Pancreatic Cancer Statistics

1. Minimizes cancer probability. Even though just one human test has been performed, the outcomes have been interesting: 78% complete remission for phase 4 cancer sufferers (having different forms of cancers). The research has been an open-label test performed by the scientists at LifeLink Pharmaceuticals in Ohio. Any kind of against-cancer impact is most likely as a result of NCD's power to stimulate cancerous growth suppressor genes which result in the body not to just stop the development of tumor cells, yet in fact eradicate this kind of growths.

Pancreatic Cancer Statistics

2. Functions as an antioxidant. Therefore, it holds free radicals helping the human body protect on its own against free radical / DNA damage.

3. Draws in and annihilates nitrosamines within the digestive system. This is of enormous value. These types of nitrosamines are one of a kind cancer -inducing materials which seem in charge of the impressive boost in cancer probability that comes after the intake of highly processed meat goods (sausage, salmon, pepperoni, etc.) Pancreatic cancer statistics skyrocket 68%, as well as colon cancer rates happen to be in the same way increased. Leukemia and even brain types of cancer also are clearly linked with highly processed foods intake.

4. Chelates and eliminates chemical toxins from the human body. This is essential. It is actually recognized to eliminate mercury, cadmium, and lead, all of these are powerfully linked with numerous neurological conditions for instance autism, Alzheimer's condition, dementia, and so on.

5. Will provide immunomodulatory activity. What this means is it sustains a balanced immune system functionality which in turn, needless to say, will help defend the body from a variety of medical conditions and health risks.

6. Behaves as an extensive range antiviral factor. After a couple of days or weeks of usage, it apparently starts to display antiviral results. This particular gain is not surprisingly extremely important for protection versus contagious sickness as well as possible pandemic risks such as the bird flu virus. It does not imply that zeolite takes care of bird flu virus or any kind of certain illness, but it really can help in reducing the viral fill in partnership with some other, more immediate treatment options.

7. Stabilizes pH concentrations. This specific feature is as well dramatically essential for preserving general health. A lot of people happen to be in a situation of increased level of acidity, mostly brought on by weak nutritional options. Zeolite can help stabilize this condition in order that the entire body can perform at its very best biochemical ability.

8. Increases nutritious assimilation. Poor nutrition frequently occurs in the communities in the western side world, and even for the people feeding on too much amounts of foods. One of the principal factors is, needless to say, malabsorption of nourishing substances; in fact it is all these dietary insufficiencies which so frequently result in the start of chronic disorder, particularly in the aging adults. Zeolite apparently increases nutritional assimilation, and thus lowering the danger of poor nutrition, even with no eating modifications.

Nervous System

Pancreatic Cancer Statistics

It is estimated that three to four out of every ten men have experienced alcohol blackout when they were teenagers or in their twenties. This comes as a result of too much drinking which results in memory loss regarding spacio-temporal orientation. A popular effect of alcohol is sleep disturbance resulting in reduced overall sleep quality. Numbness as well as tingling may be felt in the arms and legs. Korsakoff's and Wernicke's syndrome may be experienced together or separately. The culprit for both are low thiamine levels. (a type of vitamin B complex) present in alcohol. Korsakoff's syndrome affects the memory severely and prevents new learning from taking place while Wernicke's syndrome results to very poor balance, difficulty in walking and disordered eye movements.

Gastrointestinal system

Loosening of the muscular ring is also one of alcohol related illnesses. It prevents the re-entrance of the contents of the stomach to the esophagus. Stomach acids flows into the esophagus and causes bleeding and pain. Stomach inflammation may also be the culprit for decreased appetite and pain and bleeding. Severe, uncontrollable bleeding comes as a result of bloated dilated blood vessels within the esophagus also known as esophageal varices. Hemorrhaging as well as bursting may develop from this as a response to liver disease. Diarrhea is one of the common symptoms due to the effect of alcohol on the pancreas. Pancreatitis or inflammation of the pancreas are also alcohol related illnesses. A malnourished state is likewise created by alcohol which prevents the absorption of nutrients. As the liver is where metabolism of alcohol takes place, it is also affected by constant levels of alcohol. The liver is enlarged and fatty liver results. Fibrous scar tissue also known as cirrhosis impede the normal structure and function of the liver. The organ may also be inflamed (hepatitis).

Blood

Changes in blood cell types are also considered as alcohol related illnesses. Red blood cells are inflamed or abnormally enlarged. White blood cell reduction results in a weakened immune system as these are the cells that fight infections. Alcoholics Increased risk of having cancer is blamed on this factor. Platelets as well as blood clotting factors increase which in turn results to increased risk of bleeding.

