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Posts in ‘Complementary medicines’

Curcumin curry’s secret agent

Nov 13

Curcumin curry’s secret agent: behind all great spices are powerful healing compounds. for the curry seasoning turmeric, that hidden gem is curcumin—a potent antioxidant that quells inflammation and keeps the mind sharp

Jack ChallemCurcumin is a potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory with potentially far-reaching health benefits. Based on human, animal, and cell studies, it may be helpful in rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, pancreatitis, Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, diabetic retinopathy, and cancer. All of these diseases share underlying inflammation that curcumin can diminish.

ALIAS: If you have ever eaten curry or cooked with the spice turmeric (which gives curry its yellowish color), you’ve consumed curcumin. Curry uses turmeric, obtained from the roots of Curcuma longa. Curcumin, consisting of several curcuminoids, is the active constituent of turmeric. Biologically, turmeric is related to ginger.

HOW IT WORKS: Curcumin works through several well-established mechanisms. An antioxidant in its own right, it also boosts levels of glutathione S-transferase, one of the body’s principal antioxidants. It blocks the formation of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), a compound that promotes inflammation within the body.

To get technical for a moment: Curcumin also inhibits activity of “nuclear factor kappa beta,” another substance involved in inflammation. In addition, it reduces the activity of cydooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX), two more inflammation-promoting enzymes. Finally, curcumin prevents mutations to DNA, in effect helping to maintain younger, healthier cells.

HEALTH BENEFITS: Supplemental curcumin can help with the following conditions and diseases:

* Rheumatoid arthritis. In a study conducted at the University of Arizona Health Sciences Center in Tucson, researchers used a curcumin-rich turmeric extract to treat rheumatoid arthritis in laboratory animals. The extract blocked joint inflammation and the breakdown of joint cartilage and bone. It worked by inhibiting genes involved in inflammation.

* Cancer. Curcumin holds tremendous promise in preventing cancer and as an adjunct treatment. Animal studies show that curcumin can protect against colon, intestinal, oral, and skin cancers. Its benefits derive from several mechanisms. First, it blocks the cell-growth cycle (a process called apoptosis) in cancer cells, leading to cell destruction. It also reduces free radicals and inflammation, both of which can lead to cancer-causing cell mutations.

* Liver and kidney protection. Studies have found that curcumin can protect the liver against a variety of toxic compounds–important news for people suffering from liver diseases, such as hepatitis or cirrhosis. In one recent study, researchers reported that curcumin increased the clearance of creatinine and urea, signs of improved kidney function. It also reduced liver damage from toxic chemicals and excess iron. Another study found that curcumin inhibited the activation and spread of the liver cells that play a role in the development of cirrhosis.

* Ulcerative colitis. Japanese doctors recently used curcumin, drags, or placebos to treat 89 patients with ulcerative colitis. A combination of curcumin and conventional medications led to the greatest benefits over six months of treatment. Patients took 1,000 mg of curcumin after breakfast and again after dinner.

* Other inflammatory diseases. Because inflammation is the underpinning of all chronic degenerative diseases, curcumin will likely be beneficial for many different conditions. Research so far has identified curcumin’s benefits for diabetic retinopathy, lung disorders, and such skin problems as psoriasis. A dose of 3.6 g (3,600 mg) of curcumin reduced PGE2 levels by two-thirds in just one hour. After one month of daily consumption, PGE2 levels were 57 percent lower than before supplementation began.

BACKGROUND CHECK: Turmeric, the source of curcumin, has been used as a culinary spice for at least 2,000 years. It was listed in an Assyrian herbal in 600 BC, used by ancient Greeks, and widely recommended in Ayurvedic medicine. It is native to India and other regions of South Asia.

GLEANINGS: Eating a lot of curry–rich in curcumin–may reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and help maintain mental function. In a study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, researchers reported that people who often ate curry had half the risk of becoming mentally impaired. Eating curry on occasion reduced the risk of mental decline by a little more than one third.

