healthbriefs
Wondrous Watermelon O
n a hot summer day, a cool, juicy slice of watermelon offers enticing refreshment. The treat offers surprising health benefits, too—it may help keep weight off and arteries clear, according to a recent study involving mice with high cholesterol by University of Kentucky researchers.
One group sipped watermelon juice; the control group, water. After eight weeks, the mice that imbibed the juice had a lower body weight due to a decrease in fat mass; lean muscle mass was unaffected. These same mice also experienced reduced atherosclerotic lesions— associated with hardening of the arteries—and lower concentrations of cholesterol in their blood. “This pilot study has found… interesting health ben- efits in the mouse model of atherosclerosis,” says lead investigator Dr. Sibu Saha, a cardiothoracic surgeon. “Our ultimate goal is to identify bioactive compounds that would improve human health.”
To Stay Sharp, Keep Moving
A
erobic exercise not only gets the heart pumping, it is also good for brain health. According to a study published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings, aerobic workouts can reduce the risk of dementia and slow its progression if it
starts, because they deliver oxygen to the brain and generate nutritional factors that improve brain functioning. Exercise also facilitates neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections throughout life.
Cancer Prevention in a Spice T
Turmeric is widely used in South Asian and Middle Eastern cooking (curry, for example), and has been long valued for its anti-inflammatory properties. In India, women have used it for centuries as an anti-aging agent rubbed into the skin, as a poultice to promote wound healing and as a treatment for menstrual cramps.
natural awakenings July 2012 15
his year, an estimated 52,610 people (38,380 men and 14,230 women) will develop cancer in the head and neck, leading to an estimated 11,500 deaths (or just under 22 percent), according to statistics adapted from the American Cancer Society’s publication, Cancer Facts & Figures 2012. New hope may lie in an ancient spice.
A pilot study conducted at the University of California-Los Angeles Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center has shown that eating curcumin, the main compo- nent in the spice turmeric, works to suppress a cell-signaling pathway that spurs the growth of malignancies in the head and neck. Further, curcumin reduces pro-in- flammatory cytokines (naturally occurring regulatory proteins) within saliva.
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