Heart

Fluctuating blood pressure is also an alcohol related illness. Increased alcohol intake causes increased blood pressure even if small amounts cause a drop in blood pressure. High levels of fat in the bloodstream is also a coronary risk factor. Higher risk of stroke is also blamed on heavy drinking as a blood clot goes to the circulatory system from the heart to the brain and blocks a blood vessel there. You can also expect blood clot risk in heart chambers, weakened heart muscles and enlargement of the heart.

Reproductive System

Alcohol related illnesses likewise find link to the reproductive system. Alcohol decreases the size of the testicle as well as ovary and interferes with egg and sperm production which then causes reduced fertility in both species. A mother who is alcoholic also puts her child at great risk of developing fetal alcohol syndrome. You can expect the child to have facial defect, lower IQ as well as behavioral problems.

One Dollar Saves Three

Pancreatic Cancer Statistics

The federal government doesn't keep track of statistics on how wellness programs can impact healthcare costs but some businesses have found that promoting wellness reaps handsome rewards. According to the Wellness Councils of America, a non-profit group that promotes healthy lifestyles, companies can save three dollars on healthcare expenses for every dollar they spend on wellness programs that teach employees to lead healthier lives.
Source: Wellness Councils of America

Lifestyle Could Reduce Diabetes by 87 Percent

The combination of losing weight, moving more, cutting out trans-fats, saturated fats and excessive alcohol, and eating more fiber could reduce the incidence of type 2 diabetes by a staggering 87 percent. A modest 5-percent weight loss can lower risk significantly. The incidence of type 2 diabetes increased by 60 percent in the United States between 1990 and 2001. Treatment for diabetes and its complications consumes 10 percent of America's healthcare dollars.
Sources: British Journal of Nutrition and American Diabetes Association

The Aerobic Cure

Aerobic exercise alone cured metabolic syndrome (sometimes called syndrome X) in 30 percent of people in the HERITAGE Family Study in Canada. The syndrome is a combination of elevated blood pressure, blood glucose, triglycerides, cholesterol and high waist circumference that significantly raises the risks of diabetes and heart disease. People in the study rode a stationary bike three times per week for twenty weeks.
Source: Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise

The Obesity-Cancer Link

Researchers have found 37 percent more cancer among obese women and 25 percent more among obese men, compared to people of healthy weight. Death rates for all cancers are 62 percent higher among obese women and 52 percent higher among obese men. Among obese women, risks for specific cancers increase as follows: breast 150 percent; uterine 200 to 400 percent; kidney 200 to 400 percent; pancreatic 200 percent; and colon 46 percent.
Source: Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource

Weight Gain Explained

Americans' per capita daily calorie consumption increased by roughly 300 calories per person between 1985 and 2000. Grains (mainly refined grains) accounted for 46 percent of the increase, added fats for 24 percent, added sugars for 23 percent, and fruits and vegetables for 8 percent, while meat and dairy consumption declined by 1 percent.
Source: American Heart Association

Multivitamins Could Cut Medicare Costs

Medicare could save at least 1.6 billion dollars in the next five years by providing multivitamins to people over the age of 65. Cost savings would result primarily from fewer admissions to hospitals and nursing homes as a result of heart disease and infections such as pneumonia.
Source: Multivitamins and Public Health: Exploring the Evidence Conference

Calcium and Folic Acid Could Save 15 Billion Dollars

A study commissioned by the Dietary Supplement Education Alliance shows that the use of daily calcium supplements could prevent 734,000 hip fractures annually, saving 13.9 billion dollars in healthcare costs. Daily use of folic acid supplements could prevent 600 cases of neural tube birth defects, saving an additional 1.3 billion dollars. Foods fortified with calcium or folic acid offer an alternative to supplement pills.
Source: Dietary Supplement Education Alliance

There are few historical accounts of melanoma. It was not officially recognized as a disease until 1806 in France. Several years prior in 1787, a perplexed Scottish surgeon named John Hunter was confronted by a large black growth on the jaw of a thirty-five year man. He described it as a "cancerous fungus". Not knowing what it was, he did what surgeons do: he cut it out. Amazingly, it wasn't until 1968 that somebody first looked at it under a microscope confirming it was a melanoma. It had been preserved all this time at the Royal College of Surgeons of England Hunterian Museum in London and still can be viewed today I'm told. The patient evidently sought out Dr. Hunter a few years later for a recurrence of the growth in the same spot. In a drunken brawl he had been beaten with a stick and the "soft black mass" returned. The fate of the patient is lost to history. But we do know that it was highly unlikely his melanoma returned due to the beating he took.

