The Gary Null Show Notes - 02.06.23

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Fish oil, vitamin B12 supplementation associated with lower plasma homocysteine

Zhejiang University (China), January 25 2023

The Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition published the finding of researchers at Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, China of a reduction in plasma homocysteine levels following supplementation with vitamin B12 and/or fish oil. “No study has reported the effect of vitamin B12 in combination with fish oil on plasma homocysteine, ferritin, CRP and other cardiovascular disease risk factors in Chinese,” announce Duo Li and colleagues in their introduction to the article. Thirty men and women were randomly assigned to receive 1000 micrograms (mcg) vitamin B12, 2 grams fish oil, or 2 grams fish oil plus 1000 mcg vitamin B12. Plasma vitamin B12, lipids, ferritin (a biomarker of iron status), C-reactive protein (CRP), total homocysteine and other factors were measured before treatment and after four and eight weeks of supplementation. Among those who received fish oil alone or fish oil plus vitamin B12, triglycerides, CRP and ferritin significantly decreased after four and eight weeks of supplementation. Homocysteine was lowered by 22% in the vitamin B12 group, 19% in the fish oil group and 39% among those who received both supplements for eight weeks.”In summary, supplementation of fish oil alone or in combination with vitamin B12 decreased plasma concentrations of homocysteine, ferritin and CRP,” Dr Li and associates conclude. “Oral supplementation with vitamin B12 in combination with fish oil had a synergistic effect on lowering plasma concentrations of homocysteine.”

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The possible effects of cinnamon on memory and learning

Birjand University of Medical Sciences (Iran), February 3, 2023

Cinnamon, the well-known aromatic spice that many of us use to bake cakes and cook savory dishes, is derived from the inner bark of Cinnamomum trees. These are evergreen trees found in the Himalayas and other mountain areas, as well as in rainforests and other forests in southern China, India and Southeast Asia.
In addition to its unique flavor, cinnamon could have other beneficial properties for humans. For instance, studies suggest that cinnamon has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticancer properties, and can also boost the immune system. Some works also showed that its bioactive compounds could boost brain function, particularly memory and learning. Yet the validity of these findings is yet to be established with certainty. A team of researchers at Birjand University of Medical Sciences in Iran recently reviewed several past studies exploring the effects of cinnamon on cognitive functions. Their analysis, outlined in Nutritional Neuroscience, highlights the potential value of cinnamon for preventing or reducing memory or learning impairments. “Two thousand six hundred five studies were collected from different databases in September 2021 and went under investigation for eligibility. Forty studies met our criteria and were included in this systematic review.”The researchers extracted data relevant to all these studies, including their author, year of publication, compound or type of cinnamon used, the study population and sample sizes, doses of cinnamon or its bioactive components used, gender and age of participants, duration and method of consumption, and the results obtained. Overall, most of the studies they looked at suggested that cinnamon could positively impact both memory and cognitive function. “In vivo studies showed that using cinnamon or its components, such as eugenol, cinnamaldehyde, and cinnamic acid, could positively alter cognitive function,” Nakhaee, Kooshki and their colleagues wrote in their paper. “In vitro studies also showed that adding cinnamon or cinnamaldehyde to a cell medium can reduce tau aggregation, Amyloid β and increase cell viability.” Out of the two clinical studies analyzed by the researchers, one was conducted on adolescents and the other on pre-diabetic adults who were 60 years old or younger. The first study asked the adolescents to chew cinnamon gum, while the latter asked participants to eat 2g of cinnamon on white bread. The study on adolescents yielded positive results, suggesting that chewing cinnamon gum improved memory function and reduced anxiety. In contrast, the clinical study on pre-diabetic adults found no significant changes in cognitive function following the consumption of cinnamon. Overall, the systematic review paper by Nakhaee, Kooshki and their colleagues suggests that cinnamon and some of its active components could have positive effects on the functioning of the human brain, boosting memory and learning. In the future, this review could inspire other teams of researchers to further examine the impact of cinnamon on the brain, which could potentially promote its use to preserve brain function and slow down cognitive impairment.

