|
LE Magazine March 2003
CLA combined
with cellulite therapy
shows dramatic improvement
Impressive"
results were published of a
pilot study investigating the effects of an herbal therapy
and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) as an integrated approach
to fight cellulite [Adv Ther 2001 Sep-Oct;18(5):225-9].
Cellulite is the
body's way of storing fat in women to ensure enough calories
for pregnancy and lactation. Fibrous membranes that lay
between deposits of soft tissue work to gather fat into
discrete pockets. These bands of connective tissue run from
the dermis to deeper layers of connective tissue that separate
muscles from organs, and allow the skin to dimple and become
irregular [American Academy of Dermatology].
For the study, 60
women were assigned to three groups; one, taking an herbal
anti-cellulite pill alone, and two other groups taking the
herbal pill plus 400 mg and 800 mg of CLA, respectively.
At the trial's
conclusion, there were "visible but minimal" improvements in
cellulite appearance in only two women who took the
monotherapy and an average loss of 0.33 inch of thigh
circumference. Eleven women in that group showed no
improvement, the investigators wrote.
In the group
taking the combination therapy with the lower dosage of CLA,
eight women showed improvement in cellulite appearance, but
ten showed none. Thigh circumference decreased an average of
0.58 inch.
However, of the
women taking the combination treatment with the highest dosage
of CLA, eleven showed improvement in cellulite, two displaying
"marked improvement." The average loss in thigh circumference
was nearly one inch.
"...The results
obtained with the CLA supplement were more impressive and
occurred in a higher percentage of participants," the study
authors concluded.
-John Martin
Garlic may
reduce risk of prostate cancer
In ancient times, people draped
garlic around their necks to ward off "evil spirits." In the
near future, people may consume garlic and other vegetables
from the allium food group to ward off prostate cancer.
A recent study conducted by
National Cancer Institute (NCI) researchers found that a diet
rich in vegetables from the allium food group-garlic, shallots
and onions-cuts the risk of prostate cancer in half. The study
indicated that eating just a tenth of an ounce of scallions
daily lowers prostate cancer risk by about 70%; that same
amount of garlic reduces the risk by about 53%. The study
authors suggest that one clove of garlic daily can achieve
desired preventive effects. Results were based on interviews
with male residents of Shanghai, China: 238 with prostate
cancer and 471 cancer-free. The typical Chinese diet relies
heavily on garlic, scallions and onions and, perhaps not
incidentally, men in China have the lowest rate of prostate
cancer in the world.
This is not the first study to
associate garlic with preventative effects against cancer. In
1993, epidemiologic case-control studies reported that garlic
inhibited tumor growth in gastric cancer [Br J Cancer 1993
Mar;67(3):424-9]. Another study found that pure allicin, the
primary ingredient of crushed garlic, inhibited proliferation
of the following cancer cells: human mammary, endometrial and
colon [Nutr Cancer 2000;38(2):245-54].
Ann W. Hsing, primary investigator
in the NCI study on allium vegetables and prostate cancer,
voices cautious optimism about these latest research results,
saying the conclusions need to be replicated in another study.
In the interim, it may be beneficial to eat a diet rich in
vegetables from the allium food group.
-Elizabeth Heubeck
Taurine
reverses damage done
by smoking and protects against
heart disease
Smokers may want to increase their intake of fish to reduce
their risk of heart disease and stroke. This advice comes as a
result of a study finding taurine, an amino acid present in
fish, able to restore normal blood vessel function in
smokers.
Proper vessel function is key to preventing hardening of
the arteries. Cigarette smoke produces changes in blood
vessels, causing them "to behave like a rigid pipe rather than
a flexible tube," explains Dr. David J. Bouchier-Hayes,
principal investigator of the study. Such rigidity prevents
the vessels from dilating in response to increased blood flow,
resulting in a condition called endothelial dysfunction, an
early sign of atherosclerosis and a primary cause of heart
attacks and stroke.
The study investigators recruited 15 healthy smokers and 15
healthy non-smokers. Initially, the smokers' blood vessel
diameter was smaller than non-smokers'. After taking 1.5 grams
per day of taurine for five days, the smokers' blood vessel
diameter increased, equaling that of non-smokers. Study
results were published in the January 7, 2003 issue of
Circulation.
This is not the first study to associate taurine with a
decreased risk of heart disease. Researchers at the University
of South Alabama found that congestive heart failure responds
favorably to taurine therapy [Amino Acids 2000; 18(4):305-18].
A large-scale study in Japan drawing from 24 populations in 16
countries revealed a strong, inverse association between
levels of taurine excretion and ischemic heart disease
[Hypertens Res 2001 Jul;24(4):453-7]. An Australian study
discovered taurine to be one of the key properties in fish
that protect against cardiovascular disease [Asia Pac J Clin
Nutr 2001;10(2):134-7].
Individuals seeking to boost their taurine intake can
choose from all types of fish, including fatty fish, mild
fish, white fish and/or taurine supplements. Other supplements
that help to protect against endothelial dysfunction are
vitamin C and folic acid.
Back to
the Magazine Forum
|