Exploring the anti-carcinogenic potential and biosafety of propolis

Bharati Vidyapeeth University (India), April 9, 2020

Researchers at Bharati Vidyapeeth University in India extracted and standardized Indian propolis (IP) with respect to selected markers so they could evaluate its anti-cancer activity and biosafety in vitro and in vivo. The results of their study were published in the Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine.

Propolis from apiculture has a wide range of medicinal properties, thanks to its abundance in phytonutrients, such as polyphenols, flavonoids and the anti-cancer agent, caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE).
For their analysis, the researchers extracted, optimized and standardized IP using a newly developed and validated liquid chromatography method that simultaneously estimates caffeic acid, apigenin, quercetin and CAPE content.
Then, they screened the standardized ethanolic extract of IP (EEIP) for in vitro cytotoxicity, anti-carcinogenic effect (against Dalton’s Lymphoma ascites (DLA) cells), hemolytic effect and pesticidal potential.
The researchers found that EEIP contains more flavonoids, polyphenolic compounds and all the selected markers except for caffeic acid, than IP extracts obtained using other solvents.
EEIP also showed better anti-cancer activities than CAPE on MCF-7 and HT-29 cells in vitro.
In vivo, EEIP had better anti-carcinogenic effects against DLA than 5-fluorouracil. It also proved to be non-hemolytic.

Based on these findings, the researchers concluded that the standardized EEIP is a safe anti-carcinogenic agent that can be further developed into a natural anti-cancer medicine.

Research Sheds Light On How Silver Ions Kill Bacteria

University of Arkansas, April 10, 2020

By studying proteins at the molecular level, scientists hope to understand how silver can be used to fight ‘superbugs’

The antimicrobial properties of silver have been known for centuries. While it is still a mystery as to exactly how silver kills bacteria, University of Arkansas researchers have taken a step toward better understanding the process by looking at dynamics of proteins in live bacteria at the molecular level.

Traditionally, the antimicrobial effects of silver have been measured through bioassays, which compare the effect of a substance on a test organism against a standard, untreated preparation. While these methods are effective, they typically produce only snapshots in time, said Yong Wang, assistant professor of physics and an author of the study, published in the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology.

Instead, Wang and his colleagues used an advanced imaging technique, called single-particle-tracking photoactivated localization microscopy, to watch and track a particular protein found in E. coli bacteria over time. Researchers were surprised to find that silver ions actually sped up the dynamics of the protein, opposite of what they thought would happen. “It is known that silver ions can suppress and kill bacteria; we thus expected that everything slowed down in the bacteria when treated with silver. But, surprisingly, we found that the dynamics of this protein became faster.”

The researchers observed that silver ions were causing paired strands of DNA in the bacteria to separate, and the binding between the protein and the DNA to weaken. “Then the faster dynamics of the proteins caused by silver can be understood,” said Wang. “When the protein is bound to the DNA, it moves slowly together with the DNA, which is a huge molecule in the bacteria. In contrast, when treated with silver, the proteins fall off from the DNA, moving by themselves and thus faster.”

The observation of DNA separation caused by silver ions came from earlier work that Wang and colleagues had done with bent DNA. Their approach, now patent pending, was to put strain on DNA strands by bending them, thus making them more susceptible to interactions with other chemicals, including silver ions.

The National Science Foundation-funded study validated the idea of investigating the dynamics of single proteins in live bacteria, said Wang, an approach that could help researchers understand the real-time responses of bacteria to silver nanoparticles, which have been proposed for fighting against so-called “superbugs” that are resistant to commonly prescribed antibiotics.

“What we want to do eventually is to use the new knowledge generated from this project to make better antibiotics based on silver nanoparticles,” said Wang.

Catechin and quercetin protect against free radicals induced by exhaustive exercise in experimental research

University of Balikesir (Turkey), April 8, 2020

According to news reporting originating from Balikesir, Turkey, the research stated, “The aim of this study was to determine the effects of the use of (+) – Catechin + Quercetin for 10 days before an exhaustion exercise on free radical and antioxidant enzyme levels. The study was performed on 12 male Wistar rats (260-320 gr.) from the same family and animals divided into two groups as a control and experimental group.”

Our news editors obtained a quote from the research from the University of Balikesir, “After the first exhaustion exercise, rats in the experimental group used (+) – Catechin + Quercetin in addition to the standard laboratory diet and they performed the second exhaustion exercise. In the experimental group, 20 mg/kg (+) – Catechin + Quercetin substances were dissolved in dimethyl sulfoxide and given 1 ml/kg while the control group received 1 ml/kg 0.05% dimethyl sulfoxide by gavage in addition to standard laboratory diet daily for 10 days. SOD, CAT, GPx, GST, and MDA levels were measured by spectrophotometer. The IBM SPSS Statistics 24.0 was preferred for the statistical analysis. The repeated measures two-factor variance analysis was used to determine the difference between control and experimental groups. It was determined that antioxidant enzyme levels (SOD, CAT, GPx, and GST levels) in rats using (+) – Catechin + Quercetin for 10 days before an exhaustion exercise were higher than those of the control group. Despite that, it was determined that MDA levels in rats using (+) – Catechin + Quercetin for 10 days before an exhaustion exercise were lower than those of the control group.”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “It can be said that the use of (+) – Catechin + Quercetin can reduce the amount of MDA which is the end product of lipid peroxidation in exercise and may create a protective effect against free radicals and increase the levels of antioxidant enzymes and strengthen the antioxidant defense systems of the cells and have a positive effect on exercise performance.”

Mind-body medicine experts urge full integration of stress reduction into care and research

Massachusetts General Hospital & University of California at Davis, April 9, 2020

In a perspective published in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers from the Benson-Henry Institute (BHI) for Mind Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) call for broader use of mind-body practices.

In a time when meditation, yoga and mindfulness increase in popularity for general well-being, the piece emphasizes the necessity of fully integrating these stress-reduction practices into patient treatment plans and medical research.

Stress exacerbates anxiety and depression and plays a role in conditions such as cardiovascular disease, autoimmune disorders, irritable bowel syndrome, headaches and chronic pain, according to lead author Michelle Dossett, MD, Ph.D., of UC Davis Health.

“By reducing the body’s stress response, mind-body practices can be a powerful adjunct in medicine by helping to decrease patients’ symptoms and improving their quality of life,” says Dossett, who was a physician and researcher with BHI when the perspective was written.

Despite its recent rise in popularity among the general public, mind-body medicine isn’t new. Researchers at BHI have been integrating the field of mind-body medicine into MGH’s clinical care, research and training programs since 2006.

Early research on the advantages of such techniques dates back 40+ years, when the institute’s founder and perspective senior author, Herbert Benson, MD, became one of the first Western physicians to bring spirituality and healing into medicine and is most famously known for his work with the Relaxation Response.

“The Relaxation Response,” Benson states, “is an inborn, anti-stress capacity that transcends the differences that separate mind from body, science from spirituality and one culture from another.”

At BHI, mind-body medicine is widely recognized as the third leg of a three-legged stool: the first leg is surgery, the second is pharmaceuticals and the third is self-care, in which patients learn techniques to improve their own health through mind-body medicine, nutrition and exercise.

“Western medicine has produced revolutionary health benefits through advances in pharmacotherapies and procedures,” the researchers describe in the perspective. “It now faces enormous challenges in battling stress-related noncommunicable diseases. …Chronic pain, often perpetuated by psychosocial stress, has become an epidemic that our pharmaceutical arsenal is poorly equipped to handle and medical costs continue to soar. Mind-body therapies can be a helpful adjunct in managing chronic pain and other stress-related noncommunicable diseases by fostering resilience through self-care.”

The article also addresses skeptical patients’ preconceived notions of mind-body medicine as well as the anticipated barriers of service coverage and clinician education on the appropriate use of these tools. These challenges further reinforce the need for continued research and investment into the development and implementation of personalized practices to maximize their public health potential.

Dossett and her colleagues also note that mind-body practices can be helpful in reducing stress related to the COVID-19 epidemic.

Benson and perspective co-author Gregory Fricchione, MD, who is BHI’s current director, lead the field of mind-body medicine and research on counteracting the harmful effects of stress, thereby promoting health and reducing the vulnerability to stress-related illnesses. Dossett, who trained and mentored with Fricchione and Benson, moves the research of mind-body medicine beyond the walls of the BHI at UC Davis Health as a lead researcher in integrative medicine and assistant professor of internal medicine.

Research shows regular tea drinkers maintain better cholesterol levels as they age

Penn State University, April 9, 2020

Previous studies have established tea’s ability to reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke by decreasing blood levels of low-density lipoprotein or LDL – the so-called “bad” cholesterol that builds up in arteries. However, these studies have not answered how drinking tea affects “good” cholesterol, also known as high-density lipoprotein (HDL), which helps carry LDL away from the arteries.

But a recent study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association revealed that a daily cup of tea can slow down the natural decrease in HDL that is associated with aging.

The connection between drinking tea and maintaining healthy cholesterol levels

For this study, researchers from Pennsylvania State University (PSU) analyzed the relationship between tea consumption and blood HDL levels. They observed more than 80,000 people from the Kaliuan community in Tangshan, China over a six-year period. The researchers found that those who drank tea exhibited significantly slower age-related decreases in HDL levels. They associated this with an eight percent decrease in cardiovascular disease risk.

The researchers also discovered that green tea had a significantly stronger effect on heart health than black tea. This was despite both types of tea containing large amounts of polyphenols and catechins, compounds that are known for their anti-inflammatory properties. (Related: A cup of tea or a handful of berries a day can help prevent heart disease.)

The link between increased tea consumption and the slower decline in HDL levels was observed in all participants, though it was more prominent in men and in those aged 60 and above who smoked, were obese or lived a sedentary lifestyle.

“We still observed a significant association in these people, which suggests that the observed association cannot be totally interpreted by someone’s overall healthy lifestyle,” said senior author Xiang Gao, who is also the director of the Nutritional Epidemiology Lab at PSU.

But the study had several limitations. The researchers’ findings were mostly based on self-reported information about general tea consumption (either monthly or weekly). The study also did not include dietary information like the consumption of meat, whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Furthermore, the study exclusively analyzed people from a particular Chinese community who don’t necessarily represent the nation’s entire population.

According to Judith Wylie-Rosett, a professor at New York’s Albert Einstein College of Medicine, the study took “a cautious approach to endorsing the benefits” of drinking tea while analyzing its impact on HDL levels.

“We don’t tend to talk much about the decline in HDL cholesterol with age, and our main lifestyle strategies for trying to increase it are vigorous physical activity and losing weight,” she added. It’s nice to know that other lifestyle choices can help support these efforts.

Why green spaces are good for grey matter

University of York & University of Edinburgh, April 10, 2020

Walking between busy urban environments and green spaces triggers changes in levels of excitement, engagement and frustration in the brain, a study of older people has found.

Researchers at the Universities of York and Edinburgh say the findings have important implications for architects, planners and health professionals as we deal with an ageing population.

The study is part of a larger project looking at mobility, mood and place and the role of the urban environment in promoting lifelong health and wellbeing.

The aim of the study was to understand how older people experience different urban environments using electroencephalography (EEG), self-reported measures, and interviews.

As part of the experiment, eight volunteers aged 65 and over (from a wider sample of 95 people aged 65 and over) wore a mobile EEG head-set which recorded their brain activity when walking between busy and green urban spaces.

The research team also ran a video of the routes the people walked, asking the participants to describe “snapshots” of how they felt. The volunteers were also interviewed before and after.

The volunteers experienced beneficial effects of green space and preferred it, as it was calming and quieter, the study revealed.

Dr Chris Neale, Research Fellow, from the University of York’s Stockholm Environment Institute, said: “There are concerns about mental wellbeing as the global population becomes older and more urbanised.

“Urban green space has a role to play in contributing to a supportive city environment for older people through mediating the stress induced by built up settings.

“We found that older participants experienced beneficial effects of green space whilst walking between busy built urban environments and urban green space environments. Indeed, this work is the first to be published in a series of papers understanding the impact of green and urban spaces on brain activity in older adults.

“In a time of austerity, when greens spaces are possibly under threat due to pressure on council funding, we have demonstrated that these areas are important to people’s health.

“We have an ageing population which places challenges on the NHS. As the cost of looking after an ageing population continues to rise, maintaining access to green space could be a relatively low cost option for improving mental wellbeing.”

Dr Sara Tilley, Research Fellow, from the University of Edinburgh, added: “To help ensure that living longer is a positive experience for everyone, we need evidence-based solutions to support lifelong health and wellbeing.

“These findings – and others from the same project which show how important places are for our personal and cultural memories, and for enabling us to stay connected socially – have implications for the way we design for people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities so that going outdoors in younger years becomes a lifelong passion for getting out and about.”

How trans fats contribute to cell death

Tohoku University (Japan), April 8, 2020

Tohoku University researchers in Japan have uncovered a molecular link between some trans fats and a variety of disorders, including cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. Their findings, published in the journal Scientific Reports, implicate their role in enhancing a mitochondrial signalling pathway that leads to programmed cell death.

“Accumulating evidence has associated the consumption of trans-fatty acids with various diseases, including some lifestyle diseases, atherosclerosis and dementia. But the underlying causes have remained largely unknown,” says Atsushi Matsuzawa of Tohoku University’s Laboratory of Health Chemistry.

