New study: Glyphosate levels in children and adults drop dramatically after one week of eating organic

Friends of the Earth Research, August 11, 2020

A peer-reviewed study published today in the journal Environmental Research found that levels of the pesticide glyphosate in participants’ bodies dropped an average of 70% after six days on an organic diet. The study is the first to examine how an organic diet affects exposure to glyphosate, the active ingredient in Bayer AG’s weedkiller Roundup®, the most widely used pesticide worldwide. It also indicates that for the general population, the food they eat is a primary way they are exposed to this pesticide.

The study, “Organic diet intervention significantly reduces urinary glyphosate levels in US children and adults”, reaffirms previous research and, along with a companion study from 2019, represents the most comprehensive scientific analysis showing that an organic diet rapidly and dramatically reduces exposure to toxic pesticides, including glyphosate, organophosphates, pyrethroids, neonicotinoids and 2,4-D. Organic farming prohibits the use of these and over 900 other toxic pesticides allowed in non-organic farming.

“It’s striking that levels of this toxic pesticide dropped so dramatically after less than a week. Given our results and related studies on how an organic diet rapidly reduces pesticide exposure, we could expect to see similar reductions in glyphosate levels in most Americans if they switched to an organic diet,” said study co-author Kendra Klein, PhD, senior staff scientist at Friends of the Earth. “That’s the good news. The bad news is that most of us are eating glyphosate-laden food continuously, resulting in daily doses of the chemical from breakfast through dinner.”

While the study sample is small, the findings are statistically significant and offer important new data indicating more widespread glyphosate exposure than previous studies. Researchers found glyphosate in 100 percent of the participants, including children as young as four, and found that the average level of glyphosate in children was approximately five times higher than in adults.

Participants were four racially diverse families from Minneapolis, Minnesota; Atlanta, Georgia; Baltimore, Maryland; and Oakland, California. Urine samples were collected from parents and children eating their typical diet of conventional food for six days, and again during a controlled diet of all organic food for six days (see video). In addition to glyphosate reductions, the study found a 77% reduction in the main chemical that this pesticide breaks down to in our bodies, AMPA (aminomethyl phosphonic acid).

Use of glyphosate skyrocketed after genetically engineered Roundup Ready ® corn, soy, canola and cotton were introduced in the 1990s, with the market dominated by Monsanto, which was acquired by Bayer in 2018. Glyphosate is also used extensively in school and park landscaping and home gardens.

While this study did not look at the health impacts of glyphosate, research has linked the chemical and formulations like Roundup® to a range of health problems. Glyphosate is classified as a probable human carcinogen by the World Health Organization and has been linked to high rates of kidney disease in farming communities and to shortened pregnancy in a cohort of women in the Midwest. Animal studies and bioassays link glyphosate and its formulations to endocrine disruption, DNA damage, decreased sperm function, and fatty liver disease. In the environment, glyphosate has been linked to the decimation of Monarch butterfly populations and bee declines.

A series of high-profile court cases in 2019 linked plaintiffs’ non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma to use of Roundup, resulting in over $180 million in punitive damages for Bayer. This summer, Bayer negotiated a $10 billion settlement with an additional 95,000 cases, while 30,000 more are still pending.

Since the 1990s, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has facilitated increased dietary exposure to glyphosate by raising the legal threshold for residues of glyphosate up to 300 times previous levels for certain foods. The chemical is also increasingly being used on foods like wheat, oats and beans just before harvest to uniformly desiccate crops, a use that has been shown to lead to high levels of glyphosate residue on food.

“We all have the right to food that is free of toxic pesticides,” said Klein, “but our federal regulatory system is broken and is not protecting us. We urgently need our elected leaders to make healthy organic food the norm for everyone by passing policies that support farmers to shift from pesticide-intensive to organic farming.”

“During the coronavirus pandemic, the inequities of our food system have become ever more clear,” said Sharyle Patton, Director of the Commonweal Biomonitoring Resources Center and co-author of the study. “Research shows that communities of color are at higher risk of serious complications and death from coronavirus as a result of already suffering from higher rates of diet-related diseases. Now more than ever, we need public policies that ensure that all communities have access to healthy, organic food.”

Broccoli and Brussels sprouts a cut above for blood vessel health

New research has shown some of our least favourite vegetables could be the most beneficial when it comes to preventing advanced blood vessel disease.

Edith Cowan University (Australia), August 20, 2020

New research has shown some of our least favourite vegetables could be the most beneficial when it comes to preventing advanced blood vessel disease.

Published in the British Journal of Nutrition the research has found higher consumption of cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cabbage, is associated with less extensive blood vessel disease in older women.

Using data from a cohort of 684 older Western Australian women recruited in 1998, researchers from ECU’s School of Medical and Health Sciences and The University of Western Australia found those with a diet comprising more cruciferous vegetables had a lower chance of having extensive build-up of calcium on their aorta, a key marker for structural blood vessel disease.

Blood vessel disease is a condition that affects our blood vessels (arteries and veins) and can reduce the flow of blood circulating around the body. This reduction in blood flow can be due to the build-up of fatty, calcium deposits on the inner walls of our blood vessels, such as the aorta. This build-up of fatty, calcium deposits is the leading cause of having a heart attack or stroke.

Broccoli and Brussels sprouts a cut above

Lead researcher Dr Lauren Blekkenhorst said there was something intriguing about cruciferous vegetables which this study has shed more light on.

“In our previous studies, we identified those with a higher intake of these vegetables had a reduced risk of having a clinical cardiovascular disease event, such as a heart attack or stroke, but we weren’t sure why,” she said.

“Our findings from this new study provides insight into the potential mechanisms involved.”

“We have now found that older women consuming higher amounts of cruciferous vegetables every day have lower odds of having extensive calcification on their aorta,” she said.

“One particular constituent found abundantly in cruciferous vegetables is vitamin K which may be involved in inhibiting the calcification process that occurs in our blood vessels.”

Eat an extra serve of greens every day

Dr Blekkenhorst said women in this study who consumed more than 45g of cruciferous vegetables every day (e.g. ¼ cup of steamed broccoli or ½ cup of raw cabbage) were 46 percent less likely to have extensive build-up of calcium on their aorta in comparison to those consuming little to no cruciferous vegetables every day.

“That’s not to say the only vegetables we should be eating are broccoli, cabbage and Brussels sprouts. We should be eating a wide variety of vegetables every day for overall good health and wellbeing.”

Dr Blekkenhorst said it was important to note the study team were very grateful to these Western Australian women, without whom these important findings would not be available for others. While observational in nature this study design is central to progressing human health.

Research welcomed by the Heart Foundation

Heart Foundation Manager, Food and Nutrition, Beth Meertens said the findings were promising and the Heart Foundation would like to see more research in this area.

“This study provides valuable insights into how this group of vegetables might contribute to the health of our arteries and ultimately our heart,” Ms Meertens said.

“Heart disease is the single leading cause of death in Australia and poor diet is responsible for the largest proportion of the burden of heart disease, accounting for 65.5 percent of the total burden of heart disease.

“The Heart Foundation recommends that Australians try to include at least five serves of vegetables in their daily diets, along with fruit, seafood, lean meats, dairy and healthy oils found in nuts and seeds. Unfortunately, over 90 percent of Australian adults don’t eat this recommended daily intake of vegetables.”

Garcinia mangostana and a-mangostin improve spatial leaning and memory

University Sains Malaysia, August 14, 2020

According to news originating from Penang, Malaysia, research stated, “Xanthones isolated from the pericarp of Garcinia mangostana has been reported to exhibit neuroprotective effect. In this study, the effect of xanthone-enriched fraction of Garcinia mangostana (XEFGM) and a-mangostin (a-MG) were investigated on cognitive functions of the chronic cerebral hypoperfusion (CCH) rats.”

Our news journalists obtained a quote from the research from University Sains Malaysia, “HPLC analysis revealed that XEFGM contained 55.84% of a-MG. Acute oral administration of XEFGM (25, 50 and 100 mg/kg) and a-MG (25 and 50 mg/kg) before locomotor activity and Morris water maze (MWM) tests showed no significant difference between the groups for locomotor activity. However, a-MG (50 mg/kg) and XEFGM (100 mg/kg) reversed the cognitive impairment induced by CCH in MWM test. a-MG (50 mg/kg) was further tested upon sub-acute 14-day treatment in CCH rats. Cognitive improvement was shown in MWM test but not in long-term potentiation (LTP). BDNF but not CaMKII was found to be down-regulated in CCH rats; however, both parameters were not affected by a-MG.”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “A-MG ameliorated learning and memory deficits in both acute and sub-acute treatments in CCH rats by improving the spatial learning but not hippocampal LTP. Hence, a-MG may be a promising lead compound for CCH-associated neurodegenerative diseases, including vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.”

Could vitamin D deficiency explain adolescent aggression? Researchers say yes

University of Michigan and University of La Sabana (Colombia), August 20, 2020

In a recent article published in the Journal of Nutrition, a team of scientists from the University of Michigan and the University of La Sabana in Colombia found that a lack of vitamin D in middle childhood corresponded to behavior problems in adolescence.

Senior author Eduardo Villamor noted that children deficient in vitamin D scored higher on tests that measured behavior problems in adolescence. Their work belongs to the handful of studies on behavior problems that extended into adolescence.

Vitamin D deficiency in childhood can lead to behavior problems in adolescence

Past studies found that a lack of vitamin D corresponded to a heightened risk of depression and schizophrenia in adults. But prior to this most recent research, scientists had been unsure about the potential effects of inadequate vitamin D levels on children and teenagers.

To understand the impact of vitamin D, or the lack thereof, on behavioral development in children and teenagers, the researchers gathered a cohort of 3,202 children aged five to 12 in 2006. The children had been chosen through random selection from public schools in Bogota, Colombia.

The team collected information regarding their habits, maternal education level and socioeconomic status, among others. The team also collected their blood samples.

Once the children reached adolescence (ages 11-18), the researchers selected at random 273 of the 3,202 children that had been part of the cohort and assessed their behavior through questionnaires. The researchers also assessed possible behavior problems through parental report.

Upon analysis of all the gathered data combined, the team found that participants that had been deficient in vitamin D in middle childhood had a greater risk of developing behavior problems in adolescence, including aggressive and rule-breaking behaviors, compared to those that had adequate levels of the vitamin.

Furthermore, blood sample analyses revealed that inadequate amounts of a vitamin D-binding protein in middle childhood also corresponded to behavior problems in adolescence.

These results are also independent of parental or household characteristics, thus further suggesting that vitamin D levels influenced the presence of behavior problems in adolescence.

Vitamin D and mental health in children and adolescents

According to Brooklyn-based psychiatrist Beata Lewis, checking and addressing nutritional deficiencies is one step in a holistic approach to addressing children’s mental health and curbing the potential onset of mental disorders in adolescence.

In fact, children might require more vitamin D than adults because their minds and bodies are still developing. For instance, besides protecting against bone deformation, vitamin D also reduces the risk of fractures and other bone-related injuries in children.

The same goes for their minds, Lewis adds. Although the science on using vitamin D to treat mental health conditions is still lacking, she explains that current studies and ongoing research continue to turn up evidence that vitamin D levels are tied to mental health.

For instance, recent studies found that children that had mental disorders like bipolar disorder and autism, among others, are more likely to be deficient in vitamin D among their peers.

Moreover, children that exhibit psychotic symptoms, such as anxiety, depressed moods, difficulty concentrating and sleep problems, are often found to have severe vitamin D deficiencies, too. (Related: 7 Deadly diseases caused by vitamin D deficiency.)

Therefore, addressing these deficiencies as soon as possible and maintaining recommended vitamin D levels might help reduce the risk of mental disorders in children and promote optimal mental health throughout adolescence.

Researchers examine the role of muscle strength in aging cognitive health

Deakin University (Australia), August 19, 2020

Research is showing a strong link between handgrip strength, walking speed, and cognition, indicating how improved physical health could boost elderly minds.

Based at Barwon Health, in the heart of Geelong’s clinical health precinct, researchers are working to identify the risk factors—such as changes in muscle mass, muscle strength and physical performance—for developing sarcopenia (loss of muscle mass, strength and function with advancing age) across the lifespan.

