by AJ Adams
Blackberries are late season autumn berries that are well worth the wait. This dark purple fruit is high in vitamin C, vitamin E and, like other dark berries, antioxidants.
The path to great blackberries is paved by the 4 P's; Purchasing, Prepping, Preserving and Preparing.
Purchasing: When you're looking for the perfect blackberries and you can't get out to the farm yourself to pick them, you want to keep your eyes out for a nice, purple-black color. The berries should be firm, but still plump looking. They should also be dry, but not too dry - you want some juiciness about it. Like most fruits and vegetables, the best smelling and most fragrant ones are the tastiest, so give them a good smell.
Preparation: Don't wash or rinse the berries until you're ready to use them. Otherwise, the extra moisture and condensation could speed up the spoiling process. When you're ready, rinse the berries thoroughly under low-pressure running water. Pick out any loose stems or leaves.
Preserving: If you're not going to use the berries within a few days or purchasing or picking them, then you'll need to preserve them. The easiest way is to freeze them. A good method is to lay out the berries on a flat tray, freeze them and then move them to a plastic freezer bag. This will keep them from freezing as one solid clump.
Preparing: If you plan on serving the berries solo with a touch of cream and sugar, then fresh is best. But, if your blackberry dreams are pinned on pies, puddings, crumbles, and jams then frozen blackberries will do just fine, but remember that cooking and processing, like in all produce, will drastically reduce the levels of Vitamin C and Vitamin B. Like all fruits and vegetables, blackberries combine best with other fruits from their season, so try matching them with apples and squash for fantastic flavor.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
What's Good For Age Spots?
by Charles Browne
Age spots (also called liver spots or solar lentigines) are collections of pigment caused by excessive sun exposure, poor liver function, nutritional deficiency, or lack of exercise. Age spots are the yellowish-brown flat spots that look like large freckles of various sizes. Though harmless and painless, these changes in skin color are associated with older skin. They usually appear on the hands, but they can be almost anywhere, such as the face, arms, shoulders, back, or feet- the areas most exposed to the sun. While age spots are very common in adults over 40, they can affect younger people also.
As we age, and our metabolism slows down, the liver may become so overloaded with toxins that it cannot rid the body of them. Years of being in the sun begin to add up. Oxidation within the body, and the lack of antioxidants in our diet, also plays an influential role in this process. Due to thin skin or excessive sun exposure, pigment can also be deposited as a reaction to an injury or bruise, similar to a scar being a response to a cut.
Age spots are the surface sign of free radical intoxification of the body, therefore it may be more beneficial to fight them internally. Vitamins (or foods rich in the vitamins) which may be helpful include: B6 (pyrodoxine), Beta-carotene, B Complex, C, Calcium & Magnesium, Cysteine, D, E, Lecithin, and Selenium. Herbs which may be helpful include: Burdock, Ginseng, Gotu Kola, Licorice root, Milk Thistle, Red Clover, and Sarsaparilla.
Vitamins and herbs may also be applied externally, to be absorbed into the skin. Those useful include: Apple Cider Vinegar, Dandelion juice, Lemon juice, Onion, and vitamins A, C, & E.
Age spots take years to form and eliminating them will also take time, so don't give up. Try a remedy, be patient, and if there's no improvement after a few months, try another one. Avoid excessive sun exposure, and always use a sunscreen of at least SPF 15. Avoid unhealthy fats.
To promote liver function, eat lots of fruits and vegetables (especially raw), & whole grains. Consume plenty of green vegetables. Maintain a healthy weight, and remember that sweating is good for you. Also avoid alcohol, artificial sweeteners, aspirin, caffeine, drugs, fats, food additives & preservatives, foods with artificial anything, meat, processed foods, salt, shellfish, sugar, tobacco smoke, and white flour.
NOTE: Irregular, dark spots that increase in size or change color or texture, should be checked immediately by a doctor. They could be skin cancer.
Age spots (also called liver spots or solar lentigines) are collections of pigment caused by excessive sun exposure, poor liver function, nutritional deficiency, or lack of exercise. Age spots are the yellowish-brown flat spots that look like large freckles of various sizes. Though harmless and painless, these changes in skin color are associated with older skin. They usually appear on the hands, but they can be almost anywhere, such as the face, arms, shoulders, back, or feet- the areas most exposed to the sun. While age spots are very common in adults over 40, they can affect younger people also.
As we age, and our metabolism slows down, the liver may become so overloaded with toxins that it cannot rid the body of them. Years of being in the sun begin to add up. Oxidation within the body, and the lack of antioxidants in our diet, also plays an influential role in this process. Due to thin skin or excessive sun exposure, pigment can also be deposited as a reaction to an injury or bruise, similar to a scar being a response to a cut.
Age spots are the surface sign of free radical intoxification of the body, therefore it may be more beneficial to fight them internally. Vitamins (or foods rich in the vitamins) which may be helpful include: B6 (pyrodoxine), Beta-carotene, B Complex, C, Calcium & Magnesium, Cysteine, D, E, Lecithin, and Selenium. Herbs which may be helpful include: Burdock, Ginseng, Gotu Kola, Licorice root, Milk Thistle, Red Clover, and Sarsaparilla.
Vitamins and herbs may also be applied externally, to be absorbed into the skin. Those useful include: Apple Cider Vinegar, Dandelion juice, Lemon juice, Onion, and vitamins A, C, & E.
Age spots take years to form and eliminating them will also take time, so don't give up. Try a remedy, be patient, and if there's no improvement after a few months, try another one. Avoid excessive sun exposure, and always use a sunscreen of at least SPF 15. Avoid unhealthy fats.
To promote liver function, eat lots of fruits and vegetables (especially raw), & whole grains. Consume plenty of green vegetables. Maintain a healthy weight, and remember that sweating is good for you. Also avoid alcohol, artificial sweeteners, aspirin, caffeine, drugs, fats, food additives & preservatives, foods with artificial anything, meat, processed foods, salt, shellfish, sugar, tobacco smoke, and white flour.
NOTE: Irregular, dark spots that increase in size or change color or texture, should be checked immediately by a doctor. They could be skin cancer.
Super Foods are Self Contained Powerhouses of Nutritional Content
by Paul Crantz
If you've heard the term "super food", are you thinking of vitamin drinks or the latest greatest diet and muscle concoction? The generally accepted criteria for a super food is a food unusually rich at least one or more essential nutrient. Most contain multiple nutrients and benefits at levels well above the norm. Well, you may be surprised to learn that the world's most nutritionally beneficial foods are right under your nose, readily available most anywhere. Let's take a quick look.
Let's start with nuts, walnuts, peanuts, macadamias, my favorite, and others. Just by eating a handful of nuts, five times a week, you can improve your cholesterol and lower your risk of cardiovascular disease by 15% to 50%. Just try and find a pill that will even touch those numbers, at least naturally and safely. Nuts, especially walnuts, are an excellent source of plant based Omega 3 fatty acids. For vegans, this is good news indeed, for much of the foods rich in fatty acids are found in animal products, such as fish and eggs. One generous handful of nuts, say a dozen walnut halves, contain about 150 calories which should not wreck your diet.
Another super food group are foods that are deep blue, purple, red, green, or orange. For instance, take the blueberry, in a class all by itself. They are not hugely nutritious in any one area as much as they have such a broad spectrum. They have folic acid, C., carotenes, bioflavanoids and literally hundreds of other compounds, all beneficial to health. Strawberries, raspberries and most other berries are also similar in nutritional value. Tomatoes are packed with vitamin C and vitamin A, and you also get some fiber, but especially Lycopene, a powerful antioxidant, is abundant in tomatoes and tomato products. Studies found that lycopene may help reduce some cancer and heart disease. Sweet potatoes are one of the best vegetables you can eat. They're loaded with carotenoids, vitamin C, potassium, and fiber.
Whole grains are definitely in this class. Whole grains are thought to have even more phytochemicals and antioxidants than even the best fruits and vegetables. You've probably heard the adage that Bread is the Staff of Life. It's not hard to see why. Most of the antioxidants are found in the germ and the bran of a grain. Whole grains are an excellent source of B vitamins, vitamin E, magnesium, iron and fiber as well as other valuable antioxidants not found in some fruits and vegetables. Whole wheat, wild rice, brown rice, oatmeal and popcorn are all good examples.
What about pomegranates? There are other super fruits but pomegranates are probably not as well known as they should be. Pomegranate fruits contain polyphenols, tannins and anthocyanins - all are beneficial antioxidants. Interestingly, pomegranate juice contains high levels of antioxidants - higher than most other fruit juices, red wine or green tea. Studies have shown that the juice of the pom is effective in lowering high blood pressure as well as LDL, the bad cholesterol. Plus, it is absolutely delicious. Don't miss this one.
Seafood, especially wild salmon, sardines and tuna, are an undeniable super food group. These foods are extremely rich in the good fatty acids, especially Omega 3 acids. It has been shown, beyond any doubt, that Omega 3 is crucial for optimal brain functioning. The brain is about 60% fat, it needs a fat based nutrient to keep it well lubed, so to speak. Omega-3 fatty acids, in particular docosahexaenoic acid or DHA. Not only will it feed and lubricate a developing brain, DHA also seems to help stave off dementia, a very real problem in the elderly population.
Legumes or beans are super in every sense of the word. Each bean may have its own unique nutritional characteristics, but they all provide a tremendous nutritional boost to our diets. Beans are an excellent source of low fat protein and fiber, and they are loaded with B vitamins, folate, magnesium, iron and potassium, just to name a few. Beans are also loaded with hundreds of phytonutrients, which play an essential role in overall cellular health, and numerous other benefits.
The foods listed above are on my short list of super foods. I chose these foods for two reasons. Number one is that they are, for the most part, readily available worldwide. Number two is that these foods are synergistic, meaning any combination of two or more of these foods used in our diets could keep us in glowing good health, satisfying our nutritional needs for a lifetime. Bon appetit', thanks for reading.
If you've heard the term "super food", are you thinking of vitamin drinks or the latest greatest diet and muscle concoction? The generally accepted criteria for a super food is a food unusually rich at least one or more essential nutrient. Most contain multiple nutrients and benefits at levels well above the norm. Well, you may be surprised to learn that the world's most nutritionally beneficial foods are right under your nose, readily available most anywhere. Let's take a quick look.
Let's start with nuts, walnuts, peanuts, macadamias, my favorite, and others. Just by eating a handful of nuts, five times a week, you can improve your cholesterol and lower your risk of cardiovascular disease by 15% to 50%. Just try and find a pill that will even touch those numbers, at least naturally and safely. Nuts, especially walnuts, are an excellent source of plant based Omega 3 fatty acids. For vegans, this is good news indeed, for much of the foods rich in fatty acids are found in animal products, such as fish and eggs. One generous handful of nuts, say a dozen walnut halves, contain about 150 calories which should not wreck your diet.
Another super food group are foods that are deep blue, purple, red, green, or orange. For instance, take the blueberry, in a class all by itself. They are not hugely nutritious in any one area as much as they have such a broad spectrum. They have folic acid, C., carotenes, bioflavanoids and literally hundreds of other compounds, all beneficial to health. Strawberries, raspberries and most other berries are also similar in nutritional value. Tomatoes are packed with vitamin C and vitamin A, and you also get some fiber, but especially Lycopene, a powerful antioxidant, is abundant in tomatoes and tomato products. Studies found that lycopene may help reduce some cancer and heart disease. Sweet potatoes are one of the best vegetables you can eat. They're loaded with carotenoids, vitamin C, potassium, and fiber.
Whole grains are definitely in this class. Whole grains are thought to have even more phytochemicals and antioxidants than even the best fruits and vegetables. You've probably heard the adage that Bread is the Staff of Life. It's not hard to see why. Most of the antioxidants are found in the germ and the bran of a grain. Whole grains are an excellent source of B vitamins, vitamin E, magnesium, iron and fiber as well as other valuable antioxidants not found in some fruits and vegetables. Whole wheat, wild rice, brown rice, oatmeal and popcorn are all good examples.
What about pomegranates? There are other super fruits but pomegranates are probably not as well known as they should be. Pomegranate fruits contain polyphenols, tannins and anthocyanins - all are beneficial antioxidants. Interestingly, pomegranate juice contains high levels of antioxidants - higher than most other fruit juices, red wine or green tea. Studies have shown that the juice of the pom is effective in lowering high blood pressure as well as LDL, the bad cholesterol. Plus, it is absolutely delicious. Don't miss this one.
Seafood, especially wild salmon, sardines and tuna, are an undeniable super food group. These foods are extremely rich in the good fatty acids, especially Omega 3 acids. It has been shown, beyond any doubt, that Omega 3 is crucial for optimal brain functioning. The brain is about 60% fat, it needs a fat based nutrient to keep it well lubed, so to speak. Omega-3 fatty acids, in particular docosahexaenoic acid or DHA. Not only will it feed and lubricate a developing brain, DHA also seems to help stave off dementia, a very real problem in the elderly population.
Legumes or beans are super in every sense of the word. Each bean may have its own unique nutritional characteristics, but they all provide a tremendous nutritional boost to our diets. Beans are an excellent source of low fat protein and fiber, and they are loaded with B vitamins, folate, magnesium, iron and potassium, just to name a few. Beans are also loaded with hundreds of phytonutrients, which play an essential role in overall cellular health, and numerous other benefits.
The foods listed above are on my short list of super foods. I chose these foods for two reasons. Number one is that they are, for the most part, readily available worldwide. Number two is that these foods are synergistic, meaning any combination of two or more of these foods used in our diets could keep us in glowing good health, satisfying our nutritional needs for a lifetime. Bon appetit', thanks for reading.
Monday, March 26, 2007
Selecting the Best Tea for You
by Dennis Brown
If you're ready to explore the fine world of healthy tea, you should understand there are three foremost types of tea decorating the shelves of supermarkets: green, oolong, and black. Today, the three prominent brands of tea are joined by a fourth, which promises a wealth of medical aid - white tea. The distinction between all of the types of tea is the way that each is harvested and processed. As a rule of thumb, the younger the leaf, the higher the numbers of antioxidants (as exhibited with the white tea variety).
Black Tea
Accounting for greater than 75% of the tea production in the entire world, the black variation is sometimes called pekoe or orange pekoe. Since the leaves are fermented before drying, black tea has the tiniest numbers of the antioxidants that can be helpful to your body. When matched to all the teas, black tea possesses the highest quantity of theaflavin, which is thought to limit the danger of cancer and cardiovascular disease. Per a long-term study done by the Netherlands National Institute of Public Health and the Environment, parallels were detected between daily consumption of black tea and a smaller risk of suffering a stroke. Scientists in Saudi Arabia also discovered a 50% reduction of developing coronary heart disease.
Oolong Tea
Since oolong tea undergoes an incomplete fermentation, there is still a reasonable measure of antioxidants to prevent and treat an assortment of medical concerns. A large level of polyphenol is related to the drinking of oolong tea, which has a connection to the hindrance and handling of heart-related diseases. When drinking a ½ cup of oolong tea every day may arise in a smaller risk of high blood pressure (or hypertension) by almost 50%. This type of tea also helps against embarrassing skin conditions and tooth decay.
Green Tea
Green tea does not enter a conversion of fermentation, which leads to a larger concentration in healthy qualities than the black and oolong type. A large quantity of catechin is contained inside a cup of green tea and it is due to this component that you get the multitude of anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties. Drinking green tea may also help various patients fight high cholesterol levels, cardiovascular disease, infection, rheumatoid arthritis and a weakened immune system.
White Tea
When processing the ingredients for white tea the youngest leaves and buds are left untouched. Due to this the biggest quantity of antioxidants is present inside a cup of white tea. White tea has the potential to fight against fungi, viruses, and bacteria. The white type of tea also boosts the anti-bacterial and anti-viral fighting strength of several of the most purchased toothpastes on the market. Studies done on the polyphenols in white tea have discovered the potential to eradicate cancer causing cells.
You can find it very demanding to select the right tea when they each have innumerable possible benefits. I would suggest that you should regularly consume the one that you think is most enjoyable. Tea is something that should be savored not just considered a medicine. I would also suggest you to pick a couple days each week to sample a different tea. This way you might get some of the potential benefits of all the teas and you might even discover a new favorite tea.
About the Author
To read more about the benefits of tea, come over to Dennis Brown's site www.lifestea.com
If you're ready to explore the fine world of healthy tea, you should understand there are three foremost types of tea decorating the shelves of supermarkets: green, oolong, and black. Today, the three prominent brands of tea are joined by a fourth, which promises a wealth of medical aid - white tea. The distinction between all of the types of tea is the way that each is harvested and processed. As a rule of thumb, the younger the leaf, the higher the numbers of antioxidants (as exhibited with the white tea variety).
Black Tea
Accounting for greater than 75% of the tea production in the entire world, the black variation is sometimes called pekoe or orange pekoe. Since the leaves are fermented before drying, black tea has the tiniest numbers of the antioxidants that can be helpful to your body. When matched to all the teas, black tea possesses the highest quantity of theaflavin, which is thought to limit the danger of cancer and cardiovascular disease. Per a long-term study done by the Netherlands National Institute of Public Health and the Environment, parallels were detected between daily consumption of black tea and a smaller risk of suffering a stroke. Scientists in Saudi Arabia also discovered a 50% reduction of developing coronary heart disease.
Oolong Tea
Since oolong tea undergoes an incomplete fermentation, there is still a reasonable measure of antioxidants to prevent and treat an assortment of medical concerns. A large level of polyphenol is related to the drinking of oolong tea, which has a connection to the hindrance and handling of heart-related diseases. When drinking a ½ cup of oolong tea every day may arise in a smaller risk of high blood pressure (or hypertension) by almost 50%. This type of tea also helps against embarrassing skin conditions and tooth decay.
Green Tea
Green tea does not enter a conversion of fermentation, which leads to a larger concentration in healthy qualities than the black and oolong type. A large quantity of catechin is contained inside a cup of green tea and it is due to this component that you get the multitude of anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties. Drinking green tea may also help various patients fight high cholesterol levels, cardiovascular disease, infection, rheumatoid arthritis and a weakened immune system.
White Tea
When processing the ingredients for white tea the youngest leaves and buds are left untouched. Due to this the biggest quantity of antioxidants is present inside a cup of white tea. White tea has the potential to fight against fungi, viruses, and bacteria. The white type of tea also boosts the anti-bacterial and anti-viral fighting strength of several of the most purchased toothpastes on the market. Studies done on the polyphenols in white tea have discovered the potential to eradicate cancer causing cells.
You can find it very demanding to select the right tea when they each have innumerable possible benefits. I would suggest that you should regularly consume the one that you think is most enjoyable. Tea is something that should be savored not just considered a medicine. I would also suggest you to pick a couple days each week to sample a different tea. This way you might get some of the potential benefits of all the teas and you might even discover a new favorite tea.
About the Author
To read more about the benefits of tea, come over to Dennis Brown's site www.lifestea.com
Exercise And The Benefits To Older Skin
by Louise Forrest
Exercise is not only good for young skin, but it can also have amazing benefits for older skin too.
Exercise has been linked to benefits with the skin for years now, and it is no big surprise that if you exercise regularly, your skin will really reap the benefits. So just what benefits can exercise provide for older skin?
The Benefits of Exercise on Older Skin:
Keeping yourself in shape when you are older not only improves your fitness level, helps you to live longer, and help to firm the skin, but it can also help to heal the skin.
Older skin is generally more prone to wounds and sores, and exercise can really help to heal them. Even if you have never exercised in your life, if you start exercising regularly when you are older, you will still see the benefits.
As you get older, less exercise is needed and so you generally need to exercise for around fifteen minutes per day. It all depends upon the type of exercise which you do. If for example you fancy a walk, you only have to do fifteen minutes.
However, if you wanted to ride a stationary bike, you would have to do thirty minutes in order for the benefits to really show. The most essential thing to do before exercising is to warm up. If you do not warm up for at least ten minutes by stretching, you are likely to cause an injury to your body throughout the actual exercise.
Common skin problems in older people include age spots, bruising, Actinic Keratoses, and Cherry angiomas. Actinic Keratoses is basically a thick, rough, warty, growth which appears on sun exposed skin. Cherry angiomas are small, bright red domes which are created by dilated blood vessels.
Exercise helps by boosting antioxidants which fight free radicals which cause ageing. By fighting the free radicals, it leaves the skin healthier and younger looking and feeling, and that helps the skin to heal a lot better. The main benefit of exercise helping to heal wounds is that it stops infections.