HEADS UP: Curcumin is safe in amounts from 500 to 8,000 mg daily.

WHAT YOU SHOULD TAKE: Most supplements provide 500 mg of curcumin. Turmeric is safe in even larger amounts, but is usually limited by taste as a spice. Look for a standardized supplement containing at least 90 percent curcumin. Use curry spice to flavor homemade chicken salad.

COPYRIGHT 2007 PRIMEDIA Intertec, a PRIMEDIA Company. All Rights Reserved.
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning

Complementary medicines, Eezapein, alternative, arthritis, capsaicin, curcumin, herbs, immune system, inflammation     0 Comments

Ginger may relieve nausea during early pregnancy

Nov 13

Between 50 and 80 percent of women experience nausea and vomiting during the first trimester of pregnancy. Many complementary and alternative therapies are perceived to be safe and are used by many pregnant women, but little is known about their relative effectiveness. At least three randomized controlled trials have found ginger to be more effective than placebo in short-term trials. No adverse effects were apparent for mother or baby; however, animal studies have associated ginger with early embryo loss and accelerated growth in surviving embryos. Smith and colleagues compared ginger with vitamin [B.sub.6] in the treatment of nausea and vomiting in women before the 16th week of pregnancy.

The study included women attending an Australian teaching hospital for obstetric care. Participants were women with nausea or vomiting who were at eight to 16 weeks’ gestation as confirmed by ultrasonography. Women were excluded from the study if they had any signs of dehydration or indications of other pathology causing nausea or vomiting or if they had a known allergy to ginger or vitamin [B.sub.6]. The 291 women were randomly allocated to receive ginger (350 mg) or vitamin [B.sub.6] (25 mg) three times daily for three weeks. The two preparations appeared identical, and participants and physicians were blinded to treatment allocation. All women provided demographic and health status information plus a standardized index of nausea and vomiting before randomization. Health status and the nausea/vomiting index were reassessed at days 7, 14, and 21. Data also were gathered concerning side effects and adverse pregnancy outcomes.

The 146 women randomized to receive ginger were comparable with the 145 women assigned to receive vitamin [B.sub.6]. At the end of the three-week trial, 82 percent of participants had completed and returned their data. Both treatments were effective in reducing symptoms. The two treatments appeared to be equivalent in overall scores and in the proportion of women reporting freedom from symptoms. Improvements were reported by 68 women (53 percent) receiving ginger compared with 69 women (55 percent) receiving vitamin [B.sub.6]. Women reported tolerating both medicines well, but belching was significantly more common with ginger (9 percent compared with zero percent). Dry retching after swallowing the tablet was reported by about one half of the women in each group. Pregnancy complications and outcomes were similar in the two treatment groups.

The authors conclude that ginger reduces nausea and vomiting in early pregnancy and is comparable in effect to vitamin [B.sub.6].

Smith C, et al. A randomized controlled trial of ginger to treat nausea and vomiting in pregnancy. Obstet Gynecol April 2004;103:639-45.

Anne D. Walling

COPYRIGHT 2005 American Academy of Family Physicians
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning

Complementary medicines, ginger, nausea     0 Comments

Vitamin D-fense against disease: studies show vitamin D benefits more than just your bones. It may help you ward off heart disease, diabetes and some cancers

Nov 13

Our understanding of vitamin D has evolved. Once believed to be a central player only in bone health, vitamin D is now known to be integral to overall well-being.

“There’s a relationship not only with bone health, but with immunity and anti-inflammatory components,” says Cindy Moore, MS, RD, director of nutrition therapy at Cleveland Clinic. “Vitamin D has a role in many different types of actions within the body.”

Though we know more about vitamin D today, as many as 50-90 percent of middle-aged and older adults aren’t getting enough of it, depending on which study you read.

