PARKINSON'S AND ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE

This blog will be focused on the neurodegenerative diseases of Parkinson's Disease and Alzheimer's and the potential benefits of Resveratrol.  As with many studies, the subjects in these studies were not people, but lab animals.  The papers can be found online at pubmed.com by putting the PMID (pubmed identification) number in the search box.  This is a free service from the National Library of Medicine.

How red wine polyphenols (including resveratrol) affect the brain pathology in Parkinson's--This research is from the University of Malta, and is looking at both Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and Parkinson's Disease (PD).  Even though they are different clinically, they share common mechanisms that trigger such changes as proteins binding together in brain cells, dysfunction of mitochondria, oxidation damage, and neuroinflammation, all of which lead to nerve cell death.  Resveratrol is an active polyphenol which has  potent anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties as well as improving the quality and number of mitochondria.  This results in the protection of nerve cells in both AD and PD.  PMID 27570766

Effects of resveratrol in protecting nerve cells in neurodegenerative diseases--From China, we have a paper on another was that resveratrol protects nerve cells.  It is called autophagy, which means "self-eating". It is the process by which individual cells remove and get rid of unnecessary or dysfunctional components (cleaning house).  In diseases like PD and AD, the autophagy which keeps cells healthy and balanced is not working properly, resulting in poor or improper function of those nerve cells.  In lab animals, resveratrol will regulate autophagy, resulting in proper function of the nerve cells, reversing the poor function of those cells and protecting them in the future by getting rid of material that is not supposed to be in those cells.  PMID 27405156

Increasing energy levels in nerve cells--Again from China comes a study on another way resveratrol can help in the fight against PD.  Mitochondria exist in cells to produce energy for that cell so it can perform its intended tasks, the more mitochondria, the more energy.  In earlier studies, Resveratrol increases the mitochondria in cells.  Mice were given a drug called rotenone which causes nerve changes identical to the change that occur in patients with PD.  Among those changes are a decrease in the number of mitochondria in cells.  Giving resveratrol in those mice will increase the mitochondria and improve the function of those nerve cells.  PMID 26770656

Review of resveratrol as a neuroprotector--The university in Messina, Italy reviewed the research done on Resversatrol as a neuroprotector and its value in treating Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's Disease).  There was a therapeutic response in the nerve cells in each of these diseases and an improvement in their function.

As you see, the benefits can be achieved in different ways.  Resveratrol helps as an anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory, regulates and stimulates mitochondria, and stimulates autophagy, the self-cleaning of un-needed material in cells, and it does this in a variety of neuro-degenerative diseases.  This is a good benefit from a product that is safe and affordable.

Dr. Bob

VITAMIN D

We are back after what I feel is a well deserved summer break.  Since our last blog there has been increasing interested in the use of vitamin D3 as a supplement for a variety of different health issues.  We will explore some of them discussed in articles from medical journals.

Vitamin D for prevention of falls--the following is a consensus statement from the American Geriatrics Society on the use of vitamin D and preventing falls.  The information was derived from a variety of different research studies that were grouped together.  The conclusion was that blood levels of vitamin D over 30 was a minimum goal to achieve in older adults, especially frail adults who were at higher risk for falls and injuries and fractures from falls.  The conclusion was that by achieving a vitamin D level over 30, there were fewer falls and by strengthening the bones there were fewer fractures and this goal was achieved safely.  They also concluded that it was safe and effective to supplement with vitamin D3 even without the appropriate blood test.  PMID 24350602

Uterine fibroids and vitamin D--in an NIH study from Research Triangle, North Carolina comes a study showing that vitamin D inhibits cell growth in fibroid tissue.  The study included women from ages 35 to 49 years.  Fibroids were determined by pelvic ultrasound and the vitamin D level was checked with the blood test.  In the study group 10% of blacks had vitamin D levels over 20 and 50% of whites had vitamin D levels over 20.  Women with vitamin D levels over 20 had a 32% lower risk of having uterine fibroids.  This particular study did not look at whether a vitamin D level over 30 had even greater benefit, and also emphasized the need of supplementing vitamin D in the African American population.  PMID 21736838

