XTEND-15sec-NEWSt
19th November 2003
Please click on the summary link of interest:
Testosterone therapy may be risky...n1
A study carried out as part of a probe by the Institute of Medicine into testosterone therapy, questions whether the benefits out weigh the risks. Dr. Dan Blazer of Duke University Medical Center, who led the study admits that no one really knows the benefits or dangers of testosterone therapy. Some people think it is great whilst others feel it does nothing at all.
Dr Blazer is advocating a much larger long term study on the subject as there is real concern of possible cancer implications. Demand for prescription testosterone treatment by middle-aged and older men whose natural hormone levels are near normal is rising rapidly. This is due to the belief by many older men that it is somehow the answer for restoring youthful vigor.
Warren Matthews comments: I think that men whose testosterone levels are relatively normal are playing Russian Roulette with their health if they participate in this therapy. Don't forget what happened with HRT in women! The reality is that taking any form of hormone is NOT the answer to extended youth and vitality. You cannot just target one component of your body with a single hormone and expect it to somehow miraculously deal with multiple nutrient deficiencies within your body.
If you want extended youth and vitality you must ensure your body gets all the nutrients it needs to assist it to produce its own hormones... naturally. If you introduce hormones externally you will shut down your body's own production with dire consequences at a later time. Men can raise their testosterone levels naturally but it takes time.
For example, two and a half years ago my testosterone levels were a little less than average. When I last had them checked I thought that they had made a mistake as my testosterone had increased to the extent that they are now at a level of a healthy 25 year old... and I'm 56. Other than taking our Total Balance I have done nothing differently…I certainly don't take hormones of any sort…so if you are a male and around my age and suffering from general lack of vigor you don't need to put your long term health at risk by having testosterone shots!
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Omega-3 linked again to reducing Alzheimer's risk...n2
An article published in this weeks issue of NutraIngredients USA deals with results from researchers at Tufts University in Boston who believe that boosting the levels of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in the blood can HALVE the risk of Alzheimers. To read the full article, please click here.
Warren Matthews comments: No surprise here. DHA is really crucial for a healthy brain. The problem is that the body does not manufacture its own…it has to come from the diet. This creates a greater problem for elderly people in that many of them do not eat sufficient food let alone those foods that contain adequate amounts of DHA which is found in oily fish.
Omega 3's from plant source such as flax seed will not do the job for most people because they do not contain DHA. Instead the body has to synthesis the Omega 3 oils to produce the DHA and for many people, particularly the elderly their body will simply not do this so they remain deficient in DHA. This means that they have to get it directly... from fish or fish oil. That poses another problem! It is very hard to get pure pharmaceutical grade fish oil with a high DHA content.
We have been aware of this problem for a long time and have been working on resolving it for the last 12 months... and we now have... using a specific deep water New Zealand fish and molecularly distilling it to get to the demanding spec's we have set down. More in a later newsletter...
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Longer trial shows Gingko Biloba improves memory!n3
New evidence showing that supplements of the ginkgo biloba herb can improve memory was presented this week at the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience.
Researchers at the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute reported that they found significant improvement in verbal recall among a group of people with age-associated memory impairment who took the herbal supplement for six months when compared with a group that received a placebo.
Read the full article presented by NutraIngredients USA by clicking here.
Warren Matthews comments: Do you remember the publicity that surrounded a negative study on Gingko which 'rubbished' its efficacy? That particular 'study' should never have received any credibility because not only was it to short to be meaningful but the quality and potency of the herb used in the 'study' was questionable.
Gingko is an excellent herb and there are thousands of papers and studies that attest to its efficacy, BUT... and this is where there is so often a problem... it MUST be a standardized extract to be effective. Sadly, many manufacturers used substandard extracts to minimize costs, and even more dishonestly don't include the full 'quota' in the capsule or tablet.
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Important notice: All material provided within XTEND-15sec-NEWS is for informational and educational purposes only, and is not to be construed as medical advice or instruction. No action should be taken solely on the contents of this publication. Consult your physician or a qualified health professional on any matters regarding your health and wellbeing or on any opinions expressed within this newsletter. The information provided in this newsletter is believed to be accurate based on the best judgment of the editor but the reader is responsible for consulting with their own health professional on any matters raised within.
Omega-3 linked again to reducing Alzheimer's risk (Full Article)f1
11/18/03 - Boosting levels of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in the blood and eating about three fish meals each week can almost halve the risk of Alzheimer´s disease in elderly men and women, reported researchers in the US last week, confirming previous results showing the benefit of fish oils on mental health.
