Emma McGowan NatureCity author & contributor

Pink ribbons are popping up everywhere as people become more aware of the devastating effects of breast cancer. It seems like everyone is interested in finding a cure, but did you know there may be ways to actually reduce your risk of this deadly disease?

That’s what researchers from Imperial College, London and the University of Leeds found in a meta-analysis published online ahead of print on January 10, 2011, in the journal Annals of Oncology. According to their research, eating more fiber could significantly reduce the risk of developing breast cancer.

The researchers examined sixteen studies dealing with fiber intake and breast cancer. They found that increasing your intake of fiber by 10 grams daily was associated with a 26% reduced risk in developing breast cancer. However, these results were only noted for soluble fiber; no similar results were seen for insoluble fiber.

The researchers theorize that fiber may play a role in binding estrogen or in reducing the absorption of the hormone. They plan to conduct further studies to try to clarify the mechanism behind the reduced breast cancer risk.

Soluble fiber attracts water and forms a gel in your stomach, providing you with a variety of benefits including feeling fuller. Insoluble fiber, on the other hand, doesn’t dissolve in your stomach and passes pretty quickly through your digestive system, acting as a laxative.

As mentioned above, fiber has been associated with weight loss because it can make you feel fuller. Previous studies have also linked it to preventative effects in regards to cardiovascular, respiratory, and infectious diseases.

Looking to boost your soluble fiber intake? A breakfast of oatmeal, apples, berries, and nuts is packed with fiber in the morning. Lunch or dinner that includes cucumbers, carrots, celery, lentils, beans, or flaxseed will round out a fiber-rich day.

If none of those foods appeal to you, there are supplements on the market which can provide all of your daily fiber intake needs.

Scott Greenberg, NatureCity author & contributor

Have you ever heard of wild bitter gourd? If you’re at risk for metabolic syndrome you may want to consider learning more about this tropical vegetable, which has been found to improve metabolic syndrome.

Metabolic syndrome is the group of risk factors that contribute to coronary artery disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. These risk factors include high blood pressure, insulin resistance, large waist circumference, high triglyceride levels and high cholesterol.

The study was published in the January 13, 2012, publication of Nutrition Journal.

In one of the first studies to examine the effects of wild bitter gourd on humans, researchers from the National Taiwan University recruited 42 participants with a mean age of 46 years old. Half of the participants were women and half were men. All had been diagnosed with metabolic syndrome.

Over the course of 3 months, all of the participants consumed 4.8 grams daily of lyophilized wild bitter gourd in powder form. The researchers conducted tests to determine metabolic syndrome symptoms at the onset of the study and monthly for the rest of the research period. They also checked for symptoms 3 months following the supplementation period.

The researchers noted lower incidence of metabolic syndrome throughout the study. However, the biggest decrease was seen at the end of the 3 month supplementation period when a 19% reduction was noted.

Wild bitter gourd is common in Asia and Africa, where it has been used in traditional medicines for many years. Folklore says it has anti-cancer, anti-diabetic, anti-bacterial, and antiviral effects.

If you’re having trouble finding this healthy vegetable at your local supermarket, take a look around and see if you can find it in supplement or powder form, as was used in the study here.

Emma McGowan NatureCity author & contributor

Think a healthy diet is important only for weight management and heart health? Well, this recent study showing that Parkinson’s disease may be linked to diet will make you think again.

This study was conducted by researchers with several universities in Japan and was published online ahead of print on December 5, 2011, in the European Journal of Neurology.

To determine the effect of diet on Parkinson’s disease, the researchers recruited 249 individuals who were recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s and 368 individuals without the disease. After administering a validated diet history questionnaire to determine what types of food the participants consumed the previous month, the researchers identified 3 dietary patterns:

• “Healthy” diet, which included a lot of fresh fruit, vegetables, fish, beans, mushrooms, and seaweed

• “Western” diet, which was dominated by red meat consumption, animal fats, and processed meat

• “Light Meals,” which were diets existing halfway between the “Healthy” and “Western.”

The researchers noted that individuals who consumed the “Healthy” diet, especially high amounts of fish and plant foods, were almost half as likely to get Parkinson’s as the individuals who consumed more meats and animal fats. Neither the “Light Meals” or the “Western” diet showed any protective effect.

More research is needed to determine the exact effect of diet on Parkinson’s disease, but the researchers in this study believe these findings could be a result of the high antioxidants levels of fruits, vegetables, and fish. Antioxidants are powerful nutrients that fight damage to your body through environment or diet.

Scott Greenberg, NatureCity author & contributor

Vitamin E doesn’t make the news as often as vitamins D or B12, but that doesn’t mean it’s not essential for your health. It is especially important as we age, a fact demonstrated in a recent study showing that lack of all the forms of vitamin E contributes to Alzheimer’s and Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI, a precursor to Alzheimer’s).

