Dr. Howard Smith Reports

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/z_iV1Rri85M\

        Exercise not only strengthens your heart, tones your muscles, and drives more blood flow to your brain, it also trains your fat cells to release healthy proteins into your blood that help keep your body humming.  New research from Harvard’s Joslin Diabetes Center just published in Nature Metabolism demonstrate that exercise-primed fat releases a healthy so-called adipokine that improves glucose metabolism.

This magic protein, Transforming Growth Factor Beta 2 or TGFbeta2, appears in both humans and mice as the result of exercise.  It controls blood sugar levels and neutralizes the effect of a high fat diet which in mice and in many humans induces diabetes.

Your muscles do play a role in the process too.  The lactic acid they produce as you exercise appears to be the trigger that leads to TGFbeta2 release from fat.  The investigators speculate that, someday, this key protein messenger released by fat may become a practical treatment for diabetes.

#fat #adiposetissue #obesity #diabetes #TGFbeta2 #transforminggrowthfactor #healthnews

Takahashi et al. TGF-B2 is an Exercise-Induced Adipokine that Regulates Glucose and Fatty Acid Metabolism. Nature Metabolism, 2019 DOI: 10.1038/s42255-018-0030-7

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/z_iV1Rri85M\

        Exercise not only strengthens your heart, tones your muscles, and drives more blood flow to your brain, it also trains your fat cells to release healthy proteins into your blood that help keep your body humming.  New research from Harvard’s Joslin Diabetes Center just published in Nature Metabolism demonstrate that exercise-primed fat releases a healthy so-called adipokine that improves glucose metabolism.

This magic protein, Transforming Growth Factor Beta 2 or TGFbeta2, appears in both humans and mice as the result of exercise.  It controls blood sugar levels and neutralizes the effect of a high fat diet which in mice and in many humans induces diabetes.

Your muscles do play a role in the process too.  The lactic acid they produce as you exercise appears to be the trigger that leads to TGFbeta2 release from fat.  The investigators speculate that, someday, this key protein messenger released by fat may become a practical treatment for diabetes.

#fat #adiposetissue #obesity #diabetes #TGFbeta2 #transforminggrowthfactor #healthnews

Takahashi et al. TGF-B2 is an Exercise-Induced Adipokine that Regulates Glucose and Fatty Acid Metabolism. Nature Metabolism, 2019 DOI: 10.1038/s42255-018-0030-7

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/0N-7vPlK5xM

Over the past 4 years, delayed clamping and division of the umbilical cord of preterm babies has become an internationally-accepted guideline.  The delay permits a needed autotransfusion of the baby’s own iron-rich blood from the placenta preventing neonatal anemia and facilitating better myelin production and neurologic development.

Now, neonatologists at the University of Rhode Island, one of the groups that championed clamping delay for premies, have published a study in the Journal of Pediatrics that demonstrates advantages of delayed cord clamping for term babies as well.  Their data on 65 term babies followed subsequently for 7 years demonstrates that waiting 5 minutes before clamping the cord while the baby enjoys an initial skin-to-skin encounter with mommy has tremendous value.

They found that delayed clamping leads to a 30% increase in total blood volume and a 50% increase in iron rich red cell volume.  Those infants had a higher iron storage levels at 4 months which was in turn associated with a significant increase in brain myelin volumes as shown on MRI imaging.   Previous studies on premies with delayed clamping revealed improved fine motor and social skills at 4 years of age.

The Rhode Island investigators hope that the new data will encourage more obstetricians and pediatricians to adopt a delayed cord clamping routine for not only premies but now for all newborns.

#umbilical cord #cordclamping #myelin #ferritin #iron #redbloodcell mass #autotransfusion #healthnews

Judith S. Mercer, Debra A. Erickson-Owens, Sean C.L. Deoni, Douglas C. Dean, Jennifer Collins, Ashley B. Parker, Meijia Wang, Sarah Joelson, Emily N. Mercer, James F. Padbury. Effects of Delayed Cord Clamping on 4-Month Ferritin Levels, Brain Myelin Content, and Neurodevelopment: A Randomized Controlled Trial. The Journal of Pediatrics, 2018; 203: 266 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2018.06.006

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/0N-7vPlK5xM

Over the past 4 years, delayed clamping and division of the umbilical cord of preterm babies has become an internationally-accepted guideline.  The delay permits a needed autotransfusion of the baby’s own iron-rich blood from the placenta preventing neonatal anemia and facilitating better myelin production and neurologic development.

Now, neonatologists at the University of Rhode Island, one of the groups that championed clamping delay for premies, have published a study in the Journal of Pediatrics that demonstrates advantages of delayed cord clamping for term babies as well.  Their data on 65 term babies followed subsequently for 7 years demonstrates that waiting 5 minutes before clamping the cord while the baby enjoys an initial skin-to-skin encounter with mommy has tremendous value.

