Isoflavones, in tofu and plant proteins, associated with lower heart disease risk

Harvard Medical School,  March 23, 2020 

Eating tofu and foods that contain higher amounts of isoflavones was associated with a moderately lower risk of heart disease, especially for younger women and postmenopausal women not taking hormones, according to observational research published today in Circulation, the flagship journal of the American Heart Association.

Researchers at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital analyzed data from more than 200,000 people who participated in three prospective health and nutrition studies; all participants were free of cancer and heart disease when the studies began. After eliminating a number of other factors known to increase heart risk, investigators found:

Consuming tofu, which is high in isoflavones, more than once a week was associated with a 18% lower risk of heart disease, compared to a 12% lower risk for those who ate tofu less than once a month; and

The favorable association with eating tofu regularly was found primarily in young women before menopause or postmenopausal women who were not taking hormones.

“Despite these findings, I don’t think tofu is by any means a magic bullet,” said lead study author Qi Sun, M.D., Sc.D., a researcher at Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston. “Overall diet quality is still critical to consider, and tofu can be a very healthy component.”

Sun noted that populations that traditionally consume isoflavone-rich diets including tofu, such as in China and Japan, have lower heart disease risk compared to populations that follow a largely meat-rich and vegetable-poor diet. However, the potential benefits of tofu and isoflavones as they relate to heart disease needs more research.

Tofu, which is soybean curd, and whole soybeans such as edamame are rich sources of isoflavones. Chickpeas, fava beans, pistachios, peanuts and other fruits and nuts are also high in isoflavones. Soymilk, on the other hand, tends to be highly processed and is often sweetened with sugar, Sun noted. This study found no significant association between soymilk consumption and lower heart disease risk.

“Other human trials and animal studies of isoflavones, tofu and cardiovascular risk markers have also indicated positive effects, so people with an elevated risk of developing heart disease should evaluate their diets,” he said. “If their diet is packed with unhealthy foods, such as red meat, sugary beverages and refined carbohydrates, they should switch to healthier alternatives. Tofu and other isoflavone-rich, plant-based foods are excellent protein sources and alternatives to animal proteins.”

In the study, researchers analyzed health data of more than 74,000 women from the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS) from 1984 to 2012; approximately 94,000 women in the NHSII study between 1991 and 2013; and more than 42,000 men who participated in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study from 1986 to 2012. All participants were free of cardiovascular disease and cancer at the beginning of each study. Dietary data was updated using patient surveys, conducted every two to four years. Data on heart disease was collected from medical records and other documents, while heart disease fatalities were identified from death certificates.

A total of 8,359 cases of heart disease were identified during 4,826,122 person-years of follow-up, which is the total number of years that study participants were free of heart disease and helps to measure how fast it occurs in a population.

Sun emphasized that the study should be interpreted with caution because their observations found a relationship but did not prove causality. Many other factors can influence the development of heart disease, including physical exercise, family history and a person’s lifestyle habits. “For example, younger women who are more physically active and get more exercise tend to follow healthier, plant-based diets that may include more isoflavone-rich foods like tofu. Although we have controlled for these factors, caution is recommended when interpreting these results,” said Sun.

In 2000, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved health claims that soy edibles protect against cardiovascular disease. However, since then, clinical trials and epidemiological studies have been inconclusive, and the agency is reconsidering its now twenty-year-old decision. The American Heart Association’s 2006 Diet and Lifestyle Recommendations and a 2006 science advisory on soy protein, isoflavones and cardiovascular health

found minimal evidence that isoflavones convey any cardiovascular benefits and any protections provided by higher soy intake was likely due to higher levels of polyunsaturated fats, fiber, vitamins and minerals, and lower levels of saturated fat.

Study suggests daily meditation slows brain aging

University of Wisconsin, March 23, 2020

A team of researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Harvard Medical School has found evidence that suggests meditating daily may slow brain aging. In their paper published in the journal Neurocase, the group describes their study of a Buddhist monk who meditates daily and what they learned from him.

The work involved studying the brain of Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, a 41-year-old Buddhist Tibetan monk who has practiced meditation nearly every day of his life. Over his lifetime, Rinpoche has demonstrated an above-average ability to meditate, and graduated to teaching the practice to others many years ago. The team at the Center for Healthy Minds at the University of Wisconsin-Madison wondered if living such a life might have had an impact on the monk’s brain, and if so, what sort of impact.

