Immune System Health

Phytoestrogens for Men Support Healthy Hormones, Prostate, Heart and More

Phytoestrogens for men? According to numerous scientists and medical professionals, phytoestrogens—plant compounds that mimic the female hormone estrogen in the body—may play an important role in men’s health. This article describes phytoestrogens, the benefits men might reap from incorporating them into their health regiment and attempts to dispel misconceptions about certain side effects men might experience resulting from exposure to phytoestrogens.

What Are Phytoestrogens?

Phytoestrogens are a subgrouping of what is medically referred to as phytohormones. Typically, these substances are produced by and found in plants, most notably in many of the fruits and vegetables people consume as part of their diets. Examples include produce like garlic, parsley, soybeans and soy products, carrots, kale, broccoli, potatoes, dates, cherries, apples, pomegranates, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, grain products and coffee beans. Among the two most studied and well-known types of phytoestrogens are isoflavones and lignans.

Though phytoestrogens are not thought to be as potent as the hormone estrogen, which is among the chief female reproductive hormones, those in the medical community have expressed confidence in their ability to precipitate many positive dietary and overall bodily health impacts. What is of even greater significance is that phytoestrogens are also believed to offer men many important health benefits.

Phytoestrogens for Men May Reduce the Risk of Prostate Cancer

Isoflavones, the phytoestrogens commonly found in soy and soy byproducts, may help reduce a man’s chances of being stricken with prostate and other hormone-related malignancies. No place has this fact been more evident than in Japan where the incidence of the disease is five times less likely than in the United States and other Western nations. Testosterone, the main male reproductive hormone, is known to serve as fuel for prostatic cancer cells and cause this specific type of cancer to grow and spread. Several therapeutic regiments are geared towards limiting or, in more severe cases, eliminating a man’s ability to produce testosterone. Scientific research has also shown soy might be effective in prohibiting the growth of prostate cells in men suffering from prostate cancer. Researchers think the correlation might be related to the diet of the average Japanese man, which is much higher in soy than of men in the United States and other western nations.

Exploring Additional Health Benefits of Phytoestrogens for Men

It is suggested that isoflavones may play a part in helping men maintain healthy levels of LDL, aka “bad” cholesterol in their bloodstreams. This type of cholesterol is responsible for precipitating cardiovascular problems such as coronary artery disease, strokes and peripheral artery afflictions. Studies conducted on Asian men, all of whom consume diets rich in soy products, revealed they experienced less incidence of heart disease. Prominent American health organizations, such as the Food and Drug Administration and the American Heart Association, have stamped soy as a heart-healthy product and recommends men include more edible items containing the nutrient in their diets.

Scientists and nutritionists have discovered many men, especially those of advanced ages, consume diets lacking protein. For the most part, foods rich in soy are thought to be healthy but also contain enough protein to help those deficient in the critical dietary component meet—at a minimum—the nutrient’s recommended daily allowances.

Lignans: The Other Phytoestrogen for Men’s Health

Like isoflavones, the phytoestrogens known as lignans are thought to provide added protection in the fight against various forms of cancer, as well as aid in the reduction of cholesterol levels. However, scientists believe these chemicals possess several health-boosting attributes, including:

Preventing Hair Loss

Lignans are said to block the body’s ability to synthesize testosterone into the hormone called dihydrotestosterone (DHT). DHT collects in the hair follicles and can contribute to male hair loss or possibly even complete baldness.

Strengthening the Immune System

Lignans contain numerous antioxidants. Antioxidants are substances that prevent or lessen inflammation in the body’s cells and tissues. The reduction and/or elimination of inflammation boosts the body’s immune system.

Helping to Maintain Healthy Hormone Balance

The similarity of phytoestrogenic lignans to sex hormones enables them to dock at certain hormone receptor sites, enabling them to contribute to promoting a healthy balance of hormones, especially during andropause.

Contrary to the belief of some, phytoestrogens in men do not cause feminization or bring about certain physiological changes. In the recent past, rumors have circulated that consuming a diet plentiful in phytoestrogens, particularly those containing soy, can lead to men developing excess breast tissue (a medical condition known as gynecomastia). That said, there are many in the scientific community who believe this theory is more of an “old wives tale” with little factual evidence. Studies conducted have shown that, if eaten in moderation and as part of an otherwise balanced diet, soy-based phytoestrogens like isoflavones will not result in a man developing breasts or experience any other form of “feminization.”

