In the NEWS

Green Tea May Lower Blood Sugar, Lipid Levels

Green tea extract lowers blood sugar and decreases blood lipid levels in diabetic rats, report scientists in India.* Excess blood sugar contributes directly to many of the damaging effects of diabetes, while elevated lipids are linked to increased risk of heart disease. Rats with experimentally induced diabetes were treated with green tea extract; a control group did not receive the extract. After one month, the control rats were heavier and had higher levels of blood glucose and artery-clogging blood lipidssuch as low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and triglyceridesthan did the rats given green tea. The supplemented animals also had increases in beneficial high-density lipoprotein (HDL} and decreased levels of total cholesterol and blood sugar "Green tea can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease in diabetes, with a significant improvement in lipid metabolism," the investigators concluded.
Dale Kiefer * Arandh Babu PV, Sabitha HE, Shyamaladevi CS. Green tea extract impedes dyslipidaemia and development of cardiac dysfunction in streptozotocin-diabetic rats. Clin Exp PharmacolPhysiol. 2006 Dec:33(12): 1184-9.

Astaxanthin Reduces Exercise-Induced Fatigue

Japanese researchers say mice supplemented with the potent natural antioxidant astaxanthin appeared to burn fatty acids for fuel more efficiently, were able to exercise far longer, and had greatly decreased fat accumulation compared to mice that did not receive the compound.' Previous research has shown that astaxanthin reduces oxidative damage from strenuous exercise in the skeletal and heart muscles of supplemented mice.^ Research also suggests that astaxanthin may improve human cardiovascular health and prevent cancer, among other potential benefits.^'^ Produced by certain marine algae, astaxanthin is a more potent antioxidant than other carotenes such as beta carotene.
Dale Kiefer
1. Ikeuchi M, Koyama T, Takahashi I. Yazawa K. Effects of astaxantliin supplementation on exerciseinduced fatigue in mice. BiolPharm Bull. 2006 Oct;29(10):2106-10, 2. Aoi W. Naito Y, Sakuma K. et ai. Astawnthin limits exercise-induced skeletal and cardiac muscle damage in mice. AntioxidRedoxSignal 2003 Feb:5(l):139-44, 3. Higuera-Ciapara I, Felix-Valenzuela L, Goycoolea FM, et al. Astaxanthin: a review of its chemistry ant) applications. Crit Rev Food Sa Nulr. 2006;46(2):185-96 4. Hussein G, Sankawa U, Goto H, Matsumoto K, Watanabe H. Astaxanthin, a carotenoid with potential in human health and nutrition. y/Va( Prod. 2006 Maf;69(3):443-9.

Pomegranate Extract Inhibits Lung Cancer in Mice

Pomegranate fruit extract significantly reduces the number and size of lung cancer tumors in mice, report scientists at the University of Wisconsin.* The researchers gave one group of mice pomegranate fruit extract in their drinking water; a second group did not receive the extract. Both groups were then exposed to one or two known lung carcinogens. The number of tumors that developed in pomegranate-fed mice was reduced by up to 61% compared to control mice. The scientists also confirmed that various signaling chemicals ordinarily found among cancerous tumors were greatly inhibited in the pomegranate-treated mice. Noting that the treated mice were given a "human-achievable dose" of pomegranate fruit extract, the scientists concluded that the extract markedly inhibits lung tumor development and "merits investigation as a chemopreventive agent for human lung cancer."
Dale Kiefer Khan N. Afaq i\ Kweon MH, Kim K, Mukhtar H. Oral consumption of pomegranate fruit exiraci inhibits growth and progression of primary lung tumors in mice. Cancer fies. 2007 Aprl;67(7):3475-82.

July 2007 LIFE EXTENSION 13