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Long-term use of hormonal contraceptives is associated with an increased risk of brain tumors

University of Southern Denmark January 22, 2023

Taking a hormonal contraceptive for at least five years is associated with a possible increase in a young woman’s risk of developing a rare tumour, glioma of the brain. This project focussed on women aged 15 -49 years and the findings are published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. Hormonal contraceptives, including oral contraceptives, contain female sex hormones and are widely used by women all over the world. While only a little is known about the causes of glioma and other brain tumours, there is some evidence that female sex hormones may increase the risk of some cancer types, although there is also evidence that contraceptive use may reduce the risk in certain age groups. “This prompted us to evaluate whether using hormonal contraceptives might influence the risk of gliomas in women of the age range who use them,” says research team leader Dr David Gaist of the Odense University Hospital and University of Southern Denmark.In this project, the researchers drew data from Denmark’s national administrative and health registries, enabling them to identify all the women in Denmark who were between 15 and 49 years of age and had a first-time diagnosis of glioma between 2000 and 2009. They found 317 cases and compared each of these women with eight age-matched women who didn’t have gliomas. “It is important to keep this apparent increase in risk in context,” says Dr Gaist. “In a population of women in the reproductive age, including those who use hormonal contraceptives, you would anticipate seeing 5 in 100,000 people develop a glioma annually, according to the nationwide Danish Cancer Registry.” “While we found a statistically significant association between hormonal contraceptive use and glioma risk, a risk-benefit evaluation would still favour the use of hormonal contraceptives in eligible users,” says Dr Gaist, who points out that it is important to carry on evaluating long-term contraceptive use in order to help women choose the best contraception for them.

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A blend of soy and dairy proteins promotes muscle protein synthesis when consumed after exercise

University of Texas Medical Branch, January 24, 2023

A study published in The Journal of Nutrition demonstrates the benefits of consuming a protein blend for muscle protein synthesis after exercise. This study is a first-of-its-kind, conducted by researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch, and utilizes the proteins from soy, whey and casein consumed after an acute bout of resistance exercise. These proteins have complementary amino acid profiles and different digestion rates (amino acid release profiles). The results demonstrate prolonged delivery of amino acids to muscles and extended muscle protein synthesis when subjects consumed the blend, compared to a single source of protein alone. “Sources of high-quality protein contain all the essential amino acids and have individual characteristics thought to offer a unique advantage for muscle growth,” said Blake Rasmussen, Ph.D., interim chair, Department of Nutrition & Metabolism and principal investigator of the study. “This is the first study to test the effects of combining soy with the dairy proteins, whey and casein, for promotion of lean body mass gain.” This human clinical study for the first time shows that a soy-dairy protein blend (25 percent soy protein, 25 percent whey protein isolate and 50 percent caseinate) is capable of stimulating muscle growth to a similar extent as whey protein through an elevation in muscle protein synthesis and muscle cell growth signaling. In addition, the blend extended the anabolic window (i.e., prolonged increase in the rate of muscle protein synthesis from rest) for a longer amount of time than whey alone. The beverages provided approximately 20 grams of protein from either the soy-dairy blend or whey protein and contained similar amounts of leucine, a key amino acid involved in muscle cell signaling pathways that regulate muscle protein synthesis rates. The beverages were consumed following high-intensity leg resistance exercise. Multiple leg muscle samples were collected from each subject to determine changes in muscle protein synthesis over time (at rest and 3 and 5 hours after exercise). Nineteen healthy, young adults participated in the randomized, double blind trial. Proteins from milk (casein and whey), soy, beef and egg are effective in stimulating post-exercise muscle protein synthesis. This study demonstrates that consumption of a beverage made with a soy-dairy protein blend following exercise is capable of prolonging amino acid delivery to muscles, muscle cell signaling and protein synthesis in human skeletal muscle. This extension of the anabolic window may also be important for the aging muscle.

