Natural Standard Blog

Heavy Drinking may Damage Teenage Brain

New evidence suggests that teenagers who binge drink may damage the “white matter” in their brains. This area of the brain contains nerve fibers and is involved in transmitting messages between brain cells. If it is damaged, it may affect thinking and memory.

White matter has been shown to be damaged in adult alcoholics, but alcohol’s effects in teenagers are less clear. It has been suggested that adolescents may be more susceptible to neurotoxins, such as alcohol, because their brains are still developing.

In the study, published in the online edition of Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, the researchers performed brain scans in 28 adolescents (age 16-19), half of whom had histories of binge drinking. The MRI scans showed that the white matter was more damaged in binge drinkers compared to their peers who did not drink.

However, these results are preliminary, and the study is limited by its cross-sectional design and small sample size. Additional research is needed to determine how drinking affects the brain.

For more information about alcohol consumption, please visit Natural Standard’s Medical Conditions database.

Coffee and Tea Linked to Lower Cancer Risk

New evidence suggests that drinking black tea and caffeinated coffee daily may be associated with a lower risk of endometrial cancer in women. Endometrial cancer affects the lining of the uterus and is most common among women who are between the ages of 60 and 70.

Researchers surveyed 1,100 women about their consumption of black tea, decaffeinated coffee and caffeinated coffee. Half of the women were diagnosed with endometrial cancer.

They found that women who drank more than four cups of coffee and tea daily were about 50 percent less likely to develop endometrial cancer. Women who drank more than two cups of black tea daily were about 44 percent less likely to develop the disease. Additionally, women who drank more than two cups of coffee daily were 29 percent less likely to develop cancer, although this trend was not statistically significant.

It is unclear how black tea and coffee may help prevent endometrial cancer. The authors suggest that the results may be attributed to caffeine because decaffeinated coffee was not linked to a decreased cancer risk.

Laboratory and animal studies report that components of black tea, such as polyphenols, have antioxidant properties and effects against tumors. However, effects in humans remain unclear.

Additional research is needed in this area before a conclusion can be made.

For more information about black tea and coffee, please visit Natural Standard’s Foods, Herbs & Supplements database.

Red and Processed Meats May Be Unhealthy

A recent study supports growing evidence that eating too much meat may be unhealthy. Researchers from the U.S. National Cancer Institute found that a diet rich in red and processed meats increased the risk of death, particularly from cancer and heart disease.

In the study, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, researchers analyzed data from more than half a million people (aged 50-71) who were enrolled in the National Institutes of Health-AARP Diet and Health Study. Meat intake was estimated through a food questionnaire.

People in the high-intake group for red meat ate an average of 4.5 ounces daily, while those in the lowest-intake group ate a little more than half an ounce daily. For processed meat, people in the high-intake group ate an average of 1.5 ounces daily compared to 0.11 ounces in the low-intake group.

During the 10-year follow-up period, the researchers recorded the number of deaths and their causes. They adjusted for other risk factors, such as age, smoking, obesity and alcohol consumption.

By the end of the study, 47,976 men and 23,276 women died from various causes. In those who ate the most red meat, the overall risk of death increased by 31 percent in men and 36 percent in women, compared to those who ate the least. The risk of fatal cancer increased by 22 percent in men and 20 percent in women, and the risk of fatal heart disease increased by 27 percent in men and 50 percent in women.

In those who ate the most processed meat, the overall risk of death increased by 16 percent in men and 25 percent in women, compared to those who ate the least. The risk of fatal cancer increased by 12 percent in men and 11 percent in women, while the risk of fatal heart disease increased by nine percent in men and 38 percent in women.

In contrast, people who ate higher proportions of white meat, such as turkey, chicken or fish, were less likely to die during the study period than those who ate the lowest proportions.

These results are somewhat limited by the study design because the data relied on the participants' memories of what they ate.

It has been suggested that cancer risk may be increased by compounds called heterocyclic amines (HCAs), which are formed when red meat is cooked at high temperatures. HCAs have been linked to various cancers, including stomach, colorectal, pancreatic and breast cancers in humans.

Red meat also contains high amounts of saturated fats, which have been shown to increase the risk of heart disease.

In a related study, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, diets rich in red meat were linked to age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of blindness in aging Americans. In the study, 6,734 people (aged 58-69) completed food frequency questionnaires in 1990-1994. During the follow-up period (2003-2006), the participants were monitored for the development of AMD.

The researchers found that people who ate red meat 10 or more times per week were 47 percent more likely to develop AMD than those who ate it less then 4.5 times per week. The authors suggest that these effects may be attributed to compounds in the meat that cause oxidative damage.

Additional research is needed to determine exactly how red meat might increase the risk of AMD.

For more information about different types of diets, please visit Natural Standard's Health & Wellness database.

Potential Weight-Loss Effects of African Mango

An extract made from the African mango (Irvingia gabonensis) may help overweight people lose weight and lower their cholesterol levels, researchers report in the online journal Lipids in Health and Disease.

