Herbal soup fights flu A, perhaps useful to guard off swine flu too?

CM NEWS – Swine flu outbreak has scared the world recently, with death toll reaching 100 and counting. While scientists are racing to understand the flu and in full effort to formulate a new vaccine against it, the only things ordinary folks like us can do is to keep ourselves healthy and strong to guard off infection. In traditional Asian medicine, a decoction called Ma Huang Tang (麻黃湯) in Chinese or Mao-to in Japanese. Read more

Baby broccoli kills bacterial cause of ulcers, stomach cancer

Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions – A small, pilot study in 50 people in Japan suggests that eating two and a half ounces of broccoli sprouts daily for two months may confer some protection against a rampant stomach bug that causes gastritis, ulcers and even stomach cancer. Read more

Green tea may strengthen teeth, gums

J of Periodontology – A study recently published in the Journal of Periodontology, the official publication of the American Academy of Periodontology (AAP), uncovered another benefit of green tea consumption. Researchers found that routine intake of green tea may also help promote healthy teeth and gums. Read more

Acupuncture good at controlling tension headaches: Cochrane review

CM NEWS – A Cochrane review of recent large-scale acupuncture studies suggests that acupuncture could be a valuable option for patients suffering from frequent tension-type headache. Read more

Iron induces death in tumour cells

DKFZ -A group of German scientists have discovered that increased iron levels in lymphoma cells could release free oxygen radicals, and eventually induce cancer cell death. Read more

Garlic lowers blood glucose levels of diabetics, helps hypertension

CM NEWS – Garlic may restore some of the antioxidants damaged by free radicals in patents with vascular diseases such as diabetes and hypertension, according to a new study.

The study is recently published by the Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Rats induced to have diabetes and hypertension were given an an aqueous extract of garlic (500 mg/kg IP daily) for 3 weeks.

As a result, the blood antioxidant levels of these rats after 3 weeks of treatment were significantly higher (P < 0.001) than the pretreatment levels in both diabetic and hypertensive rats. The increased serum antioxidant levels were paralleled by a decrease in serum glucose in the garlic-treated diabetic rats and lowered systolic blood pressure in the garlic-treated hypertensive rats.

What is the importance of antioxidants? Oxidative stress, an excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) above the body’s antioxidant capacity, has been implicated in the development of many pathophysiological conditions including hypertension, diabetes, atherosclerosis and cancer, as well as the process of aging.

ROS are normal products of cellular metabolism which are usually removed by endogenous antioxidants. However, it has become increasingly clear that overproduction of ROS can lead to a damaging cycle of lipid peroxidation, depletion of natural antioxidants such as glutathione, perturbation of nitric oxide production and disruption of normal cellular metabolism. These changes have been shown to cause damage to cell membranes and in particular can cause endothelial dysfunction.

During the last decade, it has become increasingly evident that many chronic diseases are accompanied by increased levels of oxidative stress exacerbated by decreased antioxidant levels. These observations have precipitated much interest in study of the correlations between oxidative stress, antioxidant potential and development of chronic diseases in both humans and animal models. Of particular interest are the correlations between oxidative stress and development of diabetes and hypertension.

The researchers conclude that treatment of diabetic rats with garlic resulted in significantly increased antioxidant and lowered glucose levels compared to untreated diabetic animals.

[eCAM, doi:10.1093/ecam/nep011]

Study ids alternative to HRT in 800-yr-old decoction

CM NEWS – It’s well known that menopausal women using estrogen replacement therapy are exposed to an increased risk of developing breast cancer. A group of scientists have found hope in an 800-year-old Chinese herbal decoction which has been used in age-related illness of women. The science behind the decoction and the optimal proportion of each herb have been uncovered. Scientists are hopeful the formula might offer alternative to HRT for menopausal women. Read more

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