Black Tea Consumption Improves Indicators of Heart Health: Results of a newly published clinical trial showed that five servings of black tea per day reduced LDL ("bad") cholesterol by 11.1 percent and total cholesterol (TC) by 6.5 percent in mildly hypercholesterolemic adult study participants.

Is decaffeinated tea as healthful as regular tea?
The benefits come from antioxidant compounds called flavonoids. The levels depend on how the tea was processed. A few studies suggest that decaffeinated teas do have potential anti-cancer effects. For instance, one study found that smokers who drank four cups of decaffeinated green tea daily for four months had significantly reduced DNA damage, as shown by urine tests. Another study gauged the total antioxidant capacity of various teas and found that some decafs rank higher than some regular teas.

LUTEIN NEWS:
Scientists advising the UN food standards body Codex have established for the first time a maximum safety level for the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, far above than used in much of the research on the ingredients to date. The Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), the scientific advisory body to the Codex Alimentarius Commission, has set the 'acceptable daily intake' for the antioxidant ingredients, alone or in combination, at up to 2 mg per kilogram of body weight. This means that for a 160-lb/72.6 kg person, approximately 145 mg of lutein/zeaxanthin would be considered safe. A study published in April found that lutein supplements can reverse some of the damage done by 'dry' age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the most prevalent form of the disease. JECFA's review of toxicological and other data on free lutein and zeaxanthin derived from marigold flowers (Tagetes erecta) was published in the committee's report from its latest meeting in Geneva during 8-17 June.

SAW PALMETTO NEWS
Symptoms of an enlarged prostate (benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)) range from a weak urinary stream, to hesitancy and straining to urinate, to an inability to empty the bladder completely, to more serious complications including recurrent urinary tract infections and kidney damage.

Among herbal remedies, saw palmetto seems to be the most promising. Studies done on this herb found that saw palmetto reduced nighttime urination by 25% and other bothersome complaints by 28% when compared to a placebo. Side effects reported were mild and did not differ significantly from problems that the men attributed to the placebos.

Adjustments that could reduce the misery of BPH are:

 Reduce consumption of fluids, particularly after dinner.
 Alcohol and caffeine increase urine flow so limit their use and AVOID them after 3 p.m.
 Avoid medications that stimulate muscles in the bladder neck and prostate, as well as medications that weaken bladder   contractions.
 Never pass up a chance to use the bathroom, even if your bladder does not feel full.

FLAX SEED OIL NEWS
Substituting flaxseed or flaxseed oil for margarine on your toast; consuming wild Pacific salmon, baked tuna or sardines; and baking with flaxseed would go a long way to improving the health of millions of Americans. The news on flax and omega-3 fatty acids is very good, indeed.

Flax will cut your risk of stroke. By increasing intake of fruits, vegetables, folic acid and ALA, cancer and stroke rates can be "reduced by more than 50 %". An increase your intake of alpha-linolenic acid via flax oil and other omega-3 fatty acids from seafood (e.g., salmon and tuna) helps reduce arthritis-related inflammation.

BORAGE OIL NEWS
Borage Oil Reduces Periodontal Inflammation
Symptoms of periodontitis include bleeding gums, receding gums, loosening of the teeth, and infection in pockets that form between inflamed gums and teeth and can result in tooth loss. Good dental hygiene, including regular brushing and flossing, and periodic removal of plaque by a dentist or dental hygienist, is effective for prevention of periodontal inflammation. Anti-inflammatory medicines applied directly to the mouth or taken orally have been used to treat periodontitis with good effect. However, long-term use of oral anti-inflammatory medications can damage the stomach lining and cause gastritis and ulcers. The omega-6 fatty acids from borage seed oil and the omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil are known to have anti-inflammatory effects that don't harm the stomach lining. Both of these fatty acids act by altering the formation of substances known as prostaglandins that influence inflammation.

GINGER NEWS

SHOWN TO SLOW COLORECTAL CANCER
The substance that gives ginger its flavour appears to inhibit the growth of human colorectal cancer cells, according to research. Researchers from the University of Minnesota's Hormel Institute said that they found slower rates of cancer growth in mice without an immune system who were fed [6]-gingerol - the main active component of ginger and the one that gives it its flavour - three times a week.

"These results strongly suggest that ginger compounds may be effective chemopreventive and/or chemotherapeutic agents for colorectal carcinomas". In these experiments, mice were fed ginger before and after tumour cells were administered. In their next round of experiments, the researchers plan to feed ginger to mice only after they have grown tumours to a certain size.

"The new experiments should be more clinically relevant. They will get at the question of whether a patient could eat ginger to slow the metast of a nonoperable tumour".