Science reflects the desire for humans to understand the manner
in which nature functions. In medicine, through science there is
emerging a greater appreciation for the role that vitamins, minerals,
herbal products, and other natural compounds in promoting health
and healing. While 2004 produced many noteworthy clinical studies
with natural products, the following reflect the most significant.
The Top Ten Studies in 2004
- Echinacea does work if you use an effective product
- U.S. Government study acknowledges health benefits of omega-3
fatty acids
- Omega-3 index emerges as the most significant marker for
heart disease
- Black cohosh extract exerts anticancer effects against breast
cancer cell
- Combination of Glucosamine and MSM superior to either alone
in treating osteoarthritis
- Antioxidant supplementation reduces risk for Alzheimer’s
disease
- Long-term study shows CLA effective as weight loss aid
- Even brief exposure to statin drugs lower CoQ10 levels
- Lutein improves vision in patients with age-related macular
degeneration
- Ginkgo biloba extract continues to show benefits in elderly
subjects
Echinacea does work if you use an effective
product
There were four double-blind studies in 2004 that evaluated echinacea
preparations in the treatment of the common cold. In three of these
studies, the echinacea products used were shown to be no more effective
than a placebo. However, one study demonstrated quite clearly that
echinacea can be of significant value in reducing the severity and
duration of a cold. The difference in results from these clinical
studies with echinacea is most likely due to lack of or insufficient
quantity of active compounds in the negative studies.
The single most important aspect in getting results from an echinacea
product is to make sure that it is guaranteed to provide sufficient
levels of all three classes of all three key categories of active
compounds in their proper ratio. For example, in the study demonstrating
positive results the commercially available echinacea product used
contained standardized levels of alkamides, cichoric acid, and polysaccharides
prepared from freshly harvested Echinacea purpurea plants showed
just how impressive results can be when a high quality product is
used. In the double-blind study, the echinacea preparation or a
placebo was given to 282 subjects aged 18-65 years with a history
of two or more colds in the previous year. Subjects were instructed
to start the echinacea or placebo at the onset of the first symptom
related to a cold, consuming 10 doses the first day and four doses
per day on subsequent days for 7 days. The total daily symptom scores
were found to be 23·1% lower in the echinacea group than
in placebo. The researcher concluded that early intervention with
this standardized echinacea product results in reduced symptom severity
in subjects with upper respiratory tract infection. Some people
cleared their cold symptoms up to three times faster than the placebo
group.
Reference: Goel V, Lovlin
R, Barton R, et al. Efficacy of a standardized echinacea preparation
(Echinilin) for the treatment of the common cold: a randomized,
double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. J Clin Pharm Ther. 2004
Feb;29(1):75-83
U.S. Government study acknowledges health
benefits of omega-3 fatty acids
According to a detailed evaluation of the scientific evidence,
the United States Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality concluded
that the long chain omega-3 fatty acids, either from fish consumption
or supplementation, significantly reduce the risk of heart attacks
and strokes. The review also found other evidence indicating that
fish oil supplementation can help lower high blood pressure slightly,
reduce risk of coronary artery re-blockage after angioplasty, increase
exercise capability among patients with clogged arteries, and reduce
the risk of irregular heart beats—particularly in individuals
with a recent heart attack.
Reference: Wang C, Chung
M, Lichtenstein A, Balk E, Kupelnick B, DeVine D, Lawrence A,
Lau J. Effects of omega-3 fatty acids on cardiovascular disease.
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Pub. No. 04-E009-2,
March 2004.
Omega-3 index emerges as the most significant
marker for heart disease
When researchers measure the level of the long chain omega-3 fatty
acids EPA and DHA within red blood cells they found that they had
discovered one of the most significant predictor of heart disease.
This laboratory value was termed the Omega-3 Index. An Omega-3 Index
of =8% was associated with the greatest protection, whereas an index
of =4% was associated with the least. The Omega-3 Index was shown
to be the most significant predictor of coronary artery disease
compared to C-reactive protein; total, LDL, or HDL cholesterol;
and homocysteine. Researchers subsequently determined that a total
of a combined 1,000 mg of EPA and DHA daily is required to achieve
or surpass the =8% Omega-3 Index target.
Reference: Harris WS,
Von Schacky C. The Omega-3 Index: a new risk factor for death
from coronary heart disease? Prev Med. 2004 Jul;39(1):212-20.
Black cohosh extract exerts anticancer
effects against breast cancer cells
Black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa) is without question the most
popular natural approach to menopausal symptoms. Its popularity
has been increasing in part because of all of the negative press
on Hormone Replacement Therapy. Specifically, last year the National
Institutes of Health (NIH) halted a major clinical trial designed
to help settle the debate over whether HRT benefits postmenopausal
women because the results clearly concluded that the risks of taking
combined estrogen and progestin outweighed the benefits and considerably
increased the risk of stroke, coronary heart disease, and breast
cancer.
