Gabadone is a proprietary combination of 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP), GABA and choline forumalated in low doses for effects on sleep. Secondary ingredients are: grape seed extract, hydrolyzed whey protein, valerian extract, ginkgo biloba, glutamic acid, and cocoa. This study sought to investigate the combination’s effect on sleep parameters. Eighteen patients with sleep disorders received 2 capsules of Gabadone or placebo at bedtime for 1 week. In the active group, the baseline time to fall asleep was 32.3 minutes, which was reduced to 19.1 after Gabadone (P = 0.01 compared to baseline, and p=0.02 compared to placebo which showed no significant improvement). In the active group, the baseline duration of sleep was 5.0 hours, and this increased to 6.83 hours after Gabadone (P = 0.01), while there was no significant change in the placebo group (p=0.01 between groups). Objective measurement of parasympathetic function as measured by 24-hour heart rate variability also improved in the active group compared with placebo. An amino acid preparation containing both GABA and 5-hydroxytryptophan reduced time to fall asleep, decreased sleep latency, increased the duration of sleep, and improved quality of sleep. (Am J Ther. 2010 Mar-Apr;17(2):133-9.) PMID: 19417589
Inhibitory effect of soy isoflavones and curcumin on prostate-specific antigen
Elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA) reflects the presence of inflammation in the prostate, predisposing to prostate cancer. Normalization of the PSA value may prevent the development of prostate cancer. This randomized controlled trial investigated whether a combination of isoflavones and curcumin is able to lower PSA. 85 men who had received prostate biopsies but were free of prostate cancer were assigned to receive a supplement containing soy isoflavones (40mg) and curcumin (100mg) or placebo for 6 months. In the overall population there was no significant effects between the isoflavone/ curcumin combination and placebo. However, among the group of patients who had PSA >or= 10 mcg/ml at baseline and were treated with the isoflavone/ curcumin combination, PSA levels decreased significantly from 18.8 to 10.2 mcg/ml (P = 0.01). In vitro results also showed that this combination synergistically downregulated androgen receptor expression and PSA production in prostate cancer cells. Soy isoflavones and curcumin are capable of decreasing elevated PSA in humans and synergistically exert anticancer effects in prostate cancer cells. (Prostate. 2010 Jul 1;70(10):1127-33.) PMID: 20503397
Korean red ginseng for sexual arousal in menopausal women
Korean ginseng has traditionally been used to improve male sexual function and fertility. Animal studies have also shown that Korean red ginseng (KRG) has a relaxing effect on the clitoral cavernosal muscle and vaginal smooth muscle, but this has not been examined in women. This study assessed whether KRG extract would improve sexual function in menopausal women. In a placebo-controlled, double-blind, crossover clinical study, 32 menopausal women received 3g ginseng per day or placebo for 8 weeks. After a 2-week wash out period, participants were crossed over to the other arm. Outcome measures were the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) and Global Assessment Questionnaire (GAQ). Korean Red Ginseng significantly improved scores for sexual arousal (P = 0.006) on FSFI, and global symptoms on GAQ (P = 0.046) compared to placebo. There were no severe adverse events, but there were two cases of vaginal bleeding that occurred during KRG treatment. Korean ginseng might be used to improve sexual function in menopausal women. (J Sex Med. 2010 Apr;7(4 Pt 1):1469-77.) PMID: 20141583
Melatonin normalizes pro-inflammatory cytokines in Duchenne muscular dystrophy
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a fatal disorder caused by the genetic absence of dystrophin. Oxidative stress and inflammation are directly involved in the progression of the disease. Ten patients with DMD were treated with 60 mg melatonin at 9pm plus 10 mg at 9am daily for 9 months. Plasma levels of 1) inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-1beta, IL-2, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interferon-gamma; 2) markers of oxidative stress: lipid peroxidation (LPO), nitrites (NO(x)); and 3) plasma markers of muscle injury, were measured after 3, 6 and 9 months of treatment. Healthy age- and sex-matched subjects were used as controls. At baseline, DMD patients had elevated levels of LPO, NO(x), and cytokines compared with healthy controls. Melatonin administration reduced these values to control levels at 3 months of treatment, and decreased them further after 9 months. Melatonin also reduced plasma levels of creatine kinase (50%), lactate dehydrogenase (28%), aspartate aminotransferase (28%), alanine aminotransferase (20%), and myoglobin (13%). Melatonin administration reduced the oxidative and inflammatory process in DMD patients, and reduced markers of the muscle degenerative process. (J Pineal Res. 2010 Apr;48(3):282-9.) PMID: 20210854
Enteric-coated peppermint oil for irritable bowel syndrome
