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Depression Symptoms in Men May be Cut by Increased Folate Intake January 2008 A new study involving more than 500 Japanese participants suggests that increased intake of folate may reduce depression among men by 50%. However, the study did not show a benefit for women.The study adds to a growing body of research linking folate and folic acid intake to improved mood. It follows a review by scientists at the University of York and Hull York Medical School of 11 studies and involving 15,315 participants that reported low folate levels were linked to increased depression.The researchers assessed dietary intakes of omega-3 fatty acids, folate and other B-vitamins among 517 Japanese subjects using a self-administered diet history questionnaire. Symptoms of depression were evaluated using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale.Thirty-six percent of the men and 37% of the women were found to have depressive symptoms. Researchers calculated that increased folate levels were associated with less depressive symptoms in men, but not women.Male subjects with the highest average intake (235 mcg per 100 kcal were 50% less likely to have depressive symptoms than men with the lowest average intake (119 mcg per 100 kcal).”To our knowledge, this is the first study of these associations conducted in a non-Western population and used validated methodologies for the assessment of depressive symptoms and nutrient intake,” wrote the researchers, led by Kentaro Murakama from the International Medical Center of Japan, and the National Institute of Health and Nutrition.”Although more research is needed to confirm the causality of the association, dietary modification to increase intake of folate may be an important strategy for the prevention of depression,” researchers added.Nutrition 24(2):140-147, 2008

Consuming Omega-3s Lowers Aggression July 2004There’s a saying we used in the past when someone was becoming agitated in a particular situation. We’d tell them, “Don’t get your blood pressure up!” Well, it appears there is a connection between hostility and eventual coronary heart disease, and the consumption of omega-3 fatty acids may help.A team of researchers from across the country has found that young adults with a high intake of omega-3 fatty acids may be less prone to hostility, which could in turn reduce their risk of heart attacks.”Hostility has been shown to predict both the development and manifestation of coronary disease,” researchers said at the initiation of the study. “Examining the inter-relation of dietary intake of fish and of polyunsaturated (omega-3 and omega-6) essential fatty acids with hostility may provide additional insights into the cardio protective effect of dietary fish and polyunsaturated fatty acids.”The scientists set out to examine the association of dietary omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids and fish with the level of hostility in a sample of 3,581 young adults living in California. They found that intake of fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids and intake of DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) were independently associated with lower odds of high hostility.Researchers said, “These results suggest that high dietary intake of DHA and consumption of fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids may be related to lower likelihood of high hostility in young adulthood. The association between dietary omega-3 fatty acids and hostile personality merits further research.”European Journal of Clinical Nutrition58(1):24-31, 2004

B-12 May Improve Depression Recovery March 2004 It appears that supplementing with vitamin B-12 may help patients recover from major depressive disorders.Because of a growing body of evidence indicating a connection between vitamin B-12 and folate levels and depressive disorders, researchers in the Department of Psychiatry at Kuopio University Hospital in Kuopio, Finland decided to take a closer look.”Our aim was to determine whether there were any associations between the vitamin B-12 and folate levels and the six-month treatment outcome in patients with major depressive disorder,” researchers noted.The study monitored 115 patients, suffering from major depression, over a six-month period and grouped them according to how well they responded to treatment.The patients who responded fully to treatment had higher serum B-12 concentrations at both the start and end of the study than those for whom treatment was less effective. The association between folate levels and treatment outcome was weak.Researchers concluded: “The vitamin B-12 level and the probability of recovery from major depression may be positively associated. Nevertheless, further studies are suggested to confirm this finding.”BMC Psychiatry 3(1):17, 2003

Study: Vitamins May Prevent Hearing Loss March 2009Antioxidant-rich supplements may reduce noise-induced and perhaps even age-related hearing loss in humans. But first human trials will need to be scheduled to see if they can echo the promising results of recent animal studies.Studies using guinea pigs and mice found that supplements of beta-carotene and vitamins C and E and the mineral magnesium, consumed prior to exposure to loud noise, could prevent both temporary and permanent hearing loss in animals.Researchers from the universities of Florida, Michigan and Washington and OtoMedicine reported their findings recently at the annual conference of the Association for Research in Otolaryngology held in Baltimore, MD.”What is appealing about this vitamin ??cocktail?? is that previous studies in humans, including those demonstrating successful use of these supplements in protecting eye health, have shown that supplements of these particular vitamins are safe for long-term use,” said researcher Colleen Le Prel, an associate professor in Florida.According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, about 25 million Americans have noise-induced hearing loss.The first study used guinea pigs. After consumption of the vitamin supplements, the animals were exposed to four hours of 110 decibel (dB) noise. Such levels are similar to those reached at a loud concert. Animals that consumed the vitamins did not suffer from temporary hearing loss, the researchers reported.In the second study, the researchers looked at the effects of a single loud sound exposure, which would lead to permanent noise-induced hearing loss. In this case, the vitamin supplements are reported to prevent cell loss in an inner ear structure called the lateral wall. This structure is linked to age-related hearing loss and the researches suggest this has implications for protecting against age-related changes in hearing in humans.The findings appear to fit with earlier findings that noise-induced hearing loss is linked to the production of free radicals. “The free radicals literally punch holes in the membrane of the cells,” explained Miller, from the University of Michigan.Research is ongoing in the area, confirmed the scientists, with a clinical trail funded by the National Institutes of Health investigating the effects of vitamin supplements in Florida college students who wear MP3 music players and noise-exposed military troops and factory workers in Sweden and Spain.Assuming positive results from these trials, the researchers stated that concert-goers could soon be taking a supplement before heading out; a daily supplement could become available for factory workers or a nutritional bar for soldiers.”Ear protection, such as ear plugs, is always the best practice for the prevention of noise-induced hearing loss, but in those populations who don??t or can??t wear hearing protection, for people in which mechanical devices just aren??t enough, and for people who may experience unexpected noise insult, these supplements could provide an opportunity for additional protection,” said Le Prel.

