Immune-Enhancing Role of Vitamin C and Zinc.

Posted on January 11, 2007 by Dr. Gary Pack

Vitamin C levels decline during infections and stress and supplementation of vitamin C improves the human immune system. Vitamin C protects cells from reactive oxygen species (ROS), which are the results of damage to cells by oxidation. Vitamin C is important in natural killer cell (NK) activity, an important part of the immune system that […]

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Conditions: Cancer, Colds (coryza), Diarrhea, Elderly, Immunosenescence, Infection, Malaria, Pneumonia, Respiratory infections, Stress, Zinc deficiency

Supplements: Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)

Miscellaneous: Immune system, Natural killer (NK) cells, Reactive oxygen species

Nutrient Strategies to Enhance Skeletal Integrity.

Posted on November 19, 2006 by Dr. Gary Pack

Osteoporosis is a bone disorder with reduced bone strength and high risk of fractures. The current epidemic of osteoporosis has resulted in new attempts to improve bone health with a focus on determination of risk for fractures and on finding treatments. Bone mineral density (BMD) is a good measure of fracture risk. There is no […]

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Purslane: A Plant Source of Omedga-3 Fatty Acids and Melatonin.

Posted on November 9, 2006 by Dr. Gary Pack

Purslane is a plant source of omega-3 fatty acids and melatonin, and it has the highest content of alpha linolenic acid (ALA) of any wild plant that can be eaten. Each 100 gms. of purslane contains 300-400 mg. of ALA, 12.2 mg. alpha tocopherol from of vitamin E, 26.6 mg. of ascorbic acid, 1.9 mg. […]

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Conditions: Cancer, Heart disease, Inflammation

Supplements: Alpha-tocopherol, Beta-carotene, Glutathione, Melatonin, Omega-3 fatty (linolenic) acid, Omega-6 fatty (linoleic) acid, Vitamin C (ascorbic acid), Vitamin E

Foods: Fruits, Purslane, Vegetables, Wild plants

Miscellaneous: Anticancer drugs, Antioxidant, Functional foods, Mediterranean diet

Rose Hip and L. Plantarum Reduce Colon Ischemia Injury.

Posted on October 15, 2006 by Dr. Gary Pack

Loss of colon circulation (ischemia) followed by the return of the circulation (reperfusion), as seen in colon surgery, was studied in mice. The result of ischemia/reperfusion is inflammation with reactive oxygen species (ROS). ROS cause lipid peroxidation with damage to the fatty layers of the cells of the intestinal wall. The bacteria of the colon […]

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Conditions: Colon ischemia, Colon surgery, Inflammation

Supplements: Lactobacillus plantarum, Probiotics, Rose hips, Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)

Miscellaneous: Enterobacter species, Lipid peroxidation

Iron, Folate and Vit. B-12 in Multiple Sclerosis.

Posted on October 5, 2006 by Dr. Gary Pack

Some patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) test low for iron and benefit from iron supplementation. The present study was done on MS patients to monitor their iron, ferritin, folate and homocysteine levels and to determine if replacement of certain deficiencies altered the course of the MS. MS is considered to be an autoimmune disease in […]

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Skin Wrinkling: Can Food Make a Difference?

Posted on October 4, 2006 by Dr. Gary Pack

This article by Purba, et al, addresses whether skin wrinkling due to sun exposure can be correlated with the food eaten by people in different parts of world. Groups of people were studied in Australia, Greece, and Sweden, with some of the people being born in Greece but living in Australia and vise versa. The […]

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Conditions: Actinic damage, Aging, Gender, Skin wrinkling, Smokers

Supplements: Antioxidants, Calcium, Carotenoids, CoQ-10 (coenzyme Q-10), Iron, Magnesium, Milk thistle (Silybum marianum), Phosphorus, Plant sterols (Phytosterols), Retinol, Vitamin C (ascorbic acid), Vitamin E, Zinc

