Omega-3 may curb memory loss, study says

People who eat a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids may significantly lower their risk of developing memory problems and Alzheimer’s disease, a new study has found.

Researchers recruited 1,219 people over age 65, and followed their dietary habits for more than a year. Then they tested the subjects' blood for a protein called beta-amyloid, a protein is associated with memory problems and Alzheimer’s disease. In fact, plaques and tangles which are found in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients are actually clumps of this substance.


“We know that the amyloid mechanisms are out of control in a person with Alzeimer’s disease,” said the study's lead author, Dr. Nikolaos Scarmeas, associate professor of clinical neurology at New York's Columbia University Medical Center.

“We wanted to see if different nutrients influenced those levels.”

Interestingly, the people in the study who consumed omega-3 had significantly lower levels of amyloid in their blood.

The effects are continuous researchers say. The levels decreased by 20-to 30% for each gram of omega-3 fatty acid added to their diet. One gram is equivalent to a handful of walnuts, or half a piece of salmon.

“The more you eat, the lower the amyloid level will be,” said Scarmeas.

The study – published in the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology - also evaluated beta-carotene, vitamin D, vitamin B12, vitamin E, omega-6, saturated fatty acids, and non-unsaturated fatty acids in the participants diets.

Omega-3 was the only nutrient that showed an association with lower amyloid levels.

A 2010 study found that people who ate food high in omega-3 acids had a nearly 40% lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s compared to people who didn’t. However, the reason why couldn’t be determined. Researchers believe this new study may help explain the connection.

Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids are often the crux of a Mediterranean diet. Choose fatty fish like mackerel, trout, herring, tuna or salmon. Non-fish options include kale, tofu, soybeans, walnuts and flaxseed.

Although it is best to get nutrients from natural resources, omega-3 supplements can also be effective. Consult with your doctor before adding fish oil supplements to your diet because they may interact with other medications.

Coffee, exercise may decrease risk of skin cancer

A cup of coffee and a morning workout may significantly reduce your risk of skin cancer, according to a new animal study presented Tuesday at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research in Chicago.

The researchers, from Rutgers Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, wanted to evaluate the effects of both caffeine and exercise on mice that were at high risk for developing skin cancer. Previous research has shown that mice given either caffeine or an exercise wheel had a reduction in skin cancers.

The researchers exposed high risk mice to ultra violet B light, which is known to cause skin cancer, and then gave one group of mice caffeine (in water), one group an exercise wheel, a third group caffeine plus an exercise wheel, and a control group plain water for 14 weeks.

Results showed that mice who got a dose of caffeine and exercised on the wheel had 62 percent fewer non-melanoma skin cancers. The size of those tumors also decreased by 85 percent compared with the mice that did not get caffeine or exercise.

"We found that this combination treatment can decrease sunlight-caused skin cancer formation in a mouse model," saidYao-Ping Lu, associate research professor of chemical biology and director of skin cancer prevention at the Rutgers Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy in Piscataway, N.J.

The mice who only had caffeine (and no wheel) had a 27 percent reduced risk of skin cancers and those that exercised only had a 35 percent reduced risk. Both groups had a significant reduction in the size of tumors compared to the controls.

They also found that mice given caffeine exercised 40 percent, suggesting that coffee may make mice (and people) inclined to exercise longer and harder. Finally, those in the caffeine plus exercise group experienced a reduction in fat and had as much as 92 percent reduced levels of inflammatory markers. Fat tissue secretes a lot of inflammatory chemicals, so less fat would lead to a less inflammation. This may be the link to skin cancer, Lu said. Inflammation has been associated with increased risk of skin cancer.

The authors believe that the combined effects of exercise plus caffeine may be able to ward off skin cancer and also prevent inflammation related to other obesity-linked cancers.

"I believe we may extrapolate these findings to humans and anticipate that we would benefit from these combination treatments as well," Lu added.

SOY ISOFLAVONES, CACAO FLAVONOIDS CUT CVD RISK IN DIABETICS

Postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes may reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) by increasing the amount of dietary cacao flavonoids and soy isoflavones, according to a study published in the journal Diabetes Care.

Researchers at Norwich Medical School conducted a parallel-design, placebo-controlled trial with type 2 diabetic patients who were randomly selected to consume 27 g/day (split dose) flavonoid-enriched chocolate (containing 850 mg flavan-3-ols [90 mg epicatechin] and 100 mg isoflavones [aglycone equivalents)]/day) or matched placebo for one year.

At follow-up, the women receiving the intervention therapy had significant improvements in biomarkers of cardiovascular disease risk compared to those taking the inactive ingredients. Those receiving the flavonoids experienced a significant reduction in estimated peripheral insulin resistance and an improvement in insulin sensitivity. The women also had reduced their total cholesterol:HDL-cholesterol ratio and LDL-cholesterol levels.

Drinking energy and sports drinks like "bathing" teeth in acid

Energy drinks and sports drinks might provide a quick boost for consumers, but at the cost of their teeth. A new study finds people who drink these types of beverages are "essentially bathing their teeth with acid," the authors said.

The study, published in the May/June 2012 issue of General Dentistry, examined the acidity levels in 13 sports drinks and nine energy drinks to see how the drinks would impact a tooth's enamel. Researchers determined acidity levels can vary between brands, as well as certain flavors of the same brand. To determine what those acid levels did to teeth, researchers immersed human tooth enamel samples into each beverage for 15 minutes, followed by immersing the samples in artificial saliva for two hours, four times per day over a five-day period.

What did they find? As few as five days after exposure to both types of drinks, enamel damage presented. The researchers saw energy drinks in particular caused double the amount of damage to teeth that sports drinks caused.

Study author Dr. Poonam Jain, director of the community and preventive dentistry program at Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville, said in a news release that lots of patients she sees are surprised to learn how bad these drinks are for teeth. That's especially true for teens - between 30 and 50 percent of teens have reported consuming energy drinks and up to 62 percent of teens saying they drink at least one sports drink per day, she said.

"Young adults consume these drinks assuming that they will improve their sports performance and energy levels and that they are 'better' for them than soda," Jain said in the statement.

Dentist Dr. Jennifer Bone, spokesperson for Academy of General Dentistry, the organization that publishes the journal, said in the statement that teens and adults should curb their intake of these types of drinks. If they're going to drink one anyway, she recommends they chew sugar-free gum or rinse their mouth with water after drinking the beverage.

"Both tactics increase saliva flow, which naturally helps to return the acidity levels in the mouth to normal," Bone said.

The American Beverage Association came to the defense of the drinks, slamming the research behind the study.

"This study was not conducted on humans and in no way mirrors reality," the ABA's statement read. "People do not keep any kind of liquid in their mouths for 15 minute intervals over five day periods. Thus, the findings of this paper simply cannot be applied to real life situations."