellaria baicalensis).

Resveratrol has shown significant ability to interfere with the viral replication process. Bioavailability is low when ingested (eaten or drunk). To keep plasma levels elevated it must be taken several times per day. Snacking on boiled peanuts throughout the day is one method. Resveratrol must be started either prior to infection or within 6 hours of infection to have any effect.

Curcumin: Is the most powerful herbal immunomodulatory supplement known. It significantly reduces the pro-inflammatory response. Bioavailability is low if taken alone. Caution: people suffering from gallbladder or stomach problems should be careful of use of curcumin. Also, it may cause bleeding in those using blood-thinners. 300-500 mg/day.

Curcumin taken in conjunction with biopiperin increases bioavailability. Biopiperine also increases the bioavailability of a number of other drugs. 300-500 mg/day of curcumin taken in conjunction with 5-10 mg./day of biopiperine. Do NOT exceed this amount of biopiperine due to toxicity. Some experts say that biopiperine is not necessary and that most of the studies done, used only curcumin and still indicated signiicant immunomodulation.

List of antivirals and other important herbs used as teas. Use one teaspoon per one cup boiling water of any of the following. If you want to use more than one of the herbs listed below at one time, the ratio should be one tespoon per one cup of boiling water. Allow the tea to steep for 15 30 minutes prior to drinking. Use honey as a sweetener if over the age of one. It too is an antiviral.
bromelain (eats the spikes off the viral coat)
nettle, (prevents the manufacture of prostaglandins, also useful for coughs)
lemon balm (viricide and sooths nasal passages)
skullcap (scutellaria baicalensis, anti-inflammatory, and antihistamine, aids in treating allergies or allergic rhinitis, particularly when used with stinging nettle)
polygonum cuspidatum ( called Hu Zhang in Chinese, contains resveratrol a neuraminidase inhibitor, difficult to absorb through the gut this should allow it to be taken up directly into the bloodstream hence, bypassing the first pass through the liver)
Verbascum, (hemagglutinin inhibitor)

Tea or juice additive
garlic, (viricide) fresh and very gently simmered in tea or added to fruit juice, tomato juice.

Recovery
Post-flu

Probiotics. Replaces gut flora lost or imbalanced due to illness.

All of the following modulate immune function. Some also trigger increases on the omega-6 or pro-inflammatory side of the immune equation. Because of this do not use these during flu infection. Use after flu infection or during any other normal illness. Also, some of these should not be taken if you are at risk for, hormone-responsive cancers. Those include, licorice, astragalus, and reishi mushrooms.

Astragalus membranaceus. Typical dosage of astragalus is from 1500 to 3000 milligrams. Dosage should be divided into smaller does during the day rather than one large dose, or anywhere from 2 to 20 grams of the root, or a teaspoon of the tincture daily.

The following 4 are all members of the mushroom or fungi family. These are typically powdered and added to soups. One teaspoon/ cup of soup. Or, may be taken in capsule form.

Chitake (program prevents normal spelling, replace the C with an S, mushroom)
Cordyceps sinensis, (mushroom)
Ganoderma lucidium (Reishi, mushroom)
Grifola frondosa (Maitake, mushroom)

Bovine Lactoferrin (follow direction on package)

All of the following are herbs. Please check to see that none are contra-indicated before taking.

Echinacea Childrens dosage: Adjust by weight. Typically,
dosage is 1/2 the adult dosage over the age of 7 and 1/4 under the age of 7.
Use alcohol-free preparations for children.
Adult: 1 to 2 grams dried root or herb, as tea
2 to 3 mL of standardized tincture extract
200 mg of powdered extract containing 4% phenolics
Tincture (1:5): 1 to 3 mL (20 to 90 drops)

Licorice root:
Crushed Licorice Root: 5 to 15 grams (about 1-1/2 to 5 teaspoonfuls)
Licorice Extract: 0.5 to 1 gram for sinus and throat inflammations; 1.5 to 3 grams for ulcers
Licorice Tea: 1 cup after each meal

The following should be on everyones prep list unless you are allergic to the substance.

raw peanuts (boiled just prior to eating for resveratrol, anti-viral)
whole barley seeds (immunomodulator)
cranberry juice (inhibits adhesion of virus preventing replication)
pumpkin seeds (zinc source, immunomodulator)
garlic (anti-viral)
canned fish (immunomodulators)
tomato products (immunomodulator, vitamin C source)
either 9 or 6 grain hot cereal (B vitamin source and immunomodulator if the mix contains barley)
green or black tea (anti-viral, immunomodulator)

The article, in it's entirety, may be found at:

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/5/31/737074/-Sunday-LIST-FOR-HERBS-AND-ALTERNATIVES-FOR-FLU

Fight the Flu

 Surgical masks were a common sight yesterday; flying home from Manila, with a long layover in Tokyo. Seeing masks in public, while unusual in the States, has long been common in much of Asia. However, with the newest outbreak of the flu the number of wearers is definitely up! I don’t think I saw as many as I did during the height of the SARs scare a few years ago but it was easily double the number I’d expect to see on any given day.