Matsuzawa and a team of researchers explored the effects of two trans fats produced during industrial food manufacturing, elaidic and linoelaidic acids, on programmed cell death.

Cells instigate programmed cell death, which is called apoptosis, if their DNA is damaged beyond repair. DNA damage can occur in response to a variety of factors, including reactive oxygen species, ultraviolet irradiation and anti-cancer drugs. Normally, cells counteract this process by repairing the lesions. But problems in the DNA damage response can lead to diseases also associated with trans fats.

The researchers induced DNA damage in cells using the anti-cancer drug doxorubicin. They found that elaidic and linoelaidic acids enhanced the apoptosis that followed. Other unsaturated fatty acids did not have the same effect.

Specifically, they found the fatty acids affected mitochondria, the energy-generating powerhouses of cells. DNA damage activates a signalling loop inside mitochondria that generates reactive oxygen species, which ultimately promote apoptosis. The industrial trans fats enhanced mitochondria’s production of reactive oxygen species through this signalling loop, and thus increased apoptosis.

Apoptosis is thought to lead to the development and progression of disorders associated with industrial trans fats, such as the build-up of plaque inside arteries, called atherosclerosis.

“Our research revealed a novel toxic function and mechanism of action of trans-fatty acids, which can account for pathological mechanisms, including atherosclerosis,” says Matsuzawa. “This significant finding will provide a molecular basis to understand how trans-fatty acids cause disease.”

The researchers theorize that targeting this molecular mechanism with drugs might have a therapeutic effect on a diverse range of trans-fat-associated diseases. The team plans to further investigate this link and the extent to which this mechanism contributes to these diseases. They also aim to determine the differences in toxicity between different trans fats.

Women’s lifestyle changes, even in middle age, may reduce future stroke risk

Harvard School of Public Health, April 9, 2020

Middle age may not be too late for women to substantially reduce their stroke risk by not smoking, exercising, maintaining a healthy weight and making healthy food choices, according to new research published today in Stroke, a journal of the American Stroke Association, a division of the American Heart Association.

In general, women are more likely than men to have a stroke, die from stroke and have poorer health and physical function after a stroke. The average age of first stroke in women is 75 years. Based on this information, researchers theorized that making mid-life lifestyle changes might help reduce stroke’s burden among women.

“We found that changing to a healthy lifestyle, even in your 50s, still has the potential to prevent strokes,” said Goodarz Danaei, Sc.D., lead study author and Bernard Lown Associate Professor of Cardiovascular Health at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston. “Women who made lifestyle modifications in middle age reduced their long-term risk of total stroke by nearly a quarter and ischemic stroke, the most common type of stroke, by more than one-third.”

Researchers analyzed the Nurses’ Health Study, which includes health information on nearly 60,000 women who enrolled at average age of 52 and continued in the study for an average of 26 years. Researchers studied the impact on stroke risk from smoking cessation, exercising 30 minutes or more daily and gradual weight loss if women were overweight. The researchers also studied the impact of making recommended dietary modifications that emphasize eating more fish, nuts, whole grains, fruits and vegetables and less red meat, no processed meat and less alcohol.

During the 26-year follow-up, researchers found:

4.7% of women with no lifestyle interventions had a stroke of any type; 2.4% had ischemic stroke; and 0.7% had hemorrhagic stroke.
Engaging in the three non-dietary interventions — smoking cessation, daily exercise and weight loss — was estimated to reduce the risk of total stroke by 25% and ischemic stroke by 36%.
Sustained dietary modifications were estimated to reduce the risk of total stroke by 23%.

Researchers also found that increasing fish and nut consumption and reducing unprocessed red meat consumption appeared to have positive impacts on reducing stroke risk, although the degree of impact from these dietary changes was not as big as those achieved through increased physical activity, smoking cessation and maintaining a healthy weight.

While this was an observational study that included mostly white, middle-aged women, Danaei said, “there are other studies to support that the proportional changes in stroke risk from lifestyle and dietary modifications may be generalizable to men. We also estimate that exercising 30 minutes or more daily may reduce the risk of stroke by 20%.”

Whether marijuana helps with pain is unclear, study suggests

Ohio State University, April 8, 2020

Medical marijuana users who say they have high levels of pain are more likely than those with low pain to say they use cannabis three or more times a day, a new study finds.

However, daily marijuana users with severe pain also reported their health had become worse in the past year.

The results don’t necessarily mean that marijuana is not effective in treating at least some kinds of pain, according to the researchers. But it suggests more research is needed before marijuana is accepted as an effective treatment for severe pain.

“It’s not clear if marijuana is helping or not,” said Bridget Freisthler, co-author of the study and professor of social work at The Ohio State University.

“The benefits aren’t as clear-cut as some people assume.”

The study was published recently in the International Journal of Drug Policy.

One issue is the complex relationship between pain, marijuana use and self-reported health, said Alexis Cooke, lead author of the study and postdoctoral scholar in psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco.

“Having high chronic pain is related to poorer health, so it may be that people who are using marijuana more often already had worse health to begin with,” Cooke said.

“There are still a lot of questions to answer.”

The study involved a survey of 295 medical marijuana dispensary patients in Los Angeles. The surveys were conducted in 2013, when California allowed marijuana use only for medical purposes.

All participants were asked how often they used marijuana; rated how their current health compared to one year ago (on a five-point scale from “much better” to “much worse”); and were asked two questions about their pain levels. Based on their answers, the researchers rated participants’ pain as low, moderate or high.

Among those surveyed, 31 percent reported high pain, 24 percent moderate pain, and 44 percent were in the low-pain category.

Daily marijuana use was reported by 45 percent of the sample, and 48 percent said they used three or more times per day.

The percentage of participants who used marijuana every day did not differ by pain categories. But about 60 percent of those who reported high pain used the drug three or more times a day, compared to 51 percent of those with moderate pain and 39 percent of those in the low-pain group.

Findings showed no association between daily marijuana use and change in health status among those with low levels of pain. But daily marijuana use was linked to worsening health status among those reporting high levels of pain.

However, strangely, there was no association between how often participants used marijuana per day and changes in health status. There’s no easy explanation for this, Freisthler said.

“It shows how little we know about marijuana as medicine, how people are using it, the dosages they are receiving and its long-term effects,” she said.

People use marijuana for a variety of different types of pain, including cancer, joint pain, HIV and nerve pain. Researchers don’t know if marijuana has different effects on different causes of pain, Cooke said.

“Chronic pain is also associated with depression and anxiety. Marijuana may help with these problems for some people, even if it doesn’t help with the pain,” she said.

In addition, marijuana use seems to help people who have lost their appetite due to pain or nausea caused by cancer drugs.

“It may not be the pain that patients are trying to address,” Cooke said.

The results do suggest we need to know more about the link between marijuana and pain relief, Freisthler said.

“Particularly since the opioid crisis, some people have been touting marijuana as a good substitute for opioids for people in pain,” she said.

“But our study suggests we don’t know that marijuana is helping to address pain needs.”

Could grapefruit juice curb the effects of a high-fat diet?

University of California-Berkeley,

It is common knowledge that a diet high in fat can lead to weight gain. But could drinking grapefruit juice reduce this effect? A new study by researchers at the University of California-Berkeley claims it did for mice fed a high-fat diet, and it even lowered blood glucose levels and improved insulin tolerance.

Grapefruit juice reduced weight gain in mice fed a high-fat diet, according to researchers. The research team, led by Joseph Napoli and Andreas Stahl, both of the Department of Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology at the university, publish their findings in the journal PLOS ONE.

Grapefruit has been hailed for its weight-loss effects since the 1930s, forming a part of the famous Hollywood Diet. Studies claimed that grapefruit consists of a fat-burning enzyme that promotes rapid weight loss.

But Napoli and Stahl say the validity of such studies can be questioned. “Relatively few human studies have examined the effects of grapefruit or grapefruit juice consumption per se on metabolism in well-controlled experiments, and these have produced intriguing but contradictory results,” they note. In this study, the team set out to improve understanding of the metabolic effects of grapefruit juice consumption.The researchers tested the effects of clarified, pulp-free grapefruit juice diluted with water at different concentrations on five groups of mice fed either a high- or low-fat diet for 100 days. The grapefruit juice was sweetened with saccharin to make it less bitter.

These effects were compared with one group of control mice, which were fed a high-fat diet but were given water to replace grapefruit juice. The team added glucose and artificial sweeteners to the water so it had the same calorie and saccharin content as the grapefruit juice.

At the end of the study, the researchers found that mice fed a high-fat diet that drank grapefruit juice gained 18% less weight than mice on a high-fat diet that drank water. As well as greater weight loss, grapefruit-drinking mice fed a high-fat diet also showed a 13-17% reduction in blood glucose levels and a three-fold reduction in insulin levels.

Grapefruit juice had no effect on weight for mice fed a low-fat diet, although these mice did show a two-fold reduction in insulin levels.

The team tested the effects of a compound found in grapefruit juice – naringin – on one group of mice fed a high-fat diet. Naringin has previously been linked to weight loss. Another group of mice fed a high-fat diet were given metformin – a drug used for lowering glucose levels in people with type 2 diabetes.

The researchers found that naringin lowered blood glucose levels in the mice just as much as metformin. “That means a natural fruit drink lowered glucose levels as effectively as a prescription drug,” says Napoli.

The researchers note, however, that naringin alone appeared to have no effect on the weight of mice fed a high-fat diet, meaning there is another compound in grapefruit that promotes weight loss.

“There are many active compounds in grapefruit juice, and we don’t always understand how all those compounds work,” notes Stahl.

The researchers admit that they are unable to say why grapefruit juice appears to halt weight gain.

They note that all mice had similar calorie intake and exercise levels, so these can be ruled out as explanations. They say it cannot even be put down to an issue with nutrient absorption, as they checked the calories that had been eliminated in feces.

“Basically, we couldn’t see a smoking gun that could explain why or how grapefruit juice affects weight gain,” says Stahl. However, this is something they plan to investigate in future research.

Commenting on their overall findings, the researchers say:

“We have provided new evidence for potential health-promoting properties of grapefruit juice in murine high-fat diet-driven obesity and non-obesity models. These results justify additional studies in animal models and humans to assess the mechanisms and scope of grapefruit juice action.”

The research was funded by the California Grapefruit Growers Cooperative. The investigators stress that the organization had no influence or control over the design or findings of the study.

Researchers explore the effects of resveratrol in patients with ulcerative colitis

Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (Iran), April 7, 2020

People suffering from ulcerative colitis can benefit from a plant compound found in red wine and chocolate. A recent study published in the Archives of Medical Research revealed that resveratrol can improve the quality of life of patients with ulcerative colitis.

What is ulcerative colitis?

Ulcerative colitis is a chronic disease that affects the inner lining of the large intestine. In particular, it causes inflammation and ulcers (sores) to appear in the digestive tract. Ulcerative colitis develops gradually and can become worse over time. While signs and symptoms vary depending on the severity of the inflammation and where it occurs, some commonly recognized symptoms of ulcerative colitis include:

Bloody diarrhea, sometimes with pus
Abdominal pain and cramping
Rectal pain
Having an urgent feeling to defecate but being unable to do so
Weight loss
Fatigue
Fever

People with ulcerative colitis often have periods of remission when symptoms disappear. These can last for weeks or even years.

Inflammatory bowel disease — which includes ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease — affects 1.3 percent of adults in the United States.

Resveratrol supplementation can improve quality of life and help manage symptoms of ulcerative colitis

For their study, researchers from Iran looked at whether supplementing with resveratrol can improve symptoms of ulcerative colitis. A total of 50 patients with mild to moderate ulcerative colitis were given resveratrol capsules, which they took for six weeks. The researchers found that supplementing with resveratrol significantly reduced biomarkers for inflammation and clinical colitis.

“Our results indicate that 6 weeks [of] supplementation with 500 mg resveratrol can improve quality of life and disease clinical colitis activity at least partially through inflammation reduction in patients with [ulcerative colitis],” the researchers wrote in their report.

Drinking green tea may help with food allergies

Shinshu University (Japan), April 7, 2020

Research findings suggest gut microbes can effect allergic immune responses. Tasuku Ogita who has recently joined Shinshu University is an expert on teas and their effects on gut bacteria. In this study, his team looked at green tea and the abundance of Flavonifractor plautii (FP) bacteria found in the gut. FP has been reported to be a part of the catechin metabolism in the intestines. Catechin is an antioxidant found in a variety of foods including green tea, of which 30 to 42% of its dry weight is catechin.

Tasuku Ogita and his team including supervisor Takeshi Shimosato has found that oral administration of FP strongly suppresses the Th2 immune response to food allergies in vivo. The food we eat effects the complex cocktail of different strains of bacteria in the gut. Drinking green tea increases the abundance of FP (Flavonifractor plautii) which suppresses the Th2 immune response. FP is a strain of the Clostridia family of bacteria, which is known to have effects on the immune system, notably inhibiting inflammation. Some Clostridia strains show promise of lowering blood pressure and some are known to be abundant in lean people and not in heavier people, leading researchers to believe they can be used to regulate weight.

Dr. Ogita has successfully cultured FP which took 6 months to accomplish. It is not easy to grow bacteria that grows inside the intestines out of its environment. Dr. Ogita was delighted when he was able to see the “face” of this FP strain under a microscope. A photo of the FP bacteria did not exist because research into its study is in its infancy. Dr. Ogita believes this is the first photo of FP.

