Effects of an Amino Acid Mixture on Exercise-Induced Cortisol Levels

Results from a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled crossover study

Nutritional Biochemistry Inc, March 1, 2021

To determine the effects of an acute, single dose of an amino acid mixture containing arginine, valine, and serine on male participants with an established high cortisol response to exercise

Twenty “recreationally active” males aged 20 to 39 years (mean 32.3 ± 1.2 years), mean body mass index (BMI) 22.3 ± 0.4. After removal of 5 participants due to abnormal blood analysis or protocol deviations, 15 participants contributed to the final analysis.

According to the study authors, indirect actions of the aminos acids may explain the decrease in exercise-induced cortisol. Arginine promotes lipid metabolism,1,2 which may help maintain blood glycogen or glucose levels. Valine (and leucine, but not isoleucine) has been shown to reduce exercise-induced increase in cortisol in rats.3 And serine may enhance production of phosphatidylserine, which was shown in a clinical trial to reduce exercise-induced cortisol.4

While there was a statistically significant reduction in post-exercise cortisol in those who took the amino acid combination, the clinical relevance is unclear. The researchers did not test VO2 max, fatigue, perceived exertion or recovery time. Doing so would have provided additional data to understand if the biochemical changes translated into changes in performance as well.

A previous study done by the same researchers evaluated chronic ingestion (14 days) of the same combination of amino acids and found benefit.5 In that study, volunteers took twice the dose—3.6 g of arginine, 2.2 g of valine, and 0.2 g of serine—for 14 days. They then exercised by cycling, and as with the current study, measurements were taken after exercise. The subjective ratings of fatigue based on a visual analog scale (VAS) and a rating of perceived exertion (RPE) significantly improved compared to placebo. Additionally, the increases in serum total ketone bodies during exercise and plasma tryptophan/branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) were significantly lower in the amino acid group compared to placebo. This implies that long-term and acute dosing of amino acids likely have differing effects.

Study finds high life satisfaction linked to better overall health

University of British Columbia, March 5, 2021

New research from UBC finds that higher life satisfaction is associated with better physical, psychological and behavioural health.

The research, published recently in The Milbank Quarterly, found that higher life satisfaction is linked to 21 positive health and well-being outcomes including:

• a 26 per cent reduced risk of mortality
• a 46 per cent reduced risk of depression
• a 25 per cent reduced risk of physical functioning limitations
• a 12 per cent reduced risk of chronic pain
• a 14 per cent reduced risk of sleep problem onset
• an eight per cent higher likelihood of frequent physical activity
• better psychological well-being on several indicators including higher: positive affect, optimism, purpose in life, and mastery–as well as lower: hopelessness, negative affect, perceived constraints, and loneliness

Dr. Eric Kim and his team examined data from a nationally representative sample of 12,998 U.S. adults over age 50, in which participants were asked to self-evaluate their life satisfaction and health.

This study is the first to see whether a positive change in life satisfaction is associated with better outcomes on a wide range of physical, behavioural and psychosocial health and well-being indicators over a four-year period.

“Life satisfaction is a person’s evaluation of his or her own life based on factors that they deem most relevant,” says Dr. Kim, an assistant professor in UBC’s psychology department and lead author of the study. “While life satisfaction is shaped by genetics, social factors and changing life circumstances, it can also be improved on both the individual level as well as collectively on the national level.”

Dr. Kim says in recent years, intergovernmental organizations such as the United Nations (UN) and the World Health Organization have urged countries to use well-being indicators in addition to traditional economic indicators, like GDP, when making policy decisions.

“The results of this study suggest that life satisfaction is a valuable target for policymakers to consider when enhancing physical, psychological and behavioural health outcomes at the policy level,” says Dr. Kim.

The researchers decided to examine a four-year time period as there is emerging evidence that indicates changing levels of life satisfaction is an important determinant of voting behaviour. Further, election cycles happen approximately every four years in many countries.

“It is in the interest of policymakers’ election and reelection campaigns to consider how life satisfaction can be improved,” says Dr. Kim. “But more importantly understanding what the downstream health and well-being effects of altering life satisfaction might be for populations over a four-year period is critical to evaluate, and this is precisely the kind of question we tried to answer in our study.”

Dr. Kim says policy-makers who are interested in looking for practical ideas on how to improve life satisfaction at the policy level can look to the Global Happiness and Well-Being Policy Report, which is generated out of a broader UN initiative co-led by UBC economics professor emeritus Dr. John Helliwell and Columbia University professor Dr. Jeffrey Sachs.

“As our nations pause and reevaluate our priorities in light of the widespread change caused by COVID-19, our policymakers have a rare and excellent opportunity to pursue well-being for all in the post-pandemic world.”

Ameliorative effects of astaxanthin on brain tissues of Alzheimer disease model

Alexandria University (Egypt), February 27, 2021

According to news reporting from Alexandria, Egypt, research stated, “Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a chronic, progressive, multifactorial, and the most common neurodegenerative disease which causes dementia and mental deterioration in the elderly. The available treatments for AD are not disease-modifying drugs and only provide symptomatic relief.”