Infections can be extremely worrying for elderly people and they can cause a lot of problems. As you get older your immune system is not as healthy as it used to be. This means that there is a lot more stress on it and it is harder to fight off any infection. Even small infections can lead to serious problems and sometimes in extreme cases, it could be fatal.
So what are the best exercises for older people then? Well walking is a really gentle exercise and many older people find it really enjoyable. Swimming is also another popular choice and there are often specially designed swimming days for older people too so check out your local pool to see if they offer these classes.
Some older people even go jogging, but obviously that will depend upon your current fitness level, you may simply wish to just stick to walking.
Generally all exercise can be done by any age. Even yoga can still be done whilst you are in your seventies! There really is no excuse and the benefits far outweigh the effort of having to actually do the exercise! So, if you want your skin to heal a lot quicker as well as keeping it firm and flexible, exercise is definitely the way to go about it!
Exercise generally increases collagen production which in turn helps to keep the skin firm. If you are an older person looking to start exercise, it is always important to check with your doctor to see what they recommend. They will be able to match you to something which will best fit your ability level.
About the Author
Keep YOURSELF looking and feeling great with these great FREE Beauty Tips from http://www.NaturalElements.co.uk In just seconds you can access over 36 beauty topics that will keep you looking younger and more radiant. You can now get the very latest information on Skin Care Products by subscribing with RSS
Exercise is not only good for young skin, but it can also have amazing benefits for older skin too.
Exercise has been linked to benefits with the skin for years now, and it is no big surprise that if you exercise regularly, your skin will really reap the benefits. So just what benefits can exercise provide for older skin?
The Benefits of Exercise on Older Skin:
Keeping yourself in shape when you are older not only improves your fitness level, helps you to live longer, and help to firm the skin, but it can also help to heal the skin.
Older skin is generally more prone to wounds and sores, and exercise can really help to heal them. Even if you have never exercised in your life, if you start exercising regularly when you are older, you will still see the benefits.
As you get older, less exercise is needed and so you generally need to exercise for around fifteen minutes per day. It all depends upon the type of exercise which you do. If for example you fancy a walk, you only have to do fifteen minutes.
However, if you wanted to ride a stationary bike, you would have to do thirty minutes in order for the benefits to really show. The most essential thing to do before exercising is to warm up. If you do not warm up for at least ten minutes by stretching, you are likely to cause an injury to your body throughout the actual exercise.
Common skin problems in older people include age spots, bruising, Actinic Keratoses, and Cherry angiomas. Actinic Keratoses is basically a thick, rough, warty, growth which appears on sun exposed skin. Cherry angiomas are small, bright red domes which are created by dilated blood vessels.
Exercise helps by boosting antioxidants which fight free radicals which cause ageing. By fighting the free radicals, it leaves the skin healthier and younger looking and feeling, and that helps the skin to heal a lot better. The main benefit of exercise helping to heal wounds is that it stops infections.
Infections can be extremely worrying for elderly people and they can cause a lot of problems. As you get older your immune system is not as healthy as it used to be. This means that there is a lot more stress on it and it is harder to fight off any infection. Even small infections can lead to serious problems and sometimes in extreme cases, it could be fatal.
So what are the best exercises for older people then? Well walking is a really gentle exercise and many older people find it really enjoyable. Swimming is also another popular choice and there are often specially designed swimming days for older people too so check out your local pool to see if they offer these classes.
Some older people even go jogging, but obviously that will depend upon your current fitness level, you may simply wish to just stick to walking.
Generally all exercise can be done by any age. Even yoga can still be done whilst you are in your seventies! There really is no excuse and the benefits far outweigh the effort of having to actually do the exercise! So, if you want your skin to heal a lot quicker as well as keeping it firm and flexible, exercise is definitely the way to go about it!
Exercise generally increases collagen production which in turn helps to keep the skin firm. If you are an older person looking to start exercise, it is always important to check with your doctor to see what they recommend. They will be able to match you to something which will best fit your ability level.
About the Author
Keep YOURSELF looking and feeling great with these great FREE Beauty Tips from http://www.NaturalElements.co.uk In just seconds you can access over 36 beauty topics that will keep you looking younger and more radiant. You can now get the very latest information on Skin Care Products by subscribing with RSS
Hawthorne Berries and Heart Health
by Patsy Hamilton
The Hawthorne berry is the fruit of the Common Hawthorne or Midland Hawthorne, a low growing shrub or small tree, with waxy leaves similar to the holly tree. Hawthorne berries are not commonly used as a food source, today, but the extract is found in some health supplements that promote heart and vascular health.
Apparently, the Hawthorne berry was used to make a fermented beverage in China, during per-historic times. Remnants of Hawthorne berries have been found in pottery jars dating back to 7000 B.C. Archeologists believe that these beverages were medically or religiously significant in ancient Chinese culture.
The New York Medical Journal first published a report concerning the use of Hawthorne berry in the treatment of heart disease in October 1896. A Dr. Green of Ennis, Ireland had developed a reputation for "curing" heart disease, but refused to share his secret with colleagues. After his death, his daughter revealed the name of the remedy used by her father. The name was Crataegus Oxycantha, the older scientific name for the Common Hawthorn. The official designation is now Crataegus monogyna, but the older name is sometimes used.
Clinical trials and research continued on the medicinal value of Hawthorne berries throughout the early 1900's and is still going on today. Scientific evaluation of the benefits of Hawthorne berry has only been partially completed. It is believed that antioxidants, flavonoids or other compounds such as epicatechin, quercetin and rutin, are responsible for the beneficial effects of Hawthorne berries. The extract is sometimes added to health supplements designed to promote heart health, reduce blood pressure and correct unhealthy cholesterol levels.
The most recent studies of the medicinal value of the Hawthorn berry related to the affect of the extract on the liver, the digestive system, the cardiovascular system and as an anti-inflammatory. The extract has natural anti-inflammatory action, has reduced ulcerative colitis and protected the liver from damage usually associated with cardiac events in laboratory animals. In the vascular system, the extract has been shown to reduce calcification. It is calcification of arterial plaques that leads to atherosclerosis and life threatening blood clots.
Even though some health care professionals have recognized the medicinal value of Hawthorne berries for over 100 years, research related to them is still considered preliminary. Most scientific research is funded by pharmaceutical companies and pharmaceutical companies cannot patent naturally occurring substances. So, the Hawthorne berry is of little interest to them. To learn more about Hawthorne berries and supplements designed to promote heart health, please visit Heart Health Diet Tips.com.
About the Author
Patsy Hamilton was a health care professional for over twenty years before becoming a freelance health writer. She is currently writing a series of articles about supplements that promote better heart health. Read more at http://heart-health-diet-tips.com.
The Hawthorne berry is the fruit of the Common Hawthorne or Midland Hawthorne, a low growing shrub or small tree, with waxy leaves similar to the holly tree. Hawthorne berries are not commonly used as a food source, today, but the extract is found in some health supplements that promote heart and vascular health.
Apparently, the Hawthorne berry was used to make a fermented beverage in China, during per-historic times. Remnants of Hawthorne berries have been found in pottery jars dating back to 7000 B.C. Archeologists believe that these beverages were medically or religiously significant in ancient Chinese culture.
The New York Medical Journal first published a report concerning the use of Hawthorne berry in the treatment of heart disease in October 1896. A Dr. Green of Ennis, Ireland had developed a reputation for "curing" heart disease, but refused to share his secret with colleagues. After his death, his daughter revealed the name of the remedy used by her father. The name was Crataegus Oxycantha, the older scientific name for the Common Hawthorn. The official designation is now Crataegus monogyna, but the older name is sometimes used.
Clinical trials and research continued on the medicinal value of Hawthorne berries throughout the early 1900's and is still going on today. Scientific evaluation of the benefits of Hawthorne berry has only been partially completed. It is believed that antioxidants, flavonoids or other compounds such as epicatechin, quercetin and rutin, are responsible for the beneficial effects of Hawthorne berries. The extract is sometimes added to health supplements designed to promote heart health, reduce blood pressure and correct unhealthy cholesterol levels.
The most recent studies of the medicinal value of the Hawthorn berry related to the affect of the extract on the liver, the digestive system, the cardiovascular system and as an anti-inflammatory. The extract has natural anti-inflammatory action, has reduced ulcerative colitis and protected the liver from damage usually associated with cardiac events in laboratory animals. In the vascular system, the extract has been shown to reduce calcification. It is calcification of arterial plaques that leads to atherosclerosis and life threatening blood clots.
Even though some health care professionals have recognized the medicinal value of Hawthorne berries for over 100 years, research related to them is still considered preliminary. Most scientific research is funded by pharmaceutical companies and pharmaceutical companies cannot patent naturally occurring substances. So, the Hawthorne berry is of little interest to them. To learn more about Hawthorne berries and supplements designed to promote heart health, please visit Heart Health Diet Tips.com.
About the Author
Patsy Hamilton was a health care professional for over twenty years before becoming a freelance health writer. She is currently writing a series of articles about supplements that promote better heart health. Read more at http://heart-health-diet-tips.com.
How to Make an Easter Bunny Cake
by LeAnn R. Ralph
For many years, chocolate has had the poor reputation of being "bad for you." But researchers have now discovered that chocolate contains as many if not more antioxidants than tea.
Pictures of the Easter Bunny Cake are here -- http://www.ruralroute2.com/bunny_cake_pictures.php
To make this double-chocolate Easter bunny cake (chocolate cake and chocolate frosting), use your round layer-cake pan. In addition to the cake and frosting, you will need:
* jelly beans * coconut * malted milk eggs (the large ones that come in a variety of colors) * 2 wafer cookies (for the ears)
Cake
* 1 1/2 cups flour * 1 cup sugar * 1 teaspoon baking powder * 1/2 teaspoon salt * 1/3 cup cocoa * 3/4 cup milk * 1/2 cup cooking oil * 1 egg * 1 teaspoon vanilla
Measure all ingredients into a medium-sized bowl. Use an electric mixer and blend at low speed for 1 minute. Scrape the bowl while blending. Beat at high speed for 2 to 3 minutes, scraping the bowl occasionally. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes in a greased and floured round layer-cake pan. Allow the cake to cool thoroughly before removing it from the pan.
Frosting * 3 cups powdered sugar * 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon cocoa * 6 tablespoons butter, softened (or margarine, if you prefer) * 1/4 cup milk
Measure all ingredients into a medium-sized mixing bowl. Blend at low speed for 1 minute. Scrape the bowl while blending. Beat at high speed for 2 to 3 minutes, scraping occasionally. If frosting seems too stiff, add milk by the teaspoon until the frosting reaches the desired consistency. If the frosting seems too thin, add powdered sugar by the tablespoon until the frosting reaches the desired consistency.
How to Make Your Chocolate Easter Bunny Cake
Remove the cake from the round cake pan. Cut in half. Frost the flat side of one half and put the two pieces together. Place on a platter or a large plate, cut side down.
Frost the cake with chocolate frosting.
Place two jelly beans for the eyes and one jelly bean for the nose. Use a large malted milk egg for the tail.
With a sharp knife, cut a hole on each side of the head where you want to place the ears. To make the ears, use the sharp knife to trim a wafer cookie into the shape of bunny ears. Frost the ears. Put a little frosting into the holes to anchor the ears.
Sprinkle coconut around the Easter bunny cake. Decorate with jelly beans and malted milk eggs.
***********************
LeAnn R. Ralph is the author of books about growing up on a small family dairy farm 40 years ago. The Midwest Book Review calls this series of books "Highly recommended reading!" You are invited to sign up for the twice-monthly newsletter from Rural Route 2 -- http://ruralroute2.com
About the Author
For more free recipes visit --http://ruralroute2.com
For more free recipes visit --http://rosinfo.blogspot.com
For many years, chocolate has had the poor reputation of being "bad for you." But researchers have now discovered that chocolate contains as many if not more antioxidants than tea.
Pictures of the Easter Bunny Cake are here -- http://www.ruralroute2.com/bunny_cake_pictures.php
To make this double-chocolate Easter bunny cake (chocolate cake and chocolate frosting), use your round layer-cake pan. In addition to the cake and frosting, you will need:
* jelly beans * coconut * malted milk eggs (the large ones that come in a variety of colors) * 2 wafer cookies (for the ears)
Cake
* 1 1/2 cups flour * 1 cup sugar * 1 teaspoon baking powder * 1/2 teaspoon salt * 1/3 cup cocoa * 3/4 cup milk * 1/2 cup cooking oil * 1 egg * 1 teaspoon vanilla
Measure all ingredients into a medium-sized bowl. Use an electric mixer and blend at low speed for 1 minute. Scrape the bowl while blending. Beat at high speed for 2 to 3 minutes, scraping the bowl occasionally. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes in a greased and floured round layer-cake pan. Allow the cake to cool thoroughly before removing it from the pan.
Frosting * 3 cups powdered sugar * 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon cocoa * 6 tablespoons butter, softened (or margarine, if you prefer) * 1/4 cup milk
Measure all ingredients into a medium-sized mixing bowl. Blend at low speed for 1 minute. Scrape the bowl while blending. Beat at high speed for 2 to 3 minutes, scraping occasionally. If frosting seems too stiff, add milk by the teaspoon until the frosting reaches the desired consistency. If the frosting seems too thin, add powdered sugar by the tablespoon until the frosting reaches the desired consistency.
How to Make Your Chocolate Easter Bunny Cake
Remove the cake from the round cake pan. Cut in half. Frost the flat side of one half and put the two pieces together. Place on a platter or a large plate, cut side down.
Frost the cake with chocolate frosting.
Place two jelly beans for the eyes and one jelly bean for the nose. Use a large malted milk egg for the tail.
With a sharp knife, cut a hole on each side of the head where you want to place the ears. To make the ears, use the sharp knife to trim a wafer cookie into the shape of bunny ears. Frost the ears. Put a little frosting into the holes to anchor the ears.
Sprinkle coconut around the Easter bunny cake. Decorate with jelly beans and malted milk eggs.
***********************
LeAnn R. Ralph is the author of books about growing up on a small family dairy farm 40 years ago. The Midwest Book Review calls this series of books "Highly recommended reading!" You are invited to sign up for the twice-monthly newsletter from Rural Route 2 -- http://ruralroute2.com
About the Author
For more free recipes visit --http://ruralroute2.com
For more free recipes visit --http://rosinfo.blogspot.com
Isomer Anti-aging Products Reviewed
by Julie Health
If you want to see the best of science and technology, then Isomer products are your answer. These particular products are designed to give the most effective anti-aging products available by finding the right balance of chemicals. If you are trying to find the latest or the greatest, then these products will be some of the reviews that you should consider.
Isomers are generally defined as molecules that are able to bond between two types of atoms. Together, they make up a structure that allows the cells and atoms to combine more effectively and efficiently. In the world of anti-aging, Isomer products can offer your body more cells for your skin, giving you a younger and fresher look.
The isomers matrixyl is one of the series of things that are available for anti-aging through the concept of isomers. There are a series of these products, all which are used for rejuvenation of the skin by connecting the cells together and tightening the way that the skin is structured. This particular isomer is combined with collagen and bio-peptides in order to help your skin. By doing this it can help to reduce wrinkles.
From here, the Isomers that are available will come in variations of substances, all which will help to change the way that the rejuvenation on the skin works. For example, the Isomers One for the face is combined with isomers and anti-oxidants in order to both help reduce wrinkles and to make the skin look fresher. It also adds in different elements to keep the skin moisturized as it ages.
For those who want something extracted straight from nature and science, the Isomers Wrinkle Viper product for anti aging can be the answer. This has peptides from the isomers, which are natural anti-wrinkle formulas. This is then combined with a snake venom peptide which has a combination of chemicals known to fight wrinkles. This particular substance is known to combine newer science and one of the oldest substances for fighting age.
The Isomers laboratory also has Isomers Carnosine available for those who are concentrating on a different kind of substance. Carnosine has been formulated through scientific studies in order to stop oxidation from free radicals, instead compensating with more collagen that will build proteins. By using this, you will have the ability to add more antioxidants into your skin and allow your skin to become more elastic.
Of course the Isomers for anti-aging products do not have to stop at the face's majority of skin. From your head to your toes is a solution that Isomers can bring. The first of these is a lip firming serum, which will allow you to have fuller and younger looking lips without the plastic surgery. Not only will it allow for your lips to look better, but it will also give them extra nutrients, such as amino acids and protein in order to keep them nourished and healthy.
If you want Isomers for the feet, then Isomers happy feet can help. If you have rough feet, calluses, or dry feet, then this particular product will help them to look smoother, younger and healthy. With all of the products that are offered, customers are saying that Isomers are a great way to keep better skin and health. Because of the technology and science that is used for the products, it allows those who are interested in combining the essentials for skin to be happier with the results.
If you want a potent formula for your skin, then Isomers as anti-aging products may be your best answer. These particular chemicals are combined through scientific expertise and natural skin care needs in order to give you the best available products. By looking into the Isomer solution, you will be able to keep a young and healthy look for your skin.
About the Author
Julie Health writes about anti-aging products reviewed so you can learn more about how to look and feel younger through anti-aging products.
If you want to see the best of science and technology, then Isomer products are your answer. These particular products are designed to give the most effective anti-aging products available by finding the right balance of chemicals. If you are trying to find the latest or the greatest, then these products will be some of the reviews that you should consider.
Isomers are generally defined as molecules that are able to bond between two types of atoms. Together, they make up a structure that allows the cells and atoms to combine more effectively and efficiently. In the world of anti-aging, Isomer products can offer your body more cells for your skin, giving you a younger and fresher look.
The isomers matrixyl is one of the series of things that are available for anti-aging through the concept of isomers. There are a series of these products, all which are used for rejuvenation of the skin by connecting the cells together and tightening the way that the skin is structured. This particular isomer is combined with collagen and bio-peptides in order to help your skin. By doing this it can help to reduce wrinkles.
From here, the Isomers that are available will come in variations of substances, all which will help to change the way that the rejuvenation on the skin works. For example, the Isomers One for the face is combined with isomers and anti-oxidants in order to both help reduce wrinkles and to make the skin look fresher. It also adds in different elements to keep the skin moisturized as it ages.
For those who want something extracted straight from nature and science, the Isomers Wrinkle Viper product for anti aging can be the answer. This has peptides from the isomers, which are natural anti-wrinkle formulas. This is then combined with a snake venom peptide which has a combination of chemicals known to fight wrinkles. This particular substance is known to combine newer science and one of the oldest substances for fighting age.
The Isomers laboratory also has Isomers Carnosine available for those who are concentrating on a different kind of substance. Carnosine has been formulated through scientific studies in order to stop oxidation from free radicals, instead compensating with more collagen that will build proteins. By using this, you will have the ability to add more antioxidants into your skin and allow your skin to become more elastic.
Of course the Isomers for anti-aging products do not have to stop at the face's majority of skin. From your head to your toes is a solution that Isomers can bring. The first of these is a lip firming serum, which will allow you to have fuller and younger looking lips without the plastic surgery. Not only will it allow for your lips to look better, but it will also give them extra nutrients, such as amino acids and protein in order to keep them nourished and healthy.
If you want Isomers for the feet, then Isomers happy feet can help. If you have rough feet, calluses, or dry feet, then this particular product will help them to look smoother, younger and healthy. With all of the products that are offered, customers are saying that Isomers are a great way to keep better skin and health. Because of the technology and science that is used for the products, it allows those who are interested in combining the essentials for skin to be happier with the results.
If you want a potent formula for your skin, then Isomers as anti-aging products may be your best answer. These particular chemicals are combined through scientific expertise and natural skin care needs in order to give you the best available products. By looking into the Isomer solution, you will be able to keep a young and healthy look for your skin.
About the Author
Julie Health writes about anti-aging products reviewed so you can learn more about how to look and feel younger through anti-aging products.
Anti-aging Antioxidant Products Reviewed
by Julie Health
Every day you wake up and realize you are a day older. That does not just mean that it is one less day to work. It also means that your body is slowly beginning to change. Most think that the aging process occurs naturally and there is nothing that can be done about it. However, research is now finding that with specific functions in your body working at a higher level, you can combat against age, giving you the ability to wake up every day to be one year younger.
One of the major ways that you can help to combat against your age is through antioxidant products. This anti-aging material can help you to work effectively against things such as UV rays, free radicals, and other types of damage that may be taking place in your body at a cellular level. Some may do this through eating vegetables and fruits that carry antioxidants; however, you also have a choice to find anti-aging antioxidant products for what you need.