Shinshu University is located in Nagano prefecture, known throughout Japan for having a variety of fermented food items with positive health outcomes. Nagano is unusual in that it does not have direct access to an ocean, so the food culture that has developed here has been unique. Due to its mountainous terrain, residents have had to survive long winters without access to the outside world, cultivating a rich food culture of natural preserves including miso and lacto-fermented pickles.

Nowadays, its residents have the best health and highest longevity in Japan, meaning it is likely a great contender for the area with some of the best health lifestyles in the world. Nagano manages to do this with some of the lowest costs for medical care for the elderly in Japan, meaning people live long but are also healthier longer. Researchers at Shinshu University continue to work to study unique foods indigenous to Nagano and Japan, and metabolic processes in the body scientifically to share this knowledge with others around the world with the hope that they too, can benefit from this culture.

There is potential for the FP strains of bacteria to follow in the steps of lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacterium in being added to foods for their desired functionality. At this point more studies are needed to look into the safety of FP before it can be used as an anti-allergy probiotic.

Can a daily cup of tea shield us from dementia?

National University of Singapore April 6th, 2020

Drinking tea reduces the risk of cognitive impairment by 50 percent—and as much as 86 percent for older adults who have a genetic risk of Alzheimer’s disease—a study of 957 Chinese seniors 55 and older shows.

“While the study was conducted on Chinese elderly, the results could apply to other races as well. Our findings have important implications for dementia prevention. Despite high quality drug trials, effective pharmacological therapy for neurocognitive disorders such as dementia remains elusive and current prevention strategies are far from satisfactory,” says Feng Lei, assistant professor of psychological medicine at the National University of Singapore’s Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine.

“Tea is one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world. The data from our study suggests that a simple and inexpensive lifestyle measure such as daily tea drinking can reduce a person’s risk of developing neurocognitive disorders in late life.”

For the study, published in the Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging, older adults provided information on the amount of tea they drank . The researchers assessed them on cognitive function every two years until 2010. They also collected data on lifestyle, medical conditions, and physical and social activity.

Long-term benefits are due to the bioactive compounds in the leaves, such as catechins, theaflavins, thearubigins and L-theanine, Lei says.

“These compounds exhibit anti-inflammatory and antioxidant potential and other bioactive properties that may protect the brain from vascular damage and neurodegeneration. Our understanding of the detailed biological mechanisms is still very limited so we do need more research to find out definitive answers.”

Intermittent Fasting Works Best at Night to Burn Fat

Vanderbilt University, April 7, 2020

In recent years, diet trends such as intermittent fasting have popularized the practice of delayed or restricted eating for many people looking to manage caloric intake. Still, many open to restructuring their schedules have the same question: When is the right time to avoid eating?

“There are a lot of studies on both animals and humans that suggest it’s not only about how much you eat, but rather when you eat,” says lead author Carl Johnson, professor of biological sciences at Vanderbilt University.

“Our research looked to test the findings of existing fasting studies by asking real humans to participate in a multi-day test for two different meal time routines. What we found is that the body’s circadian rhythms regulate nighttime fat burning.”

For the study, Johnson and postgraduate student Kevin Kelly tested meal time restriction by monitoring the metabolism of middle-aged and older adults in a whole-room respiratory chamber, under controlled conditions, over two separate 56-hour sessions—both with the same overnight fasting period.

In the first set of tests, the researchers presented one of the three daily meals as breakfast whereas in the second session, the team presented food equal in nutrition to the same subjects as a late-evening snack.

They found that, while the two sessions did not differ in the amount of food eaten or the amount of physical activity of the participants, the daily timing of nutrient availability coupled with the body’s increased metabolism during sleep (thanks to the body’s circadian rhythms) flipped a switch on fat burning: In each instance, late-evening snacking delayed the body’s ability to target fat stores for energy and instead caused the body to target the readily accessible carbohydrates newly introduced into the body.

“The late-evening snack session resulted in less lipids oxidized than in the breakfast session,” says Kelly. “This confirms that the timing of meals during the daytime and nighttime cycle affects how ingested food is used versus stored, and that any food ingested prior to bedtime will delay the burning of fat during sleep.”

The study has important implications for eating habits, providing evidence contrary to a recent trend of skipping breakfast and suggesting instead a daily fast from supper to breakfast to help optimize weight management.

New data reveals even low levels of air pollution impacts gene expression

Twin study shows how low level air pollution can impact long term health: Impact re COVID-19

Monash University (Australia), April 7, 2020

New data from a landmark study done by Monash University researchers in Australia raises significant concerns that even short-term exposure to low level air pollution can affect gene expression, leaving us at risk of other diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.

It has long been known that exposure to air pollution, including the widespread smoke events in the US and Europe, can lead to short term health problems such as respiratory distress. It is also known that, longer term, exposure to air pollutants leads to oxidative stress and issues like an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

Research, published in the journal Environment International, provides the first evidence that exposure to even very low levels of air pollution can change gene expression that are the hallmark of diseases such as cancer.

Research from Associate Professor Yuming Guo from the Monash School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, and colleagues at Nagasaki University in Japan and Cambridge University in the UK, studied blood samples from 266 pairs of twins (192 identical and 74 non identical) as well as 165 parents in Brisbane over periods from 2005 to 2010. The volunteers are part of the Brisbane System Genetics Study.

The periods when the blood samples were taken were matched to data from seven air quality monitoring stations around Brisbane at that time, to measure the levels of exposure to PM2.5 (the main particulate matter in smoke) and sulphur dioxide (the main gaseous pollutant).

The researchers studied expression in six genes associated with oxidative stress and inflammation, which have long been considered important features of disease processes initiated by pollutants.

The researchers found that even the low levels of air pollution experienced in Brisbane over the decade of the study led to change of gene expression associated with morbidity and mortality in the longer term.

The latest study is further evidence that exposure to air pollutants, even at low levels, has long term health consequences, which has real life implications for the current COVID pandemic. according to Associate Professor Guo. “This is the first evidence as to how exactly exposure to low level of air pollution actually alters our gene expression which in turn impacts out health,” he said.

“Combined with the global consequences of COVID 19 and its impact on respiratory health there is even a greater need to be conscious of limiting our exposure to air pollution.”

Is autoimmunity on the rise?

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, April 7, 2020

A study published in Arthritis & Rheumatology provides evidence that the prevalence of autoimmunity–when the immune system goes awry and attacks the body itself–has increased in the United States in recent years.

For the study, researchers looked for antinuclear antibodies (ANA)–the most common marker of autoimmunity–in the blood of 14,211 participants from the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, with approximately one-third from each of three time periods: 1988-1991, 1999-2004, and 2011-2012.

The prevalence of ANA was 11.0% in 1988-1991, 11.5% in 1999-2004, and 15.9% in 2011-2012, which corresponds to 22, 27, and 41 million affected individuals, respectively.

“The reasons for the increasing prevalence of ANA, which were most pronounced in adolescents, males, and non-Hispanic whites, remain unclear,” said senior author Frederick W. Miller, MD, PhD, of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. “They are concerning, however, as they may herald an increase in autoimmune disorders, and emphasize the need for additional studies to determine the driving forces underlying these findings and to enable the development of possible preventative measures.”

Clinical trial shows benefit of yoga for side effects of prostate cancer treatment

University of Pennsylvania, April 7, 2020

Men who attended a structured yoga class twice a week during prostate cancer radiation treatment reported less fatigue and better sexual and urinary function than those who didn’t, according to a clinical trial led by the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. It is the first randomized trial to look at the effect of twice-weekly yoga on the side-effects and quality of life issues caused by prostate cancer treatment. The results published this week in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, and Physics.

All of the patients in the trial underwent between six and nine weeks of external beam radiation therapy for prostate cancer. The patients were randomized into two groups: one arm participated in a yoga class that met twice a week and the other arm served as a control group. Patients who already practiced yoga on their own were not eligible for the study, nor were patients with a history of prior radiation therapy or those with metastatic disease.

Only two instructors led classes for this study, with the lead instructor teaching 75 percent of the classes. Each session lasted 75 minutes, beginning with five minutes of breathing and centering techniques and ending with five minutes of Savasana, a common yoga position. Typical sessions incorporated sitting, standing, and reclining positions that were modified using props to adapt to each patient’s needs and restrictions.

Patients were primarily evaluated on their level of fatigue. Each man filled out a nine-item questionnaire assessing fatigue severity and impact on daily life. The first questionnaire was given between two and three weeks before the start of radiotherapy, then twice a week while receiving radiotherapy, with a final survey filled out within a week of their last yoga class or last radiation treatment, depending on the assigned study arm.

“At their baseline, before patients started treatment, patients in both groups were on the lower end of the scale, meaning they reported lower amounts of fatigue,” said the trial’s principal investigator Neha Vapiwala, MD, an associate professor of Radiation Oncology. “But as treatment went on, we observed a difference in the two groups.” Patients in the yoga group reported lower fatigue scores over time, as they attended more yoga sessions, relative to where they started. Patients who did not participate in yoga trended in the opposite direction, reporting greater fatigue as treatment progressed.

“Levels of patient-reported fatigue are expected to increase by around the fourth or fifth week of a typical treatment course, but that did not happen in the yoga group,” Vapiwala said. “Both the severity of the fatigue as well as the patients’ ability to go about their normal lives appeared to be positively impacted in the yoga group.”

Researchers also evaluated both groups in terms of their sexual health. Sexual dysfunction – including but not limited to erectile dysfunction (ED) – is reported by up to 85 percent of radiation therapy patients during treatment, often due to the concurrent use of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). The study utilized the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) questionnaire, in which scores range from 0-25. Scores greater than 21 are considered normal and scores below 12 indicate moderate to severe ED. Both groups started out with scores of around 11, and were balanced in terms of ADT exposure; but while the yoga group’s score ended up largely unchanged from baseline, the non-yoga group saw a decline over the course of treatment.

“Yoga is known to strengthen pelvic floor muscles, which is one of several postulated theories that may explain why this group did not demonstrate declining scores, as seen in the control group,” Vapiwala said. “That may also explain the yoga patients’ improved urinary function scores, another finding of this trial.” Vapiwala pointed out that the findings on improved or stable urinary function are consistent with other research on the effects of physical therapy on pelvic floor muscles.

The trial also found that while the emotional well-being of both groups increased as patients progressed through treatment, the evaluation scores in the yoga group rose more rapidly than in the control group. An evaluation of physical well-being showed a similar pattern.

High-dose vitamin C could cut common cold (and other infections) duration

University of Helsinki (Finland), April 5, 2020

Very high doses of vitamin C could reduce the duration of common cold, finds a review of previous clinical data that calls for new trials to help find ‘optimum dosing’.

A huge amount of animal data has found significant effects for vitamin C in the prevention and alleviation of symptoms of infections, including the common cold. However, data for such effects in humans often said to be as ‘mixed’ or unreliable.

Writing in Nutrients, Dr Harri Hemilä from the University of Helsinki, Finland, reviews the evidence for vitamin C in a range of infections – adding that for now, the potential for vitamin C ‘is not known’.

Citing data from previous clinical trials, Hemilä notes that the majority of controlled trials have used a ‘modest dosage’ of only 1 gram per day of vitamin C, but that trials looking at a wider range of doses indicate that the relationship between vitamin C dosage and its effects on the duration of the common cold symptoms may extend to 6-8 grams per day.

“Two controlled trials found a statistically significant dose–response, for the duration of common cold symptoms, with up to 6–8 g/day of vitamin C,” writes Hemilä. “Thus, the negative findings of some therapeutic common cold studies might be explained by the low doses.”

“Vitamin C is safe and costs only pennies per gram, and therefore even modest effects may be worth exploiting.”

While the Finnish researcher suggests higher doses of vitamin C are safe and could provide benefits, data from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) regarding the tolerable upper intake levels for vitamin C potentially counters such claims.

“Despite the extensive use of vitamin C supplements (up to 10 g/day) for the prevention of colds and other conditions, the tolerability of such intakes has not been subject to systematic assessment,” reads the EFSA document – adding that “there are few data to support the widely held view that high intakes of vitamin C are safe.”

Dose-response

Hemilä added that although previous trial data suggests doses of 6 to 8 grams per day can reduce the duration of a cold by almost 20%, the fact that both trials showed a strong dose-response relationship up to the highest tested dose means an ‘optimal dose’ for maximal effect of vitamin C on the common cold is currently unknown.

The study notes that definitive conclusions cannot be made from comparisons of existing studies because of numerous confounding differences between the trials – meaning that although trials of doses higher than 1 g/d have generally shown a better response than those of exactly 1 g/d, the most valid examination of dose-response remains within a single trial.

The Finnish research analysed the findings of two randomised trials – each of which investigated the effects of two vitamin C doses on the duration of the common cold.

The first trial administered 3 g/day vitamin C to two study groups, 6 g/day to a third group, and the fourth group was administered a placebo. Compared with the placebo group the 6 g/day dose shortened colds by 17%, twice as much as the 3 g/day doses did.

A second trial administered 4 g/day and 8 g/day vitamin C, and placebo to different groups, but only on the first day of the cold. In this trial, compared with the placebo group, the 8 g/day dose shortened colds by 19%, twice as much as the 4 g/day dose did, noted Hemilä.

For both trials, Hemilä said that the dose-response relationship was quite linear up to the maximum doses given – meaning that it is possible that even higher doses may lead to still greater reductions in cold duration.