This testing involves the Geelong Osteoporosis Study (GOS) which began in the early 1990s, gathering adult participants from the electoral roll in the Barwon Statistical Division. During recent follow-up testing, researchers also measured cognitive function through a computer-based program, in tandem with physical health evaluations.

The computer-based testing looked at cognitive health signifiers to examine psychomotor function, attention, visual learning and working memory, at the click of a mouse.

Ph.D. student Ms Sophia Sui, from the Epi-Center for Healthy Aging in the Institute for Physical and Mental Health and Clinical Translation (IMPACT) and Deakin’s School of Medicine, said her result from a study of men over 60 showed a strong relationship between hand grip strength and cognition, in particular psychomotor function. Similarly, usual walking speed, which is indicative of physical function, was associated with psychomotor function, attention, and overall cognition. In contrast, no association was found between muscle mass and cognitive function.

“This research shows that we need to think more about how elderly people can boost their quality of life through something as simple as diet or maintaining physical health,” said Ms Sui.

The parallel decline in cognitive function and loss of muscle strength places elderly people at increased risk of personal injury, poor mobility and loss of independence. Professor Julie Pasco from IMPACT Institute and Head of the Epi-Center for Healthy Aging, said this work is vital to understanding additional skeletal muscle health issues, like sarcopenia.

“This is still an evolving picture. It is known that as we age our muscle mass deteriorates—but it’s now been found that muscle strength deteriorates more quickly. Emerging data suggests that loss of a person’s muscle strength may be more important to their overall health than muscle mass. The work that Ms Sui has published shows that loss of muscle strength is not only important for overall physical function, but for cognitive health as well. All this research, including Ms Sui’s work, can be used as an evidence-based way of refining the relatively new definition of sarcopenia.”

Once her Ph.D. has been conferred, Ms Sui is interested in exploring biological markers and factors related to the relationship between skeletal muscle health and brain health. She also said future surveys of the Geelong Osteoporosis Study participants could ultimately inform the public health message.

“If indeed we see that an improvement in muscle strength will help delay cognitive decline, we could use this work to inform public health action—such as asking elderly people to do targeted muscle strengthening exercises, maintain a healthy weight and have a diet containing adequate amounts of protein. More research is required to infer if this would make a difference.”

Fast food wrappers loaded with toxic, polluting chemicals

Toxic Free Future and Mind the Store (watchdog organizations), August 19, 2020

New research put out by Mind the Store and Toxic-Free Future warns that the fancy wrappers used at many fast food chains to hold burgers and fries are loaded with so-called “forever chemicals” that are both polluting and highly toxic to the body.

PFAS, or polyfluoroalkyl substances, are used not only in food packaging but also in carpeting and furniture to keep grease and other substances from penetrating their materials. These water-resistant chemicals do not break down in the environment, having a “high persistence” and “potential for accumulation and hazards.”

Burger King, McDonald’s, Wendy’s Cava, Freshii, Sweetgreen, and many other chains utilize wrappers that contain PFAS because they make eating easier and less messy – but at what cost?

Researchers collected 38 food packaging samples from 16 locations at six different fast food chains in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Seattle. They then tested these samples for PFAS, as well as other chemical byproducts that may have leached into the food.

In the end, nearly half of all these sampled food packages were found to contain dangerously high levels of fluorine, a chemical byproduct of PFAS that is extremely toxic to human health.

At least one item from every burger chain assessed, including wrappers for Burger King’s Whopper and cardboard containers for the McDonald’s Big Mac “tested above the screening level for fluorine,” the paper found. The paper bags used to contain nuggets, cookies, fries, and other foods were also found to contain the chemical.

“Multiple major food chains have now announced new policies on PFAS, so clearly safer alternatives exist and are being used,” stated Mike Schade, director of Mind the Store. “Those that haven’t stepped up have the ability to do so.”

“Healthier” fast food chains actually use the most harmful packaging of all

What may come as a surprise is the fact that chains like McDonald’s and Burger King are actually using better wrappers than newer, “healthier” chains like Cava and Freshii.

These chains use what are known as “molded fiber” containers that are touted as being biodegradable and environmentally friendly, when the reality is that they contain some of the highest levels of fluorine compared to any other material tested.

According to the Biodegradable Products Institute and the Compost Manufacturing Alliance, a food package cannot be labeled as compostable if it contains any amount of PFAS or more than 100 ppm (parts per million) of fluorine. And yet 14 different molded fiber containers tested were found to contain fluorine levels well over 100 ppm.

Back in July, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that manufacturers of food contact materials containing PFAS will need to phase out the sale of these products. However, other PFAS chemicals are still allowed, according to the FDA. Congress has also passed the “Keep Food Containers Safe from PFAS Act,” which gives the FDA until 2022 to fully enforce the new rules.

Some fast food and grocery chains have voluntarily agreed to eliminate PFAS from their materials. These include Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods Market, as well as Taco Bell and Panera Bread. The state of Washington also passed a measure back in 2018 establishing its own limits for PFAS in paper food packaging.

“Exposure to certain PFAS has been tied to kidney and testicular cancer, thyroid disease, hormone disruption, decreased fertility, lower birth weights, increased cholesterol and changes in nervous system development, according to the report,” experts explain.

“Contact with these chemicals, apart from food packaging, happen when they leak into soils and drinking water from industrial sources. They can also invade household dust and air when consumer products containing these chemicals are used.”

Higher vitamin C levels associated with lower mortality risk during 16-year period

Linxian University (China), August 15, 2020

A study reported in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health has uncovered an association between higher plasma vitamin C levels and a lower risk of mortality during more than 16 years of follow-up.

The study included 473 men and 475 women between the ages of 53 and 84 who were enrolled in the General Population Nutrition Intervention Trial (NIT) cohort in Linxian, China. Plasma samples collected were analyzed for vitamin C levels.

During the 16.4-year follow-up period, 551 deaths occurred: 170 from stroke, 174 caused by heart disease, 141 resulting from cancer, and 66 due to other causes. Among subjects whose plasma vitamin C concentrations were among the top 25%, the adjusted risk of dying from any cause during follow-up was 25% lower than the risk experienced by subjects whose vitamin C levels were among the lowest quarter. Those whose plasma vitamin C levels were among the highest 25% had an adjusted risk of dying from cancer or stroke that was 28% lower and a risk of dying from heart disease that was 35% lower than subjects whose levels were lowest.

When subjects with low vitamin C levels (defined as 28 micromoles per liter or below) and normal levels (greater than 28 micromoles per liter) were compared, a normal level was associated with a 23% lower risk of premature mortality and a 38% lower risk of dying from heart disease, in comparison with low levels.

As a possible reason for their findings, Shao-Ming Wang and colleagues note that oxidative stress is lowered by vitamin C. Oxidative stress can promote endothelial dysfunction that underlies heart disease by increasing inflammation and lipid peroxidation and decreasing nitric oxide availability. Oxidative stress also causes DNA damage associated with cancer.

“This study is the first to find the general benefits for higher plasma vitamin C concentrations on total and cause-specific mortalities, including cancer and heart diseases, in a long-term prospective cohort from China,” the authors announce. “In this long-term prospective Chinese cohort study, higher plasma vitamin C concentration was associated with lower total mortality, heart disease mortality, and cancer mortality. Our results corroborate the importance of adequate vitamin C to human health.”

Dementia gene link to high cholesterol and low vitamin D

University of Glasgow (Scotland), August 17, 2020

SCIENTISTS from Scotland have found people with the “dementia gene” often have high cholesterol and low vitamin D levels.

Researchers from the University of Glasgow undertook the largest study of its kind, examining blood molecules – such as cholesterol and neuro-inflammatory biomarkers – in people with the Alzheimer’s disease (AD) susceptibility gene.

They said the findings, based on research involving nearly 400,000 people, could suggest potential biomarks for Alzheimer’s but further research was needed to fully determine their role in dementia. They also said increased vitamin D levels could be “protective” for people with the dementia gene.

The AD gene, Apolipoprotein e4 (APOE e4), is a major genetic risk factor for the disease, and is found in about a quarter of the population. It increases the risk of developing dementia by at least three times.

The researchers looked at a wide range of blood molecules – including cholesterols, markers of inflammation, vitamin D, sex-specific hormones and renal function – in people carrying the AD gene to better understand the mechanisms of it and the risk of developing dementia.

The study found “relatively large” associations of neuro-inflammatory and cholesterol biomarkers, such as low-density lipoprotein levels, in people with a genetically-high risk of Alzheimer’s.

Previous studies also reported an association between APOE e4 and higher vitamin D levels; however, this study found decreased levels.

Dr Donald Lyall, public health lecturer at the university’s Institute of Health and Wellbeing and senior author, said: “Our research confirmed that the [dementia gene] predicted subsequent dementia.

“But, more importantly, by looking at such a large sample size and such a wide range of biomarkers – both in patients with the disease and those currently non-demented but at high genetic risk– we were able to get a ‘big picture’ look at the role of common biomarkers and this gene, which is considered to be dementia-causing.

“Our findings of relatively-large associations between [the gene] with neuro-inflammatory biomarkers and elevated cholesterol levels reinforces that these biological pathways are important to our understanding of common, late-onset Alzheimer’s disease.

“While these findings could suggest biomarkers for dementia, further studies are needed to fully determine their role in dementia, both in those with a high genetic risk for Alzheimer’s disease and more generally.”

Lead author Dr Amy Ferguson added: “We hope that, by continuing to understand biomarkers of those at genetic risk of AD, we can one day use them in early detection of AD and, hopefully, potential pathways for future prevention, management and treatment options.”

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, and is believed to be the result of interactions between genetic and environmental risk factors.

News of the biomarker research comes after it was reported that a blood test could spot Alzheimer’s disease at the earliest stage and years before symptoms appear, according to US and Swedish researchers.

The test looks for tiny amounts of a protein which is elevated in people with the illness. Investigators found measuring this protein, p-tau217, could predict Alzheimer’s dementia with 96% accuracy.

Experts said that, with more research, it could be developed into a test doctors could offer. Currently, Alzheimer’s is diagnosed using a combination of memory tests and brain scans, once symptoms have already appeared.

Connection found between degree of sleepiness and social interaction

Karolinska Institute and Stockholm University (Sweden), August 18, 2020

A team of researchers from the Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University has found a connection between how sleepy people are and how much they socialize. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the group describes their study of sleep and socializing patterns for a group of volunteers and what they learned from it.

Anecdotal evidence has suggested that when people are tired or sleepy, they are less willing to engage in most activities, social or otherwise. And prior research has shown that lack of sleep can lead to cognitive problems, a drop in motivation and behavioral changes. In this new effort, the team in Sweden wondered if there were more to the connection between sleepiness and social interaction. To learn more, they asked 641 working adults (in Sweden) to keep a detailed journal (with entries every 30 minutes when not working) of their sleepiness patterns and social activity for a three-week period.

While analyzing the data from the journals, the researchers found patterns suggesting there were previously unknown connections between sleepiness and socializing. They noticed, for example, that sleepiness and socializing were impacted by the time of day. They found that more social activity in the later parts of the mornings or early afternoons tended to make people sleepier later on. But oddly enough, engaging in more social activity in the evening led to reduced feelings of sleepiness later on. They also found that socializing in the later afternoon tended to push people to sleep a little longer that night. But socializing for a long time in the evening led to a shorter night’s sleep. They also found that the impact can be dramatic; social contact can decrease by as much as 70 percent when people are sleepy.

The researchers suggest that their findings, when viewed as a whole, indicate that sleepiness in general leads to reduced desire to interact socially—most particularly during the times when it is possible to do so, such as after work or on weekends. The findings may help explain the increase in loneliness that has been widely reported in Sweden over the past several decades.

Intense light may boost heart health

A novel use of intense light therapy may help decrease the tissue damage experienced during heart attacks, reveals new research in mice.

University of Colorado, August 19, 2020

The study, out of the University of Colorado and appearing in the journal Cell Reports, shows that exposing lab mice to intense light for a week improved their outcomes after heart attacks.

The research also suggests that this procedure could benefit humans, and the researchers outline the reason why.

“We already knew that intense light can protect against heart attacks, but now we have found the mechanism behind it,” says the study’s senior author Dr. Tobias Eckle, professor of anesthesiology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Aurora.

