(Press-News.org) New research suggests that increased consumption of foods containing colorful carotenoids, particularly beta-carotene and lutein, may prevent or delay the onset of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The study, published by Wiley in Annals of Neurology, a journal of the American Neurological Association and Child Neurology Society, found that diets high in lycopene, beta-cryptoxanthin, and vitamin C did not reduce ALS risk.
Carotenoids give fruits and vegetables their bright orange, red, or yellow colors, and are a source of dietary vitamin A. Prior studies report that oxidative stress plays a role in the development of ALS. Further studies have shown that individuals with high intake of antioxidants, such as vitamin E, have a reduced ALS risk. Because vitamin C or carotenoids are also antioxidants, researchers examined their relation to ALS risk.
According to the National Institutes of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) roughly 20,000 to 30,000 Americans have ALS—also known as Lou Gehrig's disease—and another 5,000 patients are diagnosed annually with the disease. ALS is a progressive neurological disease that attacks nerve cells (neurons) in the brain and spinal cord, which control voluntary muscles. As the upper and lower motor neurons degenerate, the muscles they control gradually weaken and waste away, leading to paralysis.
"ALS is a devastating degenerative disease that generally develops between the ages of 40 and 70, and affects more men than women," said senior author Dr. Alberto Ascherio, Professor of Epidemiology and Nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, Mass. "Understanding the impact of food consumption on ALS development is important. Our study is one of the largest to date to examine the role of dietary antioxidants in preventing ALS."
Using data from five prospective groups: the National Institutes of Health (NIH)–AARP Diet and Health Study, the Cancer Prevention Study II-Nutrition Cohort, the Multiethnic Cohort, the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, and the Nurses' Health Study, researchers investigated more than one million participants for the present study. A total of 1093 ALS cases were identified after excluding subjects with unlikely food consumption.
The team found that a greater total carotenoid intake was linked to reduced risk of ALS. Individuals who consumed more carotenoids in their diets were more likely to exercise, have an advanced degree, have higher vitamin C consumption, and take vitamin C and E supplements. Furthermore, subjects with diets high in beta-carotene and lutein—found in dark green vegetables—had a lower risk ALS risk. Researchers did not find that lycopene, beta-cryptoxanthin, and vitamin C reduced the risk of ALS. Long-term vitamin C supplement intake was also not associated with lower ALS risk.
Dr. Ascherio concludes, "Our findings suggest that consuming carotenoid-rich foods may help prevent or delay the onset of ALS. Further food-based analyses are needed to examine the impact of dietary nutrients on ALS."
###
This study is published in Annals of Neurology. Media wishing to receive a PDF of this article may contact sciencenewsroom@wiley.com
Full citation: "Intakes of Vitamin C and Carotenoids and Risk of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis." Kathryn C Fitzgerald, Eilis J O'Reilly, Elinor Fondell, Guido J Falcone, Marjorie L McCullough, Yikyung Park, Laurence N Kolonel and Alberto Ascherio. Annals of Neurology; Published Online: January 29, 2013 (DOI:10.1002/ana.23820).
Author Contact: To arrange an interview with Dr. Ascherio, please contact Todd Datz with the Harvard School of Public Health at tdatz@hsph.harvard.edu.
About the Journal
Annals of Neurology, the official journal of the American Neurological Association and the Child Neurology Society, publishes articles of broad interest with potential for high impact in understanding the mechanisms and treatment of diseases of the human nervous system. All areas of clinical and basic neuroscience, including new technologies, cellular and molecular neurobiology, population sciences, and studies of behavior, addiction, and psychiatric diseases are of interest to the journal. The journal is published by Wiley on behalf of the American Neurological Association and Child Neurology Society. For more information, please visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/ana.
About Wiley
Founded in 1807, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. has been a valued source of information and understanding for more than 200 years, helping people around the world meet their needs and fulfill their aspirations. Wiley and its acquired companies have published the works of more than 450 Nobel laureates in all categories: Literature, Economics, Physiology or Medicine, Physics, Chemistry, and Peace.
Wiley is a global provider of content and content-enabled workflow solutions in areas of scientific, technical, medical, and scholarly research; professional development; and education. Our core businesses produce scientific, technical, medical, and scholarly journals, reference works, books, database services, and advertising; professional books, subscription products, certification and training services and online applications; and education content and services including integrated online teaching and learning resources for undergraduate and graduate students and lifelong learners. Wiley's global headquarters are located in Hoboken, New Jersey, with operations in the U.S., Europe, Asia, Canada, and Australia. The Company's Web site can be accessed at http://www.wiley.com. The Company is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbols JWa and JWb. END
Scientists have developed a way to grow iron-oxidizing bacteria using electricity instead of iron, an advance that will allow them to better study the organisms and could one day be used to turn electricity into fuel. The study will be published on January 29 in mBio®, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology.
