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Administering zinc to covid-19 patients could help towards their recovery

Mortality in this patient group was 21% compared to 5% of those with higher levels of zinc in the blood

Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (Spain), March 4, 2021

Administering zinc supplements to covid-19 patients with low levels of this element may be a strategy to reduce mortality and recovery time. At the same time, it could help to prevent risk groups, like the elderly, from suffering the worst effects of the disease. These are the findings of a study by physicians and researchers from the Hospital del Mar, Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM) and Pompeu Fabra University (UPF), led by Dr. Robert Güerri, a physician at the Infectious Diseases Service of Hospital del Mar, which has just been published in the journal Nutrients.

The study analysed the zinc levels of 249 adult patients treated at the centre between 9 March and 1 April 2020, with an average age of 65 years. The most common symptoms presented at the time of admission were fever, cough and dyspnea. In all cases, they analysed their blood zinc levels, considering those under 50 μ/dl as being low. As explained by Dr. Güerri, first author of the clinical study, they analysed this parameter because “zinc is an essential element for maintaining a variety of biological processes, and altering its levels causes increased susceptibility to infections and increased inflammatory response”. For this reason, “given the comorbidities associated with zinc deficiency and its immunomodulatory and antiviral actions, zinc levels and zinc supplementation may prove useful tools to tackle the covid-19 crisis”.

Higher mortality in patients with lower zinc levels

1 in 4 patients had low levels of zinc. This group had more severe symptoms and higher levels of inflammation as measured by two markers, C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin 6 (IL-6), which mediate the inflammatory response. On average, their length of hospital stay was three times longer than patients with higher levels of zinc (25 days compared to 8).

Regarding mortality, zinc levels were significantly higher in patients who survived the infection, 62 μ/dl, versus 49 μ/dl for those who died. Moreover, 1 in 5 patients with low zinc levels died. Conversely, the mortality rate of those presenting higher levels upon admission was 5%. The study reveals that a one-unit increase of zinc in blood plasma is directly linked to a 7% reduction of the risk of dying from covid-19. Dr. Güerri highlights that “we have shown the importance of zinc levels in patients’ blood as an additional predictor of outcome in covid-19, as well as its potential as a therapeutic tool for treatment. We therefore propose this variable as a new parameter to predict the evolution of patients and we propose initiating clinical trials concerning zinc supplementation in patients with low levels admitted for covid-19 and implementing programmes to administer supplements to groups at risk of having low zinc levels to reduce the effects of the pandemic”.

Effect of zinc on the replication of the coronavirus

The study involved the collaboration of the groups of Dr. Rubén Vicente and Dr. Juana Díez at UPF. Their efforts, using in vitro techniques, have focused on studying in parallel the effects of zinc levels on the virus’s capacity to expand. The results confirm that the poor prognosis in patients with low concentrations of zinc is due both to the effect that a lack of zinc has on immune imbalance and the increase in viral load, as they found that low levels of zinc enhance the expansion of the virus in infected cells.

At the same time, the results indicate that an element must be sought to enable enhancing the activity of zinc in the cell to block viral replication, as their studies have shown that contrary to what had been speculated at the onset of the pandemic, chloroquine cannot perform this function.

Green tea supplements modulate facial development of children with Down syndrome

University of Barcelona & European Molecular Biology Laboratory, March 3, 2021

Green tea supplements modulate facial development of children with Down syndrome A new study led by Belgian and Spanish researchers published in Scientific Reports adds evidence about the potential benefits of green tea extracts in Down syndrome. The researchers observed that the intake of green tea extracts can reduce facial dysmorphology in children with Down syndrome when taken during the first three years of life. Additional experimental research in mice confirmed the positive effects at low doses. However, they also found that high doses of the extract can disrupt facial and bone development. More research is needed to fully understand the effects of green tea extracts and therefore they should always be taken under medical supervision.

Down syndrome is caused by the presence of a third copy of chromosome 21, leading to an overexpression of the genes in this region and resulting in a number of physical and intellectual disabilities. One of the genes, DYRK1A, contributes to altering brain and bone development in people with Down syndrome. The green tea compound EGCG (epigallocatechin-3-gallate) is known to inhibit DYRK1A activity, although it also has other mechanisms of action. Previous research has shown the potential of EGCG to improve cognition in young adults with Down syndrome.