Recent research highlights the benefits of vitamin D intake and the consequences of vitamin D deficiencies. An analysis of studies, published in the Sept. 10 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, suggested that people who took vitamin D supplements had a seven percent lower risk of death than those who didn’t. Also, a study presented at the American College of Rheumatology’s annual meeting in November found that low vitamin D levels may worsen knee osteoarthritis.

VITAMIN D AND YOU

Vitamin D is available in two forms: D2 (ergocalciferol) and D3 (cholecalciferol), the latter being the better-absorbed form found in most supplements. Your body converts vitamin D into an active form that aids in the absorption of calcium and phosphorus, which are vital to bone growth and repair.

Research also has demonstrated that vitamin D can reduce inflammation, the body’s immune response to injury that some experts suspect is a culprit in heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and prostate and colon cancers. Its anti-inflammatory properties may be one reason why some research has linked low vitamin D levels to the risk of these diseases.

HOW YOU GET YOUR D

Several factors may contribute to the burgeoning rates of vitamin D deficiency. It’s not prevalent in our diet, and unless you’re eating a lot of fatty fish or drinking plenty of fortified milk, you’re probably not getting enough from foods.

Vitamin D has been called the “sunshine vitamin” because your body produces it when the sun’s ultraviolet rays penetrate the skin. Sunscreens can hamper this penetration. Many people are getting less sun exposure, and the skin’s ability to make vitamin D from sunlight declines with age.

So, most people need supplements to get their daily vitamin D quota, but questions remain about how much you need. Most multivitamins contain 400-600 international units (IUs). The Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommends that adults ages 51-70 get 400 IUs and those 71 and older get 600 IUs daily. But, those guidelines are based on amounts needed for bone health, Moore says.

“The recommendations, at this point, may be adequate for bone mineralization, but may be inadequate for reducing the risk of some of these chronic diseases, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease,” she says.

Several studies looking at vitamin D’s effects on these diseases used doses ranging from 300-1,000 IUs, while others have gone as high as 2,000 IUs, the maximum dose (from food and supplements) deemed safe for adults by the IOM. Intakes above this amount can be toxic.

ASK YOUR DOCTOR

Since people process vitamin D differently–for example, people with dark skin synthesize less vitamin D from sunlight–Moore recommends consulting with your doctor about how much you need. You also might ask your physician about testing your vitamin D level.

“People should not self-medicate with vitamin D. There is true danger from exceeding the safe limits,” Moore says.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

* Include more vitamin D-fortified foods (such as milk and cereals) and vitamin D-rich fatty fish (salmon, tuna, mackerel) in your diet.

* Get 10-15 minutes of sun exposure without sunscreen at least twice a week on your face, hands, arms or back.

* If you need a supplement, look for products containing vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol).

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

HOW TO GET VITAMIN D FROM FOODS

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Here are some good dietary sources of vitamin D:

Food & serving size                        International    Daily
                                             units per     value %
                                              serving

Cod liver oil (1 tablespoon)                   1,360         340

Cooked salmon (3 1/2 ounces)                    360          90

Cooked mackerel (3 1/2 ounces)                  345          90

Sardines, canned in oil (1 3/4 ounces)          250          70

Tuna, canned in oil (3 ounces)                  200          50

D-fortified milk, all varieties (1 cup)         98           25

Ready-to-eat cereals fortified with 10 %        40           10
of the DV for vitamin D (3/4 to 1 cup)

Source: National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements

COPYRIGHT 2008 Belvoir Media Group, LLC
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning

Complementary medicines, VitaminD, cardiovascular diseas, diabetes, vitamins     0 Comments

Massage Therapy May Have Immediate Positive Effect On Pain And Mood For Advanced Cancer Patients

Oct 29

ScienceDaily (Sep. 16, 2008) — A new study from the National Institutes of Health finds that massage therapy may have immediate benefits on pain and mood among patients with advanced cancer. The study appears in the September 16, 2008 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine.

