The Gary Null Show

Consumption of berries, fruits and vegetables and mortality among 10,000 Men Followed for four decades

Folkhalsan Research Center (Norway), June 17, 2022

Investigators from Folkhalsan Research Center in Norway found that consumption of berries, fruits and vegetables and mortality among 10,000 Norwegian men followed for four decades

"The association between vegetable and fruit consumption and risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease (CVD) has been investigated by several studies, whereas fewer studies have examined consumption of vegetables and fruits in relation to all-cause mortality. Studies on berries, a rich source of antioxidants, are rare."

"The purpose of the current study was to examine the association between intake of vegetables, fruits and berries (together and separately) and the risk of all-cause mortality and cause-specific mortality due to cancer and CVD and subtypes of these, in a cohort with very long follow-up. We used data from a population-based prospective Norwegian cohort study of 10,000 men. 

Men who in total consumed vegetables, fruit and berries more than 27 times per month had an 8-10 % reduced risk of all-cause mortality compared with men with a lower consumption. They also had a 20 % reduced risk of stroke mortality. Consumption of fruit was inversely related to overall cancer mortality, with hazard rate ratios of 0.94, 0.84 and 0.79 in the second, third and firth quartile, respectively, compared with the first quartile."

According to the news editors, the research concluded: "Increased consumption of vegetables, fruits and berries was associated with a delayed risk of all-cause mortality and of mortality due to cancer and stroke."

UA researchers discover component of cinnamon prevents colorectal cancer in mice

University of Arizona, June 15, 2022

Research conducted at the University of Arizona College of Pharmacy and the UA Cancer Center indicates that a compound derived from cinnamon is a potent inhibitor of colorectal cancer.

Georg Wondrak, Ph.D., recently completed a study in which they proved that adding cinnamaldehyde, the compound that gives cinnamon its distinctive flavor and smell, to the diet of mice protected the mice against colorectal cancer. In response to cinnamaldehyde, the animals' cells had acquired the ability to protect themselves against exposure to a carcinogen through detoxification and repair.

Given cinnamon's important status as the third-most-consumed spice in the world,' Wondrak adds, 'there's relatively little research on its potential health benefits. If we can ascertain the positive effects of cinnamon, we would like to leverage this opportunity to potentially improve the health of people around the globe.'

Drs. Wondrak and Zhang's study, 'Nrf2-dependent suppression of azoxymethane/dextrane sulfate sodium-induced colon carcinogenesis by the cinnamon-derived dietary factor cinnamaldehyde,' has been published in Cancer Prevention Research later this spring.

Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil), June 17, 2022. 

A “systematic review of systematic reviews” published  in Sports Medicine showed that the addition of protein supplementation to resistance training is associated with a greater increase in lean body mass (body mass minus fat mass) in comparison with resistance training alone. 

Researchers in Brazil selected 46 studies in the meta-analyses involved a total of 2,925 men and women over 50 years of age. Supplemented groups received 12 to 40 grams of protein or 3 to 10 grams of amino acids while the control groups received a placebo or no supplementation.

Among the 4 meta-analyses that evaluated lean body mass, 3 found a significant increase in association with resistance training plus protein supplementation compared to resistance training without supplementation. There was also a significant benefit for protein supplementation combined with training on muscle mass alone.

“It is possible to conclude that protein supplementation associated with resistance training induces greater increases in lean body mass compared with resistance training alone in older participants. In addition, it is suggested that the effect of protein supplementation on lean body mass is extended to the increase in muscle mass, while no additional effect of protein supplementation was observed on muscle strength in older adults.”

University of Birmingham, June 20, 2022

Breathing in polluted air could lead to toxic particles being transported from lungs to brain, via the bloodstream—potentially contributing to brain disorders and neurological damage, a new study reveals.

Scientists have discovered a possible direct pathway used by various inhaled fine particles through blood circulation with indications that, once there, the particles stay longer in the brain than in other main metabolic organs.

The scientists revealed they had found various fine particles in human cerebrospinal fluids taken from patients who had experienced brain disorders—uncovering a process which may result in toxic particulate substances ending up in the brain.

"The data suggests that up to eight times the number of fine particles may reach the brain by traveling, via the bloodstream, from the lungs than pass directly via the nose—adding new evidence on the relationship between air pollution and detrimental effects of such particles on the brain."

Ohio State University, June 12, 2022

A study published in the Nutrition Journal   holds great interest among those on the fence about using dietary supplements to improve the quality and perhaps length of their lives, but for which clinical proof is lacking.

The study was conducted in healthy middle aged people (40–60 years old) with a low dose of curcumin (80 mg/day) in a fat soluble (lipidated) form.  Two groups of 19 subjects were given either curcumin or placebo for 4 weeks. Blood and saliva samples were taken before and after the 4 weeks and analyzed for the following blood and saliva measures relevant to health promotion The positive results were reported as follows:

• Curcumin lowered triglycerides, but not cholesterol (note: lowering cholesterol may harm human health).

Natural cocoa consumption: Potential to reduce atherogenic factors?

University of North Texas, June 17, 2022

According to news reporting in University of North Texas, research stated, "Short-term consumption of flavanol-rich cocoa has been demonstrated to improve various facets of vascular health. The purpose of the present study was to determine the effect of 4 weeks of natural cocoa consumption on selected cardiovascular disease (CVD) biomarkers in young (19-35 years) women of differing body mass indices (BMI)."

"Subjects (n=24) consumed a natural cocoa-containing product (12.7 g natural cocoa, 148 kcal/serving) or an isocaloric cocoa-free placebo daily for 4 weeks in a random, double-blind manner with a 2-week washout period between treatment arms. 

Natural cocoa consumption resulted in a significant decrease in haptoglobin, EMP concentration and monocyte CD62L in obese compared to overweight and normal-weight subjects. Natural cocoa consumption regardless of BMI group was associated with an 18% increase in high-density lipoprotein and a 60% decrease in EMPs. Also, obese subjects experienced a 21% decrease in haptoglobin and a 24% decrease in monocyte CD62L expression in following 4 weeks of natural cocoa consumption. Collectively, these findings indicate that acute natural cocoa consumption was associated with decreased obesity-related disease risk."

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Pistachios may lower vascular response to stress in type 2 diabetes

Penn State University, June 17, 2022

Among people with type 2 diabetes, eating pistachios may reduce the body’s response to the stresses of everyday life, according to Penn State researchers.

“In adults with diabetes, two servings of pistachios per day lowered vascular constriction during stress and improved neural control of the heart,” said Sheila G. West, professor of biobehavioral health and nutritional sciences. “Although nuts are high in fat, they contain good fats, fiber, potassium and antioxidants. Given the high risk of heart disease in people with diabetes, nuts are an important component of a heart healthy diet in this population.”

West and her colleagues investigated the effects of pistachios on responses to standardized stress tasks in patients with well-controlled Type 2 diabetes who were otherwise healthy. They used a randomized, crossover study design in which all meals were provided. Each of the diets contained the same number of calories.

After two weeks on the typical American diet — containing 36 percent fat and 12 percent saturated fats — participants were randomized to one of two test diets. During the four-week test diets, participants ate only food supplied by the study. The researchers reported the results of this study in a recent issue of the Journal of the American Heart Association.

“We found that systolic blood pressure during sleep was particularly affected by pistachios,” she said. “Average sleep blood pressure was reduced by about 4 points and this would be expected to lower workload on the heart.” The researchers found that the pistachio diet lowered vascular constriction during stress. When arteries are dilated, the load on the heart is reduced. The physical challenge involved immersing one hand into icy water for two minutes.