Vitamin D and prostate cancer--this study is from Roswell Park Cancer Center in Buffalo, New York.  It looked at 170 men with recurrent prostate cancer or localized prostate cancer and showed that the average vitamin D level in men with recurrent prostate cancer was 25.9.  Among all the men with prostate cancer, 32% had vitamin D levels over 30.  The conclusion was that vitamin D deficiency was common among men with prostate cancer.  Further studies will look at whether  supplementing vitamin D will help lower the risk of cancer.  PMID 19426195

Vitamin D 3 and prostate cancer--from the University of Southern California comes a study looking at a decrease in prostate cancer in biopsied tissue in men already diagnosed with prostate cancer after taking vitamin D3 4000 units per day for one year.  This dose of vitamin D by mouth and  considered safe and without side effects.  55% of the man on vitamin D supplementation had a decrease in the number of positive biopsies after one year on the supplement.  This is especially useful in man who are observing the cancer and not on an active treatment program.  It represents a safe and natural way to help deal with the cancer.  PMID 23220550

Vitamin D and lethal prostate cancer--from the Harvard school of Public health in Boston comes a study of 1260 men diagnosed with prostate cancer.  Higher vitamin D levels were associated with a 57% reduction in the risk of death from prostate cancer.  This was showing that even in the more advanced stages, there was a benefit for man with prostate cancer to have adequate intakes of vitamin D in order to keep the blood level over 30.  PMID 22499501

I hope these studies have been of interest and we will continue to pursue studies and vitamin D as well as our old friend resveratrol.  Until next time, Dr. Bob

ASTHMA, CHEMOTHERAPY, HEART ATTACKS, UTERINE FIBROIDS

Welcome to my blog with some the most recent articles which have caught my attention.  As with all of the others, they have come from the national library of medicine and are available to anyone at pubmed.com.  This month again we are looking at articles published on current research on resveratrol.  

 Asthma-- this paper was published from Shanghai University.  They looked at resveratrol which is a natural antioxidant and anti-inflammatory and what benefit it might have in asthma.  Asthma was induced medically in mice.  Half of them had been pretreated with resveratrol and the other half were not.  The group on resveratrol had significantly less chemical changes in the lungs that are commonly associated with asthma than the group on a placebo.  This has promise in prevention of asthma attacks and we look forward to human studies.  PMID 25739523

Chemotherapy-- Hebei University in the Peoples Republic of China published a study combining the use of 5FU, a common chemotherapy agent, with resveratrol.  They were using cell cultures of skin cancers and found that resveratrol enhanced the antitumor effect of 5-FU.  In living rat studies, the animals were given a drug that causes skin cancer and then were treated with either a placebo, 5-FU, or a combination of resveratrol and 5-FU.  There was more rapid and complete regression of the cancers in the group treated with both.  Resveratrol increased the benefit of the chemotherapy agent without adding to complications or side effects.  PMID 2573603

Heart attacks-- A study was published from Xinjiang University in China.  This was done on rats who had a main artery to the heart tied off temporarily creating an artificial heart attack and then the heart was studied after removing the suture from the artery.  This is technically called a hypoxia–reperfusion study and would be similar to a person having a blood clot in that artery, causing damage to the heart and then having the clot removed and the blood flow reestablished.  A group of rats was divided into adult rats, and elderly rats.  Each of those groups was then divided into those receiving resveratrol before the surgery and those who did not.  The adult group on resveratrol did the best with minimal muscle damage and more rapid recovery.  The elderly group on resveratrol was second in improvement and both groups not on resveratrol did not have nearly as much recovery and had more muscle damage.  There was a cardioprotective  effect by resveratrol, both in the adult and in the older animals studied.  PMID 25715432 

