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Green tea trumps rivals for antioxidant and antimicrobial properties

Sungkyunkwan University (South Korea), January 3, 2023

A South Korean study evaluating the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of tea extracts found that green tea showed the highest antioxidant activity in most tests and potent antimicrobial activity. Consequently, the study authors suggest that leafy herbal tea (LHT) extracts could be used as a health-promoting functional ingredient (for instance, as a means of killing cariogenic bacteria in the mouth) or as a natural antimicrobial preservative in foods.
LHT extracts on trial comprised 11 commonly consumed teas from leafy herbs: rooibos, green, black, rosemary, lemongrass, mulberry leaf, bamboo leaf, lotus leaf, peppermint, persimmon leaf and mate.
Oh Jungmin and colleagues from the food science and biotechnology department, Sungkyunkwan University, extracted samples of each LHT using 80C water and 20C ethanol. Total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC) were both measured: phenolic compounds and flavanoids are generally effective antioxidant compounds. In addition, the team examined 2,2-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2-azinobis-3 ethyl benxothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid (ABTS) free radical scavenging activity. The green tea ethanol extract showed the highest antioxidant activity in all assays except the ferrous ion-chelating assay, Jungmin et al. wrote. The scientists defined antioxidant activity as inhibition of the oxidation of lipids, proteins, DNA or other molecules that blocks the propagation step in oxidative chain reactions. “Green tea ethanol extract showed the highest antioxidant activity in all assays except the ferrous ion-chelating assay,” they wrote. “Water extracts of green tea and black tea and ethanol extracts of rosemary, mate and persimmon leaf teas also exhibited considerable antioxidant potential, followed by the green tea ethanol extract.” The researchers also determined minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) and minimum lethal concentrations (MLC) to verify the antimicrobial activities of the extracts against two oral pathogens: Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sobrimus. In addition, Jungmin et al. examined the antimicrobial effects of the tea extracts on three foodborne pathogens – Listeria monocytogenes, Shigella flexneri and Salmonella enterica. “Among the tested LHT’s, green tea ethanol extract had potent antimicrobial activity against all five pathogens, and the mate tea water extract was the most effective against Gram-positive bacteria,” they wrote.

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Six minutes of daily high-intensity exercise could delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease

University of Otago, New Zealand, January 11, 2023

Six minutes of high-intensity exercise could extend the lifespan of a healthy brain and delay the onset of neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. New research published in The Journal of Physiologyshows that a short but intense bout of cycling increases the production of a specialized protein that is essential for brain formation, learning and memory, and could protect the brain from age-related cognitive decline. This insight on exercise is part of the drive to develop accessible, equitable and affordable non-pharmacological approaches that anyone can adopt to promote healthy aging.
The specialized protein named brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) promotes neuroplasticity (the ability of the brain to form new connections and pathways) and the survival of neurons. Animal studies have shown that increasing the availability of BDNF encourages the formation and storage of memories, enhances learning and overall boosts cognitive performance. These key roles and its apparent neuroprotective qualities have led to the interest in BDNF for aging research. Lead author Travis Gibbons from University of Otago, New Zealand stated, “BDNF has shown great promise in animal models, but pharmaceutical interventions have thus far failed to safely harness the protective power of BDNF in humans. We saw the need to explore non-pharmacological approaches that can preserve the brain’s capacity which humans can use to naturally increase BDNF to help with healthy aging.” To tease apart the influence of fasting and exercise on BDNF production, the researchers compared the following factors to study the isolated and interactive effects:

Fasting for 20 hours
Light exercise (90-minute low intensity cycling)
High-intensity exercise (six-minute bout of vigorous cycling)
Combined fasting and exercise
They found that brief but vigorous exercise was the most efficient way to increase BDNF compared to one day of fasting with or without a lengthy session of light exercise. BDNF increased by four to five-fold (396 pg L-1 to 1170 pg L-1) more compared to fasting (no change in BDNF concentration) or prolonged activity (slight increase in BDNF concentration, 336 pg L-1 to 390 pg L-1). The cause for these differences is not yet known, and more research is needed to understand the mechanisms involved. One hypothesis is related to the cerebral substrate switch and glucose metabolism, the brain’s primary fuel source. The cerebral substrate switch is when the brain switches its favored fuel source for another to ensure the body’s energy demands are met, for example metabolizing lactate rather than glucose during exercise. The brain’s transition from consuming glucose to lactate initiates pathways that result in elevated levels of BDNF in the blood. The observed increase in BDNF during exercise could be due to the increased number of platelets (the smallest blood cell), which store large amounts of BDNF. The concentration of platelets circulating in the blood is more heavily influenced by exercise than fasting and increases by 20%.

