healthbriefs


Organics Boast More Nutrients, Fewer Toxins C


Honey and Ginger Beat Antibiotics in Fighting Superbugs R


esearchers from Ethiopia’s Univer- sity of Gondar College of Medicine


have recently found that the use of mixtures of honey and ginger extract can treat drug-resistant bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae. They note that further clinical evaluation and pharmacological standardization of the mixtures are needed before they can be used therapeutically. The scientists conducted laboratory testing with clinical isolations of five separate superbugs: methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Staph- ylococcus aureus (non-MRSA), two strains of Escherichia coli plus Klebsiella pneumoniae. The inhibition of all five types of bacteria by three common an- tibiotics—methicillin, amoxicillin and penicillin—were compared with the antibacterial effects of ginger extract, honey and a combination of the two. The ginger extract and honey com-


bination was found to have the greatest inhibiting effect on the bacteria; howev- er, even the two applied separately were more effective against the bacteria than the antibiotics. Although in vivo studies are needed, the researchers believe that the honey and ginger extract combination is a promising source for treatment of resistant bacterial strains.


onventionally grown foods contain pesticide residues that are three to four times higher than those found in organic foods (traces may be due to at- mospheric drift from other fields or soils), according to a review of 343 research studies published last June in the British Journal of Nutrition. The review, which included studies of food grown in differ- ent regions and seasons, also determined that organic foods contained higher levels of healthy nutrients such as minerals, vi- tamins and antioxidants (specifically polyphenols), compared to conventional foods, which also contained significantly higher levels of cadmium, a heavy metal toxin. The study’s authors found evidence that the higher antioxidant and lower cadmium concentrations are linked to specific organic growing practices such as avoiding mineral nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers, respectively. They comment- ed, “Results indicate that switching from conventional to organic crop consump- tion would result in a 20 to 40 percent increase in crop-based antioxidant/poly- phenolic intake levels.”


Algae-Based Cosmetics May Ward Off Inflammation and Cancer A


lgae extracts added to natural cosmetics may help pre- vent cancer. A recent review of research from Taiwan’s Kaohsiung Medical University found marine algae extracts help protect skin cells by reducing oxidative stress, which has been linked to both inflammation and cancer. The review covered the major algae types of red algae,


brown algae (such as kelp), green algae and blue-green algae (such as spirulina). A host of compounds in these extracts were found to provide protection against free-rad- ical damage. In one study, phloroglucinol, a phenol derivative from brown algae, inhibited inflammation among human tissue sarcoma cells.


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