Natural Health Alternatives

Up to date news and comment about worldwide developments
in natural health.

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March 4, 2005

Daily Supplement May Boost Birthweight of Babies in the Developing World
Giving pregnant women in the developing world a daily supplement containing 10 vitamins and five minerals could help increase the birth weight of their babies, concludes a study published online by The Lancet.
>> Read article at MedicalNewsToday.com

February 28, 2005

Green tea 'may protect the heart'
Green tea could help protect against the damage caused by heart attacks and strokes, researchers suggest. A chemical found in the tea, which has been drunk for over 4,000 years, has been shown to reduce the amount of cell death which follows such trauma.
>> Read article at BBCNews.com

February 19, 2005

Food, nutrition handbook for HIV/Aids
The Ministry of Health and Environmental Services in collaboration with the Caribbean Food and Nutrition Institute (CFNI) Tuesday (February 15) launched a Caribbean Handbook, Healthy Eating for Better Living, as a guide for people living with HIV/AIDS
>> Read article at Caribseek.com

February 15, 2005

Green Tea Extract Has Potential as Anti-Cancer Agent, According to UCLA Researchers
A study on bladder cancer cells lines showed that green tea extract has potential as an anti-cancer agent, proving for the first time that it is able to target cancer cells while leaving healthy cells alone. The study, published in the Feb. 15, 2005 issue of the peer-reviewed journal Clinical Cancer Research, also uncovered more about how green tea extract works to counteract the development of cancer.
>> Read article at MedicalNewsToday.com

February 10, 2005

Vitamin D Deficiency: Common Cause of Many Ailments
The Institute of Medicine brought experts together recently to explore the question of whether the RDA or recommended daily allowance, of vitamin D has been set too low. The impetus for the occasion was the mounting evidence for this vitamin's role in preventing common cancers, autoimmune diseases, type 1 diabetes, heart disease, and osteoporosis.
>> Read article at RedNova.com

February 8, 2005

Arginine supplements may lower stroke risk marker
Supplements of the amino acid L-arginine may lower levels of the heart disease marker homocysteine, say researchers for the first time. L-arginine has previously been found to lower blood pressure and is often included in nutritional supplements recommended for heart patients.
>> Read article at NutraIngredients.com

February 7, 2005

Alternative medicine gaining acceptance
Used by more than a third of Americans, alternative medicine is slowly becoming accepted by the health-care establishment. A growing number of health insurers are recognizing this $30 billion industry, mostly by offering discounts for acupuncture, nutritional counselling, mind-body practices such as biofeedback, and other complementary or alternative forms of care.
>> Read article at Philly.com

February 6, 2005

Charles attacked over 'hair-raising' and 'dangerous' alternative therapies
A new book issued by the Prince of Wales's foundation to promote alternative health therapies has been condemned as unscientific and potentially dangerous by the country's leading authority on complementary medicine.
>> Read article at Independent.co.uk

February 3, 2005

Cancer alternative therapy trend
A third of European cancer patients are using complementary and alternative therapies, a survey of 1,000 suggests. Herbs are used the most, followed by homeopathy and vitamin and mineral supplements, according to European Oncology Nursing Society members.
>> Read article at BBCNews.com

January 28, 2005

Calcium may protect women from cancer
A University of Minnesota Cancer Center study found that women consuming more than 800 milligrams of calcium each day reduced their risk of colorectal cancer by as much as 26 to 46 percent. A 26 percent reduction in risk of colorectal cancer occurred regardless of whether the calcium intake was from diet or supplement. Among women who consumed high levels of calcium from both diet and supplements, the risk reduction was almost double that observed for calcium from either source by itself.
>> Read article at MedicalNewsToday.com

January 25, 2005

Public 'back alternative therapy'
A majority of people believe complementary medicine is as valid as conventional treatment, a survey says. The UK-based survey revealed 68% of 1,000 people questioned had faith in alternative therapies, such as herbal medicine and naturopathy. One in four thought western medicine was the only way to treat health problems, the survey found.
>> Read article at BBC.co.uk

January 21, 2005

Complementary medicine must prove its worth
Complementary and alternative therapies should be required to demonstrate their clinical effectiveness to the same standard as conventional medical treatments, says a new report from the US Institute of Medicine. The report, which was prepared at the request of the National Institutes of Health and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, assesses what is known about Americans' reliance on complementary and alternative medicine. It concludes that studies of the effectiveness and safety of such treatments are needed.
>> Read article at BMJ.com