They found that delayed clamping leads to a 30% increase in total blood volume and a 50% increase in iron rich red cell volume.  Those infants had a higher iron storage levels at 4 months which was in turn associated with a significant increase in brain myelin volumes as shown on MRI imaging.   Previous studies on premies with delayed clamping revealed improved fine motor and social skills at 4 years of age.

The Rhode Island investigators hope that the new data will encourage more obstetricians and pediatricians to adopt a delayed cord clamping routine for not only premies but now for all newborns.

#umbilical cord #cordclamping #myelin #ferritin #iron #redbloodcell mass #autotransfusion #healthnews

Judith S. Mercer, Debra A. Erickson-Owens, Sean C.L. Deoni, Douglas C. Dean, Jennifer Collins, Ashley B. Parker, Meijia Wang, Sarah Joelson, Emily N. Mercer, James F. Padbury. Effects of Delayed Cord Clamping on 4-Month Ferritin Levels, Brain Myelin Content, and Neurodevelopment: A Randomized Controlled Trial. The Journal of Pediatrics, 2018; 203: 266 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2018.06.006

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/daOwdUR03kU

Conventional medical wisdom states that a child’s tonsils and adenoids begin to shrink in size between the ages of 12 and 20 years.  Since these tissues, when enlarged, affect a child’s breathing, sleep, and dental alignment, the expectation that their size will diminish is key for planning medical and orthodontia therapy.

A new study from the Tokyo Medical and Dental University now shows that tonsils and adenoids do not shrink over the teen years.  A careful longitudinal study of 90 adolescents using sequential cephalometric imaging at ages 8, 10, 13, 16, and 19 years of age reveals that growth of the throat cavity itself does occur giving more space to the same-sized tonsils and adenoids. 

Since the extra throat space that develops may not relieve the breathing or dental problems, this new data suggests that clinicians treating young children with obstructive tonsils and adenoids should be more proactive and consider removing these tissues at an earlier age.  

Younger children have fewer surgical complications from a T&A.   They will also benefit from the additional years of snore-free and apnea-free breathing, sounder sleep, and an opportunity for their teeth to adopt a healthier configuration obviating expensive orthodontia.

#tonsils #adenoids #OSA #orthodontia #sleepapnea #tonsillectomy #adenoidectomy #healthnews

Takayoshi Ishida, Asuka Manabe, Shin-Sheng Yang, Hyung Sik Yoon, Eiichiro Kanda, Takashi Ono. Patterns of adenoid and tonsil growth in Japanese children and adolescents: A longitudinal study. Scientific Reports, 2018; 8 (1) DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-35272-z

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/daOwdUR03kU

Conventional medical wisdom states that a child’s tonsils and adenoids begin to shrink in size between the ages of 12 and 20 years.  Since these tissues, when enlarged, affect a child’s breathing, sleep, and dental alignment, the expectation that their size will diminish is key for planning medical and orthodontia therapy.

A new study from the Tokyo Medical and Dental University now shows that tonsils and adenoids do not shrink over the teen years.  A careful longitudinal study of 90 adolescents using sequential cephalometric imaging at ages 8, 10, 13, 16, and 19 years of age reveals that growth of the throat cavity itself does occur giving more space to the same-sized tonsils and adenoids. 

Since the extra throat space that develops may not relieve the breathing or dental problems, this new data suggests that clinicians treating young children with obstructive tonsils and adenoids should be more proactive and consider removing these tissues at an earlier age.  

Younger children have fewer surgical complications from a T&A.   They will also benefit from the additional years of snore-free and apnea-free breathing, sounder sleep, and an opportunity for their teeth to adopt a healthier configuration obviating expensive orthodontia.

#tonsils #adenoids #OSA #orthodontia #sleepapnea #tonsillectomy #adenoidectomy #healthnews

Takayoshi Ishida, Asuka Manabe, Shin-Sheng Yang, Hyung Sik Yoon, Eiichiro Kanda, Takashi Ono. Patterns of adenoid and tonsil growth in Japanese children and adolescents: A longitudinal study. Scientific Reports, 2018; 8 (1) DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-35272-z

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/9F6t06_13j8

L-norvaline is a common amino acid component of popular body building supplements, but an Australian study just published by the journal Toxicology In Vitro shows that this compound can actually damage and kill human brain cells.

L-norvaline is touted as “one of the leading methods to safely and naturally boost nitric oxide levels to new heights.”  High nitric oxide levels are said to accelerate blood flow, oxygen delivery, and muscle action.  It is the chief ingredient in popular body-building supplements including Myonox, Charge, Pump Extrem, and Preseries Bulk.

The tissue culture studies show that l-norvaline initially permits brain cells to produce more energy, but, with continued exposure to this amino acid, the cell machinery employed to produce this energy is damaged.  This is the cellular equivalent to revving your car engine too high for a prolonged period of time.

L-norvaline is a so-called non-protein amino acid because it is normally not used to make human proteins.  There’s a reason for that.  In nature, some non-protein amino acids are used by plants to kill other plants and eliminate competition for soil nutrients.  L-norvaline itself is known to be toxic to bacteria and to some plants.

