Mistletoe extract fights cancer

… “For the production of Iscador, mistletoe plants are harvested in the summer — the stems and leaves — and in the winter — the stems, leaves and berries — and then are fermented with lactobacillus,” Renatus Ziegler, a research scientist at Institute Hiscia in Arlesheim, Switzerland, told Discovery News.

Various species of lactobacillus, a type of bacteria, are also used in the production of many foods and drinks such as yogurt, beer, wine and pickles.

Ziegler and co-author Ronald Grossarth-Maticek studied cervical and ovarian cancer patients to see how they might benefit in the long run if mistletoe extracts, such as Iscador, were added to their treatment regimes.

Ziegler explained that, “mistletoe is an old medical drug in Europe, particularly in Germany, and goes back at least to Hippocrates.”

“The exact mechanism of its (healing) actions are not known,” she said, adding that prior studies, both on animals and in the lab, have indicated it curbs the growth of cancerous tumors.

Holiday celebrants, however, should never just munch on mistletoe … Kienle told Discovery News, “There is good evidence that (Viscum album) improves the quality of life of patients, and moderate evidence that it prolongs life and can induce tumor remission using high dosage and local application.” – discovery

Isn’t it deadly if you eat it? Probably not.

In reality, studies show that mistletoe is not quite as hazardous as it is made out to be. The plant does in fact contain harmful chemicals like viscotoxins, which can cause gastrointestinal distress, a slowed heartbeat and other reactions.

But in studies of hundreds of cases of accidental ingestion over the years, there were no fatalities and only a handful of severe reactions. One study published in 1996 looked at 92 cases of mistletoe ingestion and found that only a small fraction of patients showed any symptoms. Eight of 10 people who consumed five or more berries had no symptoms, and 3 of the 11 people who consumed only leaves had upset stomachs.

Other studies have found similar effects, suggesting that while mistletoe can be toxic, its lethal reputation is not quite deserved.  -spi

Uses for Peppermint

Gas? Try peppermint.

Peppermint is widely used as a food, flavoring, and disinfectant. As a medicine, peppermint is most well known for its effects on the stomach and intestines. Perhaps you’ve tried the various “tummy teas” available for stomach upset. Peppermint is a tasty way to relieve gas, nausea, and stomach pain due to an irritable bowel, intestinal cramps, or indigestion.

Peppermint is a carminative — an agent that dispels gas and bloating in the digestive system — and an antispasmodic capable of relieving stomach and intestinal cramps. Peppermint can be used for too much stomach acid (hyperacidity) and gastroenteritis (nausea and stomach upset that we sometimes call stomach flu),… – hsw

Some researchers now advise consumers to eat a tablespoon or more of fresh peppermint, and other green herbs, daily….

“Most of the (effective) species are really from the family Lamiaceae, or mint family,” Pavel Kloucek, a scientist at the Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague, told Discovery News.

Kloucek and his team analyzed several essential oils to see how well they could, in vapor form, kill the bacteria responsible for Listeria, Staph, E. coli, and Salmonella infections, and more.

While peppermint’s germ-killing powers have been previously documented, the new study is the first to report the antimicrobial activity of two other mint family members — Mentha villosa and Faassen’s catnip — along with another non-mint herb, bluebeard.

Essential oils for horseradish, garlic, hyssop, basil, marjoram, oregano, winter savory, and three types of thyme also showed potent bacteria-busting abilities.

The findings have been accepted for publication in the journal Food Control. – discovery

How to Increase Your Lifespan

Avoid dying in a car accident, etc. Also, you need the right genes, but no matter what the DNA lottery has given you, the following are keys to a long healthy life: Eat right, exercise, get enough sleep, meditate/relax, stay thin and have orgasms.

We know that increased insulin sensitivity is linked to a long healthy life. The ways to increase insulin sensitivity are also tips for extending life and improving health. Here are some adapted from diabitieslife:

1) Exercise: Regular physical activity such as aerobics and strength training increase your cells’ sensitivity to insulin. You should aim for 20-60 minutes of aerobic activity 3-5 days per week.

2) Diet: Avoid excess carbohydrates (especially low fiber, refined white grains and sugary foods/ beverages), but know your metabolic type and eat accordingly. Eat protein-rich foods (tofu, fish, chicken, lean meat, low fat cottage cheese, and eggs. Other good stuff: Eat a variety of whole grains, legumes, and vegetables (especially dark-green, leafy vegetables) every day.  omega-3 ( plus full-spectrum vitamin E to break it down), magnesium, cinnamon.

4) Don’t over eat. Get the right calories.  Calorie reduction (but not too much) can increase lifespan if you get adequate nutrients at the same time. Some eat 20 percent to 30 percent less than recommended, ( but these people always feel hungry, and have less sex drive, so they have a lower quality of life? ) In any case, avoid sugar, saturated fats and most dairy.