Pancreatic Cancer Statistics

Since then, there has been no shortage of melanoma. It might surprise you to learn that many of the leading researchers for melanoma are based in Australia, not the US. In the 1870's the British government established an Australian penal colony and sentenced criminals to live out there days with kangaroos. The forced emigration of pasty white English convicts to the sunny continent has led to an epidemic of melanoma several generations later. Australia holds the distinction of being the melanoma capital of the world. We are not far behind however. In 1935 it was estimated that only one in every 1500-2000 Americans would get melanoma. Several decades of bikinis and tanning salons later, the rate is now 1 in 65 and worsening each year. Predictions are now being made for 1 in every 33 of us in the near future; a staggering increase.

Interestingly, melanoma is one of the few diseases I can name that tends to affect people from higher socioeconomic groups disproportionately. It is believed this is due to disposable income taking families to equatorial destinations for vacations. Vacations in Cancun and Florida equal short but intense periods of sun exposure-the exact same exposure one gets from a tanning bed. It is believed that all those high school girls who tanned for prom back in the 80's and 90's account for the skyrocketing rates of melanoma we are seeing in women under 40 currently. Along with breast and thyroid cancer, melanoma is one of the most common cancers in young women. If you watch Grey's Anatomy you know that one of the favorite lead characters (a thirty-something blond) died from melanoma a few seasons back. While normally, I don't pay much attention to those shows, I applaud the effort of the writers in raising awareness of this issue. Governor Brown just outlawed tanning bed use for those under 18 in recognition of the link between ultraviolet light and melanoma.

Tanning is not the sole cause for melanoma however. If only this horrid disease were that simple. Genetics play an equally sinister role in this story. We've known for a long time that if you have melanoma, your first degree relatives are much more likely to get melanoma as well. Many of the new treatments specifically target various genetic mutations and genes associated with melanoma. Shared genes with pancreatic cancer and possibly now even some forms of breast cancer are being studied. But tanning is not off the hook. If someone's genetic makeup is the dry cornfield, tanning is the match and kerosene.

As far as mammalian skin goes, human skin in general is a disaster. It offers virtually no protection from the sun. Even very dark African American skin has only a natural SPF of around 13-20. Pig skin is the closest equivalent to human skin in its make-up and organization. Surgical trainees usually begin their studies by operating and sewing pigs' feet and we still sometimes use pig skin grafts when necessary. It has been said "Also like humans, pigs enjoy lying in the sun, tan in response to the sun, and enjoy drinking large quantities of beer."

Now to bore you with a little scientific background: The melanocyte is a cell in our skin that makes our color. Melanoma is the uncontrolled growth of melanocytes. One bad mutation begets two. Then two begets four. Four begets sixteen, and on and on. The normal melanocyte resembles an octopus and makes the pigment in our skin. Its long tentacles deliver the pigment (melanin) to the other skin cells. The purpose is to shield the other skin cells from sun damage by absorbing the rays from the sun. When you tan, the melanocytes rev up production to make more of this shield. When you see tanning, you know DNA damage has occurred in the skin cells. Thus I like to think of a tan as tears of the melanocytes cried over their neighboring cells.

We are in the midst of a skin cancer epidemic with no end in sight. While most skin cancers are not life threatening, they can necessitate extensive surgery and cause deformities that need surgical correction. However, melanoma is a different story. Luckily, the North State enjoys a stellar collection of dermatologists and surgeons skilled in these arts. While almost 100% curable if caught early, melanoma has a dismal survival rate once it spreads beyond the skin and into other organs. There is no known definitive cure. (please read that last statement again)

Up until the last few years, we have really been no better off in the treatment of advanced melanoma than Dr. Hunter was back in 1787. The lack of progress in almost 225 years is embarrassing to me as a dermatologist. Now the research pipeline is full of treatments coming our way. A melanoma vaccine led the way and has been extensively studied but has not lived up to the hype yet. One recent breakthrough medication turns the immune system against the melanoma cells. Unfortunately for Brits, it has just been rejected by England's national health care panel as not cost effective for their society. The drug boasts a 20% three-year survival rate (or put another way a full 80% of people with metastatic melanoma who take it, will pass away in three years). At 0,000 per patient per year, it certainly raises a lot of philosophical and ethical quandaries. Luckily, there are handfuls of other promising new treatments on the horizon. Hopefully they may be priced more reasonably.