To find out, the researchers scanned Rinpoche’s brain via an MRI machine four times over the past 14 years. Over the same period, the researchers also obtained MRI brain scans of a control group consisting of 105 other adults from the local area who were near in age to Rinpoche. The researchers then submitted all of the brain scans to an AI system called the Brain Age Gap Estimation (BrainAge) framework. It had been taught to make educated guesses of a person’s age by looking at brain scans. It does its work by noting the structure of gray matter in the brain, which lessens in mass as a person ages.

The BrainAge system estimated Rinpoche’s age to be 33; others in the control group fell into what the team described as the “typical aging band.” The researchers interpreted this result as evidence of Rinpoche’s brain aging at a slower rate than the control group. The researchers note that the BrainAge system did find some parts of Rinpoche’s brain that had aged in ways similar to the control group, suggesting that brain aging differences between individuals may be due to coordinated changes throughout a person’s gray matter. They also noted that they had found evidence showing that Rinpoche’s brain had matured earlier than the brains of the others in the control group.

Supplement use associated with improved survival among cancer patients

Kapodistrian University (Athens Greece), March 20 2020.

A systematic review and meta-analysis published in Nutrition and Cancer on March 9, 2020 found increased survival following a cancer diagnosis among patients who consumed specific nutritional supplements.

Researchers at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens selected 16 observational studies and nine randomized clinical trials that included a total of 32,017 cancer survivors for their review. Supplements evaluated in the studies included beta-carotene, vitamins A, C, D and E, lycopene, zinc, selenium, calcium, antioxidant combinations, multivitamins (with or without minerals) and/or various supplements combined. Follow-up periods averaged 1.8 to 13.1 years.

Supplementing with calcium was associated with a 12% lower risk of dying from any cause during the studies’ follow-up periods, as well as a 29% lower risk of dying from cancer and a 34% lower risk of death among survivors of colorectal cancer in comparison with not supplementing with the mineral. Vitamin D supplementation was associated with a 14% lower mortality risk as ascertained from three observational studies and two randomized trials.

Supplementation with vitamin C, vitamin D and vitamin E was associated with 21%, 15% and 24% lower risks of mortality during follow-up among breast cancer survivors. Multivitamin, vitamin C and vitamin E supplementation were associated with 21%, 24% and 31% lower risks of cancer recurrence among this group.

“Our results indicate a potentially beneficial role of calcium and vitamin D supplementation on cancer prognosis,” Afroditi Kanellopoulou and colleagues conclude. “Although meeting the nutritional needs through a balanced and varied healthy diet is of utmost importance for cancer survivors as for the rest of the population, it is also essential for future studies to provide further evidence on the role of dietary supplement use after cancer diagnosis in order to develop evidence-based recommendations specially tailored for cancer survivors.”

Compound in daffodils can improve sleep, trigger lucid dreams

 Lucidity Institute and University of Wisconsin, March 23, 2020

Scientists have found that a compound from daffodils can help people experience lucid dreams more frequently. In a study published in the journal PLOS ONE, U.S. researchers showed the effects of galantamine — a plant compound used to treat Alzheimer’s disease — can enhance brain function through acetylcholinesterase inhibition (AChEI).

“[Galantamine] substantially increases the frequency of lucid dreams with a minimal side effect profile, suggesting it is well-placed as a method for inducing lucid dreams, and has the potential to make lucid dreaming available to a wider population,” the researchers wrote in their report.

Lucid dreams are made of these

Aside from death and taxes, another thing people have in common is dreaming. Experts say that a person can, in fact, spend up to six years of his life dreaming. Many people don’t know that they’re dreaming until they wake up — and forget around 95 percent of their dreams.

A few people, however, can enter a dream and be fully aware of the fact that they are dreaming, a condition sleep specialists refer to as lucid dreaming.

The phenomenon is widely used in popular media like movies and books. But experts are still unclear on how many people experience lucid dreaming. An earlier study in Frontiers in Neuroscience revealed that around 77 percent of its respondents reported experiencing lucid dreaming at least once in their lives.

Beyond controlling the narrative of a dream sequence, researchers are looking at the therapeutic potential of lucid dreaming for mental health conditions, post-traumatic stress disorder and sleep disorders. Furthermore, researchers are looking at the potential of lucid dreaming for boosting memory and learning.

For the study, the team asked around 120 participants who were interested in lucid dreaming to take galantamine capsules before inducing a lucid dream sequence for three consecutive nights. The participants reported afterward that galantamine improved their odds of experiencing lucid dreaming. In addition, those who took galantamine recalled their dreams better and had heightened senses.

According to the researchers, the buildup of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) after taking galantamine could explain why people experienced lucid dreams. Sleep studies show that AChE, as well as its inhibitors and antagonists, is associated with REM sleep.