Study finds curcumin, the main polyphenol in turmeric, as effective as Prozac in treating depression

Government Medical College (India), June 6, 2022

The findings showed that curcumin worked just as well as Prozac, acting as the “first clinical evidence that curcumin may be used as an effective and safe modality for treatment in patients with MDD without concurrent suicidal ideation or other psychotic disorders.” (1, 3) MDD stands for “Major Depressive Disorder.”

Monkeys that eat omega-3 rich diet show more developed brain networks

University of Oregon, June 13, 2022  

Study gives new insight into similarity of complex brain networks in monkeys, humans

Monkeys that ate a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids had brains with highly connected and well organized neural networks — in some ways akin to the neural networks in healthy humans — while monkeys that ate a diet deficient in the fatty acids had much more limited brain networking, according to an Oregon Health & Science University study.

The study, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, provides further evidence for the importance of omega-3 fatty acids in healthy brain development. It also represents the first time scientists have been able to use functional brain imaging in live animals to see the large-scale interaction of multiple brain networks in a monkey. These patterns are remarkably similar to the networks found in humans using the same imaging techniques.

The study measured a kind of omega-3 fatty acid called docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA, which is a primary component of the human brain and important in development of the brain and vision. 

The study found that the monkeys that had the high-DHA diet had strong connectivity of early visual pathways in their brains. It also found that monkeys with the high-DHA diet showed greater connections within various brain networks similar to the human brain — including networks for higher-level processing and cognition

‘Mini-strokes’ lead to PTSD and other psychiatric disorder

University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany  June 15, 2022 

Transient ischemic attacks are commonly referred to as “mini-strokes,” but this does not make them any less serious than major strokes. In fact, a recent study has found that around 30% of patients who have transient ischemic attacks go on to develop the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) occur when the flow of blood to the brain is disrupted temporarily, often by blood clots or other debris. They differ from major strokes in that the flow of blood is only blocked for a relatively short time – usually no more than 5 minutes. 

Despite only disrupting blood flow temporarily, TIAs serve as warning signs for future major strokes. They indicate that there is a partially blocked artery or a clot source in the heart. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that between 10-15% of people with TIA will experience a major stroke within 3 months. 

“We found 1 in 3 TIA patients develop PTSD,” says study author Kathrin Utz from the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany. “PTSD, which is perhaps better known as a problem found in survivors of war zones and natural disasters, can develop when a person experiences a frightening event that poses a serious threat.”

The researchers found that about 30% of the TIA patients reported symptoms of PTSD and 14% showed signs of a significantly reduced mental quality of life. Around 6.5% of the participants also had a reduced physical quality of life. 

TIA patients who showed signs of PTSD were also more likely to show signs of depression, anxiety and a lower overall quality of life than those who did not. 

University of Jyvaskyla (Finland), June 14, 2022

New research out of the University of Jyvaskyla in Finland has shown that exercise helps with preserving brain cells and preventing loss of memory, cognitive issues and general memory problems.

In the Finnish study, aerobic activity in particular was found to support healthier brain cells and prevent memory problems better than other exercise types studied, including weight lifting and high-intensity interval training (HIIT).

While weight lifting and HIIT have better fat burning properties, moderate aerobic exercise seems to cultivate healthier brain cells and protect against loss of memory.

For the study, University of Jyvaskyla researchers put groups of rats on three different workout programs to determine their effects on memory and overall brain health. Weight lifting, running and high-intensity interval training were the three types studied. The training regimens created were made to model approximately what the typical human might do in a workout program. The running group used a treadmill much as humans do, and the weight lifting group climbed a ladder with little weights attached to their tails. The HIIT group alternated short durations of sprinting and jogging.

By study’s end, while all of the rats showed general fitness gains, the weight lifting group and the HIIT group showed no signs of neurogenesis, or new brain cell growth. By contrast, the running group demonstrated growth in brain cells as well as a reduction in the loss of memory and memory problems.

Organic food consumers have a 21% lower risk of pre-eclampsia

Norwegian Institute of Public Health, June 15, 2022

 Pregnant women may be able to lower their risk of a potentially deadly complication known as pre-eclampsia by more than 20 percent simply by eating more organic vegetables, according to a study conducted by researchers from the National Institute for Consumer Research and the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, and published in BMJ Open.

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Active Component of Grape Seed Extract Effective Against Cancer Cells

University of Colorado Cancer Center, June 13 2022

 A University of Colorado Cancer Center study published online ahead of print in the journal Nutrition and Cancer describes the laboratory synthesis of the most active component of grape seed extract, B2G2, and shows this synthesized compound induces the cell death known as apoptosis in prostate cancer cells while leaving healthy cells unharmed.

“We’ve shown similar anti-cancer activity in the past with grape seed extract (GSE), but now we know B2G2 is its most biologically active ingredient which can be synthesized in quantities that will allow us to study the detailed death mechanism in cancer cells,” says Alpna Tyagi, PhD, of the University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.

The group pinpointed B2G2 as the most active compound, but, “it’s expensive and it takes a long time to isolate B2G2 from grape seed extract,” Tyagi says.

This expense related to the isolation of B2G2 has limited the group’s further exploration. So instead of purifying B2G2 from GSE, the group decided to synthesize it in the lab. The current study reports the success of this effort, including the ability to synthesize gram-quantity of B2G2 reasonably quickly and inexpensively.

In the paper’s second half, the group shows anti-cancer activity of synthesized B2G2 similar in mechanism and degree to overall GSE effectiveness.

Improving Memory Naturally: Sage Contains Similar Compounds as Modern Alzheimer’s Drugs

Newcastle and Northumbria Universities, June 14 2022

Sage was named “Herb of the Year” in 2001 by the International Herb Association. 

Some of the latest research shows how sage can boost memory and cognitive health. The leaves and stems of sage contain these antioxidant enzymes that protect against free radical oxidative cell damage as well as provide inflammatory relief from ailments such as arthritis and asthma.

The Medicinal Plant Research Centre (MPRC) of England conducted studies at Newcastle and Northumbria Universities with sage oil herb pills against placebo pills. Those who took the sage performed much better with a word recall test than those who took the placebo. 

In the long run, home-made tinctures are the most economical way to have and use highly effective tinctures for a long time. 

Simon Fraser University (Canada), June 15 2022

New research is adding further weight to the argument that prolonged sitting may be hazardous to your health. An international study surveying more than 100,000 individuals in 21 countries found that people who sat for six to eight hours a day had a 12–13 percent increased risk for early death and heart disease, while those who sat for more than eight hours daily increased that to a sobering 20 percent.

Their research followed individuals over an average of 11 years and determined that high amounts of sitting time were associated with increased risk of early death and cardiovascular disease. 

Not surprising, those who sat the most and were the least active had the highest risk—up to 50 percent—while those who sat the most but were also the most active had a substantially lower risk of about 17 percent.

“For those sitting more than four hours a day, replacing a half hour of sitting with exercise reduced the risk by two percent,” Lear notes. “With only one in four Canadians meeting the activity guidelines there’s a real opportunity here for people to increase their activity and reduce their chances of early death and heart disease.”

Acupuncture Can Treat Alzheimer’s Disease

Hubei University of Chinese Medicine (China), June 5, 2022 

An increasing number of clinical and animal studies have confirmed that acupuncture is effective for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. Moxibustion is reported to be more effective than electro-acupuncture for improving space-recognizing memory ability in aged mice, suggesting that moxibustion is another alternative or complementary therapy used to treat Alzheimer’s disease.

