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Broccoli is known for its anticancer properties but it could also boost the immune system in older people and slow down the effects of ageing, according to new research.

A chemical found in cruciferous vegetables called sulforaphane was found to activate a number of antioxidant genes and enzymes in immune cells. These prevent free radicals from damaging cells.

Free radicals are byproducts of normal body processes, such as the conversion of food into energy. They are a supercharged form of oxygen, which can cause oxidative tissue damage leading to disease – for example, triggering the inflammation process that causes clogged arteries.

Oxidative damage to body tissues and organs is thought to be one of the major causes of ageing.

“The mysteries of ageing have always intrigued man,” wrote chief author Dr Andre Nel, from UCLA in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

“While we have known for some time that free radicals are important in ageing, most of the past attention has focused on the mechanisms that produce free radicals rather than addressing the pathways used by the body to suppress their production.

“Our study contributes to the growing understanding of the importance of these antioxidant defence pathways that the body uses to fight free radicals,” said Dr Nel.

“Insight into these processes points to ways in which we may be able to alleviate the effects of ageing.”

The delicate balance between pro-oxidant and antioxidant forces in the body could determine the outcome of many disease processes that are associated with ageing, including cardiovascular disease, degenerative joint diseases and diabetes, as well as the decline in efficiency of the immune system’s ability to protect against infectious agents.

“As we age, the ability of the immune system to fight disease and infections and protect against cancer wears down as a result of the impact of oxygen radicals on the immune system,” Nel said.

“Our defence against oxidative stress damage may determine at what rate we age, how it will manifest and how to interfere in those processes,” Nel said.

“In particular, our study shows that a chemical present in broccoli is capable of stimulating a wide range of antioxidant defence pathways and may be able to interfere with the age-related decline in immune function.”

(Agencies via China Daily March 26, 2008)

Sugar-sweetened soft drinks
and fructose are strongly tied to an increased risk of gout in men,
drinking diet soft drinks, by contrast, did not increase the risk
according to a new report. [Agencies]

Sweetened soft drinks contain large amounts of fructose, a sugar
derived from fruit, which increase levels of uric acid.

However, no studies have investigated the link between these
beverages and the risk of gout, Dr. Hyon K. Choi told Reuters
Health.

These findings provide the first evidence that fructose and
fructose-rich foods are important risk factors for gout.

Choi, from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, and
Dr. Gary Curhan, from Harvard Medical School in Boston, used food
questionnaires to assess consumption levels of soft drinks and
fructose in 46,393 men enrolled in the Health Professionals
Follow-up Study who were gout-free at study entry and were followed
for 12 years.

During that period, 755 men developed gout, and the risk was
related directly to levels of sugar-sweetened soft drink
consumption.

Compared with soft drink levels of less than 1 serving per
month, consumption of 5 to 6 servings per week, 1 serving per day,
and 2 or more servings per day, increased the risk of gout by 29
percent, 45 percent, and 85 percent, respectively.

A similar trend was noted with fructose consumption. Compared
with subjects who consumed the lowest fructose levels, those who
consumed the highest had an increased gout risk of 102 percent.

Consumption of high-fructose fruits, such as apples and oranges,
was also associated with an increased risk of gout.

Alcohol is a “well-established, strong risk factor for gout,”
Choi noted.

However, the strong increase in gout risk associated with
sweetened soft drinks and fructose was “rather surprising,”
especially because current dietary recommendations for gout focus
on the restriction of alcohol and the amino acid purine, but have
no restrictions on sugar-sweetened soft drinks or fructose.

In light of these findings, Choi advises doctors to steer their
gout patients and patients with high uric acid levels away from
sugary soft drinks.

As for recommending reductions in high-sugar fruits, he said the
risks versus the benefits need to be considered on a
patient-by-patient basis.

Further research is needed to see if these findings also apply
to women, Choi added, and to determine if fructose is associated
with cardiovascular disease and other major disorders related to
high uric acid levels.