In a new study, researchers analysed the effect of green tea supplements on facial development in Down syndrome. In the experimental part of the study, the EGCG supplements were tested in mice at different dosages. In a second part of the research, they did an observational study on children with and without Down syndrome. This work, led by the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) and University of Barcelona in Spain and KU Leuven in Belgium, is an international effort involving researchers from University of Central Florida, La Salle – University Ramon Llull, and IMIM – Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute.

For the mouse study, carried out at KU Leuven, the researchers started the treatment before birth, while the pups were developing in the wombs of their mothers, by adding either a low or a high dose of green tea extracts to their drinking water. “The low dose treatment had a positive effect on mice that are a model of Down syndrome,” Professor Greetje Vande Velde (KU Leuven) comments, co-lead author of the study. “Sixty percent of them showed a facial shape similar to the control group.”

“The high dose treatment, however, generated very mixed results, and even disrupted normal facial development in some cases, causing additional dysmorphology. This occurred in all mice, in the model of Down syndrome as well as in the control group.”

Age-dependent effects

The observational study was set up in Spain and also included participants from North America. 287 children between 0 and 18 years participated, including children with Down syndrome who did (n = 13) or didn’t (n = 63) receive EGCG supplementation. The treated group were all self-medicated and didn’t follow a prescribed protocol.

“All participants were photographed from various angles to create a 3D model of their faces,” explains Neus Martínez-Abadías, professor at the University of Barcelona and co-lead author of the study. “We use 21 facial landmarks, and the distances between them, to compare the faces of the participants. In the youngest group between 0 and 3 years, we observed that 57 percent of the linear distances are significantly different when you compare the faces of children with Down syndrome that never received the treatment to those of children that do not have Down syndrome. For babies and toddlers who did receive EGCG treatment, this difference was much smaller, only 25 percent. After green tea supplementation, the facial dysmorphology decreases and the children with or without Down syndrome look more alike.”

“We didn’t identify a similar effect in the adolescent group. Even when treated with green tea extracts, children with Down syndrome still show a difference of more than 50 percent compared to the control group. These findings suggest that the green tea supplements only affect facial development when they are administered in the early stages of life when the face and skull are rapidly growing.”

Further research required

“Despite the potential benefits we observed, we must handle these findings with caution considering they are preliminary and based on an observational study,” Professor Vande Velde warns. “Much more research is necessary to evaluate the effects of EGCG-containing supplements, the appropriate dose and their therapeutic potential in general. We also need to take into the account possible effects on other organs and systems, not just on the development of the face. This requires first more basic research in the lab with mice, and then clinical studies with more participants and controlled use of these supplements.”

“Our findings suggest that effects of EGCG strongly depend on the dose.” Professor Martínez-Abadías concludes. “EGCG products are commercially available and they are used regularly as a general health-promoting compounds. However, it’s important to follow the European Food Safety Authority recommendations regarding the maximal intake and to always consult a physician before taking the supplements. Our research shows potential beneficial effects of facial development at low doses, but at very high doses they can produce unpredictable effects in mice. More research is needed in humans to determine the optimal dose at each age that maximizes the potential benefits.”

Eating meat ‘raises risk of heart disease, diabetes and pneumonia

UK researchers find link between regular meat intake and nine non-cancerous illnesses

Oxford University, March 3, 2021

egular meat consumption is associated with a range of diseases that researchers had not previously considered, according to a large, population-level study conducted by a team at the University of Oxford.

The results associate regular meat intakewith a higher risk of various diseases, including heart disease, pneumonia and diabetes, but a lower risk of iron-deficiency anemia. The study is published today in BMC Medicine.

Consistent evidence has shown that excess consumption of red meat and processed meat (such as bacon and sausages) may be associated with an increased likelihood of developing colorectal cancer. But up to now, it was not clear whether high meat consumption in general might raise or lower the risk of other, non-cancerous diseases.

This has been investigated in a new large-cohort study which used data from almost 475,000 UK adults, who were monitored for 25 major causes of non-cancerous hospital admissions. At the start of the study, participants completed a questionnaire which assessed their dietary habits (including meat intake), after which they were followed-up for an average period of eight years.

Overall, participants who consumed unprocessed red meat and processed meat regularly (three or more times per week) were more likely than low meat-eaters to smoke, drink alcohol, have overweight or obesity, and eat less fruit and vegetables, fiber, and fish.