One of the popular anti-aging antioxidant products that are on the market are from the company E'llage. The founder of this company is a renowned dermatologist who developed a cream that focuses on helping anti-aging with antioxidants. The products are available in everything from scrubs to facials to serums; depending on what you is most comfortable applying.
A second antioxidant formula that you can use is from the company Orac+. This particular company has based their products off of natural fruits that have a large amount of antioxidants in their composure. By doing this, it is known to stop the overexposure to oxygen that free radicals apply in your body. Through their all natural composition, they are able to give creams and powders that can help reduce your aging.
A third company that is well known for anti-aging products with antioxidants is CosMedical. This particular company has a variety of cream products in order to help keep your skin looking younger. Some of the products will be based on a mixture of ingredients that are known to help with anti-aging while others are purely a mixture of ingredients that make up powerful antioxidants, helping you to replenish your skin and continue to look younger.
Another route that you can take for anti-aging antioxidant products is to look at a natural solution. There are a variety of companies that combine natural herbs that have a high amount of antioxidants, even beyond Orac+. For example, you may be able to find solutions in things such as green tea supplements, aloe vera, and even other mixtures of fruit and vegetable mixtures. By looking into all natural antioxidants that you can use as a product instead of eating, you will have an alternate solution to helping your skin and your health to continue to look better.
Of course, for those that want better known products, then you can look no further than your local mall. There are several antioxidant anti-aging products that are as effective as the above unique blends. L'Oreal, Oil of Olay, Elizabeth Arden, and Dior are a few of several brands that focus on the beauty of antioxidants to help prevent wrinkles and aging. If you want to make sure that the ingredients are right for these particular creams, you can simply look at the types of vitamins the mixture contains.
If you want to make sure that you have the right product for anti-aging with antioxidants, then you can follow a variety of brands to fit your needs. All of these have been tested and proven to work. Finding the right products will simply mean shopping around for the one that will be most effective for you. No matter what type of product route you decide to take, you will have the ability to simply apply in order to keep looking younger.
About the Author
Julie Health has more anti-aging products reviewed for your anti-aging benefit of looking younger than you thought would be possible.
Every day you wake up and realize you are a day older. That does not just mean that it is one less day to work. It also means that your body is slowly beginning to change. Most think that the aging process occurs naturally and there is nothing that can be done about it. However, research is now finding that with specific functions in your body working at a higher level, you can combat against age, giving you the ability to wake up every day to be one year younger.
One of the major ways that you can help to combat against your age is through antioxidant products. This anti-aging material can help you to work effectively against things such as UV rays, free radicals, and other types of damage that may be taking place in your body at a cellular level. Some may do this through eating vegetables and fruits that carry antioxidants; however, you also have a choice to find anti-aging antioxidant products for what you need.
One of the popular anti-aging antioxidant products that are on the market are from the company E'llage. The founder of this company is a renowned dermatologist who developed a cream that focuses on helping anti-aging with antioxidants. The products are available in everything from scrubs to facials to serums; depending on what you is most comfortable applying.
A second antioxidant formula that you can use is from the company Orac+. This particular company has based their products off of natural fruits that have a large amount of antioxidants in their composure. By doing this, it is known to stop the overexposure to oxygen that free radicals apply in your body. Through their all natural composition, they are able to give creams and powders that can help reduce your aging.
A third company that is well known for anti-aging products with antioxidants is CosMedical. This particular company has a variety of cream products in order to help keep your skin looking younger. Some of the products will be based on a mixture of ingredients that are known to help with anti-aging while others are purely a mixture of ingredients that make up powerful antioxidants, helping you to replenish your skin and continue to look younger.
Another route that you can take for anti-aging antioxidant products is to look at a natural solution. There are a variety of companies that combine natural herbs that have a high amount of antioxidants, even beyond Orac+. For example, you may be able to find solutions in things such as green tea supplements, aloe vera, and even other mixtures of fruit and vegetable mixtures. By looking into all natural antioxidants that you can use as a product instead of eating, you will have an alternate solution to helping your skin and your health to continue to look better.
Of course, for those that want better known products, then you can look no further than your local mall. There are several antioxidant anti-aging products that are as effective as the above unique blends. L'Oreal, Oil of Olay, Elizabeth Arden, and Dior are a few of several brands that focus on the beauty of antioxidants to help prevent wrinkles and aging. If you want to make sure that the ingredients are right for these particular creams, you can simply look at the types of vitamins the mixture contains.
If you want to make sure that you have the right product for anti-aging with antioxidants, then you can follow a variety of brands to fit your needs. All of these have been tested and proven to work. Finding the right products will simply mean shopping around for the one that will be most effective for you. No matter what type of product route you decide to take, you will have the ability to simply apply in order to keep looking younger.
About the Author
Julie Health has more anti-aging products reviewed for your anti-aging benefit of looking younger than you thought would be possible.
Anthocyanin Antioxidants - Just The Faqs
by Dr. Paul Gross
We've been reading a lot in magazines and newspapers about antioxidant plant foods, including berries like blueberries and cranberries, and we keep seeing the word anthocyanins.
What are anthocyanins?
Anthocyanins (Etymology: Greek. anthos = Flower, kyáneos = purple) are water-soluble pigments reflecting the red to blue range of the visible spectrum. The colour depends on the acidity of the surrounding medium.
Anthocyanins exist only in plants with bright colors in everything from flower petals to autumn leaves and edible fruits or vegetables. Chemical identification studies reveal that there are as many as 600 unique anthocyanins in nature.
How are anthocyanins synthesized in the plant?
Here's a brief botany summary. Anthocyanins are formed from chemical raw materials in the plant, using the amino acid phenylalanine, or another chemical called malonyl coenzyme A. These two substrates join to form the base material for anthocyanins called "chalcones" that lead to the production of anthocyanins after a series of enzyme steps.
The parent material of anthocyanins is a group of similar structures named "anthocyanidins" or "proanthocyanidins" which contain no sugar molecules. When sugars become attached, an anthocyanin glycoside is formed, taking the characteristic shape of anthocyanins.
When first isolated by chemists, many anthocyanins were named after the colorful flowers from which they were extracted, such as petunidin (petunia), rosinidin (rose) and peonidin (peonies).
The large class of antioxidant cyanidins is also anthocyanins - all these compounds belong to the group of compounds called flavonoids within the super-family of antioxidants named phenolics or polyphenols.
What is the purpose of anthocyanins in a plant?
Anthocyanins exist mainly to preserve the regeneration of the plant. In flowers, the colorful anthocyanins of petals attract pollinators whereas in fruits, like brightly colored berries, they reside in the skin to attract animals that eat the fruit and later disperse the seeds in their droppings. This is nature's efficient way of symbiosis between a plant and feeding animal.
Anthocyanins also serve a protective role much like a "sunscreen" by absorbing the ultraviolet light that plants face from constant sun exposure.
This "sunscreen" function is thought to be the reason why many deciduous plants turn red in autumn. When green chlorophylls break down, and as leaves begin to dehydrate and die, anthocyanins shield the remaining leaf tissues while the plant moves nutrients back into the stems and vascular system of the tree.
How do people benefit from anthocyanins and what plant foods contain them?
In berry research particularly, anthocyanins have been shown to possess strong antioxidant qualities that guard cells of the fruit pulp and seeds from reactive oxygen species ("free radicals") formed during normal plant metabolism and exposure to ultraviolet light.
When people eat anthocyanin-rich foods, we obtain the benefit of these antioxidant qualities, giving us the same capacity for combating the damaging free radicals.
Among plant foods providing the richest sources of anthocyanins are blueberries, cranberries, blackberries, red currants and cherries (up to 400 mg in every 100 gram serving) and Concord grapes (as high as 750 mg/100 grams). Two of the richest sources of anthocyanins in berries are in the black raspberry and tropical palmberry (or acai).
A good rule of thumb is this: dark blue, purple or black fruits that easily stain your fingers (or thumb) during picking are great sources of anthocyanins.
Non-berry plant foods rich in anthocyanins include brightly colored (bluish) vegetables like the purple cabbage and eggplant. White plant foods like banana, pear and potato do not contain significant levels of anthocyanins.
Are there known health values of eating anthocyanin-rich foods?
Medical research has been examining potential health or anti-disease benefits of having anthocyanin-enriched plant foods like berries included in the regular human diet.
Although the work must be considered preliminary until thorough clinical trials are completed, the list of potential benefits are many and includes positive effects against:
* Cancer * Diabetes * Inflammation * Heart and vascular disease * Alzheimer's disease * Other types of neurodegeneration * High blood cholesterol * Stroke * Bacterial infections * Urinary tract infections * Age-related eyesight deterioration * Premature aging
Reading
Wikipedia, free encyclopedia, http://www.wikipedia.com
PubMed, online literature database of the US National Library of Medicine, http://pubmed.gov
Shahidi F, Naczk M. Phenolics in Food and Nutraceuticals, CRC Press, Boca Raton, 2003.
About the Author
Dr. Paul Gross is a scientist and expert on cardiovascular and brain physiology. A published researcher, Gross recently completed a book on the Chinese wolfberry and has begun another on antioxidant berries. Gross is founder of Berry Health Inc, a developer of nutritional, berry-based supplements. For more information, visit http://www.berrywiseonline.com
We've been reading a lot in magazines and newspapers about antioxidant plant foods, including berries like blueberries and cranberries, and we keep seeing the word anthocyanins.
What are anthocyanins?
Anthocyanins (Etymology: Greek. anthos = Flower, kyáneos = purple) are water-soluble pigments reflecting the red to blue range of the visible spectrum. The colour depends on the acidity of the surrounding medium.
Anthocyanins exist only in plants with bright colors in everything from flower petals to autumn leaves and edible fruits or vegetables. Chemical identification studies reveal that there are as many as 600 unique anthocyanins in nature.
How are anthocyanins synthesized in the plant?
Here's a brief botany summary. Anthocyanins are formed from chemical raw materials in the plant, using the amino acid phenylalanine, or another chemical called malonyl coenzyme A. These two substrates join to form the base material for anthocyanins called "chalcones" that lead to the production of anthocyanins after a series of enzyme steps.
The parent material of anthocyanins is a group of similar structures named "anthocyanidins" or "proanthocyanidins" which contain no sugar molecules. When sugars become attached, an anthocyanin glycoside is formed, taking the characteristic shape of anthocyanins.
When first isolated by chemists, many anthocyanins were named after the colorful flowers from which they were extracted, such as petunidin (petunia), rosinidin (rose) and peonidin (peonies).
The large class of antioxidant cyanidins is also anthocyanins - all these compounds belong to the group of compounds called flavonoids within the super-family of antioxidants named phenolics or polyphenols.
What is the purpose of anthocyanins in a plant?
Anthocyanins exist mainly to preserve the regeneration of the plant. In flowers, the colorful anthocyanins of petals attract pollinators whereas in fruits, like brightly colored berries, they reside in the skin to attract animals that eat the fruit and later disperse the seeds in their droppings. This is nature's efficient way of symbiosis between a plant and feeding animal.
Anthocyanins also serve a protective role much like a "sunscreen" by absorbing the ultraviolet light that plants face from constant sun exposure.
This "sunscreen" function is thought to be the reason why many deciduous plants turn red in autumn. When green chlorophylls break down, and as leaves begin to dehydrate and die, anthocyanins shield the remaining leaf tissues while the plant moves nutrients back into the stems and vascular system of the tree.
How do people benefit from anthocyanins and what plant foods contain them?
In berry research particularly, anthocyanins have been shown to possess strong antioxidant qualities that guard cells of the fruit pulp and seeds from reactive oxygen species ("free radicals") formed during normal plant metabolism and exposure to ultraviolet light.
When people eat anthocyanin-rich foods, we obtain the benefit of these antioxidant qualities, giving us the same capacity for combating the damaging free radicals.
Among plant foods providing the richest sources of anthocyanins are blueberries, cranberries, blackberries, red currants and cherries (up to 400 mg in every 100 gram serving) and Concord grapes (as high as 750 mg/100 grams). Two of the richest sources of anthocyanins in berries are in the black raspberry and tropical palmberry (or acai).
A good rule of thumb is this: dark blue, purple or black fruits that easily stain your fingers (or thumb) during picking are great sources of anthocyanins.
Non-berry plant foods rich in anthocyanins include brightly colored (bluish) vegetables like the purple cabbage and eggplant. White plant foods like banana, pear and potato do not contain significant levels of anthocyanins.
Are there known health values of eating anthocyanin-rich foods?
Medical research has been examining potential health or anti-disease benefits of having anthocyanin-enriched plant foods like berries included in the regular human diet.
Although the work must be considered preliminary until thorough clinical trials are completed, the list of potential benefits are many and includes positive effects against:
* Cancer * Diabetes * Inflammation * Heart and vascular disease * Alzheimer's disease * Other types of neurodegeneration * High blood cholesterol * Stroke * Bacterial infections * Urinary tract infections * Age-related eyesight deterioration * Premature aging
Reading
Wikipedia, free encyclopedia, http://www.wikipedia.com
PubMed, online literature database of the US National Library of Medicine, http://pubmed.gov
Shahidi F, Naczk M. Phenolics in Food and Nutraceuticals, CRC Press, Boca Raton, 2003.
About the Author
Dr. Paul Gross is a scientist and expert on cardiovascular and brain physiology. A published researcher, Gross recently completed a book on the Chinese wolfberry and has begun another on antioxidant berries. Gross is founder of Berry Health Inc, a developer of nutritional, berry-based supplements. For more information, visit http://www.berrywiseonline.com
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Olive Leaf Extract
Olive Leaf Extract
Nature’s multi-functional force against infections and cardiovascular disease?
by Amanda Jackson Ph.D.
We’re all no doubt familiar with the cardiovascular benefits associated with olive oil, effects that became apparent after investigation of the observed low incidence of coronary heart disease in Mediterranean countries in which the oil is a significant dietary component. It appears, however, that the health- promoting effects of the olive tree (Olea europaea L) are not restricted to its oil alone. Also, the beneficial effects are not restricted to the cardiovascular system. A significant body of scientific evidence now indicates that extracts from the olive tree, including the leaves, have in their health-promoting repertoire the potential to resist or overcome attack by an impressively wide range of infectious organisms as well as to generally boost the immune system. This article reviews the available scientific and clinical evidence.
Fever-lowering properties
Interest in the potential benefits of extracts from the olive tree has stemmed from two main historical sources of
independent origins. The first of these, in the mid-19th century, involved reports of fever-lowering properties, including the ability of olive leaf extracts to prevent or cure the symptoms of malaria. In 1854, Hanbury published an article in the Pharmaceutical Journal of Provincial Transactions relating that a “decoction of the leaves” of the olive tree had been found to be extremely effective in reducing fevers due to a severe, and otherwise often fatal, disease that had swept the island of Mytelene in 18431. The olive leaf extract was reported subsequently to be more effective in its fever-lowering properties than quinine.
Hanbury recalled that similar observations had been made in France and Spain many years previously (between 1811 and 1828). It appears that, in the early 19th century, Spanish physicians sometimes prescribed olive leaves as a “febrifuge”, and consequently, during the Spanish war of 1808—1813, the French Officiers de Sante often used them to treat cases of “intermittent fever”2. Hanbury went on the describe how Pallas, following observations of clinical benefits3,4 made an analysis of the leaves and young bark of the olive tree and found them to contain, among other compounds, a bitter crystallisable substance which he designated as “Vauqueline”3. Pallas ascribed most of the “febrifuge” properties of the olive tree to Vauqueline.
Antimicrobial properties – manufacturing problems
The second historical source indicating that components of the olive tree had biologically important properties came from the European olive fermentation industry. Up until the 1970s, the industry had suffered problems in the fermentation of olives, a process involving lactic acid pickling, because of strong resistance of the fresh fruits to the action of lactic acid bacteria.5,6,7,8
In 1960, Panizzi et al9 had isolated a bitter glucoside, oleuropein, from olive leaves, with the empirical formula C25H32O13. The substance, later determined to be a phenolic compound belonging to the iridoid group,10 was also present in the olive itself. Oleuropein, as with Pallas’ “Vauqueline”, was considered to be the source of the olive tree’s powerful disease-resistant properties. It was subsequently found that removal of oleuropein from olives enabled fermentation to take place successfully.11,6
The olive oil manufacturing industry had also long been well aware of the rich antibacterial properties of the olive tree. The manufacturing process involves milling of olive paste and continuous washing with water, known as malaxation. The waste waters from this process were generally discarded; however, it was found that if the waters found their way into the soil, they displaced beneficial bacterial flora and adversely affected the natural biodegradation process.12,13,14,15
The chemical components
Over a period of more than 30 years since Panizzi et al’s9 isolation of oleuropein, extracts from various parts of the olive tree have been extensively investigated. Oleuropein appears to be present throughout the olive tree, including leaves, buds, fruit, wood, bark and roots.16,3,17,18 Olive leaves contain around 60—90 mg per gram (dry weight) oleuropein,19 plus
significant levels of a glucosidic ester of elenolic acid and hydroxytyrosol (3,4-dihydrophenylethanol). However, it turns out that oleuropein and the products of its hydrolysis, oleuropein aglycone, elenolic acid, beta-3,4-dihydroxyphenyethyl alcohol and methyl-o-methyl elenolate,20 are the major molecules of interest biologically.
Antibacterial actions – in vitro studies
A variety of antibacterial actions of oleuropein and its associated compounds have been demonstrated in vitro. Fleming et al8 isolated six major phenolic compounds from green olives; one particular compound, possibly a hydrolysis product of oleuropein, was much more inhibitory than oleuropein itself to the lactic acid bacterium Leuconostoc mesenteroides FBB 42. Later on, the oleuropein aglycone and elenolic acid were found to strongly inhibit the growth of three further species of lactic acid bacteria – Lactobacillus plantarum, Pediococcus cerevisiae, and Lactobacillus brevis.20 Since the aglycone is composed of elenolic acid bound to b-3,4-dihydroxyphenylethyl alcohol, and the latter compound was not inhibitory, the investigators concluded that elenolic acid was the inhibitory part of the aglycone molecule. Oleuropein itself was not inhibitory to these bacteria, but did inhibit three species of non-lactic acid bacteria – Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillis subtilis and Pseudomonas solanecearum. In addition, an acid hydrolysate of an extract of oleuropein (containing hydrolysis products of oleuropein not specifically identified) inhibited the growth of a further eight species of bacteria.
Some more recent in vitro studies have shown that oleuropein and/or its hydrolysis products also inhibit the germination and sporulation of Bacillus megaterium15 and inhibit outgrowth of germinating spores of Bacillus cereus T.21
Antiviral actions
In addition to its antibacterial actions, elenolic acid has been shown to be a potent inhibitor of a wide spectrum of viruses. In search of new antiviral compounds, Renis22 tested the effects of the calcium salt of elenolic acid (which had proved to be the most active olive-derived compound against bacteria) on a range of viruses in vitro, and found that calcium elenolate destroyed all the viruses it was tested against. These included herpes, vaccinia, pseudorabies, influenza A (PR8), Newcastle disease, parainfluenza 3, Coxsackie A21, encephalomyocarditis, polio 1, 2 and 3, vesicular stomatitis, Sindbis and reovirus 3 (Deering) viruses. Calcium elenolate also inhibits the RNA-dependent DNA polymerase I enzymes (reverse transcriptases) of murine leukaemia viruses (MuLV(M) and Rauscher),23 and the DNA polymerase II and III enzymes of Eschericha coli24 in vitro. In addition to its in vitro effects, Soret25 showed that calcium elenolate effectively reduced viral titres in vivo when given before and/or after inoculation of hamsters with myxovirus parainfluenza type 3 (HA-1 virus, strain C-243). Treatment with calcium elenolate, but not placebo, prevented spread of viral infection to the lungs.
Cardiovascular effects in animals
Not only are Olea europea-derived compounds active against infectious organisms; they also appear to have some interesting effects on the cardiovascular system that are unrelated to their antioxidant properties (see later), including blood-pressure- lowering and anti-arrhythmic actions, and effects on coronary blood flow in certain situations.