Uterine fibroids-- from the Peoples Hospital in Wezhou, China was a study on benign muscular tumors of the uterus commonly known as fibroids.  As with other studies, half of the mice  were treated with resveratrol and the other half were not.  This was done after uterine tumors were initiated by giving all of the mice tamoxifen.  At 16 weeks all mice had the uterine tumors..  Those treated with resveratrol for 3 weeks were then studied and compared to those not treated.  The group on resveratrol had less infiltration of normal healthy uterine muscle by the tumors than those not treated.  It reduced uterine contractility and they reported a decrease in pain in the treated half.  This has promise for a safe medical treatment for uterine fibroids.  PMID 25701840

I hope these have been of interest to my readers and look forward to next month's articles.   Dr. Bob

PROSTATE CANCER, STROKE

Prostate cancer––this study is looking at the role of zinc in prostate cancer cells.  Zinc in normal prostate cells is high and in prostate cancer cells is low.  Research for many years had shown that taking supplemental zinc in a diet does not raise the level within the cells.  In this particular study the researchers elected to use  zinc supplements in addition to resveratrol which did indeed raise the level of zinc within prostate cells returning to them the natural resistance to cancer changes which did occur in prostate cells with high zinc.  This is yet another reason why resveratrol can help prevent the onset of prostate cancer in men at high risk.  PMID 24866157

Stroke––At the University of Florida in Gainesville this study was done using mice half of which were on resveratrol.  As with other similar studies a stroke was induced by clamping off an artery to the brain.  Afterwards the amount of loss of brain tissue was measured.  In the resveratrol group the volume of brain injury was less.  There was a definite neuro protective effect as a result of being on resveratrol prior to the stroke.  PMID23758534

Stroke–this paper is a study from a medical University in Korea discussing the use of resveratrol in patients given after a stroke.  This also was a mouse study but none of these subjects  were pretreated.  A stroke was induced in all of them in by clamping an artery to the brain.  One third were given no treatment.  One third was given resveratrol 3 hours after the artificial stroke and the final third was given resveratrol 6 hours after the artificial stroke.  In both groups with resveratrol given after the stroke there was dramatically smaller infarct volume and a marked increase in early healing and new vessel formation.  This was a beneficial effect that was achieved after the injury rather than before.  PMID 20655115

Until Next Time, 

Dr. Bob

ALZHEIMERS

Welcome again to our blog.  Since the last one was written 200 particles in medical journals have been published on resveratrol.  This month we will focus on Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's--from the School of Medicine in Qingdao University, China comes a report looking at resveratrol as a therapeutic alternative to existing treatments for Alzheimer's.  One of the mechanisms of Alzheimer's disease is protein being deposited in brain tissue in an abnormal fashion.  This group summarizes the many studies that have been done showing the neuro protective effects of resveratrol and specifically focusing on the protein deposition.  It does prevent that process and in turn prevents progression of typical Alzheimer's brains in experimental animals.  PMID 25525597

Alzheimer's--from the Mount Sinai school of medicine in New York comes another article reviewing the benefits of resveratrol.  They state that 1 in 10 Americans have Alzheimer's changes over the age of 65 and almost half of all Americans have them over the age of 85.  While there are many heart attack or cancer survivors, there are no Alzheimer's disease survivors.  The point to the growing evidence of resveratrol  shows that it has a beneficial influence in slowing  down the progression of Alzheimer's disease.  In addition to Alzheimer's,  it also has a neuro protective effect against other disorders such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease and ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease.  Studies within the last few years are showing a growing evidence of a positive impact that resveratrol is having on the treatment of Alzheimer's.  PMID 25315300

Alzheimer's--this paper was written at McGill University in Montréal.  It showed that in low to moderate red wine consumption (a source of resveratrol) there appeared to be a reduction in age related neurologic disorders including macular degeneration, stroke, and learning deficits and memory deficits with or without dementia.  It increases the clearance of the abnormal proteins that are deposited as a key feature of Alzheimer's.  This also is a review article on clinical studies and is a part of a larger study on resveratrol.  PMID25281824

Alzheimer's--this is a paper written from the University of Barcelona in Spain on familial Alzheimer's disease using a mouse model.  It was looking at the deposition of the abnormal protein in the brain tissue of Alzheimer's mice which is called amyloid beta protein.  Long-term use of resveratrol significantly prevented memory loss and decreases  the amount of amyloid deposited in the brain tissue, thus providing a protective effect against Alzheimer's symptoms progression, and improving memory.  PMID 25024312

Dr. Bob

OBESITY, OSTEOPOROSIS, ENDOMETRIOSIS

Thank you for joining us once again.  This month we are covering a variety of conditions, which can be helped by the use of resveratrol.