Foods: Alcohol, Berries, Broad beans, Butter, Cereals, Cheese, Cherries, Coffee, Dessert, Dried fruits, Eggplant, Fats, Fish, Fruits, Garlic, Leafy green vegetables, Legumes, Meat, Milk, Milk products, Monounsaturated fatty acid, Mousaka, Oils, Olive oil, Polyunsaturated oil, Prunes, Pudding, Strawberries, Sugars, Tea (Camellia sinensis), Vegetables, Yogurt

Miscellaneous: Australia, Caffeine, Greece, Polyphenols, Sun exposure, Sweden, UV (ultraviolet) light

Menopause: Oxygen Stress and Dietary Antioxidants.

Posted on September 28, 2006 by Dr. Gary Pack

Menopause is a permanent loss of menstruation after a period of amenorrhea (abnormal stoppage of the menstrual periods) lasting more than one year. The usual range of age of onset is age 40 to 55 and symptoms of menopause include hot flashes, arteriosclerosis, and deterioration of the skin suggestive of estrogen deficiency. Hormone replacement therapy […]

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Antioxidants and Macular Degeneration.

Posted on April 23, 2006 by Dr. Gary Pack

The primary cause of blindness in the developed world is age related macular degeneration (AMD), and the goal of this study was to see if the intake of antioxidants in the daily diet would prevent AMD. Careful records of food intake were studied by extensive interviews with 5836 people using questionnaires. The patients were followed […]

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Conditions: Age-related macular degeneration, Blindness

Supplements: Antioxidants, Omega-3 fatty (linolenic) acid, Vitamin C (ascorbic acid), Vitamin E, Zinc

Foods: Broccoli, Carrots, Citrus fruit, Citrus juice, Dairy, Eggs, Fish, Green peppers, Kale, Meat, Nuts, Potatoes, Poultry, Spinach, Vegetable oils, Whole grains

Antioxidants in Arsenic and Cadmium Toxicity.

Posted on April 19, 2006 by Dr. Gary Pack

Arsenic and cadmium toxicity are serious sources of illness with exposure coming through food, water and industrial sources. Arsenic toxicity causes skin lesions, anemia, increased heart and vascular disease, diabetes and liver damage. Cadmium alters kidney function, causes osteoporosis and osteomalacia and increases cancer risk. S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe), alpha-lipoic acid, glutathione, selenium, zinc, N-acetylcysteine (NAC), methionine, […]

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Conditions: Anemia, Arsenic toxicity, Cadmium toxicity, Cancer, Cardiovascular disease, Heavy metal toxicity, Osteomalacia, Osteoporosis, Skin lesions

Supplements: Alpha lipoic acid, Alpha-tocopherol, Arsenicum album homeopathic, Cysteine, Garlic (Allium sativum), Glutathione, Methionine, N-acetylcysteine (NAC), S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe), Selenium, Vitamin C (ascorbic acid), Zinc

Foods: Garlic

Miscellaneous: Bangladesh, Methylation, West Bengal

Lycopene and Cardiovascular Disease.

Posted on April 13, 2006 by Dr. Gary Pack

Lycopene is a carotenoid that has been found to be an antioxidant. A previous study showed that lycopene has strong antioxidant activity, being able to combine oxygen better than alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, lutein, and alpha-tocopherol. Beta-carotene has been studied the most of the carotenoids but it has failed to show anticancer effects. In some high-risk patients, […]

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Conditions: Arteriosclerosis (atherosclerosis), Cancer, Cardiovascular disease, Heart attack, Myocardial infarction, Prostate cancer, Smokers

Supplements: Alpha-tocopherol, Beta-carotene, Carotenoids, Folic acid (folate), Lutein, Lycopene, Passionflower (Passiflora caerula), Potassium, Vitamin A, Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)

Foods: Passionflower fruit, Tomatoes

Miscellaneous: LDL-cholesterol