Mamabudz

Antioxidants Appear to Protect Against Diabetes
Yahoo! News | Mon Feb 16, 3:39 PM ET

By Alison McCook

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Eating a diet rich in antioxidants, such as vitamin E, appears to ward off diabetes, new research reports.

A group of Finnish researchers found that people who ate diets that contained the most vitamin E were 30 percent less likely to develop type 2 diabetes, the most common form of the disease, than people who consumed the least amount of vitamin E.

People who consumed large amounts of carotenoids, a group of compounds that produce the red, yellow, and orange colors found in many fruits and vegetables, were also less likely to develop type 2 diabetes.

Vitamin C intake, in contrast, appeared to exert no effect on diabetes risk.

Study author Jukka Montonen of the National Public Health Institute in Helsinki told Reuters Health that more studies are needed before researchers can recommend that people at risk of type 2 diabetes switch to an antioxidant-rich diet to ward off the disease.

However, Montonen noted that antioxidants are present in whole grains and fruits and vegetables, important ingredients for an overall healthy diet.

"Our findings are in line with the general recommendation to include plenty of vegetables and fruits in one's daily diet," the researcher noted.

Losing any excess weight and staying physically fit are two other important steps people should take to ward off type 2 diabetes, Montonen added.

Previous research has shown that vitamin E and other antioxidants may protect people from type 2 diabetes by mopping up free radicals, cell-damaging particles that are a byproduct of normal metabolism.

During the current study, Montonen and colleagues followed more than 4,000 people between the ages of 40 and 69 for 23 years, noting what they ate and who developed type 2 diabetes.

The researchers linked type 2 diabetes risk to a number of different forms of vitamin E, carotenoids and vitamin C.

During the study follow-up, 164 men and 219 women developed type 2 diabetes.

Although overall intake of vitamin E and carotenoids appeared to reduce the risk of diabetes, certain forms of those antioxidants showed more of an inhibiting effect than others.

The researcher added that the complex nature of our diets makes it difficult to pinpoint whether a single antioxidant can truly reduce the risk of diabetes, perhaps explaining why vitamin C appeared to offer no protection from the condition.

"Instead of isolated nutrients, people eat meals mixing different foods, giving several nutrients a chance to interact. The effect of the complex overall diet may conceal the effect of single nutrients," Montonen explained.

Montonen added that people who ate an antioxidant-rich diet may simply have had a healthier diet overall, making it hard to determine whether the protective effect came from antioxidants themselves.

The researcher noted that people who are trying to reduce their risk of diabetes through diet should stick to fruits, vegetables and other antioxidant-rich foods, rather than vitamin supplements.

"We do not know the beneficial amount or combination of the antioxidants. Vitamin supplements should not be recommended for prevention of type 2 diabetes," Montonen said.

SOURCE: Diabetes Care, February 2004.

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Pot chemicals might inhibit breast tumors, stroke damage.

Dallas Morning News | 7-13-98

There may be a silver lining to a cloud of marijuana smoke.

While most medical researchers don't condone recreational marijuana use, marijuana derivatives may prevent brain cell damage in strokes and slow the growth of breast tumors.

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health, led by A.J. Hampson, found that cannabidiol, one of a class of marijuana constituents called cannabinoids, is a powerful antioxidant. When tested on rat neurons in a lab dish (no smoking was involved), the substance prevented the death of brain cells during conditions simulating a stroke.

A stroke unleashes a torrent of glutamate, a chemical messenger in the brain, which leads to the formation of toxic oxidizing molecules. Other antioxidants, such as vitamins A and E, already are known to block the damaging effects of excess glutamate, but the researchers found that cannabidiol was even more effective.

Another cannabinoid, commonly known as THC, proved to be an equally effective antioxidant and neuron protector. However, the researchers said, THC's euphoric side effects would not allow doctors to administer it in high doses.

The study was reported last week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

In a separate study in the same journal, researchers - led by Luciano De Petrocellis of the National Institute for the Chemistry of Biological Systems in Naples, Italy - found that a third cannabinoid called anandamide can inhibit the growth of breast cancer cells by interfering with their DNA production cycle. Non-mammary tumor cells were not affected by anandamide.

- Sara Robinson

letterstoeditor@dallasnews.com

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Are you thinking what I'm thinking?

Hugz,

Mama Budz

KMKfan

Looks like pot has a healthy side too. It reminds me of mini wheats. It has two sides to it, one is the side people claim it hurts my lungs worse than tobacco and it may damage my brain. But the other side has all these good things with it.(too many for me to list, I'm a slow typer)

Suetaz

Good one MamaBudz! I think I'll keep toking so I can keep my chest. Good excuse as any! Now if only smoking weed could prevent sagging...I may have to worry about that in the future...

__________________

Mamabudz

*BUMP*


Was doing a search on anti-cancer effect of THC and wanted to bump this thread

...have a cookie