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Omega-3 fatty acid intake linked to lower risk of premature mortality among diabetic men and women

China Pharmaceutical University, December 28 2022. 

A study reported in Acta Diabetologica revealed a lower risk of dying from any cause during follow-up among people with diabetes who had a higher intake of the omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in comparison with a lower intake. 

The study included 4,854 diabetic participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999–2014. The average age of the men and women in the current study was 57.92 years. Dietary recall interview responses provided information concerning EPA and DHA consumption and EPA/DHA supplementation was ascertained. Mortality data was obtained through 2015.

During follow-up, 1,102 deaths occurred, including 266 caused by cardiovascular disease and 152 due to cancer. Increasing intake of EPA plus DHA was associated with a declining risk of all-cause mortality during follow-up. After adjusting the data for a number of factors, men and women whose intake of EPA plus DHA was among the top 20% of participants at greater than 122 milligrams per day had a 35% lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease, a 20% lower risk of dying from cancer and a 25% lower risk of mortality from any cause compared to participants whose intake of the fatty acids was among the lowest 20% at 9.5 mg or less. When the risks of all-cause mortality associated with EPA and DHA were analyzed separately, greater DHA intake emerged as significantly associated with lower mortality risk.

“Higher omega-3 fatty acid intake was independently related to lower all-cause mortality in individuals with diabetes, suggesting an adequate intake of omega-3 fatty acids may prevent premature death among the population with diabetes,” authors Jing Xie of China Pharmaceutical University in Nanjing, China and colleagues concluded.

Seniors Who Drink This Type Of Juice Every Day May Have Stronger Memory

University of Delaware, December 27, 2022

Tart juice made from Montmorency cherries, the most common type of tart cherries grown in the United States, has long been used to treat a variety of health problems such as gout or sleeplessness. A recent study conducted at the University of Delaware finds evidence that a daily serving of cherry juice may improve cognitive functioning and performance in older adults.

Adults between the ages of 65-73 enjoyed improved scores on memory and cognition tests after drinking Montmorency tart cherry juice every day, the study shows.

In total, 34 participants took part in the study; half were placed in an experimental group that drank 16 ounces of Montmorency tart cherry juice every day (8 ounces in the morning and 8 ounces at night) for 12 weeks, and the other half were placed in a control group that drank the same amount of a placebo drink. Before and after the 12 week trial period, the cognitive functioning and memory performance of each adult was tested using a series of questionnaires and exams.

After 12 weeks, researchers found that those within the experimental group scored higher in both cognitive functioning and subjective memory. More specifically, these participants displayed a 5% increase in satisfaction regarding their ability to remember things, a 4% improvement in movement time (response to visual stimuli), and a 23% reduction in episodic memory errors compared to the control group that only drank a placebo.

Besides those improvements, the experimental group also exhibited a 3% increase in sustained visual attention and information processing, and an 18% drop in working memory errors.

“Cognitive function is a key determinant of independence and quality of life among older adults,” explains lead author Sheau Ching Chai in a release. “The potential beneficial effects of tart cherries may be related to the bioactive compounds they possess, which include polyphenols, anthocyanins and melanin. They may also be related to tart cherry’s potential blood-pressure lowering effects, outlined in a previous study we conducted in the same population, as blood pressure can influence blood flow to the brain.”