(Agencies via China Daily February 9, 2008)

From a health perspective, eggs have been given a significant
reprieve in recent years. Although the yolk contains cholesterol,
it is now known that cholesterol already in food contributes very
little to the levels inside your body, and it is the cholesterol
made inside your body from saturated fat (found in fatty meat, full
dairy products and processed food) that you really need to worry
about.

The British Heart Foundation recommends that those with high
cholesterol limit their intake to four hen’s eggs per week while
the American Heart Association recommends limiting cholesterol
intake to 200 mg per day for those with heart disease, and 300 mg
for the rest of the population – an average hen’s egg contains
around 200 mg.

In fact the cholesterol (and fat) within an egg is confined to
the yolk, and so you can use egg whites more freely. Eggs contain a
wealth of nutrition; they are an excellent source of high quality
protein, and are high in energy processing B vitamins riboflavin
and B12 (an important source if you avoid meat). They also provide
minerals such as zinc, iron and phosphorous, and are a valuable
source of the fat-soluble vitamins D and A.

Just when I thought all methods of egg-cooking had been
exhausted (boiling, poaching, frying, coddling etc) I came to China
and discovered many, admittedly far more involved, egg preparation
methods.

Tea eggs (cha ye dan) can be seen bobbing in caddies down many a
street throughout China, the cracked shells disclose their
delicious whites, marbled brown with tannin and soy sauce. In fact,
many other ingredients besides tea are used in the infusion. The
eggs are initially boiled in water for a few minutes, removed and
their shells lightly tapped to crack them. Soy sauce, star anise,
cassia bark, pepper corns and dried mandarin peel may then be added
to the water and the eggs returned to simmer in the brown
concoction for 2-5 hours.

Thankfully, no matter the production method, Century eggs (pi
dan) have not been hanging around for the last 100 years.
Traditionally, the eggs were encased in a mixture of clay, ash,
lime, salt and rice straw and left for weeks to months. The
alkaline nature of this concoction causes the pH of the egg to rise
resulting in a type of alkaline fermentation. Consequently the
white turns brown and transparent whilst the yolk develops a green
color with a strong sulfur odor. Typically these eggs are served
sliced on their own, or added with pork into rice congee to make
pidan shourou zhou.

Eggs play a significant role in daily diet.
Quanjing

Steamed egg – zheng ji dan geng – is a savory dish with an
almost custard-like consistency. It is made by whisking two eggs
with half a cup of water and a dash of soy sauce, the mixture is
then placed in a ramekin, sat in a pan with boiling water and
steamed for 10 minutes until the egg is set. This is then served
with a few drops of sesame oil and chopped spring onions on
top.

Of course hens are not the only fowls producing eggs. Quail
eggs, a delicacy where I’m from, are inexpensive and widely
available here. They are often added whole to stews or served hard
boiled. Their cholesterol concentration is higher but their overall
size is smaller – two and a half quail’s eggs contain the
cholesterol equivalent of one hen’s egg.

Duck eggs are also abundant here and are typically salted in
brine or packed into salted charcoal to produce xian ya dan (salted
duck eggs). This results in a concentrated vivid yellow yolk and
liquid white, the eggs are then cooked before being eaten. Be
cautious, duck and goose eggs are obviously larger, but also have a
higher cholesterol concentration – a duck egg contains around 620
mg cholesterol, whilst one goose egg contains 1,225 mg – equivalent
to around six hen’s eggs.

This nutrition-related column is written by Nina Lenton, a
qualified dietitian living and working in Beijing. Contact her at
nina.lenton@bjhealthcare.com.

(China Daily February 20, 2008)

Older women who eat traditional Japanese soy-based foods on a
regular basis face lower risks of heart disease, according to a
study.

Soybeans – eaten as tofu, miso soup or Japanese fermented beans
known as “natto” – have a high amount of isoflavones, a natural
source of estrogen similar to the female hormone, the study
found.