While research is still ongoing, the studies that have been completed suggest phytoestrogens may play a role in men improving their overall health and quality of life.

Gut Bacteria Found to Influence Diet, Reproductive Success and More

Aug 09 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

A growing body of research suggests that bacteria in the gut influence overall human health. While past research has indicated that trillions of bacteria thriving in the human digestive tract can affect everything from immune system function and nutrition to mood, two new studies have found that gut bacteria influence diet as well as reproductive success in fruit flies. These new findings may have important implications for humans.

How Gut Bacteria Influence Diet

The digestive tract of humans and most other animals contain trillions of microorganisms that are known to affect many physiological traits. Two new studies from the Macquarie University Department of Biological Sciences and the University of Sydney’s SOLES department examined the impact of gut bacteria in fruit flies.

The research, which was published in Current Biology, found that gut bacteria in the flies had an effect on their foraging habits and ultimately their reproductive success. The research also indicated that this influence could be passed down to the next generation of fruit flies.

The teams found that fruit flies do not simply forage for nutrients that will balance their diet; they also forage for bacteria to encourage healthy cultures in their digestive tract. The fruit flies showed a strong preference for smells associated with beneficial forms of bacteria in food with less preference shown for foods lacking these types of bacteria.

Gut Bacteria Also Influences Reproductive Success

A separate study, conducted by the same team of researchers, examined the reproductive success of fruit flies based on changes in gut bacteria. Researchers began by inoculating fruit flies with different species of microbes to examine how the changes in gut bacteria influenced the sexual interaction of the flies.

This study, published in Biology Letters, found that the investment the flies make in reproduction and their ultimate success, along with offspring body mass, was influenced by bacteria in the gut.

Gut Bacteria Can Trick Flies Into Reproduction

These are not the only studies published this year on fruit flies and gut bacteria. Another study, published in PLOS Biology, demonstrated how the bacteria influence the flies’ nutritional decisions. Researchers divided the flies into three groups. One was fed a solution with all necessary amino acids and the second group received a mix of amino acids necessary to make protein but without the amino acids to synthesize it. With the third group, researchers removed amino acids one by one to analyze which could be detected by the bacteria.

After three days, flies in all groups received a buffet with their typical solution or the option of a protein-rich yeast. The flies in the groups without amino acids got a strong craving for the yeast to make up for the nutrients. When five types of bacteria were introduced, the flies lost the desire to eat protein. The team also found that the amino acid levels in the flies were not replenishing, which indicates the bacteria were not replacing nutrients in the flies’ diet by producing the amino acids but instead turning them into new chemicals. The researchers believe the bacteria was producing chemicals that may tell the host fly it could continue without amino acids. This would trick the flies into continuing reproduction, even though the deficiency would impact cell growth.

This study found that Acetobacter and Lactobacillus bacteria were the most effective at influencing the flies’ appetites. Increasing the levels of both bacteria could essentially suppress a fly’s appetite for protein and encourage sugar consumption, restoring reproductive function when it would normally be hampered by the nutritional deficiency.

Previous research has also shown that fruit flies prefer mating with partners who have a similar gut bacteria composition rather than flies whose gut bacteria is too different from their own.

Maintaining a Healthy Balance of Gut Bacteria

In humans and other animals, microorganisms in the gut and on the body—collectively called the microbiome—play a role in many physiological traits and behaviors. The immune system, gastrointestinal system and stress have all been found to interact. For example, psychological stress causes a near-immediate change in the population of gut bacteria, and some of the bacteria influence the effect of stress on the immune system.

Stress, through its effect on gut bacteria, and the immune system can also alter brain function. In some people, gut bacteria can play a role in anxiety, stress, depression and memory. Researchers have even found that to communicate, gut microbes can produce many of the same neurochemicals that relay information in the human brain. Among these neurochemicals are dopamine, serotonin and GABA, all of which are used by human neurons to regulate mood.

