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Menstrual changes after covid-19 vaccination
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Over Half of States Have Rolled Back Public Health Powers in Pandemic
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Climate change threatens base of polar oceans’ bountiful food webs
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Number of states with high obesity rate nearly doubles since 2018: CDC
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Change of diet could help tackle climate change
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America’s Homelessness Crisis Is About to Get So Much Worse
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Judge Blocks Biden From Continuing ‘Inhumane’ Trump Policy to Deport Families
Todays Videos:2. Israeli Doctor Kobi Haviv: ‘Fully vaccinated account for 85-90% of hospitalizations’ (47 seconds)
Can cocoa consumption help us age better?
Medical College of Georgia, Sept. 14, 2021
Whether consuming cocoa, known to be packed with powerful antioxidants that protect our cells from damage, helps us age better, is a question scientists want to definitively answer.
They are looking for answers in the blood of 600 individuals age 60 and older who participated in the largest trial ever to assess the impact of a cocoa supplement as well as a common multivitamin, on reducing the risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer and other health outcomes, says Dr. Yanbin Dong, geneticist and cardiologist at the Georgia Prevention Institute at the Medical College of Georgia.
The COSMOS Trial (COcoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcomes Study), led by investigators at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, gathered data from 21,444 men and women looking at the impact of a cocoa extract supplement and/or multivitamins on common health problems, most of which increase with age.
Dong just received a $3 million grant (1RO1HL157665-01) from the National Institutes of Health to perform detailed analysis of inflammatory factors and genetic changes associated with aging to see if cocoa consumption reduces those factors.
Cocoa products have become a “widely consumed food” with still growing demand and increasing interest in their anti-aging potential, Dong says.
“People think the consumption of chocolate is good for you,” says Dong, adding that worldwide enthusiasm for the sweet treat has outpaced the scientific evidence of its benefit in humans.
Chocolate is widely considered beneficial because it has a high content of flavanols, antioxidants known to produce a powerful anti-inflammatory response. In fact, flavanols are the major ingredient, particularly in dark chocolate and cocoa is a purer form of chocolate, says Dong.
Industry experts note that flavanols are often destroyed in normal cocoa and chocolate processing. So, while chocolate may contain some cocoa flavanols, chocolate is not a reliable source of these compounds, and it does not have the right nutritional qualities to be consumed as a health food.Industry experts note that flavanols are often destroyed in normal cocoa and chocolate processing. So, while chocolate may contain some cocoa flavanols, chocolate is not a reliable source of these compounds, and it does not have the right nutritional qualities to be consumed as a health food.
There is no question flavanols are good for you, the questions are how much and in what way they are good for you, he says.
While there has been evidence in cell cultures, animal models and even some relatively small human studies of the anti-inflammatory might of cocoa, there had not been large scale randomized controlled trials, scientific studies in which a large number of participants are randomly assigned into different study arms that include some participants getting a placebo and/or different treatment, often whatever is considered the current treatment standard.
Dong notes that there also is not solid evidence that multivitamins, the most commonly used supplement, which is widely associated with benefits like reduced cancer risk, are of benefit either.
While he doesn’t dispute the biological plausibility that both chocolate and multivitamins should have some health benefit, he says solid scientific evidence should be behind what we choose to put in our bodies with the goal of improving our health.
“We are going to prove or dispute it,” he says, and the size and duration of the COSMOS Trial is enabling him to do both.
Dong and his colleagues will be looking specifically at aging, including so called “inflammaging,” and epigenetic aging, both considered good indicators of our biological age. Rather than just looking at the year you were born, biological age also takes into account key factors that impact your function and health, like genetics and lifestyle. He also has more standard aging measures on these individuals, like blood pressure and cognitive function tests.
Inflammation is a major factor in aging and common conditions such as heart attack, stroke, Alzheimer’s and cancer, and “inflammaging” has been characterized as chronic, low grade inflammation that likely increases the risk of these inflammation-related conditions.
Epigenetic changes, like DNA methylation, which can be good or bad and can result from environmental exposures, including the foods we eat, are changes to the physical structure of DNA which impact gene expression and ultimately what our genes do, including deactivating them. Epigenetic changes are now considered a powerful predictor for life- and healthspan, as well as susceptibility to disease and death, Dong says.
