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 December
2005
 Excessive Histamine Causing Allergies of the Sinuses
and Lung - Relief With Mangosteen Juice
The H1 histamine receptor - found on smooth muscle, endothelium, and
central nervous system tissue; causes vasodilation, bronchial constriction,
smooth muscle activation, and separation of endothelial cells (responsible
for hives), and pain and itching due to insect stings; the primary receptors
involved in allergic rhinitis symptoms and motion sickness. Most frequently
people in the US turn to "Antihistamine" medications for this,
but these can have many unwanted side effects including nervousness,
inability to attain restful sleep, fatigue, and stomach upset. A promising
alternative is the use of the juice of the Mangosteen, an Asian fruit.
The fruit hull of mangosteen, Garcinia mangostana L. has been used as
a Thai indigenous medicine for many years. However, its mechanism of
action as a medicine has not been elucidated. The present study was
undertaken to examine the effects of mangosteen extracts (100% ethanol,
70% ethanol, 40% ethanol and water) on histamine release and prostaglandin
E2 synthesis. We found that the 40% ethanol extract of mangosteen inhibited
IgE-mediated histamine release from RBL-2H3 cells with greater potency
than the water extract of Rubus suavissimus that has been used as an
anti-allergy crude drug in Japan. All extracts of mangosteen potently
inhibited A23187-induced prostaglandin E2 synthesis in C6 rat glioma
cells, while the water extract of Rubus suavissimus had no effect. The
40% ethanol extract of mangosteen inhibited the prostaglandin E2 synthesis
in a concentration-dependent manner with relatively lower concentrations
than the histamine release. In addition, passive cutaneous anaphylaxis
(PCA) reactions in rats were significantly inhibited by this ethanol
extract as well as by the water extract of Rubus suavissimus. These
results suggest that the 40% ethanol extract of mangosteen has potent
inhibitory activities of both histamine release and prostaglandin E2
synthesis.
Inhibitions of histamine release and prostaglandin E2 synthesis by mangosteen,
a Thai medicinal plant. Nakatani K, Atsumi M, Arakawa T, Oosawa
K, Shimura S, Nakahata N, Ohizumi Y. Department of Pharmaceutical Molecular
Biology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University,
Sendai, Japan.
PMID: 12230104 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Patient
Satisfaction May Predict Short-Term Clinical Outcomes of Back Pain Care
Low back pain is the most common reason for the initiation of chiropractic
care. Studies have shown that chiropractic patients with low back pain
have reported greater satisfaction with their care compared to patients
seeing a medical doctor for low back pain. Whether patient satisfaction
is an accurate predictor of long-term clinical improvement, such as
verifiable changes in pain in disability, is an issue that has yet to
be investigated thoroughly.
In this randomized, controlled trial, 610 adult patients with low back
pain presenting to a managed care facility were assigned to receive
either chiropractic care (with and without physical modalities) or medical
care (with and without physical therapy) for 18 months. At four weeks
following randomization, participant satisfaction with care was evaluated
on a 40-point scale. Questionnaires related to severity of low back
pain, improvement, frequency of back pain, and related disability were
administered at six weeks, six months, 12 months and 18 months postrandomization.
Results: Greater satisfaction with care increased the odds of
remission from clinically meaningful pain and disability at six weeks,
but not at six months, 12 months, or 18 months. Similarly, greater satisfaction
with care was positively associated with the perception of improvement
at six weeks, but this notion did not persist during any of the subsequent
assessments. "Nevertheless," the authors reported, "highly
satisfied patients were more likely than less satisfied patients to
perceive their improvement as a lot better throughout the 18-month follow-up
period."
Conclusion: "There appears to be a small short-term benefit
of satisfaction with care on clinical outcomes among low back pain patients
enrolled in a clinical trial of medical and chiropractic care in managed
care," the scientists wrote. They added, "These findings,
coupled with others from the UCLA Low Back Pain Study, suggest that
clinical improvement may be predictive of patient satisfaction, and
satisfaction may be predictive of clinical improvement, at least in
the short term, although subsequent investigations should attempt to
confirm such findings."
Hurwitz EL, Morgenstern H, Yu F. Satisfaction as a predictor
of clinical outcomes among chiropractic and medical patients enrolled
in the UCLA Low Back Pain Study. Spine Oct. 1, 2005;30(19):2121-2128.