In a randomized trial of 380 advanced cancer patients at 15 U.S. hospices, improvement in pain and mood immediately following treatment was greater with massage than with simple touch.

“When patients near the end of life, the goals of medical care change from trying to cure disease to making the patient as comfortable as possible,” said Jean S. Kutner, MD, MSPH, Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine at the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine. “This study is important because it shows massage is a safe and effective way to provide immediate relief to patients with advanced cancer.”

Pain and depressed mood are common problems for patients with advanced cancer. While drug therapies can reduce symptoms, they don’t always work and often have troublesome side effects. Researchers think that massage may interrupt the cycle of distress, offering brief physical and psychological benefits. Physically, massage may decrease inflammation and edema, increase blood and lymphatic circulation, and relax muscle spasms. Psychologically, massage may promote relaxation, release endorphins, and create a positive experience that distracts temporarily from pain and depression.

Researchers caution that while massage may offer some immediate relief for patients with advanced cancer, the effects do not last over time, demonstrating the need for more effective strategies to manage pain at the end of life.

Adapted from materials provided by American College of Physicians, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

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Many Cancer Patients Receive Insufficient Pain Management Therapy

Oct 29

ScienceDaily (Sep. 10, 2008) — Pain is one of the most common symptoms of cancer patients, yet many of them do not receive adequate therapy for the pain caused by their disease or treatments, according to a study in the September 1 issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics, the official journal of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology.

For cancer patients, pain can come from the cancer itself, chronic inflammatory changes or infections. Standard cancer treatments, such as surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy can also cause pain, but despite its common occurrence, pain is a frequent source of patient anxiety due to improper management.

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania Department of Radiation Oncology in Philadelphia and the Radiation Oncology Branch of the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Md., sought to determine the main reasons that patients fail to receive optimal pain therapy.

Between November 2005 and April 2006, 106 radiation therapy patients responded to an Internet-based questionnaire that evaluated their medication use, pain control and attitudes toward pain medication, including prescription and over-the-counter pain medications. Fifty-eight percent reported pain from their cancer treatment and 46 percent of patients reported pain directly from their cancer, yet 80 percent of those patients said that they did not use medication to manage their pain.

Most patients said the main reason they did not take pain medication was because their healthcare provider did not recommend it. This reason was followed by a fear of addiction or dependence and the inability to pay. Some patients also reported using alternative therapies for pain relief, including physical therapy, massage and acupuncture.

“To eliminate barriers to optimal pain management for cancer patients, healthcare providers should talk with their patients about pain symptoms and pain medications,” Charles Simone, M.D., a resident at the National Cancer Institute Radiation Oncology Branch in Bethesda, Md. and lead author of the study, said. “At our institution we have taken these steps by transitioning to an electronic medical record system that has been designed to require an evaluation and documentation of patient pain levels and pain medication responses by healthcare providers at each patient encounter.”

Adapted from materials provided by American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

Complementary medicines, Eezapein, achy muscles, alternative, arthritis, burning, can't sleep, cancer, chemotherapy, fatigue, fight infection, immune system, inflammation, medication, pain, pain management     0 Comments

Chicken Soup May Help Fight High Blood Pressure

Oct 29

ScienceDaily (Oct. 19, 2008) — Chicken soup, that popular home remedy for the common cold sometimes known as “Grandma’s Penicillin,” may have a new role alongside medication and other medical measures in fighting high blood pressure, scientists in Japan are reporting.

Ai Saiga and colleagues cite previous studies indicating that chicken breast contains collagen proteins with effects similar to ACE inhibitors, mainstay medications for treating high blood pressure.

But chicken breast contains such small amounts of the proteins that it could not be used to develop food and medical products for high blood pressure. Chicken legs and feet, often discarded as waste products in the U.S. but key soup ingredients elsewhere, appear to be a better source.