Dong will be analyzing levels of key pro- and anti-inflammatory factors at baseline, and year one and two of the COSMOS Trial in the blood of those taking the cocoa supplement, a multivitamin, both or neither. He’ll also be doing sophisticated, extensive genetic analysis looking for gene changes that correlate with aging, and using “epigenetic clocks” that can calculate biological age based on the amount of DNA methylation.
His work will have the added benefit of better defining any benefit of multivitamins, a top supplement used by many only because they think it is good for them.
Inflammaging can be objectively assessed by measures like blood levels of C-reactive protein, a sort of biomarker of inflammation, which is made by the liver and can increase dramatically with inflammation. Dong likens C-reactive protein levels, which physicians regularly measure, to a Geiger counter for the immune response. He’ll also be assessing levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha, which as the name implies, is an inflammatory cytokine that attacks cancer and other invaders, but can be problematic at elevated levels. He’ll also be measuring levels of anti-inflammatory markers like interleukin-10, or IL 10, then exploring interaction between inflammaging and epigenetic aging, like whether the genes regulating IL-10 expression also increase DNA methylation and whether when blood pressure decreases, it reduces inflammation or changes methylation first.
The investigators central hypothesis is that cocoa supplementation reduces epigenetic aging and inflammaging, consequently reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, the nation’s number one killer which tends to increase in incidence at age 65 and older. If they find inflammaging and cardiovascular disease indicators are reduced, they want to know if it’s reductions in epigenetic changes driving the improvements.
Particularly dark chocolate is regularly touted for its health benefits as a natural and good source of antioxidants as well as iron, copper and other things good for your heart and health. Eating chocolate has been reported to lower cholesterol, blood pressure, cognitive decline and boost the immune response to invaders like the coronavirus, Dong says.
Food and beverage items like grapes and red wine, tomatoes, onions, berries and peaches also are considered good sources of flavanols.
Surveys indicate the majority of American adults use a dietary supplement, with female use higher than male use and overall usage increasing with age, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Multivitamins are a favorite supplement.
Psychobiotics as a novel strategy for alleviating anxiety and depression
Jiangnan University (China), September 10, 2021
Anxiety and depression have become major health challenges in recent decades. Accumulating evidence suggests that gut microbial dysbiosis may have a profound effect on the pathogenesis of mood disorders. As an important ‘microbial organ’, the gut microbiota directly participates in nutrient metabolism and peripheral immune regulation and even distantly affects brain functions and behaviours. This review provides an overview of recent discoveries regarding how the gut microbiota influences anxiety and depression and aims to establish the key signalling pathways between the gut microbiota and the brain. Finally, the psychobiotic strategy for treating mood disorders is discussed, covering both pre-clinical and clinical studies. Psychobiotic treatment could provide a novel therapeutic approach to treat anxiety and depression.
In recent years, the gut microbiota has been viewed as a physiological control centre that is linked to the host’s immune system, hormonal system, nervous system, or other physiological pathways. Until now, many studies have revealed the inextricable relationship between the gut microbiome and the brain, especially its participation in the regulation of memory, mood, and behaviour (Cryan et al., 2019b). Meanwhile, faecal transplantation, supplement of probiotics, and other microbiota-targeting treatments have been proved to have curative effects, include restoring infection induced by Pathogenic bacteria, alleviating autistic spectrum disorder symptoms, and improving mood disorders (Kang et al., 2019). During the latest two decades, the pace of research on the relationship between the gut and brain has increased rapidly. In 2013, Dinan and Cryan first defined the new term ‘psychobiotics’ as a class of probiotics that yield mental health benefits (Dinan, Stanton, & Cryan, 2013). The advent of psychobiotics also introduced a novel therapeutic approach to mood disorder alleviation. Herein, we discuss the potential use of psychobiotic strategies for alleviating anxiety and depression and their possible mechanisms.