The study was conducted by researchers based at the Aging Research Center at the Karolinska Institut in Stockholm, Sweden. Their findings were published online ahead of print in Neurobiology of Aging on December 20, 2011.

Vitamin E exists in 8 different forms, which include tocopherols and tocotrienols. The most common form of vitamin E is alpha-tocopherol, but to get the full benefits of this nutrient you must consume all of the 8 forms found in nature.

For this study, the researchers examined vitamin E parameters and vitamin E damage markers in 168 individuals with Alzheimer’s, 166 individuals with MCI and 187 individuals with no signs of cognitive impairment.

They found that the participants with Alzheimer’s and MCI exhibited significantly lower vitamin E plasma levels and significantly higher vitamin E damage markers when compared with the cognitively normal group. The researchers suggest that this points to an association between the oxidative stress that occurs during the onset of Alzheimer’s disease and vitamin E’s ability to reduce oxidative stress.

Cognitive health isn’t the only reason to take vitamin E. Previous studies have shown that vitamin E intake is associated with lower cholesterol, healthier skin, maintaining a proper hormonal balance, and preventing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Dietary sources of vitamin E include sunflower seeds, breakfast cereal, tomatoes, dried herbs, and dried apricots. Try sprinkling some seeds in your cereal for a double dosage of vitamin E or carry around some apricots for a snack in the afternoon.

Sarah McGowan-Freije, NatureCity author & contributor

Studies have shown that resveratrol offers many health benefits, including lowering cholesterol, improved liver function and better brain health. A study published in The Journals of Gerontology: Series A on January 4, 2012 suggests that this powerful antioxidant may also help reduce blood sugar spikes after eating and improve insulin sensitivity.

The Albert Einstein School of Medicine based researchers recruited 10 adults with an average age of 72. All of the participants had age-related glucose intolerance. A decline in glucose tolerance is most prominent after the age of 60, as people tend to gain more weight and become less fit and more sedentary as they age.

The participants were split into three groups and assigned to take different amounts of resveratrol daily for four weeks:

• One group consumed 1 gram daily

• The second group consumed 1.5 grams daily

• The third group consumed 2 grams daily

At the conclusion of the study, the researchers noted that sugar spikes were much lower after eating for all three groups when compared to the baseline data. Insulin sensitivity was also noticeably improved across the board. Improved insulin sensitivity means the body is better able to process glucose.

The researchers were careful to note that this was a pilot study and that larger, double-blind studies need to be conducted to conclusively determine the effect of resveratrol on metabolism and vascular function.

Resveratrol has been linked to numerous health benefits. These include increasing energy levels, better brain health, lower risk of lung cancer, improving metabolism, and improved liver function.

Resveratrol can be found in red wine, grapes, grape seed extract, and peanuts. A glass of red wine a day can provide a good amount of resveratrol, but excess drinking will reverse the positive health benefits. Another good way to get resveratrol is through a high quality supplement.

Scott Greenberg, NatureCity author & contributor

Vitamin D was first linked to protection from cancer in the 1940′s by Frank Apperly. Now researchers with the National Cancer Center in Tokyo have found that vitamin D as well as calcium may reduce the risk of colorectal cancer by almost 40%.

The researchers who conducted the study are with the National Cancer Center in Tokyo, Japan. The findings were published online ahead of print on December 21, 2011 in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

Study participants included 737 individuals with colorectal cancer and 703 healthy controls. All of the participants had a total colonoscopy in 2004-2005.

The researchers found that participants with the highest blood concentrations of vitamin D were associated with a 36% lower risk of colorectal cancer when compared with the lowest average levels. They also found that high calcium intake of 590 mg per day was associated with a 37% lower chance of colorectal cancer when compared with low calcium intake of 542 mg per day.

Consumption of vitamin D has been linked to improved kidney health, including reductions in skin cancer, reducing the risk of osteoporosis, improved cardiovascular health, combating diabetes, and improving age related eye degeneration.

Calcium is a mineral that is essential for bone strength. A lack of calcium can lead to osteoporosis, a serious health issue characterized by low bone mass which leads to an increased risk of fractures. Vitamin D aids in calcium break down and absorption. Several studies have also suggested that calcium and vitamin D may play a role in the regulation of abdominal fat mass.

Emma McGowan NatureCity author & contributor

Researchers at the Karolinska Institut in Stockholm conducted a meta-analysis to establish the association between magnesium intake and reduced risk of stroke. Previous studies have been unable to conclusively determine the role of magnesium in stroke risk.

The findings will be published in the February 2012 issue of the American Society for Nutrition.

Seven studies were included in this large scale meta-analysis. In total, 241,378 individuals participated in the studies, with 6,477 cases of stroke.