The risk of heart attacks or strokes for a woman who consumed
soy at least five times a week was 0.39 compared with 1 for a woman
who consumed the least, the study says.

The results were even more striking among women past menopause,
with the risk falling to 0.25.

Estrogen is the most important female hormone that affects
women’s menstrual cycles and is essential for the healthy
functioning of the female body. Estrogen levels decrease sharply
once a woman begins menopause.

(Agencies via China Daily December 14, 2007)

Simply avoiding pre-salted food and not adding salt to food can
result in a modest but statistically significant reduction in blood
pressure, research findings suggest.

A modest reduction in dietary salt reduced sodium content in the
urine by about 35 percent, and lowered daytime blood pressure by
12.1 mm Hg systolic and 6.8 mm Hg diastolic in patients with high
blood pressure (hypertension) not taking anti-hypertensive
medication, reports Dr. Javad Kojuri. Blood pressure readings at
night were slightly lower.

Kojuri and Dr. Rahim Rahimi, both from Shiraz University in
Iran, assessed blood pressure and 24-hour urinary sodium excretion
in 60 individuals before and after instructing them to follow a “no
salt added” diet for six weeks.

Twenty subjects who did not follow the diet were used as a
comparison group (”controls”). All of the subjects were similar in
age, gender, weight, blood pressure, and initial urinary sodium
excretion.

The average age was 49, half were men, and all of the patients
had mild to moderate hypertension, according to the report,
published in the medical journal BMC Cardiovascular Disorders.

After six weeks, the researchers noted a significant reduction
in urinary sodium excretion in those on the diet, compared with
those not on the diet.

The blood pressure reductions were seen even in the 50 percent
of the patients who consumed a medium amount (three to seven
grams/day) of dietary salt and the 25 percent of the patients who
ingested seven or more grams per day. Only 21 percent of the
subjects consumed less than three grams of salt daily.

These results provide strong support for universal salt
reduction in all hypertensive individuals, the researchers
conclude, but the limited size of this study “mandates
larger-scale, population-based studies to (further) evaluate the
effect of a ‘no salt added’ diet,” Kojuri said.

(Agencies via Shenzhen Daily November 21, 2007)

Simply avoiding pre-salted food and not adding salt to food can
result in a modest but statistically significant reduction in blood
pressure, research findings suggest.

A modest reduction in dietary salt reduced sodium content in the
urine by about 35 percent, and lowered daytime blood pressure by
12.1 mm Hg systolic and 6.8 mm Hg diastolic in patients with high
blood pressure (hypertension) not taking anti-hypertensive
medication, reports Dr. Javad Kojuri. Blood pressure readings at
night were slightly lower.

Kojuri and Dr. Rahim Rahimi, both from Shiraz University in
Iran, assessed blood pressure and 24-hour urinary sodium excretion
in 60 individuals before and after instructing them to follow a “no
salt added” diet for six weeks.

Twenty subjects who did not follow the diet were used as a
comparison group (”controls”). All of the subjects were similar in
age, gender, weight, blood pressure, and initial urinary sodium
excretion.

The average age was 49, half were men, and all of the patients
had mild to moderate hypertension, according to the report,
published in the medical journal BMC Cardiovascular
Disorders.

After six weeks, the researchers noted a significant reduction
in urinary sodium excretion in those on the diet, compared with
those not on the diet.

The blood pressure reductions were seen even in the 50 percent
of the patients who consumed a medium amount (three to seven
grams/day) of dietary salt and the 25 percent of the patients who
ingested seven or more grams per day. Only 21 percent of the
subjects consumed less than three grams of salt daily.

These results provide strong support for universal salt
reduction in all hypertensive individuals, the researchers
conclude, but the limited size of this study “mandates
larger-scale, population-based studies to (further) evaluate the
effect of a ‘no salt added’ diet,” Kojuri said.