If you or someone you know has metastatic melanoma, talk to your doctor about enrolling in a study. Gone are the days when you will be randomly selected to receive the study drug or doomed to unknowingly receive the sham placebo treatment. I have several patients with advanced melanoma doing quite well in a few studies thus far. It also gives meaning to their suffering and a chance to fight back. While preparing this article it dawned on me that perhaps no other cell in the body has been responsible for more misery in mankind than the melanocyte. Historically, the functions of your melanocytes could doom you to a live of slavery, limit your martial prospects, curb your economic potentials, or simply make you drink from a different water fountain.

In conclusion, I would encourage each of you to see a dermatologist for a full skin exam. You may say to yourself, "My moles look fine. Nothing has changed". To which I would ask, "Would you bet your life on it?"

A steady stream of animal and in vitro studies supplemented by epidemiological evidence and human studies reveal numerous health benefits. Chief among the benefits is antioxidant protection against heart disease and some cancers.

Pancreatic Cancer Statistics

Consider these Imperatives

• Procyanidins have been identified as high performance, low toxicity and highly bio-available.
• Procyanidins, available in some red wines, 70% cocoa solids dark chocolate and other foods, is a healthy compound in the highest doses and part of a natural diet - NOT an unnaturally high-dose supplement (as with other compounds) that is not proven to be safe over the long term and possibly not even absorbed fully as has been observed with some supplements.
• Research identifies that after two weeks of a daily glass of procyanidin rich red wine positive support for cardiovascular health was observed, including reduced blood pressure. This is good news for protection against heart disease and strokes.
• The health statistics are significant and important -- Almost half of us die of HEART DISEASE -- World Health Organization, and 50% of STROKES are caused by high blood pressure.
• "Nowhere in the world where populations are given drug treatments to manage cardiovascular health, have they achieved the low levels of heart disease related deaths, as occurs in Gers (France) where they drink these wines" Professor Giovanni de Gaetano, M.D., Ph.D,
• In south west France where they have make and consume wines high in procyanidins, census data shows there is twice the number of 90 year old males as the national average.
• In this region the wines are up to 10 times more procyanidin rich than the modern style, sweet, soft, quaffing red wines so commonly made today.
• In New Zealand, consumers who begin a strategy of a daily glass of the wines of south west France are experiencing blood pressure improvements consistent with the research. This occurs without change to lifestyle, diet, exercise or medication.
• Procyanidins provide the same benefits, naturally, as would possibly be achieved with the "polypill". The polypill is a mixture of already in use drugs that is intended to prevent heart attacks and strokes. Governments and drug companies internationally are trying to develop such a drug, to be taken daily, that is aimed to protect older populations from heart disease. In procyanidins it already exists in the natural form.
• Perhaps there is significance for our health that with today's prevalence of processed and refined foods, our consumption of procyanidins is much lower than the amount we likely evolved with!

This report is an illumination of the considerable international research that has been conducted into the health benefits of procyanidins.

What is Procyanidin

Procyanidins are a mixture of antioxidant molecules, variously called --

• procyanidins
• proanthocyanidins,
• oligomeric procyanthocyanidins (OPC)
• proanthocyanidolic oligomers (PCO)
• leukocyanidins

Procyanidin, a polyphenol compound with strong bioactivity and pharmacologic activity, resides widely in grape seeds, hawthorn, pine bark and other foods and plants. A number of potential mechanisms of procyanidin have emerged. These include, serving as an important in vivo antioxidant, decreasing blood pressure, reducing risk of cancer, inhibiting bacteria, and so on. In recent years, the beneficial health and longevity effects of procyanidin on the human body has been extensively researched internationally.

Research has reported that procyanidin has multiple anticancer effects, notably for being toxic to cancer cells, on cancers such as cutaneous carcinoma, oral carcinoma, breast carcinoma, bronchogenic carcinoma, liver carcinoma, prostate carcinoma, pancreatic carcinoma, gastric carcinoma, and more, along with growth promoting effects on normal cells.

Commonly referred to as OPC in scientific circles, procyanidin is expert at treating vascular diseases because it actually increases the structural strength of weakened blood vessels, maintaining their permeability and elasticity. This occurs because OPCs help neutralize the underlying chemical cause (oxidation of living cells by free radicals) that promotes many diseases.

OPC is one of the most potent antioxidants known -- 50 times more powerful than vitamin E and 20 times more so than vitamin C, according to some tests.