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Taking Antibiotics Regularly Disrupts Gut Health, Increases Risk Of Developing IBD

New York University Langone Health, January 10, 2023

People over 40 who regularly take antibiotics are more likely to develop inflammatory bowel disease, a new study warns. Researchers from NYU Langone Health say the risk seems to be cumulative and reaches its greatest point one to two years after taking a course of medication, as well as after taking antibiotics which target gut infections. There is also growing evidence that environmental factors play a role in the development of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This study included more than 6.1 million people, with just over half being female. In total, 5.5 million (91%) received a prescription for at least one antibiotic between 2000 and 2018. During the study period, doctors diagnosed more than 36,000 new cases of ulcerative colitis and over 16,800 new cases of Crohn’s disease. Compared with no antibiotic use, the study finds that using these drugs displayed a clear connection to a higher risk of developing IBD, regardless of age. However, older patients had the highest risk. Those between 10 and 40 years-old were 28 percent more likely to develop IBD. Meanwhile, 40 to 60-year-olds were 48 percent more likely to have the condition, while those over 60 were 47 percent more likely to have IBD.
The risks were slightly higher for Crohn’s disease than they were for ulcerative colitis — 40 percent among 10 to 40-year-olds, 62 percent among 40 to 60-year-olds, and 51 percent among seniors over 60. Researchers say the risk seemed to build up, with each subsequent course of medication adding an additional 11-percent, 15-percent, and 14-percent higher risk, according to each age range. The findings also show that the highest risk was found among those prescribed five or more courses of antibiotics. These patients had a 69-percent heightened risk among 10 to 40-year-olds. The risk doubled among 40 to 60-year-olds and was 95 percent higher among those over 60. Corresponding author, Dr. Adam Faye, says timing plays an influential role in this process. The highest risk for IBD occurred 12 to 24 months after using antibiotics. Each subsequent year thereafter, the risk for IBD dropped off. The highest risk of IBD came after using nitroimidazole and fluoroquinolone, which are antibiotics used to treat gut infections.

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One Hour of Light Therapy Reduces Depression

University of Maryland’s School of Medicine, January 1, 2023

Researchers from the University of Maryland’s School of Medicine have determined that just one hour of bright light therapy significantly reduces depression and depressed moods. Depressed patients were given one hour of bright light therapy or an hour of dim light therapy as a placebo. The researchers found that the patients given bright light therapy had reductions in their depression scores ranging from 120% to 130%, using two different depression-testing systems. The research is significant because it applied a placebo test against the light therapy system – something previous light therapy studies have not done. In a related study, some of the same researchers tested 15 depressed patients who were diagnosed with seasonal affective disorder. They administered different lengths of 10,000 lux of white cool fluorescent light for 20 minutes, 40 minutes and 60 minutes and compared the depression scores with the depression scores of the patients prior to treatment. The researchers found that 40 minutes of the light therapy significantly improved moods among the patients, and reduced their depressed states. The improvement was greater than the 20 minutes of therapy. But surprisingly, the 60 minutes of light therapy did not result in significantly better improvement of depression than either the 20 or the 40 minutes of therapy. The researchers used a 10,000 lux light box made by Sunbox for the bright light therapy. The patients stared at the center of the light box to receive their therapy. McGill University researchers found that natural bright light significantly reduced acute tryptophan depletion-related depressed moods. Still other studies have shown that bright light increases cognition, improves sleep and has a myriad of other benefits.

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New study links hearing loss with dementia in older adults

Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health, January 10, 2023

A new study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that older adults with greater severity of hearing loss were more likely to have dementia, but the likelihood of dementia was lower among hearing aid users compared to non-users. The findings, from a nationally representative sample of more than 2,400 older adults, are consistent with prior studies showing that hearing loss might be a contributing factor to dementia risk over time, and that treating hearing loss may lower dementia risk. Hearing loss is a critical public health issue affecting two-thirds of Americans over 70. The growing understanding that hearing loss might be linked to the risk of dementia, which impacts millions, and other adverse outcomes has called attention to implementing possible strategies to treat hearing loss. For the new study, analysis covered 2,413 individuals, about half of whom were over 80 and showed a clear association between severity of hearing loss and dementia. Prevalence of dementia among the participants with moderate/severe hearing loss was 61 percent higher than prevalence among participants who had normal hearing. Hearing aid use was associated with a 32 percent lower prevalence of dementia in the 853 participants who had moderate/severe hearing loss.

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Effect of 8-Week Consumption of a Dietary Pattern Based on Fruit, Avocado, Whole Grains, and Trout on Postprandial Inflammatory and Oxidative Stress Gene Expression in Obese People

Universidad de Caldas (Colombia) & University of Córdoba (Spain), January 7, 2023

Overweight and obesity constitute a major global public health problem. Healthy dietary patterns induce changes at the molecular level. Currently, there are no studies evaluating the effect of a diet based on fruit, avocado, whole grains, and trout (FAWGT diet) on the expression of obesity-related genes. This randomized controlled crossover study included 44 obese Colombians with BMI ≥30 kg/m2 who followed either a FAWGT diet or a usual diet (UD) characterized by a high intake of saturated fat and foods rich in processed carbohydrates.
After 8 weeks of intervention, a postprandial expression study of inflammation and oxidative stress-related genes was carried out with a real-time PCR. The intervention with a FAWGT diet decreased the expression of inflammatory (NFKB1, IL6, IL1β) and oxidative stress (NFE2L2) genes compared with the intake of the UD. Finally, the postprandial expression of NFkB1 was positively correlated with triglyceride levels after a dietary intervention with the FAWGT diet and the IL1β gene, and likewise with insulin levels after following the usual diet.
In conclusion, our results suggest that the consumption of a diet based on fruit, avocado, whole grains, and trout for 8 weeks reduces the postprandial inflammatory state, and can therefore be considered a valid alternative to other heart-healthy diets, since it improves the molecular regulation of the genes involved in the immune response and oxidative stress in obese subjects and demonstrates a beneficial effect at the postprandial state similar to other healthy diets.