The news correspondents obtained a quote from the research from Alexandria University, “Astaxanthin (ATX), a second-generation antioxidant, is a dark red carotenoid and exhibits the highest antioxidant capacity, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, and antiapoptotic effects. In this study, we investigated the therapeutic effect of different doses of ATX on the cerebral cortex and hippocampus of AD-like rats. The AD-like model was induced in rats using hydrated aluminum chloride (AlCl.6HO) solution that was given orally at a dose of 75 mg/kg daily for 6 weeks. Morris water maze (MWM) behavioral test was performed to confirm the cognitive dysfunction then AD-like rats were orally treated with different doses of ATX (5, 10, and 15 mg/kg) dissolved in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) for six weeks. The results indicated that ATX significantly and dose-dependently improved the performance of AD-like rats treated with ATX during MWM and suppress the accumulation of amyloid b and malondialdehyde. Also, significantly inhibit acetylcholinesterase and monoamine oxidase activities and the expression of b-site amyloid precursor protein cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE 1). ATX also significantly elevated the content of acetylcholine, serotonin, and nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and miRNA-124 expression. The effect of ATX treatment was confirmed by histopathological observations using H&E stain and morphometric tissue analysis.”

According to the news reporters, the research concluded: “From this study, we concluded that ATX may be a promising therapeutic agent for AD through targeting different pathogenic pathways.”

This research has been peer-reviewed.

High fat diets may over-activate destructive heart disease protein

University of Reading (UK), March 3, 2021

Consumption of a high fat diet may be activating a response in the heart that is causing destructive growth and lead to greater risk of heart attacks, according to new research.

In a paper published in Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, researchers looked at the effect of feeding mice a high fat diet on oxidative stress levels on heart cells. The team from the University of Reading found that cells from the mice had twice the amount of oxidative stress, and led to heart cells being up to 1.8 times bigger due to cardiac hypertrophy which is associated with heart disease.

Named first author Dr Sunbal Naureen Bhatti, from the University of Reading said:

“Our research shows one way in which a high fat diet can cause damage to the muscle cells that make up our hearts. It appears that a switch happens at a cellular level when the mice were fed on a high fat regime which causes a normally harmless protein, Nox2, to become overactive. The precise nature of how the Nox2 protein goes onto cause oxidative damage and set off destructive hypertrophy is still being researched.

“We are really just scratching the surface of how the protein Nox2 responds to diets, but our research clearly demonstrates that high fat diets has the potential to cause significant damage to the heart.”

The researchers focused on a key protein Nox2 which believed to be associated with increasing oxidative stress in the heart. The study found that the mice fed a high fat diet had twice the amount of Nox2 activity, which also led to a similar amount of reactive oxygen species (ROS), a free radical that is associated with pathological damage of the body.

To check whether Nox2 was involved in causing the cardiac stress, the team compared the results with mice bred specifically to ‘knock out’ Nox2, stopping the protein from activating at a cellular level. The ‘knock out’ mice were also fed a high fat diet, but showed little or none of the same raised levels of oxidative stress.

In addition, the team used three experimental treatments which are known to reduce Nox2-related ROS production, and found that all three showed some promise in reducing the effect of ROS in damaging the mice hearts.

The mice that were fed high fat diets received 45% of their calorie consumption from fat, 20% from protein and 35% carbohydrate.

Twice weekly yoga classes plus home practice effective in reducing symptoms of depression

Boston University School of Medicine March 3, 2021

People who suffer from depression should participate in yoga and deep (coherent) breathing classes at least twice weekly plus practice at home to receive a significant reduction in their symptoms.

The findings, which appear in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, providepreliminary support for the use of yoga-based interventions as an alternative or supplement to pharmacologic treatments for depression.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is common, recurrent, chronic and disabling. Due in part to its prevalence, depression is globally responsible for more years lost to disability than any other disease. Up to 40 percent of individuals treated with antidepressant medications for MDD do notachieve full remission. This study used lyengar yoga that has an emphasis on detail, precision and alignment in the performance of posture and breath control.

Individuals with MDD were randomized to the high dose group, three 90-minute classes a week along with home practice, or the low dose group, two 90-minute classes a week, plus home practice. Both groups had significant decreases in their depressive symptoms and no significant differences in compliance. Although a greater number of subjects in the high dose group had less depressive symptoms, the researchers believe attending twice weekly classes (plus home practice) may constitute a less burdensome but still effective way to gain the mood benefits from the intervention.

“This study supports the use of a yoga and coherent breathing intervention in major depressive disorder in people who are not on antidepressants and in those who have been on a stable dose of antidepressants and have not achieved a resolution of their symptoms,” explained corresponding author Chris Streeter, MD, associate professor of psychiatry and neurology at Boston University School of Medicine and a psychiatrist at Boston Medical Center.

