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4. Astronomer Carl Sagan on children and their curious questions (0:26)
The magic of mushrooms: Can this fungus help delay or prevent depression?
Yunnan University (China), January 31, 2023
Bioactive compounds contained within an edible mushroom may delay or prevent the onset of neurological conditions like depression, investigations have concluded.
The paper, published in the Pharmaceutical Biology,reveals the potency of certain polysaccharides contained within the mushroom, Griflola frondosa (GF) demonstrating it’s potential as a safe medical food supplement.
It is well documented that the polysaccharides found in mushrooms are effective antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulating and antimicrobial agents not found in plants.
Scientists from Yunnan University in China began feeding mice foods containing GF or another type of mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus (PO) for either one day or five days. Mice were randomly assigned to three GF experimental groups: low dose of GF-containing food, medium dose of GF-containing food and high dose of GF-containing food.
After the animals received the GF-containing food for 24 hours, the drugs or vehicle were injected into the body. Next, animal behavioural tests were conducted to further assess the antidepressant effects of GF.
Consumption of GF was found to reduce the immobility time after both one and five days.
The team also found that AMPA-specific blocker GYKI 52466 was able to block the antidepressant effects of the GF-containing food.
“GF is a safe and edible mushroom, but may have fewer side effects than the currently used antidepressants,” the study’s authors concluded. “Potentially, patients may just eat GF as a food supplement for the treatment of depression. This discovery also helps to develop effective and safe drugs for the symptoms of major depressive disorder.”
In addition, a water-insoluble polysaccharide from GF was found to inhibit cell growth resulting in eventual cell death. In contrast, a specific fraction isolated from GF enhanced , rather than suppressed, the development of collagen-induced arthritis (CIA).
Following healthy lifestyle may reduce risk of long COVID
Harvard School of Public Health, February 6, 2023
Women who followed most aspects of a healthy lifestyle, including healthy body weight, not smoking, regular exercise, adequate sleep, high quality diet, and moderate alcohol consumption, had about half the risk of long COVID compared with women without any healthy lifestyle factors, according to a study led by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
“With ongoing waves of COVID-19, long COVID has created a serious public health burden. Our findings raise the possibility that adopting more healthy behaviors may reduce the risk of developing long COVID,” said Andrea Roberts, senior research scientist in the Department of Environmental Health and senior author of the study.
The study appears online in JAMA Internal Medicine.
It’s estimated that 8-23 million Americans suffer from long COVID, which is defined as having COVID-19 symptoms four weeks or more after initial SARS-CoV-2 infection. Symptoms can include fatigue, fever, and a variety of respiratory, heart, neurological, and digestive symptoms.
Among the 44% who developed long COVID, compared to women without any healthy lifestyle factors, those with five or six had 49% lower risk of long COVID. Among the six lifestyle factors, maintaining a healthy body weight and getting adequate sleep (seven to nine hours daily) were the ones most strongly associated with lower risk of long COVID. The results also showed that, even among women who developed long COVID, those with a healthier pre-infection lifestyle had 30% lower risk of having symptoms that interfered with their daily life.
“In the past decades, scientists have accumulated evidence that healthy lifestyle is good for overall health. However, in the U.S. for example, 70% of the population do not have a healthy body weight and 30% do not sleep enough. Findings from this study suggest that simple lifestyle changes, such as having adequate sleep, may be beneficial for the prevention of long COVID,” said lead author Siwen Wang.
Drinking Matcha Tea Can Reduce Anxiety
Kumamoto University (Japan), Febuary 3, 2023
Researchers at Kumamoto University in Japan studied green tea’s beneficial properties, specifically its ability to calm the mind. Published in the Journal of Functional Foods, the study examined the stress-reducing function of matcha green tea in animal experiments and clinical trials.
The study honed in on the effects of L-theanine, a primary amino acid in green tea that has been shown to exhibit stress-reducing effects in mice and humans with high-trait anxiety.
The amino acid L-arginine, also present in traditional green tea, has previously been shown to enhance stress-reducing effects of certain amino acids. Matcha tea, also called “fine powder tea,” has higher concentrations of theanine and arginine than traditional green tea preparations.
The stress-reducing effect of tea components was measured by comparing four groups of mice that were fed as follows: group 1 received a standard powder diet; group 2 was fed a diet containing only theanine; group 3 was fed a diet containing theanine, caffeine and EGCG, the most abundant polyphenol in tea; and group 4 mice were fed a diet containing theanine, caffeine, EGCG and arginine.
Using this test, researchers found that mouse anxiety (adrenal hypertrophy) was significantly reduced after consuming at least 33 milligrams per kilogram of body weight of matcha powder or matcha extract. Researchers confirmed that theanine and arginine have a significant stress-reducing effect when used in combination.
Theanine is needed at concentrations of at least 0.32 milligrams per kilogram of body weight to be effective; arginine supplementation alone was not effective.
In the human trial, thirty-nine healthy subjects (23 men and 16 women) were selected for this human trial and randomly allocated into experimental and control groups.
