CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE, ALZHEIMER'S, DIABETES AND VASCULAR DISEASE, AND BREAST CANCER

The subject of this blogsite is resveratrol, a natural polyphenol found in certain foods. There are several companies selling resveratrol products. The people in the testimonials on this blogsite (see below) all used resveratrol made by the Shaklee Corporation. This company has combined resveratrol with other natural polyphenols to produce a product ten times stronger than any competitor. I think that the Shaklee Corporation is a great company because they test all their raw ingredients, they manufacture to the highest standards, then they test the end product to be sure it is safe and has in it what is on the label. None of this is required by the FDA. They do it because it is the right thing to do.

As always, the studies I have selected come from the National Library of Medicine, which can be accessed by anyone at www.pubmed.com. These studies come from around the world. As of Mar. 14 there have been 3191 resveratrol studies published in medical journals. Here are some of them.

Coronary Artery Disease--Hardening and narrowing of the arteriesby cholesterol plaque is called arteriosclerosis. It occurs when the ceels that line the inside of arteries are damaged by free radicals. The damage is then healed by layering cholesterol over the damaged cells and over time there can be a buildup of cholesterol. At New York Medical College, they studied the cells that line arteries (endothelial cells) by mixing the cells with resveratrol. They exposed the cells to a chemical that duplicates the damage done by free radicals, and the measured a chemical in the endothelial that builds up when the cells are damaged. The resveratrol treated showed much less buildup than the non-resveratrol treated cells. Resveratrol has the potential for a new way to prevent vascular disease. (Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol Nov 2009)

Alzheimer's Disease--A group from Milan, Italy, wrote a review article which summarizes major articles on research done both in test tubes and lab animals regarding the value of resveratrol in protecting brain tissue from the changes that come with Alzheimer's. Still not much in human studies but the highlighted articles are encouraging. They also review research on the benefits of resveratrol and other neurodegenerative diseases such as MS and Parkinson's. (J Alz Dis Jan 2010)

Diabetes and Vascular Disease-From Shahed University in Tehran, Iran, is a study where a group of rats was given streptozotocin, a chemical that causes type 2 diabetes. One week later half the rats were fed resveratrol and then were tested for blood sugar and lipid levels. They also studied changes in the lining cells of their arteries in the treated and untreated groups. In the resveratrol treated group, blood sugars went up less, blood fats went up less and the arteries remained healthier.The conclusion was that "chronic treatment with resveratrol may prevent diabetes related changes in vascular reactivity observed in diabetic rats directly and/or indirectly" by keeping the sugar and fats low and by protecting the arterial cells. (Phytother Res accepted but not yet print published)

Breast Cancer--At the University of Texas Austin breast cancer cells were grown in glass dishes. A form of Vitamin E (alpha-TEA) would kill breast cancer cells but not normal breast cells. Resveratrol would do the same thing. The two together were more effective at killing breast cancer cells than either one alone. This has the potential for becoming an additional way of treating breast cancer which is safe and affordable. (Nutr Cancer May-June 2008)

I hope you have enjoyed the articles on resveratrol, and that you will share them with friends.

Dr Bob

Some More Research That Should be Interesting

When I looked at this blog, it threw me off at first. If it were on paper you would start at the back and work forward. On the blog, if you are new, you start at the end or the bottom and work your way forward or up.

I'm a student of western US history and read a magazine, True West. I've often called Vivix, a potent source of resveratrol, a snake oil because it helps so many different problems. It turns out that Chinese laborers building the railroads in the 1800's brought liniment to the US that had snake oil as an ingredient and was used for joint and muscle pain. Snake oil was from snake meat which contains EPA (eicosa pentaenoic acid), an omega-3 fatty acid that has an anti-inflammatory property. It worked. When unscrupulous con men claimed benefits beyond what real snake oil could deliver that it got a negative connotation. Here we go with the research.

1. In Turkey, they cut the ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) in the knee in rats and then monitored the degenerative arthritis which develops in joints after an injury like this. The rats on resveratrol had less joint damage after the injury than those not on it. (Inflamm Res Apr 605 158-62)

2. Speaking of arthritis, a study from China shows that there is a chemical that can be injected into rat joints that causes changes identical to the damage that occurs with rheumatoid arthritis. It results in an increase in synoviocytes, cells in joints that increase in number when joints are damaged. The rats on resveratrol had a slower increase in the growth of synoviocytes, implying less damage to joints. Resveratrol can protect joints as an antioxidant.(Zhong Nan Da Xue Buo Aug 2016 528-33)

3. In Detroit, a group of rats (aren't you glad you're not a rat) was split and half got resveratrol. The other half did not. They were exposed to loud noise. The resveratrol group had less hearing loss. The conclusion was that noise and age related hearing loss were decreased by adding resveratrol to your diet. (Otolaryngology Head Neck Surgery Nov 2003 463-70)

4. A study out of Albany, New York reviewed the use of dietary supplements, including vitamins, minerals, and herbs. They found that nutritional supplement expenditures in the US demonstrated greater growth than pharmaceuticals. They also found that 80% of cancer patients used natural products in addition to their traditional treatments. (Nutr Cancer 2009 587-970)

Thank you for your interest and for checking us out.