Grape seeds and pine bark are two of the richest known sources of OPCs. Procyanidins have also been identified as abundant in walnuts husks, cranberries, certain apple varieties, pomegranates, horse chestnuts, hazelnut leaves, hawthorn, rhubarb and barley (also beer made from barley). However tests have shown that significant variation in procyanidin content can exist within these foods.

Toxicity

In 2002 a safety evaluation of OPC rich grape seed extract was undertaken to determine the toxicology of proanthocyanidins, especially in oral administration when used in various foods. The grape seed extract (GSE) was examined for acute and sub chronic oral toxicity and for mutagenic potential. The tests were undertaken using mice and rats. No evidence of acute oral toxicity and no evidence of mutagenicity was found. The results of the studies indicate a lack of toxicity and support the use of proanthocyanidin-rich extract from grape seeds for various foods.

Cardiovascular Disease

Roger Corder, Professor of Experimental Therapeutics at the William Harvey Research Institute in London, identified that procyanidin in some red wine is responsible for the reduction in the risk of coronary heart disease and the lowering of overall mortality in regular, moderate consumers of red wine.

On 30 November 2006 a research article was published in Nature magazine on Procyanidins and the significant health-giving benefits of some red wines. Nature is one of the world's preeminent science journals.

Epidemiological studies revealed that two populations in Europe have exceptional longevity. People in the Nuoro province of Sardinia and those in the department of Gers in south west France, especially men, have a significantly greater longevity than the national average. These populations do NOT consume the "Mediterranean Diet". Corder tested wines and identified that in this region the wines are up to 10 times more procyanidin rich than the modern, sweet, soft, quaffing style red wines so commonly made today. This is the very top of the healthy red wine "pyramid".

Corder and his team looked at these populations and their lifestyles and determined that there was something about the wines in these regions and so began a study of the components and compounds in the wines. They designed their study so they wouldn't know which compound worked best until the end of the trial. The researchers cultured endothelial cells and then added small amounts of red wine. The team isolated and measured the biological activity of each polyphenol in red wine. In hundreds of experiments, using wines from all over the world, procyanidin proved to be the best at regulating production of endothelin-1 to achieve the most favourable levels. Procyanidins suppressed overproduction by 50 percent.

Other compounds, such as resveratrol (a non-flavanoid polyphenol) and quercetin, were found to have an irrelevant effect.

The researchers discovered that red wines from those two regions are particularly high in procyanidins. This is because a large proportion of the grapes used to produce the local wines in these regions are the flavanoid-rich Tannat. Furthermore the traditional wine-making techniques in the south west of France, where the grape skins and seeds remain in contact with the juice for an extended period during fermentation and maceration, significantly increased the concentration of procyanidins in the red wines.

The groundbreaking research by Professor Roger Corder and colleagues established that:

1. Procyanidins lower blood pressure by suppressing endothelin-1,

a peptide that has an undesirable vasoconstriction effects. They also increase nitric oxide in the blood causing vasodilation and increased blood flow

2. Procyanidins decrease platelet aggregation,

thus preventing clot formation and blockage of arteries

3. Procyanidins prevent oxidation of LDL-cholesterol.

High blood cholesterol levels are a major risk factor for heart disease because LDL-cholesterol can accumulate in the artery wall where after oxidation it causes inflammation and the formation of plaque. When LDL-cholesterol is protected from oxidation it is less likely to cause atherosclerosis

4. Very few wines have exceptionally high concentrations of procyanidins.

Corder tested many wines and identified only a few regions of the world that consistently have the highest concentrations of procyanidins

Powerful Antioxidants

OPCs have a deservedly high reputation as antioxidants that quench free radicals and potentiate other antioxidants. In one in vitro study OPCs prolonged the life span of vitamin C by 400 percent. Another in vitro study showed that exposing blood vessel linings to pine bark OPCs boosted their vitamin E content by 15 percent. Grape seed has also shown recycling and potentiating effects. The test tube-based activity of vitamin E, in a system mimicking cell membranes, has shown enhancement by grape seed OPCs.

A mouse study, at the Creighton University School of Pharmacy in Omaha, Neb., found that a patented grape seed extract protected tissue from oxidation better than the antioxidant vitamins C and E or beta-carotene.

Grape seed OPCs were observed to be a stronger antioxidant than vitamins C and E, even when the two vitamins were combined, in an in vitro experiment testing the response of human mouth cells to the free radical damage caused by smokeless tobacco.

Preventing Atherosclerosis

The role of oxidation in the development of hardened arteries (atherogenesis) is increasingly understood. Oxidized LDL (low-density lipoproteins) cholesterol provokes numerous adverse responses including inflammation, smooth muscle cell proliferation and clotting mechanisms to the cells that line blood vessel walls. All this leads to atherosclerosis.