REM sleep, or rapid-eye-movement sleep, is a sleeping stage wherein the brain is almost as active as when it is awake. According to scientists, acetylcholine and AChE are involved in REM sleep, with the former regulating it. Galantamine, meanwhile, is considered an AChE inhibitor and is used for enhancing memory in patients with Alzheimer’s disease and improving the symptoms of mild cognitive impairment. The compound is also linked to better dream recall, as well as its increased complexity and sensory vividness.

“The increased sensory vividness, bizarreness and complexity of dreams on galantamine are therefore consistent with the general intensification of REM sleep,” the researchers explained.

New research may help older adults stay physically capable for longer

University of Birmingham (UK), March 23, 2020

Drug therapies that help older adults maintain their skeletal muscle mass and physical function for longer could be a step closer after researchers at the University of Birmingham identify a key mechanism that drives the clearance of damaged mitochondria.

A team in the University’s School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences are well-versed at investigating dynamic machinery within cells called mitochondria. Mitochondria act as the power plant in every cell and help to supply energy for all living things.

Because mitochondria are so important to energy supply, they constantly undergo synthesis and break down to match energy demands. However, in older people, the way that mitochondria are naturally broken down in cells starts to change, leading to a build-up of damaged mitochondria or old mitochondria that are not functioning as well. It is thought these changes might contribute to the decline in the function of older people’s muscles, which in turn reduces their physical capabilities. The team wanted to find out more about mitochondrial break down in muscle and the factors controlling it. Their results are published today in FASEB.

The lead researcher Alex Seabright (PhD candidate in the Lai lab) developed a new tool that uses fluorescent tags to study the mitochondria in muscle cells. In healthy cells, networks of mitochondria appear gold in colour, but turn red when undergoing break down. Using this experimental set up, they discovered that activating a master energy sensor molecule, called AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), helps to stimulate mitochondrial break down. These exciting findings suggest that other well-known AMPK activators, such as exercise, may stimulate the clearance of damaged mitochondria, thus keeping mitochondria in muscle healthy and prolonging older people’s physical capabilities.

Project Leader Dr Yu-Chiang Lai says: “The idea of targeting AMPK with drugs is not new. Many studies, including some of our previous work, demonstrate that AMPK activation in muscle elicits many beneficial effects for treating type 2 diabetes. As a consequence, many pharmaceutical companies are currently working to develop pre-clinical compounds that activate AMPK. We hope that our new discovery will accelerate targeted drug development to help identify new and safe compounds to activate this key molecule in muscle.

Alex Seabright adds: “We know that exercise and diet regimes can be used to help people maintain their muscle mass and physical capabilities in later life. But, improving our understanding as to why muscle loss occurs with ageing, will aid the development of targeted pharmacological interventions to help people to stay physically capable for longer.”

Keeping lower back pain at bay: Exercises designed by Lithuanians are 3 times more efficient

Scientists have devised a spinal stabilization exercise program for managing lower back pain for people who perform sedentary job: Their effect lasts 3 times longer than that of a usual muscle strengthening exercise program 

Kaunas University of Technology (Lithuania), March 23, 2020  

With the significant part of the global population forced to work from home, the occurrence of lower back pain may increase. Lithuanian scientists have devised a spinal stabilisation exercise programme for managing lower back pain for people who perform a sedentary job. After testing the programme with 70 volunteers, the researchers have found that the exercises are not only efficient in diminishing the non-specific lower back pain, but their effect lasts 3 times longer than that of a usual muscle strengthening exercise programme.

According to the World Health Organisation, lower back pain is among the top 10 diseases and injuries that are decreasing the quality of life across the global population. It is estimated that non-specific low back pain is experienced by 60% to 70% of people in industrialised societies. Moreover, it is the leading cause of activity limitation and work absence throughout much of the world. For example, in the United Kingdom, low back pain causes more than 100 million workdays lost per year, in the United States – an estimated 149 million.

Chronic lower back pain, which starts from long-term irritation or nerve injury affects the emotions of the afflicted. Anxiety, bad mood and even depression, also the malfunctioning of the other bodily systems – nausea, tachycardia, elevated arterial blood pressure – are among the conditions, which may be caused by lower back pain.

During the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, with a significant part of the global population working from home and not always having a properly designed office space, the occurrence of lower back pain may increase.

“Lower back pain is reaching epidemic proportions. Although it is usually clear what is causing the pain and its chronic nature, people tend to ignore these circumstances and are not willing to change their lifestyle. Lower back pain usually comes away itself, however, the chances of the recurring pain are very high”, says Dr Irina Kliziene, a researcher at Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) Faculty of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts.