Your Ability To Balance On One Leg Reflects Your Brain HealthKyoto University School of Medicine (Japan), December 20, 2022Balancing on one leg may indicate if a person is at risk of dementia or stroke, a study has found. Those who struggle to balance on one leg for 20 seconds or longer, are at increased risk for small blood vessel damage in the brain and reduced cognitive function in otherwise healthy people with no clinical symptoms, according to research in the American Heart Association’s journal Stroke.  A few years ago, researchers found that habitually sleeping less than six hours a night significantly increases the risk of stroke, now the shift in studies has leaned towards posture and balance. ”Our study found that the ability to balance on one leg is an important test for brain health,” said Yasuharu Tabara, Ph.D., lead study author and associate professor at the Center for Genomic Medicine at Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine in Kyoto, Japan. “Individuals showing poor balance on one leg should receive increased attention, as this may indicate an increased risk for brain disease and cognitive decline.”The study consisted of 841 women and 546 men, average age of 67. To measure one-leg standing time, participants stood with their eyes open and raised one leg. The maximum time for keeping the leg raised was 60 seconds. Participants performed this examination twice and the better of the two times was used in the study analysis. Cerebral small vessel disease was evaluated using brain magnetic resonance imaging.Researchers found that the inability to balance on one leg for longer than 20 seconds was associated with cerebral small vessel disease, namely small infarctions without symptoms such as lacunar infarction and microbleeds. They noted that:34.5 percent of those with more than two lacunar infarction lesions had trouble balancing.16 percent of those with one lacunar infarction lesion had trouble balancing.30 percent of those with more than two microbleed lesions had trouble balancing.15.3 percent one microbleed lesion had trouble balancing. Earlier in the year researchers at the Medical Research Council found that standing on one leg may predict which 53-year-olds at risk of early death.  Men aged 53 years old who could balance on one leg for more than ten seconds and stand up and sit down in a chair more than 37 times in a minute were found to be least at risk of dying early by the researchers.Women of the same age who could stand up and sit down more than 35 times in a minute and stand on one leg for more than ten seconds were also at the lowest risk compared to those who performed less well.  Overall, those with cerebral diseases were older, had high blood pressure and had thicker carotid arteries than those who did not have cerebral small vessel disease. However, after adjustment for these covariates, people with more microbleeds and lacunar infarctions in the brain had shorter one-legged standing times. Short one-legged standing times were also independently linked with lower cognitive scores.

Actinidia arguta (sarunashi) juice found to inhibit lung cancer in mice

Okayama University (Japan), December 28, 2022

Lung cancer is a leading cause of death in Japan and across the globe. Among all the cancers, lung cancer has one of the lowest five-year survival rates.

“Sarunashi” (Actinidia arguta) is an edible fruit cultivated in Japan’s Okayama Prefecture. Using a mouse model, researchers from Okayama University led by Dr. Sakae Arimoto‑Kobayashi, Associate Professor in the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, have shown that sarunashi juice and its constituting component isoquercetin (isoQ) help prevent and reduce lung cancer.

A. arguta is one of the richest sources of polyphenols and vitamin C. Previously, the researchers had demonstrated the inhibitory effect of sarunashi juice (sar-j) on mutagenesis, inflammation, and mouse skin tumorigenesis. They had identified the components of A. arguta responsible for the anti-mutagenic effects as water-soluble and heat-sensitive phenolic compounds. Subsequently, the researchers proposed the polyphenolic compound isoQ as a constituting component with anticarcinogenic potential.

Dr. Arimoto‑Kobayashi explains, “In this study, we sought to investigate the chemo‑preventive effects of A. arguta juice and its constituting component isoQ on 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK)-induced lung tumorigenesis in A/J mice, and identify the possible mechanisms underlying the anti-tumorigenic effects of A. arguta.”

To this end, the team induced tumor growth in mice using NNK, a known cancer-causing compound present in tobacco products. Using a series of experiments and controls, the team studied the effects of sar-j and isoQ on lung tumorigenesis in mice.

The results were encouraging: The number of tumor nodules per mouse lung in the group that received NNK injections and oral doses of A. arguta juice was significantly lower than that in the group injected with NNK only. Moreover, the oral administration of isoQ also reduced the number of nodules in the mouse lungs.

Next, the team broke ground by discovering the likely mechanism of action. NNK and 1-methyl-3-nitro-1-nitrosoguanidine or “MNNG” are known mutagens—agents that trigger DNA mutations. The team therefore designed a series of experiments to study the effect of sar-j and isoQ on NNK- and MNNG-mediated mutagenesis using Salmonella typhimurium TA1535—a bacterial strain commonly used for detecting DNA mutations. 