The mechanism of action for black cohosh is thought to be via action
on control centers in the brain and vascular system rather than
through any estrogenic effect. According to detailed review of clinical
and pre-clinical data black cohosh appears to be safe even in women
at risk for breast cancer as well as breast cancer survivors. This
position was bolstered even further in 2004 as a study in human
breast cancer cell lines showed black cohosh extract exerts no proliferative
activity on these cells, but actually promotes both estrogen receptor
positive and estrogen receptor negative breast cancer cells to commit
cellular suicide (apoptosis).
Reference: Hostanska
K, Nisslein T, Freudenstein J, Reichling J, Saller R. Cimicifuga
racemosa extract inhibits proliferation of estrogen receptor-positive
and negative human breast carcinoma cell lines by induction of
apoptosis. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2004 Mar;84(2):151-60.
Combination of glucosamine and MSM superior
to either alone in treating osteoarthritis
In a double-blind clinical trial, 118 patients
with mild to moderate osteoarthritis were treated three times daily
with either 500 milligrams of glucosamine, 500 milligrams of MSM,
a combination of both, or an inactive placebo. After 12 weeks of
treatment, the average pain score had fallen from 1.74 to 0.65 in
the glucosamine-only group; 1.53 to 0.74 in the MSM-only group,
and 1.7 to 0.36 in the combination group. The researchers also found
that the combination treatment had a faster effect on pain and inflammation
compared to glucosamine alone.
Reference: Usha PR,
Naudu MUR. Randomised, double-blind, parallel, placebo-controlled
study of oral glucosamine, methylsulfonylmethane and their combination
in osteoarthritis. Clin Drug Invest 2004;24:353-63.
Antioxidant supplementation reduces
risk for Alzheimer’s disease
Combined use of both vitamin C and vitamin E was
associated with a dramatic 78% reduced prevalence of Alzheimer’s
disease in a population based study. This finding is not unexpected
as the damage to the brain in Alzheimer’s disease is believed
to be the result of significant oxidative damage. The finding that
there was no protection associated with use of either vitamin E
or C alone is not surprising and once again highlights the importance
of using a combination of antioxidant nutrients versus any single
antioxidant.
Reference: Zandi PP,
Anthony JC, Khachaturian AS, et al. Reduced risk of Alzheimer
disease in users of antioxidant vitamin supplements. Arch Neurol
2004;61:82–8.
Long-term study shows CLA effective
as weight loss aid
Supplementation with conjugated linoleic acid
(CLA) at a dosage of 4.5 grams per day was shown in a 12-month double-blind
study to help overweight adults decrease body fat mass and increase
lean body mass by as much as 9 percent. This 2004 study, is the
first to clearly establish the efficacy of CLA supplementation in
over an extended time period without changes in exercise or diet.
Reference: Gaullier
JM, Halse J, Hoye K, Kristiansen K, et al. Conjugated linoleic
acid supplementation for 1 y reduces body fat mass in healthy
overweight humans. Am J Clin Nutr. 2004 Jun;79(6):1118-25.
Even brief exposure to statin drugs
lower CoQ10 levels
The fact that cholesterol-lowering drugs in the
statin family like Lipitor and Pravachol reduce coenzyme Q10 levels
is well-established. In 2004, a study better quantified this effect.
Dosages of the drug atorvastatin (Lipitor) could cut CoQ10 levels
in the blood to well below normal levels. Researchers also concluded
that inhibition of CoQ10 synthesis by these drugs could explain
the most commonly reported adverse effects, especially fatigue and
muscle pain.
Reference:
Rundek T, Naini A, Sacco R, Coates K, DiMauro S. Atorvastatin
decreases the coenzyme Q10 level in the blood of patients at risk
for cardiovascular disease and stroke. Arch Neurol. 2004 Jun;61(6):889-92.
Lutein improves vision in patients with
age-related macular degeneration
Lutein is the yellow-orange carotene that has
been shown to offer significant protection against macular degeneration
– the leading cause of vision loss in the elderly in the United
States and Canada. In 2004, a double-blind study indicated that
10 mg per day of lutein could actually significantly improve visual
function in people with existing macular degeneration.
Reference:
Richer S, Stiles W, Statkute L, et al. Double-masked, placebo-controlled,
randomized trial of lutein and antioxidant supplementation in
the intervention of atrophic age-related macular degeneration:
the Veterans LAST study (Lutein Antioxidant Supplementation Trial).
Optometry. 2004 Apr;75(4):216-30.
Ginkgo biloba
extract continues to show benefits in elderly subjects.
Ginkgo biloba extract (GBE) continues to show
impressive clinical usefulness in elderly subjects. In the most
significant study with GBE, a dosage of only 120 mg per day was
shown to produce a clear demonstrable effect in improving mood and
tasks of everyday living in elderly subjects.
Reference:
Trick L, Boyle J, Hindmarch I. The effects of Ginkgo biloba extract
(LI 1370) supplementation and discontinuation on activities of
daily living and mood in free living older volunteers. Phytother
Res. 2004 Jul;18(7):531-7.
Michael T. Murray, N.D., is widely regarded as one of world's leading authorities on natural medicine. A prolific author, Dr. Murray has written over 20 books on health and nutrition including the best-selling Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine and his latest book The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods. Dr. Murray is also Director of Product Development and Education for Natural Factors one of the leading manufacturers of natural products.
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