A diet rich in berries may reduce levels of inflammatory markers associated with liver health and metabolic syndrome, says a new study from Finland.

Daily consumption of a range of berries, including lingonberry, sea buckthorn, bilberry, and black currant produced a 23 per cent reduction in levels of an enzyme called alanine aminotransferase (ALAT), a well-established marker of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), according to findings published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Fatty liver is reportedly on the rise in the US, with between one quarter and one half of Americans, and the prevalence of NAFLD has increased in line with the ongoing obesity epidemic.

Recent findings have also reported that metabolic syndrome, a condition characterised by central obesity, hypertension, and disturbed glucose and insulin metabolism, and linked to increased risks of both type 2 diabetes and CVD, does not develop at all without NAFLD.

Blazing a trail

The new study, led by Dr Heikki Kallio from the Department of Biochemistry and Food Chemistry at the University of Turku , is said to be the first human trial linking berries to liver function and components of metabolic syndrome.

Kallio and his co-workers recruited 31 women with an average age of 43 and randomly assigned them to one of two groups: Both groups underwent a lifestyle intervention, and one group received a supplement of 163 grams per day of lingonberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea), sea buckthorn berry (Hippophae rhamnoides, ssp. mongolica, var. Ljubitelskaja), bilberry (V. myrtillus) and black currant (Ribes nigrum). Berries were supplied as food products and intended to replace other snacks. Five Finnish food enterprises manufactured the products, noted the researchers.

At the end of 20 weeks, ALAT levels decreased by 23 per cent in the berry group, which the researchers said could be regarded as “nutritionally significant by enhancing the liver function”.

Furthermore, levels of adiponectin increased, said the researchers. Adiponectin is a protein hormone linked to various metabolic processes, and levels are inversely related to body fat levels.

Berry good potential

“This study showed that the daily consumption of more than 150 g of northern berries in various forms as part of the normal diet had a positive affect on ALAT and adiponectin levels, but the small amount of berries consumed as part of normal diet in lifestyle group was not enough to evoke such an impact,” wrote Kallio and his co-workers.

“Present study results indicate common northern berries and berry products as an effective component of lifestyle modifications aimed at decreasing development of metabolic syndrome and subsequent complications,” they added.

According to the Finnish researchers, the berries may working via non-antioxidative mechanisms, with studies showing no influence on the total antioxidant capacity of blood, but changes to markers of inflammation.

The science, testing and regulation surrounding antioxidants will be discussed at the upcoming NutraIngredients Antioxidants 2010 Conference. For more information and to register, please click here. http://www.ni-antioxidants.com/page/home.html

Source: European Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Published online ahead of print, doi:10.1038/ejcn.2010.27
“Berry meals and risk factors associated with metabolic syndrome”
Authors: H-M Lehtonen, J-P Suomela, R. Tahvonen, J. Vaarno, M. Venojarvi, J. Viikari, H. Kallio

It is possible to have a healthy life for sure

…if you take charge of your personal health wherever you live. However don’t relay on your doctor to help unless he or she practices alternative health methods.

The average conventional doctor only knows how to treat illnesses and diseases with prescription drugs. If you have a doctor who practices alternative methods of curing your illnesses or diseases consider yourself extremely fortunate. If a doctor got any education about nutrition at all in medical school it was so inadequate that they weren’t very qualified to practice this type of healing.

The prescription drug companies started from day one programming medical students that the way to cure illnesses was by prescribing drugs. This is a true story because they furnish medical students with all kinds of aides in their educational years in medical school. As small as it might be the various aides they furnish are pens, notebooks, clipboards and other such products they can use in their educational years.

Of course these aides do contain the names of prescription drugs companies printed right on any product that they give to medical students. Many people would agree that OK to give out such gifts. But wait a minute does that not influence some students to some degree that maybe they should be obligated somewhat to a particular drug company after they graduate?

In my generation we didn’t hear much about cancer, heart attacks, diabetes and other diseases either because the local news didn’t broadcast it or there weren’t that many cases of illnesses like today. I happened to believe that most people were healthier back then because they took better care of themselves. There wasn’t the influence of fast food restaurants, junk food or processed food like there is today.

We ate more wholesome foods, many grown in our own gardens then. We ate more fruits and vegetables and even though we worked harder, stress was not usually as great as it is today. We exercised by walking more often because we didn’t have access to a lot of transportation conveniences as today

Fifty years ago prescription drugs were not as widely known or used. Grandma’s remedies solved a lot of illnesses back then with very simple and safer methods, too. Open-heart surgery wasn’t even mentioned in my generation

And we didn’t run off to the hospital emergency room when we got a pain either. We seemed to solve health problem on our own better in those days. If we did go to a doctor in my generation he did give us a lot of personal attention. I said “he” because I don’t ever remember a female doctor in my younger years.

I can remember doctors then that were so concerned about your ailment that they would even make personal calls to your home within a couple of days to see how you were feeling. If you get a doctor today who gives you that much attention, consider yourself “super lucky” because there aren’t that many of them around like that today.

