Sarah McGowan-Freije, NatureCity author & contributor

A spice called saffron, which is often used in curries, may help your eyes stay sharp as you age.

University of Sydney, Australia researchers studied the effects of saffron on age related macular degeneration (AMD) and published their findings in the March 2010 issue of the British Journal of Gynaecology.

AMD is the leading cause of severe vision loss and blindness in the Western world. It is a progressive disease that attacks the macula of the eye and affects over 15 million Americans. It causes central vision loss and leaves only peripheral vision.

For the study, the researchers recruited 20 mature adults with AMD, and divided the participants into two groups.

One group was given a daily saffron pill for three months and then for the following three months they were given a placebo. The other group did the opposite and took the placebo pill first followed by the saffron pill.

The researchers observed improvements in vision among all of the participants when they were actively taking daily saffron pills. The saffron pill not only seemed to improve vision tests, some participants even reported being able to read books and newspapers again.

The researchers are now initiating a more in depth year-long study in order to find the optimum dosage and mechanisms behind their findings.

Saffron is not the only natural way to improve your eyesight and avoid developing AMD. There are also several food sources that are known to promote good eye health including citrus fruits, vegetable oils, nuts, whole grains, dark leafy vegetables and cold water fish.

Omega-3 fatty acids have also received a significant amount of attention for their ability to improve vision and decrease the risk of developing AMD. You can get more omega-3 in your diet by eating fatty fish like salmon and mackerel or by taking a high quality supplement.

Evan Watson, NatureCity author & contributor

A study presented the week of March 22nd, 2010 at the American Chemical Society spring meeting in San Francisco may have found a new way to combat obesity.

Using an artificial gut, researchers found that fiber rich extracts from seaweed called alginates may reduce the uptake of fat by an amazing 75%.

Alginate is found in a variety of brown seaweeds and is similar to the cellulose found in plants.

According to the lead researcher of the study, Dr. Brownlee from Newcastle University, if alginate can be added to commonly eaten foods such as bread, yogurt and biscuits, it could result in nearly three quarters of the fat contained in meals to simply pass through the body.

This study is part of a three year project funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council. The overall goal of the project is to shed further light on the link between alginate and fat intake.

Seaweed is surprisingly good for a wide range of health benefits beyond weight management. Previous studies have linked seaweed extracts to improving blood sugar, lowering cholesterol, boosting immune system, alleviating joint pain, colon and liver health, and boosting the immune system.

Evan Watson, NatureCity author & contributor

Vitamin K has been receiving an increasing amount of attention for its wide ranging health benefits. A recent study conducted by researchers with Oslo University Hospital adds another benefit to the list.

Previous studies have shown that Vitamin K may be able to improve bone health. This new study found that the vitamin may be particularly essential for improving bone health following an organ transplant.

The researchers published their findings in the February 2010 issue of the journal Transplantation.

For their study the researchers gave 35 lung and 59 heart recipient’s daily vitamin K2 supplements or a placebo pill for one year.

The researchers measured the bone density in the participant’s spine before and after the study and found a significant increase among the K2 group. They also measured bone mineral content and found an even higher increase.

Osteoporosis is characterized by low bone mass which leads to an increased risk of fractures. Osteoporosis is a serious problem after transplantation. The researchers noted that vitamin K2 may have the potential to alleviate the risk of osteoporosis following transplantation.

There are two main forms of vitamin K: phylloquinone (K1) and menaquinone (K2). Vitamin K1 is the form found in foods like lettuce, broccoli and spinach and it makes up about 90 percent of the vitamin K consumption in a Western diet.

Vitamin K2 is more difficult to come by. It is most common in fermented foods such as cheese but can also be found in meat, green leafy vegetables and milk products.

This important vitamin has received significant attention for its bone health benefits but it also has been linked to cell growth, heart health, joint health and disease prevention.

Evan Watson, NatureCity author & contributor

A recent study found that omega-3s may help reduce dangerous polyps among people who are prone to bowel cancer.

Polyps are precancerous growths in the bowel that often develop into tumors that may require the removal of large sections of the intestine.

The study was conducted by researchers with the University of Leeds, England, and published in the March 2010 online issue of the journal Gut.