The Start of 2010

The advantage to having your own blog is total flexibility. Thus the Christmas/New Year hiatus. But resveratrol research marches on. My last check last week showed that there are 3071 articles published on resveratrol in medical literature. A few of these showed that there are resveratrol-like compounds in nature that can be converted to resveratrol in the body. One example is pterostilbine found in blueberries, with their own health benefits. Here are some recent articles.
1. Ulcers: Stomach and duodenal ulcers are associated with a bscterial infection of Heliobacter pylori. One treatment is antibiotics and acid blockers. A study from Italy showed that resveratrol alone without any prescription drugs blocked the growth of this bacteria; a safe, natural treatment or preventative for ulcers. (J Chemother Nov 2009 pp 507-13)

2. Hypertension: A study from Spain showed that a strain of overweight rats called “obese Zucker rats”     routinely had high blood pressure and all the potential risks associated with high blood pressure. When given low levels of resveratrol, their blood pressure returned to normal, in addition to normalizig their increased blood fats, increasing sensitivity to insulin and had an anti-inflammatory effect on the joints of these “fat rats”. What a bonus. (Biochem Pharmacol Mar 2009, pp 1053-63)


3. High cholesterol: This is an interesting article combining what we call traditional medicine, prescription medications, with alternative medicine, herbs and food supplements. From the University of Connecticut is a study looking at a combination of statin drugs and resveratrol given to a strain of rats with high cholesterol and greatly increased risk of coronary artery disease. The combination resulted in a cardioprotection against myocardial infarction in these rats. This shows that supplements such as resveratrol are not an either/or but can be a combination of both working in concert. (J Mol Cell Cardiol Mar 2007 pp 508-16)


4. Pancreatitis: This condition is an inflammation of the pancreas that can result in the body digesting its own tissues. There is very little in the way of medications to treat this condition. We offer IV fluids, pain control and hope. The Chinese offer one of the few human studies on resveratrol using it to treat severe acute pancreatitis. Resveratrol was given to people with severe acute pancreatitis and in a variety of different pathways including anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and regulation of calcium metabolism, along with slowing of speed of cell death, people got better from a previously untreatable condition. They recommended more research on this subject but the early studies are very encouraging. (Front Biosci Jan 2010 pp 168-76)

More studies to come. Thank you for your interest.


Dr. Bob

Vivix Testimonies

Today I wanted to share some Vivix testimonies that we have been gathering. I hope you enjoy them and know someone that can relate to them.

Crohns and Arthritis

At age 24 I was diagnosed with Crohns disease and also suffered from rheumatoid arthritis. The medical world does not have good answers for autoimmune diseases. I was treated with steroids, anti-inflammatory drugs and a chemo-like poison was suggested. When I got some relief the drug side-effects were frightening and life threatening. Then along came Shaklee’s Vivix. I took it for only a few weeks when it was again time to try to wean me off the meds to see if I could live without them. It had never worked before.

This time, Crohns did not flare up again and I am free from arthritis symptoms. It has been 11 months of good health. I have never felt better! In addition to my everyday teaspoon of Vivix, I take Easy Gest, Omega Guard, and Vitalizer. Using gene-silencing, Resveratrol switched off genes involved in the initiation and progression of disease.

Kendra S.

Parkinson’s

My brother-in-law was diagnosed with Parkinson’s 5 years ago and since then we had seen a steady decline in his condition. Last Christmas, he could hardly feed himself. He began taking Vivix in January. When we saw him in June, his hands were not shaking and he could even button his shirt. Vivix was the only change in his treatment and he says he rarely has any tremors. He just turned 77.

Loretta C.

Lupus

After taking Vivix for three months, my Lupus symptoms are gone. I clean houses and do landscaping. Before Vivix, my hands were swollen and very painful. At times, I used steroids for some relief but feared the side effects. My energy is better now too. Additionally, my hair is thicker and healthier. I wouldn’t want to be without Vivix.

Kathleen B.

Gout

I have had osteoarthritis for several years and have had gout attacks frequently. I began using Vivix in October 2009. I have not had a gout attack and have significantly less pain and stiffness. I am 75.

Jim C.

High Cholesterol

For the first time in fifteen years, my cholesterol is in normal range. The only thing different in my diet is Vivix. Thanks, Shaklee!

Jill B.

Energy-Allergies-Sinus

This fall, I am not troubled by allergy problems and sinus symptoms that usually accompany them. I’ve been using Vivix for nearly a year and also have much more energy.

Loretta C.

Some Recent Interesting Studies

On my first entry in this blog I discussed resveratrol and some of its benefits. Several companies make resveratrol extracts and products. If you Google resveratrol, there are 12,300,000 hits (12-14-09). Three companies paid to be put at the front of the line. Of all the products available, I deeply believe that Vivix, a product of the Shaklee Corporation, is the best that is out there. In clinical tests, it is ten times as potent as resveratrol alone because of added natural supplements. It is safe, powerful and guaranteed. More about the proof of this later.