In anaesthetised cats, 20—40 mg/kg oleuropein caused a clear-cut, dose-dependent drop in blood pressure lasting more than 1 hour.26 In dogs with experimentally induced hypertension, 10—30 mg/kg oleuropein caused a sharp, long-lasting drop in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure in three out of four animals, and a lesser, shorter-lived decrease in blood pressure in the fourth dog. The same investigators found that oleuropein caused an increase in blood flow through the coronary vessels of isolated rabbit heart preparations, but no change in coronary flow in anaesthetised cats at doses of 10—30 mg/kg. However, in a model of experimentally disturbed coronary circulation, oleuropein (30 mg/kg intravenously) largely abolished the characteristic ECG (electrocardiogram) changes caused by Pituitrin (which diminishes coronary blood flow) in conscious rabbits, when given 1 minute after the Pituitrin injection. Lastly, Petkov and Manolov26 found that oleuropein eliminated cardiac arrhythmia in dogs with induced hypertension for 1.5—2 hours, normalised cardiac rhythm in rabbits with barium chloride-induced arrhythmia for about 1 hour, and prevented or reduced the duration of disturbed cardiac rhythm in rats with calcium chloride-induced arrhythmia. The pharmacological mechanisms underlying any of these effects on the heart and vasculature are unknown.
Antioxidant effects – in vitro studies
Oxidation of low density lipoproteins (LDL) contributes to the development of atherosclerosis,27,28 the process underlying peripheral vascular disease, coronary heart disease, stroke and multi-infarct dementia. Dietary composition significantly affects plasma LDL-cholesterol levels and the incidence of coronary heart disease.29 Notably, the traditional Mediterranean diet, rich in fresh fruits and vegetables, legumes, grains and vegetable (mainly olive) oil, is associated with a lower incidence of coronary heart disease. Consumption of olive oil and dressed olives (both rich in oleuropein) has also been reported to lower the incidence of cardiovascular disease.30,31 This dietary effect was initially thought to be due to the intake of a relatively low level of saturated fat and higher levels of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids.32–36 However, it now appears that natural antioxidants present in the diet may also play a part in the prevention atherosclerosis.37–39
Phenolic compounds derived from the leaves, fruits and oil of the olive tree (Olea europaea L) have long been known to have anti-oxidative properties.40–44 More recently, Le Tutour and Guedon19 demonstrated that oleuropein, hydroxytyrosol, and in particular, extracts of Olea europaea leaf (containing 19% oleuropein, 1.8% flavonoid glycosides, and 3,4-dihydroxy- phenethyl esters) were more potent antioxidants than vitamin E or another established antioxidant, BHT, in a model chemical system (inhibition of oxidation of methyl linoleate in heptanol or propanol-water, initiated by 2,2’-azo-bis-isobutyronitrile (AIBN)). Another recent in vitro study32 showed that oleuropein (at a concentration of 10–5 M) significantly inhibited copper sulphate-induced oxidation of low density lipoprotein (LDL) extracted from normal human plasma.
Safety studies in animals
Several studies in animals have provided information about the in vivo safety and toxicity of compounds present in extracts from Olea europaea. Elliott et al45 determined the LD50 (the dose that is lethal for at least 50% of a designated population of laboratory animals) for calcium elenolate to be 120 mg/kg in mice when given intraperitoneally, and 160 mg/kg in rats via the intraperitoneal route and 1,700 mg/kg via the oral route. Petkov and Manolov26 gave single intraperitoneal doses of oleuropein to mice ranging from 100 to 1000 mg/kg (in solutions of 1, 5 and 10%), but observed no toxic effects and no deaths during the 7-days post-treatment period, and so were unable to determine oleuropein’s LD50 in this study.
In repeated-dose (“subacute”) studies, Elliott et al45 found calcium elenolate to be well tolerated in rats given daily oral doses of 0, 30, 100 or 300 mg/kg for 1 month. The only drug-related change observed was a yellowing of the nonglandular fore-stomach in 40% of the rats receiving the highest dose (300 mg/kg). In 7-month-old beagle dogs given daily oral doses of 0, 3, 10 or 30 mg/kg calcium elenolate for 1 month, all but the highest dose were well tolerated – three out of the four dogs receiving 30 mg/kg showed a mild gastric irritation with sporadic vomiting. Tissue analysis revealed a few small gastric erosions in these animals.
In their investigations of the cardiovascular effects of oleuropein in animals, described earlier (see Cardiovascular effects, above), Petkov and Manolov26 observed that 3—50 mg/kg oleuropein given intraperitoneally caused a slight stimulation of the respiratory rate in anaesthetised cats. Also, in doses of 10—30 mg/kg, it caused a brief depressed state with decreased motor activity in two out of four conscious dogs with induced hypertension, and was badly tolerated in a third dog, causing excitation, scratching, and vigorous jolting movements, red, watery eyes, and hyperaemic (warm, reddened) abdominal skin.
Lastly, Ruiz-Gutierrez et al,46 investigating the effects of oleuropein on lipids and fatty acids in heart tissue, did not report any adverse behavioural or other effects (for example, on food consumption, body weight, heart weight or heart total lipid content) in rats given intraperitoneal injections of 25 or 50 mg/kg daily for 3 weeks. Oleuropein did significantly reduce the linoleic acid content and the ratio of unsaturated to saturated fatty acids in heart polar lipids, depleted heart levels of vitamin E, and itself became incorporated in heart tissue, but the significance of these findings is unclear. However, heart tissue that had been pre-treated with oleuropein in vitro was not susceptible to peroxidation.
Olive leaf extract – a new formulation
The weight of evidence from the in vitro and in vivo studies strongly favours beneficial effects of olive tree extracts in the fight against infectious diseases as well as cardiovascular disease, and, on the whole, calcium elenolate and oleuropein at therapeutic doses appear to be safe and well tolerated in animals. Why, then, has no drug company snapped up this promising avenue of research to capitalise on the likely benefits in humans? In fact, a US drug company, The Upjohn Co of Kalamazoo, Michigan, was responsible for much of the work on the antiviral properties of calcium elenolate in the 1960s and 1970s. However, they came across a problem that reduced to insignificant the practical usefulness of the compound in humans. Calcium elenolate has a strong affinity for plasma proteins, and when administered to humans, the drug quickly bound to these molecules, effectively taking it out of action within minutes. The researchers at Upjohn Co were unable to overcome this problem, and so, in the mid-1970s, abandoned the development of calcium elenolate as an antiviral agent.
Independent researchers, however, continued to investigate the potential of olive leaf extracts and finally made a breakthrough in 1994. By making certain structural changes to the active molecule (now a closely-guarded and patented secret process), they found they could significantly reduce if not eliminate the binding of calcium elenolate to serum protein. The result was Eden Extract™, a pure olive leaf extract obtained by a hydro-ethanolic process, manufactured by East Park Research, Inc., of Henderson, Nevada, USA, who also owns the patent to the product.
Clinical evidence of efficacy
From the above review, the preclinical evidence for the anti-infective and cardiovascular effects of olive tree extracts is fairly extensive and convincing. By contrast, however, the clinical evidence is relatively scarce. This is not to say that what clinical evidence there is is not compelling. But, because development of the olive leaf extract as a possible pharmaceutical product was abandoned in the 1970s, and has continued via private research as a food supplement, extensive clinical studies have not been carried out. As a food supplement, the manufacturer cannot make any claims about the effects of the product (but relies on independent publicity gained through consumers’ and health practitioners’ use of the product), but conversely is not required to conduct lengthy and costly clinical trials to prove its efficacy in any medical condition. The product may be sold legally for human dietary consumption based on its natural origins, conventional extraction process, proven safety in animals at the recommended doses for humans, and its documented historical safe use in humans in Europe for more than a century.
Clinical studies
A limited number of open (uncontrolled) clinical studies have been or are being conducted with Eden Extract™ or an earlier version of the product, Viliv, although results from these studies have not yet been published by the respective investigators. In 1993, a preliminary study was carried out by investigators at the NFN Company, Los Angeles, California, USA.47 Six subjects with herpes simplex II (and possibly I) infection, previously diagnosed by a physician, were treated with 2—4 oz of Viliv (a wine-based tincture containing concentrated olive leaf extract) orally every 6 hours for 6 weeks. Three subjects reported complete remission of lesions and associated pain/discomfort after 36—48 hours, and a fourth reported relief of pain after a further 48 hours. The other two subjects reported relief of pain/discomfort over the course of the study. There was a trend towards reduced blood levels of antibodies after 2—3 weeks of treatment, but the number of samples was too few to give a definitive conclusion.
A clinical study involving the use of Eden Extract™ is reported to be underway at The “R” Clinic, Budapest, Hungary,48 which employs innovative medical alternatives to help provide improved healthcare for Hungarian citizens. The medical director, Dr. Robert Lyons, along with 40 physicians from the US, has already treated 500 patients with Eden Extract™. Patients initially took two capsules (each containing 500 mg of concentrated olive leaf extract) three times daily, in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations, and the dose was reduced to one capsule four times daily if their disease symptoms improved.
According to US medical journalist Morton Walker,48 who has corresponded with Dr. Lyons in regard to this study, 157 out of 164 patients with respiratory diseases or lung conditions (tonsillitis, pharyngitis, tracheitis, pneumonia, bronchitis) recovered fully and six improved (one patient was unaccounted for in the article); 60 out of 67 patients with dental problems (pulpitis, leukoplakia, stomatitis) fully recovered, five improved and two remained unchanged; 150 out of 209 patients with viral or bacterial skin infections fully recovered and 59 improved; all 17 patients with gastric ulcer and Helicobacter pylori infection improved, though none recovered fully; and 40 out of 43 patients with impaired immunity showed improved immune status (details of how this was assessed were not given) while three remained unchanged. It is unclear how long patients were continued on treatment, but some appear to have responded within a matter of a few days or weeks.
A further clinical study, investigating the efficacy of olive leaf extract in the treatment of malaria, is reported to be underway in Taiwan under the direction of Dr. Bernard Friedlander, a chiropractor from San Mateo, California, USA.49 Results from this study, however, are not yet available.
Clinical anecdotes and individual cases
Other than from the above-mentioned clinical studies, indications of clinical efficacy of Eden Extract™ come from consumers’ letters sent directly to the manufacturer (East Park Research, Inc., Henderson, Nevada, USA) or indirectly via health practitioners (including physicians, chiropractors and nutritionists); and case reports or clinical anecdotes provided by a number of US health practitioners who have prescribed Eden Extract™ to their patients and observed beneficial effects.
General practitioner Dr. James Privitera, M.D., of Covina, California, appears to have had the most extensive clinical experience with use of the olive leaf extract, which has been available in the US since 1995. He has reportedly observed the following benefits: relief of arthritic inflammations; reduction of insulin dosages in diabetics; elimination of the symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome; increased energy/stamina; improved blood flow in cardiovascular disorders; lessening of haemorrhoid pain; attenuation of toothaches; elimination of fungal infections such as onychomycosis and tinea pedis; prevention or cure of numerous viral infections; relief of many of the symptoms of Candida albicans and other yeast infections; and elimination of a variety of parasites including protozoa and helminth worms.48
Other case reports or anecdotes mention the following benefits with Eden Extract™: probable prevention and successful treatment of herpes genitalis (herpes simplex II);48,49 improved symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, prostate cancer and some other cancers, and skin conditions; improvement in chronic fatigue syndrome; improvement of sore throats, coughs, colds, and chronic sinusitis;49 improvement of tinea (pityriasis) versicolor, psoriasis, persistent respiratory infection, and chronic scalp infection;50 relief from the pain of shingles (herpes zoster infection); elimination of the “yeast syndrome”/ Candida albicans infection; and restoration of immune function in a severely immune-depressed patient with multiple long-term allergies and opportunistic infections.48
Side-effects in humans
The only side-effect that appears to have been reported with clinical use is a so-called “die-off” effect, which has been likened to the Herxheimer reaction sometimes encountered during the treatment of yeast infections.51,52 This reaction is believed to occur when a large quantity of infectious organisms in the body are killed off in a relatively short period of time. Large amounts of toxic substances are released into the body tissues and blood stream from the dying organisms together with cellular debris, and the person’s immune system rapidly reacts to these substances to remove them from the body as quickly as possible. As a result, the person may temporarily experience a number of allergic- or flu-like symptoms such as headache, fever, fatigue, muscle/joint aches, and diarrhoea.53 The symptoms of this “die-off”, or detoxification, reaction last for between 4 and 7 days. Some patients may experience only a mild headache, and many experience no such effects at all. The effects of the “die-off” reaction are not thought to be harmful, but the manufacturer advises that if symptoms do occur, the patient should temporarily stop taking the capsules or cut back on the daily amount he/she is taking, so that the body has a chance to eliminate the toxic waste products accumulating in the system.
Summary and conclusions
Extracts from the European olive tree have a long history of association with fever-lowering and antimicrobial properties, and these are now convincingly supported by laboratory studies of antibacterial and antiviral actions conducted over the last 30 years or more. The association of olive oil and other oils containing high levels of mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids and low levels of saturated fats with a reduced risk of coronary heart disease is also well-established. Evidence from laboratory studies of further possible cardiovascular benefits, such as blood pressure-lowering, anti-arrhythmic, coronary blood flow-reducing and antioxidant actions, adds a further exciting dimension to the possible health-promoting benefits of these extracts, and deserves deeper exploration.
Most of the laboratory evidence has involved the major phenolic compound of olive tree extracts, oleuropein, and its hydrolysis product elenolic acid, and these agents have been shown to be safe and well-tolerated by the oral, as well as intraperitoneal, route in a variety of animals at the levels present in doses of olive leaf extract recommended for human dietary supplementation. Eden Extract™ incorporates structural changes to the elenolic acid molecule that overcome the bioavailability problems in humans encountered with earlier such preparations (due to rapid binding to serum proteins). This product has been available to the US public as a food supplement since 1995 and has recently become available in the UK.
Formal clinical studies of possible health benefits of extracts from the olive tree in humans are scarce; however, case reports and clinical anecdotes received by the manufacturer from consumers and health practitioners in the US indicate that the product may well have effective antibacterial and antiviral properties in humans, as well as hitherto unrecognised benefits to the cardiovascular and immune systems. Other health-promoting properties, such as antifungal, anti-inflammatory and anticancer actions, are also suggested by these unofficial reports. However, such reports cannot be presented as proof of clinical efficacy, since the placebo effect is likely to be a significant factor in any non-controlled study and in individual cases.
Published findings from the clinical studies reported to be underway should provide important supporting evidence for olive leaf extract’s clinical potential. Organised, well-designed studies targeting particular human ailments would provide further convincing proof of the range and depth of health-promoting effects of this potentially far-reaching product. From its historical origins, which have been said to date back as far as biblical times and to ancient Egypt, the olive tree has come a long way in gaining recognition for its remarkable properties. It would be a great shame if such a possible source of power against human ailments remained unrecognised and untapped because of a lack of investment in clinically definitive studies in the final stages of its development.
References
1. Hanbury D. On the febrifuge properties of the olive (Olea Europaea, L). Pharmaceutical Journal of Provincial Transactions, pp. 353—354, 1854.
2. Pallas E. Journal Universel des Sciences Medicales, tome xlix, p. 257, 1828.
3. Pallas. E. Receul de Memoires de Medecine, de Chirurgie, et de Pharmacie Militaires, vol xxiii, p. 152, 1827.
4. Pallas E. Receul de Memoires de Medecine, de Chirurgie, et de Pharmacie Militaires, vol xxvi, p. 159, 1829.
5. Etchells JL, Borg AF, Kittel ID, Bell TA, Fleming HP. Pure culture fermentation of green olives. Appl Microbiol 14, 1027—1041, 1966.
6. Fleming, HP, Etchells JL. Occurrence of an inhibitor of lactic acid bacteria in green olives. Appl Microbiol 15, 11781184, 1967.
7. Juven B, Samish Z, Henis Y, Jacoby B. Mechanism of enhancement of lactic acid fermentation of green olives by alkali and heat treatments. J Appl Bacteriol 31, 200—207, 1968.
8. Fleming HP, Walter WM, Etchells JL. Isolation of a bacterial inhibitor from green olives. Appl Microbiol 18, 856—860, 1969.
9. Panizzi L, Scarpati ML, Oriente G. Gazz Chim Ital 90, 1449, 1960.
10. Inouye H, Yoshida T, Tobita S, Tanaka K, Nishioka T. Tetrahedron Letters 28, 2459, 1970.
11. Vaughn RH. Lactic acid fermentation of cucumbers, sauerkraut and olives. In: Underkotler LA, Hickey RJ (Eds), Industrial Fermentations, Vol 2. New York: Chemical Publishing, 1954.
12. Moreno E, Perez J, Ramos-Cormenzana A, Martinez J. Microbios 51, 169—174, 1987.
13. Paredes MJ, Monteleolina-Sanchez M, Moreno E, Perez J, Ramos-Cormenzana A, Martinez J. Chemosphere 15, 659—664, 1986.
14. Paredes MJ, Moreno E, Ramos-Cormenzana A, Martiniz J. Chemosphere 16, 1557—1564, 1987.
15. Rodriguez MM, Perez J, Ramos-Cormenzana A, Martinez J. J Appl Bacteriol 64, 219—225, 1988
16. Pasquale AD, Monforte MT, Calabro ML. HPLC analysis of oleuropein and some flavonoids in leaf and bud of Olea Europaea L. Il Farmaco 46 (6): 803—815, 1991.
17. Cruess WV, Alsberg CL. The bitter glucoside of the olive. J Amer Chem Soc 56, 2115—2117, 1934.
18. Juven B, Samish Z, Henis Y. Identification of oleuropein as a natural inhibitor of lactic acid fermentation. Israel J Agr Res 18, 137—138, 1968.
19. Le Tutour B, Guedon D. Antioxidative activities of Olea europaea leaves and related phenolic compounds. Phytochem 31 (4), 1173—1178, 1992.
20. Fleming HP, Walter WM, Etchells JL. Antimicrobial properties of oleuropein and products of its hydrolysis. Appl Microbiol 26 (5), 777—782, 1973.
21. Tassou CC, Nychas GJE, Board RG. Effect of phenolic compounds and oleuropein on the germination of Bacillus cereus T spores. Biotech Appl Biochem 13, 231—237, 1991.
22. Renis HE. In vitro antiviral activity of calcium elenolate. Antimicrob Agents Chemother, p. 167—172, 1969.
23. Hirschman SZ. Inactivation of DNA polymerases of murine leukaemia viruses by calcium elenolate. Nature New Biol, Vol 238, August 30, 1972.
24. Heinz JE, Hale AH, Carl PL. Specificity of the antiviral agent calcium elenolate. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 8 (4), 421—425, 1975.
25. Soret MG. Antiviral activity of calcium elenolate on parainfluenza infection in hamsters. Antimicrob Agents Chemother, p. 160—166, 1969.
26. Petkov V, Manolov P. Pharmacological analysis of the iridoid oleuropein. Arzneim-Forsch (Drug Res.) 22 (9), 1476—1486, 1972.
27. Steinberg D, Parthasarathy S, Carew TE, Khoo JC, Witzum JL. N Engl J Med 320, 915—924, 1989.
28. Steinbrecher UP, Zhang H, Lougheed M. Free Rad Biol Med 9, 155—168, 1990.
29. Keys A. Seven countries: a multivariate analysis on death and coronary heart disease. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1980.
30. Bors W, Erbenruss MC, Saran M. Free Radicals, Lipoproteins and Membrane Lipids. New York: Plenum Press, 1990.
31. Muriana FJG, Ruiz-Gutierrez V, Vazquez CM. Influence of dietary cholesterol on polyunsaturated fatty acid composition, fluidity and membrane-bound enzymes in liver microsomes of rats fed olive and fish oil. Biochimie 74, 551—556, 1992.
32. Visioli F, Galli C. Oleuropein protects low density lipoprotein from oxidation. Life Sci 55 (24), 1965—1971, 1994.
33. Mensik RP, Katan MB. Effects of monounsaturated fatty acids versus complex carbohydrates on HDL in healthy men and women. Lancet i, 122—125, 1987.
34. Baggio G, Pagnam A, Muraca M, Martini S, Opportuno A, Bonanome A, et al. Olive oil-enriched diet: effect on serum lipoprotein levels and biliary cholesterol saturation. Am J Clin Nutr 47, 960—964, 1988.
35. Gurr MI, Borlak N, Ganatra S. Dietary fat and plasma lipids. Nutr Res Rev 2, 63—86, 1989.
36. Ruiz-Gutierrez V, Molina MT, Vazquez CM. Comparative effects of feeding different fats on fatty acid composition of major individual phospholipids of rat hearts. Ann Nutr Metab 34, 350—358, 1990.