According to Streeter compared with mood altering medications, this intervention has the advantages of avoiding additional drug side effects and drug interactions. “While most pharmacologic treatment for depression target monoamine systems, such as serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine, this intervention targets the parasympathetic and gamma aminobutyric acid system and provides a new avenue for treatment.”

Piceatannol is superior to resveratrol at suppressing adipogenesis in human visceral adipose-derived stem cells

Seoul National University, March 3, 2021

According to news originating from Seoul, South Korea, the research stated, “Resveratrol (3,4’,5-trans-trihydroxystilbene) and piceatannol (3,3’,4’,5-trans-tetraphydroxystilbene) are major stilbene compounds that are predominantly present in various natural foods, such as berries and fruits.”

Funders for this research include The Ministry of Health and Welfare.

Our news reporters obtained a quote from the research from Seoul National University: “Both phytochemical compounds are consumed as dietary supplements to prevent various metabolic diseases and for their anti-aging properties. Adipose-derived stem cells from human visceral adipose tissue (vASCs) are a useful in vitro model for evaluating their adipogenic effect. Treatment with resveratrol and piceatannol significantly inhibited lipid accumulation in vASCs. Their effective concentrations were 5, 10, and 20 mM for inhibiting adipogenesis of vASCs. Interestingly, despite the similar chemical structures of the two compounds, piceatannol showed a higher anti-adipogenic effect at 20 mM than resveratrol in vASCs. Moreover, the inhibitory capacity of lipid droplet generation was higher for piceatannol at 20 mM than that of resveratrol.”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “Piceatannol significantly attenuated the expression level of adipogenic markers (e.g., CCAAT/enhanced binding protein a (C/EBPa), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor g (PPARg), and adipocyte fatty acid binding protein (aP2)) compared to resveratrol at the mRNA and protein levels. These results suggest that piceatannol is a superior anti-adipogenic compound compared to resveratrol in the vASC model of visceral obesity.”

Healthy Sleep Habits Cut Risk of Heart Failure Nearly in Half

Tulane University, February 17, 2021

Making small changes to promote healthy sleep can dramatically improve your health and longevity, including leading to a 42% lower risk of heart failure

There is growing research linking sleep habits with heart health. A healthy sleep pattern for most people, at least in terms of heart health, means seven to nine hours of sleep, little or no insomnia, no snoring, early bird rising and little or no daytime sleepiness.

U.K. researchers studied 408,802 participants ages 37 to 73 and those with the healthiest sleep pattern had 42% less risk of heart failure overall. Heart failure risks decreased in early risers by 8%, seven- to eight-hour sleepers by 12%, infrequent insomniacs by 17% and infrequent nappers by 34%.[i]

In another meta-analysis of 474,684 patients, sleeping fewer than six hours or more than eight hours was tied to higher risk of developing or dying from coronary heart disease and stroke but those who slept more than eight hours also had higher total cardiovascular disease risks.[ii]

Napping once or twice a week actually helped reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by 48% in a sample of 3,462 Swiss subjects, but the benefits decreased with frequent naps.[iii] Meta-analysis of 313,651 participants reported that people who took naps of more than an hour had a 30% greater risk of all-cause death and 34% higher likelihood of cardiovascular disease compared to those who took no naps.[iv]

In their study of 935 diabetic women, long and short sleeping as well as snoring were biomarkers of cardiovascular disease.[v]

Benefits of Sleep

A good night’s rest is an elusive goal for many, but people live the longest when they sleep seven to eight hours a night.[vi] Sleep is restorative and necessary for your body’s functional processes.[vii]

Maintaining good sleep quality, at least in young adulthood and middle age, promotes better cognitive functioning and serves to protect against age-related cognitive declines.[viii],[ix],[x] Sleep, long overlooked, is now recognized as the “third pillar” of good health after nutrition and exercise.[xi]

Poor Sleep Impacts

Sleep disturbances have been associated with metabolic, psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders. Sleep apnea,[xii] insomnia, dementia and restless leg syndrome often disrupt sleep. Poor sleep exacerbates obesity,[xiii] diabetes, inflammation,[xiv] depression, Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease.[xv]

In a longitudinal study of 8,992 people between the ages of 32 and 86 years, scientists found that sleeping five or fewer hours was associated with diabetes risk and that obesity and high blood pressure both acted as mediators of this relationship.[xvi]

In a study of 1,666 men and 2,329 women 20 years or older, women with both short — less than five hours — and long sleep of eight or more hours had poorer lipid profiles whereas only men who were long sleepers had a cholesterol imbalance.[xvii] Over an hour of daytime napping was associated with greater risk of all-cause mortality compared with non-nappers in a review of seven studies involving 98,163 Chinese participants.[xviii]

Sleep also impacts your job, life and health. In a study of 11,698 workers, those experiencing sleep disturbances had more absenteeism, lower work performance ratings and higher health care costs.[xix] Lack of sleep decreases attention and memory, heightens negative emotions and impairs learning