(Agencies via Shenzhen Daily November 26, 2007)

Having a glass of beer is a better option than drinking water
after exercising, says a Granada University study.

The study led by Professor Manuel Garzon, of Granada’s medical
faculty, made the discovery after conducting tests on 25 students
over several months.

In the study the participants were asked to run on a treadmill
under stifling temperatures of 40C, until they were close to
exhaustion.

Researchers measured their hydration levels, concentration
ability and motor skills, after the students were on the point of
giving up their physical exercise.

Half of the participants were then given two half pints of
Spanish lager to drink, while the left were given water.

Both groups were then allowed to drink as much water as they
wished to.

Garzon said the rehydration effect in the students who were
given beer was ’slightly better’ than among those given only
water.

He said that the carbon dioxide in beer helped quench the thirst
more quickly, while beer’s carbohydrates replaced calories lost
during physical exertion.

Dr. James Betts, an expert in post-exercise rehydration at Bath
University, said instead of being diuretic, beer helps in getting
fluid inside the body.

“People think of alcohol as being a diuretic, but if you are
already hydrated, a small amount of beer could be a way of getting
the fluid in,” the Daily Mail quoted him, as saying.

Based on the findings, the researchers have recommended moderate
consumption of beer, i.e. 500ml a day for men or 250ml for women,
as part of an athlete’s diet.

(Agnecies via China Daily November 8, 2007)

While food gives people energy, it can also make people happier.
Usually when people are feeling depressed, they go see a
psychologist, but food can also lift people’s spirits. Scientific
studies show that foods such as deep sea fish, bananas,
grapefruits, all wheat bread, spinach, cherries, garlic, pumpkins,
low fat milk and chicken can help fight against depression. Read on
to find out more.

1 Deep sea fish

Studies show that people living by the sea appear much
happier than those living inland, partly because the fresh sea air
helps them clear their minds and partly because people by the sea
eat a lot of deep sea fish. A study by Harvard University points
out that the Omega-3 fatty acid contained in deep sea fish
functions the same as anti-depression drugs in that helps calm
nerves and increases the secretion of serotonin.

2 Banana

Banana contains a natural chemical compound called alkaloid, which
gives people a boost increases their confidence. Bananas are also a
source of tryptophan and vitamin B6, both help the brain to
manufacture serotonin.

3 Grapefruit

Grapefruit is rich in vitamin C, which improves the body’s
resistance by maintaining the density of red blood cells and is
also a good combatant against stress. What’s more important is that
vitamin C is an indispensable element in making dopamine and
adrenalin, both chemicals that can stimulate excitement.

4 All-wheat bread

Carbohydrates increase the secretion of serotonin.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) researchers say it
makes good sense that some people eat desserts and food made with
flour as anti-depression drugs.

5 Spinach

Researchers find that lack of folic acid leads directly to
a decrease in serotonin which could lead to depression. Spinach is
well known for its abundance in folic acid.

6 Cherry

Western doctors call cherry a natural aspirin because this
fruit contains a material called anthocyanin which can make people
happy. Researchers at the University of Michigan point out that
eating 20 cherries is more effective than medicines that relieve
depression.

7 Garlic

Garlic gives people a bad smell yet a good mood. German
researchers conducted a study on garlic and found out that when
people who are highly strung eat garlic, they show less of a
tendency to be anxious and angry.

8 Pumpkin

Eating pumpkin can help get people into a good mood
because it is rich in vitamin B6 and Iron, which both transform the
sugar stored in the body to glucose, which fuels the brain.

9 Low fat milk

Studies find that after taking calcium pills for three months,
those women with pre-menstrual syndrome have a less stressful time
and are less likely to feel nervous or anxious. Milk, yogurt and
cheese are a major source of calcium. Low fat or skim milk contain
the most calcium.

10 Chicken

After some British psychologists feed their subjects 100mg of
selenium, they found that their subjects all felt happier. Chicken
is a major source of selenium.