37. Gey F, Puska P, Jordan P, Moser UK. Am J Clin Nutr 53, 326S—334S, 1991.
38. Hertog MGL, Feskens EJM, Hollman PCH, Katan MB, Kromhout D. Lancet 342, 1007—1011, 1993.
39. Frankel EN, Kanner J, German JB, Parks E, Kinsella JE. Lancet 341, 454—457, 1993.
40. Chimi H, Sadik A, Le Tutour B, Rahmani M. Rev Franc Corps Gras 35, 339, 1988.
41. Sheabar FZ, Neeman I. J Am Oil Chem Soc 65, 990, 1988.
42. Servili M, Montedoro GF. Industrie Alimente 28, 14—18 and 26, 1989.
43. Montedoro GF, Servili M, Baldioli M, Miniati E. J Agric Food Chem 40, 1571—1576, 1992.
44. Vasquez Roncero A, Graciani Constante E, Maestroduran R. Grasas y Aceites, 269—279, 1974.
45. Elliott GA, Buthala DA, DeYoung EN. Preliminary safety studies with calcium elenolate, an antiviral agent. Antimicrob Agents Chemother, pp. 173, 1969.
46. Ruiz-Gutierrez V, Muriana FJG, Maestro R, Graciana E. Oleuropein on lipid and fatty acid composition of rat heart. Nutr Res 15 (1), 37—51, 1995.
47. The NFN Company, Los Angeles, California, USA. A preliminary study of the efficacy of Viliv in treatment of herpetic infection. Phoenix, Arizona, April 1993 (unpublished document supplied by the UK distributor of Eden Extract™, Tigon Ltd, Loughborough, England).
48. Walker M. Olive leaf extract. The new oral treatment to counteract most types of pathological organisms. Explore! Volume 7, Number 4, 1996. Explore? Publications, PO Box 1508, Mt Vernon, WA 98273, USA.
49. Walker M. Antimicrobial attributes of olive leaf extract. Townsend Letter for Doctors & Patients, July 1996, pp 80—85.
50. Letters received from consumers by East Park Research, Inc., Hendersen, Nevada, USA, August 1995 – March 1996.
51. Trowbridge JP, Walker M. The Yeast Syndrome. New York: Bantam Books, 1986, pp. 132—133.
52. Baker SM. Notes on the Yeast Problem. New Haven: Gessell Institute of Human Development, 1985, pp. 8.
53. Information provided by the UK distributor of Eden Extract™, Tigon Limited, Loughborough, Leicestershire.
Nature’s multi-functional force against infections and cardiovascular disease?
by Amanda Jackson Ph.D.
We’re all no doubt familiar with the cardiovascular benefits associated with olive oil, effects that became apparent after investigation of the observed low incidence of coronary heart disease in Mediterranean countries in which the oil is a significant dietary component. It appears, however, that the health- promoting effects of the olive tree (Olea europaea L) are not restricted to its oil alone. Also, the beneficial effects are not restricted to the cardiovascular system. A significant body of scientific evidence now indicates that extracts from the olive tree, including the leaves, have in their health-promoting repertoire the potential to resist or overcome attack by an impressively wide range of infectious organisms as well as to generally boost the immune system. This article reviews the available scientific and clinical evidence.
Fever-lowering properties
Interest in the potential benefits of extracts from the olive tree has stemmed from two main historical sources of
independent origins. The first of these, in the mid-19th century, involved reports of fever-lowering properties, including the ability of olive leaf extracts to prevent or cure the symptoms of malaria. In 1854, Hanbury published an article in the Pharmaceutical Journal of Provincial Transactions relating that a “decoction of the leaves” of the olive tree had been found to be extremely effective in reducing fevers due to a severe, and otherwise often fatal, disease that had swept the island of Mytelene in 18431. The olive leaf extract was reported subsequently to be more effective in its fever-lowering properties than quinine.
Hanbury recalled that similar observations had been made in France and Spain many years previously (between 1811 and 1828). It appears that, in the early 19th century, Spanish physicians sometimes prescribed olive leaves as a “febrifuge”, and consequently, during the Spanish war of 1808—1813, the French Officiers de Sante often used them to treat cases of “intermittent fever”2. Hanbury went on the describe how Pallas, following observations of clinical benefits3,4 made an analysis of the leaves and young bark of the olive tree and found them to contain, among other compounds, a bitter crystallisable substance which he designated as “Vauqueline”3. Pallas ascribed most of the “febrifuge” properties of the olive tree to Vauqueline.
Antimicrobial properties – manufacturing problems
The second historical source indicating that components of the olive tree had biologically important properties came from the European olive fermentation industry. Up until the 1970s, the industry had suffered problems in the fermentation of olives, a process involving lactic acid pickling, because of strong resistance of the fresh fruits to the action of lactic acid bacteria.5,6,7,8
In 1960, Panizzi et al9 had isolated a bitter glucoside, oleuropein, from olive leaves, with the empirical formula C25H32O13. The substance, later determined to be a phenolic compound belonging to the iridoid group,10 was also present in the olive itself. Oleuropein, as with Pallas’ “Vauqueline”, was considered to be the source of the olive tree’s powerful disease-resistant properties. It was subsequently found that removal of oleuropein from olives enabled fermentation to take place successfully.11,6
The olive oil manufacturing industry had also long been well aware of the rich antibacterial properties of the olive tree. The manufacturing process involves milling of olive paste and continuous washing with water, known as malaxation. The waste waters from this process were generally discarded; however, it was found that if the waters found their way into the soil, they displaced beneficial bacterial flora and adversely affected the natural biodegradation process.12,13,14,15
The chemical components
Over a period of more than 30 years since Panizzi et al’s9 isolation of oleuropein, extracts from various parts of the olive tree have been extensively investigated. Oleuropein appears to be present throughout the olive tree, including leaves, buds, fruit, wood, bark and roots.16,3,17,18 Olive leaves contain around 60—90 mg per gram (dry weight) oleuropein,19 plus
significant levels of a glucosidic ester of elenolic acid and hydroxytyrosol (3,4-dihydrophenylethanol). However, it turns out that oleuropein and the products of its hydrolysis, oleuropein aglycone, elenolic acid, beta-3,4-dihydroxyphenyethyl alcohol and methyl-o-methyl elenolate,20 are the major molecules of interest biologically.
Antibacterial actions – in vitro studies
A variety of antibacterial actions of oleuropein and its associated compounds have been demonstrated in vitro. Fleming et al8 isolated six major phenolic compounds from green olives; one particular compound, possibly a hydrolysis product of oleuropein, was much more inhibitory than oleuropein itself to the lactic acid bacterium Leuconostoc mesenteroides FBB 42. Later on, the oleuropein aglycone and elenolic acid were found to strongly inhibit the growth of three further species of lactic acid bacteria – Lactobacillus plantarum, Pediococcus cerevisiae, and Lactobacillus brevis.20 Since the aglycone is composed of elenolic acid bound to b-3,4-dihydroxyphenylethyl alcohol, and the latter compound was not inhibitory, the investigators concluded that elenolic acid was the inhibitory part of the aglycone molecule. Oleuropein itself was not inhibitory to these bacteria, but did inhibit three species of non-lactic acid bacteria – Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillis subtilis and Pseudomonas solanecearum. In addition, an acid hydrolysate of an extract of oleuropein (containing hydrolysis products of oleuropein not specifically identified) inhibited the growth of a further eight species of bacteria.
Some more recent in vitro studies have shown that oleuropein and/or its hydrolysis products also inhibit the germination and sporulation of Bacillus megaterium15 and inhibit outgrowth of germinating spores of Bacillus cereus T.21
Antiviral actions
In addition to its antibacterial actions, elenolic acid has been shown to be a potent inhibitor of a wide spectrum of viruses. In search of new antiviral compounds, Renis22 tested the effects of the calcium salt of elenolic acid (which had proved to be the most active olive-derived compound against bacteria) on a range of viruses in vitro, and found that calcium elenolate destroyed all the viruses it was tested against. These included herpes, vaccinia, pseudorabies, influenza A (PR8), Newcastle disease, parainfluenza 3, Coxsackie A21, encephalomyocarditis, polio 1, 2 and 3, vesicular stomatitis, Sindbis and reovirus 3 (Deering) viruses. Calcium elenolate also inhibits the RNA-dependent DNA polymerase I enzymes (reverse transcriptases) of murine leukaemia viruses (MuLV(M) and Rauscher),23 and the DNA polymerase II and III enzymes of Eschericha coli24 in vitro. In addition to its in vitro effects, Soret25 showed that calcium elenolate effectively reduced viral titres in vivo when given before and/or after inoculation of hamsters with myxovirus parainfluenza type 3 (HA-1 virus, strain C-243). Treatment with calcium elenolate, but not placebo, prevented spread of viral infection to the lungs.
Cardiovascular effects in animals
Not only are Olea europea-derived compounds active against infectious organisms; they also appear to have some interesting effects on the cardiovascular system that are unrelated to their antioxidant properties (see later), including blood-pressure- lowering and anti-arrhythmic actions, and effects on coronary blood flow in certain situations.
In anaesthetised cats, 20—40 mg/kg oleuropein caused a clear-cut, dose-dependent drop in blood pressure lasting more than 1 hour.26 In dogs with experimentally induced hypertension, 10—30 mg/kg oleuropein caused a sharp, long-lasting drop in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure in three out of four animals, and a lesser, shorter-lived decrease in blood pressure in the fourth dog. The same investigators found that oleuropein caused an increase in blood flow through the coronary vessels of isolated rabbit heart preparations, but no change in coronary flow in anaesthetised cats at doses of 10—30 mg/kg. However, in a model of experimentally disturbed coronary circulation, oleuropein (30 mg/kg intravenously) largely abolished the characteristic ECG (electrocardiogram) changes caused by Pituitrin (which diminishes coronary blood flow) in conscious rabbits, when given 1 minute after the Pituitrin injection. Lastly, Petkov and Manolov26 found that oleuropein eliminated cardiac arrhythmia in dogs with induced hypertension for 1.5—2 hours, normalised cardiac rhythm in rabbits with barium chloride-induced arrhythmia for about 1 hour, and prevented or reduced the duration of disturbed cardiac rhythm in rats with calcium chloride-induced arrhythmia. The pharmacological mechanisms underlying any of these effects on the heart and vasculature are unknown.
Antioxidant effects – in vitro studies
Oxidation of low density lipoproteins (LDL) contributes to the development of atherosclerosis,27,28 the process underlying peripheral vascular disease, coronary heart disease, stroke and multi-infarct dementia. Dietary composition significantly affects plasma LDL-cholesterol levels and the incidence of coronary heart disease.29 Notably, the traditional Mediterranean diet, rich in fresh fruits and vegetables, legumes, grains and vegetable (mainly olive) oil, is associated with a lower incidence of coronary heart disease. Consumption of olive oil and dressed olives (both rich in oleuropein) has also been reported to lower the incidence of cardiovascular disease.30,31 This dietary effect was initially thought to be due to the intake of a relatively low level of saturated fat and higher levels of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids.32–36 However, it now appears that natural antioxidants present in the diet may also play a part in the prevention atherosclerosis.37–39
Phenolic compounds derived from the leaves, fruits and oil of the olive tree (Olea europaea L) have long been known to have anti-oxidative properties.40–44 More recently, Le Tutour and Guedon19 demonstrated that oleuropein, hydroxytyrosol, and in particular, extracts of Olea europaea leaf (containing 19% oleuropein, 1.8% flavonoid glycosides, and 3,4-dihydroxy- phenethyl esters) were more potent antioxidants than vitamin E or another established antioxidant, BHT, in a model chemical system (inhibition of oxidation of methyl linoleate in heptanol or propanol-water, initiated by 2,2’-azo-bis-isobutyronitrile (AIBN)). Another recent in vitro study32 showed that oleuropein (at a concentration of 10–5 M) significantly inhibited copper sulphate-induced oxidation of low density lipoprotein (LDL) extracted from normal human plasma.
Safety studies in animals
Several studies in animals have provided information about the in vivo safety and toxicity of compounds present in extracts from Olea europaea. Elliott et al45 determined the LD50 (the dose that is lethal for at least 50% of a designated population of laboratory animals) for calcium elenolate to be 120 mg/kg in mice when given intraperitoneally, and 160 mg/kg in rats via the intraperitoneal route and 1,700 mg/kg via the oral route. Petkov and Manolov26 gave single intraperitoneal doses of oleuropein to mice ranging from 100 to 1000 mg/kg (in solutions of 1, 5 and 10%), but observed no toxic effects and no deaths during the 7-days post-treatment period, and so were unable to determine oleuropein’s LD50 in this study.
In repeated-dose (“subacute”) studies, Elliott et al45 found calcium elenolate to be well tolerated in rats given daily oral doses of 0, 30, 100 or 300 mg/kg for 1 month. The only drug-related change observed was a yellowing of the nonglandular fore-stomach in 40% of the rats receiving the highest dose (300 mg/kg). In 7-month-old beagle dogs given daily oral doses of 0, 3, 10 or 30 mg/kg calcium elenolate for 1 month, all but the highest dose were well tolerated – three out of the four dogs receiving 30 mg/kg showed a mild gastric irritation with sporadic vomiting. Tissue analysis revealed a few small gastric erosions in these animals.
In their investigations of the cardiovascular effects of oleuropein in animals, described earlier (see Cardiovascular effects, above), Petkov and Manolov26 observed that 3—50 mg/kg oleuropein given intraperitoneally caused a slight stimulation of the respiratory rate in anaesthetised cats. Also, in doses of 10—30 mg/kg, it caused a brief depressed state with decreased motor activity in two out of four conscious dogs with induced hypertension, and was badly tolerated in a third dog, causing excitation, scratching, and vigorous jolting movements, red, watery eyes, and hyperaemic (warm, reddened) abdominal skin.
Lastly, Ruiz-Gutierrez et al,46 investigating the effects of oleuropein on lipids and fatty acids in heart tissue, did not report any adverse behavioural or other effects (for example, on food consumption, body weight, heart weight or heart total lipid content) in rats given intraperitoneal injections of 25 or 50 mg/kg daily for 3 weeks. Oleuropein did significantly reduce the linoleic acid content and the ratio of unsaturated to saturated fatty acids in heart polar lipids, depleted heart levels of vitamin E, and itself became incorporated in heart tissue, but the significance of these findings is unclear. However, heart tissue that had been pre-treated with oleuropein in vitro was not susceptible to peroxidation.
Olive leaf extract – a new formulation
The weight of evidence from the in vitro and in vivo studies strongly favours beneficial effects of olive tree extracts in the fight against infectious diseases as well as cardiovascular disease, and, on the whole, calcium elenolate and oleuropein at therapeutic doses appear to be safe and well tolerated in animals. Why, then, has no drug company snapped up this promising avenue of research to capitalise on the likely benefits in humans? In fact, a US drug company, The Upjohn Co of Kalamazoo, Michigan, was responsible for much of the work on the antiviral properties of calcium elenolate in the 1960s and 1970s. However, they came across a problem that reduced to insignificant the practical usefulness of the compound in humans. Calcium elenolate has a strong affinity for plasma proteins, and when administered to humans, the drug quickly bound to these molecules, effectively taking it out of action within minutes. The researchers at Upjohn Co were unable to overcome this problem, and so, in the mid-1970s, abandoned the development of calcium elenolate as an antiviral agent.
Independent researchers, however, continued to investigate the potential of olive leaf extracts and finally made a breakthrough in 1994. By making certain structural changes to the active molecule (now a closely-guarded and patented secret process), they found they could significantly reduce if not eliminate the binding of calcium elenolate to serum protein. The result was Eden Extract™, a pure olive leaf extract obtained by a hydro-ethanolic process, manufactured by East Park Research, Inc., of Henderson, Nevada, USA, who also owns the patent to the product.
Clinical evidence of efficacy
From the above review, the preclinical evidence for the anti-infective and cardiovascular effects of olive tree extracts is fairly extensive and convincing. By contrast, however, the clinical evidence is relatively scarce. This is not to say that what clinical evidence there is is not compelling. But, because development of the olive leaf extract as a possible pharmaceutical product was abandoned in the 1970s, and has continued via private research as a food supplement, extensive clinical studies have not been carried out. As a food supplement, the manufacturer cannot make any claims about the effects of the product (but relies on independent publicity gained through consumers’ and health practitioners’ use of the product), but conversely is not required to conduct lengthy and costly clinical trials to prove its efficacy in any medical condition. The product may be sold legally for human dietary consumption based on its natural origins, conventional extraction process, proven safety in animals at the recommended doses for humans, and its documented historical safe use in humans in Europe for more than a century.
Clinical studies
A limited number of open (uncontrolled) clinical studies have been or are being conducted with Eden Extract™ or an earlier version of the product, Viliv, although results from these studies have not yet been published by the respective investigators. In 1993, a preliminary study was carried out by investigators at the NFN Company, Los Angeles, California, USA.47 Six subjects with herpes simplex II (and possibly I) infection, previously diagnosed by a physician, were treated with 2—4 oz of Viliv (a wine-based tincture containing concentrated olive leaf extract) orally every 6 hours for 6 weeks. Three subjects reported complete remission of lesions and associated pain/discomfort after 36—48 hours, and a fourth reported relief of pain after a further 48 hours. The other two subjects reported relief of pain/discomfort over the course of the study. There was a trend towards reduced blood levels of antibodies after 2—3 weeks of treatment, but the number of samples was too few to give a definitive conclusion.
A clinical study involving the use of Eden Extract™ is reported to be underway at The “R” Clinic, Budapest, Hungary,48 which employs innovative medical alternatives to help provide improved healthcare for Hungarian citizens. The medical director, Dr. Robert Lyons, along with 40 physicians from the US, has already treated 500 patients with Eden Extract™. Patients initially took two capsules (each containing 500 mg of concentrated olive leaf extract) three times daily, in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations, and the dose was reduced to one capsule four times daily if their disease symptoms improved.
According to US medical journalist Morton Walker,48 who has corresponded with Dr. Lyons in regard to this study, 157 out of 164 patients with respiratory diseases or lung conditions (tonsillitis, pharyngitis, tracheitis, pneumonia, bronchitis) recovered fully and six improved (one patient was unaccounted for in the article); 60 out of 67 patients with dental problems (pulpitis, leukoplakia, stomatitis) fully recovered, five improved and two remained unchanged; 150 out of 209 patients with viral or bacterial skin infections fully recovered and 59 improved; all 17 patients with gastric ulcer and Helicobacter pylori infection improved, though none recovered fully; and 40 out of 43 patients with impaired immunity showed improved immune status (details of how this was assessed were not given) while three remained unchanged. It is unclear how long patients were continued on treatment, but some appear to have responded within a matter of a few days or weeks.
A further clinical study, investigating the efficacy of olive leaf extract in the treatment of malaria, is reported to be underway in Taiwan under the direction of Dr. Bernard Friedlander, a chiropractor from San Mateo, California, USA.49 Results from this study, however, are not yet available.
Clinical anecdotes and individual cases
Other than from the above-mentioned clinical studies, indications of clinical efficacy of Eden Extract™ come from consumers’ letters sent directly to the manufacturer (East Park Research, Inc., Henderson, Nevada, USA) or indirectly via health practitioners (including physicians, chiropractors and nutritionists); and case reports or clinical anecdotes provided by a number of US health practitioners who have prescribed Eden Extract™ to their patients and observed beneficial effects.
