Posts Tagged ‘allstarhealth’

Nutrition Research News

May 29th, 2009

What’s new from the world of nutritional research and how will the latest findings influence the supplements you use? Find out in today’s AllStarHealth.com blog.

As most readers as probably aware, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is an increasingly-common degenerative disease of the nervous system. Still lacking a cure or a even clear etiology, Alzheimer’ s involves a gradual loss of nervous system function, ultimately erasing a the victims memory, personality and ability to function and care for themselves, let alone others. Most readers are also probably aware that AD is devastating to both victims and caregivers. A considerable amount of research resources are now devoted to finding out more about Alzheimer’s and discovering drugs and natural substances which may be protect against Alzheimer’s. A new study suggests that grape seed extract may protect against the very process responsible for the progressive loss of mental functions that characterizes Alzheimer’s.

In a study reminiscent of the back-and-forth over whether beta carotene increases lung cancer risk in smokers or not, a study now suggests that curcumin too can increase the risk of lung cancer development when cancer-promoting factors like smoking, or a history of smoking, are present. As a possible mechanism for this effect, the researchers suggested that curcumin may promote cancer in smokers by accelerating the formation of free radicals in damaged lung tissue.