However, after taking these factors into account, the results indicated that:

• Higher consumption of unprocessed red meat and processed meat combined was associated with higher risks of ischaemic heart disease, pneumonia, diverticular disease, colon polyps, and diabetes. For instance, every 70 g higher red meat and processed meat intake per day was associated with a 15% higher risk of ischaemic heart disease and a 30% higher risk of diabetes.
• Higher consumption of poultry meat was associated with higher risks of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease, gastritis and duodenitis, diverticular disease, gallbladder disease, and diabetes. Every 30g higher poultry meat intake per day was associated with a 17% higher risk of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease and a 14% greater risk of diabetes.
• Most of these positive associations were reduced if body mass index (BMI, a measure of body weight) was taken into account. This suggests that regular meat eaters having a higher average body weight could be partly causing these associations.
• The team also found that higher intakes of unprocessed red meat and poultry meat were associated with a lower risk of iron deficiency anemia. The risk was 20% lower with every 50g higher per day intake of unprocessed red meat and 17% lower with every 30g higher per day intake of poultry meat. A higher intake of processed meat was not associated with the risk of iron deficiency anemia.

The research team suggest that unprocessed red meat and processed meat may increase the risk of ischaemic heart disease because they are major dietary sources of saturated fatty acids. These can increase low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, an established risk factor for ischaemic heart disease.

Lead author Dr. Keren Papier, from the Nuffield Department of Population Health at the University of Oxford, said: “We have long known that unprocessed red meat and processed meat consumption is likely to be carcinogenic and this research is the first to assess the risk of 25 non-cancerous health conditions in relation to meat intake in one study.”

Additional research is needed to evaluate whether the differences in risk we observed in relation to meat intake reflect causal relationships, and if so the extent to which these diseases could be prevented by decreasing meat consumption. The result that meat consumption is associated with a lower risk of iron-deficiency anemia, however, indicates that people who do not eat meat need to be careful that they obtain enough iron, through dietary sources or supplements.”

The World Cancer Research Fund recommends that people should limit red meat consumption to no more than three portions per week (around 350–500g cooked weight in total), and processed meat should be eaten rarely, if at all.

This study was based on 474,985 middle-aged adults, who were originally recruited into the UK Biobank study between 2006 and 2010, and were followed-up for this study until 2017. These participants were invited to complete a dietary questionnaire with 29 questions on diet, which assessed the consumption frequency of a range of foods. Participants were then categorized into subgroups based on their meat intake: 0-1 times/week; two times/week; three to four times/week and five or more times a week. The information on each participant’s meat intake was linked with hospital admission and mortality data from the NHS Central Registers.

The risk of ADHD may be lower if children grow up in green environments

Aarhus University (Denmark), March 1, 2021

The amount of green space surrounding children’s homes could be important for their risk of developing ADHD. This is shown by new research results from iPSYCH.

A team of researchers from Aarhus University has studied how green space around the residence affects the risk of children and adolescents being diagnosed with ADHD. And the researchers find an association.

“Our findings show that children who have been exposed to less green surroundings in their residential area in early childhood, which we define as lasting up until age five, have an increased risk of receiving an ADHD diagnosis when compared to children who have been surrounded by the highest level of green space,” says Malene Thygesen, who is one of the researchers behind the study.

ADHD is one of the most common psychiatric diagnoses among children and it affects those with the disorder in different ways. The reason why some children develop ADHD is still not fully known. ADHD may be hereditary, but other factors may also play a role. For this reason, there are strong arguments for research into the causes of children developing the diagnosis. One condition which has been of interest for research is children’s access to green space, as previous studies have found an association with children’s mental well-being and cognitive development.

A complete study

A single study does not provide sufficient basis to conclude that there exists an association between access to green environments and children’s risk of developing ADHD, as this requires further studies. But the results of Malene Thygesen and the team’s research are the same as those of previous similar research projects, and the study’s research methods have taken into account many of the other factors which can also come into play in the development of ADHD.

“In the study we adjusted for gender, age, the child’s year of birth, and the parents’ psychiatric diagnosis and socio-economic status, and neighbourhood level socio-economic status. Our study is strong because it includes many individuals and because the information is very detailed. For example, we use data based on clinical diagnoses of ADHD made by specialists,” says Malene Thygesen.

Perspectives for further research

The research article written on the basis of this study can be found in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives and may inspire researchers to continue studying the association between access to green spaces and the risk of children being diagnosed with ADHD or other diagnoses.