A grape seed extract with 50 percent OPCs and 50 percent phenolic acids prevented such oxidation of pig LDL in vitro. OPCs may also prevent atherosclerosis in other ways. For example, two in vitro studies found that a patented pine bark extract modulated the release of nitric oxide, which affected the dilation diameter of blood vessels.

Similarly this is one of Corder's primary finding -- that high blood cholesterol levels are a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke because LDL-cholesterol can accumulate in the artery wall where after oxidation it causes inflammation and the formation of plaque. When LDL-cholesterol is protected from oxidation it is less likely to cause atherosclerosis.

Researchers compared the effects of patented pine bark extract OPCs with aspirin on smoking-induced platelet aggregation in three groups of smokers. They found that platelet aggregation was inhibited by both 500 mg aspirin and 100-125 mg pine bark extract. Because of the increased bleeding time caused by aspirin, the authors conclude that pine bark offers an "advantageous risk-benefit ratio."

Increasingly, studies are raising questions of safety with long term use of aspirin by the "worried well" to prevent heart attach. Studies have found sustained use almost doubles the risk of admittance to hospital due to internal bleeding.

OPCs appear to inhibit several factors contributing to atherosclerosis, but do they actually prevent the condition? Yes, is the conclusion according to recent animal experiments. Researchers at a soy sauce manufacturing plant in Noda City, Japan, fed rabbits a diet that caused high blood cholesterol and severe atherosclerosis in the control animals. Their blood levels of peroxides (a measure of oxidation) increased by 10 times. Another group of rabbits ate the same diet but supplemented with grape seed OPC extract amounting to either 0.1 or 1 percent of their diet. The supplemented rabbits also developed high cholesterol levels; however, they had no detectable peroxides in their blood. Even more impressive, their blood vessels had no atherosclerosis whatsoever. These findings have been confirmed by other research on grape seed and pine bark OPCs. This emphasizes that the issue is the degree of oxidation of the cholesterol and not high cholesterol itself per se.

Although promising data on OPCs and atherosclerosis prevention primarily come from test tube and animal studies, epidemiological research may lend credence to the value of OPCs in human health. In fact, OPCs may help explain the "French Paradox," or why low coronary heart disease rates exist in French provinces known for high-fat foods and red wine consumption. These populations do NOT have a 'Mediterranean diet'.

The French Paradox was first proposed by Dr Serge Renaud in 1991. Dr Renaud's attendance at the Wine & Health Symposium (headlined by Professor Corder) in Pau, France, in 2007 was confirmation he supports Corder's research that identified procyanidins as the explanation of The French Paradox. Corder concludes from his research and epidemiological studies that OPCs are the cause of the exceptional longevity in some populations in south-west France and Sardinia. Corder proposes this is the REAL French Paradox.

Red wine could be considered an alcohol tincture of several potent flavonoids, including OPCs from grape seeds. At the University of Padova, Italy, they fed volunteers a high-fat meal with and without red wine. Post-meal plasma peroxide levels were much lower in those who drank wine.

OPCs also appear to prevent damage caused by atherosclerosis by preventing ischemic reperfusion injury. With atherosclerosis, a clot can restrict blood flow to the heart. If this clot is broken up, blood comes pouring back into the tissue. That process, paradoxically, results in an incredible amount of free radical damage. At the University of Connecticut School of Medicine in Farmington, they subjected animal hearts to blood-flow constriction and release. Compared with control animals, the animals supplemented with a patented grape seed extract had 38 percent less heart damage and 50 percent less creatine kinase release, a marker of tissue damage.

Breast Cancer

Studies have shown that the production of estrogens in breast cancer tissue plays a major role in tumor progression. In vitro studies have shown that procyanidin B dimers were able to reduce androgen-dependent tumor growth, indicating that these chemicals reduce the production of estrogens from the androgen substrates.

In a study researchers demonstrated that procyanidin B dimers in red wine could be used as chemopreventive agents against breast cancer by inhibiting the conversion of androgens to estrogens in breast tissues. The researchers estimated that a single four-ounce glass of red wine daily could provide enough procyanidin B dimer to inhibit aromatase activity in an average post-menopausal woman.

Prostate Cancer Protection

A study concluded that procyanidin can induce apoptosis (self-destruction of cancer cells) and necrosis (death of cells as a result of an outside agent) of prostate cancer PC-3 cells in a mitochondrion-dependent manner. The significant changes observed occurred to varying degrees according to dose and time dependent manners within a few hours of treatment beginning.