In the new study, Saiga and colleagues extracted collagen from chicken legs and tested its ability to act as an ACE inhibitor in the laboratory studies. They identified four different proteins in the collagen mixture with high ACE-inhibitory activity. Given to rats used to model human high blood pressure, the proteins produced a significant and prolonged decrease in blood pressure, the researchers say.

Angiotensin I-Converting Enzyme-Inhibitory Peptides Obtained from Chicken Collagen Hydrolysate. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, October 2008; DOI: 10.1021/jf072669w Adapted from materials provided by American Chemical Society

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Cancer Treatment: How Eating Fruit And Vegetables Can Improve Cancer Patients’ Response To Chemotherapy

Oct 29

ScienceDaily (Oct. 24, 2008) — The leading cause of death in all cancer patients continues to be the resistance of tumor cells to chemotherapy, a form of treatment in which chemicals are used to kill cells.

Now a study by UC Riverside biochemists that focuses on cancer cells reports that ingesting apigenin – a naturally occurring dietary agent found in vegetables and fruit – improves cancer cells’ response to chemotherapy.

Xuan Liu, a professor of biochemistry, and Xin Cai, a postdoctoral researcher working in her lab, found that apigenin localizes tumor suppressor p53, a protein, in the cell nucleus – a necessary step for killing the cell that results in some tumor cells responding to chemotherapy.

The study, published in the online early edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, provides a novel approach to conquer tumor resistance to chemotherapy, and suggests an avenue for developing safe chemotherapy via naturally occurring agents.

Normally, cells have low levels of p53 diffused in their cytoplasm and nucleus. When DNA in the nucleus is damaged, p53 moves to the nucleus where it activates genes that stop cell growth and cause cell death. In this way, p53 ensures that cells with damaged DNA are killed.

In many cancers, p53 is rendered inactive by a process called cytoplasmic sequestration. Apigenin is able to activate p53 and transport it into the nucleus, resulting in a stop to cell growth and cell death.

“In therapy you want to kill cancer cells,” explained Cai, the first author of the research paper. “But to stop cell growth and to kill the cell, p53 first needs to be moved to the cell’s nucleus to function. Apigenin is very effective in localizing p53 this way.”

Apigenin is mainly found in fruit (including apples, cherries, grapes), vegetables (including parsley, artichoke, basil, celery), nuts and plant-derived beverages (including tea and wine). It has been shown by researchers to have growth inhibitory properties in several cancer lines, including breast, colon, skin, thyroid and leukemia cells. It has also been shown to inhibit pancreatic cancer cell proliferation.

“Our study advocates the inclusion of vegetables and fruit in our daily diet to help prevent cancer,” said Liu, the research paper’s coauthor.

The National Institutes of Health supported the five-year study.

Next in their research Liu and Cai plan to design therapies for cancer by finding compounds that are like, but perform better than, apigenin.

Adapted from materials provided by University of California - Riverside

Complementary medicines, Green Tea, Red Wine, anti-cancer agents, anti-cancer food, antioxidants, blueberries, breast cancer, cancer, cancer studies, cancer trends, chemotherapy, colon cancer, diets with antioxidants, fruit, grapes, herbs, immune system, kiwi fruit, red grapes, tangerine, vegetables, whole grains     0 Comments

Acupuncture And Myofascial Trigger Therapy Treat Same Pain Areas

Oct 29

ScienceDaily (May 14, 2008) — Ancient acupuncture and modern myofascial pain therapy each focus on hundreds of similar points on the body to treat pain, although they do it differently, says a physician at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville who analyzed the two techniques.

Results of the study, published May 10 in the Journal of Complementary and Alternative Medicine, suggest that people who want relief from chronic musculoskeletal pain may benefit from either therapy, says chronic pain specialist Dr. Peter Dorsher of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Mayo Clinic.

“This may come as a surprise to those who perform the two different techniques, because the notion has been that these are exclusive therapies separated by thousands of years,” he says. “But this study shows that in the treatment of pain disorders, acupuncture and myofascial techniques are fundamentally similar – and this is good news for anyone looking for relief.”