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5-HTP: Prozac’s True Alternative

Aging Matters Magazine, 29 January 2023

5-HTP (otherwise known as 5-hydroxytryptophan or Oxitriptan) is the less well known cousin of serotonin (5-HT), one of the most important brain neurotransmitters. L-Tryptophan is first converted to 5-HTP in nerve cells by a vitamin B3 dependent enzyme, and then 5-HTP is converted to 5-HT by a vitamin B6 dependent enzyme. Yet thanks to modern science, we can now take preformed 5-HTP, with many consequent advantages. 5-HTP passes through the blood brain barrier into the brain far more easily than Tryptophan, and getting Tryptophan through the blood brain barrier is the main bottleneck, which in many people leads to inadequate brain serotonin levels. Also, 5-HTP is not used to make proteins in the body, while tryptophan is, so there isn’t competition by cells outside the brain for 5-HTP, as there is for the body’s scare Tryptophan supplies. The body often uses Tryptophan to make vitamin B3, at a very high cost of 60mg L-Tryptophan to make just 1mg B3! However 5-HTP is not wasted to make vitamin B3. L-Tryptophan can be broken down in the liver by pyrrolase, an enzyme that converts Tryptophan to kynurenine and its metabolites, which can be mildly liver toxic at high levels. 5-HTP is not metabolized through this pathway. Because of this, L-Tryptophan supplementation especially in chronically stressed people should be kept to 1 gram (1000 mg.) per day or less, because the stress hormone- cortisol activates pyrrolase. The work of HM van Praag, SN Young and others over the last 20 years, shows that serotonin is a key brain neurotransmitter involved in mood regulation (anti-anxiety and antidepressant) and impulse control (inhibits aggression and obsessive compulsive disorders [OCD], pain control and sleep). Serotonin is also the precursor for our pineal gland’s production of melatonin. Human clinical studies show that 5-HTP is a far more efficient increaser of brain serotonin than L-Tryptophan. Furthermore, when 5-HTP has been compared to Tryptophan in human studies, 5-HTP has been a far more successful antidepressant, even when the Tryptophan dosage used is 10 to 15 times higher than the 5-HTP dosage. Also, relapses back into depression are more common with Tryptophan than with 5-HTP. Unlike Tryptophan, 5-HTP has been shown to increase brain dopamine and noradrenaline activity. These are two key mood and alertness regulating neurotransmitters, and when tyrosine, the amino-acid precursor for brain dopamine/noradrenaline is given along with 5-HTP, the effect is even more powerful. In a society that has made the serotonin-selective re-uptake inhibitor (SSRI) drugs such as Prozac the gold standard of managing the serotonin-deficiency syndrome, even though the Poeldinger study showed 5-HTP to be superior to it, it is worth noting that a study reported by Risch and Nemeroff demonstrates, that even those successfully treated with SSRIs (ignoring their frequent and sometimes serious side-effects) are still dependent upon their brains’ producing adequate serotonin from either Tryptophan or 5-HTP. SSRIs work by conserving existing brain serotonin supplies by keeping more serotonin in the synaptic gap between neurons. They achieve this through preventing enzymatic degradation of synaptic serotonin. SSRIs do not enhance serotonin production. Risch and Nemeroff state;N “…depressed patients were treated with low-Tryptophan diets that were supplemented with high doses of neutral amino acids [which compete with Tryptophan for transport through the blood-brain barrier]… Remitted depressed subjects receiving serotonergic antidepressants (e.g. fluoxetine [Prozac], fluvoxamine) who were challenged with low-Tryptophan diet supplemented with neutral amino acids promptly relapsed into severe clinical depression. When the Tryptophan supplementation was provided, the patients promptly recovered…” The many successful published studies using 5-HTP show that 5-HTP, by naturally elevating brain serotonin, can alleviate the serotonin-deficiency syndrome without any help from SSRI drugs. Yet the study related by Risch and Nemeroff eloquently shows that the success of SSRI drugs is crucially dependent upon the brain producing adequate serotonin (from either Tryptophan or 5-HTP), and that brain serotonin production is the controlling or rate-limiting variable underlying the apparent success of SSRIs. It appears that the more logical and economically sound choice to alleviate conditions that result from the serotonin deficiency syndrome is 5-HTP, the immediate precursor of the deficient substance. Van Praag’s and Young’s work suggests that 5-HTP is more likely to be effective for those suffering an anxious, agitated, aggressive, irritable depression and is rarely effective for those suffering from a severe, vegetative, total “blahs” type depression. Research also shows that both tryptophan, and even more so 5-HTP, increase the activity of MAO inhibitor drugs, tricyclic antidepressants and selective serotonin inhibitor (SSRI) drugs, such as Prozac, Paxil and Zoloft. Therefore L-Tryptophan and especially 5-HTP, should only be used by anyone taking any of these drugs ONLY with their prescribing physician’s consent and supervision.