All of this research indicates that it may be more important than anyone really understands to maintain a healthy balance of gut flora. There are several ways to do this, including eating a diet rich in vegetables, legumes, fruit and beans, eating fermented foods like yogurt, kefir and sauerkraut, supplementing with a high-quality probiotic formula and cutting back on artificial sweetener, which may negatively affect gut bacteria.

New Research Highlights the Importance of Getting Enough Vitamin D During Pregnancy

Aug 07 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

Recommendations for vitamin intake during pregnancy are constantly being modified to reflect new research. Most people are aware of the importance of taking in enough folic acid and other B vitamins during their child-bearing years. A new study on taking vitamin D during pregnancy suggests that this vitamin also may be crucial to developing children, especially in the areas of social development and motor skills.

The Effects of Vitamin D During Pregnancy

It is well known that it is important to get a wide range of vitamins as part of your prenatal care while pregnant or planning a pregnancy. However, not all vitamins are created equal. Some vitamins, such as folic acid, are more important during pregnancy because we know that a deficiency can cause very serious and specific problems.

Vitamin D is perhaps best known for its effects on mood and on bone growth. Unsurprisingly, it has been linked to fetal bone growth as well. Pregnant women are routinely told to get enough of this vitamin to ensure that their fetus can develop healthy bones. Vitamin D also helps to keep an expecting mother’s bones strong at a time when their body is facing a range of new demands. However, this may not be the only role of this nutrient in growth and development. New research on vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy suggests that a deficiency of this vitamin may have very serious effects on the developing fetus in the areas of social and motor development, effects that can last a lifetime.

Vitamin D and Social Development

Researchers looked at a group of pregnant women who had low vitamin D levels as well as those who had normal amounts of this vitamin while expecting. They assessed the health of the children resulting from these pregnancies and found surprising results. Children who were born to mothers who had a vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy scored lower on both social and motor skills. They scored lower on motor skills such as kicking a ball and jumping. In addition, these children had more trouble with social skills in their preschool years.

How can vitamin D affect such a diverse range of skills in a developing fetus? While researchers are not sure of the exact mechanism, it definitely appears that this nutrient has a more profound effect on fetal development than was previously known. Although the effects of low vitamin D are acknowledged by the medical field, American doctors do not currently recommend routine screening of pregnant women for a deficiency of this vitamin. As a result, many expecting mothers may be deficient without knowing it. At a time when many mothers are worried about their children developing autism and other increasingly common neurological disorders, taking a vitamin D supplement may be an easy way to give children a better chance at a healthy life.

Are You Getting Enough Vitamin D?

Although vitamin D is one of the most important nutrients for human health, many modern people are deficient. This vitamin is produced mainly through a reaction found in skin cells when they are exposed to ultraviolet light. Many people in the modern world wear sunscreen to lower their skin cancer risk, leaving them with low vitamin D levels. However, there are several ways to ensure that you get the vitamin D you need without increasing your risk of skin cancer.

• Spend a few minutes a day in direct sunlight without sunscreen. This is not enough to get a sunburn or increase cancer risk but will ensure that your cells are able to manufacture vitamin D.

• Eat foods that are rich in this vitamin. These include eggs, meat, leafy greens and also cereals. Cereals in Western countries are fortified with vitamins A and D, so they are a rich source of this nutrient.

• Take a vitamin D supplement to ensure that you get enough of this vitamin even if you lack sun exposure or a diet rich in animal foods.

• Consider getting a special lamp that emits ultraviolet rays, such as the ones used to treat seasonal affective disorder (SAD). These have the wavelength of light needed to encourage your skin to produce vitamin D.

Not Just for Pregnant Women

Even if you are not pregnant, your body needs vitamin D to survive and to thrive. Vitamin D has a variety of effects that are beneficial to all people. It is important in producing the biochemicals that contribute to maintaining a happy and positive mood, which is why a deficiency has been shown to cause depression and seasonal affective disorder. It also is important to the growth and remodeling of your bones. Vitamin D serves as a cofactor in a variety of important metabolic reactions. People who are deficient in this vitamin often find that they suffer fatigue, malaise and sleep disorders. Last, this vitamin is important to the immune system. Without it, you may find that you become sick more easily and take longer to recover from even minor and routine illness.