Prostate carcinoma (PCa) is one of the most prevalent cancers in men. The rate of PCa-related death increases every year. Until now, there has been no effective therapy that has an obvious effect on extending the life span of PCa sufferers. Other traditional therapies, such as radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and surgery, cannot prevent PCa from developing into metastatic clones and becoming androgen-refractory. Therefore, developing new therapeutic strategies targeting apoptosis induction would be of real value in controlling the proliferation as well as the invasiveness of advanced PCa.

The study aimed to determine whether procyanidin-induced apoptosis and necrosis of PC-3 cells is related to Mitochondrial membrane potential. The mitochondrion is a structure in the cytoplasm (outside the nucleus) of all cells except bacteria in which food molecules (sugars, fatty acids, and amino acids) are broken down in the presence of oxygen and converted into energy. So as the cell "powerhouse" it is vital to human health. It is also an important structure within the cells that regulates cell death. The study showed that Mitochondrial membrane potential was significantly reduced in PC-3 cells by treatment with procyanidin. Thus toxicity of procyanidin to these cancer cells was demonstrated.

Other Cancer Protection

Other in vitro studies also suggest OPCs provide cancer protection. OPCs in Vaccinium-family berries, including blueberry, lingonberry and cranberry, block tumor growth by preventing protein synthesis in tumor cells, thereby preventing them from multiplying. Also in the laboratory, barley bran OPCs transformed human myeloid leukemia cells into cells that were no longer cancerous. Another in vitro study found that a patented grape seed extract killed cancer cells; inhibited growth of human breast, lung, stomach and myelogenous leukemia cells by up to 73 percent; and enhanced normal cell growth.

Betel nut, a stimulant chewed by millions of Asians, also contains OPCs. In a small study into the inhibitory effect of betel nut extracts on endogenous nitrosation in humans, the researchers noted that OPCs may play a major role in natural cancer prevention.

Other Health Benefits

Protection again viruses may also occur with OPCs. In vitro studies with OPCs from hawthorn (Crataegus oxyacantha) killed the herpes (HSV-1) and HIV viruses.

Venous insufficiency is a common condition in which the veins and muscles, primarily in the legs, are not able to properly return blood to the heart. Walking becomes painful and difficult. Italian research has shown that grape seed extract can help. Twenty-four patients with chronic venous insufficiency were treated with 100 mg grape seed extract daily. The improvements were visible in 10 days: 70 percent of the patients had less edema and 50 percent had less pain. Bilberry and other bioflavonoids have been used for vein problems for many years in Europe. They may have a similar mechanism of action, or their active constituents may include OPCs.

The body is also protected from toxins by OPCs. Acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol, is a potent liver toxin, annually causing 75,000 cases of poisoning requiring hospitalization in the United States. Animal experiments showed that a week of pretreatment with 100 mg/kg of a patented grape seed extract prevented liver damage from acetaminophen. Organ damage was assessed by studying liver cells for damage and also by monitoring the animal's health.

Procyanidins and Beauty

More than just disease prevention, OPCs may make us more youthful looking. Oxidation damage causes most visible signs of aging in our skin. By preventing this damage, skin will stay younger looking. One way to achieve this is to reduce the damaging effects of ultraviolet (UV) light. Sunscreen products have incorporated a variety of antioxidants with the intent that they will prevent sun injury to the skin. In one study, grape seed OPCs exerted a solo antioxidant effect at a level of potency on a par with vitamin E-protecting different polyunsaturated fatty acids from UV light-induced lipid peroxidation. In this same study, the grape OPCs synergistically interacted with vitamin E, recycling the inactivated form of the vitamin into the active form and thus acting as a virtual vitamin E extender.

Part of the aging process is the degradation of skin by the enzyme elastase, which is released with the inflammatory response. OPCs specifically block elastase, thus maintaining the integrity of elastin.

OPCs may even help us grow a thick head of hair, if the results of animal experiments apply to humans. Japanese researchers shaved mice and found that 40 percent of their hair grew back naturally. When a 1 percent solution of any of three proanthocyanidins was applied to the skin, however, between 70 and 80 percent of the hair grew back. Test tube studies confirm that OPCs actually stimulate the hair keratinocytes to produce three times more hair than the controls.