He added that while some have suggested that doses up to 15 g/d have been suggested (but not tested), further therapeutic trials should be carried out to investigate the dose-response relation in the region of over 8 g/day of vitamin C.

In its document on tolerable upper intake levels (p295 for vitamin C) EFSA notes that high doses of vitamin C have been linked to gastrointestinal effects including stomach pains, flatulence and diarrhoea.

“Gastrointestinal effects are the most common adverse clinical events associated with acute, high doses of vitamin C (above 1 g daily), but these can be reduced by taking the vitamin after meals,” it notes – adding that available data suggest that supplemental doses of up to 1 g, in addition to normal dietary intakes, are not associated with adverse gastrointestinal effects, but that acute gastrointestinal effects may occur at higher intakes (3-4 g/day).

Furthermore, the EFSA report notes that the absorption of vitamin C also becomes saturated at high doses, “and therefore intakes above 1 g/day would be associated with negligible increased uptake and tissue levels, but an increased risk of adverse gastrointestinal effects.”

Despite such suggestions, Hemilä suggests that previous trial data has suggested a significant benefit for very high doses of vitamin C for reducing the duration of colds and other infections – and that only by performing new randomised trials that investigate doses up to 8 or 10 grams per day can efficacy and safety be tested.

Can intermittent fasting lower your risk of osteoporosis?

National Institute of Naturopathy, April 7, 2020

Fasting can improve reproductive and mental health, as well as lower the risk of musculoskeletal disorders in women, according to a recent review published in the Journal of Mid-Life Health. Researchers from the National Institute of Naturopathy in India found evidence that fasting not only prevents metabolic disorders, but it also improves bone health. The researchers used the term “fasting” to refer to intermittent fasting, calorie restriction and fasting according to religious beliefs.

What is intermittent fasting?

Intermittent fasting is currently one of the most popular fitness trends around the world. Many people use it not only to lose weight, but also to improve their overall health.

Intermittent fasting, as the name suggests, is an eating pattern that cycles between periods of eating and abstinence. Intermittent fasting is technically not a diet and does not recommend or discourage the consumption of certain types of food. Instead, intermittent fasting only dictates when an individual should eat by splitting the day or week into eating and fasting periods.

There are several ways of doing intermittent fasting, such as:

The 16/8 method – This method is also known as the Leangains protocol. It involves restricting a day’s meals to an eight-hour period and fasting for the remaining 16 hours. Individuals who choose to follow this method often extend their fasting by skipping breakfast.
Eat-Stop-Eat – A more “extreme” method of intermittent fasting, eat-stop-eat involves 24-hour fasts performed twice a week.
The 5:2 diet – This method involves consuming only 500-600 calories on two non-consecutive days of the week. A person following this diet may eat as usual on the other five days.

The important thing to remember about intermittent fasting is that it requires a person to either eat very little or eat nothing at all. However, water and zero-calorie teas and beverages may still be consumed during periods of fasting.

The effects of intermittent fasting on metabolism

Intermittent fasting “resets” the body’s metabolic processes and allows cells to regenerate, leading to many documented benefits. For instance, intermittent fasting has been shown to lower the risk of metabolic abnormalities and cardiovascular disease, according to the review done by Indian researchers. Intermittent fasting is also said to aid in weight loss, reduce fat tissues and lower blood pressure and “bad” cholesterol (LDL) levels.

Moreover, intermittent fasting can help regulate insulin production in pre-diabetic and diabetic individuals, effectively lowering their risk of Type 2 diabetes and slowing down the disease’s progression, respectively. (Related: Intermittent fasting for women: How it can help you, and the warning signs to watch out for.)

The effects of intermittent fasting on bone health

According to a recent article by natural health writer Robert Rister, intermittent fasting may prevent the loss of bone mineral density in women who are at risk of osteoporosis. However, the effects of intermittent fasting on bone health may vary. For instance, Rister wrote that intermittent fasting neither positively nor negatively affects bone health in non-diabetic women. On the other hand, it can significantly improve bone health in women who have an increased risk of Type 2 diabetes. In such cases, intermittent fasting helps prevent osteoporosis.

In their review, Indian researchers found numerous studies on fasting and musculoskeletal health that support this. According to them, fasting affects the parathyroid hormone, which plays an important role in calcium and phosphate metabolism and the bone remodeling process. Fasting was also found to relieve the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis by reducing inflammation. In fact, fasting for at least seven days helped reduce joint pain and stiffness in individuals with rheumatoid arthritis.

Meanwhile, calorie restriction, which shares similarities with the 5:2 diet, was found to slow the progression of age-related diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease and osteoporosis. Researchers believe that the reduction in weight caused by fasting can lead to a lower risk of bone fractures.

Intermittent fasting is an effective and natural way of preventing bone-related diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and osteoporosis. Individuals diagnosed with any of these conditions can try intermittent fasting to prevent bone loss and improve their quality of life.

Association of Healthy Lifestyle With Years Lived Without Major Chronic Diseases

University of Helsinki,

University College London, Turku University Hospital Finland, Karolinska Institutet, Bispebjerg University Hospital Denmark, Oregon State University, April 6, 2020

Findings In a multicohort study of 116 043 participants, a statistically significant association between overall healthy lifestyle score and an increased number of disease-free life-years was noted. Of 16 different lifestyle profiles studied, the 4 that were associated with the greatest disease-free life years included body mass index lower than 25 and at least 2 of 3 factors: never smoking, physical activity, and moderate alcohol consumption.

Meaning Various healthy lifestyle profiles appear to be associated with extended gains in life lived without type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, and cancer.

Abstract

Importance It is well established that selected lifestyle factors are individually associated with lower risk of chronic diseases, but how combinations of these factors are associated with disease-free life-years is unknown.

Objective To estimate the association between healthy lifestyle and the number of disease-free life-years.

Design, Setting, and Participants A prospective multicohort study, including 12 European studies as part of the Individual-Participant-Data Meta-analysis in Working Populations Consortium, was performed. Participants included 116 043 people free of major noncommunicable disease at baseline from August 7, 1991, to May 31, 2006. Data analysis was conducted from May 22, 2018, to January 21, 2020.

Exposures Four baseline lifestyle factors (smoking, body mass index, physical activity, and alcohol consumption) were each allocated a score based on risk status: optimal (2 points), intermediate (1 point), or poor (0 points) resulting in an aggregated lifestyle score ranging from 0 (worst) to 8 (best). Sixteen lifestyle profiles were constructed from combinations of these risk factors.

Main Outcomes and Measures The number of years between ages 40 and 75 years without chronic disease, including type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, cancer, asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Results Of the 116 043 people included in the analysis, the mean (SD) age was 43.7 (10.1) years and 70 911 were women (61.1%). During 1.45 million person-years at risk (mean follow-up, 12.5 years; range, 4.9-18.6 years), 17 383 participants developed at least 1 chronic disease. There was a linear association between overall healthy lifestyle score and the number of disease-free years, such that a 1-point improvement in the score was associated with an increase of 0.96 (95% CI, 0.83-1.08) disease-free years in men and 0.89 (95% CI, 0.75-1.02) years in women. Comparing the best lifestyle score with the worst lifestyle score was associated with 9.9 (95% CI 6.7-13.1) additional years without chronic diseases in men and 9.4 (95% CI 5.4-13.3) additional years in women (P < .001 for dose-response). All of the 4 lifestyle profiles that were associated with the highest number of disease-free years included a body-mass index less than 25 (calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared) and at least 2 of the following factors: never smoking, physical activity, and moderate alcohol consumption. Participants with 1 of these lifestyle profiles reached age 70.3 (95% CI, 69.9-70.8) to 71.4 (95% CI, 70.9-72.0) years disease free depending on the profile and sex.

Conclusions and Relevance In this multicohort analysis, various healthy lifestyle profiles appeared to be associated with gains in life-years without major chronic diseases.

Red wine component mimics oestrogen to support healthy ageing

University College London, April 7, 2020

Some dietary compounds such as resveratrol, which is commonly found in red wine, can mimic oestrogen to activate anti-ageing proteins called sirtuins, finds a new UCL study.

The findings, published in Scientific Reports, may explain the impact of both sirtuins and resveratrol on health and ageing.

Resveratrol only mimicked oestrogen at low doses, but had the opposite effect at high doses, which may lend credence to suggestions that a small glass of red wine a day, but no more, can support healthy ageing.

Study author Dr. Henry Bayele (UCL Structural & Molecular Biology) said: “There has been a decades-long interest among researchers in the sirtuins, which are signalling proteins involved in processes such as DNA repair and metabolic regulation, and the dietary molecules which activate them.”

“Numerous studies in animals have suggested that these proteins could prolong healthy lifespan by preventing or slowing disease onset. But developing effective drugs or dietary interventions has been frustrated by a lack of a common understanding of how exactly they work in the body’s cells.”

Dr. Bayele investigated sirtuin-activating compounds (STACs), including resveratrol (which is found in the skin of grapes) and isoflavones (such as daidzein present in legumes such as soya), by analysing sirtuin-dependent expression of an oestrogen-responsive gene in cultures of human liver cells treated with different types of the compounds. This study builds on a 2019 paper also by Dr. Bayele which showed that oestrogen increased sirtuin signalling through oestrogen receptors.

Although these compounds were previously thought to only increase the catalytic activity of the sirtuins, he found that STACs, such as resveratrol, activated sirtuin signalling through oestrogen receptors by mimicking oestradiol, one of the three major oestrogen hormones.

But while resveratrol behaves like oestrogen at low doses, Dr. Bayele found that in high concentrations, it acts like an antioestrogen and has the opposite effect, suppressing sirtuin signalling. Some STACs were even better than oestrogen at activating sirtuin signalling, including isoliquiritigenin, which is found in liquorice.

While some may think of oestrogen as a female hormone, both men and women produce it. It is involved in many functions from appetite to reproduction, and protects against many of the diseases that sirtuins can also help prevent, such as Type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, the metabolic syndrome, inflammatory, Alzheimer’s and heart diseases. STACs such as resveratrol, which Dr. Bayele says can be seen as ‘plant oestrogens’, may be beneficial to brain, liver, skeletal muscle and bone function, by performing functions that would normally be the preserve of oestrogen.

“Regular low doses of resveratrol, such as through moderate consumption of red wine as part of a healthy diet, may be able to provide the benefits of oestrogen. This would apply to both men and women of all ages, but post-menopausal women may feel these benefits the most because they have lower oestrogen reserves than men of a similar age,” Dr. Bayele said.

He says that as oestrogen replacement therapy can have adverse side effects, STACs such as resveratrol and isoliquiritigenin may have potential as alternative treatments for some conditions that oestrogen protects against. More generally, he suggests that by keeping the sirtuins active, STACs may help to delay or prevent the onset of several metabolic and ageing-related diseases commonly associated with oestrogen deficiency.

“For any treatment to be effective, the underlying mechanism must be well-understood. This paper shows how STACs might work and therefore augurs well for their use as oestrogen substitutes, although that remains to be tested clinically,” he added.

B12 and folate deficiencies associated with increased risk of elevated homocysteine and cognitive impairment

Federal University of do Piaui (Brazil), April 6, 2020

According to news reporting from the Universidade Federal do Piaui , research stated, “In aging, some level of functional impairment is common as a consequence of health problems inherent to this phase of life.”

The news reporters obtained a quote from the research from Universidade Federal do Piaui: “The literature demonstrates the importance of micronutrients for prevention or control of these diseases. In this context, vitamin B12 and folic acid (B9) are noteworthy, as their deficiency is associated with complications that may decrease the quality of life of this population. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to perform a review to describe important aspects related to the association between B12 and B9 in the cognitive health of the elderly. A total of 16 articles were used to compose the review, divided into 3 analysis categories that relate these micronutrients to the occurrence of Alzheimer’s disease, loss of cognition and the presence of depression in the elderly. Low levels of B12 and B9 have been observed in Alzheimer’s disease. Most articles related reduced vitamin levels with poor performance on cognitive performance, and finally, low concentrations of micronutrients were found in elderly with depression.”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “Based on the above, it can be inferred that B12 and B9 deficiency is associated with increased homocysteine and methylmalonic acid concentrations that cause central nervous system alterations, especially resulting in depression and cognitive impairment, making it important to routinely evaluate the levels of these vitamins. in the elderly as they constitute a group of high vulnerability.”

Mindfulness program may benefit patients with irritable bowel syndrome

University of California at Los Angeles, April 8, 2020

Adults with irritable bowel syndrome experienced fewer gastrointestinal symptoms after they participated in a mindfulness program meant to reduce stress. Results of the study are published in Neurogastroenterology & Motility.

In the study, 53 women and 15 men with irritable bowel syndrome participated in an 8-week mindfulness-based stress reduction class.

Most participants experienced significant improvements from pre-treatment to 3 months follow up regarding gastrointestinal symptoms, quality of life, and anxiety related to gastrointestinal symptoms. Although increases in 3 of the 5 measured facets of mindfulness were found, increases in the ability to stay in the present moment and act with awareness seemed especially important.

“This study shows that people with irritable bowel syndrome can have significant improvements in their symptoms and quality of life without medication or diet change, just by participating in a mindfulness based stress reduction class,” said senior author Kirsten Tillisch, MD, of the University of California, Los Angeles. “Further, it implicates a specific aspect of mindfulness as particularly important: acting with awareness. It appears that by improving this moment to moment awareness in their daily actions, people with irritable bowel syndrome feel better, possibly because this mindful activity in the present moment keeps the brain from going back to old fears or worries.”

