Social Connections Influence Our Genes

Scientists are discovering that the environment plays a powerful role in biology, including influencing gene expression. For example, researchers found that social circumstances influenced gene expression in cancer cells. More than 220 genes were turned on in the cancer cells of women with low levels of social support and high levels of depression. These genes were not active in women with good social support. Some of the genes that were turned on were associated with higher rates of cancer spreading from one organ to another. These and other studies are showing that at a molecular level, social and emotional factors relate to physical health. These scientists are studying "the psychology of cells" and proving that genes and the environment are linked. Your genetic capacity can be compared to a sandbox of possibilities, but what kind of castle you build depends upon your experiences.

Carrageenan May Be Carcinogenic

Carrageenan, a common and food additive that comes from red seaweed, is used as a thickener and emulsifier in many processed foods, such as ice cream, yogurt, cottage cheese, soy milk and other processed food products. Many of these products may be so-called health foods. Based on results of animal studies, it has been tagged by some as an unsafe product that may cause ulcerations and cancers of the gastrointestinal tract. According to Dr Andrew Weil, the evidence is compelling enough to avoid carrageenan in any product, especially if you have GI disorders such as irritable bowel disease.

Omega-3s May Reduce Symptoms of Depression in the Elderly

According to findings published in The Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging, depressed women who received daily supplements containing 2.5 grams of omega-3 experienced significant reductions in their symptoms.

In addition, researchers from the University of Pavia also report that omega-3 supplements providing a daily EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) dose of 1.67 grams and a daily DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) dose of 0.83 grams reported improvements in the ‘quality of life’.

“This [quality of life] observation has never been achieved before and it appears of great value from the clinical point of view, due to the importance of these aspects in the elderly population,” wrote the researchers.

“The concept of quality of life is defined as a perceived global satisfaction and satisfaction within a number of key domains, with special emphasis on well-being.

“Therefore, the amelioration of quality of life in depressed elderly patients after supplementation with omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids is an important finding,” they added.

Jury’s still out?

The link between omega-3 and mood is complex and data to date is contradictory. For example, in researchers from Norway reported that regular and long-term intake of omega-3 fatty acid-rich cod liver oil may protect people from symptoms of depression (Journal of Affective Disorders).

Moreover, a joint Anglo-Iranian study reported that depression ratings were cut by 50 per cent following daily one gram supplements of EPA, an effect similar to that obtained by the antidepressant drug fluoxetine, according to findings published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry.

Despite this growing number of studies, the science overall is unsufficient to support a link between omega-3 and depression, said the British Medical Journal's Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin (DTB) in February 2007.

"Despite observational evidence linking depression with reduced intake of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, there is no convincing basis for using these nutrients as a [means of alleviating] the condition," stated the DTB.

Commenting on the findings, Harry Rice, PhD, VP regulatory & scientific affairs for the Global Organization for EPA and DHA Omega-3s (GOED) welcomed the findings and said that they were not only statistically significant, “but clinically significant in that long-chain omega-3 intake improved quality of life while decreasing the severity of depression in elderly females not taking any antidepressant medication”.

“The logical next question is ‘Do the results hold up in elderly men not taking antidepressant medication?’

“While the results are exciting with potential clinical utility, it’s a stretch to conclude that the results support the theory that depression is a manifestation of a decrease in the omega-3 to omega-6 ratio caused by excessive omega-6 intake.

“For now, what can be concluded is that long-chain omega-3 supplementation reduced depressive symptoms, while improving quality of life, in elderly women. The public health implications of such findings are widespread,” added Dr Rice.

L-theanine May Increase Concentration and Promote Relaxation

Daily supplements of L-theanine, an amino acid found in tea, may help people with anxiety focus on their daily activities, suggests a new study from Japan.
On the other hand, people with minimal anxiety levels did not experience any benefits from supplementation, according to findings published in the Journal of Functional Foods.