The method, called electrochemical cultivation, supplies these bacteria with a steady supply of electrons that the bacteria use to respire, or "breathe". It opens the possibility that one day electricity generated from renewable sources ...
Women with harmful mutations in the BRCA gene, which put them at higher risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer, tend to undergo menopause significantly sooner than other women, allowing them an even briefer reproductive window and possibly a higher risk of infertility, according to a study led by researchers at UC San Francisco.
Moreover, the study showed that carriers of the mutation who are heavy smokers enter menopause at an even earlier age than non-smoking women with the mutation.
While the authors note that further research is needed, given the size and ...
Lesbians, gays and bisexuals (LGBs) who are out to others have lower stress hormone levels and fewer symptoms of anxiety, depression, and burnout, according to researchers at the Centre for Studies on Human Stress (CSHS) at Louis H. Lafontaine Hospital, affiliated with the University of Montreal. Cortisol is a stress hormone in our body. When chronically strained, cortisol contributes to the 'wear and tear' exerted on multiple biological systems. Taken together, this strain is called "allostatic load". "Our goals were to determine if the mental and physical health of lesbians, ...
The pros and cons of Chapter 13 bankruptcy
Chapter 13 bankruptcy, which is often referred to as reorganization bankruptcy or wage earner's bankruptcy, is a very different process from Chapter 7 "liquidation" bankruptcy. Unlike Chapter 7, which often requires filers to surrender certain assets in order to have their debts discharged, people who file for Chapter 13 bankruptcy typically do not have to give up any of their property to get out of debt. For this reason, some people find Chapter 13 to be a more appealing approach to dealing with unmanageable debt.
What ...
Teen jailed after Facebook drunk driving admission
A teen driver recently found himself in hot water -- and in jail -- after posting on Facebook about his New Year's Eve drunk driving escapades.
According to several major news outlets, an 18-year-old Oregon resident was arrested after posting the following message to his Facebook profile early on New Year's Day:
"Drivin drunk... classic ;) but to whoever's vehicle i hit i am sorry. :P"
At least two of the teen's Facebook friends reported the message to police, who were already in the process of investigating ...
Common financial mistakes made during divorce
It is no secret: divorce can be expensive. However, many people compound their financial woes by making grave mistakes during the divorce process that result in unfair settlements, gross hardship and a financial situation that could have been avoided at the outset by being more knowledgeable about the issues to look out for.
The following article provides a brief introduction about what financial mistakes to avoid during a divorce.
Accepting illiquid assets unknowingly
One common mistake is a failure to learn about ...
The importance of advance health care directives
It's been said that the only certainties in life are death and taxes. So while no one wants to contemplate his or her own death, the only way to protect loved ones from having to make what might be unbearable difficult decisions in their time of grief is to plan for what you want to happen at the end of your life.
Advance health care directives speak for you if you are unable to speak for yourself. This document allows you to spell out your preferences for end-of-life care so when the time comes your family and health ...
FBI Washington office targets financial fraud
Since the onset of the U.S. financial crisis in 2008, federal investigators have intensified their focus on financial fraud issues throughout the nation. FBI Director Robert Mueller testified last year that the FBI's corporate and securities fraud cases have increased by nearly 50 percent since September 2008, Bloomberg Businessweek reported recently. By the end of 2011, Mueller said, the bureau was handling more than 2,600 fraud cases.
Many of these cases are being handled by the FBI's field office in Washington, which ...
Mothers and fathers have equal rights to custody in South Carolina
There is a perceived bias in South Carolina that family law judges are more likely to award custody to a mother than a father in a divorce case. However, South Carolina law holds that judges must decide custody in the best interests of the child, not whether the parent is the mother or father. While mothers were preferred in the past, South Carolina has repealed the "Tender Years Doctrine," the traditional law that granted preference for custody to mothers of young children.
The only exception ...
Preparing for an IRS income tax audit
When a business owner gets a notice of an IRS audit, a bit of fear is sparked even if his or her records are spotless and well organized. An audit may be time consuming and is always a bit stressful -- and it is just one more thing for an already overscheduled business owner to put on the "to do" list. Small business owners, especially those with high incomes, seem to be the most common target for an IRS Audit according to a report from Transaction Records Access Clearinghouse.
What to expect from an audit
When the ...