(China Daily November 7, 2007)

Last evening 5:40, in the Benxi road Jiangpu street intersection, a 18-year-old boy jumped into the river, when to today deadline for acceptance of drafts had not been salvaged to come ashore.

The eyewitness said that at that time this boy and a girl spoke on the Benxi highway bridge, the words were intense. The girl turns around to get out of the way, the boy crawls to the bridge approach parapet on. The girl hurries to beckon with the hand to urge the boy do not make the piffle, the boy actually shouts wildly one, jumps to plunge into the river. The girl frightens to shout “saving a life”, after the passer-by rushes, discovered that the rivers are very anxious did not see the boy trace.

Boy’s mother receives the notice to rush to bridge, looks at 56 meters wide rivers to wail to cry. It is known that the boy was reading high two, estimated that jumped into the river concerns with the emotion dispute.

Authors: The slaughter Shi ultra king is diligent and thrifty

(Origin: Xinmin Evening News)

(This article originates: Xinmin Evening News)

The Year of the Tiger spring festival transportation welcomes after the holiday last wave return trip passenger flow. Shanghai and other provinces and cities transportation law-enforcing departments launch the fourth pan-long wedge-shaped land district highway spring festival transportation major inspection today jointly. Last night this morning, the Shanghai aspect in various roads road junction, the interprovincial key communication line and important street intersection strictly observes the checkpoint, stopped the coach bus to draw in customers and to fling the guest illegally and does not have the card and overload transport business and so on serious disruption spring festival transportation security, to violate the passenger benefit the behavior.

The vehicle does not enter the station twice flings the guest

In Cao Ann road’s Anting road junction, a vehicle number the Shanghai Soviet intersection point’s remote path stops for Henan Q50770 bus on, the driver wants on the vehicle the passenger to get out, passenger is very discontented. After Anting Police answer alarm, under orders the passenger train driver to arrive the guest according to the stipulation; Unexpectedly the driver complies in public but opposes in private, to go two degrees flings the guest to Jiading Huangdu Town, insisted that wants the passenger to get out, to guard receives a telegram after the Jiading District G2 high-speed road junction’s transportation law enforcement unit tenth crew, immediately rushes to the Huangdu scene. After looking up, this is one after approving transport business procedure, started work arbitrarily the Anhui bus. After the drivers from Henan Zhumadian pull a vehicle labor has ridden the passenger transportation to Shanghai, fears is investigated, does not dare to press again left for the Pudong passenger depot to passenger’s commitment. The transportation law enforcement officials seize and hold in custody this vehicle immediately legally, the arrangement passenger train delivers separate to the passenger destination.

Last night, a vehicle number for Shanghai B79373 traveling passenger train, the non-class line transport business intelligence, in Jiangsu some through the ox group guest, pulled Man Che the labor passenger to enter Shanghai, is ferreted out in the fine loose north road by the transportation law enforcement officials. From the Anhui Susong’s 51 buses, carries 69 people unexpectedly, is investigated by the transportation law enforcement with the Jiading public security personnels.

Stringent law enforcement warm service

From 11:00 pm last night to this morning 9:00, this city transportation law enforcement agency altogether set out 370 transportation law enforcement officials, distributed more than 40 important passes, altogether inspection transport business vehicles 1210, and unified to enforce the law with other 7 province transportation law-enforcing departments, strengthens the communication, to echo mutually, and helped people overcome their difficulties for the return trip labor passenger with every effort. 7:00 am, 3 outside areas girls in returning to Shanghai, are not on the way ripe because of the geographical position, with the relative who coming to attach does not relate, saw the done an inspection law enforcement vehicle, the loud call seeks help, had found the relative under the law enforcement officials help.

Authors: Zhang Xinping Wu Runyuan

(Origin: Xinmin Evening News)

(This article originates: Xinmin Evening News)