Participants were instructed to drink 3 grams of either test or placebo matcha preparation per day, suspended in 500 milliliters of room-temperature water.
Participants were given the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) test before pharmacy practice began and at the end of this practice period. A questionnaire was also given in which feedback was solicited on their emotions, subjective stress and physical condition. Sleeping hours were also recorded.
Before pharmacy practice, the STAI value of matcha test group participants was significantly lower than placebo group. On the eighth day of pharmacy practice, the mean values and differences between these groups was low, indicating that drinking matcha tea had a significant impact on anxiety levels before the stress period was induced.
After review of all data, including the matcha variations, researchers concluded that both anxiety and physiological stress were decreased when test-matcha was consumed.
Researchers recommend organic agriculture for human health
Karolinska Institute (Sweden), January 25, 2023
In a review of existing research, ca group of European researchers has identified benefits of organic food production for human health. The researchers recommend the parliament to consider giving priority to certain organic production practices and their use also in conventional agriculture.
This recommendation comes from a one-year study resulting in the report ‘Human health implications of organic food and organic agriculture’. The experts list several advantages of methods used in organic agriculture that benefit human health.
The support of animal health and the restrictive use of antibiotics in organic animal production lead to a lower risk for the development of antibiotic resistance in bacteria, which is a major public health threat. Preventive measures of plant protection and restrictions of pesticide use in organic agriculture lead to a decreased pesticide exposure of consumers, with benefits for human health.
The experts also conclude that slight differences in the content of nutrients and other beneficial compounds between conventional and organic foods likely have no major implications for human health.
“Several practices in organic agriculture, in particular the low use of pesticides and antibiotics, offer benefits for human health”, he says in a press release from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. “Policymakers should support the use of such practices and their introduction in conventional agriculture, and make sure that organic agriculture continues to serve as a laboratory for the development of future healthy food systems.”
Snacking on tree nuts may boost serotonin, cardiovascular benefits
University of California Los Angeles, February 3, 2023
- A new study suggests that tree nuts may reduce certain risk factors for cardiovascular disease by modifying the metabolism of L-tryptophan, an amino acid.
- In a controlled parallel trial, people with obesity or overweight who snacked on tree nuts as part of a 24-week weight loss and weight maintenance program experienced increased levels of serotonin, which can enhance mood.
- Tree nuts are rich in nutrients, and eating them instead of other snacks was not associated with gaining weight.
The authors of a new study recently established a link between the consumption of tree nuts — almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamia, pecans, pistachios, and walnuts — and a reduction in blood pressure, an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). They’ve just published a new study that may explain the connection.
The researchers found that tree nuts increased levels of cardio-protective L-tryptophan metabolites in plasma and stool samples collected from study participants.
The study was a randomized, controlled, parallel study that involved 131 people with obesity or overweight over the course of a 24-week weight loss and weight maintenance program.
The diet of all participants included a daily 1.5-ounce snack. Of the 95 people who completed the study, 39 individuals snacked on pretzels as a control, while 56 other people ate tree-nut snacks of the same caloric value instead. At the end of the study period, the researchers analyzed fecal and blood plasma samples from each participant to ascertain the effects of their different snacks.
People who ate tree nuts experienced significant increases in levels of blood serotonin at week 12 (60.9%), and week 24 (82.2%), compared to their baseline levels. Those who ate pretzels experienced an increase in blood serotonin levels during the maintenance phase of the study, between weeks 12 and 24.
Tryptophan is the body’s only precursor of serotonin, which is credited with supporting a range of body functions, including mood, sleep, and digestion.
The study is published in the journal Nutrients.
Extra vitamin D during pregnancy may increase chance of a ‘natural birth’
University of Southampton (UK), February 6, 2023
Women who take extra vitamin D during their pregnancy are more likely to have a ‘natural’ delivery, according to University of Southampton research.
The study, published in the Journal of Public Health, analyzed results from the MAVIDOS trial, a multicentre, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of vitamin D supplementation in pregnancy. In this trial, 965 women were randomly allocated to either take an extra 1,000 International Units (IU) per day of vitamin D during their pregnancy or a placebo. The researchers followed up the women during their pregnancy and delivery.
Analysis showed that 65.6 percent of women who took extra Vitamin D had a spontaneous vaginal delivery, or ‘natural’ delivery, compared to 57.9 percent in the placebo group. Fewer women from the vitamin D group had an assisted delivery compared to the placebo group (13.2 percent vs. 19.4 percent). However, the number of women in each group needing a cesarean operation to deliver their baby was similar (vitamin D 21.3 percent, placebo 22.7 percent).
She said, “Most women want to have a ‘natural delivery’ of their baby. Our work suggests that taking extra vitamin D during their pregnancy might help them to achieve this.
“The women taking the extra vitamin D also had less blood loss after delivery, highlighting why this is so important. Further evidence is now needed to more thoroughly inform public health policy and clinical practice.”