Zinc supplementation raises serum zinc and 5'-nucleotidase activities in healthy, USA middle-aged men.

Many types of people have been noted to show less than maximum zinc functional status. One group that has not been examined is healthy middle-aged, non-vegetarian men in the USA. To determine if supplementation with zinc improves values for two plasma indicators of zinc status.

Borage oil intake by overweight young adults: no effect on metabolic rate; beneficial effects on plasma triglyceride and HDL cholesterol readings.

Some research has raised the possibility that gamma linolenic acid (GLA) can increase resting metabolic rate (RMR), which can help with weight control. However, in overweight young adults with a family history of obesity, no effect on RMR was seen after a 6 weeks treatment with borage oil (880 mg GLA per day) or evening primrose oil (540 mg GLA per day). On the other hand, borage oil did lower plasma triglyceride readings and raise HDL cholesterol readings (mean starting values in normal range for triglycerides, borderline low for HDL).

Ferritin readings in young adult, female university student recreational runners.

Background: Elite female athletes have shown vulnerability to various degrees of iron deficiency. Less is known about recreational fitness exercisers. A study was done to examine plasma ferritin, an assessor of iron status, in young adult, university student fitness runners.

Comparison of Thymulin Activity with Other Measures of Marginal Zinc Deficiency.

Activity of the immunoregulatory peptide thymulin reflects differences in zinc status. This study compared thymulin activity with four other zinc status measures in rats fed zinc at either 5 or 25 ppm. Rats fed the lower zinc showed the following results compared with rats with adequate zinc intake: serum thymulin activity 61% lower, serum zinc 31% lower, serum extracellular superoxide dismutase 18% lower, serum 5'-nucleotidase activity 26% lower, and liver metallothionein 28% lower.

A Pilot, Randomized Study in Women of Nutrition-Related Clinical Chemistry at 6 Weeks after Roux en Y Gastric Bypass: Comparison of Two Nutrition Support Plans.

Background: The current pilot study tested a twofold hypothesis: some nutrition-related chemical measures change by 6 weeks after Roux en Y Gastric Bypass (RNYGB); one of two nutrition support plans will prevent chemical signs of nutrition problems at 6 weeks better than the other. After RNYGB, nutrition support should begin right away. However, studies on nutritional status mostly examine subjects much later.

Enhanced aerobic exercise performance in women by a combination of three mineral Chelates plus two conditionally essential nutrients.

Background: Certain essential and conditionally essential nutrients (CENs) perform functions involved in aerobic exercise performance. However, increased intake of such nutrient combinations has not actually been shown to improve such performance.

Methods: For 1 mo, aerobically fit, young adult women took either a combination of 3 mineral glycinate complexes (daily dose: 36 mg iron, 15 mg zinc, and 2 mg copper) + 2 CENs (daily dose: 2 g carnitine and 400 mg phosphatidylserine), or the same combination with generic mineral complexes, or placebo ( = 14/group).

A randomized, double blind, placebo controlled study of spirulina supplementation on indices of mental and physical fatigue in men.

Spirulina may increase people's ability to resist mental and physical fatigue. This study tested that hypothesis in a randomized, double blinded, placebo controlled study in men. After 1 week, a 3 g/day dose of spirulina produced a small, but statistically significant increase in exercise output (Kcals consumed in 30 min exercise on a cross trainer machine).

A pilot comparison of phospolipidated lutein to conventional lutein for effects on plasma lutein concentrations in adult people.

Background: The percent absorption of lutein from supplements falls well below that from lutein enriched egg yolk, a rich source of phospholipids. Therefore, a supplement of lutein plus phospholipids was tested for effects on serum accumulation.

Methods: A 10 day supplementation with a solid-lipid particle (SLP) lutein complex or conventional lutein ester was done in apparently healthy people (both supplement types taken with fat containing meals).

Moderately High Dose Zinc Gluconate or Zinc Glycinate: Effects on Plasma Zinc and Erythrocyte Superoxide Dismutase Activities in Young Adult Women.

Some zinc (Zn) research studies have used either Zn gluconate or Zn glycinate, but the two forms have not been compared much. Therefore, a moderately high dose of the two forms (60 mg Zn/day) were compared in a 6-week intervention in young adult women. Plasma Zn, the traditional assessment of Zn status, was increased in all subjects given Zn glycinate (N = 10), while no significant change was seen overall for Zn gluconate or placebo (N = 10 each).

