Abstracts & Commmentary
Sulforaphane Shows Promise in Autism Spectrum Disorder
12-03-2014 In a recent study, a derivative of broccoli sprouts demonstrated improvement in behavior and alleviation of symptoms in teen and adult participants with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), offering practitioners the hope of a natural therapy with no side effects to treat patients with ASD.
Prognostic Role of Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte Ratio in Cancer
11-06-2014 This systematic review and meta-analysis combination explores the prognostic role of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in cancer diagnosis, demonstrating NLR to be an accurate, cost-effective, and reliable biomarker for oncologists.
Treating Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth
11-06-2014 This retrospective study found that cost-effective herbal treatments were just as effective as more expensive pharmaceuticals in treating small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), offering SIBO sufferers a natural strategy for relief.
Can Curcumin Solve Depression?
11-05-2014 A recent randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study suggests curcumin may be a safe, effective treatment for depression-related disorders.
Effect of Medical Cannabis Laws on Overdose Deaths
11-05-2014 The results of a recent study suggest marijuana may be more of an "exit strategy" than a "gateway drug."
Flavonoid-rich Dark Chocolate Positively Impacts Stress Response
11-05-2014 In this placebo-controlled, single-blind study people who consumed dark chocolate had significantly decreased cortisol levels and epinephrine reactivity to psychosocial stress compared to placebo.
Malignant Brain Tumors Associated With Mobile and Cordless Phone Use
10-23-2014 Will a recent study finding a significant association between mobile and cordless phone use and malignant brain tumors cause us to reconsider our addiction to wireless technology?
Carbohydrates and Breast Cancer Recurrence
10-01-2014 Does reducing carbohydrate intake reduce breast cancer recurrence? This nested, case control study sought to find out. It looked at the associations between insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF-1R) expression of the primary tumor, postdiagnosis changes in carbohydrate intake, and breast cancer recurrence in 265 postmenopausal breast cancer survivors.
Are Omega-3 Fatty Acids the Answer to Behavioral Problems in Kids?
10-01-2014 Can omega 3s help behavioral problems in children and adolescents? According to this study, the answer is yes—and the improvements are significant.
Maternal Bisphenol A and Miscarriage Risk
10-01-2014 Previous animal studies have shown BPA exposure can increase miscarriage risk. This study studied 115 pregnant women who sought treatment for infertility or recurrent pregnancy loss. Those whose serum BPA levels were highest had an 83% higher risk of experiencing a first trimester miscarriage those with the lowest levels.
Impact of Running vs Walking on Breast Cancer Survival
10-01-2014 Breast cancer patients have long been advised to take up brisk walking to improve outcomes, but this analysis found that runners have significantly reduced mortality over walkers, with runners’ risk for breast cancer mortality decreasing more than 40%.
Melatonin Treats H Pylori and Gastric Ulcers
09-18-2014 The addition of melatonin to the standard treatment protocol for H pylori increases efficacy of H pylori elimination and accelerates DU healing. A 2-month therapy of omeprazole plus melatonin is more effective at normalizing markers of healing than treatment with omeprazole alone.
Fiber, Bacteria, and Colorectal Cancer
09-17-2014 In this observational cross-sectional trial matching patients with a diagnosis of advanced colorectal cancer to a healthy control group, the participants (N=5632) completed the food-frequency questionnaire and provided fecal samples. Participants with a high-fiber diet and more gut microbiota had diminished cancer-cell growth.
Manual Lymph Drainage to Treat Lymphedema in Breast Cancer
09-03-2014 Lymphedema affects many breast cancer patients. In this randomized trial, complete congestion therapy with a focus on manual lymph drainage was tested vs the use of compression garments to reduce lymphedema in 95 women being treated for breast cancer.
Can High-dose Intravenous Vitamin C Alleviate Epstein Barr Virus Infections?
09-03-2014 In a recent study, Epstein Barr virus patients who received intravenous vitamin C demonstrated decreased levels of antigens in the acute state of disease and alleviation of symptoms of the infection.
Lower Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 and Live Longer?
09-03-2014 A groundbreaking study recently suggested that low levels of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) may predict life expectancy in exceptionally long-lived individuals.
Neighborhood Green Space Can Predict Mental Health Status
09-03-2014 This cross-sectional analysis, comparing mental health status with neighborhood green space, found that green space significantly reduced 3 measures of depression according to participant responses to the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale.
Polycystic Ovarian Spectrum
08-28-2014 For this prospective, cohort study, 507 menstrual cycles of 259 eumenorrheic women without a self-reported history of infertility, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), or other endocrine disorders were tracked over 1 to 2 menstrual cycles. The wide-ranging results support the theory that PCOS can be redefined as polycystic ovary spectrum, with even healthy menstruating women experiencing occasional hormonal dysfunction.
Antidiabetic Effects of Ginseng Extract
08-28-2014 After an 8-week intervention of ingesting 480 mg of panax ginseng twice daily, study participants demonstrated a statistically significant difference in their fasting glucose level while other glucose measures showed a slight, if not statistically significant, improvement over placebo.
Vitamin D Status and In-Vitro Fertilization Outcomes
08-28-2014 In a study of 99 recipients of egg donation at the University of Southern California Fertility Center, Los Angeles, vitamin D deficiency was associated with a 50% reduction in pregnancy and live-birth rates in recipients of donor eggs compared to patients who had adequate vitamin D levels.