Fifty-four people with a genetic mutation that prompts the development of polyps took part in the study. 27 participants were randomly assigned to receive a two gram daily dose of a new, highly purified form of omega-3 essential fatty acids. The other 27 participants were given a placebo.

After six months, the number of polyps present in the group receiving omega-3s had fallen by 12%. In contrast, the group taking the placebo saw a 10% increase in the number of polyps present.

Additionally, polyp size decreased by 12.5% in the group taking the omega-3 supplement and increased by 17% in the group taking the placebo.

The purified form of omega-3 used in the study is found naturally in some fish such as salmon and mackerel as well as in some nuts such as walnuts, brazil nuts and macadamia nuts. If you find it difficult to incorporate more fish or nuts into your diet, you can also take a high quality fish oil supplement.

Evan Watson, NatureCity author & contributor

A recent study found that increased intakes of magnesium may help men reduce their risk of developing colon cancer.

The study was conducted by researchers from Japan’s National Cancer Center in Tokyo and published in the March 2010 issue of the Journal of Nutrition.

The researchers recruited nearly 90,000 people with an average age of 57 for the eight year study. All of the participants filled out food frequency questionnaires to measure their magnesium intake.

During the course of the study 689 cases of colon cancer were diagnosed among men and 440 cases were diagnosed among women.

There was an extremely strong relationship between magnesium intake and colon cancer among men, with the highest intakes (at least 327 mg/d) resulting in a 52% reduction in colon cancer risk.

This study follows a previous analysis of 6 separate studies which found that magnesium may also reduce the risk of heart disease for men. That study was published in the December 2009 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners.

In addition, this study also found that magnesium plays a role in over 300 biochemical reactions in the body. For this reason, it isn’t surprising that magnesium has also been linked to a number of other benefits including helping with bone development, and reducing the risks of stroke and abnormal blood pressure.

Currently most American adults do not get the recommended daily value for magnesium, which is 320 mg for women and 420 mg for men.

A supplement is a great way to get your daily magnesium but there are also many dietary sources of magnesium such as green leafy vegetables, meats, starches, grains and nuts and milk.

Sarah McGowan-Freije, NatureCity author & contributor

Drinking just one cup of green tea a day may help you avoid tooth loss according to a new study conducted at the Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine in Japan.

The study was published in the January 2010 issue of the journal Preventive Medicine.

The researchers analyzed data acquired during the years 2006-2008 on over 25,000 people aged 40-64. The researchers found that among the participants with at least 20 teeth remaining one to two cups of green tea reduced the risk of tooth loss by 18%.

The researchers found similar findings when participants averaged 4-5 cups. However, when participants drank over 5 cups of green tea they saw an additional 5% reduction in teeth loss.

These findings appear to confirm a number of experimental studies that have found that antioxidants found in green tea inhibit the growth of oral bacteria.

There are 3 main types of tea: green tea, black tea and white tea. Green tea has been the subject of numerous studies that have confirmed it’s health benefits, and it contains some of the highest levels of naturally occurring antioxidants called polyphenols.

Green Tea contains 30-40% polyphenols whereas black tea only contains 3-10% and oolong tea falls somewhere in between.

These natural antioxidants make green tea beneficial for much more than just oral health. An abundance of research has linked this healthy tea to reductions in the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s and certain cancers.

Evan Watson, NatureCity author & contributor

Diabetes is projected to become an epidemic in America over the next 10-20 years due to population growth, aging, unhealthy diets, obesity and sedentary lifestyles.

An increasing amount of research has recently been undertaken to try to prevent this epidemic. One recent study has found an association between selenium and diabetes risk.

The study was conducted by researchers with the Montpellier I University, France and published in the March 2010 issue of the journal Nutrition and Metabolism.

For the study, the researchers recruited 1,162 healthy men and women. The participants were followed for 9 years and the level of selenium in their blood was measured at the beginning of the study and at 2, 4 and 9 years.

The researchers found that male participants with the highest selenium levels had a 50% reduced risk of developing dysglycemia. Dysglycemia is an imbalance in blood sugar levels which can lead to full blown diabetes.