The health benefits of OPCs have prompted some researchers to suggest there should be an official recommended optimal intake. Doses used in many animal experiments are 100 mg/kg of body weight, which is equivalent to between 50 and 200 mg for the average adult, according to Bagchi. With the prevalence of refined foods today, our intake is much lower than the amount we likely evolved with, but there has been little attempt to quantify current OPC intake. However according to Corder, one glass per day of procyanidin rich red wine provides cardiovascular benefits. This has been the experience of New Zealand consumers of the wines from south west France. Those wines, which have been tested for the procyanidin content, have up to 330 mg per 125ml serving.

While there is more research to be undertaken the evidence mounts for the healthy benefits of procyanidin. The good news is that procyanidins are abundantly available in various food types without waiting for the processes of commercial certification to be completed. To emphasize - procyanidins are available in beneficial doses naturally. Unnaturally high and unproven to be safe doses are not required with procyanidin.

On the nervous system - 30-40% of men have been estimated to have yielded to an alcohol related blackout in their teens and/or twenties. This is due to too much alcohol within the body which can cause loss of memory. A reduced quality of sleep in general subsequently results from sleep disturbance is a well-known effect of consuming alcohol. The legs as well as the arms might also feel tingling and/or numbness. Korsakoff's and Wernicke's syndrome might emerge at different or at the same time. These are caused by dwindling levels of a type of vitamin B complex known as Thiamine. Korsakoff's syndrome causes loss of memory as well as impedance of learning anything new. Meanwhile, Wernicke's syndrome causes the eyes to have disorderly movements, poor equilibrium and walking difficulty.

Pancreatic Cancer Statistics

On the gastrointestinal system - loosening of the muscular ring is another alcohol related illness. However, this one hinders stomach contents from going to the esophagus. Aside from pain, bleeding can also be a result of stomach acids surging into the esophagus. A decline in appetite and bleeding as well as pain might also be because of the inflammation. on the other hand, esophageal varices and bloated blood vessels can cause intense bleeding. Hemorrhaging as well as bursting can follow as reactions to liver disease. Pancreatitis can also be experienced. The absorption of nutrients needed by the body is also denied because of alcohol and this causes malnourishment. Constant levels of alcohol affects the live as well as this is where alcohol is metabolized. A fatty liver succeeds an enlarged liver. A normal liver build and role is hindered by cirrhosis or fibrous scar tissue. Hepatitis might be experienced too.

On the blood - a change in blood type is an alcohol related illness as well. Either inflammation or unusual enlargement happens to the blood cells. A compromise in the immune system is due to the decrease of white blood cells that fight infection. This causes an elevated risk for cancer in alcoholics.

On the heart - fluctuation in blood pressure is another alcohol related illness. Little amounts of alcohol may decrease blood pressure but on the other hand, an increased intake means higher blood pressure. Drinking heavily could also increase risks of having strokes as blood clots go through the circulatory from the coronary chambers to your brain and this impedes a blood vessel in the brain. Risks of blood clots in the coronary chambers, sapped cardiac muscles and an enlargement of the heart could also happen because of a heavy intake of alcohol.

On the reproductive system - testicle as well as ovary size is lessened by alcohol. This in turn affects sperm as well as egg production and this can lead to infertility. A baby is also at risk of contracting fetal alcohol syndrome by someone pregnant who takes in alcohol. The child may suffer facial defects, problems in behavior and a low IQ.

One of the more promising angles in helping prevent cancer is Resveratrol. It is a compound extracted from a variety of plants, such as grapes and the Japanese knotweed, and has been highlighted by a number of lab studies. The results show the possibility of using it as a means of helping combat various cancers. The mechanism behind these possible benefits remains unknown and further study will need to be conducted, but the current data available provides interesting prospects.

Pancreatic Cancer Statistics

A study conducted by the University of Texas Health Science Center in Tyler tested Resveratrol as a potential therapeutic aid for prostate cancer. The lab test involved the use of the plant extract on cancerous growths in mice. The data showed that the compound may have caused the cellular structure of the tumor to break down, inducing a process known as apoptosis - the "suicide" of cellular structures.

Breast cancer, considered one of the foremost killers among women, has also been targeted as a possible area where the extract might find use. A study was conducted by the University of Alabama at Birmingham to check whether or not Resveratrol had any effects or properties that might prevent breast tumor formation. The results indicated that there was the possibility that it might reduce risk to mammary cancer through modulation of cell proliferation and apoptosis.

More studies continue to be made in laboratories around the world. The common denominator of the results seem to imply that the plant extract might be triggering apoptosis in cancer cells, or that it might be chemically interacting with something else in the body to achieve that effect. Regardless of the exact mechanism, it is possible that Resveratrol could become the next major breakthrough in cancer research.