OCTOBER’S

October 2016

Omega-3, grape seed reduce 2hospital stays, ease menopause

Rosehip, pomegranate boost 2mobility, reduce stiffness in OA

Nutrients ease dry eye, 3protect from harmful light

Vitamin D protects telomeres, 3 whey protein aids sugar control

Antioxidants improve 4heart health in men

®

This Issue

Healthy InsightHealthy Body & MindBetter diets improved physical, mental healthWhat is the Alternative Healthy Eating Index?

The Alternative Healthy Eating Index measures 11 food groups in the diet, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, legumes, omega-3s, alcohol, juice, sugar-sweetened drinks, red and processed meats, trans-fat, and sodium.

Women maintained better bodies

Few studies have looked at diet quality and physical function. In this study, doctors followed 54,762 women for at least 20 years, comparing diets to physical function. Women who consumed the most fruits and vegetables, a moderate amount of alcohol, and lower levels of sugar-sweetened drinks, trans-fats, and sodium were most likely to maintain healthy physical function. The foods with the most benefit were oranges and orange juice, apples, pears, romaine and leaf-lettuce, and walnuts.

Each individual food was not as important to good physical health as was the overall diet pattern, with the healthier diets linked to better physical performance. Doctors said, “We think a lot about chronic diseases, cancer, and heart ailments, and tend not to think of physical function. But being able to dress yourself and walk around the block increases your ability to live

independently longer.”

Diets reduce depression and anxiety

In another study of the Alternative Healthy Eating Index, doctors measured the diets of 3,363 participants and assessed their mental health.

Compared to men and women who ate a less-healthy diet, those eating a healthier diet were 49 percent less likely to have clinical anxiety, and 45 percent less likely to experience depression. The benefits were even greater for those age 40 or younger. Younger men and women with better diets were 58 percent less likely to have anxiety and 51 percent less likely to develop depression.

Doctors said the B-complex vitamins, antioxidants, and omega-3s were the parts of the diet most likely to provide these mental health benefits.

Reference: Journal of Nutrition; May, 2016, Published Online

Probiotics for Diarrhea

People who take antibiotics for any reason often have diarrhea as a side effect. In this review of six studies in children and 15 in adults, the probiotic S. boulardii significantly reduced chances of diarrhea.

In 1,653 children, those taking S. boulardii were 57 percent less likely to have diarrhea compared to kids who didn’t take probiotics. In 3,114 adults, those taking the probiotic were 52 percent less likely to have diarrhea compared to placebo.

In an important finding in children, S. boulardii reduced a painful type of diarrhea caused by excess amounts of a bacteria known as “C-diff,” which can attack the intestinal lining, doctors said.

Reference: Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics; October, 2015, Vol. 42, No. 7, 793-801

2 October 2016 natural insights for well being®

HealingNutrients reduce hospital stays, improve menopause symptomsOmega-3 and heart surgery

Omega-3 fatty acids are anti-inflammatory and promote regular heartbeat, but earlier heart surgery studies have been inconclusive.

In this review of 19 studies covering 4,335 people undergoing heart surgery, those who took omega-3 supplements before the procedure were released from the hospital an average of 2.4

days earlier than those who did not take omega-3s.

For people who had complications during the procedure, requiring a heart-lung machine, those who had taken omega-3s had fewer episodes of irregular heartbeat compared to those who had not taken omega-3s.

Grape seed and menopauseDoctors were interested in the

effects of proanthocyanidins—a kind of antioxidant polyphenol in grape seeds—on menopausal symptoms, body composition, and measures of heart health in women. In this study, 91 women aged 40 to 60 who had at least one menopausal symptom took a placebo, 100 mg of grape seed proanthocyanidin extract, or 200 mg of grape seed extract per day.

KneeNutrients boost mobility, reduce stiffness in OA of the kneeRosehip improved movement

Earlier studies found rosehip reduced pain from osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee, but this is the first trial to test rosehip and knee joint movement. In this study, 94 adults, average age 67, who reported limitations in walking due to the knee, took a placebo or 2,250 mg of rosehip powder, divided into three doses per day.

Doctors measured how far the knee could bend during walking at the beginning of the study and after 12 weeks taking rosehip. Compared to placebo, those in the rosehip group had a steadier, faster gait by the end of the study. Doctors said rosehip safely improved knee movement in those with impaired walking.

Pomegranate juiceStudies in the lab had found

pomegranate juice reduced inflammation in cartilage—the protective elastic tissue between bones and joints; and doctors wanted to see if pomegranate could improve physical function in knee OA. In this study, 38 people with OA of the knee took 6.5 ounces of pomegranate juice per day or no treatment.

After six weeks, scores on tests of physical function and stiffness had improved by 18 percent for those taking pomegranate while declining 3.9 percent for those who took no treatment.

In arthritis, destructive enzymes irreversibly break down cartilage. Those in the pomegranate group

had significantly lower levels of this damaging enzyme compared to those who did not take pomegranate juice. In addition, the pomegranate group had higher circulating levels of antioxidants.

Reference: Journal of the Science of Food & Agriculture; January, 2016, Published Online

After four weeks, while there was no change for placebo, women taking either dose of grape seed extract had significantly lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure. After eight weeks, while the placebo group had not improved, women in both grape seed groups reported having fewer hot flashes, less anxiety, and less insomnia. The women taking either dose of grape seed extract also had increased muscle mass.