As the studies reviewed herein have demonstrated, the gut microbiota can influence neural development and function, ultimately affecting mood disorders and behaviour. The benefits of nutritional intervention in the form of probiotics are receiving increasing recognition and represent a novel therapy with great promise in terms of alleviating the symptoms of complex mood disorders, like depression and anxiety.
Further evidence that vitamin D might protect against severe COVID-19 disease and death
Trinity College (Ireland) and University of Edinburgh, September 16, 2021
New research from Trinity College and University of Edinburgh has examined the association between vitamin D and COVID-19, and found that ambient ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation (which is key for vitamin D production in the skin) at an individual’s place of residence in the weeks before COVID-19 infection, was strongly protective against severe disease and death.
The paper has been published in the journal Scientific Reports.
Previous studies have linked vitamin D deficiency with an increased susceptibility to viral and bacterial respiratory infections. Similarly, several observational studies found a strong correlation between vitamin D deficiency and COVID-19, but it could be that these effects are confounded and in fact a result of other factors, such as obesity, older age or chronic illness which are also linked with low vitamin D.
To overcome this, researchers were able to calculate “genetically-predicted” vitamin D level, that is not confounded by other demographic, health and lifestyle factors, by using the information from over one hundred genes that determine vitamin D status.
The Mendelian Randomisation is a particular analytical approach that enabled researchers to investigate whether vitamin D and COVID-19 might be causally linked using genetic data. Few earlier studies attempted this but failed to show a causal link. This could be because UVB radiation sunshine which is the most important source of vitamin D for majority of people was ignored.
What is unique about this research?
Researchers, for the first time, looked at both genetically-predicted and UVB-predicted vitamin D level. Almost half a million individuals in the UK took part in the study, and ambient UVB radiation before COVID-19 infection was individually assessed for each participant. When comparing the two variables, researchers found that correlation with measured vitamin D concentration in the circulation was three-fold stronger for UVB-predicted vitamin D level, compared to genetically-predicted.
What were the findings?
Researchers found that ambient UVB radiation at an individual’s place of residence preceding COVID-19 infection was strongly and inversely associated with hospitalization and death. This suggests that vitamin D may protect against severe COVID-19 disease and death. Additionally, while the results from the Mendelian Randomisation analysis weren’t conclusive, some indication of a potential causal effect was noted. Because of the relatively weak link between genetically-predicted vitamin D level that is used for Mendelian Randomisation analysis, it is possible that the number of cases in the current study was too small to convincingly determine causal effect, but future larger studies might provide the answer.
Professor Lina Zgaga, associate professor in epidemiology, School of Medicine, Trinity College and senior researcher on the study said:
“Our study adds further evidence that vitamin D might protect against severe COVID-19 infection. Conducting a properly designed COVID-19 randomized controlled trial of vitamin D supplementation is critical. Until then, given that vitamin D supplements are safe and cheap, it is definitely advisable to take supplements and protect against vitamin D deficiency, particularly with winter on the horizon.”
Professor Evropi Theodoratou, professor of cancer epidemiology and global health, University of Edinburgh and senior researcher on the study said:
“Given the lack of highly effective therapies against COVID-19, we think it is important to remain open-minded to emerging results from rigorously conducted studies of vitamin D.”
Dr. Xue Li, a researcher on the study from Zhejiang University said:
“Our study supports the recommendation of vitamin D supplementation for not only the maintenance of bone and muscle health during the lock down, but also the potential benefits in relation to protection from COVID-19.”
Study: Eating yogurt can help older adults with high blood pressure
University of Maine, September 13, 2021
Yogurt consumption can help lower blood pressure in older adults with elevated levels, according to a new study led by an international team, including researchers at the University of Maine.
The study, a new finding in the Maine-Syracuse Longitudinal Study (MSLS), was conducted by researchers Alexandra Wade of the University of South Australia, and UMaine researchers Benjamin Guenther, Fayeza Ahmed and Merrill “Pete” Elias, and was published in the International Dairy Journal.
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death, and high blood pressure is a leading risk factor for cardiovascular disease, stroke and diabetes. Diet has long been suggested as a means of lowering blood pressure levels and diets to improve health are very popular.