I’ve read a number of papers this past week; some suggesting the current virus is a mutated swine flu, while others believe what we have is a combination of a bird flu combined with a swine flu variant. Today’s news talked about how the local pharmacies have had a run on both the flu vaccine and the nasal spray. Sadly these will be of little, if any, help. It was also reported that it will be at least 3 months before a specific “flu shot” can be developed. Sadly this will be of little, if any, help either.

In the first case; the existing flu anti-viral preparations were not developed for this particular strain of the flu and in order to be effective, they must be matched. This is also why, in the second case, a new vaccine won’t be very effective either. In the three months it will take to develop the vaccine the flu will have mutated – it won’t be the same virus the vaccine was developed to fight.

Studies published during the past year have shown that the getting the annual flu shot has not shown to be of any benefit for the above reasons. While this has been reported in the major medical journals, physicians have not been quick to follow the science.

Your best bet in this case, as in all disease, is; don’t get sick in the first place.

Your best defense against this new flu strain is a strong immune system. If your body, your immune system is strong, you will be able to fight the “bug” off – kill it before it kills you!

Standard Advice:

Get plenty of rest/sleep.

Wash your hands frequently.

Wash your hands after you cough or sneeze. I should mention here it that is not recommended that you cover your mouth when you sneeze – at least not with your hands. Most likely your mom taught you to cover your mouth with your hand – it was good manners. However, medically it’s not a good thing to do. The virus is not spread through the air but via touch. People cover their mouth when they cough or sneeze and then shake hands or touch someone and spread the “bug” around. Therefore it’s now recommended that you sneeze or cough into your elbow. (At least the inside crease of your elbow, not the outside pointy part.)

Avoid touching your face. When you put your dirty little fingers on or around your eyes, mouth or nose you’re exposing yourself directly to the bug.

Experts all recommend eating well, which includes eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. (9-11 servings a day.) But we know that hardly anyone is getting the recommended amount of these on a regular daily basis so it’s essential that you supplement.

Most nutritional experts suggest taking a comprehensive multi vitamin/mineral for all around coverage and UltraVitality more than fits the bill. Other supplements that you regularly see suggested include vitamin C, garlic and many if not all of the herbs found in OptiBreathe and Immunity. (Although we put them all in one product rather than taking each herb separately which is more convenient and much cheaper.)

I would like to point out that many of the ingredients found in Genesis may well be some of the most beneficial. There are literally thousands of published research articles on Resveratrol, polyphenols, SOD and glutathione in relation to the flu virus. I’ve copied a few below:

Resveratrol and the flu virus:

Inhibition of influenza A virus replication by resveratrol

AT Palamara, L Nencioni, K Aquilano, G De Chiara, … - The Journal of infectious diseases, 2005 - UChicago Press
... All Journals > The Journal of Infectious Diseases > 15 May 2005 > Resveratrol
and Influenza A Replication. The Journal of Infectious Diseases ...
Cited by 23 - Related articles - Web Search - All 6 versions

Influenza (“bird flu”), inflammation and anti-inflammatory/analgesic drugs

KD Rainsford - Inflammopharmacology, 2006 - Springer
... Key words: Influenza; Bird-flu; NSAIDs; Resveratrol; Anti- oxidants;
Nutraceuticals; Anti-inflammatory; Respiratory Introduction ...
Cited by 7 - Related articles - Web Search - BL Direct - All 3 versions

[CITATION] Concentration of resveratrol in wines from Catalonia, Spain

A Gonzalo, P Vidal, S Mínguez, R Antolí - Journal of Wine Research, 1995 - Routledge
Cited by 9 - Related articles - Web Search - BL Direct

►LE Magazine March 2006

MI Epidemic, OA Elderly - lef.org
... 2005 Apr;11(2):159-65. Resveratrol Found to Stop Flu Virus in Cell Culture Study. ...
Inhibition of influenza A virus replication by resveratrol. J Infect Dis. ...
Cached - Web Search