As expected, the mutagenicity of NNK and MNNG detected using S. typhimurium TA1535 decreased in the presence of sar-j. However, when similar tests were conducted using S. typhimurium YG7108, a strain lacking key enzymes responsible for DNA repair, sar-j was unable to decrease the mutagenic effects of NNK and MNNG. Based on this critical observation, the researchers concluded that sar-j seems to mediate its antimutagenic effect by accelerating DNA repair.

In summary, the study shows that lung tumorigenesis in mice was suppressed following the oral intake of sar-j. Although clinical trials are warranted, the constituting components of sar-j, including isoQ, seem to be attractive candidates for chemoprevention

Overweight affects DNA methylation

Helmholtz Zentrum München (Germany), December 22, 2022 

The extra pounds you gain during the holidays will not only show up on your hips but will also affect your DNA. This is the result of a large-scale international study coordinated by Helmholtz Zentrum München, a partner in the German Center for Diabetes Research, which has been published in Nature. The study shows that a high BMI leads to epigenetic changes at nearly 200 loci of the genome – with effects on gene expression.

While our genes do not change in the course of life, our lifestyle can directly influence their surroundings. Scientists speak here of the epigenome (Greek epi: over, outside of, around), which refers to everything that happens on or around the genes. 

For this reason, the international research team led by Dr. Christian Gieger and Dr. Harald Grallert of the AME examined possible correlations between body mass index (BMI) and epigenetic changes. Using state-of-the-art technology, the team carried out the world’s largest study so far on the subject.

The scientists examined the blood samples of over 10,000 women and men from Europe. In a first step with 5,387 samples, the research team identified 207 gene loci that were epigenetically altered dependent on the BMI. They then tested these candidate loci in blood samples of an additional 4,874 subjects and were able to confirm 187 of these. Further studies and long-term observations also indicated that the changes were predominantly a consequence of being overweight – not the cause.

“In particular, significant changes were found in the expression of genes responsible for lipid metabolism and substrate transport, but inflammation-related gene loci were also affected,” said group leader Harald Grallert. From the data, the team was also able to identify epigenetic markers that could predict the risk of type 2 diabetes.

“Our results allow new insights into which signaling pathways are influenced by obesity”, said Christian Gieger, head of the AME. “We hope that this will lead to new strategies for predicting and possibly preventing type 2 diabetes and other consequences of being overweight.” Next, within the framework of translational research in the German Center for Diabetes Research, the researchers want to investigate in detail how the epigenetic changes affect the expression of the underlying genes.

Researchers find magnesium intake may be beneficial in preventing pancreatic cancer

Indiana University, December 18, 2022

Indiana University researchers have found that magnesium intake may be beneficial in preventing pancreatic cancer.

Their study, “Magnesium intake and incidence of pancreatic cancer: The VITamins and Lifestyle study,” appeared in the British Journal of Cancer.

Previous studies have found that magnesium is inversely associated with the risk of diabetes, which is a risk factor of pancreatic cancer. But few studies have explored the direct association of magnesium with pancreatic cancer; of those that did, their findings were inconclusive, said Daniel Dibaba, a Ph.D. student at the School of Public Health-Bloomington, who led the IU study.

Using information from the VITamins and Lifestyle study, Dibaba and the other co-authors analyzed an enormous trove of data on over 66,000 men and women, ages 50 to 76, looking at the direct association between magnesium and pancreatic cancer and whether age, gender, body mass index, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs use and magnesium supplementation play a role.

Of those followed, 151 participants developed pancreatic cancer. The study found that every 100-milligrams-per-day decrease in magnesium intake was associated with a 24 percent increase in the occurrence of pancreatic cancer. The study also found that the effects of magnesium on pancreatic cancer did not appear to be modified by age, gender, body mass index or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug use, but was limited to those taking magnesium supplements either from a multivitamin or individual supplement.

“For those at a higher risk of pancreatic cancer, adding a magnesium supplement to their diet may prove beneficial in preventing this disease,” Dibaba said. “While more study is needed, the general population should strive to get the daily recommendations of magnesium through diet, such as dark, leafy greens or nuts, to prevent any risk of pancreatic cancer.”