The researchers are unsure as to why high selenium levels seemed to protect men from dysglycemia but not women. They believe it may be due to a difference in how men and women process selenium.

Approximately 8% of the US population is currently diagnosed with diabetes (a number only expected to rise), at a cost to the US of an estimated $174 billion annually.

The best way to decrease the risk of developing diabetes is to maintain a healthy body weight, exercising regularly and following a healthy diet. It is also important to know your family’s genetic predisposition to diabetes and pay attention to common symptoms like excessive thirst, slow healing sores and frequent urination.

Scott Greenberg, NatureCity author & contributor

Researchers at the University of Turku in Finland recently found that adding more berries to your diet may reduce disease-causing inflammation as well as the risk of developing metabolic disorders such as diabetes.

Their findings were published in the March 2010 issue of the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

The researchers recruited 31 women with an average age of 43 to take part in the 20 week dietary intervention study.

The participants were additionally randomly assigned to one of two groups. One group was given 163g of an assortment of northern berries (buckthorn berry, lingonberry, bilberry and black currant) in conjunction with the dietary intervention. The second group only underwent the dietary intervention.

At the end of the study, the participants in the berry group saw a 23% reduction in a well established marker of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) called alanine aminotransferase. They also saw increases in levels of adiponectin, a protein hormone that is essential for various metabolic processes.

NAFLD is the build-up of excess fat in the liver cells which can result in inflammation of the liver and even lead to liver failure. Currently 40 million adults in the US alone are suffering from the debilitating and potentially fatal disease.

Since berries are high in flavonoids and phytochemicals, their health benefits extend much farther than protecting your liver and helping to avoid deadly metabolic diseases. Various berries have been linked to everything from decreasing the risk of bladder infections, improving your vision and reducing the risk of some cancers.

Evan Watson, NatureCity author & contributor

Incorporating more high fiber foods in your diet may help prevent chronic lung disease according to a recent study published in the January 2010 issue of American Journal of Epidemiology.

For the study, researchers analyzed dietary data of over 100,000 physicians, nurses and other health professionals. The study participants filled out detailed dietary questionnaires between 1984 and 1986 and every few years thereafter.

The participants were also asked to report any newly diagnosed medical conditions and their lifestyle habits.

After accounting for smoking and other outside variables, the researchers found that high fiber diets were associated with a one-third lower risk of chronic lung disease.

The researchers also looked at specific types of fiber and found that only fiber from whole grains affected chronic lung disease risk.

The study did not look into the mechanisms behind their findings, however, the researchers say the association makes logical sense because of the anti-inflammatory properties of fiber.

These properties may also make fiber extremely beneficial to our health on other fronts including helping to reduce the risk of heart disease, cognitive decline, Alzheimer’s, type-2 diabetes and arthritis.

Many experts advise most individuals to boost their daily fiber intake. Men should consume anywhere from 30 to 38 grams per day and women should get at least 21 to 25 grams.

Whole grains, fruits and vegetables are a great source of fiber. Some other foods high in fiber include, black beans, lentils, kidney beans and split peas.

Evan Watson, NatureCity author & contributor

It has been known for nearly 100 years that vitamin A deficiency causes numerous diseases, but the reason for this was unknown. Researchers from the from the Institute for Cancer Research, New York may have finally solved this century old mystery.

Their findings were published in the March 2010 issue of the FASEB Journal.

The researchers found that vitamin A deficiency affects the synthesis of ATP in our cells. ATP is a nucleotide that is essential for proper function of mitochondria, the power-plant of our cells. Mitochondria take in nutrients, break them down and create energy for the cell.

The researchers found that vitamin A deficiency reduces energy production of mitochondria by 30%. To compensate for this reduction, the body turns to fat reserves in order to create energy through fat oxidation, which can have a weakening effect on the body.

Beyond keeping our cells energized and healthy, vitamin A is essential for avoiding numerous chronic diseases as well as for both skin and eye health.

Vitamin A can be found in supplement form, however you can get plenty of vitamin A through diet alone. Some of the top sources of vitamin A include:

Beef liver

Egg yolk

Cheddar cheese

Fortified milk