The pre-moxibustion group was treated with moxibustion for eight courses (each course lasting for 6 days) prior to the exposure and 14 days after Aβ1–42 exposure.  Moxibustion prior to Aβ1–42 exposure was more effective than moxibustion after Aβ1–42 exposure in protecting the neuronal structure and lowering the apoptosis rate.

Cangzhou Central Hospital (China), June 15 2022. 

Leukoaraiosis is an abnormality in the brain’s white matter that appears on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as white matter hyperintensities. In an article published in the International Journal of Neuroscience, researchers at Cangzhou Central Hospital in Hebei, China reported improvements in factors related to leukoaraiosis among adults given supplements containing vitamin E.

“Leukoaraiosis (LA) is a disease manifested by demyelination and gliosis in white matter, mainly caused by cerebrovascular diseases,” Yan Wang and colleagues wrote.  “Leukoaraiosis is closely related to the expression level of inflammatory factors, oxidative stress, and vascular endothelial dysfunction in patients. Vitamin E may play antioxidant and anti-inflammatory roles in various diseases.”

Participants received 200 IU, 400 IU or 600 international units (IU) vitamin E or a placebo daily for 12 weeks. At the end of the treatment period, blood samples were evaluated for the inflammatory factors C-reactive protein, complement C3 and C4, and matrix metalloproteins 2 and 9, as well as for markers of oxidative stress and endothelial function (function of the lining of the arteries, which is impaired in cerebrovascular and cardiovascular disease).

Inflammation, oxidative stress and endothelial function improved in all groups that received vitamin E in comparison with the placebo. Cognitive function scores also significantly improved in the vitamin E-treated groups. Improvement in all measured factors was correlated with higher doses of vitamin E.

Chlorogenic acid plus chromium improves insulin resistance and lowers obesity in mice

University of Toledo, June 10 2022

In an article published in Nutrition & Metabolism, University of Toledo researchers report that a combination of chromium and chlorogenic acid (CGA), a polyphenol occurring in coffee, reversed the development of obesity and insulin resistance in mice caused by the intake of a high-fat diet.

Sonia M. Najjar and her associates fed male BL6 mice a standard diet or a high-fat diet for seven weeks. During the last three weeks of the diet, the high-fat group received a daily oral supplement containing water, chlorogenic acid, or a combination of chlorogenic acid and chromium in a base that contained caffeine. Body weight was measured weekly, insulin tolerance was assessed at four and seven weeks, and glucose and glucose tolerance were assessed at the end of the treatment period.

At four weeks, animals supplemented with chlorogenic acid and the combination of chlorogenic acid and chromium experienced weight loss within two weeks, and attained weights comparable to those of animals that received a standard diet. While insulin resistance after four weeks was greater among high-fat diet-fed mice compared to those fed a standard diet, supplementation with chlorogenic acid plus chromium reduced this effect, and restored it to a level comparable to that of standard-diet-fed mice. Glucose tolerance and glucose levels were similarly restored in animals that received the supplement combination. 

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Acai and brain health: Has study unlocked Amazonian fruit’s neuroprotective effects?

University of Adelaide, June 10, 2022

The potential brain health benefits of açai may be linked to an inhibition of the aggregation of beta-amyloid proteins, says a new study from Australia.

The build-up of plaque from beta-amyloid deposits is associated with an increase in brain cell damage and death from oxidative stress. This is related to a loss of cognitive function and an increased risk of Alzheimer’s, the most common form of dementia and currently affects over 13 million people worldwide.

Researchers from the University of Adelaide have now reported that select polyphenols from the native South American palm berry may inhibit this build-up and explain the reported neuroprotective effects of açai.

To-date, pulp of acai has been demonstrated to affect cell signaling, enzyme activity, maintenance of the oxidant and antioxidant balance, receptor sensitivity, gene regulation, and reduction in the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, while restoring or maintaining functional cellular antioxidant status.

Açai extracts and berry pulp possess high levels of anti-oxidants which are generally attributed to mitigating the damaging effects of reactive oxygen species in cell culture. However, distinct neuroprotection to beta-amyloid loss of viability by açai is a novel finding. 

Nuts and peanuts may protect against major causes of death

Maastricht University (Netherlands), June 11, 2022

A paper published in the International Journal of Epidemiology confirms a link between peanut and nut intake and lower mortality rates, but finds no protective effect for peanut butter. Men and women who eat at least 10 grams of nuts or peanuts per day have a lower risk of dying from several major causes of death than people who don’t consume nuts or peanuts.

The reduction in mortality was strongest for respiratory disease, neurodegenerative disease, and diabetes, followed by cancer and cardiovascular diseases. The effects are equal in men and women. Peanuts show at least as strong reductions in mortality as tree nuts, but peanut butter is not associated with mortality, researchers from Maastricht University found.

The associations between nuts and peanut intake and cardiovascular death confirm earlier results from American and Asian studies that were often focused on cardiovascular diseases. However, in this new study, it was found that mortality due to cancer, diabetes, respiratory, and neurodegenerative diseases was also lowered among users of peanuts and nuts. 

Study finds an association between consuming more ultraprocessed foods and lower levels of physical fitness in children

Sacred Heart University, June 14, 2022

A new study found that children ages 3 to 5 who consumed more ultraprocessed foods had poorer locomotor skills than children who consumed less of these foods. It also showed lower cardiovascular fitness in 12- to 15-year-olds who consumed more ultraprocessed foods.

Although previous research has shown that consuming ultraprocessed foods is linked with a higher risk for cardiovascular disease in adults, this is one of the first studies to show a link between consumption of these foods and lower levels of physical fitness in children.

Ultraprocessed foods were categorized in this study as including packaged snacks, breakfast cereals, candies, soda, sweetened juices and yogurts, canned soups and prepared foods like pizza, hotdogs, burgers and chicken nuggets.

For children 5 years old and under, the researchers used locomotor development as a measure of physical fitness. The analysis revealed that children with the lowest locomotor development scores consumed 273 calories more per day of ultraprocessed foods than children with the highest locomotor development scores.

Cardiovascular fitness was used as a physical fitness measure in the older children. The study showed that teens and preteens with good cardiovascular fitness consumed 226 fewer calories daily from ultraprocessed foods than those who did not have healthy cardiovascular fitness.

Weill Cornell Medical College,, June 15, 2022

A recent Pfizer or Moderna mRNA-vaccine booster provided good but temporary protection against infection by the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, according to a study from researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine—Qatar.

In the study, published June 15 in the New England Journal of Medicine, the researchers analyzed the Omicron wave in Qatar last winter, comparing prior infections, vaccine immunity and combinations thereof among more than 100,000 Omicron-infected and non-infected individuals.

The analysis showed vaccine immunity against new infection appeared to wane rapidly, whereas people with a prior-variant infection were moderately protected from Omicron with little decline in protection even a year after their prior infection.

A key finding was that a history of vaccination with the standard two doses of either the Pfizer or Moderna mRNA vaccine, but no history of prior infection, brought no significant protection against symptomatic omicron infection. Having a booster dose appeared to be about 60 percent protective, though most boosters were received just weeks before the Omicron wave. Overall, the analysis suggested—consistently with prior studies—that mRNA vaccines and boosters work fairly well in protecting against symptomatic omicron infection, though their protective effect wanes rapidly and disappears within six months or so.

For those with no history of vaccination, SARS-CoV-2 infection during a prior-variant wave  was associated with almost the same degree of protection even a year after infection.

Large study of postmenopausal women suggests avoiding sweetened beverages could help reduce likelihood of developing liver cancer

University of South Carolina, June 14, 2022

A study of more than 90,000 postmenopausal women found that those who consumed at least one sugar-sweetened beverage daily faced a 78% higher risk of developing liver cancer compared with people who consumed less than three servings per month of such beverages.

