CAM

Melatonin shows potential to slow tumor growth in certain breast cancers
An early stage study shows melatonin – a hormone that regulates the body's sleep and awake cycles – may have the potential to help slow the growth of certain breast cancer tumors, according to researchers from Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit and Foundation for Research Support of the State of São Paulo.

The study, published online in the journal PLoS One, finds that melatonin may inhibit tumor growth and cell production, as well as block the formation of new blood vessels in ER-negative breast cancer models. Eurekalert!

Certain probiotics could help women lose weight
According to Angelo Tremblay, probiotics may act by altering the permeability of the intestinal wall. By keeping certain proinflammatory molecules from entering the bloodstream, they might help preventing the chain reaction that leads to glucose intolerance, type 2 diabetes, and obesity.

The Lactobacillus rhamnosus strain used in this study belongs to Nestlé, which uses it in certain yogurts it makes for the European market, but Professor Tremblay believes that the probiotics found in dairy products in North America could have a similar effect to the Nestlé strain. He stresses, however, that the benefits of these bacteria are more likely to be observed in a favorable nutritional context that promotes low fat and adequate fiber intake. Eurekalert!

Resveratrol increases brown adipose tissue thermogenesis markers by increasing SIRT1 and energy expenditure and decreasing fat accumulation in adipose tissue of mice fed a standard diet
Our data suggest that improved metabolism produced by oral administration of resveratrol is, at least in part, associated with increased thermogenesis followed by high expression of UCP1 and SIRT1, which can mediate higher energy expenditure and decreased fat accumulation in adipose tissue. Andrade JM, Frade AC, Guimarães JB, Freitas KM, Lopes MT, Guimarães AL, de Paula AM, Coimbra CC, Santos SH. Eur J Nutr. 2014 Jan 28. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 24468941