The ghost in the machine is the elephant in the room: souls, death, and harm at the end of life.

The idea that we human beings have souls that can continue to have conscious experiences after the deaths of our bodies is controversial in contemporary academic bioethics; this idea is obviously present whenever questions about harm at the end of life are discussed, but this idea is often ignored or avoided because it is more comfortable to do so. After briefly discussing certain types of experiences that lead some people to believe in souls that can survive the deaths of their bodies, I begin to answer the question, "If personal postmortem survival of some sort is real, then how should this alter the way we approach our bioethical discussions about death, the harm of death, and harming the dead?" The bioethics issues I briefly discuss in the remaining two sections are the debate about defining death and the decision whether to forego life-prolonging treatments.

Diverse effects of a low dose supplement of lipidated curcumin in healthy middle aged people.

Background: Curcumin extracts of turmeric are proposed to produce health benefits. To date, human intervention studies have focused mainly on people with existing health problems given high doses of poorly absorbed curcumin. The purpose of the current study was to check whether in healthy people, a low dose of a lipidated curcumin extract could alter wellness-related measures.

A randomized trial of copper supplementation effects on blood copper enzyme activities and parameters related to cardiovascular health.

Marginal copper deficiency, which may affect cardiovascular disease risk, is proposed to occur in many adults in Western industrialized countries. The present study tested the hypothesis that in a group of USA adults, increased copper intake would alter readings for blood copper enzymes and markers relevant to cardiovascular disease risk. Healthy middle aged adults with moderately high cholesterol, were given either placebo or copper supplementation (2 mg copper/day as copper glycinate) for 8 weeks.

Acute reduction of serum 8-iso-PGF2-alpha and advanced oxidation protein products in vivo by a polyphenol-rich beverage; a pilot clinical study with phytochemical and in vitro antioxidant characterization.

Background: Measuring the effects of the acute intake of natural products on human biomarker concentrations, such as those related to oxidation and inflammation, can be an advantageous strategy for early clinical research on an ingredient or product.

Methods: 31 total healthy subjects were randomized in a double-blinded, placebo-controlled, acute pilot study with post-hoc subgroup analysis on 20 of the subjects. The study examined the effects of a single dose of a polyphenol-rich beverage (PRB), commercially marketed as "SoZo(®)", on serum anti-inflammatory and antioxidant markers.

A comparison of zinc metabolism, inflammation, and disease severity in critically ill infected and noninfected adults early after intensive care unit admission.

Background: Zinc deficiency is a cause of immune dysfunction and infection. Previous human studies have shown that the activation of the acute phase response alters zinc metabolism. Whether the alteration in zinc metabolism is predictive of disease severity in the setting of critical illness is unclear.

Selenium glycinate supplementation increases blood glutathione peroxidase activities and decreases prostate-specific antigen readings in middle-aged US men.

Two concepts are often currently applied to selenium in adult men in the United States: • Intake is generally enough to maximize blood glutathione peroxidase activities. • In such men, selenium supplementation does not reduce risk of prostate cancer. In contrast to these concepts, 30 healthy middle-aged men were studied to test the following hypothesis: 6-week supplementation of 200 μg of selenium as glycinate can raise activities of 2 blood selenium enzymes and lower a marker of prostate cancer risk.

Zinc for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: placebo-controlled double-blind pilot trial alone and combined with amphetamine.

Objective: To explore effects of zinc supplementation in American children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Mideastern trials reported significant benefit from 13-40 mg elemental zinc as the sulfate.

Method: We randomly assigned 52 children aged 6-14 with DSM-IV ADHD to zinc supplementation (15 mg every morning [qAM] or two times per day [b.

Serum ferritin and amphetamine response in youth with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

Introduction: Iron deficiency (ID) has been associated with attention and behavioral problems, in general, and with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), in particular. The study aim was to explore whether iron stores, as reflected by serum ferritin concentration, predicted response to psychostimulants.

Methods: Six- to 14-year-old children with ADHD enrolled in a multiphase, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial investigating zinc supplementation in treating ADHD and optimizing response to psychostimulants.

Anti-heartburn effects of a fenugreek fiber product.

Frequent heartburn occurs in many people, some of whom prefer alternative treatments over conventional drugs. In a pilot study of subjects with frequent heartburn, 2 week intake of a fenugreek fiber product, taken 30 min before two meals/day, diminished heartburn severity. This conclusion was based on symptom diary results and reduced the use of a mild antacid as a rescue medicine.