The gut’s role in food allergies: Scientists identify changes in gut microbiota that may prevent or even reverse food allergies

Brigham and Women’s Hospital, April 7, 2020

A study conducted by researchers from the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Boston Children’s Hospital highlights how bacteria of the Clostridiales and Bacteroidetes genera play a role in suppressing allergies in the human digestive tract. The exciting thing about the study is that, in addition to helping prevent allergies, it shows that — in some cases — the bacteria can even help reverse them.

“We’ve identified the microbes that are associated with protection and ones that are associated with food allergies in patients,” said co-senior author Dr. Lynn Bry, director of the Massachusetts Host-Microbiome Center at Brigham.

“If we administer defined consortia representing the protective microbes as therapeutic, not only can we prevent food allergies from happening, but we can reverse existing food allergies in preclinical models,” explained Bry. “With these microbes, we are resetting the immune system.”

The role of gut microbes in food allergies

Some food allergies manifest during the first few years of life. This suggests that gut microbes may have a role in their development. Breastfeeding, antibiotic use and even methods of delivery have all been put forward as factors influencing how both gut microbes and atopic diseases develop.

Additionally, a decrease in bacterial diversity and an increased Enterobacteriaceae/Bacteroidaceae ratio during infancy have been linked to food sensitization. This further points to the gut microbes’ involvement in food allergies.

To test their hypotheses, the researchers collected stool samples from 56 infants, who had developed food allergies, every four to six months. They compared the differences in the microbes found in the feces of these infants to those from 98 other infants who did not develop food allergies. (Related: Extreme food allergy condition spreading among U.S. children.)

These samples of gut microbes were given to mice that had a sensitivity to eggs. Here, the researchers found that the mice who received gut microbes from infants with food allergies were more susceptible to developing allergies to eggs than those who received microbes from infants with no allergies.

The team then collected samples from children with and without food allergies. Similar to the first test, they administered these to mice to see if it could prevent the development of food allergies.

Based on these tests, the researchers found that a sample group that contained five to six species of Clostridiales and Bacteroidetes bacteria was found to suppress food allergies in the mice. Further tests showed that other kinds of gut bacteria did not give the same degree of protection.

Targeting specific immune cells

Digging further into what the bacteria were doing, the researchers figured out that they were targeting two immunological pathways that stimulate specific immune system T cells.

Studies have shown that certain T cells drive severe inflammatory reactions in food allergies. These T cells help other cells produce an antibody called Immunoglobulin E (IgE). Large amounts of this antibody cause severe allergic reactions like anaphylaxis.

The researchers believe that the Clostridiales and Bacteroidetes bacteria induce a relatively more tolerant response to these immunological pathways, rather than life-threatening ones.

Treating allergies instead of building resistance to them

The researchers think that the bacteria could lead to a new approach toward food allergies. They could potentially let healthcare professionals treat the source of food allergies instead of trying to desensitize a patient to a specific allergen.

“When you can get down to a mechanistic understanding of what microbes, microbial products and targets on the patient side are involved, not only are you doing great science, but it opens up the opportunity for finding a better therapeutic and a better diagnostic approach to disease,” explained Bry.

“With food allergies, this has given us a credible therapeutic that we can now take forward for patient care,” she continued.

The researchers identified that the effects of the bacteria were also found to occur in human infants. It looks like it won’t be long before probiotics with these specific bacterial strains can be used to treat food allergies.

Probiotics may help treat acne

Rasoujl Akram Hospital (Iran), April 8, 2020

Acne is caused by chronic inflammation and is often treated with antibiotics. A recent analysis published in Dermatologic Therapy indicates that probiotics may be an effective alternative.

The analysis examined the results of all relevant published studies on the use of probiotics in creams or oral medications for treating acne. The results suggest that probiotics may help augment the skin’s natural defenses against acne.

“Further research is recommended that looks into the long-term effects of probiotics on acne lesions given the short-term type of studies cited,” said senior author Masoumeh Mohamadi, MD, of Rasoul Akram Hospital, in Iran.

Treatment relieves depression in 90% of participants in small study

Stanford University, April 6, 2020

A new form of magnetic brain stimulation rapidly relieved symptoms of severe depression in 90% of participants in a small study conducted by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine.

The researchers are conducting a larger, double-blinded trial in which half the participants are receiving fake treatment. The researchers are optimistic the second trial will prove to be similarly effective in treating people whose condition hasn’t improved with medication, talk therapy or other forms of electromagnetic stimulation.

The treatment is called Stanford Accelerated Intelligent Neuromodulation Therapy, or SAINT. It is a form of transcranial magnetic stimulation, which is approved by the Food and Drug Administration for treatment of depression. The researchers reported that the therapy improves on current FDA-approved protocols by increasing the number of magnetic pulses, speeding up the pace of the treatment and targeting the pulses according to each individual’s neurocircuitry.

Before undergoing the therapy, all 21 study participants were severely depressed, according to several diagnostic tests for depression. Afterward, 19 of them scored within the nondepressed range. Although all of the participants had suicidal thoughts before the therapy, none of them reported having suicidal thoughts after treatment. All 21 participants had previously not experienced improvements with medications, FDA-approved transcranial magnetic stimulation or electroconvulsive therapy.

The only side effects of the new therapy were fatigue and some discomfort during treatment, the study reported. The results will be published online April 6 in the American Journal of Psychiatry.

“There’s never been a therapy for treatment-resistant depression that’s broken 55% remission rates in open-label testing,” said Nolan Williams, MD, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and a senior author of the study. “Electroconvulsive therapy is thought to be the gold standard, but it has only an average 48% remission rate in treatment-resistant depression. No one expected these kinds of results.”

Calming the brain chatter

When Deirdre Lehman, 60, woke up the morning of June 30, 2018, she said she was hit by “a tsunami of darkness.” Lehman had struggled with bipolar disorder all her adult life, but with medications and psychotherapy her mood had been stable for 15 years.

“There was a constant chattering in my brain: It was my own voice talking about depression, agony, hopelessness,” she said. “I told my husband, ‘I’m going down and I’m heading toward suicide.’ There seemed to be no other option.”

Lehman’s psychiatrist had heard of the SAINT study and referred her to Stanford. After researchers pinpointed the spot in her brain that would benefit from stimulation, Lehman underwent the therapy.

“By the third round, the chatter started to ease,” she said. “By lunch, I could look my husband in the eye. With each session, the chatter got less and less until it was completely quiet.

“That was the most peace there’s been in my brain since I was 16 and started down the path to bipolar disorder.”

In transcranial magnetic stimulation, electric currents from a magnetic coil placed on the scalp excite a region of the brain implicated in depression. The treatment, as approved by the FDA, requires six weeks of once-daily sessions. Only about half of patients who undergo this treatment improve, and only about a third experience remission from depression.

Stanford researchers hypothesized that some modifications to transcranial magnetic stimulation could improve its effectiveness. Studies had suggested that a stronger dose, of 1,800 pulses per session instead of 600, would be more effective. The researchers were cautiously optimistic of the safety of the treatment, as that dose of stimulation had been used without harm in other forms of brain stimulation for neurological disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease.

Other studies suggested that accelerating the treatment would help relieve patients’ depression more rapidly. With SAINT, study participants underwent 10 sessions per day of 10-minute treatments, with 50-minute breaks in between. After a day of therapy, Lehman’s mood score indicated she was no longer depressed; it took up to five days for other participants. On average, three days of the therapy were enough for participants to have relief from depression.

“The less treatment-resistant participants are, the longer the treatment lasts,” said postdoctoral scholar Eleanor Cole, PhD, a lead author of the study.

Strengthening a weak connection

The researchers also conjectured that targeting the stimulation more precisely would improve the treatment’s effectiveness. In transcranial magnetic stimulation, the treatment is aimed at the location where most people’s dorsolateral prefrontal cortex lies. This region regulates executive functions, such as selecting appropriate memories and inhibiting inappropriate responses.

For SAINT, the researchers used magnetic-resonance imaging of brain activity to locate not only the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, but a particular subregion within it. They pinpointed the subregion in each participant that has a relationship with the subgenual cingulate, a part of brain that is overactive in people experiencing depression.

In people who are depressed, the connection between the two regions is weak, and the subgenual cingulate becomes overactive, said Keith Sudheimer, PhD, clinical assistant professor of psychiatry and a senior author of the study. Stimulating the subregion of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex reduces activity in the subgenual cingulate, he said.

To test safety, the researchers evaluated the participants’ cognitive function before and after treatment. They found no negative side effects; in fact, they discovered that the participants’ ability to switch between mental tasks and to solve problems had improved — a typical outcome for people who are no longer depressed.

One month after the therapy, 60% of participants were still in remission from depression. Follow-up studies are underway to determine the duration of the antidepressant effects.

The researchers plan to study the effectiveness of SAINT on other conditions, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, addiction and autism spectrum disorders.

‘Resilient and stable’

The depression Lehman woke up to almost two years ago was the worst episode she had ever experienced. Today, she said, she is happy and calm.

Since undergoing SAINT treatment, she has completed a bachelor’s degree at the University of California-Santa Barbara; she had dropped out as a young woman when her bipolar symptoms overwhelmed her studies.

“I used to cry over the slightest thing,” she said. “But when bad things happen now, I’m just resilient and stable. I’m in a much more peaceful state of mind, able to enjoy the positive things in life with the energy to get things done.”

Flavonoid intake and MRI markers of brain health in the Framingham offspring cohort

Tufts University, April 5, 2020

According to news reporting out of Boston, Massachusetts, by NewsRx editors, research stated, “Although greater flavonoid intake is associated with a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and related dementias (ADRD), evidence relating dietary flavonoid intake to brain health based on MRI is lacking. The objective of this study was to explore the association between dietary flavonoid intake and MRI measures of brain health, including total brain tissue volume (TBV), white matter hyperintensities volume (WMHV), and hippocampal volume (HV).”

Our news journalists obtained a quote from the research from Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, “Eligible subjects included members of the Framingham Heart Study Offspring Cohort who were free of stroke at exam 7 and had at least 1 valid food frequency questionnaire from exams 5, 6, or 7 (n=2086; mean age at exam 7, 60.6 y). Flavonoid intakes represented the cumulative mean of intakes across the 3 exams and were categorized based on quartiles categories of intake. TBV, WMHV, and HV were assessed at exam 7. Multiple linear regression models were used to examine the cross-sectional association between total and the 6 classes of flavonoids and the 3 aforementioned MRI measures. The mean (95% CI) of the WMHV of subjects in the highest quartile category of flavan-3-ols [0.56 (0.52, 0.61)] and flavonoid polymers [0.57 (0.52, 0.61)] intake was significantly smaller relative to that of subjects in the lowest quartile category of flavan-3-ols [0.65 (0.60, 0.71)] and flavonoid polymers [0.66 (0.60, 0.71)] after accounting for important demographic, lifestyle, and clinical factors. Inverse trend associations with WMHV were also seen for flavan-3-ols (p=0.01) and flavonoid polymers (p=0.01) as well as for total flavonoids (p=0.01). TBV and HV were not associated with dietary flavonoid intake following the adjustment for potential confounders.”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “Our results contribute to the literature on flavonoids and ADRD as they suggest that higher flavonoid intakes may affect ADRD risk in middle-aged and older adults by reducing WMHV, a marker strongly associated with ADRD.”

The impact of probiotics on the health-related quality of life of people with Type 2 diabetes

Sri Adichunchanagiri College of Pharmacy (India), April 6, 2020

Researchers at the Sri Adichunchanagiri College of Pharmacy in India analyzed the impact of probiotics on the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of patients with Type 2 diabetes. Their findings were published in the Journal of Natural Science, Biology and Medicine.

For this prospective, interventional, single-blind, randomized study, the researchers randomly assigned 80 diabetics to two groups.
The interventional group received probiotic capsules while the control group received placebo capsules.
The study lasted for three months and evaluation of the patients’ HRQOL were conducted at 0, six and 12 weeks.
The researchers reported that 75 out of the 80 participants completed the study.
Probiotic supplementation had a positive effect on blood glucose markers, such as fasting blood sugar, postprandial blood sugar, homeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance and serum insulin.
The improvements in these markers had a significant influence on the HRQOL of patients.
While gender did not affect the HRQOL of diabetics, age had a significant influence.

Based on these findings, the researchers concluded that probiotics can improve the HRQOL of patients with Type 2 diabetes by decreasing their blood sugar and increasing their insulin sensitivity.

Compound in fruit peels halts damage and spurs neuronal repair in multiple sclerosis

Ursolic acid, abundant in fruit peels and some herbs, both prevents and repairs neurons in animal models of multiple sclerosis

Thomas Jefferson University, April 6, 2020

Multiple sclerosis (MS), characterized by increasing muscle weakness and paralysis, has a number of treatments that help stall progression of the disease when used early on in the disease. But the current treatments can hardly reverse damage that has already occurred in brain cells called neurons. New research suggests that a compound found in the peels of fruits such as apples and prunes, and some herbs, can reduce further damage to neurons, and also help rebuild the protective sheaths covering neurons, reversing the damage.

“Although the evidence is preliminary – our data is from animal models of disease – it’s encouraging to see a compound that both halts and repairs damage in MS, in the lab,” says Guang-Xian Zhang, PhD, co-senior author and Professor of Neuroscience at the Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University. The study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) on Monday April 6th.

