GOOD MEDS

By Pam Eastlick

Welcome to The Deep science and technology column where we cover topics from the deep sea to deep space and beyond.

After two weeks of global warming news I decided it was time to delve into the medical file. And since the global warming news is pretty dismal, I decided to feature some good news for a change.

Having a nice tan is always a beauty plus. But too much sun exposure carries a terrible price; skin cancer. Now, new research from England says that you can get that marvelous healthy tan without all that ultraviolet. All you have to do is . . . eat your vegetables?

Dr. Ian Stephen from the University of Nottingham and his team discovered that people who eat a lot of fruit and vegetables every day have a more golden skin color, thanks to substances called carotenoids. Carotenoids are responsible for the red coloring in fruit and vegetables like carrots and tomatoes, and are important for our immune and reproductive systems.

The researchers also discovered that when people were given the choice between the skin color caused by tanning and the skin color caused by carotenoids they preferred the color produced by carotenoids.

While the research of this particular study was conducted using Caucasian subjects, the paper also describes a study that suggests the effect may exist cross culturally, since similar preferences for skin color were found in an African population.

So if you want your skin to have an attractive color, don’t lie out in the sun, eat a healthy diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables.

The face in the middle shows the woman’s natural color. The face on the left shows the effect of sun tanning, while the face on the right shows the effect of eating more carotenoids. Participants thought the carotenoid color looked healthier. (Credit: Image courtesy of University of Nottingham)

And now a story that has profound implications for all of us and I can only hope it’s true.

Researchers at Stony Brook University have developed a powerful new painkiller that (so far) has no apparent side effects or addictive qualities. And this painkiller interacts with the body in a way that’s totally unlike any other painkiller in use today.

When a patient is given an opiate like morphine, the pain signals are still transmitted to the brain. The morphine alters how the brain perceives the pain but opiates also impair judgment and lead to drug dependence. This was brought home to me years ago when I sprained my ankle. I don’t remember what they gave me, but my leg still hurt dreadfully. I just didn’t care anymore.

The Stony Brook professors identified a sodium ion channel that’s involved in the transmission of pain and then produced a drug that blocks that specific channel. When this channel is blocked, the pain signals aren’t transmitted, even by the sensory nerves. And since the central nervous system is taken out of the equation, there are no side effects and no addictive qualities.

The potential for such a drug is enormous — the reduction or elimination of pain for patients with cancer, arthritis, migraine headaches, muscle pain, pain from burns, and pain from other debilitating diseases.

Drugs that block this channel in both pill and ointment forms are currently in Phase II clinical trials in England and Canada. The Research Foundation of the State University of New York is the holder of the various patents originating from the work of the Stony Brook researchers. Icagen Inc., now in partnership with Pfizer, holds the exclusive license to these patents and has announced their own drug has now entered Phase I clinical trials in the U.S.

Pain is important and we experience it for a reason. But once it’s told us there’s a problem, it’s time for it to make a quiet exit. Here’s hoping this really works!

CHEMICAL TRACERS

By Pam Eastlick

Welcome to The Deep science and technology column where we cover topics from the deep sea to deep space and beyond.

So, that bag of spinach you just took out of the fridge has been in there for a while. Is it still safe to eat? Would you like a spinach bag that changed color when harmful levels of bacteria were present? How about a device that could be implanted in your body that would monitor the sugar levels in your blood without those twice-daily finger pricks? It may sound like science fiction but researchers at Tufts University are designing such devices out of . . . silk.

Current optical devices are based primarily on glass, semiconductors and plastics. But the harsh solvents and extreme temperatures needed to make them make it impossible to incorporate bioactive sensing components into the devices. Chemical residues and lack of biodegradability also limit environmental and medical applications. Furthermore, biological components typically need to be stored at controlled temperatures to retain their activity.

Silk proteins are a natural for integrating optical and biological functions. They can be processed in water at ordinary temperatures and patterned to generate a wide range of optical elements, including ultrathin films, thick films, and tiny and large-diameter fibers. Silk proteins also offer excellent surface quality and transparency, which are necessary for high-quality optics. And equally important, they’re mechanically robust.

To make their devices, Tufts scientists boiled silkworm cocoons in water to extract the glue-like sericin proteins. The purified silk protein solution was poured onto holographic diffraction gratings with spacing as fine as 3600 grooves/mm. The cast silk solution was air dried to create solid silk films that were cured in water, dried and optically evaluated. A similar process was used to create lenses, microlens arrays and holograms.