“Our findings suggest sugar-sweetened beverage consumption is a potential modifiable risk factor for liver cancer,” said Longgang Zhao, at the University of South Carolina, the study’s lead author. “If our findings are confirmed, reducing sugar-sweetened beverage consumption might serve as a public health strategy to reduce liver cancer burden. Replacing sugar-sweetened beverages with water, and non-sugar-sweetened coffee or tea could significantly lower liver cancer risk.”

For the new study, researchers analyzed data from 90,504 postmenopausal women who participated in the Women’s Health Initiative, a long-term study launched in the early 1990s. Researchers assessed sugar-sweetened beverage intake based on validated food frequency questionnaires and confirmed liver cancer diagnoses using participants’ medical records.

About 7% of participants reported consuming one or more 12-ounce servings of sugar-sweetened beverages per day and a total of 205 women developed liver cancer. Women consuming one or more sugar-sweetened beverages daily were 78% more likely to develop liver cancer and those consuming at least one soft drink per day were 73% more likely to develop liver cancer compared with those who never consumed these beverages or  consumed less than three servings per month.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, June 14, 2022

How healthy is your diet? It seems like a simple question, but according to a new study, it’s one that most Americans struggle to get right.

“We found that only a small percentage of U.S. adults can accurately assess the healthfulness of their diet, and interestingly, it’s mostly those who perceive their diet as poor who are able to accurately assess their diet,” said Jessica Thomson, PhD, research epidemiologist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service in the Southeast Area, the study’s lead author. “Additionally, most adults overrate the quality of their diet, sometimes to a substantial degree.”

The study revealed significant disconnects between the researcher-calculated scores and how participants ranked their own diet. Out of over 9,700 participants, about 8,000 (roughly 85%) inaccurately assessed their diet quality. Of those, almost all (99%) overrated the healthfulness of their diet.

Surprisingly, accuracy was highest among those who rated their diet as poor, among whom the researcher’s score matched the participant’s rating 97% of the time. The proportion of participants who accurately assessed their diet quality ranged from 1%-18% in the other four rating categories.

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University of South Australia, June 14, 2022

Dementia is one of the major causes of disability and dependency among older people worldwide, affecting thinking and behaviors as you age. But what if you could stop this degenerative disease in its tracks?

A world-first study from the University of South Australia could make this a reality as new genetic research shows a direct link between dementia and a lack of vitamin D.

Investigating the association between vitamin D, neuroimaging features, and the risk of dementia and stroke, the study found:

• low levels of vitamin D were associated with lower brain volumes and an increased risk of dementia and stroke

Flaxseed supplements linked to improved blood pressure: Meta-analysis

University of Medicine and Pharmacy (Romania), June 9, 2022

Supplements of flaxseed may effectively management blood pressure, says a new meta-analysis of 15 clinical trials.

Data from 1,302 participants indicated that flaxseed supplements are associated with significant reductions in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure of about 2.85 mmHg and 2.39 mmHg, respectively.

“The results obtained in the present meta-analysis – a decrease of 2.85/2.39 mmHg after flaxseed supplementation – might be valuable for the hypertension management using nutraceuticals, since Heart Outcome Evaluation study demonstrated that a 3.3/1.4 mmHg reduction was associated with a 22% decline of relative risk of cardiovascular mortality,” wrote scientists from Romania, Iran, Australia and Poland in Clinical Nutrition .

The scientists also report that supplementation for longer than 12 weeks resulted in even greater reductions in systolic and diastolic blood pressure of 3.10 mmHg and 2.62 mmHg, respectively, compared to trials of shorter duration.

The potential biological mechanism are not completely understood, said the researchers, but could be linked to the lignan content of flaxseed. Specifically, a lignan named SDG is known to be an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor. ACE inhibitors work by inhibiting the conversion of angiotensin I to the potent vasoconstrictor, angiotensin II, thereby improving blood flow and blood pressure.

Finally, an arginine-rich protein fraction (KCl-F1) from flaxseed may also impact blood pressure.

Flaxseed powder supplements were found to affect systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), whereas flaxseed oil preparations only affected DBP. On the other hand, lignan extracts was not associated with any changes in SBP and DBP, they said.

Keep calm and carry on — for the sake of your long-term health

Penn State University, June 9, 2022

Reacting positively to stressful situations may play a key role in long-term health, according to researchers.

In a study measuring adults’ reactions to stress and how it affects their bodies, researchers found that adults who fail to maintain positive moods such as cheerfulness or calm when faced with the minor stressors of everyday life appear to have elevated levels of inflammation. Furthermore, women can be at heightened risk.

Nancy Sin, in the Center for Healthy Aging, Penn State and her colleagues showed that the frequency of daily stressors, in and of itself, was less consequential for inflammation than how an individual reacted to those stressors.

“A person’s frequency of stress may be less related to inflammation than responses to stress,” said Sin. “It is how a person reacts to stress that is important.”

In the short-term, with illness or exercise, the body experiences a high immune response to help repair itself. However, in the long term, heightened inflammatory immune responses may not be healthy. Individuals who have trouble regulating their responses may be at risk for certain age-related conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, frailty and cognitive decline, Sin said.

“To our knowledge, this paper is the first to link biomarkers of inflammation with positive mood responses to stressors in everyday life,” said Jennifer E. Graham-Engeland, associate professor of biobehavioral health, Penn State.

Healthy, plant-based diet linked with lower cancer risk for postmenopausal women 

Paris-Saclay University (France), June 14, 2022

Research shows that what we eat can influence our cancer risk, but it’s not always clear which foods or dietary patterns are best for cancer prevention. Results from a new study suggest that the quality or overall healthiness of a person’s diet may be key.

The study, based on data from over 65,000 postmenopausal women who were tracked for more than two decades, found that a healthy plant-based diet was linked with a 14% lower risk of breast cancer while an unhealthy plant-based diet was linked with a 20% higher risk of breast cancer. The findings were consistent across all breast cancer subtypes.

“These findings highlight that increasing the consumption of healthy plant foods and decreasing the consumption of less healthy plant foods and animal foods might help prevent all types of breast cancer,” said Sanam Shah, at Paris-Saclay University, Gustave Roussy, France, the study’s lead author. 

Previous studies have examined cancer risks associated with various dietary patterns such as the Western diet, the Mediterranean diet and vegetarian diets. Although some studies suggest diets with less or no meat consumption offer health benefits, results have been somewhat mixed. For the new study, researchers focused on differentiating between healthy plant-based foods — such as whole grains, fruit, vegetables, nuts, legumes, vegetable oils and tea or coffee — and plant-based foods the study categorized as less healthy including fruit juices, refined grains, potatoes, sugar-sweetened beverages and desserts.

Regular exercise beneficial in suppressing inflammation in rheumatic disease

Exercise results in physiological changes that decrease inflammation on a local and systemic level

Ohio State University, June 12, 202

Research findings suggest that exercise transiently suppresses local and systemic inflammation, reinforcing the beneficial effects of exercise and the need for this to be regular in order to achieve clinical efficacy in rheumatic disease.

These new research findings focused on the physiological changes created by exercise and their impact on inflammation. The researchers have found that exercise generates a true biological response and induces changes on a molecular level that stimulate anti-inflammatory effects.

This in-vivo study measured the regulation and activation of NF-kB* in mice. NF-kB, a protein complex that controls many genes involved in inflammation, is found to be chronically active in many inflammatory diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease and arthritis.

The effect of exercise on the inhibition of NF-kB activation was identified as a transient effect, lasting only 24 hours after exercise.The role of exercise in inhibiting NF-kB activation was linked to the suppression of multiple pro-inflammatory cytokines. 