Boosting specific gene protects heart

In the study, the researchers discovered that intense light influences the functions of the PER2gene, which is expressed by a part of the brain that controls circadian rhythms.

By boosting this gene through intense light therapy, the researchers discovered that the mice’s heart tissue received extra protection when it experienced issues with oxygen, such as during a heart attack.

Additionally, this intense light also heightened cardiac adenosine, which is a specialized chemical that helps with blood flow regulation. In concert, both benefits helped protect heart health.

Also, when they studied the mice, the researchers found that being able to physically perceive light was vital, as blind mice experienced no benefits from the intense light.

Humans had similar benefits

The next step was to see if humans could benefit from light therapy. The researchers worked with healthy human volunteers and exposed them to 30 minutes of intense light.

On five consecutive mornings, the researchers exposed the participants to 10,000 lumens of light and drew blood several times.

The researchers found that PER2 levels increased in response to light therapy in the human participants as it did in the mice. They also reported that the human volunteers saw a decreased level of plasma triglycerides and improved metabolism.

Dr. Eckle explained that light plays an essential part in human health, not only in regulating the circadian rhythm but in cardiovascular health as well.

He adds that according to prior studies, more people throughout the U.S. experience heart attacks during the darker months of winter, even in states that traditionally get more sunshine, such as Hawaii and Arizona.

Study: Supplementation with curcumin offers benefits for patients with metabolic syndrome

Coventry University (UK) and Tehran University of Medical Sciences (Iran), August 19, 2020

A study published in the journal Diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome: Clinical Research and Review found that curcumin supplementation can help increase adiponectin levels. Adiponectin is said to help reduce the risk of cardiometabolic disease.

According to researchers from the United Kingdom and Iran, people with metabolic syndrome and metabolic disorders can benefit from taking curcumin supplements regularly. Curcumin is the main active component of turmeric, an herb that offers plenty of health benefits.

Increased levels of adiponectin through curcumin supplementation

Adiponectin is a hormone produced exclusively by adipocytes, or fat cells. It plays a role in insulin response and has anti-inflammatory effects. In fact, low blood levels of adiponectin are linked to cardiovascular diseases, insulin resistance, obesity and dyslipidemia — a condition characterized by abnormal levels of lipids in the blood.

In the study, the researchers examined the effect of curcumin on blood adiponectin levels. They reviewed six randomized clinical trials on curcumin, in which 652 participants were included.

Data analysis revealed that, compared with a placebo, curcumin supplementation significantly raised adiponectin levels. In trials that lasted longer, the researchers observed greater effects on adiponectin.

“We were able to confirm the veracity of a number of independent studies, highlighting that curcumin supplementation, particularly when consumed for less than 10 weeks, may significantly increase adiponectin levels, even when controlling for numerous biological and sociological variables,” wrote the researchers.

People with metabolic syndrome, in particular, will find curcumin supplementation useful. Metabolic syndrome refers to a cluster of diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and obesity.

Study finds physical activity is beneficial for health, and more intense activity is better

Cambridge University, August 18, 2020

Physical activity of any intensity is beneficial for health, but more intense activity has greater benefits, according to a new study published today in Nature Medicine. In the largest study to date of accelerometer-measured physical activity, a team led by researchers at the Medical Research Council (MRC) Epidemiology Unit at the University of Cambridge analyzed data from more than 96,000 UK Biobank participants.

Current physical activity guidelines from the UK Chief Medical Officers recommend that adults should aim to be active every day, and also that adults should undertake 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity (equivalent to a brisk walk) or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity (such as running) every week. Previous research has shown that moderate and vigorous intensity activity confers greater health benefits than light intensity activity, but it has not been clear if this is because it makes a greater contribution to the total amount of physical activity, or if it has additional health benefits beyond this.

A challenge facing researchers has been that the low intensity, incidental movement that accumulates in the course of everyday activities is very hard to recall accurately, and consequently difficult to measure using questionnaires. Wearable devices have enabled better detection of this type of movement that makes up the majority of our daily physical activity, but until now have not been used on a large enough scale to determine if more intense activity makes a contribution to health, distinct from increasing total volume.

The researchers used data from 96,476 middle-aged adults in Great Britain to investigate whether activity of moderate intensity or above contributed to a lower risk of death over and above its contribution to total volume of activity. These individuals wore a research-grade activity tracker on their dominant wrist for a week as part of their participation in the UK Biobank study. The researchers used the data on the duration and intensity of movement collected to calculate the total volume of activity, expressed as physical activity energy expenditure (PAEE). The researchers also determined the percentage of that volume that was achieved through moderate and vigorous intensity activity.

The UK Biobank participants had an average PAEE of 40 kJ/kg/day, a third of which was from activity of at least moderate intensity, again on average. Owing to the large scale of the study, there was much variation in the underlying intensity contributions to similar volume levels.

The researchers examined if physical activity levels were associated with the risk of death in the follow-up period of on average 3.1 years. During this time 732 of the 96, 476 participants died, though the researchers excluded those who died within the first year from their analysis, and took existing conditions such diabetes, heart disease, and cancer into account as these might reduce physical activity.

Expending more energy of any intensity was strongly associated with a lower risk of death over the following three years. Participants who accumulated 20 kJ/kg/day through physical activity were a third less likely to die compared to those who accumulated 15 kJ/kg/day, when the proportion from at least moderate intensity activity was 10% in both cases. The additional activity is the equivalent to a 35-minute stroll, with an extra two minutes at a brisker pace.

Those who accumulated 30 kJ/kg/day were about half as likely to die in the follow-up period compared to those who accumulated 15 kJ/kg/day, when the proportion from at least moderate intensity activity was 10% in both cases. However, if this volume of 30 kJ/kg/day included 30% from at least moderate intensity activity, then they were only about a quarter as likely to die. The difference between this scenario and the reference of 15 kJ/kg/day and 10% is equivalent to an hour’s stroll plus 35 minutes at a brisker pace.

Dr. Tessa Strain of the MRC Epidemiology Unit, and lead author on the paper, said:

“Our results show that doing more activity of any intensity is beneficial, but that expending those calories in more intense activity is better still. By gradually building up the intensity of physical activity we do each day we can improve our future health.”

Dr. Søren Brage, also at the MRC Epidemiology Unit and senior author on the paper, added:

“Our research shows how the use of wearable devices capable of measuring physical activity in large cohorts can help disentangle the roles of volume and intensity of activity in influencing future health. The availability of data from nearly 100,000 participants in UK Biobank, backed up by a series of validation studies, allowed us to compare the impact of activity intensity in groups with similar overall volumes of physical activity, and demonstrate that more intense physical activity has health benefits beyond just contributing to total activity volume. Our results also show that activity volumes accumulated almost exclusively through light activity could still halve the mortality risk. Taken together, this means that there are several different pathways to maintain good health and people can choose the path that works best for them.”

High blood pressure during pregnancy may mean worse hot flashes during menopause

Mayo Clinic, August 19, 2020

Women with a history of high blood pressure disorders during pregnancy are more likely to experience bothersome menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats, according to a study published Wednesday, Aug. 19, in Menopause: The Journal of the North American Menopause Society.

“We already know that women with high blood pressure during pregnancy or those who experience menopause symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats have a higher risk of developing heart disease. Our research discovered that women who experienced high blood pressure during pregnancy were much more likely to experience bothersome menopausal symptoms, including hot flashes and night sweats during menopause,” says Stephanie Faubion, M.D., the study’s lead author. Dr. Faubion is the Penny and Bill George Director for Mayo Clinic’s Center for Women’s Health.

Researchers analyzed the medical records of 2,684 women ages 40 to 65 who were seen for specialty menopause or sexual health consultations at women’s health clinics at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona, between May 2015 and September 2019. All study participants completed a questionnaire in which they self-reported their menopause symptoms and effects of these symptoms on their quality of life. Study participants also completed questionnaires that documented whether they experienced high blood pressure disorders during pregnancy, such as preeclampsia or gestational hypertension.

Researchers discovered a significant association between women with a history of high blood pressure disorders during pregnancy who reported more bothersome menopausal symptoms. Women with this high blood pressure history using hormone therapy also reported more menopausal symptoms, compared to women with no history of high blood pressure disorders during pregnancy.

Dr. Faubion says more research is needed to understand why there is a link between high blood pressure disorders during pregnancy and more severe menopausal symptoms. But one thing is clear: Physicians need to do a better job monitoring women who experience high blood pressuring during pregnancy after they give birth.

“We know medical providers have historically done a lousy job identifying and following women with histories of high blood pressure disorders during pregnancy, despite knowing that they have a higher heart disease risk,” says Dr. Faubion. “This study is another reminder that these women are different. It is important that they not only receive education with regard to what they may experience during menopause, but also that they undergo routine screenings and counseling on how they can reduce their risk for heart disease.”

Oxidative stress a significant contributor to COPD and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

Justus-Liebig University (Germany), August 17, 2020

According to news reporting originating from Giessen, Germany, research stated, “Healthy ageing of the lung involves structural changes but also numerous cell-intrinsic and cell-extrinsic alterations. Among them are the age-related decline in central cellular quality control mechanisms such as redox and protein homeostasis.”

Our news editors obtained a quote from the research from Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, “In this review, we would like to provide a conceptual framework of how impaired stress responses in the ageing lung, as exemplified by dysfunctional redox and protein homeostasis, may contribute to onset and progression of COPD and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). We propose that age-related imbalanced redox and protein homeostasis acts, amongst others (e.g. cellular senescence), as a ‘first hit’ that challenges the adaptive stress-response pathways of the cell, increases the level of oxidative stress and renders the lung susceptible to subsequent injury and disease. In both COPD and IPF, additional environmental insults such as smoking, air pollution and/or infections then serve as ‘second hits’ which contribute to persistently elevated oxidative stress that overwhelms the already weakened adaptive defence and repair pathways in the elderly towards non-adaptive, irremediable stress thereby promoting development and progression of respiratory diseases.”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “COPD and IPF are thus distinct horns of the same devil, ‘lung ageing.”

Citrus fruits could help prevent obesity-related heart disease, liver disease, diabetes

Universidade Estadual Paulista (Brazil), August 11, 2020

Oranges and other citrus fruits are good for you—they contain plenty of vitamins and substances, such as antioxidants, that can help keep you healthy. Now a group of researchers reports that these fruits also help prevent harmful effects of obesity in mice fed a Western-style, high-fat diet.

The researchers are presenting their work today at the 252nd National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS). ACS, the world’s largest scientific society, is holding the meeting here through Thursday. It features more than 9,000 presentations on a wide range of science topics.

“Our results indicate that in the future we can use citrus flavanones, a class of antioxidants, to prevent or delay chronic diseases caused by obesity in humans,” says Paula S. Ferreira, a graduate student with the research team.

More than one-third of all adults in the U.S. are obese, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Being obese increases the risk of developing heart disease, liver disease and diabetes, most likely because of oxidative stress and inflammation, Ferreira says. When humans consume a high-fat diet, they accumulate fat in their bodies. Fat cells produce excessive reactive oxygen species, which can damage cells in a process called oxidative stress. The body can usually fight off the molecules with antioxidants. But obese patients have very enlarged fat cells, which can lead to even higher levels of reactive oxygen species that overwhelm the body’s ability to counteract them.

Citrus fruits contain large amounts of antioxidants, a class of which are called flavanones. Previous studies linked citrus flavanones to lowering oxidative stress in vitro and in animal models. These researchers wanted to observe the effects of citrus flavanones for the first time on mice with no genetic modifications and that were fed a high-fat diet.

The team, at Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) in Brazil, conducted an experiment with 50 mice, treating them with flavanones found in oranges, limes and lemons. The flavanones they focused on were hesperidin, eriocitrin and eriodictyol. For one month, researchers gave groups either a standard diet, a high-fat diet, a high-fat diet plus hesperidin, a high-fat diet plus eriocitrin or a high-fat diet plus eriodictyol.

The high-fat diet without the flavanones increased the levels of cell-damage markers called thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) by 80 percent in the blood and 57 percent in the liver compared to mice on a standard diet. But hesperidin, eriocitrin and eriodictyol decreased the TBARS levels in the liver by 50 percent, 57 percent and 64 percent, respectively, compared with mice fed a high-fat diet but not given flavanones. Eriocitrin and eriodictyol also reduced TBARS levels in the blood by 48 percent and 47 percent, respectively, in these mice. In addition, mice treated with hesperidin and eriodictyol had reduced fat accumulation and damage in the liver.