The MSLS team examined the relationship between yogurt consumption and bloodpressure among older adults with and without high blood pressure. Researchers analyzed cross-sectional data for 915 adults (average age 62.1 years) from the Maine-Syracuse Longitudinal Study. Approximately 62% of the sample had high blood pressure as defined as 140/90 mmHg.
Statistical analyses revealed modest but statistically significant reductions in systolic blood pressure among those with high blood pressure who consumed yogurt.
The MSLS study was the first to ask whether yogurt reduces blood pressure for persons who exhibit normal BP levels, according to the researchers. There was no improvement associated with eating yogurt in individuals with normal blood pressure.
The findings were before and after adjusting for the confounding by many other variables known to influence blood pressure, such as age, gender, education, diabetes, body mass index, cholesterol, blood sugar levels, exercise and other dietary variables.
Previous work by the MSLS investigators indicated a positive association between Mediterranean Diet and better cognitive function, and between other dairy products and lowering of blood pressure in persons free from history of stroke and kidney disease.
MSLS, focused on aging, hypertension, cardiovascular disease and cognitive function, was launched in 1974 at Syracuse University by Elias and continued at the University of Maine for over 40 years. It has obtained longitudinal and cross-sectional data from young adulthood to the elder years for 1,000 individuals, and cross-sectional data for more than 2,400 individuals initially recruited from central New York and followed throughout the U.S.
Comprehensive review of antioxidants and common arterial condition
University of Connecticut, September 13, 2021
Antioxidants are a powerful category of molecules the full benefits of which scientists are just beginning to understand.
Nutritional science graduate student Chelsea Garcia and associate professor Christopher Blesso recently published an article in Free Radical Biology and Medicine outlining the research to date on a type of antioxidant called anthocyanins and its impact on atherosclerosis.
Atherosclerosis occurs when fats and cholesterol build up along the artery walls. This can restrict blood flow and cause blood clots. This condition is associated with oxidative stress, a process our bodies undergo throughout our lifetime as they encounter free radicals. These oxygen-containing molecules are highly reactive and unstable. They occur when a molecule gains or loses an electron. The unpaired electron on the free radical can react with other molecules and cause age-related harms in the body.
Antioxidants can intervene in this reaction by giving up an electron to stabilize the free radical. Decades of research support the benefits of antioxidant-rich diets to offset health problems such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes.
But not all antioxidants work in the same way. Anthocyanins had largely been neglected by researchers because they have lower bioavailability and are not as well-absorbed as other antioxidants.
However, more recent studies have shown that anthocyanins significantly boost the activity of the body’s naturally occurring antioxidant enzymes. Anthocyanins also increase the antioxidant properties of HDL, or “good” cholesterol.
“Rather than directly acting as antioxidants, they can also help the body increase its own enzyme defense system,” Blesso says.
Blesso and Garcia’s work consolidates the major scientific findings on anthocyanins and atherosclerosis into a comprehensive reference for future studies.
“It’s a great way to see what research has been done and also see what other areas can be investigated,” Garcia says.
One of the major gaps Garcia identified is the need for more studies in humans. Many of the studies conducted in preclinical animal models used concentrations of antioxidants that would be much too high for human consumption.
“Anthocyanins are interesting compounds because they are pigments, so we can see their red, purple, and/or blue colors in fruits and vegetables,” Blesso says.
Many foods, including berries which Blesso studies in his lab, contain a high amount of antioxidants. Incorporating these foods into a healthy diet can help reduce the risk of atherosclerosis.
Blesso emphasizes that research on how exactly high-antioxidant foods influence our health is critical. Understanding the mechanisms individual antioxidants use allows scientists to understand how they can complement or interfere with other nutrients or medications.
“It’s important to know the mechanisms behind the action of the things that we eat,” Blesso says.
This level of information is important for supporting the increasing trend toward individualized nutrition.
“Knowing the mechanism is also useful when identifying a bioactive compound as a potential treatment for other diseases with similar pathology or intervention targets,” Garcia says.
Review papers help early Ph.D. students like Garcia get a grasp on the state of the science and identify where their research can help fill in gaps as well as practicing critical thinking and scientific writing skills.
