CAM

Compound derived from vegetables shields rodents from lethal radiation doses
Their study, published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) suggests the compound, already shown to be safe for humans, may protect normal tissues during radiation therapy for cancer treatment and prevent or mitigate sickness caused by radiation exposure. The compound, known as DIM (3,3'-diindolylmethane), previously has been found to have cancer preventive properties. MedicalXpress

Happiness lowers blood pressure, study says
A synthetic gene module controlled by the happiness hormone dopamine produces an agent that lowers blood pressure. This opens up new avenues for therapies that are remote-controlled via the subsconscious. MedicalXpress

Quercetin prevents liver carcinogenesis by inducing cell cycle arrest, decreasing cell proliferation and enhancing apoptosis
The outcomes of this study represent a significant contribution to the current understanding on the preventive mechanisms of quercetin during the early stages of liver cancer development, demonstrating that in addition to its known proapoptotic characteristics, the flavonoid modulates the expression of critical cell cycle regulators and peroxisome proliferator activated receptor-α activity. Casella ML, Parody JP, Ceballos MP, Quiroga AD, Ronco MT, Francés DE, Monti JA, Pisani GB, Carnovale CE, Carrillo MC, de Luján Alvarez M. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2013 Oct 1. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 24124108

Chemoprevention of Prostate Cancer by Major Dietary Phytochemicals
Prostate cancer continues to be one of the most commonly diagnosed diseases and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among men in the United States. Options exist to treat localized disease, including surgery, radiation therapy, and hormonal therapy, but clinical management of advanced prostate cancer is challenging. In the past few decades, chemoprevention involving naturally-occurring compounds has emerged as a promising and cost-effective approach to reduce incidence and morbidity of prostate cancer by inhibiting the precancerous events before the occurrence of clinical disease. The present review focuses on summarizing the recent advances in studies of major dietary phytochemicals and their role in prostate cancer development. Bommareddy A, Eggleston W, Prelewicz S, Antal A, Witczak Z, McCune DF, Vanwert AL. Anticancer Res. 2013 Oct;33(10):4163-4174. PMID: 24122979

Mindfulness-based stress reduction helps lower blood pressure, reports study in Psychosomatic Medicine
Blood pressure is effectively lowered by mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) for patients with borderline high blood pressure or "prehypertension." This finding is reported in the October issue of Psychosomatic Medicine: Journal of Biobehavioral Medicine, the official journal of the American Psychosomatic Society. Eurekalert!

Halloween candy spooks aging digestive systems! Research in fruit flies helps explain why
Have you ever wondered why young children can eat bags of Halloween candy and feel fine the next day – compared to adults who experience all sorts of agony following the same junk food binge? Evolution and a gene called Foxo may be to blame. Working in fruit flies, scientists at the Buck Institute have identified a mechanism that helps the flies adapt to changes in diet when they're young; they've discovered that same mechanism gets misregulated as the flies age, disrupting metabolic homeostasis, or balance. Eurekalert!