“Our studies did not show any weight loss due to the citrus flavanones,” says Thais B. Cesar, Ph.D., who leads the team. “However, even without helping the mice lose weight, they made them healthier with lower oxidative stress, less liver damage, lower blood lipids and lower blood glucose.”

Ferreira adds, “This study also suggests that consuming citrus fruits probably could have beneficial effects for people who are not obese, but have diets rich in fats, putting them at risk of developing cardiovascular disease, insulin resistance and abdominal obesity.”

Next, the team will explore how best to administer these flavanones, whether in citrus juice, by consuming the fruit or developing a pill with these antioxidants. In addition, the team plans to conduct studies involving humans, Cesar says.

Researchers find link between gut microbiome and cancer treatment outcomes

Study highlights positive impact of microbial diversity on immunotherapy response and suggests that cancer patients should eat a high-fiber diet with fruits, vegetables and grains with resistant starches.

City of Hope Hospital, August 19, 2020

Physicians at City of Hope, working in collaboration with scientists at Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), have found that greater gut microbial diversity in patients with metastatic kidney cancer is associated with better treatment outcomes on Food and Drug Administration-approved immunotherapy regimens. Their findings are outlined in a study published today in the journal European Urology.

“We also reported the changes over time in the gut microbiome that occur during the course of therapy — the cumulative findings from our report open the door to therapies directed at the microbiome,” said Sumanta Pal, M.D., one of the study’s senior authors and co-director of the Kidney Cancer Program at City of Hope, a world-renowned independent research and treatment center for cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases.

The gut microbiome is composed of microbes like bacteria and viruses that reside in the gastrointestinal tract. In recent years, an increase in knowledge about the microbiome in relation to general health has led to deeper explorations of its role in disease states, as well as how the organisms may interact with treatments.

“Previous studies have suggested a relationship between the gut microbiome and response to immunotherapy in solid tumors, including metastatic kidney cancer,” said Nicholas Salgia, B.Sc., a clinical research assistant at City of Hope and the paper’s lead author. “The results from our study build on earlier findings and reaffirm that the diversity and composition of patients’ microbiomes are associated with clinical responses to anti-cancer therapies.”

The study, which collected data from 31 people with metastatic kidney cancer, features the first reports of comparing microbiome sequencing at different time points in cancer patients. Participants were asked to provide up to three stool samples: at baseline, four weeks into therapy and 12 weeks into therapy.

Using the clinical trial results, the team was able to identify changes in the microbiome over time in kidney cancer patients receiving immunotherapy. The findings found that a greater variety of organisms was associated with a benefit to the patients, and also suggested that modulating the gut microbiome during the course of treatment may impact responses to therapy.

“The patients with the highest benefit from cancer treatment were those with more microbial diversity, but also those with a higher abundance of a specific bacterium known as Akkermansia muciniphila,” said Sarah Highlander, Ph.D., a research professor in TGen’s Pathogen and Microbiome Division and one of the study’s senior authors. “This organism has been associated with benefit in other immunotherapy studies.”

Highlander says one potential takeaway is that oncologists might encourage patients to pay attention to their gut microbiome by eating a high-fiber diet, including fruits and vegetables high in fructo-oligosaccharides such as bananas, dried fruit, onions, leeks, garlic, asparagus and artichokes, as well as grains with resistant starches such as barley or uncooked potato starch, for example.

Highlander says that next steps should include expanding the relatively small study to a much larger group of patients that are followed over a longer time period. At City of Hope, researchers have already embarked on a clinical trial to further explore the idea that modulating the microbiome during therapy could have an impact on clinical outcomes.

“We have randomized patients with metastatic kidney cancer to receive a probiotic supplement in addition to an FDA-approved immunotherapy regimen or the immunotherapy alone,” explained Salgia. “This work provided a strong framework for such a study.”

The collaborations between clinical experts at City of Hope and basic science colleagues at TGen have contributed to advancements in the understanding of not just the microbiome, but also in cancer biology and clinical outcomes at large.

“Our strong relationship with the microbiome team at TGen has fruitfully produced novel insights into the clinical implications of the microbiome in kidney cancer, among other cancer types,” said Pal, who is an internationally recognized leader in the area of genitourinary cancers.

Just last month, City of Hope and TGen launched a project to use one of the world’s most comprehensive genomic analysis tools to map out personalized treatment plans for metastatic kidney cancer patients.

“This current study is a further testament to the collaborative research structure we’ve developed between the affiliate institutions,” said Pal. “Through these collaborations we can implement both a bench-to-bedside and bedside-to-bench research model that will lead to better patient care at City of Hope through access to clinical trials and precision medicine approaches.”

Antiapoptotic effects of carotenoids in neurodegeneration

University of Alabama, August 17, 2020

According to news reporting out of the University of Alabama research stated, “Apoptosis, programmed cell death type I, is a critical part of neurodegeneration in cerebral ischemia, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s disease.”

Our news journalists obtained a quote from the research from University of Alabama: “Apoptosis begins with activation of pro-death proteins Bax and Bak, release of cytochrome c and activation of caspases, loss of membrane integrity of intracellular organelles, and ultimately cell death. Approaches that block apoptotic pathways may prevent or delay neurodegenerative processes. Carotenoids are a group of pigments found in fruits, vegetables, and seaweeds that possess antioxidant properties. Over the last several decades, an increasing number of studies have demonstrated a protective role of carotenoids in neurodegenerative disease. In this review, we describe functions of commonly consumed carotenoids including lycopene, b-carotene, lutein, astaxanthin, and fucoxanthin and their roles in neurodegenerative disease models.”

According to the news reporters, the research concluded: “We also discuss the underlying cellular mechanisms of carotenoid-mediated neuroprotection, including their antioxidant properties, role as signaling molecules, and as gene regulators that alleviate apoptosis-associated brain cell death.”

Multivitamin, mineral supplement linked to less-severe, shorter-lasting illness symptoms

Oregon State University, August 18, 2020

Older adults who took a daily multivitamin and mineral supplement with zinc and high amounts of vitamin C in a 12-week study experienced sickness for shorter periods and with less severe symptoms than counterparts in a control group receiving a placebo.

The findings by Oregon State University researchers were published in the journal Nutrients.

The research by scientists at OSU’s Linus Pauling Institute involved 42 healthy people ages 55 to 75 and was designed to measure the supplement’s effects on certain immune system indicators. It also looked at bloodstream levels of zinc and vitamins C and D while taking the supplement, as these micronutrients are important for proper immune function.

The immune indicators, including white blood cells’ ability to kill incoming pathogens, were unaltered in the group receiving the supplement.

The multivitamin group showedimproved vitamin C and zinc status in the blood. Most intriguingly, illness symptoms reported by this group were less severe and went away faster than those experienced by the placebo group.

The same percentage of participants in each group reported symptoms, but days of sickness in the supplement group averaged fewer than three compared to more than six for the placebo group.

“The observed illness differences were striking,” said corresponding author Adrian Gombart, professor of biochemistry and biophysics in the OSU College of Science and a principal investigator at the Linus Pauling Institute. “While the study was limited to self-reported illness data and we did not design the study to answer this question, the observed differences suggest that additional larger studies designed for these outcomes are warranted – and, frankly, overdue.”

As people get older, the risk of vitamin and mineral deficiencies that contribute to age-related immune system deficiencies rises. Across the United States, Canada and Europe, research suggests more than one-third of older adults are deficient in at least one micronutrient, often more than one.

“That likely contributes to a decline in the immune system, most often characterized by increased levels of inflammation, reduced innate immune function and reduced T-cell function,” Gombart said. “Since multiple nutrients support immune function, older adults often benefit from multivitamin and mineral supplements. These are readily available, inexpensive and generally regarded as safe.”

The multivitamin supplement used in the study focused on vitamins and minerals typically thought to help immunity. It contained 700 micrograms of vitamin A; 400 international units of vitamin D; 45 milligrams of vitamin E; 6.6 milligrams of vitamin B6; 400 micrograms of folate; 9.6 micrograms of vitamin B12; 1,000 milligrams of vitamin C; 5 milligrams of iron; 0.9 milligrams of copper; 10 milligrams of zinc; and 110 micrograms of selenium.

“Supplementation was associated with significantly increased circulating levels of zinc and vitamin C, and with illness symptoms that were less severe and shorter lasting,” Gombart said. “This supports findings that stretch back decades, even to the days of Linus Pauling’s work with vitamin C. Our results suggest more and better designed research studies are needed to explore the positive role multivitamin and mineral supplementation might play in bolstering the immune system of older adults.”

Honey found to be a better treatment for upper respiratory tract infections than traditional remedies

Oxford University, August 19, 2020

A trio of researchers at Oxford University has found that honey is a better treatment for upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) than traditional remedies. In their paper published in BMJ Evidence-based Medicine, Hibatullah Abuelgasim, Charlotte Albury, and Joseph Lee describe their study of the results of multiple clinical trials that involved testing of treatments for upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) and what they learned from the data.

Over the past several years, the medical community has grown alarmed as bacteria have developed resistance to antibacterial agents. Some studies have found that over-prescription of such remedies is hastening the pace. Of particular concern are antibacterial prescriptions written for maladies that they are not likely to help, simply due to demands from patients. One such case is often URTIs, the vast majority of which are caused by viruses, not bacteria. Because of such cases, scientists have been looking for other remedies for these infections, and one therapy in particular has begun to stand out: honey.

Anecdotal evidence has suggested that honey can be used to treat colds in general and coughs in particular—people have been using it as a therapy for thousands of years. In this new effort, the researchers looked at the results of multiple clinical trials testing the effectiveness of therapies against URTIs. In all, the team looked at data from 14 clinical trials involving 1,761 patients.

In analyzing the data from all of the trials combined, the researchers found that the trials had included studies of virtually all of the traditional remedies such as over-the-counter cold and sinus medicines as well as antibiotics—and honey. They found that honey proved to be the best therapy among all of those tested. In addition to proving more effective in treating coughing (36 percent better at reducing the amount of coughing and 44 percent better at reducing coughing severity), it also led to a reduction in average duration of infection by two days.

The researchers note that the reason honey works as a treatment for URTIs is because it contains hydrogen peroxide—a known bacteria killer—which also makes it useful as a topical treatment for cuts and scrapes. Honey is also of the right consistency—its thickness works to coat the mouth and throat, soothing irritation.

High intensity physical activity in early life could lead to stronger bones in adulthood

University of Bristol (UK), August 17 2020

The research, which analysed data from 2,569 participants of the Children of the 90s health study, found that more time spent doing moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) from age 12 years was associated with stronger hips at age 25 years, whereas time spent in light intensity activity was less clearly associated with adult hip strength.

Peak bone mass occurs in young adulthood and is considered to be a marker of the risk of fracture and osteoporosis in later life. Hip fractures make up a large proportion of the osteoporosis disease burden.

Researchers looked at data from healthy individuals who had physical activity measured up to 4 times using accelerometers worn as part of clinical assessments at age 12, 14, 16 and 25 years. This is a device that measures a person’s movement for the whole time they wear it.

Researchers also found evidence to suggest that adolescent MVPA was more important than MVPA in adulthood, and that MVPA in early adolescence may be more important than in later adolescence. There was also some evidence that higher impact activity (consistent with jumping; assessed once in a subsample in late adolescence using custom accelerometer) was related to stronger hips at age 25.

Dr Ahmed Elhakeem, lead author and Senior Research Associate in Epidemiology, said: “The unique availability of repeated accelerometer assessments over many years beginning at age 12 within the Children of the 90s cohort, allowed us to describe the trajectory of time spent in different physical activity intensities through early life and to examine how this might relate to adult hip strength. The results highlight adolescence as a potentially important period for bone development through high intensity exercise, which could benefit future bone health and prevent osteoporosis in later life. We have also confirmed other studies showing that levels of MVPA decline through adolescence. Our findings show it is really important to support young people to remain active at this age”

Francesca Thompson, Clinical and Operations Director at the Royal Osteoporosis Society (ROS), said: “The ROS is working closely at the moment with Public Health England to review the importance of exercise for bone health in children. The findings from this study are welcome as they provide further evidence that children need to be doing moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity during their early adolescence to maximise bone strength in later life and reduce the risk of painful fractures. Supporting and encouraging young people to be more physically active needs to be a priority for bone as well as general health.”