Dr Kliziene, together with colleagues from KTU and from Lithuanian Sports University has designed a set of stabilisation exercises aimed at strengthening the muscles which support the spine at the lower back, i.e. lumbar area. The exercise programme is based on Pilates methodology.

According to Dr Kliziene, the stability of lumbar segments is an essential element of body biomechanics. Previous research evidence shows that in order to avoid the lower back pain it is crucial to strengthen the deep muscles, which are stabilising the lumbar area of the spine. One of these muscles is multifidus muscle.

“Human central nervous system is using several strategies, such as preparing for keeping the posture, preliminary adjustment to the posture, correcting the mistakes of the posture, which need to be rectified by specific stabilising exercises. Our aim was to design a set of exercises for this purpose”, explains Dr Kliziene.

The programme, designed by Dr Kliziene and her colleagues is comprised of static and dynamic exercises, which train the muscle strength and endurance. The static positions are to be held from 6 to 20 seconds; each exercise to be repeated 8 to 16 times.

In order to check the efficiency of the programme, 70 female volunteers were randomly enrolled either to the lumbar stabilisation exercise programme or to a usual muscle strengthening exercise programme. Both groups were exercising twice a week for 45 minutes for 20 weeks. During the experiment, ultrasound scanning of the muscles was carried out.

As soon as 4 weeks in lumbar stabilisation programme, it was observed that the cross-section area of the multifidus muscle of the subjects of the stabilisation group has increased; after completing the programme, this increase was statistically significant (p < 0,05). This change was not observed in the strengthening group. Moreover, although both sets of exercises were efficient in eliminating lower back pain and strengthening the muscles of the lower back area, the effect of stabilisation exercises lasted 3 times longer – 12 weeks after the completion of the stabilisation programme against 4 weeks after the completion of the muscle strengthening programme.

“There are only a handful of studies, which have directly compared the efficiency of stabilisation exercises against other exercises in eliminating lower back pain”, says Dr Kliziene, “however, there are studies proving that after a year, lower back pain returned only to 30% of people who have completed a stabilisation exercise programme, and to 84% of people who haven’t taken these exercises. After three years these proportions are 35% and 75%.”

According to her, research demonstrates that the spine stabilisation exercise programme is more efficient than medical intervention or usual physical activities in curing the lower back pain and aiming to avoid the recurrence of the symptoms in the future.

Brain-boosting berberine: Study shows it reduces likelihood of Alzheimer’s disease

University of Macau, March 20, 2020

Berberine is a naturally occurring compound found in the plants such as barberry, goldenseal and certain grapes that belong to the genus Berberis. Today, it is used as a supplement and is known to provide a wide variety of health benefits, including weight loss, reduced blood sugar and improved heart health. But recently, researchers from Hong Kong and Macau found another use for berberine.

In their review, which appeared in the journal BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, they discussed the neuroprotective effects of berberine as reported by 15 different studies. The researchers believe that berberine is a promising drug candidate against Alzheimer’s disease.

The biological activities of berberine can improve memory

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive degenerative disease that affects the central nervous system. It is a complex disease that’s driven by multiple factors, such as the loss of neurons and the decrease in the levels of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter, and choline acetylase, the enzyme involved in its production. Characterized by a decline in memory and cognitive functions, Alzheimer’s is also accompanied by psychiatric symptoms and abnormal behavior.

Because the main cause of Alzheimer’s is still unknown, scientists have proposed several hypotheses to explain its development. One of the most widely accepted is the amyloid-B protein cascade hypothesis, which states that the accumulation of amyloid-B peptides in the brain is the primary cause of Alzheimer’s. However, recent findings are beginning to oppose this idea in favor of the hyper-phosphorylated tau hypothesis, which suggests that the mis-sorting of tau proteins in the brain is behind the onset of Alzheimer’s.

According to the researchers, therapeutic strategies that were based on decreasing the amount of B-amyloid in the brain have failed in clinical trials, suggesting that Alzheimer’s disease therapy should not be focused on addressing a single cause, but rather a number of different pathways that lead to the disease. They therefore propose the use of berberine, an alkaloid found in various medicinal plants. New research has emerged demonstrating the neuroprotective effects of berberine in animal models of Alzheimer’s.

Due to the lack of clinical trials on berberine, the researchers decided to conduct a pre-clinical trial review. They searched five online databases for relevant studies and found 15 papers reporting the effects of berberine treatment. They found that in multiple animal models with memory defects, berberine treatment resulted in significant improvements. These improvements were mediated by different biological properties, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, cholinesterase-inhibiting and anti-amyloid activities. Cholinesterase is a potent neurotoxic enzyme that breaks down acetylcholine, an essential neurotransmitter involved in brain and muscle function.

