News

Stress & Cognition
Green tea, rhodiola, magnesium, and B vitamins This combination of nutrients effectively reduced social stress in 100 moderately stressed adults, aged 18 to 50. Participants took a placebo, or some combination of 150 mg magnesium, 700 mcg vitamin B6, 100 mcg B1, 1 mcg B12, 125 mg green tea, and 225 mg rhodiola. Doctors fitted heart rate, blood pressure, and salivary cortisol response monitors to participants who rested for 15 minutes before taking the nutrients. After another 30-minute rest, doctors administered the Trier Social Stress Test, asking participants to prepare... Read more...
Early-Stage Discoveries: Ashwagandha, SAMe, Beta-Sitosterol
Good results in the lab can lead to larger human trials. Here are some of the most promising recent findings. Ashwagandha and lung cancer Ashwagandha is an annual evergreen that contains powerful phytochemicals. Traditional medicine has used ashwagandha to treat neurological disorders. Here, doctors wanted to test the ability of ashwagandha to limit the growth and spread of lung cancer cells, and to trigger programmed cell death, called apoptosis. In the lab, doctors prepared water- and alcohol-extracts of ashwagandha, using a stain to see DNA damage in lung cancer cells.... Read more...
Reducing UTI
Symptoms in urinary tract infections (UTI) and in non-infectious bladder disorders include painful, frequent urination. In this study, 65 adults reporting recurring symptoms within the past year took 150 mg of Pycnogenol® or 400 mg of cranberry extract per day. After two months, the number of urinary symptoms decreased 62 percent for Pycnogenol vs. 45 percent for cranberry. The entire Pycnogenol group was infection free, compared to 35 percent for cranberry, and to 45 percent at the start of the study. Most (91 percent) taking Pycnogenol were symptom free vs.... Read more...
Better Vision
Flavonoids improve outcomes in AMD Quercetin and the catechins  One type of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) produces new, leaky blood vessels under the macula and retina of the eye, quickly distorting or destroying vision in the center of the field of vision. In this study, 494 participants with this “wet” form of AMD got standard anti-blood-vessel-growth therapy for 12 months. Doctors validated flavonoids in the diet using a food-frequency questionnaire. Those who got the least of three types of flavonoids in the diet; quercetin, epigallocatechin, and epigallocatechin-gallate, had significantly worse... Read more...
Fenugreek and Vitamin D Promote Reproductive Health
Fenugreek increased libido in healthy women Fenugreek contains many of the B-complex vitamins, soluble and insoluble fibers, and iron. In this study, 48 healthy menstruating women, aged 20 to 48, took a placebo or 250 mg of fenugreek twice per day. Doctors used the Menopause Rating Scale (MRS) to assess symptoms in three areas: hot flushes, heart, sleep, muscle and joint symptoms; mood, irritability, anxiety, and fatigue; and reproductive difficulties including libido, activity, and satisfaction, and urinary and vaginal symptoms. After 43 days, those taking fenugreek saw a 40.38 percent... Read more...
Better Circulation
Flavonoids and green tea improve circulatory health Flavonoids reduced stroke Most stroke is ischemic, meaning a blood clot blocks a vessel to the brain. Fatty deposits lining vessel walls are the main cause. In this study, doctors followed 55,169 adults, aged 52 to 60, with no history of ischemic stroke, and an average of 496 mg of flavonoids per day in the diet. During 21 years of follow-up, those who got the most flavonoids, flavonols, and flavanol oligo-polymers were 10 to 18 percent less likely to have had an ischemic... Read more...
Optimal Exercise
Beta-alanine and fish oil improved performance Beta-alanine boosted World Tour cyclists Beta-alanine helps form the amino acid carnosine, which supports muscle endurance in high-intensity exercise. In this study, 12 elite World Cup cyclists in training took a placebo or 20 grams of beta-alanine per day for seven days. Before and after beta-alanine, doctors measured muscle power under training loads in a 10-minute time trial. Compared to placebo, the beta-alanine group saw a 6.21 percent increase in average power, a 2.16 percent increase in travel distance, and a 4.85 percent increase... Read more...
Digestion
Synbiotics and probiotics improve symptoms in GI disorders Synbiotics improve microbiome, reduce inflammation in colitis When the large intestine has open sores, the condition is called ulcerative colitis, one of several inflammatory bowel disorders. While doctors don’t know what causes colitis, they believe it is likely due to an overactive immune response; creating an environment of chronic, systemic inflammation. Synbiotics combine prebiotics like inulin, and probiotics like lactobacillus and bifidobacterium. The two work synergistically to promote and maintain a balanced microbiome. In this review of several studies, synbiotics significantly reduced... Read more...
Ginger for Digestion
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0745/9749/9037/files/be4d5c_fb18c06e6d9a4ce7bb69542ce7e7d795_mv2.webp?v=1764915848 Feeling full after a few bites of food, along with a bloated abdomen, are the major symptoms of non-ulcer indigestion, called functional dyspepsia (FD). Doctors don’t know what causes it. In this study, 50 people with FD took a placebo or 200 mg of ginger extract twice per day. After four weeks, 41 percent in the ginger group reported having felt better throughout the entire trial. Overall, doctors determined that 79 percent of those taking ginger had responded favorably compared to 21 percent for placebo. Discussing the findings, doctors... Read more...
Mood
Saffron and tryptophan improve mood Saffron reduced depression in perimenopause As women approach menopause—perimenopause—physical symptoms such as hot flushes, night sweats, and sleep disturbances can occur. Cognitive performance and mood factors such as depression and anxiety are also common. In this study, 82 perimenopausal women, aged 40 to 60, took a placebo or 14 mg of saffron extract twice per day. Doctors measured symptoms at the start and end of the 12-week trial. Those who took saffron saw greater improvements in mood and psychological symptoms compared to the placebo group... Read more...
Age Well
Nutrients preserve vision, improve hospital recovery Lutein slows advanced AMD Lutein is one of the main carotenoids in the macula of the eye that is responsible for filtering damaging blue light, and for protecting against age-related macular degeneration (AMD); a blind spot in the center of the field of vision. In this study, doctors evaluated 963 men and women, aged at least 73, every two years over an eight-year period, during which 54 developed advanced AMD. Those with higher circulating lutein levels were 37 percent less likely to have developed... Read more...
Live Longer
Nutritional supplements beneficial in acute illness B-vitamins reduce chances of stroke B-complex vitamins help break down the inflammatory factor, homocysteine, by metabolizing into essential, beneficial substances in the body. Doctors reviewed eight major homocysteine studies covering 8,513 participants who did or did not take B-complex vitamin supplements. Overall, compared to placebo, the vitamin B group was 11 percent less likely to die from stroke, heart, or circulatory events. Vitamins B6, B9, and B12 were particularly effective in lowering homocysteine levels. Also compared to placebo, homocysteine levels in those who took... Read more...