“There is additional work we must do to test the safety of this compound, ursolic acid” says co-senior author A.M. Rostami, MD, PhD, chair of the department of Neurology at the Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience – Jefferson Health. “But this is a great new lead for disease treatment.”

The researchers used a lab-grade purified form of ursolic acid in mice that had established MS disease. “Many experiments have looked at mice in the acute phase, when disease is just starting or at the peak,” says Dr. Zhang. “Instead, we tested whether this compound was effective in chronic disease, once there has already been chronic damage to tissues of central nervous system.”

Drs. Zhang, Rostami, together with first author Yuan Zhang and colleagues used an established mouse model of multiple sclerosis that develops the disease slowly over the course of its life, mimicking human disease. At about day 12, the mouse begins the acute phase of the disease, when signs of MS, partial paralysis, appear, and when currently-available medications are most effective. The researchers, however, started treating mice at day 60, – a far more advanced stage of the disease when chronic tissue damage has been formed in brain and spinal cords, which needs to be repaired and regenerated.

Researchers treated the mice for 60 days, and began to see an improvement at day 20 of treatment. The mice which were paralyzed at the start of the experiment, regained the ability to walk around again, although with weakness, after treatment.

“It’s not a cure, but if we see a similar response in people, it would represent a significant change in quality of life. And most significantly, it’s a reversal, which we really haven’t seen before with other agents at such a late stage of disease,” says Dr. Zhang.

The researchers also investigated just how ursolic acid acted on cells. They observed that it suppressed Th17 cells – a type of immune cell that is one of the main drivers of the pathological autoimmune response in MS. Many currently active therapies appear to suppress Th17. But the Jefferson researchers showed that the compound could activate precursor cells to mature into much needed myelin-sheath-making cells, called oligodendrocytes.

“This maturation effect is the most crucial,” says Dr. Zhang. “Myelin-sheath-making oligodendrocytes are depleted in MS. And the stem cells that produce new oligodentrocytes are dormant and unable to mature. This compound helps activate those stem cells into making new oligodendrocytes, and is likely responsible for the reversal of symptoms we saw.”

The next steps for the investigators include testing the compound for safety. Although ursolic acid is available as a dietary supplement, it could be toxic at high doses. “There are still a number of tests to complete before the first clinical trials,” says Dr. Rostami. “However, we are moving quickly with this promising approach.”

Potential therapeutic effects of alpha lipoic acid in memory disorders

UOC Neurologia ASL Roma (Italy), April 3, 2020

According to news reporting from Rome, Italy, editors, the research stated, “With ageing, biological processes promote a gradual loss of the ability to maintain homeostasis, leading to a progressive deterioration in the body’s biochemical and physiological functions, thereby increasing susceptibility to disease. ALA, a low-molecular-weight dithiol with a chiral centre, is a dietary supplement thought to have potential therapeutic effects for the prevention or treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.”

The news correspondents obtained a quote from the research from the Department of Neurology, “In addition, treatment with ALA is able to regulate inflammatory cell infiltration into the central nervous system and to down-regulate VCAM-1 and human monocyte adhesion to epithelial cells. In neurodegenerative disease models, treatment with ALA is able to improve the function of the dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine neurotransmitters. Scientific evidence shows that ALA possesses the ability to improve memory capacity in a number of experimental neurodegenerative disease models and in age-related cognitive decline in rodents.”

According to the news reporters, the research concluded: “Studies have shown that this substance is able to reduce memory loss in various behavioural paradigms of Alzheimer’s disease and in age-related cognitive dysfunctions.”

Eating Walnuts Preserves Youthful Telomere Strands

University of Barcelona (Spain) and Loma Linda University, April 5, 2020

Science has established that diet plays a role in the length and integrity of telomeres,[i] the small protective caps on the ends of chromosomes that serve to protect the vital DNA information inside the nucleus of a cell.[ii]

A cross-functional team of researchers from Spain and California deepened this body of knowledge by publishing their research into the effects of eating walnuts on leukocyte telomere length, or LTL.[iii]

This opportunistic sub-study was conducted within a larger study called “Walnuts and Healthy Aging,” a parallel trial conducted between Barcelona, Spain and Loma Linda University in California.[iv] The study’s primary aim was to explore whether inclusion of walnuts in the diet for two years would maintain LTL in cognitively healthy elders as compared to a control group that abstained from walnuts.

Walnuts and Telomeres: Partners in Healthy Aging

In this trial, walnuts comprised 15% of total caloric intake, equating 30 to 60 grams per day, based on the energy requirements of individuals in the experimental group.

The final participant pool was comprised of 169 cognitively healthy men and women between 63 and 79 years who were living independently and had met eligibility requirements after a clinical visit, physical examination and other exclusionary criteria were applied.

The final 169 subjects were randomized to the two diet groups and 162 completed the trial. There were two dropouts due to severe indigestion attributed to walnuts, while six participants had milder indigestion that was alleviated by reducing the walnut doses.

By the end of the trial, complete data on LTL, dietary anthropometrics and fatty acids were available for 149 participants: 80 in the experimental group consuming walnuts and 69 in the control or abstaining group.

Researchers assessed LTL at baseline and after two years on the experimental dietary protocols via blood samples drawn after an overnight fast. Serum lipid and glucose concentrations were determined by standard enzymatic methods in the hospital clinical laboratory. Telomere length quantification was carried out using high-throughput quantitative fluorescence microscopy.

After assessing the cumulative data, researchers concluded that there was a trend indicating that walnut consumption did preserve leukocyte telomere length in test subjects.[v] Researchers called for further study involving larger test groups and longer time periods, noting that positive dietary impact on health is cumulative over time.

Walnuts are a vegan source of PUFA containing the highest amount of alpha-linolenic acid[xiii] and a rich matrix of antioxidants, namely polyphenols and vitamin E, which have also been related to maintained leukocyte telomere length when included in the diet

Fennel oil found to have antifungal activity against Candida albicans

Fayoum University and Cairo University (Egypt), April 6, 2020

According to researchers from Fayoum University and Cairo University in Egypt, the essential oil extracted from fennel (Foeniculum vulgare), a flowering herb that belongs to the carrot family, is a potent anti-fungal agent against Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC), or vaginal thrush, .

In a study published in the Journal of Herbal Medicine, they screened the anti-microbial activities of nine essential oils against isolates of C. albicans and found that fennel oil showed the highest anti-fungal activities among the tested oils. The oil even showed efficacy against drug-resistant strains of C. albicans, making it a promising natural treatment for VVC.

The anti-fungal properties of fennel oil

Microorganisms are known to form biofilms or consortia on different surfaces, such as those of the skin or teeth. To screen the biofilm production of C. albicans and its susceptibility to the anti-fungal, fluconazole, the researchers used tissue culture plate method and disk diffusion method, respectively.

They then screened the anti-fungal activities of nine naturally derived oils using strong biofilm-producer, fluconazole-resistant or dose-dependently susceptible clinical isolates of C. albicans ATCC 10231. These oils included fennel oil, chamomile oil (Chamaemelum nobile), jojoba oil (Simmondsia chinensis), black cumin oil (Nigella sativa), fenugreek oil (Trigonella foenum-graecum), cod liver oil (Gadus morhua), peppermint oil (Mentha piperita), clove oil (Syzygium aromaticum) and ginger oil (Zingiber officinale).

The researchers also performed microdilution assays to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of fennel essential oil, fluconazole and their combination against planktonic (single) and sessile (anchored) cells.

The researchers reported that 10 out of the 19 C. albicans strains they tested showed a strong ability to form biofilms. None of the tested clinical isolates was sensitive to fluconazole.

Fennel oil showed much higher anti-fungal activities against the tested C. albicans than any of the other oils. The MIC of fennel oil for planktonic cells range from 0.78 to 6.25 percent, with an MIC50 of 3.12 percent and an MIC90 of 6.25 percent. Meanwhile, concentrations of fennel oil between 6.25 to 25 percent resulted in 50 percent biofilm reduction.

Fennel oil and fluconazole also exerted synergistic effects in seven C. albicans strains, including drug-resistant ones. No antagonism was detected between the two anti-fungal agents.

Based on these results, the researchers concluded that fennel oil, alone or in combination with fluconazole, is a promising treatment for VVC caused by drug-resistant strains of C. albicans.

Adherence to Mediterranean-style eating pattern associated with decreased risk of diabetes in US prospective cohort study

Johns Hopkins University, April 3, 2020

According to news reporting out of Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health by NewsRx editors, research stated, “A Mediterranean-style eating pattern is consistently associated with a decreased diabetes risk in Mediterranean and European populations. However, results in U.S. populations are inconsistent.”

Our news correspondents obtained a quote from the research from Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health: “The objective of this study was to assess whether a Mediterranean-style eating pattern would be associated with diabetes risk in a large, nationally representative U.S. cohort of black and white men and women. Participants from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study prospective cohort without diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or cancer at baseline (visit 1, 1987-1989; n = 11,991) were included (mean age 54 years, 56% female, 75% white). Alternate Mediterranean Diet scores (aMed) were calculated using the mean dietary intake self-reported at visit 1 and visit 3 (1993-1995) or visit 1 only for participants censored before visit 3. Participants were followed from visit 1 through 31 December 2016 for incident diabetes. We used Cox regression models to characterize associations of aMed (quintiles as well as per 1-point higher) with incident diabetes adjusted for energy intake, age, sex, race and study center, and education (Model 1) for all participants then stratified by race and body mass index (BMI). Model 2 included potential mediating behavioral and clinical measures associated with diabetes. Results are presented as hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals. Over a median follow-up of 22 years, there were 4024 incident cases of diabetes. Higher aMed scores were associated with lower diabetes risk [Model 1: 0.83 (0.73-0.94) for Q5 vs Q1 (p-trend < 0.001) and 0.96 (0.95-0.98) for 1-point higher]. Associations were stronger for black vs white participants (interaction p < 0.001) and weaker for obese vs normal BMI (interaction p < 0.01). Associations were attenuated but statistically significant in Model 2.”

According to the news reporters, the research concluded: “An eating pattern high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and fish, and moderate in alcohol was associated with a lower risk of diabetes in a community-based U.S. population.”

Students who listened to Beethoven during lecture — and in dreamland — did better on test

Baylor University, April 7, 2020

College students who listened to classical music by Beethoven and Chopin during a computer-interactive lecture on microeconomics — and heard the music played again that night — did better on a test the next day than did peers who were in the same lecture, but instead slept that evening with white noise in the background.

Over the long haul — when students took a similar test nine months later — the boost did not last. Scores dropped to floor levels, with everyone failing and performance averaging less than 25% percent for both groups. However, targeted memory reactivation (TMR) may aid during deep sleep, when memories are theorized to be reactivated and moved from temporary storage in one part of the brain to more permanent storage in other parts, researchers said.

The study, supported by the National Science Foundation and conducted by Baylor’s Sleep Neuroscience and Cognition Laboratory (SNAC), is published in the journal Neurobiology of Learning and Memory.

“All educators want to teach students how to integrate concepts, not just memorize details, but that’s notoriously difficult to do,” said Michael K. Scullin, Ph.D., director of Baylor’s sleep lab and assistant professor of psychology and neuroscience. “What we found was that by experimentally priming these concepts during sleep, we increased performance on integration questions by 18% on the test the next day. What student wouldn’t want a boost or two to their letter grade? The effects were particularly enhanced in participants who showed heightened frontal lobe activity in the brain during slow wave sleep, which is deep sleep.”

He noted that the effects emerged when using gold standard procedures: neither participants nor experimenters knew who received a particular treatment, sleep was measured using EEG in a laboratory setting, and the learning materials matched those that would actually be used in a college classroom, in this case an undergraduate microeconomics lecture.

Poor sleep is widespread in college students, with 60 percent habitually sleeping fewer than the recommended seven hours on 50 to 65 percent of nights. While students may be more concerned about immediate test results — and TMR may help them cram for an exam — learning by rote (item memory) does not normally benefit grasping and retaining a concept.

For the study, researchers recruited 50 college students ages 18 to 33 for a learning task with a self-paced, computer-interactive lecture; and for two overnight polysomnography sessions, with the first night an adaptation to the lab and screening for sleep disorders, and the second done the evening of the lecture.

During the lecture, soft background selections were played from a computer: the first movement of Beethoven’s “Moonlight” Piano Sonata, the first movement of Vivaldi’s “Spring” Violin Concerto and Chopin’s Nocturne in E-flat major, Op. 9, No. 2.

That night in Baylor’s sleep lab, research personnel applied electrodes and used computers to monitor sleep patterns of both test and control groups. Once technicians observed a person was in deep sleep, they played either the classical music or the white noise — depending on whether the individual was in the test or control group — for about 15 minutes.

“Deep slow wave sleep won’t last super long before shifting back to light sleep, so we couldn’t play them endlessly,” Scullin said. “If we played it during light sleep, the music probably would have awoken participants. The first slow wave cycle is the deepest and longest.”

The music choice was important, researchers said.

“We ruled out jazz because it’s too sporadic and would probably cause people to wake,” Scullin said. “We ruled out popular music because lyrical music disrupts initial studying. You can’t read words and sing lyrics — just try it. We also ruled out ocean waves and ambient music because it’s very easy to ignore. You’re going to have a heck of a time forming a strong association between some learning material and a bland song or ambient noise.

