Natural Standard Blog

Does Debt Contribute to Obesity?

A new study suggests that serious financial debt may be associated with obesity.

To investigate the potential relationship between debt and health, researchers surveyed 949 people in Germany who were classified as “over-indebted,” because they reportedly felt it was impossible to pay off debts in a reasonable timeframe. The findings were compared to the results of a 2003 telephone survey, which included 8,318 people in Germany who were not in debt.

After adjusting for socioeconomic and health risk factors for obesity, such as gender, education, smoking and depression, the authors found that people who were over-indebted were almost twice as likely to be overweight and more than 2.5 times as likely to be obese than those who were not in debt. 

However, this study does not prove that debt causes obesity. Instead, it shows a potential association between the two conditions. The authors suggest that psychological factors may play a role in obesity if people eat to cope with the stress of financial debt. They also note that healthier foods may be more expensive. The authors also speculate that obese people may have more difficulty finding jobs or may make less money than thinner people. Therefore, additional research is warranted in this area.

In the United States, obesity is considered an epidemic. More than half of all Americans are considered overweight, and about 20 percent of children are overweight. In 2005, 140 million Americans were considered overweight or obese, according to the American Heart Association. Nearly 33 percent of Americans are considered obese, and these numbers continue to grow.

Obesity can have serious long-term effects on health. Individuals who are overweight have an increased risk of developing many life-threatening illnesses, including heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, obesity, diabetes, osteoporosis and cancer. According to the American Heart Association, obesity was associated with nearly 112,000 deaths in 2005.

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

Cannabis Compounds may Inhibit Prostate Cancer

Early evidence suggests that compounds in marijuana called cannabinoids may help prevent prostate cancer cells from growing.

Researchers tested the anticancer effects of two cannabinoids: methanandamide and JWH-015. The compounds stopped the growth of therapy-resistance human prostate cancer cells in the laboratory and significantly reduced the size of prostate tumors in mice.

According to the authors, the cannabinoids may work by blocking tumor cell receptors, thereby preventing them from multiplying.

Although these preliminary results are promising, additional research is needed to fully understand how cannabinoids may affect prostate cancer in humans.

In a related April 2009 study, researchers found that tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main active component in marijuana, may help kill brain cancer cells. 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.

For more information about marijuana, please visit Natural Standard’s Foods, Herbs & Supplements database.

Spices Used as Insecticides

 A new study presented at the American Chemical Society's 238th National Meeting suggests that the essential oil of common spices, including mint, clove, thyme and rosemary, may act as natural insecticides.

For the last 10 years, the scientists have tested the effects of various essential plant oils. The research was funded by EcoSMART®, a botanical pesticide company based in Alpharetta,Ga.

The authors found that some oils may kill pesky insects, while others may repel them. Organic farmers have already begun using natural, spice-based commercial products to help protect spinach, tomato and strawberry crops against aphids and mites.

The researchers note that there are potential pros and cons of using natural, plant-based insecticides. These products are readily available, and it is unlikely that insects will become resistant to the essential oils. They are also safer for farmers than conventional pesticides.

However, because the oils evaporate quickly and degrade rapidly in sunlight, they need to be re-applied more often than conventional insecticides. Also, spice-based insecticides are less toxic than conventional products, which means that higher concentrations may be needed to control pests. Research is underway to discover potential ways to overcome these shortcomings.  

Other studies are testing the essential oils of different plants, including lavender, basil, bergamot, patchouli oil, and at least a dozen other oils from exotic plant sources in China

For more information about insecticides please visit Natural Standard’s Environment & Global Health database.

Asparagus and Liver Cell Toxicity

New evidence suggests that an asparagus extract made from the shoots and leaves of the plant may increase enzymatic activity in the liver and improve the break down of alcohol.

Researchers from Korea set out to evaluate the compounds of young shoots and the leaves of asparagus and to compare their biochemical properties. They found that the leaves contained more nutritional elements, particularly amino acids and inorganic minerals, than the shoots.

The extracts were then tested to determine if they reduced liver toxicity in human liver cells that were exposed to hydrogen peroxide. The authors found that the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which are free radicals that cause cell damage, was reduced by 70 percent. The extracts also significantly minimized cellular toxicities from ethanol (alcohol) and tetrachloride carbon.

Additionally, exposure to the extracts was linked to the upregulation of two liver enzymes, alcohol dehydrogenase and aldehyde dehydrogenase, by more than two-fold.

The authors concluded that “taken together, these results provide biochemical evidence of the method by which A. officinalis exerts its biological functions, including the alleviation of alcohol hangover and the protection of liver cells against toxic insults. Moreover, the results of this study indicate that portions of asparagus that are typically discarded, such as the leaves, have therapeutic use.”

However, additional research is needed to fully understand how asparagus affects liver function.

For more information about asparagus, please visit Natural Standard’s Foods, Herbs & Supplements database.

New Interactive Tools

This month, Natural Standard launched two new interactive tools to help clinicians and consumers make safer therapeutic decisions.

The nutrient depletion database allows users to quickly identify nutrients that are depleted by certain drugs, herbs or supplements. This decision-support tool is divided into two categories: drugs and herbs/supplements.

Natural Standard evidence-based systematic reviews have always featured nutrient depletion interactions, but now this information is conveniently compiled in one location.