For more information go to:
http://www.chiropracticresearchreview.com/crr/sub_topic.php?id=19
Regular High-Fiber Breakfast Associated With
Maintaining Healthy Weight in Girls
Previous research has shown that children who consume breakfast regularly
are much more likely to meet recommended intakes of vitamins and minerals
than children who do not. This may be attributed to the consumption
of breakfast cereals, many of which are fortified with essential nutrients,
and provide dietary fiber. Research has also shown that children who
eat cereals consume significantly less fat and cholesterol than children
who eat other foods for breakfast. However, less is known about the
relationship between consumption of cereal and body mass index in children.
In this paper, researchers analyzed data from a 10-year longitudinal
cohort study of more than 2,300 adolescent girls, all of whom were 9
or 10 years old at the start of the study. Dietary habits were tracked
annually, using a three-day food questionnaire that documented the frequency
of breakfast consumption and whether cereal was consumed as part of
breakfast, along with intakes of dietary fiber, fat, calcium, iron,
folic acid, vitamin C, and zinc.
Results: "Compared with girls who ate cereal on 0 days,
girls who ate cereal on 1, 2, or 3 days were 0.93, 0.90, and 0.87 times
as likely to be at risk of overweight; that is, eating cereal on 1 or
more days resulted in a reduction in risk of overweight," the scientists
wrote. In addition, "a similar trend was seen for breakfast consumption,
with those consuming breakfast on 3 days having lower BMIs than girls
who skipped breakfast on all or most days."
In the study's conclusion, the authors stated that their analysis "clearly
demonstrated that cereal consumption was predictive of lower BMI"
in adolescent females. They added that cereal consumption "had
positive effects on nutrient intake in girls, resulting in diets significantly
lower in fat and cholesterol."
Barton BA, Eldridge AL, Thompson D, et al. The relationship
of breakfast and cereal consumption to nutrient intake and body mass
index: The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Growth and Health
Study. Journal of the American Dietetic Association September 2005;105:1383-1389.
For more information go to:
http://www.chiropracticresearchreview.com/crr/sub_topic.php?id=64
Frequent,
Vigorous Exercise Reduces Accumulation of Visceral Fat
Visceral fat, or fat that surrounds the abdomen and other internal organs,
is considered a significant contributor to a variety of weight-related
health problems, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic
syndrome. Regular exercise is known to provide a wide range of health
benefits, including weight loss and reduction of total body fat. Despite
this evidence, few studies have examined the direct effects of exercise
programs on changes in visceral fat levels.
In this randomized, controlled study, 175 sedentary adults ages 40 to
65, all considered overweight or mildly obese, and all with mild to
moderate dyslipidemia, were assigned to participate in a control group
for 6 months, or to one of three exercise groups (low amount/moderate
intensity, equivalent to walking 12 miles per week; low amount/vigorous
intensity, equivalent to jogging 12 miles per week; or high amount/vigorous
intensity, equivalent to jogging 20 miles per week). Computed tomography
scans were performed pre- and post-study to analyze changes in visceral
fat, subcutaneous abdominal fat, and total abdominal fat.
Results: "In the control group, visceral fat levels increased by
8.6%, which was statistically significant. Visceral fat levels did not
change significantly in either of the low-amount exercise groups. The
high-amount exercise group experienced an average decrease in visceral
fat of 6.9%, which was significant. Only the high-amount exercise had
any change in subcutaneous abdominal fat amount, which decreased in
this group by 7.0%."
"Taken together, the data suggest a clear dose-response relationship
between exercise amount and changes in visceral fat," the authors
concluded. The authors also emphasized that "even a relatively
modest exercise program, consistent with the activity recommendations
from the Centers for Disease Control and American College of Sports
Medicine, prevented significant increased in visceral fat," and
recommended that "until we are able to prevent weight regain after
short-term dieting success, a greater emphasis toward prevention should
be a major goal in the U.S."
Slentz CA, Aiken LB, Houmard JA, et al. Inactivity,
exercise, and visceral fat. STRRIDE: a randomized, controlled study
of exercise intensity and amount. Journal of Applied Physiology October
2005;99:1613-1618.