Researchers at Tufts University in Boston measured the fatty acid levels in blood samples obtained from 1137 men and women, with an average age of 75, who were part of the Framingham Heart Study. The subjects' diets were assessed by questionnaire and those free of dementia were followed for a mean of 10 years. During the study they were assessed for the onset of new dementia including Alzheimer's Disease.
Participants who had diets rich in DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid, reduced their risk of developing dementia considerably compared with those whose diets contained low amounts of DHA, said the researchers at the American Heart Association's scientific sessions.
"Our data indicate that increased plasma phospholipid docosahexaenoic acid along with about three fish meals per week is assocated with a significant 48 per cent reduction in risk of dementia in elderly men and women. A high level of plasma PC linoleic acid due to an increased intake may interfere with this potential benefit," write the authors.
These results are consistent with a study published in July in the Archives of Neurology which showed that in a sample of adults aged 65-94, those who ate fish at least once a week had a 60 per cent lower risk of developing the disease compared to those who never or rarely ate fish. The researchers said that a high intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids, found also in nuts and oil-based salad dressings, had reduced the risk of Alzheimer's, although the cause of the debilitating disease which affects an estimated 12 million around the world is still not known.
"These dramatic results show how older adults can play a significant role in their neurological health by increasing their intake of fish, fish oil or especially, DHA," said Dr Ernst Schaefer, senior scientist and director of the Lipid Metabolism Laboratory at Tufts University, and lead author of the new study.
"Until now there have only been two predictors for Alzheimer's Disease, age and genotype," added Henry Linsert, CEO of Martek, the US-based company that supplied its microalgae-derived fatty acids for the research. "This study suggests that low dietary intake of DHA may be a risk factor for Alzheimer's Disease."
DHA is the most abundant fatty acid in the brain. A study published in the British Medical Journal last year found that elderly people who eat fish or seafood even once a week to be at lower risk of developing dementia, including Alzheimer's disease. Omega-3 fatty acids are also being studied for their potential to reduce symptoms of depression.
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11/14/03 - New evidence showing that supplements of the ginkgo biloba herb can improve memory was presented this week at the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience. (Full Article)Researchers at the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute reported that they found significant improvement in verbal recall among a group of people with age-associated memory impairment who took the herbal supplement for six months when compared with a group that received a placebo.
The UCLA study, which used positron-emission tomography (PET), found that for subjects taking gingko biloba, improved recall correlated with better brain function in key brain memory centers.
However, actual changes in brain metabolism, measured by PET for the first time, did not differ significantly between the study's two volunteer groups. Researchers added that although all volunteers taking gingko biloba experienced better verbal recall, a larger sample size might be needed to effectively track brain metabolism results.
"Our findings suggest intriguing avenues for future study, including using PET with a larger sample to better measure and understand the impact of gingko biloba on brain metabolism," said Dr Linda Ercoli, lead author of the study and an assistant clinical professor at the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute.
Gingko biloba is a Chinese herb often used as a dietary supplement to treat memory loss. But previous controlled clinical trials on ginkgo biloba's effects on verbal recall have yielded conflicting results.
A study published in JAMA last year found ginkgo biloba to have no beneficial effect on memory and related mental functions of healthy older adults. The study was carried out on 230 volunteers over the age of 60 who were physically and mentally healthy. Critics suggested that much longer duration study would be required to assess improvements in healthy adults, compared to in those with mild memory or cognitive problems.
There have also been concerns about variation among products on the market. "The research also raises questions regarding the significance of supplement quality and treatment duration," said principal investigator of the new study, Dr Gary Small, a UCLA professor on aging and director of the Aging and Memory Research Center at the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute. He added that the quality of retail supplies varies widely. "We used only the highest grade of ginkgo biloba in conducting our research."
A ConsumerLab review earlier this year found that the quality of the active ingredient in ginkgo supplements seemed to have dropped significantly in the last three years.
However Small also noted that the six-month UCLA study is one of the first to measure the effects of gingko biloba over a longer period of time. Most previous studies have measured the effect of the supplement over 12 weeks or less.
The study examined the impact of ginkgo biloba, compared to a placebo, in 10 patients, aged 45 to 75, who did not have dementia but complained of mild age-related memory loss. Four subjects received 120 mg of ginkgo biloba twice daily, and six received a placebo or inactive substance such as a sugar pill.
Researchers used cognitive tests to measure verbal recall and PET to measure brain metabolism before and after the treatment regimen. Magnetic resonance imaging was used to determine regions of interest to be examined by PET.
The findings were reported earlier this week during the Society for Neuroscience meeting, held in New Orleans, LA.
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