Magnesium supplementation associated with improved vitamin D status in postmenopausal women

University of Granada (Spain), August 17, 2020

According to news originating from Granada, Spain, the research stated, “Menopause is a stage of hormonal imbalance in women which, in addition to other physiopathological consequences, poses a risk of deficiency of key micronutrients such as magnesium and vitamin D.”

Our news editors obtained a quote from the research from University of Granada: “A study was made of the influence of a magnesium intervention upon vitamin D status in a postmenopausal population from the province of Granada (Spain). Fifty-two healthy postmenopausal women between 44-76 years of age were included. Two randomized groups-placebo and magnesium (500 mg/day)-were treated during eight weeks. Nutrient intake was assessed using questionnaires based on 72-h recall. Vitamin D was analyzed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Baseline vitamin D proved deficient in over 80% of the subjects.”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “The administration of magnesium resulted in significantly increased vitamin D levels in the intervention group versus the controls (* * p* * < 0.05). Magnesium supplementation improved vitamin D status in the studied postmenopausal women.”

High fructose diet in pregnancy impacts metabolism of offspring, study finds

University of Otago (New Zealand), August 18, 2020

An increased level of fructose intake during pregnancy can cause significant changes in maternal metabolic function and milk composition and alter the metabolism of their offspring, researchers from the University of Otago, Wellington, have found.

The research, which was led by Dr Clint Gray, a Research Fellow in the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, found increasing the fructose in the diets of female guinea pigs led to highly significant and consistent changes in the free fatty acids circulating in the blood of their offspring. This was despite the offspring consuming no fructose themselves.

The research is published in the international journal Frontiers in Endocrinology.

First author, PhD student Erin Smith, says “previous research has shown poor quality nutrition during pregnancy can predispose offspring to long-term consequences, including the development of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease later in life”.

“However, there has been a lack of data examining the impact of increased fructose intake before and during pregnancy and subsequent adverse effects on lactation, foetal development and offspring metabolic function.”

The two experimental groups were fed either a control diet or a fructose diet prior to and during pregnancy. The fructose group was given supplementary fructose water to replicate increased sugar-sweetened beverage intake 60 days prior to mating and until the delivery of their offspring. Fructose made up 16.5 per cent of their diets, closely resembling the average human consumption of fructose/sugar in Western countries, which is estimated at about 14 per cent of average daily caloric intake.

“We found fructose had a significant impact on a pregnant females’ metabolic status and the free fatty acid content of their milk. We also provide the first evidence that offspring born from fructose-fed mothers display a very specific pattern of increased free fatty acids and altered lipid metabolism that persists throughout early life.”

Ms Smith says it is well known that increased levels of circulating free fatty acids increases the risk of obesity, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease – with increased fatty acid synthesis shown to occur following fructose consumption.

She says the evidence suggests suboptimal maternal diets, such as diets high in fructose and refined sugars, may be contributing to the rise in metabolic diseases in humans observed during the past 40 to 50 years.

“Our study emphasises the importance of limiting added refined fructose, such as sugar-sweetened beverages, and striving for a more nutritionally balanced diet in women prior to and during pregnancy and lactation.”

Sleep makes relearning faster and longer-lasting

University of Lyon (France). August 14, 2020

Getting some sleep in between study sessions may make it easier to recall what you studied and relearn what you’ve forgotten, even 6 months later, according to new findings from Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.

“Our results suggest that interleaving sleep between practice sessions leads to a twofold advantage, reducing the time spent relearning and ensuring a much better long-term retention than practice alone,” explains psychological scientist Stephanie Mazza of the University of Lyon. “Previous research suggested that sleeping after learning is definitely a good strategy, but now we show that sleeping between two learning sessions greatly improves such a strategy.”

While studies have shown that both repeated practice and sleep can help improve memory, there is little research investigating how repetition and sleep influence memory when they are combined. Mazza and colleagues hypothesized that sleeping in between study sessions might make the relearning process more efficient, reducing the effort needed to commit information to memory.

A total of 40 French adults were randomly assigned to either a “sleep” group or a “wake” group. At the first session, all participants were presented with 16 French-Swahili word pairs in random order. After studying a pair for 7 seconds, the Swahili word appeared and participants were prompted to type the French translation. The correct word pair was then shown for 4 seconds. Any words that were not correctly translated were presented again, until each word pair had been correctly translated.

Twelve hours after the initial session, the participants completed the recall task again, practicing the whole list of words until all 16 words were correctly translated.

Importantly, some participants completed the first session in the morning and the second session in the evening of the same day (“wake” group); others completed the first session in the evening, slept, and completed the second session the following morning (“sleep” group).

In the first session, the two groups showed no difference in how many words they could initially recall or in the number of trials they needed to be able to remember all 16 word pairs.

But after 12 hours, the data told another story: Participants who had slept between sessions recalled about 10 of the 16 words, on average, while those who hadn’t slept recalled only about 7.5 words. And when it came to relearning, those who had slept needed only about 3 trials to be able to recall all 16 words, while those who had stayed awake needed about 6 trials.

Ultimately, both groups were able to learn all 16 word pairs, but sleeping in between sessions seemed to allow participants to do so in less time and with less effort.

“Memories that were not explicitly accessible at the beginning of relearning appeared to have been transformed by sleep in some way,” says Mazza. “Such transformation allowed subjects to re-encode information faster and to save time during the relearning session.”

The memory boost that participants got from sleeping between sessions seemed to last over time. Follow-up data showed that participants in the sleep group outperformed their peers on the recall test 1 week later. The sleep group showed very little forgetting, recalling about 15 word pairs, compared to the wake group, who were able to recall about 11 word pairs. This benefit was still noticeable 6 months later.

The benefits of sleep could not be ascribed to participants’ sleep quality or sleepiness, or to their short-term or long-term memory capacity, as the two groups showed no differences on these measures.

The results suggest that alternating study sessions with sleep might be an easy and effective way to remember information over longer periods of time with less study, Mazza and colleagues conclude.

Meta-analysis adds evidence to chromium supplementation’s glucose control benefits in diabetics

Lorestan University of Medical Sciences (Iran), August 15, 2020

A systematic review and meta-analysis published on July 27, 2020 in Pharmacological Research found reductions in fasting plasma glucose, insulin, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c, a marker of long term glucose control) and insulin resistance in men and women with type 2 diabetes who supplemented with the mineral chromium.

For their analysis, Omid Asbaghi of Lorestan University of Medical Sciences and colleagues selected 23 randomized, controlled trials that evaluated the effects of supplementing with chromium on various glycemic control indexes. Doses used in the studies ranged between 50 micrograms (mcg) and 1,000 mcg per day consumed from four to 25 weeks. Eleven of the trials evaluated a chromium dosage within a 400 to 600 mcg range.

Analysis of 22 trials that reported fasting plasma glucose levels concluded that chromium supplementation was associated with an average reduction of 19.0 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) in comparison with the placebo. Trials of at least 12 weeks duration were associated with a far greater average decrease of 58.74 mg/dL in association with chromium.

Of the 14 trials that reported insulin levels, levels declined by an average of 1.7784 µIU/mL among subjects who received chromium compared to the placebo, with trials that lasted 12 weeks or longer associated with a decrease of 3.47 µIU/mL.

For the 22 trials that reported HbA1c, supplementation with chromium was associated with an average decrease of 0.71%, which improved to a significant 1.70% reduction when trials of 12 weeks duration or more were examined. Homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) also decreased significantly among participants who received chromium.

The authors observed that chromium plays a role in carbohydrate and lipid metabolism and may enhance insulin sensitivity. Other nutrients that have been associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes include vitamins A, C, D and E, beta-carotene, calcium, magnesium, potassium and zinc.

“Present systematic review and meta-analysis of all available published randomized trials up to 2020 found a significant reduction in all glycemic control indices such as fasting plasma glucose, insulin, HbA1c and HOMA-IR levels after chromium supplementation,” they wrote. “Furthermore, long term intervention contributed to greater reduction of all mentioned indices.”

“The results of the current meta‐analysis study might support the use of chromium supplementation for the improvement of glycemic control indices in T2DM patients,” they concluded.

Mangiferin: The Health-Boosting Antioxidant in Mangos

GreenMedInfo, August 12th 2020

Mangiferin, a polyphenol found in mango fruit and plant extracts, possesses potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Mangiferin has been shown to have beneficial effects on gastrointestinal health, Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular health, and may have anticancer properties

Mango, a type of juicy stone fruit native to eastern Asia and India, is rich in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, fiber, antioxidants, micronutrients and minerals, and a unique polyphenol called mangiferin.[i] While mango itself has long been touted for its health benefits, researchers are becoming increasingly interested in mangiferin, which can be found in the leaves, fruit, stone, kernel and stems of the mango plant.[ii]

Studies show that mangiferin extracts may have beneficial effects on lifestyle-related disorders and degenerative diseases, and researchers are eager to understand and utilize this potent polyphenol.

Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Potential of Mangiferin

Mangiferin is a powerful antioxidant that modulates glucose metabolism and shows enhanced antioxidant capabilities in both inflammatory and pro-inflammatory conditions.[iii] Mangiferin antioxidants have also been shown to protect against liver damage and lower peroxidation in human peripheral blood lymphocytes, and mangiferin may have radioprotective properties thanks to its ability to suppress free radicals in cells.[iv],[v]

Additionally, mangiferin’s anti-inflammatory benefits have been demonstrated in both the liver and heart, and researchers have discovered that mangiferin can protect against lipid peroxidation and oxidative stress by up-regulating the expression of Nrf2, a transcription factor responsible for the regulation of protective antioxidants and detoxification responses.[vi],[vii]

Mangiferin’s anti-inflammatory effects have also been demonstrated in the lungs, where it can improve acute lung injury by reducing systemic and pulmonary inflammationresponses.[viii]

Overall, mangiferin’s anti-inflammatory properties have been demonstrated to reduce both macro and microscopic damage in various organs and tissues, making it a potential preventative therapy for a variety of disorders.[ix] Many of the benefits of mangiferin come from these strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Researched benefits of mangiferin include:

Mangiferin Extract May Protect Against Diabetes

More than 80% of all diabetes cases are Type 2, which is associated with a lowered ability to increase glucose utilization in skeletal muscle tissue and adipose tissue.[x] This decrease in glucose metabolism and increased insulin increases the risk for disorders like cardiovascular disease, fatty liver and renal diseases.[xi]

In one study, researchers demonstrated that mangiferin extract significantly reduced kidney weight while enhancing enzymatic activity and protein expression after just nine weeks.[xii] Other studies have shown that mangiferin extract can also reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and improve oral-glucose tolerance after just 28 days.[xiii]

Mangiferin Boosts Gastrointestinal Health

Mangiferin has gastroprotective effects, leading researchers to believe it could be a useful therapeutic measure against gastric complications including diarrhea, abdominal pain, weight loss and anemia associated with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.[xiv]

These effects are likely due to mangiferin’s antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which both contribute to the development of gastrointestinal disorders.[xv] In other studies, researchers have found that mangiferin improves postoperative ileus, a short-term disturbance of gastrointestinal motility after surgery.[xvi]

Mangiferin improves intestinal transit by reducing the intestinal inflammatory response and decreasing pro-inflammatory cytokine levels in the plasma, improving gastrointestinal transit in both normal and constipated subjects.[xvii],[xviii]

Mangiferin Has Anticancer Properties

Researchers believe that one root cause of carcinogenesis is oxidative stress and have long searched for natural, polyphenolic antioxidant compounds that could mediate oxidative damage in the body. One study found that mangiferin’s antioxidant capabilities may stall the progression of carcinogenesis and induce apoptosis (cell death) on cancer cells.[xix]

Mangiferin is demonstrated to have protective effects against several cancers, including breast, colon, neural, skin and cervical cancers, by lowering oxidative stress and suppressing DNA damage in cells in various studies.[xx]

Mangiferin Has Immunomodulatory Properties

Mangiferin’s strong immunomodulatory characteristics come from its ability to both reduce oxidative stress in lymphocytes, neutrophils and macrophages, and also enhance the number and activity of immune cells in your body.[xxi],[xxii]

Additionally, mangiferin inhibits lipid peroxidation, which researchers believe may account for the reduction of radiation-induced DNA damage to immune cells and explain mangiferin’s strong immune-stimulating and anticancer effects.[xxiii]

Mangiferin Protects Against Cardiovascular Disease

Mangiferin may play a significant cardiovascular-protective role by decreasing fatty acids, cholesterol and triglycerides and decreasing the inflammatory process in heart tissue.[xxiv]

Mangiferin treatment is also shown to increase enzymatic activity and reduce the formation of lipid peroxides, which researchers use as a marker for cardiovascular disease risk and vascular cognitive impairment disorders.[xxv]

Given that mangiferin exhibits little to no toxicity and has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits, there is strong evidence that mangiferin can be used as an alternative or preventive therapy against a variety of illnesses.[xxvi] However, it has a low water solubility and oral bioavailability and researchers must find an effective dosage and enhance its absorption rate before it can effectively be used in clinical settings.

