Sweet Antibiotic

Honey could be a sweet solution to the serious, ever-growing problem of bacterial resistance to antibiotics, according to researchers studying its antibacterial qualities.

Medical professionals sometimes use honey successfully as a topical dressing, but it could play a larger role in fighting infections.

"The unique property of honey lies in its ability to fight infection on multiple levels, making it more difficult for bacteria to develop resistance," said study leader Susan M. Meschwitz of Salve Regina University in Newport, R.I.

Honey has combination of traits which actively kill bacterial cells. An osmotic effect, the result of its high sugar concentration, draws water from the bacterial cells, dehydrating and killing them.

Several studies have shown that honey inhibits the formation of biofilms, or communities of slimy disease-causing bacteria.

"Honey may also disrupt quorum sensing, which weakens bacterial virulence, rendering the bacteria more susceptible to conventional antibiotics," Meschwitz said. Quorum sensing is the way bacteria communicate with one another, and may be involved in the formation of biofilms. In certain bacteria, this communication system also controls the release of toxins, which affects the bacteria's pathogenicity, or their ability to cause disease.

Another advantage of honey is that it doesn't target the essential growth processes of bacteria. This type of targeting, which is the basis of conventional antibiotics, often results in the bacteria building up resistance to the drugs.

Honey is effective because it is filled with healthful polyphenols, or antioxidants. These include the phenolic acids, caffeic acid, p-coumaric acid and ellagic acid, as well as many flavonoids.

"Several studies have demonstrated a correlation between the non-peroxide antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of honey and the presence of honey phenolics," Meschwitz pointed out. A large number of laboratory and limited clinical studies have confirmed the broad-spectrum antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral properties of honey.

Source: 247th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS), the world's largest scientific society, in Dallas, Texas.

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Give a Healthy Valentine

Studies continue to show the remarkable health benefits of dark chocolate (with 70% or higher cocoa content). Made from cocoa, it is loaded with health-promoting compounds that function as powerful antioxidants.  In fact, dark chocolate has been shown to contain more antioxidant activity than several well-known super fruits like blueberries and Acai berries.

Studies show that dark chocolate may improve blood flow, improve insulin resistance, lower blood pressure, raise “good” HDL cholesterol, lower “bad” LDL cholesterol, and protect LDL from unhealthy oxidation.

Additional observational studies have shown dark chocolate consumption is associated with an overall lower risk for cardiovascular disease. In addition to blood sugar and cardio-vascular benefits, human studies indicate the consumption of dark chocolate benefits human skin.  Cocoa consumers show a decrease in skin roughness and scaling, improved dermal blood circulation, and better “cosmetic” skin surface and hydration.

The flavonoid compounds that are high in cocoa and dark chocolate have also been associated with protection of brain function.  Specifically, the compounds appear to increase blood flow to gray matter, improve cognitive function, and help maintain cognitive health.  Other benefits include mood improvements, as brain serotonin and endorphin levels are boosted.

Sources: Dr. Pam Duitsman, nutrition and health education specialist, University of Missouri Extension.  (417) 881-8909.

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Coffee To Remember

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins University have found that caffeine has a positive effect on long-term memory in humans. Research published by the journal Nature Neuroscience demonstrates that caffeine enhances certain memories at least up to 24 hours after it is consumed.

"We've always known that caffeine has cognitive-enhancing effects, but its particular effects on strengthening memories and making them resistant to forgetting has never been examined in detail in humans," says Michael Yassa, senior author of the paper. "We report for the first time a specific effect of caffeine on reducing forgetting over 24 hours."

The memory center in the human brain is the hippocampus, a seahorse-shaped area in the medial temporal lobe of the brain. The hippocampus is the switchbox for all short-term and long-term memories. Most research done on memory -- the effects of concussions in athletics to war-related head injuries to dementia in the aging population -- are focused on this area of the brain.

Until now, caffeine's effects on long-term memory had not been examined in detail.