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‘Food swamps’ may be sending older adults to an early grave

Columbia University Irving Medical Center, February 3, 2023

— It’s no secret that poor access to healthy food can lead to people making unhealthy dieting choices. With that in mind, a new study finds adults over 50 who live in so-called “food swamps” are more likely to suffer a life-threatening stroke. Simply put, areas where fast food chains and convenience stores selling unhealthy snacks are everywhere could be sending many older adults to an early grave. “Despite major advances in stroke care, stroke continues to be a significant problem, and some people will remain at risk despite optimal medical treatment,” says Dixon Yang, M.D., lead author of the study and a postdoctoral fellow at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, in a media release. “An unhealthy diet negatively impacts blood pressure, blood glucose and cholesterol levels that increases the risk of stroke. Independent of one’s own demographics or socioeconomic status, living in a neighborhood with an abundance of poor food choices may be an important factor to consider for many people.” The term “food swamp” came about over a decade ago to describe communities where fast food chains and convenience stores are all around, swamping neighborhoods with unhealthy food options rather than healthy ones. More often than not, these communities are also food deserts, meaning that grocery stores are harder to find, adding even more barriers to buying fresh produce and other healthy meals. So far, there are few studies that look at the relationship between food swamps and stroke risk. In this study, a team of researchers reviewed data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), which is an ongoing study conducted at the University of Michigan which recruits participants from across the United States. The goal is to examine challenges and opportunities related to aging and retirement. They then cross-referenced the data with food environment information from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to generate a retail food environment index (RFEI) in order to find the ratio of fast-food restaurants and convenience stores to the number of retail nutritious food options in U.S. neighborhoods. 7 in 10 older adults live near a food swamp Their data included 17,875 adults with an age of 64. The group was weighted appropriately to represent the greater U.S. population of over 84 million older adults that are stroke-free. They created two categories based on the RFEI: a ratio under 5 and a ratio of 5 or more. A higher RFEI number means that a person lives in an area with fewer healthy food options — like a food swamp. Results show that the percentage of people living in areas with an RFEI below 5 was 28 percent, while the percentage of those living in areas with an RFEI of 5 or higher was 72 percent. Those in the 5 or higher group were 13 percent more likely to suffer a strokecompared to those in the other group. “Our research highlights the potential importance of an area’s retail food options as a structural factor affecting stroke, especially since most participants resided in areas with 6 times the amount of relative unhealthy to healthy food choices,” Yang says. Although finding detailed information on this topic isn’t that easy, this study speaks to the need of turning public attention to how food deserts and swamps affect the health and wellness of those living and growing up in the affected communities. “At this early stage of our research, it’s important to raise awareness that a person’s neighborhood and food environment are potentially important factors affecting their health, especially among people who may have difficulty in reaching optimal cardiovascular health targets. In the future, it may help to focus on community-based interventions or dietary guidance to improve cardiovascular health, thereby, hopefully reducing the risk of stroke,” Yang concludes.

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The Gary Null Show Notes - 02.06.23