Garcia has been working with Blesso since participating in the Bridging the Gap program the summer before her sophomore year. Bridging the Gap helps connect students interested in food and nutrition to research and community engagement activities.
“Bridging the Gap was the start of my research career,” Garcia says. “That program was how I fell in love with nutrition research because it showed me what research was actually about.”
Blueberry and soluble fiber improve serum antioxidant and adipokine biomarkers and lipid peroxidation in pregnant women with obesity
University of Nevada, September 10, 2021
According to news originating from the University of Nevada research stated, “Pregnancies affected by obesity are at high risk for developing metabolic complications with oxidative stress and adipocyte dysfunction contributing to the underlying pathologies.”
The news journalists obtained a quote from the research from University of Nevada: “Few studies have examined the role of dietary interventions, especially those involving antioxidants including polyphenolic flavonoids found in fruits and vegetables on these pathologies in high-risk pregnant women. We conducted an 18 gestation-week randomized controlled trial to examine the effects of a dietary intervention comprising of whole blueberries and soluble fiber vs. control (standard prenatal care) on biomarkers of oxidative stress/antioxidant status and adipocyte and hormonal functions in pregnant women with obesity (* * n* * = 34). Serum samples were collected at baseline (<20 gestation weeks) and at the end of the study period (32-26 gestation weeks). Study findings showed maternal serum glutathione and antioxidant capacity to be significantly increased, and malondialdehyde to be decreased in the dietary intervention vs. control group (all * * p* * < 0.05). Among the adipokine biomarkers, serum plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 and visfatin, as biomarkers of adipocyte dysfunction and insulin resistance, were also decreased following dietary intervention (all * * p* * < 0.05).”
According to the news reporters, the research concluded: “These findings support the need for supplementing maternal diets with berries and fiber to improve oxidative stress and risks of metabolic complications during pregnancy.”
Being active saves lives whether a gym workout, walking to work or washing the floor
McMaster University (Ontario), September 11, 2021
Physical activity of any kind can prevent heart disease and death, says a large international study involving more than 130,000 people from 17 countries published this week in The Lancet.
The Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology (PURE) study, led by the Population Health Research Institute of McMaster University and Hamilton Health Sciences, shows any activity is good for people to meet the current guideline of 30 minutes of activity a day, or 150 minutes a week to raise the heart rate.
Although previous research, from high income countries, shows leisure time activity helps prevent heart disease and death, the PURE study also includes people from low and middle-income countries where people don’t generally don’t participant in leisure-time physical activity.
“By including low and middle-income countries in this study, we were able to determine the benefit of activities such as active commuting, having an active job or even doing housework,” said principal investigator Dr. Scott Lear. He added that one in four people worldwide do not meet the current activity guideline and that number is nearly three of four in Canada.
Lear holds the Pfizer/Heart & Stroke Foundation Chair in Cardiovascular Prevention Research at St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver and is a professor of Simon Fraser University’s Faculty of Health Sciences.
The PURE study showed that by meeting the activity guidelines, the risk for death from any cause was reduced by 28%, while heart disease was reduced by 20%, and it didn’t matter what type of physical activity the person did. The benefits also continued at very high levels with no indication of a ceiling effect; people getting more than 750 minutes of brisk walking per week had a 36% reduction in risk of death. However, less than 3% of participants achieved this level from leisure time activity while 38% of participants achieved this level from activities such as commuting, being active at work or doing household chores.
Lear said that in order to realize the full benefits of physical activity, it needs to be incorporated into daily life. “Going to the gym is great, but we only have so much time we can spend there. If we can walk to work, or at lunch time, that will help too.”
“For low and middle income countries where having heart disease can cause a severe financial burden, physical activity represents a low-cost approach that can be done throughout the world with potential large impact,” said Dr. Salim Yusuf, director of the Population Health Research Institute and the principal investigator of the overall PURE study.
“If everyone was active for at least 150 minutes per week, over seven years a total of 8% of deaths could be prevented,” he added.
The PURE study was led by the Population Health Research Institute and conducted in over 70 sites in 17 countries. It is funded from more than 50 sources, including the Population Health Research Institute at McMaster University and Hamilton Health Sciences, the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and the Ontario SPOR Support Unit.