“That left us with classical music, which many students already listen to while studying,” he said. “The songs can be very distinctive and therefore pair well with learning material.”

In the microeconomics exam the next day, the TMR of classical music more than doubled the likelihood of passing the test when compared with the control condition of white noise.

Scullin cautioned against confusing the Baylor study’s findings with the so-called “Mozart Effect” — the finding that having students listen to Mozart pieces led to better scores on intelligence tests. Subsequent tests of the “Mozart Effect” found that it either did not replicate or that boosts were strictly due to increased arousal when listening to energetic music.

“Mozart doesn’t make memories,” Scullin said.

Previous researchers have found that memories associated with sensory cues — such as an odor or song — are re-activated when the same cue is received later. When that happens during deep sleep, the corresponding memories are activated and strengthened, said co-researcher Chenlu Gao, a doctoral candidate of psychology and neuroscience at Baylor.

Early experimenters also played audio tapes during sleep to test whether individuals can learn new knowledge while sleeping. But while those experiments failed to create new memories, “our study suggests it is possible to reactivate and strengthen existing memories of lecture materials during sleep,” Gao said.

“Our next step is to implement this technique in classrooms — or in online lectures while students complete their education at home due to COVID-19 social distancing measures — so we can help college students ‘re-study’ their class materials during sleep.”

“We think it is possible there could be long-term benefits of using TMR but that you might have to repeat the music across multiple nights,” Scullin added. “After all, you wouldn’t just study material a single time and then expect to remember it months later for a final exam. The best learning is repeated at spaced-out intervals — and, of course, while maintaining good sleep habits.”

You should cut back on energy drinks – they can give you heart problems

New evidence has emerged of the negative impact of energy drinks contributing to numerous negative health consequences, such as adverse cardiovascular effects and metabolic disorders.

University of the Pacific, April 6, 2020

The basics of energy drinks

Energy drinks are non-alcoholic beverages marketed to temporarily boost stamina, energy, concentration and physical performance. Despite the variety of energy drinks available in the U.S., many energy drinks contain similar key ingredients, including water, sugar, caffeine and non-nutritive stimulants like guarana, ginseng and taurine.

Energy drinks are popular among adolescents and young adults due to their alleged health benefits. Some energy drinks can contain up to 100 milligrams (mg) of caffeine per fluid ounce, but a caffeine intake of up to 400 mg a day is generally considered safe for adults. However, many energy drinks also contain large amounts of high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) or artificial sweeteners, which are linked to poor overall health and an increased risk of Type 2 diabetes.

According to the review, several studies support the temporary health benefits of energy drink consumption, including enhanced physical activity performance and improved muscle strength and endurance. However, the majority of the available literature on energy drinks agree that the consumption of the said beverages is linked to negative health effects.

Many nutritionists warn against the consumption of energy drinks because the combined effects of caffeine and sugar can potentially be fatal. According to the review, data from Australian poison centers showed that the consumption of energy drinks among children and adolescents caused seizures, dysrhythmia and tachypnea.

Adverse cardiovascular effects of energy drinks

In another recent study, a team of researchers from the University of the Pacific in California suggested that the combination of caffeine and sugar can potentially be fatal.

The study, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, showed that energy drinks significantly affected cardiovascular factors, such as heart rate, systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure. The study also revealed that energy drink consumption has been linked to cases of cardiac arrest, myocardial infarction and coronary vasospasm. (Related: Energy drinks found to be shockingly toxic to the human heart.)

To understand how the combination of sugar and caffeine affected cardiovascular factors, the researchers conducted a randomized, crossover study on 34 healthy participants between the ages of 18 and 40 years. The researchers gave each participant two different brands of energy drinks and a placebo in intervals over the course of four weeks. The researchers regularly measured the participants’ blood pressure levels and heart rate before, during and after the consumption of the placebo or energy drink.

At the end of the experiment, the researchers found that the participants experienced an increased heart rate despite having consumed the energy drinks four hours prior. An abnormal or irregular heart rate, especially when sustained, is closely associated with arrhythmia. Symptoms of this condition include an unusually fast or slow heartbeat, chest pain, shortness of breath and fainting spells. If left unchecked, this condition can weaken the heart and increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease and heart attack. Moreover, the participants also experienced a significant increase in their systolic and diastolic blood pressure.

According to the researchers, moderate amounts of caffeine alone won’t cause elevated blood pressure and an unusually fast heart rate. Given the results of the experiment, the researchers suspected that the effects of energy drinks were caused by the combination of sugar and caffeine.

Five hundred milliliters of a standard energy drink typically contains about 54 grams of HFCS and anywhere between 94 to 180 mg of caffeine. According to Sachin Shah, the lead author of the study and a professor at the University of the Pacific, individuals at risk of metabolic syndrome, Type 2 diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease should avoid energy drinks completely.

Zinc deficiency exacerbates cognitive decline in model of Huntington disease

Melbourne Dementia Research Centre, April 3, 2020

According to news originating from Victoria, Australia, by NewsRx correspondents, research stated, “There is currently no disease-modifying treatment for Huntington’s disease (HD), which is characterized by chorea motor impairment and cognitive decline. The zinc ionophore, PBT2, was previously shown to improve the phenotype of a HD mouse model and reported efficacy in certain cognitive tests in a phase II clinical trial in HD.”

Our news journalists obtained a quote from the research from Melbourne Dementia Research Centre, “Here we report that zinc deficiency is a feature of the hippocampus and cortex in the R6/1 mouse model of HD. Low cortical zinc has been shown to induce cognitive impairment, and indeed, dietary restriction of zinc in R6/1 mice was associated with cognitive impairment in the Y-maze, an exacerbated hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP) deficit and reduction of AMPA receptors (and not other glutamatergic receptors).”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “These data reveal the importance of zinc in maintaining brain function in HD.”

Fiber consumption linked to lower breast cancer risk

Harvard University, April 6, 2020

Consuming a diet high in fiber was linked with a reduced incidence of breast cancer in an analysis of all relevant prospective studies. The findings are published early online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society (ACS).

Because studies have generated inconsistent results regarding the potential relationship between fiber intake and breast cancer, Maryam Farvid, PhD, of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and her colleagues searched for all relevant prospective studies published through July 2019.

When the investigators pooled data from the 20 observational studies they identified, individuals with the highest consumption of fiber had an eight percent lower risk of breast cancer. Soluble fiber was associated with lower risks of breast cancer, and higher total fiber intake was associated with a lower risk in both premenopausal and postmenopausal women.

“Our study contributes to the evidence that lifestyle factors, such as modifiable dietary practices, may affect breast cancer risk,” said Dr. Farvid. “Our findings provide research evidence supporting the American Cancer Society dietary guidelines, emphasizing the importance of a diet rich in fiber, including fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.”

Importantly, the findings do not demonstrate that dietary fiber directly reduces breast cancer risk, and a randomized clinical trial is needed to test such cause and effect.

Soy-based foods may promote heart health

Research suggests that eating tofu and other soy-based foods may improve heart health.

Xi’an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, China and Harvard School of Public Health, April 3, 2020

New research suggests that eating tofu and other soy-based foods may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.

The findings, which feature in the journal Circulation, give more information on the health benefits of “isoflavones,” a type of compound that occurs naturally in some plant-based foods. Soy-based foods, such as tofu, are rich in isoflavones.

Soy controversy

In 1999, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved labeling on soy-based products that stated that eating soy-based foods reduced the risk of coronary heart disease. However, since the approval, studies on the health benefits of soy-based foods have shown mixed results.

As a consequence, in 2007, the FDA announced that they would be reviewing the evidence on soy-based foods and heart health. In 2017, they proposed revoking the health claim that soy-based foods reduce heart disease, given the conflicting evidence that their review found.

The present study intervenes in this debate, hoping to provide more information on the relative benefit of soy-based foods for heart health.

Gaining a more detailed understanding of nutrition and heart health is important because, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) note, “Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States.”

The evidence for the value of a plant-based diet that is high in fiber and low in salt, sugar, and saturated and trans-fats is clear. Indeed, the Department of Health & Human Services list primarily plant-based foods in their dietary recommendations.

However, understanding precisely how and why specific food sources contribute to overall health is important so that clinicians can help people develop an eating plan that works best for them.

Three major studies

The study drew on data from three separate studies that included a total of 168,474 women and 42,226 men, and each tracked the participants for more than 20 years. Participants were all free of heart disease and cancer at the beginning of the studies.

Every 2–4 years, the participants received a nutrition survey to complete. The researchers obtained their heart disease information from medical records or from death certificates in the instances where a person died due to heart disease.

The study took into account various confounding factors that may also affect heart disease to try to identify precisely how isoflavones affect heart health.

Moderate benefits of isoflavones

After analyzing the data, the study found that, in general, a higher intake of isoflavones was associated with a moderate reduction in the risk of heart disease. This link was also true for tofu when the team looked at this food independently.

The study also found that the benefits of eating tofu were particularly apparent for women before menopause. After menopause, the researchers only noted a clear association between tofu consumption and reduced heart disease risk in women who were not taking hormone therapy.

While the study suggests an association between tofu and isoflavones on the one hand and reduced risk of heart disease on the other, it is not clear why or how the relationship between them works.

Dr. Qi Sun, an associate professor in the department of nutrition at Harvard University, MA, and lead author of the study, says: “Despite these findings, I don’t think tofu is by any means a magic bullet. Overall diet quality is still critical to consider, and tofu can be a very healthy component.”

Dr. Sun believes that a person should consider all aspects of their diet when making any changes:

“If their diet is packed with unhealthy foods, such as red meat, sugary beverages, and refined carbohydrates, they should switch to healthier alternatives. Tofu and other isoflavone-rich, plant-based foods are excellent protein sources and alternatives to animal proteins.”

Dr. Sun also makes it clear that although the study controlled for other confounding factors that can affect heart health, more research is necessary to untangle precisely what value isoflavones offer.

Effect of standardized curcuminoids mixture against epithelial ovarian cancer cells

King Abdulaziz University (Saudi Arabia), April 3, 2020

According to news reporting out of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, research stated, “Herbal medicine has been in use for centuries for a wide variety of ailments; however, the efficacy of its therapeutic agents in modern medicine is currently being studied. Curcuminoids are an example of natural agents, widely used due to their potential contribution in the prevention and treatment of cancer.”

The news reporters obtained a quote from the research from King Abdulaziz University: “In this study, the three main compounds of curcuminoids-curcumin, desmethoxycurcumin, and bisdesmethoxycurcumin-were determined by reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to quantify total content in a mixture. Subsequently, the effect of the three curcuminoids, employed as one sample, was evaluated, to study the proliferation, apoptosis, cell cycle, and migration of the human ovarian cancer cell line SKOV-3. The results reveal that curcuminoids inhibit the proliferation of SKOV-3 cells with concentration- and time-dependent mechanisms. The morphological analysis of the treated SKOV-3 cells showed a typical apoptotic phenotype-cell shrinkage and membrane blebbing in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, flow cytometry demonstrated an increase in apoptosis with an IC [ [50] ] of 30 M curcuminoids. The migration of SKOV-3 cells was also inhibited, reflected by a decrease in wound area.”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “Furthermore, the curcuminoids were found to have no stimulation effect on the expression of cytokines TNF-a and IL-10. These results suggest that a curcuminoid mixture can effectively suppress epithelial cancer cell growth in vitro by inducing cellular changes and apoptosis.”

Study suggests curcumin could reverse effects of diabetic osteoporosis

China Medical University, April 3, 2020

According to news originating from Shenyang, People’s Republic of China, research stated, “Diabetic osteoporosis (DOP) is characterized by impaired bone microstructure and reduced bone density resulting from high glucose levels. Curcumin (CURC) is extensively applied in the treatment of inflammation-associated diseases.”

The news correspondents obtained a quote from the research from China Medical University: “However, the effect of curcumin on bone metabolism in diabetic osteoporosis is unclear. Therefore, this study investigated the optimal concentration of curcumin on enhancing osteogenesis in diabetic osteoporosis. Osteoblasts were treated with a high or low concentration of curcumin under a series of concentrations of high-glucose conditions. Type 2 diabetic mice were intervened with curcumin. Cell proliferation, apoptosis, and osteogenesis-related gene expressions were evaluated by CCK-8, flow cytometry, and real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Bone formation was evaluated by histological staining. The findings revealed that curcumin suppressed apoptosis and enhanced proliferation and osteogenesis-related gene expressions of osteoblasts under high glucose concentrations (* * p* * < 0.05).”

According to the news reporters, the research concluded: “The histological sections displayed reduced bone destruction and increased the growth rate of trabecular bone and the bone density of diabetic mice treated with curcumin, compared to diabetic mice. These results showed that curcumin could reverse the harmful effects of diabetic osteoporosis in a dose-dependent manner, and 10 mmol/L was regarded as the optimal concentration, which supports the potential use of curcumin for bone regeneration under high glucose concentrations.”

A new type of magnetic stimulation helps reverse concussion symptoms, study finds

University of Saskatchewan, April 3, 2020

Concussion often leads to a number of serious long-term consequences for anyone who suffers one, and as such, early treatment is a must. Now, scientists have come up with a novel new idea using magnetic fields to reverse many of the symptoms of a concussion.

Researchers at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) in Canada have developed a laptop style device that can apply low-frequency magnetic stimulation to alleviate the symptoms of a concussion. What’s more exciting, however, is that the method could potentially protect the brain from future degeneration, a risk faced by those who’ve suffered a concussion.

