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Chemotherapy doesn't just kill cancer cells. It also affects the microbes in the digestive tract. Researchers have discovered that some gut bacteria can reduce the side effects of these potent treatments, and that one family of cancer drugs may actually boost these protective bacteria. The phenomenon could help physicians to predict the severity of a patient's side effects, and it points the way to supplements that could help those whose guts aren't sufficiently protecting them. Turnbaugh's team found colorectal cancer patients taking a class of chemotherapy drugs known as fluoropyrimidines had less diverse microbiomes in their digestive systems. But the...

A team of chemists has achieved the unprecedented: stabilizing a notoriously reactive carbene molecule in water, validating a decades-old theory about vitamin B1 and offering a greener path for chemical manufacturing. Chemists have successfully generated an unstable molecule in water, a feat once believed to be impossible. Chemists have confirmed a 67-year-old theory about vitamin B1 by stabilizing a highly reactive molecule in water, a breakthrough that was long considered impossible. This discovery not only resolves a long-standing biochemical question but also paves the way for more sustainable and efficient methods of producing pharmaceuticals. The molecule involved is a carbene,...

Founded in 2025 by Dixie Grace's Boiled Peanuts. NATIONAL BOILED PEANUTS DAY February 21 is National Boiled Peanuts Day on the National Day Calendar. Today, we are celebrating not only one of America's oldest snacks, but also learning why this delicious treat has become a global snacking staple. #NationalBoiledPeanutsDay Boiling peanuts has been a cultural practice in the Southern U.S. since the 1800s, but it has been widely growing in popularity across the country, too. Originally called "goober peas," boiled peanuts are often referred to as the "Edamame of the South". Whatever you call them, boiled peanuts have been a...

Micronutrient deficiency, whereby levels of vitamins and minerals essential for healthy bodily function are far too low, is common in people with type 2 diabetes, finds a pooled data analysis of the available evidence. A lack of vitamin D is the most common "missing" micronutrient. Genetic predisposition, various environmental factors, sedentary lifestyle, an unhealthy diet and obesity are risk factors for the disease, explain the researchers. And previously published research suggests that micronutrients have a key role in the development of type 2 diabetes, by potentially affecting glucose metabolism and insulin signaling pathways. Their analysis included 132 studies, involving 52,501...

While manganese is an essential mineral involved in many bodily functions, both deficiency and excessive exposure can cause health issues. Chronic manganese exposure may result in a condition known as manganism, characterized by symptoms resembling Parkinson's disease, including tremors, muscle stiffness, and cognitive disturbances. New research employs model systems and human nerve cells to show the mechanisms by which manganese inflicts damage to the central nervous system. The study also suggests that the vitamin biotin may have a protective effect, potentially mitigating manganese-induced damage. "In this study, we applied untargeted metabolomics using high-resolution mass spectrometry and advanced cheminformatics computing in...

Results from a randomized, phase 2 clinical trial show that adding high-dose, intravenous (IV) vitamin C to chemotherapy doubles the overall survival of patients with late-stage metastatic pancreatic cancer from eight months to 16 months. "The results were so strong in showing the benefit of this therapy for patient survival that we were able to stop the trial early." In the study, 34 patients with stage 4 metastatic pancreatic cancer were randomized to receive either standard chemotherapy (gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel), or chemotherapy plus infusions of high-dose vitamin C. The results showed that average overall survival was 16 months for the...

A study of more than 300,000 adults in the United Kingdom has found support for a causal relationship between vitamin D deficiency and mortality. These findings suggest a need for public health strategies to maintain healthy levels of vitamin D in the population. Low vitamin D status has been linked to increased mortality, but mortality in the context of vitamin D deficiency remains unclear. Randomized controlled trials either fail to recruit people with severe deficiency or, because of ethical reasons, are prevented from doing so. Researchers conducted a nonlinear mendelian randomization study of 307,601 participants in the U.K. Biobank to...

A team of researchers located at Helmholtz Munich reports on a novel function of vitamin K, which is generally known for its importance in blood clotting. The researchers discovered that the fully reduced form of vitamin K acts as an antioxidant efficiently inhibiting ferroptotic cell death. Ferroptosis is a natural form of cell death in which cellular iron plays an important role and which is characterized by the oxidative destruction of cellular membranes. In addition, the team identified FSP1 as the warfarin-insensitive enzyme reducing vitamin K, the identity of which had been postulated but remained unknown for more than half...

Pantothenate acid, also known as vitamin B5, stimulated the production of brown fat in both cell cultures and mice, a new study finds. "We identified [pantothenate acid] as an effective [brown fat] activator that can prevent obesity and may represent a promising strategy for the clinical treatment of obesity and related metabolic diseases," the researchers wrote. Unlike the more common white fat, brown fat burns calories to produce heat. Under particular conditions, white fat can be converted to brown fat. Scientists have been investigating the behavior of brown fat and methods of converting white fat in hope of finding treatments...