“Given that L-theanine is a relaxant, it is directly or indirectly involved at the neurochemical level and thus it is impacted by a number of neurotransmitter systems,” wrote the scientists from the University of Shiga Prefecture and Taiyo Kagaku.

“Therefore, 200 mg of L-theanine intake may help normal people with high anxiety propensity to concentrate on their daily activities.”

The study used Taiyo Kagaku’s Suntheanine-branded L-theanine ingredient, and the Japanese company funded the study.

L-theanine, an amino acid found in tea leaves, is thought to help reduce stress, promote relaxation and improve the quality of sleep. L-theanine is found in tea leaves in low concentrations (less than 2 percent), which means that effective dosage levels (of 100 – 200mg/day) cannot be delivered from drinking tea.

Various health effects have been associated with L-theanine, including relaxation, neuroprotective effects, and improved attention.

During rest, L-theanine increases alpha activity in EEG models - suggesting greater relaxation. Whilst the amino acid is known to induce changes in alpha activity that indicates increased attentional processing during tasks that require attention.

The new study confirmed the dose of 200 mg for “enhanced performance in visual attention task, and reaction time response, among the subjects with higher anxiety propensity symptoms”.

Blueberries May Help Reduce Fat Cells

The benefits of blueberry consumption have been demonstrated in several nutrition studies, more specifically the cardio-protective benefits derived from their high polyphenol content. Blueberries have shown potential to have a positive effect on everything from aging to metabolic syndrome. Recently, a researcher from Texas Woman's University (TWU) in Denton, TX, examined whether blueberries could play a role in reducing one of the world's greatest health challenges: obesity. Shiwani Moghe, MS, a graduate student at TWU, decided to evaluate whether blueberry polyphenols play a role in adipocyte differentiation, the process in which a relatively unspecialized cell acquires specialized features of an adipocyte, an animal connective tissue cell specialized for the synthesis and storage of fat. Plant polyphenols have been shown to fight adipogenesis, which is the development of fat cells, and induce lipolysis, which is the breakdown of lipids/fat.

Green Tea May Help Memory

Daily supplements of a green tea extract may boost mental alertness and enhance memory, according to a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study from Korea.

Milk and sugar? Let me think about it...
A combination of a green tea extract with L-theanine was associated with improvements in immediate and delayed recall, and general memory, according to findings published in the Journal of Medicinal Foods.

“As a natural ingredient with a long history of consumption, LGNC-07 [ – a combination of green tea extract and L-theanine - ] should be considered as a potential nutraceutical candidate for enhancing cognitive performance,” according to the researchers.

The majority of science on tea has looked at green tea, with benefits reported for reducing the risk of Alzheimer's and certain cancers, improving cardiovascular and oral health, as well as aiding in weight management.

Green tea contains between 30 and 40 per cent of water-extractable polyphenols, while black tea (green tea that has been oxidized by fermentation) contains between 3 and 10 per cent. Oolong tea is semi-fermented tea and is somewhere between green and black tea. The four primary polyphenols found in fresh tea leaves are epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), epigallocatechin, epicatechin gallate, and epicatechin.

Sugar and Fatty Foods as Addictive as Drugs

The brain's response to the tempting appeal of a sugary, fatty milkshake or to a bag of salty, greasy snack chips appears to be the same response a drug addict's brain exhibits when anticipating the next "hit," suggests a new study published in the journal Archives of General Psychiatry. Ashley Gearhardt of Yale University and her colleagues found that the addictive nature of many junk foods is literally the same as the addictive nature of drugs.

The team analyzed the brains of a group of 48 young women, who were tempted with either a chocolate milkshake or a tasteless beverage solution. Based on data gathered using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), the team discovered that the women's anterior cingulate cortex and the medial orbitofrontal cortex -- two areas of the brain known to respond to drug addiction -- both responded to sensory cravings for the milkshake, regardless of the women's weight.