Unhealthy diet during pregnancy could be linked to ADHD

King’s College London and the University of Bristol , August 18 2020

New research led by scientists from King’s College London and the University of Bristol has found that a high-fat, high-sugar diet during pregnancy may be linked to symptoms of ADHD in children who show conduct problems early in life.

Published today in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, this study is the first to indicate that epigenetic changes evident at birth may explain the link between unhealthy diet, conduct problems and ADHD.

Early onset conduct problems (e.g. lying, fighting) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are the leading causes of child mental health referral in the UK. These two disorders tend to occur in tandem (more than 40 per cent of children with a diagnosis of conduct disorder also have a diagnosis of ADHD) and can also be traced back to very similar prenatal experiences such as maternal distress or poor nutrition.

In this new study of participants from the Bristol-based ‘Children of the 90s’ cohort, 83 children with early-onset conduct problems were compared with 81 children who had low levels of conduct problems. The researchers assessed how the mothers’ nutrition affected epigenetic changes (or DNA methylation) of IGF2, a gene involved in fetal development and the brain development of areas implicated in ADHD – the cerebellum and hippocampus. Notably, DNA methylation of IGF2 had previously been found in children of mothers who were exposed to famine in the Netherlands during World War II.

The researchers from King’s and Bristol found that poor prenatal nutrition, comprising high fat and sugar diets of processed food and confectionary, was associated with higher IGF2 methylation in children with early onset conduct problems and those with low conduct problems.

Higher IGF2 methylation was also associated with higher ADHD symptoms between the ages of 7 and 13, but only for children who showed an early onset of conduct problems. Dr Edward Barker from King’s College London said: ‘Our finding that poor prenatal nutrition was associated with higher IGF2 methylation highlights the critical importance of a healthy diet during pregnancy.

‘These results suggest that promoting a healthy prenatal diet may ultimately lower ADHD symptoms and conduct problems in children. This is encouraging given that nutritional and epigenetic risk factors can be altered.’

Dr Barker added: ‘We now need to examine more specific types of nutrition. For example, the types of fats such as omega 3 fatty acids, from fish, walnuts and chicken are extremely important for neural development. ‘We already know that nutritional supplements for children can lead to lower ADHD and conduct problems, so it will be important for future research to examine the role of epigenetic changes in this process.’

Natural form of vitamin E supplementation improves oxidative and inflammatory response

University of Georgia, August 12, 2020

According to news reporting out of Athens, Georgia, by NewsRx editors, research stated, “Vitamin E is an essential antioxidant that may benefit athletes by reducing oxidative stress and influencing cytokine expression. Supplements can be derived from natural or manufactured synthetic sources.”

Our news journalists obtained a quote from the research from the University of Georgia, “This study aimed to determine (1) if supplemental vitamin E is beneficial to exercising horses and (2) if there is a benefit of natural versus synthetic vitamin E. After 2 weeks on the control diet (vitamin E-deficient grain and hay), 18 horses were divided into three groups and fed the control diet plus (1) 1000 IU/d synthetic alpha-tocopherol (SYN-L), (2) 4000 IU/d synthetic alpha-tocopherol (SYN-H), or (3) 4000 IU/d RRR-alpha-tocopherol (natural source [NAT]). On day 7, horses began a 6-week training protocol, with standard exercise tests (SETs) performed before and after the 6-week protocol. Venous blood samples were collected on days 0, 7, 29, and 49. Horses fed NAT had higher alpha-tocopherol (P < .05) at post-SET1 through post-SET2. Plasma thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance levels were lower in NAT versus SYN-L horses after SET2 (P = .02). Serum aspartate aminotransferase was lower after exercise in NAT horses versus SYN-L and SYN-H (P = .02), and less reduction in stride duration was seen after exercise in NAT as compared with SYN-L and SYN-H (P = .02). Gene expression of tumor necrosis factor alpha was lower in NAT compared with SYN-H (P = .01) but not SYN-L.”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “Feeding higher levels of natural vitamin E source resulted in higher serum alpha-tocopherol levels as well as some improvement in oxidative and inflammatory response and improved functional outcomes in response to an exercise test.”

Study of one million children shows adversity increases risk of premature death in adulthood

University of Liverpool, August 17, 2020

A new study published in The Lancet, conducted by researchers from the Universities of Copenhagen and Liverpool, shows that adversity in childhood increases the risk of premature death in early adulthood.

Children who have experienced repeated serious adversity such as losing a parent, mental illness in the family, poverty or being placed in foster care have a 4.5 times higher risk of dying in early adulthood than children who have not experienced adversity during childhood.

Childhood is a sensitive period with rapid brain development and physiological growth, and adverse events in childhood might interfere with these processes and have long-lasting effects on health.

Childhood adversities

In order to gain a better understanding of how these adverse events in childhood relate to mortality in early adult life researchers conducted a study that recorded repeated serious adversity in childhood among one million Danish children and then examined their mortality rates between 16 and 34 years.

Three dimensions of childhood adversities were identified by the researchers: poverty and material deprivation, loss or threat of loss within the family, and aspects of family dynamics such as maternal separation.

The researchers divided the children into five groups depending on the degree of adversity experienced in childhood.

Findings

The researchers found that the more stressful experiences they have experienced during childhood, the higher the mortality rate in early adulthood.

In group 1: 54% of the children experienced no or only very few isolated incidents of adversity in childhood.
in groups 2-4: 43% of the children experienced isolated incidents of adversity in childhood, mainly related to poverty or illness in the family. Here the researchers found a mortality rate in early adulthood that is 1.3-1.8 times higher than in Group 1.
in group 5: 3% experienced multiple adversities within all dimensions and throughout the entire childhood period. In this group, the mortality rate is 4.5 times higher than in Group 1.

The higher mortality rate mainly manifests itself in suicide and accidents, but the study also shows a higher risk of dying from cancer in this group.

Protection from poverty and material deprivation

Professor David Taylor-Robinson, University of Liverpool, said: “Child poverty and adversity damages health across the lifespan even in Denmark where levels of poverty are much lower than in the UK. These findings are really concerning given the current UK context where over one in three children lives in poverty and this is predicted to rise. It is time for the government to reverse this trend establishing a welfare system that protects children from poverty and material deprivation. We know that childhood adversity has a myriad of adverse impacts on multiple aspects of child health and development that will have repercussions for decades to come. The results of the study stress the critical importance of broad structural public-health initiatives to reduce poverty and prevent adversity in childhood as well as appropriate support for vulnerable children who experience severe adversities.”

Action needed to minimize social adversity

Naja Hulvej Rod, University of Copenhagen, said: “It is striking to see such a strong connection between adversity in childhood and mortality in the Danish welfare state, which among other things aims to promote financial stability among families with young children and to minimize social adversity. From an international perspective, you may worry that these associations are even stronger in a less extensive welfare system.”

The study is the first of its kind on a global basis. The size of the study in a total population has made it possible for the researchers to study the associations between incidents of social and stressful adversity throughout childhood and how it affects mortality rates among young adults.

Study Finds Fenugreek Increases Strength and Lean Muscle Mass

University of Sydney (Australia), August 15th 2020

Looking for a way to beef-up athletic performance without adding more protein to your diet? A new study shows that consuming an unassuming spice may be an efficient way to safely boost strength, endurance and even testosterone

Published in June 2020 in the journal Translational Sports Medicine, the randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study[i] was led by Amanda J. Rao, based at the University of Sydney, Australia, and funded by Gencor Pacific, a botanical nutraceuticals company.[ii]

Researchers examined changes in muscular strength and endurance, body composition, sex hormones and functional power threshold in response to an eight-week calisthenics program combined with daily supplementation of a patented fenugreek extract called Testofen® or placebo.

The final approved test group consisted of 138 male participants between 25 and 47 years of age who were randomized into three equal groups receiving either 600 milligrams (mg) of Testofen®, 300 mg of Testofen® or placebo.

Baseline measurements were taken of each participant’s muscle strength and endurance, functional power threshold, body composition and sex hormones, with follow-up measurements taken at four and eight weeks. Participants agreed to perform a whole-body calisthenics program three times per week for the duration of the study period.

After eight weeks, researchers analyzed the data and determined that all three groups had improved their maximal leg press scores from baseline measurements. Notable to researchers, however, was that both fenugreek-treated groups had improved more than the placebo group.

Further analysis showed that additional improvements were observed in the fenugreek groups in a dose-dependent manner, with subjects taking 600 mg of Testofen® displaying more significant results across an array of indicators.

Research suggests role for curcumin in the prevention of osteoporosis

Hainan General Hospital (China), August 15, 2020

According to news reporting originating from Haikou, People’s Republic of China, by NewsRx correspondents, research stated, “Curcumin can inhibit the osteoclastogenesis and the migration of several cells including macrophages. Osteoclast precursors (OCPs) are known to exist as bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMMs).”

Our news editors obtained a quote from the research from Hainan General Hospital, “This study aims to explore whether curcumin can prevent the fusion and differentiation of OCPs to mature osteoclasts by inhibiting OCP migration. In this study, we investigated the role of curcumin in regulating the production of several chemokines (CCL2, CCL3 and CX3CL1) and the migration of OCPs by ELISA, Western blotting and Transwell assays. Furthermore, we explored the role of curcumin in the chemokines-related osteoclastogenesis using pharmacological intervention and virus infection, and used ovariectomized (OVX) mice (osteoporosis model) to explore the effect of curcumin on the production of specific chemokine in vivo. The results showed that curcumin significantly reduced the production of CCL3 in OCPs. Moreover, curcumin-inhibited the migration of OCPs was not affected by CCR1 (Receptor of CCL3) overexpression. Remarkably, curcumin-reduced osteoclastogenesis was significantly reversed by CCL3 addition, while CCR1 overexpression did not increase the osteoclastogenesis in the presence of curcumin. Furthermore, in vivo assays also showed that curcumin significantly reduced the production of CCL3 in OCPs in the trabecular bone of OVX mice. In conclusion, curcumin prevents the migration of OCPs by reducing CCL3 production, ultimately inhibiting the formation of mature osteoclasts.”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “Therefore, our study provides the clues for improving the clinical strategies of osteoporosis, dental implantation or orthodontic treatment.”

Oral administration of curcumin ameliorates pulmonary fibrosis in mice

China Pharmaceutical University, August 14, 2020

According to news originating from Nanjing, People’s Republic of China, research stated, “Oral administration of curcumin has been shown to inhibit pulmonary fibrosis (PF) despite its extremely low bioavailability. In this study, we investigated the mechanisms underlying the anti-PF effect of curcumin in focus on intestinal endocrine.”