Since the films are made at room temperature, any included biological receptors stay active after the solution has hardened into the film. The Tufts team embedded three very different biological agents in their silk solution: a protein (hemoglobin), an enzyme (horseradish peroxidase) and an organic pH indicator (phenol red). All three agents maintained their activity for long periods when the silk film was simply stored on a shelf. According to the Tufts researchers, this is truly amazing when you consider that the enzyme becomes inactive if left unrefrigerated for a few days. The researchers also discovered they could alter how light travels through the silk film with certain chemicals to create an optical signal for different kinds of biological activity.

Silk optics has captured the interest of the Defense Department, which has funded and been instrumental in enabling rapid progress of the research. If the military is interested, you can be sure that more advances are coming in this area. Silk rules!!

And in case you were planning on going on a crime spree in the mainland and then coming back here to the Marianas to hide, you might want to reconsider. Recent research has shown that the beverages you drink can be used to track your location through time.

The body removes hydrogen and oxygen atoms from the water and beverages you drink and uses them to make proteins, including the protein in hair. The proportions of the isotopes in hydrogen and oxygen vary geographically with higher values in low-latitude, low-elevation, or coastal regions, for instance, and lower values elsewhere.

The finding may help trace the origin of drinks or help criminal investigators identify the geographic travels of crime suspects and other individuals through analysis of hair strands.

KEEPING HEALTHY

By Pam Eastlick

Welcome to The Deep science and technology column where we cover topics from the deep sea to deep space and beyond.

Greetings everyone! I’ve just returned from a marvelous ‘staycation’ and as I squired my friend around our beautiful island, I appreciated its astounding beauty all over again. Always a treat!

It’s been a while since we delved into the medical file and there are a couple of items about things we can do to make us healthier. One you’ve heard before, but the other one may surprise you.

According to a recent study published on the British Medical Journal website, walking more every day not only takes off the pounds, it also reduces the risk of diabetes. The research was done in Australia and it involved 592 middle aged adults who took part in a national study to map diabetes levels across Australia between 2000 and 2005.

At the start of the study, participants completed a detailed diet and lifestyle questionnaire and underwent a thorough health examination. They were also given a pedometer and instructed how to use it. Participants were monitored again five years later. Other lifestyle factors, such as diet, alcohol and smoking were taken into account.

After examining their data, the authors estimate that a initially sedentary person who changed their behavior over five years to meet the popular 10,000 daily step guideline (that’s about 5 miles a day) would have a threefold improvement in insulin sensitivity compared with a person who increased his or her steps to meet the more recent recommendation of 3,000 steps (about a mile and a half) for five days a week. These associations were independent of food intake and appeared to be largely due to weight loss over the five years.

So walking every day will definitely lower your chance of developing diabetes, but there’s something else you can do to improve your health and the health of your children and it’s really surprising. Don’t be too clean!

According to a recently published paper by Dr. Guy Delespesse, a professor at the University of Montreal in Canada, allergy symptoms like hay fever, eczema, hives and asthma have become widespread in developed countries because of excessive cleanliness.

Dr. Delespesse has discovered there’s an inverse relationship between the level of hygiene and the incidence of allergies and autoimmune diseases. The more sterile the environment a child lives in, the higher the risk they will develop allergies or an immune problem in their lifetime.

In 1980, 10 percent of the Western population suffered from allergies. Today, that figure has risen to 30 percent. In 2010, one out of 10 children is asthmatic and the mortality rate resulting from this affliction increased 28 percent between 1980 and 1994.

Dr. Delespesse says that allergies and other autoimmune diseases like Type 1 diabetes and multiple sclerosis are the result of our immune system turning against us. The bacteria in our digestive system are essential to digestion but they also serve to educate our immune system and teach it how to react to strange substances.

Although hygiene reduces our exposure to harmful bacteria it also limits our exposure to beneficial microorganisms. As a result, the bacterial flora of our digestive system isn’t as rich and diversified as it used to be.

I grew up on a farm and there wasn’t any antibacterial soap in our house. I think that’s a big factor in the fact that I rarely get sick. As a doctor once told me, “You have a Godzilla immune system!” So let your children play outside. Let them get dirty and don’t be so quick with the antibacterial soap. You just might be doing them a favor!

THE MIRACLE CURE

By Pam Eastlick

Welcome to The Deep science and technology column where we cover topics from the deep sea to deep space and beyond.

Well, the ‘medicine’ file is bulging and it’s time to dip into studies about what ails us. So . . . let me ask you a question. How many people did you know that died from colon cancer? Two or three? Four or five? Want to insure that you aren’t next?

A study published on the British Medical Journal website says that about 25% of all colon cancer cases can be prevented if people follow healthy lifestyle advice in five areas including diet and exercise.

Researchers from Denmark found that following recommendations on physical activity, waist circumference, smoking, alcohol and diet could reduce the risk of developing colon cancer considerably — by 23%.

