A recent study published in the second issue for July of the American Thoracic Society’s American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine found that eating nuts (particularly peanuts) increased the child’s risk of developing asthma by more than 50 percent over women who rarely or never consume nut products during pregnancy
 
Interestingly there was a small but significant protective benefit for pregnant women who consumed fruit daily.

A natural compound from magnolia (called “honokiol”) blocks a pathway for cancer growth that was previously considered “undruggable,” researchers have found. It also appears to be particularly effective against breast cancer. In one study, treatment of different human breast cancer cell lines with honokiol resulted in a time- and concentration-dependent growth inhibition in both estrogen receptor-positive and -negative breast cancer cell lines, as well as in drug-resistant breast cancer cell lines such as adriamycin-resistant and tamoxifen-resistant cell lines
 
Other studies have found honokiol to be particularly potent against tumors with activated Ras. One of the effects of Ras is to drive pumps that remove chemotherapy drugs from cancer cells. In breast cancer cell lines with activations in Ras family genes, honokiol appears to prevent Ras from turning on an enzyme called phospholipase D. It also has similar effects in lung and bladder cancer cells in the laboratory. Phospholipase D provides what have come to be known as “survival signals” in cancer cells, allowing them to stay alive when ordinary cells would die.
 
References
 
“Honokiol Suppresses Survival Signals Mediated by Ras-Dependent Phospholipase D Activity in Human Cancer Cells.” Clinical Cancer Research 14, 4267-4274, July 1, 2008. doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-08-0102. Avalon Garcia, Yang Zheng, Chen Zhao, Alfredo Toschi, Judy Fan, Natalie Shraibman, H. Alex Brown, Dafna Bar-Sagi, David A. Foster and Jack L. Arbiser ###
 
Eur J Pharmacol. 2008 Jun 12. Anti-tumor effect of honokiol alone and in combination with other anti-cancer agents in breast cancer. Liu H, Zang C, Emde A, Planas-Silva MD, Rosche M, Kühnl A, Schulz CO, Elstner E, Possinger K, Eucker J.

Back in October, Laura Avery of KCRW interviewed a local farmer named Mario Trevino about the medicinal properties of tomatillo husks. Turns out that he’s been brewing these to help lower his blood sugar! Several of you can surely use this as an adjunct to your current dietary modifications if you have diabetes or pre-diabetes.  
 
Tomatillo Husk Tea
 
10 tomatillo husks  
1 zucchini  
1 nopal cactus  
 
Boil for an hour and a half. Let it sit overnight. Drink the following morning. It supposedly tastes awful but it works for him.

On July 4, Steve made an amazing summer potato purslane salad. Purslane is an amazing green vegetable that looks like a succulent. It has a tangy bite to it and it’s one of the only vegetables that is high in omega 3 fatty acids. It’s only in season during the summer months and we can find it at the farmers markets in So Cal. 
 
1 lb Fingerling or Yukon Gold potatoes 
1 large bunch purslane 
4 scallions 
1/4-1/3 cup grapeseed vegannaise 
2 tablespoons dijon mustard 
2 tablespoons good quality red wine vinegar 
1/3-1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil 
2 cloves garlic (optional) 
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves (optional) 
Celtic sea salt and freshly ground Tellicherry black pepper (yes it makes a difference) 
 
Steam the potatoes until tender, cool slightly and cut into chunks. Remove the large tough stems from the purslane, soak in acidulated water, drain and then coarsely chop. Slice the green onions thinly including the green part. Finely mince the garlic and thyme leaves, if using. Combine the garlic, thyme, red wine vinegar, mustard and mayonaise in a small mixing bowl and whisk together. Add the oil slowly until you have a nice emulsion that stays together. Season with the salt and pepper, tasting for balance. Combine the purslane, potatoes and green onions in a large salad bowl, then pour enough of the dressing over it to coat all of it. Gently toss, making sure everything is well coated but not swimming in dressing. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or so before serving. Taste for seasoning before serving.

According to new research presented at the 24th annual conference of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology, diabetes can directly lead to DNA damage.
 
Many people get normal sperm analyses and assume their sperm quality is good. However, you cannot rely on the standard sperm analysis to determine if one’s sperm is healthy. For example, in this study, the standard sperm analysis (microscopic examinations of the semen samples) appeared normal, apart from a slight decrease in volume.
 
However, the researchers found that when they looked at DNA damage (not a standard test), they saw a very different picture. According to the lead researcher Dr. Con Mallidis “Sperm RNA was significantly altered, and many of the changes we observed are in RNA transcripts involved in DNA repair. And comparison with a database of men of proven fertility confirmed our findings. Diabetics have a significant decrease in their ability to repair sperm DNA, and once this is damaged it cannot be restored.”
 
Sperm DNA quality is known to be associated with decreased embryo quality, low embryo implantation rates, higher miscarriage rates, and some serious childhood diseases, in particular some childhood cancers. Over the years possible causes for sperm DNA fragmentation have been suggested but to date the exact mechanism for the damage remains unknown, say the researchers.
 
The specific mechanisms of the damage were believed to be from advanced glycation end products (AGE’s) in the male reproductive tract due to sugar dysregulation.
 
Our researchers have found mechanisms by which Oriental Medicine can help prevent and repair AGE damage. We are preparing an article for submission and will post details after publication.

Public release date: 7-Jul-2008
 
Initial stages of laboratory research has shown that resveratrol, even at fairly low concentrations, suppresses the abnormal cell formation that leads to most types of breast cancer, suggesting a potential role for the agent in breast cancer prevention. Resveratrol is a natural substance found in red grapes. It is also commonly sold in extract form as a dietary supplement and yes, red wine also has a decent amount, though the alcohol may counteract some of the beneficial effects depending on how good your detoxification capacity is. Resveratrol and other polyphenols like Quercetin also reduce iron and copper levels which can also be beneficial in cancer prevention.
 
“Resveratrol has the ability to prevent the first step that occurs when estrogen starts the process that leads to cancer by blocking the formation of the estrogen DNA adducts. We believe that this could stop the whole progression that leads to breast cancer down the road,” said Eleanor G. Rogan, Ph.D., a professor in the Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

Rogan was the lead author of the report that was published in the July 2008 issue of Cancer Prevention Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.