[PDF] ►Naturally Sweet TM

PP Formula, N High, N Antibiotic, AVF Formula, P … - solaltech.com
... w Helps shorten the duration and intensity of colds & flu. ... The Anti-Aging Pill TM
w Contains Resveratrol, which research performed by Harvard medical school ...
Related articles - View as HTML - Web Search - All 2 versions

METHOD AND COMPOSITION FOR PROPHYLAXIS AND TREATMENT OF SYMPTOMS ASSOCIATED WITH COLD AND INFLUENZA- …

NS Gantenberg, RE Singer Jr - EP Patent 1,221,949, 2002 - freepatentsonline.com
... a prophylaxis and treatment of cold and influenza-like symptoms ... trihydroxystilbene
or tetrahydroxystilbene, preferably 3,4', 5-trihydroxystilbene resveratrol. ...
Web Search - All 6 versions

[CITATION] USE OF RESVERATROL FOR THE PREPARATION OF A MEDICAMENT USEFUL FOR THE TREATMENT OF INFLUENZA VIRUS …

AT PALAMARA, E GARACI
Web Search

USE OF RESVERATROL FOR THE PREPARATION OF A MEDICAMENT USEFUL FOR THE TREATMENT OF INFLUENZA VIRUS …

EP Patent 1,567,137, 2007 - freepatentsonline.com
... Summary of the invention. It has now been found that resveratrol exerts
an inhibitory action on influenza virus replication. In an ...
Web Search - All 2 versions

Use of resveratrol for the preparation of a medicament useful for the treatment of influenza virus …

E Garaci, AT Palamara - US Patent App. 10/533,942, 2003 - Google Patents
... 27,2005 Sheet 1 of 12 US 2005/0239906 Al Effect of resveratrol on influenza pr8
viral replication in MDCK cells A) Post-infection B> Pre-infection IOC 75 50 25 ...
Web Search - All 5 versions

Polyphenols and the flu virus

Inhibition of the infectivity of influenza virus by tea polyphenols.

M Nakayama, K Suzuki, M Toda, S Okubo, Y Hara, T … - Antiviral Research, 1993 - grande.nal.usda.gov
Record Detail. Return to previous page, Save: Title: Inhibition of the infectivity
of influenza virus by tea polyphenols. Author: Nakayama ...
Cited by 83 - Related articles - Cached - Web Search - All 4 versions

In vitro antioxidant activity of polyphenol extracts with antiviral properties from Geranium …

M Sokmen, M Angelova, E Krumova, S Pashova, S … - Life Sciences, 2005 - cababstractsplus.org
... acid; free radicals; influenza; medicinal plants; phenolic acids; plant extracts;
polyphenols; viral diseases; antioxidant properties; BHT; flu; drug plants ...
Cited by 16 - Related articles - Web Search - All 6 versions

Plant polyphenolic complex inhibits the reproduction of influenza and herpes simplex viruses

B Sofia - Plant Polyphenols: Synthesis, Properties, Significance, 1992 - books.google.com
... Enveloped viruses- influenza and herpes simplex viruses among them-are the most
vulnerable to the action of polyphenols since they can easily interact with the ...
Cited by 16 - Related articles - Web Search - BL Direct - All 3 versions

CYSTUS052, a polyphenol-rich plant extract, exerts anti-influenza virus activity in mice

K Droebner, C Ehrhardt, A Poetter, S Ludwig, O … - Antiviral research, 2007 - Elsevier
... of action of polyphenols (reviewed in Cos et al., 2004), including several reports
describing the antiviral activity of polyphenols against influenza virus. ...
Cited by 4 - Related articles - Web Search - All 3 versions

Inhibition of influenza virus infection by tea polyphenols

T Shimamura - ACS symposium series (USA), 1994 - fao.org
... Titles, Inhibition of influenza virus infection by tea polyphenols. Personal Authors,
Shimamura, T. (Showa University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.). ...
Cited by 6 - Related articles - Cached - Web Search - BL Direct - All 2 versions

Anti-influenza agents from plants and traditional Chinese medicine

X Wang, W Jia, A Zhao, X Wang - Phytotherapy Research, 2006 - interscience.wiley.com
... pharmacologi- cal research, some bioactive compounds have been found in medicinal
plants used to treat influenza. A variety of polyphenols, flavonoids, saponins ...
Cited by 4 - Related articles - Web Search - BL Direct - All 4 versions

Gargling with Tea Catechin Extracts for the Prevention of Influenza Infection in Elderly Nursing …

H Yamada, N Takuma, T Daimon, Y Hara - Journal of Alternative & Complementary Medicine, 2006 - liebertonline.com
... 6. Nakayama M, Suzuki K, Toda M, et al. Inhibition of the in- fectivity of influenza
virus by tea polyphenols. Antiviral Res 1993;21:289–299. ...
Cited by 3 - Related articles - Web Search - BL Direct - All 3 versions