General practitioner Dr. James Privitera, M.D., of Covina, California, appears to have had the most extensive clinical experience with use of the olive leaf extract, which has been available in the US since 1995. He has reportedly observed the following benefits: relief of arthritic inflammations; reduction of insulin dosages in diabetics; elimination of the symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome; increased energy/stamina; improved blood flow in cardiovascular disorders; lessening of haemorrhoid pain; attenuation of toothaches; elimination of fungal infections such as onychomycosis and tinea pedis; prevention or cure of numerous viral infections; relief of many of the symptoms of Candida albicans and other yeast infections; and elimination of a variety of parasites including protozoa and helminth worms.48
Other case reports or anecdotes mention the following benefits with Eden Extract™: probable prevention and successful treatment of herpes genitalis (herpes simplex II);48,49 improved symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, prostate cancer and some other cancers, and skin conditions; improvement in chronic fatigue syndrome; improvement of sore throats, coughs, colds, and chronic sinusitis;49 improvement of tinea (pityriasis) versicolor, psoriasis, persistent respiratory infection, and chronic scalp infection;50 relief from the pain of shingles (herpes zoster infection); elimination of the “yeast syndrome”/ Candida albicans infection; and restoration of immune function in a severely immune-depressed patient with multiple long-term allergies and opportunistic infections.48
Side-effects in humans
The only side-effect that appears to have been reported with clinical use is a so-called “die-off” effect, which has been likened to the Herxheimer reaction sometimes encountered during the treatment of yeast infections.51,52 This reaction is believed to occur when a large quantity of infectious organisms in the body are killed off in a relatively short period of time. Large amounts of toxic substances are released into the body tissues and blood stream from the dying organisms together with cellular debris, and the person’s immune system rapidly reacts to these substances to remove them from the body as quickly as possible. As a result, the person may temporarily experience a number of allergic- or flu-like symptoms such as headache, fever, fatigue, muscle/joint aches, and diarrhoea.53 The symptoms of this “die-off”, or detoxification, reaction last for between 4 and 7 days. Some patients may experience only a mild headache, and many experience no such effects at all. The effects of the “die-off” reaction are not thought to be harmful, but the manufacturer advises that if symptoms do occur, the patient should temporarily stop taking the capsules or cut back on the daily amount he/she is taking, so that the body has a chance to eliminate the toxic waste products accumulating in the system.
Summary and conclusions
Extracts from the European olive tree have a long history of association with fever-lowering and antimicrobial properties, and these are now convincingly supported by laboratory studies of antibacterial and antiviral actions conducted over the last 30 years or more. The association of olive oil and other oils containing high levels of mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids and low levels of saturated fats with a reduced risk of coronary heart disease is also well-established. Evidence from laboratory studies of further possible cardiovascular benefits, such as blood pressure-lowering, anti-arrhythmic, coronary blood flow-reducing and antioxidant actions, adds a further exciting dimension to the possible health-promoting benefits of these extracts, and deserves deeper exploration.
Most of the laboratory evidence has involved the major phenolic compound of olive tree extracts, oleuropein, and its hydrolysis product elenolic acid, and these agents have been shown to be safe and well-tolerated by the oral, as well as intraperitoneal, route in a variety of animals at the levels present in doses of olive leaf extract recommended for human dietary supplementation. Eden Extract™ incorporates structural changes to the elenolic acid molecule that overcome the bioavailability problems in humans encountered with earlier such preparations (due to rapid binding to serum proteins). This product has been available to the US public as a food supplement since 1995 and has recently become available in the UK.
Formal clinical studies of possible health benefits of extracts from the olive tree in humans are scarce; however, case reports and clinical anecdotes received by the manufacturer from consumers and health practitioners in the US indicate that the product may well have effective antibacterial and antiviral properties in humans, as well as hitherto unrecognised benefits to the cardiovascular and immune systems. Other health-promoting properties, such as antifungal, anti-inflammatory and anticancer actions, are also suggested by these unofficial reports. However, such reports cannot be presented as proof of clinical efficacy, since the placebo effect is likely to be a significant factor in any non-controlled study and in individual cases.
Published findings from the clinical studies reported to be underway should provide important supporting evidence for olive leaf extract’s clinical potential. Organised, well-designed studies targeting particular human ailments would provide further convincing proof of the range and depth of health-promoting effects of this potentially far-reaching product. From its historical origins, which have been said to date back as far as biblical times and to ancient Egypt, the olive tree has come a long way in gaining recognition for its remarkable properties. It would be a great shame if such a possible source of power against human ailments remained unrecognised and untapped because of a lack of investment in clinically definitive studies in the final stages of its development.
References
1. Hanbury D. On the febrifuge properties of the olive (Olea Europaea, L). Pharmaceutical Journal of Provincial Transactions, pp. 353—354, 1854.
2. Pallas E. Journal Universel des Sciences Medicales, tome xlix, p. 257, 1828.
3. Pallas. E. Receul de Memoires de Medecine, de Chirurgie, et de Pharmacie Militaires, vol xxiii, p. 152, 1827.
4. Pallas E. Receul de Memoires de Medecine, de Chirurgie, et de Pharmacie Militaires, vol xxvi, p. 159, 1829.
5. Etchells JL, Borg AF, Kittel ID, Bell TA, Fleming HP. Pure culture fermentation of green olives. Appl Microbiol 14, 1027—1041, 1966.
6. Fleming, HP, Etchells JL. Occurrence of an inhibitor of lactic acid bacteria in green olives. Appl Microbiol 15, 11781184, 1967.
7. Juven B, Samish Z, Henis Y, Jacoby B. Mechanism of enhancement of lactic acid fermentation of green olives by alkali and heat treatments. J Appl Bacteriol 31, 200—207, 1968.
8. Fleming HP, Walter WM, Etchells JL. Isolation of a bacterial inhibitor from green olives. Appl Microbiol 18, 856—860, 1969.
9. Panizzi L, Scarpati ML, Oriente G. Gazz Chim Ital 90, 1449, 1960.
10. Inouye H, Yoshida T, Tobita S, Tanaka K, Nishioka T. Tetrahedron Letters 28, 2459, 1970.
11. Vaughn RH. Lactic acid fermentation of cucumbers, sauerkraut and olives. In: Underkotler LA, Hickey RJ (Eds), Industrial Fermentations, Vol 2. New York: Chemical Publishing, 1954.
12. Moreno E, Perez J, Ramos-Cormenzana A, Martinez J. Microbios 51, 169—174, 1987.
13. Paredes MJ, Monteleolina-Sanchez M, Moreno E, Perez J, Ramos-Cormenzana A, Martinez J. Chemosphere 15, 659—664, 1986.
14. Paredes MJ, Moreno E, Ramos-Cormenzana A, Martiniz J. Chemosphere 16, 1557—1564, 1987.
15. Rodriguez MM, Perez J, Ramos-Cormenzana A, Martinez J. J Appl Bacteriol 64, 219—225, 1988
16. Pasquale AD, Monforte MT, Calabro ML. HPLC analysis of oleuropein and some flavonoids in leaf and bud of Olea Europaea L. Il Farmaco 46 (6): 803—815, 1991.
17. Cruess WV, Alsberg CL. The bitter glucoside of the olive. J Amer Chem Soc 56, 2115—2117, 1934.
18. Juven B, Samish Z, Henis Y. Identification of oleuropein as a natural inhibitor of lactic acid fermentation. Israel J Agr Res 18, 137—138, 1968.
19. Le Tutour B, Guedon D. Antioxidative activities of Olea europaea leaves and related phenolic compounds. Phytochem 31 (4), 1173—1178, 1992.
20. Fleming HP, Walter WM, Etchells JL. Antimicrobial properties of oleuropein and products of its hydrolysis. Appl Microbiol 26 (5), 777—782, 1973.
21. Tassou CC, Nychas GJE, Board RG. Effect of phenolic compounds and oleuropein on the germination of Bacillus cereus T spores. Biotech Appl Biochem 13, 231—237, 1991.
22. Renis HE. In vitro antiviral activity of calcium elenolate. Antimicrob Agents Chemother, p. 167—172, 1969.
23. Hirschman SZ. Inactivation of DNA polymerases of murine leukaemia viruses by calcium elenolate. Nature New Biol, Vol 238, August 30, 1972.
24. Heinz JE, Hale AH, Carl PL. Specificity of the antiviral agent calcium elenolate. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 8 (4), 421—425, 1975.
25. Soret MG. Antiviral activity of calcium elenolate on parainfluenza infection in hamsters. Antimicrob Agents Chemother, p. 160—166, 1969.
26. Petkov V, Manolov P. Pharmacological analysis of the iridoid oleuropein. Arzneim-Forsch (Drug Res.) 22 (9), 1476—1486, 1972.
27. Steinberg D, Parthasarathy S, Carew TE, Khoo JC, Witzum JL. N Engl J Med 320, 915—924, 1989.
28. Steinbrecher UP, Zhang H, Lougheed M. Free Rad Biol Med 9, 155—168, 1990.
29. Keys A. Seven countries: a multivariate analysis on death and coronary heart disease. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1980.
30. Bors W, Erbenruss MC, Saran M. Free Radicals, Lipoproteins and Membrane Lipids. New York: Plenum Press, 1990.
31. Muriana FJG, Ruiz-Gutierrez V, Vazquez CM. Influence of dietary cholesterol on polyunsaturated fatty acid composition, fluidity and membrane-bound enzymes in liver microsomes of rats fed olive and fish oil. Biochimie 74, 551—556, 1992.
32. Visioli F, Galli C. Oleuropein protects low density lipoprotein from oxidation. Life Sci 55 (24), 1965—1971, 1994.
33. Mensik RP, Katan MB. Effects of monounsaturated fatty acids versus complex carbohydrates on HDL in healthy men and women. Lancet i, 122—125, 1987.
34. Baggio G, Pagnam A, Muraca M, Martini S, Opportuno A, Bonanome A, et al. Olive oil-enriched diet: effect on serum lipoprotein levels and biliary cholesterol saturation. Am J Clin Nutr 47, 960—964, 1988.
35. Gurr MI, Borlak N, Ganatra S. Dietary fat and plasma lipids. Nutr Res Rev 2, 63—86, 1989.
36. Ruiz-Gutierrez V, Molina MT, Vazquez CM. Comparative effects of feeding different fats on fatty acid composition of major individual phospholipids of rat hearts. Ann Nutr Metab 34, 350—358, 1990.
37. Gey F, Puska P, Jordan P, Moser UK. Am J Clin Nutr 53, 326S—334S, 1991.
38. Hertog MGL, Feskens EJM, Hollman PCH, Katan MB, Kromhout D. Lancet 342, 1007—1011, 1993.
39. Frankel EN, Kanner J, German JB, Parks E, Kinsella JE. Lancet 341, 454—457, 1993.
40. Chimi H, Sadik A, Le Tutour B, Rahmani M. Rev Franc Corps Gras 35, 339, 1988.
41. Sheabar FZ, Neeman I. J Am Oil Chem Soc 65, 990, 1988.
42. Servili M, Montedoro GF. Industrie Alimente 28, 14—18 and 26, 1989.
43. Montedoro GF, Servili M, Baldioli M, Miniati E. J Agric Food Chem 40, 1571—1576, 1992.
44. Vasquez Roncero A, Graciani Constante E, Maestroduran R. Grasas y Aceites, 269—279, 1974.
45. Elliott GA, Buthala DA, DeYoung EN. Preliminary safety studies with calcium elenolate, an antiviral agent. Antimicrob Agents Chemother, pp. 173, 1969.
46. Ruiz-Gutierrez V, Muriana FJG, Maestro R, Graciana E. Oleuropein on lipid and fatty acid composition of rat heart. Nutr Res 15 (1), 37—51, 1995.
47. The NFN Company, Los Angeles, California, USA. A preliminary study of the efficacy of Viliv in treatment of herpetic infection. Phoenix, Arizona, April 1993 (unpublished document supplied by the UK distributor of Eden Extract™, Tigon Ltd, Loughborough, England).
48. Walker M. Olive leaf extract. The new oral treatment to counteract most types of pathological organisms. Explore! Volume 7, Number 4, 1996. Explore? Publications, PO Box 1508, Mt Vernon, WA 98273, USA.
49. Walker M. Antimicrobial attributes of olive leaf extract. Townsend Letter for Doctors & Patients, July 1996, pp 80—85.
50. Letters received from consumers by East Park Research, Inc., Hendersen, Nevada, USA, August 1995 – March 1996.
51. Trowbridge JP, Walker M. The Yeast Syndrome. New York: Bantam Books, 1986, pp. 132—133.
52. Baker SM. Notes on the Yeast Problem. New Haven: Gessell Institute of Human Development, 1985, pp. 8.
53. Information provided by the UK distributor of Eden Extract™, Tigon Limited, Loughborough, Leicestershire.
Ozone Therapy
by Mark Lester
The number of published papers, spanning 130 years, on the benefits of Ozone therapy now number in the thousands. One relatively recent paper is Ozone Selectively Inhibits Growth of Human Cancer Cells.1 Note the use of the word “selectively” meaning “without harming healthy cells”. Another recent paper reported that “Ozone was found to inactivate HIV”.2 Dr Michael Carpendale et al, working on the AIDS virus found that they could produce an enormous inactivation of the virus, reducing it from a million virions down to no viruses at all at about 4 micrograms of ozone, with twice that dose having no adverse effect on healthy white blood cells.3
Sixty patients with osteoarthritis at the Center of Medical- Surgical Studies in Havana (mostly affecting the knee) were given one interarticular injection of ozone per week for a total of ten weeks. Of the sixty patients, only four experienced the return of painful symptoms after two months, while the majorities (93.3%) were symptom free.4
Otto Warburg is the only man in history to win the Nobel Prize for Medicine twice. His research on cancer for which he was awarded the prize led him to the conclusion that “Cancer has only one prime cause. It is the replacement of normal oxygen respiration of the body’s cells by an anaerobic (i.e. oxygen-deficient) cell respiration”.5
Ozone therapy itself is subdivided into a number of different methods, some of which can be self-administered with an Oxygen cylinder and a medical Ozone generator. These methods include Ozonating water (useful for bladder, stomach and kidney problems in particular), vaginal/bladder insufflation for reproductive and genito-urinary problems, ear insufflation for problems of the ears, eyes, sinuses and brain, and rectal insufflation for problems of the colon. Medical doctors tend to favour auto-haemotherapy where blood is taken from the body, mixed with Ozone and then returned to the body (this is used commonly in Germany), and direct intra-venous injection. One more advanced method for using Ozone is polyatomic apheuresis, which is similar to auto-haemotherapy, but with this method the blood is continuously fed back to the patient, rather like dialysis.
I believe that all of the above methods work and save lives. However, the method I favour and use most is known as Transdermal Ozone therapy. This is a method in which Ozone is introduced into the body via the skin while sitting in a hot steam cabinet. As the pores of the skin open as result of being surrounded by the warm steam, Ozone enters the body transdermally (i.e. via the skin). This method is not new: Dr. Kellogg first used ozone in steam saunas at his naturopathic clinic in Battle Creek, Michigan as far back as 1881. The transdermal method has a number of advantages over the other methods:
1) It treats the whole body simultaneously;
2) The steam sauna has its own de-toxifying effects in addition to the de-toxification induced by Ozone;6,7
3) Transdermal Ozone cleanses the lymph. 90% of body fluids are stored in the lymph, which is superficial, lying just under the skin, only moving around the body once every 24 hours. Transdermal Ozone will cleanse and de-toxify this often sluggish system;8
4) This method does not involve injections or needles, does not need the administration of a medical doctor, tends to be cheaper for the clients than methods that only a doctor may use legally, and is both profoundly relaxing and enjoyable for the client.
Transdermal/hyperthermic Ozone therapy has been proven to have a powerful oxygenating effect on the body. The paper Quasi-total body exposure to Oxygen/ Ozone in a sauna cabinet (1999) concluded that hyperthermic ozone induced a “statistically significant, rapid increase of venous pO2 (partial pressure of Oxygen)”. It further concluded that TBARS (another measurement of Oxygenation of the blood) “increase steadily”.9
ME and all of cases of low vitality are conditions I have seen Ozone therapy get especially consistent results with. Almost everyone comments on how much more energy they have within a few sessions. There have also been benefits for multiple sclerosis, diabetes and digestive problems; in fact, the range of benefits is for any condition where the main cause is toxins in the body.
References
1 Sweet F et al. Ozone Selectively Inhibits Growth of Human Cancer Cells Science 209(22): 931-933. Aug 1980.
2 Latino J et al. Inactivation of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 by Ozone in Vitro. In Blood the Journal of the American Society of Haematology 78(7). 1 October 1991.
3 Ozone and the Politics of Medicine. Video. Threshold Film Inc. August 1993.
4 Altman N. Oxygen Healing Therapies Second Edition. Chapter 7, page 138. Translation. 1998.
5 Warburg O. The Prime Cause and Prevention of Cancer. Lecture delivered to Nobel Laureates, Lindau, Lake Constance, Germany 30 June 1966.
6 Clinical experience with hyperthermia. Indiana University Medical Centre. Journal of Oncology. 1993.
7 Valley Cancer Institute 304-12099 W. Washington Blvd, Los Angeles California.
8 Pressman S. The Story of Ozone. 1995.
9 Bocci V et al. Quasi-Total Body Exposure to Oxygen/Ozone in a Sauna Cabinet. Institute of General Physiology, Institute of Cardiovascular Surgery, University of Sienna, 1999.
Recommended reading
1 McCabe E. Oxygen Therapies: A new way of approaching disease. Energy Publications ISBN 0-9620527. 1988 .
2 Altman N. Oxygen Healing Therapies. Second Edition Healing Arts Press ISBN 0-89281-793-3. 1998.
3 Rilling S and Viebahn R. The Use of Ozone in Medicine. Haug Publishers. English Edition ISBN 3-7760-0956-X. 1987
4 Pressman S. The Story of Ozone. This book has no ISBN but is available from the Finchley Clinic. 1995.
Editor’s Note
The field of oxygen therapies has always been controversial; however progress continues to be made. We welcome comments from practitioners in the field regarding their clinical experiences with oxygen therapies.
The number of published papers, spanning 130 years, on the benefits of Ozone therapy now number in the thousands. One relatively recent paper is Ozone Selectively Inhibits Growth of Human Cancer Cells.1 Note the use of the word “selectively” meaning “without harming healthy cells”. Another recent paper reported that “Ozone was found to inactivate HIV”.2 Dr Michael Carpendale et al, working on the AIDS virus found that they could produce an enormous inactivation of the virus, reducing it from a million virions down to no viruses at all at about 4 micrograms of ozone, with twice that dose having no adverse effect on healthy white blood cells.3
Sixty patients with osteoarthritis at the Center of Medical- Surgical Studies in Havana (mostly affecting the knee) were given one interarticular injection of ozone per week for a total of ten weeks. Of the sixty patients, only four experienced the return of painful symptoms after two months, while the majorities (93.3%) were symptom free.4
Otto Warburg is the only man in history to win the Nobel Prize for Medicine twice. His research on cancer for which he was awarded the prize led him to the conclusion that “Cancer has only one prime cause. It is the replacement of normal oxygen respiration of the body’s cells by an anaerobic (i.e. oxygen-deficient) cell respiration”.5
Ozone therapy itself is subdivided into a number of different methods, some of which can be self-administered with an Oxygen cylinder and a medical Ozone generator. These methods include Ozonating water (useful for bladder, stomach and kidney problems in particular), vaginal/bladder insufflation for reproductive and genito-urinary problems, ear insufflation for problems of the ears, eyes, sinuses and brain, and rectal insufflation for problems of the colon. Medical doctors tend to favour auto-haemotherapy where blood is taken from the body, mixed with Ozone and then returned to the body (this is used commonly in Germany), and direct intra-venous injection. One more advanced method for using Ozone is polyatomic apheuresis, which is similar to auto-haemotherapy, but with this method the blood is continuously fed back to the patient, rather like dialysis.
I believe that all of the above methods work and save lives. However, the method I favour and use most is known as Transdermal Ozone therapy. This is a method in which Ozone is introduced into the body via the skin while sitting in a hot steam cabinet. As the pores of the skin open as result of being surrounded by the warm steam, Ozone enters the body transdermally (i.e. via the skin). This method is not new: Dr. Kellogg first used ozone in steam saunas at his naturopathic clinic in Battle Creek, Michigan as far back as 1881. The transdermal method has a number of advantages over the other methods:
1) It treats the whole body simultaneously;
2) The steam sauna has its own de-toxifying effects in addition to the de-toxification induced by Ozone;6,7
3) Transdermal Ozone cleanses the lymph. 90% of body fluids are stored in the lymph, which is superficial, lying just under the skin, only moving around the body once every 24 hours. Transdermal Ozone will cleanse and de-toxify this often sluggish system;8
4) This method does not involve injections or needles, does not need the administration of a medical doctor, tends to be cheaper for the clients than methods that only a doctor may use legally, and is both profoundly relaxing and enjoyable for the client.
Transdermal/hyperthermic Ozone therapy has been proven to have a powerful oxygenating effect on the body. The paper Quasi-total body exposure to Oxygen/ Ozone in a sauna cabinet (1999) concluded that hyperthermic ozone induced a “statistically significant, rapid increase of venous pO2 (partial pressure of Oxygen)”. It further concluded that TBARS (another measurement of Oxygenation of the blood) “increase steadily”.9
ME and all of cases of low vitality are conditions I have seen Ozone therapy get especially consistent results with. Almost everyone comments on how much more energy they have within a few sessions. There have also been benefits for multiple sclerosis, diabetes and digestive problems; in fact, the range of benefits is for any condition where the main cause is toxins in the body.