Food supplements are unregulated, and many of them have not undergone rigorous safety testing.  If you want to build up your body, it is always safest to consume protein sources such as fish, poultry, fruits, and vegetables that have been time-tested safe and nutritous.  Metabolic shortcuts are usually re recipes for disaster.

#body-building #norvaline #musclebuilding #nitricoxide #healthnews

Kate Samardzic, Kenneth J. Rodgers. Cytotoxicity and mitochondrial dysfunction caused by the dietary supplement l-norvaline. Toxicology in Vitro, 2019; 56: 163 DOI: 10.1016/j.tiv.2019.01.020

https://www.esupplements.com/best-l-norvaline-supplements/

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/9F6t06_13j8

L-norvaline is a common amino acid component of popular body building supplements, but an Australian study just published by the journal Toxicology In Vitro shows that this compound can actually damage and kill human brain cells.

L-norvaline is touted as “one of the leading methods to safely and naturally boost nitric oxide levels to new heights.”  High nitric oxide levels are said to accelerate blood flow, oxygen delivery, and muscle action.  It is the chief ingredient in popular body-building supplements including Myonox, Charge, Pump Extrem, and Preseries Bulk.

The tissue culture studies show that l-norvaline initially permits brain cells to produce more energy, but, with continued exposure to this amino acid, the cell machinery employed to produce this energy is damaged.  This is the cellular equivalent to revving your car engine too high for a prolonged period of time.

L-norvaline is a so-called non-protein amino acid because it is normally not used to make human proteins.  There’s a reason for that.  In nature, some non-protein amino acids are used by plants to kill other plants and eliminate competition for soil nutrients.  L-norvaline itself is known to be toxic to bacteria and to some plants.

Food supplements are unregulated, and many of them have not undergone rigorous safety testing.  If you want to build up your body, it is always safest to consume protein sources such as fish, poultry, fruits, and vegetables that have been time-tested safe and nutritous.  Metabolic shortcuts are usually re recipes for disaster.

#body-building #norvaline #musclebuilding #nitricoxide #healthnews

Kate Samardzic, Kenneth J. Rodgers. Cytotoxicity and mitochondrial dysfunction caused by the dietary supplement l-norvaline. Toxicology in Vitro, 2019; 56: 163 DOI: 10.1016/j.tiv.2019.01.020

https://www.esupplements.com/best-l-norvaline-supplements/

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/o5aew8kkWGM

Take out meals, just like sit-down restaurant offerings, are way too large with way too many calories.  A British fish n’ chip wholesale supplier cooperated with academic nutritionists at Newcastle University to design what they call the Lite-BITE® box carry out box as part of a UK national campaign to fight obesity.

The usual fish and chip take out meal clocks in at over 1600 calories which is almost an entire day’s caloric tally.  The Lite-BITE® box holds 5 ounces of fish and 5 ounces of chips for a more moderate 650 calories.

Fried fish and fried potatoes are hardly healthy choices, but at least the smaller take-out box keeps the calorie count down.   If a you as a  diner need a more filling meal, a side salad should complete your order.

Right-sizing portion size is a powerful tool in maintaining a healthy weight.  Smaller takeout boxes also makes the food portion appear less puny.  Remember back in the days when airlines actually served us food, they employed the same optical illusion by serving scraps of food on tiny plates and giving us tiny utensils.

#fish #chips #takeout #obesity #dieting #healthnews

Louis Goffe, Frances Hillier-Brown, Natalie Hildred, etal. Feasibility of working with a wholesale supplier to co-design and test acceptability of an intervention to promote smaller portions: an uncontrolled before-and-after study in British Fish & Chip shops. BMJ Open, 2019; 9 (2): bmjopen-2018-023441 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2018-023441

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/o5aew8kkWGM

Take out meals, just like sit-down restaurant offerings, are way too large with way too many calories.  A British fish n’ chip wholesale supplier cooperated with academic nutritionists at Newcastle University to design what they call the Lite-BITE® box carry out box as part of a UK national campaign to fight obesity.

The usual fish and chip take out meal clocks in at over 1600 calories which is almost an entire day’s caloric tally.  The Lite-BITE® box holds 5 ounces of fish and 5 ounces of chips for a more moderate 650 calories.

Fried fish and fried potatoes are hardly healthy choices, but at least the smaller take-out box keeps the calorie count down.   If a you as a  diner need a more filling meal, a side salad should complete your order.

Right-sizing portion size is a powerful tool in maintaining a healthy weight.  Smaller takeout boxes also makes the food portion appear less puny.  Remember back in the days when airlines actually served us food, they employed the same optical illusion by serving scraps of food on tiny plates and giving us tiny utensils.

#fish #chips #takeout #obesity #dieting #healthnews

Louis Goffe, Frances Hillier-Brown, Natalie Hildred, etal. Feasibility of working with a wholesale supplier to co-design and test acceptability of an intervention to promote smaller portions: an uncontrolled before-and-after study in British Fish & Chip shops. BMJ Open, 2019; 9 (2): bmjopen-2018-023441 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2018-023441