Norwegian University of Science and Technology, June 14, 2022

So you could have become a pro footballer when you were younger, you say? Or really good at chess? Perhaps a world-renowned chef?

Well, maybe not anymore, we think as we get older. And maybe that’s actually okay.

A research group has investigated how important the motivational factors for becoming really proficient at a skill change over the years.

“We wanted to see how the passion, grit and belief that you’ll succeed at getting better – your growth mindset – change with age and in relation to gender,” says Hermundur Sigmundsson, a professor at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology’s (NTNU) Department of Psychology.

“The passion for what you used to burn for declines. And so does the belief that you can succeed at becoming really good at it,” says Professor Sigmundsson.

But this is where it is important to take hold of yourself and not give up. You might not become a world champion in anything, but you could still get really proficient if you go for it. Or at least better.

“That’s when it’s important to maintain a growth mindset. You can’t stop believing in growth even though you’re getting older,” says Sigmundsson.

“Passion and a growth mindset decrease with age, but the willingness to persevere increases if we look at the elderly population as a whole,” says Sigmundsson.

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Nuts Increase Cognitive Scores Among Elderly Women

Harvard University and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, June 4th 2022 

For six years, the researchers followed 16,010 women who 70 years old or older, and 15,467 completed the final cognitive interviews.

The researchers found those women who consumed five servings or more of nuts each week had higher scores on their cognitive testing compared to those who did not consume nuts. The average difference in scores was 0.08 units, which is equivalent to two years of cognition decline during the aging process.

The mechanism may be related to the fact that nuts are heart-healthy. And nut consumption has been associated with cardiovascular healthand mortality in other research.

University of Southern California, June 13, 2022

Stress—in the form of traumatic events, job strain, everyday stressors and discrimination—accelerates aging of the immune system, potentially increasing a person’s risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease and illness from infections such as COVID-19, according to a new USC study.

The research, published  in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), could help explain disparities in age-related health, including the unequal toll of the pandemic, and identify possible points for intervention.

USC researchers decided to see if they could tease out a connection between lifetime exposure to stress—a known contributor to poor health—and declining vigor in the immune system.

As expected, people with higher stress scores had older-seeming immune profiles, with lower percentages of fresh disease fighters and higher percentages of worn-out white blood cells. The association between stressful life events and fewer ready to respond, or naive, T cells remained strong even after controlling for education, smoking, drinking, BMI and race or ethnicity.

Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences (Iran), June 8 2022. 

A double-blind trial reported in a recent issue of the International Journal of Vitamin and Nutrition Research found a reduction in markers of inflammation in mildly hypertensive patients given coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) for twelve weeks. Participants who received CoQ10 also experienced an increase in adiponectin: a protein secreted by adipose tissue that has an anti-inflammatory effect and which has been found to be reduced in high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.

“Considering that coenzyme Q10 has attracted noticeable attention in recent years for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases and hypertension in regard to its effect on inflammatory factors such as cytokines, it is therefore hypothesized that supplementation with coenzyme Q10 reduces the proinflammatory factors,” write Nasim Bagheri Nesami of Iran’s Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences and colleagues. “This study was conducted in order to determine the effects of coenzyme Q10 on proinflammatory factors as well as on adiponectin in patients with mild hypertension.”

Sixty men and women were randomized to receive 100 milligrams CoQ10 or a placebo for a twelve week period. Plasma adiponectin, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP, a marker of inflammation) and the cytokines interleukin 2, interleukin6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha were measured before and after treatment.

At the end of the study, participants who received CoQ10 had significant declines in interleukin-6 and hs-CRP compared with levels measured upon enrollment. They also experienced an increase in adiponectin, while levels in the placebo group slightly declined.

Probiotics prevent deadly complications of liver disease

Govind Ballabh Pant Hospital, New Delhi, India   June 6, 2022

Probiotics are effective in preventing hepatic encephalopathy in patients with cirrhosis of the liver, according to a new study in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. Hepatic encephalopathy is a deterioration of brain function that is a serious complication of liver disease.

“This rigorous new research finds that probiotics modify the gut microbiota to prevent hepatic encephalopathy in patients with cirrhosis of the liver,” said David W. Victor III, MD. “These results offer a safe, well-tolerated and perhaps cheaper alternative to current treatments.”

When comparing treatment with probiotics versus placebo, the researchers found that the incidence of hepatic encephalopathy was lower in patients treated with probiotics.  Probiotic supplementation was not associated with any side effects and none of the patients required discontinuation of therapy. These results suggest that probiotics are similar in effectiveness to the current standard of care, lactulose, in the prevention of hepatic encephalopathy, yet they appear to be much better tolerated. The effectiveness of lactulose, a nonabsorbable disaccharide, is limited by side effects (diarrhea, bloating and gas) and a narrow therapeutic window. 

Chelation therapy and vitamin supplements cut heart disease risk by over 25%

Columbia University, June 9, 2022 

“They’re all in our environment. Any of us who are of an age to have been exposed to leaded gasoline have lead in our bones. If we get an infusion of EDTA, we’ll have lead in our urine. It’s just the way it is. And as you get older and become osteoporotic, that lead starts getting released.”

In a randomized, double-blind trial, the researchers randomly assigned 1,708 stable heart attack survivors at 134 clinics across the United States to one of four experimental conditions: high-dose oral multivitamins plus chelation, chelation plus a vitamin-mimicking placebo, vitamins plus a chelation-mimicking placebo or double placebo. Participants had to get a 500 cc intravenous infusion once per week for 30 weeks, followed by another 10 infusions spaced two to eight weeks apart. All participants also had to take six large capsules daily.

The researchers found that chelation alone led to a statistically significant 18 percent reduction in primary endpoint, relative to placebo. Chelation plus multivitamins led to a 26 percent reduction in risk over placebo. Chelation plus multivitamin also reduced the secondary endpoint by 34 percent, compared with placebo.

GreenMed Info, June 13th 2022 

Serrapeptase, also known as serratiopeptidase or serralysin, is a systemic enzyme, specifically it is a proteolytic enzyme. Serrapeptase was first derived from a species of bacteria found in the intestine of the silkworm. The bacteria, Serratia mercesans E1, produces serrapeptase to help breakdown the silkworm coccoon to free the silk moth.

A review study summarized that serrapeptase has immense applications in therapeutic areas which have been validated by several in vitro, in vivo, and clinical studies. “These applications are attributable to its versatile properties including anti-inflammatory, anti-biofilm, analgesic, anti-edemic, and fibrinolytic effects.”

Serrapeptase has been used for a wide range of health concerns: 

Serrapeptase for Joint Swelling

Serrapeptase is effective in reducing post-operative joint swelling in comparison to other therapies such as applying ice. 

Serrapeptase Dissolves Blood Clots, Dead Tissue, Biofilms

Anticoagulants and antiplatelet drugs are used for managing cardiovascular diseases but they are unable to dissolve an existing blood clot. Serrapeptase dissolves a fibrin clot within a blood vessel.  Studies have shown that serrapeptase can digest dead tissues, blood clots, cysts, biofilm and arterial plaques. 

Serrapeptase for Acute or Chronic Ear, Nose and Throat Conditions

The Journal of International Medical Research published the results of a study evaluating the efficacy and tolerability of serrapeptase using a double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 193 subjects suffering from acute or chronic ear, nose or throat disorders. Patients treated with serrapeptase reported significant symptom regression within 3 – 4 days. It was concluded that serrapeptase “has anti-inflammatory, anti-oedemic and fibrinolytic activity and acts rapidly on localized inflammation.” 

