Exercise May Boost Cancer Patient’s Immune System
Exercise may help boost cancer patients’ immune system, say Canadian researchers. The authors say that four studies in their review of six studies into the effect of exercise on the immune system of cancer patients showed that exercise does indeed have benefits upon the immune system. Adrian S Fairey and his colleagues found that patients who took part in regular supervised exercise showed improvements in immune system function, which included greater activity or better function of certain immune cells of particular importance to cancer patients, and some exercisers showed improvements in endurance and their muscle strength. Furthermore, the review also showed that exercise could help to improve the physical, psychological, and emotional symptoms of cancer itself and those caused by its treatment.
SOURCE/REFERENCE: Cancer 2002; 94:539-551
Essential Oils Combat Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria
A study by two orthopedic surgeons has revealed that two commonly used essential oils can combat the potentially fatal bacteria methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Dr Eugene Sherry and fellow surgeon Dr Patrick H. Warnke found that an antibacterial wash made from Eucalyptus radiata and Melaleuca alternifolia (eucalyptus and tea-tree oil) cleared MRSA infections in 22 out of 25 (88%) study participants. In addition, of those whose treatment was successful, just three patients (14%) also needed antibiotics. According to Sherry the results of the study were made all the more promising by the fact that 40% of the patients involved in the study were diabetic, a condition which is known to impair wound healing.
The surgeons are now studying an aerosolised version of the wash on laboratory cultures of the bacteria that causes tuberculosis. Preliminary results have shown that the aerosol can destroy the bacterium in just 40 minutes, something which no currently available antibiotic is capable of doing.
Research into the use of essential oils to fight microbial infections was commonplace 50-years go, however all research in the area stopped as soon as antibiotics were discovered. The results of the study suggest that essential oils could provide doctors with a way of tackling the increasing problem of antibiotic-resistance to drugs
SOURCE/REFERENCE: Reported by www.reutershealth.com on the 15th February 2002
Insect Drink Boosts Immune System and Lengthens Life
Results of a recent study in China have revealed that a tonic made from a species of ant called the Polyrhachis Vicina promotes longevity in rats. Chinese royalty and Tibetans have drunk the tonic for hundreds of years, to boost the immune system and bring relief from arthritis.
John Wilkinson, a lecturer at Middlesex University in the UK discovered that the ant contains high concentrations of zinc, and seems to act on the immune system in a similar way to ginseng and the antioxidant vitamin-E. “This is a very exciting time in medicine. Insects have different compounds in them to plants,” he said. Analysis of the insect has revealed that as well as being a rich source of zinc, the ant also contains 19 amino acids, 28 trace elements, adenosine triphosphate, and many different enzymes and coenzymes.
The ant is extremely popular with the elderly in China, who usually drink wine or beer made from the insect, however the ant itself is sometimes eaten with meals. However, the potential of ants were also noticed by the British in the Middle Ages, as they used to drink tonics made from the insects to cure general ailments. Modern day Brits can also see the potential of ants, it seems, as UK company InterContinental Brands (ICB) obviously think that the tonic has potential, as they’ve just begun selling a stimulating soft drink called Ant, which is based on the ancient tonic.
SOURCE/REFERENCE: Reported by www.bbc.co.uk on the 10th February 2002. Additional information from www.chinaspeciality.com
Daily Multivitamin Boosts Seniors Immune System
Seniors may be able to safeguard themselves from infections by taking a daily vitamin supplement, says Dr Kevin P High who recently carried out a review on the benefits of nutritional supplements for the elderly. High concluded that men and women aged 65 and over can help to boost their immune system by taking a daily multivitamin and mineral supplement, and further supplements to increase their daily intake of selenium to 100 micrograms (mcg), zinc to 20 milligrams (mg), and vitamin-E to 200 mg. Results of several scientific studies have shown that taking such supplements may help to give the immune system a boost, increase the body’s response to vaccines, and help to protect against infection.
SOURCE/REFERENCE: Clinical Infectious Diseases 2001; 33:1892-1900
Garlic Extract Combats Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria
Allicin, the active ingredient of garlic, could be useful in the fight against potentially fatal hospital acquired infections, say researchers. Speaking at the Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, Dr Ronald Cutler presented findings showing that the garlic extract is capable of destroying methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Cutler and his colleagues found that topical creams containing just 32 parts per million (ppm) of allicin inhibited the growth of 30 different samples of the bacteria, and concentrations of 256 ppm were enough to kill the bacteria. According to Cutler, there is little chance of MRSA becoming resistant to allicin as other bacteria that are susceptible to allicin have never been seen to develop resistance to it.
SOURCE/REFERENCE: Reported by www.reutershealth.com on the 20th December 2001
Garlic Battles Against Malaria
Not content with fighting heart disease, cancer, the common cold, and a number of fungal infections, it appears that the pungent bulb garlic may be also be useful in the battle against malaria. Researchers at the University of Toronto have found a number of compounds in garlic that are effective against plasmodium falciparum the parasite that causes malaria. The compounds, called disulfides, are already known to have antifungal, anticancer, and antibacterial properties. The researchers believe that the disulfides work by blocking the action of glutathione, a chemical that is needed for cells to survive, in rapidly reducing cells such as cancer cells and malaria-infected cells.
SOURCE/REFERENCE: Reported by www.bbc.co.uk on the 14th November 2001
Garlic Wards Off Common Cold
Taking a daily garlic supplement can help to prevent the common cold, suggest results of a recent study involving 146 adults, half of whom took a daily supplement that contained allicin -garlic’s active ingredient, while the remainder were given a placebo. Results of the 90-day trial, conducted during the winter, showed that just 24 colds were reported amongst those who took the garlic supplement compared to 65 in the placebo group. Thus, the supplement appeared to cut a person’s risk of catching a cold by more than half. Furthermore, those taking the supplement that were unlucky enough to catch a cold tended to recover much more quickly and were significantly less likely to become re-infected with the disease. Research has also shown that the garlic supplement can help to treat infections caused by the so-called superbug methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).
SOURCE/REFERENCE: Reported by www.bbc.co.uk on the 3rd October 2001
Self-Hypnosis Beats Stress
Self-hypnosis may help people combat the negative effects that stress has on the immune system, say researchers from Ohio State University. A study of medical students experiencing exam-time stress revealed that the immune system of given “hypnotic-relaxation training” was stronger than that of untrained students. Researchers took blood samples from both groups of students at the start of the study and just before exams got underway, and exposed the samples to foreign substances in order to monitor the activity of key immune system components. Results showed that samples taken from the self-hypnosis trained students launched stronger attacks against the substances. Furthermore, the immune response got stronger the more the students practised the techniques.
SOURCE/REFERENCE: Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 2001; 69: 674-682
Fat Found in Cows Milk Boosts Immune System
Drinking cows milk could help to boost the immune system, say scientists from the Universities of Southampton and Reading in England. There is a growing body of evidence to suggest that conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a fat found in cows milk, helps to enhance the human immune system. Scientists are to begin human trials of the acid after animal studies carried out in the US revealed that CLA boosted immune function and had anti-cancer properties. Other research has shown that CLA reduces the amount of fat in the blood and regulates the amount stored by the body, thus it may also be useful in combating heart disease and obesity. The 3-year long trial will test two different forms of CLA, if the health benefits of the fat are proven it could lead to the development of a range of dairy products marketed as a way to reduce the risk of contracting cancer as part of a healthy diet.
SOURCE/REFERENCE: Reported by www.bbc.co.uk on the 29th July 2001