Influenza virus variants with reduced susceptibility to inhibition by a polyphenol extract from …

J Serkedjieva - Die Pharmazie, 2003 - ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
2003 Jan;58(1):53-7. Influenza virus variants with reduced susceptibility to inhibition
by a polyphenol extract from Geranium sanguineum L. Serkedjieva J. ...
Cited by 3 - Related articles - Web Search - BL Direct - All 3 versions

Combined effect of selected antiviral substances of natural and synthetic origin. II. Anti-influenza …

G Gegova, N Manolova… - Acta microbiologica Bulgarica, 1993 - ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
... II. Anti-influenza activity of a combination of a polyphenolic complex isolated
from Geranium sanguineum L. and rimantadine in vivo. ...

Glutathione and the flu virus

Inhibition of influenza infection by glutathione

J Cai, Y Chen, S Seth, S Furukawa, RW Compans, DP … - Free Radical Biology and Medicine, 2003 - Elsevier
... Original contribution. Inhibition of influenza infection by glutathione. ... Author Keywords:
Influenza; Glutathione; Antioxidant; Redox; Free radicals. ...
Cited by 38 - Related articles - Web Search - All 5 versions

[CITATION] Induction of glutathione-dependent formaldehyde dehydrogenase activity in Escherichia coli and …

WG Gutheil, E Kasimoglu, PC Nicholson - Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 1997 - Academic Press
Cited by 20 - Related articles - Web Search - BL Direct - All 2 versions

[CITATION] Tissue glutathione

ME Anderson - CRC Handbook of Methods for Oxygen Radical Research, 1985 - CRC Press
Cited by 100 - Related articles - Web Search

Influenza virus propagation is impaired by inhibition of the Raf/MEK/ERK signalling cascade

S Pleschka, T Wolff, C Ehrhardt, G Hobom, O Planz, … - Nature cell biology, 2001 - nature.com
... proteins, nucleoprotein, M1 and NEP/NS2 cDNAs derived from the influenza A virus ...
GST−NP, GST−NEP/NS2 and GST were eluted from glutathione−sepharose beads ...
Cited by 120 - Related articles - Web Search - BL Direct - All 6 versions

Mechanism of 5-fluorouracil required resistance in human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line Bel ( …

J Jin, M Huang, HL Wei, GT Liu - World J Gastroenterol, 2002 - ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
... The distribution of FLU was observed by confocal laser scanning microscope. The
spectrofluorometry was used to show the intracelluar content of glutathione (GSH ...
Cited by 13 - Related articles - Web Search - BL Direct - All 4 versions

Thimerosal neurotoxicity is associated with glutathione depletion: protection with glutathione …

- ►generationrescue.org [PDF] 
SJ James, W Slikker, S Melnyk, E New, M Pogribna, … - Neurotoxicology, 2005 - Elsevier
... Further, pretreatment of the cells with glutathione ethyl ester or NAC prevented ...
from most children's vaccines, it is still present in flu vaccines given to ...
Cited by 60 - Related articles - Web Search - All 25 versions

A nutritional supplement formula for influenza A (H5N1) infection in humans

- ►laucke.com.au [PDF] 
H Friel, H Lederman - Medical hypotheses, 2006 - Elsevier
... Experiments have found that cellular glutathione content: (a) contributes to the
host cell’s ability to down-regulate influenza virus replication [69], (b ...
Cited by 4 - Related articles - Web Search - BL Direct - All 9 versions

… apoptosis in embryonic cortical neurons by shunting cysteine from protein synthesis to glutathione

- ►jneurosci.org [PDF] 
RR Ratan, TH Murphy, JM Baraban - Journal of Neuroscience, 1994 - Soc Neuroscience
... To determine the specificity of the flu- orescent signal for reduced glutathione,
cultures depicted under Hoffman mi- croscopy in B were treated with diethyl ...
Cited by 169 - Related articles - Web Search - BL Direct - All 4 versions

The influenza A virus NS1 protein inhibits activation of Jun N-terminal kinase and AP-1 …

- ►nih.gov
S Ludwig, X Wang, C Ehrhardt, H Zheng, N Donelan, … - Journal of virology, 2002 - Am Soc Microbiol
... role of the NS1 protein in JNK activation, we compared the influenza A/PR ... judged
by binding of the NS-IAmutI protein to corresponding glutathione S-transferase ...
Cited by 66 - Related articles - Web Search - BL Direct - All 5 versions