For more information go to:
http://www.chiropracticresearchreview.com/crr/sub_topic.php?id=89
Unpleasant
Surroundings Linked to Increased Obesity Risk
The principal cause of obesity is an imbalance between a person's daily
caloric intake and that person's expenditure of energy; increased caloric
intake combined with reduced energy output will lead to direct and significant
effects on a person's weight. It has been speculated that environment
also may be a factor in the incidence of obesity, as areas that are
perceived to be clean, safe and visually pleasing are thought to encourage
people to exercise more frequently, thus helping to reduce obesity levels.
However, few studies have measured the direct effect a pleasing environment
may have on physical activity.
In this cross-sectional survey, researchers analyzed housing and health
status data collected on 6,919 adults living in eight European cities.
In addition to self-reported data on height, weight, and physical activity
levels, trained surveyors assessed the residents' environment, documenting
amounts of graffiti and litter, and levels of greenery and vegetation
in the immediate area.
Analysis showed that among respondents whose residential environment
contained the highest levels of greenery, the likelihood of being overweight
or obese was 37 percent less than respondents with the lowest levels
of greenery; residents in areas of high greenery also were 3.32 times
more likely to be physically active than residents in low-greenery areas.
In environments with the highest levels of litter and graffiti, the
likelihood of being overweight of obese was 42 percent higher, and residents
were 47 percent less likely to be physically active, compared with people
who lived in areas with the lowest graffiti and litter levels.
Conclusion: "In this study of a range of European cities,
we find that objectively assessed features of the residential environment
are associated with the likelihood of being physically active and not
being overweight or obese. Our analysis is limited because it is cross-sectional
and may be subject to differences in interpretation and reporting between
countries ... In efforts to promote physical activity and reduce weight,
however, attention should be paid to environmental facilitators and
barriers as well as individual factors."
Ellaway A, Macintyre S, Bonnefoy X. Graffiti, greenery,
and obesity in adults: secondary analysis of European cross-sectional
survey. British Medical Journal Sept. 17, 2005;331:611-612.
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Food
for Thought
Researchers
from Rush University Medical Center in Chicago report the brain benefits
greatly from occasional meals of fish. In this study, more than 3,700
people 65 years and older performed multiple cognitive tests over six
years, correlating the scores with diet. Researchers found that subjects
who had at least one meal of fish each week showed a 10 percent slowing
of the mental decline seen in the rest of the group. Those who had two
meals or more benefited by 13 percent. The researchers tried, but failed,
to correlate the benefit to the amount of omega-3 fatty acids consumed,
previously thought responsible for many of the health benefits of seafood.
Presumably something else produced the benefit, although some say the
study may not have been very conducive to measuring the omega-3 content
of the diets accurately. The fish was consumed in a wide variety of
forms, including tuna, fish sticks, shrimp, crab, lobster, and various
fresh fish entrees.
Archives of Neurology, December 2005.
Move
It or Lose It
In a report that should not surprise anyone who has studied physiology,
the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) says, in a work titled
"Move It or Lose It," that regular exercise is one of the
best things you can do to prevent or slow bone loss. One of the findings
of their research was that a woman who sits for nine hours each day
has a 50 percent higher chance of having a hip fracture than a woman
who sits for less than six hours. The report also correlates weight-bearing
exercise with fewer vertebral fractures.
Reuters, Oct. 20, 2005.
Exercise
for Pain
Research from Stanford University in Palo Alto, Calif., suggests vigorous
exercise may help prevent future joint and muscle pain. The study examined
adults ages 50 and older, and found that those who exercised regularly
had pain-rating scores 25 percent lower than their sedentary peers,
as well as a lower incidence of arthritis. About half of the subjects
participating in the study were members of a runners club, averaging
about five hours of exercise each week.
Reuters, Sept. 28, 2005, reporting on a paper published in Arthritis
Research & Therapy, Sept. 19, 2005.
Dementia
Treatment Deaths
An analysis of 15 studies involving 5,000 elderly patients suggests
some of the common treatments for dementia-related symptoms are killing
patients. Researchers from the University of Southern California found
that the risk of a patient dying within the first 12 weeks of treatment
increased by 54 percent with a class of drugs called atypical antipsychotics,
compared to placebos. The drugs are not explicitly approved for use
in dementia patients, but are commonly prescribed by doctors because
these patients often display symptoms similar to schizophrenia and bipolar
disease, for which these drugs are intended. These drugs are sold under
the brand names of Zyprexa, Risperdal, Seroquel and Abilify.