“Concussion is a major health concern effecting all sections of society from children whose brain is still developing to older people suffering falls,” said Professor Changiz Taghibiglou, who led the study.

“The beauty of this therapy is not only that it is effective, but that it is non-invasive, easy to use and cost-effective.”

Using magnetic stimulation on the brain isn’t a new concept. Scientists first used it to stimulate nerves and the brain back in 1985. Since then, researchers at Harvard Medical School’s McLean Hospital have observed promising results in treating mental health conditions with low-frequency magnetic stimulation.

This study, however, is the first time that such low-frequency magnetic stimulation has been shown to alleviate the effects of a concussion, at least in mice.

Exposing concussed mice to magnetic fields

To test the device, the researchers used mice who had suffered concussions to low levels of magnetic stimulation. These low levels mimicked the way brain waves oscillate. After being exposed to the magnetic stimulation for 20 minutes a day, the mice showed improvements in their ability to walk in a straight line, navigate a maze, run on a wheel and even perform cognitive tests. In addition to this, their body clocks, which governed sleep patterns – something that can be thrown out of sync by concussions – had been restored to normal.

In comparison, a control group of mice that had concussions, but did not receive low-frequency magnetic stimulation, did not show much improvement in these areas. These mice were unable to perform the behavioral and neurological tasks asked of them, including running on a wheel without falling off.

Low-frequency magnetic stimulation restores important brain proteins

In addition to helping the mice recover from the concussions, Taghibiglou found that the low-frequency magnetic stimulation helped restore the levels of certain proteins that protect the brain from various neurological conditions. These proteins protect neurons and halt the progression of post-concussion inflammation and neurodegeneration.

Magnetic fields to fight concussions

The World Health Organization (WHO) has estimated that over 10 million people are affected by some form of traumatic brain injury, including concussions, every year. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recorded 2.87 traumatic brain injury-related ER visits in 2014. Especially vulnerable are children and adolescents as their brains continue to develop well into their 20s.

“Traumatic brain injury is a clinical condition that poses significant challenges to patients, families and health professionals,” said Dr. Yanbo Zhang, professor of psychiatry in USask’s College of Medicine, and co-author of the study.

“Patients can suffer long- lasting cognitive impairments, emotional and behavioral changes. Currently, we do not have effective treatment to improve the cognitive impairment,” continued Dr. Zhang.

“Low-frequency magnetic stimulation provides a novel option for concussion treatment. It is portable, non-invasive and affordable.”

However, the device isn’t ready for use on people just yet. The researchers still need to conduct further, longer-term tests on rodents. After this, clinical trials on people can finally begin.

Examining the healing effects of sorghum on atherosclerosis

JeJu Biodiversity Research Institute (South Korea), April 5, 2020

In this study, researchers from South Korea examined the anti-atherosclerotic effect of sorghum or great millet, which is known to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Their findings were published in the Journal of Natural Medicines.

Atherosclerosis is a major cause of coronary heart disease (CHD) in which atherosclerotic lesions make blood vessels thicker.
This thickening of blood vessels, in turn, inhibits blood circulation.
Atherosclerosis is caused by a high-fat diet and vascular injury. Chronic arterial inflammation plays an important role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis.
Secretion of the pro-atherogenic cytokine tumor necrosis factor-a induces the expression of endothelial adhesion molecules, such as P-selectin, vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1) and intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1), which mediate attachment of circulating monocytes and lymphocytes.
For this study, the researchers obtained a 50 percent ethanol extract from Sorghum bicolor fermented with Aspergillus oryzae NK.
They reported that the extract significantly decreased the expression of VCAM-1, ICAM-1 and the pro-inflammatory factor cyclooxygenase-2 in vitro.
Meanwhile, the extract significantly increased the expression of the anti-atherogenic factor heme oxygenase-1.
In vivo examination of fat droplets from liver tissue, histological analysis of aortic thickness and blood lipid profile measurements also revealed that the sorghum extract significantly improved blood and vascular health at a dose of 200 mg/kg.

Based on these results, the researchers concluded that sorghum has great potential as a therapeutic anti-atherosclerotic agent.

Association between decreased serum vitamin D and greater risk of dry eye disease

Isfahan University of Medical Sciences (Iran), April 2, 2020

According to news reporting originating from Isfahan, Iran, research stated, “A number of studies have examined the association between vitamin D and dry eye disease in different populations, but findings are inconclusive. Herein, available observational studies were systematically reviewed to elucidate the overall relationship between vitamin D and dry eye disease among adult population.”

Our news editors obtained a quote from the research from the Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, “PubMed, Scopus, Google scholar and ISI web of science databases were searched until January 2020 for studies assessing the association between vitamin D and dry eye disease. The Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale was used to examine the quality of each study. A total of 14 studies out of 252 met the inclusion criteria and were included in this systematic review and meta-analysis. Serum 25(OH) D3 was lower in dry eye disease subjects compared to healthy ones (WMD -5.93; 95 % CI, -7.47 to -4.40; p<0.001) with evidence of significant heterogeneity (I=94.6 % p<0.001). Also, in final analysis, vitamin D correlated significantly with ocular surface disease index (Fisher’s Z: -0.26; 95 % CI, -0.48 to -0.04; p=0.018), with significant heterogeneity between studies (I=59.3 %, p=0.043). It was found that serum vitamin D had a significantly lower level in dry eye disease patients, and correlated with ocular surface disease index but no other dry eye disease parameter. The findings add to the existing literature supporting the concept that nutrition especially vitamin D plays an important role in human eye health.”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “Prospective studies are needed to confirm this relationship.”

Gut communicates with the entire brain through cross-talking neurons

University of Illinois, Apirl 3, 2020

You know that feeling in your gut? We think of it as an innate intuition that sparks deep in the belly and helps guide our actions, if we let it. It’s also a metaphor for what scientists call the “gut-brain axis,” a biological reality in which the gut and its microbial inhabitants send signals to the brain, and vice versa.

It’s not a surprise that the brain responds to signals in the gut, initiating motor functions involved with digestion. Directed by the brainstem, these types of basic biological actions are largely automatic. But what if the higher brain—the thinking, emotional centers—were influenced by signals in the gut, too? New University of Illinois research in rats shows the entire brain responds to the gut, specifically the small intestine, through neuronal connections.

To map the connections, researchers inserted neuron-loving viruses in the rats’ small intestines and traced the viruses as they moved from neuron to neuron along the Vagus and spinal nerves and throughout the brain. The idea was virus movement mimicked the movement of normal signals through neurons from the gut to the brain and back.

“We saw a lot of connections in the brainstem and hindbrain regions. We knew these regions are involved in sensing and controlling the organs of the body, so there weren’t any big surprises there. But things got more interesting as the viruses moved farther up into parts of the brain that are usually considered emotional centers or learning centers, cognitive places. They have all these multifaceted functions. So thinking about how information from the small intestine might be nudging those processes a little bit is really cool,” says Coltan Parker, doctoral student in the Neuroscience Program at Illinois and lead author on a study published in Autonomic Neuroscience: Basic and Clinical.

The study represents the first complete map of neuronal connections between the small intestine—what Parker and his co-authors call an “underloved” part of the digestive system—and the entire brain. The involvement of cognitive and emotional centers hints at how the thinking brain sometimes overrides our feeling of being full, provides fodder to explore relationships between depression and digestive troubles, and more.

“Now we’re actually finding the neuro-anatomy that might be involved in that ‘feeling in your gut,'” says Megan Dailey, study co-author and program administrator in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at Illinois.

In addition to showing just how extensive the connections are between the small intestine and the brain, the study uncovered a rarely documented feature of the neurons themselves.

Scientists have long assumed sensations from the gut, or anywhere in the body, traveled to the brain along one set of neurons (the sensory neurons), with instructions from the brain traveling back along a separate set of neurons (the motor neurons). But in their mapping study, Illinois researchers discovered some of the neurons—about half—were transmitting both sensory and motor signals.

They were capable of cross-talk within the same neuron.

“From the cortex to the brainstem, in pretty much every region we investigated, there was that 50% overlap of sensory-motor signals. It was throughout the brain, consistently,” says study co-author Elizabeth Davis. Davis is a 2018 graduate of the Illinois Neuroscience Program and is currently studying as a postdoctoral scholar at the University of Southern California.

The same pattern—50% of neurons having both sensory and motor signaling capabilities—had only been shown one other time, in a study mapping neuronal connections between fat tissue and the brain. The researchers point out new evidence of the same crosstalk pattern could suggest a general architecture of neuronal networks between the body and brain.

“This study shows that sensorimotor feedback loops are abundant across all levels of the brain. Up until now, it has really been unknown how information in the small intestine, about nutrients or anything else, can get up to the brain and affect cognitive-emotional processes, and then how those processes can come back down and affect the gut,” Parker says. “With more research, we may finally begin to understand how hunger makes us ‘hangry,’ or how a stressful day becomes an irritable bowel.”

Scientists find link between autism and processed foods: Preservative found to increase pro-inflammatory neurons

University of Central Florida, April 5, 2020

The University of Central Florida recently looked into the link between gut bacteria and autism spectrum disorder. Scientists still don’t know exactly what is behind this condition, but it appears that a combination of environmental influences, genes and the maternal immune system during early pregnancy all play a role.

It’s this last factor that the researchers in the new study wanted to explore. It was already known that the microbiota in autistic children is missing beneficial strains of bacteria such as Bifidobacteria and Prevotella and has higher levels of some less beneficial ones. Autistic kids also tend to have more gastrointestinal problems than other children. Moreover, stool samples in autistic children have higher levels of PPA, a food preservative that is also used to flavor processed foods.

Studies using cultured neural stem cells exposed to high levels of PPA found that the chemical reduces the amount of cells that will later turn into neurons while raising the number of cells that become glial cells. Although glial cells aren’t bad on the surface, an excessive amount of them can cause brain inflammation and disturb neuron connectivity.

The researchers discovered that excessive PPA can also harm the molecular pathways that allow neurons to transmit information throughout the body. This type of disruption in the brain’s communication ability could be why some people with autism engage in repetitive behavior and have trouble with social interaction, for example.

According to the study’s authors, eating processed foods with high PPA levels in pregnancy could raise the levels of this chemical in the maternal gut and then be transferred to the fetus and later lead or contribute to the development of autism spectrum disorder.

What is PPA?

PPA is often used in processed foods like baked goods and breads to prolong their shelf life and stop mold from forming. It’s worth noting that it also forms naturally within the body to a degree and increases during pregnancy. However, when pregnant women consume processed foods that contain PPA, the acid makes its way across their placenta and into the fetus.

Eating processed foods is a bad idea, whether you’re pregnant or not, because of all the dangerous preservatives and other chemicals they tend to contain, not just PPA. It’s best to seek out homemade, natural alternatives to the processed foods you eat as much as possible. If you’re craving a pastry or cake, for example, consider making it yourself so you can avoid consuming excessive PPA.

Statistics from the CDC illustrate how autism is on the rise in the U.S. In 2000, 1 in 150 children had autism spectrum disorder. In 2012, the number had climbed to 1 in 68; by 2018, it had jumped to 1 in 59. The rise means there has been a lot more interest in researching the mechanisms behind the disorder in recent years, but it remains largely mysterious to scientists and doctors.

Studies like these, however, do provide important clues into how a mother’s behavior during pregnancy could influence her child’s autism risk. Food cravings in pregnancy can be hard to resist, but if it’s processed food that’s calling your name, this study should be all the motivation you need to seek a healthier alternative.

Hair analysis suggests children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder suffer from calcium deficiency and toxic metal overload

Medical University of Bialystok (Poland), April 3, 2020

According to news reporting from Bialystok, Poland, research stated, “Explanation of the pathogenesis and treatment of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is one of the most significant challenges for scientists today. It is believed that a major pathogenetic factor of this condition is epigenetic changes caused by environmental factors, including toxic metals (cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), aluminium (Al), and arsenic (As)).”

Financial support for this research came from Uniwersytet Medyczny w Bialymstoku.

The news correspondents obtained a quote from the research from the Medical University of Bialystok, “The nervous system may also be affected by deficiencies of both micro-and macroelements (e.g. calcium (Ca), zinc (Zn)). The aim of the study was to analyze the concentrations of Pb, As, and Ca in the hair of children with ASD and a control group. The materials for the study comprised hair samples collected from 30 children diagnosed with ASD (case group) and 30 children randomly selected from the general population of Bialystok and surrounding region (control group). Concentrations of Pb, As, and Ca were tested with electron microscopy scanning method. Next, the content of the analyzed elements in the hair was assessed as well as their impact on autism development in the children and the mutual interactions between them. The obtained results were statistically analyzed with Statistica PL 12.5., using the Mann-Whitney U test, and Spearman correlation coefficient. Mean Ca level in the hair of the case group was lower than the mean level of this element in the control group. Mean As and Pb concentration in the hair of children with ASD was statistically significantly higher than the mean concentration of this element in the hair of children without neurological disorders. Statistically insignificant weak positive correlations between Ca and As content and negative between Ca and Pb in the hair of children from the case group were noted. Also, statistically significant mean positive correlations between Pb and As were observed. In this small study, according to the observations, children diagnosed with ASD suffer from Ca deficiency and toxic metal overload (As and Pb).”

According to the news reporters, the research concluded: “These abnormalities may play the main role, as an environmental factor, in the pathogenesis of the analyzed disorder.”