Eating a well-balanced diet is crucial to human health. However, the food supply is more depleted in nutrients than ever before. More and more people are finding that they have better health when taking a multivitamin with a wide range of essential vitamins and nutrients. Good nutrition is the building block of good health, so getting your vitamins either from a balanced diet or a supplement is more important than ever.

New Research Suggests Chronic Fatigue Syndrome May Begin in Your Gut

May 09 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a common and complex medical issue. New research suggests that gut health may be important in preventing and treating this disease.

All people have experienced fatigue and exhaustion at some point. However, for some people this is a constant condition. Chronic fatigue syndrome, also known as CFS, is on the rise, yet we understand little about how to prevent or treat it. According to a new study, the health of our gastrointestinal system may be a very important factor in whether we develop this and other autoimmune illnesses.

What Is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?

CFS is a disease in which people are easily tired by even minor physical or mental exertion. While most of us can recover from fatigue with a short rest, people with CFS do not bounce back as quickly. They suffer exhaustion for days on end. In addition, people with CFS also have a variety of other symptoms including a headache, chronic pain, enlarged lymph nodes and difficulty with memory and cognitive tasks.

These symptoms can have debilitating effects on a person’s life. Many people with this disease are unable to maintain a career or even perform basic activities of daily living. More than one million people in the United States are believed to suffer from this disease, yet we still have no definitive test for it, no idea why it happens and very few treatment options. The lack of understanding has even caused some people to believe that this illness is “all in a person’s head.” However, a new study suggests that it could be all in our gut instead.

Links Between Gut Health and Disease

Many studies have come out recently about the importance of your gut microbiome, which consists of the colonies of diverse bacteria that live in your gastrointestinal tract. We are beginning to realize that these bacteria play a very important role in our bodies and may even help prevent and disease. While the presence of bacteria in our guts is necessary and contributes to our health, the balance of these bacteria is very important. Some bacteria have more negative effects than positive and can overgrow under the wrong conditions, crowding out more beneficial species. This imbalance of gut bacteria may be the mechanism behind CFS.

Researchers tested the body fluids of people with CFS for different bacterial markers and compared these to the body fluids of healthy people. The results were surprising: People with CFS had higher levels of pathogenic, or unhealthy, bacteria and lower levels of beneficial ones. Even more surprising, researchers could predict which people had CFS simply by looking for these bacterial markers. Bacterial markers could also be used to predict accurately which people with CFS also had irritable bowel syndrome, a disease that commonly coexists with it.

Inflammation: A Root Cause?

How can bacteria in the gut cause or prevent a disease like CFS? Researchers point out that the bacteria found disproportionately in people with this disease are inherently inflammatory. This may cause a variety of problems, including leaky gut syndrome. The inflammatory markers from these bacteria are present not just in feces, but in the bloodstream of people who suffer from this disease. Inflammation weakens the barriers between the gastrointestinal tract and the bloodstream, allowing these bacteria to affect body systems far removed from the intestines. This explains how bacteria in the gut can have such an immense effect on energy levels and the body as a whole.

This study presents a potential way to identify a disease that currently has no definitive test. In addition, it offers the hope of future treatments for and even prevention of CFS. Doctors may be able to colonize our guts with beneficial bacteria to crowd out the pathogenic ones. In addition, preventing gut inflammation appears to be a very important part of treating this disease. While these therapies are still theoretical, colonizing the gastrointestinal tract with “good bacteria” is already being used successfully to treat conditions such as clostridium difficile (C. diff) infection. The answer to this debilitating disease may be as simple as correcting our microbiome balance.

Maintaining a Healthy Microbiome

Imbalances of gut bacteria have recently been linked to a variety of diseases, leading many people to wonder how they can maintain a healthy GI tract. Unfortunately, the modern Western diet is not conducive to a healthy GI tract. However, there are several things we can do keep that important balance. First, it is important to take in plenty of the good bacteria we need. We can get these from probiotic foods such as yogurt and fermented products, but also from probiotic supplements. Second, it is important to eat foods that feed these bacteria and support their growth, such as high fiber foods. Last, we should avoid antibiotics except where they are absolutely necessary. Antibiotics often kill good bacteria while the species that cause disease tend to be resistant.

