Los Gatos Oriental Medicine

03/04/2024

Why eat carrots...you'll be adding this to your diet, read on

A meta-analysis of 80 prospective cohort studies has confirmed that carrot intake reduces cancer risk by 10% to 20%. The analysis captured a wide variety of cancer types (breast, colorectal, lung, prostate, other types), geographic regions (Europe, USA, Asia, other regions), and exposure types (carrot intake from Food Frequency Questionnaire, alpha-carotene intake by plasma level).

Carrot intake across 50 prospective cohorts with 52,000 cancer cases found a risk reduction of 10% (relative risk, 0.90; P < 0.00004) compared to controls.
Alpha-carotene (a key phytonutrient found in carrots) plasma levels evaluated in 30 prospective cohorts with 9331 cancer cases found a risk reduction of 20% (relative risk, 0.80; P < 0.00006).

Studies of both types of exposure (carrots and alpha-carotene plasma levels) showed a significant linear dose-response relationships, whereby one serving per week lowers risk by 4±2% and five servings per week lowers risk by 20±10%.
The authors described the inverse association between carrot intake and cancer as “robust” and they recommend that, “carrot consumption should be encouraged, and the causal mechanisms further investigated [in randomised clinical trials].”

Many coloured vegetable and fruits contain alpha-carotene, but levels in carrots and pumpkin are particularly high.

For more information see:
https://www.medscape.co.uk/viewarticle/carrot-consumption-cuts-cancer-risk-says-meta-analysis-2023a1000w3x

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38104588/

03/04/2024

Early this century St John’s wort (SJW) was challenging conventional drugs as a viable alternative in the management of mild to moderate major depression. Then concerns about herb-drug interactions, several of them concocted and/or spurious (see my Grumpy Old Herbalist video on this topic), caused interest in SJW to wane in this context.

So a recent analysis of the accumulated clinical data for SJW in depression is highly relevant, especially as serious concerns regarding the addictive nature of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) have recently been uncovered.

Fourteen clinical trials with a total of 2270 depression patients were included. All analysed papers were published between 2000 and 2022. Meta-analysis of the trial data demonstrated that treatment with SJW was superior to both placebo and SSRIs.

The authors concluded that their analysis supports the clinical use of SJW in mild to moderate depression, as it reduced the number of depressive patients and their depression scores, while having fewer risks and side effects than conventional medications.

For more information see: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36226689/

03/04/2024

Nature has all the answers....for depression

Early this century St John’s wort (SJW) was challenging conventional drugs as a viable alternative in the management of mild to moderate major depression. Then concerns about herb-drug interactions, several of them concocted and/or spurious (see my Grumpy Old Herbalist video on this topic), caused interest in SJW to wane in this context.

So a recent analysis of the accumulated clinical data for SJW in depression is highly relevant, especially as serious concerns regarding the addictive nature of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) have recently been uncovered.

Fourteen clinical trials with a total of 2270 depression patients were included. All analysed papers were published between 2000 and 2022. Meta-analysis of the trial data demonstrated that treatment with SJW was superior to both placebo and SSRIs.

The authors concluded that their analysis supports the clinical use of SJW in mild to moderate depression, as it reduced the number of depressive patients and their depression scores, while having fewer risks and side effects than conventional medications.

For more information see: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36226689/

01/22/2024

I have long advocated my microcirculation dietary protocol that includes beetroot juice. Its boost to microvascular function should improve several body functions via the increased production of nitric oxide.

Recently, daily consumption of beetroot juice for 12 weeks was found to significantly improve blood pressure, vascular function and exercise capacity in adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

“This is one of the longest-duration studies in this area so far. The results are very promising, but will need to be confirmed in larger, longer-term studies” said Professor Nick Hopkinson the study lead.

COPD, which includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema, is a serious lung condition affecting around 400 million people worldwide. It causes breathing difficulties and severely limits capacity for physical activity. It also increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

The new research tested a 12-week course of a concentrated beetroot juice supplement that was high in nitrate (400 mg) against a beetroot juice placebo that looked and tasted the same, but had the nitrate removed. It included 81 people with COPD who were being treated at the Royal Brompton Hospital, London, UK,
Professor Hopkinson commented: “There is some evidence that beetroot juice as a source of nitrate supplementation could be used by athletes to improve their performance, as well as a few short-term studies looking at blood pressure. Higher levels of nitrate in the blood can increase the availability of nitric oxide, a chemical that helps blood vessels relax. It also increases the efficiency of muscles, meaning they need less oxygen to do the same work.”

Researchers found that those taking the nitrate-rich supplement experienced an average reduction in systolic blood pressure of 4.5 mmHg compared to the placebo. There was also an average increase of around 30 metres in how far patients could walk in six minutes.

Plasma nitric oxide (NOx) and fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) data were available for 24 patients in the active group and 20 in the placebo group; plasma NOx increased from baseline in the treatment group, but not the placebo group, and the increase in FeNO was significantly greater from baseline in the treatment group compared with the placebo group. Beneficial changes in endothelial function, consistent with the increased NOx, were also observed.

No significant changes were noted between the groups in terms of platelet aggregation.

For more information see:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38123239/

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/250376/beetroot-juice-lowers-blood-pressure-people/ #:~:text=An%20Imperial%20led%20study%20has,in%20the%20European%20Respiratory%20Journal.

