Antioxidants

Mediterranean Diet May Help Prevent Alzheimer's

One possibility is that the Mediterranean diet has the same beneficial effects on blood vessels in the brain as in the heart, reducing the risk of blockage, Scarmeas said. It could also be that the foods in the diet are rich in beneficial antioxidants, or that the diet lowers the incidence of harmful inflammation, he said.

Eye ailment tied to cognitive decline

However, after adjusting for age, gender, education, smoking, diabetes, hypertension, use of cholesterol-lowering drugs and antioxidants, the association remained significant only for two of the tests -- the Modified Mini-Mental State Examination (3MS) and Logical Memory Part I test.

Age-Related Vision Trouble May Be Tied to Memory Problems

The study was originally designed to see whether high doses of antioxidants and zinc could help prevent AMD, a disease in which the center of the retina deteriorates with age. (That trial found the supplement therapy worked for people at high risk of AMD.)

Food Antioxidants, Vitamin D Fight Breast Cancer

FRIDAY, April 7 (HealthDay News) -- A range of foods such as soybeans, fruits and green tea contain powerful antioxidants that help reduce a woman's risk for breast and ovarian cancer, new studies find.

Fetal Environment May Influence Adult Cancer Risk

WEDNESDAY, March 29 (HealthDay News) -- Molecular changes in the fetal environment, including altered levels of antioxidants, may affect cancer risk later in life in mammals, Canadian researchers report.

Smokers At Higher Risk for Erectile Dysfunction

Results of another study suggested that heavy smokers who also have a low dietary intake of antioxidants, particularly beta-carotene, are at an increased risk for developing the degenerative lung ailment known as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Cherry Industry Chafes at FDA Warnings

The industry is marketing cherries as health food, trumpeting research showing they contain helpful antioxidants, along with testimonials from buyers like Robbins. At the same time, the Food and Drug Administration has ordered 29 companies to stop making unproven claims that their cherry products treat or prevent disease.

Candy Makers Cater to the Health-Conscious

Fruits and vegetables are still the best source of the antioxidants found in dark chocolate and they also contain vitamins, minerals, fiber and plant chemicals not found in chocolate, the newsletter said.

Candy Makers Cater to Health-Conscious

Fruits and vegetables are still the best source of the antioxidants found in dark chocolate and they also contain vitamins, minerals, fiber and plant chemicals not found in chocolate, the newsletter said.

Vitamins C and E May Help Lower Smokers' Cancer Risk

The study led by investigators at Oregon State University is the first to demonstrate this type of interaction between the two antioxidants in humans. They researchers say the findings also suggest a possible mechanism by which smoking causes cancer.

Vitamins May Not Prevent Prostate Cancer

The government research, published Tuesday in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, is among many large studies examining whether these antioxidants play a role in prostate cancer when taken as pills - instead of when they're consumed as part of an overall healthy diet.

Let Dark Chocolate Be Your Valentine

Others agreed. Jeffrey Blumberg, a professor of nutrition at Tufts University's Friedman School of Nutrition, in Boston, said dark chocolate contains flavanols, plant-based antioxidants that may have beneficial effects on cardiovascular function. These benefits might extend to improving heart function and lowering blood pressure, he said.

Alternative therapy common in prostate cancer

One third reported using some type of alternative medicine, with 26% using mineral or vitamin supplements, 16% taking herbs, 13% taking antioxidants and 12% taking some type of alternative treatment for "prostate health," such as saw palmetto or lycopene.

Black Currants May Help Thwart Alzheimer's

While previous research found that compounds in black currants acted as antioxidants, this is the first study to demonstrate that they may help protect brain cells. Exactly how they do this remains unclear, the study said.

Coffee cuts breast cancer risk: study

But, Andre Nkondjoka, an epidemiologist at the University of Montreal hospital and study co-author, noted that coffee contains other elements, notably antioxidants.

Early hope seen for green tea in fighting leukemia

A number of previous studies have suggested that green tea and extracts of the beverage have cancer-fighting abilities, possibly due to the tea's concentration of certain antioxidants - compounds that help ward off cell damage that can lead to cancer, heart disease and other ills.

Dark chocolate may cut heart disease risk: study

The group, who were asked to abstain from eating foods rich in antioxidants for 24 hours, were given 40 grams (2 ounces) of chocolate to eat.

Exercise your brain and body to improve memory

Eating five small healthy meals per day rich in omega-3 fats from fish and olive oil, healthy whole grain carbohydrates and antioxidants. Eating five small meals instead of three larger meals prevents dips in blood sugar, the primary energy source for the brain.

Ovarian cancer risk lower in tea drinkers - study

Black and green teas are believed to contain antioxidants that help ward off the cell mutation that leads to cancer.

Chocolate is hot - and it's not just the curry

Consumers' interest in dark chocolate has intensified after research showing it contains healthful ingredients like antioxidants, Guittard said.

