Karin's Life Force

Source: Manning Selvage & Lee
The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) unveiled new guidelines to help consumers select credible probiotic and prebiotic products.

Probiotics and prebiotics are becoming an increasingly popular choice for consumers as more and more new products hit the shelves in the United States each year. The health benefits of probiotics and prebiotics include intestinal benefits and beyond, such as regulating the immune system, managing disease and improving mineral absorption.

When you live with Cancer your perspective on what you want to acheive changes dramatically.  You no longer focus on material wealth, career accomplishments or accumulating more “stuff” in your life.  It’s remarkable how “simple” everyday things mean the most.  

When it comes to making a New Year’s Resolution, survival is obviously top of the list, but I found what helps me the most on New Year’s Eve is to review what contributes to my survival and am I staying true to those things.

My first baby steps into the world of blogging.  I’m not sure how this is going to evolve, but it’s another adventure on my life’s journey.  It’s my journey that I want to write about.  I hope the information i share will be of value to others, that’s the purpose behind my decision to blog. 

In 2010 I enter my 5th year as a survivor of Brain Cancer.  To say that its had an impact on my life would be a silly understatement.  It’s made a profound difference on all levels and I’m ready to share more on how I have worked through all the issues that I’ve dealt with, from the initial diagnosis in 2005 to today.

Source: Mayo Clinic

Newswise — Not all bacteria are bad. Human digestive tracts are loaded with trillions of bacteria that aren’t harmful and can be beneficial or even crucial to health.

The June issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter delves into probiotics — foods and supplements that contain so-called friendly bacteria and what’s known about how they might benefit health.

Probiotics seem to change how the immune system reacts to invading microorganisms. They may compete with harmful bacteria or enhance the immune system. Also, they may help calm the immune system’s overreaction in ways not fully understood. And they may help restore or maintain proper bacteria balance in the intestines, which can be upset by antibiotics or invading microorganisms.

Source: American Medical Association (AMA)

Newswise — Very low birth-weight newborns who received the milk protein lactoferrin alone or in combination with a probiotic had a reduced incidence of late-onset sepsis, according to a study in the October 7 issue of JAMA.

Newswise — The probiotic, Bacillus polyfermenticus, can help mice recover from colitis, a new study has found. Mice treated with B. polyfermenticus during the non-inflammatory period of the disease had reduced rectal bleeding, their tissues were less inflamed and they gained more weight than mice that did not receive the treatment.

Colitis is a disease in which the inner tissue of the colon, the mucosa, becomes inflamed and damaged and can result in painful sores. Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease are the two major types of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). It is not yet known what causes the diseases, but both are believed to be the result of altered intestinal immune responses in genetically predisposed individuals.

Newswise — While it is a well-known fact that most Americans do not eat enough fruits and vegetables, a new report shows the color of fruits and veggies eaten can be as important as the quantity. Eight in 10 Americans are missing out on the health benefits of a diet rich in colorful fruits and vegetables, resulting in a phytonutrient gap with potential health consequences, according to America’s Phytonutrient Report released today.

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Newswise — A naturally produced molecule called resveratrol, found in the skin of red grapes, has been shown to lower insulin levels in mice when injected directly into the brain, even when the animals ate a high-fat diet.

The findings from a new UT Southwestern Medical Center study suggest that when acting directly on certain proteins in the brain, resveratrol may offer some protection against diabetes. Prior research has shown that the compound exerts anti-diabetic actions when given orally to animals with type 2 diabetes (non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus), but it has been unclear which tissues in the body mediated these effects.

Released: 12/15/2009 9:00 AM EST
Source: University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

Newswise — Inhibiting fatty acid synthesis in brain cancer cells may offer a new option to treat about 50 percent of deadly glioblastomas that are driven by amplified signaling of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), according to a first-of-its-kind study by researchers at UCLA’s Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Rapidly dividing cancer cells require fatty acids for the formation of new membranes. The fatty acids also provide an alternative energy source for the cancer cells, and may be important for regulating cell signaling, said Dr. Paul Mischel, a professor of pathology and laboratory medicine and senior author of the study, which appears in the Dec. 15 issue of the journal Science Signaling.

Bigdaddy Media — ‘Tis the giving season so treat yourself to holiday goodies that are good for you.

“Some of the tastiest treats of the season pack a powerful nutritional wallop,” said Jennifer McDaniel, a registered dietitian and director of undergraduate programs in nutrition and dietetics at Saint Louis University.

“We tend to associate certain foods with the holidays, but they’re so nutritious we should include them in our every day diet.”

Here are McDaniel’s top five power foods for your holiday munching: