CAM

Microbes in the gut help determine risk of tumors
Transferring the gut microbes from a mouse with colon tumors to germ-free mice makes those mice prone to getting tumors as well, according to the results of a study published in mBio®, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology. The work has implications for human health because it indicates the risk of colorectal cancer may well have a microbial component. Eurekalert!

Mediterranean diet may help women live longer, healthier lives
Middle-aged women who follow a heart-healthy Mediterranean diet may live a healthier, longer life, a new study suggests.

"Women with healthier dietary patterns at midlife were 40 percent more likely to survive to age 70 or over," said lead researcher Cecilia Samieri, a postdoctoral fellow who conducted the study while at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. The study is to be published Nov. 5 in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine. It was funded by the U.S. National Cancer Institute and the U.S. National Institutes of Health. MedicalXpress

Immunomodulation by dietary long chain omega-3 fatty acids and the potential for adverse health outcomes
While there is evidence supporting a protective role for EPA/DHA supplementation in reducing sudden cardiac events, the safety and efficacy of supplementation with LCω-3PUFA in the context of other disease outcomes is unclear. Recent studies of bacterial, viral, and fungal infections in animal models of infectious disease demonstrate that LCω-3PUFA intake dampens immunity and alters pathogen clearance and can result in reduced survival. Fenton JI, Hord NG, Ghosh S, Gurzell EA. Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids. 2013 Sep 30. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 24183073

Resveratrol prevents impaired cognition induced by chronic unpredictable mild stress in rats
In conclusion, our study shows that resveratrol may be an effective therapeutic agent for cognitive disturbances as was seen within the stress model and its neuroprotective effect was mediated in part by normalizing serum corticosterone levels, up-regulating of the BDNF, pCREB and pERK levels. Liu D, Zhang Q, Gu J, Wang X, Xie K, Xian X, Wang J, Jiang H, Wang Z. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 2013 Oct 30. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 24184538

Study links intestinal bacteria to rheumatoid arthritis
Researchers have linked a species of intestinal bacteria known as Prevotella copri to the onset of rheumatoid arthritis, the first demonstration in humans that the chronic inflammatory joint disease may be mediated in part by specific intestinal bacteria. The new findings by laboratory scientists and clinical researchers in rheumatology at NYU School of Medicine add to the growing evidence that the trillions of microbes in our body play an important role in regulating our health. Moreover, the overgrowth of P. copri was associated with fewer beneficial gut bacteria belonging to the genera Bacteroides. Eurekalert!

Health benefits of wild blueberries abound: Study
This new research, published today in the journal Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, shows that regular long-term wild blueberry diets may help improve or prevent pathologies associated with the metabolic syndrome, including cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Eurekalert!

Natura Therapeutics product shown to improve decision making skills in older adults
A human clinical study of older adults has demonstrated that participants who took NutraStem Cardio®, a natural dietary supplement created by Natura Therapeutics, Inc., showed a significant increase in cognition when compared to age-matched individuals taking a placebo. Cognition includes processes such as attention, decision making, and memory. The company’s study, Nutraceutical Intervention Improves Older Adults’ Cognitive Functioning, has been published online ahead of print in the journal Rejuvenation Research. Natura Therapeutics, a University of South Florida startup and incubator company, conducted the two-month, double-blind placebo study of 105 people. University of South Florida