Discussing the findings, doctors said proanthocyanidins from grape seed have many times the antioxidant power of vitamins C or E, and that this study showed grape seed extract safely reduced menopausal symptoms in women while improving body composition and heart health.

Reference: Clinical Nutrition; May, 2016, Published Online

natural insights for well being® October 2016 3

EyeNutrients ease dry eye, protect from harmful lightAntioxidants for dry eye

Tears lubricate and protect the eye, but age, ill health, and the environment can reduce the quality and quantity of tears. In this study, 43 people with dry eye took a daily antioxidant supplement or a placebo for eight weeks.

The supplement contained 2 mg astaxanthin, 120 mg bilberry extract, 1,500 IU vitamin A, 50 mg vitamin C, 110 mcg selenium yeast, 10 mg zinc gluconate, B-complex vitamins, 45 IU vitamin E, 200 mg goji berry, and 200 mg cassia seed.

After eight weeks, those taking the antioxidant supplement had lower levels of damaging reactive oxygen species in tears, levels of which had increased for placebo. Also in the antioxidant group, tears took longer to evaporate and there was less pain, burning, and itching.

Lutein, zeaxanthin, and meso-zeaxanthin

A yellow pigment, known as a carotenoid, protects the eyes from harmful blue light. Low levels are a factor in age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the most common form of blindness, and high levels—measured by pigment density or thickness—protect the eye and improve visual performance.

In this review of 20 studies covering 938 people with AMD and 826 healthy people, those who took the carotenoid supplements lutein and zeaxanthin had significantly increased macular pigment density. People who added the carotenoid meso-zeaxanthin had the greatest increase in macular pigment density.

Doctors found the greatest increases

in macular pigment density with higher doses of lutein, zeaxanthin, and meso-zeaxanthin in studies lasting more than 12 months, and that both healthy people and those with AMD saw increases in macular pigment density.

Reference: Clinical Ophthalmology; 2016, No. 10, 813-20

Diabetes UpdateVitamin D protects telomeres, whey protein improves sugar control

Vitamin DTelomeres are the end-caps that

protect each strand of chromosomes in every cell. As cells divide, telomeres shorten, eventually preventing cell division. The longer the telomere, the

younger biological age of the organism. Shorter telomeres have a link to type 2 diabetes.

In this study, 34 people with type 2 diabetes and low levels of vitamin D—less than 30 nanograms per milliliter of blood—took 4,000 IU of vitamin D per day.

After six months, activity levels of telomerase—the enzyme the body needs to synthesize telomeres—had increased 28 percent. Doctors said the study shows that vitamin D supplements may prevent or delay the progress of disease by reactivating telomerase.

Whey proteinWhen it comes to protein, quality

matters. In this study, 48 overweight or obese participants with type 2 diabetes ate one of three 1,500-calorie diets

consisting of a large breakfast, medium lunch, and small dinner. The only difference was the amount and type of protein at breakfast: a whey protein shake; egg, tuna, and soy; or a high-carbohydrate meal.

After 12 weeks, the whey protein group had lost an average of 16.7 pounds compared to 13.4 for the egg-tuna-soy group, and 3.1 pounds for the carbohydrate group. Long-term average blood sugar levels decreased 11.5 percent for whey, 7.7 percent for egg-tuna-soy, and 4.6 percent for carbohydrate.

Discussing the findings, doctors said that diets with more protein earlier in the day and smaller dinners help people lose weight but the type of protein can improve results and help control blood sugar in type 2 diabetes.

Reference: The FASEB Journal; 2016, Vol. 30, No. 1, Supplement 1156.1

4 October 2016 natural insights for well being®

We’re dedicated to discovering the benefits of good nutrition and healthy lifestyle, and hope this issue of Natural Insights for Well Being® informs and inspires you to take an active role in your health. Please ask us to assist you with any natural products you would like to know more about.

These articles provide nutritional information only and do not replace professional medical advice.

Printed on Recycled Paper ©2016 RI

Your Good News!®

Healthy HeartAntioxidants improve heart health in menEpicatechins reduce cardiovascular events

Doctors measured antioxidant epicatechins—found in tea, apples, and cocoa—in the diets of 774 men, aged 65 to 84, and followed them for 25 years. Men with the lowest levels got an average of 7.9 mg of epicatechins per day, followed by a middle group that got 14.7 mg per day. Men with the highest levels got 15.2 mg of epicatechins per day.

Comparing those in the highest group to the lowest, men who got the most epicatechins were 38 percent less likely to have died from coronary heart disease over the 25 years.

Doctors also looked at men in the study with cardiovascular disease

(CVD) and found those who got the most epicatechins in the diet were 46 percent less likely to have died from CVD over the 25 years compared to men who got the least. Doctors said epicatechins may help improve blood flow by promoting nitric oxide, which helps blood vessels dilate and relax.

Reference: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition; May, 2016, Published Online

1909 Texoma Parkway Suite 102 Sherman, TX 75090 Phone: 903.892.8667 www.greenmarketnaturalfoods.com

Store Hours: Monday-Friday: 9:00 to 8:00 Saturday: 9:00 to 7:00 Sunday: 10:00 to 6:00