3) Don’t be overweight: Even as little as a 10 % reduction in weight can help improve your cells’ insulin sensitivity. To lose weight safely and effectively, reduce your total calorie intake by about 500 calories each day.

4) De-stress: Stress hormones (e.g. cortisol) increase insulin levels. Practice daily relaxation exercises.

5) Enough Sleep:   Inadequate sleep increases insulin levels, so get to bed at a reasonable hour.

Also, have orgasms. For men this is the best preventative care option for prostate cancer, and for both sexes, sex is extremely beneficial for our health. One key is that orgasms release oxytocin.

During the big moment, the hypothalamus releases extra oxytocin into your system. Called the “cuddle hormone,” oxytocin has been correlated with the urge to bond, be affectionate, and protect (new moms are drunk on the stuff). … The latest news is that this cuddle hormone might also be linked to our ability to trust. – yahoo

It also shuts down the brain, but only when real, not when faked.

Some other benefits of oxytocin adapted from the reuniting site:

- reduces cravings (Billings, 2006)
- has a calming effect (Agren, 2002)
- increases sexual receptivity and counteracts impotence. (Pedersen, C.A., 2002)
- counteracts the effects of cortisol, the stress hormone. (Legros, 2003) Less stress means increased immunity and faster recovery. [also] high levels of cortisol are the chief culprits in depression and anxiety disorders.

Have FOXO3A gene, live to be a centenarian

SCIENTISTS HAVE a discovered a ’long life’ gene amongst human beings, which triples the chances of living for 100 years.

The gene identified as FOXO3A has important implications on prolonging the life span of people. Researchers said that the gene not only ensures longevity amongst individuals but also ensures that they suffer less risk of age-related diseases and disabilities. – merinews

Long-lived men also presented several additional phenotypes linked to healthy aging, including lower prevalence of cancer and cardiovascular disease, better self-reported health, and high physical and cognitive function, despite significantly older ages than controls. Several of these aging phenotypes were associated with FOXO3A genotype. Long-lived men also exhibited several biological markers indicative of greater insulin sensitivity and this was associated with homozygosity for the FOXO3A GG genotype. – pnas, colinf

… The gene, labeled FOXO3A, was identified by Kuakini Medical Center and Pacific Health Research Institute investigators. They studied biological specimens and clinical data collected and maintained at Kuakini since 1965 on 8,006 Japanese-American men recruited for the Honolulu Heart Program and Honolulu-Asia Aging study.

… No other study has been done so long or in such detail on such a large group of men, Willcox said. About 1,000 are still living, ranging from 89 to 107 years old, he said. …

“We then calculated how the DNA bases found at three locations on each gene were correlated with a comprehensive set of health criteria, including chronic diseases, disability and insulin levels.”

The results were “very surprising and exciting,” he said.

One location on the FOXO3A gene stood out, he said. Of the four chemical bases in the DNA code – adenine (A), guanine (G), cytosine (C) and thymine (T) – most participants had the base T on both chromosomes at that location, he said.

But those who had the G base instead of T when they were originally examined had better health, he said. And 15 years later the G base was more prominent in men who averaged 98 years old than those who reached only an average age of 78, suggesting it was a factor in survival, Willcox said.

The researchers also found those who were carriers of the G allele (an alternative form of a gene) doubled their chances of living an average 98 years and some as long as 106 years. Men who had two G copies almost tripled their odds of living nearly a century and were healthier at older ages, according to the study. – starb

So really, what this study has found is that FOXO3A is a master regulator of the many little genes that have been implicated in ageing. Which was already expected based on homology, but it turns out this is really true in humans. And with a very strong correlation too – now we just have to investigate this further. Does it have this effect in women? Can we extend the lifespan of mice by genetic interventions, perhaps changing the alleles of this gene? And will this allow us to extend human lifespan past 100-120 years? – hplus

… the “survivor” version of the gene was associated with significantly lower fasting insulin and a reduced risk of heart disease. … maintaining good insulin sensitivity is a prerequisite for membership of the hard-core grey hair brigade…  researchers argue that FOXO3A probably influences life expectancy primarily through an effect on insulin regulation, which fits plausibly with its known role in the insulin signaling pathway. – sciblogs

This is all interesting, but what can we DO about it? In my next post I’ll investigate how to increase your insulin sensitivity.

Insulin sensitivity and long life

… Scientists have known since the 1930s that yeast and many animal species live 30 to 50 percent longer when they are fed a spartan diet, containing about one-third fewer calories than normal. One frequently observed effect of this extreme diet is an improved sensitivity to insulin. This sensitivity causes the body to produce less of the hormone. At the other extreme, people with type 2 diabetes have poor insulin sensitivity, so their bodies ramp up insulin production to compensate.