Additionally, Natural Standard has developed a patient education portal that provides easy-to-understand information about herbs and supplements. The information is presented as "flashcards," which are concise versions of Natural Standard's professional monographs. The flashcards contain all of the pertinent information, including evidence of effectiveness, safety, side effects, interactions and dosing.

To try out these new innovative tools, please visit Natural Standard's Interactive Tools database.

Americans Spend Billions on CAM

In 2007, Americans spent nearly $34 billion out of pocket on complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), according to the National Health Interview Survey, (NHIS). CAM includes many different types of healthcare practices and products that are not generally considered to be conventional or allopathic medicine.

The CAM component of this survey was developed by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).

Of the 23,393 American adults surveyed, about 38 percent used some form of CAM over the previous 12 months. Although the amount of money spent on CAM accounted for only 1.5 percent of total healthcare expenditures, it represented 11.2 percent of total out-of-pocket healthcare expenditures. These estimates do not include vitamin and mineral supplements, which account for almost $5 billion in annual sales.

The greatest amount of money (about $22 billion), was spent on self-care therapies that do not require a healthcare practitioner, such as nonvitamin, nonmineral, natural products; homeopathic remedies and yoga. More than half of this money (about $14.8 billion) was spent on nonvitamin, nonmineral, natural products, which is almost one-third of the amount spent on prescription drugs.

Additionally, about $11.9 billion was spent on an estimated 354 million visits to CAM practitioners, such as chiropractors and acupuncturists. This is about equal to 25 percent of the total out-of-pocket expenses for conventional physician visits.

As CAM therapies continue to gain popularity in the United States, information about safety and effectiveness becomes increasingly important. Many people turn to herbs, supplements and modalities to help treat and prevent various medical conditions. However, “natural” does not always mean “safe.” Like conventional drugs, herbs and supplements may cause side effects and interact with other therapies. Natural Standard Research Collaboration rigorously reviews scientific data to provide objective information about the safety and effectiveness of therapies, thereby helping people make more informed and safer therapeutic decisions.

For more information about CAM therapies, please visit Natural Standard's Health & Wellness and Foods, Herbs & Supplements databases.

Probiotics may Prevent Colds

A new study suggests that probiotics, which are beneficial bacteria naturally found in the body and commonly added to cultured milk products, may help prevent cold and flu viruses in children.

There are many different types of probiotics that have various affects on the body. In general, probiotics have been found to help boost the immune system. They may also aid in several gastrointestinal illnesses, such as inflammatory bowel disease, antibiotic-related diarrhea, colitis, infectious diarrhea, hepatic encephalopathy, irritable bowel syndrome and allergies.

Probiotics are thought to work by competing with harmful organisms for nutrients. Some probiotics may also produce substances that inhibit their growth. As a result, probiotics are thought to restore balance to the microorganisms living in the digestive tract.

The latest study, published in the journal Pediatrics, included 326 children from China who were three to five years old. They were randomly assigned to receive milk with probiotics (either Lactobacillus acidophilus alone or in combination with Bifidobacterium animalis) or plain milk twice daily from November 2005 to May 2006.

The researchers report that children who received probiotics developed fewer colds, needed fewer antibiotics and missed fewer days of school than the children who drank plain milk.

Children in the Lactobacillus group developed 53 percent fewer fevers, 41 percent fewer cough episodes and 28 percent fewer runny noses than those in the placebo group. Among those who became sick, length of illness was 32 percent shorter in the Lactobacillus group than in the placebo group. Additionally, the rate of antibiotic use was 68 percent lower and the number of days absent from school was 38 percent lower compared to the placebo group.

These beneficial effects were even more noticeable in those who received the combination of probiotics. These children developed 72 percent fewer fevers, 62 percent fewer cough episodes and 59 percent fewer runny noses. The average duration of illness was also shortened by 48 percent compared to the placebo group. These children were also 84 percent less likely to use antibiotics and 32 percent less likely to miss school than those in the placebo group.

Although these results are promising, the study was funded by Danisco, a Danish company that makes probiotics products. Additional research is needed to confirm these results.

For more information about probiotics please visit Natural Standard's Foods, Herbs & Supplements database.

Caregiver Closeness and Alzheimer's

According to a new study, Alzheimer’s patients who have close relationships with their caregivers may experience slower mental and physical decline. These beneficial effects were similar to common Alzheimer’s drugs, including galantamine (Razadyne®), donepezil (Aricept®) and rivastigmine (Exelon®).

In the Cache County Memory study, researchers have been studying more than 5,000 older adults since 1994 to identify potential risk factors for age-related dementia.

The authors evaluated a subset of 167 people who developed Alzheimer’s disease and were being cared for by either a spouse or adult child. Patient evaluations, which included physical, behavioral, functional, and cognitive health tests, were conducted every six months for four years. The participants and caregivers were also asked about their relationships with the patients.

The researchers found that physical and mental decline was slowest among those who had the closest patient-caregiver relationships. In general, these beneficial effects were most apparent among patients who were cared for by their spouses.

It is unclear exactly why close relationships were linked to delayed disease progression. Growing evidence suggests that maintaining mental fitness and participating in social activities may help delay the onset of dementia. Some researchers suspect that lifelong mental exercise and learning may promote the growth of additional synapses, the connections between neurons, and delay mental decline. Other researchers argue that advanced education gives a person more experience with the types of memory and thinking tests used to measure dementia. Doing crossword puzzles, reading books and increasing social activities are recommended by healthcare providers.

For more information about Alzheimer's disease please visit Natural Standard's Medical Conditions database.