Pomegranate juice affects prostate cancer -study

The juice is rich in antioxidants -- chemicals that give fruits and vegetables their deep colors and which also act against the chemicals that damage cells, leading to cancer and other disease.

Coffee top antioxidant source for Americans

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Europeans have red wine, Asians have green tea but Americans have their own source of antioxidants -- coffee, researchers reported on Sunday.

Eating fruits and vegetables may cut arthritis risk

"These data add to a growing body of evidence that some dietary antioxidants, such as the carotenoids beta-cryptoxanthin and zeaxanthin as well as vitamin C, may be protective against the development of" arthritis, the authors conclude.

Rosemary extract could make cooked meat safer

The investigators found that when they added antioxidants extracted from rosemary to ground beef, the hamburgers contained smaller amounts of heterocyclic amines, or HCAs, carcinogenic compounds that form when muscle meats like beef, pork and poultry are cooked at high temperatures.

Raisins may fight cavities and gum disease - study

All are phytochemicals -- antioxidants found in plants, Wu told a meeting of the American Society for Microbiology in Atlanta.

Alcohol seems to lower risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma

Studies have suggested that antioxidants in the skin of grapes reduce the risk of NHL particularly in red wine drinkers. But the researchers said their findings did not show any difference between drinkers of white and red wine.

Ginseng substances fight brain disease in rats

Exactly why certain ginsenosides, but not others, may protect brain cells from degeneration is unknown. The leading theory is that some of the chemicals act as antioxidants and neutralize oxygen free radicals -- substances that, though natural byproducts of metabolism, can damage cells and potentially lead to disease.

Pomegranate juice for prostate cancer

Pomegranate juice contains a number of antioxidants thought to have anti-cancer effects, Pantuck noted. In addition, the juice contains estrogen-like plant substances called phytoestrogens that could be useful in combatting prostate cancer, in particular.

Diet may modify radon-related lung cancer risk

The possibility that dietary antioxidants may modify the effects of radon on lung cancer risk should be studied further, they conclude.

Boost for broccoli: Vitamin E may fend off Parkinson's, says study

One area of research is into oxidative stress: the creation of rogue molecules called free radicals that are associated with cell damage. Vitamins are called antioxidants for their ability to combat these dangerous agents.

Need help cutting back on alcohol? Try kudzu

Kudzu contains isoflavones, antioxidants believed to confer a variety of health benefits. Previous research has shown that kudzu extracts help discourage drinking in rats and hamsters.

Natural enzyme helps mice live longer in study

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Mice genetically engineered to produce a human antioxidant enzyme lived longer than normal mice, which U.S. scientists on Thursday cited as evidence that antioxidants can counteract the effects of aging and disease.

Green Tea May Curb Prostate Cancer in Men at Risk

"The interest in GTCs and other polyphenols -- antioxidants found in many plants -- derives from traditional Chinese medicine, but the Mediterranean diet is very rich in vegetables, thus providing high levels of polyphenols, and lower rates of prostate cancer are found in that region as well," he pointed out.

Study: Mediterranean Diet Linked with Longer Life

How the Mediterranean diet may reduce mortality is unknown but Trichopoulos said the diet is rich in antioxidants such as vitamins A and C which neutralize cell damage from charged particles called free radicals. Antioxidants are thought to help fight cancer and heart disease.

Vitamin E Temporarily Raises Cancer Risk

"Usually, we say that people should weigh the pros and cons when considering a particular intervention," Meyer noted. "At the moment, there isn't much evidence supporting the use of high-dose antioxidants, (such as vitamin E), for long periods of time."

Fruit, Veggies Tied to Lower Pancreatic Cancer Risk

It's thought that antioxidants may help ward off cancer by mopping up oxygen free radicals -- molecules that, though a natural byproduct of metabolism, can result in potentially disease-causing damage to cells over time.

Multivitamins Won't Ward Off Infection in Elderly

Vitamin E, on the other hand, does not seem to have any benefit. And, while antioxidants taken at a younger age may help with vascular damage, that doesn't mean they have any effect on preventing infection.

Gene-Diet Link May Shield Some Men From Prostate Cancer

THURSDAY, March 24 (HealthDay News) -- Men with a common gene variation may be able to reduce their prostate cancer risk simply by altering their diet to include more antioxidants, a new study suggests.

When It Comes to Chocolate, Order Dark, Not White

However, despite dark chocolate's apparent benefits, Ferri urges caution when interpreting the results. Dark chocolate contains antioxidants, but also a lot of fat and calories, Ferri said, and people who want to add some chocolate to their diet need to subtract an equivalent amount of calories by cutting back on other foods, to avoid weight gain.

Caffeine Impairs Sugar Metabolism

The findings, published in the medical journal Diabetes Care, seem to contradict recent reports that coffee intake may cut the risk of diabetes, Ross noted. However, coffee contains several other substances that may affect sugar metabolism, such as antioxidants, potassium and magnesium. "When you give somebody caffeine without all of the other substances that are in coffee you have a very different situation," he added.