Peppermint is a herb with spasmolytic, carminitive properties; the active constituent, menthol, has been shown to relax smooth muscle by blocking Ca2+ channels in the gut. This was a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study of 90 patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Subjects took one enteric coated capsule containing 0.2 ml of peppermint oil (Colpermin) or placebo three times daily 30 minutes before each meal for 8 weeks. Patients’ symptoms and quality of life were assessed after the first, fourth, and eighth weeks. The number of patients who were free from abdominal pain or discomfort changed 0 at baseline to 14 (42.5%) at week 8 in the peppermint oil group, compared to from 0 to 6 (22.2%) in the control group (P < 0.001). The severity of abdominal pain was also significantly reduced in the peppermint oil group as compared to controls (p<0.001). Peppermint oil significantly improved patients’ quality of life. There were no significant adverse reactions. The peppermint oil preparation Colpermin is safe and effective in reducing abdominal pain or discomfort in patients with IBS. (Dig Dis Sci. 2010 May;55(5):1385-90.) PMID: 19507027
Exercise pioneer Jack LaLanne dies at 96
The fitness fanatic ate well and exercised — and made it his mission to make sure everyone did the same — right up to the end at age 96, friends and family said. LaLanne died January 23, 2011 at his home in Morro Bay on California’s central coast. The cause was respiratory failure due to pneumonia. LaLanne credited a sudden interest in fitness with transforming his life as a teen, and he worked tirelessly over the next eight decades to transform others’ lives, too. “The only way you can hurt the body is not use it,” LaLanne said. “Inactivity is the killer and, remember, it’s never too late.” He developed exercises that used no special equipment, just a chair and a towel. He also founded a chain of fitness studios that bore his name and in recent years touted the value of raw fruit and vegetables as he helped market a machine called Jack LaLanne’s Power Juicer. In addition to his wife, he is survived by two sons, Dan and Jon, and a daughter, Yvonne.
First PA’s trained at Canadian universities enter workforce
The first civilian physician assistants (PAs) trained in Canada have received their degrees from the University of Manitoba (U of M) and McMaster University. The U of M awarded master of physician assistant studies degrees to its first 10 graduates Oct. 20, 2010. McMaster followed suit Nov. 19 by awarding bachelor of health science (physician assistant) degrees to its first 21 PAs. The University of Toronto will produce its first PA graduates later this year. John Cannington, assistant dean of McMaster’s PA program, said that because of their commitment to collaborative care the new graduates “have positioned themselves as essential members of today’s interprofessional health care teams.” All PAs work under a physician’s supervision. More than 73,000 PAs currently practise in the US, where they have been part of the health care system since the 1960s.
The costs of heart disease in the United States to balloon to over $800 billion a year
Between now and 2030, the costs involved to manage heart disease will triple to more than $800 billion a year, a report commissioned by the American Heart Association predicted. Treating high blood pressure will be the most expensive part of the cost, rising to $389 billion by 2030, the report projects, with overall heart disease rising 10 percent by then. The Heart Association CEO Dr. Nancy Brown said “This country has a choice to make: We can wait until people get sick and figure out how to treat them or we can focus on prevention.” Dr. Paul Heidenreich of the VA Palo Alto Health Care System in California and colleagues looked at current costs of heart disease, the U.S. population and trends in behavior and illness for the first such projection of heart disease costs. “Between 2010 and 2030, real total direct medical costs of cardiovascular disease are projected to triple, from $272.5 billion to $818.1 billion,” reads the report, published in the journal Circulation.
Neptune Revenue up from 2009
Revenue for Neptune Technologies & Bioressources Inc. (NASDAQ.NEPT – TSX.V.NTB) increased for the three-month and nine-month periods ended Nov. 30, 2010, according to consolidated financial results released by the company. Neptune’s nutraceutical revenue also increased during these periods. Consolidated revenue increased by 14% to $4,290,000 for the three-month period ended Nov. 30, 2010, up from $3,758,000 achieved during the corresponding period ended Nov. 30, 2009.
Bioenergy gets US Federal Discovery Grant
Bioenergy Inc. has received notification of a federal grant in the amount of $244,000 as part of the Qualifying Therapeutic Discovery Project. The company said it will use the grant funds to investigate their patented D-Ribose’s role in protecting the heart and improving heart function. The Qualifying Therapeutic Discovery Project Credit (QTDP) is provided under section 48D of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC), as added to the IRC by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (P.L. 111-148). The project issues one-time awards to biotech companies that show significant potential to produce new therapies; address unmet medical needs; prevent, detect, or treat chronic or acute diseases or conditions; reduce health care costs, or significantly advance the goal of curing cancer within the next 30 years. “This is exciting news for our company as we continue to work with D-Ribose and its application for cardiovascular health,” said Raj Khankari, CEO of Bioenergy, Inc. “We are very grateful the federal government has recognized the value of our company’s work and will be supporting us in our efforts as we continue to move forward.