The yellow fruits, which resemble mangoes, are commonly eaten in West Africa. The seeds are also valued for their high oil content, and the hardy green wood is valued in construction for its natural resistance to termites.

Earlier studies have shown that seed extracts from the African mango may reduce body fat production by affecting genes and enzymes involved in metabolism.

In the study, 102 overweight or obese adults were randomly assigned to receive either 150 milligrams of the African mango seed extract or placebo twice daily for 10 weeks. Participants were told to maintain their normal dietary and exercise habits.

Weight loss in the extract group was significant, with participants losing an average of 28 pounds by the end of the study. In contrast, the placebo group showed almost no change in weight. The authors also report that low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or "bad cholesterol) and blood sugar levels decreased in the extract group.

Although these results are promising, additional research is needed to determine how effectively African mango seed extract induces weight loss.

For more information about integrative therapies for weight loss, please visit Natural Standard's Comparative Effectiveness database.

Drugs Found in Fish

Researchers have found that fish living near waste water treatment plants in urban areas contained trace amounts of chemicals, including drugs used to treat allergies, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and mood disorders.

Pharmaceuticals enter waste water when people excrete medications or when chemicals are poured down the drain. Most conventional sewage plants do not remove these residues, leading to contamination in the treated waste water.

In the study, funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), researchers collected fish from rivers that receive treated sewage in Chicago, IL, Dallas, TX, Orlando,FL, Phoenix, AZ and West Chester, PA. They tested the fish for 24 different drugs and 12 chemicals found in personal care products. They compared their results to fish from the Gila River in New Mexico, which contains clean, unpolluted water.

Trace amounts of seven drugs and two soap scent chemicals were detected in fish from all of the city rivers, and some fish had multiple pharmaceuticals in their livers. The fish from New Mexico did not contain any of the drugs or chemicals tested.

The amount of drugs and chemicals found in the fish was minute. However, studies have shown that diluted concentrations can harm many aquatic animals, including fish and frogs.

In response to these study results, the EPA plans to expand similar research to include more than 150 areas nationwide. The agency also plans to study the potential long-term effects of humans consuming trace amounts of pharmaceuticals.

For more information about pollution, please visit Natural Standard's Environmental Resources database.

Music Therapy May Improve Vision After Stroke

Music therapy is widely known for its mood-enhancing and stress-reducing effects. Some researchers now speculate that positive emotional responses to music may help restore vision in stroke patients.

More than half of stroke patients develop impaired visual awareness, sometimes called "visual neglect." Individuals are unable to visually process objects on one side of the body because the part of the brain responsible for connecting vision, attention and action is damaged.

In the study, three stroke patients with visual neglect completed tasks while listening to music they liked, listening to music they did not like and in silence.

All participants were able to identify colored shapes and lights in their impaired fields of vision more accurately when they were listening to the music they preferred. One person identified light 65 percent of the time while listening to preferred music compared to just 15 percent of the time under the other two conditions.

In addition, when people listened to music they liked, brain scans showed that areas linked to positive emotional responses were activated. This activation was linked to improved visual performance. The researchers speculate that improved emotional well being may lead to more efficient brain signaling.

However, these preliminary results are limited by the small sample size. Additional research is needed to determine if music therapy is an effective treatment for this condition.

For more information about music therapy, please visit Natural Standard's Health & Wellness database.

Marijuana may Help Kill Brain Cancer Cells

A new study suggests that tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main active component in marijuana, may help destroy brain cancer cells.

The researchers tested the effects of THC in mice with brain cancer cells and two humans with aggressive brain tumors (called recurrent glioblastoma multiforme). THC was injected daily near the tumor sites. Biopsies were taken before and after treatment.

The authors found that THC caused the tumors to shrink in both the mice and humans. They also noted that THC caused the tumor cells to undergo autophagy, or self-destruction. No toxic side effects were noted.

In the April issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, the authors concluded that THC “may be an effective therapeutic strategy for targeting human cancers.”

However, additional research is needed to determine if THC has therapeutic effects in patients with brain cancer.

In a related population-based case-control study published in March 2009, researchers found that smoking marijuana may be associated with an increased risk of developing testicular cancer. The authors found that patients with testicular cancer were 70 percent more likely to be current marijuana smokers compared to the controls.

For more information about integrative therapies for brain cancer, please visit Natural Standard’s Comparative Effectiveness database.

Webinar Forum: How Do Herbal and Dietary Supplements Affect Traditional and Diagnostic Tests?

Natural Standard Associate Editor Ramon Iovin, PhD, provides a brief introduction to the Laboratory Interactions Checker, one of Natural Standard's interactive tools. The presentation includes several examples of herb and supplement interactions with laboratory diagnostic tests, sampled from the Natural Standard Interactions database.

Complimentary access is available until April 30, 2009. To log in, please visit www1.gotomeeting.com/register/338915605.

Natural Standard values the opinions and views of its readers and welcomes feedback and questions about the latest webinar. Individuals are invited to leave comments below and/or e-mail to questions@naturalstandard.com.