I appeal to you today to do whatever is necessary to educate yourself about alternate medicine methods, healthy diets that should also be part of you regular diet regimen, exercising requirement, stress management and other nutritional requirements.

You will only get this type of education on your own. Don’t depend on your doctor for any of this kind of information because it is not likely to happen.

You must be totally in charge of your personal health if you desire to be a healthy person and remain healthy throughout your life. Visit my website and get all the true facts for managing your personal health. Better yet, review my six-lesson ecourse that you can receive by email every seven days, then sign up for it and receive your first lesson immediately.

To your good health,

Sonny Julius

www.AHealthyLifeForSure.com

Choose supplements Wisely

Dietary supplements can be a great addition to your self-care routine, but it’s crucial to choose your supplements wisely. Although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently introduced regulations to improve supplement safety, the new rules won’t be in full effect until 2010. And while those regulations will ensure that supplements are contaminant-free and properly labeled, there’s a host of other safety issues you should consider before and after you buy.
Your Supplement Safety Checklist
To make sure your supplements are right for you, keep these safety concerns in mind.

1) Watch Out for Drug Interactions
Since a number of supplements such as St. John’s wort and ginkgo biloba may interact in harmful ways with prescription or over-the-counter drugs, you should always consult your physician before starting a supplement regimen.
Your doctor may also be able to notify you of any other potential risks the supplement might pose to your health (especially if you’re pregnant or planning to have surgery), as well as offer guidance on the best dosage to take. If your doctor isn’t comfortable with advising you on supplement use, ask if he or she can refer you to a supplement-savvy alternative health practitioner.

2) Do Your Research
Before you purchase a supplement, brush up on scientific evidence supporting the safety of its use. Third-party sources (such as information provided by objective health experts) are far more reliable than health claims published on a supplement manufacturer’s website.

3) Seek Out Certified Products
If a supplement is certified by the United States Pharmacopeia (USP), NSF International, or the United Natural Products Alliance, it’s guaranteed to meet a certain standard of quality. (The USP’s screening process, for instance, ensures that a product will break down properly and effectively release its ingredients into the body.) Look for a certification seal from any of these organizations whenever you buy a supplement.

4) Check the Label
When shopping for an herbal supplement, it’s important to verify which parts of the plant were used in its production. Different components can produce different effects, some of which can harm your health. For example, research shows that while the roots of the herb kava seem to be safe, its stem peelings and leaves may contain compounds that could be toxic to the liver. Talking with your doctor or herbalist and researching an herbal supplement can help you determine which plant parts to look for.

5) Take Heed of Side Effects
If you experience any adverse effects after taking a new supplement, discontinue its use immediately and contact your doctor. Although many supplements can be used without harm, others are linked to serious side effects (such as kidney damage and gastrointestinal problems), especially when taken at excessive doses.

Source:
Nerurkar PV, Dragull K, Tang CS. “In vitro toxicity of kava alkaloid, pipermethystine, in HepG2 cells compared to kavalactones.” Toxicological Sciences 2004 79(1):106-11.

In response to media reports that a glass of wine 'cuts risk of gullet cancer'taken from two authoritative studies reported in the magazine Gastroenterology 136, issue 3 March 2009: The newly launched Barrett's Oesophagus Campaign - the only charity dedicated to the prevention

In patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), esomeprazole, has demonstrated pharmacological and clinical benefits beyond those seen with the other proton pump inhibitors( PPIs ). However it has not hitherto been fully determined whether differences in the onset of antisecreatary activity may affect the speed of symptom relief with different PPI. Dr. Ri-Nan Zheng from China addresses this question.

Drinking one glass of wine a day may lower the risk of Barrett's Esophagus by 56 percent, according to a new study by the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in the March issue of Gastroenterology. Barrett's Esophagus is a precursor to esophageal cancer, the nation's fastest growing cancer with an incidence rate that's jumped 500 percent in the last 30 years.

Additional study suggests drinking alcohol in early adulthood may increase reflux esophagitis risk Although the relationship between alcohol and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma is well established, studies investigating the association between alcohol intake and reflux esophagitis (RE), Barrett's esophagus (BE) and esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) have reported inconsistent findings.

A national leader in incision-free surgery performed through natural orifices, the Center for Scarless Surgery at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center is now offering patients with severe, chronic acid reflux disease a unique incision-free procedure called TIF, or transoral incisionless fundoplication.

More than 20 million Americans suffer from gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), experienced by many as chronic heartburn. Medication offers short-term relief for some sufferers of this disease. For those seeking a non-prescription alternative, a magnetic device, currently being evaluated at UC San Diego Medical Center, may provide a long-term solution.

Recent reports have indicated that recurrent chest pain is often a result of esophageal motility disorders or gastroesophageal reflux diseases (GERD), which is known as esophageal chest pain. However, very few studies have been performed about esophageal manometric studies, 24-h intra-esophageal pH monitoring and a Holter electrocardiography for the differential diagnosis of chest pain caused by esophageal dysfunctional and/or myocardial ischemia. A research team led by Prof.