Classic Chinese acupuncture treats pain and a variety of health disorders using fine needles to “reset” nerve transmission, Dorsher says. Needles are inserted in one or several of 361 classical acupoints to target specific organs or pain problems. “This is a very safe and effective technique,” he says.

Myofascial trigger-point therapy, which has evolved since the mid-1800s, focuses on tender muscle or “trigger point” regions. There are about 255 such regions described by the Trigger Point Manual, the seminal textbook on myofascial pain. These are believed to be sensitive and painful areas of muscle and fascia, the web of soft tissue that surrounds muscle, bones, organs and other body structures. To relieve pain at these trigger points, practitioners use injections, deep pressure, massage, mechanical vibration, electrical stimulation and stretching, among other techniques.

In the study, Dorsher analyzed studies published on both techniques and demonstrated that acupuncture points and trigger points are anatomically and clinically similar in their uses for treatment of pain disorders.

In another recent study, he found that at least 92 percent of common trigger points anatomically corresponded with acupoints, and that their clinical correspondence in treating pain was more than 95 percent. “That means that the classical acupoint was in the same body region as the trigger point, was used for the same type of pain problem, and the trigger point referred pain pattern followed the meridian pathway of that acupoint described by the Chinese more than 2,000 years before,” Dorsher says. Myofascial pain therapy has lately incorporated the use of acupuncture needles in a treatment called “dry needling” to treat muscle trigger points.

“I think it is fair to say that the myofascial pain tradition represents an independent rediscovery of the healing principles of traditional Chinese medicine,” Dorsher says. “What likely unites these two disciplines is the nervous system, which transmits pain.”

The study was funded by Mayo Clinic.

Chinese medicine, Complementary medicines, alternative, myofascial pain, pain     0 Comments

How Stress Affects the Immune System

Sep 26

We have known for some time that stress affects our immune systems. Many studies have shown that stress can suppress the immune system, but other studies have shown boosts in the immune system under stress. A July 2004 meta-analysis of 293 studies conducted over the past 30 years puts the pieces of the puzzle together. Psychologists Suzanne Segerstrom, Ph.D., and Gregory Miller, Ph.D. found the following:

  • Stress does indeed affect the immune system in powerful ways.
  • Short-term stressors boost the immune system. It seems that the “fight or flight” response prompts the immune system to ready itself for infections resulting from bites, punctures, scrapes or other challenges to the integrity of the body.
  • Chronic, long-term stress suppresses the immune system. The longer the stress, the more the immune system shifted from they adaptive changes seen in the “fight or flight”1 response to more negative changes, first at the cellular level and later in broader immune function. The most chronic stressors – stress that seems beyond a person’s control or seems endless – resulted in the most global suppression of immunity. Almost all measures of immune system function dropped across the board.
  • The immune systems of the elderly or those already sick are more subject to stress-related changes.

In reaching these conclusions the authors looked at the effects of the various stressors on different immune responses, such as “natural” and “specific” immunity. They summarized the results of the studies that looked at each of these types of stress:

Natural immunity produces quick-acting, all-purpose cells that can attack many pathogens; they bring fever and inflammation.

The body takes a few days to mount a more specific attack on particular invaders with specific immunity. This response includes lymphocytes (T-cells and B cells). Specific immunity has both cellular responses, which fight pathogens that get inside cells (such as viruses), and humoral responses, which fight pathogens that stay outside cells, such as bacteria and parasites. Segerstrom and Miller were able to assess how different types of immune response correlated with different types of stress because researchers have identified the blood markers of these different immune responses.

They divided stressors into different types:

Acute time-limited stressors: lab challenges such as public speaking or mental math.

Brief naturalistic stressors: real-world challenges such as academic tests.

Stressful event sequences: a focal event such as loss of a spouse or major natural disaster gives rise to a series of related challenges that people know at some point will end.