“It’s interesting to think that living in green environments may be a protective factor for children in relation to the risk of developing ADHD.” Methodology

The study makes use of data on the addresses of more than 800,000 people born from 1992 and up until 2007, as well as information on clinical ADHD diagnoses from age five until 2016. In addition, the researchers use a specific measurement of how green the environment around a household is, the so-called normalized differential vegetation index. This measurement places the address in the middle of a quadratic area with 210 metres on each side, and on this basis calculates how green the surrounding area is.

Blueberries may boost mood, improve memory

University of Reading (UK), March 3, 2021

Flavonoid-rich blueberry drinks may improve mood in both children and young adults, says a new study.

The study, performed by researchers from the University of Reading, UK, looked at the effect of the blueberry beverage in 50 children and 21 young people, and assessed mood using the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule. Data showed a significant improvement in so-called positive affect (PA), but not negative affect (NA).

“Although preliminary, these results are intriguing and warrant focused investigation of the relationship between flavonoids and mood, as well as with mental health more generally,” wrote the researchers inNutrients .

“The distinctive effect of flavonoids on PA but not NA is notable,” they added. “PA and NA reflect orthogonal facets of mood. A low PA is more highly linked to depression, and high NA is more closely related to anxiety. Thus, these data suggest that the effect of flavonoid consumption on mood may be specific to depressive disorders, rather than pervasive across different mood states.”

Commenting on the potential biological plausibility of the observations, the researchers proposed two mechanism(s) of action: The first involves a potential indirect effect on blood flow in the brain, which would enhance executive functioning, and “thus helping to inhibit cognitive features (i.e., rumination) that maintain depression”.

The second involves the direct inhibition of the enzyme monoamine oxidase (MAO) by blueberry anthocyanins. “MAO is involved in the oxidation of monoamines, some of which are neurotransmitters involved in the regulation of mood (e.g., serotonin, dopamine, and noradrenaline),” they explained. “MAO inhibitors have been used to treat mood disorders. Thus, the consumption of fruits high in flavonoids, such as blackcurrants, may significantly reduce MAO activity, thereby increasing circulating monoamines, and elevating mood.”

The researchers concluded: “Given the potential implications of these findings for preventing depression, a disabling and common mental health problem in adolescents and adults, it is important to replicate the study and assess the potential to translate these findings to practical, cost-effective and acceptable interventions.”

Blueberries & working memory vs placebo

Another recently published study also added to the potential cognitive effects of blueberries, with scientists from Exeter University in England reporting that blueberry concentrate may increase activity in select regions of the brain, and boost working memory in older adults (approximately 68 years of age).

Writing in Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism , the scientists report that 30 ml of blueberry concentrate per day (providing 387 mg anthocyanidins) for 12 weeks were associated with “significant increases in brain activity […] in response to blueberry supplementation relative to the placebo”.

The data also showed that that working memory improved in the blueberry group, versus placebo.

“Supplementation with an anthocyanin rich blueberry concentrate improved brain perfusion and activation in brain areas associated with cognitive function in healthy older adults,” they concluded.

These findings support those reported in a 2010 study led by Robert Krikorian from the University of Cincinnati Academic Health Center , which found that a daily drink of about 500 mL of blueberry juice was associated with improved learning and word list recall, as well as a suggestion of reduced depressive symptoms in older people with early memory problems (Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, Vol. 58, No. 7, pp 3996–4000)

Toxic synergy between aluminum and Alzheimer disease protein

Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (Australia), February 28, 2021

According to news originating from Bundoora, Australia, research stated, “Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the most prevalent, age-related, neurodegenerative disease, is associated with the accumulation of amyloid beta (Ab) and oxidative stress. However, the sporadic nature of late-onset AD has suggested that other factors, such as aluminium may be involved.”

Our news reporters obtained a quote from the research from Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology – RMIT University: “Aluminium (Al3+) is the most ubiquitous neurotoxic metal on earth, extensively bioavailable to humans. Despite this, the link between Al3+ and AD has been debated for decades and remains controversial. Using * * Saccharomyces cerevisiae * * as a model organism expressing Ab42, this study aimed to examine the mechanisms of Al3+ toxicity and its interactions with Ab42. * * S. cerevisiae * * cells producing Ab42 treated with varying concentrations of Al3+ were examined for cell viability, growth inhibition, and production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Al3+caused a significant reduction in cell viability: cell death in yeast producing green fluorescent protein tagged with Ab42 (GFP-Ab42) was significantly higher than in cells producing green fluorescent protein (GFP) alone. Additionally, Al3+ greatly inhibited the fermentative growth of yeast producing GFP-Ab42, which was enhanced by ferric iron (Fe3+), while there was negligible growth inhibition of GFP cells. Al3+- induced ROS levels in yeast expressing native Ab42 were significantly higher than in empty vector controls.”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “These findings demonstrate Al3+ has a direct, detrimental toxic synergy with Ab42 that can be influenced by Fe3+, causing increased oxidative stress. Thus, Al3+ should be considered as an important factor, alongside the known characteristic hallmarks of AD, in the development and aetiology of the disease.”