References
1 Sweet F et al. Ozone Selectively Inhibits Growth of Human Cancer Cells Science 209(22): 931-933. Aug 1980.
2 Latino J et al. Inactivation of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 by Ozone in Vitro. In Blood the Journal of the American Society of Haematology 78(7). 1 October 1991.
3 Ozone and the Politics of Medicine. Video. Threshold Film Inc. August 1993.
4 Altman N. Oxygen Healing Therapies Second Edition. Chapter 7, page 138. Translation. 1998.
5 Warburg O. The Prime Cause and Prevention of Cancer. Lecture delivered to Nobel Laureates, Lindau, Lake Constance, Germany 30 June 1966.
6 Clinical experience with hyperthermia. Indiana University Medical Centre. Journal of Oncology. 1993.
7 Valley Cancer Institute 304-12099 W. Washington Blvd, Los Angeles California.
8 Pressman S. The Story of Ozone. 1995.
9 Bocci V et al. Quasi-Total Body Exposure to Oxygen/Ozone in a Sauna Cabinet. Institute of General Physiology, Institute of Cardiovascular Surgery, University of Sienna, 1999.
Recommended reading
1 McCabe E. Oxygen Therapies: A new way of approaching disease. Energy Publications ISBN 0-9620527. 1988 .
2 Altman N. Oxygen Healing Therapies. Second Edition Healing Arts Press ISBN 0-89281-793-3. 1998.
3 Rilling S and Viebahn R. The Use of Ozone in Medicine. Haug Publishers. English Edition ISBN 3-7760-0956-X. 1987
4 Pressman S. The Story of Ozone. This book has no ISBN but is available from the Finchley Clinic. 1995.
Editor’s Note
The field of oxygen therapies has always been controversial; however progress continues to be made. We welcome comments from practitioners in the field regarding their clinical experiences with oxygen therapies.
Green Tea
The beverage of choice in the east, green tea shows promise as an anti-aging, cancer-fighting agent
by Ivy Greenwell
Part I
This article is reprinted from the Life Extension magazine June 1999 issue.
Any of the products mentioned in this article may be found at the Life Extension website
One of the most exciting health developments of the nineties has been the discovery of the extraordinary anti-aging properties of green tea. Epidemiological observations have shown that people in green-tea consuming countries-mainly Japan and China-have very low rates of cancer. In Japan, the women who teach the tea ceremony, and thus drink more than the average amount of extra-strong green tea, are noted for their very low mortality rate and longevity; deaths from cancer are especially rare in this group.
The rates of breast, colon, skin, pancreatic, esophageal and stomach cancer have been found to be lower among drinkers of green tea. If those who consumed more than ten cups of green tea a day got cancer, it was at considerably older age, especially in women. Likewise, it has been noted that those Japanese smokers who consume a lot of green tea seem to enjoy protection against lung cancer. In fact, the Japanese have both the highest smoking rate and the lowest lung cancer rate in the industrialized world.
Western epidemiological studies have also tended to confirm that higher consumption of tea and coffee is associated with a lower risk of breast cancer. On the basis of a number of such epidemiological studies, it could be tentatively asserted that the higher the consumption of tea in general, and perhaps of green tea in particular, the lower the incidence of breast, prostate and lung cancer. The same probably holds true for colon, stomach, pancreatic and skin cancer. In vitro or animal research indicates that green tea may be effective against an even wider variety of types of cancer, including leukemia and glioma.
Research aimed at finding the active compounds in green tea revealed that its protective effects are due chiefly to catechins. Powerful polyphenolic antioxidants, catechins are astringent, water-soluble compounds that can be easily oxidized. They are a subgroup of flavonoids, weak phytoestrogenic compounds widely available in vegetables, fruit, tea, coffee, chocolate and wine. The antioxidant potential of both green and black teas, as measured by the Phenol Antioxidant Index, was found to be significantly higher than that of grape juice and red wines.
Green tea is manufactured from fresh, unfermented tea leaves; the oxidation of catechins is minimal, and hence they are able to serve as antioxidants. While the fermentation of tea leaves needed for the production of black tea produces some unique antioxidants such as theaflavins, bisflavonols and thearubigens (polymers of simple polyphenols), such fermentation reduces the catechin content, especially the strongly bioactive catechin called epigallocatechin gallate. Epigallocatechin gallate has been singled out by many researchers as particularly important for cancer prevention.
So far, most research has been done on green tea and the activity of its various catechin components; the research on complex polymeric polyphenols found in black tea is still in an early stage.
Numerous recent studies continue to confirm that green tea polyphenols have powerful anticarcinogenic, cardioprotective, neuroprotective and antimicrobial actions. In the first of the two articles on green tea, let us take a closer look at the anticarcinogenic properties of green tea.
The latest good news about green tea comes from a study done at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm. A team of researchers headed by Dr. Yihai Cao found that green tea can block angiogenesis-the development of new blood vessels that tumors need in order to grow and metastasize. The authors gave mice the equivalent of two-to-three cups of green tea a day. When lung cancer was induced, the mice supplemented with green tea showed significantly less tumor growth. The scientists found that green tea suppressed the development of new blood vessels and prevented metastasis. They hypothesize the epigallocatechin gallate is the compound responsible for the suppression of angiogenesis.
In an interview, Dr. Cao explained that all solid tumors depend on angiogenesis for their growth. If green tea polyphenols can prevent angiogenesis, then this would go a long way toward explaining why green tea is effective in preventing so many kinds of cancer. Dr. Cao stressed that it takes long-term consumption of green tea in order to obtain these chemopreventive benefits.
The anti-angiogenic potential of green tea could also be used for the prevention and possibly even the treatment of degenerative eye disorders, such as diabetic retinopathy, that also depend on the development of new blood vessels. In addition, inhibition of angiogenesis may be another mechanism in which green tea helps prevent heart disease, since atherosclerotic plaque also needs to develop microcirculation to keep growing. (Note the recent news about how the anti-angiogenetic drug endostatin slows the development of atherosclerosis.)
Green tea has also been shown to help prevent metastasis. Cancer cells secrete special enzymes called collagenases in order to penetrate and colonize various tissues. It is the metastatic process that is lethal, not the primary tumor. Hence finding substances that can prevent metastasis is of prime importance in fighting cancer. A study done at the University of Shizuoka in Japan found that epigallocatechin gallate does in fact inhibit the secretion of collagenases by tumor cells (in this study, highly metastatic lung cancer cells), thus arresting their ability to invade normal tissue. Black tea theaflavins were also effective. There is also additional evidence that green tea polyphenols help inhibit angiogenesis, or the growth of new blood vessels that nourish the tumor.
Two of the green tea polyphenols, epigallocatechin-3-gallate and epicatechin-3-gallate, have been found to be effective inhibitors of 5 alpha-reductase type I, reducing the synthesis of DHT, a potent form of testosterone implicated in causing prostate enlargement and prostate cancer. Epigallocatechin gallate has also been found to be the most potent catechin in inducing apoptosis in human prostate cancer cells when tested on various cell lines. Together with lycopene and selenium, green tea should be considered as a special prostate-protective agent.
Breast Cancer
A recent Japanese study explored in greater detail the epidemiological findings on green tea’s protection against breast cancer. In this case, women with stage I, II and III breast cancer were assessed in terms of their green tea consumption. It was found that "premenopausal women who consumed more green tea had a lower number of lymph node metastases. In postmenopausal women greater consumption of green tea correlated with increased expression of the estrogen and progesterone receptor, which implies more differentiated tumor cells and better prognosis." Finally, in a seven-year follow it was found that "women with stage I or II cancer who consumed five or more cups of green tea a day had approximately half the recurrence rate of those women who consumed four cups or less."
One way in which green tea helps protect against breast cancer is by enhancing glucuronization of estrogens in the liver, a process through which estrogens are rendered inactive by being conjugated with glucuronic acid, a form in which they are excreted from the body. Perhaps it is mainly this mechanism that also accounts for lower estradiol levels found in those Japanese women who consume a significant amount of green tea. (Another mechanism might involve higher levels of sex hormone binding globulin found in women who consume green tea; the authors caution, however, that this might be due to caffeine.)
Besides human epidemiological studies, we also have experimental animal studies showing that green tea catechins provide significant protection against breast cancer. One study found that after exposure to a strong mammary carcinogen (DMBA), the survival rate in the group of rats fed a diet enriched with 1% green tea catechins was 93.8%, compared with only 33.3% in the control group. The tumors in the green tea group were also significantly smaller.
Epigallocatechin gallate alone was also found to inhibit tumor growth of human mammary cancer transplanted into mice. A study done at the College of Pharmacy at the University of Arizona likewise singled out epigallocatechin gallate as the most effective of the green tea catechins in its anticancer effects in regard to breast cancer, colon cancer and melanoma.
Green tea has also shown promise in other areas. For one, it enhances the effectiveness of chemotherapy in ovarian cancer. A study done at the University of Shizuoka, Japan, discovered that oral administration of green tea or theanine, an amino acid found in the leaves of green tea, synergized with the chemotherapy drug Adriamycin in lowering tumor weight. Adriamycin alone was ineffective. Theanine nearly tripled the concentration of adriamycin in the tumor tissue, while decreasing adriamycin levels in healthy tissue. In a more recent study, the same authors showed that theanine also synergizes with Adriamycin to inhibit liver metastases of ovarian cancer. This adds to the growing evidence that natural agents such as green tea can greatly enhance the effectiveness of conventional therapies.
Leukemia is yet another disease where green tea may prove effective as an adjuvant therapy for treatment. The particularly bioactive catechin in green tea, epigallocatechin gallate, was found to inhibit the proliferation of human and mouse leukemic cells in vitro. Even at the lower concentration, DNA synthesis by leukemic cells was reduced by more than 50%, while normal cells were unharmed. Another study, using the leukemic blast cells from patients with acute myeloblastic leukemia, a particularly aggressive and often deadly form of leukemia, found that epigallocatechin gallate inhibited the effect of tumor necrosis factor alpha and other growth factors. Yet another study found that green tea extract is a potent nucleoside transport inhibitor, interfering with tumor cells’ repair of DNA after chemotherapy. Thus green tea extract "markedly potentiated" the effectiveness of chemotherapy. These findings suggest that epigallocatechin gallate and green tea extract could be used as a nontoxic adjuvant therapy for leukemia. It would also be interesting to examine how green tea polyphenols synergize with such established anti-leukemic alternative treatments as retinoic acid, Vitamin D3, DMSO, curcumin and esculetin.
Green tea may also have a positive effect on chromosome damage in bone marrow. Aflatoxin, a carcinogenic mold-produced toxin commonly found in peanut butter and grain products, is known to cause damage to chromosomes in rat bone marrow cells. One study discovered that giving rats aqueous green tea extract 24 hours before inoculation with aflatoxin gained considerable protection from this damage. Black tea and coffee were not effective, although caffeine helped prevent damage if given 2 hours before the inoculation. The authors concluded that green tea "potently suppressed" chromosome damage in the bone marrow.
A more recent study, done at the Fels Institute for Cancer Research at Temple University in Philadelphia, found that the addition of .5% of instant green tea powder to the diet of rats changed the metabolism of aflatoxin toward the formation of non-toxic hydroxylated metabolites, and decreased the binding of aflatoxin to liver-cell DNA, significantly decreasing the resulting number of precancerous cells. The authors conclude that green tea protects against aflatoxin-induced liver cancer.
Green tea also inhibited liver damage caused by exposure to 2-nitropropane. Even more important, green tea also protected against liver injury caused by galactosamine, which happens to be an animal model of viral hepatitis.
Another type of cancer where high consumption of green tea seems to make a difference is stomach cancer. Men who consumed 7 cups or more of green tea a day had a 31% lower risk of stomach cancer. A Japanese in vitro study found that both green tea extract and epigallocatechin gallate caused a concentration- and time-dependent growth inhibition and apoptosis (programmed cell death) in a line of human stomach cancer cells.
A recent animal study done at the Alabama A&M University discovered that phytic acid (found in beans and grains) and green tea synergize to significantly reduce the number of preneoplastic lesions. Again, this points to the general principle that two or more natural agents are more effective together.
Protection against radiation-induced DNA damage is yet another area where green tea has had positive effects. A recent National Cancer Institute study found that green tea catechins can protect cells against radiation damage. Using chromatid breaks as a marker for unrepaired DNA strand breaks, it was found that all catechins except, interestingly, epigallocatechin gallate, significantly reduced DNA radiation damage. Curcumin had a similar effect. The authors speculate that the protective mechanism is due to the ability of polyphenols to scavenge the particularly dangerous hydroxyl radical. They conclude that catechins and other plant polyphenols can protect human cells against radiation damage.
One interesting recent study compared the effects of epigallocatechin gallate, curcumin (a powerful anticarcinogenic compound from the curry spice turmeric), and the combination of both on an in-vitro model of oral cancer. It was found that epigallocatechin gallate helped arrest tumor cell growth in a different cell-cycle stage than curcumin. When the two compounds were combined, growth inhibition was enhanced, suggesting a synergistic effect.
Likewise, a study using human lung cancer cell culture found that a combination of catechins rather than epigallocatechin gallate alone was more effective at producing apoptosis (programmed cell death), and the effect was synergistically increased when catechins were combined with other anti-cancer agents such as tamoxifen (a protein kinase antagonist). This provides additional support for the multi-agent approach to cancer.
Smoking may cause damage to the DNA of various cells, including lymphocytes. One type of damage is sister-chromatid exchange (SCE). SCE rates were found to be elevated in smokers who did not consume green tea. Those smokers who did consume green tea had SCE rates comparable to those of nonsmokers, in spite of the fact that their average daily intake was only 3 cups per day. Coffee failed to show a protective effect.
An animal study, however, did show that caffeine is an important chemopreventive agent in lung cancer protection, and that black tea also has an effect.
Skin cancer, and the protective effects of catechins on the skin, have been studied extensively. Ultraviolet radiation is known to cause inflammation and immunosuppression, making the skin more susceptible to cancer. High doses of epigallocatechin gallate and other catechins are particularly effective in preventing inflammation and skin cancer, especially if delivered in the topical form. Topical epigallocatechin gallate was found to reduce the release of inflammatory prostaglandins (the E2 series), which play a crucial role in generating free radicals and promoting tumor growth.
Anti-carcinogenic mechanisms
Green tea catechins are among the phenolic compounds known to suppress the formation of heterocyclic amines and nitrosamines, known to be potent carcinogens. Nitrosamines have been tentatively linked to brain cancer and leukemia. Drinking green tea with or after a meal containing meat cooked at a high temperature or treated with nitrites seems to offer a degree of protection.
Many other carcinogens are likewise rendered less harmful thanks to the action of green tea polyphenols on inducing enzymes that detoxify various undesirable compounds, and inhibiting those enzymes that would make certain carcinogens bioactive. Glucuronization (conjugation with glucuronic acid) is another detoxifying mechanism that is enhanced by catechins.
Yet another study suggested that tea polyphenols (including black tea theaflavins) induce the release of hydrogen peroxide as the mechanism of causing cancer cell apoptosis. Purified polyphenols were more powerful apoptosis inducers than green tea extract and decaffeinated green tea.
It has been also postulated that green tea catechins inhibit the activation of protein kinase C, and interfere with the binding of growth factors to their receptors. (In the case of breast cancer, catechins were in fact shown to interfere with the binding of estrogen to estrogen receptors.) Catechins were also found to inhibit the release of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), a highly inflammatory cytokine, and of nitric oxide synthase, an enzyme necessary for the production of nitric oxide (nitric oxide plays an important role in inflammation and carcinogenesis).
A particularly exciting study, done at the Cancer Chemotherapy Center in Tokyo, Japan, and using leukemia and colon cancer cell cultures, demonstrated that "epigallocatechin gallate strongly and directly inhibits telomerase." Telomerase is the enzyme that "immortalizes" cancer cells by maintaining the end portions of the tumor cell chromosomes. Even in the presence of non-toxic concentrations of epigallocatechin gallate, cancer cells exhibited telomere shortening and senescence. Thus, inhibition of telomerase could be one of the main anticarcinogenic mechanisms of catechins.
The most recent study, done at Purdue University and presented at the 1998 meeting of the American Society for Cell Biology, discovered another major mechanism. The authors, the husband and wife team of Dorothy and James Morre, claim that the main tumor-inhibitory mechanism of green tea may stem from its ability to interfere with the enzyme quinol oxidase, generally referred to as NOX. This enzyme is required for growth by both normal and malignant cells. While normal cells express NOX only when dividing, tumor cells express it all the time. The tumor form of the enzyme is called t-NOX, or tumor-associated NOX. Drugs that inhibit tNOX also inhibit tumor growth.
While both black and green tea infusions inhibited tNOX in various cancer lines, green tea was able to achieve these results at much greater dilutions, indicating higher concentrations of the active compound or compounds. By selectively testing for active compounds, the authors of the study concluded that epigallocatechin gallate was the active agent responsible for inhibiting tNOX - while sparing the NOX of healthy cells. Dr. Dorothy Morre stated, "In the presence of epigallocatechin gallate, the cancer cells literally failed to grow or enlarge after division. Then, presumably because they failed to reach the minimum size needed to divide, they underwent programmed cell death, or apoptosis."
While the inhibition of telomerase and of tNOX may be the chief anticarcinogenic mechanisms of green tea polyphenols, or at least two very important ones, there is little doubt that green tea catechins act along several different pathways and interact with a variety of enzymes to produce their anti-cancer effects.
It should also be noted that green tea lowers serum glucose and consequently insulin (this will be discussed in detail in the second article on green tea). Since elevated insulin is a potent growth factor for many kinds of tumors, as well as a pro-inflammatory and immunosuppressive hormone, the lowering of insulin in itself should help prevent cancer or, in cases of existing cancer, slow down its growth.
While green tea, and possibly black tea as well, show great promise mainly as chemopreventive agents, there is now mounting evidence that the active compounds in tea are an effective adjuvant therapy for the treatment of cancer, particularly when combined with other natural anti-cancer agents such as curcumin, or with conventional drugs such as tamoxifen or chemotherapy. Finally, tea and green tea extract can also be used for prevention of recurrence and metastasis.
Obviously, the anti-cancer mechanisms of green tea polyphenols are complex, and not yet completely understood. Research at the level of molecular genetics is particularly promising. We already do know enough to state with certainty that green tea is an effective chemopreventive agent. And we also know that it is best to use several anti-cancer agents (including all the major antioxidants) for synergistic prevention along all the possible pathways. Green tea works along so many pathways that it is simply an indispensable part of any serious cancer-prevention program.