Chronic stressors: pervasive demands that force people to restructure their identity or social roles, without any clear end point – such as injury resulting in permanent disability, caring for a spouse with severe dementia, or being a refugee forced from one’s native country by war.

Distant stressors: traumatic experiences that occurred in the distant past yet can continue modifying the immune system because of their long-lasting emotional and cognitive consequences, such as child abuse, combat trauma or having been a prisoner of war. Much of their analysis goes on to review the similarities and differences among the 293 studies that they examined. These studies included a total of 18,941 subjects. “Stressful event sequences” appeared to be weakly associated with different immune consequences, depending on the type of event. There appeared to be different patterns for grief than for trauma, for example, but the associations weren’t strong enough for the authors to make new claims. They recommended further study.

The authors did find that the most chronic stressors - those which change people’s identities or social roles, are more beyond their control and seem endless - were associated with the most global suppression of immunity. In such situations almost all measures of immune function dropped across the board. The longer the stress, the more the immune system shifted from potentially adaptive changes (such as those in the acute “fight or flight” response) to potentially detrimental changes, at first in cellular immunity and then in broader immune function. This analysis suggests that stressors that turn a person’s world upside down and appear to offer no hope for the future probably have the greatest psychological and physiological impact.

The authors also found that age and disease status affected a person’s vulnerability to stress-related decreases in immune function. It seems that illness and age make it harder for the body to regulate itself.

This is a ground-breaking meta-analysis that helps us understand the complex relationship between stress and the immune system. It should lead to new treatments and to better stress management programs, especially for patients with HIV or other disorders that compromise immunity.

Reference: Segerstrom & Miller, 2004. Psychological Stress and the Human Immune System: A Meta-Analytic Study of 30 Years of Inquiry Psychological Bulletin, 130, 4.

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Cancer survivors: Take care of your body after treatment

Sep 26

From MayoClinic.com
Special to CNN.com

After your cancer treatment, you were eager to nurse your body back to health. But beyond your initial recovery, you might be interested in ways to improve your long-term health so that you can enjoy the years ahead as a cancer survivor.

The advice for cancer survivors is no different than the advice for anyone who wants to improve their health: Exercise and improve your diet. But for cancer survivors these strategies have added benefits — research shows these simple steps can improve your quality of life, smoothing your transition into survivorship. Follow this guide to what you can do to take care of your body after cancer treatment.

Exercise

Regular exercise increases your sense of well-being after cancer treatment and can speed your recovery. Cancer survivors who exercise often experience:

  • Increased strength and endurance
  • Stronger immune systems
  • Fewer signs and symptoms of depression
  • Less anxiety
  • Reduced fatigue
  • Less difficulty sleeping
  • Improved mood
  • Higher self-esteem

Adding physical activity to your daily routine won’t take a lot of extra work. Focus on small steps to make your life more active. Take the stairs more often or park farther from your destination and walk the rest of the way. Check with your doctor before you begin any exercise program.

With your doctor’s approval, start slowly and work your way up. The American Cancer Society recommends adult cancer survivors exercise for at least 30 minutes five or more days a week. As you recover and adjust, you might find more exercise makes you feel even better.

Sometimes you won’t feel like exercising, and that’s OK. Don’t feel guilty if lingering treatment side effects, such as fatigue, keep you sidelined. When you feel up to it, take a walk around the block. Do what you can, but know that rest is important to your recovery as well.

While exercise has many benefits, there’s no evidence that exercise can keep your cancer from coming back. Many cancer survivors are concerned about cancer recurrence and want to do all they can to avoid it. It’s not clear why cancer recurs in some people but not in others. Exercise won’t stop your cancer from recurring, but it can make you feel better and help prevent other diseases, such as heart disease.