JAMA, Oct. 19, 2005.
Reuters, Oct. 18, 2005.
Eat Your
Veggies
A report published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition concludes
that boys who eat a lot of fruits and vegetables have higher mineral
concentrations in their bones, and thus denser, stronger bone structures.
Exercise was also a major factor in bone development. The study followed
152 boys and girls for seven years; researchers noted children's diet
and exercise habits and measuring bone density with X-ray absorptiometry.
This study found no correlation of diet to bone density in girls, although
other studies have.
AJCN, September 2005.
Pomegranates
for the Prostate
A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
concludes that pomegranate juice inhibits prostate tumor growth. The
tumors, cultivated in mice from human prostate tissue, shrank as a result
of administering the fruit juice, which researchers noted as having
"remarkable antitumor-promoting effects." Human research trials
undoubtedly will follow soon.
PNAS 2005;102:14813-14818.
Loss
of Face
A presentation to a recent meeting of the American Society of Plastic
Surgeons in Chicago contends that a surprising amount of the aging we
see in older faces is actually due to bone shrinkage. The study used
CAT scans to detect differences in bone volume at varying age groups.
The presenter credits the loss of bone for much of the sagging and looseness
of the skin on the face.
Dr. David Kahn, of Palo Alto, California, as reported by Reuters
on Sept. 27, 2005.
Antibiotics
and Dental Fluorosis
A study published in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine
concludes that the use of some antibiotics in very young children can
increase the likelihood of fluorosis in their teeth. The study found
that the risk doubled when the antibiotic amoxicillin was given between
the ages of 3 months and 6 months. Among the 579 children followed from
birth to 32 months, 91 percent had been given the antibiotic at least
once. Evidence of dental fluorosis was seen in 24 percent of the children
by the end of the study. Fluorosis causes pits and brown stains in teeth,
and can lead to other dental problems.
APAM, October 2005.
Exercise
for Alzheimer's
Researchers at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden report that middle-aged
people who exercise at least twice each week are less susceptible to
Alzheimer's disease. They found a 60 percent lower incidence among such
people. The difference was especially pronounced in those considered
genetically at risk for the disorder. The exercising group exerted themselves
enough to break a sweat and have some strained breathing, typically
by way of walking or bicycling. The study involved almost 1,500 elderly
for 15 years.
Reuters, Oct. 4, 2005, reporting on the work of Dr Miia Kivipelto.
The study is published in Lancet Neurology, November 2005;4(11):705-711.
Inherited
Stress
A Swedish study of nearly 6,000 children concludes that the risk of
a child suffering from type 1 diabetes increases when the mother is
under a high level of stress. Researchers found a threefold increase
in diabetes-related autoimmune reactions when the mothers were undergoing
a divorce or domestic violence. The average age of the children was
about 2.5 years. It is thought that the mothers transfer some of the
stress to their children, either subconsciously or overtly, triggering
the response.
Diabetes Care, October 2005.
Play
for Growth
A study of children whose growth (mental and physical) had been stunted
by malnutrition has yielded some interesting insights on how to improve
academic performance in such situations. While nutritional supplementation
was beneficial, more permanent and stronger improvements were seen when
combined with psychosocial stimulation, in the form of play and other
increased interactions with the child's mother. Community workers encouraged
the interaction during the child's second year of life, and as a result,
researchers say that at age 18, scores were better than expected in
IQ, reading and math, and the children were less likely to drop out
of school.
The Lancet, Oct. 19, 2005.
Alcohol,
Smoking, and Mental Function
In a new study of mental decline among alcoholics, researchers from
the University of Michigan report a correlation between mental deficit
and smoking. In fact, their results suggest smoking is a greater contributor
to decreased brain performance than alcohol. While smokers often report
a feeling of alertness and clearer thinking while using tobacco, this
report suggests chronic use may have the opposite effect, perhaps involving
some kind of neurological adaptation or a long-term oxygen deprivation
of brain cells. Alcoholics are nearly three times as likely to smoke
cigarettes as the general population.
Reuters, Oct. 24, 2005, reporting on the work of Dr. Jennifer Glass
of the University of Michigan's Addiction Research Center.
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