Cocoa Seed Favonoids
Filed Under News September 27, 2008
Romina di Giuseppe, lead author of a study says that high amounts of antioxidants contained in cocoa seeds, in particular flavonoids and other poly-phenols, may have beneficial effects on inflammation .
“Results have been encouraging. People having moderate amounts of dark chocolate regularly have significantly lower levels of C-reactive protein in their blood. In other words, their inflammatory state is considerably reduced.”
The 17% average reduction observed may appear quite small, but it is enough to decrease the risk of cardio-vascular disease for one third in women and one fourth in men. It is undoubtedly a remarkable outcome”.
Flavonoids expected to help neurological disorders
Filed Under News September 25, 2008
Flavonoids from vegetables, fruits, and teas, are expected to prevent or help control degenerative diseases.
Recently, flavonoids have been characterized as neuroprotectants in the treatment of various neurological disorders.
A study on mice was designed to investigate protective effects of quercetin, a bioflavonoid, against acute immobilization-induced behavioral and biochemical alterations in mice.
Mice were immobilized for a period of 6 hours. Quercetin (20 and 40 mg/kg, i.p.) was administered 30 minutes before subjecting the animals to acute stress. Behavioral tests and biochemical analysis were subsequently performed.
Acute immobilization stress for a period of 6 hours caused severe anxiety, analgesia, and impaired motor activity in the mice. Biochemical analyses revealed an increase in malondialdehyde and nitrite levels as well as partial depletion of reduced glutathione and catalase activity in immobilization-stressed brain. Behavioral and biochemical parameters were significantly altered as compared to naive mice.
Pretreatment with quercetin (20 and 40 mg/kg, i.p.) significantly reversed immobilized stress-induced anxiety and analgesia and reduced locomotor activity. Biochemically, quercetin treatment attenuated malondialdehyde accumulation and nitrite activity and restored the depleted reduced glutathione and catalase activity. Neuroprotective effects of quercetin were significantly improved as compared to control stressed animals.
Quercetin is a flavonol found in foods, such as onions, garlic broccoli, apples, red wine, tea and coffee.
Antioxidants Help Prevent Macular Degeneration
Filed Under News September 10, 2008
A study published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry conducted jointly by Brigham Young University and Cornell University, finds that antioxidants - molecules that prevent the reactions that create harmful free radicals - can not only halt macular degeneration, but may be able to prevent the disease in individuals at risk for it.
Although little conclusive information exists about the root cause of macular degeneration, the study’s results indicate a correlation between vision loss and oxidative cell damage. Treatment with antioxidants and other alternative therapies have been shown to slow the disease’s onset, but the non-replicating cells in the human eye cannot repair any existing damage, leading researchers to theorize that gene therapy and stem cell research may hold the secret to reversing the damage.
Macular degeneration affects more than 10 million Americans, and is the leading cause of blindness in the United States for individuals over the age of 55. The condition is caused by thinning of the macula, or the lining of the retina, which in turn causes the progressive loss of central vision.
The BYU-Cornell study evaluated the effects of trolox, a vitamin E derivative antioxidant, on vision cells from rats, cows and humans.