COVID-19 and Chronic Respiratory Conditions

A 2021 study, showed, “Proteolytic enzymes can be useful in the treatment of nosocomial, viral, and resistant infections, especially in pediatric and geriatric age groups due to its relative safety, less tolerance and resistance and its synergic effects.” 

Physicians have observed many COVID-19 cases with heart problems, kidney problems, and the presence of blood clots. Serrapeptase helps patients with chronic airway disease by reducing coughing and lessening viscosity of sputum. As a natural anticoagulant it interferes with platelet aggregation and the blood coagulation cascade. Serrapeptase has an anti-inflammatory impact on the tissue inflammation that contributes to the blood clot formation. 

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Even the CDC recommends this botanical ingredient as comparable to DEET for repelling disease-carrying insects.

While DEET is the gold standard of insect repellents, it is also a strong synthetic chemical with a tarnished reputation. Known to the chemistry set as N,N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide, DEET was potentially linked to cases of brain damage in the 1980s and 90s, inciting a flood of fear amongst consumers that has yet to recede.

BUT, there’s an alternative. Behold oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE), the plant-based active ingredient derived from eucalyptus leaves and approved for efficacy by the CDC.

“Oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE) or PMD (chemical name: para-menthane-3,8-diol), the synthesized version of OLE. Products containing OLE and PMD include, but are not limited to, Repel and Off! Botanicals. This recommendation refers to EPA-registered products containing the active ingredient OLE (or PMD). “Pure” oil of lemon eucalyptus (essential oil not formulated as a repellent) is not recommended; it has not undergone similar, validated testing for safety and efficacy and is not registered with EPA as an insect repellent.”

University of Colorado, June 11, 2022

A handheld device which builds breathing muscles could help older people get in shape. Doing just five minutes of the breath training exercises every day for more than six weeks improved people’s performance on the treadmill by 12 percent, according to scientists. Adults are recommended to log 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week. Now scientists have come up with a simple way of making exercising on the treadmill easier for those struggling to get running.

“Developing novel forms of physical training that increase adherence and improve physical function are key to reducing the risk of chronic diseases with aging,” says lead researcher Kaitlin Freeberg, of the University of Colorado, in a statement. “High-resistance IMST (high-resistance inspiratory muscle strength training) may be one such strategy to promote adherence and improve multiple components of health in midlife and older adults.”

IMST involves inhaling through a handheld device which adds resistance to the breath. A total of 35 adults were divided into two groups, a high resistance training group and a low resistance control group. Participants used a manual breathing trainer for 30 breaths a day, or around five minutes, over a period of six weeks.

Those who were part of the high-resistance group improved their treadmill time by 12 percent, the researchers report. Participants in the high-resistance group also showed a relationship with changes in 18 metabolites tested in the study, “predominantly ones that play key roles in energy production and fatty acid metabolism.”

Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, June 8, 2022

Scientists discovered years ago that newborn infants depend upon immune components transferred from their mothers to survive the onslaught of pathogens that begin invading their bodies as soon as they are born. 

Now, a far-reaching study published in Nature, provides a surprising explanation of how those early days of mother-provided immunity actually work–and what that information could mean for preventing death and disability from a wide range of infectious diseases. 

“For many years, scientists believed that antibodies cannot get inside cells. They don’t have the necessary machinery. And so, infections caused by pathogens that live exclusively inside cells were thought to be invisible to antibody-based therapies,” says Sing Sing Way, MD, Ph.D., Division of Infectious Diseases at Cincinnati Children’s. “Our findings show that pregnancy changes the structure of certain sugars attached to the antibodies, which allows them to protect babies from infection by a much wider range of pathogens.” 

“The maternal-infant dyad is so special. It’s the intimate connection between a mother and her baby,” says John Erickson, MD, Ph.D., Division of Neonatology, and first-author of the study.

Erickson continues, “This special connection starts when babies are in the womb and continues after birth. I love seeing the closeness between mothers and their babies in our newborn care units. This discovery paves the way for pioneering new therapies that can specifically target infections in pregnant mothers and newborns babies. I believe these findings also will have far-reaching implications for antibody-based therapies in other fields.”

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, June 3, 2022 

As people age, their intestinal stem cells begin to lose their ability to regenerate. These stem cells are the source for all new intestinal cells, so this decline can make it more difficult to recover from gastrointestinal infections or other conditions that affect the intestine.

This age-related loss of stem cell function can be reversed by a 24-hour fast, according to a new study from MIT biologists. The researchers found that fasting dramatically improves stem cells’ ability to regenerate, in both aged and young mice.

In fasting mice, cells begin breaking down fatty acids instead of glucose, a change that stimulates the stem cells to become more regenerative. The researchers found that they could also boost regeneration with a molecule that activates the same metabolic switch. Such an intervention could potentially help older people recovering from GI infections or cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, the researchers say.

“This study provided evidence that fasting induces a metabolic switch in the intestinal stem cells, from utilizing carbohydrates to burning fat,” Sabatini says. “Interestingly, switching these cells to fatty acid oxidation enhanced their function significantly. Pharmacological targeting of this pathway may provide a therapeutic opportunity to improve tissue homeostasis in age-associated pathologies.”

After mice fasted for 24 hours, the researchers removed intestinal stem cells and grew them in a culture dish, allowing them to determine whether the cells can give rise to “mini-intestines” known as organoids.

The researchers found that stem cells from the fasting mice doubled their regenerative capacity.

Trent University (Ontario), June 1, 2022

Experts believe that the shocking epidemic of type 2 diabetes is being driven by lifestyle factors, primarily obesity and inactivity. But, evidence is accumulating that hypersensitivity to electromagnetic fields can cause high blood sugar, raising the possibility that a third form of the disease – “type 3 diabetes” – could be caused by this form of environmental pollution.

According to peer-reviewed research  published in Electromagnetic Biology and Medicine, “dirty electricity,” or transient electrical fields, can affect blood sugar levels in diabetic individuals who are electrically sensitive.

Dr. Havas, an Associate Professor of Environmental and Resource Studies at Trent University, presented case studies showing that plasma glucose levels increased in response to electromagnetic pollution.

Dr. Havas noted that people with unexplained rises in blood sugar could potentially be electrosensitive – and, in fact, suffering type 3 diabetes. (With 3 to 35 percent of the population experiencing electrosensitivity, as many as 5 to 60 million diabetics worldwide could be affected by this perplexing and under-diagnosed condition!)

Symptoms occur when an individual is exposed to wireless technologies or electrical devices such as cell phone towers, “smart” meters, WiFi routers, power line magnetic fields, plasma TVs, laptops, cell phones, energy-efficient lighting, fluorescent lighting and dimmer switches.

The symptoms can be mild or severe, and can include headaches, dizziness, heart palpitations, insomnia, memory problems, depression and fatigue. Numbness and tingling, high blood pressure, nosebleeds, tinnitus (ringing in the ears) and shortness of breath can also be indications of electrosensitivity.

And, in spite of the item’s name, you shouldn’t work with a laptop on your lap.

Avoiding smart meters, sleeping in an electricity-free bedroom, and eliminating dimmer switches are also wise moves, while installing Graham/Stetzer filters can help you cut down on “dirty electricity.”

The takeaway: if you have been diagnosed with diabetes and are electrosensitive, cutting down on your EMF exposure is a commonsense choice you can make today.