The researchers noted that every increase of 100 mg/day of magnesium was associated with an 8% reduction in total stroke risk and a 9% reduction in ischemic stroke. In an ischemic stroke, blood supply to part of the brain is decreased. No association was seen between magnesium and other forms of stroke.

The researchers believe that these results could come from a few potential effects of magnesium, including lowering blood pressure and magnesium’s ability to reduce the risk of type-2 diabetes. They noted that more research is needed to determine the exact mechanism behind the health benefits seen here.

This is not the first study to reveal a health benefit of magnesium. Magnesium intake has also been linked to helping with bone development, healthy teeth, detoxification and lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease.

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

Scott Greenberg, NatureCity author & contributor

As the body ages, it loses muscle function and force. Fish oil supplementation may improve muscle function in post-menopausal women according to a study from researchers at the Parana Federal University in Brazil.

The study is published in the February 2012 issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Study participants included 45 women with an average age of 64. All of the women participated in the same 90 day strength training program, but received different levels of omega-3 intervention.

• 15 women consumed 2 grams of fish oil daily during the strength training

• 15 women consumed 2 grams of fish oil for 60 days before the start of the strength training and then continued during the training

• 15 women consumed a placebo.

Each fish oil supplement contained 0.4 grams of EPA and 0.3 grams of DHA.

The researchers observed that strength training improved muscle torque and the rate of torque development for all groups, but the effects were more noticeable in the omega-3 groups. The omega-3 groups also showed improved performance in the chair-raising exercise, which involves rising from a straight chair without using your hands.

Because omega-3 fatty-acids are not found naturally in the human body, it is especially important to make sure that they are a part of your daily diet. DHA and EPA—the omega-3 fatty-acids used in this study—can be found in dark, oily fish such as tuna or salmon.

If you think you’re not getting enough omega-3 fatty-acids through diet alone, consider adding a high quality supplement to your routine. Make sure your supplement has been tested for purity and potency in order to avoid harmful mercury levels and to get the most out of your daily intake.

Sarah McGowan-Freije, NatureCity author & contributor

Acai (pronounced ah-sigh-ee) is a tropical super fruit packed full of antioxidants that provide numerous health benefits. A recent animal study from researchers at the Federal University of Para. PA, Brazil shows that acai may help improve cholesterol levels and reduce atherosclerotic plaque.

The findings were published in the Journal of Atherosclerosis and Thrombosis online ahead of print on December 3, 2011.

The researchers fed adult male New Zealand white rabbits a high cholesterol diet for 12 weeks. For the following 12 weeks, the rabbits consumed either acai extract or a placebo of water, while continuing with the high cholesterol diet.

Blood samples and specimens of the rabbits’ aortas were taken at the end of the study period. The researchers found that the rabbits who consumed acai had lower blood levels of total cholesterol, non-HDL-cholesterol and triglycerides than the rabbits who received the placebo.

The acai group also had less atherosclerotic plaque in their aortas, although there was no difference in the composition of the plaque between the two groups.

Acai berries were introduced to the western world during the last few decades and their benefits are just beginning to be verified by the scientific community. The researchers in this study expressed a need for further human studies to discover the exact effect of acai on cholesterol and atherosclerosis.

Indigenous Amazonian tribes have been consuming acai berries for thousands of years. The berries look like grapes but taste like a tropical fruit. Previous studies have found that acai may boost the immune system, fight infection, protect the heart and control prostate enlargement.

Emma McGowan NatureCity author & contributor

If you’re having digestive problems, you may want to consider adding more grains and vegetables and less meat to your diet. According to researchers at the University Hospital in Tubingen, Germany, the high fiber content of a vegetarian diet may contribute to healthier gut flora.

The findings were published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition online ahead of print on August 3, 2011.

In order to determine the differences between a vegetarian, vegan, and omnivorous diet, the researchers examined fecal samples from 144 vegetarians and 105 vegans and compared them to fecal samples taken from individuals who consume an omnivorous diet.

They found that total microbial counts were the same across all three groups, but that vegans had lower counts of Bacteroides spp., Bifidobacerium spp, E. coli, and Enterobacteriaceae spp. Vegetarians had more of these harmful bacteria than vegans, but less than omnivores.

They also noted that mean pH values differed, with vegans measuring in at 6.3, vegetarians at 6.6, and omnivores at 6.9.

The researchers believe that these findings are a result of the higher fiber and carbohydrate content of vegetarian diets, which leads to lower pH and higher acidity and makes it difficult for harmful bacteria to thrive.

Previous research has linked vegetarian diets with combating cancer and better overall health. If you’re interested in converting to a vegetarian diet, consult a nutritionist to make sure you’re getting all of the proper nutrients. Many vegetarians choose to supplement their diets with high quality supplements.