14-3-3 protein detection in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with influenza-associated …

K Fujii, Y Tanabe, H Uchikawa, K Kobayashi, H … - Journal of Child Neurology, 2006 - jcn.sagepub.com
... A, Cengiz M, Seven M, Ulutin T: Erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase, superoxidase ...
was confirmed with an antigen detection kit (BD Directigen Flu, BD Bioscience ...
Cited by 4 - Related articles - Web Search - BL Direct - All 3 versions

Eat Like the Mediterraneans and Lower Risk of Metabolic Syndrome and Cognitive Impairment

by Barbara Minton, Natural Health Editor


(NaturalNews) The good news about the Mediterranean diet just keeps coming. New studies have shown that eating like the Mediterraneans lowers the risk of having metabolic syndrome and stroke. It also lowers the chances for mild cognitive impairment, and the risk of progression from mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer's disease. Survivors of heart attack had lower inflammatory markers when they adhered to the Mediterranean way of eating. Scientists have even isolated one of the most beneficial components of the diet.

Study finds Mediterranean eating cuts risk of metabolic syndrome

Potent beneficial compound of Mediterranean eating revealed

A study in Italy considered the relationship between dietary intake of allium vegetables and cardiovascular diseases. The allium family consists of versatile vegetables high in beneficial sulfur compounds that give them their distinctive taste and aroma. Onions and garlic are allium vegetables as are shallots, leeks and chives.


Mediterranean style eating is good for the brain

The Mediterranean diet is based on abundance, not deprivation

While it is common to think of diets restricting food intake, the Mediterranean diet is a way of eating that compasses a love of eating. It has nothing to do with deprivation. It is based on the glorious array of fresh foods that are products of the region.

What is thought of as the traditional Mediterranean diet has been interpreted into a pyramid with daily physical activity at its base. Regular physical activity is seen as bedrock for promoting healthy weight, fitness and well-being. This is not grueling exercise, but enjoyable activity like walking, soccer, tennis, golf, dancing, weight lifting and love making. It includes activities with immediate paybacks, like house cleaning and gardening.

Olive oil is the principle fat used in Mediterranean cuisine. Total fat consumption ranges from less than 25 percent to over 35 percent of calories, with saturated fat making up no more than 7 to 8 percent of all fat calories. Olive oil is predominantly monounsaturated fat. Mediterraneans do not generally use highly process polyunsaturated vegetable or seed oils.

Sweets such as pastries, ice cream and cookies are consumed occasionally. They are not a part of the daily diet.

Alcohol, particularly red wine, is consumed in moderation with meals.

The Mediterranean diet provides the nutrients needed for good health

The reliance of the Mediterraneans on fruits and vegetables as the major force in their diets means they are consuming large amounts of vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and antioxidants from what they ea. The diet provides a high amount of health promoting polyphenols, compounds found in fruits and vegetables that protect against the ravages of aging and ward off degenerative diseases. Their red wine provides resveratrol, the compound that mimics a diet of calorie restriction, making the Mediterranean diet one that does not make its eaters overweight.

Olive oil also helps produce many of the beneficial effects of the diet with its ability to lower cholesterol levels in the blood. Olive oil is known to lower blood sugar levels and blood pressure. Research indicates that olive oil prevents peptic ulcers and is effective in the treatment of peptic ulcer disease. It has recently been shown to protect women from HER-2 breast cancer. Olive oil, along with the nuts, seeds and fish of the diet provides beneficial omega-3 fatty acids. Studies have shown that omega-3 fatty acids lower triglycerides and have an anti-inflammatory effect that helps to stabilize blood vessel lining. Omega-3 fats promote optimal cognitive functioning.

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Garlic and onions may reduce cholesterol gallstones

Consumption of garlic and onions may reduce the incidence of cholesterol gallstone formation by as much as 40 per cent, says a new study from India.

Consumption of a cholesterol-rich diet led to the formation of cholesterol gallstones (CGS) in mice, but supplementation of this diet with garlic and onion reduced the incidence of the gallstones, according to findings published online in the British Journal of Nutrition.

Eighty per cent of gallstones are cholesterol-related. They occur when cholesterol hardens and this then blocks bile ducts, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health. Symptoms include pain, nausea, and clay-coloured stools.

A diet high in cholesterol is reported to be a potential cause of gallstones.  

“Dietary Allium spices exerted antilithogenic influence by decreasing the cholesterol hyper-secretion into bile and increasing the bile acid output thus decreasing the formation of lithogenic bile in experimental mice,” concluded the researchers.

Source: British Journal of Nutrition

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