Scientists Create Tomatoes Genetically Engineered To Boost Vitamin D. They used gene editing to enhance the production of vitamin D3 in tomatoes.

A study investigating the impact of vitamin D on gene expression has found significant differences between vitamin D2 and vitamin D3 supplements. The findings, published in the journal Frontiers in Immunology, indicate vitamin D3 may be more effective at strengthening the immune system compared to vitamin D2. Vitamin D generally comes in two main forms: ergocalciferol (vitamin D2) and cholecalciferol (vitamin D3). Prior research has established vitamin D3 supplements are much more effective at raising a person’s blood levels of vitamin D. However, it is unclear whether there is any functional differences to human health between the two types of...

In April 2005, a virulent strain of influenza hit a maximum-security forensic psychiatric hospital for men that’s midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles. John J. Cannell, a psychiatrist there, observed with increasing curiosity as one infected ward after another was quarantined to limit the outbreak. Although 10 percent of the facility’s 1,200 patients ultimately developed the flu’s fever and debilitating muscle aches, none did in the ward that he supervised. WINTER WOES. Cold-weather wear and the sun’s angle in the winter sky limit how much ultraviolet light reaches the skin. This can add up to a deficiency in production...

Sepsis, an infection that kills millions worldwide each year and is the third leading cause of death in the United States, may have finally met its match. Paul Marik, the EVMS Foundation Distinguished Professor in Internal Medicine, Professor of Internal Medicine and Chief of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, believes he has developed a cure for the life-threatening infection. His treatment breakthrough promises to revolutionize sepsis care and produce results that are nothing short of astonishing. Vitamin C is often used intravenously as part of a treatment for cancer. Hydrocortisone is used to relieve inflammation and for a variety of...

High doses of vitamin C injected into the blood stream could help treat cancer, new research from scientists suggests. Injecting patients with a dose 1,000 times higher than the recommended level could target tumour cells and make radiation and chemotherapy more effective. Scientists gave eleven brain cancer sufferers regular dosages of vitamin C every week for nine months while receiving typical radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Tests showed the extra vitamin – usually found in oranges, green vegetables, broccoli and strawberries – made cancer cells more susceptible to treatment. It also appeared to be safe, producing mild side effects such as frequent...

MONDAY, April 4, 2016 -- Regular doses of vitamin D3 may improve heart function in heart failure patients, a new British study suggests. "These findings could make a significant difference to the care of heart failure patients," said study leader Dr. Klaus Witte, from the University of Leeds School of Medicine. "It is the first evidence that vitamin D3 can improve heart function of people with heart muscle weakness -- known as heart failure."

Vitamin D ...the researchers found that adults who took vitamin D supplements daily lived longer than those who didn't. Probiotics ...they're useful in very specific circumstances, but it's not necessary to continually take them on a daily basis. Zinc ...the mineral significantly reduced the duration of the cold, and also made symptoms less severe. Niacin ...Also known as vitamin B3, niacin is talked up as a cure for all sorts of conditions (including high cholesterol, Alzheimer's, diabetes and headaches) but in most of these cases, a prescription-strength dose of niacin has been needed to show a clear result. At over-the-counter...

Researchers say vitamin E might slow the progression of mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease -- the first time any treatment has been shown to alter the course of dementia at that stage. In a study of more than 600 older veterans, high doses of the vitamin delayed the decline in daily living skills, such as making meals, getting dressed and holding a conversation, by about six months over a two-year period. Vitamin E did not preserve thinking abilities, though, and it did no good for patients who took it with another Alzheimer's medication. But those taking vitamin E alone required less help...

Nicotinamide, commonly known as vitamin B3, may help the innate immune system kill antibiotic-resistant staph bacteria, the so-called "superbugs". In lab work done with mice and human blood, researchers found high doses of the vitamin increased the ability of immune cells to kill the bacteria by 1,000 times.The discovery opens the door to a new arsenal of tools for dealing with antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections, such as those caused by methicillin-resistant S. aureus or MRSA, that have killed thousands of people around the world. They are increasing in hospitals and nursing homes, and also rising in prisons, among athletes, people in...

DALLAS - Walking is just fine with 58-year-old Mary Cecil, who used to be an avid runner. "I was running and I started feeling pain in my left leg, and it was also tender when I slept on that side," she said. Cecil suspected a shin splint or pulled muscle. A bone scan, however, revealed a rare and aggressive tumor called dedifferentiated chondrosarcoma. The bone cancer is virtually unstudied. According to limited information, only one in 10 diagnosed with it survive two years. "Very scary," recalled Cecil of how she felt upon learning of the diagnosis. "The world just turned...

Medical quotes "We did the best we could... We can't recommend Chiropractic care because we 'don't know' what kind of harm they may cause. Research shows that supplements are dangerous. Research shows that drugs are effective and 'well tolerated' The medical profession deserves the public's trust" and they believe every word they say! Philosophy matters. Conservative, natural care has actually been defined by MDs as doing nothing. If you believe that drugs and surgery are the only solutions, then, what else do you have?