Polyphenols in the foods that we eat can prevent inflammation in older people, since they alter the intestinal microbiota and induce the production of the indole 3-propionic acid (IPA), a metabolite derived from the degradation of tryptophan due to intestinal bacteria. This is stated in a study published in the journal Molecular Nutrition and Food Research, carried out by the Research Group at the University of Barcelona and the CIBER on Fragility and Healthy Ageing

The study shows the interaction between polyphenols and gut microbiota can induce the proliferation of bacteria with the ability to synthetize beneficial metabolites, such as IPA, a postbiotic with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties that contributes to improve the health of the intestinal wall. Therefore, this compound would contribute to the prevention of some diseases associated with ageing.

“If we consider the beneficial effects of IPA on the gut microbiota and health in general, it is important to find reliable strategies to promote the production of this metabolite.

As part of the study, the researchers carried out a multiomic analysis on faecal samples of fifty-one volunteers aged over sixty-five who kept following a diet rich in polyphenols (green tea, bitter chocolate, fruits including apples, pomegranate and blueberries) for eight weeks.

The results show that the diet rich in polyphenols generated a significant increase in the blood IPA levels, together with a decrease in inflammation levels and changes in the bacteria of the microbiota, from the order of Bacteroidales.

New research published today in Nutrients shows that people with a higher blood DHA level are 49% less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease vs. those with lower levels, according to the Fatty Acid Research Institute (FARI). The study, led by Aleix Sala-Vila, PhD, suggested that providing extra dietary omega-3 DHA, especially for those carrying the ApoE4 gene (which approximately doubles an individual’s susceptibility to develop AD) might slow the development of the disease. Such a cost-effective, low-risk dietary intervention like this could potentially save billions in health care costs.

In this prospective observational study conducted within the Framingham Offspring Cohort — including 1490 dementia-free participants aged ≥65 years old —  researchers examined the association of red blood cell (RBC) docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) with incident Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), while also testing for an interaction with APOE-ε4 carriership.

Tthe researchers noted that an increased intake of DHA might lower risk for developing AD, particularly in higher-risk individuals such as those carrying the APOE-ε4 allele, suggesting that they may benefit more from higher DHA levels than non-carriers.

A vegan diet improves diet quality, leading to decreased weight and improved insulin sensitivity, according to a new study by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Decreased weight was most associated with increased intake of legumes and decreased intake of meat, fish, and poultry.

“Our research shows that the best way to improve the quality of your health is to improve the quality of the foods you eat,” says Hana Kahleova, MD, PhD, director of clinical research at the Physicians Committee and a study co-author. “That means avoiding animal products and eating a vegan diet rich in fruits, vegetables, grains, and beans.”

The participants in the 16-week study included 244 overweight adults who were randomly assigned to either make no diet changes or to follow a low-fat vegan diet, without calorie restrictions, consisting of vegetables, grains, legumes, and fruits. Researchers tracked diet quality, body weight, fat mass, and insulin sensitivity. The final data analysis included 219 participants who completed the whole study and submitted their final diet records.

Participants on the vegan diet lost an average of 13 pounds and 9.1 pounds of fat mass. Body weight and fat mass did not decrease in the group that made no diet changes. In the vegan group, increases in fruit, legume, meat alternative, and whole grain intake and decreases in animal products, added oils, and animal fats were associated with weight loss:

• Fruit: Increased intake of whole fruit was associated with a decrease in body weight.

The vegan group also experienced improvements in insulin sensitivity.

Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation, June 9, 2022

Those who are habitually inclined to consume burgers, fries and soda may think twice about their dietary choices following scientists' latest findings about high-fat, high-fructose diets.

As reported in their recent publication in Cell Metabolism, the Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation (TIBI), discovered that a high-fat diet can increase fructose metabolism in the small intestine, leading to release of a fructose-specific metabolite called glycerate into circulation. Circulating glycerate can subsequently cause damage of the insulin-producing pancreatic beta cells, increasing the risk of glucose tolerance disorders, such as Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Although T2DM is typically found in older people, it has been occurring more and more in younger people. In the past two decades alone, T2DM has doubled in prevalence. Equally concerning are the health risks associated with T2DM, including heart disease and stroke. 

In T2DM, there are insufficient levels of insulin, a hormone that regulates movement of glucose into peripheral cells. To compensate for this, the pancreas overworks to secrete additional insulin, with eventual loss of this ability. The result is an unhealthy accumulation of glucose in the blood.

Collectively, the scientists' findings suggest that a prolonged exposure to high levels of glycerate due to excessive consumption of western diets rich in dietary fructose and fat poses the risk of damage to the pancreatic islet cells and development of diabetes.

Loma Linda University, June 9, 2022

Men with higher intakes of dairy foods, especially milk, face a significantly higher risk of prostate cancer compared to men with lower intakes, according to a new study conducted by researchers at Loma Linda University Health. The study found no such associations between increased prostate cancer risk and intake of non-dairy calcium, suggesting substances other than calcium play a role in the risk dairy foods poses for prostate cancer.

The study's results reveal that men who consumed about 430 grams of dairy per day (1 ¾ cups of milk) faced a 25% increased risk of prostate cancer compared to men who consumed only 20.2 grams of dairy per day (1/2 cup of milk per week). Also, men who consumed about 430 grams of dairy per day faced an even greater increase in risk when compared to men with zero dairy intake in their diets.

Fraser noted that the results had minimal variation when comparing intake of full fat versus reduced or nonfat milks; there were no important associations reported with cheese and yogurt.

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Zinc found to play an important role in lung fibrosis

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, June 8, 2022

Investigators from the Women’s Guild Lung Institute at Cedars-Sinai have discovered that zinc, a common mineral, may reverse lung damage and improve survival for patients with a deadly age-related condition known as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).”This study has the potential to be a game changer,” said Paul Noble, MD, chair of the Department of Medicine. “We identified a root cause of IPF-related lung damage and a potential therapeutic target that might restore the lungs’ ability to heal themselves.”

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, or IPF, affects 100,000 people in the U.S. and has no known cause. The condition, which leads to scarring of the lungs, called fibrosis, and progressive breathing difficulty, has no cure, and most patients die or require a lung transplant within three to five years of diagnosis. The incidence of IPF rises dramatically with age and affects men more often than women.

(NEXT)

Do optimists live longer?

Harvard School of Public Health, June 8, 2022

In a study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society that included a racially diverse group of 159,255 women, higher levels of optimism were associated with longer lifespans and a greater likelihood of living past 90 years of age. Investigators found that the link between optimism and longevity was evident across racial and ethnic groups, and that lifestyle factors accounted for nearly one-quarter of the optimism-lifespan association. 

(NEXT)

Sweet cherry anthocyanins support liver health… for rats at least

Zhei-Jang University (China), June 1, 2022

Anthocyanins from sweet cherries may protect against diet-induced liver steatosis, or excessive amounts of fat in the liver’s tissue, says a new study with rats. 

The study, published in the journal Nutrition, built upon the abundant existing literature on the beneficial role anthocyanins have as an antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and anti-hyperlipidemic component. Specifically, the cyanidin-3-glucoside variant “[has] been reported to ameliorate hepatic steatosis and adipose inflammation,” the researchers wrote. The condition known as liver steatosis is a common non-alcoholic fatty liver disease usually treated with drugs, but according to the researchers, some drug used for treatment “are usually accompanied by some adverse effect.” For 15 weeks, the researchers investigated the effects of sweet cherry anthocyanin supplementation have on alleviating high-fat diet-induced liver steatosis in rodents to explore the possibility of a none-drug treatment for the liver condition. According to the researchers, the results demonstrated how sweet cherry anthocyanins may be developed into a supplement to “protect from high-fat diet-induced hepatic steatosis in mice,”leading to a suggested potential for the anthocyanin’s application in the “treatment of hepatic steatosis and other obesity related metabolic disorders.”