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/beetroot-juice-improves-fitness-and-function-patients-copd-2023a1000wzt

01/22/2024

Gotta love those beets...and this is why

I have long advocated my microcirculation dietary protocol that includes beetroot juice. Its boost to microvascular function should improve several body functions via the increased production of nitric oxide.

Recently, daily consumption of beetroot juice for 12 weeks was found to significantly improve blood pressure, vascular function and exercise capacity in adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

“This is one of the longest-duration studies in this area so far. The results are very promising, but will need to be confirmed in larger, longer-term studies” said Professor Nick Hopkinson the study lead.

COPD, which includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema, is a serious lung condition affecting around 400 million people worldwide. It causes breathing difficulties and severely limits capacity for physical activity. It also increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

The new research tested a 12-week course of a concentrated beetroot juice supplement that was high in nitrate (400 mg) against a beetroot juice placebo that looked and tasted the same, but had the nitrate removed. It included 81 people with COPD who were being treated at the Royal Brompton Hospital, London, UK,
Professor Hopkinson commented: “There is some evidence that beetroot juice as a source of nitrate supplementation could be used by athletes to improve their performance, as well as a few short-term studies looking at blood pressure. Higher levels of nitrate in the blood can increase the availability of nitric oxide, a chemical that helps blood vessels relax. It also increases the efficiency of muscles, meaning they need less oxygen to do the same work.”

Researchers found that those taking the nitrate-rich supplement experienced an average reduction in systolic blood pressure of 4.5 mmHg compared to the placebo. There was also an average increase of around 30 metres in how far patients could walk in six minutes.

Plasma nitric oxide (NOx) and fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) data were available for 24 patients in the active group and 20 in the placebo group; plasma NOx increased from baseline in the treatment group, but not the placebo group, and the increase in FeNO was significantly greater from baseline in the treatment group compared with the placebo group. Beneficial changes in endothelial function, consistent with the increased NOx, were also observed.

No significant changes were noted between the groups in terms of platelet aggregation.

For more information see:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38123239/

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/250376/beetroot-juice-lowers-blood-pressure-people/ #:~:text=An%20Imperial%20led%20study%20has,in%20the%20European%20Respiratory%20Journal.

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/beetroot-juice-improves-fitness-and-function-patients-copd-2023a1000wzt

12/25/2023

Wishing all of you Happy Holiday. May this season bring joy, love and peace to you and your loved ones!

12/18/2023

Key nutrient deficiencies have been linked to Alzheimer Disease (AD) development.
While various models of pathogenesis exist, indicating a multifactorial process, the present theories associated with the development of AD link oxidative damage to disease progression. Because of this, a recent study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease looked at key nutrient antioxidant levels, specifically carotenoids and tocopherols. The study featured samples of donor brains with confirmed AD and compared them to healthy elderly donor brains.

The researchers found that there were substantially lower concentration levels of lutein, zeaxanthin, retinol, lycopene and alpha-tocopherol compared to healthy brain tissue. The two most marked deficiencies were for the carotenoids lycopene and zeaxanthin.

This is the first study of this kind, but it does build on a strong foundation of previous research on the relationships between diet and nutritional supplements and the incidence of AD.

For more information see:
https://www.integrativepractitioner.com/brain-health/key-nutrient-deficiencies-linked-to-alzheimer-s-disease-development?utm_source=marketo&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter&utm_content=newsletter&mkt_tok=NzU2LUZXSi0wNjEAAAGOLdTy418qZz83-n8whc6PHkGIXxM_gQ-eg6RrI87HHjITpeZ6K5YKKdzkbfLvMLVbzCkgpuLPm3wH1oHrEi1oGI329zyq4NvOY4nwSaSsPTgqiZzt3w

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35988225/

11/05/2023

So the food industry is sneaky for sure...now GMOs (genetically modified foods) are also called bioengineered foods. They are on the food labels, small print of course or a QR code can be scanned for more information...they are hoping no one will notice. The best thing to do is buy organic and eat real food not processed.

10/29/2023

A recent study from Singapore revealed that the consumption of grapes for 16 weeks enhanced eye health markers in older adults. This is backed by earlier experimental research suggesting the benefits of grapes in protecting the retinal structure. The study revealed that grapes help improve macular pigment optical density (MPOD) and reduce harmful advanced glycation end products (as assessed in skin), contributing to better eye health.

This was a 16-week, double blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial. Thirty-four Singapore older adults were randomised into regularly consuming either 46 g per day of freeze-dried table grape powder (the intervention group) or the same amount of placebo powder (the control group). The active dose was equivalent to around 1.5 cups of grapes per day. The exact nature of the grapes (such as red or white) was not specified.

“Our study is the first to show that grape consumption beneficially impacts eye health in humans which is very exciting, especially with a growing aging population,” said study author Dr. Jung Eun Kim. “Grapes are an easy, accessible fruit that studies have shown can have a beneficial impact in normal amounts of just 1 ½ cups per day.”

For more information see: https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2023/FO/D3FO02105J
https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-discover-new-health-benefits-of-grapes/

09/03/2023

In this clip from episode 108 of the Huberman Lab podcast, Dr. Andrew Huberman discusses how acupuncture can improve fertility and hormone health.Dr. Andrew ...