Blackwell and his colleagues studied how insulin regulates a protein called SKN-1 in roundworms. This protein orchestrates a family of detoxification enzymes that protect cells by removing free radicals–vandals of the cellular world that can shorten life span. The team found that insulin decreases the activity of SKN-1, throttling down these detoxification enzymes and leaving cells less protected.

Boosting SKN-1 levels by adding extra copies of the gene for SKN-1 extended the worms’ life spans by 25 to 30 percent, the researchers report in the March 21 Cell.

“The fact that having more SKN-1 around is sufficient to extend life span is a very important result,” comments Matt Kaeberlein, a longevity researcher at the University of Washington in Seattle. “That’s proof that SKN-1 is really involved in aging.”

A study published last year in Nature did show that SKN-1 within nerve cells in roundworms’ heads is essential for the life-extending effects of calorie restriction (SN: 6/30/07, p.414), but the new study shows a variant of the protein in the gut influences aging in a different way–one that’s controlled by insulin.

One explanation for why insulin appears to shorten an animal’s life span could be that insulin requires an oxidizing chemical environment–friendly to free radicals–to do its primary function of regulating blood sugar. To disarm free radicals, the detoxification enzymes create the opposite environment, a reducing one. So the body might be trading a bit of cellular damage for the sake of improving insulin’s ability to do its job, Blackwell suggests. – findarticles

Is Sleeping Good for the Heart?

For those who are always looking for an excuse to sleep in, or sleep more, your search is not in vain: According to new research, hours spent sleeping protects against calcium deposits in the coronary arteries — the deposits responsible for heart attacks.

A study published this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association by Christopher King and colleagues from the University of Chicago has found a relationship between sleep quantity (hours spent asleep) and calcium build up — or calcification — in the arteries that supply the heart muscle with blood.

For each additional hour of sleep, the risk of calcification of the coronary arteries decreased by 33 percent — an outcome equal to reducing blood pressure by 16 point elevations.  … This report focused on nearly 500 patients at the Chicago CARDIA site. – abcnews

Right, and for those who have been paying attention, there was this story in 2002:

Eight hours’ sleep a night has long been touted as the ideal length of time to spend under the duvet but new research suggests it could shorten your life.

A study that included more than a million participants found people who sleep eight hours or more died younger.

Those who only managed four or less hours in the land of nod were similarly affected but six or seven hours a night was found to be conducive to a longer life.

The research, carried out by scientists at the University of California, showed a clear association between long duration sleep and high mortality rates. … The US study showed that a group sleeping eight hours were 12% more likely to die within the six year period covered by the study than those sleeping seven hours.

The study, involving 1.1million people was the first large-scale population study of sleep to take into account variables such as age, diet, exercise, previous health problems and risk factors such as smoking.

The study also found that occasional bouts of insomnia were not linked to higher death rates.

However, it concluded that people who take sleeping pills are more likely to die earlier. – bbc

So,  which is it?  How long should we be sleeping? I’m sticking with 7 hours because that study had a larger sample size. I’m sleepy now. Hope you all had a nice X-Mas. – Xeno.

An elephant painted this

An elephant painted this, originally uploaded by xeno735.

Update: Okay, dogsounds, here is some proof: a different but very similar painting of an elephant by an elephant. I’m guessing by the same elephant.

More info:

The elephant was taught how to paint elephants, but I still find it amazing. Humans have to be taught how to paint humans, too.

LOCATION:Chiang Mai, THAILAND

CAMP: Maetaman Elephant Camp

ART TEACHER: Khun Tossapol Petcharattanakool

At eight years old, Hong maintains a very curious nature. She loves to investigate everything and once managed to use her trunk to open the door of a truck. This kind of curiosity made Hong a natural candidate for artistic instruction.

Two years ago, Hong began painting with her mahout, Noi Rakchang, and has steadily developed her skills. After learning how to paint flowers, she moved on to more advanced paintings. She now has two specialties. One is an elephant holding flowers with her trunk, and the other is the Thai flag. An elephant with so much control and dexterity is capable of amazing work. Just for clarification, with these realistic figural works, the elephant is still the only one making the marks on the paper but the paintings are learned series of brushstrokes not Hong painting a still life on her own.

We are sure that as Hong continues to investigate her artistic side, her paintings will become even more beautiful. – elephantart

Could non-human primates could be taught to paint their own likenesses?

Orangutan translates as “forest person” and this Primate is

the 2nd largest Ape – mature adults can weigh over 300lbs.

The above is by a human, but seeing what an elephant can do, I wonder.