Colon cancer is the second highest cancer killer in the US, exceeded only by lung cancer (still smoking, are you?). It kills over 50,000 people a year. (Lung cancer kills 150,000.)

The Danish researchers wanted to explore the link between leading a healthy lifestyle and the risk of colon cancer in middle-aged people. They also wanted to discover how of colon cancer might be linked to leading a non-healthy lifestyle.

They studied data on 55,487 men and women aged 50-64 (colon cancer is rare in people under 40) not previously diagnosed with cancer. The study lasted almost 10 years.

All the participants filled in a lifestyle questionnaire that included questions about social factors, health status, reproductive factors and lifestyle habits as well as a diet questionnaire developed to assess food intake over 12 months. The healthy lifestyle index used by the researchers incorporated internationally accepted public health recommendations from the World Health Organization and the World Cancer Research Fund.

Their five assessment factors were 1.) being physically active for at least 30 minutes a day, 2.) having no more than seven drinks a week for women and 14 drinks a week for men, 3.) not smoking, 4.) consuming a healthy diet and 5.) having a waist circumference less than 35 inches for women and 40 inches for men.

The researchers monitored the participants for ten years and during that period, 678 of them were diagnosed with colon cancer.

The researchers concluded that if all the participants (except the healthiest) had followed even one additional recommendation, 13% of the colon cancer cases could have been prevented. If all the participants had followed all five recommendations, then 23% of the colon cancer cases could have been avoided.

So, have you heard this before? Stop drinking so much. Stop smoking entirely. Exercise more. Lose weight. Eat fruits and vegetables and stop living on meat, rice and sugared sodas.

YOU have the power to take control of your life. Do it today and live longer!

WHAT’S GOOD FOR YOU

By Pam Eastlick

Welcome to The Deep science and technology column where we cover topics from the deep sea to deep space and beyond.

Although I know we did medicine last week, the medical file still has an obesity problem, but here’s the good news. We’re only going to do good news stories and I promise next week to delve into space or global warming or archeology or animals or anything else besides what ails us! So off we go on our first adventure.

TWIRL THAT MOUSTACHE!

In a recent study using rats, scientists made an astounding discovery. The most common type of stroke can be completely prevented in rats by stimulating a single whisker, according to a study by California researchers.

Strokes are the No. 3 cause of death in the U.S., after heart disease and cancer. About 795,000 Americans suffer them annually, according to the American Heart Association, and more than 137,000 die as a result.

So should we be tickling our own whiskers? And what about women, who are less likely to have facial hair? While it’s too soon to tell if the findings will translate to humans, researchers say it’s possible, and that whiskers are not required. Humans have sensitive body parts wired to the same area of the brain as the fine-tuned whiskers of rats. The fingers, lips and the face in general could all have a similar effect.

A stroke usually happens when a main artery bringing oxygen and nutrients to the brain either ruptures or is blocked by a clot, causing partial brain death. The key to preventing strokes in rats whose main cerebral artery has been obstructed, UCI researchers found, is to stimulate the blood-starved brain area.

The team discovered that mechanically stroking just one whisker for four minutes within the first two hours of the blockage caused the blood to quickly flow to other arteries — like cars exiting a gridlocked freeway to find detours. But unlike freeway off-ramps, which can quickly clog, the alternate arteries expanded beyond their normal size, opening wide to allow critical blood flow to the brain. The technique was 100 percent effective in preventing strokes in rats with arterial obstruction.

Scientists have struggled for years to find ways of preventing strokes or minimizing their effects, which include slurred speech, paralysis and brain damage. People believed to be suffering a stroke are currently told to lie still and stay calm in a quiet environment. The Irvine researchers say that a good massage, listening to a song or otherwise stimulating the right nerve endings might work better.

They caution that the rodent findings might not be relevant to humans. But with such clear evidence that strokes in rats were prevented, they want to try controlled human studies. That’s tricky though, since you can’t predict when someone will have a stroke.

The UCI team would like to find physicians or emergency medical technicians willing to try the technique on patients with early stroke symptoms.

Signs of stroke include:

• Sudden numbness or weakness in face or limbs, especially on one side.
• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding.
• Sudden difficulty seeing or walking.
• Dizziness or loss of balance or coordination.
• Sudden, severe headache with no known cause.

If you or someone you know experiences one or more of these symptoms, call 911. The first two hours are critical. And while you’re waiting for the ambulance, try massaging the victim’s fingers or gently rubbing their face. You certainly won’t hurt them, and you just might make a big difference in their recovery!