Obesity--from the University of Valladolid in Spain comes a steady of the use of resveratrol in obese mice.  15 mice were placed on a long-term hyper-caloric diet and resveratrol and were monitored for weight, survival, blood sugar, insulin, cholesterol and triglycerides.  They also measured neuromuscular coordination.  The mice were fed since they were 3 months old.  When compared to a group of mice on high calorie diet without resveratrol, the treated mice had a 5-7% reduction in weight fairly quickly and over one year also had lower levels of blood sugar, insulin and cholesterol along with improved neuromuscular coordination.  While not a human study, this is encouraging to the overweight portion of our population.  PMID 25386805

Post menopausal osteoporosis--this study comes from the Military Medical University in Xian, China.  Post menopausal osteoporosis is a common issue and there is constant effort to find treatments with minimal side effects.  This particular study was done using a rat model where the ovaries were removed inducing menopause.  They were then divided into 4 groups, 3 of which were given a higher dose of resveratrol than the group before.  the fourth group was a control group with ovaries removed but not given resveratrol.  The higher the dose the more benefit seen and a decreased loss of bone mineral density.  Bone structure was improved when compared to the rats who were not given resveratrol.  This suggested a therapeutic benefit against osteoporosis with no side effects.  PMID 25377437

Endometriosis--from Yeditepe University Hospital in Istanbul, Turkey came a study on using resveratrol to treat endometrial implants.  Again, rats were used and endometriosis was induced experimentally by surgically implanting endometrial tissue into the abdomens of the rats.  The rats were then divided into those treated with resveratrol and those which were not.  After treatment, the rats underwent another surgery for exploration and evaluation of the implants in the 2 groups.  The resveratrol group appeared to have an inhibiting factor in the growth  and inflammation of the endometrial implants.  Again this is not a human study but does offer hope to those were suffering from this condition, again with a product which has no side effects.  PMID 25373440 

I hope you find these medical papers of interest and look forward to human studies for the same conditions.

To Your Health,

Dr. Bob

HEALING INSIDE AND OUT.

This month we will look at some research on resveratrol and healing.

Wound healing--from India comes research on rats where after administering resveratrol in low doses to half of the rats all had an abdominal incision which was made and then closed.  Each incision was approximately 1-1/2 inches in length.  The rats were then sacrificed at either 7 or 14 days and the wounds were examined both for tensile strength and healing protein in the incisions.  There was less inflammation and more healing tissue including an increase in blood supply to the rats who had been on resveratrol.  The wounds were actually stronger as well.  There was a significant improvement in healing in the resveratrol group. PMID 23242670

Colon surgery healing--a group in Turkey published a study on cutting across a segment of colon in rats.  Half of the rats were pretreated with resveratrol and the other half were not.  This was a low dose of resveratrol and after 7 days the rats were sacrificed and the healing segment of colon was examined in both groups.  Like the paper which is reviewed above.  There was more rapid healing with almost no leak between sutures in the resveratrol group and a dramatic increase in the amount of healing tissue.  The resveratrol group had improved healing and increased mechanical stability.  PMID 20605167

Skin healing--research from Finland was looking at skin injuries and the improved healing seen in the presence of resveratrol.  This time the resveratrol was applied topically on the skin directly after damaging the skin.  The healing was dramatically improved when resveratrol was applied to the skin when compared to similar injuries left to heal on their own.  Mice were used in this study and the resveratrol group came out ahead in every single different test done  after the injury and the direct application of resveratrol.  PMID 12374620

This would make me want to take resveratrol before any kind of surgery, or after an injury.  It would also make me want to keep resveratrol available for the grandchildren and their inevitable scrapes and cuts.

Dr. Bob