Magnesium deficiency may contribute to osteoporosis rise
Prolonged magnesium deficiency leads to osteoporosis in rats, finds new research, which could present a warning to many populations not getting adequate levels of the mineral through their diets.
>> Read article at NutraIngredients.com

January 19, 2005

Vitamine E May Ward Off Lou Gehrig's Disease
Vitamin E supplements may play a role in preventing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the slowly paralyzing condition commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease, new research shows.
>> Read article at Reuters.com

China considering legislation on nutrition
The group discussion and planning for working out national nutrition ordinance put forward by the National Institute of Nutrition and Food Safety are under way. It is estimated that the draft ordinance with reference data will be handed over to the Ministry of Health in May this year.
>> Read article at PeopleDaily.com

Folic acid 'cuts blood pressure'
Folic acid may help keep blood pressure in check, US researchers believe. The study, in this week's Journal of the American Medical Association, adds to growing evidence of folate's cardiovascular benefits. The Harvard team looked at data on about 156,000 nurses and found those with the lowest intakes of folate were at greater risk of hypertension.
>> Read article at BBCNews.co.uk

January 17, 2005

Further evidence for homocysteine, stroke link
People genetically prone to high concentrations of homocysteine have a higher risk of stroke than other individuals, according to a new study that supports the theory of a causal relationship between the amino acid and stroke.
>> Read article at NutraIngredients.com

January 16, 2005

Vitamin D may slow down to prostate tumour growth
A new study, not yet published, suggests that giving vitamin D supplements to men with rising rates of prostate tumour markers (PSA) seems to slow down their rate of tumour growth. It's a small study and this is very preliminary evidence, but doctors do see a connection between vitamin D levels and PSA levels.
>> Read article at CTV.ca

January 14, 2005

January 12, 2005

Panel urges federal standards for dietary supplements
With nearly one-fifth of Americans taking dietary supplements, the Institute of Medicine on Wednesday called for tougher regulations to make sure the products are safe and do what they claim. The institute expressed concern about the quality of dietary supplements, saying "there is little product reliability."
>> Read article at SFGate.com

January 11, 2005

Gene expression technology to provide new data on vitamin C safety
State-of-the-art gene expression technology is being used in a new trial to assess the safety of high doses of vitamin C. It is thought to be the first time such technology has been used to measure the safety of a vitamin and is expected to produce more accurate results than those previously extracted from older studies.
>> Read article on NutraIngredients.com

January 10, 2005

Calcium supplements offer long-term benefits
Teenage girls that take calcium supplements for a short time may see a long-term benefit to bone health, suggest Israeli researchers. Adolescents in many developing countries do not consume sufficient calcium in their diet to protect bones against the common condition osteoporosis.
>> Read article at NutraIngredients.com

January 6, 2005

Launch of HIV/AIDS Nutrition manual
A handbook on nutrition and HIV/AIDS will soon be in the hands of regional health care workers and caregivers to assist their efforts in encouraging healthy lifestyles for persons living with HIV/AIDS.
>> Read article at Caribseek.com

CDC launches folic acid program
With more than half of US women of childbearing age still not taking a folic acid supplement despite the evidence suggesting its importance in avoiding birth defects, the CDC Foundation has launched a new education campaign.
>> Read article at NutraIngredients-USA.com

Today's produce may contain fewer key nutrients
The Journal of the American College of Nutrition carries word of a shocking new study that suggests that, compared to 50 years ago, today's fruits and vegetables do not carry the same amounts of key nutrients as they once did. Nutrients present in smaller amounts were protein, calcium, and vitamin C. The study was led by Dr. Donald R. Davis who is based at the University of Texas in Austin.
>> Read article at Canadaeast.com

January 5, 2005

More Scrutiny for Dietary Supplements?
In an attempt to tighten the reins over control of dietary supplements, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced several regulatory initiatives. The actions come following criticism that the government has reacted too slowly to the dangers posed by supplements such as ephedra and androstenedione, both of which were taken off the market earlier this year.
>> Read article at Jama.AMA-ASSN.org

January 3, 2005

Vitamin D supplements to protect against MS
Pregnant women should take vitamin D supplements to protect their offspring from multiple sclerosis, a UK-based expert has urged. Recent studies have shown that exposure to sunlight – key in the production of the vitamin by the body - during early life protects against the incurable disease.
>> Read article at NutraIngredients.com

Vitamin C passed onto infarcts may protect against allergies
Mothers who eat plenty of foods rich in vitamin C during breastfeeding could reduce the chances of their children developing allergies, report Finnish researchers. A higher concentration of vitamin C in breast milk was associated with a reduced risk of atopy in a group of 34 infants.
>> Read article at NutraIngredients.com