Now that’s my kind of treatment! If it works, you will have done a great thing and if it doesn’t work you have done no harm. So, let’s move on to our next feel-good article. I’ll bet that the majority of the people who read this could stand to lose a few pounds. I know I could. So, are you ready for the next weight loss miracle? Trust me; you won’t see this one touted on TV!

WEIGHT LOSS MIRACLE!!!

Here it is! An appetite-control agent that requires no prescription, has no common side effects, and costs almost nothing!!! Scientists report results of a new clinical trial confirming that just two 8-ounce glasses of the stuff, taken before meals, enables people to shed pounds. The weight-loss elixir is (wait for it!) dihydrogen monoxide! That’s right ladies and gentlemen, it’s . . . . . water.

Brenda Davy, the senior author of the study reported that the team had discovered in earlier studies that middle aged and older people who drank two cups of water right before eating a meal ate between 75 and 90 fewer calories during that meal. In the recent study, they found that over the course of 12 weeks, dieters who drank water before meals, three times per day, lost about 5 pounds more than dieters who did not increase their water intake.

Davy pointed out that folklore and everyday experience long have suggested that water can help promote weight loss. But there’ve been surprisingly few scientific studies on the topic. (Probably because water isn’t produced by drug companies!) Previous studies hinted that drinking water before meals reduces caloric intake. But this is the first "gold-standard" evidence from a randomized, controlled clinical trial that compares weight loss among dieters who drink water before meals with those who do not.

The study included 48 adults aged 55-75 years, divided into two groups. One group drank 2 cups of water prior to their meals and the other did not. All of the subjects ate a low-calorie diet during the study. Over the course of 12 weeks, water drinkers lost about 15.5 pounds, while the non-water drinkers lost about 11 pounds.

Davy said water may be effective simply because it fills up the stomach with a substance that has zero calories. People feel fuller as a result, and eat less calorie-containing food during the meal. Increased water consumption may also help people lose weight if they drink it in place of sweetened calorie-containing beverages.

Diet soda and other beverages with artificial sweeteners may also help people reduce their calorie intake and lose weight. But the team advised against using beverages sweetened with sugar and high-fructose corn syrup because they’re so high in calories. A 12-ounce can of regular soda pop, for instance, contains about 10 teaspoons of sugar. Dr. Davy says “People should drink more water and less sugary, high-calorie drinks. It’s a simple way to facilitate weight management”

Drinking more water before meals can help promote weight loss, new research suggests. (Credit: iStockphoto/Lise Gagne)

And now, are you ready for the ultimate feel-good medical story???

THE HEART-SHAPED BOX

Middle-aged and elderly Swedish women who regularly ate a small amount of chocolate had lower heart failure risk. The nine-year study, conducted among 31,823 middle-aged and elderly Swedish women, looked at the relationship of the amount of high-quality chocolate the women ate, compared to their risk for heart failure. The chocolate consumed by the women was the equivalent of a high quality dark chocolate with a high cocoa content somewhat like dark chocolate by American standards.

In this study, researchers found:

• Women who ate an average of one to two servings of the high-quality chocolate per week had a 32 percent lower risk of developing heart failure.
• Those who had one to three servings per month had a 26 percent lower risk.
• Those who consumed at least one serving daily or more didn’t appear to benefit from a protective effect against heart failure.

The lack of a protective effect among women eating chocolate every day is probably because of the additional calories gained from eating chocolate instead of lower calorie foods.

Chocolate is, of course, pretty calorie-dense food and if you eat too much you raise your risk for weight gain. But the researchers say that if you’re going to have a treat, dark chocolate is probably a good choice, as long as it’s in moderation.

The benefits seem to correlate with a high content of cocoa in the chocolate and that’s bad news for Americans. Although 90 percent of all chocolate eaten across Sweden during the study period was milk chocolate, it contained about 30 percent cocoa solids. U.S. standards only require 15 percent cocoa solids to qualify as dark chocolate. So, by comparison, American chocolate may have fewer heart benefits and more calories and fat per equivalent amounts of cocoa content compared to the chocolate eaten by the Swedish women in the study.

And, of course, in the words of Linda Van Horn, immediate past chair of the American Heart Association Nutrition. "This is not an ‘eat all you want’ take-home message, rather it’s that eating a little dark chocolate can be healthful, as long as other adverse behaviors do not occur, such as weight gain or excessive intake of non-nutrient dense ‘empty’ calories."

A new study has found that middle-aged and elderly Swedish women who regularly ate a small amount of chocolate had lower risks of heart failure risks. (Credit: iStockphoto)

So, of course, we’re not going to go home and empty out the chocolate box, are we? But I think you’ll agree that any article that says that chocolate is good for you was worth the time to read.