Biofeedback shows promise as mental health treatment

University of Rochester, March 3, 2021

• A recent meta-analysis has demonstrated some positive results using real-time functional MRI neurofeedback (rtfMRI-NF) in treating various mental illnesses.
• The reviewed studies showed that participants could use a neurofeedback signal and self-regulate brain activity in targeted areas.
• While the data demonstrated that rtfMRI-NF had a moderate effect on neural activity in targeted brain regions during training, the researchers observed a more significant effect later, in the absence of a neurofeedback signal.
• However, the review found that rtfMRI-NF had only a small effect on behavioral outcomes. More research on how rtfMRI-NF works, and for whom it is most effective, is necessary to establish its clinical usefulness outside of a research setting.

Mental health conditions can cause changes in thinking, emotions, behavior, or all of these, impairing interpersonal relationships and daily functioning. They can be temporary or chronic.

Approximately 26% of adults in the United States will experience a mental health condition within a given year, with close to 9.5% having a serious condition, such as major depression or bipolar disorder.

Although pharmacologic and psychosocial treatment options for psychiatric illnesses can be safe and effective, there are cases in which the treatments may cause significant adverse effects in some individuals, potentially leading to discontinuation. In addition, some illnesses are treatment-resistant.

One possible reason why current standard-of-care treatments have varying efficacy is that they do not target the disruption to neural circuits that researchers have associated with mental illness.

Researchers can use functional MRI (fMRI), a noninvasive neuroimaging tool that measures brain activity through changes in cerebral blood flow, to comprehend the neurobiological changes accompanying psychiatric illness.

In the new study, the researchers used rtfMRI-NF, which incorporates biofeedback, to teach the participants how to control their own brain neural activity instantaneously while in a scanner. Biofeedback is a treatment that healthcare professionals sometimes use to control involuntary bodily processes.

Novel treatment method

Although some studies using rtfMRI-NF experimentally to treat a wide range of mental illnesses have demonstrated benefits, rtfMRI-NF is costly, and it requires extensive setup for real-time analysis.

Researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York conducted a meta-analysis of 17 relevant studies to determine the effectiveness of rtfMRI-NF in modulating brain activity and behavioral outcomes.

They have published their findings in Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews.

Study co-author Dr. David Dodell-Feder, an assistant professor at both the Department of Psychology in the School of Arts and Sciences at the University of Rochester and the Department of Neuroscience at the University’s Medical Center, comments on the objectives of the review:   “Ultimately, we want people to be able to take what they learn in the scanner during the training sessions to use in their day-to-day life. If they can do that, it shows that the neurofeedback is meaningful, that they are taking something away from it, and that they can now apply that experience — even without neurofeedback.”

The meta-analysis evaluated whether rtfMRI-NF led to voluntary control of brain activity during training, whether the effects persisted after training (in the absence of neurofeedback), and whether treatment resulted in improved outcomes.

The studies that the team analyzed included 410 participants, of whom 234 received rtfMRI-NF. The study participants were 34 years old, on average, and there were almost equal numbers of males and females. About 53% of the participants took psychotropic medications.

The studies included participants with diagnoses such as:

• depressive disorders
• schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders
• neurodevelopmental disorders
• substance-related and addictive disorders
• trauma and stressor-related disorders
• anxiety disorders

The study participants completed an average of two sessions with a total regulation time of about 24 minutes across sessions. Most studies compared active neurofeedback with a sham feedback control group.

The area of the brain targeted most often as the source of the neurofeedback signal was the amygdala. The amygdala is part of the brain’s limbic system, and it is responsible for processing strong emotions, such as fear and pleasure.

Additionally, most studies provided explicit instructions for regulating the neural signal, measured the percent signal-change that a task triggered, provided continuous neurofeedback, and included a transfer task to measure whether the participant could perform the previously learned regulation during the period of no neurofeedback.