You might consider looking at an independent study on pubmed.com by the UC Berkeley School of Public Health published in Nutr J Oct 2007 by G Block. This is a long term study which compared the overall health of users of Shaklee supplements versus users of other vitamin and herbal supplements versus those who used no supplements. This study was not published by Shaklee. Using a variety of criteria to define better health such as Cholesterol and triglyceride levels, fasting blood sugar, blood sugar, serum homocysteine, and a questionnaire. Of the three groups, the group consuming Shaklee products scored considerably more favorably than consumers of other products, and non-consumers.

The current count on the number of articles in medical journals about resveratrol is 3034 (12-14-09). The research covers a wide variety of clinical conditions ranging from cancer to arthritis to heart protection and more. I will continue to share summaries of articles which I find interesting and I hope you do also.

Here are some recent interesting studies:

1. Heart protection: In China, a group of rats was fed resveratrol and another group was not. Each was operated on and a clamp was placed on a coronary artery bringing blood to the heart muscle, simulating what occurs during a heart attack. The clamps were removed after 30 minutes, simulating an angioplasty. The group was sacrificed and the resveratrol group had less muscle damage and less swelling of the heart muscle cells, protecting the heart from loss of oxygen. (Eur J Pharmaco 12-08)

2. Neurodegenerative diseases: This is a review article from Mexico looking at the benefits of resveratrol in conditions like epilepsy, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Lou Gehrig’s, and nerve injury. They review a number of articles on each of these conditions and the benefits of resveratol. Their conclusion was that there is a benefit in animal models and more studies are needed.

3. Healing: In Turkey, half of a group of rats were given resveratrol and half not (are you seeing a pattern here?). They then underwent surgery and the colon was cut and then repaired. Rats were then sacrificed at 3 and 7 days after the repair. The resveratrol group had significantly fewer wound infections, leaks at the repair site, abscesses, and abnormal scar tissue. The resveratrol group had better healing overall than those rats not on the supplements.

I hope this information is as interesting and useful to you as it is to me.

Shaklee Videos: Vivix®

Shaklee Videos: Vivix®

I would like to introduce myself

I would like to introduce myself. I am a urologist in private practice in Colorado with a 25 year history of a side interest in nutrition and natural food supplements. This side interest has covered the gamut from speeding wound healing to enhancing the immune system to slowing the aging process. Almost all of my information comes from articles published in medical journals. The easiest way to find them is through the National Library of Medicine (www.pubmed.com). Anyone can use this tool for free. You don’t even have to register or logon. It is a search engine for published articles in the world’s medical literature. Some articles are clinical, some are very esoteric reports on biochemical reactions, and others are review articles or a summary of articles published on a particular topic.

One recent subject which caught my attention was a revisit of the “French Paradox”. In general, the French people eat more fat, smoke more and exercise less than Americans, yet they tend to be healthier and live longer than us, thus the paradox. After looking at all of the variables, one finding that the French drink more red wine. The main active ingredient turns out to be polyphenol named resveratrol. This compound was first discovered about 50 years ago and the first article I could find in Pub Med was printed in February 1978. Since the 3020 articles have been published as of Nov 29, 2009.

Resveratrol has so many beneficial properties it begins to sound like snake oil—something too good to be true. It Has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, free radical scavenging, angiogenic and ischemic pre-conditioning properties. (Exp Clin Cardol Fall 2006 pp 217-25). Many of the 3020 articles involve using resveratrol for conditions as varied as cancer, arthritis, diabetes, inflammatory conditions such as Crohn’s disease, aging, and asthma. Resveratrol is also helpful in neurodegenerative diseases where there is not a whole lot of traditional treatments, such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, MS and Lou Gehrig’s disease. (CNS Neurosci Fall 2008 pp234-47)

I would like to end this day’s blog with a review of 3 fascinating articles. Most of the cancer research involving resveratrol is done on cell cultures, cancer cells growing in a glass dish, or on lab animals.

1. Cancer: In Korea, researchers mixed colon cancer cells which were already resistant to chemotherapy agents with resveratrol. Before resveratrol the cancer cells were growing. After mixing the two together the cells died. (Ann NY Acad Sci Jan 07 pp 441-8).

2. Cancer: Another cancer article involved oral administration of resveratrol to half of the mice. All the mice were then injected with live colon cancer cells intravenously. The mice were killed after 20 days and their lungs were the examined for metastases, spread of cancer. Only 3.7% of the non-resveratrol mice were cancer free versus 68.7% of the resveratrol mice (Mol Nutr Food Res Oct 09).

3. Cancer/Aging: The final article involves exposure of ultraviolet or sunlight to the skin and the problems associated with it such as premature aging of the skin, melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers. In resveratrol treated mice there were fewer cancers and less aging changes. Think what this means for an anti-aging effect (Arch Dermatol Res Nov 09)

My goal is to periodically update research on resveratrol for as many different clinical conditions as possible. I hope that this information may bring an alternative to people suffering from ailments where traditional medicine is either not working or does as much harm as good.


Dr. Bob