Eat a balanced diet

Vary your diet to include lots of fruits and vegetables, as well as whole grains. When it comes to selecting your entrees, the American Cancer Society recommends that cancer survivors:

  • Eat five or more servings of fruits and vegetables every day
  • Choose healthy fats, including omega-3 fatty acids, rather than saturated fats or trans fats
  • Select proteins that are low in saturated fat, such as fish, lean meats, eggs, nuts, seeds and legumes
  • Opt for healthy sources of carbohydrates, such as whole grains, legumes, and fruits and vegetables

This combination of foods will ensure that you’re eating plenty of the vitamins and nutrients you need to help make your body strong.

While it may be tempting to supplement your diet with a host of vitamin and mineral supplements, resist that urge. Some cancer survivors think that if a small amount of vitamins is good, a large amount must be even better. But that isn’t the case. In fact, large amounts of certain nutrients can hurt you. If you’re concerned about getting all the vitamins you need, ask your doctor if taking a daily multivitamin is right for you.

No special diet is known to prevent cancer from recurring. However, some preliminary research in breast cancer survivors indicates that a low-fat diet may reduce the chance of breast cancer recurring. In this study, which has yet to be completed, it isn’t clear whether the slight reduction in breast cancer recurrence was from women eating less fat or from women losing weight on the restricted diet. It also isn’t clear if a low-fat diet has any application to other cancer survivors.

Maintain a healthy weight

You may have gained or lost weight during treatment. Try to get your weight to a healthy level. Talk to your doctor about what a healthy weight is for you and the best way to go about achieving that goal weight.

For cancer survivors who need to gain weight, this will likely involve coming up with ways to make food more appealing and easier to eat. You and your doctor can work together to control nausea, pain or other side effects of cancer treatment that are preventing you from getting the nutrition you need. Losing even more weight can reduce your quality of life and make recovery more difficult.

For cancer survivors who need to lose weight, take steps to lose weight slowly — no more than 2 pounds a week. Control the number of calories you eat and balance this with exercise. If you need to lose a lot of weight, it can seem daunting. Take it slowly and stick to it. Any amount of weight loss can help you feel better about yourself and improve your health.

Stop using tobacco

Kick the habit once and for all. Smoking or using chewing tobacco puts you at risk of several types of cancer. Stopping now could reduce your risk of cancer recurrence and also reduce your risk of developing a second type of cancer (second primary cancer).

If you’ve tried quitting in the past but haven’t had much success, seek help. Talk to your doctor about resources to help you quit.

Drink alcohol in moderation, if at all

If you choose to drink alcohol, keep it to a minimum. At most, women and anyone over 65 should drink no more than one drink a day, and men should drink no more than two drinks a day.

Alcohol does have health benefits in some people — for instance, consuming a drink or two a day can reduce your risk of heart disease. But it also increases the risk of certain cancers, including those of the mouth, throat, liver and breast. While it isn’t clear whether drinking alcohol can cause cancer recurrence, it can increase your risk of a second primary cancer.

Weigh the risks and benefits of drinking alcohol carefully and talk it over with your doctor.

Do what you can

While you may fear it will take an entire overhaul of your lifestyle to achieve all these goals, do what you can and make changes slowly. Easing into a healthy diet or regular exercise will make it more likely that you’ll stick with these changes for the rest of your life.

· Cancer survivors: What to expect with follow-up care

· On the job with cancer: Managing common workplace challenges

· Cancer survivors: Relationships with family and friends after treatment

· Cancer survivors: Late effects of cancer treatment

· Cancer survivors: Managing your emotions after cancer treatment

· Sexuality after cancer treatment: What women can expect

· Sexuality after cancer treatment: What men can expect

· Cancer recurrence: What it means and how to cope

October 05, 2005

Complementary medicines, Uncategorized, alternative, anti-cancer food, antioxidants, appetite change, excercise, herbs, immune system, insomnia, men, natural healing, nervous system, prevention, sleeping trouble, survival, vitamin C, whole grains, women     0 Comments
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