Pine Bark Extract Appears to Relieve Tinnitus SymptomsOctober 2010 Daily supplements of French maritime pine bark extract may ease tinnitus, a result that offers hope to the estimated 15 million Americans who consider their tinnitus to be a serious problem. According to findings published in the peer-review journal Panminerva Medica, daily supplements of the branded ingredient Pycnogenol? may improve blood flow to the inner ear and therefore relieve tinnitus symptoms. Tinnitus is a condition where the sufferer perceives a sensation of sound without an actual external source of sound. More than 50 million Americans will experience some degree of tinnitus in their lifetime, according to the American Tinnitus Association (ATA). “Impaired blood flow to the ear is a common cause for tinnitus, a disturbing and very debilitating condition that can considerably impact overall health and quality of life,” said study leader Dr. Gianni Belcaro from Chieti-Pescara University in Italy. “With few options available for treatment, this study gave us the opportunity to explore a natural solution to tinnitus symptoms and its causes.” The study involved 82 patients aged between 35 and 55. Patients were randomly assigned to receive 100 or 150 milligrams per day of Pycnogenol, or no intervention, for four weeks. The participants were classified as having mild-to-moderate tinnitus in only one ear, while the other remains unaffected. Using high resolution ultrasonography imaging to measure blood flow in the inner ear, Dr. Belcaro and his co-workers report that both doses of Pycnogenol improved systolic and diastolic blood flow velocities from 14.3 and 4.22 cm/sec in the 100 mg-per-day group to 21.2 and 8.23 cm/sec, and from 13.2 and 3.2 cm/sec in the 150 mg per day group to 24.3 and 12.5 cm/sec, respectively. In addition, the researchers used a Subjective Tinnitus Scale (STS) to evaluate the symptoms of tinnitus. Results showed a decrease from an average of 8.8 in the pine bark groups to 5.2 and 3.3 in the low and high dose groups, respectively. No changes were observed in the control group, they added. “These results suggest that in selected patients with tinnitus and altered perfusion, Pycnogenol is effective in a short period of time in relieving tinnitus symptoms by improving cochlear blood flow,” wrote the researchers. “The effect is more pronounced with higher Pycnogenol dosage. More studies should be planned to better evaluate the pathology and potential applications of Pycnogenol in a large number of patients who are currently without a real therapeutic solution,” the authors concluded.Panminerva Medica 52(2 Suppl 1):63-68, 2010

Patients With Noise-Induced Hearing Loss Have High Homocysteine Levels September 2004Noise-induced hearing loss may not be completely related to a person being too close to a big bang. Researchers now have evidence that some people suffering noise-induced hearing loss also have high levels of homocysteine and low levels of folic acid and vitamin B-12 in their systems.Researchers at the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, College of Medicine, First University, Elazig, Turkey, evaluated 28 male subjects who have noise-induced hearing loss and 32 men who are healthy. Blood samples were obtained from all 60 men after overnight fasting.Scientists examined the levels of homocysteine, folic acid and vitamin B-12. They found that the men with noise-induced hearing loss had homocysteine levels significantly higher than the men in the control group. They also had significantly lower levels of folic acid and vitamin B-12 than the healthy men.”Our findings indicate that there might be a link between increased homocysteine levels and noise-induced hearing loss,” researchers reported, “since increased homocysteine levels cause elevated levels of free radicals in addition to their atherogenic and thrombogenic effects. Further experimental studies are needed to decipher how this relationship is linked.”Auris Nasus Larynx 31(1):19-22, 2004

Omega-3 May Protect Against Hearing Loss June 2010Increased intakes of omega-3 essential fatty acids, and the fish that provide them, may reduce the risk of age-related hearing loss, says a new study from the University of Sydney. At least two servings of fish per week was associated with a 42% reduction in the risk of hearing loss in over 50-year-olds, compared with people who average less than one serving per week, according to findings published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Similar reductions were observed with intakes of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, with increasing intakes associated with 14% reductions in the risk of age-related hearing loss (presbycusis). “Dietary intervention with omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids could prevent or delay the development of age-related hearing loss,” wrote the researchers, led by Paul Mitchell. Hearing loss is the most common sensory disorder in the United States, affecting more than 36 million people. Mitchell and his co-workers analyzed data from 2,956 participants of the Blue Mountains Hearing Study. Dietary intakes of fish, and the omega-3s they contain, were recorded using food-frequency questionnaires. Results showed an inverse association between total and long-chain omega-3 intakes and hearing loss, while increasing fish intakes also indicated a reduction in the risk of presbycusis, said the researchers. Other micronutrients have been linked to reducing the risk of age-related hearing loss. In 2007 scientists from Wageningen University reported that folic acid supplements delayed age-related hearing loss in the low frequency region in a study of 728 men and women between the ages of 50 and 70 (Annals of Internal Medicine 146:1-9, 2007). Another study, published earlier this year, indicated a role for beta-carotene and vitamins C and E, and the mineral magnesium in preventing both temporary and permanent hearing loss in guinea pigs and mice. The animal study was presented at the Association for Research in Otolaryngology??s annual conference in Baltimore in February 2009.American Journal of Clinical Nutrition Published online ahead of print.