In the News

More Power to the Cranberry: Study Shows the Juice is Better than Extracts at Fighting Bacterial Infections

Review of Japanese Iodine Intake Based on Seaweed Consumption in Japan

Got Probiotics? Research Reveals Beneficial Bacteria and Calcium Builds Bone Density

Emerson Ecologics Launches Online Advanced Search for Enhanced Customer Experience

More Power to the Cranberry: Study Shows the Juice is Better than Extracts at Fighting Bacterial Infections

Cranberry juice still remains the most effective way to fight a urinary tract infection.

With scientific evidence now supporting the age-old wisdom that cranberries, whether in sauce or as juice, prevent UTIs, people have wondered if there was an element of the berry that, if extracted and condensed, perhaps in pill form, would be as effective as drinking the juice or eating cranberry sauce. A new study from researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute helps to answer that question.

The study tested proanthocyanidins or PACs, a group of flavonoids found in cranberries. Because they were thought to be the ingredient that gives the juice its infection-fighting properties, PACs have been considered a hopeful target for an effective extract. The new WPI report, however, shows that cranberry juice, itself, is far better at preventing biofilm formation, which is the precursor of infection, than PACs alone.

“What we have shown is that cranberry juice’s ability to prevent biofilms is more complex than we may have originally thought,” said Terri Camesano, professor of chemical engineering at WPI and senior author on the paper. “For a while, the field focused on these PACs, but the data shows that they aren’t the silver bullet.”

In the new study, Camesano’s team, which included graduate student Paola Andrea Pinzón-Arango and intern Kerrie Holguin, incubated two different strains of E. coli in the presence of two different mixtures of commercially available cranberry juice cocktail. They also incubated the bacteria separately in the presence of PACs, but not juice. While the juice cultures completely prevented biofilm formation, the PACs showed only limited ability to reduce biofilm formation, and only after extended exposure to the E. coli.

“Cranberries have been recognized for their health benefits for a number of years, especially in the prevention of UTIs,” the authors write in the new paper. “While the mechanisms of action of cranberry products on bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation are not fully understood…this study shows that cranberry juice is better at inhibiting biofilm formation than isolated A-type cranberry flavonoids and PACs, although the reasons for this are not yet clear.”

Review of Japanese Iodine Intake Based on Seaweed Consumption in Japan

A thorough literature-based analysis conducted by ZRT Laboratory clears up much of the confusion surrounding the iodine content of the Japanese diet.

Previous estimations for the amount of iodine the Japanese consume daily from seaweeds have been as high as 13.5 to 45 mg/day by sources that used ambiguous data to approximate intake. This is 4.5 to 15 times greater than the safe upper limit of 3 mg/day set by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare in Japan.

For the assessment, published in the October 2011 issue of Thyroid Research, a collection of Japanese diet studies measuring the amount of iodine in 24-hour diet samples were analyzed along with studies reporting urine iodine levels. Approximately 97% of dietary iodine is excreted in the urine and levels can increase in a single day and return to normal within a couple of days, depending on seaweed intake. It was concluded that the daily iodine intake of the Japanese, based on both 24-hour diet samples and urine collections, typically does not exceed 3 mg.

Got Probiotics? Research Reveals Beneficial Bacteria and Calcium Builds Bone Density

Americans consume large amounts of calcium-rich dairy products, yet also have a high incidence of osteoporosis. Researchers in Asia, where both osteoporosis and dairy consumption have historically been quite low, might have found a major clue.
 
It turns out that in order for calcium to be absorbed and used, a healthy gut population of probiotics is necessary. Thankfully, there are simple dietary adjustments that can alter the body's internal chemistry in favor of building strong bones.
 
"Scientists suspect that probiotics help the body properly digest calcium," said Mindy Barrows, CN, national director of education at Dallas-based Essential Formulas Incorporated, the U.S. distributor of the Japanese probiotic supplement used in the study.  "The friendly bacteria also manufacture some of the vitamin cofactors needed for bone-building including B6, B12, K, and folic acid."
 
Scientists have noted that it is important to provide both pro- and pre-biotic components for the GI tract to enhance calcium uptake.  Such dramatic results might not occur when using common freeze-dried probiotic supplements.  
 
In addition to probiotic and prebiotic supplementation, Dr. Natalie Engelbart, founder and clinical director at Alternative Health Solutions in Flower Mound, Texas encourages women to consider increasing magnesium intake for better bone health.  "Magnesium regulates calcium absorption into our bones, and ensures that calcium deposits don't wind up in the soft tissue.  The proper balance for our body is a ratio of 2:1 calcium to magnesium.  But if you have been deficient in magnesium due to high stress, or from taking calcium rich supplements or foods, you may want to increase your magnesium intake even more."

Emerson Ecologics Launches Online Advanced Search for Enhanced Customer Experience

Looking for a new product doesn’t have to be time consuming anymore. Customers can quickly advance from initial screening to detailed product comparison to finding the perfect product in just minutes

Emerson Ecologics, LLC, the leading provider of professional-grade nutritional supplements to the healthcare practitioner market, today announced the launch of a new Advanced Search on their website, www.emersonecologics.com. The additional functionality of the search enables customers to quickly and easily find a product that meets their specifications, including ingredients, supplier, dietary needs, delivery form, and user type.

Entering preferred parameters into the Emerson Ecologics' Advanced Search delivers a customized set of results from their broad selection of brands and products, saving practitioners' considerable time in finding the right products. Active ingredients can be included and/or excluded in a search; inactive ingredients, such as select flavoring agents, binders or fillers, can also be excluded. Vitamins and minerals can be specified to be above or below average dosages to assist in finding a higher or lower potency product. Multiple manufacturers, including Emerson Quality Program(SM) (EQP) Partners, as well as product categories can be selected as search factors. Patient-specific criteria, such as delivery format (liquid, capsules, etc.), dietary needs and allergens (gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, etc.), and user type (children, seniors, pets, etc.), further refines a product search to meet the practitioner's requirements. In addition, keywords enable a complete search of all text on product labels. Each set of criteria is optional, enabling a broad or very specific product query to better serve customers.

"The quantity and diversity of products that Emerson offers is one of the things our customers love about our service," commented Lise Alschuler, ND, FABNO, Vice President of Quality and Education, Emerson Ecologics. "However, with so many products, customers have encountered challenges trying to find a specific product that meets their criteria. Our Advanced Search now allows practitioners to easily find exactly what they are looking for from the largest collection of professional dietary supplements available."

Advanced Search is a comprehensive database of each and every ingredient of 12,000 nutritional supplement products that Emerson Ecologics carries. The project was completed over eighteen months with contributions from seven doctors.

An online demo is available at www.emersonecologics.com/advancedsearch to showcase this new website functionality.