Maintaining a healthy GI tract is a very important part of leading a healthy lifestyle. GI imbalances, especially those involving bacteria, have been implicated as the cause of a variety of serious and even life-threatening diseases. While it can be difficult to keep your microbiome balanced in an age of processed foods and antibiotics, the effort may pay off in a longer and healthier life.

Is Taking Vitamin C for Colds Effective? New Research Reopens an Old Controversy

Apr 07 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

The idea of taking vitamin C for colds is common. However, does it really help? New research revisits this old controversy—with surprising results.

Many people throughout the ages have relied on vitamin C to help treat the common cold. From folk remedies like lemon in tea to popular vitamin C cold supplements, we turn to vitamin C to lessen cold symptoms and to reduce the duration of the illness. However, the use of vitamin C for colds remains extremely controversial in the medical and scientific worlds.

C is for Controversy

If you are one of those who takes vitamin C for colds and cold symptoms, you are not alone. However, your assumptions about the benefits of vitamin C for colds may not be entirely correct. The current weight of evidence suggests that vitamin C does not improve cold symptoms or lessen the length of a cold significantly except in select populations such as children and people who are under physical stress. In these people, taking a daily vitamin C supplement made them half as likely to catch colds. In addition, they saw a sizable decrease in the duration of colds and the severity of symptoms. However, the rest of the population does not appear to obtain many benefits.

However, the issue of vitamin C and the common cold is being revisited recently in several studies. Despite the controversy among physicians and scientists, the general public appears to believe that vitamin C is helping them. Could prior studies be wrong about the impact of this vitamin?

Vitamin C for Colds: Re-evaluating the Evidence

A meta-analysis is one of the most compelling types of evidence. In this type of research, scientists compile all of the numbers from different studies to find a solid conclusion. These are especially valuable in cases where there are multiple small studies with conflicting evidence, which is the case with vitamin C for colds. Researchers performed a meta-analysis of the hundreds of studies on vitamin C to settle the controversy once and for all. This meta-analysis found that vitamin C shortens the length of colds and that this effect is especially profound in children.

The effects of vitamin C appear to be especially noticeable when people take large doses of it, a factor that was not considered in many prior studies. Further, the researchers involved note that vitamin C has no adverse effects, no toxicity and is inexpensive. They appeared to feel that this is a low-cost way to make an impact, however small, on the impact of the cold season. While this should have settled the controversy, it appears to have merely reawakened it.

How Much Does Dosage Matter?

As this study notes, dosage may make a huge difference in how vitamin C affects a cold. Many studies look at the effects of the recommended daily allowance, but most people treating a cold with vitamin C take much higher doses. Because vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin with a very short half-life in the human body, it is functionally impossible to overdose on it. It has no toxicity, with even doses of 50 times the recommended amount causing only a stomachache. Taking super-doses of this vitamin to treat a common cold is not contraindicated.

A recent study looked at how taking high dose vitamin C affected infections. The results were clear: Taking high doses both prevented and treated a diverse range of infections, from bacteria to viruses to even protozoans. The length of colds, caused by a virus by definition, was shortened by almost 20 percent on high dose vitamin C and symptoms were reduced during this time as well. It appears that folk remedies were correct in this case, as long as people are mega-dosing on the vitamin.

Treating a Cold the Natural Way

There is currently no medical remedy for the common cold. However, there are a few ways that you can help to improve your symptoms and perhaps even shorten the length of time that you are ill. First, take care of yourself as soon as you feel the first signs of an illness. Getting plenty of rest, eating healthy food and otherwise pampering yourself will ensure that your immune system can work efficiently to fight off the infection.

Second, turn to the remedies that your grandmother used. These include taking plenty of vitamin C, in either pill or food form and drinking soup. Chicken soup has actually been found in studies to be an efficient remedy for colds. Getting enough vitamin D has also been found to reduce the risk of respiratory illnesses. Last, make sure the buck stops with you. Stay home when you are ill whenever possible to keep the germs away from other people. Sneeze into your elbow, wash your hands regularly and consider wearing a face mask to keep the germs contained. Getting rid of the cold as quickly as possible while preventing its spread are the best ways to get back to full health as quickly as possible.