Our news journalists obtained a quote from the research from China Pharmaceutical University, “In bleomycin- and SiO2-treated mice, curcumin (75, 150 mg center dot kg(-1)per day) exerted dose-dependent anti-PF effect when administered orally or rectally but not intravenously, implying an intestinal route was involved in the action of curcumin. We speculated that curcumin might promote the generation of gut-derived factors and the latter acted as a mediator subsequently entering the lungs to ameliorate fibrosis. We showed that oral administration of curcumin indeed significantly increased the expression of gut-derived hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) in colon tissues. Furthermore, in bleomycin-treated mice, the upregulated protein level of HGF in lungs by oral curcumin was highly correlated with its anti-PF effect, which was further confirmed by coadministration of c-Met inhibitor SU11274. Curcumin (5-40 mu M) dose-dependently increased HGF expression in primary mouse fibroblasts, macrophages, CCD-18Co cells (fibroblast cell line), and RAW264.7 cells (monocyte-macrophage cell line), but not in primary colonic epithelial cells. In CCD-18Co cells and RAW264.7 cells, curcumin dose-dependently activated PPAR gamma and CREB, whereas PPAR gamma antagonist GW9662 (1 mu M) or cAMP response element (CREB) inhibitor KG-501 (10 mu M) significantly decreased the boosting effect of curcumin on HGF expression. Finally, we revealed that curcumin dose-dependently increased the production of 15-deoxy-Delta(12, 14)-prostaglandin J2 (15d-PGJ2) in CCD-18Co cells and RAW264.7 cells, which was a common upstream of the two transcription factors. Moreover, both the in vitro and in vivo effects of curcumin were diminished by coadministration of HPGDS-inhibitor-1, an inhibitor of 15d-PGJ2 generation.”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “Together, curcumin promotes the expression of HGF in colonic fibroblasts and macrophages by activating PPAR gamma and CREB via an induction of 15d-PGJ2, and the HGF enters the lungs giving rise to an anti-PF effect.”

Cashew shell compound appears to mend damaged nerves

Vanderbilt University Medical Center, August 17, 2020

In laboratory experiments, a chemical compound found in the shell of the cashew nut promotes the repair of myelin, a team from Vanderbilt University Medical Center reports today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Myelin is a protective sheath surrounding nerves. Damage to this covering — demyelination — is a hallmark of multiple sclerosis and related diseases of the central nervous system.

“We see this as an exciting finding, suggesting a new avenue in the search for therapies to correct the ravages of MS and other demyelinating diseases,” said the paper’s senior author, Subramaniam Sriram, MBBS, William C. Weaver III Professor of Neurology and chief of the Division of Neuroimmunology.

Previous work led by Sriram showed that a protein called interleukin 33, or IL-33, induced myelin formation. IL-33 is, among other things, an immune response regulator, and multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disorder.

The cashew shell compound is called anacardic acid. Sriram and team grew interested in it because it’s known to inhibit an enzyme involved in gene expression called histone acetyltransferase, or HAT, and the team had discovered that whatever inhibits HAT induces production of IL-33.

The report includes a range of new findings that point to potential therapeutic use of anacardic acid for demyelinating diseases:

In vitro, the addition of the compound to rat cells most responsible for myelination — oligodendrocyte precursor cells, or OPCs — spurred induction of IL-33 and rapidly increased the expression of myelin genes and proteins, including dose-dependent increases in myelin basic protein;
In two animal models of demyelination, treatment with the compound increased the relative presence of IL-33-expressing OPCs and led to reduced paralysis;
In an animal model of demyelination treated with the compound, dissection and electron microscopy showed dose-dependent increases in myelination.

“These are striking results that clearly urge further study of anarcardic acid for demyelinating diseases,” Sriram said.

Negative side effects of opioids could be coming from users’ own immune systems

University of Wisconsin, August 17, 2020

In addition to possibly developing opioid use disorder, those who take opioids long term, including patients who have been prescribed the drugs for pain relief, can develop chronic inflammation and heightened pain sensitivity. Scientists now report in a pilot study that some of those side effects might be influenced by the body’s own immune system, which can make antibodies against the drugs.

“Extrapolating from previous work on opioidvaccines, we started thinking that the patient’s own immune system could be responsible for some of the negative effects of long-term opioid use,” says Cody J. Wenthur, Pharm.D., Ph.D., who led the study. “We thought the body could be mounting an immune response and making antibodies against the drugs.”

The researchers, who are at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Pharmacy, Scripps Research and Scripps Clinic, realized that one issue with this hypothesis is that commonly prescribed opioids for back pain, such as hydrocodone or oxycodone, are not large enough molecules for the immune system to recognize as antigens. From their past studies, however, they knew that an immune responsecould be triggered if something larger were bound to the drugs. This could happen in the body when a protein in the bloodstream reacts with the opioid to create a larger molecule in a process called haptenization.

To find out whether long-term opioid users produced antibodies against the drugs, the team performed an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Blood samples were obtained from 19 patients who used either hydrocodone or oxycodone for chronic back pain and from three control patients who used over-the-counter remedies (OTCs) or non-pharmacologic approaches. Jillian Kyzer, Ph.D., a postdoc in Wenthur’s lab, along with Hyeri Park, Ph.D., a postdoc in the laboratory of Kim Janda, Ph.D., developed new techniques to synthesize hydrocodone and oxycodone haptens, linking them with a common blood protein to form bioconjugates. These bioconjugates were then coated on the surface of ELISA plates, and the patients’ blood samples were added. If antibodies against the haptens were present in the patients’ blood, they would stick to the surface of the plate and would be detected by another antibody that binds and creates a colorful dye through an enzyme-linked reaction.

Anti-opioid antibodies were found in the plasma of 10 people who regularly took prescription opioids for chronic lower back pain and almost none were found in those who used OTCs. The larger the dose of opioid, the larger the antibody response. “This was surprising,” Kyzer says. “We saw antibody responses in people who were taking large doses for as little as 6 months.”

The scientists are now working on isolating the key opioid antigenic intermediates in the body that prompt the generation of antibodies. One possibility is that the intermediates are modified proteins known as advanced glycation end products (AGEs), which could form when hydrocodone or oxycodone metabolites react with a carbohydrate. AGEs have been implicated in diseases such as atherosclerosis, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease, and they might help explain chronic inflammation in long-term opioid users. The researchers have observed preliminary signals of hydrocodone-associated AGE formation under conditions relevant to those found in the human body, and they are planning to validate these results soon.

Wenthur says the findings support undertaking a broader study to determine the prevalence of antibodies in people based on race, age and sex. “The research could also be helpful in identifying efficacy biomarkers for opioid vaccines that are entering clinical trials,” Kyzer says. “If our findings hold up in subsequent research, you would expect individuals with higher levels of these antibodies to be poor candidates for anti-opioid vaccine therapy.”

High blood pressure and depression are tied to your gut health, research says

University of Florida College of Medicine, August15, 2020

A recent study found that gut health is linked to high blood pressure and depression after identifying key differences in gut bacterial patterns among individuals with the conditions and healthy individuals.

The preliminary study presented at the American Heart Association‘s Hypertension Scientific Sessions also found that high blood pressure might take different forms – one that is accompanied by depression and one that is not.

Given the findings, the researchers said that targeting gut bacteria may prevent and selectively treat hypertension with or without depression.

“In the future, health professionals may target your gut in order to prevent, diagnose and selectively treat different forms of high blood pressure,” said Bruce R. Stevens, lead author of the study and professor of physiology & functional genomics, medicine and psychiatry at the University of Florida College of Medicine.

Different forms of hypertension according to gut bacteria

Previous studies uncovered the link between gut bacteria and several diseases such as high blood pressure and depression. A study published in the journal Microbiome found that people with hypertension and prehypertension have a less diverse gut microbiome than people without the disease. On the other hand, a study published in the journal Nature Microbiology found that specific groups of microorganisms can impact mental health.

What experts are trying to figure out presently is how depression and hypertension can at times be interrelated. According to one hypothesis, hypertension may be a “mosaic of diseases” rather than a single entity.

In the current study, researchers investigated the relationship between the two diseases and how gut bacteria get into the mix. They approached their study by considering the human body as a “meta-organism.”

“People are ‘meta-organisms’ made up of roughly equal numbers of human cells and bacteria. Gut bacteria ecology interacts with our bodily physiology and brains, which may steer some people towards developing high blood pressure and depression,” explained Stevens.

The researchers isolated DNA from gut bacteria taken from adults who had hypertension, depression or both, as well as from healthy people. Through DNA analysis, they found that each group of participants displayed distinct types of bacterial genes and signature molecules.

This discovery led the team to posit different forms of hypertension. “Depressive hypertension” corresponds to people with both high blood pressure and depression, while “non-depressive hypertension” corresponds to people with high blood pressure but no depression. Furthermore, the researchers posited the existence of a “non-hypertensive depression.”

Randomized trial finds cognitive, cerebral blood flow benefits associated with apple, coffee berry extracts

Northumbria University (UK), August 12, 2020

According to news reporting from Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom, research stated, “In whole foods, polyphenols exist alongside a wide array of other potentially bioactive phytochemicals. Yet, investigations of the effects of combinations of polyphenols with other phytochemicals are limited.”

Our news correspondents obtained a quote from the research from Northumbria University: “The current study investigated the effects of combining extracts of beetroot, ginseng and sage with phenolic-rich apple, blueberry and coffee berry extracts. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover design investigated three active beverages in 32 healthy adults aged 18-49 years. Each investigational beverage comprised extracts of beetroot, ginseng and sage. Each also contained a phenolic-rich extract derived from apple (containing 234 mg flavanols), blueberry (300 mg anthocyanins) or coffee berry (440 mg chlorogenic acid). Cognition, mood and CBF parameters were assessed at baseline and then again at 60, 180 and 360 min post-drink. Robust effects on mood and CBF were seen for the apple and coffee berry beverages, with increased subjective energetic arousal and hemodynamic responses being observed. Fewer effects were seen with the blueberry extract beverage.”

According to the news reporters, the research concluded: “Either the combination of beetroot, ginseng and sage was enhanced by the synergistic addition of the apple and coffee berry extract (and to a lesser extent the blueberry extract) or the former two phenolic-rich extracts were capable of evincing the robust mood and CBF effects alone.”

Exploring biofortification of beans with zinc to combat deficiency

Tshwane University (South Africa), August 15, 2020

In this review, South African researchers discuss the causes of zinc deficiency, which has become prevalent in low-income families in South Africa. They also explore possible solutions to this, such as the biofortification of locally-preferred common bean cultivars. This article was published in the journal Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section B — Soil & Plant Science.

In humans, vitamin A, iodine, iron and zinc deficiencies are caused by poor diet and low intake of dietary sources of these nutrients.
These nutritional deficiencies negatively impact the health, well-being and social and economic status of an individual.
According to a national survey conducted in South Africa in 2012, vitamin A, iron and zinc deficiencies are prevalent in the country. But while the first two can be considered moderate, zinc deficiency is a serious problem.
Current initiatives to reduce zinc deficiency include fortifying wheat products and maize meal, but these have not had much success.
Some of the disadvantages of fortifying foods include high end-product cost, poor regulation and compliance to set standards, non-fortification of sorghum meal and the leaching of nutrients during processing.
To address the issue of zinc deficiency in South Africa, the researchers suggest the biofortification of common bean cultivars with zinc as an alternative strategy.
They also discuss the advantages of adopting biofortified Nutritional Andean common beans.

The researchers believe that studying how common bean genotypes will adapt to different agro-ecological practices is important for the development of effective strategies to combat zinc deficiency.

Study reveals how omega 3 can help the brain regulate impulsive reactions to aggressive behavior

University of Derby and Nottingham Trent University (UK), August 14, 2020

A new study by psychology academics at the University of Derby and Nottingham Trent University (NTU) has shown that including certain Omega-3 fatty acids in a person’s diet can help them adapt their reaction to impulsive physical aggression.

Omega-3 is important for healthy brain and body function and can be obtained from certain foods, such as oily fish. Insufficient intake of certain fatty acids is linked with several problematic traits in adults and children, including depression, aggressive behaviour, callousness and impulsivity.

On the other hand, omega-3 dietary supplements have been used to treat a variety of emotional and behaviour-related health conditions, for example attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder and major unipolar depression.

The research explored dietary intake of omega-3 fatty acids, in particular one known as Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA), in relation to how people impulsively react in response to a threat or frustration, and whether they can adapt that behaviour.

Dr Alex Sumich, Associate Professor in Psychology at NTU’s School of Social Sciences, said: ‘We often use facial expressions of distress, such as fear and sadness, to help regulate our aggressive behaviour. That is, if you see someone is frightened of you, you stop attacking them. This has been referred to as a Violence Inhibition Mechanism (VIM). People who struggle to respond to these cues often have difficulty in adjusting their aggressive behaviour.’

