Nattokinase is a supplement prepared from fermented foods especially from natto, a traditional Japanese food made from fermented legume. So far research on Nattokinase has focused on its ability to lower blood pressure and decrease the risk of a dangerous blood clot. In this new study scientists from the Division of Medicine, Changhua Christian Hospital divided 45 people into three groups; a healthy group, a group of patients with risk factors for developing heart disease, and a group of sick patients with kidney failure who were on dialysis.

Eating blueberries may help ward off several key risk factors for cardiovascular disease and diabetes, such as the build up of belly fat, soaring cholesterol, and high blood sugar. The health benefits of blueberries are thought to be due to their high levels of naturally occurring antioxidants called anthocyanins found in darkly pigmented fruits and vegetables. In studies involving overweight rats, researchers looked at the effects of adding freeze-dried blueberry powder to a low-fat and a high-fat diet.

Blackseed is an herb that in a previous study was found to kill pancreatic cancer cells. Blackseed also appears to inhibit development of pancreatic cancer as a result of its anti-inflammatory properties, according to researchers from the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson; a National Cancer Institute (NCI) designated cancer center. Thymoquinone, the major constituent of the oil extract from this Middle Eastern herbal seed called Blackseed (Nigella sativa), exhibited anti-inflammatory properties that reduced the release of inflammatory mediators in pancreatic cancer cells, according to Hwyda Arafat, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of Surgery at the Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University and a member of the Jefferson Pancreatic, Biliary & Related Cancers Center.

A low intake of vitamins A and C may increase the risk of developing asthma, according to a review of 40 studies and 30 years of research. Low blood levels of vitamin C and lower dietary intake of vitamin C-containing foods were associated with a 12 % increased risk of asthma. “Our findings from [the current] systematic review and meta-analysis indicate that low levels of vitamin C intake, and to a lesser extent vitamin A, are consistently associated with asthma risk to a degree that, if causal, would be sufficient to be clinically relevant,” wrote the researchers, led by Dr.

Osteoporosis is a major health issue worldwide, with significant economic consequences and adverse impacts on the quality of life. Hip fractures are the most devastating complication of osteoporosis, are likely to increase exponentially with an increasingly aged population, are associated with high recurrence rate, and lead to significant morbidity and mortality. This review discusses the prevalence and impact of hip fractures, the assessment of fracture risk, fall prevention, and treatment of osteoporosis with emphasis on evidence for hip fracture reduction among the various agents currently available.