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 90 percent of people worldwide consume caffeine in one form or another. In the United States, 80 percent of adults consume caffeine every day. The average adult has an intake of about 200 milligrams -- the same amount used in the Yassa study -- or roughly one strong cup of coffee or two small cups of coffee per day.

"The next step for us is to figure out the brain mechanisms underlying this enhancement," Yassa said. "We can use brain-imaging techniques to address these questions. We also know that caffeine is associated with healthy longevity and may have some protective effects from cognitive decline like Alzheimer's disease. These are certainly important questions for the future."

Sources: Michael Yassa

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When Frozen Beats Fresh

A University of Georgia study of Americans' groceries has discovered that fresh isn't always best — at least not in terms of delivering vitamins and minerals. Led by Ronald Pegg, associate professor of food science and technology, researchers studied the vitamin and mineral content of eight fruits and vegetables — blueberries, strawberries, broccoli, green beans, corn, spinach, cauliflower and green peas. They analyzed the nutrient values of the produce on the day they were purchased and after the produce had been stored in a household refrigerator for five days. They also analyzed the nutritional content of the same set of fruits and vegetables that had been packaged after freezing.

"The vitamins and nutrients in fruits and vegetables degrade over time, and we found that frozen fruits and vegetables may offer more nutrition than fresh, when storage is taken into account," Pegg said. "(Fruits and vegetables) are going to have a different nutrient profile after storage than they had when they were taken from the field ... (These pieces of produce) are living things. They respire; they age and they break down over time. There are oxidative stresses, microbial stresses and enzymatic stresses, and we end up seeing the loss of nutrient value from these stresses."

Pegg's study showed that some frozen fruits and vegetables had higher levels of vitamin A, vitamin C and of folates than fruits and vegetables that had been stored for five days.

Shoppers tend to consume some of their produce on the day the purchase it from the grocery store and store the rest in the refrigerator for later use. The researchers looked at nutrient levels of the fruits and vegetables after storage to get a better picture of the nutrition that American shoppers are getting from their produce.

"This particular study was designed from the point of view of the consumer, and it's one of the first to take into account the way people buy and store produce," Pegg said.

Since many shoppers only buy produce on a weekly or biweekly basis, frozen produce may be a more effective way to get the nutrients and vitamins available in fruits and vegetables.

"Freezing is nature's pause button. It helps maintain the nutritional value of fresh vegetables, even during storage."

Frozen vegetables are able to maintain more of their nutritional value because they are blanched shortly after being taken from farmers' fields. This stops the enzymatic reactions that can break down many nutrients. Freezing also slows the enzymatic breakdown of fruits, which are not blanched, and decreases microbial break down.

Sources: Ronald Pegg
UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

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Safflower Oil Reduces Cardio Disease Risk

A daily dose of safflower oil, a common cooking oil, for 16 weeks can improve good cholesterol levels, blood sugar, insulin sensitivity and inflammation in obese postmenopausal women who have Type 2 diabetes, according to new research at Ohio State University.

The finding follows the discovery that safflower oil reduced abdominal fat and increased muscle tissue in the same group of women after 16 weeks of daily supplementation.

These findings led the chief researcher, Professor Martha Belury, to suggest that a daily dose of safflower oil in the diet – about 1 2/3 teaspoons – is a safe way to help reduce cardiovascular disease risk.

Source: Ohio State University

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Six Cups of Joe Repels Prostate Cancer

New research findings published in the Annals of Oncology suggest that heavy coffee drinkers are less likely to develop cancerous tumors than those who drink none at all.

Scientists at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, followed nearly 45,000 men aged 45-79 over a 12-year period to see how many developed localized, advanced or fatal prostate cancer.

They found that men drinking six cups or more a day were 19 percent less like to fall victim to localized prostate cancer.

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What a Stretch!

Xrays of the stomachs of competitive eaters demonstrate the organ's amazing ability to stretch and accommodate 60 hot dogs, according to Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal by Mary Roach.

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