(NEXT)

Bad dreams could be early warning of Parkinson’s disease

University of Birmingham, June 8, 2022

Older adults who start to experience bad dreams or nightmares could be exhibiting the earliest signs of Parkinson’s disease, say researchers at the University of Birmingham. A new study, published in eClinicalMedicine, showed that in a cohort of older men, individuals experiencing frequent bad dreams were twice as likely to be later diagnosed with Parkinson’s as those who did not.Previous studies have shown that people with Parkinson’s disease experience nightmares and bad dreams more frequently than adults in the general population, but using nightmares as a risk indicator for Parkinson’s has not previously been considered.”While we need to carry out further research in this area, identifying the significance of bad dreams and nightmares could indicate that individuals who experience changes to their dreams in older age—without any obvious trigger—should seek medical advice.” The team used data from a large cohort study from the U.S., which contained data over a period of 12 years from 3818 older men living independently.  Participants reporting bad dreams at least once per week were then followed up at the end of the study to see whether they were more likely to be diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.

(NEXT)

Beetroot boosts sporting performance in athletes

University of South Australia, June 8, 2022

Evaluating the performance effects of foods that are thought to have a beneficial effect on aerobic performance, researchers found that beetroot, grapes, sour cherries, and pine bark extract, which contribute to nitric oxide availability in the body, boost endurance exercise performance. Assessing data from 118 studies involving 1,872 participants from 25 different countries, the meta-analysis evaluated the effect of consuming nitrate-rich foods (typically green leafy vegetables), foods that contain polyphenols (such as berries, cherries and cocoa), and L-Citrulline (found in watermelon) on exercise endurance performance. The study, published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, found that the nitrate levels contained in beetroot, which have been shown to boost blood flow and increase the delivery of nutrients and oxygen to muscles during exercise, helped athletes perform better more quickly.

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The Asian plum of the rosaceae family, has been studied for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and liver protecting properties. A study funded by Swiss company Stragen Pharma looks deeper into how this plum extract can benefit the liver.

“Most of the currently available data supporting a potential hepatoprotective [liver protecting] effect of P. mume  have been obtained using in vitro testing, in vivo  animal models, or non-controled human trials,” the researchers wrote in the study published in Phythotherapy Research.

Hence, the current study was the first that looked into the effects of two doses of a P. mune extract supplement on liver enzymes through a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study.

From the 44 subjects who participated throughout the 3-month long study, researchers found a “beneficial and statistically significant effect versus placebo of P. mune extract on liver function.”

Researchers found that, over the course of the study, participants supplemented with the low dose of Prunus mume experienced significant decreases in their high aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase liver enzymes, all of which induce hepatotoxicity, whereas the high dose group did not experience significant changes in their liver enzymes.

Monash University (Australia),

A Monash University study exploring the emerging gut-skin axis has found that microbial fermentation of dietary fiber in the gut can protect against allergic skin disease. The research could potentially lead to novel treatments to prevent or treat allergies.

Professor Ben Marsland from the Central Clinical School’s Department of Immunology, together with Swiss colleagues at the University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV), showed that the fermentation of fiber in the gut by bacteria and subsequent production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), in particular butyrate, protected against atopic dermatitis in mice. 

University of Maine,

University of Maine published findings in the journal Appetite, saying people who ate chocolate at least once per week performed better on multiple cognitive tasks compared to those who ate chocolate less frequently.

“We don’t know if people are going to get smarter,” Elias, a psychologist and epidemiologist, said from his office on the Orono campus. “What we found out is that people who ate chocolate performed better [on cognitive functions] than people who did not.”

The study, directed by Elias, tracked more than 1,000 people over 35 years and looked specifically at chocolate consumption’s effect on visual-spatial memory and organization, working memory, abstract verbal reasoning, scanning and tracking and overall cognitive functioning.

“We did not follow cognitive function over time and see any rise in intelligence,” he said. “What we did find was that people who ate chocolate on a regular basis performed better on cognitive functions than people who did not.”

The researchers hypothesized that regular intake of cocoa flavanols may be one of several mechanism explaining the cognitive benefits of chocolate. According to the team’s publication, flavonols have multiple effects on the brain on the cellular and molecular levels in the regions involved in learning and memory and by increasing blood flow in the brain promoting development of new blood vessels.

San Diego State University,

Imagine watching “The Batman” movie back-to-back four times every day or driving a whopping 390 miles each way on a daily commute. Either uncomfortable choice will take about 12 hours—or the same amount of time most Americans stay seated throughout any day.

The dangerous consequences of prolonged inactivity in humans are widely known. Too much sitting leads to an increased risk of heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, and other chronic illnesses, including depression. To offset the severe side effects of a sedentary lifestyle, doctors recommend adults complete at least 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise a week. 

However, a new study from San Diego State University, published in JAMA Network Open, found that doing lighter intensity daily activities such as household chores can significantly reduce the risk of stroke. 

“Light-intensity physical activity can include vacuuming, sweeping the floor, washing the car, leisure strolling, stretching, or playing catch,” said Steven Hooker, dean of SDSU’s College of Health and Human Services and lead researcher of the cohort study. 

They found those who were sedentary for 13 hours or more a day had a 44% increased risk of having a stroke. 

Baycrest Center for Geriatric Care (Canada),

A recent study conducted at Baycrest Health Sciences has uncovered a crucial piece into why playing a musical instrument can help older adults retain their listening skills and ward off age-related cognitive declines. This finding could lead to the development of brain rehabilitation interventions through musical training.

The study, published in the Journal of Neuroscience  found that learning to play a sound on a musical instrument alters the brain waves in a way that improves a person’s listening and hearing skills over a short time frame. This change in brain activity demonstrates the brain’s ability to rewire itself and compensate for injuries or diseases that may hamper a person’s capacity to perform tasks.

This finding supports Dr. Ross’ research using musical training to help stroke survivors rehabilitate motor movement in their upper bodies. Baycrest scientists have a history of breakthroughs into how a person’s musical background impacts the listening abilities and cognitive function as they age and they continue to explore how brain changes during aging impact hearing.

The study involved 32 young, healthy adults who had normal hearing and no history of neurological or psychiatric disorders. The brain waves of participants were first recorded while they listened to bell-like sounds from a Tibetan singing bowl (a small bell struck with a wooden mallet to create sounds). After listening to the recording, half of the participants were provided the Tibetan singing bowl and asked to recreate the same sounds and rhythm by striking it and the other half recreated the sound by pressing a key on a computer keypad.

“This study was the first time we saw direct changes in the brain after one session, demonstrating that the action of creating music leads to a strong change in brain activity.”

Seoul Medical Center  (Korea) 

According to news reporting originating in Seoul, South Korea  research stated, “Korean red ginseng (KRG) has a nootropic effect. This study assessed the efficacy of red ginseng on cognitive function and quantitative electroencephalography (EEG) in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD).”

Research from Seoul Medical Center stated “Fourteen patients with AD (mean age, 74.93 years; 11 women and 3 men) were recruited and treated with KRG (4.5 g per day) for 12 weeks. EEG performed before and after treatment were analyzed with quantitative spectral analysis. The Frontal Assessment Battery score improved significantly after 12 weeks of treatment. In the relative power spectrum analysis performed according to responsiveness, alpha power increased significantly in the right temporal area of the responders. The increments of relative alpha power in the right temporal, parietal, and occipital areas were significantly higher in the responders than the nonresponders.”

According to the news reporters, the research concluded: “This study indicates the efficacy of KRG on frontal lobe function in AD, related to increasing relative alpha power.”