Red Wine Compound Resveratrol May Protect Lungs and Respiratory Health

Mar 15 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

Many people struggle with respiratory concerns as they age. New research on resveratrol lung benefits suggests that this compound found in red wine may help protect the lungs against premature aging and disease.

Respiratory concerns are some of the most serious causes of death on the globe, killing around three million people a year and affecting many times more. These include common health problems such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer. These conditions are especially common and more serious in children and the elderly. While there are treatments that can reduce symptoms, there are currently no cures for most serious lung problems. However, several recent studies on resveratrol lung benefits suggest that a simple natural remedy may be able to help many.

What Is Resveratrol?

Resveratrol has recently become popular due to its many reported health benefits. Naturally produced in the skins of grapes as well as being present in peanuts and pistachios, this antioxidant is the result of plants’ exposure to stressors such as drought, ultraviolet light and fungal infections. Besides protecting plants from external stressors, it appears to act as an antioxidant in the human body as well. Recent studies have found that resveratrol may have cardiovascular benefits, help maintain healthy cell growth and function and even promote healthy aging. According to new studies, it may also promote healthy aging in the lungs and help to protect against respiratory concerns.

Lungs and the Aging Process

We may not notice deterioration in our respiratory tracts the way we notice new wrinkles or a change in vision, but our lungs indeed change as we age. Our alveoli become enlarged and less elastic, making them less able to exchange gases. In addition, the tissues that make up the lungs deteriorate and lose functionality over time. As lungs lose the ability to breathe effectively, cells become inflamed, which causes even more damage. The result is a gradual loss of function and the eventual onset of diseases such as COPD and emphysema.

Age-related lung concerns take a huge toll on people who suffer from them and on the nation as a whole. They can make it difficult for people to work, exercise or even to perform simple tasks such as walking to the mailbox. These are very expensive conditions, with COPD alone costing $36 million a year just in health costs. Preventing or even slowing the progression of lung concerns can lead to higher quality of life, fewer deaths and nationwide economic savings.

Resveratrol Lung Benefits

How can a simple grape extract help promote healthy respiratory aging and protect against certain lung concerns? The antioxidant effects of resveratrol are believed to be one of its major benefits. In one study, when mice were given inhaled resveratrol, they saw less of the alveolar changes that underlie aging in the lungs. They experienced less lung cell damage, fewer DNA mutations and better lung function. These resveratrol lung benefits were measurable after just three months of the treatment.

In addition, resveratrol appears to promote healthy cellular inflammatory processes and have an effect on inflammation that causes the progression of respiratory illnesses such as COPD. When COPD patients are given resveratrol, they show lower cytokine levels in their lung fluids. This is significant because cytokines released by lung macrophages produce much of the inflammation associated with respiratory disease. People also had a more than 50 percent reduction in other known mediators of inflammation.

Resveratrol, Curcumin and Lung Cancer

Do resveratrol lung benefits extend to deadly diseases such as lung cancer? A recent study suggests that this plant antioxidant may at least be beneficial—likely by promoting healthy DNA—which is sometimes responsible for the uncontrolled growth of unhealthy cells. This effect is especially strong when resveratrol is combined with curcumin, a compound found in spices such as cumin. These two natural remedies appear to act synergistically, with far more benefit when used together than when either is used alone.

Natural Remedies for Lifelong Health

While pharmaceuticals will always be necessary for many people with respiratory concerns, these studies suggest that others may be able to derive some relief with natural remedies such as resveratrol. In fact, resveratrol is believed to be responsible for many of the purported health benefits of red wine, which contains high levels of this antioxidant. In many ways, natural remedies can be superior when it comes to keeping people healthy. As the old saying goes, “Prevention is the best cure.”

There is still a great deal of research to be done on resveratrol lung benefits. However, these studies add to a growing body of evidence suggesting that this plant compound may have a positive effect on whole-body health by promoting healthy cellular inflammatory processes and protecting against tissue damage. A glass of wine, handful of grapes or resveratrol supplement just may bring you one step closer to healthy aging.