References
Asano Y, Okamura S et al. Effect of epigallocatechin gallate on leukemic blast cells from patients with acute myeloblastic leukemia. Life Sci 1997; 60:135-42
Challa A et al. Interactive suppression of aberrant crypt foci induced by azoxymethane in rat colon by phytic acid and green tea. Carcinogenesis 1997; 10:2023-26
Chen ZP, et al. Green tea epigallocatechin gallate shows a pronounced growth inhibitory effect on cancerous cells but not on their normal counterparts. Cancer Lett 1998; 129:173-79
Chung FL et al. Inhibition of lung carcinogenesis by black tea in Fischer rats treated with a tobacco- specific carcinogen: Caffeine as an important constituent. Cancer Res 1998;58:4096-4101
Deng ZY, Tao BY, et al. Effect of green tea and black tea on blood glucose, triglycerides, and antioxidants in aged rats. J Agricult Food Chem 1998;46:3875-78
Francheschi S et al. Influence of food groups and food diversity on breast cancer risk in Italy. Int J Cancer 1995; 63:785-89
Hara Y. Influence of tea catechins on the digestive tract. J Cel Biochem 1997; Suppl 27: 52-58
Hibasami H et al. Induction of apoptosis in human stomach cancer cells by green tea catechins. Oncol Repetition 1998; 5:527-29
Hirose M et al. Inhibition of mammary gland carcino- genesis by green tea catechins and other naturally occurring antioxidants in female Sprague-Dawley rats pretreated with MDBA. Cancer Lett 1994; 83:149-56
Inoue M, Tajima K, et al. Tea and coffee consumption and the risk of digestive tract cancers: data from a comparative case-referent study in Japan. Cancer Causes Control 1998;9:209-16
Ito Y et al. Chromosome aberrations induced by aflatoxin B1 in rat bone marrow cells in vivo and their suppression by green tea. Mutat Res 1989; 222:253-61
Katiyar SK, Mukhtar H. Tea antioxidants in cancer chemoprevention. J Cell Biochem Suppl 1997; 27:59-67
Katiyar SK et al. Polyphenolic antioxidant epigallocatechin gallate from green tea reduces UVB-induced inflammatory responses and infiltration of leukocytes in human skin. Photochem Photobiol 1999; 69:148-53
Khafif A; Schantz SP, et al. Quantitation of chemopreventive synergism between epigallocatechin gallate and curcumin in normal, premalignant, and malignant oral epithelial cells. Carcinogenesis 1998;19:419-24
Komori A, Yasunami J, et al. Anticarcinogenic activity of green tea polyphenols. Jpn J Clin Oncol 1993; 23:186-90
Kuroda Y, Hara Y. Antimutagenic and anticarcinogenic activity of tea polyphenols. Mutat Res 1999; 436:69-97
Lean ME et al. Dietary flavonols protect diabetic human lymphocytes against oxidative damage to DNA. Diabetes 1999; 48:176-81
Lee IP et al. Chemopreventive effects of green tea against cigarette smoke-induced mutations in humans. J Cell Biochem 1997; Suppl 27:68-75
Liao S, Hipakka RA. Selective inhibition of steroid 5-alpha-reductase isozymes by tea epicatechin-3- gallate and epigallocatechin-3-gallate. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 1995;214:833-38
Liao S, Umekita Y et al. Growth inhibition and regression of human prostate and breast tumors in athymic mice by tea epigallocatechin gallate. Cancer Lett 1995; 96:239-43
Lin YL, Cheng CY, et al. Hypolipidemic effect of green tea leaves through induction of antioxidant and phase II enzymes including superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione S-transferase in rats. J Agricult Food Chem 1998;46:1893-99
Lu LH, Lee SS, Huang HC. Epigallocatechin suppression of proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells: correlation with c-jun and JNK. Brit J Pharmacol 1998;124:1227-37
McCarty MF. Polyphenol-mediated inhibition of AP-1 transactivating activity may slow cancer growth by impeding angiogenesis and tumor invasiveness. Med Hypoth 1998; 50:511-14
Morre D, Morre DJ. Findings on epigallocatechin gallate and tNOX inhibition presented at the 38th annual meeting of the American Society for Cell Biology; summary available at http://www.uns.purdue.edu
Naasani I et al. Telomerase inhibition, telomere shortening, and senescence of cancer cells by tea catechins. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 1998; 249:391-96
Nagata C et al. Associations of coffee, green tea, and caffeine intakes with serum concentrations of estradiol and sex hormone-binding globulin in premenopausal Japanese women. Nutr Cancer 1998; 30:21-24
Nakachi K, Suemasu K, et al. Influence of drinking green tea on breast cancer malignancy among Japanese patients. Jpn J Cancer Res 1998;89:254-61
Oguri A et al. Inhibitory effects of antioxidants on formation of heterocyclic amines. Mutat Res 1998; 402:237-45
Otsuka T, Ogo T, et al. Growth inhibition of leukemic cells by epigallocatechin gallate, the main constituent of green tea. Life Sciences 1998; 63:1397-1403
Parshad R, Sanford RR, et al. Protective action of plant polyphenols on radiation-induced chromatid breaks in cultured human cells. Anticancer Res 1998;18:3263-66
Pashka AG et al. Induction of apoptosis in prostate cancer cell lines by the green tea component, epigallocatechin gallate. Cancer Lett 1998;130:1-7
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Part II of this article (with references) may be found at Green Tea in the Heart section.
by Ivy Greenwell
Part I
This article is reprinted from the Life Extension magazine June 1999 issue.
Any of the products mentioned in this article may be found at the Life Extension website
One of the most exciting health developments of the nineties has been the discovery of the extraordinary anti-aging properties of green tea. Epidemiological observations have shown that people in green-tea consuming countries-mainly Japan and China-have very low rates of cancer. In Japan, the women who teach the tea ceremony, and thus drink more than the average amount of extra-strong green tea, are noted for their very low mortality rate and longevity; deaths from cancer are especially rare in this group.
The rates of breast, colon, skin, pancreatic, esophageal and stomach cancer have been found to be lower among drinkers of green tea. If those who consumed more than ten cups of green tea a day got cancer, it was at considerably older age, especially in women. Likewise, it has been noted that those Japanese smokers who consume a lot of green tea seem to enjoy protection against lung cancer. In fact, the Japanese have both the highest smoking rate and the lowest lung cancer rate in the industrialized world.
Western epidemiological studies have also tended to confirm that higher consumption of tea and coffee is associated with a lower risk of breast cancer. On the basis of a number of such epidemiological studies, it could be tentatively asserted that the higher the consumption of tea in general, and perhaps of green tea in particular, the lower the incidence of breast, prostate and lung cancer. The same probably holds true for colon, stomach, pancreatic and skin cancer. In vitro or animal research indicates that green tea may be effective against an even wider variety of types of cancer, including leukemia and glioma.
Research aimed at finding the active compounds in green tea revealed that its protective effects are due chiefly to catechins. Powerful polyphenolic antioxidants, catechins are astringent, water-soluble compounds that can be easily oxidized. They are a subgroup of flavonoids, weak phytoestrogenic compounds widely available in vegetables, fruit, tea, coffee, chocolate and wine. The antioxidant potential of both green and black teas, as measured by the Phenol Antioxidant Index, was found to be significantly higher than that of grape juice and red wines.
Green tea is manufactured from fresh, unfermented tea leaves; the oxidation of catechins is minimal, and hence they are able to serve as antioxidants. While the fermentation of tea leaves needed for the production of black tea produces some unique antioxidants such as theaflavins, bisflavonols and thearubigens (polymers of simple polyphenols), such fermentation reduces the catechin content, especially the strongly bioactive catechin called epigallocatechin gallate. Epigallocatechin gallate has been singled out by many researchers as particularly important for cancer prevention.
So far, most research has been done on green tea and the activity of its various catechin components; the research on complex polymeric polyphenols found in black tea is still in an early stage.
Numerous recent studies continue to confirm that green tea polyphenols have powerful anticarcinogenic, cardioprotective, neuroprotective and antimicrobial actions. In the first of the two articles on green tea, let us take a closer look at the anticarcinogenic properties of green tea.
The latest good news about green tea comes from a study done at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm. A team of researchers headed by Dr. Yihai Cao found that green tea can block angiogenesis-the development of new blood vessels that tumors need in order to grow and metastasize. The authors gave mice the equivalent of two-to-three cups of green tea a day. When lung cancer was induced, the mice supplemented with green tea showed significantly less tumor growth. The scientists found that green tea suppressed the development of new blood vessels and prevented metastasis. They hypothesize the epigallocatechin gallate is the compound responsible for the suppression of angiogenesis.
In an interview, Dr. Cao explained that all solid tumors depend on angiogenesis for their growth. If green tea polyphenols can prevent angiogenesis, then this would go a long way toward explaining why green tea is effective in preventing so many kinds of cancer. Dr. Cao stressed that it takes long-term consumption of green tea in order to obtain these chemopreventive benefits.
The anti-angiogenic potential of green tea could also be used for the prevention and possibly even the treatment of degenerative eye disorders, such as diabetic retinopathy, that also depend on the development of new blood vessels. In addition, inhibition of angiogenesis may be another mechanism in which green tea helps prevent heart disease, since atherosclerotic plaque also needs to develop microcirculation to keep growing. (Note the recent news about how the anti-angiogenetic drug endostatin slows the development of atherosclerosis.)
Green tea has also been shown to help prevent metastasis. Cancer cells secrete special enzymes called collagenases in order to penetrate and colonize various tissues. It is the metastatic process that is lethal, not the primary tumor. Hence finding substances that can prevent metastasis is of prime importance in fighting cancer. A study done at the University of Shizuoka in Japan found that epigallocatechin gallate does in fact inhibit the secretion of collagenases by tumor cells (in this study, highly metastatic lung cancer cells), thus arresting their ability to invade normal tissue. Black tea theaflavins were also effective. There is also additional evidence that green tea polyphenols help inhibit angiogenesis, or the growth of new blood vessels that nourish the tumor.
Two of the green tea polyphenols, epigallocatechin-3-gallate and epicatechin-3-gallate, have been found to be effective inhibitors of 5 alpha-reductase type I, reducing the synthesis of DHT, a potent form of testosterone implicated in causing prostate enlargement and prostate cancer. Epigallocatechin gallate has also been found to be the most potent catechin in inducing apoptosis in human prostate cancer cells when tested on various cell lines. Together with lycopene and selenium, green tea should be considered as a special prostate-protective agent.
Breast Cancer
A recent Japanese study explored in greater detail the epidemiological findings on green tea’s protection against breast cancer. In this case, women with stage I, II and III breast cancer were assessed in terms of their green tea consumption. It was found that "premenopausal women who consumed more green tea had a lower number of lymph node metastases. In postmenopausal women greater consumption of green tea correlated with increased expression of the estrogen and progesterone receptor, which implies more differentiated tumor cells and better prognosis." Finally, in a seven-year follow it was found that "women with stage I or II cancer who consumed five or more cups of green tea a day had approximately half the recurrence rate of those women who consumed four cups or less."
One way in which green tea helps protect against breast cancer is by enhancing glucuronization of estrogens in the liver, a process through which estrogens are rendered inactive by being conjugated with glucuronic acid, a form in which they are excreted from the body. Perhaps it is mainly this mechanism that also accounts for lower estradiol levels found in those Japanese women who consume a significant amount of green tea. (Another mechanism might involve higher levels of sex hormone binding globulin found in women who consume green tea; the authors caution, however, that this might be due to caffeine.)
Besides human epidemiological studies, we also have experimental animal studies showing that green tea catechins provide significant protection against breast cancer. One study found that after exposure to a strong mammary carcinogen (DMBA), the survival rate in the group of rats fed a diet enriched with 1% green tea catechins was 93.8%, compared with only 33.3% in the control group. The tumors in the green tea group were also significantly smaller.
Epigallocatechin gallate alone was also found to inhibit tumor growth of human mammary cancer transplanted into mice. A study done at the College of Pharmacy at the University of Arizona likewise singled out epigallocatechin gallate as the most effective of the green tea catechins in its anticancer effects in regard to breast cancer, colon cancer and melanoma.
Green tea has also shown promise in other areas. For one, it enhances the effectiveness of chemotherapy in ovarian cancer. A study done at the University of Shizuoka, Japan, discovered that oral administration of green tea or theanine, an amino acid found in the leaves of green tea, synergized with the chemotherapy drug Adriamycin in lowering tumor weight. Adriamycin alone was ineffective. Theanine nearly tripled the concentration of adriamycin in the tumor tissue, while decreasing adriamycin levels in healthy tissue. In a more recent study, the same authors showed that theanine also synergizes with Adriamycin to inhibit liver metastases of ovarian cancer. This adds to the growing evidence that natural agents such as green tea can greatly enhance the effectiveness of conventional therapies.
Leukemia is yet another disease where green tea may prove effective as an adjuvant therapy for treatment. The particularly bioactive catechin in green tea, epigallocatechin gallate, was found to inhibit the proliferation of human and mouse leukemic cells in vitro. Even at the lower concentration, DNA synthesis by leukemic cells was reduced by more than 50%, while normal cells were unharmed. Another study, using the leukemic blast cells from patients with acute myeloblastic leukemia, a particularly aggressive and often deadly form of leukemia, found that epigallocatechin gallate inhibited the effect of tumor necrosis factor alpha and other growth factors. Yet another study found that green tea extract is a potent nucleoside transport inhibitor, interfering with tumor cells’ repair of DNA after chemotherapy. Thus green tea extract "markedly potentiated" the effectiveness of chemotherapy. These findings suggest that epigallocatechin gallate and green tea extract could be used as a nontoxic adjuvant therapy for leukemia. It would also be interesting to examine how green tea polyphenols synergize with such established anti-leukemic alternative treatments as retinoic acid, Vitamin D3, DMSO, curcumin and esculetin.
Green tea may also have a positive effect on chromosome damage in bone marrow. Aflatoxin, a carcinogenic mold-produced toxin commonly found in peanut butter and grain products, is known to cause damage to chromosomes in rat bone marrow cells. One study discovered that giving rats aqueous green tea extract 24 hours before inoculation with aflatoxin gained considerable protection from this damage. Black tea and coffee were not effective, although caffeine helped prevent damage if given 2 hours before the inoculation. The authors concluded that green tea "potently suppressed" chromosome damage in the bone marrow.
A more recent study, done at the Fels Institute for Cancer Research at Temple University in Philadelphia, found that the addition of .5% of instant green tea powder to the diet of rats changed the metabolism of aflatoxin toward the formation of non-toxic hydroxylated metabolites, and decreased the binding of aflatoxin to liver-cell DNA, significantly decreasing the resulting number of precancerous cells. The authors conclude that green tea protects against aflatoxin-induced liver cancer.
Green tea also inhibited liver damage caused by exposure to 2-nitropropane. Even more important, green tea also protected against liver injury caused by galactosamine, which happens to be an animal model of viral hepatitis.
Another type of cancer where high consumption of green tea seems to make a difference is stomach cancer. Men who consumed 7 cups or more of green tea a day had a 31% lower risk of stomach cancer. A Japanese in vitro study found that both green tea extract and epigallocatechin gallate caused a concentration- and time-dependent growth inhibition and apoptosis (programmed cell death) in a line of human stomach cancer cells.
A recent animal study done at the Alabama A&M University discovered that phytic acid (found in beans and grains) and green tea synergize to significantly reduce the number of preneoplastic lesions. Again, this points to the general principle that two or more natural agents are more effective together.
Protection against radiation-induced DNA damage is yet another area where green tea has had positive effects. A recent National Cancer Institute study found that green tea catechins can protect cells against radiation damage. Using chromatid breaks as a marker for unrepaired DNA strand breaks, it was found that all catechins except, interestingly, epigallocatechin gallate, significantly reduced DNA radiation damage. Curcumin had a similar effect. The authors speculate that the protective mechanism is due to the ability of polyphenols to scavenge the particularly dangerous hydroxyl radical. They conclude that catechins and other plant polyphenols can protect human cells against radiation damage.
One interesting recent study compared the effects of epigallocatechin gallate, curcumin (a powerful anticarcinogenic compound from the curry spice turmeric), and the combination of both on an in-vitro model of oral cancer. It was found that epigallocatechin gallate helped arrest tumor cell growth in a different cell-cycle stage than curcumin. When the two compounds were combined, growth inhibition was enhanced, suggesting a synergistic effect.
Likewise, a study using human lung cancer cell culture found that a combination of catechins rather than epigallocatechin gallate alone was more effective at producing apoptosis (programmed cell death), and the effect was synergistically increased when catechins were combined with other anti-cancer agents such as tamoxifen (a protein kinase antagonist). This provides additional support for the multi-agent approach to cancer.
Smoking may cause damage to the DNA of various cells, including lymphocytes. One type of damage is sister-chromatid exchange (SCE). SCE rates were found to be elevated in smokers who did not consume green tea. Those smokers who did consume green tea had SCE rates comparable to those of nonsmokers, in spite of the fact that their average daily intake was only 3 cups per day. Coffee failed to show a protective effect.
An animal study, however, did show that caffeine is an important chemopreventive agent in lung cancer protection, and that black tea also has an effect.
Skin cancer, and the protective effects of catechins on the skin, have been studied extensively. Ultraviolet radiation is known to cause inflammation and immunosuppression, making the skin more susceptible to cancer. High doses of epigallocatechin gallate and other catechins are particularly effective in preventing inflammation and skin cancer, especially if delivered in the topical form. Topical epigallocatechin gallate was found to reduce the release of inflammatory prostaglandins (the E2 series), which play a crucial role in generating free radicals and promoting tumor growth.
Anti-carcinogenic mechanisms
Green tea catechins are among the phenolic compounds known to suppress the formation of heterocyclic amines and nitrosamines, known to be potent carcinogens. Nitrosamines have been tentatively linked to brain cancer and leukemia. Drinking green tea with or after a meal containing meat cooked at a high temperature or treated with nitrites seems to offer a degree of protection.
Many other carcinogens are likewise rendered less harmful thanks to the action of green tea polyphenols on inducing enzymes that detoxify various undesirable compounds, and inhibiting those enzymes that would make certain carcinogens bioactive. Glucuronization (conjugation with glucuronic acid) is another detoxifying mechanism that is enhanced by catechins.
Yet another study suggested that tea polyphenols (including black tea theaflavins) induce the release of hydrogen peroxide as the mechanism of causing cancer cell apoptosis. Purified polyphenols were more powerful apoptosis inducers than green tea extract and decaffeinated green tea.
It has been also postulated that green tea catechins inhibit the activation of protein kinase C, and interfere with the binding of growth factors to their receptors. (In the case of breast cancer, catechins were in fact shown to interfere with the binding of estrogen to estrogen receptors.) Catechins were also found to inhibit the release of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), a highly inflammatory cytokine, and of nitric oxide synthase, an enzyme necessary for the production of nitric oxide (nitric oxide plays an important role in inflammation and carcinogenesis).
A particularly exciting study, done at the Cancer Chemotherapy Center in Tokyo, Japan, and using leukemia and colon cancer cell cultures, demonstrated that "epigallocatechin gallate strongly and directly inhibits telomerase." Telomerase is the enzyme that "immortalizes" cancer cells by maintaining the end portions of the tumor cell chromosomes. Even in the presence of non-toxic concentrations of epigallocatechin gallate, cancer cells exhibited telomere shortening and senescence. Thus, inhibition of telomerase could be one of the main anticarcinogenic mechanisms of catechins.
The most recent study, done at Purdue University and presented at the 1998 meeting of the American Society for Cell Biology, discovered another major mechanism. The authors, the husband and wife team of Dorothy and James Morre, claim that the main tumor-inhibitory mechanism of green tea may stem from its ability to interfere with the enzyme quinol oxidase, generally referred to as NOX. This enzyme is required for growth by both normal and malignant cells. While normal cells express NOX only when dividing, tumor cells express it all the time. The tumor form of the enzyme is called t-NOX, or tumor-associated NOX. Drugs that inhibit tNOX also inhibit tumor growth.
While both black and green tea infusions inhibited tNOX in various cancer lines, green tea was able to achieve these results at much greater dilutions, indicating higher concentrations of the active compound or compounds. By selectively testing for active compounds, the authors of the study concluded that epigallocatechin gallate was the active agent responsible for inhibiting tNOX - while sparing the NOX of healthy cells. Dr. Dorothy Morre stated, "In the presence of epigallocatechin gallate, the cancer cells literally failed to grow or enlarge after division. Then, presumably because they failed to reach the minimum size needed to divide, they underwent programmed cell death, or apoptosis."
While the inhibition of telomerase and of tNOX may be the chief anticarcinogenic mechanisms of green tea polyphenols, or at least two very important ones, there is little doubt that green tea catechins act along several different pathways and interact with a variety of enzymes to produce their anti-cancer effects.
It should also be noted that green tea lowers serum glucose and consequently insulin (this will be discussed in detail in the second article on green tea). Since elevated insulin is a potent growth factor for many kinds of tumors, as well as a pro-inflammatory and immunosuppressive hormone, the lowering of insulin in itself should help prevent cancer or, in cases of existing cancer, slow down its growth.
While green tea, and possibly black tea as well, show great promise mainly as chemopreventive agents, there is now mounting evidence that the active compounds in tea are an effective adjuvant therapy for the treatment of cancer, particularly when combined with other natural anti-cancer agents such as curcumin, or with conventional drugs such as tamoxifen or chemotherapy. Finally, tea and green tea extract can also be used for prevention of recurrence and metastasis.
Obviously, the anti-cancer mechanisms of green tea polyphenols are complex, and not yet completely understood. Research at the level of molecular genetics is particularly promising. We already do know enough to state with certainty that green tea is an effective chemopreventive agent. And we also know that it is best to use several anti-cancer agents (including all the major antioxidants) for synergistic prevention along all the possible pathways. Green tea works along so many pathways that it is simply an indispensable part of any serious cancer-prevention program.
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Part II of this article (with references) may be found at Green Tea in the Heart section.
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