Due to the beneficial properties of berberine, the researchers believe that this phytonutrient is a promising multi-potent agent against Alzheimer’s.

Other health benefits of berberine

Berberine has been used in traditional medicine for centuries. This powerful compound can be found in various medicinal plants, such as goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis), barberry (B. vulgaris), Oregon grape (B. aquifolium) and tree turmeric (B. aristata).

According to studies, berberine can make changes within cells by binding to different “molecular targets” and changing their functions. It is also known to activate an enzyme known as AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), which plays a major role in regulating metabolism. AMPK is often referred to as the “metabolic master switch.”

Here are some other benefits associated with berberine: (h/t to MedicalNewsToday.com)

• Inhibits the growth of certain bacteria
• Reduces inflammation
• Lowers blood sugar, triglyceride and insulin levels
• Decreases LDL cholesterol
• Reduces blood pressure
• Helps with weight loss
• Stops cancer growth (colorectal, lung, ovarian, prostate, liver, cervical)

Berberine is a potent natural product that offers plenty of health benefits. Besides common food sources, berberine is also available as a supplement. While it is generally safe for consumption, berberine may cause digestive side effects and rashes. To ensure your safety and avoid unwanted interactions with your current medications, consult your health care provider before taking berberine supplements.

Using cannabinoids to treat acute pain

McMaster University (Ontario), March 23, 2020

A new systematic review and meta-analysis showed a small but significant reduction in subjective pain scores for cannabinoid treatment compared to placebo in patients experiencing acute pain. No increase in serious adverse events suggested the safety of using cannabinoids to treat acute pain, according to the study published in Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers.

The article entitled “Cannabinoids in the Management of Acute Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis” was coauthored by Herman Johal, MD, MPH, PhD, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada and colleagues from McMaster University and Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Thunder Bay. The researchers included six trials in their study, five using oral cannabinoids, and one using intramuscular cannabinoids. They reported a significant difference in effect size between the oral and nonoral routes of administration, with intramuscular cannabinoids yielding a significant reduction in pain relative to placebo. There was no difference in effect between oral cannabinoids and placebo.

Editor-in-Chief Daniele Piomelli, PhD University of California-Irvine, School of Medicine, states: “The usefulness of cannabis-derived medicines in the treatment of pain, both acute and chronic, is still vigorously debated. The meta-analysis conducted in this study reinforces the need for more rigorous studies to assess whether cannabis might be effective in the treatment of acute pain conditions.”

Weight-bearing exercises promote bone formation in men

 University of Missouri, March 22, 2020

 

Osteoporosis affects more than 200 million people worldwide and is a serious public health concern, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation. Now, Pamela Hinton, associate professor in the Department of Nutrition and Exercise Physiology, has published the first study in men to show that long-term, weight-bearing exercises decrease sclerostin, a protein made in the bone, and increase IGF-1, a hormone associated with bone growth. These changes promote bone formation, increasing bone density.

“People may be physically active, and many times people know they need to exercise to prevent obesity, heart disease or diabetes,” Hinton said. “However, you also really need to do specific exercises to protect your bone health.”

In the study, men 25- to 60-years-old who had low-bone mass were split into two groups. One group performed resistance training exercises such as lunges and squats using free weights. The other group performed various types of jumps, such as single-leg and double-leg jumps. After 12 months of performing the exercises, Hinton then compared the levels of bone proteins and hormones in the blood.

“We saw a decrease in the level of sclerostin in both of these exercise interventions in men,” Hinton said. “When sclerostin is expressed at high levels, it has a negative impact on bone formation. In both resistance and jump training, the level of sclerostin in the bone goes down, which triggers bone formation.”

The other significant change Hinton observed was an increase in the hormone IGF-1. Unlike sclerostin, IGF-1 triggers bone growth. The decrease of harmful sclerostin levels and the increase in beneficial IGF-1 levels confirmed Hinton’s prior research that found both resistance training and jump training have beneficial effects on bone growth.

To increase bone mass and prevent osteoporosis, Hinton recommends exercising specifically to target bone health. While exercises such as swimming and cycling are beneficial to overall health, these activities do not strengthen the skeleton. Hinton suggests also doing exercise targeted for bone health, such as resistance training and jump training.

The study, “Serum sclerostin decreases following 12 months of resistance- or jump-training in men with low bone mass,” was published in Bone.

 

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