Participants in the study, which was part-funded by Nutrimed AS in Norway, first filled in questionnaires about specific aspects of their diet and completed a scale which assessed their tendency to engage in reactive physically aggressive behaviour, such as aggression in response to a threat or frustration.

Using electroencephalography (EEG), their brain activity was then measured while they were shown faces on a computer screen. If the face was threatening, they were instructed to respond by pressing a button on a computer keyboard, simulating an ‘attack’. Occasionally, as the person was responding, the facial expression changed to one of distress (i.e. fear or sadness) and the participant was instructed to change their response.

Dr Dean Fido, Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Derby, said: ‘Using EEG, we showed that modulating this behaviour required participants to activate frontal regions of the brain. People who were better able to activate these frontal regions reported higher dietary intake of EPA, and lower levels of reactive aggression. Questionnaire responses also showed that dietary intake of EPA was associated with lower self-reports of reactive physical aggression.’

The findings are in line with a growing body of evidence that suggests that the Omega-3 EPA intake plays an important part in regulating emotions and may help reduce impulsive violent behaviour.

Dr Fido added: ‘It’s possible that dietary supplements of EPA could be effective for certain types of antisocial personality disorder that are particularly characterised by disinhibition. We recommend that this area is investigated further in future research.’

Nitrate supplementation could help breathing and lung clearance in the elderly

University of Florida, August 14, 2020

New research published today in The Journal of Physiology shows that nitrate improves function in the diaphragm, the muscle involved in coughing and breathing, by improving power. The study done in old mice, if replicated in humans, could provide a strategy for helping elderly people clear the lungs more effectively and avoid infection.

Previous studies showed nitrate was helping muscles by improving use of calcium in the muscle. This finding that it’s additionally affecting power is significant, especially in the context of COVID-19, because the diaphragm is the primary inspiratory muscle used for breathing and coughing, the latter being relevant for clearing the lungs.

The research team at the University of Florida found that dietary nitrate supplementation elicited a pronounced increase in contractile function (power) of the diaphragm, a respiratory muscle, of old mice.

They made their measurements during maximal activation, so the effects observed seem to be caused by an improvement in the function of contractile proteins rather than calcium handling.

Few short-term interventions have such a profound impact on muscle contractile function, as was observed in this study.

Dietary nitrate is readily available for humans and could be used, under proper supervision, to improve respiratory muscle dysfunction that contributes to shortness of breath and morbidity in the elderly.

The researchers gave sodium nitrate to old mice in their drinking water daily for 14 days. The control group received regular water. Diaphragm muscle contractile function cannot be assessed directly in live animals or humans. Thus, they tested diaphragm function in muscle tissues under controlled conditions for muscle stimulation and oxygenation.

The main limitations are that mouse and human diaphragm have different percentages of fast and slow muscle cells. Mouse diaphragm consists of 90% fast muscle cells; the human diaphragm consists of 25-50% fast muscle cells depending on several factors that include and age and sex.

Dietary nitrate seems to exert a greater impact on the contractile function of fast muscle cells. Thus, the benefits to the human diaphragm may not as pronounced as was observed in mice. They also only tested male mice, and the benefits for females is unknown.

Leonardo Ferreira, senior author on the study said:

“Our findings are especially important in light of the current COVID-19 pandemic as they suggest that, if replicated in humans, dietary nitrate is useful to improve respiratory muscle dysfunction that contributes to difficulty in weaning patients from mechanical ventilation.”

Young People’s Mental Health Deteriorated The Most During The Pandemic, Study Finds

University of Manchester, August 14, 2020

Public health responses to the pandemic have focused on preventing the spread of the virus, limiting the number of deaths and easing the burden on healthcare systems. But there’s also potentially another, less visible epidemic we should be focusing on: mental illness.

Our recent study found that people’s mental health worsened following the onset of the pandemic. We discovered this by analysing data provided by 17,452 UK adults, who were surveyed in April 2020 as part of the UK Household Longitudinal Study. This is a large ongoing study of people who contribute data every year, some from as far back as 1992.

Not everyone, we discovered, was affected equally. Young people, women, and those with small children saw their mental health worsen significantly more than other groups.

How we measured distress

The survey measured mental health using 12 questions, which covered people’s difficulties with sleep, concentration and decision making as well as their emotional state, such as whether they were feeling strained or overwhelmed.

People’s answers were then assigned a value between zero and four, with higher scores indicating worse mental health. These scores were added together to give each person a total of between zero and 36, which offered an overall measure of their mental health. We also applied a separate scoring system to people’s answers to estimate whether they were showing clinically significant levels of psychological distress – that is, if their distress was high enough to potentially need medical assistance.

We found that many common and well-known mental health inequalities persisted in the middle of lockdown. For instance, women showed substantially worse mental health than men (with a mean score of 13.6 compared with 11.5), and one-third of women had clinically significant levels of distress compared with one-fifth of men.

Mental health also tended to get worse further down the income scale. The lowest fifth of earners had an average score of 13.9, with 32% showing clinically significant levels of distress. This compared with an average score of 12.0 in the highest fifth of earners, of whom 26% showed high distress levels.

Yet while this told us where the mental health need was, it didn’t tell us what the pandemic’s effects had been. We got a better sense of this by comparing this year’s scores with prior measurements – and indeed, mental health was, on average, worse this year. Average scores have risen from 11.5 in the 2018/19 financial year to 12.6 in the recording made in April 2020. We also saw a significant overall increase in the proportion of people showing clinical levels of distress: 19% in 2018/19 versus 27% in April 2020.

However, because the pandemic arose against a background of worsening mental health in the UK, we expected some deterioration. We took account of this by looking at each individual’s pre-pandemic answers, stretching back to 2014. These helped us predict what the scores were likely to have been in April 2020 had the pandemic not happened.

Overall, we found that scores were 0.5 points worse this year than we would have expected, suggesting that the pandemic – specifically – has had an effect on mental health.

Not everyone is affected equally

This worsening of mental health differed considerably for different groups. Compared to what we would have predicted to see, men’s scores got only marginally worse (+0.06), while the change for women was far greater (+0.92). Young people, aged 18-24, were most affected, seeing a relative increase of 2.7 over what we would have expected if the pandemic had not happened.

We had also predicted that fear of the virus would be a driver of poorer mental health, and that this would disproportionately affect key workers or people with underlying health conditions. But this was not the case.

The factors driving the decline in some people’s mental health are not yet clear. But some clues are revealed when we consider who was most affected. The deterioration in women and those with young children points to the difficulty of managing the domestic load during lockdown. Having young children is challenging at any point, and we know that reliable support from family members, paid childcare and friends lessen its impact. The government’s social restrictions and lockdown abruptly cut off most of these supports.

The effects on young people are especially troubling to see. These have happened against a background, in the past decade, of significant worsening mental health for young people and of young people’s mental health services struggling to cope.

Some young people are vulnerable to social isolation and are affected badly by being withdrawn from school. They may lose oversight of their wellbeing by teachers and other responsible adults, as well as access to regular meals and peer support from friends.

Could there be long-term effects?

As lockdown measures ease, we may see improvements in people’s mental health. It remains to be seen whether there will be any long-term effects, such as pre-existing mental health inequalities becoming more entrenched.

The pandemic has brought people’s differing life circumstances into stark contrast. Access to outside space, household crowding, food insecurity, domestic violence, addiction, maintenance of social connectivity, and economic reserves are all relevant to mental health. It’s likely these differences will become more important during the anticipated economic recession, and these may have different effects on mental health compared with the government lockdown.

What these changes will do to people’s overall health, wellbeing and family is not known. But to mitigate and manage any additional mental health needs requires them to be closely monitored. People also need to receive high-quality information about mental health in public health messaging and be provided with adequately resourced services. We would do well to remember that our mental health is as important as our physical health, and this should not be lost in our future planning.

Cinnamon compound alleviates amyloid-beta pathogenesis

Kyung Hee University (South Korea), August 13, 2020

According to news reporting originating from Seoul, South Korea, research stated, “Abnormal amyloid-beta (A beta) accumulation is the most significant feature of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Among the several secretases involved in the generation of A beta, beta-secretase (BACE1) is the first rate-limiting enzyme in A beta production that can be utilized to prevent the development of A beta-related pathologies.”

Our news editors obtained a quote from the research from Kyung Hee University, “Cinnamon extract, used in traditional medicine, was shown to inhibit the aggregation of tau protein and A beta aggregation. However, the effect of trans-cinnamaldehyde (TCA), the main component of cinnamon, on A beta deposition is unknown. Five-month-old 5XFAD mice were treated with TCA for eight weeks. Seven-month-old 5XFAD mice were evaluated for cognitive and spatial memory function. Brain samples collected at the conclusion of the treatment were assessed by immunofluorescence and biochemical analyses. Additional in vivo experiments were conducted to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the effect of TCA in the role of A beta deposition. TCA treatment led to improvements in cognitive impairment and reduced A beta deposition in the brains of 5XFAD mice. Interestingly, the levels of BACE1 were decreased, whereas the mRNA and protein levels of three well-known regulators of BACE1, silent information regulator 1 (SIRT1), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR gamma) coactivator 1 alpha (PGC1 alpha), and PPAR gamma, were increased in TCA-treated 5XFAD mice.”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “TCA led to an improvement in AD pathology by reducing BACE1 levels through the activation of the SIRT1-PGC1 alpha-PPAR gamma pathway, suggesting that TCA might be a useful therapeutic approach in AD.”

Study identifies social connection as the strongest protective factor for depression

Massachusetts General Hospital, August 14 2020

Researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) have identified a set of modifiable factors from a field of over 100 that could represent valuable targets for preventing depression in adults. In a study published in The American Journal of Psychiatry, the team named social connection as the strongest protective factor for depression, and suggested that reducing sedentary activities such as TV watching and daytime napping could also help lower the risk of depression.

“Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide, but until now researchers have focused on only a handful of risk and protective factors, often in just one or two domains,” says Karmel Choi, Ph.D., investigator in the Department of Psychiatry and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and lead author of the paper. “Our study provides the most comprehensive picture to date of modifiable factors that could impact depression risk.”

To that end, researchers took a two-stage approach. The first stage drew on a database of over 100,000 participants in the UK Biobank—a world-renowned cohort study of adults—to systematically scan a wide range of modifiable factors that might be associated with the risk of developing depression, including social interaction, media use, sleep patterns, diet, physical activity, and environmental exposures. This method, known as an exposure-wide association scan (ExWAS), is analogous to genome-wide association studies (GWAS) that have been widely used to identify genetic risk factors for disease. The second stage took the strongest modifiable candidates from ExWAS and applied a technique called Mendelian randomization (MR) to investigate which factors may have a causal relationship to depression risk. MR is a statistical method that treats genetic variation between people as a kind of natural experiment to determine whether an association is likely to reflect causation rather than just correlation.

This two-stage approach allowed the MGH researchers to narrow the field to a smaller set of promising and potentially causal targets for depression. “Far and away the most prominent of these factors was frequency of confiding in others, but also visits with family and friends, all of which highlighted the important protective effect of social connection and social cohesion,” points out Jordan Smoller, MD, ScD associate chief for research in the MGH Department of Psychiatry, and senior author of the study. “These factors are more relevant now than ever at a time of social distancing and separation from friends and family.” The protective effects of social connection were present even for individuals who were at higher risk for depression as a result of genetic vulnerability or early life trauma.

On the other hand, factors associated with depression risk included time spent watching TV, though the authors note that additional research is needed to determine if that risk was due to media exposure per se or whether time in front of the TV was a proxy for being sedentary. Perhaps more surprising, the tendency for daytime napping and regular use of multivitamins appeared to be associated with depression risk, though more research is needed to determine how these might contribute.

The MGH study demonstrates an important new approach for evaluating a wide range of modifiable factors, and using this evidence to prioritize targets for preventive interventions for depression. “Depression takes an enormous toll on individuals, families, and society, yet we still know very little about how to prevent it,” says Smoller. “We’ve shown that it’s now possible to address these questions of broad public health significance through a large-scale, data-based approach that wasn’t available even a few years ago. We hope this work will motivate further efforts to develop actionable strategies for preventing depression.” The study’s two-stage approach could also be used to inform the prevention of other health conditions.